Axel keeps to himself, waiting for a reply to the other's questions.  He makes no attempt to get any closer than the cave entrance, nor does he fish out coins or make to try the stew.  If he had questions they remained unasked for now.

The clifftop innkeeper waves off the climbers' silvers.

"I kid. I'm no more the proprietor of this hollow than a master cook, but I have prepared some passable stew."

"We're all going to the same place. When you've eaten me out of kid and cave, let's continue the ascent together," he offers, with another smile.

Sil'qian smiles thinly at the half-orc. "A well-played jibe Hrothgar, you fooled us all! But, we have just moments ago lost Walker's...cousin...to a flying reptile and our hearts are still heavy.

We welcome your stew, and your company when take to the steps again."

[Edit: typo]
This message was last edited by the player at 03:47, Fri 17 Apr 2020.

"So quick to leave such a prime location? It seems as if we're all set aback for the moment..." Tybalt took the jest good-naturedly, perhaps a little too much so in over-compensating for the gripping sadness still raw upon his heart. He stuffed stew into his mouth with a purpose, wiped his cup with his finger and licked the last of the broth from it.

"A question for you Hrothgar, for by your breadth of shoulder and carriage I should think you competent in a scrap..." the tall ranger said, looking the half-orc over. "A buddy from Narsileon told me about a secret organization called the Sodality of the Fist. Apparently it recruits brave lads and lasses to enter the Arden Vul dungeons to participate in arena duels of some sort. The leader of the Sodality is from the Vislok clan. They specialize in bare-knuckle fighting."

"You wouldn't happen to know anything of dueling would you? Might this, perhaps, be your goal in ascending the Long Stair of Arden Vul?"

Walker neared the edge of the trail and peered over, looking far down, the thoughts of Durke's fall coming to him unbidden. He wondered what might have happened had the accident occurred just a few hundred yards in this direction, perhaps the knight's body would have landed in the outstretched hand of the massive statue...

On a whim, Tybalt tossed the two silvers he'd been going to give Hrothgar for the stew and lodging, over the side, watching to see if they might land in the open palm far below.


Tybalt (and myself) is fascinated somewhat with the statue holding out her hand. How far down from their spot at the swtichback is it to the hand?

"Hmm, never had goat steew before.  Never climbed this high above the ground.  A day of firsts, this is."
The gnome walks up to the half orc, and rises up on the balls of his feet, extending a hand upwards.
"My name is Zuru.  Pleased to make your acquaintance."

As it seems likely this newcomer will continue with the group replacing the warrior that fell Axel calls out from where he stood, "I am Axel," though he does take a step or two closer into the shelter.

The half-orc's ready smile vanishes.


"Hacking, chopping, and cleaving," he begins. "Nothing so formal as a duel. I climbed these stairs to make my way in the world. I'm an adventurer; this is a land of adventure, maybe more than any one adventurer could undertake--to judge by all I've heard."

He assumes a dramatic stance and declaims: "The ancient Set cult was centered around three rituals, or mysteries. The second mystery demonstrated Set's control over a magically-created sandstorm. Within the anonymity of the sandstorm, participants attacked each other with impunity; indeed, such chaos was celebrated!"

Shrugging, he eats some stew in memory Tybalt's cousin.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:20, Fri 17 Apr 2020.

Axel remains at the entrance looking both up and down the stairs, and occasionally over the side.  He speaks to those who have moved further back into the chamber.  "We don't want to tarry here any longer than required.  Once you gentlemen have finished your refreshments, we need to get going.  These stairs are more slippery and treacherous than we have given them credit for, and being stuck on them as weather develops will make the ascent even more unpleasant."

"Words of wisdom, Axel." The elf washes down the last bite of stew with a swig from his waterskin.

"When you are all ready, I will take the lead, again."

Zuru looks at his unshaken hand, shrugs, and heads back towards the steps.  "ready when you are"

"Indeed, let's continue."
Brian stepped away from the back wall and said to the warrior, "Glad to have you with us, Hrothgar."

He moved to the edge slowly, and looked to the skies. Whether for glory & fame, or for the prosperity of their people, or in search of a legendary treasure, they had all gathered together on one road. "Let's continue our journey into The Halls of Arden Vul..."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:59, Sat 18 Apr 2020.

The Walker looked once more over the side, shook his head sadly and then followed in behind the elf.

"That wasn't bad, but then again, it's hard to botch goat..." he said to Hrothgar as he passed by.

"I agree with Axel, let's try to make the summit before dark, unless we come across any caves that look particularly inviting."

As they continued the climb, the words of the last tune they'd heard in the hamlet of Thorham echoed in Tybalt's mind. It had been sung by the farmer's daughter, a beautiful creature with a haunting voice. They'd both been spellbound by her. The tune held a different meaning now that Durke was gone...


Soldier of Fortune - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4cEWZw4iJU

To answer Tybalt's question, Arden's hand is more than 600' below this switchback.

Sated and ready to go, your group heads up the stairs.  The going here is easier, since the mist from the falls has dropped off and the steps are no longer so slippery.  You ascend another 250' or so to the third switchback.  Here you notice another portal carved out of the rock.  It looks to have once held a stone door, which lies in pieces on the floor.  There doesn't appear to be anyone inside.

"Oh great.  A shattered rock door," Axel observes sarcastically as he crests the top of the stairs and sees the dark opening beckon.  He looks at the chunks of rock and twisted iron straps that made up the door scattered across the floor.  "Either this way isn't frequented often and no one yet has bothered to move the rubble to the side, or this event is relatively recent.  What horror would be strong enough to do that?  Perhaps we should move along quickly, the top is still some way off and daylight is a more precious commodity to us at the moment."

He obviously isn't keen to investigate the dark chamber.

He lets out a resigned sigh.  "Sometimes swilling back mead in a warm speakeasy seems a lot easier than the career path I have cruelly been forced upon."

OOC:  I'm still playing around with Axel's character, as I haven't got a personality locked in for him yet, but I'm thinking more and more along the lines of Dr. Zachary Smith from Lost in Space fame.  It's stretching my memory a little, but luckily there is You Tube to do some research.  It seems to fit in with how I see him, and playing an adventurer who is basically a coward is an interesting angle I've never considered before.

"Perhaps a protector of the halls?" The cleric gingerly kicked at the splinters on the ground. "I can't make out the insides, but might this hold something of interest? If it is recent, whatever broke the door may not be here."
OOC: Is this a small opening in the wall or does it seem to lead somewhere? An entire door implies this isn't a simple alcove

Brian was a tad surprised by Axel's remark. "Forced upon? Are you not here by your own will?"
Then he asked Hrothgar, "How long did you occupy that chamber, now below us? Might you know something about this broken door, or have witnessed unfamiliar figures on these stairs?"

Sil'qian gives Axel a questioning look, but says nothing. He steps to the edge of the portal and looks around the cavern or room beyond relying on his infravision to give him an idea of what lay just inside.

He then adds, "Forced or not, we came here looking to explore the lost city, and this is our first opportunity to do so."

He draws his longsword from its scabbard and looks to the group for their reactions.

---

quote:

It looks to have once held a stone door, which lies in pieces on the floor.

I am assuming the pieces of door lie on the floor of the cavern not on the path - in other words door was kicked-in from the outside.

Axel, your comment on roleplaying reminded me that I want to play Sil'qian a little more dour and taciturn- I will endeavour to remember!

Axel goes a little pale at the prospect of entering the room.  He says, "Second son," by way of explanation to Brian's question.  "I would have been better suited to a life of luxury, one enjoyed by my twin brother who cruelly pushed me aside and stole my birthright by emerging from our mothers womb in my place.  I was usurped at birth and find myself now forced to survive on my charm, good looks and wits."
_______________________________

It's all about perspective I suppose -

quote:

"You ascend another 250' or so to the third switchback"

which is a landing of sorts like in most stairwells.  As we have not entered the room, (which I thought would be dark inside), and only made it to the switchback to me the stone is lying on the floor of the switchback having been forced outward from inside the room.

I'm sure the DM will clarify the point for us.

"Oh, great, competition," Hrothgar wisecracks when they reach the third switchback. "Another fine establishment to steal my customers."


He pauses to respond before joining Sil at the threshold. "Long enough to catch my breath, a wandering goat, and then to cook up a stew. Just about anything could have escaped my notice and I had not as of yet engaged a doorman. I should remedy that."

With that, he enters the chamber.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:44, Sun 19 Apr 2020.

Mistaking the wisecrack for sympathy Axel counters, "Unlike my position your digs weren't attacked and destroyed, that's a distinct competitive advantage you have."

Axel looks about nervously as Hrothgar enters the room calling after him. "This isn't really the city now is it.  That's up higher.  Perhaps we should return to your fine establishment Hrothgar to secure the advantage your location presents."  It doesn't look like he expects support for his words as he moves about on the switchback keeping away from the door as he changes angle to see if he can see more of the room without actually entering.

Sil'qian cracks a smile, unseen under his mask, and nods as Hrothgar steps past him into the cavern.

He turns and follows the half-orc.

The entry passage is 20' wide and 20' deep, and splits to the left and right at its end.  The passage is littered with pits of trash; you spy a broken canteen, some bits of leather, some metal shards, and other random junk.  The two side areas are choked with cobwebs and impossible to enter in their current state.

"Can't say much for their choice of décor. Prefer the spartan style myself."

However, even the burly half-orc shudders at the prospect of being entrapped within those webs.

"Don't fancy being paralyzed while feeding a brood of spiderlings, do you, Axel? Not the life you imagined for yourself?" he calls back.

He steps back a healthy number of feet.

"Well, it's not the life I imagined for myself, either. Could one of you try putting those cobwebs to the torch?"

"I've no torch!"

Stepping back into the centre of the 20 x 20 area, Sil'qian asks the group, "Do any of you have a torch?

A sad group of adventurers we make, if we get stopped by spider webs!"

"Flammable oil my good half-man and elf, that's what's required." Axel replies still out on the switchback, though curiosity had caused him to step a little closer to the doorway after he had not heard any terrified death cries coming from Hrothgar or Sil.    "Incinerate the buggers and everything else in there."  Axel pulls off his pack and quickly retrieves a flask of fine oil, being brave enough to hold it up in the doorway expecting someone else to take it and throw it.  "I would," he explains, "Except my cursed twin often took the nourishment from my mother's breast meant for me, leaving me weakened and slightly uncoordinated."  There was no hint of jest in his voice.  "Scatter it about it is highly flammable and I have flint a steel someone could strike."

Reaching to his own pack, the Walker retrieved a torch and handed it to Axel for a light. "I need both hands to shoot, and our Elven friend here needs much less light than the rest of us in order to see. Why don't you hold the torch?" It wasn't a question really, nor a suggestion, more of a non-stern command.

"I'm no fan of crawlers. I'd think they came along after the door was broken down, or from further within... I really don't want to confront any spider that could have broken through that door trying to get into this cavern!"


Deducting 1 torch from inventory.