Storms of Change IC Part 4
- Thread starter silentspace
- Start date
Sado
First Post
"I'm inclined to agree," Goven says. "This wood is becoming fairly crowded. "This is very strange. We now have two separate groups that may be pursuing the same goal as us. By my thinking it is even more important to find out who they are now."
"If they are working together, the odds against us have worsened again," he notes soberly.
"If they are working together, the odds against us have worsened again," he notes soberly.
silentspace
First Post
The path continues up into the hills. Moving northward you arrive at the source of the stream, a pool of sparkling water gurgling up into a knee-deep pool before continuing as a stream. The pool lies in a stone basin. Upon closer examination, Dunathar sees that steps had been carved into the stone, though time and nature have hidden most of the signs. You can imagine people gathered around, sitting on its edges, filling buckets with water.
There are numerous animal tracks here, and the trail, with the humanoid tracks, continues west.
Manzanita and Dunathar notice some scattered stones lying about the trail, and examining them, see faint tool marks on them. While appearing to be a natural animal trail, the trail leading west looks like it may have been a road at one time in the distant past.
The terrain becomes more difficult here in the hills, with steep slopes and deep gullies. The trail is still easy to traverse, though.
Travelling onward, winding west and south, you make out a couple remnants of stone structures a bit off the road, perhaps once farmhouses. These are very few and far between. If these were villagers protected by Linace Keep, there were probably many more houses built of wood or earth, but these have have long since been reclaimed by the earth.
After several hours of travelling, Goven notices a broken twig on the right hand side of the trail, and makes out an overgrown path branching off the trail to the right (west). The main trail continues south. TO the west, the path seems to climb up into hillier territory. To the south, the forest seems to get less hilly and easier to navigate. Six sets of footprints continue to the south. Two sets of footprints seem to have found the hidden, overgrown trail, and followed it west.
You estimate you are in the middle of the western half of the forest.
There are numerous animal tracks here, and the trail, with the humanoid tracks, continues west.
Manzanita and Dunathar notice some scattered stones lying about the trail, and examining them, see faint tool marks on them. While appearing to be a natural animal trail, the trail leading west looks like it may have been a road at one time in the distant past.
The terrain becomes more difficult here in the hills, with steep slopes and deep gullies. The trail is still easy to traverse, though.
Travelling onward, winding west and south, you make out a couple remnants of stone structures a bit off the road, perhaps once farmhouses. These are very few and far between. If these were villagers protected by Linace Keep, there were probably many more houses built of wood or earth, but these have have long since been reclaimed by the earth.
After several hours of travelling, Goven notices a broken twig on the right hand side of the trail, and makes out an overgrown path branching off the trail to the right (west). The main trail continues south. TO the west, the path seems to climb up into hillier territory. To the south, the forest seems to get less hilly and easier to navigate. Six sets of footprints continue to the south. Two sets of footprints seem to have found the hidden, overgrown trail, and followed it west.
You estimate you are in the middle of the western half of the forest.
Manzanita
First Post
Manzanita Sparrow
"It is heartening to see signs of a civilization. It strengthens the idea that this was indeed once the home of Linace Keep. I don't recall seeing a stream originate from underground like this before. I am intrigued. One moment."
Manzanita will cast detect magic on the apparent source of the stream. Not that either result will prevent their continuing on the trail, but perhaps sometime they will return to investigate further.
Upon seeing the trails divide. "Good eyes, Goven. I say we follow this hidden trail. My intuition tells me it is more likely to be the correct path."
"It is heartening to see signs of a civilization. It strengthens the idea that this was indeed once the home of Linace Keep. I don't recall seeing a stream originate from underground like this before. I am intrigued. One moment."
Manzanita will cast detect magic on the apparent source of the stream. Not that either result will prevent their continuing on the trail, but perhaps sometime they will return to investigate further.
Upon seeing the trails divide. "Good eyes, Goven. I say we follow this hidden trail. My intuition tells me it is more likely to be the correct path."
Sado
First Post
Goven nods modestly, acknowledging Manzanita's praise. "I believe the western trail is best as well. If only to provide a better vantage point for this part of the forest.
"Either way, we will not be alone," he notes wryly. "Though most of them seem to have gone south, it is the two who went west that trouble me more. I believe they are more skilled-and thus more dangerous-than the larger group, who seems a bit careless.
Goven looks inquisitively at Manzanita as she works her magic.
"Either way, we will not be alone," he notes wryly. "Though most of them seem to have gone south, it is the two who went west that trouble me more. I believe they are more skilled-and thus more dangerous-than the larger group, who seems a bit careless.
Goven looks inquisitively at Manzanita as she works her magic.
"As you say, there's too many people running about here for my comfort. I say get to the keep and right quick before someone else does..." Zook mutters, walking a coin along his knuckles.
silentspace
First Post
At the spring...
Manzanita studies the spring, intrigued. She had not seen a natural spring such as this before, but she had heard of natural artesian springs. The sages believed such natural springs to be magical, caused by inter-dimensional rifts to the elemental plane of water, in the same way that volcanoes resulted from inter-dimensional rifts with the elemental plane of fire. When studied, natural springs such as this hardly ever radiated magic.
Her curiousity aroused, Manzanita casts Detect Magic, not really expecting to find anything. To her surprise, she senses a ripple in the fabric of magic! The bottom of the pool radiates a weak Transmutation effect.
Exploring the bottom of the pool reveals nothing further.
Manzanita studies the spring, intrigued. She had not seen a natural spring such as this before, but she had heard of natural artesian springs. The sages believed such natural springs to be magical, caused by inter-dimensional rifts to the elemental plane of water, in the same way that volcanoes resulted from inter-dimensional rifts with the elemental plane of fire. When studied, natural springs such as this hardly ever radiated magic.
Her curiousity aroused, Manzanita casts Detect Magic, not really expecting to find anything. To her surprise, she senses a ripple in the fabric of magic! The bottom of the pool radiates a weak Transmutation effect.
Exploring the bottom of the pool reveals nothing further.
silentspace
First Post
Ruins of Linace Keep
The overgrown path winds through the thick forest, climbing up. Eventually you reach a level area, and see ahead of you what must be the ruins of Linace Keep. It is no more than a pile of vine-covered rubble hidden amongst the trees and underbrush. The forest has reclaimed most of the keep, only a few scattered remnants of wall, no higher than a halfling, remain. The ruins appear to be about 100 ft square, although the extents are difficult to make out. Ahead of you is a bramble-filled depression, maybe 10 ft wide, perhaps the remnants of a moat. The spot is nestled amongst the hills. Beyond the keep, the ground begins to slope upwards again.
The two humanoids seem to have moved into and across the depression. The horses might have some difficulty crossing that.
The overgrown path winds through the thick forest, climbing up. Eventually you reach a level area, and see ahead of you what must be the ruins of Linace Keep. It is no more than a pile of vine-covered rubble hidden amongst the trees and underbrush. The forest has reclaimed most of the keep, only a few scattered remnants of wall, no higher than a halfling, remain. The ruins appear to be about 100 ft square, although the extents are difficult to make out. Ahead of you is a bramble-filled depression, maybe 10 ft wide, perhaps the remnants of a moat. The spot is nestled amongst the hills. Beyond the keep, the ground begins to slope upwards again.
The two humanoids seem to have moved into and across the depression. The horses might have some difficulty crossing that.
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