Harbingers of the Silver Flame

[Saskia]

Looking at the high cliff, Aria frowns. Well then. Don't suppose one of you could just throw me, she says with a grin. She steps up to the wall, takes a deep breath, and begins to scale it.

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climb (1d20)[9] (+0 modifier)

[Nihilarian]

Ko smiles, and her shadow leaps forward and catches Aria. Kias can carry you and myself up, and at least assist Arcutia and Zal.

Ko takes the time to transform into an elf, as slim as he can make himself. His clothes seem slightly baggy, now.

[mistformsquirrl]

Ari begins determinedly climbing.

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Climb: (1d20+1)[20]

[Mantid]

As Ko catches Aria, Dalton returns again. "Here are a pair of everbright lanterns and a compass," he says. "I think you should have some of the rope too. There's more than enough between the Gallant and the barbarians' supplies. Should be able to catch it one something once we tight a good knot in the end of it. Not exactly a grappling hook, but it'll do in a pinch."

A couple of the Gallant's crew come over and take K'Poork over to the second raider ship as the others prepare to row it out to the open sea. Dalton follows them about half way before turning around. "Remember," he calls out, "I can only guarentee a week out in the bay. The stone can still reach me, or anyone you happen to know, but it who knows how long it'll take to get a ship here to pick you up."

Ari, meanwhile has little trouble climbing up to the cave.

Ari

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[Listen check]You easily scamper up the cliffside, reaching the cave Zal indicated. As you pull yourself into the entrance of the cave, you barely make out echoing scuffles of someone quietly slipping deeper into the cave.

[Saskia]

Aria's breath catches at being caught, unfamiliar with the strange feeling of being held by the air itself, and bows to Kias once she's firmly on the ground. Thank you! With Dalton's supplies and advice, she adds Thanks, Captain! With any luck it won't take a week anyway!

[Gildedragon]

Zal pops his fingers and grins gripping onto the wall. This is my stuff he says, starting to climb up with ease, before jumping into the shadows, climbing the rest of the way up once he got within range.

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Climb: (1d20+10)[23]

[Mantid]

Zal easily climbs up the rocks to join Ari in the cave. Tossin the knotted rope up, they secure it around the rocks Zal had spotted the shadow figure behind.

Taking care to spot any ambushes, you move northward into the cave, going as deeply as you can by the sunlight spilling in through the cave mouth. Eventually, however, you are forced to open the everbright lanterns.

The main tunnel continues in a fairly northern direction, snaking slight to the west and east, as well as vertically, as it goes deeper into the mountain. A number of smaller caves join here and there, though the largest is barely tall enough for a human to enter without ducking down.

After making your wave through the cave for close to an hour, the tunnel finally splits. Checking the compass you find that the path has curved to the point that it facing more east than north. The main path seems to continue bending east, decending lower into the cliffs, while the branching path, nearly as large as the main tunnel, angles off at a more north-easter direction.

Zal

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[Spot check] You notice something doesn't look right about a part of the southern wall a short distance from the branch down the main tunnel. Somehow the wall just seems less firm than the surrounding walls.

[Nihilarian]

It would seem we should make our way through the branching tunnel. Ko says, doubtfully.

[mistformsquirrl]

Ari nods to Ko, then starts down the branching tunnel, sword ready.

[Gildedragon]

Zal raises his hand, before reaching into his backpack to pull out a length of rope. Hold onto this for me. Spotted something he whispers, handing his teammates one end of the rope before moving close to the odd piece of wall.
He examines it, his gloved hands pushing and pressing against it, looking for traps or any other sort of mechanism.

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(1d20+3)[23] yeah he's not a rogue... He stabs things, not so much into the trap find and disarm side of scoundreling

[Saskia]

Aria steps closer to Zal as he searches for whatever he's looking for, surely searching for a secret door to hidden troves of forgotten treasure, when thought hits her. So we're actually adventurers now, she says quietly with wonder in her voice. Not only adventurers, but off to save the world, and from demonic incursion no less. Galifar the First didn't send many much further than the outer reaches of the Wastes. They say he spent the most time and resources trying to reclaim the region since the dragons ruled. She sighs wistfully, losing focus in her eyes. There could be anything here, untouched by anybody but the wastelanders for ages. She laughs breathlessly but continues, her words forming faster, And what we're doing here? We'll be in history books with kings and heroes! Hell, we'll be heroes! There won't be a place we can't go!

[Mantid]

As you approach the wall you can more clearly see that it isn't rock at all. It gives away easily when you push it and you can make out it's tapered shape. It turns out to be a peice of leather, treated and dyed to closely resemble the cave walls. Pulling it off the wall, you see that it is tapered and has a metal fastener on it. It appears that it is ment to be worn like a cloak.

Behind were the cloak hung is another passage, this one angling sharply downward to the north. The passge is only slightly taller than five feet and varies between two and three feet wide.

[Nihilarian]

Ko motions for Ari to return while he says, I see. This should be the correct path, I surmise. With that, he sets off down the passageway.

[Gildedragon]

Zal unhooks the cloak, setting it on his shoulders. Waste not he says, figuring it'd be excellent for camouflage in these tunnels.
He waits to go last, figuring out his new cape is a good way to cover their backs.

[mistformsquirrl]

Ari stops and then turns to follow Ko instead, still wary.

[Mantid]

Aria

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As everyone begins to squeeze into the narrow passage way you hear the sound of someone else coming up behind Zal. Glancing over your shoulder you see a leather-clad half-orc emerging from the shadows and moving toward Zal, a dagger in his hand. A much larger battleaxe remains sheathed at his side.

[Saskia]

With the orc's approach, Aria quietly draws her crossbow and quickly turns to shoot, hoping to catch him by surprise before he noticed her. After her bolt flies, she says aloud Company!

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(1d20+10)[29] move silently
(1d20+5)[7] to hit the orc

[Gildedragon]

Zal turns around, setting himself up on the defensive. The shadows from the tunnel blur his form as he weaves and bobs his way to the half orc. Who's this? he asks, drawing his shortsword to parry any attack.

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total defense: 24 AC / T 20 / FF 15
Draw as part of a move action
Child of shadow stance: 20% miss chance

[Mantid]

The half-orc creeping up behind Zal ducks on reflex, but Aria's bolt flies wide, bouncing off the cave wall an arms length away.

"Tsk. I was hoping to get some answers out of you while you were cornered in the tunnel," the half-orc says, sliding his battleaxe out of the loop on his belt and taking a defensive stance. "Can't say I like these odds..."

Ko

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Through the glasses of discernment you see a blue aura around the half-orc. Whomever he is, he believes himself to be on the side of good.

[Saskia]

If you don't like the odds, you could always surrender. Aria's tone is flat, perhaps even somewhat annoyed, as she reloads her crossbow. Otherwise you'll die just like your friends.

[Nihilarian]

Ko coughs to get attention and points at his spectacles, saying dispassionately My glasses are telling me he thinks he's one of the good guys. Whether or not this is actually correct is more difficult to ascertain and would likely require a healthy debate no matter what his past actions are. Do with that information what you will.

[Gildedragon]

Zal locks eyes with the half orc, not fully trusting him but willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. That so? he asks, sword still in hand. Drop the ax and start talking. That's what you want, no? The brelander grins. Won't stick you, we swear.

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Diplomacy: (no not his strong suit) (1d20+1)[13]

[mistformsquirrl]

Ari gives the half-orc a hard look, then speaks up herself "Before anything else happens, drop the axe. As my friend here says, we won't hurt you... if you comply. If not..." she hefts the greatsword to emphasize her unstated point.

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Intimidate - (1d20+10)[22]

[Mantid]

"I stand for the light in this dark place, as that one says," he replies, gesturing towards Ko with his dagger. "But on which side do you stand? I cannot dishonor myself and lower my blades before evil."

Despite his bravado, it is obvious that the half-orc is shaken by Ari's threat. He takes a step backwards and can't help glancing at something to the right of Zal.

[Gildedragon]

Zal's eyes flit to his right, looking for whatever the half orc is looking at. Give us a name, at least, axman. he says.

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Spot (1d20+5)[7]

[Nihilarian]

Which side of what? Says Ko, curious. Dozens of gods and god-like beings exist and each has his own set of morals, then there's those who take their morals from sources other than deities, and those who gleefully cross the line at the slightest provocation. That being said, perhaps it would interest you to know that down below we killed several pirates and vargouilles?

[Mantid]

A large rat slowly creeps towards Zal. It stops and hisses at him, baring reddish teeth from it's unusual furless and purple scaled face. "Dorsl, down," the half-orc barks. The rats turns it's head to the half-orc for a moment before fixing its dark red eyes back on Zal. However the rate stays put and stops hissing.

The half-orc regards Ko for a moment before speaking again. "I am Dre'hiht of the Ghaash'kala, sworn to fight the evils that infest this land. I follow the Binding Flame, in which there is no ambiguity or deviation in morals.

"Now you know what light I stand in. On which side of the shadows do you stand?"

[Gildedragon]

On the best one. Zal answers with a smirk, trying to hide how unnerved he was by the rat. Street urchins learned to not truck with those vermin, and this one looked nastier than the average Sharn rat.Dre, some trust. We're not attacking. So why don't you sheathe those weapons and start talking. Ask those questions you were gonna, before you failed at sneaking.

[mistformsquirrl]

Ari gradually lowers her weapon, keeping a sharp eye on Dre'hiht and his rat just the same.

[Saskia]

Aria remains silent for the moment, watching him with a raised eyebrow, gauging the veracity of the newcomer's claims.

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Sense motive (1d20+6)[7]
Bardic knowledge (1d20+11)[30] on the Flame that Binds and its doctrine
Knowledge history (1d20+12)[13] on the interaction of the Ghaash'kala and the Silver Flame