It doesn't sound to me like there is any hurry here. We don't see that the Lords are keeping prisoners, and if Mival is indeed a Lord then there is no urgency to return him to town.
Elias nods at Ardana’s point, considering the situation. He turns back to the group, his voice steady.
"If there are no prisoners in immediate danger, then we have the luxury of choosing our approach carefully. The question is—do we want to take the more direct path and risk confrontation, or do we attempt stealth to learn more before revealing ourselves?"
He glances at the narrow passage Thetis had pointed out, then back to his companions. "A frontal approach might be faster, but we’ll lose the element of surprise. A more cautious path could give us an advantage, but it means searching for another way in and possibly splitting up."
He looks between them, waiting for their thoughts. "What’s our play?"
Tarysaa starts digging in her backpack as she speaks, "I have candles. Mage Hand can carry it down the wide hallway a decent way before it ends. At least we would get an indication of what is ahead of us. And, as long as there is a dry spot to place the candle, it still provides a bit of light to aim for."
Elias watches as Tarysaa rummages through her pack, her clever mind already working on a way to gain insight without exposing them to immediate danger. As she explains her plan, a smile tugs at his lips, a mix of admiration and approval.
"Simple, clever, and low risk," he remarks, nodding in appreciation. "A mage’s subtle touch can sometimes illuminate more than a warrior’s steel. I like it."
He clasps his hands behind his back, glancing at the others. "This would at least give us a glimpse of what lies ahead without stepping blindly into trouble. While we wait for the others to weigh in, let’s see what your candle trick reveals, shall we?"
His gaze flickers toward the wide hallway, the dim glow of their magical lights barely pushing into the darkness. Something waits beyond. Perhaps Tarysaa’s small light would give them just enough of an edge.
Wood shines his magical light down the passageway, numbers? How many lords below should we expect to find? Then there's the water nymph to deal with, he eyes the nereid, aren't you supposed to be trying to stop us from entering?
"Indeed! No one will pass through the path I am supposed to guard!" the girl playfully assumes a power-pose, blocking the 5'-wide way, as she replies to Woodrow "But you can go the other side," she gestures with her little hand to the 10'-wide way "because even though I believe that it is possible to access the Lords from Below's lair from there too, somehow, the access is certainly less direct... and I was not charged with guarding that path either! So, if you take that one..." she blows a kiss "you have my gratitude and my blessing!"
Meanwhile, Tarysaa puts into action her plan of sending a lit candle carried by a magical hand forward - keeping the candle at the maximum possible distance, i.e. 30' in front of her. The candle, advancing, lights up a fork (where you can go straight, towards the south, or left, towards the east) and, just past it... a boat! [[ Marked boat's position with Token 1 ]]
It is a small Rowboat that waits stationary, inside which stands the lone figure of a sailor. The small Rowboat is approximately 5' wide and 10' long, with room therefore only for a single rower and a single passenger. The figure inside has the appearance of a pale, nearly skeletal humanoid sailor, approximately 5' tall. He wears rotted, hooded robes and burial wraps and holds an oar. His face is too distant and in shadow to be seen clearly, but the eyes are clearly distinguishable due to the fact that they glow red.
The figure is currently eyeing in the direction from which the candle came (that is, in the direction of the party) without saying a word.
Elias’ breath slows as he takes in the sight of the pale, skeletal sailor, clad in rotted, burial-wrapped robes, an oar in his grasp. The figure is silent, but its glowing red eyes pierce the darkness, locked directly toward them.
For a long moment, Elias says nothing, merely absorbing the eerie presence before them.
Then, he lets out a slow exhale and, in a quiet yet deliberate tone, he muses, "Well… That’s not something you see every day."
He turns his head slightly toward the others, keeping his gaze on the boatman. "I wonder," he continues, voice still low, "if he’s expecting a passenger… or if he’s waiting to collect one."
His fingers twitch slightly at his side, his instincts urging caution. This was no ordinary ferryman.
((21 Arcana check - does Elias know anything about what this creature could be?))
[[ OOC: Not from that distance, I'd say, also given the flickering light of just one candle... But we'll keep the good roll if Elias comes mearer or has means to better examine the creature ]]
As Elias and Tarysaa work on lighting the passage, Wood looks to Thetis, points to the passage behind her, so you guard that one, ok. What about numbers? We know of the one that suckered you and the one called Blossom. How many more can we expect? he pauses for a moment, and why do they call him Blossom?
"Apart from Bytwoeff and Blossom, there are eight other members of the Lords from Below" Tethis replies to Woodrow. "As for 'Blossom,' he chose his own 'Lord from Below' name... and he didn't come to tell me why he chose that! Maybe" she shrugs "he likes flowers! Speaking of which... are there any pretty flowers up above now? Would you go pick one for me to give as a gift? Pretty please?"
Elias tears his gaze away from the eerie boatman for a moment, turning to Thetis with a curious expression. Her request—so simple, so out of place in this damp, decaying dungeon—stands in stark contrast to their grim discoveries.
He tilts his head slightly, offering her a gentle but inquisitive smile.
"A flower, you say? A charming request, though not the most common of treasures in a place like this." His voice is light, but his mind is already turning. "And tell me, Thetis, who is it that you wish to give this flower to?"
His scholar’s curiosity stirs—was this just an innocent wish, or did the gift carry deeper meaning?
Wood, holding his magical light source up, moves down the passage where the candles are located and scouts out the eastern passage, staying in the main passage though.
"The flower must be a gallant gift for me!" Tethis rolls her eyes, as if explaining the obvious to Elias "Why shouldn't I have the pleasure of feeling a little courted, so as to forget that I am in reality nothing more than a sort of watchdog for the Lords from Below?"
Meanwhile, Woodrow, a man accustomed to action, arrives at the new crossroads... the eastern branch continues straight, eastward. While to the north, the mysterious figure, now more visible to him, has not stopped staring at him... and so our hero...
...hears a telepathic voice in his own mind: "A soldier! I am accustomed to carrying them... Do you need to sail on my boat? The fare is not high." Woodrow instinctively feels like an open telepathic 'channel of communication'... he can respond simply by thinking, if he wishes.
Elias chuckles softly, shaking his head as he realizes Thetis is simply playing a game of distraction.
"Ah, of course. How foolish of me not to recognize the necessity of gallant gestures in such dire circumstances," he says with a smirk, indulging her for just a moment. "Alas, I fear I left my bouquet in my other coat."
But his amusement fades as he glances past her, his thoughts already moving elsewhere. This conversation was leading nowhere.
Turning away from Thetis, he shifts his focus to Woodrow, who has been quietly investigating further ahead. Elias narrows his eyes, watching where Wood has gone before stepping forward, following after him.
"Let’s see what our keen-eyed friend has found," he murmurs to himself, leaving Thetis and her playful demands behind as he turns his attention back to the mysteries ahead.
"The flower must be a gallant gift for me!" Tethis rolls her eyes, as if explaining the obvious to Elias "Why shouldn't I have the pleasure of feeling a little courted, so as to forget that I am in reality nothing more than a sort of watchdog for the Lords from Below?"
Meanwhile, Woodrow, a man accustomed to action, arrives at the new crossroads... the eastern branch continues straight, eastward. While to the north, the mysterious figure, now more visible to him, has not stopped staring at him... and so our hero...
...hears a telepathic voice in his own mind: "A soldier! I am accustomed to carrying them... Do you need to sail on my boat? The fare is not high." Woodrow instinctively feels like an open telepathic 'channel of communication'... he can respond simply by thinking, if he wishes.
Wood thinks to himself not odd at all! I might indeed ferryman, to where is your next port of call?
Now that he is approaching, Elias can get a better look at the ferryman... and he realizes that...
...the sailor is a fiend! It's a Merrenoloth, a mercenary fiend specialized in transport. These ferrymen, according to many legends, guide their boats with their infernal expertise on the River Stix, the infernal river that crosses the Lower Planes - and are often used in the war actions of the Blood War. Legend also has it that Merrenoloths, like all Yugoloths, tend to honor their contracts... although they can end up breaking them, if they receive a much better offer later.
There are lines by a tiefling poet in which a Merrenoloth appears:
And lo! Towards the Dretches, coming in a boat An old man, hoary with the hair of old, Crying: "Woe unto you, ye hesitating devils!
Hope nevermore to come back if not victorious; I come to lead you on the Stix, To the burning shore, to repel Demon invaders!"
Meanwhile, Woodrow...
...hears a calm explanation in his mind: "My boat can sail from this point on along this wide corridor, taking you deep into the heart of these dungeons, to places you couldn't reach without swimming... and swimming would be dangerous. The water is deep here, unlike where you are now. Whether you have a specific destination in mind, or you simply want to explore this place, I am probably a good investment for you; Geados' word. You can pay by sacrificing a creature to me - any creature, as long as it has a soul and free will. That would be the most welcome payment... But I understand that there isn't all that much of an abundance of creatures down here. So you can also pay with 10Gp."
As Elias follows Woodrow, his keen mind continues working through the details of what they had just seen—the boat, the silent, hooded figure, the glowing red eyes, and the eerie stillness with which it watched them. Something about it nags at him, a piece of lore buried deep in his vast well of knowledge.
Then it clicks.
His steps slow as realization dawns, and his breath catches for just a moment. "Of course…" he mutters under his breath.
Turning back to the others, he keeps his voice low but urgent.
"That ferryman isn’t just some lingering undead. It’s a Merrenoloth." His eyes flick to Ardana and Tarysaa, searching for recognition. "A fiend. A mercenary from the Lower Planes, specialized in transport. They pilot the black waters of the afterlife, the Styx itself, carrying souls, prisoners, and… well, anyone who can pay their price."
He glances back toward the small rowboat, his mind racing through possibilities.
"It’s not here by accident. Someone or something has summoned it, or it has business here. And if it’s offering passage…" He folds his arms, "we must ask ourselves—where exactly does that boat lead?"
His voice drops even lower, just above a whisper. "And more importantly… who or what is paying its fare?"
Tarysaa moves over to Thetis and tells her to hold out her hand. Using PrestidigitationTarysaa will have a delicate flower appear in the palm of Thetis' hand. "If we survive, I shall visit and bring real blooms for you."
Moving toward the wide corridor, Tarysaa joins her companions at the East opening. "Should I plant more candles along this corridor or is someone chancing 'the ferryman?"
yeah, says he can take us to the heart of the dungeon, exploring. Advises that we don't want to swim in the deep water. What do you all think about us checking out the other passage before we hop the ferry? Wood ask the party.
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It doesn't sound to me like there is any hurry here. We don't see that the Lords are keeping prisoners, and if Mival is indeed a Lord then there is no urgency to return him to town.
Thetis, do the Lords have prisoners?
"Except me?" the nereid raises an eyebrow, uncharacteristically sarcastic. "No, anyway, no. No other slaves or prisoners."
Elias nods at Ardana’s point, considering the situation. He turns back to the group, his voice steady.
"If there are no prisoners in immediate danger, then we have the luxury of choosing our approach carefully. The question is—do we want to take the more direct path and risk confrontation, or do we attempt stealth to learn more before revealing ourselves?"
He glances at the narrow passage Thetis had pointed out, then back to his companions. "A frontal approach might be faster, but we’ll lose the element of surprise. A more cautious path could give us an advantage, but it means searching for another way in and possibly splitting up."
He looks between them, waiting for their thoughts. "What’s our play?"
Tarysaa starts digging in her backpack as she speaks, "I have candles. Mage Hand can carry it down the wide hallway a decent way before it ends. At least we would get an indication of what is ahead of us. And, as long as there is a dry spot to place the candle, it still provides a bit of light to aim for."
Elias watches as Tarysaa rummages through her pack, her clever mind already working on a way to gain insight without exposing them to immediate danger. As she explains her plan, a smile tugs at his lips, a mix of admiration and approval.
"Simple, clever, and low risk," he remarks, nodding in appreciation. "A mage’s subtle touch can sometimes illuminate more than a warrior’s steel. I like it."
He clasps his hands behind his back, glancing at the others. "This would at least give us a glimpse of what lies ahead without stepping blindly into trouble. While we wait for the others to weigh in, let’s see what your candle trick reveals, shall we?"
His gaze flickers toward the wide hallway, the dim glow of their magical lights barely pushing into the darkness. Something waits beyond. Perhaps Tarysaa’s small light would give them just enough of an edge.
Wood shines his magical light down the passageway, numbers? How many lords below should we expect to find? Then there's the water nymph to deal with, he eyes the nereid, aren't you supposed to be trying to stop us from entering?
"Indeed! No one will pass through the path I am supposed to guard!" the girl playfully assumes a power-pose, blocking the 5'-wide way, as she replies to Woodrow "But you can go the other side," she gestures with her little hand to the 10'-wide way "because even though I believe that it is possible to access the Lords from Below's lair from there too, somehow, the access is certainly less direct... and I was not charged with guarding that path either! So, if you take that one..." she blows a kiss "you have my gratitude and my blessing!"
Meanwhile, Tarysaa puts into action her plan of sending a lit candle carried by a magical hand forward - keeping the candle at the maximum possible distance, i.e. 30' in front of her. The candle, advancing, lights up a fork (where you can go straight, towards the south, or left, towards the east) and, just past it... a boat! [[ Marked boat's position with Token 1 ]]
It is a small Rowboat that waits stationary, inside which stands the lone figure of a sailor. The small Rowboat is approximately 5' wide and 10' long, with room therefore only for a single rower and a single passenger. The figure inside has the appearance of a pale, nearly skeletal humanoid sailor, approximately 5' tall. He wears rotted, hooded robes and burial wraps and holds an oar. His face is too distant and in shadow to be seen clearly, but the eyes are clearly distinguishable due to the fact that they glow red.
The figure is currently eyeing in the direction from which the candle came (that is, in the direction of the party) without saying a word.
Elias’ breath slows as he takes in the sight of the pale, skeletal sailor, clad in rotted, burial-wrapped robes, an oar in his grasp. The figure is silent, but its glowing red eyes pierce the darkness, locked directly toward them.
For a long moment, Elias says nothing, merely absorbing the eerie presence before them.
Then, he lets out a slow exhale and, in a quiet yet deliberate tone, he muses, "Well… That’s not something you see every day."
He turns his head slightly toward the others, keeping his gaze on the boatman. "I wonder," he continues, voice still low, "if he’s expecting a passenger… or if he’s waiting to collect one."
His fingers twitch slightly at his side, his instincts urging caution. This was no ordinary ferryman.
((21 Arcana check - does Elias know anything about what this creature could be?))
[[ OOC: Not from that distance, I'd say, also given the flickering light of just one candle... But we'll keep the good roll if Elias comes mearer or has means to better examine the creature ]]
As Elias and Tarysaa work on lighting the passage, Wood looks to Thetis, points to the passage behind her, so you guard that one, ok. What about numbers? We know of the one that suckered you and the one called Blossom. How many more can we expect? he pauses for a moment, and why do they call him Blossom?
"Apart from Bytwoeff and Blossom, there are eight other members of the Lords from Below" Tethis replies to Woodrow. "As for 'Blossom,' he chose his own 'Lord from Below' name... and he didn't come to tell me why he chose that! Maybe" she shrugs "he likes flowers! Speaking of which... are there any pretty flowers up above now? Would you go pick one for me to give as a gift? Pretty please?"
Elias tears his gaze away from the eerie boatman for a moment, turning to Thetis with a curious expression. Her request—so simple, so out of place in this damp, decaying dungeon—stands in stark contrast to their grim discoveries.
He tilts his head slightly, offering her a gentle but inquisitive smile.
"A flower, you say? A charming request, though not the most common of treasures in a place like this." His voice is light, but his mind is already turning. "And tell me, Thetis, who is it that you wish to give this flower to?"
His scholar’s curiosity stirs—was this just an innocent wish, or did the gift carry deeper meaning?
Wood, holding his magical light source up, moves down the passage where the candles are located and scouts out the eastern passage, staying in the main passage though.
"The flower must be a gallant gift for me!" Tethis rolls her eyes, as if explaining the obvious to Elias "Why shouldn't I have the pleasure of feeling a little courted, so as to forget that I am in reality nothing more than a sort of watchdog for the Lords from Below?"
Meanwhile, Woodrow, a man accustomed to action, arrives at the new crossroads... the eastern branch continues straight, eastward. While to the north, the mysterious figure, now more visible to him, has not stopped staring at him... and so our hero...
...hears a telepathic voice in his own mind: "A soldier! I am accustomed to carrying them... Do you need to sail on my boat? The fare is not high."
Woodrow instinctively feels like an open telepathic 'channel of communication'... he can respond simply by thinking, if he wishes.
Elias chuckles softly, shaking his head as he realizes Thetis is simply playing a game of distraction.
"Ah, of course. How foolish of me not to recognize the necessity of gallant gestures in such dire circumstances," he says with a smirk, indulging her for just a moment. "Alas, I fear I left my bouquet in my other coat."
But his amusement fades as he glances past her, his thoughts already moving elsewhere. This conversation was leading nowhere.
Turning away from Thetis, he shifts his focus to Woodrow, who has been quietly investigating further ahead. Elias narrows his eyes, watching where Wood has gone before stepping forward, following after him.
"Let’s see what our keen-eyed friend has found," he murmurs to himself, leaving Thetis and her playful demands behind as he turns his attention back to the mysteries ahead.
Wood thinks to himself not odd at all! I might indeed ferryman, to where is your next port of call?
Now that he is approaching, Elias can get a better look at the ferryman... and he realizes that...
...the sailor is a fiend! It's a Merrenoloth, a mercenary fiend specialized in transport. These ferrymen, according to many legends, guide their boats with their infernal expertise on the River Stix, the infernal river that crosses the Lower Planes - and are often used in the war actions of the Blood War.
Legend also has it that Merrenoloths, like all Yugoloths, tend to honor their contracts... although they can end up breaking them, if they receive a much better offer later.
There are lines by a tiefling poet in which a Merrenoloth appears:
And lo! Towards the Dretches, coming in a boat
An old man, hoary with the hair of old,
Crying: "Woe unto you, ye hesitating devils!
Hope nevermore to come back if not victorious;
I come to lead you on the Stix,
To the burning shore, to repel Demon invaders!"
Meanwhile, Woodrow...
...hears a calm explanation in his mind: "My boat can sail from this point on along this wide corridor, taking you deep into the heart of these dungeons, to places you couldn't reach without swimming... and swimming would be dangerous. The water is deep here, unlike where you are now. Whether you have a specific destination in mind, or you simply want to explore this place, I am probably a good investment for you; Geados' word. You can pay by sacrificing a creature to me - any creature, as long as it has a soul and free will. That would be the most welcome payment... But I understand that there isn't all that much of an abundance of creatures down here. So you can also pay with 10Gp."
As Elias follows Woodrow, his keen mind continues working through the details of what they had just seen—the boat, the silent, hooded figure, the glowing red eyes, and the eerie stillness with which it watched them. Something about it nags at him, a piece of lore buried deep in his vast well of knowledge.
Then it clicks.
His steps slow as realization dawns, and his breath catches for just a moment. "Of course…" he mutters under his breath.
Turning back to the others, he keeps his voice low but urgent.
"That ferryman isn’t just some lingering undead. It’s a Merrenoloth." His eyes flick to Ardana and Tarysaa, searching for recognition. "A fiend. A mercenary from the Lower Planes, specialized in transport. They pilot the black waters of the afterlife, the Styx itself, carrying souls, prisoners, and… well, anyone who can pay their price."
He glances back toward the small rowboat, his mind racing through possibilities.
"It’s not here by accident. Someone or something has summoned it, or it has business here. And if it’s offering passage…" He folds his arms, "we must ask ourselves—where exactly does that boat lead?"
His voice drops even lower, just above a whisper. "And more importantly… who or what is paying its fare?"
Tarysaa moves over to Thetis and tells her to hold out her hand. Using Prestidigitation Tarysaa will have a delicate flower appear in the palm of Thetis' hand. "If we survive, I shall visit and bring real blooms for you."
Moving toward the wide corridor, Tarysaa joins her companions at the East opening. "Should I plant more candles along this corridor or is someone chancing 'the ferryman?"
yeah, says he can take us to the heart of the dungeon, exploring. Advises that we don't want to swim in the deep water. What do you all think about us checking out the other passage before we hop the ferry? Wood ask the party.