Seraphine assumes the last position in the row and gets hold on the rope. She remains silent brooding over what mishaps are quite possibly waiting for them.
Aralin again sits to the side and watches the discussion: "hmmmm .... just a thought Master Seraphine, as fey I can 'learn skills', a language or something, you see when I go into my trance I reconnect to my fey family and all our memories and learnings are able to be shared, if there is something here that can be useful please let me know"
Seraphine listens to Aralin's suggestion and nods. “That’s a valuable ability, Aralin. Reconnecting with your fey family to learn how to use an alchemist's kit could be incredibly useful for us. If you could gain those insights, it would greatly aid us in understanding what went wrong with our potions and which other side effects we should expect. Are you willing to give it a try?” She turns to the group, “In the meantime, let’s move carefully through the flower forest and stay close. We’ll make it through this together.”
Finn holds the rope with one hand and points with the other, not letting go this time. "There, through the flowers, there's a boulder and the ants seem awful interested in something on the other side. They don't appear like too much of a threat, maybe we should go that way in case they're swarming food. If there's food, the mouse or mole might be around."He'll give the suggestion, and when Kesili tells them to move carefully, he will start to walk in that direction, leading the group with the rope. Finn will do his best to keep his tail tucked close, not hitting Valerian directly behind him.
Following Finn as he walks forward, Valerian says, "You're right, let's go around the ants so that we can get a good look of what has them so occupied."
Any clue on where the mouse or moles might be is the only thing that would help them get the job done. With that in mind, Valerian will scan the grounds nearby for any sign of tunnels going into the ground.
"Circumvent is a great option. I just want to get a peek-see at what they're up to," Rori will say as he leads them in a wide birth around the ants, careful to stay out of their way.
Valerian - make an investigation check looking for tunnels.
Finn, your choice of stealth or survival to circumvent the ants enough that they don’t notice you, but close enough to see what’s got them so occupied. With guidance!
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Finn accepts this scouting job, eager to prove himself, "I can be quiet when I need to be. Thank you for the guidance Seraphine, I feel like there's an edge to my movements." He'll turn around and hand his length of the rope to Valerian. Getting low, he'll keep to the stalks of the flowers and try to get to a good vantage point on the ants from the other side. Finn's demeanor turns from unsure to a predator stalking prey very quickly, the hair on your neck raises at the unassuming tabaxi and you get a sense there's more deadly talents lying below the surface.
Valerian holds onto the front of the rope that Finn hands over and watches him move forward into the plants. He watches the now focused tabaxi move closer to the ants with a precision that impresses Valerian.
Having spent so much of his time on the streets staying out of sight and being incredibly careful about who he ran into, Valerian had picked up his own tricks. There was something reassuring about watching Finn dedicate his skills to this task, a feeling that perhaps they were well suited for this job after all.
You successfully give the ants a careful and wide berth such that you do not draw their attention. As you enter the flower forest and move past the rock, your perspective changes enough that you can now see the other side of the rock. A stray beam of light glints off of metal and your eyes are drawn to a strange sight. Slumped against the rock is a person in armor. Features are hard to make out at this distance but you can see a full head of long red hair, glinting metal armor, a helmet on the ground near one outstretched arm, and with the other arm the body appears to be holding something close to itself. It’s not moving, likely dead. The ants skitter about the body excitedly.
Finn likes the shiny armor, drawn into the polished metal... then he'll break concentration and rush back to the group. "There is what appears to be a knight on the other side of the rock, our size. Either passed out cold or dead, but I think the armor or perhaps the scent of the death is attracting the ants."
He looks at his group warily, "I'm not sure who has taken up this quest before, the captain said it gets posted from time to time, but I have a feeling the last expedition wasn't so successful."
A shiver runs through his spine as he hears the words upon Finn's return. He had seen plenty of deceased bodies in his various ventures but still found himself stunned at the moment, simply because it was not the kind of sight he had been expecting out of this job. This was supposed to be a simple task, easy and done.
Taking a deep breathe, Valerian steeled himself. He told himself that this revelation shouldn't deter him or push him to step away from this job. It is still the job, only with more risk now and he needed to adjust to it accordingly. Trying to instill some courage into himself, Valerian stepped forward towards the body. Observation had been the skill that had assisted him best in uncertain situations and Valerian reminded himself to put it to use. "I'm going to see if I can find out anything more from the body." He said carefully, peering closer to the still body that Finn had described.
Looking for clues as to what might have happened to this knight and if they have anything on them that could help him and his companions. (Investigation check: 12)
Seraphine’s expression turns grave as she listens to Finn's report. "It seems clear that this knight was here for the same reason as us. He is alone, I wonder if he had companions and where they might be. The fact that he is our size suggests the potion also made him smaller than intended, and he hasn't grown back yet. This might have happened less than eight hours ago."She looks at her companions, worry etched on her face. "We need to get to the bottom of this, but that means confronting the ants. How many were there, Finn? Do you think we can handle them?" She glances at the others, seeking their input and gauging their readiness for the potential danger ahead.
Seraphine assumes the last position in the row and gets hold on the rope. She remains silent brooding over what mishaps are quite possibly waiting for them.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Yawning Portal || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan Shi - Liquid Swords || Syed - Drakkenheim || Kaelthor - Dragonlance ||
Aralin again sits to the side and watches the discussion: "hmmmm .... just a thought Master Seraphine, as fey I can 'learn skills', a language or something, you see when I go into my trance I reconnect to my fey family and all our memories and learnings are able to be shared, if there is something here that can be useful please let me know"
[OOC: Reference: Trance MotM, pg. 13]
Seraphine listens to Aralin's suggestion and nods. “That’s a valuable ability, Aralin. Reconnecting with your fey family to learn how to use an alchemist's kit could be incredibly useful for us. If you could gain those insights, it would greatly aid us in understanding what went wrong with our potions and which other side effects we should expect. Are you willing to give it a try?” She turns to the group, “In the meantime, let’s move carefully through the flower forest and stay close. We’ll make it through this together.”
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Yawning Portal || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan Shi - Liquid Swords || Syed - Drakkenheim || Kaelthor - Dragonlance ||
Finn holds the rope with one hand and points with the other, not letting go this time. "There, through the flowers, there's a boulder and the ants seem awful interested in something on the other side. They don't appear like too much of a threat, maybe we should go that way in case they're swarming food. If there's food, the mouse or mole might be around." He'll give the suggestion, and when Kesili tells them to move carefully, he will start to walk in that direction, leading the group with the rope. Finn will do his best to keep his tail tucked close, not hitting Valerian directly behind him.
Rori // Phandelver
After a short rest (trance) Aralin has the following proficiency skills "Alchemists supplies and cartographer tools".
In what manner do you want to try to approach the ants? They seem to be occupied with whatever is on the other side of the rock.
Following Finn as he walks forward, Valerian says, "You're right, let's go around the ants so that we can get a good look of what has them so occupied."
Any clue on where the mouse or moles might be is the only thing that would help them get the job done. With that in mind, Valerian will scan the grounds nearby for any sign of tunnels going into the ground.
"Circumvent is a great option. I just want to get a peek-see at what they're up to," Rori will say as he leads them in a wide birth around the ants, careful to stay out of their way.
Rori // Phandelver
Aralin is very happy yo follow Val and Finn. He has no intention in getting in the way of any ants at the moment!
“Does one of you mean to scout ahead? I can ask for guidance for your efforts,” offers Seraphine.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Yawning Portal || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan Shi - Liquid Swords || Syed - Drakkenheim || Kaelthor - Dragonlance ||
Valerian nods at Seraphine, "That's a good idea, we're far smaller than we usually are, we can use all the help we can get."
He gestures towards Finn, "Since Finn is at the front perhaps you can offer him the help of guidance,"
Valerian - make an investigation check looking for tunnels.
Finn, your choice of stealth or survival to circumvent the ants enough that they don’t notice you, but close enough to see what’s got them so occupied. With guidance!
Valerian scans the ground for tunnels (Investigation check: 7)
(OOC: I thought my +4 for investigation would ensure a solid check, except I rolled a 3 XD)
Finn accepts this scouting job, eager to prove himself, "I can be quiet when I need to be. Thank you for the guidance Seraphine, I feel like there's an edge to my movements." He'll turn around and hand his length of the rope to Valerian. Getting low, he'll keep to the stalks of the flowers and try to get to a good vantage point on the ants from the other side. Finn's demeanor turns from unsure to a predator stalking prey very quickly, the hair on your neck raises at the unassuming tabaxi and you get a sense there's more deadly talents lying below the surface.
Stealth and Guidance: 18 + 4
Rori // Phandelver
Valerian holds onto the front of the rope that Finn hands over and watches him move forward into the plants. He watches the now focused tabaxi move closer to the ants with a precision that impresses Valerian.
Having spent so much of his time on the streets staying out of sight and being incredibly careful about who he ran into, Valerian had picked up his own tricks. There was something reassuring about watching Finn dedicate his skills to this task, a feeling that perhaps they were well suited for this job after all.
You successfully give the ants a careful and wide berth such that you do not draw their attention. As you enter the flower forest and move past the rock, your perspective changes enough that you can now see the other side of the rock. A stray beam of light glints off of metal and your eyes are drawn to a strange sight. Slumped against the rock is a person in armor. Features are hard to make out at this distance but you can see a full head of long red hair, glinting metal armor, a helmet on the ground near one outstretched arm, and with the other arm the body appears to be holding something close to itself. It’s not moving, likely dead. The ants skitter about the body excitedly.
(For clarification: is the body our size or smaller/larger?)
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Yawning Portal || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan Shi - Liquid Swords || Syed - Drakkenheim || Kaelthor - Dragonlance ||
Finn likes the shiny armor, drawn into the polished metal... then he'll break concentration and rush back to the group. "There is what appears to be a knight on the other side of the rock, our size. Either passed out cold or dead, but I think the armor or perhaps the scent of the death is attracting the ants."
He looks at his group warily, "I'm not sure who has taken up this quest before, the captain said it gets posted from time to time, but I have a feeling the last expedition wasn't so successful."
Rori // Phandelver
A shiver runs through his spine as he hears the words upon Finn's return. He had seen plenty of deceased bodies in his various ventures but still found himself stunned at the moment, simply because it was not the kind of sight he had been expecting out of this job. This was supposed to be a simple task, easy and done.
Taking a deep breathe, Valerian steeled himself. He told himself that this revelation shouldn't deter him or push him to step away from this job. It is still the job, only with more risk now and he needed to adjust to it accordingly. Trying to instill some courage into himself, Valerian stepped forward towards the body. Observation had been the skill that had assisted him best in uncertain situations and Valerian reminded himself to put it to use. "I'm going to see if I can find out anything more from the body." He said carefully, peering closer to the still body that Finn had described.
Looking for clues as to what might have happened to this knight and if they have anything on them that could help him and his companions. (Investigation check: 12)
Seraphine’s expression turns grave as she listens to Finn's report. "It seems clear that this knight was here for the same reason as us. He is alone, I wonder if he had companions and where they might be. The fact that he is our size suggests the potion also made him smaller than intended, and he hasn't grown back yet. This might have happened less than eight hours ago." She looks at her companions, worry etched on her face. "We need to get to the bottom of this, but that means confronting the ants. How many were there, Finn? Do you think we can handle them?" She glances at the others, seeking their input and gauging their readiness for the potential danger ahead.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Yawning Portal || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan Shi - Liquid Swords || Syed - Drakkenheim || Kaelthor - Dragonlance ||