Green Lama wrote:
Having now let everyone ahead of him know he is coming Jan blithely sets off across the bridge. He is not quite whistling but he is happy and confident that he will find a way out soon. The bugs are lighting the way his staff is balanced on his shoulder and all is right with the world.
poor poor deluded Jan
(048) The Undercroft
Waysoftheearth's Hinterlands PBP
Moderators: ehiker133, waysoftheearth
(048) The Undercroft
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]
(048) The Undercroft
waysoftheearth wrote:
Jan works his way onto the tricky rope and timber bridge, descending sharply at first as the slack tightens to take his weight. He immediately finds that hanging on with both hands is a very good idea, for the bridge seems to ripple and sway with every step. But he pushes ahead.
Soon, he can no longer see the ledge behind him, and feels much as though he is a tiny spec of light hanging in an endless black void. But he still hears echoes of water and an occasional distant clatter of stone on stone to remind him where he is.
As Jan laboriously continues he passes near to several great columns or walls of natural stone. He can see these by the feeble glow of his light, but these are never nearer than 30ft to the bridge -- and there is little hope of reaching them without more powerful magic than Jan possesses. He develops the impression that the bridge threads a passage between huge stone formations in a vast cavern...
At last -- after almost half an hour -- the wearying lad sees another great stone wall ahead, and in it there is a doorway sized arch in the natural stone. And the rope bridge climbs steeply up the last 60ft or so toward it.
The sharp ringing echo comes louder and more frequently...
Jan works his way onto the tricky rope and timber bridge, descending sharply at first as the slack tightens to take his weight. He immediately finds that hanging on with both hands is a very good idea, for the bridge seems to ripple and sway with every step. But he pushes ahead.
Soon, he can no longer see the ledge behind him, and feels much as though he is a tiny spec of light hanging in an endless black void. But he still hears echoes of water and an occasional distant clatter of stone on stone to remind him where he is.
As Jan laboriously continues he passes near to several great columns or walls of natural stone. He can see these by the feeble glow of his light, but these are never nearer than 30ft to the bridge -- and there is little hope of reaching them without more powerful magic than Jan possesses. He develops the impression that the bridge threads a passage between huge stone formations in a vast cavern...
At last -- after almost half an hour -- the wearying lad sees another great stone wall ahead, and in it there is a doorway sized arch in the natural stone. And the rope bridge climbs steeply up the last 60ft or so toward it.
The sharp ringing echo comes louder and more frequently...
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]
(048) The Undercroft
Green Lama wrote:
Marveling at the immense size of the cavern Jan continues doggedly forward. He rests for a moment before tackling the last, steep, segment of the bridge.
Marveling at the immense size of the cavern Jan continues doggedly forward. He rests for a moment before tackling the last, steep, segment of the bridge.
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]
(048) The Undercroft
waysoftheearth wrote:
Jan clambers up the last section of the rope bridge to gain the natural stone archway, and peer beyond.
He spies a low, natural passage that curls a short way through the massive wall of stone to another natural arch that opens into another cavern. Which is dimly lit. And filled with a discordant symphony of tapping and clanging echoes... as if a hundred tiny hammers were a-tapping upon the stone.
From his position at the first arch, Jan hears this, but sees little more than the illuminated archway, some two-score feet ahead.
What now?
Jan clambers up the last section of the rope bridge to gain the natural stone archway, and peer beyond.
He spies a low, natural passage that curls a short way through the massive wall of stone to another natural arch that opens into another cavern. Which is dimly lit. And filled with a discordant symphony of tapping and clanging echoes... as if a hundred tiny hammers were a-tapping upon the stone.
From his position at the first arch, Jan hears this, but sees little more than the illuminated archway, some two-score feet ahead.
What now?
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]
(048) The Undercroft
Green Lama wrote:
Taking a drink from his waterskin and resettling the Iridescence in a more comfortable position Jan continues his lonely march into the dark. Musing, that on a basic level we are all really walking alone into a dark and unknown future all the time so there is no good reason for his hands to be gripping the staff quite as hard as that. None the less the boy continues on with white knuckles.
Taking a drink from his waterskin and resettling the Iridescence in a more comfortable position Jan continues his lonely march into the dark. Musing, that on a basic level we are all really walking alone into a dark and unknown future all the time so there is no good reason for his hands to be gripping the staff quite as hard as that. None the less the boy continues on with white knuckles.
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]
(048) The Undercroft
waysoftheearth wrote:
Jan proceeds into the twisted natural passage, noting as he goes that the floor is littered with debris that alternately crunches or is sticky underfoot...
...a little way in, beyond the opening some 40ft ahead now, he spies uncountable tiny lights; dozens of chains of orange-white fireflies hanging in the air and illuminating a vast cavern complex. He hears the ringing and tapping of busy industry. And he spies movement also; tiny figures moving about the rock surface, flitting past his narrow field of view.
(1d6)
And something much nearer moves too! In the inky shadows above him, Jan senses form the corner of his eye that a great blot of blackness subtly shifts.
Jan proceeds into the twisted natural passage, noting as he goes that the floor is littered with debris that alternately crunches or is sticky underfoot...
...a little way in, beyond the opening some 40ft ahead now, he spies uncountable tiny lights; dozens of chains of orange-white fireflies hanging in the air and illuminating a vast cavern complex. He hears the ringing and tapping of busy industry. And he spies movement also; tiny figures moving about the rock surface, flitting past his narrow field of view.
(1d6)
And something much nearer moves too! In the inky shadows above him, Jan senses form the corner of his eye that a great blot of blackness subtly shifts.
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]
(048) The Undercroft
Green Lama wrote:
Run with a side order of panic. [img]images/smiley/shocked.png[/img]
Forward I think. Worry about what is chasing me once I have some space and light.
Run with a side order of panic. [img]images/smiley/shocked.png[/img]
Forward I think. Worry about what is chasing me once I have some space and light.
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]
(048) The Undercroft
waysoftheearth wrote:
So be it.
(Roll for encounter distance indicates 40ft; which is greater than the melee reach of 30ft. Jan rides his luck!)
Jan rushes ahead recklessly, passing beneath the black blot before whatever it was can reach down from overhead to devour him, and attaining the far arch in a great hurry!
Without so much as a glance over his shoulder he sees he stands at another precipice overlooking a huge, deep cavern complex wherein scores of figure navigate the walls via long systems of ropes, belays and pulleys -- scurrying hither and tither in their harnesses and tapping industriously at mineral veins in the walls with pick and shovel. The farther walls seem riddled with tunnels and scaffolding. The whole of the operation is illuminated by long lines of lit bulbs that hand suspended in the air -- concentrated around the miners.
All this is quite some way across a gulf of dark cavern from Jan's position. Immediately below him is a precarious narrow stair which is carved into the wall, and descends sharply into relative darkness to his right, and climbs steeply to his right.
What now?
So be it.
(Roll for encounter distance indicates 40ft; which is greater than the melee reach of 30ft. Jan rides his luck!)
Jan rushes ahead recklessly, passing beneath the black blot before whatever it was can reach down from overhead to devour him, and attaining the far arch in a great hurry!
Without so much as a glance over his shoulder he sees he stands at another precipice overlooking a huge, deep cavern complex wherein scores of figure navigate the walls via long systems of ropes, belays and pulleys -- scurrying hither and tither in their harnesses and tapping industriously at mineral veins in the walls with pick and shovel. The farther walls seem riddled with tunnels and scaffolding. The whole of the operation is illuminated by long lines of lit bulbs that hand suspended in the air -- concentrated around the miners.
All this is quite some way across a gulf of dark cavern from Jan's position. Immediately below him is a precarious narrow stair which is carved into the wall, and descends sharply into relative darkness to his right, and climbs steeply to his right.
What now?
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]
(048) The Undercroft
Green Lama wrote:
I am a first level M/U. I ride my luck every time I sneeze.
Pausing at the edge Jan listens for sounds of pursuit.
If he hears anything
Not waiting on whatever is behind him to catch us Jan begins to rush up the narrow stair.
If he hears nothing
Taking a moment to catch his breath Jan looks about the cavern.
What manner of beings are working this mine? Men, Dwarves, Snorks or stranger things? Do they seem to be workers or slaves? Are there overseers? Is there conversation? Is anyone working this side of the cavern?
I am a first level M/U. I ride my luck every time I sneeze.
Pausing at the edge Jan listens for sounds of pursuit.
If he hears anything
Not waiting on whatever is behind him to catch us Jan begins to rush up the narrow stair.
If he hears nothing
Taking a moment to catch his breath Jan looks about the cavern.
What manner of beings are working this mine? Men, Dwarves, Snorks or stranger things? Do they seem to be workers or slaves? Are there overseers? Is there conversation? Is anyone working this side of the cavern?
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]
(048) The Undercroft
waysoftheearth wrote:
Not only does an ominous sound from behind threaten pursuit, so too does a nauseating pong fill Jan's nostrils. So violent is the scent that Jan can only imagine the putrescing guts of a great worm-corpse must have split open.
He doesn't pause for confirmation, and instead rushes headlong up the insanely narrow, steep and slippery stair hewn roughly into the daunting cavern wall.
(1d6=4)
After a minute of breathless climbing Jan dares to glance back for a moment; and dimly spies the tiny ledge below -- the sharp angle down and the abyssal cavern all around him bringing on a frightening moment of dysequilibrium ! But thankfully no terrible beast issues from the creepy passage... perhaps it won't leave its dreadful lair?
Not only does an ominous sound from behind threaten pursuit, so too does a nauseating pong fill Jan's nostrils. So violent is the scent that Jan can only imagine the putrescing guts of a great worm-corpse must have split open.
He doesn't pause for confirmation, and instead rushes headlong up the insanely narrow, steep and slippery stair hewn roughly into the daunting cavern wall.
(1d6=4)
After a minute of breathless climbing Jan dares to glance back for a moment; and dimly spies the tiny ledge below -- the sharp angle down and the abyssal cavern all around him bringing on a frightening moment of dysequilibrium ! But thankfully no terrible beast issues from the creepy passage... perhaps it won't leave its dreadful lair?
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]