Theldrin checks the garnet just in case, then looks over the newly found gems. "Disappointing...." he says with a frown, "but hopefully we can use some of our gold to buy a pearl in any case."
Taking a moment to consider the party's next move, he says thoughtully as he rubs his beard, "The scroll might work but I got the sense they were onto us up there so I'm not optimistic. Perhaps a rest here so I can regain some magic then we see how it goes when we head back up?" He pauses for a moment, then continues, "And from what we've seen so far I don't have much hope of finding Abramo alive, but I suppose we could search some more if we see an opportunity."
Avery, recovering and binding his wounds, recommends "We should clear out the rest of this temple. If they are a threat, then the village is not safe. Never leave an enemy behind you."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Xanrym smiles and says, "Very well! I submit to your superior martial experience, Avery. Our story is either going to be very heroic or very short!" His tone is nonchalant and confident, but after he says that, you see him look around anxiously. He says, "So -- just to be clear -- you'd like to find another place to rest again before we go back up through the trap door? Theldrin will try to regain his strength, and maybe we can save the healing potion since that gives Avery time to bind his wounds. I'm feeling fresh after our last rest. I can keep watch up the tunnel so that we at least get a warning if they decide to come after us down here."
(OOC: In game terms:
Short rest.
Xanrym - Keeps watch and performs another Song of Rest.
Liarin - Keeps watch? As long as she rests, she'll be back to 2 uses of Wild Shape.
Theldrin - study the brooch and use Arcane Recovery to regain 1 spell slot.
Avery - before the rest, use Second Wind to regain 1d10+2 HP. Then, spend a one HD on healing during the rest to regain 1d10 + 3 + 4 from Song of Rest.
As long as we aren't interrupted, I guess the party will be in good shape to storm the temple after that.)
"Let's give it a try," Theldrin agrees. "Maybe we should try the other trap door as they may be expecting us if we go back the way we came..." If time allows he will study the brooch and his spellbook.
So sorry all, i haven't been getting notifications, thought you'd all stopped posting.
So just so we are clear, you may absolutely do a short rest. But you'll need to roll for a random encounter due to some other circumstances. The way i run this is usually that you get the full benefit of the short rest, but if you roll the encounter than you face it at the end of the rest.
So by all means mark off the Short Rest. And someone also roll a d12. On a result of 1 you get a hard encounter, on a 2 you get an easy encounter.
Xanrym smiles and says, "Very well! I submit to your superior martial experience, Avery. Our story is either going to be very heroic or very short!" His tone is nonchalant and confident, but after he says that, you see him look around anxiously. He says, "So -- just to be clear -- you'd like to find another place to rest again before we go back up through the trap door? Theldrin will try to regain his strength, and maybe we can save the healing potion since that gives Avery time to bind his wounds. I'm feeling fresh after our last rest. I can keep watch up the tunnel so that we at least get a warning if they decide to come after us down here."
(OOC: In game terms:
Short rest.
Xanrym - Keeps watch and performs another Song of Rest.
Liarin - Keeps watch? As long as she rests, she'll be back to 2 uses of Wild Shape.
Theldrin - study the brooch and use Arcane Recovery to regain 1 spell slot.
Avery - before the rest, use Second Wind to regain 1d10+2 HP. Then, spend a one HD on healing during the rest to regain 1d10 + 3 + 2 from Song of Rest.
As long as we aren't interrupted, I guess the party will be in good shape to storm the temple after that.)
Avery will use his second wind, plus the HD on healing
You all hand around in the cellar for an hour, recovering from yet another fight. You know that darkness must have fallen in the town of Orlane now. Nothing comes for you in the darkness, but you feel a sense of menace emanating from the stone around you.
Mark off your Short Rests and decide wether you go back up through the door you came through, or the other one.
(OOC: @drumdigby, both of the trapdoors out of the basement level require the party to climb a ladder to a trapdoor in the ceiling?)
Xanrym says, "Agreed. They'd be fools not to guard both trapdoors. We at least know where the one trapdoor leads, which may help us since we know where we'll be emerging. The other one...well, it's a big unknown. They'd have the additional advantage of knowing the location before we do." He prefers to go back upstairs through the trapdoor that they had previously used.
Thinking about it, Xanrym asks Avery, "I guess the biggest problem is going to be getting all of us up through the trapdoor? If we can't do that, we'll have just one of us trying to hold back the cultists as the others get up through the trapdoor. Assuming that they can raise an alarm, it probably means that by the time we get to the second temple level, we'll be facing armed and ready cultists."
Xanrym's ideas:
They could send Liarin first. The cultists probably don't know that she can Wild Shape. If she survives getting into the room, she could wild shape and start attacking while the rest of the party gets up and into the room.
Could they do something "surprising" as soon as they open the trapdoor?
For example, as soon as they open the trapdoor, Liarin could use create bonfire to make the door a hazard for any cultists trying to leave or come into the room.
If Avery could stand the stench, maybe he could carry one of the troglodyte bodies (assuming that they still reek) up to the trapdoor. They could open the trapdoor and hurl the kobold body into the room. With any luck, the stench would affect the cultists who are guarding the trapdoor more than it does the party.
If they're worried about being attacked as soon as they open the trapdoor, could they use Theldrin's mage hand or maybe the ettin's axe so that they can push the trapdoor open from a distance. Xanrym is worried that if one of them is at the top of the ladder and opens the trapdoor, they'll immediately be attacked and stabbed by the cultists.
They could also try to trick whomever is guarding the trap door.
For example, Xanrym could be the first to open the trapdoor, but he could disguise self as a troglodyte. He's not sure whether that would help, but it might surprise whomever is guarding the trapdoor and give the party a moment to scramble up into the room.
Alternatively, Xanrym could cast a minor illusion. He cannot think of any stationary illusion that would help, but maybe the sound of alarm or of a fight that seems to come from outside the room with the trapdoor?
Theldrin shrugs, "Those are some good ideas, hard to say what will work best. I do like the idea of initially opening the door with Mage Hand. And perhaps using the scroll to disguise as Misha or a trog would buy us some time."
(OOC: @drumdigby, both of the trapdoors out of the basement level require the party to climb a ladder to a trapdoor in the ceiling?)
Xanrym says, "Agreed. They'd be fools not to guard both trapdoors. We at least know where the one trapdoor leads, which may help us since we know where we'll be emerging. The other one...well, it's a big unknown. They'd have the additional advantage of knowing the location before we do." He prefers to go back upstairs through the trapdoor that they had previously used.
Thinking about it, Xanrym asks Avery, "I guess the biggest problem is going to be getting all of us up through the trapdoor? If we can't do that, we'll have just one of us trying to hold back the cultists as the others get up through the trapdoor. Assuming that they can raise an alarm, it probably means that by the time we get to the second temple level, we'll be facing armed and ready cultists."
Xanrym's ideas:
They could send Liarin first. The cultists probably don't know that she can Wild Shape. If she survives getting into the room, she could wild shape and start attacking while the rest of the party gets up and into the room.
Could they do something "surprising" as soon as they open the trapdoor?
For example, as soon as they open the trapdoor, Liarin could use create bonfire to make the door a hazard for any cultists trying to leave or come into the room.
If Avery could stand the stench, maybe he could carry one of the troglodyte bodies (assuming that they still reek) up to the trapdoor. They could open the trapdoor and hurl the kobold body into the room. With any luck, the stench would affect the cultists who are guarding the trapdoor more than it does the party.
If they're worried about being attacked as soon as they open the trapdoor, could they use Theldrin's mage hand or maybe the ettin's axe so that they can push the trapdoor open from a distance. Xanrym is worried that if one of them is at the top of the ladder and opens the trapdoor, they'll immediately be attacked and stabbed by the cultists.
They could also try to trick whomever is guarding the trap door.
For example, Xanrym could be the first to open the trapdoor, but he could [Tooltip Not Found] as a troglodyte. He's not sure whether that would help, but it might surprise whomever is guarding the trapdoor and give the party a moment to scramble up into the room.
Alternatively, Xanrym could cast a minor illusion. He cannot think of any stationary illusion that would help, but maybe the sound of alarm or of a fight that seems to come from outside the room with the trapdoor?
Avery states, "Well, I could plug my nose with something and hurl those putrid smelling things up through the opening."
Avery suggests, "We could always just listen to the door to see if anyone is on the other side, then go through. Either case, we'll have surprise on our side if we move quickly up and out of the door."
Xanrym gave some suggestions, but he'll go with whatever Liarin and Avery agree to. He assumes that he'll be last or next to last through the trapdoor. He thinks that having Liarin go first is probably their best plan since her wild shape will help her in case the cultists try to kill or capture them as soon as they get through the trap door. He liked the idea of using the troglodyte stench against the cultists, but that might not be the best idea since there's a chance that the party would also be affected. "Not to mention that Avery would probably reek of troglodyte for days!"
Xanrym agrees that Liarin should listen at the trapdoor first. Maybe they could get a sense of what's above before they open the trap door? If Liarin gives Xanrym a countdown before opening the trapdoor, he could ready a minor illusion to make some sort of sound (a crack of thunder, a wolf howl, or a loud scream) erupt near the ceiling of the room above the trapdoor as soon as it's open. If there's anyone guarding the trap door, perhaps that would distract them for a moment, looking up toward the sound and giving Liarin time to get into the room.
Theldrin checks the garnet just in case, then looks over the newly found gems. "Disappointing...." he says with a frown, "but hopefully we can use some of our gold to buy a pearl in any case."
Taking a moment to consider the party's next move, he says thoughtully as he rubs his beard, "The scroll might work but I got the sense they were onto us up there so I'm not optimistic. Perhaps a rest here so I can regain some magic then we see how it goes when we head back up?" He pauses for a moment, then continues, "And from what we've seen so far I don't have much hope of finding Abramo alive, but I suppose we could search some more if we see an opportunity."
Seems you need to discuss this a bit. Here’s a few facts that your characters would know that you may have forgotten/not noticed.
1. The Shrieker was incredibly loud, it would have been heard in the temple.
2. The only exit you know of out of the temple goes through Misha’s bedroom, into a hallway, and out the main exit.
3. There is another trapdoor that comes up in another part of the temple that you haven’t been to yet.
Avery, recovering and binding his wounds, recommends "We should clear out the rest of this temple. If they are a threat, then the village is not safe. Never leave an enemy behind you."
"I'm with Avery on this."
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
Xanrym smiles and says, "Very well! I submit to your superior martial experience, Avery. Our story is either going to be very heroic or very short!" His tone is nonchalant and confident, but after he says that, you see him look around anxiously. He says, "So -- just to be clear -- you'd like to find another place to rest again before we go back up through the trap door? Theldrin will try to regain his strength, and maybe we can save the healing potion since that gives Avery time to bind his wounds. I'm feeling fresh after our last rest. I can keep watch up the tunnel so that we at least get a warning if they decide to come after us down here."
(OOC: In game terms:
Short rest.
As long as we aren't interrupted, I guess the party will be in good shape to storm the temple after that.)
"Let's give it a try," Theldrin agrees. "Maybe we should try the other trap door as they may be expecting us if we go back the way we came..." If time allows he will study the brooch and his spellbook.
So sorry all, i haven't been getting notifications, thought you'd all stopped posting.
So just so we are clear, you may absolutely do a short rest. But you'll need to roll for a random encounter due to some other circumstances. The way i run this is usually that you get the full benefit of the short rest, but if you roll the encounter than you face it at the end of the rest.
So by all means mark off the Short Rest. And someone also roll a d12. On a result of 1 you get a hard encounter, on a 2 you get an easy encounter.
Avery will use his second wind, plus the HD on healing
d12 Roll: 4
You all hand around in the cellar for an hour, recovering from yet another fight. You know that darkness must have fallen in the town of Orlane now. Nothing comes for you in the darkness, but you feel a sense of menace emanating from the stone around you.
Mark off your Short Rests and decide wether you go back up through the door you came through, or the other one.
Also, if Theldrin does choose to study the brooch, he finds that it is a Brooch of Shielding
"Well, they are definitely gonna be ready for us when we go back up."
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
(OOC: @drumdigby, both of the trapdoors out of the basement level require the party to climb a ladder to a trapdoor in the ceiling?)
Xanrym says, "Agreed. They'd be fools not to guard both trapdoors. We at least know where the one trapdoor leads, which may help us since we know where we'll be emerging. The other one...well, it's a big unknown. They'd have the additional advantage of knowing the location before we do." He prefers to go back upstairs through the trapdoor that they had previously used.
Thinking about it, Xanrym asks Avery, "I guess the biggest problem is going to be getting all of us up through the trapdoor? If we can't do that, we'll have just one of us trying to hold back the cultists as the others get up through the trapdoor. Assuming that they can raise an alarm, it probably means that by the time we get to the second temple level, we'll be facing armed and ready cultists."
Xanrym's ideas:
Theldrin shrugs, "Those are some good ideas, hard to say what will work best. I do like the idea of initially opening the door with Mage Hand. And perhaps using the scroll to disguise as Misha or a trog would buy us some time."
Avery states, "Well, I could plug my nose with something and hurl those putrid smelling things up through the opening."
By the way, yes, you'll have to climb ladders to get up either trapdoor.
I'll wait for you all to land on a plan before we continue.
Avery suggests, "We could always just listen to the door to see if anyone is on the other side, then go through. Either case, we'll have surprise on our side if we move quickly up and out of the door."
"I'm willing to jump through and shift forms, I can take a lot of damage if I can shift before I'm attacked."
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
"Definitely wise to have a good listen at the door first," Theldrin nods.
Xanrym gave some suggestions, but he'll go with whatever Liarin and Avery agree to. He assumes that he'll be last or next to last through the trapdoor. He thinks that having Liarin go first is probably their best plan since her wild shape will help her in case the cultists try to kill or capture them as soon as they get through the trap door. He liked the idea of using the troglodyte stench against the cultists, but that might not be the best idea since there's a chance that the party would also be affected. "Not to mention that Avery would probably reek of troglodyte for days!"
Xanrym agrees that Liarin should listen at the trapdoor first. Maybe they could get a sense of what's above before they open the trap door? If Liarin gives Xanrym a countdown before opening the trapdoor, he could ready a minor illusion to make some sort of sound (a crack of thunder, a wolf howl, or a loud scream) erupt near the ceiling of the room above the trapdoor as soon as it's open. If there's anyone guarding the trap door, perhaps that would distract them for a moment, looking up toward the sound and giving Liarin time to get into the room.