Quote from VitusW >>

 "Torm is a god. Can't see how that's a bad thing."

 "Oh, it's not bad; Torm is honourable, loyal, etc; it's just that he's a bit goodie-goodie and straight-laced at times."

"I know, the names are a bit much." The prince says as the wagon starts moving on bumpy terrain, the wagon shaking a bit as it moves. "So, are you excited for dinner? We start eating an hour after we arrive, so our chefs can prepare anything you like. What's your favorite dish?"

Everybody roll perception. On a DC 16, click the spoiler below. On a fail, forget I ever said anything.

Fuego Perception:  22

Fuego:

”Something is wrong—we are not on the road anymore and horses approach.  I fear this may be a trap!” exclaims Fuego as he opens up the door and looks outside.

(Have we had a short rest yet?)

Perception: 3

[[ Wait, why was I rolling that in the first place? Can't think of any reason. :P ]]

Phait looks at Fuego in alarm and turns to the prince, "You hid yourself. But did you vet your men?"

Perception 17

"Agreed, looks like Stormcaller might be in business again sooner than expected."

(The party did not have time for a short rest between the fight with the hag and the ride, but they will have time at dinner, assuming the party arrives there...)

One of the bodyguards lifts up the cloth and looks outside. "There's a horse to our left, to our right, and in our front, probably in our back too. And that driver... that's not the same driver we came here with." "Stop the wagon!" The prince shouts, but the driver ignores him. "Wait, the horses are splitting up. We're entering a cave!" Suddenly, it gets darker and colder, as if the wagon has just entered a tunnel, and you hear rock collapse behind you. The bodyguard that was just speaking leaves the wagon. "We're in a cave... unguarded. No one seems to be here. Maybe they want to starve us out." "Very unusual. I'll find an exit." The other bodyguard says. The cave is made of one central cavern, 80 feet wide, 70 feet long, and 40 feet tall. The entrance is blocked by a pile of stone. The cave is dimly lit by light coming from two of the three tunnels at the end of the cave.

The first tunnel is lit by fiery light and has a small cloud of smoke pouring out of it. There are sharp rocks littering the entrance.

The second tunnel is supported by iron bars and the soft sound of metal grinding metal can be heard from the other side. Candle's light 

The third tunnel is mossy with mist pouring out, and fungi are growing from cracks in the earth. This tunnel. is pitch black inside.

Thrudor gets out...."Well this is a not where we should be....There must be a way to open the entrance way rock. A carriage cannot just gallop through without a driver. Check around for a switch of some sort that would open the entranceway....I do not want to traverse deeper into these caverns"

Fuego:

Bewildered by how quickly their situation changed, Fuego climbs on top of the wagon and summons flame to his hand, using it to light up the area and look for any nearby threats.

All you see is the 3 paths, and the fact that the horses are Nightmares. You also see strange runes on the wall. Roll Arcana. It seems the rocks were ready to fall once they were released, and there is no built-in entrance. Hanging from the ceiling is a strange pyramid-shaped piece of obsidian covered in runes and a storm cloud pattern is scratched into the ground.

On one side of the cavern is a large mirror, and inside the reflection a shadowy figure steps into view. The figure is humanoid with large, bird-like wings wielding a giant flail. The image has no detail, it's only a foggy black shadow. A voice booms from the mirror, "So I finally meet the mortals who seek to destroy my kingdom. I look forward to seeing you in the flesh." The voice is low and strong, a strange static echoing within it. The voice mostly remains the same, but frequently blinks other versions: Deep and muffled like it's underwater, dry and raspy like someone deceased is speaking, and sometimes even angelic. "I have been watching your band of revolutionaries. Believe me, I do not want to be your enemy. I only wish to breed order. Order that can only come in my new world. I know I could never persuade you. But when my job is done, only the worthy will survive. There will be carnage. I will purge the world of all the unworthy. Perhaps it is you that I consider worthy; I have not yet made up my mind. The greatest 1% of humanoids will be left alive. Do I make myself clear? THIS CANNOT BE AVOIDED. I hope you do not interfere." The mirror shatters and the shadow walks out of it. It's still made of black smoke, but details are now easier to see. He's 8 feet tall with large bird-like wings, just like what you've heard about angels. He has long flowing robes and is wielding a strange flail, a small rod with a 12-foot chain attached, topped with a sphere; but the sphere is not as foggy as the rest of him. Strangely, it seems perfectly solid.

Arc Check: 14

Thrudor Arcana:

Thrudor relays his assumptions to the group "These ruins appear to be an old language, one that is not spoken often any longer...Possibly celestial? The being in the mirror had wings such as an angel so that would make sense...."

(( Belated Perception Check: 10 ))

(( EDIT: "Rolls not available"... I'll just roll on the character sheet instead: 16 ))

Fuego:

”Perhaps I can help,” says Fuego.  He goes over to the runes to read them (Fuego understands Primordial and Draconic as well as Common).

Arcana if needed:  17

(( Arcana Check from character sheet: 13 ))

Titus had already drawn his sword as soon as the crew had stepped out of the carriage. He turned and faced the shadowy figure, and looked him over. Who was this? How powerful was he? And most important... if it came to it, would this group be able to take him? He had to poke around for clues... and hopefully allow this whoever-he-was to reveal his own secrets.

"Well now," began the fighter, "that doesn't seem to make much sense. If all this is so unavoidable... why bother with us? More to the point, why seal us up in a cave?"

He grinned, then lowered his weapon a bit. "In fact, if you're actually on the right side, why not at least try to convince us? Give us something... who are you, and how do you know you'll be successful? What's in it for us if we join you?"

(( Not sure it's needed, but just in case, Deception Check from character sheet: 7 *whoo boy...* ))

Fuego Arcana:

His voice becomes more clear, and the wings on his shadow fold. The shadow walks towards Titus. "So be it. I am Aedel. Although I was only a Deva, I became Archangel to the Sun God through my own power. I was the God of the Eclipse. But the humanoid priests decided that they could choose which Celestials were important. They deemed me unfit to be worshiped. The Sun God thought he was too important to have an Archangel that would not be worshipped. Indeed the priests knew I was worthy, but they could improve their public power if another was in place. So the Sun God sent his angels to kill me. The one who was to replace me fought me, but I was much too skilled with my flail. I won, and in anger, he slew himself and framed me. So I was cast from heaven. I found a place for myself; Archangel to the Demogorgon. But I am not enough for him. So here I am with my task. Purge the world of the unworthy. Oh, and don't call me Aedel. I am the Telestial Vindicator." He waves his hand through the air and the shadow fades, revealing this 7-foot-tall being. (I generated this image with DreamStudio AI). "I hope you don't try to resist. I am not here to kill you. Unless you make me." He violently swings his flail at Titus, knocking his spirit, which looks like a specter, right out of his body. Apparently, though, Titus' body is undamaged. He then pushes the specter back into his body, leaving Titus physically unaffected. (for roleplay purposes, it was 100% painless). "I hope that doesn't bother you. I mean the worthy no harm."

Titus Perception:

[[ Character sheet doesn't seem,to rolling for me,right at,the moment, but please take a,look just in case it did something I couldn't see. ]]

Upon seeing the rubble Phait takes a look, trying to see if there may be a way to dig through without causing a cave-in. If there's any spot where mold earth coupd majipulate things.

Investigation: 15

With the shadowy figure he adds, speaking to the party, "Furthermore to Titus' questions, if we were the targets then why include the prince? It seems almost... personal. First the prince needs to be saved. And now again." He turns to the prince, "Who did you tell about your visit to us? Beacuse between two attempts on your life and rumors of a dead king elsewhere, I think there's an usurper wannabe behind things."

Arcana 6 If the runes are Infernal Cunning may be able to read them.

Cunning looks at the figure before them. "So, you decide who is worthy, and who isn't? How.... 'convenient' for you. Perhaps you would care to enlighten us about what you deem 'worthy'?"