This cave is small, really little more than an alcove or indention in the wall of the main cavern you were walking through. There is a large chunk of rock that appears to have fallen from the ceiling long ago that partially obscures the entrance. The area behind it only goes back maybe 20 feet at its deepest. The back wall of the alcove slopes up over the boulder in front and toward the ceiling of the main cavern. You see a blackened streak going up the wall into the darkness where smoke from fires over many years has darkened the stone.
In the small cave, there is the fire pit, a few medium-sized flat rocks set around it that look like they were used as seats, and bits of garbage and remnants of past meals lying on the ground. You see a small rat or two gnawing on some leftover bones, but they scatter as soon as anyone steps in behind the boulder. Vethna's survival check tells you that the cave has been used recently, within the last 2 or 3 days at most based on footprints in the dust and dirt. The ashes and coals in the fire pit are all cold and have no remaining warmth from when there was a fire. It looks like whoever had the fire didn't use much wood, then probably stamped it out or kicked dirt on it the extinguish the fire. You estimate it would take 10-12 hours for the coals and ashes to cool. So whoever was here has been gone at least that long, but left no more than 2 or 3 days ago.
Tanis approaches the boulder and attempts to determine whether there may be a passageway past (or below/above) the boulder, and whether any of the tracks lead that way (or anything else unusual about the boulder).
The boulder is just a big chunk of rock that screens off this little side alcove to mostly hide the entrance. There is no evidence of passages out of the alcove or anywhere around the boulder.
[Ooc: this is just a little area to shelter. The question here is whether you feel safe taking a rest for the night in an area where someone else has camped recently or if you're worried they might return]
"Agreed." Vethna puts in her two cents worth. "Let's make sure two people are on each watch though, so we can make sure we are not surprised as we rest." She would take first watch with whomever else wants to be on watch with her.
"Yes. This spot worked for them, it will work for us." He turns to Petmailer and Sarith and asks, "Do Drow patrol these caverns? Is that what Drow eat? How often do they return to the same camp?"
When the group is about to rest for the night, Kisiki beckons Sarith over. "Come. Semuanya has granted me enough power to tend to you. Stand here."
He begins a chant you've all heard before, whether you recognize it or not. detect poison and disease
Draconic:
...But She is a kind Mother, and showed Her child what tormented him when he pled, although it was of Her own making…
He looks for the familiar glow of sickness in Sarith, then uses it to guide his guide his healing hand. He grabs Sarith by the hair and pulls his head back so his mouth is wide open and facing directly upward. "You are filled with bad vapors... I will remove them and you will feel much better then. A spreading disease can kill entire tribes if the shaman is complacent or weak." He begins another chant, and as he does, he wiggles the fingers of his other hand over Sarith's open mouth and "extracts" the bad air. lesser restoration
Draconic:
'The bad air comes from the swamp' the withered one told him 'He created it like a wall against the fleshlings, but He is strong, and we must be always wary of His power, lest we be swept away like a log in a river.'
As the "bad air" exits Sarith's mouth, it coalesces in an orb of greenish-reddish-brownish gas in Kisiki's hand. When the spell is complete, he shakes his hand and the gas dissipates into nothingness with a small hiss.
I'll let you cast detect poison and disease without conflict, but beyond that, Sarith will not consent to anything else. If you want to grab him against his will, we'll need to roll initiative, have a grappling check, etc.
Results of the detect poison and disease spell:
As you begin your chant, you start to see a glow coming in large part from Sarith's head, but it is pervasive through much of his body. You have only seen something like this a few times before. He has been infected by fungal spores. These are not like the ones Stool uses. These are invasive and have grown tendrils deep into his brain. You have seen one or two others who have been infected this severely, but both of them had become mindless zombies by this stage in their infection. You also sense that these spores are not entirely the same as what you have seen before. You sense a presence within Sarith - some kind of malevolent intelligence - and as you are probing within his mind, it begins reaching back out toward yours.
Tanis puts in: "I say we camp here and keep watch as we always do. Nowhere down here is free from danger, and this seems as good a spot as any. I can keep first watch if anyone wants to join me. Perhaps two to a watch as we've been doing to be safe?"
He eats a Goodberry and hands out any of the remaining 8 to those that need it. He casts the spell again with his last spell slot just before going to sleep once his watch is done, assuming the party agrees to rest here.
The dark presence you feel within Sarith begins reaching for your own mind. You see flashes of madness and insanity and unspeakable evil, but you were already in communion with Semuana when you approached Sarith. That divine presence shields and protects you and the evil is not able to get a foothold in your mind.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
After casting detect poison and disease, Kisiki takes a good hard look at Sarith. After a moment, he makes a gesture of warding, an open-palmed circular rotation of his hand, as though slapping away a fly ((wax on / wax off)). He turns his attention to the group and announces, "something infects Sarith: it is a creature made of evil - perhaps a spirit or an Other - and it has roots in his mind. Deep roots, like a gum tree. It uses fungus to enter the physical world. If I can remove the fungus, the spirit may be unrooted from his mind, but it is very deep..."
He looks back to Sarith. "Do you understand the danger you are in?" he extends a hand, palm up, beckoning the Drow over. "Come to me; let Sarith decide to save himself from the wickedness that whispers in his mind. Sarith, reject evil, decide to work with the Cycle."
By repeating his name, Kisiki is hoping that Sarith will come to his senses long enough to accept help. If he does, Kisiki will perform the lesser restoration ritual described above. If not, Kisiki will call upon the group to hold Sarith down against his will.
Sarith draws his sword and begins backing away from the group "Stay out of my mind lizard man! You people need me more than I need you. Who has been guiding you through these passages? If you don't want my help anymore, that's fine with me. I travel faster and safer alone."
Petmailer steps forward, in a calming voice, says in undercommon, “Brother, calm down, put your sword down. We have fought together, helped each other, and it will continue! Please, if there is something making you sick, affecting you, allow him to help! Please, Sarith, stay with us…”
Persuasion : 15
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
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Petmailer keeps his bow out, creeps forward into the cave making sure no one else is currently there, looking with his darkvision.
Perception : 16
Stealth : 16
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Kisiki waits near the entrance of the cave while those with better vision than he scout it out.
This cave is small, really little more than an alcove or indention in the wall of the main cavern you were walking through. There is a large chunk of rock that appears to have fallen from the ceiling long ago that partially obscures the entrance. The area behind it only goes back maybe 20 feet at its deepest. The back wall of the alcove slopes up over the boulder in front and toward the ceiling of the main cavern. You see a blackened streak going up the wall into the darkness where smoke from fires over many years has darkened the stone.
In the small cave, there is the fire pit, a few medium-sized flat rocks set around it that look like they were used as seats, and bits of garbage and remnants of past meals lying on the ground. You see a small rat or two gnawing on some leftover bones, but they scatter as soon as anyone steps in behind the boulder. Vethna's survival check tells you that the cave has been used recently, within the last 2 or 3 days at most based on footprints in the dust and dirt. The ashes and coals in the fire pit are all cold and have no remaining warmth from when there was a fire. It looks like whoever had the fire didn't use much wood, then probably stamped it out or kicked dirt on it the extinguish the fire. You estimate it would take 10-12 hours for the coals and ashes to cool. So whoever was here has been gone at least that long, but left no more than 2 or 3 days ago.
Tanis approaches the boulder and attempts to determine whether there may be a passageway past (or below/above) the boulder, and whether any of the tracks lead that way (or anything else unusual about the boulder).
Perception: 27
Survival: 7
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
The boulder is just a big chunk of rock that screens off this little side alcove to mostly hide the entrance. There is no evidence of passages out of the alcove or anywhere around the boulder.
[Ooc: this is just a little area to shelter. The question here is whether you feel safe taking a rest for the night in an area where someone else has camped recently or if you're worried they might return]
"Others have camped here for the night, we might as well do the same." Vrah says.
He will then move back over to the stone and see if he can possibly shift it to completely block the entrance.
Investigation: 8
"Agreed." Vethna puts in her two cents worth. "Let's make sure two people are on each watch though, so we can make sure we are not surprised as we rest." She would take first watch with whomever else wants to be on watch with her.
"Yes. This spot worked for them, it will work for us." He turns to Petmailer and Sarith and asks, "Do Drow patrol these caverns? Is that what Drow eat? How often do they return to the same camp?"
When the group is about to rest for the night, Kisiki beckons Sarith over. "Come. Semuanya has granted me enough power to tend to you. Stand here."
He begins a chant you've all heard before, whether you recognize it or not. detect poison and disease
Draconic:
...But She is a kind Mother, and showed Her child what tormented him when he pled, although it was of Her own making…
He looks for the familiar glow of sickness in Sarith, then uses it to guide his guide his healing hand.
He grabs Sarith by the hair and pulls his head back so his mouth is wide open and facing directly upward. "You are filled with bad vapors... I will remove them and you will feel much better then. A spreading disease can kill entire tribes if the shaman is complacent or weak." He begins another chant, and as he does, he wiggles the fingers of his other hand over Sarith's open mouth and "extracts" the bad air. lesser restorationDraconic:'The bad air comes from the swamp' the withered one told him 'He created it like a wall against the fleshlings, but He is strong, and we must be always wary of His power, lest we be swept away like a log in a river.'As the "bad air" exits Sarith's mouth, it coalesces in an orb of greenish-reddish-brownish gas in Kisiki's hand. When the spell is complete, he shakes his hand and the gas dissipates into nothingness with a small hiss.I'll let you cast detect poison and disease without conflict, but beyond that, Sarith will not consent to anything else. If you want to grab him against his will, we'll need to roll initiative, have a grappling check, etc.
Results of the detect poison and disease spell:
As you begin your chant, you start to see a glow coming in large part from Sarith's head, but it is pervasive through much of his body. You have only seen something like this a few times before. He has been infected by fungal spores. These are not like the ones Stool uses. These are invasive and have grown tendrils deep into his brain. You have seen one or two others who have been infected this severely, but both of them had become mindless zombies by this stage in their infection. You also sense that these spores are not entirely the same as what you have seen before. You sense a presence within Sarith - some kind of malevolent intelligence - and as you are probing within his mind, it begins reaching back out toward yours.
I need you to make a wisdom saving throw.
Vrah tries to move the stone and cannot budge it an inch. It easily weighs several thousand pounds.
"Worth a shot." Vrah mumbles out and then sits with his back against the stone near the entrance to take the first watch.
Perception: 15
Shoowaa thinks “They been gone for a while so should be safe? Watches would be good yes.” Shoowaa will keep watch with his goblin friend.
Tanis puts in: "I say we camp here and keep watch as we always do. Nowhere down here is free from danger, and this seems as good a spot as any. I can keep first watch if anyone wants to join me. Perhaps two to a watch as we've been doing to be safe?"
He eats a Goodberry and hands out any of the remaining 8 to those that need it. He casts the spell again with his last spell slot just before going to sleep once his watch is done, assuming the party agrees to rest here.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Before we get into the watches, we need to resolve whatever happens between Kisiki and Sarith.
WIS save: 25
Here's what you sense happening:
The dark presence you feel within Sarith begins reaching for your own mind. You see flashes of madness and insanity and unspeakable evil, but you were already in communion with Semuana when you approached Sarith. That divine presence shields and protects you and the evil is not able to get a foothold in your mind.
After casting detect poison and disease, Kisiki takes a good hard look at Sarith. After a moment, he makes a gesture of warding, an open-palmed circular rotation of his hand, as though slapping away a fly ((wax on / wax off)). He turns his attention to the group and announces, "something infects Sarith: it is a creature made of evil - perhaps a spirit or an Other - and it has roots in his mind. Deep roots, like a gum tree. It uses fungus to enter the physical world. If I can remove the fungus, the spirit may be unrooted from his mind, but it is very deep..."
He looks back to Sarith. "Do you understand the danger you are in?" he extends a hand, palm up, beckoning the Drow over. "Come to me; let Sarith decide to save himself from the wickedness that whispers in his mind. Sarith, reject evil, decide to work with the Cycle."
By repeating his name, Kisiki is hoping that Sarith will come to his senses long enough to accept help. If he does, Kisiki will perform the lesser restoration ritual described above. If not, Kisiki will call upon the group to hold Sarith down against his will.
Persuasion: 12
Sarith draws his sword and begins backing away from the group "Stay out of my mind lizard man! You people need me more than I need you. Who has been guiding you through these passages? If you don't want my help anymore, that's fine with me. I travel faster and safer alone."
"Grab him! And do not hurt him; he will understand and thank us when this rot is gone from his mind."
Edit: Kisiki would like to let Petmailer try to persuade him before yelling to grab him ((we posted 1 min apart))
vvvvvvvv
Petmailer steps forward, in a calming voice, says in undercommon, “Brother, calm down, put your sword down. We have fought together, helped each other, and it will continue! Please, if there is something making you sick, affecting you, allow him to help! Please, Sarith, stay with us…”
Persuasion : 15
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.