D&D 5E The Kalarian Precipice - Chapter Two

[daindarkspring]

Dain - Descending down

The blade shimmered with a new aura of grace and power. He barely suppressed a grin as he held it aloft for a brief moment. Then he watched as the entryway to the bowels of the earth was opened, and a familiar scent wafted out. It reminded him of his dreams. Of his visions.

The earth is her domain. Why should I fear her embrace?

Pulling a small lamp from his backpack, Dain set about lighting it with practiced skill. "We will need some bit of light, I would think." Holding it up, he gripped his sword in his other hand and motioned with his head to the descending stairs. "And blades to meet what might seek to stop our exploration." He looked at Annit. "And this time I will not be chasing you, but yet again aiding you, perhaps?"

Shaking some stray hairs from his face, he made to accompany Jeovanna and Annit downwards. No doubt the others would be close behind.

<If one of the spellcasters has a light spell of some kind, Dain will extinguish his lamp.>
<Rolled 6 for initiative, in necessary. 10+5=15 for Perception check once inside?>

 

[Metea]

Metea- descending down

A torch? How quaint! Of course... humans couldn't see in the dark, could they? It seemed so natural that Metea often didn't think of it.

She'd follow the others down, somewhat instinctively staying near the center of the pack. Her patron had granted her a new addition to their pact; she could feel it, and was eager to test it. Yet she knew better than to rush ahead, for while that might give her an opportunity to discover the secret of this skill, it could also get her bitten to death by rats.

"The dungeon is still intact... so might be any old defenses a greedy miner left behind," Metea noted as she came up alongside Annit in the tunnels. They were not that close... back in the olden days, miners it seemed were quite skilled. Not that Metea had ever been down an iron mine...

She'd scan the darkness ahead, beyond the comfort of the torchlight.

<Perception check- 13>

 

[Otiroth]

Otiroth: Descending down

Otiroth's mind was awhirl with possibilities. His studies had shown him spells and magic that required the consumption of gems to work. Crushed rubies, blazing sapphires, even diamonds! So the potential here was truly amazing.

But he was no exciteable boy. He would be the last into the mines.

Otiroth did have a spell that created light, but it acted briefly. As much as he enjoyed the freedom to cast his spells, the torch was simply the better option.

 

[Carthum One-Tusk]

Carthum One-Tusk: Descending down... down... down

"Metea... are you sure you're up to this?" Carthum asked. His sister was... fragile. Otiroth looked as such as well, but he had his illegal magic to fall upon. Good for them, in this case.

Perhaps it did not matter. Better she was down here with him, than up on the surface, facing the sands and whatever else looked to invade while they were gone. Carthum gave Gerralos a nod. "May Suru shield you. We will protect your daughter," he said.

And then, he would join the others heading down, moving his shield from his back to his arm. He would protect the rear of the group for now.

"Suru's will guides us," Carthum said, and should the torch go out... he believed Suru would give them light in turn. But Suru also provided healing to the injured, and those were the spells that Carthum knew he must lift his prayers for; he had a healer's kit, of course, but he feared there were things down here that would not be that patient.

Suru would see them through, and the deeper they went, the brighter the torchlight seemed! From the back, and with his darkvision, he had a decent view of the tunnels ahead.

<Perception check: 17+4 = 21>

 

[97mg]

All: Descending down... down... down

Your first brave steps into darkness are accompanied by a steep fall... in temperature. Cool and almost refreshing at first, an appreciated break from the sweltering and oft tiresome heat of recent days.

At the back of the group, protecting the rear as is the time honored role of many great priests before him, Carthum takes a final look at the light reaching in from the open trapdoor. A familiar face comes into view the old man bids you a safe journey. He sees that all is well, smiles, winks at the priest, and then with a groan, drops the door shut.

On the base of the old metal flap is an iron rod, which can slide a good distance into a sleeved hole in the sidewall. Effectively locking the door from the inside, should the half-orc wish.

Somewhere in the center of the descending procession, Annit smiles at Dain’s remark. “Is it something you do regularly? Chasing women? I never thanked you truly, and your friends, for getting that guard off my back.”

She looks to Metea then, her shoulder-buddy on these narrow steps. “No doubt. Miners are cunning, and these ones may have been extra protective. You can see far better than I down here right? If anything looks odd please do say, I might be able to disarm some of whatever surprises linger here.”

For several minutes nothing really changes as you make your ways down. Earthen walls. Earthen ceiling chocked up with hardwood bracing. Step after step a sense of claustrophobia creeps in. Then finally, the ranger and barbarian leading the group arrive at a small landing. A flat expanse some several yards across. Ahead, the steps continue to work their way downwards. To the left an old wooden door sags a little on its hinges. And in the floor to your right, a two foot wide hole gapes like a hungry mouth. A rusty eyehook protrudes from the ceiling above it, and a frayed rope dangles down into its throat.

 

[Jeovanna]

Jeovanna- The first expanse

A moment to take in the room. Silence, for now- they had seen little more than spiders and pill bugs so far.

This room held plenty of opportunity, though, a veritable swarm of options. Jeovanna's eyes were drawn first to that pit. "Someone hung bait there, I think," she'd offer, for what better way to lure in wolves than to set a bit of jerky dangling over the trap? "Avoid it, I'd say."

Jeovanna thought the others too glib, but then, she would no doubt always think that.

 

[daindarkspring]

Dain - The First Expanse

Was it blood for blood, then? Or will I yet see some boon?

Dain was very engrossed in making his way forward steadily and yet with great caution. His sword was down in a defensive position. Still, Annit's comments did not go unheard. "I chase only one woman, if you can call her that, in dreams and visions, in dark places that I rarely remember upon waking." He smirked, in the torchlit shadows. "You were an exception. And this quest is all the thanks I could have wished for."

Coming to the first landing, Dain waved the light in an arc, taking everything in. Especially the hole. "I'm with Jeovanna. Even if that rope wasn't near to snapping, it would take a dire threat to make me descend down it. No room to swing a blade...or draw a bow." His own pack, quite full, had a quiver with several arrows and a plain-looking hunting bow.

He motioned to the sagging door. "But this? I say we leave no riddles in our wake, no doors that may be opened behind our backs..." And for some reason the decaying door, hiding some dark room beyond, reminded him of his own obscured past. Breaking it open would feel good.

 

[Metea]

Metea: The first expanse

"Do not worry," Metea said with a little wink to Annit, "should I see any spinning blades or cloakers, I'll not keep it tp myself!"

They could spread out a little more when they reached the first landing, and Metea made a face at the hole into darkness. Were they feeding something there, or was it simply a well whose bucket had rotted off from age?

Well, they were deep into a mine that would see them all hanged for exploring it. Paranoia was probably sensible.

 

[Otiroth]

Otiroth: the first expanse

Otiroth joined the others on the first landing. There was a bit more room to walk around here, and Otiroth would agree with Dain; the door was practically begging to be investigated. It was hanging off of its hinges at this point, and might even serve a double purpose.

"Might be worth it to see if we can take it off its hinges. I'd feel better with that hole covered," Otiroth said. That was, of course, if there were no boards or other mining equipment they could use to cover the hole normally.

Otiroth was interested in avoiding both a death by hanging and a death by rats.

 

[Carthum One-Tusk]

Carthum One-Tusk: the first expanse

The door looked fragile. They could likely kick it in. Carthum would head over, since no one else was, to take a look.

If the door was not locked, he'd shoulder it open slightly, enough at least to look through the crack. But it seemed fragile enough that he figured a good push might take it off its hinges entirely, and the door was already weak; if it was trapped, perhaps the trap went the way of the hinges.

If it was locked, well, Annit had said she could disarm traps, and maybe open locks. Might as well let her have a crack at it.