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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Deuce Traveler" data-source="post: 5912435" data-attributes="member: 34958">The heroes leave the inn and Councilman after I put GlassEye as the highlighted character for reasons that will soon become obvious.  Behind the building I find a trail.  “You notice a trail beaten into the forest to the north, trod by the feet of humanoids.”  North it is.  “You leave the village of Kleine behind, and the forest closes in fully around you.”  I continue north until I reach a western bend in the trail.  “The trail turns west here.  From the forest shoots a crossbow bolt!  Scott DeWar is hit for 3 points of damage. No brush has moved, the forest remains unchanged. It is as if the bolt were never fired.”  <img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-auX0QxhXIrM/T7QwsjiZl5I/AAAAAAAAAcM/MYUkBWAjuBc/w323-h215-n-k/Raven05.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />This is why I have GlassEye highlighted.  He is our human ranger, I had hoped he might notice an ambush.  I suppose not.  Shrugging, I follow the trail west, then north at another bend until I receive this message. “Two grungy humanoids appear in the east.  They stand about a hundred yards’ range.”  The game gives me the option to attack, wait of flee.  During my last playthrough, I chose to wait and these two ran into the brush and hid.  Not wanting them to get away, this time I choose to attack.<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-X9UaJcXszGQ/T7Qwq2YtsTI/AAAAAAAAAbs/WmlY0wz1sjk/w326-h214-n-k/Raven06.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />FFFFFFFFFF*@#!“You position yourselves for a fight, moving into a broadly cut pit trap. The ground opens beneath you!”  GlassEye takes 6 points of damage from the fall before I can pull myself out.  Finally I get the message that I remembered regarding rangers in this adventure when we stumble upon a branch in the trail.  “What ranger in your party will study this branch in the trail?”  I pick GlassEye.  <img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WBLLy-VMZ0g/T7Qwq-8PITI/AAAAAAAAAbo/DwEeC2rfuJk/w399-h264-n-k/Raven07.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />“Your friend nods and motions ahead of you, to the east. ‘Humanoids have gone south from here, but nearly all the tracks lead east, in the same direction we have been walking.’”  Well thanks, GlassEye!  East it is.  After some travels, we receive this message.  “You stand before a partially revealed pit trap, the deer that it caught lies nearby.  Drag marks leave clear tracks in the leaves.”  And thank you for finding that trap, Mr. Deer.  I believe that we can depend on traps being a factor in this module.  I continue onwards.  In hindsight, I might have tried searching the area with the LOOK command and seeing if I could examine the deer closer.  A missed opportunity. I move on and receive another threatening message.“You hear a terrible roar from the path to the north of you.”  I warily move north.  Sure enough... “A ravenous bear charges from a distance.”Double crap!  The battle starts with the bear already in melee.  Charging from a distance, my fat cheeks!  Also, Col Pladoh is in melee with the bear, too.  Queenie goes first, with her overly large quantity of darts.  <img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mmJEs_Nxc0U/T7QwrlVwuvI/AAAAAAAAAcA/hor-lx7pKaM/w399-h264-n-k/Raven08.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Highlighting the bear, I see it has an AC of 7 and 21 hit points.  I decide to save my spells for now.  Queenie hits twice with two darts for a total of 4 hit points of damage.  Multiple attacks is the one advantage of darts over slings.  Fenris goes next and deals 9 points of damage with his magical sword.  (Un)reason misses with his mace, but GlassEye hits for another 5 hit points of damage.  I’m beginning to get my hopes up that we may be able to end this fight before the bear can attack.  And we do... Scott DeWar finishes up the battle with a devastating blow from his mace.  Each character gets 28xp, though there is understandably no treasure found on the bear.  (Un)reason’s name is now highlighted in purple, which is this module’s way of alerting me that he is ready to be raised to a 3rd level cleric.  It’s tempting to turn around at this point, but I sense we are almost to the Ruin.Sure enough, after a bit more of a walk I receive a new message.  “The forest gives way to the dismal, windy reaches of the burning hills.”  I see a patch of rocks in the distance and go to it.<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GofMNH_wijU/T7QwsL_i1zI/AAAAAAAAAb4/Mc5OBpmMPF4/w279-h302-n-k/Raven09.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />“Raven’s Ruin is not difficult to find, and you have little trouble reaching it.  The surrounding terrain is bleak and desolate, a fitting home for the goblins you have heard so much about lately.  You can see no indication on the surface that a keep rests here, but this is the location you were given.  As you look around, you see some humanoid tracks, as well as signs of work.  It looks as though rocks and dust have been cleared away from the entrance.  The stairs are composed of sturdy gray stone and seem well-built.  At the bottom of the stairs is a wooden door, somewhat damaged by the weather, but still sturdy. It is unsurprising that a thief would require his residence to be built well.  Knowing how to break into places must have given him ideas about how to keep people out.”  Is this another hint about traps?  That’s how I see this.  “Well, you are prepared for this, and you are ready to do your job.  You go down the steps and check the door for traps.  Finding none, you open the door to adventure.”  A moment later I am in a dungeon.  “You have entered a room that seems to have been a reception area.  Three chairs sit to the sides, and several coat hooks grace the far wall. A set of stairs lead farther and there is a door to the other side of the room.  A sign hangs from the door, but you cannot read it from here. The room is in poor condition and has obviously not been taken care of for some time.  Dust covers the floor, and cobwebs cling to the walls and ceiling.  You do see evidence, however, of the presence of humanoids—there are tracks, and a few, small, broken spears lie in the corner next to the stairs.”<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-o6fWF4ph_G8/T7QwtP_rPPI/AAAAAAAAAcI/xcA9qfgKGJc/w456-h302-n-k/Raven10.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />I highlight the fighter/thief, Scott DeWar, once more.  We'll see how well he can do his work without picks.  As an added note, this is the farthest I came in previous playthroughs of this Westlands campaign.  I no longer have past experience to fall back upon.Next: Exploring Raven’s Ruin!</blockquote>

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