Apprehending the deviousness behind the diminutive villain's menacing smile, Cyr strongly advises caution as the party approaches the bridge, almost certain that there is a trap or an ambush. Ferris examines the bridge, deeming it structurally sound, but Jezebel and Sir Exsixten spot a couple of hastily scrawled black markings on the walls at the midpoint in the bridge. Reaching out with his arcane senses, Alnar realizes that these markings are runes of entropy that function as a kind of magical trip wire: should anyone cross directly in front of them, the entire bridge will collapse into the falls below. The walls of the bridge seem wide enough to walk on though without anyone stepping in front of the runes, and the party carefully makes their way safely across this narrow foothold.
Reaching the other side of the bridge the party plunges into the forest following the darting, shadowy shapes. You move only a short distance from the bridge before you see the short cloaked figures. They have slowed their pace, apparently confident in the stopping-power of their trap, but nevertheless they keep glancing back to check that they are not followed, and listening for the sounds of crumbling rock.
[sblock="Skill Challenge - Nighttime Visitations"]Round 5
Primary Skill:
As a group, choose either Stealth DC 13 or Athletics DC 15
Secondary Skills:
Stealth as primary: Bluff, Arcana, Acrobatics
Athletics as primary: Perception, Nature, Endurance
Your choice of primary skill will determine the secondary skill set. Each of the secondary skills can be used only once this round to either gain one success vs. DC 15 or aid another with their primary skill check.
You need to either catch up to and confront the short, cloaked villains, or convince them that they've successfully shaken your pursuit, and follow them to wherever they're going. The party as a whole will need to choose either stealth or athletics as the primary skill for this round, based on their desired course of action. This choice will dramatically effect the results of this skill challenge and the course of the adventure if you are successful. Feel free to discuss OOC.
Two more successes with no failures will win the skill challenge.
Overall progress: 8 successes, 2 failures
For each round please narrate your character's actions and post your roll. Please make only one skill check per round per player. I'll indicate primary skills for each round, as well as secondary skills and what they can be used for. Aid another using one of the primary skills is always an option, but please note the updated Aid Another rules that implement scaling DCs and penalties for failure.
If you have an idea for a non-skill check action such as the use of a power for your turn, or you think of a way to apply a non-primary or secondary skill, run it by me and I'll let you know if and how it can be applied to the present round.[/sblock]
