Into the Odd (IC)

[LurkytheDwarf]

The current OOC thread can be found here.

ADVENTURE ONE - INTO THE IRON CORAL

You are deposited on the tidal flats twenty-seven miles down the western seaboard from Hopesend. After you disembark his tiny sloop, Ifner the Pearl Diver heads out to wait in deeper water—fearful of staying too close to the shore. "I wait but one day!" he calls back with a laugh.

Before you looms a growing forest of red coral which has pushed its way up through the sand and silt. Dead fish and scuttling crabs litter the ground, picked at by marine birds. Everywhere aquamarine seawater stains most surfaces and runs off in tiny waterfalls.



Together with your newfound comrades (of which you know for better or worse), you push two hundred yards further to where you spot a glint rising above the red vista. Then you stumble upon it: a huge vaguely castle-like mass of jagged, alien metal, a product of the deep.

Before you stands a definitively door-like entrance. Unlikely the flapping, wriggling, skittering life around you outside, within is only darkness and silence. Of the parties which came before, there is no sign.

[Kaptin Keen]

Rakash eyes the otherworldly edifice with open fear and suspicion, glancing at the receding sloop with longing. At length, he prods Rabble: Shoo, minion - go see what's inside, then report back, yea?

Rabble simply shakes it's head: Nuh-uh, no way!

With the greatest of reluctance, Rakash proceeds to creep closer. His very posture signals not just a willingness, but a desire, to run for the hills at the slightest sign of danger. He holds his longaxe as if it might bite him, but approaches the door-like orifice ... slowly.

Behind him, Rabble mutters: Don't wo-ry. I've my swored ready. I hafs yore back.

[Mangles]

Timber is eager to start. All this lolling around is not fit for a Jack. He readies his axe and nods to Stabber before pushing to the front. "If your not man enough for the front then guard the rear." He walks up to the door and hesitates only slightly at the entrance before scowling and stepping through the door.

[Kaptin Keen]

Rakash imitates Timber's voice sarcastically - nif nure not nan nenuff! - but is secretly grateful. There's an old goblin saying that goes if you meet an angry bear in the forest, you don't need to outrun the bear .. you just need some poor fool silly enough to stand there and try to fight it.

[JbeJ275]

Tertis moves forward as cross as ever but still determined. He will wait a good ten seconds after Timber has entered then follow behind him. Marcus follows closely behind Tertis as they move into this place.

[LarsWester]

Happy that others took the lead, Smirk readies his musket and follows through the door. Turning back to the fair-haired lithe woman behind him he says.
Hare you take up the rear. Scream if you die or something.
Hare lets out a nervous gulp and falls in line behind Smirk.
Any of you have a torch? It is dark in here. The short bearded fellow asks those in front.

[LurkytheDwarf]

A few of your expedition spark up torches as you pass through the entrance to the great coral growth. Before you is a downward sloping path of irregular walls. Waves must be crashing against the far side of the structure because their metallic echo travels with you into this alien place.

A good fifty feet brings you to a large, unfinished room—little better than a cavern. You enter from the north, your torches playing across the many deep shadows of the chamber. It contains several features:

• A pit yawns open in the center of the floor.
• East, a crack travels up the wall. At its base is a hole just large enough to be a crawlway for most of your party save Rakash, Rabble, and Smirk (who would still need to duck). The passage drips with aquamarine water.
• South, two more tunnels open up, similar to the one you have just traversed. But the eastern one is filled with chest-high sea foam.
• Growing on the western wall is a large patch of the red coral that has formed the forest-like spires out on the tidal flats. Where its edge meets the iron coral, the metal loses its luster.

Still no sign of any previous party.

[LarsWester]

Smirk eyes shift around the large chamber with the lantern light playing its shadows off the surrounding extents of the area. The pit in the center of the floor draws his attention. Smirk cautiously makes his way to the edge of the pit. Getting down on his stomach he crawls forward until he can look down in the pit. He tries to discern how deep it is.

Spoiler: If he can't see the bottom

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Hare come here with your light and a small stone. he calls to his companion who will simply walk over to Smirk peering down at the prone dwarf comically.

[Kaptin Keen]

As the southern passages are the farthest, Rakash points to the crack to the east: Rabble, watch that opening for any enemies trying to ambush and eat us, ok? Try to scream and whack them once with your sword - before you die, or run away. Ok?

Rabble nods solemnly: Yes boss. Swored redy. I is watchfool.

Then Rakash creeps along with Smirk, longaxe ready. If you want (your part of) piles of treasure, you must at least seem to be pulling your own weight.

[LurkytheDwarf]

Spoiler: OOC

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Correction: You have lanterns not torches.

Smirk crawls up to the edge of the pit. Rakash follows a pace or two behind, longaxe ready to cleave whatever kills his companion. But nothing of the like happens. Smirk peers only into the darkness below.

Hare is called for and holds her lantern at arms-length. It shines feebly 20' feet down, but the pit continues farther still. She hands Smirk a stone.

Dropped into the pit, the stone falls out of sight and travels perhaps four seconds—around a third of which it is in the range of your lantern's light—before it can be heard making a hollow, metallic ping off a dry surface.

[Kaptin Keen]

Rakash gives a sigh, as if to say 'geez, why do I have to do all the work?!'

I think I can fix this, he mutters. He tears a rag of cloth from some part of his clothing (it's literally not important which part, since it seems to be held together mostly by dirt), dips it gingerly in his Fire Oil, wraps it tight around a rock with a bit of string also liberated from his clothes - then lights it from the lantern, and tosses it into the pit.

As the flaming rock falls, Rakash's face twists with fear of what it might reveal.

[LurkytheDwarf]

The flaming stone falls for the same four seconds, a distance you can visually measure as about sixty feet. It passes nothing but bare iron coral walls and lands with the same hollow, metallic ping as the last on the bare iron coral floor.

The burning rag's illumination is faint to your eyes from the bottom of the pit, but a patch of deep shadow hints at another passage heading off toward the east down there.

[LarsWester]

Smirk looks at the goblin dropping a burning rock. He turns to Hare. Why didn't you think of doing that? Turning away from peering into the dark 60' foot deep hole towards the Goblin Smirk says What do you think is it worth climbing down or do you think we go an easier route from the start. It might be nice if we have spare rope to leave a rope hanging here secured in case we ever get to the bottom of the hole we can then climb the rope back up. Do you know how much rope we have together? He then pushes himself away from the edge of the gaping hole and looks around for the rest of the group calling out to no one in particular Found a deep hole here, find anything?

[Kaptin Keen]

This hole in the ground seems like the hardest way forward, and the least likely avenue for an ambush. I'd say we try one of the others. I was worried this place might flood, but with a big hole in the floor, that seems less likely. So um .. Rabble, think you can climb up and check out that crack in the wall?

Rabble, with the absolute conviction of a fanatic zealot, shakes his head.

With an overly dramatic sigh, Rakash sets to scaling the wall, to have a peek inside.

Spoiler: OOC

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Is the crack even that high up the wall? Eh, regardless. Just making sure no monsters are lurking in there, looking to jump us when our backs are turned.

[JbeJ275]

Similiarly wary of ambush, though with most avenues for further exploration used up Tertis and Marcus shine their lanterns down the southwestern and southeastern passages respectively looking for motion or signs that movement had occurred previously

[LurkytheDwarf]

Rakash

At the base of the crack in the eastern iron wall is a small crawlway, but for your small goblin form, you could hunch over and walk through it. From hairline fractures, water drips from the ceiling of the small tunnel.

Shining the light of your lantern into it, you can tell it goes 20' before turning south. It also noticeable slopes downward.

Tertis

The southeastern passage is filled with chest-high seafoam. The thick salty smell stings the nostrils. The bubbles are constantly popping and dissolve before spilling into the first cavern. There must be some source down the passage replenishing them.

Shining your light over the foam you can see the passage continues south into darkness.

The southwestern passage only goes fifteen feet before opening into another large unfinished cave, larger than a single lantern can illuminate. This one however has its iron wall covered with the red coral growth, like the patch on the western wall in the first chamber with the pit.

30' into this second cavern, something small and shiny on the floor glints from the light of your lantern.

[LarsWester]

Smirk stands up after retreating from the holes edge. Anyone find anything promising? I am up to going anyway but I think the way of least resistance would be that Southwestern passage. You know the one not full of water.

[Kaptin Keen]

I've found nothing. I agree with picking the easiest way forward. Unless someone has nigh-magical tracking skills, and can tell us which way the previous teams went?

Rakash doesn't look hopeful that this should be the case.

Spoiler: OOC

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Since this skill doesn't seem to have skills - can we roll against an ability to pick up tracks, or the like?

Should I already know this from reading the rules? oO

[LurkytheDwarf]

Spoiler

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Basically, with the players saying they take to the time to look around, if there were tracks to find you would have found them. Between the metal floor and the several days since anyone's passed through here, there isn't anything in the way of tracks.

As the party gathers around the southwestern passage and edges forward, your light shines deeper into the second cavern. This one's walls are completely covered with the red coral, like a rash spreading across a man's skin. Your light finds the rear of the chamber; there are no other exits.

In the center of the room, the glint comes from a small open pouch spilling silver coins. However, very near the pouch is a pile of meat, fur, and bone. Staring at it, you can make out the skull of a dog. The carcass seems too fresh to be breaking down from natural decay.

[Kaptin Keen]

Does this feel like a trap to anyone? It feels like a trap to me. Loot, conveniently placed .. where .. Rakash's voice fades as he creeps closer to the irresistible lure of the spilled silver, mesmerized. He's still cautious, and holds his weapon at the ready - but he's still very clearly unable to resist the lure of precious shinies.

[LarsWester]

Smirk nods his head in agreement as his goblin companion talks about the obvious trap ahead. He then shakes his head in disbelief as Rakash moves forwards towards the very same trap. Smrik stands in the doorway checking his musket making sure it is ready to fire at whatever the Goblin sets off.

[LurkytheDwarf]

As Rakash enters the red-walled cavern, the goblin notices a change in himself. His head feels stuffy like it's filling with spring pollen. By the time he is only halfway to the dog's remains and the pouch of silver, he is feeling faint. Does he continue?

The expedition members at the entrance watch Rakash start to teeter and become incautious in his trek over to the coins.

[Kaptin Keen]

... diz-zy. Rakash shakes his head, trying to clear it. Pro .. pably something in .. the air?

He tastes the air, smells it - but he also sees the prudence in falling back a few steps, to see if it wears off.

[LurkytheDwarf]

Rakash turns back. It takes him retreating out of the red-walled cave altogether before his head starts to clear. Even then, it takes a couple of minutes and a heavy swig of water from a canteen before the goblin feels quite himself again.

[Kaptin Keen]

Wow - that was unpleasant. So how motivated are we? Personally, I'm .. not here for the company - no offence - but for the treasure. What say we tie a rope around me, then I try again, while holding my breath? See if it's the air in there. Yes?

Oh, and .. no funny business. I fully realise that if I kick it in there, there's one less for you to share with. Rakash gives his best impression of a steely glare, only somewhat spoiled by how wretched he looks.

[LurkytheDwarf]

Rakash, with a rope tied around his waist and holding his breath, proceeds back into the second cavern. At first, you believe this time may be different, but by the time you reach the same spot, your head feels fuzzy once again. The blurring red walls are closing in on you.

Spoiler: Rakash OOC

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I need a Willpower save.

[LarsWester]

Hare has a concerned look come over her face as the Rakash bravely approaches the treasure again. Smirk snorts as the goblin gets out of earshot but maintains a tight grip on the rope.

[LurkytheDwarf]

Shaking his head, Rakash makes it to the pouch of silvers and grabs it. Up this close, you also notice the tendrils of red coral spreading from the walls along the iron floor connecting them to the fur, bones, and skull of the dog carcass. They form a larger patch near the coin purse; though if another body had been there, no hint of it remains. Rakash can tell the red coral seems strangely soft—pliable like potter's clay.

Another fainting spell begins to set in on you as your little goblin fingers snatch up the last of the spilled silver coins...

Spoiler: Rakash OOC

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You have a pouch and 20 silver coins. If your next action isn't to leave the room, you will probably need to make another Willpower save.

[Kaptin Keen]

Gritting his teeth - showing way too many tiny, very very sharp teeth for comfort - Rakash turns around, and staggers away from the center of the cave, back to safety.

It's .. the coral! He all but snarls, the coral worries at your mind like a dog at a bone ... and then it eats you!

Shaking his head again, Rakash realises how absurdly deranged that sounds, and shrugs, apologetically. Least that's how it feels, when you're in there. Also, the dog didn't bring a pouch of silver in there, right? But it's master was long gone.

[LarsWester]

Hmm. Easy to test that theory. Smirk says outloud as he walks back into the first chamber and towards the red coral along the Western wall. Hare make sure you get my- I mean our- cut of that silver.