New Campaign: Athelos Darkening

[Bob the Hamster]

Beardthar coaxes Rock-head to ride atop his pack, and follows after Tim-Tim

[BMR]

You make your way towards the temple. It doesn't take long to reach it, but you notice that the grass grows steadily darker and more withered as you approach the temple until finally, within a few yards of the temple, all the grass is either dead or rotten.

The temple itself stands around 3 or 4 floors high, and is overgrown with vines and moss. The windows are all boarded up and look to have been thus for years. The massive double doors however, look to have been opened recently, as no vines or moss obstruct it.

The smell of decay wafts out from the temple, perhaps a sign that something has recently died there.

[Spoonweaver]

I'm thinking going in the front door isn't the best of ideas, anyone think they can grapple us up into one of those windows?

[Bob the Hamster]

Beardthar gets out his battered and dented grapple.

I'll wager that spittle has a better throwing arm than I do, but I'll take a stab at it.

Beardthar attempts to throw the grapple over the wall. he aims for a section with boarded windows, so if he misses the roofline, maybe he can catch a window ledge on the way down.

[BMR]

The grappling hook soars through the air and manages to hook onto one of the boards. A light tug, however, causes the rotting wood to break, causing the grappling hook to come free.

A second throw manages to latch onto a windowsill on the second floor though. A few tugs show that it's relatively secure.

Knowledge (Architecture and engineering) (1d20 + Ranks + INT)

• Akbar: 15 + 0 + -1 = 14 Fail
  Beardthar: 15 + 0 + 1 + 2 = 18 Success
  Peanut: 13 + 0 + 2 = 15 Fail
  Spittle: 10 + 0 + 1 = 11 Fail
  Tim-Tim: 4 + 0 + 1 = 5 Fail

Judging by how run down the temple looks though, you're concerned that the mortar could give way if put under enough strain.

Listen (1d20 + Ranks + WIS)

• Akbar: 3 + 0 + 1 + 1 = 5 Fail
  Beardthar: 20 + 0 + 3 + 2 = 25 Success
  Peanut: 10 + 4 + 1 + 2 = 17 Success
  Spittle: 11 + 0 + 0 = 11 Fail
  Tim-Tim: 7 + 0 + 3 + 2 = 12 Success

The inside of the temple, or at least the area immediately beyond the double doors, seems to have gone rather quiet. It was silent before, true, but now there doesn't seem to be even any ambient noise.

[Bob the Hamster]

Well, dammit. Maybe that didn't work so well. I caught the window there, but I doubt that old stonework is dwarfy enough to hold my weight if I try and climb up... and is it just me, or does it suddenly seem strangely quiet in there?

[Spoonweaver]

Well dang, I guess we'll just have to enter the front door and fall into whatever ambush might be set up for us.
You first, Oh Brave Beardthar.

[Bob the Hamster]

Beardthar scowls for a moment, but then decides to let it pass

No, I really think we need something a little better, but I'll give it a test

Beardthar climbs one arms-length up the rope, and then jiggles and tugs to test the sturdyness, fully alert and aware that if the masonry breaks he will have to simultaneously concentrate on landing on his feet and dodging the bricks likely to fall a few seconds later

[Gizmog]

Why don't we just stay out here and lay a siege? We could light some camp fires, wait for reinforcements. It'd all be very comfy and cozy and it's not like they can get up to anything terribly dangerous in there. Is it noon yet? Maybe we could ask Illeran which entrance to use

[BMR]

Beardthar

You test your weight on the rope. The mortar seems to hold, and a few tugs don't dislodge anything. You guess it will hold the weight of one person, though probably not more than that. Heavy armor might also be a problem.

[Spoonweaver]

We could always start a huge fire and smoke 'em out.

[Bob the Hamster]

Well... it seems to hold...

Beardthar drops to the ground. He removes his pack, and Rock-Head (who had been perched on his head while he was testing the rope) Beardthar takes the seneschal's rod out of his pack and hands it to Spittle.

Good idea. We should check in with Ileran and let him know we made it this far.

Beardthar returns to the rope, and begins (carefully) climbing it.

When I ... get to the ... top, I'll haul up.... my stuff on the rope... and then toss it down for ... the next person.

[BMR]

Beardthar
You climb up the rope. Around halfway up, the rope seems to give a little, perhaps an inch or so, but nothing more than that. You make it safely to the second floor window and peer through the torn boards that were blocking up the window.


The window seems to provide light, or would have provided light if it weren't boarded up, to a small room. The room is approximately 20'x30', and it looks absolutely filthy. It looks to be a bedroom of some sort, or would have been before it had all fallen into decay.


You haul yourself up and through the window. You manage to get a better look at the room.


The room is indeed 20'x30'. It is absolutely filthy, you suppose the floor might have been white marble at one point, but now it's just covered in dirt and grime. The walls look as if they had once been well made, but are now covered in mold and fungus.

The door is directly opposite of the window, 30' away. It doesn't look to be boarded up, and seems to be used often judging by the lack of dirt and grime.

Near the window is a desk with two drawers. Surprisingly, the desk actually looks to be in good shape, as if it were regularly used and thus better taken care of. Beside the desk is a medium sized chest, perhaps 2'x1'x1'. One wall is lined with bookshelves filled with books, and like the desk, the books appear to be in relatively good condition.

You take a couple of steps forward and promptly slip on something and fall on your back. Winded, but otherwise unhurt, you look down and notice a black, greasy, and sooty shape on the ground... roughly the shape of a man... as if someone had burst into flames and had been cooked on the spot.



Everyone Else
You watch Beardthar climb up to the second floor. The climb goes smoothly, and he doesn't fall.

Listen (1d20 + Ranks + WIS)

• Akbar: 5 + 0 + 1 + 1 = 7 Fail
  Peanut: 13 + 4 + 1 + 2 = 20 Success
  Spittle: 14 + 0 + 0 = 14 Success
  Tim-Tim: 8 + 0 + 3 + 2 = 13 Success

There seems to be something stirring just beyond the double doors. Nothing distinct, but something is definitely moving inside. And moving with enough noise that you can hear it through the double doors.

[Bob the Hamster]

Beardthar stares at the nasty mark on the floor for a moment, slightly disturbed, but then remembers he has a job to do. he looks around the room for a safer/stronger place to attach the rope so the others can climb up without risk.

He will wait until his equipment has been lifted and his allies have joined him before he takes the time to examine the interesting desk, chest, and bookcase.

[BMR]

The bookshelves look particularly heavy, and if a rope were fastened to them, they would probably hold better than the wall.