Planning the search
Subject Planning the search
The party starts to make a bit more of a permanent camp. A bit more care is taken with the placement of the tents and the latrine, and a place with a little break from the mist is found. It is still not very comfortable, but livable. By dinner time everything is in it's place and the party settles in for dinner and a planning session.
Ragnar and Allistair confirm that they actually have very little idea of what this "Gateway" will look like. "My best guess" Allistair says "is that it will not appear as a natural type thing. I mean some type of wooden or stone door with hinges and such. Most magical portals glow, and that is the good news. It will probably be very obvious when we find it. The bad news is that portals tend to be only two dimensional. What I mean by that, is that you could be a foot away and if you were looking at the "side" of the portal, you would never see it."
Ragnar confirms what Allistair has said. "We also have several other advantages. First, we are here a day early. We can make a sweep of the area tomorrow and see what the area looks like with out the portal. That will make it much easier for us to tell that an area has changed. I propose the we divide the area up and each one of us do a search of their area, just to get an idea of the terrain."
"Our second advantage is that we have the whole week to find it. We have several members of the party who can see as well in the dark as during the day. We could have search teams out around the clock. Our third advantage is time based as well. I am sure that Allistair can use his magical talents to help our search. I also think that Brother Harp and I may be able to ask for some grace from our god in finding this portal. Even friend Salix may be able to help by communing with the creatures of the area. Surely they would take notice of something showing up in their home and might be willing to guide us to it."
Ragnar looks to Harp and the others to see what they have to say.
OODM: Role play please
From: Randy
Subject Planning the search
Ranthir has been pretty quiet since the landshark. He keeps to himself and is often seen writing in a leather bound book in the evenings. As Ragnar and Allistair give their rundown of the situation he is thinking about Mira and how she would love to hear about the waterfall. As he pictures the waterfall he is struck with a thought and speaks up.
"Sorry for interrupting but I have a thought on where the gateway might be. Or at least where I would put it given the features of this particular area. Could the gateway be at the mouth of the waterfall? Or even behind it? I think that is an area where we might want to concentrate some special attention."
From: Josh
Subject Magic question
OOC: Mark, would detect magic help find the portal? I mean, does Kal know if it would?
From: Mark
Subject Magic Question
I will do a spell craft check. DC15
From: Mark
Subjec: Magic Question
Would detect magic pick up the gate?
DC15
Allistair 11+10=21, success
Kal 1+10=11, fail
Harp 3+0+3, fail
Ragnar 5+7=12, fail
Salix 19+10=29, success
IC: As the discussion progresses Kal mentions the Detect Magic cantrip he knows. "I am not sure if this cantrip would be of any use to us."
Allistair thinks for a momment and nods. "It might be of some use. The biggest two draw backs are range and duration. I can only detect magic up to 60 feet away and the cantrip only last for 5 minutes. However, I can memorize several of those cantrips in a day. If need be I can sacrifice higher level spells to make room for more of those Cantrips."
Salix nods. "The grace of Obad-Hai is similar."
From: Jason
Subject Magic Question
Personally I will probably have Ragnar praying for some detection type spells anyway; I would imagine that detect magic would certainly show something, but whether or not it would be useful would depend on the circumstances.
I have to change computers now but I'll write up a turn soon.
From: Jason
Subject Planning the Search
ooc Would locate object be useful? Or, more specifically, does Ragnar know if it would not be useful? I'm specifically thinking of this sentence in the description: "You can search for general items, in which case you locate the nearest one of its kind if more than one is within range." Anyways, let me know if Ragnar has some insight that says it won't be needed, and I'll update my spell list. /ooc
Ragnar is deeply impressed by the sight of the river shooting out of solid rock. What an awesome thing! He knew that his people avoided areas with underground rivers, as over time they could deform the rock and make an area unstable. Undoubtedly this river was even now eating away at the seemingly immovable cliff. Hundreds of years ago the hole in the cliff's face must have been significantly smaller. In a thousand years, the place might not even be recognizable. Little surprise that his people sought out the stability and permanency of the mountain halls!
And yet, wasn't that why he had left them? Surrounded by tradition and kin that sheltered them as surely as the stone halls, somehow they could not realize that its permanency was just as much an illusion. It was the humans that understood this best. Each for his own reason, sometimes beneficent, sometimes repulsive, moved so much during their short lives that, like the river above, they were the ones that truly shaped the face of the land. For all the closer to the dwarves he'd lived his entire childhood, hadn't it been a human who saved him and his mother? That, above all else, was why he was here this day -- to shape the world as Heironeous would have it shaped.
From: Kevin
Subject Planning the search
Harp is also awed by the sights that surround him. He had been raised most of his life within the confines of the Chapter House, and so was unfamiliar with the majesty he was currently seeing. It truly made the efforts of man look small and insignificant. With a smile, he says to Salix "Now I can see the true power of the way you follow.This is trully a wonderous place."
Listening to the discussions Harp will mention that he has the ability to ask simple yes/no questions to Hieronious (such as Is the portal to the north, is the portal behind the waterfall, etc.). He will mention that this might help cut down their search area. He will make sure to mention that these requests are not always answered, but that between Harp and Ragnar, they could probably narrow it area down some.
From: Mark
Subject Planning the search
Come on guys work this out. This is a major part of the adventure. I need a plan that I can lay over the map I have and work out the search rolls etc.