Ashley had hung back as the trio worked their magic with the cave bear. When she sees Vilus's nod, she creeps forward following him inside the room he just unlocked.
Joren stays put and continues growling, now wordless and slightly lower volume, yet still menacing. Intending to let the cave bear know that the fake giant badger which Joren represents is neither advancing nor interfering with the bear's ability to take the rations, just standing his ground.
He continues to dodge and positions his echo 30' ahead of himself so as to make an opportunity attack in case the cave bear decides to charge.
I am hoping this is enough to convince the beast to come no further for some time. Of course for my friends and I to escape, but also for a bit longer the next time it grows hungry, at least until Marigold has finished... transforming into a magic-absorbing tree?
Malachi watches Joren’s standoff with the cave bear with interest. He briefly toys with the idea of sending a brief spike of mental energy to push the animal away, but relents as he realizes the poor animal is just starving. Wary of the threat, he keeps his spell ready and moves to stand next to the door Vilus just opened. “C’mon, Joren, you’ve done a great job pushing the bear away, but it’s time for all of us to get out of here. No last stands needed this time.” He nods his head toward the open door and follows the others inside, looking to see what the room holds.
The inside of the room is odd. The centre is lined with two long benches, and both walls are completely covered with 1x1 ft drawers. Several are slid out and empty. The sound of water dripping stone comes from the centre of the room where there is a metal pipe protruding from the ceiling and pointing down at a drain in the stone floor. On the far end of the room is another door leading out.
The bear continues to hold its ground, now troubling the rations with its nose, testing to see if its loot will be contested.
Joren gestures in the affirmative to Malachi and then holds up an index finger as if to signify just one minute...
He continues to growl, though the volume is subsiding a bit, while still clearly coming from the same place (the fake giant badger is stationary and not advancing, ostensibly at the edge of its territory). He leaves his echo 30' ahead of himself for an opportunity attack in case the cave bear charges.
Joren's goal is to confirm that the cave bear is going to take the 'loot' and retreat, exiting 'giant badger' territory. Hoping to send a message that buys Marigold perhaps a day to transform fully into an arboreal form that is inedible to the beast, should it return, driven by starvation to try its luck once more. Though of course the cave bear could do other things to the the magic-absorbing Marigold-tree. Use it as a scratching post, perhaps, or mark it as territory. Joren has a brief vivid mental image of the cave bear, needing to relieve itself, sidling up to a fully arboreal Marigold, lifting one leg and...
Stifling a grin, Joren waits until the cave bear seems satisfied with the rations and is not going to advance further before letting his echo go and summoning it behind himself. He would then finally stop growling, push the echo further behind him yet towards the door his friends are moving through, and swap places with it so the cave bear might remain uncertain whether the 'giant badger' is still there (discouraging advance).
Samir slips into the room with the others, leaving his illusionary sound to run its course and fade away over time. He looks around curiously at the odd room, puzzling over it's possible purpose. He moves to examine the drawers while waiting for Joren to join them, carefully attempting to slide one open to see what might be inside.
As they enter the strange room, Ashley whispers over to Vilus, "Have you seen this room before?" As she waits for an answer, she too starts checking out the drawers, attempting to be quiet as she pulls out a drawer.
Samir’s drawer is empty, as are the first few that Ashley checks out. But inside the fourth one, she discovers a robe, neatly folded, one of the cultists’ daggers,, and a small coin pouch with 10 gold pieces in it.
Joren wins his face off with the bear, and it decides to take its free meal and go, plodding away in a slow run. Stepping into the room behind the others, Joren is reminded of the military locker rooms where common soldiers would equip themselves before heading out for training or a campaign.
"me? No... Not here, when I was here alone before my only intention was to leave... Well I say alone, that 'gaunt' guy was with me, but we didn't do much exploring bar the rooms we had to hide in as we made our escape." Vilus answer to Ashley as he gives the dripping pipe a hesitant sniff to make sure it's not some kind of sewage again.
Checking out another couple of drawers, Vilus finds them all empty except for one, which has the same contents, robe, dagger, 10 Gp, inside. Probably most of the cultists were geared up before leaving for either the Heart or for Marigold’s ship. He surmises that spending a few minutes going through each drawer may turn up more, but he’s not sure it would be a lot.
(If you do want to take a bit of time with the bear having run off, anyone can give me the higher value of an investigation check or their passive investigation.
Investigating things not being his strong suit, Joren stands guard at the far door while the others do as they will. His echo remains at the near door.
"Reminding me of infantry locker, this room, where the foot soldiers would arm up for drills. Or battle. Supposing it was the same in a way, for the cult."
Malachi looks through a few drawers haphazardly, looking for collectibles but realizing that the average cultist foot soldier was unlikely to have anything of much value, and probably carried it with them if they did. (Investigation 5 rolled in dice channel, passive 11.)
He nods at Joren’s description of what he thinks of the use of the room. “It does look like a locker room of some type. I imagine they took what they could carry when they went to the boats.” He moves to check on the door at the other end of the room, looking it over before cautiously opening it up to the room or hallway beyond. “Now let’s focus on what Vilus did last time. Getting out of here.”
"Agreed." After seeing little of interest in the drawers and realizing that it did indeed appear to be some kind of locker room, Samir had given up on investigating further and instead was pacing slowly around the room, edging slowly towards the far door while waiting for the others to finish what they were doing. "I think the faster we can get out of here the better. Especially if it lets us avoid confronting that poor bear again."
"blinded and in a dark maze of tunnels not understanding where it is or why..." Vilus trails off deep in thought shuddering as it reminds him of a certain fate said to have befallen those selected to have his specific powers before him. "Anyway, if there's nothing here for us we should press on" he nods to Samir nearing the far door. "All rivers lead to the ocean and all that..."
Indeed, searching a few more drawers seems a fruitless endeavour. All Malachi comes across are empty ones, aside from one that only had a cloak.
going through the door at the far end of the room, the group finds themselves a little further down what is unmistakably a familiar corridor. It is little work to make their way back up to the surface, with the bear presumably gnawing away at his hard won snack.
Joren sighs heavily and looks at his map with its red dots, before glancing up once more. He keeps his echo summoned and his voice quiet.
"So having finished our work in Talmouth, then? Finding our way to Madurst on the Venn Canal in haste to arrive before the cultists' ships do, and before Vilus' father can be sending his spies and assassins for thwarting or slaying us?"
"yep good shout, does anyone have any suggestions for a decent disguise, I'm not very inventive and I'm starting to think my orc, human, and firbolg rotations are becoming familiar to those wanting to find us." Vilus asks the group just before they surface
As Joren looks up from the map, having emerged from the sewers in the back alley, the hair raises on the back of his neck. Vilus feels it too. Looking around, Joren spies shadowed shapes well concealed among clotheslines and greenery on the residential balconies overlooking the alley. Other shapes on the slanted roofs mark humanoid figures dressed to camouflage against the red ceiling tiles. He can tell from the shifting of a shadow that there is also at least one person waiting around the corner, likely with a blade drawn.
Joren's mutter is quiet and conversational, as if making small talk, audible only to his friends. He does not draw his blade, though his echo remains nearby.
"Feeling that, Vilus? Disguise can be waiting. Having company a bit sooner. Balconies and roofs, and at least one around the corner. Armed. One of you magicians having some way to obscure us or cause a distraction? Otherwise, retreating back down the tunnels could bottleneck them, but trap us."
Being all the same, in some ways. Ambushes. Whether in the windswept foggy crags of the Veil or here in a bloody Talmouth alley...
As the deadbolt slides, Vilus nods silently to the group and beckons them forward, he swings the door open and heads inside.
Ashley had hung back as the trio worked their magic with the cave bear. When she sees Vilus's nod, she creeps forward following him inside the room he just unlocked.
Joren stays put and continues growling, now wordless and slightly lower volume, yet still menacing. Intending to let the cave bear know that the fake giant badger which Joren represents is neither advancing nor interfering with the bear's ability to take the rations, just standing his ground.
He continues to dodge and positions his echo 30' ahead of himself so as to make an opportunity attack in case the cave bear decides to charge.
I am hoping this is enough to convince the beast to come no further for some time. Of course for my friends and I to escape, but also for a bit longer the next time it grows hungry, at least until Marigold has finished... transforming into a magic-absorbing tree?
Inge(Barbarian2): Krayveneer's After the Fall | Seri(Cleric1/Sorcerer1): Uhtred's Windward Isles | Xarian(Fighter1): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Nivi(Rogue4): Raiketsu's CoS
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Toa(Barbarian6/Fighter4): MrWhisker's Dark Lord's Return
Malachi watches Joren’s standoff with the cave bear with interest. He briefly toys with the idea of sending a brief spike of mental energy to push the animal away, but relents as he realizes the poor animal is just starving. Wary of the threat, he keeps his spell ready and moves to stand next to the door Vilus just opened. “C’mon, Joren, you’ve done a great job pushing the bear away, but it’s time for all of us to get out of here. No last stands needed this time.” He nods his head toward the open door and follows the others inside, looking to see what the room holds.
The inside of the room is odd. The centre is lined with two long benches, and both walls are completely covered with 1x1 ft drawers. Several are slid out and empty. The sound of water dripping stone comes from the centre of the room where there is a metal pipe protruding from the ceiling and pointing down at a drain in the stone floor. On the far end of the room is another door leading out.
The bear continues to hold its ground, now troubling the rations with its nose, testing to see if its loot will be contested.
Joren gestures in the affirmative to Malachi and then holds up an index finger as if to signify just one minute...
He continues to growl, though the volume is subsiding a bit, while still clearly coming from the same place (the fake giant badger is stationary and not advancing, ostensibly at the edge of its territory). He leaves his echo 30' ahead of himself for an opportunity attack in case the cave bear charges.
Joren's goal is to confirm that the cave bear is going to take the 'loot' and retreat, exiting 'giant badger' territory. Hoping to send a message that buys Marigold perhaps a day to transform fully into an arboreal form that is inedible to the beast, should it return, driven by starvation to try its luck once more. Though of course the cave bear could do other things to the the magic-absorbing Marigold-tree. Use it as a scratching post, perhaps, or mark it as territory. Joren has a brief vivid mental image of the cave bear, needing to relieve itself, sidling up to a fully arboreal Marigold, lifting one leg and...
Stifling a grin, Joren waits until the cave bear seems satisfied with the rations and is not going to advance further before letting his echo go and summoning it behind himself. He would then finally stop growling, push the echo further behind him yet towards the door his friends are moving through, and swap places with it so the cave bear might remain uncertain whether the 'giant badger' is still there (discouraging advance).
Inge(Barbarian2): Krayveneer's After the Fall | Seri(Cleric1/Sorcerer1): Uhtred's Windward Isles | Xarian(Fighter1): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Nivi(Rogue4): Raiketsu's CoS
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Toa(Barbarian6/Fighter4): MrWhisker's Dark Lord's Return
Samir slips into the room with the others, leaving his illusionary sound to run its course and fade away over time. He looks around curiously at the odd room, puzzling over it's possible purpose. He moves to examine the drawers while waiting for Joren to join them, carefully attempting to slide one open to see what might be inside.
As they enter the strange room, Ashley whispers over to Vilus, "Have you seen this room before?" As she waits for an answer, she too starts checking out the drawers, attempting to be quiet as she pulls out a drawer.
Samir’s drawer is empty, as are the first few that Ashley checks out. But inside the fourth one, she discovers a robe, neatly folded, one of the cultists’ daggers,, and a small coin pouch with 10 gold pieces in it.
Joren wins his face off with the bear, and it decides to take its free meal and go, plodding away in a slow run. Stepping into the room behind the others, Joren is reminded of the military locker rooms where common soldiers would equip themselves before heading out for training or a campaign.
"me? No... Not here, when I was here alone before my only intention was to leave... Well I say alone, that 'gaunt' guy was with me, but we didn't do much exploring bar the rooms we had to hide in as we made our escape." Vilus answer to Ashley as he gives the dripping pipe a hesitant sniff to make sure it's not some kind of sewage again.
(Investigation for the fun of it 7)
Checking out another couple of drawers, Vilus finds them all empty except for one, which has the same contents, robe, dagger, 10 Gp, inside. Probably most of the cultists were geared up before leaving for either the Heart or for Marigold’s ship. He surmises that spending a few minutes going through each drawer may turn up more, but he’s not sure it would be a lot.
(If you do want to take a bit of time with the bear having run off, anyone can give me the higher value of an investigation check or their passive investigation.
Investigating things not being his strong suit, Joren stands guard at the far door while the others do as they will. His echo remains at the near door.
"Reminding me of infantry locker, this room, where the foot soldiers would arm up for drills. Or battle. Supposing it was the same in a way, for the cult."
Inge(Barbarian2): Krayveneer's After the Fall | Seri(Cleric1/Sorcerer1): Uhtred's Windward Isles | Xarian(Fighter1): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Nivi(Rogue4): Raiketsu's CoS
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Toa(Barbarian6/Fighter4): MrWhisker's Dark Lord's Return
Malachi looks through a few drawers haphazardly, looking for collectibles but realizing that the average cultist foot soldier was unlikely to have anything of much value, and probably carried it with them if they did. (Investigation 5 rolled in dice channel, passive 11.)
He nods at Joren’s description of what he thinks of the use of the room. “It does look like a locker room of some type. I imagine they took what they could carry when they went to the boats.” He moves to check on the door at the other end of the room, looking it over before cautiously opening it up to the room or hallway beyond. “Now let’s focus on what Vilus did last time. Getting out of here.”
"Agreed." After seeing little of interest in the drawers and realizing that it did indeed appear to be some kind of locker room, Samir had given up on investigating further and instead was pacing slowly around the room, edging slowly towards the far door while waiting for the others to finish what they were doing. "I think the faster we can get out of here the better. Especially if it lets us avoid confronting that poor bear again."
"blinded and in a dark maze of tunnels not understanding where it is or why..." Vilus trails off deep in thought shuddering as it reminds him of a certain fate said to have befallen those selected to have his specific powers before him. "Anyway, if there's nothing here for us we should press on" he nods to Samir nearing the far door. "All rivers lead to the ocean and all that..."
Indeed, searching a few more drawers seems a fruitless endeavour. All Malachi comes across are empty ones, aside from one that only had a cloak.
going through the door at the far end of the room, the group finds themselves a little further down what is unmistakably a familiar corridor. It is little work to make their way back up to the surface, with the bear presumably gnawing away at his hard won snack.
Joren sighs heavily and looks at his map with its red dots, before glancing up once more. He keeps his echo summoned and his voice quiet.
"So having finished our work in Talmouth, then? Finding our way to Madurst on the Venn Canal in haste to arrive before the cultists' ships do, and before Vilus' father can be sending his spies and assassins for thwarting or slaying us?"
Inge(Barbarian2): Krayveneer's After the Fall | Seri(Cleric1/Sorcerer1): Uhtred's Windward Isles | Xarian(Fighter1): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Nivi(Rogue4): Raiketsu's CoS
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Toa(Barbarian6/Fighter4): MrWhisker's Dark Lord's Return
"yep good shout, does anyone have any suggestions for a decent disguise, I'm not very inventive and I'm starting to think my orc, human, and firbolg rotations are becoming familiar to those wanting to find us." Vilus asks the group just before they surface
As Joren looks up from the map, having emerged from the sewers in the back alley, the hair raises on the back of his neck. Vilus feels it too. Looking around, Joren spies shadowed shapes well concealed among clotheslines and greenery on the residential balconies overlooking the alley. Other shapes on the slanted roofs mark humanoid figures dressed to camouflage against the red ceiling tiles. He can tell from the shifting of a shadow that there is also at least one person waiting around the corner, likely with a blade drawn.
Joren's mutter is quiet and conversational, as if making small talk, audible only to his friends. He does not draw his blade, though his echo remains nearby.
"Feeling that, Vilus? Disguise can be waiting. Having company a bit sooner. Balconies and roofs, and at least one around the corner. Armed. One of you magicians having some way to obscure us or cause a distraction? Otherwise, retreating back down the tunnels could bottleneck them, but trap us."
Being all the same, in some ways. Ambushes. Whether in the windswept foggy crags of the Veil or here in a bloody Talmouth alley...
Inge(Barbarian2): Krayveneer's After the Fall | Seri(Cleric1/Sorcerer1): Uhtred's Windward Isles | Xarian(Fighter1): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Nivi(Rogue4): Raiketsu's CoS
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Toa(Barbarian6/Fighter4): MrWhisker's Dark Lord's Return