Introductions - How to Serve Man

[Gnomeo]

You wake up on the cold stone floor of a small room.  A campfire in the opposite corner provides the only illumination.  You begin to rise, but stop short as you realize you are not the room's only occupant.  A pair of ratlike lizard creatures are apparently having a heated discussion about something in a guttoral language.  Between the barks and growls, the first creature gestures toward a cooking pot.  The second creature shakes his head and gestures to the spit placed over the campfire.

Your weapons have been removed, and placed in a heap in the far corner beyond your captors.

[Kazgaroth]

You wake up on the cold stone floor of a small room.  A campfire in the opposite corner provides the only illumination.  You begin to rise, but stop short as you realize you are not the room's only occupant.  A pair of ratlike lizard creatures are apparently having a heated discussion about something in a guttoral language.  Between the barks and growls, the first creature gestures toward a cooking pot.  The second creature shakes his head and gestures to the spit placed over the campfire.

Your weapons have been removed, and placed in a heap in the far corner beyond your captors.

Carefully and slowly, I attempt to sit up and raise my hands together without drawing the lizard creatures' attention.

(click to show/hide)

Rolled 1d20+3 : 13 + 3, total 16

Holding my hands with thumbs touching and fingers spread, I mumble, "ardentes in manibus" as a thin sheet of flames shoot forth from my outstretched fingertips.

(click to show/hide)

Burning Hands - DC:14, save for half

Rolled 3d6 : 6, 2, 6, total 14

[Gnomeo]

Ironically, the two creatures were so engrossed in their conversation about cooking someone to notice that they themselves were about to be cooked.

Sizzling and cracking, their charred remains fall into a heap as the smell of cooked meat begins to fill the room.

Examining the entire room for the first time, you can see a pile of rags that appears to serve as bedding, your weapons piled atop it, and something charred on the spit above the fire. The outline of a door can be seen along one of the longer walls.

[Kazgaroth]

Ironically, the two creatures were so engrossed in their conversation about cooking someone to notice that they themselves were about to be cooked.

Sizzling and cracking, their charred remains fall into a heap as the smell of cooked meat begins to fill the room.

Examining the entire room for the first time, you can see a pile of rags that appears to serve as bedding, your weapons piled atop it, and something charred on the spit above the fire. The outline of a door can be seen along one of the longer walls.

I quietly gather my gear and equip my armor and weapons.  Afterwards, head to the door to examine it.

(click to show/hide)

Rolled 1d20+6 : 19 + 6, total 25

[Gnomeo]

There are no decorations, just a smooth surface and a handle for pulling.

Seeing nothing untoward, you feel comfortable opening the door. Your Elven ears hear nothing on the other side.

You're not sure exactly how you ended up here. You were investigating a string of unexplained disappearances in a forest near Cormyr. A bright light emerged all around your group and you were then thrown bodily to the floor in this room. Not sure what happened in between.

[Kazgaroth]

There are no decorations, just a smooth surface and a handle for pulling.

Seeing nothing untoward, you feel comfortable opening the door. Your Elven ears hear nothing on the other side.

You're not sure exactly how you ended up here. You were investigating a string of unexplained disappearances in a forest near Cormyr. A bright light emerged all around your group and you were then thrown bodily to the floor in this room. Not sure what happened in between.

Moving quietly, I douse the flames of the campfire.  Satisfied, I move back to the door and gently pull it open slightly so I can peer through.

[Gnomeo]

You peer into what looks like an underground corridor as wide as the inner dimensions of the room you are in. Your eyes had already adjusted to the lack of light. Flat grey stones make up both the floor and the walls. From your door, the corridor runs left and right.

To the left, a short set of stairs leading down as the corridor opens up to a room.

To the right you can see a wall, but you're sensitive ears catch the faintest echo of people noises. As if the sound was bouncing down a long hallway.

[Kazgaroth]

You peer into what looks like an underground corridor as wide as the inner dimensions of the room you are in. Your eyes had already adjusted to the lack of light. Flat grey stones make up both the floor and the walls. From your door, the corridor runs left and right.

To the left, a short set of stairs leading down as the corridor opens up to a room.

To the right you can see a wall, but you're sensitive ears catch the faintest echo of people noises. As if the sound was bouncing down a long hallway.

Quietly, I move out from the safety of the room and head left down the stairs. At the opening to the room, I peer around to get a better idea of the surroundings.

[Gnomeo]

As you exit the room, you realize that the door you just left is a secret from this side. Approaching the nearby room,  you see: Two broad steps lead down into a widening room crowded with a forest of stone pillars. Archways can be seen in its northern, western, and southern walls. Something metallic glints on the floor, among the many stone pillars.

[Kazgaroth]

As you exit the room, you realize that the door you just left is a secret from this side. Approaching the nearby room,  you see: Two broad steps lead down into a widening room crowded with a forest of stone pillars. Archways can be seen in its northern, western, and southern walls. Something metallic glints on the floor, among the many stone pillars.

I follow the left wall towards the closest archway and peer down the corridor.

[Gnomeo]

Approaching the archway, you notice through your darkvision that someone had written "CERTAIN DEATH THIS WAY" in black dusty letters on the wall opposite the arch, with an arrow pointing toward the corridor you are about to peer down.

The writing must have distracted you, as you kick a stone loose peering around the corner. You catch a quick glimpse of a small creature bending down and examining the floor before the noise you made scares it off and it runs down the corridor and out of sight.

You see another pair of steps leading down into the corridor and an offshoot corridor that runs parallel on the left wall.

[Kazgaroth]

Approaching the archway, you notice through your darkvision that someone had written "CERTAIN DEATH THIS WAY" in black dusty letters on the wall opposite the arch, with an arrow pointing toward the corridor you are about to peer down.

The writing must have distracted you, as you kick a stone loose peering around the corner. You catch a quick glimpse of a small creature bending down and examining the floor before the noise you made scares it off and it runs down the corridor and out of sight.

You see another pair of steps leading down into the corridor and an offshoot corridor that runs parallel on the left wall.

Seeing the creature flee, I quickly and quietly cross the room to the closest stone pillars to hide behind. I keep an eye towards the archway that I just left while periodically looking around my current area.

[Gnomeo]

Hiding behind the nearest pillar, you don't wait long before you hear the creature running back from the corridor it ran to. It doesn't hesitate to turn left and head down the next passage.

A moment later, you see why. A pair of lumbering creatures twice a man's height chase after it. Coming to the pillar room, they split up and head down the other two passages.

[Kazgaroth]

Hiding behind the nearest pillar, you don't wait long before you hear the creature running back from the corridor it ran to. It doesn't hesitate to turn left and head down the next passage.

A moment later, you see why. A pair of lumbering creatures twice a man's height chase after it. Coming to the pillar room, they split up and head down the other two passages.

I remain still and silent watching for any movement/activity in and out of the room.  When I'm sure it's all clear, I'll move cautiously towards the metal glint among these pillars to determine what it might be.

[Gnomeo]

A single gold piece lies on the floor in the center of the room.

[Kazgaroth]

A single gold piece lies on the floor in the center of the room.

Disregarding the gold piece, I debate my options.  Exploring the two other corridors where the ogres just went is not appealing nor is the idea of getting caught by them in their corridor.  There's only one other option at this point...

I cautiously make my way back to the corridor that I came from and I attempt to find the secret door that I came out from.

[Gnomeo]

Turning your back to the pillared room, you're fairly certain that the secret door you came from is on the right hand wall 1/3 of the distance between here and the opposite corner.

It takes a few moments of searching, but you are able to find the latch just as you begin to hear heavy footsteps headed your way from at least one of the corridors the ogres went down.

Ducking inside, you find a small room. In it you find a campfire that had been doused, a pile of rags, and a pair of small charred humanoid corpses. The smell of cooked meat fills the room.

The footsteps come down the corridor you just left. They stop just outside the door. Your sensitive ears pick up the sound of someone sniffing the air. A few grunts emerge from the Ogre's mouth, which are returned by his partner. It then says in Common: "I smell cooked flesh, Goblin, did the humans eat you first? " It runs further down the corridor, stops, then returns. A few grunts from each of them and they tromp away. It's impossible to tell which of the three corridors they went to this time.

[Kazgaroth]

Turning your back to the pillared room, you're fairly certain that the secret door you came from is on the right hand wall 1/3 of the distance between here and the opposite corner.

It takes a few moments of searching, but you are able to find the latch just as you begin to hear heavy footsteps headed your way from at least one of the corridors the ogres went down.

Ducking inside, you find a small room. In it you find a campfire that had been doused, a pile of rags, and a pair of small charred humanoid corpses. The smell of cooked meat fills the room.

The footsteps come down the corridor you just left. They stop just outside the door. Your sensitive ears pick up the sound of someone sniffing the air. A few grunts emerge from the Ogre's mouth, which are returned by his partner. It then says in Common: "I smell cooked flesh, Goblin, did the humans eat you first? " It runs further down the corridor, stops, then returns. A few grunts from each of them and they tromp away. It's impossible to tell which of the three corridors they went to this time.

I remain at the door listening for any more sounds from any creatures passing by.  When it is clear, I carefully pull the door open to peer through the opening. If all is clear, I head out the door cautiously the to the right following the corridor to the right where the voices are coming from.

[NasT]

I remain at the door listening for any more sounds from any creatures passing by.  When it is clear, I carefully pull the door open to peer through the opening. If all is clear, I head out the door cautiously the to the right following the corridor to the right where the voices are coming from.

It only took a second.  The young Elven girl, stepped through a swirl of golden light and emerged in a darkened room.

...hmmmmm.... I wonder where I landed this time? .... Uh-oh, that was my last 'key', so I guess I'm here for a while, huh?

She scans the room and notices the smoldering campfire, the bodies and the wood elf leaning up against the door with his back to her.

What happened to them?  And, Who is he?  Well he's older, and smarter than the other two, so... maybe, I wonder... Could he help me?  But he looks busy, so would it be okay to ask?

The young girl lightly steps around the ashes and takes a position just behind the concentrating elf.  She leans in and breathes lightly in his ear as she singsongs in her soft soprano voice.

"Whatcha doin'?"
 

[Kazgaroth]

I remain at the door listening for any more sounds from any creatures passing by.  When it is clear, I carefully pull the door open to peer through the opening. If all is clear, I head out the door cautiously the to the right following the corridor to the right where the voices are coming from.

It only took a second.  The young Elven girl, stepped through a swirl of golden light and emerged in a darkened room.

...hmmmmm.... I wonder where I landed this time? .... Uh-oh, that was my last 'key', so I guess I'm here for a while, huh?

She scans the room and notices the smoldering campfire, the bodies and the wood elf leaning up against the door with his back to her.

What happened to them?  And, Who is he?  Well he's older, and smarter than the other two, so... maybe, I wonder... Could he help me?  But he looks busy, so would it be okay to ask?

The young girl lightly steps around the ashes and takes a position just behind the concentrating elf.  She leans in and breathes lightly in his ear as she singsongs in her soft soprano voice.

"Whatcha doin'?"
 

Startled by the voice, I whip around, with sword in hand, to face the owner. "Who are you and how did you get here?!", I exclaimed.