"That is interesting, but now is not the time to chat" says Didit while still remaining close to the bifurcations trying her best to scan the noises coming from the other areas, staying alert for any incoming creatures was a priority

Mal looks a little embarassed at the rebuke but gives a nod and fades back into the shadows again, ready for action.

OOC: Hiding in shadows.

12:48, Today: Malissin rolled 20 using 1d100. hide in shadows.

Leo hands over the parchment. "Have at it, I want to look at a few more things on the body right now."
This message was lightly edited by the player at 13:31, Tue 06 Aug 2013.

Mal takes a look but then shakes his head.

"Nope, nothing I'm familiar with. Sorry."

OOC: 10:01, Today: Malissin rolled 45 using 1d100. read languages.

OOC: I am still finishing up the writing on the parchment.  It has a bit of a puzzle in it, and I have to make some tweaks.  We also have three new players joining soon, and I will likely tie them to this corpse with some background info.

In scribbled handwriting, you see the notes of the person dead before you on the parchment.  They are, surprisingly, in the Common handwriting, which surprises you since you are on Allevia, a different planet.  But stranger things have happened to you recently.

The writing states:


left
straightleft(cavern)
left in cavern
left straight in cavern
right straight incline in cavern
straight
left
right incline at cavern
right at cavern
left diagonal decline at cavern
right at fork
right down slope at cavern
4 caverns


You are able to put together that the cavern you stand in goes roughly northeast to southwest.  The footprints of the dead man appear to have come from the southwest.  There are further prints heading northeast, as though his party continued without him.

The other thing you see is a strange indent in the dirt that wiggles like a snake trail and appears to follow them toward the northeast.  It then disappears at the wall as though it climbed the wall.

You do not hear any further sounds here.  EDIT: Other than the sounds previously mentioned.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:20, Wed 07 Aug 2013.

"If there be giants in both directions, then one's as good as another. I'm thinkin' we could just follow this poor sod's friends that way."

Borimer points to the tracks moving northeast.

"I agree, I see no need to cover ground they already have. But let's keep our eyes on the ground for whatever made that wiggle mark.  It looks suspicious to me."

Shae says, "What is our goal here?  If it is to escape the cave, we would follow the way they came and get back to the entrance, right?  If it is to go deeper, then we follow his companions.  I'll agree with you that his companions might have important information, so maybe that's the way to go."

Borimer keeps peering down both tunnels for signs of trouble.

"Hmm, good point. I'm always up for killin' some giants, but leavin' sounds good too. I'll go either way."

"I say follow them.  They speak common and may have useful information they could pass on to us.  We can always go back the other way if need be.  Especially now that we have the dead man's notes."

"But, should we take the risk? we just got here, we know nothing about this world, for alll we know they could be hostile. I mean how can we know they didn't do the deed themselves?"

"Then we shadow them till we know their intentions. Information right now is the most important resource we lack."

Mal nods at the latter suggestion.

"Why pick a fight that can only lead to tragedy, one way or another."

Sometimes Mal's pacifism could be truly annoying.

So I take it Malissin will scout out in the shadows to see what he can find while the party waits for him to report back?

"Mal, why don't you and Leo scout ahead a bit if you don't mind?"

"I would be happy to go with Malissin for a recon up ahead if you need my assistance. Is this ok with you Malissin?" Leo inquires.

"Don't forge o whistle if ou find an troubles"

OOC: They will be separated into a different group for purposes of scouting ahead.  For those remaining behind, feel free to post what your characters are doing.

Mal and Leo take off to the northeast to follow the tracks and slithering trail.  The rest of the party remains behind near the hole they climbed out of, the dead human body, and the strange rock and pulley system used to cover the hole.  You do notice now that the stench of the bodies rises from below, though it is not overpowering.

Mal and Leo are soon gone through the shadows beyond earshot.  This series of tunnels and caves is so massive, with walls easily rising 20 feet high, that you can only imagine how far they might extend.

Borimer keeps a wary eye on the tunnels left and right, ignoring the stench of old battle wafting from below.

I think we got stalled, so let's get things moving again.



As Mal and Leo are off scouting to the northeast, all of you are waiting when you hear something from the southwest like the crumbling or rolling of small rocks.  It comes from somewhere in the darkness down the huge tunnel, maybe 50 to a hundred feet away.  You can't see anything down there...yet.

Borimer unsheathes Chianta and moves forward to meet whatever lurks southwest of the group.

Kahan grabs his mace and moves to Borimer's flank, slightly behind him in the beginnings of a V formation. If anyone else moved up, he would instruct them to move to the fighter's other flank with motions.

Allowing his more experienced companions to investigate the disturbance, Tahldar remains put and does his best to see what the source of the noise is.

OOC:  I have 60' infravision if that helps.