Sucks Scouts the Cult Gathering Alone

Summary

In Session 2, Sucks undertakes a solo reconnaissance mission into the tunnels beneath the Rex Tree, leaving his companions behind to investigate movement detected by Safiya. Using his Trap Expert Move ability, he creeps through the descending passage without his torch, navigating beyond the range of the party's light. Rounding a bend in the tunnel, he discovers an organized gathering in the Underground Cavern Beneath Rex Tree: four to five Robed Cult Figures conducting what appears to be a ritual around a Stone Altar heaped with food offerings. After observing the scene and noting the Rex Tree's roots penetrating the cavern ceiling, Sucks returns to report his findings to the party, describing the situation with characteristic humor as an "Eyes Wide Shut kind of situation."

Details

After Safiya detects movement deeper in the tunnels, Sucks volunteers to investigate alone, relying on his trap expert training to approach undetected. The GM describes his approach: "So I'm gonna say this is sucks. Like creeping down on his own to get a better look."

Sucks makes the tactical decision to leave his torch behind as he descends, creeping far from his companions' light to avoid alerting whatever lies ahead. The tunnel curves and descends, and as he rounds a bend, torchlight becomes visible below in the cavern. Recognizing the risk of detection, he abandons his own torch at this point: "And as you round this one, bend it, you see torchlight down in the cavern, and you think, I should probably leave my torch here."

Continuing his careful approach, Sucks reaches a ramp-like section of the passage where he can peek through a gap into the chamber below. The scene reveals an organized gathering: "You see a number of figures in robes with their hoods pulled up over their faces, milling about. There are torches on poles that are, like, stabbed into the ground."

The centerpiece of the gathering is a rough stone altar: "And there is a rough stone altar in the middle of the chamber heaped with different foods, different kinds of different kinds of vegetables and fruits just heaping on this altar." The offerings include vegetables, fruits, peppers, potatoes, apples, and notably many acorns. The torches produce greasy black smoke that rises to fill the cavern ceiling and seeps through cracks in the rock above.

From his vantage point, Sucks observes a critical detail connecting this chamber to the surface: "You see the roots of the Rex tree poking through the ceiling of the cavern." The Rex Tree's root system penetrates into this underground space where the ritual is taking place.

Having gathered sufficient intelligence about the gathering's size, organization, and purpose, Sucks retreats back through the tunnel to his waiting companions. Upon rejoining Abdul, Vasso, Safiya, Cat, and Katniss, he delivers his report with his characteristic sense of humor: "I go back and I. You tell. Tell everyone. There's a bunch of weird robed figures down there. I think it might be an Eyes Wide Shut kind of situation." He also jokes that the robed figures might be from Brampton, maintaining levity despite the potentially dangerous discovery.

Participants

Sucks — Solo scout who conducts the reconnaissance mission using his trap expert abilities to approach undetected
Safiya — Detected the initial movement that prompted the scouting mission
Abdul — Remains with the party at the top of the tunnel during the scouting
Vasso — Waits with the rest of the group while Sucks scouts ahead
Cat — Part of the party awaiting Sucks's return and report
Katniss — Member of the party remaining behind during the solo mission
Robed Cult Figures — Four to five hooded individuals conducting a ritual around the altar (observed but not engaged)

Consequences

Intelligence Gathered — The party gains critical information about the organized nature of the underground activity, including the number of participants, the presence of a ritual altar, and the connection between the cavern and the Rex Tree through its root system
Tactical Advantage — Sucks's successful stealth approach leaves the Robed Cult Figures unaware of the party's presence, preserving the element of surprise for any future engagement
Mystery Escalation — The discovery of food offerings (particularly the abundance of acorns) and ritualistic behavior transforms what might have been a simple exploration into an investigation of organized cultic or religious activity
Party Positioning — The group now has actionable intelligence to decide their next move, whether to confront the gathering, continue observing, or report to authorities
Structural Knowledge — The confirmation that the Rex Tree's roots penetrate into the ritual chamber provides important information about the physical relationship between the surface landmark and the underground space