Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Doom of the Savage Kings

((Been dragging my feet a little so we don't get too far ahead of MordosKull... ))

John's theory didn't give the cleric any nice feelings. If the skulls belonged to Josh's friends, it was disturbing to think about what chain of events could have led to just their skulls being wrapped up in hide bundles and mostly buried in the sand.

But if the pitted swords were any indication, these bundles had been there far longer than 6 months.

Galiena shook her head to Rae's question about fighting water people. "I'd rather not if we can help it," she admitted, adding 2 gold coins of her own to the pool.

And just as John is about to give up his search, he finds a third bundle with nearly identical contents as the first 2.

As he finds another bundle, John begins stressing more than before. If his theory is right, the swords are just the first weapons found by Kjeg and his party, and the spirit was able to defeat three of them without letting even one of them time to escape.
"A third one - we're clearly not in a safe place. Let's just put the bundles in the pool, let the gold in it and pray Tymora it's the right procedure."
He puts the bundles in the water, and approaches the door.
"Any objections?"

((Backzors! Should be back to regular schedule now.))

"No kiddin'? Grrr." The Hobgoblin growled slightly as John confirmed that they were indeed in a dangerous place.

"I'll take fighting water spirits over undead anyways, grrr. Not a lot of organs to pierce when dealing with skeletons. Grrrr.. unless these spirits are the intangible sort, in which case we're totally screwed, grrr." Xepil was pretty sure all of their mundane equipment was just going to go through incorporeal foes.

"I dunno about these skulls, grrrr, why are their skulls caved in anyway? Grrr, you'd think if a water spirit killed them they'd be drowned or somethin'." The Hobgoblin examines the skulls briefly to try and figure out what kind of trauma caused their fatal injuries.

((Welcome back!))

Even the cursory examination of the skulls show each was hit in roughly the same location... directly in the back, with something blunt.

It still looks incredibly heavy... One person will likely not be able to open it on their own.

((Thanks!!))

Xepil grumbles as he examines the skulls. "Yeh yeh, grrrr, beaned on the back of head with a club. Either this spirit is straight up gangsta' or not a spirit at all, grrr.."

Following John, the Hobbo looks up and down at the door. "Maybe there's a switch we need to pull for this one, grrr."

"A cone of ice through the head could have dealt the damage. I'm pretty sure the spirits are going to be our main problems, not simple undead. The intangible sort seems possible."
John looks around, trying to find a lever or anything else to give an indication of how to open the door.
"I could try a spell on the door - few ones work like that."

When Xepil wanders into the pool of water, he finds a fourth bundle, the same as the first 3: Waterlogged, rotting hide with a pitted bronze sword, cracked skull, and a few coins.



Despite checking very well for mechanisms, he finds nothing keeping the stone in place other than gravity and some grass and dirt around it, settled down and around it over the centuries. It seems unlikely that it was moved at all by Josh's 3 acquaintances.

"Fellas, I think she's right," Rae pokes a thumb in Galiena's direction. "These folks didn't have a run-in wi' a guardian spirit - least wise not before they was dead... They were the sacrifices left by other parties seekin' entrance 'ere. We're askin' fer extra trouble t'expect this spirit to accept a recycled sacrifice... What is't wi' this place and its human sacrifices? Gives me the creeps, I tell yeh."

Her brows furrow in thought for a solid minute as she considers possibilities. They could try shoving the door out of the way - or crashing through it. Either option would be an enjoyable activity, but both could lead to dying more quickly (not that that option should necessarily be shied away from...).

Eventually, she clears her throat and presents her opinions. "Well, we cannae disturb th' restin' place o' the dead without expectin' t' bring curses 'pon our own heads - 'specially a place guarded as this. Way I see it, we ken either scope out the rest o' the area fer other entrances or evidence o' the other three that came afore the hound did, or we ken try reasonin' with the guardians that we mean no disrespect..." She looks to each of the others for their thoughts and opinions on the matter.

"Try reasoning with the guardians? Those are antediluvian spirits! Even if they can understand our language, they'll probably try killing us no matter what. I'd say we try to find another entrance, else we prepare to face the water spirit."

"Really? Grrrr. Cone of cold? To the back of the head all the time? Grrr." Xepil chuckled at the idea of a spirit creeping up behind someone and whacking them with a rock shaped cone of cold. "Spirits don't usually care for such precision, grrr."

Xepil counted up the skulls along with the one he just found. One, two, three, four skulls and there were four of them too. That was certainly suspicious, but Xepil was no investigator and couldn't really see the relation in any way other than a coincidence.

He scowled at the way John reacted. "Oh yeah, grrr, leave it to the human to flip his lid about dealing with anything not human, grrr-- no offense Galiena."

"You know what? I think Rae is right, grrr, we should try talking to the guardians." Xepil would normally never opt for the way of diplomacy but it was clear he was doing it to deliberately annoy John.

"You seem like an expert in magic and spirits, so could you please educate me on that topic, o wise goblin ? I crave for your learned opinion." answers John, barely hidding the sarcasm. He turns to Rae. "Why should we discuss with the spirits? They sent a Hound as punishment on their own descendants, and surely will have no mercy for some random adventurers."

Xepil merely scoffs at the sarcasm but he does respond, “What am I an expert of is killing, mage boy, grrrr, and I can tell you whatever killed these guys was a club to the head execution style, grrrr.”

“Also I told you to stop calling me a goblin you freaking halfling spell chucker, grrrr.”

Seeing the conversation devolve into arguing, Galiena finally wades into the pool herself to join the others near the stone. No further bundles are found.

"Peace!" she urges, nervous that the verbal jabs John and Xepil are exchanging are going to escalate into a physical confrontation.

"It might not take long to do what Rae suggests. Why don't John and I take one side of the mound and you two check the other?" she suggested, thinking it wouldn't be bad to separate the two for a short while.

Rae sighs heavily as the other two continue their arguing. Not that she doesn't enjoy a good argument or brawl, but the tavern is a much better place for such things than a pool of water that could decide to up and fight them all at any moment. At least the cleric agrees and tries to bring some sense to the situation.

Rae also mostly ignores John's line of questioning. She can't expect another person to have the same genealogical respect as usually runs in her own clan.

"Right. Let's get to it, then," she replies to Galiena's suggestion. Though not particularly inclined to go traipsing about with the Hobgoblin in tow, she bites her tongue and nods resolutely. "An' the sooner, the better."

((Welcome Archer, played by FandomsForDays!))

Back in Hirot...

News had just reached the Jarl that the lockbox in the village square had been broken into. As of yet, no witnesses to the incident had come forth, but the man had a strong suspicion about who was responsible. And some very deep worries about what conclusions they might have drawn from what they found there.

He summoned two of his hunters: Iraco and Archer. They were actually the only two he had left, for Barrow and Haelf had both been lost to the Hound.

When they entered the hall, he pivoted toward them, not wasting any time with formalities. The seer, Sylle Ru, stood silently in the background.

"Those adventurers are naught by thieves and ruffians!" the Jarl told them, pacing and agitated. "They freed Morgan last night, bringing the hound here yet again, a reckless action that easily could have resulted in more lives lost! One of the nightwatch was badly injured when it attacked. Then, as if that were not bad enough, they tampered with the lottery box! Presumably trying to rig the lottery results for tonight! I want you to find them, arrest them, and bring them here!"

"Take Drogo and Hadden with you," he added, referencing two of Hirot's guards.

((Thanks!))

Archer stood stiffly, eyes never wavering. His Falcon, Shara, sat on his shoulder, her tether nowhere in sight, seeing as Archer had seen no need of it when they were summoned. Obviously, he had been wrong. He bowed his head to the Jarl yet stayed silent. He'd been almost deathly quiet ever since the hound had killed his mentor and father figure, Barrow.

The bloody Demon had to pay.

And the Jarl was right. If these 'Adventurers', as they claim themselves to be, brought the hound upon them once again, they were as bad as the hound itself. Chaos had to be destroyed. A foot out of place could shake worlds.

He turned and began to walk away with Iraco, Shara peeping worriedly, nipping at his ear in what seemed to be a calming gesture.

((sorry for the time I took to answer, exams got in the way. Welcome Fandom ForDays! ))
He answers the Hobgoblin : "I'll stick to magic, stick to killing. We can discuss with the spirits later, since we probably won't be able to avoid them for too long."
"Well, let's go then. You've ever dealt with spirits before? Personally it's been quite a while. " he asks the cleric.

Xepil mumbled angrily but was in no mood to argue. He followed along with Rae, though he switched his atlatl to his battle axe since he now no longer had as much frontline as he would like. If trouble happened it'd be best if he fought shoulder to shoulder with the dwarf. Or well, more like abdomen to shoulder but whatever... he was just glad he didn't have to argue with John anymore.

Once Archer and Iraco collected Drogo and Hadden, they all soon learned the group of adventurers had left Hirot about an hour before, along with two of Hirot's own in tow: Josh, a kid known to pal around with Jenks and his crew who had a reputation for petty thievery. And Lloré, Hirot’s sole bard and storyteller.

"Think they went off to track the hound?" Iraco asked Archer. "Fools are asking for trouble," he said with a shake of his head as he looked at the ground, trying to find which direction they'd gone. "See if you can spot any sign of 'em."

West Side Story:

"Mostly theory and little practice," the cleric said with a shake of her head as she and John exit the pool of water and circle toward the west side the large mound, beginning to realize what a sheltered existence she'd led these past 2 years. "Except in the healing arts. The good people of Ashdown would come to us when they'd suffered an injury, mostly from farming accidents. Though sometimes from a skirmish if the company did not have its own healers."

"I did not venture far from the temple very often. Honestly, this is the first trek of this sort I've made. The head priest... Dravis, encouraged me to do so before I can become a priestess in service to Ulesh."

The side of the serpent mound is covered in grass. A slim stream runs alongside.

"Where do you hail from?" she asked him.