Curious Critters- A Tal'dorei Tale.

Quote from VolcanoLair >>

(OOC: @DM - Are the walls curved such that we could slide down? A little too sheer to do that safely.  Do any tunnels exit close enough to the floor to get down / back up, you mentioned some membranes were in the walls? They all seem to be at your current level or above. How big is the chamber of in feet, can we tell once the searchlights have worked their way around? height 160-180...ish. Widest near base- 60-70.   How far down to the nearest spike from where we are? 90-ish.  Do we have enough rope to get down? If you can find a safe way to secure it and join it you have just enough to reach a spike and climb down that. ) 

Lokilia says, "I suppose we ought to try to figure out what that is. Can anyone see anything else down there? Just the one domed thing with spikes?" She tries to make out anything herself. (Perception: 16) "It'll be tough to get out of here though. Maybe we should try just shooting to see if we get a reaction? At least from here it's a tiny bit easier to get out." 

"Hm, it is probably too far realistically to climb down with ropes, unless we have more", Normont says. "And the structure is beyond the range of my rifle, the most it would do is cause some noise and maybe attract something. Perhaps we are better off leaving then, and coming back better prepared", he adds, sounding disheartened.

"Or main goal was to find Werhann anyway, which we have done".

He looks at Werhann, knowing he has questions for the dwarf, whose thoughts have intruded into his mind twice already.

He is ready to call it a day unless someone has an epiphany as to how they can proceed further safely.

Lokilia slowly nods as Normont speaks. She looks relieved.  "Let's get out of here then. We can alert your friends Normont and hopefully they'll be able to figure out where to go from here.  

Dev nods his assent, having been unable to tear his eyes from the horrifyingly impaled bodies. He presses them shut, inhales deeply, and looks away. “I‘ll be happy to get out of here,” he admits. “But I can’t help it…,” he continues, his voice, though small and tremulous, coming from his center. “I’m so curious about what that terrifying thing is.”  He can’t help but throw one last wild look over his shoulder but slows not his step as he pulls himself with the rope’s help back up the sloping tunnel…

Progo starts turning around and making his way back up the tunnel. "Someone could throw a bit of fire or a bolt down there as we are planning to leave anyways. But of fire, keep it away from the slime and membrane, Progo don't feel like determining the flammability of this stuff. Did you heed my request to keep the rope out of the slime when you came down..." Progo, a bit more of his talkative self as they start retreating after no further resistance.

Werhann walks along with the others in silence. For once, he does not have anything to say. He can take limited consolation in that whatever that thing is, it is unlikely to disappear in a day once they're gone. So, once they or another group of Hunters return, properly equipped, it will most likely still be around. Though, depending on its true nature, whether it is still there or not might not matter. In any case, if the squid escaped, it would take some time before it could resume whatever it was doing. 

Assuming they have no trouble making the way back, Werhann will stop by the door that smells like a privy. Apart from numerous underground tunnels, it is the only door he has yet to open. He had assumed it was merely a privy, due to the smell, but would anyone really construct a chamber underground for that purpose? With everything else around, would it be so surprising if this was no privy at all? And if it is, at least he'll know for sure. "Hold it for a second," he asks of the others while standing by the door. "I won't be able to forgive myself if it turns out what we've searched for was here all along. Besides, we never encountered the guard that escaped."

He briefly looks around the door for wires, slits or other signs of traps (Perception: 7-1=6). Was there just one trap in this entire place? This also serves as a moment for others to object if they wish, or look for anything he may have missed, as he had noticed the others were more perceptive than he. Not that the standard was particularly high, as he knew too well. 

If nobody objects and unless he or someone else recognises any dangers, Werhann will open the door to check on what's behind it, uncertain whether he hopes to find a terrified young guard on the pot or something else entirely.

Normont starts to make his way back with the others.

"I am hoping to return better prepared, perhaps with other members of the Hunt, but you will still be welcome to return and see for yourself what it is, Dev", he says to the young tieflng who seems very interested in the object. "Same goes for all of you".

With regards Progo's question, he simply shakes his head. "I do not see the value of myself, but I will not stop anyone trying to shoot the object. As for the rope, we did our best".

If they reach the privy, or what Werhann thought was the privy, he will happily pause to check it out. He will move forward to help check for traps, with his trusty defender Maggie by his side. He had once again used the bag of holding to get her back up the tunnel, but he released as soon as the path was ok for her.

Investigation (with guidance) 19+5+2=26

Quote from Culuril >>

Lokilia says, "I suppose we ought to try to figure out what that is. Can anyone see anything else down there? Just the one domed thing with spikes?" She tries to make out anything herself. (Perception: 16) "It'll be tough to get out of here though. Maybe we should try just shooting to see if we get a reaction? At least from here it's a tiny bit easier to get out."  

Lokilias can't make anything more out though her more nature attuned experiences do tell her that the ' decorations' have been there for quite some time.

Quote from VolcanoLair >>

"Hm, it is probably too far realistically to climb down with ropes, unless we have more", Normont says. "And the structure is beyond the range of my rifle, the most it would do is cause some noise and maybe attract something. Perhaps we are better off leaving then, and coming back better prepared", he adds, sounding disheartened.

"Or main goal was to find Werhann anyway, which we have done".

He looks at Werhann, knowing he has questions for the dwarf, whose thoughts have intruded into his mind twice already.

He is ready to call it a day unless someone has an epiphany as to how they can proceed further safely.

Quote from Engineered_Beard >>

Progo starts turning around and making his way back up the tunnel. "Someone could throw a bit of fire or a bolt down there as we are planning to leave anyways. But of fire, keep it away from the slime and membrane, Progo don't feel like determining the flammability of this stuff. Did you heed my request to keep the rope out of the slime when you came down..." Progo, a bit more of his talkative self as they start retreating after no further resistance.

The rope appears unsullied.

Quote from FireCat5 >>

Werhann walks along with the others in silence. For once, he does not have anything to say. He can take limited consolation in that whatever that thing is, it is unlikely to disappear in a day once they're gone. So, once they or another group of Hunters return, properly equipped, it will most likely still be around. Though, depending on its true nature, whether it is still there or not might not matter. In any case, if the squid escaped, it would take some time before it could resume whatever it was doing. 

Assuming they have no trouble making the way back, Werhann will stop by the door that smells like a privy. Apart from numerous underground tunnels, it is the only door he has yet to open. He had assumed it was merely a privy, due to the smell, but would anyone really construct a chamber underground for that purpose? With everything else around, would it be so surprising if this was no privy at all? And if it is, at least he'll know for sure. "Hold it for a second," he asks of the others while standing by the door. "I won't be able to forgive myself if it turns out what we've searched for was here all along. Besides, we never encountered the guard that escaped."

He briefly looks around the door for wires, slits or other signs of traps (Perception: 7-1=6). Was there just one trap in this entire place? This also serves as a moment for others to object if they wish, or look for anything he may have missed, as he had noticed the others were more perceptive than he. Not that the standard was particularly high, as he knew too well. 

If nobody objects and unless he or someone else recognises any dangers, Werhann will open the door to check on what's behind it, uncertain whether he hopes to find a terrified young guard on the pot or something else entirely.

Quote from VolcanoLair >>

Normont starts to make his way back with the others.

"I am hoping to return better prepared, perhaps with other members of the Hunt, but you will still be welcome to return and see for yourself what it is, Dev", he says to the young tieflng who seems very interested in the object. "Same goes for all of you".

With regards Progo's question, he simply shakes his head. "I do not see the value of myself, but I will not stop anyone trying to shoot the object. As for the rope, we did our best".

If they reach the privy, or what Werhann thought was the privy, he will happily pause to check it out. He will move forward to help check for traps, with his trusty defender Maggie by his side. He had once again used the bag of holding to get her back up the tunnel, but he released as soon as the path was ok for her.

---

Investigation (with guidance) 19+5+2=26

Werhanns quick inspection and Normonts extremely intent one find no traps on the door, opening it there is a small 5x5 chamber within with a singular hole in the floor that looks suspiciously like the tunnels below in its construction.....though this one reeks not of ammonia....well....not only ammonia, but of other sorts of waste and a distinct undertone of rotting flesh.....there is no sign of the missing guard at all....

"Seems clear, to me", Normont says to Werhann, as his nose involuntarily wrinkles a little. "I mean, it doesn't appear to be anything other than a privy. Did you say there were more cells as well, or just yours? Is there anywhere else you haven't searched?".

Werhann closes the privy's door. "No other cells that I know of, no. But I was tied there the entire time - until I escaped, that is. By now, you've seen everything that I have. I do find it odd, though. Unless the other guard ran into the other tunnels, we'd have seen him by now. No, maybe not. Since we didn't check here on our way in, he could have slipped out while we were exploring the depths of this tunnel. That's a big oversight, in retrospect."

Werhann sighs. He was supposed to be better than that... but everyone makes mistakes. "Let us head out. I wonder if the black-eyed critters still loiter about. Maybe they'll have some more insights on the matter."

Lokilia ends up following the others back to what appears to actually be a privy.  "It is odd we didn't see the other guard. But there were many tunnels." Granted, they all seemed to go to that same place, but she doesn't say that. "And regardless, we'll need to be cautious when we go back up. There could be more odd creatures or more of those brain things." She's ready to follow the others out though. 

The group make their way back to the entrance of the complex, as they do so Normonts keen eyes see a scrape of blood on the wall that was not there before.....

They arrive back at the base of the ladder, the trapdoor is wide open.....

"Was that other guard injured, by any chance?", Normont asks Werhann. "Looks like he did sneak out whilst we were in the tunnels. At least someone hurt did", he adds, pointing out the blood on the wall.

He points up the ladder, "And didn't we close that hatch?".

He directs Maggie back into the bag of holding ready to head up and out.

Dev follows the others, still on alert. “I’ll be glad to get out of here, this place is really creepy,” he confides to Lokilia.

Progo stares up at the open hatch. "Well if someone wanted to ambush us, they would have been better to leave the hatch shut. Someone trying to scramble out of here, more likely to leave it open. Blood suggests someone trying to get out. What caused the injuries the man took, and Progo assumes the scream, is still a but concerning." Progo looks at Werhann and points at the blood, "unless that was yours..." Progo will start the climb to exit the hatch, trying to determine if any trap/ambush or tampering of the ropes is noticeable.

Perception: 14

Werhann shakes his head. "No, I didn't have to. After overpowering the other one, this one fled. And I don't think that's mine. Not here, so far from the trap that gashed my back." But did the guard meet Phindis, or perhaps someone else?

"Or another illusion," Werhann offers, only semi-seriously, when they see the trapdoor is open. He is ready to climb up once the others are, though, and will climb first if the others seem to hesitate, unless someone asks him to stop.

"Me too," Lokilia tells Dev. "This place was creepy. A bit of fresh air will be very nice." She hesitates, willing to let others proceed out ahead of her.  She braces herself to react should something happen. 

Progo determines the ladder and hatch are sound and untrapped and Werhann ascends.....the others following as best they are able.....

Werhann sees the sun for the first time in quite a while, though mostly concealed behind foliage from the trees surrounding them.

The clearing is occupied only by a singular badger who is chewing on the utterly mangled and sparse remains of a former guard.......the area around what is left of the corpse has been trodden by many hooves and paws.....

The badger stops chewing and cocks its head to regard the group......

Normont releases Maggie when he makes it out the hatch, and then takes a look around as she stands guard.

"Oh my", he says when he spots the corpse of the guard. "I guess his escape was short lived. A shame, we won't get to interrogate him. This would have happened after Phindis was killed, right? Which means the creatures who did this were not controlled by Phindis. I mean, of course we already thought there was something more behind this, that is just further evidence. Whoever it is didn't want any loose ends here".

"Maggie, make that badger leave the clearing, please", he instructs, so that he can move forward to investigate the corpse. Maggie obliges, moving forward towards the badger trying to scare it off rather than attacking.

Investigation (assuming the badger leaves peacefully): 5+5+3=13