"Let's not linger here, unless there's a chest with th' prisoners belongin's ah dunnae think there'd be much ta this place."Finley is definitely ready to go and he chuckles nervously, "ah was ready to clobber that boy. This place is makin' me too anxious."He starts heading in the direction of the boat Val mentioned after she's done searching.
Valrieth agrees, "I know what you mean." She shrugs her shoulders like they're carrying an uncomfortable weight and, in a tense voice, says, "I've felt it since we get down into the swamp on that first day. It must be the oppressive influence of the hag. I didn't feel it when we were staying at Jingle-Jangle's."
Val and Finley arrive at the docks south of the palace and find there are no boats and the boats seem to be on the other side of Downfall across the water. 30ft away.
Valrieth looks across the water at the boats on the other side. "Oh!", she says, a bit deflated. After a nervous glance back toward the Proving Grounds, she turns to Finley and asks, "Ice boat again? It's a bit of a give-away after the trick at the Holding Cells, but it'll get us away from this side. Or...I don't know, do you want to try pulling one of those boats over to this side with your rope? I don't know whether this water is safe for swimming: I keep imaging a grown-up version of the king's crocodile." Staring at the murky water, she shudders.
"We're very exposed here on the dock. We either have to try to cross or find somewhere else to wait for Gan-Re." Thinking of Gan-Re, Val hopes that he has already found a dry spot to release the prisoner. Once the owl (wild companion) is within 100-feet, it should reach out to her telepathically, but she worries that it may take some time to find them in the thick fog.
When he is comfortable that he has evaded his pursuit he lands, opens the hole and pulls the prisoner out. He says "look, just run. I don't want to know where you are going. Get out of here as fast as you can." He then scopes up the hole and prepares to take to the sky once more.
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Gan-Re: Aarakocra Barbarian - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight | DM - Keys of Empire
"Better ta use a rope to bring th' boat over," Finley says as he pulls Rope of Climbing from his belt and has it animate to move towards one of the boats across the water. "Once it latches ah'll bring it this way, keep an eye out for anyone, aye?"When the rope reaches the boat he'll have it attach and begin pulling it back across.
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Finley Stoneshaft, Dwarf Artificer - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, Falkas, Half-Elf Drow Warlock - Keys of Empire
"Better ta use a rope to bring th' boat over," Finley says as he pulls Rope of Climbing from his belt and has it animate to move towards one of the boats across the water. "Once it latches ah'll bring it this way, keep an eye out for anyone, aye?"When the rope reaches the boat he'll have it attach and begin pulling it back across.
Valrieth keeps her eyes open for any trouble. (Perception18)
Are there oars in the boat? If not, Val scans the area around the docks for spare oars.
Valrieth does a little hop as she claps her hands quietly. "Good job, Finley!"
Val carefully climbs into the boat and then tries to hold it steady near the dock while Finley boards. Then she'll help Finley row the boat over to the docks on the south shore.
As Gan-Re flies away from the Holding Cells with the prisoner in the portable hole, an owl takes off from the branches overhanging the Proving Grounds with a loud call, spreads its wings, and then flies silently away in the direction that Gan-Re went. Val rushes to the door of the hut to see which way the owl flies before it vanishes into the fog.
(OOC: The owl was following Gan-Re. When Gan-Re flew "out of Downfall," which direction did he go? If someone mentioned it, I didn't notice.)
Gan-re is able to follow the owl straight back to Val. Soon the Trio is reunited again.
Valrieth is excited to see her owl finally returning with Gan-Re following closely behind. She waves as she sees them flying over the channel, and the owl lands on top of Val's shield, its talons sinking into the wood. As Gan-Re lands, she says, "Quick! We need to open the hole to let out the prisoner before she runs out of air!"
Once she realizes that Gan-Re already let the prisoner out outside of Downfall, her ears droop and she says, a bit downcast, "Oh. I thought that you were going to meet us here with the prisoner so that we could talk to her about Sir Talavar and ask about Bavlorna's lair."
Since several minutes have past since Gan-Re saw Margot swimming away to the north, Val agrees that it's probably not worth going back that way to try to find her. Trying to look on the bright side of things, she says, "At least we saved Margot from being executed, and we did it without getting caught and without having to kill the guard. I just wish we had learned anything about the hag or other possible safe houses in Downfall."
Before she releases the owl (i.e., the wild companion spirit), she asks it to fly directly into the fog to the west to see whether it can find a building hidden in the fog (Bavlorna's hut) and then return to the Trio. It should only take a minute for the owl to fly out, circle the building if it finds one, and fly back. (Assuming that it returns, Val checks whether the owl could find a building. She got the impression from something that King Gullop XIX said that they might have to speak some invocation to find to the hag's lair.)
Val agrees. The land rises up to their right (D13), and if anyone from the north side of Downfall is looking for them now, it seems like the Trio would be easy to spot there. She thinks that they should follow the boardwalk south. "We haven't heard any alarms, but we don't know whether the bullywugs have another way to send messages around Downfall. I assume that the king may try to have us arrested after the prisoner's escape."
Val suggests that they assume that they're in hostile territory now and move accordingly. Slower pace, moving as quietly as possible, looking for possible ambushes, etc.
Since she has the best chance of seeing or hearing dangers, Val can go up front, next to Gan-Re (or just in front of him if there's not enough room on the boardwalk). If anything attacks, Val says that she'll try to spring back behind Finley and Gan-Re so that she can fight from range, as usual.
She asks whether Gan-Re or Finley know any hand signals. Since they cannot talk quietly, it would be good to have a way to signal each other silently if one of them hears or sees anything.
"Who knows, maybe we'll see them again somewhere on the road and ye can ask some questions then." Finley scratches beneath his beard. "We can use basic hand signals, at least ah know a few, Gan-Re's a smart lad so he should too."He pauses and looks around them, making sure no one is around, "We don't have enough time fer me ta change into me stealthy armor, so let's get on without actin' too suspicious as ah don't think word can travel faster than our feet. Let's go th' way ye indicated!"He points down towards D14 and D15.
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Finley Stoneshaft, Dwarf Artificer - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, Falkas, Half-Elf Drow Warlock - Keys of Empire
"Who knows, maybe we'll see them again somewhere on the road and ye can ask some questions then." Finley scratches beneath his beard. "We can use basic hand signals, at least ah know a few, Gan-Re's a smart lad so he should too."He pauses and looks around them, making sure no one is around, "We don't have enough time fer me ta change into me stealthy armor, so let's get on without actin' too suspicious as ah don't think word can travel faster than our feet. Let's go th' way ye indicated!"He points down towards D14 and D15.
The Trio agrees on a few basic hand signals for "halt and be quiet", "hide", and signaling the direction of a possible threat.
Once Valrieth's owl returns (or fails to return) from its flight into the fog at the center of Downfall, Valrieth consults her star map and prays for Guidance on herself.
She leads the Trio south on the boardwalk / trail from the dock. Val takes her shield in hand and walks a just in front of Gan-Re. She moves at a slow pace, trying to walk quietly, watching and listening for anyone coming up the boardwalk toward them or from the hill to their right (D13) or the wild area to their left (D14). If they don't see or hear anything of note in passing those areas, Val will continue up toward the next hut (D15).
The owl comes back reporting there is a building in the middle that is hard to see in the fog.
D13
Several holes dot the trunk of a gnarled old tree that grows on the shore of the lake. The tree has lost all its bark, and a few withered leaves cling to the ends of its twisted, knotted branches. One end of a clothesline is tied to a high branch on the northwest side of the tree. Several old garments hang from the clothesline, the other end of which disappears into the fog hovering over the lake.
4 sprites lives in the hollows in the tree and they spew jeers and insults towards the party.
D14
Your heart suddenly feels cold, filling you with a sense of loneliness that borders on despair. A haunting, melancholy tune played on a flute reaches out to you from somewhere within a field of oversized toadstools.
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Valrieth agrees, "I know what you mean." She shrugs her shoulders like they're carrying an uncomfortable weight and, in a tense voice, says, "I've felt it since we get down into the swamp on that first day. It must be the oppressive influence of the hag. I didn't feel it when we were staying at Jingle-Jangle's."
Valrieth looks across the water at the boats on the other side. "Oh!", she says, a bit deflated. After a nervous glance back toward the Proving Grounds, she turns to Finley and asks, "Ice boat again? It's a bit of a give-away after the trick at the Holding Cells, but it'll get us away from this side. Or...I don't know, do you want to try pulling one of those boats over to this side with your rope? I don't know whether this water is safe for swimming: I keep imaging a grown-up version of the king's crocodile." Staring at the murky water, she shudders.
"We're very exposed here on the dock. We either have to try to cross or find somewhere else to wait for Gan-Re." Thinking of Gan-Re, Val hopes that he has already found a dry spot to release the prisoner. Once the owl (wild companion) is within 100-feet, it should reach out to her telepathically, but she worries that it may take some time to find them in the thick fog.
When he is comfortable that he has evaded his pursuit he lands, opens the hole and pulls the prisoner out. He says "look, just run. I don't want to know where you are going. Get out of here as fast as you can." He then scopes up the hole and prepares to take to the sky once more.
Gan-Re: Aarakocra Barbarian - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight | DM - Keys of Empire
The prisoner says "Thanks for the my freedom and my name is Margot" she then breaks out into a run and jumps into the swampy waters to swim away.
"Better ta use a rope to bring th' boat over," Finley says as he pulls Rope of Climbing from his belt and has it animate to move towards one of the boats across the water. "Once it latches ah'll bring it this way, keep an eye out for anyone, aye?" When the rope reaches the boat he'll have it attach and begin pulling it back across.
Finley Stoneshaft, Dwarf Artificer - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, Falkas, Half-Elf Drow Warlock - Keys of Empire
Finley is able to pull the boat to your side of the docks.
Valrieth keeps her eyes open for any trouble. (Perception 18)
Are there oars in the boat? If not, Val scans the area around the docks for spare oars.
Yes the oars are in the boat.
Yes In regards to Gan-re you can easily see the Owl
Valrieth does a little hop as she claps her hands quietly. "Good job, Finley!"
Val carefully climbs into the boat and then tries to hold it steady near the dock while Finley boards. Then she'll help Finley row the boat over to the docks on the south shore.
Val and Finley row themselves to the south dock.
Where do you want to go now?
(OOC: The owl was following Gan-Re. When Gan-Re flew "out of Downfall," which direction did he go? If someone mentioned it, I didn't notice.)
(I will leave the direction to Gan-re)
(Gan-Re flew straight out of town. So NE from D8 I imagine)
Gan-Re spots the dancing owl, says "Well take me back to Val little sky friend. I wont eat you" and follows it back.
Gan-Re: Aarakocra Barbarian - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight | DM - Keys of Empire
"To the south, aye?" Finley asks as they row, "ah hope that Gan-Re is able to find us and we are well away afore anyone notices what's happened."
Finley Stoneshaft, Dwarf Artificer - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, Falkas, Half-Elf Drow Warlock - Keys of Empire
Gan-re is able to follow the owl straight back to Val. Soon the Trio is reunited again.
Which destination do you choose to head to? You can check the map for the numbered locations.
Valrieth is excited to see her owl finally returning with Gan-Re following closely behind. She waves as she sees them flying over the channel, and the owl lands on top of Val's shield, its talons sinking into the wood. As Gan-Re lands, she says, "Quick! We need to open the hole to let out the prisoner before she runs out of air!"
Once she realizes that Gan-Re already let the prisoner out outside of Downfall, her ears droop and she says, a bit downcast, "Oh. I thought that you were going to meet us here with the prisoner so that we could talk to her about Sir Talavar and ask about Bavlorna's lair."
Since several minutes have past since Gan-Re saw Margot swimming away to the north, Val agrees that it's probably not worth going back that way to try to find her. Trying to look on the bright side of things, she says, "At least we saved Margot from being executed, and we did it without getting caught and without having to kill the guard. I just wish we had learned anything about the hag or other possible safe houses in Downfall."
Before she releases the owl (i.e., the wild companion spirit), she asks it to fly directly into the fog to the west to see whether it can find a building hidden in the fog (Bavlorna's hut) and then return to the Trio. It should only take a minute for the owl to fly out, circle the building if it finds one, and fly back. (Assuming that it returns, Val checks whether the owl could find a building. She got the impression from something that King Gullop XIX said that they might have to speak some invocation to find to the hag's lair.)
Val agrees. The land rises up to their right (D13), and if anyone from the north side of Downfall is looking for them now, it seems like the Trio would be easy to spot there. She thinks that they should follow the boardwalk south. "We haven't heard any alarms, but we don't know whether the bullywugs have another way to send messages around Downfall. I assume that the king may try to have us arrested after the prisoner's escape."
Val suggests that they assume that they're in hostile territory now and move accordingly. Slower pace, moving as quietly as possible, looking for possible ambushes, etc.
Since she has the best chance of seeing or hearing dangers, Val can go up front, next to Gan-Re (or just in front of him if there's not enough room on the boardwalk). If anything attacks, Val says that she'll try to spring back behind Finley and Gan-Re so that she can fight from range, as usual.
She asks whether Gan-Re or Finley know any hand signals. Since they cannot talk quietly, it would be good to have a way to signal each other silently if one of them hears or sees anything.
"Who knows, maybe we'll see them again somewhere on the road and ye can ask some questions then." Finley scratches beneath his beard. "We can use basic hand signals, at least ah know a few, Gan-Re's a smart lad so he should too." He pauses and looks around them, making sure no one is around, "We don't have enough time fer me ta change into me stealthy armor, so let's get on without actin' too suspicious as ah don't think word can travel faster than our feet. Let's go th' way ye indicated!" He points down towards D14 and D15.
Finley Stoneshaft, Dwarf Artificer - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, Falkas, Half-Elf Drow Warlock - Keys of Empire
The Trio agrees on a few basic hand signals for "halt and be quiet", "hide", and signaling the direction of a possible threat.
Once Valrieth's owl returns (or fails to return) from its flight into the fog at the center of Downfall, Valrieth consults her star map and prays for Guidance on herself.
She leads the Trio south on the boardwalk / trail from the dock. Val takes her shield in hand and walks a just in front of Gan-Re. She moves at a slow pace, trying to walk quietly, watching and listening for anyone coming up the boardwalk toward them or from the hill to their right (D13) or the wild area to their left (D14). If they don't see or hear anything of note in passing those areas, Val will continue up toward the next hut (D15).
The owl comes back reporting there is a building in the middle that is hard to see in the fog.
D13
Several holes dot the trunk of a gnarled old tree that grows on the shore of the lake. The tree has lost all its bark, and a few withered leaves cling to the ends of its twisted, knotted branches. One end of a clothesline is tied to a high branch on the northwest side of the tree. Several old garments hang from the clothesline, the other end of which disappears into the fog hovering over the lake.
4 sprites lives in the hollows in the tree and they spew jeers and insults towards the party.
D14
Your heart suddenly feels cold, filling you with a sense of loneliness that borders on despair. A haunting, melancholy tune played on a flute reaches out to you from somewhere within a field of oversized toadstools.