Into the Keep on the Shadowfell IC

[Archemist]

Elmo seems miffed at the prospect of resting, even if it is the wiser course of action. He relents. "Let's rest, then. If they bring the fight to us, that will be their mistake."

[sandmote]

"I don't mind moving forward, I was mostly hoping we get through one room without a fight breaking out." Still, Vuthan sits down where the edge of the ramp lowers into the pit. He looks over at the drake thoughtfully. "We taking this thing with us?"

[TurboGhast]

It seems you're not the only ones not ready to go straight into a fight, as nobody emerges from the secret door to interrupt your rest. Even though you hear the sounds of rushed preparation, you feel ready to go before anything comes of it.

(OOC: Your short rest is uninterrupted. Awaiting manner of progress into the next room, as well as an answer to Vuthan's question.)

[Archemist]

Elmo takes a breather and replies to Vuthan - "I don't think it will want to aid us after we killed its friend." He eyes the drake as if judging it for a Best In Show. "Peditham hi sui vellyn?" he asks, seeing if it responds to Elven.

[Rakaydos]

"I don't mind moving forward, I was mostly hoping we get through one room without a fight breaking out." Still, Vuthan sits down where the edge of the ramp lowers into the pit. He looks over at the drake thoughtfully. "We taking this thing with us?"

"It's a dungeon crawl. The only way we're not fighting in every non connecting room is if we bring the whole place down on us, then explore after." Sarathi looked at the beast, and also tried a language. "Rak'sh Sh'zth Kree?" she said in abyssal, raising hairs in the necks of onlookers.

[sandmote]

Vuthan shrugs, "I would expect wild animals to let us pass as soon as they decide we aren't appetizing. Still, if everyone is feeling a bit better, we should maybe get a move on."

[Dimers]

Gagan nods and uses his staff to lever his way to a standing position. "If the drake stays behind us, maybe it'll ward off rats."

[TurboGhast]

Elmo takes a breather and replies to Vuthan - "I don't think it will want to aid us after we killed its friend." He eyes the drake as if judging it for a Best In Show. "Peditham hi sui vellyn?" he asks, seeing if it responds to Elven.

"It's a dungeon crawl. The only way we're not fighting in every non connecting room is if we bring the whole place down on us, then explore after." Sarathi looked at the beast, and also tried a language. "Rak'sh Sh'zth Kree?" she said in abyssal, raising hairs in the necks of onlookers.

The drake doesn't respond to either language to the point where you're not even sure it understands you're speaking to it. Your best guess is that it was trained in goblin to try and prevent attackers from confusing the drake or co-opting its training.

Gagan nods and uses his staff to lever his way to a standing position. "If the drake stays behind us, maybe it'll ward off rats."

Even though you won't necessarily be able to convince the drake to come along, that doesn't mean warding off rats or other beasts that would attack opportunistically will be impossible. There's more than one way to show your guard will not drop.

[sandmote]

"Well, if it's not budging, lets get moving." Vuthan enters the staircase into the next room, and does his best to survey the rocks the rats were running through the last time he checked it.

[Rakaydos]

Vaemara followed, closer to the front this time.

[Archemist]

The elf follows, nocking an arrow just in case.

[Dimers]

Gagan motions the others to continue ahead of him, then sweeps his gaze over the now-quiet room, watching for signs of trouble coming out of the woodwork.

[TurboGhast]

Now that you've entered, you can see the cavern has a surprising amount of life to it. Lizards skitter across the floor, seeking to eat the insects crawling along the stalagmites. However, the large rats that could prove a concern seem to have gone silent and run for hiding spots.

(OOC: Place yourselves on the battle map according to the formation you want to traverse the room in.)

[Archemist]

Spoiler: meant this for the OOC thread

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I assume we're coming in from the north stairs, since that would match up with the previous map. Elmo will be somewhere in the middle row, I think. And there's exits to the west and south?

Elmo proceeds down the stairs warily.

[sandmote]

Vuthan takes the opportunity to check for any additional danger.

Spoiler: OOC

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might as well keep something moving, so (1d20+9)[17] for perception.

[TurboGhast]

While the stalagmites are thick enough for the rats to hide within, Vuthan's able to pick them out. After looking up, he also sees some have climbed into thick patches of stalactites while still keeping a close eye on you. While the rats know Vuthan can see them, this is to your benefit. When the six of you approach, they scatter for different hiding spots.

Your close formation seems to be dissuading any attacks, but they're clearly waiting for you to break that formation.

(OOC: I got so caught up in asking how you were going forwards that I forgot to ask where you were going. Anyway, unless someone ends up isolated or you try and enter the sub-room the jelly's within combat won't start in this room.)

[Dimers]

Quietly, Gagan asks from the back of the group, "Try the door or head further along? I'm inclined to keep some distance from that ooze creature over there, so I vote door."

[Archemist]

Quietly, Gagan asks from the back of the group, "Try the door or head further along? I'm inclined to keep some distance from that ooze creature over there, so I vote door."

"Agreed - I could have tried sneaking by it but those aren't as easily fooled as a goblin," Elmo replies, similarly quietly. "Door it is."

[Rakaydos]

Nodding, the gnoll led the way past the debris, heading toward the door to the east.

[sandmote]

Weapon drawn, the goliath follows closely behind.

[TurboGhast]

Upon getting closer, you can see the door in more detail. The entirety of the bronze double doors have gone green with age, with occasional purple and blue stains created by a thick layer of fungus. Scratched into the fungus in Common is the message, "Stay Out. Really."

[Rakaydos]

"I say we open the door and walk away. If the slime is gone later, there's probably something nasty in there."

[Dimers]

Gagan examines the door and floor in detail. At what height is the message written? Seems like goblins would be more likely to write lower down -- and not in Common. Are there marks on the floor or door handle that hint at movement through the area despite the message?

Spoiler: mechanics

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I'm not trained in Nature or Perception, but it doesn't hurt to try. Nature (d20+2)[10], Perception (d20+3)[8] including the +1 for having an elf ally nearby.

[TurboGhast]

The center of the message is between goblin eye level and human eye level, while the letters are tall enough to reach both levels. It's wide enough to cover the entire door. Looking closer, the message was scratched into the door itself, and only appeared to have been scratched into the fungus because it grew into the cuts.

Gagan can't find anything suggesting that the door's been opened recently. In fact, the growth pattern on the floor suggests that it's been left shut for quite while.

[Dimers]

"Doesn't look like we'd miss out on any fun by leaving it alone. We can always come back if we want to later." Gagan turns away from his examination of the door. "Keep going south?"

[Archemist]

"As fun as it might be to watch them fight it out... what's behind this door could be a worse evil than any other in this place. Gagan is correct - let's move on for now."

[Rakaydos]

Sarathi nods, and continues south and east, over the rubble toward the next hallway.

[TurboGhast]

Nothing physically troubles you on the way towards the area's southern exit, but losing sight of the cavern's entrance means your equipment is the only thing staving off pitch black darkness. The tunnel ahead of you is significantly smoother than the room you traversed to reach it, although not as smooth as a proper building floor.

Spoiler: OOC

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First, just realized I forgot to ask what you're using for a light source, since there aren't any in this room or the next. To keep things moving I'll just say you were using that light source the entire time.

Second, now's the time to specify changes to the nature of your movement you want to make before entering the next room, if any.

[sandmote]

"Move the torch up," Vuthan whispers, his shield in one hand and the other hovering over the handle of his blade. He stays up front, but doesn't try to be much quieter than the party has already been.

[TurboGhast]

The first thing noticeable as you walk down the tunnel is a pit that appears to have once been concealed by a layer of flagstone, marked on the map by a brown circle with a transparent green fill. The wall following that has a few 2 feet wide gaps lining it, but none you can see another end to.

OOC: Place yourselves on the battle map, within the box with a transparent green fill. Bear in mind that bright light can only be found in a five space radius around whoever's holding the torch at the moment unless you break out another light source.

Spoiler: For those who make a DC 15 Perception Check

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Malicious chittering and a nose-wrinkling, snakelike musk issue from the chamber ahead.

Spoiler: For those who make a DC 20 Perception Check

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Two spaces southwest of the pit, you see a suspiciously elevated section of floor about the same size as it.