Chapter 1: Welcome to Stonespear Province

[mjulius]

Ollan peers into the hole, marveling at it’s depth. The light...it’s glorious! A heaven sent delicious creation beneath our trodden lowly earthen feet!

He turns to Krodok, Uh yeah, maybe you first.

[Nate]

Krodok "Want Krodok go down? You follow?"

Gurzubar: I'm actually feeling pretty good. I'll go first. I'd like to do at least brave thing before I die in the underworld.Gurzubar peers down the shaft again, gulps, and starts to descend.I really hope they weren't dung beetles...He mutters to himself as he starts down.

[caveman]

Cedric will descend after Krodok.

[GreyWolfVT]

Krodok peers at the iron rungs. "Want Krodok go down? You follow?"

Galot Wenz just about to agree to letting Krodok go first stops when Gurzubar volunteers to go first. "Well I was going to say yes Krodok but I guess you go after Gurzubar." the former performer will go 3rd or 4th which ever is free once everyone is done volunteering to go down next.

[Pulpatoon]

Operation Unfathomable: Day 1; mid-morning

The party begins the climb down the shaft, single file. It is a long climb—achingly, despairingly long. Without any indications of the passage of time, or any clear sense of how far the ladder goes, there are several moments of panic where you become convinced that there is no bottom, and that you will descend until exhaustion loosens your grip and you plunge endlessly into a blue-green abyss. Other times, you become so lost in the rhythm of passing hand-over-hand along rung-after-rung that you lose track of whether you're awake or asleep, or which direction is up or down. Fortunately, the gum-mellowed Krodok and Gurzubar set an emotional counterpoint to the rest of the party's rising confusion and anxiety.

After what feels like, and might have been, hours, you reach the bottom of the shaft. Conferring among yourselves, you estimate that the ladder was in the neighborhood of 1000' deep. You arms are shaking from the exertion, and you take a rest at the landing.

Oothu comments: "We should try not to lose any limbs down here, as, on our return, we'll have that ladder between us and the sunlight."

Operation Unfathomable: Day 1; early afternoon

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The ladder shaft ends in a small, irregular cavern, about 20' across at its widest point. The pale blue-green luminescence seen from above is revealed here to emanate from the walls, floors, and ceiling, creating an atmosphere of dreamy strangeness. A rough passage leads north-east.

Krodok, seeing that Holy Ollan Lumis is over-burdened, takes one of the bundles of healing salves to carry. "Krodok strong, short hair. Krodok help carry. You want Krodok carry you?"

Actions!
Next major action post: Friday morning, EDT.

[Zhym]

"Your optimism that any of us will survive long enough to worry about climbing back up that hole is adorable," scoffs Bubba.

"Anyway, here we are," he says, surveying the luminescent cavern. "As good a place to die as any, I suppose."

[GreyWolfVT]

Galot Wenz "Krodok you are very helpful aren't you." he comments before adding to the limb loss conversation "Duly noted I'll try not to lose any limbs down here. Then again let us hope we are all able to leave this place intact."

[Nate]

Gurzubar looks at the floor, trying to see any tracks or clues of the Prince's war-band. Also he inspects the walls and floor to see what it's made of, if it's hard like stone, or breakable. Since he didn't think to bring a lantern or torch he wonders if a makeshift light source could be made from this luminescent material.

Is the glow enough to see clearly?

[Pulpatoon]

Gurzubar's investigation of the floor reveal's scuff marks, disturbed dust, and debris from recent passage. After some prudent tapping along the rocks that surround you, they appear to be solid. Like the shaft to the surface, they seem to have been either carved or chewed.

[1d20+1] = 6+1 = 7

[mjulius]

Ollan eyes Krodok warily. The salves? From here you already look pretty well medicated. You can hang on to the twine. But don’t lose it, I have some ideas...

INVENTORY
1] Weapon: Sword [1d8] [Q3]
2] sword
3] Armor: Gambeson [Q3]
4] Armor: Shield [Q1]
5] Sack
6] Lamp Oil
7] Glue
8] Rations
9] Rations
10] Potion of Invisibility
11] Healing salve [1d4+1] 3
12] Healing salve [1d4+1] 3
13] Stone Cloak [camouflage: +1 to checks] & Ancient charm vs. Chaos: functions as protection from evil for 1d4 days

[Pulpatoon]

Krodok looks at the ball of string that Ollan Lumis hands him. He studies it, as though trying to make sense of this new-fangled thing. Finally he laughs. "Okay, short-hair. Krodok hold it, but hide cord better."

[caveman]

Cedric looks around warily, axe in hand. He skulks a few yards down the passage and listens intently, hiding against a wall. Are we alone? What madness is this?

[Captain Kinkajou]

Anurak Orm

On finally reaching the bottom of the ladder, Anurak hops down gratefully and then proceeds to flex his arms and legs with a good deal of painful grimacing. When the pain in his limbs has subsided a little, he unslings the large shield from his back and slides the cleaver from his belt, readying himself to face the unfathomable horrors within. His shield is heavily tarnished on the front as though it has been frequently seared with flame and there is a smattering of grains of rice stuck to the back from where Anurak recently used the shield as a paella pan.

"So, which way?" he asks determinedly, as though that wasn't a stupid question.

[Pulpatoon]

Operation Unfathomable: Day 1; early afternoon
As the party rechecks their belongings and considers whether to start exploring, a sudden wind whips up, bring strange, fungal smells and a cloud of dust and debris. Almost as soon as they notice it, it intensifies to the point of distraction, and then, suddenly, a whirlwind careens around the corner of the northeast passage and is upon them!

Everyone scrambles to anchor themselves as the wind snatches them up, but only Krodok is able to cling tightly enough. The rest of the party finds themselves aloft, proverbial ass over aphoristic teakettle, jumbled and battered as the whirlwind carries them away. Navigation or even simple observation is impossible.

After a very brief journey, the whirlwind smacks into a wall and disperses. You are dumped unceremoniously onto the stone floor of a passage.

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You are bruised and discombobulated, but uninjured.

Among the debris dropped by the whirlwind:
• A paper packet, folded and glued to make a small box, about the size of your palm. The outside of the packet is printed in colorful graphics, and the inside is lined with paper backed with metal foil. Inside are 20 paper cylinders, very delicate, wrapping up doses of dried vegetal matter. It occurs to those of your who participate in pipe smoking that these cylinders could be a way to smoke tobacco without a pipe. Although you're not sure if they contain tobacco.

• Unidentifiable skull, notable for three eye sockets, three-way mandibles lined with razor-sharp teeth, and a distended braincase.

• A hard-carapaced, 4' diameter sphere that unrolls itself to reveal a giant pill bug. It hisses at you aggressively, tucks itself back into a ball, and rolls away, proceeding East.

• Dozens upon dozens of tiny human figures—no taller than your pinkie-nail is long—dressed in tiny fur clothes. They are dead.

As you pick yourselves up and regain your wits, Krodok comes running in from the Western end of the passage, his face lit up with surprise. "How you do that? Can do it again?"

Actions!
Next major post: Sunday evening, EDT.

Master Event Table[1d12] = 1
Underworld Phenomena: [1d6] = 2
Whirlwind Contents: [1d12] = 5[1d12] = 6[1d12] = 2[1d12] = 1
Save: [1d20] = 10

[GreyWolfVT]

Galot Wenz "I didn't do anything Krodok. However I don't wish to repeat it. Though I am glad someone got some entertainment from it." the man replies to Krodok.

[Nate]

Gurzubar: Krodok, are we far from the entrance? What was that? Who are these tiny people? Gurzubar picks up and examines the box of rolled paper. Anyone have a light?

[Captain Kinkajou]

Anurak Orm

After their unceremonious arrival, Anurak hops to his feet and totters around unsteadily for a few moments, while dusting himself off and checking for damage.

"What a curious meteorological effect. It's left me quite giddy," he declares. "Is everyone uninjured? Are we all present?"

He looks around at his companions to check.

[Pulpatoon]

Gurzubar: Krodok, are we far from the entrance? What was that? Who are these tiny people? Gurzubar picks up and examines the box of rolled paper. Anyone have a light?

Krodok shrugs. "Near. Length of two, three... many wooly mammoths."

Oothu retrieves flint and steel for Gurzubar, and, missing the point entirely, says, "We don't need to light torches. The walls glow, and fire would just make us stand out and ruin any chance of stealth."

[mjulius]

Ollan follows the wall to the east, in the direction of the bug, close enough to the bend in the cavern to see around but cautious, making an effort to not give up his position. Also still in view of his companions. In a word: skulking.

He peers down the cavern.

[Pulpatoon]

Ollan slips ahead to peer around the next corner.

Ollan:

As you approach the corner, you notice that the ground becomes littered with brittle debris, like shells on a seashore. Stepping carefully, you are able to avoid stepping on the scattered pieces, which you expect would crack loudly underfoot. This becomes more difficult as you go on, because the litter becomes denser.

Peering around the corner, you see a that the passage widens into a small chamber. The chamber is heaped with the same brittle debris, which you now recognize as the discarded carapaces of several dozen giant pill bugs. A few yards from your vantage point lies the tightly curled form of the pill bug you were following. It is being harassed by two creatures.

The creatures are bat-winged, hairless predators of roughly human size and weight, with brain-like shapes dominating their otherwise featureless heads. Curved, blade-like tusks emerge from their chests. One is using one of these blades to pry open the armored plates of the pill bug.

At the far end of the chamber, two passages lead out.

Oothu figures out why Gruzubar was asking for a light, and lights a cigarette for him (disapprovingly).

Gruzubar:

Smoking this cigarette feels great. Like, really great. You feel healthier and bucked up and ready to climb a mountain. You're also pretty sure you look cool doing it.

Dice Rolls:

Ollan skulks: [1d20+3] = 18+3 = 21

Actions!
Next action-post: Tuesday morning EDT