At the end of the Gantry, Vic approaches some shrines carved in the walls with flames kept burning by the slag below. Her investigation at these shrines finds small crude figures formed from pieces of cooled slag. The figures appear in groupings like little families. Here the way comes to a narrow open passage through which Vic can just see the start of a catwalk over the impression of a deeper room. While the voices are somewhat louder here near the passage, they still seem far away.
From her perch on the narrow catwalk, Vic peers down through drifting smoke and hanging chains onto the ore-sorting floor below. Rusted conveyors grind slowly, spilling glittering fragments of arcane metal into waiting bins. Zealots in red-and-black robes labor in tense silence near a flickering fire-shrine, its flame burning unnaturally bright.
Overhead gantries and dangling hooks offer shadowed paths for stealthy movement, while distant vents whisper with heat and secrets.
She notes three additional exits: to the north, south, and east. From the eastern passage drift murmured voices and shifting shadows, hinting at activity in the adjoining chamber.
As the group continues down the catwalk, attempting to be as silent as possible to not gain attention of the zealots below, Tahlia looks around as best as she can from the back of the line. Seeing there are three exits, and her eye especially drawn to the eastern one with the drifting voices, she pulls out her whisper jar and uses it to cast one of it's charms.
She attempts find traps, hoping there aren't any....
Ashstep, Archael and Tahlia move to the passage between the entry gantry and the catwalk over the ore sorting facility.
Tahlia, scans the area. The seemingly haphazard nature of the catwalk makes her nervous enough that she checks for traps. The spell issues out across its area of magical effect like an almost invisible ripple. Quiet. No indication of traps.
Ashstep silently points to some machine crates near the south-west corner near the southern exit and another pile of them on the eastern wall, near the exit there. There also appears to be a metal ladder leading down on the northern wall, but it is in the open.
Tahlia quickly follows, motioning for Archael to join them. She doesn't like the feeling of being exposed up here, all those zealots have to do is look up and see them!
Guided by Vic's shadowy nimbleness, each member of the party finds their way to the crates and down.
There, among the crates, one of their feet bumps against a soft lump. Upon examination it is revealed to be a doll, made from bits of metal and rag. It is a bald figure with red marks. Crudely stitched into it's rag garments is a flame motif.
From their vantage point they can see out the east exit. There is a short hallway beyond which flickering light, as if from a large fire, silhouettes many figures moving about in the room to the east.
vic picks up the doll curiously, and after a quick glance, stuffs it in her pouch. she assesses the numbers in the next room, a concerned look on her face
"No time to play with dolls, we have a murder to commit." The young white-haired waterdhavian noble whispers, a sentence he never expected to speak. "So what do we do now?"
As the party assesses whether to proceed toward the brightly lit room down the hall to the east or to back track and try the room to the south or some other path, they hear the mutterings of a couple of the zealots sorting the ore:
Tahlia smiles as Vic picks up the doll and ignores the chastising from Archael, she would have done the same thing... the markings were interesting. She waves a little to catch Vic's attention and then points towards the East and makes a shooing gesture, trying to get her moving.
With Tahlia's shooing, does the party of moths trundle toward the flame flickering east? If so, please all roll Stealth to stay hidden in the shadow of the hallway as you approach the fire lit room to the east.
I guess so! Vicky creeps ahead with a 24 stealth and tries to get a good view into the room. Casting minor illusion, she creates an illusionary crate matching the others they have seen for rhe group to hide behind, waving her hand thrpugh the crate to show the others it is not real.
The party moves swiftly into the illusion created by Vic so deftly. However, thier awe at the stealthy traversal is overshadowed by the sight before them: first, an enormous fire rising from a stone pit in the center of the room. This fire casts all in its glow. The cavernous hall and the creatures filling it. The hall itself is a single room several stories tall. The smoke from the fire collects high above and seems to funnel out of an opening up their beyond the billowing black clouds. Below, at floor level, the room is roughly divided into two zones. Around the pit itself mull devotees who reverently bask in the light and the warmth of the fire. Some hold small hand made items that they periodically cast into the flame. The rest of the hall (and indeed the majority of its space) is taken up by many long rows of tables and bench seats as well as abusy slop line against the wall opposite and further down from where the party is hidden. But the devotees, the mess hall attendants - they are the real marvel. So many shapes and sizes. Many are roughly humanoid in shape, but in substance, that is questionable. They all have pale flesh that could be undead or from subterranean lifestyles. They are swathed in rags afixed with knobby bits of metal which may or may not also afix to their bodies. Some clearly have metal augmentations on their forms properly. They are in a multitude of sizes, with most about 4-5 feet tall, but a good number only a foot tall and a few over 8 feet tall. Beyond that their shapes are varied from slight and wispy, to rotund, to bulbous, to lean, to muscular. Yet dispite this varied assembly, they all appear to move, communicate and consume their gruel together in communal peace.
At the end of the Gantry, Vic approaches some shrines carved in the walls with flames kept burning by the slag below. Her investigation at these shrines finds small crude figures formed from pieces of cooled slag. The figures appear in groupings like little families. Here the way comes to a narrow open passage through which Vic can just see the start of a catwalk over the impression of a deeper room. While the voices are somewhat louder here near the passage, they still seem far away.
Eryndor - Red Dead Annihilation | GM - Volo's Trade Franchise - PF2e Adventures set in the Forgotten Realms
Archael would prudently stay a bit behind to not reveal their presence here and let Vic do the forward scouting for now.
"that's a bit creepy," Vic whispers, and continues toward the voices.
From her perch on the narrow catwalk, Vic peers down through drifting smoke and hanging chains onto the ore-sorting floor below. Rusted conveyors grind slowly, spilling glittering fragments of arcane metal into waiting bins. Zealots in red-and-black robes labor in tense silence near a flickering fire-shrine, its flame burning unnaturally bright.
Overhead gantries and dangling hooks offer shadowed paths for stealthy movement, while distant vents whisper with heat and secrets.
She notes three additional exits: to the north, south, and east. From the eastern passage drift murmured voices and shifting shadows, hinting at activity in the adjoining chamber.
Eryndor - Red Dead Annihilation | GM - Volo's Trade Franchise - PF2e Adventures set in the Forgotten Realms
As the group continues down the catwalk, attempting to be as silent as possible to not gain attention of the zealots below, Tahlia looks around as best as she can from the back of the line. Seeing there are three exits, and her eye especially drawn to the eastern one with the drifting voices, she pulls out her whisper jar and uses it to cast one of it's charms.
She attempts find traps, hoping there aren't any....
Ashstep, Archael and Tahlia move to the passage between the entry gantry and the catwalk over the ore sorting facility.
Tahlia, scans the area. The seemingly haphazard nature of the catwalk makes her nervous enough that she checks for traps. The spell issues out across its area of magical effect like an almost invisible ripple. Quiet. No indication of traps.
Ashstep silently points to some machine crates near the south-west corner near the southern exit and another pile of them on the eastern wall, near the exit there. There also appears to be a metal ladder leading down on the northern wall, but it is in the open.
Eryndor - Red Dead Annihilation | GM - Volo's Trade Franchise - PF2e Adventures set in the Forgotten Realms
Vic stealthfully creeps towards the eastern passage to where the voices are coming, hiding amongst and quickly examining the crates there.
20 stealth. 14 perception
Tahlia quickly follows, motioning for Archael to join them. She doesn't like the feeling of being exposed up here, all those zealots have to do is look up and see them!
Archael does indeed quickly follow along to a safer and less exposed position.
Guided by Vic's shadowy nimbleness, each member of the party finds their way to the crates and down.
There, among the crates, one of their feet bumps against a soft lump. Upon examination it is revealed to be a doll, made from bits of metal and rag. It is a bald figure with red marks. Crudely stitched into it's rag garments is a flame motif.
From their vantage point they can see out the east exit. There is a short hallway beyond which flickering light, as if from a large fire, silhouettes many figures moving about in the room to the east.
Eryndor - Red Dead Annihilation | GM - Volo's Trade Franchise - PF2e Adventures set in the Forgotten Realms
vic picks up the doll curiously, and after a quick glance, stuffs it in her pouch. she assesses the numbers in the next room, a concerned look on her face
"No time to play with dolls, we have a murder to commit." The young white-haired waterdhavian noble whispers, a sentence he never expected to speak. "So what do we do now?"
As the party assesses whether to proceed toward the brightly lit room down the hall to the east or to back track and try the room to the south or some other path, they hear the mutterings of a couple of the zealots sorting the ore:
"Vult saw me today."
"Better to burn than to be forgotten."
Eryndor - Red Dead Annihilation | GM - Volo's Trade Franchise - PF2e Adventures set in the Forgotten Realms
Tahlia smiles as Vic picks up the doll and ignores the chastising from Archael, she would have done the same thing... the markings were interesting. She waves a little to catch Vic's attention and then points towards the East and makes a shooing gesture, trying to get her moving.
With Tahlia's shooing, does the party of moths trundle toward the flame flickering east? If so, please all roll Stealth to stay hidden in the shadow of the hallway as you approach the fire lit room to the east.
Eryndor - Red Dead Annihilation | GM - Volo's Trade Franchise - PF2e Adventures set in the Forgotten Realms
I guess so! Vicky creeps ahead with a 24 stealth and tries to get a good view into the room. Casting minor illusion, she creates an illusionary crate matching the others they have seen for rhe group to hide behind, waving her hand thrpugh the crate to show the others it is not real.
The young white-haired waterdhavian noble would hesitantly follow along, doing his best to stay hidden.
Stealth: 16
Surprised by the illusion Vic creates, Tahlia isn't as stealthy as she usually is.
Stealth: 13
The party moves swiftly into the illusion created by Vic so deftly. However, thier awe at the stealthy traversal is overshadowed by the sight before them: first, an enormous fire rising from a stone pit in the center of the room. This fire casts all in its glow. The cavernous hall and the creatures filling it. The hall itself is a single room several stories tall. The smoke from the fire collects high above and seems to funnel out of an opening up their beyond the billowing black clouds. Below, at floor level, the room is roughly divided into two zones. Around the pit itself mull devotees who reverently bask in the light and the warmth of the fire. Some hold small hand made items that they periodically cast into the flame. The rest of the hall (and indeed the majority of its space) is taken up by many long rows of tables and bench seats as well as abusy slop line against the wall opposite and further down from where the party is hidden. But the devotees, the mess hall attendants - they are the real marvel. So many shapes and sizes. Many are roughly humanoid in shape, but in substance, that is questionable. They all have pale flesh that could be undead or from subterranean lifestyles. They are swathed in rags afixed with knobby bits of metal which may or may not also afix to their bodies. Some clearly have metal augmentations on their forms properly. They are in a multitude of sizes, with most about 4-5 feet tall, but a good number only a foot tall and a few over 8 feet tall. Beyond that their shapes are varied from slight and wispy, to rotund, to bulbous, to lean, to muscular. Yet dispite this varied assembly, they all appear to move, communicate and consume their gruel together in communal peace.
Eryndor - Red Dead Annihilation | GM - Volo's Trade Franchise - PF2e Adventures set in the Forgotten Realms