The footsteps head down the spiral staircase and you hear the clack of clawed feet on hardwood and by how loud it is you estimate the owner of such feet is quite large. You hear the figure checking the rooms one by one starting with B5.
The you hear the door handle to the stairs turn, but the figure stops and slowly heads back upstairs.
Valrieth stops talking and holds her breath while they wait to see whether anything comes outside onto the stairs.
The door is unlocked, but you would have to pull it open towards you disturbing the nest. Yes, you can see those 3 over hanging items are cages. The only one you see has bones at the bottom of the cage.
Finley sighs with relief after the footsteps go away, "Aye, th' rope could attach to one o' th' cages, but ah dunnae know if it could handle th' weight o' me armor." He then glances at the swarm, "If ye cannae talk to th' swarm, ah could burn it away with a torch or magic. But ah'm willing ta go up with th' cages if they are sturdy enough."
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Finley Stoneshaft, Dwarf Artificer - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, Falkas, Half-Elf Drow Warlock - Keys of Empire
Finley sighs with relief after the footsteps go away, "Aye, th' rope could attach to one o' th' cages, but ah dunnae know if it could handle th' weight o' me armor." He then glances at the swarm, "If ye cannae talk to th' swarm, ah could burn it away with a torch or magic. But ah'm willing ta go up with th' cages if they are sturdy enough."
Valrieth heaves a sigh of relief when they hear the footsteps receding. Seeing the bones in the cage, Val says, "Well, based on the bones, it looks like the hag uses the cages for prisoners she wants to kill. For all we know, she has a way to teleport prisoners into the cages, so there may not be any access between the hut and those cages. And even if the cage would hold the weight, we'd need to tie off the other end here so that all three of us could get across. I don't think that this railing would hold."
Val prefers to try the door: "This door is unlocked, and it should work if we could get past that huge wasps' nest." Since it doesn't seem like they're about to be discovered by the hut's occupant, Val decides that she probably has time for a ritual casting. It will eat into the amount of time that they have for sneaking around with pass without trace, but she's unwilling to kill the wasps without trying to talk to them first.
"Just be ready with fire bolt. I've never spoken to wasps before, and I might offend them even before we try the door!"
I should have said that once Valrieth casts this spell, she first listens to the wasps to see what they're talking to each other about as they go about their waspish day.
The mind of a wasp is so instinctual with a clear purpose where they know why they were born and what is there job. There is a complete subservience to the queen deep within the wasp nest.
Say what you need to say though how they respond is unknown.
The mind of a wasp is so instinctual with a clear purpose where they know why they were born and what is there job. There is a complete subservience to the queen deep within the wasp nest.
Say what you need to say though how they respond is unknown.
Valrieth thinks that maybe wasps don't like to fly around in a rain storm. She tries telling the wasps, "Big storm," trying to visualize in her mind dark clouds gathering in the sky and distant trees swaying in the wind. "Wind, rain, storm." She imagines the smell of the first raindrops hitting the ground, hoping that the spells helps her convey the feeling of rain, of being caught outside in a storm, and of the joy of hiding warm and dry indoors during a storm. "Hard rain: stay inside." She opens her waterskin and uses it to wet her hand so that she can toss a few handfuls of water up to fall as scattered drops on the outside of the nest for effect. "Keep queen warm and dry. Hard rain soon. Stay inside. Big storm."
Val listens to determine whether the swarm starts to relay her message through the hive.
"Good try, ah cannae believe some insects are keeping us 'ere, ah think we shouldn't tarry too long in one place." Finley tugs at his beard, "we may 'ave to risk being stung or go back another way, aye? Although ah believe in ye, they seem a stubborn lot."
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Finley Stoneshaft, Dwarf Artificer - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, Falkas, Half-Elf Drow Warlock - Keys of Empire
"Good try, ah cannae believe some insects are keeping us 'ere, ah think we shouldn't tarry too long in one place." Finley tugs at his beard, "we may 'ave to risk being stung or go back another way, aye? Although ah believe in ye, they seem a stubborn lot."
Valreith says, "I know. I'm trying to hurry." She's not used to having to persuade anyone, much less a whole swam of someones.
The wasp stays nearer to the nest. Though opening that door will break off a piece of the nest.
Val remembers an winter storm in northern Faerun one year. A rain storm after a cold, dry day, where the rain froze to ice as soon as it hit the trees. And afterward, everything was covered with ice, the pine saplings bent double with the weight of their ice-coated needles and branches of old oaks breaking and falling under added weight of the ice.
Val stands on her tip toes to pour water from her waterskin as high up as she can on the nest, trying to cover the part of the nest that she thinks they're going to break when they open the door. Then she casts shape water to freeze it.
She warns the bees, "Winter is coming. Cold is death. Save the queen. Stay inside. Keep the hive warm. Avoid the cold. Stay inside."
Assuming that the bees don't attack immediately, Val removes a flask of oil from her backpack (just in case). She listens to the bees and hopes that they're spreading the word and moving away from the ice-covered part of the nest...at least long enough to permit the Trio to get into the hut and close the door.
"That's all I can do," Val says. "Maybe it'll be enough to keep them inside their nest when we open the door. But if not, try to get through the door as fast as you can, and we can try to discourage them from following...", she raises the flask of oil and passes it down the line. "Here, Octavian, if they swarm out, smash this down at the threshold as you go through the door."
Of course, Val hopes that whatever is inside the door isn't worse than a swarm of angry wasps.
Once that's done, Val tries to open the door quietly (Stealth21, with bonus from pass without trace) and move into the hut just to the left of the door to let Finley and Octavian pass through unobstructed.
If the wasps swarm out and attack them, following into the hut, she casts [Tooltip Not Found] and turns to face the door. As soon as Finley and Octavian are in the hut and Octavian spills the oil, she hurls the fire back at the wasps, trying to burn the wasps and light the oil on fire.
If the wasps do not follow, she closes the door quickly behind them and then turns to face the room.
The wasp seems to want to comply, but before Val can touch the door a hair of magic races across the stairs shattering them into pieces. Except for the bottom 2 steps. The wasp queen has other ideas.
Everyone Roll Dex Save DC 15 on fail you plummet into the lake. On pass you are able to grab onto a rickety railing or the bottom 2 steps.
(The queen is no ordinary wasp and was commanded to guard this stairway by Bavlorna.)
Everyone Roll Dex Save DC 15 on fail you plummet into the lake. On pass you are able to grab onto a rickety railing or the bottom 2 steps.
Dex saving throw: 21
If Valrieth misses by less than 4, she'll use her reaction this round on "Lucky Footwork": +4
(The queen is no ordinary wasp and was commanded to guard this stairway by Bavlorna.)
(OOC: Heh. Good patience to wait for that one. There's nothing like trying to figure out how to solve / navigate / role play around some obstacle only for the DM to blind-side the party with some possibility they hadn't even been worried about! 😵)
Everyone Roll Dex Save DC 15 on fail you plummet into the lake. On pass you are able to grab onto a rickety railing or the bottom 2 steps.
Dex saving throw: 21
(OOC: Valrieth was right at the door (and the wasps' nest) when the stairs were shattered. Once we know what happened to Finley, please let me know where Val ended up. In particular, I'll need to figure out whether Val can try to open the door and get herself into a stable position next round or whether she needs to figure out how to fight off a swarm of wasps while clinging to the railing.)
The wasp seems to want to comply, but before Val can touch the door a hair of magic races across the stairs shattering them into pieces. Except for the bottom 2 steps. The wasp queen has other ideas.
Valrieth is nervous but hopes that she has dissuaded the wasps from attacking as she reaches out to the open the door. But suddenly -- disaster! A prickling sense of magic sweeps past her, followed immediately by a tremendous noise! Val feels the whole stairway shift as the treads and risers shudder and then crack and splinter apart.
Luckily, Val was close to the door. She hops forward just before the stairway falls out from underneath her. Grasping instinctively with her free hand, she feels her fingers close around the door handle. She holds the handle with a grip powered by her panic as she tries to find a foothold.
As soon as Val feels stable enough to catch her breath, her next thoughts are for her friends. Val twists her head around to look back, calling out, "Finley? Octavian? Are you OK?"
"I am still here" calls out Octavian dangling from the railing. He then shimmies his way down to the bottom step right before the railing snaps and falls into the lake.
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Valrieth stops talking and holds her breath while they wait to see whether anything comes outside onto the stairs.
Nothing does come and the footsteps grow quieter as the figure heads back up the stairs.
(OOC: Did you see the questions in my previous post?
)
The door is unlocked, but you would have to pull it open towards you disturbing the nest. Yes, you can see those 3 over hanging items are cages. The only one you see has bones at the bottom of the cage.
You cannot see the balcony.
Finley sighs with relief after the footsteps go away, "Aye, th' rope could attach to one o' th' cages, but ah dunnae know if it could handle th' weight o' me armor." He then glances at the swarm, "If ye cannae talk to th' swarm, ah could burn it away with a torch or magic. But ah'm willing ta go up with th' cages if they are sturdy enough."
Finley Stoneshaft, Dwarf Artificer - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, Falkas, Half-Elf Drow Warlock - Keys of Empire
Valrieth heaves a sigh of relief when they hear the footsteps receding. Seeing the bones in the cage, Val says, "Well, based on the bones, it looks like the hag uses the cages for prisoners she wants to kill. For all we know, she has a way to teleport prisoners into the cages, so there may not be any access between the hut and those cages. And even if the cage would hold the weight, we'd need to tie off the other end here so that all three of us could get across. I don't think that this railing would hold."
Val prefers to try the door: "This door is unlocked, and it should work if we could get past that huge wasps' nest." Since it doesn't seem like they're about to be discovered by the hut's occupant, Val decides that she probably has time for a ritual casting. It will eat into the amount of time that they have for sneaking around with pass without trace, but she's unwilling to kill the wasps without trying to talk to them first.
"Just be ready with fire bolt. I've never spoken to wasps before, and I might offend them even before we try the door!"
Val does a ritual casting of speak with animals.
I should have said that once Valrieth casts this spell, she first listens to the wasps to see what they're talking to each other about as they go about their waspish day.
The mind of a wasp is so instinctual with a clear purpose where they know why they were born and what is there job. There is a complete subservience to the queen deep within the wasp nest.
Say what you need to say though how they respond is unknown.
Finley nods at Valrieth and then watches to see what happens, waiting to cast fire bolt if the wasps attack Val.
Finley Stoneshaft, Dwarf Artificer - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, Falkas, Half-Elf Drow Warlock - Keys of Empire
Valrieth thinks that maybe wasps don't like to fly around in a rain storm. She tries telling the wasps, "Big storm," trying to visualize in her mind dark clouds gathering in the sky and distant trees swaying in the wind. "Wind, rain, storm." She imagines the smell of the first raindrops hitting the ground, hoping that the spells helps her convey the feeling of rain, of being caught outside in a storm, and of the joy of hiding warm and dry indoors during a storm. "Hard rain: stay inside." She opens her waterskin and uses it to wet her hand so that she can toss a few handfuls of water up to fall as scattered drops on the outside of the nest for effect. "Keep queen warm and dry. Hard rain soon. Stay inside. Big storm."
Val listens to determine whether the swarm starts to relay her message through the hive.
The wasp stays nearer to the nest. Though opening that door will break off a piece of the nest.
"Good try, ah cannae believe some insects are keeping us 'ere, ah think we shouldn't tarry too long in one place." Finley tugs at his beard, "we may 'ave to risk being stung or go back another way, aye? Although ah believe in ye, they seem a stubborn lot."
Finley Stoneshaft, Dwarf Artificer - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, Falkas, Half-Elf Drow Warlock - Keys of Empire
Valreith says, "I know. I'm trying to hurry." She's not used to having to persuade anyone, much less a whole swam of someones.
Val remembers an winter storm in northern Faerun one year. A rain storm after a cold, dry day, where the rain froze to ice as soon as it hit the trees. And afterward, everything was covered with ice, the pine saplings bent double with the weight of their ice-coated needles and branches of old oaks breaking and falling under added weight of the ice.
Val stands on her tip toes to pour water from her waterskin as high up as she can on the nest, trying to cover the part of the nest that she thinks they're going to break when they open the door. Then she casts shape water to freeze it.
She warns the bees, "Winter is coming. Cold is death. Save the queen. Stay inside. Keep the hive warm. Avoid the cold. Stay inside."
Assuming that the bees don't attack immediately, Val removes a flask of oil from her backpack (just in case). She listens to the bees and hopes that they're spreading the word and moving away from the ice-covered part of the nest...at least long enough to permit the Trio to get into the hut and close the door.
"That's all I can do," Val says. "Maybe it'll be enough to keep them inside their nest when we open the door. But if not, try to get through the door as fast as you can, and we can try to discourage them from following...", she raises the flask of oil and passes it down the line. "Here, Octavian, if they swarm out, smash this down at the threshold as you go through the door."
Of course, Val hopes that whatever is inside the door isn't worse than a swarm of angry wasps.
Once that's done, Val tries to open the door quietly (Stealth 21, with bonus from pass without trace) and move into the hut just to the left of the door to let Finley and Octavian pass through unobstructed.
The wasp seems to want to comply, but before Val can touch the door a hair of magic races across the stairs shattering them into pieces. Except for the bottom 2 steps. The wasp queen has other ideas.
Everyone Roll Dex Save DC 15 on fail you plummet into the lake. On pass you are able to grab onto a rickety railing or the bottom 2 steps.
(The queen is no ordinary wasp and was commanded to guard this stairway by Bavlorna.)
Dex saving throw: 21
If Valrieth misses by less than 4, she'll use her reaction this round on "Lucky Footwork": +4
(OOC: Heh. Good patience to wait for that one. There's nothing like trying to figure out how to solve / navigate / role play around some obstacle only for the DM to blind-side the party with some possibility they hadn't even been worried about! 😵)
Octavian Dex Save: Nat 20. He hurls his body to grab hold of the railing.
(OOC: Valrieth was right at the door (and the wasps' nest) when the stairs were shattered. Once we know what happened to Finley, please let me know where Val ended up. In particular, I'll need to figure out whether Val can try to open the door and get herself into a stable position next round or whether she needs to figure out how to fight off a swarm of wasps while clinging to the railing.)
With Val so close to the door Val would have been able to hang onto the door handle.
Valrieth is nervous but hopes that she has dissuaded the wasps from attacking as she reaches out to the open the door. But suddenly -- disaster! A prickling sense of magic sweeps past her, followed immediately by a tremendous noise! Val feels the whole stairway shift as the treads and risers shudder and then crack and splinter apart.
Luckily, Val was close to the door. She hops forward just before the stairway falls out from underneath her. Grasping instinctively with her free hand, she feels her fingers close around the door handle. She holds the handle with a grip powered by her panic as she tries to find a foothold.
As soon as Val feels stable enough to catch her breath, her next thoughts are for her friends. Val twists her head around to look back, calling out, "Finley? Octavian? Are you OK?"
"I am still here" calls out Octavian dangling from the railing. He then shimmies his way down to the bottom step right before the railing snaps and falls into the lake.