Getting no traction with my distracted companions, I interject, "Don't mind my friends," I say. "They'll warm up to you over an ale. At the very least, we should have plenty of time to get to know each other on our way to the Great Worm Cavern. Do you know the way? It should get us out of the mountains south of here."
While listening to Carrow talk, a thought pops into the goliath's head, and he speaks out loud. "Will you be contacting Klauth to inform him of our progress in the future, through magical means or otherwise? If this is the case, then would we be permitted to speak to him? He may have information that could help us."
Responding to Rixton, Vigan adds, "One place is as good as another when we know nothing of them."
"Yes, the way to Great Worm Cavern is short. Six hours if the wind is right," answers Delsephine.
Responding to Vigan, she says, "Klauth will know our progress through HIS magical means. We have no need to contact him. And, as I mentioned previously, Klauth will welcome you to his vale if you succeed in quelling the giant threat. No sooner. The only help he offers is the convenience of this ship."
One of the other crew members chimes in. "We cannot travel tonight, Del. There is too little light remaining."
"True," she responds. "Rest tonight. Sail at dawn."
I wander the deck for a while, watching the crew secure rigging and tend to the furnace. A small boy, maybe 10 or 11, swabs the deck by the light of the furnace. I imagine firing the harpoon gun, entirely I'm chastised for touching it. Eventually, I get my rations back from Ladrian and prepare a frugal dinner. Bundled up near the furnace, I fall asleep to the muffled sounds of the crew below deck.
Rixton's proximity to the furnace allows him to notice something unexpected. A narrow hatch in the front of the furnace has a small grill through which a fire elemental can be seen. An iron wheel on the starboard side of the furnace opens and closes a bronze valve at the top of the cylinder, which has the effect of increasing or reducing the size of the fire spilling out of the furnace. Additionally, the heat pouring out through the grill helps keep the upper deck of the airship rather warm and comfortable.
Just how, or why, the fire elemental remains trapped inside the furnace isn't discernible.
"Hmm, that's a dangerous method. Efficient, though," I muse as drift off to sleep. "I can't imagine that the elemental is happy with these circumstances."
Hunkering down at the aft of the ship, Vigan sets up his bedroll for the night in one of the corners, aiming to reduce his exposure to the wind, at least from 2 directions. He tries to keep one eye open, not trusting their new 'crew', but the trials and tribulations of the last couple of weeks mean he is soon fast asleep, and snoring loudly.
He walks around the ship's deck having a look at what the crew are doing before settling down near the others for the night. He stays on watch for a couple of hours before finally getting asleep.
Deciding he does not trust the crew of this ship he opts to stay awake, he begins by watching over the others before getting bored. He walks the deck for a couple of hours his thoughts his own as he stares wistfully north drinking in the breath taking scenery of the mountains Infront of him. Confident that his fellow fake dragon cult members won't get murdered while they sleep he retires below to join them in sleep.
The next morning, when the sky is just barely hinting of the sun's rising, the crew of the airship sets to work, preparing for the half-day journey to Great Worm Cavern. The crew members make no conversations with the five adventurers and say little more to one another. Four crew members rest below deck while the other four see to the navigation and flying of the ship. The air is bitterly cold, and everyone is grateful for the heat that emanates from the furnace. The wind is less than cooperative, and Delsephine remarks after a few hours, "We're losing a few hours' time, but we should arrive before nightfall."
Rather than six hours, the entire trip took nearly ten, but an hour or two of daylight remains as the dragon cult's airship touches down on a narrow, icy ledge at the northeast end of the Valley Khedrun.
"The Uthgardt burial site lies a hundred yards ahead," explains Delsephine, as she points northward. "The crew and I will wait here as long as needed. Good luck."
A few minutes later, the five adventurers stand at the mouth of an ice cavern so enormous that it nearly defies description. Thick ice hangs above the pillared entrance to Great Worm Cavern, and the interior walls of the place are covered with an icy glaze and lined with massive icicles that gleam and glitter in reflected light. The cavern floor is a sheet of slippery ice flanked by 70-foot-high ledges of rock, atop which stand two totem poles of chiseled ice with carvings that resemble winged snakes. The walls of these ledges are riddled with caves. Above the ledges, dug into the cavern walls, are narrow crypts where frozen corpses are propped up in a standing position.
"Well," I say, surveying the cave before us, "the gong is for calling something forth. I'm going to guess they come from the caves down here. Unless it wakes the dead. Whatever is about to happen, be at the ready."
I draw my short sword and proceed into the cave, making sure not to move too far ahead of my colleagues. My destination is to inspect the gong and the altar.
Rixton steps forward and peers into the massive cavern to his left. The ground is extremely slippery, and the the altar and gong are several hundred feet away. The cavern is completely quiet and seems to be entirely empty.
NOTE: The icy ground qualifies as difficult terrain; therefore, all movement is halved in the cavern.
(To access the opening of the ice cavern, the group followed the path marked by the yellow arrow)
The goliath follows closely behind his monk companion (dash 30ft), glaive slung over his shoulder. "You have been here before, Rixton? Maybe the gong is purely ceremonial?"
Eyeing the crypts and caves he continues, "On the other hand, if these frozen dead rise against us, we won't have to send you into any of the caves to investigate."
Vigan, Rixton, and Ladrian choose their steps very carefully while Carrow and Andor stroll comfortably along beside them. The cavern narrows a bit as they make their way toward the inclines that will lead them to the upper level where the altar and gong are located. The icy walls on either side are approximately 70' tall and have several cave openings. The silence of the cavern is broken when a lone barbarian suddenly emerges from a cave approximately 80' in front of the group (square 43). The barbarian's surprise is obvious as he says something unintelligible in Bothii and turns around to dart back into the cave.
Anyone who beats the barbarian's initiative roll of 2 can act before the barbarian is able to disappear into the cave.
I sigh, feeling bad for being the invader here, and swap my sword for my bow, rapidly nocking it with a +1 arrow. Scanning my target for his direction and any weakness in his gait, I pick my target and fire.
Bonus action - Insightful fighting: 19
Shortbow Attack: 20 Damage: 7 + 8 on a successful insight roll.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Deception check versus Rixton's insight roll: 13
The barbarian freezes in moment of indecision that costs him dearly. Rixton and Ladrian, nearly simultaneously, fire on the barbarian, striking him soundly in the chest with their shots.
Rixton:
Getting no traction with my distracted companions, I interject, "Don't mind my friends," I say. "They'll warm up to you over an ale. At the very least, we should have plenty of time to get to know each other on our way to the Great Worm Cavern. Do you know the way? It should get us out of the mountains south of here."
Vigan
While listening to Carrow talk, a thought pops into the goliath's head, and he speaks out loud. "Will you be contacting Klauth to inform him of our progress in the future, through magical means or otherwise? If this is the case, then would we be permitted to speak to him? He may have information that could help us."
Responding to Rixton, Vigan adds, "One place is as good as another when we know nothing of them."
"Yes, the way to Great Worm Cavern is short. Six hours if the wind is right," answers Delsephine.
Responding to Vigan, she says, "Klauth will know our progress through HIS magical means. We have no need to contact him. And, as I mentioned previously, Klauth will welcome you to his vale if you succeed in quelling the giant threat. No sooner. The only help he offers is the convenience of this ship."
One of the other crew members chimes in. "We cannot travel tonight, Del. There is too little light remaining."
"True," she responds. "Rest tonight. Sail at dawn."
Rixton:
I wander the deck for a while, watching the crew secure rigging and tend to the furnace. A small boy, maybe 10 or 11, swabs the deck by the light of the furnace. I imagine firing the harpoon gun, entirely I'm chastised for touching it. Eventually, I get my rations back from Ladrian and prepare a frugal dinner. Bundled up near the furnace, I fall asleep to the muffled sounds of the crew below deck.
Rixton's proximity to the furnace allows him to notice something unexpected. A narrow hatch in the front of the furnace has a small grill through which a fire elemental can be seen. An iron wheel on the starboard side of the furnace opens and closes a bronze valve at the top of the cylinder, which has the effect of increasing or reducing the size of the fire spilling out of the furnace. Additionally, the heat pouring out through the grill helps keep the upper deck of the airship rather warm and comfortable.
Just how, or why, the fire elemental remains trapped inside the furnace isn't discernible.
Rixton:
"Hmm, that's a dangerous method. Efficient, though," I muse as drift off to sleep. "I can't imagine that the elemental is happy with these circumstances."
Hunkering down at the aft of the ship, Vigan sets up his bedroll for the night in one of the corners, aiming to reduce his exposure to the wind, at least from 2 directions. He tries to keep one eye open, not trusting their new 'crew', but the trials and tribulations of the last couple of weeks mean he is soon fast asleep, and snoring loudly.
Ladrian
He walks around the ship's deck having a look at what the crew are doing before settling down near the others for the night. He stays on watch for a couple of hours before finally getting asleep.
Carrow
Deciding he does not trust the crew of this ship he opts to stay awake, he begins by watching over the others before getting bored. He walks the deck for a couple of hours his thoughts his own as he stares wistfully north drinking in the breath taking scenery of the mountains Infront of him. Confident that his fellow fake dragon cult members won't get murdered while they sleep he retires below to join them in sleep.
Weather: 2 | Encounter: 5
The next morning, when the sky is just barely hinting of the sun's rising, the crew of the airship sets to work, preparing for the half-day journey to Great Worm Cavern. The crew members make no conversations with the five adventurers and say little more to one another. Four crew members rest below deck while the other four see to the navigation and flying of the ship. The air is bitterly cold, and everyone is grateful for the heat that emanates from the furnace. The wind is less than cooperative, and Delsephine remarks after a few hours, "We're losing a few hours' time, but we should arrive before nightfall."
Rather than six hours, the entire trip took nearly ten, but an hour or two of daylight remains as the dragon cult's airship touches down on a narrow, icy ledge at the northeast end of the Valley Khedrun.
"The Uthgardt burial site lies a hundred yards ahead," explains Delsephine, as she points northward. "The crew and I will wait here as long as needed. Good luck."
A few minutes later, the five adventurers stand at the mouth of an ice cavern so enormous that it nearly defies description. Thick ice hangs above the pillared entrance to Great Worm Cavern, and the interior walls of the place are covered with an icy glaze and lined with massive icicles that gleam and glitter in reflected light. The cavern floor is a sheet of slippery ice flanked by 70-foot-high ledges of rock, atop which stand two totem poles of chiseled ice with carvings that resemble winged snakes. The walls of these ledges are riddled with caves. Above the ledges, dug into the cavern walls, are narrow crypts where frozen corpses are propped up in a standing position.
Rixton:
"Well," I say, surveying the cave before us, "the gong is for calling something forth. I'm going to guess they come from the caves down here. Unless it wakes the dead. Whatever is about to happen, be at the ready."
I draw my short sword and proceed into the cave, making sure not to move too far ahead of my colleagues. My destination is to inspect the gong and the altar.
Rixton steps forward and peers into the massive cavern to his left. The ground is extremely slippery, and the the altar and gong are several hundred feet away. The cavern is completely quiet and seems to be entirely empty.
NOTE: The icy ground qualifies as difficult terrain; therefore, all movement is halved in the cavern.
(To access the opening of the ice cavern, the group followed the path marked by the yellow arrow)
Rixton:
Slipping and sliding, I move (and then dash) 40 feet across the ice (straight east).
Vigan
The goliath follows closely behind his monk companion (dash 30ft), glaive slung over his shoulder. "You have been here before, Rixton? Maybe the gong is purely ceremonial?"
Eyeing the crypts and caves he continues, "On the other hand, if these frozen dead rise against us, we won't have to send you into any of the caves to investigate."
4 | 12 | 11
Vigan, Rixton, and Ladrian choose their steps very carefully while Carrow and Andor stroll comfortably along beside them. The cavern narrows a bit as they make their way toward the inclines that will lead them to the upper level where the altar and gong are located. The icy walls on either side are approximately 70' tall and have several cave openings. The silence of the cavern is broken when a lone barbarian suddenly emerges from a cave approximately 80' in front of the group (square 43). The barbarian's surprise is obvious as he says something unintelligible in Bothii and turns around to dart back into the cave.
Anyone who beats the barbarian's initiative roll of 2 can act before the barbarian is able to disappear into the cave.
Initiative: Andor 9 | Carrow 17 | Ladrian 20 | Rixton 23 | Vigan 8
Rixton:
I sigh, feeling bad for being the invader here, and swap my sword for my bow, rapidly nocking it with a +1 arrow. Scanning my target for his direction and any weakness in his gait, I pick my target and fire.
Bonus action - Insightful fighting: 19
Shortbow Attack: 20 Damage: 7 + 8 on a successful insight roll.
Ladrian
He mutters "Here we go again..."
And pulls his crossbow, shooting at the barb.
Attack: 20 Damage: 17
Deception check versus Rixton's insight roll: 13
The barbarian freezes in moment of indecision that costs him dearly. Rixton and Ladrian, nearly simultaneously, fire on the barbarian, striking him soundly in the chest with their shots.
(Actions for Andor, Carrow, and Vigan are next)
(He's still up? Tough bastard.)
"Carrow," I say in a low voice. "We know there are barbarians about, like at Morgul's mound. Any sense of undead nearby too?"
Carrow
Stooping low the ranger places a palm to the cold floor closing his eyes he tries to probe his surroundings.
Cast: Primeval Awareness