Well I sure hope it understands and prefers Celestial Ryan thinks to himself as he takes a guess at what this creature might be in the general sense, opening his mouth to speak he stops a the professor has beat him to the punch.
"Good thinking Juran." stammers JJ
"ಹಾಯ್, ಉಮ್, ನಾವು ಯಾವುದೇ ಹಾನಿ ಎಂದರ್ಥ. ಚಿಕ್ಕಪ್ಪ ಅಲೆಕ್ನನ್ನು ನೋಡಲು ನಾವು ಇಲ್ಲಿದ್ದೇವೆ
"ನಿಮ್ಮಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಟ್ಟದ್ದಲ್ಲ ಎಂದು ನಾನು ಭಾವಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ" the angel relaxes and looks at JJ specifically "ನಾನು ನಿದ್ರಮಾ. ಮತ್ತು ಹೌದು ನಾನು ಮನುಷ್ಯ ಎಂಬ ಕ್ರಿಟನ್ ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ ತಿಳಿದಿತ್ತು"
"I sense there is no evil among you"
"I am Nidrama. And yes I knew well the human named Criton"
She then turns to address the group in Common "Powerful forces of chaos and evil are afoot. I dare not remain here long lest my presence attract the attention of those forces. Yet I could not sit by and watch you march into danger without warning you."
"The Lord of the Demonskar knows of your approach, and even now his minions prepare for ' your arrival. They shall use deceit and treachery against you, just as they have done with Alek Tercival before you. You must remain resolute; Alek Tercival must be saved." the angel looks powerful and willed at transmitting this words to the group "I have no aid to offer you but knowledge. In ages past, I provided to Surabar Spellmason a powerful weapon to assist him in his conflict with the Lord of the Demonskar. This was Alakast, a quarterstaff infused with an undying hatred of the fiends of the outer rifts. Unfortunately, Alakast was stolen centuries ago, ripped from Spellmanson's tomb by a grave robber. Yet do not despair, for it is fated that Alakast should be wielded again against the Lord of the Demonskar. It has found its way to you, and all that needs be done is for you to claim it. Seek Alakast in the lair of my false sisters, beyond the watchful . That is al I am at liberty to say... I wish you well in your travails, heroes, and never lose sight of your goals."
JJ smiles at Nidrama. "ನೀವು ಮತ್ತೊಮ್ಮೆ ಕ್ರಿಟನ್ನ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಹೇಳುತ್ತೀರಾ?"
He too changes back into common.
"So Alek is alive, and can be saved? I'm guessing you can't tell us about these 'Eyes of the North'?" he sighs.
He does offer a little bow. "Thank you so much for coming and giving us the warning. "
Maxim listens intently, lighting a stogie as he mulls the interchange and then the foreboding warning of things to come.
"Aye. Forewarned is forearmed as they say..."
The dwur taps the handle of his twin-barrelled pistol with a hard smile.
"So let's go slay some forces o' evil..."
Marigold stares at the angel, transfixed by her beauty and unable to speak until nearly the last second.
"Um...th-thank you," she finally manages, stumbling over the words. "W-we'll do wh-what we c-can...we'll s-save Alek Tercival!"
She then tries to think on just what the mysterious 'eyes of the north' might be.
"I guess Alek must be somewhere located on the map we found.
"If an ambush is waiting for us, maybe we can set an ambush of our own."
"That is all I am allowed to say, without this being considered an intervention" Nidrama looks serious at the group "It is now in your hands to act"
She turns to JJ and her look somehow softens although there is pain also on her expression "We might have time to talk about Citron in a different moment" she then turns and starts walking towards the entrance, but doubts for a second and turns "My blood is stronger in you than it never was in Rolard" she then quickly continues with her exit, jumping in the air and suddenly disappearing with a flash that leaves a couple of feathers behind.
"Wait... ujhhh..."
He looks in astonishment at her. "Did she just say what I thought she said?" he looks at the falling feathers.
Quickly he steps forward and picks them up. "Grandmother?"
Somewhat poleaxed, he sits down. "Where did she go?"
Then, almost to himself. "Was that was Celeste was talking about?"
Ryan listens as the deva speak to the group and then more specifically to JJ, possibly confusing the swordsman more so than he was before while explaining part of his genealogy. Shaking his head Ryan concentrates on the part about where Alakast can be once again found.
Lair of my false sisters what could that be.
or beyond the watchful eye of the north
"We will make good use of Nidrama's help, I'm sure.
"We won't be taken completely unawares tomorrow.
"But for now, we should get a good night's sleep."
The words have no significance to Marigold, Ryan or anyone else in the group. At least not yet.
After the deva's appearance, the night passes calm and the group wakes up early next day. Walking in the jungle during the early ours of the day results much profitable and amenable. The group walks for a couple of ours before stopping to have a second breakfast.
There are signs of gnoll activity all along the trail. But for whatever reason the group does not receive the visit of anymore of that race.
"This is much nicer than yesterday." says the refreshed JJ.
He has a new chipper bounce in his step, and seems to enjoy the jungle and the sounds, being unaffected by the heat.
"Marigold, I think I can extend my protection to you as well, or Maybe I should try Kikinnin... that heavy armour of his has to be a nightmare in this heat"
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The gun-mage watches the angelic creature depart with a curious eye;
:
"Huh. Surabar's Granny there is packin' mighty magicks... Lessen' I'm mistaken (an I ain't), she used Plane Shift to exit stage left. Very powerful... an' Granny can take up to eight other folks with her when she's steppin' from one plane o' existence to the next..."
As the group begin their travails once again, Maxim frowns and grumbles his concerns to all and none who'll listen;
"Anyone get the impression that we're just bouncin' from one act o' being patsies to the next? Ain't suggestin' we should give up or nuthin' just that powerful folks be they earthbound nobles, benign cults or heavenly relatives seem to have us in the frame for all the hard yards.."
He pauses before continuing;
"Now the cudgelites'll claim its divinely ordained. Others'll give credance to bloodline or being a scion o' nobility. Me I'm a little less blinkered I guess... just wary that we're being used in a game we ain't privy to the rules of..."
"It's okay JJ, use it f-for Kikinnin," Marigold remarks the next morning as they prepare to set out again. During their morning walk, she listens quietly to Maxim's inner thought processes made outer, finally forced to nod her head in agreement.
"I feel the s-same," she admits. "No m-matter what good we d-do, it still feels l-like we're always th-three steps behind whoever's p-pulling the strings...and the st-stakes just k-keep getting higher..."
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Kikinnin watches as the divine creature makes itself known to them, and feels a kindred desire to Look upon the Angel as She looks upon them. Convinced that they are in no danger, it is only reaffirmed when the Angel speaks words in Celestial, then Common, to include all present in the words of warning.
He studies JJ for a short time after the Deva departs, but says nothing immediately. There is a revery in the air, and he respects it. There will be a time and a place for further inquiries.
"Marigold, I think I can extend my protection to you as well, or Maybe I should try Kikinnin... that heavy armour of his has to be a nightmare in this heat."
Kikinnin crooks his head in the direction of JJ's mention of his name. Today, the black beard is much less red in the face. "It's alright, JJ. I meditated this morning to Abadar, and He kindly provided me some defense against the heat. I wasn't expecting the jungle to be so muggy, but I'm not proud, and will take help where I can get it."
"Anyone get the impression that we're just bouncin' from one act o' being patsies to the next? Ain't suggestin' we should give up or nuthin' just that powerful folks be they earthbound nobles, benign cults or heavenly relatives seem to have us in the frame for all the hard yards... Now the cudgelites'll claim its divinely ordained. Others'll give credance to bloodline or being a scion o' nobility. Me I'm a little less blinkered I guess... just wary that we're being used in a game we ain't privy to the rules of..."
"If this journey's taught me anything, it's that much more powerful beings than we are out there pushing the game in their favor. I'm only glad that Abadar's behind us pushing in His favor, and using us to put pressure where we can." Kikinnin gives JJ and Marigold a look, before continuing.
"Sometimes it's hard to tell where the pushing's coming from, but you have to take some things on faith, and hope for the best." Kikinnin refocuses on Maxim.
"Even your hairy back's got hackles raised, I expect. You're starting to sense that you're valued by your betters, and in recognizing that, you're being bettered as well. We're never truly free, when we're beholden to others. There are rules to be respected, there are laws to be upheld, there are bonds to commit to. Without community, we're wandering blind."
As the trek continues, Kikinnin gives each traveling companion a regard, behind his eyes. Ryan's got Abadar's Blessing, so he's got mine. JJ's got his name, and now he's got Nidrama's attention, so there's some providence in his blood. Juraan's got his drakblood, and Marigold's got her... quirk with the celestial tongue... He doesn't give much thought to Maxim, as Maxim is Malachite, and is spoken for deeply for his dwarven roots.
"So, tell me again- how has Nidrama helped us, actually? She's given us vagaries and cryptic riddles, much of which will likely make itself clear only when it's biting our sides. What do we know about a 'Lord of the Demonskar', and 'false sisters'?"
Just after second breakfast the Sun and jungle moisture starts to press on the group as they walk and chat.
After a few miles, the hunting trail ends abruptly and the trees thin out considerably, granting a clear view of the sky.
To the north, roiling yellow and brown clouds boil above a jagged, barren horizon. The jagged line of the Demonskar's rim broods at the base ofthese clouds.
The ground itself between here and the rim is strewn with razor-sharp ridges of volcanic glass and jagged stone. Ruined strips of what can only be the metal framework of ancient structures protrude from the ground like broken fingers from a shallow grave. One particularly large structure juts from the ground only twenty feet from the end of the trail. The ruin appears like nothing more than a massive pipe protruding from the ground, its twenty-foot-wide, two-foot-thick frame sloping down into the tortured ground at a gentle slope.
This round structure fits well with the mark "Round Cave" in the Hegemonic Plate. You think possible to use the map to navigate the natural pipes that fork open after the entrance.
This terrible crater in the middle of the trackless jungle was once the site of a spell weaver city. After an obscure and mostly forgotten event, the place has since come to be known as the Demonskar, if only for the fact that it was infested with demons trapped here when that fateful event tore them out of the Abyss and stranded them on the Material Plane.
About 710 years ago one of the greatest wizards of the time, Surabar Spellmason, received a vision from Nidrama, who had grown concerned about the demon infestation in the region. She gift Surabar with a potent magic weapon named Alakast, and charged him with the task of settling the region and driving out the demonic taint in the Demonskar.
Several tribes of gnolls have recently appeared in the jungles near the Demonskar. Most were attracted to the region by legends spread by a wandering gnoll adept about "Triple Tail." According to this legend, the son of Yeenoghu emerged from the Abyss in a great fire from the Demonskar, an event that marked the start of a thirteen-century war that would eventually make the gnolls the dominant race in the world. These gnolls are loosely organized brigands, but a few of them are religious fanatics inspired by Triple Tail. These gnolls, adepts and rangers of considerable ability, worship Triple Tail as the son of Yeenoghu.
Although most of the spell weaver structures in the vicinity were swept away by the explosion that produced the Demonskar, some remnants of their once proud city survive. Other ruins left by the spell weavers are likely to be subterranean places, buried deeply in lava,rubble, and ash.
As they prepare to leave the encampment, Ryan prepares for the day.
As talk turns to who will receive the extra protection, Ryan holds upa hand to forestall any further discussion. "I can provide protection for both Maxim and Juraan, JJ's comment last night brought fruit this morning during my studies."
Cast Endure Element, communal - Juraan and Maxim (12hrs each) -
Ryan listens to Kikinnin's words has he talks about being used by others. "Wise words, we are all pieces in someone's chess match, sometimes I wonder who's playing who though."
Surveying the landscape ahead of them leaves little to be desired, the place still resembled a disaster area.
Pointing at the pipe end "I believe that is depicted on the plate, perhaps the plate will work as a map to continue."
"I remember reading about this spot!
"Well, here we are at the crater known as Demonskar, where a Spell Weaver city once was.
"Nidrama, who we just met yesterday, helped Surabar Spellmason against the demons here about 700 years ago.
"She gave the Alakast to the other Surabar all those years ago.
"It also seems the a lot of gnolls here are fanatics who worship some 'triple tail' creature in the demonskar.
"They probably have a lot of capable rangers or adepts we need to be wary of.
"There was also a haunted village around here called Liduton, which was blasted by Necromatic entergy.
"There should also be a Korpu necropolis in a nearby lake bed as well.
"On the brighter side, the demons never really recovered from the conflicts here in the last 700 years."
JJ nods and listens to the others as they speculate about the strange place before them.
"I've heard similar tales Jurran, though you're are a lot more versed in this area than I am. Wasn't that odd fish-man we met at the underground lake when we were recovering the wands a Korpu. I wonder if there are more of them around still. "
His eyes glimmer as he hears about Alakast. "Some type of holy sword? It's a pity the stories about it don't tell us more about what sort of weapon it was."
[i]It sounds like grandmother has been manipulating events in this region for a long time. I wonder why she didn't face Nabthatoron herself? I mean, who makes the rules that can stop an angel. And why was she....dabbing with mortals like grandfather?[/b]"
He shakes his head, not really understanding things.
"I do feel you may be right, but I suspect even those we have heard of are not the true puppet masters."
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"You're r-right too, Kikinnin," Marigold finally agrees as they walk along. She was blessedly unbothered by the heat thanks to JJ's magic, which left more time to focus on conversation. "M-maybe we're chess p-pieces but we've got p-powerful friends and forces on our s-side too...s-sometimes it's easy to forget that b-but I sh-shouldn't. S-Sarenrae walks with us, s-same as Abadar, after all. K-Kinda hard to ask for b-better allies, r-right?" she smiles.
"It's...it's a st-staff, JJ," Marigold responds as they stand at the edge of the jungle and gaze upon the blasted land before them. "Alakast is a st-staff. Remember? The st-staff in the fresco b-back at the Ch-Chisel's meeting room. N-Now I s-see why Gretchen got so f-frustrated with you d-during our lessons in the orphanage - you need to p-pay more attention to what p-people tell you," she scolds.
"A-anyway, Ryan's r-right, it looks like that p-pipe over there is where we're b-bound - the R-Round Cave on the p-plate," she continues. Then, she sighs. "More traipsing ab-bout underground...g-great..."
"Look at the bright side, Marigold. Much shadier below ground!" Juraan says jokingly.
"I...yes, th-thank you for p-pointing that out," Marigold replies, a twinge of sarcasm in her voice. "Who kn-knows what horrors are under there b-but at least we'll b-be cool and c-comfortable when we f-face them."
Judging the pipe should be the entrance to the "round cave" indicated on the back of the hegemonic plate, the group ventures into the dark passage. The pipe allows access to the ancient sewer network that once existed below the Spell Weaver city cited by Juraan. The ruined pipes branch off and change direction many times, forming a maze, most of them are collapsed, a few lead to other exits in the area, either opening back into the jungle or protruding from the walls of the Demonskar itself. Fortunately, following the route indicated on the plate proves easy. After about five miles you reach the pipe section that is marked in the plate as Vaprak's Voice.
The last mile of the ancient sewer pipe is dark and almost completely intact. You light the way with magic and JJ's ioun stone. As you proceed down its length, a rhythmic rumbling moan grows until it is nearly deafening. When the Watchers finally emerge into the open air, the assault on the senses is all but overwhelming. You have come at last to the ruins of Vaprak's Voice, perched on the rim of the Demonskar itself.
Out of the dark passage, sharp and jagged rocks hang over a small ledge in the southeast part of a wide pit. The pit, roughly one hundred and fifty feet in diameter, is set at the bottom of a large fissure among the arid, crystalline hills that border the Demonskar. Puffs of eye-watering smoke seep from a pool at the bottom of the chasm, about fifty reet below . On the other side of the chasm, a pair of gigantic metal tubes protrudes from the rock, extending nearly fifty feet and out of the fissure. The burning stink: of sulfur and acid is everywhere, and the ground and walls are wet with foul smelling condensation. A ramp of roughly hewn stone steps winds down into the pit.
As the wind rises and sweeps through the fissure, the two looming metal chimneys issue a thundering, deep bellow that echoes across the landscape.
The sulfuric pollutants in the air proves sickening to the weakest.
"Well, this place looks ... dreary. At best."
Juraan then casts a spell on himself: « מאַגע אַרמאָר » . .
... and then advances carefully along the rough steps leading down, bow at the ready
Ryan coughs a bit at the acrid smoke but that is all, advancing down the steps he remarks to no-one in particular. "Well the name somewhat makes sense now."
Moving up behind Juraan, Ryan continues to observe the area ahead
JJ slips ahead of the rest of the group. While he keeps quiet, the light of his ioun stone will regretfully make him pretty obvious to any hidden foes.
But who would post guards so far underground?
"It l-looks like something from another w-world," Marigold remarks, her voice subdued. "N-not natural at all..."
She follows after the others as they move, always looking around and around for any sign of danger.
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Maxim grimaces as the hellish landscape comes into view;
:
"Hell's Teeth this place looks grim... Smells grimmer..."
He arches a bushy eyebrow and looks at his fellow dwur wryly;
"Lessen 'course that stink's comin' from you bror? Breakfastin' on blood puddin' an' beans'll play havoc with a fella's intestinal constitution!"
As he japes the gun-mage does turn a hard eye on the surrounding locale, wary of potential threats that might lurk;
:
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JJ coughs and covers his eyes. "Hell's teeth, this makes the jungle attractive. What would live.. could live down here?"
The columns roaring is so loud, that even Kikinnin's armor usual tinkering gets muffled under the noise as the group descends the ledge.
The water in the shallow pool at the bottom of the chasm bubbles constantly, stirred by acrid vapors escaping from deep underground. A whistling puff of smoke erupts sporadically from the water's surface, spraying the surrounding rocks with warm, whitish droplets. On the west wall of the chasm, a twenty foot-tall, massive iron gate blocks the way to a passage dug into the rock. Over the blocked passage, a second cave mouth opens on the rocky wall, much like the balcony of a giant gate house.
The horrendous stink of the foul vapor in the air is even worse in this area.
A bit too late, you notice a flapping in the western corridor. A small humanoid creature with thin, leathery wings, small horns, and a mischievous smile flies fifteen feet over the ground fighting to pass through a small opening over the gate.
After a small struggle, the flying creature disappears nervously through the small opening.
That was some kind of strange variation of a smoke mephit. They enjoy to bath in bubbling pools like the one in this area.
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"Lessen 'course that stink's comin' from you bror? Breakfastin' on blood puddin' an' beans'll play havoc with a fella's intestinal constitution!"
Kikinnin keeps the slow march, while keeping his eyes forward. "You won't have to ask when gas passes my fissure, Bror. This stink is wholly something other."
Kikinnin spies the flying imp at the same time as the others. "That's not good. Anything that looks intelligent enough to retreat in our coming is likely to mention us to those deeper in this place."
"That was a strange looking Mephit.
"Must like having a dip in that noxious pool.
"Should we try following it though that passage?"
JJ rasps, his lungs unable to cope with the toxic fumes.
"Yes... we need to get to fresh air. But at least it wasn't a demon"
Ryan does his best to dodge the heaviest areas of smoke billowing across the landscape.
"The gate can be bypassed but question will be what we find on the other side. We ready? Don't think we'll find and restore Alek by going backwards."
JJ can't cope with the acrid air and feels sickened.
When Kikinnin approaches, he can have a better sight at the steel gate, which is formed by an iron portcullis. The small gap the mephit used to escape is dark.
The end of this narrow canyon contains a large cave opening in the side of the rift. A massive fifteen-foot-wide, twenty-foot-tall, spiked iron portcullis blocks this entrance. About fifteen feet above the gate is a much smaller cave mouth; this one barely two feet in diameter.
With JJ looking green, Kikinnin looks towards the rise towards the north. He casually pulls out his Rope of Climbing, and works his way up the wall, if nothing presents itself as direct problem. He looks forward as best he can, while he encourages the others to join him in the climb.
Juraan advances, just ahead of JJ, and looks ahead to the steel gate and casts a spell in its direction:
« ცეკვა განათება » . .
And tries to see if anything is visible in the opening the mephit entered
JJ, looking more than a little green, tries to keep low where the air is a little less horrid. OR maybe standing just hunts too much at the moment.
Marigold watches nervously as Kikinnin begins making his way up the northern rise, hoping that there weren't more flying beasties lurking about. "S-so we'll t-try and bypass the g-gate?" she calls up. "Not a b-bad idea..."
Assuming all goes well and Kikinnin makes it to the top safely, Marigold will await her turn and then make her way up the rope as well.
:
Maxim gets a lung full of onerous fumes and begins hacking and coughing between curses;
"Hell's... Teeth...! Stuff tastes w-orse... than it sm...ells..."
Pulling himself together, the queasy looking gun-mage eyes the smaller entrance above the portcullis;
"Might be a port fer... oil or some such... Best ware..."
"Scouting the outskirts is probably best idea." Ryan says to himself as much as anyone, as Kikinnin moves towards the blowholes
Maintaining his closeness to keep the spell he spent this morning active. Shield Other - 45ft
Kikinnin was chose for Shield Other as he is most at risk to damage outside of JJ, the distance clause makes JJ a 'no go' as this is an 8 hr spell. The rest of us are more often than not out of melee and easier to reach with touch spells. If there is a flaw in the reasoning or someone better chosen let me know
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When Kikinnin says the command order, his stick suddenly starts to grow, slowly knotting itself as it climbs the chasm wall. After fifty seconds the magical rope reaches the edge of the cliff and coils around a small rock securing itself.
Kikinnin starts climbing the cliff, making sure at each step he surely going up and not down. It takes the dwarf a considerable effort to reach the edge of the cliff, but after a minute of bracing against he stands up and turns to signal the others the way is clear.
JJ is the second. Despite his dizziness, it is clear the young boy has past years climbing the building façades of Cauldron. In just a couple of braces against the knotted rope, the Surabar reaches the edge, without even losing his breath. That was an astonishing time of eighteen seconds!
Meanwhile Juraan approaches the gate and casts a light spell that go into the small entrance over the portcullis. He finds out there are small spherical rocks gathered in lines at the ground. He seems to discern something else...
At the same time, Marigold starts her ascend. Despite having a lighter armor, the halfling feels difficulty to heighten her own weight on the rope. Anyway, she does not need to be heighten by the others, and proves a surefooted climber despite her small legs. After a minute and eighteen seconds, she demonstrates to herself reaching the edge of the cliff just as the others.
Maxim follows, trained in this affairs and thanks to his light armor, the blond dwarf takes it easy to climb the cliff. Although not as elegantly as JJ, he make it up in just half a minute.
...and what Juraan sees is a couple of big feet. He just runs back to the climb where everyone else is climbing, where he finds Ryan starting his ascend. The cleric strong muscles and Abadar's blessings make it easy for him to climb up the cliff. Still he does not make reach the graclessness of JJ, but he reaches the edge in twenty-four seconds.
Juraan reaches the rope and starts climbing just as Ryan does same. He has no armor, that makes it easy for his ascend. With just a bit of effort he reaches up with the others matching Ryan's time.
Once there, the group contemplates the roaring columns, and the fissure that ascends slowly to the north. Recovering the climbing rope, and continuing through the platform, the group reaches a point where an opening abandons the chasm to the west. Following the north, it seems the chasm slowly climbs back into the jungle.
Rather than natural, it seems the opening to the west has been the product of mining by giant creatures. The opening is clearly older than the chasm.
A fifteen-foot-wide, fifteen-foot-tall cave mouth opens on the rocky wall here, obstructed by a crude wall of logs and boards bound together with rope and huge iron nails. From the cave, a winding path leads downhill toward the misty, blighted heart of the Demonskar itself.
The door has no lock, nor any knob, but pushing it seems not enough to open it. Sheer strength or destruction will be needed to open the solid heavy giant door.
"U-um...that's...that's a really b-big door," Marigold gapes as they make their way west and encounter the huge wall of logs and boards. "C-can we even get it open? M-Maybe if we all p-push..."
:
Feeling better now they are clear of the noxious gases, Maxim breathes deep and looks more hale.
The gun-mage scrutinises the vista before them...
:
... but nothing untoward nor noticeable springs to his mind.
At the door, the dwur flashes a hard grin and moves forward;
"'Tis indeed quite the door Lil' Miss. Reckon in such situations the polite thing is to knock..."
Maxim stands before the huge portal and mutters an arcane word before tapping on the door lightly;
"Klop-klop"
"Well! The door the mephit used is not on! Two big feet showing just on the other side of it.
"That rope is some nice piece of kit, Kikinnin!"
Juraan gets out his own Ioun torch stands with is bow at the ready:
When Maxim completes his spell and triggers his magics a shocking wave of air makes all dust and small stones in the ground to fly, and pushes the massive wooden wall that suddenly slightly moves back, then balances for a second and finally falls back to the ground!
With the barrier removed, it is just as easy for the group to access the tunnel behind until reaching a broader chamber.
This place reeks of sweaty, unwashed brutes and scorched meat. Four twelve-foot-long stone beds covered with filthy animal skins lie near the walls. A huge firepit dominates the middle of the cave, under a chimney hole in the forty-foot-high ceiling above. The charred, dismembered skeleton of a huge ape lies over the bed of ashes. A pile of one-foot-diameter polished rock spheres is stacked neatly against the south wall, with a hammer, a chisel, and an emery nearby. Four large burlap sacks sit against the west wall.
In the middle of the cave, just next to the ape burning scolds there are three giants that look back to the group as surprised as them, but slower to react.
Climbing the rope helps JJ get the gunk out of his lungs and he starts to look much better. "Uh.... Hill Giants.." he shudders. "They hit like a ton of rocks, which is what they tend to throw.."
This is going to hurt
JJ hurries forward, trying to close the distance before the giants are aware.
The slope descends towards the cave, making it possible for JJ to charge, although the uneven natural ground makes it a bit difficult.
Marigold's Round 1
"উম...কেউ কি একটু অতিরিক্ত সুরক্ষা চান?" she gulps as she calls on Sarenrae to shield her.
"Um...does anyone want a little extra protection?"
________