jmucchiello
Hero
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NOW LIVE! Into the Woods--new character species, eerie monsters, and haunting villains to populate the woodlands of your D&D games.
In Defence of Chickens [IC]
- Thread starter turnip_farmer
- Start date
turnip_farmer
Adventurer
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jmucchiello
Hero
Vasha and Ranken continue forward toward the front of the pack. Garwin and Prinx follow at the rear.
turnip_farmer
Adventurer
Your whole group cautiously heads forward, ducking under the old, rusty portcullis (or, in the case of the halflings, simply strolling beneath).
Bringing up the rear, Edelgard, Garwen and Prinx are the last to step through. As soon as they duck beneath the iron bars, you each hear a snarl and a scrabbling sound from inside the gatehouse to your right, and with a jerk the old portcullis plunges downwards. The three of you just manage to jump forward out of the way of the rusty spikes, one tearing at the back of Garwen's clothes, before they thump down into the soft ground beneath.
As you stand there breathlessly, the dull clanging sound of a large bell resonates from inside the keep. Whatever's in here, it knows you've arrived...
You all stand in the south-west corner of the keep's open courtyard. The ground is overgrown with weeds and brambles, and in the thick mud between them you can make out the footprints of various domestic animals. Many of them look far too large for their shape, as if, for example, a chicken the size of a man had been wandering around in here.
The keep itself is crumbling and old. The wall in the north-west corner looks like it has completely collapsed, while half of the tower in the north-east corner has crumbled away and fallen into a black, gaping hole beneath. Only the south-east tower still looks whole.
Little else remains here from the keep's buildings. There is a well some 20 yards north of you, while one building still stands against the eastern walls, singed black with soot.
Bringing up the rear, Edelgard, Garwen and Prinx are the last to step through. As soon as they duck beneath the iron bars, you each hear a snarl and a scrabbling sound from inside the gatehouse to your right, and with a jerk the old portcullis plunges downwards. The three of you just manage to jump forward out of the way of the rusty spikes, one tearing at the back of Garwen's clothes, before they thump down into the soft ground beneath.
As you stand there breathlessly, the dull clanging sound of a large bell resonates from inside the keep. Whatever's in here, it knows you've arrived...
You all stand in the south-west corner of the keep's open courtyard. The ground is overgrown with weeds and brambles, and in the thick mud between them you can make out the footprints of various domestic animals. Many of them look far too large for their shape, as if, for example, a chicken the size of a man had been wandering around in here.
The keep itself is crumbling and old. The wall in the north-west corner looks like it has completely collapsed, while half of the tower in the north-east corner has crumbled away and fallen into a black, gaping hole beneath. Only the south-east tower still looks whole.
Little else remains here from the keep's buildings. There is a well some 20 yards north of you, while one building still stands against the eastern walls, singed black with soot.
jmucchiello
Hero
"I don't think we should go forward with a locked gate at out backs," Garwen says. He attempts to lift the gate. (mostly without success)
Lift Gate: 1D20 = [12] = 12
Lift Gate: 1D20 = [12] = 12
turnip_farmer
Adventurer
Tugging at the bars a few times, it's clear to Garwen that he could never manage to lift this alone. He's forced to give in as his skin begins to crawl at the touch of solid iron.
theCourier
Adventurer
Talia Eastmoor, Noble
Talia whirls around looking back at the gate, and nearly trips when turning at the sound of the bell! It looks a bit silly in the moment, so she hopes no one's looking and composes herself by standing up straight and clearing her throat, "Our 'hosts' seem to be well aware of our presence now. We should prepare ourselves for combat, I fear..." Her sword point trails across the ground as all the points of interest catch her attention. She then begins looking for some sort of entry way into the gatehouse to the right.
"Fleetfoot" Mac, Squire
Mac looks back at the gate and pales a bit, then looks up towards the gatehouse. "I didn't see anyone from outside! They must be quite well-hidden." He turns his nose up at the sight of the elf trying to lift the gate and kneels down by it. "That's not the proper lifting technique. We might be able to do something about this, but there would need to be several of us pushing up at it!" He gets in position to start lifting the gate if anyone else is willing to help.
Alice, Miller-Baker
She lets out a load "EEP!" at the sound of the gate falling and dashes off for safety. "We're sitting ducks out here! RUN!" Alice hoofs it to the well, crouching down and circling it, trying to use it for cover against whom or whatever might be in this place.
Koby, Orphan
His reaction is more subdued than the others', instead dropping down on his knees against the wall. As he keeps low, he notices the weird animal-shaped tracks in the mud and slowly approaches them with a befuddled look on his face. "Hey! Come check these out, fellas! It's most unusual!"
Talia whirls around looking back at the gate, and nearly trips when turning at the sound of the bell! It looks a bit silly in the moment, so she hopes no one's looking and composes herself by standing up straight and clearing her throat, "Our 'hosts' seem to be well aware of our presence now. We should prepare ourselves for combat, I fear..." Her sword point trails across the ground as all the points of interest catch her attention. She then begins looking for some sort of entry way into the gatehouse to the right.
"Fleetfoot" Mac, Squire
Mac looks back at the gate and pales a bit, then looks up towards the gatehouse. "I didn't see anyone from outside! They must be quite well-hidden." He turns his nose up at the sight of the elf trying to lift the gate and kneels down by it. "That's not the proper lifting technique. We might be able to do something about this, but there would need to be several of us pushing up at it!" He gets in position to start lifting the gate if anyone else is willing to help.
Alice, Miller-Baker
She lets out a load "EEP!" at the sound of the gate falling and dashes off for safety. "We're sitting ducks out here! RUN!" Alice hoofs it to the well, crouching down and circling it, trying to use it for cover against whom or whatever might be in this place.
Koby, Orphan
His reaction is more subdued than the others', instead dropping down on his knees against the wall. As he keeps low, he notices the weird animal-shaped tracks in the mud and slowly approaches them with a befuddled look on his face. "Hey! Come check these out, fellas! It's most unusual!"
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Yolo Swaggins
Yolo attempts to discover a means of ascending to the second level of the gatehouse.
Yolo attempts to discover a means of ascending to the second level of the gatehouse.
turnip_farmer
Adventurer
Talia and Yolo
Checking carefully around the walls, there doesn't seem to be any driect entry into the gatehouse at all. It's connected to the wall of the keep, so the only access must be inside. The only door visible into the walls of the keep is that on the south-east tower. It's also possible there's a way in from above, but it's 30 feet up and looks like a risky climb with the stones all wet and several hanging loose. You do notice during your investigation that you can no longer hear any sounds from inside.
Alice
Crouching down behind the well, you don't see signs of anyone moving in here apart from your group. You do, however, hear a faint, plaintive moaning sound drift up from inside the well.
Koby
The tracks are quite diverse and criss-cross over one another. You do see human footprints mixed in with them, but others seem to belong to cows, or particularly large goats. Others are harder to identify, and at one point it almost looks like an enormous snake has slithered among them.
The Gate
After a pause Bill and Calvin scurry over to lend their assistance to Mac at the gate. Despite their visible straining, it's not clear how much they really contribute to this endeavour; but with Mac's mighty heave and the four of you working together you manage to drag the portcullis back to about the height it was when you arrived, at which point the halflings can't lift any further. You're not trapped in here, at least.
Checking carefully around the walls, there doesn't seem to be any driect entry into the gatehouse at all. It's connected to the wall of the keep, so the only access must be inside. The only door visible into the walls of the keep is that on the south-east tower. It's also possible there's a way in from above, but it's 30 feet up and looks like a risky climb with the stones all wet and several hanging loose. You do notice during your investigation that you can no longer hear any sounds from inside.
Alice
Crouching down behind the well, you don't see signs of anyone moving in here apart from your group. You do, however, hear a faint, plaintive moaning sound drift up from inside the well.
Koby
The tracks are quite diverse and criss-cross over one another. You do see human footprints mixed in with them, but others seem to belong to cows, or particularly large goats. Others are harder to identify, and at one point it almost looks like an enormous snake has slithered among them.
The Gate
After a pause Bill and Calvin scurry over to lend their assistance to Mac at the gate. Despite their visible straining, it's not clear how much they really contribute to this endeavour; but with Mac's mighty heave and the four of you working together you manage to drag the portcullis back to about the height it was when you arrived, at which point the halflings can't lift any further. You're not trapped in here, at least.
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theCourier
Adventurer
Talia Eastmoor, Noble
She taps the wet stones with her sword, and then shakes her head. "Not worth the head injury, I'm afraid." She walks up to Koby, wondering what the orphan's getting up to and heeding his call, and looks at the tracks as well. "Strange. Where do they lead to...?" With a casual wave of her hand, she beckons Koby to follow her for back-up as she begins to follow the tracks! "I'm concerned about these, despite the empty courtyard. After this though, we should check out that tower! It looks promising."
"Fleetfoot" Mac, Squire
After he lifts the portcullis back to its original height with Bill and Calvin's help, Mac bends down to take a breather and wipes his brow. "We've an exit now, comrades! Let's keep that in mind as we brave this place." He notices Alice hanging out all the way by the well and approaches it. "Ah, nothing more I would love than a drink right now."
Alice, Miller-Baker
Her eyes widen at the moaning coming from the well and she stands up and takes a look into it. Alice doesn't notice Mac coming over, instead trying to figure out if she can figure out the source of the odd noises. "Hello...?"
Koby, Orphan
He stands up a bit straighter at the approach of the noblewoman, clearing his throat before speaking "It's the oddest thing I've ever seen. Like when a bunch of pigs all get out of a crowded pen after a rainy day but... There's too many different tracks around for this to be normal." He walks alongside Talia while they investigate the direction the tracks head towards.
She taps the wet stones with her sword, and then shakes her head. "Not worth the head injury, I'm afraid." She walks up to Koby, wondering what the orphan's getting up to and heeding his call, and looks at the tracks as well. "Strange. Where do they lead to...?" With a casual wave of her hand, she beckons Koby to follow her for back-up as she begins to follow the tracks! "I'm concerned about these, despite the empty courtyard. After this though, we should check out that tower! It looks promising."
"Fleetfoot" Mac, Squire
After he lifts the portcullis back to its original height with Bill and Calvin's help, Mac bends down to take a breather and wipes his brow. "We've an exit now, comrades! Let's keep that in mind as we brave this place." He notices Alice hanging out all the way by the well and approaches it. "Ah, nothing more I would love than a drink right now."
Alice, Miller-Baker
Her eyes widen at the moaning coming from the well and she stands up and takes a look into it. Alice doesn't notice Mac coming over, instead trying to figure out if she can figure out the source of the odd noises. "Hello...?"
Koby, Orphan
He stands up a bit straighter at the approach of the noblewoman, clearing his throat before speaking "It's the oddest thing I've ever seen. Like when a bunch of pigs all get out of a crowded pen after a rainy day but... There's too many different tracks around for this to be normal." He walks alongside Talia while they investigate the direction the tracks head towards.
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