Into the Woods

[Kobold Stew]

OOC: Investigation 1d20+2=19. Woot.

 

[mips42]

The Shadows watch, silently, as you take your ax to the mound. Scraping off the lichen iand moss is easy and doing so reveals a large pile of... something.
There are pieces of cloth, wood, and leather all piled in layers. Curious, now, you keep going adn, As you get deeper into the mound, the leather gets crustier and the cloth more and more rotted. Interspersed in all this are occasional copper coins. Feeling almost compelled by the need to know, you go even deeper and, nearest the bottom (as far as you can tell), you find what at first look to be a dozen or more grey-brown oblong orbs.

Until you manage to turn one a bit and realize that what you're looking at are skulls.

A dozen or more and, judging by the other detritus around them, old. More than days, months or even a year.

The Shadow nearest to looks at you with its black-pit eyes briefly, then goes back to join the others.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Albrecht doesn't like to disturb a grave, even a mass grave such as this. He covers it as well he can with the dirt [unless someone stops him], and pats it down. Getting on one knee he says a kind of prayer.

"I don't know who you are or what brought you to this circumstance. But I hope you can rest well, favoured by whatever gods you adhere to."

 

[mips42]

As you look at the metal bands on the door, the strange lighting just catches some very fine etching on the top-most one. there is an inscription that reads "It cannot be bought, but it can be spent. The foolish waste it, the wise invests it. It seems infinite but, once it is gone, you will not need it."

 

[JustinCase]

"I reckon it's time to go inside," Bimpnott says softly as he looks back at the shadows. They scare him, but not more so than the woods themselves, and the firbolg is eager to get indoors, away from the dangers of nature.

 

[jmucchiello]

"Well, there is the riddle to solve," Terry says. "Could be 'life' or 'energy' but I'm guessing 'time' is the correct answer. But how do we tell that to the door? Assuming the door cares to hear the answer."

 

[Kobold Stew]

Albrecht looks at the shadow-shapes. Do any of them seem appeased by his action? Is there any connection he can discern? If not, he proceeds to the door with the others.

 

[mips42]

Albrecht can discern no difference in the attitude of the shadows and so joins the group at the door.

Well, there is the riddle to solve," Terry says. "Could be 'life' or 'energy' but I'm guessing 'time' is the correct answer. But how do we tell that to the door? Assuming the door cares to hear the answer.

At the mention of "time" the lettering swirls and disappears off of the top band. There is the faintest snickt and he band is withdrawn into the side of the manor.
Similarly fine inscription appears upon the second band, this time reading "You gain it at the beginning, Spend all your time with it, and lose it at the end."

 

[JustinCase]

Bimpnott starts.

”The door can hear you,” he whispers, then watches tensely if another thing happens.

A bit disappointed, the large watchman implores Terry, ”Can you do it again?”

 

[jmucchiello]

"I have no idea," Terry says. "I'm not sure what the answer to this one is. Let me think about it."