"Thank you, boy!" says Anton. Then, turning to the group, "Seems worth a try, I'd say, wouldn't you? Maybe I can sneak up on the bastards, with my famously graceful and stealthy ability to move, catlike, through the shadows..."

"Eh," Ordrin, face down in his food, says to Anton. "Ye do realize you're sitting next to a feline, eh?" Then he turns to the boy. "Lad, if your information be good there'll be some coin in it for you."

A huge grin spreads across Pip's face "Wow!  Da, d'ya hear that? Im gunna be rich!"

"T'is is a serious matter lad! These folks could lose their lives. And anyways, any coin ye get ye'll be splitting with the Alderleaf boy"

Rin smiles at Pip, recognizing the heart of an explorer in another, "Aye, thank you for that.  It is fun to discover new place and new things, is it not?"

Then turns to the rest of the group, "With our bellies full, we should go to this secret tunnel.  Secret tunnels are one of my favorite things!" then adds,  "Oh, um, Mr Toblen, do you think I could, maybe, get another ale...to go...in a, wineskin perhaps?"

Quote from Guiltysparc >>

Rin smiles at Pip, recognizing the heart of an explorer in another, "Aye, thank you for that.  It is fun to discover new place and new things, is it not?"

Then turns to the rest of the group, "With our bellies full, we should go to this secret tunnel.  Secret tunnels are one of my favorite things!" then adds,  "Oh, um, Mr Toblen, do you think I could, maybe, get another ale...to go...in a, wineskin perhaps?"

"Ye sure yer not part Dwarf friend?". Toblen happily hands Rin some ale in a wineskin. "Good luck to ye!"

Turning to Ordrin, Anton says, "Yes, I realize I'm sitt... it was sarcasm," thumping his chainmail with a fist, resulting in a metallic swishing sound as the chain links clank into each other.

"In any event, I agree, let's make our way to where this tunnel is supposed to be." Winking at Ordrin, "Don't worry, I'll be sure to leave the catlike stealth to the actual cat."

Rin thanks Tobeln again and stashed the wineskin away.  "Lets go check out this tunnel!"

Pip points out on a map where Carp described the tunnel to him.  You follow the directions, skirting behind the Alderleaf farm into the forest.  After some searching, you find a hole carved into a large rock, covered and hidden by vines.  The hole looks large enough for a wagon to pass through, and descends into darkness. You can tell that it opens into a cavern in about 200 feet.

 Ordrin listens carefully for any sound from the cave (Perception: 4), then looks to Anton. "Perhaps that cat-like stealth might come in handy, after all. " Then he grins and turns to face Rin. "Lad, I dunno why Moradin likes ye. Maybe it's that lush beard that went all jibbies and covered yer whole body. Should you choose to satisfy your curiosity Moradin will help." Ordrin places a hand on Rin's forearm and murmurs. (Guidance)

"Oh good, more caves!" Anton says. Aside to Ordrin, "That was sarcasm too, by the way."

"You'll have to write it down for me, tall friend. Me brain canno' remember much I don't read."

Rin looks at Ordrin for a moment, thinking pretty intently before exclaiming, "Oh!  My fur...my fur is a giant beard.  Yes, haha, yes I get it.  You are quite funny, my friend."

At that, Rin's emerald eyes pulse with eldrich energy, filling him with False Life (4 temp hp) and he heads into the cave. "Come, let us go.  Give me a few seconds head start to search ahead, then come in."  Crouching low, he prowls along the wall of the cave keeping his eyes open for anything up ahead.

• Stealth: 15 
• Perception: 14 + 3 guidance

Quote from Guiltysparc >>

Rin looks at Ordrin for a moment, thinking pretty intently before exclaiming, "Oh!  My fur...my fur is a giant beard.  Yes, haha, yes I get it.  You are quite funny, my friend."

At that, Rin's emerald eyes pulse with eldrich energy, filling him with False Life (4 temp hp) and he heads into the cave. "Come, let us go.  Give me a few seconds head start to search ahead, then come in."  Crouching low, he prowls along the wall of the cave keeping his eyes open for anything up ahead.

• Stealth: 15 
• Perception: 14 + 3 guidance

Nothing is strange about the tunnel.  As you reach the end, 200 ft away,  it opens into a cavern. A cold breeze fills this large natural cavern, carrying with it the faint scent of decaying flesh. A crevasse divides the cavern and is flanked by two rough stone columns that support the twenty-foot-high ceiling. Two arched wooden bridges span the chasm. The cave is about 30 feet wide, by 60 feet long.

22 15

 

 You can sense there is something alive in the cavern and think you perceive some slight movement in the western side of the cavern. 

Spoiler for Rin:

You hear a somewhat insane, not human voice.  It takes a moment to realize this voice is in your head not vocal.
"A visitor?! Do your brings food? Fresh bloody food to crunch on and munch on?"

 

 

Rin draws his longsword and whispers to the group, "Something is in here with us.  It wants food."

OoC  - Does Rin know what this voice is, maybe from his previous dungeon delving.  Nature: 3

OoC: Anybody have a hand they can spare to be holding a torch? Only Rin and Ordrin have darkvision... Anton has a shield and flail already, and we lost our character who had a light cantrip...

Quote from Guiltysparc >>

Rin draws his longsword and whispers to the group, "Something is in here with us.  It wants food."

OoC  - Does Rin know what this voice is, maybe from his previous dungeon delving.  Nature: 11

Nope, this is a pretty uncommon encounter

OoC - Since the thing knows we are in here, i don't see lighting a torch as blowing up our stealth spot if Ordrin wants to hold one for Anton.

OoC: Ordrin also uses a shield. We could toss a torch forward; Ordrin could Thaumaturgy it up, too.

OoC - I like that idea

"Well don't hold that against the poor beastie," Ordrin says to Rin. "What is it?" He sniffsdeeply and peers into the darkness.