GM Hawthwile's Beyond the Halflight Path (Inactive)

Game Master Hawthwile

Makras scowls and starts heading across the chamber.

i might have missed it...but would know dungeon help identify these things?

If 1E had hero points, Loam would get one.

As Loam splashes the beheaded giant's body with sizzling acid, the creature's wounds rapidly reverse their mending until what appears to be every cut and puncture the rock troll has ever endured in their life re-opens. As Korum finishes decapitating the other, she repeats the process. At long last, the cavern is quiet.

Out of Combat! Damage Report:
- Lady Vulpina (-23)
- Sadaf (-20)
- Danduun (-19)
- Makras (-21)
- Korum (-22)
- Doran (-4)

Go ahead and include any restorative actions you'd like to take in your next post.

Now that the excitement has died down, Vulpina can't help but notice something sparkling in the dirt near her foot. Peeking out of the gravel and rubble from the partial cave-in earlier is a silver ring resembling two snakes clutching a large emerald between their jaws. The swashbuckler also spots a handful of broken vials in the corner, but one is only cracked and still contains a faintly-glowing blue liquid.

Makras wanders through the brightly-glowing cavern, the rainbow hues dancing across his scarred face as he moves. Even the shattered crystals beneath his feet shine like torches, the light being brightest from their un-damaged facets.

As they take stock of their situation, the Pathfinders discuss where they want to head next.

Three votes moves the party.

What do you do?

Korum will use whomever's healing wand on them.

"Well, try and find the runt who led us here? I kinda feel they have some karma comin' their way."

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

"Ah, perfect. Thank you, Korum."

Vulpina sighs as she looks around; the smell is horrible. She picks up the ring with some interest, as well as the vials, and shows them around.

"If this ring is not magical, I shall wear it myself," she suggests.

"I suppose we can try to follow them further in, yes."

Spellcraft, Vial: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28
Spellcraft, Ring: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18
Dungeoneering: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13

Loam looks over the newly discovered loot. "This potion will save some stress on our wands. Whoever is feeling worst off should take it now."

"As for the ring, it has some magic to it...but I can't decipher it right now. Unless someone else can, feel free to wear it. Though who's to say the magic isn't a curse, and you'll go the way of these two if you're too close to a match?" The ratfolk chuckles as she fishes out her own wand for Korum to use.

I think I'm still down some, but it doesn't say, the only healing I remember getting was the Infernal Healing that got redacted.

Finally...good job all. I have a minor scratch...but maks sense to be at top condition if there is any more trouble, right? Doran says as he looks around the cavern.

know dungeon: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16
clw: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8using one charge from my wand...

Infernal healing was not effective as Sadaf cannot use the wand.

Sadaf offers the wand of infernal healing to Loam.

“Can you heal yourself, myself, and Danduun with this wand?“

Makras chugs the newly-found potion.

cure serious wounds: 3d8 + 5 ⇒ (4, 4, 8) + 5 = 21

I'm assuming Loam (or Makras) would be willing to activate Sadaf's wand.

Damage Report:
- Lady Vulpina (-2)
- Korum (-22)

The Pathfinders tend to their wounds before deciding where to go next.

Available options have been marked with Yellow ovals. Two votes moves the party.

What do you do?

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

I still vote to follow the goblin instigator.

I'd vote for that, too, but I don't actually know where they went...

I thought it ran through this cavern and out the back somehow.

I think there are three "backs" here, but looking closer, two of them are a stream, so maybe we go for the land-based one?

Doran looks for any sign which way the goblin went.

survival, track: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18

He might have gone this way...not sure though...

The tracks Doran finds confirm what Makras tells the group about how the goblin jumped in the river and then sank out of sight below the surface. The water is cool and slow-moving, flowing away from the crystalline cavern and deeper into the darkness of the vault.

Two votes moves the party.

What do you do?

Loam gladly administers to some of the injuries with the borrowed wand.

"Down the river, then. Hopefully there's enough bank the whole way down that we don't need to swim."

Makras trudges along down the river.

River it is then...let me go first...I can see if there are any traps. I trust goblins as far as I can toss a dragon... Doran says as he heads into the water.

Then it is decided.

The Pathfinders wade into the chilly water, quickly discovering that the stream is deeper than it appeared from the shore and the current stronger as it insistently pushes them downstream. The surface is calm enough that even Loam and Sadaf are able to (barely) keep their heads above the surface.

As Doran and Makras swim underneath a stone bridge, a voice calls down from above. "Yoohoo! I say, are you all right down there?" A well-dressed man with a foppish hat peers over the edge before scrambling back quickly as the rock beneath his feet cracks and crumbles into the water. "Good heavens! I do hope that didn't hit you, good sirs! Abrelin, Do you have the rope? I told you we would need it, didn't I..."

Another voice grumbles in reply, but the stream sweeps the Pathfinders along before dumping them over a short waterfall into an underground lake. Shimmering light from glowing gems embedded in the rock beneath the surface provide a hypnotic, glittering luminance to the chamber. The cold of the clear water seems more pronounced here, chilling the Pathfinders more and more as they float. On the western side of the room, a small embankment spills out from what look to be stairs upward.

What do you do?

Makras tries to doggy-paddle toward the embankment, leaving a viscous swirl of filth in his wake. How long has it been since he last had a bath?

Makras is always so damn gross. It's a wonder Vulpina hasn't dipped some sort of magic level just so she could Prestidigitate the stink off of him!

Vulpina seems to agree with Makras's idea of getting onto dry(ish) land... and tries not to stand downstream.

Korum makes his way toward the western bank.

Loam is slowed to practically walking on the riverbed, as her hands are occupied keeping books and gun above the water while it grows ever filthier. She conserves energy by not calling back to the odd man. No one else has yet, and he doesn't seem like a Duskwarden.

”Let us get out of here Danduun!“ the merchant nature dwarf says to his little dinosaur and moves out with him.

Then it is decided.

The Pathfinders carefully make their way out of the water and up the steps, moving carefully to avoid falling on the slippery stairs. At the top, a large cavern is dimly lit by several patches of dull mushrooms that seem to grow well in the dampness. The light from tiny gems embedded in the floor and walls glitters off the fungal caps, which seem to be encrusted with the small crystals as well.

"Boss. Behind you."

A low grumbling voice greets Makras as he reaches the top of the steps, and the doomsayer looks up to see another dwarf pointing at him from atop another set of stairs. He is accompanied by the same well-dressed man who called to the Pathfinders while the were in the stream earlier, who spins around and nearly drops the rope clutched tightly in his hands. "Who? What? Oh no, are they ghosts so soon!?" The nobleman reaches instinctively for a decorative dagger at his hip before stopping to squint at the newcomers. "Wait... they're not see-through. Every story I've heard about ghosts says they're transparent, or translucent, or something. Isn't that right, Abrelin?"

"Yeah boss."

"Why, then they can't be ghosts!" The nobleman claps his hands delightedly, though the effect is somewhat spoiled by the rope he still holds in his hand. "You survived your swim after all! And here I thought you'd been washed away into the Darklands, or perhaps someplace worse!" He shivers dramatically and holds out a hand. "Lord Drixel, at your service! Who might I have the honor of addressing in these dark and inhospitable caverns? And, if I may be so bold, what brings you here?"

What do you do?

Vulpina upturns her boots, one at a time, to let the water pour out of them. She's in this unfortunate position when the fellow noble appears, and decides not to acknowledge her state.

"The Lady Vulpina," she says, sliding a boot back on and buckling it halfway before striding up to him and offering her own hand, with a look that indicates she expects him to kiss it.

"Something of an investigation turned sour," she explains, "and a goblin gone missing, as is their wont. And yourself?"

Doran the brawny Taldan says as he holds out his meaty hand. He looks over the man with a trained eye, studying him.

“Makras look. Another brother forged from natural stone!“ Sadaf says clapping on Makras shoulder.

Sadaf ignores the human and approaches Abrelin.

“Hello! Sadaf is my name. What are you guys doing down here?! We’re investing cave ins! Maybe our work is related. Would be good to catch up with another dwarf!“

He then looks at the human.

“Mr.! You like dwarves, right?“

diplomacy : 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15

Makras grumbles something by way of greeting to the dwarf.

"We were promised death and destruction. Have you seen any?"

Knowing a dwarf's distrust of orcs in general may play a factor, Korum waits to see how this plays out.

"Loam, and I hail from Goka," the ratfolk says with a nod come her turn. She waits on the strange dwarf (although not the strangest present) to elaborate on himself.

Drixel is more than happy to oblige Vulpina's tacit request. "Why, I must be in the company of the most masterful of minors to have unearthed such a priceless gem in such an inhospitable place," he says solemnly, thought he twinkle in his eyes gives away the game. "An investigation and a goblin gone missing? My, you must be quite the brave souls to have chased a mere nuisance all the way down here. Were they the one responsible for this cave-in perhaps?" He takes Doran's hand in a firm grasp and returns the shake.

Abrelin merely grunts as Sadaf attempts to socialize. "Huh."

"Can't say we've really found much in the way of death and destruction I'm afraid," Drixel continues. "Or goblins, for that matter. Or have we seen any goblins, Abrelin?"

"No."

Drixel turns to the Pathfinders and shrugs dramatically. "Well, that's that I'm afraid. You all wouldn't happen to know where the exit is, would you? I think we've been wandering around in circles for... gods, it feels like it's been days. Maybe it has been!"

What do you do?

"Days huh? What brought you down here in the first place?"

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15

I will also hit them with a little Detect Undead (Oath Against Undead archetype has this instead of Detect Evil).

"Why, treasure, my good man!" Drixel guffaws cheerfully and playfully swats the half-orc's chest. "They say there's all sorts of strange and powerful artifacts down here just waiting to be discovered! Just think of the prestige one could gain from bringing even one back to the surface! They'd have no choice but to publish my findings in Archeologists Associated Monthly - Abrelin, do you think we could even be featured in the Spotlight section?"

The dwarf shrugs noncommittally.

"That's his way of saying 'of course'," the noble whispers loudly behind his hand to Vulpina with a wink.

What do you do?

Fellow PCs, I'm not exactly sure what we should be doing. The best I can remember is we're still trying to figure out what's causing the buildings above to sink, and we have the augur's divination that the cause is from a dark place underground. I think we've mostly searched this cavern, but the necromancer had a whole list of ones we could try. Do we need to move on or is there more to do down here?

I am wondering how this pair figure into things. Is their search for treasure causing the cave-ins because of something like rock to mud or other terraforming?

"Better wandering than caught up in a fight," Loam chips in. "We've been in two, and it can't have been more than a few hours since we got here."

The ratfolk pulls her halflight charm from a pocket and holds it out for Drixel. "This should be able to call a Duskwarden to help you out of here safely. We have a few spares."

Always interested in stumbling into trouble, Makras starts heading into an unexplored area of the cavern.

Unless anyone else has a suggestion, if we explore the nearest unexplored area maybe we'll come across something to help us get back on track.

Not really wanting Makras to get lost, Korum stays near the oracle. Just not too close.

"My, what charming companions you have with you," Drixel comments to Vulpina as he accepts Loam's offered charm with a low bow. "And generous ones too! I do hope we won't have to use this though." He shivers visibly at the thought, then waves farewell as the Pathfinders depart.

Map has been updated with ovals to indicate possible directions of exploration. Please move your tokens to indicate where you'd like to head next.

What do you do?

"I do like to think they are more pleasant than appearances would suggest," she smirks.

She's gonna follow group decision on this one.

Well, there was a passage back near where we fought those giants...might be worth while to check out...then work the rest of these tunnels.

moved my token to show where i mean...the top left yellow oval...then the others after..

See, we're not all murder hobos. Granted, these are probablybad guys, but what are you gonna do?

It's all the same to me, so I'm good with Doran's suggestion.

Doran goes to see if there are any signs or recent travel down the passageway in front of him.

survival, track: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21

Then it is decided.

Doran leads the group back down the stone steps and up the other side of the entryway, turning down a side passage. The rocky walls quickly open up into another large chamber, though there seems to be little of interest inside. The hunter studies the ground, but the hard rock of the cavern floor yields little information for him.

From the other side of the cavern, Lord Drixel's now-familiar voice calls out. "Yoohoo! Fancy seeing you again! See how easy it is to get turned around in here?"

Where to next?

What do you do?

Doran mutters a few choice curses under his breath, He takes a rock and marks the passageway to denote they were here in case they get turned around. He heads back to one of the other unexplored passages and checks for tracks again.

track: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18

"Let me help you my friend!" Sadaf says and starts to aid Doran.

Auto aid to track.

Then it is decided.

As the Pathfinders cross over the bridge, Drixel waves cheerfully. "Back again and leaving so soon? Ah well, all good things in life must fade. Isn't that right, Abrelin?"

"Hmph."

"Oh, and watch out for-"

The noble's words are cut off as the bridge begins to crumble and crack under Doran's boots!

Doran Reflex: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25
Loam Reflex: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15
Korum Reflex: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
Makras Reflex: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
Sadaf Reflex: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19
Danduun Reflex: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11
Vulpina Reflex: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24

Korum and Danduun go tumbling over the edge and into the water and back down the stream, but return a few minutes later completely soaked through (again). Carefully, the two make their way across the stone bridge to rejoin their companions.

Doran presses forward, Sadaf at his side. The pair spot what could be signs of passage up the stone steps to the northeast, but in their haste to follow after they don't notice the spark on the ceiling before it blooms into a massive fireball!

Fire damage: 6d6 ⇒ (1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 6) = 12

Doran Reflex: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20
Loam Reflex: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24
Korum Reflex: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
Makras Reflex: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
Sadaf Reflex: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
Danduun Reflex: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11
Vulpina Reflex: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21

In the aftermath of the explosion, Doran and Sadaf hear the sounds of cursing up the stairs to the northeast.

Something Wicked This Way Comes
Round 1! Bold may act!
Sadaf (-6)
Danduun (-12)
Doran (-6)
Loam (-6)
Korum (-6)
???
Vulpina (-6)
Makras (-12)

What do you do?