(CSRHoD) Creamsteak's Red Hand of Doom II [IC]

[Pinotage]

Avril - Human Druid - AC 18 - hp 55/55 - Spot +15 - Listen +15
Mandla - Riding Dog - AC 25 - hp 45/45 - Spot +5 - Listen +5

Avril breathed a sigh of relief when Warren returned unharmed. "Strange," she said, "Unless this town had more defenses than the horde expected, it might mean that there are other forces at work. If whatever killed those hobgoblins survived, it might still be around. It could be a useful ally. Or perhaps it has taken the villagers elsewhere to safety." She peered at the village. "Did you see any tracks leading out of the village? Something that may give us some indication as to what came in and what went out? Either way, I think we should all take a look. If there's something there to help us, we should spend another half an hour looking around."

[SBLOCK=OOC]OOC:

Spells and Abilities Active:

Extended Greater Magic Fang (Avril, Mandla, 16 hours)

Spells Cast and Abilities/Items Used:

Greater Magic Fang
Lesser Metamagic Rod of Extend (1 Used)

Level 0 (6): Cure Minor Wounds (3), Detect Magic (2), Guidance
Level 1 (5): Cure Light Wounds, Enrage Animal, Entangle, Faerie Fire, Produce Flame
Level 2 (4): Barkskin, Bear's Endurance, Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace
Level 3 (4): Call Lightning, Cure Moderate Wounds, Protection from Energy
Level 4 (3): Air Walk, Cure Serious Wounds, Flame Strike

Avril's Character Sheet [/SBLOCK]

 

[SelcSilverhand]

Siobhan relaxes upon hearing the report, slipping her long bow onto her back. She listens intently as Warren describes the situation at the town. "It is unfortunate that we arrived too late to be of assistance to the attack, but it sounds like there must have been some survivors. Let us perform a thorough search of the town. Perhaps we can find some evidence of who fought here and where they went."

OOC:
[SBLOCK]
Siobhan will start with the Inn, examining the bodies with her heal skill +15 and try to determine how long the goblins have been dead. She'll use detect magic and try to find lingering auras from a summoning spell or anything magical in the structure.
If she finds nothing of interest she'll head to the smithy and scan it for any clues.
[/SBLOCK]

 

[Creamsteak]

The group travels into the town and finds much of what Warren had described to be accurate. The buildings are in severe disrepair, and there's not much salvage to be had. This town was clearly a very poor one, and was largely self-sufficient. They seem to have been fully dedicated to their own agriculture and small lumber industry.

Inside the inn, the gruesome dismembered corpses of the hobgoblins and goblins litter the floor, their blood covering the once respectable floors. The floor is littered with debris from the remnants of the interior tools and furniture, as well as the hobgoblins equipment.

Siobhan:
[sblock]The hobgoblins and goblins here have been dead for only a day, perhaps a bit more. They were killed by something fairly strong, there are broken bones all over their bodies. [/sblock]

Larian:
[sblock]While looking at the inn's fine -yet rustic- architecture, you notice that the stones used to set the base of the building have significant water damage, and that there are signs that the building could have a cellar or a basement.[/sblock]

Pender:
[sblock]The smithy and stables is littered with silver dust, in addition to signs of steelwork. The two bins that are emptied out appear to have flecks of silver in one compartment and iron in the other, but it looks like it's been used up. You also recognize that they have the tools here necessary to handle more than just repairs and crafts related to farm implements, they also have the tools necessary to make various weapons, though not armors.[/sblock]

Avril:
[sblock]The idea of a druid doing this doesn't seem quite right. The attacks seem to be raw and animalistic. While a druid could do it, there are signs that something else was at work. The wounds are more wolf-like than dog-like or bear-like.[/sblock]

Tyrla:
[sblock]Now that you are closer to town, your ability to see the unseen picks up on faint invisible strands floating in the wind. Whisps of this colorless thread are found all over the place, sometimes floating - suspended in the air. Other threads seem to lay across the furniture, buildings, and even nearby plantlife.[/sblock]

 

[SelcSilverhand]

Looking over the bodies, Siobhan makes notes of certain injuries. After some time has passed she reports her findings to the others. "These goblins have been dead for a day at the most. Rigor mortis has barely begun to set in. Many of their bones are broken, coupled with the shredded flesh, indicate a large and powerful beast. Are there any other signs of the creature?" She looks to rest of their group to see what else they had found.

 

[renau1g]

Pender will return from the smithy and listen to Siobhan's tales, relating the following

"The smithy is not what I would expect from such a small villiage, there was more than just farming implements being made here. They were making weapons here, they must have known about some sort of attack." the human says.

 

[pathfinderq1]

Tyrla had taken to simply floating a foot or so off the ground instead of walking. As they searched the town, she seemed continually distracted, as if looking at something no one else could see- from time to time, she even waved her hand through the air, as if trying to catch something...

OOC: [sblock=GM] Are these "threads" physically tangible? Are they anything she has ever seen before? Do they have any aura to her at-will Detect Magic? [/sblock]

Also, added to CLW potions from Warren, listed separately from her others.

 

[Creamsteak]

Tyrla:
[sblock]The strands seem to be physically tangible in that the winds seem to push them around, and you can grab ahold of them, but they also seem unusually weak. They rip and break very easily... but they seem much stronger if they are twisted together (like a rope). You do not recognize them, and they do detect as magical with a faint and unusual aura of illusion.[/sblock]

 

[pathfinderq1]

"There is something strange here," Tyrla finally stated. "There are wisplike threads all around this area- invisible gossamer tendrils that drift on the wind, but have the aura of illusion to them. I've never seen anything like them... Perhaps some magic of concealment, or the residue from such a spell. Maybe the townsfolk were hidden, or whatever slaughtered the fallen was cloaked somehow..." She waved one hand through the air, with careful grace, then extended the hand as if it held something.

OOC: Catch one of the threads, in case the others want a sample.

 

[Creamsteak]

What Tyrla presents the group with is completely invisible, and is even lighter and less noticable than a strand of spiderweb.

 

[Redclaw]

This is quite the fascinating village, Larian muses. I am most interested in those lines you have discovered, Tyrla, although I fear I have never seen anything like them and don't understand their significance. The inn, on the other hand, has proven no mystery to me. I am quite sure that there is something beneath the ground floor, perhaps a good place for the population of the village to be hiding?