Gwin perks up with Mola's encouragement and a bit of Guidance. She stands up, mimes as if she's brushing herself off, and grasps the druid's hand. Thank you, friend. I needed that. And you know what they say, every shroud has a silver lining. Let's go see what the elf has discovered.
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‘The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.’ - Buffy Summers
Fifteen minutes later, the four adventurers have come to the conclusion that they can go no deeper beneath Hellgate Keep, and the only way to ascend is to use the stairwell that brought them to the crypts. The other two stairwells were destroyed by the cave in that took place on the floor above.
"Looks like we are rappelling down into the basin," Rixton says. "Let's see how long of a rope we can make for that."
Rixtonshows off 2 coils of silk rope and a small sack of pitons. He also has a climber's kit for himself and says a coil of hempen rope is still on Knickerboxer, but that is a good hike to retrieve.
"And don't forget we have somegloves of swimming and climbing," he says, though does not indicate any interest in taking them for himself.
Mola, if there is time, ritually casts detect magic and looks for any pings in any of the crypt rooms. Assuming no magic, and no stairways to anything with the cave-ins (even with mold earth?), he’s fine with heading back to the cavern entrance, and there, he volunteers to shift to a giant spider to help with the climb and also ferry anyone who doesn’t want to make it, and carry people back up if we need to vacate the premises quickly.
Mola detects nothing magical in any of the crypts, and he determines that any sort of excavation with a mold earth spell will be of little help. So, the four adventurers ascend the one in-tact stairwell and return to the underground villa. Retracing their steps to the hall filled with demonic statues, they clamber over the rubble in the rock crevasse that leads to the outside world.
If time were of the essence, they would consider a direct descent of 200' to the floor of the canyon. No such haste is needed; so, they follow a route that cuts back and forth across the steep canyon wall, allowing them to reach the bottom without incident in fifteen minutes.
The bodies of the four humanoids are lying just as they were when the party last saw them. It is now evident that all four of them are Uthgardts, specifically Tree Ghosts. One of them--the one that seemed to be moving when seen from atop the canyon--yet lives. He is battered, bloody, and lying face down in the rocks. He opens his eyes now and then between labored breaths.
Mola sees ample evidence of blunt force trauma on the barbarian's body, but discerns nothing more. Glancing around the canyon, he sees only a few birds flying overhead.
Whether the Tree Ghost understands Mola is hard to tell. His eyes are glassy and can't seem to focus on anything. He'll need time and healing before he's able to do or say much.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Rixtonsteps over the bodies, including the one barely alive, and tries to piece together how they likely came to be here. He is pursuing a hypothesis that they were thrown, jumped, or fell.
Rixton studies the canyon walls that loom to the north, the east, and the west. He concludes the Uthgardts are too far from the north and west canyon faces to have fallen, or been thrown, from those locations. The east wall of the canyon is, by far, the closest of the three vertical surfaces. Studying the eastern canyon wall, Rixton sees several openings, but only two of them seem to be reasonable jumping off points, so to speak, for the four barbarians. The first is a large egg-shaped opening approximately 120' above the canyon floor; the second is a jagged crevasse in the rock somewhere between 160' and 180' above.
"There are always ways to communicate," Rixton says as he slips on the gloves of swimming and climbing, followed by his climber's kit. "Fix him up while I investigate."
The rogue will begin the ascent for the egg-shaped opening, stopping every 25' to anchor himself with his climbing kit.
Rawley checks the other bodies, their clothing and belongings to try to determine if these were naked prisoners or fully kitted out guards or something else.
Rixton safely reaches the first opening in the eastern cliff face and stares into the darkness...
Meanwhile Rawley's search verifies that the Tree Ghosts are completely unarmed; furthermore, he's certain that one of the dead is the shaman Needletongue. Gwin heals the badly wounded barbarian; he rolls from his stomach to his left side and stares up at Rawley, Mola, and Gwin, and then says something unintelligible in Bothii.
Mola tries speaking to the barbarian in druidic and primordial, grasping at straws. If nothing, he starts naming all the names he can remember learning of the previous Tree Ghosts they've spoken with. He pantomimes a set of horns the shape and size of the yikaria's, and then a disgusted face, and then putting a hand over his eyes and peering about, and then raising both palms up in a questioning gesture. He hopes that imparts that he doesn't like the yikaria and wonders where they are.
Rixtonslinks along the dark hallway, following it as it bends gradually to the left. He estimates that he's covered a distance of 100' when he reaches a massive gash in the tunnel. A large chasm, at least 40' across, cuts through the hallway. From where he stands, Rixton cannot see the bottom of the chasm.
The Tree Ghost looks at Mola quizzically as he tries to decipher the druid's words and hand motions. When Mola mentions the name Therevan the wounded Tree Ghost sits up suddenly and says, in decent Common, "Therevan? How do you know that name?"
Mola looks to Gwin and Rawley before continuing, but he is fine to tell him about the fight around the Grandfather Tree alongside Therevan, the slight disagreement Therevan had with Denevald and the party, and the fact that we're best friends with a treant, since the Tree Ghosts seemed to like that.
Rawley is listening to the conversation, but is scanning the perimeter with his eyes, occasionally looking up to check both of the supposed entrances and if Rixton is coming back or not.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Rixtonwill come back out, wave down to the others, and then proceed to climb to the jagged crevasse higher up. Again he will use pitons to anchor himself every 25 feet.
Athletics rolls:
16
22
21
18
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Gwin perks up with Mola's encouragement and a bit of Guidance. She stands up, mimes as if she's brushing herself off, and grasps the druid's hand. Thank you, friend. I needed that. And you know what they say, every shroud has a silver lining. Let's go see what the elf has discovered.
‘The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.’ - Buffy Summers
Fifteen minutes later, the four adventurers have come to the conclusion that they can go no deeper beneath Hellgate Keep, and the only way to ascend is to use the stairwell that brought them to the crypts. The other two stairwells were destroyed by the cave in that took place on the floor above.
"Looks like we are rappelling down into the basin," Rixton says. "Let's see how long of a rope we can make for that."
Rixton shows off 2 coils of silk rope and a small sack of pitons. He also has a climber's kit for himself and says a coil of hempen rope is still on Knickerboxer, but that is a good hike to retrieve.
"And don't forget we have some gloves of swimming and climbing," he says, though does not indicate any interest in taking them for himself.
Mola, if there is time, ritually casts detect magic and looks for any pings in any of the crypt rooms. Assuming no magic, and no stairways to anything with the cave-ins (even with mold earth?), he’s fine with heading back to the cavern entrance, and there, he volunteers to shift to a giant spider to help with the climb and also ferry anyone who doesn’t want to make it, and carry people back up if we need to vacate the premises quickly.
Mola detects nothing magical in any of the crypts, and he determines that any sort of excavation with a mold earth spell will be of little help. So, the four adventurers ascend the one in-tact stairwell and return to the underground villa. Retracing their steps to the hall filled with demonic statues, they clamber over the rubble in the rock crevasse that leads to the outside world.
If time were of the essence, they would consider a direct descent of 200' to the floor of the canyon. No such haste is needed; so, they follow a route that cuts back and forth across the steep canyon wall, allowing them to reach the bottom without incident in fifteen minutes.
The bodies of the four humanoids are lying just as they were when the party last saw them. It is now evident that all four of them are Uthgardts, specifically Tree Ghosts. One of them--the one that seemed to be moving when seen from atop the canyon--yet lives. He is battered, bloody, and lying face down in the rocks. He opens his eyes now and then between labored breaths.
Mola kneels next to the one still living, and tries to see his current state (medicine: 6).
”Friend, what happened? We were just with your tribe, by the Tree. They are well. I have my suspicions but tell me the story of how you got here.”
He also looks around as they approach, trying to see if there are any hidden observers, as this seems it could be a ruse or a trap. Perception: 11
Mola sees ample evidence of blunt force trauma on the barbarian's body, but discerns nothing more. Glancing around the canyon, he sees only a few birds flying overhead.
Whether the Tree Ghost understands Mola is hard to tell. His eyes are glassy and can't seem to focus on anything. He'll need time and healing before he's able to do or say much.
Rixton steps over the bodies, including the one barely alive, and tries to piece together how they likely came to be here. He is pursuing a hypothesis that they were thrown, jumped, or fell.
Investigation: 23
Rixton studies the canyon walls that loom to the north, the east, and the west. He concludes the Uthgardts are too far from the north and west canyon faces to have fallen, or been thrown, from those locations. The east wall of the canyon is, by far, the closest of the three vertical surfaces. Studying the eastern canyon wall, Rixton sees several openings, but only two of them seem to be reasonable jumping off points, so to speak, for the four barbarians. The first is a large egg-shaped opening approximately 120' above the canyon floor; the second is a jagged crevasse in the rock somewhere between 160' and 180' above.
"I should heal him, though we may still not be able to communicate."
Looking at Rixton's searching eyes, he says, "are we climbing up there?"
"There are always ways to communicate," Rixton says as he slips on the gloves of swimming and climbing, followed by his climber's kit. "Fix him up while I investigate."
The rogue will begin the ascent for the egg-shaped opening, stopping every 25' to anchor himself with his climbing kit.
Athletics rolls:
11
24
13
15
8
21
21
16
25
Rawley checks the other bodies, their clothing and belongings to try to determine if these were naked prisoners or fully kitted out guards or something else.
Gwin kneels next to the wounded Uthgardt and whispers under her breath, Here goes nothin', followed by an indiscernible prayer.
Healing Word: 7
‘The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.’ - Buffy Summers
Rixton safely reaches the first opening in the eastern cliff face and stares into the darkness...
Meanwhile Rawley's search verifies that the Tree Ghosts are completely unarmed; furthermore, he's certain that one of the dead is the shaman Needletongue. Gwin heals the badly wounded barbarian; he rolls from his stomach to his left side and stares up at Rawley, Mola, and Gwin, and then says something unintelligible in Bothii.
Rixton pulls up his hood and draws his handaxe. Then he steps cautiously and quietly into the darkness.
Stealth: 16
Mola tries speaking to the barbarian in druidic and primordial, grasping at straws. If nothing, he starts naming all the names he can remember learning of the previous Tree Ghosts they've spoken with. He pantomimes a set of horns the shape and size of the yikaria's, and then a disgusted face, and then putting a hand over his eyes and peering about, and then raising both palms up in a questioning gesture. He hopes that imparts that he doesn't like the yikaria and wonders where they are.
Rixton slinks along the dark hallway, following it as it bends gradually to the left. He estimates that he's covered a distance of 100' when he reaches a massive gash in the tunnel. A large chasm, at least 40' across, cuts through the hallway. From where he stands, Rixton cannot see the bottom of the chasm.
The Tree Ghost looks at Mola quizzically as he tries to decipher the druid's words and hand motions. When Mola mentions the name Therevan the wounded Tree Ghost sits up suddenly and says, in decent Common, "Therevan? How do you know that name?"
Mola looks to Gwin and Rawley before continuing, but he is fine to tell him about the fight around the Grandfather Tree alongside Therevan, the slight disagreement Therevan had with Denevald and the party, and the fact that we're best friends with a treant, since the Tree Ghosts seemed to like that.
Rawley is listening to the conversation, but is scanning the perimeter with his eyes, occasionally looking up to check both of the supposed entrances and if Rixton is coming back or not.
Rixton will come back out, wave down to the others, and then proceed to climb to the jagged crevasse higher up. Again he will use pitons to anchor himself every 25 feet.
Athletics rolls:
16
22
21
18