As he hears the combat end, Drakra bravely peaks out from behind the rock outcropping which he was protecting. When Ali speaks, the gnome puffs out his chest and saunters forward.
Of course I did a fine job. I flushed those deadly vermin out and led them into that expertly set trap you set.
As you make your way through the room, you find that there is a torn bedroll, and the remains of a campfire. Several bones from past meals lie about, a bent fishook, 10 feet of badly frayed hemp rope.
You find a copper brooch depicting a bat perched on a mushroom, with both the bat's eyes as tiny amethysts.
The cavern tapers down to another tunnel that travels further to the east.
Godwin picks up the brooch and shows it to the others. Would anyone know of its true value?
Godwin casts Detect Magic on it and, if it shows magical, tries to determine what kind of magic it possesses.
(+2 if it's evil)
Godwin picks up the brooch and shows it to the others. Would anyone know of its true value?
Ali took a closer look at the brooch but shook his head, "No idea but I bet it was valuable to whatever poor soul lost it."
After making sure everyone was OK, he suggested, "Let's go back and see the other cavern. Like I said before, I hate to leave a path to our backs for anyone."
He turned to the gnome, "You see, your skills are very useful here. Try to bring back something edible next time; I don't like cockroaches. You ready?"
Godwin nods at Ali's suggestion. Lead on.
You all move back to the southern tunnel and travel for a bit until you come to a cave, with an exit to the east once again. The area looks like it also suffered from the cave in, and you recognize bits and pieces of buildings from Kenabres in the rubble. On one particular ledge about fourteen feet up, you see a strap dangling over the ledge. The strap belongs to a backpack that looks like it came down in the collapse, but didn't quite make it to the floor. Above it is a fissure that is all but choked with rubble, and closed off.
Remaining close to the injured and the merchant Godwin casts Detect Magic again and focuses on the backpack.
Drakra looks up at the backpack:
Looks like something fell and ended up there. I am not great at climbing, but might as well see if it is something useful.
With that, the small gnome attempts to climb up:
Climb: <-- and fails. Not miserably, but with style.
Ali quietly chuckled at the gnome's attempt, "I'm not much better at it so let's see if we have some agile partners here."
The inquisitor kept watch as it waited for someone to retrieve the backpack.
Godwin attempts to climb up to the backpack
" Couldn't tell what its worth or for,. hopefully just a jewelry piece, but who knows it could have some cultish religious significance as well." Flynn shrugs after looking at the brooch.
"Careful fellows. The rock fall could be unstable. Hate to have to make MORE crutches." He says , winking at the ranger.
Drakra attempts to make the climb, but a handhold crumbles and he starts to slide back down, managing a quick tumble he lands solidly on his feet.
Godwin manages to make the climb, and snags the backpack from off the ledge.
You all notice as you wait for Godwin to come down with the pack, that a tunnel leads out of the cave to the east.
Horgus watches as Drakra slides back down "Hmmph...Should have just let the other one climb in the first place. Anyone can see that the rock is loose and smaller handholds are more apt to break apart. I should be doing the thinking for the group."
Ali was alert watching Godwin, making sure nothing strange happened to him. He spotted the tunnel and pointed his finger towards the east. "That looks like our way out of here. Everybody hanging in there?"
Godwin relates what is in the backpack.
Good supplies these. Hopefully we will not need to use them by the time we escape these caverns but who can say? Can anyone identify what these potions might be? Perhaps I should hold on to this backpack we get out unless.. Anevia.. you might want the arrows?
Godwin nods at Ali. Let us continue. Same formation as before.
Drakra looks up at Horgus:
You are welcome to make all the decisions for the group, and to lead the scouting expedition, and to be the first into battle, and to be the first to die.
The red haired gnome pauses for a moment to let this sink in:
However, until you have something of value to add to our group other than the girth of your midsection, I would recommend you remain silent lest you attract the attention of a non-dead spider looking for a fat juicy slow moving meal.
Shaking his head at the grumpy Noble and the antagonizing gnome, Flynn falls back to his place at the rear of the group.
Don't these people realize that there may be nothing left on the surface? Terendelev is dead, the demons are loose. We may need each other before this is done....And that's IF we get out of these caverns.
Frowning in brooding silence, Flynn plods along watching the others from rearguard.
Anevia takes the arrows with a smile, "This should help out. I'll do my best. If the wound in my leg wasn't as bad I could put a little bit of weight on it." Despite gritting her teeth in the effort, she takes a stance and pulls her bow with a bit of a nod.
Aravashinial turns his head in Godwin's direction, "I may be able to identify the potions, it would be a good thing to know if we have something we can use." He holds his hands out clearly feeling for the potion bottles.
As you travel eastwards, you see that the tunnel branches. The west branch connects back up to the cavern that you found the giant cockroaches in, and to the east, the tunnel appears to have suffered less damage in the collapse than the previous tunnels.
Godwin passes the bottles carefully to Aravashinial and then retrieves them after they're identified keeping them in the finely made backpack that they were in previously.
Are we ready to proceed to the East, Iomedae willing we will see the light of the sun soon enough
Are we ready to proceed to the East, Iomedae willing we will see the light of the sun soon enough
Light and sun sounded really good to Ali. He nodded, "We're good here."
He looked at the archer, "Are you OK? My skills as a healer are not... the best but perhaps there is something I can do to ease your pain."
Looking at the leg, you see that it is still bruised, and battered, and most likely causing pain just from the damage. The bone itself is shattered, so would need regenerative magic to give her the chance to walk normally again.
Drakra also looks up at the wounded archer:
I have some healing magic. Nothing spectacular, but it might take the bite off your injuries. I doubt my magic could repair the break though.
Looking at the leg, you see that it is still bruised, and battered, and most likely causing pain just from the damage. The bone itself is shattered, so would need regenerative magic to give her the chance to walk normally again.
Ali set his knee on the ground and inspected her leg. "Here, I can help with some of this but it will still take time to heal completely."
The man then closed his eyes and his hand became translucent, as if glowing from within. The heat off the hand was also palpable to those around him and the archer faltered for a second. Just enough for Ali to press his hand to the injured leg and making her involuntarily gasp. There was a brief moment of intense pain which quickly left.
Ali bowed his head, "Sorry for the pain but it should feel better now."
" We should keep moving. It is imperative that we reach the surface as soon as possible."
Io, be safe boy. I'm coming. Lady Inheritor please keep them safe.
Anevia lets out an audible sigh of relief as Ali casts his spell, and most of the bruising around the break fades away. Anevia tests her weight on the leg, and finds that she can hobble on the leg without the use of the crutch, but still at a much slower pace than normal. She looks up at Ali and the rest of the group, "Thank you."
Horgus lets out his typical 'harumph' as the group takes time to tend to Anevia.
Travelling to the east once again, you go down the tunnel for quite some time. You think it to be about 30 minutes, but with no sun for reference, time is proving to be tricky. Eventually you come to a junction. To the north is a 5' wide corridor that seems to end in an odd green glow, and to the south, the tunnel continues on beyond the reach of either you light, or other vision.
Darkness or a mysterious green light Godwin shakes his head. Neither option is very appealing
Darkness or a mysterious green light Godwin shakes his head. Neither option is very appealing
Ali agreed, "Let the Dawn's light chase away the darkness." His hand lit up and flickered like a torch. "C'mon, let's not be afraid of the darkness."
Drakra catches up, partially out of breath from the long(ish) walk.
Why don't we send Porkus - He points over his shoulder at Horgus - to check out the green glow, while we stop for a meal. If he does not come back, we will know that we should take caution going that way.
Drakra! Godwin says in an admonishing tone Horgus is a honoured guest of Kenabres. It is our shame that he was not protected and is instead trudging through dark caverns just to attempt to get to safety. I would suggest you apologize or keep quiet about him.
Turning to Horgus Please forgive the rude outburst. It has been a stressful time for all of us I'm sure you'll agree. Rest assured that we are all dedicated to your protection.
Drakra turns, puts his hands on his hips and puffs his chest out, while looking up at Godwin. Something that likely would have caused all to burst out laughing were it not for the fact that you are unsure whether the tiny gnome is serious or not.
He is not a guest. He is lucky he is here. So far, we have rescued him and kept him from getting eaten by all sorts of critters. He should be begging us to keep him with us, and offering all sorts of rewards, such as polishing our shoes and cleaning our clothes, just to keep him and his sour attitude with us.
I will not throw him to whatever substitutes for wolves in this dungeon, but I will not aid him either until he learns some manners and acknowledges that we are his saviors, not his servants.
" He's going to need our protection even more if we keep on about it. Let's work together and get out of here already."
Flynn admonishes as he tries to get them moving again.
Ahh Milady. Save me from the self righteous and the self important...
His is our guest as far as I am concerned little one. It is important that we stay together and those of us who can fight help those of us who can't. But yes, Flynn speaks truly. Let's investigate the dark place.
Horgus looks about to say something to Drakra, before Godwin and others speak. At that point he just nods his head with his arms crossed and holds his head up.
The group turns and leaves the green glowing cavern in its wake and heads down the darkened corridor. After about 40 minutes of travel, the group starts to feel that the corridor is heading upwards, but that feeling ends shortly after, when the corridor opens to a large natural cavern. Stone figures are carved into the walls of this cavern. Each depicts a different crusader clad in armor and wielding weapons, but their carved stone features contain expressions of sadness.
After travelling for a ways in the dark, prudence demandes that the group make sure nothing could be following them from the odd light source they left at their backs. The party turns back the way they came. Horgus harumphs and states under his breath "Now we can't even figure out which way we want to go."
Aravashinial turns his head in Horgus' direction, "Would you rather something came at us in the dark? At least turning back we know that there is nothing for ten minutes." He turns back to the Godwin, Ali, Drakra (or at least somewhat in their direction) [b]"This is a wise course of action."[/b'
The group marches back to the green glow, and after a slight squeeze, finds themselves in a 30 foot high cavern, lit by strange green lichen, with a single sizable 20 foot tall building in its center. The bunkerlike structure has no windows, and walls of worked stone blocks. A 10 foot carving of a hammer decorates the building's facade. The ruins of collapsed outbuildings stand to either side.
Does this appear to be a building that fell as we did? Or something that was actually built here?
Drakra carefully scans the building from where they are standing attempting to discern whether there is any apparent entrance. He will also carefully move around the outside of the chamber searching for any bad guys or other exits/entrances to the chamber.
Perception:
Stealth:
If they are close enough, he will investigate the collapsed out buildings, but will not go farther in any other than to see whether there is anything to investigate in them, or anything hiding in them that might want to eat him.
A hammer... underneath Kenenbras Godwin considers the structure.
Oops, forgot about a Know(religion) check.
Know(religion): <-- nope, Drakra never payed much attention to that part of the religious history book.
Oblivious to what the hammer showed, Ali was weary, "Anybody know what this is?"
He loosened his scimitar and waited for Drakra to come back.
Torag.. honourable god of the dwarves and stalwart foe of evil Godwin ducks his head to show his respect. However I fear Torag's protection no longer stands guard here. It seems old, broken, and empty.
Seeing the giant fly, Drakra carefully makes his way back to where the rest of the party awaits.
Stealth:
Let the rest of the party know if Drakra makes it back so they can read the next spoiler.
Don't forget any distance modifiers with any perception checks.
All, if GMS approves, read the following.
Drakra suddenly appears out of the shadows at the base of the cavern wall looking very small and out of breath.
Quietly: Remember those maggots we fought? Well, mom seems to be hiding behind the back of the building.
Godwin nods. Do you wish to repeat the same trick as before? he says to Drakra.