A Mountainous Exploration Part 8
A crudely furnished bunkhouse was comfortable enough for the time being. You were at least able to securely rest and recuperate from the numerous challenges you have faced so far.
The good news is that nothing interrupted you. The bad news is that the crystalline dust on your persons is really, really itchy and, oh yeah, you're still in the mountain. To proceed, you can either explore this area more greatly or climb back up to the hole you entered through.
GAME: Munch refreshes spells.
GAME: Malik refreshes spells.
GAME: Seldan refreshes spells.
GAME: Seldan refreshes special ability pools.
GAME: Garak refreshes spells.
The crystalline dust coating everything is readily-enough cleaned, at least in Seldan's eyes. A quick casting of Prestidigitation should suffice to clean up himself and his gear, and with that done, he gratefully folds his armor in a clatter, flops into his bunk, and is asleep in a matter of minutes, crystallized left side or not. On rising, he doesn't immediately speak, and assumes a meditative pose in silence for the better part of an hour before addressing anyone.
However, this procedure does appear to make him rather more relaxed, and he stretches, unfolds, and munches on a bit of trail rations as he organizes his gear.
GAME: Seldan casts Prestidigitation. Caster Level: 12 DC: 15
Olek has a hard time scratching himself with the plate armor, but he's helluva tough, and he'll grimace, grinning's asking a bit too much, and bear it. So, he'll sleep, in his armor, and he wakes up more or less refreshed, yawning but alert. "OK, so what's the plan?" he asks.
Munch recovers well enough, little pulses of light streaming from the device built into his hand to repair the extensive damage to his body. The dust vexes the metal man. It looks so interesting, but has no real flavor... "...plan? Explore, don't die, get out, report?"
"We may as well look around a bit longe.r Unless we're all up for a nother long climb, I guess." Kore is surveying their srroundings with her characteristic calm, blue eyes narrowed slightly. She does, however, fidget. Occasionally, she'll scratch or adjust her clothing. The dust is bothering her as much as anyone apparently. When Much speaks up Kore nods. "Explore, don't die, get out, treport. It sounds perfect, if I'm honest."
Malik arose early, the need to prepare outweighing the need for rest. Fortunately, he's trained for this, and is mostly finished by the time the others awaken, making rapid work of it. Malik nods his assent to Munch's plan, though, closing the book and stuffing it in his bag, looking much less the worse for wear than he did yesterday. "You know what they say about the best laid plans, though," he reminds them.
Garak says, "Yes." The cleric goes through some basic calisthenics before pulling on his armored coat. "Once we feel we've learned the truth we can decide what to do," he corrects as he fastens the last of the buttons. "The truth behind the dispelling of our magic and the purple worm, this magicite monstrosity we fought, where we even are...there are still too many things we don't know. And knowing what is going on here is the very reason we were sent.""
Munch says, "...they're simple and easy to remember?"
"I would explore here, ere we leave," Seldan agrees, looking up from where he is re-packing his cleaned gear. "We know not if we will be readily able to return, and there may be a valuable clue as to the origin and nature of this place." He nods agreement with Malik. "Purple worms," he reminds the wizard. "There may well be a breeding pair, if not more."
GAME: Kore rolls Perception+2: (9)+18+2: 29
GAME: Olek rolls perception: (18)+15: 33
GAME: Munch rolls percption: (7)+percption: 7
GAME: Munch rolls perception: (17)+20: 37
GAME: Seldan rolls perception: (12)+5: 17
GAME: Malik rolls Perception: (5)+19: 24
GAME: Garak rolls perception: (4)+19: 23
...a careful search is conducted of the immediate cavern you're in. As you noted earlier, it appears at first blush to be a cavern distinct and beyond the 'complex' tunnels you were in earlier. As you study them, searching through the ruins of crystal shards, you definitely see many more bits of magicite here. This was, at one point, an untapped vein of it. No doubt this was something that fueled the magic that created the mess you've been seeing so far. Magicite is not common, but it's not /uncommon/ either, and it does form the backbone of artifice and Alexandria is known for being rich in it.
The power remaining is still enough to give gooseflesh, ambiently, or make the hair on the back fo your neck rise.
By the time you're done, you've found an additional exit, a ravine that descends into darkness down a short tunnel on the oppoiste end of this very large chamber.
Upon your return, however, you have a new problem: the exit you came through appears to be gone.
Malik frowns at the change in the cavern's layout, noting the lack of exit. "Again," he sighs, chewing on his lip as the decision is made for them. "The further we go in," he tells the others, "the less I feel like we're the ones that are doing the hunting." He strings the bow, just in case, as the previous day has shown them to be prepared for anything. "Let's just hope that we're ready for whatever killing floor we're being lead to."
Seldan, who has been collecting some of the magicite shards lying around the area and tucking them into his belt pouch, looks up. "What is it, Malik?"
"Well reasoned," Garak nods. He does his best to keep to the center of the party, keeping as many of them within range of his various powers as possible. "At least we're out of the cold," he offers.
Munch blinks with a soft click. "Purple worms? Oh yeah, those aren't just an innuendo." He's a golem who hangs out with Korrites. Innuendo happens. "Anyway, we fought a rock. No suprise other rocks are moving. I mean, I could cut our way back out, though th rock, but would take a lot of time."
Olek ehs, shrugs, says to the others, "It looks like forward is the only way to go." He looks around, resettles his shield, and will try to figure out what the plan is. "I can help hacking through whatever's in our way," he says, gesturing to his adamantine waraxe.
GAME: Olek rolls will: (5)+5: 10
GAME: Garak rolls will+2: (10)+12+2: 24
GAME: Malik rolls will: (17)+9: 26
GAME: Kore rolls will: (18)+12: 30
GAME: Seldan rolls will: (12)+22: 34
GAME: Munch rolls will: (11)+11: 22
Seldan looks up and around, puzzled, absently closing his belt pouch. "Forward is the only way? Why say you so? The crystal chute by which we entered is still there." He gestures to where it was ... is he missing something?
"Where I come from," he tells the others, "we're used to the land changing. But so are other things," he explains, voice a bit dire. "They know the changes. Have learned to feel them. Know their patterns. And they use that to their advantage. When they're hunting." He glances back and forth at the others. "They run their prey until they have nothing left, chasing it into an ideal position, where the prey is exhausted. And then they pounce." He nods to the now-solid wall. "We call those places Killing Fields. And we know to avoid them, when we can. Here -- I think we're already caught in the trap." Squinting at the wall, he takes a step forward, looking at it curiously. "Or we're being made to think we are..." He reaches down, picking up one of the loose crystals, tossing it in his hand a few times as he ponders the entrance -- or seeming lack thereof.
Munch blinks at Seldan, blinks at the closed off chute... takes a rock a chucks it at the wall with his not inconsiderable strength.
Olek looks around, puzzled at what everyone's talking about. "Something's going on and you're not telling me about it," he says grumpily. "Fine, keep me in the dark. Whatever, you're as bad as those other bums back home." Grumblegrumble.
The rock sails through the former opening. Yes, it would appear that the wall there is not solid. It makes the illusion more evident, to be sure, given what happened.
In any event, nothing else happens immediately.
Garak peers at Olek for a moment. Then he looks back at the wall. Finally he ventures, "There is soms sort of illusion hiding the passage. It may still be there, but we are meant to think there's no way to go back the we came."
Munch shrugs. "Anything stupid enough to lure -ME- onto a killing field deserves what it gets. Let's go foreward."
Munch may have totally forgotten he was just crushed to a half step shy of scrap metal. He doesn't dwell on the past.
"I would seek an exit, if we may. We need not leave at once, but if we might learn where the exit lies, it may avail us should we need to depart quickly in our search." Seldan shifts weapons and gear around him and over his back, clearly ready to go. "We may return whence we came, or venture forward. Was there aught else to search whence we came?"
Olek ohs as Garak explains. "Oh. That's strange," he agrees. "But we didn't want to go back there anyhow, did we?" He looks at the illusion, which seems pretty real to him. "We're going on anyhow, yes?" he asks, nodding at what Munch says. "Where we had been we couldn't get back, so forward makes sense to me..."
Stjepan grunts, and gestures. "I think we should make them choke on their own trap."
Malik just shakes his head, glancing off to Seldan as the group apparently makes their decision on direction. "If I end up a skinless ghost, covered in whatever flows through the bowels of a worm" he tells the paladin, "they had better hope that the dead feel no pain. Because I will shoot each and every one of them full of arrows for all of eternity."
Munch blinks at Malik innocently. "Acid. They have acid in their bowels. And rocks, I think. They eat all most as much as I do."
"Arrows is the least of what those committing such an act will face. Come, let us go." Yes, Seldan is just aboutready to get out of here.
Approaching the ravine is easy enough, now that you've identified its location. It's about nine feet long and about five feet wide. You can hop over it, sure, but it looks like it goes pretty deep. You certainly can't see anything down there.
GAME: Malik casts Overland Flight. Caster Level: 13 DC: 19
Munch glances to th others for a moment, and shrugs, hopping into the abyss with little concern for self-preservation. He does stick his arms out after he drops a bit, clawed fingers scraping across the rock as he slows, then drops again after taking a second to look below. It's not the safest way to go, but it's not diving head first either. Compromise!
Olek ehs, looks around, looks down into the dark. "Well, I guess this is the way," he muses, and he'll unpack a small carpet from his pack. He unrolls it, sits down onto it crosslegged. At a command word, it lifts off, and he will fly down, staring into the dark as best he can, his immediate area illuminated by the ioun torch orbiting his head.
Stjepan looks down at the crevasse, and curses roundly. "Alright." He looks for a place to anchor a rope, then gets ready to climb down. Old school.
Seldan seems of similar mind to Stjepan, after a study of the crevasse, and unpacks his own climbing gear. "If some of us choose to fly this, I would know how far down we must climb."
Malik takes a moment to work some of his magic, the small lights working around him easily as the sigils settle into his skin, the man seeming to somehow rise almost fractionally as he turns to watch others unpacking climbing gear. Offering a hand to Seldan, his heels come fully off the ground, giving the paladin an easy grin. "Would you like a ride? I can easily support us both." It seems that flight may not be completely ruled out as an option.
Garak frowns as he peers into the opening. "Does anyone need to fly? I can cast a spell that lets you transform into vapor. Only...it takes quite some time to change back." He gestures vaguely in the direction they came. "If we have to fight again it can be...inconvenient."
GAME: Malik rolls Stealth: (15)+20: 35
GAME: Malik rolls Perception: (8)+19: 27
GAME: Kore rolls Stealth: (1)+18: 19 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Kore rolls perception+2: (6)+18+2: 26
Quite suddenly, Kore and Malik vanish into the darkness -- their light just seemingly winks out.
GAME: Malik rolls Reflex: (18)+10: 28
GAME: Kore rolls reflex: (7)+12: 19
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 5d6: (18): 18
They're only gone for a moment. A few heartbeats at most. And then suddenly, Malik is through the darkness once more, eyes wide as he looks around at the bottom, already making his way toward the top once more as fast as the spell will carry him. "Incoming!" he calls up to those gathered at the top, the spin in his flight making it seem like something just hit him, and hard. "Ready yourselves!"
Munch hesitates a moment, not sure if he's supposed to jump down? But the metal man just draws his large blade and waits... for the moment.
Garak's lance appears in his hands as he braces himself. He glances about to reaffirm his position in the middle of the party. Then suddenly something occurs to him. "Where is Kore...?" he shoots a quick glance at Malik.
Kore is not long after. THe dark clad Half-Elf is clutching her shoulder as she emerges, thnkfully still under the influence of the wind walking spell. "I'm not sure if we're being pursued. Silence spells, magical darkness, traps..." She grimaces then, and goes for a belt pouch which proves to contain bandages in order to wrap her arm. "It's good we didn't all go."
At the call to be ready, Olek will hop off his carpet and ready shield and axe, standing by the edge and prepared for whatever comes.
Nothing emerges from the darkness behind them to claim them, at least.
That's good.
Stjepan looks downwards, hanging off the side of the crevasse. "So, is there a way through?"
Malik looks back, bow at the ready just in case. But as nothing pursues them, he relaxes a bit, landing back on the ledge, a few fresh tears in his clothing but no visible wounds. "Couldn't say," he tells the giant. "Or see. Or hear. It's worse than blind in there. So much magic here. So many defenses. What in the name of the Dark Court are they protecting with all of this?" He looks around at teh others. "Traps. Demons. Illusions. Worms. Golems. This feels like too much to just be a coincidence."
Munch peers, down, waiting for something intersting to happen again. "So... you got hit? By what? Fire? Acid? Force bolt? Really hard fish?"
"Stabbed. A spike, maybe? I'm not entirely sure," Kore replies as she bandages herself. "It didn't stay in the wound to be examined."
Olek stares down into the darkness, and nothing comes out. "Okay," he says, glowering. "Now what do we do?" When the forces of evil don't fly up at us for a few moments, he will look up to the others and see what our new plan is.
Stjepan nods. "If I look at the magic there, can someone pull apart the spells?"