As Skaar starts to scale the cliff, Drogusk calls out. " 'Ey! Take this." He pulls 50' of rope out of his pack and tosses it towards the larger Orc.
"And this, as well," Tasha says, handing over her own coil of silk rope. "I can't climb that cliff to save my life..."
Davro will climb last, hopefully making him able to catch anyone who falls with his high climb score. Doraga will free climb with his climb speed.
How many checks?
If taking 10 is possible I'll do that.
Edit: looks like I fall somewhere between 50 and 100 feet...
Over the next few minutes, Skaar carefully knots the ropes and binds them together. He dangles the completed project over the edge and braces. ”Come on up!”
As Drogusk and Tasha try to move through the falls, the strong current buffets them, ripping them free from the rope ... and the cliff! Gravity takes it's toll and they begin plummeting.
Drogusk lays there staring at the sky while the harness knits him back together.
Skaar winces as a couple of his companions lose their grip and fall to the bottom with a *crunch*. For a big strong half-orc, the one is lacking conditioning, he thinks as he braces.
"Grab a hold. I'll haul you up."
Tasha does not respond. She lies silent and still, blood trickling for her wounds...
"I think we're going to be down here for a bit..." Drogusk calls out. "What do you see?"
Seeing Tasha fall Davro watches for sign of movement, when he doesn't see any he makes his way back down and draws his wand.
Davro grabs Tasha before she can fall, snatching her out of the air with a single hand even as he clings to the wall with his other. Having her grab the rope, Skaar is able to pull her into the cave, then follows suit with Drogusk, who's sore from his fall.
Turning to the cave, you find yourselves in a large, domed chamber lit by sparkling crystals that encrust the ceiling. The floor is a pool of water, perfectly still aside from an occasional drip from the ceiling. The chamber is frigidly cold, and even with the roaring waterfall outside, it’s very quiet inside. On the opposite side of the pool sits a venerable human woman in a simple gown of rough-spun gray wool, and barefoot.
She looks up as you enter, her eyes following you despite milky-white pupils that make her appear blind. She says nothing, until Drogusk arrive, at which point she speaks in a raspy voice.
“Which of the four elements holds sovereign over all the others?”
The Wizard solemnly nods her thanks to Davro for the timely rescue.
When the group has entered the cave and the question is asked of them... "None," Tasha replies after a moment of thought. "The four are in an ever-shifting balance, with one gaining supremacy in time, only to be overtaken by another in its turn."
Davro stands, hand on his sheathed falchion, watching the woman intently.
"Fire." Drugusk answers quickly.
BrainPal answers aloud.
The woman smiles at Drogusk's answer.
"Even a child knows that water can quench the mightiest flame. No, my Numerian friend, I am afraid your companion is correct. Each element holds sway over the others in its turn.
"Why have you come to me?"
She nods gravely.
“What was, will be again. This is the great truth, obscured by our too-short lives," she says.
Catching a few drops of water in her outstretched hand, she turns her palm, letting the drops slip slowly to the ground.
“So the water passes from my chambers to the sea. Though it takes a thousand thousand years, in the fullness of time, those drops will rain down again within this cave, long after all we know has departed. So too, the Queen of the Inferno’s wrath has claimed towns before.
“Yet not all were consumed by fire. In the sea to the southeast is an ancient mountain island -- an island where legends dwell. None sail to it. Its waters are perilous, its land is cursed. Once, the fires beneath this island stirred as the fires beneath Theana do now, stoked by the Queen’s burning rage.
“The Queen’s wrath is a terrible thing. It is known as the unquenchable fire. Yet each element in its place reigns above all others, a wheel ever turning. Unquenchable, perhaps, but will her fire burn if she has to rage to feed and fan it? The tears of last remorse, brought to the heart of the Queen’s anger, can quench this immortal rage. So it was done on Arakau in an age long forgotten.
“All the waters of this world are as one. The waters of Arakau speak to me through the waters of my grotto. Their voice whispers that the tears yet linger where the Queen’s wrath was stilled. Seek out the island. There, look to wind and sky to find the path that you must travel.
“So the waters have spoken, so I have told. Time is short. The goddess’s anger wells up from the world’s core, ever closer to breaching Theana and consuming Blackcrag Cove. You must go. Take with you these totems of heroes long past—heroes who once stood against the wrath of the Inferno. Take these totems and cross the waves to Arakau. Close the circle, turn the wheel, and cleanse her fury from our land.”
With that, she reaches into the water and pulls forth five items that were not previously in the clear pool, each far too tarnished and weathered by time to be of use: A large belt, clearly more decorative than useful; a red leather scabbard stamped with a dragon and a rose and two golden cords hanging from the opening; a small metal board, multicolored beads and wires running across it; a long strip of leather, braided into a leash; and a simple amulet, formed into the shape of a fox, with amber chips serving as eyes.
Skaar's head spins at all the cryptic wisdom and information. He did pick up on the first step: They had to cross the sea to an island called Arakau. The big looks to his companions and then nods in thanks.
When the seer reveals the assorted trinkets, the big orc puzzles over them - totems of heroes long past. He fishes out the belt. It reminded him of someone he used to know. Skaar wraps it across his powerful torso like a sash. "Thanks for all your help", he rumbles.
As you pick up the belt, you feel a rush of power run through your veins and thews.
Bowing politely to the Oracle, Tasha accepts the fox-amulet, slipping it over her neck.
"I humbly thank you for your help in this matter," she says in a grave tone of voice. "If you will allow it, should we all survive this endeavour, I would like to return here and speak with you at length, that I might partake of your wisdom."
As you slips the amulet over your head, you feel a rush of power run through your veins and thews.
Tasha's eyes widen and stare into the distance, her lips parting just enough for a sigh of wonder to escape.
"Well," she says after a moment. "I see. I see..."
Skaar's eyes glaze over as well and his hulking form surges with power.
"Let's do it", he adds after his own long pause.
As you slip the scabbard around your waist, you feel a rush of power run through you.
Davro stands lifeless, attempting to put all the information together in his head. Doraga, seeing his master too deep in thought to move, picks the leash from the pool and brings it to Davro.
"What's this? A gift from ancient allies no doubt. Thank you, with these powers at our side I'm sure we can win." Davro says, attempting to sound as intelligent as possible as he ties the leash around Doraga.
Drogusk steps forward to examine the last of the artifacts, wanting to argue with the crone but deciding against it. He picks up the small metal board and eyes it warily.
He frowns as the voice rings in his head.
"Fine..." He says with a sigh. The board is held over his shoulder and a field pulls it out of his hand. The wires snake into place and a bead lights up.
An empty bar pops into view in his eyepiece. Currently reading 3% and increasing rapidly.
As Davro and Drogusk pick up the remaining two items, they feel surges of power, a new vitality filling them.
The oracle nods and sits down, her milky pale white eyes on you.
You have a vague recollection of the tears of last remorse — waters said to warp anything they touch.
The oracle's tale brings to mind tales of a cursed island called Arakau said to lie to the southeast.
"What the heck does that-." Drogusk is cut off as a feed on information is shot into his brain. "-Oh..."
"I recall something of these waters," Tasha says, "though not much..."
Your mission satisfied, you make your way back down the cliff .
As you begin riding back toward Blackcrag Cove, the ground trembles and splits open, spilling magma from the world’s molten heart onto the surface. A pair of creatures emerge from these fissures, and immediately begin an assault.
The rocky monsters glow with an internal heat, red light spilling from its eyes and mouth, as well as fractures in its outer surface.
You think they're magma elementals.
While you're sure they're magma elementals, they seem to be larger and more ominous than normal.
Indifferent toward the obvious inner heat radiating off the fiery monsters, Skaar rushes forward eager to test his new strength. With a guttural roar the grabs the closer one.
With his opponent in his grasp, the massive orc squeezes, crushing the elemental against his own body.
Tasha reaches out to the amazing reservoir of power the foxhead put within her grasp and -- taps into it. For a moment, the excitement threatens to overwhelm her, and she has to force herself to stay focused.
'So smoothly! So swiftly! Mastery of my magic I thought years in the future...!'
Words spill from Tasha's lips, so quick as to be unintelligible to anyone but her. The effect is immediate! Behind the two magma elementals, the air swirls, darkens, then brightens. A glorious note sounds, and a Lantern Archon appears. Immediately, the celestial being fires its rays of light at the two enemies.
"Careful!" Tasha shouts at Skaar. "These are magma elementals, they can vomit up puddles of lava! Keep its mouth averted from yourself!"
Her warning given, the Wizard resorts to a classic while backing away from the enemies: "Sagittae magicae, e manu meu evoletis!" Bolts of energy go flying towards the elemental not currently being grappled by a powerful Orc...