Muni flies off Ragnar's shoulder and lands on Illona where she stands near Gillian. {i]"Hey ladies, um, the big guy won't say nothin', but he's bleedin'. When you're finished with everyone else, can you take a look at him?"[/i]
"Thanks Muni, I did not realised he was hit as well, and you are as well Ilona. Both of you, stop playing tough guys and come here. and please kneel so that I can reach all the darts. you're too tall for me."
Gilian deftly removes all the nasty looking darts from both Iloana and Ragnar.
Eyvindr stands by Ragnar and looks at him with concern evident in his face. He appears prepared to steady his younger brother, should he require it. Aside from that, he stands there quietly, letting Gillian do her work.
Then, as concern is voiced over Zafina's disappearance, he starts looking back in the general direction of the stronghold's entrance. "Where could she have gone..." he mutters to no one in particular.
Then, as concern is voiced over Zafina's disappearance, he starts looking back in the general direction of the stronghold's entrance. "Where could she have gone..." he mutters to no one in particular.
Chops, who is staring down the hole, urutuk hatchet cradled in both hands waiting for the worst to come out of the darkness, turns to Eyvindr.
"Perhaps she is an agent of Shadow. Perhaps, she is reporting out mission and location to her masters at this moment."
Pete tosses his glowing pebble into the dark hole.
"Looks like only way forward. I guess we go, but I don't like."
He snuffles the air again, trying to detect any new scents.
Perception:
Pete tosses his glowing pebble into the dark hole.
"Looks like only way forward. I guess we go, but I don't like."
He snuffles the air again, trying to detect any new scents.
Perception: 1d20+10
"Yes lets go". "Same order as before". "BY the way, maybe before actually pushing any buttons next time you get a second opinion".
"BY the way, maybe before actually pushing any buttons next time you get a second opinion".
"Okay, next time you touch trap, I wait in other room, no problem."
"BY the way, maybe before actually pushing any buttons next time you get a second opinion"."Okay, next time you touch trap, I wait in other room, no problem."
"Oh make no mistake". "I'm lousy with mechanical things". "I wouldn't dream of knowing how that thing worked, but I do have sharp eyes and keen senses, and might see something you missed...like tiny holes around the perimeter of the fountain".
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Then, as concern is voiced over Zafina's disappearance, he starts looking back in the general direction of the stronghold's entrance. "Where could she have gone..." he mutters to no one in particular.Chops, who is staring down the hole, urutuk hatchet cradled in both hands waiting for the worst to come out of the darkness, turns to Eyvindr.
"Perhaps she is an agent of Shadow. Perhaps, she is reporting out mission and location to her masters at this moment."
"That's enough" The big man says soft and stern, exactly the tone one might use with bickering children. He turns to Sky. "The next time Pete checks for danger, double-check.
Muni, still perched on Ilona pipes up, "Yeah. Then when things go wrong, we can blame you both."
Ragnar looks at the bird disapprovingly. It snaps its beak shut and somehow manages to look sheepish.
Ilona chuckles at Muni's wisecracks, "I'd appreciate it boys, I wasn't planning on any new piercings. Now listen to "Daddy" and quit fighting."
She looks down into the hole.
"Ugh. Smell of rats down there, but worse."
Grumbling at the thought that Zafina could have been a Shadow agent, but reassured that his brother has not been too badly injured, the man-bear lumbers over to the fountain and peers down the stairs that spiral into the unnatural darkness...
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Grumbling at the thought that Zafina could have been a Shadow agent, but reassured that his brother has not been too badly injured, the man-bear lumbers over to the fountain and peers down the stairs that spiral into the unnatural darkness...
"The fingernail marks I saw by the entrance are also visible down this stairwell... it seems as though something was dragged down here against its will... Are we sure we want to go down there?"
Eyvindr's gaze sweeps the party, finally stopping and lingering on Ragnar. The man-bear is on the verge of taking his first step down the shaft, apparently intent on taking the lead...
Solvistania retorts, one of the few times she has raised her voice louder than her customary whisper, "Do we have a choice?"
You can hear the note of fear in her voice as it cracks at the end of the question.
"Do we have a choice?"
"There is always a choice." Ragnar says falling into step behind his brother.
Muni bristles from Ilona's shoulder. "Yeah. Always and never."
"The fingernail marks I saw by the entrance are also visible down this stairwell... it seems as though something was dragged down here against its will... Are we sure we want to go down there?"
Eyvindr's gaze sweeps the party, finally stopping and lingering on Ragnar. The man-bear is on the verge of taking his first step down the shaft, apparently intent on taking the lead...
If the big guy insists on leading the way, Sky will give him 30' before following, to stay out of the range of most traps, then follow, taking 10 on his perception as before.
Solvistania walks next to Ilona, and murmers to the bird, "This is the fool's choice, to die quickly, or die slowly. May a thousand deaths be visited upon Zafina, should she betray us."
Pete follows as well.
Staying at the back of the group close to Chops, Gilian follows as well.
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If the big guy insists on leading the way, Sky will give him 30' before following, to stay out of the range of most traps, then follow, taking 10 on his perception as before."The fingernail marks I saw by the entrance are also visible down this stairwell... it seems as though something was dragged down here against its will... Are we sure we want to go down there?"
Eyvindr's gaze sweeps the party, finally stopping and lingering on Ragnar. The man-bear is on the verge of taking his first step down the shaft, apparently intent on taking the lead...
Chops waits as the party files past him, into the hole. To Gillian, he says, "It's nice to have you on board, Healer." He waits a few seconds and takes one last look at the entrance to the ruins, trying to will his eyes or ears into perceiving any threat. After that, he comes down after the group guarding the rear.
Solvistania walks next to Ilona, and murmers to the bird, "This is the fool's choice, to die quickly, or die slowly. May a thousand deaths be visited upon Zafina, should she betray us."
"Hon, we aren't here to die. And yeah if she's shadow, she'll die. On this very blade, I swear it."
Solvistania walks next to Ilona, and murmers to the bird, "This is the fool's choice, to die quickly, or die slowly. May a thousand deaths be visited upon Zafina, should she betray us.""Hon, we aren't here to die. And yeah if she's shadow, she'll die. On this very blade, I swear it."
"I hate this place, Ilona, it remoinds me of my...childhood".That last was barely audible.
Ilona reaches over and gives Solvistania's hand a comforting squeeze.
"Maybe once we get out of here you can tell me about it. If you want to. Sometimes talking helps, hon."
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Chops waits as the party files past him, into the hole. To Gillian, he says, "It's nice to have you on board, Healer." He waits a few seconds and takes one last look at the entrance to the ruins, trying to will his eyes or ears into perceiving any threat. After that, he comes down after the group guarding the rear.
Pete is fine staying in the middle.
Eyvindr gives his brother a quick nod as the party descends the stairs, then vanishes into the stygian darkness as he cautiously scouts 20' or so ahead of the party...
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Circular steps down are slippery from the water that was in the fount. As you go down, you feel as if you are descending into the maws of some creature that belongs in some other Age, an older Age when the world was young and Elder Fay not yet awake.
The last step touches the tunnel hewn in living rock. There is no trace of careful construction that marks the strange castle above it. This passage was obviously dug quickly, with little attention paid to beauty or design. It goes straight towards the mountainside behind the castle.
Eyvindr whispers back through the darkness, his words echoing off the old stone. "I still see faded claw marks in the stone, as well as others that I had not seen before... Scratches that could have been made by rats... if the rats down here be the size of small dogs... I can see only one way forward..."
The man-bear continues to creep forward as carefully as he can, keeping an eye out for possible triggers in the stone, as well as dog-sized rats... and worse...
Following Gillian, Chops decides to add:
"I saw some footprints heading into the woods from here. I think they are Zafina's. If she is of the enemy, we might be f%~!ed."
He decides to maintain a low profile and keep quiet while in the rear, hoping to goad any pursuers into a false sense of distance from the party and to see them before they see him.
"Yes, lots of not-rats down here, I told you."
Reassured by Chops presence, Gilian follows the group silently, ears open as her eyes are not really useful.
Perception
Stealth
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Eyvindr whispers back through the darkness, his words echoing off the old stone. "I still see faded claw marks in the stone, as well as others that I had not seen before... Scratches that could have been made by rats... if the rats down here be the size of small dogs... I can see only one way forward..."
The man-bear continues to creep forward as carefully as he can, keeping an eye out for possible triggers in the stone, as well as dog-sized rats... and worse...
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Following Gillian, Chops decides to add:
"I saw some footprints heading into the woods from here. I think they are Zafina's. If she is of the enemy, we might be f#!@ed."
He decides to maintain a low profile and keep quiet while in the rear, hoping to goad any pursuers into a false sense of distance from the party and to see them before they see him.
"The rat-dogs come... I see their eyes ahead," grumbles Eyvindr at his companions as he holds his sword out with both hands and continues to advance slowly.
Sky loads an arrow into his bow, and peers into the darkness looking for some sign of an enemy.
** spoiler omitted **Sky loads an arrow into his bow, and peers into the darkness looking for some sign of an enemy.
Whoops! yes it was, and low light vision if that makes a difference (+2 vs. Fell)