The Die is Cast

[harknail]

Hearing that whatever was down here was staying hidden, Neera starts poking the sand with her sword in an effort to coax at the coming out to where she can fight it...

[at]

Poking at the sand yields little response, whether the threat beneath was bound to remain near the horde or simply unwilling to leave the concealment of the sand is uncertain but it was not to be such an easy task to lure them from their lair.

[crazydave]

"Makes sense. Why would they come out? We're the ones who need to walk through. Does anyone have any summoning capabilities?"

[harknail]

"I can summon any of a variety of animals," admited Vadania. "What do you have in mind?"

[crazydave]

"Something of moderate size," ventures Brenner. "That seems a safe bet."

[at]

"Such magic is unlikely to work", Moriana points out, "creatures summoned would likely be warded from the area as with any other magic, though I would suppose we cannot be sure unless we try."

[crazydave]

"...Ah. That is a good point. Perhaps we should just go as a group, then."

[at]

The group hold their position at the cave entrance while deciding how to approach this unknown threat. For all they had fought - dragons and demons and things far darker this lair still brought about a fresh concern.

Stomping golems and pillars of flame would perhaps have been more welcome. Vadania mused that Pinkle or Nillfree would have likely been sifiting amongst the carts while hanging from the ceiling by now, perhaps to their detriment but not for want of trying. Perhaps the constant battle chasing the demons from one land to the next was taking its toll as she wondered if perhaps fear of what they might find upon returning to the city had motivated her journey here more than the desire for treasure.

[harknail]

Can you reach the carts from the ceiling? Vadania is able to hang from the ceiling easily enough with Spider Climb.

[at]

Oct 13, 2022 18:59:47 GMT -5 harknail said:

Can you reach the carts from the ceiling? Vadania is able to hang from the ceiling easily enough with Spider Climb.

You'd have to hang from something, or cling to the ceiling while lowering someone else down - the cave is large enough for a dragon.

The magic of spider climb would likewise be affected by the magical dampening field here.

[harknail]

Vadania isn't really motivated by treasure as such, she's more just looking for things that can help with the fight against the demons.5

Vadania says, "I'm going to go back to looking for something useful. Please keep an eye out for anything trying to bite me. Though I don't think it will like the taste of my blood anymore."

Neera answers, "Sure thing!" She stands ready watching the sand, ears cocked forward to hear the sounds of motion, and her tail twitching.

Looking at Neera, Vadania isn't sure of Neera is going to sleigh said anything that peers, or pounce on it and bite it!

[at]

Clambering out of the hole Vadania looks around for anything that might help. The ruins of the buildings here are mostly stone and the remnants of a well suggest this place may have once been a true oasis in the desert but little remains of it now.

Scattered about beneath the salt and sand she finds pieces of broken carts the dragon did not drag away and bones of various animals. Little else is here though she can make out a few of the distant Khan warning markers that circle the salt flat, and not far beyond them lay those of the Khan that did not survive the fight.

[harknail]

By "I'm going to go back to looking for something useful" I meant that Vadania was going to resume searching around the carts, taking her chances being attacked. But now that you've described the outside, it's occuring to me to maybe feed the Khan bodies to whatever it is down here...

[at]

Does Vadania wish to advance into the room or try something different?

(and is anyone accompanying her?)

[harknail]

Vadania will enter the room to search it. Neera will come along as a guard, ready to attack anything that pops up (and hoping something does).

I just realized that these might be dragon babies...

[crazydave]

Brenner will stay at the entrance, but be ready to jump to action to help - as much as can be helped in an antimagic field.

Actually... can the field be targeted by Dispel Magic? Brenner might try that first if so.

[at]

As Vadania and Neera advance into the room the thrashing under the sand grows louder but also begins to concentrate into a single point moving back towards the carts and other debris.

Brenner would guess that the field itself unbreakable by the magic he possesses but the effect might be surpressed briefly at the edge, though only within the extent of the dispel spell.

[harknail]

Vadania will take out or wooden sword for poking at things before touching them, and to defend herself from surprise attacks.

[at]

Vadania pokes at the ground seeking to draw out the source of the noise but is met with silence, her last indication being that whatever was creating it now lurks amongst the most dense collection of debris further into the cave.

(does Brenner wish to attempt to dispel magic, or hold onto his spell knowing that it may not last for long nor extend far into the field?)

[harknail]

Vadania will start searching for something that would help fighting the demons. She's counting on Neera to guard her. But being paranoid, she's alert for surprise attacks such is something tunneling under her...