Barrow Mounds: Relic Raiders.

[Spearmint]

May 14th 1066.

The Barrowmoor, southwest of Helix, Duchy of Ironguard.

Conditions: Windy but clear skies.
Visibility: down to 60'ft in all directions once on the Moor.
Lantern (Sundance).

3.47pm.

Mayhem continues in the Potter's Barrow'.

Chewwy snarls ferociously, pulling Fapp off his feet and pounces, fangs barred at the horse. It misses as the horse bucks, crashing instead into the last remaining jars hanging in that side wall, sending shards of broken pottery cascading across the floor.

The party clear the entrance of the invading giant ants, leaving just a couple scuttling in the entrance but these are soon trampled by the horse as panicked and untethered it flees the smokey chamber and fearful warg, chancing passing burns as a better choice than getting eaten.

It barges open any remaining stone seal and bolts across the mound meadow neighing in fear and disappearing into the mist.

Warg vs horse [1d20]=5 [2d4]=6

Eventually calm returns, the whiff of smoke, burning oil and crispy charred ants. The warg crunches on a few to pacify its feral rage.

What now?

actions please

[LordKane77]

Savant

Savant surveys the strange stillness where only moments ago, chaos reigned. Time to see what can be salvaged from said chaos, but no need to be stupid about it....

"Tamson, front door, keep watch. If the horse comes back, grab it. If you see anything, come back."

He scans the rest of the room......

"Is anyone hurt? Attend to wounds. Salvage what we can. Sundance, detect magic? Items we found earlier, anything else in here."

Are there any urns left? We take the items we found earlier. I pick up my torches. I salvage any arrows I can. Sundance doesn't seem to have any other spells, so maybe she has detect magic. If she doesn't have that, and didn't cast any spells, he may confront her. He takes 4-5 ant heads if there are any in decent shape. If there aren't, he takes the best one. If there are urns left, we just grab what we can carry, but I do want a count. If there even are any. Savant has his door measurements, so at least there's that. We bring the sarcophagus cover to the front entrance and use it as kind of a backer for the other stone debris so we can seal this up a little better. Savant looks for the gargoyle and if it's not too far, he checks on the scorpion corpse. If the claws or stinger is available, he takes it. If the stinger is available, he uses the utmost care, wrapping it an tying it up in several layers of bags. The secret door will be closed. Some debris put on the ground in front of it so it will be obvious if it was opened. Some debris gathered in the interior entrance so anyone going into the barrow would have to step through it. Some debris on the front door on the stones to make it obvious if that is touched as well. Let me know the urn situation, what's left with anything we had, and the answers to ant heads, gargoyle skulls, and scorpion tails.

Savant thinks about how things went. The plan was sound. Nothing ever goes to plan, but this particular plan took an expensive divergence. Still, while their fortune may have trotted away, no one seems injured and that's almost unbelievable at this point. Fapp's warg may have have engaged in some expensive behavior, but Chewie's speed was probably the only thing that allowed them to be warned about the ants instead of being caught in the open. The Potter's Barrow is still in good shape (mostly) and he got the measurements he needs to really make it something special. (though money may now be an issue) So far Sundance was a dud, and Savant's biggest lament is not getting the horse familiar mercenary he had asked for. He would not rely on others for that next time. Tamson proved himself once again, and Fapp and Chewie had proven to be competent, reliable allies. Dalin and Eldon follow direction, and it's difficult to overstate the importance of that when the fighting starts and when there are only moments to react. The horse situation wasn't great, but that was hardly Fapp or even Chewie's fault. Really it could've been a lot worse, and no one being hurt was a testament to truly how well things had gone. There are always opportunities for treasure as long as you're still upright. There were lessons to salvage here. Perhaps he could profit from this yet............buuuuut

"Vann Hector is NOT going to be pleased."

[LordKane77]

After reviewing the tape I see that Sundance did already cast detect magic. I take back some of the mean things I said.

[Spearmint]

Savant looks for the gargoyle

The gargoyle skull so loving caressed by Reuben was sacked up and booted into the Moor wilderness. It has since been lost, but you can gather scorpion bits if you so wish.

[GreyWolfVT]

Dalin will search for anything more worth pilfering and then go check the entrance and act as an additional guard.

[LordKane77]

For the scorpion I'm going head claws and half tail, if possible.

[tarlyn]

Fapp

After all is said and done, Fapp is neither pleased nor upset, This was his first attempt with Chewy at doing something together.

"So, so, sorry about the whole thing,, I am still learning how to interact and make sure Chewy behaves,,, I know I have a lot of

work ahead of me but am willing to put it in! For a small fellow I can be very persistent."

[LordKane77]

Savant

"We live to fight another day. Chewie as your mount bought us time to get into a defensive postion. We may have not survived otherwise. However, there was one error. Next time we bring a pony that can fit into the secret door entrance."

It's possible this is humor. Savant isn't even sure.

[Spearmint]

May 14th 1066.

The Barrowmoor, southwest of Helix, Duchy of Ironguard.

Conditions: Windy but clear skies.
Visibility: down to 60'ft in all directions once on the Moor.
Lantern (Sundance).

4.01pm.

The group take a turn to rein in the warg. Eldon pats Sarge, encouraging him to ignore the larger lupine and focus on the fleeing horse."Perhaps I could track it. Calm it down and lead it back?" he suggests.

Outside the panniers of amphora are still secured, thankfully not tipped over or trampled. The few giant ants which scuttle about are easily dispatched. The swarm passed on to forage elsewhere.

Tamson checks the area is free of other dangers. Sundance, "We could maybe drag the cargo crates back to Helix. Use some of the huge mammoth rib bones to craft a sled if the horse cannot be found." she suggests, a workable solution if you can build it.

So next actions please. Do you want to explore the mounds further, use the Potter's Barrow' as a night base (minus stone seal), find the horse and return.

[LordKane77]

Savant

"The horse is gone. We can still get what we came for. We each carry one. Sell them together, even if we lose some, divide the spoils.
It won't be as much. Still worth it. Dining in the tavern lamenting only that we did not make more gold, will be a success.

If everyone is okay with this, I'd like a count of urns left that we can't carry and to store them in the secret room.

I've been here twice now, and there have ALWAYS been problems. Poking around looking for a horse seems like a scenario where we probably never find the horse, but definitely find more trouble. Then we'd HAVE to stay over night, which would be even MORE trouble. My linear thinking autistic Elven brain can't handle that much chaos on top of even MORE chaos! That's why I took the measurement for the doors. If I ever stay here overnight again, I want it to be on my terms, and frankly, with more oil! That's just my take. The plan was always for one day without an overnight. Really I guess given the options, I'd rather come back with Vann's other horse and probably Vann to try to get the rest and just taking what we can carry for now. Honestly that was profitable enough last time, which is why we came back in the first place. Really this haul was always going to be too big, and Spearmint was going to have to get rid of our horse, and I was curious to find out how that was going to happen! lol! Kidding! Probably.

BTW, I don't remember seeing an answer on the ant heads, but now that we dispatched uncharred ones, I want a couple.

[Spearmint]

you can take the ant parts no problem.

With a little adjustment, you could try to put the panniers of jars upon the warg and see if he can carry them home. Then each person also carry an individual one. You can store a dozen more in the secret room, the rest look very common and of indeterminable value.

actions, agree on your next move between Savant, Dalin & Fapp and I will update when two responses agree.

I guess from the prior post, Savant votes for returning to Helix straight away

[LordKane77]

Savant

If Chewie is feeling gracious, I'm all for him trying to carry some. We could get a score out of this yet!

Usually there's a pause in the action, but if we do head back, I use one of the ant heads as tribute on the mammoth bones.

As an extra aside, if it's possible, Savant wants to pay attention to how we get here. Making it back would be using this trail four times. Hopefully he's starting to become familiar. He doesn't want to replace Tamson, but losing Tamson by sheer bad luck would be a problem.

[tarlyn]

Savant

If Chewie is feeling gracious, I'm all for him trying to carry some. We could get a score out of this yet!

Usually there's a pause in the action, but if we do head back, I use one of the ant heads as tribute on the mammoth bones.

As an extra aside, if it's possible, Savant wants to pay attention to how we get here. Making it back would be using this trail four times. Hopefully he's starting to become familiar. He doesn't want to replace Tamson, but losing Tamson by sheer bad luck would be a problem.

I presume Chewie feeling gracious depends on a die roll? I can always try, heh!

[LordKane77]

I've always had a good feeling about Chewie. This is gonna work and Savant is gonna buy him a nice slab of pork leg!

[GreyWolfVT]

I honestly have no idea what to do so Dalin will merely do whatever is asked of him.

[Spearmint]

May 14th 1066.

The Barrowmoor, southwest of Helix, Duchy of Ironguard.

Conditions: Windy, light rain.
Visibility: down to 60'ft in all directions once on the Moor.
Lantern (Sundance), Firebrand torch (Eldon)

4.20pm.

It takes a while, to coax, cuddle and cajole the pony sized warg into taking the yoked pannier chests across his back. But with a little endeavour and sweet treats, Fapp brings his feral animal companion under control. He pulls on his collar to lead the beast away, following the lantern light of Sundance.

In front, Tamson guides the group back through the barrow mounds and out of into the Moor, pausing only to add small tokens of ant heads and decorative pottery shards to the mammoth bones.

Each character carries one large or two small amphora in their hands. Another dozen nestled between straw matting in the chests. Eldon brings up the rear with his mastiff Sarge.

Dalin and Savant, experience the homeward trek a second time. Once more their haul of trove counts just a handful of common but ancient items. Each trusts Silvine the art dealer might buy a job lot or help with any exporting for auction elsewhere. You are doing what the majority of expedition crew attempt. Day enterprises of burrowing into mounds, grabbing what you can and leaving before nightfall. Living to return another day is often a great escape.

Trekking home from Barrow Mounds [1d6]=1 [1d6]=3 [1d6]=4 [1d6]=4

Tam longbow [1d20+3]=1+3=4 [1d6]=2 [1d20+3]=1+3=4 [1d6]=4

One hulking and lurching cadaver does return this day, an unliving humanoid, gaunt and bony. The ranger looses a volley of arrows which both miss but the creature is suddenly enveloped by a head and shoulders eruption of flame. Sundance triggering her particular vocation. The grotesque burns, wracked in pain. It flees away.

The trek, slow going and wary of bugbear ambush.
In the four hour trek, thankfully the single undead was the only molestation to your progress. By early evening you set in the road to Helix, passing through the outskirt farmsteads before finally entering the village.

actions please everyone. Could you all roll a [1d100] vs 15% for each case you carry. 15 or less and the jar breaks in transit.

Amphora breakages vs 15% Eldon, Sundance, chest 1, chest 2 [1d100]=79 [1d100]=59 [1d100]=17 [1d100]=76 all jars recovered intact.


I will do a summary of expedition rewards and you can consider how to split any trove and plan any future return.

[Spearmint]

Experience Awards:

Encounter with bugbears: +32xp per person, for paying the bribe to pass safely. +16xp to NPC & hirelings.

Encounter with giants ants: 59 killed x 10xp each = 590xp

Encounter with undead troll on trek home. Set on fire by Sundance and fled, 100xp.

690xp total divided by four full character shares and two half shares = 138xp per character, 69xp hirelings.

+50xp player expedition reward.


Dalin: 220 +10% prime requisite bonus = 242xp
Eldon: 242xp
Fapp Bublu. 242xp
Savant. 242xp

Tamson. 69xp
Sundance. 69xp

Remember my Christmas and New Year +100xp bonus award. Please acknowledge and add upon your character sheets.

[GreyWolfVT]

updated XP on sheet

Percentile Roll [1d100]=29

[LordKane77]

Sweet Elven reflexes!

[1d100]=94

[LordKane77]

Is it possible for us to go straight to Silvies with the urns?