"Right, I guess that's probably a good idea," he said in response to Shanaera's suggestion. He eyed the space between the two groups as he attempted to discern where the split was. After a while he reached into his pack and grabbed some rope. "Someone want to hold onto this in case I get sucked in? I'd rather not get stuck in some trap." He waited until someone took one end of the rope and wrapped the other end around his waist. He slowly approached where he thought the barrier was and stuck an arm through. After several moments, assuming nothing suspicious happened, he stepped through the mirror.

In reply to Ruven Reykalyn (msg # 206):

Aergleel ties the other end around his waist, He hoped Ruven didn't get sucked into the 'mirror' where he would be wildly outnumbered.

As the group moves to to discuss what is happening, the "mirror" group duplicates their actions. As Ruven gets closer he begins to feel a chill emanating from the "mirror wall", the cold air somehow being amplified by the mysterious mirror wall. As Ruven pushes his hand against it, the cold lashes out against him, frost forming along his hand. But also it gives Ruven an insight about the mirror wall.

Ruven winced as frost formed on his hand. He pulled his limb out and stepped back as if the scenery had changed. "Well like we suspected it's some sort of trap. It's not actually a wall, it's a net. There are various glowing blue strings strung up in the ravine. I believe it's called 'Mirage Thread', it's supposed to enhance illusion effects. It might be pretty useful if we can get it down without wrecking the thread. Care to take a stab at disabling it Shanaera?"

Shanaera looks at the 'trap' as Ruvan had explained it felt like.  Shanaera then tries to see what she could do to disable it and possibly bring it with them as a weapon of sorts.

17:29, Today: Shanaera Sinsaulii rolled 24 using 2d20+11, dropping the lowest dice only.  reroll forgot to drop 1.  disable device.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:30, Thu 24 Sept 2020.

Shanaera examines the wall with her detect magic, piercing the illusionary effects of the net wall that she could now clearly see. Thinking back to her training, Shanaera reaches for Dusk, and thrusts the staff into the net. The staff seems to absorb the cold energy running through the net, and with a twist, she begins to wind the threads around the staff, breaking the icy blue glow she perceived as the thread begins to unravel from the net wall. Within a matter of moments, everybody sees the illusion disappear, revealing the ravine before them curving ahead around a bend. Shanaera's shadow staff is covered on the tip by a spool of gossamer thread.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:44, Sat 26 Sept 2020.

"Someone willing to use such illusions and traps most likely left more than one, question is how do we spot them before we get to them?" Casyr asked.

Shanaera's eyes went wide as her detect magic revealed more truth about the illusion before her.  As she thought of an idea to remove the thread she smiled even wider when the thread wound around Dusk.

When Casyr made his comment Shanaera answered, "That is possible.  As we walk I can constantly cast my detect magic.  It will reveal any we might find along with anything else out there that may be magical."

Amardes watched and admired as Ruven and Shaaera evaluated and then removed the trap in quick order. The Druidess admired skill and her companions indeed had it, she nodded as Casyr and Shanaera spoke once more. "It would be good to keep an eye open for more mundane traps too. It would be a shame to fall into a pit or something similar while searching for magical danger. I can also support you with magical detection." She said with a kind smile.

Ruven leaned down to inspect the threads now wrapped around the staff. He was amazed as Shanaera made the task of removing the thread look like a simple task. He then turned his attention to the ravine. "I can cast detect magic if need be but we might want to not burn all our cantrips. The spell only lasts a few minutes and for all we know we might still have hours to travel. Speaking of which we should press on while her current 'Detect Magic' is active."

The group, having overcome yet another obstacle in their way, decide to move on. With the ravine being wide enough to walk close to Amardes and the acorn, Shanaera keeps a look out for more traps. Between Casyr and Amardes' tracking skills, the group is able to follow the disturbance in the earth, around the bend in the ravine, as it traced back and forth around multiple bends in the ravine. After three hours of travel, you come upon what appears to be a split in the ravine, in one direction the wind blows stronger, the icy chill almost penetrating the protections your group has. In the other, the disturbance continues on to what appears to be a cul de sac and cave entrance in the split of the ravine.

In reply to Corellon Larethian (msg # 216):

"It appears the cave is our first destination. Then the cold of death in the other ravine!" he says to the others.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:41, Wed 30 Sept 2020.

"Might as well get on it," Casyr says and starts looking for landmarks to remember what path they took and how to get back here.

Shanaera agreed with heading to the cave first.  Finding Kor was important and if this was where he was they needed to look.

"Yes, let's head to the cave first.  Besides it is not s cold that way either."  Shanaera said echoing Aergleel.

Ruven wrapped his cloak tighter around his person. As they had proceeded further into the ravine it seemed the chill had only grown stronger. He nodded at the group's desire to enter the cave. "Let us hope this cave isn't another illusion," he joked as he took out his bow. He reached for an arrow before he chanted a few words and touched it. When he removed his hand the arrowhead glowed brightly to light their way. He nocked the arrow turned torch and followed the others into the cave.

Amardes pauses waiting for the rest of the group as she stares from the area spewing the cold air to the cave in the other. "To the cave then." She says with a slight smile before continuing forward. Now slightly slower incase this is another trap.

Casyr will move to the Cave and will check for tracks outside the entrance of the cave to see if it is used by any of nature's critters.

Ruven's arrow shines with bright sunlight, illuminating a wide area as it enters the cave. The arrow lights up a large cavern past the initial entrance, and with what looks like passages beyond.

Casyr holds up his hand and points to the ground as he told the others "Orc tracks here outside the cave. About a dozen orcs or so I reckon from what I can see. This is probably not the only entrance to the cave, they seem to avoid using this when the wind is up based on the tracks they've left."

Shanaera considered the glowing arrow in the cave, before looking to Ruvan. "I do not suppose you can suppress the light from that arrow from here? It may have given the orcs a warning that danger, I mean, we, are approaching." She asked, unweaving the Mirage Thread from the tip of Dusk, and stowing the components into her spell component pouch. With a few moments notice, the shadowy staff transformed into a rapier like blade. The shadow mage was looking slightly distracted by the cave entrance, as if worried about something.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:20, Wed 07 Oct 2020.

In reply to Shanaera Sinsaulii (msg # 225):

Aergleel kissed Shan on the top of the head and readied himself for combat.

Ruven nodded at Shanaera's request and dismissed the light on his arrow. "I was actually thinking the same thing. I don't think any of us can see in the dark like orcs can. We either walk in blind and they jump us, or we go in with lights and they jump us." He commented with a grimace. He turned back to look outside, "maybe we should progress through the ravine? Casyr said that he believes they avoid the winds. With the protection of the acorn we might be able to sneak past them without incident."

"My guess is they would have already attacked if they had been at the entrance, the light may have already attracted them to investigate though. Rare is it for an orc to be worth anything more than death though," Casyr said.

Amardes pondered for a moment. "Should we perhaps try and hide ourselves here for a while, turn their trap against them? Perhaps we could stand by the cave wall and Shanaera could put up an illusion of the cave wall in front of us?" The druidess offered in a tentative voice.

The bard nodded at Amardes' suggestion. "If we want to face them here at the entrance where their is lighting would be good. An ambush would be even better. Even if Shanaera can't create an illusionary wall we can hide in the ravine. If I need to I can make some noise and act as a distraction to lure them outside," Ruven offered.