[DnD 5E] Barrowtown - A 5E PbP (Game's done! Post-game discussion is open!)

Denada

Halath is now at 1 HP and is conscious.

It's clear that a rest of some kind is in order, but doing so on this bridge would not be a good idea. Are you going to turn back and find rest in a nearby building, or are you going to push forward and hope to find the hidden entrance before any other beasts appear?

Tox

Geoffrey looks forward along the bridge, then back down the path that brought them here.

"I think it'd be smarter to pull back and try to find shelter nearby, get Halath patched up and press on again when we're ready."

Nealneal

Halath stands up shakily and says, "That seems reasonable. I most definitely could use a moment to rest and bind these bites."

Denada

Someone give me an Intelligence (Search) check to see what kind of shelter you can find.

Stilts

Geth roll 1d20+3 for Search for shelter.

Search for shelter:

1d20+3 11 [1d20=8]

Tox

Geth roll 1d20+7 for Search for shelter.

Search for shelter:

1d20+7 14 [1d20=7]

Nealneal

Geth roll 1d20+2 for Intelligence (Search)

Halath peers through the rain trying to find somewhere to bandage his wounds.

Intelligence (Search):

1d20+2 3 [1d20=1]

Denada

After a fair bit of window-peering and handle-jiggling, you finally find something that you can use. It's an old house, probably abandoned judging by the extremely sparse furniture inside. There's an old metal bowl on top of a dusty table, a few chairs, and a good enough wood pile next to the fireplace to get you warm for a few hours. Not the best accommodations, but at least everything is dry.

Stilts

Sophia walks over to the wood pile and picks up a log.

"Yep, there's definitely something weird going on here."

She halfheartedly throws it into the fireplace with a dull clunk.

"Those wolves were quite a bit nastier than the ones I've had to fend off before. And there's also the whole vanishing in a cloud of smoke thing going on."

A couple more logs get chucked into the fireplace before she pulls out her tinderbox to light them.

"I guess we'll need to be a bit more cautious the next time we head out there."

And more prepared, she thinks to herself.

Geth roll 1d20+2 for Arcana check on what was up with those wolves

Stilts

Geth roll 1d20+2 for Arcana check for those wolves

Arcana check for those wolves:

1d20+2 8 [1d20=6]

Stilts

Well screw you, too, Geth.

Nealneal

Halath sits down by the fire and begins to tend his wounds.

As he wraps a bandage around his arm he quietly says, "I apologize for that, I should have been more careful. I suppose I figured the villagers were spooking themselves and not really expecting ghost wolves or whatever in the Nine Hells those were."

Spending a Hit Die
Geth roll 1d10+2 for Hit Points Regained

Hit Points Regained:

1d10+2 6 [1d10=4]

Denada

While Halath gets himself back into fighting shape, Sophia ponders the wolves. You can be sure that they're not natural, but what kind of unnatural is harder to pin down. They weren't ghosts or some other kind of undead. They had physical bodies and even bled. But once they were killed...

For now you don't know the answer, but you can't shake the feeling that it's connected to the storm somehow.

Melding

"No one could have expected the winds to be literally howling. I just hope it's not connected to whatever is in the tomb. Imagine if it just unleashed worse wind creatures. Every time it rains bears appear. that would be very unpleasant."

Nealneal

Halath tests his bandages and says, "I think this storm in particular is a special breed of awful and I'm afraid that it will be connected to whatever we find in the barrows. Those wolves aren't something I want to see again, but they seem familiar somehow. Geoffrey, I think you should take point this time."

With that Halath cleans and sheathes his short sword and draws an arrow for his longbow.


Geth roll 1d20+2 for Intelligence (Arcana-Weird Wolves?)

Intelligence (Arcana-Weird Wolves?):

1d20+2 20 [1d20=18]

Denada

Halath, given enough time, Sophia's musings and your own up-close observations of the wolves reminds you of an old elven story about something called the Olos Moria, or Dreaming Dark. Much of the story isn't relevant to your present situation, but the details that stand out to you are this: In the story, an ancient evil slept beneath an elven city. One day the evil began to stir from its slumber, and its dreams began to seep into reality. Beasts and other creatures would appear in the real world, dangerous and blood-thirsty, only to disappear back into the dream when they were slain.

Nealneal

Halath relates what he remembers of the story to his compatriots as they ready themselves to brave the elements once more.

Melding

"That's kind of neat, really. Apart from the whole 'evil' thing. But dreaming things into reality, that sounds kind of amazing" she says, fixing up her buckles. "Too bad it's never an ancient slumbering Good though. Wonder why that never happens."

Tox

"One hopes most of the good in this world is awake and active." Geoffrey offers, dropping his pack to take out some rations, and seasonings to make them bearable.

"Or perhaps they're just deeper sleepers?"

Denada

Musing about the implications of the storm, the wolves, and Halath's remembered story passes the time as you prepare yourselves to venture back outside. The storm has not let up, but you're bandaged and, if not dry, at least less wet.

You meet no opposition on the bridge this time. The howling on the wind has quieted somewhat, though it's still there. If nothing else you've at least bought yourselves time to look for the entrance. How much of that time has been used up by resting is anyone's guess.

Intelligence (Search) checks for anyone wanting to find the entrance. Wisdom (Perception) checks for anyone wanting to be on the lookout for other dangers. Pick one or the other (or neither).

Nealneal

Halath will keep an eye out for danger.


Geth roll 2d20k1 for Wisdom (Perception)

Wisdom (Perception):

2d20k1 20 [2d20k1=[20], 16]

Tox

While Halath keeps his eyes up, Geoffrey's eyes are focused more on finding a way into this place

wtf why is the dice roller not working for me?

Tox

Geth roll 1d20+7 for Intelligence (Search)

Intelligence (Search):

1d20+7 23 [1d20=16]

Denada

Well you've definitely got this covered with those two checks.

Careful searching is difficult in the driving rain, but in a way the storm has actually helped you. The water has washed away some dirt and loose stone, revealing a narrow staircase leading down. Halath's keen vision reveals no immediate threats, so you're able to take your time to descend safely.

At the bottom of the stairs you find a pair of large stone doors. The doors are locked from the outside by a heavy stone beam, or rather they would be locked if the beam weren't lying on the ground.

Immediately inside the entrance is a small vestibule overlooking another descending staircase. There's a barrel off to one side with several old torches in it, and though it's dark, you can see sconces on the wall that are also holding unlit torches. The stairs are about 10 feet wide and descend at a fairly gentle angle, but without a light-source you can't see what's at the bottom (even Halath can't see, since there's no light at the bottom of the stairs).

Nealneal

Halath uses his flint and steel to light one of the torches. The he lights a couple of the wall sconces to brighten the room. The he holds the torch over the staircase to take a look.

Denada

The staircase goes down to a wide hallway. Assuming that the four of you descend the stairs, you find that the hallway goes on for quite a while and branches off to the left and right on occasion. Most of these branches have large stones rolled in front of them to act as doors, but some do not. Inside those areas you can see mummified corpses resting on shelves, many of them adorned with jewelry, pottery, or other gifts.

The sound of the storm outside is just a faint rumble of white noise now. The inside of the barrow is, quite appropriately, deathly quiet. Your footsteps echo off the hard stone floor and walls, which all appear to have been carved directly out of the mountain. The ceiling is still rough stone in most places, though occasionally you see spots where the stone has been smoothed and a symbol of some sort has been carved.

A cursory look around doesn't provide much to go on with regards to finding Chloe, but she may have left a trail somehow. The obvious haste with which the main entrance was opened indicates that she isn't really being careful.

Stilts

"It's nice be out of the storm, at least." Sophia shivers. "Though this place is even spookier than I thought it would be."

She walks up to one of the carved symbols to get a closer look at it.

Geth roll 1d20

If it's an Arcana check, add +2; if it's history, +3; if the base roll is 9 or below, Bardic Knowledge makes it a 10

Stilts

Right, I think I'll just use Orokos from now on.

Arcana/History for symbols: 1d20 6

So 12 Arcana, 13 History

Denada

The symbols are not magical. They're written in a very old form of the dwarvish script, and appear to be markers for where you are within the barrow.

As long you have someone with you that can read dwarvish, you'll have advantage on all checks made to find your way within the barrow.

Melding

i jus tnow realized i didn't pick any languages, not sure if i am entitled to any though.

"It's not that spooky. There could be fog, oh oh and organ music. Yes. That would make it spookier. As it stands, it's just quiet. And poorly lit."

Tox

Well Geoffrey knows dwarvish so it's probably not a big deal for her to speak it as well.

Geoffrey takes one of the lit torches and approaches the carvings. "I feel like I've seen something like this before."

After some puzzling and musings his eyes light up as it clicks, "This is....dwarvish. Sort of, anyway."

Geoffrey traces fingers over the symbols, trying to reason out what, if anything intelligible, they say, or their significance.

am0n

One thing I noticed about Geth when I used it a bit, if you put the roll in a Color block, it gets questionable, especially if you add another line after the roll in the color block. What I ended up doing was I'd put my rolls in Spoiler blocks, as those didn't seem to interfere, you could get off a few rolls and then you could put a color block before (and maybe after) the spoiler to make it work.

Nealneal

As long as I put a line after the first color tag, geth seems to work ok. On another note, I expect intermittent internet connection for the next day or so since I am in the "heart" of the southern ice storm.

Halath examines the dwarvish runes as he walks past. He dries and sheathes his longbow. Then he casts a minor spell and his torch hovers off to his side. Finally he draws both short swords and continues to follow along with the group.

Casting Mage Hand to carry the torch.

Denada

So normally I would have all of you work your way through the dungeon, but exploration segments in PbPs don't usually go that well, as you can see. I apologize if this adventure starts to feel like a bunch of fights strung together by cutscenes, but frankly that's about all I can do in a PbP if I don't want it to die. So with that in mind, I'm going to get us moving again here...

After some searching you manage to pick up a faint trail to follow. Wet footprints, specifically, though they eventually end halfway down a hallway. At the end of the hallway is a staircase down, from which you can hear something that sounds like a faint murmuring.

Nealneal

Yay for power and a recharged phone! Access to internet pseudo-restored. I'm fine with a PbP being fights strung together by awesome Denada cut scenes.

Halath whispers, "Alright, who wants to be first down the scary stairs?"

Stilts

Sophia sighs. "All right, all right," she whispers as she raises her hand. "I'll take a look at what's down there."

Keeping her rapier at the ready, she slowly steps down the stairs.

Stealth check: 1d20+4 12

It's been so long since I've had a roll above ten...

Tox

Geoffrey lights the nearest sconce with his torch, then douses it, readying his crossbow and watching Sophia.

"Remember, one scream for good news, two screams for bad."

Nealneal

First an ice storm takes out our power for days, then we have an earthquake last night. I think my town may be the IRL version of Barrowtown...

Denada

Sophia, the light from the sconce on the wall makes it most of the way down the stairs, but there's enough darkness down there to help with not being seen. Unfortunately it also helps with anything else that might be hiding, because the hallway at the bottom of the stairs is also pretty dark.

The sound that you heard before is definitely coming from somewhere down here. A good bet would be a room near the end of the hallway that appears to be lit with some kind of greenish light.

Nealneal

Halath lets his spell fade and sets down his torch. He then quietly follows Sophia down the stairway.


Geth roll 1d20+4 for Dexterity (Stealth)

Dexterity (Stealth):

1d20+4 12 [1d20=8]