Against the cult: the Forest Ruin (1.5)

Albertus follows Theran back through the hedge, and this time he expects the trouble and ignores the pain of getting pierced. As he pushes past Theran at the entrance, Kragga and Xana fall into step beside Albertus. The elf's focus is on Ogbar and Aanbo, whose heads he can just see facing away from him over the railing at the top of the stairs. Neither Joseph nor Theran have mentioned what they've noticed about the floor, so when the halfling asks the others to look at the door, they head straight towards him. Xana is first to set foot on the part of the floor that has no dust...and her foot passes right through the floor! As she slips, Albertus sees this out of the corner of his eye, turns to help, and his foot shifts into the illusion (this was what he vaguely sensed before!), and he teeters on the edge of something he can't see...Albertus and Xana, each make a DEX save! Kragga, not noticing this, just skirts the edge of the illusion. But Joseph sees his two friends begin to drop, and he can reach out to try to help one of them (Joseph, choose Kragga or Xana to grant them ADV on their save). Kragga peers at the carved bird inside the snake. On first glance, he suspects that it's meant to be phoenix, and the rest of it - the snake and the sunburst - seem variations on the Pae symbols that Albertus has mentioned previously.Neither Aanbo or Ogbar have responded to Theran's query, so focused are they on the strange happenings upstairs. There is a small series of scraping noises that come from beyond the upstairs door, like chairs or other pieces of furniture being scraped backwards on stone. Ogbar sees the figure in the doorway turn back around, the unblinking, motionless, strangely glowing eyes rotating into view again. The figure steps out and walks back west...followed by another...and another...and another...and another, each with the same glowing sclera. The five of them, all within arm's reach, advance toward the gap in the railing where they could block, confront, or greet the two Dungeon Busters where they stand at the top of the stairs. Aanbo's eyes are able to discern that each figure's pale robes have been stained with a dark fluid that has spilled down their chests. As the first one comes around the railing, he can see that the stain extends up to a horizontal slit in its neck! He says: "Maybe it's time we head back to Hochoch. Devek's care is our immediate concern. We can come back to investigate at our leisure."

In the next moment, as Kragga finishes his move to the doorway, he continues to consider the symbol. ::It could be a button, or it could be a glyph of warding. And what is the significance of the phoenix? It usually represents resilience or reinventing oneself...::

Having turned back to watch the approach of his three friends, backlit by the torch flickering behind them, Joseph sees Xana and Albertus' silhouettes teeter as they step into the patch of ground not covered by dust. ::Why didn't I tell them?:: he thinks to himself, instinctively leaping forward and grabbing Xana's hand as Kragga steps past him. ::Not everyone is as observant as me!:: Holding tight to Joseph's hand, the gnome quips "A dance? Don't mind if I do!" with a smile.

Albertus, unassisted and unable to catch himself, falls through an illusion of floor into a circular pit. He lands heavily on the stone floor, next to the sputtering torch that Aanbo had thrown in previously. Albertus loses 2 HP. With the impact of the paladin's weight, there is a huge puff of dust, and a hidden switch is triggered somewhere. Seen from below, the illusion covering the pit appears to be solid grey stone 10' above him.

Joseph takes a step back and pulls to help Xana onto the dusty floor again. There is no sign of Albertus, though everyone hears the crash and clatter of his body and armor impacting somewhere below the dust-free section of floor.

The clatter continues from up above: the long chain holding the chandelier has been cut and each link rattles through anchoring rings on the wall and ceiling as the chandelier with the heavy gold suns and stars on it plummets toward the center of the first floor.

The first figure with glowing eyes steps back in front of Ogbar, and a second, slightly slimmer, figure with glowing eyes steps next to it, facing Aanbo. The dwarf can see now that they both wear very small round pendants around their necks. He doesn't have time to get more detail as the figures begin to slap, scratch, and punch with their cold hands at the two heroes!

Still looking up, Theran sees the head of the strange figure with glowing eyes appear above the bannister just as it starts to attack his friends.

Everyone, please roll initiatve.

ROUND ONE

Update: Combat has begun with the glowing-eyed figures upstairs attacking Ogbar and Aanbo. Albertus is in a pit, audible but invisible to the rest of the party. He does not know it but the chandelier is falling towards him.

Everyone, please declare your actions for the round. You don't have to declare them in order, but they will resolve in initiative order. So just post when you can.

OOC:

I'm not starting the round yet, but I am tracking the initiative order and, for your reference, each PC's current health. I'll update when we get the other two initiative rolls. Aanbo and Kragga were tied for initiative; which of you would like to go first? Similarly, Joseph and Ogbar are tied: which first?

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INITIATIVE ORDER (HEALTH)

Kragga (7/8)
Aanbo (11/11)
Theran (8/8)
Ogbar (14/14)
Joseph (6/8)
Xana (8/9)
Albertus (9/13)
Heralds (?)

Kragga begins the round. Turning, he starts to pull out his rope...