As you all decide to head towards the right, into the long hallway, Thurrak melts into the shadows of the cavernous hallway, hiding behind stony grey stalagmites rising from the ground, as he makes his way forward silently. Following behind, about twenty or so feet, Nixco carefully lights the path through the hallway, so not to cast the torchlight on Thurrak. Behind Nixco is Cade, who has his own torch tucked into the seat of his pants, and illuminates the rocky floor of the cave for Flyn and Kane. The air is cold and moist, water drips from stalactites half-frozen, and you hear the echoes of croaking reverberating throughout the cavern's walls. You all proceed carefully, ducking under some larger, craggy stalactites as you make your way forward. You rub against the rough limestone wall in the narrower parts, and it feels like frozen sand on your skin.
Thurrak, as you weave in between the thicker stalagmites, you come to a split in the cavern. In one direction, towards the left, you can only just barely make out the rock wall at the end, although you have no way of knowing if it is a dead end. In the other, you hear the croaking grow louder, and you see, about thirty feet from you, is a strange sight. The slow dripping of water from the ceiling flows to a pool in the southwest corner of this cavern. A large wooden bucket with a lid sits next to the pool. A female dwarf with very short brown hair, and two identical-looking, sickly pale elves, bundled in winter clothing, are throwing dead bats into the air. Two giant blue-skinned frogs leap up to snatch the bats in midair, seemingly as part of a training system.
(Map - https://inkarnate.com/m/apmlNW--new-map/ - note: Wow, vision isn't easy to calculate. This map contains visual mistakes, but is close enough to simulate accurate vision. Also, I realized that you wouldn't actually know the layout of Croaker Cave, hence the reason most of the map is black. I'm getting better, though! Oh, and let me know if you'd like me to be more descriptive - I realized I was completely failing there before, lol.)
Thurakk pauses befor he move back to return to the party. "Ahead to the right are a group feedin somethin to more of the frogs. To the left is another passage. From where I was couldn't tell if it it was a dead end or not."
She slows to a stop as Thurakk moves back to the group and relays the information, she squints into the dark, unable to see. "is there a female dwarf? We need to find the sister, try and talk rather than figher. Dead dwarves might not give us the information..."
"Aye there was one female dwarf and the other two were some kind of elf. If we want to take the lass alive then perhaps our best chance would be to catch em while their backs are turned." Thurakk suggests as he looks over then others to let them add their thoughts.
Flyn tries and fails to see down the hallway. "If they're down such a narrow hallway we can create a choke point if we need to fight. Have a few up front and the rest firing over their shoulders while only a few of them can get to us at a time. I believe I have a spell that can get to them from a good range to draw them towards us while we fire on them. I would much prefer to avoid them if we don't need to fight though."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Gronk in Bastion, Kingdom of Medrin Elixisysin Talaveroth (Team 2) Uthal in Lost Continent of Theviranne
"Well the elves are likely hired thugs so they will attack, but we need the dwarf alive" She hefts her shield up and smiles. "I'll go be friendly and see what happens, feel free to stand behind and help me if they attack?"
She walks forward towards them looking for a narrow point in the cave where she can be seen.
"Well the elves are likely hired thugs so they will attack, but we need the dwarf alive" She hefts her shield up and smiles. "I'll go be friendly and see what happens, feel free to stand behind and help me if they attack?"
She walks forward towards them looking for a narrow point in the cave where she can be seen.
I'll say that for this scene, you'd need to grab the elves' attention somehow.
"Looked like two frog on top of the elves and dwarf." Thurrak replies before he moves forward to be ready for a fight of things don't go well with talking.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Nixco
Nix walls forward and with a smile she starts speaking to the group by the pool. "Greetings, I am here to help Hulil. She is sick and we have come to help save her before it is too late"
Kane draws his bow and an arrow. He does not nock it or aim just yet. When to two elves react Kane will nock the arrow and step closer saying in elvish "Peace cousins, we are just hear to help, not to war."
Nixco, you walk through the damp, dark cave, with Thurrak by your side, pointing out the way. The light cast from your torch illuminates your immediate surroundings with a warm, orange light, and dimly lights the walls. As you near the area Thurrak was speaking of, you also see the split in the cavern. You can't make out as much as Thurrak could, but you see the long natural hallway to your right. You turn into it, and walk down about ten or so feet, moving around a few very large stalagmites, before you hear the croaking of frogs, and you see what Thurrak had described to you.
Ahead of you, about twenty feet, the hallway widens up. In the far right corner is a large pool, much like the first one you encountered. The stalactites above it have jagged edges, and as you observe the scene, you can see why. Two identical-looking, sickly pale elves, with stringy, matted hair are throwing what appears to dead bats in the air, above the pool, taking these bats from a large wodden bucket on the edge of the pool. Two blue-skinned frogs are leaping up from the pool, and snatching the bats out of the air as they arc over the pool, and the smell of bat permeates the air, though not quite like that other cavern you had all opted to not go in. Directly in front of you, back turned towards you, is a slender dwarven woman, seemingly overseeing what appears to be a training session.
As you begin to call out to the bandits, the dwarven woman swivels on her heels, and looks surprised for a moment, before growling out, "The Uttolots wouldn't send a damn human out here, and especially not the likes of you. Hulil never mentioned no one coming here, who are you?" As the woman turns, you can catch a better glimpse of her with the torchlight. You notice several outstanding things, but nothing too specific, as you are not close enough to make out finer details. The woman has a fierce look in her eyes, and short brown hair, swept over one side of her head, and the hair on the left side of her head is shaven. She is wearing leather armor, consisting of a sleeveless leather tunic that ends a bit above her waist, dark leather arm bracers, and leather britches, and is sporting a rapier on her waist. She puts her hand on the rapier's hilt as the two pale elves turn around and walk behind her, leering at you, making you uncomfortable. They each grip shortswords, and begin to walk forwards towards you.
As the elves walk forward, Kane walks from behind you, arrow notched in his bow, and attempts to deescalate the situation. Thurrak, by your side, also steps forward, ready to fight. The elves pay no attention to them, slowly stalking towards you, with leering grins. As you see these elves leering at you, your eyes go wide as you recall...
You flash back four years, around a year after you first joined the city militia. You see yourself enter a tavern, and remember the events leading up to this day. Your friends in the militia had invited you to come drinking with them, in celebration of your first year of service, and the battle you had a decisive part in claiming as victorious, which had transpired but a few weeks prior. You enter into the tavern, and are met with the rowdy din of the militia volunteers that you know so well. You spot your friends, and rush over to their table, excited to be here with them. As you approach the table, you see that the table also seats several officers, and as you near the table, you hear the conversation stops, and they all, officers and friends, look at you. One of the officers speaks up, talking loudly over the noise of the tavern, much louder than necessary. As he speaks, the tables near you quiet down some, listening to what the officer is saying.
"Well, if it isn't the hero of the battle herself! Here, have my seat, hero!" A couple others laugh at this, but you politely and nervously decline, and the officer roars with laughter. "Oh my! The hero doesn't even have a big ego!" The officer smiles twists, almost sadistically, and as he continues this monologue, your heart sinks. "Well, I'll tell you what aren't big either - the mighty hero's breasts!" The laughing grows louder as the other officers join in, berating you mercilessly. "Lucky cut! The hero had to receive help from a god to win in that battle!" "Some hero - she couldn't even last as long as us mortals!" The officers and the volunteers around leer and laugh at you, as your heart sinks and your eyes begin to swim. You dash out of the tavern, and the flashback ends.
"Wha..." Nixco's mouth goes dry and she falters. "You were in the milita, you drove me out".
She stands tall and firm, her usual smile replaced with a much more stern expression. "You called me coward. But that's OK, now it's your turn to run. We are here to see Hulil, her sister said we could find her. And we will, by the grace of the gods, help her"
She gestures over her shoulder "now leave so that we may find her, before we have to do something that I really dont want to have to do"
Flyn whispers a few words and the ball of red-green energy begins forming in his hand again. He turns a bit to hide it from those further down the tunnel.
(Holding eldritch blast trigger: an aggressive move against the party. Spell is aimed at the ceiling above the two elves)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Gronk in Bastion, Kingdom of Medrin Elixisysin Talaveroth (Team 2) Uthal in Lost Continent of Theviranne
Thurrak looks over at Nixco but says nothing as he looks towards the elves, his eyes narrowing as he does so. He will grip his shortsword tighter, slowly shifting his attention to the female dwarf as well.
Kane
Kane will bring up the rear, taking last place in the marching order.
As you all decide to head towards the right, into the long hallway, Thurrak melts into the shadows of the cavernous hallway, hiding behind stony grey stalagmites rising from the ground, as he makes his way forward silently. Following behind, about twenty or so feet, Nixco carefully lights the path through the hallway, so not to cast the torchlight on Thurrak. Behind Nixco is Cade, who has his own torch tucked into the seat of his pants, and illuminates the rocky floor of the cave for Flyn and Kane. The air is cold and moist, water drips from stalactites half-frozen, and you hear the echoes of croaking reverberating throughout the cavern's walls. You all proceed carefully, ducking under some larger, craggy stalactites as you make your way forward. You rub against the rough limestone wall in the narrower parts, and it feels like frozen sand on your skin.
Thurrak, as you weave in between the thicker stalagmites, you come to a split in the cavern. In one direction, towards the left, you can only just barely make out the rock wall at the end, although you have no way of knowing if it is a dead end. In the other, you hear the croaking grow louder, and you see, about thirty feet from you, is a strange sight. The slow dripping of water from the ceiling flows to a pool in the southwest corner of this cavern. A large wooden bucket with a lid sits next to the pool. A female dwarf with very short brown hair, and two identical-looking, sickly pale elves, bundled in winter clothing, are throwing dead bats into the air. Two giant blue-skinned frogs leap up to snatch the bats in midair, seemingly as part of a training system.
(Map - https://inkarnate.com/m/apmlNW--new-map/ - note: Wow, vision isn't easy to calculate. This map contains visual mistakes, but is close enough to simulate accurate vision. Also, I realized that you wouldn't actually know the layout of Croaker Cave, hence the reason most of the map is black. I'm getting better, though! Oh, and let me know if you'd like me to be more descriptive - I realized I was completely failing there before, lol.)
Sylcan Naïlo - Eladrin Blood Hunter - DragonDenn's Dragonlords | Althaea Sylvaranth - Wood Elf Druid - JorvikDave's Storm King's Thunder | Ekane - Half-orc Warlock - Murk Over Gladerown | Aoth Meliamne - Aasimar Sorcerer - WoobyDoobyDoo's Vraleon
I also DM RemCultist's Frozen Sick
Thurakk pauses befor he move back to return to the party. "Ahead to the right are a group feedin somethin to more of the frogs. To the left is another passage. From where I was couldn't tell if it it was a dead end or not."
Nixco
She slows to a stop as Thurakk moves back to the group and relays the information, she squints into the dark, unable to see. "is there a female dwarf? We need to find the sister, try and talk rather than figher. Dead dwarves might not give us the information..."
Cade figures the right questions have been asked so remains silent as he waits for the scout's report.
"Aye there was one female dwarf and the other two were some kind of elf. If we want to take the lass alive then perhaps our best chance would be to catch em while their backs are turned." Thurakk suggests as he looks over then others to let them add their thoughts.
"Any idea how many frogs were there?" Cade asks. "They might have some of those trained to fight with them after all..."
Flyn tries and fails to see down the hallway. "If they're down such a narrow hallway we can create a choke point if we need to fight. Have a few up front and the rest firing over their shoulders while only a few of them can get to us at a time. I believe I have a spell that can get to them from a good range to draw them towards us while we fire on them. I would much prefer to avoid them if we don't need to fight though."
Gronk in Bastion, Kingdom of Medrin Elixisys in Talaveroth (Team 2) Uthal in Lost Continent of Theviranne
Nixco
"Well the elves are likely hired thugs so they will attack, but we need the dwarf alive" She hefts her shield up and smiles. "I'll go be friendly and see what happens, feel free to stand behind and help me if they attack?"
She walks forward towards them looking for a narrow point in the cave where she can be seen.
I'll say that for this scene, you'd need to grab the elves' attention somehow.
Sylcan Naïlo - Eladrin Blood Hunter - DragonDenn's Dragonlords | Althaea Sylvaranth - Wood Elf Druid - JorvikDave's Storm King's Thunder | Ekane - Half-orc Warlock - Murk Over Gladerown | Aoth Meliamne - Aasimar Sorcerer - WoobyDoobyDoo's Vraleon
I also DM RemCultist's Frozen Sick
Fully intend to shout and walk over once the others have responded
"Looked like two frog on top of the elves and dwarf." Thurrak replies before he moves forward to be ready for a fight of things don't go well with talking.
Cade follows the others.
Flyn hangs back a bit but follows.
Gronk in Bastion, Kingdom of Medrin Elixisys in Talaveroth (Team 2) Uthal in Lost Continent of Theviranne
Nixco
Nix walls forward and with a smile she starts speaking to the group by the pool. "Greetings, I am here to help Hulil. She is sick and we have come to help save her before it is too late"
(?persuasion maybe? 22)
Kane
Kane draws his bow and an arrow. He does not nock it or aim just yet. When to two elves react Kane will nock the arrow and step closer saying in elvish "Peace cousins, we are just hear to help, not to war."
Nixco, you walk through the damp, dark cave, with Thurrak by your side, pointing out the way. The light cast from your torch illuminates your immediate surroundings with a warm, orange light, and dimly lights the walls. As you near the area Thurrak was speaking of, you also see the split in the cavern. You can't make out as much as Thurrak could, but you see the long natural hallway to your right. You turn into it, and walk down about ten or so feet, moving around a few very large stalagmites, before you hear the croaking of frogs, and you see what Thurrak had described to you.
Ahead of you, about twenty feet, the hallway widens up. In the far right corner is a large pool, much like the first one you encountered. The stalactites above it have jagged edges, and as you observe the scene, you can see why. Two identical-looking, sickly pale elves, with stringy, matted hair are throwing what appears to dead bats in the air, above the pool, taking these bats from a large wodden bucket on the edge of the pool. Two blue-skinned frogs are leaping up from the pool, and snatching the bats out of the air as they arc over the pool, and the smell of bat permeates the air, though not quite like that other cavern you had all opted to not go in. Directly in front of you, back turned towards you, is a slender dwarven woman, seemingly overseeing what appears to be a training session.
As you begin to call out to the bandits, the dwarven woman swivels on her heels, and looks surprised for a moment, before growling out, "The Uttolots wouldn't send a damn human out here, and especially not the likes of you. Hulil never mentioned no one coming here, who are you?" As the woman turns, you can catch a better glimpse of her with the torchlight. You notice several outstanding things, but nothing too specific, as you are not close enough to make out finer details. The woman has a fierce look in her eyes, and short brown hair, swept over one side of her head, and the hair on the left side of her head is shaven. She is wearing leather armor, consisting of a sleeveless leather tunic that ends a bit above her waist, dark leather arm bracers, and leather britches, and is sporting a rapier on her waist. She puts her hand on the rapier's hilt as the two pale elves turn around and walk behind her, leering at you, making you uncomfortable. They each grip shortswords, and begin to walk forwards towards you.
As the elves walk forward, Kane walks from behind you, arrow notched in his bow, and attempts to deescalate the situation. Thurrak, by your side, also steps forward, ready to fight. The elves pay no attention to them, slowly stalking towards you, with leering grins. As you see these elves leering at you, your eyes go wide as you recall...
You flash back four years, around a year after you first joined the city militia. You see yourself enter a tavern, and remember the events leading up to this day. Your friends in the militia had invited you to come drinking with them, in celebration of your first year of service, and the battle you had a decisive part in claiming as victorious, which had transpired but a few weeks prior. You enter into the tavern, and are met with the rowdy din of the militia volunteers that you know so well. You spot your friends, and rush over to their table, excited to be here with them. As you approach the table, you see that the table also seats several officers, and as you near the table, you hear the conversation stops, and they all, officers and friends, look at you. One of the officers speaks up, talking loudly over the noise of the tavern, much louder than necessary. As he speaks, the tables near you quiet down some, listening to what the officer is saying.
"Well, if it isn't the hero of the battle herself! Here, have my seat, hero!" A couple others laugh at this, but you politely and nervously decline, and the officer roars with laughter. "Oh my! The hero doesn't even have a big ego!" The officer smiles twists, almost sadistically, and as he continues this monologue, your heart sinks. "Well, I'll tell you what aren't big either - the mighty hero's breasts!" The laughing grows louder as the other officers join in, berating you mercilessly. "Lucky cut! The hero had to receive help from a god to win in that battle!" "Some hero - she couldn't even last as long as us mortals!" The officers and the volunteers around leer and laugh at you, as your heart sinks and your eyes begin to swim. You dash out of the tavern, and the flashback ends.
Sylcan Naïlo - Eladrin Blood Hunter - DragonDenn's Dragonlords | Althaea Sylvaranth - Wood Elf Druid - JorvikDave's Storm King's Thunder | Ekane - Half-orc Warlock - Murk Over Gladerown | Aoth Meliamne - Aasimar Sorcerer - WoobyDoobyDoo's Vraleon
I also DM RemCultist's Frozen Sick
Nixco
"Wha..." Nixco's mouth goes dry and she falters. "You were in the milita, you drove me out".
She stands tall and firm, her usual smile replaced with a much more stern expression. "You called me coward. But that's OK, now it's your turn to run. We are here to see Hulil, her sister said we could find her. And we will, by the grace of the gods, help her"
She gestures over her shoulder "now leave so that we may find her, before we have to do something that I really dont want to have to do"
Flyn whispers a few words and the ball of red-green energy begins forming in his hand again. He turns a bit to hide it from those further down the tunnel.
(Holding eldritch blast trigger: an aggressive move against the party. Spell is aimed at the ceiling above the two elves)
Gronk in Bastion, Kingdom of Medrin Elixisys in Talaveroth (Team 2) Uthal in Lost Continent of Theviranne
Thurrak looks over at Nixco but says nothing as he looks towards the elves, his eyes narrowing as he does so. He will grip his shortsword tighter, slowly shifting his attention to the female dwarf as well.