The Eye of Anubis: Book Two

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"I wouldn't put it past that bastard to try and kill everyone off by wild chaos if he couldn't do it through planning," Lia replies, her tone an odd mixture of weariness and dislike for Cavendish.

[NeoTiamat]

The Erl-Stones
April 26th, 761, 5:51 PM
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There was a certain sad, soft sound of violin playing as Michel retrieved his instrument from the inn, playing a requiem for the dead as Old Marilena was lowered into the grave. It was a quiet funeral. Old Marilena had been known, but feared, for so very long, she was almost part and parcel of the village. For her to be gone... was unexpected.

The sudden outburst came as a surprise, a number of the villagers turning to look at the Expedition.

Samael watched the whole exchange with a certain amused tolerance. This was really a far longer day than it had any right to be. The raven-haired Borcan spoke briefly to Pelletier and Sandeluscu, then returned to the group.

"Gentlemen and Ladies, let's try to keep this at least marginally dignified?" The Borcan cast a dubious look at Andre and Kuzan. "Now, hmmm... Kuzan, Martel, Miss Mournswaithe, Benoit, Miss Lowbane, Eisenwald, Schultheiss, Al-Atim, and Jervis, investigate please. Prof. Theroux, act as academic oversight, won't you?"

Maleagant smiled at the group. "I'll stay and smooth over any ruffled feathers. Now scoot."

[OOC: Time, time, here's how the timing works out.

It is 5:51 PM. It will take six minutes at a hustle to reach the location in the North fields where Ulsaon encountered the Dreaded Black Squirrel (TM) and saw the plume of smoke. From there, further four minutes walking east will deliver you to the location of the smoke, with all that entails.]

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Let's go," Lia sighs, heading for her horse. "If you like, Andre, Pumpkin can ride in my saddlebag." Her next words, she whispers for the ears of the members of the Expedition, only: "Let's see what revelations Lady Marilena bought for us when she obliged Stefan to give us honest answers.""

(And the Wizard travels in style ... )

[DocBeard]

"Mm." Tomas grunts, not entierly sure that it's a great idea to trust the words of a being that ment to kill us. He's heard enough ghost stories to know that the truth isn't always completly true, after all...

...still, where else is there to go? Tomas soldiers on.

[Nathan of the FoS]

Charles nods in response to Maleagant's prodding, setting off at a jog behind Lia and Tomas. "We're expected out there at any rate," he says to Lia as she mounts. "It was rather careless of us to leave it late like this, but it was an important occasion. I say," he says, as a thought strikes him, "the source of this fire is at the same point Stefan instructed us to visit, isn't it? That's...lucky."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Yes," Lia replies sardonically. "Just the kind of luck we've been having in Barovia so far, wouldn't you say?"
As soon as she's settled into her saddle - and perhaps once Pumpkin is secured in a saddlebag - she spurs her horse into a trot. "Onward, Dapplewort," she instructs the heavy horse.

[The Whistler]

Otto jogged along slightly behind the mathematician, panting slightly in an effort to keep up.

"At times like...these, I am not...inclined to attribute any...thing to coinci--<gasp>--coincidence. Not considering...our present adv...ersary."

Didn't you always say you'd get in shape for situations *exactly like this*? ...Well, not "in case you need to run towards a possible vampire sighting," but still: principle of the thing. Get it together, Herr Schultheiss...

[NeoTiamat]

The Abandoned Mill
April 26th, 761, 6:01 PM
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Not long after you left funeral, the ten of you moving along fairly rapidly reached the location of Ulsaon's hiding away. There was, perhaps luckily, no squirrel, though Loup sniffed around the base of a nearby tree and recieved a nut thrown at him from above for his temerity.

The dog appeared to be offended.

There was, in fact. a cloud of smoke rising from the east, not far, but strong. It may have been the half-elf's imagination, but Ulsaon thought there was more smoke now then there had been before. Regardless, the group moved through the fields and forest at a quick-march, noticing the slight rise in the ground. At one point, Guy called for a halt.

Crouching, the ex-militiaman picked up a piece of colored cloth from a bush. You recognized it instantly, a piece of the false Dimitry's clan tartan.

"There's tracks. Fair number of them actually," Benoit murmurred. "Someone's been using this place as a trail. To where though..."

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You found that out about a minute later, rising out of the forest, the sounds of flames and running water mixed together. Coming out of the forest on the near-bank, the following sight emerges.

A stream bisects the forest in front of you, almost a small river, powerful with the melting snow left over from winter and the endless rain you have had before. A bit further up-stream, a small waterfall is roars, beyond it an old millpond, almost placid in comparison to the falling water.

On the opposite bank, a huge, old building rises up, squat and square and immense, old planks of red-stained wood forming its walls. A wheel, decrepit and rotted through, hangs by a broken mill-flue.

Above the water, you can hear the crackle of fire, and from a few windows inside, you see the leaping fire, bright orange and red and yellow. Smoke curls from the water-soaked wood of the inn, curling up into the sky in a heavy plume.

And then you catch a glimpse of something. In the top window of the mill, where the fire had yet to reach, you caught a glimpse of something, a few daubs of black on the window glass, forming something arcane, and as you shuddered briefly, you realized it was something evil as well.

[OOC: Alrighty.... the abandoned mill is set off a bit from forest, so it probably won't ignite the forest as it burns down. Most of the wood is too wet to burn anyways. But, Stefan promised information, and if you want it, well....

-Spot Check to see inside the top room.
-Spellcraft Check to try and learn more about the symbol scrawled on the window.
-Knowledge (Architecture & Engineering) to guess how long the fire has been burning and just how dangerous it is. Having Knowledge Nature OR Survival at more than five ranks grants a +2 synergy bonus on this check.
-Two swim checks if you want to try and get across.

Map is in the Cast Thread.]

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Well, this is nice," Lia growls. "Looks like we found Cavendish's home away from home while he was stirring up trouble in Barovia. I suppose it's too much to hope that anything useful survived ..." Despite her words, Lia focuses intently on the window.

(Spot check: 19. Spellcraft check: 28.)

"There's a table full of ... things in there," she announces in an urgent tone of voice after a moment. "The room is enchanted with the Desecrate spell, which may mean there's another spell reenforcing the place. I don't know what is on the table, but it might be important. Especially if what Stefan said is correct. I could fly once more today, but my carrying capacity is low. Does anyone wish to brave the water and the flames and go in physically, or are there other options?"

[Nathan of the FoS]

"Does anyone wish to brave the water and the flames and go in physically, or are there other options?"

"I'll go," Charles says quickly. "Let's do it now, before the fire spreads further. It shouldn't be too dangerous if I go immediately."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"I'll go," Charles says quickly. "Let's do it now, before the fire spreads further. It shouldn't be too dangerous if I go immediately."

"Call if you need help," Lia says. "I will come for you. Do you need a healing potion, or can you cast?"

[Kaitou Kage]

"I can go, too," Kuzan said suddenly from the back of the group, "I think I can swim that river. It's rough, but not as rough as storm-tossed seas."

[Nathan of the FoS]

"I'll go," Charles says quickly. "Let's do it now, before the fire spreads further. It shouldn't be too dangerous if I go immediately."

"Call if you need help," Lia says. "I will come for you. Do you need a healing potion, or can you cast?"

Charles isn't quite sure what to make of the question--cast what? But there's really no time for further deliberation. "I'll do that," he replies. "Ready?"

[yalenusveler]

Andre spoke to the fat orange cat "Miss Lia is going to let you ride in her saddlebag. So unlike the rest of us who have to walk, you get to ride in style." He smiled at the cat, before gently placing her in a saddlebag.

Once they had reached the old mill, Andre looked about, straining to try to see up into the room...and what that symbol was. "It makes sense that he would use this as a base of operations...out of the way and secluded, roomy enough to hide his forces, and now that its of no use...easily destroyed."

"Anyone going in, be careful. The Fire and the River might not be the only hazards here. I don't discount him being smart enough to leave a little suprise for us."

16 spot, 29 spellcraft

[lostboy]

Khalil watches the flowing river pensively. The burning buidling reflected in the water. "Umm I unfortunatly cannot swim." he admits with chagrin as he looks at the mill.

"However I do have this, perhaps it may help." he says pulling a coil of lightweight rope form his pack.

[OOC: Knowledge Architecture: 21 (inc the +2 bonus), also how wide is the river, less than 30ft? If so I suggest anyone going across takes one end of the rope Khalil has and ties it off somewhere on the other side and we either swim across using the line as a brace or rig up some kind of death slide type thing from up a tree to get everyone else across...(which would be awesome BTW )]