(OOC: I was going to correct the "12 frogs", but if auto-correct made a good joke, I should just roll with it.)
Both of those passages (to the north of your beachhead) go 30' north and converge on another cavern. Irregular shape, 40' N-S and varies between 20' and 30' wide E-W. There is another passage exiting from the east side, northernmost corner. (Volo is at the limit of telepathic range, and that exit passage winds around, so can't tell anything more than that.)
The ceiling is 30' high. The walls are coated with slime. There are natural handholds in the rock, so the party could potentially use them to climb around, but the slime on the walls would cause some trouble (even for spider-Quillary). From near the ceiling, Volo can't tell the depth of the slimey water. (The bottom can be seen in spots, so less than 20' deep, maybe a lot less.)
There is a rusty miner's pick is embedded in the west wall, near the water level.
The owl notices something from the corner of his eye. Hard to tell with the slow flowing of the murky water, but you would guess some movement under the water (something bigger than a person), but when the owl focuses on that area, can't see anything (let alone anything moving). The owl would have to fly closer to the water's surface to get a better view.
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM) Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy) DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)
Not wanting to put his familiar into that kind of danger, and feeling he's explored enough, Hildi snaps his fingers to dismiss Volo, and then snaps again to bring his owl back to where they are. After Volo lands on his shoulder, reaches up and ruffles the owl's feathers. "We really need a boat," the halfling says.
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM) Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy) DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)
Jorin nods at Hildigrim and loosens a handaxe from his belt, "I'll get started." Jorin will use his blacksmithing knowledge (general builder-y) and time spent crewing ships out of waterdeep (nautical know-whats) to fell a few mushrooms and put them together in a raft. He'll use cuts in the ends so that they fit together (like a log cabin) and lengths of rope as reinforcement.
Quillary simply nods and goes to work beside Jorin, following his instructions, and Helping where she can. At one point, she asks Drusk if Lliira will bless Jorin’s work with a little guidance.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
The task will take at least a day. Let me know where the party wants to take their Long Rest, and what precautions you are taking (both during the rest and during the raft building). There is always the risk of troglodytes walking down that passage and interrupting the party...
The mushroom / wood-like material is back in the Hook Horror cave, so all that has to be dragged to the beachhead for the build. (There is nothing in that alcove beyond loose rocks, slime, and dead fish.)
Jorin rolls a Survival check (+0) with Advantage and an extra d4. (Smithing does not help as much as Jorin would like. No one in the party has Woodworking or Water Vehicle proficiencies, but with everyone pitching in, that counts as Help. And Quillary reminds Drusk to cast Guidance often during the build.)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM) Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy) DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)
Quillary doesn't have a lot to offer in terms of keeping an eye out (except, obviously, keeping an eye out). She believes the hook horror nest is still the best place to rest, and likes that idea because she found a comfy spot on the floor she can curl up in again. When we are making noise and carrying heavy things, she will do her best to help, but thinks we should have a watch at all times, and is willing to do the watching (her Strength is 10 and her Perception is +7, after all).
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
Hildi asks Volo to keep watch a little ways down the corridor so they aren't surprised by anything ambling their way. He's told to remain hidden and silent, but to give Hildi a telepathic nudge if any danger is headed their way.
His family's business is fishing, so Hildi's been around boats most of his life. However, since he's usually been distracted by books or daydreaming, he's not nearly as much help as he had anticipated at the beginning. He finds he's more frustrated at his own lack of knowledge than helpful in the actual job. He is very encouraging, and offers any advice he can give.
Jorin eagerly chops down some mushrooms and then begins to lash them together, you can smell the smoke as his brain is working double time to figure this out...
(It was with Help from the party, so the other roll is: 14 for a total of 17.)
Everyone gets a Long Rest, if anything needs to reset. (Drusk will use a spell slot to make untainted water for the party.)
No one has any strange dreams, but everyone has a mild headache in the morning, like pressure on your skulls. (No game effects, this is role-play.)
The raft work is tedious, but by the next day, the party has a raft on that beachhead, and some long polls to push against the river bottom to move it. Hildigrim looks it over, and judges it safe for travel, but might come apart if something big attacks it.
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM) Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy) DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)
Hildigrim does not rest. He makes himself stay awake by casting detect magic ritually over and over while watching his friends for any sign of outside manipulation.
Hildigrim needs to try a DC 10 CON saving throw or suffer one level of exhaustion. While everyone else was resting, periodically (randomly every hour or two) something would set off his Detect Magic at the limit of his range, but each time it is gone before he can concentrate on it.
Hildigrim and Quillary have both finished their rituals at the beachhead. You notice a foul smell in the air, coming from the passage to the south. The reek is becoming more intense, and you can hear footsteps coming closer.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM) Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy) DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)
Quillary stands up from her ritual casting of Water Walk and pulls her cudgel from her belt. "On the boat, I think, yes?"
(For the record, she cannot cast Water Walk on the raft/boat, just on "creatures" and so she has given each party member the ability to walk on water for the next hour. This is NOT a spell that requires concentration. Her thought here is that the boat may travel faster than we would walking?)
Jorin gingerly puts a foot on the water, testing its weight, "This is an...interesting form of sorcery." He puts both feet on the water and jumps a couple times, then lets out a laugh, "Fantastic, let us get this boat in the water. If it falls apart we will simply walk away!"
The raft (with everyone on it) is a little distance from the beachhead when some troglodytes march in from that southern passage. They definitely see the party, and have their weapons ready. They are staying behind cover (any rocks big enough for protection) for now. The trogs are shuffling back and forth between the beachhead and the passage behind them, but there are always a few of them watching the party.
Hildigrim, red-eyed and a little frazzled from not sleeping, mumbles out: "They have enchantment magic on them."
(OOC: Where to go? What to do?)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM) Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy) DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Quillary frowns. "Those are the ones that are controlled, then. Hold the raft, I wish to try something." She watches the trogs, trying to figure out if one of them seems like a leader, larger, in front, more decisive. Insight: 13
(OOC: I was going to correct the "12 frogs", but if auto-correct made a good joke, I should just roll with it.)
Both of those passages (to the north of your beachhead) go 30' north and converge on another cavern. Irregular shape, 40' N-S and varies between 20' and 30' wide E-W. There is another passage exiting from the east side, northernmost corner. (Volo is at the limit of telepathic range, and that exit passage winds around, so can't tell anything more than that.)
The ceiling is 30' high. The walls are coated with slime. There are natural handholds in the rock, so the party could potentially use them to climb around, but the slime on the walls would cause some trouble (even for spider-Quillary). From near the ceiling, Volo can't tell the depth of the slimey water. (The bottom can be seen in spots, so less than 20' deep, maybe a lot less.)
There is a rusty miner's pick is embedded in the west wall, near the water level.
The owl notices something from the corner of his eye. Hard to tell with the slow flowing of the murky water, but you would guess some movement under the water (something bigger than a person), but when the owl focuses on that area, can't see anything (let alone anything moving). The owl would have to fly closer to the water's surface to get a better view.
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec
Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM)
Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy)
DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)
(I'm getting serious Star Wars trash compactor vibes... ew, and don't fly closer!)
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
Not wanting to put his familiar into that kind of danger, and feeling he's explored enough, Hildi snaps his fingers to dismiss Volo, and then snaps again to bring his owl back to where they are. After Volo lands on his shoulder, reaches up and ruffles the owl's feathers. "We really need a boat," the halfling says.
Drusk: "Or water walk. Or both."
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec
Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM)
Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy)
DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)
Jorin nods at Hildigrim and loosens a handaxe from his belt, "I'll get started." Jorin will use his blacksmithing knowledge (general builder-y) and time spent crewing ships out of waterdeep (nautical know-whats) to fell a few mushrooms and put them together in a raft. He'll use cuts in the ends so that they fit together (like a log cabin) and lengths of rope as reinforcement.
Quillary simply nods and goes to work beside Jorin, following his instructions, and Helping where she can. At one point, she asks Drusk if Lliira will bless Jorin’s work with a little guidance.
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
The task will take at least a day.
Let me know where the party wants to take their Long Rest, and what precautions you are taking (both during the rest and during the raft building). There is always the risk of troglodytes walking down that passage and interrupting the party...
The mushroom / wood-like material is back in the Hook Horror cave, so all that has to be dragged to the beachhead for the build. (There is nothing in that alcove beyond loose rocks, slime, and dead fish.)
Jorin rolls a Survival check (+0) with Advantage and an extra d4.
(Smithing does not help as much as Jorin would like. No one in the party has Woodworking or Water Vehicle proficiencies, but with everyone pitching in, that counts as Help. And Quillary reminds Drusk to cast Guidance often during the build.)
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec
Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM)
Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy)
DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)
Quillary doesn't have a lot to offer in terms of keeping an eye out (except, obviously, keeping an eye out). She believes the hook horror nest is still the best place to rest, and likes that idea because she found a comfy spot on the floor she can curl up in again. When we are making noise and carrying heavy things, she will do her best to help, but thinks we should have a watch at all times, and is willing to do the watching (her Strength is 10 and her Perception is +7, after all).
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
Hildi asks Volo to keep watch a little ways down the corridor so they aren't surprised by anything ambling their way. He's told to remain hidden and silent, but to give Hildi a telepathic nudge if any danger is headed their way.
His family's business is fishing, so Hildi's been around boats most of his life. However, since he's usually been distracted by books or daydreaming, he's not nearly as much help as he had anticipated at the beginning. He finds he's more frustrated at his own lack of knowledge than helpful in the actual job. He is very encouraging, and offers any advice he can give.
Jorin eagerly chops down some mushrooms and then begins to lash them together, you can smell the smoke as his brain is working double time to figure this out...
Survival! 11 + 3
edit: ok, ok, not too terrible...
(It was with Help from the party, so the other roll is: 14 for a total of 17.)
Everyone gets a Long Rest, if anything needs to reset. (Drusk will use a spell slot to make untainted water for the party.)
No one has any strange dreams, but everyone has a mild headache in the morning, like pressure on your skulls. (No game effects, this is role-play.)
The raft work is tedious, but by the next day, the party has a raft on that beachhead, and some long polls to push against the river bottom to move it. Hildigrim looks it over, and judges it safe for travel, but might come apart if something big attacks it.
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec
Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM)
Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy)
DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)
(Quillary has Long Rested, and did take the Water Walk spell, fwiw, which she can cast as a Ritual if we have time, or with a spell slot if we don't.)
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
Hildigrim does not rest. He makes himself stay awake by casting detect magic ritually over and over while watching his friends for any sign of outside manipulation.
(woah, hildi...)
Jorin ties the last few bits of raft together and says to Quillary, "I wonder what would happen if you used to water walking magic on the raft..."
Hildigrim needs to try a DC 10 CON saving throw or suffer one level of exhaustion.
While everyone else was resting, periodically (randomly every hour or two) something would set off his Detect Magic at the limit of his range, but each time it is gone before he can concentrate on it.
Hildigrim and Quillary have both finished their rituals at the beachhead. You notice a foul smell in the air, coming from the passage to the south. The reek is becoming more intense, and you can hear footsteps coming closer.
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec
Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM)
Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy)
DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)
Quillary stands up from her ritual casting of Water Walk and pulls her cudgel from her belt. "On the boat, I think, yes?"
(For the record, she cannot cast Water Walk on the raft/boat, just on "creatures" and so she has given each party member the ability to walk on water for the next hour. This is NOT a spell that requires concentration. Her thought here is that the boat may travel faster than we would walking?)
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
CON saving throw: 9
Well, I was figuring on the level of exhaustion anyway.
Jorin gingerly puts a foot on the water, testing its weight, "This is an...interesting form of sorcery." He puts both feet on the water and jumps a couple times, then lets out a laugh, "Fantastic, let us get this boat in the water. If it falls apart we will simply walk away!"
The raft (with everyone on it) is a little distance from the beachhead when some troglodytes march in from that southern passage. They definitely see the party, and have their weapons ready. They are staying behind cover (any rocks big enough for protection) for now. The trogs are shuffling back and forth between the beachhead and the passage behind them, but there are always a few of them watching the party.
Hildigrim, red-eyed and a little frazzled from not sleeping, mumbles out: "They have enchantment magic on them."
(OOC: Where to go? What to do?)
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec
Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM)
Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy)
DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)
Quillary frowns. "Those are the ones that are controlled, then. Hold the raft, I wish to try something." She watches the trogs, trying to figure out if one of them seems like a leader, larger, in front, more decisive. Insight: 13
edit: fudge
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.