Eberron One

Around the table you meet the rest of the Erhurr family. In addition to Karl and his father, there are Frau Erhurr and 3 other young children.

Karl Sr. explains that everyone in Vom is starting to get concerned. They worry about what happened at the Zeeg place, but they aren't sure what to do about it. A few men got together and went over to the house, but it looked like it had been abandoned. They talked about going out to take a look at the old Emerald Claw base, but they ended up deciding not to do it.

"Too many of dem think it's haunted, and won't go out dere. Dey say the knights didn't leave quietly, and now dere spirits linger, vaiting to push people into de pit, or verse. Now, I don't know about any spirits.. but I know it's strange out dere. When de knights left, someting stayed behind." The younger children seem familiar with the story, and are suitable spooked. "I tell you dis. The Emerald Claw, everyone knows, dey vere de ones who brought Karrnath the dead guard. You tink dey have success on the first try?" He nods ominously, and his wife says "oh, Karl!" exasperated with him, and shaking her head. He tells her "no, it's true!" but she shakes her head again and goes to get the pumpkin pie. Karl Sr. leans in closer and says "Dey say de entrance is in an old tree. I can show you where it is, but she'd kill me if I vent in."

ehiker133 wrote:

[IC]
Caby says, "I wonder if we shouldn't check out the Zeeg's farm first. We might be able to find some clues there as to what is going on. Then if you could show us the entrance to the tree, that would be helpful."

She stops to take a bite of pie and then smiles broadly. "Excellent pumpkin pie, Frau Edhurr!"

As she eats a few more bites, she contemplates what they might do and finally says, "Why don't you point us in the direction of the Zeeg farm and we'll check it out first thing in the morning. Then you just need to show us the tree when we return from the Zeeg's. You have a family, Karl, and we don't want you or them to be put in any danger."

Ducats whispers "what you think we might find at that old farm?"

After supper and washing up, the Erhurrs prepare a room for the two men to stay in, and make space in the girls' room for Caby to sleep.

The family is up before dawn, and the breakfast is even bigger than at the inn in Vulyar. One of the additional items is traditional Karrnathi lahthkas (potato pancakes.)

After breakfast, Karl Sr. heads out with you to take you to the Zeeg farm, but you're able to re-iterate and convince him to just point you in the right direction. He takes you to the edge of his land, within sight of the Zeeg farmhouse, and wishes you luck.

ehiker133 wrote:

[OOC]
Just to get my bearings, what general direction are we headed when leaving the Erhurrs homestead to go to the Zeeg farm?

[IC]
Caby asks, "Karl, about how far is it? Are there any landmarks that will let us know when we're close to it or at least headed in the right direction?"

Once she has the information they need, she'll lead the group out to the Zeeg farm. When making the journey there, Caby will simply be alert, but she won't have any weapons drawn. But as soon as she makes it to any landmarks given by Karl that indicate they are close to the farm, she'll pull out her bow and nock an arrow.

She whispers to the other two, "Let's observe from a distance for a bit and see if we see any activity. If we don't see anything, then we can approach the house and check it out."

It's north and a bit west of the Erhurr place. He took you far enough so that you could see the actual Zeeg house before he left you.

[OOC]
Ah, sorry.

Then we'll still monitor the house from a distance for a bit (say, a half hour) to see if there is any activity there.

[IC]
After watching the house for a bit, Caby whispers to the others, "I'm going to circle around to the back of the house and see what I can see there. I'll be back in a short while."

Caby circles the house, keeping a safe distance, and makes her way to the other side of it to see if she notices anything unusual there.

Rolling in case I need to make a Hide roll...

The member 'ehiker133' has done the following action : Roll dice

'd10' :

You watch the house and associated out buildings for 30 minutes, but you see no movement. Caby slinks off through the unreaped fields, and almost immediately vanishes.

From the other side of the farm you watch for another 30 minutes without seeing any movement.

Ducats (and CM) circle around the house the same way Caby did and when he reaches the front door, he'll take a look and see if it seems to be locked and/or trapped.

Nothing out of the ordinary occurs as your trio approaches the main house, though you can't help feeling a growing eeriness. Perhaps it's the chill breeze and the grey overcast sky. Perhaps it's the complete absence of any sound other than the wind blowing through dead dry barley.

Through the thick blurry windows, Caby sees disordered furniture, broken plates and cups, dirty disheveled clothing bits, and various food leavings here and there.

Ducats determines the front door is not locked, but also determines that, oddly, it is indeed trapped. Although unable to see the mechanism itself, you can tell something is connected to the other side of the door latch, and intended to activate when the door is open. It might be possible to disarm it, but you know failure would activate the trap.

"Hmm...that's odd. If the family'd just left, they probably would have just shuttered the place up...and it wouldn't look like there was a fight inside. But if some ruffians came to loot, pillage, or kidnap, why go to the trouble of shutting the door, and trapping it? Not sure I like this.

"I'm with Ducats. Maybe we should try a window, if we can."

ehiker133 wrote:

[IC]
Caby says, "That sounds fine. I don't mind scooting into a window if we can open one." She then examines the window she has been peeking into, looking for a way to force it open.

[OOC]
Is there some kind of STR or DEX roll you want me to make here, Mike?

[OOC] Mike, do my thieves' tools contain some kind of small jemmy that would help with that? I don't have a full size crowbar.

Yes, the windows swing outward like shutters, and Ducats has a thin tool that will fit between the panels to lift up the simple catch. The windows swing open easily.

[IC]
Caby gets a lift from Ducats and climbs in through the window.

Once inside, she'll draw her short sword and look around to see what room she's in and orient herself to the front door. Once that is done, and assuming she doesn't see any activity going on, she'll go to the front door and examine the trap to see what it is/what it will do when it goes off.

Caby drops in to the main room, where the family does most of its living, eating meals, etc. The room is a mess, but nothing moves. The front door is over to your right, and you see a thin rope leading up to the ceiling. Configured to it is a pole, a broomstick perhaps, with an array of at least half a dozen butchering knives, cleavers, and skinning knives attached to it, aimed at right angles to the pole.

[IC]
Caby looks for any obvious ways of disabling the trap - cutting the rope, maybe? If nothing seems to be apparent to her, then she'll call for Ducats to come in through the window and see if he can look at it.

Either after she disables the trap, or while she's waiting for Ducats to come in, she looks around to see what other exits are in the room.

ehiker133 wrote:

[IC]
Caby looks for any obvious ways of disabling the trap - cutting the rope, maybe? If nothing seems to be apparent to her, then she'll call for Ducats to come in through the window and see if he can look at it.

Either after she disables the trap, or while she's waiting for Ducats to come in, she looks around to see what other exits are in the room.

As long as you stood out of the way, you could cut the rope. The pole would swing down, probably sticking the knives into the door, and you could take it down from there.

There is an open doorway leading into what seems to be the kitchen. Just past that is a very short (a few feet) hall with at least two doors in it. Both of the doors visible in the hall are open.