One for stating the obvious, "This place looks to be quite old and empty", Mort glanced about trying to make sure that they weren't being watched.   He looked for any possible tracks that might indicate that there has been some recent activity in the area.

Rodrigo slips in behind the others taking up the rear, he tries to cover what tracks they may have left. Once inside the cavern he spreads out a bit to their left and holds his bow and an arrow partially nocked and ready to draw if need be.

Gierdon walks slowly up to the nearest building and peers inside, looking for furnitire or other artifacts that might give clues about the prior inhabitants.

Anneth, magic lantern of detection held aloft, toys with the lenses until the one that she feels the most appropriate is "selected".  She says nothing, but carefully scans the area, seemingly watching where the lantern shines.  She hangs near the back of the group, but is of course on the inside of the ranks!

Magic lantern of detection, set to detect traps!
Gonna retroactively grab three of those magic bread rolls, too...

Gierdon peers into the nearest building and merely spots rubble and debris. The rubble, of course, came from walls and ceiling that partially collapsed. The debris is mostly decayed leaves and branches as well as some furniture that might have been there.


Anneth uses her lantern to detect traps, but she doesn't find any.


Mort doesn't see any tracks in the dust on the street, not even any mouse or rat tracks. This particular section of the collapsed city does not appear to have been used in a very long time.


Rodrigo is the only one that senses something... in the form of sound. Specifically, footsteps. He heard some for a moment coming from up ahead on the right but then they stopped. To be replaced by fainter yet more footsteps coming from ahead on the left.

Peering ahead, he sees that there is an intersection, maybe 30 feet away. It appears that a passage goes left and right.

Before he can alert the others, six tall gaunt gray-skinned creatures with large heads and big eyes step into view. They come from the left and seemed to be heading to the right, but something seems to draw the attention of one of them in your direction. They all stop in unison and look at your group. Again, in not-quite-exact unison, they raise an arm and point a device at you.

Gierdon dives into the structure he was exploring, taking cover behind a collapsed wall.  He readies his axe and waits.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:49, Mon 25 Feb 2019.

Rodrigo takes a couple quick steps aside to find some cover as he draws up his bow, awaiting to see what the others do.

Tom guards the back of the group and moves to a wall that he hopes conceals him.

Ooc: ok slightly confused here, if I'm reading our DM post correctly, our group is surprised by the grey guys. Are we able to react to their arrival and the device they are pointing at us.?  Wanted a clarification before posting Mort action

((OOC: No, you weren't exactly surprised by the appearance of the gray men, but the distance wasn't so great that you could have done anything before they appeared. However, you do have an opportunity to react.))


Gierdon has no trouble ducking into the building before they spot him (he hopes).

Rodrigo can find cover easily enough; there are any number of blocks of stone that have collapsed into the street from the buildings. It was probably a 10-foot wide street once, wider in places as the buildings weren't all lined up, but the rubble has reduced the street to only about 5 feet in most places. One such slab of rubble has fallen in such a way that it's leaning up against the wall of the building. Rodrigo can easily hide behind it.

Thomas has a similar situation, only he's able to take cover behind one of the corners of a building that sticks out a bit farther than the others.

Mort will have a hard time getting behind any cover because of his size--there just isn't anything quite that large to hide behind.

OOC: OK had to go back and check that Mort didn't have his weapon already drawn.  Doesn't look like he did.

With little chance for cover, Mort showed open hands to the grey men to try an let them know that his intent was not hostile.  "Hello men of grey"

Elwood stands next to Mort. The party has already been spotted, it's no use hiding, he figures. "Howdy," is all he says. Like Mort, he stands with his arms out and not holding a weapon, hoping these creatures recognize this as a sign of peaceful intentions.

None of the gray men say anything, but the two closest gray men who are pointing a device at Mort and Elwood apparently activate the device as a burst of bluish light shoots out from the device and flies at Elwood and Mort.

((OOC: Mort and Elwood need to make a Saving Throw against Magic Wand.))

Mort attempted to shield his eyes

OOC:  LOL something tells me that Mort didn't make his, unless a 1 is a good roll

16:15, Today: Mort rolled 1 using 1d20.  save vs spell.

OOC:  Are there any other exits to Gierdon’s ruined building?  Can he sneak around and get behind the grays?

Elwood is unprepared for the moon-creatures to attack...

23:12, Today: Elwood rolled 10 using 1d20.  save vs wand.

Sorry for the delay, it's the first week of the semester and I'm teaching at a different university this year. I've had other things on my mind than play-by-post. :D

Gierdon looks around the chamber where he's hiding, but there doesn't appear to be any other way out of it. There are a few cracks, crevasses and holes that he might be able to squeeze through, but even if he did, there's no guarantee that there would be a way that leads behind the graymen.


((OOC: Yes, rolling high for a Saving Throw is GOOD, rolling low is BAD...))

Elwood feels a tingling sensation only for a moment but as it passes, he sees Mort stiffen up and then topple over.

Mort remained rigid on the ground

Elwood draws his sword and ignites the flaming blade. "I don't want to fight with you if I don't have to. Put those things away, I'll put my sword away, and let's talk."

Hearing all kinds of noises at what seems to be a fight, Mista carefully looks over the rock she and Dominic hide behind to see what is happening.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:30, Thu 14 Mar 2019.

Rodrigo's bow rises quickly as he takes aim at one of the creatures with the wand. Upon hearing Eldwood's proclamation though he held his arrow though, waiting for the moment they decide not to drop the wand to fire at them.

OOC: holding to fire to see if they drop their wands.

Tom readies an arrow in his bow.  listening to see if battle is joined or talks ensue.

The gray men may not understand you as they seem oblivious to what you say. They appear to make an adjustment on the device each is carrying and then points it back at Elwood.

Knowing what's coming, Elwood has a better chance to dodge.

Gierdon grips his axe and will rush out and attack the nearest grey as soon as they fire their weapons again.

Mort remained unmoving, not from lack of trying
This message was last edited by the player at 21:21, Wed 20 Mar 2019.