"Honestly, I think I prefer the climb. Besides, we should probably stick together." Hex rummages throw her backpack for a moment and pulls out some pitons before handing them to Auriel. "Here. These should also make the climb a bit easier. I don't have any rope on me though."

"Perfect," the paladin replies, taking Hex's pitons. "I've got rope, so I'd say we're all set. What do you think, Hildigrim, Carl?"

”Yep, I agree with the climb.  Unless I used my last spell slot to give myself some invisibility, I think I’d be seen for sure tryin to sneak around to the other side.  I think I could climb it just fine if someone could fix a rope after going up there.  It seems ta be the best way..”. Carl starts to tighten things and secure things in his pack, readying himself for a climb.  He looks at the shimmery outline of Squirt and wonders if he can climb the rope too.  

Quote from FairIthilien >>

(ooc: He'll use his inspiration to roll at advantage to climb up)

(ooc: Just a little reminder that Auriel will do this to try to make sure that the first climb and setting up the rope goes well!)

OOC: Removed pitons from Hex's inventory. Not using up Auriel's Inspiration because I'm giving him advantage for using the pitons to create handholds along the climb.

Auriel begins working his way through what handholds he can find along the rugged cliff face, starting the climb upward to the 45 foot ledge where the cave mouth sits. Using Hex's hammer to slam the pitons home into convenient handholds, he scales 10 feet upward before his progress is halted. His hands slipping on multiple occasions and nearly falling back to the earth, the paladin is unable to make any further progress; whether it be the slippery conditions of the cliffside with the fog and mist, or the bulk of his armor, he is stymied by the climb.

Hildigrim shakes his head. "I don't think this is climbing weather. Perhaps we should go around."

Auriel pauses, fingers tightening around the slick rock as he glares up at the ledge above—so close, yet still just out of reach. A sharp breath escapes him, thick with frustration. Surely they couldn't be bested by something as stupid as this cliff!

He glances down. Doubt shadows his companions' faces, and he asks himself if he should he give up and climb back down.

His jaw tightens. "No. Not yet," he murmurs.

The eladrin breathes a quiet prayer, bracing himself for the incoming pain in case the gods aren't listening. Then—without warning—a shimmer of silvery mist envelops him. In an instant, he vanishes, reappearing thirty feet higher with a burst of displaced air. His arm snaps out, reaching desperately for any ledge he can grab. Aything to give him one final shot at the climb...

Auriel reappears mere feet away from the cliff's edge. Perfectly grabbing hold of a gap in the rock and lunging upward, the paladin grabs the side of the ledge with his right hand, 40 feet above the ground - which crumbles to the weight of Auriel's armor. Reaction speed honed by years of pitched battle, his left hand rockets out to grab another handhold. Hanging there for a moment, hearing the section of fallen ledge tumble to the earth below, Auriel quickly finds a gap below to push upward with his legs, bringing him safely to the ridge above.

Auriel takes a moment to steady his breathing—that had been close! But without hesitation, he pulls a rope from his pack, secures it around a nearby rock, and tosses it down the cliff to help the others up.

"Oh my," Hildigrim murmurs as Auriel reappears above them — barely visible through the fog — and seems to slip. The halfling instinctively steps back as bits of rock and debris tumble down at their feet. He squints up through the mist, wiping the gathering moisture from his lenses.

"Did he … make it?" he asks quietly.

There’s a beat of tense silence — a moment spent willing the elf's silhouette to remain. Then, with a soft whump, the end of a rope drops down through the fog.

Hildigrim stares at it for a second, then looks back up the cliff face. A smile spreads across his face, lighting it up with sudden relief.

Lifting the edge of his cloak above his knees, he grabs hold of the rope — and begins to climb.

Hex lets out an impressed whistle as the rope is thrown down. She waits for Hildigrim to finish climbing before following him up. Once she on the ledge, she gives Auriel a grin and a pat on the back. "Nice job."

Auriel braces himself near the edge, offering a steadying hand to Hildigrim, Hex, and Carl as they reach the top. Once they're safely up, he hauls the rope back up, coiling it neatly before tucking it into his pack. Straightening, he catches Hex's grin and answers it with a broad smile of his own. "Almost makes up for the incident with Sharrak, doesn't it?" he says, letting out a soft chuckle. Nothing like conquering a difficult climb to make one feel better.

"Well, into the cave we go, right?" he asks, gesturing for the stealthier ones to take the lead.

Before they move on, he takes a moment to survey their surroundings—the camps down the cliff and the shoulder of the statue where the zipline leads—scanning for anything of interest now that they have a better vantage point.

Hex nods at Auriel and decides to take the lead. She pops her hood up and moves to the entrance of the cave, waiting for the paladin to finish his survey before heading inside.

Carl sent ole Squirt Mudbottom up the rope before him, as he climbs the last of the way up he reaches out frantically for Auriel and is relieved when he finds his hand and strength pull him the rest of the way up.  “Whew!  Thas a good ways down.  Glad to have yur help, Auriel.  Wouldna made it without you.  Let’s have a look at this cave then.”  

Standing at this cliff provides a larger view of the Gray Patriots' camp and the ongoing debate at the base of the statue. Though shrouded, you can still make out the figures of the Patriots milling about their tents in a somewhat bored fashion. Jeralla and Sahnd continue their conversation; you can spot their similarly shrouded forms gesturing and pointing as they discuss their terms. You can still see the loose circle of tents surrounding a wagon on the western side of the Pyre, but are still too far away to see any additional detail there. Nothing else stands on the cliffside with you besides the yawning cave mouth.

A passage leads into the cavern ahead of you for quite some distance. The fog rolls into the caves somewhat, providing a few inches of mist above the cavern floor, but your vision is unobstructed for the most part. Some distance into the passage, you see a shorter passage to the left that opens out onto the cliffside once more, while the passage also continues ahead of you.

"Those who see better in the dark should lead," Hildigrim says, prepared to follow.

"Ladies first," Auriel says with a theatrical little bow toward Hex, who is proficient both at seeing in the dark and at moving silently.

He follows the tiefling at a short distance, giving her space to scout ahead—hopefully unburdened by the sound of his clinking armor.

When the passageway splits off into two paths, Hex waits for the rest of the party to catch up to her before pointing down the left path. "Just going to take a look down this path real quick. Jeralla's carriage is probably down the other path but it can't hurt to check out all our options. I'll signal if there's anything interesting or important for you guys to come join me. If not, I'll just come back." With that said, she heads down the path to the open cliffside to look around.

Hex moves out of the cavern through the exit nearby, finding herself on a cliffside on the opposite side of the gargantuan statue. Forty five feet below her, a circle of tents is pitched around a blazing cook fire. North of that, a large covered wagon is parked next to a team of oxen.

There seems to be no simple path down to the camp, only a similar climb to that which brought the party into the cave system.

"I hope there's an easy way down the other side of the cliff," Auriel remarks quietly to Hildigrim and Carl as they wait for Hex to return.