You met in Northern Spain a few months ago. You have done some heroic stuff, and the people of the small town of Bonansa accept you as their heroes. But so far you have not solved the Aran Valley’s main problem: the ongoing conflict between two partial covens of hags. Four hags is an unstable arrangement and the minions they use to fight each other are trampling the pasture, killing sheep, disrupting trade, killing passers-by. You had to rescue some kids – who knows how long until the poor people of Bonansa start getting killed in the conflict.
You’ve tried negotiation, bribery, encouraging treachery, and tried to kill the hag you thought might be the most evil. Not even close, and lost a comrade in the attempt. You were thinking of trying to recruit a fifth hag so it’d be 3-on-2 and over quickly. Or maybe it’d be even worse.
BTW
Hags here are descended from ogres – basically to the Northern People what Tieflings are to Humans, counted among the Cursed People. Most are just slightly magic orc-ogre-mutants, but the ones in your valley are powerful, frightening, and potentially useful if they weren’t at war.
But last night, Zminza Seven-eye (ironically the one you tried to kill) came to your hut. She seemed in a trance – her one normal eye and mouth hung slantwise, while the cartoonish googly faces on her three large boils did the talking.
“This ain’t gonna do” “we’ll all end up dead” “nobody gonna win nothin” “Had you killed N’Demna the Average, maybe things woulda worked out, but you’ll never get a chance now you tried to kill me – and perfectly understandable, I’d’a tried killing one of us, you just picked wrong, I’ll forgive if you fix it”
“I can’t change sides or change nuthin, me and Shelba the Eyeless are stuck” “there’s an oath on our late sisters head, shoulda broke but didn’t” “You gotta find the skull of Matilda Wormface, hanging on the fence of the Great Mother in Siberia, and pound it to dust”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Galanodel Deacon Tosh - Less-than-Half-Elf Bard - & -Flitterbug - Pixie Sorceress : Meanwhile in the Westwoods Amadow 'Tug' Rioux - Human Psionic Palooka : Revenge Heist - - - Gofer Bayut - Bugbear Paladin Messenger : Shrouded Sky
Jade is a waif of a lass, wiry and tough, but so slender in her dark tunic and cloak. She frowns at the hag. "Siberia?" She asks. "We are to find some thing hanging on a fence and destroy it? Why do I think this is not going to be quite that easy?"
Zminza looks up with her regular right eye (and the scarred, empty left socket) and speaks with her regular mouth "Oh deary me, not easy at all! But trying to kill me got your friend killed, and Xzt the Faceless has some really nasty tricks. And we cannot not fight, way things are, and that'll burn everything from Madrid to the Mountains. No easy way, just one way"
She looks around and up, then droops again and the three boil-faces take over...
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Galanodel Deacon Tosh - Less-than-Half-Elf Bard - & -Flitterbug - Pixie Sorceress : Meanwhile in the Westwoods Amadow 'Tug' Rioux - Human Psionic Palooka : Revenge Heist - - - Gofer Bayut - Bugbear Paladin Messenger : Shrouded Sky
I’ll portal you to a cave about 10 miles from Her fenceline. Closest ethereal point that ain’t Hers.
The boil-faces spew a ton of information, (spoilered below for a flashback montage - view at your leisure). A hand waves, and you southerners find yourself in waterproof cloaks (Gurag can take the weather), and when you try to speak Latin, it comes out as Siberian-orc. Your gear wraps about you along with a few smelly bundles. A foot stomps and you step out of a portal, fully rested, into a cave…
Flashback info dump:
When you got what you need and done what you need to, get back to the cave and trace the pattern on the star – start one point left of the top, then drag a finger 1 left, 3 right, 5 left, 2 right, full circle left, 1 right. That’ll send you to my hut and if you done right we’ll fix you up if you need it.
I don’t know what’s in the cave or what’s between it and Her Domain. She don’t care cause she don’t need to, there ain’t minions or allies or whatever, just wild stuff most likely. But 10 miles northeast of the cave the circle will be obvious. It’s 10 miles around and 10 across – shapes and distance don’t make no sense here. Only travel clockwise around it, no matter what, Her hearing is biased left and She’ll look behind and miss you only if you travel clockwise. You might hear her snoring, that’d be best.
No matter what excepting of course if She’s chasing you. If you mess up and She comes after, run like hell widdershins. Her eyesight is biased right and if you run widdershins She might spiral into Her own hut, likely fall asleep. You can slow down if you see Her spiraling inward. You hear a snore, stop running widdershins and walk clockwise right then.
Don’t stop even She catches one of you. Let’em go, you’ll never rescue them and you’ll make it worse. If you can, save the toe bones, we’ll see what we can do. Best case, She swallows you whole. Usually she spits the toe bones into the ice pit to the Northeast. Or maybe if she don’t swallow whole they’ll drop near where you gets caught. Keep running widdershins, but listen for a burp, then likely she’ll fall asleep. You hear a burp then a snore, go back to clockwise. Get the toe bones and the skull of Matilda Wormface while moving clockwise, then leave.
Matilda’s skull – you’ll know it by the conical point and eyesockets where the temples ought to be. You walk around clockwise and it’ll take a lot less time than you think. There’s a skull or something every few feet but it’s easy to check’em fast. And easy to go around again if you miss it, which you won’t likely unless being chased widdershins. So you take the skull of Matilda Wormface and the toe bones if yer friend gets ate, then turn your back to the fenceline and walk straight, don’t look back, walk at least a mile. Pound the skull to dust on any rock in Siberia, then back to the cave and trace the pattern.
Now it ain’t likely, but maybe the Mother will call to you, whether before or after you take the skull or get chased of get ate or retrieve the toe bones – advice is the same. If She asks “who’s there?” you don’t say anything. She only asks that if She don’t know if anyone’s there. If She asks you to tea or something She knows yer there – you each says your name and say “no thank you ma’am”. Now, if she says please and asks you to be her guest – not tea not dinner but guest – well then you won the jackpot. Walk straight to Her hut head held high, ask for what you want – toe bones and Matilda’s skull as apropos – and answer what she asks. Don’t hold no grudge, all might work out. You might get a trip home easier even.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Galanodel Deacon Tosh - Less-than-Half-Elf Bard - & -Flitterbug - Pixie Sorceress : Meanwhile in the Westwoods Amadow 'Tug' Rioux - Human Psionic Palooka : Revenge Heist - - - Gofer Bayut - Bugbear Paladin Messenger : Shrouded Sky
Shrutsena listens carefully, mouthing the directions back to himself to set them in his memory. Upon arrival at the cave, he quickly moves towards the entrance to get an idea of where they are, but waits just inside the entrance until the others join him. He's tall for a goblinoid, his long black hair pulled back into a mane stretching down to this shoulder blades. He carries his pack with ease and uses a staff to help keep his footing, though it doesn't appear he needs it. During their time together, he's proven his quick mind and gift with magics, and his unusual applications of magic and natural philosophy to solve problems have come in useful.
Jade glances around once they arrive, hoping someone else managed to get all of those instructions. She was not the brains of this opporation after all and that was a lot to take in. Moving to the cave mouth she glances out, her black hair framing a pretty face. She gripped the hilt of her rapier, figuring she would be making use of that in short order.
Vrawl let's out a low rumble of a growl, "bloody hags." His wild fur is a deep balck, with a red patch around his neck like a cimson mane. A result of a failed magic experiment. His eyes are hard but not unfriendly. He walks to the edge of the cave, to stand next to Jade, and Strutsena.
Your eyes adjust. The cave is not completely dark - a little light coming from various small cracks and a narrow opening 40 feet ahead. But too dim to read or see colors. It feels like you stepped out of the air a couple feet ahead of the nearest wall. The floor is gravel and mud over permafrost. It is cold - you are glad for the extra cloaks. Adjusting your gear - which seems like it was shoved onto you in a rush - you each have a few extra bits.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Galanodel Deacon Tosh - Less-than-Half-Elf Bard - & -Flitterbug - Pixie Sorceress : Meanwhile in the Westwoods Amadow 'Tug' Rioux - Human Psionic Palooka : Revenge Heist - - - Gofer Bayut - Bugbear Paladin Messenger : Shrouded Sky
I'm not a geologist but I think gravel occurs naturally where water flows or once flowed, freeze/thaw cycles, various other places. No sign of construction apparent in the dim light.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Galanodel Deacon Tosh - Less-than-Half-Elf Bard - & -Flitterbug - Pixie Sorceress : Meanwhile in the Westwoods Amadow 'Tug' Rioux - Human Psionic Palooka : Revenge Heist - - - Gofer Bayut - Bugbear Paladin Messenger : Shrouded Sky
Gurag walks tall and purposefully. He fought hard to be accepted by the people of Bonansa. Coming here to Siberia...that's not where he wants to be at all. He has said as much but doesn't belabor the gripe. He pushes past everyone, not rudely, to the narrow opening in the cave.
"Come on," the orc says through his prominent tusks. "10 mile hike ahead of us. That'll take the day, if we're lucky."
"May the earth father ease our path." Vrawl reverently recites. "And may the sky mother not dump snow on our heads." He grumbles somewhat less reverently. He reachs to take Jades pack. He owes her for saving his life twice, the least he can do is carry her stuff through what he assumes is going to be deep snow.
chamber you have not really looked at but hopefully provides a way home. lucky I'm not the kind of DM gonna screw you over because you did not look, but how do you know that? and how do you know the hag you recently tried to kill did not leave you a trap?
..the narrow opening leads into a wider cavern, 30 by 50, with four stalactite columns irregularly spaced. It is a little lighter here and a touch warmer. You can see daylight coming from the right, around a corner at the far end. You can smell a waft of fresh rain coming from the opening, but the air here is otherwise cold from the permafrost floor. About a dozen piles of big animal bones, none a complete skeleton, lie along the walls either side.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Galanodel Deacon Tosh - Less-than-Half-Elf Bard - & -Flitterbug - Pixie Sorceress : Meanwhile in the Westwoods Amadow 'Tug' Rioux - Human Psionic Palooka : Revenge Heist - - - Gofer Bayut - Bugbear Paladin Messenger : Shrouded Sky
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Best let me check it out..." Jade says, giving the others a saucy smile then creeping out into the chamber ahead of the others. She tries to move quietly, and stay out of sight where possible. She scouts the chamber to see if anything dangerous awaits them here...
(Not sure what checks you want, so I'll roll 2 d20s.) Sneaking: 8 Looking about: 19
Mechanics: Jade has Scout: WIS rolls to seek...are easy - so target 10, she has WIS 1 11+1>10; and DEX 2 13+2 >13 - quiet and insightful!
It is actually 11 piles of bones. They are long bones of various large animals - legs & ribs of bison, mammoth, elk, &c. No skulls. The bones are jumbled in terms of animal and body part, but each pile is neat.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Galanodel Deacon Tosh - Less-than-Half-Elf Bard - & -Flitterbug - Pixie Sorceress : Meanwhile in the Westwoods Amadow 'Tug' Rioux - Human Psionic Palooka : Revenge Heist - - - Gofer Bayut - Bugbear Paladin Messenger : Shrouded Sky
Other than Jade sneaking ahead, how are the rest of you spaced out (for example allies close to Gurag benefit from his Defender ability); and Vrawl - is anyone "Chosen"?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Galanodel Deacon Tosh - Less-than-Half-Elf Bard - & -Flitterbug - Pixie Sorceress : Meanwhile in the Westwoods Amadow 'Tug' Rioux - Human Psionic Palooka : Revenge Heist - - - Gofer Bayut - Bugbear Paladin Messenger : Shrouded Sky
Shrutsena walks just behind Gurag, ready to duck for cover or step out and blast lightning as the situation calls for, thinking himself lucky he'd recently developed that spell to allow them to return without needing to rely on the hag's aid (Doorway spell). He calmly watches as Jade sneaks around, as that happens, he reflexively looks around for any useful or interesting plants or minerals, always alert for something known to use or new to learn.
Vrawl watch's jade, who is currently chosen. Does he notice the pile of bones? Can he identify any animal that they might of come from? He is prety sure no animal he knows of would keep their skulls.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
The outside air is warmer than the permafrost cave floor, and the light looks like daylight, though indirect. So it is probably summer - it was a couple weeks into summer when you left. You do not know how many hours you lost going east - Siberia is large, could be 5-12 hours ahead of Spain - and you do not know if there were any time shenanigans. It was after sunset, 10 hours past noon when Zminza came, but you walked out of a portal without remembering walking in after she stomped. So - probably day, very probably summer, and somewhere far enough north that the ground is frozen. Siberia is not ruled out.
There are no tracks you can see, though with melting trickling gravelly mud would be unlikely. Neatly piled but unsorted bones with no skulls does not remind anyone of anything. But even Gruag's culture is thousands of miles away.
4...
You see a shadow and hear something move at the far end - roughly across from where the light is coming from
((you can ask more details before this occurs if you want, and Gurag has not stated anything yet. I am going to bed - cliffhanger!))
Alerted by the noise and shadow you are drawing weapons and moving together when a badly drawn stick figure steps between the far stalactite columns and "faces" you - not that there is a face really. You do not get much of a look before it falls to dust - not just bones fall apart but dust. And the eleven piles of bones pop up
You know that toy with strings in the joints, you press in the base and it collapses and you let go and it pops up? It's like someone just let go of 11 bases and they move towards you fast. You are near the center of the space, Jade about 20 feet ahead of the lads, and the stickmen are converging from both sides
Your turns!
((Mechanics: roll a d20, add the appropriate stat, try to beat the room target (13) (or 13+3=16 if you try something hard) If you succeed, roll effort - unless otherwise stated weapons do d6, magic d10, and add the effort bonus))
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Galanodel Deacon Tosh - Less-than-Half-Elf Bard - & -Flitterbug - Pixie Sorceress : Meanwhile in the Westwoods Amadow 'Tug' Rioux - Human Psionic Palooka : Revenge Heist - - - Gofer Bayut - Bugbear Paladin Messenger : Shrouded Sky
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You met in Northern Spain a few months ago. You have done some heroic stuff, and the people of the small town of Bonansa accept you as their heroes. But so far you have not solved the Aran Valley’s main problem: the ongoing conflict between two partial covens of hags. Four hags is an unstable arrangement and the minions they use to fight each other are trampling the pasture, killing sheep, disrupting trade, killing passers-by. You had to rescue some kids – who knows how long until the poor people of Bonansa start getting killed in the conflict.
You’ve tried negotiation, bribery, encouraging treachery, and tried to kill the hag you thought might be the most evil. Not even close, and lost a comrade in the attempt. You were thinking of trying to recruit a fifth hag so it’d be 3-on-2 and over quickly. Or maybe it’d be even worse.
BTW
Hags here are descended from ogres – basically to the Northern People what Tieflings are to Humans, counted among the Cursed People. Most are just slightly magic orc-ogre-mutants, but the ones in your valley are powerful, frightening, and potentially useful if they weren’t at war.
But last night, Zminza Seven-eye (ironically the one you tried to kill) came to your hut. She seemed in a trance – her one normal eye and mouth hung slantwise, while the cartoonish googly faces on her three large boils did the talking.
“This ain’t gonna do” “we’ll all end up dead” “nobody gonna win nothin” “Had you killed N’Demna the Average, maybe things woulda worked out, but you’ll never get a chance now you tried to kill me – and perfectly understandable, I’d’a tried killing one of us, you just picked wrong, I’ll forgive if you fix it”
“I can’t change sides or change nuthin, me and Shelba the Eyeless are stuck” “there’s an oath on our late sisters head, shoulda broke but didn’t” “You gotta find the skull of Matilda Wormface, hanging on the fence of the Great Mother in Siberia, and pound it to dust”
Galanodel Deacon Tosh - Less-than-Half-Elf Bard - & - Flitterbug - Pixie Sorceress : Meanwhile in the Westwoods
Amadow 'Tug' Rioux - Human Psionic Palooka : Revenge Heist - - - Gofer Bayut - Bugbear Paladin Messenger : Shrouded Sky
Jade is a waif of a lass, wiry and tough, but so slender in her dark tunic and cloak. She frowns at the hag. "Siberia?" She asks. "We are to find some thing hanging on a fence and destroy it? Why do I think this is not going to be quite that easy?"
Zminza looks up with her regular right eye (and the scarred, empty left socket) and speaks with her regular mouth "Oh deary me, not easy at all! But trying to kill me got your friend killed, and Xzt the Faceless has some really nasty tricks. And we cannot not fight, way things are, and that'll burn everything from Madrid to the Mountains. No easy way, just one way"
She looks around and up, then droops again and the three boil-faces take over...
Galanodel Deacon Tosh - Less-than-Half-Elf Bard - & - Flitterbug - Pixie Sorceress : Meanwhile in the Westwoods
Amadow 'Tug' Rioux - Human Psionic Palooka : Revenge Heist - - - Gofer Bayut - Bugbear Paladin Messenger : Shrouded Sky
I’ll portal you to a cave about 10 miles from Her fenceline. Closest ethereal point that ain’t Hers.
The boil-faces spew a ton of information, (spoilered below for a flashback montage - view at your leisure). A hand waves, and you southerners find yourself in waterproof cloaks (Gurag can take the weather), and when you try to speak Latin, it comes out as Siberian-orc. Your gear wraps about you along with a few smelly bundles. A foot stomps and you step out of a portal, fully rested, into a cave…
Flashback info dump:
When you got what you need and done what you need to, get back to the cave and trace the pattern on the star – start one point left of the top, then drag a finger 1 left, 3 right, 5 left, 2 right, full circle left, 1 right. That’ll send you to my hut and if you done right we’ll fix you up if you need it.
I don’t know what’s in the cave or what’s between it and Her Domain. She don’t care cause she don’t need to, there ain’t minions or allies or whatever, just wild stuff most likely. But 10 miles northeast of the cave the circle will be obvious. It’s 10 miles around and 10 across – shapes and distance don’t make no sense here. Only travel clockwise around it, no matter what, Her hearing is biased left and She’ll look behind and miss you only if you travel clockwise. You might hear her snoring, that’d be best.
No matter what excepting of course if She’s chasing you. If you mess up and She comes after, run like hell widdershins. Her eyesight is biased right and if you run widdershins She might spiral into Her own hut, likely fall asleep. You can slow down if you see Her spiraling inward. You hear a snore, stop running widdershins and walk clockwise right then.
Don’t stop even She catches one of you. Let’em go, you’ll never rescue them and you’ll make it worse. If you can, save the toe bones, we’ll see what we can do. Best case, She swallows you whole. Usually she spits the toe bones into the ice pit to the Northeast. Or maybe if she don’t swallow whole they’ll drop near where you gets caught. Keep running widdershins, but listen for a burp, then likely she’ll fall asleep. You hear a burp then a snore, go back to clockwise. Get the toe bones and the skull of Matilda Wormface while moving clockwise, then leave.
Matilda’s skull – you’ll know it by the conical point and eyesockets where the temples ought to be. You walk around clockwise and it’ll take a lot less time than you think. There’s a skull or something every few feet but it’s easy to check’em fast. And easy to go around again if you miss it, which you won’t likely unless being chased widdershins. So you take the skull of Matilda Wormface and the toe bones if yer friend gets ate, then turn your back to the fenceline and walk straight, don’t look back, walk at least a mile. Pound the skull to dust on any rock in Siberia, then back to the cave and trace the pattern.
Now it ain’t likely, but maybe the Mother will call to you, whether before or after you take the skull or get chased of get ate or retrieve the toe bones – advice is the same. If She asks “who’s there?” you don’t say anything. She only asks that if She don’t know if anyone’s there. If She asks you to tea or something She knows yer there – you each says your name and say “no thank you ma’am”. Now, if she says please and asks you to be her guest – not tea not dinner but guest – well then you won the jackpot. Walk straight to Her hut head held high, ask for what you want – toe bones and Matilda’s skull as apropos – and answer what she asks. Don’t hold no grudge, all might work out. You might get a trip home easier even.
Galanodel Deacon Tosh - Less-than-Half-Elf Bard - & - Flitterbug - Pixie Sorceress : Meanwhile in the Westwoods
Amadow 'Tug' Rioux - Human Psionic Palooka : Revenge Heist - - - Gofer Bayut - Bugbear Paladin Messenger : Shrouded Sky
Shrutsena listens carefully, mouthing the directions back to himself to set them in his memory. Upon arrival at the cave, he quickly moves towards the entrance to get an idea of where they are, but waits just inside the entrance until the others join him. He's tall for a goblinoid, his long black hair pulled back into a mane stretching down to this shoulder blades. He carries his pack with ease and uses a staff to help keep his footing, though it doesn't appear he needs it. During their time together, he's proven his quick mind and gift with magics, and his unusual applications of magic and natural philosophy to solve problems have come in useful.
Jade glances around once they arrive, hoping someone else managed to get all of those instructions. She was not the brains of this opporation after all and that was a lot to take in. Moving to the cave mouth she glances out, her black hair framing a pretty face. She gripped the hilt of her rapier, figuring she would be making use of that in short order.
Vrawl let's out a low rumble of a growl, "bloody hags." His wild fur is a deep balck, with a red patch around his neck like a cimson mane. A result of a failed magic experiment. His eyes are hard but not unfriendly. He walks to the edge of the cave, to stand next to Jade, and Strutsena.
"Bloody hags" spitting as he growls the words.
Your eyes adjust. The cave is not completely dark - a little light coming from various small cracks and a narrow opening 40 feet ahead. But too dim to read or see colors. It feels like you stepped out of the air a couple feet ahead of the nearest wall. The floor is gravel and mud over permafrost. It is cold - you are glad for the extra cloaks. Adjusting your gear - which seems like it was shoved onto you in a rush - you each have a few extra bits.
Galanodel Deacon Tosh - Less-than-Half-Elf Bard - & - Flitterbug - Pixie Sorceress : Meanwhile in the Westwoods
Amadow 'Tug' Rioux - Human Psionic Palooka : Revenge Heist - - - Gofer Bayut - Bugbear Paladin Messenger : Shrouded Sky
Gravel, so not a natural cave?
I'm not a geologist but I think gravel occurs naturally where water flows or once flowed, freeze/thaw cycles, various other places. No sign of construction apparent in the dim light.
Galanodel Deacon Tosh - Less-than-Half-Elf Bard - & - Flitterbug - Pixie Sorceress : Meanwhile in the Westwoods
Amadow 'Tug' Rioux - Human Psionic Palooka : Revenge Heist - - - Gofer Bayut - Bugbear Paladin Messenger : Shrouded Sky
Gurag walks tall and purposefully. He fought hard to be accepted by the people of Bonansa. Coming here to Siberia...that's not where he wants to be at all. He has said as much but doesn't belabor the gripe. He pushes past everyone, not rudely, to the narrow opening in the cave.
"Come on," the orc says through his prominent tusks. "10 mile hike ahead of us. That'll take the day, if we're lucky."
"May the earth father ease our path." Vrawl reverently recites. "And may the sky mother not dump snow on our heads." He grumbles somewhat less reverently. He reachs to take Jades pack. He owes her for saving his life twice, the least he can do is carry her stuff through what he assumes is going to be deep snow.
Leaving behind the
chamber you have not really looked at but hopefully provides a way home. lucky I'm not the kind of DM gonna screw you over because you did not look, but how do you know that? and how do you know the hag you recently tried to kill did not leave you a trap?
..the narrow opening leads into a wider cavern, 30 by 50, with four stalactite columns irregularly spaced. It is a little lighter here and a touch warmer. You can see daylight coming from the right, around a corner at the far end. You can smell a waft of fresh rain coming from the opening, but the air here is otherwise cold from the permafrost floor. About a dozen piles of big animal bones, none a complete skeleton, lie along the walls either side.
Galanodel Deacon Tosh - Less-than-Half-Elf Bard - & - Flitterbug - Pixie Sorceress : Meanwhile in the Westwoods
Amadow 'Tug' Rioux - Human Psionic Palooka : Revenge Heist - - - Gofer Bayut - Bugbear Paladin Messenger : Shrouded Sky
"Best let me check it out..." Jade says, giving the others a saucy smile then creeping out into the chamber ahead of the others. She tries to move quietly, and stay out of sight where possible. She scouts the chamber to see if anything dangerous awaits them here...
(Not sure what checks you want, so I'll roll 2 d20s.)
Sneaking: 8
Looking about: 19
It is still not full light, room target is 13.
Mechanics: Jade has Scout: WIS rolls to seek...are easy - so target 10, she has WIS 1 11+1>10; and DEX 2 13+2 >13 - quiet and insightful!
It is actually 11 piles of bones. They are long bones of various large animals - legs & ribs of bison, mammoth, elk, &c. No skulls. The bones are jumbled in terms of animal and body part, but each pile is neat.
Galanodel Deacon Tosh - Less-than-Half-Elf Bard - & - Flitterbug - Pixie Sorceress : Meanwhile in the Westwoods
Amadow 'Tug' Rioux - Human Psionic Palooka : Revenge Heist - - - Gofer Bayut - Bugbear Paladin Messenger : Shrouded Sky
Other than Jade sneaking ahead, how are the rest of you spaced out (for example allies close to Gurag benefit from his Defender ability); and Vrawl - is anyone "Chosen"?
Galanodel Deacon Tosh - Less-than-Half-Elf Bard - & - Flitterbug - Pixie Sorceress : Meanwhile in the Westwoods
Amadow 'Tug' Rioux - Human Psionic Palooka : Revenge Heist - - - Gofer Bayut - Bugbear Paladin Messenger : Shrouded Sky
Shrutsena walks just behind Gurag, ready to duck for cover or step out and blast lightning as the situation calls for, thinking himself lucky he'd recently developed that spell to allow them to return without needing to rely on the hag's aid (Doorway spell). He calmly watches as Jade sneaks around, as that happens, he reflexively looks around for any useful or interesting plants or minerals, always alert for something known to use or new to learn.
(Do we have any idea what time it is?)
Vrawl watch's jade, who is currently chosen. Does he notice the pile of bones? Can he identify any animal that they might of come from? He is prety sure no animal he knows of would keep their skulls.
The outside air is warmer than the permafrost cave floor, and the light looks like daylight, though indirect. So it is probably summer - it was a couple weeks into summer when you left. You do not know how many hours you lost going east - Siberia is large, could be 5-12 hours ahead of Spain - and you do not know if there were any time shenanigans. It was after sunset, 10 hours past noon when Zminza came, but you walked out of a portal without remembering walking in after she stomped. So - probably day, very probably summer, and somewhere far enough north that the ground is frozen. Siberia is not ruled out.
There are no tracks you can see, though with melting trickling gravelly mud would be unlikely. Neatly piled but unsorted bones with no skulls does not remind anyone of anything. But even Gruag's culture is thousands of miles away.
4...
You see a shadow and hear something move at the far end - roughly across from where the light is coming from
((you can ask more details before this occurs if you want, and Gurag has not stated anything yet. I am going to bed - cliffhanger!))
Galanodel Deacon Tosh - Less-than-Half-Elf Bard - & - Flitterbug - Pixie Sorceress : Meanwhile in the Westwoods
Amadow 'Tug' Rioux - Human Psionic Palooka : Revenge Heist - - - Gofer Bayut - Bugbear Paladin Messenger : Shrouded Sky
scrape...
Alerted by the noise and shadow you are drawing weapons and moving together when a badly drawn stick figure steps between the far stalactite columns and "faces" you - not that there is a face really. You do not get much of a look before it falls to dust - not just bones fall apart but dust. And the eleven piles of bones pop up
You know that toy with strings in the joints, you press in the base and it collapses and you let go and it pops up? It's like someone just let go of 11 bases and they move towards you fast. You are near the center of the space, Jade about 20 feet ahead of the lads, and the stickmen are converging from both sides
Your turns!
((Mechanics: roll a d20, add the appropriate stat, try to beat the room target (13) (or 13+3=16 if you try something hard)
If you succeed, roll effort - unless otherwise stated weapons do d6, magic d10, and add the effort bonus))
Galanodel Deacon Tosh - Less-than-Half-Elf Bard - & - Flitterbug - Pixie Sorceress : Meanwhile in the Westwoods
Amadow 'Tug' Rioux - Human Psionic Palooka : Revenge Heist - - - Gofer Bayut - Bugbear Paladin Messenger : Shrouded Sky