Lost Mine of Phandelver

"p..poison?" 

Says confused Garet and moves step back

"Poison?!" Marcon asked as he whipped around to look at the firbolg. "You mean... wait... Was that.... Did he drink the stuff back in that other room or...?" He trails off from there and went over to kneeled down by the body to start inspecting it for any signs of any residue on the clothing or injuries to speak of that might speak of how the dwarf came to be poisoned.

Investigation: 3. (If another skill would be more appropriate, it'd be a -1 likely. z.z)

If he discovers anything more, he is sure to share it as well. But after which had this to add: "Eitha way though, poor bastard.Uhm.... shoot... Look, ya'll don't mind if we take a bit to bury him? Looks like there's a few supplies over there we can use. Even if this is all just hokey pokey anyhow, it... it don't sit right just leave'm here, ya now?"

Rigel agrees and helps Marcon bury the dwarf. As he looks for a shovel among the dwarf in supplies he also looks for anything that would identify who this person was.

Perception: 7

After a brief search of the body, a collection of supply requisitions and receipts featuring the name "Rockseeker" leads the party to believe that this is one of Gundren Rockseeker's brothers. The dead dwarf wears a pair of boots that look to be in exceptionally good condition, even through the rest of his gear looks shoddy and partially rat-eaten.

The ground is solid rock. Though a few shovels and mining picks are found nearby, but the prospect of using them to bury the dead dwarf in the firmament seems like it would take hours if not days.

(OOC: Concerning the pit: Climbing up or down the wall of the pit without the rope (dangling on the other side of the pit)  requires a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check. A character who fails the check by 5 or more falls and takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage per 10 feet fallen, landing prone at the bottom.)

Ceilings. Tunnels are 10 feet high unless noted otherwise. Rooms have 20-foot-high ceilings, while natural caverns have 30-foot-high ceilings dotted with stalactites.

Doors. Unless noted otherwise, all doors are 6 feet tall, 4 feet wide, and made of six-inch-thick cut slabs of stone fitted with iron handles and hinges. The doors are low and wide—perfect for dwarves.

Walls. The walls are hewn stone. In a few areas, they are dressed with well-fitted stone blocks.

Floors. All floors are smooth, natural stone.

Light. None unless otherwise indicated. The boxed text assumes that the characters have light sources or darkvision.

While the shoes warranted a double take and might've even been enchanted in some way, Marcon's thoughts couldn't be further from taking them, even if in some way to "honor" the dwarf. Rather once it became clear that a burial was right out the question given everything else they needed do, he set aside his torch carefully to better set about unrolling his bedroll and cover for the body.

"Poor Gundren... Iunno if this some kind of an illusion or somethin' else. But if it ain't..." He shakes his head solemnly. "Eitha way, I s'pose this means we're in wave echo cave then, or some version of it at least. And consider'n she's all about justice 'n all that, I wager this ain't been no accident here." He looks to the pit. "Somewhere in here is a killer I reckon."

"Damn that witch! It's as I feared!" exclaims Rigel upon learning that the dead dwarf is a Rockseeker. "Well we best be moving. There are possibly two more Rockseekers out there who could be in peril. Especially if this is Isolde handwork. Though it doesn't seem like her style. Should we follow the pit in the tunnel or head up the other passage? 

Rigel uses his tracking skills to try and determine either what direction any companions of the dwarf came from or went. 25

The ranger finds several sets of distinct footprints in and around the area of the cave where the rock formation and stalagmites are. At least three of them belong to humanoids with large, wide feet, all of them wearing boots. He recognizes the sole impressions of one of the sets as being identical to the boots on the body of the dead dwarf.

A fourth set are quite unlike the others: barely perceptible, even to Rigel's keen tracking ability but evidently belonging to a thin-framed humanoid with narrow, delicate feet. The creature that made this set of footprints was wearing shoes, but not miner's boots - these prints came from someone wearing smooth-soled footwear such as slippers or moccasins.

The slipper prints and one set of the boot prints lead to pit but disappear at its edge, presumably as those persons climbed (or perhaps floated?) down. From the upper surface, Rigel cannot determine whether the prints continue at the bottom of the pit through one of the tunnels.

(OOC: @Rigel your tracking roll will still apply at the bottom of the pit. Once you get down there, you will be able to determine if the prints continue and if so, what direction they lead, if any.)

"Well I suppose we can risk the rope. Or we can all jump," Van says, looking down and toying with his component pouch.

"I dunno bout tw-..." Marcon pauses for a second and furrowed his brows in thought. "Ah crap. Mr. Sildar and Gundren had said they'd go on ahead to the cave didn't they?" He asked, and if there's any confirmation from the others, he'd sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose while Rigel was looking for tracks. "Okay... Aight.. Whatever. I say we enter the pit, as that usually means goin deeper into something. And since we prolly gotta go deeper in the caves anyways, then there ain't no harming climbing on down. No need to waste any magic for that." He suggest, and as if to prove a point, he waltz on over to the rope to begin his descent.

--> Athletics(DC 15): 20.

Ronk shrugs and follows Marcon over the edge of the pit, climbing down the wall instead of waiting for the rope to be clear.

Athletics check: 7

Rigel finishes his track at the edge of the pit. He turns just as Marcon announces his plan to decend  into the pit. 

"I got two headed over. One in boots and another much more light footed in a slipper or some other smooth bottomed boot." as Marcon swings a leg over the edge Rigel cautions, "Be wary when you get to the bottom and try not to disturb any tracks. Rigel positions himself to begin his own decent.

Athletics: 19

Van raises an eyebrow as the others start climbing the rope. "Well this is just no fun," he mumbles, dropping his hand and following the others down the rope.

Athletics: 18

Four party members reach the bottom safely, leaving only Garet at the top, shrouded in darkness except for the glow of Marcon's torch which illuminates the area at the bottom of the pit.

Rigel picks up the tracks once again. The pair of booted prints and the slipper prints lead through a tunnel to the northwest. At the other end of the pit, a second tunnel leads east. Only booted footprints lead through this tunnel.

Rigel explains his discoveries to the ones around him.

"I think we should follow the slippers. " he suggests.

Athletics 5

"Teh-heh!  Ya think?" Marcon asks half-jokingly. "But aight.  Let's get this show on the--" He trails off for a moment letting out a big yawn. "Hoi boy... mn..... But yea, let's get this show on the road. No telling if Mr. Sildar and Gundren's got themselves mixed up in all this again. But the sooner we can know for sure, the better -- Heck! We might even be able to use their help if they really are here." He rambles on while taking point with torch in hand down the northwestern tunnel. But if Rigel wanted to slip forward at any point to make sure they kept to the course, Marcon wouldn't begrudge the half-elf the duty.

Marcon proceeds down the short tunnel which lets out into a maze-like series of side tunnels with several directions to choose from.

(OOC: see map posted in #initiative-battlemap chatroom on Discord)

Rigel will fall in behind Marcon. When they reach an intersection Rigel will put his hand gently on Marcons shoulder to stop him. Rigel asks Marcon if he'll help by positioning the torch to accentuate the shadows created by the tracks.

Tracking: 6 ,  19 second roll if advantage applies.

(I rolled two assuming Marcon will provide the help action. Take the first roll if no help.)

Following Rigel's que, Marcon would do his level best to assist the ranger. Even if it may only be limited to angling the light just right and offering what few insights happen to trudge their way through a still yet exhausted mind.