Back to the Future II, Track II - No McFly's here Options

[Grinder]

Perception Test

[ Spoiler ]

Step 6= d10= 8.

I'm hungry, but not crazy, mylady.

Contrasting his words, Ralo readies his bow and flies towards the Gate.

[fistandantilus4....]

Ralo

[ Spoiler ]

You spot a number of small cracks along the wall. There are also a great many number of runes that you can barely make out, they're so worn with age. Along the ground there are also a number of large paw prints.

The place has a very distinctive vibe to it. It seems otherworldly and chill. Being that it's night time, the fortressseems even more ominous.

Make a magical Theory test.

[Grinder]

[ Spoiler ]

PER step 6 plus Magic Theory 4= step 10= d10+d6= 4+6, reroll 4= 14.

[fistandantilus4....]

[ Spoiler ]

From the design (motiff not withstanding) of the architecture, the layout, and the runes, it looks like this small fortress was actually a citadel.

[Lady Door]

Perception Test = 9

[ Spoiler ]

Perception Step 7, 1d12, Result: 9

[fistandantilus4....]

[ Spoiler ]

You spot dog tracks . Alexander likely can't seee them because of his human eys in the darkness. The soil here is dark, but moist. From the size of the track,s we're talking large dogs here.

You also spot what looks to be the remains of some creature in one of the bushes off the "path"

[Grinder]

Astral Sight

[ Spoiler ]

PER step 6= d10= 7.

Aware of the dangers that might lurk in the shadows (and the howling of the dogs), Ralo moves forward, towards the top of the gate.

[Lady Door]

What in the world...
Alexander, there's something over there.Being careful not to walk over the dog tracks, at least until she can take another look a them, Morgana approaches the "thing" in the bushes.

[fistandantilus4....]

Ralo

[ Spoiler ]

The carvings of the runes are just that now. Carvings. There is no magic left. In fact, the area here would be calssified as completely safe. There is no taint at all from horrors.

More eerily, there is hardly any magic in the air at all. It's almost like the place is .. a void.

[fistandantilus4....]

Morgana

The 'thing' in the buses is clothed, or was, in typical farmer garb. Albeit heavily torn. It looks like the remains of a body. Several parts, an arm, a head, part of the left leg, are missing entirely. Besides that, it doens not appera to have been scavenged on, 'merely' torn apart. The body is rotted. It looks like it's been dead for weeks, maybe even a month.

[Lady Door]

Oh my God... Morgana whispers softly.
Turning, she takes another look at the dog prints. How big would the animal have to be to do that to someone?

Evidence Analysis

[ Spoiler ]

Evidence Analysis: Rank 1, Step 7, 1d12, Result: 10

[fistandantilus4....]

morgana

[ Spoiler ]

By the body, the bite marks, and the tracks around it, it appears that it was several large mastiffs. Large being a bit higher than her hip, so around the size of a small great dane, or a very large mastiff hound.

[Lady Door]

Turning to look at Alexander, she tells him of what's found.
Whatever did this to this man, .. it was a hound of some type, obviously. It stood at about this tall Morgana indicates the height, placing her hand at mid-rib and would have weighed over a hundred pounds. It would have resembled a very large mastiff. Have you ever seen anything like this before?
Worried now, about Ralo, Morgana scans the skies for his form.
Perception Test

[ Spoiler ]

Perception Step 7, 1d12, Result: 8

[fistandantilus4....]

Ralo is hovering near the gate it's self, about 20 feet off the ground, 10 feet from the gate, looking around.

[Grinder]

I can't see noone here, neither hound nor horror. But the whole place is strange. It's safe in the astral and at the same time it feels as if there is no magic here. Like a "magic void".

He flies a bit higher in the air, waiting for the others to come closer to the gate.

[ludomastro]

Perception Test

[ Spoiler ]

Step 6 = d10 = 10(4) = 14

Alexander shakes his head. No, I have never seen such a creature.

[fistandantilus4....]

Alexander

[ Spoiler ]

Damn good perception test. Must be that Questor business or somethi'. ;)

You spot the hound tracks, and the body. The body was most definetely Galen's. You also see rones on the fortress edifice. They're carved in to the side everywehere, and appear quite old.

You also spot a crack, no more than 3 feet tall, perhaps a foot and a half wide, at the base of the fortress, at the NorthEast side , which would be the right side, facing the gate, near the end of the wall, where the tower is.

[Lady Door]

Approaching the gate, eyes alternately scanning the area and watching Ralo.

When Morgana is close enough to call out to Ralo without raising her voice, she urges him down.
Ralo, come down for now. I'd feel safer if we approached the gate together.
Taking the opportunity while she has the chance, Morgana attunes her matrices to contain the following spells: Flame Flash, Mind Dagger & Iron Hand.
If there is a void, my magic might not do anything, but I'd rather be safe then sorry.
Thinking back to her education and schooling, Morgana tries to remember everything she knows about magical voids.
They might work differently here but, they still must be fundamentally the same, right?

[fistandantilus4....]

Morgana/Ralo/Alexander - The Hound's Gate - 9:50 pm

Attuning Matrices here is like trying to sew in the dark. You screw up a lot. It just doesn't want to go your way. Either it will take twice as long, or you can move away from the edifice out of the void zone.

The whole place feels odd. Especially for Alexander, who can't help but feel a bit weaker. Much of his muscle is brought from hard work at the forge and the magic fueling his strength.

[Lady Door]

Dropping her attempts to attune in sheer frustration, Morgana instead pulls her sword from it's scabbard.
Screw that. Moving on...

[ludomastro]

Alexander raises his sword and moves closer to the Gate. Turning to Morgana and Ralo, Alexander says, The body is, or rather was, Galen. It would appear that he got the release he wanted. Did either of you see the carved runes on the side of the fortress? I also saw a crack, about three feet tall and a foot-and-a-half wide near the base of the fortress over there on the right.

[Lady Door]

Morgana turns and just stares at Alexander.
What? Where in the hell? I'm over there examining the body, and nooo.. nothing, like "Hey, I know that guy." or "Hey, look over there at those runes." or "Hey, look over at that mysterious crack. Noooo... Just sitting there... *glare*
Muttering under her breath, Morgana turns to look over at the rune covered wall and crack that somehow she missed.

[fistandantilus4....]

Morgana

From your limited experience, the runes appear to be the sort to coutner horrors used in kaers. The fortress is apparently a citadel, an above ground haven sometimes used against the horros during the Scourge for those without the resources to dig a kaer. It appears that this citadel survived the centuries of darkness in tact.

[ludomastro]

Morgana, I am sorry. Keep in mind that I am still coming to grips with all of this. Only a few months ago, I would have sworn that this place was haunted, yet here I stand. Alexander goes over to show Morgana where the runes are.

[Lady Door]

Feeling somewhat placated, remembering that just a few hours ago he was imprisoned and going to be killed... Morgana decides to give him some leeway.
I see them. The runes were designed to protect this place during the Scourge, it appears that this was a Citadel, a type of protection used when a kaer could not be built. The runes are not degraded or destroyed. It would appear this place survived intact... which is strange, you would think a place known to be haunted would be a place that fell to the Enemy.
Morgana stares for a moment at the long crack, contemplating.