A well-deserved rest

In the town of Amanad, famous for its healing waters, strange things start happening and there seems to be more at work than what meets the eye. Can a group of brave adventurers solve the riddle?

Moderator: Grimbold

User avatar
Grimbold
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 10309
Location: Austria
Title: Professor
User Class: Scholar

Orc Caves

Post by Grimbold » Wed Sep 23, 2020 10:22 am

You test the water and you get the same unhealthy feeling as in the bathhouse. You are quite sure this is the water that flows down from here to the bathhouse. You are definitely on the right track, even if there is a great maze of passages underneath these mountains!
To give physics a nod: The bathhouse is at the foot of the mountains, where the water comes out. And you have been going deep "into" the mountains, that means "in" and "up", which is where, probably, the water comes from. (Not sure if I am making myself clear here).

User avatar
Muskrat
Level 21 Elite
Level 21 Elite
Posts: 10513
Location: The Secret Places Beneath the Earth
Title: Keeper of the Hidden Word
User Class: Scholar

Orc Caves

Post by Muskrat » Wed Sep 23, 2020 7:46 pm

Merisiel pulls her finger out quickly. She carefully wipes her finger as clean as she can and says, "I definitely get a sickly feeling from this water. We must be deep in the mountain, with the water flowing down from here into the bathhouse. If we keep going upstream, we will hopefully find ... well, whatever is going on here."

User avatar
ManWithDoor
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 9301
Location: California, USA
Title: Imperial Psyker
User Class: Imperial Psyker

Orc Caves

Post by ManWithDoor » Thu Sep 24, 2020 6:34 am

The alchemist sniffs the water, but has no interest in touching it as well. "It is fascinating if you think about it, isn't it? If it was purposeful poison then that would make sense, to kill the people in the town. Or if it was animal carcasses or feces it would cause belly sickness, not just an itching." He shakes his head. "So strange. Perhaps it wasn't done by design? Chemical runoff from experiments perhaps? I know that I have to bury the leavings of my reagents isolated from the water supply, or it would cause all sorts of problems."
Just remember that "It's Magic, stop asking it to make sense with Physics" is always an option in D&D. :D "A wizard did it" is fun to throw in once in a while.

But yeah, your explanation makes total sense with the topography.
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

User avatar
Muskrat
Level 21 Elite
Level 21 Elite
Posts: 10513
Location: The Secret Places Beneath the Earth
Title: Keeper of the Hidden Word
User Class: Scholar

Orc Caves

Post by Muskrat » Thu Sep 24, 2020 6:59 pm

"Evidently, not everyone's as considerate and responsible as you," says Merisiel.

User avatar
Vardaen
Admin
Admin
Posts: 66394
Location: Miskatonic University
Title: Great Old One
User Class: Unshackled AI

Orc Caves

Post by Vardaen » Mon Sep 28, 2020 8:10 pm

"Animal offal eventually cleans itself, it must be something else." He looks around and wipes his brow. Pausing here he takes out his waterskin and a drink and offers the skin to the others if they want some. "Let's assume its on purpose, that way we are ready. If its not, all the better. I don't know what good I'll be if there is some magical alchemist pollution going on. If its deep gnome terrorists or zombies, I'm your man." He takes back the skin and puts its away, and wipes his brow again. He seems uncomfortable the deeper into the mountain you go. You catch him glancing at the ceiling once and a while -- the weight of all that stone above you weighs heavy on his mind (pun intended).

Weapon draw, he hold sup the light, "Come on...
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

User avatar
ManWithDoor
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 9301
Location: California, USA
Title: Imperial Psyker
User Class: Imperial Psyker

Orc Caves

Post by ManWithDoor » Mon Sep 28, 2020 9:01 pm

"Agreed. Some sort of mineral if it is natural, otherwise who knows? Magic is a fickle thing." He double-checks his equipment, adjusting a few of his straps. "Right, I'm ready too. Onward and upwards!"
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

User avatar
Grimbold
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 10309
Location: Austria
Title: Professor
User Class: Scholar

Orc Caves

Post by Grimbold » Tue Sep 29, 2020 8:52 am

After another three hours of walking through a maze of tunnels, either right next to an underground stream or following the sounds of water, the group comes to a fork in the passages. One going left, and steeply up, the other going right, with sounds of eerie voices and strange calls coming from that way.
Quick retcon: You found an everburning torch with the bandits. I don't want to strand you in utter darkness or keep track of dozens of torches. Some of you have dark or low light vision anyway.

User avatar
Muskrat
Level 21 Elite
Level 21 Elite
Posts: 10513
Location: The Secret Places Beneath the Earth
Title: Keeper of the Hidden Word
User Class: Scholar

Orc Caves

Post by Muskrat » Tue Sep 29, 2020 6:36 pm

Merisiel gestures towards the voices and whispers to the others, "It could be some harmless group of subterraneans minding their own business. Or it could be the people behind all this." She shrugs. "Who knows? If we're lucky, it could be both--they could be causing the problem without knowing it and be open to fixing the problem." She doubted they would be so lucky. "Either way, I think we should scout them out and see what's going on."

User avatar
ManWithDoor
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 9301
Location: California, USA
Title: Imperial Psyker
User Class: Imperial Psyker

Orc Caves

Post by ManWithDoor » Tue Sep 29, 2020 6:59 pm

The alchemist is in agreement. "Not liking the eerie voices, but most likely the best path to take to resolve this whole thing." He heads along the path to the right.
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

User avatar
Vardaen
Admin
Admin
Posts: 66394
Location: Miskatonic University
Title: Great Old One
User Class: Unshackled AI

Orc Caves

Post by Vardaen » Thu Oct 01, 2020 4:05 pm

"Right. Weapons near at hand, but let's not threaten anyone unless we have to." Carver leads the way slowly and carefully moving toward the voices.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

Post Reply