The Romance of the River Kingdoms

[Dr Simon]

Everyone in the party knows that this area is Kumo Forest, and has long had a sinister reputation for non-specific spookiness. Mystal Marr (the only one with ranks in Local Knowledge) knows that the region has been avoided by the people of Cormondal for several generations on account of its reputation. Rumours say that it houses the haunted ruins of an ancient civilisation (that predates even the Empire of Splendour, so over 3000 years old) that was cursed by the Immortals as punishment for some unspecified wrong-doing by the inhabitants - the usual kind of creepy backstory, in other words.

As for this specific location - nothing concrete is known, since no-one has explored the forest for a very long time. Growling Ape's spirit guide whispers to him that the area seems unnaturally devoid of wildlife....

 

[Theroc]

Shakou shook her feline head, before speaking.

"No, I'm not particularly familiar with this area, besides the fact that it's spooky... anyways, I'm going to make myself 'scarce'. I'll be within earshot, but I won't be as readily seen... just call if I'm needed... if I wouldn't already know..."

And with that, Shakou slipped into any available brush, attempting to make herself more difficult to see, and placing efforts into moving silently as well.

[OOC: Hide and Move Silently check results...
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2120494/
Hide: 21+16=37
Move Silently: 21+12=33]

 

[Neurotic]

"There are legends predating The Empire and more modern embelishments. The core of the legend is that The Immortals have cursed some city hidden in its depths."

After swinging high up and not one to be outdone, little scout all but dissapears in the canopy. He tries, and fails, to keep track of the tiger in its natural environment.

Hide(1d20+14=25); Move Silently(1d20+15=27); Spot (1d20+7=24)

 

[Blackrat]

A beauty wrapped in wilderness. Three Flowers muses to himself as he walks with the others. He was taken back with the majesty of the forest and silently kept pace with the group.

 

[Walking Dad]

AC 15 (T15, FF13), HP 39/39, F +5,R+3,W+6 (Spells: 0:5/5, 1:4/4, 2:3/3)

"Maybe this curse has changed the inhabitants. Be careful there is less wildlife around us that should be. Take care in advance or you hurt yourself in the future." Ape says.

[sblock=ooc]

Spells
5/Day Level 0: Cure Minor Wounds, Detect Magic, Light, Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic
4/Day Level 1: Produce Lightning, Shillelagh, Summon Nature's Ally I.
3/Day Level 2: Summon Nature's Ally II
[/sblock]

 

[Shayuri]

Annika lands behind the others and resumes her human form, dressing quickly and then trotting up to join her friends as they venture forwards.

"The trees are too thick to see anything from above," she reports breathlessly as she catches up. "And that crack's too narrow for me to maneuver in. Do you think the apes are the cursed ones?"

 

[Dr Simon]

Bump.

I take it you plan to enter the ravine. Any preperations first?

 

[Neurotic]

Yes. Preparation. Party waits while combination of small ape and hunting tiger (dynamic duo, but much more subtle) enters for scouting purposes. Their footfalls lighter then shadows touch and their eyes and ears as sharp as dragons...

 

[Dr Simon]

There is a faint rustle in the canopy above, as of a breeze passing through, and then there is no further sign of Mystal Mar. Tiger-Shakou enters the ravine, utterly silent, and then she too is lost from sight in the dark, dappled shadow.

[SBLOCK=Mystal Mar]
You climb above the ravine, using the bamboo culms to reach the higher ground, From here you can hide in the undergrowth and look down into the hidden valley. You estimate it to be at least 200 ft. long, perhaps more, but no more than about 70-80 ft. wide. From where you are, a blanket of thick webs covers the valley, and you can't see down to the valley floor, some 40 ft. or more below you, through the overlapping layers. You see no signs of... wait, across the far side of the valley and further in. Just the slightest movement of a foreleg gave it away. A giant spider, as big as a pony, lurking near the opposite valley wall on a wide platform of web.
[/SBLOCK]

[SBLOCK=Shakou]
The ravine opens out again immediately after the crevice, to about 30 ft. or so, you think. It is dark in here, the sunlight filtered not only through the canopy of the bamboo, but through overlapping layers of thick webs. Webs hang down as well, like curtains. The ground is an uneven layer of mossy boulders. Everywhere is crawling with tiny spiders.
[/SBLOCK]

 

[Neurotic]

After only few minutes Mystal returns moving significantly lower then when he departed.

"It's a lair of giant spiders. There are webs all around and I saw at least one of the giant ones. That giant spider, as big as a pony, lurks near the right valley wall on a wide platform of web. I couldn't see the floor from all the webs, Shakou should be able to report more."