Chapter 4: Shadows and Piercing Light

[onlyme]

Whitsell heads in that direction, ready for an attack.

[Rukellian]

Whitsell leads the group into the northeastern path, cutting down thick webbing as they go. As they approach the end of the tunnel, they notice the object spotted by Sunshine's keen eyes, held in suspension from the ceiling. It is a cocooned man from the looks of things. Behind the cocoon is a wall showing a dead end. The group is now currently in reverse marching order, with the guard and Sunshine taking the front facing the intersection.

[onlyme]

Whitsell will investigate the cocoon.

[Rukellian]

Whitsell will investigate the cocoon.

Prying open the contents, you find a shriveled man. He is still wearing some adventuring gear (leather armor, a backpack) but he appears drained of all bodily contents, a grisly sight to be sure. The backpack inside has a few items here and there, stuff you would usually find in such a kit:

a day's worth of dry drations
a waterskin
a coinpurse full of silver (4) and copper (13)
and a hastily written note

The note is smudged badly with dark stains and is hard to make out. Under better lighting you might be able to determine what it says. This is all you can find from the corpse.

[onlyme]

Whitsell will take the note, and look for better lighting. He will follow the rest out of the tight corridor.

[MonkeyWrench]

Rand continues to follow the group, keeping within his marching order

[Dizlexus]

Sunshine

The elf searches the dead end for a hidden door.
[1d6] = 5

That cocoon gives me the creeps, he says.

[Rukellian]

Sunshine

The elf searches the dead end for a hidden door.
[1d6] = 5

That cocoon gives me the creeps, he says.

You find no hidden entrances. At this time, the whole area around you starts to shake once more, the tremors, based off of some mysterious origin, has not stopped yet.

[Zhym]

"Let us fall back from this place before this place falls on us," says Elethil.

[MonkeyWrench]

Rand, "I think we should leave too, I don't know about the elves but I've been trapped here since the beginning... I miss the sunlight. I don't know anything about an orb so it may be hidden somewhere else..."

[Dizlexus]

Sunshine

I am still a bit disoriented. But I know one thing. I don't want to be buried alive here. Perhaps we should go.

[Grognardsw]

Deceidon reluctantly agrees to leave.

"Let us explore on top of the mountain. Perhaps there are structures there."

[MonkeyWrench]

Rand nods, fine with anything involving seeing the sky again.

[onlyme]

Whitsell nods agreement as well.

[Rukellian]

So just to make sure I know what is going on, the whole group is in agreement to leave the mountain dungeon? If this is so, Captain Hal will reluctantly follow as well, not wanting to have to deal with the whole mountain by himself. The group, after a few hours of carefully retracing their steps, makes it back outside. According to standard day light hours, it should be close to nightfall now, but the EverSun still shines brightly, casting everlasting day time upon the group. Sunshine, Rand and Elithil are confused by this, especially after walking a couple of hours in this environment.

With the bandit camp cleared and the tunnels as well, the way back to town, if you choose to go there will be a straight and safe path.

If the group goes to town, Captain Hal will stop them before they enter the tunnel, showing his great dissapproval in bringing the foul magical items into town, mainly the jars and scrolls that were visibly pocketed.

[Zhym]

I thought we were just talking about getting out of that dead-end tunnel, not necessarily the mountain. Did we exhaust all the other paths?

I'm not necessarily against leaving the mountain for a while, but leaving entirely wasn't what Elethil meant.

[onlyme]

I think there was motion to investigate the top of the mountain, rather than inside it. Especially with the tunnels about to collapse again.

[Rukellian]

Hmmm, so what's the course of action everyone? If you having mountaineering equipment, you can surely try to traverse the mountain side. If you choose to look around the mountain base for a path upwards, it would take me a couple of days to create it and for you to find it, because there is none so far. I certainly don't want to limit you guys in what options are available, I will just need some specific feedback in what your characters would like to do, so that I can keep the story moving in the right direction.

[MonkeyWrench]

Honestly I have no idea where we are in relation to that map but after looking at it again there is one path still to explore, go for it? I am fine either way of resting a bit or continuing forward towards that tunnel.

but again, not knowing where we are in relation to it I have no idea how to get there lol. Can we just say we head in "that" direction?

[Dizlexus]

Sunshine thinks that party standards like Decideon and Whistle should make this decision -- and they should consider Cpt. Hal's thoughts when doing so.