After the rope and first few levels, the zigzaging series of stairs and platforms got deeper and deeper in the chasm, until the bottom was reached, over 200 feet down. The mid day sun did not reach the bottom and its in a rock filled narrow gorge that the party started walking cautiously, some of the rocks big enough to be hiding ambushing monsters. But nothing occurred, until in the distance, the silhouette of a ruined castle started to show in the permanent twilight of the gorge. Broken towers, tumbled walls, rock peppered stone plain, the smell of dust overpowering, with a faint aroma of old rot. As the party continued to approach, a chill breeze ruffled their cloaks, sounding like a mournful complaint to their presence.

Getting closer, they reached a small courtyard, apparently the top of what was once a crenelated battlement. The buried citadel has sunk so far into the earth that the battlement is now level with the surrounding floor. That floor stretches away to the north and south, composed of a layer of treacherous, crumbled masonry, which reaches to an unknown depth. To the west looms the surviving structures that the previous party must have gone to. A tower stands on the west side of the courtyard.

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OOC, welcome to chapter 1.2! You are now level 2!

Keely wrapped her cloak around her, letting the fur lining break the chill from the air.

"I say we check out the tower first, see what that shows up on the remaining structures before we go further in.  What say the rest of you?"

"We have no idea where we might find them, so it's a good idea to search it all, really. The tower is as good a place to start as any other." Vyn gave others a chance to voice other opinions and, unless there were objections, began to move toward the tower.

Rorek wiped his hands as he let go of the rope and looked around with wide eyes, "Impressive". He had never seen anything like it, it was as if ground had swallowed the castle, as if nature herself was trying to reclaim, or crush, the place. Unslinging his bow, he nodded at Keely and Vyn'als suggestion, "Agreed, the tower could also give us a better look at the surroundings and possibly any signs of Karakas and the rest of the group".

The giant is correct that we would have an elevated view of the surroundings. We may even see a sign of the entrance to the sunken structure. Vang let his eyes sweep the horizon for potential enemies. It might even offer safety in which to rest.

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OoC: 03:10, Today: Vang rolled 24 using 1d20+4.  Vang Perception. (NAT 20!!)

This message was last edited by the player at 07:11, Fri 01 July 2022.

Brankx came down to teh floor and looked around, hands on hips, impressed by the sight. "Not something ye see every day, thats fer sure."

With the suggestion of the tower, he nodded. "As good a place as any."

As the group made their way through the broken masonry stewed field towards the tower, they quickly realized that the ground was quite treacherous, filled with sinkholes, and the going was slow. The attentive Vang warned everybody to watch their footing, risking to fall in the unknown depths with a wrong step.

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This is difficult terrain, please give me a marching order. Thanks to Vang, you can make the acrobatic check with advantage, I need 3 of them from each of you to reach the tower.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:04, Sat 02 July 2022.

Vang moved out into the lead, keeping a careful watch on the terrain.

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08:43, Today: Vang rolled 22 using 2d20+5, dropping the lowest dice only with rolls of 17,6.  Vang Acrobatics.
08:43, Today: Vang rolled 24 using 2d20+5, dropping the lowest dice only with rolls of 19,2.  Vang Acrobatics.
08:43, Today: Vang rolled 12 using 2d20+5, dropping the lowest dice only with rolls of 3,7.  Vang Acrobatics.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:45, Fri 01 July 2022.