Chapter I: Escape from Elturgard

Kavonde · November 3, 2023

Gaerzil | HP 12/12 | AC 13 | Initiative +3 | Passive Perception 11
Spell Slots: 1st Level 2/3

Gaerzil nods in agreement as Keryn lays out three possible approaches. "Divide the labor, I say. I'll scout from one approach, you from the other. And if either of us gets caught, we can make enough noise to alert the other to fall back and get reinforcements." Perhaps the elf isn't so bad after all. At least he can acknowledge a "lesser" being's competence.

When Silvia approaches and tells him he doesn't need to prove anything, he summons a confident smile and turns to her. "My dear, I'm merely--"

The kiss catches him completely by surprise. He goes completely rigid, his mind completely blank. It's not until several seconds after Silvia steps back at winks at him that he regains control of his motor functions.

"Yes, well," he says, trying and failing to restore his air of erudite composure. "I'll, ah. I'll... be off."

The Artful Dodger padding silently behind him, Gaerzil sets off to surveil the bandit camp, using the skills he honed on the streets of Elturel many years ago. His mind definitely isn't occupied by the memory of Silvia's lips, or the teasing sparkle in her eyes, or the way the delicate lace on her bodice brushed against his collarbone...

Please stop, Artful pleads with a psychic sigh.

OOC

Over on Discord, Gaery rolled a 9 for Stealth. With Silvia's guidance, that gets bumped up to an 11. Is it enough to keep him from blundering into the middle of BanditCon '92?

Edited November 3, 2023 by Kavonde (see edit history)

PureChance · November 3, 2023

Keryn Donnathlascen

Moon Elf Rogue

AC: 14 (Leather) | HP: 17/17 () | HD: 2/2 | Speed: 30 ft. | Initiative: +3
Senses: Passive Perception 12, Insight 14, Investigation 10. Darkvision 60ft.
Str: 10 (+0) | Dex: 17 (+3) | ConSave: +2: 14 (+2) | Int: 10 (+0) | Wis: 10 (+0) | Cha: 14 (+2)
Languages: Common, Elven, Chondathan, Illuskan, Draconic, Thieves' Cant

"A reasonable suggestion," Keryn replies to the Tiefling, stepping back as Silvia makes her way forward. A kiss for good luck was all well and good, but perhaps flustering the boy just before the scouting mission wasn't the best idea. He watches for a moment as the young Tiefling stumbles off distracted, hoping the bandits are equally so. Competence was depressingly elusive it seemed.

After a giving a few moments lead, Keryn begins to pick his way down the broken path as well, forestalling any gestures of good luck with a raised hand - though his attitude probably sufficed. He made sure to slide off the path in the opposite direction, keeping his eyes peeled for scouts or tripwires.

OOC

Action: Perception

Bonus Action: Hide

Movement: -

Reaction: Absorb Elements if triggered

Object Interaction: -

Actions & Resources

Actions:

Rapier . Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8 + 3 piercing damage.

Booming Blade . Melee Weapon Attack: +1d8 Thunder damage if creature moves.

Dagger [2] . Thrown/Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, ranged 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 1d4 + 3 piercing damage.

Shortbow . Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, ranged 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 + 3 piercing damage.

Bonus Actions:

Cunning Action . Your quick thinking and agility allow you to move and act quickly. You can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat. This action can be used only to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.

Reactions:

Absorb Elements 1/1

Class Features:

Sneak Attack . Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use a finesse or a ranged weapon. You don't need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn't incapacitated, and you don't have disadvantage on the attack roll.

Gregorotto · November 3, 2023

As they prepare to part, Gwen asks perfectly reasonable questions. Vollis gives her question genuine thought. "Four? Five? I can't remember. One was sick, I think he was being helped along. They were all human... or human-looking, I suppose. Maybe a few half-elves, but nothing as exotic as you lot." Her smile is polite. "The only bows they carried were carting along, but most looked like they wore mage robes. All of them, in fact, so I would expect mages or priests among them. They were all men, that I do remember." As for Wellum, he huffs. "All my armor and weapons are special... but nothing beyond fine workmanship from my apprentice and I. Swords, spears, bows and quivers full of arrows that have my fletching on them, a few with custom fletching besides, a mace or two, a morningstar a client asked for, and a half-plate armor I was building for myself to use as reference for making some for a Hellrider who came to me. Our families go way back." He has nothing else to offer.

An hour on and they arrive at the building, an external-facing building of stone in the side of a mountain, a statue garden outside of it in the sandy earth. There is an intentionality to the statues, which are worn out and decaying, many statues crumbling, but nothing that suggests horror or surprise one might expect from, say, a medusa. The door sits half-open, no lights from within. Already alarm bells begin to sound: is this a dead end?

Quiet as they come, nothing from within stirs. There is a faint sound of water dripping from within as well, but even a slight scuff in the dusty earth draws no attention from within.

Have they been misled? A cart sits along the cliff's edge half a mile from here, visible from the door.

Out of Character

Not to spoil anything, but everyone roll me Initiative (did we do this already?). We are not in combat.

PureChance · November 4, 2023

Keryn Donnathlascen

Moon Elf Rogue

AC: 14 (Leather) | HP: 17/17 () | HD: 2/2 | Speed: 30 ft. | Initiative: +3
Senses: Passive Perception 12, Insight 14, Investigation 10. Darkvision 60ft.
Str: 10 (+0) | Dex: 17 (+3) | ConSave: +2: 14 (+2) | Int: 10 (+0) | Wis: 10 (+0) | Cha: 14 (+2)
Languages: Common, Elven, Chondathan, Illuskan, Draconic, Thieves' Cant

As they approach the decrepit dwelling Keryn lets a frown grace his expression. They had seen neither hide nor hair of any bandits, and Vollis' description of the folk was uncharacteristic as well. Men in robes seldom needed to turn to banditry, and robes were ill-suited to life in the wilds as well. A cult perhaps? Though with hell rising just a few miles away there seemed little need for such. He studied the floor of the building, looking for any disturbance of the dust at the buildings entrance or any tracked earth inside. He shares his thoughts with the rest of the group. "I thought Vollis' was hiding something," he grumbles, "though she seemed free with information about the bandits so I assumed it was to do with her past."

"Also the robes and the smithy together don't make sense," he murmurs, "I would understand why traitorous soldiers would steal weapons, but why would soldiers have only robes for armour, or why would mages and priests seek to steal weapons?" He catches sight of the cart further along, remembering what Gwen was told. "Perhaps that was the cart they used, but why leave it so far from the door when they had an injured man, and so much to carry they needed a cart to begin with?" he mused.

OOC

Action: Perception or Investigation for the door dust disturbance - if the former add +2

Bonus Action: -

Movement: -

Reaction: Absorb Elements if triggered

Object Interaction: -

Actions & Resources

Actions:

Rapier . Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8 + 3 piercing damage.

Booming Blade . Melee Weapon Attack: +1d8 Thunder damage if creature moves.

Dagger [2] . Thrown/Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, ranged 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 1d4 + 3 piercing damage.

Shortbow . Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, ranged 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 + 3 piercing damage.

Bonus Actions:

Cunning Action . Your quick thinking and agility allow you to move and act quickly. You can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat. This action can be used only to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.

Reactions:

Absorb Elements 1/1

Class Features:

Sneak Attack . Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use a finesse or a ranged weapon. You don't need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn't incapacitated, and you don't have disadvantage on the attack roll.

Kyoh · November 5, 2023

Gwen agreed with most of her group that this is an unusual case of banditry. They all wore robes? One of them was sickly? And now they find this odd encampment and the cart a long ways off. Gwen doesn't like any of it.

"We're missing something, that's for sure," she replies to Keryn. Something about the half open door, as if inviting intruders in, appears deeply suspicious to Gwen. Are the bandits this careless? It's possible. They are out in the middle of nowhere.

"I says we check out that cart first," Gwen says, pointing with her axe at the cart some distance away. "I don't like the look of this." She nods at the door ajar.

Investigation

dwargstof · November 5, 2023

Name: Hravin Snaefoss | Race/Class: Human Monk | HP: 11/11 AC: 15 PP: 12 Ki: 0

Hravin nods along, stepping back to see who emerges as the group's leader, with good ideas all around. Yet, there seems to be a disconnect between the information they were given, and the reality. "Bandits generally have a lookout, or someone waiting to warn the others if anyone gets too close to their dens, don't they? We don't seem to have tripped any alarms," he observes to Gwen.

His eyes drift from the half-open door to the cart, and back to the statue garden. "What is...was this place?" he asks as he carefully examines the statues to see if he recognizes any of their likenesses or purpose.

Things are quiet for now, but that could change. He slips a dart comfortably in his palm, ready to snap forth at a moment's notice.

OOC

Hravin's curious about the statues and makes a History Check to see if he knows what any of them are, hoping for clue in figuring out what this building used to be.

Action: ready dart, just in case

Bonus:

Movement:

Kavonde · November 6, 2023

Gaerzil | HP 12/12 | AC 16 | Initiative +3 | Passive Perception 11
Spell Slots: 1st Level 2/3
Active Effects: Mage Armor

Gaerzil frowns, finding this whole situation every bit as odd as his companions do. "Well, perhaps it's a particularly larcenous band of monks? But then again, they wouldn't need to steal weapons."

With the others moving to investigate different aspects of the area, Gaerzil regards then ominously open doorway into the building and frowns. "I was expecting, you know, a camp. But if there's only one entrance, I suppose only one of us needs to go in to scout. Which, I suppose, might as well be me."

Good luck with that, master.

Oh, no you don't. You're coming with me.

I don't see what both of us getting murdered by diseased vagrants will accomplish.

If we're spotted, they're going to try to kill the wizard first, not the cat. You'll have time to run away.

True, the familiar considers. Perhaps you should cast your mage armor spell before you go in?

Gaerzil nods. With a few gestures and chanted words, tiny threads woven into his robes begin to glow, and for a moment he seems clad in a suit of shimmering, ghostly blue armor. Then, the Artful Dodger by his side, he moves into the building as stealthily as possible. As he reaches the set of doors ahead of him, he leans forward to place his ear against it, listening carefully for any sounds coming from the room or hallway beyond.

OOC

Gaerzil is moving 5 squares north to what I believe is a set of double doors. (Marked by that very suspicious X on the floor in front of them.)

I assume I'm keeping that 11 Stealth from before, so I'll just roll a Perception check.

Gregorotto · November 7, 2023

Before going in, Gwen has a curiosity she wants to explore, Keryn checking out the dust of the door to see if there has been movement in or out. It's hard to tell from where he stands, because there is certainly dust and certainly in an uneven distribution on the interior floor, but nothing definitive shows itself. Before long, Gaerzil and Hravin head inside, to get a better look. Bits of broken pottery and wood scattered around the dusty shrine suggests there has been movement, but behind them Keryn notices there is a clear path of footsteps within. Hravin tries to make sense of the place, of the symbology of Torm, but the history is lost to him: whatever it was, it's not being used for that now.

At the back of the room, Gaerzil finds a series of double doors against the wall where the footsteps in the dust lead, seeming to invite them in. At the font, shaped in a half-moon on the eastern wall, the interior contains stains of something dark and now brown, and a small knife on the edge, placed almost carelessly. Old text above the font says "Offer and Pass Freely" into the stone,

Gwen, going to the abandoned cart not far from the entrance, finds it empty and immediately suspects something is amiss. Right or no, though, she can't find anything definitive here: there's no sign of a secret entrance, no sign of footsteps, just a clear demarcation in the ground where the cart's wheel tore through the gravel. This, it seems, is a dead end.

Out of Character

Alright in sum:

Gaerzil is located next to two massive double doors
There is a holy font with dark stains and a knife in it that says something cryptic
The cart appears to be a dead end
Checks that might help: Investigation, Perception, and I'll allow creative checks as always

Edited November 7, 2023 by Gregorotto (see edit history)

dwargstof · November 8, 2023

Name: Hravin Snaefoss | Race/Class: Human Monk | HP: 11/11 AC: 15 PP: 12 Ki: 0

The statues seemed to reveal little, save for hints of homage to the Right Hand of Tyr. A god of Law, so far as he could recall, but the mental block began there. Perhaps it was the shock, lingering as it does. Elturel dragged to some forsaken place, and for what, he could only aim guesses at, but he was sure one of them was fairly close to the truth. He'd roll that around with a glass of wine and his journal later, perhaps.

Gaerzil scouted ahead with the cat, ideal for sensing unseen threat. He'd developed a few mutually benefitial relationships with the cats in Candlekeep, few as they were, with him offering bits of secret food and them offering a sort of silent alarm as they bolted from the hallowed corridors at the approach of someone other than Hravin. Paranoia, he supposed, had its perks.

His eyes settled on the font, stained brown as if to an an exclaimation point to the knife. "Blood sacrifice?" he guessed, assuming the others had reached the same conclusion. He paused for a moment to try and jar his memory, thinking back to studies of religious rites and any groups that might both use blood as a sacrament and still be operating today.

In any case, Torm would likely not approve.

OOC

Hravin makes another go at trying to prove he was actually a student once, and considers the font, brown stain and knife in the context of a Religion check, asking himself if he knows of any groups or rituals that might fit.

Action: still go that dart handy, you bet

Bonus:

Movement:

Kavonde · November 8, 2023

Gaerzil | HP 12/12 | AC 16 | Initiative +3 | Passive Perception 11
Spell Slots: 1st Level 2/3
Active Effects: Mage Armor

Gaerzil nods in agreement with Hravin's suggestion. "Blood sacrifice."

Deciding against using the knife already resting on the bowl, because the gods knew where it had been and what filth was on it, he instead draws his dagger from within his robe and carefully nicks the heel of his hand--not cutting a line across the palm, obviously, because that would be a very stupid thing to do if you needed to use your fingers regularly--and squeezes a few drops of blood into the bowl.

Then, he steps back from the door so that if it swings open suddenly he won't be presenting a huge, obvious target, and crouches down. Time to wait and see what happens next.

PureChance · November 8, 2023

Keryn Donnathlascen

Moon Elf Rogue

AC: 14 (Leather) | HP: 17/17 () | HD: 2/2 | Speed: 30 ft. | Initiative: +3
Senses: Passive Perception 12, Insight 14, Investigation 10. Darkvision 60ft.
Str: 10 (+0) | Dex: 17 (+3) | ConSave: +2: 14 (+2) | Int: 10 (+0) | Wis: 10 (+0) | Cha: 14 (+2)
Languages: Common, Elven, Chondathan, Illuskan, Draconic, Thieves' Cant

Unlike the wizard and the monk, Keryn patiently waits for Gwen to finish her inspection before moving inside. When she returns with no further information, he stands, sighs, and follows the Tiefling and human inside.

"Well, whatever reason they left the cart over there, someone's been using this as an entrance," he comments, eyeing the trail in the dust that disappears beneath the double doors. Further frowns gather on his face at the statue, and the speed at which Gaerzil seems happy to indulge in the blood magic. "Ah-" he starts to interrupt, stopping in favour of silence save the whisper of drawn steel as red flows over red, into the waiting bowl. I guess when you have less to live, you have less to lose.

OOC

Action: -

Bonus Action: -

Movement: -

Reaction: Absorb Elements if triggered

Object Interaction: -

Actions & Resources

Actions:

Rapier . Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8 + 3 piercing damage.

Booming Blade . Melee Weapon Attack: +1d8 Thunder damage if creature moves.

Dagger [2] . Thrown/Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, ranged 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 1d4 + 3 piercing damage.

Shortbow . Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, ranged 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 + 3 piercing damage.

Bonus Actions:

Cunning Action . Your quick thinking and agility allow you to move and act quickly. You can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat. This action can be used only to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.

Reactions:

Absorb Elements 1/1

Class Features:

Sneak Attack . Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use a finesse or a ranged weapon. You don't need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn't incapacitated, and you don't have disadvantage on the attack roll.

Edited November 8, 2023 by PureChance (see edit history)

Gregorotto · November 8, 2023

Observing the basin, the thought is obvious: shed blood, enter the door.

So Gaerzil does just that. And just as expected....

... nothing happens.

As Hravin suspected, the basin's original intense, and the riddle on the wall, does not refer to blood sacrifice.

Something else is at work here.

Out of Character

X

J.Stone · November 8, 2023

Silvia Starlight

level 2 - Human - Divine Soul/ Celestial Warlock

AC: 14 / HP: 15 / Perception: 12 / Insight 12

STR 8 / DEX 16 / CON 14 / INT 8 / WIS 10 / CHA 16

Pact Slots: 1/1 || Spell slots 2/2 || Healing Light: 1d6 (2/2) || Faerie Fire 1/1\

Silvia didn't know much about bandits, or cultist monks or whatever was going on. But she knew that if a fight was going to happen Gwen and the rest would need her help. In the meantime she followed close by Kilros and looked around with interest paying special attention to the artwork.

"These statues are so pretty I wonder why they are here. I mean they like have to be for something right?"

As she entered the building she waved a hand and the tip of her staff began to glow and illuminate the interior. She watched as Gaerzil did his thing with the knife, glad he was at least wise enough not to hurt himself too badly.

"What if we are supposed to offer something else? maybe coin... or wait that's why they took the weapons ... your totally supposed to offer it your weapons!"

Edited November 8, 2023 by J.Stone (see edit history)

dwargstof · November 9, 2023

Name: Hravin Snaefoss | Race/Class: Human Monk | HP: 11/11 AC: 15 PP: 12 Ki: 0

Hravin's eyes went wide at Gaerzil's sudden decision to actually offer blood, and he joined Keryn in stifled protest. "Wait, I didn't mean for..."

But nothing came of it. Hravin stood ready, blinked, and relaxed, dropping his shoulders. "Huh." At a loss, he awaited the others. Whatever the way in, it was not proving to be anything so obvious. At Silvia's suggestion, he began to think out loud. hoping it might awaken an idea in the others.

"A weapon? I am not so sure, and yet...well, if that were the case, is the knife not a weapon? Apologies all, my mind appears to still be trapped in some fuzzy stage of the grieving process. Be that as it is..." he paused for a moment to half-heartedly toss the dart he had readied into the bowl, just to test Silvia's theory, "be that as it is, barring brute force on the door, I am only certain that what once triggered it to open is no longer in operation. I..."

Another pause.

"Perhaps we should just try the handle?"

With that, he moves to the door and tries to simply open it like one would any other door.

OOC

I'm out of rolls for this "round" I believe, but Hravin does try two things:

1. Drops a dart in the bowl to see if Silvia is corrrect.

2. Moves to the door to try and just open it like a normal door.

Should something come of either action, he would like to retrieve his dart from the bowl, if possible.

Action:

Bonus:

Movement:

Kavonde · November 9, 2023

Gaerzil | HP 12/12 | AC 16 | Initiative +3 | Passive Perception 11
Spell Slots: 1st Level 2/3
Active Effects: Mage Armor

Gaerzil stares at the freshly-blooded bowl, nonplussed. "Huh," he says aloud, echoing Hravin.

He frowns at Silvia's suggestion of offering their weapons. He nods in agreement with Hravin's comment about the knife in the bowl being a weapon. "Also, I don't think the bowl is large enough to hold, say, Grug's greataxe."

His frown deepens when Hravin suggests just trying the doorhandle. He rubs his chin between his thumb and forefinger, then holds up a hand to signal anyone who might be considering approaching the door to stop. "Let me inspect it before we go trying to open it. It could be trapped."

Of course, Gaerzil doesn't have a set of thieves' tools to disarm any theoretical traps, but surely someone does. If not, well, the second best tool for opening the door is a berserker with a large axe.

Text_1	Text_2	Text_3	Bold_1	Accent_1	Mood_1
Warm_1	Warm_2	Warm_3	Bold_2	Accent_2	Mood_2
Cool_1	Cool_2	Cool_3	Bold_3	Accent_3	Mood_3
Bright_1	Bright_2	Bright_3	Bold_4	Accent_4	Mood_4

Chapter I: Escape from Elturgard

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