4. The First Expedition

Grim shrugs broad dwarven shoulders, and replies, Good question my friend, maybe?

So long as they bleed, I don't care what color the ichor or the number of legs, Jehoash my good friend, Zach replies with a clearly repressed shudder.

"Zach right. Thrud chop spider leg good! Ready to fight!", Thrud says as he pantomimes a chopping motion with his axe.

Once Ellagel finished helping refill his lantern, Thrudmarr carefully steps over the silk thread to join his companions.

It's configured like a tripwire, yes. But the actual material the tripwire is made from is more like spider silk.

Wary of more triggers like the tripwire, Jacky approaches the next door, searching for traps all the while.

Seeing the whole party move towards the next door, Ella decided to join them, being extra cautious not to touch the tripwire.

The second door looks much like the first - the classic Archontean iron-bound wood construction. Jacky spends a turn carefully examining it for any signs of a trap, but finds nothing to cause concern.

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4:10 pm, Basilsday 2nd Lucreon (April) 2993 AEP
Ellagel, Elven Fighter/Magic User 1/1: 6/6, 60’
Grimidek, Dwarven Cleric 1: 9/9, 60’
Jacky, Halfling Fighter/Thief 1/1: 4/6, 60’
Thrudmarr, Wiskin Fighter 1: 5/5, 60’ (Lantern)
Zacharias, Archontean Fighter 1: 10/10, 60’

Link to Jacky’s maps …

Grim attempts to open the door.

Ella nocks an arrow, and prepares to shoot anything coming through the door. She is, however, quite unwilling to open hostilities in this place, given the probable trap the entire party is probably standing in.

Thrudmarr stands ready behind Grimidek, freshly filled lantern held high in one hand to illuminate the door and whatever may lie beyond it. His axe rests comfortably in his other hand, blade gleaming in the lantern light.

Zach yawns.

Beastmen Barracks: Veterans’ Hall
Grim opens the door, which swings away from him, to reveal a rectangular room. It is clearly a barracks, the only furniture being eight sleeping pallets, a weapons rack containing a mixture of spears and swords, and a wooden barrel.

Sitting on the pallets are 8 beastmen (4 pig-headed, 2 goat-headed, 1 rat-headed and 1 sheep-headed). All are clearly of advanced years - the visible skin on their human arms and hands is pale and wrinkled, their eyes are weak and watery, and there’s many a tooth missing from their mouths.

At Grim’s approach, they look up, clearly surprised by this unexpected arrival (you have surprise should you wish to use it).
You started at 8 am this morning. It’s now just after 4 pm. Technically, you can go quite a bit longer before fatigue-induced penalties start to apply, but at some stage, your casters will want to re-memorise their spells.

Mapping information: rectangular room, 30’ x 20’. You enter through the western section of the northern wall. There are two other visible exits - a door in the middle of the southern wall and a door in the southern section of the western wall.

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4:10 pm, Basilsday 2nd Lucreon (April) 2993 AEP
Ellagel, Elven Fighter/Magic User 1/1: 6/6, 60’
Grimidek, Dwarven Cleric 1: 9/9, 60’
Jacky, Halfling Fighter/Thief 1/1: 4/6, 60’
Thrudmarr, Wiskin Fighter 1: 5/5, 60’ (Lantern)
Zacharias, Archontean Fighter 1: 10/10, 60’

Link to Jacky’s maps …

"Hello!" Jacky says. "Sorry to barge in like this - we didn't know the room was occupied. Erm, do you speak Archontean?"

Grim waddles into the barracks, hammer and shield at his side. He stays silent and warily watches.

Before any of the beastman have time to do anything, Ellagel stood straight and pointed at the closest one she could see, and uttered a quick succession of eldritch syllables while her fingers weaved about in a hypnotic manner.

Thrudmarr enters and stands next to Grim, ready to fight if need be but awaiting to see how they react to Jacky and Ella first.

Beastmen Barracks: Veterans’ Hall
Ella targets the elderly sheep-headed beatman with her Charm Person spell …

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4:10 pm, Basilsday 2nd Lucreon (April) 2993 AEP
Ellagel, Elven Fighter/Magic User 1/1: 6/6, 60’
Grimidek, Dwarven Cleric 1: 9/9, 60’
Jacky, Halfling Fighter/Thief 1/1: 4/6, 60’
Thrudmarr, Wiskin Fighter 1: 5/5, 60’ (Lantern)
Zacharias, Archontean Fighter 1: 10/10, 60’

Link to Jacky’s maps …

Beastmen Barracks: Veterans’ Hall
The sheep-headed beastman succumbs completely to Ella’s elven charms.

As it only took 1 segment to cast the spell, Ella may still, within reason, interact with the now-charmed beastman in the surprise round (it understands Archontean).
The other beastmen old-timers have a look of panic on their faces (a lot will depend on how things play out with the charmed beastman, but, at this point, Jacky doesn’t get a warm sense that they are going to act calmly to his arrival).
Yes, it’s lit.

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4:10 pm, Basilsday 2nd Lucreon (April) 2993 AEP
Ellagel, Elven Fighter/Magic User 1/1: 6/6, 60’
Grimidek, Dwarven Cleric 1: 9/9, 60’
Jacky, Halfling Fighter/Thief 1/1: 4/6, 60’
Thrudmarr, Wiskin Fighter 1: 5/5, 60’ (Lantern)
Zacharias, Archontean Fighter 1: 10/10, 60’

Link to Jacky’s maps …

"Old friend!" the elf exclaimed from the back, making a show of lowering her bow and releasing the tension from the string while taking a couple of steps forward. "Wasn’t expecting to find you here! Who are all your friends? You can tell them they can trust us: we’re just passing by."