Azaka blinks, crossing her arms as she takes in the plan. "So you'll try to sneak in, get the mask, and then back out?" she asks, her tone laced with surprise. "What if they spot you?"
Before anyone can answer, Taban chuckles, rolling his shoulders. "I'm not stealthy, but I can go with you," he offers, his usual confidence unwavering. "I don’t mind heights or fighting some terrorfolk."
Who goes up first, and do you make any prior preparations?
With the plan set, Rhys, Lucian, and Taban begin their ascent up the weathered ladder clinging to the south face of Firefinger. Though aged and worn by time, the ladder is stable enough to hold their weight, creaking slightly under each step but showing no immediate signs of failure.
The climb is steep and relentless, each movement bringing them higher above the jungle floor. The air grows thinner, the sounds of the jungle fading beneath them, replaced by the occasional gust of wind whistling around the spire. At 60 feet, they finally reach the first entrance—a dark, gaping hole carved into the rock.
The cave beyond is pitch black, offering no clear view of what lies inside.
Ollie continues to fly around, near them. Cleggor looks up and winks at it, and the little owl disappears, into a pocket dimension for now. He waves his arms and then ritually begins to cast speak with animals, thinking this might provide useful help, if he encounters anything.
He stands below as the others start to make ready to climb. Cleggor looks down at his arms and legs, his eyes close for a moment, then he notes strange spiky hairs start to grow out of his arms. Cleggor transforms into a giant wolf spider before your very eyes. You do a double take as you hear the spider exclaim afterward, "Heh!" And then it begins to climb, along the exterior of the surface, ignoring the ladder, looking upward and watching out for any pterafolk.
Thyxius offers a prayer as the stealth team begins the climb. Cleggor's transformation makes him a bit uncomfortable, but he can't resist a chuckle at spider-Cleggor's eagerness. The Tiefling does his best to watch for any pterafolk in the skies around the tower.
Cleggor-spider sneaks closer to the opening of the cave, stepping inside and looking around. The instant he enters, he starts to climb up the wall and moves to the ceiling. Darkvision 120 ft, blindsense 10 feet.
In his spider form, Cleggor scuttles up the remaining few feet and slips silently into the cave. His multiple eyes scan the darkness, but even with his enhanced vision, the interior is shrouded in pitch blackness. The cave feels empty, untouched by the pterafolk who make their nests higher up.
The most notable feature is a 10-foot-deep pit carved into the stone floor, its purpose unclear. Aside from that, the chamber is eerily silent, carrying no signs of movement or habitation.
At the Base of Firefinger
Meanwhile, back on the jungle floor, the rest of the party makes a grim discovery. Near the base of the spire, they spot a body—the broken corpse of an elf lying face-down in the mud. His limbs are twisted unnaturally, his ribcage crushed, and his tattered clothes cling to his body, tangled with broken twigs and torn leaves.
It’s not long before they find another body. Then another. As their eyes scan around the spire’s base, the grim pattern becomes clear—this is a dumping ground.
These unfortunate souls were likely captured along the river, stripped of valuables, then flown to the top of Firefinger—only to be thrown to their deaths.
Azaka, arms crossed and eyes scanning the sky, exhales sharply. "Maybe we should’ve waited for some rain… or at least until nightfall." Her voice is low, cautious. "Would’ve been harder for them to see us coming." She glances at the bodies again, then up at the towering spire. "Too late for that now, but let’s hope we’re not the next ones hitting the ground."
Cleggor-spider keeps moving on the ceiling, moving slowly and quietly to the center of the room, over this 10 foot pit in the floor, looking straight down trying to see any movement, listening for any sound. He uses his skills as a dwarf as well as a spider to detect movement, motion, sound in the cavern, curious as to why this pit exists in the floor.
Darkvision : 120 feet
Blindsense : 10 feet
and he also uses dwarven Tremorsense while touching the stone, range 60 feet.
Thyxius grimaces at the sight, his jaw tightening as he takes in the scattered bodies. There’s no honor in a death like this—plucked from the jungle, stripped of everything, then cast aside like refuse. His grip tightens on his sword, but he exhales slowly, forcing himself to stay focused. At Azaka’s words, he glances up at the towering spire, his golden eyes narrowing.
"These creatures are evil indeed. At least they might have trouble lifting me."
Rhys lights a torch and enters after Cleggor. If there is a good spot for it, Rhys will attach his rope or grappling hook to something and then lower himself down into the 10ft deep pit to investigate it closer to see what’s at the bottom.
As Rhys steps into the dark cave, the flickering light of his torch pushes back the heavy shadows, revealing the rough stone walls and uneven floor. The air is damp and stale, carrying the faint scent of decay. His eyes sweep over the ground, where he quickly spots tracks in the loose dirt and scattered stones—thin, delicate imprints, almost like someone had drawn soft grooves with a claw. The patterns are eerily similar to those left behind by Cleggor in his spider form.
Kneeling down, Rhys examines the area more closely. The fine indentations left by multiple legs suggest that spiders—large ones—have moved through here before. Mixed in with the tracks, he finds remnants of small animal bones, some splintered and brittle, partially wrapped in strands of old, dry webbing. Whatever lived in this cave fed well.
As he lifts his gaze, his eyes meet Cleggor’s. The spider’s many eyes glint in the firelight, but it’s not just Rhys who is observing.
A subtle shift in Cleggor’s tremorsense sends a silent warning. Below them, inside the 10-foot-deep pit, he can feel movement—the distinct, skittering presence of four large creatures.
Giant wolf spiders.
Rhys, still holding the torch, glances at the pit's edge. The darkness below gives away nothing—but Cleggor knows they are there. Watching. Waiting.
Petor lets himself breath in the decaying scent of the dead bodies, a somehow more visceral sensation than merely seeing them. I won't let this happen to me or my party., he promises himself, looking over at Thyxius and Azaka.
Is there anything that sets these bodies apart from other adventurers, any commonality between them? Why did they all seek out the Firefinger and fail? And how can we avoid the same fate?
Very slowly, Cleggor-spider reverses his steps, walking along the ceiling and heading toward the opening of the tunnel, when he reaches the mouth he descends the sides, to the floor. He motions a spider arm at Rhys and points to the exit of the cave, walking out that way. If Rhys follows, Cleggor-spider will say in a low spider whispery voice, “Giant wolf spiders. Four of them. I couldn’t see them, but I could, eh, feel them. Sitting at the bottom of the pit, waiting to attack. Need some fire, blast ‘em outta there. Something.”
Azaka blinks, crossing her arms as she takes in the plan. "So you'll try to sneak in, get the mask, and then back out?" she asks, her tone laced with surprise. "What if they spot you?"
Before anyone can answer, Taban chuckles, rolling his shoulders. "I'm not stealthy, but I can go with you," he offers, his usual confidence unwavering. "I don’t mind heights or fighting some terrorfolk."
Who goes up first, and do you make any prior preparations?
Rhys will be one to go up, ritual casting detect magic, and then casting guidance on himself.
"Yup, I'l do the same and stay back, unless you think that my luck outweighs the danger of my regrettable lack of stealth."
Thyxius nods to Petor, glad he isn't the only one hanging back. "Acknowledging one's strengths and weaknesses is a part of heroism as well."
With the plan set, Rhys, Lucian, and Taban begin their ascent up the weathered ladder clinging to the south face of Firefinger. Though aged and worn by time, the ladder is stable enough to hold their weight, creaking slightly under each step but showing no immediate signs of failure.
The climb is steep and relentless, each movement bringing them higher above the jungle floor. The air grows thinner, the sounds of the jungle fading beneath them, replaced by the occasional gust of wind whistling around the spire. At 60 feet, they finally reach the first entrance—a dark, gaping hole carved into the rock.
The cave beyond is pitch black, offering no clear view of what lies inside.
Ollie continues to fly around, near them. Cleggor looks up and winks at it, and the little owl disappears, into a pocket dimension for now. He waves his arms and then ritually begins to cast speak with animals, thinking this might provide useful help, if he encounters anything.
He stands below as the others start to make ready to climb. Cleggor looks down at his arms and legs, his eyes close for a moment, then he notes strange spiky hairs start to grow out of his arms. Cleggor transforms into a giant wolf spider before your very eyes. You do a double take as you hear the spider exclaim afterward, "Heh!" And then it begins to climb, along the exterior of the surface, ignoring the ladder, looking upward and watching out for any pterafolk.
Thyxius offers a prayer as the stealth team begins the climb. Cleggor's transformation makes him a bit uncomfortable, but he can't resist a chuckle at spider-Cleggor's eagerness. The Tiefling does his best to watch for any pterafolk in the skies around the tower.
Perception: 17
((Anyone venturing into the cave?))
Rhys will enter with caution.
(is it light enough to see? No darkvision. I can light a torch or let someone else take lead if it’s too dark.)
Cleggor-spider sneaks closer to the opening of the cave, stepping inside and looking around. The instant he enters, he starts to climb up the wall and moves to the ceiling. Darkvision 120 ft, blindsense 10 feet.
Stealth : 24
Rhys will let spider-cleggor take the lead
Inside the Cave
In his spider form, Cleggor scuttles up the remaining few feet and slips silently into the cave. His multiple eyes scan the darkness, but even with his enhanced vision, the interior is shrouded in pitch blackness. The cave feels empty, untouched by the pterafolk who make their nests higher up.
The most notable feature is a 10-foot-deep pit carved into the stone floor, its purpose unclear. Aside from that, the chamber is eerily silent, carrying no signs of movement or habitation.
At the Base of Firefinger
Meanwhile, back on the jungle floor, the rest of the party makes a grim discovery. Near the base of the spire, they spot a body—the broken corpse of an elf lying face-down in the mud. His limbs are twisted unnaturally, his ribcage crushed, and his tattered clothes cling to his body, tangled with broken twigs and torn leaves.
It’s not long before they find another body. Then another. As their eyes scan around the spire’s base, the grim pattern becomes clear—this is a dumping ground.
These unfortunate souls were likely captured along the river, stripped of valuables, then flown to the top of Firefinger—only to be thrown to their deaths.
Azaka, arms crossed and eyes scanning the sky, exhales sharply. "Maybe we should’ve waited for some rain… or at least until nightfall." Her voice is low, cautious. "Would’ve been harder for them to see us coming." She glances at the bodies again, then up at the towering spire. "Too late for that now, but let’s hope we’re not the next ones hitting the ground."
Inside the cave :
Cleggor-spider keeps moving on the ceiling, moving slowly and quietly to the center of the room, over this 10 foot pit in the floor, looking straight down trying to see any movement, listening for any sound. He uses his skills as a dwarf as well as a spider to detect movement, motion, sound in the cavern, curious as to why this pit exists in the floor.
Darkvision : 120 feet
Blindsense : 10 feet
and he also uses dwarven Tremorsense while touching the stone, range 60 feet.
Thyxius grimaces at the sight, his jaw tightening as he takes in the scattered bodies. There’s no honor in a death like this—plucked from the jungle, stripped of everything, then cast aside like refuse. His grip tightens on his sword, but he exhales slowly, forcing himself to stay focused. At Azaka’s words, he glances up at the towering spire, his golden eyes narrowing.
"These creatures are evil indeed. At least they might have trouble lifting me."
CAVE:
Rhys lights a torch and enters after Cleggor. If there is a good spot for it, Rhys will attach his rope or grappling hook to something and then lower himself down into the 10ft deep pit to investigate it closer to see what’s at the bottom.
(21 investigation)
As Rhys steps into the dark cave, the flickering light of his torch pushes back the heavy shadows, revealing the rough stone walls and uneven floor. The air is damp and stale, carrying the faint scent of decay. His eyes sweep over the ground, where he quickly spots tracks in the loose dirt and scattered stones—thin, delicate imprints, almost like someone had drawn soft grooves with a claw. The patterns are eerily similar to those left behind by Cleggor in his spider form.
Kneeling down, Rhys examines the area more closely. The fine indentations left by multiple legs suggest that spiders—large ones—have moved through here before. Mixed in with the tracks, he finds remnants of small animal bones, some splintered and brittle, partially wrapped in strands of old, dry webbing. Whatever lived in this cave fed well.
As he lifts his gaze, his eyes meet Cleggor’s. The spider’s many eyes glint in the firelight, but it’s not just Rhys who is observing.
A subtle shift in Cleggor’s tremorsense sends a silent warning. Below them, inside the 10-foot-deep pit, he can feel movement—the distinct, skittering presence of four large creatures.
Giant wolf spiders.
Rhys, still holding the torch, glances at the pit's edge. The darkness below gives away nothing—but Cleggor knows they are there. Watching. Waiting.
Petor lets himself breath in the decaying scent of the dead bodies, a somehow more visceral sensation than merely seeing them. I won't let this happen to me or my party., he promises himself, looking over at Thyxius and Azaka.
Is there anything that sets these bodies apart from other adventurers, any commonality between them? Why did they all seek out the Firefinger and fail? And how can we avoid the same fate?
Very slowly, Cleggor-spider reverses his steps, walking along the ceiling and heading toward the opening of the tunnel, when he reaches the mouth he descends the sides, to the floor. He motions a spider arm at Rhys and points to the exit of the cave, walking out that way. If Rhys follows, Cleggor-spider will say in a low spider whispery voice, “Giant wolf spiders. Four of them. I couldn’t see them, but I could, eh, feel them. Sitting at the bottom of the pit, waiting to attack. Need some fire, blast ‘em outta there. Something.”
I don’t have anything like that. Maybe we should go grab our friends below. One of them would be able to conjure flames.