Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Selm" data-source="post: 74392" data-attributes="member: 1592">Episode 3-2Episode THREE - Return to the Moathouse - Part 2(I can't believe it! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT !!)Moonday, third week of Planting, 17th day of the month, year 591CYThe day starts at the Inn of the Welcome Wench, some of ouradventurers are eating their breakfast in the main room, Killasha,Rousing Fox, Gandigoot, Ezekiel and soon Alahija ... in fact onlyLywen and Diane are "late morning freaks". So they are all quietly eating some sausages, eags and bread when ayoung man wearing a grey robe broke into the room. He seems to haverun and is extremely nervous. Without hesitation, he approaches theparty. He introduces himself as Derim, the novice of the church of StCuthbert, and says that their presence is required immediately at thecurch without more explanations. Even hard pressed, he explains onlythat all will be explained there. So the first part of the partydeparts for the church. They arrive at the church and are greated by Calmer, without moreexplanations, he guides them into the room where lie the corpses foundinto the moathouse yesterday. And there, they get the explanation theywanted so much. The corpses have both been beheaded during the night !  Calmer explains them that the heads have been cut with a small saw,and were not found in the curch. They must have been taken by the manwho did this terrible act. The aim was surely to prevent the ritual ofcommunication with their dead spirits as the corpses will never againbe able to say anything. The evident question is on all the lips : Is there spies in the town ?Gandigoot, Rousing Fox and Alahija try to find proof of the thief'spassage. But they couldn't find anything, the main door of the curchwas closed and the only window large enought for a man was aso closedfrom the inside. Even more, Y'dey had used magical protection on the room, and theseprotections didn't prevent the act. After more investigations, they are finally able to find a small markon the loack of the main door, but it's not even sure that it wascaused by lockpicks. No trace was found, no sign, nothing ... Quite shocked and sad, the party goes back to the Inn, three hourshave passed and even Diane had the time to wake up and get to thechurch (Lywen was quick to wake up when Ezekiel came back to searchhim and Diane). They have conducted a small inquiry of the vicinity, but nobody haveseen or heard anything. Killasha even tried to ask Yether, the priestof Pelor about the church-breaking but he didn't know anything aboutit. During the end of the morning, Lywen traduces the message they foundon the priest's body yesterday. It was written in magic runes and is amessage sent to a man called Dunrat and speaking of old artifactswhich must be found and taken back with a wagon. The message is signedby a name : Hedrack. This name is not unknown to Lywen and Diane, it's the name of theancient head priest of the Temple of Elmental Evil, ten yearsago. They both decide to talk to Brune and Rufus about this letter andgo to the keep. Rufus is easy to find, he is with some guards in the training room,speaking with some of his lieutenants. But he explains them that Bruneis gone this morning to Chendl with Canoness Y'dey, to speak withKerzalyn among others about the matters of the possible Templerecovery. He seems really impressed and worried by the letter and especially thename of Hedrack, if it is the same man than before, this is a badsign. But Hedrack was declared dead, he was killed by Y'dey and othersten years ago in the temple, just before the great collapse. Diane and Lywen quit Rufus with even more questions ...While the two are at the keep, Killasha and Ezekiel went to thepotions shop, to see Renne. The little girll is still in the shop,running the busyness, with her bodyguard, the dwarf Haunor. Her fatheris still lacking and she seems more and more worried. They buy some healing potions and Ezekiel but some silver powder tomake holy water. Renne seems surprised and critical when Ezekiel blessthe water directly into a basin in the shop and buy some flasks to putthe holy water directly into them. This is not the usual method usedby her father when he is making potions <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> They are now ready to return to the moathouse, they have all finishedwhat they wanted to do and have decided that they are more suited toexploring the moathouse rather than searching a spy in Hommlet. - Moonday 17th Planting - On the Road Again -It's early afternoon when they leave Hommlet. Following the advices ofDiane, they leave the town by the north road leading to Verbobonc. Theaim is to trick any spy into believing that they are not departed forthe moathouse, even if they have decided to finish it's explorationtoday. They are suspicious but they could not see anyone spying them. Lywenand Diane then decide to speak about the letter found on the priest'sbody. They speak about Hedrack and the must be artifacts. After half and hour, Gandigoot guide them back towards themoathouse. Trough the woods at the north of Hommlet. All seems goodand the gnome quides them well along the forest border, until an arrowflights two inches on the left of the head of his head, and anothersticks in the ground in front of the horse of Alahija one secondafter. It's an ambush fromm the nearby woods. All sudenly becomes very confused, while they are all tacking cover inthe woods, Ezekiel and Killasha charge without hesitation the bushesfrom where come the shots. They quickly discover six humanoidcreatures, hobgoblins ! Two of the creatures fall on the ground in thefirst engagement, while the two heroes fight two other vilehobgoblins, the two last who were shooting arrows flee. When the othermembers of the party arrive, four hobgoblins corpses lie on the groundand the priest and paladin are running after the two last. Killasha isable to catch one of the two and kills him with a mighty strike, thelast suddendly sees a translucent blue flying greatsword in front ofhim, he never had the time to understand that this was a spiritualweapon from the Kord's priest. Finally, the creatures were easily dispatched, nevertheless Ezekielwas badly hurt by one of the creatures. Kord's power were able to healhis wound, but it's a bad sign to use so much power before evenreaching the moathouse. The party then resumes its travel to the fortress of evil ... thefirst at least <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> They are not attacked by dire badgers this time and are able toapproach the old fortress without more encounter. Alahija andGandigoot are once again sent as a scouting team, but they are backedby Diane and the rest of the party isn't far. Rousing Fox triesanother approach from the east part of the south wall were he couldsee a broken part of the fortress wall. The first scouting team reach the drawbridge, they remark that somenew planks have been put on the old bridge and are entering thecourtyard when a cry is shouted. Rousing Fox is attacked by a giantfrog and the creature has grabed him with its tongue and is drawinghim towards its giant mouth ful of small deadly fangs. Diane is faston the spot and stab the frog with her rapier, Rousing Fox is beatingthe frog as hard as he cans on its head. The creature finally fallsback and Diane kills it with a last blow. So it is with discretion ...The frog incident finished, they decide to carefully enter themoathouse. Alahija is dropping an eye into the courtyard when a hugecrossbowbolt hurts the old broken door, just ... near her head! Itwill not be a surprise attack from them! Retreating behind the door, the party is making a plan. Alahija wasable to see were the bolt comes from and Diane is turned invisible tohave more informations. She enters the courtyard, no bolt, it must besafe if invisible. She's able to see a gnoll guarding the main door ofthe keep dungeon and two with crossbows behind small windows. Shecomes back to share informations with the others. The plan is not sosimple this time. Diane will croos the courtyard invisible, and strikethe gnoll at the door. The others will then rush trough the courtyardto reach the protection of the walls and back her. Ok, they get a plan... better than before perhaps, because they have more informationsfor sure ... at least it is what they think. One lesson was learnednone the less, it's better to attack all at once than one after theother <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> ... soon ...-----------------------------------------------------------Episode THREE - Return to the Moathouse - Part 3(The Late Paladin strikes ... or would like to.)</blockquote>

Verification