Part 9: Plundering the Plunderers' Plunder

Official XP and Time Tracker

It's around noon on a unseasonably hot and muggy autumn day. You stand before a sinister moathouse, the basement proving to be crawling with foul beasts and undead alike. The party stands before a dilapidated and haphazardly repaired drawbridge spanning over a moat. The carcass of Maloria's old horse lays at the bottom, already swelling with necrotic gasses and covered with large bluebottle flies eager to find a soft meat in which to deposit their eggs.
The company is led by three veterans of the ruins: Cleric Maloria Stoneforge; the brave halfling, Gilly Puddlefoot; and the wizard, Eltrezar the Medium.
Joining them are three newcomers eager to prove themselves: the rogue, Luban the Unlucky; a mage called Ora Rusk; and a dwarven fighter named Thurig Stonehearth, an old acquaintance of Maloria's.
Bringing up the rear are two "hirelings", or perhaps attendants might be a better term: an unknown sorcerer named Spugnoir, interested only in scrolls and other magical manuscripts; and the silent Trading Post Man-at-Arms, sinister in demeanor and untrusted by the party, but attached to the company again in exchange for the use of a cart and mule, with which to haul back any items from the recently discovered armory the dungeon dwellers are using to conduct their attacks and raids on nearby travelers and homesteads.

OOC:

Just a reminder: the group has decided that, in the interests of moving the game along faster (especially during encounters), we will no longer be using the optional "Individual Initiative" rules and waiting for players to take their turns accordingly. Instead, we will be suing the "Group Initiative" rules, the DM will roll one Initiative roll for both sides, and the winning side will take their turns all at once, following the sequence of events listed below.
It should be noted that the bonuses of whichever PC or NPC has the highest Initiative on each side will be recognized. In this case, Gilly Puddlefoot has the highest Initiative in the party, with a +2, so all Initiative rolls for your party will be at +2.

Apr 8, 2022 6:35 pm

"Ok, here we are, no time to waste."

Mal cautiously tests the table bridge before crossing into the moathouse proper.

Apr 8, 2022 7:13 pm

Thurig unsheets his broadsword and follows behind Mal, casting his gaze about the gatehouse as he goes.

Apr 8, 2022 11:45 pm

Hrmph! "Horses should be left out here. You can guard them, given your stake in the cart. The rest of us will go in. Gilly and Luban, perhaps you should scout first. It would be best not to send anyone undefended. The rest of us will steel ourselves and wait for the two. I propose we make this fast. If the rooms are unguarded, we retrieve the arms and armors. If they are guarded, we make the retrieval step two. And then we leave. No reason to dawdle."

Apr 8, 2022 11:46 pm

Luban looks are the ruins, listens to the wizard, and gulps. He seemed much more brave back in town. He nods shakily, and strings his bow.

Apr 9, 2022 12:07 am

Mal nods in agreement with the plan and takes her hammer from it's sling.

Apr 9, 2022 1:26 am

Gilly passes a knowing look to the few that stayed behind and heard her tale at the inn. She cocks an eyebrow to Ora, and then her face is passive again.

He’s wiggling his way to the back of the group again…

The Halfling sets about preparing her bow, and quiver. She ensures the elven cloak is fastened around her properly, and dismounts Timber. She pats the flank of the pony affectionately.

She shoots a dirty look to the mute man. One that says she will kill him if Timber is missing, stolen, or hurt upon her return.

"Alright, let’s take a quick look! In and out!" and she steps out onto the broken drawbridge!

Apr 9, 2022 1:30 am

Ora looks in as the Halfling and the half-Orc set about their preparations. She couldn’t help but imagine that this was the spot where their dwarf companion must have taken the blow to his throat as he battled the bandits.

And much more inside, which she hoped she wouldn’t have to see just yet.

"Stay safe in there! We’ll be in in a flash, if anything is wrong!" she says with a smile, but it doesn’t much reach the rest of her face. There’s a silence hanging over this place, and she feel in high spirits, despite the quick nature of this quest this morning.

Apr 9, 2022 6:30 am

The new burglar marches ahead, hoping to hide his quivering hands from the rest of the group. He steels himself as best he can, glad that only one person might see his true nature. As soon as Luban and Gilly are out of earshot, the half-orc turns to the half-ling. "I, uh, probably see better in the dark than you. If you wish, I can be a corner ahead of you, and make sure we're safe to bring in a torch. It sounds like you've risked your life plenty already, and that the wizard is always leaving you in the dark!"

Apr 10, 2022 3:09 am

"You don’t need to be brave, Luban. This is a scary place…" she says, her eyes peeled as they creep forward.

"Even being a corner ahead… well, I got attacked by a giant snake, and I was just in the next room. Let’s stay together. I can see well enough up here. It’s down below we need to really be careful!"

Apr 10, 2022 3:19 am

Luban nods and continues on, keeping beside Gilly. Darting glances keep him moving in the right direction as they head for the staircase.

Apr 10, 2022 4:15 pm

Gilly and Luban advance slowly and as quietly as they can through the upper level of the Moathouse Ruins, the ruined and collapsing roof about allowing plenty of sunlight into the champers below. They make their way to the staircase in the storage room, skirting the corpses of the dead bandits strewn about the floor, now reeking badly of decomposition, swelling with bloat to the point that their skin begins to crack and tear open in places, blood and foam oozing from their mouths and noses. Their faces are all but unrecognizable and crawling with fat maggots, and some seem to be missing fingers and large segments of flesh and muscle where scavenger beasts have likely slinked into the ruins for a cautious meal.
The rest of the party waits behind, watching apprehensively as the halfling and half-org climb the steps to what used to be the great hall. More dead brigands lay around up here in a similar state of rot, though Luban and Gilly ignore these as well and turn the corner.At the threshold of the storage room, Luban the Unlucky sees about a dozen slain giant rats on the floor, each about the size of a medium dog, also teaming with maggots. The pile of carcasses is so dense at the doorway that it rises to almost the half-orc's knees in some spots and the thief finds himself and his small companion grabbing at the walls for support and keep balance, as they climb over the pile, and enter a room that's been ransacked of all but a single large jug of oil sitting on a shelf which seems to have held no interest to the rats that cleaned this place out long ago.
Finally they reach the stairwell. Looking down the steep flight of steps descending into the cool earth, they see only darkness below.

OOC:

I assume Gilly is lighting a torch before she descends?

Rolls

Secret Roll

Apr 10, 2022 10:54 pm

OOC:

For sure! She lights it, and if the orc is too apprehensive, will go down first! Short sword at the ready!

Apr 11, 2022 7:00 pm

Gilly lights a torch, and shines it down the stairwell. The floor below is lit up, the dancing yellow light of the flame illuminating two greenish-brown stains on the dark stones that mark once the drop zones of a pair of green slime ambushes.

No sounds can be heard below, so the pair cautiously decides to make their way down the stairs. The air around them grows noticeably cooler as they descend the steep steps down into the earth. As they reach the floor below they look around. The large room is silent still... Too silent. Surely a break-in into the armory should have put the more sinister of inhabitants of these ruins on high alert, yet as the halfling shines her torchlight in the direction of the two rooms to her left, she sees immediately that the northernmost one's door lay completely ajar, and through the threshold Gilly and Luban see that the room has been completely sacked.
What once contained a large number of spears, glaives, guisarmes, and battle axes, not to mention crossbows and bolts, and maybe most importantof all, the crate of sixty or more black capes, each blazing with a burning eye sewn on it, is now empty. The crates that held the long-shafted weapons upright now sit empty. Even the provisions of dried meats and fruits are nowhere to be seen. A column rising floor to ceiling blocks Gilly's and Luban's view of the southernmost storage room from where they stand, but both would stake coin that that room has been cleaned out overnight as well, though who took the gear, and where it may be at now remains a mystery.

Four or five minutes have now passed as the rest of the party waits just inside the crumbling remains of the gate above.

Rolls

Secret Roll

Apr 12, 2022 12:34 am

Gilly almost groans, but she seals her mouth shut tight, for fear both something waiting in the darkness. Not daring to speak aloud, Gilly simply points her finger skyward, and jerks it a few times.

Let’s go back up… is the signal.

Apr 12, 2022 2:56 pm

Luban nods, and heads up beside the shorter warrior. Was this a good sign? Had the cult fled in fear, taking their precious goods with them? How might Gilly just be to leave them quaking in their boots!

Apr 13, 2022 12:49 pm

"We’d have done better to go after the gnolls. At least then we’d have a dagger to our names. Empty!"

She throws her hands up in frustration as she crosses back across the busted drawbridge.

Apr 13, 2022 5:35 pm

"Well? What did you see?"

Although Mal seems anxious, there is a hopeful look on her face.

Apr 13, 2022 5:57 pm

OOC:

I'm going to say that wasn't even one full turn of using the torch if Gilly and Luban returned upstairs right away. How many torches does Gilly have in her inventory, by the way?

Rolls

Secret Roll

Apr 13, 2022 7:02 pm

Luban approaches, shaking his head. "There was nothin' in there but some horribly stinking corpses. Nothing new. Nothing alive. Nothing metal." He seems confused at the whole situation, especially the amount of dead bodies littering the passageways.

Apr 13, 2022 7:30 pm

Eltrezar frowns at the idea that the cultists had bunkered down in the moathouse. This was not ideal. Hrmph! "We are here en force. Perhaps it would be wise to utilize the size of the group. After all, the gnolls are being found as we speak. I have seen to it that the very birds of the forest are tracking the brutes." He shrugs non-committally.

OOC:

I know Gilly is probably reluctant to jump back down there right away, so I won't push the issue further.

Apr 13, 2022 7:43 pm

"Should have known" Mal says dishearteningly.

"Can't believe we left all that before. Does anyone feel like delving deeper? Might be that we have a force large enough to finish this thing."

Apr 13, 2022 8:11 pm

"Ahem," interjects Spugnoir. "Err… Forgive me if I am stepping out of turn here, but I must say that I feel confident that I’m more likely to find any trace of scrolls or other arcane texts here, than I would be in accompanying you into the midst of a pack of gnolls somewhere off into the wilds around here.
"In fact, to be frank, I wouldn’t give a gnoll enough credit to figure out how to wipe his own backside with the paper a scroll was written on, let alone understand the value of such an artifact, so I highly doubt I’ll find what my benefactor has commissioned me to search for following along that avenue of investigation.
"If you wish to pursue these stupid creatures, so be it, but I’m afraid I will be taking my leave of the party and returning to Hommlet alone until I am able to find another party willing to let me accompany them back here to these ruins. In these ruins, I, and my limited magics, are of course at your service. Out there…" and Spugnoir points a thumb back over his shoulder where the Trading Post Man-at-Arms watches silently, though possibly out of earshot of most of this conversation. "Out there, I care little for the prospect of risking my life for what I’m sure will amount to nothing more than a cache of rusty weapons, roughhewn armor sets, and at best, a single dagger with a bit of gaudy baubles set in it’s hilt.
"No offense, Eltrezar…" the man shrugs.

Apr 13, 2022 8:30 pm

"To further our new friend's point, I believe that the destruction of whatever evil guards this place is our true purpose here. The gnolls will pay, but this is the greater threat to Hommlet."

Apr 13, 2022 10:43 pm

Spugnoir lets Maloria speak her peace and continues. "I would also add that I'm not convinced that the weapons you seek are necessarily gone from these ruins. To hear young Puddlefoot tell the story, the doors were smashed through with axes, yes? If the weapons were to be sold, they would most likely have turned up in Hommlet, or the village of Nulb, which I am told is about six or seven leagues to the Northeast, through the Gnarley Forest. If they'd turned up in Hommlet, I'd be curious as to who brought them if not you. But, I highly doubt the owners of the Trading Post would have been so kind as to loan us a mule, a cart, and a man to load them up free of charge as they did. I suspect that they supplied us so generously because they want to bargain for the goods when we return with them.
"So perhaps the items were brought to Nulb, which would make more sense than Hommlet, as I hear Nulb has a bit of a... questionable reputation, and possibly someone with ill-intent could sell wares there without too many questions asked.
"But it seems more likely to me that if these weapons are part of an armory, and this rumored warlock I've heard tales of is using them to arm his minions with, he's going to keep hold of them for a while. And with you having smashed through the doors with axes, there would be no way to keep them secured there any longer, so the equipment has most likely been moved somewhere deeper in the dungeons, where they can secure them behind locked doors again?
"I don't know; I'm just thinking out loud. But I suspect the weapons are still here..."
Spugnour looks around, a look in his eyes like he's searching for confirmation that he's convinced at least some members of the party, though whether it's because he truly believes what he's saying, or because he's interested in keeping the party at the ruins and not traipsing off to find gnolls is not entirely clear.

Apr 13, 2022 10:56 pm

"Yes I'm sure they are still here Spugnoir,"

Mal looks at the Man at Arms with cool eyes,

"For the masters of the trading post would know it if they weren't. So what now my quiet fellow? Will you be taking your cart and your leave or have your keepers given you leave to follow us down once more?"

Apr 14, 2022 1:55 am

Ora catches Gilly’s eye and then rolls her own skyward.

This one loves the sound of his own voice, doesn’t he?… she earnestly tried to communicate with the Halfling girl telepathically.

Ora had met many of this fellow’s type throughout her studies. The kind of use 100 words when none will do.

"Oh…" she suddenly exclaims, before the man starts up again.

"If there are scrolls to be found, then I too would like to stay here a while and look for them. I have my own uses for them." the woman waits to see if the mage would protest someone muscling in on his scroll-territory!

Last edited April 14, 2022 1:55 am

Apr 14, 2022 2:01 am

Gilly got a shiver up her back. This new arrival was now dictating the fate of a whole troupe. And who was he, anyway?

The jaded Halfling couldn’t help but wonder if some mischief was afoot with this scroll hunter and his convenient lackey from the village. Her mind started to race as to the scheme they had dreamed up for the group.

She shook herself free, and busied herself with preservations to delve again.

"Back down then?" she asks, simply. Her eyes wander to the newcomer and the mute…

Apr 14, 2022 2:46 am

Thurig merely claps his sword against his shield in response to Gilly's question.

Apr 14, 2022 12:52 pm

"Let's do this."

Mal leads the group once more into the dungeon...

Apr 14, 2022 3:13 pm

Eltrezar follows his sturdy companion, trusting her wisdom in the matter. He makes sure to walk in before Gilly, hoping she sees this as courage.

Apr 14, 2022 3:16 pm

Luban spins on his heels in an almost comical manner, though it's difficult to tell if he's overcompensating for fear or just trying to show off for Ora (who hasn't seemed to notice his attention).

Apr 14, 2022 5:49 pm

The silent Man-at-Arms has said nothing in response to Maloria's challenge, but as the party makes their way back into the ruins, he checks the sword he carries in his sheath, and grabs a longbow and quiver, as well as a small pack. Then he follows the group in, taking up the rear.

Meanwhile, Spugnior is speaking again but hasn't stepped forward with the rest of the party and the Man-at-Arms sidles past the spellcaster. "Excuse me, Eltrezar, but I'm beginning to think that maybe you haven't explained to all of your companions the terms of my assistance here. Ms. Rusk seems to think that custody of any scrolls found are up for negotiation. It is not. Do we need to take a moment for rediscussion?"

Apr 14, 2022 6:47 pm

Hrmph! "Yes, I do believe there's been a miscommunication. I only just discovered she was joining us this morning, and she had mentioned nothing of her desire for scrolls."

Eltrezar turns to the young newcomer with a sheepish look on his wrinkled face.

Ahem! "Miss Rusk. I know we have not had the opportunity to speak much, nary a word in fact. But it seems there has been a failure in communication, likely the fault of whomever you spoke with to join my party. All scrolls, magical or mundane, are going to this gentleman here. He has opted to take these as payment for his services, in lieu of gold or treasure. Your spoils are to come from the latter. If you wish to renegotiate the terms of your employment, I will be happy to speak with you after our delve into this moat house."

Apr 15, 2022 2:54 am

"Magical or mundane?" Ora retorts with a kind of faux heightened shock.

"Why don’t we split it 50:50? He gets… let’s say he gets the mundane, and I get the magical? Would that satisfy him?" a playful smile crosses her face. And then her hand shoot up in surrender.

"Alright, alright. Though I hope he plans on earning his pay, like everyone else here."

Just who is helping who, here?… the mage wondered.

Last edited April 15, 2022 8:35 am

Apr 15, 2022 5:00 am

Hrmph! 'There is a lot of sass with this new one,' Eltrezar thinks as he heads into the moathouse. He mentions to Spuignor that the matter had been handled.

Apr 15, 2022 7:27 pm

OOC:

Can I get a marching order for heading downstairs. In the stairwell you can move in columns of two. I don’t think it has to be super specific… just let me know if anyone wants to be up front, in back, or in the middle.

Apr 15, 2022 7:29 pm

OOC:

Luban is in the front, reluctantly. Eltrezar is towards the middle, but preferably before Gilly.

Apr 15, 2022 8:43 pm

OOC:

Right behind Luban are Mal and Thurig.

Apr 15, 2022 9:12 pm

OOC:

Where do we want the Man-at-arms and Spuignor?

Apr 15, 2022 11:13 pm

OOC:

I want Man at Arms up front next to Luban personally but I feel like he will bring up the rear...

Apr 16, 2022 12:46 am

OOC:

Ora will go alongside our wizard, and Gilly will keep an eye on the two tag-alongs in the back.

Apr 16, 2022 3:14 am

OOC:

So the order goes:

Luban and Man-at-arms
Mal and Thurig
Eltrezar and Ora
Gilly and... Spuignor?

Apr 16, 2022 4:10 am

OOC:

sounds good

Apr 17, 2022 12:36 am

Deciding on their marching order, the party lines up. Surprisingly, almost in silent answer to an unspoken challenge, the Man-at-Arms gives Mal a defiant look and takes the front alongside Luban the unlucky. As they cross the floor and begin ascending the short flight of littered steps towards what used to be Great Hall, the party suddenly hears a scratching sound coming from a well situated in the southesat corner of the main hall.
Halting a moment they stare perplexed. How, at this point, has nobody inspected the well so far, some may wonder... But before they can address this question to one another, the group watches as nearly half a dozen hunched-shouldered, furry heads rise over the well's stonework. At first it appears to be that of dogs climbing over the edge of the well's lip. But as they fall to the floor, their high squeals and hairless tails reveal them to be none other than four more Giant Rats, desperately hungry and come from below for a few tasty morsels of an unsuspecting adventurer's meaty thigh.

OOC:

The Party may act first this round. The rats are approximately 50' from the party at the moment. Please observe the proper sequence of events as best as possible now that we're implementing Group Initiative rules.

Rolls

Secret Roll

Party Initiave roll - (1d6+2)

(3) + 2 = 5

Giant Rats Initiative roll - (1d6)

(1) = 1

Secret Roll

Apr 17, 2022 4:45 am

Luban sees the rats popping out of the well with a bit of shock, but he quickly overcomes it and moves to a vantage point where he can loose an arrow before they are set upon. Finally, an opportunity to show the party what he is made of! Hopefully, though, it goes better than his past experiences...

OOC:

Luban moves to the bottom of the stairs, 30' straight down in the grid. He'll also be firing an arrow from his shortbow, with a +1 from the close range.

Luban will try to shoot the nearest rat, #3

Luban the Unlucky, everyone!

Last edited April 17, 2022 4:45 am

Rolls

Attack (Shortbow) - (1d20+3)

(5) + 3 = 8

Damage (Shortbow) - (1d6)

(5) = 5

Apr 17, 2022 4:49 am

Eltrezar attempts to contemplate the significance of the rats coming from the well, and how they had... But his train of thought is jostled as the green newcomer pushes through his companions towards the beasts! Acting on instinct, now, Eltrezar also moves forward, but more cautiously than Luban. He reaches a point where he is confident he can at least lob his blades into the tangle of rats, and draws one... rears back... and flings!

OOC:

Eltrezar will move 25ft towards the rats, just within range of his daggers.

Eltrezar will throw a dagger at Rat #1

Rolls

Attack (Thrown Dagger) - (1d20-2)

(10) - 2 = 8

Damage (Thrown Dagger) - (1d4)

(2) = 2

Apr 17, 2022 4:59 am

Luban's and Eltrezar's attacks both go wild, arrow and dagger clattering against the stonework around their targets.

OOC:

My bad, I forgot to add coordinates for you guys to make movement descriptions easier for you...

Apr 17, 2022 10:25 am

Gilly lines up a shot and tries to thread the needle between her two companions and pin the rat (#3) where it stands.

OOC:

That should have been a +3, so a 12, total!

Last edited April 17, 2022 10:26 am

Rolls

Fire! - (1d20+2)

(9) + 2 = 11

Damage - (1d6)

(2) = 2

Apr 17, 2022 10:28 am

Ora starts forward, looking to close off the gap Gilly just used to fire on the rats. Sword drawn, she crosses to the space to ensure that the rats don’t surround her new fellows!

"Sorry, Gilly! I need the space!" she calls as she bounds forward!

OOC:

S22

Last edited April 17, 2022 10:29 am

Apr 17, 2022 3:18 pm

Gilly fires her bow at the rat just emerged form the well, but the arrow brushes just dangerously close to Eltrezar's left shoulder, the arrowhead ripping a slight tear in the wizard's robes. Eltrezar is unharmed, but it throws the arrow off just enough to strike to the right of the Giant Rat by mere inches. The rat flinches, but avoids being stricken.

Ora Rusk advances forward sword at the ready.

The Man-at-Arms bounds down the steps, long bow in hand, two arrows on this other grasp. With deft fingers he fires two arrows in the time most trained men can fire only one. Quick his hands may be but both arrows clatter uselessly to the stonework as every other projectile has thus far.

Spugnoir, armed only with a dagger, merely holds onto it desperately, terrified that he may have to use it should a rat come after him, hoping his new companions can eliminate this threat before one charges into biting distance on him.

OOC:

Round 1 - Players' Turn:
Gilly Puddlefoot
Eltrezar the Medium
Maloria Stoneforge
Luban the Unlucky
Thurig Stonehearth
Ora Rusk
Trading Post Man-at-Arms
Spugnoir

Rolls

Man-at-Arms Attack roll, Damage roll (#1) - (1d20, 1d6)

1d20 : (3) = 3

1d6 : (4) = 4

Man-at-Arms Attack roll, Damage roll (#2) - (1d20, 1d6)

1d20 : (7) = 7

1d6 : (1) = 1

Apr 17, 2022 3:40 pm

Mal and Thurig both charge towards the rats and try to position themselves between Ora, Eltrezar, and the vermin. They take out their slings and fire off two stones in unison...

Rolls

Mal sling attack/damage - (1d20+1, 1d4)

1d20+1 : (20) + 1 = 21

1d4 : (4) = 4

Thurig sling attack/damage - (1d20+1, 1d4)

1d20+1 : (9) + 1 = 10

1d4 : (4) = 4

Apr 17, 2022 5:56 pm

OOC:

Because Thurig and Maloria are wearing heavy plate mail, they can only move 20'/Turn in combat. They don't have enough movement to dash forward ahead of Ora and Eltrezar, unfortunately. I moved them as far forward as they can go, but if @dominion451 doesn't like their placement, let me know and we can retcon it. I'll roll randomly between Rats #1-3 as to which one Mal threw her stone at. And then the rats will go.

Thurig and Maloria rush forward together slings at the ready, hoping to put themselves in front of the two spellcasters in the party, but their heavy armor slows them down. Thurig lets a stone fly, and like the others in the party, his missile strikes close to one of the rats but misses by inches.
Mal's stone, on the other hand, sails over Ora Rusk's left shoulder and strikes the rat furthest to the left square in the head. Its beady black eyes burst out of their sockets, fastened now only by the bundles of optic nerves and retinal blood vessels, as the rest of its skull crushes inwards, smashing the brain to jelly. The rat collapses, twitching its legs in death.

OOC:

The Giant Rats are up next. Target Selection for the rats this round will be, on a 1d6 roll:
Man-at-Arms 1-2
Eltrezar 3-4
Ora 5-6

#Rat #3" on the die rolls this round is actually Rat #4... My bad.

The rest of the rats charge forward, looking for a meal of the two spellcasters and the Man-at-Arms, all of which are the closest target. The closest rat rushes forward after Ora and tries to bite her on the calf, but Ora manages to kick her foot out of the way, just in time.
Another one charges after Eltrezar. Unfortunately for the wizard, the rat gets its claws into the hem of its robes and uses its purchase to pull itself up and deliver a painful bite to the spellcaster's inner thigh, nicking the femoral artery, resulting in bad bleeding from his left leg.
The final rat races around from the back side of the well and lunges for the Man-at-Arms, biting the man on his shin.

Rolls

Maloria Target Selection roll - (1d3)

(3) = 3

Rat #1 Target Selection roll, Attack roll, Damage roll - (1d6, 1d20, 1d3)

1d6 : (6) = 6

1d20 : (11) = 11

1d3 : (2) = 2

Rat #2 Target Selection roll, Attack roll, Damage roll - (1d6, 1d20, 1d3)

1d6 : (4) = 4

1d20 : (14) = 14

1d3 : (3) = 3

Rat #3 Target Selection roll, Attack roll, Damage roll - (1d6, 1d20, 1d3)

1d6 : (1) = 1

1d20 : (16) = 16

1d3 : (1) = 1

Giant Rat #2 disease roll - (1d100)

Giant Rat #4 disease roll - (1d100)

Apr 17, 2022 6:18 pm

OOC:

Round 1 concludes; Round 2 begins! Turn order is as follows:

1.Party
2. Giant Rats

OOC:

Round 2 - Players Turn:
Gilly Puddlefoot
Eltrezar the Medium
Maloria Stoneforge
Luban the Unlucky
Thurig Stonehearth
Ora Rusk
Trading Post Man-at-Arms
Spugnoir

Rolls

Party Initiative roll - (1d6+2)

(6) + 2 = 8

Giant Rats Initiative roll - (1d6)

(4) = 4

Apr 17, 2022 6:55 pm

"Ora! Eltrezar! Get behind us!"

Mal shouts to the casters as she readies another attack. She and Thurig drop their slings and draw weapons as they rush up beside the two and hack away with sword and hammer...

Rolls

Mal hammer attack/damage - (1d20+1, 1d6+1)

1d20+1 : (12) + 1 = 13

1d6+1 : (1) + 1 = 2

Thurig sword attack/damage - (1d20+1, 1d8+1)

1d20+1 : (15) + 1 = 16

1d8+1 : (8) + 1 = 9

Apr 18, 2022 1:45 am

Luban leaps into the fray, dropping his bow and unsheathing his particularly unused, curved blade! "Watch out Mistress Stoneforge, they have a particular taste for dwarf," he calls out quite incorrectly as he slashes at the nearest rat.

Rolls

Attack (Sword) - (1d20+1)

(18) + 1 = 19

Damage (Sword) - (1d8+1)

(2) + 1 = 3

Apr 18, 2022 1:52 am

Eltrezar, being wise beyond his many, many years, doesn't need to be told twice! With a stabbing pain in his leg, he attempts to disengage from the fray, recognizing that he had leapt into action far too soon.

OOC:

Eltrezar withdraws? Disengages? He bounces!

Apr 18, 2022 2:30 am

Ora hears the call for her to retreat, and give way for those in heavier armor. Beside her, the wizard retreats, but she holds firm. She sees blood drops pooling on the ground where the wizard just stood.

"I can manage! They’re rats! We’ll soon be hunting a pack of hungry gnolls!"

She says, as she carved her sword down at the rats ugly head.

Last edited April 18, 2022 2:32 am

Rolls

Attack and Damage - (1d20+1, 1d8+1)

1d20+1 : (17) + 1 = 18

1d8+1 : (6) + 1 = 7

Apr 18, 2022 2:34 am

Seeing the wizard retreat, Gilly lined up a shot at the space he just occupied. The giant rat stands ready to pounce on someone, as it’s brethren loses its head to the new mage’s sword!

Her tongue sticks out as she concentrates, hoping to bring an end to this thing now. She looses!

Rolls

Attack and Damge - (1d20+3, 1d6)

1d20+3 : (18) + 3 = 21

1d6 : (6) = 6

Apr 19, 2022 5:49 am

Maloria and Thurig dash forward and strike at the two rats attacking Eltrezar and Ora. Mal's hammer hits the one before Ora and it gives a squeal as ribs are pulverized, but it remains standing. Likewise, Thurig's sword cleaves the rat that just bit Eltrezar in two, killing it.

Luban the Unlucky's luck begins to change as his dagger cuts through the one that Mal just bludgeoned, and it's guts spill out into the stone floor.

Eltrezar, seeing the danger he's in, despite Thurig dispatching his attacker, makes a fighting retreat and falls back with Spugnoir and Gilly.

Ora moves forward and attack the one whose attention is focused on the Man-at-Arms it just took a small taste of and cleaves it open with her sword as Gilly's arrow embeds itself in the mortally wounded creature.

With the rats dead, to ruins are silent again, with the exception of heavy breathing, a result of the surprise of seeing the rats emerge from the well and the adrenaline rushing through the party's veins than because of any extended effort.

Apr 19, 2022 9:13 am

"Well, that was a nice little warm up, wasn’t it?" Ora says, sheathing her sword and spinning on her heel to face her companions.

"Are you okay, Eltrezar? I saw one of them bite you!"

Apr 19, 2022 3:33 pm

Eltrezar finds himself leaning against a wall, examining his great wound. It doesn't take long for him to bandage the bite, but the pain exists in every step he takes. Hrmph! "I'll be fine, I just need to remember I'm not as spry as I once was. If there are any potions available, one would help, but I suspect they will be needed more once we delve the depths. Speaking of which, I have these potions that will be more useful for others. They grant you the ability to see danger before it sees you." Reaching into a pouch hidden in his well-worn robes, he retrieves five potions and looks between Gilly and Luban.

Apr 19, 2022 3:41 pm

"Alas, we carry no healing this time through. The church cannot make them fast enough for our needs. Keep far back Eltrezar."

Mal rallies everyone back into marching order and leads onward.

Apr 19, 2022 3:43 pm

Luban looks at the dead rats and his own bloody sword (thank goodness he opted for this instead of just a dagger) with no small amount of shock. Most of his life he had learned to expect the worst, and somehow he had succeeded in killing a great... rat. Right. It was just a big rat.

When the wizard- looking so pitiful with his robes pulled up like a lady in mud- offers Luban some potions, he takes two. "And just how long do these last," he asks before receiving a shrug. His eyes widen as he hears that they are about to explore the moathouse with no magical healing, and his past experiences tell him natural healing is really quite slow.

Apr 19, 2022 4:58 pm

Mal takes one of Eltrezar's potions and tucks it into her pouch.

"What does this do again?"

Apr 20, 2022 2:48 am

"I have a small amount of healing that I can administer. Nothing more than closing a small wound, or clearing a bruise or two. Enough to get you home, at least. Do you need it now?"

OOC:

I can heal 1hp. :D

Apr 20, 2022 4:10 am

Eltrezar turns to Mal as she takes the potion. Hrmph! "I don't know exactly how it works. I believe it increases your intuition, your ability to perceive danger. And before you ask, no I don't know how long it lasts."

To Ora, he looks delighted! Ahem! "Closing the wound would be excellent! I would not wish to walk through here with an open cut, drawing in hungry beasts!"

Apr 20, 2022 10:58 pm

Luban takes two of Eltrezar’s Potions of Detect Danger, and Mal takes one. Meanwhile, Ora Rush uses her skills as a Mage to close Eltrezar’s wounded leg before it bleeds him out, restoring some health.

Apr 21, 2022 12:30 am

"Enough dally, let's press on."

Thurig turns his attention back to the dungeon...

Apr 21, 2022 2:47 am

OOC:

Eltrezar and Luban continue on, resuming their positions.

Apr 21, 2022 2:09 pm

OOC:

Indeed. Down we go?

Apr 22, 2022 5:38 pm

The party gets ready to line up again into their agreed upon marching order, when Spugnoir, disregarding the party, falls out of ranks and walks over to the well, looking down into it's depths. Seeing the spellcaster looking down it, the Man-at-Arms leaves the group and joins him. For a moment Spugnoir seems confused, but with a silent look from the Man-at-Arms conforming that the spellcaster isn't seeing things Spugnoir says to the others, "Uh, guys?"
He turns around and faces the group. "Um, would one of you dwarves, with your exceedingly good vision for dark holes, please come here a second and confirm that something is glinting at the bottom of this well? I do believe I've spotted us something shiny down here..." He turns around and stares back down the hole.

Rolls

Secret Roll

Apr 22, 2022 8:06 pm

Mal walks over to the well and peers down...

OOC:

I guess the DM was sick of us ignoring secret treasure lol!

Apr 22, 2022 8:53 pm

dominion451 says:

OOC:

I guess the DM was sick of us ignoring secret treasure lol!

OOC:

Lol, I had to roll for the Wandering Monster treasure, and weirdly Giant Rats can carry ridiculous amounts of treasure, for some reason, so I opted to stuff it down the well they came up from. I was gonna leave it alone, and let you continue on, but then I figured that Spugnoir and the Man-at-Arms would have possibly looked down to make sure there were no more rats coming up from below, so I decided to make a Wisdom check for them. Had they failed, they wouldn't have noticed the shine reflecting up from below.
Let's just say I threw you a bit of a bone this time around, if only because I rolled the treasure before the encounter began and it would be a shame to let it sit and rot down below...

Looking down into the shallow well, Maloria's eyes, more keen at peering into the darkness below, catch the distinct shine of a few coins spilling out from what appears to be a bundle of cloth, though what type of coins they are cannot be determined from fifty feet up.
The inside of the well is rough stonework with very minuscule hand and footholds only a trained climber might be able to navigate, though in theory, one with a rope long enough could possibly be lowered most of the way down.

Apr 22, 2022 11:18 pm

"I'll be buggered... Those are coins! Let's get a few coils of rope tied up and get someone down there!"

Mal takes out her own rope and casts around for more.

OOC:

Ok, message received! From now on we cut open every rat and fish out every hole ;)

Last edited April 22, 2022 11:19 pm

Apr 23, 2022 12:54 am

Luban approaches, looking down the well. From his pack he retrieves his own coil of rope, looking frayed (though he did find it like that). In his mind, the climb didn't look that difficult... especially if he had a rope for assistance. "I can handle this, Mistress Stoneforge," he says as he begins climbing in without permission.

Rolls

Climb Sheer Surfaces (87%) - (1d100)

(75) = 75

Apr 23, 2022 1:31 am

Mal and Thurig hold the rope for Luban as he shimmies down the well...

Apr 23, 2022 5:02 am

Luban shimmies down the well wall, descending 50' below. As he descends he notices a faint but cold updraft of wind coming from underneath him. Reaching the bottom, the footing is a jumbled pile of rubble, large broken stones, and rotting wooden planks. From some unseen, open channel in the debris he stands upon, a chilly breeze blows up from the recesses of somewhere even deeper.
The rotting remains of a wooden bucket and tangled hempen rope nests a bundle of soft, oiled leather. A half dozen, copper coins spill out one end of the package.

Rolls

Secret Roll

Apr 23, 2022 2:00 pm

Quickly stuffing the coins and remaining leather into his pockets, Luban prepares to head back up. Yanking in the rope twice, be begins his ascent.

Once back at the top, he first removes the leather to lay on the ground before spilling out the coins on top. He beams widely, clearly pleased he could be if use!

OOC:

I'm not sure if I need to roll in each direction, but here's one just in case.

Last edited April 23, 2022 2:01 pm

Rolls

Scale Sheer Surfaces (87%) - (1d100)

(23) = 23

Apr 24, 2022 8:32 am

The weird coincidence of the newcomer and the mute just happening upon coins in the well did nothing to dissuade Gilly that something was afoot with those two. She prowls around the outskirts of the group as the others go about lowering and raising the half-Orc.

"That was a good find, wasn’t it? How did you think to look down the well?!" Gilly calls out as the coins tumble to the floor in front of them.

Last edited April 25, 2022 2:55 pm

Apr 24, 2022 8:34 am

"Oh my. Well the few coppers just about breaks us even for coming out here, doesn’t it? And this is just the start." Ora beams.

"Fantastic work, Luban! There could have been more rats down there! Very brave, indeed!"

Apr 25, 2022 2:50 pm

Luban shifts rapidly between beaming at praise from Ora to confusion at the suspicion from Gilly to realized fear at the prospect of having climbed into more rats. Not sure what to do with himself, he quickly counts the coins and scurries back to one of the horses to store the loot (and even more quickly returns to the party).

Last edited April 25, 2022 9:45 pm

Apr 25, 2022 2:53 pm

Hrmph! "We arcanists have been minds, and are able to think of where treasure may be hidden. Save your concerns for what lays beneath our feet, not who fights beside you." Eltrezar snaps at Gilly, sounding not a little annoyed at her line of inquiry. Something about this place had changed her, and not for the better. No longer did he look at that innocent, happy Halfling he had met only days ago.

Apr 25, 2022 3:00 pm

Gilly is about to shoot back about the wizard’s mind for treasure hunting having brought them out here to loot an empty room.

But she holds her tongue. The wizard was right. They’d stand a better chance if they worked together and didn’t bicker.

"Let see what waits beneath our feet, then! We might find something worthwhile down there!"

Apr 25, 2022 5:22 pm

"One can hope."

Mal returns to her efforts of marshalling the group towards the stairs that lead below.

Apr 25, 2022 8:41 pm

cowleyc says:

OOC:

I'm not sure if I need to roll in each direction, but here's one just in case.

OOC:

Yeah, I was thinking one down, and one back up. I was gonna have the other PCs make strength roll for anyone holding the rope if you fell.

KCC says:

"That was a good find, wasn’t it? How did you think to look down the well?!" Gilly calls out as the coins tumble to the floor in front of them.

As Luban begins opening the bundle Spugnoir turns to Gilly. "Er... Unfortunately, my friend Eltrezar gives me too much credit. Perhaps his mind is much keener than my own, and I discredit our trade as Magic-Users. You see, finding the bundle was a matter of dumb luck, and nothing more, I assure you Gilly. The only reason I even bothered to check down there was because I'd prefer to keep my enemies away from my backside, if at all possible. If four of those things crawled out of that well, and knowing how quickly rats breed, I imagine twenty or thirty could be crawling over one another down there, and I'd sooner make sure no more are going to surprise us when our attentions are elsewhere. I hoped to find the well empty. I feared I would find more rats at the bottom trying to figure out how their companions managed to crawl out. I was pleasantly surprised to find someone else has made use of this well in hiding this bundle."

As Spugnior is busy talking with Gilly, Luban notices that the bundle has a hole gnawed in it, which is what caused the coinds to fall out in the first place. Unrolling it, he discovers a few sparse crumbs remaining of what was once a very moldy cheese, likely wrapped up with the other contents for safe keeping, and which in turn attracted the rats. The rats made off with the cheese, but seemed to find the rest of the bundle's contents less palatable, which includes two rolled up sheets of parchment, a pile of copper pieces, and even better, three gems!
Counting out the copper pieces, Luban find the bundle contains 7000 coins. The three gemstones, one small, one medium, and one fairly large, are each clean and nicely cut, though without a proper appraisal, one could only guess their total value to be somewhere between 500-1000 gold.
Unrolling the two parchments, the first appears to be a scroll, written in an arcane magic handwriting. Spugnoir looks over the shoulder of Luban and whistles. The other piece of parchment appears to be a map, crudely drawn in an unpracticed hand. The map has no trace of written language detailing landmarks or other locations of note, but the poorly drawn illustrations on it, mostly in black but with some blues, reds, and greens and browns, clearly show the ruins of the Moathouse, along with a copse of three trees laying almost due east of the ruins.
Without a legend, or any markings indicating scale, it's unknown exactly how far the trees on the map actually are from the ruins.

As the party goes over all they’ve found, Spugnoir rubs his hands together greedily, clearly excited about the scroll that was discovered with the cache. Reaching over Luban’s left shoulder he grabs it. "Now this is how a man gets paid," he says happily. He begins rolling the scroll up, and pulls from his bag a long narrow cylinder, stoppered at each end by a piece of cork. As he slides the scroll inside for safe keeping he suddenly looks at Ora Rusk, and recognition dawns on his reddening face.
"Dear me…" he says suddenly. "Ah, Miss Rusk, it seems I had spoken out of turn earlier, and it has just occurred to me the nature of my folly. I’m afraid I had forgotten that in order for you to use the arcane arts to your favor, a mage is wholly dependent on scrolls. And yet, the terms of my employment were that I take all scrolls we may discover in these ruins, in order to return to my employer with, in order to receive payment. This leaves us in a bit of a bind doesn’t it? For, either you can’t use magics in these dangerous ruins, or I shall not receive monetary compensation from my benefactor.
Perhaps I may propose a bit of a compromise? The terms of my employment were that I would accompany your party into these ruins and use what limited spells I have at my disposal to aid you in getting back out alive, in exchange for any scrolls we manage to pack out. As this scroll hasn’t been ‘packed out’ as of yet, it’s not really mine to claim at the moment, is it? What say you that I hand this scroll over to you, with the understanding that you may use it if needed while we remain in these dungeons, and should we both get out of here alive, you may return it to me once we arrive back in Hommlet, so that I may bring it to my benefactor and receive payment. A deal?"
Spugnoir holds the cylinder out for Ora to take custody of, if she chooses.
"I’m afraid that while I do possess the ability to cast a spell of Read Magic, I opted to memorize Detect Danger Magic and Sleep this morning during my meditations and cannot say for certain what this spell is exactly. Perhaps you can read it yourself?"

Apr 25, 2022 9:42 pm

Eltrezar becones excitable upon seeing the map. Ahem! "This map, for some reason, shows the Three Trees where the gnolls await a swift death! After his quick outburst, he looks a little sheepish.

Apr 25, 2022 9:50 pm

Luban shifts rapidly between beaming at praise from Ora to confusion at the suspicion from Gilly to realized fear at the prospect of having climbed into more rats. Not sure what to do with himself, he quickly begins counting the coins only to find that it wasn't just a few measley copper coins! This was more wealth than he had seen before!

Some greed overtakes the man, as he tries to slip away the small of the three gems before the test of the party notices it. This was a maneuver he had often practiced on his own, but never been out to practice before!

OOC:

Edited to reflect the DM's post.

Apr 25, 2022 10:46 pm

Gilly stops up as the true haul becomes apparent. Her eyes do light up; despite the tense atmosphere within the group.

"Now this is what we came for! Maybe we ought to take another look down the well?" she says with a hint of joy in her voice!

"And then we could find something to cover it over; and weigh it down! To stop our friend here worrying about more rats!" she says, nodding her head to the newcomer.

Things were turning around.

OOC:

I’ll let the DM determine what we do about the gems. Do we need to spot it etc etc

Apr 26, 2022 5:38 am

Ora instinctively puts her hands up, in polite rejection of the offer. And then she listens to the full explanation.

"Well, that is a thought! And you’re sure you’re employer won’t mind? I think we can come to that arrangement yes!"

She puts her hand out for the scroll, and unfurls it.

"That was very generous of you. Spugnoir, was it?" she says with a smile!

"Let’s have a look here then!"

OOC:

50:50 shot here!

Last edited April 26, 2022 5:39 am

Rolls

Read Magic (50) - (1d100)

(30) = 30

Apr 26, 2022 3:52 pm

Just like he had practiced, Luban spots the gem almost tumble out of the leather satchel and moves his hand to cover it up. And he manages to grab it! But fumbles it! And is left holding it halfway in his upturned palm, for the gods and man to see!

OOC:

Not only is it a failure, but it's more than double the chance of success, so it's noticeable by the group!

Last edited April 26, 2022 3:54 pm

Rolls

Pick Pockets (20%) - (1d100)

(45) = 45

Apr 26, 2022 4:02 pm

"We split the gains equally Luban, let's have Gilly act as treasurer on this one shall we?"

Mal takes the bundle of loot from the half-orc with a tsk tsk.

Apr 26, 2022 5:03 pm

Luban is discovered trying to swindle his new companions out of the smaller of the gems, already taking a bid of chastising from Mal before the other can react. As his companions watch him fumble an attempt to rob the party of their earnings Ora rusk examines the scroll. For a moment it all seems like scribbles and unreadable runes, but slowly the patterns emerge, the syntax is found, and Ora recognizes the document as a Scroll of Levitate.

OOC:

Levitate: 2nd Level Magic-User spell

Apr 26, 2022 5:27 pm

Luban grins sheepishly at being caught, and mutters something under his breath about it being worth a shot. He shrugs at Mal before allowing Gilly to handle to treasure, and prepares to dive back into the ruins.

Apr 26, 2022 5:44 pm

OOC:

Whatcha gonna do with all these coins? 7000 coins is pretty heavy...

Apr 26, 2022 6:33 pm

OOC:

We have a cart just for this purpose!

Apr 27, 2022 11:47 am

Gilly examines the coins, running her hand through them.

"We came out here for the weapons, didn’t we? A quick in and out mission. You reckon this amount of coins is worth more than what we would have fetched for the weapons?

We could be home for lunch, you know?"

Apr 27, 2022 11:49 am

"Well, Spugnoir, my friend. I’ll admit to hoping for something a little flashy. A fireball or something of the sort…" a mischievous grin "… but I’m sure we can make use of a levitate spell. Though, underground…

Well, let’s see, shall we?"

Apr 27, 2022 3:35 pm

"Well I suppose Gilly has a point, we came here for a quick there and back. What say the rest of you? Should we return to town?"

Apr 27, 2022 3:46 pm

Hrmph! "We do not seem far from the trees where the gnolls are waiting. And it is in the same direction we have already come, so it makes little sense to turn back now. Spugnior, you have not signed on for this portion, so you may feel free to return to town if you wish. The others have made no such stipulations, so you would come with us. I propose we not make this journey a complete waste of time."

Apr 29, 2022 1:44 am

OOC:

Are you thinking you want to abandon the trip to the basement for now and look for the location on the map?

Apr 29, 2022 1:48 am

OOC:

Purely from a metagaming perspective, I’d like to be level 2. :D

I vote we either delve deeper or go back to town. We have the map to the gnolls now, we can go next time! Narratively, Spugnoir must prefer the moat, too.

Apr 29, 2022 1:57 am

"Er... While I am curious to see what else we might discover at these trees located on the map, besides Eltrezar's dagger of course, and assuming this is the location in question, I must say, we've already a good bit of luck in these ruins already and we've bare;y stepped through the front gates. My vote is to remain here, though I suppose I could be persuaded to attend if you opt to leave and search for these trees."

Apr 29, 2022 12:22 pm

"Well… we’re here now. No sense in just doing half a job. But… should we hide the treasure away again before we go down? We can’t carry it. And we can’t leave it sitting in the cart."

She doesn’t look at anyone as she asks, but her thoughts turn to the mute man.

Apr 29, 2022 12:24 pm

Ora felt odd at the thought of intruding on the deliberations. There was history in this place, for them at least. She wouldn’t say one way or the other.

The gnolls were ever present in her mind, but the scrolls to dispatch the gnolls may lay in this place.

Apr 29, 2022 4:42 pm

"Good thinking Gilly, why don't you hide the stash while we wait and then we can all go down together. We keep our expedition short, things have changed here and we just need to know what. After we take our measure of the place we head back to town and reassess."

Apr 29, 2022 4:45 pm

Eltrezar's hand strays to the empty spot in his belt, and you can almost seem a frown from underneath his beard. But he shrugs and starts moving back into formation.

Apr 29, 2022 4:46 pm

Luban scurries back to the front, ready to dive in. Where they went made little difference to him, though his skills would be of more use in the ruins than in the wilderness.

Apr 30, 2022 11:47 am

Gilly spends a few moments to hide the loot. She purposely doubles back, makes excessive noise in one room and then another, before finally settling on the nest where she had almost met her end a few days precious.

Just enough to give them a moment or two to get back up here, should the group notice that the hired help has suddenly gone missing.

Apr 30, 2022 5:12 pm

OOC:

I assume the treasure is being kept in the room with the Giant Snake? Correct me if I'm wrong.

After Gilly stashes the bundle of coins and gems, the party gets back in marching order and continues on their way through the uppermost floor of the ruins, arriving at the storage room that leads to the basement.

Descending the stairs, they see that little has changed since their last delve into this dungeon level. The armories to their immediate left remain emptied... Spugnoir pulls off his backpack and removes a torch, as does the Man-at-Arms.

OOC:

Who is using torches/lanterns?

Rolls

Random Encounter roll - (1d6)

Apr 30, 2022 5:33 pm

As no torches are needed for the dwarves, Mal and Thurig lead the party back towards the ladder that led them down into the crypt.

Apr 30, 2022 6:01 pm

Luban walks with the dwarves, his own kin not needing torches either. His bow is held at the ready. As he walks, he also takes in his surroundings in case the thief has to make a quick getaway.

May 1, 2022 7:51 am

OOC:

Gilly and Ora will crowd around the two lights already in use.

May 1, 2022 4:51 pm

Mal and Thurig move to the front of the marching order, in order to make use of their keen, 60' Infravision, should the torches behind them fail. They pass through the corridor of cells and Thurig, Ora, and Lubash Luban see the bodies of a dozen desiccated corpses laying about, the fresh wounds and newly fletched arrows sticking out of them standing in contrast how long they appear to have been dead.
Entering the next chamber, the newcomers find themselves in the midst of a room that was clearly designed with aggressive interrogation in mind. Amidst the dust and cobwebs, are various instruments of extracting information. Skeletons, some more fresh looking than others, lay chained to tables and shackled to standing racks.
Mal leads them on through, and to Ora, Lubash Luban, and Thurig, she seems to stop and stand before a plain-looking pillar on the south end of the room.

Rolls

Secret Roll

May 2, 2022 9:52 pm

"This must be the ladderwell Gilly talked about. Was it really that bad, Mistress Stoneforge?" Luban (not to be confused with Lubash) looks around for the secret door that he had been told about.

May 2, 2022 9:54 pm

A harumph can be heard from Eltrezar as he looks around at all the bodies still laying in place. He really ought to get the hired help to clean the place, perhaps the next time they rest in this gods-forsaken pit.

May 2, 2022 9:59 pm

"Yes" is the dwarf's monosyllabic reply.

Mal and Thurig both search the door for any traps that may have been set since their last visit.

Rolls

1-2 find traps in stone (Mal/Thurig) - (1d6, 1d6)

1d6 : (4) = 4

1d6 : (5) = 5

May 3, 2022 3:20 am

OOC:

Trying to recall where we might need to go to advance! I think Gilly and Mal went down to the ghoul pit and found it a dead end. Did we?

Was there another door after the ogre pit? Something that was all barred up? I can’t recall. Or was that the door that we entered to get to the ogre pit?

May 3, 2022 3:44 am

OOC:

I think there was further to go in the ghoul pit

May 3, 2022 3:52 am

As the dwarfs begin their search of the door, Luban retrieves the potion he had acquired from the wizard. Popping the cork off, he makes the mistake of tasting it before quaffing the rest. Rookie move.

OOC:

Luban drinks a potion of Detect Danger.

May 3, 2022 5:18 pm

KCC says:

OOC:

Trying to recall where we might need to go to advance! I think Gilly and Mal went down to the ghoul pit and found it a dead end. Did we?

Was there another door after the ogre pit? Something that was all barred up? I can’t recall. Or was that the door that we entered to get to the ogre pit?

OOC:

The only door beyond the Orge room (that the party is aware of) was the small storage room that the Ogre's "toys" were being locked in (the gnome and the two merchants). In the ghoul pit, Gilly and Mal found the room continued on in two directions.
To the east...

[/ooc]

OOC:

And off to the south...

OOC:

The party skedaddled without exploring either option.

Mal and Thurig attempt to spot any anomalies or signs of danger in the door leading down through the post, but nothing is evident to their eyes.

LUBAN opts to quaff a Potion of Detect Danger. His belly begins to feel a bit of warmth, that starts to rise up into his chest, almost as a mild case of heartburn. As the sensation rises from his torso, he feels his face go flush and a pressure builds behind his eyes. His mind somehow seems more alert and attuned to the room around him.

OOC:

Because we're in a dungeon, Luban has 3 10-minute Turns to use his potion in any way he likes, and because this is non-combat time right now, that's basically thirty minutes the potion is in effect. However, searching large 10'x10' areas during dungeon exploration time basically takes a full 10-minute Turn, so in theory, he basically has thirty minutes to search three large 10'x10' areas. Searching small areas (like a chest or a door) only takes a single round, which is about ten seconds (60 Rounds in a ten-minute Turn). So you can basically search small things no problem. Searching large things is going to burn up some of your Potion time. Just let me know what you wish to search in the next thirty minutes, and any 10'x10' areas he'd like to focus on at any given time.

May 3, 2022 9:11 pm

Convinced that the dwarfs had not found anything, Luban opens the doorway and begins his descent into the darkness. The small pile of ghouls at the bottom of the drop gives him some small comfort, as he had been told the party had slain the danger in this coming chamber.

May 3, 2022 9:21 pm

Mal and Thurig follow close behing the rogue, the return to the crypt sending chills down Mal's spine.

May 3, 2022 9:46 pm

Eltrezar moves to the ladderwell with his lantern out, providing light for those without the ability to see in the dark. He makes sure not to be the last one down. And it is noticable that he is uncharacteristically quiet.

May 4, 2022 12:29 am

Gilly follows down the ladder immediately after Eltrezar, careful not to do anything that might look like she was prodding the wizard. When they reach the door of the ladder, she looks back up at Ora peering down. She’s reminded of looking up as the wizard moved away…

She turns to face the corridor again, and pushes in front of the old wizard by sliding between him and the wall. It would be impossible to see the look that she gave the man beneath her bushy red hair and cloak, but all she says is:

"It’ll be easier for me to see, if the light is behind me!"

A trust building exercise!

May 4, 2022 2:51 am

The wizard frowns in confusion before it dawns on him that Gilly may be trying to bridge the recent gap between them. He nods, before leaning his long arms over the ladderwell with illumination in hand. Hrmph! "Be careful down there, who knows what the dead may do now."

May 4, 2022 1:57 pm

Ora drops down behind the wizard.

"Oh, it’s a tight fit down here. A bit of a bottleneck, should anything worse than rats show up! Lets move along then!"

She lays a hand on the old magic users back, and pats twice. Onward, good chap…

May 5, 2022 2:44 pm

As the party begins filtering down into the tight hallway, Luban takes the lead with his bow drawn and arrow in hand. He seems oddly at home in the dark belowground, though his stumbling and lack of surety regarding directions tells the dwarfs that this place in particular is new to him. Once he makes it past the hallway of death (as Gilly would have him believe it titled), he suggests that he and the dwarfs take a look around the general proximity while the rest of the party waits in the center.

May 6, 2022 10:26 pm

The party passes through the narrow, 50' corridor, and enters the crypts proper. Though some may have feared that they might meet with a hostile Turuko and Kobort, risen from the dead, and determined to exact revenge for being behind left to rot, their corpses remain on the floor motionless, stripped of flesh and meat on places.

As noted previously but only briefly by Mal and Gilly, this section of the crypts runs north and south, with a second area in the eastern wall continuing on. At the end of this second section of crypts a door continues south.
At the southern end of the first section, where most of the party waits, the back wall of one of the crypts is broken out, revealing a small earthen tunnel, foul and damp and inly about five feet in height, extending onto the darkness beyond.

May 8, 2022 5:57 am

Gilly peers into the tunnel, as far as the light will allow. She feels for her short sword, and then looks back at the others.

"It’ll be a tight fit for the long legs! We should look for another way, first. And then…" she looks back at the hole in the wall "… we can go down there, if needs be."

She speaks in a questioning tone, rather than authoritative!

May 8, 2022 4:05 pm

The damp, earthen tunnel seems to extend southwards beyond the reach of Gilly's torch.

Rolls

Secret Roll

May 8, 2022 7:40 pm

"Aye, let's try the Eastern hallway first."

Assuming the others agree, Mal leads the way through the Eastern passage...

May 8, 2022 9:36 pm

OOC:

Assuming the others agree, same marching order as when you descended the stairs?

May 8, 2022 9:41 pm

OOC:

Eltrezar and Luban agree with the dwarf. Same marching order. Luban will also examine the first room they come to.

May 8, 2022 11:25 pm

OOC:

same order

May 9, 2022 10:36 am

OOC:

Aye! Let’s go there first! Though I feel like the tunnel is inviting us in…

May 9, 2022 7:18 pm

The party decides to head through the threshold in the eastern wing of the burial crypts, where a short hallway runs south for about 20' before turning eastward. As the group presses forward and takes a glance around the corner, the light of the torches and lanterns reveal the walls, floor, and ceiling extending into darkness. However, beyond the meager reach of the torchbearers' illumination, Luban and the two dwarves see that the hall extends about fifty feet and then stops at a "T" intersection running north and south.

Cautiously venturing on, the party crosses the 50' distance. With the dwarves' short legs and heavy armor, the process is painstakingly slow, all eyes watching the walls and floors for traps, triggers, clues or signs of danger, and any other elements of interest. At the end and to the south, a set of stairs, about 20' in length, descends deeper into the earth before leveling out. Those with Infravision see that the hallway continues for another 20-30' before turning back westward again.
To the north, the hallway runs on into darkness beyond even the dwarves' and half-orc's vision, though those with Infravision see that at about 35-40' another hall or room runs to the east.

May 9, 2022 7:25 pm

With a degree of practice and comfort that may surprise the dwarfs, Luban retrieves his original gold coin and flips it, muttering "Crowns to the left, asses head right..." The coin is revealed from the back of his hand to show nothing more than a smooth face (with the nearly completely worn face of some regional leader face-down). He looks to the corridor to the right, then back at the group. "Unless any of you have a better idea?"

Last edited May 9, 2022 7:27 pm

Rolls

Direction: Left/Odds, Right/Evens - (1d2)

(2) = 2

May 10, 2022 12:51 am

Ora pushes up to the front for a moment.

"Which way smells less bad? I’ve heard that’s a good way to know which way to go." she sniffs the air. Not much to go on either way.

"Well… hard to tell really. Let’s follow the coin then! Come what may!" she says with a smile on the dark, and sidles back down to where Gilly is sitting, watching their back.

May 10, 2022 6:44 pm

Taking a chance on the thief's flipped coin, the group descends the stone stairs and continues south. As they advance along the corridor, the party begins to hear the faint sound of lapping water, the noise coming from another hall or room to the right. Continuing cautiously, those in the lead, including the Man-at-Arms, bearing a torch, and Luban, gifted with Infravision, peer around the corner to find an unexpected sight.

A 30' x 30' room sits off to the right of the hallway, the center of which contains a large pool of water about 15-20' across. Bones and other litter lay in and around the edges of the pool.

Rolls

Secret Roll

May 10, 2022 9:35 pm

"This can't be good, let's go back. We try the other way" Mal whispers to the others,

"The bones mean predator and dwarves don't swim."

May 10, 2022 9:45 pm

"Those bones mean treasure! And the pool can't be that deep, not at that size!" Luban has a glint in his eye that signals a great greed, and perhaps a lack of caution.

OOC:

Luban would like to scan the center of the pool for danger.

May 10, 2022 10:43 pm

Luban focuses the pool and, perhaps unsurprisingly, experiences a gut sense of almost immediate danger emanating from the water! The sense increases as whatever resides here seemingly begins quickly approaching from the depths below!

OOC:

Since Luban took the potion, I'll disregard any potential surprise attacks from any threat, and let the party have a moment to make what they will of Luban's awareness, assuming the Half-Orc chooses to warn the party.

May 10, 2022 10:57 pm

Stumbling backwards while staring at something that doesn't appear just yet, Luban's face turns from greed to fear. "Uh oh... oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!" He draws his bow in preparation for whatever comes out, clearly not expecting to be able to outrun it.

May 10, 2022 11:02 pm

Seeing Luban's growing panic, the Man-at-Arms draws his long sword.

"Uhh... Is there a problem, Luban," Spugnoir says, getting fidgety and drawing a dagger from his belt.

May 10, 2022 11:23 pm

"Back up the stairs!"

Mal draws her hammer as she shouts commands and backpedals up the stairs, keeping herself and Thurig at the back of the retreat between the party and the creature.

May 10, 2022 11:35 pm

Luban sticks to the back of Maloria, bow aimed at the pool for as long as he can see it.

OOC:

Eltrezar will also try turning and shuffling back up the stairs, as awkward as it is in the large group.

May 11, 2022 2:23 am

Ora, having been at the back of the group, spins on her heel and gets jostled about as the others retreat.

She pulls her sword, and steps up and up away from whatever was coming.

"Not rats again, I take it?" and then a further question, less jolly than the joke she just made:

"Aren't we here to pacify this place?"

May 11, 2022 2:24 am

Gilly pulls her hood up and over the bushy hair, and draws her bow. She sidesteps her companions, and avoids being trampled underfoot through practiced Halfling dexterity.

She gets up the stairs a ways, and then turns back to cover the others’ retreat. She readies an arrow and will fire once the light touches anything unfriendly!

May 11, 2022 2:44 am

"We fight on our terms! Not by the water where it waits to drag us in!"

May 11, 2022 11:37 am

"Agreed!" the mage shouts over the scrapping of people against the walls as they try to get away.

"But those tunnels back there don’t do much for us either! It may have to be the staircase here!"

May 11, 2022 4:55 pm

"All the better, we keep the high ground!"

Mal continues to back up the stairs as far as she can...

May 12, 2022 3:10 am

The party retreats back up the stairwell and waits anxiously. For a moment the halls are silent, and the lapping ripples of the pool can be heard only faintly. Then the group hears the unmistakable splashing of water as whatever has approached from the pool's depth surfaces, followed by the sounds of heavy scratching, as if bones were being dragged across the stone floor, combined with a rhythmic clacking sound, and finally two long black antennae protrude from the room.
A moment later, the party watches as a huge crayfish, no less than ten feet long, emerges from the room and fills the hallway, massive chelipeds splayed open, each larger than a man's skull and powerful-looking enough to crush such an artifact with ease. It advances, desiring a meal.

OOC:

Round 1 begins. Both sides tie on the initiative roll and act simultaneously. I'm going to say that since any ranged attacker on the steps is higher than their companions in front of them, there's no penalty for firing over the heads of those in front of them this round.

Rolls

Party Initiative roll - (1d6+2)

(4) + 2 = 6

Giant Crayfish Initiative roll - (1d6)

(6) = 6

May 12, 2022 3:20 am

"Thurig let it come to us!"

Mal waits for the creature to advance then lays into it with her hammer...

Rolls

Attack, Damage - (1d20+1, 1d6+1)

1d20+1 : (15) + 1 = 16

1d6+1 : (1) + 1 = 2

May 12, 2022 3:22 am

Thurig nods and waits for the advance. He thrusts at the mud bug's face with his broadsword with a wild battle cry!

Rolls

Attack, Damage - (1d20+1, 1d8+1)

1d20+1 : (17) + 1 = 18

1d8+1 : (4) + 1 = 5

May 12, 2022 4:30 am

Luban nocks an arrow and lets it loose, taking only a short moment to aim over the head of his employer (despite what Eltrezar might claim).

Rolls

Attack: Shortbow - (1d20+3)

(7) + 3 = 10

Damage - (1d6)

(3) = 3

May 12, 2022 4:32 am

Eltrezar realizes that he is too far to be able to throw a dagger with any hope of accuracy, so he instead begins focusing on his arcane magicks instead.

OOC:

If I'm correct, Eltrezar can't cast this round, but will be able to next round. He will wait his turn.

May 12, 2022 6:50 am

Gilly had been waiting for this moment, and let’s loose her arrow as soon as the thing shows itself!

OOC:

Eh…. I don’t know what that dice roll was…

Happy for the DM to have me fail, if needs be! Looks like my D20 roll wasn’t that high anyway if a minus d6 gets me down to 2!

Last edited May 12, 2022 6:51 am

Rolls

1d20+3 - (1d6)

(2) = 2

May 12, 2022 6:53 am

OOC:

I think Ora is stuck this round, but she may move up to the space between the dwarves and the second line if one opens after everyone attacks!

May 12, 2022 5:37 pm

cowleyc says:

OOC:

If I'm correct, Eltrezar can't cast this round, but will be able to next round. He will wait his turn.

OOC:

I would say that Eltrezar can certainly declare that he's casting a spell this round if you like. Basically if we were playing over voicechat, you'd have had a chance to declare you're casting a spell before Initiative was rolled, but we don't always get a chance to do the in PbP, so we can retcon that you declared that Eltrezar is casting a spell this round if you want. Assuming he doesn't lose his concentration, it would be cast at the end of the round. Do you want to do that?

KCC says:

OOC:

Eh…. I don’t know what that dice roll was…

Happy for the DM to have me fail, if needs be! Looks like my D20 roll wasn’t that high anyway if a minus d6 gets me down to 2!

OOC:

I don't know what that is either, lol. I would normally have you re-roll it if it does that again, but if you're alright with it, I'll just do it this time to keep things running along, since you're in Korea time.

May 12, 2022 5:42 pm

The arcane energies bubble up in Eltrezar faster than he had expected! It doesn't take long before he feels the magic in his fingertips, and a single point at the crayfish is enough to unleash magical hell upon it!

OOC:

KCC, I think the problem was that you used two dice in the same roll, rather than breaking the up. From what I understand, you have to treat them separately, which a comma would have done

Rolls

Magic Missile - (1d6+1)

(1) + 1 = 2

May 12, 2022 6:02 pm

As Eltrezar begins focusing on his Magic Missile spell, he hears Spugnoir mutter quietly beside him, "Uhh... Not... sure that my Sleep spell will work on a beast this formidable, Eltrezar." He draws a dagger and retreats a few steps.

The crayfish closes the 15' distance between the frontline defenders and itself, pinchers ready to grab and crush the stout little dwarves.

Before the monster can attack, Luban and Gilly send a pair of arrows sailing over the heads of there companions. Luban's shot clatters off the hard chitinous shell on the back of the monster, but Gilly's strikes the beast in the softer segments under the crayfish's belly and a dark ichor begins seeping out of the wound.

Finally, the crayfish reaches its targets and a massive claw lashes out at each of the dwarves in front of it. A hammer comes clubbing at the monster from one side, cracking the exoskeleton a bit and exposing a softer meat beneath, while from the other direction a heavy broadsword crashes into the crayfish's face. It seems to give a strange squeal of pain, and focuses its attention on Thurig. As its left claw swings wildly past Maloria, without so much as graze, its right claw catches Thurig around the ribs and clenches shut. Bones crack and crush in its powerful grip and Thurig finds himself able to draw even enough breath to holler, as the grip gets even tighter, threatening to cut the man in half.

Suddenly from behind, a bolt of energy hits the monster and it drops Thurig to the floor.

OOC:

Unfortunately I'm going to need a Death Save from Thurig, and let's cross our fingers that that dwarven hardiness is there for him.

Rolls

Gilly Attack roll, Damage roll - (1d20+4, 1d6)

1d20+4 : (19) + 4 = 23

1d6 : (4) = 4

Giant Crawfish Attack roll, Damage roll (Maloria) - (1d20, 2d6)

1d20 : (1) = 1

2d6 : (34) = 7

Giant Crawfish Attack roll, Damage roll (Thurig) - (1d20, 2d6)

1d20 : (17) = 17

2d6 : (66) = 12

May 12, 2022 7:20 pm

"Gahhh!" is all Thurig can manage before his lungs are squeezed shut...

OOC:

Whew! Made it by 1

Last edited May 12, 2022 7:21 pm

Rolls

Death Ray save 12 - (1d20+4)

(9) + 4 = 13

May 12, 2022 11:19 pm

OOC:

With the Crayfish at the bottom of the stairs, do we get penalties for ranged attacks now?

May 13, 2022 6:22 am

Gilly sees the ferocious crushing power of the beast, and winces as she hears a corresponding scream of pain.

She steels herself and looses another arrow at the foul thing!

Rolls

1d20+3

(9) + 3 = 12

1d6

(5) = 5

May 13, 2022 6:25 am

OOC:

I believe we said that we could fight over the fallen bodies of our companions, correct? Back when we fought the ghouls. Can Ora stand over Thurig and fight?

Have something else in mind if we get desperate!
Are we desperate now? :D I can force a morale test (maybe) and send it running!

May 13, 2022 12:28 pm

"Thurig! Hold on!"

Mal swings again with her hammer, determined to crack open the damnable crustacean...

Rolls

Attack, Damage - (1d20+1, 1d6+1)

1d20+1 : (16) + 1 = 17

1d6+1 : (5) + 1 = 6

May 13, 2022 7:21 pm

OOC:

Hold up... We'll keep the rools that were made, but lets get Initiative first, for Round 2...

Okay, Round 1 ends with the Giant Crayfish taking signifigant damage from the oarty's attacks, but Thurig has been taken out of commission, and is at death's door. Round 2 begins! Turn order is as follows:

1. Gilly, Eltrezar, Maloria, Luban, Ora, Trading Post Man-at-Arms, Spugnoir
2. Giant Crawfish

To answer some questions...
@cowleyc: I don't see how companions in front of you can really provide cover for the monster since you're essentially firing over the heads of your companions at a LARGE monster. So no, there's no penalties for making ranged attacks down the stairs.
@KCC: Yes, you can move through any square a companion is on (but not an enemy). You can also move through and occupy any square a companion or enemy fell on.

Rolls

Party Initiative roll - (1d6+2)

(3) + 2 = 5

Giant Crayfish Initiative roll - (1d6)

(3) = 3

May 13, 2022 7:45 pm

Luban, recognizing that his aim was not so sharp in this hallway, hooks his arm through the bow and grabs Thurig, attempting to pull him out of the way.

Rolls

Strength Check (14) - (1d20)

(3) = 3

May 13, 2022 7:46 pm

Eltrezar takes one of his daggers, now that the creature has made its way closer, and hurls it over the heads of his companions.

Rolls

Attack - (1d20-1)

(4) - 1 = 3

Damage - (1d4)

(3) = 3

May 15, 2022 1:04 pm

OOC:

Ora will just wait again. Gotta get close and not blow the morale thing too early!

May 15, 2022 10:17 pm

With no more spells at his disposal, Eltrezar throws a dagger at the monster as Gilly fires an arrow, but the wizard's missile once again falls wide of its mark while the halfling's arrow ricochets off of its carapace and catters against the stone wall. Likewise, the Trading Post Man-at -Arms dashes in and swings his long sword but misses the creature. Fortunately, Mal maintains her focus and brings her hammer hard against the beast, and hears another of those strange shrieks as more shell crushes.

Looking to help his new companion dashes in and grabs hold of the fallen Thurig, but the crayfish, badly wounded and only desiring a meal grabs hold of the dwarf as well with it's powerful chelipeds and roughly yanks the man from Luban's tentative grasp, then makes a hasty retreat, backing off 20' towards its pool. The going is slow on the stone floor, but if it can make it to the water and employ its powerful tail fan to dive below, Thurig is surely lost to the party.

OOC:

Round 2 ends with the Giant Crayfish taking another bad hit from Maloria, while the Giant Crayfish begins making a hasty retreat to the pool with his unconscious meal.

Rolls

Man-at-Arms Attack roll, Damage roll - (1d20, 1d8)

1d20 : (9) = 9

1d8 : (4) = 4

Secret Roll

May 15, 2022 10:38 pm

OOC:

Round 3 begins! The party desperately needs to win the initiative and dispatch of this monster this Round or Thurig is likely lost... Oh no!
Turn order is another tie! Okay we have to follow the proper sequents of events this Round unfortunately. It's critical for the fate of Thurig.
1. Giant Crayfish, Gilly, Eltrezar, Maloria, Luban, Ora, Trading Post Man-at-Arms, Spugnoir

1. There's no magic casting this round!
2. We now go to Movement phase. Anyone moving may do so.

The Giant Crayfish continues its retreat and the group sees Thurig dragged around the corner of the hall.

OOC:

Movement only can be counted right now, but if you wish to post your full intentions feel free.

Rolls

Party Initiative roll - (1d6+2)

(3) + 2 = 5

Giant Crayfish Initiative roll - (1d6)

(5) = 5

May 15, 2022 10:50 pm

Mal rushes up to the crayfish, leaps into the air and brings her hammer down on the creatures head with a sickening crunch!

Last edited May 15, 2022 10:50 pm

Rolls

Attack, Damage - (1d20+1, 1d6+1)

1d20+1 : (16) + 1 = 17

1d6+1 : (5) + 1 = 6

May 16, 2022 1:20 am

OOC:

If I roll well, and force a morale test on the crayfish AND the crayfish fails the test, will he abandon the dwarf and we can recover him?

May 16, 2022 4:15 am

Luban charges forward as far as he can, drawing his curved sword as he runs.

If he is able to reach it, he takes a wild, untrained slash.

Rolls

Attack - (1d20+1)

(20) + 1 = 21

Damage - (1d8+1)

(3) + 1 = 4

May 16, 2022 4:17 am

Eltrezar begins moving forward with his lantern, recognizing that there is little else he can do to help the party.

OOC:

Eltrezar moves forward 20ft.

May 16, 2022 4:43 am

"Yes Luban!" Mal shouts as the orc lands a wicked blow to the thing,

"Bloody good!"

May 16, 2022 5:50 pm

dominion451 says:

Mal rushes up to the crayfish, leaps into the air and brings her hammer down on the creatures head with a sickening crunch!

OOC:

Because of her heavy armor, she can only move 20' forward, leaving her short of the monster to attack OR make a Full Move Action to get to the Caryfish, but get no Attack this round. I'll let you decide @dominion451, but neither option seems great. For the time being, I'll move her the 20', and you can have me retcon that if you like.

KCC says:

OOC:

If I roll well, and force a morale test on the crayfish AND the crayfish fails the test, will he abandon the dwarf and we can recover him?

OOC:

Unfortunately, I don't think so. The module is pretty clear that the Crayfish's primary drive is just to find food, and that if it sustains enough damage it will retreat to the pool. So it's already injured enough I deemed it necessary to retreat (consider it a failed morale check built into the module already). It's just doing so with the meal it paid so dearly to catch.

Luban's going to close the distance and get just within melee range, so that's gonna be a hit on the melee part of this turn for sure. We just don't know if the damage will be sufficient to kill the Giant Crayfish yet...

The NPCs, you're not really sure what their deal is yet, but the Man-at-Arms rushes to Luban's side with his long sword ready to strike.

For PCs, that leaves Gilly, Eltrezar, and Ora Rusk to move. All three have a MR of 40', and Eltrezar has moved 20' of his max 40' so far, meaning none can get within melee range at all, but all three can get within missile range if they use their full move, assuming they have a missile attack available, and they will have a -2 penalty for their melee allies providing cover to the Crayfish.

This is our current placement so far having moved Mal 20', Luban and the Man-at-Arms their full 40', and Eltrezar his 20/40':

May 16, 2022 9:42 pm

OOC:

Long shot here but could Mal move up her 20' and then throw her hammer at the mud bug? Thor style? Dwarves are famous for throwing hammers... ;)

Last edited May 16, 2022 9:43 pm

May 16, 2022 9:46 pm

OOC:

I guess Eltrezar will go the full 40ft, ending diagonal from Mal.

May 16, 2022 10:49 pm

dominion451 says:

OOC:

Long shot here but could Mal move up her 20' and then throw her hammer at the mud bug? Thor style? Dwarves are famous for throwing hammers... ;)

OOC:

I would definitely let Mal throw a hammer, probably with a penalty to her attack roll for throwing a unbalanced weapon, except the wall is in the way. She can't get the hammer around the corner. There's actually a ability in the Carcass Crawler Kineticist Class that lets you throw a weapon in an arc like a boomerang, which I would allow to go around corners probably, alas the only "Kineticist" in this campaign so far was Turuko, and you guys fed him to the ghouls.

Eltrezar moves his full 40', presumably to trick-shot one of his daggers off the wall and into the pool on the missile attack phase? Id so feel free to roll it.

(Eltrezar's point of view, now:)

OOC:

We'll see what @KCC does and then we'll resolve all missile and melee results.

May 16, 2022 11:09 pm

OOC:

Ok, pushing my luck here but since our initiative occured simultaneously could Mal have thrown the hammer at the moment the bug started moving thus keeping in range? Her attack roll was 17 so even with a penalty I feel good about the odds...

I guess I could also ask if this is a fighting withdrawal at half movement or a retreat in which case it suffers a penalty of 2 to AC...

I'm grasping at straws here lol

Last edited May 16, 2022 11:15 pm

May 17, 2022 12:55 am

OOC:

If only movement is allowed, then Gilly will get into firing range of the thing. Hopefully she can shoot it dead before we have to go diving for dwarves.

Ora will also move up, but do nothing more.

May 30, 2022 4:06 am

OOC:

I’ll have a post in the game thread tomorrow if you’re all still interested in continuing out game. If so, I’d like to get back on our regular pace again.

Thanks for your patience.

May 30, 2022 6:06 am

OOC:

I'm with ya cap'n

May 30, 2022 11:29 am

OOC:

Still here! Willing and ready!

May 30, 2022 12:44 pm

OOC:

Ready-o!

May 31, 2022 1:31 am

dominion451 says:

OOC:

Ok, pushing my luck here but since our initiative occured simultaneously could Mal have thrown the hammer at the moment the bug started moving thus keeping in range? Her attack roll was 17 so even with a penalty I feel good about the odds...

OOC:

Unfortunately, even though the Initiative occurred simultaneously, throwing a hammer would be in the ranged attack phase of the Round, with all movement being settled first, including the Giant Crayfish's.

dominion451 says:

OOC:

I guess I could also ask if this is a fighting withdrawal at half movement or a retreat in which case it suffers a penalty of 2 to AC...

OOC:

Good point. It did not make a Fighting Retreat, moving its normal Encounter Movement Rate, and thus forfeited its attack on this Turn, plus all attackers get a +2 bonus to their attack this Round if they can make one.

Having completed the movement phase, any Missile attacks can be rolled. That would be Gilly's bow, and a dagger from Eltrezar, I believe. They would have penalty of 2 for shooting through allies, but a bonus of 2 for the crayfish's retreat off sets this penalty.

May 31, 2022 1:46 pm

Desperate, Gilly aims for the creature again as it prepares to submerge itself.

OOC:

Double one! We’re back!!

Last edited May 31, 2022 1:46 pm

Rolls

1d20+3, 1d6

1d20+3 : (1) + 3 = 4

1d6 : (1) = 1

May 31, 2022 2:49 pm

Eltrezar, feeling desperate, takes one final throw of a dagger. The light in the room swings wildly as the lantern is swirled around his body in some form of counterbalance. Between the corner and the companions all in his way, his aim isn't as true as he'd like. After all, he isn't a young adventurer anymore, banking daggers off stone walls.

Last edited May 31, 2022 2:50 pm

Rolls

Attack - (1d20-1)

(4) - 1 = 3

Damage - (1d4)

(1) = 1

Jun 1, 2022 1:38 am

Both the wizard's and halfling's missiles miss their mark by a long shot. As the crawdad prepares to dip back into the pool with it's dwarven prey, the Man-at-Arms and Luban strike at it. Luban's sword slashes across the crayfish's rostrum, burying itself into the hard shell. Gore and ichor spill out as the Half-Orc pulls his blade free and it hisses in pain. Its movements suddenly seem labored and jerky as it clearly intends to continue its retreat.

OOC:

Round 3 concludes! Round 4 begins with the Giant Crayfish at the edge of the pool, nearly dead, and desperate to flee to the depths of the pool with Thurig's unconscious body. The party absolutely needs to win initiative this round or Maloria's old friend is likely lost.

Rolls

Man-at-Arms Attack roll, Damage roll - (1d20+2, 1d8)

1d20+2 : (6) + 2 = 8

1d8 : (7) = 7

Jun 1, 2022 1:53 am

OOC:

Round 4 begins! Turn order is as follows:
1. Giant Crayfish, Gilly, Eltrezar, Maloria, Luban, Ora, Trading Post Man-at-Arms, Spugnoir

1. There's no magic casting this round!
2. We now go to Movement phase. Anyone moving may do so, though I don't see how Thurig doesn't get pulled under, to be honest. Movement phase goes first and the Crayfish will be in the pool and under the water by the time Missile or Melee attacks begin...

Rolls

Party Initiative roll - (1d6+2)

(2) + 2 = 4

Giant Crayfish Initiative roll - (1d6)

(4) = 4

Jun 1, 2022 2:16 am

OOC:

I don’t suppose a creature will follow a mage’s suggestion will they?

Jun 1, 2022 3:29 am

There is nothing more to be done. The creature is already at the water. And he was just an old man, his magicks already expended for the day. He continues forward with his lantern, but without that same energy as before.

Jun 1, 2022 3:33 am

Luban, knowing his employer is standinf beside him, makes one last ditch effort to rescue the dwarf. He lunges forward and takes to the air, hoping to land in (and then grab hold) of the crawfish.

Jun 1, 2022 3:50 am

KCC says:

OOC:

I don’t suppose a creature will follow a mage’s suggestion will they?

OOC:

I would say a Suggestion probably wouldn’t have any effect on a creature with touch limited cognitive capabilities, as it says it’s effects work on a "person". I’d consider any humanoid creature a "person" but she’d probably have to speak it’s language as well.

OOC:

@cowleyc: Am I reading correctly that Luban is using his move,ent phase to try and jump in the pool after the crayfish?

Also, can you give me a set of grid coordinates Eltrezar’s moving to?

Jun 1, 2022 3:54 am

OOC:

Luban is indeed jumping in! He has one hand outstretched, and the other clutching a sword!

Eltrezar is moving to LL 59.

Last edited June 1, 2022 3:54 am

Jun 2, 2022 9:17 pm

OOC:

@KCC and @dominion451: I have movements from Luban and Eltrezar. Are Maloria, Ora, or Gilly moving this phase?

@cowleyc: The Crawdad is definitely going to submerge this round, but because Luban's land speed is signifigantly faster than the monster's, I'd say Luban will reach the crayfish before it goes under.

@All: I'm thinking that an ability check should be made to grab hold and hang on while the crayfish submerges. Probably Strength or Dexterity. Opinions?

Jun 3, 2022 12:13 am

Light-On-His-Feet Luban dashes forward, leaping like he was a stage dancer...

Rolls

Strength (14) or Dex (16) - (1d20)

(2) = 2

Jun 3, 2022 12:40 am

OOC:

Gilly & Ora will just race down the steps as far as they can. Probably just in time to see the last desperate gasp to save our dwarf friend play out!

Jun 3, 2022 4:01 am

Mal dashes along after the crayfish as it scuttles towards the water, she leaps toward Thurig and tries to hold on as he is dragged towards the pool...

OOC:

Im fond of Strength myself (13)

Last edited June 3, 2022 4:02 am

Rolls

Strength - (1d20)

(2) = 2

Jun 3, 2022 10:03 am

As Ora reaches the corner and gets a glimpse of the action, she grabs at the air in front of her; willing on her new companions to succeed and grab the unlucky dwarf.

"Careful, Gilly. They’ll come rushing back if they succeed. We don’t want to get trampled!"

She puts a hand out and down as it to ward off any danger to the Halfling.

Jun 4, 2022 4:34 pm

The party rushes after the crayfish and it's prey just as it begins to submerge back into the pool. Spugnoir rushes forward hearing the commotion in the room, but is useless in this situation, and Eltrezar hangs a bit back, knowing his daggers will likely not penetrate the water's surface with any degree of effectiveness.
Mal runs forward and around the corner into the pool room, intending to grab at Thurig's leg and pull him back, but her heavy armor weighs her down and she and the Giant Crayfish move almost stride for stride and the cleric fails to close the distance on her friend's attacker.
Not so for Luban, who wear's only light armor and equipped with the barest of essentials and moves much more quickly than his stockier companions. The thief dashes forward, and reaches the edge of the pool. Bravely risking his life for those he just met, the half-orc lunges forward and grabs hold of one of the monster's thick antennae. As his left hand closes on the rough exterior, the beast suddenly gives a hard thrash of its telson and uropods, and surges underwater at an alarming speed, the antennae nearly pulling free of Luban's grasp, but the half-orc pulls tight and feels the hard tug that nearly strips him of his breath as he's dragged underwater with it.
Clumsy as it may be on land, the Giant Crayfish can almost dance in water, and its speed increases by multiples. By the the time the rest of the party catches up and stands around the edge of the pool, the monster, its dwarven meal, and the what might possibly be the dwarf's final chance at rescue are all about 20' underwater. It's hard to make out any details but the large black outline of the 10'+ monster can be seen below, quickly descending.

OOC:

Movement phase concludes, and the Missile Attack phase can begin. Ranged attacks can be made by any that are equipped to do so (though I would say only arrows and crossbow bolds can penetrate the water's surface and remain somewhat deadly). Because this monster is 20' underwater and has a dwarf and a half-orc all up in its grill, there's going to be a penalty of -4 to all ranged attack rolls (-2 for a missile traveling through water, and -2 for Luban and Thurig giving it some cover).
Any that can and wish to make a Missile attack may do so at a penalty of -4 to-hit.

Jun 4, 2022 4:42 pm

OOC:

Eltrezar will hold off on his dagger attack. Luban dropped his bow.

Jun 4, 2022 7:59 pm

cowleyc says:

OOC:

Eltrezar will hold off on his dagger attack. Luban dropped his bow.

OOC:

I believe Luban has a sword in hand when he jumped in, if I'm not mistaken. The Man-at-Arms is carrying his longsword at the moment, so perhaps Gilly is the only one with a bow right now...

Jun 5, 2022 4:28 am

Gilly peeks over the edge and lines up a desperate shot! She looses the arrow into the water as quick as a flash!

Rolls

Shot - (1d20-1, 1d6)

1d20-1 : (13) - 1 = 12

1d6 : (5) = 5

Jun 5, 2022 4:29 am

OOC:

Can Levitate target other creatures/people? Or is it only on my self? I feel like it’s only on myself!

OOC:

Yep, dang. It’s only the caster than can be targeted!

Last edited June 5, 2022 4:30 am

Jun 5, 2022 4:25 pm

KCC says:

OOC:

Can Levitate target other creatures/people? Or is it only on my self? I feel like it’s only on myself!

Yep, dang. It’s only the caster than can be targeted!

OOC:

Yeah, only on self. A few days ago I thought of the same idea as you did, thinking if Ora were to cast that on the crawdad before the thing has a chance to go under the water it would be a sitting duck floating in the air for the snipers to take out, and I was trying to decide how, or even if I should have Spugnoir mention it or leave it to the players to figure out on their own, and then I read the spell description in the book and was like "Oh dang, welp..."
I think it's kinda dumb, personally, that you can't cast it on others. And I'm pretty sure Drizzt Do'Urden has done it to someone a couple times in the Salvatore books if I recall correctly...

Moldvay Basic: "This spell cannot be cast on another person or object."

AD&D 1st Edition: "When a levitate spell is cast, the magic-user can place it upon his or her person, or upon some other creature, subject to a maximum weight limit of 1,000 gold pieces equivalence per level of experience..."

We're getting hosed on this one.

Gilly fires another shot at the bulk of the shadow beneath the pool's surface, sure that her aim is true, but as the arrow penetrates the water's surface she sees the fletching catch the water and send it careening off to the side short of her mark.

OOC:

The missile phase ends, and the melee phase begins. The only one in range would be Luban. It should go without saying that the crawdad will continue to descend with Thurig if given the chance, and should Luban choose to release his grip on the monster at any point it is a free Action.

Jun 5, 2022 4:47 pm

Luban, underwater, begins sawing away at the crawdad with his curved blade. It isn't the most efficient manner, but it's better than swinging through water.

Rolls

Attack - (1d20+1)

(17) + 1 = 18

Damage - (1d8+1)

(3) + 1 = 4

Jun 5, 2022 5:38 pm

Visibility being low in the murky water, Luban begins sawing at the Giant Crayfish's head by feel, finding difficulty making any sort of purchase with the blade, and most likely digging some rough scratches in the hard carapace and little more. But then the sword suddenly finds the breach that the thief made in the monster's rostrum just before the beast submerged, and the cutting goes much easier, almost as if sawing through tender meat. Sensing the danger suddenly hanging over it, the crayfish is about to attempt to wipe the half-orc off from itself, but before it can Luban feels the creature's limbs and tail suddenly dart out stiffly, as if its entire body has been hit with a jolt of lightning, and the creature goes entirely limp.
Knowing immediately that the creature has been killed as his blade saws through the brain, Luban can't help a sense of victory well up inside him under the water as the crayfish slowly begins to descend to the depths below, but his celebration is cut short a moment later as he feels the lightest of tugs, as a slight current seems to be drawing him downwards, and sees through blurry vision the heavily laden form of Thurig, bound in plate armor, falling even faster under the water.

From above, the rest of the party can see only that the monster seems to have gone limp. The crayfish and Luban seem to be suspended or descending only in the slightest. However, the shadowy form of Thurig seems to continue falling at a steady rate.

OOC:

Success, and well done! But we're not out of the rough yet. As per the rules on swimming and drowning:

OOC:

I would say that right now, despite the slight tug of current pulling Luban downwards, he can swim to the surface with only a 10% chance of getting pulled under. However, trying to swim upwards with an unconscious man wearing heavy plate will definitely count as encumbered and bump those odds up to 90%. Getting Thurig back to the surface is the next challenge.
Let's say that we'll go back to roleplaying this situation out, but since "dungeon time" is in ten minute intervals, and "encounter time " is in ten second intervals, and time is of the essence, lets stick with "encounter time" and ten-second turns. But there's no particular order anyone has to follow. More just like, what are the PCs doing each ten-second interval?

Jun 5, 2022 5:45 pm

Not knowing where this plan was supposed to end up, Luban swims to catch Thurig. He recognizes that it will be near impossible to lift the dwarf up, but perhaps he can just maintain their depth!

And so he swims.

Jun 5, 2022 5:47 pm

Eltrezar, knowing that Luban has no chance of pulling Thurig out of the water, begins fishing through everyone's gear for a rope. Perhaps only one person needs to enter the water to tie it to the dwarf.

Jun 5, 2022 6:46 pm

Seeing Eltrezar go for the rope, Mal takes one end of the proffered coil in hand and runs to the edge of the pool.

"When I tug the line you pull us up!"

Mal jumps in after Thurig, using the weight of her armor to descend quickly towards the sinking dwarf...

Jun 6, 2022 1:06 am

The wizard opens his mouth to argue with the plan moments too soon, as Maloria makes her belly-flop into the water. He had wanted to suggest Ora swim for it, seeming like a fit young woman and also unarmored. But Mal was one of action. He takes his section of rope, nodding to the others to take theirs.

Jun 6, 2022 6:50 am

OOC:

All the heavies are down in the murky depths while all the weaklings are up top set to pull two dwarves out of the drink!

Let’s hope the mute doesn’t spring an attack on us :D

Gilly grabs up part of the rope and gets ready to pull with all her might, which is quite a bit, despite her tiny size. It’ll take everything they’ve got, but she thinks the five of them can do it.

"Get ready! Everyone prepare to pull!"

Jun 6, 2022 6:52 am

Ora rushes to the murky water edge and tries to peer down into the water.

"Can they even see him down there?"

She dips the tip of her staff in the water…

"Lumo" she mutters to the staff, and light starts to bleed into the dark water.

OOC:

30ft radius light for one measly turn…

Jun 6, 2022 7:59 pm

Mal jumps into the pool and icy-cold freshwater immediately hits her like a runaway cart, threatening to steal her breath. It can't be more than forty or fifty degrees, and likely originates from some underground stream that hasn't seen the light or warmth of the day in a long time. The weight of her armor immediately drags her down, her thoughts drifting to consider how difficult, likely impossible really, it would be to swim back to the surface if her companions were to drop the rope.
From above a bright light, different and more harsh than the warm tones of a lantern or torch, suddenly shines down on her, though where it comes from she cannot guess, and can only hope that if it's a sign of danger, the others above can handle it and still maintain hold on her only tether to the surface.
The blurred forms of Luban and the slain crayfish both seem to float in suspension as she passes by with only a brief glance. Then, her gaze focused on the depths below, just as the strange light from above starts to fade and disappear again, Maloria notices through her blurred vision, the shine of reflected light glittering upwards at her from maybe 20' feet below. Then darkness. Moments later her boots land in the soft sediment at the bottom of the pool and she feels the tug of a current of cold water rushing past her, confirming that the pool's source is some underground stream. Feeling around, it doesn't take long for her fingers to find a boot, and then Mal's got hold of Thurig, noticing that his body is slowly being dragged away in the direction of the current's flow, not so strong as to require much effort on Mal's part to keep hold of him, but had she not immediately dived in after him, he likely would have been dragged away in short time to wherever the underground stream leads.
Once she has a good hold of the unconscious dwarf, she gives a tug on the rope.

Jun 7, 2022 12:25 am

"PULL!" alarms the Halfling once she feels the thing tug in her hands!

"PULL!" and she digs her heels in and drags for all she’s worth!

Jun 7, 2022 12:26 am

Her light soon fading, Ora hoped that it had been some small help in finding the dwarf that lay at the bottom of the water.

Once it’s gone, she scurries to the rope and helps the Halfling pull it up!

Jun 7, 2022 5:48 pm

From his spot, Eltrezar heaves as hard as his frail frame allows! It isn't the strongest pull, but many hands make light work!

Jun 7, 2022 5:50 pm

Luban is shocked to see Maloria swim down to him, worried that he now had two armored dwarfs to drag out of the water. But when she presents the rope, he begins deftly tying it around Thurig before nodding at her. His lungs burn, but there is time before he needs to take a breath. As Mal tugs the rope, he tries to push off from the bottom and swim upwards with the rope in hand!

Jun 7, 2022 8:38 pm

OOC:

Some quick Googling and completely unscientific alanysis would suggest a dwarf weighs about 150lbs, and a set of plate armor would weigh about 50lbs. Furthermore, a powerful wizard named Archimedes, who probably only Eltrezar and Spugnoir would have heard of, once wrote a famous principle stating that a body immersed in a fluid is subjected to an upwards force equal to the weight of the displaced fluid, and therefore 1lb on land weighs about .85lbs underwater, and a dwarf wearing full plate and weighing 200lbs on land would likely weigh only about 170lbs while laying prone at the bottom of a Giant Crayfish pool. Multiply that by two dwarves, and you have about 340lbs.
Surely Eltrezar's weenie arms would still be ill-equipped to pull a rope bearing that sort of weight, but between himself and the four other party members standing around the pool's edge, all of whom have a 14 Strength, 70lbs apiece doesn't seem like anything we need to make an ability roll for...

Those above feel the tug of the line and heave up, feeling the weight lifting off from the poll's bottom. some seconds later, they see Luban, Maloria, and the unconscious Thurig breach the surface, and with a group effort, they drag the heavily encumbered, icy-cold dwarves to the pool's edge.

Jun 8, 2022 1:27 am

Gilly clatters to the floor as the rope suddenly goes slack when the dwarves and half-orc are pulled free. She clambers up and crosses to her companions.

"Potions. Eltrezar, potions, quick!" she checks the bodies of the two that dove in first, and determining that they are alive, holds her hand up impatiently over the injured dwarf, waiting for the wizard to pass her a health potion!

Jun 8, 2022 1:29 am

Ora curses the rats upstairs as she stands uselessly around while Gilly checks the others. She could bring the dwarf back, if the rats hadn’t attacked so viciously and wounded their magic user.

She crosses to the half-orc, and claps him on the back as he sits on the stone!

"That was very well done! Did you kill the thing, then?! Very well done, indeed!"

Jun 8, 2022 1:37 am

Not wanting to disappoint Gilly, but also confused as to why she is insistent on his potions, Eltrezar hands the halfling his two potions of Detect Danger.

OOC:

Eltrezar has no potions of healing.

Jun 8, 2022 1:38 am

Luban lays on his back trying to catch his breath. It's so much more difficult when a lovely lady is observing you. He puffs out his chest, still struggling for breath, before trying to speak. He fails at this attempt, and opts to nod at Ora instead

Jun 8, 2022 2:12 am

OOC:

Oops. Mal… Maloria… you have potions right??

Jun 8, 2022 3:55 am

Lying on his back, Luban catches a glimpse of what looks like a pile of gold not far away in the cave. He rises from his prostrate position, and shakes off while shimming over.

OOC:

I spy, with my little Darkvision eye, treasure directly above Ora.

Jun 8, 2022 3:01 pm

OOC:

No, Mal has no potions left :(

Mal gulps in air as she breaks the surface and dargs herself and her cousin onto the shore using arms numb with cold. Once safe, she looks over to Luban and gives the man a sincere clasp of the shoulder with a look that conveys more than words ever could.

"Thank you friend, my cousin and I owe you our lives."

Mal turns to her companions with tears in her frozen eyes,

"All of you, thank you so much. I owe each of you a life debt."

Jun 9, 2022 12:41 am

"Very bra… oh…" Ira stands back, giving the man some space as he avoids the barrage of claps raining down on in him in favor of something else…

She turns on her heel and responds to Mal:

"Wait until we get you both back safely to town! I think the coins we found earlier are prize enough for today! Unless you can wake your cousin…"

Jun 9, 2022 5:30 am

OOC:

Anything to be said for going to the bottom to see if the big fella pulled down any other victims to ge looted, or treasure to be found?

Jun 9, 2022 4:28 pm

OOC:

Oh we've gotta search for treasure, that's for sure

Jun 10, 2022 10:25 am

"Will he be alright?" Gilly asks, as she checks over the unconscious form of the dwarf.

The other deaths had been more… fully realized. It was cut and dry. This one wasn’t so obvious. Much like when Bors fell.

"We should get him back up top. That’ll be a job on its own…"

Leaving the dwarf, she crawls to the waters edge. She’s greeted with her own face looking back at her. She peers beyond it, wondering what lay at the bottom, around and under the creatures dead form.

She spits into the water then.

"This place…"

Jun 10, 2022 1:37 pm

OOC:

Luban and Mal should have been able to see if there were any other victims down there. We were at the bottom, right?

Last edited June 10, 2022 1:37 pm

Jun 10, 2022 1:38 pm

Eltrezar nods at all the expressed desire to return to the surface. He moves back to the hallway with lantern in hand, ready to move on. This place really was a graveyard, and only the strong survived.

Jun 10, 2022 6:08 pm

cowleyc says:

OOC:

Luban and Mal should have been able to see if there were any other victims down there. We were at the bottom, right?

OOC:

I forgot about Infravision. They descended about 50' until they hit the bottom of the pool, so they were out of the 30' range of any torches, lanterns, or light spells shining down from above. They did not see anything that gave off a heat signature. Just a cave-like tunnel extending into 60' of darkness, sort of like this:

OOC:

Mal and Luban both felt a current that was at least strong enough to slowly start dragging Thurig's prone form into the darkness, but Mal and Luban seemed able to resist it without too much problem.

Luban begins to skirt the pool. The monster seems to have been fairly successful in its hunting excursions up to this point, for there are bones and litter in and around the pool's edge, though Mal and luban saw only sand below. Near the back (northeast) edge of the pool the half-orc discovers 17 copper pieces, 30 silvers, 19 gold, and a longsword. In the water, near a ledge which drops abruptly into the depths below, he sees the shine of what appears to be a piece of jewelry, pinned underneath a skull. Near that, wedged among some rather large ribs and a few other bones that appear to have once made part of a humanoid limb, a white cylinder-looking tube lay.

Jun 10, 2022 6:14 pm

Sigh. Back into the water. Removing his armor, short, and boots, Luban enters the frigid pool once more. He collects the tube, careful retrieves the piece of jewelry, and examines the other bones for treasure beneath.

Jun 10, 2022 7:45 pm

Moving the skull with his hand, he finds a beautiful platinum pin set with a smallish ruby. It looks quite valuable.

Then, removing the cylinder from the pile of bones, Luban finds a hollow tube, also made of bone. Whether its placement was intentional, in order to camouflage it and keep it hidden, or if it was simply dropped in the most unfortunate of places, it would be easy to overlook the item. The tube seems to be sealed on each end with cork plugs, covered again in an off-white wax.

Jun 10, 2022 7:54 pm

Luban collects all of the above, tucks the pin in a pocket (he still has his pants), then swims back to the surface. He takes the coins and sword, and places all of the above (minus the pin, of course) at the feet of the group. "I ain't one for maths, so someone can divvy up the coins, but the sword looks like magic to me! Given that I risked life and limb, would it be out of place to claim it? Also, this tube seems to be sealed up, so scrolls? Here ye go," he says as he hands the tube to Spugnoir.

OOC:

No, the sword wasn't described as looking magical.

Jun 10, 2022 8:22 pm

OOC:

What did we do last time Luban tried palming a gem in front of the party? Was that a Pick Pocket roll?

Jun 10, 2022 8:23 pm

OOC:

He's underwater in the dark!

...but if you need it...

Last edited June 10, 2022 8:28 pm

Rolls

Pick Pocket (20%) - (1d100)

(58) = 58

Jun 10, 2022 9:31 pm

cowleyc says:

OOC:

He's underwater in the dark!

OOC:

Sorry, the lack of clarity was my fault. The pin and bone tube were "[i]n the water, near a ledge which drops abruptly into the depths below". So a shelf of rock that's maybe only a foot or so in depth before a deep drop-off straight down. That's why I didn't think it unusual that you said Luban was taking his boots off again. On the illustration of the pool I tried to make the shallower ledge lighter colored, and the drop-off a darker blue, but I'll draw whereabouts the items would have been found.

OOC:

Perhaps that changes what Luban would have tried to do.

Jun 10, 2022 9:42 pm

OOC:

That absolutely changes it! He isn't about to get whacked by Stoneforge's hammer! I was imagining it deeper in.

Jun 10, 2022 10:33 pm

Mal shakes her head and waves the sword towards Luban,

"Far be it from me to deny you anything at this moment. I can't speak for the others but as far as I'm concerned the sword is yours."

Jun 10, 2022 11:37 pm

Ora is suddenly buzzing with curiosity, and then a little crestfallen as the half-orc gives the scroll case to the competition. In any case, the scholar would give her the magick for her to work while they remained in the keep, at least.

"Shall we open it then, Spugnoir?"

Jun 10, 2022 11:38 pm

"But what kind of magic sword is it?"

Gilly thought it would be an excellent find if they happened across something that burst into flames in a fight, or that shot lightening from it when the wielder so chose!

Jun 11, 2022 4:07 pm

Spugnoir looks at Ora and breaks the seal of wax on one end of the tube, then pulls the cork out. As predicted, the tube contains three scrolls. "Er... I'm afraid these scrolls are written in an arcane language, and I did not prepare Read Magic before we set out this morning, Ora. Can you read them, by any chance?"

OOC:

I think Ora has a 50% chance of reading each of the three scrolls, according to the Mage, correct?

Jun 11, 2022 11:53 pm

OOC:

Yes! Fail, and she needs to wait for a level up, or Spugnoir to cast Read Magic.

Rolls

3d100

(903722) = 149

Jun 12, 2022 10:52 am

Ora takes a moment to read over each scroll on goth. Maybe it’s the light down here, or the leftover jitters from the fight but the first one stumps her.

"Now this… this is jibberish. I can’t make out a single thing. But these two…"

She double checks her work before finally speaking up again:

"These two are…"

Jun 12, 2022 2:06 pm

"At your disposal, so long as we remain in these dungeons," replies Spugnoir. "Unfortunately, it would seem your companion is in no condition to continue exploring these ruins and I suspect our return to Hommlet is imminent."

Jun 12, 2022 6:50 pm

"Yes, I would like to get Thurig back to Hommlet as soon as possible, though I think we should check out that hole in the crypt upstairs first..."

Jun 12, 2022 10:41 pm

Dressing himself and retrieving his bow, Luban agrees with Mal. It's worth a look. Best case, treasure. Worst case, a dragon. He shrugs and moves towards the hallway where Eltrezar waits.

Jun 13, 2022 12:24 am

OOC:

And what are the spells, DM? :)

Jun 13, 2022 12:49 am

KCC says:

OOC:

And what are the spells, DM? :)

OOC:

Oh, what the heck... I wrote a whole thing up and hit "Post", and it seems to have not taken...

Ora pulls the parchments out of the tube and unrolls each of them. The first is written in a hurried hand and while she makes out some patterns and arcane figures, the spell eludes her for the tie being. The second and third she recognizes instantly, one being a Scroll of Detect Evil (2nd Level), and the other a Scroll of Fly (3rd Level).

Jun 13, 2022 3:10 am

"Well, we can’t lug him around with us. Are we going to leave him back by the ladder? Where the ghouls cornered us?

That way we can investigate the hole?"

Jun 13, 2022 3:12 am

"Detect Evil! Oh, very nice. Should I try that one now? Just for fun! See if any of us are not what we say?"

She lets the question linger a second, basking in the awkwardness, and then and then she laughs.

"And this is a flying spell. Anyone ever wanted to get a bird’s eye view of this place?"

Jun 13, 2022 4:28 am

Hrmph! "Perhaps send in the shorter folks to scout the tunnel. And a thief. The rest of wait by the entrance.
If there is nothing to find, we return with haste."

Jun 13, 2022 10:22 pm

OOC:

How is Thurig being carried out from the pool room?

Jun 14, 2022 12:24 am

OOC:

four man carry, one to a limb

Jun 14, 2022 12:45 am

OOC:

Leave Luban to scout, have Mal, Man-at-arms, Gilly, and probably Ora or Spuignor to carry.

Jun 14, 2022 4:09 pm

Gilly and Ora each grab hold of one of Thurig's legs, while Mal and the Man-at-Arms lift under the armpits and start carrying the dwarf out of the pool room. Eltrezar and Spugnoir bring up the rear as Luban scouts ahead.

OOC:

Thurig's encumbrance is 749. I'm going to rule that those carrying Thurig (Mal, Man-at-Arms, Gilly, and Ora) each carry a quarter of that encumbrance (about 188 coins each). That brings Gilly's MR to 90' and Maloria's MR to 30'. Ora's MR is still 120'. But basically the carrying group's MR is 30', because that's the lowest.

@cowleyc: How far ahead is Luban scouting? Is he staying relatively close to those that are carrying Thurig's body, or is he moving further on ahead?

Jun 14, 2022 4:15 pm

OOC:

Luban is staying close, often peeking around the next corner but waiting for the group to catch up.

Jun 14, 2022 5:33 pm

Luban moves a bit further ahead and quietly begins ascending the flight of steps leading out of the crayfish's pool room. His companions wrestle with Thurig's unconscious form as best they can a short distance behind the half-orc. His hopes for a quick peek inside the earthen tunnel south of the crypts and then a dash for the sun somewhere above are crushed, though, when the thief reaches the top of the stone stairs and finds standing about 30' ahead of him four wiry Gnolls, standing around with their arms folded and leading on the stone wall as if they'd been expecting the party for some time and had gotten bored. One of the gnolls is holding a necklace made of a single piece of fiber cordage running through a large pendant that appears to be a piece of bone. The necklace's owner is speaking quietly and reverently to another gnoll who seems agitated or annoyed with the conversation.
As Luban comes to a stop at the top of the stairs and eyes the gnolls warily, they all stand upright and draw their weapons: well-maintained battleaxes, most likely taken from the now missing armory. The one in the front of the pack, a mean looking female, turns to the other three standing behind her and speaks in a barking gnoll tongue Luban fails to understand. One of the gnolls begins cackling hysterically at whatever the one in front said, while the other two, who were previously engaged in the exchange regarding the bone necklace, both snarl in agitation. The female gnoll turns back to Luban and barks some sort of greeting, or perhaps "challenge" would be a more suitable word, judging by the gnoll's tone.

OOC:

The rest of the group is at the bottom of the steps and can hear the transaction taking place, though cannot see what is happening above, with the exception of Luban's body language changing almost imperceptibly and the fact that he appears to be looking at something bout of sight.

Rolls

Secret Roll

Jun 14, 2022 7:09 pm

Luban freezes in place at the challenge before turning back to the stairs and whispering loudly to his companions. "Uh, there's some dog-looking folks up here, and I think they want a password. Wizard, didn't you deal with them before?!"

Jun 14, 2022 7:16 pm

Hrmph! "Indeed I did, indeed I did. Give me just a moment." Eltrezar squeezes past his companions before making his way up to where Luban stands, lantern in hand. He sets down the lantern and makes the crossed arms to the gnolls. [in ogre]: Ahem! "I see you are on patrol! Other gnolls left days ago, headed AWAY from three-trees. Made me tell you to meet them." Eltrezar gives a brief and simple set of directions to the cave that was oddly cold once.

Jun 15, 2022 12:50 am

Gently, Gilly sets down her portion of the dwarf, directing the others to do the same.

Then, pulling her cloak about her, she sneaks up the steps; as quietly as she can. She readies her bow, just below the rim of the staircase. If the time comes, she’ll be ready to let loose an arrow out of the darkness.

Last edited June 15, 2022 12:50 am

Jun 15, 2022 12:52 am

"I fear we’ll need the light of my staff for this. Curse my using it in the water. You can all see in the dark, can’t you?" she whispers to Mal.

She tuts, kicking herself that there now may be a melee in the darkness. She draws her sword, and puts a tentative foot on the steps, but just listens for now, and doesn’t ascend.

Last edited June 15, 2022 12:53 am

Jun 15, 2022 2:49 am

OOC:

For the record, I have Eltrezar and Spugnoir carrying lanterns and torches right now.

Jun 16, 2022 10:39 am

OOC:

Absolutely. We do have some light for if our charismatic magic user fails to convince these gnolls!

Jun 17, 2022 1:07 am

"Disgusting old man..." the female in front says, opting to ignore Eltrezar's gesture. "You say Mudclaw speak at you day last? Who you are that Mudclaw say words to ugly dogwalker like you? What mudclaw say with no words said wrong?"

Jun 17, 2022 1:17 am

Hrmph! "Mudclaw said he was tired of dog-walkers ordering him. Bugbears and dog-walkers. He say no more Lareth! Said to tell Rattlethorn finding Mudclaw at cave, not at three-trees. Lareth has many dog-walkers at three-trees."

Jun 17, 2022 2:22 am

The female gnoll leading the other three snarls in agitation. "Why Lareth have his dog-walkers at Three-Trees now?!? Always with the pushing gnolls. First with Bugbears coming and running jobs and setting watches and giving gnolls all patrol shifts and less foods. Now sending dog-walkers to check gnoll leave-markings?!? Rattlethorn being sick of this. Rattlethorn sick of dog-walkers and bugbears in all entire. We go find Mudclaw at cave you say of. Then we go check Three-Trees by selves and have feast of any dog-walkers we catch sniffing around there."

The gnoll turns and barks a command and the gnolls turn to leave when the Trading Post Man-at-Arms steps forward, and begins snarling something at them in a language that Elrezar doesn't speak.

OOC:

Are there any that speak Chaotic Alignment?

Rolls

Secret Roll

Jun 17, 2022 3:41 am

OOC:

You bet your booty Luban speaks Chaotic!

Jun 17, 2022 1:44 pm

OOC:

I foolishly didn’t list Ora’s extra languages. No matter, our trusty thief has it covered!

Jun 17, 2022 3:25 pm

Ora steps up a few more of the stairs, while the growling continues. She speaks to the wizard from the blackness just below.

"Perhaps you might ask them if there’s anything more for us down here, or are we wasting our time shuffling about in the dar…"

She’s stopped up short by the sudden growling from the mute-man!

Jun 17, 2022 5:10 pm

KCC says:

OOC:

I foolishly didn’t list Ora’s extra languages. No matter, our trusty thief has it covered!

OOC:

For now we can say that the Man-at-Arms walked up ahead of the rest of the group, to stand next to Luban, and Ora and the others standing at the bottom of the stairs can just hear the Man-at-Arms's muttering but nothing clear.
If you get a chance, let me know what languages you'd like to give Ora. I should probably make sure I have that written down as well for all the PCs, actually.

The Man-at-Arms, having advanced a few steps ahead of Luban and Eltrezar, begins speaking in a language foreign to the wizard. Luban recognizes it as the Chaotic language, one known more often by the more "unsavory" types of society, and a tongue the thief knows well.
"You idiots," barks the Man-at-Arms in a deep baritone. "It's because of your own stupidity that you gnolls have been getting the short end of the stick of late. Because you let interlopers such as these give your boss nothing but headaches for the bulk of the last ten-day. They have convinced your lackey called Mudclaw to abandon his post with those he was standing watch with. It's because you that Lareth lost that shit-encrusted pet you were charged with feeding. It's only because of the the gross incompetence of these lot that Lareth didn't lose his entire armory you were chargesd with safeguarding after his ogre was killed. And for that Lareth will deliver the deserter Mudclaw a well-deserved flaying.
"Kill these now and finally you'll ensure that the bugbears spend the next ten-day wandering the halls of this place babysitting the armory stores and wandering about these walls on perpetual watch, while you enjoy Lareth's favor once again. Abandon your posts and my employers will see to it that you'll all join Mudclaw on his day of the Beautiful One's judgement, and no doubt the bugbears will be generously rewarded with your meat."
Though Eltrezar can't understand what's being said, he sees the Man-at-Arms point over his shoulder and gesture at him. "Beware, for they have two spellcasters among their ranks this time. The old one is half dead already and his only magic has been spent. He's utterly useless with his daggers and should be of no concern to you until the others have been dispatched of. The younger wizard claims to have a sleeping spell at hand, so you better take care of him first.
"I will be speaking with my employers, and your engagement with these intruders will be noted. Pray that you manage to get this situation handled better than your lackey did, and you may be enjoying Lareth's favor by this time tomorrow evening. Fail, and I have no doubt that I will be dealing almost exclusively with the bugbears' own brand of incompetence from here forward."

With that, the Man-at-Arms gives Eltrezar and Luban one last scornful grin, and begins walking slowly back up the west corridor, drawing his bow and a couple of aarows as he walks past the party and heads for the crypts. The gnolls all look to their leader Rattlethorn for direction, who gives the Man-at-Arms a distainful look and then barks something in gnoll. The rest ready their battleaxes for a battle.

OOC:

Round 1 begins! Turn order is as follows:
1. Party
2. Man-at-Arms
3. Gnolls

I would say that the gnolls and the man body of the party (those carrying Thurig) are not in sight of one another yet, since those with Thurig are still at the bottom of the stairs. In order to see one another, either a party member has to reach the top of the stairs, or the gnolls have to move to the top of the stairs and look down.

Gnolls' view from top of stairs obscuring the party with Thurig (not picturing Eltrezar or Luban):

Rolls

Secret Roll

Party Initiative roll - (1d20+2)

(8) + 2 = 10

Gnolls Initiative roll - (1d6)

(2) = 2

Man-at-Arms Initiative roll - (1d6)

(6) = 6

Jun 18, 2022 1:15 am

OOC:

I had moved Gilly up to behind/below Eltrezar for this very occurrence. To shoot out of the dark if things go wrong! If you’ll allow that!

Jun 18, 2022 2:47 am

Hrgh! "Get back down the stairs! That son-of-a-troll has betrayed us!" Eltrezar draws a single dagger, but is too far to fling at the Gnolls. He backs up as far as he can.

Jun 18, 2022 5:17 am

KCC says:

OOC:

I had moved Gilly up to behind/below Eltrezar for this very occurrence. To shoot out of the dark if things go wrong! If you’ll allow that!

OOC:

Sure, I’ll allow that.

Jun 18, 2022 5:23 am

Not understanding the spoken words, if you could call them that, but understanding the actions of the trader well enough, Gilly immediately let’s loose the arrow she had readied while hidden there behind the magic user.

It fires out of the dark, straight down the corridor at one of the growling gnolls!

Rolls

Attack, Damage - (1d20+3, 1d6)

1d20+3 : (16) + 3 = 19

1d6 : (6) = 6

Jun 18, 2022 5:28 am

Ignoring the wizard’s words for the moment, Ora continues further up the steps than she had been before the betrayal. She suddenly looms out of the blackness, the wizard’s torch illuminating her face and her wild black hair. She speaks, but it isn’t her voice. It’s deep, dark, other. Like the place they find themselves in.

"Don’t try it! This will be your tomb!" she drums, deep.

OOC:

Using her Fear Mage skill!

Rally/fear (RF): Rally counters magical fear effects. Fear forces enemies to make a morale check. This skill may be used once per turn.

Last edited June 18, 2022 5:29 am

Jun 18, 2022 5:30 am

(In Chaotic) "You must not know you're facing the great Maloria Stormforge!" -twang- "...and the almighty Elbtross the Wizard!"

OOC:

Luban will move just into sight with his bow and fire at the lead Gnoll

Rolls

Attack (Shortbow) - (1d20+3)

(19) + 3 = 22

Damage (Shortbow) - (1d6)

(6) = 6

Jun 18, 2022 5:02 pm

Eltrezar suddenly draws a dagger and retreats to the bottom of the stairs, taking refuge near the crayfish's pool room.

Unaware of the tiny halfling that was taking cover under the darkness of the Eltrezar's shadow, Gilly's arrow takes Rattlethorn by surprise when the taller man suddenly retreats, sending it smashing hard into the gnoll cheiftess's hard sternum, leaving her confused and staggering.

"Don’t try it! This will be your tomb!" Ora drums, deep.

The other three gnolls hesitate for a brief moment, staring at their leader first, then in fear of the mage's threat, finally then looking at one another with indecision written on their faces. They quickly regain their resolve with nods around, refocusing on the orders given by their now wounded cheiftess, and no doubt as well by the wrath of this man called "Lareth" looming over their heads.

But before they can make so much as a single step forward, a second arrow strikes their leader less than a knucklebone's length from where the first arrow hit. This time Rattlethorn's eyes cast around and find the half-orc's now empty bow still drawn on her. The gnoll chieftess staggers again, collapses to her knees, then to her side as her eyes stare vacantly at nothing, the two quills barring her from rolling completely face-down, and the remaining three gnolls again stop and look to one another, though this time despair, mixed with a dash of panic, are all the party sees written on their faces.

Spugnoir, who had been making his way quietly up the stairs, suddenly dashes out past Luban and sprints down the western hallway, dagger drawn. At first it appears he may try something as fooling as attack the Man-at-Arms directly, before the Trading Post's generously donated man can fire off a couple of shots with his bow. But to the surprise of both the thief and the halfling standing next to him, the Seer dashes right past the grim man as if he sees noone standing there at all, and continues making a double-time sprint back to the crypts, it seems.

OOC:

Round 1 continues! Mal, I believe are the only ones that still can take their turn:
1. Party: Gilly, Eltrezar, Maloria, Luban, Thurig, Ora, Spugnoir
2. Man-at-Arms
3. Gnolls: Gnoll #1 "Rattlethorn", Gnoll #2, Gnoll #3, Gnoll #4

Rolls

Rally/Fear check - (1d100)

Secret Roll

Jun 19, 2022 12:29 am

"He’s taken the light again!" Gilly mutters, unhappily. Though it may have a happy turn, as the gnolls will soon be on them!

OOC:

Where does Gilly stand in regards to being detected? She usually has a 5/6 chance to remain unseen. Does this also follow in combat, as with the ghouls, if I remember right?

Jun 19, 2022 1:03 am

KCC says:

[b]

OOC:

Where does Gilly stand in regards to being detected? She usually has a 5/6 chance to remain unseen. Does this also follow in combat, as with the ghouls, if I remember right?

OOC:

With her Elven Cloak? Yeah, looking back at how we’ve been handling the cloak so far, she has a 1-in-6 chance of being detected while using the cloak, and then as long as she sits still she doesn’t need to roll again. But as soon as she moves/takes an action/shoots the leader to death with her bow, she has to re-roll that round. Basically, as long as she’s staying still she probably looks like a rock or the surrounding terrain. But any movement can attract attention.
Assuming, Gilly wishes to hide in the shadows with her cloak, the DM can roll and see how things pan out?

Jun 19, 2022 1:05 am

OOC:

Sure!

Absolutely okay with you implementing a rule that means all enemies attack Gilly with disadvantage while she wears the cloak, too. ;)

Which she never, ever takes off. Ever.

Last edited June 19, 2022 1:05 am

Jun 19, 2022 1:10 am

With Eltrezar and Spugnoir taking the party’s only two light sources in two different directions, the halfling attempts to conceal herself with her Elven Cloak.

OOC:

Actually, the cloak’s description says, "The cloak's power of invisibility is nullified for one turn, if the wearer attacks."

So for this turn, since Gilly shot her bow, she can’t get the cloak in place until at least next turn…

Rolls

Gilly Elven Cloak roll - (1d6)

Jun 19, 2022 10:05 pm

"I bloody well knew it!"

Mal rushes up to the top of the stairs (as far as she is able) and tries to whip a sling stone at either the man at arms or one of the gnolls depending on who is visible from her vantage.

Rolls

Attack, Damage - (1d20+1, 1d4)

1d20+1 : (20) + 1 = 21

1d4 : (3) = 3

Jun 19, 2022 10:52 pm

OOC:

I would say that both targets are definitely visible and within range, so I’ll let you decide which target (Gnoll or Trading Post Man-at-Arms) you want.

Jun 20, 2022 3:45 am

OOC:

I think Mal would aim at the gnolls first considering dwarven racial hatred and the helplessness she felt at their hands the last time

Jun 20, 2022 10:24 am

OOC:

A noble roleplaying choice! We’ll catch up to the other guy a little later. Gilly is feeling like the store might need putting to the torch!

Jun 20, 2022 10:24 am

OOC:

Ora is just happy that old Spugnoir left the scrolls in her possession. Sucker!

Jun 20, 2022 4:27 pm

Maloria ascends the stairs and uses her sling to hurl a stone at the gnoll that was standing at Rattlethorn's right shoulder. No longer giggling at his chieftess's japes, at stone strikes him in the right temple, staggering him and making his legs wobble, and the gnoll anxiously barks something in "gnollish" at his two other companions.

As many of the party have seen before, the Man-at-Arms in the western hallway turns around and looks behind him. Taking advantage of the distraction the gnolls are providing, he fires off two arrows in lightning succession, at his all-too-frequent new "colleagues", both shots aimed at Luban, whose positioning provides a bit of cover for Maloria.
Enjoying the satisfaction of watching the gnolls being mowed down before him, the wind is suddenly stolen from him by a sharp, intense pain in his left side, as one of the Man-at-Arms arrows smashes through Luban's exposed rib cage, piercing through something soft and important, no doubt (Luban takes 4HP Damage).
Luban looks over to see the Man-at-Arms's dark cloak sweeping around the corner, into the crypts proper.

To the north, the gnolls are running hellbent down the darkened corridor to the north.

Rolls

Secret Roll

Man-at-Arms Attack roll, Damage roll (#1) - (1d20+1, 1d6)

1d20+1 : (19) + 1 = 20

1d6 : (4) = 4

Man-at-Arms Attack roll, Damage roll (#2) - (1d20+1, 1d6)

1d20+1 : (4) + 1 = 5

1d6 : (5) = 5

Jun 20, 2022 5:02 pm

OOC:

Round 1 ends! The gnoll leader has been killed and the rest are fleeing down the north hall. Luban has taken a bad shot from the Man-at-Arms's bow, and has been critically wounded by an arrow piercing his left side. Spugnoir and the Man-at-Arms, are fleeing down the western corridor to the crypts.

If the party wants to let the gnolls, the Man-at-Arms, and/or Spugnoir flee, you can opt to end the encounter and we will go back to ten-minute dungeon exploration turns. Otherwise, Round 2 begins! Turn order is as follows:
1. Party: Gilly, Eltrezar, Maloria, Luban, Thurig, Ora, Spugnoir
2. Man-at-Arms
3. Gnolls

Rolls

Party Initiative roll - (1d6+2)

(5) + 2 = 7

Gnolls Initiative roll - (1d6)

(1) = 1

Man-at-Arms Initiative roll - (1d6)

(3) = 3

Jun 20, 2022 5:35 pm

Following the Man-at-Arms, Spugnoir dashes around the corner towards the crypts.

OOC:

Party's turn: Gilly, Eltrezar, Maloria, Luban, Thurig, Ora, Spugnoir

Jun 20, 2022 6:31 pm

The arrow slams into Luban and his life begins to flash before his eyes. What a miserable life he had led. Choices poorly made. Friends betrayed or let down. And he breathes out his last breath...

Only to breathe in again. He wasn't dead? He still stood. His his bow was still in his hand. The man-at-arms still fled. So Luban did what he does best. He planted metal in the man's back. The man would be out of sight soon,but the trail of blood would be his downfall. Luban coughs a wet cough, then ducks behind the corner.

OOC:

Luban attacks the Man-at-arms and then moves back 10'. He is still within optimal range for his shortbow. Given that the man-at-arms can't see him anymore, is it possible Luban backstabbed him?

OOC:

Snitches get stitches.

Last edited June 20, 2022 6:47 pm

Rolls

Attack (Shortbow) - (1d20+3)

(20) + 3 = 23

Damage (Shortbow) - (1d6)

(6) = 6

Jun 20, 2022 6:51 pm

OOC:

Atta boy!

Jun 20, 2022 9:21 pm

OOC:

Oof, @cowleyc, I hate to be the one to crap on a perfect roll, but the Man-at-Arms already dashed out of sight at the end of round 1. Rpund 2 began with Spugnior in sight, but he's dashed out of sight at the start of this round now as well. This is effectively what Luban sees right now:

Jun 20, 2022 9:47 pm

OOC:

Oops, that's what happens when I post hastily! Luban would then try to chase him down with the bow and hope to catch him around the corner.

Jun 20, 2022 11:20 pm

OOC:

Are we all hoofing it this round? A chase? Do we dare leave our dwarf friend-corpse down here with gnolls, frightened though they are?

Last edited June 20, 2022 11:21 pm

Jun 21, 2022 1:36 am

"Gilly if you throw the cloak over Thurig he'll be safe and we can chase that traitor!"

Jun 21, 2022 4:34 am

Eltrezar moves to the base of the stairs,lantern in hand. This was all a young man's game.

Jun 21, 2022 8:27 am

OOC:

Is that to say that Eltrezar doesn’t want to give chase? There’s a Level Up waiting for each of upstairs. If they find those coins… :D

Jun 21, 2022 5:13 pm

cowleyc says:

OOC:

Oops, that's what happens when I post hastily! Luban would then try to chase him down with the bow and hope to catch him around the corner.

OOC:

So quick question for @cowleyc, before we get to everyone else...
Since you know the Man-at-Arms just turned the corner 10 seconds ago, I don't think I'm giving any meta knowledge away by revealing whas around the corner here...
If Luban moves only his normal Movement, he can go 40'. Not enough to see around the corner. But if he uses his turn to take no other Actions, he can move up to his full Movement Rate (120' this Turn). Doing so would get him to the end of this hallway at 60', and also would reveal the Man-at-Arms around the corner, heading for the crypts. In theory, Luban could catch up to the Man-at-Arms, or even pass him, but wouldn't be able to attack or take any other actions this turn and the Man-at-Arms still hasn't acted this Round.

How far would Luban like to move after the Man-at-Arms this round? Only 40'? More than 40'?

Jun 21, 2022 5:16 pm

OOC:

With the damage he took, I don't think he's chasing the man-at-arms to the end of the earth. He'll go his full standard movement, stopping before he turns the corner.

Jun 21, 2022 6:04 pm

Unwilling to take another hit from the Man-at-Arms's bow in his present condition, Luban moves forward cautiously. Eltrezar moves to the base of the stairs and waits for the commotion upstairs to be addressed.

OOC:

Round 1 Continues... Gilly, Eltrezar, Maloria, Luban, Thurig, Ora, Spugnoir

Jun 21, 2022 9:20 pm

Mal dashes off after the man at arms...

Jun 22, 2022 12:29 am

OOC:

If Ora was to cast fly on the unconscious dwarf, could the party kind of push him through the halls as he floats?

It’s a silly idea, but it would allow maybe even just Eltrezar to follow along behind guiding the dwarf’s levitating body around!

Jun 22, 2022 3:18 am

KCC says:

OOC:

If Ora was to cast fly on the unconscious dwarf, could the party kind of push him through the halls as he floats?

It’s a silly idea, but it would allow maybe even just Eltrezar to follow along behind guiding the dwarf’s levitating body around!

OOC:

Huh…
I’d say if you want to burn your Fly scroll, sure, it would cause the unconscious dwarf to levitate off the ground, but he wouldn’t be able to move himself around. Someone could probably push him around for the duration of the spell like he’s on an invisible gurney.

Jun 22, 2022 3:39 am

"Gilly, go! We’ll follow behind!"

Just then, Ora reaches into her small bundle of scrolls and removes the Fly spell. She reads it, hurried and stressed, with a hand on the fallen dwarf’s shoulder.

Once the spell is complete, the unconscious warrior levitates a few feet off the ground.

"Push, Eltrezar. Guide him out! Unless you want those gnolls to find us alone once they’ve regained their courage! Push, and I’ll watch our path! Pass me the torch!"

Jun 22, 2022 3:39 am

Nodding her head, Gilly takes off at full speed after her companions.

Last edited June 22, 2022 3:39 am

Jun 22, 2022 4:24 am

Eltrezar, bewildered, does just that. Had the young woman just spent a scroll of untold arcane power as a cart?!

Jun 22, 2022 10:05 am

OOC:

These scrolls have unlimited uses… ri…right? G… guys? Spugnoir wouldn’t just let me have them if they didn’t have unlimited uses, right? GUYS?!

Jun 22, 2022 6:10 pm

OOC:

lmfao!!

Jun 23, 2022 10:28 pm

OOC:

I'd say that using a scroll is the equivalent of casting a spell, and therefore takes a round to do. We don't really follow the "magic user players have to declare before Initiative rolls", because of the PbP format, but I will say that we can assume she declared it at the start of the turn and it takes up Ora's ability to do any other Actions or Movement that round. She and Eltrezar will have to start moving Thurig out on the next turn.

Ora casts the spell contained within the Fly scroll, and the fallen dwarf rises off the ground a few feet. Gilly tries moving forward but has no source of light besides the wizard's at the moment, Spugnior having run off with the other light. She reaches the edge of the illumination shining from the stairs below then moves slowly forward, and Luban and Mal see the halfling advancing slowly forward, pupils dilated, one hand on the wall for guidance in the blackness before her.

OOC:

Round 2 ends!

Jun 23, 2022 10:29 pm

OOC:

Round 3 begins! Turn order is as follows:
1. Gnolls
2. Party: Gilly, Eltrezar, Maloria, Luban, Thurig, Ora, Spugnoir
3. Man-at-Arms

You hear the gnolls continue their retreat down the northern corridor, seemingly not at all interested in engaging with the party in their current numbers.
From the direction of the crypts you suddenly hear the voice of Spugnoir call out, resonate through the dungeon's oppressing stonework. "Everyone! Eltrezar! Ora! Torches out! Luban and Mal, come quickly, while the rest of us are all blind in this darkness!"

Rolls

Party Initiative roll - (1d6+2)

(2) + 2 = 4

Gnolls Initiative roll - (1d6)

(6) = 6

Man-at-Arms Initiative roll - (1d6)

(3) = 3

Jun 24, 2022 3:14 am

In the darkness, Gilly reaches out and grasps part of Maloria’s armor.

"Stop." she whispers to the dwarf and the half-orc.

"Wait for the others. They’ll ambush us. That one will cast his magic while the other cuts our throats."

She shakes her head in the dark, waiting to see if all are agreed.

Jun 24, 2022 3:16 am

Leading the dwarf and the wizard after the others, Ora makes her way up the stairs and down the tunnel.

She calls out into the empty black beyond the torchlight:

"Spugnoir! Where are you? You forgot your scrolls! Come back!"

OOC:

Trying for a mage’s Suggestion.

Last edited June 24, 2022 3:16 am

Jun 24, 2022 5:58 pm

While Gilly waits for Eltrezar and Ora to bring up the rear with Thurig's prone form being moved forward, she hears Ora speak with a commanding voice that carries through the halls. "Spugnoir! Where are you? You forgot your scrolls! Come back!"
The tone the woman takes seems to have a supernatural element of authority in it, and from somewhere west or northwest Gilly can almost sense the hesitation and indecision in Spugnoir's voice when the man replies, "I-- I'm sorry Miss Rusk, but I musn't... Please, I implore you, extinguish your lights!"

Rolls

Suggestion check - (1d100)

Secret Roll

Jun 24, 2022 6:12 pm

Hrmph! "I can't believe Spuignor would be involved. He seems like such an earnest fellow," Eltrezar grumbles, though he doesn't snuff out his light. The halfling was paranoid, but she might also be right.

Jun 24, 2022 6:13 pm

Luban has to stop himself as the spellcaster calls out, and Gilly urges patience. His body hurts from the arrow he had taken earlier, and the room spins a little. So he waits, with bow drawn and arrow nocked.

Jun 24, 2022 7:44 pm

Mal agrees with Gilly and waits for the others to catch up...

Jun 24, 2022 7:53 pm

OOC:

So for this round I have:

Gilly: Waiting for the torchbearers to arrive.
Ora: Used Suggestion (I'll call that an Action). Any movement?
Maloria: Waiting for the torchbearers to arrive
Thurig: Unconscious
Eltrezar: ???
Luban: Waiting for the torchbearers to arrive.

Does that sound about right?

Jun 24, 2022 10:12 pm

OOC:

Darn your wise restraint Gilly, I wanna charge!! Lol

Jun 25, 2022 12:46 am

OOC:

Ora will catch up to the others, if able!

Jun 25, 2022 3:11 pm

OOC:

Busy weekend! Eltrezar will push Thurig along as directed.

Jun 25, 2022 5:18 pm

OOC:

Round 3 ends with the torchbearing spellcasters catching up with their martial escorts, ready to continue out of the dungeon's depths together.

Round 4 begins! Turn order is as follows:
1. Gnolls
2. Party: Gilly, Eltrezar, Maloria, Luban, Thurig, Ora, Spugnoir
3. Man-at-Arms

Rolls

Party Initiative roll - (1d6+2)

(3) + 2 = 5

Gnolls Initiative roll - (1d6)

(6) = 6

Man-at-Arms Initiative roll - (1d6)

(2) = 2

Jun 26, 2022 7:57 am

"Why, Spugnoir? Why extinguish our torches? Tell us. Good man!"

OOC:

Not to spam the ability or anything, but it seems like a pivotal moment here!

Last edited June 26, 2022 7:57 am

Jun 26, 2022 4:27 pm

OOC:

Dice were rolled...

Rolls

Suggestion check - (1d100)

Jun 26, 2022 4:28 pm

OOC:

Spam away! I'm digging this!

Jun 26, 2022 4:35 pm

OOC:

Yes if you actually have something to spam at 1st level then by all means, spam!

With everyone gathered, Mal presses forward once more...

Jun 26, 2022 4:40 pm

The young wizard begins to reply, then catches himself. A second later he returns a guarded response. "Because this hired man of ours can't see in the dark any better than I can, and if you bring your torches here he's likely to skewer me on the end of two arrows..."

Jun 26, 2022 4:43 pm

Luban stands beside the dwarf, hoping it doesn't come down to taking another arrow, and trudges onward letting Mal lead the way.

Jun 26, 2022 4:54 pm

OOC:

@dominion451 and @cowleyc:
Mal's Movement Rate is 90'. Luban's is 120'.
Are we doing a full-on, double-time sprint up to your PC's full Movement Rate this turn, or a cautious exploratory speed of 1/3 your Movement Rate?

Nevermind, @cowleyc: If Luban is letting Mal lead, I'll keep him no further ahead than where Mal stops this Round.

Jun 26, 2022 5:13 pm

OOC:

How far ahead does Spugnoir's voice sound? I'm thinking we should move cautiously but if he sounds way far off then maybe one round of full move...

Jun 26, 2022 6:33 pm

dominion451 says:

OOC:

How far ahead does Spugnoir's voice sound? I'm thinking we should move cautiously but if he sounds way far off then maybe one round of full move...

OOC:

He sounds a pretty good ways off. It sounds like his voice is mildly muffled with a lot of stonework and angles for the sound to negotiate its way through to reach Ora and the rest of the party. Also, Maloria doesn't see any torchlight coming from around the corner from the direction of the crypts, so if there's an ambush in the works coming from Spugnoir, he's waiting in the darkness.

Jun 26, 2022 8:44 pm

OOC:

Let's go for it, full tilt!

Jun 26, 2022 11:49 pm

OOC:

On Dasher, On Prancer, On Donner, On Gilly, On Ora, On Luban, On Mal, On Eltrezar, On Thuirig!

OOC:

Google tells me that I don’t know the reindeer jingle properly! Oops!

Last edited June 26, 2022 11:53 pm

Jun 27, 2022 5:06 pm

Following Maloria's lead, the party advances through the black stone halls, returning to the east/west crosswing of the burial crypts. Mal's armor forces her gait short, and the less encumbered and more light of foot companions stay to her rear. As she's about to enter the north/south chamber of the crypts, her Infravision falls on the heat signature of the man at arms, just as the light of Ora's torch falls on the gleam of a metal buckle on a leather boot.

Then the Trading Post Man-at-Arms is out on the open, bow in one hand and two arrows in his other. He crosses through the small disc of Ora's torch light for a moment before slipping back into the darkness beyond it again, and only Luban and Maloria can see him skirting along the west wall, making his way towards the earthen tunnel broken through the southern end of the crypts.

As he makes his way across the room, two arrows fly out of the darkness at the party, now perfectly illuminated for him.

OOC:

As noted often before, the Man-at-Arms can fire two shots when attacking with a bow. With Maloria taking charge of the group's advancement and acting as at least partial cover for most following her lead, and also because the Man-at-Arms has other reasons he wants to see Maloria taken out, he will fire at the cleric.

Both arrows, fired off with a snap from the darkness, miss the cleric handily.

Rolls

Man-at-Arms Attack roll, Damage roll (#1) - (1d20, 1d6)

1d20 : (12) = 12

1d6 : (3) = 3

Man-at-Arms Attack roll, Damage roll (#2) - (1d20, 1d6)

1d20 : (3) = 3

1d6 : (4) = 4

Jun 27, 2022 5:12 pm

OOC:

Round 4 ends! Round 5 begins! The gnolls seem to be gone for now, though whether they're hightailing it out of the dungeons or recruiting reinforcements is uncertain. Spugnoir is out of sight at the moment, and the Man-at-Arms is taking snipes at the party with his bow at the moment, headed for the earthen tunnel to the south. Turn order is as follows:
1. Party: Gilly, Eltrezar, Maloria, Luban, Thurig, Ora, Spugnoir
2. Gnolls, Man-at-Arms.

Obviously, only Mal and Luban can see the Man-at-Arms in the darkness ast the moment. If the humans and halfling would like to lay eyes on him, a light will have cast upon him first.

Rolls

Party Initiative roll - (1d6+2)

(4) + 2 = 6

Gnolls Initiative roll - (1d6)

(1) = 1

Man-at-Arms Initiative roll - (1d6)

(1) = 1

Jun 27, 2022 7:24 pm

OOC:

What is the BECMI penalty for being blind due to darkness in combat?

Jun 27, 2022 7:50 pm

Eltrezar sees an opportunity, risky as it may be. He runs to the front of the group with many unheroic huffs and wheezes, putting the lantern down so that the man-at-arms is illuminated, allowing his allies an opportunity to put the man down. Hoping to avoid the inevitable crossfire, he lays down as flat as he can.

OOC:

Eltrezar moves to the square two left from Maloria and one down.

OOC:

Any chance Luban can use his last rolls this round?

Last edited June 27, 2022 7:52 pm

Jun 27, 2022 7:59 pm

dominion451 says:

OOC:

What is the BECMI penalty for being blind due to darkness in combat?

OOC:

I'll have to look up BECMI rules, but I'm guessing they're the same as B/X. In B/X, if you're blind, you can't attack at all. That's what we've always held to as well (example: the infamous Ghoul fiasco). The Man-at-Arms can currently fire arrows into the circle of light because he can see any objects illuminated within its radius. Basically shooting from the cover of darkness. However, he wouldn't currently be able to even make an attack roll at anything in melee range right now as long as his intended target is completely in darkness with him. If someone gets within melee range and is within the light's edge, though, he can see it and thereby attack.

cowleyc says:

Eltrezar sees an opportunity, risky as it may be. He runs to the front of the group with many unheroic huffs and wheezes, putting the lantern down so that the man-at-arms is illuminated, allowing his allies an opportunity to put the man down. Hoping to avoid the inevitable crossfire, he lays down as flat as he can.

OOC:

I like this gambit, but unless I missed something I currently have Ora as the one carrying the torch (lantern), and Eltrezar pushing the magic gurney.

cowleyc says:

OOC:

Any chance Luban can use his last rolls this round?

OOC:

Which rolls? I have Luban's last Actions to be following behind Maloria for his turn at double time.

Jun 27, 2022 8:21 pm

funfungiguy says:

cowleyc says:

Eltrezar sees an opportunity, risky as it may be. He runs to the front of the group with many unheroic huffs and wheezes, putting the lantern down so that the man-at-arms is illuminated, allowing his allies an opportunity to put the man down. Hoping to avoid the inevitable crossfire, he lays down as flat as he can.

OOC:

I like this gambit, but unless I missed something I currently have Ora as the one carrying the torch (lantern), and Eltrezar pushing the magic gurney.

OOC:

Oh, you're quite right! I had missed that Ora took the lantern. I thought Eltrezar was guiding the floating body along while still holding the lantern. Gilly, mind if Eltrezar snags it back from Ora on his mad dash forward?

funfungiguy says:

cowleyc says:

OOC:

Any chance Luban can use his last rolls this round?

OOC:

Which rolls? I have Luban's last Actions to be following behind Maloria for his turn at double time.

OOC:

The last roll Luban had made was done in error, as I misunderstood where the man-at-arms had ended up.

Jun 27, 2022 8:42 pm

OOC:

No we need to kill all the lights so Man at Arms is a sitting duck

Jun 27, 2022 8:45 pm

"Kill the lights! Quick!"

Mal rushes forward to attack the Man at Arms with her hammer...

Rolls

Attack, Damage - (1d20+1, 1d6+1)

1d20+1 : (16) + 1 = 17

1d6+1 : (4) + 1 = 5

Jun 27, 2022 9:04 pm

OOC:

Definitely a hit. What space did Maloria move to?

Jun 28, 2022 12:53 am

OOC:

P,48

Jun 28, 2022 1:00 am

OOC:

Can Luban and Mal take him alone? Because killing the lights means that no one else can help. If you feel confident that you can take him, then someone should snuff the light out!

OOC:

How much cheese is allowed? Can everyone act (fire, stab etc) and then Ora snuff the light out when she acts (before the Man at Arms, importantly)

Last edited June 28, 2022 1:01 am

Jun 28, 2022 1:13 am

OOC:

He can't attack at all with the lights out, I like those odds

Jun 28, 2022 1:17 am

OOC:

Thats fair. The odds are good!

Happy to kill the lights, Eltrezar?

Jun 28, 2022 1:21 am

OOC:

Works for me!

Jun 28, 2022 1:31 am

Ora snuffs the light, trusting in her companions to deal with the mute man now, and the magic man later.

Last edited June 28, 2022 1:31 am

Jun 28, 2022 2:47 am

OOC:

Of course that IS exactly what Spugnoir told us to do... lol

Jun 28, 2022 4:42 pm

dominion451 says:

OOC:

P,48

OOC:

Best I can offer is Q48 with a Movement Rate of 60'.

Maloria drives forward, stepping into the darkness, only her back foot remains within the arc of light, like a grappler fighting to maintain control at the very edge of her circle. She swings her hammer, and hits the man broadsidein the ribs, hearing him give a grunting heave as the wind is knocked from him. The Man-at-Arms grimaces at the blow,and then Ora snuffs the light.

Once again the party finds themselves in mortal combat while shrouded in absolute darkness, and a familiar feeling leaves an ugly taste in Gilly’s mouth. Only Mal and Luban see their enemy’s free hand groping about in the new darkness.

"You arrogant fools", the man barks, in a deep, croaky voice.

OOC:

Only Mal and Luban have Infravision. The rest of the party is "blind", and cannot attack. Other Actions are allowed if they can be done while "blind". I generally consider moving in darkness about half your Movement Rate, to basically account for groping around and stumbling in the darkness feeling your way about.

Round 5 continues. If the PC is bold, they can still go. If they're grey, they're currently "blind".
-->1. Party: Gilly, Eltrezar , Maloria, Luban, Thurig, Ora, Spugnoir
2. Gnolls, Man-at-Arms

Jun 28, 2022 5:56 pm

Luban takes advantage of the dark and moves from his position to another, taking a shot at the blinded traitor.

OOC:

Luban moves to P45, and it looks like he may be behind the man-at-arms given Mal's adjacency to him.

OOC:

Luban has Backstab, which gives +4 to attack and doubles any damage. I'm not including it in the dice, but I think it should apply here.

Rolls

Move Silently (20%) - (1d100)

(57) = 57

Attack (Shortbow) - (1d20+3)

(3) + 3 = 6

Damage (Shortbow) - (1d6)

(2) = 2

Jun 28, 2022 9:00 pm

cowleyc says:

OOC:

Luban has Backstab, which gives +4 to attack and doubles any damage. I'm not including it in the dice, but I think it should apply here.

OOC:

I'm good with that. He can hear you moving, but he can't see anything so I'll allow it.

Luban fires his bow at the man, but his shot misses the mark. The Man-at-Arms flinches at the noise.

OOC:

-->1. Party: Gilly, Eltrezar , Maloria, Luban, Thurig, Ora, Spugnoir

Jun 28, 2022 9:01 pm

Eltrezar waits with baited breath for something to happen. His original idea to run with the lantern to provide light was stopped when Ora put out the lantern instead.

Jun 29, 2022 3:12 am

"Everyone stay close! Maloria and Luban are more than capable!"

They’ve had quite the day, those two…

"Be ready to strike up a light again. And keep a hand on our sleeping friend there, Gilly, lest he float away!"

Jul 2, 2022 3:56 pm

The two magicians and the halfling stand in the dark listening to the sounds of the struggle before them. Luban's bow thangs, but there's only the clatter of a wayward arrow in response. Scuffling footsteps suggest the Trading Post's Man-at-Arms is on the move, and Maloria and Luban watch the man scuttles like a cornered animal, groping his way along the wall, seemingly in search of the broken wall leading to the earthen tunnel south.

OOC:

Round 5 ends! Round 6 begins! Turn order is as follows:
-->1. Party: Gilly, Eltrezar , Maloria, Luban, Thurig, Ora, Spugnoir
2. Trading Post Man-at-Arms

Rolls

Secret Roll

Party Initiative roll - (1d6+2)

(5) + 2 = 7

Secret Roll

Man-at-Arms Initiative roll - (1d6)

(3) = 3

Jul 2, 2022 6:02 pm

OOC:

Out and about today

Rolls

Attack (Shortbow) - (1d20+3)

(13) + 3 = 16

Damage (Shortbow) - (1d6)

(6) = 6

Jul 2, 2022 6:46 pm

Luban quickly fits an arrow to his bowstring and draws again. This time the missile hits its mark true, and Mal and the thief see the man grunt and keel over. The others hear the him give one last bloody gurgle of anguish before collapsing to the stone floor, just an arm's reach from the tunnel he sought refuge in.

OOC:

-->1. Party: Gilly, Eltrezar , Maloria, Luban, Thurig, Ora, Spugnoir
2. Trading Post Man-at-Arms

Jul 2, 2022 8:33 pm

"Well done Luban! Light the lamps everyone, we have to find the mage before he finds us!"

Mal looks around for Spugnoir in the dark before the others can bring fire. She moves cautiously toward the ladder that exits the crypts, checking every alcove as she goes...

Jul 2, 2022 9:49 pm

Moving 20' to the north, Mal sees Spugnoir standing at half crouch in the tunnel leading to where the ladder runs through the holow pillar and into the torture chamber above. His body language betrays his obvious blindness, yet he stands at the ready with dagger in hand.

"Dare I say I heard you correctly, Maloria," the Magic-User entreats. "The half-orc has suppressed our rogue wagon-bearer?"

Jul 3, 2022 1:45 am

Ora lights her lantern, before handing Eltrezar his torch!

"Quickly, quickly, now! Bring our friend along, too!" and then she whispers "Are you familiar with any counter magicks, Eltrezar? We may need them!"

Jul 3, 2022 1:45 am

Gilly grabs the floating dwarf by the foot and guides him down the tunnel towards the others! She pulls the magical cloak about her with her free hand, and waits to see the mute man come into the light.

"Is he dead?"

Jul 3, 2022 4:25 am

OOC:

Lighting a torch with a tinder box is a full round action with a 2-in-6 success rate.

Ora starts using her tinderbox in a attempt to start a fire large enough to reignite her torch but struggles to get even sparks.

OOC:

Gilly would be unable to see yet.

Rolls

Ora Tinder box roll - (1d6)

(5) = 5

Jul 3, 2022 7:08 am

OOC:

Does a lantern and oil offer better odds, as that’s what she has in her own inventory. The torch I intended to hand off in any case!

Jul 3, 2022 2:11 pm

The completely trustworthy thief approaches the body slowly fading in his infravison, and kicks at it with his foot. "Dead, as he deserves. Now we'll have to deal with his employers when we return, they see to be in league with what's going on down here."

Last edited July 3, 2022 2:11 pm

Jul 3, 2022 2:17 pm

Hrmph! "I am afraid I have nothing of the sort, young one. If it does come true that he is against us, our best defense is spreading wide apart and coming in from all angles." Eltrezar gets to lighting his own lantern that Ora had returned.

Rolls

Striking flint (2 out of 6) - (1d6)

(3) = 3

Jul 3, 2022 2:43 pm

KCC says:

OOC:

Does a lantern and oil offer better odds, as that’s what she has in her own inventory. The torch I intended to hand off in any case!

OOC:

Hmm... I think that lanterns/torches/ are only different on how long each item burns for, but both would require the tinder box to get a flame going to light them.

The room remains dark. Occasionally small snapshots of the crypts around them are revealed by the tiny sparking of flints as the party tries to restore light in the burial crypts. To the north, Maloria sees Spugnoir struggling to get his own torch re-lit as well.
As the darkness is filled with the sounds of heavy breathing and the clacking of stones and steel being brought together, those waiting in the east/west wing suddenly see illumination appear at the peripherals of their vision. Initially the thought comes to mind that one among them has succeeded in getting a light source ignited, but the dancing light comes from the hallway the party just returned from. Cautious footsteps approach and a moment later a guard steps into view of the magicians and Gilly. Protected in chainmail and garbed all in black with gold eyes of fire embroidered upon tunic and cloak, the man looks directly at Eltrezar before shouting back over his shoulder, "Back 'ere in the burial crypts, Turk! Three of 'em! Two wearing naught but robes, and a halflin' girl in leathers! Halflin's carryin' a bow, and likely the one that done the Gnoll bitch in back there.". The man draws a longsword from his scabbard and prepares to advance on the group attending Thurig.

OOC:

Well the good news is someone brought light, so you can put your tinderboxes away (don't say I never bring you gifts).

Round 6 ends with the death of the Trading Post Man-at-Arms. Rather than moving back to exploration time, a new trouble, in the form of being discovered by a guard patrolling the halls and investigating the sounds of battle carried through the dungeon, kicks us in to Round 7.

Turn order is as follows:
-->1. Party: Gilly, Eltrezar, Maloria, Luban, Thurig, Ora, Spugnoir
2. Guards

Rolls

Secret Roll

Party Initiative roll - (1d6+2)

(6) + 2 = 8

Secret Roll

Guards Initiative roll - (1d6)

(6) = 6

Jul 3, 2022 8:23 pm

Ahem! "Spuignor, I believe we may need your assistance now!"

Jul 3, 2022 10:58 pm

OOC:

Im almost offended. A Halfling, in the dark, in a magical cloak... seen. This man is too powerful to be left alive! He must be the big bad!

Gilly does little more than growl as the man comes into view. She fishes for an arrow, and comes back with one of those nice ones they found upstairs in one of the creature’s nests. She fires at the man.

OOC:

Rolling bad all the time is so very tiresome… :D

Last edited July 3, 2022 10:59 pm

Rolls

Attack Plus 1 - (1d20+4)

(3) + 4 = 7

Damage Plus 1 - (1d6+1)

(2) + 1 = 3

Jul 3, 2022 11:05 pm

Knowing that Maloria and Luban are still on the other side of the group, Ora finds herself as all that stands between the man with the sword and the more vulnerable members of the party.

And so she steps forward into the light, sword at the ready. She knows she’s quick, and she hopes that his longer sword and heavier armor might make his cruel blows harder to land in such tight quarters! She strikes out with her blade!

OOC:

Tiresome…

Last edited July 3, 2022 11:06 pm

Rolls

Attack and Damage - (1d20+1, 1d8+1)

1d20+1 : (8) + 1 = 9

1d8+1 : (2) + 1 = 3

Jul 3, 2022 11:29 pm

OOC:

Oh dang, I forgot about Gilly’s cloak post…. Hold please…

Alright, please continue…

Gilly and Ora both try to take advantage of the fact that the newcomer hasn’t closed the distance on the party yet, but both attacks fail.

Rolls

Gilly’s cloak roll - (1d6)

Jul 4, 2022 4:35 pm

"Run for the ladder! Follow my voice!"

Mal shouts for the others to flee and holds her action until she sees what they will do...

OOC:

We are very low on melee here, you guys wanna fight in the dark? We should bail I think...

Jul 5, 2022 12:14 am

OOC:

Welp… looks like Ora is covering the retreat!

Jul 5, 2022 4:35 am

OOC:

Couldn't Ora and Gilly still move? You can move and shoot in the same round yeah?

Jul 5, 2022 4:43 am

Eltrezar quickly stuffs the tinderbox into a pocket, grabs a hold of one of Thurig's floating legs, and flees as fast as he can towards where he had heard the voice of the man-at-arms. The dwarf may serve as a bumper in this situation.

Jul 5, 2022 4:45 am

Not knowing what else to do, Luban takes his bow and moves to a nook somewhere on the south wall near his party, hoping to get behind the guards and get a better assessment of what is happening.

OOC:

Somewhere in the 47 wall.

Jul 5, 2022 3:29 pm

As the party flees for the ladder, Luban finds a small alcove to crouch in, hoping to get a better view of these new pursuers. The first man charges into the room. Making a brief scan around his focus falls on the group of Ora, Spugnoir, Gilly. The man stops and sheaths his sword, and the group notices a light crossbow at his hip he intends to draw. Meanwhile, a second man rushes into the chamber behind his counterpart, makes a brief glance around, and focuses on the party. Though both men carry torches, neither are near enough to Mal or Luban to see them yet, and the dwarf and half-orc remain cloaked in darkness.

OOC:

Round 7 ends; Round 8 begins! Turn order is as follows:
-->1. Party: Gilly, Eltrezar, Maloria, Luban, Thurig, Ora, Spugnoir
2. Guards

Rolls

Secret Roll

Party Initiative roll - (1d6+2)

(1) + 2 = 3

Guards Initiative roll - (1d6)

(2) = 2

Secret Roll

Jul 5, 2022 7:18 pm

Spugnoir begins giving a complicated array of somatic gestures while muttering the incantations of an arcane language, drawing focus on the energies about him, and the guards both look at the man, realizing they've walked into the range of a spellcaster and immediately recognize him as a threat that needs to be dealt with.

OOC:

I'll just get Spugnoir out of the way here real quick...

-->1. Party: Gilly, Eltrezar, Maloria, Luban, Thurig, Ora, Spugnoir

Jul 5, 2022 7:26 pm

From where he is hidden, Luban kneels down and takes aim, steadying his bow and focusing on the first guard (with the crossbow). He waits for the man to stand steady, and looses his arrow.

Instead of a sickly wet sound and a cry of pain, he hears the sound of stone being struck. Luban the Unlucky for sure.

Last edited July 5, 2022 7:27 pm

Rolls

Attack (Shortbow) - (1d20+3)

(2) + 3 = 5

Damage (Shortbow) - (1d6)

(5) = 5

Jul 5, 2022 7:28 pm

Not having a clue as to which direction to head, Eltrezar begins again trying to light his lantern.

Rolls

Flint, don't fail me now! - (1d6)

(5) = 5

Jul 5, 2022 7:38 pm

Mal twirls her sling and whips a stone at one of the guards before she moves for the ladder...

Rolls

Attack, Damage - (1d20+1, 1d4+1)

1d20+1 : (15) + 1 = 16

1d4+1 : (3) + 1 = 4

Jul 5, 2022 10:13 pm

OOC:

@dominion451: At the guard going for the light crossbow, whom Luban just missed, or at the guard with the longsword in hand?

Jul 5, 2022 10:25 pm

OOC:

let's say crossbow boy

Jul 5, 2022 11:01 pm

Out of the darkness a small round stone comes sailing out at great velocity, striking the man sheathing his sword and staggering him. His companion sees this and his eyes probe the darkness in search of this unseen assailant. Suddenly both men, almost in unison, begin a strange, unsettling, otherworldly howling, it's noise bursting forth together from their vocal chords with an eerie, "WhooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOO..." Its a clamoring that can't possibly come from a natural man alone.

The noise runs through crypts and the halls beyond in a way that feels almost as if the men's soundwaves are reverberating off the stonework and gaining strength, giving the sense that this unnatural howling is probably carrying to every secret passageway and hidden nook and cranny hidden from light. If any can't hear this racket they must have lain dead far longer than even the ghouls that once occupied this space, but even they must have wakened now...

Jul 5, 2022 11:20 pm

Gilly desperately wanted time to search the mute man’s body before it would be denied to her forever!

And yet she knew that they were moments away from being surrounded. And so she grabs the dwarf along again and drags him as far as she is able towards the exit.

Jul 5, 2022 11:23 pm

"Oh, leave us be, foolish dogs. Or I’ll rub your nose in your own filth!"

The woman clatters her staff against the floor to try and match the racket they made, as her magical words try to instill fear! Then she turns and follows Gilly out!

"Luban, come now! No time for bravery! Maloria, quickly now!"

OOC:

Trying to cause Fear

Jul 8, 2022 8:04 pm

Gilly uses the wall for bearing and moves past Eltrezar and the floating figure of Thurig Stoneheart, grabbing the dwarf and pulling him behind her as she carefully feels her way through the tunnel leading to the pillar's ladder.

Meanwhile, Ora issues a command to the two guards, hoping to instill enough fear in them to end the encounter without any more bloodshed. "Oh, leave us be, foolish dogs. Or I’ll rub your nose in your own filth!"
The mage sees the guards as they seem to hesitate for a moment as if weighing their options, before Ora slips into the darkness and begins feeling her way to the ladder tunnel.

Suddenly, Spugnoir finishes his complicated series of gestures and arcane chanting and looks straight at the torch-wielding guards, and the atmosphere in the room begins bear what might be described as a "heaviness" or "sluggishness" to it, and those fleeing have a sense that it takes extra effort to move their leaden feet in front of one another, but only Maloria, Luban, and the magician himself see the two guards suddenly cease their infernal howling and slump to their knees before toppling over in deep slumber, their torches sputtering and struggling to stay ignited on the stone next to them.

OOC:

Round 8 concludes with the two guards asleep on the floor, unable to defend themselves unless awoken. A Round 9 to dispatch them properly perhaps? Or maybe you're thinking not today?

Rolls

Ora Rally/Fear check - (1d100)

Secret Roll

Spugnoir Sleep duration (4d4 Turns) - (4d4)

Jul 8, 2022 9:12 pm

If there are going to be guards of a cult chasing the party out of the ruins, it would at least help to have fewer guards. Though Luban wasn't confident in the morality of his choice, these were men who would otherwise commit heinous atrocities in the name of this Marka... Hare... shit, what was the leader's name?

The thief rushes to the sleeping bodies and, with his curved blade, begins gently but violently preventing them from harming any others.

Jul 8, 2022 10:18 pm

"Err, one moment Luban, my friend," Spugnoir quickly interjects. "I must warn you that these men are only under the effects of this spell so long as they remain unmolested. I bel--"

But as Luban carries out a death sentence on each man, and their life spills onto the stone floor, Spugnoir reconsiders. "Oh! Now that's quite interesting... It seems that bladed weapons will do the trick without awakening them. I should a this note to my book," he mutters to himself.

Jul 9, 2022 12:21 am

Eltrezar averts his gaze from the dark deeds, but takes a moment to listen for other footsteps echoing through the halls.

Jul 9, 2022 3:01 am

Hearing all this happen in the dark, Ora whisper-shouts: "Search them for a key or some such, quickly. And then let’s be gone!"

Last edited July 9, 2022 3:01 am

Jul 9, 2022 3:01 am

"And the mute one! If we have time! He must have something on him! We need proof, for Elmo!"

Jul 9, 2022 5:07 am

Listening to the wise and lovely Ora, as well as the serious Gilly, Luban quickly pats down the guards looking for a key (or coin). Regardless of what he finds, he then moves to the man-at-arms and begins to drag him out. The man is heavy!

Jul 9, 2022 6:49 am

OOC:

Striking a light!

Rolls

1d6

(2) = 2

Jul 9, 2022 6:50 am

Gilly drives on, now that Ora has a light! She feels like there’s a chase on. And she needs to retrieve the bag of coin upstairs before they can make their getaway!

Jul 9, 2022 4:20 pm

Ora takes a moment to pull her tinderbox back out and strikes flint to steel, until a fire is kindled, and once again the lantern gives off a warm light for others to see with.

As Luban searches the two dead guardsmen for valuables, Spugnoir rushes over to one and picks the man's sputtering torch off the ground before it fizzles out. In addition to their standard issue inventory of a set chain armor, 1 longsword, 1 dagger, 1 light crossbow, and 30 crossbow bolts, one of the men is carrying a coin purse containing 3 platinum peices, 5 gold, and 8 silver. The other man's purse holds 1 platinum, 2 gold coins, and 6 silvers.
He then moves over to the dead Man-at-Arms and searches the body. The man carries a set of chain armor, 1 longsword, 1 longbow, and 20 arrows. The man carries no coin or papers, but Luban finds a tiny slip of rolled up paper on his person:

We are not in the habit of buying our own inventory back from the heedless wanderers who have taken an interest in your ruins, though no doubt if you've found this note, your increasingly incompetent patrols have failed you once again and that is exactly what we've been forced to do. Luckily we had the foresight to send our man with the intruders, to either make sure they are taken care of once and for all, or at least see to it that your equipment arrives at the store safely and in one piece. Tell Lareth he can send an envoy to make arrangements for a clandestine return of the armory's contents AFTER we have been adequately compensated for the expenses we have incurred. -R

The man is indeed heavy, and as Luban begins to lift the man to drag out of the ruins he realizes that carrying him up the ladder and out the front gates of the ruined drawbridge will be slow work indeed.

Meanwhile, Eltrezar focuses on any sounds emanating from the darkened dungeon. From the direction of the door the guardsmen came rushing through he suddenly believes he may hear the quiet sounds of more booted feet making their cautious way towards the crypts.

Gilly feels her way forward, dragging the falen dwarven fighter behind her until her fingers suddenly grasp the bottom rungs of the ladder.

OOC:

Let me know what of the following items Luban wishes to grab:
3) Chainmail Armor
3) Longswords
2) Daggers
2) Light Crossbows
60) crossbow bolts
1) Longbow
20) arrows
1) slip of paper
4) platinum pieces
7) gold pieces
14) silver pieces

Rolls

Secret Roll

Jul 11, 2022 3:28 am

One armed and two legged, Gilly climbs the ladder, allowing the dwarf to float up along with her, keeping him under control with the other hand. She doesn’t wait for the others before she climbs, but she will wait in the room above before continuing. The hard work with the unconscious dwarf had been done!

Jul 11, 2022 3:29 am

"Quickly now, everyone. Their fallen companions may be more of a deterrent than our words or weapons, for now! Let’s be away!"

Ora leads the others in the direction they just came down.

Jul 11, 2022 12:44 pm

Not expecting to have all the time in the world, Luban returns to the group with coins and weapons, which he begins to load onto Thurig. He giggles at the image, then groans as the arrow wound sharpens.

OOC:

Luban will take the swords and daggers. If reasonable, the crossbows too.

Jul 11, 2022 4:38 pm

Mal waits for Luban to finish his collecting before climbing the ladder herself, the well armored cleric intends to be the last one up.

Jul 11, 2022 4:58 pm

OOC:

I assume Eltrezar and Mal follow the rest up the ladder?

Jul 11, 2022 5:19 pm

OOC:

Absolutely I do. It is not an easy ladder for such an old man, but much better than being stabbed by guards.

Jul 11, 2022 6:39 pm

OOC:

yes indeed

Jul 11, 2022 9:23 pm

The group finds themselves in the torture chamber once again, one adventurer shorter than they descended, Maloria struggling to bring up the rear while trudging up the ladder in her heavy armor.

Jul 11, 2022 9:42 pm

Clearly hoping Gilly doesn't tell the newcomers of his "sex dungeon" blunder, Eltrezar huffs and urges the party on. The sooner they are out, the sooner they can be in town once again.

Jul 12, 2022 11:33 am

Desperate for the outside, and natural light, Ora marches side by side with Gilly, who drags the dwarf behind her! They aim for the stairs leading up to the keep itself.

"Unless you what to clobber them over the head as they climb the ladder? Though I doubt these men are quite that unintelligent!"

Jul 17, 2022 10:26 pm

The party leaves the torture chamber and passes through the empty cells without any further trouble, then makes their way up the staircase into the old food pantry with it's stinking pile of dead rats blocking doorway, forcing the party to climb over. The sudden arrival of the first over the huge pile startles a flock of grey pigeons causing them to quickly take flight into the blinding sunlight beaming through a gaping hole in the ceiling above.

Rolls

Secret Roll

Jul 18, 2022 12:38 am

Gilly slinks off to retrieve the bag of coin she had earlier hidden away, and races back to the others.

Jul 18, 2022 1:46 am

Hrmph! "Quick, to the horses! Who knows what sneaky passageways they have discovered in this place!" Eltrezar snuffs out his lantern while still moving forward, helping guide the others towards their mounts.

Jul 18, 2022 2:14 am

Mal keeps her head on a swivel as everyone makes for the horses and helps drape Thurig over the saddle as they make ready...

Jul 18, 2022 4:14 am

Luban sticks to the rear with his bow at the ready, mounting only once the others have begun trotting. This will help the others forget about his slippery fingers...

Jul 18, 2022 2:30 pm

Ora idles a moment, ensuring that Gilly gathers up their bounty without being harassed!

"Quickly now! Across the bridge. Carefully, Gilly!"

Jul 18, 2022 4:10 pm

Gilly collects the cache of coins and gems stashed in the room with the Giant Snake carcass, and then her and Ora rejoin the group. All remain on high alert for incoming pursuers, but the ruins seem calm above ground. Leaving the moathouse by way of the large table turned makeshift drawbridge, the horses remain tied up near the stand of trees.

The ground is muddy, and pocked with large puddles, and drops of water cling still from leaves and branches, telling of a rain that has fallen for most of the morning, but the clouds above have broken up and a warm sunshine blankets the ruins now. Insects and frogs sing in the way that only fresh precipitation makes them thirsty for a mate.

As the group mounts their animals, Spugnoir grabs the pommel of the Man-at-Arms's horse, pulling himself up onto the saddle, holding the reins of his own horse at his side. "Ahem..." he says, awkwardly clearing his throat before continuing. "Guess we didn't need this cart after all. At least not for the purposes we intended. Shame, it is, because I fear you're not likely to get another one from the Trading Post's proprietors at the steal I bargained for us on this trip.
"In any case, you might as well throw your friend on it." He nods at Thurig. "That Fly scroll Miss Rusk used is not likely to last all the way back to the vil--"

Before the young wizard can finish his sentence, Thurig Stonehearth crashes to the muddy ground with a clang and clatter of heavy plate armor stacked with longswords, daggers, crossbows, and quivers of bolts, unconscious and oblivious to the pile he's now splayed out under.

Rolls

Secret Roll

Jul 18, 2022 4:51 pm

Rushing to the side of the dwarf, Luban helps throw the weapons into the cart before assisting in lifting the dwarf. How was it that the gods could create something quite so heavy in such a small frame?!

Grunting, he comments back to Spuignor. Hrngh! "I don't believe those proprietors will be an issue, I have proof of their dealings with this Lareth and the cult! The sheriff will be happy to see it and be done with them."

Last edited July 18, 2022 5:01 pm

Jul 18, 2022 6:27 pm

As Mal helps Luban heave Thurig's body onto the wagon she winces at mention of the sheriff. She imagines telling a drunk Elmo about what they've found and begins to doubt the whole plan.

"We may have some trouble there, the only law we know in Hommlet is far less than reliable. In fact, we may need to question who indeed we can really trust in this town."

Jul 19, 2022 12:20 am

"Starting with him." Ora says, pointing a finger at Spugnoir.

"You acted more than strange down there. Did you mean to abandon us to the gnolls? Why did both you and the mute walk away in tandem? No… something isn’t right here.

Speak. I hope it doesn’t come to me forcing the words from you!"

Jul 19, 2022 12:21 am

Gilly stops packing up Timber, and rounds to back up Ora. She doesn’t draw a weapon, but she’s ready to if the man starts to implement anything arcane.

Jul 19, 2022 1:23 am

OOC:

Hold please. Might take a bit. Feels like Imma have to write a monologue on this project…

Jul 19, 2022 1:45 am

Mal turns to hear the explanation from Spugnoir as well, the dwarf being more than a little curious to hear the answer.

"You read my mind Ora, although I would hear the reason before casting my own judgement. Fear I understand, but we must be very careful going forward."

Jul 19, 2022 8:12 pm

Spugnoir seems to ignore Maloria’s interjection as he stares at Ora Rusk. The initial look of bafflement on his face darkens and his usual, easygoing nature withdraws. He suddenly takes the extinguished torch he’d carried from the bowels of the dungeon and breaks it over his knee before throwing the broken halves into the tallgrass to the side of him, the dead man’s horse shuffling its hooves nervously underneath him and says, "Well this is just rich; you know that? All of you… You’re really something else!"
"You know, I’m not the only newcomer to this party! You’re aware of that, right? From everything I’ve gathered in barely a day since I’ve met Eltrezar, you outfit have allowed myself, a thief, this dwarf, and that mage to join you group as new companions to a party that has begun to develop a reputation for coming back without everyone you left with, and yet this cleric talks about trust! From what I understand, the moment you lot rode into that village you had a half-dead dwarf with you, and you've been dragging half dead dwarves behind you ever since!
But you lot are worried about trusting me? And from the moment we started this endeavor I’m the only one that’s been subject to constant suspicion!!!

"You’ve known this thieving half-orc for little longer than myself!" Spugnoir gestures to Luban. "You’ve caught him in the act of trying to steal gems and other items of your shared income, and who knows what else he’s stolen from under our noses that we didn’t notice by the way, if he’s as good as he says he is at what he is, and yet you accuse ME of disloyalty?

"And this mage is brought on to assist you with your endeavors from an arcane approach, yet she’s functionally incapable of casting a single spell without a scroll in her hands. --A SCROLL, I remind you, that was the ONLY payment I required for my clearly superior arcane services!-- "And yet when this AMATEUR reveals she has not a single arcane word inscribed upon a slip of parchment for which she needs perform the duties for which she has been employed, not a single one of you made remark of any suspicion of HER motives! Yet SHE casts doubt om my motives? I’ll remind you that all this mage has done for you is turn a half-dead dwarf into a floating disc, and were it not for me and my Sleep magic, you all would be getting hacked to bits by countless guards right now!"

The man looks back to Ora… "Why did I leave with the mute in tandem, you ask? What in the planes of the Abyss would you have me do?" He holds his arms out in a self-depreciating gesture of "take a look at me", then pulls his dagger from his belt and waves it about in lackadaisical circles. "Would you have preferred I stand in his way? Threaten the broken-nosed brute with a poke from my little knife here before he cleaves me in two with his longsword? Did anyone else notice the speed with which the man could send multiple arrows from his bow?"

"Ah! Well actually this makes some sense," he says suddenly, as if on another train of thought, shifting his eyes to Eltrezar while still speaking to Ora and the rest of the group. "I forgot what Eltrezar warned me of... You folk have a habit of losing your front-line fighters," he looks at the fallen Thurig, "and expecting your learned spellcasters to act as brutes; treating them as cowards should they fail to meet your expectations."

"So to answer your question , Miss Rusk," he says turning back to the mage, "The plan was that having seen the wagon man betray us to the gnolls, I would act as a newcomer with no skin in the game one way or the other, and HOPEFULLY he would allow me to abandon you as well. To my surprise that's exactly what he did, and I HOPED that in the ride back I might cast a spell of Sleep on him, tie him up, and either wait for you to catch up with me or continue on with the wagon man to Hommlet and turn him in to the VILLAGE MILITIA." Spugnoir looks pointedly at Maloria when he says this. "The proper authorities, if you will."

"Instead, you intercepted him and put him down for his treachery, and lucky for us I still had a Sleep spell for the guards that caught up with us, so I’d say I’ve certainly pulled my own weight today.

"Here’s the thing," he says to Ora. "I had HOPED we’d find a working relationship, despite the fact that you came to this job ill-equipped and incompetent. I went so far as to offer you my sole income for this expedition in order to allow you to perform your duties, and you treated my scrolls as if they were toys for your consumption and then accuse me of treachery!
"I was thinking that had we managed to find a compatible working relationship I would have split any scrolls we found half-and-half after we returned to the inn, but despite my generosity you’ve accused me of ulterior motives. You’re incompetent, and as far as I’m concerned you're a grifter, much like the half-orc that’s bent on stealing your earnings as well."

Spugnoir turns to Eltrezar. "My friend... Your group is broken at best. They’re brigands and highwaymen at worst. They shun you and treat you as a coward because you don’t fill the roll of their fallen fighters. Leave them and join me and we’ll set out together. I’d like to spend a week transcribing a spell from your book to mine and I’d be willing to let you do likewise, partner. Stick with them, though, and you’ll be dead within a tenday, mark my words.

"And I wonder," Spugnoir looks around, a look of feigned curiosity on his face, and then continues. "For a group such as yours, who seem lose a new companions every time you set out, how will it look now, when you return from these ruins one man short, yet again? Eh? And a man, probably well known by the village as a whole this time, I would say? A man who serves men of repute within the village.

"In any case, that isn’t my problem, though I’m sure I can’t recommend to others that joining your group is a safe or pleasant prospect, should you be in need of a spellcaster’s services in the future or anyone in search of work comes asking me for referrals.

"Having said my piece, I believe my work with your party has reached it’s conclusion. Miss Rusk, you’ll return to me the remaining three scrolls which you’ve as yet failed to waste in creative ways, and I’ll be on my way, though I promise to return the horse and cart to the Trading Post with news of their hired man’s demise." He extends his hand, waiting for Ora to give him the scrolls.

Jul 19, 2022 8:42 pm

The wizard shuffles on his feet, kicking dirt as he processes what his fellow spellcaster had just said. There was a lot to take in, and he did not want to be so urgent as to misinterpret the words. Hrmph! "Well, I cannot say I disagree with many of the points you have made, Spuignor. You are wise indeed to see what festers in this companionship. I must join you in your chiding of those that question your motives, as we indeed have said nothing about those who misled us in their trustworthiness or usefulness." He looks to Luban and Ora in turn. "And though I am loathe to miss the opportunity to study with you, my good sir- I'm sure it would have been a fascinating and fruitful partnership- it is with this dwarf and halfling that I place my fates and trust. Though it has not been long, it is these two that have shown valor and comradery I thought long forgotten in ages past. Though we will be having words on trust and behavior soon enough." He casts a dark glance at both Mal and Gilly.

"You have fulfilled your side of our agreement, Spuignor, and so I would have you take not only the scrolls we agreed upon, but also traitor's share of the treasure. If not for you and your timely spell, we would not have reached the surface again." Eltrezar gives a look challenging any to argue. "But before you depart, I would have you know that we have had reason to suspect not only the man-at-arms, but also his employers. It was not until now that we had proof of their misdoings. That you had brought him along was dumb luck... or misfortune. I cannot say. But do not think so little of us as to suspect we had ill intent towards the man without reason."

"If you are amenable, I would still have it that we trade our spells. As arcanists, the spread of knowledge transcends the squabbles of the mundane world. And I would continue the friendship. But I understand that what you have seen and experienced troubles you so, and thus I would not be surprised or upset if you declined this offer. In which case, I bid you a fruitful life and many epiphanies. Return to town with us, at the very least, and give yourself time to think."

Jul 19, 2022 11:15 pm

Mal holds up her hands defensively,

"Easy now Spugnoir, we are not on a treasure finding adventure here, I, like my predecessor who gave her life, am a cleric of Cuthbert and we are fighting to save this land from a great evil that is growing beneath that broken keep. Those that risk their lives with us can know that the gods of law will judge them kindly when they pass beyond. Luban may be light fingered but that's a pretty sort of ill. When a soldier runs from battle he is judged most harshly, and while we do not assume your character you did seem to flee. It is not unreasonable for us to ask for justification."

Jul 20, 2022 12:47 am

"He…" Gilly says, piping up, and pointing at the half-orc "… swam to the bottom of a monster’s lair to save someone he doesn’t even know. He put himself on the line. Better he had walked off into the dark, like you, is it? Hoping the monster takes another to save your own skin."

Jul 20, 2022 12:50 am

"Ha!" Ora’s eyed flash wild. "You couldn’t hear over the sound of your own heart in your throat, but my magicks gave you the means to tuck your tail between your legs and flee. No doubt a hungry gnoll would have cut your throat in the dark, if I hadn’t sent them away."

She laughs again:

"You confess yourself a coward! And now you tell us of plans you would have done. Assuring us of them, now that they need never come to fruition. The bluffing of a coward. The one in the tavern who exaggerates their own part, and regales the village folk of what they would have done, if given further chance."

She makes no move to reach for the scrolls.

Last edited July 20, 2022 12:54 am

Jul 20, 2022 12:56 am

Gilly keeps quiet upon Eltrezar’s remarks.

Jul 20, 2022 12:58 am

Though Ora snorts derisively.

"The great knife-thrower deigns to lecture on trustworthiness and usefulness. He who couldn’t hit a mark at a village fair. He who left his companions to be eaten alive by ghouls.

No. I don’t believe I need to take lessons from the torch bearer."

Jul 20, 2022 1:11 am

Gilly raises a hand to halt the argument between Ora and Eltrezar, if she can.

She looks to the newcomer:

"Lean Meat…" she points to Eltrezar "… told you the risks. You said so yourself. And yet you still came."

The Halfling shrugs her shoulders.

"So don’t act like some long legs lordling now. You took your chance, same as we. Same as everyone else who came here."

"And yes… we are here in part thanks to you. Why you couldn’t use your magicks against the gnolls… well… that’s for you to say.

But don’t clap yourself on the back too hard, lordling. You’d happily have seen us eaten by gnolls. Only when your best chance of survival stood with us again, did you finally use your spells."

Gilly shrugs again. The man was a worm, in her eyes. Calculating his greatest chance of survival at every turn. And now, attacking the group was his best chance.

Gilly hadn’t spoken this much in quite some time.

Last edited July 20, 2022 1:14 am

Jul 20, 2022 4:41 am

Eltrezar turns to the halfing woman and the vitriol she was spewing. Hrmph! "You are going too far, little one. It is widely known that we weavers of the arcane follow the whims of magics, not easily explained. And that we cannot afford ourselves the same protections as you," he says, gesturing to her armor. "So yes, we must be cautious in our every movement in places such as this. Sometimes that means hiding from eight food hyene-headed monstrosities in armor and wielding vicious blades. By Boccob's spectacles, he DID use his magicks to save us. And yet you call him craven?! You have already made it clear you thick as such about me! You and the new scroll-caster both. Is this not so?!"

He falters for a moment, sputtering with passion before breathing deeply and centering himself.

"Gilly, if you have so little faith in us, how can you follow us into the depths? Or anywhere, for that matter?"

Last edited July 20, 2022 4:44 am

Jul 20, 2022 4:42 am

Luban stands dumbfounded, not sure how he feels about the outbursts and all the comments about himself. Once or twice he raises his hand to interject, but is quickly spoken over.

Jul 20, 2022 5:33 am

Mal bangs her hammer against her shield hard to grab everyone's attention,

"Let us not forget the eight foot hyenas that might be sneaking up on us right now! Plenty of time to let fear and adrenaline make fools of us on the road! We ride!"

Mal wastes no more time and takes control of the wagon as she rides away from the moathouse.

Jul 20, 2022 3:01 pm

Eltrezar mounts his horse and follows, but pauses for a moment to look to Spuignor. Ahem! "Ride with us to town, as these roads are filled with peril."

Jul 21, 2022 3:01 am

Gilly is a little taken aback that Eltrezar ignores the barbs from Ora, to turn instead on herself.

"I’m here, aren’t I?" she throws her hands around to indicate the moat.

"And this time we have something to show for it!" she says, lugging the coin bag up onto Timber’s saddle. She turns back to the wizard then.

"I’d sooner be done with this place now. Especially if he means to make the villagers suspect us of something!"

Jul 21, 2022 4:13 am

OOC:

Onwards, dramatically!

Jul 22, 2022 1:10 pm

OOC:

Ride on, Timber. Remember we saw that scroll in that icy cave? I do!

Jul 22, 2022 5:00 pm

Tension and distrust once again creeps within' the party's ranks, and perhaps not unexpectedly considering even the most veteran of the group have only known one another for a few days now, the group sets forth for the village.
Despite a nervousness that leaves all looking over their shoulders in anticipation of a chase, or an attack from the rear by gnolls, black-armored guards, or something worse, the trip back is uneventful, the brooding silence broken only by Spugnior who, sour at Ora for refusing to turn over his payment, mutters occasional insistence that the only reason he's not demanding the scrolls be handed over this instant being that technically his service remains unfulfilled until the party reaches the village of Hommlet, but that he will then be expecting them to be surrendered.
The rock outcrop containing the small cave where the party once felt such a chill, and later discivered a dead pixie inside of, passes by on the right. Nothing menaces the group from within as they approach and pass by.

OOC:

Anyone stopping to enter the cave? Or continue on to the village?

Rolls

Random Encounter roll - (1d6)

Jul 22, 2022 5:27 pm

Neither Eltrezar nor Luban make any attempt to stop here, though the wizard does gaze at the cave curiously. What had it been that caused the drastic temperature shift in there, only some days ago?

Jul 23, 2022 1:32 am

Mal keeps her focus on getting back to town as well. There was too much tension amidst the group for dalliance.

Jul 23, 2022 4:22 am

Gilly casts an eye over the cave, but doesn’t dare to suggest a stop. It does make her wonder though. Wonder about all the mysterious places out there! Places they could be adventuring, instead of this dark, deadly place.

"Maloria…" she says, a few moments later.

"There must be other people to help. Somewhere else! Couldn’t we go there instead?"

Last edited July 23, 2022 4:27 am

Jul 23, 2022 4:26 am

The flush red begins to seep off the mage’s face, and regret begins to set in. She clears her throat and speaks eventually.

"Yes. There are, Gilly. The world is full of people in need of help. There are forces at work here… and everywhere.

In some places… Evil reigns. And in others… Good! Have you given thought to petitioning the church for aid, Maloria?

And you… Eltrezar…" she clears her throat "Are there masters of the arcane we might call on?"

Jul 23, 2022 6:45 pm

Spugnoir clears his own throat and speaks up before the older wizard can reply, "Ahem, beg pardon Miss Rusk, perhaps my temper got the better of me before. But I feel that if given a week alone for us to compare knowledge and study one another's magics the man himself will be quite capable of lending a much more versatile arcane skill set to the needs of the group, should he choose to remain with you afterwards. Skills at least as great as my own, I should imagine. If he chooses to remain with your party, that is, though again, I hope to convince my friend here to take his services with me and we'll continue to unlock the secrets of the arcane together."

Jul 24, 2022 3:59 am

Eltrezar nods along with the other wizard as they pass by the cave. "It would do us all a bit of good to rest for some days. I would deal with the gnolls before they become a larger problem, but then take some time to relax. We have earned it.

Jul 24, 2022 9:56 am

It was the same conversation they had had every time they returned to Hommlet. How long to stay…

The armory had been cleared out overnight. And now they’d spoken with the gnolls, killed two human guards and finally dispatched the mute.

Gilly didn’t speak, but once again she wondered how wise it would be to give the moat a week absent of adventurers!

Jul 24, 2022 10:04 am

"Well… it was a close call for all of us. We each did what we thought best!" she says, beginning to make peace "Can’t you two copy these scrolls into your books? Seems a simple enough thing!"

She watches the road ahead for a while, and then speaks again.

"And where is it that two wizards might travel to? Might we all go there? If you two plan to settle down in Hommlet for a week… well, I doubt we’d escape the moat again should we venture back. It won’t be the same. Not once they call for reinforcements and have time to gather them!"

Jul 24, 2022 2:46 pm

Hrmph! "You may be right, but this is an opportunity I can hardly waste. Let us deal with the gnolls, as Thurig rests. Elmo should prove useful, as well as any of the militia we can afford to hire. Then we will consider our options. But we have gathered much info on our last two ventures, which should help us prepare."

Jul 24, 2022 4:39 pm

Mal feels anxious at the thought of abandoning the quest for either rest or alternate venues. She had been tasked by her betters with the investigation and elimination of the growing darkness within those ruins and she felt in her bones that they were close.

"I am the agent of the church sent to deal with the cult in those ruins Ora, although as close as I feel we are to ripping them out root and stem, perhaps it is time to beseach my elders for greater aid. Either way, more assistance will be needed and with what we know of the complicity of the tradesmen in town I believe it will be of great importance that we gather an army of the faithful to us as soon as possible. Very likely the cult will now send assassins after us for the damage we have wrought."

Jul 24, 2022 5:11 pm