As the river becomes visible ahead through the trees, Mason motions for the craftsmen to stop with the wagon. "That rain was pretty heavy, let's give the horses a break and give me chance to make sure the bridge is ok and will support its weight. Between the cliff and the storm, can't be too careful."
The group leaves the wagon and the exhausted craftsmen behind and before long comes to the trees that lead to the bridge. "What are those, broken tree branches?" Mason says, squinting forward through the faint drizzle. "Gods!"
It does look for a second as though some of the trees have had branches fall, but as you get closer you that they are bodies hanging in the trees all round the clearing at the start of the bridge. Three hang from the stone arch over the near-end of the bridge, bodies swaying and dripping.
The group stops and stares, alert for signs of danger.
"Maybe the militia took out a band of bandits and left their bodies hanging by the river," Mason says, though she sounds far from sure. "I guess nothing to be learned from here, let's get a bit closer so I can at least get a view of the bridge."
You can see what looks like a low stone wall a short ways before the bridge, like the ancient, crumbled ruin of an old stone tower. "That's not the tower, thankfully!" Mason says.
The bridge itself is longer than many were expecting, stretching almost a hundred feet over the rain-swollen river. Stone pillars line the sides of the bridge. It looks like once they were all linked with chains, but now most of the chains have rusted and fallen away, leaving red streaks from the holes where they were anchored that make it look almost like the bridge itself is bleeding. Small stone gargoyles are placed atop the pillars, rain flowing from the gargoyles like tears or perhaps spittle.
The far side of it is obscured in mist, though there are large, still shapes standing on the far bank near the bridge.
"Carefully now, let's see what's going on here," Mason says, stepping forward, the stink of the hanging bodies making her wrinkle her nose.
---
Everyone let me know what you are doing(each of you pick only one and only open the related [ sblocks ] after you have decided):
[sblock=Hide in the forest]The forest is quiet and misty, water dripping from the black branches all around.[sblock=Stealth 18]You are hidden.[/sblock][/sblock]
[sblock=Keep your eye out on the forest around you for danger]The forest is quiet and misty, water dripping from the black branches all around.[sblock=Perception 15]Ravens sit perfectly still high in the trees all around you, watching with gleaming black eyes. [sblock=Perception 18]Dozens more circle high above the trees in the cloudy sky, silently...[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock]
[sblock=Try to see the far bank]The red bluffs of the far side are shrouded in heavy mist...[sblock=Perception 18]As you get closer, you can see that the figures on the far side seem to be statues, of men fighting lions and other beasts it would seem.[sblock=Perception 25]A robed figure slowly approaches through the mist on the other side, dozens of ravens flying around him at almost ground level, silent, almost seeming to blend with the mist...[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock]
[sblock=Examine the bridge's structure]The bridge is wet and some of the wood might be rotting...[sblock=Dungeoneering 20]...but it looks like it should still support the wagon.[/sblock][/sblock]
[sblock=Examine the bridge's gargoyles]They are creepy and malformed, though that may be from time and erosion...[sblock=Perception 20 or Dungeoneering 15(pick one)]It looks like the gargoyles are part of the pillars, carved out of the same rock, not placed atop them.[sblock=Arcana 15]They don't seem to be magical, you're pretty sure they're just ornamental.[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock]
[sblock=Examine the bodies to see who they were]They smell terrible and they're beginning to bloat...[sblock=Perception 18]Upon closer examination, they don't look like bandits - few scars, decent health, women and children amongst them - more like villagers...[sblock=Religion 23]These things reek of unholiness and undeath![/sblock][/sblock][/sblock]
[sblock=Examine the bodies for wounds or signs of struggle][sblock=Heal 15]They don't seem to have any wounds...[sblock=Heal 20]These people were already dead when they were hung![/sblock][sblock=Religion 23]These things reek of unholiness and undeath![/sblock][/sblock][/sblock]
[sblock=Examine the broken tower]It drops ten feet into food-deep water... it's dark and there, could be something hiding...[sblock=Perception 15]Upon closer examination, nothing down there but some frogs and a couple rusting out old tools and weapons.[/sblock][/sblock]
