Ansha Saeralyan PFS |
The elven enchantress does not have to be told twice. She slips into the narrow cave opening, moving only so far forward as to make room for the rest of the group. Wish I had prepared that light-producing cantrip, she thinks as her elven eyes adjust to the dimmer lighting. Ansha sets her pack down and starts feeling around with her hand for a torch. Hand finally settling on one, she takes it and lights it.
"There."
DM PatheticWretch |
Though we haven't heard from everyone, I'll generally go with a course of action for the group after two people agree. In this case, you decide to follow orders and enter the cave, as she suggested.
Jivan grabs Janira's pack and the others follow into the opening of the hidden cave. The group sees the minotaur chasing after Janira through the trees, fighting its way through the dense undergrowth. Soon the cacophony of the chase fades and the sounds of the forest slowly return to normal.
Theodric's light illuminates this cave system, which stretches deep below the foothills of the Kortos Mounts, though most of it is accessible only through a narrow keyhole tunnel mostly hidden by vegetation. The tunnel seems to be between 3 and 10 feet wide and vary equally in height. The caves are damp, with water dripping from stalactites and the distant rushing of underground streams creating an eerie backdrop. Things also seem slippery.
The caves’ walls are patterned with blue-green luminescent fungi that provide dim light. Petroglyphs—most depicting marine animals or spiral shapes—periodically decorate the tunnels’ walls, becoming increasingly. The rough surface of the carvings provides a natural platform for the fungi, causing it to grow thicker and making the carvings glow slightly brighter than their surroundings.
The narrow tunnel twists and turns for several hundred feet before slowly opening to a wider passage. A large hole spans the cave’s width and stretches ten feet down the path. Nearing the chasm and peering in, it appears that the bottom of the pit contains a small bundle of cloth.
footprints in the soil left by a web-toed humanoid who
traveled this way only hours before.
Ansha Saeralyan PFS |
Untrained survival: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (5) - 1 = 4
Untrained Knowledge (dungeoneering): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18
"Fascinating artwork," Ansha says as the group makes its way deeper into the cave network, pausing to admire one of the many fungus-covered carvings by the light of her torch. The elf grimaces, attempting to shift the weight of her backpack for the thousandth time. The enchantress only lingers for a moment, then moves on with the group.
As they approach the edge of the pit, she observes, "Seems like something dug that. Wonder what's in the bundle?" Curious, she incants a magic-detecting cantrip and peers into the pit.
Ansha Saeralyan PFS |
The elf continues to concentrate on the bundle, curious about the strength of the magic or the schools of its aura. "Whatever it is, it's magical," she concludes, still staring at it intently.
Stonetree |
Survival: 1d20 ⇒ 13
Knowledge (Dungeoneering): 1d20 ⇒ 3
Stonetree makes his way deeper into the cave, obviously distracted by some vegetation he pulled from the wall. "This would pair nicely with a red and a roast lamb?" He asked to himself.
Stontree continued to follow the group while gently sniffing his next culinary delight.
Ansha Saeralyan PFS |
Ansha loses her balance momentarily, though she swiftly recovers. She doesn't break her gaze from the bundle in the pit; her only reaction to Stonetree's pat is a flicker of a frown, gone from her face almost as quickly as it appeared. "Please don't jostle the wizard," she says.
Ansha Saeralyan PFS |
Ansha can't help but crack a smile. "Probably," the enchantress says, finally tearing her gaze off of the bundle to look at Stonetree. "I once knew a Bas'o who asked a man if a an old halfling had been 'jostling' him. He didn't realize what he was asking. Quite the fish out of water, that one."
"Incidentally, if you're going to jostle me, make it worth my while," the elf winks, her smile widening crookedly. "I'm partial to jewelry, brandy and the smell of old tomes. Oh, and moonlit walks by fungus-light."
Theodric Pepromeno |
Theo raised an eyebrow at Ansha's remarks. He then leaned over the pit to observe Jivan's attempt at retrieving the bundle.
"I think you have it, Jivan, but I have rope someone can use just in case."
Theo will cast Guidance and use Inspiring Command on anyone attempting to climb down the pit. +3 stacked bonus on skill checks.
Ansha Saeralyan PFS |
Ansha glances at Theo, catching the look he was giving her. Still smiling crookedly, she winks at him.
DM PatheticWretch |
Ansha determines the bundle is magical while Jivan uses the powers of his mind to draw it to the top of the pit.
It turns out to be a grayish-blue cloak, which has withstood the passage of time well, perhaps because of its magical nature.
Meanwhile, Kame makes his way to the bottom of the pit. Though the stone is slippery, he makes it down without falling.
Kame Kitsune |
As Kame arrived at the bottom with a satisfied grin.
Kame to the rescue!
His grin shortly turned into a look of bewilderment.
"Hey where did that cloth thingy go?"
Kame peered around trying to get his wits about him.
untrained survivial: 1d20 ⇒ 12
untrained knowledge dungeoneering: 1d20 ⇒ 19
Kame Kitsune |
"Well this hole definitely isn't natural, but has probably been here at least 1 year." Kame yelled up to the others.
"Hey if you guys make it across can you lower the rope from the other side? That would be awesome! Also if you don't mind getting my backpack across as well that would be super awesome!"
Jivan |
"Thank you." The Vudran backs up, takes a running start, and easily leaps across the pit.
Acrobatics check to jump the pit, DC 10: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24
Almost forgot!
Untrained Survival, DC 15: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 18
Untrained Survival, DC 10: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
Untrained Survival, DC 15: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
"Something with webbed feet came this way not long ago. I wonder how they got across?"
Ansha Saeralyan PFS |
Ansha balks as the group starts to make its way across the pit. "That...looks like a long jump," she says. The elf winces as Stonetree misses his jump, then glances to Theo. "I think we're going to need that rope."
DM PatheticWretch |
Sorry, with the weekend I forgot you were concentrating on it. I'll say that given enough time, Ansha identifies the cloak as a [i]+1 cloak of resistance.
While Ansha examines the cloak, Stonetree, thinking Jivan's leap made it look easy, decides to make the same attempt.
However, he slips on some of the wet moss, and lands hard on his chest on the lip of the pit, then scrambles to hold onto something, but only comes up with more handfuls of moss. He slowly loses his grip, then falls into the pit, fortunately with various things partially breaking his fall.
Jivan does not locate any controls, but does have a front-row seat to Stonetree's fall.
fall dmg: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 1) = 7
Stonetree |
Stonetree lays on the floor of the pit for a moment before letting out a laugh, "Well that hurt, so much for easy."
He takes a another moment to regain some composure and slowly stands and looks at Kame. "I know I made it down faster, but I think I will follow your lead next time my friend"
Kame Kitsune |
Kame stood with mouth agape eyes open wide staring at Stonetree.
"Wow! That was so close! I'm really hoping they can get that rope to the other side. Than we can just climb up! It'll be way easier than jumping!"
Ansha Saeralyan PFS |
Ansha slips the straps of her pack from her shoulders. She narrows her eyes, looking back and forth between the pit and the bundle of cloth. The blond enchantress purses her lips, contemplating. If something has been this way recently, I wonder why they didn't take that cloak with them? Unless they didn't go into the pit--in which case, is there another way around?
Out of curiosity, who is presently in possession of the cloak? PW says Jivan levitated it to the top of the pit, but not that he necessarily grabbed it; and Ansha was examining it to identify it, though I don't think she needs to physically interact with it to do so.
Ansha Saeralyan PFS |
Sighing noisily, the elf mage unfurls the bundle of cloth, fastening the magical cloak around her for the moment. She hefts her backpack and tosses it to Stonetree. "Catch that, please!" she calls out, and starts looking around for a likely place to anchor a rope on her side of the pit.
Stonetree |
Stonetree catches the backpack and hefts it up to the other side of the pit and climbs up the rope on the far side of the pit.
Strength: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
Climb: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25
DM PatheticWretch |
Ansha finds a place to secure the rope on her side of the pit, then lowers the rope. Meanwhile, stonetree throws a rope up to Jivan.
The enchantress, Theodric, and Basayus now have a way down, should they choose to take it, while Kame and Stonetree have a way up from the pit.
Stonetree climbs up the rope to join Jivan.
Stonetree |
"Rope is all yours Kame"
As Stonetree walks to the edge of the light being projected from the other side of the pit, he turns and asks Jivan "So what has webbed feet and likes dark spaces?"
Stonetree removes a torch from his own pack and lights it.
Theodric Pepromeno |
"Ladies first. I'm sure it's easier than it looks."
Theo casts Guidance and uses Inspiring Command on Ansha. +3 stacked bonus on skill checks.
After Ansha was safely down, Theo likewise helped Basayus, then climbed down himself.
Theo casts Guidance and uses Inspiring Command on Basayus. +3 stacked bonus on skill checks.
Theo casts Guidance on himself. +1 bonus on skill checks.
Climb: 1d20 - 4 + 1 ⇒ (6) - 4 + 1 = 3
On his second step, Theodric slipped on one foot, then the other. His body swung into the wall. He twirled on the rope for a moment.
Easier than it looks... meaning it's only kind of hard.
Ansha Saeralyan PFS |
Climb: 1d20 - 2 + 3 ⇒ (4) - 2 + 3 = 5
Climb #2: 1d20 - 2 + 3 ⇒ (7) - 2 + 3 = 8
"I'm sure," Ansha replies sardonically, a crooked smile still on her lips. With that, the elf takes up the rope and slowly climbs her way down into the pit and back up the other side.
Once she is up the other side, she retrieves her pack. Grimacing as the straps dig into her shoulders, she looks at Stonetree. "We're looking for gillmen. I'm going to take a wild guess and say that they have webbed feet, and since we're looking for ones in a cave, they probably like dark spaces too."
Jivan |
If we're not under any time pressure, I think you can take 10 on the Climb check. Also, a knotted rope with a wall to brace against has a Climb DC of 0.
"Can someone use this wand on Stonetree?"
Theodric Pepromeno |
I didn't know the rope was knotted.
Climb Down: 1d20 - 4 + 1 ⇒ (16) - 4 + 1 = 13
Climb Up: 1d20 - 4 + 1 ⇒ (17) - 4 + 1 = 14
Theo took a deep breath in then slowly climbed down the rope. Despite gravity, climbing up seemed much easier.
"Save your charges. I'll take care of him."
Channel Energy: 1d6 ⇒ 1
Channel Energy: 1d6 ⇒ 2
Channel Energy: 1d6 ⇒ 5
"There you go, friend."
Stonetree |
Stonetree glanced back at Ansha and replied with a soft chuckle and grin "Not the punchline I was looking for"
He stretched and flexed to lossen the tightness through out his body after being treated by Theodric.
"Thanks friend. To be honest that fall took a bit out of me."
Turning to the group he asked "Shall we push forward?"
DM PatheticWretch |
Jivan examines the contents of the pack. Their halfling leader, as the group suspected, seems very prepared. She has even marked all of them items to ensure they are easily identified.
potion of feather step, potion of vanish, scroll of
entangle, scroll of gust of wind, scroll of identify, scroll of
mage armor (CL 6), scroll of obscuring mist, wand of burning
hands (CL 3rd, 4 charges), wand of cure light wounds (CL 3rd,
8 charges), acid, alchemist’s fire (2), holy water, smokestick,
tanglefoot bags (2), thunderstone;
Eventually, the rest of the group makes their way slowly down one rope, across the bottom of the pit, and up the second rope. The task is easier for some than for others.
Approximately thirty feet beyond the pit and out of sight around a corner is a long, 3-foot-wide wooden plank that rests against the cave’s wall.
The tunnels continue on, leading deeper beneath the Kortos Mounts until they eventually open into a large cavern. What must have once been beautifully carved reliefs and inscriptions have since weathered heavily, their features dulled and softened to the point that it is hard to distinguish what each once depicted. A wide tunnel exits the cavern on its far side, and blue-burning torches line the passageway’s walls.
Go ahead and give me a Knowledge:History or Knowledge:Religion roll to identify the carvings, though I will also take an Appraise or Perception at a -2 penalty.
Jivan |
Perception check, incl. penalty: 1d20 + 6 - 2 ⇒ (18) + 6 - 2 = 22
Jivan peers interestedly at the carvings. I wonder if these might be worth anything? We could probably get people down here to look at them, for a fee.
Ansha Saeralyan PFS |
The blond elf smirks at Stonetree's response.
She makes her way over to Jivan as he opens Janira's pack, and leans over his shoulder to take a look inside. "She's well-prepared," she observes. "Maybe we should hand this stuff out before we run into any trouble? I imagine it would be better to have it on-hand if the natives turn out to be unfriendly, rather than have it all sequestered away in that one pack."
After things are settled there, she follows along, pausing once they are in the large cavern to inspect the reliefs and inscriptions, torch held high to illuminate them better.
Appraise: 1d20 + 4 - 2 ⇒ (20) + 4 - 2 = 22