Return To The Ruins (Warlords Palace)

[silifi]

Sik notices Kain and Magda wandering off along the beach, and decides to follow along.

"You find something over there?" he asks Magda.

[subaltari]

Magda agrees that not having boats could be a bad thing, and likes the idea of trying to recover them after a short cool-off period.

She nods and lets the smooth-talking cleric help her back to her feet. "Of course. Let's have a look... no Sik, not yet, care to join us with your sharp eyes and strong arm?"

She holds up the light so the three of them can inspect the nearby features, seeming to be three triangular towers connected by a wall, and look for openings into them as they pass by.

"Speaking of this lantern, I should check the oil when we return, it's probably getting low."

[OGRE MAGE]

Are you actually reading my updates?

[subaltari]

Are you actually reading my updates?

Sorry, didn't see your post. When I went to submit mine, it showed me silifi's post had gone through, but not yours, for some reason.

[subaltari]

Magda
Apologies, y'all can ignore my last post for the most part...

However, there is a clear and obvious stone ledge in the cliff face about 10 feet above the beach, right at its terminus. When Kain boost Magda up for a look over the ledge, the Witch is shocked to find a long black stairway leading up into the darkness there.

"Kain, it's another entrance! Come see for yourself," she says excitedly. "Have Sik there give you a leg up."

[Ahlmzhad]

Taibhse

"I'd say we need to organize and get the boats back or we may have to find an alternate way out of here.

[Karaunios]

Akhilleus

"If there's another way out, that's the best alternative we got right now.

But the boats are critical if we want to cross back and resume our exploration. We could leave them here at the shore and maybe come back later and try rowing back towards our initial position, hopefully evading any giant worms."

If I've got this right, the boats are already at the shore since we pulled them to it when the monster attacked, right?

[The_Wanderer]

Cyril

"The trouble with losing our way out in the middle of the dungeon is that we keep running into things and every one of those things looks like an opportunity...I will follow the group but do not think we have the strength for a heavy dose of exploration."

[Monsieur Rose]

Kainaxarthos

He looks to Sik. "How about it? Give me a boost?" Kain, if helped, will join Magda on the ledge and look up the stairs to the darkness.

"Now that's interesting. Part of the fortress or part of those other things, you think?" Kain smiles in the lamplight. "Nice find. Shall we tell the others?"

Kain moves back to the ledge and looks down at Sik. "We found stairs up. Can you call the others?"

[silifi]

Sik gives Kain a boost up the cliff.

He is about to call out, but hesitates for a moment, "We were planning to try to help Drest. Perhaps we should not explore too much further while we rest and try to formulate a plan."

Nonetheless, he does call out to the others that something has been found.

[subaltari]

"Methinks part of the fortress, since it seems to be stone hewn with straight angles and not the curved metal of this eldritch city," Magda repies to Kain's query, her bangled arm gesturing out at the dead buildings along the shore. "And it should be plain that the stone construction is much more recent." She places her lantern a foot from the edge of the flat, wide ledge; then spreading her skirts, the witch sits down next to it and dangles her feet over whilst waiting either for the others to arrive below, or else to climb back down to them.

[OGRE MAGE]

If I've got this right, the boats are already at the shore since we pulled them to it when the monster attacked, right?

Yes, the rafts have been pulled up from the shoreline and secured.

[OGRE MAGE]

Under The Zakath Desert
Drest Needs His Rest
No Idea On Time Or Day

Climbing up to the ledge reveals a long, narrow stairway leading into the huge cliff wall and disappearing into the darkness beyond your light.

Magda decides to investigate, climbing and climbing the stairs until she finds a right angle bend that must lead back towards the area they searched days ago. Or was it weeks ago now? It is difficult to say here in the Underborean realms, as no sign of Helios can be seen to determine time of day, or days.

The others warn against exploring too far, so the Witch turns back to tell them what she's found.

Actions?

underborea main - Copy.jpeg (52.84 KiB) Viewed 569 times

Taibhse (Sh2) FA:0(20) AC5 11/11 CT Torch
Xenos (DS3) FA:3 AC5 17/17 CT
Akhilleus [/b] (F4) FA:4 AC4 14/35
Kainaxarthos (C3) FA:2 AC6 17/19
Magda (W2) FA:0 AC9 8/8 Sleep Hooded Lantern
Sik (Ba1) FA:1 AC5 9/12 Torch
Cyril (Pr3) FA:1 AC8 12/12 CLW, CLW, DM, HP Torch

[Ahlmzhad]

Taibhse

While I feel for Drest no one has put forth any plausible way to help him. We can trust that since Magda feels her companion still exists that we could probably touch the gem and all end up with Drest. But, outside of that there is no plausible action other than searching the entirety of this under realm in hope we stumble across him.

I still believe our best action is to regain the boats, cross over to the far shore and walk out as we came in. Return to town gain new strengths and then return with fresh supplies and more resources to further explore this realm.

[The_Wanderer]

Taibhse

While I feel for Drest no one has put forth any plausible way to help him. We can trust that since Magda feels her companion still exists that we could probably touch the gem and all end up with Drest. But, outside of that there is no plausible action other than searching the entirety of this under realm in hope we stumble across him.

I still believe our best action is to regain the boats, cross over to the far shore and walk out as we came in. Return to town gain new strengths and then return with fresh supplies and more resources to further explore this realm.

Cyril

"I agree with Taibhse - we can't lose track of the overall goal here."

[Karaunios]

Akhilleus sighs at the comments.

"There are many of us, with different opinions, and above all, these tunnels hide more and more places to discover. This only distracts us. I myself have already changed my mind two or three times.

Taibshe and Cyril are right. We need to go back, rest, and later return to the fortress to search for our lost companion... None of us are in good health right now. We should recover and use the treasures we’ve found to equip ourselves. We should avoid any distractions and new paths that we might come across on our way.

Let’s do it. Let's take the boats and go back.

I'd also suggest we refill our waterskins in this river, if the water seems drinkable, before we attempt the desert crossing."

[Monsieur Rose]

Can I assume from the conversation that we are all together, on and at the base of the ledge?

Kainaxarthos

"I can see that. But I can't even remember the overall goal anymore. Exterminating the snake people? We haven't seen a single one." Kain smiles and shrugs. "I hear what you are saying, and I will go along with the choice, but I think time is not on his side."

"Going back to town would leave them here for days. Can there be a middle path?"

*Edit* Ah. Cross posted.

[OGRE MAGE]

Can I assume from the conversation that we are all together, on and at the base of the ledge?

Please do.

Okay so what is that now?

Three votes for leaving Drest to his fate and one vote for continuing the search.

Anyone else care to interject?

[shaidar]

Xenos

"I'm not comfortable with the idea of leaving Drest here for days. Why don't we recuperate at the matron's hut and then see who wishes to remain to search and who is going back to Xambaala."

[Karaunios]

Akhilleus

"That was the initial idea after Drest disappeared. It's a good compromise. Let's stay at the Matron's Hut, then. This place is getting the best of our curiosity, so let's go back now and not linger any longer. We need to rest.

To the boats." He heads back to the boats without waiting for any answer. He'll take the skiff.

Sorry for the change of mind, again, but it's true we can't leave Drest here. If I were in Rex' situation I wouldn't like it a bit that the group leaves

We also need to move the action forward and don't react to every new door and corridor we see. Not accusing anyone here. I'm as guilty of this as the next one.