Varielky struggles to stand up, and yet, she forces herself to do so. It might be a problem if her bones get repeatedly crushed under that rock. "Do you think we died again?"Varielky's hoarse voice asks Auger. When was the last time she drank water? Well, she had bigger problems to worry about.
"Hey! You two!"Varielky tries to call the old couple. "What is this place?" In this state, however, Varielky finds it hard to speak loudly. She is a woman with a small body, and so her voice is not naturally especially strong. She has been taught to employ techniques that help one project their voice farther even without actually raising their voice, but in this weakened state she finds it hard to do. She hopes the old couple's hearing hasn't gone bad, or else combining the two problems would mean someone else would need to talk.
The piercing headaches of the past a dim memory of a far more pleasurable experience, he aches. Everywhere. Every movement leaves his vision swimming. He closes his eyes. Varielky asked him something. Another dream? He thinks a moment on what he dreamed and felt. It is hard to hold on to. So much was processed. Now Varielky is yelling something. At others? She does not sound good. The dreams were so disconcerting. And then a darkness. All encompassing darkness leaving him with a longing to -- shore up a plank? On a boat. The... Animu... what was it called?
Py. Are you...? Oh. Okay then.
Auger opens his eyes again. He takes in the scene and rises in place. Varielky was standing up next to him, what had she asked? Auger looks at Varielky, taking in a view of not the warrior this time. The young woman. No armor, no sword, no shield. Just a small young lady. Her long hair still braided but covered in grime. A human who had possibly experienced her own version of something unnatural and unlikely and amazing. Perhaps like his own strange experience.
Borongo. Animu Borongo. That was closer. He thinks. He would shore up the plank. He would complete the work. All of it.
Auger makes eye contact with Varielky, sees someone else phased but... her intensity. Nothing had affected this determined spirit. Auger reaches out one hand and touches her shoulder trying to share his strength by force of will as best he can before pulling his hand away as he speaks. "Yes," he says, his voice breaking at admitting their reality. "This time I believe you are correct. We died and are... back? I did not think we had died before. Now I am less sure." Auger briefly bends in place, hands to knees, "The Gods do favor us." But which ones today, Auger asks in his head, remembering the deal with D'ya Baobab. The deal that had netted him his coat.
His coat. Where was it? I wonder... Auger takes a step towards the crater's edge, but it is all he can muster. Raising his hand he speaks the words to summon the coat. It had taken him a long time to work out how to do this. It was not so much the actual words but that the intent needed to be locked firmly in his head and then the coat would respond. The actual words just helped focus the intent. He had not tested the range of this summoning ability and the coat would need to fly to him which might take time. His hand still high in the air Auger pictures the coat responding to him as he firmly and loudly says, "Đến gặp tôi."
Auger then intended to turn and see to Granophyre and Snow but the sheer pain and disorientation from having done a few simple movements overcomes him and he stands in place, unwilling to move as it may cause more pain. The curse again escapes his lips. "Đụ em đi," he says, more quietly this time.
Details
Move: Rises in place (half movement when already halved?) Steps slightly towards the crater edge I14, which should exhaust all 15'
Snow awakens with an audible gasp, followed by a groan. His hands quickly move to his torso, expecting to find gouges in his chest where the glaive struck. He weakly opens his shirt to look at the damage, but sees only scars. How could he possibly have survived that assault? Who had healed him? His usually sharp mind couldn’t focus, and he is distracted by Varielky and Auger calling out.
He rolls over to his stomach and uses all his strength to feebly push his body up onto one knee, then looks around trying to get his bearings. What was this place? He sees Varielky and Auger, spotting that they are lacking their usual accoutrements and realises that he is in the same position. He looks around his immediate vicinity but cannot see their things, but does spot the rolling boulder and all the bones.
His hands braced against his raised knee, he pushes himself up to a standing position, keeping a wary eye on the stationary boulders as well. Noticing Strewn on the floor next to him he reaches a hand down to offer the old Dwarf some help getting to his feet, just as something in his mind finally registers what the others had said.
“We died?”, he says shocked, his voice cracking a little. “And it wasn’t your first time? How is that possible?”, he adds bemused, as he tries to move himself and Strewn closer to Ayyur and Jabu Isgaden.
Movement: Standing from prone (half his movement - now max of 15ft) Action: Helps Strewn to his feet and if he can do more will dash (well hobble). Movement: As much as he can manage with the rest of his move towards Ayyur and Jabu Isgaden, helping Strewn move as well.
"I did last time. One of Xurl's Orcs, or maybe he himself, confirmed the kill. Maybe I was luckier this time, I don't know." Varielky confirms. Twice now. Twice have the gods brought her back, an unimaginable blessing. She feels that she does not deserve this, yet she is grateful. Surely, the gods wanted something of her, but she didn't know what they could possibly want.
"The gods brought us back to life when we died last time, as they have done this time, if we truly died," Varielky answers Snow, but since it is Varielky answering, who knows whether it is fact or just belief? For Varielky, there is little difference. "I don't like making the gods do that. I mean, it's a gift they chose to give us; not something we can demand of them. What I'm trying to say is that I hope I won't die yet another time before I can complete whatever mission the gods insist we do before we can ascend." Or descend? Varielky remembers her dream surprisingly well, and it installs fear in her heart, though she does not show it outwards. Has she unknowingly lost her way, only lingering on remembrance of what it used to be?
While waiting for an answer from the couple, Varielky closes her right hand, as if holding a sword in it. Usually, it would cause Dreygaard to appear in her hand. Would that still happen now?
Granophyre seems long gone, another stone on the crater’s surface. Suddenly he inhales, and stands with Snow’s help, confusion rampant in his eyes.
“It is the Tifenagh Agenuzh! The cup of death!,” shouts Jabu in answer to Varielky’s question. “The mountain spirits do not favor those who enter their sacred boundaries! Abziri House has sent criminals to their deaths here for centuries, to be ground to dust again and again. Beware the Galeb Duhr!”
Auger is uncertain whether or not the robe of the archmagi can hear his call.
Dreygaard appears instantly in Varielky’s grasp. ‘My charge and my liege,’ comes Valief’s voice telepathically, ‘I feared you lost.’
The central boulder picks up speed, moving in ever-expanding spirals. Like some huge machine, the other three boulders now also begin moving, slowly grinding in opposite directions. Each one looks like it weighs around 5 tons. (Unlike in the picture, the boulders are round and smooth.)
The area between 10’-20’ elevation is difficult terrain due to the slope. 20’-30’ elevation must be climbed; 30’-40’ is essentially a flat 10’ wall only slightly curved. Climbing out of the crater without equipment is a questionable proposition.
Snow tries to process what Varielky is saying as he moves as fast as he can towards Ayyur and Jabu. The gods have spared them. They have a purpose unfulfilled. Could that be true? And what purpose?
Watching as the boulders all start to move and speed up, he realises now is not the time for such contemplation.
”Have you a rope to lower? Or maybe a tree branch, something to help us climb out?”, he calls up to the old couple.
He then turns to see how the others are doing, to make sure no-one is in the path of the boulders. If any are he will reach out with his mind and nudge them out of harms way towards himself.
Action: Dash Movement: To D15 (as long as that is not in the path of a boulder, otherwise as close as he can get that is safe).
Bonus Action:Telekinetic Shove to pull Strewn closer to him, as long it doesn’t put him in the path of a boulder. To I15 is fine if he can then use his own movement.
(@Firecat - apologies the words have been stricken)
His hand still in the air, Auger looks to the sky and the surrounding area, wondering if the coat would respond or not. Putting his full attention on the boulders, Auger starts moving towards the edge of the -- the cup did they call it? Looking up, Auger does not like what he sees. That edge did not look easy to get to. Auger would probably be able to move to it. But what of the others? He had worked out some strange capacities to -- to modify up that could help the others, if one at a time. But without his rod, he was going to struggle to focus the energies... unless. As Auger moves to the edge he looks around to see if any spiders lived down here and/or there was any sign of some oil you can find between rocks.
Details
Move: To F14
Action: Check area for signs of Spider Climb spell components, a spider and a drop of bitumen. Perception (using Darkness-related Inspiration to create advantage if it still applies): Rolls are 16 and 13. [Very late edit: Auger has Disadvantage due to exhaustion so this roll should have been regular once applying inspiration.]
Query: Range/height check. From what is described I am estimating Misty Step will get Auger to the edge of the crater once he gets to E14. Correct?
(Don't worry. It's an important detail that she unbraided her hair, though it definitely makes that it's messy and unclean.)
'I have', Varielky sends back. And yet, she feels relief after hearing Veleif. Perhaps she did not fall off the cord, or at the very least, someome can still help her climb back.
And then the boulders start to move. They do not look like something Varielky could move, nor do they seem something Dreygaard could help with. Moreover, they've had their struggles with Ritha Demsha before. Mountain spirits? Not very promising.
Varielky studies the crater's "walls". Nothing she can climb. Maybe she can help the others, though. Varielky studies them each for a moment. Auger was tall. If she can lift him high enough, he could grab on. He was surely heavier, due to his height, though, and Varielky doesn't feel too confident in her strength while in this state. The captain was more or less the same, probably. Were Elves as heavy as Humans? Who knows. She met so few of them, and never did she try lifting any. The problem truly lied with Granophyre, though. He looked heavy, and more importantly, even if he stood on her shoulders, he would most likely only barely reach. And, lastly... could she even lift anyone in this state, and on such slope?
Varielky forces herself to calm down. First she'll try, then she'll think about solving whatever doesn't work. She begins to walk towards the direction the others do. "Come on, get as close as you can to the edge. I'll try to lift you up." She calls to the others.
BA: Second Wind, healing for 11. It might not matter, but it feels better when you're not at 1 HP. Don't want to die to one of Auger's spiders or anything.
Action: Dash.
Movement: As far as she can reach westwards. Should be E-13, I believe.
Snow heads for the edge of the crater, pulling Granophyre behind him. The sage doesn’t fight the telekinetic shove. Snow’s shout to Jabu and Ayyur results in them looking at each other and Ayyur shouting, “In the cart!!,” as the pair turn on their heels as fast as their aging bodies can move and hurry out of view.
Auger notes that from E14, he definitely should be close enough to the crater’s edge to misty step. Auger sees a small spider web on the rock face not 5’ in front of him. However, he does not find any bitumen, for which he’d need oilsand, such as in the desert east of Kalahata.
Varielky dashes west. With her speed halved due to exhaustion, she can only make it as far as G13.
Granophyre finds his small pendant to Takal Demesh still around his neck. He uses it to cast bless on the party, then hurries up the crater wall as far as he can.
The boulders speed up considerably, and #2 will pile into Varielky, Auger, and Granophyre if they maintain their stated move. We’ll say they think better of it and stop short of the boulder’s path. However, this leaves them in the path of #4 next round, too close to avoid, perhaps. Please make a DEX save vs. DC12 to avoid both boulders and end up in F13 (Varielky), F14 (Auger), and F15 (Granophyre). If you fail the save, make a STR 12 save to avoid falling prone as you throw yourself out of harm’s way. (OOC: I’ll ask you to make similar saves going forward when you’re near the boulder’s path.)
Boulder #3 is likely to reach you next turn, you estimate, and all the boulders are continuing to accelerate.(And will begin to cause damage if you miss DEX saves.)
You note that the boulders are not pursuing you as such, they are merely tracing circles or ovals around the crater.
Auger sees the spiderweb and is briefly hopeful but he cannot see any of the other oily substance he would need. Then the boulder passes by, causing Auger to jump back while still keeping his feet. Seeing the next boulder coming, Auger again attempts to move towards the crater edge. Moving as fast as he can, he scoops his hand into the earth where he thought the web was but does it quickly and keeps moving. Maybe there was something he could manage with it. Reaching a point he thought would be close enough Auger calls out again, in the old southern tongue.
"Đến đó!"
Auger moves through space and arrives on the crater's edge. Up there he turns to look at the others, wondering if perhaps his beams will be able to redirect the boulders at all. Then he looks down at the dirt in his hand, what did he end up with?
Details
DEX saving throw to avoid the boulder: 19 +4 (Bless) for 23.
Free action: Grabs earth in spiderweb spot. Not sure if a roll is appropriate. If you judge it takes an action, then Auger will dash instead. Otherwise the custom roll with Bless benefit gave a 16 +4 for 20.
The thought of closely avoiding the boulders scares Varielky. One misstep and she'll be flattened, maybe. She tries to jump away from both, instead. Luckily, Varielky's legs do not disappoint. A quick, far-reaching leap, and Varielky lands out of harm's way. Not that it helps her out of the crater. Where did Auger disappear to?
Oh, he's up there. Right, magic. Well, one less person to help up. Magic that raises someone upwards... "Master Strewn, get yourself out of here!" Varielky calls, thinking of the same magic he used once to raise an Orc off the ground. "Make yourself fly above this place!" Though the captain and her would still be here, that's one less worry. Moreover, the captain was close to the edge. Well, closer than she was.
Speaking of which, now was her chance to run. Two boulders just passed, it would take them a moment to circle around... right?
Dexterity save: 4+3+1=8.
Strength save: 1+20+8=29.
Action: Dash.
Move: Westwards. I'm not sure whether her failed Dexterity save means Varielky moves away from the boulders or not (and if so, in what direction), so I'll leave how far she can get with the (I think) total 30' movement to you.
Snow first looks to check how the others are doing. He can't see Auger, either standing or being assailed by a boulder, but Strewn looks to be in trouble. He once again reaches out with his mind to help the old dwarf avoid the boulders.
He then turns back around and looks up at the incline ahead of him, realising that he cannot simply walk up this bit and must get his hands dirty now. He slowly and carefully looks for hand and foot holds, trying to climb up closer the to rim of the bowl. As he looks up to his destination, he breathes a little sigh of relief seeing Auger appear there. His magic truly is a boon, and to be able to use it without any components or focus was very useful. If I only could say the same of my own magic.
"As quick as you can if you please!", he calls up to Ayyur.
Bonus Action: Telekinetic Shove Strewn away from the boulder (not sure if he made his save, but he will either push or pull, whichever is best for the dwarf. Ideally to E15 if he did make the save) Action: Climb - Athletics (Disadvantage): (18, 13)+1 = 14
Auger’s misty step functions as intended, and he materializes at the crater’s edge. Looking at what he has in his grasp, Auger sees a spider, and that he has skinned his knuckles. The ground in the crater is hard stone, not soil. Auger sees Jabu and Ayyur 10’ away (just off the western edge of the map), unfurling a length of rope from a wagon and pair of palfrey. “Demsha take those goblins!,” Jabu curses, “they’ve let rats chew on the rope!” Auger, during your turn, please make an INT roll vs DC10 (with disadvantage) re: the wagon.
Varielky’s failed DEX save means she lost some ground and was not able to anticipate boulder #2; she ended her turn as pictured, in G13. This turn, Varielky makes it to D13. From this point, a climbing roll is required to ascend the smooth rock face.
Snow is able to scrabble up the sharply sloping rock side of the crater to the base of its sheer edge. Here he can go no farther and his vision is limited to either side (not directly behind), lest he lose his grip on the narrow crevices his fingers and toes are clinging to. (Please continue making climbing checks vs. DC10 each round or slide or tumble down to the 20’ mark, and if you fail the check, then roll a STR check vs DC 10 to avoid falling prone. In order to see Granophyre while climbing, make your check at disadvantage to crane your neck (N.B., you’re already rolling at disadvantage so this would make no difference.))
“I cannot levitate,” Granophyre tells Varielky, “for that magic requires the delicate tools in my ring. It has been removed from my hand!,” but he is clipped by boulder #4 and falls to the stone floor of the crater, though he seems to be unhurt other than a newly bruised elbow and knees where he fell. Snow’s telekinesis pulls Granophyre back to his feet (in G15), but the sage must then move around boulder #2 to then turn west toward the crater’s edge. As he runs, you see him grip his pendant once more, and color starts to come back to his complexion, but he gasps as he notices that he boulder #3 is now speeding directly toward him.
You note that all of the boulders’ paths are spiraling outward from the center, and they continue to accelerate.
Snow tries his best to maintain his grip, but in his weakened state he just doesn’t have the strength and slides back down the slope and falls to the ground.
He struggles back to his feet and shouts up to Auger, Ayyer and Jabu.
“How is it going up there? If you haven’t got a rope or branch or something, any chance you have a musical instrument of any sort?”, he calls out hopefully.
He concentrates his mind and summons his telekinetic hand close to those at the tiop of the bowl, making it so that it can be seen this time.
“Come on Strewn, we can do this”, he shouts to the old Dwarf trying to inspire him.
Special: Athletics Check to maintain grip (Disadvantage): (13,2)+1 = 3, Strength Check to avoid falling prone (9,4)+0=4
Varielky halts, turns, runs back and pulls Granophyre away from the boulder's path. "Then I guess you'll just have to climb like the rest of us!"
After pulling Granophyre out of harm's way, Varielky goes to help Snow, trying to catch him as he slides down. "Come on," she says as she pulls him to his feet, away from the boulders. "You can do this too."
If she can get the captain up there, he and Auger can pull Granophyre up, while she helps him from below. Then, maybe they'll find a way to help her up, or she'll have to climb. Maybe she'll make it before the boulders reach her.
((I don't know how you'll rule movement in the different directions here - up, down, sideways... Plus, I'm trying to do things that I don't onow if you'll rule will wprk or not. So, I'm writing down intentions, and I hope you can make sense of it.))
Move: Down to E-13.
Action: grab Granophyre to pull him away, out of the boulder's path. She'll then release him so they can both keep moving. Since this is technically the Attack action, she should have another "attack". I'll get to that in a moment.
Action Surge: Dash.
Movement: Trying to get as close as possible to Snow. If possible to catch him before he slides all the way down, great. If not, then to where he ended up. E-15 should probably be good either way.
Action #1, continued: Varielky will now try to grab Snow, to raise him to his feet and away from the boulders (or only to move him away from the boulders, if she can't do both at once). Then, she'll release him, so he'll be able to move freely after.
(OOC: @Zzozz: That’s a fail. Nothing to worry about (I.e., this was not about discovering something dangerous) but possibly something to gain there if you can suss it out on your own.)
Auger takes a moment to watch his compatriots struggle in the bowl and feels a growing sense of urgency. Only he could get out and he did not have a way to help the others. And those boulders looked too large for him to affect with his blasts. "Keep trying!" he yells down. "We'll get something to help!"
Absentmindedly he cups his hand to hold on to the spider as he steps away from the bowl and moves over to the wagon, trying to get a sense of the rope that Ayyur and Jaba are talking about. It did not have to be long. He steps over and looks at the wagon, trying to see if there was anything that could work to help his friends out of the bowl.
Details
Per above, Wagon INT check failed
Status: Still concentrating on his coat
Move: To Wagon (was 10' away in the text)
Action: Investigate wagon (I'm assuming anything obviously visible would present an automatic solution, but this role is in case there is any kind of flash of insight into another possibility). Roll with disadvantage: 13.
Snow sends Inspiration to Granophyre, and summons his magic hand at the bowl’s rim.
Varielky pulls Granophyre out of harm’s way, then helps Snow to his feet and back up the sloping edge of the cup wall.
Auger has a gut feeling that some part of the wagon, though it is now empty, could substitute for the final ingredient for spider climb. But what could substitute for oil-sand in an ill-kempt wagon?? (This is not a roll. Either @Zzozz figures it out or doesn’t. Other players can help if they know what he’s trying to do.)
Granophyre moves up the sloping crater’s floor with Varielky. Snow now feels the sage’s healing prayer take effect, and the bard regains 7HP.
Jabu and Ayyur now return to the crater’s edge, answering Snow’s call. “This is all we’ve got!,” they announce, holding three 5’ lengths of rat-chewed rope out over the edge for anyone to see.
Auger stands at the cart looking at the remains of chewed upon rope. That won't help. His mind spinning with possibilities, Auger considers the cart's construction. His background in carpentry had included a lot of work on homes and some on the smaller ships that ply lakes and rivers. Wagons were a common commission for all purposes, with very straightforward construction. This one was old but it looked sturdy enough that it could... well what? Back it over the edge so the bottom hangs down and the others can jump and grab on? Maybe Varielky in top condition could pull something like that off. Snow he did not know about and for Strewn such a move seemed unlikely. Peel off a plank so the others can grab it or use it as a ramp? Not fast. And for both ideas the boulders might break the thing apart. Maybe something with the wheels could... the wheels.
Auger dives under the cart and looks at the axle. Yes, that might do the deed. One hand still cupping the spider, with the other he reaches over and touches the axle and feels for any grease coating it. This had been his job once when younger. He had made quite a mess of it the first time he was responsible for applying the sticky yet somehow slippery substance. After a moment to verify that the feel aligned with his instinct for what might work, he begins working the grease and collecting it so that it sticks on his hand.
"I have a solution!"Auger yells out.
Details
Action: Gather grease
Move: Ducking under cart and back out
Note: @DandD If Auger has any movement left he would move to the crater's edge and maybe use his Bonus Action to Misty Step back down into the bowl. That seems like it is pushing things given the parameters you laid out so I will consider the next step when the next round comes up.
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DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
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Varielky struggles to stand up, and yet, she forces herself to do so. It might be a problem if her bones get repeatedly crushed under that rock. "Do you think we died again?" Varielky's hoarse voice asks Auger. When was the last time she drank water? Well, she had bigger problems to worry about.
"Hey! You two!" Varielky tries to call the old couple. "What is this place?" In this state, however, Varielky finds it hard to speak loudly. She is a woman with a small body, and so her voice is not naturally especially strong. She has been taught to employ techniques that help one project their voice farther even without actually raising their voice, but in this weakened state she finds it hard to do. She hopes the old couple's hearing hasn't gone bad, or else combining the two problems would mean someone else would need to talk.
Varielky
Auger sits up. Auger regrets sitting up.
"Đụ em đi!" he says before he can stop himself.
The piercing headaches of the past a dim memory of a far more pleasurable experience, he aches. Everywhere. Every movement leaves his vision swimming. He closes his eyes. Varielky asked him something. Another dream? He thinks a moment on what he dreamed and felt. It is hard to hold on to. So much was processed. Now Varielky is yelling something. At others? She does not sound good. The dreams were so disconcerting. And then a darkness. All encompassing darkness leaving him with a longing to -- shore up a plank? On a boat. The... Animu... what was it called?
Py. Are you...? Oh. Okay then.
Auger opens his eyes again. He takes in the scene and rises in place. Varielky was standing up next to him, what had she asked? Auger looks at Varielky, taking in a view of not the warrior this time. The young woman. No armor, no sword, no shield. Just a small young lady.
Her long hair still braided but covered in grime.A human who had possibly experienced her own version of something unnatural and unlikely and amazing. Perhaps like his own strange experience.Borongo. Animu Borongo. That was closer. He thinks. He would shore up the plank. He would complete the work. All of it.
Auger makes eye contact with Varielky, sees someone else phased but... her intensity. Nothing had affected this determined spirit. Auger reaches out one hand and touches her shoulder trying to share his strength by force of will as best he can before pulling his hand away as he speaks. "Yes," he says, his voice breaking at admitting their reality. "This time I believe you are correct. We died and are... back? I did not think we had died before. Now I am less sure." Auger briefly bends in place, hands to knees, "The Gods do favor us." But which ones today, Auger asks in his head, remembering the deal with D'ya Baobab. The deal that had netted him his coat.
His coat. Where was it? I wonder... Auger takes a step towards the crater's edge, but it is all he can muster. Raising his hand he speaks the words to summon the coat. It had taken him a long time to work out how to do this. It was not so much the actual words but that the intent needed to be locked firmly in his head and then the coat would respond. The actual words just helped focus the intent. He had not tested the range of this summoning ability and the coat would need to fly to him which might take time. His hand still high in the air Auger pictures the coat responding to him as he firmly and loudly says, "Đến gặp tôi."
Auger then intended to turn and see to Granophyre and Snow but the sheer pain and disorientation from having done a few simple movements overcomes him and he stands in place, unwilling to move as it may cause more pain. The curse again escapes his lips. "Đụ em đi," he says, more quietly this time.
Details
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Snow awakens with an audible gasp, followed by a groan. His hands quickly move to his torso, expecting to find gouges in his chest where the glaive struck. He weakly opens his shirt to look at the damage, but sees only scars. How could he possibly have survived that assault? Who had healed him? His usually sharp mind couldn’t focus, and he is distracted by Varielky and Auger calling out.
He rolls over to his stomach and uses all his strength to feebly push his body up onto one knee, then looks around trying to get his bearings. What was this place? He sees Varielky and Auger, spotting that they are lacking their usual accoutrements and realises that he is in the same position. He looks around his immediate vicinity but cannot see their things, but does spot the rolling boulder and all the bones.
His hands braced against his raised knee, he pushes himself up to a standing position, keeping a wary eye on the stationary boulders as well. Noticing Strewn on the floor next to him he reaches a hand down to offer the old Dwarf some help getting to his feet, just as something in his mind finally registers what the others had said.
“We died?”, he says shocked, his voice cracking a little. “And it wasn’t your first time? How is that possible?”, he adds bemused, as he tries to move himself and Strewn closer to Ayyur and Jabu Isgaden.
Movement: Standing from prone (half his movement - now max of 15ft)
Action: Helps Strewn to his feet and if he can do more will dash (well hobble).
Movement: As much as he can manage with the rest of his move towards Ayyur and Jabu Isgaden, helping Strewn move as well.
(Actually, Varielky's hair is no longer braided.)
"I did last time. One of Xurl's Orcs, or maybe he himself, confirmed the kill. Maybe I was luckier this time, I don't know." Varielky confirms. Twice now. Twice have the gods brought her back, an unimaginable blessing. She feels that she does not deserve this, yet she is grateful. Surely, the gods wanted something of her, but she didn't know what they could possibly want.
"The gods brought us back to life when we died last time, as they have done this time, if we truly died," Varielky answers Snow, but since it is Varielky answering, who knows whether it is fact or just belief? For Varielky, there is little difference. "I don't like making the gods do that. I mean, it's a gift they chose to give us; not something we can demand of them. What I'm trying to say is that I hope I won't die yet another time before I can complete whatever mission the gods insist we do before we can ascend." Or descend? Varielky remembers her dream surprisingly well, and it installs fear in her heart, though she does not show it outwards. Has she unknowingly lost her way, only lingering on remembrance of what it used to be?
While waiting for an answer from the couple, Varielky closes her right hand, as if holding a sword in it. Usually, it would cause Dreygaard to appear in her hand. Would that still happen now?
Varielky
Granophyre seems long gone, another stone on the crater’s surface. Suddenly he inhales, and stands with Snow’s help, confusion rampant in his eyes.
“It is the Tifenagh Agenuzh! The cup of death!,” shouts Jabu in answer to Varielky’s question. “The mountain spirits do not favor those who enter their sacred boundaries! Abziri House has sent criminals to their deaths here for centuries, to be ground to dust again and again. Beware the Galeb Duhr!”
Auger is uncertain whether or not the robe of the archmagi can hear his call.
Dreygaard appears instantly in Varielky’s grasp. ‘My charge and my liege,’ comes Valief’s voice telepathically, ‘I feared you lost.’
The central boulder picks up speed, moving in ever-expanding spirals. Like some huge machine, the other three boulders now also begin moving, slowly grinding in opposite directions. Each one looks like it weighs around 5 tons. (Unlike in the picture, the boulders are round and smooth.)
You are now situated like so.
The area between 10’-20’ elevation is difficult terrain due to the slope. 20’-30’ elevation must be climbed; 30’-40’ is essentially a flat 10’ wall only slightly curved. Climbing out of the crater without equipment is a questionable proposition.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Snow tries to process what Varielky is saying as he moves as fast as he can towards Ayyur and Jabu. The gods have spared them. They have a purpose unfulfilled. Could that be true? And what purpose?
Watching as the boulders all start to move and speed up, he realises now is not the time for such contemplation.
”Have you a rope to lower? Or maybe a tree branch, something to help us climb out?”, he calls up to the old couple.
He then turns to see how the others are doing, to make sure no-one is in the path of the boulders. If any are he will reach out with his mind and nudge them out of harms way towards himself.
Action: Dash
Movement: To D15 (as long as that is not in the path of a boulder, otherwise as close as he can get that is safe).
Bonus Action:Telekinetic Shove to pull Strewn closer to him, as long it doesn’t put him in the path of a boulder. To I15 is fine if he can then use his own movement.
(@Firecat - apologies the words have been stricken)
His hand still in the air, Auger looks to the sky and the surrounding area, wondering if the coat would respond or not. Putting his full attention on the boulders, Auger starts moving towards the edge of the -- the cup did they call it? Looking up, Auger does not like what he sees. That edge did not look easy to get to. Auger would probably be able to move to it. But what of the others? He had worked out some strange capacities to -- to modify up that could help the others, if one at a time. But without his rod, he was going to struggle to focus the energies... unless. As Auger moves to the edge he looks around to see if any spiders lived down here and/or there was any sign of some oil you can find between rocks.
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DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
(Don't worry. It's an important detail that she unbraided her hair, though it definitely makes that it's messy and unclean.)
'I have', Varielky sends back. And yet, she feels relief after hearing Veleif. Perhaps she did not fall off the cord, or at the very least, someome can still help her climb back.
And then the boulders start to move. They do not look like something Varielky could move, nor do they seem something Dreygaard could help with. Moreover, they've had their struggles with Ritha Demsha before. Mountain spirits? Not very promising.
Varielky studies the crater's "walls". Nothing she can climb. Maybe she can help the others, though. Varielky studies them each for a moment. Auger was tall. If she can lift him high enough, he could grab on. He was surely heavier, due to his height, though, and Varielky doesn't feel too confident in her strength while in this state. The captain was more or less the same, probably. Were Elves as heavy as Humans? Who knows. She met so few of them, and never did she try lifting any. The problem truly lied with Granophyre, though. He looked heavy, and more importantly, even if he stood on her shoulders, he would most likely only barely reach. And, lastly... could she even lift anyone in this state, and on such slope?
Varielky forces herself to calm down. First she'll try, then she'll think about solving whatever doesn't work. She begins to walk towards the direction the others do. "Come on, get as close as you can to the edge. I'll try to lift you up." She calls to the others.
BA: Second Wind, healing for 11. It might not matter, but it feels better when you're not at 1 HP. Don't want to die to one of Auger's spiders or anything.
Action: Dash.
Movement: As far as she can reach westwards. Should be E-13, I believe.
Varielky
Snow heads for the edge of the crater, pulling Granophyre behind him. The sage doesn’t fight the telekinetic shove. Snow’s shout to Jabu and Ayyur results in them looking at each other and Ayyur shouting, “In the cart!!,” as the pair turn on their heels as fast as their aging bodies can move and hurry out of view.
Auger notes that from E14, he definitely should be close enough to the crater’s edge to misty step. Auger sees a small spider web on the rock face not 5’ in front of him. However, he does not find any bitumen, for which he’d need oilsand, such as in the desert east of Kalahata.
Varielky dashes west. With her speed halved due to exhaustion, she can only make it as far as G13.
Granophyre finds his small pendant to Takal Demesh still around his neck. He uses it to cast bless on the party, then hurries up the crater wall as far as he can.
The boulders speed up considerably, and #2 will pile into Varielky, Auger, and Granophyre if they maintain their stated move. We’ll say they think better of it and stop short of the boulder’s path. However, this leaves them in the path of #4 next round, too close to avoid, perhaps. Please make a DEX save vs. DC12 to avoid both boulders and end up in F13 (Varielky), F14 (Auger), and F15 (Granophyre). If you fail the save, make a STR 12 save to avoid falling prone as you throw yourself out of harm’s way. (OOC: I’ll ask you to make similar saves going forward when you’re near the boulder’s path.)
Boulder #3 is likely to reach you next turn, you estimate, and all the boulders are continuing to accelerate.(And will begin to cause damage if you miss DEX saves.)
You note that the boulders are not pursuing you as such, they are merely tracing circles or ovals around the crater.
There is still no sign of Auger’s robe.
You are now situated like so.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Auger sees the spiderweb and is briefly hopeful but he cannot see any of the other oily substance he would need. Then the boulder passes by, causing Auger to jump back while still keeping his feet. Seeing the next boulder coming, Auger again attempts to move towards the crater edge. Moving as fast as he can, he scoops his hand into the earth where he thought the web was but does it quickly and keeps moving. Maybe there was something he could manage with it. Reaching a point he thought would be close enough Auger calls out again, in the old southern tongue.
"Đến đó!"
Auger moves through space and arrives on the crater's edge. Up there he turns to look at the others, wondering if perhaps his beams will be able to redirect the boulders at all. Then he looks down at the dirt in his hand, what did he end up with?
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DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
The thought of closely avoiding the boulders scares Varielky. One misstep and she'll be flattened, maybe. She tries to jump away from both, instead. Luckily, Varielky's legs do not disappoint. A quick, far-reaching leap, and Varielky lands out of harm's way. Not that it helps her out of the crater. Where did Auger disappear to?
Oh, he's up there. Right, magic. Well, one less person to help up. Magic that raises someone upwards... "Master Strewn, get yourself out of here!" Varielky calls, thinking of the same magic he used once to raise an Orc off the ground. "Make yourself fly above this place!" Though the captain and her would still be here, that's one less worry. Moreover, the captain was close to the edge. Well, closer than she was.
Speaking of which, now was her chance to run. Two boulders just passed, it would take them a moment to circle around... right?
Dexterity save: 4+3+1=8.
Strength save: 1+20+8=29.
Action: Dash.
Move: Westwards. I'm not sure whether her failed Dexterity save means Varielky moves away from the boulders or not (and if so, in what direction), so I'll leave how far she can get with the (I think) total 30' movement to you.
Varielky
Snow first looks to check how the others are doing. He can't see Auger, either standing or being assailed by a boulder, but Strewn looks to be in trouble. He once again reaches out with his mind to help the old dwarf avoid the boulders.
He then turns back around and looks up at the incline ahead of him, realising that he cannot simply walk up this bit and must get his hands dirty now. He slowly and carefully looks for hand and foot holds, trying to climb up closer the to rim of the bowl. As he looks up to his destination, he breathes a little sigh of relief seeing Auger appear there. His magic truly is a boon, and to be able to use it without any components or focus was very useful. If I only could say the same of my own magic.
"As quick as you can if you please!", he calls up to Ayyur.
Bonus Action: Telekinetic Shove Strewn away from the boulder (not sure if he made his save, but he will either push or pull, whichever is best for the dwarf. Ideally to E15 if he did make the save)
Action: Climb - Athletics (Disadvantage): (
18, 13)+1 = 14Auger’s misty step functions as intended, and he materializes at the crater’s edge. Looking at what he has in his grasp, Auger sees a spider, and that he has skinned his knuckles. The ground in the crater is hard stone, not soil. Auger sees Jabu and Ayyur 10’ away (just off the western edge of the map), unfurling a length of rope from a wagon and pair of palfrey. “Demsha take those goblins!,” Jabu curses, “they’ve let rats chew on the rope!” Auger, during your turn, please make an INT roll vs DC10 (with disadvantage) re: the wagon.
Varielky’s failed DEX save means she lost some ground and was not able to anticipate boulder #2; she ended her turn as pictured, in G13. This turn, Varielky makes it to D13. From this point, a climbing roll is required to ascend the smooth rock face.
Snow is able to scrabble up the sharply sloping rock side of the crater to the base of its sheer edge. Here he can go no farther and his vision is limited to either side (not directly behind), lest he lose his grip on the narrow crevices his fingers and toes are clinging to. (Please continue making climbing checks vs. DC10 each round or slide or tumble down to the 20’ mark, and if you fail the check, then roll a STR check vs DC 10 to avoid falling prone. In order to see Granophyre while climbing, make your check at disadvantage to crane your neck (N.B., you’re already rolling at disadvantage so this would make no difference.))
“I cannot levitate,” Granophyre tells Varielky, “for that magic requires the delicate tools in my ring. It has been removed from my hand!,” but he is clipped by boulder #4 and falls to the stone floor of the crater, though he seems to be unhurt other than a newly bruised elbow and knees where he fell. Snow’s telekinesis pulls Granophyre back to his feet (in G15), but the sage must then move around boulder #2 to then turn west toward the crater’s edge. As he runs, you see him grip his pendant once more, and color starts to come back to his complexion, but he gasps as he notices that he boulder #3 is now speeding directly toward him.
You note that all of the boulders’ paths are spiraling outward from the center, and they continue to accelerate.
You are now situated like so.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Detail
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Snow tries his best to maintain his grip, but in his weakened state he just doesn’t have the strength and slides back down the slope and falls to the ground.
He struggles back to his feet and shouts up to Auger, Ayyer and Jabu.
“How is it going up there? If you haven’t got a rope or branch or something, any chance you have a musical instrument of any sort?”, he calls out hopefully.
He concentrates his mind and summons his telekinetic hand close to those at the tiop of the bowl, making it so that it can be seen this time.
“Come on Strewn, we can do this”, he shouts to the old Dwarf trying to inspire him.
Special: Athletics Check to maintain grip (Disadvantage): (13,2)+1 = 3, Strength Check to avoid falling prone (9,4)+0=4
Movement: Stands up
Action: Cast Mage Hand at B15
Bonus Action:Bardic Inspiration for Strewn (1d8)
(OOC: Rather than wait for a reply in the chat, thought I would post. Ignore anything that he wouldn’t be allowed to do)
Varielky halts, turns, runs back and pulls Granophyre away from the boulder's path. "Then I guess you'll just have to climb like the rest of us!"
After pulling Granophyre out of harm's way, Varielky goes to help Snow, trying to catch him as he slides down. "Come on," she says as she pulls him to his feet, away from the boulders. "You can do this too."
If she can get the captain up there, he and Auger can pull Granophyre up, while she helps him from below. Then, maybe they'll find a way to help her up, or she'll have to climb. Maybe she'll make it before the boulders reach her.
((I don't know how you'll rule movement in the different directions here - up, down, sideways... Plus, I'm trying to do things that I don't onow if you'll rule will wprk or not. So, I'm writing down intentions, and I hope you can make sense of it.))
Move: Down to E-13.
Action: grab Granophyre to pull him away, out of the boulder's path. She'll then release him so they can both keep moving. Since this is technically the Attack action, she should have another "attack". I'll get to that in a moment.
Action Surge: Dash.
Movement: Trying to get as close as possible to Snow. If possible to catch him before he slides all the way down, great. If not, then to where he ended up. E-15 should probably be good either way.
Action #1, continued: Varielky will now try to grab Snow, to raise him to his feet and away from the boulders (or only to move him away from the boulders, if she can't do both at once). Then, she'll release him, so he'll be able to move freely after.
Varielky
(OOC: @Zzozz: That’s a fail. Nothing to worry about (I.e., this was not about discovering something dangerous) but possibly something to gain there if you can suss it out on your own.)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Auger takes a moment to watch his compatriots struggle in the bowl and feels a growing sense of urgency. Only he could get out and he did not have a way to help the others. And those boulders looked too large for him to affect with his blasts. "Keep trying!" he yells down. "We'll get something to help!"
Absentmindedly he cups his hand to hold on to the spider as he steps away from the bowl and moves over to the wagon, trying to get a sense of the rope that Ayyur and Jaba are talking about. It did not have to be long. He steps over and looks at the wagon, trying to see if there was anything that could work to help his friends out of the bowl.
Details
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Snow sends Inspiration to Granophyre, and summons his magic hand at the bowl’s rim.
Varielky pulls Granophyre out of harm’s way, then helps Snow to his feet and back up the sloping edge of the cup wall.
Auger has a gut feeling that some part of the wagon, though it is now empty, could substitute for the final ingredient for spider climb. But what could substitute for oil-sand in an ill-kempt wagon?? (This is not a roll. Either @Zzozz figures it out or doesn’t. Other players can help if they know what he’s trying to do.)
Granophyre moves up the sloping crater’s floor with Varielky. Snow now feels the sage’s healing prayer take effect, and the bard regains 7HP.
Jabu and Ayyur now return to the crater’s edge, answering Snow’s call. “This is all we’ve got!,” they announce, holding three 5’ lengths of rat-chewed rope out over the edge for anyone to see.
Here is an updated map.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Auger stands at the cart looking at the remains of chewed upon rope. That won't help. His mind spinning with possibilities, Auger considers the cart's construction. His background in carpentry had included a lot of work on homes and some on the smaller ships that ply lakes and rivers. Wagons were a common commission for all purposes, with very straightforward construction. This one was old but it looked sturdy enough that it could... well what? Back it over the edge so the bottom hangs down and the others can jump and grab on? Maybe Varielky in top condition could pull something like that off. Snow he did not know about and for Strewn such a move seemed unlikely. Peel off a plank so the others can grab it or use it as a ramp? Not fast. And for both ideas the boulders might break the thing apart. Maybe something with the wheels could... the wheels.
Auger dives under the cart and looks at the axle. Yes, that might do the deed. One hand still cupping the spider, with the other he reaches over and touches the axle and feels for any grease coating it. This had been his job once when younger. He had made quite a mess of it the first time he was responsible for applying the sticky yet somehow slippery substance. After a moment to verify that the feel aligned with his instinct for what might work, he begins working the grease and collecting it so that it sticks on his hand.
"I have a solution!" Auger yells out.
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DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory