Chapter Five: Bapdis Orjo's Gift of Reconciliation

Temperate, and late summer in the game. Got it, thanks.

The dirt monster advances a few feet, and leans in toward the portal, but does not take any further action.

After a few minutes of ice-chopping, Zangua is able to clear the passage. There are a few dead, wet rats and other small animals at the edge of the ice. A few feet past this point the passage widens to about six feet and is rounded along the walls and ceiling, like an egg shape with a flat bottom. It extends for about thirty feet before turning to the left -- Zangua is able to see this by a dim, flickering light source from somewhere around the bend.

The dirt monster grumbles.

So if we wanted to, could we just slide down the passage in a matter of seconds, or would it take us a while to climb through the ice?

There's a lot of smashed-up ice clogging the passage, but it wouldn't slow you down significantly.

I think we should go for it. My concern is that this thing can just shed some dirt, or reshape itself into a worm and follow us down, but I think it's worth the risk.

If it can reshape itself, then I would think the focus of any attack should be the skull as I think that is where the animating force comes from. Perhaps water is a barrier to it.

Gah. Useless speculation. I think we should go for it.

Quggyeb rounds the corner. The first thing it notices after the bend is the source of the light: an alcove in the tunnel wall containing a stone bowl holding a small flame. The passage runs east for another forty feet or so, then leads to a chamber about 40'x40' with exits in all the other cardinal directions. This chamber is lit by three bowls of flame as well, and contains a large, irregular stone slab set into the floor.

How far are you going?

Lol. It appears we have potentially entered a meat grinder :)

Those rolls were for the the first room, up to the first corner that Quggyeb looked around. With a focus on the 'looking' before the 'stepping'.

Not necessarily. But I think we should shuffle the party in before too much longer; we're currently getting kind of split with Zangua at the start of the tunnel, Vheyzen's attention down the tunnel, and the rest of us hanging near a dirt-ape at the start of the water-gate; shit could get weird.

It's really not too split: From the mouth of the tunnel where the water portal started to the first left turn at the end of the wider 'egg shape flat bottom' chamber is only about 40 feet. I'm not going all the way, just to the first turn. And a pointman is always a good idea, that way everyone doesn't get maimed. Or insta-frozen. I've made Vhezyen to do pointman stuff, with an emphasis on Perception and Investgation. And enough stealth to do the job.

Yep. That reminds me though, I forgot to specify what I cast my Light on. Going with a copper piece Octo. That way, if I need to go dark quick, I can just cover it up by closing my hand. Also, if it's not too late, I'd like to tack a Guidance on. Pretty sure that Vhezyen would be interested in Thoth's wisdom at this point. Dismiss the Guidance if I'm asking too much.

I'd like to add that 3 to my last Perception roll, if that's okay.