Basic Fantasy RPG Forums

Yes, they'll proceed with the burn but carefully. Just enough oil to cover the gumpism, and not a whole barrel of oil spilt carelessly. Also, to your point, they'll work the burn slowly, focusing on one area at a time so the place doesn't ignite. /IF/ something starts coming up from the courtyard (gulp!), Kilian will climb up the ladder and probably toss it down behind him.

The burn is successful. It takes about 30 minutes to do this, in progressive stages, going up and adding more oil to make sure the job is totally done.

Nothing comes from above (level 3), or from the stairs leading underneath the old main tower.

Just so you know....the scream has died down a bit, but if you go within about 10' of the top of the stairs to the lower level, you will have to roll vs fear, or you will be unable to go any further. The mud will help this save. In the meantime, it is an unsettling noise, but you are growing a bit more use to it.

What now? Up to level 3? The tower is a bit smoky but you can still go up if you wish. If not that, then what?

Reposition 1-2 ladder so nobody can climb up behind us, then up we go!

OK...

THERE'S A HUGE GUMP WHICH ATTACKS YOU STRAIGHT AWAY!






kidding.

There's no one here at all. There's actually very little in this room, except for a large magickey-looking triangle engraved into one of the remaining stones on the eastern wall.
It's about a foot high. The marks and triangle look as though they have somehow been melted into the stonework with a tool about the width of a drumstick. They are not neatly done, and are rather uneven. You do not recognize the script, at all.

Other than that, the 'room' is pretty bare. In fact 'room' is a generous term. There's holes in the walls and ceiling all over the place. It doesn't seem that sturdy but not in danger of immediate collapse. Despite all the weather, the rune carvings and triangle are still intact.

You could get onto the roof from here, although you might be pushing your luck, structurally.

Talin rolls a nat 20 for tracking, and can see that something has been up here recently, in addition to a gump - it was almost certainly goblins. There are a few drag marks on the floor where someone has moved something around in here over the last few months. It is not possible to tell what the thing was. Let's just say the place has been looked over by someone before you, and they have taken something too heavy for a goblin to lift.

There is no obvious gump infestation here other than a small patch by one of the windows. Gumps could maybe reform from that.

Ok, a blat of oil on the gumpism, then down they go. They can revisit later with Tiana.

How late in the day is it? If it's too late, they don't want to tackle the screamer, but might do something else like check out the dead goblin.

Operation WAR ON GUMPS continues. 3rd floor is clear.

You have about 2 EP left in the day.

It will take 1EP to get over to the mountain across the valley, and another EP to climb up the the alpine area where the others are headed.

If you do want to push it and stay for another 1/2 EP here, that's OK. Any more than that, you'll be tired tomorrow.

That's about 45 minutes leeway.

Looks like it will just be checking out the goblin on the way out then. Screech can wait until tomorrow.

OK.

Dead goblin in area 15 looks like hels been bashed with a çlub. He is also covered in gump goo. Rather boringly, he doesn't have anything on him other than a now useless mace and some rotted leather armor. His identifying tattoos are boar tusks on his face, the same as all goblins you have encountered in the castle area.

I presume you burn the body. Done.

This does not actually take 45 minutes, but if you want to pull up stumps that's cool. You head for the mountain across the valley and up the slope. It's getting dark by the time you meet up with the others at the old ruins up near the quarry area. The cairn is still some way above you on the mountain.

The weather goes a bit overcast (unless it was already, in which case, it stays overcast.)

Anything you want to tell me before you settle in for the night on the mountain. Fires? Watch orders? Quite a few hardier party members still have an EP spare now the dwarf has settled in (Talin, Freya, Tiana).

No fires unless it can be hidden. No concerns about having EP left -- they can wander around and maybe find something new in a very explored hex.

Watches for this expedition are four three-hour shifts (8-11, 11-2, 2-5, 5-8):
Tiana and Anna
Freya and Abigall
Kilian and Bruce
Talin and Fido (and Jane)

The trio of archers will share what happened at the castle with others. Would wax work better than mud at muffling sound?

Wax and mud probably about even. Mud is easier to get out.

The final hex exploration finds nothing unusual at all, and no tracks you didn't know about, except possibly some human and dog tracks outside the cave, from a long time ago (several months).

Weird stuff kicks off at night.

A few hours after it gets truly dark (Freya and Abigall on watch) there is the sound of dogs barking coming from up the mountain side. It seems like a posse of the Cusheen are coming down towards your location. About 2-3 minutes away.

Abigall mutters something under hear breath that Freya can't understand, but the tone of voice is pretty worried.



The photo isn't exactly right, but the walls are much lower than the ones shown on the map version. You guys are huddled down out of the wind behind walls about 1.5 feet high, no more. The dog-men are coming from the top of the mountain down towards the small clutch of buildings on the north face. Everyone is 'inside' a building, except the two that are currently on guard.