The two women jump in surprise at Zartan's appearance. They both stand and retreat, one helping the other hobble away on a bad foot. The others seem to withdraw and stare at Zartan with alarm from the shadows.
Zartan will continue to advance keeping watch for any movement or indications of attack. He will say "Hi, my name's Zartan. Sorry if I surprised you all."
They do not make any hostile moves. But neither do they seem interested in talking. Some turn away and ignore Zartan; others stare and whisper. An unseen baby begins to cry somewhere in one of the holes. The musical cacophony continues above, together with crowd noises. It is a bright, moonlit evening, and a bit chilly.
You are maybe five miles south of Hollow, but what little you can see above (around the edges of the cenote) looks (and sounds) urban, or at least well-populated and built up.
Walt moves a bit closer to get a visual on Zartan. "I'm going to go out there and see what's going on. May the Wild Mother watch over me." Walt casts guidance on himself and secures his spear to his pack before stepping out into the open. He hugs the outer walls, looking around as he goes. He sits down with his back to a the wall and casts produce flame to light up the area.
Perception check 24 (15 + 6 + 3 guidance). Looking to the trees, the nooks in the walls for any helpful info. Also monitoring the temperature for sudden changes.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Pronouns: he/him/his
Pud - lvl 7 Human Artificer - Alchemist (The Wild Beyond the Witchlight).
Quinn - lvl 4 Human Ranger - Hunter (Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk)
Aranor watches Zartan and Walt exit the tunnel. Before he does the same, he takes heed of Pax's advice and scans the entrance of the tunnel for any tracks that would suggest people coming and going. With his darkvision, he is able to see relatively well even in the darkness.
Walt exits second. Lighting up the area with an arcane flame, he carefully the trees, rocks, and nooks. This is definitely a dry cenote – a natural sinkhole, resulting from the collapse of an ancient cavern. It was probably originally filled with water, and this one remains damp, based on the lush greenery growing out of the side. It's also clear that this cenote was also a mining operation, but these mines were abandoned centuries ago. Now it seems impoverished citizens dwell amid the scaffolding, which they use to climb in and out. The temperature is cool - similar to the temperature of the tunnel he just emerged from, although there is a refreshing breeze here under the moonlight, even at the bottom of a 100-foot pit. There are buildings and walls and railings clustered all around the edges at the top. He sees moving lights reflecting off a few surfaces far above.
Aranor sees lots of prints in the dirt and sand – bootprints, bare footprints, a child's prints, some sort of feline – in and out of the mouth of the tunnel, but they quickly dissipate. It seems few go deeper than maybe 20 feet.
Bendrak approaches a curious teenager, but the locals seem quick to retreat. "Nope," she says, and walks away.
Seeing as none of these folk seem liable to attack, and none appear to be fiendish owls carrying a death curse, Pax also wonders out and sits next to Walt. "We have one clue. The picture of that house with the word "Home" written on it. I think we should find that house." Should anyone else of the party be around, he also shares his theory with them.
Aranor joins the others in the cenote. He tells the group that he found many tracks, but there are too many to discern who is using the tunnel for sure.
"Good idea, Pax," he says. "Maybe we should wait for morning though? I am all right in the dark, but it may be easier for us to find the house by daylight. This place seems safe enough to make camp if we choose to. These people don't seem like a threat."
"I have a feeling we may not get the luxury of a rest. It is the Night of the Remembered, everyone is out celebrating, and there is a curse spreading which only attacks people who are out at night. I am concerned if we do not put a stop to things this very night, then many people will suffer."
Walt extinguishes his fire, dusts himself off and begins walking towards his friends. He digs out the drawings with cityscapes marked 'Home' and the drawing of who we believe to be Itzmin. He's sure to keep the drawing of the tiefling safe behind the drawings of the cityscape. He casually approaches the campfire in the middle of the cenote. He sits in front of the fire and warms his hands for a brief moment. He looks up, smiles at anyone who looks at him and nods his head before looking down and staring at the flickering campfire as it warms his old bones.
He speaks up and addresses anyone who might be listening as he continues staring into the fire.
"Cold night isn't it?... My friends and I have been traveling much of the day. Many of us come from the Radiant Citadel. We came to this land to help a friend whose mother might have been in danger. We searched for her in Milpazul. But we were too late. She was lost to the Sereno"
Walt looks up and eyes the reaction, if any, to what he's said. Insight check: 10
"Though it's too late for our friends mother, it's not too late for you all. We don't want anymore mothers, fathers, grandparents...or children to fall to this curse. We're here to help."
Walt unfurls the drawings of the cityscape, holds them up and shows them to anyone still listening.
"We believe this place, and perhaps the person who lives there, might be the key to ending this plague. We need your help. I beg of you. Help us find this place so we can try to put an end to this wretched plague."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Pronouns: he/him/his
Pud - lvl 7 Human Artificer - Alchemist (The Wild Beyond the Witchlight).
Quinn - lvl 4 Human Ranger - Hunter (Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk)
Tuuli swings her crossbow back around and strolls out after the others, a wide smile on her face and a deck of cards mysteriously appearing in her hands. Lucky pounces on something at the entrance and then follows her jauntily. Tuuli smiles at whomever Walt and Bendrak are addressing but walks a little further away, towards some of the younger denizens. "Hey there," she says, cheerily but low, and flourishes her deck, spreading it wide like a fan and fanning herself. Then with her other hand, she picks one card and shows it, the Ace of Swords. She flips it card out into the open area, where Lucky promptly jumps on it and tears it up, making cute growling sounds as pieces of card go flying...
Sleight of hand for card trick magic (igl): 16
She's doing all of this away from where the adults are sizing each other up. She crouches and says, "Oh, Lucky! Not the card!" Lucky pops out of existence, then snaps back into reality right in front of Tuuli. She reaches for him and produces the Ace of Swords from one of his ears. If she's attracted any attention, she plops onto her butt and offers the fanned deck out towards the observers...
Performance for enticing bystanders (igl): 21
At this point, she's just making friends.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
The first campfire having been abandoned, Walt approaches the second campfire, where three scrawny men sit around, warming themselves. His impassioned speech mostly gets a non-reaction - there is no flicker of obvious recognition to the names he drops. But make a Persuasion check.
A group of teenagers and children are amused by Lucky and Tuuli's antics. "Who are you?" one ventures.
Impressed by Walt's speech, but seeing little reaction from the people around the fire, he decides to take a more direct approach. He takes out some rations and his coin purse and holds them out. "It is not much but it is all the money I have. We suspect a tiefling named Itzmin may have something to do with this. I also suspect this Itzmin is quite a wealthy fellow in this town. Should he be responsible and we can stop him, I will gladly share his wealth with you all. I have no need for it."
(Can I give advantage to Walt's persuasion, or roll as well?)
Pax's approach doesn't get much more reaction than Walt's out of them. (Walt may still make his check, though.)
But Pax's money seems to talk. The men's eyes light up at the coins. (How much are you distributing?)
"We don't know nothing," offers one man to Pax, as he gladly accepts the money. "But I seen a strange spotted owl flying in and out of th' cenote at night sometimes. That help?"
Pax hands over all the coin he has (5gp). "It would help a lot more if you could tell us which way this owl usually goes. Oh, also, where exactly are we?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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Tuuli raises the crossbow and gets Ready to shoot one of the old women, if they attack.
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
The two women jump in surprise at Zartan's appearance. They both stand and retreat, one helping the other hobble away on a bad foot. The others seem to withdraw and stare at Zartan with alarm from the shadows.
Zartan will continue to advance keeping watch for any movement or indications of attack. He will say "Hi, my name's Zartan. Sorry if I surprised you all."
D&D since 1984
They do not make any hostile moves. But neither do they seem interested in talking. Some turn away and ignore Zartan; others stare and whisper. An unseen baby begins to cry somewhere in one of the holes. The musical cacophony continues above, together with crowd noises. It is a bright, moonlit evening, and a bit chilly.
Can I determine where I am in relation to the town?
D&D since 1984
You are maybe five miles south of Hollow, but what little you can see above (around the edges of the cenote) looks (and sounds) urban, or at least well-populated and built up.
Walt moves a bit closer to get a visual on Zartan. "I'm going to go out there and see what's going on. May the Wild Mother watch over me." Walt casts guidance on himself and secures his spear to his pack before stepping out into the open. He hugs the outer walls, looking around as he goes. He sits down with his back to a the wall and casts produce flame to light up the area.
Perception check 24 (15 + 6 + 3 guidance). Looking to the trees, the nooks in the walls for any helpful info. Also monitoring the temperature for sudden changes.
Pronouns: he/him/his
Pud - lvl 7 Human Artificer - Alchemist (The Wild Beyond the Witchlight).
Quinn - lvl 4 Human Ranger - Hunter (Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk)
Aranor watches Zartan and Walt exit the tunnel. Before he does the same, he takes heed of Pax's advice and scans the entrance of the tunnel for any tracks that would suggest people coming and going. With his darkvision, he is able to see relatively well even in the darkness.
Perception - 12
Extended Signature
Characters: Bryony Alderleaf (Phandelver and Below) ♦ Vesta Trevelyan (Vecna: Eve of Ruin) ♦ Ada Kendrick (Curse of Strahd) ♦ Gareth Blackwood (Dragon of Icespire Peak) ♦ Karys Velthune (Out of the Abyss) ♦ Surina Xarith (Simple, Heroic Adventure)
DM: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus
Bendrak strolls out toward the climbable timbers, looking for someone approachable.
"Evening folks, seen any strange creatures come this way? Big claws maybe?"
Walt exits second. Lighting up the area with an arcane flame, he carefully the trees, rocks, and nooks. This is definitely a dry cenote – a natural sinkhole, resulting from the collapse of an ancient cavern. It was probably originally filled with water, and this one remains damp, based on the lush greenery growing out of the side. It's also clear that this cenote was also a mining operation, but these mines were abandoned centuries ago. Now it seems impoverished citizens dwell amid the scaffolding, which they use to climb in and out. The temperature is cool - similar to the temperature of the tunnel he just emerged from, although there is a refreshing breeze here under the moonlight, even at the bottom of a 100-foot pit. There are buildings and walls and railings clustered all around the edges at the top. He sees moving lights reflecting off a few surfaces far above.
Aranor sees lots of prints in the dirt and sand – bootprints, bare footprints, a child's prints, some sort of feline – in and out of the mouth of the tunnel, but they quickly dissipate. It seems few go deeper than maybe 20 feet.
Bendrak approaches a curious teenager, but the locals seem quick to retreat. "Nope," she says, and walks away.
Seeing as none of these folk seem liable to attack, and none appear to be fiendish owls carrying a death curse, Pax also wonders out and sits next to Walt. "We have one clue. The picture of that house with the word "Home" written on it. I think we should find that house." Should anyone else of the party be around, he also shares his theory with them.
Zartan seeing no real threats, motions for everyone to move up and out of the tunnel.
D&D since 1984
Aranor joins the others in the cenote. He tells the group that he found many tracks, but there are too many to discern who is using the tunnel for sure.
"Good idea, Pax," he says. "Maybe we should wait for morning though? I am all right in the dark, but it may be easier for us to find the house by daylight. This place seems safe enough to make camp if we choose to. These people don't seem like a threat."
Extended Signature
Characters: Bryony Alderleaf (Phandelver and Below) ♦ Vesta Trevelyan (Vecna: Eve of Ruin) ♦ Ada Kendrick (Curse of Strahd) ♦ Gareth Blackwood (Dragon of Icespire Peak) ♦ Karys Velthune (Out of the Abyss) ♦ Surina Xarith (Simple, Heroic Adventure)
DM: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus
"I have a feeling we may not get the luxury of a rest. It is the Night of the Remembered, everyone is out celebrating, and there is a curse spreading which only attacks people who are out at night. I am concerned if we do not put a stop to things this very night, then many people will suffer."
Walt extinguishes his fire, dusts himself off and begins walking towards his friends. He digs out the drawings with cityscapes marked 'Home' and the drawing of who we believe to be Itzmin. He's sure to keep the drawing of the tiefling safe behind the drawings of the cityscape. He casually approaches the campfire in the middle of the cenote. He sits in front of the fire and warms his hands for a brief moment. He looks up, smiles at anyone who looks at him and nods his head before looking down and staring at the flickering campfire as it warms his old bones.
He speaks up and addresses anyone who might be listening as he continues staring into the fire.
"Cold night isn't it?... My friends and I have been traveling much of the day. Many of us come from the Radiant Citadel. We came to this land to help a friend whose mother might have been in danger. We searched for her in Milpazul. But we were too late. She was lost to the Sereno"
Walt looks up and eyes the reaction, if any, to what he's said. Insight check: 10
"Though it's too late for our friends mother, it's not too late for you all. We don't want anymore mothers, fathers, grandparents...or children to fall to this curse. We're here to help."
Walt unfurls the drawings of the cityscape, holds them up and shows them to anyone still listening.
"We believe this place, and perhaps the person who lives there, might be the key to ending this plague. We need your help. I beg of you. Help us find this place so we can try to put an end to this wretched plague."
Pronouns: he/him/his
Pud - lvl 7 Human Artificer - Alchemist (The Wild Beyond the Witchlight).
Quinn - lvl 4 Human Ranger - Hunter (Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk)
Tuuli swings her crossbow back around and strolls out after the others, a wide smile on her face and a deck of cards mysteriously appearing in her hands. Lucky pounces on something at the entrance and then follows her jauntily. Tuuli smiles at whomever Walt and Bendrak are addressing but walks a little further away, towards some of the younger denizens. "Hey there," she says, cheerily but low, and flourishes her deck, spreading it wide like a fan and fanning herself. Then with her other hand, she picks one card and shows it, the Ace of Swords. She flips it card out into the open area, where Lucky promptly jumps on it and tears it up, making cute growling sounds as pieces of card go flying...
Sleight of hand for card trick magic (igl): 16
She's doing all of this away from where the adults are sizing each other up. She crouches and says, "Oh, Lucky! Not the card!" Lucky pops out of existence, then snaps back into reality right in front of Tuuli. She reaches for him and produces the Ace of Swords from one of his ears. If she's attracted any attention, she plops onto her butt and offers the fanned deck out towards the observers...
Performance for enticing bystanders (igl): 21
At this point, she's just making friends.
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
The first campfire having been abandoned, Walt approaches the second campfire, where three scrawny men sit around, warming themselves. His impassioned speech mostly gets a non-reaction - there is no flicker of obvious recognition to the names he drops. But make a Persuasion check.
A group of teenagers and children are amused by Lucky and Tuuli's antics. "Who are you?" one ventures.
Impressed by Walt's speech, but seeing little reaction from the people around the fire, he decides to take a more direct approach. He takes out some rations and his coin purse and holds them out.
"It is not much but it is all the money I have. We suspect a tiefling named Itzmin may have something to do with this. I also suspect this Itzmin is quite a wealthy fellow in this town. Should he be responsible and we can stop him, I will gladly share his wealth with you all. I have no need for it."
(Can I give advantage to Walt's persuasion, or roll as well?)
Persuasion: 13 (igl)
Pax's approach doesn't get much more reaction than Walt's out of them. (Walt may still make his check, though.)
But Pax's money seems to talk. The men's eyes light up at the coins. (How much are you distributing?)
"We don't know nothing," offers one man to Pax, as he gladly accepts the money. "But I seen a strange spotted owl flying in and out of th' cenote at night sometimes. That help?"
Pax hands over all the coin he has (5gp). "It would help a lot more if you could tell us which way this owl usually goes. Oh, also, where exactly are we?"