I will take first shift.
Third Shift:
Bronn takes the first shift. It's calm with the wind being the only thing breaking the silence. His shift ends and he wakes Crystal for the next shift.
Crystal
Your shift is calm, just the chill air blowing through the camp; though you can't shake the feeling that you are being watched. As you look about the camp you do notice a boulder nearer the mountainside away from the path that seems out of place to you. Somthing about it is just odd.
If Crystal is confident that checking said boulder isn't too much of a risk, she will walk over and do so. *Bows*
Crystal
As Crystal moves to the boulder she notices that its oddness is more of a coloration difference from the other stone around it. Testing it she finds that despite its size it is moveable. Testing it, its confirmed, and at its movement a new trail beyond is revealed. This new trail itself is obviously less travelled...if at all recently.
Crystal finishes her shift and wakes UU for the final shift. Once she is fully awake Crystal informs, and points out, of an unusual rock and that beyond it lies a path further into the mountains saying, "Something to perhap's investigate on the 'morrow?"
Then she turns in for the night and UU begins her shift alone.
There is a fog this night, though not as thick as the previous nights and as dawn comes it seems to be more of a haze. With dawn there and the end of her shift present UU wakes the others. You all partake in your normal morning rituals and enjoy rations for breakfast.
Once everyone is fully awake and enjoying their morning meal the strange rock is pointed out. You all, once it is identified to you, equally notice the difference in color, though slight, from the surrounding rocks. The large rock moves with ease and beyond you can see a path leading more northernly into the mountains.
Ardil turns to their new dwarven companion.
"Does this look to be dwarven handywork to you? We were told there would be a secret passage and this seems to fit the description. I wouldn't want to be too hasty and fall into some sort of trap though. If you think it looks like the passage we are looking for, I will follow you."
Bronn goes over to the stone. "This does match the description of what Gorin told us about. We should head this way." He motions for the others to lead on so that he can watch the back of the party.
"It's apparent this trail has not been traveled in some time, and who knows what might be living here or lurking around by now. I can easily scout ahead a bit and ensure the way is clear before we proceed, or we can simply press on.
"What does everyone think?"
Crystal frowns..."Doesn't this all seem a little to...easy...to any one?" She gives voice to the slight missgivings that are slowly growing in her mind.
"What would make you think that? Ima dwarf and I should have seen that rock I guess I need to keep me eye's more open."
Bronn checks his shield, weapons, and holy symbol, making sure that they wont get hung up in case they are needed.
Ardil puts his hand on Avala's shoulder.
"I know we'll need your eyes and ears out here but you better promise me to be careful. Father would never have forgiven me if anything happened to you.
He turns to the rest of the group, looking at the horse.
"I guess this is the way we go. What should we do with the animal?"
Crystal nods at Bronn's words.
"Perhaps it was just the light of the day..." She aquiesses. Though Ardil's comments form a slight frown upon her brow.
"The horses..." She makes a point of highlighting her attachment to her faithful stead as well as Aeldris' investment in hi noble mount, "Should be all right to walk along that path?" She aks, though she is looking with more hope than certainty.
As she passes the 'rock', Crystal asks Bronn,
"So, what sort of stone is that? I should, perhaps, learn more about the natural world now that I'm out i it." She blushes with this last admission.
You all decide to venture the new path Crystal discovered, your belief that this is what Pirak mentioned, Avala in the lead and Bronn taking up the rear of the formation. This path does take more upward angles, still nothing that hinders movement, and by mid day you can definitely feel an elevation difference; though not enough to cause any hindrance. You find a suitable place to break for a slight meal and provide some rest to yourselves and the horses.
After your break you press on. The path does stay roughly ten – fifteen foot wide though at times sides of the path do give way to small chasms, sheer drops; but nothing too far as not to be survivable. The rest of the day goes uneventful and as if the heavens above approved of your journey and new path the chill winds seemed to have lessened today with the sun shining brightly warming your skin.
You find an open alcove, clearly designed and crafted, just before dusk. Within the alcove on its side is once again a dug out area to act as a trough and in the center appears to be a dug in bowl for placing a fire. You all search the area meticulously and find no hidden areas containing lumber.
Avala does her standard 1/2 mile radial perusal of the area as the group settles in, and looks for firewood, water and something suitable to bring back for food.
She'll take the first night watch as well.
Crystal, for a while, will stand near the edge of the path and look over all that she can see. Doing her best to remember the vista for future inspiration of song and stories.
Then, as evening comes, she will help with the campsite, tending of animals before bedding down for a short nap ahead of her becoming routine midnight shift.
Again, spending some time to look over the surrounding vista now lit by moon and stars.
Grumbling about the lack of firewood, Adril pitches his tent and prepares the little caravan area for the night.
"Hopefully we'll be there on the morrow. T'was meant to be a five-day voyage, was it not? I'm getting nervous traveling through these barren parts. The rocks aren't exactly friendly.:
Bronn will take the last shift
Avala conducts her search of the surrounding area and returns with wood to burn for a fire and a few rabbits. As you all enjoy the meal of rabbit; Avala relays the lack of humanoid signs around the encampment. “It would seem the area hasn’t had a humanoid presence for some time, though there were plenty of animal tracks; some predatory like large cats.”
The night goes by peacefully; the shifts pass by quietly with only the chill wind and the slumbering noises of your companions to keep you company. During Crystals shift the fog rolls in again and stays through Bronns’. As light begins to illuminate the mountain the fog still resides; perhaps the thickest you have seen yet. Visibility is reduced to fifteen feet clearly and hazy out to twenty-five feet.
Bronn wakes you all and you conduct your morning rituals. After your routine is done, breakfast eaten and the horses prepared for travel you begin the journey again. As the morning progresses the fog still sits heavily on the ground limiting your visibility. The wind almost howls at certain times and when you decide to venture the limits of the path you occasionally find a sheer drop.
As noon approaches the fog lifts as if blown out by the wind; you find yourselves on the trail and on either side a deepening chasm. The chasm themselves on either side roughly fifteen to twenty-five feet across; a chill is still in the air even with the suns light finally upon your skin.
"Oy, I thought you dwarves liked to build things underground, not paths on soaring heights... Let's hope the dwarven craftsmanship is as sturdy as rumored. I don't want to be in for a nasty fall."
Bronn looks at Ardil "It is sturdier than anything you humans have very built"
The revealed vista of yawning chasms makes Crystal gasp a little in surprise,
"Does any one still think this isn't too easy?" She asks in a subdued voice.
UU hums as she walks along, enjoying the day...
Avala walks at the front of the group, cautious and observant but as yet, not too worried.
Perception 15
To your left across the chasm, about twenty feet, you notice what appears to be a pair of double doors; both about ten feet in width and twelve feet in height.
Perception 20
Along either side of the doors with about ten feet in separation you notice multiple narrow but long (in height) ‘windows’.
Crystal frowns, even as her mind puts some things together.
"Friends? I think we should back away until the intent behind the arrow loops is know." She warns, raising a hand to point out said items in the stone work.
"A well-defended front door, if that's what it is...no one seems to be home though. We should look for a way over."
"I'll try to get closer to the doors and determine if anyone is actually standing guard. Wait here, if you please."
You are correct that there is no clear path to the doors, infact nothing you can see would lead you to believe they are accessible. Of course if you could fly that would be a different story; or if you climbed down oneside of the chasm and back up the other side to the door.
"I don't suppose anyone brought a grappling hook?" Aeldris says to no one in particular.
At Aelris' comment Crystal blushes at learning of another oversight as she thinks of the things she has brought.
UU drops her backpack on the trail, smiles, and pulls out a grappling hook tethered to 50' of silk rope. "Ya mean like this?"
"Nah like this"
Bronn picks up a handful of dirt rocks and what not and tosses it over the cliff towards the door.
UU grins at the dwarf. "You have all of the coolest gear."
As Bronn tosses the rocks you notice they don't all fall down the chasm, some - a good amount - stay there as if 'floating' in the air. As you all take a closer look at the curiousity you find that at certain angles you can actually make out a bridge; albiet it is still very difficult to see.
"Curious. Shall we cross, then?"
"Well, it's a good thing we've got Master Lightbearer along or we may never have found that path! I'll stroll on up and see what we have here."
Avala slides across the unseen surface as if she was travelling on the air itself; not a sound is heard as she moves. Though reaching the doors isn't a difficult task it does have its hindrances...
Avala reaches the doors and at her closeness she is able to identify markings on the door, a closer look shows them to indeed be a written language but what she cannot identify.
Crystal obediently 'Oohs' and 'Ahhhs' at the display of Dwarven craftsmanship and cleverness at disguising the path across to the doors.
Walking over to them with the rest of the group she studies the symbols scratched upon the portals.
"Um...it could be Drawven?" She suggests, the uncertainty in her voice obvious...
Watching Avala's careful steps and the hesitation of the animals, Ardil takes some time to gather up some dirt and rocks from the stone walkway and spread it across the invisible bridge, creating some steadier footing for himself and perhaps for the animals.