Chapter 21: The Razor's Edge

[Darren]

"Indeed," Kal says to Belarin. "Now, if you have a way to draw that lizard out of the cave after we've moved on, I'd love to hear about that. Otherwise, I think it best we get as much distance between ourselves and this beach as we can before any tieflings arrive." Kal's eyes drift to Melethos. "Any tieflings who aren't OUR tiefling, of course," he adds with a smile.

[Dave W.]

Adamant nods. He checks his weapons and, for now, leaves his shield on the sled.

"Do you want me front or back?" He asks Kal and Melethos.

---

what's our marching order? Thought I'd ask before the DM did...

[Dave B.]

"I'm assuming I should be up front, since I expect you'll need me to scout ahead occassionally." Shorak offers. He looks towards where the stairs should be, then back to the river to see if the longship is close to landing on the beach.

[Darren]

"Adamant and Shorak up front," Kal responds. "Melethos and Thul can bring up the rear. If the tieflings catch up to us, better that they see another set of horns first. Belarin and Histra can follow behind Adamant, then Sem and myself, with Streko and Starg behind us. Let's move up that path towards the stairs. Spread the caltrops out behind us as we go." Kal looks around. "This beach is lovely, but we've got to be on our way."

_______________
Just trying to move us along.

[Dave W.]

"Very good." Adamant replies to Kal. He takes his position in the front ready for Shorak to lead them out...

[Jeff]

Jun 30, 2021 11:12:55 GMT -4 Dave W. said:

Adamant nods. He checks his weapons and, for now, leaves his shield on the sled.

"Do you want me front or back?" He asks Kal and Melethos.

---

what's our marching order? Thought I'd ask before the DM did...

Adamant slips the shield beneath the ropes on the soarsled.

Jun 29, 2021 23:46:40 GMT -4 Ken said:

"Curiosity, of course," replies Belarin to Histra. "But... point taken." He says to Adamant and Kal, "If I were a sneaky person who came to this point before several groups of rivals, I might leave surprises behind. Perhaps we should leave such surprises for the tiefling crew."

Jun 30, 2021 9:49:23 GMT -4 Darren said:

"Indeed," Kal says to Belarin. "Now, if you have a way to draw that lizard out of the cave after we've moved on, I'd love to hear about that. Otherwise, I think it best we get as much distance between ourselves and this beach as we can before any tieflings arrive." Kal's eyes drift to Melethos. "Any tieflings who aren't OUR tiefling, of course," he adds with a smile.

Jun 30, 2021 23:43:26 GMT -4 Darren said:

"Adamant and Shorak up front," Kal responds. "Melethos and Thul can bring up the rear. If the tieflings catch up to us, better that they see another set of horns first. Belarin and Histra can follow behind Adamant, then Sem and myself, with Streko and Starg behind us. Let's move up that path towards the stairs. Spread the caltrops out behind us as we go." Kal looks around. "This beach is lovely, but we've got to be on our way."

Sem clears his throat. "Umm, are we sure we want to give them traps to spring?" He points out at the water, where you can see the shape of the tieflings' longship getting gradually bigger. It's still further away than the Dragonfly, which is now paddling towards the Asperii to the south. "When we meet them, that will become a contention point, won't it? Think of it like this. If we spotted another party ahead of us, and we stumbled into some deadly trap they left, would we dismiss it, no hard feelings, when we met them?"

Starg speaks up. "I do agree with Sem. This race necessarily increases tension, especially this far from the city. Not all rivals are enemies, but we can make them so."

Histra offers counterpoint. "Kalarian has said everyone else is considered an enemy now. If that is our position, then we must hold to it." She indicates her skeleton, who stands beside her, and then points to the skeleton of the great lizard there half-buried in the sand. "I can raise this one up and order it to attack when they make their landing. You wish to injure a few feet with caltrops. We can do better than that. But do not expect to apologize later. They outnumber us greatly. We can find an advantageous position here..." She indicates the many trees, bushes, and rocks amid the waterfall mists. "And ambush them when they land. Caltrops will anger them but not greatly hinder such a force. If we intend to do them harm, we must do it thoroughly. Cripple them, reduce their numbers, make them fly from us. We are powerful with magic collectively. They may not be."

Starg looks at your own party's tiefling. "What do you say, Melethos?"

Jun 30, 2021 21:10:11 GMT -4 Dave B. said:

"I'm assuming I should be up front, since I expect you'll need me to scout ahead occassionally." Shorak offers. He looks towards where the stairs should be, then back to the river to see if the longship is close to landing on the beach.

Thul has been silent about strategy. He stands looking up the rocks where the climb to the next level is easy. "There is something else around here." But he shrugs and says nothing else.

Shorak, looking up, can't see the official rocky stairs that Sem has referred to. They're well camouflaged, if they've been carved into the cliff face somewhere. Perhaps they are not exposed to the sky, but exist inside the rock like a spiral stair? 

Without a word, Histra turns and looks up at the cliffs above. The undeath tauth, which has been circling the area, now works its way to spiral upward and scout the path upward.

---

Positions on this map are slightly arbitrary at the moment.

Remember, I'm waiting on stated actions, not implied actions in dialogue (like putting out caltrops). If Melethos is still the "movement captain," then I'll look for his cues when the party is agreed on a course of action.

Attachments:

[Darren]

Kal listens to both arguments, arms folded. "I'd like to hear other opinions on this. My feeling is that if they're not enemies now, they will be later. Even if we meet them this day and get along, if we both get to the end of this journey, we will be enemies then. We could let the journey do what it will and hope that we simply don't meet them again, or we can take action before they do. I want to hear from each of you on this matter."

[Ken]

"If we leave things undisturbed, that's not 'leaving traps,'" says Belarin. "And I'm not even playing semantics with that one!

"And I disagree with what you said earlier, Kal. Many of our competitors are RIVALS, like the group behind us, not enemies. I love traps! But if we go out of our way to antagonize everyone, then we become Enemy #2, right behind the Emerald Claw. Also, do we have TIME for a lengthy discussion about this?"

[Jeff]

"Alternatively," Sem chimes back in, "We can wait and negotiate directly, and stay friendly. I'm not necessarily in favor of this idea, as I'd like to avoid contact with as many of our rivals as we can. But it is an option. Melethos has been our ambassador with this group before, and we left on amiable terms, did we not? Wasn't there a woman he knew? If they're the same tieflings. This is a bigger boat than the one at Last Chance. That was just a big canoe with tieflings and bugbears in it. This is a larger ship, with greater numbers, but there are tieflings and bugbears therein. Some obvious parallels, right? And what about that one?"

He points and you can also see that winged shape from the day before, circling the waters far out but closer than yesterday. The griffon and rider, which Melethos remembers, but others were around to see it as well. Kal, Streko, and Shorak were near at the time, back on the cloud castle above Stormreach. If this is indeed the same one.

[Brian]

"Ajdalarr," Melethos says, arms crossed over his chest. "The name of the woman tiefling is Ajdalarr, and, yes, we did part on amicable terms." His golden eyes fix on Kal. "I do not like the idea of laying traps for people we don't know for certain are enemies. I prefer to keep our options open, but if we act with hostility before we know them, we reduce our options to one: defend ourselves against a retaliatory strike." He pauses, and his stance relaxes some. "I agree we've spent too much time on this beach. Kal's marching order is sound; best I bring up the rear in case those tieflings approach. So, let's decide what to do with those boxes, if anything, and then start climbing."

[Darren]

"Just consider," Kal says, taking one more moment to discuss this, "that we are standing in front of the Eye...us and the tieflings, or us and whoever...do you imagine we will just discuss who claims it? I'm sorry my friends, but make no mistake about this contest we are in. At the finish line, there is only one prize, so this is a race to the death."

[Brian]

Jul 1, 2021 11:54:22 GMT -4 Darren said:

"Just consider," Kal says, taking one more moment to discuss this, "that we are standing in front of the Eye...us and the tieflings, or us and whoever...do you imagine we will just discuss who claims it? I'm sorry my friends, but make no mistake about this contest we are in. At the finish line, there is only one prize, so this is a race to the death."

"You are in command," Melethos tells Kal. "If you wish to set a trap, then give the order. I don't expect my advice to be followed all the time." Then he grins. "Just most of the time."

[Joe]

Streko listens, taking in both sides of the argument. "Who are we, Kalarian? That is the question we should be asking. Do the ends, obtaining the Eye, justify the means? I say we make our way up the stairs. Do not make it any more difficult that it already is. Should they choose to become enemies, we will act accordingly. If this is the same group, they know some of what we are capable of. Will they want to make enemies of us with so much further to go? I think not. Also, if they wish to antagonize any of the local fauna, that will be on them. We will be far enough ahead that we can then increase our lead while they fight. As for now, I agree with Melethos. I believe we should leave without laying traps. And...be watchful and on guard. They have eyes in the sky. So do we. Let's move, and see how this plays out."

[Dave W.]

"I am not in command, clearly, however I will simply add that in general I do not think it wise to set a trap which we than have no control over. If we could do something that could only spring on people of ill-intent that might make sense. The idea of leaving behind something that is... ummm, passive? ... seems reckless."

"Imagine we lay the trap and an enemy group manages to get past it without setting it off, but then a friendly group comes up and does not notice it. Imagine if Kurra or Calirataia come back to give us aid and trigger this trap."

"If there were more ... control? ... over it, perhaps."

"In any case if we do not have time to explore caves or examine crates then do we have time to lay traps?"

"I think movement is our best option for now."

[Jeff]

Starg returns to studying the cliff face above. "I see them," he says. "The stairs. There is a 'window' where they are open to the sky." He points lower, indicating the first couple of hundred feet. "The ascent must begin inside." He looks down at the beach cave. "It does not start here. We must go further up to find the entrance from below."

Shorak looks up to where Starg was looking and just barely notices a kind of pattern of openings hundreds of feet above. At this angle, it is almost invisible to spot them.

"This is why we brought a minotaur," Sem says, grinning. "The smell when he gets wet is a small price to pay."

"I will have the tauth locate the stairs from above, as well," Histra says.

[Darren]

Kal nods his assent. "Alright. You have all made your feelings on this plain. Let's move. Quickly." As he starts to walk, he turns for a moment. "Just remember that the further we go, the more ruthless we will need to be." Kal catches Thul's eye. He knows the grizzled warrior understands. "Some day soon we may not have the luxury of choice. It will be us or them. When that day comes, I hope you will be prepared for what is necessary." Kal's hand brushes the hilt of the Rekkenmark blade at his side and he is silent. Then he turns and starts up the stairs, slowing to let Shorak and Adamant pass him.

_______________
Ready to move forward.

FYI, this was only partially me, as a player, advocating for a course of action. A lot of this is how Kal sees the situation. Part of it is me agreeing with Kal, but I see everyone else's point of view and I'm not looking to start a lot of fights right now. Just wanted to put Kal's opinion on the subject out there.

[Jeff]

Kal asked for everyone's opinion, so don't you want to wait for Shorak's?

[Dave B.]

Shorak has been thinking while everyone pipes in about whether or not to attempt to impede the tiefling's party. He is about to chime in with his opinion when Kal gives in and calls for them to get moving. Shorak shrugs and as he passes Kal, just says, "Did you really think some caltrops would really slow down a party of that size. You would have only made them angry." Then he moves forward along the path, a few feet in front of Adamant. "Sem, feel free to offer any suggestions if you think I'm going the wrong way." Shorak calls back to the gnome with a smile.

[Ken]

Belarin says, "Yes, let's get on our way. Time for exercise!" He takes position with Histra behind Shorak and Adamant.

[Brian]

Melethos takes up his position at the end of the group and prepares to climb.

[Jeff]

Jul 1, 2021 21:23:16 GMT -4 Dave B. said:

"Sem, feel free to offer any suggestions if you think I'm going the wrong way." Shorak calls back to the gnome with a smile.

"I only know my way around maps, though," Sem says back with a forced chuckle. "Not reality."

Shorak and Adamant start up the rocky incline. The path is easily manageable, and has likely seen many feet before you. Even as the warforged and halfdrow reach the top of the rise, they find hard-packed soil made dense by constant moisture. the spray of the nearby waterfall never lets it dry out. But both Adamant and Shorak can see plenty of tracks here made by booted feet. They look fairly recent. Some go north toward the waterfall itself, doubling back, while most turn south toward.

The rest of you work your way up behind your guides, the soarsled gliding smoothly along with its burdens (the barrels and Adamant's shield), always exactly twenty feet behind Sem. Thul lingers on the beach, eyeing the longship. Melethos finds that Histra's skeletal warrior stays close, looking backward almost constantly, clearly ordered to guard the rear alongside him. 

There is a sudden rattle of stones. Everyone looks up warily, as pebble-sized and smaller rock debris drift down to the ground around you from on high. One pebbled bounces sharply and quite loudly on Adamant's bare head: he is not harmed. But everyone naturally looks up. Something up there has stirred. "The tauth," Histra says as if in apology. She holds one hand to Belarin's shoulder while her eyes go dark to see through the tauth's dead eyes. She speaks loudly, for the nearby waterfall wipes out all small sounds. "It has perched. It see the stairs. Like a vast and slanted window sill. Several flights winding back and forth. It is still far above us, I cannot tell how far. I will keep the tauth there to watch for enemies." She closes her eyes and opens them again, seeing through her own again.

Shorak and Adamant, at the head of the party, find that the fog is less dense once you're within it. There is the dark patch to the south where the rock wall gapes open. The cave. On the ground before it are more bones strewn about, including an almost intact and possibly fresh skeleton the size of a young dragon. Monster lair, Shorak's senses warn him. But the tracks all go in that direction.

Suddenly, Melethos and Thul hear a hiss on the sand behind them. The skeleton raises its sword and faces that way even as they look to the sound. Melethos recognizes the hiss from the beach cave. Then both men watch as a shape moves from the shadows but does not fully emerge. Just watching them right back nice and still. At first, it appears to be the size of a warhorse, like Adamant's new conjurable steed, but as he watches it carefully, Melethos can see it's quite lean and only gives the appearance of a larger body from the crest-like horn on his head, and the profusion of spines and fins* on the rest of its body. It stands on two legs with foreclaws like those of a Talentan clawfoot† but is at least as large as a carver‡. Despite the shadows of its cave, the beast is brightly colored: exotic shades of turquois and yellow, colors that would be bright in the open sun.

*Think Dilophosaurus-like but larger and less finny. The crests on its head are like this.
† Clawfoot ≈ Velociraptor, the everyday mounts of Talenta halflings.
‡ Carver ≈ Deinonychus, the "heavy calvary" of Talenta halflings, where even two can ride one.

The sound of the waterfall muffles all softer sounds. Any checks made to hear things will be at disadvantage here.

[Brian]

Melethos says to Thul. "We'll have to keep an that lizard."

To Kal, he sends this thought: We have a friend. A lizard. Big one. Just emerged from the cave. So far it's only watching us.

Just to be safe, Melethos unlimbers his javelin and continues to follow the others.

[Darren]

Leave it be, unless it comes for us.

"The thing has emerged from the cave behind us," he calls to Shorak. "Let's pick up the pace before it decides we're worth the effort." To Histra he adds, "Keep that skeleton close. No stragglers. I don't want to give that thing any ideas."

[Dave W.]

"Ow" Adamant protests when the stone hits him. "Really..." he prepares to complain about the need to be quiet and not drop stones on him but realizes how loud he would have to for Histra to hear. I'm sure she knows anyway. he thinks.

When they reach the bones, Adamant uses the glaive to point them out to Shorak. And points at the cave and the trail forward as though to ask "which way?"

We need more of those rings. He thinks, not for the first time.

[Ken]

Belarin keeps his attention focused on the nearby cave as the group continues to ascend. He stays close to Histra in case she needs to "shift" her eyesight again.

[Dave B.]

"it looks like one party, at least, went towards the waterfall. Then maybe some or all doubled back and went to the cave." He mulls over the information he just shared. "There may be a way to the stairs near or past the waterfall, but it may be we need to access that cave to get to the stairs." He yells over the noise of the waterfall. "The safer option is to continue towards the waterfall. If we find no path that might lead to the stairs, we can try the cave and risk the lizard. Does anyone have a preference? I vote for the waterfall."

[Joe]

"Shorak, perhaps you can do a quick reconnaissance of the area near the waterfall. You, more than any of us, will know what to look for. If you take one of the sending rings with you, you can report any danger or pathways you discover."

Streko turns to Melethos. "Perhaps this is like a puzzle, or a vertical maze, wherein we must find the correct pathway leading to the stairs."

He points to the muddled footprints leading to and from the waterfall. "I am as loathe to split the party up as anyone and yet, this may be the quickest and easiest way to ascertain whether or not there is a path near the waterfall for us. It seems as if others have thought that as well."

Returning his gaze to Shorak, he says, "Then again, they didn't have the best scout in Eberron on their side." He smiles and winks at Shorak, nodding his head in admiration.

[Jeff]

Histra offers, "I can command the tauth to enter the stairway and follow it down. It is not intelligent, however, so its navigation may be poor. It is a risk, but it could determine where the bottom of the stairs begins."

Starg says, looking up, "The stairs' 'window' is almost directly above us here. If the entrance is by the waterfall, the passage will have to cut through the rock back down towards the cave."

Sem chuckles. "I could flip a coin?"

[Brian]

Jul 3, 2021 0:08:59 GMT -4 Dave B. said:

"it looks like one party, at least, went towards the waterfall. Then maybe some or all doubled back and went to the cave." He mulls over the information he just shared. "There may be a way to the stairs near or past the waterfall, but it may be we need to access that cave to get to the stairs." He yells over the noise of the waterfall. "The safer option is to continue towards the waterfall. If we find no path that might lead to the stairs, we can try the cave and risk the lizard. Does anyone have a preference? I vote for the waterfall."

"Don't worry about votes," Melethos tells Shorak. "We're relying on you as our expert. You say the waterfall, we head for the waterfall."

Jul 3, 2021 10:51:58 GMT -4 Joe said:

Streko turns to Melethos. "Perhaps this is like a puzzle, or a vertical maze, wherein we must find the correct pathway leading to the stairs."

He points to the muddled footprints leading to and from the waterfall. "I am as loathe to split the party up as anyone and yet, this may be the quickest and easiest way to ascertain whether or not there is a path near the waterfall for us. It seems as if others have thought that as well."

Melethos nods. "A puzzle is possible, but I worry we may be overthinking this. I would let Shorak lead as planned. If there is a puzzle, he'll figure it out."

He gestures to Shorak. "Take us where you think we have the best chance."

[Dave B.]

"The waterfall it is, then." Shorak says. "If the other groups went through the cave, there would be more evidence of a fight and I doubt the lizard would still be there. My feeling is that these boot prints are to lead following groups to believe they need to go into the cave and thus have to deal with the lizard themselsves. If I am mistaken, then we'll double back." Shorak is unapologetic with his comments. He turns in the direction of the waterfall, moving carefully, but with conviction.