The Sundered Way

[Rodgeir]

"Weeks, not days. As nice as bein' a mule sounds aye think aye can hang back till yer spent. These things killed Maji an' aye'm goin' to kill as many of them as aye can."

Dornikal gives Holger a grim look in response to the smile.

He pulls out all his javelins from the back of holding along with the long sword and warhammer.

((He probably looks ridiculous carrying his dozen or so javelins, a spear, longsword and warhammer. But he didn't bring out the great axe and heavy crossbow. Yet.))

[Lurks_In_Shadows]

"So it will be Holger in the lead, with Dornikal in immediate support and myself to provide support with my bow. Ulmwin and Coljin stay with the guards and form a second line of defense and provide what ranged support they can."

[spiderwrangler]

Tess wanders in the indicated direction, and soon finds a ramshackle looking front sandwiched between tow larger buildings, and weathered sign depicting a woman waving a kerchief at a distant ship above the words "The Sea Widow".

Pushing in, you find a cramped, worn hallway that goes back the length of a block before opening up into a small, dark tavern. The place itself is cleaner than the clientele, looking to be a lower class of dockworker and the like than frequent the Goat. A big fellow snoozes in a booth by the door to the common room, and an elderly woman looks up from the hearth behind the bar.

---

Anders chimes in to the planning discussion, holding his left hand down, fingers splayed where you can all see it. "If the thumb's the tunnel we are coming in from, it opens into a room more than a hundred feet across. My pinkie is a dry tunnel that heads off, one of the creatures came from there riding the thing with the claws and tentacles, never saw any of the others leave the water, but they must be able to if they attacked those two young men we pulled out of the sewers.

"The other three," he grabs index, middle and ring finger with his other hand, "are flooded. The one to the right when we entered had a turtle-quill monster in it, that's what got Jimmy there.", he points to an injured guard, that has the puckered puncture wounds Randy recognizes from the young man he helped tend to.

"Your friend was leading us to the middle of the three flooded ones," he says, touching his middle finger, "he... didn't say much, but seemed like he'd been there and wanted us to follow... that's also where most of them retreated when we broke off. Good bet if they aren't in the main cave, or waiting to ambush down the tunnels, they're down that tunnel."

"Water on that end gets about waist deep, at least, waist deep on me, the gnomes would be swimming unless they get carried, and it'd be mid chest on Mister Dwarf.

[Lurks_In_Shadows]

"My guess is you mixed it up with their security team. They probably fell back to defend the gate. If we can shut the gate, we'll just be dealing with a few. If nothing else, the gate makes a natural choke point for any forces trying to move through. We'll have to be quick about it. They may have summoned reinforcements." Randy moves forward and assumes his position, taking out an arrow and nocking it. "Let's move, people."

[spiderwrangler]

Holger takes point, with Dornikal, Randy and Anders close behind. The guards and gnomes file in behind them. In front of the mage is dry land, with the edge of water at the edge of the light given off by the coin he holds.

[NotStickFigures]

Yes Coljin hands off the light coin. He also asks, “How do we close the gate?”

[Lurks_In_Shadows]

Randy ponders the question.
arcana: 1d20+1 = [15] = 16

[spiderwrangler]

► Show Spoiler

It's not something Randy's had opportunity to do before, but it's something he's pondered. Best he can figure, closing a portal means disrupting or dispelling any magic keeping it open. There are probably spells that could do something like that, but not any of the ones he knows.
Might be other ways to otherwise overwhelm a portal and cause it to fail, but if it can't be destroyed, perhaps it could still be rendered inoperable.

[Rodgeir]

Dornikal readies a javelin as they move.

[Theis2]

“How do we close the gate?”

"If the portal is held open by a spell or magical item we could end it by disrupting the magic. Otherwise we should probably get hold of some specialized abjuration magic for it."

Holger will use his mage hand to carry a torch out over the water. He'll let the bottom of it touch the water to disturb it. He motions for silence to the others. He gives it a moment, listening for anything and looking for any other signs of movement.

Holger perception: 1d20+1 = [20] = 21

[Rodgeir]

((Can't the darkvision folks see a bit further than what is indicated on the map above? I am guessing it is just for easy on your part that you limit it?))

[spiderwrangler]

Holger sends a torch out, dipping it into the water. Ripples spread, and he hears a soft splash ahead.



Besides what is revealed by light sources, Dornikal can see a bit more to the side.

[M0rtimer]

(I was partly expecting spider to cram that tiny bit full of monsters ))

[Rodgeir]

((I was expecting him to tell me to shut up and be happy he made a map at all!))

[Theis2]

"They might also sense when something is disturbing the water. Heard a splash ahead."

Holger will move to the edge of the water and move the torch the same distance towards the splashing sound.

Is the map 10 ft squares?

[spiderwrangler]

((Yes, 10 ft squares.))

[Rodgeir]

Dornikal maintains the same distance and relative position behind Holger.

[Lurks_In_Shadows]

Randy tries to be sneaky.

Stealth:1d20+5 = [5] = 10

He promptly steps into a hole.

[thinkslogically]

Ves nods to the old woman and strolls to the bar, making a sign for "friend, looking to talk" as she approaches, shaking off the worst of the rain by the door.

"Afternoon! I met Clem at the dock and he said this was a good spot to get out the rain and warm up a bit. I'm Tess. Mind if I sit?"

[Arch Lich Burns]

”Yea go slow. Ye’d be surprised what some people consider ta be traps. Heard a guy had a buncha dead snakes drop on him.” Joe checks the lock to determine if it means anything before ritually casting dectect magic.

Int[1d20+2] = 6+2 = 8

[spiderwrangler]

A couple of guards are having a conversation.

"I feel like this could be a trap."
”Yea go slow. Ye’d be surprised what some people consider ta be traps. Heard a guy had a buncha dead snakes drop on him.”

Anders turns and shushes them. "Joe, quiet..."

Holger strides out to the edge of the water and extends his torch bearing mage hand in front of him.



Randy tries to be stealthy but holding a flaming sword tends to make one stand out against the dark.

Dornikal moves up, and can see a bit to the left where the torch isn't illuminated.

---

"Oh, you poor wet dear, yes, yes, have a seat. Hold on."

She leaves and returns shortly with a bit of rag for you to dry yourself with. It seems clean enough.

"That Clem knows I can't turn away strays... err, not that I'm saying you're a stray, my dear, but it's no kind of weather for a young one like you to be out getting soaked!"

((Give me an insight check please!))

[thinkslogically]

Nem takes the cloth and gives the old woman a shrewd look as she makes a bit of a show of drying herself off.

She laughs at the comment. "I certainly look like one don't I!"

Insight: 1d20+2 = [19] = 21

Ily sneezes.

[spiderwrangler]

You get the distinct sense that she's not 'family', she didn't seem to take note of your cant-sign, just genuinely seems to be a sweet old lady.

"Now that we've got the outside of you warm, you want something to eat dear?"

[M0rtimer]

Ulmwin simply continues forward with the others- Little to be done for now...

[Theis2]

Holger moves along the water, towards the dry path. He's having the torch move similarily with him, trailing through the water.

He'll also try to take a look at the bloody water and see what's that about.