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+---- Thread: [IC] SOLO - Portho's Adventure (/showthread.php?tid=178)
SOLO - Portho's Adventure - DM Surranó - 09-17-2015
PRESENT: Portho
This thread may contain spoilers for the rest of the characters.
... He has since returned to Waterdeep, still believing that the lore of the location of Dolblunde must lie in some forgotten trove in one of the many ruins that lie in the areas that were once the Fallen Kingdom of Phalorm (pretty much the whole area around Waterdeep south almost to Baldur's gate, east to Loudwater and north halfway to Neverwinter). So whenever he hears of adventurer's headed into the many dungeons of the area his curiousity is piqued, and he will attempt to join if he can.
It sounded bizarre and dangerous to team up with strangers once again after the tragedy at Ardeep but he couldn't hold his horses and this is how he accompanied a band of treasure hunters who mentioned an underdark community that could be reached through the dull sewers of Waterdeep. They were quite a secretive branch; featuring a paladin in glossy white armour called Pearl; an elven ranger of fiery red hair called Ruby; a cursed albino she-mage who continually shed an aura of purple light called Malachite; and the most mysterious figure who claimed to be Oghma's cleric with olive eyes called Chrysolite.
These four were sturdy companions, strong in mind and body by the first glance and all went well until some portal mechanisms separated half the party from the other. Ruby and Chrysolite remained on the far side on the door and the girl's surprised yell could be heard. It took quite some desperate banging and heaving until Pearl could reopen the door and Portho wisely withheld the information that it was actually him who found the secret button that opened the door and not sheer strength.
Once reunited the party's mutual agreement seemed to have been damaged somewhat. Ruby acted as if she were wary of any actions the priest took and next night Portho pried some terse words out of the otherwise rather silent ranger. She said the priest was stronger than she ever imagined but didn't go into details.
Later on, Pearl warned Chrysolite that he was facing great evil behind one of the doors and entered first ranks but nothing was found beyond the door.
For many, the adventure ended within some ancient dwarven ruins they found beneath the sewers. The tunnels were infested by dozens of monstrous spiders and the party got surrounded. Chrysolite was the first to go down and the spiders quickly overwhelmed the party. The last thing Portho saw before darkness shrouded his eyes was that the two spiders spun their silky threads around mage and paladin.
Is it hours or days that passed afterwards, the gnome couldn't tell but slowly he regained consciousness. His heart throbbed hard within his head, the wounds with the injected paralytic poison still burned like hell, and he felt overall weak, famished and parched.
Slowly gathering himself he invoked some magic light to look around. He was in a similar yet unknown chamber in the same dwarven ruins. Or was it the same? Looking around, he froze in terror: there she lay, Ruby the ranger, her body parched, effectively mummified, her charming face dried up to skull-and-skin.
Map: on Google sheets
RE: SOLO - Portho's Adventure - Portho Nihilbuck - 09-17-2015
Portho slowly gathers himself, nursing his injured shoulder and looks about, gathering any of his lost items that may lay about the stone floor. Once he has gathered his wits a little he dreaches into the side pocket of his Haversack, drawing out his Everburning Torch, knowing the Light spell will not last nearly long enough to get him out of the vast ruins safely.
Grimacing in distaste, he crouches by the fallen form of Ruby, carefully examining her dessicated remains, looking for anything useful. As he does so he keeps a watchful eye out for returning spiders.
Once he has examined the corpse of the fallen ranger, and is satisfied that there is no immediate danger he will set about making his situation more comfortable.
[OoC to do so he will use a charge or two from his wand of cure light wounds, then he will dig out a waterskin and rations and try to regain some energy.]
RE: SOLO - Portho's Adventure - DM Surranó - 09-21-2015
Portho looks at the fallen ranger and can come up with no explanation what may have occurred to her at a cursory glance. He simply cannot fail to notice the fact that no nasty spider bites nor traces of spider web surround her remains.
He doesn't find any signifcant wounds on himself either so he thinks it must be thirst and hunger taking their toll on him. The water burns his throat, however, and fails to swallow any jerky or other dry meal. It takes a painful lot of time to soothe his throat, tiny gulps at a time, minute bites of the softer pieces of food, and he glances around occasionally for danger.
Upon one of these glances his gaze falls upon the elven girl once again and driven by the faintest idea awakened within him by her unusually pale skin, he draws closer once again to take a closer look. And then he finds them: two tiny wounds, caused by piercing weapons-- not unlike wolf's bite. It doesn't take too much time for the bard to recall mysterious legends of blood-sucking undead.
Better be careful.
RE: SOLO - Portho's Adventure - Portho Nihilbuck - 09-21-2015
After resting awhile and re-hydrating he decides he had better do something to get himself out of here.
Realizing that Ruby's corpse must have been stripped, since there is no gear or supplies left one her he silently says his farewll and creeps towards the door at the west of the room. Pressing his ear to the door he quietly listens to see uf he can make out any sounds.
[Listen 1d20+6 = 15 rolled in the Roll20 campaign]
If he does not hear anything he then carefully searches the door for any traps and to see if it is locked, and how the mechanism to open it works.
[Search 1d20+2 = 21 rolled in the Roll20 game]
If the door seems safe he attempts to open it.
RE: SOLO - Portho's Adventure - DM Surranó - 09-22-2015
OOC - may be a misunderstanding; Ruby is not stripped and her equipment seems to be complete: her elven chain (arms torn) and her pair of magnificient blades (scabbards bent and broken) are there.
Portho cannot hear anything suspicious behind the door. Searching it carefully reveals an easy-to-find button that's a bit beyond the convenient reach of the tiny forest gnome; like most things of dwarven design. With a bit of exercise and the help of some makeshift stool he can reach and push it. Heavy grating sound is heard and the massive granite door lifts up about six feet.
A smaller room is behind this door; mostly covered by web and Portho also spots a few pieces of junk (probably belonged to a plate mail once) at the far end.
(map updated)
RE: SOLO - Portho's Adventure - Portho Nihilbuck - 09-22-2015
Portho will grab anything usefull off of Ruby's body and put it in his Haversack (rope, lamp oil, any extra food if it is still good, waterskins et cetera)
[OoC being trapped down here alone he is being pragmatic.. he may need extra gear he normally doesn't carry]
Slinging his shield on his back, Portho holds his Everburning torch in his shield hand and keeps his rapier drawn and ready as he advances cautiously into the smaller room, when he gets close enough he stoops to examine the junk.
RE: SOLO - Portho's Adventure - DM Surranó - 09-23-2015
Portho can recover the elf's dry rations (2 days for an elf; IIRC it means 4 days for a small character). It's mainly cheese and dried fruits and dwarven heavy bread the party found and distributed on its way down.
The junk seems to be useless at a casual glance and getting closer to shuffle through the pile implies the risk of getting a bit icky sticky. The web is not too much though so Portho thinks there's a fair chance of not getting tangled.
RE: SOLO - Portho's Adventure - Portho Nihilbuck - 09-23-2015
Portho slashes at the webs with his rapier trying to clear the cobwebs a bit for a better view and moves in to examine the junk.
RE: SOLO - Portho's Adventure - DM Surranó - 09-25-2015
With all his insight into how piercing weapons work the gnome hacks at the webs and somehow manages to tangle the weapon within the icky material... Not something he couldn't resolve with a hot tub of water and a bit of time but alas, he got none of these at hand so he has to keep the weapon icky and bulky for the time being.
But eventually his efforts prove to be worth as he discovers a hard leather tube beneath the junk that looks like a map or scroll case.
RE: SOLO - Portho's Adventure - Portho Nihilbuck - 09-25-2015
He plucks the tube out from the junk and retreats out of the web covered passage.
Once back in the main room he carefully scrapes as much of the web as possible off his blade using a corner of his cloak.
Once it is a little better, he turns his attention to the map case. Turning it over in his hands , he looks for a seal or opening.