DoNotFearToTread

Never announce your violence ahead of time. That's rookie stuff. While I imagine it ultimately comes down to Val since she's the speaker, you can have made some conclusions as a group about what you want to say. I don't want to assume any specific information is given unless you all confirm it.

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 ** Checkin' Out That Hole (not like that!) As David leads the porter away Ekram glances to the others, then the door, then the hole in the quad. The sneer that pulls on his lip is brief but the disdain for the pushy little man lingers in his eyes. "Give some people little bit of power..." It's a mutter as he steps away from the window. Alice's room seems like the easier place to inspect but he can't shake that tingle on the back of his neck about the damn sinkhole. It may not be related to their present concerns, but his gut tells him that it has significance and so he motions through the window. "I'm checking that out." He moves quickly out to the quad, knowing that the porter will be headed that way once David's distraction has run its course. Pulling the tarp away from the makeshift barriers, he tries to piece together what exactly about the seemingly minor natural disaster has him to focused. OOC Stuff Let us Investigate a Mystery on this, following my earlier hunch. The +1 will definitely help on that. An 11. Man, so many questions I want to ask. Let's try 'what happened here?' and 'what is being concealed here?'.

Once again, sorry for the delay. Work has been impossible this month. So, to get our pace back to what we set in the beginning, we don't need to linger on this initial conversation. If you present them with a compelling reason to not kill you, we can move forward to bigger dealings. I am working under the assumption that the group's genuine goal here is to avoid a fight but if you'd prefer to press your current advantage and kill these fools, let me know.

Breaking the Ice With a plan in place, the group splits to each of their respective positions. Wicke uses the depth of the water trench to avoid notice while Neve keeps to the low rubble nearby. Sister Clairese and Val make an odd pair as they move through the gloom with only the priestess' glowing token to guide them. As they draw near to the ruins in the north of the chamber, figures melt out of the darkness ahead of them, keeping to the edge of their globe of luminance. Shorter and less stocky than the surface dwarves they have likely encounter before, these three derro present an obvious aura of menace as they brandish short blades in the womens' direction. "This is Consortium grounds. Your trespass demands blood." Val passes the message to Clairese, who hears the words as something akin to a series of hissing growls. As languages goes, it certainly is among the more guttural and carries similar inflections to the tongue of the orcs. Initial tense moments pass as overtures of non-aggression are made, weapons lowered but not sheathed, as the trio agree to hear words before committing to violence. Clairese's skilled eye for body language reveals no indication of duplicity from them, but the distrust is written all over their faces as they ask for the duo's purpose here. Wicke can make out some of the details from his hiding place. The bright spot up ahead, the five people within it, the possibility of bloodshed. Sound carries in an odd fashion underground, and this chamber is large enough to send echoes of the conversation to his ears. Whether he can understand it or not, the initiations of a dialogue is evident. This may end in death but at least it won't start that way. Listening to the words and the soft trickle of water against the side of the trench, a shifting sound catches his ears. A scrape of stone, a soft exhale, and as he stares into the darkness he can almost make out a slight change in the shades of black there. Another derro, likely, lurking in the dark and watching the situation much as he is. That makes four to their four. An increase in the wrong direction. Neve has it easier with her keen vision. As Val and Clairese speak, the derro seem ready to fight but open to Val's explanations. To her left there is movement, one derro at the base of the broken wall and another crawling along the top. They seem ready to join in any conflict and would certainly tip the scales in the derro's favor should it come to a fight. The only advantage given to the group is Neve and Wicke's hidden positions and losing that might mean death for all involved. It begs the question...is Val serving as a diplomat or a distraction in this moment? OOC Okay, so this is not concrete but I went with what we've established and we can alter things as needed. I went with Clairese's light source since neither she nor Wicke would be able to see anything without it and that would really impair them in this situation. The derro are open to hearing you out, so I'll just need to know what you specifically want to tell them. This is pbp so we don't need a line by line exchange, just post any details you want to provide them and I'll sum up a response next post.

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 ** Vague Signs are Still Signs As the man lingers in the doorway and the Doc seems lost in his own head, Ekram turns away from the gathering to cool his head. This motion drops his eyes on the scene outside and on any other day he likely wouldn't have even given it a second glance. Stepping away from the group, he approaches the window and squints hard on the gathering of construction gear tarped over in the quad. A hole that they're filling, maybe? Or some kind of pipe burst and flood situation? But if that's so... "...why not put it on sign?" The words leave his lips unbidden, loud enough to be heard by others in the hallway, which commits him to the idea. Glancing back over his shoulder, he motions with a tip of his head toward the cluster. "Why only put Danger on sign? No specifics?" His gaze levels on the little man with his little keyring and large attitude and he scratches his jawline as the wheels in his head spin. He calls the porter over to point out the tarped over section of the quad. "What is that out there?" Generally speaking, Ekram's hunches tend to lead him into trouble. This seems likely to be no different. But there are times when going into danger is the only way to get a solution to a problem. They'd all seen that plain enough not long back. As he directs the porters attention to the mess, he looks past him to the others and taps the side of his head, then points to the site and mouths the word "wrong". OOC Stuff N/A

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 "May all the gods take pity on this man, and on those of us who send him on his way." The observers during the funeral had been as unsettling for Sulimann as they were for anyone, but he'd kept silence during that vigil. What good would it do to speak? If they wanted to attack, to interfere, they would do so. It proved to be nothing more than posturing and in the end the group returned to the chapel with a bloody determination. Standing in that small room as the hatch is opened, the tiefling once again looks to Joliet and Dynaheir as their sword. "Work together and you will thrive." More than words, the invocation bonds their spirits toward a common goal. He then waits his turn to advance down the stairway, intent on keeping toward the center of the group so anyone in need of his aid is close at hand. OOC Info Let's place an Emboldening Bond on Joliet and Dynaheir. Emboldening Bond - Starting at 1st level, you can forge an empowering bond among people who are at peace with one another. As an action, you choose a number of willing creatures within 30 feet of you (this can include yourself) equal to your proficiency bonus. You create a magical bond among them for 10 minutes or until you use this feature again. While any bonded creature is within 30 feet of another, the creature can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw it makes. Each creature can add the d4 no more than once per turn.

Yeah, it's been a minute so let me reframe the scenario. The group's primary goal investigating the cave was locating the Witch and returning her to the tower. The evidence from the room in the tower basement indicated she was abducted and that ankhegs were used to tunnel through the wall from this cave system. Investigation of the tunnels provided the following information so far: Evidence of a conflict at a ruined checkpoint/fort structure. Skeletal remains that were likely elven were found there. The tunnel there had been collapsed through some explosive force. A well-like structure that opens to the surface. A pond in a side tunnel that contained the body of a long-dead elf with evidence of murder and documents detailing treaty conditions. A large chamber with an underground river and ruins that are currently populated by derro. A side tunnel leading off from this location is also populated and the chittering growl of an ankheg was heard from down that way at least once. That was as far the current scouting was able to uncover. The elf's body was buried under muck at the bottom of a thirty foot deep pool of cold water with a slow current. If there ever was a smell, it is long gone given that he has been there for somewhere more than year and less than two. The depth of the body and the temperature of the water would have definitely limited any decay odor and the cave itself has a natural musty fragrance from the lichens and mosses growing in it. It is pretty clear that someone made efforts to hide that murder, and derro culture tends to not take issue with murder in general (the strong rule the weak, etc...) so they likely had extenuating circumstances for doing so. It would be reasonable for the group to suspect, given their proximity and the sounds of ankhegs nearby, that these derro are responsible for the abduction. Is everyone good with the placement Terran suggested for initiating the dialogue?

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 ** A Vacation From This Vacation The message is strange. Not just the syntax, which seems to hang up Hal a bit, but rather the intent behind it. If you're going to be too late and you send a text, why would you not send the context of the lateness in the damn text? Ekram slides his phone onto the table and listens to the others go back and forth as to the purpose of the whole thing. Sophie even puts in a phone call but meets with exactly what one would expect in this situation. The idea that they go to find her is posed and he can't really find a reason to argue against it, so he pulls the jacket off the back of his chair and dons it over his hoodie, snatching up his stuff from the table and shoving them into pockets before he follows them out. The distance isn't far but covering all routes means splitting up, so he takes the bike rather than make the walk. No sign of her on the way, and Sophie initiates the conversation with the flunkie behind the counter so again he is left to stand in the back and kick invisible dirt around the floor. "Is not like Alice." Now it's bothering him, making the burns on his arms itch and his stomach squirm around inside him. She takes her role pretty seriously and this kind of lapse in communication feels wrong. He stares down the porter, considering for a moment how he might shove past the man to check the room, but doubts about the value of the action cloud his mind. All his instincts say something is wrong now, but he's never been great at focusing that anxiety into viable information. A deep breath, a glance down the hallway, and he opens himself up to the hunches. OOC Stuff Okay, gonna try to Trust My Gut now. Never worked before so why not? See, if I smack talk the dice roller I get results.

My last post in the game thread has the most recent map of the caverns. You are all gathered in the northeastern chamber where the ruined structures are.

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 | ○ - Returning on yklwa 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: Spells: ○ ○ ○ (1st) | (2nd) | (3rd) Day 21/22 Never one to let an opportunity for rest go to waste, Brox drifts in that liminal space between awake and asleep for the bulk of the time the group stakes out a place in the brush. Najya's return and the news of Eku's disappearance is enough to rouse him and his eyes narrow in concern. Eku is their scout, the one setting their direction, and for her to wander off wouldn't be out of sorts but not finding her way back speaks to something very wrong. Taking up the yklwa and the shield, he gives a short whistle to Beeble to set the automaton on his heels as he readies to move off. He'd quickly learned that sneaking out the windows of bedchambers had not properly prepared him for sneaking in the jungle, so he makes no effort to prepare for that. "No doubt Eku ran into trouble or they'd be here. And it was quiet enough for us not to catch the sound of it." As the group sets off, he and Beeble move to put distance between themselves and the group's more stealthy members. His eyes move carefully across the abandoned village, noting the overgrowth and seeming lack of human passage. If nothing else, he could be the thing that draws an enemy's attention away from any fumbling attempts. This proves unnecessary, however, as the strange crone appears at their backs while they all stand around gawking at their surroundings. Immediately his fingers tighten on the yklwa and his shoulder tense, his body turned to keep his side toward the woman. His knowledge about the lands of Chult are largely academic, but some of what he read might help clarify why exactly this all feels so much like a bad idea. "A single woman left alone in the wake of all this? You're either lucky or strong." There is no doubt in his mind that this woman is trouble, but knowing a thing and acting on it are different. If there is information to be gleaned from this interaction it would be foolish to ignore it. He offers a barely visible nod of his head in Najya's direction at her initial series of signs, having picked up enough to recognize threat among the motions. He doesn't relish the idea of losing the silent one to investigations if this gets ugly but it could be useful if the rest of them keep this stranger occupied, so he doesn't offer an opinion on the second part. Stopping outside the hut, his stance makes his intention rather obvious. No way he's going into that hut. "I'm not done taking in the air." A glance over his shoulder confirms that Beeble has kept pace and he takes some small reassurance in that. 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.

Okay, working through some unexpected work delays here but I think I'm following the plan. Are we good with Val and Clarise making the approach? If so, do they want to move into the little area of ruins at the north or do they want to call out and bring attention to themselves in the more open area instead? And , how do you want to approach them about this? Are there specific things you want to say to initiate this parley? Neve and Wicke, I believe you both have ranged options on you, right? Knowing that Derro can see in the dark, you'll both want to have something to obscure yourselves. There are still small piles of rock and discarded stone in the south of the chamber where you are currently situated that could provide you opportunity to remain hidden. Is the signal to open fire simply someone doing something aggressive or do you want to make something more specific? Per your prior question, the skull iconography is not something significant in a legend lore sense but it is definitely a crest for a family or group so it could be useful in identifying the prior owner.

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.