The Long Road - Game Thread

The group takes the time to double and triple check. No back rooms, back doors, trap doors inside that place.

Quillary steps back from the wall she was sniffing. She looks around at the very large men she is with (and Hildi). "At what point does going through a wall become a viable path? Unless... maybe there's something invisible?" She squints her eyes and looks around like she might actually see something invisible.

Although none of you are dwarves, you can tell that the walls (on the north and west sides, away from the street) are thick. How thick, you can't tell. Worst case, it might be solid rock for a 120 feet (which is the distance to Skull Square from here).

It would take some time if you all had mining equipment (hours at the least), and the noise of carving a new path would certainly alert anything on the other side (long before you could break through).

And there is no magic on the walls. It is hard, mundane rock.

Quillary looks around the room again, then her eyes roll up into the back of her head and she sits/collapses suddenly on the ground. A low moan comes out of her as she writhes into a fetal position, her feathery, tangled hair seems to sprout more hair, her dark cloak convulses, and then out of the mess a long hairy, stick-like leg protrudes, then another, and another, and another... until finally they all shudder and each connects with the ground, and a spider with a body the size of a large dog stands there, legs making it seem much larger. It lifts a leg to the rest of the party in greeting, then begins to scuttle around the room, checking all the corners with its 10' of blindsight. It ends up on the ceiling.

OOC > One use of Wild Shape into a Giant Wolf Spider.

Quillary finds nada.

Drusk to the party: "I guess we are missing something... I am going to ask some questions. The answers may seem obvious, but in talking it out, maybe we will figure out some assumption we are doing wrong. So first question: what are we looking for? Why do we expect to find it?" (Quillary can write in the dust, to stay in spider form.)

The spider drops to the floor, and draws a picture of a squid, then looks inquiringly at Drusk.

When Quillary shapeshifts Jorin jumps back with a start, "You get me every time with that!" he exclaims.

To Drusk, "I suppse we were looking for a mind flayer, to..."  Jorin looks up, really burning the old brain fuel before adding, "...to inquire about the money paid to Mudgrub, or was it paid to the zombie lady and then to mudgrub?"

"No, even more basic than the part about the mind flayer. Why are we looking for secret doors inside this building?"

"Laurel said Yraxilinith traded in items for the gold to give to Mugrub to buy the key. Then, Mugrub was to get the key to Yraxilinith. This is where Yraxilinith is supposed to be." Hildigrim looks around one more time. "Clearly, the mind flayer is not here and hasn't been for a while if they ever were. Let's go back and tell Mugrub's friends what we found out and see if they have any ideas."

Drusk: "This is where Yraxilinith is supposed to be... hmm... Let's say that the map is right, that squid-face is in this part of town.

"We went in this building, because it is the only door around this location. But then we started to look for a secret door. But if there is a secret door or trap door somewhere near here, then the door to this building isn't the only door at this location... That is the assumption that might be wrong; that it has to be this building, because it was the only door we could see."

Jorin nods slowly then says, "perhaps there is another door, or entrance of some kind on the outside?"

Hildigrim shrugs. "Worth a look."

Quillary will scuttle to the door, pry it open as best she can, and climb out onto the adjoining walls, looking for imperfections and the like that might be a secret door.

Spider Perception (same as druid perception): 27

Spider Quillary's spider senses are tingling!

(For the map on post 3564, go 10' south and 20' west from the door of the abandoned building.)

Spider-Quillary scuttles outside the building, and checks the wall to the west of where that room ended. After some careful checking, she scratches to indicate the outline of a secret door. She also determines there are no traps on the door, and it is unlocked.

(To save a little posting time...) After the party assembles and are prepared, the door is opened by Jorin. For those with darkvision, it is an unlit hallway, 10' wide, that goes 30' north before turning west.

(Let me know marching order, does Jorin use his moon-sword for light, where will Volo be, and any precautions you want to take.

And for convenience, roll 10 Perception checks for your character, and put them inside a Spoiler. I will use those rolls or repurpose them as needed.)

Drusk: 10 Perception rolls (with advantage due to the Sentinel shield) and a few Guidance rolls (if there is an opportunity):

Quillary will remain on the ceiling as long as she can, at the same forward position as whoever is leading on the ground (as long as there isn't a torch below her, ouch!), or in front of them (in the lead) if the ceiling is not tall enough for her to be in the same square, as it were.

Perception rolls in spoiler:

Hildigrim has Volo sit on his shoulder. If we decide to go in without light, he uses the owl's senses as they enter. Hildigrim is will to enter close to the front or even first to be checking for traps, but he'll be in line wherever the others wish.

Jorin will take the front, both weapons drawn, so he can see and also hack.

(I will advance the story. Pascal can post those hidden rolls later.)

Spider-Q creeps along the ceiling, waving a claw for the party to advance.

After 15 feet, Drusk grabs Jorin's and Hildigrim's arms to stop them from advancing. (Hildigrim got a 1 on the die, despite re-rolling. Drusk rolled better with his Perception.) "The air smells odd, like lavender and scorched metal. And that patch of floor just ahead looks different than the ground up to now." From the ceiling, Spider-Q makes a "how would I have known, all the way up here" apology shrug.

Alerted, the party looks more carefully. The floor just ahead is a pressure plate, and there are tiny holes all around the walls, to release gasses.

(Does Hildigrim try to disarm the trap? With a short description, how would he do that?

Or does the party try jumping over the pressure plate, which would require Acrobatics from everyone except for Quillary?)