"Oh, I'll be coy and admit that survival is always one of my basic selfish motivation." Torvek answers to Corym with a smile before continuing with a more serious tone  "I have prepared a spell that would make us all invisible as long as you stay close to me.  We could use that for the night."

After they get out and go back to the giant room, Torvek scan the area looking a bit concerned.  "Hmm, something has happened in here overnight.  Looks like our actions from yesterday might have been noticed." he says as he looks around the room trying to figure out how such large things could have disappeared without leaving any traces that he could see.

OOC:
17:12, Today: Torvek Ragdar rolled 19 using 1d20.  Observation check (18)

((ooc: Thanks for rolling the d10's, Yngvar. Are you scouting ahead/in the air? If so, in what form?))

Yngvar will take the form of a hawk and carry a note on his leg to the town ahead that they were coming back with the survivors and asked the town to meet them on the way in. He doesn't fly in a straight line as he wants to see what is ahead on both sides of the trail so that they are not surprised.

Yngvar

Please roll an Int check for general scouting.

19:08, Today: Yngvar the Mad rolled 3 using 1d20.  int check. – 3 - Int 14

Yngvar

You stay close to the group as they make their way up the valley's face and emerge once again onto the rolling slopes of the Trielta Hills. The group tightens up from its previous straggling line, and begins the hike back to Triel.

Circling higher in the sky, you move out further to the south, but before you've flown very far you notice something moving. Peering closer, you see a tan fin protruding from the soil. It is slicing through the turf, leaving a distinct wake of disturbed dirt, and after a few moments you realize what it is: the exposed fin of a bulette, one of the vicious and voracious land sharks. It's not heading directly towards your group, but its path will take it relatively close. And there are several hills between it and them; they'll never see it in time.

"Shit, I gotta go warn the others." he thought to himself. He turns and flies back to the group and lands. He won't be flying no more today! "Kithras! There is a Bullette heading this way, if we stop and go quiet, he might pass us by. What do you think? He should pass on the other side of the next two hills. Unless he changes course." he adds.

"It's less a matter of overnight security, and more a matter of efficiency.  The invisibility spell lasts all day. If I cast it before I go to sleep I'll begin the day invisible and be able to prepare other spells."



"It's possible that they could have been animated by a necromancer, and merely walked away. They could have been illusions in the first place, and simply disappeared. The fact that the ogres--lesser giants--remain, but the true giants are gone makes me wonder if there was some religious or cultural significance."

"Krackor--lets see what the gnome gnows."
This message was last edited by the player at 13:16, Thu 14 Mar.

Krackor

Let me know what questions you want to ask the gnome.

Torvek follows Krackor and Corym to the gnome.

Feeling slightly vindicated bout the Gnome, Krackor's smile gros as he approaches the Gnome.

"Good sir, could you tell us what you know of this place, you must have seen a lot going on?"  He wasn't ready to say he thought this 'illusionist' tmcould have been working against them, a mastermind over the larger creatures!

Krackor

You kneel down before the desiccated remains of the gnome, grasp Gorm's holy symbol, and incant the spell. Magic flows out of your hand in a barely-visible shimmer and settles into the body. It holds for a moment, and then shatters. Taking a closer look at the body, you realize it has been dead far, far longer than the single month you're able to interrogate.

Torvek watches with interest as Krackor attempts to talk to the dead gnome... and keep watching... waiting for something to happen and somewhat fascinated as necromancy is not his forte.  When Krackor finally stops concentrating on the body, Torvek says "Hmm, that was interesting.  Did you learn anything useful?"

((OK--so we can go down, or we can explore this level.  I feel like on this level they'll be expecting us by this point, so lets go down a level))

"Stopping and going quiet is prudent, and better yet if we can stand on some rocky soil."

((It would also help if we could walk Fremen Walk. Are there any rocky outcrops nearby?))
This message was last updated by the player at 03:13, Thu 21 Mar.

"I am hoping that this staircase was unknown by the ogres, giants and other users of this cave system, especially the little man" says Torvek in response to Corym's suggestion, his emphasis on 'the little man' highlighting his concerns about this unknown enemy that might be running the show.  "I think that's a fair guess as this area seems to have been undisturbed for a long time."

"What's our remit here?  Is the goal to disrupt the enemies and make sure that the place is safe for when the other returns or just to explore more of the complex?"

He pauses for a moment waiting for other contribution before continuing

"We have about three days until our friends come back.  Maybe we have time to do both.  Something happened overnight to the giants' bodies, someone must be awareness our actions yesterday.  However, they should not be aware that some of us are still inside.  From their point of view, a raiding party came, rescued the prisoners and left with them.  Leaving them with this belief for a day or two is no bad thing.  We go down and explore these older tunnels today.  During that time, they might decide that retaking this area is not needed or not worth it or they might come in with sufficient force, ready for trouble in order to secure the area and reinforce the entrance.  Either way, we don't need to be present during that time. Tomorrow or the day after, if they retook control, they will be ready for another frontal attack but would less expect us to arrive from the back.  They might also have relaxed and lowered their guard a bit too."

Kitheras

The Trielta Hills are gently rolling, turf-covered hills. There isn't much in the way of exposed stone. However, you've moved enough away from the river valley that you're essentially in the open in all directions. With Yngvar providing the bulette's course, it would be easy to move perpendicularly away from it.

He almost syrains himself praying from some enlightenment, but little s garnered. "Unfortunately very little, it's been here a very long time though, which is kind f good news, it implies, as with the dust build up, that nothing has been here in a while"

He listens again to Corym then Torvek and agrees, "Let's go down, being mindful that something may have scared the Gnome so much that they hid up here until they died!"

((ooc: Who is leading the way down?))

Yngvar leads the group slowly and quietly away from the bullette for about 3/4 of an hour, wait for a bit, then begin heading for the town again.

"Corym, should you lead the way while invisible.  I'll stay behind with Krackor for now and save my invisibility for later." suggests Torvek.

Ex-Prisoner Escort

Under Yngvar's guidance, the group turns away from the bulette. Instead of trying to keep as much as possible to the more level bottoms, they head directly up the hill to their right, and then go trotting down its reverse slope. After cresting a second hill, Yngvar allows the group to turn back into the easier lowland that snakes through the Trielta Hills. Scared of the possibility of ambush, the group moves spritely, until after the better part of a bell Yngvar holds up a hand and lets the pace slow. There's been no sign of the bulette and the group has been relatively quiet. Unless it does something very odd, he's confident that they've evaded the monster.

Way Down We Go Group

((ooc: Corym, please roll some Find Traps rolls.

Krackor, if you want to roll any dwarven stone abilities, feel free.

I'm assuming you're moving without light, since everyone has infravision, unless told otherwise.))

In reply to DM (msg # 516):

Krackor stops every minute or so to check Corym is ok and how the passage fairs (see below).
Checking all at same time really other than depth, which would be once in a while.

Detect Grade/Slope 1-5 on D6
Detect New Tunnel/Passage 1-5 on D6
01:22, Today: Krackor Steelfist rolled 5 using 1d6 Pass
Detect Sliding/Shifting Walls/Rooms 1-4 on D6
01:23, Today: Krackor Steelfist rolled 1 using 1d6 Pass
01:27, Today: Krackor Steelfist rolled 5 using 1d6 Fail
Detect Stonework Traps etc. 1-3 on D6
01:24, Today: Krackor Steelfist rolled 5 using 1d6 Fail
01:26, Today: Krackor Steelfist rolled 3 using 1d6 Pass
Determine Approx. Depth Underground 1-3 on D6
01:25, Today: Krackor Steelfist rolled 6 using 1d6 Fail

Ulfric makes his way to Yngvar and watches the man for a while as they walk and once the pace slows he approaches.

Hello, I am Ulfric of Waterdeep. I am a Knight of the Mystic Fire. I would like to thank you for getting us all out of there. It would seem I am indebted to you for rescuing us. What is our destination for the moment?  Are we bound for Waterdeep or another small town on the way?

He switches hands with his shield and grimaces.  Shoulder is still not feeling well.  Giant club got me from the side when I wasn't looking.