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DM

The door does not move at all when the bear nudges it. However, new scents are easy for him to pick up and he certainly does now. It stinks.

OOC: I will give Davroar a nature roll, it's a "Hard" skill check, DC 20, to have been able to discern the nature of the creatures that were, recently beyond the closed door.
And no worries about posting rates.

Davroar

The scent is absolutely wonderful for a bears taste, but it seems he can not discern exactly what creature it could be from.
All he can do to show the others is to wave a paw in front of his nose to try and convey that there is something fishy coming from behind the stuck door.

Davroar Nature check
Dugan rolled 1d20 and got 9
(ooc: not sure if I get +2 or +3 bonus to the roll, but it is obviously not enough)

Jaliera

"Let me take a look" she says softly.

First of all she listens, then checks the door to see if it is locked. If it is she will try to pick the lock at a distance. Once she thinks the door is possible to open, she will move everyone back and open it using her Mage Hand, wait a few seconds and then send Whisper in for a quick scout asking her to fly high and quick.

Jaliera Perception, unlock at distance, Whisper perception
Gypsy rolled 1d20+5,1d20+7,1d20+3 and got 16, 18, 7

DM
Jaliera quickly discerns that the door is not locked. It is barricaded from the other side. It will take brute force to get through.

<Bern>

"Any chance that one of you can change into something small enough to fit under the door", he asked at Jaliera's explanation of the problem.

Davroar

He would have to take a rest to regain another two times to change form, so he shakes his head to Bern's question. Instead he will slowly lean his considerable weight into the door to see just how steady it is. If the door does not move much at all, he will scratch in the dirty floor a semi-circle indicating if they should all try to find another way around the blocked door

Jaliera

She points out the obvious.

"If the drow has barricaded himself in there then they will be prepared and we should expect an ambush."

Her head tilts on one side as she considers.

"However it could just be a delaying tactic as there were other doors we didn't open previously that could enter this room from the other side. Would have cost them time to build the barricade though. If I were him, I'd have built the barricade and left creatures to guard my rear whilst continuing my escape. So do we go around as if it has no other exit, they are going nowhere? Or do we barge in, fight and then have to play catch up again?"

<Bern>

He just shrugged. "There are pros and cons to either choice and no information to make one a better choice. So I have no strong opinion either way."

Chandan

They face another dilemma. Chandan itches his scalp, looking at their three choices of direction.

The east and the barricaded door. Likely trouble beyond, a delaying tactic by the Black Spider, no doubt.

Could the room have a south door, connecting to the cavern with the bellows, where they'd fought the ghouls? Perhaps, but surely that was what the south passage had been for before it collapsed.

Back-tracking north isn't an option. Just traversing the chasm will take too much time.

Instead they must try to out-fox the Black Spider, out-manoeuvre him, and that just leaves the west passage.

It should connect to the natural tunnel they dropped into from the very first room.

It could be a very quick route.

"Let's go west, my friends. If we come to the natural tunnel, it might lead us directly to the entrance."

Ryssa


She had come to like and trust the old monk but, just for a moment and just in case, she turned to the dwarf at her side.

"Do you know anything about this part of the cavern, Nundro? If not, then we'll need to follow Chandan's advice."

Ryssa looked over at Chandan briefly and smiled.

Kriv

The Dragonborn moved into position to force the door.

"We don't have the time to debate the merits of potential approaches. I favour the direct approach here."

DM

Nundro nods, "Yes. Straight ahead is a dead end. There's a dark pool of water there and a passageway out of the mines." he says glancing to the right, to the west.

Chandan

The poor unfortunate dwarf makes the west passage sound like both a good and bad idea.

Passageway out of the mines. Good.
Dark pool of water. Bad.

Yet despite its ominous description, Chandan isn't afraid of water. It is simply one of nature's elemental forms.

The sea is dangerous, yes. But are more people drowned at sea, than killed tripping over rocks? Earth is just as dangerous as water, but it doesn't help a land animal to dwell on it.

"Well, I think west it is then. As fast as we can go, back to the way we came in."

Jaliera

"Kriv, I think we ought to try a clever move? The drow is, I think, counting on us to forge ahead fighting as that is what we have done so far. If it doesn't work out then we are back at this door anyway. If he is in there, then he will probably still be in there later. If not then there is little point in going in."

She waits, preferring that they work together but wanting to get on with it.

Kriv

He considered Jaliera’s words, and nodded his assent. “If we’re certain there are no unknown routes beyond the barricade and that he wouldn’t knowingly head into a dead end, then approaching from a fresh angle has merit.”

<Bern>

"That is the problem Kriv", he said. "We are =not= certain about =anything=. We have to choose a path without any certainty about that choice being the best or not. But we need choose a path now."

Nundro

"That's the way outdoors. What drow would want to go out?" He says apologetically, as if trying to understand the logic being used.

Thankful for being rescued, and now healthy, the dwarf hesitates about saying anything. His rescuers haven't really asked for his opinion or for any knowledge he might have so he assumes they know what they're doing. They seemed brave and mighty enough.

Jaliera

"So Nundro, where do you think the drow would have gone?"

Might as well make use of the intelligence available.

Nundro

"Well, all he could talk about, and kept beating me up about, was the Forge of Spells. That's what he was looking for. And if he wanted to leave, he would probably go deeper into the Underdark. Did you happen to come upon the shores of the lake?"

The party found the lake but in the north-east section of the mines, just north of the room which the Spectator had guarded for centuries.

ooc: That's the room where you were able to add a magic + to your weapons.

Jaliera

"Would he know we had gotten past the Forge's guardian? If so he might well be heading there. Can't think he'd abandon something he has fought hard to get."

She looks around at the others.

"Retrace our steps to the forge then?"

Nundro

"You got past the guardian? Do you mean that you got past the floating green skull?"

He seems genuinely surprised and it appears that he doesn't even know about the guardian of the forge, the spectator.

"The shapeshifter is also a a mind reader. If'n he had even a moment to probe yer brains, he would've gotten what's freshest in there," he says as he looks at Jaliera's forehead.

Jaliera

"Oh that's a worry. What was I thinking? More about how to survive than anything else I think. And no, the green skull was an outer guard, there was a big floating head in the Forge. Kriv talked to it. Quite impressive."

She nods.

Chandan

The old monk twizzled his hair, nodding, listening, eyes slitted.

"Only a most huge ego would put ambition before its own survival." He ponders aloud, as he considers Nundro's words and Jaliera's subsequent question.

"Hmm. So yes, we go back to the Forge, but through this door will be quickest then, I think."

Chandan turns to Kriv and bows his head.

"Perhaps you can knock upon this door for us, Kriv Norixius."

<Bern>

"I am ... 'encouraged' that it =seems= ... 'unwise' to you Chandan, but that does =not= mean that everyone else is as ... 'enlightened' as you are. There are =plenty= of people foolish enough to take that route because they are 'hoping' for the big payoff ... usually with little work."

Kriv

"Very well." Assented the Dragonborn, assessing how best to force the barricade with the appropriate leverage, taking out his crowbar and duly applying it.

Kriv Strength check (with advantage from crowbar) to force the barricaded door
AJ rolled 1d20+3,1d20+3 and got 4, 14