Vakas you leave the broad path and make your way through the eastern buildings. As you get closer you make out a dim light emanating from one of the closest of the small squat buildings, in the daylight it can only just be made out. It is not long before you have made your way to the outskirts of what appears to be a small settlement within the ruins. Where the grounds around you are charred and ruined the space surrounding these structures seems to have been cleared and well tended. You smell woodsmoke and make out the leavings of a recently doused fire pit in a clearing between the buildings. (You are reaching the distance limits of the message spell and will be out of range if you investigate further)

It is clear that these buildings are occupied, but by whom?

The rest of you stand at the edge of the town and wait for word from Vakas. The clouds above shroud the sun and a chill breeze carries the stench from the chasm to your nostrils. Suddenly Sunhill sniff at the air and moves restlessly. Skritch give me an animal handling check.

Vakas messages back, “Move up, stay quiet.  Someone knows we are here, doused fire.  I’m going further in, head to the east, the buildings.”

Then he moves further in, very slow, listening for movement, voices, sticking to cover.

(OoC: Don't know if the fact that Sunhill is actually a Familiar has any impact on that?) 

Regardless, Animal Handling 8+3=11.

Unless that roll prevents it, Skritch and Sunhill will pad quietly forward (Stealth: Nat 20+1=21) to halfway between our Scout and th rest of the group to relay Messages back and forth. 

It’s tough to be stealthy in chain mail but Dealuri tries (23 and 18 - she has disadvantage) to make her way into the area quietly. 

Thannadol is just restlessly waiting in anticipation his firebolt quivering

Rachus does his best to quietly move into the charred town sticking to cover as best he can

Stealth Check

10

Though he at times his steps cause noise as is distracted by whoever or whatever knows we are here. 

Vakas as you approach the buildings you do hear low voices coming from within. Roll for perception to see what you hear.

Skritch you reach out to calm Sunhill before moving forward ahead the group. Your faithful hound follows orders but is clearly agitated by something. The rest of you follow on, stealthily for the most part. Rachus and Thanadol give me an arcana roll as the ground begins to tremble softly beneath your feet. 

Dealuri the stench from the chasm grows suddenly stronger. You can almost taste the vile bitterness on your tongue.

Pathetic 7 for Arcana

Rachus 

Arcana Check

16

Skritch nudges Sunhill's flanks with his stirrups to signal Sunhill to move slightly more quickly toward Vakas (but still as stealthily as possible). 

(Stealth, from before, was: Nat 20+1=21)

He Messages Vakas, "Careful, brave, er, scout. The air here is foul with evil intent! But fear, er, not, we come."

Dealuri manages to keep from vomiting, but just barely. She continues into the stench in hopes that the smell does not bode ill for Vakas. 

Vakas inches closer to the building, moving slowly and keeping to the dark, he hears voices and listens to the conversation, trying to make words out.  He gets closer, trying to get a look as well.  Better find out before they walk into here… he hears the tingling message from Skritch in his ears, he smiles to himself in the dark, then replies “My middle name is Careful.  Well, not really.  But it could be.  I’m hearing voices here.  Stay back for a moment.”  He listens intently.  

Perception : 12

Skritch raises a tiny paw to warn everyone to halt their approach. 

He telepaths to them, "Vakas CarefulwellnotreallybutitcouldbeImhearingvoicesherestaybackforamoment, er... no, I'm afraid I don't know his last name, er, he says we should all hold back for a tick..." 

“Wow, that is a long middle name. Hmm, I don’t even remember my middle name.”  Dealuri is not the brightest star in the heavens.

OOC: OK it's been a minute so let's recap (as much for my benefit as yours) shout if I miss anything crucial. 

Hired by the good people of Dunwarren to rescue a local hero from the cruel clutches of the Kobold slave masters, the party travelled south into the borderlands of Helegeroth. On route Dealuri was cursed with the mark of Loki, enhancing her senses and gifting her with strange new powers. The party successfully braved the kobold den, freeing Elvyn and uncovering a kobold plot to raise a great demon and launch an armed invasion into the north. Together with Elvyn and their goblin companion Ember they travelled to the nearby temple of Víðarr where plans were already underway to repel the Kobold menace. With the aid of an ancient spirit and the High Seer of Víðarr the party have now travelled south once more into the heart of the blasted lands with two goals in mind. Convince the goblins to aid the temple of Víðarr in repelling the kobold army, and then travel to Kokras Tharn to stop the kobolds summoning the great demon. These tasks complete they may then travel back to the temple to aid in its defence.

So here we are less than a days travel from the magical earth well that brought you here. (Thanadol you have in your possession the statue of Víðarr that will allow you to travel back.)

Thanadol, while you sense a magical source to the strange rumbling (with a 7) you are not able to fully focus on it. 

Rachus (with a 16) a dull feeling of dread fills your stomach. You feel a gathering of dark magics beneath the earth. The ruins begin to tremble as if in memory of what is now stirring beneath you. Your eyes are dragged to the west where the vast chasm continues to pour its stinking vapours into the air.

Vakas (with a 12) you can not make out the conversation but you do recognise snatches of the language and tone. Humans. At least two males and a female. You too now feel the rumbling of the ground beneath your feet and the occupants of the building become suddenly quiet.

A sudden plume of yellow smoke explodes from the chasm and the shaking of the ground becomes more violent. Vakas you see the shutters on the nearby window being slammed down. 

Skritch telepaths to everyone, "I think we need to, er, get indoors asap. I think something belchingly bad is about to be expelled unto us!" 

He scans around desperately for a dwelling with a roof and sealable doors and windows that they can get to. 

"Sunhill, my noble steed, get ready to run like someone' stuck a firecracker up your proverbial!" 

(OOC, good to have you back, Hob.)

With a squeak of surprise and abandoning all thoughts of stealth, Dealuri runs to the nearest structure that looks like it will both open for her and her companions and close behind them once they are inside. If she knows which building Vakas is in and it is not too far away, she will aim for that one. For a change, she does not even consider what magical activity to take in response to this noxious situation. 

Vakas finds the darkest place that he can locate, with cover, finding the best hiding spot that he can.  Once there, he sends a message to the others, saying “Hide!  Something terrible is coming!  I hear three humans in the building I am near, they are aware of it coming too!”.

Stealth : 25

Thannadol trembles in excitement and fear. He hides his firebolt leaping brighter "Where to? What is that?"

Vakas you dive into the shadows of a ruined shack on the outskirts of the well kept buildings, confident that you are well hidden. Glancing back you see the massive plume of yellow smoke reaching into the heavens and racing across the open ground toward you is Dealuri, eyes wide and boots crunching as she heads toward the shelter of the nearby dwellings. Little buddy scampers onto your shoulder, looking once up at you and then over to Dealuri blinking once. 

Dealuri you dash toward the nearest obvious cover; the buildings that Vakas was scouting. You are not sure where he is hiding but these buildings have roofs and doors. 

The rest of you watch Dealuri charge off east towards the well kept abodes. You could attempt to hide within some of the closer ruins, you could follow... you could stand there while the sky above fills with sickly yellow vapour and from within the depths of the chasm a low rumble begins to rise in volume.