Summoning her resolve to overcome her fatigue, Rÿarkaelin stepped forward. "I can see in the darkness - I am willing to take a look around, and see if we are in any immediate danger we don't already know about."
She peered out from between the vines carefully.
+2 if in forest
+2 if in forest
+2 if in forest, additional +2 if in Erethor, additional +2 if in Caraheen
As the group makes it to the exit Lantesh cautiously steps out with all senses alert.
"I will look as well" Lantesh says in a low voice.
Not as talented a scout as some of the Erunsil, Taemon'dow was content to let those who were better suited to that task to do the scouting. In the position of the rear, he still kept a wary eye on the darkness behind them, feeling more inner strife than would ever show on his stoic face over the path leading from the site of the battle directly to where they stood now.
Anwyn is grateful the group has found a way out of the underground tunnel, and she leans against the tunnel wall just inside the opening, the obsidian blade tip set down on the ground although still held tightly in her hands. She allows the cool air to flow past her face, bring a small smile to her face.
Before Lantesh leaves she lays a hand on his arm. "Be careful, Lantesh. We cannot tarry here, much as I would love to rest. Our pursuers will catch up to us here should they have managed to evade the guardian of this sword."
Yardiff Bey joins the others in venturing outside the cave entrance, his unnatural eyes piercing the gloom (Darkvision 60ft)
Perception
Stealth
When they arrive at the vines covered entrance of the tunnel, she takes a closer look at the vines then peers through them carefully to see what lies beyond.
Seeing a few exit the tunnel, she makes her way outside to see for danger, in addition also to find food and water. Also to figure out where they could be.
Eadfaas just stood and watched as most of the others went through the tunnel mouth as a group. A group of individuals, clearly, and at least most of them seemed to make an effort at stealth, but the concept of letting one or two people scout and report back - rather than everyone walking into a potential ambush - clearly hadn't translated across the various languages and cultures represented in this rag-tag band of escapees.
The little gnome shrugged, gave the big white elf a smile, and did his best to blend into the darkness of the cave and wait. He understood the desire to be outside, to breathe free air - especially after having been under ground for so long - and couldn't really blame the others for getting out of the cave as quickly as possible, but he'd seen too many of his father's smuggled charges get caught and killed because they couldn't wait just a few minutes more in uncomfortable circumstances.
And so, he waited. In the dark.
The whiff of fresh air stung Alan's face and and he inhaled with full lungs, but instead of invigorating him, it suddenly made him realize how weary he was. His feet hurt, his muscles trembled and his joints ached, and blood loss from a cut on his ribs didn't help the matter. He was sure that he would drift to sleep the moment he would stop and at least lean on something.
Come on, Alan, don't be a wuss! You wanted to get adventures and to do something meaningful, and you can't even stay awake. Would your parents whine and feel sorry for themselves in a situation like this? All you did so far was save your own skinAt that moment jerks himself upright, and subsequently winces as the motion brings a stab of pain from his wound. Well, most of it, anyway.
With a grunt, he forces his body to start moving again and stands shoulder to shoulder with Lantesh, just behind Anwyn.
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Pallid moonlight shines on a well camouflaged stone structure that you would have looked right past if it hadn’t been shown to you by the faint glimmer of moonlight on the water. The stone building is covered with so much moss it looks like a massive tree stump. It might have once stood taller and been some sort of obelisk or pillar, but the upper sections had long since toppled into the swamp. The ruin stands on the shore of a small island that is maybe forty feet across. The island, in turn, is in the center of a shallow and murky lake. Twisted branches and bubbles of oil and grease float on the surface of the water.
The place where you've exited the long tunnel is at the very edge of the lake, which would indicate that the lake was not always there.
Anwyn can tell the forced march took a toll on her warrior friend, yet still persevered. Feeling she had buried in the past bubbled forth before she ruthlessly quashes them down. Now is not the time here to lose control! Still I wish there was something I could do for him, yet I am having trouble forcing my eyes to stay open here.
Shrugging her shoulders, she forces a smile at Alan before she looks around her at the surroundings. Not having been away from her homeland for very long, she could honestly say this area was entirely unfamiliar to her. As her eyes adjusted to the moonlight, her gaze is drawn to a ripple just beneath the surface of the murky water.
"Something big lurks under the surface here. 'Ware yourselves." Her voice echoes softly in warning. She grips the hilt of the obsidian sword tightly while hoping she would not need to draw it here.
We are in no condition for battle here. May the Spirits ward our presence here.
Eadfaas waited with Taemon'dow in the cave, while the others explored the outside. He sniffed. Was that the scent of lakewater he detected on the air?
On stepping outside, Rÿarkaelin frowned at the forest that surrounded them, then froze. For the first time, a trace of emotion broke through her calm demeanor. Repulsed and horrified by everything she could sense about this place, it took her a moment to recover enough to speak.
"This place... everything about it is wrong," she managed to stammer, then shook her head sharply. "The trees, the animals, the earth itself - this is an evil place! We cannot rest here. We must move on!"
She repeated herself to Therudrim, slightly more in control of her voice this time. Then she ducked back through the vines, shuddering at their touch.
"Can you march?" she asked Eadfaas and Taemon'dow. She had all but forgotten her unease in the Erunsil's presence during their long march. Waving her hand sharply to dismiss her question, she repeated, "We must go - we have no choice. This is a bad place, from the earth to the air. There is a building across a shallow lake from us, but there is something in the water, something large." Her voice shook a little, more from fatigue and stress than anything else.
Is there any chance a Knowledge: geography check would let Rÿar identify where we are?
Then she ducked back through the vines, shuddering at their touch.
"Can you march?" she asked Eadfaas and Taemon'dow. She had all but forgotten her unease in the Erunsil's presence during their long march. Waving her hand sharply to dismiss her question, she repeated, "We must go - we have no choice. This is a bad place, from the earth to the air. There is a building across a shallow lake from us, but there is something in the water, something large." Her voice shook a little, more from fatigue and stress than anything else.
[dice=Knowledge: arcana (DC10 or under only, as she isn't trained in it)]1d20+3
** spoiler omitted **
"March?" Eadfaas was clearly startled by the question. "I can walk, if that's what you..." He trailed off, as the rest of what the elf had said filtered through his consciousness. With a wince, he nodded. "I can walk. But where? We can't go back the way we came. All there is that way is death...and those door-things that we couldn't open."
Therudrim studies the lake before them as Rÿarkaelin speaks. She quickly spots a large creature swimming below it's surface, then points her hand in the direction of the large creature, speaking softly in jungle tongue, "There is the large creature."
Studying the strange appearance, she wonders if she remember seeing something like this in her past, "Might be a place of demons."
Yardiff Bey steps out of the cave and slinks into some nearby foliage.
From there he observes the area, noting the large creature living in the pond.
"Inhospitable to even more inhospitable, this is an unforgiving land. he thought, moving back to a position beside the cave entrance.
There he takes up station , sitting on a rock in the shadows , watching for movements from the creature, listening to the hushed discussions emanating from within the cave.
I hear echoes of our own trade language in the lingo these people speak....perhaps with time I will learn...and communicate
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On stepping outside, Rÿarkaelin frowned at the forest that surrounded them, then froze. For the first time, a trace of emotion broke through her calm demeanor. Repulsed and horrified by everything she could sense about this place, it took her a moment to recover enough to speak.
"This place... everything about it is wrong," she managed to stammer, then shook her head sharply. "The trees, the animals, the earth itself - this is an evil place! We cannot rest here. We must move on!"
She repeated herself to Therudrim, slightly more in control of her voice this time. Then she ducked back through the vines, shuddering at their touch.
"Can you march?" she asked Eadfaas and Taemon'dow. She had all but forgotten her unease in the Erunsil's presence during their long march. Waving her hand sharply to dismiss her question, she repeated, "We must go - we have no choice. This is a bad place, from the earth to the air. There is a building across a shallow lake from us, but there is something in the water, something large." Her voice shook a little, more from fatigue and stress than anything else.
[dice=Knowledge: arcana (DC10 or under only, as she isn't trained in it)]1d20+3
** spoiler omitted **
"March?" Eadfaas was clearly startled by the question. "I can walk, if that's what you..." He trailed off, as the rest of what the elf had said filtered through his consciousness. With a wince, he nodded. "I can walk. But where? We can't go back the way we came. All there is that way is death...and those door-things that we couldn't open."
"Death lurks outside too, for this is Izrador's land, where the very air is corrupted by the Shadow," Rÿarkaelin said. Pausing, she visibly pulled herself together. When she looked up again, her voice had firmed, and she had regained her composure. "We are in the Foul Bog of Eris Aman, but this means that Erethor is not far. If we move quickly, we may lose any pursuit in the bog. With luck, not all of us will die before we reach the forest to the west or the south."
She motioned back out beyond the vines. "The building may hide more dangers, but it might also hold weapons or some other aid from the ancient times. Perhaps our winged friend can reach it and say for certain. We dare not tarry long."
Rÿarkaelin stepped back outside, her eyes watering a little at the stench of rot in the air. Reaching Therudrim, she quietly asked in pidgin jungle mouth, "You can fly, yes? You can fly across and get a look inside? Maybe carry someone small?" She pointed at the mossy ruin.
Therudrim sat on a large rock just outside the vine covered tunnel observing her surrounding for potential food. The smell of the rot and sickly looking trees convinced her there would be little chance to find food today. Hopefully the next day they find some as they make their way away from the fell army, legate and slavers.
When asked by Rÿarkaelin if she could fly, a sad expression formed as she shook her head, whispering in jungle tongue, "Sadly no. My wings are still too weak for me to fly.", in a lower muttering voice speaking more to herself, "One day I will fly, I will show them. No more laughing at me."
Taemon'dow steps forward from the concealment of the vines to meet with the others.
"If this is the bog Eris Aman, we are flush with the Veradeen, my homeland. You are right that we need to escape this place, but in what direction do we fly? We have no way of knowing how far within the swamp we have travelled. Which ever direction we choose however, we'd best set out quickly. I do not like the sight of the creature, swimming within the lake there; I think we may have to pass up exploration of those ruins, for I doubt there is anyway to cross the water without disturbing it."
Anwyn walks up to the snow elf, signs of the long walk clearly showing on her face. She leans on the obsidian blade as if it was a walking staff as she replies to him, "I do not mean to disagree with you, but there are several of us who can barely stay on their feet. I do not think it wise to set out in this fetid swamp with being rested. Collapsing of exhaustion out there is a sure path to death." She points to the ruined structure, "That building offers a chance for rest and shelter. I say we try to reach it."
Eadfaas had followed Taemon'dow and the rest out of the cave finally. Looking around, he didn't seem too happy about his new surroundings, but he eyed the pond and the island in it with the eye of someone who'd been born, raised, and lived the vast majority of his life on the waves. After a moment, he shook his head. "This place... it's... different, that's for sure. He still didn't see the thing everyone said was swimming under the water.
Seeing Anwyn's smile, he wearily smiles back to tired to even try to comprehend what she meant by that, and then turns his gaze to the lake and the shadow swimming under its surface everyone is talking about.
He concentrates on the gloom and the shape he can barely discern, trying to feel if the shadow is of Shadow, fearful that it somehow might report their whereabouts.
After that he asks Rÿarkaelin to describe what her keen eyes can see, while he wades through the murky waters of his own memory and knowledge, hoping to stumble on some clue what this creature might be.
When asked by Rÿarkaelin if she could fly, a sad expression formed as she shook her head, whispering in jungle tongue, "Sadly no. My wings are still too weak for me to fly.", in a lower muttering voice speaking more to herself, "One day I will fly, I will show them. No more laughing at me."
It was clear that the admission pained the woman, but Rÿarkaelin only nodded in acceptance and turned away to see what the others had to say.
After that he asks Rÿarkaelin to describe what her keen eyes can see, while he wades through the murky waters of his own memory and knowledge, hoping to stumble on some clue what this creature might be.
The Caransil did her best to describe the faintly-heard murderous creatures, and the pulsing black blood of the forest itself. "Do you not smell the death in the air? As for the creature in the water, I can only see that it is quite large - perhaps we might defeat it if we goad it into shallower water."
"Is fighting wise? If as the dark skinned lady says, many are too tired to move on, inviting a conflict might be foolhardy. I can see that many are tired; but I think only of our wellbeing as a group. We fare a much better chance of getting out of this place as a team, and I wish to see none lost to its dangers. If either of the foes we left behind follow us through this tunnel, it will lead them right to this spot, looking at that island, as we are now. I suggest only that it might be wiser to get some distance first, so that if pursuit comes, they will not find us so easily. However, as I believe we do need to act together, if it is decided to go to that island, I will aid in the endeavour."
"Is it possible to go around?" Eadfaas asked the question while examining the layout of the water. "I cannot tell from here, but perhaps it would be easier to get to the island from the other side. Even if it is not, any enemies who followed us would likely assume the island is where we went, and might attract the ire of whatever is beneath the surface..."
Lantesh listens to the conversation and then weighs in.
"Let us kill it or avoid it. Either way, let us come to a decision. Rest is welcome for the lady." he says as he gestures to Anwyn.
Anwn nods wearily, "Yes, rest would be most welcome but we still must be careful here. Before we can reach the island, whatever is lurking in the water must be dealt with first."
She passes a hand over her long white hair and mutters a word under her breath. Several of the clumps and knots in it become smoothed out and the hair soon shimmers in the moonlight. "I do not think it wise to fight it, especially in our condition. Perhaps it can be lured away somehow?"
While the others were by the tunnel entrance discussing something in their languages, Therudrim simply looked about, searching more for food. She collected the bugs and editable plants, keeping an eye out for danger as she collected. Once she had satisfied she had enough, she returned to the group to present her find, smiling as she spoke in jungle tongue, "Food."
Gazing out at the fetid swamp, Yardiff Bey felt a yearning for the dry , sere plains of his homeland.
Shaking away such thoughts, he caught a bit of the discussion, puzzling the object from various gestures.
Hopping down from his perch, he takes his share of "food" from Therudrim with a smile, jamming the tender shoots and insects into his mouth before his mind could rebel.
Swallowing the last of Therudrims repast, he joins the others and through pantomime and gestures indicates his willingness to investigate the building.
Rÿarkaelin accepted a portion of what Therudrim offered, inspecting it carefully for any sign of the taint that ran through the Bog before attempting to eat any. The insects she gave particular scrutiny, turning to gaze at the water with them in hand while she finished eating the plants.
"Perhaps the thing in the water could be beached for a time if we lured it with these. We might make it to the island while it tries to un-beach itself." She paused a moment, then repeated herself so that Therudrim could understand her.
"Well," Eadfaas piped up, while eating the food he'd been given (he'd seen smuggled "passengers" die of starvation because they wouldn't eat poor rations when none better were at hand), "There's only one way to find out, I guess." With that, the little gnome looked about for a longish branch he could use to test the depth of the lake water. "Don't let me get et, if you please," he said, heading towards the water.
Anwyn hesitantly accepts the meager portion of 'food' offered by Therudrim. Obvioously not used to such fare, she eyed it without much enthusiasm before a silent look from Lantesh spoke volumes. She proceeds to slowly chew the plants, and after some momentary gagging, the bugs as well.
I Must do this to stay alive...but why does it have t be so...squishy?
As the gnome moves to the water's edge, she rises to her feet readying one of her few offensive spells for attack.
Lantesh carefully smells and examines the food to ensure it is suitable to eat. He meets the gaze of Anwyn for a few seconds before taking a small portion to eat.
"Must have strength and rest in order to protect."
He moves next to Anwyn and speaks so only she can hear it.
"When we leave here I will hunt for you. You must have strength."
"The others seem to be of a strong sort." He says while looking at the others. "Although some of them talk too much." he says as he looks between Eadfaas and Taemon'dow.
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"Well," Eadfaas piped up, while eating the food he'd been given (he'd seen smuggled "passengers" die of starvation because they wouldn't eat poor rations when none better were at hand), "There's only one way to find out, I guess." With that, the little gnome looked about for a longish branch he could use to test the depth of the lake water. "Don't let me get et, if you please," he said, heading towards the water.
[dice=Perception]1d20+1
[dice=Profession:Boater/Sailor]1d20+7
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Seeing Anwyn's smile, he wearily smiles back to tired to even try to comprehend what she meant by that, and then turns his gaze to the lake and the shadow swimming under its surface everyone is talking about.
1d20He concentrates on the gloom and the shape he can barely discern, trying to feel if the shadow is of Shadow, fearful that it somehow might report their whereabouts.
After that he asks Rÿarkaelin to describe what her keen eyes can see, while he wades through the murky waters of his own memory and knowledge, hoping to stumble on some clue what this creature might be.
1d20+3
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Eadfaas manages to quickly find a branch long enough to suit his needs. He finds the bottom at several places along the shore, careful to stay away from the large shape lurking beneath the surface.
Suddenly, he slips and splashes in the water. His misstep was not large or loud, but it was enough to attract the attention of the mysterious underwater shape, which sharply turns beneath the surface and hurls itself towards the shore and little gnome.
First thing that breaks the surface is the golden-green dome of boulder-sized turtle's shell. Soon after that, a head larger than Eadfaas' emerges from the water. With a surprising swiftness, the creature jumps from the water and onto land, revealing not one head but two, equally equipped with sharp snapping beaks. Boar-sized beast rushes on its six legs, trying to reach the gnome as fast as it can.
"Get him out of there Lantesh!" Anwyn cries out.