Neya knows that the name sounds familiar. The symbol on the page also helps her memory: The Order of the Gauntlet. CRAP's closest contact within that faction is Villonah Leadstopper! And Zern Xerk.... The monk's thought process is interrupted by Doozey exclaiming the answer. While the hunter used the word "handler," Neya would likely remember Villonah herself use the terms "superior," or "commanding officer." Not only that, both Doozey and Neya also remember that Zern is a bit of a local hero. He goes by the moniker "The Hammer of Impiltur" (a region just southeast of the Moonsea, but still far enough to not be considered part of the Moonsea Region.) He has orcish lineage in his blood, unlike this poor soul hanging from the tree.

Utar has no ears for Doozey's and Neya's realization. He is focused on the religious symbol on the victim's cloak. Putting the pieces together like a puzzle, he confirms his suspicions. The man was not a Tormite, but a Helmite. The two symbols get confused often, but Utar would never make this mistake. Torm's is a white right gauntlet with the palm showing, Helm's is a left gauntlet with a staring eye on the back of it.

His suspicions confirmed, Utar steps away from the poor man's body.  Picking up on Doozey's concerns, a sly grin cannot be held back from slipping onto the Orc's face despite the stark reality which surrounds CRAP at the moment.  "Want me to call your girlfriend for you, Doozey?"

"So who was he?" Raist asks the group

"We do not know this person, specifically. But, we did work with their superior on a rather risky and involved mission, not too long ago."

If for but a tense few moments, Utar's words appear to fall on deaf ears as the only visible change in Doozey's demeanor yet leaned in the direction of a bestial transformation. "Rrrriiiip.... aaaannnnnd...T-... Tch-...." He eventually growled out only to suddenly tense, then whip around to face Utar with wide-eyes and flushed cheeks. "W-w-wh-wha-.... N-n-now hold on a minute! What's this--wha?! Girlfriend!? What!?!? She's-... We're not-... Tch! What!?" And just like that, almost all the fury is replaced by confusion as the flustered halfling swiftly reverted into his normal state.

After that it took a few more attempts and close to a minute for Doozey to rediscover how to speak, let alone address the party. But eventually, he asks while struggling to fight down both a blush and to meet Utar's gaze with a neutral one of his own, "Just.... Please call Ms. Villinoah. O-only if because if she's here, i-it could be she has valuable intel. A-and if not, sh-she can, er, aughta be informed."

Raist clutches a pendant around his neck and.mutters some words softly then turns and looks over the cliffside 

While Neya helps Raist catch up, Utar finds a moment of levity in the situation and teases Doozey a bit. This was exactly what was needed to get the hunter out of his murderous thought-bubble. 

The Helmite’s corpse still hanging, Raist reminds the group of their plan by looking down the ledge towards the cave entrance they had planned to use. Before the party can move in that direction, there is some indication a magical message to Villonah may be in order. 

Utar smiles gently. "It's ok. I don't think she's here if it helps but doubtless she will want to know what happened to her ally. What's the message? Twenty five words or less."

Utar holds up his fingers to count down the words.

Doozey is taken aback for a moment before rounding on Utar with a, "Now why the heck I ask'n me? Yer the one with more experinece wielding yer gods' miracles 'n all that." He sighs. "But, uh... But if you need a core point or whatever, let her know what happened to her boss here, and, uhh... ask if she's, er.... L-let her know where about to go deal with the folks that merked him. That way if she is involved in some way or another, she'll probably figure where close enough nearby and could share some intel."

Doozey's expression then darkens. "Although if they /do/ have her down there, I... think it'll be up to the rest of you to... make sure things go as originally planned."

While Utar and Doozey discuss the details of an imminent casting of the sending spell, Raist continues to look down the nearby ledge. The learned elf judges the distance to the targeted cliff ledge to be no more than 20 or 25 feet.

Utar nods and begins composing Doozey's reply into a message.  He repeats it aloud for the others, (so feel free to peek in the spoiler box)!

 Peering down the same drop that Raist is observing, Utar looks at the elf.  "I've plenty of rope we could use to lower ourselves down?"

"Yes it isn't far. I'm just worried about my ability  climbing and suck really doesn't fall into my strengths you could say" he ends with a short laugh

As Doozey's next act remained dependent on what Utar chose to share with regards to Villinoah, he'd either find himself climbing down ahead of the pair alongside Biscuit to make sure nothing lurked within the cave, OR...  skip the checking out part altogether after hastily making his way down, fully transformed and ready rip and tear into the first potential hostile he spies within the cavern!

... That is of course noone managed to calm him down again before he can go running off with Biscuit hot on his heels.

Villonah's response follows. If Utar shares it with the group, then others may peek in the spoiler box too.

Utar shares the message as soon as he receives it, knowing Villanoah is here and being held by the kobolds, likely changes their plan of action.

In hearing nothing about Villanoah being in immediate distress, but in fact cognizant enough to mention a trap, Doozey let out a small sigh of relief. "Knowing all this don't change much of our current plans, but it's... thank you, Utar. Really. If you hadn't of done that or it turned out they were already try'na sacrifice her, I..." Doozey trailed off from there looking away, frowning, and then clenching a fist almost hard enough to make even his calloused hands begin to bleed.

He then looked off to the side of the cliff (moving closer as necessary before returning to the part) and tried to focus on gauging how long the group might have before the sea fog below dissipated...

-Nature: 23. (at least I presume it would be such, otherwise feel free to change out the modifiers DM)

"We stick to the plan as much as we can. Get down to that first cliff, capture any sentinels, and interrogate'm for more information. And if turns out the cave below don't lead to no tunnel system, then... we'll just have to drop down to one below that and hope the fog we'll be enough to cover us." Doozey conveyed as much to the group before looking to Raist specifically. "Also, uh... look, there ain't enough time for a lot of things right now, so I'm just gonna come out with it. I'm a... I'm a were, er, well, Werebadger, if'n ya wanna get technical." He expressed with a bit of a grimace.

"Normally I'd be of some mind to, uhh, set minds at ease 'n all that, but like I said, not enough time. Just like there ain't enough time fer me to attune another thing of mines, as I doubt the kobold caves are all that well lit." With that said, Doozey appears to relax one moment, only to contort and growl as his body more rapidly thanks to the weakened restraints transform into his werebadger state. At first he takes his time with stretching and readjusting to the new state, but eventually a wary look is given the wizard's way, having remembered how a certain "traitorous" grave cleric girl tried to have him chained up...

Raist shrugs. "I've seen worse.  And when stealth is no longer an option I can give us light." Looking down again "I'll try.climbing but should probably go last just in case"

"Perhaps, if we save Villanoah and the others they have captured, they could aid us in stopping the coalition between the two factions."

Utar shares the message and Doozey has a surprisingly measured and rational response following his near wrathful episode a moment ago. Neya even sees a potential opportunity in the dilemma they are presented with. Then, in the name of keeping companions in the loop, Doozey shares with Raist that he suffers from the curse of lycanthropy (or asvosthropy?) The elf is mostly unbothered, and ready to move on with the plan.

The party moves closer to the edge and thinks on next steps. Doozey and Biscuit have claws designed for such traversal, and Neya has learned to make a joke out of gravity. Utar plans to use a rope, and Raist seems to agree to the simple plan.

(OOC: As per the 2024 rope mechanics, I'll ask for a sleight of hand check for securing the rope. If anyone wants to climb without the rope, that's doable too, but the DC will be different. Climbing down will require an athletics check from Utar and Raist with our without a rope. Since they can climb without much difficulty, Doozey and Neya are free to help if they are proficient in any of the skills required, but I'd like to ask for descriptions of how they are helping if they choose to do so.)

"Given the number of enemies we are likely to meet in those caverns, a few more alies would not go amiss."

Utar ties off a rope to a likely tree before letting Raist descend first and following on himself.

Sleight of Hand - 14 (original roll was a 9..uh oh).

Athletics - 16