DoNotFearToTread

Sorry, all. I meant to provide more details on this over the weekend but losing my phone in the Sound and having a power outage fry my PC's power supply put me in a real black hole of communication. From the details you have put together, it is clear that there was a conflict in this area a year or two ago that seems to have been ended by a tunnel collapse. In that same period, someone from the elf contingent arrived here with treaty documents and was killed. The method of killing does seem to be of the 'knife in the back, keep it a secret' variety. Anyone who can speak dwarven can communicate with these derro, and they may well speak an elvish dialect as well given their history. Further investigation of the area requires moving through the occupied portion of the cavern and will carry additional difficulty, but is an option for the group's stealth-heavy members. You could learn more about the layout and enemy numbers that way if you choose to risk it.

Per the info in the campaign binder, minotaur use the Ravnica stats. Is that still the case or would they now use the more recent Monsters of the Multiverse stats?

In Brief The Wronged Stats: Charm +1, Cool +0, Sharp +1, Tough +2, Weird -1 Harm: ○○○ / ○○○○ Unstable: ○ Luck: ●●●●●○○ Exp: ●●●●○ Playbook Moves I Know My PreyYou get +1 ongoing when knowingly investigating, pursuing or fighting the breed of monster that caused your loss. DIY SurgeryWhen you do quick and dirty first aid on someone (including yourself), roll +Cool. On a 10+ it’s all good, it counts as normal first aid, plus stabilize the injury and heal 1 harm. On a 7-9 it counts as normal first aid, plus one of these, your choice: • Stabilise the injury but the patient takes -1 forward. • Heal 1-harm and stabilise for now, but it will return as 2-harm and become unstable again later. • Heal 1-harm and stabilise but the patient takes -1 ongoing until it’s fixed properly. Never Again!In combat, you may choose to protect someone without rolling, as if you had rolled a 10+, but you may not choose to “suffer little harm.” Trust Your Gut (alt Weird)When you consult your instincts about what to do next, roll +Weird: • On a 10 or more, the Keeper will tell where you should go. Wherever that is, it will be important. You get +1 ongoing on the way to this place. • On a 7-9, the Keeper will tell you a general direction to go. Take +1 forward as you explore that. • On a miss, your instincts lead you into danger. InvincibleYou always count as having 2-armour. This doesn’t stack with other protection. ** Chosen move, Advancement ** A Vacation From This Vacation Burn units. Not a fun place for anyone to be. Ice soaks, skin grafts, sweltering heat at all hours. In no universe is this the way Ekram wanted to spend his break but life rarely asks what you want out of it. Worse even than the pain and the medications and the hourly vitals checks is the cancellation of his trip back home. He'd explained to his mother about the fire, about being caught in the flames helping people escape. Nothing about monsters, but enough truth to make it easy on his lips. The first time he wouldn't be home to see her on break since he started at Oxford, and it wears on him during his hospital stay. Visitations had been limited due to infection risk and he did little to break from that once he'd been released back to the dorms. Phone ignored, purposeful solo treks away from campus to avoid any unsolicited door knocking. And his art, work that wasn't for any assignment and would likely never see the light of day, had become...decidedly morbid. Dark even for him, with undertones that would draw a raised eyebrow from even the most stoic critic. The meeting at the Eagle and Child was the first he'd seen of most of the OUMHS crew since the whole dragr hunt came to its heated conclusion, and he was made to understand that the meeting was expressly 'mandatory'. Ekram's preference for hoodies had seen particular attention since his return to campus, and it doesn't take a genius to connect that with his newly acquired scarring. Neck, shoulder, jawline, right arm to the elbow. There had been more but those areas proved most resistant to healing, and the skin felt tight in patches across that landscape. He was never going to win any beauty pageants, and scars aren't new to him by any means, but something about the event had been so harrowing as to mark more than his flesh. He was reserved, somber, which might not seem a huge change to the outside viewer but for those who know him the difference is clear. "Evil has its own schedule." He mutters the words over the rim of the glass, something floral and botanically fragrant without a hint of alcohol to give it kick. He is still working his way through the pain pills the doctors assigned, not that he relied on alcohol much before. The fingers on his left hand twitch, forefinger crossing over middle, in a motion that would generally impeded by a cigarette. He hadn't smoked one in near a month, truth be told. The hospital wouldn't have it, and the heat of lighting them made his cheek twitch, so he'd left the same half-empty pack in his pocket without a drag taken. Swallowing deep of the libation, he studies Hal from across the room. As one who got it nearly, if not entirely, as bad during the dragr scrap Ekram had wondered how Hal was faring with the fallout. "Alice would say she is where she needs to be when she needs to be there." In fact, he's pretty sure he's heard he say exactly that more than once. Annika's jest about Hitler does send his thoughts on a spiral, though. How many famous people out there might be monsters? Sure, Hitler and Jim Jones and Elizabeth Bathory are easy go-to's because they're obvious evil. What about Bill Clinton? Or Oded Fehr? Or all of the Beatles? Could they put on a zombie reunion show, and if they did how many people would pay absurd amounts to go see it? "Doc...you heard anything about this?" OOC Stuff Song felt appropriate.

Thank you, MG, for pointing out your RL aversion to dark water. We'll gloss past that and I'll avoid that for us in the future. Information gathered.

Stealthy Recon Val sees the opportunity easily claimed, wading out into the murky pool in search of the objects that Neve has identified. The water flows with a gentle current to the south and it proves no obstacle to one as comfortable with the wilderness as the elf is. She finds the shining object but dragging it back to the surface proves more difficult than expected as it comes with a desiccated body attached. The corpse, at once preserved by the cold and bloated by the wet, is more mummy than skeleton at this point and Val deposits it on the cavern floor among the others. She sensed by the motion of the water during her swim that something else was moving in that pool but whatever it was saw wisdom in not engaging her. Hopefully it would retain that wisdom going forward. The body is human-sized, but there is enough left of the form to identify it as elven. Only two objects have survived the time in the water, a knife wedged firmly between vertebrae in the spine and a bag tucked tight against the shoulder bones. The former is of simple but sturdy make, blessed with an enchantment that makes it particularly dangerous as an implement of surprise. Despite the simple design, the pommel bears the distinct crest of a broken skull. The bag is also enchanted, both to protect the contents from the elements and to provide materials needed for writing letters. A courier's satchel of sorts, uniquely suited to a task but otherwise unimpressive. The letters within are written in elven, a dialect that any native speaker can work through. Likely deep elven, if the origin is any evidence. Summarizing the material takes only a few minutes of study. Missives of treaty between the elves and the derro, conditions of truce. Unsealed, and likely read, but buried beneath the water for how long? This falls in line with the evidence of conflict back at the start of the tunnel, a year or more old by the look, so why did this courier end up here? OOC The knife is a +1 Dagger of Subtlety, providing the ability to Back Attack as per the Rogue feature (or improve the damage from that by one degree if the wielder has that feature). The bag is a Courier's Satchel, which protects the content from weather and water and provides infinite ink, quill and paper.

I mean, is more magic ever a bad thing? Probably...I'm looking at you, Bag of Devouring. But not usually.

That stream falls from the water above into a purposefully cut trough and flows calmly all the way to the end of the chamber. It is roughly ten feet across and ten feet deep the whole way down. So yeah, it could disguise a normal height person easily, but their head would be somewhat visible when they surface as the water is still nearly level with the chamber floor. Theyd be far more hidden than walking up on the place, but not fully concealed as the above inquiry suggests.

Quick Stats HP: 24/24 AC: 15 Init: -1 PP: 13 Spell Slots: L1 - 4/4; L2 - 2/2 Spells: Heroism [D], Sanctuary [D], Aid [D], Warding Bond [D], Cure Wounds, Guiding Bolt, Protection from Good/Evil, Shield of Faith, Calm Emotions, Prayer of Healing Conditions: No Time to Waver "If we leave this man and he kills while we are away, we consign countless souls." Sulimann does not wish to think on how many this creature could kill if unbound and unconfronted. This entire town could easily fall beneath his fangs. "If we kill him and later learn of a cure, we consign only Doru to release from his curse and ourselves to guilt." Doru stood against evil in his life, he has no doubt earned a place in the after among his lord of light. The creature beneath them now is not the man he once was and conflating the two makes this choice harder than it needs to be. "There is no question there. Doru fought against Strahd in his life, he should not be made to serve him in death. Let him die with the memory of being a good man." It is the only viable response. One could not leave a town knowing a ravenous monster lurked beneath it and still consider themselves on the side of good. The fact that this monster bears a man's face does not change the facts. "We must see these burials done." The tiefling moves to the door and stares out at the gloom beyond. They could stand in defense of the priest while he does his work, to be sure, but it would be easier done without the threat of a released Doru on their mind. "I will watch over those performing the ceremony." It seems a task for which he is uniquely suited, and he summons hope that Eldath will see him through it. OOC Info N/A

Stealthy Recon Exiting the acid-carved tunnel into the wider, natural chamber, Neve turns the group left and follows the passage a ways. A few minutes only before she comes upon signs of battle. A hastily constructed fortress, small and now ruined, sits in the middle of the tunnel and Neve has little trouble spotting the disused pit traps that flank it. A strongpoint of sorts, and the scarring on the walls marks intense fire in the past. A battle here, and one that collapsed the tunnel completely. A few skeletons still litter the area, mostly bone and rotted cloth, so to judge the battle and a couple years done seems likely. The size of the skeletons, both human height and smaller, shows different races involved. Sister Clairese notes carvings in the some of the walls that are clearly religious in iconography, though the deity they appeal to is lost on her. Which is saying something given her upbringing. A dead god? One that never rose to prominence in the sunlit lands? What is certain is this conflict had a religious focus to it. It doesn't take long to ascertain that this site has been picked over and offers little of value to the group. Turning back, the group follows the path south and then east until it branches north in a smaller tunnel that would be easily missed given the way the rock juts out around the entrance. Moving in a single-file line down this shaft reveals an opening upward at the end from which sunlight can barely be glimpsed at the top. An egress to the swamp above? Not likely their path but good to keep in mind if things get difficult. Back at the main tunnel, they follow it further to another split. The right path is shorter and ends in a pool of water that seems to be moving south through a break in the stone. An underground river, the water cold but fresh. Val spots a few crustaceans on the banks, fist-sized with many legs and pinchers but no real threat to them. A possible meal, perhaps. They skitter and scurry, chewing on lichen and moss that grows along the banks of the pool. Her eyes follow their path until they disappear into a crack near the base of the southern wall, large enough to shove an arm through if one were inclined. With the light's at their disposal, it is Wicke's keen eyes that pick up on the glimmer beneath the water's surface. As far back as one could go, an easily twenty feet down, there is a glint of something metal on the bottom of the pool. No, several somethings. The water is not still, but the current is not significant enough to pose risk. Still, the pool is dark and somewhat ominous and venturing into it could have other risks besides. Neve's mystical senses tingle as she stares that way, the flicker of an aura beneath the dark declaring some magical potential to the gleam. Following the left fork north and then east, the group finds what they seek. A large chamber, this one carved out by mortal hands, opens beneath them. Never spots signs of life in time to signal the others to douse or hide their light sources before they stumble through. A bit of slick maneuvering on the smallfolk's part reveals a bit about the area ahead of them. The rivers continues here to the south, but where they stand is now below it as it runs atop a cliff to the south and sits higher than the rest of the chamber. A small waterfall dumps into a carved ravine that runs the length of the room to the north. It is easily ten feet across and just as deep, the dark water dotted by the soft glow of cave fish darting about beneath the surface. Near the cliff that separates the river from the room, several stone slabs give evidence of structures once dominant here. They appear to have been cannibalized, walls torn apart and their blocks hauled away to the north where a few walls still remain. That area is where the cave becomes decidedly unsafe, as movement among those walls is clear to Neve as are what appear to be makeshift beds and stools. Voices carry in these environments and it doesn't take much effort to hear the exchange of words in a clipped, guttural tongue not unlike dwarvish, but distinct enough in dialect to make translation a bit of a chore. Derro. Dwarves of the deep dark, a people that those of the surface might attribute to rumor but they seem very much real here. In her observations, Neve counts five distinct figures but knowing they likely share her keen vision in this environment she determines the line that separates safe from risky and notes to the others where they should remain. Poking about, she catches sight of another shaft to the west and a well-like structure with an iron grate over it near the back of the area. The derro grumble back and forth during her observations, complains about accommodations, about this middle-of-nowhere assignment, about the dwindling food sources. Morale, it seems, is not high among this crew. Occasionally one will stray into the side chamber and not return, or a new face will arrive from the same. This makes the numbers of their opposition somewhat questionable. Every so often a sound echoes from that western tunnel, a clicking shriek of such bestial intensity that it can only be what they initially feared. Ankhegs...bound to service by these derro, perhaps? OOC I've provided the info the group was able to gather without drawing attention with an hour's investigation. The pool in the southern tunnel holds something magical. Determine if the risk is worth the possible reward there. Further investigation into the populated area will require more involved stealthing, or some other plan of action. The small stones to the south of the large chamber are where the group is able to remain undetected, with light sources doused, and still observe the derro in the ruins. Roughly a hundred yards between those and the ruins so a good distance to cover in open terrain. Clarifying questions about the areas you've investigated can go in the OOC for quick answers before your responses if you prefer.

This is not all on you, MG. I did hold off a bit last week but this weekend I fell into a Dragon's Dogma 2 sized hole. I've been getting relentless page loading errors on the site the last 2 days but I'm writing off-site so I can try to sneak a post through the rare moments I can actually load MW up. Barring technical issues, I'll push us forward tomorrow. And no, we're not gonna go foot by foot through the caverns checking for traps. This isn't that old school of a game.

HP: 30/30 | AC: 16 (18 arm/20 shl) | Fort: +7 Ref: +6 Will: +6 | H-Points: 1 | F-Points: 0 | Langs: Common, Orc, Celestial Current Conditions: None Active Abilities: None Uncovering Secrets "Comet. Ka'Mhet. " Hrotha wants so badly to roll her eyes and sigh exaggeratedly, possibly follow up with a pointed 'who asked?' but she can't make it happen. She's been on the wrong end of the name pronunciation gaffe too often. Hor-tha. Sometimes Ho-ra-tha. Always the correction...Ra-tha...and the polite dismissal but the mispronunciations persist. Annoyance at that parallel draws a grunt-growl from her throat as she watches the woman step away and shoots a look in Armen's direction, shrugging away her confusion. "Hey, slow it up." She starts forward after Ka'Mhet, working to match stride with the smaller woman. "You leave my sight the moment Lori comes back and tells me you're worth trusting." Hrotha had been chewing over the strange body-snatcher's words since she'd stalked off in a huff. Noble brute, regardless of the intended context, was so frequent a cut that the scars never heal. What she'd heard after that seemed to be some sort of circuitous apology, but her blood was too hot to acknowledge it. The half-orc isn't willing to take this Ka'Mhet at their word while it is hijacking her friend and that meant keeping a close eye on her, but that didn't mean she had to be unpleasant about it. Tapping the halberd against her shoulder, she looks the woman over again with every effort to focus on the threat potential. "To put a knife like that to use you need to get in close. You turned down the leather so you have to be fast." The line of reasoning brings her along the path to the obvious conclusion, an issue of concern that she quickly gives voice to. "But that's not your body, is it? How does that work? That body has no experience in a fight." And now the train has left the station, and the words just keep coming. "And did you have a body before? Are you a ghost or a spirit?" She is unclear on the difference but she's certain she's heard there is one. Likely from Greyrose. OOC Details

Broxatla Zuberi (Chultan Artificer 3) AC: 16 (18 Shield) | HP: 27/27 | Passive Perception: +11 | FeaturesMagical Tinkering x | ○ | ○ - mint odor on scarf Artificer Infusions x | x - Returning on yklwa - Rope of Climbing on rope The Right Tool for the Job With thieves’ tools or artisan’s tools in hand, you can magically create one set of artisan’s tools in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of you. This creation requires 1 hour of uninterrupted work, which can coincide with a short or long rest. Though the product of magic, the tools are nonmagical, and they vanish when you use this feature again. Battle Ready You gain proficiency with martial weapons and when you attack with a magic weapon, you can use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity modifier, for the attack and damage rolls. Steel Defender Beeble the Brass Badass | SpellcastingMay cast rituals of Artificer spells Prepared spells: Booming Blade/Lightning Lure Absorb Elements Detect Magic (R) False Life Heroism Shield Tasha's Caustic Brew | Conditions: Exhausted 1 Spells: ○ ○ (1st) | (2nd) | (3rd) Day 21/22 Preparations to leave camp take little time for Brox. He'd left Port Nyanzaru travelling light and the intervening time had hardly offered opportunity to load up on anything notable. With the bow, shield and pack properly shouldered, and the yklwa close at hand, he lingers close while the others say their goodbyes. It is likely that these people will never see one another again, given the nature of the trek they are about to undertake, but life is nothing without hope so he doesn't let the dark cloud of doubt linger overmuch on his observations. The quiet nature of the trek away from camp shifts notably once their own small camp is made. After time spent alongside Brigg, finding people with a willingness to speak at length is a blessing. Brox keeps up with the conversation easily, offering detailed information about his past in Port Nyanzaru while tents are pitched and fires arranged. His childhood in the temple of Gond, his various interests in music and mates, all put on display without hesitation. When music is made he provides his own, breaking out the oud to accompany the others. For the first time in weeks he feels a lightness to his soul and it takes the arrival of the thunder lizards to remind him that he is not in the safety of a city tavern. "Beauty and savagery, a flip of a coin. We were fortunate today." Day 23 The battle brings out a different side in Brox. Happy, still, but focused on the task. He is quick to join the fray, and put on display for the first time in the way he and the metal man function in a fight. He doesn't speak, and Beeble seems incapable of it, but Brox uses a series of whistles and clicks to direct the man during the scrap. Charging in, Brox throws the yklwa as one of the pterafolk draws near and with a twist of his wrist the weapon wrenches free and leaps back to his hand. Two sharp whistles sends Beeble lunging forward as Brox drops to a slide, the metal man interposing an arm into the arc of the creatures reprisal on Brox as he drives the weapon up toward the pterafolk as it leaps by. The yklwa hums with a surge of electric energy, little jolts racing toward the tip as it seeks purchase in the creature's flesh. The shield sweeps a second arm aside and a click of Brox's tongue against his teeth sends Beeble forward with a thrashing swipe, the internals buzzing and whirring as unseen force compliments the blow. Hammering the creature into the dirt, Beeble follows up with a stomp to bring stillness to their foe. As the group accepts Artus and his companion into their ranks, Brox becomes less boisterous. Doing nothing to interfere with Cyrienne's efforts to make the newcomer's feel welcome, he watches them from across the fire with curiosity. Foreigners are not unknown to him, and while he welcomed the ousting of those in power years ago he doesn't innately distrust them like many in Port Nyanzaru. Still, something about this man puts his teeth on edge in the way that foreign treasure hunters seeking to plunder his homeland often did. While Artus may not be trouble it clearly follows closely in his wake. It doesn't take long for Brox's suspicions to be confirmed. Day 24 For the first time, as the group crouches in the blind, Brox is as silent as his metal companion. He keeps a tight grip on the bow, an arrow knocked and ready to fly, but he concedes to the groups better sense and lets the situation pass by. His concern about Artus' presence darkens his features as he listens to the others discuss. It is unlikely in his mind that they would cast the man out on his own, given the little he's experienced of them, but the increased risk of being hunted for another man's crimes does nag at his mind. "I know of these Red Wizards through stories alone, but what I've heard paints a grim picture. I'd like to think if I were from your land I would also have made an enemy of them." As the crew beds down again, Brox offers for the first time to try and scare up food. It is clear from his description of his time in the city and his manner of speech that any knowledge of the wilderness he has is likely academic in nature, rather than practical in application. Still, he has a bow and a steady hand to draw it. Returning late in the evening, laden with a fine catch, he then takes time to lay out a length of rope and spends the waning hours of the day putting tools to work on it under Beeble's watchful gaze. Day 25 "I grew up in a temple so climbing isn't exactly in my wheelhouse. Still, I have something for this." Dumping the pack onto the ground, Brox draws that same length of coiled rope from earlier out of the bag. The adjustments he's made, thin lines of metal wire threaded into the fabric weaves, give it a sheen but when he snaps it tight between his hands it goes rigid. With a bit of guidance he is able to maneuver it up along the side of the cliff and a few deft twists of the wrist causes it to coil up around a jutting rock. It's magic in every sense of the word, but it carries an odd affectation to it that seems much in line with that which animates the metal man. Even with the addition of the enhanced rope, Brox struggles with the ascent. As well as he performed in the fight a few days prior, it becomes rapidly clear that he is not well-versed in the necessary athleticism to make an easy climb of this. Sweat is slick on his forehead and his shoulders sag low as he makes the top with the others, coiling the rope slower than is needed in order to buy himself a bit of a break. Mechanics Action: Your action goes here. Bonus Action: Your action goes here. Move Action: Your action goes here. Item Interaction: Your action goes here. Beeble StatsMedium construct Armor Class: 15 (natural armor) Hit Points: 20 Speed: 40 ft. STR 14 (+2) DEX 12 (+1) CON 14 (+2) INT 4 (−3) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 6 (−2) Saving Throws: Dex +1 plus PB, Con +2 plus PB Skills: Athletics +2 plus PB, Perception +0 plus PB × 2 Damage Immunities: Poison Condition Immunities: Charmed, Exhausted, Poisoned Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 10 + (PB×2) Languages: Understands Common, Chultan, Sylvan Challenge: Proficiency Bonus (PB) equals your bonus Vigilant: The defender can’t be surprised. Actions Force-Empowered Rend: Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5 ft., one target you can see. Hit: 1d8 + PB force damage. Repair (3/Day): The magical mechanisms inside the defender restore 2d8 + PB hit points to itself or to one construct or object within 5 feet of it. Reaction Deflect Attack: The defender imposes disadvantage on the attack roll of one creature it can see that is within 5 feet of it, provided the attack roll is against a creature other than the defender. Dice Rolls Attack 1 Pterafolk Attack 2 Pterafolk Beeble Attack 1 Pterafolk Beeble Attack 2 Pterafolk Hunting for Day 24 Climbing via MAGIC Climbing via MAGIC Climbing via MAGIC Climbing via MAGIC

In Brief Ekram The Wronged Stats: Charm +1, Cool +0, Sharp +1, Tough +2, Weird -1 Harm: ●●● / ●○○○ Unstable: ● Luck: ●●●●●○○ Exp: ●●●●○ Playbook Moves I Know My PreyYou get +1 ongoing when knowingly investigating, pursuing or fighting the breed of monster that caused your loss. DIY SurgeryWhen you do quick and dirty first aid on someone (including yourself), roll +Cool. On a 10+ it’s all good, it counts as normal first aid, plus stabilize the injury and heal 1 harm. On a 7-9 it counts as normal first aid, plus one of these, your choice: • Stabilise the injury but the patient takes -1 forward. • Heal 1-harm and stabilise for now, but it will return as 2-harm and become unstable again later. • Heal 1-harm and stabilise but the patient takes -1 ongoing until it’s fixed properly. Never Again!In combat, you may choose to protect someone without rolling, as if you had rolled a 10+, but you may not choose to “suffer little harm.” Trust Your Gut (alt Weird)When you consult your instincts about what to do next, roll +Weird: • On a 10 or more, the Keeper will tell where you should go. Wherever that is, it will be important. You get +1 ongoing on the way to this place. • On a 7-9, the Keeper will tell you a general direction to go. Take +1 forward as you explore that. • On a miss, your instincts lead you into danger. InvincibleYou always count as having 2-armour. This doesn’t stack with other protection. ** Chosen move, Advancement ** Does This Job Come With Medical? Reaching the outside takes a lot of effort but not burning alive is proper motivation. Ekram posts up on a bench in the quad as people move like ants through the front doors, in and out carrying water and extinguishers. He's had enough of the whole thing so he leaves them to it, touching the angry red patches on his left arm and the side of his face. Most of them don't even hurt anymore, which he knows from his basics in first aid to be a bad thing. No pain, no nerves, bad burn. Someone offers him water and he uses it to clear the ash and vomit taste from his mouth. When Annika inquires about his condition he gives a shake of his head, a motion that causes the lighter burns on his neck to scream out. "Any one you walk away from, right?" A saying he'd generally agree with, but turning over in his mind how long it is likely to take for these burns to form scars colors his perceptions. No stranger to scars, he'd be willing to blow the injuries off as 'part of the job' if it weren't for the source. Ghuls are kind of his deal and he's taken on plenty but this thing, this dragr from ages past, was something entirely different. He'd stake the claim that it was the most powerful thing he'd ever seen in his time killing monsters. And that meant there were likely even more powerful things out there. His face is tight, doing its best to seem unphased, but inside the truth is turmoil. Ekram's foundations have been shaken, and everything he's been doing has been called into question. "One more hospital stay won't be so bad." He mutters the words for nobody's benefit but his own, trying not to give voice to what is racing through his mind. He doesn't have magic like Annika. No magic sword like Hal. No strange kinship with monsters like Sophie. For the first time he has to consider that maybe he just isn't strong enough for this. OOC Stuff

HP: 30/30 | AC: 16 (18 arm/20 shl) | Fort: +7 Ref: +6 Will: +6 | H-Points: 1 | F-Points: 0 | Langs: Common, Orc, Celestial Current Conditions: None Active Abilities: None Uncovering Secrets "Respect. " It is a muttered sentiment in response to Comet's stated goal to avoid being struck, one that barely crosses her teeth as she makes a circuit of the group with the armor on offer. If everyone refuses the protection, she will work the formed leather over her own party outfit and hope the light material can at least fend off a claw or knife should such a thing arise. As people gather and claim their share from the found materials, Hrotha corners Greyrose in a very real way. Off to the side of the room away from the fresco where so many seem to have turned their interest. "What the hells is going on?" These words are also hushed, but hissed through gritted teeth in a fashion that makes plain her displeasure. "That is not Lori. Is it a ghost?" It seems unlikely that any explanation, no matter how true, is going to appease Hrotha here. Something stealing her friend's body is simply not a turn of events she is prepared to accept. But Greyrose is the only person she knows who could even begin to have an inkling about what it all means besides Comet itself, and she sure ain't posing the question to them. "I don't like this. Tell me you have some kind of plan for when Lori-Comet turns on us?" The obvious plan would involve the halberd and a solid thrust into something soft and vital, but that's not an option the half-orc is willing to consider. Catching Iris as the elf moves past, she holds out one of the daggers that they dug from the boxes. Anyone can use a knife, right? "Just in case?" With her concerns declared, though hardly satisfied, she motions for Greyrose to stick close as the group collectively moves toward the exit. This approach puts her square in the middle of Armen and Myrthe's conversation, which she does everything she can to appear disinterested in. Staring ahead in the dark, putting her back to them, all the while longing to hear someone spill the tea. Only the mention of her name brings her to drop the facade. "Hmm? Oh, yeah. All orc in the eyes, I am." She looks between the two of them, then shrugs as she lets the halberd rest on her shoulders again. "Of course, if anything has made a home of this place it is probably as good in the dark as we are." How long? Hundreds of years? Maybe thousands if Armen's talk is right. The way her words structured themselves strikes humorous in her mind, given how likely these two are to be familiar with each other in the dark. "Fighting in the dark, I mean. Not...yeah, nevermind." OOC Details

Spelunking Spectacular Gathered as a group in the rather cramped basement, the four heroes consider their options. Leaving the children to fend for themselves seems to be off the table. Stabilizing the tower themselves does seem to be within their power, though the specifics and possible complications of that remain unclear. Moving further into the darkness beyond means risk, as there is no telling what might lie in wait. Well, not no telling. Studying the opening in the wall, you each can see how the rock there has been melted away. The bitter stink of something acidic and pungent still clings to the warped stone and the tunnel that moves away from it seems similarly carved. It big enough to move two by two down that passage, but a quick check tells you that it soon opens into a larger natural cavern. Someone, or some thing, melted their way from the natural cave into the basement. Ankhegs. You've all prepared for this adventure enough to find familiarity with common creatures of the wilderness you might encounter. Ankhegs are a scourge on underground communities, dwarves even have specific training methods for dealing with the things. But they're also beasts, with a beast's intellect, so this burrowing assault seems beyond them. The acid, though, makes their presence practically guaranteed in these caves. A nasty fight if you find it, but perhaps there are alternatives to a straight fight up ahead. OOC The option to utilize the altar, either through Val or Neve's efforts, is on the table should someone opt to do that. If you all are ready to push forward into the cave, will you be using the proposed 'rogues up front' method? Let's talk light sources, too.