DreamLyrics™ Play-by-Post Forums Fantasy SKT: The Storm King's Thunder 3T - Who ya gonna call? Troll hunters!

DM

As the sun climbs higher in the sky, the party heads out the eastern gate, hoping the several hours since last night's events hasn't made it much more difficult to track the source of the attack. As the group heads northward into the Evermoors, following obvious clues of the passage of these four giant creatures, the surroundings transform from the familiar comforts of a village devoted to commerce, to the wild and untamed wilderness of the marshlands. The air is heavy with the scent of damp earth and decaying vegetation, and the sounds of unseen creatures echo through the mist-shrouded landscape.

It takes a bit over an hour, but the attackers appeared to have made no effort to hide their tracks, and while occasionally the trail wasn't obvious at first, it took very little searching to find its continuation.

Eventually, the adventurers come upon a troll encampment. Well, a former one. Crude huts made of sticks and mud dot the clearing, surrounded by piles of bones and discarded refuse. The ground is churned and torn, as if a great struggle had taken place here not long ago.

Clues and foot (or other appendage) prints abound, and it may take a bit of time to piece together just what happened here.

Jaliera

"So what happened here?"

She looks around, a little surprised by what they had found. However she is observant and can often piece things together so she looks around and tries to use her investigate skill to good effect.

(OOC - Place this, timewise, prior to arriving at the Troll campsite.)

Zhu

Once they are away from prying ears and on the road she relates what Rory told her. "Seemingly there is a secret exit from the inn that goes under the walls and into the woods. Our Dwarf and Doppelganger friends used it, with the innkeepers full knowledge I might add. Rory will show it to me when we return."

Kriv

"The question is, when? Clearly a struggle. Did it drive those four to our door, or take advantage of their absence, or something else? See whose tracks are on top."

The Dragonborn lent his observational talents to the search.

Zindra

"Friends?" she scoffs at the sarcastic term.

The scout first pays particular attention to the tracks. She tries to identify them and is concerned that aside from the trolls, maybe there were other dangerous combatants here. Were there any giant prints? Talons? Claws? Hooves? As she scouts she tries to find the ones leading away, the fresher ones. Were there any bodies around? Blood on the ground?

Sindar

The bard stays out of the way, allowing those with woodland skills to do their work. Instead at the edge of the group he keeps his senses aware and just looks around. He would prefer they aren't surprised. Though he doesn't expect Trolls during the day, there are plenty of things in the Evermoors that can be dangerous.

Pavel

"Secret Passage? So that old woman really is a mercenary." Pavel says taking the news in stride. "Has your little friend been down there?"

As they get to the camp, Pavel also keeps away from the areas with tracks. This is not his element. He'll let the experts do their work. Instead he scans the perimeter of the camp looking for any threats.

Davroar

He will help and start searching the perimeter of the troll camp first and then carefully and quietly moving forward, staying away from the huts to avoid being surprised. He will be looking for clues to what attacked the trolls.


Davroar Search troll area (Perception)
Dugan rolled 1d20+4 and got 15

Pavel Perception (+3)
Miales rolled 1d20+3 and got 9

Pavel

Pavel (I am guessing) sees the trees, the clearing, and the obvious signs but nothing really else.

Zhu

She continues to guard and keep watch against surprise while the others search. Answering Pavel she replies, "Not certain. He only said he could show it to me. But he knows where it's other end is, so I assumed he had been. As for the innkeeper", she shrugs, "mercenary is possible. Likely a way to import/export goods as well as people without notice of the authorities." She pauses. "I suppose we will have to assume she may have passed on our inquiries to those we track too."

Aubric

"Or passed them on to the highest bidder, if someone else," the wood elf observes.

Speaking of observing, he's also passively looking around, trusting the hunters in the group to know more what to look for in tracking.

DM

Searching the perimeter, Davroar is the first to find something. The obvious sign of something being dragged away to the northwest in a giant sack.

Or a Giant Sack, as Zindra is quick to identify that there are also Giant footprints next to the trail. The drag marks are not smooth, indicating whatever was in the sack was alive and kicking as it was dragged away. There is evidence of dark green blood splatter near where the drag marks start, indicating the likely victim in the sack was a troll.

Jaliera is able to piece together approximate numbers, suggesting nine trolls were at the camp. While scavengers have fetched most remaining food bits, there are enough clues to indicate whatever happened was likely within the last day. Four troll tracks lead southerly, the way the party arrived. Three more tracks lead off in an easterly direction. And one pair of troll footprints appears to try to follow the sack drag marks to the northwest.

Pavel sees the trees, the clearing, and the obvious signs but nothing really else. Zhu and Aubric also see nothing that anyone else hasn't noted.

Jaliera

She shares her insights with the rest.

"So we know where one group ended up. Two other trails to follow, one to the east, or the sack plus follower to the north west. I can send Whisper to scout in one or both locations. Do we yet have enough to satisfy our patron?"

Zhu

Listening to Jaliera she offers, "I suggest sending Whisper to track the three trolls to the East and we follow the one in the sack. That seems more intriguing."

Zindra
"I really don't think we've learned much of anything. There were giants here. Trolls are one thing but giants? Giants in Triboar. Giants on the way to Yartar. Giants on the way to Everlund. Something's going on and forgetting about what our patron asked us to do, giants can destroy cities. Triboar was almost leveled and those fire giants left when they dug up that piece of metal. We need to track the giants."
OOC: Which way did the giant tracks lead?
And Zeim, remember this:[quote]While your familiar is within 100 feet of you, you can communicate with it telepathically. Additionally, as an action, you can see through your familiar’s eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any special senses that the familiar has. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own senses.

Davroar

He agree's with Zindra as he looks to the north west and gestures in the same direction. "Yes. We should follow the giant. It dragged troll away for some reason. Perhaps the troll leader?"

He looks back at the troll huts and asks, "Should we search the huts first and then burn them down?"

Leaving the huts as is might attract more trolls or other creatures deciding to take residence here once they leave.

Jaliera

"I'll get Whisper to do a high scout until we are ready to move out."

She sends her owl aloft, using height to be able to see further.

(OOC - Nep - Yes, but that doesn't mean that you can't tell a familiar "Head that way (east) and look for trolls. If you find any, come back and tell me what you've seen." Sure, while Whisper is off Jaliera will be out of touch with her, but it doesn't mean she can't go and scout and return.)

Zindra
Davroar had a point and without saying a word she started searching the huts. She expected the others to join her in that effort.

DM

The interior of the huts are disorganized, with a plethora of small tracks indicating that local scavenging creatures have already laid first claim to any food that may have been left.

What remains and is recognizable is primarily makeshift tools or weapons. One stone fragment appears to have been useful as a knife; there are some wood and metal fragments from apparently humanoid origin such as wagon wheel spokes or barrel straps that look useful as weapons, as well as some scavenged fabric that looks like it may have been human clothing, making part of a bed along with some straw and feathers.

One hut contains what appears to be some sort of jewelry, perhaps a bracelet made from interwoven strands of thick vine and sinew, bound together with crude knots and fastened with a jagged shard of bone. Hanging from the bracelet are several mismatched charms—a gnarled tooth, a polished stone with rough edges, and a small vial containing a murky liquid.

Pavel

While trying to glean information from the turned up dirt , rocks and leafs were not something he could do, searching the huts were more within his skill set. He joins Zindra in searching the huts. He wasn't shocked to find that most of the huts were of the primitive nature. The broken items were to be expected . However when they uncovered the charms he put a hand on Zindra's shoulder in warning.

"Let me check these out before we touch them. Who knows what they are or if they are cursed." he said as he cast Detect Magic on himself.


Once the spell is cast he looks closely at the objects that they had uncovered.