I don't think it's a trap, so much as a crawl space. Some burrowing crature might be using this room for traffic.
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Do you suppose these people considered those mosquito-bats pets, do you? We might have another great moment of diplomacy on our hands. Then again, we don't know the nature or temper of the people to begin with do we, Teacher?
What a horrid little creature , begone!
Aha! Oops, I think I just made it angry!
Brute force proving a failure, Volpe resumes readiness with the bow.
Tougher stuff than it seems. I wish we knew if the victim was worth saving, or even dead already. It would make things much easier if we could torch the web.
Volpe relaxes the bow, and takes a grip behind Xarafine on the rope.
Advantage goes to high ground on any battlefield, and it doesn't get much more skewed than straight up and down. Even shooting is proving tricky. Gravity throws off your natural aim instincts. Volpe nocks and draws his bow, trying to heed his own advice. But if you think you can draw it out, let's do it. Volpe takes a deep breath, aims, and waits for a shot.
"Can we try to tear the web down while it's hiding?" Jack asks, not eager to chase after the creature. Or set it on fire?
Whoa! That's a beast for nightmares!
All right, all right. I'm going. I'm fine, really. You're right though. There's no sense in putting ourselves in danger needlessly. Volpe readys his bow.
But what if it's just a mundane mechanism? Let me take a look. We might not need to blaspheme or anger any gods at all.
Good, Let's get moving, then!
"Master Coltello, you will feel tired and sluggish for a few days until your body can replenish the blood that was lost. There is nothing I can do to speed your recovery. Staying and resting will not speed the process, either." If rest isn't going to do any good, then it only makes sense to press on. Aside from the throbbing puncture wounds, I don't feel any worse off than after a month or two of prison food.
Well, isn't this a bloody mess.
Volpe takes a couple of steps into the water, just enough to stay mobile. He'll take a swing at a bat creature as they come into range.
Volpe steps up, and draws his sabre. Initiative
Volpe returns, proudly bearing a six foot long tree branch, just in time to see Bein take a drink. All right, now let's find out if there's any danger from the... Well, Heck!
Rather than risk soiling or damaging our equipment, wouldn't a tree branch do just as well to test the depth of the water?
That's the spirit! Volpe grabs a torch and steps right up. Once again, holding the torch high to provide the best view and not interfere, Volpe feels a bit proud of himself. He's clever enough to apply his newly acquired skill as a field nurse to his task as an archaeological assistant as well.
Unless this cave is deeper and more complex that it seems, you'd think we'd have stirred something else up by now anyway. Anything dangerous would have also gotten hungry, don't you think?
That's fine with me. Once we've skinned the beast, we should find a good spot to dispose of the carcass. Stench aside, we don't want scavengers coming too close to our campsite.
If we're going to skin the thing, we should do it soon. Otherwise, we need to dispose of the carcass before it starts to go foul. The stench in here is bad enough as it is.
It makes sense why the bear creature nested in here. It looks pretty defensible. Might not be a bad place to hole up and rest ourselves, if you can handle the smell.
Volpe steps over to where Jack indicates, maybe a little deeper than caution would actually warrant, and holds the sunrod high and into the cave.
'Cause I don't think we could handle another one of those. I don't think their babies would be very cuddly either. Meanwhile he's still slowly stepping forward into the cave, not sure what to look for, but looking nonetheless.
Volpe gladly takes the sunrod, making sure Xarafine can see what she's working on. Family, I hadn't considered that. I'll keep alert.
Volpe pauses for a moment, considering what just happened. After cleaning and sheathing his sabre, he bends down and claims one of the larger feathers from the creature. Replacing the rather ragged plume in his hat, he put it back on his head and returns to the group. Teacher, I was not injured. Please tell me if there's anything i can do to help.
I can't tell valor from madness anymore! I'm sure we'll stick together, though! Hopefully I can connect one of these times. I just want to piss it off enough to face me for a moment. I don't relish getting clobbered by that thing, but I'm healthier than the others. I hope can take it.
Good Job, Coltello. This is the most dangerous foe you've ever faced, and now you've made it angry. Well, at least I've achieved one of my goals. My turn to dance.
Well, Coltello, did your rashness get you into too much trouble again? This beast isn't going to give me a stay of execution.
I'm trying to fight this thing not dance with it! But it packs too big a punch when we can't get enough of our own in!
So, fight like I always do. Although...
Under the ribcage, good idea, on something this big. It would be nice if it stood still and let me do that!
Whoa, that thing's BIG
A moment of intimidation costs Volpe his swing. Steel meant for ribs finds only fur.
Volpe dashes to the other side of the opening, sabre still in hand, hoping to catch whatever that thing is from behind.
Bein stands ready, sword point forward and poised to strike. He remained respectfully quiet as everyone talked around him, he was trying to watch each of the openings in turn but it was proving difficult with how little light shined within this place. "Perhaps we should light a torch so we can see what actual dwells within~" I agree. We came all the way here to see what this place is. it seems like a waste of effort to stop now!
Volpe creeps back to the party slowly, with a look of disgust on his face, and describes sounds and smells.
Bein held his position several feet from the cave entrance and chuckled at Volpe's comment. "If this is their lair then ending the bandit problems will be a lot easier then I had hoped... I am curious as to why they named themselves 'the Stag', it will be interesting unmasking this truth." Curious, indeed, but we don't know the extent of this place, or population or decor. Someone who can command multiple bands of thieves will likely have skilled and interesting bodyguards, not to mention being a tough character himself. We don't have the advantage of observation or intelligence this time. So what are we waiting for, let's go!
Hy & Jack:
See there, Jack! This is just the sort of thing I'm talking about! There's nothing like this in the Salt Wastes, I'll bet! We definitely ought to get everyone out here, though, especially before poking into that cave. C'mon let's round everyone up! Before turning back toward the trail, Volpe picks up a stone and tries to skip it across the pond.
Let's keep moving, then. The more challenging this quest gets, the more curious I become. Volpe dismounts and finds a secure place to tie his horse. He draws his sabre, ready to put it to use as a machete in the brush. C'mon Jack! This is the best part of the job! You can draw a pretty picture from the top a hill, but you don't know what's really there 'til you step up to it and take a look.
Yes, but a glitter from that distance is large or very highly polished. We're out here surveying. It's part of our job to investigate things out of the ordinary. Besides, I'm just plain curious.
Of course we should keep going. It makes no sense to turn back until we know what we're stalking
Let's be along, then. We should find which direction they're heading, if they're on the move. We'll need a head start to catch them. We won't be able to sneak up on them at a full gallop.
[ooc]Perception
Once a fire has been lit, Volpe will take a circle around the cave wall, tapping with his sabre at knee, waist and shoulder height every step, to make sure there is no occupant or concealed passage. It would be rude of us to trespass, and unfortunate to be ambushed. It would also be nice to know if there's an alternate escape route.
"Huh? ...oh...my apologies, gentlemen. Volpe chuckles out loud at this statement. All right, then. It doesn't matter to me which way we go, but we should move on, the ground isn't getting any drier.
Teacher, that's a rather mournful tune for an already gloomy day. Perhaps we should have some entertainment that brightens our spirits. Perhaps a game to exercise our senses. I spy with my little eye, something that start with "c".
If everyone's fit to move, let's be getting along. We should cover as much ground as we can before the rain fouls our vision. Alas, it's going to be another day of practical dress. Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever have cause to be fashionable again.
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