Into The Hole, Garyth Gets A Bath
Subject: Re: Moving on
"Is there an obvious way down or should we continue on to the temple in the mountain?"
In either case, Cadfael will dig through his pack for his flaming glove and slip it on his right hand.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: Moving on
Mission winces at Cadfael's glove's light. "I've got some rope here. And pitons."
From: Mike
Subject: Re: Moving on
Garyth rummages through his pack and produces a length of rope and a hooded lantern. Suddenly all the time he and the other Guard recruits had spent climbing ropes and rappelling down walls didn't seem quite so useless.
"I think we ought to investigate. This seems as likely as anything to be the entrance we're looking for."
OOC: Garyth has a +6 modifier for Climb (4 ranks + 3 Str - 1 armor) and +3 to Use Rope (+3 Dex)
From: Mike
Subject: Re: Moving on
Garyth pauses, a thought occurring to him. He turns to Farron.
"Have you any magics that might let us know a bit more about what's down there before we go ahead?" He thinks a moment more. "If not, I suppose we could tie the lantern to a rope and lower it down. At least that would let us see what's immediately below."
From: Raja
Subject: Re: Moving on
"I have a Light glamour that I could cast down the hole," Sa'id says. "Farron may have one as well. I also have a much more powerful spell of light, but unfortunately I did not memorize it last night."
From: Ty
Subject: The hole
After Rennik signals the all clear, the party gathers around the hole. It is about four feet across. On the west side of the hole, the brackish stream plunges down in a small, brown waterfall. You can hear splashing below, and you estimate that the hole only goes down about 20 feet. You can't see walls inside the hole, so the ground must arch out over a larger open space underground. The stream has obviously been dumping water into this hole for a long time. The fact that it has not filled up means that the flow continues on in some direction underground.
From: Karl
Subject: Re: Moving on
"I can cast light, as well, if necessary," Farron replies.
(OOC - Ty, can you have Raja (or someone) play Farron for a few days. I'm in the middle of moving and I don't want to slow down the game. My internet access will be spotty at best until next week. - Karl)
From: Ty
Subject: Re: Moving on
That's fine Karl. Good luck on the move.
I am just waiting on final 'we do this' type posts before I write the next turn.
From: Dan
Subject: Re: Moving on
"Well, there's no sense in standing here and looking down, who's going first?"
From: Matt
Subject: Re: Moving on
(OOC: No one happens to have blind fight do they?)
"I will lead the way," Rennik says, slinging his weapons onto his back and taking the rope. "I don't much like the thought of swamp dragons in the sewers, but I'd probably have the best chance avoiding it if there was one."
He pauses.
"If you hear screaming, don't hesitate to come down and save my hide."
From: Ty
Subject: Re: Moving on
A few technical questions.
Does rennik have a light? Is the party holding the rope, or have they secured it?
From: Mike
Subject: Re: Moving on
(OOC: Actually, Garyth has Blind-Fight. I think Mission does, too. Plus Garyth has that big modifier for Climb.)
Garyth secures the rope to whatever is handy. He tosses the other end into the hole. When Rennik announces his intentions to go first, he hesitates.
"Are you sure? I've spent a lot of time climbing up and down ropes in the Guard. And part of our training was fighting in darkness."
From: Dan
Subject: Re: Moving on
OOC -- Cadfael will be willing to loan his ever-burning glove to someone else, should their hands be larger than a 9-year old girl's (sorry, Rennik).
From: Matt
Subject: Re: Moving on
Rennik stares at Garyth for a moment, seeming to appraise the fighter once again.
"It would be hard for me to climb with a torch, or to use one with my bow. If you have training fighting in dark places, I will yield to your skill.... If I hear screaming, I guess it'll be my job to save *your* hide."
Though clearly uneasy allowing Garyth to descend into a dark hole in the jungle, Rennik holds his tongue. He is well trained, yes, but his lack of experience in the field worries the halfling greatly. Fighting with sticks with a blindfold is one thing, defending yourself against jungle monsters in a dark, damp corridor is something else.
From: Raja
Subject: Re: Moving on
Before coming down, Sa'id will cast Light on his staff. He will wait Rennik to give an all-clear before climbing down the rope after him.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: Moving on
Mission says, "You'll be third, Rennick." He grins. "I've been juggling knives and doing acrobatics in the dark since my breechclout days."
He grins sheepisly. "And the Mosshome is in the mountains. I know a thing or two about climbing."
He nods at Garyth. "If no one has any objections, I'll follow Garyth down."
OOC: Mission has a total of 8 ranks in Climbing...
From: Matt
Subject: Re: Moving on
(OOC: Rennik's got a +5 skill mod for climbing after his armor's skill check penalty, and a +4 to use rope. Not great by any stretch, but he would have volunteered to go first even if a simian was in the party... not that Cadfael's too far off.)
(... oh, btw, Cadfael, Rennik wants you to get a closer look at his 9 year old girl hands)
;)
From: Ty
Subject: The hole; down we go
While Garyth and Mission secure a line, Rennik stands guard over the hole with his bow. There is no sound but the gentle splashing of water, but the dour Halfling is suspicious and edgy at the best of times. Sa'id watches him and wonders how much is fear of the swamp dragons, and how much is fear of going into the hole at all. If he remembers correctly, the Halflings have no love of caves or confined spaces.
He turns away and speaks a few quiet syllables while passing his hand over his walking stick. It immediately begins to glow with a gentle light. Farron moves over to the mouth of the hole, and casts the same enchantment into the air just below the opening. The party crouches around the hole to see what lies below.
After all this buildup, it is fairly anticlimactic. Twenty feet below the opening, is a pool of the dark swamp water. The cave itself is ten feet wide at its base, and goes up ten feet in a flat wall before it begins a gentle arch to meet just below the lip of the hole. The lip itself is only two feet thick. The walls are made of cut stone, and leave no doubt that the entire passage is man made. The tunnel runs in a east west direction. The water from the pool seems to be draining to the west, but you can see no more than forty feet in either direction, so it is difficult to tell what really lies in either direction.
Garyth takes the glowing glove from Cadfael, and tucks it in his belt. He then begins expertly dropping down the rope into the passageway. It is clear that his claims regarding his climbing skills were no brag. The blood falcons are known for such rapid strike tactics as repelling down walls in the dark, and his time training with them must have taught him some of their skill.
When he reaches the bottom of the rope, he pauses for a moment then drops into the pool. He nearly disappears from site, and standing fully erect only his head and shoulders are above water. "It wouldn't make a very convenient path, it's pretty deep," he says, looking around. "That is, even if this is the 'underground path' the others spoke of."
Raising Cadfael's glove above the water, he peers off to the east for a moment. "No, wait. There might be a way to get above the water if we go east. I think I can see rocks over there down the tunnel. Maybe they are damming the water and making this pool." He looks up at the party. "What do you think?"