Arc 1 - Beast of a Thousand Knives (Completed)

[I Drink Blue Moon]

Gloom slunk along beside the others, dropping back a few feet to seperate himself before going into stealth mode.
7+12 stealth 19  

[Kowsauni]

Tapana Woods

image made by: Wildweasel339
original image {x}

Knowing what to look for by this point Revenge also spots the trail of the creature and the apparent dragging of a large animal through the underbrush. As Revenge trudges forwarded his presence is clearly noticed by the minute denizens of the forest as well as that of Adrik's and Thava's.

Gloom manages to go largely unnoticed as he slips back behind the rest of the party.

Do you follow the trail deeper into this foreboding place?  

[PupSage]

No fear, creeping forward 10 feet per round so the I can keep my stealth roll.  

[Rain Yupa]

Well, there's no reason not to move forward, right? If no one starts objecting to that, Revenge continues to press on.  

[Kowsauni]

Tapana Woods

image made by: Wildweasel339
original image {x}

As the party trudges through the underbrush it's not entirely clear where they are heading. Only the occasional familiar yet ominous puncture mark on a tree gives any clue that they are heading in the right direction. As the undergrowth grows denser, it becomes even more obvious that some large object has been dragged through it. Then, after about a mile or so of travel into the rugged forest, they come across a grisly scene.

In a small clearing between the trees lies the fresh remains of a large bovine. The impressive horns attached to the dismembered scull would lead them to the conclusion that this is Duke... or at least what is left of him. The bull had been torn to pieces and eaten until nothing but his blood soaked bones and viscera remained. In the area surrounding the bones, the underbrush is matted down as if some enormous creature had lain on it. Other than that, there are no other signs as to what might have eaten Duke. However, one disturbing fact is clear. Whatever ate the bull had the power to cleave bones and tear though flesh with the greatest of ease.  

[Rain Yupa]

"The office is now open and accepting suggestions," Revenge would say flatly, using the business end of his halberd to adjust the skull slightly.

"The only observation I can make, is that whatever did this, must be comfortable enough in this environment to spend the amount of time to do... this. It wasn't simply passing through."  

[PupSage]

Kuori shrugged, it was the creature's territory and it had a fairly large window of time. No surprises here.
23 Perception
21 Stealth  

[Kowsauni]

PupSage

Kuori shrugged, it was the creature's territory and it had a fairly large window of time. No surprises here.
23 Perception
21 Stealth

((What are you trying to perceive with your perception check? Are you looking at the bones in more detail or checking the surrounding area? I just need a little more detail on specifically what you are trying to do so I know how to respond.))  

[PupSage]

Kowsauni

PupSage

Kuori shrugged, it was the creature's territory and it had a fairly large window of time. No surprises here.
23 Perception
21 Stealth

((What are you trying to perceive with your perception check? Are you looking at the bones in more detail or checking the surrounding area? I just need a little more detail on specifically what you are trying to do so I know how to respond.))

(Just continuing on the trail. Looking for tracks and ignoring the bones.)  

[Kowsauni]

Tapana Woods

image made by: Wildweasel339
original image {x}

Kuori does not find any further tracks from the creature as she examines the surrounding area. However she does catch the gaze of a small woodland creature hiding underneath a bush, while watching the site of the bull corpse.

Adrik looks grimly at the bloody scene. "This is no good. Whatever could do this to a full sized bull in one evening is definitely a threat to the townsfolk. I must briefly go back and have the Hopkin's send a message to the town guards."  

[Ryssa Blackblood]

The fox watches the large, hulking masses traipse into the clearing, their attention mostly focused on the corpse in the middle of it. It continued to peer at them, trying to get a better look at what these people are (Perception 10), freezing for a moment when it locked eyes with the largest one in the group. The fox then scurried off, ducking under some thicker brush to resume her watching while staying out of sight. (Stealth 26)  

[PupSage]

Kuouri knocks an arrow and scans the brush (19 perception), but the creature was gone. "So what, it eats fast. Don't give it a chance to eat you. It doesnt seem to like the hassle of intelligent prey anyways."  

[Rain Yupa]

Revenge's armor clinked a bit when he adjusted in place.

"What is it? Do you think it's the creature?" he would ask lowly to Kuori, opting to make no sudden moves.  

[PupSage]

Nat 20 perception 31 total

Kuori cocked her head to the side, "Naw, too small. Still not taking any chances." She fired an arrow off as she caught sight of the fox. "Just a fox looking for scraps. Not anywhere close to the drider that we are looking for."  

[Rain Yupa]

Quote:

18 Dexterity Check to nudge the bow before it fires so it misses. If the DM thinks Initiative would be better suited, it's the same result.

"Hey!" Revenge would suddenly say loudly. "What makes you think killing woodland creatures in a place like this is a smart idea?? Are you trying to get us killed?"