Casmenos looks at Cassyt, shaking his head, "You misunderstand. There is no shame in serving Kelemvor in other ways. If you fear for your life, that may mean Kelemvor needs you for other purposes. There is no dishonor in avoiding this danger, as there are others to face it. I simply meant you should not be ashamed to say so, instead of hiding behind the lack of coin."
Giving up in frustration, Casmenos voices aloud, "I am not skilled enough with stone work to find other entrances, if there are any."
Bastian looks with amazement at the remains of the ghouls. "They truly do not relent until they are completely torn asunder. Fascinating." Noting Casmenos' words, Bastian begins to help him on his search. "I'll try the north wall."
"These ghouls favour creatures that are not elves first, as their touch has a paralysing toxin that elves seem immune to."Destin looks at the bodies of the ghouls. "Regardless, they were people once." He says, placing his axes on his hip again. He carries them over to the side and lays them in a more respectable manner. "If this is not your fight, perhaps waiting at the surface is best. It'd be safer for you." He says to Cassyt. "Do you want assistance back across that pit?"
"Amazing...Doomguide found champions as humorless as himself," muses Cassyt. "Very well, allow me to make this clear. I. Am. Not. Going. ANYWHERE!" A little bit of Thaumaturgy emphasizes the last word enough to shake a sprinkling of soot off the walls. She pauses, nodding in approval at the respect the crude axe-wielder affords the shells of the formerly living. Even if the souls that inhabited them deserved no mercy, that was for the Judge she follows to decide, not people such as she.
"I mean, I am going somewhere -- who would want to stay in this filthy place for the rest of their lives - but I am going with you. Both Kelemvor and my Doomguide will it. End of discussion."
As the others are finishing off their search, Marrow keeps an eye on the passage back to the pit room. I knew the Doomguide who came to serve at the temple of Kelemvor back home, he says to Cassyt, but she resigned after only a few months.
Are people heading back, then, or staying in the room? In the interests of expedience, we will not have to do skill challenges to get back across the pit; assuming you repeat your mixture of planning and guidance, failure is a virtual impossibility and we can adjourn to the doorway back in the hallway.
"Brave Cassyt, apostle of Kelemvor," Tumal says, half singing. As everyone approaches the pit again, he once again offers to cast guidance as each walks around.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"We'll check this room first before leaving, now that the threat has been quelled for the moment." Destin advises. He'll check around for any sort of other passages or points of interest, in case there is an easier way to get back than scaling the pit again.
Destin searches both rooms exhaustively, leaving no bone unturned. At its conclusion, he is confident there are no exits other than the one you have all previously used, nor is there anything of note to take.
Cassyt snorts in involuntarily laughter at Marrow. "Yes. Yes it was. Haflling but whole wit, my good sir. And you," she continues to Casmenos," are entirely correct that we each serve Kelemvor in our own way. I am sure together we can get to the bottom of this."
Upon considering Destin's words, Cassyt pauses and flashes Tumal a lopsided grin as she accepts his Guidance, "You are living proof that Ghouls have poor taste" before negotiating her way around the pit.
The ghouls vanquished, and the room of the strange ash funerary cult explored, the party reconvenes outside the room, on the hallway on the landing. Behind you, a flight of stairs goes back up to the Crypts of the First Families, and, beyond that, to the Banquet Hall and the exit. In front of you, a flight of stairs leads downwards, though from your vantage point you can see only that the stairs in that direction may lead into a chamber.
Casmenos, with Marrow following closely behind, takes point in going down the stairs. Cassyt, perhaps determined to dispel any party doubts of her courage, follows as well, albeit not quite as closely. (Leading to area 6 on the map)
The passage descends by shallow stone steps to a 15-foot by 15-foot square room. Wooden stairs wind around the walls of the shaft down into the darkness.
The stairs look as though they are ancient, and the wood rotted and weak.
They wind around a tall statue of a strange, four-armed humanoid with vaguely insectoid features. It clutches a scroll in one hand, a quill in a second, a skull in a third, while the fourth is empty.
Casmenos looks at Cassyt, shaking his head, "You misunderstand. There is no shame in serving Kelemvor in other ways. If you fear for your life, that may mean Kelemvor needs you for other purposes. There is no dishonor in avoiding this danger, as there are others to face it. I simply meant you should not be ashamed to say so, instead of hiding behind the lack of coin."
Giving up in frustration, Casmenos voices aloud, "I am not skilled enough with stone work to find other entrances, if there are any."
Bastian looks with amazement at the remains of the ghouls. "They truly do not relent until they are completely torn asunder. Fascinating." Noting Casmenos' words, Bastian begins to help him on his search. "I'll try the north wall."
"These ghouls favour creatures that are not elves first, as their touch has a paralysing toxin that elves seem immune to." Destin looks at the bodies of the ghouls. "Regardless, they were people once." He says, placing his axes on his hip again. He carries them over to the side and lays them in a more respectable manner. "If this is not your fight, perhaps waiting at the surface is best. It'd be safer for you." He says to Cassyt. "Do you want assistance back across that pit?"
"Amazing...Doomguide found champions as humorless as himself," muses Cassyt. "Very well, allow me to make this clear. I. Am. Not. Going. ANYWHERE!" A little bit of Thaumaturgy emphasizes the last word enough to shake a sprinkling of soot off the walls. She pauses, nodding in approval at the respect the crude axe-wielder affords the shells of the formerly living. Even if the souls that inhabited them deserved no mercy, that was for the Judge she follows to decide, not people such as she.
"I mean, I am going somewhere -- who would want to stay in this filthy place for the rest of their lives - but I am going with you. Both Kelemvor and my Doomguide will it. End of discussion."
"Fine." Destin responds. "There is no need for melodrama. Let's keep moving if no one needs time to recover from injuries."
Casmenos just looks perplexed, "Shall we head back then, and search elsewhere?"
As the others are finishing off their search, Marrow keeps an eye on the passage back to the pit room. I knew the Doomguide who came to serve at the temple of Kelemvor back home, he says to Cassyt, but she resigned after only a few months.
Are people heading back, then, or staying in the room? In the interests of expedience, we will not have to do skill challenges to get back across the pit; assuming you repeat your mixture of planning and guidance, failure is a virtual impossibility and we can adjourn to the doorway back in the hallway.
"Brave Cassyt, apostle of Kelemvor," Tumal says, half singing. As everyone approaches the pit again, he once again offers to cast guidance as each walks around.
It was a dead-end job, Marrow deadpans, studying Cassyt's face for a reaction.
"We'll check this room first before leaving, now that the threat has been quelled for the moment." Destin advises. He'll check around for any sort of other passages or points of interest, in case there is an easier way to get back than scaling the pit again.
Investigation: 4
Destin searches both rooms exhaustively, leaving no bone unturned. At its conclusion, he is confident there are no exits other than the one you have all previously used, nor is there anything of note to take.
Cassyt snorts in involuntarily laughter at Marrow. "Yes. Yes it was. Haflling but whole wit, my good sir. And you," she continues to Casmenos," are entirely correct that we each serve Kelemvor in our own way. I am sure together we can get to the bottom of this."
Upon considering Destin's words, Cassyt pauses and flashes Tumal a lopsided grin as she accepts his Guidance, "You are living proof that Ghouls have poor taste" before negotiating her way around the pit.
((So we reconvene outside the doorway past the pit?))
The ghouls vanquished, and the room of the strange ash funerary cult explored, the party reconvenes outside the room, on the hallway on the landing. Behind you, a flight of stairs goes back up to the Crypts of the First Families, and, beyond that, to the Banquet Hall and the exit. In front of you, a flight of stairs leads downwards, though from your vantage point you can see only that the stairs in that direction may lead into a chamber.
Marrow draws his sword and waves it vaguely towards Casmenos; Any chance of a refill on this glowing... thing? he asks. How long does it usually last?
Marrow will not take the lead on the stairs downwards, but will follow closely behind whoever does, using his sword to provide light if needed.
Casmenos casts Light once again on Marrow's sword. ((Lasts 1 hour.))
Casmenos, seeing everyone assembled, not needing light to see in darkness, will take the lead and begin descending the stairs.
Casmenos, with Marrow following closely behind, takes point in going down the stairs. Cassyt, perhaps determined to dispel any party doubts of her courage, follows as well, albeit not quite as closely. (Leading to area 6 on the map)
The passage descends by shallow stone steps to a 15-foot by 15-foot square room. Wooden stairs wind around the walls of the shaft down into the darkness.
The stairs look as though they are ancient, and the wood rotted and weak.
They wind around a tall statue of a strange, four-armed humanoid with vaguely insectoid features. It clutches a scroll in one hand, a quill in a second, a skull in a third, while the fourth is empty.
Casmenos speaks to the party, "I don't trust these stairs. Does anyone have rope?"
((Is there something we could anchor a rope to up on this landing?))
Unfortunately, you are at the bottom of a set of stone stairs, with nothing set in floor or walls to which you could attach a rope.
Can I tell how far down the stairs go?