Online Adventure!

[Phinkis]

Phinkis stands from where he had been resting when he hears Kaylan and Nellie approach.

"No, it seems all of the magic was removed when I removed the amulet."

Phinkis gives a slight smile and a nod to Nellie. "Glad to see you Nellie, ready for some adventure?"

[GM-Amanda]

(Apologies if I mess up the setting slightly, I'm trying to catch up and I'm not 100% sure by the posts where everyone is located.)

Quiet at first, but steadily increasing in volume, a rhythmic tune floats in through the windows where the adventuring party plans their next move. In full tack and gear, Cirrus wanders down the path, head bent attentively towards the cart tracks and footprints as if scouting. Her left hand rests comfortably on Seven's hilt, keeping it out of her way, her right thumb and fingers snapping to provide a slow beat to the repetitive song she's whistling. Again and again the leitmotif repeats, something previously reserved for the most boring of tasks, ones that similarly made her scuff her talons through the dirt and clack her beak in disgust as she wandered down the trail, directly towards the gathered group.

Her expression brightened noticeably as she saw the building, and Seven slipped back into its sheath as she preened a few feathers back into place before knocking on the closest door. "Hellooo? Anyone home?"

[Kaylan Chargeender]

Here is that path we took:

You follow the tracks from the horse across the countryside and after a time they lead you to a dilapidated barn seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Nearby is the charred remains of a farmhouse- long burnt and almost completely levelled.

.... pointing towards a door just across from the stall. You open the door and lantern light shows a dark stairwell going….down

The stairwell descends for a ways, spiraling down. You hold your lanterns high to reveal a wide natural tunnel with stalactites high above.

Cautiously, you follow the tunnel for a time. At a bend, there are barn style doors along one wall, barred with a wooden beam, and tracks in the mud. You open the doors to reveal daylight and trees.

I assume this to be the entry Cirus used. Then followed the below as we did.

It’s clear a cart was wheeled inside here. There are tracks that lead further down the tunnel too.

You get to a part where the tunnel cuts through the roots of some massive trees, and instead of stone along the side, you see bulbous wood

Six of these:

"the tree roots come alive violently. They shake and twist into mockeries of humanoid forms, then pry themselves from the dirt walls on ‘legs’ to attack.

"
lay around the ground having been destroyed.

The PCs and NPCs (Thurton and Harmon) are standing in the tunnels. as far as timeline, we are between this portion of Brads last post...

When Thurton awakes again, you help him up, and he answers Kaylan’s questions from before. “I didn’t recognize any specific ghost, just their livery. And I haven’t heard from my cousin in a while. Communication is tough so far away…”
Harmon interjects. “You should have told me this long ago, Thurton. The reason everyone mistrusted my son was because those children went missing, and no one knew where they were at…”

Thurton is unusually quiet.

and here.

All of you continue on. Harmon suggests Thruton turn back, but for some reason, he doesn’t’ want to leave. The tunnel winds for a ways, then splits. Uncertain which path to take, you pick one and follow it, but it quickly dead ends, and you have to double back. As you go, there are more and more branching paths. The ground becomes hard and the tracks from the cart and horses disappear. At one point you are almost certainly lost, unless one of you has Scout:

I will post the rest of Kaylans reactions to the rest of Brads last post after work tonight(10pm)

[GM-Brad]

Kaylan brings Nellie to meet with Phinkis in the tunnel. Harmon and Thurton have started to walk ahead, but you all quickly catch up and then witness the scene before the door with Darius together.

Thurton rubs his eyes, suddenly noticing Nellie is there “Another dwarf. And not just a dwarf, but a lady dwarf. I didn’t even know they made lady dw-“

“Ahem,” Harmon clears his throat. “You must forgive Thurton, mam. I’m glad to have you with us to help. “

“Yeah, well, maybe this new dwarf will see reason,” Thurton says. “We’re about to be duped. You ask him your questions, but I ain’t submitting to no torture.”

Darius steps forward. “I have no reason to lie. I will happily submit to your test.”

Just then, a faint whistling can be heard. The tune is just the right pitch, and the melody so jaunty and piercing that it echoes, seemingly much further than it should, bouncing down the tunnels all the way to you. It tickles your memory as being faintly familiar.

“Shhh. What’s that?” Thurton turns around. “The ghosts are whistling now! Singing us to our doom!”

Cirrus, if you followed the cart tracks from the festival grounds (people there would have pointed you in the direction of their stolen goods) it would have led you through the woods, to a wide, wooden door oddly placed in the middle of a cliff face. You knock on it, and say your “hellooo, anyone home?” but no one answers. You notice it’s open, however, and go inside. Just inside there is a locked cupboard (see note below). The tunnel continues both right and left here, but you follow the cart tracks. There are now also footprints following the same prey. It gets a bit twisty up ahead, but you find the right way. You approach the rest of the party, spotting them before they spot you at the far end of a tunnel that ends in a large, stone door up ahead.

Note: Nellie, if you picked locks on that metal cupboard, go ahead and read the hidden tab earlier in this thread. If you didn't -or don’t- then let us know, and Cirrus will have the option to do so, or not, when she enters.

Edit, I can re-post it here, if that's easier:

Read only if you have pick Simple Locks.

---

There is one bushel of wheat in here, plus 2 gold. We’ll do accounting at the event.

This fudges the timeline just a smidge...but I think it works to sync everyone up.

[Kaylan Chargeender]

((OOG ok ...here is my attempt to get all the worbly wobbly timey wimey threads headed in the same direction....))

Kaylan shoots Thurton a mildly shocked look, " Ya didn't know there were dwarf women?!? What do ya think dwarves doo on cold nights once all the drink is gone?? One can only fight and argue with other male dwarves so long before it gets boring...." He trails off with a smirk.
Kaylan's smiles at Nell, "false expectations? Hedging your wager in case this isn't as spectacular a save as turning a magical focusing dish into a huge necromancer disintegration beam?"

((OOGI was under the notion Kaylan would have swung Nell by the cabinet, after asking her if she can pick locks or not, one the way back to the gathered scoundrels. If she cant or wont, by the pricking of my thumbs something feathered and wicked this way comes.....))

As Kaylan, Nell, Thurton, and Harmon near the door and Harmon dashes forward after spotting Daruis, Kaylan tries to reach out to restrain Harmon, until his expression shows Kaylan the newly encountered stranger, isn't so strange to Harmon.

Kaylan Nods, "Darius eh? so we find the prodigal son. Very brave coming here alone, lad." Kaylan walks up to the young man and chuckles at Darius' comment about the danger they are in. "I would act surprised as a courtesy since we have already discovered that, but I am way to tired for such."

As he listens to the tale Darius spins, Kaylan shakes his head in disgust and looks to Phinkis before digging into his pack and pulling the other amulets from it. A grim smirk growing on his lips, "seems I was prescient in returning for these eh?"

Kaylan grabs Darius by the shoulder and roughly turns him to look into Kaylan's eyes. "Why did you not speak of this place 4 years ago?! Do you not see the evil you have allowed to grow? Even if you had then fled to chase your quest, this could have been looked into an the events of the last few days possible avoided! You have been here FOUR times in as many years and it never occurred to you that this was greater than you could handle alone?"

Kaylan lightly shoves Darius away. "I would be interested to see how you live with yourself if the others are injured or worse, and you realize you COULD have done something to prevent it years ago..." Kaylan paces a few times to walk the urge to ply dwarven hammer to human noggin, and turns back to Darius briefly. "Have you seen any sign of Dresda, and whom were the children taken prisoner by?"

Kaylan turns to Harmon, trying to dissipate his ire before speaking. "Harmon, tell me of the Barl horse-lords. what are we facing?"

Once Harmon is done, the warrior turns to Nell. "Well Lady minister, I think the door can wait until we are sure we have the relevant facts, so feel free to poke your lie detecting stick into whatever brain you feel the need to...." Kaylan slowly glances at the three men, starting with Darius, the Harmon, and as his eyes walk to the next he speaks slowly and directly "I doubt any of them will object to being tested willingly, and conscious...ass opposed to unwillingly while unconscious." Kaylan's gaze settles on Thurton as if daring him to object again.

Before she gets to work, he plucks the hammer from the back of his shield, spinning it over the back of his hand so as to grip the shaft below the solid steel head, handle pointing at Nell. " Stop breaking drawven weapons, its tarnished the reputation of our crafters....especially since you ARE ONE" Kaylan pokes the handle her way with a mischievous grin.

Once at the door, Kaylan scours the area around the door for clues or alternate access. He finds a yellow shield with three hawks on it tucked into a cranny of the cave. " odd place to leave this...". Kaylan tosses the shield to Phinkis to check for enchantments. "When your done, I say Harmon should carry it, it belongs to his family."

The dwarf moves over to Nell, but speaks loud enough for all to hear, "While the evidence so far; the shield and livery on the horses, as well as the attire Thurton saw the apparitions wearing, seem to heavily imply they are Barls this could be the efforts of someone trying to make it look that way."

When Darius offers the aid of his wand, causing Thurton to spout his expected warning about falling skies, Kaylan snaps him a sharp look. "Thurton, be quiet. While you may be right, we still need to find those "children" and put the horsemen to rest." Kaylan turns to Darius with a polite smile, "I will decline your aid Darius, I cant risk Thurton being right and my shield and hammer have rarely failed me unless my foe would have overmatched a squad of warriors."

"As for this riddle ..." Kaylan turns to the door listening to Phinkis' solution for a bit sighing as he follows along. When Phinkis is done, Kaylan reads each line commenting on his interpretation.

"Deep, deep, seven sleep, kings under the hill. Would seem to indeed imply 14 feet for the purpose of the riddle. Twenty yards and ten again does indeed seem to mean 90 feet, and Two hundred men were riding then would certainly add another 400. However, while A fathom more, but four less when would add another 6, I am not so sure what four less speaks off. If by the story of the poem it means 4 less MEN fell into the den of the next line, then that would subtract 8 not 24. The last line, They fell into a dragon's den. could also be including the feet of the dragon, which would add another 4...unless the poem places them in the category of claws...like it may for a horses hooves."

Kaylan turns to Phinkis and Nell with crossed arms. " do we include the dragons feet/claws? It doesn't even state with certainty there is a dragon in the den, and no clue if we should count its feet."

Kaylan waits a moment for Phinkis before adding, " I say men and distance should only be counted. that means a total of 510; minus 8 if it means men or less 24 if it means fathoms. I would say the answer is 502 or 486... Nell?" Kaylan turns to Nell to hear her suggestions.

As the whistling sound catches Kaylan's ear, he scoops up his shield and moves it and himself between the others; back to the stone door; and the eerie sound. "Thurton...if you don't stop reacting like a frightened milk maid, I will pray to the dwarf elders that it IS the undead, so I have something to feed you to..." Kaylan hisses the jibe over his shoulder and a low gravely tone to quiet the excitable man. Once Thurton goes silent, keen warrior senses refocus on the tunnel...waiting...

((Ok Amanda...that's your cue... ))

[GM-Amanda]

(Teehee. Brad, I'm tossing you a PM.)

"Kaylan, if you don't stop jumping out of your feathers every time I sneak up behind you, you're not going to have any left. I was WHISTLING this time, do I need a crowd of minstrels following me around when I'm trying NOT to be sneaky?"

She sauntered up to the group and sketched three quick bows in the general direction of Thurton, Harmon and Darius in turn. "Cirrus, procurement specialist. I'll get your names when there's not a door and a riddle to get through."

Without waiting for a reply, she immediately crouched and started running her fingers along the edges of the doorway, then the carving, carefully checking it over for traps, indents, and other less than visible things that might be of interest. (Improved Spot, Search for Traps)

"I think you're off a bit including the distances, unless some of the numbers don't refer to yards or fathoms or whathaveyou. How many feet are WE sounds like just counting the gropos, I would probably count the horses, but they theoretically could be any type of mount. Lots of mumptions."

[Kaylan Chargeender]

Cirus, ya swollen hummingbird! Where did you creep in from?! " Kaylan exclaims after, staggering sideways from a halted lunge; once the mystery person shoes herself; before letting out the breath he had been holding. " The whistling just makes it creepier woman. Try carrying a gong!" The dwarfs tone a mix of amused and exasperated. " I sear I'm buying a giant cat...." Kaylan grumbles to himself as Cirrus zips past towards the door.

"... you may be right. Neither Phinkis or I were sure about what the riddle means us to include or exclude. That's why I went to get Nell, and try to track you down at the festival. Once we get past the door, we have a necromantic witch, three grown lost children; who aren't lost anymore, and an unknown number of ghost horsemen...whose number I'm thinking is around seven ...to find and contend with. "

[Phinkis]

"I'm not so sure the distances don't matter. I mean if a group of five people walked up to me and asked, 'How many feet are we?' I would probably measure their heights, not count the number of feet they have. This is a riddle though and answers are rarely ever straight forward in a riddle." Phinkis finds a place to sit down and think, making sure he can read the door from his location. "Well Nellie, what do you think?"

[Nellie Duncan]

(OOC: Being a Dwarf, and with Kaylan's urging, Nellie would have Mimiced Pick Simple Locks and picked the lock on the cubby. Also, Nellie will cycle through all the Mimics she has access to from here on out for the situations, always going back to Healing before they move forward, unless a time-limit is specified during a situation.)

Nellie still looks somewhat annoyed at the crass exchange between the men. She turns to Thurton, Darius, and Harmon. "Unless under orders from those of higher rank, I've come to a personal line to only ask for volunteers for my more forceful questions, as I dislike the morality of that ability not having any stipulations in its usage. In order to proceed with such a questioning, you'd need to be either conscious yet incapacitated or unconscious at the time." She looks at Darius. "Are you still willing, knowing the physical vulnerability I'd have to ask of you?"

While Darius mulls that over, Nellie takes hold of Kaylan's extra hammer with a small smile and word of thanks before going to the door, lightly tracing the art work with her fingertips. She barely notices the commotion Cirrus's arrival causes, until the Avyana approaches the door as well. "Ah, nice of you to join us, Cirrus," she murmurs offhandedly, still with most of her attention on the door's engraving and inscription.

"Seven Kings sleep under a hill," she mutters, hand tapping the first line, "now that could mean seven dead humanoid kings, as burial mounds were often used for clan funeral rites in rural areas, especially for clan members of high rank." Her hand trails down to the fifth line, tapping at the words. "And yet there is also a dragon's den beneath the hill - or perhaps one in the same?" She murmers excitedly, eyes twinkling. "Yes, the same - it would make sense, if it was a funeral mound of kings, as they would have been interred with some of their prizes and trophies to be taken to the next life, and a Dragon could have easily been lured by the scent of all that wealth in one place." Her hand comes back to the second line. "Easy measurement conversion, of course." Down to the third line. "Hooves are a horse's equivalent to feet, but humanoids tend to be egotistical and there's no telling of how many are riding double - it's unlikely that the horses were included." Down to the fourth line, spreading back to the fifth. "More measurement conversion and four riders are most likely eaten, yet no mention of their steeds being lost - which lends more credence to the horses not being included. With the Dragon being an obvious opponent, it's unlikely to be included in the 'we' of the final line. And with the Seven Kings being nothing but bones at that point, they're most likely not included either." She sighs, tapping the final written line. "Of course, the tricky thing with riddles - the word play of "we". Do they even mean the riddle at all, or how many feet the group before the door has?"

She looks up to everyone present. "488 or 14; 196 men with 2 feet each plus 96 feet from riding is 488, while on the other hand there is 7 of us here wanting to go through the door with 2 feet each. Take your pick - I'd choose 14 personally so it's more likely 488 if my 50/50 luck is still in play."

[GM-Brad]

Robin, you have -or had- the chance to pick the lock on the cabinet before anyone else. Let me know if you took the contents or left them.

Harmon makes quick introductions. "Um...madam bird. This is my son, Darius, and Thurton is, well, Thurton."

Darius mulls over Kaylan’s words for a bit, looking shamefaced. “I should have told someone my wild story, you are right, but I was afraid it would sound like a fabrication to cover my mistakes. All I could think of was finding those kids. It was…an obsession. I couldn’t show my face again without them. Only recently did I realize I was just as wrong to abandon my family for all those years. So...I came home, hoping my mistake could be forgiven. I only learned today, from one of the undead riders, that the children were captured recently by them and taken here…I have heard that Dresda herself died some years back from illness, though I have always wondered if somehow the horselords got the better of her.”

He turns to Nellie. “Unconscious or incapacitated, you say…well, you may restrain me. I’m sure there are some Badules who’d wish to do far worse.”

As Nellie prepares, Darius continues to answer Kaylan’s questions. “Hundreds of years ago the Barl clan was nomadic. Several lords ruled, sometimes at once, and they were very protective of their horses. It’s said the lord Svelnic went to war once over an insult to his horse. That’s our pedigree…”

Thurton sniffs.

Read only if you have Research.

---

The Barl Clan had seven horselords, the most famous being Svelnic the Mage, Gregon the Coppersmith, and Carlen the Scalper. They were very warlike.

Darius eyes him, then continues. “I think they are the ones who set this new riddle, not Dresda.”

When Kalyan uncovers the shield, Darius looks startled. “Oh, that’s mine. I was wondering where I put that.”

Read only if you have Sense Magic.

---

The shield senses as magical.

Darius readies himself. "Whenever you're ready, madam dwarf."

[Nellie Duncan]

(OOC: After picking the lock, Nellie would take the contents.)

Nellie looks intrigued by the beginning of Darius' words. "Protective of them, you say?" she asks, raising her hand to her chin. "Mmm, and horse lords as well. Then it is very likely they would have counted the feet of the horses in the answer for the riddle, and the reason there's no mention of dead horses is that the fallen riders protected the steeds with their lives." She grins, clapping her hands together. "So that's an extra 800 feet to the 488. 1288 feet in total. Ah, I love it when context adds extra meaning to a puzzle!"

"Now, get as comfortable as you can, good sir," she replies to Darius's entreaty, walking towards him as she riffles through her hip pouches to produce two lengths of scrap cloth. "I'll bind you best I can, and I apologize beforehand for the... forced intrusion I am about to make into your mind. I'll try to be as delicate as possible, but as with anything forced there will be a bit of pain."

Bending down to start binding Darius's legs, Nellie calls out to the others. "You have up to eight questions you may attempt to ask him through me, but I warn you wording is important." She moves up to his arms, and proceeds to bind him at his wrists and around his chest to pin his arms to his sides. "Darius will be bound to answer in a yes or no fashion, should he not have formidable mental defenses." She looks up as she finishes knotting the bindings. She gives a cocky grin. "Of course, I can only do this to a living person - so at least that's one rumor we can put to rest right away!"

Nellie then proceeds to sit in front of Darius, rolling her shoulders after setting Kaylan's borrowed hammer across her knees. "I'll require either a brief rest or an energy exchange after this - the more questions you ask, the longer I'll have to recoup." She spares the others a small glare as she raises her hands and flexes her fingers. "Remember, your wording is important."

She turned back to Darius, gave one last encouraging wink before leaning forward to place both hands on either side of the man's head. "Now to dream a little dream, good sir," she whispered, before closing her eyes and concentrating to marshal her formidable mind to the task at hand.

(OOC: Probe Mind on Darius. Any question asked of Darius by Cirrus, Kaylan, or Phinkus will be the ones Nellie will repeat verbatim. Nellie will NOT repeat any questions asked by Thurton or Harmon, unless they are repeated by her friends. After asking 8 questions, she'll break the technique.)

[Kaylan Chargeender]

As Nell states she is only willing to probe the minds of the willing, Kaylan's gaze drifts to Thurton, seeming to hint that the dwarf is waiting for Thurton to do just that via the arched brow and the "OR ELSE..."stare.

Nell's question to Darius reluctantly draws the dwarf's attention to the Barl to take note of his reaction.

Once Kaylan's eyes are again set on Thurton, he listens over his shoulder to Nell dance her dance of information extraction, which coaxes a surprised look and a sharp turn to the door when Nell states that the poem may be asking how many feet is had by those before the door. " Well its a good thing there is al least one dwarf that isn't riddled with brain callouses here. I completely missed that as an option."

Kaylan watches Darius as the young man laments his actions. As he finishes Kaylan nods and sighs, "While I understand that youth is wrought with errors and bad choices, I am simply frustrated by what seems to have been an easy choice to me; at least in more recent years and with the proof this location would have lent to your tale. Now just so I have it clear, these horsemen were raised 4 years ago and have been searching for the lost ones all that time?"

Kaylan lazily turns to face Thurton, when the mans action appears to cause Darius to pause in providing more background. " Something you would rather tell me yourself Thurton?; before volunteering for Nell's questions that is..."

After Nell springs into a further analysis of the riddle with the new information from Daruis, Kaylan's hand slowly drifts to his brow to massage it. "now I am even LESS inclined to any of my suggestions. although, if its 14 I may main the poem's creator just so I feel better."

As Nell describes her process, Kaylan speaks in a calm even tone, you are free to use my life force to restore your own Nell. simply let me know what I need to do." He turns to the others, " I have one question I know I wish to ask, the only other two I can think would have bearing would be....
Have you Daruis concealed, or refrained from sharing anything at all that would allow those gathered less risk to themselves, better chance at solving this situation or both?
...and...
Have you Daruis, been less than completely truthful and factual with anything you have shared to this point?

... no other questions spring to mind...any opinions on these two?

[GM-Amanda]

"Well, we oughta come up with some kinda codewords or summat, call and response and all that. I wouldn't want you to have to try and shiv me Kaylan."

She taps the doorframe one more time, then shuffles back a few steps on her haunches before standing, avoiding putting pressure on the door, giving Nell a wave and a grin. "I probably oughta be the one to give the answer when we feel confident enough about it... I think the door's going to do something not nice if we get it wrong."

"Could be the feet about or on the door as well. 7 foot high door, three feet on the inscription. I'll leave the questioning to you three, I'll letcha know if I thinka somethin'."

Cirrus continued to stare up at the door, muttering the riddle quietly under her breath with different inflections, pauses, and emphasis.

[GM-Brad]

Darius nods to Kaylan. "You are correct, the horsemen were raised four years ago, and have been looking for those children all this time, it seems...it's a big world, and without a clue to go by... I myself have spent these last four years looking for them in vain...Anyway, I have a quill and ink. If you think you have an answer for this riddle, we should write it in on the door."

As you start the probe mind, Nellie, you suddenly realize something's wrong; all present can see Darius is not in the trance like state this kind of thing normally induces.
He answers the questions, but he does so as Kaylan prompts them, not as you ask them, Nellie.

Have you Daruis concealed, or refrained form sharing anything at all that would allow those gathered less risk to themselves, better chance at solving this situation or both?

"No."

Have you Daruis, been less than completely truthful and factual with anything you have shared to this point?

"No."

You realize you are not certain he is telling the truth or not.

[GM-Brad]

Harmon, and even Thurton (under protest), undergo the probe mind, and it appears to work normally on them. To Kaylan's initial questions, which I assume you'll ask, their answers are "No."

You may ask up to 6 more questions to Darius, Harmon, and Thurton each, if you wish.

While it's Thurton's turn, Harmon whispers in your ear, Nellie, "This guarantees the truth? You know, he talks big about loathing Barls, but while you're doing this, you could ask him if he secretly has the hots for my second cousin, Priscilla, because I think the answer is 'yes.' He's always hanging around her butcher shop..."

At some point Harmon asks, 'so 486, 1286, 502, or 1288? 14 for us, or 21 for the door's dimensions? Which answer should we put for this riddle?"