2. A Peaceful Village in the Hills (action)

[tibbius]

Could Elzarune cast something similar to a flare at the apex of the room?

When you ask a question like that, could you also please just roll at the same time?

Elzarune's "flare" spell [_2d6] = (1+2)=3

Elzarune gestures magnificently and intones a few sibilant syllables ... a blinding flash of light pops into and out of existence at the peak of the cavern, leaving throbbing blue shadows behind.

The now-familiar low and sinister cackling tickles your eardrums. It seems to be traveling the circuit of the chamber, accompanying the creaking rockers of the chair.

Doom bells [_4d6] = (2+3+3+4)=12 Elzarune, Grax, Sealgair, Wraith

That annoying deep-noted distant bell peals again, but this time none of you really care. Its vibrations don't touch you.

[Squid]

Wraith

Wraith reaches into his pack to retrieve a torch. "Grax if we both have a torch, maybe we can drive this nuisance into a location where we can finally see and attack it." Holding the torch toward Elzarune, "Can you do me a favor and set this alight?"

[Rex]

Sealgair

Sealgair will sniff around and see if she smells anything of use.

Smell [1d6] = 5 [1d6] = 6 [1d6] = 2

[tibbius]

Sniffing clears Sealgair's head from the distractions of the creaking fiend.

A family of bears lived here recently - mother, three cubs. Father visited occasionally. They left spoor in the corner by the left wall, they came in and out through the low crawl at the right wall. They had their midden at the far wall, there are many bones there.

The rocking chair creaks around in the shadows, avoiding Sealgair's nose.

[GreyWolfVT]

Grax having no real heightened sense of much looks around.

Regular [1d6] = 1 [1d6] = 3

[Rex]

Sealgair

"Not that bit helps us, but this was a bears den."

[tibbius]

Wraith and Elzarune get the second torch to light. By moving apart from Grax, the trapmaster dispels some more of the shadows. The creaking of the rocking chair is silenced. It must be in the remaining shadows, either at the left end of the cave, or at the far wall - if it still is in the cave at all.

[ybn1197]

With Wraith and Grax each holding a torch and moving apart, Elzarune decides to light his torch as well and move into a triangular position to light as much of the den as possible.

[Rex]

Sealgair

Sealgair moves to the center of the triangle of light.

"We should move as a group so no one is in the shadows."

[Squid]

Wraith

"Good idea Sealgair." Wrath moves out from the group but not too far that his torch doesn't cast light on the group. As he moves out from the center, he scans the room for any sight of the chair or creature.

perception: [_3d6] = (2+4+5)=11

[tibbius]

hurled through the black [_2d6] = (3+4)=7
hurled through the black [_2d6] = (5+4)=9

As Wraith approaches the edge of the room, his torchlight casts back the shadows to reveal a hunched figure in a pale wooden antique rocking chair. The figure raises its head and stares at him with empty sockets. Its face remains rigid but a shriek of anger echoes through the cave.

The chair rocks wildly and skitters along the wall, as if seeking an exit that it can't find.

I was gonna have the fiend flee through shadows but ... that doesn't make sense given how well you've planned to get rid of the shadows.

What do you do?

[Rex]

Sealgair

Sealgair charges.

Claws [1d6] = 4 [1d6] = 5 [1d6] = 1

Claws [1d6] = 3 [1d6] = 4 [1d6] = 5

[tibbius]

With the full weight of her body behind them, Sealgair's heavy paws crash into the thing in the rocking chair. The chair splinters. Her blows toss the thing limply aside. A certain sense of barely felt dread dissipates.

[ybn1197]

Elzarune casts a spark of flame at the creature's corpse to ensure it does not rise again.

Elzarune: Spark [_3d6] = (1+6+2)=9

[Rex]

Sealgair

Sealgair searches around for anything it may have left behind. "Nasty thing, whatever it was."

[tibbius]

Flames ripple swiftly across the heap of tattered cloth and jutting bones. In the steady light of your torches, a filament of smoke writhes up toward the ceiling of the cavern.

This part of the adventure is ended. Roll to see what you find in the cavern.

[Squid]

Wraith

Wraith looks around the room to see if he can find anything of interest.

Perception: [_3d6] = (5+6+1)=12

[ybn1197]

Elzarune looks around the room to see if he can find anything of interest.

Perceptive: [_3d6] = (5+6+2)=13

[Rex]

Sealgair

Perception [_3d6] = (2+3+3)=8

[tibbius]

The cavern is empty of loot. But as you search, Elzarune and Wraith recall the stair from the main room went up as well as down ... perhaps there are heirlooms in the attic?

You hasten up the basement stairs, past the deserted main level, through a curtain of cobwebs into a high-ceiling attic ringed by arrow slits. The floor boards creak under your weight but hold firm.

Rummaging boxes and chests, you find:

A suit of heavy armor that is embellished with a finely engraved image of a crow flying through a dark passage. As Wraith kneels to trace the lines, the lines swirl and change to a tall slender man plunging a rapier into the body of an immense hairy spider.

A blade of metal dark as obsidian, glistening and unnaturally sharp. Its edge draws a drop of blood painlessly from Wraith's thumb; the blood seems to be absorbed into the blade.

A handaxe forged from a single piece of steel, its sturdy handle fitted with thick bone grips held on by discolored rivets. The bone grips are brown like they came from roasted meat.

A warhammer with a thick oak handle, its bronze head in the shape of a snarling bear crouched on all paws ready to charge.