Chapter One - Kassen Town Square

[Scott R]

Sandy will scout forward.

Perception +9 1d20+9 : 3 + 9, total 12

Stealth +7 1d20+7 : 13 + 7, total 20

[Rakeesh]

Kirdo woke early and refreshed, perhaps a bit livelier than his companions-he had taken less injury after all, and after quaffing his creation the minor injuries from the wolf had been completely restored. He immediately reached for his notes, but the edges of the problem he was working on still eluded him. No matter-he knew he was close to a breakthrough.

Still, the trouble in the night had left the gnome a little unnerved-real, actual danger hadn't really been in his mind for this venture. The snappishness among his fellows, as well, was something he didn't know how to address and was left to hope it would be forgotten. After rising and trying for insight with his alchemy, he tended carefully to Hauler, periodically chatting with his animal companion in Gnomish, praising the horse again for his steadfastness when the wolves struck. He took care to be ready to depart when the others were, so as not to hold the group back.

[Nighthawk]

Dariel didn't exactly sleep comfortably... A sense of uneasiness still wandered in his mind, and he was concerned about whether the rest of the group really is ready for what's ahead. If a small pack of wolves can be such a problem, he could only imagine that the rest of the adventure may end before it even starts.

"Let's move on." He was hesitant to speak about the night before. "Hopefully we can get there before we have to spend another night in the wild."

Rolled 1d20+9 : 4 + 9, total 13

Rolled 1d20+8 : 15 + 8, total 23

Rolled 1d20+6 : 19 + 6, total 25

[Nighthawk]

//OOC: That's Survival, Perception and Stealth. Sorry, got tags wrong.

[TheTick]

The early morning passes quietly, and as you walk the forest starts to give way to a grassy field, and then you see the Grey Lake.  It's early enough that there is still a layer of fog clinging to the surface.  Near the short of the lake, a dark form lies next to the water.

[Lotofsnow]

"Wait here," Maura says. She passes the lantern to Dariel. "I will investigate."

She approaches the dark object near the water, scanning for movement.

Perception 1d20+2 : 1 + 2, total 3

[Nighthawk]

"Wait..." Dariel says softly as he moves forward. "I don't want any more surprises."

Perception 1d20+8 : 8 + 8, total 16

[TheTick]

As Dariel and Maura approach cautiously, the smell of decay becomes prevalent.  It's a corpse, of a tall humanoid.  Despite looking as if it has been dead for a few weeks, animals have left the body alone.  There are several pairs of large round puncture wounds on the upper torso, clearly visible even with the decay.

[Scott R]

Sandy tosses a rock at the body. "Maybe it's another illusion."

Dexterity +3 1d20+3 : 17 + 3, total 20

[Scott R]

OOC- are there any legends about the area that would explain the body and it's strange wounds?

Knowledge Local +5 1d20+5 : 16 + 5, total 21

[TheTick]

Sandy tosses a rock at the body. "Maybe it's another illusion."

The rock bounces off the body, raising a bit of a dirt cloud.

OOC- are there any legends about the area that would explain the body and it's strange wounds?

You have heard stories of snakes large enough to produce the bites on this body.

[Scott R]

"Rand Bremen usd to tell tales about snakes whose bite could make holes like those," Sandy says.

[Lotofsnow]

"Snakes?" says Maura, stopping to peer warily around before turning back to Sandy. "Watch my back, will you?"

Focusing again on the body, she moves carefully toward it to get a better look, dreading that it might be someone from the town.

[Scott R]

Sandy slips a bolt into his crossbow.

[cooor=#999999]OOC: Ready action— if an enemy threatens Maura, fire a crossbow bolt at them.[/color]

Crossbow attack +3 1d20+3 : 10 + 3, total 13

Crossbow damage 1d8 : 3, total 3

[TheTick]

Nothing leaps out of the water.  After carefully turning the corpse's head, Maura is relieved as she doesn't recognize the person.  The clothes look out of place for Kassen as well, more of a city-dweller's outfit, though rough and tumble.