[RP] Crag's Secrets: Chapter 1 - Arrival

Kimbek nods, thoughtfully. "Or I could use my powers to see if it's safe first?"

I’ve had to cross some treacherous paths in my training. I’ll volunteer to test the bridge Bartholomew says, considering that he had the best chances of keeping his balance, jumping to safety, or holding on to the ropes should the bridge fail.

O-OK Sadur is delighted by party's enthusiasm. He sits down on the grass prepared to watch how they fight for the right to risk their lives as if they have more than one of them.

"Not to shy away from a challenge, but is there a reason we need to cross over? We're not even certain we're heading in the right direction to get anywhere?"

Shallan, there is no right direction, is there? We are wandering. But you're right, checking if there is a river down there is a good idea. I was too busy trying to get uphills for a better view from the top that missed other options.

Kimbek shrugs. "I really don't see a need for anyone to attempt the bridge until we know more about it. But the fact that there is a bridge means that there is something or somewhere it connects to. It may not be a currently active or used location, or it could be a dangerous location. So you are correct when you say we don't really have a need to go across the bridge. If there is some other path, we can of course take that instead."

Still at the road to rope bridge
[NS result]
Bartholomew, walking along the path with his companions, could not drive away noble, yet intrusive thoughts of a quick return to the kingdom. But everything had to be considered with prudence, in the right order. First thing: where were they? First he tried to guess it from the vegetation. Without luck. The plants were completely different than he had had the opportunity to see in the kingdom - but this statement gave him nothing. So far - maybe it was a good thing - they had not encountered any animals nearby, maybe apart from a few colorful birds, which they heard more than saw - soaring into the air from the tops of the trees they passed. And then, when they were lucky enough to find themselves under a thinning in the crown of the trees: he noticed them. A small flock of sea gulls. They had to be near the sea. But how near? But it was certainly not the peninsula on which the Kingdom was located. Could it be one of the bigger islands in the Far Sea? One of those he heard so many stories about... usually not good ones?

[succesful Luck save and Kimbek reaction with GS]
Belladonna's belly, with a resistance perhaps unique (among the so-called civilized races) only to halflings, had apparently resisted the fruit that Kimbek had identified as the Death Apple. Or maybe Bella owed it to his quick reaction and taking his advice to return the cursed food back to the world. In a way that was not entirely appropriate for a lady - and me the narrator, to describe - but certainly effective. All of this meant that it ended happily with only a loud belch... answered by the undiscriminating expressions of some of her companions.

Some of the people from the Rest were quite enthusiastic about Sadur's idea to secure their bridge's crossing with additional rope, but soon they realized that none of them have any rope. It is true that lianas hanging from trees around can be used to quickly construct a replacement rope, but it was clear that the strength of such a rope would depend largely on the skill of its maker. Making such rope would take about 1h for 1 person. And only one other could help.

Discussing the situation and looking at the slope of the ravine over which the bridge was suspended, they decided that going down and going back up shouldn't be too dangerous. Provided they took the right amount of time. They estimated that both of these activities should take them about an hour. Assuming that there was no river crossing or anything like that waiting for them at the bottom of the ravine. The slope was quite steep, but full of trees and bushes to grab onto. Only haste could pose a significant hazard. Although time - with the evening approaching - was not without its significance either.

Sadur is waiting for Kimbek to use his powers and/or Brother to test the bridge as he volunteered. Or princess to give an order everyone to descend.

Probably bridge was designed to be safe for creatures of the size that fit the hut we saw earlier... Sadur say aloud to none in particular, looks like dwarf is just thinking aloud.

"I personally would like to see where this bridge leads. So..." He pauses here and looks around at everyone else. "With your kind permission, this won't take too long, provided I can still reach my spirit."

He sits again in a meditative position, at the edge of the ravine directly in front of the rope bridge.He closes his eyes and allows the spiritual energies to swarm around him if he can call them this far.

A nimbus of soft blue light surrounds Kimbek, his eyes still closed, and a light glows in the center of his forehead, but he keeps his eyes closed through the duration. For an instant, it appears as though a flying eyeball ((about the size of a tennis ball)) emerges from Kimbek's forehead though it almost immediately disappears in a hazy wave of light.

For the next few minutes, Kimbek sits very still, his eyes closed - he is so still others might think he was asleep if it wasn't for the soft nimbus of blue light surrounding his body.

As rope bridge is almost 130ft(40m) long - Kimbek is able to manifest his Seeing Eye only until it reaches about half of its length. The ropes looks in relatively good conditions and wooden boards don't seem to have significant cracks or sign of wear. But was it his Magical Eye or spirits flowing through him being particularly positive or enthusiastic at that very moment or the bridge was indeed in quite good condition - he wasn't sure. Being at the center of the bridge by the means of magical energies he controlled, he also seamed to hear some water flow down beneath his current representation of his sense of hearing.

After describing what he experienced to his companions, the group felt that it's time to take some decisions about their next moves.

I think we should cross the bridge. I am happy to volunteer to go first.

Kimbek nods as he stands from his meditating position. "It seems fine! Go ahead. There's a river or something down there about halfway across."

Bartholomew centers himself, then holding his staff near its center of gravity should he need it for balance, he steps on to the bridge. Brother Bartholomew moves slowly, testing ropes and slats before placing any weight on them, keeping en eye out for anything that would be difficult for the party, and especially Pepper.

Before Bartholomew begins his focus and crossing the bridge, Belladonna and Pepper step forward. "Be as stone in spirit today Brother Bartholomew." She gives him a surprising hug and Pepper engulfs them both in an imitation of a hug before he steps forward.

Taking a careful steps and poking the bridge's boards with his staff Brother Bartholomew started to move slowly through the rope bridge. At first everything went smooth and without any problems. But when he moved for about 45ft from their edge one of the bridge's boards broke under his weight! Causing observers loosing him from their sight for a for a long, uncertain second. But Old Monk was still too agile to be defeated by simple bridge.

When one of his legs falls through the hole in the bridge, he simply gracefully transferrs his weight to the other, then stands up as if he had planned to do a one-legged squat all along. Then - as if nothing had happened - he begins to continue his careful advance.

As Brother Bartholomew cautiously steps continue through the swaying rope bridge, the mist around him thickens, turning the world into a silvery blur, causing him almost being lost from the sight of his friends.

Somewhere above, the faint creak of a branch echoes through the fog, but the source remains hidden. Suddenly, a shadow shifts in the pale mist — a massive shape unfurls silently from a nearby tree, as if it had been there all along, watching.

With a powerful, ominous beat of wings, giant bird emerges from the fog. Its enormous wingspan cuts through the haze, almost brushing the ropes of the bridge. The sheer weight of the bird seems to pull the air with it, and for a moment, time feels suspended. As the creature descends toward the center of the bridge, its dark, piercing eyes fix on the Bartholomew. There’s a primal, ancient weight in that gaze, like staring into the heart of the mountains themselves. The fog swirls around the great bird as it lands with a shuddering thump, its talons gripping the worn planks.

In the eerie silence that follows, only the creak of the bridge and the slow beat of its wings linger, as the bird stands as if it’s the gatekeeper of the realm on the other side of the bridge.Bartholomew notice that it's checking his hands.

What do you do?

While Brother Bartholomew transfers his staff from hand to hand, big bird seams to be even more interested, rather than looking as "someone" expecting a threat. He looks at one hand then other, and flaps its wings as it would becoming a little impatient.