To Prove D&D Exists for Echolon

The critters are on her mind so Toots will take a moment to check on all three since it probably took a while to construct that bridge and she hasn’t checked on them since the short rest. She will prestidigitate Mece’s pouch clean if necessarily, and clean any potential mess from her pack as well and gives all three animals some affectionate words and physical contact. Finally she offer all three of them some water and drinks some herself as well before reassembling her pack.

“Hey, I just thought of something. What are we going to do when our skins run dry? I haven’t seen even a trickle of fresh water since we’ve been down here. Not unless you count the sweat on the walls.” Toots cocks her head to the side and scrunches her button nose in a quizzical expression. “Would you…?”
    Shrugging off the question she continues. “I don’t know about you all, but I don’t relish the idea of having to lick the walls every timeI  get thirsty. I don’t have one of those thingamajigs that collect water out of the air overnight. Did any of you bring one?” Her gaze travels upwards in a look of curiosity. “I wonder how those things work…?”
    Toots shakes her head to clear the momentary distraction. “Anyway, does anyone else have a plan or something? My plan was bringing two skins, but now that water needs to go a little further than I had planned.” As she says that last part she nods back over her shoulder in a gesture implying her passengers. Her expression shifts to pensive as something suddenly dawns on her.
    “Hey, I wonder…. Star and Pipkin live off of water and love, but not food. They make ice instead of… well, you know, poo. Do you think the ice might be clean enough to collect for drinking water? Would it be safe do you think? If it isn’t, I should be able to purify whatever we can collect once a day. But what about the taste…?” Toots’ expression becomes a bit dubious towards the end of that line of thought, but she continues.
    “If we could just find some way to collect it…. Hey Tommary, next time you get a chance, could you please talk to them again for me? I know normal rodents like Mece can’t really control when they drop leavings, it kinda just comes out whenever it’s ready. But I don’t know anything about otters, let alone magic not-otters that live off of love instead of food and make ice instead of poo. If you could ask them to maybe hold it until our breaks that would be super convenient. That way, instead of me periodically cleaning wet spots out my pack after the ice melts, instead we could collect it while it’s still frozen. I would have dry gear again, and full canteens to share with everyone. What do you say?”

OOC: Would their frozen leavings be potable without being purified? And is there any way to know besides casting Detect Poison and Disease? Did the ice lumps have any odor or tint of color?

I know, it’s a strange line of thought. But all my PCs have always packed 2 waterskins ever since I had a PC die of dehydration in cave under a volcano nut entirely unlike the system we’re in now. He got separated from his party and trapped by a cave in. It was a matter of finding either a way out or a source of water before the dehydration got him. But he had jack all by way of any survivally-type NWPs and it was only a matter of time…. ☠️

"Those slots look like they are designed for coins.  We could try putting coins in one or the other....although I do worry about those statues, though...I wonder if they are more than statues."

Quote from IamSposta >>

OOC: Would their frozen leavings be potable without being purified? And is there any way to know besides casting Detect Poison and Disease? Did the ice lumps have any odor or tint of color?

 The ice is safe enough to eat/drink. There is no unusual odor or color.

Quote from ArwensDaughter >>

"Those slots look like they are designed for coins.  We could try putting coins in one or the other....although I do worry about those statues, though...I wonder if they are more than statues."

 “Does anybody have any spare change? Wait a minute, two statues and two coin slots… hmmm….”

Quote from IamSposta >>

Quote from ArwensDaughter >>

"Those slots look like they are designed for coins.  We could try putting coins in one or the other....although I do worry about those statues, though...I wonder if they are more than statues."

 “Does anybody have any spare change? Wait a minute, two statues and two coin slots… hmmm….”

 OOC: Everybody has spare change =)

OOC: Toots is a philanthropist, whatever she feels she can spare is earmarked for Madam Clementine’s Home for Youths where the good madam and her husbands, the Messers Clementine supply a roof and a bed for those without who are willing to learn a skill and help out in their various other charities like their soup kitchen. As a childless thruple, it brings them joy to open their otherwise empty home to otherwise homeless children.

"Allright, if it's accessible I'll step into the cylinder unless you'd all rather me talk to Toots menagerie beforehand.  I may change their names to Blackwater and Greywater if I have that discussion though."

OOC: Maybe we got it all wrong, and we're not seeing the giant mechanical claw these coin slots may engage for the final trophies....

“I was planning to save it for tonight since we’ve earned a bit of pampering, but if it seems necessary I could call my maid.”

OOC: Toots has a 1ce/LR unseen servant she could cast. Not that it’s much stronger than mage hand.

Quote from MidnightPlat >>

"Allright, if it's accessible I'll step into the cylinder unless you'd all rather me talk to Toots menagerie beforehand.  I may change their names to Blackwater and Greywater if I have that discussion though."

OOC: Maybe we got it all wrong, and we're not seeing the giant mechanical claw these coin slots may engage for the final trophies....

 

 You can step into it but your way is blocked by clear panels.

“What’s the matter Tommary, did you forget how to use your feet?”

Quote from IamSposta >>

“What’s the matter Tommary, did you forget how to use your feet?”

 As demonstrated, the panels don't rotate when pushed.

"Seems this here livestock corral like thingy may well actually be a corral like thing, set to keep us out here or that statuary in there.  I can step back out and fiddle with those slots if you all would like to see if we can get the clock worky stuff wound up right, or you all can and I'll stay here ready to move."  

OOC: wondering if thieves tools will get us a "hotwire" or at least loot prior coinage paid for this ride.  Party, again, I got a third level casting of shatter as a potential last resort. 

Quote from MidnightPlat >>

"Seems this here livestock corral like thingy may well actually be a corral like thing, set to keep us out here or that statuary in there.  I can step back out and fiddle with those slots if you all would like to see if we can get the clock worky stuff wound up right, or you all can and I'll stay here ready to move."  

OOC: wondering if thieves tools will get us a "hotwire" or at least loot prior coinage paid for this ride.  Party, again, I got a third level casting of shatter as a potential last resort. 

 OOC: Sure give it a try.

Tommary leaves his ready postion inside the cylinder and squat next to the post and slot on the left.  He pulls out his picks and pokers and sees if he can get behind whatever that coin slot is for, maybe even setting it with a "slug coin" if holding one in place might trigger the machinery.

Tools check 8.

Tommary manages to pull out a string tied to a silver piece stuck inside the slot.

Quote from Wysperra >>

Quote from IamSposta >>

“What’s the matter Tommary, did you forget how to use your feet?”

 As demonstrated, the panels don't rotate when pushed.

 OOC: That was a just a little IC nudge in lieu of an OOC one. I noticed Midnight was on at the time and was feeling snarky is all. 😜

I now presume that the sudden slowdown in attendance is due to the current round of technical difficulties: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/d-d-beyond-general/bugs-support/107982-posts-on-forums-and-replies-not-showing-delayed#c5

 Hopefully this portends another update is imminent. I’ve noticed whenever these sorts of glitch waves usually roll through they seem to generally precede a substantial update of some sort. 🤞

Quote from Wysperra >>

Tommary manages to pull out a string tied to a silver piece stuck inside the slot.

Did Toots notice that? (Passive Perception: 14) If not then she obviously does not react, however if she did notice:

“Hey cool! I wonder… is there anything in the other one too?” Toots goes and checks the other slot. (Thieves Tools check: 8)

OOC: I would normally have just Bardically Inspired Tommary and let him do the thing, but IRL we been at these doors for over half a week. I toldja, me an’ modern doors in D&D have history going back to the late ‘90s, and I am not a patient man by nature. So this is me “[swearing] by the soul of [Inigo’s] father, Domingo Montoya“ and metaphorically “throwing the rope.”

Quote from IamSposta >>

Quote from Wysperra >>

Tommary manages to pull out a string tied to a silver piece stuck inside the slot.

Did Toots notice that? (Passive Perception: 14) If not then she obviously does not react, however if she did notice:

“Hey cool! I wonder… is there anything in the other one too?” Toots goes and checks the other slot. (Thieves Tools check: 8)

OOC: I would normally have just Bardically Inspired Tommary and let him do the thing, but IRL we been at these doors for over half a week. I toldja, me an’ modern doors in D&D have history going back to the late ‘90s, and I am not a patient man by nature. So this is me “[swearing] by the soul of [Inigo’s] father, Domingo Montoya“ and metaphorically “throwing the rope.”

 And that was another natural 1, so being a Lucky li’l Halfling, she will try that again. (Thieves’ Tools Check: 23)

Quote from IamSposta >>

 Hopefully this portends another update is imminent. I’ve noticed whenever these sorts of glitch waves usually roll through they seem to generally precede a substantial update of some sort. 🤞

OOC: I think I’m right about that!! 👆 Seems there either is a “current behind the scenes update,” or will be a “forthcoming public update” in the near future. Sorce has been a busy bee, and he seems to be going out of his way to pollinate separate but interrelated bug reports in suspiciously old threads… https://www.dndbeyond.com/members/Sorce/posts

Quote from IamSposta >>

Quote from IamSposta >>

Quote from Wysperra >>

Tommary manages to pull out a string tied to a silver piece stuck inside the slot.

Did Toots notice that? (Passive Perception: 14) If not then she obviously does not react, however if she did notice:

“Hey cool! I wonder… is there anything in the other one too?” Toots goes and checks the other slot. (Thieves Tools check: 8)

OOC: I would normally have just Bardically Inspired Tommary and let him do the thing, but IRL we been at these doors for over half a week. I toldja, me an’ modern doors in D&D have history going back to the late ‘90s, and I am not a patient man by nature. So this is me “[swearing] by the soul of [Inigo’s] father, Domingo Montoya“ and metaphorically “throwing the rope.”

 And that was another natural 1, so being a Lucky li’l Halfling, she will try that again. (Thieves’ Tools Check: 26)

 Toots does see Tommary dig out a thing on a string.

She manages to dig out 5 Copper coins, 1 Silver coins, and 2 Gold coins. 

In addition there is a click and turn of hidden gears. The panels rotate counter clockwise, and if Tommary were still inside the column, he would now be on the other side.