Act 1, Scene 1: "Through the Undergrowth" (Main Game Thread)

[TristenC]

Garroth moves around the corner to discover a long narrow hallway that stretches to the limit of his vision. Another pasage opens up northward. Katten taps Dran to heel him since he can't see. He whines once, but appears to obey. The Felix moves to a better angle and sees the passage north apears to curve back around. She also positions herself where she can see down the same hall as Garroth

Linar moves to the far corner near the short stone table. From here he realizes it is a crude altar, and the dark stains many layers of blood of various ages atop and pooling at the bottom. The freshest seems to be no more than a day or two old. Suddenly the piles bones in the opposite corner seem much more than incidental refuse...

A strange design is marked on the wall behind the altar...

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Meanwhile, Vanidur explores eastward with Elden. He finds brackish water in the passage as it slopes downward... It obviously goes somewhere, but getting there would meam wading through the smelly, obviously tainted pool...

[ausie]

Garroth moves 20' west - and looks north and west again..

[Sol Mazer]

"Bleh! No thanks!" Van will back track and aims to rejoin with the others. Side passages will be looked into.

[Nocturno]

Seeing the altar and symbol, Nocturno will head there, and will produce the trinket from the basket.

Comparing this he will show Linar forgetting his racial tensions for the moment.

"This can't be a coincidence."

[Chris1234]

Linar looks.

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{OOC: Actually what trinket is Linar looking at? And does he recognise the symbol? Religion (12) if relevant.}

[Nocturno]

"I found this in an offering basket from the humans local to my area. They leave parts of the harvest to my community." this will come out bitterly.

"This can't be a coincidence that I found this item on the way to this cave."

Amid the goods is a small carved charm made from stone. It doesn't appear to be of tribal make, and the simple etching is almost certainly not Elven. The mark seems almost of religious significance, but is utterly unfamiliar to him. The object itself seems to have been worn by the ages rather than worked.

[Chris1234]

"Thanks. Keep watch, please," whispers Linar who then examines the stone charm for clues or inspiration.

{Edit: 15/3 @ 2310} He hands it back with a shrug and a whispered, "No idea." And then goes back to covering the southern approaches {HS on W wall, then MS southwards}

[Jenara]

Bow still at the ready Katten moves to the opposite wall (up the map) and moves up to the otherwise unexplored area, holding Dran near her.

[Nocturno]

After the exchange with Linar, Nocturno will move to the middlish of the room to keep his eye on both scouts going up each hallway.

[TristenC]

Garroth moves farther down the passage and looks northward. A long natural chamber stretches out there filled with boxes, barrels, crates and grimy sacks. Scattered among them are some digging tools, worn rope, fallen torches and various other junk.

Katten draws Dran northward to investigate the passage. She quickly finds the much wider natural chamber merely reconnects with the previous intersection where the trio of goblin bodies lay.

Vanidur returns to the party, guarded by the human. Van sees the bloody altar and symbol for the first time, along with the piles of bones. [In the far corner stands a short stone table covered in some dark stain, and a strange design marked on the wall behind. Along the south wall sit bowls, earthen pots and small waterskins. The adjacent corner nearer him is piled with bones and bits of animal rubbish.]


[The crude symbol on the trinket is basically identical to the one on the wall by the altar, but more simplistic]

[Sol Mazer]

Does Van recognize anything in the room related to spell craft or such?

Can I make an Int check for it?

[Nocturno]

Nocturno holds until either scout moves more.

[Jenara]

Turning back Katten moves to the others, watching them look at the Altar.

"You check bones? What Creature they kill?" She takes a step closer and comes to the bones, shifting them carefully with her sword.

[TristenC]

Katten examines the remains in the corner. Most of the bones prove to be those of rats or snakes, but there are some odd roundish bones. She puzzles over them a moment until she realizes what they are... small hand bones... from a human or demihuman...

[ausie]

"Linar.... Store room to the north, maybe stolen loot.. big area opening up to the west... Look sharp.. . ". Garroth whispers back down to the east... then turns back west and continues... with a dagger in each hand.. Being stealthy and on alert.