Gnome's OOTA Story Thread [CLOSED]

After collapse:

As soon as he hears the loud -CRACK- Khessa reaches out and grabs a ledge, all while rapidly intoning a short formula, in response to which... those who could not hold on to something and were falling, do so at reduced speed , as if they had become as light as a feather, avoiding damage on the way down.

(OOC: Feather Fall can save up to 5 creatures - negating the falling damage for them. Two are Traydark and Sartith, who failed their save. Khessa will also save the next 3 who fail - if any. If a 4th fails... oh, well, Khessa can do nothing for him)

In the cavern below, the tall adventuress listens attentively to the information on mushrooms and in any case takes at least a small sample of each type for herself, noting their properties and peculiarities.

The blonde arcane warrior helps harvest Barrelstalk and Fire lichen, but she also begins to experiment with Torchstalk: "Let's see if even those things can be of use for us!"

She gets some, then, one by one, she picks a Torchstalk, tries to throw it far and hitting it with a Fire Bolt. She wants to determine, roughly, how many, on average, explode on ignition (@DM: 1 in ten? 1 in twenty?) and how powerful the explosion is (@DM: seeing the flash it makes and examining the burns it leaves, it will make about one damage similar to a Fire Bolt? Or more? Or less?). Based on this information, she decides whether to take some of them with her and how many.

(@DM: the cave ends here? Or there are passages that allow further exploration?)

Quote from Painted_Beyond >>

 gets some, then, one by one, she picks a Torchstalk, tries to throw it far and hitting it with a Fire Bolt. He wants to determine, roughly, how many, on average, explode on ignition (@DM: 1 in ten? 1 in twenty?) and how powerful the explosion is (@DM: seeing the flash it makes and examining the burns it leaves, it will make about one damage similar to a Fire Bolt? Or more? Or less?). Based on this information, she decides whether to take some of them with her and how many.

(@DM: the cave ends here? Or there are passages that allow further exploration?)

 

 (You don't know)

(The flash is small, like lighting a very large match or a torch. Probably won't do much actual damage)

(Make an investigation check!)

Investigation: 13

(Katryl DEX Save: 12)
(Eldeth DEX Save: 17)

"I have to agree with Ebzer. In fact, all the fungi might have value when we get where we're going," Katryl says.  Then as Khessa starts to throw some of them and blast them with fire bolts, she exclaims, "What are you doing? We won't be able to get any value from these if you've seared them all beforehand!"  

"I have heared they can explode on ignition..." Khessa explains "Wished to assess if they could make for good exploding weapons".

"Sadly, it seems they can not..." the blonde arcane warrior comes to the conclusion "Explosion rate too unpredictable plus explosion power too low. Sorry for have wasted a few, I thought they could have been more useful. We can by all means simply sell the remaining ones. You see? I did not blast them all..."

Caught by Khessa's magic to land comfortably on his feet, the noble drow turns to nod and smile towards the blonde arcane warrior. 
As the others harvest the fungi, Traydark would look around for ways to continue towards Gracklstugh.

Investigation: 18

(Forgot to roll Buppido's save! Sorry, I had had really lots of things to do and take care of, lately - I roll now. Poor Buppido... he would not deserve to be trascured that much)

Buppido's dex save: 10

Quote from Oberon99 >>

Caught by Khessa's magic to land comfortably on his feet, the noble drow turns to nod and smile towards the blonde arcane warrior. 
...

Khessa smiles back at the noble drow: "Do you see? The good that one does pays off, sooner or later... If you had not helped me to master magic, now you could have broken your leg!" she winks.

After a little bit of poking around the spacious cavern, you found a couple of openings, one which seems to be the source of the warm moist air coming in and another that leads out and further into the Underdark in roughly the same direction as the path that you had been on before.

"I believe we could continue this way towards Gracklstugh." The noble drow calls out to the others, standing by the tunnel leading on, ready to move on when everyone else is.

Though his mood has lightened somewhat by the rest of the group seemingly forgiving his cowardice, Ebzer is still in a very introspective mood.  He helps to harvest the lichen, but has no real opinion on whether they investigate the source of the warm air or continue on to Gracklstugh.

"Nobody (except me) would be curious to investigate the warm moist air branch?" asks Khessa "The heat source should be near... and who knows if we can find something interesting, before coming back here and heading to Gracklstugh?"

"If it glittered of gold, sounded of sweet music or smelt of delicious food I would be more inclined to investigate closer but as it is it will likely be a lava flow or some similar heat radiating natural feature of the Underdark. Still if you insist on exploring it we can do that, just be careful." The noble drow says with a bow.

"Oh, well... I confess that I would be curious to investigate..." Khessa's blue eyes are lost for a moment in the void, dreamy, as she tries to imagine what a 'lava flow' could ever be look like, since she has never seen one in her life (she has hardly ever heard of existence of the lava!) "but I don't want to impose myself on everyone, which is why I was also asking you all what you thought. So, Trydark, you fear that it could be a useless exploration or, even worse, a dangerous one... and I admit that you speak with an experience that is certainly greater than mine. While Ebzer, if I well read his facial expression, looks completely undecided. Katryl? What do you think about it? Are you feeling curious, like me? Or rather cautious and sensible, like Traydark?"

Katryl glances between Khessa and Traydark.  "I would love to explore the source of the heat, but I think we'd best keep moving towards Gracklstugh."

"Ok, so be it then, all to Gracklstugh! And let's hope they know how to forge a metal armor there!" Khessa resumes her place in the row and is ready to continue.

Ebzer isn't undecided so much as unconcerned, although he wonders if Traydark and Khessa need some time alone in a warm humid place. Gross.

Quote from rob88scps2 >>

Ebzer isn't undecided so much as unconcerned, although he wonders if Traydark and Khessa need some time alone in a warm humid place. Gross.

(Lol! Truth to be told, Khessa would have loved to find a thermal water source and have a hot bath instead of the usual frigid self-cleaning with rationated not heated water. She would also have been curious anyway, not having any familiarity with vulcanic phenomena. Plus, on the  metagaming side, I'm inclined to suspect that the obviously not-city-headed way could have had some treasure in store for us (although maybe with dangers also).  Anyway, if Khessa assumed wrong and you actually have a preference, just tell!)

And so off you trek once more into the underbelly of the world, taking in sightless sights and turning over the past events in your mind, perhaps hoping your sanity remains intact as long as possible now. The path out of the fungal filled cavern wends and winds its way up and down for the better part of another day, when the monotonous sounds of walking and breathing are broken by the sound of clacking, the sound of bone and nail on rock and dirt and a moment later, a pair of hook horror rush by in front of you from your right to your left, out of smaller gaps in the tunnel walls!

You may make a perception check if you wish.

Please roll initiative!

The tunnel you are in is 10-15 feet wide at most and 10 ft high. It is completely dark unless you keep it lit.