"Hold on. I think Daseem, Ivan, and I will need to remove our armor for this. Bupkis, do you think you could take it over with you telekinetically, so it's there once we get to the other side?"
"Armor too heavy for telekinesis!", Bupkis replies.
"I can cast featherfall on you." Amira offers. "You just have to be over before it wears off. But you'd end up down in the dark anyway."
Bupkis surveys the supplies in the tool shed, plus the party's carried rope, and considers the feasibility of building a rope bridge over the chasm.
For a rope bridge there is a impeding lack of possibilities to tie a rope, much less a whole rope bridge to. It would bhave to be a bridge that is self supporting.
Daseem frowned at the gap and asked, "Dis the only w-way?" The idea of crossing this way didn't appeal, mid you neither did fighting the invisible flying fae...
"Me scouts!" Scrabbler said impulsively. He disappeared around the corner.
Bupkis peers down into the darkness. "Maybe something down there?", he wonders.
"It's possible, Bupkis. Daseem, can you cast a spell to create light on a rock we could drop down there?"
The bridge is the one where you were attacked by the invisible fey.
Daseem shrugged and looked around. He didn't have a rock, but he did have a copper coin. Easy come easy go he thought as he prayed. Gorum's blessing made the coin glow with a dull reddish light reminiscent of freshly spilled blood. Cameron flicked the coin into the darkness where Bupkis had pointed.
With the coin tumbling down it becomes clear that there are more flies to have. Some hundred feet down a mound of compost catches and half swallows the coin and most of the light with it. But there seems to be nothing of interest down there.
Bupkis stares down into the depths below and comments, "If lily pads don't support big folk, Daseem, Ivan and Menrozzar can climb down, walk to other side, and climb back up with rope. Would have to secure rope; we have pitons?
"But maybe test lily pads first."
"It's not the support I'm worried about. It's the fact that it's hard to jump if we're wearing or carrying heavy armor I'm worried about. It's a long fall if we miss a jump."
Bupkis spaces out for a minute before replying, "Suspend armor from rope, and pull across. Can be done."
Ivan grumpily stows his heavy armor away and puts on his lighter gear. He hooks the shield over his back and looks to the others.
alright, fact is, it seems we gotta get cross this 'ere.... whatever it is. Might as well start. Way I see it, one can cross with a rope tied round 'em while tha' others hold the rope. If'n we still have that belt we found in the caves, it might make it easier.
Daseem watches to see how Ivan gets on. If it doesn't seem to bad he decided he'd follow suit, not that he liked the idea of abandoning his armor!
Scrabbler came scampering back.
"Goes to inside a big tree, downs there!" he pointed below into the dark beneath the lily pads. "Well, not rights there, but like there. Under the bridge with the not-see-um things!"
Bupkis asks for another length of rope to tie onto his silk rope. He explains, "Daseem and Menrozzar hold another rope from here. Bupkis takes this rope and pulls from around corner on other side." He gives one end of his rope to Ivan, and carefully hops across the lily pads to the other side.
He goes around the corner and a little bit down the stairs, and gets ready to take up the slack. "Goblins work together!", he calls to Scrabbler.
Scrabbler's eyes went wide, looking between himself and Bupkis, and the much larger Dwarf. Anyone with even rudimentary self preservation instincts would have been able to see that it was a terrible idea that would probably send them all careening into the abyss.
"Oh, good ideas!"
Menrozzar nods. "Good idea, Bupkis. Daseem, let's get set up for it." Menrozzar takes one end of the rope and braces himself holding it, leaving an end for Daseem.
Daseem thought the plan was a goblin joke at first, he couldn't believe they were doing it, 'This is ludicrous! Seems I joined the circus after all... Somebody is going to get hurt doing this, I know it!'
Not daring to say anything he nodded to Menrozzar and gripped his end of the rope.
Ivan hefts his gear and shield onto his back so it weighs him down less, ties the rope round his waste. And moves to jump across the leaves.
Ivan makes it easily over to the other side and all the tension falls off. Could have gone bad, but for once it didn't.
Bupkis unties the ropes around Ivan's waist, and ties them to each other, so the rope can be re-positioned for the next person. "Ivan takes Bupkis spot," he suggests, and heads back across the lily pads.
"Who next?", he asks.
"Bupkis smart gobbo," Scrabbler grinned proudly.
Ivan puts his armor back on and shouts to the others.
Alright, When ye ready, go!
Even with little to no acrobartc talent everyone makes it over the lily pads without ending as future organic fertilizer down in the abyss of compost. The group follows Scrabbler, to where he already ahs been. The greenhouse.
All manner of exotic flora fills this massive conservatory. A thick mist floats just above the ground, carpeting the area in a perpetual fog. The air is moist, and a thousand smells, both pleasant and pungent, waft throughout the area. Water drips from a bridge high above, falling like rain to the greenhouse’s floor. A constant symphony of birdsong and other animal noises fills the air.
Daseem watched Ivan and when the dwarf made it, Daseem decided that if Ivan could do it he could too. To make things easier he took off his armor and packed it away in his bag which he hoped they could haul over separately. He then tied the rope to his waste and whispered, "Gorum!" for luck before moving to jump across the leaves just as Ivan had done.
2nd: Iron Skin, Weapon of Awe
Daseem follows Scrabbler into the greenhouse and looks across to the south, wondering what they where supposed to do here.
Bupkis walks down the stairs and looks in wonderment at the exotic plants all around him. He tries to spot the birds and animals filling the air with their calls. "Such a beautiful place!", he exclaims.
The doors to the south are also in a hollow tree. Which would prevent you from seeing them, even if you could see through the jungle growing here. Which you can't.[/ooc]
Ivan is hit by the plethora of smells and sounds, which don't seem particularly to effect his mood one way or another, but does cause him to twitch his nose for several seconds.
Bah. is the only response Ivan gives to scrabblers thought. Though you can't help but notice him slowly cast his gaze around the room, taking in the sight.
As he looks around the area. He glances up towards the bridge and draws his hammer as he steps toward the other side.
lets be done with this lads n lassie, I'd rather we finish an leave this place be, sooner than later.
Menrozzar removed his armor for the crossing as well, making sure to put it back on once he was across. He also takes the time to grind up the chalk, in case that invisible thing came after them.
The cacophony of sound and the misty fog make for difficulty spotting enemies, but the beauty of the vault of thorns is impressive - the druids clearly knew what they were doing when they made it.
Daseem wordlessly nodded as Ivan spoke about getting it done. Hand on the hilt of his sword he stood beside the dwarf as they set out to try and cross the garden, or perhaps jungle was a better word.
he tried to keep a sharp look out as he did but the flora was a marvel and he found his eye drawn to unusual and colorful plants surrounding them.
Bupkis wanders south, looking at the wonderful flora. He occasionally stands entranced for a few moments, forgetting about their mission, before looking up and hurrying to catch up with the others.
Scrabbler slipped ahead of the party to look around, disappearing into the green.
Menrozzar nodded in agreement. "Let's go." He tightened his grip on his lucerne hammer as he stepped into the verdant forest with the others.
Scrabbler disappears into the green. While the others still enjoy the view and the sounds and the smell Scrabbler finds where the next creature lurks.
Unluckily he notices not before the tree like crature leashes out at him and grabs him with one of it's appendages.
Ivan keeps trudging toward the other side.
Scrabbler squawked in surprise. "Haaaalp!"
Ivan sprints off towards the area he heard scrabbler shout, cursing and muttering all the way.
Bupkis thinks he can hear Scrabbler calling out, but can't decide what to do about it.
Menrozzar goes barreling off through the undergrowth towards Scrabbler's scream, outpacing both Ivan and Daseem.
The others hurry throught the jungle only to see how Scrabbler is dragged to the mouth like opening of the plant and stuffed in. A short wiggle of the feet later he is gone.