This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
(OOC: I'll interpret this plan as the group choosing certain but comparatively smaller damage over a chance of suffering higher damage rolls. Also, so to move things moving forward a bit, I'll make some assumptions here. Let me know if you disagree with anything.)
The group confers and agrees on a plan that will minimize the risk of overcoming the bone pit. Utar offers his length of rope to Graxx who'll serve as the anchor on the near side of the pit. Neya is asked to teleport to the other side and lower her own length of rope as to assist the party's climb on the other side. She is about to do so when she realizes that, much like Graxx, she does not have rope in her pack. In fact, Utar's rope is the only one among the entire party. Luckily, it is long enough to be let into the pit, laid across its bottom, and then pulled back up on the other side. With a combination of teleporting and trowing one end of the length of rope over, the party forms its plan. Doozey is the first to brave the pit, ensuring to force he rope down into it as needed to assist the others.
-> Lessened bone pit's damage: 1
Utar, Doozey, and Cassyt go gingerly into the pit and traverse its bottom slowly. Then can't help but be nicked here and there, but the climb on the other side is an easy one. All three make their way to safety alongside Neya. Gravy simply flies over the pit and lands back on Utar's shoulder once the half-orc is safe again. (Utar, Doozey, and Cassyt each take 2 piercing damage.)
While the other traverse, Neya keeps an eye and ear about just in case she notices something. She picks up on the sound of dripping water far in the distance, but that is about it.
Graxx and Biscuit are still on the other side of the pit (OOC: I'll need rolls for them.)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Despite Doozey's claims of having Biscuit lowered in last, Biscuit made no attempt grab Graxx' attention and remind in his own way 'The Plan'. For Biscuit was no sucka-chump! If he could hop the gap once, he could sure as heck hop it a second time! EZ! So, after building up some momentum running around a few times in a large circle, the fey-touched Mastiff went to leap....
...and stuck the landing not long after Graxx! Doozey gives him an admonishing look afterwards, but is casually ignored and licked upside the face instead. "Your insufferable sometimes... you know that, right?" Doozey said dryly trying in vain to push the beast off. Eventually though, he's able to mount up once more, and continue the trek.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Although it wasn't exactly the original plan, both Graxx and Biscuit leap over the bone pit without any trouble. Neya and Utar suggest a marching order and a mounted Doozey leads the way. CRAP makes a right back onto the steps leading downward and descend further into the catacombs.
While still on the stairs, the party can see that the passage descends by shallow stone steps to a square room below. The stairs are wooden and wind around the walls of the shaft down into the dark room beneath. The stairs look as though they are ancient, and the wood rotted and weak. Down below, in the center of the shaft, stands a tall statue of a strange, four-armed humanoid with vaguely insectoid features. It clutches a scroll in one hand, a quill in a second, a skull in a third, while the fourth is empty.
The floor of the room is about 20 feet below that of the steps on which CRAP currently stands. The steps themselves are about 3 feet wide, and are creaking, cracking, and groaning with every step the party takes. Dust falls with every movement as well, and some of the steps are beginning to give way.
(OOC: The danger is imminent. Everyone needs to roll an acrobatics check {DC 12} or fall 20 feet and take 6 fall damage. If you'd like to try something else other than acrobatics, please describe what you are doing and roll an appropriate check. Separately, if you'd like to examine the statue after reaching the bottom, please roll a history or religion check.)
Surprising even himself, Utar lands with an uncharacteristic grace. Checking that the others are as alright as they can be having fallen 20 feet, he turns his attention to the statue.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Neya jumps off of the crumbling stairs and lands in a roll, turning the downward momentum into horizontal momentum (Slow fall). She then turns to help try and mitigate any uncontrolled falls.
General unmodified roll for whatever may be appropriate: 12
(Looking at the skills, I think athletics might be most appropriate, so apply -1 to roll making it 11)
Though not fully trusting Utar, Gravy fluttered off from time to time, but kept full on flight to a minimal in the gloom, least it managed to lose the party. Doozey, on the other hand, laid more bodily against Biscuit, holding with his own body to better minimize chances of failure, and even (perhaps) assist his brother where necessary in more controlled shifting of weight while navigating the precarious walkway.
(@Lerus: Hoping with the above to since Doozey is riding Biscuit to have Biscuit cover both of them. If applicable, take the second roll as Doozey's, but knock off 1 from the total)
Once safe again one way or another... relatively speaking, Doozey gives the statue a once over, and tried to recall, from a more historical view point, mentions, like depictions, or perhaps even distant sightings of the creature that bore -- in his eyes at least -- some rather fiendish qualities.
History: 9. (if adv. from Hunter's Bane would apply: 14)
You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track fey, fiends, or undead, as well as on Intelligence ability checks to recall information about them.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Utar sees the folly in trying to speed up down the steps and uses his few second prior to the fall preparing for a landing. The effort pays off, and the half-orc lands just as safely as Neya. The monk thinks quick and, noticing that Biscuit is about to fall on his side, helps catch Doozey so any damage to the ranger is avoided. Cassyt manages to hop onto a more solid step and then down to the ground. Graxx lands flat on his back, hurting him a bit. (Biscuit takes 6 bludgeoning damage, Graxx takes 6 bludgeoning damage.)
A few seconds pass until the group is all standing again and ready for what is next. Since he did not need to recompose himself from the fall, Utar gets a head start on examining the statue. He recognizes it as a depiction of Jergal, the seneschal of Kelemvor. Jergal was the Lord of the End of Everything and Faerûn's original god of death before he eventually ceded his position. The tomes of lore say that he cared for little besides an orderly accounting of the fate of the world as it slowly sank into death. Known also as the Final Scribe, Jergal was the one who kept the records of the ultimate fate of all the dead.
Once Utar mentions all of this, Doozey remembers a little tidbit he picked up somewhere about this former deity. The church of Jergal has long passed into oblivion. Only in Thay, where death is a daily fact of life, has Jergal's church undergone a small renaissance. Cassyt too builds on the knowledge shared by Utar and shares what she knows after consulting one of many notebooks she carries in her backpack: "Jergal is an ancient deity, older than many of the greater gods of Faerûn. In the time of Netheril, he was a greater deity himself, with the portfolios of the Dead, Murder and Strife. The stories say that, with the long aeons, he became bored with his position of power, and allowed for three mortals to each take up parts of his divinity. Bane assumed the portfolio of Strife, Myrkul the rulership of the Dead, and Bhaal the portfolio of Murder. Jergal himself faded from his great stature, and became a seneschal to Myrkul, a position he has kept even after his master perished and first Cyric, then Kelemvor assumed his place."
@Graxx: You do not notice any item in this room that you think would fit on the statue's empty hand. What you do notice is that the statues' eyes are actually two pieces of flawless jet. As an experienced adventurer, you judge them to be worth 250gp each.
Further scrutinising the statue of Jergal, Utar examines its hands. It seems odd that three of us hands are occupied but the fourth left empty. Utar tries to identify if the fourth hand should hold something that has since been removed.
"Cassyt, what's Jergal and Kelemvor's relationship like now? Amicable? Tolerant? Also, I guess we're now in another part of the catacombs that aren't frequented by your order all that regularly?"
”This one is responsible for Bane…” whispers Graxx.
Graxx turns at Utars.
”Yes what is this Jerkals relationship with your God now? The statue sounds evil if it causes Bane to come to power. Could it be responsible for the dead rising?”
Graxx turns back with a hint of fury in his eyes looking into the expensive eyes of the statue.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Neya could swear Doozey's cheeks darkened following the rescue. Which he would try to cover up trying to squirm out of her arms and onto the ground. As he's left to his own devices, he does at least remember to utter an awkward thanks, prior to getting sidetracked with the statue...
After spilling what he knew, Doozey looked curious as well, considering the immediate area didn't open up to a new room or tunnel at initial glance. Though he intended to aid Graxx in the investigation, having a similar thought come to mind, it is not without glancing back to Graxx following his questioning. "Probably... not as good idea as with the last one. Doesn't quite got the same feeling, as unnerving as it is given this one's history." He responds.
"Plus, it might be the key to progressing further into the catacombs... so long as its intact." With that, Doozey attention is again on the statue. Though at Biscuit's whimpered complaints, the stoutling hops off to let the beast rest. Yet, the moment Doozey's eyes aren't on him, Biscuit started sniffing around the area looking for scents suggesting passage by other creatures through the area, and where they might've disappeared too.
@Utar & Doozey: Much like Graxx found naught that would fit the hand of the statue well, you do not come to the conclusion that the statue is meant to be holding a fourth object based on your examination. Cassyt comments: "The tomes do not describe much beyond the relationship of a master and that of a servant. And you are right: we do not usually come this way. We don't venture into the lower catacombs much, apart from small exceptions."
@Graxx: Looking about (perhaps still from you recent perception check), you notice that the collapse of the steps left plenty of handholds and footholds where wooden posts were set into the stone, so the walls could be climbed with some effort. Cassyt does not have much of an answer for you but says: "Destroy it? But he serves Kelemvor. Jergal surely wouldn't tolerate the undead against his master."
@Neya: The statue is old and, much like this section of the catacombs, it is starting to show its age. Now that you know that portions of the catacombs predate even the arrival of the Kelemvorites by many centuries, you wouldn't be surprised if this piece has been here from times not remembered.
@Doozey and Biscuit: Now that the dust has settled, you notice that the path ahead breaks into two ways. The first leads to a short corridor (10ft) that ends on a wooden door. The second path looks like a hallway that bends to the right, some 20ft past the shorter corridor. You hear faint whining and pounding noises coming from beyond the wooden door.
Utar's eyebrow involuntarily raises at the mention of exceptions, "What exceptions are these, Cassyt? Were the Kelemvorites who were attacked coming down here?"
Graxx takes a more relaxed stance and shakes his head apologetically to Cassyt.
"Oh I'm sorry Cassyt. When you said Kelemvor took his place I thought maybe Jerkal was jealous or something. I sometimes jump to thinking the worst of folks. I'll leave Jerkal alone."
Graxx walks up an places a hand on Doozey's shoulder looking at the path ahead.
"What are you thinking Doozey? I'll be right behind you all the way."
"I'm thinking I need to get my head checked. Or maybe my ears." Doozey admits after seeing the paths laid out nearby. But then after a moment of staring at the two choices led before them, the stoutling's eyes suddenly widened and lock on the door. "There...Can you hear it, Mr. Graxx?" He asked while drawing a sling, and absently fitting a regular bullet into it. "There's someone or... thing behind that door. Whining and... pounding it. You wouldn't mind...?" He trails off there looking to Graxx, but would gesture with his head over to the door.
Provided Graxx or even Neya gets his intentions, Doozey calls Biscuit back to his side in sylvan, and stood on on guard beside him. Sensing the change in tone, Biscuit lower to the ground, and would begin to growl, ready to attack anything that might come bursting out and enter his reach. The pair otherwise stay about 15 to 20ft away from the door(if possible), and waited for their companions to see about what lurked inside.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
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While a plan formulates, Neya looks around the chamber to determine if there is anything they are missing, she includes the ceiling in her search.
Perception: 6
Extended Signature
(OOC: I'll interpret this plan as the group choosing certain but comparatively smaller damage over a chance of suffering higher damage rolls. Also, so to move things moving forward a bit, I'll make some assumptions here. Let me know if you disagree with anything.)
The group confers and agrees on a plan that will minimize the risk of overcoming the bone pit. Utar offers his length of rope to Graxx who'll serve as the anchor on the near side of the pit. Neya is asked to teleport to the other side and lower her own length of rope as to assist the party's climb on the other side. She is about to do so when she realizes that, much like Graxx, she does not have rope in her pack. In fact, Utar's rope is the only one among the entire party. Luckily, it is long enough to be let into the pit, laid across its bottom, and then pulled back up on the other side. With a combination of teleporting and trowing one end of the length of rope over, the party forms its plan. Doozey is the first to brave the pit, ensuring to force he rope down into it as needed to assist the others.
-> Lessened bone pit's damage: 1
Utar, Doozey, and Cassyt go gingerly into the pit and traverse its bottom slowly. Then can't help but be nicked here and there, but the climb on the other side is an easy one. All three make their way to safety alongside Neya. Gravy simply flies over the pit and lands back on Utar's shoulder once the half-orc is safe again. (Utar, Doozey, and Cassyt each take 2 piercing damage.)
While the other traverse, Neya keeps an eye and ear about just in case she notices something. She picks up on the sound of dripping water far in the distance, but that is about it.
Graxx and Biscuit are still on the other side of the pit (OOC: I'll need rolls for them.)
Graxx rolls the rope back up and places it into his pack.
He steps to the edge and looks down at the bone pit.
He takes quite a few steps back and looks down to Biscuit.
"May Tempus help us both make it to the other side."
Graxx will get a running start and attempt to leap over the bonepit.
Athletics: 7
Despite Doozey's claims of having Biscuit lowered in last, Biscuit made no attempt grab Graxx' attention and remind in his own way 'The Plan'. For Biscuit was no sucka-chump! If he could hop the gap once, he could sure as heck hop it a second time! EZ! So, after building up some momentum running around a few times in a large circle, the fey-touched Mastiff went to leap....
Biscuit's Jump: 17.
...and stuck the landing not long after Graxx! Doozey gives him an admonishing look afterwards, but is casually ignored and licked upside the face instead. "Your insufferable sometimes... you know that, right?" Doozey said dryly trying in vain to push the beast off. Eventually though, he's able to mount up once more, and continue the trek.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Dusting off the bone dust, Utar looks to Cassyt, "I feel like you Kelemvorites could do worse than to rope this off."
Looking to the rest of CRAP, he adds, "Same marching order as before?"
"Unless something happens that makes the formation a liability, it seems to be our best option." Neya responds to Utar.
Extended Signature
Although it wasn't exactly the original plan, both Graxx and Biscuit leap over the bone pit without any trouble. Neya and Utar suggest a marching order and a mounted Doozey leads the way. CRAP makes a right back onto the steps leading downward and descend further into the catacombs.
While still on the stairs, the party can see that the passage descends by shallow stone steps to a square room below. The stairs are wooden and wind around the walls of the shaft down into the dark room beneath. The stairs look as though they are ancient, and the wood rotted and weak. Down below, in the center of the shaft, stands a tall statue of a strange, four-armed humanoid with vaguely insectoid features. It clutches a scroll in one hand, a quill in a second, a skull in a third, while the fourth is empty.
The floor of the room is about 20 feet below that of the steps on which CRAP currently stands. The steps themselves are about 3 feet wide, and are creaking, cracking, and groaning with every step the party takes. Dust falls with every movement as well, and some of the steps are beginning to give way.
(OOC: The danger is imminent. Everyone needs to roll an acrobatics check {DC 12} or fall 20 feet and take 6 fall damage. If you'd like to try something else other than acrobatics, please describe what you are doing and roll an appropriate check. Separately, if you'd like to examine the statue after reaching the bottom, please roll a history or religion check.)
Acrobatics 17
Surprising even himself, Utar lands with an uncharacteristic grace. Checking that the others are as alright as they can be having fallen 20 feet, he turns his attention to the statue.
Religion 18
(OOC Can make with a top up heal once I know how badly we're all doing, although mainly thinking about Cassyt.)
Neya jumps off of the crumbling stairs and lands in a roll, turning the downward momentum into horizontal momentum (Slow fall). She then turns to help try and mitigate any uncontrolled falls.
General unmodified roll for whatever may be appropriate: 12
(Looking at the skills, I think athletics might be most appropriate, so apply -1 to roll making it 11)
Extended Signature
Though not fully trusting Utar, Gravy fluttered off from time to time, but kept full on flight to a minimal in the gloom, least it managed to lose the party. Doozey, on the other hand, laid more bodily against Biscuit, holding with his own body to better minimize chances of failure, and even (perhaps) assist his brother where necessary in more controlled shifting of weight while navigating the precarious walkway.
Biscuit Acrobatics: 11. (if adv. from Help applicable: 7.)
(@Lerus: Hoping with the above to since Doozey is riding Biscuit to have Biscuit cover both of them. If applicable, take the second roll as Doozey's, but knock off 1 from the total)
Once safe again one way or another... relatively speaking, Doozey gives the statue a once over, and tried to recall, from a more historical view point, mentions, like depictions, or perhaps even distant sightings of the creature that bore -- in his eyes at least -- some rather fiendish qualities.
History: 9. (if adv. from Hunter's Bane would apply: 14)
You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track fey, fiends, or undead, as well as on Intelligence ability checks to recall information about them.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Acrobatics: 11
Graxx is caught off guard and lands flat on his back taking 6 damage.
"Ugh..." Graxx groans from the ground.
Graxx gets up to one knee then the rest of the way. Graxx looks back up the way they came.
"Well... Let's hope we find another way out of here because it's going to be hard to go back the way we came."
Graxx walks up and looks at the statue.
"One hand empty doesn't seem right does it? Maybe it's fallen..."
Graxx will walk around the room looking at the floor to see if something unique is lying in the floor.
Perception: 23
(OOC: I'll count Neya's successful assist roll as her helping Doozey not fall from Biscuit's failed landing.)
"And how do you expect me to get down?" Cassyt whines as she too notices the imminent danger.
-> Cassyt's acrobatics check: 2
Utar sees the folly in trying to speed up down the steps and uses his few second prior to the fall preparing for a landing. The effort pays off, and the half-orc lands just as safely as Neya. The monk thinks quick and, noticing that Biscuit is about to fall on his side, helps catch Doozey so any damage to the ranger is avoided. Cassyt manages to hop onto a more solid step and then down to the ground. Graxx lands flat on his back, hurting him a bit. (Biscuit takes 6 bludgeoning damage, Graxx takes 6 bludgeoning damage.)
A few seconds pass until the group is all standing again and ready for what is next. Since he did not need to recompose himself from the fall, Utar gets a head start on examining the statue. He recognizes it as a depiction of Jergal, the seneschal of Kelemvor. Jergal was the Lord of the End of Everything and Faerûn's original god of death before he eventually ceded his position. The tomes of lore say that he cared for little besides an orderly accounting of the fate of the world as it slowly sank into death. Known also as the Final Scribe, Jergal was the one who kept the records of the ultimate fate of all the dead.
Once Utar mentions all of this, Doozey remembers a little tidbit he picked up somewhere about this former deity. The church of Jergal has long passed into oblivion. Only in Thay, where death is a daily fact of life, has Jergal's church undergone a small renaissance. Cassyt too builds on the knowledge shared by Utar and shares what she knows after consulting one of many notebooks she carries in her backpack: "Jergal is an ancient deity, older than many of the greater gods of Faerûn. In the time of Netheril, he was a greater deity himself, with the portfolios of the Dead, Murder and Strife. The stories say that, with the long aeons, he became bored with his position of power, and allowed for three mortals to each take up parts of his divinity. Bane assumed the portfolio of Strife, Myrkul the rulership of the Dead, and Bhaal the portfolio of Murder. Jergal himself faded from his great stature, and became a seneschal to Myrkul, a position he has kept even after his master perished and first Cyric, then Kelemvor assumed his place."
@Graxx: You do not notice any item in this room that you think would fit on the statue's empty hand. What you do notice is that the statues' eyes are actually two pieces of flawless jet. As an experienced adventurer, you judge them to be worth 250gp each.
Further scrutinising the statue of Jergal, Utar examines its hands. It seems odd that three of us hands are occupied but the fourth left empty. Utar tries to identify if the fourth hand should hold something that has since been removed.
Investigation 9
"Cassyt, what's Jergal and Kelemvor's relationship like now? Amicable? Tolerant? Also, I guess we're now in another part of the catacombs that aren't frequented by your order all that regularly?"
Edit: Help from Doozey - 9
Graxx runs his fingers along his Pike.
”This one is responsible for Bane…” whispers Graxx.
Graxx turns at Utars.
”Yes what is this Jerkals relationship with your God now? The statue sounds evil if it causes Bane to come to power. Could it be responsible for the dead rising?”
Graxx turns back with a hint of fury in his eyes looking into the expensive eyes of the statue.
”Should we destroy it?”
Neya could swear Doozey's cheeks darkened following the rescue. Which he would try to cover up trying to squirm out of her arms and onto the ground. As he's left to his own devices, he does at least remember to utter an awkward thanks, prior to getting sidetracked with the statue...
After spilling what he knew, Doozey looked curious as well, considering the immediate area didn't open up to a new room or tunnel at initial glance. Though he intended to aid Graxx in the investigation, having a similar thought come to mind, it is not without glancing back to Graxx following his questioning. "Probably... not as good idea as with the last one. Doesn't quite got the same feeling, as unnerving as it is given this one's history." He responds.
"Plus, it might be the key to progressing further into the catacombs... so long as its intact." With that, Doozey attention is again on the statue. Though at Biscuit's whimpered complaints, the stoutling hops off to let the beast rest. Yet, the moment Doozey's eyes aren't on him, Biscuit started sniffing around the area looking for scents suggesting passage by other creatures through the area, and where they might've disappeared too.
-->Doozey's helping Utar.
-->Biscuit's Survival: 8.
(@Grx: Jerkal.... I see what'cha did there. Took me a second, but I got it~)
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Neya will look at the condition of the statue to try and determine approximately how long ago it was made.
History: 10 (If religion applies add +2)
Extended Signature
@Utar & Doozey: Much like Graxx found naught that would fit the hand of the statue well, you do not come to the conclusion that the statue is meant to be holding a fourth object based on your examination. Cassyt comments: "The tomes do not describe much beyond the relationship of a master and that of a servant. And you are right: we do not usually come this way. We don't venture into the lower catacombs much, apart from small exceptions."
@Graxx: Looking about (perhaps still from you recent perception check), you notice that the collapse of the steps left plenty of handholds and footholds where wooden posts were set into the stone, so the walls could be climbed with some effort. Cassyt does not have much of an answer for you but says: "Destroy it? But he serves Kelemvor. Jergal surely wouldn't tolerate the undead against his master."
@Neya: The statue is old and, much like this section of the catacombs, it is starting to show its age. Now that you know that portions of the catacombs predate even the arrival of the Kelemvorites by many centuries, you wouldn't be surprised if this piece has been here from times not remembered.
@Doozey and Biscuit: Now that the dust has settled, you notice that the path ahead breaks into two ways. The first leads to a short corridor (10ft) that ends on a wooden door. The second path looks like a hallway that bends to the right, some 20ft past the shorter corridor. You hear faint whining and pounding noises coming from beyond the wooden door.
Utar's eyebrow involuntarily raises at the mention of exceptions, "What exceptions are these, Cassyt? Were the Kelemvorites who were attacked coming down here?"
Graxx takes a more relaxed stance and shakes his head apologetically to Cassyt.
"Oh I'm sorry Cassyt. When you said Kelemvor took his place I thought maybe Jerkal was jealous or something. I sometimes jump to thinking the worst of folks. I'll leave Jerkal alone."
Graxx walks up an places a hand on Doozey's shoulder looking at the path ahead.
"What are you thinking Doozey? I'll be right behind you all the way."
"I'm thinking I need to get my head checked. Or maybe my ears." Doozey admits after seeing the paths laid out nearby. But then after a moment of staring at the two choices led before them, the stoutling's eyes suddenly widened and lock on the door. "There...Can you hear it, Mr. Graxx?" He asked while drawing a sling, and absently fitting a regular bullet into it. "There's someone or... thing behind that door. Whining and... pounding it. You wouldn't mind...?" He trails off there looking to Graxx, but would gesture with his head over to the door.
Provided Graxx or even Neya gets his intentions, Doozey calls Biscuit back to his side in sylvan, and stood on on guard beside him. Sensing the change in tone, Biscuit lower to the ground, and would begin to growl, ready to attack anything that might come bursting out and enter his reach. The pair otherwise stay about 15 to 20ft away from the door(if possible), and waited for their companions to see about what lurked inside.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.