Horrors of the Underdark

[Farmerbink]

Laisha joins Simmalis by the door. "Any idea what it does?" she whispers.

Simmalis smiles broadly. Nope! Not a clue! In her excitement she speaks louder than intended for a moment, before recalling the gravity of the situation. Um... Though, I guess I had better find out, huh?

She turns back to the farmer in time to hear his discussion of the pea field, and turns her attention to Taurg. Well? Care to see what we can find out there?

[Smileybastard]

Taurg

"Yes, lets go."

[jedipotter]

The field of planted pea plants is easy enough to find, and the broken fence is quite obvious as the right spot. The field just looks like row and rows of pea plants. It's easy to see the two rows of disturbed pea plants, as all the dirt has been moved around and looks quite ''fresh'' compared to the other dirt. The broken pieces of fence lay on the ground, stacked by the still standing fence pole.

Beyond the fence is just the wild, unclaimed wilderness. Mostly grassy fields of wild plants with lots of small groves of trees, bushes and thorny plants.

[Smileybastard]

Taurg

Taurg gestures for the others to stay back. "Stay there for a few minutes. Let not mess up what clues we have any more than needed."

Spoiler: Crunch

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Perception to spot clues (1d20+7)[25]
Survival to follow tracks (1d20+5)[20]

[NeoSeraphi]

Shina frowns. "He broke the fence? That's an odd thing to do when you're an inch away from death. Why would he exert that much physical strain on his almost bloodless body?" She strokes her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe...he was being chased by whatever killed him, trying to finish him off. And he broke the fence so he could at least die in peace."

Shina follows the group to the pea patch and begins examining the area around the broken fence for tracks.

Spoiler

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Perception: (1d20+7)[18]
Survival: (1d20+6)[26]

[Dark Knight Renee]

"Or maybe it's just a very weak fence," Laisha replied quietly. She very much did not like having her adopted home invaded by menaces from the Underdark, under which heading she included Shina.

[Farmerbink]

"Or maybe it's just a very weak fence," Laisha replied quietly.

Simmalis nodded simply. Watching the two trackers work was interesting, and for the moment, demanded all of her focus.

[jedipotter]

Spoiler: Taurg

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The area around where the body fell in the pea patch and the area by the broken fence are a mess. At least a dozen gnomes and halflings must have walked all over the area. And all the dirt that was disturbed, moved, dug up and packed down.

Moving to the other side of the broken fence, and the duergar's tracks are easy to spot. His typical big, thick, heavy dwarven boots left nice deep boot prints in the softer parts of the ground. The trampled grass and broken branches are also quite obvious. The trail leads due east.

Spoiler: Shina

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The area around where the body fell in the pea patch and the area by the broken fence are a mess. At least a dozen gnomes and halflings must have walked all over the area. And all the dirt that was disturbed, moved, dug up and packed down.

Moving to the other side of the broken fence, and the duergar's tracks are easy to spot. His typical big, thick, heavy dwarven boots left nice deep boot prints in the softer parts of the ground. The trampled grass and broken branches are also quite obvious. The trail leads due east.

[Smileybastard]

Taurg

"He came from due east and alone from the look of it. Can't say what happened in the field as there are too many gnome prints. We could track him back to where he came from. "

[Farmerbink]

"He came from due east and alone from the look of it. Can't say what happened in the field as there are too many gnome prints. We could track him back to where he came from. "

Simmalis' eyes squint and eyebrows furrow as she focuses on the ground around them, unable to recognize whatever signs Taurg has seen. She shrugs, before looking up at the half-orc. Whispering, she addresses him: I... I don't want to be rude. But um. Doesn't it strike you as a bit fishy that a dead duergar shows up, and a drow just happens to wander into town on the same day? I mean, I want to know where this guy came from, but can we trust having her along?

[Smileybastard]

Taurg

A look of understanding comes across Taurg's face and he nods. "You are right and I don't trust drow, but she seems ok, but I don't intend to let her out of my sight just yet."

[jedipotter]

A slight breeze blows across the country side, on Gart Groundseed's farm on the east edge of town. The farm is fairly quiet. There are a couple gnome farmhands around doing work, and several young female gnomes are hanging laundry out too dry.

Otherwise, the farm is nice and quiet and peaceful.

[NeoSeraphi]

Shina begins following the tracks eastward, moving slowly to make sure she can spot every sign of struggle, blood or other problems.

Spoiler

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Taking 10 on Perception and Survival here, for 17 and 16 respectfully.

[Smileybastard]

Taurg

Taurg follows the drow, reading the tracks as he goes and watching for danger.

Spoiler: Crunch

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Survival (1d20+5)[12]
Perception (1d20+7)[13]

[Dark Knight Renee]

Laisha wrung her hands anxiously, but did not immediately follow the drow and the half-org. "I don't like this, Simi. I don't like this at all..."

[Farmerbink]

"I don't like this, Simi. I don't like this at all..."

Simmalis tries to reassure the woman, It will be fine, you'll see. Besides, we know Taurg can be rough around the edges, but you've known him long enough to know it's mostly a show. Come on, we don't want to be left behind!- and I don't want to leave him alone with her!

On her short legs, Simmalis has to walk only slightly quicker than her normal pace to keep up with the trackers. As they pass the edge of the village, she draws her crossbow and keeps her eyes peeled for dangers.

Spoiler: perception

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(1d20+7)[24]

[Dark Knight Renee]

The anxious water genasi hesitated a moment longer, before hurrying to catch up with Simmalis and the two trackers.

Spoiler: Perception

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(1d20+3)[10]

[jedipotter]

The trail goes eastward, in more or less a straight line. The route is directly over land and stays in the wild.

After just a couple minutes of walking, the village is lost in the dense wild plants behind you all.

Spoiler: Shina

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The dark dwarf seemed to be moving fairly fast, and in a straight line.....very common for a dwarf. There is no sign of a struggle.

Spoiler: Taurg

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The wild areas, look mostly undisturbed.

Spoiler: Simmalis

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The wilderness shows no signs of immediate danger.

Spoiler: Laisha

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Sees the wilderness

It's a good three hours of walking through the grass, thorns and plants of the wilderness, until the trail leads towards a thick grove of pine trees. Several dozen pine trees grown together, there trunks just a few feet apart, making a ''natural wall''. The grove is a good hundred square feet around in a lumpy circle shape. There is a narrow opening that can be walked through on the west side...

Spoiler: Shina

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The dark dwarf's trail leads right into the pine tree grove, and right up too the narrow opening.

[Smileybastard]

Taurg

Taurg looks at the natural wall. "I didn't expect his tracks to lead to a place like this. I was expecting a cave."

[NeoSeraphi]

Shina frowns and stops, removing a map from her possessions and opening it up, examining her list of known entrances to the Underdark on the surface. She looks at the map and estimates her location on it, then tries to guess where this dwarf may have come from.

Spoiler

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Knowledge (Geography): (1d20+5)[15]

[jedipotter]

Spoiler: Shina

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There are no Underdark entrances in the immediate area. There is one just three more miles east ward.

[Farmerbink]

As the motley crew approaches the copse of trees, Simmalis notices the opening that the trackers are heading towards. Peering about cautiously, she says to her companions, "Give me a few moments to inspect the area. Perhaps I can learn something about our erstwhile guide's intentions. She withdraws a single coffee bean from the pouch at her belt and mutters a brief incantation. "Enfocament meus sentits!" The coffee bean crumbles to dust, which she lets slide through her near-ephemeral fingers.

Crouching low to the ground, she carefully prowls forward, staying underneath nearby branches when able, and all-but disappearing into the shadows found therein. She approaches the opening in the trees, and sneaks through.

Spoiler: scrunch

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casting "Heightened Awareness." I don't have access to copy/paste URLs right now, but will do so when able. relevant part: for 10 minutes, I get +2 to perception and trained knowledge skills, and a +4 on a single initiative check, if I dismiss the remaining duration of the spell.

(1d20+9)[16] perception
(1d20+10)[20] stealth
I'd like, if relevant, to check if I know anything about the area.
Dungeoneering: (1d20+11)[30]
Local (humanoids): (1d20+11)[31]
Planes: (1d20+11)[25]
Nature: (1d20+11)[12] (not geography, yet )

[Smileybastard]

Taurg

Taurg watches Simmalis cast the spell and move forward. Unsure what the spell does, he waits a moment or two and then follows.

Spoiler: Crunch

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Stealth (1d20+7)[18]
Perception (1d20+7)[22]
Survival (1d20+5)[19]