Maria Fireheart IC

[jakarta]

https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?657832-Maria-Fireheart-OOC

There is a gentle mid-morning breeze.
Hopefully, you won't have sunburnt from your late raising. You found your way to shore late at night and was taken by exhaustion shortly after securing yourself above the tide line.

It is perhaps 2 or 3 hours before high sun. The weather is clear and warm.

Do you want to prepare any spells before you start to explore?

[onlie2005]

Maria could have stayed there on the beach and cried forever. But she was tired and hungry. And instincts took over. Her mother was dead and there was nothing she could do about it. And now she was alone and frightened. She was going through her motions now and if anything she was a very brave girl. She remembered what her mother had made her promise to do if anything happened to her mother, head to Shadowdale. Go to the Old Skull Inn. She had no idea where to start. But old habits started to kick in. Her mind made up and really just too tired to do anything else she pulled her spellbook out of her backpack and began studying.

OOC: Maria's spell preparations are checked mark on her sheet.

[jakarta]

Looking about you notice that you could walk north or south along the beach, or take a path inland.

Is there anything you want to look for at the beach?

[onlie2005]

Maria is still going through the motions. Once she is done preparing her spells, she securely puts it in her backpack. She gives the beach a cursory look through.

Perception: [roll0]

She is in no hurry and is taking things one step at a time. She also checks the lifeboat to check if something was left in there that might be useful.

[jakarta]

Maria is still going through the motions. Once she is done preparing her spells, she securely puts it in her backpack. She gives the beach a cursory look through.

Perception: [roll0]

She is in no hurry and is taking things one step at a time. She also checks the lifeboat to check if something was left in there that might be useful.

There is a coil of rope in the lifeboat. There are several scallop shells on the beach and small sand crabs skittering about.

The tide is staring to rise.

From the bluff north of you drift the voices of children.

[onlie2005]

Maria may be in a daze but not so much that she realized that she was now in danger. The high tide was coming in so she knew she had to leave immediately. taking the extra coil of rope and securely attaching it to her backpack she makes sure all of her remaining stuff, especially her spellbook not jutting out and securely in her backpack before setting out to leave the beach. She heads in the directions of the children's voices, ever curious.

[jakarta]

"We have to tell!"

"You do and I'll bloody your nose! Stop being a baby!"

As you get closer it sounds like two boys arguing.

[onlie2005]

The last thing Maria needed was trouble. She was curious about what the boys were talking about so she just listened and waited.

[jakarta]

The last thing Maria needed was trouble. She was curious about what the boys were talking about so she just listened and waited.

"But he could drown!"

"He'll be fine! The tide will go back out. "

Two boys top the hill. They are human and look to be about 7 and 9. They look like fisher or farm kids.

[onlie2005]

Maria furrowed her eyebrows and looked towards the beach once more. What in the nine hells were they talking about? She wanted to avoid trouble as much as possible but even at her young and short 9 years she knew enough that what they were saying was troublesome.

"What in the nine hells are you two talking about?"

[jakarta]

The younger one burst, "Tobbin went in the crab cave!"

"YOU LITTLE ZENT!" explodes the older, immediately pummling what must be his brother. Their hair and clothing stitching are the same.

The smaller grabs a forearm in self-defense, and the two tumble down the rest of the bluff together, calling obscenities the whole way.

[onlie2005]

Boys! Ick!, Maria thought.

Maria shook her head and began looking around for some cave. She was not worried about the two idiots fighting. She was worried about Tobbin. If the cave was too low and on the level of the beach the boy could be trapped.

[jakarta]

Following the path up the steep bluff you rise perhaps 100 ft up as you scramble 150 ft north. Reaching the top you follow a ridge until you see a small sandy cove. From your elevated position, you see 3 set of tracks along the beach. Two of these double back. The third head towards a rocky cliff...

[onlie2005]

Maria hurried her pace, following the tracks and keeping with the third set of tracks. She keeps a close eye on the tides and wonders what in the nine hells were these three boys up to.

[jakarta]

Following the tracks around the rocks you find the footprints disappearing into shallow water. The rocky cliff is now south of you.


Through a thick tangle of drooping vines and overhanging branches, you can see a low black line just above the water. It is the entrance to a cave. It is just over ten feet wide, and there is just enough room for your head above the surface of the water. A breath of air from the cave mouth brings the smell of tide pools, rotting fish, and of something acrid that stings your eyes. From time to time, the water level rises slightly, and it gushes from the cave, leaving swirls of foam on the surface.

Did Tobbin go in there? The tide is rising, the water surging in and out of the cave.

[jakarta]

(looks like you would need to wade up to chest or make a short swim to enter the cave, if that is your intention.)

[onlie2005]

Maria looked back at the boys wondering what in the nine hells they were thinking. She looked took out her rope from her backpack and then again closed it tightly and securely. She then looked for something to tie one end of the rope on securely. Then tie the other end around her waist so she can wade into the cave. Hopefully she can find Tobbin before reaching the end of the rope. She will wade in anyways even if she does not find something to tie the rope on.

[jakarta]

There is a boulder 10 ft from the entrance small enough to tie a rope around. It takes 10 ft of rope to loop around the boulder and make a decent knot.

Do you want to do anything else before entering the water or cave?

[onlie2005]

Maria is not taking any chances and ties one rope around the rock and another around her waist. She then proceeds to wade into the cave, maybe a little bit of swimming if it is easier for her.

"Tobbin! Tobbin where are you?", she yells.

[jakarta]

(I misunderstood the text while reading the module. The "south entrance" shouldn't be "to the south" of you. Basically, I had the map upside down. I'm mentioning it here, but I'm not going to back up and change things. The coastline is curvy and irregular; while it generally runs north to south, on this bit you are entering a sea cave to the north of your position.)

>Maria is not taking any chances and ties one rope around the rock and another around her waist.


(Do you mean "one end of the rope...and the other end of the same rope, or are you talking about one rope tied to the rock and the 2ed rope tied to you?

Are you tying the 2 ropes together to get 100 ft of rope?

I don't mean to be too picky on wording.... I just want to make sure we have the same mental image before the character gets wet.)

You don't hear a response.

[onlie2005]

OOC: Sorry was slightly half asleep when I wrote my last post. She will use two ropes. One end tied to the rock, the other tied to the other end of the rope tied to Maria's waist.

Maria is now desperate. Tobbin could be drowning. So she quickly makes her way into the cave, still screaming Tobbin's name.

[jakarta]

Int check.

Swim/athletics check.

The water surges in and out of the cave as you attempt entry.

[onlie2005]

Athletics Check: [roll0]
Intelligence Check: [roll1]

[jakarta]

You are able to swim into the cave without getting too much water up your nose.

Just before you reach the end of your rope, you find footing and stand. You will need to untie yourself to proceed forward. You are in a narrow tunnel like area. You see a greenish light ahead in the distance.

(assuming you untie yourself and proceed, heading NORTH).

After about 25 ft...

The sound of the water is different here: hollower, bigger, more echoes and strange reverberations. The cave is opens out here, and is 20 ft. at its widest point, and more than that high. Dim greenish light provides shifting and uncertain illumination. The water is 2 ft. deep. It is clear, and you can see the rippled sand on the floor of the cave. The smell of salt and rot is stronger here.

Up along the east side, up 8 ft of steep limestone wall, there is a shelf recessed into the rock. It looks dry.

In an alcove on the west side, there are red and purple shapes protruding from the water.

There are three exits to the north.
The westernmost one slopes sharply up, and looks dry.
The other two are narrow and surging dark water. It swirls when it enters the bottleneck, making tiny vortices and standing waves with filthy foaming crests.

[onlie2005]

Maria is very worried now. She hopes Tobbin did not go through the narrowest middle and east exits. Having had somewhat unwelcome experiences with undead and other not so friendly monsters in Thay she is not too keen to find out what the red and purple shapes are. But she keeps a VERY close eye on them for anything suspicious. Slowly trudging through the water towards the westermost exit hoping that Tobbin had the good sense to head to dry territory, she still keeps yelling out his name hoping for an answer.

OOC: Investigation Check to see if Maria can see and locate any clues such as torn clothing or blood or anything that will lead her in the right direction to where Tobbin is.

Investigation: [roll0]

[jakarta]

As you come near the colorful shapes on your way west you get a better look at them.

Roll a check for knowledge of nature.

A frill of tiny, thread-like tendrils reach a couple inches out as if to touch your skin.

Attack: [roll0]. If hit, Roll CON save DC 12.

Also,
Roll Spot check vs. stealth [roll1].

[onlie2005]

Maria hurries her pace to the westernmost exit trying to avoid the obvious sea creatures as possible.

OOC:

Nature Check: [roll0]
Constitution Save: [roll1]
Spot Check: [roll2]

[jakarta]

The frill of tendrils are orange and waver like flame. Appropriate, as their sting burns like a combination of nettles and fire!

Non-lethal damage: [roll0]

The purple things producing the orange flame frills cover the rocks near the western edge of the cave,...

and provide good hiding places for the crab you didn't see that is trying to grab you....

To hit: [roll1], damage if hit 1.
The blue crab is about half the size of a cat.

(really, do you scream or cuss?)

[onlie2005]

Maria naturally screamed. But she also showed her bravery and courage as well. Collecting herself and taking a full deep breath, she calmed herself continuing on to the westernmost exit.

[jakarta]

"Fri-KEN FIRE Cor-RAL!" shouts a voice hidden in the darkness above you.

[onlie2005]

This was one of many times Maria wished she had the Light spell. Once she makes her way to dry rock, as far away from the singing what you might call it, she pulls out her torch and lights it pointing it upward.

"Hello? Tobbin is that you?"

[jakarta]

"Hell-LOW Tob-BIN! Hell-LOW Tob-BIN! Fri-KEN FIRE Cor-RAL! Gor-RAM CRABS!"

The voice above you grows fainter with each phrase, as if fading into the distance.

There must be smaller passages in the cave ceiling.

With the torch you can see that the fire coral cover most of the west side of the cave and you would need to re-cross it to get back to the other side.

Perhaps attracted by the light, 3 crabs emerge from the coral, slowing moving towards you.

The exit to the north west is a narrow passage down into deeper water.

(It is spelt "singeing", if you mean "burning".)

[onlie2005]

OOC: I meant stinging. Misspelling.

IC:

Maria is somewhat confused. But she continues to soldier on. She heads to the nearest exit that is as far away from the fire corrals as possible yet enables her to be as far away from them as humanly possible. While moving she puts out her torch and puts it in her backpack before closing it tightly.

[jakarta]

Intelligence, Perception, and athletics/swim checks.

This tiny passage is completely black. The only sensation is rough rock on your fingers and cold water pushing around.

The water come up to your neck... hopefully, it isn't too long...

[onlie2005]

Maria immediately regretted putting out her torch. But she continued to soldier on.

Intelligence Check: [roll0]
Perception Check: [roll1]
Athletics Check: [roll2]

[jakarta]

She is completely caught off guard by the effects of the tide surge in such a narrow passage...

She is knocked off her feet and "flushed" down the passage, bashed against the walls, emerging sputtering after a minute in a larger passage. [Roll]1d3[/roll

The grotto is lit by a green lumnenesence and a single shaft of light from high in the ceiling.

3 spot checks and an int check.

[jakarta]

[roll0] non lethal

[onlie2005]

Maria naturally screams a little when she is flushed but in spite of this is still soldiering on. The brave little girl tries to slowly get up and observe where she is now. She wonders what possessed her to go in the cave. Natural concern of course because that was the way she was.

Spot Check 1: [roll0]
Spot Check 2: [roll1]
Spot Check 3: [roll2]
Intelligence Check: [roll3]

[jakarta]

Hey, that 5 ft wide boulder over there (to the north)jutting out if the water is the same shape as a crab shell....

And that rock shelf up there to the southwest doesn't look like it would be too hard to climb. (Roll a check if you do.)

Hell LOW tob BIN. Frik KING fiER Cor RALL. YA Can TAH gIT TAH ME UP AH EAR, Shel LEE!

[onlie2005]

Maria is shaking her head, not making much sense of what she is hearing. so she decides to try and climb to the shelf.

Athletics: [roll0]

[jakarta]

Climbing the weathered rock isn't difficult.

Reaching the top, you turn to survey the grotto.

This is a dome shaped cavern with a 30 ft. high limestone ceiling. Greenish light lances in from a hole at the top. Reflection from the water throws a thousands brilliant light dancing across the ceiling. The surges are much gentler here, baffled by the narrow entrance, and the water swirls gently, only a foot deep at most.

In the center of the room hunches the crab-shaped, table-sized boulder, ragged with kelp, barnacles and heavy clumps of mussels.

You stand on dry sand on a patch higher than the rest on a ledge. There is something at the far end, a brownish shadowed lump.

In front of the lump something small seems to be ....strutting back and forth?

[onlie2005]

Maria decides to cautiously, keeping a close watch on the 'something', approach the lump.

"Tobbin?"

[jakarta]

Tob BIN. hello I'm Tobbin. It's dark in here. are you lost too. No BiRd DON'T LEAVE ME. Hell Low Tob Bin! I'm A Pretty Bird. Pretty Bird. Fri Kin Fire Cor RALL. Wanna Cacker. Shelly Can't get us in here, Little Matey".

It is a bird?

[onlie2005]

Maria moves closer to the lump and touches it.

[jakarta]

Your touch brushes some of the grime off the bird, revealing hints of bright rainbow feathers. It cranes its head to nuzzle against your hand. It seems staved for attention.

It looks up at you with huge hopeful eyes, as if searching for a connection.

You know in you soul that you can connect with this creature if you open your heart to it.

Intelligence and perception checks.

[onlie2005]

Maria's heart goes out to the bird. There is empathy and compassion in her emotions as she gently reaches out to the bird.

"It's okay. It's okay. I'm here now. How did you end up in here? Are you this Tobbin the boys were fighting about?", she says soothingly and gently.

Maria decides to make sure the bird is not injured. Perhaps that is why it is trapped in this cavern? She gently and slowly, doing the best she can not to startle it give the bird a cursory physical examination looking for injuries such as bleeding or a damaged wing.

Intelligence Check: [roll0]
Perception Check: [roll1]
Investigation Check: [roll2]
Medicine Check: [roll3]

[jakarta]

Maria's heart goes out to the bird. There is empathy and compassion in her emotions as she gently reaches out to the bird.

"It's okay. It's okay. I'm here now. How did you end up in here? Are you this Tobbin the boys were fighting about?", she says soothingly and gently.

Maria decides to make sure the bird is not injured. Perhaps that is why it is trapped in this cavern? She gently and slowly, doing the best she can not to startle it give the bird a cursory physical examination looking for injuries such as bleeding or a damaged wing.

Intelligence Check: [roll0]
Perception Check: [roll1]
Investigation Check: [roll2]
Medicine Check: [roll3]

The obviously magical creature wants to cuddle and climb on you. It chirps happily and babbles. It is starved for attention and wants to bond with you.

It seems underweight, dirty, and perhaps has mites.

On the floor is a pile of decaying bits of seaweed, shellfish, shrimp... of various degrees of freshness.

There is a opening to an accove, a cave within a cave. You could crawl in. There looks like there is something in there.

The bird nuzzles you again and looks up with its seemingly oversized eyes.

Do you want to bond with it?

[onlie2005]

Maria decides to bond with the bird allowing it to touch her and do what it needs to.

[jakarta]

Mentally, physically, spiritually a warm glow envelopes you as you and the bird gaze at each other.
You find yourself gazing at...yourself though the bird's eyes.
You feel it gazing at itself though your eyes.

A warm glow covers the 2 of you as your souls merge.

As the glow fades the bird is now a clean rainbow of feathers. It is still underfed. It has only been out of this cave once since the pirate fell in, and after returning with a few berries hasn't felt safe trying to leave by the freshwater stream to the north. Only been going there for water.

It knows where Tobbin is. Another chamber of the cave.
There is a network of connecting crevices and holes in the ceiling of the cave complex. Only a bird or bat can fit.

It is sad that the pirate "flockmate" stopped eating a long time ago. The pirate is in the little acove right here where Shelly can't reach.

You realize that you now know Light and Color spray...as sorceries!?!?

Your souls, now welded together, are stronger than they were. (d6 bonus Hit die).

"I'm a Pretty Bird. But I'm not Pretty Bird. What's my name?"

[onlie2005]

For the first time in a while Maria feels joy and contentment. She now has a new friend and familiar. Also she now knows the Light spell. Something unexpected and valuable given her situation. Maria immediately pulls out a bit of her rations from her backpack and feeds them bit by bit to the parrot whom she decides to name Polly. As she is doing this she assesses her situation. She needed to find Tobbin fast. After searching the dead pirate for anything useful she can find, she says to Polly with a reassuring smile, "Polly. I need to find Tobbin fast! Can you lead me to him? Don't worry I won't let any of those crabby, shelly things hurt you."

[jakarta]

(Polly or Iridesa? Also, boy or girl? I'll leave that up to you.)

The lump in the corner is a skeleton.
He is tucked into an alcove in the rock.
Brown flesh still clings to bone in places.
He is wearing rotten leather armor, the remains of good boots, and a long ostrich feather that proclaim him a bit of a dandy. His weapons, a cutlass and a dirk, are cemented into their scabbards with rust.
He has 8 gold teeth, a heavy gold and ruby ring, a pouch containing 2 pp, 18 gp, 27 silver, and 5 copper, and 2 green gems.

His leg is obviously badly broken.

Near his side is a bottle, sealed with a cork, containing a rolled scrap of thin leather, taken from his armor.

[onlie2005]

Maria decides to take the pouch containing coins and the gems, the boots, the corked bottle and the ring. Out of instinct she mumbles an incantation casting Detect Magic and concentrates hard for 10 minutes trying to see if there is anything magical among the items especially the gems, boots or ring. After that she beckons Polly to lead her to Tobbin.

[jakarta]

The bottle is magical.

[onlie2005]

Maria places the bottle as well as the other things she took from the pirate and puts it in her backpack before closing it tightly. She then commands Polly, "Okay Polly. Please lead me to Tobbin."

[jakarta]

"Watch Out! Shelly!" warns the parrot.

You turn to see that the crab shaped rock is in face a crab, covered with a growth of barnacles and coral, and it has climbed up on the edge of the shelve with you.

[onlie2005]

Maria begins to flee beckoning her new friend to follow as she scrambles to get off the ledge but not before reaching into her spell component pouch and then flickinging a pimch of powder, palm spreading outward and fingers splayed facing the large crab. Suddenly a cone of dazzling, colored light shoots out of her hand towards the crab.

OOC: Cast Color Spray on Shelly. If Shelly's hit points are less than or equal to the below roll, Shelly is blinded.

[roll0]

[jakarta]

The giant crab seems startled, but isn't otherwise affected.

[jakarta]

Do you want to try to slip by the crab and out pace it,

Or

Try to hide where the crab can't go?

Or

Something else?

[onlie2005]

Maria will try to slip by the monster, trying to outpace it rather than hide. She is too worried about Tobbin to hide and wait it out.

[jakarta]

Dexterity check to avoid the crab.

Then you have a choice of going southeast though the passage you entered this chamber though, or north.

(I'm mostly settled back in Burma now.)

[onlie2005]

Dexterity Check: [roll0]

[jakarta]

You avoid the dazzled Crab's claw.

Which direction are you going?

[onlie2005]

"Polly, lead me to Tobbin!", Maria says beckoning the bird to start flying again and lead her to Tobbin. She will follow the bird wherever it goes.

[jakarta]

"Go north, then East. Don't fall in the hole." instructs the bird.

[onlie2005]

"Polly I am not leaving you here alone with that giant crab there. Follow me.", Maria says beckoning the parrot to follow her.

She exits through the northern passage following her new friends instructions. If she can do so she will use the bottom of the torch to poke around in front of her to give or forewarning of any holes she might fall into. She slow and meticulous so she does not put herself in danger thereby increasing her chances to find Tobbin.

[jakarta]

Wisdom/preception check.
Reflex/dex check.

The bird flies near you.

[onlie2005]

Perception Check: [roll0]
Dexterity Check: [roll1]

[jakarta]

You notice the tide surge and are not knocked down.

As you are taking precautions, you notice the drop in the floor right as the tunnel takes a sharp right.
(A bit busy, will update more later.)

[onlie2005]

Maria carefully and slowly moves around the drop as she takes the sharp right turn. She decides to light her torch to be safe.

[jakarta]

The water is deep and powerful here, more than 3 feet deep. It rises to 5 feet during the surges. Fresh sea air and dim blue light flow down from the north. You have some difficulty keeping your torch above water as you continue right.

As you travel about 50 ft down the winding passage a stink grows. This is a warning of what is in the next chamber.

You enter the chamber from the west. It is about 50ft by 50ft.

It smells like all the worst parts of everything in the sea were stacked here and left to decay. This section of the cave is wide, but oppressively low, just barely head height for a man. To the north there is a steep sandy bank and a large dry section. The water is 2ft. deep, cloud and rank. In the center is the source of the stench. A permanent swirling eddy has deposited the broken remains of every creature pulled into this cavern by the tide. It is a slumping, liquefying pile of shredded flesh, disarticulated bone, organ, eye, and fin, looped and bound with strands of torn kelp. On it and through it, an infestation of crabs writhes and swarms.

There seem to be two passages to the south.

Spot check x 3.

[onlie2005]

"Polly.....where to next?", Maria says as she does her best to stay away from the mound of crabs.

Spot Check 1: [roll0]
Spot Check 2: [roll1]
Spot Check 3: [roll2]

[jakarta]

"South" answers the oddly directionally away bird.

There are 2 narrow passages to the south, roughly in each southern corner. The SE corner seems to have more fire coral.

There are some glass and shiny items mixed in the swirling pile of junk in the central eddy. occasionally visible is something is glowing just under the surface.

2 dog sized crabs, and 4 cat sized one start moving aggressively towards you. It looks like you will have to fight or find another way to Tobbin.

Intelligence/wisdom check.

[onlie2005]

Thinking that the one to the SW is more likely to be passed through by Tobbin she heads towards that rather than risk going through the fire corral.

Intelligence Check: [roll0]

[jakarta]

It occurs to you that if you have to fight these faster moving crabs, you are better to do so in a narrow passage.

[onlie2005]

Maria ran as fast as she could to the SW narrow passage hoping to outrun the crabs or at last put herself in a more strategically advantageous combat position.

[jakarta]

She is cut off by one of the larger crabs.

Roll initiative.

(sorry for the delay, there have been all sorts of problems at my school. )

[onlie2005]

Initiative:[roll0]

[jakarta]

[roll0] ,

The next crab will arrive in [roll1] rounds on initiative [roll2]

[jakarta]

The crab tries to grab the young witch.

[roll0] , dam [roll1]. If hit, grabbed, escape dc 11.

[onlie2005]

Maria screams in pain as she is grabbed and once more throws her right palm forward and a cone of conflicting colors shoots out towards the offending crab.

OOC: Cast Color Spray on crab grabbing her affects creatures with [roll0] hit points. If the crab's hit points is equal to or less than that it is blinded.

[roll1] to escape.

[jakarta]

The blinded crab releases its hold and disappears into the water.

[onlie2005]

Maria makes a mad dash towards the entrance without the fire corals.

[jakarta]

Reaching the entrance, she turns down a passage as directed by the bird.

A short narrow tunnel leads steeply up to this chamber. It is narrow, but high ceilinged. The floor is of dry, soft sand. It is utterly black here. A fresh cool breeze comes from somewhere above your head. There is a narrow crack in the ceiling.

Huddled on his side in the back of the chamber is a young boy.

(sorry to have neglected you. I have a cold and am taking meds for it and the week just flew by.)

[onlie2005]

Maria slowly approached the boy. She did not want to startle him. Nor did she want to touch him just yet to make sure he was not injured. With soothing words she said, "Hello. Are you Tobbin? Are you okay?"

OOC: No worries. Take your time and get some rest. I will still be around.

[jakarta]

"I want my Mommy." replies the boy, barely above a whisper.

[jakarta]

He heaves as much as breathes, sobbing with fear.

[onlie2005]

Maria is very careful with the child as she closely and gently examines him for any injuries that he might have. After all he made it this far and it meant treading through turbulent water and avoiding monsters. At the same time she was looking for another way out of this cave.

Medicine Check: [roll0]
Perception Check: [roll1]

[jakarta]

He has been stung by fire coral and is cold, but he really hasn't been in here much longer than you have.

He seems more scared than really injured.

[onlie2005]

Maria turns to her new pet bird, "Polly! I need you to go through that crack up there," she points to the ceiling opening, "And find help! Right now! We don't have much time!"