Karnakiid: Valley of Mist and Flame (Campaign Thread)

Ehren released his tense muscles a few seconds after the guard hit the floor, turning to Shar'ra as she spoke;

"Agreed, I'll check these two and then have a look what's at the end of the secret passage behind the false fire."
Ehren approaches the first deceased guard, going through his pockets, and then to the second, again giving him a quick once over before entering the hidden passage in the entrance room.

Search Guard 1:
1d20+1
14+1 = 15

Search Guard 3:
1d20+1
9+1 = 10

OOC: Did we get any xp?

(I was gonna wait until after you finish your mission here, but since you asked, you each get 125 XP. 100 per guard defeated, plus 50 from the one who fled., all over 2.)

Shar'ra and Ehren

Ehren: Neither body contains anything of interest, though you could take their weapons and armor if you so desired (each is wearing leather armor. One has two short swords, the other has a crossbow and 23 bolts.)

Shar'ra: Other than some VERY expensive looking silverware on the table, the dining room is void of points of interest.

Ehren: You manage to struggle your way through the narrow passage by removing your armor, then slipping it through after you (see Crawl-Navigable Restrictive Tunnels, DMG II page 55), revealing a poorly lit side hallway. At the end, you can just make out a ladder leading downwards.

Shar'ra: As you move onto the atrium, you suddenly overhear commotion in the room past the dining room. Has the other guard drawn reinforcements to the scene so quickly?

Finding nothing desirable on bodies, Ehren moves to the fireplace and, after removing his armor, squeezes through the hidden passage. Noticing a ladder in the dark corridor, he leaves his armor at the exit and creeps toward the hole in the floor, all the more intimidating in the darkness. Stopping on the precepice he listens for any telling sounds, then slowly peers over the edge, quarterstaff at the ready.

Move silently:
1d20+0
5+0 = 5 (Ehren isn't a born sneaker )

Listen:
1d20+3
18+3 = 21

Spot:
1d20+3
5+3 = 8

Ehren and Shar'ra

Ehren: You groan internally at the tremendous creaking you're causing, but fortunately no one seems to be around to hear. Peering down the pitch black hole in the floor reveals nothing, but you think you can faintly hear the sound of voices, far below. Perhaps this is the entrance to the tunnels Shar'ra predicted?

Shar'ra: Half a dozen guards, including the halberdier, charge into the room and surround you. One of them, in finely ornamented, impractical armor, approaches you with an imperious posture.

"I heard you were looking for me," he says, his accent nigh incomprehensible. "Slaughtering my men is an atypical way of making one's acquaintance, is it not?

Could this be a way into the stronghold, circumventing it's formidable defenses? Deciding his scouting had gone far enough, Ehren squeezes through the narrow passage and back through the false fire. He dons his armour then begins his search for Shar'ra.

Standing by the murder hole in the room where they hatched the plan, Elliah waits until Varryn's army appears inside the cavern. She readies her message spell quietly, making sure the distance wasn't too far for her spell to reach. (100 ft plus 10 ft per level)

"Aesenyth," she mutters to her familiar "I dearly hope this works..."