Until First Light (DM: TwoHeadsBarking. Judge: renau1g)

[Farce]

"This is certainly odd for a bandit hideaway, dead bodies, a door askew. This all does not add up. Sister, come here for a moment." D'keth says, gesturing her over, not getting off his mount yet, "What do you make of him, I worry this may be some sort of ambush. Perhaps someone has found out we escaped Ea and sent an assassin?" the gith whispers.

[sblock=ooc]
Passive Insight is 11, can I tell if Iaros is lying?[/sblock]

 

[TwoHeadsBarking]

Upon closer inspection, you notice several details about the bodies. The first is their apparel. They are wearing varieties of leather armor, and they each have a scrap of red cloth tied around their left forearm. Most of them are armed, and their weapons are bloody. The wounds, caused by a variety of blunt and sharp objects, are still fresh; this must have happened fairly recently.

Iaros looks genuinely shocked and confused.

 

[Oni]

Eew, more dead bodies, Lily said this without the level of alarm one might have expected from someone of her age, or any age really. I hope they don't get up this time, she added thoughtfully. The latter notion did elicit a second, more cautious look around. Seemingly satisfied she climbed down from her horse and began to look around the clearing on foot, paying close attention to the edges of the clearing and the area in front of the temple entrance.

Where did the come from, and where did they go? The question didn't seem to be addressed to anyone in particular, but almost immediately a sibilant whisper seemed to float across the breeze. Then it was gone, maybe not having been there at all. Lily nodded though and her wide eyes went back to the ground as if in thought.

[sblock=ooc]

Use Speak With Spirits.

Perception (1d20+10+4=32) to tell where the attackers came from and where they went.

[/sblock]

 

[evilbob]

"Bandits," Empathy chimes, pointing to the corpses. Looking up at the door askew, she murmurs, "Someone beat us here."

She readies her orb.

Turning back to Iaros, she asks, "Who else knew?"

[sblock=ooc]Anything of value, or any other clues on the dead bodies?[/sblock]

 

[TwoHeadsBarking]

Actually, judging by the way the bodies have fallen, it looks like these people were fighting with each other. It is difficult to follow any tracks in the churned earth, but there are faint footsteps leading back into the temple. The gait is uneven, as if the walker was limping. There is a smear of blood on the edge of one of the doors, about four or five feet above the ground.

There is nothing of real value on any of the bodies, although this is most likely due to them never owning such items rather than theft.

Iaros turns to Empathy and calmly states, "About the temple? The scout who found this place and told me what to expect. She did say the bandits wore red. Besides for her, I suppose any number of people could know about this place, but I don't know about them."

 

[Oni]

Weird, it seems like they did this to each other. I guess they weren't attacked, well not in the normal sense anyway. Hmm, looks like someone survived and went back in. Oh, we should go have a look and see what is going on!

Lily paused thoughtfully for a moment, I hope nothing invades our minds and forces us to fight to the death.

 

[evilbob]

"We never do that to our friends!" Empathy chimes happily without missing a beat as she joins the others in approaching the temple door.

 

[johnmeier1]

Raijin observes everything with little expression except some minor frowns at Lily's vulgar suggestions. He moves with powerful steps towards the door of the temple after Empathy and the others.

[sblock=OOC] Back now. Good story so far! [/sblock]

 

[TwoHeadsBarking]

You step from the fading sunlight into the surprisingly cool interior of the temple. It is dark inside, the only illumination coming from holes in the ceiling where the day's last light can shine through. The temple itself is one room that has been partitioned into two by a row of what appears to be stone bookcases. The floor is of smooth stone, although it has collapsed in one section, leaving an open pit. There are a number of bedrolls and crates scattered about, most likely recent additions to the decor. You can almost make out some sort of decoration on the walls, but there is little light, and they have faded with age.

 

[evilbob]

[sblock=ooc]Does the pit look like the only exit to this place?[/sblock]