To the Ravenwood - Delve #1

Old dungeon delves will go here.

Moderator: merias

Locked
User avatar
merias
Site Admin
Posts: 2106
Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2016 2:37 am
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Contact:

To the Ravenwood - Delve #1

Post by merias »

For this I'm using my town of Ravendale, which was the base for an old WB campaign I ran starting in 2015. The town details don't matter much, since the town here is mostly used for buying stuff and not in itself a source of adventure, but still it was a comfortable setting for me to use, and it is fleshed out if I ever need it.

Ravendale is situated just along the western edge of the Ravenwood forest, a source of lumber and quarry stone for the town and most recently a magnet for adventurers - several entrances to what is thought to be a vast, interconnected underworld have been discovered by loggers or miners. Not many adventurers have returned from their forays into the depths, but a few have and there are some rumours:

- Adena at the Stone Nail heard tell of some Goblins that can fly.
- A necromancer commands soul-stealing undead that roam the halls.
- A huge black-widow spider guards a treasure hoard.
- Duergar use slave labor to mine precious metals.

You have heard of a more recent find, an entrance uncovered by some loggers a few hours to the west, off a newly cut wagon track. You gear up one crisp, clear spring morning and head out on foot, finding the wagon track as described and arriving without incident by lunch. To your west, you see a dark opening rimmed with an arch of ancient-looking stone. You can just make out a half-open stone door several feet beyond. All is quiet in this part of the forest, itself unusual. The entrance beckons...

Image

Let me know your marching order, and who is carrying light sources. Your sheets should have your weapon in-hand noted and for spell casters, let me know what spell you have prepared.

User avatar
merias
Site Admin
Posts: 2106
Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2016 2:37 am
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Contact:

Re: To the Ravenwood - Delve #1

Post by merias »

Let's get you into the dungeon, after that it's all up to you :)

You form up and squeeze past the half-open stone door, which seems to be stuck in that position. Beyond you see a stair which descends about 30 feet south, just to the limit of your light. The stairs are damp and moss-covered at first, but they dry out as you descend carefully to a landing between two large, leering gargoyle statues. There is a smell of old dust and a faint tang in the air. It reminds Bel'xor of the smell after a battle...

Standing between the statues, you see in front of you a large, unlit chamber - your light does not show you its extent to the south, but to the west you see a door set in the wall and to the east an arched exit. A dark substance is smeared in thick streaks along the floor, from the door and extending west through the arch. All is quiet.

Actions?

[Note the 'P' is the party location]

Image

User avatar
Magremore
Posts: 225
Joined: Wed May 18, 2016 6:35 pm
Location: New England, U.S.

Re: To the Ravenwood - Delve #1

Post by Magremore »

Bel'xor wants to remain in position to protect from any threat from the front so he will extend his spear forward with both hands—moving forward as little as possible—to try and scrape some of the dark substance so he can confirm if it is indeed blood (and if so how fresh it might be) or if it's maybe something else he recognizes.

Wennic, hopefully(!), will stay by Bel'xor's side and stay alert, especially for anything from the archway.

JimboJimbo
Posts: 448
Joined: Sat Jun 18, 2022 10:59 am

Re: To the Ravenwood - Delve #1

Post by JimboJimbo »

Guthry

amp raised to give as much light as possible to his colleagues, Guthry visually inspects the gargoyles. He's primarily searching for traces of magical sigils, but woll also keep his eyes open for hints of magical & mundane traps.

User avatar
Attronarch
Posts: 43
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2022 2:48 pm

Re: To the Ravenwood - Delve #1

Post by Attronarch »

Phelim will inspect both statues without touching. He will get close and sniff them. He is also interested in their make: do they look chissled, how do the joints look like, etc.

User avatar
rredmond
Posts: 438
Joined: Thu Feb 25, 2016 9:17 pm
Location: South Jersey
Contact:

Re: To the Ravenwood - Delve #1

Post by rredmond »

Schmidt alternates between looking up at the ceiling, trying to see it's height and if there's anything up with it, with keeping a weather eye out for anyone that may have followed us down.
Holy Schmidt He swears by his pretty floral bonnet...
Cure Light Wounds -- 2/3
Hold Person — 1/1
Updated: 3/23/2024
Bind wounds for 1d3 after each combat

User avatar
merias
Site Admin
Posts: 2106
Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2016 2:37 am
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Contact:

Re: To the Ravenwood - Delve #1

Post by merias »

Bel'xor thinks the dark substance smeared along the floor is definitely blood, and fairly fresh blood at that. The trail continues through the arch to the east.

Schmidt notes the ceiling is about 10 feet overhead, of the same stone as the floor.

Guthry and Phelim can see that the Gargoyles are expertly scuplted from dark granite, and appear very life-like. However, their eyes appear as small holes, and gouge marks are evident around both eyes on both statues. Other than that, they seem to be ordinary. There is no writing on the statues.

The rest of the room is revealed as you move forward, you can see two more gargoyle statues identical to those at the entrance, and another arched exit to the south.

Image

Actions?

User avatar
rredmond
Posts: 438
Joined: Thu Feb 25, 2016 9:17 pm
Location: South Jersey
Contact:

Re: To the Ravenwood - Delve #1

Post by rredmond »

Are the gargoyle statues across the way missing eyeballs (for lack of a better term) as well? Do the draggy blood marks have any interspersed footprints? "Would a giant spider drag it's prey like that?" Schmidt muses on the rumors aloud.
Holy Schmidt He swears by his pretty floral bonnet...
Cure Light Wounds -- 2/3
Hold Person — 1/1
Updated: 3/23/2024
Bind wounds for 1d3 after each combat

User avatar
merias
Site Admin
Posts: 2106
Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2016 2:37 am
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Contact:

Re: To the Ravenwood - Delve #1

Post by merias »

rredmond wrote:
Mon Oct 03, 2022 5:52 pm
Are the gargoyle statues across the way missing eyeballs (for lack of a better term) as well? Do the draggy blood marks have any interspersed footprints? "Would a giant spider drag it's prey like that?" Schmidt muses on the rumors aloud.
Yes, the other two statues are also missing their "eyes". There are no footprints mixed in with the blood.

User avatar
Attronarch
Posts: 43
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2022 2:48 pm

Re: To the Ravenwood - Delve #1

Post by Attronarch »

"Bah, somebody already picked all the low hanging fruits..." Phelim mutters.

He then comes closer to the bloody trail and kneels down, facing east. He squints and listens attentively.

Locked