conversations: human
conversations:  Approaching from the tree line, you finally come to the ruined temple after a solid week of travel. Weeds grow up from what remains of heavy paving stones, mother nature slowly breaking the ancient ruin apart. The huge squat building you're here to search obviously hasn't been in use for centuries, but there are signs that adventurers have plumbed at least once per decade. Still, Vexian's information is usually solid and getting into the secret library shouldn't be a problem.
  On the very north edge of the Tethir forest, you didn't have to fight any dragons or lycanthropes, but who knows what has taken up residence in the temple? This small area is almost entirely sheltered by the trees and even if the good aligned wood elves did want to help, the area around it so dense you'd someone could walk ten feet to the side and miss it entirely.
conversations: giles92:
conversations: human
conversations:  Letharial peers through the foliage and makes a sigh of relief with a hint of annoyance.  "A whole week to get here. You know, I was expecting an affordable version of fast overland transport to be available within 30 years, something that could fly us to this temple in a matter of hours. But here we are, 500 years in the future and wading through a botanical hellscape because the world's cultures are forever a dearth of innovation."  He of course had been making statements similar to this nonstop every since Vexian thawed him out, as the shock of being in the future as well as the disappointment in it not being what he imagined still lingered. He casts a spell and turns to the others.  "Well now that we're here, we should remember the golden rule.  Play it smart , in both tactics and technique."
  
  
    
   Spoiler 
   (1d20+6)[ 14 ]  Perception to notice anything of interest about/around the temple. Casting Longstrider (Letharial's movement speed is now 60 ft for the next hour).
   
conversations: Aldurin:
conversations: human
conversations:  "You expected the people of the world to be so much more capable as whole that powerful magic becomes commonplace?"  Arn responds, having been listening to this absentminded complaining for days.   "What were you expecting, magical wagon trains propelled by elementals?  Next you'll be speaking of how there should be cheap, affordable teleportation available en masse." 
  
  The minstrel cast a few quick glances around them as they advanced towards the fortress at a steady pace, making note of any potential hidden enemies as he kept his bow in hand.  As he drew upon his knowledge of lore, hoping for a clue as to this castle's origins, he said  "Anybody good at dealing with traps?  I'm guessing there's going to be a few, and I don't fancy my chances of dodging dart walls and disappearing floors." 
   
   Spoiler 
  Perception check, to observe surroundings
   (1d20+3)[ 23 ] 
  
  History check, representing my knowledge of lore
   (1d20+4)[ 18 ] 
   
  
  
  EDIT:  Dang .  Nice perception roll!
conversations: AvatarVecna:
conversations: human
conversations:  Mehmed stands in front of the rest of the group, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings and the chattering of his companions as he casually turns a page in the book he is reading.
  
   
   Spoiler 
  
  History  (1d20+8)[ 17 ]  and Arcana  (1d20+8)[ 10 ]  to see if I remember reading anything about this place in my books.
  Religion  (1d20+5)[ 6 ]  and Nature  (1d20+5)[ 23 ]  in case those provide different information.
  Just passive perception (11) for noticing stuff, he's too absorbed in his book to pay closer attention.
   
conversations: AgentPaper:
conversations: human
conversations:  Skill Results
  
   
   Spoiler: Arn 
  
  His exceptional eyesight even pierces through the thick copse of trees, revealing the basic woodland denizens of bears, snakes, and wolves. Hey, it's a dangerous place. About 400 ft away in the opposite direction they party came from, you see what looked like part of a tree begin to flap it's wings before lifting into the air. A little too far to really know what it is, wings that size can't equal anything good. Fortunately, it seems to be flying in the opposite direction.
   
  
   
   Spoiler: Arn and Mehmed 
  
  This place has been a ruin for as long as people have been coming here and there have been at least one adventuring party per decade coming to re-kill any monsters that take up residence. The scrawlings are seemingly random and generic, with pictures of the sun, warriors, and evil wizard kings.
   
  
   
   Spoiler: Mehmed 
  
  Flipping through another page, one of the large growing weeds catches your eye. Leaning over to inspect it, your fingers brush against the smooth stone broken by the plant. Which is odd, considering plants don't even break rocks like that.
   
conversations: giles92:
conversations: human
conversations:  Chama 
  
  The giant snake slithered next to Chama as they walked through the woods. What could have been a nasty encounter with the snake days ago turned peaceful when the elf befriended it instead. She speaks to it in some kind of snake tongue and it seems to understand.   "Time has improved some things."   She says pointing to the crumbling and ruined temple.   "Isn't that much more beautiful now?"  
  
  Appreciating beauty is one thing but being unprepared is another. While they take their time to look about Chama readies her bow, checking her arrows in her quiver and the daggers at her belt.   "Stay near."   She says to the snake.
  
   
   Spoiler 
  I've updated her character sheet with her prepared Cleric spells.
  Passive Perception: 23
  
  Forest is one of her Favored Terrains, so the party enjoys the benefits of the Ranger's Natural Explorer feature during the travel (PHB, pg91). Additionally, she isn't slowed by nonmagical difficult terrain or heavy foliage (Land's Stride).
   
conversations: Chambers:
conversations: human
conversations:  Arn keeps his eyes on the...whatever it is, as it flies off, just in case it circles around.  Can't be too careful...
conversations: AvatarVecna:
conversations: human
conversations:  His interest piqued, Mehmed investigates the rock a bit further.
  
   
   Spoiler 
  Investigation:  (1d20+8)[ 21 ] 
   
conversations: AgentPaper:
conversations: human
conversations:  Skill Results
  
   
   Spoiler: Chama 
  For the barest of instances, you notice a light flicker in one of the temples windows. Someone is definitely in there.
   
  
   
   Spoiler: Mehmed 
  Kneeling down, you inspect the rock closely. The vines, rather than bursting through the stone, have clearly been planted in a small space made by a metal tool. That, or a dragon sized claw. Walking around, you notice the "weathered" stone has a uniform texture, like the result of sandpaper rather than time.
   
conversations: giles92:
conversations: human
conversations:  Satisfied to have solved the mystery, Mehmed stands up and returns to the rest of the group. Speaking quietly, almost as if muttering to himself, he says,  "Time did not make this place. People did."  And with that, he re-opens his book and resumes reading, seemingly more interested in it's contents than that of the temple around him.
conversations: AgentPaper:
conversations: human
conversations:  "Of course I expected that, Arn. I already had similar ideas and many of my colleagues talked of their own prototype designs. It's probably all of these damn wars that keep killing our scholars and funneling the economy into rebuilding instead of inventing."  Letharial notices the others taking a gander at rocks or the trees and sighs.  "I'll scout ahead, try to keep up pace with me."  He crouches down and quietly moves through the dense plantlife as he approaches the temple, making a somewhat indirect path so he avoids being directly in front of what appeared to be the front entrance of the structure.
  
   
   Spoiler 
  Stealth check  (1d20+8)[ 12 ] 
  
  Letharial will keep a maximum pace of 30 ft as he stays slightly ahead of the others.
   
conversations: Aldurin:
conversations: human
conversations:  Chama 
    "Shhh."   She says and holds her hand down low and flat.   "There was a light in that window. Someones in there."   Following Letharial's lead she creeps forward, easily weaving through the underbrush and around the trees.
  
   
   Spoiler 
  Mask of the Wild let's her make Hide checks while lightly obscurred, if that's releveant here.
  Stealth  (1d20+9)[ 13 ] 
   
conversations: Chambers:
conversations: human
conversations:  Mehmed idly follows the rest of the group, making no attempt to move stealthily.
conversations: AgentPaper:
conversations: human
conversations:  You approach the temple's entrance with no interference. It appears to be two stories, with the top half being the only one with windows and about 1/2 the dimensions of the bottom. Large cracks in the marble denote the places edge, but it appears some of the cracks are still smooth from tools. In fact, the closer you get to the temple, the more obvious it is. Not readily apparent if you weren't looking for them, but multiple signs show this place was made to look much older than it is. Holes in the buildings walls were laid out in a pattern, about every 8 feet. Limestone blocks that formed the floor were broken, but the breaks were all around the same size, as if it were done with a sledgehammer.
  
  Which made the entrance far more worrisome. A large pillar had fallen in front, creating a six foot barrier to the ten foot entrance. It wouldn't be difficult to climb over and handholds had indeed been "aged" into the marble. However, it would be very hard for anyone to climb over without dropping down unexpectedly on the other side.
conversations: giles92:
conversations: human
conversations:  Letharial looks at the entrance, and the rest of the temple before shrugging.  "Huh, I would have used water magic, makes the erosion look more natural. If it's made to look old, is the purpose just to be a killzone for easily-looted adventurers?"  He approaches the outside wall, and makes an attempt to scale it to be on the same level as the second floor.
  
   
   Spoiler 
  Athletics check to climb the wall  (1d20+11)[ 24 ] 
  
  Stealth check (if still applicable)  (1d20+8)[ 15 ] 
   
conversations: Aldurin:
conversations: human
conversations:  Leth darts up the wall with ease, springing upward like a tick. He lands on the second floor, on top of the temple. The windows are still dark and though he could probably squeeze through one (it's about 1.5ftx1.5ft), it wouldn't be easy.
conversations: giles92:
conversations: human
conversations:  Leth gives a wave to the others that it's clear and extends a rope down from his pack to pull the others up with.
conversations: Aldurin:
conversations: human
conversations:  Chama 
    "There's no way he's getting through that window."   Chama says as she looks between her snake and the small window.   "There's got to be another way in."   Slinging her bow over her shoulders she uses the handholds to climb the pillar, stopping at the top to look beyond it.
conversations: Chambers:
conversations: human
conversations:  Chama looks over the pillar, her elven sight revealing a plain grey hallway. Sconces line the walls, but there are no torches.
conversations: giles92:
conversations: human
conversations:  Letharial peeks through the window and lets a pinch of phosphorous leap from his hand with a few words and gestures, the dust forming into four glowing orbs that appear on the other side of the window and spread out to illuminate the room.
  
   
   Spoiler 
  Casting Dancing Lights, targeting the inside of wherever the window leads to with the lights spreading out up to 20 feet apart to illuminate the immediate area.
   
conversations: Aldurin: