He nods, "Most tasks offered to us involve unfortunate business.  The bridge was indeed assaulted, though the attack was repelled before any permanent harm was done to the bridge or ourselves, even though Raichel came in spite of her condition.  Timothius went home with her."

Emerald huhs. She finds out from discussion what the player forgot to mention, that Raichel pretty much was just on a walk for her own health's sake only to see trouble and help.

Emerald says, "Hope she'll be OK... how are you?" she gives a nervous smile.

  "Personally, I am fine.  The Goblin's focus on property damage meant I came out of the situation unscathed."    "Not many people to hide behind at the time either, chirp."  "I shoot people, I will always end up behind allies who use up close and personal."

  He considers Emerald's expression, and asks "Your concern is always welcome, but I can not help but feel something else may be amiss.  Hopefully I am wrong."
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:49, Mon 17 Oct 2011.

Emerald blows on her hair, "I was just on my way to follow up on something. It'll be dangerous. But I understand if you don't wish to go after what you just went through."

  "I am hardly in a condition to turn down your request for aid.  Although I would prefer to know what you would be getting into before we begin."  If only so he could determine whether or not there would be need to tell Emerald she is taking crazy risks even for this business.

Emerald says, "I heard there's a cave people keep trying to explore, but they tend to return home confused and not knowing where the cave is or that there even was a cave. All accounts, though, were of people trying to do so alone. I figured if I took someone with me, I could have some backup. And since the people actually returned alive, nothing else wrong with them..."

  Terdisas nods, "The buddy system remains valid for many walks of life."  It's a good thing Hoal isn't involved, NPC heads might explode just by his existence in a plot like this.  "I would assume that the cave itself is already a known location, and only those returning forget it's place.  Otherwise there would not be very many going forth to explore it."

Emerald nods, "Enough odd returns have happened for people to know generically where it is, but not its exact location. But close is good enough for me."

She begins heading onward towards the woods. "I'm also hoping whoever is guarding the cave will be like most people and need sleep. So I chose to go there late on purpose."

  Terdisas may not have stealth training (maybe someday, faaaar away when they can spare a feat), but at least being a DEX sort has given them enough natural ability to hide from the occasional Goblin (or was that a hobgoblin at the time) mid battle.  "I find myself contemplating the overlooked advantages of my familiar."   "My stunning good looks, all of them? tweet?"  "Cute, I was referring to the fact that short of my death, nothing applies to you.  Even if Emerald and Myself end up like the rest, you wont.  Just don't brag about it until we get back to town in such a case."

Emerald giggles. "I really should consider getting a familiar..." she says as she walks along. "The sun will probably be set about the time we arrive, just so you know." as it is, the sun is just now touching the mountains in the horizon.

  "I would offer some pointers, but, alas, Sorcerer."  "I am not the permanent manifestation of a Hangover, tweet."  "I never said you were."  Though, Superbird did turn up after a night of heavy drinking.

  More 'Maybe when I can spare it' feats Terdisas wont get for a decade or ever.  Lowlight vision.  "I am trying to decide whether a candle or lantern, or stumbling in the darkness after you would be the less productive course of action."

Emerald says, "It's not THAT dark yet. Besides... I'm wanting you to hang back anyway."

  "I was more considering the inside of the cave, sneaking about is all well and good if you can actually find your way. Not very stealthy to walk into a wall."  Perception mechanics! /e fistshake.  Still beating out STAIRS as recurring annoyance in his mind.

Emerald nods. "I'll be happy to even get UP to the cave at all. But if I enter it, then yeah... we'll go with some light. Little choice, though, even if it was daytime."

  Terdisas nods.  You no take candle, you take floodlamps!... Wait, those are heavy, nevermind.  "I expect we shall find it sooner rather than later."  "Chirp, yeah.  You only take forever getting to or through someplace if you want to deal with things before Sunset."

Sure enough, the two soon find the cave. Emerald gets up to the cave just fine, looks at Terdisas, smiles and waves, shrugs, then heads on in. She pulls out a light stick and causes it to shed light.

Short post is short, Hoal follows after Emerald.  "If one is going to use light, one may as well use the best available."  Good ol sunrods.

Emerald explores the cave with Ter a bit before noticing she is back at the start after a bit. "The cave circles." And no, it wasn't magical. It was the "makes sense we're back here" kind.

  Terdisas does not have the benefit of an overhead map view like the one with the keyboard does, so this revelation is a comforting one.  "Asking for directions is most likely out.",  "Of course, your a Man, you're not allowed to ask. Tweet"  "Is that hidden somewhere in Unity's Greyhawk's laws?"

Emerald semi-jokingly says, "Naw. He's just quoting some unwritten law of physics that occasionally gets bent or broken by some rare, brave men." She looks around. "Maybe there's a hidden door somewhere..."

  "It is possible.  I somehow doubt the cause of confusion on this that have returned would be stubbornly following this circling path that they get dizzy enough to forget everything."  This isn't a children's cartoon, after all.  "If we just missed a tunnel in the ceiling, that would be good to find on the second pass, bad since difficult to travel through."

Emerald nods, "You keep an eye on the ceiling, I'll check the walls." The second time through, the duo find a hidden door and figure out how to enter. Inside is a much more man-made look. Eventually, it leads to a study where there is what looks like a half-orc man, seated at a desk with a book. He doesn't noticed the guests yet.

  Terdisas wonders if they have stumbled upon the local hermit mage.  He looks to Emerald, then back to the book the man is holding.  He does not intend to be the first t break the silence, but if Emerald does not either Superbird may be the familiar for the job.

Emerald asks, "May we enter?"

The half-orc peers over his glasses at the two like your standard librarian might. "Yes. Approach." he says in a dignified tone.

Emerald looks up at Terdisas, smiles and shrugs, then heads for the half-orc. "Name's Emerald. This is Terdisas and Superbird." Emmy intros.

The half-orc nods. "I am Professor Briant. Pleasure."

  Terdisas of course, has various reasons not to be surprised at a studious Half-Orc.  Such as his general personality, coughchanglingcough.  He standard introductory bows, "It is good to meet you, professor.  I do hope our arrival is not too disruptive."