The People of the Pit

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MrHemlocks
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Re: The People of the Pit

Post by MrHemlocks »

Pointing at the well, Balin speaks to Arvandra and Bron. "Down this is where the humanoid creatures lay wait within their cells and the creature of the pit lives." Pratel, shaking his head in agreement whispers just loud enough for the others to hear. "Also, down that well is where we lost many a brave men and women from the village."

Walking over to Avandra, Balin places his hands on his hips and braves out a few words. "One thing we failed to examine was what appeared to be some sort of alter. I figured you might find some interest in an alter and old books Arvandra. But before we go below I suggest we scan the area, up top, just to be safe."

Balin and Pratel gather their nerves and start moving toward the two remaining buildings, smoke house first, and search for any signs of life, clues as to the pig-men and loot. Balin, smelling for gold and precious gems lead the way. "Avandra and Bron stay close."
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Re: The People of the Pit

Post by fireinthedust »

No doubt the altar is to the cannibal demon they served. I agree to searching the buildings above, that's a very wise idea. Be on the lookout for ghosts and spirits of the dead we left behind. As well, expect anything that eats flesh, of course, like those bloated men we fought when we first arrived. They've had several weeks to migrate to the surface, or be drawn in from the surrounding woods.

Bron unsheathes his sword and walks with the others, stopping only to say to Lady Aelfwyn Best you stay close while we scour the surface buildings, m'lady.

The lady elf nods, and stays by Arvandra.
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Re: The People of the Pit

Post by fireinthedust »

No doubt the altar is to the cannibal demon they served. I agree to searching the buildings above, that's a very wise idea. Be on the lookout for ghosts and spirits of the dead we left behind. As well, expect anything that eats flesh, of course, like those bloated men we fought when we first arrived. They've had several weeks to migrate to the surface, or be drawn in from the surrounding woods.

Bron unsheathes his sword and walks with the others, stopping only to say to Lady Aelfwyn Best you stay close while we scour the surface buildings, m'lady.

The lady elf nods, and stays by Arvandra.
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MrHemlocks
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Re: The People of the Pit

Post by MrHemlocks »

ooc.. we are off on the adventure)))
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Re: The People of the Pit

Post by fireinthedust »

ooc: agreed! ahoy!
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Raven_Crowking
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Re: The People of the Pit

Post by Raven_Crowking »

Okay then, smokehouse first. The latch to the door has been broken, and the hams and bacon that were once hanging here are now gone. Tracks of large, bare feet are still visible upon the floor, and a gnawed hambone has been thrown or dropped in one corner.

The abattoir still has a few pig carcasses dangling from iron hooks on the ceiling - the odour is quite rancid at this point, for the meat has spoiled. There is no sign that any other creature has been here. The trapdoor to the area below is uncovered and open.
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.
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Re: The People of the Pit

Post by fireinthedust »

Bron has a look. Is this the entrance to the levels below? Did you enter this trapdoor, or was it someone or something else?
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MrHemlocks
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Re: The People of the Pit

Post by MrHemlocks »

Balin answers Bron. "We three entered through the well. I was not aware of this secret door. Maybe the others ventured forth down it....not any of us." Pratel, begins looking outside the entrance of the smokehouse for more prints. He looks to see if the prints are humanoid and if there are any others besides those within the shed.

ooc: Pratel search roll... 13
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Raven_Crowking
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Re: The People of the Pit

Post by Raven_Crowking »

I will roll for search checks; otherwise, you can be certain on a high roll that there was nothing there to miss.

Pratel finds no signs of tracks, apart from some very old marks nearby that seem to have been from escaped pigs.
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.
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MrHemlocks
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Re: The People of the Pit

Post by MrHemlocks »

Pratel, kicks the wall of the shed. "Looks like one of these Curwen creatures is still around and came and went back down that door."

"Well we explored this shed and let's go to the other one." Balin with a look of fear on his face heads out the door and together with Pratel make their way toward the other structure.

ooc...I guess the rest of the party agree and come along to explore the other building. There are two such structures, besides the burnt farmhouse, the smokehouse, now explored, and one other building.
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Raven_Crowking
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Re: The People of the Pit

Post by Raven_Crowking »

Apart from the smokehouse and the abattoir, there are no other buildings standing that you can see. Well, there is a pig shed which is enclosed on three sides, but the roof seems to have caught, for it is burnt and fallen in on the thick stone walls. Scouting around the area you can find two other paths, hitherto unknown. One goes downhill to the west, and the other leads south up a wooded slope. The western path seems far more used; the other seems relatively recent.
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.
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MrHemlocks
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Re: The People of the Pit

Post by MrHemlocks »

Looking at the entire party, Pratel speaks up. "Do you wish to enter down there," pointing to open door in the floor, "or head toward one of those paths?"

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Raven_Crowking
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Re: The People of the Pit

Post by Raven_Crowking »

A crow lands in a nearby tree and cocks its head as if to say, "What are you doing here?"
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.
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MrHemlocks
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Re: The People of the Pit

Post by MrHemlocks »

ooc..Unless we hear from fireinthedust , I say the group closes the lid to the trap door and heads toward the southward path. The group will travel it about 100-500 yards depending what is found. If nothing found will do the same for the other western path.
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Re: The People of the Pit

Post by fireinthedust »

ooc: sorry, big week.


IC:

Bron nods at Pratel's suggestion, adding We should scout the surface before coming back here, so there's nothing at our backs.

Arvandra turns to the crow in the tree, unsure if it is a messenger from the King of Elfland or an omen of carrion-eaters. Greetings and well-met, good ink-feather. I hope we do not disturb your meal, but I see no carrion left here. Where have those who dwelt here gone?
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Re: The People of the Pit

Post by Raven_Crowking »

The crow caws and flies away to the north-east.
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.
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MrHemlocks
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Re: The People of the Pit

Post by MrHemlocks »

Soon after the crows takes off, the party heads southward down the path. Balin and Pratel in the front and the others tailing along after. As Balin wonders of the importance of the bird sighting and looks for dangers along the way, Pratel looks for signs of tracks that lead down the path or off to either side of it.
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Raven_Crowking
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Re: The People of the Pit

Post by Raven_Crowking »

The trail leads some 250 feet to the south, where a large sinkhole has opened in the earth. There are signs of many large, naked footprints in the mud and dirt leading down that way. Most seem to lead away from the hole. It would be a simple enough matter to clamber down there if you wanted to.
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.
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Re: The People of the Pit

Post by fireinthedust »

Arvandra clucks under her breath.

"Do you see that? the carrion bird flies away north-east. I wonder if it leads us towards the followers of the Curwen's patron, or else if it is a messenger of the King of Elfland! I must investigate, in case it is a message from the King himself. I was told I would have to follow his servant, and I cannot anger him this soon after joining the ranks of Elfland's friends. Would you lot join an old woman? If the bird is an omen, and I believe it is, we could be about to find the Curwen's creatures."


Bron frowns, but notes the tracks. Most of these are leaving the sinkhole. If we're to find other Curwen followers, we may want to follow those tracks, see if they stay together or disperse in all directions. What lies to the north-east? Is it the village, or the rumours of the other demon-cultists who were beyond the Curwen homestead?"
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MrHemlocks
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Re: The People of the Pit

Post by MrHemlocks »

"Arvandra," Pratel says, "I do not know anything about your patron or such an ill omen, but why would you want to find the Curwen monsters? They all but wiped out our last party!"

Balin rest his bulky weight against a tree. "Our goal is not to save the world, but to gather some loot and better ourselves. Looking at these tracks I guess the creatures escaped, from deep underground, after some sort of cave in released them. But if you want to head north east we will go with you." Tapping his head with outstretched fingers he heads toward Arvandra. "Does that lead toward the Shudder Mountains?"
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Raven_Crowking
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Re: The People of the Pit

Post by Raven_Crowking »

North and east would indeed lead towards the Shudder Mountains.

Of course, the raven might also have been nothing more than a colourful way to bump the thread....
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.
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Re: The People of the Pit

Post by fireinthedust »

ooc: ...would Arvandra get the sense that the Raven is probably not the King's messenger? If so, she'll see the wisdom of bettering ourselves. She's just very intent on not losing face with the King of Elfland right off the bat. :)

Do the footprints leaving the sinkhole eventually head towards the Shudder Mountains as well?

IC: Arvandra scratches her chin and nods. a wise point. Yet, if that crow is a carrion bird, it has flown towards the Shudder Mountains, where those dark rumours come from. If it is an evil omen, we should move quickly: it could be warning our enemies, who might return

The group follows the others into the sinkhole, then.
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MrHemlocks
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Re: The People of the Pit

Post by MrHemlocks »

ooc...Waite one))) My guys are not going into that hole...least yet.

Balin scans the sink hole, with his dwarven eyes, looking for any openings or a safe way down without a landslide.
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Raven_Crowking
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Re: The People of the Pit

Post by Raven_Crowking »

To the dwarf's keen eye, the sinkhole looks stable enough. It was probably formed only shortly before the first trip up to the Curwen's homestead, though.
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.
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MrHemlocks
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Joined: Wed Aug 10, 2011 6:07 am
Location: The Rollings Hobbit Hills of Ohio

Re: The People of the Pit

Post by MrHemlocks »

Looking at the pit, Balin speaks with the others. "Looks like this hole was recently made. We can look around the pit or head back and try the other path before going underground using that door we found in the shed. It is my guess that the creatures that came from this pit are the same that roamed the Curwen's farm, and there must be an opening, down there, that connects to the same underground tunnels as the shed entrance lead to. What do you all want to do?"

Pratel and Balin both agree that the other path needs looked at before heading underground. Now they wait for the rest of the party...

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