Carrion Crown Session 39

Session 39

DUNGEON MASTER: [GAME STARTS HERE]

DUNGEON MASTER: The party is currently in the cavern underneath Beggar's Hill, where four small skeletons decorate the floor.

DUNGEON MASTER: It is about 5:30, about half an hour before sundown.

 GRUNDIG: serching for any secret compartments or doors perception check 1d20+12=22

DUNGEON MASTER: A thourough search reveals no hidden compartments or doors.

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: Johan queries the party, "How many sacks do we have? I'd like to store each skeleton in a seperate bag if possible?"

SOLAR CE’NEA: SOlar says he has 3 unused sacks.  If someone had a forth?

 GRUNDIG: i have one grundig reaches into the sack and pulls out a finger and tuckes it into his belt before handing over the sack

SOLAR CE’NEA: Once we have finished in this cavern, I think we should continue on to the other houses for more clues.  Although we may all find this evidence overwhelming, the mob at the courthouse may need more evidence

 GRUNDIG: shell we we move down to the next building?

SOLAR CE’NEA: A good idea

SOLAR CE’NEA: perhaps first we should look to heal ourselves.  Johan needs assitance and I have a need for some healing

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: Johan neatly piles the skeletons into seperate sacks. "Well we have the skeletons just in case the court wishes to speak with the dead."

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: Mesodias uses one healing burst. 3d6 = 12 hp healed

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: Mesodias takes out the wand of Lesser Restoration and uses two charges on Johan.

Lesser Restoration: 1d4 = 2; 1d4 = 4 (Total = 6 Con damage restored)

SOLAR CE’NEA: Thank you friend Mesodius, once again you prove invaluable!

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: Mesodias uses one charge of the wand on Solar

Lesser Restoration: 1d4 = 2 Con damage restored

DUNGEON MASTER: The party proceeds out of the cavern and up to the hill.  From their vantage point, the blue mist-enshrouded houses are clearly visible--but the mist is not.  All three of the remaining banks of mist have melted away in the cold afternoon sun, leaving only rapidly evaporating wisps and traces to indicate where they once stood.

SOLAR CE’NEA: That should make investigating them easier

SOLAR CE’NEA: let try and investigate as much as we can before we loos the lights

 GRUNDIG: perception 1d20+13=16

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: Johan Perception check: 1d20+11 = 19 (+13 vs undead)

SOLAR CE’NEA: Solar perceptions 1d20+5=23

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: Mesodias Perception check: 1d20+8 = 14

SOLAR CE’NEA: SOlar says keep an eye out for bear traps

DUNGEON MASTER: This house appears to be in better condition than others in the village.  Its door is sturdy and tightly shut; its windows are barred with metal that has only begun to rust.

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: Johan inspects the door frame and lock for traps.

Perception check (traps): 1d20+14 = 25

DUNGEON MASTER: Johan discovers no traps.

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: Johan knocks on the door, "Hello anyone home? We are here to help."

SOLAR CE’NEA:  SOlar looks around the house for signs of a forced entry

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: Johan tests the door handle before picking the lock if it isn't open.

SOLAR CE’NEA: Solar Perception 1d20+5=15

 GRUNDIG: perception =1d20+13=25

DUNGEON MASTER: Solar walks around the house, seeking for signs of forced entry and generally finding none.  The windows are firmly barred and unmarked.  The walls are sturdy and offer little in the way of handholds--clearly the owner of this house was a skilled craftsman.

DUNGEON MASTER: Meanwhile, Johan tests the door to discover it is firmly wedged in place.  There is no outside lock visible.

 GRUNDIG: "do you think that you could force the door Johan ?"

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: "Well this is most interesting. Any ideas on how to solve this puzzle," Johan begins to walk around the house looking for a possible way inside within breaking down the door or one of the barred windows.

 GRUNDIG: grundig starts looking for a mecinisum to open the door perception 1d20+13=28

DUNGEON MASTER: Johan discovers no other suitable ways into the house.

Grundig discovers no such mechanism.  However, his tests do seem to indicate that the door is firmly stuck at multiple points around the frame.

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: "Any objections to us busting down the door by force?"

 GRUNDIG: grundig passes this information on to the party in hope that they may have some idears

 GRUNDIG: no if you think you can

SOLAR CE’NEA: I suspect it is the only way in

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: Johan and Mesodias stand next to the door and take turns smashing the frame of the door down.

DUNGEON MASTER: It takes a few minutes, but eventually the pair suceed in knocking the thing off its hinges.  It falls inwards to reveal a number of long nails jutting from around the outside.  For every nail in the door, there is a matching hole in the frame.

SOLAR CE’NEA: Wow someone was trying to make sure no-one got in

 GRUNDIG: maby there is something inportant in here or something of worth

 GRUNDIG: id be keeping a cloce eye fot for traps either way

SOLAR CE’NEA: Or they were trying to hide from something or stop them getting in

DUNGEON MASTER: The house is neat and tidy, consisting of a kitchen and dining room downstairs as well as an upstairs.

 GRUNDIG: grundig makes his way into the house checking for traps on the way perception 1d20+13=17

SOLAR CE’NEA: Solar sweeps the ground floor with detect magic

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: "Well if anyone was in there they under estimated wraiths being able to move through walls. Would have been a nasty surprise," replies Johan as he waits for the dust to settle.

SOLAR CE’NEA: Yes, but at that stage they thought it was the beast, very sad.

DUNGEON MASTER: Solar discovers no sources of magic.  Grundig discovers no traps; the floor is still quite sturdy and makes nary a squeak under his small frame.

There are a pair of skeletons in the dining room, both wearing rotten, tattered rags.

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: "Son of a bitch. You are right Solar, they didn't expect wraiths and built their own tomb," replies Johan as he enters the house and searchs for clues to who they were or how they died.

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: Johan moves upstairs to search the bedroom and living quarters closets, desk and draws.

 GRUNDIG: this is strange i wonder if anybody new they where here

SOLAR CE’NEA: SOlar says "I think these were the parents of one of the children, If the beast caused their deaths there would be blunt force trauma, bones would be shattered etc.  these people died by some other means by the look of it as their skeletons are intact

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: "Well when we go to court we can ask them a simple question. Have they been back here to query the townsfolk. It's obvious they haven't otherwise they would have realised just how bad this place is."

 GRUNDIG: grundig serches down stars to see if he can find anything that may identerfy who these poor people may be or any thing of intrest. perception 1d20+13=23

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: Johan Perception check: 1d20+11 = 23

SOLAR CE’NEA: SOlar goes up with Johan to continue searching and uses detect magic upstairs as well

DUNGEON MASTER: Johan discovers that the upstairs consists of two bedrooms--one of which contains a smaller bed and dresser engraved with the words "Karin", and the other of which contains a large bed large enough to sleep two adults.  There are several other well-built furnishings throughout the house.

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: "Karin was the last girl that perished out of the six children," replies Johan.

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: "She died in her bed without a mark however she was found to be older somehow. Definately something we can work with trying this to the wraith as the cause of the deaths and not the beast."

SOLAR CE’NEA: SOlar reminds the others about what the old ladies said when they interviewed them, that Karin was killed a few days after the beast was found.  That would clearly indicated that the wraith (or something coporial ) must have killed the people in this house as there was no way of getting into the house without breaking in.  Clearly there are no signs of break in.  I thikn this is a strong piece of evidence in defence of the beast

 GRUNDIG: this is true so they had found the body here and possibly burried it i wonder if the fate of the perants is known

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: "I agree they would have either buried or burnt the body according to her parents custom," replies Johan.

SOLAR CE’NEA: SOlar loks around at the windows and  doors looking or some sign of forced entry (he is looking to prove the beast didn't break in through the bars and the doors etc)

DUNGEON MASTER: Solar continues to find no sign of forced entry.  He does, however, find a pair of heavy crowsbows, two short swords, and some bolts hidden in one of the kitchen cupboards.

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: "Karin's family must have been wealth to own such a fortify household. The fact her parent's have passed without sign of forced entry would suggest the wraith killed them instead of the beast which would have broken the door down and crushed their bodies. The court needs to know thi," replies Johan.

SOLAR CE’NEA: I agree! I think we might be done here.  WHo would like one of these weapons.  I might be interested in having one of the heavy crossbows, but I happy if someone else wants them

 GRUNDIG: grundig serches the house looking for andy secret chambers and any tresure perception 1d20+13=26

DUNGEON MASTER: Grundig discovers no secret chambers.  He does, however, find a small black safe hidden behind the headboard of the bed in the parent's room.

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: Johan replies to Grundig, "All yours. Mesodias here already has a heavy crossbow and I've training with the longbow all of my life so I have my own preferance with ranged weapons."

 GRUNDIG: grundig yells out to the others what he has forud and checks for traps perception 1d20+13=28

SOLAR CE’NEA: I'll take one of the crossbows then, Grundig would you like the other?

DUNGEON MASTER: Grundig finds no traps.

 GRUNDIG: i think it would be a little bit big for me but i would be interested in maby traiding it for a smaller one when we get back to town

SOLAR CE’NEA: Solar cast detect magic at the safe and at the newly found wepaons

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: "That's a good find, let me see if I can open it with skill unlike how we treated the door, hehe." Johan attempts to crack the safe.

Disable Device: 1d20+16 = 31

DUNGEON MASTER: The safe's combination lock easily opens in Johan's hands.  It opens to reveal two hundred seventeen gold pieces as well as a Writ of Charter for the villiage of Hergstag.

SOLAR CE’NEA: Well this is a find! Shall we share out the gold?

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: 54 gp, 2 sp, 5 cp each

SOLAR CE’NEA: Shall ww move on to the next house?

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: Johan replies to Solar, "I don't see why not. What did you plan to do with the Writ of Charter?"

SOLAR CE’NEA: I thikn we can use it to prove we have been here if there are neseers

DUNGEON MASTER: The party continues along the path, backtracking up to the chapel and then heading down to the house by the river where some of the blue mist had been seen.  The house is in shambles, like most of the others in this villiage.

SOLAR CE’NEA: Shall we go in?

SOLAR CE’NEA: SOlar casts dancing lights to make sure they are not caught in darkness

 GRUNDIG: grundig serches the house looking for evedance for the trial and checking for traps. perception 1d20+13=27

DUNGEON MASTER: This house consists of four rooms on the ground floor, all of them molded with grass growing up through the cracks in the floorboards.  Most of the furniture has been cleared out, and many parts of the structure are already showing signs of rot.

Grundig discovers little of interest here.

SOLAR CE’NEA: Solar uses detect magic following Around Grundig to see if any thing magical poped up

DUNGEON MASTER: Solar discovers no magaic.

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: Johan and Mesodias follow after Grundig and Solar, standing just inside the doorway as they look around as everything is illuminated by the dancing lights.

 GRUNDIG: shell we move to the last house?

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: "Sure this place looks like it has been discarded long ago before we came here," replies Johan.

DUNGEON MASTER: The sun sets as the party makes their way up the path; the cold autumn light is waning as the party arrives at the final house which had been wrapped in the blue mist.  Whereas the other houses appear to have been left to rot, this one has been activly vandalized--windows and walls have been bashed, and there is a bare spot where the floor has been opeend up to house an old campfire.

 GRUNDIG: grundig moves into the house and serches it for any evedance for the trile or tresure and checks for traps as he go's perception 1d20+13=28

DUNGEON MASTER: Grundig discovers no treasure.  There is a single rotting bedroll on the floor, alongside several implements such as crowbars and sledge hammers.

SOLAR CE’NEA: SOlar aks johan, with your ranger skills how long since the campfire has been used?

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: Johan moves over to the camp fire to inspect how long ago it was used insluding other signs around the house like footprints.

Survival check: 1d20+11 = 21 (23 vs. humanoids)

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: "I think whoever came to this town to do some looting didn't expect what they found, as in the wraiths. Not the kind of thing a simple thief would expect. Just another nameless victim of this town," states Johan.

DUNGEON MASTER: Johan decides that these ashes are at least four months old.

SOLAR CE’NEA: SOlar says, "it might be useful to have crowbars and sledge hammers" he then casts detect magic on them

DUNGEON MASTER: The crowbars and sledge hammers appear to be the least magical things in this entire town.

SOLAR CE’NEA: Never know when you need to break something open, stragely he then thinks of Kendra

 GRUNDIG: grundig convays his dislike to hanging arround here in the dark to the others

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: Johan picks up two crowbars and hands one to Mesodias. "You never know when they may come in handy?"

SOLAR CE’NEA: SOlar says to the others, I think we are finished here and need to talk to the judge about seeing how we can intorduce talk to the dead into the court proceedings

DUNGEON MASTER: The party of heroes heads back to their mounts, which are thankfully unharmed by the dangers surrounding this abandoned town.  The trip back to Lepidstadt is uneventful, and it is after 7:30 in the evening, when the group reaches the outskirts.  The bonfires and revelry are in full swing--crowds of takard-hoisting men and brightly clad women are celebrating in the streets.

SOLAR CE’NEA: Solar says to the others shall we try and see the Judge straight away?

 GRUNDIG: i think rather than pissing off the judge we go to the court house and see the defence etirniy first and see what he has to say

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: "It is still an early hour in the night so he may be accepting visitors if we ask nicely. Otherwise as Grundig mentioned we don't want to interrupt if he likes his privacy outside of court, we may have to speak to him early in the morning to provide enough notice for whatever arrangements are required."

SOLAR CE’NEA: I think that is wise words my friend

DUNGEON MASTER: The trip to the courthouse is short.  A number of citizens are engaged in building up the Punishing Man outside with all manner of branches and bundles of sticks.

Presently the party arrives at the office of Barrister Kaple; he looks exhausted and harried, but he looks up to greet the heroes with some relief and fellow feeling.

SOLAR CE’NEA: Good Barrister Kaple, We think we have the smoking arrow to proving the Beast is not the perprtator of the crime in Hergstag.  However to prove this we need to use the speel speak with dead on the remians of the children that the Beast had supposidly killed.  We have their bodies and the bodies were in a wraiths burrow.  we enconutered several of the children as wratiths themselves indicating that they were killed by the main wriath and not the beast.  We were wondering if it would be acceptable to go to the Judge and see how we could have the evidence provided via speak with dead appear in the court legally and without reproach

DUNGEON MASTER: The man turns ghastly white at Solar's announcement and stammers unsucessfully before forming a reply.  "T-t-the children's bodies?!  You must not display them before the court!  I-I live in fear of the townsfolk as it is!  A-and it would be better if you were not seen soliciting the judges at their houses either.  I-I think we would be best served by c-casting that unfortunate spell with several holy men as witnesses--the judges would accept the testimony of a priest of Pharasma.  I can make arrangements at once, if you would like?"

SOLAR CE’NEA: That would be acceptable my good friend!

SOLAR CE’NEA: please  do organise it immediately

DUNGEON MASTER: "J-just a moment then."

The barrister dispatches a pair of messengers, who prestnly return with invitations to conduct their ceremony in the presence of Pharasmin priests within the hour.

DUNGEON MASTER: The Pharasmin temple is across the city square from the courthouse, a sombre marble structure dedicated to justice and the sanctity of death.  A pair of pale priests meet the party and escort them to a chamber containing a marble slab draped with a white cloth.  They stand aside and wait for the spellcasting to begin.

SOLAR CE’NEA: Dear children of Pharasma, we did not realise you would be ready to do this as soon as now.  your efficiency is beyond the normal realm outside these walls so we were expecting to have this occur in the morning once our large friend here has been able to pray to his benifactor for the speak to dead spell.  Please I beg you pardon of our ignorance of your readiness and ask that we come back early tommorrow morning to proform this spell in readiness for court tommorrow.

DUNGEON MASTER: Barraster Kaple gapes at Solar, but says nothing other than to appologize to the priests.  After bidding the heroes a curt good night, he leaves their company and dissappears in the direction of the courthouse.

DUNGEON MASTER: The party returns to the courthouse themselves, sticking to the first floor where a pair of tired-looking clerks are on duty.  They look up from their parchments as the heroes arrive.

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: "Good sir we wish to access the court resident records of the town as part of our ongoing court case. Could you please point us in the right direction?"

DUNGEON MASTER: "We maintain the court records, sir.  How might I serve?"

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: "Excellent. We wish to search information on a certain person of interest, first name Vlakda. We would appreciate any assitant in this matter," replies Johan.

DUNGEON MASTER: "Vlakda.... last name?"

 JOHAN D’ALMENTA: Vladka Kostel.

DUNGEON MASTER: "Just a moment, sir."

Several minutes later the clerk returns with a loosely bound armfull of parchments.  "Lucky, sir.  There's but one person by that name registered in our burg.  Last known residence was the employee housing at Ledov's Chirurgery Merchants."

DUNGEON MASTER: The party heads back to their borrowed townhouse, where the butler provides them with an ample--if somewhat cold--evening meal.

DUNGEON MASTER: [XP Awards:

Karin died 2 days after the Beast was driven away, so the Beast could not have killed her (1,200 XP)

Whatever killed Karin did not climb the house’s walls (1,200 XP) or force entry into her

room (1,200 XP).

Recover the bodies of the four missing children from Brother Swarm’s lair (1,200 XP).]

DUNGEON MASTER: [END GAME]