With Ravi slinking off ahead, Bomon falls in behind Oji. He’s not nearly as nimble or as confident in his steps, but he trusts his uncle to see them headed in the right direction. He glances back often to attempt to ensure no one is sneaking up behind the group and to see that Tyjra is doing okay.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Ravi tilts his head before he nods. "Sure, I could scout out ahead, just know its hard for me to see but I can absolutely do my best" He said before he slowly walked out of the range of the lights and he would do his best to stick into the shadows, he starts to feel himself feel rather lucky in the darkness as it is rather second nature for him to hide and for the first time ever, it wasn't to steal anything.
The tunnel ahead twists unpredictably, a labyrinth of shifting directions that disorients with every step. The only certainty is the gradual descent, pulling you ever deeper into the earth. At times, the passage opens into vast caverns marked by towering stalagmites, their jagged forms standing like ancient sentinels. At others, it narrows into suffocating squeezes, forcing you to press between sheer walls of glistening rock. Tyjra’s magical light is your steadfast beacon, a comforting glow amidst the encroaching darkness—even as it casts long, unsettling shadows that flicker in the unseen depths.
Whether through skill or sheer luck, Oji manages to keep you moving forward with remarkable consistency. Only the occasional dead end forces a brief retreat, a necessary recalibration before forging ahead once more. After nearly an hour of steady travel, the tunnel takes a sudden, sharp turn, plummeting downward at a steep angle. Just ahead, a small cavern unfolds, similar to many you have passed before. Yet this time, something different catches your eye.
Beyond the familiar natural tunnels beckoning you forward, another path reveals itself—a narrow, 5-foot-wide, 10-foot-high entryway, starkly artificial in its precision. At a glance, it appears to be the remnants of an ancient stone structure, partially collapsed and long forgotten. Though its passage is constricted, forcing you to navigate the rubble-strewn corridor with care, you suspect it may still be traversable. The choice stands before you: continue along the winding natural tunnels, or brave the remnants of a ruin that whispers of history buried beneath centuries of decay.
“Okay so, we’ve got no food, no water… If we’re going to find a place to rest, or scavenge for anything useful, it could be either way from what I’m seeing.”
He looks between the natural tunnel and the ruin, then back at the others.
“Unless one of you can discern something I can’t, it seems like we either keep going the way we have… or try something different.”
Ravi followed the group with an unamused look on his face as he has a light spell cased on him and soon enough he looks to Bomon. "Listen, I vote to go through. We've already come this far so it would make no sense to go backwards" He said before looking to Tyjra. "And you....I would appreciate not having a light spell casted on me....it makes my strengths entirely useless"
Tyjra blushes and says "Oh, I thought it would help with the whole seeing through the tunnels thing." She turns to Bomon and casts light on him. "You seem astute as you are worried about food and water. I didnt even think about that."
She moves closer to Bomon and says "You lead, I will follow."
Oji paused as the tunnel widened into the new cavern, his breath steady despite the long descent and the pressing weight of the earth above. He raised a hand gently, signaling the group to hold a moment as his gaze swept from the familiar contours of the natural tunnel to the strange, straight lines that pierced the darkness beyond.
He stepped slowly toward the artificial passage, his fingers brushing along the precision-cut stone as if trying to read its story through touch alone. “This was not shaped by water or time,” he murmured, more to himself than anyone else. “No... hands built this. Long ago, but not without purpose.”
Turning back to the group, he let out a quiet hum of thought before speaking—his tone calm but edged with curiosity. “The path ahead remains as it was—winding, wild, and slow to yield. But this... this is something different. Forgotten, perhaps, but not without meaning. Stone remembers its makers.”
He looked to Bomon first, then to the others. “We can continue through the natural tunnels, safe in the familiar dangers we’ve come to know. Or we brave the bones of something long buried, and see what truths or troubles lie within.”
Then, with the faintest of smiles, he added, “Either way, I suggest we stick close. Old places tend to wake rudely when stepped on.”
Bomon flinches slightly as the light shifts again, now glowing gently from his armor. He glances at Tyjra, a little taken aback by her words. “Thank you, but I… I’m not sure about astute,” he admits. “Just trying to keep us from starving… and I’d probably lead us in circles if it were up to me.”
His gaze drifts toward the ruin, Oji’s words still echoing in his head. “You make a good point, Uncle. I like the potential for something different. Either way is the unknown… but at least this passage shows some sign of life.”
Bomon casts a glance at Tyjra, a flicker of uncertainty still in his eyes. “Well… sounds like we’re all in agreement, then.” Adjusting his grip on the shield strapped to his arm, he adds quietly, “Here’s hoping our luck follows us into whatever this place is.”
The trek through the narrow, winding corridor is slow, each step echoing against the cracked stone. The path is heavily damaged, its walls rough and fractured, forcing careful navigation. After five grueling minutes, you emerge into a vast rectangular chamber, its silence pressing down like a weight.
The faded stone walls bear the scars of time, worn and uneven, while the tiled floor sags inward—its descent culminating in a gaping hole at the center, as though some immense force had struck long ago. The wound in the earth is not clean; curling, root-like vines claw at its edges, weaving through fractures in the stone as if drawn to its depths.
Ahead, three arched passageways offer paths forward, but ruin dictates your choices—both the left and right tunnels have long since collapsed, their rubble sealing whatever lay beyond. That leaves only the center passageway, dark and waiting.
Ravi quietly followed the group and his eyes began to look around these place and he let out a laugh as there was a tri-fork in the path and only one way seemed possible for them to even get through. "Hey would you look at that, just perfect that destiny has chosen the way for us eh?" He asks as he then moves over to Oji."Got anymore riddles for us?" He asked him with a curious expression.
"Oh it would be so nice if there was a town. A place to start new, a place....." she then whispers "I had probably be quiet since we dont know whats out there"
Then falls in place behind Bomon and quietly follows him.
After following the remaining passage you emerge into a broad rectangular chamber. The air here is still, and ages of dust linger across the flat stone floor. Directly to your right, three statues of dark, smooth stone stand like silent wardens – one looming over the others in the shape of a goat-headed man with arms outstretched, while the two flanking him on either side depict a pair of handsomely-featured men with feathered wings, one clutching a harp while the other holds a sword. Between the three of them sits a large bronze brazier upon a plinth of reddish stone.
Further across the room, on the side opposite you, stands another statue, this one depicting a broad-shouldered man with the head of a large cat and a grossly oversized, reflective bronze shield held aloft in both hands. Opposite him, on the other side of the chamber, are the shattered stone legs of a seemingly identical statue, the rest of which is nowhere to be seen. Between them are tarnished stone statues seemingly depicting farmers, potters, and sculptors at work.
Elaborate pictographic carvings scrawl their way along the walls, leading up to a raised platform on the far end of the chamber, where an immense stone doorframe looms over the rest of the room. Beneath it, however, is a featureless slab of sheer, smooth stone.
On the far side of the chamber, behind the three statues, a single golden figure is depicted kneeling and burning sacrifices before a set of mountains, over which six stars shine.
As the carvings proceed across the room, they show the same figure with a circle of light around his head leading marching armies, followed by men and women building walls, forging weapons, tilling land, fashioning vases, and practising magic. The humanoid figures grow larger and larger as the carvings progress, as do the structures they build, until finally they tower over the exit on the other side of the room, where a flame-like icon is set with a large ruby.
Bomon steps out into the chamber the echo of his footsteps swallowed by the stillness. His eyes are immediately drawn to the statues, first to the strange goat-headed figure then to the winged ones beside it. The harp. The sword. The brazier.
He slows as his gaze drifts across the carvings on the walls and the vast, smooth slab at the far end of the room.
“I don’t know what we should do here,” he says quietly, eyes still scanning the space. “But… whatever we do, let’s be careful.”
He pauses just inside the room
“Does any of this seem familiar to anyone?”
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19 - Survival Roll.
With Ravi slinking off ahead, Bomon falls in behind Oji. He’s not nearly as nimble or as confident in his steps, but he trusts his uncle to see them headed in the right direction. He glances back often to attempt to ensure no one is sneaking up behind the group and to see that Tyjra is doing okay.
Ravi tilts his head before he nods. "Sure, I could scout out ahead, just know its hard for me to see but I can absolutely do my best" He said before he slowly walked out of the range of the lights and he would do his best to stick into the shadows, he starts to feel himself feel rather lucky in the darkness as it is rather second nature for him to hide and for the first time ever, it wasn't to steal anything.
(using a tick of the luck feat)
22
"Wait!" Tyjra exclaims. "No reason to go out and make it hard on yourself." She proceeds to cast light on his shirt so that the way is illuminated.
"That should make a difference. Oh I hope we find a town. It would be nice to catch a break."
SKIP FOR NOW
The tunnel ahead twists unpredictably, a labyrinth of shifting directions that disorients with every step. The only certainty is the gradual descent, pulling you ever deeper into the earth. At times, the passage opens into vast caverns marked by towering stalagmites, their jagged forms standing like ancient sentinels. At others, it narrows into suffocating squeezes, forcing you to press between sheer walls of glistening rock. Tyjra’s magical light is your steadfast beacon, a comforting glow amidst the encroaching darkness—even as it casts long, unsettling shadows that flicker in the unseen depths.
Whether through skill or sheer luck, Oji manages to keep you moving forward with remarkable consistency. Only the occasional dead end forces a brief retreat, a necessary recalibration before forging ahead once more. After nearly an hour of steady travel, the tunnel takes a sudden, sharp turn, plummeting downward at a steep angle. Just ahead, a small cavern unfolds, similar to many you have passed before. Yet this time, something different catches your eye.
Beyond the familiar natural tunnels beckoning you forward, another path reveals itself—a narrow, 5-foot-wide, 10-foot-high entryway, starkly artificial in its precision. At a glance, it appears to be the remnants of an ancient stone structure, partially collapsed and long forgotten. Though its passage is constricted, forcing you to navigate the rubble-strewn corridor with care, you suspect it may still be traversable. The choice stands before you: continue along the winding natural tunnels, or brave the remnants of a ruin that whispers of history buried beneath centuries of decay.
“Okay so, we’ve got no food, no water… If we’re going to find a place to rest, or scavenge for anything useful, it could be either way from what I’m seeing.”
He looks between the natural tunnel and the ruin, then back at the others.
“Unless one of you can discern something I can’t, it seems like we either keep going the way we have… or try something different.”
Ravi followed the group with an unamused look on his face as he has a light spell cased on him and soon enough he looks to Bomon. "Listen, I vote to go through. We've already come this far so it would make no sense to go backwards" He said before looking to Tyjra. "And you....I would appreciate not having a light spell casted on me....it makes my strengths entirely useless"
Tyjra blushes and says "Oh, I thought it would help with the whole seeing through the tunnels thing." She turns to Bomon and casts light on him. "You seem astute as you are worried about food and water. I didnt even think about that."
She moves closer to Bomon and says "You lead, I will follow."
Oji paused as the tunnel widened into the new cavern, his breath steady despite the long descent and the pressing weight of the earth above. He raised a hand gently, signaling the group to hold a moment as his gaze swept from the familiar contours of the natural tunnel to the strange, straight lines that pierced the darkness beyond.
He stepped slowly toward the artificial passage, his fingers brushing along the precision-cut stone as if trying to read its story through touch alone. “This was not shaped by water or time,” he murmured, more to himself than anyone else. “No... hands built this. Long ago, but not without purpose.”
Turning back to the group, he let out a quiet hum of thought before speaking—his tone calm but edged with curiosity. “The path ahead remains as it was—winding, wild, and slow to yield. But this... this is something different. Forgotten, perhaps, but not without meaning. Stone remembers its makers.”
He looked to Bomon first, then to the others. “We can continue through the natural tunnels, safe in the familiar dangers we’ve come to know. Or we brave the bones of something long buried, and see what truths or troubles lie within.”
Then, with the faintest of smiles, he added, “Either way, I suggest we stick close. Old places tend to wake rudely when stepped on.”
Bomon flinches slightly as the light shifts again, now glowing gently from his armor. He glances at Tyjra, a little taken aback by her words. “Thank you, but I… I’m not sure about astute,” he admits. “Just trying to keep us from starving… and I’d probably lead us in circles if it were up to me.”
His gaze drifts toward the ruin, Oji’s words still echoing in his head. “You make a good point, Uncle. I like the potential for something different. Either way is the unknown… but at least this passage shows some sign of life.”
Bomon casts a glance at Tyjra, a flicker of uncertainty still in his eyes. “Well… sounds like we’re all in agreement, then.” Adjusting his grip on the shield strapped to his arm, he adds quietly, “Here’s hoping our luck follows us into whatever this place is.”
The trek through the narrow, winding corridor is slow, each step echoing against the cracked stone. The path is heavily damaged, its walls rough and fractured, forcing careful navigation. After five grueling minutes, you emerge into a vast rectangular chamber, its silence pressing down like a weight.
The faded stone walls bear the scars of time, worn and uneven, while the tiled floor sags inward—its descent culminating in a gaping hole at the center, as though some immense force had struck long ago. The wound in the earth is not clean; curling, root-like vines claw at its edges, weaving through fractures in the stone as if drawn to its depths.
Ahead, three arched passageways offer paths forward, but ruin dictates your choices—both the left and right tunnels have long since collapsed, their rubble sealing whatever lay beyond. That leaves only the center passageway, dark and waiting.
Ravi quietly followed the group and his eyes began to look around these place and he let out a laugh as there was a tri-fork in the path and only one way seemed possible for them to even get through. "Hey would you look at that, just perfect that destiny has chosen the way for us eh?" He asks as he then moves over to Oji. "Got anymore riddles for us?" He asked him with a curious expression.
"Oh it would be so nice if there was a town. A place to start new, a place....." she then whispers "I had probably be quiet since we dont know whats out there"
Then falls in place behind Bomon and quietly follows him.
Oji follows the middle path making a signal for the rest to quiet down a bit as he treads carefully.
After following the remaining passage you emerge into a broad rectangular chamber. The air here is still, and ages of dust linger across the flat stone floor. Directly to your right, three statues of dark, smooth stone stand like silent wardens – one looming over the others in the shape of a goat-headed man with arms outstretched, while the two flanking him on either side depict a pair of handsomely-featured men with feathered wings, one clutching a harp while the other holds a sword. Between the three of them sits a large bronze brazier upon a plinth of reddish stone.
Further across the room, on the side opposite you, stands another statue, this one depicting a broad-shouldered man with the head of a large cat and a grossly oversized, reflective bronze shield held aloft in both hands. Opposite him, on the other side of the chamber, are the shattered stone legs of a seemingly identical statue, the rest of which is nowhere to be seen. Between them are tarnished stone statues seemingly depicting farmers, potters, and sculptors at work.
Elaborate pictographic carvings scrawl their way along the walls, leading up to a raised platform on the far end of the chamber, where an immense stone doorframe looms over the rest of the room. Beneath it, however, is a featureless slab of sheer, smooth stone.
On the far side of the chamber, behind the three statues, a single golden figure is depicted kneeling and burning sacrifices before a set of mountains, over which six stars shine.
As the carvings proceed across the room, they show the same figure with a circle of light around his head leading marching armies, followed by men and women building walls, forging weapons, tilling land, fashioning vases, and practising magic. The humanoid figures grow larger and larger as the carvings progress, as do the structures they build, until finally they tower over the exit on the other side of the room, where a flame-like icon is set with a large ruby.
Bomon steps out into the chamber the echo of his footsteps swallowed by the stillness. His eyes are immediately drawn to the statues, first to the strange goat-headed figure then to the winged ones beside it. The harp. The sword. The brazier.
He slows as his gaze drifts across the carvings on the walls and the vast, smooth slab at the far end of the room.
“I don’t know what we should do here,” he says quietly, eyes still scanning the space. “But… whatever we do, let’s be careful.”
He pauses just inside the room
“Does any of this seem familiar to anyone?”