Nakatura Valley game thread

[mfrench]

As he leads the group circling around, Sen comes across a stone outcropping at the eastern point of the cavern. It is hard to distinguish much of any details in the shadows. The others keep pace with him some 30 feet behind. The sounds of their movement, combined with echoes starting at the distant campfire, cause an eerie sensation to come over the group. The old man's glowing eyes only add to the effect. Sen can't hear any trouble from the campsite, only bits of conversation, amplified and distorted by the rocky walls and ceiling.

OOC: Chen's square is considered illuminated; the squares surrounding his are in shadowy illumination.

 

[OnlytheStrong]

Sen pauses and looks around. "Not much to see here." He turns and approaches the group. "I feel that something is not right, although my eyes and ears do not pick it up."

 

[Arkhandus]

Otaru Shenga

Otaru considers this for a moment, then whispers to Sen "Allow me to check for a moment. Stay here." He leaves Sen and the others where they were, creeping towards the spot where Sen had stopped, and focuses his senses on the element of water.

[sblock=ooc]Otaru's Hide and Move Silently bonuses are each +2, after Dex and armor check. His Listen and Spot are +1, and his Spellcraft is +1.

Otaru will go forward 30 feet as Sen had done, going at half speed to move silently without penalty (not that he's very good at it to begin with), stop by the outcropping, and concentrate for a few moments on his Sense Elements ability, sensing any sources of water nearby (including living creatures, of course). With the first round of concentration he senses water sources out to 10 feet, 15 feet after 2 rounds, and 20 feet after 3 rounds (the furthest range he can sense at this level).

If he detects any sources of water within range, Otaru will concentrate on the largest source first for 1, 2, 3, or 4 rounds, the longest he's willing to bother; he makes a Spellcraft check on each of those rounds to try and identify basic facts of the water source, and since he's not very good at Spellcraft, he's likely going to need those retries.

After he uncovers some information on the water source (or wastes 4 rounds trying), Otaru will focus on the next-largest water source within range and repeat the process. If there are no others, he'll just creep back over to the group.

The Spellcraft DC, according to Oriental Adventures, is 20 to learn the general location (the 5-foot space it's in, or nearest 5-foot space that it occupies if bigger), 25 to determine if it's a natural source of water (like a creature or a puddle) or a spell effect, 30 to determine if it's a creature or an object, and 35 to determine its exact nature (human, clean water, filthy water, rat, or whatever). Otaru will be lucky if he makes a DC 20 check. [/sblock]

 

[GlassEye]

Kerim nods at Otaru. "Very well. But if you sense anything, call out." He draws the Naheri al-Falud and smiles grimly as the dim light reflects off the water-patterned steel. Closing his eyes to block out any other distractions, Kerim listens intently to all around him. OOC: Listen +6

 

[mfrench]

Otaru communes with the spirits of water, and the world goes silent as he blocks out everything to focus his chi, reaching out with a sixth sense to search the darkened area before him. The noisy echoes of the cave are replaced with the gentle unstable rhythm of the rain hitting the hillside above him. His water-sense doesn't pick up any strong presence until he finds his companions, waiting back for him. They have the familiar signature that is associated with humanoids - no surprises wait for him there. There are no other strong sensations to speak of.

Kerim focuses his hearing, honed in the desert sands, to the exclusion of his other senses. This helps to alleviate the echoes, but he still picks up the sounds from the campfire. Quan and his wife are still bickering, albeit softly, about his exclusion from the search party. The young man and the man with the broken arm are speaking conversationally by the fire.

Their focus is broken by a simultaneous flash of light at the cave entrance and a burst of sound that shakes the walls, bringing dust down around the party. A squeal and a horrid scuttling sound is heard echoing out from the darkness.

[sblock=Kerim]Kerim can locate the squeals as coming from the northern end of the cavern[/sblock]

 

[Arkhandus]

Otaru crouches down to maintain his balance, dropping out of the trance, and tries to rush back to the rest of the group. 'Something terrible is happening....' he thinks.

 

[OnlytheStrong]

Sen takes advantage of the distraction to disappear into the darkness. He looks around to see if any of the others noticed he is hiding.


Hide attempt (1d20+9=18)

 

[GlassEye]

Kerim's eyes fly open and he does a quick glance about to reassess his companions' locations. He doesn't see Sen but he doesn't give it much thought. Hope he hasn't wandered too far... "To the north," he calls out to the others pitching his voice loud enough to be heard by them but hopefully not so loud that it will carry far. He quickly debates the usefulness of the meager light provided by the burning branch but decides that it is better than nothing and moves north towards the squealing. He tightens his grip on the one blade he does hold preparing himself for whatever may come.

Spot 1d20+6=13

 

[mfrench]

As the group prepares for action, Kerim spots motion on the very edge of the firelight. A writhing mass, dark and low to the ground, passes in the shadowy areas to the west, heading from north to south (i.e. back towards the cave entrance). The squeals seem to be moving along with it; it is probably the source of the disturbing cacophony.

Sen appears to have avoided detection, as everyone's attention is turned elsewhere.

 

[OnlytheStrong]

Sen will move as quickly as he can (still moving silently and hiding) toward the mass.