Terrance looks down at "himself" in surprise.  Gone is the monochromatic grey robes to be replaced by heavy chain and a shield emblazoned with a crest depicting some kind of four-winged humanoid woman.  At his waist hangs a sheathed long sword in a scabbard of matching design to the sword.

"Okay, this...this is way cooler than any game on console or even on the Rift.  This is wicked."

For a moment he is tempted to just go murder-hobo like he always used to do on his first play-through of a JRPG when he was a kid...just grind out some levels before getting to the story parts.  But then he remembers that this is a supposed to be a test for teamwork and following direction.

"Right, stay on task.  Let's go get this book." Chinking through the woods like a parading rain of coins, He follows after the rest of the group.  As he sees the others try to move quietly he does his best to do the same, but it is nearly impossible given the armor that...he selected?  That the system gave him?  He isn't really sure which.

Stealth (Heavy Armor Disadvantage): 1

Will pauses briefly to dump all but one of the torches from his pack, shoving them into the undergrowth. His pack slightly lighter, he scrambles to keep up.

Moving forward Holly and Hunter remain unseen while Terrance trying to be stealthy managed to break every twig on the ground in front of him. Holly paused ahead looking back with a scowl before turning back to the jungle and continues to move forward. Will makes a small racket removing items from his pack but quickly falls into line behind the party. Moving forward each member contributes to the party's advance through the jungle. The vegetation is thick and hard to maneuver through at any sort of speak now that the party has left the 'starting point' where they seemingly appeared. No superficial glance will reveal dangers ahead or around the party now. It will take focused senses and skilled actions to move forward.

OOC: Welcome to the skill challenge. Each party member must contribute a skill check roll and RP a narrative to advance the party to the pyramid. No one skill can be performed twice by the same PC/player or another PC/player to advance the party. Ex: two people can't use stealth or nature to move quietly ahead or clear a path for the party. Each skill needs RP to narrate how that PC's rolled skill check advances the party forward. 'Failed rolls' might be saved by good RP. There are varying DCs for each skill check. Please offer a skill check and a brief explanation of how that check aids the party to move through the jungle to their destination! Discussion can be held in PMs to not double up on the same skill or go for broke and pick a proficient skill or any skill, roll, and RP!

Hunter is too enamored with everything he is seeing around him to attempt to move quietly. He does look around at the others with a huge smile on his face and nearly laughs when he sees Terrance trying to tiptoe in what looks to be full on knight armor.

"I don't think this is A Quiet Place, dude," Hunter says. "That was a pretty kick ass movie though."

But the thick vegetation quickly brings Hunter back to the task at hand. Everyone has to get to that Mayan looking pyramid thing and get some book. And working through this jungle was not easy. It was almost as if it was trying to stop them from getting there.

As there way becomes more and more choked off by vegetation and vines, Hunter straps his great axe to his back and switches to his hand axes, one in each hand. 

"This jungle sure is different than the forest I'm used to. No Douglas fir or hemlock or lodgepole pine," he says as he chops at the different vines cutting off their path. "But I think I'm starting to see a difference in the vines."

Hunter is noticing which vines are healthy, thick and strong, and which ones look a little less filled with vitality. It's not a huge difference but if he's correct, just clearing out some of the weaker vines should be something they can all do and will clear enough space for them to get through this section of the jungle.

He takes a few test chops with his axes to clear some space.

(OOC Survival Check to guide the party through the dense vegetation: 23 )

"I didn't see that film, and can't say I've spent all that much time hiking in forests, but jungle pyramids brings to mind some of the early empires in Central America. They sometimes made raised stone roadways to connect important buildings, even if it's over grown, if we find one of those, the vegetation should be less dense. The buildings were often oriented with relation to the sun, though there is some debate whether that is entirely for practical heating/cooling reasons, or for more religious astronomic practices."

Will muses aloud on some of what he recalls of Mayan style architecture and the layout of various discovered sites.

"Of course, if we're in super advanced VR, there's no saying if the designers of this level took that into account."

Milas slinks through the brush to pull up alongside Hunter, "Hey bubba I appreciate what you're doing here, watch for me, I'm gonna go ahead and keep an eye out for trouble, and I don't feel like catching that in my back" he says motioning to the great axe. he then pulls out his light crossbow, cranks the string back, and nocks a bolt, then slinks back into the overgrowth. (ooc I'm going to stealth ( 7 ) ahead like twenty feet and watch for hazards. Perception- 19 )

Hunter easily makes a path through the thick growth clearing the path for the party to advance without issue. Holly observes this smiling as she again removes her tablet to make notes. Aided by Hunter's miraculous clearing Will notices by the sun's sweltering heat above them that there's the edge of what looks like a raised stone road of some sort to the left of the path Hunter cleared. If Hunter keeps clearing the way ahead they'll easily be on the road headed to the pyramid. Will's studies paid off making moving forward even easier for the party. Meanwhile Milas slips passed going beyond the party but disrupts a nest of loud squawking birds that fly in every direction out of the overgrowth! Milas, after having a face full of bird, notices a vine covered totem the birds were meeting in! A large stone head half buried in the overgrowth! This head is not humanoid however...upon further investigation the head has no nose but snake like features. Shaking her head Holly makes notes for Milas then scribbles more down. Observing everyone's contribute so far she then glances at Terrance expectantly.

OOC: Everyone please roll perception checks, Milas with advantage for already being alert to his surroundings. Also just straight con checks!

milas: Perception - 14 or 15

Con- 20

The birds exploding up from the overgrowth have Will's heart pounding as he looks around.

Perception: 4 

Constitution: Check: 20 

Perception: 20

Constitution: 11

Seeing the uncovered Totem, Terrance steps forward to investigate it further.

"Totems like this can often have religious significance to the societies that build them.  I wonder...could this be like their god or something?  If I can identify it; it could tell us more about the people and maybe give us insight on what to do to avoid interaction with them."

He racks his brain for any similar snakehead totems he has encountered in his previous studies of world religions.

Religion: 10

Hunter reels as he sees movement out of the corner of his eye too late to do anything about. He should have expected wild animals in here. It's a jungle for chrissakes. 

Before he can react, two panthers are almost on top of him, slashing their claws and ripping open deep wounds.

He braces against their attacks, knowing if he can't stay on his feet this will get ugly really quickly.

(Strength Save 1st Panther: 12 

Strength Save 2nd Panther: 15 )

He's able to absorb their attacks and stay on his feet.

Will struggles to try to stay on his feet.

STR: 13

He gets knocked down and chomped on. (10 damage total brings him to 0 HP)

OOC: Sorry tried to edit something and totally fudged up the original post. We'll go off this RETCON post due to the site being dumb; again...I will void the surprise round attacks but everyone roll a STR save DC 12 to see if they're prone. NO initial damage because it's my bad the site fudged up the original rolls.

Will and Hunter are far too focused on the way ahead to notice but Terrance while inspecting the large head sees a glimpse of something black and sleek in the trees above the party,  then another, and another creature... There are five creatures in the trees above stalking the party!!

Seeing the panther leaping down from the trees, Terrance attempts to raise his shield to deflect the blow.

Strength Saving Throw: 7

Born to the ground by the weight of the panther, he grunts in suprise as the animal attempts to sink its teeth into his shoulder.

Panther Pouncing Bite Attack (Advantage since Terrance is Prone): Attack: 24 Damage: 11

The fierce bite rips into the new chainmail, peircing deeply into his flesh.

(That attack puts Terrance at 0).

OOC: Well,  I would have rolled for everyone after everyone checked in Terrance but looks like you offed yourself!

Will falls prone the panther barring down on him Attack: 24 Damage: 7; STR save to remain prone. If fail bite attack: 20 Damage: 8

Holly is watching the melee with horror as the panthers surround and attack the group from what seems like every angle! Suddenly Terrance is taken down! Holly girts her teeth angrily she did not pay better attention to the danger around them!!

OOC: Just need Milas to check-in.

Milas reels from the pouncing Panthers ( str save 10

Milas is prone; round 1 attack claw attack: 13 Damage: 3; if fail STR save DC 12 bite attack: 19 Damage: 4

Terrance death save, please

Hunter is up!

Milas ready your attack

Knocked down and being savaged by the cat, Will struggles frantically.

STR: 17

Will takes an additional 4 dmg and is still prone.

Terrance death save

Hunter attack

Milas ready your attack