D&D 5E The Kalarian Precipice - Chapter Four

[Metea]

Otiroth seems back on his feet. Metea releases her tail-hold on the sorcerer, though feathers might've brushed a behind once more, before looking between the two.

The barbarian looked... busy. So she'd head over to join Annit, peering down into the darkness. Joined her in listening. Metea didn't really bring a weapon to bear- she hadn't even drawn her dagger once, she was pretty sure- but she was confident in her eldritch magic.

Perhaps both with and without reason. She wondered if the fight could've been avoided, had she not decided to experiment with the rune.

But master, if I didn't- how would I know?

She too would listen... for all the good it did!

 

[Jeovanna]

Investigation had shown the hide to hardly be in a proper state for salvaging. Disappointing. Jeovanna would score the flesh with her dagger, to leave a juicier meal for anything that might come along afterwards.

The pack is of interest, though. She'd toss the limp imp body down the hall a bit, closer towards the glyph that had ensnared their warlock, before investigating the bag.

"Hrm."

Still had her knife out. A quick flick of the blade, and she'd move to slice open the side of the pack, to empty the contents into a pile on the ground.

Do not stick your fingers in an demon's bag seemed an adage for the ages.

 

[Carthum One-Tusk]

Carthum One-Tusk: Four sides

Carthum smiled, though a bit ruefully, and patted the ranger solidly on the back. "Perhaps they will mistake our clatter for a gaggle of kitchen wenches, and leave us be."

Purely tusk in cheek, obviously.

He'd return down the hall, as swiftly and gracelessly as he'd come, to inform the others. The path seemed clearer. Whether it was or not... they would soon find out, but with the power of their party united.

Some spider-bits would be tossed down the opposite hall... but he'd leave a leg or two near the path they were heading down- a final snack? Something for the spiderlings, should there be any that might be deprived a feast?

 

[97mg]

Four Sides

The rogue felt a sense of reassurance in Metea’s arrival by her side. Those hands of hers and the dazzling destruction they could cause, well it made Annit’s rudimentary bow and arrows somewhat pale in comparison.

Something was stirring at the opposite end of the passageway, far out of Annit’s torch range. Metea would see it though, a hairy leg or two poking out from the corner.

“What is it?” Annit asked, having just heard what sounded like movement ahead.

In Otiroth’s peaceful post-recovery, he might hear it too, or at worst see a change on Annit and Metea’s faces. He’d at least had some moments to ponder and reflect first. Specifically upon any knowledge of lower-planar fiends documented at the Burning Rose. The details and testimonies were scarce. Most of the authors rumored to be simply mad or dreamers of fiction. The sorcerer had seen such beasts with his own eyes now though. They had got here somehow. Hell, Metea’s very existence proved that. But how? Was there something about these inner openings of Kalair’s solid ground that might explain some of this?

Jeovanna’s sous-chef work goes well, and the creation of pre-prepared meals is as wise a task as it is gruesome. A good thing the barbarian used to liaise with predators, a lifestyle with Gnolls tends to remove any fear at the sight of dead meat, or blood. Being desensitized has it's advantages at times... though a good brew generally helps.

The Imp’s pouch falls open at the slash of her knife. A thin but lengthy tendril of black leather tumbles to the ground, and at its extremities sections seem to sparkle in the dim light. Tiny blades, sewn into three strands, all connected to a whip-like grip.

<Version of Blade Whip. 2D4 Slashing Damage. Finesse Weapon. Reach 15ft.>

A shuffle from behind a way. A clang of armor. Ah ha! Carthum pokes his head out of the eastern crevice. It looked like time to go!

As Dain waits for his stealth-buddy to return, a light puff of heated air moves past his cheeks. A smell of soot follows. Then he hears something, a sound diffused by dark walls and chaotic turns.

“Mmmmerragh…”

Clang.

Then the quiet returns, though he will probably hear Carthum coming back soon enough.

<If the team is exiting stage right, just need to know the order and who is on dwarf-sherpa duties. Two characters side by side is possible in the tunnels where Dain currently waits.>

 

[daindarkspring]

Dain - Triple Fork

Dain sniffed at the air, still crouched down, waiting in the darkness. When he heard the strange sound, his head turned so that his ear faced that direction.

What new danger awaits us? This is a den of death if there ever was one. I'll need a new jerkin, if for nothing else than to bury me in it. Will you accept me into your arms, Essithea? Worm's meat. Or will I walk with you in gloomy groves forever...

He stood up, senses keen towards the path ahead. The rest of the group was coming.

Mind the now, Darkspring. Mind the now...

When Annit came forward to join him in the point position, he gave her a slight smile in the flickering light. He shook his head slightly, adjusting his mane so that a few stray strands came away from his face. Then his eyes went to his sword, and the design on the blade...before returning to Annit. His expression said it all: he looked forward to the day they visited her old family shrine. But did she? Or did she fear it? Either way, her features were so delicate...

<Insight roll = 6>

Once they were all in position, Dain would move the party forward, letting them know that he had smelled soot and heard shufflings in the darkness. Beware.

<Perception roll = 11>

 

[Otiroth]

Otiroth followed along with the others- he'd sniff the air as well.

The scent of mysterious alchemical substances had often drifted past Otiroth's nose in the past. Most of the truly interesting scents had been hidden beneath the smell of perfumes... drifting up from the depths beneath the perfume shop, wafted on the air of secret spells cast by his master.

Perhaps he might recognize the smell, but... it was faint on the air already.

<Arcana check=9>

 

[Metea]

Metea: Triple Fork

As they walked, Metea waved one hand and summoned forth another deceptive illusion.

This one was a bit simpler- an image of a faint glow around herself and Otiroth. "Resilient sphere!" It was a spell well above their power, but she would do her best to replicate what she imagined the spell would look like. It was all based on the caster in the end, wasn't it?

Well, she would do what she could.

<Invocation: Misty Visions. Deception check-21>

"Don't worry," she winked back at her brother, "I have enchanted it so you and the dwarf can pass through, Carthum!"

She sniffed at the sooty smell too, though without much interest. Unless it smelled liker her on a bad day (hey, she had rough days too!) she wasn't sure what she could glean from it. She was content to follow Dain's direction on what path to take next.

 

[Jeovanna]

Jeovanna: Triple Fork

Metea's illusion was very good. At least, that would be Jeovanna's excuse for completely falling for it. "Me as well?" She'd ask.

She'd not seen that spell before. Didn't quite click between the darkness illusion and this one.

The majority of the barbarian's attention was on the pathway behind them. Listening for the sound of the spider. Listening for the sound of it feasting... or following.

<Perception check=18>

 

[Carthum One-Tusk]

Carthum One-Tusk: Triple Fork

Despite the danger of the path forward, Carthum had a crooked smile for Metea and the barbarian woman. "I'm sure you as well, if needed," he replied. "Well done, sister."

They would not have too long to linger to make their decision. His spell had worn off, and abjuration magic was... capable of many things. He peered ahead, as best he could through his fellows, before lifting a stray stone and casting Light upon it. He passed this up to Dain and Annit.

"Cast our path," the abjured tunnel seemed the best solution. While it was not certain, perhaps a rock could disrupt some spell or trap waiting?

<Spellcasting: Cantrip. Light>

 

[97mg]

Triple Fork

Annit has a brave face on, and a very convincing one as she moves to the front. What to worry about? She is among the youthful and talented! Some skilled in magic that grows stronger with each step forwards, and others who have proven excellent at dissecting foes with simple edged steel.

A few rats, spiders and bats, the remote possibility of illegal miners or bandits. That’s what she’d expected. Instead they’d witnessed undead, fey, demons and constructs. So in truth, beneath the pretty and calm exterior, Annit was extremely concerned. She had come to both like and respect her colleagues. If long-lasting harm should come to any of them, such guilt would be unthinkable. Otiroth’s recent close call, that had been a real eye opener. Nothing down here was to be taken for granted, or approached with overconfidence.

Dain by her side, and smiling to him, they moved forwards with Carthum's light-imbibed stone.

Heat and the bitter smell of burning coals gains intensity with each step, and that is all they appear to be to Otiroth’s well-tuned nose. In the last working moments of Carthum’s magical detection, the priest notes a strong presence of magic somewhere near… abjuration, but also something unaligned to particular school, yet so far, out of sight.

Zig-zags like the great incisors of some mammoth black stone beast are trod, until dim light greets the party at a nearing bend. To the left, a ten foot wide hole in the wall comes into view. Ahead, the light reflects off something not-quite-shiny, not-quite-solid. A gelatinous form lies on their path some twenty feet off, like the tail of some great black pre-skinned eel.

“Look,” Annit whispers to Dain, pointing to it. Immediately she wraps a hand around the lightstone, letting only a tiny beam show through between her fingers. Just enough to dimly reveal the surrounds.

“Let me check the left,” she then nervously whispers, poking her head into the sidewall hole.

A moment later she reports back, keeping her voice low. “Another crevice, looks to run parallel with this one, and there are deep lines cut into the floor, like a cartwheel’s tracks.”

The rogue tenses at the sounds of a voice then. Somewhere ahead. Elderly and crackling, dry and ominous…

“Ah ah, so long so long, what, what, what?”

Then the jelly-tail moves, a swish from side to side.

At the group’s rear, Jeovanna and the spell-casters have heard no evidence of an upcoming rear assault. The spider(s), it is likely they are busy... for now.

<Annit deception (to hide fear) = 19. Annit perception (to see / notice stuff) = 19 too.
Metea, Carthum, Otiroth: May make an Arcana/Religion check. I’ll use the best roll of the three for the results.
What would everyone like to do?>

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