Post by AxeMental on Feb 2, 2008 8:05:10 GMT -5
It takes several hours before the group is well enough to travel outside (waiting for the effects of the last encounter to ware off, In this time Sog heals Calhagan once for 5 and Fletcher for 3, he's now out of heals)lost strength restores. Each member looks forward to rest and a good hot meal (at times like this you really miss that little halfling-thief and master cook, Ruinbottle). Hopefully all is well at your base camp. (I'll assume you leave the casket treasure in its bags for now, if you want to mess with it before you leave let me know).
The sun is low and scarlet behind clouds in the west by the time you head outside into a fridged late afternoon, Tiberious, Subdolus taking point, Fletcher just behind. The glacier is crossed without incident and you head toward the keep, however when you reach the burnt down drawbridge leading to the keeps entrance and its courtyard beyond you find a rope bridge set up. Also, tied to a post on your side of the rope bridge are 3 large oxen-like beasts (almost like guard dogs). Beyond you see light coming out of the keep entrance and hear deep laughter.
Tiberious puts on his ring and goes invisible to investigate, Subdolus close behind, silent in his boots. When they return to the group they inform you 30 or so bugbear roam about in the main hall, 2 well hidden guards hide in a snow bank near the entrance. The bugbear have gotten into your food and eaten most of what was left as well as your last surviving horses. 10 bugbear at a time dig up the earthen floor, searching for your burried treasure . Your driver is still alive, just barely strung up from ropes...perhaps he was tortured into telling. Subdolus knows there are 5 more burried and hidden cashes of treasure yet to be found.
Infact, one pile of the dragons treasure you stole has already been found and sits in bags next to their leader, as does the the clear crystal which holds the princess, beautiful and unchanged as last time you saw her.
The scouts inform you there may be more bugbear upstairs or out of site (perhaps exploring the rest of the dungeon you've already cleared), its hard to say.
Several mostly cooked human and orc slaves lie on spits over a smokey fire being cooked for dinner.
All told 16 human prisoners remain alive (mostly women and children) 2 dwarves, 10 orc and one ugly half orc in robes (who seems to be treated better then the others and called by name)...all kept tied together near the back wall and heavily guarded.
The snow has covered the tracks, but Fletcher is fairly certain this must be the group of humanoids he was hunting when he ran into your group...the human prisoners likely are some of the survivors from the destroyed settlement he found.
It is an hour before darkness (a breathtaking sunset fills the sky), What do you wish to do? Fletcher thinks the bugbear have been here for at most a few days (as he was close behind when the blizzard hit). Subdolus notes that a few dead Bugbear bodies layed out and a few set traps suggests at least some of his traps worked.
One huge leader type was identified by the scouts, a very fat and ugly bugbear, twice the size of the others, older with grey fur and hair, a scar across his left face running threw a blind milky useless eye, and a chunk missing in the center of his nose. The leader seems to be hanging out in your wagon drinking Ruinbottles hidden supply of Elfish Buck-Brandy while chewing on dinner (cooked child on a stick) at the same time holding your balista like a crossbow, occasionally shooting at a your driver roped up...this causes roaring laughter from his scrawny sidekick (so far the leader he's missed every shot). He also occasionally picks up and examines some of the nicer pieces of treasure or stares at and pets the princess crystal as if he were petting her.
What does the group wish to do?
The sun is low and scarlet behind clouds in the west by the time you head outside into a fridged late afternoon, Tiberious, Subdolus taking point, Fletcher just behind. The glacier is crossed without incident and you head toward the keep, however when you reach the burnt down drawbridge leading to the keeps entrance and its courtyard beyond you find a rope bridge set up. Also, tied to a post on your side of the rope bridge are 3 large oxen-like beasts (almost like guard dogs). Beyond you see light coming out of the keep entrance and hear deep laughter.
Tiberious puts on his ring and goes invisible to investigate, Subdolus close behind, silent in his boots. When they return to the group they inform you 30 or so bugbear roam about in the main hall, 2 well hidden guards hide in a snow bank near the entrance. The bugbear have gotten into your food and eaten most of what was left as well as your last surviving horses. 10 bugbear at a time dig up the earthen floor, searching for your burried treasure . Your driver is still alive, just barely strung up from ropes...perhaps he was tortured into telling. Subdolus knows there are 5 more burried and hidden cashes of treasure yet to be found.
Infact, one pile of the dragons treasure you stole has already been found and sits in bags next to their leader, as does the the clear crystal which holds the princess, beautiful and unchanged as last time you saw her.
The scouts inform you there may be more bugbear upstairs or out of site (perhaps exploring the rest of the dungeon you've already cleared), its hard to say.
Several mostly cooked human and orc slaves lie on spits over a smokey fire being cooked for dinner.
All told 16 human prisoners remain alive (mostly women and children) 2 dwarves, 10 orc and one ugly half orc in robes (who seems to be treated better then the others and called by name)...all kept tied together near the back wall and heavily guarded.
The snow has covered the tracks, but Fletcher is fairly certain this must be the group of humanoids he was hunting when he ran into your group...the human prisoners likely are some of the survivors from the destroyed settlement he found.
It is an hour before darkness (a breathtaking sunset fills the sky), What do you wish to do? Fletcher thinks the bugbear have been here for at most a few days (as he was close behind when the blizzard hit). Subdolus notes that a few dead Bugbear bodies layed out and a few set traps suggests at least some of his traps worked.
One huge leader type was identified by the scouts, a very fat and ugly bugbear, twice the size of the others, older with grey fur and hair, a scar across his left face running threw a blind milky useless eye, and a chunk missing in the center of his nose. The leader seems to be hanging out in your wagon drinking Ruinbottles hidden supply of Elfish Buck-Brandy while chewing on dinner (cooked child on a stick) at the same time holding your balista like a crossbow, occasionally shooting at a your driver roped up...this causes roaring laughter from his scrawny sidekick (so far the leader he's missed every shot). He also occasionally picks up and examines some of the nicer pieces of treasure or stares at and pets the princess crystal as if he were petting her.
What does the group wish to do?