The rope bridge creaks ominously as Ironheart begins to cross it, but it holds the treants heavy weight without collapsing. The group begins their slow, methodical walk across the swampy water. The surface is murky and the smell from it is terrible, rotten odours rise from the water, like heat from cobblestone roads in the summer. As you are about halfway across the bridge, the door suddenly opens and an old woman walks out. She carries a cane and as she exits the building you hear *clack, clack, clack* as it strikes the wooden walkway around the hut.
[sblock=Woman]
[/sblock]
In a raspy voice you hear "What business have you here".
Haruka bows, her expression pleasant. "Greetings, my lady. We," she gestures both towards Ironheart and Rhole as well as Derien and Ikni, "are looking for the Lady of Nightmares. We were told that she resides in this swamp. Are you her? If so, we need to talk to you about a ring."
[sblock=OOC]
How long is this bridge? I thought the idea was that Ironheart would cross the entire way and then hold the rope for everyone else.
[/sblock]
Before stepping onto the bridge:
Ironheart accepts the rope and ties it tightly around his trunk. He places the sunrod firmly in a hollow, allowing its light to spill forth from between his branches. He sinks the haft of his old axe into the mud of the riverbank, giving himself a free hand to hold onto the rope, and tentatively steps out onto the bridge.
When the woman appears:
Ironheart stops abruptly and his voice begins rumbling deep in his trunk. As Haruka speaks, the rumbling dies away and he waits patiently for her to finish.
"Welcome to my home, who are you looking for dearie? My old ears can't hear too well, why don't you come a little closer?" she replies
[sblock=Insight DC 21]
You can tell the mention of the ring has put the creature on edge. Also, you can tell that she's lying....obviously, despite her +11 bluff
[/sblock]
ooc: Insight Twenty-****ing-Five! Oh man, IC, I love you. All is forgiven. For now.
Haruka grins and shakes her head. "Sorry, my Lady, but I think we are quite comfortable where we are. And I suspect you know whose ring we're talking about. Why don't you drop this charade and stop wasting our time?"