Rath resumed his watch and, when the time came, fell into a light sleep quite easily, despite the circumstances ... a talent learned the hard way, taking rest when opportunities arose in times of adversity. He dreamed of a flitting figure in white and of ethereal bells. He woke up stiff and sore from a night on the ground. He tried to remember Rose's face. Maybe he managed to do it. Maybe he was getting old.

He sat in the morning sun, letting it warm his face, wondering if Pelor was indeed looking down on him, or if some other gods -- or worse -- were channeling their power through Rath. He fingered his pendants -- the sun of Pelor, the coin of Avandra, the shell of Melora. He did whatever he did that passed for prayer, felt his magic powers strong again.

Rath wore a bitter grimace and was ready to start again, as soon as the others were.

"Don't look so happy, old man," Marissa said to Rath with her own unhappy grimace. She spent a minute upright and stretching her back before adding, "A night spent sleeping in the dirt is supposed to be good for you."

Folke looked up from where he was tending the small cookfire he'd started.  He smiled at the byplay between Rath and Marissa and then thought of their journey still ahead.  As disturbing as the signed were here, they were bound for the North.  Home was calling, and the skald was eager to tread upon familiar ground again.

"Yeah," Rath agreed. He got to his feet with exaggerated difficulty, using his trident as a staff. "That's what my mama told me when she kicked me out of the house." He moved over to join Folke at the fire.

"I get the feeling we can't take anything for granted. That ogre has a grudge, and we don't know what monsters came through that gate. Let's assume we got a wyrm-slayer on our tail. So, we move fast and play it safe."

Rath peered up at the sky. "Nobody wander off alone, and if you see something weird, say something."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:04, Mon 07 May 2018.

Not surprisingly, Inas is unfazed by the sleeping conditions.  As the party prepares to decamp, he sends his owl into the sky to scout.

Folke nodded at Rath's wisdom. "With any luck all we will have to worry about is the Sigurdsdottir. She will be enough."

The skald was his usual efficient self around the campsite and was ready to head off as soon as the others.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:52, Tue 08 May 2018.

"I think the Sigurdsdottir is a potential ally, at least as far as your rival, goes, Rath," Marissa replied thoughtfully. "Regardless, we should not assume the worst there. Her goals are reprehensible, but that comes I think from limited understanding of cultural differences. On the other hand, if she is capable of reason, she could wind up being the difference between victory and defeat."

"It's just a thought. Besides, she is kind of cute."

There's an amused twinkle in her eyes at the myriad emotions that play out on her companions' faces.

Saliq, who had been looking at the sky himself as waited the owls return glanced at Marissa and raised an eyebrow. "I've seen - and been - cuter. In any case for the moment we must consider her a potential threat."

“He has,” Rath emphatically confirmed Saliq’s claim. “He really, really has.”

Marissa laughed aloud at Saliq's understated claim.

"I have no doubt, Master Mesmer," she said, shaking her head in glee.

The group of heroes spends most of the next week taking back deer and animal trails, roughly following the direction of the river, far enough away not to be noticed by any main trails, but occasionally glimpsing the water in the distance.  Slowly the flatter ground gives ways to small hills, and then begins to rise on and off.  Inas seems to know the way and rarely needs to even stop to consult the heavens or the trails.

It with little surprise that eventually the sound of roaring waterfalls can be heard the distance, and great rock walls and cascading falls come into view.

"It's lovely, Inas!" she shouts in their guide's ear.

Rath grunted. He was a little on edge, not knowing what they'd find. Or how they'd find it. "What now?"

Inas scans the horizon and squints at the waterfall, as if evaluating where to begin searching.

"I don't know," Saliq admitted, "but I'd sooner wait until we get a proper lay of the land."

"There is a system of caves behind the largest waterfall.  I've not been in there, but I've been practically everywhere else.  Of course, I wasn't looking for any egg before.  Anyhow, the caves are slippery, but manageable."


Inas pauses a moment.

"I could also try asking some of the local animal residents if they know anything, but that might be a hit or miss proposition."

Saliq nodded slowly. "There is so little I know about dragons... but would even the good ones frighten a lot of wildlife away through their scent and aura?"

"If there is only an unhatched egg with no guardian, then I wouldn't think so," Folke pointed out to Saliq.  "But if we're actually expecting a live dragon, I agree the normal animals around here are probably scarcer than normal."

To Inas he said, "Is there any reason not to try your animal-speech?  If they tell you nothing, we are no worse off than now.  But maybe we learn something that makes finding the egg easier."

"Yeah, I could do that too," Rath smirked a little. "Talk to animals, I mean. But you'd probably know better what to ask the little varmints." He scanned the scene, apparently less impressed by natural beauty than Ehridol was. "Inas, you ain't said much. What is this place? What was here when you were here last?"

Inas has camped a few times above the falls of the canyon but never been down inside or explored it much.  It is known as a beautiful and fairly safe place (off road) to camp for the night.   There are not any bad rumors about it, but having mentioned it, there does not seem to be much wildlife around at the present, which is a bit odd.

Can't talk to animals if there aren't any.  But it's strange that there aren't any.  That" in itself probably tells us something."

Despite the apparently safe and almost idyllic surroundings, Rath didn't look happy. "Let's get on with it, then. Eoinsson ... pick us out a rendezvous point, something with a landmark, in case we get separated. Then take us to the cave."

Although he has never been there himself, the caves behind the Great Papa Falls are known to exist.  Inas leads the group to the edge of canyon, to a spot with scrub brush, and a sudden very steep cliff drop to ones death.  The open air before you almost sucks the breath from you, the view of the two mirrored caverns from here though is amazing.  Truly seven falls pour down from the heights into pools before joining and heading south towards Stormhaven as single river.  Their mists fills parts of the canyon, the noise echoes amongst the trees.  Inas steps off the cliff and for a second, you think he will fall, but he continues to move forward and downward.  There is a narrow, narrow trail along the rock wall that winds down towards the middle of the Papa of Falls.  It is narrow, and becomes wet and slick the closer you come, but it is passable, and soon, you stand at the edge of and just behind the roaring mass of water.   Beyond it is mostly dark, but a large cave entrance is just visible deep behind the waterfall.

ooc: I need a single file marching order from this point on,  I need each of you to roll the following, you don't need to post the results, it is something I may need later,  1d6, 1d6, 1d20,  1d6, 1d2, thx

Rath caught his breath. "I didn't like that," he said, referring to the perilous trek along the narrow, wet pathway. But he spoke quietly and the noise of the falls obscured his words.

Taking his trident in hand, Rath waved Inas forward and waited for the others to follow before  bringing up the rear.

The party moves deeper behind the roaring fall finding that though the path here is more wet and more smooth, it is also quite a bit wider so feels far safer.

The cave entrance is quite wide and dark, as you enter, one of the coins of light is needed to see your way.   You enter a large natural cavern, with a central column rising to the ceiling high above.  There are three passage leading off, one to the north, and two north east.  The air is cold and damp, and smells slightly sour.



This message was last edited by the GM at 18:04, Mon 21 May 2018.