You step through the black portal and onto solid rock.  The landing is firm beneath you, and Etag helps with the adjustment.

You are still in some sort of oversized cave, rounded with a ceiling 100 feet high.  To your left (behind the portal), you see a river of water flowing toward you.  Where you stand is a large rocky area about 30 feet in diameter.  The water flows quickly around the rocky outcropping, which is only a foot or two above the water's surface.

A stone path about 3 feet wide follows the flow of water to your right, going around a bend in the cave.  From that direction comes a soft glow of light.  Natural light, by the looks of it.

The area where you stand appears to be a campsite of sorts, though the camp has been covered by weeds which grow through the cracks in the rock.  It was an apparent attempt to camouflage the camp.

Etag says, "This is where I slept and waited to test my theories, hiding from the giants when they came near.  I placed a resonant marker here so that my portal would bring us directly to this spot.  I knew you would come eventually, but my capture by the giants washed away many of my hopes."

He looks around and points to the winding trail.  "We have little time.  I cannot close this portal and it will be open for over 30 minutes time.  The giants will break through your skillful blockage once their shaman arrives.  I estimate we have about 10 minutes to get across the bridge, but that may be a hopeful estimate."

He assists the gnomes.  Three are elderly and in poor health.  Four are women, and three appear to have been weakened by torture or wounds of some sort.

OOC:  Etag is ushering you to follow the rocky trail.

Your goals are:

1) Escape the giants by crossing the bridge (which you will see soon);
2) Get as many gnomes across safely as you can (including Junar);
3) Keep Etag alive;
4) Get information out of Etag once your danger is over.
5) Whatever else may come your way.

This message was last edited by the GM at 21:45, Wed 23 Apr 2014.

"Anybody strong enough to easily carry a gnome need to do so, starting with the elderly and the injured. We must move fast, or I would say we could devise some sort of wagon to help us move faster." the priest urges, helping an elderly gnome onto his back and testing his movement to see how easily he can be carried.

Borimer uses his arm and stump to carry as many of the little folk as he is able.  "If we can get us a cart I can pull everyone..."

"I don't think I can carry a gnome..." said a very tired and shaky Didit, she felt very tired and everything in her body hurt "...I barely don't need help myself. But I think I can help, I can attempt to hide our path with an illussion, but I won't be able to move very fast while doing so "

"I can't carry anyone.  In fact I might need help myself getting across this bridge.  Though I do have one last Dimension door left I could use to get myself across.  I can't bring anyone along with me though."

"In any event I suggest we use rope to tie the weaker of us to the stronger.  This would be safer as we go across what I assume will be a rickety bridge."

Etag says, "There are no wagons to help us, nor would they.  Around the path is a steep climb, though mere steps to the giants.  The bridge itself is a thousand years old if it is a day, and was used in past generations by the gnomes to cross.  It is too weak to hold giants, so if we can make it across, we will be safe from them for good.  But there is another danger," he says, looking upstream.  "The giants use this route often, as it is their exit to the outside for hunting and gathering beyond the caves.  Their rafts frequently come this way, so they may pose a danger even if the giants from the mansion do not make it through the portal."

He points forward and leads the way.

The three foot wide walkway requires careful treading, particularly since the flow of water here is quick, and accelerating.  In the distance, you can hear a roaring noise that you know must be a waterfall.

The path curves to the right and then you see yourself facing a 10 foot tall sheer wall.  Though the path is wider at the top, the ancient ladders used by the gnomes to climb it have been pulled off by the giants.

OOC: You are a mere 20 yards from where the portal was at, so feel free to cast or do whatever you wanted.

You get everyone safely to the top of the short drop off, but it takes valuable time.  Five minutes or more have passed by the time you, Etag, and the 11 gnomes are at the tope.

You continue down the cave.  Here, after reaching the top of the short drop off, the land is much wider, about 50 feet wide.  It slopes gently down and to the right.  You feel almost like you are spiraling slowly back down.

The waterway is becoming more narrow and running faster.  You can see the end of the cave about 50 yards ahead.  There is a flat area of land where it looks like the giants dock their rafts where the rock becomes flush with the water.

But just a few yards past that, the water flies out over cliff.

You continue going as fast as possible, knowing the giants can't be too far behind, and you reach the mouth of the cave.  It is a full 50 feet high and 100 feet wide at the base, like an archway leading you to natural light.

Standing at the edge of the cliff, you see the sky in for what seems the first time in days.  Clouds move languidly across.  There is no sign of any borken planets or imminent destruction.  It is quite beautiful.  But looking down, you see the cliff face goes down past where your eyes can see.  In fact, there are clouds below you, and you realize you must be thousands of feet high.  The giants appear to use handholds, but that would be far too dangerous for you.

To your adjusting eyes, the landscape outside appears to be nothing but mountain peaks, one after another, like giant stalactites reaching toward the sky.

And between the place you stand and the next mountain stretches an old bridge.  The bridge is at least 1000 feet across where it connects to the next mountain opening.  The gnome-hewn bridge is made of ancient rope and wooden planks, and is perhaps 3 feet wide.  Many of the wooden planks have broken off over the years-- over hundreds of years, by the looks of it.  The bridge can still hold weight, but it dips in the center (about 500 feet out) at least 20 feet lower than where you stand, before climbing back up to the next mountain cave.

Imagine something like this, but 1000 feet in length and between two caves thousands of feet above the ground:



Etag falls to one knee.  You see he is still weak from his injuries being tied to the mast, but you also see that his fingers and hand have become very dark with congealed blood, and his lips are swollen.  "I haven't much time," he says.  "The Black Curse is upon me.  Quickly, get the gnomes across."

OOC:
Giants:  Since you do not know how long until the giants get here, it will be rolled by wandering monster rolls.

Rope Bridge:  The Bridge will take some time to cross.  The key concern is how much weight it can hold.  Your XP will be based on getting across, but also based on how many gnomes you safely get across.  Too many on there at once creates a compounded danger, both of the bridge snapping (and losing them all) and of the vibrations in the rope that will throw them off balance one at a time.

(If the bridge breaks by weight, it will result in the bottom ropes giving out, and then you will be forced to shimmy across on the upper ropes.  The upper ropes will hold everyone's weight, as they are thicker and less worn than the bottom ones.)

Etag: Getting Etag safely across is also critical to get important campaign information and clues, and for other reasons.

Kahan puts his gnome down, reaching into a pouch on his belt and pulling out the portable hole. "Who here would have the easiest time getting across the bridge? Shae? Lukas, perhaps? The gnomes and Etag can fit inside the portable hole, but would only have brief seconds of air. They would weigh seemingly nothing, so weight is not a problem, simply time. This would be the easiest way to get them all across." states the priest, unfolding the hole and spreading it across the ground.

"I do not weigh much and I have one last Dimension door I could use.  It would get me, and anything I carry, about three quarters of the way across.  I suggest myself, Etag, and as many Gnomes we think this bridge will safely handle begin to move about a quarter of the way along.  And then, assuming you lend me the bag, they all jump in and I immediately cast the spell." Tahldar says in reply to Kahan.

OOC: Dimension door at my level has a maximum range of 720'.  For bridge concerns Tahldar weighs 108lbs, plus whatever Etag and the Gnomes might weigh.

When Borimer steps into the light he allows himself an all-to-brief respite just long enough for closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath of the fresh mountain air.  But then he opens his eyes to the old bridge with the emptiness beneath it and sighs inwardly. The warrior unconsciously grips the ivory hilt of the Godslayer.  "I'll stay behind to guard against the giants whie everyone crosses, then I'll follow."

"I'll stay behind too" said Didit "I'm tired, scared and feel pain everywhere, but I want to help and there is a way I can do that. I will buy time for us. I will need help to cross the bridge anyway. I hope not to inconvenience you too much with it" She said staying next to bridge and prepparing her mandoline, she sighed "this is going to be the hardest illussion I've cast"

Cast Improved phantasmal force to project the illussion of a misty dense group of trees creating cover for the entrance of the bridge and the misty covering as much of the bridge as possible. the illussion comes with slight sounds to make it more natural. it lasts as much as I ocncentrate on it

"The gnomes will have to climb in before you cast the spell. The hole has a large opening, ten foot square, and must be open completely in order for anything to enter or exit. But otherwise that is a fantastic idea Tahldar. Anyone that can fit inside should try to get in now. Time is of the essence." the priest states.

OOC:  Tahldar would prefer if himself, Etag and Gnomes made it about a 1/4 of the way across the bridge first then jump in the hole and cast Dimension door.  This way the bridge can be tested to make sure we don't send too many and put too much weight on it.  I could have them jump in now but they would have to come out about a 1/4 of the way from other end of the bridge.  If we weigh too much it could be a disaster.

Hatchman says, "I am duty bound to be the last one here to ensure your safety."  The paladin will remain behind and cross only after even Borimer has started across.

OOC: The only problem is that Tahldar's plan is impossible. The item in question is called a Portable Hole, a large extra dimensional pocket that can be folded and unfolded like a rug. It has to have at least a 10' by 10' flat space to be opened up into, where it can be accessed as if it were a large hole. It cannot be opened on the bridge; it simply won't fit. There should be enough air for everyone to survive inside for long enough that he can cast the spell, then walk to the other side before opening it up. I'm pretty sure, at least. Heath, does Kahan believe otherwise or does he feel the same way I do?

i think these commentaries belong in the commentary thread, but anyway, my plan wwas to have the illussion of mist cover the area around the bridge not the bridge itself

You're right.  The hole has to be opened on a 10 x 10 flat area.  You beat me to the punch.  Kahan would definitely know that because he has used it so many times.  Tahldar has not used it yet.

Didit:  That's what I thought.  You are covering the entry area to the bridge, right?  I assume it will not cover the actual bridge at all, since everyone will need to see where they are stepping pretty clearly.

Shae will be a trailblazer and go across first.  "Unfortunately, I already used my change shape for the day.  I'll have to cross the old fashioned way."

Well as much of the bridge as I can cover

In reply to Shapfren Diditlew (msg # 19):

If you cover the bridge, it will make it so your companions cannot see the bridge either (i.e., where their feet should go), so saving throws or skill checks will be required.

"Covering the bridge with fog is a bad idea. It will hamper our movement much worse than the giants, who likely already know the area very well and know this bridge is here. The only kinds of spells I would say could be useful would be a grease spell on the small path leading up here, a fire spell that could engulf all of the area before the bridge, or some sort of illusion that would make it look like we already fell down the bridge and were not here. Other than that, if you can't teleport us or make us fly, simply crossing the bridge and praying for the best is the only real option. We could always tether ourselves to the top rope with a harness of sorts, so that if the bridge does collapse we won't die, but if the giants cut the rope we still won't survive." explains the priest, ever the down-to-earth realist he has always been.

I meant simulate fog on the outside, mostly to difficult giants navigating the river to see the gnomes crossing.

If helpful and convenient, Shae will use her ancestral spear to help her keep her balance and run it along the top two ropes of the bridge (kind of like a tightrope walker)