Chapter One, Part One: Fires over Brinestump

[Phil]

Owen has never seen the undead before now.  He's heard stories from his uncle Gaven.  As a kid, some of his favorite tales started with his father or uncle finding themselves surrounded by some necromatic spawn, which they of course bravely defeated.

Now that he sees them with his own eyes, Owen has to swallow back his fear.  He ignores their ghoulish faces and focuses on the rusty swords, the lack of armor.  What is a skeleton but a weak and stupid human?  A bag of bones, really.

These thoughts give the boy courage as he rushes into the fray.  "Trying to be a hero, Faraway?"  Owen asks as he charges.

rolls: ShowHide

7(1d20) +8 = 15; 5(2d6) +6 = 11
Tried a charge, assuming there's a clear lane.  But I'm not sure a 15 will be good enough without the flat-footed or a flank.  I really wish my rolls would start regressing towards the mean.

[Lotofsnow]

Faraway curses himself silently that his over-aggressive attack had left him open to two attacks. Simultaneously, he thanks the gods that the skeletons' are dull and he has loyal friends to help. Invigorated with that knowledge, he swings at the skeleton before him.

Attack 1d20+4 : 19 + 4, total 23
Roll 1d6+4 : 2 + 4, total 6

[TheTick]

The damaged skeleton falls into a clump of bones.  One skeleton left.

[Porteiro]

Jeddy shoots his crossbow.

[1d20]1.  Fumble.

[TheTick]

Horcrust is our holdout.  Blasting away again?  :D

[SpamHead]

Rolled 1d20+2 : 2 + 2, total 4

Rolled 1d6+4 : 5 + 4, total 9

[TheTick]

The remaining skeleton remains unscathed.  It slashes with it's rusty sword, but Faraway dodges it easily.

Owen, S'Vith, and on again.

[Phil]

His first slash just missed the skeleton, but his return stroke cuts across the creature's ribcage, cutting clean through and shattering it into several pieces.

mechanics: ShowHide

Move over to the skeleton if not already there:
15(1d20) +6 = 21; 11(2d6) +6 = 17

Will retcon if a 17 damage doesn't kill it.  (DR and such)

[TheTick]

(No, no, that'll do it)

The last skeleton falls, and nothing else stirs in the marsh.  An examination of the skeletons' weapons, though rusty and brittle, does show they are not your typical short sword - they are straight up to the last few inches, where it curves.  The hilt design is also unlike any you've seen in Sandpoint.

[Phil]

"So...  another Kaijitsu ship.  Some sort of trading fleet?  A diplomatic mission?" 

He kicks at the bones of the skeleton that he felled.  "And some sort of necromatic magic performed on the travelers...  Though for what purpose would one raise the dead in a remote swamp?  Perhaps they fell under some curse..."

[Lotofsnow]

Faraway kneels down to examine one of the blades, rising only just quickly enough to avoid a shower of bones from Owen's kick. He glares momentarily at the paladin before his expression softens.

"Indeed. Perhaps to guard something? But what?"

[SteveRogers]

S'Vith chuckles, "Skeletons would make great guards for a cheese cellar; though, I doubt we'll be that lucky."

[SpamHead]

"If they guarded something we won't find it by talking about cheese. "
Perception

Rolled 1d20+1 : 14 + 1, total 15

"If"

[TheTick]

(nothing else found there, and assuming you keep moving on from that wreck to where the drag marks lead...)

The trail leads south, towards the marker south of the wreck on the makeshift map.  It's not much longer before you reach a stopping point.  A fifty-foot-high cliff rises along the marsh's southern border, its face a thick tangle of jutting rocks and bright green vines and nettles. A curtain of these thick nettle vines partially conceals a cave opening at the base of the cliff.

You'll see two paths branching off as you walk in - just pick which way to start.  Also, plan your light source, as that will be taken into account.

[Lotofsnow]

Faraway pulls out a small, bone whistle. Lifting it to his lips, all that can be heard is several puffs of breath. In a moment, Neith has arrived. She angles her descent to land at the foot of the druid. He cups the side of her head in his palm, and the great roc relaxes. He whispers several nonsense words to the bird, and she takes off.

"Neith will guard the entrance as she would not be comfortable in such a cave. She will call out if anyone comes behind us, though I doubt even her call can reach us beneath the earth."

The druid peers between the vines. He speaks a soft request in the language of the forest. The boss of his shield bursts forth light, illuminating beyond the vines.

"This shall light our way forward. Though, Horcrust or Jeddy, perhaps you would provide a second light as well."