Chapter 2: Phandalin

[Shurijo]

As Sunny moves through the thickets, he finds more footprints and a hidden path leading to a cavern appearing to go under the manor. As he nears its entrance, he feels a cold breeze and catches a faint scent of decaying flesh. Backtracking the (Human/Medium size) footprints, he finds the path leads about 100 feet into the woods behind the manor.

[Vardaen]

The nameless rogue reports back. "Found a cave with dead things inside. I suppose you'll want to go in it."

[RorytheRomulan]

"Yes. It looks like we'll meet their pet horrors first. If we can handle them, we'll be closer to freeing the captives than we would have if we kicked in the door. Grogg, I hope you're prepared to go toe-to-toe with a cyclops."

ooc

Sleep could work if we weaken the "eye monster" first. If Lorenzo and Arveene both cast it together, could they combine the effect?

[Shurijo]

OOC

Casting together can't enhance the spell's DC or effect.

Also remember there's footprints going into the main level/floor as well. So there appears to be more than one entrance. This one looks more like a 'hidden' entrance, hidden behind the thickets/bushes, etc.

[ManWithDoor]

Grogg looks around, seeing the multiple paths they could explore. Not as simple and direct as he was hoping. "Well, we have the path going into the forest, and this underground entrance, and the ruins aboveground. The longer we sit here pondering, the more likely we'll get discovered. Time to make our decision, and run with it. Right, guys?"

[Othniel]

"I vote for the area behind the plants," Sasha suggests. "Never take the most-expected route, which I deem is the front door."

[Shurijo]

The group decides to enter through the thickets following the foul odor.

As they enter, a cold breeze fills this large natural cavern, carrying with it the faint scent of decaying flesh. A crevasse divides the cavern and is flanked by two rough stone columns that support the twenty-foot-high ceiling. Two arched wooden bridges span the chasm.

The bridges, which span the crevasse, are made of wooden planks and have no rails. The crevasse is a steep-sided fissure is 5 to 10 feet wide and 20 feet deep. At your initial glances from the secret entrance, you perceive no immediate threats.

OOC

Rather than send individual PMs to everybody here's what I was going to send:

As you walk, you hear a whisper. (this is telepathic not audible)

"Flesh smells good. Bring me flesh." Cackling maddeningly and continues with unrecognizable gibberish. "Food. Hungry. Flesh tasty."

Map

full view link: https://i.imgur.com/bXK4tfk.jpg

[Grimbold]

Lorenzo lights a torch, and holds it so everyone can see better. "Let's go, be careful. Something's in there."

[Othniel]

Sasha nods silently and grips her sword defensively. "After you."

[ManWithDoor]

Grogg raises an eyebrow at the telepathic speech, but doesn't freak out, at least externally. "Too bad we didn't bring a sacrificial cow or something. That might have been convenient." Whatever this thing is, he doesn't think a handful of trail rations is going to get them by.