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

[Arkhandus]

Warren nods his head in a 'no' to Larian's offer. "The glow-stick would still glow where I was, leastwise if it was still doin' its job while invisible, so I'd still stick out."

Once the group heads down, Warren checks the first door to see if he can unlock and unbar it, then open it up and see what it was sealed up for. If he can't get it open from here, he'll just head on over to the other door and open it up, before working to sweep the caltrops aside with his blade.
[sblock=ooc]Open Lock +16 for a 26 taking 10, if that's not enough he'll take 20 for a 36.[/sblock]

 

[Creamsteak]

Warren manages to unlock the door, opening into a 5 ft. by 10 ft. room. A small worn cot, covered in thick knotted gray hair, is the only furnishing to this room. The opposite side of the door is scratched in places, and there are numerous signs that someone or something had been living here for quite a while. Scraps of food, drink, and clothing can also be found.

 

[SelcSilverhand]

Looking around the room slowly, Siobhan tries to make sense of what she was seeing. Between the hair covering the bed and the scratches on the walls she would say she was in a kennel. But the cot and the clothing indicated an intelligent creature, a humanoid. "Avril... didn't you say that you thought the creature that did all the killing wasn't a druid but seemed more like a were creature? I believe we are looking at its... den. Perhaps a villager was bitten and they kept him or her here because they didn't want to harm a former friend. When the goblins came the villagers must have let it out to help. After the goblins were all dead, well, who knows what happened next."

 

[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

"Possibly," Avril replied as she contemplated the scene. "But I still wonder about it. And, of course, where the villagers went. I can't help wondering if we're not luring ourselves into a trap, although I hope that the fact that the destroyed creatures were part of the horde this creature may be on our side." She seemed to consider something for a moment. "Perhaps instead of searching for the creature we should call out to it, stating that we mean them no harm and come in peace?"

[SBLOCK=OOC]OOC: Sorry, guys, but I'm away again Wednesday to Friday.

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]

 

[Arkhandus]

Warren replies "We don't know how far down the tunnel they might be. I'm going to check further in and see if anyone's back there." He heads over to the other door and sweeps the caltrops aside with his torch, making way until he can get past the barricade, saying quietly as he approaches "I ain't here to hurtcha, if you're hidin' back there. I just came from Brindol....there ain't any gobbos left around here." on the off-chance that anyone actually is hiding back there, just behind the barricade near the caltrops.

 

[Creamsteak]

Warren bypasses the barricade and the next door, carefully moving past all of the debris. In the next room, he finds the first body anyone has seen in this hamlet. A man, stout and strong, looks to have had some serious injuries. Claws ripped up his chest and back, and one of his arms appears to have been broken earlier. He clutches an axe in his other hand.

Upon further inspection, Warren finds that the cavern winds outwards from here in three directions - to the north, the east, and the west.

The cavern is the widest going off to the north, while the west path forks soon, and in the east small bronze braziers hold candels in them.

There are also other signs of travel here, ranging from animal droppings to footprints, but they don't seem to tell a very good story of what was going on here to Warren's eyes.

Assuming he brings the rest of the group forward at this point...

Avril:
[sblock]The droppings are from Owlbears, and are mostly trackable back to the west. The humanoid trails mostly go to the north and the east.[/sblock]

 

[SelcSilverhand]

Siobhan kneels to examine the dead man. Seeing there is nothing she can do at this point for him she begins to check him over for clues. "We can see how this man died, rent by claws and brute strength, we must know why he died. Perhaps he was the creatures Gaoler. He died fighting, this is a good thing at least, he was not lacking in courage at the end." She picks up his axe and tests the heft of it. Looking at the path they have traveled she comes to another conclusion. "Perhaps he was manning the barricade to keep the creature out. There were signs it came through here from the outside. Perhaps after all the goblins were dead it came back for the villagers. We should choose a path, and quickly. I would say the eastern path with the braziers, a likely sign of inhabitants."

 

[Creamsteak]

Pender
[sblock]The axe has a few interesting traits. First, it's a double sided axe. Second, one side has a steel edge and the other side is silver. The silvered side looks like it was made for war (battleaxe).[/sblock]

 

[Arkhandus]

Warren reports back on what he finds when briefly looking into the three tunnels. He adds "I'll check out the better-lit tunnel first, since there's more likely to be people over there, if any of 'em are left."

He leaves the others to finish checking out the scene around the corpse, while he heads off quietly down the eastern split of the cave.

 

[Creamsteak]

Warren doesn't have to go far before he finds a sturdy stone door with a barred and shuttered viewing door built into the frame. The door and surrounding cavern are decorated with symbols of some sort of religious or spiritual nature. The cavern continues off to the north from hereas well.

Upon closer inspection, the door is locked and probably barred. The trail that leeds here continues to the north, but not with nearly as much activity.