Crusk tries.
"Auggh!"
Loxley had grimaced at Crusk’s comment, but remained silent.
As the group moved around the ruins she was happy to have something else to think about. When they reached the narrowed edge Loxley glanced over it and grimaced again.
That seemed to be becoming a habit she noticed.
The other easily made the with little effort. She was bringing up the rear behind the newest members. Gunnar had slipped, but managed to save himself thanks to the rope Corrin had secured.
Crusk was next and he had met a similar fate.
‘Okay, you can do this.’
Loxley thought to herself. She took a deep breath and took the rope herself. Carefully she searched for footing and edged out.
Everything seemed to be going okay… until it wasn’t.
The crumbling surface that had claimed the two before her held no mercy. Rocks shifted and Loxley screamed as she fell.
”AAAaaahh!”
Her hands reacted without thinking and she snatched for the rope. The rough fibers digging into palms as she clamped down on it with both hands like vices.
”Ow, ow, ow….”
Loxley groaned when she finally stopped. Slowly she pulled herself back up.
Sazzat proceeded to be rearguard feeling confident at his ability to navigate the bridge. While waiting he made sure to secure this end of the rope so that when it came time for them to leave nothing special would need to be done, assuming it was not messed with in the mean time.
The rock had withstood centuries of erosion. A silent vigil against the wind and water. Solid and stoic it remained, resilient to everything that wind and rain could hurl at it.
but time was its ultimate enemy.
A crack, in the islands past, had formed. it slowly branched out, from exposed face to the interior of the stone, snaking, sneaking, branching out. more and more it cut, snapping asunder.
all that was needed, all that it took as a weight to move it, to snap it free...
Gunnar's misstep started the process. He slipped, fell. He slams hard onto the rock, his grip vise like upon the rope that Corrin had suspended not moments before. His feet scrambled and kicked, finding purchase upon the craggy surface. He pushed with his feet as he pulled with his arms, finally standing upright and crossing the narrow land bridge.
The cracks connected deep inside.
Fine sands sifted out on the breeze, drifting lazily down to the waters below. Fine sands sifted, out of sight. The warning unnoticed by those that walked above.
Loxley crossed, and her soft feet slip in the same spot, her body slamming hard onto the rock. her yelp of surprise (and fear!) hidden by the sounds of waves crashing below, of wind blowing.
These same sounds hid the subtle noise of the rock cracking.
Sazzat flowed with elven ease, a glide upon the rock, his feet barely touching its surface for long...
but it was long enough.
The rock broke free a moment after Sazzat's weight lifted from the heavy support. A loud grind, of stone on stone, comes from below your feet. the ground trembles queerly, a vibration transmitted through your boots. All of you scramble back from the ledge, from the edge, and watch as a boulder, larger than a horse, breaks off and falls. Sunbaked rock flashes in the air with dark rich browns of wet rock, the boulder tumbling in the air. It arcs, ever so slightly, out away from the island itself, before finally splashing into the waters below. You look at the exposed area, where the boulder once was. Hanging obscenely above the gap, the edge of the fort dangles, supported by the walls that the corner post had supported not moments before.
Below, exposed to the elements for the first time, you see a man made cut out in the rock not 15 feet below you. a bed balances precariously upon the exposed lip, while a small table totters and falls out into the waters. An open doorway gapes into inky blackness beyond.
Sazzat looks down at the new opening that was just provided and asks, "So shall we take this new entrance into the lower levels or continue searching for any other entrances or simply entry as we did before?"
|
Gunnar, who is still recovering from the near-death experience, tells Sazzat "Anything... anything that doesn't involve doing that again." He tells Corrin "Good work with that rope! I'll have it back now. Also, let's go back a different way."
He finally looks into the broken rock and says "I'm not a mason, but, if this were to hold, I guess it's an entrance made for us. Except that we haven't checked the boat yet, which is the whole reason we came this way."
Loxley looked down into the newly uncovered interior and felt her stomach do a little flip-flop. If one of them had been crossing when that fell…
She didn’t want to think about it.
Even though it had been a general consensus to check the boat, Loxley still felt this was somehow her fault.
”I could have gotten one of us killed.”
She muttered under her breath to herself. She should have thought up a safer way across.
Loxley shook her head.
Venturing down that trail of thought would do her no good. Just lead her to further doubts and second guessing herself.
She tried to compose herself and looked back to the others.
”Everyone alright?”
She asked.
She regarded Sazzat.
”If we want to do that, we will need to be much more careful.”
Sazzat shrugs at Loxley's comment saying, "Yeah," then continues while looking at the others specifically those that had nearly fallen, probably not a good idea, besides the previous entrance was exceptionally easy and probably still is, assuming their is no hidden back door."
Crusk has also fallen. He wasn't an athlete, so climbing wasn't his thing. "Help," he says.
"Yes, perfectly so." Zeldana answered to Loxley, however she heard Crusk and looked over the side. "Tie the rope around you and we'll just pull you up!" She called down.
Crusk ties the rope securely around his middle. He could barely stand. "I think I might have broken a leg," he announces.
Yeda had taken their balancing act in stride. The rocks giving way wasn't too surprising in this ancient place.
She nods in response to Loxley's question.
Yes, alright.
Then she faintly hears Crusk's voice. Glancing down at him and sighing she waits for him to secure the rope before starting to pull him up with the other end.
She looks back at Corrin and others. A hand?
"I tripped," he said, "nothing broken."
Phew!
Yeda backs away from Crusk, satisfied that he has only fallen.
Okay, then we can use the rope to get down into that area.
She points at the newly uncovered room.
Corrin chirps up But... the boat? he points towards the backside of the island, beyond the shrubs and short trees.
"Yeah let's go check out the boat", he motions for Corrin to lead the way, "and then look for a safer alternate entrance, or use the main entrance like before, I don't think Gunnar here", he gestures to Gunnar, "wants to try climbing down into that hole", he points at the hole in the wall, "and besides why take that risk when the main entrance was a lot safer and most likely still is."
"RIght ... the boat!
He began helping pull up those that needed pulled up and then leading the way to his newest discovery.... he was not as careful as he probably should have been considering the amount of trouble they had to this point.
"Boat first, yep!" Crusk agreed.
Loxley had feared the worse as the others aided Crusk. But once the bard was on solid ground breathed a sigh of relief and managed a smirk.
“Leave it to the bard to be over dramatic.”
She chuckled, but it sounded a little forced.
She glanced at Corrin.
”Yes, the boat.”
Loxley agreed.
”It would be rather silly to have gone through this and not check it.”
She nodded.
”Gods willing, we might find another entrance as well. I for one, do not want to temp that edge again.”
Loxley followed Corrin’s lead. After all he was the one that actually knew where it was.
Hugging the forts western wall, you quickly move from the cliff edge to where the mysterious boat lays moored.
The upside down boat itself is unimpressive. Just a hair over ten feet in length, half that in width, even exposed to the elements of wind and water, it looks rather well preserved. even the one oar half buried in sand seems to have resisted the elements and erosion of time. Black scorch marks mar its white painted exterior, an odd accent to an otherwise finely crafted wooden flotation device.
As the group approached the overturned boat Loxley eyed it curiously.
It looked to be in fine condition still. Either it hadn’t been there very long, or it was of excellent quality.
Stepping closer she ran a hand along a partially buried oar. The sand shifted and a glimpse of something white hinted at something else buried along with it.
Loxley crouched and looked a little closer. The breeze picked up a little and more grains slid away. Suddenly, a tiny mound revealed the epiphysis of a long bone, exposed again to the sun that had already bleached it white.
Loxley let out a small sigh.
”Has anyone gone missing on the waters in the recent past?”
She glanced back at Zeldana as she stepped up to the bow of the boat and crouched again. Carefully she brushed away at the sand in search of more remains.
Zeldana hummed as an answer to Loxley, before she moved up beside her took at what her friend had found.
Crusk looks at the bones. He lacks any skill to identify the bones. However, he does have bardic knowledge. Perhaps he can answer Loxley's riddle.
Sazzat stands by and watches as the others more closely investigate the small boat while also keeping an eye out for anything else and checking the walls for an alternate entrance.
Crusk had to sit down. This wasn't something he was sure of.
|
|
After analyzing the bones for a while, Gunnar looks at the others and... a little too sure says "These bones belonged to a dwarf. There is no way that I am wrong about this."
Afterwards, he announces "I would like to offer this dwarf a proper burial. I don't know who he or she worshiped, but I'll perform the rites as in Desna's tradition." He is not asking for permission or help, just stated the fact.
Yea frowns. Do you have standard rites for the anonymous? Are they… quick?
Not really paying attention the bones he was still curious about the boat. He had after all never been on one. they were... intruiging. He circled it once twice a third time... checking it for any holes in the bull or obvious cracks of gaps.... He then looked for the best place to flip it over so it was hull down.... finding a spot he crouched getting a good grip and he did his best to heave it up and over onto its proper side.
He wastn even sure if he distrubed the dirt built around it.... maybe he could use the oar like a prydar for better leverage?
Not really paying attention the bones he was still curious about the boat. He had after all never been on one. they were... intruiging. He circled it once twice a third time... checking it for any holes in the bull or obvious cracks of gaps.... He then looked for the best place to flip it over so it was hull down.... finding a spot he crouched getting a good grip and he did his best to heave it up and over onto its proper side.
Str chck: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10He wastn even sure if he distrubed the dirt built around it.... maybe he could use the oar like a prydar for better leverage?
"What are you trying to do, Corrin?" Crusk asked.
"Uhhh... flip the boat right side up so we can look in it?"
He began prodding the ground with one of his spears seeking a fulcrum point
Crusk helps Corrin and Gunnar to flip the boat on the right.
