M4: Under the Volcano [Nimisgod judging] -CONCLUDED

[Velmont]

Rinaldo look at the trail. "Hiding the entrance but leaving a trail..." he then look at the farms. "It must be to hide it from people who works on the farms. Recover the tunnel, I don't want to see a curious around here while the threat of Causticus is not neutralized. It's not the time to see a farmer head to head with a goblin."

 

[Knight Otu]

[sblock=ooc]I apologize for the infrequency in my posting, guys. My car broke down, I've lost a sister to surgery complications, a good friend at his own hand, and the woman who raised me is in critical condition with her heart. So....needless to say, I've had a lotta stuff on my mind lately. I don't believe I'm going to be able to continue at this time. I apologize that I didn't say something sooner, but life kept throwing me curveballs. Manzanita - play this as you like, perhaps Mordik had some stuff come up in the RDI he had to take care of, or he forgot something he had to go back and needs to leave at this juncture. [/sblock]

Damn, that's horrible. Take care.

 

[rln]

Ogrin follows Rinaldos suggestion while muttering that he didn't come along to tend shrubberies.

"So, what's next? Should we ask some of this gentle folk the way to lord Cuasticus or do we try a different path?"

OOC: Take care, NakuruSai. There are more important things than gaming... when you have the time and energy again, LEW will be here for you.

 

[jkason]

Eanos, human monk

[sblock=NakuruSai]Add my sympathies to those of the others. I think you've got to be ready for an upturn in your luck.[/sblock]

Eanos squints and covers his eyes a moment as the group leaves the gloom of the tunnel to the light of day. As his eyes adjust, he nods to Rinaldo's request, he helps Ogrin in replacing the covering on the tunnel to match its previous state as well as he can recall.

Taking in the scenery, he crosses his arms, looking to the others as he asks "There's a well-worn path, but as Rinaldo points out, hiding this entrance suggests it's not necessarily well-worn by our quarry.

"When he was simply 'the Viscount' back in Three Rings, Causticus had a fairly distinctive cloak: black with a red interior. If he still has it, perhaps a spell could locate the cloak and thus Causticus?"

Eanos turns to Frump, raising an eyebrow. "Is that cloak still around, Frump?"

 

[Erekose13]

[sblock=NakuruSai]I am very sorry to hear for your loss. Hope things turn around for you.[/sblock]

Tenebrynn replies to Eanos' question, "My ability to track particular items is limited in range. Without an obvious target in sight, I'm leary to try it out here. Frump, where is Causticus' hideout from here?"

 

[Manzanita]

Frump seems quite nervous and distracted. He exits the tunnel only reluctantly. "Where are we? I've never been here before." he says. When asked about the Viscount, he says, "Yes. Causticus always wears black. Only black, except for the inside of his cloak. Black horse, black boots. He's got some kind of complex, I suppose. "

Knowledge (geography)DC 15
[sblock]Based on the distance and direction you've traveled, you're no longer on the mainland. You're probably on an island. There are many small island chains in the sea off the Monemvassia coast. These areas are usually avoided by merchants, as pirates are known to be based off some of them.[/sblock]

Upon further inspection, you decide the cliff or ridge to the West and South is about 60 feet away. The woody and rocky ridge to the East is about 40 feet away from the tunnel exit where the group stands. It is a beautiful day, late morning by the look of the sun. The light breeze blows the salty sea smell from the West. Occasionally you can smell wifts of sulpher.

 

[Velmont]

"Do you smell that? Smells like rotten eggs. I doubt there is much rotten eggs here. Must be sulfur. I've been once selling some spices in a village near a volcano. I could hardly breath. Not surprising I made great profit there, the smells of spices make a nice change." Rinaldo walk toward the western ridge to see what is over there, and where the sulfer smell come from.

 

[jkason]

Eanos, human monk

Eanos bites his lip a moment, thinking.

"No spell, then, if we can't be sure of the range. But if Causticus is always dressed so distinctively, perhaps we can ask some of the people around here if they've seen him even if they don't know the name.

"The danger, of course, is that we have no way of knowing if the people around here are allied, opposed, or indifferent to him. Would that I'd better learned to follow tracks during my time living in the Silverwood."

 

[orsal]

OOC: My sincere condolences, NakuruSai. Hope to see you back here when you're in better shape emotionally.

After listening to the others, Nurlan gets an idea. "If we send one person to inquire, while the others hide -- if things go bad for the initial scout, he can flee unobtrusively. Then we can decide whether to move in together. I could go -- you know I have my tricks for getting out of a pickle. Or maybe Rinaldo -- with your hat, you could be incognito. If Causticus is around, he'd recognize me from Three Rings, but you've got your disguises."

 

[Manzanita]

The group looks around and discusses what to do. Rinaldo walks to the edge of the Western ridge and looks down.

Rinaldo: [sblock]Rinaldo looks over the ridge. It drops sharply to the crashing waves beneath. It is a pretty sight, and he can almost taste the salty mist that floats up from below. He doesn’t have much time to enjoy the view, however, as he notices something approaching from below. A huge form is flying up towards him, pumping its bat-like wings. It is a four legged, winged reptilian creature, covered with shiny black scales. Its body is about 10 feet long, with another 10 feet of tail trailing behind. Its face seems skeletal, its eyes malevolent, and focused on the merchant. Make a will save DC 21 to avoid being 'shaken'[/sblock]