DreamLyrics™ Play-by-Post Forums Fantasy SKT: The Storm King's Thunder 3V - Into the Unknown / Out of the Darkness

Jaliera

"Great work Davroaor."

She is relieved that none of them were caught in the glyph. She hates fire.

"Now hopefully it will disperse before too long."

The troll had been helpful. It could be again. She decides encouraging it might be useful. So she takes out some food, approaches and offers it to the troll.

"That was good information. Thank you."

<Bern>

He jumped a bit when the rune erupted even though he was expecting something like that. It would have been bad for them. He turned to the troll and nodded agreement with Jaliera 'thanks'.

DM

The troll looks nervous, as he's got orders to keep his hands up. And maybe the food is a trap to pull him out of his half-hiding spot at a corner in the rock wall. But he slowly moves toward the food to retrieve some and then moves back to where he was.

"Giant capture Galdrmaðr," the troll offers, a head nod toward the burning wall. "I try help but fire bad."

Zhu

"Where, and why?" She asks the Troll.

DM

"At camp," the troll says simply. "Many giants all around. Make us dig. Galdrmaðr protect us. This giant too strong for Galdrmaðr."

Zindra

"You can put your hands down troll. You told the truth." he says in Giant. Then he begins to translate for it.

"Is Galdrmaðr a who or a what?" she asks while the fire burns.

DM

The troll lowers its hands, looking slightly more trusting of the group. "Who," he answers simply. "Make drink help fight giant together. Only way beat giant."

Zindra

"So it seems that Galdrmaðr is a who not a thing. And he wants to help us fight another giant. And he might be thirsty. I don't know. My giant isn't perfect."

Zhu

"Sounded like he, or she, could be an alchemist." She waits for Davroar to send another set of bats further into the tunnel to check for additional glyphs.

Aubric

"Do you think this could be related to that potion we found at the troll encampment?" the cleric inquires, brow furrowing.

DM

Meanwhile, while the party converses with the troll and tries to make sense of the simple Giant language explanations, the wall of fire ceases to exist. It does indeed look like there's another rune on the wall further down, close to where the passageway turns.

Some sounds of movement can be heard beyond, but no voice, for now.

Zindra
She takes a sip from her water flask and then hands it to the troll. If she gets thirsty, she'll ask some else later for a sip and she'll plan on buying a water flask when they get back to town.

"Someone watch Trolly here. I'll take a look at what's carved on the wall there."

Relying on her darkvision and once again trying to move stealthily forward she approaches the next rune.
Zindra Stealth
Neptune rolled 1d20+6 and got 12

Zhu

Pointing to the Troll and then the fried bats, she says, "Eat up."

Pavel

He followed the echoing sounds of voices and nearlyy started at the sudden light of the flames of the wall. Moving a little faster he catches up to the group.

<Bern>

He looked around. It seemed that there were people working on the way forward. He continued to keep watch on the other areas where threats might come from.

Kriv

Making a note to look at the staff in a more in-depth way next time they made camp, the Dragonborn cautiously advanced up to where the wall of fire had been.

"Galdrmaðr?" He called out, with a strong Dwarfish lilt to the unfamiliar word cadence.

DM

"Too close fire," the troll replies. Even as hungry as he is. "Still more fire, other carving. I eat after."

Zindra has moved forward to investigate the other rune which seems at first glance almost identical to the first one.

Of course, given the party's knowledge of glyphs of warding, the rune itself may not actually be relevant to the spell as much as a physical warning to passers-by. As the troll seems aware of this trap, the runes might just be a very prominent warning that "none shall pass". Perhaps it's even a bluff to fool a dumb troll? In any case, a visual inspection of the rune doesn't give any additional information.

Bern does not see any danger in the cave other than a troll rather close to the party, not particularly by his choice, but he seems to be cooperating. Although he seems to be glancing toward the exit often enough to indicate that given the chance to flee the scene, he may do so.

Hearing Kriv speak the name, the troll speaks up again, reminding the party. "I no hurt you. Galdrmaðr no hurt you. We fight giant, not fight as good as you."

Davroar

When the first fire wall dissipates he will say, "Best to step back Zindra, I'll send another swarm in now." Once she is clear he will direct the second swarm of bats to go further in. Davroar expects the same thing to happen, yet he will be cautious by backing away too.

[ooc: reading the spell description these are fey so there is no burnt bodies left around for the troll to eat. ]

DM

After Zindra has stepped back to a safe distance, the swarm of bats flies past the first rune harmlessly, proceeding onward several feet to pass the next one.

And nothing happens. To the bats, at least. They reach the end of the passage, turning a corner to the left.

A voice, sounding annoyed, says a few brief syllables in a language unknown to any of the party members, but not dissimilar to the sound of the troll's voice.

Davroar

When nothing seems to happen to the second group of bats he sent in, he will send in the third group, instructing them to fly to the end of the passage and them fly back to him. Davroar wonders if perhaps the first rune was to keep people out and the second is to keep something in there.

DM

Davroar could have had the second group just return, but since there are eight swarms flapping their little bat wings everywhere, why not mix it up?

The third swarm flies past both runes safely, and then turns back toward Davroar.

But they don't get very far. Another wall of fire immolates them in much a repeat of the triggering of the first glyph, but the wisps of smoke are on the far side of the fire wall.

Seems Davroar's hunch was correct.

Davroar

"Hah!" His guess was correct when the second fire lights up.

It's another wait before the second fire wall disappears, and then Davroar asks, "Zindra, did you see more runes? Should I send in another group?"

The second group of bats are still alive with whatever is inside, but he wonders if they should be doubly sure before he dismisses his spell.

Jaliera

She nods her approval as Davroar's bats return and trigger the second glyph. They seem to be making good progress and keeping everyone safe. A win-win. Davroar is so clever.

Zindra
"Good job!" she says to Davroar. "I'll check for more stuff."

She approaches the entrance with great caution again, looking about and doing so stealthily.
Zindra Stealth, Perception
Neptune rolled 1d20+6,1d20+5 and got 10, 9

DM

There's nothing obvious indicating any other magical wards here that Zindra can see, although the passage turns a corner and who knows what's beyond that bend?