Episode 8: Not a Drop to Drink

[EvilGenius]

Jareth, Onarra and Bannock step out of the Beastly Mirror onto a rocky ledge in a huge cavern, easily a half a mile high and about the same distance across. The whole of the cavern is covered with a lush forest, brightly illuminated by the setting sun, streaming in from the gigantic cave mouth that takes up most of the opposite wall. The ledge you are on slopes down to the cavern floor, on your right.

As you look over the strange tableau before you, your eyes are immediately drawn to a bare rock pedestal, rising above the greenery in the middle of the cavern. On top of the pedestal you see some sort of box, and although it's difficult to make out from here, you assume it has a chest on it that would be similar to the chest you found in the Feywild.

You glance at each other apprehensively. You are all in your own forms, thank the gods.

Your gaze is immediately torn back to the scene before you though as an animal howl fills the cavern and is echoed back from several locations. Bannock and Jareth easily recognize the sound as the howl of a wolfpack ....

[Jonkga]

Bannock leaves his longsword sheathed, as he recalls the genie's warning about slaying things in the Beastlands. He does, however, draw his Elven dagger and check to see if it is glowing, just to check to see if these are Lycans or "regular" Beastlands wolves approaching.

Additionally, he will say to his companions, "Friends, combat may not aid us here. Prepare to parlay if at all possible with any we encounter. Even beasts can be spoken to, and I can magically aid our communication in a few small ways, if necessary. Be alert. Mayhap we can get to the chest and back without contact, but I wouldn't wager on it."

[EvilGenius]

Bannock leaves his longsword sheathed, as he recalls the genie's warning about slaying things in the Beastlands. He does, however, draw his Elven dagger and check to see if it is glowing, just to check to see if these are Lycans or "regular" Beastlands wolves approaching.

Additionally, he will say to his companions, "Friends, combat may not aid us here. Prepare to parlay if at all possible with any we encounter. Even beasts can be spoken to, and I can magically aid our communication in a few small ways, if necessary. Be alert. Mayhap we can get to the chest and back without contact, but I wouldn't wager on it."

Good thought! Your dagger doesn't alert you to the presence of any lycanthropes, though the range is only 120', and the ledge is about 100' above the cavern floor.

[erilar]

Do we have an option to return to the other side? Realizing I might be unprepared, spell wise (oops).

[EvilGenius]

Do we have an option to return to the other side? Realizing I might be unprepared, spell wise (oops).

You turn to the wall behind you to see the familiar light blue of the Crystal Cage. You can see at least several inches into the crystal but it quickly becomes opaque. It does not appear to be at all mirror-like, currently.

As for spells, I had mentioned further up in the thread that you had completed a long rest before investigating the Crystal Cage and told everyone that they could adjust spells and such accordingly.

[Jonkga]

Bannock will suggest to his friends that the group moves deliberately towards the chest, ever alert for danger. As they start walking forward, he will use his Primeval Awareness to sense danger nearby (he will expend a first level spell slot to sense if any of the following are within 1 mile: aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fiends, fey, and undead).

[EvilGenius]

Bannock will suggest to his friends that the group moves deliberately towards the chest, ever alert for danger. As they start walking forward, he will use his Primeval Awareness to sense danger nearby (he will expend a first level spell slot to sense if any of the following are within 1 mile: aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fiends, fey, and undead).

The group cautiously descends the rocky path down to the floor of the cavern. Bannock, you tentatively reach out with your senses to commune with the land before you, and are startled at the strength of the connection you feel with this place. This is nature at it's purest; primal and deadly. The potency of Life nearly overwhelms your senses but there is also a brash current of unapologetic violence. All creatures here live and die by the Law of the Hunt.

Fortunately though, you do not sense any aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fiends, fey or undead.

Before you, there is an animal path leading off into the woods in the direction of the stone pedestal. There is also a small animal path leading in both directions around the edges of the cavern (left and right, along the walls).

[Jonkga]

Bannock will look to Jareth and ask if he recalls anything else about what may befall us here, and if he knows of any reason we shouldn't just head along the direct path to the pedestal.

[Fen's Ego]

Also recalling the warning against violence, Onarra forces herself to sheathe her arms. Her difficulty with the mirrored transition convinces her to focus on her new awareness (Proficiency) with Nature. "Now would be a good time for some old memories to return."

If I'm visualizing this correctly Bob, we have a path to our right sloping downward and in the direction of the raised area, and two paths, one to either side, circumventing the cavern floor at our present height (approx 100' above)? How much can we see of where they lead? Any defining features, etc.

"I agree; we'll most certainly meet this welcoming committee. But our goal 'seems' clear."

EDIT: sorry, i missed that we had descended. So the paths circumvent, but at ground level.

[EvilGenius]

EDIT: sorry, i missed that we had descended. So the paths circumvent, but at ground level.

Correct. Circumnavigate and bisect.

Bannock will look to Jareth and ask if he recalls anything else about what may befall us here, and if he knows of any reason we shouldn't just head along the direct path to the pedestal.

Jareth, you have no memories of this place.

[Jonkga]

Well, then, Bannock will lead the small party down the central, most direct path to the pedestal.

If I recall, it is bright enough that for now we don't need a light source, correct?

And, while he will be ready to parley should they encounter any foes, he will remind his companions that we shouldn't kill anything, but non-lethal damage should be fine if combat is forced upon us.

[erilar]

non-lethal damage should be fine if combat is forced upon us.

Yes, I was just thinking the same before seeing your post. Sorry I forgot to check the Crier the last few days. Will try to check in over the weekend. Will take a look at my spells and readjust for a foray into a Beasty Land type place.

[Jonkga]

Bannock will remind Jareth that he has access only to some basic Animal Friendship and Speak With Animals magics, and not much else to really help with the parley.

[Fen's Ego]

Bannock will remind Jareth that he has access only to some basic Animal Friendship and Speak With Animals magics, and not much else to really help with the parley.

Ditto Onarra; she recently came into (Proficiency) awareness of some of her kinship with Nature and Animal Handling skills, but a full-blown, born-again druid, she is not.

[Jonkga]

And, just to clarify, we are taking the path to the pedestal, which rises above the trees, so we then have to scale that to get to the chest, if we make it there without encountering the locals, correct?