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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Knightfall" data-source="post: 8303756" data-attributes="member: 2012">[Spoiler="Xander's Conversation With Maur"]Xander explains to Maur that the tunnel down into the Underearth and connecting tunnel to the mainland isn't a straight shot from the island to the shoreline. It will take longer to wind through the various passages, and he doesn't actually know the way to Carnell from the island. He had planned to take the main tunnel down into the Underearth and then flee south though some passages he does know that would lead him to a ruin of an old duergar fort known as Karnthiod.The Ghast Lord left for Carnell right after the PCs arrived on the first level of the temple, so it will take some time for him to get there. He purposely sent the patrol of acolytes against the PCs as a distraction but didn't tell them that the PCs were coming into the temple. There are two senior acolytes with Tarrak but Xander thinks there could be as many as four. They are not ghasts. Tarrak also has two zombies with him -- former acolytes that displeased him.Xander knows there are two ways into the tunnel that leads to the Underearth. One is on the highest level of the temple and it is the one he was planning to use. There is another, secret, entrance to the tunnel on the third level of the temple, but he doesn't know where it is located since he rarely entered that area. It is mainly for Tarrak, the other ghasts, and their senior acolytes (who are better trained than Eike and the other acolytes but not as dangerous as Hirasean and Lady Panthera).Xander tells Maur that Lady Panthera's first name is Caprasia and that she is known as a Direspeaker of Malotoch (bard/cleric) among their faithful. She is actually a lady but was cast out of her noble family. He doesn't know where her family is from, however. She will likely remain hidden in the temple and wait for Tarrak's return. If Tarrak doesn't come back, she will probably flee into the Underearth.[/Spoiler]Going through the Underearth passage will add another 10 miles to the journey due to the twists and turns, but Tarrak and his undead forces have to traverse that distance too.The rooks (at least a dozen) and an anathaema eagle were sent to attack Carnell at the same time as Tarrak headed into the Underearth. (Angus did not see them while he was flying to the island. He was flying low and they were flying high.) It won't take them long to reach the mainland. They have a fly speed of 80 feet (so, 8 miles in one hour).I would say that the Tarrak and his minions have a two hour head start on the PCs. The PCs have fought three battles since arriving on the first level the temple: one vs. the acolytes, one vs. the ghast that was locked away in the room, and the fight throughout the various corridors. They spent time destroying the altar and had to break through the first door into the temple.The rooks and anathaema eagle have already flown 16 miles. The PCs can't get to Carnell before those foes attack the village. Tarrak and his undead forces have travelled at least 4 miles through the Underearth. If the PCs hustle, they can go at 4 miles/hour based on Maur's speed of 20 feet. Maur could always ride on Angus, which would allow the PCs to hustle at 6 miles/hour. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />The PCs could try to hustle through the rising water past low tide but I wouldn't recommend it.</blockquote>

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