This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Both Hun and Mr. Thicc stop for a moment, and appear almost lost in thought. If the timing felt just about right for a half a day to have gone by (something the Kobold had mentally been trying to analyze by feel at the very moment), then a sigh is not long in escaping from the Kobold. Afterwards, some fishing around ensures a metal trowel finds its way into kobold hands along with a crude chisel; and then, it is within moments the metal begins to glow a myriad of colors, courtesy of some sigils etched into the haft.
(Replacing an earlier magical trinket with the current light one(5ft bright & another 5ft Dim) on the trowel)
In fact, regardless of personal figurings, he'd do it all the same if only to shed some nonincendiary light upon whatever gunk were at their feet to better examine it than what the bioluminescent shrooms nearby had already done so far. "Mind your footing."He uttered softly at that point. "And hold here just a moment. We don't want another Roper situation. Twice these earthen fiends have proven quite clever... and I don't just mean the Geonids." He further asserts. "Rhogal. C'mere a second. These safe?" He gestures more incessantly at the substance at their feet.
(if at all possible, hoping holding up the light would be consider a help to studying the maybe shrooms)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
While Hun and Rhogal check whatever it is they're standing in, Yulmiath peers into the darkness of the cave beyond. This stuff could easily be something meant to deal with whatever the previous trap didn't.
(OOC: Today's post will have to be a quick one, unfortunately.)
Hun quickly produces a light-emanating implement after ascertaining that the time seemed right for it. Thinking better than to initiate another of his long, silent study sessions in such an environment, the kobold recruits the Rhogal's help in deriving whatever information they can within a minute or so concerning the sticky substance on the ground. The duo looks closely, sniffs the substance, and even test it for texture. The most the artificer and druid can gather is that the layer of substance is actually hard enough to be broken into pieces. Apart from being somewhat sticky and having a blueish coloration to it, the broken-off pieces could be compared to glass shards. Such an extraction would require a good amount of time and delicate work, however.
Meanwhile, Yulmiath keeps an eye on the entrance to the chamber ahead. Beyond what he had already noticed regarding a light source, the dragonborn also notices a yellowish glint coming from within. It could perhaps be a secondary source of light, or a reflection of the first. It is hard to tell from this distance.
Greataxe in hand, Yulmiath points at the area of light in the distance then places the finger over his mouth. Silent running from here on out.
If there are eyes watching in the darkness, he doesn't want to tip his hand too early. Yulmiath slowly, steadily, sometimes dropping low to.the floor, creeps up for a better view on the light source and any watchers.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Hmn... interesting... very interesting... Not a fungal thing in itself, but perhaps a unique byproduct of something perhaps?"Hun half-muttered in thought as sharp-nailed fingers delicately scratched at his chin. "I'd like to extract some for further study, but we should be moving. If memory serves me right, it was the furthest one that was half a day away and the closest one 'bout a quarter of that..." He adds, though trailed off murmuring the rest too indistinctly to even be made out by those close at hand.
Regardless, it isn't long before the silence or attempts to grab his attention by the others finally registers enough to look and catch on to Yulmiath's discovery. Curious but wary, he carefully masks his light source in his pack and watched with interest as Yulmiath progressed closer to the light. If, however, the dragonborn's course would take him further than 30ft of the group, then it is without hesitation that he and Mr. Thicc would quietly move to at least maintain that distance.
As Hun and Rhogal finish their examination, Yulmiath calls the group's attention to the lights in the chamber beyond. The dragonborn slowly makes his way toward it, with the other instinctively following. Curiosity leads the barbarian onward and he soon finds himself inside the chamber.
The cavernous chamber is adorned by many stalagmites and stalactites, and has a high natural ceiling. Around its perimeter, there are a few sectioned-off alcoves (by stalagmites). Most of the ground here is covered in that same sticky "glass" substance, which has a blue hue to it and reflects the bioluminescence of the mushrooms that pepper the edges of this chamber. There are also three holes on the ground, forming vertical tunnels that lead into unknown darkness below. Around each of these holes, there are scattered humanoid and animal bones, as well as a few discarded and ruined pieces of gear (a waterskin here, a wooden warhammer there, a satchel elsewhere, and so on.)
In the center of the chamber there is a raised mesa of sorts. The formation is natural but there are ruined worked stones on it, indicating the floor of a structure long destroyed and forgotten. Piles of treasure sit on this mesa, reflecting the light of the mushrooms and mixing their own metallic golden and silvery hues with the blue of the fungi and "glass" substance. The centerpiece of this hoard is a 10-foot tall spiraling shell of pristine shimmering natural material. In fact, the shell is the main source of bright color in the room, not the mushrooms. It scintillates in passing rainbow hues in addition to reflecting the light of the many blues, yellows, and silvers found elsewhere in the chamber.
All pass through the entrance to this chamber, mesmerized by the beauty within. Keeping an eye out for danger, Kairus does not spot any obvious threats, but the party has learned not to trust these caves. Surely, scattered bones around three dark holes is not a sign of peace.
The Snack Pack can't but wonder if they stumbled their way into the secret backroom of some underground hoarder, skipping all the tunnels they'd have to traverse should they have used the front entrance.
"Fascinating!" Kairus was positively lost in admiration of that gloving shell. It reminded him of something, though. "In the depth of the ocean, there is complete darkness. And some creatures there - predatory creatures - learned how to make some light, usually, a small globe attached to a rod--like protrusion. It looks exactly like this, as beautiful and irresistible to anyone who can see it. Of course, the moment any creature comes to the light, it is snatched by the predator." He sighed a bit sadly. "I mean, we should not approach directly. When everyone is ready I can try to use the magic hand to touch some objects on display."
When everyone prepared for an inevitable fight, he indeed would summon the transparent hand of magic to pick up something from the pile of treasure first, and it that did not anger the future enemy, then touch the shell.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
On hearing Karius' explanation of the luckers in the deep, a single bead of cold sweat runs the length of his spine chilling the dragonborn suddenly. Has he led the Snack Pack to a treasure room, or a death trap.
"Might be that the treasure up there does the same thing. These leanings on the ground might be safer."
Edging up to the assorted detritus, Yulmiath picks up the wooden warhammer, and roots some with the discarded satchels and bags.
Leery of being snatched up and dragged into the vertical tunnels, Hun made absolutely sure to be far, far away from them as draconically possible without losing sight or being further than twenty feet of the collective(30ft in Yulmiath's case). The whole stalactites and stalagmites already had the Kobold plenty on edge as-is, but he'd dutifully stayed true to his original course of action. For the Dragonborn's sake, he quietly bid Mr. Thicc to join Dragonborn in his rooting around with specific instructions to grab Yully should anything try to grab/attach itself to dragonborn.
"Good to see there's at least some wisdom knocking around in there, Young Blue. And I agree. It'd be one thing if it was our geonid friends, but this? ... No... Somethings definitely wrong here, even if they meant to make all that an offering for a Xorn." He whispered as well, before making ready to launch one of his infamous frostfire Bombs if/when things kicked off.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Kairus is quick to warn his companions of the alluring nature of the chamber's centerpiece. They all take the triton's description of an angler fish to heart and proceed with caution. Yulmiath begins to slowly approach one of the holes surrounded by debris, remains, and some items of interest. Ordered to do so, Mr. Thicc accompanies the dragonborn while Hun bridges the gap between the barbarian and the rest of the party. The kobold is being very mindful of the distances between himself and all party members.
Yulmiath tiptoes closer to one of the holes, doing his best to avoid stepping on a bone or kicking a piece of debris. Nonetheless, when reaching for the wooden warhammer he found, Yul can't help but knock some debris into the hole. The group had been stealthy enough up to this point, but something had to give. Whatever it was, the piece of debris stumbles down the hole, the noises produced by it reverberating deep into the earth. A collective palm reaches for everyone's faces.
Kairus' mage hand was already reaching for a golden coin in the central pile of treasure by this point. Although it tries to grasp one, the magical appendage can't wrap its fingers around the golden piece. A thin layer of blueish-transparent "glass" like substance encases the hoard.
Whether it was Yul's mishap or Kairus' attempt to touch the treasure, the scintillating shell in the middle of the room begins to rise from the ground as a fleshy mass emerges from within it. An enormous snail rears its head, which sports not two but five mace-like protrusions that begin to harden and turn to a fiery red coloration. As the gooey body of the creature reclaims the space outside its shell, smaller protrusions that act as the creature's mouth take the opportunity to consume some of the treasure immediately around it. You notice that is has no issue in bypassing the sticky "glass" substance. In fact, it's body seems to be covered in it, although still in its gooey stage (before it hardens into "glass").
The creature has most certainly noticed the group and taken a more alert stance, but it is not necessarily becoming immediately aggressive. That said, it is turning to face Yulmiath, who had to move closer to the center platform to reach the mouth of the closest hole to begin with.
(OOC: What is everyone's reaction? @Ori: Is Hun letting loose his frostbite spell?)
"Fascinating!" repeated Kairus. Truly, the creature was magnificent (by the deep sea aesthetics at least). "Do we have to fight it? I do not see a snake statue among the treasure (unless our flaming friend ate it already). Maybe we can get around it somehow?" The question was - where? If there are no other exits from the cave, there was always an option to backtrack to that intersection where the group turned left and this time go right.
(OOC: Oh snap! That's *Insert meta knowledge name here*! And we've walking in *data expunged*! What luck! But now to see if Hun makes the full connection.)
(@Lerus: Thankfully, Hun is not my ranger in a different game, so he /won't/ be panicking and taking the shot. Instead...)
Hun very much looked about ready to deploy defensive measures upon seeing the fleshy mass emerge from what he thought to be but a large and peculiar art piece. However, he hadn't survived for as long as he had without sparing at least a precious few seconds to try and discern a genuine threat from only a potential one. "... Wait... I recognize this... H-Hold everyone. Hold. No sudden movements."He asserts, lowering his own spear as to avoid agitating the creature. Though confident in having the distance on creature, again, he was no fool. Its lack of hinderance to the gunk about and their own difficulties walking on it could only mean a short lived chase should any try to flee in a panic.
"Mr. Yully.. I need to slowly back away if you would. J-Just for a moment. I need a moment."He requested. If afforded the time, he breathes a sigh of relief and bids Mr. Thicc to retreat cautiously as well, before focusing all of his energy and thoughts towards trying to discern the nature or recall anything of use regarding the creature.
Nature: 6. (if able to use Arcana instead, add a +2 for proficiency) (Plus Guidance: 3.)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Given Karius' suggestion that violence doesn't need to always be the group's answer and Hun's insistence that given time he might be able to piece something together with this tentacles, err thing, Yulmiath slowly steps away from the beast making no sudden moves.
Everyone froze in place. Whether it was heeding his words or warning from Hun, it seemed the creature appeared quite dangerous not only to him and Kairus followed suit. Except, the question of the other side and exits from the cave remained.
Trying not to make and sudden moves, as soft and quiet as possible, Kairus extracted a few notes from the cittern, even muffling the sound with any suitable article of clothes he could use to be sure. All he wanted is the accord of lightness, but if it looked like the giant creature reacted to the first not despite all caution, he would stop.
Should the spell work, however, without agitating the owner of the shining shell, Kairus would raise in the air, just high enough to see the wall behind the mesa.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Put on alert by the strange creature, Rhogal takes a look around in case it is a distraction for something else. Why else would a flamboyant thing be in the middle of a cave in the first place?
Always the voice of reason, Kairus points out that the fascinating animal in front of them is not necessarily doing much to earn the Snack Pack's wrath. Hun listens to the well-made point and, thinking he recognizes the creature, avoids making any sudden movements.
@Hun: You are sure one of Volo's tomes makes mention of this creature, this oversize garden snail blessed by rainbow sparkles. But try as you may, you can only remember that it is a dangerous creature with connections to the Elemental Plane of Earth (no surprises there at this point.) Perhaps you are just too mesmerized by the intoxicating beauty of its shell or all the possibilities your artificer's skill could achieve with but a piece of such wondrous material, but your mind can't recall much practical information about the creature.
Yulmiath is next in heeding the warnings, backing away slowly alongside Mr. Thicc. Meanwhile, Rhogal manages to take his eyes off the snail and keep looking around the room. He sees no other creatures here, but those three holes boring deep into the earth bother the druid nonetheless. The dwarf doubts that the snail is crafty enough to make those holes or fit through them. There is something else here. Something responsible for collecting all this treasure in the room and making it so easy to access from the snail's point of view. It reminds him of farmers bringing feed to their animals or a bowl of chow to a pet. In turn, that realization makes Rhogal worry even more about the piece of debris Yulmiath sent down one of the holes, announcing their presence.
At this point, Kairus begins to levitate. Some 30ft in the air, the bard gains an entirely new perspective on the room. First, he confirms that the only other exits out of this room are the three holes leading into the ground. He thinks they are big enough for the Snackers to slip through should they decide to venture into the unknown, but even then, which hole would lead to the eventual way out, if any, was anybody's guess. Second, the triton can now see the portion of the pile of treasure that was hidden behind the large scintillating shell. He can see chunks of obsidian from up high, and one such chunk even appears to be shaped into a sculpted form. It is hard to say what form that would be from this distance. Furthermore, Kairus is all but sure that this second portion of treasure is also encased in "glass". His mage hand had pretty much confirmed it.
Kairus floated down and reported his findings. "Suspicious pieces of obsidian in the pile. And no exits on the other side. Can not pick up the pieces - all covered with that "glass" thing and judging by the bones around the holes, these are not exits, or exits to the afterlife, if you wish. What do we do? We can check the other direction at the intersection and return prepared, if it turns out to have nothing or... not sure that snail will allow us just break the glass and take what we want. We would have to fight for it."
While the group was thinking, Kairus raised into the air again (up to the ceiling), crawled above the mesa, and lowered himself closer to the treasure, to get a better look. He was on the highest possible alert, though, to fly up immediately, should the flashy monster attack.
Both Hun and Mr. Thicc stop for a moment, and appear almost lost in thought. If the timing felt just about right for a half a day to have gone by (something the Kobold had mentally been trying to analyze by feel at the very moment), then a sigh is not long in escaping from the Kobold. Afterwards, some fishing around ensures a metal trowel finds its way into kobold hands along with a crude chisel; and then, it is within moments the metal begins to glow a myriad of colors, courtesy of some sigils etched into the haft.
Time Measuring?: 13.
(Replacing an earlier magical trinket with the current light one(5ft bright & another 5ft Dim) on the trowel)
In fact, regardless of personal figurings, he'd do it all the same if only to shed some nonincendiary light upon whatever gunk were at their feet to better examine it than what the bioluminescent shrooms nearby had already done so far. "Mind your footing." He uttered softly at that point. "And hold here just a moment. We don't want another Roper situation. Twice these earthen fiends have proven quite clever... and I don't just mean the Geonids." He further asserts. "Rhogal. C'mere a second. These safe?" He gestures more incessantly at the substance at their feet.
(if at all possible, hoping holding up the light would be consider a help to studying the maybe shrooms)
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
While Hun and Rhogal check whatever it is they're standing in, Yulmiath peers into the darkness of the cave beyond. This stuff could easily be something meant to deal with whatever the previous trap didn't.
Perception - 12
"Lessee, here..." Rhogal grunts as he goes over to inspect the stuff on the ground.
Nature: 9
Extended Signature
(OOC: Today's post will have to be a quick one, unfortunately.)
Hun quickly produces a light-emanating implement after ascertaining that the time seemed right for it. Thinking better than to initiate another of his long, silent study sessions in such an environment, the kobold recruits the Rhogal's help in deriving whatever information they can within a minute or so concerning the sticky substance on the ground. The duo looks closely, sniffs the substance, and even test it for texture. The most the artificer and druid can gather is that the layer of substance is actually hard enough to be broken into pieces. Apart from being somewhat sticky and having a blueish coloration to it, the broken-off pieces could be compared to glass shards. Such an extraction would require a good amount of time and delicate work, however.
Meanwhile, Yulmiath keeps an eye on the entrance to the chamber ahead. Beyond what he had already noticed regarding a light source, the dragonborn also notices a yellowish glint coming from within. It could perhaps be a secondary source of light, or a reflection of the first. It is hard to tell from this distance.
Greataxe in hand, Yulmiath points at the area of light in the distance then places the finger over his mouth. Silent running from here on out.
If there are eyes watching in the darkness, he doesn't want to tip his hand too early. Yulmiath slowly, steadily, sometimes dropping low to.the floor, creeps up for a better view on the light source and any watchers.
Stealth - 19
Perception - 11
"Hmn... interesting... very interesting... Not a fungal thing in itself, but perhaps a unique byproduct of something perhaps?" Hun half-muttered in thought as sharp-nailed fingers delicately scratched at his chin. "I'd like to extract some for further study, but we should be moving. If memory serves me right, it was the furthest one that was half a day away and the closest one 'bout a quarter of that..." He adds, though trailed off murmuring the rest too indistinctly to even be made out by those close at hand.
Regardless, it isn't long before the silence or attempts to grab his attention by the others finally registers enough to look and catch on to Yulmiath's discovery. Curious but wary, he carefully masks his light source in his pack and watched with interest as Yulmiath progressed closer to the light. If, however, the dragonborn's course would take him further than 30ft of the group, then it is without hesitation that he and Mr. Thicc would quietly move to at least maintain that distance.
-> Hun's Stealth: 12.
->Mr. Thicc's Stealth: 14.
(If needed)
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Kairus continued to keep the rear guard watching the surroundings (paying particular attention to the ceiling but not forgetting sides either).
Perception: 11
Stealth: 26
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
Not trusting most of what's in these caves, Rhogal attempts to lower his visual and noise profile.
Stealth: 8
Extended Signature
As Hun and Rhogal finish their examination, Yulmiath calls the group's attention to the lights in the chamber beyond. The dragonborn slowly makes his way toward it, with the other instinctively following. Curiosity leads the barbarian onward and he soon finds himself inside the chamber.
The cavernous chamber is adorned by many stalagmites and stalactites, and has a high natural ceiling. Around its perimeter, there are a few sectioned-off alcoves (by stalagmites). Most of the ground here is covered in that same sticky "glass" substance, which has a blue hue to it and reflects the bioluminescence of the mushrooms that pepper the edges of this chamber. There are also three holes on the ground, forming vertical tunnels that lead into unknown darkness below. Around each of these holes, there are scattered humanoid and animal bones, as well as a few discarded and ruined pieces of gear (a waterskin here, a wooden warhammer there, a satchel elsewhere, and so on.)
In the center of the chamber there is a raised mesa of sorts. The formation is natural but there are ruined worked stones on it, indicating the floor of a structure long destroyed and forgotten. Piles of treasure sit on this mesa, reflecting the light of the mushrooms and mixing their own metallic golden and silvery hues with the blue of the fungi and "glass" substance. The centerpiece of this hoard is a 10-foot tall spiraling shell of pristine shimmering natural material. In fact, the shell is the main source of bright color in the room, not the mushrooms. It scintillates in passing rainbow hues in addition to reflecting the light of the many blues, yellows, and silvers found elsewhere in the chamber.
All pass through the entrance to this chamber, mesmerized by the beauty within. Keeping an eye out for danger, Kairus does not spot any obvious threats, but the party has learned not to trust these caves. Surely, scattered bones around three dark holes is not a sign of peace.
The Snack Pack can't but wonder if they stumbled their way into the secret backroom of some underground hoarder, skipping all the tunnels they'd have to traverse should they have used the front entrance.
"Fascinating!" Kairus was positively lost in admiration of that gloving shell. It reminded him of something, though. "In the depth of the ocean, there is complete darkness. And some creatures there - predatory creatures - learned how to make some light, usually, a small globe attached to a rod--like protrusion. It looks exactly like this, as beautiful and irresistible to anyone who can see it. Of course, the moment any creature comes to the light, it is snatched by the predator." He sighed a bit sadly. "I mean, we should not approach directly. When everyone is ready I can try to use the magic hand to touch some objects on display."
When everyone prepared for an inevitable fight, he indeed would summon the transparent hand of magic to pick up something from the pile of treasure first, and it that did not anger the future enemy, then touch the shell.
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
On hearing Karius' explanation of the luckers in the deep, a single bead of cold sweat runs the length of his spine chilling the dragonborn suddenly. Has he led the Snack Pack to a treasure room, or a death trap.
"Might be that the treasure up there does the same thing. These leanings on the ground might be safer."
Edging up to the assorted detritus, Yulmiath picks up the wooden warhammer, and roots some with the discarded satchels and bags.
Investigation - 8
Leery of being snatched up and dragged into the vertical tunnels, Hun made absolutely sure to be far, far away from them as draconically possible without losing sight or being further than twenty feet of the collective(30ft in Yulmiath's case). The whole stalactites and stalagmites already had the Kobold plenty on edge as-is, but he'd dutifully stayed true to his original course of action. For the Dragonborn's sake, he quietly bid Mr. Thicc to join Dragonborn in his rooting around with specific instructions to grab Yully should anything try to grab/attach itself to dragonborn.
"Good to see there's at least some wisdom knocking around in there, Young Blue. And I agree. It'd be one thing if it was our geonid friends, but this? ... No... Somethings definitely wrong here, even if they meant to make all that an offering for a Xorn." He whispered as well, before making ready to launch one of his infamous frostfire Bombs if/when things kicked off.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Kairus is quick to warn his companions of the alluring nature of the chamber's centerpiece. They all take the triton's description of an angler fish to heart and proceed with caution. Yulmiath begins to slowly approach one of the holes surrounded by debris, remains, and some items of interest. Ordered to do so, Mr. Thicc accompanies the dragonborn while Hun bridges the gap between the barbarian and the rest of the party. The kobold is being very mindful of the distances between himself and all party members.
Yulmiath tiptoes closer to one of the holes, doing his best to avoid stepping on a bone or kicking a piece of debris. Nonetheless, when reaching for the wooden warhammer he found, Yul can't help but knock some debris into the hole. The group had been stealthy enough up to this point, but something had to give. Whatever it was, the piece of debris stumbles down the hole, the noises produced by it reverberating deep into the earth. A collective palm reaches for everyone's faces.
Kairus' mage hand was already reaching for a golden coin in the central pile of treasure by this point. Although it tries to grasp one, the magical appendage can't wrap its fingers around the golden piece. A thin layer of blueish-transparent "glass" like substance encases the hoard.
Whether it was Yul's mishap or Kairus' attempt to touch the treasure, the scintillating shell in the middle of the room begins to rise from the ground as a fleshy mass emerges from within it. An enormous snail rears its head, which sports not two but five mace-like protrusions that begin to harden and turn to a fiery red coloration. As the gooey body of the creature reclaims the space outside its shell, smaller protrusions that act as the creature's mouth take the opportunity to consume some of the treasure immediately around it. You notice that is has no issue in bypassing the sticky "glass" substance. In fact, it's body seems to be covered in it, although still in its gooey stage (before it hardens into "glass").
The creature has most certainly noticed the group and taken a more alert stance, but it is not necessarily becoming immediately aggressive. That said, it is turning to face Yulmiath, who had to move closer to the center platform to reach the mouth of the closest hole to begin with.
(OOC: What is everyone's reaction? @Ori: Is Hun letting loose his frostbite spell?)
"Fascinating!" repeated Kairus. Truly, the creature was magnificent (by the deep sea aesthetics at least). "Do we have to fight it? I do not see a snake statue among the treasure (unless our flaming friend ate it already). Maybe we can get around it somehow?" The question was - where? If there are no other exits from the cave, there was always an option to backtrack to that intersection where the group turned left and this time go right.
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
(OOC: Oh snap! That's *Insert meta knowledge name here*! And we've walking in *data expunged*! What luck! But now to see if Hun makes the full connection.)
(@Lerus: Thankfully, Hun is not my ranger in a different game, so he /won't/ be panicking and taking the shot. Instead...)
Hun very much looked about ready to deploy defensive measures upon seeing the fleshy mass emerge from what he thought to be but a large and peculiar art piece. However, he hadn't survived for as long as he had without sparing at least a precious few seconds to try and discern a genuine threat from only a potential one. "... Wait... I recognize this... H-Hold everyone. Hold. No sudden movements." He asserts, lowering his own spear as to avoid agitating the creature. Though confident in having the distance on creature, again, he was no fool. Its lack of hinderance to the gunk about and their own difficulties walking on it could only mean a short lived chase should any try to flee in a panic.
"Mr. Yully.. I need to slowly back away if you would. J-Just for a moment. I need a moment." He requested. If afforded the time, he breathes a sigh of relief and bids Mr. Thicc to retreat cautiously as well, before focusing all of his energy and thoughts towards trying to discern the nature or recall anything of use regarding the creature.
Nature: 6. (if able to use Arcana instead, add a +2 for proficiency)
(Plus Guidance: 3.)
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Given Karius' suggestion that violence doesn't need to always be the group's answer and Hun's insistence that given time he might be able to piece something together with this tentacles, err thing, Yulmiath slowly steps away from the beast making no sudden moves.
Everyone froze in place. Whether it was heeding his words or warning from Hun, it seemed the creature appeared quite dangerous not only to him and Kairus followed suit. Except, the question of the other side and exits from the cave remained.
Trying not to make and sudden moves, as soft and quiet as possible, Kairus extracted a few notes from the cittern, even muffling the sound with any suitable article of clothes he could use to be sure. All he wanted is the accord of lightness, but if it looked like the giant creature reacted to the first not despite all caution, he would stop.
Should the spell work, however, without agitating the owner of the shining shell, Kairus would raise in the air, just high enough to see the wall behind the mesa.
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
Put on alert by the strange creature, Rhogal takes a look around in case it is a distraction for something else. Why else would a flamboyant thing be in the middle of a cave in the first place?
Perception: 18
Guidance: 2
Extended Signature
Always the voice of reason, Kairus points out that the fascinating animal in front of them is not necessarily doing much to earn the Snack Pack's wrath. Hun listens to the well-made point and, thinking he recognizes the creature, avoids making any sudden movements.
@Hun: You are sure one of Volo's tomes makes mention of this creature, this oversize garden snail blessed by rainbow sparkles. But try as you may, you can only remember that it is a dangerous creature with connections to the Elemental Plane of Earth (no surprises there at this point.) Perhaps you are just too mesmerized by the intoxicating beauty of its shell or all the possibilities your artificer's skill could achieve with but a piece of such wondrous material, but your mind can't recall much practical information about the creature.
Yulmiath is next in heeding the warnings, backing away slowly alongside Mr. Thicc. Meanwhile, Rhogal manages to take his eyes off the snail and keep looking around the room. He sees no other creatures here, but those three holes boring deep into the earth bother the druid nonetheless. The dwarf doubts that the snail is crafty enough to make those holes or fit through them. There is something else here. Something responsible for collecting all this treasure in the room and making it so easy to access from the snail's point of view. It reminds him of farmers bringing feed to their animals or a bowl of chow to a pet. In turn, that realization makes Rhogal worry even more about the piece of debris Yulmiath sent down one of the holes, announcing their presence.
At this point, Kairus begins to levitate. Some 30ft in the air, the bard gains an entirely new perspective on the room. First, he confirms that the only other exits out of this room are the three holes leading into the ground. He thinks they are big enough for the Snackers to slip through should they decide to venture into the unknown, but even then, which hole would lead to the eventual way out, if any, was anybody's guess. Second, the triton can now see the portion of the pile of treasure that was hidden behind the large scintillating shell. He can see chunks of obsidian from up high, and one such chunk even appears to be shaped into a sculpted form. It is hard to say what form that would be from this distance. Furthermore, Kairus is all but sure that this second portion of treasure is also encased in "glass". His mage hand had pretty much confirmed it.
(OOC: Do the Snackers have a taste for escargot?)
Kairus floated down and reported his findings. "Suspicious pieces of obsidian in the pile. And no exits on the other side. Can not pick up the pieces - all covered with that "glass" thing and judging by the bones around the holes, these are not exits, or exits to the afterlife, if you wish. What do we do? We can check the other direction at the intersection and return prepared, if it turns out to have nothing or... not sure that snail will allow us just break the glass and take what we want. We would have to fight for it."
While the group was thinking, Kairus raised into the air again (up to the ceiling), crawled above the mesa, and lowered himself closer to the treasure, to get a better look. He was on the highest possible alert, though, to fly up immediately, should the flashy monster attack.
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice