The Temple of Elemental Evil game thread

You leave without opening the double doors (unless you wish to) and pass the stairway leading down. Back in the great hall, Spugnoir's head pokes up.

"There is nothing here."

He winces a little, wishing there had been a more agreeable man-at-arms for hire.

The south leading corridor has a stairway leading upwards on the left side. After a few steps the risers are covered with dust, crushed stone, broken wood, and burned heaps of cloth. At the landing halfway up they are completely choked with rubble, and it is impossible to clear the loose stone and huge wall section to allow passage. The entire upper floor is collapsed and ruined.

There is also another door to the left, two doors to the right, and a pitch black room ahead without doors. There is no lighting here, even from outside.

Anrin gets a torch out of his backpack, and reaches for the tinderbox at his belt. "We need not fear this darkness," he says brightly, as he goes to light the torch.

Seeing something move off to the end of the corridor Matthias will cast a light spell over by where he saw it, hoping to make it reveal itself .

To tired to speak, Darf tip-toes quietly as he absorbs everything he can from his surroundings. (He is wih the company not at the double doors)

"I don't like this," Kaxaon mutters. A dark, narrow corridor lined with unopened doors looks like a trap to him. He watches the three figures creeping along. The dwarf seems competent enough, but the talkative sage and the too-cheerful halfling gallant are making far too much noise with their incessant chattering. At least they don't have his employer's annoying voice. Speaking of which... Kaxaon glances back at Spugnoir and finds him cowering just like he told him to. Next he glances at the three others standing around uselessly. Kaxaon spits, and turns his attention back to the three advancing down the corridor.

Matthias will creep forward with Anrin towards the thing that moved, keeping a careful eye out.

Sorry, I think light used to have a longer range in previous editions and I thought it still was. Cancel that!

Unconcerned about possible danger, Anrin advances with Matthias towards where the thing moved in the shadows.

Not sure how stealthy I can be holding a lit torch, but anyway...

Seeing his friend fall Matthias calls out, "Anrin! Somebody help, Anrin is down!" then he will launch a bolt of fire at the Adder

OOC: Burnttoazt, all damage dice are doubled on a crit, including sneak attack :) I think you have another 1d6 to roll

Also: I will move in such a way as to be sure to make sure no one is in the path of my firebolt

Grumble Danj plays tuneless runs on his pan pipes as he wanders up the path to the moathouse, but then sees the bloated bodies of the frogs and considers caution. Is this an evil omen, a prediction of evil, or just signs that others are nearby? He knows he must investigate. Curious, he crosses the bridge, gripping his staff tightly. Scanning the courtyard, Grumble tries to see the group of NPCs at the top of the stairs, flickering with a dim outline from the torchlight, and/or hear the PCs in combat with the snake up the stairs and around the corner.

Edit: If that 20 is sufficient to detect the presence of the party, he'll attempt to use Insight as he approaches, to assess whether these are heroes destined to overthrow Evil, hellspawn that must be cast down, or (just maybe) people who have no major cosmic role to play in the final battle (as unlikely as that seems to him). If he does NOT detect the party, Grumble will continue to advance towards the stairs, muttering to himself about the perfidy of evil.

"Hello! How are we today? Busy fighting evil? Me, too - or at least I hope to. Destined for it, don't you know! That's my big secret!" Having reached the top of the stairs, Grumble claps a comradely hand on the young man's (Johnny Locke) shoulder. "You look like a man who knows about secrets! I've got a pretty big secret, m'self. Oh, wait - I already said that, didn't I? What was I talking about? Oh, yes - fighting evil! The trick to fighting evil, as I think you know..." tapping a finger on Turuko's chest "...is to face it head-on! So! What are we doing back here?" Grumble snorts at Spugnoir, cowering in the back. "There's peril and danger and evil afoot, and things to learn besides! I must see!" He heads down toward the torchlight, calling "Might I be of some assistance?

IF they are still in combat by the time this happens and Grumble arrives, Grumble will speak "Rakh Takh Fazakh!" to evoke Tassergon's Tremendous Trajectiles (that is: magic missile), sending three bolts of energy in the form of shrieking hawks swooping and veering around the room to then plunge into the giant poisonous reptile.

I'll roll for initiative, in case that makes sense to insert me into the next round of combat, or would you prefer to just insert me at the end of the initiative round?

(Edit to post in character)

Anrin has no desire to kill a non-evil creature which has shown no aggression, no matter how monstrous. However, he is also aware of the possible danger, so he readies a javelin to use in self-defense or to defend his companions if necessary. He slowly backs away from the viper, keeping it in his sights.

Readying attack in case the adder should go to attack Anrin or anyone else. I'm guessing this is going to give Darf his clear shot, though Anrin would be unaware of this, and quite horrified at the unprovoked attack.