Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
The
VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX
is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
The Realms of Enlightenment: The Grey Companions
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Jon Potter" data-source="post: 755143" data-attributes="member: 2323"><p><strong>[PLAIN][Realms #212] Death from Below[/PLAIN]</strong></p><p></p><p>"How about if I scout ahead invisibly using the Slippers to climb the walls to avoid traps or wards," Finian suggested, his voice lowered to a hushed whisper. In response, Ruze groaned and shook his head.</p><p></p><p>"Alas, it seems here we go again, into to the maw of danger half healed, and half prepared," the Battleguard grumbled. He eyed Ixin critically in the wan light from Finian's longsword. "Our newest recruit can barely bend over to tie her boot," he concluded.</p><p></p><p>"I will not engage anything, Ruze," the Archer countered. "I'll just do it so I could get a good scope of the situation."</p><p></p><p>"Like you did outside," the cleric replied and beckoned Ixin to his side. "Come here lass, I whilst not allow someone to die only moments after I have met them." She approached him and Ruze lay one hand on his holy symbol and the other on Ixin's aching side.'My Queen, I beg thee to grant us your queenly gifts once more," he prayed. "Heal this one to her fullest potential."</p><p></p><p>Silver moonlight swelled under the cleric's hand, suffusing Ixin with healing power and when it faded, her injuries had diminished considerably. The sharp pain in her side had become nothing more than a dull and distant ache such as one might experience from a week-old bruise. She grinned disarmingly at the cleric, her teeth flashing like polished pearls in the dim cave.</p><p></p><p>"Thank you," she said. "That feels much better."</p><p></p><p>"Don't thank me," Ruze answered in a self-effacing way. "Thank the Silver Queen. And just to keep you all informed I am going to have to do some serious praying later for all these gifts bestowed upon us."</p><p></p><p>"Well, I for one certainly appreciate her efforts," Ixin replied. "And yours."</p><p></p><p>Ruze dismissed her comments and turned toward the Janissary. "We should get on to this business of finding Kirnoth," he said. "Ledare, what are we up to?"</p><p></p><p>"It might be wise for Finian to again go ahead quietly and see what he can see," Ledare confirmed. "The Slippers and the Ring should be quite useful in that regard and he can be pretty quiet when he puts his mind to it."</p><p></p><p>Finian had an uncharacteristic moment of hesitation then and looked nervously at the Janissary and the Battleguard. "It occurs to me that these skaven can smell us coming," he reminded. "Remember what happened at Selejian's?"</p><p></p><p>Ixin knew nothing of Finian and Ruze's petrification at the sculptor's studio, but the concern in the Archer's voice and in both the Janissary's and the Battleguard's expressions told her that there was some risk in being caught by these skaven. The trick, of course, would be not to get caught.</p><p></p><p>"Martivir could go," the mage suggested, scratching at the downy feather on the owl's chest. The owl seemed to be enjoying the attention until Ixin's suggestion registered. He hooted once in alarm. "Can you go check quietly on the horses without being seen, Marty? I know, but we're not in Highgate anymore. If it is too risky, do not go. I will not risk your death or dismemberment."</p><p></p><p>The owl shifted its weight on her shoulder from foot to foot for a moment, ruffled its feathers and then took flight across the cavern. It glided silently into the dark fissure on the left side of the cave.</p><p></p><p>"I'm going to have to let him go hunting later," Ixin told the others. "I hope you have shrews on this world; they're his favorite."</p><p></p><p>"We have shr-" Finian started to say and the woman held up a hand.</p><p></p><p>"Marty, do you see anything?" she said and paused as if listening to a reply. "He says that the room smells bad... There are two more of those big worms in there... and... many dead horses. The worms see him... but they don't seem interested in him. There's no other way out through there." As soon as she'd finished relating what her familiar had seen, the owl came gliding back into the chamber, circled once and landed gracefully on Ixin's shoulder.</p><p></p><p>"Well, it seems that there is no hope for the horses," Ledare muttered. "I see little point in jumping into action against more of those worms."</p><p></p><p>"Agreed," Draelond said with a grim nod. "I don't see any particular need to rid the world of these things at this time... given the condition we're in."</p><p></p><p>The others concurred and Finian looked hopefully at Ixin. "Any chance the owl could check out the other passage?" he asked.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>"Marty says that the cave down there is as big as this one," Ixin reported once the owl had made its reconnaissance flight and returned to her shoulder. "It smells even worse than the worm cave - like droppings and dead things, he says. He didn't see anything, but he heard some bat sounds coming from somewhere further on, but it was too dark for him to fly on safely."</p><p></p><p>"I thought owls were used to the dark," Draelond observed and Ixin nodded.</p><p></p><p>"Dark, yes," she told him. "With moonlight to see by. Not underground like this with nothing but one glowing sword to light the way. Especially not when the sword is in the next chamber. I'm surprised he saw as much as he did."</p><p></p><p>"That's a good point, Ixin," Finian admitted. "Without a light source, I'm not going to be of much use scouting ahead. And with a light source, the Ring of Invisibility will do me little good."</p><p></p><p>"Then let's stick close," Ledare suggested. "Finian, you can lead the way, and we'll follow behind. I don't want you getting caught alone too far ahead."</p><p></p><p>"Don't worry, Ledare," the Archer said. "I will not fight alone. We can tell by the tracks that we are outnumbered so if it appears as if we are being overwhelmed, let's use the smokestick as a diversion to cover our retreat."</p><p></p><p>It was agreed and the group moved tentatively into the tunnel that led off of the entry chamber. The dirt floor quickly gave way to bare stone worn smooth by the passage of water and many feet. The flowstone descended deeper into the earth as they went, seeming almost like a natural staircase that curved downward. As Martivir had warned, the place stank and they could smell the room before they had stepped out into it. An incredible smell of rot and waste wafted up at them from the cavern, combining all the worst aspects of a charnel house and a midden pit.</p><p></p><p>Moments later they stepped out into the natural area. Again the owl's scouting proved accurate; the cavern was as large as the one above although this one was wider than it was long. Finian's light very dimly illuminated the room, revealing a dark passageway more-or-less directly across from the one that had lead them there and another along the curve of the wall to their right. The rest of the room hung in darkness. Intermittent keening sounds echoed throughout the cavern from somewhere beyond, and small pools of darkness pocked the cavern floor.</p><p></p><p>Finian took a few steps into the room and bent to look at one of the pools of darkness on the floor. It was a hole, he saw, likely caused by the same flowing water that had created the 'staircase'. The soft blue glow of his sword revealed glimpses of another cavern below this one. It appeared to be piled high with all manner of foul waste. That was all he had time to register before a dung-colored tentacle erupted up out of the hole and flailed at him. Finian's uncanny reflexes allowed him to avoid the first such attack, but not the second, which sprang up from another hole behind him. A tentacle as thick as his forearm and covered with rough, thorny protrusions wrapped itself roughly around his right shin. It squeezed his limb savagely and began to tug him toward the small dark hole in the floor.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jon Potter, post: 755143, member: 2323"] [b][PLAIN][Realms #212] Death from Below[/PLAIN][/b] "How about if I scout ahead invisibly using the Slippers to climb the walls to avoid traps or wards," Finian suggested, his voice lowered to a hushed whisper. In response, Ruze groaned and shook his head. "Alas, it seems here we go again, into to the maw of danger half healed, and half prepared," the Battleguard grumbled. He eyed Ixin critically in the wan light from Finian's longsword. "Our newest recruit can barely bend over to tie her boot," he concluded. "I will not engage anything, Ruze," the Archer countered. "I'll just do it so I could get a good scope of the situation." "Like you did outside," the cleric replied and beckoned Ixin to his side. "Come here lass, I whilst not allow someone to die only moments after I have met them." She approached him and Ruze lay one hand on his holy symbol and the other on Ixin's aching side.'My Queen, I beg thee to grant us your queenly gifts once more," he prayed. "Heal this one to her fullest potential." Silver moonlight swelled under the cleric's hand, suffusing Ixin with healing power and when it faded, her injuries had diminished considerably. The sharp pain in her side had become nothing more than a dull and distant ache such as one might experience from a week-old bruise. She grinned disarmingly at the cleric, her teeth flashing like polished pearls in the dim cave. "Thank you," she said. "That feels much better." "Don't thank me," Ruze answered in a self-effacing way. "Thank the Silver Queen. And just to keep you all informed I am going to have to do some serious praying later for all these gifts bestowed upon us." "Well, I for one certainly appreciate her efforts," Ixin replied. "And yours." Ruze dismissed her comments and turned toward the Janissary. "We should get on to this business of finding Kirnoth," he said. "Ledare, what are we up to?" "It might be wise for Finian to again go ahead quietly and see what he can see," Ledare confirmed. "The Slippers and the Ring should be quite useful in that regard and he can be pretty quiet when he puts his mind to it." Finian had an uncharacteristic moment of hesitation then and looked nervously at the Janissary and the Battleguard. "It occurs to me that these skaven can smell us coming," he reminded. "Remember what happened at Selejian's?" Ixin knew nothing of Finian and Ruze's petrification at the sculptor's studio, but the concern in the Archer's voice and in both the Janissary's and the Battleguard's expressions told her that there was some risk in being caught by these skaven. The trick, of course, would be not to get caught. "Martivir could go," the mage suggested, scratching at the downy feather on the owl's chest. The owl seemed to be enjoying the attention until Ixin's suggestion registered. He hooted once in alarm. "Can you go check quietly on the horses without being seen, Marty? I know, but we're not in Highgate anymore. If it is too risky, do not go. I will not risk your death or dismemberment." The owl shifted its weight on her shoulder from foot to foot for a moment, ruffled its feathers and then took flight across the cavern. It glided silently into the dark fissure on the left side of the cave. "I'm going to have to let him go hunting later," Ixin told the others. "I hope you have shrews on this world; they're his favorite." "We have shr-" Finian started to say and the woman held up a hand. "Marty, do you see anything?" she said and paused as if listening to a reply. "He says that the room smells bad... There are two more of those big worms in there... and... many dead horses. The worms see him... but they don't seem interested in him. There's no other way out through there." As soon as she'd finished relating what her familiar had seen, the owl came gliding back into the chamber, circled once and landed gracefully on Ixin's shoulder. "Well, it seems that there is no hope for the horses," Ledare muttered. "I see little point in jumping into action against more of those worms." "Agreed," Draelond said with a grim nod. "I don't see any particular need to rid the world of these things at this time... given the condition we're in." The others concurred and Finian looked hopefully at Ixin. "Any chance the owl could check out the other passage?" he asked. "Marty says that the cave down there is as big as this one," Ixin reported once the owl had made its reconnaissance flight and returned to her shoulder. "It smells even worse than the worm cave - like droppings and dead things, he says. He didn't see anything, but he heard some bat sounds coming from somewhere further on, but it was too dark for him to fly on safely." "I thought owls were used to the dark," Draelond observed and Ixin nodded. "Dark, yes," she told him. "With moonlight to see by. Not underground like this with nothing but one glowing sword to light the way. Especially not when the sword is in the next chamber. I'm surprised he saw as much as he did." "That's a good point, Ixin," Finian admitted. "Without a light source, I'm not going to be of much use scouting ahead. And with a light source, the Ring of Invisibility will do me little good." "Then let's stick close," Ledare suggested. "Finian, you can lead the way, and we'll follow behind. I don't want you getting caught alone too far ahead." "Don't worry, Ledare," the Archer said. "I will not fight alone. We can tell by the tracks that we are outnumbered so if it appears as if we are being overwhelmed, let's use the smokestick as a diversion to cover our retreat." It was agreed and the group moved tentatively into the tunnel that led off of the entry chamber. The dirt floor quickly gave way to bare stone worn smooth by the passage of water and many feet. The flowstone descended deeper into the earth as they went, seeming almost like a natural staircase that curved downward. As Martivir had warned, the place stank and they could smell the room before they had stepped out into it. An incredible smell of rot and waste wafted up at them from the cavern, combining all the worst aspects of a charnel house and a midden pit. Moments later they stepped out into the natural area. Again the owl's scouting proved accurate; the cavern was as large as the one above although this one was wider than it was long. Finian's light very dimly illuminated the room, revealing a dark passageway more-or-less directly across from the one that had lead them there and another along the curve of the wall to their right. The rest of the room hung in darkness. Intermittent keening sounds echoed throughout the cavern from somewhere beyond, and small pools of darkness pocked the cavern floor. Finian took a few steps into the room and bent to look at one of the pools of darkness on the floor. It was a hole, he saw, likely caused by the same flowing water that had created the 'staircase'. The soft blue glow of his sword revealed glimpses of another cavern below this one. It appeared to be piled high with all manner of foul waste. That was all he had time to register before a dung-colored tentacle erupted up out of the hole and flailed at him. Finian's uncanny reflexes allowed him to avoid the first such attack, but not the second, which sprang up from another hole behind him. A tentacle as thick as his forearm and covered with rough, thorny protrusions wrapped itself roughly around his right shin. It squeezed his limb savagely and began to tug him toward the small dark hole in the floor. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
The Realms of Enlightenment: The Grey Companions
Top