"Sounds good to me, let me show you that path I found." It had looked like while she was catching up, the group was deciding to turn around anyway. Which was fine with Misha, she was ready to have a rest.
She also wanted to study the symbols she sketched, and share them with the others to see what they thought.
If our master dwarf agrees let's move to the camp Misha spotted and set up the usual! Let’s try to be extra cautious this night, know we are in enemy territory from now on!
As the group heads to the camp site that Misha has found, Rikar says to everyone, "Well, I'm glad we started with a little look into that tunnel, as I've learned something already. We had heard that the goblins and orcs were working together, which is strange enough. But the tracks in the tunnel told me that, a couple of days back, there was a group of orcs, goblins and humans that passed through there, and they weren't fighting each other as I'd expect."
"Disturbing news. But it changes nothing. No chance they were prisoners?"
While she had the quick breakfast they were now used to, Sezira checked and cleaned her equipment as she did every morning. It was part of her discipline. A routine that she never broke. She watches the others prepare their magics, curious. She had several magical abilities she could use thanks to her heritage. She was sure she could become a powerful sorcerer if she trained but it hadn't been to her interest or her families benefit. She asks Misha about how she discovered her talents with magic and shares knowledge of her own abilities.
As they are walking back towards the entrance she is constantly looking around.
In response to Sezira, Rikar says, "I doubt the humans were prisoners, unless the goblins and orcs bring their prisoners to stand guard duty. There were maybe half a dozen all in, and they came from deeper inside the mountain, stayed at the guard post a while, and went back into the mountain. And this was a few days ago."
Thinking for a moment, he adds, "I agree that this doesn't change our plan, to start into the mountain in the morning. But as we've agreed before, knowing your enemy is key, and we now know that our enemy is likely smarter than we thought, and that's not good news. I'd rather face an enemy that is stronger, rather than smarter, as smarter is far more dangerous. But I don't usually get to make that choice," he adds with a quick grin.
In the morning, Rikar feeds himself and Goma and checks over his weapons as the group prepares for their journey into Mount Moru. He chats with Sezira and asks "Would you like to take point as we go inside, or shall I? Or we could both go in front."
As the party approaches the entrance, Rikar looks and listens for any potential threats and scans the area for tracks. Goma walks by his side, nose and ears tuned for any surprises.
Since the discussion with the goblin Borris didnt speak much he is honostly stil a bit anoyed by the whole situation and feels a bit uneasy
at leased I can train my skils..
"Let us work together in this Rikar. Two may see what one misses. We should go ahead of the others to make sure it is safe to proceed, scouting each area for enemies, traps or information." At the entrance again she stands at the front by Rikar, ready to enter.
Redona had slept fitfully the night before. She was upset because Borris hadn't acknowledged her trying to make amends, but she was socially meek when she was uncomfortable, so it mostly just came out as her being especially quiet. She helped search up until the others went off to sneak, though.
Borris folowed Seizira and Rikar in the tunnel sword and klar at the ready!
perception
P; S;
Waking from the cold night, and after everyone prepares for the new day, you head back to the cave entrance. Sezira and Rikar with Goma take the lead. Josef casts Dancing Lights and four torch light globes appear twenty to forty feet in front of the lead scouts, and Misha follows suit and casts Dancing Lights so everyone else can see where they are walking.
Proceeding into the mountain along the twenty foot wide tunnel, you come to the small twenty by twenty foot guard area on the left that Rikar found yesterday. As there is no one there, and no fresh tracks, you continue down the tunnel. After another forty feet of going north into the mountain, you come upon a an old tunnel to the west (left) that is about sixty feet deep by twenty feet wide. This old tunnel has no features except for old mine debris and the clear appearance of a digging job interrupted long ago.
Continuing further, you move sixty feet and Sezira sees a junction forty feet ahead. It appears that from there, you could continue straight, or turn left or right. In the middle of the tunnel is an overturned mine wagon among a pile of debris.
She asks Misha about how she discovered her talents with magic and shares knowledge of her own abilities.
"Ah, well some things I've just picked up here and there, but I did spend some time at a bardic academy in Magnimar, in the course of my studies. After all, where better to go to learn the world's lore and the best way to share it? The magic training they give was handy and I took to it. Otherwise I am not much of a performer, which is the other side of the bardic arts, so once I learned what I could, I got out of their hair."
Misha follows carefully, one hand firmly on the mule's reins, just in case Sunshine has her own ideas about which direction to take.
At the sight of the wagon, Misha approaches it but does not touch it, examining it closely. , she moves one of her dancing lights toward the cart to see if there is anything underneath it.
Sezira tells the others of the cart and approaches it carefully. She searches the debris if there is nothing else immediately happening.
Rikar says very quietly to Sezira, trusting in his elf companion's sharp ears, "Josef is right, this looks like a perfect ambush set-up. Have a care." His sword held out low in front of him, he then joins the elf in approaching the cart quietly, waving for Goma to accompany him.
Borris at his best Also moves along right after Rikar and seizira staying within 10 feet of the person who is on point.
yes they would be a nice spot for an ambush! Dain be carefull at the back mate! Longsword and Klar at the ready borris moves forward with the rest his eyes not on the cart but on his suroundings.
perception
Misha of course upon hearing about the mysteriously overturned cart immediately wants to bound toward it and see what's underneath. As the others hiss warnings about ambushes, she stops short. She might be blushing, but suddenly the nearby dancing lights are angled so as not to cast much light on her face.
Observing the party go into sneaky sneaky mode as Sezira leads the way toward the intersection, she hangs back with the mule. She tries to remain alert, keeping an eye on her companions and on their surroundings.
Dain:
Josef:
Misha: -- 11
Redona:
Rikar: -- 19
Sezira: -- 21
ROUS; s;p;a;d;
Dain:
Josef:
Misha:
Redona:
Rikar:
Sezira:
ROUS;
ROUS 2nd attack;
Sezira utters a strange elven curse as the rat's teeth sink in to her leg.
Reacting quickly, Rikar steps forward and drives the tip of his greatsword through the rat's skull, pinning it to the cave floor.
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Dropping the dart in favor of his walking stick, Josef steps up and swings the quarterstaff against the rodent of unusual size
attack; damage.
"Could be worse, I suppose. How you feeling, Sezira?"
Borris moves in when he has the opertunity and strikes at the rats!
If Sezira's notably wounded (more than 1-2 HP damage), Misha will move to her and cast CLW (). If she is not, Misha will move toward the fight and draw her weapons.
Redona moves to attack the closest enemy she can reach if she can. Otherwise she just moves closer.
Shortspear damage
Josef moves up to the rat, swings and just misses, however Rikar manages to cleave the beast in half.
Searching the cart debris, you find 3 small silver nuggets.
There is an tunnel to your left (west), straight ahead (north) and to the right (east).
Rikar says quietly, "I'd like to just head straight into the mountain, but I don't like the idea of leaving unknown spots behind us." Pointing to the tunnel to the left, he says "I saw we check out this one, then the one to the right, then we can head deeper in once we're sure we're not leaving any surprises at our backs. Sezira, ready to take point with me again, after your rat bite?"
Before proceeding, Rikar checks the floor of the cavern for evidence of tracks, those he has been following and any others.
Rikar notices that the trail of goblin, orc and human footprints take the right hand passage.
Then lets folow the trail!
"Remember we're on a mission to find information and evidence... I agree with Rikar that a thorough approach would be best, and taking the left path first therefore would be a good idea. Although if there are not tracks leading that way, we'd best be wary of the possible reasons why."
"I'll be alright. Hopefully it wasn't diseased."
Sezira agrees with Misha that they should go left first.
Borris looks confused there is no reason why left is anny shorter than right but left is a sure way to some answers! But borris has learned his lesson, shrughs and turns towards the left side.
Okay lets go left then!
Redona nods at the group's decision to go left. She continues walking with the group, her spear out in case she needed it in the dangerous tunnels.
Dain:
Josef:
Misha:
Redona:
Rikar:
Sezira:
We Shall Seek the Dragon Lord
Rikar looks around the dead-end tunnel, then says to the group, "Any idea what this writing says?"
Misha bounded toward the stone that Sezira pointed out, excited by the first prospect of something interesting. She examined it intently, and silently cursed herself though for never finding the time to study language as much as she'd liked, and though she'd been trying to catch up, at the moment, its meaning eluded her. She pulled out her journal though, and flipped through to her notes from Fiall's journal, to see if they might illuminate anything.
"Sadly," she says as she flips through her journal, "This is fairly new... put up no more than a year ago or so... but I'm looking to see if there'd be anything I took notes on from Fiall's journal that still might illuminate the meaning..."
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"Well, take notes, and we'll come back to it after we learn the strange tongue. I intend to learn all the languages of the nearby area, so we'll just chalk it up to a 'future experience' for the moment."
Josef leans on his quarterstaff and illuminates the area to better see what's going on, but can contribute little else to the investigation for the moment.
"Back the other way, then?"
Sezira walks over to the little statue and examines it quickly.
Whatever it might say was lost on her for now. Well there was nothing else here to see so she decided to push on and check the right dead end before returning to the main intersection.
Misha nods at Josef. "He did mention there is a local tongue, Morudhain... but he himself did not get the opportunity to learn it. Let's hope we do!" She pulls out her writing kit and quickly copies down the strange words as best she can manage, before packing things away again and following the party back toward the intersection.
when the others go look at the statue borris is kinda sceptical Strange how they all get excited about a few lines of words!!
Borris stays alitle from the end of the tunnel leaning towards the way forwardalowing the two leaders to pass em when they get back on the move
Redona looks at the statue as well, but isn't an expert on things like this. "I wonder if the words are important?" she says aloud. She's sure they are, if someone took the time to carve them in something, but she wasn't sure what they meant.