After Balin, Tarpy, Rafo and some of the other villages examined the ruins of the tower, Rafo calls out. "I suggest we examine those stables. Maybe we could find a back door, into the main castle, in there. Never know what we might find in those stables. It might be something we could use. No reason to leave in unexplored?"
Balin, Tarpy and Rafo start to make their way across the boneyard, trying to avoid the dead creatures scattered about, and head toward the stables. Looking back to make sure the other villagers are following.
ooc...So, in the courtyard there are two groups, mine and GreyWolfVT. Any others with us??? Is the other group still lost within the tower complex? Just trying to get things a bit more organized before moving on
OOC: I thought there was a group with me in the first tower.
Horris"Yes stables that I am more familiar with let us examine them."
Throm"Alright Horris lets go with the others and check the stables. I hope your expertise will prove well."
Bran"Ah I am familiar with stables as well I am a Corn farmer you know. Between the animal trainer and myself we should be able to determine if the stables are normal and where a door might be."
Hearing what is said by the others Balin pipes up. "Horris and Bran, may I suggest since you are familial with the workings of a stable that you lead us into the stables and tell us what to watch for?"
While the others investigate the stable, Cedric, Foxfire, Renlo and Bryce go to the big double doors, that seem to lead into a main hall, and open them.
I believe that we still have some PCs standing around outside the castle.
STABLES: Ruined double doors, sagging on their hinges, give way to an ancient stable which still smells of straw and horse manure, although the occupants are long gone. You can see a line of stalls in great disrepair, with names carved above each stall indicating a former occupant – Champion, Hero, Myrmidon, Princess, Misty, and Lady Love. The brick and stone walls of the building are riddled with cracks and holes. The east wall contains the rotted leather remains of saddles, bridles, and reins.
GREAT HALL: The double doors to this area hang on sagging hinges, and when you attempt to open them, they fall with a resounding crash that echoes loudly. A flight of ravens emerges cawing from the forest.
Beyond the doors you can see what was once a great hall – fully 80 feet wide and 40 feet deep, its height a good 20 feet, with heavy stained oaken rafters 20 feet above the flagstone floor. The high seat was to the west, with three chairs set to the right and left of it upon a foot-high dais. Behind this seat is the large fireplace that once warmed the hall.
Various tables and benches line the hall, and ancient rushes, bones, and platters can still be seen here and there in the corners. Clearly, there was a feast ongoing when the curse fell upon this castle, for moldering skeletons sit on many of the benches, and there are five skeletons upon the dais – one is even in the great seat. However, among the skeletons are five maidens who seem merely asleep – their garments are of ancient style, but they are still fair of form and face. A wooden stairway leads to a balcony to the northeast and an obvious doorway 12 feet or so above the floor of this room.
SoBH pbp:
Cathbad the Meek (herbalist Wizard 1): AC 9; 4 hp; S 7, A 7, St 10, P 17, I 13, L 8; Neutral; Club, herbs, 50' rope, 50 cp; -1 to melee attack rolls. Hideous scar.
Bran"Well yes this looks much like a stables would. Well albeit a rundown stable left to weather the time rotting."
Horris nods in agreement and continues searching the stalls and the rest of the stable for a potential door that might lead into the castle from the side.
Throm"Aye ya call this a stable eh? Well it sure has not weathered the time well. Bran or Horris are you sure there is any kind of door that leads into the castle from a stable?"
Horris"Well sometimes there is other times the stable is often it's own building with no way into the main structures from it other than walking out and over a path that leads back to the main structure of the castle or home."
Bran"That is quite true not all stables are directly attached to the main home or castle."
Both Bran and Horris continue searching in case this stable is attached to the castle.
Not liking the condition of the stables, nor the smells coming from within, Balin, Tarpy, Rafo wait outside the doors and stand guard till the other group find something interesting or leave the building.
Searching through the stables uncovers many mundane (and rusted) iron horseshoes as well as an old farrier’s hammer and an iron anvil in the southeast corner. In one stall, a wooden hayfork has survived the passage of the decades.
A hole in Princess’ stall is large enough to crawl through – a halfling can pass with merely ducking his head.
SoBH pbp:
Cathbad the Meek (herbalist Wizard 1): AC 9; 4 hp; S 7, A 7, St 10, P 17, I 13, L 8; Neutral; Club, herbs, 50' rope, 50 cp; -1 to melee attack rolls. Hideous scar.
Throm grabs the hammer "Could always come in handy. I'd take the anvil too if it weren't so heavy."
Bran looks over the wooden hayfork comparing it to his pitchfork trying to determine which is in better condition then decides to leave it.
Horris"Well it appears only a hole the size of our shorter folk is here so if a dwarf or halfling wishes to climb through that would work unless you would rather just go in through the castle main entrance."
Being called to about a hole in the wall, Balin, Tarpy, Rafo enter the stables. Tarpy, being the shortest of the bunch and sees that he is the only one able to crawl through it yells out; "no way am I going in that! For that surely was not designed as a door into the main part of the castle. Looks like a BIG old rat hole."
Balin and Rafo agree with Tarpy with a nod of their heads. Looking back at the Bran, Horis and Throm, Balin say to them," you guys guard that hole incase something comes through it, least long enough for us to make a fire poker."
Gathering a large wood plank, from the stables and placing on it various burnable materials, Balin, Tarpy, Rafo than pour some oil onto the end of the stick and lite it. When ablaze the fire poker is stuck into the hole. "This will smoke out or burn whatever is in there and allow us better view," Rafo says with a grin.
The hayfork does 1d6; a pitchfork 1d8. The hammer does 1d4.
There seems to be a "draw" on the other side of the hole - the smoke does not come out. Well, not much, anyway.
SoBH pbp:
Cathbad the Meek (herbalist Wizard 1): AC 9; 4 hp; S 7, A 7, St 10, P 17, I 13, L 8; Neutral; Club, herbs, 50' rope, 50 cp; -1 to melee attack rolls. Hideous scar.
Balin, noticing the pitchfork and it nasty bent and rusted spikes like what he sees. He goes over to it and grabs the weapon. "Now this will do me just fine!"
In the Main Hall, the adventurers examine the bodies, looking for anything noteworthy.
Foxfire examines the girls, to see I'd there is any sign of life. Renlo looks over the skeletons and the things on the tables. Bryce steps forward to examine the corpse on the big chair. Cedric goes up the stairs, hoping to see if the door is unlocked.
Some work/home things came up, and I haven't been able to pay as much attention to online gaming as I should over the last couple of days. I will be posting tomorrow.
SoBH pbp:
Cathbad the Meek (herbalist Wizard 1): AC 9; 4 hp; S 7, A 7, St 10, P 17, I 13, L 8; Neutral; Club, herbs, 50' rope, 50 cp; -1 to melee attack rolls. Hideous scar.
STABLES: The big old rat hole isn't the only hole; there are all kinds of cracks in the walls, but none of the others are so big that even a halfling could squeeze through. That seems to be a general condition of the ruins. All seems quiet here at the moment.
GREAT HALL: It appears that these people died in the middle of their meal. Examining the tables uncovers some usable equipment - a lantern and a flask of oil, two grappling hooks, a holy symbol of Justicia, a small hammer, a large sack that still seems okay, and an unburnt torch. You are also able to find four short swords and two long swords in usable condition. The skeleton in the high seat still wears a silver signet ring, and has a gold chain about its neck.
As Cedric moved to go up the stairs, and Foxfire is examining the women - who, up close seem more fey than mortal - the women begin to stir. The first rises, a fair-haired woman in a green dress. “For 100 years has Beauty slept,” she says, and them makes a gesture of benediction that heals all within 100’ of 1d3 damage (roll if you are in the Great Hall and wounded). She vanishes once she has spoken.
“When she arises, so too shall all who sleep in this castle,” says the second. She is Dark skinned and haired, and clad in a blue dress. She pantomimes many arising with the fingers of both hands, and then vanishes.
The third is red-haired and in riding clothes. “This is the Sword of Truth," she says, presenting a longsword to Cedric, "which cuts all lies and falsehoods.” She vanishes.
The next woman is dark-haired and foreign-looking, in a brilliant red dress patterned with twining gold dragons. She presents a shield to Bryce, embossed with a face like a lion. “This is the Shield of Truth, which alone protects against the piercing thorns.” As with the others, she vanishes.
The final maiden is dark-haired and in a yellow dress. “This is the Mirror of Truth, whose reflections pierce illusion, but beware, for not all truth is good to know.” She presents the mirror to Foxfire, and then vanishes.
SoBH pbp:
Cathbad the Meek (herbalist Wizard 1): AC 9; 4 hp; S 7, A 7, St 10, P 17, I 13, L 8; Neutral; Club, herbs, 50' rope, 50 cp; -1 to melee attack rolls. Hideous scar.
STABLES: The big old rat hole isn't the only hole; there are all kinds of cracks in the walls, but none of the others are so big that even a halfling could squeeze through. That seems to be a general condition of the ruins. All seems quiet here at the moment.
GREAT HALL: It appears that these people died in the middle of their meal. Examining the tables uncovers some usable equipment - a lantern and a flask of oil, two grappling hooks, a holy symbol of Justicia, a small hammer, a large sack that still seems okay, and an unburnt torch. You are also able to find four short swords and two long swords in usable condition. The skeleton in the high seat still wears a silver signet ring, and has a gold chain about its neck.
As Cedric moved to go up the stairs, and Foxfire is examining the women - who, up close seem more fey than mortal - the women begin to stir. The first rises, a fair-haired woman in a green dress. “For 100 years has Beauty slept,” she says, and them makes a gesture of benediction that heals all within 100’ of 1d3 damage (roll if you are in the Great Hall and wounded). She vanishes once she has spoken.
“When she arises, so too shall all who sleep in this castle,” says the second. She is Dark skinned and haired, and clad in a blue dress. She pantomimes many arising with the fingers of both hands, and then vanishes.
The third is red-haired and in riding clothes. “This is the Sword of Truth," she says, presenting a longsword to Cedric, "which cuts all lies and falsehoods.” She vanishes.
The next woman is dark-haired and foreign-looking, in a brilliant red dress patterned with twining gold dragons. She presents a shield to Bryce, embossed with a face like a lion. “This is the Shield of Truth, which alone protects against the piercing thorns.” As with the others, she vanishes.
The final maiden is dark-haired and in a yellow dress. “This is the Mirror of Truth, whose reflections pierce illusion, but beware, for not all truth is good to know.” She presents the mirror to Foxfire, and then vanishes.
Last edited by Raven_Crowking on Fri Apr 04, 2014 6:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
SoBH pbp:
Cathbad the Meek (herbalist Wizard 1): AC 9; 4 hp; S 7, A 7, St 10, P 17, I 13, L 8; Neutral; Club, herbs, 50' rope, 50 cp; -1 to melee attack rolls. Hideous scar.
Bran, Horris & Throm leave the stables not wanting to try and crawl through a large rat hole. They look for other ways into the castle out in the courtyard.
Balin, Tarpy, Rafo after finding nothing of interest, within the stables, follow the others toward the North part of the Keep. Balin, liking his new fire poker, keeps it close at hand in case it is needed again.
Do you mean north and west to the Great Hall, or north and east to the Upper Courtyard?
SoBH pbp:
Cathbad the Meek (herbalist Wizard 1): AC 9; 4 hp; S 7, A 7, St 10, P 17, I 13, L 8; Neutral; Club, herbs, 50' rope, 50 cp; -1 to melee attack rolls. Hideous scar.
Well, seeing that the other group did not mention they shut the doors to the great hall... Balin, Tarpy, Rafo will head there. For it being open would suggest to them that other villagers might be within the structure.
Okay, everyone is now in the Great Hall (except those 0-levellers still huddled outside the castle). Does Cedric still want to go up the stairs?
SoBH pbp:
Cathbad the Meek (herbalist Wizard 1): AC 9; 4 hp; S 7, A 7, St 10, P 17, I 13, L 8; Neutral; Club, herbs, 50' rope, 50 cp; -1 to melee attack rolls. Hideous scar.
