DM The door does not budge much more than a hair when Kriv tries to pry it open. He quickly realizes that the the door, a slab of solid stone six feet high by four feet wide, was being stopped by a barricade on the other side, not a lock. Forcing it open is probably what is needed, but a better effort is needed too.
Luminmorn speaks up, "I will assist brother" and he places his hands on the slab, leaving room for his fellow dragonborn to do the same. "On the count of three, push!"
OOC: This is the right move but the wrong roll. It's DC 20. With Lumi assisting, take an additional +5 for his athletics to Kriv's next roll, but with no advantage this time. If you fail, you'll need an alternate path.
She prepares, ready on case of an ambush. She has Whisper to the side of the door, undercover but ready to scout if the coast is clear. She readies her bow and hides.
"Is there any way that one of our magic users can get 'small' enough to get to the other side", he asked. "But that =could= put them in danger ... being on their own and all."
OOC: Built by dwarves, the doors are solid slabs of stone with iron hinges and handles. No flammable material is visible. Also remember that puny wizards can get lucky and roll a 20. Is there any other strong beings around?
DM Several things have become obvious. First, you are not getting through the door. Whatever is barricading it is too heavy for anyone here to push through. Second, you're really not sure where the drow has gone. Every point on the compass is an option and the scent of the drow only leads through here, where it mixes with others. There are two ways that you can go now. One is to backtrack and see if you luck out finding the drow trying to work the forge of spells.
If the black spider and his doppleganger ally did not want to go out into the sun-drenched outdoors, they could have found a way to traverse the underground lake that you found north of the room with the Forge of Spells. The rhythmic thunder of pounding waves that echoes throughout the mine, which are loud enough to make the stone underfoot shiver, directed you earlier to that lake. The party found a ledge, overlooking the lake and saw waves crashing into the walls below the ledge that produced that booming sound. This is what gave this complex it's name, the Wave Echo Cave.
But the drow might have decided to leave this cave and risk the outdoors. The mine is deep in the hills and his party could have easily made it out and made their way to another cave or refuge.
Or they could just be hiding and waiting for you to give up and return to Phandelin with Nundro, leaving them at peace to bring in new forces to guard the mine as they take over.
The party has to decide now what is most imperative. If you look to Nundro, he has no desire to give up control of the mines.
This dilemma, and the extra time they've had to contemplate it, makes Chandan wonder if the Black Spider isn't doing the same, on the opposite side.
"The Black Spider may be using this time to decide what he will do next. Just like us." The monk says in a quiet voice.
"His worse move and most obvious, would seem to be fleeing into the wilderness. He would only do this if he was fleeing for his life.
"But his true nature has come out," Chandan points to the door, "he has given himself time to stop and think."
"Better moves might occur to him. Flee into the Underdark. Yes. But could he do that without answering one question: Is the Forge of Spells really now unprotected?"
Tidying the folds of his saffron silk scarf, the monk prepares for the game to recommence.
"No. I think he must see for himself first, then perhaps retreat into the Underdark and seek out new supporters."
Chandan nods to Kriv.
"Kriv's knock-knocking will have sent the Black Spider scurrying, either way. So, let us return the way we came, across the chasm, and thence as fast as we can to the Forge."
"I agree. It is clear that he is desperate to get to the Forge. It seems the most obvious place for us to find him ... or wait for him. And even if he is fleeing, isn't the Forge something we want to investigate further?"
The way back is known but a shortcut is right near the party. By taking the steps they had just passed that lead down and to the east, the party can enter the large collapsed cavern with the long rift. They would need to traverse the stream and then find a way to climb up from there. It's not a direct route, but it'll get them there, if they can manage to navigate the way. That does not mean the way is safe. There have been random encounters with monsters and they do not know if the drow had taken any steps to thwart them. They are sure to find out.
OOC: You can get to that cavern but I want to hear how you intend to cross the chasm and get to your destination. See the attached map. The star marks the spot where I expect you to get to before you need to take some kind of action.
With the way they came requiring a climb, the resourceful Dragonborn noble fished out his hammer, pitons and rope for scaling back up to where they had been.
He glanced back at Chandan thoughtfully. Regardless of Kriv's personal inclinations, the vargrant had his uses, and subordinating his own desires for the good of the mission was the optimal course.
"Chandan, do you think you could climb up and secure this rope for the rest of us?"
He smiles warmly and nods to Kriv, lashing his spear to his patchwork pack so it won't get in the way.
"What goes up must come down. Yes, it is so. But then what comes down must also go up." He says in answer.
Taking the rope, he scales the wall. Climbing, falling, to the wizened monk they're part of the same cycle. Given the perspective the rest of the party have at the bottom, and the fact Chandan had reliquished his loincloth earlier, they might want to avert their gaze.
Once to the top, he will fix the rope and stand guard while his friends ascend.
[Climbing is Athletics check with Str, iirc? Rolled natural 18. If he falls, will use Slow Fall and go again.]
Almost out of spells other than minor cantrips and knowing that she is not the fighter her other friends are, Ryssa stayed alongside the dwarf, shield and magic mace at the ready.
Rather than take the shorter, new route, the party decides to take the longer route, through the room with six pillars and the 9-foot tall statue of a dwarf, with emerald green eyes sitting on a throne, the room that Nezznar made into his headquarters. Then they turned right to go past the room where Nundro was held captive and down the two sets of steps leading into the large, collapsed cavern that had the large rift in it. Water still flows from somewhere else into the chamber and forms a loud waterfall.
The chamber is only partially illuminated from the light that Luminmorn and Kriv have from Kriv's cantrip. Luminmorn guarded the rear as they moved forward and Kriv moved towards the front with his staff of defense glowing. From the first steps into the large cavern they could not even see the rift or what else lurks here. If there was a danger, their light was a beacon of warning to any foes.
OOC: I moved you where you said you were going but we're not quite ready for "climb" rolls. Consider much of this dungeon as "reset". Areas cleared may no longer be cleared. Expect villains to have been redeployed. This chamber is too large to be illuminated. You know it's size and shape so I revealed it, but if you go to Roll20, you can only see to the extent of the "dim" radius of light being shed.
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