In the Cold North - Forum RPG

[Arkbrik]

Gerald gives it a shot.

Rolled Wis 9+16 vs. 25

Nisos coughs and wakes up. 1 HP regained

The chewing sounds from the cave you first came from continue. In the other direction is the faint gibbering of the fat beasts.

Situation:

Spoiler: show

Saucix: 8/8 HP, spells and prayers left: Cure Light Wounds

Gerald: 3/8 HP

Gregor: 3/6 HP

Nisos: 1/1 HP, spells left: Magic Missile, Charm Person, Protection from Evil

Adarim: 6/7 HP

Logan: Mostly healthy

[Quantumsurfer]

We need to recoup and come up with a better plan to push on, if that's still what we want to do.

[IVhorseman]

we do, we should.

[Silverdream]

"Agreed. Here's the plan, we try to scare the beasts. We'll yell, bash our swords and shields together and walk past them. If that doesn't work, we'll go around them. If that doesn't work, we'll hit them with the sides of our swords while falling back.

[Arkbrik]

Here's a map so everyone is on the same page.

Spoiler: show

[mgb519]

Adarim
"We're here to investigate, and until we find something out we may as well keep looking. What's your take, leader?"

[Silverdream]

"Agreed. Here's the plan, we try to scare the beasts. We'll yell, bash our swords and shields together and walk past them. If that doesn't work, we'll go around them. If that doesn't work, we'll hit them with the sides of our swords while falling back.

[mgb519]

Adarim
"You misunderstand. I'm telling you that your plan is a waste of time. We can just prep the oil and solve the problem."

[Silverdream]

"It could work, but we may need that oil for later.

[mgb519]

Adarim
"I've got two quarts left. I'll let you make the call."

[IVhorseman]

"The Beasts hate warmth, light, and righteousness, so the Fire seems the best way to destroy them."

[Arkbrik]

You turn back to the beast cave to apply scare tactics, banging weapons against shields and shouting.

Saucix rolled Cha 15+10 vs. Will*2
Gerald rolled Cha 1+10 vs. Will*2
Gregor rolled Cha 11+9 vs. Will*2
Nisos rolled Cha 12+16 vs. Will*2
Adarim rolled Cha 4+13 vs. Will*2

The beasts waddle back and offer no resistance as you walk past them and enter the tunnel leading south.

You walk south through the tunnel for a few hours, then it turns east. Soon after that you come into a small cavern. On the floor lies a short and broad humanoid skeleton - you would guess from a dwarf. A few of its ribs are broken, and three of its fingers lie in a pile a few feet away from the rest of the body. Beside the skeleton are two objects: a worn piece of parchment with writing on it, and a metal cylinder covered in strange symbols. The cylinder seems to have two lids, one at each end. One of these has been removed and lies next to it.

There are three other exits from this cavern: one tunnel to the north, one tunnel to the southwest, and one opening in the wall to the southeast which seems to lead to another cavern.

[Silverdream]

Examine the parchment and the canister.

[Arkbrik]

The following is written on the parchment:

"To you who find this, should this be my death. I have found suggestions of a terrible secret, an infection, within my blood and within everyone's blood. Read the scroll case and all will be clear to you. I am going to cast the spell on the scroll within, for only then will I know the truth."

Nisos recognizes the metal cylinder as a scroll case. Scrolls are spells written down by mages onto parchment, which allows them to either be cast once by anyone (even nonmages) or be transcribed into a spellbook by another mage so they can learn to cast it from memory.

The scroll case is empty. The squiggly symbols are unintelligible, but arranged like a text.

[Arkbrik]

So what's the next step?