Continued Adventure

Marev makes a slow circuit of the nearby area searching for anything that might indicate danger hides in the undergrowth. Soon after Borgo finishes his examination of the two on the ground, Marev returns shaking his head at the questioning looks from the others. He's seen no sign and burning tang in the air is centered around the battleground.

Borgo sits up after finishing his brief examination of the man's wounds. The broken nose and lips were nothing. The real damage delt would be inside his skull. Only time would tell whether he'd have any lingering wound. He'd heard of men being left addled after heavy blows to the skull, but this guys face seems to have absorbed much of the impact. The worrying injury was found at the back of his neck, similarly to the woman. Borgo had patched her cut and stuffed her puncture with a poltice, but the neck wound had initially set him back on his heels. On their necks, Borgo found large raw patches with several holes where the skin and muscle had been chewed through. Around these were several small holes or cuts. Maybe the things were feeding off them; draining their blood and using the wounds as a way of controling them? After rinsing the wounds with water, the rank fluid gave way to bright red blood, and Borgo felt confident in bandaging them as well.

Though he was not sure these people would be the same as they were before. Borgo felt confident the things left nothing behind and they would likely not be any real danger when they woke.

After Borgo and Marev’s tender ministrations, the two begin to rouse, but whether it’s the healthful benefits of the salve or its smell that finally brings them to lucidity is up for debate.

The woman wakes faster than the man and is immediately fearful of you strangers after coming to in a strange place, but when she lays eyes upon the man, she instantly launches into hysterics which sends the man lurching to his feet in a semiconscious search for danger.

It takes a good 10 minutes to calm and settle the both of them without coming to blows again, but you eventually get out of the woman, Tula, that it was the man who attacked her in her homestead, striking her down and dragging her into the woods. Handy, initially disputes this vehemently, but goes silent for a moment as if remembering something. Gandry takes two stumbling steps as if to off but collapses to his knees lamenting that he remembers but that it wasn’t him and that the last thing he remembers from before was milking his cow.

You spend more time explaining to them what you think happened. At the mention of the things on their necks making them do things, both grow silent and uneasy. Borgo assures them the they are gone and nothing remains. This eases their anxiety somewhat and Gandry begins repeating, "See? It weren’t me", as if still pleasing his innocence.

Information you glean from these shocky and confused people:

Both seem to have been taken from their farms. Tula by Gandry.

They have both been party to at least one other abduction and taken their victim(s) to some dark place with stairs. They point in the direction of the Dwarves tomb you were headed to when queried, but aren’t able to provide and information about the place or what fate befell those they brought, though you can guess. They don’t ask and you spare them the details.

They do indicate that there were …others. Tula, thinks she recognised two: Mordel from the next farm over and Bowlrel her oldest son. Maybe. Gandry mentions things in the dark, and gags when you ask him to describe them. He refuses to speak of it, but waves his arms vaguely. He doesn’t mention it again.

They have both been "away" for several days. Gandry for almost a full week; though a large man, he does look half starved.

They aren’t sure about Thak, and refuse to look at the corpse.

They are both immediately concerned for their families once their heads clear enough to make room for thoughts of others. They are both fearful to try for their homes now and agree to head back to town. Both are fearful of going alone, but will NOT, go towards the temple. You notice they both avoid even looking in that direction.

They will pass along any message you want to give to those in town. And thank you profusely once they begin to be able to think about what has happened to them.


What do you do now?

After seeing the pair off and waiting a bit to ensure they kept going, the party reached the hill and its entrance with little effort and no more inconvenience.

Elspaeth, Borgo and Berith immediately see that the doors have been forced open more widely and the ground in front disturbed since third passing.

There seems to have been some traffic and evidence of some animals present. Some very large.

Marev makes out some wolf prints near but not entering the opening, as if a few investigated but did not like what they smelled. They bear seemed to have been bolder but likewise left tracks moving away after having at least coming into the entrance.

The human prints are mostly ruined. He can see evidence of older passage, but can make nothing significant of the newer prints other than that more than one person has been in and out. One print could have been Gandry’s or maybe Thak’s.

The open stairway itself lay before you. Stale air with a slight tag wafts gently from the entrance. Dappled light from the afternoon sun partially illuminates the stairs down to about 10’. Borgo describes the wide room with the patterned floor to the new folks.

What is adventure still awaits below?

After seeing the pair off and waiting a bit to ensure they kept going, the party reached the hill and its entrance with little effort and no more inconvenience.

Elspaeth, Borgo and Berith immediately see that the doors have been forced open more widely and the ground in front disturbed since third passing.

There seems to have been some traffic and evidence of some animals present. Some very large.

Marev makes out some wolf prints near but not entering the opening, as if a few investigated but did not like what they smelled. They bear seemed to have been bolder and to have been what widened the entrance but likewise left tracks moving away after having at least coming into the entrance.

The human prints are mostly ruined. He can see evidence of older passage, but can make nothing significant of the newer prints other than that more than one person has been in and out. One print could have been Gandry’s or maybe Thak’s.

The open stairway itself lay before you. Stale air with a slight tag wafts gently from the entrance. Dappled light from the afternoon sun partially illuminates the stairs down to about 10’. Borgo describes the wide room with the patterned floor to the new folks.

What is adventure still awaits below?

How Borgo and the rest describe what they found below the stairs.