The Goblin Cave

"At least a few of you got some spine," Decklan growls. Alright listen, th' kid's hurt so he ain't goin' first. Much as I ain't a fan, I can see so I'll go. Heads on a swivel, an' don't hold back."

With that, Decklan makes sure his whip is hanging from his belt but easily accessible, and with a shield in his off hand he warily heads into the cave.

Alex slings his bow over his back in easy reach and draws his rapier and dagger. I work best from the shadows. I will enter after you, Decklan, but will be close by should matters go awry, Alex whispered. He entered the cave as stealthily as he could.

Raven stood leaning on is staff as Tatiana and Surge argued about continuing.

He nodded to Surge as the shifter walks away, unable to form words fast enough as the man left, silently watching him leave into the forest. The young man slid down to a stoop next to the stream still watching where Surge had left, the first shifter he had met, a comrade in arms, whose magic had kept him alive in the first battle against the goblins. Dismissed it seemed.

"Safe journey and may the forest watch over its kin." He didn't know why he said that, but it seemed appropriate.


Raven turned slowly to look at his image in flowing water of the stream, the ripples changing the image of the tired young man still covered in his own blood. Was he still the farmer who came on this journey? What would this image be when he left the cave? If he left this cave.


Slowly he rose and followed the others into the cave, attempting to stay quiet in the shadows as Alex was doing.

Decklan stealth ?, devil sight 120 feet
Alex stealth 19, no light
Tatiana stealth ?, light cantrip bright/dim 20 feet each
Ammos stealth ?, no light
Raven stealth 11, no light

Ammos will remain behind Tatiana, hoping that keeping her in the middle of the group will keep her safe.
As he enters the cave mouth, he will rub red phosphorous into his palms in preparation to cast Dancing Lights if needed. (material component)

"Don't worry, Ammy," whispers Tatiana. "We'll find Gundren."

With Decklan slightly in the lead you all pass out of the sunlight and into the shadowed mouth of the cave. Inside the air is chill and damp. The stream runs along the west wall of the tunnel you are following. In the distance you can hear the rushing noise of what can only be a waterfall. A short distance inside the cave mouth a few uneven stone steps lead to a small landing where the tunnel and path continue a slow upward turn to the north and a craggy opening leads in a western direction.

Unable to see past the fork in the path, Tatiana must rely on Decklan's scouting ability to relay information.

Decklan will move back to the party and quietly tell them the choice -- straight, or to the side.

Raven listens to the options, "Bring the light up and I'll look for tracks. See if I can tell which way is most used or which they dragged our friends. This is stone, but blood or general wear I may still be able to tell."

He looks closely at the ground, making a hand motion to summon nature's aid to show him what he needs to see, to see if he gets any clues about the how must travel each passage gets or where their friends may have gone.

Tatiana extends her hand, giving Raven some light.

Alex dashes out of the range of Tatiana's light cantrip, muttering to himself blasted wizards and their inability to be stealthy when their lives depend on it. He sheathes his melee weapons and knocks an arrow, realizing he has put himself out of melee range.

Startled by Alex's sudden dash into the darkness, Ammos tries to get in front of Tatiana- wielding his staff defensively in two hands.
"What just happened? Where has the jester gone?"

Tatiana whispers, "Quiet. Raven is determining which way to go."

She adds to Ammos, even quieter, "Sorry. He went ahead, I think."

Raven you are able to make out some sign on the cave floor. Fresh tracks lead in both offered directions, though with the stone floor it is hard to discover much. The one clear print you see is a foot or so into the western way, it is large, padded, and has four toes. You have definitely seen tracks such as this before in the woods, it is a wolf print.

Raven is low to the ground looking at a particular print when he quietly says, "What, my friend, are you doing with these goblins?" He looks down the western passage. "There's a wolf down there, at least one and I've never met them run alone."

"Beyond that, tracks both directions about the same. No sign of our friends either way."