6/10/2006

Chris: DM
Kathi: Tanji & Krysylys
JC: Neysa & Ana

Ana advances through the cleft to make sure there are no more orcs coming and then, after spending a couple minutes scanning the path and area ahead in the evening starlight looking for more, returns to the others with news that for the moment we're safe. Tanji has found nothing of interest during her search of the bodies (at least nothing that she tells us about) and the rest of night passes uneventfully.

In the morning Neysa wakes to find Tanji examining a horn made of some kind of bone. "It's from one of those orcs." The halfling explains. "Probably a good thing he never got the chance to blow it or we might have had a rough night. Hey look!"

Neysa looks up to where Tanji is pointing to a spot low on the horizon and sees an owl flying northeast, probably headed back to its roost after a night of hunting. Just as we're about to set off another group of orcs comes meandering down the trail towards us.

MELEE

We again annihilate them with practiced efficiency and upon examination, now that it's daylight, we discover a reddish brown insignia that looks like a bear claw. The one orc who seemed to be the leader also has a great axe of surprisingly decent quality. It's very sharp, looks to be well cared for, and makes Ana wonder if the poor soul who owned it originally had the fortitude to at least take out a few of them before being overcome.

In an attempt to clear the path and hide the bodies Ana and Krys drag the orcs a short way off and pile them behind a large rock which cant be seen from the trail and then return to Neysa and Tanji just as Neysa has completed a Detect Magic focusing on the horn and the axe. Neither are magical. Tanji decides to hold onto the horn but given that none of us are skilled with a great axe, nor wish to carry it, we decide to leave it behind. Ana briefly contemplates trying to stuff it into the satchel but common sense tells him it's probably not a good idea.

After a brief discussion we decide that since this appears to be orc country, and we've no wish to be ambushed or taken by surprise, that Tanji will scout ahead to investigate. If we weren't mounted we could all move fairly silently but the clop of the horses hooves on the rocky terrain, regardless of whether they were being ridden or walked, is a bit more than we're willing to risk. Tanji sticks to the morning shadows as she moves quickly and silently ahead through the bounders and thinning trees. There is a network of game trails and other seemingly traveled paths but the halfling is able to keep her bearings and returns occasionally to report that all is clear before disappearing again.

We continue to climb into the mountains and as midday approaches we come to a spot where the trail widens considerably and the sound of rushing water can be heard ahead. Deciding this would be a good a spot as any for lunch Neysa casts a quick Create Food & Water and then we continue on towards what must be the roots of the river. Tanji again scouts ahead but returns fairly quickly with news of a bridge over a quickly running narrow river with a large circular stone building, a sort of small tower, on the other side. There's also a waterwheel on the river to the buildings east.

The bridge is a well built solid wood structure and as we approach we can see several other smaller wooden outbuildings to the west which are in varying shades of disrepair. Ana, still leading Charger, is the first to cross and as he sets foot on the bridge it tips to the side a little bit much to his surprise. Stepping back and testing his weight in several spots before committing himself, he is able to determine that the bridge seems to rotate side-to-side such that if he doesn't walk straight down the center he is likely to get tipped off to one side or the other.

Handing Chargers reigns to Neysa he starts across, confident in his balance and abilities and makes it most of the way across before a misstep sends him tumbling in. He takes a few points of damage on the rocks below and just as he recovers enough to begin making his way to the bank (and before he gets swept off too far down stream) he feels a rope tied around him which he uses to pull his way back to the near shore.

While Ana dries off, thanking Krys from her quick rope use, Tanji examines the bridge moorings and anchor carefully for several minutes before announcing the discovery of what seems to be a locking mechanism which she subsequently engages. This allows the group to cross safely despite the fact the bridge does still rock a few inches side to side. Once across Tanji quickly finds the other half of the locking mechanism which reduces the entire structure into rigid immobility.

Once across we decide to investigate the smaller buildings before checking the tower. The first houses a great forge but it has long been disused.  One of the walls is almost completely gone, the roof sags and has a few small holes, and there a rusty anvil in one corner with the ruins of a large bellows in another. The second building has all of its walls but the roof of this one is sagging so far we fear it will collapse if disturbed. Given that there is no sign of habitation, disturbance or recent occupancy we decide not to investigate further.

Beyond the buildings is a cave entrance into a rocky cliff wall. It was once protected by large iron bound wooden doors but they've been wrenched off there foundations such that the entrance can no longer be closed. There are a few skulls and bones of beasts scattered about near the entrance and the passage inside is visible to the point of a fork beyond which, in both directions, the daylight fades such that no more can be seen within. Krys spots what appear to be several sets of large clawed tracks in and around the entrance but it is impossible to tell if it is from multiple creatures or multiple instances of the same creature. Regardless, the cave can wait.

We head back to the building and as we walk around it keep a sharp eye out for windows or arrow slits. The building itself is huge, roughly 200 feet in diameter and three stories tall. There are two large doors on the south side each 10 feet high and maybe 15 feet across. They're closed and look to be in good condition with the exception of being defaced several times none of which appear to be recent.

On the east side of the building, about half way up, there is a large hole in part of the second story outer wall. Ana contemplates using it for an entrance but quickly changes his mind when a couple of giant wasps appear from within and fly off to the northeast. The waterwheel is operational and is turning a giant shaft that leads into keep.

Tanji checks the doors for locks and traps. She doesn't think there's any traps but it is locked. At least she reports after a closer inspection it would be if the locking mechanism weren't damaged. Before we push the outer doors open Neysa casts Silence 15' Radius on the doors themselves. They open revealing a small square 15 foot room within with double doors on the other side. Ana and Tanji are the first to step within and the two are attacked with spears through narrow arrow slits in the side walls.

MELEE

Both attacks miss and Ana, with amazing quickness, grabs the spear and pulls it through the opening feeling (but not hearing) a satisfying clunk on the other side as he does so. Quickly reversing its orientation he jams it back through the slit hoping to connect with his attacker. As he does he gets a brief glimpse of his enemy, a skeleton wearing banded mail armor. He drops the spear and backs out of the room before Krys and Neysa can enter, Tanji close beside him.

We back away from the magically silenced area and agree that the horses should be tied in the relative protection of a small copse of trees nearby. We then wait for the silence to dissipate so that Neysa can attempt to Turn the undead within. As she does acid pours forth from a small hole in the ceiling but most of it misses her (she takes only minor damage) and her Turn is successful, at least on the ones behind the arrow slits.

Ana enters and tries to open the far doors but they don't budge. Tanji comes in, avoiding passing under the hole in the ceiling, and checks for traps and locks. There's no traps she says confidently and she makes the task of disabling the lock look like child's play. The halfling pushes the door slowly open revealing a slightly larger room within. However, before she can enter Neysa gathers the group around her and casts Magic Circle Against Evil on herself (which gives us all a +2 AC and +2 saves vs. evil creatures for 50 minutes while we are within 15 feet of her) and Bulls Strength on Ana (which raises his strength to 22).

We then advance, Ana in the lead, into what is actually a passageway with many alcoves on each side. At the end of the passage in a separate alcove is the stature of a man with a hammer raised over an anvil. When he's reached roughly the halfway point in the passageway he feels a floor stone sink slightly from the weight of his step. Pressure plate!

Ana freezes as the statue at the far end slowly lowers the hammer to just above the anvil. There are a few tense moments but nothing else happens until Ana steps off the pressure plate at which point the figures in the side alcoves drop/release their weapons hitting anything in front of them. Fortunately however they do not otherwise animate with the exception of resetting their weapons after a few seconds.

In the hopes of avoiding any other pressure plates Ana tosses Tanji ahead into the end alcove in the hopes that she can reset the statue to the disarmed position. Although not able to do so Tanji does notice that when the arm came down to near the anvil the statue's mouth also opened. As she examines it further she can see and smell the pungent odor of oily soot around the mouth and in a flash of inspiration jams the horn into the mouth in the hopes of diverting any flames that might come shooting out. After all she reasons, it is pointed straight down the passageway the rest of the group is currently standing in.

We make it to the end of the alcoved room without further incident at which point the passageway turns and we are offered several options.  We investigate an large bathroom area complete with stalls and a slime covered bathtub, a small very uninteresting bedroom across from it, and then choose to head directly up a nearby stairway, this time with Tanji in the lead so she can hopefully spot and disarm and further traps. Unfortunately the plan backfires as the next one we encounter is magical in nature and the halfling is blinded without warning.

Not wishing to proceed with Tanji in this condition we decide that we've had enough for the day and make our way carefully back through the room with the alcove statues, knowing not to step directly in front of them. We retreat back to the forge building for the night so that Neysa can rest and regain her spells, one of which is to be Remove Blindness.

End of session.

Next Session: 7/1/2006