Rixton and Gwin moved south; Rawley, however, moved east and now stands atop the boulder-like cave formation. Rawley holds the torch; so, Mola is with/near him?
Mola makes the descent into the cavern, his boots struggling to grip the slimy surface. He crouches and studies the mucous-like material that seems to cover every square inch of the place. Molahas never seen anything quite like this; it's almost as if the floor, the walls, and the various cave formations are secreting the slime for some reason.
Mola won't leave Raley solo, so he'll keep with him, currently on the boulder. "Odd place. Never seen anything like this, doesn't look like anything an animal would leave behind."
He flips around his trident, point down, and pokes the ground to see if it seems like something that's not normal rock. Thinking Han and Leia going after mynocks and discovering they're not in a cave.
If nothing, he'll slowly make his way down the boulders and investigate around it, looking for any footprints in the slime, any items at all. Then motion Rawley to head east, looking south to see if Rixton and Gwin are within sight.
As Mola is investigating the ground then Rawley is keeping his eyes around and up. Would there be any dripping sounds anywhere in the cavern? Also, is the slime thicker on the lower levels?
Essentially he's being a bodyguard / torchbearer for Mola and trying hard to apply his common sense to this uncommon situation.
Mola's trident clanks softly against the ground, assuring him the cavern is indeed formed from rock. Neither he nor the others see any indication of footprints as they cautiously move farther east. Rawley neither sees nor hears dripping water. As the four adventurers reach the center of the cavern, their focus turns to the body of water that looks as if it were a pool of ink.
Gwin:
A clear, thoughtful, ancient voice begins speaking to you, not audibly but telepathically. "What do you seek, servant of Tyr? I can aid thee."
Mola:
A voice that sounds like water rushing over rocks suddenly speaks to you telepathically. "There is help for you in this place. You need only ask."
Rawley:
A voice, deep and fatherly, rings in your mind. Something is speaking to you telepathically. "What quest brings you into the darkness, hero? I can provide you a mighty weapon."
Rixton:
You hear a voice and immediately recognize something is reaching your mind telepathically. "What do you hunt, elvish one? I know where things are hiding here."
Then, he tries thinking back at the voice. I'm listening. It'd be helpful to learn more. What lives here, who are you, what's in the water, why slime, that kind of thing.
"My name is too old to have any meaning to you, young one. I, now only spirit, am imprisoned within the watery filth. I see that you seek a way to the Grandfather Tree. The way is secret, but it is a way that I know. Free me, Gwinlynn Karmardark, and I will lead you there."
Mola:
"I am the one who dwells here, and I do so because I am trapped. Trapped within the murky waters that foul this place, causing all who come here to flee. You wish to stop the destruction of the great tree. Yes, that must be done. Do a simple thing on my behalf, Mola of many shapes, so that I might be freed from this watery prison and then give thee aid."
Rixton:
"The yikaria, soulless followers of the Faceless One. They race toward the roots of the great tree, desiring its demise. But why? Yes, they are to be stopped. The path they follow is an ancient one, but one that I know, Rixton Pendrift. I must be released from the watery cage that holds me so I can show you the way."
Rawley glances at the others and has the suspicion that they too have heard something like a voice but are responding silently, telepathically. For whatever reason, the being that spoke to Rawley just moments ago has fallen silent (so to speak).
"I'm certain you are imprisoned for some cause. And, thus far, I've no reason to believe the cause was unjust," he says. "Nor do I believe you can convince me to free you with only your words. I require evidence in order to draw a conclusion. So I'm afraid we are at an impasse and thus will have to decline your offer. We must pursue our quarry without your aid."
Mola turns to the others. "I'm talking to something that's in my head. You guys too? Says it's trapped in the water, and the water makes people run away. Is it telling you that too? Mysterious voice in my head, can you hear me when I talk like this?"
OOC question about shape water -- could Mola freeze water along the surface in 5-foot cubic segments and make an ice bridge along the surface by the southern wall, with the party walking from one five-foot cube to the next, all the way across? What about the first instantaneous effect, to move water, that doesn't have the 2-at-a-time limit, to basically part the water as they go, pushing it away from the wall?
Gwin confirms to the party that she too is hearing a voice. It's speaking in a very specific way, as if it knows me. It even knows my name, so whatever it is, it has magical power. And I agree with Rixton, it was imprisoned for a reason. Still, she says rubbing her invisible beard, I may be able to gain some insight into its intention.
Returning to telepathic communication, the cleric attempts to use her powerful insight to glean the voice's intention, with a little help from a Guidance.
Tell me, friend. Why were you imprisoned here? Who imprisoned you?
...could Mola freeze water along the surface in 5-foot cubic segments and make an ice bridge along the surface by the southern wall, with the party walking from one five-foot cube to the next, all the way across? What about the first instantaneous effect, to move water, that doesn't have the 2-at-a-time limit, to basically part the water as they go, pushing it away from the wall?
For the bridge, five blocks of ice would be required. I estimate the distance from the shore to the cave opening to be 25'. This bridge-making endeavor would need to be done four times, once for each member of the party. This method will, in theory, work.
For the second idea--parting the water and pushing it away from the wall--the success of this would depend on the water's depth. If it's shallow along the wall, then the party could simply walk from the shore to the cave opening. If, however, the water is deep, then this method wouldn't work.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
16
Rawley moves toward the water; the far reaches of his torchlight allow him to see the edge of the underground lake. Its surface is completely still.
After the voices of Rixton, Mola, and Gwin fall silent, the unknown entity once again speaks telepathically to Rixton and Gwin...
Rixton:
"Nor have you reason to believe it was just. Beware of judging a matter too soon, haughty one."
Gwin:
"The gods themselves have done this, for they are petty and jealous. Fearing my power and wisdom, they did this to me. Judged and condemned without just cause."
The entity, in your estimation, speaks truthfully.
Gwin shares with the party her insight into the voice's words as truth and what's transpired between them thus far.
To the voice Gwin responds, There are many gods. My own god, Tyr, would never do such a thing if there was not cause. He is a just god. And even if I wanted to free you, how would I do so?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
‘The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.’ - Buffy Summers
Mola says,"I didn't get a reply in my head, so I don't think it can hear us when we speak aloud. But it knows a lot about us without having to eavesdrop."
Thinking in his head:
What is the simple thing, and how do we free you? Tell me useful things about our quarry. When is the last time you've seen yikaria in this chamber? Do they pass through? Do they live here?
He watches Rawley toss a rock in and hides a wince.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Mola follows the group, slowly descending. When he gets to the slime, he bends down, and touches it, trying to figure out what it came from.
(Nature check? 14)
Rixton and Gwin moved south; Rawley, however, moved east and now stands atop the boulder-like cave formation. Rawley holds the torch; so, Mola is with/near him?
Mola makes the descent into the cavern, his boots struggling to grip the slimy surface. He crouches and studies the mucous-like material that seems to cover every square inch of the place. Mola has never seen anything quite like this; it's almost as if the floor, the walls, and the various cave formations are secreting the slime for some reason.
Mola won't leave Raley solo, so he'll keep with him, currently on the boulder. "Odd place. Never seen anything like this, doesn't look like anything an animal would leave behind."
He flips around his trident, point down, and pokes the ground to see if it seems like something that's not normal rock. Thinking Han and Leia going after mynocks and discovering they're not in a cave.
If nothing, he'll slowly make his way down the boulders and investigate around it, looking for any footprints in the slime, any items at all. Then motion Rawley to head east, looking south to see if Rixton and Gwin are within sight.
(perfect!)
As Mola is investigating the ground then Rawley is keeping his eyes around and up. Would there be any dripping sounds anywhere in the cavern? Also, is the slime thicker on the lower levels?
Essentially he's being a bodyguard / torchbearer for Mola and trying hard to apply his common sense to this uncommon situation.
Rixton will continue to follow the wall as it turns east, examining any hiding places for movement or non-rock shapes and textures.
Perception: 14
Mola's trident clanks softly against the ground, assuring him the cavern is indeed formed from rock. Neither he nor the others see any indication of footprints as they cautiously move farther east. Rawley neither sees nor hears dripping water. As the four adventurers reach the center of the cavern, their focus turns to the body of water that looks as if it were a pool of ink.
Gwin:
A clear, thoughtful, ancient voice begins speaking to you, not audibly but telepathically. "What do you seek, servant of Tyr? I can aid thee."
Mola:
A voice that sounds like water rushing over rocks suddenly speaks to you telepathically. "There is help for you in this place. You need only ask."
Rawley:
A voice, deep and fatherly, rings in your mind. Something is speaking to you telepathically. "What quest brings you into the darkness, hero? I can provide you a mighty weapon."
Rixton:
You hear a voice and immediately recognize something is reaching your mind telepathically. "What do you hunt, elvish one? I know where things are hiding here."
Updated map:
Mola says out loud: "hear that? Or just me..."
DM:
Then, he tries thinking back at the voice. I'm listening. It'd be helpful to learn more. What lives here, who are you, what's in the water, why slime, that kind of thing.
"Hmm..." Rixton says. But he responds only with thought.
DM:
Rixton gives as clear of an answer in his mind that he can: "We seek to remove a group of five yikaria and the grey-skinned gnome that leads them."
Gwin replies to Mola, I hear it too.
To the voice she responds telepathically, attempting to discern its source:
Who are you? Where are you?
Perception: 8
‘The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.’ - Buffy Summers
Rawley says, "Cool!". Then looks around. "Wait, what?"
Gwin:
"My name is too old to have any meaning to you, young one. I, now only spirit, am imprisoned within the watery filth. I see that you seek a way to the Grandfather Tree. The way is secret, but it is a way that I know. Free me, Gwinlynn Karmardark, and I will lead you there."
Mola:
"I am the one who dwells here, and I do so because I am trapped. Trapped within the murky waters that foul this place, causing all who come here to flee. You wish to stop the destruction of the great tree. Yes, that must be done. Do a simple thing on my behalf, Mola of many shapes, so that I might be freed from this watery prison and then give thee aid."
Rixton:
"The yikaria, soulless followers of the Faceless One. They race toward the roots of the great tree, desiring its demise. But why? Yes, they are to be stopped. The path they follow is an ancient one, but one that I know, Rixton Pendrift. I must be released from the watery cage that holds me so I can show you the way."
Rawley glances at the others and has the suspicion that they too have heard something like a voice but are responding silently, telepathically. For whatever reason, the being that spoke to Rawley just moments ago has fallen silent (so to speak).
Rixton, impassive, replies out loud.
"I'm certain you are imprisoned for some cause. And, thus far, I've no reason to believe the cause was unjust," he says. "Nor do I believe you can convince me to free you with only your words. I require evidence in order to draw a conclusion. So I'm afraid we are at an impasse and thus will have to decline your offer. We must pursue our quarry without your aid."
Mola turns to the others. "I'm talking to something that's in my head. You guys too? Says it's trapped in the water, and the water makes people run away. Is it telling you that too? Mysterious voice in my head, can you hear me when I talk like this?"
OOC question about shape water -- could Mola freeze water along the surface in 5-foot cubic segments and make an ice bridge along the surface by the southern wall, with the party walking from one five-foot cube to the next, all the way across? What about the first instantaneous effect, to move water, that doesn't have the 2-at-a-time limit, to basically part the water as they go, pushing it away from the wall?
Rawley says, "It seems so. It said something about a mighty weapon and a quest of some sorts. Didn't say anything else after that."
He peers into the darkness towards east. "The water is that way?" He moves 20 feet forward.
Gwin confirms to the party that she too is hearing a voice. It's speaking in a very specific way, as if it knows me. It even knows my name, so whatever it is, it has magical power. And I agree with Rixton, it was imprisoned for a reason. Still, she says rubbing her invisible beard, I may be able to gain some insight into its intention.
Returning to telepathic communication, the cleric attempts to use her powerful insight to glean the voice's intention, with a little help from a Guidance.
Tell me, friend. Why were you imprisoned here? Who imprisoned you?
Insight with Guidance: 14
‘The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.’ - Buffy Summers
For the bridge, five blocks of ice would be required. I estimate the distance from the shore to the cave opening to be 25'. This bridge-making endeavor would need to be done four times, once for each member of the party. This method will, in theory, work.
For the second idea--parting the water and pushing it away from the wall--the success of this would depend on the water's depth. If it's shallow along the wall, then the party could simply walk from the shore to the cave opening. If, however, the water is deep, then this method wouldn't work.
16
Rawley moves toward the water; the far reaches of his torchlight allow him to see the edge of the underground lake. Its surface is completely still.
After the voices of Rixton, Mola, and Gwin fall silent, the unknown entity once again speaks telepathically to Rixton and Gwin...
Rixton:
"Nor have you reason to believe it was just. Beware of judging a matter too soon, haughty one."
Gwin:
"The gods themselves have done this, for they are petty and jealous. Fearing my power and wisdom, they did this to me. Judged and condemned without just cause."
The entity, in your estimation, speaks truthfully.
Gwin shares with the party her insight into the voice's words as truth and what's transpired between them thus far.
To the voice Gwin responds, There are many gods. My own god, Tyr, would never do such a thing if there was not cause. He is a just god. And even if I wanted to free you, how would I do so?
‘The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.’ - Buffy Summers
Rawley looks around for a loose rock or anything else to throw and throws it into the lake within the range of torchlight.
Mola says, "I didn't get a reply in my head, so I don't think it can hear us when we speak aloud. But it knows a lot about us without having to eavesdrop."
Thinking in his head:
What is the simple thing, and how do we free you? Tell me useful things about our quarry. When is the last time you've seen yikaria in this chamber? Do they pass through? Do they live here?
He watches Rawley toss a rock in and hides a wince.