Tests and Trials Game Thread

((The dice are not with me here.))

Ernos notes the source of the smoke doesn't appear to have moved from yesterday, or not much at least.

Jaq is suitably impressed with the showiness of the ring of holding or whatever close to it that it is.  "Clever" is his comment on it.

"Hm, they stay in place.  A consistent shelter for hunters maybe?  Or a bandit camp."

Following Ernos towards where he is confident the origin of the smoke must be the party trudges down the mountain. The ground crunches beneath their feet but the noise is quickly swallowed up by the snow. The few bare deciduous trees at this elevation give glimpses of the gray sky but the tall evergreens keep those glimpses fleeting.

As it starts to get dark Ernos figures they must be close but stopping at a small clearing and checking the direction he figures the smoke should be in reveals only a darkening grey sky. Climbing a tree would give someone a better view of the sky, a presumably someone does without much effort. A quick look around finds the spot they came from up in the easily identifiable Cut. Slowly turning where the smoke should be reveals nothing... until whoever is looking turns and spots it.

A bit behind them and to the east. Well to the east.

((What would you like to do? You can continue to the smoke's source but you won't get there until well after dark now.))

"Do you think we mis-judged and travelled wrong ourselves, or did they move that far already?"

Cladmir simply shrugs and try to balance staying warm but not too sweaty but adjusting his gears.  As a former skirmisher he would have gladly range out ahead of the group but that was another life.  Now he would simply stay close to the paragon of righteousness that is Kroshav.  Plus he also did not have the advantage of the fancy magic Ernos seems to be doing.

"Are they trying to circle around us?"

"It was near on the exact place I saw the smoke yesterday last I could tell, so if they moved it would have been remarkably fast.  But to think I would get lost...  This place was forcibly forgotten, yes?  Perhaps something more addles the senses?"

((Depending on who climbed the tree you could probably determine if they moved. I would say that both Jaq and Ernos would be able to tell the smoke source doesn't seem to have moved in relation to the Cut (which is the landmark) and that you find yourselves quite a bit further to the west than you'd anticipated. Whatever you want to attribute that to is up to you!

Either way, making for the smoke in the dark or waiting for the morning? Either case can I get a pair of d20s))

Ernos is fine with setting up camp.  Not everyone gets good night vision like him.

((Or such strong navigational senses :P))

"Think it's gonna be hard to move in on them in the dark, I can't see too well if there isn't light, and I'm already not that sneaky without carrying a torch about."

((I'll roll one of them, someone else can roll the other. 2))

14

Jaq nods to Kroshav's comment, "Yeah, we should camp."  He gets out his sleeping gear and hopes he can stay somewhat warm.

"Yes, Ernos. Whatever magic hides the city name might have something to do with this, you are right, it must be some sporking strong magics."

"You mean why we can't say 'xkxkxkkxkxkxkxkx'? Hopefully it doesn't make us get lost on the way back... though Gethren was able to find us, maybe he has something that lets him avoid that magic. I think he had one of Lurn's fingers before... maybe he had more, and is using it to track him? I don't think burning's really Kev-Kelemvor's style, but if Gethren can track Lurn's body, if we put in in the tomb, he can just have his undead buddies dig him up. I'm not going to let that happen."

((Everyone can give me an arcana on the magic around xkxkxkxkxkxk, if they'd like. Also, an arcana on Kroshav's suggestion for how he is tracking Lurn, Kroshav with advantage.

Kroshav can also give me a religion check on how Kevin feels about burning bodies to prevent undeadness. Anyone else with a reason to know can roll as well.

Keeping watches during the night? Keeping the fire going? You'll be much more visible, but without it you'll be needing a con save to make it through the night without taking a level of exhaustion.))

Arcana for location: 13
Arcana for tracking: 11

While setting up camp, Ernos sets his focus on the fire.  Digging into the snow and gathering it from nearby, he builds up a small pit to contain the fire and shelter the light, and he'll try to use prestidigitation to dry out (as part of the 'clean or soil' effect) branches to be used for the fire, to make less smoke  (That one's an iffy effect, some DMs let the spell dry things and some don't).

"Many say it is darkest and coldest just before the dawn.  I will keep watch at that time, so that you may all keep your bedding bundled for warmth."

((NOW I get the good rolls))

Ernos doesn't have any issue seeing the location where the archives are, about, on the mountainside. He also didn't have any trouble finding the entrance before, and nor did Jaq and co. when they first arrived. He would guess that simply erasing the name and references to the place is the main focus of the magic and that there doesn't seem to be any element of confusion as to the location...? But that would mean he got lost, which is nigh impossible. So, by deduction, he must therefore conclude there is, in fact, some minor disorientation magic in effect.

A scrying spell would do exactly what Kroshav is describing, especially if the person doing the scrying has a bit of the person they want to scry. That Gethren didn't seem to be aware that Lurn had passed would indicate that either his information was out of date or that he is getting it second hand (cough). Putting Lurn's body in Ernos' ring would also effectively hide it from scrying as well.

Arcana for static: 8
Arcana for Gethren tracking Lurn: 14
Religion for Kevin and burning: 1