RED OAK: Return to the Pass of the Hounds

[Longman]

You cross the swell. No sign of gump tracks round here.

You enter into L15 and find...no evidence of recent tracks. It looks as though the goblins have gone west of here, not from here.

To your left is the dog man mountain, no sign of activity up there, just a lot of cloud higher up.

Before you is the castle. You progress through the forest and get within about a mile of the place when Abigall says she doesn't want to continue.

'I'm feeling bad,' she says. 'Like, I can't be here. Can we go another way to Malagosbe?'

'Um, me too,' says Jane. 'I have been for a while, actually. It's like my feet are weighing me down with every step.'

The rest of you are feeling OK. Kilian says he hasn't noticed anything.

DM hint - Tiana never tried to cast a spell while in the environs of the castle the last two times. She was too busy helping people climb walls and guarding the dwarf.

[Woe]

Abigall's Common must be coming along if she and Jane are able to converse.

"How about we carry you? Would that help?" asks Tiana.

Assuming no...
"See that ridge up there? There's some old ruins up there you can wait in. We'll investigate the castle and try to come up by nightfall." Talin pauses, then continues. "If we don't, we'll come up first thing in the morning. These woods aren't safe to travel at night."

Player conclusion: try to avoid casting spells while at the castle, because Bad Things will happen.

[Longman]

Carrying does not work. Within 3/4 mile of the castle, both are in some pain and can't continue.

Abigall (in Sylvan, in private): "I'm not going alone with her! She smells of evil! You leave me alone here, and I'm going back!"

Jane: "Um...that doesn't sounds safe at all. Give me some of those potions to help with my transformations, and I'll head back to Red Oak and do the best I can!"

DM answer to player conclusion - you never know til you try! But 2 of your NPCs aren't going any further.

[Woe]

Ugh!

(In Sylvan)
"If we left Anna with you two up on the ridgetop, would you be ok?" asks Tiana.

If that's true, then they'll take everyone up to the secluded lake, explore the area for the extra EP, and then the six (PCs, Fido, Bruce) will tackle the castle in the morning.

[Longman]

Oops.

That dice doesn't go well. Even with Anna, the two shape-changers just refuse to be left up there alone, or anywhere together, without the bulk of the party in one place.

Jane seems OK with the mouse-girl and is quite curious about how she can change shape at will. She just doesn't want to be alone on the hillside in small numbers.

Abigall seems to avoid Jane as much as possible. She says to Tiana: "you stay down here with me, on the other side of the river. Then I'll stay, even if she is there. But I'm not staying up alone with a nisha woman, even if you think she is good at heart. She could so anything! No offence to the girl Anna, but she is too small to protect me.'

[Woe]

"Fine, what about the dwarf Bruce as well? Bruce is a tough guy. He'll protect you."

It's getting really hard to explore this castle!

[Longman]

It's a deal!

Bruce, mouse girl, Jane, Anna and Tiana head one way up the valley to dog man hex. Kilian, Freya and Talin head the other way.

Now, how are you going to get in to the castle? You still have the (upside down) map? At present if you follow the road you are on, you will enter on the 'west road'.

Let' say you are on X15, castle map. This is where you saw the wolves last time. No sign of trouble so far, this time.

Or did you want to go in another way?

[Woe]

If it's possible, I'd like to start at B08. IIRC, there's an old mill at E06 and the gump tower at K04. Same approach as that time, and hopefully start near that tower and work inwards from there. Most importantly, any signs of gumps or goblins?

[Longman]

No sign of either. In fact no sign of anything much other than a few deer.

The main (tough) party skirt around the castle until they get to the east road and then walk nearby it, passing the Old (ruined) Mill and the (empty) moat.

No sign of anything in the castle above you.

Do you all enter or does Freya / Talin go in alone? It's going to be pretty easy to walk straight into areas 4, 8, 9 or 15 - no climbing involved.

I'll repost this aerial shot. You are roughly where the word 'You' is. The hillside in front of you is heavily wooded.

[Woe]

Let's have the same as before: Freya out front (so she gets the surprise bonus) then everyone else behind her at 30'. The first area to explore will be the tower where baby gump was.

Are there really no signs of inhabitants? None? (roll some dice so I believe you ). Ok, then everyone will stay on the ground and Freya won't climb the tower again. But that's the area first, unless sneaking up to it causes them to spy something more interesting.