Darwyn takes a deep breath, patches up some little scratches from earlier fights then descends the rope, equipment all straped firmly to his back, he clings on despite the pain caused by the sludge and rain. As he climbs he sings an old miners song from a little town far away. They used to sing it as they shimmied their way home out of the mines.
Athletics:
The pain and slipperiness of the rain however make him lose his grip, and he tries to hold on with a desperate strength.
His fingers are already too wet however and he begins to fall!
Helping each other out, the group make their way successfully into the slimed walls of the passage and continue on their way. With the help of Thom's light, everyone can see the vile residue of necrotic matter seeping through the walls.
Levana in particular suffers from traversing the narrow pathway, her elven senses more readily susceptible perhaps.
'Left, may as well cosse and go quickly. This tunnel is not pleasant,' Darwyn pipes up from near the back.
"Left is the way to go."
"Left it is."
The passageway twists onwards and ends in a ruined hallway. Lined with green tiles, now cracked and broken, the hallway extends 50 feet (10 squares) and ends in the increasingly familiar face of the Devourer. An open mouth gapes at you.
'...On second thought. Left is a silly place. Let's go right.'
Norrin points at yet another Devourer face, "this place must have a maintenance shed filled with these things."
"Lets Turn back and find out what is the other direction before continuing"
"Following my inner compass, I say we turn around when possible."
The group backtracks, working down the oozing passages towards the familiar junction. It is possible to pass without touching the walls if care is taken.
At length, the passage widens into a corridor of finely worked stone and a pair of double doors. These swing back to the the touch and reveal a spherical chamber covered in runes that give off a silvery sheen. Lines of runes mark the entrance, exit and centre of the chamber.
Stunned into silence by the sight, the group take stock by the door.
"Darwyn, runes?"
'Hmm,' Darwyn moves to the front of the group and walks closer to the runes.
Darwyn is baffled.
"I have a book on obscure runes," proclaims Norrin as he rummages through his backpack, "it helps me fall asleep!"
Despite a thorough search, the ranger is unable to locate the tome.
The companions gawp helplessly at the runes.
"Not my thing."
"Ah."
Darion snaps his fingers. "A prison."
As fragments of knowledge accummulate, Darwyn pieces it together.
'This won't be easy. The chamber obstructs our passage, and worse, it harms us while we remain within. Who's a could sneak? Maybe they could go first?'
'...Who's a could sneak? Maybe they could go first?'
As soon as Darwyn suggests this, Norrin looks straight up at the ceiling, avoiding eye contact with the bard.
Norrin's look is studiedly innocent.
Levana moves to the edge of the runes (H4), "I relish the pain."
Levana moves swiftly across the sphere, and arrives at the other side where she disables the exit runes with ease. Possibly to her disappointment, she suffers no pain at all.
'Well damn, that put me to shame. Here goes I guess,' Darwyn announces before he makes a run for it.
, fails!
Lyan will bring up the rear, in case of anything unforeseen.
Summary: Turn 1, move to center line. Turn 2, move 3, start ongoing. Turn 3, move to far line, succeed at Thievery. Three failed saves, total 20 damage.
Samson moves through the room Following Levana's steps.
Darion tries to follow Samson, Levana and Lyan. Overconfident on the first part of his journey perhaps, he finally scrambles out of the sphere somewhat the worse for wear.
1d20+8
1d20+8
1d20+81d20+8
1d20+8
1d20+8
1d20+8
1d20+8
rerolls:
vs. 20
"I relish the pain."
"Hahaha, that's the spirit! Wait... what?"
With the threat of pain as his motivation, Norrin busts through the invisible resistance like a mime.
Once the nature of the sphere reveals itself, the group have no particular difficulty in passing through it.
On the other side, the passageway is wider and made of comparatively finely worked stone, leading on into the darkness.
Eventually, it bends to the left and ends in a small chamber adorned with three glowing portals. There appears to be no other exit.
'Well isn't this place just full of fun little twists and turns!' announces Darwyn as they see the thre portals.
'I wonder if we can stop to catch our breaths for a moment, the rain and pain are wearing me down a little?'
"I long for the plains where it occasionally rains and there's much less pain."
Darion brushes himself down, but feels no need to heal himself.
After the short break Darwyn stands up and has a look at the portal to se what he can decipher from them.
Arcana: