Remove ads

I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore - D&D 3.5E Planescape IC

Choo Choo

Choo Choo

THE GRIEF TRAIN HAS NO BRAKES
Location
Sweden -> California
Pronouns
She/her
The stretch of the Trade Road that runs between the cities of Waterdeep and Baldur's Gate has always been a dangerous one, a winding path through miles upon miles of wilderness and badlands rife with highwaymen and little to no oversight from any sort of lawful authority. Despite its name, it's rare for merchants to take this way because of all its dangers, and so it's not only a dangerous road, but a lonely one. The few travellers that do take it are either too new to the area to know any better, or they're confident that they can brave its hazards.

There are five such travellers out and about today, travellers that might belong to either of the above categories. However, they soon have bigger problems than bandits to worry about.

The sky has been slowly darkening all day, and the smell of rain has been thick in the air. Now it has finally begun to fall, accompanied by loud peals of thunder that seem to roll across the landscape. The sun is hidden behind massive storm clouds, and a cold wind blows from the north. As bolts of lightning begin to slam from heavens to ground and pieces of hail begin to strike the earth, the need for any travellers in the area to seek shelter becomes obvious.

Off in the distance and a bit off the beaten track, the travellers see the ruins of a tower rising tall up into troubled sky, its form illuminated by the occasional lightning bolt. It seems fairly solid, and though attempting to climb it would almost certainly be suicide in this weather, it should be able to provide some shelter; the only other alternative is to endure the storm.

OOC THREAD
 
Last edited:
Kaud scowls up at the skies, only to yelp as a hailstone smacks him on the nose. A small piece, luckily enough, that damages little more than his pride. He grumbles to himself, under his breath- he'd spent the entirety of the trip to Waterdeep with Endure Elements prepared, only for it to have dawned bright and sunny on every single damned day. And now that he doesn't have it prepared? It doesn't just rain, or even pour. It hails.

Perfect. Just perfect.

The half-elf pulls his cap down a little more snugly against his short, unkempt hair, and picks up his pace, hurrying towards the ruins. A touch of paranoia makes him wonder if those ruins might already be occupied by less-than-friendly people, but it isn't as if he has much of a choice. He pats his backup dagger, making sure that it's still there, and cracks his knuckles as he stomps along the path that's rapidly turning to mud and slick, half melted ice.
 
Last edited:
Watching as lightning arcs and thunders through the raging skies above, Karla feels painfully aware of the fact that while it mitigates the effects of the growing hail, she is still tramping about in 30 Ibs of scale mail armor. Almost as troublesome is that while it is certainly a nice (if old) suit of scale mail she had originally managed to acquire off a fellow member of the Heirs before setting out on her adventure, an effective rain coat scale mail does not make.

Watching as the lighting strikes a distant rocky outcrop, the pale Aasimar winces, deciding it was probably high time she got out of the storm. Having started out far south of her current location and spent the previous few weeks traveling from Athkatla to Baldur's Gate and now on her way to Waterdeep, she had no plans to make all that travel moot due to an errant lightning bolt.

"Gotta get out of this damn rain..... Hey, that looks promising."

Noticing the tall broken form of a ruined tower rising out of the darkness and back lit by the flashes of the storm, Karla considers her options for a moment before the storm makes the decision for her by electrically expressing it's displeasure for a distant tree. leaving the road, Karla quickly sets out for her new destination in the hopes of finding whatever shelter the remaining structure may provide.
 
Last edited:
A figure clad in a tattered, damp black cloak all but leaps off the beaten path in a rush to get to the ruined tower, and more importantly shelter from the rain. "Shit, shit, shit, shit!" the nameless young girl swore under her breath as she ran, ignoring the splashes of mud that she kicked up with every step. It wasn't supposed to rain! The sky had been completely clear blue just this morning!

At least there was shelter nearby, the girl thought as she got closer to the entrance of the ruin. She would have hated to just spend the entire duration of the storm completely drenched. She'd done that once before, and would much rather avoid a repeat experience.

Not for the first time, the nameless girl reconsidered her decision to travel without a tent. Sure, her burden was significantly lighter, but a portable waterproof shelter is invaluable...
 
Last edited:
As Kalen sees a rather impressive bolt of lightning flash in the sky, the crumbling tower he saw earlier was lit by the flash, and while it may seem ominous, under these conditions, nothing could look like a more inviting place.
As the rain starts to fall in earnest, he begins to make haste towards the tower, hoping that he can get there before his backpack and its contents are completely drenched.
"At least the dark isn't really a problem" He mutters to himself as he makes his way towards the tower, hoping there's still something approaching a roof to take shelter under, and maybe something that he can burn for a little warmth
 
Last edited:
Kirana looks up into the sky as the first drops begin to fall. "Bloody brilliant. Cannae even make Baldur's Gate on time. Oh well, might as well get some cover 'fore the bottom drops oout."

She heads towards the only thing that looks like it would offer her solid cover, an old abandoned tower, lit up periodically by flashes of lightning. She trots on, scalemail clinking, battleaxe strapped across her back.
 
The five travellers reach the tower at nearly the same time and meet, not knowing of the journey they are about to embark on together.

Upon closer inspection, the massive tower looming above the countryside is built into a hill dotted with small boulders. A few narrow ledges offer scant protection from the elements, but a closer inspection reveals a massive, arched entryway at least 20 feet tall and 10 feet wide, set into the side of the hill. The door is long since gone, but the ground just outside it slopes away from the doorway, directing the falling water out and away. Given this fact and the sturdy nature of the hill, whatever space lies beyond the door should be both dry and safe from lightning and hail. While the tower itself looks like it could fall over at any moment, the dwelling built into the mound appears fairly intact and secure.
 
"Well I bet we look like a sorry lot. The name's Kirana, Cleric of Tempus and I dinnae think I'll be standing in this weather fer long." Kirana grins and heads towards the large archway.
 
"Looks like a lot of us all had the same idea. Shes right, no sense getting soaked to the skin out here." Kalen also strides towards the archway, seemingly unconcerned by the darkness within, muttering under his breath a little bit "Had to be another preacher here. Eh, Ill take them over the storm".
As he passes inside, he stops and turns around, flashing a brief grin. "Kalen Vasilor, by the way. Come on, might be something left inside like an old table or the like we can use for firewood.", turning around to scan the inside of the building.
 
Last edited:
Stumbling out of the gloom, Karla had eyed the assembled group curiously. An odd gathering of sorry and soaked like-minded travellers who had the misfortune to be on the road like. Still, at least this tower had been nearby. Upon hearing Kriana and Kalen's greetings, Karla offers a smile as best she can through the chilling storm of rain and hail.

"Karla. Karla of The Heirs of Sunlight. I'd say it's a pleasure to meet you all, but I guess that kinda requires warmer and dryer circumstances."

Seeing the world lit up by another flash of lighting then almost immediately followed by a disturbingly close thunderclap, the Crusader glances back at the growing storm worriedly, before following the other two into the structure's dark interior in search of shelter.
 
Last edited:
Unusually, Kaud's mood brightens a little as he notices the small group of bedraggled figures agglomerating around their common direction towards the ruined tower. Despite the squelching his waterlogged shoes released on every step, the schadenfreude of knowing that he wasn't alone in suffering under the horrible weather was strangely cheering. It'd take days for his shoes to dry out properly, in all likelihood, but the fact was that he wasn't alone in this particular slice of suffering. And this group seemed pleasant enough, for now.

"I'm Kaud Axewalek. Look, let's just get out of this accursed weather, shall we?" he snaps perfunctorily, as he trails along with the group headed towards the tower. His relative good mood, however, prompts him to add, "Eh. I don't need it, but anyone need a light? Can't offer fire of a magical variety today, though."
 
Last edited:
"Well, I've got these candles," the fifth member of the group says as she follows the other four into shelter, holding up one of the aforementioned candles. "They're not much, but they'll do in a pinch. Loradove Shipsail, by the way."
 
The entryway shows evidence that this dwelling has been abandoned for many seasons. The open door has all but invited the elements; leaves, both withered and fresh, lie heaped on the floor in places and pushed into droves against the walls. Evidence of looters is just as obvious. Someone's gouged holes in the walls and pulled down paintings and plaques.

Still, as you enter the main hall, there are some traces of the comfortable home it once must've been. The ruined spiral staircase leading up into the broken tower must've been a grand affair once, and the peeling ivory wallpaper would be quite fine if not for the stains of mould. No furniture remains in this room, probably long since used up as firewood by other travellers such as yourselves. However, there are a number of doors and passageways leading to other rooms.

 
Glancing around the expectedly decrepit surroundings, Karla frowned sadly at the signs of the now long since lost or destroyed grandeur. Still, at least it was shelter and she'd slept in far worse places back in her street rat days. After a quick circuit of the accessible area and noticing that despite being out of the wind a slight draft was present, Karla came to a decision.

"We should probably check out one of these rooms. There'll be less of a draft and it'll be easier to keep the warmth in if we can start a fire. Speaking of which, maybe we can break apart one of these doors for wood since there doesn't appear to be any lying about?"
 
Last edited:
Loradove quietly lights up her hooded lantern, bathing the entire room in firelight, and uses it to light a couple of candles, placing them at various points around the room so it'll remain lit even if she takes the lantern out of it. "Yeah, checking out the other rooms'd be a good idea. We should each take a door and see where they lead, but don't move out of sight. We're probably not the only ones to think about coming for shelter in here, and it'd be smart to work out whether we're alone before we let our guards down. Don't want any nasty surprises showing up."

Lora walks into the middle of the room, and looks around. "We should hold off on breaking apart any of the doors until we learn whats behind them, though."

She trots over to door number 6, and tries the handle with the intent to peek inside if its unlocked.
 
Last edited:
"Seems like a good idea. There's the wallpaper or all the dead leaves we can use as kindling as well. This doors the furthest in, so it might be the least draughty, though some of the ones down that passage to the left might be more sheltered. Probably best we find a room to make camp in before we go looking for stuff for a fire"
Kalen walks over to door 5, skirting around the ruins of the staircase and the candles, has another look at the torn up walls, before trying to open the door.
 
Last edited:
"Bah," Kaud mutters, looking around the ruin. "Better than nothing."

He wrings his sodden sleeves off, and stomps around a bit near the entrance, trying to get the worst of the mud off his shoes. Briefly, he wonders who might have owned the tower previously - wizards tended to gravitate to towers, and towers tended to have wizards in them. He dismisses it as unimportant for the time being.

He nods in agreement with the aasimar girl -Karla, she said her name was?-; no real reason to stay in the draft. Not as if it's likely there'd be anyone to object, considering the current state of the tower. The others splitting off to carelessly try the doors seems slightly foolhardy to him, regardless, even unoccupied, the tower could still hold unpleasant surprises.

Still, he'd rather not try a door by himself, frail as he is. The wizard wanders over to join the small group kconsisting of Karla and Kirana still standing aimlessly near the entrance, and clears his throat to catch their attention. "Shall we try a door? That one there, perhaps?" [Door 4]
 
Last edited:
"Aye, I'll open the door for ye wizard. Naught else to do but catch cold." Kirana moves over to the door in question. "Now just stand back in case anything nasty is hiding behind it."
 
Behind the door Kaud picked is a library. Books are strewn across the floor, and all the furniture seems to have been reduced to kindling for the once grand fireplace in a corner; you're definitely not the first to have sought shelter here over the years. You doubt any of the old, mouldering tomes are legible anymore, but it might be worth a look.

Behind Kalen's door is a spellcraft chamber, covered with dust. It's not empty, however; beakers and ingredient bottles have been smashed, and it's probably best for weak-stomached people not to look too closely at some of the dust-covered shapes lying amid the shattered glass on the floor. A book clearly marked "Lab Notes" lies on a stained metal table. On the opposite wall is a dark passageway ending with another door; it seems the corridor was hidden behind a secret door once, one that's long since been opened.

Loradove finds a kitchen, as coated in dust as everything else. Whatever store of food might've been here is long since gone - not even flies buzz about any longer. On the far counter, she sees a plate covered with some kind of green slime.

 
Carefully picking through the shattered glass and other things littering the floor, Kalen goes over to the table, picks up the book, flicks through a couple of pages to see whats inside, before placing it in his bag and returning to the center room.

"Just an old mage's lab in here, though there's a door behind what looks like it was once a secret passage."

As he goes to check the door that was directly to the left of the entrance. (2)
 
Last edited:
"Well lookit wizard. We got us plenty o' kindling for a fire and a nice fier-place to start it in. Though I'm not sure I want ta be burning tomes, you might have a looksee and see if there's aught werth savin'." Kirana drawls as she begins to pick up the kindling. "Oi the rest o' ya, we've got a nice hearth if you be needin ta dry your bones."
 
"I've got a kitchen over here - don't go expecting anything though, only thing left in here is a plate covered by some rather worrying green slime." Lora shuts the door, and walks away to check out the double doors in the alcove to the south.
 
Relieved that his paranoia had proven unjust for now, Kaud perks up as he gazes at the books. Who knew what might be hidden in those books? Arcane lore, perhaps, or, on the opposing end of the spectrum, terribly written prose where characters were mangled into barely recognizable forms of themselves?

"Yes, I definitely will be looking at these books. I have my doubts that there's anything of worth left, at this point, but I'm not passing up even the sliver of possibility," he replies to the cleric as he steps eagerly towards the shelves.

The call from what's-his-name, Kalen, only improves his mood. That would be another checkmark down on the possibility of useful arcane knowledge, even if the chances of anything remaining were slim. "Please try not to damage anything in the mage's lab; what isn't already ruined, anyway. I'd like to have a look over there, later," he shouts back.

Kaud reaches out, running a finger over the spines of the mouldering books, breathing in the musty scent of mildew. Not exactly home, but a familiar smell nevertheless. He begins searching eagerly for any interesting books.
 
Last edited:
Glancing around the doorframe of the ruined library they had discovered, Karla watches as the others move on to other parts of the tower to check behind other doors or see what the others have discovered. With Kalen already checking out the door across the hallway, Karla peers down the S-shaped corridor and examines Door (3)

"May as well check out the rest of this side of the tower. Considering we have a library, a spell crafting area, and kitchen, it's either sleeping quarters, a living area, or something else useful for magic studies."
 
You must login or register to reply here.
Remove ads
Back
Top