Staunton Bluffs Episode I: To the Borderstone

[Tavian]

Tavian looks around at his party concernedly.

"We need shelter for the night," he says.
"It's either we risk going in and dying from whatever it is that killed those men, or we die in the elements trying to climb this mountain. The satyr will not last long, nor will those carrying him."

From where he stands, Tavian will try to get a better look at the bodies to try and discern how they may have died.

He'll also look around for any defensable positions around the house.

[Le Noir Faineant]

Tavian looks around at his party concernedly.

"We need shelter for the night," he says.
"It's either we risk going in and dying from whatever it is that killed those men, or we die in the elements trying to climb this mountain. The satyr will not last long, nor will those carrying him."

From where he stands, Tavian will try to get a better look at the bodies to try and discern how they may have died.

He'll also look around for any defensable positions around the house.

Approaching to the dozen of dead bodies, Tavian notices the felline hair covering all the dead bodies. - Like if those were some sort of catmen...

The bodies of the lycantropes seems to have been somehow like from a powerful explosion or a magic ray.

- That's all one can tell without getting too near or without touching them.

[kintire]

Shana nervously approaches the bodies, and then stretches up, trying to see into the ruin.

"Maybe it was some sort of trap... it looks like they all went down in one go. Anyone know anything about that sort of thing?"

I murmur a few words, swaying and placing my hands briefly over my eyes, then staring attentively around

[Detect Magic]

[Le Noir Faineant]

[Detect Magic]

The power of the magic wave that crosses Shana's body is so heavy that the young woman falls on her knees and has to gasp for breath for a moment.

Everything around her, the ground she's standing on, the mountain right in front of her, the corpses of the catmen - just everything except her companions radiates of magic power. - All her companions, except the

girl

seems perfectly normal, without that magic vibration... Shana will fall on the ground, exhausted, and about to faint. [You don't faint - just play that out accordingly. ]

[Madskipper, are you there? You haven't posted in a while. - Just to know you're with us. ]

[kintire]

Shana looks at the others, eyes wild

"W..wow! this whole place is loaded with magic... I've never seen so much. I don't think we can trust anything in this place; its like its just one huge spell!"

My eyes narrow slightly and I glance at the girl.

"perhaps she could tell us more... whoever she is."

[Le Noir Faineant]

"perhaps she could tell us more... whoever she is."

Thr girl just stares at Shana, trembling from the cold. Judging from what one can perceive from her appeareance, she is what she pretends to be.

[Tavian]

Staying low to the ground, Tavian slowly makes his way towards the open door. He will stop immediately if he sees, hears, or even smells anything out of the ordinary (ordinary being a relative term).

[Le Noir Faineant]

Staying low to the ground, Tavian slowly makes his way towards the open door. He will stop immediately if he sees, hears, or even smells anything out of the ordinary (ordinary being a relative term).

Tavian reaches the open door. He feels the need to sneeze himself - as if dust or something alike was in the air. Apart from that, nothing happens.

In the dim light behind the door, Tavian can perceive a small entry hall, with a fountain in its centre. He thinks he sees other doors before him in the dark.

[Tavian]

With a slight wave of his hand, Tavian motions the others to follow. He carefully steps into the dimly lit room, heading towards the fountain, carefully measuring his steps as to avoid making too much noise or stepping onto an obvious trap.

Other than the doors and fountain, is there anything else in this first hall?

[kintire]

Shana follows a little nervously, glancing around, swaying a little from exhaustion, sighing slightly as she escapes the rain and the wind

[DamienJ]

Before Shana enters the building, Nicolas steps towards her, reaching out to take her arm.

"Shana, forgive me, but you do not look well. Perhaps you would do better to wait here?" More softly, he adds, "Tell me what you saw concerning the child. I do not wish to disturb her further..."

[kintire]

Shana leans a little on Nicolas' arm and whispers quickly.

"She radiates magic; powerful magic. This whole place does, except us. I was overwhelmed... couldn't tell what type. But illusion is a possibility. I'm not sure she's what she seems at all..."

Once inside the building, away from wind and rain, I sink down gratefully onto the floor, leaning against the wall.

[Le Noir Faineant]

Other than the doors and fountain, is there anything else in this first hall?

No, the hall of the house (which is built of solid rock, btw) is empty, except some spiderwebs and dust on the ground. The door you enter is located in the WEST.

To the EAST, another open doorway leads into another room, but you will need a light or something to see what's there.

To the south, an old and shaggy wooden door hangs in the way to another room.

The house is completely quiet.

[I should add that the house resembles more a crumbled fortress than like a farm house or a land villa.]

So Tavian, Shana, Nicholas and the girl enter the house. What do the others do?

[Tavian]

Quite uncomfortable wandering around in a strange dark building, Tavian pulls a torch from his bag along with some flint and steel. He lights the torch and holds it high above his head (about chest high for the rest of the party).

After glancing over the entry hall again, he makes his way towards the open doorway to the east.

[Le Noir Faineant]

Sadly, the endless hours in the rain have caused all your belongings to become if not wet, then damp. The torch doesn't light... Maybe, if you found some way to dry it...?