Zephyros strides forward, intent upon entering the mine. Upon seeing Meira hesitate, the armored warrior says, "Maybe they are being attacked, maybe they are using the smoke as a deterrent against attack. Either way, we should proceed quickly to find the truth of it."
Ironheart levels his trident as he quietly steps back into the mine, crouching to stay low under the smoke if possible.
Stealth 16 (+10=26 if Lyra casts pass without a trace)
(ooc: Reading quickly, there's been different opinions on when to use PWT, so I'm not 100% sure. Given the situation, my mind says 'yes, cast it now'. It lasts for an hour, and I could recast it later if necessary, consuming all of her 2nd level slots for today. I'd say ... let's count on her casting it, unless anyone finds a powerful reason not to.
Since I'm not sure I'll be able to post soon, I'm leaving Lyra's very funny stealth roll. Nat1→ 'Thank Tymora I'm a halfling' reroll! → Nat20 = 25 +10 with PWT = 35)
You proceed into the cave. Zephyros and Meira are able to keep low and avoid breathing in the smoke fumes, while Lyra has no trouble walking underneath them. The tunnel is dimly lit with oil lanterns hanging from ceiling hooks at equal intervals. As you get further into the cave, the illumination increases as firelight begins to send dancing shadows across the tunnel walls. You hear the clanking sound even louder and combined with several voices conversing in dwarvish. While staying hidden, you peek into the room and spot five dwarves covered in soot and mud working at a makeshift forge, banging on what appears to be a pickaxe that's glowing red with heat. The fumes are coming from the makeshift forge, and since there isn't a proper chimney in this room, they are flowing out of the entrance.
Zephyros &Meira,
You hear the dwarves' conversation in dwarvish. They are discussing plans to counterattack the "filthy rats" and kill or drive them out of the mine. They talk about their almost complete work, which will give them a better chance of fighting against the ratfolk.
Lyra, having cast her spell, follows after Zephyros and Meira, mindful that the veil of shadows and silence keeps them cloaked. She also makes an effort to glance back and keep an eye on Eldrinand Gareth, ensuring they remain within the spell's protective reach.
The halfling finds it extremely amusing that she can pass beneath the smoke so easily. It's the complete opposite of what happened at the temple, where the water had covered so much of her friends—and nearly all of her! Perhaps this was the universe returning the favor. Or maybe it was just a random coincidence, but it made her smile either way.
When they hear the voices—words Lyra can't understand, though the tone reminds her of Norbus and Dazlyn—she pauses. Would those two be okay? Would they still be bickering? Lyra is fairly sure they're probably bickering right now. The thought brings a smile to her face and causes her to stop completely as well, waiting for Zephyros and Meira take the lead.
Still, she glances back toward Eldrin and Gareth, gauging their position. For the moment, she does nothing else—but if Meira and Zephyros continue forward and Eldrin and Gareth remain behind, she will stay closer to the former to keep them covered by the spell.
Gareth was glad to leave the mine after the tense exchange with the ratfolk. For a moment there, he'd been worried for Meira, for all of their party really, being surrounded on all sides by hostile ratfolk. Upon seeing the makeshift graves, the ranger's face falls. These miners had been so carelessly slaughtered. He could understand the ratfolk needing a new home, but they way they went about it showed they had little regard for anyone other than themselves. These miners deserved justice. Hopefully they would be able to save the remaining miners.
Gareth keeps to the back of the party with Eldrin as they enter the mine from the back. He has to duck a bit to keep out of the smoke and notices Lyra walking comfortably below it. Despite the grimness of the situation, he can't help but smile a little at that. The clanging sound originates from a group of dwarves banging on a pickaxe. Gareth assumes these must be the surviving miners, but he stays on guard just in case.
Zephyros hears the dwarves conversation and quickly decides these are the surviving miners. He steps out of the tunnel into the light of the room. Trident raised in a nonthreatening way in his left hand and his right raised empty. The armored warrior states in dwarvish, "Peace my friends. I come in peace." He continues forward until he comes within a few feet of the nearest dwarf. "Hello friends. My name is Zephyros and I'm here to help."
He looks at each dwarf in turn and then glances at the forge to get an idea of what they are working on. Quickly realizing he has no idea, he asks, "What are you working on? A way to fight the ratfolk?"
As Meira darts forward, Eldrin lingers at the cave mouth for a brief moment, long enough to watch the smoke spill out of the opening. The clanking echoes from within stir curiosity and concern at the same time.
His hand lifts, fingers splaying with controlled elegance. There’s no flair to the spell, just a sharp flick of the wrist and a whispered arcane word.
A ripple of wind pulses from his palm. Then launches forward, moving into the cave mouth. It doesn’t scatter the smoke away in a gust, but instead, redirects it, moving it away from the entrance and funneling upward, clearing a narrow, corridor into the tunnel.
“That should buy us a little more breath”Eldrin murmurs.
As the tunnel opens before them, he spots the forge-glow casting, flickering shadows down the corridor, his expression hardens. The sound of hammer-on-metal is clearer now.
“They are forging something,”he says quietly to Gareth.
As Zephyros steps out and speaks to the dwarves in their tongue, Eldrin's murmurs “Let’s hope they’re as approachable as they are loud,” he murmurs, mostly to himself.
Though the danger is far from over, the fact that there’s a forge and craftmanship occuring, rather than blood and chaos, for now, a good sign.
The dwarves startle as you walk into the room. Even with your nonthreatening entrance, all five dwarves grab pickaxes and brandish them as they glare at you. One of the pickaxes still glows with a radiant heat that's beginning to fade. One of them yells at another in dwarvish, "Grinlie, you were suppose to be watching the entrance ya dolt!" The one being yelled at responds, "No I was not! That was Finlie's job!" Four dwarves look at the fifth. Finlie apologizes, "Sorry, least he looks friendly." They all turn their attention back to you.
The first dwarf to yell addresses you, "Zephyros is it? I'm Torrin." He places the glowing pickaxe back into the forge. "You here to help kill these filthy rats? Truth is we can use all the help we can get. Them rats came outa nowhere and just started cutting our friends down. We fought back but our pickaxes were useless against them. Unnatural they are!"
Finlie jumps into the conversation, "Aye, that be true. But not no more! We've reforged our pickaxes... you want to know what we're working on?" The dwarf points to the forge that has both a pickaxe in it as well as a crucible with a molten liquid inside it. "We've infused our pickaxes with silver. Those nasty buggers won't know what hit em this time!"
Torrin pulls the pickaxe out of the forge, the metal glowing a bright red, almost white. He quenches it in a pale of water. "Finlie's got the right of it. You'll be needin a silvered weapon as well, unless that spear you got there be magical." He points to your trident. "We're just about ready to go. Dremlie, start taking down our barricade."
Dremlie moves to a doorway to the west and begins to remove wooden pillars from a makeshift barricade blocking the use of the door. He calls out to another dwarf, "Boggin, come help me." The dwarf walks over and assists in the process of clearing the door.
All of this conversation happens in dwarvish.
Eldrin,
Your spell creates a breeze that moves the fumes out of your space, allowing you to proceed without having to crouch low. The room with the dwarves is hazy with fumes, but your spell helps to push much of it out the entrance making the environment much less hazardous to everyone's health.
Everyone,
After the rest of the party begins to funnel in, the dwarves change to common and go over again what has been said. They are quite friendly and a eager to trust your group since they know they need the help, and anyone who doesn't look like a filthy rat is okay in their mind. They offer to reforge your weapons into silvered weapons to help fight against the wererats.
Don-Jon enters the room and begins to question the miners on how they let these vermin take over the mine, but Torrin shoves his still hot pickaxe in the cowboys face and calls him several not nice things, which cows the cowboy into silence once more.
(ooc: Can Lyra drop her stealth stance, but keep the PWT spell, and still speak to everyone else normally?)
Lyra doesn't speak up—yet. But she looks clearly confused. Didn't the ratfolk leader say they had only killed those who attacked them first? Who's telling the truth here? Who's lying? The dwarves seem friendly enough… but is it only because the party doesn't have rat-like faces and whiskers, and can help them kill those who do?
She gasps loudly when the dwarf attacks Don Jon. Granted, she doesn't like the cowboy much either. But… isn't that reaction going a bit too far? The halfling walks up to him, and helps him stand up, glaring at the dwarf afterwards.
Meira tells the dwarves she's certainly willing to help. "Would you be able to silver both my daggers? If you can only do one then perhaps my rapier. I'm glad you told us about needing that. I would have my arrows silvered, but I'm not sure that's very practical." She looks around at the dwarves. "Do you have a plan? Perhaps a couple of us could go around back to the entrance. At least pick off a few guards there. If that pulls attention that way, then the assault from here ought to go easier."
At first Zephyros doesn't know how to respond. 'Is my trident magical now? After Lyra touched it, and that voice in my head?' The armored warrior is conflicted as these thoughts enter his mind. 'One thing is certain... I won't risk my only memento from my wife to be ruined by these dwarves who can't tell it's a trident and not a spear.'
The warrior tells the dwarves the names of his companions as they enter and asks them to switch to common speech for everyone's benefit. When Torrin shoves his axe into Don-Jon's face, the bull of a man intercedes and blocks the dwarf from making contact, even if the gambit wasn't meant to injure the cowboy. "No need for that, Master Torrin. Don-Jon is our charge and protection. As are you now. I have no need for these silvered weapons. My trident will do just fine the way it is."
Zephyros considers Meira's plan of attack with a raised eyebrow. "Ms. Meira, your plan would rival that of even the most battle hardened generals." He smiles at the thought. "However, I'm not thrilled with the idea of splitting our forces. We are stronger together where we can quickly target individuals and bring them down one after the other. Perhaps we could think of a diversion at the main entrance that doesn't require our presence." He thinks for a moment, unable to come up with an idea to support him.
(ooc: Can Lyra drop her stealth stance, but keep the PWT spell, and still speak to everyone else normally?)
Absolutely, the spell lasts for one hour as long as you are concentrating on it. Occassionally I might ask for a new stealth check, but you can keep the spell up, no problem.
Gareth notices Lyra's confusion and hesitation. He can't say he's thrilled about the idea of going inside the mine and trying to kill all the ratfolk in close, cramped quarters. Just the idea of being trapped inside the mine fills him with anxiety. The ranger focuses on slowing his breathing to calm his nerves.
"We'll help," Gareth says, although there's a tone of reluctance in his voice. "Like Meira said, silvering arrows might not be worth it, but I have two short swords you can silver."
"I don't like the idea of splitting up either," the ranger adds. "We're stronger together. These mine tunnels are probably pretty narrow. We can use them as chokepoints."
Gareth glances at Lyra again to see how she is taking these battle plans. He knows the cleric would prefer a path that didn't involve bloodshed, but Gareth wasn't sure the ratfolk would leave any other way.
"Before we go in hacking and slashing, perhaps we give the ratfolk a chance to leave peacefully," Gareth suggests. Personally he doesn't think it very likely they would leave peacefully, but at least they would've given them the chance.
Meira looks at Gareth, seeming a little surprised at his response. Though she notes how he looks to Lyra, and she too starts to look at the halfling, realizing she may have misgivings.
Her reply may be to what Gareth said, but she is looking at Lyra as she speaks. "We did give the ratfolk a chance to resolve this in peace. In the end it seemed they were never willing to consider anything but violence. Surprise now may be one of our best weapons. I'm not sure how we'd even begin to ask them to leave."
Smoke still curled at the edge of the cave, thinning slowly, with a few stubborn wisps remaining. Eldrin stood near the wall, fingers laced loosely behind his back, gaze drifting between the others as they spoke, strategy, concerns, silvering weapons. They were readying for battle. Or trying to convince themselves they were.
He wasn’t certain they had a choice anymore.
The ratfolk had made their intentions plain, leave or die. And they'd meant it.
He stepped forward, catching the Zephyros' eye.
"When the time comes," he said, voice low and even, "I can give you your distraction."
His gaze drifted toward the cave’s mouth. "It’ll need to come from outside, just far enough to draw their ears without revealing the illusion. I will need to be thirty feet or so from the mouth."
He didn’t offer more. No bravado, no promises of what the illusion would be. Let the ratfolk believe it was reinforcements, orcs, thunder, whatever their fear demanded. That was the point. Make them hear what they didn’t want to face.
He met Zephyros’s gaze again. "Just give the word."
The dwarves get to work silvering your requested weaponry. Torrin mentions that arrow points are no problem, and he quickly creates a casting for ten arrow tips. During this process, Torrin listens to the group discuss strategy. He says, " You sound like capable tacticians. Aye, the caves are excellent choke points. We could lead them into a trap! Let us know what you'd like us to do, and we'll do it." Torrin then begins to draw out the layout of the mine. You are currently in the room furthest to the east.
"There's a third entrance?"Meirasays as Torrin draws out a layout of the mine. It was the first thing she noticed. "How hard would it be to get to that entrance? And do that ratfolk know about it?"she asks as she tries to figure out a way to make use of that. "And you miners know the place. Is there any particular place we should head to or be concerned about?" She frowns a bit at all the narrow passages. "It's going to be a lot of tight spaces." She looks at Zephyrosand Gareth, who had objected to splitting up. "It really might help to split up so we aren't all just listening to a one-on-one fight that we can only hear ahead. Perhaps the dwarves can attack from where we're at now, and our group could head for that other entrance."
She then turns to Eldrin. "Or... we could maybe incorporate your plan by starting near the main entrance, then moving quickly away and going in that other way. Perhaps we would both lure a few outside to investigate and still be able to attack from multiple directions."
Torrin points to the entrance overlooking the makeshift cemetery as he answers your question, "You won't be wanting to go in that way. It's about 20 feet up the mountain. Not a difficult climb, but a large carrion crawler dug that entrance out and lives in there. We seen it poke its head out and watch us as we buried our dead. Glad it wasn't hungry enough to come down, but I can't imagine it would appreciate us barging into it's lair. Don't think the filthy rats know about it, but can't say for sure."
He listens as you describe attacking from two directions, "Aye, that could work. We would need some kind of signal on when you want us to go in though. Then we'll surely trap them between us. There'll be no escape for em." He smiles and laughs at the last thought.
Zephyros strides forward, intent upon entering the mine. Upon seeing Meira hesitate, the armored warrior says, "Maybe they are being attacked, maybe they are using the smoke as a deterrent against attack. Either way, we should proceed quickly to find the truth of it."
Ironheart levels his trident as he quietly steps back into the mine, crouching to stay low under the smoke if possible.
Stealth 16 (+10=26 if Lyra casts pass without a trace)
(ooc: Reading quickly, there's been different opinions on when to use PWT, so I'm not 100% sure. Given the situation, my mind says 'yes, cast it now'. It lasts for an hour, and I could recast it later if necessary, consuming all of her 2nd level slots for today. I'd say ... let's count on her casting it, unless anyone finds a powerful reason not to.
Since I'm not sure I'll be able to post soon, I'm leaving Lyra's very funny stealth roll. Nat1 → 'Thank Tymora I'm a halfling' reroll! → Nat20 = 25 + 10 with PWT = 35)
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Zephyros, Meira & Lyra,
You proceed into the cave. Zephyros and Meira are able to keep low and avoid breathing in the smoke fumes, while Lyra has no trouble walking underneath them. The tunnel is dimly lit with oil lanterns hanging from ceiling hooks at equal intervals. As you get further into the cave, the illumination increases as firelight begins to send dancing shadows across the tunnel walls. You hear the clanking sound even louder and combined with several voices conversing in dwarvish. While staying hidden, you peek into the room and spot five dwarves covered in soot and mud working at a makeshift forge, banging on what appears to be a pickaxe that's glowing red with heat. The fumes are coming from the makeshift forge, and since there isn't a proper chimney in this room, they are flowing out of the entrance.
Zephyros & Meira,
You hear the dwarves' conversation in dwarvish. They are discussing plans to counterattack the "filthy rats" and kill or drive them out of the mine. They talk about their almost complete work, which will give them a better chance of fighting against the ratfolk.
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights.
"Quickly and quietly," Meira says softly. She's ready to continue after Zephyros, eager to see what is happening.
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
Lyra, having cast her spell, follows after Zephyros and Meira, mindful that the veil of shadows and silence keeps them cloaked. She also makes an effort to glance back and keep an eye on Eldrin and Gareth, ensuring they remain within the spell's protective reach.
The halfling finds it extremely amusing that she can pass beneath the smoke so easily. It's the complete opposite of what happened at the temple, where the water had covered so much of her friends—and nearly all of her! Perhaps this was the universe returning the favor. Or maybe it was just a random coincidence, but it made her smile either way.
When they hear the voices—words Lyra can't understand, though the tone reminds her of Norbus and Dazlyn—she pauses. Would those two be okay? Would they still be bickering? Lyra is fairly sure they're probably bickering right now. The thought brings a smile to her face and causes her to stop completely as well, waiting for Zephyros and Meira take the lead.
Still, she glances back toward Eldrin and Gareth, gauging their position. For the moment, she does nothing else—but if Meira and Zephyros continue forward and Eldrin and Gareth remain behind, she will stay closer to the former to keep them covered by the spell.
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Gareth was glad to leave the mine after the tense exchange with the ratfolk. For a moment there, he'd been worried for Meira, for all of their party really, being surrounded on all sides by hostile ratfolk. Upon seeing the makeshift graves, the ranger's face falls. These miners had been so carelessly slaughtered. He could understand the ratfolk needing a new home, but they way they went about it showed they had little regard for anyone other than themselves. These miners deserved justice. Hopefully they would be able to save the remaining miners.
Gareth keeps to the back of the party with Eldrin as they enter the mine from the back. He has to duck a bit to keep out of the smoke and notices Lyra walking comfortably below it. Despite the grimness of the situation, he can't help but smile a little at that. The clanging sound originates from a group of dwarves banging on a pickaxe. Gareth assumes these must be the surviving miners, but he stays on guard just in case.
Extended Signature
Characters: Bryony Alderleaf (Phandelver and Below) ♦ Vesta Trevelyan (Vecna: Eve of Ruin) ♦ Ada Kendrick (Curse of Strahd) ♦ Gareth Blackwood (Dragon of Icespire Peak) ♦ Karys Velthune (Out of the Abyss) ♦ Surina Xarith (Simple, Heroic Adventure)
DM: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus
Zephyros hears the dwarves conversation and quickly decides these are the surviving miners. He steps out of the tunnel into the light of the room. Trident raised in a nonthreatening way in his left hand and his right raised empty. The armored warrior states in dwarvish, "Peace my friends. I come in peace." He continues forward until he comes within a few feet of the nearest dwarf. "Hello friends. My name is Zephyros and I'm here to help."
He looks at each dwarf in turn and then glances at the forge to get an idea of what they are working on. Quickly realizing he has no idea, he asks, "What are you working on? A way to fight the ratfolk?"
Insight: 7
Investigation: Nat 1
As Meira darts forward, Eldrin lingers at the cave mouth for a brief moment, long enough to watch the smoke spill out of the opening. The clanking echoes from within stir curiosity and concern at the same time.
His hand lifts, fingers splaying with controlled elegance. There’s no flair to the spell, just a sharp flick of the wrist and a whispered arcane word.
A ripple of wind pulses from his palm. Then launches forward, moving into the cave mouth. It doesn’t scatter the smoke away in a gust, but instead, redirects it, moving it away from the entrance and funneling upward, clearing a narrow, corridor into the tunnel.
“That should buy us a little more breath” Eldrin murmurs.
As the tunnel opens before them, he spots the forge-glow casting, flickering shadows down the corridor, his expression hardens. The sound of hammer-on-metal is clearer now.
“They are forging something,” he says quietly to Gareth.
As Zephyros steps out and speaks to the dwarves in their tongue, Eldrin's murmurs “Let’s hope they’re as approachable as they are loud,” he murmurs, mostly to himself.
Though the danger is far from over, the fact that there’s a forge and craftmanship occuring, rather than blood and chaos, for now, a good sign.
Zephyros,
The dwarves startle as you walk into the room. Even with your nonthreatening entrance, all five dwarves grab pickaxes and brandish them as they glare at you. One of the pickaxes still glows with a radiant heat that's beginning to fade. One of them yells at another in dwarvish, "Grinlie, you were suppose to be watching the entrance ya dolt!" The one being yelled at responds, "No I was not! That was Finlie's job!" Four dwarves look at the fifth. Finlie apologizes, "Sorry, least he looks friendly." They all turn their attention back to you.
The first dwarf to yell addresses you, "Zephyros is it? I'm Torrin." He places the glowing pickaxe back into the forge. "You here to help kill these filthy rats? Truth is we can use all the help we can get. Them rats came outa nowhere and just started cutting our friends down. We fought back but our pickaxes were useless against them. Unnatural they are!"
Finlie jumps into the conversation, "Aye, that be true. But not no more! We've reforged our pickaxes... you want to know what we're working on?" The dwarf points to the forge that has both a pickaxe in it as well as a crucible with a molten liquid inside it. "We've infused our pickaxes with silver. Those nasty buggers won't know what hit em this time!"
Torrin pulls the pickaxe out of the forge, the metal glowing a bright red, almost white. He quenches it in a pale of water. "Finlie's got the right of it. You'll be needin a silvered weapon as well, unless that spear you got there be magical." He points to your trident. "We're just about ready to go. Dremlie, start taking down our barricade."
Dremlie moves to a doorway to the west and begins to remove wooden pillars from a makeshift barricade blocking the use of the door. He calls out to another dwarf, "Boggin, come help me." The dwarf walks over and assists in the process of clearing the door.
All of this conversation happens in dwarvish.
Eldrin,
Your spell creates a breeze that moves the fumes out of your space, allowing you to proceed without having to crouch low. The room with the dwarves is hazy with fumes, but your spell helps to push much of it out the entrance making the environment much less hazardous to everyone's health.
Everyone,
After the rest of the party begins to funnel in, the dwarves change to common and go over again what has been said. They are quite friendly and a eager to trust your group since they know they need the help, and anyone who doesn't look like a filthy rat is okay in their mind. They offer to reforge your weapons into silvered weapons to help fight against the wererats.
Don-Jon enters the room and begins to question the miners on how they let these vermin take over the mine, but Torrin shoves his still hot pickaxe in the cowboys face and calls him several not nice things, which cows the cowboy into silence once more.
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights.
(OOC - Had posted without seeing the DM's post originally. Adjusted this post for that.)
As Zephyros shows himself, Meira would do the same. She listens to the dwarves as they speak in their own language.
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
(ooc: Can Lyra drop her stealth stance, but keep the PWT spell, and still speak to everyone else normally?)
Lyra doesn't speak up—yet. But she looks clearly confused. Didn't the ratfolk leader say they had only killed those who attacked them first? Who's telling the truth here? Who's lying? The dwarves seem friendly enough… but is it only because the party doesn't have rat-like faces and whiskers, and can help them kill those who do?
She gasps loudly when the dwarf attacks Don Jon. Granted, she doesn't like the cowboy much either. But… isn't that reaction going a bit too far? The halfling walks up to him, and helps him stand up, glaring at the dwarf afterwards.
(Insight: 11)
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Meira tells the dwarves she's certainly willing to help. "Would you be able to silver both my daggers? If you can only do one then perhaps my rapier. I'm glad you told us about needing that. I would have my arrows silvered, but I'm not sure that's very practical." She looks around at the dwarves. "Do you have a plan? Perhaps a couple of us could go around back to the entrance. At least pick off a few guards there. If that pulls attention that way, then the assault from here ought to go easier."
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
At first Zephyros doesn't know how to respond. 'Is my trident magical now? After Lyra touched it, and that voice in my head?' The armored warrior is conflicted as these thoughts enter his mind. 'One thing is certain... I won't risk my only memento from my wife to be ruined by these dwarves who can't tell it's a trident and not a spear.'
The warrior tells the dwarves the names of his companions as they enter and asks them to switch to common speech for everyone's benefit. When Torrin shoves his axe into Don-Jon's face, the bull of a man intercedes and blocks the dwarf from making contact, even if the gambit wasn't meant to injure the cowboy. "No need for that, Master Torrin. Don-Jon is our charge and protection. As are you now. I have no need for these silvered weapons. My trident will do just fine the way it is."
Zephyros considers Meira's plan of attack with a raised eyebrow. "Ms. Meira, your plan would rival that of even the most battle hardened generals." He smiles at the thought. "However, I'm not thrilled with the idea of splitting our forces. We are stronger together where we can quickly target individuals and bring them down one after the other. Perhaps we could think of a diversion at the main entrance that doesn't require our presence." He thinks for a moment, unable to come up with an idea to support him.
Absolutely, the spell lasts for one hour as long as you are concentrating on it. Occassionally I might ask for a new stealth check, but you can keep the spell up, no problem.
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights.
Gareth notices Lyra's confusion and hesitation. He can't say he's thrilled about the idea of going inside the mine and trying to kill all the ratfolk in close, cramped quarters. Just the idea of being trapped inside the mine fills him with anxiety. The ranger focuses on slowing his breathing to calm his nerves.
"We'll help," Gareth says, although there's a tone of reluctance in his voice. "Like Meira said, silvering arrows might not be worth it, but I have two short swords you can silver."
"I don't like the idea of splitting up either," the ranger adds. "We're stronger together. These mine tunnels are probably pretty narrow. We can use them as chokepoints."
Gareth glances at Lyra again to see how she is taking these battle plans. He knows the cleric would prefer a path that didn't involve bloodshed, but Gareth wasn't sure the ratfolk would leave any other way.
"Before we go in hacking and slashing, perhaps we give the ratfolk a chance to leave peacefully," Gareth suggests. Personally he doesn't think it very likely they would leave peacefully, but at least they would've given them the chance.
Extended Signature
Characters: Bryony Alderleaf (Phandelver and Below) ♦ Vesta Trevelyan (Vecna: Eve of Ruin) ♦ Ada Kendrick (Curse of Strahd) ♦ Gareth Blackwood (Dragon of Icespire Peak) ♦ Karys Velthune (Out of the Abyss) ♦ Surina Xarith (Simple, Heroic Adventure)
DM: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus
Meira looks at Gareth, seeming a little surprised at his response. Though she notes how he looks to Lyra, and she too starts to look at the halfling, realizing she may have misgivings.
Her reply may be to what Gareth said, but she is looking at Lyra as she speaks. "We did give the ratfolk a chance to resolve this in peace. In the end it seemed they were never willing to consider anything but violence. Surprise now may be one of our best weapons. I'm not sure how we'd even begin to ask them to leave."
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
Smoke still curled at the edge of the cave, thinning slowly, with a few stubborn wisps remaining. Eldrin stood near the wall, fingers laced loosely behind his back, gaze drifting between the others as they spoke, strategy, concerns, silvering weapons. They were readying for battle. Or trying to convince themselves they were.
He wasn’t certain they had a choice anymore.
The ratfolk had made their intentions plain, leave or die. And they'd meant it.
He stepped forward, catching the Zephyros' eye.
"When the time comes," he said, voice low and even, "I can give you your distraction."
His gaze drifted toward the cave’s mouth. "It’ll need to come from outside, just far enough to draw their ears without revealing the illusion. I will need to be thirty feet or so from the mouth."
He didn’t offer more. No bravado, no promises of what the illusion would be. Let the ratfolk believe it was reinforcements, orcs, thunder, whatever their fear demanded. That was the point. Make them hear what they didn’t want to face.
He met Zephyros’s gaze again. "Just give the word."
The dwarves get to work silvering your requested weaponry. Torrin mentions that arrow points are no problem, and he quickly creates a casting for ten arrow tips. During this process, Torrin listens to the group discuss strategy. He says, " You sound like capable tacticians. Aye, the caves are excellent choke points. We could lead them into a trap! Let us know what you'd like us to do, and we'll do it." Torrin then begins to draw out the layout of the mine. You are currently in the room furthest to the east.
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights.
"There's a third entrance?" Meira says as Torrin draws out a layout of the mine. It was the first thing she noticed. "How hard would it be to get to that entrance? And do that ratfolk know about it?" she asks as she tries to figure out a way to make use of that. "And you miners know the place. Is there any particular place we should head to or be concerned about?" She frowns a bit at all the narrow passages. "It's going to be a lot of tight spaces." She looks at Zephyros and Gareth, who had objected to splitting up. "It really might help to split up so we aren't all just listening to a one-on-one fight that we can only hear ahead. Perhaps the dwarves can attack from where we're at now, and our group could head for that other entrance."
She then turns to Eldrin. "Or... we could maybe incorporate your plan by starting near the main entrance, then moving quickly away and going in that other way. Perhaps we would both lure a few outside to investigate and still be able to attack from multiple directions."
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
Meira,
Torrin points to the entrance overlooking the makeshift cemetery as he answers your question, "You won't be wanting to go in that way. It's about 20 feet up the mountain. Not a difficult climb, but a large carrion crawler dug that entrance out and lives in there. We seen it poke its head out and watch us as we buried our dead. Glad it wasn't hungry enough to come down, but I can't imagine it would appreciate us barging into it's lair. Don't think the filthy rats know about it, but can't say for sure."
He listens as you describe attacking from two directions, "Aye, that could work. We would need some kind of signal on when you want us to go in though. Then we'll surely trap them between us. There'll be no escape for em." He smiles and laughs at the last thought.
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights.