WotBS - Scouring of Gate Pass

[Dragonwriter]

Barrik trots his horse along, but halts it as the party reaches the crest and views the Fire Forest. "Impressive," he grunts. His jaw tightens a bit at the sight of the raging, seemingly-permanent blaze. "And out of the ice, into the inferno."

He nudges the horse forward again, patting its neck and frowning as he looks down at the small injury he gave it earlier during the battle. He looks up as Torrent brings attention to what she sees. He squints through the glare of the dying sun and the burning trees, but can't see too clearly. "One way to know for sure," he says plainly, giving his horse another nudge and turning it to face the given direction.

[sblock=OOC]
I'll get up a level-up post in the OOC soon.[/sblock]

 

[Vertexx69]

As the group tops the final rise, Shade's face almost makes an expression that isn't formed out of anger. Not that anyone would be able to tell from behind the blackened silver mask, but her cold blue eyes do widen ever so slightly. "Well that's just great! I don't suppose anyone in this god forsaken land has ever heard of a temperate climate, or a warm ocean breeze? Everything has to be either a popsicle or an oven with you people? Lets get to that encloser so that we might have some sort off cover for the night instead of sleeping on rocks like farm animals, even if it is just a burnt out shell of a hovel..."

OOC - I'm updated to lvl 3 and linked my HD roll in the RG. (Got lucky again.)

 

[Songdragon]

Marda pulls up with the others and overlooks the blazing sight. "Both an impressive and saddening sight. If we rest before heading within the heart of this, I would be able to offer protective magics to one other of the group. I am sorry, but I limited with the magics of Gracenyes, still."

She looks over to see if she can spot what Torrent has spotted... ((Perception 1d20+8=11))

((Marda is updated in the character thread... Brief overview: Marda took cleric (2nd level now), weapon focus, and took survival skill and updated some of the others. Like Shade, I was lucky with hit points. ))

 

[HolyMan]

As the party gets closer they see that indeed it is a house made all out of stone.

Just before the ash field, about a half mile from the forest fire, the party spots a small farm, consisting of a two-story stone house and adjacent barn, and what looks like a pair of simple stone cairns. The farm is on a slight rise to the left of the road, and a young woman stands in clear view, dark-haired, eyes wide and blue, holding a slender black staff.

When the party is close enough to speak with her, it is clear that she is looking off vacantly, but she speaks to them, saying, “The Scourge comes, and the skulls of the dragon pursue you. I saw it in a dream.” Then she shakes her head as if coming to her senses, then meekly apologizes.

[sblock=Image]

[/sblock]

 

[Dragonwriter]

Barrik wrinkles his eyebrow in confusion. "What the-? Skulls of the dragon? What kind of mad-talk is that?"

The dog-thing grunts once, lazily. During the trek closer to the Fire Forest, the creature's fur seems to have absorbed some of the minuscule ash in the air. It sniffs the air, then points its nose toward the strange girl. "Smell like smoke... Don't like smoke."

Barrik trots his horse a little closer. "Easy boy, she's not the source of the smoke..." The half-orc looks at the girl, managing a kind of scowl even to her pretty face. "Now, before you start rattling off another cryptic phrase and apologizing for it, why don't you tell us your name? And why are you living so close to such a dangerous place?"

 

[Walking Dad]

Fantalass

Fantalss carefully watches the woman, muttering something silently.


[sblock=OOC]
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2898232/
cast detect magic and look for auras on the woman and her house.

---

Fantalass
AC 11 (T11, FF10), HP 12/12, F +1,R+2,W+4


Acid Dart: 4/7 (+3, 1d6+2) (includes Point Blank bonus)

Prepared Spells:
DC = 10 + spell level + 3
Cantrips- 3, 1st- 2+1
0: Acid Splash, Dancing Light, Detect Magic, Message
1: Mage Armor - Color Spray, Endure Elements, Mount

Effects:

XP: ?

Caty: AC 15 (T14, FF13), HP 6/6, F +2,R+2,W+4 (Imp. Evasion)

[/sblock]

 

[Songdragon]

At the woman's words Marda tries to recall anything that would lead her to understand what the skulls of the dragon could be... ((Knowledge (religion) 1d20+6=13... And with nothing coming to mind from religion... Knowledge (Arcana) 1d20+7=25 ))

"Good day to you Ma'am, you will have to pardon my companion for his bluntness. We have had our fair share of encounters thus far. I am Marda, one of Gracenyes' chosen." the dwarven woman says in an attempt to smooth things over and keep them civil... for now.

 

[Vertexx69]

The rogue's gaze doesn't even pause on the oracle but seeks out the shadowy places at the edges of the structure, where hidden attack might come from. But the heavy smoke stings her sharp eyes and fouls her sense of smell. "Speak plainly witch. We know the red army is behind us, but all this talk of skulls and dragons is scaring the women in the group."

Perception (1d20+11=12)

OOC - Can't seem to catch a break on perception checks...

 

[Fangor the Fierce]

Aaron simply stares at the beauty before him. She looked frail, but there was something else about her. An inner resolve, perhaps. He bows slightly, as he hears the others speak. Hoping to aid in Marda's attempt to put the young woman at ease, he adds, "We are assailed by others, you are right. We must make sure you are not a foe, so forgive our uneasiness."

"Gracenys will show us your faith, if you allow." (Detect Good, as he hopes there is good in her)

 

[HolyMan]

"Who are you *cough* *cough* talking to Cyrstin?" comes a deep ragged voice from inside the house. The voice is followed by an older man stepping out onto the porch. His brown hair is stringy and he is dressed like a poor merchant or artisan. He clutches an old book to his chest and wheezes as he takes in air and coughs as he breathes it out.

He steps up behind Cyrstin and she answers the man her big blue eyes locked on Aarons. "These are the people my vision told of father. The Scourge is coming and we must go, we must go with them."

"Non *cough* non *cough* nonsense," the man chokes out. He moves to stand in front of his daughter finally looking at the group. He eyes the horses and weapons and when his gaze falls to Barrik his eyes widen, "Mandragore?" he says and then blinks. "No *cough* you are *cough* cough*," he goes into a fit of coughing for a few moments and then when he can speak continues. "Who are you?"

Torrent steps in showing the white of her teeth but the smile is not in her eyes. "We are travelers passing through. And I am sorry but we have no room or provisions to take others into are group. And Barrik has a reasonable question who are you and why do you live so close to the Fire Forest?" she asks near politeness.

"My name *cough* is Haddin Ja-Laffa *cough*," Haddin answers, "And we *cough* *cough* are going nowhere." he finishes and coughs continously as he reenters the stone house.

Cyrstin looks back at you after watching her father leave sadness on her face. "Please help us." she says near to tears. Torrent just looks to the sky and grumbles.

[sblock=Detect Magic] There is an aura present on Cyrstin and her staff is magical. I will roll your know arcana to identify the school... Nope sorry unknown to Fantalass.[/sblock]

[sblock=Detect Good] She has a very faint aura of good. She isn't high enough LVL to show up on the chart which I don't like. [/sblock]

[sblock=Knowledge(local) DC10]
Twenty years ago, Haddin was a skilled artist and respected citizen of Gate Pass, but his half-orc half-brother Mandragore was a notorious criminal. One day, suddenly, Mandragore turned over a new leaf and began working to redeem his name. Rumors eventually arose that Haddin was mentally dominating his brother, and an investigation revealed it was true. Within weeks, amid protests of countless people who believed — right or wrong — that Haddin had likewise dominated them, Haddin’s reputation was ruined. His brother tried to defend him, but was killed by rioters, and Haddin fled the city in disgust, taking his wife and newborn daughter.

Occasionally people would see a young woman who closely resembled Haddin’s wife come into town to get supplies, her expression distant. The stories say that this is Haddin’s daughter, dominated by the bitter old mage.[/sblock]