The sound of wood scraping stone breaks the silence of a dark, dank tunnel. DIANA's Staff of Acrobats leverages the boarded-up entrance, and it's soon flipped open. Rats scurry from the disruption, and PRESTO and ERIC join Diana to slip inside.
Yup, looks like this is the right track.
She indicates one of the torches held by rusted wall sconces, taking one in hand. The light plays off the dripping moisture of roughly-hewn walls, although the floor comprises a mix of stone slabs and packed earth.
Yeah, not to mention *them.*
Eric does, in fact, mention the glittery outlines of a person they've been following. He rubs his third eye in the middle of its forehead, then checks for confirmation.
Is it still there?
(rubs again)
Is it still there?
Calm down, Eric. It'll wear off eventually.
Come on! Let's see where this trail of phantom menaces leads while we still can. Careful, now.
Roll DEXTERITY with Backgrounds if you want to be stealthy. There's no rules for group check/helping, but the general consensus is that half of your group needs to succeed for a group "pass." It's a normal check.
⬙(17) + DEX (4) + Level (5) + Former gymnastics protege (5) = 27
⬙(3) + DEX (3) + Level (5) + Chosen champion of the Dungeonmaster (5) = 16
⬙(8) + DEX (3) + Level (5) + Chosen champion of the Dungeonmaster (3) = 19
Diana sidles through the tunnel with silent ease. Presto, though, slips on the moist floor and nearly cries out, and Eric tries to catch him and cover his mouth. Unfortunately, that causes Eric to slip, and the two boys go tumbling a short distance, clattering and yelping.
Would you two stop fooling around?
First mud, now slime? Thanks a lot, Presto.
What did I do?!
They've tumbled into a small, half-collapsed chamber, narrowly missing some brackish water. It has flooded half the area, coming from a low tunnel on the far side of the room.
There's a lot of debris in here. Old collapsed buildings or something? It's possible there's another entrance. Let's search the area. I'd rather not have to take a swim.
Exactly! Diana, I knew I wasn't the only smart one of the group!
Roll Wisdom with Backgrounds, normal check.
⬙(10) + WIS (2) + Level (5) + Chosen champion of the Dungeonmaster (3) = 20
⬙(9) + WIS (1) + Level (5) + Chosen champion of the Dungeonmaster (5) = 20
⬙(5) + WIS (1) + Level (5) + Chosen champion of the Dungeonmaster (3) = 14
In fact, I was telling Presto the other day, "that Diana," I said, "that Diana is one smart--" WHOOP!
The rock Eric had placed a hand to lean upon suddenly gives way, falling inward to a smaller tunnel hidden behind. Eric's arm slides easily into the crevice.
Eric! You found something! Can you feel that air movement? It must be a side passage.
Well, time for more leveraging, I guess.
The three move enough debris to reveal a narrow crevice.
Wow, that's a tight squeeze. I think we'll have to go one at a time.
Wait. Does this make sense? If there are any cultists, they wouldn't have come this way. Especially not if it's been blocked. Look again?
Diana removes her diadem, showing her third eye. The glittering phantoms seem to travel across the brackish water to the west.
They must have just ran through, or used a boat or something? Or who knows, maybe they walk on water?
Nope. I know how this goes. We take one step onto that smelly cesspool and suddenly its a deathtrap, or a monster pops out to eat us, or whatever. I'll take my chances with the road less traveled and that will make all the difference!
Eric raises his sheild and turns to cram himself into the crawlspace. Diana and Presto shrug, then cram themselves in one by one to follow.
(Oof!) See? (Erg!) Not a (Umph!) problem!
His attempt at speed belying his attempt at bravado, Eric fails to notice his shield catching at one of the rocky outcroppings, disturbing some rubble and sending a small cascade down on him.
Aaaah! I'm hit! I'm hit! Evil tunnel! Evil tunnel!
Eric sprawls out at the end of the long passageway, scuffed and bruised. Presto, then Diana, still keeping the torch aloft, step out shortly after, stiff from the close quarters but nonetheless okay.
Congratulations, Eric! Any tunnel you can crawl away from...
Either of you picking up anything? I think I went third-eye blind.
What does that even mean?
(squints his third eye)
Oh. I see. Or, I guess I don't see.
Yeah, I'm not seeing any phantoms. We're off the trail. The tunnel here splits right and left. Looks like more ugly water if we go left.
Yeah. Smells like it, too. Yuck.
Diana's torch barely illuminates the passages, with no more wall sconces to help. They turn away from the black water on their left and travel a short way to the right. In the gloom, it seems to end with a dead-end wall, but as the heroes approach, they see an outline of a door with a giant iron ring in its center for a handle.
Looks pretty solid. Not sure we can get by with stealth here. Presto, you think you can magic it open?
I guess so. I mean, yeah.
Good. Eric and I will stand at the ready, and if anyone's inside, we'll make them come to us!
Yeah! I mean, wait a minute...
Knock, Knock.
Who's there?
Open.
Open who?
Open Sesame!
You want to use your Archmage Heritage Talent to access the Wizard cantrip Knock? Charisma with Background, normal check.
⬙(5) + CHA (4) + Level (5) + Chosen champion of the Dungeonmaster (5) = 19
From out of Presto's hat swarms a mass of translucent insect-sized wisps, a mass of tiny magical servitors forming a giant hand. It swarms around the door handle and pulls it so violently the entire door explodes inward, sending hunks of stone raining upon the heroes.
The heroes cry out in surprise, but Eric's shield, Diana's grace, and Presto's dumb luck keep them safe from the flying debris.
Sorry! Sorry. Is- Is everyone okay?
Yeah. It's alright, Presto. You're doing your best. We all are. Even if this world doesn't seem to care one way or the other. Let's just keep moving.
Hey, guys! We did it! We're back on track!
Eric points to his third eye, then points into the room. The phantom outlines of the man they've been tracking appear again, leaving frame-by-frame after-images of his route.
See? Follow me and you can't go wrong! I mean, not after a while.
continued in 1.4 Tombs of Knights . . .