"Barshevy. Your faith does you credit, as Lafiel's quick eyes and deft hands do her credit. Leave the coins and the bag, both of you. We can't use money here and we need to stay alive. Quarreling is a bad way to do that."
Feeling concerned about the cleric's uncharacteristic response, he tries to de-fuse a potentially dangerous situation.
Meanwhile, he turns away from the tree to avoid being affected himself and tries to identify what's messing with his friends' heads.
Diplomacy to defuse; Arcana to find out what's up (1d20 10=25, 1d20 9=13)
He wishes his memory was as good as his way with words.
"Don't patronize me, elf," snaps the cleric. "I'm going to keep this gold. And when I get back home I'll .. I'll use it to help people. Hold on. How did this horrible thing end here?"
From his backpack he pulls out the mummified hand that had been lost after the imp's attack on Lafiel.
"I didn't think you were one for thievery, priest. No matter, let's quit this bickerin' and get a move on already."
"You mean you stole that too ?" Lafiel adds sarcastically. "Something isn't right here."
"I think I remember a story about an old man who couldn't overcome his greed, and kept hoarding more and more. In any case, the cause for that was some kind of curse from a long-forgotten god. Maybe it's the same case. Barshevy doesn't seem like the thieving type."
"That sounds like a go to me." Drivish begins hacking down the tree.
"Curse or no, I find any living hands going through my pack, they're getting cut off. That goes for all of you."
"I don't know if that will help," Qadim-sul tells Drivish as he attacks the tree. "We lost the hand before we found the tree. Which means our priest got greedy before we came through the portal. Maybe the imp?"
"Half-elf. Barshevy, you won't thank me for saying this now, but you will in a few minutes. You're under a curse."
Rin's fingers twitch slightly and a majestic voice booms out from above the cleric.
"Son of my calling, desist. Cease this folly. Obey your god and put the hand down."
Lafiel watches as the scene unfolds.
DM:
The cleric scowls.
"Who did that? You, mage? You hope to shame me by insulting my faith? Fool. Here, you have can this vile trinket."
He tosses the hand at Rin's face.
Rin ignores the cleric's words and swiftly kicks the hand into the swamp.
"No insult intended Father, just a well-meaning attempt to bring you back to yourself."
"Then just leave me alone."
He proceeds to rearrange his pack.
"Let him keep the gold, it doesn't bother me."
choppy-choppy
"Well it does bother me. I don't mind he'd keep these gold pieces, but it counts toward his share of the loot."
Lafiel adds cynically : "If you really don't mind, I'd be happy to take some of your gold, Dragonborn."
Drivish stops hacking at the tree.
"If you think it will help, then here you go, Human."
He throws a gold coin into the mud and leans casually on his halberd.
Lafiel throws her head back in laughter. "You do have a good sense of humor, Dragonborn."
As the group prepares to move off, Rin carefully places himself at a slight distance from Barshevy. He's not convinced the cleric believes he really had his best interests at heart.
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After much stumbling through the water and muck, the fractious party reaches a lone isle rising out of the muck and mire, a welcome refuge from the seemingly endless swamp. Through the dying marsh grasses, vines and the rotting stumps of downed trees, you can spy what looks like the ruined structure of an ancient aqueduct jutting out of the cavern wall. A constant flow of water pours from the cavern wall, crashing over a broken water wheel and spilling down to the far side.
Drivish raises his deep voice in laughter as well. He wades further into the swamp, leaving the gold coin behind.
-----
At the structure:
"What's our plan of approach? Are they still watching us with magic? Is stealth an option?"
Drivish raises his deep voice in laughter as well. He wades further into the swamp, leaving the gold coin behind.
Barshevy leaves the one coin in the muck.
"What's our plan of approach? Are they still watching us with magic? Is stealth an option?"
"Sounds like a good idea. But, didn't they already know we're here?"
"They were scrying on us at the edge of the ravine. They're not doing it any more I think. Whoever "they" are."
Rin's tone is neutral.
After contemplating the scene in silence for a while, Rin comments, "Wherever the aqueduct goes is likely to be some kind of building. More climbing I suspect."
"Up we go then." Lafiel says and starts climbing.
Athletics : 1d20+1=11
What can we see up \ down ?
"I suggest we go up first. Let's try to do a walk around and see if there are any easy approaches (for Rin's sake)."
"Good idea there. Let's get goin' then, shall we?"
"I suggest we go up first. Let's try to do a walk around and see if there are any easy approaches (for Rin's sake)."
"Thanks." says the mage with real sincerity as he remembers his previous attempts at climbing.
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As you climb the island toward the aqueduct, Fargrim suddenly vanishes, as a sinkhole opens up in the grass.
Fargrim:
Rin starts backwards as the dwarf disappears. "Fargrim!"
We could use him as a danger barometer.... This unworthy thought remains unspoken and he uncoils his trusty and well-used rope for another rescue.
Lafiel helps Rin to try and get Fargrim out of the sinkhole.
"AAAaaahhh!!!" Fargrim yells as his voice gets further away, falling down the hole.
"Where'd that blasted hole come from!" He looks down at the mud, "By the gods! It'll take me days to clean me armour from this muck."
DM:
The opening he fell through, and the opening he sees half way up the wall... are those two different openings?
"Hey! There's another tunnel down here!" Fargrim tries to climb up to the newly discovered tunnel.
Athletics (1d20+9=13)
Athletics (1d20+9=23)
Drivish mutters, "Maybe Bshamut does look favorably on this endeavor." Then he yells down to Fargrim, "How deep is the hole and how accessible is the tunnel? Can you tell if the tunnel is natural or worked?"
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Fargrim:
They start to swarm over you, but their fangs are unable to penetrate your armor.
Rock viper swarm on Fargim (1d20+7=13, 1d6+4=8, 1d20+5=9, 1d6+1=2)
You can fight back, but pretty much not while climbing.
"Ah, geez! What the frak are these buggers!" Fargrim yelps, startled by the swarm. He hops down from the rocks and reaches for the rope, trying to climb up part way. "Hey up there! Swing me over that-a-way! I'm gonna try to see what this tunnel is. If that's okay by you, that is!" Nearly forgetting Drivishes query, "Aye Drivish, seems natural enough to me."
Athletics: Climb rope (1d20+9=19)
DM:
If they agree to swing the rope toward the tunnel:
Acrobatics: Swing to tunnel from rope (1d20+1=7)
Otherwise, I'll continue upward