DWB: The Rescue Begins; Elara's Halfway House

[Duniagdra]

Harg leaves the podium and the area after exchanging pleasantries with you and your newest member and others there. Then Sheriff Deldrin approaches.
a stern authoritative tone: “So, let's get you headed on your way. Those children won't last long if what you say is true.”
He brings you to the stables and shows you to the horses that have been readied for you. They're packed with all that the horses need and ready to carry any extra things you need. You waste no time in loading them up with your gear and soon head off.

You decide to make a stop at the Burnt Orphanage to gather any information that might assist you in confirming your suspicions. The blackened husk of the orphanage lies atop the hill. Charred timbers are strewn among piles of caked ash and the only edifice left standing is a soot-stained stone arch. A small stuffed doll lies below the arch, her face seared off and her patchwork dress spilling dirty stuffing. Beside her, a troop of half-melted tin soldiers stand in formation, their bodies twisted and deformed by the blaze that claimed their owner’s life. Searching around uncovers nothing until Ryiad, Doran, and Kay call attention to their position. It's a charred trapdoor beneath an inch of ash in the center of the ruins. The lock is melted shut and cannot be picked, but the door is badly damaged and easily smashed open.

OUT OF CHARACTER

Will you choose to investigate what might lie below?

 

[tdsprouse]

“Someone want to bust this open? I could lower a Sunrod before we go down, see if there is anything about.”

[Duniagdra]

“Interesting, we'll see if we can see anything from up here.”

Ryiad activates a Sunrod, ties his rope to it and lowers it into the opening. Trying to see whatever he can before going down.

OUT OF CHARACTER

how deep does it go, and is there a ladder/stairs?

 

OUT OF CHARACTER

I think you misread. You found a trap door with the lock melted. It cannot be picked. You can try to Break it open instead.

 

[Badlapje]

turning to Drini “Oi Drini, i think your axe would come in handy here.”

[tdsprouse]

OUT OF CHARACTER

Ah, yes, i misread. I'll edit teh above to correct

 

[marine7312000]

Delastian draws his bastard sword and steps forward. He focuses for a minute and unleashes a powerful two-handed strike.

OUT OF CHARACTER

1d20+6=22, 1d10+6=12

 

[Duniagdra]

Delastian draws his bastard sword and steps forward. He focuses for a minute and unleashes a powerful two-handed strike.

OUT OF CHARACTER

1d20+6=22, 1d10+6=12

 

Del bears down on the trap door with the full force of his blade and splinters and chunks of wood fly everywhere. a few of you get showered in debris and ash as he send devastation down on the hatch. Taking a look, it soon comes clear that the next hit won't take much to break it free. There's not much holding together.

[DrvFst83]

“Looks like that door's going to need a little more coaxing, Del!”

[marine7312000]

Del swings again at the trapdoor.

OUT OF CHARACTER

1d20+6=25, 1d10+6=11

 

[Duniagdra]

Del swings again at the trapdoor.

OUT OF CHARACTER

1d20+6=25, 1d10+6=11

 

Without fail, the last bit of wood resisting failure gives under Del's weapon and crashes onto the stairs beneath.

[tdsprouse]

Dusting himself off, Ryiad gets to work. “Alright, lets see what we can see.”

He pulls out and activates a sunrod, ties it to his silk rope, and lowers it down.

[Badlapje]

“Hmm, i prolly should have mentioned this sooner but i can always make some balls of light and direct them down for cases like this. No real need to use up a sunrod if there's no battle to distract my concentration.”

[Duniagdra]

Dusting himself off, Ryiad gets to work. “Alright, lets see what we can see.”

He pulls out and activates a sunrod, ties it to his silk rope, and lowers it down.

Ryiad ignites a sunrod and lowers through the hatch. The stairs get in the way, but he manages to bounce the rod off the side and lowers it to the floor. There's not too much to see. Debris litters the floor below. He hears nothing.

“Hmm, i prolly should have mentioned this sooner but i can always make some balls of light and direct them down for cases like this. No real need to use up a sunrod if there's no battle to distract my concentration.”

You start THINKING: better to have mentioned this before.

[Benji]

Drawing both his axes, Drini starts to lead the way down.

[DrvFst83]

Drawing his longsword, two-handed, Kay follows Drini in.

[Duniagdra]

Drawing both his axes, Drini starts to lead the way down.

OUT OF CHARACTER

New Map coming up.

 

[Badlapje]

After taking a brief moment to cast Dancing Lights Doran follows, letting the ball of light float above his head for now.

[tdsprouse]

Ryiad Follows the others, Rapier ready, picking up his sun rod at the bottom of the stairs.

[Duniagdra]

As you descend the stairs the stench of rot belches forth from this rank cellar. A chipped, blood-stained oaken table rests against one wall, with all manner of blades and barbed instruments laid out on it. A single pair of rusted shackles is bolted into the opposite wall, whose bricks are stained in a bloody account of pain and cruelty. The robed corpse of a woman on the floor is the source of the reeking stench of decay.

You see nothing else aside from the usual webs and bugs typical of a basement, though this one seems to have more webbing than usual.

[Badlapje]

Doran walks towards the table to check it out, and casts detect magic when in front of it to see if anything is magical.

[Duniagdra]

Doran walks towards the table to check it out, and casts detect magic when in front of it to see if anything is magical.

Doran finds a pair of masterwork silver daggers and a bundle of rotten herbs.

OUT OF CHARACTER

Craft (alchemy) or Knowledge (nature) to identify the herbs.

 

[Twiglet]

OUT OF CHARACTER

Branch the ranger leans into the trapdoor.

 

“Hail Sir Knight and well met. Is this where the children have gone missing?”

[Duniagdra]

OUT OF CHARACTER

Branch the ranger leans into the trapdoor.

 

“Hail Sir Knight and well met. Is this where the children have gone missing?”

All of you hear footsteps above and dust falls through the flooring above when someone passes. A voice calls down and Ryiad and Del being on the stairs see a vision of a woman in exploring gear. On her back a buckler and backpack and her hips a flail and longsword. She has a bow slung over a shoulder.

[marine7312000]

“Friend or foe, you'd best identify yourself, and quickly.” Del says, holding his bastard sword between himself and the woman.

[Twiglet]

“Sir Knight, I am Branch, ranger of the Fangwatch and friend of Aurore Kaiseva. If, as you appear to be, you are truly a paladin you know that I am at least not evil. I am here to help the children. What say you?”

OUT OF CHARACTER

Branch shows palms up in an obvious sign of peace.

 

[Duniagdra]

“Sir Knight, I am Branch, ranger of the Fangwatch and friend of Aurore Kaiseva. If, as you appear to be, you are truly a paladin you know that I am at least not evil. I am here to help the children. What say you?”

OUT OF CHARACTER

Branch shows palms up in an obvious sign of peace.

 

OUT OF CHARACTER

Anyone care to make skill checks regarding the Fangwatch? Knowledge (local) would do the trick. Maybe even hystory.

 

[Badlapje]

Doran seems to recognise these herbs from his time with the hermit and tries his best to identify them (I don't have ranks in nature so i'll go with just int bonus: 1d20+3=22).

OUT OF CHARACTER

buahahaha, a stroke of genius!

 

If by then nobody else has reacted he seems to recall having heard about the fangwatch before (1d20+3=8).

[tdsprouse]

Kn: Local (1d20+8=19)

Ryiad, with rapier raised but relaxed, “Fangwatch? That sounds familiar...”, it's clear that he's collecting in his head what he knows.

[Benji]

Drini ignores the newcomer for now, relying on Ryiad and Del to let him know if any intervention is needed. He will go and check the corpse.

[Badlapje]

facing the newcomer “Don't trust her guys. I believe she is trying to fool us into lowering our guard. The fangwatch is nothing but a ruthless bunch of cuttroaths and brigands! If we turn our back to her it might be the last time, don't let her looks get the better of your judgement!”