"good thought to look at the dust kenzo, i'll second straight ahead."
"Well then, let's try west."
Kenzo starts north, stares at the tracks and then moves to go west. Eugen starts west, then, after listening to Kenzo, starts to the north. They pass by each other, stop, turn, pause...
:D
"good thought to look at the dust kenzo, i'll second straight ahead."
"What's that, Eugen? Sorry, didn't hear you. Alright, straight on then, if no one has any objections."
Jessa looks on in amusement. "Should we stop and ask someone for directions?" she quips.
"Look I'll make this easier," she offers, "If the dust has been disturbed in a couple of directions, we should check those first. That's likely where the goblins and Tsuto came from...and I don't need to be a diviner to figure that out."
"Eugen? You're the best armored of us all. Why don't you pick one and lead the way?" she suggests.
Kenzo starts north, stares at the tracks and then moves to go west. Eugen starts west, then, after listening to Kenzo, starts to the north. They pass by each other, stop, turn, pause...
ESTRAGON:
Charming spot. (He turns, advances to front, halts facing auditorium.) Inspiring prospects. (He turns to Vladimir.) Let's go.
VLADIMIR:
We can't.
ESTRAGON:
Why not?
VLADIMIR:
We're waiting for Godot.
ESTRAGON:
(despairingly). Ah! (Pause.) You're sure it was here?
VLADIMIR:
What?
*coff* "ah, yes, north it is, straight ahead. ... though on the other hand... well, we'll just check out those other passages later."
Eugen boldly leads the way north.
The tunnel heads fairly straight, though upon occassion, it does turn this way and then that, always returning eventually to a northerly direction.
At last, after several hundreds, perhaps thousands of feet, the tunnel comes to an end. Literally. A stone wall blocks the end of the passage.
The tunnel heads fairly straight, though upon occassion, it does turn this way and then that, always returning eventually to a northerly direction....At last, after several hundreds, perhaps thousands of feet, the tunnel comes to an end. Literally. A stone wall blocks the end of the passage.
"Well...that, um...looks promising," Jessa laughs, "Perhaps we took a wrong turn?"
Then her eyes narrow and she steps forward.
"Unless..." she draws out the word and traces her hands over the stone wall, "Could there be a hidden door here?"
Perception check to search for secret doors... (1d20+3=9)
"Seems like solid rock to me..." she announces with a despairing tone.
"Always good to be thorough..." I cast Detect Magic, looking toward the passage end, but stood 5 ft back from it.
The end of the passage does indeed appear to be solid rock to the diviner's keen eye. And Gyorgy finds nothing magical about the stone wall either.
"Huh," Kenzo says. "I half expected us to come out through that western door. Oh, well, I guess we should turn around and give that one a shot."
"it doesn't make sense that there would be so much traffic this way without an exit or some sign of what they're all doing," i say bringing my face close to the wall to examine it.
"ow!" i move too quickly and hit my nose against the wall.
once the stars clear out from in front of my eyes, i decide to take my time and do a more careful search of the area at the end of the tunnel.
Kenzo takes his time with a thorough search as well.
Working together, Kenzo and Eugen discover a seam around a section of the rock. From there, they work out the hidden latch that allows the wall to be swung freely on an axis.
When the wall is turned, sunlight streams into the tunnel, momentarily blinding everyone. The sunlight is accompanied by the sound of ocean breakers and gulls. The stone door is located at the back of a small cave.
Some subsequent exploration reveals that the cave contains smelly bedding and the cold ashes of campfires. Chewed bones and refuse lie scattered near the ashes.
The cave is located at foot of a cliff in a small natural harbor with a white sandy beach. The beach appears to currently be deserted.
Some subsequent exploration reveals that the cave contains smelly bedding and the cold ashes of campfires. Chewed bones and refuse lie scattered near the ashes.
"Well, I guess this is how they got in?" Jessa asks, shielding her eyes against the glare of the sun on the sandy beach, "Are they all gone? Did we kill them all when we fought them in the Glassworks? Or could there be more down those other tunnels we passed?"
"I wonder if Lonjiku knew about this? They might actually be useful for the business."
i do a search of the area for anything interesting
"That's interesting. I've spent some time training on the beach nearby, and I had no idea this cave was here. Well, anyway. that's one tunnel accounted for - we can report this one to the mayor and the sheriff, and let them decide what to do with it. So, should we backtrack and try door #1?"
A more thorough search of the area does reveal a well worn trail through the foliage going away from the beach towards the northeast. Nothing of value however.
"my thought is to try the less well worn eastern doorway first since it seems to me that there's a greater chance that it will be another dead end, and then the other path. anybody want to be the tiebreaker?"
"my thought is to try the less well worn eastern doorway first since it seems to me that there's a greater chance that it will be another dead end, and then the other path. anybody want to be the tiebreaker?"
"Lead on, Eugen," Jessa replies, "We must explore it all to satisfy the Mayor that Sandpoint is safe. So it matters not which path we take next. We'll circle back to check them all eventually."
i lead the group back to the fork in the tunnels and take the way less traveled.
i lead the group back to the fork in the tunnels and take the way less traveled.
The way less traveled does indeed end at a dead end. The tunnel has collapsed about three or four hundred feet east of the intersection. The air in the tunnel is a little damper and there is some indication of moisture on the rocks and dirt of the tunnel.
The way less traveled does indeed end at a dead end. The tunnel has collapsed about three or four hundred feet east of the intersection. The air in the tunnel is a little damper and there is some indication of moisture on the rocks and dirt of the tunnel.
"Well...you're two for two, Eugen," Jessa quips, "Shall we try the next one?"
"sounds good, off we go."
The westerly tunnel, after fifty feet turns sharply towards the north. Here on the floor of the turn, numerous broken bricks lie scattered around, the remnants of what appears to have been a wall covering the mouth of this new northerly rock hallway.
The westerly tunnel, after fifty feet turns sharply towards the north. Here on the floor of the turn, numerous broken bricks lie scattered around, the remnants of what appears to have been a wall covering the mouth of this new northerly rock hallway.
"Hmmm...could the other tunnel have led to the beach and been used by Ameiko's father for some purpose? And then the goblins somehow broke through here before they invaded Sandpoint?" Jessa wonders aloud.
Kenzo looks for any recent activity and listens for any sound.
There are obvious signs of passage when Kenzo looks for them, like broken cobwebs and tracks in the dirt. Kenzo can't really hazard a guess however as to how recent the tracks are.
There are no sounds coming from the tunnel.
"Do we continue on?" Jessa asks. She sniffs at the dirty environment, of half a mind to cast a simple cantrip to clear away the dust and cobwebs. But she withholds her magic for now, knowing it's best to leave things as they are, lest she give away their presence.
"Yep, We didn't get dressed up for nothing. I suggest we take it nice and slow. Me & Eugen up front, maybe Magazin next and then you and Gyory following him," Kenzo says, while drawing his sword. "Anyone else have a light source, or should we put Gyorgy in the middle?"
May Desna grace us with her light, so that we may use it to dispel the shadows around us!
I also pray to Desna to light up several copper coins that I leave in my pockets in case we need to light up a big room.
The westerly tunnel, after fifty feet turns sharply towards the north. Here on the floor of the turn, numerous broken bricks lie scattered around, the remnants of what appears to have been a wall covering the mouth of this new northerly rock hallway.
The westerly tunnel, after fifty feet turns sharply towards the north. Here on the floor of the turn, numerous broken bricks lie scattered around, the remnants of what appears to have been a wall covering the mouth of this new northerly rock hallway.
You are indeed incorrect. :)
It is an 'L.' There was a brick wall covering the tunnel at the turn. The brick wall now lies strewn around the floor. Other than the wall, it all looks to have been dug in a similar fashion, likely at the same time.
May Desna grace us with her light, so that we may use it to dispel the shadows around us!
I also pray to Desna to light up several copper coins that I leave in my pockets in case we need to light up a big room.
"Thank you," Kenzo says to Magazin, and then turning to Eugen, he shrugs and says, "Shall we?" before stepping over the rubble and into the tunnel.
Moving forward, into the northern tunnel, the group advances slowly and cautiously.
The tunnel is not perfectly straight. It curves, slightly so westerly and northerly. The shadows of each of the explorers stretches out ahead and behind for twenty feet, moving along the floors and walls.
After a short ways, only about thirty feet or so it is possible to see, up ahead, on the right, that a side passage has been dug in the tunnel. However, the curved walls of the passage you are in at the moment continues on to the north. There is a subtle change in the air here as you move forward, but it is hard to tell exactly what it is. Perhaps a little less dust? Perhaps a slight musky scent...
"What's that smell? More goblins?" Jessa asks, shakily nocking an arrow for her new longbow.
Kenzo takes a quick look down the side tunnel, about ten feet or so.
The new side tunnel is in fact a dry cave, perhaps twenty feet wide. The light spell does not illuminate to the end of the cave but there does seem to be a man standing just outside of the light, his silhoutte barely visible, like a shadow against the darkness behind him.
Kenzo says, "Hello?" and waves the others over.
A horribly deformed humanoid, standing about six feet tall, hairless and emaciated, steps out of the shadows. It's unnaturally long arms end in three fingered talons and its long legs bend like those of a dog. But its worst feature has to be its face. Its nose is little more than slits in its pallid skin, its eyes glow red. These things though are not as unnerving as its mouth. The creature's lower jaw is split in half at its chin, forming two 'arm' like toothed appendages that end in little clawed hands. A long lolling tongue licks its own face.
"What's going on?"
"There's a very ugly man up ahead." I whisper to Gyorgy while unsheathing my sword.
"That's not a man..." Jessa looks horrified by the monster and her knuckles turn white as she grips the long bow and shakily tries to hold the nocked arrow in place.
"Alright then . . . "
Kenzo takes a defensive stance, bringing his sword up in a guard position.
Below Sandpoint -Round 1
Gyorgy - Initiative: 23
Eugen - Initiative: 22
Kenzo - Initiative: 16
Jessa - Initiative: 11
Hideous man like thing - Initiative: 3