Descent into the Underdark

Feb 11, 2024 1:41 pm

Wowee, good shots all round! Hopefully they know when they’re beaten and retreat. They look thunderstruck to me!

Feb 12, 2024 5:46 am

You quickly eliminate the remaining spiders. As you do you hear and feel a strange CRACK noise/sensation as a wave of vertigo washes over everyone. Regaining your footing, with Ander and Ishzu clinging tightly to the rock face, you look for any additional threats but find none. Ander and Ishzu explore the area the spiders were guarding and find a small crevice leading in a winding path so that Anders light can not see far into it's length. Ishzu might fit inside but Grin is estimated to be the best candidate for exploring it. The area above is easily cleared of the obscuring webbs and you find the passage up will not be to difficult for everyone to follow but ascening its length may take some time and will require the rope to be repositioned before you reach where you estimate the cave to exit to the surface.

Feb 12, 2024 1:00 pm

Hold, friends. Before we leave the cave, perhaps I can quickly investigate the crevice here that the spider lords were guarding. Ishzu, do you still sense a the force that connected the spiders from earlier? He holds out his torch and approaches the crevice.

Last edited February 12, 2024 2:06 pm

Feb 12, 2024 1:39 pm

Ishzu checks but it seems without the spiders he can detect noting specific. There is something in the area that creates a kind of mental echo but he can not localize it.

WhiteDwarf

Feb 12, 2024 6:00 pm

Yes, good Grin! Please, check out that hole!
Ander uses action to maintain his heightened position. Mov8ngbjust behind Grin to cover with TrusrySword in case of trouble!

Feb 12, 2024 10:29 pm

Right! Here we go! Grin wiggles his way into the crevice with the torch in front of him.

Feb 12, 2024 10:48 pm

Grin clibs up with the help of the rope and slides into the small opening toch held in front. . .
Let me know any preparations and if Ishzu will accompany Grin.

Psybermagi sent a note to Thunder_Lungz

Oliver

Bunt

Feb 12, 2024 10:57 pm

"Good luck, Grin! No doubt your bravery and height are befitting to this task. When you're ready to call us, or if you need help, mix your two wine vials into wine and we'll squeeze in and rush right after you."

Oliver watches Grin enter the crevice, slightly anxious. He thought he liked spiders, but has now decided that he doesn't fancy them all that much. Still, Oliver feels a twinge of regret about burning their nest.

"I wonder what that strange vertigo was. It happened just as we defeated the dog-sized spiders. Oh, and speaking about them..."

Oliver studied the dog-sized spider carcass for anything that might be an alchemical ingredient of interest.

OOC:

I'm rolling to identify any alchemical ingredient of interest in the spider. If it's a substance or something that I can detect via smelling, mammal+alchemist would give me advantage to identify it. Otherwise, ignore the third dice.

Rolls

Alchemical identification - (3d6)

(433) = 10

Ishzu

Smiley

Feb 12, 2024 10:58 pm

Ishzu sets himself up to hang by the entrance to the cave Grin is entering. He pulls out his staff and swings it around to collect webs out of the way. "Need more Rope. What I have is not enough.
He follows Grin into the opening dragging his staff next to him just in case something happens.

Feb 13, 2024 2:16 am

Retreating as quick as he can from the passage, Grin moves to the mouth of the crevice and yells out to his companions:

Oi, I’m alright! There’s some sort of crystals growing in here - embedded as it were, right into the walls of the passage. Only problem is, the crystals reflect the light from my torch so much, that it becomes a little too bright for my eyes! I wasn’t able to go through to the end of the passage, but I could make another try of it if I drape my trusty Veilstitch over my eyes to deaden the light.

He pops his head and shoulders fully through the crevice.

Ishzu, you want to come take a look? We might try to gather some crystals to bring back to show the others, but I don’t rightly know much about crystals with special properties. Perhaps you could take a gander?

Grin steps out into the cave. His cloak changes to a dark sheer fabric that is somewhat transparent. He takes the end of it and drapes it over his face. How about this? He reaches for his pack that he left by the crevice opening and takes out a crowbar and a bucket. I could use these to collect some samples for my dear Oli? I just didn’t want to harm the crystal if it might have been precious in some way to you, Ish… I mean to say, I never knew crystals could live such noble, vibrant lives as you, and perhaps these are some of your kin?

OOC:

Do I know anything about these crystals or recognize them?

Last edited February 13, 2024 2:48 am

Feb 13, 2024 2:04 pm

Once you both get in deep enough to examine the crystals together you determine that they look like any other crystal found in the earth. Admittedly this is a high level of concentration. As Grin uses the crowbar to try and lever a sample free everyone is assumed mentally. Those outside get a wave of vertigo but Grin and Ishzu nearly pass out 1 damage each and are assaulted physically as well as mentally. As the two in the crevice regain their senses you realize the torch had gone out but the crystals continue to flicker with a light if their own.
Ishzu becomes aware that though the crystals do not have thoughts of their own they are natural psionic properties. This may have something to do with the spider swarm.

Feb 13, 2024 2:26 pm

With a hand to his head, Grinfletch stumbles a bit. Woh! Sorry, Ishzu, I didn’t want to hurt any crystal being, I swear! He picks up his crowbar, and scoops into one of his hands whatever dust is on the floor below the crystals he tried to take as a sample. I’ll leave it to you, then. We’ll wait outside for you when you’re ready. He makes his way out of the crevice back to the main cave.

OOC:

Grin wants to give Oliver some crystal dust or whatever is there on the ground. And he also wants to give Ishzu some privacy in the crystal cave.

Last edited February 13, 2024 2:28 pm

Oliver

Bunt

Feb 13, 2024 2:33 pm

OOC:

<3!!! Can't yet thank in character

Feb 13, 2024 2:35 pm

As Grin collects the piece he knocked free he realizes he cracked a crystal when trying to get a sample. The piece was larger than he originally thought and it looked like he broke off the tip. Perhaps all of it is connected or it only reacts when the crystal itself is affected??? There are many smaller crystals all along the crevice wall but he is no miner so it's unsure if they are connected as well or dagger to extract.

OOC:

feel free to move the story along
Ex : as Grin exits the crevice and hand over the samples Oliver thanks him...
You can play off of each others stated intentions without needing to wait for explicit acts. Think of this as collaborative story telling. With this in mind if you include character actions, words, and intent then this becomes easier as everyone gets to know each others style.

Feb 13, 2024 3:09 pm

Grin exits the crevice and leans on the wall to steady himself and catch his breath. He holds out his closed fist to Oliver. Here, Oli, it’s a piece of the crystal and some dust from the ground of the crystal passage. The piece was larger than I originally thought - this is just the tip. It’s possible the whole cavern is one single connected crystal. I’m not sure, but maybe Ishzu will have answers when he comes out… ugh, I feel wheezy and my head hurts. When I took the sample, a tremor of some sort washed over my mind. I felt dizzy and my head throbbed for a moment… it felt almost like I had hurt the crystals somehow. And now I regret taking the sample…

Last edited February 13, 2024 3:55 pm

WhiteDwarf

Feb 13, 2024 8:47 pm

Ander sheathes his sword and applauds halfling crystal retrieval!
Well done Grin, well done indeed!
Ander produces his magical map case, which surely annotates the party’s present position and findings thereupon.
Take care, small friend! Yes, hopefully Ishzu can help as well with kind crystalline insight!

Feb 13, 2024 9:19 pm

Ander, Oli, what d’you think about keeping the spiders out, though? The power of that passage - well, they might return… and does it matter if they do?

Last edited February 13, 2024 9:19 pm

Ishzu

Smiley

Feb 14, 2024 12:06 am

Ishzu slides farther into the crystal cave. "Accidents happen. I will see what I can figure out about these." After Grinfletch leaves, he pulls out an amulet around his neck and checks to see if it is reacting at all to these crystals.
After that, he takes a few seconds to focus, calm his crystalized brain, and see if he can mentally communicate with these crystals at all.

Oliver

Bunt

Feb 14, 2024 10:52 am