You begin down the mountain path towards the village of Vault. So long as you stay on the road and its not impeded, you figure it should only take you about 4 hours to reach the village at a steady pace. There are occasional cracks of thunder in the sky...But no lightning. After it happens a few times, you realize the sound is actually coming from the massive tear in the sky above the temple.

Roland: The party hasn't journeyed very far - less than a 1000 feet before you notice something that sticks out, your perception empowered by the faint magics etched into the creation of your new shield. There haven't been any tracks in the snow anywhere near the tents or the road so far save for the ones you've made. But now you can see two sets in both directions (traveling up to this point on the trail, and then turning and heading back down).

Dante looks over his shoulder as they walk, eyeing the bleeding tear in the sky. "Do you think that whatever controlled that place is behind this?" He muses aloud. "Perhaps it was tired of being the master of only one realm. Perhaps it desired another."

As they continue down the mountain path he looks ahead for signs of scouts or guards. Someone sensible had to be in charge down at Vault (if it were still there), and the sensible thing to do was to keep an eye on things coming down the mountain.

Perception: 16

"That's a terrifying theory, but I can't disagree. Whatever was controlling that place felt...malignant." Holm thinks back to the fight, and the disorienting...presence...that had filled his mind, urging him to flee. "He. Perhaps he desired another. The voice said it couldn't hold him any longer." He thinks for a moment back to his many long years spent studying in the libraries and scriptoriums of Calyx, preparing for the job that had eventually brought him here, to Dravica, and tries to recall any mention of other realms or other beings that might fit the two entities they had encountered in the moments after the explosion (I think this would be more arcana than history? Only an 8 either way unfortunately).

Roland will point out the foot prints in the snow to the others. "It looks like two others came this way. Why they turned back, is unclear, perhaps..." and he turns his gaze to the sky, "perhaps they wanted nothing to do with that tear. Maybe these prints will lead all the way to Vault."

Dante: I'll keep this check in mind as the party moves down the mountain. For now, the warlock doesn't see any signs of anyone else -- save for the tracks pointed out by Roland.

Holm: You can't recall ever learning anything about what you encountered in the other realm...But then again, much knowledge was lost due to the Shard Wars. It's entirely possible this is something that predates that particular catacylsm.

"They very well might. I wouldn't be surprised if those who left them came to roughly the same conclusion that we did, that it was better to seek answers in civilization than in still-smoldering ruins." Holm studies the footprints for a moment. "Do you see any signs of traps they may have laid? If not, I say we continue walking. No point in dallying here in the snow over just a couple sets of footprints."

[[ For stuff like this, do you prefer just one person making the check? If so, Roland should do it with advantage, but if multiple people can roll then Holm would probably be looking around as well. ]]

[[ So I’m just stuck rolling 3s now. Perception 7 to look for traps. ]]

Dante stops by the footprints, crouching down to take a closer look at them to try and determine how fresh they are.

Survival 11 -> Heroic Inspiration -> 19

Dante: The tracks are essentially muddy footprints in the snow. You do notice that the mud from the tracks has barely been covered by the freshly falling snow. Whoever made these was here very recently, possibly when you came out of the portal.

"Hmm, maybe they saw us return? Should we move fast and see if we can catch up with them, or just continue at a normal pace to town?"

“Thank you.” Korran said handling the potion and the rations. It was good to have free hands back again and no bard was found of carrying much weight. Practicing music was a terrible way of building strong muscles.

By the time Dante spoke he was tired and sore. Only when the tracks were pointed was his mind fully awakened.

“Whoever left those was closer to the Temple than anyone in Vault. Is likely to know more.” And they needed information. Especially considering the possibility of Rhyvale, Valyn and of Ashvold being dead. “Besides, and I don’t want to sound paranoid but given everything that happened, we should probably consider the possibility that those tracks belong to someone responsible for the show of horrors.” In legends evil was usually summoned, after all. “Better safe than sorry and the safest way would be to follow the tracks, eyes and ears open to a possible ambush.”

The bard waited for opinions, turning his eyes towards the tear on the sky. Holm’s words echoing on his head. I hope you are wrong. He had to. He had to, but everything in his being told the artificer was right. 

“Worst case scenario we can always run.” Worked before and against something far worse than two people.  

"Traps? That's actually I good idea, since we all seem to be a bit confused on what the heck is going on around us."

Perception: 24

As Roland examines the area for traps, Holm thinks for a moment about the footsteps. Someone was coming up the mountain, but turned back. Yet there are no signs of anyone besides us having come down. Uneasy with that thought, he begins to focus his magic, not towards his bracer this time, but outward. "Indhar...indhar..." He begins to whisper the word under his breath, just as a precaution to warn him should anyone be following them unseen or at a short distance.

[[ Ritual cast. I realized this will be less useful than I'd initially thought since it only has a one mile range for the alarm to actually ping, but that's still a good 20 minutes' worth of "is anyone following us?" Centering the 20ft. square on the path behind him wherever he finishes the ritual, with a mental ping, no creatures excluded. ]]

Roland: As the party walks down the mountain, you diligently keep your eye out for traps. Buried spring traps. Tripwire traps. Ambush sites. Nothing escapes your sight as you scan the area. Unless your group has run afoul of some trickster god, you're certain the area is safe.

Holm: For about a little over 1/2 a mile your mind is set on crafting this alarm spell. You rely on your companions to alert you to danger, and to their credit, they also keep you from tripping over obstacles in the road.

The tracks are easy enough to follow on the way down the path -- but given the winding nature of it, you're never able to see quite far enough ahead to figure out who's making them. After nearly an hour of travel, you come across an obstruction that stops you in your tracks. A high palisade wall blocking the way, and a hastily constructed guard tower where there hadn't been one before. For the past 1/4 mile you've had 40ft high cliffs on either side of you...It would be possible to backtrack and get around the cliffs and this makeshift outpost, but that would also mean traveling through wilderness.

As the wall comes into view, Holm says quietly to his companions, "If we can see them, they can see us. Too late to turn around. Maybe we don't lead with the fact that we're true survivors of the summit. We were on our way there when we saw the explosion, or else maybe we stayed in one of the camps this morning sick, or on guard duty, and we missed the meeting. We managed to avoid the fighting by hiding, and only just now did we feel safe enough to make our way down. You never know what ideas they might get, especially with all that blood in the sentinel camp, right?"

With that, he waits to follow the rest of the group forward, content to let someone else do most of the talking. He'd spent the past few months practicing a Dravican accent, true, but who could say how perceptive these guards would be, or whether they'd be welcoming toward someone from the Calyxi delegation if they discovered who he was.

Dante understands his new tinkerer friend's reservations, and he would hope that such a deception will work. But a part of him doubts that it will be so simple. And something about this entire situation bothers him, like they were missing something. "Don't you think it's strange how they got those structures up so fast?"

"Still. I can speak with them, though I must warn you. My way is a straightforward one. I've never been good at lying to people, so if another of you more inclined towards that particular art wish to accompany me...It would be welcome."  He walks forward, closer to the obstructing wall and guard tower, hands raised in front of him. "Hello there! We seek passage through your barricade, to get off this mountain and get to safety!"

"I believe we need to pass through this barricade, hopefully whoever built it has no issues with us" Roland says.

If it looks like there is some brush or cover, Roland will have Jack, his familiar who is currently a small weasel, see if he can go scouting the other side of the barricade. Perhaps he can crawl through a crack or hole. Roland will tell the others what he is doing, and will look through his familiar's eyes as he goes exploring.

“Agreed.” He said nodding towards the artificer. “We can easily pass for traders wanting to make coin at the camp.”

Harlots and sellwords weren’t the only ones to follow armies, after all, and the summit had no less than four of them. All filled with idle soldiers.

“Holm can be a craftsman wanting to sell trinkets, Roland an herbalist while the three of us take the role of wandering performers.” The bard continued to the rogue and the warlock. “Both of you fighting on stage while I play music.”

Korran nodded his head agreeing with Dante. They needed to pass by the barracks, for at that point turning back would raise suspicion and maybe get an armed party after them. We had enough fight for one day, he thought tapping the shoulder of the redhaired man.

“You’ll do fine.” The certainty of his voice seemed to flow into the very spirit of the warlock. “I’m used to performances, plays included. Should be close enough to lying professionally so let the… creative rearranging of the facts to me.”

There were the years on the streets too but those he decided better not to mention. Instead, he walked beside Dante. It was strange that they built a palisade so fast. For how long were we away?

Notes: Korran gives inspiration to Dante and walk beside him to speak with those in the palisade.

Lucian had been mostly silent for a while, traveling along with the group quietly. But when he’s spoken to, he smiles slightly. “A performance? Well, you have the right elf for that… good thinking.”

Lucian joins Dante and Korran to talk with those in the palisade.

OoC: Roland, give me a perception or investigation check for the weasel, to try and find a way through the wall.

The trio of Lucian, Dante, and Korran don't make it very close towards the wall before an arrow thuds into the ground at their feet. "You will come no further." A feminine voice calls out as a cloaked figure steps up to the railing of the guard tower, a longbow in their hands with another arrow nocked. Their hood is put up, but you can see a flash of red hair beneath it. "Nothing but demons and malformed spirits come down the mountain these days. What are you?"

Perception for Lojack (familiar): 17