As they progress, whenever Skritch sees an unlit torch or firepit he uses Druidcraft to light it.
He doesn't quite get why he's doing it, the dark has never been any sort of issue for him before now.
But he does KNOW this dank dreary place would be a darn sight more cheery with some warmth and light in it... And that's why he's setting fires like a pint-sized pyromaniac.
Not because of some completely irrational fear of shadows.
Vakas is creeping forward, being so careful to be quiet and sneaky. Then he is surrounded by multiple glows of light. He stands and puts his hands on his hips, frustration evident on his face. “Anyone else want to blow a horn to let them know we are coming? Sheesh! Thanadol, Skritch, do you two want to lead? Have at it …” Stealth route clearly gone, he starts to walk along, glancing from time to time toward the opening of the tunnel.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Skritch gallops up alongside Vakas, "Although I am unsure what has, er, miffed you... I can see that you’re maximiffed."
To show his solidarity with Vakas, Skritch Druidcraft-extinguishes the torch he has picked up. Ooh, though, that is a wee bit darker than things were a second ago. He clicks his cheeks and relights it.
"There," he says, admiring a job well done. He looks up at Vakas. "Better, right?"
Vakas hands the sling and bullets to Skritch, looking at him oddly, and his strange behavior with the torch. Can he tell if he has been affected by the warding spell?
Insight : 21
“Middle path is fine. Whatever. That’s a ah.. interesting thing you can do with your cheeks. Didn’t know magic could come from there. Just thought you stored nuts there and whatnot. Okay, lead the way, in your dazzling bright light…hey, wait a minute… did something happen to you guys? You know it’s not smart to go lighting up torches and run in here in the bright light, giving ourselves away. Did something ..weird happen to you? That cold air and weird feeling when we walked in the cave?” Vakas tries to piece it together..
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
"Ahhhhh," gasps Dealuri in the dark after passing through the warding spell. She fumbles in her bag in quickly lights a torch. She looks around and finds Thanandol all lite up and goes to stand next to him. She jumps whenever a torch is put out and breathes a sigh of relief when one is relit. The jump/breath noises combined with the cheek-noises made by Scritch make for an odd soundtrack for their exploration. Her movement is herky-jerky, with moments of slow almost paralyzed inaction followed by haste to stay in the light. She grips her sword tighter and follows the light.
Rachus is taken by surprise by the profuse light from all kinds of sources. He turns to his companions and whispers "Have you all gone mad? Why the obsession with light?"
Rachys agrees with Scritch to continue straight forward.
Vakas (with a 21) you realise that the party are under some sort of magical effect and are free to try to snap them out of it either by persuasion or by more drastic action.
OOC: while the short rest will bring a natural end to this, your characters have no way of knowing this short of an identify spell or a high arcana roll. I encourage improvisation at all times :)
You leave the crossroads behind, its darkened side-passages untouched, secrets left to fester in the dark. Ahead, the main tunnel slopes downward, leading you deeper into the earth’s cold embrace. The air grows damp, heavy with the scent of moss and stone long sealed from the sun. Torches still cling to the walls, but they are fewer now, stretched thin, like the memory of daylight. The silence here is different. Not the silence of stillness, but of watching. Listening.
At last, the tunnel levels out. Ahead, the passage widens, and you glimpse the shape of two doors—simple, weather-warped wood, one to either side of the corridor. They stand facing one another like sentries, mute and unmoving, as if waiting for something… or someone.
Rachus roll me a d20
Will you try :
The left hand door
The right hand door
Or continue straight ahead?
OOC: I will add prompts like this to aid decision making but feel free to do what ever you wish. I'll take it for granted that if you want to go back the way you came you'll tell me :)
Skritch may not be the brightest rodent in the nest, but he's diligent. He studied that arcane, the Eldritch for a long time.
He thinks back over his studies into the arcane (Arcane roll: 8+4=12) and he recalls his tutor, Ol' Nan Sally Nubbinson... ttch-ttching and encouraging Skritch to swap over to Druid studies...
Whatever may have stuck in his mind from that earlier time, it wasn’t anything about the warding effect he and his compatriots have been subjected to.
(OOC: Hey party, haven't played a play-by-post game before.
If Skritch does something like a perception or arcana check and I put scores in, it's merely to move things along. Am just mindful of how long a whole back-and-forth conversation would take...
But no doubt some of you roguey/rangery types are a lot better at those kinds of skill checks than Skritch. And same for Thanadol, I'd imagine, with Arcana checks.
Would it be better for Skritch to, for instance, put out an offer to HELP anyone else if THEY intend to make a check, than make them himself?)
OOC: Either is fine Skritch, if you fail someone else can certainly try. Pbp is a balancing act between pace and patience.
Skritch you listen at both doors and you are met with stony silence. Nothing stirs, nothing breaths, nothing lives beyond these doors as far as you can tell.
Thanadol you cast detect magic and the first thing you note are the dark tendrils of magic snaking around yourself, Dealuri and Skritch. (Seeing this you can make a DC WIS save to drive the effect away from yourself only), you note with interest the soft glow of evocation magic coming from the ring on the finger of Vakas. Then you focus on the surrounding area, specifically the two doors.
Beyond the door to the left you sense enchantment magic and to the right while there are several sources of magic within you are unable to determine their flavour without closer investigation.
Vakas when you get to it you will quickly discover that these doors are locked (If you choose to open one then DC 12 sleight of hand to open with your thieves tools or DC 15 strength check to bash them in if you fail, though that will make some noise!)
If/when Vakas tackles the door/s, Skritch fires up Shillelagh on his club and stands ready at his side for whatever waits within. He 107% has Vakas' back. 100 and 7 percent.
Vakas kneels down beside Skritch, examining the door for a moment. He pulls his thieves tools out of his pack and inserts the picks into the lock. He says to Skritch standing beside him, “Hey, Skritch, hold this pick in place as I maneuver the other one, that’s it, it goes right in there….” Vakas asks for Skritch’s help in opening the door. As he’s trying to get the lock to open, he says to him softly out of the side of the mouth, “Hey, you guys need to pull it together. I need to enter in darkness and check out what is beyond this door. We can’t go in there with 20 torches. Okay? Can you guys pull it together and let some of the light go?”
Vakas sleight of hand, with help, if offered : 20 (if none is given, it is an 11).
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
And he nods very earnestly as Vakas talks about reducing the degree of illumination. "Of course, er, Vakas. Of course. Don't know what's gotten into me, teebeeaich..."
But then he (v surreptitiously) Druidcraft-ignites any other wall torches he can see. If he sees that Vakas notices he just brazens it out by nodding extra seriously and frowning a lot to show how much he agrees.
All the while wagging a stern finger at Thanadol and making disappointed ttch-ttch-ttch sounds.
Dropping the pretense, and not overly thrown by the dung smell, Skritch messages Thanadol, "Wait, are you no longer concerned by the dire dark? How did you shrug it off? Thanadol, help! Please."
Rachus shakes his head and whispers "I cannot help with this light obsession, but I will try to contain the lightshow somehow"
As Vakas works on the door, Rachus will be spending his time snuffing out torches save for one torch near his affected companions using prestidigitation
Vakas stands slowly, pleased that the mechanism clicked open. The door remains closed. He stands and looks at Skritch and Thanadol, his insight tells him they are under an effect. He whispers, “Snap out of it! Don’t hold this against me, please. But I’ve got to find a way for you people to use less light and give up this absurd fear of the dark!”
Vakas thumps Skritch and then Thanadol on the head with his hand, doing 1 hp of damage, then stops, gauging the effect to see if they come to their senses.
If this works, he gently does this to Dealuri as well, saying “Sorry babe, gotta do it to bring you back to your senses.”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
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Skritch asks Vakas for the sling and bullets as he currently lacks a ranged non-magic option.
Then he looks down the "main cavern ... lit by the occasional torch" hopefully.
As they progress, whenever Skritch sees an unlit torch or firepit he uses Druidcraft to light it.
He doesn't quite get why he's doing it, the dark has never been any sort of issue for him before now.
But he does KNOW this dank dreary place would be a darn sight more cheery with some warmth and light in it... And that's why he's setting fires like a pint-sized pyromaniac.
Not because of some completely irrational fear of shadows.
Vakas is creeping forward, being so careful to be quiet and sneaky. Then he is surrounded by multiple glows of light. He stands and puts his hands on his hips, frustration evident on his face. “Anyone else want to blow a horn to let them know we are coming? Sheesh! Thanadol, Skritch, do you two want to lead? Have at it …” Stealth route clearly gone, he starts to walk along, glancing from time to time toward the opening of the tunnel.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Skritch gallops up alongside Vakas, "Although I am unsure what has, er, miffed you... I can see that you’re maximiffed."
To show his solidarity with Vakas, Skritch Druidcraft-extinguishes the torch he has picked up. Ooh, though, that is a wee bit darker than things were a second ago. He clicks his cheeks and relights it.
"There," he says, admiring a job well done. He looks up at Vakas. "Better, right?"
OOC: to clarify did you all take the advice of Skritch and move straight over the crossroads or did you wish to explore to the left or right :)
DM - Warlock of Firetop Mountain
Unless others want to take a side path (which Skritch is 107% okay with), why don't we truck on ahead for now?
Vakas hands the sling and bullets to Skritch, looking at him oddly, and his strange behavior with the torch. Can he tell if he has been affected by the warding spell?
Insight : 21
“Middle path is fine. Whatever. That’s a ah.. interesting thing you can do with your cheeks. Didn’t know magic could come from there. Just thought you stored nuts there and whatnot. Okay, lead the way, in your dazzling bright light…hey, wait a minute… did something happen to you guys? You know it’s not smart to go lighting up torches and run in here in the bright light, giving ourselves away. Did something ..weird happen to you? That cold air and weird feeling when we walked in the cave?” Vakas tries to piece it together..
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
(OOC: DM, would we be able to tell what's happened to us and what it would take to fix it? Ie, that a Short Rest would fix us up again?)
"Ahhhhh," gasps Dealuri in the dark after passing through the warding spell. She fumbles in her bag in quickly lights a torch. She looks around and finds Thanandol all lite up and goes to stand next to him. She jumps whenever a torch is put out and breathes a sigh of relief when one is relit. The jump/breath noises combined with the cheek-noises made by Scritch make for an odd soundtrack for their exploration. Her movement is herky-jerky, with moments of slow almost paralyzed inaction followed by haste to stay in the light. She grips her sword tighter and follows the light.
Rachus is taken by surprise by the profuse light from all kinds of sources. He turns to his companions and whispers "Have you all gone mad? Why the obsession with light?"
Rachys agrees with Scritch to continue straight forward.
Vakas (with a 21) you realise that the party are under some sort of magical effect and are free to try to snap them out of it either by persuasion or by more drastic action.
OOC: while the short rest will bring a natural end to this, your characters have no way of knowing this short of an identify spell or a high arcana roll. I encourage improvisation at all times :)
You leave the crossroads behind, its darkened side-passages untouched, secrets left to fester in the dark. Ahead, the main tunnel slopes downward, leading you deeper into the earth’s cold embrace. The air grows damp, heavy with the scent of moss and stone long sealed from the sun. Torches still cling to the walls, but they are fewer now, stretched thin, like the memory of daylight. The silence here is different. Not the silence of stillness, but of watching. Listening.
At last, the tunnel levels out. Ahead, the passage widens, and you glimpse the shape of two doors—simple, weather-warped wood, one to either side of the corridor. They stand facing one another like sentries, mute and unmoving, as if waiting for something… or someone.
Rachus roll me a d20
Will you try :
OOC: I will add prompts like this to aid decision making but feel free to do what ever you wish. I'll take it for granted that if you want to go back the way you came you'll tell me :)
DM - Warlock of Firetop Mountain
Skritch may not be the brightest rodent in the nest, but he's diligent. He studied that arcane, the Eldritch for a long time.
He thinks back over his studies into the arcane (Arcane roll: 8+4=12) and he recalls his tutor, Ol' Nan Sally Nubbinson... ttch-ttching and encouraging Skritch to swap over to Druid studies...
Whatever may have stuck in his mind from that earlier time, it wasn’t anything about the warding effect he and his compatriots have been subjected to.
He goes and listens at each door:
Left door: perception 13+3=16
Right door: perception 4+3=7
(OOC: Hey party, haven't played a play-by-post game before.
If Skritch does something like a perception or arcana check and I put scores in, it's merely to move things along. Am just mindful of how long a whole back-and-forth conversation would take...
But no doubt some of you roguey/rangery types are a lot better at those kinds of skill checks than Skritch. And same for Thanadol, I'd imagine, with Arcana checks.
Would it be better for Skritch to, for instance, put out an offer to HELP anyone else if THEY intend to make a check, than make them himself?)
OOC: Either is fine Skritch, if you fail someone else can certainly try. Pbp is a balancing act between pace and patience.
Skritch you listen at both doors and you are met with stony silence. Nothing stirs, nothing breaths, nothing lives beyond these doors as far as you can tell.
Thanadol you cast detect magic and the first thing you note are the dark tendrils of magic snaking around yourself, Dealuri and Skritch. (Seeing this you can make a DC WIS save to drive the effect away from yourself only), you note with interest the soft glow of evocation magic coming from the ring on the finger of Vakas. Then you focus on the surrounding area, specifically the two doors.
Beyond the door to the left you sense enchantment magic and to the right while there are several sources of magic within you are unable to determine their flavour without closer investigation.
Vakas when you get to it you will quickly discover that these doors are locked (If you choose to open one then DC 12 sleight of hand to open with your thieves tools or DC 15 strength check to bash them in if you fail, though that will make some noise!)
DM - Warlock of Firetop Mountain
If/when Vakas tackles the door/s, Skritch fires up Shillelagh on his club and stands ready at his side for whatever waits within. He 107% has Vakas' back. 100 and 7 percent.
Just as long as it's not dark in there.
But in every other circumstance.
...
Except the dark thing.
Vakas kneels down beside Skritch, examining the door for a moment. He pulls his thieves tools out of his pack and inserts the picks into the lock. He says to Skritch standing beside him, “Hey, Skritch, hold this pick in place as I maneuver the other one, that’s it, it goes right in there….” Vakas asks for Skritch’s help in opening the door. As he’s trying to get the lock to open, he says to him softly out of the side of the mouth, “Hey, you guys need to pull it together. I need to enter in darkness and check out what is beyond this door. We can’t go in there with 20 torches. Okay? Can you guys pull it together and let some of the light go?”
Vakas sleight of hand, with help, if offered : 20 (if none is given, it is an 11).
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Skritch def offers Vakas what help he can!
And he nods very earnestly as Vakas talks about reducing the degree of illumination. "Of course, er, Vakas. Of course. Don't know what's gotten into me, teebeeaich..."
But then he (v surreptitiously) Druidcraft-ignites any other wall torches he can see. If he sees that Vakas notices he just brazens it out by nodding extra seriously and frowning a lot to show how much he agrees.
All the while wagging a stern finger at Thanadol and making disappointed ttch-ttch-ttch sounds.
Dropping the pretense, and not overly thrown by the dung smell, Skritch messages Thanadol, "Wait, are you no longer concerned by the dire dark? How did you shrug it off? Thanadol, help! Please."
Rachus shakes his head and whispers "I cannot help with this light obsession, but I will try to contain the lightshow somehow"
As Vakas works on the door, Rachus will be spending his time snuffing out torches save for one torch near his affected companions using prestidigitation
Vakas stands slowly, pleased that the mechanism clicked open. The door remains closed. He stands and looks at Skritch and Thanadol, his insight tells him they are under an effect. He whispers, “Snap out of it! Don’t hold this against me, please. But I’ve got to find a way for you people to use less light and give up this absurd fear of the dark!”
Vakas thumps Skritch and then Thanadol on the head with his hand, doing 1 hp of damage, then stops, gauging the effect to see if they come to their senses.
If this works, he gently does this to Dealuri as well, saying “Sorry babe, gotta do it to bring you back to your senses.”
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.