The payment (and tip) now offered to the shop boy, CRAP exchanges looks and agrees that they have put off their departure long enough. You have discovered that Ellison was headed east along the Phlan Path and towards the Twilight Marsh. You have only a rough idea of where in the marsh you need to go, as the letter in the ruined backpack wasn't that detailed.
You know the Phlan Path to be the road along the northern coast of the Moonsea that connects Phlan and the city of Melvaunt. While it is one of the most well-developed roads along the northern coast of the Moonsea, for some stretches it is merely a well-trodden dirt path. Highwaymen are known to take advantage of travelers along this path but, lucky for you (or them), your trip toward the Marsh is relatively short. You estimate it will take no more than a travel-day (8 hours) on foot.
A three-hour hike along the Phlan Path takes you into mid-afternoon. There are several tracks along the path, mostly left by humanoids and animals, as can be expected for a well-traveled road. The area around you is already much wetter than the immediate outskirts of Phlan, and residents along the side of the road all seem to engage in the same economic activity: peat farming. Some time ago, Utar and Graxx helped a family of peat farmers in this area. In the far distance, you can see the beginnings of the marsh proper, though it is still at least a couple of hours away, possibly more. That said, as you travel down the road, you notice that the path begins to gradually bend away from the edge of the marsh. This seems to be a smart decision by whoever laid the path connecting the two city-states. Unfortunately, your purposes take you into the heart of the Twilight Marsh, not away from it. There is no doubt that you'll get closer to the marsh if you continue following the road, but it would certainly not lead you to the same entry point as the one you might seek if you were to leave the road now and make a run for the closest edge/limit/border of the marsh.
Will you continue on the road on attempt the shortcut?
Eyeing up the paths ahead, Utar knows that the shortcut is the obvious choice. CRAP are behind their target and cutting whatever lead their quarry has is sorely tempting... Still, the relative safety of the road has its own benefits, and is Ellison the sort to brave the unknown?
"What do we reckon? Stay on the road, or try to steal a march on our target? I'm for the shortcut, any other takers?"
Casting an eye over the route of the shortcut, does Utar notice any particular hazards that the group should be aware of? Likely spots for ambush or hidden marshy pits that might swallow up a half-Orc whole?
"Not exactly the choice of words that I am inclined to endorse-..." Obsben said with a bit of a grimace following Graxx' say, "But, seeing as I'm outnumbered in any event, I suppose the shorter path is the one we take. Though once we get to the more, uhm, wading watery parts Graxx, I hope you don't mind if I ride your shoulders again. Purely for expediency, I assure you, as my own techniques will be a far cry from any of yours." A padding along Sourpuss lets out a staggered hiss as if chuckling at Obsben's wordplay.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
A quick vote results in an unanimous decision and Utar casts a careful eye over the bog ahead. There is no doubt the soft, wet ground will slow down the party's pace, but the distance to be covered should indeed be shorter. The cleric is also pretty sure there are untold dangers hiding in the dark pits, murky waters, and gloomy vegetation, though there is no telling what those may be from out here. Tempting fate, the group leaves the road and traverses the wilderness, with Utar leading the way.
The soil is mushy, giving way with each step. The party's boots will never be the same after this, but onward you go. After a half-hour of hiking on the soft ground, you all get a bit used to it. The sensation is still unpleasant, but you no longer notice the sloppy mechanical movements of every single step you take. This realization makes the ordeal easier, but it also comes with a slight cost: normalization of the risks around you.
Leading the pack, Utar suddenly feels that one his boots is not coming up from the ground after his latest wet step. Looking down, he notices that the ground beneath him is trying to swallow him, slowly but surely. Before he can warn the others about the quicksand patch, one other CRAPer has already stepped into it as well.
(1=Graxx, 2=Neya, 3=Obsben; this assume Sourpuss is flying.)
-> Second CRAPer roll: 3
-> Utar has already sunk 2 feet.
-> Second CRAPer has already sunk 4 feet.
(Everyone may take a turn as if they were in initiative. Utar and Second CRAPer must start their turns by rolling a d4 each to indicate how many more feet they sink before taking any actions.)
Feeling the cloying, grasping hold of the quicksand swallow him further, Utar raises one arm above the surface and tilts his head upwards to better suck in a last breath of air before it is lost to him and he slides down into the darkness.
Turning his body, to better allow the other arm to reach out, he grasps in the murk, hoping to find Obsben before it is too late...
(OOC I assume that reaching out to grab someone in the dark, when you've no idea exactly where they are will require a roll?)
'So this is how it ends for this version of myself, huh? Buried from the start.... Ah well~ S'pose there's worse ways to go'Obsben thought as her instinctive flailing comes to a stop in acceptance of her situation. Mostly. A part of her mind yet scrolled through the laundry list of spells, chronal magic, and so on for a solution in futility. Other sections of the mind became devoted to considering who to compose a message for with her last few breaths. Then finally there was the more academically inclined part of her mind that meandered over to subjects almost long forgotten about the nature of environmental hazards, and how one might best to contend with them.
-Nature: 12. (The above basically being if she understands the quality of what she hopes at least is non-magically enforced quicksand, and hope to possibly escape it.)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Neya decides to be the only CRAPer not going in the quicksand and instead opts to plant one of her javelins in the ground to anchor herself and throw a rope to Utar's hand.
Neya anchors herself with a javelin and throws one end of a length of rope to Utar, who is sinking a bit faster than expected (must be all that armor.) the Tormite grabs it but is not ready to leave Obsben behind. As he sinks further down, rope-end and all, the half-orc begins to use his other hand to blindly search for the submerged halfling.
For her part, Obsben had spent her last few seconds trying to remember anything practical about quicksand. She remembers its general properties, including something about taller races not being as much in danger as smaller ones given body densities and whatnot, but not much that is helpful at the moment, given she is completely submerged.
It is then that Graxx comes swooping in, having consumed his potion of flying earlier than expected. "Flying" through quicksand is definitely not the same as doing it through its intended medium (air) but here is the barbarian nonetheless.
@Grx: Given both the plusses and minuses of you maneuver, I'll ask for a single roll STR check (not athletics) to see if you can fly out of the quicksand with Obsben. Since you are now also submerged, the DC for this check is 10 + the number of feet Obsben has sunk, so {DC 16}.
@Ori: If Graxx fails this check, you'll sink further down. Please roll a d4 to determine how many feet further down you'd go.
@Drache: Apart from his nose and mouth, which have been angled upward, Utar is now completely submerged as well. That means it is up to you to pull him out. Please give me a STR check (not athletics) as well. Since you are not submerged, the DC is set at 5 + the number of feet Utar has sunk, so {DC 11}.
@MB: If Neya fails this check, you'll sink further down. Please roll a d4 to determine how many feet further down you'd go.
Neya struggles to pull all of Utar's weight out of the deadly trap but feels like she is making progress with each step she takes away from the pool of sand. Just as she is about to turn towards a different plan, her efforts finally bear fruit. Utar's head pops out of the quicksand and the half-orc can breath again. With his torso soon out, Utar can move about and add his own efforts to the rescue mission. Breathing heavily, the Tormite is eventually fully dragged out of the hazardous pit.
Following his first attempt, Graxx is surprised by the amount of force he has to exert to fly out of the quicksand with Obsben. Now also holding his breath, the barbarian gathers his thoughts before he can have another go.
-> Graxx and Obsben are now 7 feet under, so the DC for checks has increased to {DC 17}. Both still have plenty of air in the tank.
-> If Neya and Utar want to try something, their DC is lower {DC 12}, but they need to find a way to reach Graxx and Obby to rescue them.
Air has never tasted so sweet! For Utar, it feels as though it has a weight to it, he almost chews the next few breaths down.
Remaining prone, on what he hopes is more solid ground, he shifts himself to reach a hand out into the quicksand, and reach out until he feels something roughly human or halfling in shape/size.
"GRAXX! OBSBEN! HEAD TOWARDS MY VOICE!"
(OOC Will leave it up to the DM as to whether Utar's actions give any help or lower theie save DC.)
Neya hands the 3 gold to the vendor and thanks them for their time.
She patiently wait for the rest to finish their preparations for the swampy pursuit.
Extended Signature
The payment (and tip) now offered to the shop boy, CRAP exchanges looks and agrees that they have put off their departure long enough. You have discovered that Ellison was headed east along the Phlan Path and towards the Twilight Marsh. You have only a rough idea of where in the marsh you need to go, as the letter in the ruined backpack wasn't that detailed.
You know the Phlan Path to be the road along the northern coast of the Moonsea that connects Phlan and the city of Melvaunt. While it is one of the most well-developed roads along the northern coast of the Moonsea, for some stretches it is merely a well-trodden dirt path. Highwaymen are known to take advantage of travelers along this path but, lucky for you (or them), your trip toward the Marsh is relatively short. You estimate it will take no more than a travel-day (8 hours) on foot.
A three-hour hike along the Phlan Path takes you into mid-afternoon. There are several tracks along the path, mostly left by humanoids and animals, as can be expected for a well-traveled road. The area around you is already much wetter than the immediate outskirts of Phlan, and residents along the side of the road all seem to engage in the same economic activity: peat farming. Some time ago, Utar and Graxx helped a family of peat farmers in this area. In the far distance, you can see the beginnings of the marsh proper, though it is still at least a couple of hours away, possibly more. That said, as you travel down the road, you notice that the path begins to gradually bend away from the edge of the marsh. This seems to be a smart decision by whoever laid the path connecting the two city-states. Unfortunately, your purposes take you into the heart of the Twilight Marsh, not away from it. There is no doubt that you'll get closer to the marsh if you continue following the road, but it would certainly not lead you to the same entry point as the one you might seek if you were to leave the road now and make a run for the closest edge/limit/border of the marsh.
Will you continue on the road on attempt the shortcut?
Eyeing up the paths ahead, Utar knows that the shortcut is the obvious choice. CRAP are behind their target and cutting whatever lead their quarry has is sorely tempting... Still, the relative safety of the road has its own benefits, and is Ellison the sort to brave the unknown?
"What do we reckon? Stay on the road, or try to steal a march on our target? I'm for the shortcut, any other takers?"
Casting an eye over the route of the shortcut, does Utar notice any particular hazards that the group should be aware of? Likely spots for ambush or hidden marshy pits that might swallow up a half-Orc whole?
Survival - 18
Perception - 26
(OOC Will leave it up to the DM as to what skill is most appropriate.)
Graxx ponders Utar’s question for just a moment.
Graxx puts his hands on his hips.
”You know…”
Graxx looks up to the Sky then back down.
”I’m feeling lucky. I say we take the short cut!” says Graxx.
"We do have quite a bit of ground to make up. I also vote for the shortcut. We should be wary of any hazards in the meantime."
Extended Signature
"Not exactly the choice of words that I am inclined to endorse-..." Obsben said with a bit of a grimace following Graxx' say, "But, seeing as I'm outnumbered in any event, I suppose the shorter path is the one we take. Though once we get to the more, uhm, wading watery parts Graxx, I hope you don't mind if I ride your shoulders again. Purely for expediency, I assure you, as my own techniques will be a far cry from any of yours." A padding along Sourpuss lets out a staggered hiss as if chuckling at Obsben's wordplay.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
(@MB: Why not both?)
A quick vote results in an unanimous decision and Utar casts a careful eye over the bog ahead. There is no doubt the soft, wet ground will slow down the party's pace, but the distance to be covered should indeed be shorter. The cleric is also pretty sure there are untold dangers hiding in the dark pits, murky waters, and gloomy vegetation, though there is no telling what those may be from out here. Tempting fate, the group leaves the road and traverses the wilderness, with Utar leading the way.
The soil is mushy, giving way with each step. The party's boots will never be the same after this, but onward you go. After a half-hour of hiking on the soft ground, you all get a bit used to it. The sensation is still unpleasant, but you no longer notice the sloppy mechanical movements of every single step you take. This realization makes the ordeal easier, but it also comes with a slight cost: normalization of the risks around you.
Leading the pack, Utar suddenly feels that one his boots is not coming up from the ground after his latest wet step. Looking down, he notices that the ground beneath him is trying to swallow him, slowly but surely. Before he can warn the others about the quicksand patch, one other CRAPer has already stepped into it as well.
(1=Graxx, 2=Neya, 3=Obsben; this assume Sourpuss is flying.)
-> Second CRAPer roll: 3
-> Utar has already sunk 2 feet.
-> Second CRAPer has already sunk 4 feet.
(Everyone may take a turn as if they were in initiative. Utar and Second CRAPer must start their turns by rolling a d4 each to indicate how many more feet they sink before taking any actions.)
How far does Utar sink? 4
Feeling the cloying, grasping hold of the quicksand swallow him further, Utar raises one arm above the surface and tilts his head upwards to better suck in a last breath of air before it is lost to him and he slides down into the darkness.
Turning his body, to better allow the other arm to reach out, he grasps in the murk, hoping to find Obsben before it is too late...
(OOC I assume that reaching out to grab someone in the dark, when you've no idea exactly where they are will require a roll?)
-Goodbye Cruel World~: 2.
'So this is how it ends for this version of myself, huh? Buried from the start.... Ah well~ S'pose there's worse ways to go' Obsben thought as her instinctive flailing comes to a stop in acceptance of her situation. Mostly. A part of her mind yet scrolled through the laundry list of spells, chronal magic, and so on for a solution in futility. Other sections of the mind became devoted to considering who to compose a message for with her last few breaths. Then finally there was the more academically inclined part of her mind that meandered over to subjects almost long forgotten about the nature of environmental hazards, and how one might best to contend with them.
-Nature: 12.
(The above basically being if she understands the quality of what she hopes at least is non-magically enforced quicksand, and hope to possibly escape it.)
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Graxx freaks out at seeing Obsben disappear and Utar begin to sink.
"THINK GRAXX THINK!" Graxx thinks to himself.
Graxx drops his pack to the ground and retrieves the Potion of Flying and drinks hoping he can save his companions!
Graxx will then use his movement to fly into the Quicksand himself where he would have last saw Obsben!
Neya decides to be the only CRAPer not going in the quicksand and instead opts to plant one of her javelins in the ground to anchor herself and throw a rope to Utar's hand.
Extended Signature
Neya anchors herself with a javelin and throws one end of a length of rope to Utar, who is sinking a bit faster than expected (must be all that armor.) the Tormite grabs it but is not ready to leave Obsben behind. As he sinks further down, rope-end and all, the half-orc begins to use his other hand to blindly search for the submerged halfling.
For her part, Obsben had spent her last few seconds trying to remember anything practical about quicksand. She remembers its general properties, including something about taller races not being as much in danger as smaller ones given body densities and whatnot, but not much that is helpful at the moment, given she is completely submerged.
It is then that Graxx comes swooping in, having consumed his potion of flying earlier than expected. "Flying" through quicksand is definitely not the same as doing it through its intended medium (air) but here is the barbarian nonetheless.
@Grx: Given both the plusses and minuses of you maneuver, I'll ask for a single roll STR check (not athletics) to see if you can fly out of the quicksand with Obsben. Since you are now also submerged, the DC for this check is 10 + the number of feet Obsben has sunk, so {DC 16}.
@Ori: If Graxx fails this check, you'll sink further down. Please roll a d4 to determine how many feet further down you'd go.
@Drache: Apart from his nose and mouth, which have been angled upward, Utar is now completely submerged as well. That means it is up to you to pull him out. Please give me a STR check (not athletics) as well. Since you are not submerged, the DC is set at 5 + the number of feet Utar has sunk, so {DC 11}.
@MB: If Neya fails this check, you'll sink further down. Please roll a d4 to determine how many feet further down you'd go.
All around me are familiar faces~: 1.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Strength: 5
Utar's further sink check: 1
Strength: 12
Extended Signature
Neya struggles to pull all of Utar's weight out of the deadly trap but feels like she is making progress with each step she takes away from the pool of sand. Just as she is about to turn towards a different plan, her efforts finally bear fruit. Utar's head pops out of the quicksand and the half-orc can breath again. With his torso soon out, Utar can move about and add his own efforts to the rescue mission. Breathing heavily, the Tormite is eventually fully dragged out of the hazardous pit.
Following his first attempt, Graxx is surprised by the amount of force he has to exert to fly out of the quicksand with Obsben. Now also holding his breath, the barbarian gathers his thoughts before he can have another go.
-> Graxx and Obsben are now 7 feet under, so the DC for checks has increased to {DC 17}. Both still have plenty of air in the tank.
-> If Neya and Utar want to try something, their DC is lower {DC 12}, but they need to find a way to reach Graxx and Obby to rescue them.
Air has never tasted so sweet! For Utar, it feels as though it has a weight to it, he almost chews the next few breaths down.
Remaining prone, on what he hopes is more solid ground, he shifts himself to reach a hand out into the quicksand, and reach out until he feels something roughly human or halfling in shape/size.
"GRAXX! OBSBEN! HEAD TOWARDS MY VOICE!"
(OOC Will leave it up to the DM as to whether Utar's actions give any help or lower theie save DC.)
Graxx panics just for a moment as he struggles to save both himself an Obsben.
He hears faint voices from above.
"Tempus... Give me strength!" Graxx begs.
Graxx tries to fly with all his might!
16