The guards do very little that is useful. They warily watch the open door, which extends down into darkness. Even those with the ever-important DARKVISION see little beyond a narrow stairwell leading further into the depths of the besieged city. The faint whiff of sewage slides across the noses of the party. It appears, that this passage leads to the city’s sewage network.
The bat goes! As it flutters around the room, the Aurora Watch ducks with a start. “Rats with wings! Harr!” One says as he swipes at the familiar with his spear. Another guard pulls the other back into formation to keep him on task. “The door. Do you think demons are coming? It smells like demons.”
The bat familiar evades the spears with surprising agility for a simple creature as a bat. A more keen observer might tease out that the bat is more than it appears. However, these guards are simple folk whose job is only to stand watch, kill something, and more often than most would like, their job is also to die. They notice nothing unusual about the familiar and it flies down the stairwell without the Aurora Watch giving it anymore trouble.
“Perhaps we should call Thelyss,” another whispers. “This might be above our paygrade.”
“YOU!” the orcish guard points at Ylis. “It seems we didn’t need you to open the door. Make yourself useful for once and go check it out.”
The bat finds the bottom after about 20ft and a long tunnel that stretches north and south. There are two dry walking paths, one on each side of a dividing river of… something.
"Aaand, sh*t. Literally. Right in front of us," Morgan mutters.
He calls his bat back. The tiny creature flutters down and settles on his head, eyes and ears wide open.
Morgan sticks close to Randa.
OOC: Morgan does not do well in darkness. DM, if you allow it, he closes his eyes and relies on his familiar’s senses while it is perched on his head, in an arcane Ratatouille-style setup.
"Aaand, sh*t. Literally. Right in front of us," Morgan mutters.
He calls his bat back. The tiny creature flutters down and settles on his head, eyes and ears wide open.
Morgan sticks close to Randa.
OOC: Morgan does not do well in darkness. DM, if you allow it, he closes his eyes and relies on his familiar’s senses while it is perched on his head, in an arcane Ratatouille-style setup.
OOC: Telepathic Connection. While your familiar is within 100 feet of you, you can communicate with it telepathically. Additionally, as a Bonus Action, you can see through the familiar’s eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any special senses it has.
2014 pretty much made you incapacitated (not the game term). 2024 just gives you the benefits, so in theory you can maintain the link no penalty.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
Randa blows into the guard's ear and he leaps away with a jolt. His head snaps to the left and right and his eyes roll around, scanning the area, looking for that damnable bat again.
When the guard sees the bat return from below and land on Morgan's head, his lip gurls down in a grimace. "You let that diseased thing sit on your head? Ugh..." His revulsion is not an act. He dry heaves as the bat settles into the nest of hair that makes up the top of Morgan's head. He urgently motions for Morgan to head down the stairs with Ylis so he doesn't have to see the bat anymore.
As the party reaches the bottom of the stairs, they can see what the bad had seen before. The light adds a bit more though. Avoiding the details of the river dividing the two walking paths, the walls are notable for two key things: there is water damage along the walls, high up. Not quite reaching the ceiling but pretty close. The other is that there is a symbol scratched into the wall right by the stairs leading up.
DM: Anyone with History proficiency can roll a History Check here for information on the symbol.
"This is a fey-bat! It may be full of fey viruses and fey diseases, but it's cleaner than you and certainly less of a coward."
He bites his lip, forcing himself to stop. This is neither the moment nor the time... And he's the first to be surprised to find himself defending his annoying familiar.
Morgan may be silent, but he is able to keep a keen eye on Randa with his familiar's Blindsight.
Randa knows this symbol means something, but she has always been more of a dweller of the forests and this symbol comes from those who inhabit more urban environments. The meaning escapes her for the moment, but the party files it away in case they encounter someone more knowledgeable.
As she scans in either direction, she can hear nothing, nor see anything that would suggest a direction taken by the murderer. It's a great lead, but the party may need assistance in pursuing their quarry.
Frekor looks at the symbol thinking he knows somthing about it (History check: 16.)
And then looks around trying to find where the drow that he fought is (Perception check with advantage: 17, 9+8. Second roll: 25, 17+8.)
DM: Unfortunately, Frekor doesn't have proficiency in History and this is an obscure symbol.
However, after Frekor examines the symbol and loses interest, he notes a dark splotch on the ground that escaped the senses of everyone else around. Kneeling down for a closer look, he can see that it is blood. He hasn't lost his quarry yet! The blood loss isn't heavy, suggesting that the wound has been staunched or wasn't as bad as an arrow in the back appeared, but Frekor knows, immediately, that this is the drow's blood. The hunt continues!
DM: If you pursue, I need the marching order from @everyone.
Morgan gladly leaves the tracking to more competent people. He feels somewhat reassured that his bat trick is working, though he would not bet his life on it in a real fight.
He stays comfortably behind Randa and Frekor (or even last). He concentrates on his familiar’s senses, focusing on detecting anything that might be invisible to the others.
DM: A good thing to note given the marching order is that each walking path is about 3ft from wall to 'river' and the channel itself is about 3ft as well. Single file!
The water damage appears moderately old. Within the past year or so.
DM: I see it as Frekor in front, Randa next, Morgan, then Ylis.
Frekor leads the way deeper into the sewer. The stench is, of course, foul, and the smell of decay and old urine assault the senses. The smell makes the tunnel feel cramped, as if the walls are closing in. The party passes a few stairwells that lead up or down, but none has a similar symbol carved into the wall. The trail of blood leads down a right path at an intersection, then on for some time before turning left at a two way turn. There are no lights down here at all and where the light of Ylis' spear ends is as far as anyone can see clearly, except for Morgan.
The longer they travel, the colder it gets. This is not a supernatural cold, but a cold that comes from being underground. The building humidity probably is not enjoyed by many in the party, given where that wetness is coming from, and your leathers begins to take on a slick shine. Your fabrics will absolutely need to be washed.
After several careful minutes traveling in the dark, Morgan notices a stone along the walking path with a slightly rounder shape than the mostly squarish stone. Frekor is about to step on it and he does not appear to notice it.
Randa stays hard against the wall until she sees what the guards are planning on doing next.....
Irritated by the guards’ inactivity, Morgan removes his hat once again.
"Alright, let’s try this again... Show me you can do something useful, and I promise I’ll find you a proper name."
The tiny bat clings stubbornly to his hair.
Morgan lowers his voice and points ahead with theatrical authority.
"Go, bat-familiar!"
(bat's stealth: 9; perception: 7)
The guards do very little that is useful. They warily watch the open door, which extends down into darkness. Even those with the ever-important DARKVISION see little beyond a narrow stairwell leading further into the depths of the besieged city. The faint whiff of sewage slides across the noses of the party. It appears, that this passage leads to the city’s sewage network.
The bat goes! As it flutters around the room, the Aurora Watch ducks with a start. “Rats with wings! Harr!” One says as he swipes at the familiar with his spear. Another guard pulls the other back into formation to keep him on task. “The door. Do you think demons are coming? It smells like demons.”
The bat familiar evades the spears with surprising agility for a simple creature as a bat. A more keen observer might tease out that the bat is more than it appears. However, these guards are simple folk whose job is only to stand watch, kill something, and more often than most would like, their job is also to die. They notice nothing unusual about the familiar and it flies down the stairwell without the Aurora Watch giving it anymore trouble.
“Perhaps we should call Thelyss,” another whispers. “This might be above our paygrade.”
“YOU!” the orcish guard points at Ylis. “It seems we didn’t need you to open the door. Make yourself useful for once and go check it out.”
The bat finds the bottom after about 20ft and a long tunnel that stretches north and south. There are two dry walking paths, one on each side of a dividing river of… something.
DM mostly, Player occasionally | Session 0 form | He/Him/They/Them
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Randa rolled her eyes and headed down the tunnel, blowing into the ear of the last guard she passed as she followed the bat....
"Aaand, sh*t. Literally. Right in front of us," Morgan mutters.
He calls his bat back. The tiny creature flutters down and settles on his head, eyes and ears wide open.
Morgan sticks close to Randa.
OOC: Morgan does not do well in darkness. DM, if you allow it, he closes his eyes and relies on his familiar’s senses while it is perched on his head, in an arcane Ratatouille-style setup.
Ylis shakes her head and sighs, "OK fine," As she heads down the stairs, she casts Light on her spear.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
OOC: Telepathic Connection. While your familiar is within 100 feet of you, you can communicate with it telepathically. Additionally, as a Bonus Action, you can see through the familiar’s eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any special senses it has.
2014 pretty much made you incapacitated (not the game term). 2024 just gives you the benefits, so in theory you can maintain the link no penalty.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
Randa blows into the guard's ear and he leaps away with a jolt. His head snaps to the left and right and his eyes roll around, scanning the area, looking for that damnable bat again.
When the guard sees the bat return from below and land on Morgan's head, his lip gurls down in a grimace. "You let that diseased thing sit on your head? Ugh..." His revulsion is not an act. He dry heaves as the bat settles into the nest of hair that makes up the top of Morgan's head. He urgently motions for Morgan to head down the stairs with Ylis so he doesn't have to see the bat anymore.
As the party reaches the bottom of the stairs, they can see what the bad had seen before. The light adds a bit more though. Avoiding the details of the river dividing the two walking paths, the walls are notable for two key things: there is water damage along the walls, high up. Not quite reaching the ceiling but pretty close. The other is that there is a symbol scratched into the wall right by the stairs leading up.
DM: Anyone with History proficiency can roll a History Check here for information on the symbol.
DM mostly, Player occasionally | Session 0 form | He/Him/They/Them
EXTENDED SIGNATURE!
Doctor/Published Scholar/Science and Healthcare Advocate/Critter/Trekkie/Gandalf with a Glock
Try DDB free: Free Rules (2024), premade PCs, adventures, one shots, encounters, SC, homebrew, more
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Morgan snorts at the guards.
"This is a fey-bat! It may be full of fey viruses and fey diseases, but it's cleaner than you and certainly less of a coward."
He bites his lip, forcing himself to stop. This is neither the moment nor the time... And he's the first to be surprised to find himself defending his annoying familiar.
Trying to focus, Morgan falls silent.
Randa remained invisible but made it obvious to her friends where she was by scuffing her feet and tapping lightly on the wall.
She inspected the strange symbol even as she kept an eye out for enemies.....and flash floods....
History-4
Perception-13
Morgan may be silent, but he is able to keep a keen eye on Randa with his familiar's Blindsight.
Randa knows this symbol means something, but she has always been more of a dweller of the forests and this symbol comes from those who inhabit more urban environments. The meaning escapes her for the moment, but the party files it away in case they encounter someone more knowledgeable.
As she scans in either direction, she can hear nothing, nor see anything that would suggest a direction taken by the murderer. It's a great lead, but the party may need assistance in pursuing their quarry.
DM mostly, Player occasionally | Session 0 form | He/Him/They/Them
EXTENDED SIGNATURE!
Doctor/Published Scholar/Science and Healthcare Advocate/Critter/Trekkie/Gandalf with a Glock
Try DDB free: Free Rules (2024), premade PCs, adventures, one shots, encounters, SC, homebrew, more
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Frekor looks at the symbol thinking he knows somthing about it (History check: 16.)
And then looks around trying to find where the drow that he fought is (Perception check with advantage: 17, 9+8. Second roll: 25, 17+8.)
Goliath monk Khaddim, High elf ranger Frekor, Dragonborn sorcerer Godfrey, Goliath blood hunter Albus, High elf druid Charis, Human rogue Garrett
DM: Unfortunately, Frekor doesn't have proficiency in History and this is an obscure symbol.
However, after Frekor examines the symbol and loses interest, he notes a dark splotch on the ground that escaped the senses of everyone else around. Kneeling down for a closer look, he can see that it is blood. He hasn't lost his quarry yet! The blood loss isn't heavy, suggesting that the wound has been staunched or wasn't as bad as an arrow in the back appeared, but Frekor knows, immediately, that this is the drow's blood. The hunt continues!
DM: If you pursue, I need the marching order from @everyone.
DM mostly, Player occasionally | Session 0 form | He/Him/They/Them
EXTENDED SIGNATURE!
Doctor/Published Scholar/Science and Healthcare Advocate/Critter/Trekkie/Gandalf with a Glock
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Morgan gladly leaves the tracking to more competent people. He feels somewhat reassured that his bat trick is working, though he would not bet his life on it in a real fight.
He stays comfortably behind Randa and Frekor (or even last). He concentrates on his familiar’s senses, focusing on detecting anything that might be invisible to the others.
(if needed, Morgan's stealth: 10; familiar perception: 21)
Ylis will take up the last position in line keeping her ears open.
OOC: Do the stains on the walls look recent?
Perception check if needed 8
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
DM: A good thing to note given the marching order is that each walking path is about 3ft from wall to 'river' and the channel itself is about 3ft as well. Single file!
The water damage appears moderately old. Within the past year or so.
DM mostly, Player occasionally | Session 0 form | He/Him/They/Them
EXTENDED SIGNATURE!
Doctor/Published Scholar/Science and Healthcare Advocate/Critter/Trekkie/Gandalf with a Glock
Try DDB free: Free Rules (2024), premade PCs, adventures, one shots, encounters, SC, homebrew, more
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Frekor will take the lead as he is the one tracking the drow.
(OOC: Perception check with advantage because of Hunter's Mark: 14, 6+8. Second roll: 10, 2+8. First roll is the winner.)
Goliath monk Khaddim, High elf ranger Frekor, Dragonborn sorcerer Godfrey, Goliath blood hunter Albus, High elf druid Charis, Human rogue Garrett
DM: I see it as Frekor in front, Randa next, Morgan, then Ylis.
Frekor leads the way deeper into the sewer. The stench is, of course, foul, and the smell of decay and old urine assault the senses. The smell makes the tunnel feel cramped, as if the walls are closing in. The party passes a few stairwells that lead up or down, but none has a similar symbol carved into the wall. The trail of blood leads down a right path at an intersection, then on for some time before turning left at a two way turn. There are no lights down here at all and where the light of Ylis' spear ends is as far as anyone can see clearly, except for Morgan.
The longer they travel, the colder it gets. This is not a supernatural cold, but a cold that comes from being underground. The building humidity probably is not enjoyed by many in the party, given where that wetness is coming from, and your leathers begins to take on a slick shine. Your fabrics will absolutely need to be washed.
After several careful minutes traveling in the dark, Morgan notices a stone along the walking path with a slightly rounder shape than the mostly squarish stone. Frekor is about to step on it and he does not appear to notice it.
DM mostly, Player occasionally | Session 0 form | He/Him/They/Them
EXTENDED SIGNATURE!
Doctor/Published Scholar/Science and Healthcare Advocate/Critter/Trekkie/Gandalf with a Glock
Try DDB free: Free Rules (2024), premade PCs, adventures, one shots, encounters, SC, homebrew, more
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Check out my life-changing
While beginning to daydream about a nice, hot bath, Morgan barely holds back a gasp.
He reaches for Frekor’s shoulder.
"Watch out, man! That stone looks... different."
(If Randa is too much in the way, Morgan instead drops a Create Bonfire right in front of Frekor to stop him, no intention to hurt of course.)
Jacaranda Dex Save to try and get out the way in time- 16