Episode 1: A Helping Hand

A large bonfire bursts into existence as Jandral invokes his arcane magic. At first, the heat seems to strengthen the stifling stench in the area, but slowly the warmth brings a measure of comfort.

https://youtu.be/kTcRRaXV-fg

Nearing a minute of Jandral's concentration, the bonfire starts to die down. Before it is extinguished, someone throws in a few torches to keep the flames going, though now the fire is smaller in size and intensity.

As you plan for an extended rest and nestle yourselves into the rocks, the silence begins to settle into the cavern.

Rhodrick is about to sleep, but something stirs within his mind.

The cavern is quiet, save for the pop in the fire. As his companions try to get some rest, Tordek hears a shuffling noise like footfalls. It appears to be close, but it is difficult to place exactly where due to the nature of the cavern and the amplified echo of sound against the many rocks. Tordek cannot currently see anything beyond the range of his darkvision.

The shuffling pauses. There is a quiet moment before a wet breathing can be heard, rattly with the sound of something stuck. A low rumbling moan, almost lost to Tordek's ears, washes into the little nook. As the fire sparks, the shuffling resumes, growing fainter until it disappears altogether.

Tordek sees and hears nothing else during the rest of his watch.

Time seems to slow when you only have the fire to determine changes. There is no wind, which leaves Jandral in a pocket of seemingly-stale air, but for the moment the only effect is the inconvenient smell from the damp decay in the rest of the cavern.

The fire is starting to die down. A few more torches should keep it going. However, it seems with each addition of fuel, the expanding light only serves to heighten the sense of insecurity. There is an edge to the air, and it does not help that the outermost periphery of his vision sometimes catches glimpse of something moving, though when Jandral strains his eyes, he realizes that it is the flicker of shadow behind the rocks coupled with the unmoving upside-down silhouettes of nearby bodies.

Jandral sees and hears nothing else during the rest of his watch.

Parallel does not hear anything, save for the echo of settling stone through the chamber, the whisper of wind, and the crack of the fire. It appears as though something moves out at the periphery of the light, but staring at the edges shows little save for flickering shadow.

The steady scrape of stone against metal echoes softly, counterposed by the random spark of the fire. Rhodrick's eyes adjust to the flickering shadows caused by the light, and he sees little beyond in the darkness.

Nothing disturbs the remainder of the long rest, save for the memory of the gruesome display of carnage in the cavern.