The Gods of Iron - Part One: Once upon a time in Numeria (Inactive)

Game Master Vrog Skyreaver

Pulling out a pristinely crafted lantern with a directional hood, the woman smiles. "With this, I can see in the dark pretty well. Without, not so much."

Turning to the Chelaxian woman, she adds "I can sneak sometimes, though it's not my best quality."

Perhaps the halfling can use her size and sneakiness to scout ahead?

Dru nods and creeps forward.

stealth: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17

I also have UMD +9 so I can heal outside of combat at least.

Vixen is a good scout. She can see in the dark and move silently and ... uhm... also walk thru walls and is invulnerable to anything but enchanted weapons. Even those don't work great, really. She doesn't set off traps though,
and has to stay pretty close to me.

Vixen strides toward the front of the party making no noise at all and shoves her head below the floor and looks around.

I'm assuming nothing but rocks below us

Rocks. Little foxling is correct, I am an amazing scout. Shall I lead?

There is at least 5' of dirt and rocks below you. Take a look at the map and let me know which way do you want to go?

The Chelaxian nods at the kitsune.

Upon lighting her lantern, Agni shines the light into the dark reaches from where they stand. "Hmmm...which way should we go? Oh, don't worry Vixen, I'll stay back and keep my light pointed down. I'd hate to back light you and give it away."

Retrieving an intricately crafted twig from her pack, she turns to the companions and looks them over. A bit hesitant, she holds it towards the Kitsune. "This is one of them healy sticks. Activation word is 'illiac'. Would you be willing to hold on to it for me and use it as needed?"

Assuming up is North...shall we head NE along the water line?

Dru creeps along the waterline towards the northeast, keeping her eyes and ears peeled.

perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

The Chelaxian will drink a potion of mage armor before they continue.

Sounds like NE is the way.

Vixen will walk 15 feet or less thru walls as we get to them (half her move) and return to report. She will try to remain in walls as much as possible while ending her move within 30 of Sable and in line of sight.

Sure, but try not to get hit, ok?

Vixen stealth: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16

Following the water around, it gets shallow enough to walk in. Turning around the rock formation, you see the following:

shallow creek runs through the middle of this cavern, while to the south a stony bank rises up from the water. Thick carpets of green and gray mold and fungus grow on the bank, particularly around a trio of three-foot-high, foul-smelling mounds.

While the mounds are still present, there are clear signs that they have been burned. A few bodies of what are either halflings or children have been unceremoniously dumped into a pile. They are naked and there are no signs of their equipment, if any.

Vixen examines and attempts to move thru them (she cannot move through the living). Assuming these are challenges completed by those here beforehand she will inform us that these are dead and burned. She proceeds further to see the rest of the room.

We should try to find a way to get the bodies out for a proper burial on the way out. Sable says and looks sadly at the halflings.

Gotta survive first, mini-me. Eyes up front! Vixen replies testily.

Sable eyes the piles and wonders what they were.

Knowledge ???: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

Sable has most knowledge skills at +6 but if I lack the skill let me know. Thanks!

Local is what you would be looking for.

K (Local): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Glancing towards the pile, she asks, "You sure it's safe? I ran into some mold a while back that tried to eat me... And the dead don't always stay that way. Just be careful there."

Cautiously, she moves forward behind the strange scout. Keeping her eyes peeled for any surprises, she does her best to stay alert.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

Dru kicks at the pile with her toe, trying to see what is underneath.

knowledge (local): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23

Caution! she says We know now what we will encounter

Despite Drusillia's Vociferous toeing, the burned mold does not react, and neither do the bodies. The water continues around the curve, where it branches to the north and south.

Tentatively poking at the moss, she lets out a heavy sigh. "Good! It's not gonna try eating us. After you."

Readjusting her lantern so as to avoid backlighting their scout, she follows them on forward.

Same as last time. Vixen will try walking through the wall nearest the water and checking out the other side with her darkvision.

She has access to the message spell if that helps this situation

Did you want the wall to the north, south, or west?

East. We are trying to follow the path the councilor must have taken. There doesn't seem to be any way to go but to follow the river.

Sorry for the lack of updates. I'll get something up tonight.

Vixen comes back out and informs you that the stone is thicker than she could pass through.

We will go around with Vix in the lead.

To the south or north?

South

A dark cavern opens up here, its twenty-foot-high ceiling thick with stalactites. A rocky shore overlooks a placid pool and stream, fed by a trickle of water leaking from a narrow fissure to the north. A small garden of toadstools and dark mold grows along the banks.

Additionally, you see the dead body of an odd creature sitting on the shore. It is branded in an odd language that none of you recognize. It shows clear and extensive signs of abuse.

I'll get the map updated shortly and posted to the game info tab.

Vixen, be a dear and investigate the body. We need to know what we might be seeing down here. says the Chelaxian.

Dru approaches the body cautiously.

perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14

Anyone investigating it can roll Knowledge (Arcana) to identify the creature.

I have updated the map. The southern tunnel does branch. Let me know which way you want to go and we'll update.

The boring dead. Get up! Vixen kicks at its head but meets no resistance and swings through halfheartedly.

Vixen will check the walls counter clockwise while the party discuses which way to go at the split.

I will save you some time and let you know that, being a natural cave formation, most of the walls here will be too thick for her to pass through. If we come across any that are not, I will let you know.

Dru can't identify the corpse so she proceeds on, continuing down the shoreline.

perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

What ever it is, it is beyond any worry she says, following the halfling.

"Agreed, Emma. It's not going to do much anymore."

Continuing deeper into the tunnels, she keeps looking around. "Something's been killing things down here...I'm surprised we haven't encountered it yet..."

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

Let's keep taking the right hand path... it's lucky. Vixen proceeds down the right hand passage (due south).

I'll get the map updated tomorrow.

The right-hand path leads to the following area:

A collection of stalactites and stalagmites choke this low ceilinged
cavern, making it difficult to squeeze between them. Matching stalactites close in from the five-foot-high ceiling, giving the impression of a maw of needlelike teeth bearing down on one another. A dead half-orc sprawls on the ground near the cave’s eastern entrance.

The Half-Orc has been thoroughly looted. Also, this cliff looks out over the first beach that you came to shore on.

What killed the porcine one? inquires the Chelaxain?

Map updated.

Unfortunately, the dead do not divulge their secrets easily, and thus require effort to gain the information you seek.

Other passage please. Still Vix leading.

I'll get the map updated tomorrow.

Leaving behind the body of the half-orc, you continue SW down the remaining path and come to the following area:

[i]A collection of crates, boxes, rubble, and scavenged metal lies heaped in the northwest section of this damp cave. Several strange chalk drawings of twisted, spiny plants, a strange three-legged creature, and emaciated four-armed humanoids mark the walls.[/ooc]

The crates, boxes, rubble and metal have been scattered about the room, and it looks like someone performed a concerted search of the contents.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24
Any chance the searcher missed something? :-)
K (Dungeoneering or Local): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

"Anyone know what this drawings are about?" she asks the group as she looks through the scattered debris.

You would think if they could be bothered to draw all this they would write a note in common. When I go shopping I wouldn't leave a note with a picture of celery and cheese. If the other adventurers aren't dead I may punch them. Vixen seems annoyed that the chalk marks don't explain things well.

Where would you shop? You can barely leave my side.

We should see how fresh these markings are, perhaps our councilor or his would be rescuers have left us valuable information. Sable studies the images intently for meaning.

Agni searches the pile of looted items and finds things that she recognizes neither the function nor the intent of: metal squares with pieces of glass on one side and odd metallic string on the other, shaped pieces of a flexible material that looks like glass, and so on.

As Vixen takes a look a the drawings, one thing that stands out immediately is that the three-legged creature is probably one of the things similar to what Val showed the group in her father's house behind the Foundry.

Vixen does not recognize any of the other creatures depicted.

Map updated for your viewing pleasure.

These things are beyond my ken but they might be what was responsible for killing the half-orc and the Halfling. states the Chelaxian.

"Got some strange things here, but none of it makes any sense to me." she advises her friends. With a nod to Emma, "I suppose we should redouble our efforts to keep our eyes and ears open."

Following their strange guide, she continues looking around for trouble.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26

Just need to know which way you want to head next.

If up is north, take the narrow Southwest tunnel?

She allows the guide to guide