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5/20/2020 9:13 pm  #2861


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

Eirvit wrote:

“A ship at anchor is precisely my guess, friend Kondor. There have been legends among my people of such things for some time. These flying phenomena  most often are seen, among the aurora, in Night such as we have begun now. My guess is that those... ‘people’ that danced about this recent fire are up there now, in their... ‘ship’.”

“The beast men have a flying ship?! Madness, but if true then how do we fight them? They can get to us from above, and will see our trail here. We have to disguise our trail, then hide in the cave and ambush them when they return. Perhaps we’ll find something in there of use, maybe some way to take control of the ship itself. I know of no kimmerian whose ship-born raids attacked cities inland and by air! The cursed sanctuary might be linked to this, perhaps the light in the sky is from them, or they were taken up by some fiendish master. What say you?”

Ooc: if we agreed, we can hide our tracks, hide in the cave, then fight the beast men and take the ship!

 

5/21/2020 8:14 am  #2862


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

“I do think they are up there now, taken up in some eldritch manner. You think they will be hungry again soon, and will come down after us? If you wish to fight them here, I will try to aid you, as little as I can offer.”

Gundrabu looks again at the phenomenon, something like awe or longing in his expression. “Have you an idea of how high it is? If there were some way we could reach it...”

He shakes his head. “But what would we do then? I am a fool.”


“Our own age is not one which can afford to call its ancestors savage.” 
― Poul AndersonThe Broken Sword
 

5/21/2020 9:30 am  #2863


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

Try as he might Gundrabu cannot discern whether the hole of missing starmap is 10 feet in front of his eyes or 10 light-years away.


 
     Thread Starter
 

5/21/2020 2:12 pm  #2864


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

Kondor looks at the ground and determines what signs of the pair the beast men might notice, considering the terrain and the weather, and the footprints in the snow around the fire.

 

5/21/2020 2:50 pm  #2865


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

There are no prints left behind on the rock face.

There are prints from Kondor and Gundrabu leading from the path into the circle but quickly get lost among the many prints there.

 


 
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5/22/2020 12:47 pm  #2866


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

Kondor will go down the path, brush the prints leading into the circle (just his and Gundrabu's), then head over to the cave and follow through with the plan of hiding in the cave. Also exploring the cave, in case there's any beast men inside. Maybe there's a way to get into the ship, like a cave painting or something.

 

5/22/2020 1:39 pm  #2867


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

Ok, Kondor climbs back down the rockface and back out to the trail.

What does Gundrabu do while Kondor cleans the trail?
 


 
     Thread Starter
 

5/23/2020 8:08 am  #2868


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

Gundrabu certainly isn’t doing much without Kondor, but he thinks the caution is unnecessary. If Kondor is going to fight and kill the Dwellers of the Sky, then he certainly means to be found anyway.

Gundrabu looks again at the hovering opacity and trembles. He feels they are found already, being watched by a great pupil, a void.

He waits at the cave mouth. He doesn’t want to explore without his friend.

[I expect that Kondor has the lantern, to see the tracks he is covering.]


“Our own age is not one which can afford to call its ancestors savage.” 
― Poul AndersonThe Broken Sword
 

5/23/2020 10:39 am  #2869


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

Once finished, Kondor returns to the cave mouth. He motions Gundrabu to follow and then continues to explore the cavern.

 

5/26/2020 12:29 pm  #2870


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

Kondor looks up at the spot one more time before entering the cave, carrying the lantern and his sword drawn.

 

5/26/2020 3:57 pm  #2871


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

The circle of absent stars remains, unwavering and silent over the fire circle.
A beat, and then Kondor enters the cave again:

The wispy smoke within is sulphuric , its origin undetected, and the stone is dry. The cave opening is about 10 feet high at the mouth, but the lamp shows the ceiling drops considerably a few feet inside. Both of you will need to lower your heads within.  The cave seems naturally formed although you can see the work of hands and tools along certain seams.

The cave entrance is a circular cavity about 15 diameter 10 feet high and the mouth lowered to around 5 feet high in the rear  where it bends to the right and downward going farther inside the hill.

Above on the dome is the mural of iridescent powder depicting a dancing circle of creatures around a fire and underneath a slender silver disk.


 


 
     Thread Starter
 

5/26/2020 11:29 pm  #2872


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

Kondor moves to look around the corner, hoping to get the entire view of the cave before they plan their ambush.

 

5/27/2020 8:35 am  #2873


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

Gundrabu follows quietly after Kondor, ready to respond if called for for assistance.


“Our own age is not one which can afford to call its ancestors savage.” 
― Poul AndersonThe Broken Sword
 

5/27/2020 10:14 am  #2874


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

[Sounds like Gundrabu hangs back nervously 10ft or so?]

Kondor leads them toward the back of the cave where the ceiling is low and requires bending over. The lantern shines further around the bend to the right, there is a gentle slope as the tunnel descends to another wider opening ahead 30 ft. 

The air is more pungent with the aroma of burnt saps and wood. The cave is noticably warmer back here, the inviting heat pouring from the space beyond, but completely silent.


 
     Thread Starter
 

5/27/2020 10:54 am  #2875


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

Iron Ranger wrote:

[Sounds like Gundrabu hangs back nervously 10ft or so?]

Kondor leads them toward the back of the cave where the ceiling is low and requires bending over. The lantern shines further around the bend to the right, there is a gentle slope as the tunnel descends to another wider opening ahead 30 ft. 

The air is more pungent with the aroma of burnt saps and wood. The cave is noticably warmer back here, the inviting heat pouring from the space beyond, but completely silent.

Kondor scouts ahead to the room, silent as the hunt. He looks for other tunnels, such as the one that leads to the other cave opening. He is trying not to get complacent about the beast men, assume that they are all vanished and be exposed to ambush by even one hiding behind.

 

5/27/2020 12:15 pm  #2876


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

Sure, Gundrabu maintains 10’ between the two PCs.


“Our own age is not one which can afford to call its ancestors savage.” 
― Poul AndersonThe Broken Sword
 

5/27/2020 1:54 pm  #2877


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

The tunnel narrows, a fairly tight fit for laden wanderers. Kondors notices no other tunnels or rooms, only the one ahead. His lantern light floods the 15 foot diameter cavity.

The floor slants away about a full foot lower on the other side and is somewhat covered with scattered leaves and needles from the woods outside, heaviest in a matted mound at the lower, far side. Several branches protrude from the mound on its right side and a hide backpack hangs from it.

The soothing heat emanates from the mound, a welcome relief from the brutal constant cold.


 
     Thread Starter
 

5/27/2020 2:11 pm  #2878


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

No tunnels out from this room? So there's a second cave for the other opening?

Kondor approaches the mound.  Is this mound designed to keep the flame going when no one is watching it? Kondor likely knows how to make those, so it would be a sign that there's no one here. One thought: how long does it look like the fire was prepp'd for? A short time or a long time? It'd give Kondor a sense of how long they'll have to wait/prepare.

 

5/27/2020 4:20 pm  #2879


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

Gundrabu very carefully and gingerly takes down the hide backpack.

[Basically, he hopes to avoid springing a trap, though if it uses pressure from the pack on the stick, he’s probably screwed.]


“Our own age is not one which can afford to call its ancestors savage.” 
― Poul AndersonThe Broken Sword
 

5/27/2020 6:53 pm  #2880


Re: The Scorched Sanctuary

fireinthedust wrote:

No tunnels out from this room? So there's a second cave for the other opening?

Kondor approaches the mound.  Is this mound designed to keep the flame going when no one is watching it? Kondor likely knows how to make those, so it would be a sign that there's no one here. One thought: how long does it look like the fire was prepp'd for? A short time or a long time? It'd give Kondor a sense of how long they'll have to wait/prepare.

There are no other visible openings, cavities, passages, tunnels, etc. The leaves and needles spread across the slanting floor and mounded against the far wall -- look more washed in with water, and collected in the lower corner.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by keep the fire going.

To be clear, the mound IS giving off heat , but there is no fire. The smell of burned sap hangs in the air but the wispy smoke ISN'T coming from here. 

The mound is about 2 feet high and the branch holding the backpack is 4ft. high.

[Kondor roll d12.]


 
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