The Wrong Guys IC II

[Ajadea]

I'm so proud of this game, honestly. Fast, interesting, and...second thread. What's not to like?

Previous Thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=157464) OOC Thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=12657967#post12657967)


Deities:

Aldaran, God of the Sun, the main deity, Patron of Paladins. Holy Symbol: A sun. Domains: Sun, Strength, War. Favored Weapon: Warhammer

The Wanderer, patron god of travelers and tricksters everywhere, halflings especially. Symbol: A hood, with a face barely visible inside. Domains: Luck, Travel, Trickery. Favored weapon: Quarterstaff

Andarra, Goddess of Death. Symbol: A rotting hand. Domains: Death, Destruction, Protection. Favored weapon: Glaive.

Esari, Wife of Alderan. Goddess of the home. Symbol: Two hands with palms together. Domains: Healing, Protection. Favored Weapon: Dagger

Elves tend to worship Obad-hai (the dude in the player's handbook) or the Moon Lady (Domains: Magic, Protection, Knowledge, Healing), represented by the largest moon (There are 3, but one is tiny and the other is blue and comes around about once every 7 years), considering celestials to be her children. A good portion of them are atheists.

The Big 16:

1. What game system are you running (D&D, Call of Cthulu, Palladium, GURPS, etc.), and if applicable what edition (Original, Classic, Revised, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 10th, etc.)? D&D 3.5

2. What 'type' or variant of game will it be (i.e. "Shadow Chasers" or "Agents of Psi" for d20 Modern)? What is the setting for the game (eg. historic period, published or homebrewed campaign setting, alternate reality, modern world, etc.)? Homebrewed setting.

3. How many Players are you looking for? Will you be taking alternates, and if so, how many? 4-6 players, no alternates on account of the fact this is my first time DMing a PbP and I'd like to keep it simple.

4. What's the gaming medium (OOTS, chat, e-mail etc.)? This Forum.

5. What is the characters' starting status (i.e. experience level)?
ECL 3. Note that non-human characters are distrusted at best and hunted and killed at worst.

6. How much gold or other starting funds will the characters begin with? 1000 gp, nothing magical.

7. Are there any particular character classes, professions, orders, etc. that you want... or do not want? What are your rules on 'prestige' and/or homebrewed classes? No clerics. No wizards. No beguilers. No psionics. No wu jen. Someone better have Heal as a class skill. I'm not about to go easy on you. Your character MUST have a legitimate way to have gained his/her class(es). Show me the homebrew if you want it allowed.

8. What races, subraces, species, etc. are allowed for your game? Will you allow homebrewed races or species? 'Prestige' races or species? As above: just show me the homebrew.

9. By what method should Players generate their attributes/ability scores and Hit Points? Roll for hit points. You are a ragtag bunch of misfits who really aren't supposed to be here and this is represented by the way I am determining your stats. 25 point buy or roll 4d6b3 in order for your stats, switch any two to represent training. If you want to roll, make 2 arrays and choose one.

10. Does your game use alignment? What are your restrictions, if so?
There is alignment for roleplaying and restrictions (paladins must be LG), but no alignment-specific spells. See point 13.

11. Do you allow multi-classing, or have any particular rules in regards to it? No penalties for multiclassing. Not everyone can be a sorcerer. You must start with at least 1 level of sorcerer, be a race with spell-like abilities, or be a race with sorcerer as its favored class to take levels in sorcerer over the course of the campaign.

12. Will you be doing all of the die rolling during the course of the game? Will die rolls be altered, or left to the honor system? If players can make die rolls, which ones do they make, how should they make the rolls, and how should they report them? Forum Dice Roller please. Make all the rolls you want.

13. Are there any homebrewed or optional/variant rules that your Players should know about? If so, list and explain them, or provide relevant links to learn about these new rules.
Detect alignment, undetectable alignment, protection from alignment, Alignment-specific domains, anything else that does something like that, out. Any spells that deals bonus damage/effects against a creature of a certain alignment now either deals that extra damage to arcane spellcasters, divine spellcasters, or non-spellcasters (Something that affected evil now affects arcane, something that affected chaos now affects divine, something that affected law now affects the non-spellcasters, something that affects good has no equivalent.) Elf Favored Class is Sorcerer instead of Wizard.

Other:

Monk: Full BAB
A partial Flurry (as flurry, but no extra attacks from high BAB) can be made as a standard attack starting at 2nd level.
3rd Level Monk Extraordinary ability: Add Wisdom to all melee combat rolls (grapple, trip, bull rush, whatever)
5th Level: Uncanny Dodge
6th Level: Ki Strike as a +1 Weapon
10th Level: Ki Strike (ghost touch, replaces Ki strike (lawful)), Improved Uncanny Dodge
12th Level: Ki Strike as a +2 Weapon that deals slashing damage as well,
Abundant Step usable a number of times/day equal to Wisdom modifier.
16th Level: Ki Strike (adamantine)
20th Level: Ki Strike as a +3 Weapon that deals piercing damage as well.

Paladin(Witch-hunter): Smite Arcane (Replaces Smite Evil) granted at a different progression (1st, 4th, 7th, 10th, 13th, 16th, 20th) as opposed to whatever it does right now.
Gain Knowledge (Arcana) and Spellcraft as class skills.
Replace Detect Evil with Detect Magic
Remove Disease X/Week is replaced by Greater Dispel Magic (Targeted only) as a Spell-Like Melee Touch Attack usable X times/day. Caster Level = Paladin Level
Remove Aura of Courage
8th Level Paladin Ability: The paladin gains spell resistance=Paladin level+Charisma score.

14. Is a character background required? If so, how big? Are you looking for anything in particular (i.e. the backgrounds all ending up with the characters in the same city)? Yes. I need to know how you obtained your class and what the heck are you doing in the sewers of the capital of a human country anyways? In addition, those who write good backstories get 100 roleplaying XP. Those who have a special item from their backstory get a +1 bonus on Will saves when it is in their possession and a -2 morale penalty when it is lost or destroyed. Really good backstories will have a small story arc devoted to them. (Yes, I am shamelessly bribing you here.)

15. Does your game involve a lot of hack & slash, puzzle solving, roleplaying, or a combination of the above? Lots of roleplaying (roleplaying XP is available), quite a lot of hack and slash, definitely at least a little puzzle solving.

16. Are your Players restricted to particular rulebooks and supplements, or will you be allowing access to non-standard material? What sources can Players use for their characters? SRD, Completes (Arcane/Divine/Warrior/Adventurer/Scoundrel/Mage), PHB 2, the web with my approval (classes like the marshal, anything from an excerpt of the rulebooks)


Characters:
Audric (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=217882)
Rána (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=217793)
Antal Nirum (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=217778)
Llaars Hayden (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=218060)
Rowan (http://pifro.com/pro/view.php?id=5181) [ON HIATUS]

Antal

"Crap. Er...should we go check it out, then?"

[Jallorn]

I don't know where it was, it stopped before I could get a fix. Spread out a little and look around?

[Ajadea]

Antal
"Fine by me." He heads back up the narrow tunnel that connects the 'dock' you're standing on to the greater tunnel system.

Since you're here: 3 Listen checks. Spot too.

[Strawberries]

"Wait!" Rana seems to have suddenly thought of something. "While I think we should go down some time, we may be moving farther away from Antal if we do this. Of course, we don't know where he is, so we might be getting closer, too." She frowns, then turns and rummages in her pack. "Ah, here! I did have some chalk. We could leave a message for him on the walls here, in case he makes it back before we do and comes looking for us. Of course, someone else could come along and read it instead of him. What do you think?"

"I honestly think the benefit do outweight the risk. Go ahead, but if you can, try to be a bit criptic". He just had the mental image of Keon finding the home of the creature before him. He shudders, then addresses Yilminri. "You need the rope? You can take it. Hmm...rope." he says, pointing. He did not catch the word Yilminri used to describe it, but it seems like a word that would be useful to know.

[Jallorn]

Listen 1:[roll0]
Listen 2:[roll1]
Listen 3:[roll2]
Spot:[roll3]

[Ajadea]

Not Antal

"Rop? Rope? Rope..." Yilminri seems to be testing out the sound of the word as it knots the rope around its waist somewhat clumsily. The knot doesn't exactly look like it's going to hold, and Yilminri doesn't look particularly satisfied with it. "Boeraa," it comments as it begins to redo the knot.


Antal

The faint, indistinguishable, sounds of conversation start again, and the sound leads you to a cold cavern. It is wet down here, and the sound of dripping water and rushing river in the distance mix with the words you cannot understand and can barely hear.

[Nanoblack]

Llaars

Not the halfling

Having stood silent for most of this conversation, Llaars finally decides to speak up. "You don't think it might be kinda dumb to follow this critter back to it's home? You saved it's life and all but I'm pretty sure nobody down here is gonna be too friendly to a paladin."

[Strawberries]

Not the halfling
"That's assuming they even know what a paladin is" Audric answers, shaking his head "And frankly, I feel we are out of options on this. If we are following Iil'ssaran we need all the help and the information we can get. He didn't cower from me or attack me on sight" Which is more that could be expected if the parts were reversed and it was any other paladin to stand in his place. "I'm taking it as a good sign."

[Savannah]

Rana considers for a minute before writing "Continuing down. Everyone alright; still together." and signing it with an R inside a sketch of a wolf's paw. She turns to Audric and Llaars, "What do you think?"

[Strawberries]

He nods. "I'm afraid it's the best we can do. And he is smart, even if he is an irresponsible twit. He'll figure it out. " He notices the difficulties the little creature is having with the rope, then. "Wait, let me help you." he says, kneeling in front of it to assist it in tying the rope. Even if they decide not to follow it, he supposes they should lower it where it can easily get home.

He is very careful to move only if Yilminri seems confortable with it: if at any time it resists being helped or shows signs of being scared, he stops immediately. "Llaars has a point, but I really see no alternatives" he says, shaking his head. However, he doesn't want to force anyone to do something they don't want to. "But if any of you has other suggestions, I'll be glad to hear them."

((Taking 20 in a use rope check...or aid another, as appropriate.))

[Ajadea]

Not Antal

Yilminri grins widely when you bend down to help it with the rope, then picks up the other end and shoves it towards you. "Boeraa se kempa. Er...gulhaps shyos...paleese?"

[Jallorn]

Throwing caution to the winds, Antal calls out, Is someone out there?

[Savannah]

"We're up here!" Rana quickly goes to peer over the edge of the hole, looking for Antal.

Spot, if needed [roll0]

[Ajadea]

Nope. Can't see him.

[Strawberries]

Not Antal
"You want me to hold the rop.." Audric starts, then he hears the yell from down the hole, and Rana reacting to it. His eyes widen in surprise "Wait." he instructs the creature, with a gesture that he hopes gets the point across. Just one second. Just till I make sure I have not completely lost my mind. He gets up hastly.

"Antal?" he calls out, his voice a mixture of surprise and relief. He too tries to see if he spots Antal down the hole-

[roll0]

[Jallorn]

How the heck did you guys get down here?

Spot: [roll0]

[Ajadea]

Antal

You can see the glow of their lantern, and outlines that might be their heads.

[Strawberries]

That's rich, coming from someone who teleported away. Audric thinks, replying almost instantly "How in Aldaran's name did you end here, you maddening... are you all right? Wait. Don't move. Don't do anything, you hear me? We're coming down where you are. Ah...there's a friend with us, so don't go stabbing him just because he isn't us .".

[Savannah]

Rana gives up trying to spot Antal and turns to Audric. "Wait, why are we going down? Shouldn't we lower the rope and bring him up?"

[Strawberries]

"What about our friend here?" Audric answers, pointing to Yilminri. "If we still want to follow him, it makes sense we get down to Antal, not the other way around."

[Savannah]

"Right, but Antal will have information about what's down there that we might want to know before we go heading in. And it's faster to move one person up and then everyone down than the rest down and everyone up, since we don't know if we'll be wanting to follow our little friend after what Antal tells us."

[Strawberries]

She is right, you know. You should listen to her, she has an head on her shoulders. Druid and all. Audric sighs quietly. “You’re right” he says, giving voice to his thoughts. Of course, he has to make Yilminri understand that.

He turns towards him again. ”Ah… Yilminri? I do need the rope back. Boera. Please.” he says, pointing and gesturing to the little creature to untie the knot he made. “I have a friend down there that I have to bring back”. And tie up. And possibly gag, to avoid other disasters. “I’ll bring you home, I promise.”
He has no idea how to explain all that with the four words he understood and some gestures, but Yilminri seems smart enough to probably have figured the situation alone, from the dynamics and the tone of their voices. He hopes, at least.

[Ajadea]

Yilminri nods, and tries to untie the knot. It doesn't seem to have much more luck with undoing the knot than it did with tying the knot, but it loosens the rope enough that the loop can slip off its thin frame. It hands the rope back to you, looking very pleased with itself for 'escaping' the knot.

[Strawberries]

Audric smiles at him. It seems his assessment of the creature's intelligence was correct. "Thank you" he says, taking the rope from him and turning towards the hole again. He doesn't undo the knot: Antal is small enough that maybe he can use it.

"Antal" he calls out, tossing the loop end of the rope down the hole while holding the other "Can you get up here?"

[Jallorn]

You guys should come down, there's some stuff to check out down here, there's boats. Boat, actually, apparently the others have been removed.

[Strawberries]

Audric blinks. Yes, he is all right. The non sequiturs are exactly the same he thinks, frowning and turning to the others. "How do we want to do this? Bring Shadow down first, then our friend, and then climb down ourself?" He is expecially worried about the wolf. Fortunately, the rope can be tied to the edge of the hole, as he saw before. Whatever it would hold, that was another matter entirely.

[Ajadea]

Yilminri is silent for only a few more seconds, then he/she peeks down the hole, dangling about half its body over the edge. "Ko bow-ut alifeen jyann? no, alfeen shyosne heggali....gulhap shyos Alifeen! Wassa bow-ut?!" he/she yells, high, reedy, voice echoing in the tunnel.

[Strawberries]

"Hey. Hey!" Audric moves quickly forward, grabbing Yilminri by the shoulder to prevent him from falling. He keeps a firm hold, but is careful not to grip tightly enough to possibly harm the creature "Be careful, you'll fall down!" . His voice shows more than a hint of concern. Then, turning to the others "On second thought, I think it's best to lower our overenthusiastic friend, first, before he falls to his death. Antal. ANTAL!" he shouts "That's the creature I was talking about. We're bringing him down, okay?"

((Soo...how exactly do we want to do this? Can we take 10 or 20 to bring everyone down? Or everyone except the last of us, that has to take chances with the rope and the hooking place? :smallconfused:))

[Savannah]

Rana frowns slightly, rubbing Shadow's head, "I'm not sure what's the best way to get Shadow down. I suppose we can make a harness and lower him...."

[Nanoblack]

Llaars

He smiles at the ugly little creature trying his best to get down without the rope and laughs. "I think he's got the right idea." He calls down to the halfling. "You said there' a boat? S'that mean there's water too?"

Does Llaars see any water down there? If so how deep?

[Jallorn]

A river, yeah.

[Ajadea]

You can lower everyone with a Take 10 on Use Rope except Shadow and whoever's climbing down last, who needs a Climb check and a Use Rope check, assuming you aren't trying to make Rana lower someone by herself, in which case a Strength check is in order.
---
No water (or anything else) is visible to Llaars. The light doesn't reach far enough.

[Strawberries]

"Very well, so let's try this again" Audric gestures to Yilminri to tie himself up again "Ah... sorry about the confusion, little friend. There has been another change of plans." When he is safely down, he addresses Rana and Llaars. "A harness for Shadow seems a good idea. I need some help with that, then I think we can bring Rana down,too."

He considers carefully. After that, they have to choose between him and Llaars to be the last one to climb. Which is the more dangerous feat. "I will lower Llaars down and then attempting to climb myself."

((And of course I know it makes the most sense the other way around, what with heavy amor and all...stupid overprotective paladin. :smallannoyed:. OOC? Feel free to contradict him. Anytime. Please? :smalltongue:))

[Ajadea]

"Yumani-be soora," Yilminri declares to its toes as it slips back into the knot. When it gets down it seems excited, judging by the way it hops up and down excitedly as it untangles itself from the mess at the end of the rope. "Alifeen, wassa bow-ut?!" it says again, poking Antal with one bony finger.

[Jallorn]

Hey there, I have no clue what you're saying. Do you understand us? Antal is intrigued by the little guy. Do you speak this language? he asks once in each of the languages he speaks, Halfling, Elven, Gnomish, and Dwarvish.

[Ajadea]

Speaking Gnome seems to catch Yilminri's attention. "Small speaking. Small...er...under mind-ing? What a 'bow-ut'?"

[Jallorn]

A boat, Antal says in gnomish, Wood nailed together and water-proofed so it'll float with a lot of weight in it. I'm Antal, by the way, and you are?

[Ajadea]

"Yilminri. A bow-at is kiennaf, from up world plants? I want see! I want see!" Yilminri says in very horrible Gnomish, jumping up and down and clapping. It doesn't seem to mind the feel of rough rocks under its bare feet.

[Jallorn]

Why don't we let the others get down, then I can show all of you. Antal looks pensively at Yilminri, Have you never been on the surface world?

[Ajadea]

For reference: Yilminri resembles a warped child with sickly gray skin, clothed in thin, bloody, furs. It is tiny, no more than two feet tall, with a narrow chest and slightly too-big head, even for a kid. Its legs are bandy and bowed, and its arms are far too long for its body. Its pug nose still bears the faint marks of having been broken in the past, and there is still a smear of drying blood at one corner of its too-wide mouth. It has stringy black hair, and little bits of faintly glowing spinal cord seem to be tied to the ends of some of its hair, like beads on braids. Batlike ears poke out of its tangled hair, and its large eyes shine like orange gemstones in the darkness, without visible pupils.

"Up world? Up world is scary. Big living-things eat person. Like eat person. I go. I take gurineh, I take unamna. I think...thinked? To be epolazi."

[Nanoblack]

Llaars

"Audric, don't be crazy. You go down first. I don't trust you to climb down by yourself." The last statement was uttered with a smug grin as he takes hold of his end of the rope.

Does it look possible to climb all the way down?

[Ajadea]

Possible? Yes. Without a rope? That could be tricky, to say the least.

[Strawberries]

"Llaars, it's really far too dangerous..." he starts, then stops. He considers himself and his heavy armor compared with the relative agility of the other man. It makes sense. Don't insult your allies by treating them like children, Audric. They are capable men and women in their own right.

He takes a deep breath "Very well, but you aren't climbing down without rope and you certainly aren't jumping.". He purses his lips remembering the big man jumping down the first pit like it was the most normal thing in the world. "There is that nook, there. " he says, pointing. "We hook the rope there, then you lower me down, and climb yourself. Alright?"

Overprotective, maybe. An idiot? Nope. He just needs someone to push him to put to use that +3 wis bonus. :smalltongue: Thanks, Nanoblack. :smallbiggrin:
Ajadea: what would we need to roll for bringing Shadow down?

[Ajadea]

A makeshift harness needs a Use Rope check or a Craft [something that isn't herbal medicine] check. :smalltongue:

Lowering Shadow requires a Strength check, and a Handle Animal check (to calm down the poor wolf) can lower the DC.

[Savannah]

Rana takes the end of the rope and kneels next to Shadow, making soothing noises as she starts to construct a harness.

Taking 20 on Use rope for 22 (plus Audric's help).
Handle animal [roll0]

[Ajadea]

The harness looks snug, and Shadow looks...well, still under the impression that his druid is going crazy, but relaxed enough that lowering him should not be a problem.

[Savannah]

Oh, I forgot to mention, Rana also feeds him a number of the venison jerky treats she's carrying :smallwink:

[Ajadea]

Hope you don't mind, but I don't need all of you to roleplay taking ten on dropping down a hole.
---
The venison jerky seems to appease Shadow- apparently having a crazy druid is OK if she gives you yummy food.

Shadow is lowered with ease, and Rana is lowered only a few minutes later. When only Audric and Llaars are left up at the top of the hole, one thing becomes clear: Llaars has about a 50-50 chance of dropping Audric. Down a hole that is over 40 feet deep.

[Nanoblack]

Well... my strength score doesn't seem all that impressive now :smalleek:

Llaars seems at the ready to lower his companion, but seems wary after considering how much all of that armor really weighs.

[Strawberries]

Audric notices Llaars' hesitation, and looks down the hole again, gauging its height. It probably isn't a good idea for Llaars to lower him together with all his gear - the man is strong, but Audric has a full armor on. "Wait, let me make this a bit more easy" he says. He removes his heavy armor, and remains in the plain clothes he usually wears under it. Can't say that isn't a relief, really. Between the slime of the first pit and the everdripping water, he was feeling quite miserable A bath would be nice, right about now he thinks wistfully.

"Very well, let's lower this mail first, then myself. I can put it on again when I'm at the bottom." he says.

[Ajadea]

Audric's gear is easy to lower. Audric himself is somewhat more difficult, but you manage. It's just that the rope still isn't tied to anything, and Llaars is still up there.

Audric

You are lowered into a cold cavern. It is wet down here, and you can hear the sound of dripping water and rushing river in the distance.


Yilminri seems to be slightly shocked when it notices that Audric is burnt, bruised, and rather slimy from the knees down. "Chienar se bin!" it squeaks. "Ko malla se ryainn? Ko malla se baseri-ak?"

[Jallorn]

I know you don't have the best mastery of this language, Antal says in gnomish, But would you mind trying to use it mostly? Just so we can understand you?

[Ajadea]

"Autric has punches," Yilminri says, rolling it's eyes at you as it switches to Gnomic. "Has fire-marks. Did the bad...um, serinsaer...no, serinsaeri hit him too?"

[Jallorn]

Serinsaeri... oh sorceress! Antal lapses into common for a moment before returning to gnomish, Yes, we did run into a bad sorceress. You said "too," did you run into a sorceress?

[Ajadea]

Fall on. Hole in water path, see? I not see when walk, fall. Yilminri says, pointing up at the hole. "She speaks angry, speak like hollhe. Makes magic fists, and runs away. She maybe think I was a dreyat, and she scare for her venitnaa? Tolle se no. Er, I no think."

[Strawberries]

As soon as he touches the ground, Audric disentangles himself from the rope, looking worriedly at the ledge above him to see if Llaars has difficulties.

He then turns to Antal, assessing him to see if he is injured or needs help. He takes a step towards the halfling, starts to say something, but is interrupted by Yilminri's shrill voice. And I don't even want to know how Antal speaks a language that this being understands he thinks.

He lets the two talk for now, just arching an eyebrow when he hears the word "sorcerer", but otherwise not intervening in any other way. The look he launches to Antal, however, says very clearly that he has a lot of things to say to him.

[Nanoblack]

Llaars

The large man thinks to himself for a moment as he contemplates how to go about tying this rope to something secure. With a casual shrug he searches for the spot previously pointed out by Audric and sets to his task, if only so they'll have a way back up. Once content with his knot, he readies himself and climbs down, trying to find handholds along the wall instead of just using his feet.

Use Rope:[roll0]
Climb:[roll1]

[Jallorn]

Completely oblivious to Audric, Antal spouts excitedly, in common unfortunately, She was here? As in here here?? Antal is about to say more, when he realizes he's speaking in common, and switches back to gnomish, Did she have a human with her? Thin, but tall, about Audric's height.

[Savannah]

"She, she who? The witch?"

Rana helps Audric sort out his armor and does the best she can to help him get it back on properly.

[Ajadea]

It takes a total of 8 rolls to descend: I made them for you...um...sorry?
---
Yilminri nods. ""They together. He look hurt. She protect him, behave like his...no knowing how say...I sorry. In speech I speak, word is venitnaa. "Llaars, Autric and Ra be venitnaa. "Knowing what I want say?""
---
Llaars is almost all the way down, when a rock breaks under his hand and he slips, slamming hard into the rock, though he does manage to roll with the fall this time.

Take [roll0] lethal damage.
---
Yilminri jumps backward a full foot when Llaars hits the ground, then looks up at Antal, a disapproving look on it's face, or at least what sort of looks like a disapproving look. "Your venitnaali be clumsy clumsy. No knowing how to walk here. If I knowing that there be hole, I climb low, not jump low."

[Jallorn]

The word you're looking for is friend, and yes, yes they are, Antal is troubled by what Yilminri has said, "friends." Maybe she charmed him? Which way did they go?

[Ajadea]

"Dunno. Lady hit me with magic fists, it hurt, I fall. I open my eyes, I up there, with your friens."

Pronunciation is not Yilminri's strong suit.

[Strawberries]

Audric smiles gratefully to Rana as she helps him putting back his armor, and goes to see if Llaars needs any help, concerned with the fall he took. He looks exasperately at Antal, when it's clear that he is just keeping on the conversation without aknowledging them "Antal." he says, sternly "Would you mind including us in the conversation, too?" then as an afterthought "What language are you talking anyway?"

[Jallorn]

Gnomish, he speaks it rather brokenly. Says he ran across a sorceress and a human I'm hoping is Paral. And the boats are missing- hey, give me a second, Antal wanders back the way he came, looking for the gnome, Hey, Kerj, I found the source of the sound, it was my friends, it's safe.

[Strawberries]

"What in... ANTAL!" Audric takes a couple of quick steps after him, physically blocking him if he has to "You irresponsib... stop right where you are, you hear me? You are not leaving my sight again, not after that latest stunt you pulled. What in Aldaran's name were you thinking anyway, teleporting away? Do you even understand the concept of "dangerous" at all?". Despite the nature of his words, he keeps his voice low. It is quite unusual for Audric to go on a rant like this one, but he has been worried for the halfling's wellbeing for the last couple of hours, and it should be clear by his expression that the tirade was out of concern rather than any vicious intent.

[Jallorn]

Antal just tries to wave Audric off, I thought it would teleport her to us, then she'd have gotten stuck in the muck. Hey, how did you guys get down here anyway?

[Strawberries]

"The slimy hole? Turns out it wasn't full of slime after all. Someone really didn't want to be found." he sighs "What happened to you? Were you brought down here? And who is Kerj?"

[Ajadea]

The gnome from earlier comes out of the darkness at the edge of the cavern and shakes his head. "World is up there, paladin," he says dryly, pointing upwards. "What is this, a reunion-wait, why is there a kid here?"

[Savannah]

Rana also started towards Antal when he began to walk away.

She just shakes her head and reaches down to put a calming hand on Shadow's head when she sees yet another person enter the cave.

[Strawberries]

"I am aware. But it seems the people I'm looking for are under here" he answers just as dryly. "Kerj, I suppose? Wait, what do you mean, a kid?" he turns towards Yilminri, shocked "Him? You mean he is a child?"

[Ajadea]

"Yeah, I'm Kerj. As for the kid? Him, her, I can't tell. They all basically look and sound the same until they're nearly adult. But yeah, it's a child. Probably the equivalent of a ten year old human or so, they do a lot of growing in puberty."

[Savannah]

"That explains a lot."

[Jallorn]

I'm not sure what language he's speaking, he only speaks fractured gnomish.

[Strawberries]

"He said he is an Helegas, I assume he is speaking his own language. Even if I have no idea of what it is." He sighs, then recaps for Kerj and Antal "We found him under here, very badly wounded. That was Iil'ssaran's doing, by the way. Her magic aura was all over him. I... someone needs to take him home, if he is a child. It's far too dangerous for him to stay here. Can he tell us where the sorceress went?"

[Jallorn]

No, he fell unconscious before she left, but I'm guessing she stole a boat.

[Nanoblack]

Llaars

Llaars lifts himself from his prone position and walks toward the group as he looks over his new surroundings. "Don't mind me... just peelin' my scalp off the ground..." He starts a bit when Kerj walks from the shadows, not wanting to be the victim of another untimely ambush. "So what's the deal here? You collectin' sewer dwellers now Antal?" His smirk returned to his muck covered face as he addressed the halfling but quickly fades. "Not that there's anythin' wrong with that."

[Ajadea]

"Kollekin siwa dellers?" Yilminri asks, tilting its head to one side. "Wassa kollekin siwa deller?"

[Jallorn]

Don't worry about it Ylminri, Antal says in gnomish. I was lonely, Antal jokes, Besides, you guys picked up Ylminri.

[Strawberries]

The paladin doesn't seem amused "Do not even joke about it. You were lonely because you didn't think before acting. As usual. " he sighs again. He really doesn't know how to get to the halfling. "You scared us, you nitwit, do you understand that? We thought Iil'ssaran had captured you too. Where in Aldaran's name did you end up, anyway?"

[Jallorn]

In a cage in her house surrounded by paladins.

[Savannah]

"How did you get back here?!"

I don't usually do this with other players, but, well, Sense Motive [roll0] on the truthfulness of his tale.

[Ajadea]

Rana

You're fairly sure that yes, he's telling the truth.

[Jallorn]

Kerj helped me.

[Strawberries]

Audric pales considerably, but he manages to whisper "You were lucky. The teleportation spell probably covered your own magical aura, otherwise, you would have been killed.". He wants to know the same thing Rana asked, however: at the very least, he would expect Antal to have been detained for questioning.

"Kerj helped you? What do you mean? Was there a fight?" He looks worried. There is no way a group of paladins would let an obviously magic gnome go. "Have there been casualities?"

And since I'm a copycat [roll0]

[Jallorn]

Nonono, he helped me get down here, Antal dismisses Audric's concerns before he tried to sate his curiosity, I have a magic aura?

[Strawberries]

"You do. You are a spellcaster, aren't you? Even if a strange one. All spellcasters have a magical aura that we paladins are trained to pick up. Weren't you aware?" The thought of the potential disasters the halfling has avoided just out of sheer luck make him shake his head "Hers is stronger than yours,and it's obviously druidic magic." he adds, pointing to Rana "Yours is more faint, and more odd, but it's there. Now, would you mind to tell me just how did you manage to weasel your way out a confrontation with a bunch of paladins?"

[Jallorn]

I told them about Paral. Sorta.

[Savannah]

"Y-you...told..." Rana rubs her hand over her face.

[Jallorn]

Only sort of, Antal interjects, I was nonspecific, and I obviously didn't mention he is a sorcerer, but I said my friend was kidnapped by a sorceress. They let me go in a hurry, though one of them insisted on following me. I couldn't lose him, so I had to tell him that I didn't want his help. He was reluctant, but let me go.

[Ajadea]

"Life used to be simple, you know? Everything was nice and routine. Sit down here, keep our eyes and ears out, run a little raid once every month and a half or something to keep people on edge, nothing serious. I'm not even going to go into the crap that's been going on the last week, but it makes hiding down here seem peachy in comparison." Kerj groans. "I signed up for a lot of things when I joined the whatever-it-is going on down here. This? Not one of them."

Yilminri glances to your expressions, then tugs on Antal's sleeve. "What happen?" He/she seems to remember the presence of others who probably can't speak Gnomic, then tries...something else. "Wass ron?"

[Jallorn]

Antal struggles for the words for a moment, Nothing real, he finally says to Ylminri, Just unnecessary fears.

[Strawberries]

Audric takes a deep breath "Believe me, this isn't something I signed up for either.". He looks at the gnome almost sympathetically, opens his mouth to say something, but is interrupted by Ylminri speaking in some language he doesn't undertsand, and then in broken Common.

"Nothing. Nothing wrong" he answers. Now that he knows he is a child, his tone is much softer. "We'll get you home soon, okay?" He turns to Kerj again "We are all stuck in this situation, and this is not going to change. Only thing that matters, now is what we are going to do about it. We have to escort Ylminri home, and I am not giving up in finding Paral yet. Are you going to help?"

[Ajadea]

"If you need me too. I'm sure you don't think much of me, but I didn't come all the way to the bowels of the capital city of genocidal maniacs-no offense meant-on a whim. I came here to do something real, something that might be remembered. Something good, you know?" Kerj sighs. "A'course, everyone else is probably packing up and running away like rabbits right now, so I doubt that you'll be able to get much more help."

[Strawberries]

"Honestly? I do not know what I need." among a lot of other things he is not sure about anymore "But if you want to do something good, I won't deny you the chance. What is this about a boat?"

[Ajadea]

"There's a bit of a natural harbor area down thataways. We made some boats. Three, actually. Of those, I think Iil'ssaran has one, one is stuck between a rock and the other bank, and the third is gone, probably cut loose like the second."

[Jallorn]

She doesn't want anyone following her. Which we have to. How much weight can one of those boats hold?

[Ajadea]

Kerj tilts his head, apparently recalling some memory. "Most I've ever seen one hold is six elves, their things, and a basket of the poisonous-plant crap that apparently loves it down here. Real cramped looking, but it did work. Should work for the four of you and a wolf. Though I've never seen a dog, wolf, or any other animal get on one a those boat willingly."

[Jallorn]

Which way do you think she'd be likely to go?

[Strawberries]

He nods "Let's go see if we can get the boat back, first.", then he remembers Ylminri. "Ah...do you know how far his home is? I don't want him to go back alone if I can avoid it."

Ops... ninja'd. Oh, well.

[Ajadea]

"She'd probably go downriver. The Iraness moves pretty fast, and if she's wiped enough to take a boat she probably can't fight the current." Kerj pauses and closes his eyes, then nods. "Yeah, I think I know where to go. Up one level, buncha little tunnels. You want me to take the kid back?"

[Jallorn]

Sounds like a good idea to me, you don't want to go up against her. Mind if we take that last boat after her?

[Ajadea]

"As far as I'm concerned, if you can get that boat, you can keep it." Kerj says, shaking his head. "Good luck with that, then. C'mon, kid. I need to take you back to your parents. And probably get yelled at."

"Kebai sei! Kebai!" Yilminri chirps rather enthusiastically, waving at you. He/she turns and follows Kerj into the darkness.

[Strawberries]

"Kerj" Audric calls him back "Ah... tell the kid he shouldn't be so trusting of humans. Paladins expecially" he says, tapping his holy symbol. "He was about to bring me right to his home. That...wouldn't have gone over well, was it anyone else but me". He looks at the gnome. "And thank you. May Aldar...may the gods keep you safe."

[Savannah]

Rana nods to Kerj and Yilminri as they leave.

Then turning back to the group, "So, we're taking a possibly overloaded boat after a homicidal witch who nearly killed you," she nods towards Audric, "last time you met. Does this strike anyone else as an incredibly bad idea? I mean, we don't even know if Paral - you know, the reason we're down here - is with her!"

[Jallorn]

Do you have a better idea?

OOC
Sorry this is so short, but I'm leaving town for a couple days this evening, and I need to get ready. I'll be back mid-afternoon sunday.

[Strawberries]

Audric is silent for a moment, then shakes his head "I think we are reasonably sure that they are together" he says "Shadow tracked Paral all the way to the first hole, and Iil'ssaran's magical aura is all over this place. If it is just a coincidence, it'sa pretty big one,don't you think?"

[Savannah]

Rana sighs. "I suppose. And it's not like there's anything we can do to tell. Just....we need to be careful."

[Strawberries]

He nods "Of course. We are dealing with a powerful sorcerer. First,though, we have to get to that boat. Antal, can you show us where it is?" As he says so he gets near the rope that is still hanging from the hole above them, trying to see if it can be retrieved.

((Should I roll something?))

[Ajadea]

You're trying to remove the rope from the hook sixty feet up, right?-
--
Thank you for answering.
--
All 90 feet of joined rope comes loose very easily, falling to the ground with a dull thump. It must not have been wedged in very well.

[Savannah]

"Uh...Glad as I am that we didn't discover the rope was that loose while climbing back up it, might it not have been a good idea to leave us with a way to get out of here?"

[Strawberries]

"Somehow, it struck me as more useful to have a rope when retrieving that boat" he answers "Besides, even if we did manage to get back up without falling we would have still been stranded on a lower layer. We had no way of going back to that first hole. And if there is the Iraness down here...well, getting out is easy. We wpuld just have to follow the river out of the sewers."

[Jallorn]

Well, theoretically, Antal says, referring to the river, but yeah, this way.

[Ajadea]

Antal leads you to a cramped series of little tunnels, following the sound of rushing water. You are now standing on a wet, slippery, rock ledge. The much cleaner air cleans your senses and relieves your mild nausea. If you are sickened, you no longer suffer that condition. The river, presumably the Iraness, is wide, brown, and rather slow-moving. Behind you, there are three pitons jammed into the rock wall, with the slashed ends of a hemp rope attached to each one.

On the other side of the river and about a hundred feet downstream, there is a rowboat, about big enough to fit half a dozen humans and not much else, jammed between the wall and a rock.

[Savannah]

Rana sighs and runs her hands through her hair in frustration. "It can never be easy, can it?" she mutters.

Then, speaking more loudly, "Alright, we need to come up with a plan, before anyone rushes off and does something stupid." She glances meaningfully at Antal and Audric.

[Jallorn]

Hey, I may be impulsive, but I'm not stupid, I'm not about to jump into water higher than me, and probably stronger.

[Strawberries]

"No, you're right" he looks carefully around "If someone has to go through that river, it has to be one of us tall folks. But I'd like to try to avoid that. Can we hook something to the rope and try to get the boat that way?"

((Ajadea: how far is it from us in a beeline from the nearest point we can get to?))

[Ajadea]

Somewhere between 30.5 to 36.5 meters/100 to 120 feet away from you.

[Jallorn]

Ooh, sweet, finally this has come in handy! Antal pulls out a grappling hook from one of his many pockets. Think we could get that hooked onto the boat?

[Strawberries]

He gauges the boat and the rope they have "It's too far, I think. We have what, 90 feet of rope? The boat seem a bit further than that. Unless...wait a minute." He goes to examine the pitons in the wall, trying to see if the bits of rope there can be salvaged.

[Ajadea]

Not really. Three half-foot lengths of rope aren't going to do much for length.

[Strawberries]

"Well, worth a try" he mutters to himself. Then to the others "Actually, the river doesn't look too hard to swim through."he says, thoughtfully "I suppose I could try it, if I took off this armor again".

He doesn't seem very happy about it, mostly due to the color of the water. He'd really like a nice bath, back at the Temple. He'd even put up with Ethin taunting him again about his sister, which only happens...oh, once a week, mostly. "The water seems calm enough."

[Savannah]

"Do you have experience swimming? Do any of us?"

[Strawberries]

"Not really. What little training I had growing up." he smiles. "What about you? And Llaars?"

[Savannah]

Rana shakes her head. "All I've done is wading and a little paddling in ponds."

[Nanoblack]

Llaars

The big man kneels by the water, dipping his hand in to remove some grime. "Can't say I've swam in years but I ain't afraid of no water. I'll give it a shot."

[Jallorn]

Tie the rope around your waist, that way we can pull you back if something happens.

[Strawberries]

"Yes, that seems a good idea" Audric says. As Llaars kneels down, however, he begins to loosen some of the straps that keep his armor in place. He wants to be ready to go after him if there are unforeseen difficulties, and this means being able to get his armor off as quickly as possible, if needed.

[Nanoblack]

Llaars

Knowing all of their silly worrying was just in his best interest, Llaars nods and ties the rope around his waist. He tosses the other end toward Audric before making a running jump into the river.

Use rope:[roll0]
Jump:[roll1]
Swim:[roll2]

[Ajadea]

The rope comes loose when Llaars hits the water, and begins to sink. Thankfully, his initial plunge seems to have worked well-his jump must have carried him over four meters, and he is already nearly a third of the way to the boat.

[Strawberries]

Audric curses under his breath as the rope comes loose and quickly coils it back. He takes an half step forward, watching Llaars' progress, tense and ready to intervene.

[Savannah]

Rana shakes her head and also prepares to come to Llaars' aid if necessary, making a mental note not to let him tie anything again.

[Jallorn]

Oh come on, even I know that jumping in without having someone check the knot was rash.

[Ajadea]

Llaars makes it to the boat without any incidents, though there was a bit of starting, stopping, and a few seconds of swimming the wrong way involved.

No threats, cephalopodesque or otherwise, seem to be near.

[Nanoblack]

Llaars

"I got it!" Once he pries it free from the rocks, Llaars points it toward his waiting companions and kicks off of the rocks, hoping to speed things along.

Not sure what kind of check this is...

Strength?[roll0]

[Ajadea]

Strength is correct.

One thing becomes instantly clear: unlike swimming to the boat, you cannot just sink into a natural rhythm and swim without stress. Slow though the current is, you are swimming against it, you're fairly sure that there aren't oars in the boat, and it's hard to swim while pushing a boat.

[Strawberries]

"Thank Aldaran" the paladin whispers under his breath when he sees Llaars reach the boat, then, as he notices that he is having some difficulties in bringing it back "Antal, now it's the time for that hook of yours. As soon as he is in range we try to hook it to the boat. That way maybe we can make it easier for him to get back."

[Nanoblack]

Llaars

Clinging to the rear of the boat, Llaars continues to kick his feet to hopefully steer the boat toward the shore.

More swim checks!
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]

[Jallorn]

Gimme the rope, I'll hook it.

I tried to come up with more, but it's just not there. :smallfrown:

[Strawberries]

I tried to come up with more, but it's just not there. :smallfrown:

((No worries :smallsmile:))

"Here, take it" Audric says, passing it to him, still keeping a wary eye on Llaars' efforts "Can you throw it, or do you want me to?"

[Jallorn]

Antal returns one of Audric's looks, I'm not sure anyone other than myself should do anything with ropes anymore.

[Strawberries]

Audric can't help but smile slightly, despite the seriousness of the situation. "Maybe. And I'm not sure you should be allowed to freely do...anything, really, given your recent antics." He turns serious again. "If you can, throw it as soon as he is near enough. He needs all the help he can get."

[Ajadea]

Llaars gets the boat within technical range, and then...goes underwater. The boat begins to drift away with the current.

[Jallorn]

Crap! Antal exclaims, whirling the grapple end of the rope for only a moment before tossing it at the boat.

Attack roll: [roll0]

[Strawberries]

"Dammit!" Audric quickly sheds his armor, all the while keeping his eyes fixed on the point where Llaars disappeared, to see if he manages to surface again.

((He is going to dive after Llaars...but not if he manages to resurface before he is able to take off his armor. :smallwink:))

[Ajadea]

The hook fails to hit, and in fact falls over 30 feet short. Just because you have enough rope apparently doesn't mean that you can hit.

[Jallorn]

Go! Antal shouts at Audric as he reals the rope back in.

[Ajadea]

Water next to the boat begins to churn in earnest, then Llaars pops back up next to the boat, which has drifted ten feet downstream since he fell underwater.

[Nanoblack]

Llaars

Gasping for air, Llaars tries to reassure his worried companions. "Sorry... thought I saw a copper down there." He takes a deep breath and tries to push the last stretch to the shore. "I hate water."

Swim:[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

*fingers crossed*

[Strawberries]

Way for me to get a phone call in a critical moment... :smallmad::smalltongue:. Sorry guys. :smallredface:

Audric stops short just a second before diving as he sees Llaars resurface, worry and fear plainly written on his face "Antal, try tossing that rope again." he says urgently.

[Savannah]

Rana curses softly, but waits to see what happens next.

Edit: managed to miss several posts or something :smallconfused:

[Ajadea]

There is a bit of stopping and starting, but Llaars does get the boat moving, and soon it is in theoretical range again.

[Jallorn]

Give it a moment more, if I miss again it'll lose us time.

[Strawberries]

He swallows nervously, then nods "If you think it's best. If he has difficulties again, I'll take the rope and swim towards him." he declares. He figures that it should be easier for him, since he'd have to swim downstream. However, that would mean that a halfing and a small woman would then have to pull both them and the boat back, against the current. He just bites his lips, praying to Aldaran that Llaars manages to swim just another couple of meters.

[Ajadea]

Llaars manages to swim well into range, fighting the current the entire time, The boat is hardly cooperative, but you think you should be able to hook it with a good throw.

Now the only question is 'do you want to risk puncturing the boat'?

[Jallorn]

Antal tosses the rope lightly, trying to get the grapple to land in the boat so that he can hook the side.

Attack roll: [roll0]

[Ajadea]

So...that's a yes, then.
---
Antal successfully throws the grappling hook into the boat. The hook seems to catch on something attached to the near side of the inside of the boat, and the boat rocks dangerously.

[Jallorn]

Hey Llaars, Antal calls, get in the boat and help us pull it in.

[Nanoblack]

Llaars

Finally catching a break seems to brighten Llaars' spirits. He struggles into the boat and grips the end of the rope tightly. "Remind me to just bring my own boat next time. Be less of a pain in my ass."

[Ajadea]

You are able to bring the boat to shore, though it is far from easy.

Now, examining the boat brings up a rather large problem. Whoever sent the boat downriver was smart, and there are no oars in the boat or on the ledge.

The boat itself is about five feet wide, and twice as long. It seems to be made out of hides sewn together on a wood frame, and the bottom is flat rather than curved. Tile-like things of boiled hide line the inside, creating a lumpy surface hard enough to walk on. In places, bits of fur are visible on the inside, and there is half the outside of a head sewn into the boat. It has two rows of seats made of the same hide and stick assembly. There is enough space for two more rows of seating, but that area lacks seats and is instead covered with an awning made of dry vines and sticks. There is a pad made of what resembles giant rat furs, dark and matted, laid on the floor of that half of the boat.

[Jallorn]

I vote we just ride the river downstream. We'll likely be slower, but at least it's something.

[Savannah]

"It couldn't be easy, could it? Not even just once?" Rana says to no one in particular.

[Strawberries]

Audric hesitates, then puts an hand on Rana's shoulder "It doesn't look like Aldaran is having that kind of mercy on us. On the other hand,we are all still alive" he says, with a slight smile "That is something, at least.".

He considers the boat for a moment "It doesn't seem like we have much choice,does it? Unless we want to look for oars around here". He sighs. Without much enthusiasm, he lifts the fur pad to see if there is something under it.

((Just because :smalltongue: [roll0]))

[Savannah]

Rana smiles back. "I know. I can still complain, can't I?"

She also rummages through the boat for anything of note (search [roll0]).

[Ajadea]

Well, if your idea of 'something' is a rock, a canvas covered section of floor and smeared charcoal writing that looks rather like some version of a kid's guessing game played with the Elven syllabary as opposed to the common alphabet most plains people actually use....

[Savannah]

Int check to see if the writing means anything? [roll0]

[Strawberries]

Int check to see if the writing means anything? [roll0]

((Well, if it's Elven.... I suppose I can try too. [roll0]))

[Ajadea]

The presence of this writing seems to indicate that someone who spoke Elven got very bored, and also knew about children's games played in Tavetiir.

Elven-speaking Characters

The writing isn't that hard to read.

The bored person seems to have played four rounds, the words being Slow river, Natural insanity, Herd of deer, and young leaves from an oak tree.

Elven is a complicated language.

[Jallorn]

Attracted to it by the others, Antal takes a quick look at the writing.

Int check: [roll0]

So can we get going now that we're all entertained by this game?

[Strawberries]

"I suppose so." He gives one last look around, bends down to pick up his armor, then stops before putting it back on. Now that he thinks about it, if they have to go down a river in a boat without oars, it is perhaps better that he doesn't have other 30 pounds on him. And it's not like being armored did me much good last time.

"Are we all in agreement about going now, then?" he asks.

[Savannah]

"I'm not sure just going off without any oars is such a good idea."

Rana looks around for anything that could serve as makeshift oars (Spot [roll0]/Search [roll1]).

[Ajadea]

Rana

You notice a small irregularity in the bottom of the boat. Investigating it reveals four roughly carved ten-foot poles that seem to match the ones you can see poking out of the inside of the boat on either end, as well as a small pot of pungent glue you can smell even though the lid is on. Perhaps they are backups for the primary side supports.

[Savannah]

"Hey, look, I found some poles in the bottom of the boat. They look like they were for the side supports here, but maybe we can use them to punt?"

Rana pulls out the poles and the glue.

[Strawberries]

He nods, visibly relieved "Good idea. Or...glue something to them and use them as paddles?"

((Random thought I had, but hey, worth a spot and a search check, I think [roll0] [roll1] for something light and flat to glue to the poles.))

[Ajadea]

There are boiled rat hide tiles on the side of the boat. Hard to miss them. Some are probably large enough to make paddles.

[Strawberries]

Audric gingerly passes an hand over one of the tiles "We could use some of those. But I'm not sure how integral they are to the boat structure. What do you say?"

[Savannah]

"I'm not sure I want to risk it. I don't know anything about boats. But we might need to if the poles won't be long enough....Llaars, could you tell how deep the river was when you were swimming?"

[Ajadea]

Don't want to keep the game waiting...
---
A bit of thinking lets Llaars remember that the river was easily deep enough that there is no way a side pole will be able to touch the bottom. When he jumped out, he went maybe four or five feet underwater, but the bottom was nowhere in sight.

[Savannah]

"If the poles aren't long enough to reach....I guess we could either try to connect two of the poles to make them longer, or we could try making paddles as Audric suggested. I just hate to risk damaging the boat if we do..."

[Jallorn]

Can we at least float downstream while we discuss this? She's getting away with Paral.

[Strawberries]

Audric nods as Antal points out that they are losing time "A paddle would probably be more useful, but I don't want to risk damaging the boat, either. Let's glue two poles together, see if it's enough."

[Ajadea]

Well...a twenty-foot long pole proves to be highly difficult to manuever, but you sort of figure out how to stand at the edge of the 'dock' and lower the pole. It hits something hard when one and a half poles are underwater.

[Strawberries]

Audric takes a deep breath and shuts his eyes for a moment, then transfers his armor and backpack on the bottom of the boat and gets in himself, turning back and reaching out his hand to help the others to get on the boat.

[Savannah]

Rana pulls out her jerky treats again and starts coaxing Shadow into the boat. Handle animal [roll0].

[Ajadea]

Shadow jumps into the boat, and it rocks from side to side, but (thankfully) doesn't capsize. He scarfs down the jerky and then goes to curl up under the canopy.

[Savannah]

Rana carefully climbs in after him. She eyes the pole doubtfully. "I don't think I'll be much help punting. Shall I sit in front and watch out for anything ahead?"

[Strawberries]

Audric nods "I think between me and Laars we should be able to handle the boat maneuvering." he answers.

[Nanoblack]

Llaars

Llaars holds the edge of the boat while everyone boards when a thought pops into his head. "I know we're not much for plannin' but what are we gonna do when we get to wherever we're goin' in this boat? Dontcha' think chasing a lady that can shoot fire outta her fingers in a dinghy is kinda... dumb?" He raises one hand in a half-shrug. "Not tryin' to be a buzzkill, but I just don't know what to expect from these people."

[Savannah]

Rana sighs. "I agree with you completely, Llaars, but I'm not sure that will be enough to dissuade those two," she nods towards Audric and Antal. "And we have a better chance of surviving this if we all stick together."

[Strawberries]

Audric shakes his head "Do not think I am not aware of that " he says. His voice betrays how tired he is " Usually, I would send for the Order, ask for backup" he smiles a little, not in a particularly happy way "but as we are trying to rescue a sorcerer, it somehow doesn't strike me as a good strategy."

He pauses for a moment, then speaks again "I don't know what to expect either, or even if we are making the right decision. But I don't have other ideas, and I have to try it all the same. There is at least a life at stake".

Not to mention, I made a promise he adds to himself.

[Jallorn]

Antal glares at Llaars, I don't care if she can make our heads explode with a single thought, I refuse to abandon Paral, his voice drips with unspoken threats.

Sorry Nano, but Antal is really friggen stressed out now. He's an emotion bottler, and it's getting ready to blow.

[Savannah]

"Antal!" Rana sounds reproachful. "No one is suggesting abandoning Paral. But it does him no good if we get killed trying to reach him, now does it? Use your head; it's the only way we'll survive this."

[Ajadea]

You all fit in the rather wobbly boat, though Shadow has to lie next to and on some of your stuff and the pole keeps getting in the way as you carefully arrange yourselves on the seats. Judging by seats that are too short, the way it rocks every time anyone moves too swiftly-and every time Audric, Llaars, or Shadow really shift their weight to any serious degree-it wasn't made to hold anyone much more than half a foot taller than Rana.

[Nanoblack]

Llaars

Carefully getting into the boat and sitting near the Audric, Llaars grasps the pole and readies himself to help steer. "I'm ready to go." He takes a deep breath and uses an arm to gently push the boat away from the shore.

[Ajadea]

Nothing much happens. The river is mercifully calm, a faint sort of tingling feeling in the air the only hint that something magical had ever happened here. Whatever had provoked the rocks themselves to roar like a predator doesn't seem to be immediately apparent.

Which, given your recent luck, probably means something's about to go horribly wrong.

Antal

There is a splashing sound coming from in front of you.


Rana

The water in front of the boat looks almost like it is boiling.

[Jallorn]

I heard a splash up ahead! Antal says in an excited whisper.

[Savannah]

Rana says softly, "I don't mean to alarm everyone, but I think there's something in front of us. The water almost looks like it's boiling."

[Strawberries]

You didn't delude yourself that this was going to be easy, did you?. Audric makes sure his sword is within easy reach, and very carefully leans forward to see if he can see what they are referring to. On a boat as unstable as this he is quite wary to make sudden moves.

[roll0]
[roll1]
EDIT: and detect magic, just because :smalltongue:

[Ajadea]

[roll0]
[roll1]

Audric

The boiling patch of water is multicolored, glistening like oil, and you hear the sense of screaming-screaming that sounds all too familiar. Normal sight distorts and blacks as the noise and color builds to some sort of macabre crescendo-and then it recedes an instant before the spell snaps, screams turning to whispers and colors blending to brown as the water stops bubbling...

[Strawberries]

Those of you who are looking at the paladin can see him abruptly close his eyes, swaying a bit on the seat. His face has become ashen all of a sudden. He whispers something to himself, too low for you to catch, then opens his eyes again, and says in a more urgent tone "There is..." What exactly he doesn't know how to describe. He swallows. "There is powerful magic in there,the same as in the jar of tadpoles." And if that isn't the most inadequate explanation he could come up with... "We need to stay clear from it"

((OOC: or, you know, go to investigate it if you prefer.:smalltongue: But since the sensation is very unpleasant for a paladin... :smallwink:)).

Ajadea: how big was the water patch? Could we manouver around it? Also, where are we - still underground?

[Ajadea]

Strawberries, Savannah (Good Spot check has advantages)

The boiling patch is 8 feet and shrinking rapidly, and you can probably get around it if it shrinks a little more.


You are still underground.

[Nanoblack]

Llaars

Shifting to use the wooden poles to slow their approach, Llaars leans back to offset Audrics weight shifting to the front. "What the hell kinda magic would be just sittin' in the middle of a river?"

Str to slow down:[roll0]

[Strawberries]

Audric shakes his head "I don't think it's just sitting here. The water is boiling, more or less 8 feet across. I'd like to avoid to run into that patch if at all possible", he says, doing what he can to help Llaars manouver the boat. "Rana, Antal, keep an eye on it."

((Aid another on Llaars' strenght check [roll0]))

[Ajadea]

The boat stops about thirty feet from the patch of bubbling water.

[Strawberries]

He exales slowly, silently thanking Aldaran for having managed to stop the boat "I think we can steer around that, if we are careful". He doesn't like his own suggestion one bit: a magic that powerful in the middle of a river has to mean something. However, he is uncertain of what to do, expecially with a boat as little and unsteady as theirs. And he doesn't want to put his allies at risk.

He tries again to discern better the source of the danger, first with his normal senses, then, steeling himself, with his magic detection abilities. Keeping in mind the last experience, he is careful to look at the water last, after having examined the rest of his surroundings.

To see if there are any changes - such as the patch having shrunk a bit more
[roll0]
[roll1]
And again, detect magic, but this time focusing first everywhere else, and lastly on the water

[Ajadea]

Audric

The patch is still shrinking, and you think you hear more splashing-fainter this time.

Detect magic reveals nothing except the faintest traces of a thousand faded colors, the residue of what must have once been the spell that destroyed the first Attalin, hundreds of years ago. Brilliant magic, once, tinged with vengeance and blood. But now it is faded, crumbling, washed away by time and, no doubt, layers of dispelling magics left by the priests.

Some magic never fades.

The water around the boiling patch also lacks any notable amount of magic, but glancing at the patch again sends the same screams and blasts of color through your mind. Quieter this time...

[Strawberries]

"I think it's fading, whatever it is" Audric says, in a tense voice "We have to manouver there, on the right, if we want to avoid it" he says, pointing to where he means for Llaars' benefit, since they are manouvring together.

Uhm...strenght and profession again?
[roll0]
[roll1]

EDIT: :eek:. I...I think I'm going to cry a little :smalltongue:.

[Ajadea]

Somehow you get around the boiling patch, narrowly avoiding scraping the rocks to your right. The patch continues to shrink, almost as if it is collapsing on itself. A couple minutes of drifting later, the bubbling behind you shrinks to a point and then with a plopping sound, disappears entirely. Now, please make a Will Save.

[Strawberries]

Will save: [roll0]

[Jallorn]

Will save: [roll0]

[Savannah]

Rana [roll0]
Shadow [roll1]

[Savannah]

Rana rubs her ears and says softly, "Now there's something following us....It's got a hum, but I can't tell what it is."

[Jallorn]

Listen: [roll0]

[Strawberries]

Audric tightens his mouth, turning his head slightly to hear better what she is referring to. It really appears nothing can be simple, in the last couple of days.

[roll0]

[Ajadea]

Audric hears nothing out of the ordinary.

Antal

Rana's right, there's some sort of flat monotone humming sound coming from somewhere behind you.

[Jallorn]

Antal looks back towards the sound, trying to find the source.

Spot: [roll0]

[Ajadea]

Antal

Nothing you can see.

[Nanoblack]

Llaars

All of this talk of whatever was lurking in the water was making Llaars jumpy. "I don't care what it is, I don't want nothing to do with it." Now he sent the little boat forward with urgency, hoping to put some distance between them and that nasty patch of humming water.

[Strawberries]

Audric puts an hand on Llaars' forearm, in a sympathetic gesture "I really don't blame you" he says. He does his best to help Llaars manouvring the boat, figuring that Antal and Rana would warn both of them the minute something else happens.

However, he does sneak a couple quick glances behind himself, mostly to scan for magical activity, even if it's not an examination as thorough as he would have liked, since he has to focus to keep the boat, well, stable and afloat.

[Ajadea]

Something intangible seems to brush at you for a second, but slips away as you head downstream from the humming water. Whatever it is, it apparently is very slow, and you easily leave it behind as you drift away...

Audric

Whatever it is, it screams like the tadpoles. The sound is a little more muffled, as if the screaming people were far away, and perhaps in another building. You aren't sure if the water caused it or something else-it sure wasn't distance.

[Strawberries]

"I don't know what it was, but I think we left it behind." Audric seems to breathe more freely when he is sure that the thing isn't following them anymore, even as he is torn about having left a possible danger undisturbed "At least I don't have to hear it scream anymore" he adds more quietly.

[Jallorn]

What? There was no screaming, just a buzz.

[Strawberries]

"For you, certainly. I couldn't hear anything with my normal senses either." Audric replies. He isn't as pale as before. "Its magical aura, on the other hand was...harrowing. It was the same I feel every time I focus on that jar of tadpoles your friend gave us: swirling colors, and lots of people screaming in my head. Only it felt a bit more distant in the water." He shakes his head "I don't know what it means. I'm just glad I'm not hearing them anymore."

[Ajadea]

Well, nothing screams at you for the next hour and a half. The river twists and turns but doesn't spontaneously turn into rapids or waterfalls. The water doesn't begin boiling under your boat. No stalactites fall on your head, no monsters (kraken or otherwise) rise out of the water. There is no danger and no people anywhere you can see. There are hundreds of side tunnels, some merely damp, some with water running through them, some dripping with darker liquid that you probably don't want to identify.

Slowly, the cavern begins to grow lighter. Perhaps you have almost reached the end of the river, and you might be able to head back up into the city soon.

Antal, Rana

There's something at the edge of your vision, bobbing around at the left side of the river. It is rounded, long. It looks a bit like a rock from here, but rocks don't really float or bob.

[Savannah]

Rana leans forward slightly, then points towards something ahead. "Do you see that? It looks like a rounded thing bobbing there. Maybe an overturned boat?"

[Strawberries]

The paladin knits his brow in concentration, focusing where she is pointing

(([roll0]
Detect magic, obviously))

[Ajadea]

Audric

You see a thing at the edge of your vision, bobbing around at the left side of the river. It is rounded, long. It looks a bit like a rock from here, but rocks don't really float or bob.

Detect magic reveals nothing except the same traces of crumbling, angry, blood-stained, magic that seem to permeate everything.

[Strawberries]

"It could be an overturned boat. It's better if we get closer and investigate". Looking at Llaars for confirmation, Audric tries to manouver the boat so that they get near to the unknown object.

((Ajadea: is there a bank where it could be possible to land or are there only high rocks?))

[Ajadea]

There's one about twenty feet upstream from the bobbing object. Specifically a tunnel running into the river. A fairly dry-looking one, rather than one dripping with unidentified liquids.

[Nanoblack]

Llaars

Following Audrics lead, Llaars pushes their makeshift craft toward the bobbing object. "Maybe it's another body?"

[Ajadea]

At first glance, it seems that both your assumptions are correct. It is clearly an overturned boat of similar make to this one-you can see the seams where the hide tiles are stitched together. There are two large holes punched through the bottom, and there is a patched brown boot with worn soles sticking out of the closer one.

[Strawberries]

"Gods." Audric whispers, then quicky to the others "We have to hook it and drag to that tunnel, then I will be able to help" Maybe. If there is really someone down there and they haven't drown already. "We can't do anything till we're off of this boat."

[Savannah]

Rana nods and (very, very carefully, so as not to tip the boat) reaches into her back pack to retrieve the scroll of cure light wounds.

[Jallorn]

Antal looks like he's about to throw himself off the boat, but looks down at the water and shrinks back into the middle of the boat.

[Strawberries]

"Antal" Audric's tone is firm, even if understanding "We need to hook that boat. Can you throw the rope? Llaars and I will manouver to the bank"

[Jallorn]

I can try, yeah.

[Ajadea]

It isn't that hard for you to push the boat to shore, though it goes rather slowly. Two minutes pass before you can get out of the boat and drag it far inland to keep the current from dragging it away.

Meanwhile, the boat and the boot wobble and bob around, but do not move very far from their places; wedged between two rocks and wedged into the bottom of the boat respectively.

[Strawberries]

Audric quickly gets on the shore, not taking his eyes off the other boat "Very well. Give me the rope, I'm going to try to swim there and see if I can help.". It's a good thing he has decided not to put his armor on - this way he can move more quickly, as he feels that too much time has been lost already.

((If there are no objections, taking 10 on a use rope check to tie the rope around his waist, and then swimming to the other boat to see what's under that (taking 10 again if I can). He'll leave his armor and his things on the shore.))

[Ajadea]

You're really scared of the dice roller, aren't you?
---
Given the fact that the water is calm and there are no dangers apparent, it is not actually hard for Audric to swim to the boat.

Audric

Popping up under the boat tells you a few things. First of all, there isn't actually someone dangling from their boot in the water. It seems to be just a boot. Second of all, something smells like burnt rotten meat under the boat. Third, the reinforcing pole next to the tunnel wall is broken- you can see the splintered end dangling down a few inches in front of you.

The inside of the boat is dark and damp. You can't examine it very well.

[Strawberries]

Audric wrinkles his nose in disgust at the smell, then gets out from under the boat, making a reassuring gesture to his allies on the bank "There is noone under here!" he calls out. Nonetheless, he tries to disentangle the boat from where it is wedged and push it to the shore. Maybe it contains some evidence that could be useful.

((Uhm...strenght check? Swim check? *Hopeful expression* tell me I don't have to roll...
Oh well, just in case [roll0] [roll1]))

[Ajadea]

Audric is able to get out from under the boat easily, but the boat itself seems to remain rather firmly stuck.

[Strawberries]

The paladin mutters something that is really not appropriate to say out loud, trying again to dislodge the boat from where it's stuck.

[roll0] EDIT: :smallsigh:

[Savannah]

Rana sighs in relief and puts away the scroll.

[Ajadea]

(Taking twenty now, right?)
-----
Audric pulls and pushes the boat, slipping underwater more than once, before the boat breaks loose. And I do mean breaks-several tiles are now floating down the river. Now the only question is how to get back.

[Strawberries]

I really do hope that there is something here worth all this trouble... Audric pauses for a moment to catch his breath, then attempts to push the boat back to the river's bank

[roll0]

[Ajadea]

Nice.
----
Audric makes it back to the shore with the boat. Flipping over the boat lets you examine it more closely. It is badly burnt, the side poles are broken, the oars are missing, and there is, for some reason or another, a leather boot sticking through one of the holes. Bits of frayed rope, translucent viscous slime and broken bits of glass seem to be splattered at the end of the boat that has holes and boot in it. The canopy is broken in two, hanging half off the boat, and the grass looks like it was eaten away with acid.

[Savannah]

"Looks like quite a struggle. I wonder who was in this boat...."

[Strawberries]

"I'm hoping it was Paral. And I'm hoping he managed to mess up that sorceress somehow. At this point, I don't care if he had to use spells." Audric answers, grimly. He focuses on the boat, to see if he gets the greasy blue feeling that he has learned to associate with the sorceress-

((Detect Magic :smalltongue:)

[Jallorn]

I hope it wasn't, he's... not that powerful, so she's the one who would've done this.

[Ajadea]

Audric

The detection seems to be harder to pull up than normal, as if it was resisting for a split second. Then it snaps back with a blow that feels like a punch in the eyes. Despite it being metaphysical, it hurts like a stab between the eyes.

There is a blur of magic, dark blue and rich orange-red mixed with multicolored magic and grease, screams from far away, silken magic that is definitely arcane and somehow completely non-malevolant impossible you have been taught and there is feeling in this blurred magic, anger fear and claiming grasping falling ripping flying need mine all mine....


Audric raises a hand to his face and it comes away wet with blood. There is a shallow wound, red and raw and bleeding, between his eyebrows. It seemed to have clawed itself onto his face while he was detecting magic. That...doesn't normally happen.

Audric takes [roll0] damage.

[Strawberries]

What in… Audric hisses in pain, rubbing his forehead. He shuts his eyes for a moment, then addresses the others “I’m not sure what happened. I think Iil'ssaran was here, but there are many overlapping auras.” He is tired, and confused, and uncertain about what all this means. Focus, Audric, damn you. He shakes his head to clear it, reaching out and taking the boot to examine it more closely, as the most obvious out of place object that he can spot. He also tries to remember if Iil'ssaran was wearing boots like that.

(([roll0]. Yeah, and I don’t really think he can remember a thing like that, but just in case they train paladins to be very observant… what would it be, a WIS check with a very high DC?)