Seldom Spring

Erric nods, and is happy to move along now. Insight check Thrakk to see if he is trying to hide something from us: 2

He really just seems like he's ready to keep going without running into the ogre.

Erric's ready to move along! He offers to send Jack ahead of the party with the torch, or keep him back, torch or not...

“Lead the way.”

Jambiya will stay in a rear position, but is similarly ready to go. She spares a thought for Snap, but decides the little dragon is probably better off wherever he is.

Anafrey would remain back near Jamiya, happy to continue moving forward but wincing with every footstep as her mind aches. She shoots an angry glance towards the flail on her hip and continues forward.

OOC: Erric's looking for an opinion from at least a few of you.

At Erric's suggestion, Thrakk starts to say something, but stops himself, visibly attempting to stay calm. "We are trying to get through here without alerting the ogre. It could be in the next chamber. It could be in the one after that. Can't you just put out the torch until we climb down?"

"But they won't be able to see much farther without the light," Ebokk offers.

Thrakk glares at the dwarf. "We can lead them," he says through almost clinched teeth.

"Um, I can see, too," Jambiya offers. "I'll bring Anafrey." She grabs on to Anafrey.

“Makes sense, friend Thrakk. We can let you guide us. Take my arm, Ebokk?”

Anafrey would jump as Jambiya grabs her arm. She had been so focused on keeping her eyes peeled and trying to ignore the gnawing inside her head that the goblins hand startles her quite a bit. "Oh! uh thanks Jam. It looks like I have my moving buddy."

"That leaves you as my partner, Thor." Maldorn says placing a hand on the orc's shoulder. The ranger also lets Sagitta slips into position around his neck, counting on the snake's senses (blindsight (10ft)) to provide extra guidance/warning. In his free hand, Maldorn holds a dagger.

After the torch is extinguished, Thrakk, with Maldorn attached, leads the group further into the cave, taking the center opening.

Stealth rolls — Thrakk: 17, Maldorn at disadvantage: 14, Jambiya: 17, Anafrey at disadvantage: 7, Ebokk: 4, and Erric at disadvantage: 12

Some rocks are kicked and go bouncing off walls or skittering across the floor; some metallic things scrape against each other; someone's toe gets stepped on, causing someone to make a grunt of pain; and there's the occasional shushing and at one point Thrakk growls a threat to the next person who makes a sound. But the party makes it through the (what four of them can see) 55 feet of tunnel.

At this point, Maldorn, Jambiya and Erric can only see a hint of anything but complete darkness in their peripheral vision. It's the type of thing that causes you to look, and then it's gone, so you're not even sure you really saw anything. Thrakk, Jambiya and Ebokk, however, see the tunnel opens into a spacious cavern, on the far side of which a raised ledge supports a crude stone chair. A large hole descends into the cavern floor on its right-hand side, just before the ledge, while an opening on the left wall leads into another dark passage. The area is strewn with a repugnant blend of skeletal remains, refuse and excrement.

"The ogre could be in there," Thrakk whispers, pointing to the left. "That was where the chief slept. We need to climb down that hole," he says, shifting his gesture to the large hole to the right of the ledge.

Maldorn whispers: "In there? That hole? I have no idea what you are referring to. How are we supposed to climb down without being able to see?"

After a moment, he adds: "Fighting an ogre in complete darkness is not my preferred way to lose my life. The option to try and clear out this cave is looking more and more plausible to me. How many enemies would you say are in here apart from the ogre, Thrixx?"

Jambiya whispers a description of the room to Anafrey. Then, “Does the hole have a ladder, or a rope?”

"No other creatures that I know of up here," Thrakk replies. "Only the ogre." He looks around the group, clearly sizing them up. "Perhaps we could, if we work together ... er ... kill the ogre." He looks at Jambiya. "No rope or ladder. Lots of handholds."

"We'll need the light at some point. Why don't we light up the other side of whatever cavern this is, and get the ogre to look over there, and we can surprise it? Maybe hide and spread out so it can't get to us while we fill it with arrows and magic? We can indeed kill the ogre, Thrakk. I believe in us."

"I can have my lights make him curious," Jambiya says. "Or Jack can hold a torch. How far can Jack get from you, Erric?"

OOC > Dancing Lights has a range 120'

"I don't want to try to climb in the dark... I already fell off a cliff once..." She would grumble as she feels her way around with jam's help.

"About double the distance (30 ft) as my illusions can go." (OOC: range of 60 feet.) "Should we give it a try? Wouldn't we know if the ogre was in this room, or nearby? They're pretty big, right?"

“Sounds like we are in for some ogre hunting. Surprising it is a good idea. We should all hide in case it too can see in the dark.”