"Peace, Vorel. I venture a guess and say that this is where we need to go. And believe me, I don't trust this one bit."
He pats Vorel reassuringly on the arm.
"Let's see in what state the rock is."
The monk begin to carefully pull on the rope, like a fisherman reeling in his prey.
"Peace, Vorel. I venture a guess and say that this is where we need to go. And believe me, I don't trust this one bit."
He pats Vorel reassuringly on the arm.
"Let's see in what state the rock is."
The monk begin to carefully pull on the rope, like a fisherman reeling in his prey.
The branch is perfectly intact.
Calistra will do her best to follow and be stealthy. She's still fatigued, however.
Voryn who is also fatigued attempts to sneak by the bat as well.
Inside the cavern, they manage to sneak into the cave and reach the pool.
"Test one down. Now let's try test two. Let me in, but only up to my waist. I'll cast a spell like Create water, and see what happens. If nothing happens after one minute, I'll go all-in, and if something does happen, I'll start kicking. That'll be my signal. If I kick, pull me back. How's that?"
It seems darker and colder on the other side, and the ground is covered in snow. But everything else seems normal and your spell works perfectly fine.
Hailey searches for any possible dangers.
[dice=Perception]1d20 +5
You detect none.
She decides to climb all the way in, but remain right close to the tree.
You find yourself standing in a snow covered evergreen forest and it is fairly dark. looking back through the Y of the tree behind you, you see the forest you left.
"Here, let me do that." Calistria says quietly as she gently takes a jug from Garekk. "If something happens, you're better suited for dealing with it."
Not for the first time, she wishes Hailey were here. Calistria has no ability to detect magic.
"Chisohk... Hofibai zhaan ekess kothar grovisv ekess loreat..."
With a sort of annoyed countenance, Vorelloex decides to go into the tree after the girl, before anything witchy took place. He draws his flail, and scans the new realm before him.
"Was it everything you hoped for, Hailey? Let's go back now, before this tree steals our souls."
Vorel nothing seems weird just a different location. Outside do notice a blood drop about 10 ft from the tree.
Mortified by the fact that now both of his companions had entered the enchanted tree portal, Swift gawks for a few seconds before cautiously approaching the tree. Once within arms reach, he lifts his arms and prepares to put his hand through it. With his eyes clenched closed, he thrusts his limb through crook and waits for a few seconds, expecting some odd magical phenomena to rip his arm from his socket. With baited breath, he waits.
He opens his eyes once he realizes his arm was still attached. He lets out a sigh of relief, and follows them through the crook.
Voryn crouches by the pool and fills his waterskin with the holy water and helps filling whatever containers in the party's possession that they agree should be filled.
In the cavern all the waterskins and other containers are filled, and the great beast stirs slightly, shuddering in its sleep.
You must make another stealth check to leave the temple without waking the beast.
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"This tree isn't going to steal our souls, Mr. V. It is merely a doorway, a shortcut. Though I suggest that one of us go back through again, just to make absolutely sure we can get out."
Then she stops, and begins looking around firstly for any sign that the trail she's tracking has continued, and secondly, for anything she can use as her next runic marker should the rest of the party elect to catch up to us.
[dice=Stealth]1d20+1
There is an old stone alter between you and the slumbering beast.
"This tree isn't going to steal our souls, Mr. V. It is merely a doorway, a shortcut. Though I suggest that one of us go back through again, just to make absolutely sure we can get out."
Then she stops, and begins looking around firstly for any sign that the trail she's tracking has continued, and secondly, for anything she can use as her next runic marker should the rest of the party elect to catch up to us.
[dice=Perception]1d20 + 5
You also see the blood, you could probably mark one of the trees with your rune.
Calistria means to be steady and stealthy but the altar distracts her. She stops and peers at it.
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Hailey will go and do just that, marking a tree.
"We should be able to follow the blood trail to the culprits hideout. I just pray that the blood doesn't stop prematurely."
Calistria means to be steady and stealthy but the altar distracts her. She stops and peers at it.
[dice=Knowledge (religion)]1d20+4
The alter is dedicated to Erastil, the hunter god.
"If this is the same who has brought those we have met their ruin, then he must be a sorcerer. If he has the power to cleave a sap into a door like this, he may have other tricks... Beware."
He sniffles.
You lose the blood trail about 100 meters from the tree. There are no distinctive features to be seen in any direction.
"Voryn!" Calistria whispers, trying to keep her voice down. "Come look at this!"
She motions to the altar dedicated to the god of hunters. Because, well, that's what Voryn is.
Voryn turns to Calistria and the altar. "Can't believe I didn't notice that. Hold on, let me pay my respect to Old Deadeye before we leave." He kneels by the altar and prays.
The only magic you detect is the portal.
Swift scratches his head.
"It seems we have lost the trail..."
The monk seems to be slightly discouraged. He sits down and starts his meditation exercises.
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"There are two possibilities. The first is that the necromancer suspected he was vulnerable to tracking and wanted to throw people off the scent by using the portal, while the real trail continued on back outside the portal.
"The second is that we must begin searching this place with a fine-toothed comb, figuratively. Now, since we've been led in a single direction, it is logical to continue in that same direction until we see something that makes us believe otherwise."
And, taking ten on the check, Hailey will search the place as thoroughly as she can.
Taking ten results in a score of 15.
Calistria remains silent as respects are paid. She pats both men on the shoulder and then points towards the cave entrance. Time to see if they can get out of here without bloodshed.
Calistria remains silent as respects are paid. She pats both men on the shoulder and then points towards the cave entrance. Time to see if they can get out of here without bloodshed.
A second stealth check is needed to exit the cave without waking the beast.
"There are two possibilities. The first is that the necromancer suspected he was vulnerable to tracking and wanted to throw people off the scent by using the portal, while the real trail continued on back outside the portal.
"The second is that we must begin searching this place with a fine-toothed comb, figuratively. Now, since we've been led in a single direction, it is logical to continue in that same direction until we see something that makes us believe otherwise."And, taking ten on the check, Hailey will search the place as thoroughly as she can.
Taking ten results in a score of 15.
There is no further trail of blood, but a space about 10ft in diameter just past the last drop is heavily disturbed.
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Hailey goes to it.
"She probably gave up her last drop of blood here," Hailey declares. "Perhaps he stopped to rest, or he could've figured out what was going on and tended her so the bleeding would stop."
She examines the space, pondering.
"Okay. I'm sure there's an answer, I just haven't as yet come up with it. He's still traceable. It's just going to be a little harder.
"Let's say he turns invisible. Okay, that still leaves footprints in the snow. Or let's say he can cast a flying spell. Okay. He's still going to need to relieve himself somewhere.
"Any suggestions, boys?"
Hailey goes to it.
"She probably gave up her last drop of blood here," Hailey declares. "Perhaps he stopped to rest, or he could've figured out what was going on and tended her so the bleeding would stop."
She examines the space, pondering.
"Okay. I'm sure there's an answer, I just haven't as yet come up with it. He's still traceable. It's just going to be a little harder.
"Let's say he turns invisible. Okay, that still leaves footprints in the snow. Or let's say he can cast a flying spell. Okay. He's still going to need to relieve himself somewhere.
"Any suggestions, boys?"
The snow is firm enough not leave footprints if one is careful.
The Tusk mountains were void of civil institutions, but not of tricksters. The glacial wastes gave many thieves places to hide, and one would be wise to keep a watch for those who strode above the frost without path. Ledir knew this well, and the scene before him brought him back to one such moment in his life where he did not heed the pathless walkers, and was slighted for it.
Vorelloex sees the patch of mess beyond the last drop of blood, but scans farther out, near the horizon.
"This one is a trickster. The trail has not yet run cold, but where it rests I could not know... Chisohk!"
Frustrated, Vorelloex darts in the direction he most thinks the sorcerer would go. He still does not like this portal'd place.
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While in deep thought on the matters at hand, Swift can hear his companions talk aloud. He incorporates their thoughts into his mental examinations.
Suddenly he hears rustling, opening his eyes in time to see Vorel's fleeting shape heading further on the path.
"We should stick together, no need to be brash!" he calls after him, rising onto his feet to pursue him.
Calistria accidentally kicks a rock that bounces off the alter with a loud rattle. The beast stirs.
Voryn can act before the beast does.
Realizing that the loud noise of the rock bouncing off the altar will surely alert the bat to their presence and that it will most likely see them as a threat and try to attack them, Voryn gets in a defensive position.
No reason to attack first. Maybe it will just fly away.