Chronolark - Part 2

Log Info

• Title: Chronolark - Part 2
  
• GM: Whirlpool
• Characters: Thoth, Reithak, Aznara, Tlanexhuani
  
• Location: The Badlands
  
• Summary: Adventurers are asked to go to Genrivia, in order to uncover magical artifacts that might help find temporal anomalies.

... onto Thoth's head, landing there with a single foot and vaulting off him over the other side. He dashes into the ruins at a surprisingly fast pace for being such a short arse.

He's a kobold, after all. You're all taller, though, right? You should be able to keep up with him just fine.

Right?

Thoth stares as the Kobold jumps out, leaping off of it, and then rushes away the moment they touch down to the ground. It stands there - confused more than flustered - and then casually stares at the other people in the group. "Saving this creature was a waste of time. Let us proceed to our goal." It remarks, unable to ascertain the importance of this kobold on its own.

Tlanexhuani was prepared to question the kobold, both on its well-being and on the situation. He was not prepared for it to leap up, use Thoth as a stepping stone to leap up more, and then dash off. He blinks. "Iss safe, iss not waste. Maybe is also..." his claws reach up to clasp at a word from the air, "..shy?"

He does agree with some of Thoth's words, though. After a moment, his tail thumps the ground lightly. "Ssa, we continue."

"Hey now, just, hey, wait a minute!" The large egalrin squawks, reaching for the kobold, but they're already off. "Hey, Tlan! Tell him we're trying to help if he was injured or poisoned by that thing!" Reithak shouts. "But well, naw, there's no way that was a waste of time. Could follow them, but I don't know how much good trying to force it to be healed would do. Was hoping we might be able to reason with them, really."

GAME: Thoth rolls Knowledge/History: (7)+12: 19

GAME: Reithak rolls knowledge/local: (13)+3: 16

GAME: Tlanexhuani rolls knowledge/history: (18)+3: 21

GAME: Thoth rolls Perception+2+3: (17)+6+2+3: 28

That poor spider, denied its lunch!

You see it watching you from a rooftop, shrouded in the darkness. It is not following you, of course, but this is its domain and where it feeds.

Other signs of 'ecology' are present too. Molds and fungus overgrowing on various ruins, for example, and a whole lotta mushrooms. In fact, one set of ruins you are now passing towards is absolutely stacked with them. Fortunately, they're not hostile mushrooms.

Yet.

Instead, they are marely large, purple and green. In full 'bloom', even.

"This one believes it is good we did not speak to it further. The local kobolds are very hostile." Thoth remarks, not understanding that it may have been a unique inroad to diplomacy that had not previously been attained before. Ra keeps staring at the spider directly. It may not have as many eyes as the spider, but it sure can keep an eye /on it/.

As they move through the mushrooms and fungus and molds, until they get to the large purple-and-green mushrooms, Thoth notes; "This one does not know much about local plantlife." And just keeps walking.

GAME: Reithak rolls knowledge/nature: (2)+6: 8

"I can't say I know much about these plants growing down here either. Well, fungi, I'm not daft enough to not be able to tell a fungus from a plant at least." The large egalrin shrugs. "I do know that sometimes things down underground are more hostile than they seem though, so careful wandering through them!"

Reithak glances up to the spider at one point, and back to the direction the kobold ran off. "Well, I hope my bleeding heart didn't make them run off to warn everyone about intruders, and they actually learn something from that." They grumble to theirself. "Just in case, lets keep moving at as quick a pace we can manage."

Tlanexhuani resumes moving with the others, though has nothing to comment on. Not until the fungi of unusual size, that is. He didn't think such things actually existed. "Spiders here big. Mushrooms here big. Iss good kobolds still same size, ssa?" A light hiss follows with his attempt to lighten the darkness.

"Well, a draconian reptile larger than that would go by a different name than 'kobold', and would likely be a much more dangerous foe", Aznara says in reply to Tlan's light-hearted comment.

"Lots of big things here. You and me fit right in, eh Tlan? As well as an egalrin underground can, I'd say." The inquisitor chuckles to herself. "I'll be glad for no rogue makari or dragons, thank you very much. Only way to go is forward, right? Question is, how do we want to go forward, really?"

Tlanexhuani looks at the strange jungle ahead, then to the side. Then back, then to the others. "Big mushroom not eat us, go through. If will bite, better not go through." He looks to have no idea whether they are inclined to gnaw or not.

"If these are megafauna types of mushrooms, we proceed. This one does not believe it is tasty to biological beings. As this one cannot decay." Thoth points out. Perhaps inadvertently pointing out that even if the rest of the team gets eaten by mushrooms, it would survive!

"You're aware that, underground, even innocuous-seeming fungi can be deadly?", Aznara adds. "If you can identify them as 'safe' to be near, please do so, first." She gestures generally at the fungal forest.

GAME: Aznara rolls intelligence: (15)+2: 17

Having given her warning, Aznara actually takes a moment to look over the nearest big shrooms. She even flicks her whip out and kinda 'slaps' the top of one with the length of the weapon, albeit lightly. "However, the truly dangerous sorts are usually far deeper underground than this. If you really wish to push through this little forest, I supposed it *should* be safe enough -- but please do not take that as a guarantee; I am no expert on this topic", she says, as she coils her whip back up and places it back into the hanger on her hip.

"Well, I'd say that I trust someone else's opinion on these mushroom more than my own at the moment." Reithak chuckles, turning and huffing in the direction of the strange forest. "Guess we're going through? If things get bad, we can probably head out, but if they're just mushrooms, should be fine. If you've got a face mask fellow biological beings, wouldn't hurt, either!"

"In go," Tlanexhuani finally decides, or convinces himself. He then starts moving again to head into the fungi forest. "This one trust map is good." Meaning he hopes so.

GAME: Tlanexhuani rolls perception: (4)+10: 14

GAME: Thoth rolls Perception+2+3: (5)+6+2+3: 16

Aznara nods and adds, "The issue with fungi, from what I heard of them when I was younger, isn't the plant itself -- it's the spores", though she's clearly willing to follow along with the party. Follow... 'cause she's not volunteering to lead through the fungal forest.

GAME: Aznara rolls perception: (3)+11: 14

GAME: Reithak rolls perception: (8)+13: 21

As you pass under the shade of the mushrooms, you can immediately feel the change in 'moisture'. It just feels wetter here. The ground beneath your feet grows a bit squishier with every step.

It's unpleasent. In fact, as you move deeper, the thicker the mushrooms get, the more squishy it is. FInally, your feet are sinking into fungal growth.

Aznara has to take her time pulling each booted foot out as she walks, her smallish feet sinking into the muck deeply despite her smallness. In a quiet voice -- but not so quiet that the others won't hear her complaint, of course -- she says, "... this is fun..."

Tlanexhuani is used to humidity and soft undergrowth, but he's also used to the sun, a breeze, and calls of birds being part of that. This is not that, which makes it unnerving. *squish* *squash* *squish* He doesn't look down to see what he's stepping in, exactly. "Will be through soon," he encourages. After a moment, he looks to Reithak. "Ssa?"

As they enter the more mushy side of things, Thoth takes a moment to really consider where they are on the map. It did not remember such a thing on the map. But then, the map was from a long past time - it thinks. As their feet start sinking into fungal growth, Thoth chirps out a spell, and creates a group of dancing lights it sends forwards. Using the glistening moisture on the ground to better get an idea of where it is safe to step from there - and get a better look at the distance.

GAME: Thoth rolls Perception+3+2: (18)+6+3+2: 29

GAME: Thoth casts Dancing Lights. Caster Level: 5 DC: 17

Simply by nature of being surprisingly quite light in spite of their height, Reithak doesn't sink too far into the mush of mushrooms and moss. Also by nature of talons for feet, the tips dig in more than the egalrin would particularly like. "I sure hope we will be through soon, yeah." The inquisitor nods. "Something up, Tlan? You're not getting too stuck, are you?"

...which makes it unsual when Reithak's next step has them go WAY into, like down to their knee. Only keen observation and Reithak's general 'lightness' keeps them from 'falling in', getting sucked in, is the fact that they're able to grab onto the fungal 'floor' that's raised up well above that.

Still, there's definitely no realy footing or purchases here.

GAME: Thoth refreshes spells.

GAME: Thoth casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 5 DC: 16

GAME: Thoth casts Rope Trick. Caster Level: 5 DC: 17

The moment Reithak starts going down all of the suddenly, Thoth throws... a rope.

What the heck is a rope going to do?

That is, until the rope suddenly begins to move into the air, allowing for Reithak to grab onto it if they wish to. "Grab on. If thee needs a rest, continue upwards."

-Now- Tlanexhuani is looking down to the ground at his feet, and pauses. "No. This one is ..well?" Then there is concern as Reithak gets suddenly shorter, in a sense. Then a rope. The lizard blinks. "Can help pull? How much far to go?"

Thoth then suddenly calls out; "Everyone onto the rope. This one senses something beneath the ground! Climb!" It isn't often one might hear something akin to 'alarm' within Thoth's voice. But there it is.

Aznara sees the egalrin sink. Moving slowly through the muck, she steps over, slowly -- taking her time to carefully put her weight down on each foot as she steps, towards the nearest big mushroom's stalk. Clearly, she's hoping that the ground under that thing is solid.

"You sounded like you were asking somet-" The large egalrin half responds, suddenly caught off by a squawk of alarm as she finds herself half buried into the muck, scrabbling backward and attempting to free their leg. "Thanks Thoth!" They call over, grabbing the rope and not stopping to think too much about it, climbing upwards. Worst case scenario, they could try to glide for somewhere more stable off of the magic hanging rope.

A magical hanging rope is exactly what the doctor ...caw-led for.

...because the ground gives way beneath Reithak, fungus falling into the earth, and the ground *around* it opening up wider and wider in a spiralling circle.

It's a sinkhole. And it just opened and is pulling a good amount of the earth into it.

GAME: Aznara rolls ref: (14)+10: 24

GAME: Thoth rolls Reflex: (13)+4: 17

GAME: Reithak rolls reflex: (19)+5: 24

GAME: Tlanexhuani rolls reflex: (15)+5: 20

Aznara's decision to move towards the mushroom's stalk proved fortuitous -- she's able to grab hold of it with one arm. The mushroom seems to be fairly well rooted in place, as it turns out, and she's able to avoid being pull towards and down into the sinkhole rather easily as a result.

Having been the one to summon it, the moment Reithak is also on the rope, it follows suit quickly. Grabbing onto Reithak's tailfeathers at first, before it manages to get a hold of the rope. Squawking a bit as it looks down, staring at the enormous sinkhole that has opened up.

"... this one is uncertain how to proceed from here." It remarks.

Tlanexhuani grabs for the rope intending to help others. Then he is grabbing with the other claw for something not collapsing, like a mushroom, to help himself. So that leaves him doing a bit of both, hanging on. "Start with not fall in hole. All go away and around? Or all same way?" He doesn't want to let go of the rope, and it will only be so long, so he attempts to coordinate some.

"Easy there, easy!" Reithak grunts as the smaller war golem grabs their tailfeathers for a moment. The larger egalrin manages to grab Thoth by the equivalent of the scruff of their neck enough to help hoist them high enough to properly grab on with one of their talons. The one not completely covered in muck, thankfully. "Glad we weren't still on the ground with something like that." Reithak sighs. "Though well, yeah, everyone alright? Not sure how best to proceed, now's not really the best time to just hang out."

Thoth motions up the rope; "Let us climb into the dimensional rift to rest. This one does not wish for thine arms to grow tired whilst hanging over a pit such as this." It bids to Reithak, while it looks down at Tlanexhuani...

And then sends its Dancing Lights down into the pit to see what is below.

GAME: Thoth rolls Perception+2+3: (5)+6+2+3: 16

GAME: Thoth rolls 10+3: (9)+10+3: 22

"If anyone else has rope in their pack, I could string it between the stalks of a couple of the mushroom that look to be solidly in place?", Aznara suggests. "Then those who need to could use that to get out from over the hole...?"

Up is a viable option, too. Down is the one that they're trying to avoid at the moment. "Go up. Rest. Plan, if time. Go," he echoes Thoth's gestures to Reithak and then Aznara. "This one follow." He then looks down as the floating, or sinking, lights move past him and down into the breach.

Aznara moves over to Tlan and takes hold of one end of the rope. "Make your way over to... that mushroom", she says, pointing out one on the far side of the sinkhole. That done, she makes her way back over to her lucky mushroom and ties the rope off there as best she can.

With that accomplished, there is now at least a route to get out of here. Taking a break in the rope trick pocket is definitely safe, but you can hear running water below you eminating from the dark confines of the opened sinkhole.

Could it... could it be that Genrivia has a /sewer/?

Of course it does.

"Ssa," Tlanexhuani acknowledges and moves, carefully, to the pointed out mushroom to anchor the other end of the rope. Now they have something to help get out. Then there is time for a brief rest.. and then the sounds of water. Sewers. Does every softskin city have these things?! Hopefully they are as nice as the last part of one he was in. Which is the only one. So far.

Thoth takes some time peering down below from the dimensional hole from which the rope hangs, as Ra flies around. The waters below drawing its attention. It then drops a second rope, tying it to the magical one, and starts lowering it to the sewer itself. Trying to create a proper descent to go and check it out.

GAME: Thoth rolls 10: (16)+10: 26

Thoth sends out Ra for a moment, letting it scan down below near the end of the rope, before it comes back again to report. Landing on Thoth's shoulder and hooting.

"Ra declares - This sinkhole was placed deliberately. Working tools weakened the stone. Fungus grown over it to conceal it. This is a trap."

Reithak was thankful for the at least temporary respite from the rather hostile ruins, which mostly meant the egalrin spens some time attempting to wipe off their leg that was soaked in the muck from before. "I guess that makes sense, it wouldn't possible for a hole to open up that suddenly, so it's either always there, or put there. And given the kobolds living here, the latter makes sense." Reithak huffs. "Which means they might know that went off, too. We should get moving again before we get stuck up here."

Carefully navigating from rope to rope, each of you are able to get over the sinkhole and to the relative security of more stable ground by the mushrooms. Soon, you're able to bypass the sink hole altogether and proceed along your path.

THe mushroom forest is definitely new according to the map, and you're eventually able to get to the other side of it.

You find yourself on a main throughway alongside what was clearly once a market place, given the half-ruined shop fronts and crumbling stone edifices. The language of Genrivia is largely inscrutable to most, but there's signs with various indications on them dcarved from stone, pictures chipped into it of smiling people and more.

A thriving, once lively place, to be sure. It's not hard to imagine it, but it is no doubt a bit despairing to see it and know that, one day, even a city like Alexandria could encounter such a fate.

Following the map, you carefully pick your way along the side of the street, stepping over rubble and ruined cobblestones, seeing pieces of long shattered mosaics here and there, brief snippets of a flourishing art scene.

...and then you find a kobold. Dead. Another one. Another one. Another one.

Ripped to pieces.