(hehe... carry on)

Elra follows behind Zeke, trying to be quite as best as she can, while suppressing the million questions that popped into her head all at once.

Fae would move in closer behind the Redbrand trying to get a read on his body language as he’d stay back to allow Zeke to go ahead. Keeping most of her light directed in this smaller storage area, the wizard would try to peak around to take a look into the next area.

Not wanting to compromise their tiefling’s approach, she’d remain here for now. Though, Fae would look back to the others and with a hand gesture, she would encourage any one who desired to follow Zeke, to go ahead stealth into the darkness to back him up.

The redbrand has been confident and helpful thus far, but Fae now notices that he seems hesitant to enter the larger chamber.

"Simple design, but elegantly implemented."

Ethan finishes assessing the work of the secret door, turning to follow the others.

Noticing that Zeke has gone ahead and that the others seem to be trying to remain covert, Ethan attempts to do like wise, coming over to Fae and peering out into the darkness beyond her light.

The wizard would reach around the corner to point her finger towards their tiefling. “Be wary. He shows hesitation.” Fae would whisper beneath her breath to send a Message to Zeke upfront, but also so Ethan and the others next to her would hear.

After seeing that the barrels and crates had mundane supplies, Tarja would take a look at the main cave. She's seen a lot of caves before, and would look for signs that this one has inhabitants besides the humans that have left the beds and crates around. (Perception: 17).

If she doesn't see anything, she'd follow Zeke, keeping an eye on her companions. She would probably only be stealthy (18) if she noticed something off, since so far this manor hasn't presented anything to hide from.

Perception: 23

Zeke continues further into the cavern, approaching the barrier at the Eastern side of the bridge looking for any obvious traps or alarms set into the rigging.  The massive teifling moves carefully, continuing to keep his shield up and his blade ready.

Closing in on Chasm, he peers over the edge, hoping his infernal heritage will let him pierce the shadows and find any danger that may be lurking.

Fae would glance at the Redbrand, for a moment, she wondered if they had even asked for his name. “What can we expect to find here?” She’d ask in a whisper. 

"The eyes" replies the large redbrand with a good deal of disgust and just a tiny bit of hesitation or fear on being near such creatures.

(Pause here please, time for a notable update and Initiative but at work currently and will have to find the time.  In the meantime, Elra can give me a DC12 CON save and anyone can roll Initiative if they would like to do so.  I'll roll these when I get around to posting for anyone who has not.)

The large cavern is dead quiet except for the occasional drip of water and the words or movement of the party members, but suddenly Elra feels her neck start to tingle then burn as her flesh begins to suddenly rot away (13 necrotic damage).

At the same moment Ethan steps forward to the edge of the larger space and his always inquisitive eye (great passive investigation of 18) notices something no one else has.  On the floor only a few feet in front of most of the party he can barely see some sort of arcane glyphs placed over the cold stone cave floor.  In hugging the right hand wall Zeke seems to have unknowingly avoided them, as did Elra in following Zeke's path.

Also in this moment, Tarja and Arvel both notices a slight bit of movement and a glint of light reflecting off of a single large eye deeper in the dark chamber and high along a wall atop two stacked crates.(N2 below). In knowing what to look for, Arvel quick scans the area and sees a bit of light reflect off of a very similar eye beneath the wooden bridge within ten feet of where Zeke currently lurks (N1 below).

Initiative

• Zeke - 22
• Arvel - 21
• Ethan - 20
• Tarja - 20
• Elra - 14
• Nothics - 8
• Fae - 6
• Redbrand guide - 5

(Only Ethan knows of the glyphs on the floor, and only Arvel and Tarja have spotted the nothics, but some very brief communication is allowed out of turn, and of course say whatever you need to say that could fit into six seconds on your turn.  Also, feel free to adjust your starting position left or right 5ft or so for Zeke or Elra, and within the storage area of the cave for the others since most of you had stated you were hanging back a bit to look around.)

Elra shivers then winces, hand going to the back of her neck. When she pulls it away and looks at it, she quietly calls out, "Zeke..."

"Zeke! Watch out! There's a creature below that bridge! And another one over in that corner on the boxes!"

"There is an arcane trap on the floor!"

Ethan points out the Glyph so the others can avoid standing on it.

Zeke instincts drive him forward as he hears Arvel call out from behind - a deep centering breath before the barbarian springs forward towards the nearest creature.  Shield up, blade out he strikes out into the darkness at the foul denzien