[Game Thread] III. The Silver Cornucopia

[Krimchee]

"Fecking hell, Silas muttered in the sudden darkness. Ruddy Ichvaali are going to be the end of me yet. Silas tried to remember where Fahd had disappeared before the light went and tried to move gingerly iin that direction. He hoped his eyes would adjust. Soon. "Turn your thoughts to the sun. Turn your thoughts to the sun," he muttered. He bloody well wished he were out in the sun rather than in this dank, dark cellar. He would have loved nothing more to be out on the mountaintop, a cool breeze in his hair under an open sky with the warm sun caressing his face on a cool autumnal day. "Turn your thoughts to the flippin' sun, he muttered again, still not really sure what it meant. Did he mean the Sun carved on the wall?

[Tangler]

Fahd: Current HP 10/12, Spirit Healing 0/6 remaining, Cloak PSP 4/5 remaining
AC16, AC12 flat-footed, AC16 touch, Fort/Ref/Will +6/4/5

Lynx: Current HP 21/21
AC 18, (AC12 flat-footed, AC17 touch, AC22 vs OA (Mobility), Fort/Ref/Will +4/8/2-status/defenses-

Fahd moves forward a couple of steps and looks ahead for any sign of Randy as he waits for Silas and Dan to follow his lead and step through the archway. He marvels at the magic contained within the archway that can see into one's thoughts to allow passage based on what is seen there. He wonders whether the Stalkers, or the other burrowers for that matter, would be able to make the portal work.

Distracted as he is by these thoughts, it doesn't immediately occur to him that, if he can't see back through the archway, then the light from the torch he is holding probably isn't going through either, which would leave the other two in complete darkness. When that thought does occur to him, it leads to the next, which is whether Dan and Silas will be able to step through at all in the dark. Fahd isn't sure whether one must actually be able to see the carving over the archway for the visualization of the sun to work. He turns around and prepares to attempt to walk back through if his companions don't join him.

[mountainbound]

Feeling their way toward the arch, with only the imagined light of the sun to guide them, Silas and Dan manage to pass through the stone wall, just as Fahd had moments ago. They rejoin the spiritchaser and get a quick glimpse of this other, hidden side of the Ichvaali cellars when the torch in Fahd's hand suddenly gutters out. It takes a few moments to get another lit, and as the next winding corridor flares into view, you can't help but wonder how long the small store of torches you've brought will hold out.

On this side of the arch, the tunnel is rough and muddy, as though barely touched by the hand of men... or Ichvaal, or whoever else might have widened it. It isn't long before gaps appear to the left and right, dropping down into blackness. Water trickles down the cracked stone walls, and there at your feet you occasionally catch sight of a fresh footprint. Randy certainly came this way, and was making no effort to hide his trail.

The tunnel winds up and down, often with little difference between the sloping walls and floor. As you go on, you move into more corridors of stone that are completely natural-made, simply cavities of open space in an otherwise impenetrable sea of stone. All around you the bones of the earth are laid bare.

After the second torch gutters and fails, a third is lit, and before long you reach an area where the corridor you've been following suddenly ends in a great fall of stone, receding down steeply into the blackness. The wall to your right continues on, curving slightly inward. A thin ledge, maybe eight inches at its widest, runs horizontally along it. It could be traversable, though you have no idea just how far the crack meanders along the wall.

DM's Note Mechanics-wise, the chamber you're in drops sharply in front of you. Looking down from the top, you can't see the bottom, but the wall slopes at a steep 70 degree pitch. There are cracks and uneven areas to hold onto. The climb down requires a Climb DC 9. The wall to your right continues straight ahead above the dropoff, also pitched at about 70 degrees. You would have to put your weight against the wall and walk the ledge to move along it. Climb DC 8. If you fall, simply end your post at the point of falling. Let me know if this description is clear, or if you need a rough map. You are now on your third torch. I think this is the last of the torches taken from the kitchen in the inn.

[Tangler]

Fahd: Current HP 10/12, Spirit Healing 0/6 remaining, Cloak PSP 4/5 remaining
AC16, AC12 flat-footed, AC16 touch, Fort/Ref/Will +6/4/5

Lynx: Current HP 21/21
AC 18, (AC12 flat-footed, AC17 touch, AC22 vs OA (Mobility), Fort/Ref/Will +4/8/2-status/defenses-

Fahd smiles in relief as the other two pass through the archway to join him. "Well done, both of you. A wonder, is it not? That the Ichvaali, for it could only have been them, could construct a portal which can see into your thoughts." Fahd spends a few moments staring in admiration at the sun carving over the archway, then turns and joins the others as they follow the path left by the innkeep in his hasty flight.

When they arrive at the fall of rock, Fahd takes a length of rope out of his backpack. "Whichever way we decide to go, whether down the cliff or along the ledge, the first person to go should tie this around their waist so that the other two can support them as they climb. First, though, perhaps we can determine what Randy did here." Fahd examines the floor for traces of mud, hoping that some of the mud they had all walked through on their way to this point had clung to Randy's feet long enough to leave a trace here. He also checks for fresh handprints on the wall above the ledge, and at anything that might provide a clue. At the same time he looks for something to anchor the rope to.

ooc: 15 on the survival check to determine which way Randy went.

[Krimchee]

Silas also marveled at the Ichvaali construction. He also found himself checking for months of facial hair growth, and finding none, was relieved that he hadn't lost another whole season. The bit about seeing into your thoughts unnerved him though. He hadn't really put that together himself. The cryptic sayings made sense in that light though, now that he thought about it.

Taking in the ledges and the rope in Fahd's hands, Silas cursed. He looked at Dan, then at Fahd, and cursed again. He'd have to flaming go first if it came to climbing. He didn't know about Fahd's climbing abilities, but he was pretty sure Dan was already half-sauced. Not that Dan was all that bad at climbing necessarily, but Silas would rather trust to his own abilities first.

Taking the end of the rope from Fahd, he said, "I'll go first." and set about tying the rope around his waist. He hoped it didn't come to it, cause it was bloody well going to hurt if he fell and all his weight landed on where the rope crossed his middle. But I'm not gonna fecking fall, so there's no need to worry ab out it. Once he was satisified that the rope was tied well, Silas also set about looking for signs of Randy's passage.

Rolls Tracking/Profession check Dice Roll: 1d20+6 (2)+6 Total = 8 Climb Check Dice Roll: 1d20+6 (7)+6 Total = 13

[Tangler]

Fahd: Current HP 10/12, Spirit Healing 0/6 remaining, Cloak PSP 4/5 remaining
AC16, AC12 flat-footed, AC16 touch, Fort/Ref/Will +6/4/5

Lynx: Current HP 21/21
AC 18, (AC12 flat-footed, AC17 touch, AC22 vs OA (Mobility), Fort/Ref/Will +4/8/2-status/defenses-

Fahd is unable to determine which way Randy has gone. When it becomes apparent that Silas can't tell, either, Fahd spends a few moments thinking. "I believe," he begins finally, "that we should attempt the ledge. Our light will not last much longer, and though I can sustain it for a time with the cloak, I fear if we go down here we will be left in complete darkness."

[mountainbound]

With the torch guttering in Fahd's hands, Silas approaches the near-vertical wall to the right, taking a wide step up with one foot, repositioning his weight onto his left, and then hoisting himself to stand leaning against the rock wall, resting his weight on the six inch ledge. In a few moments he finds a hand-hold and begins creeping along the ledge, with only the yawning black below him.

"Son of a... oh man, oh man," Dan looks pale even in the ruddy torchlight. He turns to Fahd, real terror in his expression. "I don't like heights. This is bad. I know it. I can't do it man." The wizard cringes as Silas eases himself around a particularly rough spot, and then disappears around a turn in the stone. "This is insane. We don't even know Randy came this way," Daniel complains, and it was a valid observation.

Not seeing any way to turn back -- certainly Silas would not be making the hazardous trek back along the ledge unless he absolutely had to now, Dan musters his courage. "Feck it!" he announces. "I don't know what it was that Jamie gave us all, but if there's any chance it's some kind of magical climbing potion, I want it." And without further ado, Dan grabs the blue glass vial, pops the cork and pours a clear liquid down his throat.

In a moment, his eyes widen. "Whoa... I... Fahd, you gotta try that. Seriously, whatever the bard gave us... it's powerful stuff. Alright, I have tiger blood in my veins now! I'm gonna do this."

Rolling up his sleeves and hefting his pack, the wizard shuffles over to the ledge and sizes up that first long step. "Sh!t that's a long step." To make matters worse, Dan can't seem to decide what to do with his staff. Certainly he isn't about to give it up, and ends up lodging it awkwardly in his armpit. Lacking a rope of his own, he simply starts out, feeling his way like Silas did.

He moves slow, unhurried, testing each step even as the torch begins to die behind him. But for all his caution, ultimately it's the staff that proves his undoing. As Dan stretches to sidle over a particularly wide gap in the ledge, the top of the staff catches on an uneven bit of rock and sets the wobbly wizard just a little off balance. In a moment, he's scrabbling for a non-existent handhold and then... "Oh NO!" Fahd sees Dan plummet into the darkness.

DM's Note Silas: You make it to the other side safely and can see dimly by the illumination of Fahd's torch, some 40' behind you (and around a slight bend). You also hear Dan fall. If you want to go back along the ledge, you'll need to make another climb check, DC 8.

[Krimchee]

With a sigh of relief, Silas stepped off the ledge to safety. He'd done alot of climbing like this before, but not usually in the dark, and definitely not beat up and carrying weapons. It was kinda exhilerating though, he had to admit. Then, hearing Dan fall, his self-satisfaction flashed instantly to near panic. Realizing that going back along the ledge would probably accomplish nothing, Silas calls out, "Dan, Fahd, are you all right?" He also looks around to check his surroundings. He desperately hoped Dan was alright. He also began looking for a way down, just in case. A light source would be good too, now that he thought about it. But he needed a way down to Dan. I swear I'll break his fool neck when I get down there, he thought, while at the same time looking for a way down that would allow him to keep his own neck intact.

perception check perception check Dice Roll: 1d20+11 (6)+11 Total = 17

[Tangler]

Fahd: Current HP 10/12, Spirit Healing 0/6 remaining, Cloak PSP 4/5 remaining
AC16, AC12 flat-footed, AC16 touch, Fort/Ref/Will +6/4/5

Lynx: Current HP 21/21
AC 18, (AC12 flat-footed, AC17 touch, AC22 vs OA (Mobility), Fort/Ref/Will +4/8/2-status/defenses-

Fahd is surprised when Dan moves out on the ledge without waiting for his turn with the rope. He doesn't say anything, because he assumes that Dan knows what he is doing, though it may occur to him later that Dan's sobriety, or lack thereof, might well have resulted in poor judgement. Frack! Fahd thinks, though his upbringing was sufficiently strict to prevent him from cursing aloud, so he watches in stunned silence as Dan falls away into darkness. He next looks across the fall, at Silas, to determine his response. Fahd wants to climb down after Dan, but with Fahd and Silas on opposite sides of the rock fall, a rope stretched between them, the shaman is unsure what to do.

"Dan fell off the ledge!" Fahd shouts across to Silas. Fahd carefully approaches the edge of the fall, then tries to use the power of the Ichvaali cloak to send the flame from the torch downward, hoping to see that Dan has somehow managed to avoid death from the fall.

[mountainbound]

Dan slips, and after a lifetime, lands somewhere down below in the darkness. A sound like a watermelon smashing upon pavers echoes up, along with the wooden jangle of the staff bouncing on stone. And then silence reigns once again.

With a gulf between them, Silas and Fahd are suddenly aware of the black corridors yawning behind, above, and at their feet. Silas, who is quite a distance from Fahd's torch, is especially cognizant of the eternal night all about him. Still he drops to a knee and begins inspecting the precipice leading down -- it's more a matter of feeling than seeing. That is, until a spark flares near Fahd's head. The torchlight, now blazing, suddenly streaks from the spiritchaser's hand to hover directly between the two men, floating for a bizarre moment above the black chasm where Dan had fallen.

By the improved lighting, Silas takes in the jumble of boulders that leads down on his side like a series of five-foot high steps. The climb would be arduous without light, but no real trouble otherwise.

Slowly the hovering flame sinks into the divide, and after a few moments Dan's body comes into view, perhaps forty feet below. A pool of blood surrounds his head, reflecting the flickering light. His arms and legs are splayed wide. Several feet away lay his new staff, resting against an upright stone. Debris and rotting timbers litter the area below.

DM's Note Silas: you can climb down without a check, so long as the light persists from below. Fahd: the way down on your side is more difficult, and even with the light, will require a Climb check, DC 9. Failure by 4 or less means you simply can't find a safe way down. Failure by 5 or more means you slip, and suffer 3d6 damage. The use of the cloak requires the expenditure of another PSP. The effect will last 4 more minutes, at which time, the torch will go out.

[Tangler]

Fahd looks up at Silas across the open space between them, his face stricken with concern at what he saw at the bottom. "Silas!" he says, loudly enough for Silas to hear. "Dan appears badly injured! I am going to climb down to help him! See if you can find a place to tie the rope off in case we need to use it to bring him back up!" The shaman then does two things to prepare himself for the climb down. First, he directs the flame to the rotting timber, hoping it will take light. Second, he opens himself up to any spirits in the area, asking for guidance as he seeks handholds and footholds for the climb down.

When Fahd opens himself up to the spirit realm, at first he seems to see nothing. Spirits in these subterranean passages seem almost nonexistent, or at least rare, unlike the abundance of spirits which typically appear to him above ground. After a moment, though, he realizes that what he had taken for a simple rat is staring at him with unnatural intelligence. Once it sees that it has his attention, it scampers over the edge. When Fahd leans over the edge to watch, he sees it running down the face of the wall, its tiny feet finding purchase in places he would never be able to follow. Four feet down, though, it stops on a narrow ledge, one which Fahd would never have seen on his own. It stares back at Fahd until he acknowledges it, then scampers further down, revealing another foothold.

Fahd follows the spirit rat down the face of the fall, foothold after foothold, until he reaches the bottom where Dan lies bleeding. Immediately he checks Dan to see whether life remains. He is prepared to use the potion given to him by the gleeman, but if Dan is already dead, he reflects, it would be wasted.

ooc: Rolls here: Knowledge/Spirits check 23, Climb check 9, Heal check 23

[Krimchee]

Seeing his friend smashed on the floor below, Silas quickly moves down towards his friend, his heart racing wildly. Planting a hand, he vaults sideways down the first five foot drop, his feet scuffing the dust ridden stone with a dry rasp. Just as he's planning his next step down, he hear's Fahd's call to tie off the rope. Burn the rope, he thought. All he could think of was getting to his inujured friend before it was too late. With an effort, he reminded himself to watch his footing. He'd be no help at all to his friend if he smashed his own fool head on the rocks too. Silas silently said a prayer that he'd make it in time.

Moving faster than was probably wise, Silas hops down the remaining boulders to reach his friend. Seeing the pool of blood leaking out of Dan's head filled him with fear near to panic that he might lose his friend for good this time. Reaching into his bag, he dug hurriedly for the healing potion that was in there. "This potion bloody well better work," he muttered. Silently he prayed again that it would. Please let it work, he thought. Please.

[mountainbound]

Guided downward by a spirit, Fahd's senses are attuned to the otherworld as he scales the treacherous wall, glancing quickly at the body lying beneath the floating torchlight below. In the guttering red flicker, the spiritchaser happens to spy a very unwelcome sight -- one for his eyes only: It's Dan, standing over his own body, looking about like a lost child in the darkness. The wizard's eyes are drawn to Fahd, who is still scaling the ledges. "I... shouldn't have..." The lament of Dan's spirit reaches Fahd's ears on a ghostly wind.

But before he can say more, Silas reaches the debris-strewned base of the crevasse, passing directly through his friend's spectral form. The ranger kneels, muttering something Fahd can't hear, and then forces the contents of Jamie's potion down Dan's throat.

When the spiritchaser finally reaches the floor, Dan's ghost is gone, and Silas is listening for a heartbeat at the wizard's chest. "He's alive," the ranger says with some relief, standing to let Fahd, who is a more experienced healer, take over.

DM's Note Dan is alive. Again. He's out cold however, and has lost a lot of blood from a concussion to his head. Fahd's Heal check will stop the flow, but you won't be able to move him for a while, and there is no telling when he'll wake. The torch goes out just after Fahd makes his initial ministrations. Do you have any other light sources?

[Krimchee]

Relief washed over Silas in great shuddering waves. His nerves jangled still from the adrenaline still pumping through his system. He held out a tentative hand to see if it was shaking and was surprised to find that it was not. It should be,he thought. Bloody hell.

Then the light went out. Darkness washed over him and enveloped him in blackness that seemed thick and unpenetrable. Silas spat out an oath vile enough to peel paint. He should have been better prepared. I should have tied off the fargging rope,he thought wryly. At least we'd be able to follow it back. I should have grabbed ten fragging torches. Cursing again, he sat down cross legged where he was, facing the way he'd come down. It wasn't his first time being caught in the dark. But it was the first time he couldn't have a nap and wait for the gods-burned sun to rise and peel back the darkness for him.

He closed his eyes. He wasn't sure why. Iit didn't really make a difference. But it was more comfortable, more comforting in some way to do so. With an effort, he tried to visualize his surroundings as he'd last seen them, imagining himself seated there on the floor. The act of doing this calmed his nerves a bit, and in a while he was fairly sure of what was where; he also knew that would only last until he turned around once or twice, and then it'd be gone and they'd be doubly screwed. As he thought about the situation, one thing became apparent: They needed light. Trying to climb out in the dark was worse than foolish, especially if they carried Dan. They might have a chance if one of them made the attempt and brought back torches, but it was foolishly risky.

Think, damn you. Think! He had flint and steel. He always carried it. They needed a source of ignition. Suddenly he laughed. "You dumb shite," he said. "You've got lamp oil in your pack." Now that he thought of it, there should be a lantern in there too, though gods knew if it survived all the beatings he'd been taking. Carefully, silas began rummaging through his pack, feeling with focused patience for the things he'd need. Gods it was dark. He tried not to get his hopes up too much. There were a lot of things could go wrong. "Fahd, I might have some oil and, god's send it's so, a working lamp in my pack. I know I should have thought of it before, but..... Anyway, I'm going to try to see if I can get something working. I could use your help though, it's bloody well dark in here.

roll Roll to see if Silas can find what he needs in the dark:Not sure what modifiers we'll need. Dice Roll: 1d20 =7

[Tangler]

Fahd: Current HP 10/12, Spirit Healing 0/6 remaining, Cloak PSP 3/5 remaining
AC16, AC12 flat-footed, AC16 touch, Fort/Ref/Will +6/4/5

Lynx: Current HP 21/21
AC 18, (AC12 flat-footed, AC17 touch, AC22 vs OA (Mobility), Fort/Ref/Will +4/8/2-status/defenses-

Silas's frantic use of the precious potion, followed by Dan's subsequent revival, is an education for Fahd. Seeing Dan's spirit standing over his body, Fahd might not have made the attempt himself, assuming that Dan could not be returned to his living state once the spirit had left the body. The flesh might be repaired, certainly, but without a spirit resident to guide it, it would be an abomination. If, however, healing the body allowed the spirit to return... Fahd's mind flashes back to the day his friend Ibram died, and Fahd's leg badly injured, an injury he carries to this day. Fahd has tried never to begrudge his father Haytham's failure to heal the leg in time to prevent permanent damage. If it is possible to restore a deceased spirit to its body by healing the body, that casts an entirely new light on the events of that day. Would his friend Ibram be alive today if his father had not lapsed in following the strictures necessary for a shaman to use his power? Though he continues to resist the temptation to blame his father, it does solidify in his mind the potential price of any lapses in his attention to the demands of his chosen path.

The guttering of the torch brings him back to the present, reminding him that now is not the time for indulging such reflections. Even with the effects of the potion restoring Dan's life, Dan is still in need of care, and Fahd moves to provide it. Though he is still in no position to provide spirit healing, he nonetheless has some skill in more mundane methods of healing, and he is successful in his attempts to further stabilize the young man. That Dan remains unconscious is of some concern, but Fahd considers it possible that it may take some time for Dan's spirit to fully reconnect with his flesh. "He should be okay now," Fahd reassures Silas. It is then that the light goes out.

Though the darkness seems absolute, at least initially, Fahd doesn't panic. He knows he can call on the powers of the cloak to provide light, in the form of fire, if need be. He waits, though, considering other options. His first attempt to light the loose timber had failed, but perhaps a second attempt would be more successful. On the other hand, they may be down here for some time waiting for Dan to return to consciousness, so if the timber cannot be lit, the power of the cloak will run out long before they are in a position to move. Fahd waits, unmoving, listening to the darkness around him and letting his eyes adjust. He can feel Silas nearby, and after a few moments Fahd can hear Silas moving around, cursing under his breath.

When Silas speaks aloud, at first the shaman thinks Silas is speaking to him. Lamp oil? I don't have any lamp oil. When Silas continues, though, Fahd realizes he had been talking to himself. "I can help with that," Fahd replies, a smile on his face which is hidden by the darkness until he again uses the power of the cloak to create fire in the air over his head.