Insight's "The Isle of Dread" - Chapter One

[Insight]

OOC: Is the market at the same direction as the temple district? I assume Adam knows this. He will react differently if most of the enemies went in the direction the others will emerge.

OOC: It's kinda in the same direction, but the way towards the market forks off about half a mile before you would head towards the temple district. You should be able to avoid those guys pretty easily.

 

[JustKim]

Nafije brought her hand up to cover a giddy, childish smile at the way Astra's ears twitched. Like a cat, she supposed. The sorts of ideas that came to mind with that comparison didn't help, and she squirmed to hold back laughter. Once Astra had disappeared around the corner, Nafije allowed herself a small giggle.

She let the emotion drain away with a sigh, and composed a report to Adam. "There is someone down here," she said quietly, and let Goldie relay her message. "Astra is going to investigate. Is everyone alright above?"

Gods willing, Goldie would deliver the message, but Nafije didn't know if she would receive a response. They must be nearing the limits of Goldie's range, and if Adam's party was on the move, doubly so. At any moment she anticipated that Goldie would reappear here with her and deprive them this communication.

 

[Walking Dad]

Adam of Brightcastle

Mounted on his celestial tiger, Adam addresses the others:
"We should be able to avoid them on our way to the district. Let's hope we have the right destination and not them..."

 

[Scotley]

Geirgrim reluctantly nods his agreement. "Okay, we'll avoid them and make our way to the temple district without making trouble."

 

[Insight]

Inside the Secret Passage: Cassi, Nafije, Astra, Questor, and Vrashek
Astra ventures further down the side passage...

Astra's ears twitch in irritation at the drunken discord within the notes of the song, as each voice tries to follow the lead of another, and wind up sliding all over the musical scale as a result.

Aesthetic nightmare as it was, she still wanted to see who these cretins were before writing them off as potential threats.

She crept closer, trying to keep her footsteps quiet in spite of their caterwauling.

Astra reaches the door. Light floods into the darkened corridor from beneath the door. Astra believes there are perhaps three or four people singing beyond the door. She now recognizes the accent as Dwarven in nature and perhaps the slurred singing as Dwarven as well.

Astra also hears the clinking of metal on metal or perhaps metal on stone. This is also coming from beyond the door.

OOC: What about the rest of you? Waiting on Astra? Want to do something else in the meantime?

 

[Insight]

Traveling through Specularum towards the Temple District (Adam, Keharn, Geirgrim, Skaros, and Barook)
Our heroes spend the next twenty minutes in transit and then arrive at the opulent Temple District of Specularum. Here, dozens of temples to a myriad of deities flank a great tiled square. At the center of this square is a two-story marble fountain.

The heroes notice a significant presence of guards here. It is obvious to all that this place is heavily watched and guarded.

 

[Rhun]

Vrashek stands quietly, focusing his senses on any possible danger to himself or his companions.

 

[JustKim]

Nafije hung back with Cassi, Questor, and Vrashek. She knew that Astra was their best chance at scouting ahead, and although she worried greatly, nothing would be helped by her tagging along.

"Goldie is still within range," she said quietly. "Strange. The others must be moving with us." She took her glowing sigil of al-Kalim and gestured down the seam of the earth, where the tunnel continued. "I'm going to go ahead a little bit. So that if Adam has any news, he can still reach me."

"Just up here," she said, and walked carefully. She would not go too far. For all her wizardly power, Nafije had been raised as a desert flower to never stray far from the side of a strong man who could protect her. Even now she felt vulnerable to be split up from friends like Barook, and Adam, and now Vrashek too.

 

[Leif]

Questor, Halfling Chaos Sorcerer 6

Questor stands quietly near Vrashek and hopes for the best for Astra.

 

[Insight]

Inside the Secret Passage: Cassi, Nafije, Astra, Questor, and Vrashek

Nafije hung back with Cassi, Questor, and Vrashek. She knew that Astra was their best chance at scouting ahead, and although she worried greatly, nothing would be helped by her tagging along.

"Goldie is still within range," she said quietly. "Strange. The others must be moving with us." She took her glowing sigil of al-Kalim and gestured down the seam of the earth, where the tunnel continued. "I'm going to go ahead a little bit. So that if Adam has any news, he can still reach me."

"Just up here," she said, and walked carefully. She would not go too far. For all her wizardly power, Nafije had been raised as a desert flower to never stray far from the side of a strong man who could protect her. Even now she felt vulnerable to be split up from friends like Barook, and Adam, and now Vrashek too.

Nafije wanders ahead, stopping at what appears to be a narrower section of tunnel. This corridor, through the barest of illumination, seems to connect to Specularum's sewer system.

Nafije notices chips broken out of the stone surrounding one section of the adjoining corridor. She would have to get closer to determine the nature of the damage, which appears to be "man-made".