Penny is one with the growing shadows! Stealth: 8

Roland tosses his cape around his head, tying some frayed strings together underneath his chin to make a cowl and follows. As stealthily as only a tall hippo man can. 

Stealth: disadv 8, 17 (OOC: forgot the disadv. command. Posting from phone)

Ormond does his best to keep a low profile... He starts thinking perhaps he should seek armor better suited for it...

// Stealth Check @ disadvantage.... 4

Stealthy, covert, undetected, these were words used to describe what this mission would be. This was not it.

The hippo crashing through the wall of the General Store was likely the first place that this whole situation took a turn... However, in the ensuing chaos, Deshi, Ormond, and Penny manage to load up on supplies and dash out the front door. However, gun shots are soon fired after you all as the store own and company give chase, “THIEVES! SOMEBODY! STOP THEM!”

Let’s see who’s getting shot: 4, ah, Roland. Makes sense.

19! 20!

While the first shot goes wide, the second one pegs him in the tooshie! 4 piercing damage!

However, as you all round the corner, you find yourselves blocked by a familiar face. Tavish stands before you all. “End of the line.” Meanwhile, behind you all, numerous militiamen form a blockade. 

The folks from the store catch up, “Stop those thieves!” However, as they draw near the falter a bit, “T-the militia?” The back up a bit as they begin to get a sense of the severity.

Tavish raises a hand, “Men!” The men all raise their firearms, “Fugitives, stand down, or we will open fire.” However, you hear distant shouting for Tavish in the distance, he momentarily glances to the voice with a raised brow.

There is another quake.

Let the record show that the following three things happened during the cut scene:

Ormond yells, "Dammit - why can't you use a door like you're supposed to?" 

As they're all looting the place, Ormond grabs a handful of coins and tosses it in the direction of the shopkeeper. 

As they make their escape, he calls back, "Sorry about the wall!" 

"Now, Tavish," Ormond begins, evenly and calmly, "you could detain us or you could save a bunch of people from the chasm that's about to open up in the middle of this town. We both know the Militia knew these breaks into the world below were happening, but none of us knew it was going to happen right here. Do the right thing and save the lives of the people you were charged to protect."

Penny, arms full of ropes and gear and rations and miscellaneous stuff, just stands there, looking between Ormond and Tavish. "Desh," she whispers to the tortle, "If you look at one of these new maps, I have several in my backpack, can you tell exactly where the fissure is going to appear?"

Quote from jr_el_leon >>

 

"Now, Tavish," Ormond begins, evenly and calmly, "you could detain us or you could save a bunch of people from the chasm that's about to open up in the middle of this town. We both know the Militia knew these breaks into the world below were happening, but none of us knew it was going to happen right here. Do the right thing and save the lives of the people you were charged to protect."

 Tavish focuses his eyes, “I don’t know what you’re on about, Sacker, but I’m not leavin’ here without you in a pair of manacles,” He nods his head toward the rest of you, “And your little gang here too.”

The shouting draws closer as a militiaman is running down the street, “DEPUTY TAVISH! SIR!”

At this point, the observant among you will notice that there’s a small crack in the road that you’re standing on.

The miltiaman catches up and, in between heavy breaths, salutes, “Sir! We have been informed that the town is in danger. If we don’t act soon, we may-“

CRACK!

The man is interrupted by the sound of stone shattering a grinding. You all have to steady yourselves to prevent yourselves from falling over. Tavish shoots a glare to Ormond, “Don’t move!”

CRACK CRACK!

The second quake drops you all to the floor as the crack in the road begins widening! Penny’s backpack is tossed around slightly, but she still has it on one arm. The fissure begins slithering along toward Tavish and his militia! However, he extends his arms towards both sides, “IRON STRUTS!” His arms transform into those same iron stilts as before and provide a platform to prevent his men from falling. 

However, as he does that, the ground gives way below you all and you fall into the abyss below you! Tavish pulls his arms out of his iron struts as extends one toward you! “DON’T MOVE!” However, as his arm extends forward, it misses and tears the bag full of maps! As you all fall, the maps scatter in the wind! The next thing that you see... is darkness.

(Also, as a point of order, Deshi waits outside nervously with the maps while the others do their looting!)

Deshi doesn't even have a chance to answer. 

As the ground rumbles beneath their feet, the tortle stifles a yelp and, thinking quickly, instantly casts detect magic (scribe skillz!). They search intently around them for any evidence of arcane energies directly creating the quake.

...

Then they fall into darkness

Ormond flips Tavish off as he falls. He attempts to reach out for the scattered maps trying to grab at least one.

When he reaches the ground with a hard thud, he immediately gets up and looks around to gain his bearings and see what else may have fallen, as well as the condition of the rest of his accidental associates. If everyone is within ten feet of Ormond, he will extend this gift of darkvision to everyone else.

// Ormond has limitless darkvision, thanks to "eyes of night."

Right before the ground starts to crack, the gladiatorial wrestler shifts his glaive in his grip, readying for combat. Just as he takes a step forward, when the deputy is distracted by his subordinate he falls. As they fall Roland turns into his half-hippo form, and noticing Ormonds rude gesture he does the same and adds a "YOU SUUUUUUuuuuck.." Before they disappear into darkness.

Ormond indeed manages to grab a map before they hang out of reach!

...

..

.

IIRC, Penny stashed a new-by-pigeon map in her undergarments... #491 for just such an eventuality.

Landing solidly, Penny groans. Then looks up. "That should have hurt more," she says. As the dark vision washes over her, she says, "Woah," and tries to get her bearings.

(Precisely why the DM doesn’t feel back stealing a few for story purposes hehe)

As you free fall down the fissure, the opening gets smaller and smaller, before you hit the sides of the walls. The stones and dirt grate and rub against you harshly. However, with a sharp thud, you slam into a slanted portion of the underground. From Ormond’s blessing of vision, you can see that you’re still in common underground as you continue to tumble deeper down the tunnels. It’s almost impossible to get your bearings in this state. Really, it feels like you’re taking a tumble off a mountainside with slightly softer landings. However, as you tumble down, you catch veins of ore and deep, twisting roots. However, you land in a seemingly flat region, enough to catch your breath for a moment. Soft, wet dirt breaks your fall enough that you prevent any damage to any bones or organs. You breath a sigh of relief. However... just as you do... you hear a cascading rumble. It occurs to you, the only reason that there might be soft, wet dirt this far down. Unfortunately, that thought comes a moment too late as a rushing pillar of water crashes into you and carries you deeper. Everything goes dark once more.

Until, that is, the sound of birds wake you. Here you lie, face up in the basin of a waterfall. Around you is nothing but lush rainforest. And far above you, far far above, you see a sky of rock and stone.

OOC > See? Is there light?

Oddly, yes. Your vision certainly helps, but there is a faint amount of light throughout the area.

// Is there an obvious light source in the stone sky? 

Penny shakes her head, feeling... different. "Ow. Is everyone okay? Did the insane copper come down with us? I... um... I feel strange." She takes a moment to take in her surroundings.

"Where are we?"

Ormond coughs and stretches, massaging the bumps and bruises he took during the fall. He responds to Penny, simply, "Below."

A large tortle shell, painted in cosmic rainbow hues, lies half-buried in the earth. Osskil wheels down from above and, crawing, raps its beak on the inert shell. After a moment, Deshi extends their head and limbs from within and slowly rises to a stand. They look around, awestruck, at the cavernous space. After a moment, Osskil flutters onto the tortle's shoulder, and Deshi scratches the bird absently as they take things in. 

"We are... Deshi and their friends, they are... here."