rangerjohn
Explorer
Subscribing
What the title says.
What the title says.
[Pathfinder] Hewligan's Rise of the Runelords: The Hook Mountain Massacre
- Thread starter hewligan
- Start date
hewligan
First Post
Jokad takes command of the search. Jovik, for once, looks a little reluctant. It is perhaps the stench, the inhumane trophies littering the house, the faecal and blood paintings upon the walls ... regardless, he move outside for some air, having to carefully skirt around the huge hole in the front room where the plant-thing reared from.
Jokad is aided in his search by Danth. Kael follows Jovik and the two Black Arrows outside. Mal is clearly unhappy in the house. His heightened senses make everything the humans are subjected too in this carnal place assault him all the more. Kael can feel his distress, so leads the animal outside. Kibb follows his own master, seemingly similarly affected.
Once outside, Jakardos starts scanning the forest edge.
"That little turd ran. I didn't see him, but I heard him leave, and Kibb could smell his scent weakening as he put some distance between us. When we finish here, we need to decide whether to hunt him down, treacherous little swine, or just leave him and move on to the Fort. I guess we wait for your leader to decide ..."
That last comment, perhaps innocent, still rankled with Jovik, but he bit his tongue for now.
---
Back inside, Jokad and Danth moved through the place.
The first large room is a dining room. This dark room stinks of putrefying flesh. eight wooden chairs with grinning bleached skulls crowning their backs circle a monstrous four-foot-high oak dining table covered with a crude tablecloth of crinkly human leather. The centerpiece of the dining table— a rotting human head, its stringy red hair thankfully draped over its mutilated face—serves as a gathering place for a host of buzzing, bloated flies.
Jokad can see the large scythes that are roped up into the ceiling the second he opens the door. They are held above the three doors in the room, heavy springs coiled back. He shouts, and pushes Danth to the ground, just as the large blade smashes the half-open door to smithereens.
OOC: Good first roll!
Moving on through (after a simple search reveals nothing worth keeping) to the next room reveals a simple room strewn with “toys,” some of carved wood or bone, while others appear to be little more than partial animal carcasses. Old bloodstains mark the walls, some in patterns that resemble crude child-like paintings featuring images of dismembered horses, a ridiculous grinning horned devil tossing children off a cliff, and a big lake with a black reptilian monster sprouting tentacles from its back. Bookshelves rest on the wall, but instead of tomes they hold skulls of all shapes and sizes.
The room contains nothing of value.
The next room, to the north of the house, is a filthy bedroom that contains little more than a lumpy mattress heaped with twigs, mud, and hopefully little else, although the stink of sewage in the room would seem to indicate otherwise. Dozens of vaguely humanoid fetishes crafted out of bits of leather, straw, corn husks, twigs, and bones hang from cords throughout the room.
Jokad and Danth are about to retrace their steps to the stairs when Jokad spots that one of the finger bones dangling from the ceiling still wears a jade ring of very good quality.
OOC: Jade ring, est. 300gp value
Moving upstairs, the first room is filled with large, filthy beds. Human skulls with antlers fixed to them are mounted on the bedposts and headboards. Against the west wall sits a large cedar chest.
OOC: You can open the chest if desired - your call. DC 20 strength to do so please.
Moving into the last room upstairs reveals tables strewn with beakers, glass vials, old tin cans, rope, animal traps, bits of twisted metal, spikes, bones, and all manner of junk litter this area. In one corner sits some old furniture and other keepsakes.
There is nothing of value here.
Confident now that the house is empty, Danth and Jokad decide that the only place left to explore is the basement - the place where the plant-thing came from. There is a small set of stairs leading down into the dark. Both men prepare light before moving down towards the creep, blood stained door at the bottom of the stairs.
The first room is a dark, recessed corner of the basement that smells of rot and old blood. Piles of gore-spattered skin lie heaped on the floor. A horrid rubbery face robbed of its supporting skull and muscle rests on top, its toothless mouth agape and empty eyes revealing only the layer of tan flayed skin resting beneath. This appears to be a room where skin is removed from bodies ...
The next room is huge - basically the entire area under the house has been hacked out into a deep put, about fifteen feet deep. This was the home of the plant thing. This damp, steamy room reeks of rotting vegetable matter. Pools of mud and stagnant water dot the mossy floor, and the walls are caked with thick swaths of puffy fungus and mold. A large area of the ceiling has collapsed as the thing burst into the room above during the combat, and its corpse now lies amidst the ruin of broken wood and mud from above.
At the back of the room sits a small door (about four foot high) that opens to reveal an equally small chamber containing a chest.
The large unlocked chest sits open, unlocked, and is full of stuff.
Jokad gives it a kick, so see if any traps are sprung. The fact that the very lid of the thing lies open suggests that the plant-thing was considered security enough. He motions to Danth.
"Come on, lets get this upstairs and out of here"
The two men struggle with the large chest, part dragging, part lifting it out of the cellar and into the light outside.
A quick search of the treasure reveals the following:
An agate- studded gold ring worth 50 gp
A necklace of emeralds and silver worth 350 gp
A pair of small leather gloves studded with pearls
A large sack filled with assorted coins (210 gp, 452 sp, and 108 cp)
A ruby-inlaid red dragon-scale cloak clasp worth 600 gp,
An elven-made +1 shocking longbow -- Upon seeing this bow, Jakardos cannot help but shout out "My bow! My bow! I cannot believe these brutes didn't destroy it. Oh I am blessed this day! Now to use it to put an arrow through the eyes of any ogre that has gone near Shalelu"
OOC: The gloves may be magical...
OOC: The house is clear. Time to move on. Please role-play your next actions.
Jokad is aided in his search by Danth. Kael follows Jovik and the two Black Arrows outside. Mal is clearly unhappy in the house. His heightened senses make everything the humans are subjected too in this carnal place assault him all the more. Kael can feel his distress, so leads the animal outside. Kibb follows his own master, seemingly similarly affected.
Once outside, Jakardos starts scanning the forest edge.
"That little turd ran. I didn't see him, but I heard him leave, and Kibb could smell his scent weakening as he put some distance between us. When we finish here, we need to decide whether to hunt him down, treacherous little swine, or just leave him and move on to the Fort. I guess we wait for your leader to decide ..."
That last comment, perhaps innocent, still rankled with Jovik, but he bit his tongue for now.
---
Back inside, Jokad and Danth moved through the place.
The first large room is a dining room. This dark room stinks of putrefying flesh. eight wooden chairs with grinning bleached skulls crowning their backs circle a monstrous four-foot-high oak dining table covered with a crude tablecloth of crinkly human leather. The centerpiece of the dining table— a rotting human head, its stringy red hair thankfully draped over its mutilated face—serves as a gathering place for a host of buzzing, bloated flies.
Jokad can see the large scythes that are roped up into the ceiling the second he opens the door. They are held above the three doors in the room, heavy springs coiled back. He shouts, and pushes Danth to the ground, just as the large blade smashes the half-open door to smithereens.
OOC: Good first roll!
Moving on through (after a simple search reveals nothing worth keeping) to the next room reveals a simple room strewn with “toys,” some of carved wood or bone, while others appear to be little more than partial animal carcasses. Old bloodstains mark the walls, some in patterns that resemble crude child-like paintings featuring images of dismembered horses, a ridiculous grinning horned devil tossing children off a cliff, and a big lake with a black reptilian monster sprouting tentacles from its back. Bookshelves rest on the wall, but instead of tomes they hold skulls of all shapes and sizes.
The room contains nothing of value.
The next room, to the north of the house, is a filthy bedroom that contains little more than a lumpy mattress heaped with twigs, mud, and hopefully little else, although the stink of sewage in the room would seem to indicate otherwise. Dozens of vaguely humanoid fetishes crafted out of bits of leather, straw, corn husks, twigs, and bones hang from cords throughout the room.
Jokad and Danth are about to retrace their steps to the stairs when Jokad spots that one of the finger bones dangling from the ceiling still wears a jade ring of very good quality.
OOC: Jade ring, est. 300gp value
Moving upstairs, the first room is filled with large, filthy beds. Human skulls with antlers fixed to them are mounted on the bedposts and headboards. Against the west wall sits a large cedar chest.
OOC: You can open the chest if desired - your call. DC 20 strength to do so please.
Moving into the last room upstairs reveals tables strewn with beakers, glass vials, old tin cans, rope, animal traps, bits of twisted metal, spikes, bones, and all manner of junk litter this area. In one corner sits some old furniture and other keepsakes.
There is nothing of value here.
Confident now that the house is empty, Danth and Jokad decide that the only place left to explore is the basement - the place where the plant-thing came from. There is a small set of stairs leading down into the dark. Both men prepare light before moving down towards the creep, blood stained door at the bottom of the stairs.
The first room is a dark, recessed corner of the basement that smells of rot and old blood. Piles of gore-spattered skin lie heaped on the floor. A horrid rubbery face robbed of its supporting skull and muscle rests on top, its toothless mouth agape and empty eyes revealing only the layer of tan flayed skin resting beneath. This appears to be a room where skin is removed from bodies ...
The next room is huge - basically the entire area under the house has been hacked out into a deep put, about fifteen feet deep. This was the home of the plant thing. This damp, steamy room reeks of rotting vegetable matter. Pools of mud and stagnant water dot the mossy floor, and the walls are caked with thick swaths of puffy fungus and mold. A large area of the ceiling has collapsed as the thing burst into the room above during the combat, and its corpse now lies amidst the ruin of broken wood and mud from above.
At the back of the room sits a small door (about four foot high) that opens to reveal an equally small chamber containing a chest.
The large unlocked chest sits open, unlocked, and is full of stuff.
Jokad gives it a kick, so see if any traps are sprung. The fact that the very lid of the thing lies open suggests that the plant-thing was considered security enough. He motions to Danth.
"Come on, lets get this upstairs and out of here"
The two men struggle with the large chest, part dragging, part lifting it out of the cellar and into the light outside.
A quick search of the treasure reveals the following:
An agate- studded gold ring worth 50 gp
A necklace of emeralds and silver worth 350 gp
A pair of small leather gloves studded with pearls
A large sack filled with assorted coins (210 gp, 452 sp, and 108 cp)
A ruby-inlaid red dragon-scale cloak clasp worth 600 gp,
An elven-made +1 shocking longbow -- Upon seeing this bow, Jakardos cannot help but shout out "My bow! My bow! I cannot believe these brutes didn't destroy it. Oh I am blessed this day! Now to use it to put an arrow through the eyes of any ogre that has gone near Shalelu"
OOC: The gloves may be magical...
OOC: The house is clear. Time to move on. Please role-play your next actions.
Jokad move through the house like an automaton. Each new room revealing horrors more foul than the last. The 'skinning room' in the cellar was the worst. Even he had to hold down his gorge. Several times he shared a look with Danth. He saw nothing but deep sorrow in the eyes of the goodly priest.
The sight of the treasure chest was an anchor Jokad clung to; something meaningful and real in this charnel madhouse. He and Danth welcomed the burden as they dragged back through the house and out into the open air.
As the others shifted through, Jokad stepped off to the side and closed his eyes. He took several deep breaths seemingly trying to purge his lungs of the cloying reek of evil. Vale put a large steadying hand on his shoulder and handed the Shoanti back his spear.
The sight of the Black Arrows reminded him they had to be moving again; reminded him of Shalelu. Looking around at the others he says, "Let's just load up the chest and hide it somewhere just off the road near the horses. Then it is on to the Fort. Burning this pile to the ground needs to wait until we return."
The sight of the treasure chest was an anchor Jokad clung to; something meaningful and real in this charnel madhouse. He and Danth welcomed the burden as they dragged back through the house and out into the open air.
As the others shifted through, Jokad stepped off to the side and closed his eyes. He took several deep breaths seemingly trying to purge his lungs of the cloying reek of evil. Vale put a large steadying hand on his shoulder and handed the Shoanti back his spear.
The sight of the Black Arrows reminded him they had to be moving again; reminded him of Shalelu. Looking around at the others he says, "Let's just load up the chest and hide it somewhere just off the road near the horses. Then it is on to the Fort. Burning this pile to the ground needs to wait until we return."
Fenris
Adventurer
Jovik shook his head. "You need to work on your looting skills Shoanti." says Jovik with a small smile to Jokad. Jovik bent over the chest and, in the space of three heartbeats, separated out the rings, clasps and necklace along with the gloves. They disappeared into his pockets.
"Take the jewelry and bury the coins" says Jovik.
Jovik heads over to stand by the horses as Jokad takes care of the chest. This was a stop on the road. A necessary one for the surrounding countryside. But Jovik's mind was already at the fort, as was his heart. He was very eager to get there. Jovik had never enjoyed fighting, or killing even. But this was one fight he was looking forward to. This was blood he looked forward to spilling. maybe Jokad would make hims an honorary Shoanti thought Jovik with a laugh.
His laughter stopped and he turned around and snapped "Hurry Up!" to the others. Jovik wanted blood.
"Take the jewelry and bury the coins" says Jovik.
Jovik heads over to stand by the horses as Jokad takes care of the chest. This was a stop on the road. A necessary one for the surrounding countryside. But Jovik's mind was already at the fort, as was his heart. He was very eager to get there. Jovik had never enjoyed fighting, or killing even. But this was one fight he was looking forward to. This was blood he looked forward to spilling. maybe Jokad would make hims an honorary Shoanti thought Jovik with a laugh.
His laughter stopped and he turned around and snapped "Hurry Up!" to the others. Jovik wanted blood.
Friadoc
Explorer
Once everything is gathered up, Kael does a couple of things; first he'll do a scan the house for any magical auras or residues, so as to confirm that there is nothing hidden by arcane means, and then he do the same with all that they've removed from the house.
"Let me check to make sure that she didn't hide anything, or that there is nothing of special usage, within the house," states Kael as he and Mal perform the scanning duties.
Between the two of them, Kael and Mal should be able to go over the house thoroughly with their ability to visually detect magics.
However, Kael assures Jovik, "I'm not doubting you skill, my friend, I just know that sometimes things can be hidden beyond normal perception, even one that borders upon the uncanny like yours."
"Let me check to make sure that she didn't hide anything, or that there is nothing of special usage, within the house," states Kael as he and Mal perform the scanning duties.
Between the two of them, Kael and Mal should be able to go over the house thoroughly with their ability to visually detect magics.
However, Kael assures Jovik, "I'm not doubting you skill, my friend, I just know that sometimes things can be hidden beyond normal perception, even one that borders upon the uncanny like yours."
Rhun
First Post
Danth is grim, and his countenance pale, as he stands outside after helping to search the ogre's lodging. With all of the vile things he had seen in the past year or two, since their adventures in Sandpointe, one would think he would have grown accustomed to the blood and gore. But it never got any easier to see, especially when it was the blood of innocents. The horrors of the ogre's home reminded him of one thing, though: he was needed out here, defending the innocent, and making the world a safer place. If he had doubted his calling in leaving the church and orphanage, he decision was only reinforced by the things he had seen here today.
As he waits for Kael to complete his magical search of the place, he removes several pints of lamp oil from his pack, and begins stuffing their necks with pieces of fabric. As Kael reappears, the cleric offers one each to his three companions, and hefts one himself. "Let us burn this place to the ground."
As he waits for Kael to complete his magical search of the place, he removes several pints of lamp oil from his pack, and begins stuffing their necks with pieces of fabric. As Kael reappears, the cleric offers one each to his three companions, and hefts one himself. "Let us burn this place to the ground."
hewligan
First Post
Kael moves around the house, taking in the horrific sights that Jokad and Danth had already seen. It is, quite simply, an incomprehensible den of evil. Even the crude drawings on the walls make him sick, and when he notices, almost by accident, that one of the sofa's has been covered with skin, a human face, teeth and all, bared in a scream, forms part of the leathers, he shudders and draws away.
The house has a strange residue of magic within, a remnant of the necromantic powers of the matriarch. Nothing else shows any powerful signs of magic.
hewligan
First Post
I know Jovik was concerned that the smoke would be visible from Fort Rannick.
It is possible, but highly unlikely. The fort is 14 miles hike away, and there is a large expanse of forested land between, and often considerable mists from the river that runs down from the Storval Deep.
The chance of smoke from a house fire being seen 14 miles away is pretty slim, but not, of course, zero.
OOC: Let's burn it then and take our chances. The stain of this place needs to be purged.
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