Madison Kokko's page

Maddy crouched beside Kalanzar to look at Kip's farewell gift. She had been around Kip enough to know what his scat looked like and that wasn't this.

She'd never seen anything like it before, at least not this size. She looked at Kalanzar questioningly, "Can you tell what it is? Is it an egg of some kind? Or something Kip ate before we met?

While Kalanzar looked at the globe, Maddy stood and craned her neck upwards to see if she could catch a glimpse of Kip as they departed. She looked down and gave Hue a small, grateful smile. [b]"I don't feel brave. It just felt like the right thing to do."

Maddy looked at the tunnel and took a shuddering breath. "I don't like the idea of anyone but me going first in case there is trouble. But I also don't like the idea of me going into that tunnel at all."

What skill does one use to investigate potential carrion crawler poop? Although I’m rooting for larva. Kip Jr :)

Awwww, did Kip leave her a larva?

Maddy peered into the tunnel from Kip's saddle and shuddered. She wasn't sure if she would fit let alone Kip. That realization squeezed her heart like it was caught in a vice. If her journey was into that tunnel then it wouldn't include Kip.

Her head drooped for a moment as she prepared herself for what she needed to do. An eerie whine snapped her head up as Kip went rigid beneath her. She focused on how Kip was reacting to the sound and was surprised that it wasn't from fear or apprehension.

Lowering Precious from her back, Maddy kept Kip from bolting while she unstrapped herself and dismounted. She made Kip focus on her and she said quietly, "I think this is where we part ways, my friend. And if I'm reading your body language properly, someone is calling you."

As Maddy talked to Kip, she started unbuckling the saddle and removing the bridle so that Kip would understand that he was being released to be the best carrion crawler he could be. She gave Kip some affectionate pats and scratches before gently pushing him away. "Thanks for everything, Kip. Be free."

Maddy couldn't see the pathway that Precious spoke about until she asked Dawn to turn off her light. She was met with a lot of arguing in her head but finally, with much grumbling, Dawn complied. Once it was dark, Maddy's eyes adjusted and she was able to see the softly glowing algae.

She wasn't concerned about Kip making the climb so she knew that she was going to be ok. However, what came next weighed heavily on her heart. She was fairly certain that Kip wouldn't be able to fit through the next leg of the journey and the thought of close quarters caused butterflies to erupt in her stomach. Would she be able to make it? Maybe her and Kip should find another way...

animal handling,DC10: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

Maddy watched the others start the climb and her already unsettled stomach leapt into her throat a couple of times as she listened to the occasional gasp and skittering of rocks downwards. Seeing Precious' reluctance to begin and thinking that his ability to see in the dark could be beneficial for her in guiding Kip, she suggested that she take him along with her and Kip. At first, Kip was resistant to the idea and Maddy couldn't get him to start the climb carrying both her and the dwarf. She realized that her own chaotic emotions may be negatively affecting the carrion crawler so she dismounted and spent some time calming her own emotions before patting Kip where he seemed to enjoy being touched and quietly explained what she needed of him and assured him that it was only temporary.

Starting fresh, she strapped herself back into the saddle and hefted Precious to her back. During Kip's climb, she made sure to suggest shifting of weight to Precious throughout in order to not impede Kip's climb or throw him off-balance.

animal handling,DC10: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
animal handling,DC10: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
animal handling,DC10: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16
animal handling,DC10: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

Maddy will take Precious. Hopefully my interpretation of the rolls are acceptable considering the first one was a fail

Can Maddy climb in increments the length of our rope and secure that rope to give others a bonus to their climb? Or at least a safety net if they tie the end to themselves? It would take longer but may be worth it if their climb bonus is poor.

In addition to Precious' question, Maddy would also like to know if it's worthwhile to have Kip help with the climbing for those who need it?

And, she probably won't know until they see how narrow the tunnel gets but she'd like to free Kip - however that works. Does he want the saddle and bridle left on him or removed?

It also seemed like Kip wouldn’t be able to go all the way with us unless we had more mushrooms (which I don’t think we do) so Maddy will probably have to let him go :(

Maddy craned her neck upwards as they reached the cliff. "They said we needed to climb but that looks near impossible." She thought back to what she had been told the kua-toans had said. "Wasn't there supposed to be a path? It would still be difficult but a path would help."

She began to search the area to see if she could find a path upwards.

survival: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

If no one more qualified that Maddy rolls, she'll give you a survival roll tomorrow :)

Maddy gave the kua-toans a grateful smile. "Your directions are very much appreciated. We would have wandered around lost for a long time if we hadn't met you."

It was in that moment that Maddy actually wondered how far down the Underdark actually went. She realized that she had wrongfully assumed that the Underdark was one level like the surface was. Although maybe it made sense on some level because those above ground built upwards so those in the Underdark would have to build downwards. She didn't even want to think about how far down it went.

She looked at Precious and then Hue, knowing that they were better with directions than the rest of them. "Do their directions make sense? You can get us there?"

Where did this happen?

As much as Maddy didn't want to remember that horrible day, the kua-toans deserved to know where it had happened to better avoid the area. Getting Precious to translate, she answered. "It happened at Sloobludop," she said quietly. "But the destruction was great. I don't think it would be limited to that village."

Do you have far to go?

Maddy tried not to look sad as she answered with help of translation, "I have no idea." She took a breath, "I have no idea where I am in the Underdark and what that means for the surface. Do you?"

Maddy glanced at Precious. She knew that Kip was harmless but she wasn't sure if the kua-toans would feel the same way. She would leave it up to them and for Precious to translate a response. "It is pretty cool to ride along the ceiling but with the ground being so unstable, it may be more dangerous than them hearing about home."

When the conversation turned to questions about them, Maddy offered and once again had to rely on someone else to translate, "I'm from a small village on the surface. I was taken from my home and brought to the Underdark as a slave. I was lucky and escaped and now I'm trying to get back home."

Maddy was of no help in the healing department nor could she communicate with the kuo-toans, so she kept watch for other threats and made sure that their surroundings were safe.

She provided what light she could, courtesy of Dawn, especially when Hue began to search for and collect vegetation.

Maddy has no problem with spending the time to heal what can be healed by poultices, berries, or other

Maddy flinched every time Loogoome cried out in pain. She hoped that they weren't doing more harm than good. However, when they finally pulled the kua-toan out of the pit she realized that it was worth it to reunite what appeared to be a family.

She collected the rope and gave it back to Kalanzar. She couldn't help but smile when Hue popped up. She motioned at him, "Get over here, Hue. When they're ready, we can speak with them."

I'm assuming that everything said will be translated for Maddy

Maddy quickly realized that they wouldn't be able to use Kip's sure footing on surfaces to help get the kua-toan out of the pit.

Looking at Kalanzar she replied, "Ask them if Loogoome's injury prevents them from climbing on their own. If they're too hurt to throw the rope, they may be too hurt to climb."

As much as she didn't like the thought of climbing down into dark, close quarters, Maddy knew they couldn't just leave. It made sense that she climb down to help but they needed to find a secure location to tie the rope because she didn't think the others would be able to support her weight.

survival: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
To find good place to tie the rope in case more ground gives way. Looks like Maddy will be joining Loogoome in the pit :(

survival: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15

What rolls would Maddy need? Acro to get there safely and some sort of knowledge for whether Kip fits?

Maddy didn't let Alex go alone. Until they knew whether or not the kua-toans were friendly, Maddy fell into step to protect if necessary.

The young woman had no clue what was being said but the demeanour of the kua-toans didn't seem aggressive. She looked at Alex questioningly.

Hearing that someone was in the pit, Maddy asked Alex to translate, "Is the ground unstable?"

[oooc]How big is the pit? Is it possible for Kip to get down? It would save on a spell but she's also happy to have a spell cast on her to levitate down[/ooc]

perception,DC15: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

The scene before Maddy reminded her of a group attempting an ice rescue in spring when someone fell through thin ice. She gets a little lost in her own memories and doesn't notice much more.

She glances at the others. She assumes that they should try and help but was a little wary based on everything they had experienced in the Underdark so far.

Maddy maneuvered Kip back down to the others when she heard shouting. Keeping her voice low she said to the others, "I'm not sure I want to deal with Shuushar's kin after what happened the last time. Maybe avoiding them is best?"

Return of Kal

Jimjar? I haven't seen any trace of him for a long time. He couldn't?

Maddy seems to visibly deflate at Kal's question. She places her hand on his shoulder somewhat comfortingly but couldn't meet the drow's eyes. "We were all in danger of drowning. During our desperate escape, he fell behind and I didn't notice. He didn't make it out. I'm sorry."

Stone Creature

Not knowing Undercommon and no longer having Stool among them, Maddy watched the interactions carefully for any signs on aggression.

I had a moment of thinking how awful it would have been if we accidentally had killed and eaten Kalizard when reading that Kal spent most of his time as a lizard. Would our GM really have been so evil? :P

Kal's Return

Maddy was instantly on her feet at the sound of another voice but since there was something familiar about it, she never raised Dawn to attack.

"Kal! You're alive!" She was only a step behind Hue as they rushed over to Kal. However, it wasn't enough for Maddy to lay eyes on the druid so she threw her arms around him as well as Hue.

Stepping back she asked, "How'd you find us?"

The Stone Creature

Seeing the stone creature shield its eyes because of Dawn's light, Maddy silently asks the sword to dampen her glow until they knew whether these creatures were friend or foe. She then waited to see how they would respond to Kal's greeting

perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

Maddy watched the modrons disappear from view and called Kip off of the ceiling. "Why in the world would extra-planar beings be down here in the Underdark? It makes no sense at all."

There had been so many of them, were they going to war? "Are they down here to fight? Are they working for someone?"

Maddy carefully stepped out of where she had been watching the march of modrons figuring that they would appreciate them being forth-coming with their presence.

It was fascinating to see it mimic both Alex and Precious' speech. However, she stiffened when the one that had stopped pointed its hand at Alex. Maddy's hand moved to Dawn's hilt, ready to move but relaxed somewhat when the light seemed to scan her friends rather than hurt them.

Matty's voice came clearly into Maddy's mind, excitedly speaking about extra-planar beings he had been reading about. He was fascinated by the existence of mechanical beings from the plane of Mechanus. Mondoons?...modods?...no, modrons. He had called them modrons.

She hissed at Alex from where she hid, "They're from another plane. They don't speak any of our languages and we don't have Stool. They like law and order and probably don't like being interrupted."

The bigger question was why were they down here? What business could they possibly have in the Underdark? But without a way to communicate, there was no reason to stop them. The best they could do was to figure out where they had come from.

Maddy watched in fascination as the creatures moved past. For not the first time, she wished that Matty was with her. He’d definitely know what they were and would probably want to interact with them.

She searched her memories to see if she had ever heard her brother drone on about such creatures.

k.arcana: 1d20 ⇒ 17

Maddy moved to hide and motioned at Kip to crawl onto the ceiling. If the ceiling was higher, she would have gone with him in her saddle but she figured she would draw the attention of whoever was coming if she was hanging from the roof.

stealth: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14

With Maddy feeling more rested along the journey, her mind felt more aware of her skin and what may be lurking within. Every so often she would fidget and brush her arms before flexing her fingers.

With Precious sounding a warning, Maddy is instantly on alert. There was as great of a chance that they were friendly as there was that they were hostile. "Kip and I can meet them and get eyes on them if the rest of you want to hide. He's kind of hard to hide and they may not give a carrion crawler much thought down here."

Maddy was surprisingly happy to see Kip returned to his usual self. She buried her face in what she figures is his neck and gives him a hug. The rumbling in his stomach concerns her and she wonders what kind of meal she can provide for him.

Would she need to make another survival roll to scrounge up some worthy food for a carrion crawler?

Spotting the well-worn path, she gave Hue and Precious a clap on the shoulder. ”Nicely done you two. This path looks promising.”

Nothing really more for her character today

Maddy actually felt refreshed when she woke. She almost felt like her old self before she had been kidnapped into this hell hole...almost.

She stretched muscles that were no longer weary and she gratefully accepted Precious' goodberry for breakfast. It may not be much and it may not be as satisfying as eggs or freshly baked bread, but it was filling and nutritious.

She watched Precious and Hue work in tandem to try to get their bearings."Do you guys need any help or have you figured out which way we need to go?" She points, "If I was Jimjar, I'd bet it's that way."

survival,aid another: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24

So that would be considered a long rest then? Or just a short rest? I'm wondering if any abilities or HD reset as well? She'd probably use one of her HD to heal while we rest.

Maddy gasped when she got a good look at Precious. She started to reach out to touch his head as if in disbelief, but stopped herself. "Does it hurt? I guess it's a good thing but that looks really painful. No wonder you collapsed once you got to solid ground."

Maddy helped where she could to get them settled in a place of safety but her spirits were low. She sat mutely around the fire until Precious broke the silence. "What do we do now? We were going to Blindingstone to take Jimjar home. Do we still go?" And then before anyone answered she added, "Yes, we should still go. His family needs to know what happened to him. Right?"

Part of her hoped that the fire would cure the numbness inside of her, not just the numbness in her extremities from the cold water. She had lost another of her flock. She was proving to be an ineffective shepherd.

"We should get some rest while we can. I can take first watch."

Maddy frantically spun in the water, looking this way and that as the realization they were one short dawned on her. ”Where’s Jimjar?!?”, she screamed. Then before anyone could respond she added, ”Curses!”

Thankfully she was still in the water and so she was able to hide the tears that slide down her cheeks while she slowly made her way to shore, absolutely exhausted by whatever had transpired. The gap between being trapped in the temple and being in the water was just a huge void. But whatever had happened, she had failed because they had lost Jimjar.

When she got close to shore, she saw Precious collapse on shore and so she pushed herself the last little bit to get to him as fast as she could. She rushed to him and saw that he was still breathing so she gently shook him awake. ”We need to keep moving or at least find somewhere to stop that isn’t so exposed.”

Lidelse hungrily gulped air into their lungs once her head broke the surface. She tread water for a few moments, just breathing deeply. Once Alex pointed out the shore, she began to angrily stab through the water in a very aggressive front crawl.

Halfway to shore, Maddy regained consciousness as the amount of oxygen entering her body made it clear that she was no longer suffocating in a small space. Maddy stopped and treaded water as she took stock of everyone. She looked to see if anyone needed help.

perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

Sorry to hear you have an emergency at home. Take care and also take whatever time you need.

When Lidelse got close enough to reach the ceiling, she raised Dawn to attack the stone. STOP! Dawn's voice echoed through Lidelse's head. You were going to smash me against stone? I was forged to cut flesh, not stone

"Fine!", Lidelse snarled. She jammed Dawn into her sheath to free her fists. "This will be more fun anyways."

With power behind both punches, Lidelse caused more cracks to form in the ceiling and pulled away chunks.

unarmed strike: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25
damage (4+2) = 6
unarmed strike: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19
damage (4+2) = 6

Being taller and heartier than the others, Maddy did okay for the first little while as the water rained down on them.

But then the space became filled more and more with water and there was too little space around her. She was certain she was going to suffocate or drown as the water closed in on her. All of a sudden she just felt tired and her mind retreated inwards.

Her form seemed to grow in stature and presence as Lidelse once again emerged. "Figures!", she practically spat disgustedly. "Times get challenging and the whelp hides."

Lidelse laughed derisively, "The whelp even had the answer to your troubles all along but was too weak to do anything about it." Flexing her hand, Lidelse activated the magic ring on one of her fingers and began to slowly rise above the water. She grabbed any of those who seemed to be struggling to keep afloat in the water.

"I will break more of the ceiling apart when the water gets high enough. Then you will need to keep hold of me yourself because I will need my hands," she growled.

Activating the ring of Water Walking. She'll carry who she needs to and will attack the ceiling when she gets close enough

We can always suffocate down here with physics ;)

So, is the plan for Alex to blast the ceiling and Maddy fly everyone out?

Or does Maddy need to also fly up and beat on the ceiling?

Maddy tried to hide her disappointment by asking Glabagool another question. "Do you remember where we go up? Where the little flat areas are?"

The mention of a dock was concerning. Does that mean they were under a lake or something? Hopefully the ceiling held.

She gave a small smile, "You've been really helpful so far, thanks!"

Maddy smiled at Glabagool, "You are so kind to us. You're making sure we don't accidentally run into you and you're keeping us safe from the angry ones."

She leaned heavily against the wall, painfully aware of everyone around her using the air she needed. In addition to Alex's statement she asked, "Glabagool, do you know of anywhere we can go that has more air, less water, and no angry ones?" She thought of stories Matty had told her about passages the teachers used at school that were hidden from most students. "Or maybe when you were guarding, you saw a worshipper or priest go into a room and not come back out and appear somewhere else?"

And I believe that’s where the oozes are that Glabagool is holding back from us. Unless I’ve misunderstood.

Maybe we should ask him if there’s another way out of the temple? As much as I don’t want to fight oozes, there doesn’t appear to be another way out.

Maddy offered Hue an arm to help him through the worst of the water. The sooner they were all together again, the sooner they could find a way out of this place. The thinner the air got down here, the more anxious Maddy felt.

”I cannot get out of this place soon enough.”

Assuming that we will need to get past Glabagool?

I’m not 100% sure what to do with the fly spell since the ceiling is low. Does it count as speeding her up? In which case, she’d gladly carry the others if possible but I’m not sure if the hallways are wide enough.

At this point, unless we find a secret door either where Hue/Maddy are or Precious/Alex are, I think we have to go back past Glabagool

Can Maddy hear Alex or is she too far away?

perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

As the air seemed to thin, Maddy couldn't help but gulp what she could of it. She protected Hue as he collected the items.

"How can I help make this go faster? There's also room in my pack," she said as she unshouldered it. "Let's scoop and dash and get back to a more breathable space."

Maddy points out what she can see to the others. "That bottle looks interesting but is it alcohol that has been sitting in water for who knows how long or something useful like a potion? Only these statues know and as Precious said, it may be more trouble than it's worth to find out."

Int,DC12: 1d20 ⇒ 13

Maddy was just about to suggest that this was the pool Glabagool had mentioned where worshippers placed their offerings, but Precious beat her to it.

"Not sure if it's worth upsetting Glabagool in order to see what was offered in the past. Besides, I don't think anyone has been here in a really long time. It doesn't seem like the easiest place to get to."

Maddy gave the pool a long, hard look.

perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

Does she see anything in the water?