Well met, fellow adventurers. Hand me that book, yes, Tales from Terra. Many thanks. Now, permit me to tell you a tale of four adventurers very much like yourselves; a tale of monsters, magic, and adventure. Permit me to tell you the tale of Down the Rabbit-Hole.
Four adventurers trudge through the thick underbrush, each lost in their own thoughts. It has been ten days since they first arrived at the fringes of the forest that they currently traverse, escorting a small collection of pilgrims intent on establishing a settlement far from corrupted civilization. Though there are less than fifty of them all told, they have been making good progress, and already a church, infirmary, and common sleeping quarters have been constructed. The future is filled with hope and opportunity.
Their musings are interrupted by a sharp cry, and they look up to see a solitary raven perched on a branch of one of the massive trees that the forest is known for. All around them the forest is lush and green, and the air is filled with the cheerful sound of singing birds and woodland wildlife.
Then, without warning, the ground beneath their feet gives way and they plunge into a gaping black pit.
Deeper into the earth they plummet, and they continue to fall long after the last pinprick of light which marks the world they know has been swallowed up by grim darkness. Then the sensation of falling dissipates, and with jarring realization comes the feeling of damp leaves against their backs.
The four adventurers open their eyes to find themselves in a hollow mockery of the world they once knew. Lush trees are replaced with shriveled black skeletons, green underbrush with dead leaves and damp moss, warm sunlight with vague purple trandescence.
Belzaphira stands up, lip curling into a light snarl at the unceremonious descent they had made. Her slitted amber eyes take in the purpley view as her fingers tug her focal rod free of its holster on her hip.
"That is a very good question Astra. It looks - dead. Sick, almost. I distrust this place." she says, her voice hissing slightly.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Bear Hislia jumps to her feet and glares around. Not to be caught unprepared, her greataxe has appeared in her hands as if by magic, though the other three have seen this trick many times before. "Stay close," she says in her deep, growl-like, voice. She looks up, trying to figure out what has happened.
A little introduction (stuff you know about her):
Bear Hislia is 5'5" and muscular. She has long, braided, dark brown hair, and she tends to wear as little as is socially acceptable. The coverings she wears are made of bear hide and fur. Hislia is called Bear because her shifter form is bear-like. She always has pointed ears, a flat nose and short brown fur that covers her from head to foot. When she shifts, her face lengthens into a short snout, her nose darkens, her teeth elongate, her arms and legs thicken, and the fur on her body grows a little. She likes to be active, and she isn't the brightest bulb in the box. You know she used to be part of a troupe of entertainers in which she was a kind of strongman.
What I'm suspecting (though, without really knowing what much about you other three, this is subject to change: She doesn't like to plan, but she has learned to trust the three of you, and she will do whatever you ask without question. She's very protective of you, and you know she is appreciative of you.
A flicker of movement on the edge of Bear's peripheral vision arrests her eye. Glancing to her right, she is surprised to find a skinny black cat licking itself in a nonchalant fashion, paying no heed whatsoever to the adventuring party.
"Thank you, Astra," Yawgou says as he's helped up.
He locates his Quarterstaff and picks it up off the ground, taking a quick glance at where Bear is looking. After deciding the cat poses no immediate threat, Yawgou begins to take a few steps toward the cat before turning back to face the group.
"Well if there's no way for us to go back the way we came...I suppose we should just begin moving forward."
Yawgou casts Light at the very tip of his quarterstaff, and makes his way to the cat.
"Excuse me, friend," he says to the cat. "From which way did you come?"
"Here, there, it's all the same down here." The cat replies, staring at Yawgou with a pair of large green eyes. "No need to tell me where you came from. " He flicks his tail upwards.
"So no directions exist in this place? What of names? My name is Belzaphira. What may I call you?"she says, kneeling down to get a bit closer to the creature's level.
Yawgou initially appears taken aback by the cat's revelation, thinking to himself, "What a strange place...it's not everyday you meet a talking cat."
He continues to keep an eye on the cat as Belzaphira attempts to interact with it, turning slightly at the sound of Astra's rustling feet.
"Astra, do you see anything? If you wish to scout ahead a bit, Bear and I will watch over Belzaphira as she attempts to learn more from this...curious feline."
If cats could laugh, this cat would be laughing. "Names are of little importance down here. But you may call me Moon. "
Bear blinks, and the cat is gone.
Astra has little luck on her scouting mission, encountering nothing but damp leaves and dead trees. The darkness presses in on all sides and you can only see around you in a thirty foot radius, lending an eery aspect to the scene and filling you with a feeling of insignificance. The sky, if there even is a sky down here, is hidden in shadow.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Once again, Yawgou appears taken aback, surprised by the cat's sudden disappearance. He turns to Bear and Belzaphira, nods, then turns to where he last saw Astra.
"Ironic that we should ask a cat named Moon to shed some light on our situation, only for it to leave us in the dark," he says. "And unfortunately, not all of us are blessed with Darkvision."
Yawgou closes his eyes, tightly clutches his lit quarterstaff, and briefly places his hand over his Pelorian amulet. He then takes notice of the shriveled black skeletons and points to them.
"I say we just pick a direction and start moving. there isn't much else we can do, at least right now."
Yawgou nods, and starts walking in the direction where he last saw Moon the cat. He turns back for a moment to motion to the rest of the party, then continues on his way as the dark slowly envelopes the light emanating from his quarterstaff.
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Well met, fellow adventurers. Hand me that book, yes, Tales from Terra. Many thanks. Now, permit me to tell you a tale of four adventurers very much like yourselves; a tale of monsters, magic, and adventure. Permit me to tell you the tale of Down the Rabbit-Hole.
Four adventurers trudge through the thick underbrush, each lost in their own thoughts. It has been ten days since they first arrived at the fringes of the forest that they currently traverse, escorting a small collection of pilgrims intent on establishing a settlement far from corrupted civilization. Though there are less than fifty of them all told, they have been making good progress, and already a church, infirmary, and common sleeping quarters have been constructed. The future is filled with hope and opportunity.
Their musings are interrupted by a sharp cry, and they look up to see a solitary raven perched on a branch of one of the massive trees that the forest is known for. All around them the forest is lush and green, and the air is filled with the cheerful sound of singing birds and woodland wildlife.
Then, without warning, the ground beneath their feet gives way and they plunge into a gaping black pit.
Deeper into the earth they plummet, and they continue to fall long after the last pinprick of light which marks the world they know has been swallowed up by grim darkness. Then the sensation of falling dissipates, and with jarring realization comes the feeling of damp leaves against their backs.
The four adventurers open their eyes to find themselves in a hollow mockery of the world they once knew. Lush trees are replaced with shriveled black skeletons, green underbrush with dead leaves and damp moss, warm sunlight with vague purple trandescence.
Welcome to the land where no birds sing.
Flayr Flameseeker | Genasi/Fire | Wizard/School of Evocation | Level 2 | Custom Campaign: Cold Cash
Astra gets up and dusts herself off "where are we?"
Belzaphira stands up, lip curling into a light snarl at the unceremonious descent they had made. Her slitted amber eyes take in the purpley view as her fingers tug her focal rod free of its holster on her hip.
"That is a very good question Astra. It looks - dead. Sick, almost. I distrust this place." she says, her voice hissing slightly.
“Why is the world...upside down?”
Yawgou’s head suddenly pops out of his Tortle shell. He looks around to get his bearings, realizing he’s actually laying on his back.
”Ahh...could someone be so kind as to help me up?”
"of course, friend." Astra helps up Yawgou from the ground and then looks to see if anyone else needs help up.
Bear Hislia jumps to her feet and glares around. Not to be caught unprepared, her greataxe has appeared in her hands as if by magic, though the other three have seen this trick many times before. "Stay close," she says in her deep, growl-like, voice. She looks up, trying to figure out what has happened.
A little introduction (stuff you know about her):
Bear Hislia is 5'5" and muscular. She has long, braided, dark brown hair, and she tends to wear as little as is socially acceptable. The coverings she wears are made of bear hide and fur. Hislia is called Bear because her shifter form is bear-like. She always has pointed ears, a flat nose and short brown fur that covers her from head to foot. When she shifts, her face lengthens into a short snout, her nose darkens, her teeth elongate, her arms and legs thicken, and the fur on her body grows a little. She likes to be active, and she isn't the brightest bulb in the box. You know she used to be part of a troupe of entertainers in which she was a kind of strongman.
What I'm suspecting (though, without really knowing what much about you other three, this is subject to change: She doesn't like to plan, but she has learned to trust the three of you, and she will do whatever you ask without question. She's very protective of you, and you know she is appreciative of you.
Perception: 2
A flicker of movement on the edge of Bear's peripheral vision arrests her eye. Glancing to her right, she is surprised to find a skinny black cat licking itself in a nonchalant fashion, paying no heed whatsoever to the adventuring party.
Flayr Flameseeker | Genasi/Fire | Wizard/School of Evocation | Level 2 | Custom Campaign: Cold Cash
"Thank you, Astra," Yawgou says as he's helped up.
He locates his Quarterstaff and picks it up off the ground, taking a quick glance at where Bear is looking. After deciding the cat poses no immediate threat, Yawgou begins to take a few steps toward the cat before turning back to face the group.
"Well if there's no way for us to go back the way we came...I suppose we should just begin moving forward."
Yawgou casts Light at the very tip of his quarterstaff, and makes his way to the cat.
"Excuse me, friend," he says to the cat. "From which way did you come?"
Animal Handling: 23
"Here, there, it's all the same down here." The cat replies, staring at Yawgou with a pair of large green eyes. "No need to tell me where you came from. " He flicks his tail upwards.
The cat proceeds to saunter off.
Flayr Flameseeker | Genasi/Fire | Wizard/School of Evocation | Level 2 | Custom Campaign: Cold Cash
"So no directions exist in this place? What of names? My name is Belzaphira. What may I call you?" she says, kneeling down to get a bit closer to the creature's level.
"I agree with Yawgoo, we should start moving, I don't know where but we should." Astra starts walking in any cleared out path if there is one.
Yawgou initially appears taken aback by the cat's revelation, thinking to himself, "What a strange place...it's not everyday you meet a talking cat."
He continues to keep an eye on the cat as Belzaphira attempts to interact with it, turning slightly at the sound of Astra's rustling feet.
"Astra, do you see anything? If you wish to scout ahead a bit, Bear and I will watch over Belzaphira as she attempts to learn more from this...curious feline."
Astra scouts the surrounding area for any people, monsters, towns, anything that isn't dead. Perception: 18 Stealth (If needed) 11
If cats could laugh, this cat would be laughing. "Names are of little importance down here. But you may call me Moon. "
Bear blinks, and the cat is gone.
Astra has little luck on her scouting mission, encountering nothing but damp leaves and dead trees. The darkness presses in on all sides and you can only see around you in a thirty foot radius, lending an eery aspect to the scene and filling you with a feeling of insignificance. The sky, if there even is a sky down here, is hidden in shadow.
Flayr Flameseeker | Genasi/Fire | Wizard/School of Evocation | Level 2 | Custom Campaign: Cold Cash
Once again, Yawgou appears taken aback, surprised by the cat's sudden disappearance. He turns to Bear and Belzaphira, nods, then turns to where he last saw Astra.
"Ironic that we should ask a cat named Moon to shed some light on our situation, only for it to leave us in the dark," he says. "And unfortunately, not all of us are blessed with Darkvision."
Yawgou closes his eyes, tightly clutches his lit quarterstaff, and briefly places his hand over his Pelorian amulet. He then takes notice of the shriveled black skeletons and points to them.
"What of this?"
Investigation: 12
(They are skeletons of trees, not humanoids. If I didn't make that clear then that's my mistake.)
Flayr Flameseeker | Genasi/Fire | Wizard/School of Evocation | Level 2 | Custom Campaign: Cold Cash
OOC: Hahah dammit. Is there any perceivable pathway in front of us, or is it just an encircling tree line?
Trees surround you on all sides, as far as the eye can see. (Which is only 30 feet)
Flayr Flameseeker | Genasi/Fire | Wizard/School of Evocation | Level 2 | Custom Campaign: Cold Cash
"I say we just pick a direction and start moving. there isn't much else we can do, at least right now."
Yawgou nods, and starts walking in the direction where he last saw Moon the cat. He turns back for a moment to motion to the rest of the party, then continues on his way as the dark slowly envelopes the light emanating from his quarterstaff.