The Wandering Archipelago (D&D 5e)

[spiderwrangler]

((Doesn't answer the question. ))

[Rodgeir]

Varsk turns and looks at the old dragonborn and the elf.

"Not sure the old guy is gonna manage wandering in the swamp for a few days. Best we bring them in and if the druids don't like'm they can send them someplace."

[Dlover]

"A minute is all I ask. A few days are irrelevant when we would wait for only the barest fraction of one."

[Rodgeir]

((How are we asking? It's a couple day trip from where we warp in to ask them, right? I don't think Mehr would leave them?))

[Dlover]

((... Was it? It wouldn't make sense for Syli to head back there to ask, then, since we have the stones to get us there with any grown tree.))

[Rodgeir]

((We discussed it before we decided to fight and Thinks confirmed it was a couple days to walk there. I will look for it to confirm.))

[Dlover]

((Huh... Yeah, sitting around for a couple of days without anyone capable of healing seems like a bad idea, since the lizards will know where we are. We've already seen that there are more than we can handle, sooooo, probably better to just stone our way back to the druids.))

[Rodgeir]

((I was wrong, a search here, top of the page: https://goblinsforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1668&start=1725

Seems like it is a couple hour/half day walk from where we jump in to where the druids are and then who knows how long to get permission. It would leave us here exposed for at least half a day and probably longer than that. Maybe we can jump into their zone and wait on the outskirts while Syli gets permission?))

[Rodgeir]

Varsk will go along with whatever Mehr decides as far as heading to the druids. If they decide to wait Varsk will recommend a place with less standing in the rain.

While they wait he will rest and look at the odd javelin.

((Depending on the length of time he will take a short rest, burn a hit die: 1d10+3 = [9] = 12
and his second wind: 1d10+3 = [2] = 5
and take another short rest.))

[Dlover]

((Hrm... If Mehr knows that it will only take Syli a short time, then they might as well find a dry place to wait. Though, if we'd be able to just go in through any grown tree I have to wonder why Syli couldn't just do the same.))

[thinkslogically]

Druid Group

((Very good point on how the stones work, you won't have to walk very far at all to reach a suitable tree to get you all back there
Also: Let me know who's taking what and add it to your character sheets )).

The group take whatever loot they choose from what's been gathered up, and Varsk throws the rest into the burning house to make sure it's all thoroughly destroyed. Deciding to take their chances and vouch for Vaceran and Valemgadro, they head away from the house a little distance to the first tree they find that both Syli and Vaceran confirm are fully grown. Holding a stone in their hands, they each speak the words of passage in turn and with an ear-popping lurch, find themselves back in the Sanctuary, standing, dripping wet and covered in blood and soot and mud, under a clear night sky and a pair of bright moons. For a few moments, there is nothing but quiet.

Vaceran stares around him in surprise, looking vaguely bemused.

"I know this place... I was..."

"You came BACK!!"

Tam, still as naked as the day he was born, cackles delightedly and springs towards the group, hugging each of them tightly around the legs in turn, giggling like a child, before rushing over to Valemgadro and taking hold of both his hands, the tears welling in his eyes.

"You brought him back! I never thought in a million lifetimes he would leave his old lair, but here he is and here you are and oh my stars you are all hurt!"

The giant mass that is Gorock steps out of the treeline, and nods to the group in welcome.

"You are welcome. Rest now. I will bring word of your arrival to the elders."

Vaceran shifts closer to Valemgadro and keeps a wary eye on Tam.

"Please don't excite him, these calm spells rarely last very long and he needs to sleep while he can."
"Yes, come! You must all sleep now."

The group are led to a little clearing, different from the campground they slept in the night before. There is a clear pool of running water and goodberries grow abundantly around the edge of the little glade. Thick beds of living moss grow over the ground that are softer to the touch than any feather mattress any of you have slept on before. All the weight of the day seems to be lifted away from you here, and you all feel suddenly exhausted.

"You are my guests here tonight. Eat, drink, wash and sleep as you will and know that you are safe here."

((Let me know what you'd like to do, and I'll take CON saves from everyone))

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Lizard Group

Ready to move out, Kal leads the group into the tight tunnel, squeezing through the gap on his elbows and knees for a few metres before the passageway opens out a bit. The halflings have a much easier time of it, and duck through easily enough, and Artho and Arok follow at the rear.

The passages are made of a wet, dark stone, that is smooth and slippery to the touch and muddy underfoot. The walls and ceiling curve and dip unexpectedly as times, and numerous small cracks and holes lead out of the main passage but are far too tight to pass through. Soon enough, the passageway opens again somewhat and a new passageway opens to your right, while your current path bends downwards and to the left.

There doesn't seem to be much to choose between them at first glance.

((Which way would you like to go? Left or right (or back the way you came) ))

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Somewhere, at an Ancient Elvish Temple

Shossk grins at Locke as the pair pull back the overgrowth of vines to reveal a beautifully-crafted thick stone wall. This place, he is sure, has not been disturbed by raiders and scavengers and thieves. ...Not yet at least. According to what Shossk's been able to piece together from broken carvings and scraps of information found in other ruins, this should be an old elvish temple from when their empire still held sway in the swamplands. If nothing else, those folk knew how to build, and as long as this place has remained sealed, there might well be things inside worth finding.

Of course, getting here hasn't exactly been easy. With everything else going on in the clan at the moment, Shossk's people have little tolerance for such diversions and even less for outsiders like Locke. Just getting outside the bounds of the Redclaw territory was hard enough, never mind avoiding the night patrols and everything else the swamp has to throw at them. Still, no matter. They've made it. Now all they have to do it find a way inside the temple itself and see what remains to be found there.

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► Show Spoiler

Welcome to the game dusk and SVM!

PS my week is kind of insane with an upcoming birthday party at the weekend needing my help and the usual work stuff, so updates will probably be every couple of days or so, but we'll be back on a more regular schedule next week for sure

[Rodgeir]

((Varsk grabbed the shortbows and arrows, a javelin, a lightning javelin and gave everything from the staff lizard to Mehr. He also has a dead lizardfolk.))

Varsk winces as the naked little man hugs his bloody leg but doesn't comment. Gotta keep his 'travel' partner happy.

He gives Gorock a nod and tips his head to the dead lizardfolk on his shoulder. "Got something to show the council."


Con save: 1d20 = [15] + ?= 15 gonna be at least a 18 probably a 20. Check it in a bit.

[Arch Lich Burns]

Gwen will take the bone staff, a hide armour, and bone dice. She will give herself some privacy to put on the new armour. Once she is done she tries to meditate on the staff in her hands, trying to reach put to her patron.

Con save [1d20+3] = 6+3 = 9

[thinkslogically]

Gorock looks vaguely surprised at the corpse.

"What do you wish them to see exactly?"

((Mehriv still has the staff at the moment, so I'm going to let dlover weigh in on that first if you don't mind))

[SuperVaderMan]

((I think you might've mixed my character's name up with one of your NPCs ))

"I have ffound it," the lizardman says aloud in gravelly Common, his voice carefully modulated while speaking the foreign tongue.

Shossk holds his toothy grin for one... two... three seconds, before abruptly dropping it. From what he could tell, non-lizardfolk tend to smile when they succeed at something, among many other reasons. Were catfolk the same, he wonders about his new companion?

Shossk turns his attention back to the ancient door. "How do wwe breach the entrance?" He asks into the air, putting emphasis on seemingly random words as he speaks. He examines the door, both looking for a way to open it and trying to remember, historically, how such doors were opened in the past.

[thinkslogically]

((I think you might've mixed my character's name up with one of your NPCs ))

((Nope, just completely butchered it! Sorry about that ))

PS I'll take a History check for trying to remember stuff.

[SuperVaderMan]

History check on Temple door: 1d20+4 = [9] = 13

[Dusk9]

Locke grins back at his scaly new friend, either ignoring or oblivious to his strange mannerisms.

"Ha, good work mate! Never doubted ya for a sec!"

While Shossk examines the door, Locke steps back and looks over the exterior of the ruin. Were there any windows in the stone higher up? Or even just a clear, climbable route to the roof. If these ancient elves were anything like the folks back home, they probably spent too long thinking about protecting their doors, and not enough on the other entrances...

[thinkslogically]

Temple Group

Locke steps back and takes a look. The temple itself is thoroughly overgrown, making it hard to see much of anything in terms of detail. Saying that, it looks to be about a 20 feet high- a rather squat and unassuming building amongst the trees. What stonework is visible is a pale grey colour, clearly thick, and extremely well crafted. If there's any mortar between the blocks at all, Locke can't make it out.

Shossk ponders what he knows of ancient elvish ways, and remembers that while they often favoured magical locks and entrances, there would usually be a secondary, non-magical entryway nearby for those who required it. Such entrances were usually protected by more traditional means, but he's not sure where one might be found exactly.

[SuperVaderMan]

Shossk's head tilts as he stares at the main entrance, as he recalls what he knows. "I rremember. Such temples may hhave a second entrance for those without magics. I wwill stay here and try to open this door with mine."

With that, Shossk stares at the door even more intently. So this door was opened with magic, correct? Would Shossk be able to?

((What's your policy on making rolls btw? In some games GMs tell players to wait until they're asked to make a roll, so I wasn't sure if I should go ahead and make an Arcana check, if I could.))

[Rodgeir]

((@Burns Thought Varsk grabbed the dice before they went in the pile? If they were in the list though I should have read better and they are all Gwen's!

Varsk's con save is +5 so the roll becomes a 20))

Varsk gives Gorock a tired expression he saved for his slowest employees,

"Got a great ventriloquist act I want to show'm."

Tossing the body to the ground he rolls it so the infected black scales are visible.

"Oh, an maybe we can talk 'bout what's goin' with those scales. You can also mention that these folks," he kicks the corpse, "were damned interested in getting the old dragonborn. Had to fight off more an' a dozen of them."

[Dusk9]

"Gotcha."

Locke starts walking around the outside of the temple, using his dagger to chop through any vines that get in the way. He's looking for markings that might denote a doorway - either an outline, a keyhole, or even a section where the stone blocks are just veeeeery slightly wider apart at the seams.

((Investigation or Perception?))

[Arch Lich Burns]

((@Burns Thought Varsk grabbed the dice before they went in the pile? If they were in the list though I should have read better and they are all Gwen's!

(Oh if he did then I am sorry, I just saw a list of stuff and looked at stuff that was interesting. If Varsk got it then that's fine.)

[spiderwrangler]

"Keeping left for now?"

[thinkslogically]

((What's your policy on making rolls btw? In some games GMs tell players to wait until they're asked to make a roll, so I wasn't sure if I should go ahead and make an Arcana check, if I could.))

((I like them to be made in the game thread, but go ahead and roll in advance if you want. Worst case, I'll disregard it or I'll use it but with a different modifier. I'll let you know if you're rolling too much wrt your other question, you don't actually know which door this is. Just that it's one of possibly 2))

((Dusk, you're actively searching so Investigation please))