The Savage Tide III: Tides of Dread [IC]

[lostsole31]

Hoggie doesn't find any traps.

[Blackhawk101]

The swirling cloud coalesces into the sandy haired youth with the strange leaf armor.

Spoiler: Hoggie >>>collective

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“ It is safe ...or at least I detect no threats other than the latent magic. I am pretty sure the silver dragon doesn’t exist. Shall we approach?”

Hoggie strides towards the central pillar.

[lostsole31]

Rabbi Cohen has the party get back into formation, and takes his place next to Hoggie. As soon as Rabbi Cohen and Hoggie get to the pillar, they disappear!

Vona (only), what do you do? You were standing 15' behind Hoggie and Rabbi Cohen when they disappeared.

[digiman619]

It took Vona a half second to realise that the lack of visual stimuli vis-a-vis the Rabbi and Hoggie was noteworthy. She sends out a telepathic message. "For future reference, please state when you leave the visible spectrum. For tactical purposes if nothing else"

[lostsole31]

It took Vona a half second to realise that the lack of visual stimuli vis-a-vis the Rabbi and Hoggie was noteworthy. She sends out a telepathic message.

Spoiler: Vona >>> Telepahic Bond

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"For future reference, please state when you leave the visible spectrum. For tactical purposes if nothing else."

Skald, what do you do? You are standing next to Vona, and were 15' behind Hoggie and Rabbi Cohen when they disappeared from view.

[BuckGodot]

Skald will stop moving forward and say

Spoiler: Skald>>>>Tepe

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Stop! Can you still see them Vona? Are you certain they are still there?

[lostsole31]

Skald will stop moving forward and tepe...

Spoiler: Skald >>> Telepathic Bond

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"Stop! Can you still see them Vona? Are you certain they are still there?"

Tom's tele-voice is heard.

Spoiler: Tom >>> Telepathic Bond

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"Captain? Hoggie? Where'd you go?"

He calls to the unknown patron of winter that empowers him and casts detect magic. He speaks, "There is powerful magic here, but I never took the time to learn what the auras I will see in a few seconds mean."

Hoggie, what do you do? (Wait for and read my Discord DM.)

[Blackhawk101]

Spoiler: Hoggie>>>Collective

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“*Groan* Everyone stop moving. I have triggered some kind of pit trap. Doc you Okay?”

Hoggie tries to get to his feet.

[lostsole31]

Spoiler: Hoggie >>> Collective

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“*Groan* Everyone stop moving. I have triggered some kind of pit trap. Doc, you okay?”

Hoggie-swim/stands in the pitch black of wherever he is, a decided echo from his watery impact echoing about. The water is 5' deep, meaning that at 6'2", the water comes to Hoggie's upper torso.

Corrin, you were 20' behind the two when they disappeared. What do you do?

[bcool999]

Corrin

Corrin remains where he is, concentrating on his invisibility, but his eyes begin to pierce through falsehoods to understand what just happened should there be illusions or magical trickery involved.

Spoiler: OOC

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Concentrate on invisibility as a standard. As a Free action, will use 1 of my uses of Truesight for the day (lasting 9 rounds) and use my move action to look around (perception check)

[lostsole31]

Corrin remains where he is, concentrating on his invisibility, but his eyes begin to pierce through falsehoods to understand what just happened should there be illusions or magical trickery involved.

Spoiler: Corrin

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That statues that surround the central platform depict gorillas, snakes, crocodiles, bats, tigers, and other wild animals in positions of rage and territorial defense. The entire central array of statues and pillar are in fact not real. From your position 20' back, you don't notice anything else.

Spoiler: Hoggie (only)

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Hoggie hears something else splashing in the water nearby, and at first there is the worry that something else is down there with him. But he is comforted by a familiar voice. "Don't worry, Mr. Wainwright," is Rabbi Cohen's voice. "It's me. The whole false front and sudden darkness was enough to confuse me so I didn't protect myself by flying."

Gili-Nachum, Doc's warhammer, begins to light aflame just above water. He holds it up just out of water while he expertly treads. Where Hoggie just has to stand, the 4' 7" tall dwarf-angel has to tread water, but if you remember correctly, he mentioned at some point that he was a special brand of angelic dwarf - a "Seacliff dwarf" that is even more unusual amongst that subrace of dwarf. For while a seacliff dwarf can hold their breath underwater and swim admirably, Doc was born with gills and slightly webbed hands and feet. Even once his angelic nature revealed itself, as an angel he has seagull-like wings that provide less drag and more power underwater than the typical raptor-style wings depicted in drawings of most heavenly messengers .... and he has four of them.

Now that his warhammer provides light like a torch, you see that you are in a pit that is 15-square feet wide, with 5' of brackish, yucky water at the bottom. You cannot see the entrance in the darkness above. However, you do see what seems like some type of wide ledge on the opposite wall of where you are, in the dim light about 25' above you. The side walls appear slick, as they might make a difficult climb for you.

Spoiler: Rabbi Cohen >>> Collective

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"We are in a pit, 15' x 15'. Five feet of brackwater at the bottom. We are a little battered, but otherwise fine. There seems to be a ledge 25' above our heads. The pit is a total 50' deep, including the water."

Since the initial shock of this bit is done, I am no longer in "shadow initiative." We are out of initiative, and anyone can post.

[Blackhawk101]

Hoggie levitates up out of the water and casts light on the pommel of his sword sticking out over his right shoulder.
he extends his hand towards the swimming dwarf.
“I get by with a little help from my friends?”

Spoiler: Hoggie >>> Collective

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“Rusty, are you OK?”

[lostsole31]

Spoiler: Rusphalia >>> Collective

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"Are you okay?"

Rabbi Cohen shakes his head slowly, splashes the excess water from his wings as he emerges from the pool, then flies up to and lands on the ledge 20'+ above.

[Blackhawk101]

Spoiler: Hoggie >>>Collective

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”I am pretty banged up but I will live. It only hurts when I laugh. Ha ha...Ouch! Are you still up top? Can you help the others find the pit without falling in. I am going to check out this ledge with Doc.”

Hoggie levitates up to Doc’s level.
“Aaah, What’s up Doc?”

[lostsole31]

BELOW

The two of you [Hoggie and Lazer] came in from the south. Carved into the pit's northern wall are niches, forming a ladder that ascends from this narrow ledge up to the stone floor above. From this ledge there is an opening in the north wall, a gently sloping tunnel that winds downwards into darkness.

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ABOVE

You received Hoggie's communique. What reply? What actions from up here? No limit to who may post.

[bcool999]

Corrin moves forward under invisibility and Truesight around 20' to get a better look at the pit talked about telepathically.

[digiman619]

Doing her best to step quietly, Vona also approaches the pillar.

Spoiler: OOC

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Stealth check in case that wasn't obvious.

[lostsole31]

Spoiler: Corrin

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Corrin, there is no pit. The central pillar isn't real, but there is no pit. Just the floor.

Spoiler: Vona

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There is no pit. There is a central pillar.

[BuckGodot]

Skald will remain where he is, waiting for those ahead to give clue as to what has happened...

[Blackhawk101]

Spoiler: hoggie >>> Collective

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“There are some handholds on the north side of the pit that you can use to climb down to us. Rusty can show you. There is a tunnel that leads down into the dark from a ledge on the North side. Where we are.”

Hoggie retrieves some rope from his pack before tossing the end to Doc Cohen so that he can pull himself over to the ledge.

[lostsole31]

Corrin, you are on the south side of the pillar, but Hoggie is referencing the north side of a pit he's in.

[bcool999]

Corrin will break concentration on his invisibility and write, "There is no pit here, only illusions. The pillar is false, as are some of the statues. Hoggie and Cohen were spirited away somewhere. I will try entering the pillar illusion... maybe it holds a magic of some kind?"

Corrin will move to the north side of the pillar illusion before entering the area of the illusion.

Spoiler: OOC

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standard action to use trick to write, so 4 rounds of invis left.

[lostsole31]

Vona, do you go with Corrin, or hang back?

Skald, what do you do?

[BuckGodot]

Skald will hang back and guard the back.

Spoiler: Skald>>>>>group

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”I will stay back to guard our flank until we decide the best way forward. “

[lostsole31]

Tom will stay back and cover Skald, while Corrin and Vona (and Rusty) go forward. Rusty and Vona hold on the north side while Corrin goes to verify the pillar's non-existence.

Corrin, describe what you are doing (and in spoilers what you hope to achieve).

[bcool999]

Corrin enters the pillar, prepared to be dropped into a pit like his two companions if there really is a connection between this illusion and how they disappeared.

Spoiler: OOC

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I am hoping that the illusion is covering some sort of teleportation trap or something, and Hoggie and Cohen activated it accidently. Maybe touching the illusion will trigger it so the party can regroup. I am basically taking a leap of faith, and if that doesn't work taking a really close look at the area.

[lostsole31]

Corrin

Sure enough, the floor opens up beneath Corrin and he falls several feet onto a hard, stone surface at the feet of Rabbi Cohen and Hoggie, taking 9 damage.

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Vona

Corrin disappears after interacting with the pillar. As the pillar seems real enough, that tends to lend credence to the possiblity that this might be some type of teleportation trap.

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Hoggie (& Rabbi Cohen) .... and then Corrin

The ceiling seems to open up and falling at your feet (the two of you adjust a little so as not to get hit) is halfling monk-sized bundle, shaped like a halfling monk that just took damage from a 25' fall. The ceiling then closes shut again.

[Blackhawk101]

Hoggie will reach down to help Corrin to his feet.
Hoggie grins at something just to Corrin’s left.
“Hello...Is it me you’re looking for?”

[lostsole31]

And to Corrin's left is an entrance to a passageway. Corrin also sees the handholds hewn into the rock that go upwards.

[bcool999]

Corrin hops back up slightly sore where he landed, but not too much the worse for wear. Now that he understands the illusion/pit trap combo he writes, "Please warn the group that the central pillar conceals a non magical trapdoor pit trap."