Slumbering Tsar: The Desolation (Inactive)

Game Master Lord Manticore

Sure, I'll allow it.

Then, take 10 it is for a net result of 24 or 25 if tracking is involved :D

At this point, you are technically tracking.

Based on the information that you were given, you are heading to the area named the Chaos Rift. The southern portion is almost completely flat. The majority of the rest of the area is a series of canyons of varying depths. Your information will lead you to the NW from the Crossroads.

Do not forget that I will be scouting, invisibly, from the air to try to spoil the surprise of anything that might be hiding, especially once the terrain turns canyony.

Do not forget that I will be scouting, invisibly, from the air to try to spoil the surprise of anything that might be hiding, especially once the terrain turns canyony.

Ooh...it's too bad that you find a female demon, that's giving you that look that keeps you distracted for the next few hundred posts...:P

Here's a link to the Chaos Rift map for review.

Take a look at it and let me know where roughly the party is heading. We can go from there.

Nothing loads when I go to that link.

That's weird, it came up fine for me.

Did everyone get to see the map? I'll wait a couple more hours before I start posting, in case the link is somehow broken.

Hello LM, I can see the map perfectly fine - any possibility to get a mark on it detailing where we are or something similar?

I see the map fine. I think the caravan got waylaid at the entrance to the Rifts. We'll just have to find out where.

Hello LM, I can see the map perfectly fine - any possibility to get a mark on it detailing where we are or something similar?

I wish I could, but when I went to look at the file on my Google Drive, I realized that I saved the copy in pdf format. I'll have to save a new copy in bmp format, so that I can manipulate it like I did (with Numair's help)with the last couple of battles. For the moment, suffice it to say that you in the same grid square as the Crossroads (although just ot the SE of the intersection itself). You don't think that the caravan followed the road directly, but for some reason, followed closer to the ridgelines of the Rift itself. I'll leave it at that for the moment. The map itself is a grid of roughly the same size as the Ashen Wastes (~9x9 miles).

still nada for me. Two different browsers on two different compluters -nada. And I could see every other map so far. Strange.

still nada for me. Two different browsers on two different compluters -nada. And I could see every other map so far. Strange.

Could it be because it's trying to open a pdf file?

Just opening up in a browser like normal. But don't let it slow us down. Let us roll.

I know that Azaraunt is out camping this weekend, but I'll be in and out, in case the two of you want to explore.

We are on the move right?

So far as I know, but the question is where you are going to stop and look around first. I'll need to roll for at least 1 random encounter, and if your party decides to go all day, then I'll need to roll for more.

Moo.

LM, we don't really have coordinates of any sort to say "we will search this spot" right..? So it is hard to ascertain exactly how to point out where we are going to search first... We are tracking the most likely path of the caravan, all the time looking for clues. If we notice, that we are approaching a chasm, as many seem to be depicted in the map, we will most likely stop and scout first - I would say most likely me and Imbukar?

Otherwise I really cannot detail more where we are going to stop and look around... Dunno if Az or Numair have any input to add here..."

No, there was nothing in what Gurg had said to tell you that much. I realize that I wasn't very specific in that score, but I wasn't sure if you would just follow the path of the cliffs, looking for clues, or if you were going to do something more thourough. I think that was what I was waiting on. Unless Az and Numair say something, perhaps we can just pick a spot and start from there?

Deal ;)

OK. I'll wait a little bit to see if the other two chime in, and then I'll post something. Unless I hear otherwise, I'll probably start at the closest cliff and go from there.

Would that be SW on the map? Assuming UP=N DOWN=S LEFT=W RIGHT=E

Azaraunt is there to provide support to the ranger should trouble show. Imbukar on the other hand is flying and has decent perception check at +11.

Would that be SW on the map? Assuming UP=N DOWN=S LEFT=W RIGHT=E

SW? I thought I had said NW...

Yes, pressing onward at best speed, then scouting once we reach a plausible area.

Not sure what the hold up is. We move as directly as possible to what we believe the site of the caravan ambush was. If we encounter anything along that path we investigate it. This has always been the plan and since we hoped to find survivors initially we would not deviate from this plan without very good cause.

Maybe I pictured it incorrectly LM - NW it is then :D

Oh, good Lord, now I see what my issue was, It is in fact, NE, not NW. Apparently, the DM is suffering from a broken compass.

Midday Random: 1d100 ⇒ 6

You are able to notice the approaching bone storm and make preparations to avoid the worst of it this time...

You travel northeast, approximating the travel line of the missing caravan. You can't help but wonder why they didn't follow the old, worn, military road that leads directly away from Tsar. It might have been the gorgeous, yet stark views of the canyons to the north that convinced the wagon train captains to head this way.

You remember hearing a rumor, moons ago, that indicated that, during the siege of Tsar, many great weapons were used on both sides. The rumor was that some kind of massive bomb was used on a concentration of men outside the city to destroy them, but it also ate the land as well. Looking out over the cliffs, you can see how this legend might hold some weight. The canyons are deep, running thousands of feet deep in places.

You travel for about a mile, trying to find some kind of evidence of a trail used or something, but the sand and bone chips have made short work, if they even went this way. As you stop for lunch to rest the horses, you can see to the northeast, now that you have a better angle, that there is a fissure sticking out from the otherwise near vertical cliff. Looking at it from this distance, it's about a mile away, and to the NE; on the map, it is the closest part of the canyons to the Crossroads it would seem to be a point in which you could reach the canyon floor.

Make Perception checks, DC 40 at this point, to find traces of the caravan. Nat 20's will get a +10 modifier to the total.

Ok, so it was a misunderstanding - what I meant to say was that we would be approaching the Rifts from the SW, so I guess we are both right? :D

Hmmmmm DC40....

Perception: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (4) + 14 = 18

Looking at the fissure ahead, Calendir comments laughing - "Anyone feeling like a slide down?"

The wizard looks around Perception: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (9) + 14 = 23 but only sees the fissure.

Imbukar, you have been scouting ahead already, but you have been riding on my shoulder nearly have the time. Would you mind scouting that fissure and looking for signs of the caravan while we rest the horses?

The imp mentally grumbles about having to do all the hard work but flies off to do as bid.

Numair couldn't notice that on his best day. Perception = 20+10-1 = 29.

"Well if it came to that we could just jump down, one at a time. I've got a spell that would ensure our safe descent. Did they really think they were able to get a wagon train through there? Some masterminds running that caravan, I tell you"

Calendir smiles broadly at Numair - "Nah... You don't think they were planning that... Right?! Weren't they supposed to be taking some sort of shortcut around the rift or something..?

Not finding anything from this spot, your options are to either continue moving East, along the cliffside, or to circle around to the spot where the narrow path leads down into the canyons.

Did you see that Imbukar is flying to check out the fissure as we rest the horses?

Did you see that Imbukar is flying to check out the fissure as we rest the horses?

I did, but I didn't get a chance to respond to that yet.

Imbukar can make out that, on average, the path that I mentioned earlier is about 6-7 feet wide, enough to get one horse down if your careful You'll need to make a couple of rolls on this to avoid slipping if you go down this way. The path is not steep and extends about 2 miles. He did not see anything in the immediate area around the bottom of the path, and it would appear to be at a depth of around 600 feet at the bottom.

Imbukar makes a note of the passage but continues to look. No caravan navigated this pass.

"Let us circle around to the site where the narrow path leads down to the canyons - I want to confirm if they were crazy enough to try and tumble down that steep incline, or whatever has happened. They couldn't have just vanished into thin air" - The half-orc grumbles to the others as he pats Lagash.

If we get to the top of the path, Calendir will again look for tracks:

Tracking: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (3) + 15 = 18

Mumbling all the time about nasty bone storms, and how they erase tracks - "A stampede of Dragons could cross this place, and still I wouldn't be able to find their tracks!"

Imbukar will be back soon. Let us gain his report before deciding. And the horses are not yet fully rested.

There's little wind at this point, just cogs and gears floating lazily across the sky.

Azaraunt: How far out are you sending your imp to scout?

A mile.

Are you going to circle the bottom of the canyon, where the path ends (1 mile radius) or or have him just fly in a general direction?

Definitely a radius. He is a pretty sharp little guy and is looking for signs of that caravan. He knows which way the group will be moving and can easily find us.

Go ahead and have him make another role, Nat 20 rule applies.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16

Nothing but rocks, rats, and worms in this area. Feelin' hungry, Imbukar? :)

Imbukar flies back and reports in. Nothing but rocks, rats, and worms.

So are we going to keep moving, or head down into the canyon?

I recommend we move up the canyon edge and see what we can see from there. I guess I am a little confused. I thought we were following the caravan route.