[tab][/tab] This depression seems to have been a natural accumulation of water making a pond, that after years run dry. There is no aura attached to it, or this part of the cave, nor any smell of vis. The bone itself is not magical either. While the two magi examine it (and take pebbles and stuff) it is evident from the dust on the bowl that this run dry a long, long time ago. It is still quite slick and slippery even if there is no hint of moisture.
[tab][/tab] Alexios gives a boost up and helps Miklos climb. Thought the wall is smoothed over the years of lime accumulation, it still provides handholds for the cunning man with the climbing ropes to go ahead. (Miklos needs a Str+Athletics vs 12 to climb). Once on top he surveys the ledge he is in. This narrow fissure has a plateau that can hold two maybe three crouching individuals and it narrows down to a schism in the walls that you will need to crawl on your belly to navigate through. Looking around, Miklos then sets the ropes over a rock formation and throws them down for other people to climb up (Str+Athletics vs 6 to climb, the ledge can hold up 2 maybe 3 people).
[tab][/tab] Navigating the fissure will be challenging, especially since the space is so narrow and small, you can taste the limestone with every breath (Everyone navigating the fissure, please make a Bravery roll of 4, or a roll of an appropriate negative trait like claustrophobic vs 4). It takes a lot of shuffling and maneuvering forward, especially carrying a torch extended in front. Thankfully whatever magics were used, there is a slight breeze of air feeding the fire. However after some meters you run into an obstacle. The narrow tunnel takes an ''S'' shape then moves on. This means you face a wall closing vertically in front of you, with the shaft continuing some inches up then turning again in 90 degrees forward again. Your first problem to bypass this hazard is that you will need to turn face up in the tunnel, bend with your back to the wall and up the chute, then turn again to crawl through the upper passage (This is a Dex+Athletics vs 12, not a balancing act but a contortionist one. Do not get stuck). The second problem is that there is no room for burning torches in this maneuver!
Miklos
Initial climb athletics (climb) 4 + Dex 2 + roll 4 + perfect balance 6 = 16 vs 12 - Pass
(ST EDIT) Roll is STR, still +2 and pass
Bravery roll - no appropriate trait 0 + roll 2 vs 4 - Fail
(ST EDIT) Failure imposes a -2 to all rolls, and if Miklos gets stuck he might panic)
If able to proceed
Contortionist roll - Athletics 3 + Dex 2 + roll 9 = 14 vs 12 - pass.
(ST EDIT) -2 from above, still pass. Will wait for what the others do before I continue with Miklos
While Arni has been smelling and poking in the dust, the ledge has (presumably) filled up with people. Arni focuses on recovering after the exhausting spell, while pondering how an eagle would fare into that narrow tunnel. Obviously, it is not the eagle's favourite environment, but then it isn't human friendly either. Hmmm. Which is worst?
SG, mind giving us eagle/size -2 mechanics too?
(ST EDIT) Eagle has no problem flying to the ledge. It will need a bravery roll of 6+ to attempt entering the fissure and if it fails instinct is too strong to make it go more than a couple of inches in. The S part, it can just fly over with a jump (Dex+Athletics(Flying) vs 4)
Alexios climbs up, and starts following
Str(2)+Athetics(2)+Stress(0)=4, potential botch.... how many botch dice? If I don't botch, I will spend a confidence point and slowly haul myself up through brute strength, unable to find good places to put my feet.
If I make it up there, I look at the fissure
Bravery 3+Stress(5)=8, I succeed, and then look at how tight the fissure is... and say "Are you sure you want me to try? I don't know how any of us will get free if I get stuck."
Arni watches as the companions struggle into the tunnel. He has no idea what Alexios and Miklos say to each other, as he does not speak a single word of Romaic Greek. Worried furrows appear on his forehead when he sees Miklos leave the torch behind and squeeze himself into the dark.
«Scylax,» he asks, «don't you ... can't you ... use some Perdo trick to make the tunnel wider?» Then he picks up a pebble, looking intensely at it for a few seconds, he casts a variant of Lamp without Flame [*]. Shadows cast by the torchlight fade a little, but the pebble itself looks exactly the same.
Arni has made up his mind to follow in eagle shape [**], but he has no need to jump the queue. If everything goes smoothly, he will follow after Scylax, leaving Bogdan behind to watch any equipment which cannot be brought through.
[*] Sun duration, touch range, as bright light as possible. Casting total 12 + 2 (die roll), level 7 gives candlelight (base 2).
[**] No relevant personality trait (except optimist +3), but die roll 1,5 = 10
I am not sure about the relative timeline between the characters. Arni will take his time to recover before casting new spells. If I am acting to quickly, please tell me off
Scylax replies: "I am thinking on this sodales. And not just wishing Aristocles had come, either! I am not well-versed in Terram, but I may be able to open a furrow in the top of the obstacle, yes. We would still need to crawl, but there'd be little danger of getting stuck. However, Perdo tricks are, ahem, tricky! Sometimes you destroy too much, or in this cavern, rocks that hold up ceilings. Let me see...
<OOC Scylax is contemplating this course of action>
[tab][/tab] Miklos leaves the torch behind and dubiously takes the shining pebble. He squiggles competently into the crevasse, despite his nervousness and when he reaches the difficult part, he somehow manages to contort himself and move on. Soon the light from the pebble lessens then is completely gone into the darkness. You cannot see nor hear anything from the man that went forward. Alexios is worried he cannot enter and will get stuck, while the two magi ponder what to do.
(Would Miklos like me to PM whats on the other side?)
Yes please
Scylax pats Arni on the shoulder, gently, hopefully no taboo is broken: Well sodales, remember me kindly. Scylax motions forcefully and his words echo in the cavern...and he is gone. Up on the ledge he appears well-centered, but still reaches out to balance himself, needlessly, somewhat out of breath. Hah! It's the little victories, Arni!. After a few minutes, he will be rested, and again gathers his magic, this time almost violently, and then releases it. It is done, he slumps a little, again out of breath. He will then get on his knees on the shiny furrow (his sigil is "items created/affected appear new, more vivid, even glossy.") and crawl, muttering If it's good enough for Miklos and Alexios, it's good enough for me. More loudly Say Alexios, how are you doing up ahead, ever been in such a tight spot!?
[tab][/tab] Scylax uses his magic to carve a smooth furrow in the fissure as far as the S passage. Forming a half moon a quarter of a circle wide, this limestone furrow allows one to easily slither forward and still have enough space to sit hunched on one knees. All four adventurers can now reach the difficult point in the tunnel, and the magi can still cast spells with gestures.
[tab][/tab] Meanwhile, on the other end of the tunnel.....(PMs Miklos)
While he is watching Scylax' endeavours, Arni makes two more pebbles (rolled level 9 and 9½). They may come in handy. As Scylax is making space, he decides to try staying human for a while longer, and tries the ropes. He quickly gives up (Rolling 7 + Str -3 Athletics 1 = 5), and passes the two pebbles on to Alexios and Scylax. A moment later, the eagle comes flying, with Arni's cowl in its claws. It lands on the edge of the ledge and watches.
Do Alexios and Scylax proceed? If they hesitate, the eagle will try to squeeze past. Otherwise, he will patiently wait his turn.
Miklos calls back down the tunnel "There is a much larger cave here, it is 20 feet down, we will need climbing gear, can you bring it through?"
The eagle is looking annoyed around. He doesn't understand a word, and is just hoping that Miklos will repeat his shouting in Slav. Should he change to human just to shout back with the request? Not very tempting in this cramped space.
Scylax will relate what he may in Greek to Arni Miklos has found a larger cave! He asks for the climbing gear. Scylax will attempt to carry some of the equipment to the S section, although he will leave technical matters and heavy lifting to Alexios. As he does generally, he will not chance a fall, and use Wizard's Leap to negotiate climbing/leaping/contortions. If he may use Perdo to again alleviate conditions (the S section), he will do so, but perhaps it's now not necessary? He is loathe to possibly destroy parts of the cave that may keep other parts standing.
As Alexios and Scylax move back to pack up the ropes, Arni uses Unseen Arm to move the lantern from the cave below and forward to the S bend. Then he wiggles past them, to give them space and part skips and part flies through the S bend. He is sooo looking forward to entering the larger cave.
Any more rolls?
(botch roll)
botch die(06a not failure! One confidence spent getting up.
Alexios is much happier once the way through is widened magically. He will haul any gear needed so the magi can explore the wider cave.
Recap
[tab][/tab] Everyone including the scout are up. Alexios and the scout are hauling any equipment up and into the fissure, pushing them till the S bend. Miklos has faintly yelled back about another room (he sounds far off). Arni as an eagle hopped along, did a short fly to by pass the bend and then trails along the long, small tunnel to reach Miklos, leaving everyone behind. Scylax is in front of the bend and he needs to navigate it. He can't use teleportation because a) he cant see the top of the bend and b) this is a very confined space, any bad placement could prove fatal. He could use Perdo magics to again make the passage easier to traverse if he chances it, and it will make things easier for other as well.
<OOC I am not picturing the S intersection, sorry! Is it like this: over here Scylax |[sup]--[/sup] over here tunnel to bigger cave? Scylax can Spont another identical PeTe to create another furrow in the floor and running up the vertical wall to provide space to turn freely and to keep crawling up the hump. Again careful to not "shave" too much and certainly not affect walls.
PeTe 10
Base 4 R:Touch D: Mom. T:Part, destroy Stone up to a pace across in volume. Creating a furrow in the front of the obstacle and as far as Scylax can perceive up the hump 8" deep x 18" wide x 8' long, extra magnitudes attained if any, go to carving steps/handholds in the stone furrow created, and then to area affected.
(16 PeTe + 2 Sta + 2 Vigorous words and gestures + [url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=205445]: 1D10 = [6] = 6[/url])/2 = 13, success, just enough, no extra magnitudes! Rest to recover OOC >
[ Think of the S bend like a Tetris reverse Z tile. A short tunnel reaches a wall, continues straight up for some paces then goes straight again. Clear?]
[tab][/tab] Despite the closeness of space, Scylax manages to cast his spell again, making crude steps that may help climb up the bend. Just as he finishes, a slight tremor if felt across the cave. You can feel the vibration traveling through the cave walls and floor, dust and particles falling from the ceiling. The scout looks alarmed.
Once the cave starts to widen, Arni the eagle looks around to assess the situation. Where is Miklos? Should he change back to human, or is it better to fly down the 20 feet? Presumably, he has some time to think matters through while Alexios and Scylax struggle through. Gently he inspects the cowl. Did he manage to carry it through (with or without magic) without tearing it?
If necessary, he will try to pass a pebble from the large cave back to Scylax as arcane connection. He can use CrIm to project a voice to ask if he needs it, and Unseen Arm to move it, though I am not sure how long the narrow tunnel is.
Roll made. He has the sense of smell for vis until sunset.
(ST EDIT) No scent of vis yet (hur hur, wait till Scylax comes). Your eagle is behind Miklos, who is literally jammed in front of you and cannot move forward. Your eagle cant squeeze through to get ahead, its a very tight fit.