Rantel finalizes the crime scene in his head, looking for any other signs of how this happened, short of the what he assumes was a dinner plate for the monster’s kids. Nothing else relevant on the island? If not, he kicks the armor/skeleton/body over to see if anything is revealed that it was lying on. He grabs the belt and dagger and anything else remaining - is clothing gone too? If they’re is nothing else relevant, he uses create bonfire to incinerate the creepy crawlers and reveal anything else that might have been left behind. He assumes anything flammable has been rotted or eaten. The adventurer in plate only has a dagger? Any rings or amulets or signs of who this was?
He reports in a low voice what he sees to the group. He asks if anyone wants some moldy, rusty plate armor.
Celeste listens to Hoghead's share, her head tilting and expression softening with compassion. After a long silence, she'd pipe up. "Welp. I mean I did wonder 'bout the no beard." Celeste admits. "But I also thought it'd be rude teh ask. An' I didn't wanna make ya grumpier." She grins. "An' I mean, I rather not allow anyone teh die down hurr." The blonde scrunches her nose, then sighs. "But if yer gunna be one of those self-sacrificing blokes just cause you dun wanna fight yer own demons..." She scratches her head. "Then that's a shame." He feels her give him a pat on the back. "Figurin' shit out's half the fun." Celeste smiles. "An' the journey's always better with friends, even if ya wanna kill 'em half the time." She winks.
After a moment Celeste offers him her hand to help him up. "Hog, I am sorry for your loss, an' the nightmares that haunt you." Her eyes met his. She was genuine in her words and would be willing to listen to his story if he ever wanted to share. "There is light amongst the darkness." The young woman believed in her own words passionately. "An' if you'd have it, I hope we all find our way to the surface to witness the stars amongst the dark night sky again."
Hog accepts the help from Celeste and embraces her. He holds on longer than he intended but finally lets go. "Ya know, I haven't always been like this. I used to be a normal person. I'm not sure most people make a decision to become bad. I made a lot of small decisions that were the right one's at the time, and then, before I knew it I had lost everything because I was trying too hard to keep it. That prolly doesn't make sense. I'm not going to say that I've changed my mind about leaving here. I already have had more gold than I could ever spend and walked away from it. Making money is nothing more than a game. It is one that I have always been competitive about. I made a lot of money off other people and I was good at it. Really good at it. Money is nothing more than a scorecard. If I have more than you, I win."
Hoghead turns to the group, "When I first got in that cage to lower into the portal, my plan was to collect all the treasures I could and eventually be cut down and die with my spoils. Somewhere I decided that I would try to keep you all alive. Now, I don't trust that the next time some sumamabatch hits me I won't lose my shit and kill all of you. You all will probably die without me but you will probably die with me too. We're all effed."
"Well ones path is never as straight forward as it may seem. There are always unforseen twists and turns. As for the other ill take my chances. But blinding you as it were does take a bit out of me" with that he turns towards. Rant.
"If there isnt anything worthy might as well come back so we can leave these forsaken waters"
Rantels nothing organic left on the body - or the small rocky outcropping - at all. His magical fire consumes or scatters the smaller creatures, several of them managing to scurry off into the water on the far side of the rock and disappear.
The Tortle finds nothing else of interest on or around the body, but does notice the telltale metallic remnants of a belt and scabbard and of a pack of some kind. No sword or larger blade can be seen and certainly no signet ring marking this as one of the lost heirs you seek.
SUMMARY AND ACTION
Ok team - further out into the water or back to the skeleton farmer room to try the last door?
Rantel secures the gold and dagger and if he can easily bring the plate back he will try but if it’s too heavy and annoying he will leave it. He can’t use it and it’s not clear anyone else could either.
Once he is back he gives a full report and asks Hoghead, “so did anything change between how you felt before you lost control and how you feel now?”
Jane looks serious, but in an open way as Hoghead addresses the group. "You know, I've seen someone do the thing you just said, make a lot of little decisions that turn a person bad. Here's something I wish I could say to him, and I hope you know it's true. It's never too late, and you're never too bad. I bet there's someone thinking of you that would love to see you gain some redemption. And that can't happen for them if you never come back. Now I can't make you believe that, but I hope you think on it." Looking around at the water she addresses the group as well. "I can't say I'm eager for a swim, should we double back and see if we missed anything?"
Rantel fumbles with the rusty, moldy armor and finally gives up, wiping off the slime on his hands before clambering back in the water to swim back to the party. As he steps out onto the shallow ledge and stands up to his full height, a small crawler can be seen clinging to the Tortle's shell, gnawing ineffectively against the thick armor.
The rest of the party gathers and makes their way back down the rift, eventually getting to the broken hallway. Using the rope and the ample handholds, the party clambers back up and begins moving back down the hallway.
As you approach the large room where you first met Celeste and destroyed the skeleton farmers, Bree holds up her small fist and pitches her voice low 'Let me creep forward and see if anything has come back since we were last here'
Bree slinks forward (19) keeping low and to the shadows.
The halfling disappears into the darkness, quickly scouting the room before returning to the party 'Quiet in here, but the skeletons are gone and someone removed the tree-monster thingy. Looks like they cut it off and left the stump in place' she looks at each of you 'I don't like it and the whole place down here gives me the creeps, but there is still one door we haven't been through - seems our missing heiress is probably in that direction'
SUMMARY AND ACTION
Ok, back in the large square room you dropped into:
Luminescent fungus, shedding violet light, clings to the walls and ceiling of this wide cavern. The air is damp, chilly, and redolent with the odors of loam and decay. A layer of earth, mixed with rotting vegetation and the remains of cave animals, covers the floor. Several varieties of mushrooms and fungi grow on the detritus, as well as a few saplings.
Nothing remains of the skeleton farmers you encountered before and the tree blight has been removed from where it once was rooted into the earth, the stump still visible right where you expected it to be.
You have entered through a door on the Southern Wall near the Eastern corner. There is a door on the Eastern Wall near the Northern corner - about 75 feet from where you are. The caverns that Celeste wandered in through are direct to the North, you can see the opening into the cavern complex there. Celeste was able to squeeze through those spaces using her wildshape ability and isn't sure there is a path out for humanoid-sized creatures.
Rantel thanks Bree for the scouting report, and asks if she would mind scouting the approach to the other door, and see if the door can be opened safely. He’d like to see what is remaining to be found in this place.
The halfling checks the door over carefully and finds that it's untrapped and unlocked, but she also notices signs of recent passage through the door. Returning to the party she relays that information and a warning 'They might know we're here - or at least know that someone is here, looks like someone has been through this doorway relatively recently'
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Celeste’s ears twitch to Bree’s warning. After a pause, the young woman couldn’t just stand still and wait. She decides to start sniffing around to check some things out for herself. Maybe she could track them, or elaborate on Bree’s findings, or discover something new! She’d hum to herself as she meanders about.
Survival: 21 + guidance: 4 Perception: 23 + guidance: 2 Nature if needed: 14 + guidance: 3 (apologies if a little excessive with the rolls)
Celeste's nose knows indeed. Her finely tuned survival skills pick up what Bree missed - three individuals have come through and gone back through the doorway. One of them appears to be wearing heavy, hob-nailed boots like those of an armored warrior. One appears to be wearing light sandals, maybe with a flowing dress of some sort dragging through the tracks at moments. The last was barefoot, the toes splayed open from someone who has spent a lifetime in direct contact with the earth below them.
SUMMARY AND ACTION
Sorry folks busy week here - Celeste's rolls give you all the available info. I'm botting StPat this week while he lazes on a Mexican beach - if you all are ready to move forward we can have Hoghead tuck his shield under his chin and step through, or have Bree creep into the next room unseen. Your call.
(ok - skipping RP on the short-rest, we'll count the down time on the lakes edge and the Hoghead monologue unless anyone has an objection)
Bree creeps forward, leading the party by 40 feet or so to stay as unobtrusive as possible. She approaches the door and stops, pulling a small flask of oil out of her pack and applying it liberally to the hinges. She pushes the door open and leans into the room beyond.
Two rows of dragon-carved marble columns march the length of the hall, most completely covered in luminescent fungus.
The cobbled floor is cracked and stained, and on it sit many small wooden tables. The contents on the tables include mortars and pestles, small tools, bowls filled with crushed leaves, chopped fungus stalks, and other plant specimens.
The many doors leading off this hall are all partly open.
Seeing no one in the room and nothing dangerous, Bree waves the party forward and steps into the main hall. She quickly sees that each of the six doors (3 to the North 3 to the South) open onto individual rooms (each room appears to be roughly 30x30). She can hear the sounds of activity and low chatter in several of the rooms.
SUMMARY AND ACTION
You all are either just inside the doorway or just on the other side. Bree has crept in 10 feet ahead and signaled noises in several of the rooms off the main hallway. There are no creatures in this main hallway.
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Rantel finalizes the crime scene in his head, looking for any other signs of how this happened, short of the what he assumes was a dinner plate for the monster’s kids. Nothing else relevant on the island? If not, he kicks the armor/skeleton/body over to see if anything is revealed that it was lying on. He grabs the belt and dagger and anything else remaining - is clothing gone too? If they’re is nothing else relevant, he uses create bonfire to incinerate the creepy crawlers and reveal anything else that might have been left behind. He assumes anything flammable has been rotted or eaten. The adventurer in plate only has a dagger? Any rings or amulets or signs of who this was?
He reports in a low voice what he sees to the group. He asks if anyone wants some moldy, rusty plate armor.
Celeste listens to Hoghead's share, her head tilting and expression softening with compassion. After a long silence, she'd pipe up. "Welp. I mean I did wonder 'bout the no beard." Celeste admits. "But I also thought it'd be rude teh ask. An' I didn't wanna make ya grumpier." She grins. "An' I mean, I rather not allow anyone teh die down hurr." The blonde scrunches her nose, then sighs. "But if yer gunna be one of those self-sacrificing blokes just cause you dun wanna fight yer own demons..." She scratches her head. "Then that's a shame." He feels her give him a pat on the back. "Figurin' shit out's half the fun." Celeste smiles. "An' the journey's always better with friends, even if ya wanna kill 'em half the time." She winks.
After a moment Celeste offers him her hand to help him up. "Hog, I am sorry for your loss, an' the nightmares that haunt you." Her eyes met his. She was genuine in her words and would be willing to listen to his story if he ever wanted to share. "There is light amongst the darkness." The young woman believed in her own words passionately. "An' if you'd have it, I hope we all find our way to the surface to witness the stars amongst the dark night sky again."
just an unstable unicorn.
Hog accepts the help from Celeste and embraces her. He holds on longer than he intended but finally lets go. "Ya know, I haven't always been like this. I used to be a normal person. I'm not sure most people make a decision to become bad. I made a lot of small decisions that were the right one's at the time, and then, before I knew it I had lost everything because I was trying too hard to keep it. That prolly doesn't make sense. I'm not going to say that I've changed my mind about leaving here. I already have had more gold than I could ever spend and walked away from it. Making money is nothing more than a game. It is one that I have always been competitive about. I made a lot of money off other people and I was good at it. Really good at it. Money is nothing more than a scorecard. If I have more than you, I win."
Hoghead turns to the group, "When I first got in that cage to lower into the portal, my plan was to collect all the treasures I could and eventually be cut down and die with my spoils. Somewhere I decided that I would try to keep you all alive. Now, I don't trust that the next time some sumamabatch hits me I won't lose my shit and kill all of you. You all will probably die without me but you will probably die with me too. We're all effed."
"Well ones path is never as straight forward as it may seem. There are always unforseen twists and turns. As for the other ill take my chances. But blinding you as it were does take a bit out of me" with that he turns towards. Rant.
"If there isnt anything worthy might as well come back so we can leave these forsaken waters"
Laissez les bons temps rouler
Rantels nothing organic left on the body - or the small rocky outcropping - at all. His magical fire consumes or scatters the smaller creatures, several of them managing to scurry off into the water on the far side of the rock and disappear.
The Tortle finds nothing else of interest on or around the body, but does notice the telltale metallic remnants of a belt and scabbard and of a pack of some kind. No sword or larger blade can be seen and certainly no signet ring marking this as one of the lost heirs you seek.
SUMMARY AND ACTION
Ok team - further out into the water or back to the skeleton farmer room to try the last door?
Rantel secures the gold and dagger and if he can easily bring the plate back he will try but if it’s too heavy and annoying he will leave it. He can’t use it and it’s not clear anyone else could either.
Once he is back he gives a full report and asks Hoghead, “so did anything change between how you felt before you lost control and how you feel now?”
Jane looks serious, but in an open way as Hoghead addresses the group. "You know, I've seen someone do the thing you just said, make a lot of little decisions that turn a person bad. Here's something I wish I could say to him, and I hope you know it's true. It's never too late, and you're never too bad. I bet there's someone thinking of you that would love to see you gain some redemption. And that can't happen for them if you never come back. Now I can't make you believe that, but I hope you think on it." Looking around at the water she addresses the group as well. "I can't say I'm eager for a swim, should we double back and see if we missed anything?"
Zerxius looks at Hogshead bit says nothing.
In reply to Jane. "Yes i think we should. This (motions to lake) is pretty much a dead end"
Laissez les bons temps rouler
Celeste's eyes go wide in surprise from Hoghead's embrace, then a dimple smile grows to match. She returns the hug enthusiastically. "Yay a hug!"
When Jane would talk, Celeste's wide yes go to her, softening in awe. She nods affirmatively to her words.
Celeste is almost too curious to leave, however when most would express interest in going the other way, she'd contently tag along.
just an unstable unicorn.
Rantel fumbles with the rusty, moldy armor and finally gives up, wiping off the slime on his hands before clambering back in the water to swim back to the party. As he steps out onto the shallow ledge and stands up to his full height, a small crawler can be seen clinging to the Tortle's shell, gnawing ineffectively against the thick armor.
The rest of the party gathers and makes their way back down the rift, eventually getting to the broken hallway. Using the rope and the ample handholds, the party clambers back up and begins moving back down the hallway.
As you approach the large room where you first met Celeste and destroyed the skeleton farmers, Bree holds up her small fist and pitches her voice low 'Let me creep forward and see if anything has come back since we were last here'
Bree slinks forward (19) keeping low and to the shadows.
The halfling disappears into the darkness, quickly scouting the room before returning to the party 'Quiet in here, but the skeletons are gone and someone removed the tree-monster thingy. Looks like they cut it off and left the stump in place' she looks at each of you 'I don't like it and the whole place down here gives me the creeps, but there is still one door we haven't been through - seems our missing heiress is probably in that direction'
SUMMARY AND ACTION
Ok, back in the large square room you dropped into:
Luminescent fungus, shedding violet light, clings to the walls and ceiling of this wide cavern. The air is damp, chilly, and redolent with the odors of loam and decay. A layer of earth, mixed with rotting vegetation and the remains of cave animals, covers the floor. Several varieties of mushrooms and fungi grow on the detritus, as well as a few saplings.
Nothing remains of the skeleton farmers you encountered before and the tree blight has been removed from where it once was rooted into the earth, the stump still visible right where you expected it to be.
You have entered through a door on the Southern Wall near the Eastern corner. There is a door on the Eastern Wall near the Northern corner - about 75 feet from where you are. The caverns that Celeste wandered in through are direct to the North, you can see the opening into the cavern complex there. Celeste was able to squeeze through those spaces using her wildshape ability and isn't sure there is a path out for humanoid-sized creatures.
Rantel thanks Bree for the scouting report, and asks if she would mind scouting the approach to the other door, and see if the door can be opened safely. He’d like to see what is remaining to be found in this place.
Bree nods her head and creeps forward towards the unexplored door. 20
The halfling checks the door over carefully and finds that it's untrapped and unlocked, but she also notices signs of recent passage through the door. Returning to the party she relays that information and a warning 'They might know we're here - or at least know that someone is here, looks like someone has been through this doorway relatively recently'
"Could you tell who, or what, 'they' are?" Lumen murmurs.
"Well we couldnt expect secrecy to last forever"
Laissez les bons temps rouler
Celeste’s ears twitch to Bree’s warning. After a pause, the young woman couldn’t just stand still and wait. She decides to start sniffing around to check some things out for herself. Maybe she could track them, or elaborate on Bree’s findings, or discover something new! She’d hum to herself as she meanders about.
Survival: 21 + guidance: 4
Perception: 23 + guidance: 2
Nature if needed: 14 + guidance: 3
(apologies if a little excessive with the rolls)
just an unstable unicorn.
Celeste's nose knows indeed. Her finely tuned survival skills pick up what Bree missed - three individuals have come through and gone back through the doorway. One of them appears to be wearing heavy, hob-nailed boots like those of an armored warrior. One appears to be wearing light sandals, maybe with a flowing dress of some sort dragging through the tracks at moments. The last was barefoot, the toes splayed open from someone who has spent a lifetime in direct contact with the earth below them.
SUMMARY AND ACTION
Sorry folks busy week here - Celeste's rolls give you all the available info. I'm botting StPat this week while he lazes on a Mexican beach - if you all are ready to move forward we can have Hoghead tuck his shield under his chin and step through, or have Bree creep into the next room unseen. Your call.
"Some caution seems wise here, let's try to go through as quiet as we can."
Jane speaks in a low voice in hopes that the sound won't carry too far, and looks at Bree as an invitation to go first.
(ok - skipping RP on the short-rest, we'll count the down time on the lakes edge and the Hoghead monologue unless anyone has an objection)
Bree creeps forward, leading the party by 40 feet or so to stay as unobtrusive as possible. She approaches the door and stops, pulling a small flask of oil out of her pack and applying it liberally to the hinges. She pushes the door open and leans into the room beyond.
Two rows of dragon-carved marble columns march the length of the hall, most completely covered in luminescent fungus.
The cobbled floor is cracked and stained, and on it sit many small wooden tables. The contents on the tables include mortars and pestles, small tools, bowls filled with crushed leaves, chopped fungus stalks, and other plant specimens.
The many doors leading off this hall are all partly open.
Seeing no one in the room and nothing dangerous, Bree waves the party forward and steps into the main hall. She quickly sees that each of the six doors (3 to the North 3 to the South) open onto individual rooms (each room appears to be roughly 30x30). She can hear the sounds of activity and low chatter in several of the rooms.
SUMMARY AND ACTION
You all are either just inside the doorway or just on the other side. Bree has crept in 10 feet ahead and signaled noises in several of the rooms off the main hallway. There are no creatures in this main hallway.