Galeyn Looked at the halfling, and nodded. She was not one for material items like most people, and this man with his attachment to his hat, was one of the most she had met. She, however, held her judgement in reserve....she had only just met him.

"Some of our group have decended into the hole. I cannot speak for the others, but i welcome a extra sword."

She stepped to the edge of the hole and called down. "Is it safe to come down?"

"Aye, seems clear enough" Orlen calls back up while examining the area for tracks.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:25, Thu 20 Feb 2020.

“Should we not tie the mans body to the rope so he might be brought up for proper burial?”

Orlen:

The dust of centuries lies upon the tiled floor with scattered tracks of small vermin crisscrossing it. Upon that layer is more recent dirt and dust fallen from when the boulder was pulled free. Amid this newer layer are the obvious tracks of three people heading west; one set of prints is mingled with drops of blood, another has one foot dragging as if injured, the third shows no sign of ill health.

Beagan:

While a person could shimmy and wiggle their way through the gap, it would be much more difficult to pull a body back out without expanding the opening. Or, of course, chopping the body into smaller pieces.

Clover looks at the body and then at the hole, then states mater of factually, as if what he says is as easy as him speaking.

I can ensure it fits..

---

from a game mechanic point of view if someone outside (or inside) the hole has their hands on the body when attempting to get the body through the hole. it is basically an escape artist check to pull push a load through a hole the load came through under its own power on the way in.


the DC for Clover to do this is two truespeak checks at (17 + [2 times the HD of the puller])
This message was last edited by the player at 14:53, Sat 22 Feb 2020.

[OOC: Would it be wise to use resources in the recovery of the body when great, big nasties might be crawling about in the darkness around Clover?]

Galeyn, sick of standing in the hole while all the men had all the fun, climbed down to the others, slipping a little, but making it ok.

Once there, she grabs a loose rock and begins chanting in the gnome tongue.  The ordinary rock begins to glow within a warm white light, shining in the area.

She looks at the men with a shake of her head. "Shine some light on the subject....might help you a bit."She looks around, muttering something about men.

“I don’t see a clear way to get him up right now, and we have children to find.”

Beagan pulls a sunrod from his bag and hits it on the ground to add to the light.

“Who is first? I can check for traps.”

"Three tracks going that way" Orlen tells the others as he points out the way.

"One print the boy is bleeding, another one is dragging a foot, and the last one seems okay. I assume the first cut himself on the rocks and the one dragging a foot most likely sprained or broke his foot. They will need aid as quickly as possible. Let's take care of the living first and then worry about the dead. The man weighs more than the boys or us and if the rope was to break under his weight we could get stuck here" he cautious further.

He then adds as he starts following the tracks "There are also vermin tracks about the boys could be in danger from them as well."

Looking down, the halfling swashbuckler nodded grimly
"I guess there's nothing for it, then.  I'm coming down to help "

If possible, he tried to enter the hole and climb down

Beagan checks the local for traps
Beagan WobbleCog rolled 12 using 1d20+7.  Search for traps.

“Why did they leave the area?”

"I'm not sure but if I had to hazard a guess they might of been looking for another way out, with one bleeding and another with a hurt foot or leg they couldn't have made it back up the rope without help." Orlen speculates.

13:55, Today: Clover rolled 25 using 1d20+8.  K nature.

clover stoops over in the light emanating from the various light sources and studies the vermin tracks to get a better ideas what kind of vermin.rats are most likly but in caverns like this centipedes or spider are just as likely  but knowing what kind of vermin could make the difference.

Jotting a few things down in a small journal he looks through his notes before revealing what he discovers

* - updated map

[OOC: Let's assume everyone is underground. I believe only Ty hasn't checked in.]

Clover;

From what you can see of the tracks they are all from rats, mice, and other innocuous creatures.

Everyone:

The tracks continue westward until branches open up to the north and south. The footprints show the boys stopped and probably discussed things for a few minutes. After the bleeding prints lead to the south, the healthy and scuffling prints to the north. The chamber continues west into the darkness.

The well dressed halfling caught up with the others.  He looked at the tracks, trying to look like he knew what he was doing.

"Hello, all!  Sir Jovius, lately of the Courts of Cormyr, and Adventurer at Large, at your service.   I'm here to help, if i can.  I'm presuming that the bloody footprints lead to the those in most need? We could try to follow both, though that breaks one of the cardinal rules of Adventuring "

  "I'd say the shuffling one was possibly hurt the most," says Theo, "maybe a broken bone. But the bleeding one is alone, and thus more likely to get into trouble, so I'd say we head that way."

"Let's go and follow the one alone, as you say he is most vulnerable alone." Orlen adds as he starts to head in  the direction of the lone set of footprints.

Jovius shrugged and gave a wry smile
"I guess we're going that way, then."
He followed the ranger

The druid, holding her staff, paused as she listened to some rumbling and she smiled. Within moments, a badger, little larger than most, appeared with a snort.  The druid stroked the badger with fondness on the side of his head. "Don't grumble old man...i knew you would catch up with me, you always do."

The druid turned and followed the others, the badger in tow looking like a grumpy old man following a teenager. The druid looked at the others with a smile. "What....you think he'd let me have all the fun without him?"

he followed after Jovius, speaking all the while. "....don't be ridiculous Roughnut....you could find me anywhere." The badger growled low, and she paused and turned with a shock look at the badger. "Oh....you did not go there....after last time, you want to start this again!"

The badger looked anywhere but the druid, snorted and walked on. The druid smiled as she walked on. "All bluster." she muttered

[OOC: I will hold off until tomorrow to let the others chime in. Also, your party is large enough that you could split up....]
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 06:29, Mon 24 Feb 2020.

Clover follows quietly, But has a feeling that the two that are not bleeding are likely the younger. he has no evidence to support the theory, but there are enough that a short division of the group would cause minimal issues.

He enjoys the strength in numbers but this was no time for an over abundace of cauton, time may mean the difference in life and death of the lost kids.

he takes a few short steps in the direction of the two seeming to indicate wordlessly his intention to travel in that direction.

“Anyone know how fast a wounded child can walk or at least how fresh the blood spore is?”

Tydor crouches down to look at the blood trail.

"That is a good amount of blood he's spilling but not enough to cause him to faint just yet. It looks like something from his upper body - if it was a foot of leg we'd probably see more of a limp like the other lad. Maybe a head wound? That might explain his leaving his friends and wondering off if he was dizzy or confused."
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:01, Thu 27 Feb 2020.

[OOC: will give the others a bit more time to check-in and see how the party slits up. I'll assign the others randomly if they don't choose. This could also give me time to find another mapping program that has more objects and things to place on the map.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:37, Tue 25 Feb 2020.

To keep the game going I will split the party up this way:

Clover, Galeyn, Tydor, and Wellby head north to follow the two sets of footprints while Orlen, Sir Jovius, Beagan, and Teo follow the bleeding prints southward.