Chapter 1: The Avernus Job [First Layer of Hell]

[Shurijo]

OOC

Nobody you knew.

[Shurijo]

Previous Leg actions

I forgot to roll the character leg actions. Here's the result from the 1st leg

Log'thar - Inspire
Inspire: The character makes a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion or Performance) check. On a success, each player gains temporary hit points equal to their level. This effect lasts until the start of the next leg.

d20 +7 = 20 (crit) *success*

Morneth - Stay Alert
Stay Alert: The character makes a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. On a success, the party cannot be surprised by encounters during this leg.

d20 +7 = 6 + 7 = 13 *failure*

Ryld - Stealth
Stealth: The character must make a DC 15 Dexterity (Stealth) check. If they succeed, this character has surprise in any combat encounters during this leg of the journey.

d20 +10 = 11 +10 = 21 *success*

Tome - Search
Search: Seeking out hidden caches, the character makes a DC 25 Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check. On a success, roll randomly on the Avernus trinkets table.

d20+4 = 19 +4 = 23 *failure*

Ryld searches for bodies and finds only bones and demon ichor. Seeing nothing of value, Log'thar states he wishes to press on because every moment spent here is another chance they'll encounter something dangerous.

Leg 2 Dangerous Drop

Leg encounter d10 = 4 - Dangerous Drop (quick sand, earthquake, etc

Leg actions

Log'thar - Inspire
Inspire: The character makes a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion or Performance) check. On a success, each player gains temporary hit points equal to their level. This effect lasts until the start of the next leg.

d20 +7 = 14 + 7 = 21 *success*

Morneth - Stay Alert
Stay Alert: The character makes a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. On a success, the party cannot be surprised by encounters during this leg.

d20 +7 = 3 + 7 = 10 *failure*

Ryld - Stealth
Stealth: The character must make a DC 15 Dexterity (Stealth) check. If they succeed, this character has surprise in any combat encounters during this leg of the journey.

d20 +10 = 16+10 = 26 *success*

Tome - Search
Search: Seeking out hidden caches, the character makes a DC 25 Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check. On a success, roll randomly on the Avernus trinkets table.

d20+4 = 17 +4 = 21 *failure*

------------------
Nature check
Log'thar = d20 -1 = 16 - 1 = 15 *success*
Morneth = d20 +0 = 15 *success*
Ryld = d20 +0 = 16 *success*
Tome = d20 +1 = 18 *success*

Wow, I think the dice roller is broken. Those rolls all succeeded... I was thinking this would have been a good time for a Ranger or Druid, but geez. I can't believe everybody passed.

I rolled how deep you guys sunk and 2 were 4ft and 2 were 5ft deep... That would have been some tough Strength DCs to survive, especially since you would sink another 1d4+1 ft on round 2...

Marching on, Log'thar inspires the group with a tale of a previous adventure. Meanwhile, Ryld skulks off into the shadows concealing himself as they proceed forward.

As the group moves forward, all of them suddenly feel something is wrong and stop. Bending down, Morneth picks up a rock and tosses it into a patch of loose dirt a few feet ahead of them. The rock slowly sinks and becomes engulfed by the ground indicating what they suspected -- quicksand.

Quicksand

Quicksand
When a creature enters the area, it sinks 1d4 + 1 feet into the quicksand and becomes restrained. At the start of each of the creature’s turns, it sinks another 1d4 feet. As long as the creature isn’t completely submerged in quicksand, it can escape by using its action and succeeding on a Strength check. The DC is 10 plus the number of feet the creature has sunk into the quicksand. A creature that is completely submerged in quicksand can’t breathe (see the suffocation rules in the Player’s Handbook).

A creature can pull another creature within its reach out of a quicksand pit by using its action and succeeding on a Strength check. The DC is 5 plus the number of feet the target creature has sunk into the quicksand.

[ManWithDoor]

Log'thar carefully steps away from the quicksand, giving a helping hand to any who appear to have hit the borders of this very dangerous terrain. "Good eyes, everyone. Back away slowly, nobody panic. Help anyone who has stepped in it. We need to go around, carefully! Nobody relax until we're far away from this hazard."

[RorytheRomulan]

Some of Log'thar's stories don't really gel with Ryld, but he's glad that the big green bruiser is on their side, and seems to know his way around, so he keeps his thoughts to himself. After all, it's not safe or smart for folks with glass houses to throw stones.

He is actually striding confidently a few steps into the loose sediment before he senses it for what it is, and takes light and quick steps backwards toward the edge to solid ground before it can get hold, vaguely recalls somewhere what to do when in this situation - good thing he hadn't walked *too* far in, he's not sure he remembers all of it...

"Aye-aye, chief. Slow and steady, chief," he quips. He pulls out a 10-foot long rod and taps at the sand, proceeding along the edge of the quicksand to lead the group around the side opposite of the river.

ooc

Survival: circumventing the quicksand with a 10ft pole.

Be nice, dice...

[Vardaen]

Tome speaks only when he must, he's as silent as the Modron during the trip. He does however take occasional notes of the tale being told. When the quicksand is reached he pauses and speaks, "Querry? How many corpses may potentially be below the surface of this quagmire?" He looks to the Modron and pats it on the side, "At least you wouldn't sink."

He joins the others in going around, letting those with better skills at this lead.

[Shurijo]

The group continues onwards avoiding the quicksand for now.

Hours later, they come upon a massive iron structure that appear to be a pair of docking arms straddling the River Styx and extending out over it. Hefty clamps, chains, and bars are fixed to the docking arms with only one vessel present.

The single vessel is a tied to the docks. A cloaked figure stands aboard the boat peering out across the river. The ship has a wide hull, deeper and shorter than a longship, that in a normal situation would be operated by a small crew of rowers. The boat is about 50 feet long with a width of 15 feet. There is no mast nor sail and no visible oars.

Tome Knowledge

Charon is the ferryman of the River Styx who carries both souls and beings across the River Styx. The legend says that a coin is used to pay Charon for passage.

[ManWithDoor]

Just because he's a paladin of the literal Devil doesn't mean he has spent most of his time in Hell, seeing the sights like a tourist. Mortals really don't last long down here, at least not without real consequences. He hasn't made a point of hanging around the River Styx meeting people, as he values his sanity and life. So he's as surprised as anyone else, maybe more, at seeing ... iron docking arms, chains, bars, etc. He'd imagined a rickety boat with a cloaked man with a scythe standing there. Not a professional dock with a freaking ship ready to go.

[RorytheRomulan]

Ryld snorts. "Lucky. I figured we were more likely to find him navigating the river." He smirks and adds, "The place looks totally dead. Where are all the passengers? Shouldn't there be a crowd of damned souls waiting to pass on?"

[Othniel]

"Perhaps there is a backlog on them being judged first?" Morneth suggests. Religion isn't really her strong suit.

[Vardaen]

"This is Charon, and he will cross you over the river with the purchase of a coin. Perhaps souls don't have pocketbooks and belt pouches with currency to pay the Boat Man."

Tome only studies the dock and the boat from a distance. He considers the ramifications if one of his companions were to fall in the water, or what coinage the boat man will accept.