The party emerges, unscathed, from the Sanctum of the Insatiable Savant fresh on the heels of a new adventure. Aparrently, Ebermund's companions Byron and Sharlayne have been whisked away to the lair of the Beast of Barren Hill, if the Savant's claims are to be believed.

Of course, the party is now well familiar with the tales of the Beast of Barren Hill, for they have spread far and wide. Stories of its attacks on men, women, and children can be heard around firesides for miles around.

Villagers rush in from their tasks at night and armed guards watch over livestock. The Beast has shown no fear of fire or blade and has an uncanny ability to avoid traps.

The party has managed to piece together the Beast’s appearance from reports, but even that is fragmented. What is clear is that it is at least as large as a man and covered in black fur, with huge teeth and claws. Those who have seen the aftermath of its attacks first hand claim there were not enough pieces left to identify the bodies.

As to its lair...Barren Hill has long been considered cursed. Many villagers claim that the goblins that recently inhabited the caves beneath Barren Hill awakened something terrible.
Whatever the case, there are no traces of the goblins either. Perhaps the Beast ate them too.

Tracking the Beast is near impossible because it inexplicably leaves no tracks after its attacks. But everyone in the area knows where the Barren Hill caves are, so it is a simple matter of taking the one-hour hike from the road to the Hill.

True to form, Barren Hill is truly barren. It is covered with dried-out stumps of trees that have been viciously hacked down, probably by the goblins. At the bottom of the rocky hill is a maw-like entrance that spirals down into darkness. The wind blows a forlorn wail all around you.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:36, Sun 02 Apr 2017.

"Let's get out of this wind and light a torch!" Eoni shouted over the wind as she held the flapping hood of her cloak from her face.  She pointed down at the dark entrance and the sleeve of her dress whipped in the wind.  It had seemed to rise gradually as they'd crossed from the Savant's lair but now it was enough to stir even the stoutest of trees.  Was it truly unnatural or just happenstance that they'd arrived during this fearsome gale?

"Be careful!"

Standing as out of the way of the wind as she can, Aldara draws a torch out of her bag and lights it.

Sarah tightens her cloak around her so that it flaps less in the wind.

 The journey to the caves was a welcome relief to the Warrior. All that talk, talk, talk, got on his nerves. He was a man of deeds, not constant babbling. When they arrived at the appointed place, the wind hammered at them like a weather god took umbrage at their daring to be in this place.

 The Warrior inspected his gear and weapons for the umpteenth time out of old habit. With spear and shield in hand, Marklin stepped forward.<Red> “ Right! We be here, so let’s get organized, you lot. I be taking the lead til we reach the blasted underground, then Valthur will lead us.  Decide who wants to be torch bearer, and we get on with it. If there be enough room, the Dwarf and me be side by side."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:31, Sun 02 Apr 2017.

Valthur steps alongside of Marklin and awaits their descent down the rocky slope to the opening at the base of the hill.

"Well let's get started. At least it'll get us out of this blasted wind!" He spins his axe a few times in his hands to reacquaint himself with the balance. Still untried, except in practice. He suspects that will soon change.

Marklin and Valthur lead the way into the cave. The opening of the cavern is worn smooth, indicating the passage of a lot of traffic at some point in the Hill's history. The opening is 10 feet high but burrows down underneath the hill. Peering inside, the cave mouth opens into an irregular oblong cavern about 30 by 60 feet in diameter. The walls are unworked stone and the floor is natural stone. Neither the Beast nor Ebermund's companions are in the cavern below, but it does smell musty, like an animal.

No other exits are evident.

Despite being out of the wind, Sarah remains cloistered beneath her cloak.  If anything, she holds it more tightly, with one hand extended from within to hold it together near her throat.

She remains in her position in the midst of the others, but cocks her head to one side as she looks with suspicion to the edges of the torchlight . . .

11:05, Today: Sarah rolled 1 using 1d6 with rolls of 1.  Listen (1-3).
This message was last edited by the player at 16:08, Mon 03 Apr 2017.

Feeling responsible for the torch, Aldara holds it for her companions.

Pausing to listen, Sarah does not hear anything unusual within the cave. With the benefit of torchlight, the party now notices what must be the roots of over a century of growth within the caves. Roots both hang down from the ceiling and nearly cover the ground. Curious given the paucity of living vegetation on the Hill's exterior. Barren Hill must not have always been so.

The eerie interior of the chamber gives Valthur a moment's pause before he enters. With axe at the ready, he scans the room, especially the ceiling. "Keep your eyes open," he instructs. "The beast could be hiding anywhere in this mess of roots."

With a nod, Aldara draws her silvery dagger and holds it with her other hand.

"Look around for any sign of Byron and Sharlayne," Eoni whispered.  "If it's out hunting, we may be able to find them and escape before it returns."

She didn't feel they would be so lucky but prayed to Avandra for her blessing.

"I'll watch the entrance in case it returns."

Eoni tried to find a spot to crouch out of the way of the entrance where she might see anything appear at the dim edge of torchlight.

Valthur scans the room and notices an unusual addition within the large cavern: what appears to be a secret stone door along its southwestern wall. It's clever stonework, for sure, perhaps even magical in nature. Quite clever really. But not clever enough to fool the cunning eyes of a dwarf skilled in stonecraft.

The door appears to be of the revolving variety.

No other features of interest capture Valthur's attention.

"Over here," Valthur informs the others. "I've found something. Looks like a secret door."

Without thinking too carefully, the dwarf tries to open it. Pushing directly on it first, and if that doesn't work, then looking for mechanisms to activate it.

Sarah watches Valthur's efforts with professional interest.

 Marklin moved behind Valthur, ready to back him up.

Eoni retreated from the entrance to join the others.  She made sure that they hadn't already lost Ebermund along the way.

"Are there any signs that someone's used this recently?" she asked.

Valthur approaches the secret door and gives it a shove in an attempt to push it open. Marklin stands just behind the dwarf while the rest of the party observes from a distance.

The door easily rotates on an unseen axle, but unfortunately, the area immediately surrounding the door erupts in fire the moment the door begins to move...a trap!

OOC: Valthur and Marklin, please make save vs Spells, otherwise take 5 damage from the scorching, magical fire.

When the Dwarf opened the hidden portal, a flash of fire erupted out of nowhere. Marklin threw up his shield to ward himself, out of reflex, and jumped back.  Somehow, the Warrior seemed to avoid the worst of the magical conflagration.


00:04, Today: Marklin rolled 16 using 1d20-1 with rolls of 17.  Save vs Magic.

 Saves on a 16
This message was last edited by the player at 04:10, Thu 06 Apr 2017.

While her knowledge of stonework begins and ends with "stonework involves stones", Aldara watches Valthur with just as much interest as the others.  And ducks out of the way when a gout of flame erupts from the door!  "Corellon's grace!"

Eoni rose from the crouch she hadn't known she'd dropped into and called out, "Is everyone all right?"

She looked around for each of the others and watched pinpricks of light dance about the darkened cavern.  She'd been looking directly at the blast when it erupted and she kept blinking and shaking her head to clear them away.

"Moradin's beard!" Valthur gasps as the flames erupt around him. To his fortunate luck, the flames do little more than singe his eyebrows.

He turns to Marklin. "This beast is more clever than I thought. You all right?"

After the smoke settles, he approaches the door, more carefully this time, and attempts to see what's on the other side. (OOC: not sure if the rotating door is positioned such that Valthur can see beyond it or not)

21:29, Today: Valthur Ironhelm rolled 19 using 1d20 with rolls of 19.  save vs. spells (target 12).

Marklin felt like his eyebrows where burned off. He heard Valthur's question. “Aye, I am well enough. But I know how it feels ta be a meat pie in th oven. Blood stained gods, what be we facing?"

 The Warrior peered at what might be beyond the hidden door, spear raised to strike again.

Sarah arches an eyebrow at the conflagration.

With the heat brought by the sudden fire, she stops holding her cloak tightly around her.

"I don't know, but keep that spear ready. I think we're going to need it."

Marklin and Valthur jump free of the scorching flames moments before either is caught unawares. Both members had their heads, and bodies, on a swivel and do well to avoid becoming victims of the cunning trap.

At any rate, the door swings open revealing a natural tunnel leading deeper into the Hill. The tunnel stretches away to the southwest, veering westward after about 20 feet, disappearing beyond the edge of either the torchlight or Valthur's infravision. Marklin and Valthur stand at the secret door, peering down the tunnel, while the rest of the party awaits their appraisal.

"There's a passage," Valthur calls to the others. "No signs of any beast."
He prods the doorway with the end of his axe then takes a step through the doorway into the tunnel beyond. He scans in all directions for anything waiting to  ambush them. Then he examines the floor for any sign that a creature may have passed through the tunnel.

Valthur detects signs of frequent back and forth passage through the tunnel though its difficult to determine beast, humanoid or otherwise. The fact is the stone is worn smooth here, as a dwarf might expect from a busy throughfare. Valthur then notices a strange-looking bulbous mushroom hanging upside down from the cavern ceiling. The mushroom is pockmarked
with holes and about 20 feet southwest of the secret door, directly over the tunnel, about 10 feet above the ground.

"Why would a beast use a trap like that?" Sarah asks in a whisper so faint that it can barely be heard.

 Hearing Sarah's question. Marklin smiled to her. " Let's find out Lass." The Warrior dared to step beyond the doorway into the great unknown.

"I'm beginning to think there is more than just a beast using this passage. The floor here is worn from frequent use."

He joins Marklin on the other side of the doorway. From a safe distance, he examines the mushroom hanging from the ceiling. "I don't like the looks of that, Marklin. What do you think?"

Valthur studies the large mushroom a bit more and begins to see a strong resemblance to a variety of fungus sometimes found in the deep mines of his people: a shrieker. Shriekers are relatively harmless, save for their high-pitched namesake which is triggered by proximity to a light source. Shriekers are sometimes employed by gobolds, kobolds and the like as an expedient alarm system.

In reply to Valthur Ironhelm (msg # 32):

 The Warrior squinted his eyes,and looked to where Valthur was gazing. When the Dwarf asked Marklin's opinion, all the Warrior did was shrug. " I dunno, mayhap an upside down mushroom."

Sarah looks around.

"Or else a shrieker. If it is, it'll make a whale of a noise if it sees us. Goblins and kobolds use them as alarms. Makes me think there's more to this cave than one hungry beast."

  " Can we slay the bloody thing before it makes a noise?" The warrior asked Valthur?"

OOC: Everyone please make a Hear Noise check (d6), unless you're a thief in which case you may roll a d6 and a d100.

22:20, Today: Marklin rolled 6 using 1d6 with rolls of 6.  Hear noise roll.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:26, Sun 09 Apr 2017.

21:20, Today: Sarah rolled 3 using 1d6 with rolls of 3.  Hear Noise (1-3).
21:20, Today: Sarah rolled 59 using 1d100 with rolls of 59.  Hear Noise (?).

21:43, Today: Valthur Ironhelm rolled 3 using 1d6 with rolls of 3.  Hear noise.

 Marklin leaned his spear against the wall and drew a javelin and cast it at the moise making mushroom.

23:23, Today: Marklin rolled 11 using 1d20 with rolls of 11.  Javelin throw at Shrieker.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:26, Sun 09 Apr 2017.

Marklin hurls a javelin at the inverted shrieker, narrowly missing the stationary fungus. The javelin strikes an adjacent stalactite and careens harmlessly away. Unfortunately, the shrieker lives up to its name and emits a loud shrieking noise in response to the nearby activity. The ear-splitting shriek echoes off the stone walls, making it difficult to hear anything other than the noisome fungus!

"Marklin! What are you-" Valthur stops scolding the fighter. The dwarf can't even hear his own voice. He figures Marklin won't hear it either.

"Well, might as well get this over with." Valthur rushes the fungus and gives his new axe its first bit of action. It hits with a satisfying thud.

00:21, Today: Valthur Ironhelm rolled 14 using 1d20+2 with rolls of 12.  Battle axe vs. shrieker.
00:22, Today: Valthur Ironhelm rolled 5 using 1d8+2 with rolls of 3.  Damage.

Eoni covered her ears and backed away from the stone doorway and the source of the deafening wail.  She couldn't see what was happening but something had definitely gone sideways.

Eoni Daflin rolled 3 using 1d6 with rolls of 3.  Hear Noise (Beast sneaking up?)

Valthur charges forward and overhead jabs his axe, striking the shrieker solidly but not dislodging or quieting the stationary fungus. It continues to live up to its namesake, quite loudly!


OOC: Marklin and Valthur are near the Shrieker. The rest of the party is about 30-40 feet further behind, near the entrance to the cave.
Shrieker
AC: 7
HP: 12/17


PC         AC   HP    9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1  0 -1 -2 -3
Aldara     8    7/7  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Charlotte  6    6/6  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Eoni       8  16/16  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Marklin    6    9/9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Sarah      6    8/8  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Valthur    5  18/18  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20


OOC: PCs are UP!


This message was last edited by the GM at 13:34, Sun 09 Apr 2017.

"Why won't this thing be quiet?" Valthur strikes again, his axe landing solidly in the ear piercing fungus. He is beginning to like his new axe, but wonders if it will be equally useful against targets that actually move. For now at least, it is up to the task.

10:48, Today: Valthur Ironhelm rolled 20 using 1d20+2 with rolls of 18.  Battle axe vs. shrieker.
10:48, Today: Valthur Ironhelm rolled 7 using 1d8+2 with rolls of 5.  Damage.

10:05, Today: Aldara rolled 1 using 1d6 ((1)).

"Sehanine's Grace!" Aldara flinches at the horrible noise, but does not drop the dagger in her hand.  She hurls it at the squeaky fungus...

10:26, Today: Aldara rolled 9,3 using 1d20+1,1d4 ((8,3)).

No actions occur that can be obviously attributed to Sarah.

 Markling swore an oath,and grabbed his spear to thrust it upwards,but missed in the questionable light.

15:28, Today: Marklin rolled 4 using 1d20+1 with rolls of 3.  Spear thrust  at singing mushroom.

Eoni continues to cover her ears as the shrieking continues.  She tries to watch the cave entrance to see if it's attracting any unwanted attention.

Someone must be hearing this besides them.

Charlotte remains watchful but does not commit to any particular action.


OOC: DM post to keep game moving.

Valthur hacks the shrieker again and doesn't quite dislodge it from the ceiling, but the force of the blow does cause the fungus to quit shrieking.


OOC: Marklin and Valthur are near the Shrieker. The rest of the party is about 30-40 feet further behind, near the entrance to the cave.
Shrieker
AC: 7
HP: 5/17


PC         AC   HP    9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1  0 -1 -2 -3
Aldara     8    7/7  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Charlotte  6    6/6  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Eoni       8  16/16  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Marklin    6    9/9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Sarah      6    8/8  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Valthur    5  18/18  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20


OOC: PCs are UP!

"Thank you!" Aldara hisses.  She draws another dagger, advances on the gods-forsaken squeaky mold, and hurls it at it.

Closing to Medium Range, hurling dagger.

17:17, Today: Aldara rolled 16,2 using 1d20+1,1d4 ((15,2)).

Marklin had another go,and missed..

20:44, Today: Marklin rolled 3 using 1d20+1 with rolls of 2.  Spear thrust  at singing mushroom.

 (missed again,the dice gods are not pleased.)

Sarah continues doing whatever it is she's doing.

Suspicious that the shrieker may not be done with its antics, Valthur deals another blow to the now silent fungus. "So much for sneaking up on the beast, whatever it is."

He peers further down the tunnel to see if anyone (or anything) is coming in response to the alarm they've set off.


17:25, Today: Valthur Ironhelm rolled 14 using 1d20+2 with rolls of 12.  Battle axe vs. shrieker.
17:25, Today: Valthur Ironhelm rolled 4 using 1d8+2 with rolls of 2.  Damage.

Valthur hacks the shrieker a third time, this time with enough force to exterminate the noisome fungus. Though the shrieker is no longer shrieking, everyone's ears are still ringing.

The brief moment of silence is interrupted by humanoid yelps and squeaks outside the cave. Eoni and Charlotte spin around just in time to see a small group of small, yellow-skinned goblinoids crest over the hill's summit. They are led by a particularly fierce-looking leader. The leader's face is painted bright blue and he wears a headband of colorful feathers. To his left stands a bugeyed goblin with a crossbow, almost as big as he is, leveled at Eoni and Charlotte's head.

"Surrender or die” shouts the blue leader in common. “Make your choice fast!”

OOC: The group of goblins is about 40 feet distant from Eoni and Charlotte. Only they can see the goblins. The rest of the party is further within the cave and has no line of sight on the goblins
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:21, Tue 11 Apr 2017.

Eoni quickly raised her staff and free hand overhead.

"Don't shoot us!" she shouted louder than necessary for the newcomers to hear.  "We're hunting the Beast of Barren Hills!  Not you!"

PM

In dusk's fleeting light, Eoni and Charlotte count about eight goblins, though there could be more hiding in the shadows. At any rate, the goblins they are able to see appear quite jumpy and on edge, none more so than their head-dress wearing leader.

Eoni's admission seems to rattle the goblin leader. "Impossible! We have come to slay the beast. Reclaim our lair! Once and for all! You will not steal the glory of this victory from us!"

The other goblins listen to their leader speak, but it's unclear whether they understand his mastery of the common tongue. In any event, when the leader has finished speaking, the goblins belt out a rousing war chant that sounds a mixture of yelps and tongue rolls.

"Honestly, if you want the glory, you can take it"  Charlotte pointed out, a little reluctant to get in too close with the yelling mushroom thingie when she only had a big stick to hit it with--measures to keep your health going.  Dealing with a bunch of goblins though?

"We're just trying to pick up a few missing people if they're still alive, and then we'll be out of your hair, and you can have fun getting your vengeance on the Beast."

Valthur, ears still ringing from the shrieker, can only make out bits and pieces of the conversation with the goblins. He thinks he recognizes Eoni and Charlotte's voices, but he certainly doesn't recognize the yelping as belonging to anyone he knows. "Who are they talking to?" he wonders aloud.

"Let us have the humans," Eoni said, continuing to shout, "and you can have your lair!"

She was encouraged by the fact that the goblinoid leader had explained their purpose rather than just shooting them outright.  She hoped they could come to a reasonable compromise.

All that Aldara can do is make out indistinct yelling, and shrug along with Valthur.

 Marklin was still hearing the shrill of the inverted mushroom thingie, ringing in his ears. He looked at the Dwarf, and saw Vathur's lips moving, but heard nothing. The Warrior responded to the Dwarf with a well thought out and phrased "WHAT?!?!"

The head-dress wearing goblin considers Eoni's appraisal while his minions quietly bicker with one another, perhaps unsettled by the adventurers' unexpected appearance.

The goblin leader eventually responds, "Very well. We will ransom any humans we find inside to you, for a fair wage. If my tribe does the hard work of reclaiming our lair and capturing any humans, we rightly deserve fair bounty."

Assuming negotiations continue, the goblin leader introduces himself as Ugloshti. Those speaking the goblin tongue recognize this name to translate to Three-terror.

   The warrior happened to look at the others in his party, and noticed, they seemed to be in converse with someone. He looked at Valthur.” WHO ARE THEY TALKING TO?”

Valthur backpedals a step in response to the volume of Marklin's request. "Moradin's beard, Marklin. I'm standing right here. There's no need to shout."

He motions forward. "I recognize the language. Goblin. Not sure I like the fact that we're talking to them. As far as trustworthiness goes, they're about as low on the list as you can get. Come on, we'd better listen in."

He walks over to the others to join the conversation.

OOC: Valthur does speak goblin.

Sarah continues doing what she's been doing.

"We can agree to that," Eoni replied to Ugloshti.  "We will pay ransom for any living humans that you find in your lair after you have defeated the Beast.

"Or," she continued, finally lowering her arms, "you could hire us to kill the Beast and save you the warriors that die with it.  We then claim any of our own as payment.

"The Beast is not known for taking prisoners.  No prisoners, no ransom.  Why not let us take the risk for so uncertain a reward?"

She'd never spoken to any of the goblinoid before and hoped that he could weigh the certain loss of his warriors against an uncertain ransom.

Ugloshti appears quite intrigued with Eoni's proposal, a cunning smile forming on his face as he considers the merit of her proposal. After a few moments he holds a hand up and calls back, "A moment please..."

Leaning in to a bug-eyed companion he whispers a few words. Bug-eyes nods vigorously to whatever Ugloshti proposes. Then Ugloshti continues, "Me and Bagosh agree to your terms."

"I Ugloshti, Shaman of my People, accept your terms. You may slay the Beast and claim any humans you find within as treasure. We will not harass you further. What say you, Bounty Hunters of the Blue Face Howler Tribe?!"

At the mention of Goblins, Aldara grimaces.  As she moves forward with the rest of the group and their only source of light, she can hear Eoni and Ugloshti negotiating.

Marlin got a look at as to whom they were speaking with. He addressed his question to the Dwarf. “Why in th bloody hells, are they speaking with Gobs? We should be killing em. Nasty little beggars. As soon as slit yer throat then bid ye th time o' th day."  Said the Warrior.

  When he had been a serving man at arms, Marklin had seen the result of a Goblin raid on a hamlet, more than once. His spear had tasted Gob blood, and he had no issue with doing so again, this day.

Ugloshti gathers his goblin minions in a loose circle around him and quietly explains the plan both sides agreed upon, this in goblin. Following their huddle, Ugloshti turns and faces Eoni, whom had acted as party spokesperson, and the others.

"We will await your victorious return. We will toast to your success tonight!" he says while raising a celebratory fist overhead.

Not one to pass up an opportunity to learn more about something, even if it is from things just a tick smarter than a degenerate Kobold, Aldara asks the Goblins, "Is there anything we should know about this Beast, that we might better aid you?  Any weaknesses you can think of?"

Valthur listens to the banter back and forth between the goblin leader and his minions, straining to hear if there are any plans of treachery on their part. His experience with goblins suggests there almost certainly are.

Turning to Marklin, he answers the fighter's earlier question. "Negotiating with goblins troubles me as much as it does you, but Eoni's kept us out of harm's way on this journey so far. I suggest we follow her lead... but with all our eyes open for them back-stabbing goblins at any time."

Sarah listens but says nothing.

 Marklin just blinked, when Valthur spoke to him. “ Ye be making a jest, right? Ye know what Gobs be like, they av no honor, and that buggers word be about as good as a three copper whore. If we do encounter this beast, if we can prevail against it, we will be chewed up, or some o’ us. Once we do the Gobs dirty work, and we be weak, they will fall on us and slay the lot. This be folly.”

 Marklin just watched the goblins with a stony expression.

"But if we waste our strength fighting them lousy goblins right now, we'll be in no shape to deal with that beast once we do find it." Valthur sighs. "It's a bad situation either way."

Valthur did not hear any obvious words of treachery. Ugloshti merely relayed the agreed-upon terms to his minions. There is however quite a bit of perfidous-looking smiles to go around amongst the goblins, but then again, that's pretty much a given for their kind.

At any rate, it's difficult to tell what the goblins might do. For the moment, they seem quite content to go along with Eoni's proposal.

"Claws sharp enough to rend through flesh with a single swipe and stone-shattering chompers that will puncture right through armor and shield. She's a strong one and can take quite a bit of damage. Seems to just get her more vicious actually," he puts in.

Ugloshti's description of the Beast matches all the superlatives you've heard before. He says he's seem similar animals, the word for which he cannot quite conjure in the common tongue, in the Witcwood. But none as large and cunning as the Beast.

"Must be touched by the Gods or Sorcery," he claims.

"I'll find out after we're standing over its corpse.  One last question: Does it walk on two legs, or four?"

In reply to Aldara (msg # 83):
Ugloshti blinks once, slowly, and says. "Four. Four my dear."

*My dear?* those last to words spoken by the Goblin chief caused Marklin to gaze hard upon the creature. While the Warrior might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, he was far from the dullest. That was an odd way for one of those things to speak, to be sure.

 The Warrior whispered to Vulthur. “ Did ye hear that, Valthur? He called her my dear. Ye ever hear a Gob speak that way afore?”

Valthur is able to speak and understand goblin's native tongue due to his race's long-standing emnity with their kind, but it is somewhat unusual for a goblin to have have mastered the common tongue the way Ugloshti has. Not unheard of, but usually a skill reserved to all but the wisest or most powerful of their kind.

If that's the case, Ugloshti must be an important goblin. Or, it could be something else altogether?

Though Ugloshti seemed a reasonable sort, Eoni didn't want to tempt his brethren any further and turned to usher the others on their way.

"Let's get going," she said, motioning those not through the stone door to proceed.  "We may not have much time and it may already be coming for us.  Let's get these caverns searched as much as we can before it finds us."

Torch in hand, Aldara situates herself in the middle of the group, keeping pace with the others...and still holding her dagger.

 MArklin waited until they where a short distance away from the Gobs, before he spoke. " You made a bad bargain,Eoni. If ye think that Gob bastard will live up to his end of any bargain you struck, ye be a fool. If we slay the beast, we will be less then we be now. They will fall on us,and slay the lot."

The party briefly discusses their apparent alliance with the goblins, some members uneasy with the prospect of entering into any agreement with their kind. In any event, Eoni has successfully negotiated with the goblins and they show now indication of hostility toward the group, content to allow the adventurers to slay the Beast.

Inside the cavern, the group returns to the tunnel and beholds the destroyed shrieker. Yes. It is quite dead. Valthur and others made sure of that.

The tunnel continues about 20 feet beyond the slain shrieker before the rough cavern passage tunnels off to the right. A foul smell wafts from that direction. The tunnel pitches sharply down to the right, disappearing in darkness beyond the edge of the torch's light.

"I don't expect them to let us go easily," Eoni agreed with Marklin, pulling her cloak around to cover her nose from the stench of the new tunnel.

"But we're not doing anything we weren't ready for and we know they'll be waiting for us.  We can deal with them on our way out if we can't find another way past them."

Valthur proceeds silently and carefully ahead of the group, using his ears and his darkvision to look for beasts or anything else that may be lurking in the shadows below.

 Marklin remained near Valthur,as the group delved into the cave system.

Proceeding briefly down the stinking passage, Valthur notices yet another secret door along the left wall. His dwarven instincts are proving quite useful indeed!

Valthur also notices the secret door seems to be trapped, if the magical runes along its edge are any indication.

The steeply pitched tunnel continues well beyond the trapped secret door, in the event the party wishes to forego their exploration of this feature.

"Another door," Valthur calls to the others. "And trapped by the looks of it."

He points out the ruins. "Can anyone read these markings? Maybe we should just leave well enough alone and proceed down the tunnel instead. I find it hard to believe this so-called beast would make a habit of sneaking through secret doors.

"Markings?  I can take a look..." Curious, Aldara attempts to at least guess at the markings...but does not, you know, touch anything.  Or even lean her head too close.  And there is absolutely, positively, no putting her torch too close to it.

To speed things along, an Intelligence Check if need be!

02:57, Today: Aldara rolled 20 using 1d20 ((20)).

Aldara is unfamiliar with the runes carved into the secret door, though they are similar to those the Insatiable Savant translated for the party.

"I agree with Valthur," Eoni whispered.  "The Beast isn't going to be hiding behind warded doors.  It's possible that these are older than even Ugloshti and his folk.

"Let's keep going."

 Marklin nodded, in reponse to what he was hearing. " Aye, I agree with ye. Let's clear out where we can go,and worry about where we can't, latter."

"Maybe, they're nothing I recognize anyway"  Charlotte agrees, after perhaps a little too long examining them.  "Pity, I thought my studies would be useful there."

"Very well," Valthur concludes. "Onward and downward, then." With axe readied, the dwarf leads the way further down the tunnel.

Aldara follows the Dwarf's lead, disappointed that she was unable to suss out what the door was trying to tell her.

 Marklin followed Valthur down the tunnel,half expecting something to jump out at them,at any moment.

Eoni follows the others, gripping her staff and hoping that nothing jumps out at them.

Valthur leads the party down the steep tunnel, carefully finding his footing before proceeding with each step. The others follow suit. After a descent of about 40 feet, the natural cavern tunnel becomes covered in damp earth. Roots from the hewn trees above cover the walls, ceiling and floor. Clearly something burrowed its way through here.

This section of roots and damp earth continues for about 30 feet ahead of the party and then it appears to become less rooty and more stony. The tunnel also appears to be less steeply inclined after the root section, making it impossible to see what lies beyond.

OOC: Map Update forthcoming...

Valthur carefully leads the team further down the tunnel, eyes checking above and below for anything suspicious as he does. "Keep your eyes open," he whispers. "I've got a feeling we're close."

All that Aldara does is nod.  She makes a note of how much longer her torch should be able to last.

At Valthur's words, Sarah instinctively reaches for her darts and her eyes widen as she glances about.

Valthur leads the party up to the rooted section. The dwarf takes a few careful steps into the tangled root section and notices this section of the tunnel is much warmer and moister than those they have traveled through before.

Looking up and below, Valthur determines something seems a little off about these roots, as in their growth is a little too vigorous and healthy given the state of vegetation the party observed on top of Barren Hill. Dead vegetation shouldn't have such active roots beneath the surface--they too should be dying. But they're not.

Aldara's torch is in no danger of sputtering out anytime soon. It should last another hour or so before a new one is needed.

 Marklin just followed shorty,err.. Valthur,spear at the ready.

"Keep your eyes open," Valthur advises. "Something about this place doesn't feel right. See to it that these roots don't try to wrap around our necks."

He daydreams about his home in the Hammerfist Holds, where underground passages weren't covered with roots and didn't smell like rotten vegetation.

It was strange to see roots below when it was so aptly barren up above.  Could some plants survive as only roots?

In any case, she would endeavor to avoid the roots.  Just in case.

Valthur leads the party through the tangled section, everyone taking great strides to avoid the roots as best as possible. This proves an arduous task, like wending one's way through a hedgerow. Worse yet, the roots seem to conspire against their advance, twisting and snarling this way and that. The roots are seemingly alive and bent on malice!

Thorny roots reach out toward the adventurers and the situation becomes quite desperate as their forward progress is impeded by bewitched roots!

OOC: Everyone make a Saving Throw vs Paralysis/Turn to Stone

Eoni Daflin rolled 11 using 1d20.  Stone/Paralysis (14) Root Attack!
Fail.

13:27, Today: Aldara rolled 14 using 1d20 ((14)).

Aldara Saving Throw versus Paralysis/Turn to Stone

Sarah nimbly evades the roots' grasp.

20:59, Today: Sarah rolled 18 using 1d20 with rolls of 18.  saving throw (13).

"Moradin's beard! They're everywhere!"
00:27, Today: Valthur Ironhelm rolled 2 using 1d20 with rolls of 2.  turn to stone (target 11).

Aldara, Marklin and Sarah slip quickly through the animated vines and arrive at the other side, safely out of harm's way. The same cannot be said for Charlotte, Eoni and Valthur, who end up caught up in the snarl, lacerated and punctured here or there, as the thorny vines lash out against their advance. The trio arrive at the other end with blood-stained clothing and looking rather worse for the wear. Alive, but tore up.

OOC: Charlotte and Eoni take 3 damage. Valthur takes 2.


PC         AC   HP    9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1  0 -1 -2 -3
Aldara     8    7/7  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Charlotte  6    3/6  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Eoni       8  13/16  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Marklin    6    9/9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Sarah      6    8/8  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Valthur    5  16/18  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20

"Charlotte," Eoni said, stepping up to the woman.  "You have a deep scratch on your face, let me take a look at that."

Eoni spent some time treating the woman's face after their tussle with the roots.

Eoni Daflin rolled 14 using 1d20.  First Aid Check.
Successful.

Eoni spends some time assessing Charlotte's wounds and determines she isn't in any danger of succumbing to her wounds. They still hurt, but not enough to incapacitate.

Once everyone is safely through the section of tunnel choked with thorny vines they notice the tunnel becomes level for about 10 feet and it continues to stretch away to the west, before becoming sloped (this time upward).

The tunnel continues upward for another 20 feet, eventually terminating at a roughly gouged outline of a very large, round opening at the end of the cavern tunnel. Inside the opening is a smooth rock with a bulge at the center.

"Do you thing the Beast comes in through those vines?" Eoni whispered.  "I'm beginning to think that it may be smarter than just an animal."

"If it walks through those vines every time it comes home," Valthur considers while examining his own wounds. "Then it is even more fearsome than I gave it credit."

He turns from Eoni and points to the doorway ahead. "Look at the gouges up ahead. I suspect our beast is responsible for those." He takes a deep breath and wonders if they've made a grave mistake to come looking for the beast. Keeping his distance, he also takes a long look at the strange rock in the doorway.



OOC: Is the rock within the doorway? Is the bulge pointing up or to the side?

The large spherical rock, more of a boulder really, is nested within the large round opening. Valthur studies the boulder at the top of the passage and notices what appear to be gouges along the floor, suggesting the boulder is not always nested so nicely within its socket.

Eoni was nonplussed that they hadn't seen any sign that the clan had ever taken possession of this tunnel.  Unless they occupied only what was beyond the first door they'd passed by, this seemed more of a passage through the barrens than a warren for any beast or brood.

Valthur scratches at his beard as he studies the boulder. "Someone or something has moved this stone to get to the passage behind it. I don't see any option but to try moving it."

Eoni looked at the floor sloping toward them and noted, "Just make sure that it doesn't roll back over us."

Confident that Valthur had it under control, she backed down the tunnel to the flat portion to get a head start.

"Wait," Sarah says, as she scrutinizes the boulder.

Sarah's hunch proves well founded. After closer scrutiny, at distance, she detects what looks to be a well-disguised pressure plate about halfway up the short ascent to the barely-protruding boulder. Visually following that plate up to the boulder, given the gouge marks on the floor and the overall setup, it's quite clear to Sarah that this is a trap.

The pressure plate releases the boulder. Boulder rolls down. One can imagine what might happen next.

What manner of Beast devises traps such as these?

Valthur nods to Sarah, "Good work, Missy. If not for you, I'd be nothing but a flat spot on the floor right now." He studies the trap a bit more carefully to determine if there is room on the sides of the passage to let the stone roll past and also to determine whether the stone, if it rolled down the incline from its current position, would completely block the passageway and cut off their only route of escape.

It's possible to jump over the pressure plate with a running start. Due to the size of the boulder, it would likely roll into the thorny roots and become lodged just on the other side of the roots.

So, yes, it looks like that would be one of its design features.

Valthur stares more carefully at the stone and thinks aloud. "If we dislodge this stone, even if it doesn't flatten us, it will block our only way out of here."

He compares the width of the passage to the boulder, trying to determine if there is enough room on the sides of the passage to allow the boulder roll past (without crushing anybody).

It might be possible to flatten oneself against either wall of the tunnel to allow the boulder to roll harmlessly past...but there's little margin for error here.

 Marklin drew his dagger, and attempted to test the firmness of the wall of the passage. " It might be possible to dig shallow impressions for each of us. We must clear away any debris from the digging,so the boulder rolls free, but with these  impressions, we can squeeze into them,and allow the rock to roll past us."

The rock is a little too hard to effectively use a dagger to chisel out a large enough area to avoid the boulder, well, at least without totally destroying the weapon. A pick or even a crowbar might be a bit more effective. Using a weapon one plans to wield in combat is likely to significantly damage it.

Sarah hands Marklin two of her spikes.

 The Warrior was about to get out his crowbar,when sarah offered him a brace of iron spokes. Marklin seemed about to say something, but took the gesture to heart, He accepted the spikes, with a silent * thank you*  upon his lips to her.

 "Sharah, me lass, could ye watch our rear, to make sure we don't have unwanted visitors.

 The Warrior tossed one of the spikes to the Dwarf,then set to work.

Aldara takes one of her own spikes out of her bag, as well as a hammer, and helps the warriors.

Sarah watches the workers for a moment, then wanders back down the tunnel a bit to keep watch.

"Are we trying to get it's attention?" Eoni asked with hands over her ears as Marklin started in with his plan.

"Can't someone just jump over and use a spike to wedge the boulder in place or something quieter?  Maybe use the spikes to climb along the wall if we're going to make a racket anyway?"

Valthur chips away at the boulder and the wall until Eoni pleads for quiet. At this point, the dwarf takes a moment to examine the boulder and walls with his keen eye for stone craftsmanship, hoping to identify a weak spot in either which he could exploit.

The group chips away at the limestone walls, dislodging larger pieces once serious tools are brought to the task.

While the others are engaged in this pursuit, Valthur heeds Eoni's suggestion and identifies a few spots one might use to keep the large boulder in place.

"Trying to get its attention...hmm, wouldn't it be great if we could somehow get the boulder to roll over it?  Wishful thinking, at best."

"This plan of letting the boulder roll past also assumes that after it blocks the path behind us, we'll find another exit on the other side?" Eoni pointed out skeptically.

"Not that I wanted to go back through the roots but given the choice of being trapped underground and going back through the roots, I'd go through the roots.

"Once we have this noisy plan ready, could we see if someone can jump over and wedge it?

"If they set it off, they can get back against the dug out wall and let it pass with everyone else already out of the way."

Valthur points out his findings to the others. "We should be able to hold the boulder in place by anchoring it here and here. Meanwhile, we can slip around it here and advance on the beast (if it's even here) without terminating our only means of exit (as unpopular as it may be, with the roots). But our way would still be blocked. It looks to me like our only choice to move ahead is to squeeze up against the walls, trip the plate, and hope that boulder doesn't flatten us on its way down the tunnel."

OOC: Apologies if I mis-interpreted your last post, GM. I think Valthur knows a way to hold the boulder in place (where it is now) while we wiggle around it. However, it may also be that he knows of a place where we can carefully guide and anchor the boulder (without it blocking the escape route). If the latter (or something entirely different), let me know and I will modify the above post accordingly.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:04, Thu 01 June 2017.

OOC: I guess I don't really understand your question. The boulder basically occupies a large hole at the end of the tunnel. Without allowing the boulder to fall free of its slot, there is really no way to wiggle around it to see what might be on the other side.

I guess you could try to hack at the boulder and break it into smaller pieces, but that would take quite a while. Imagine a large boulder like the one in Raiders of the Lost Ark :)

 Just let the thing roll past the party in their improvised shelter, that they carved out. We can stop the thing with spikes some distance down the hall. Lets get on with it...Pretty please.

Having settled on a plan to dislodge the granite boulder from its housing without becoming tunnelkill or just trapped in the tunnel, the party uses what tools it has to carve out an alcove large enough for six people. Another team sees to the task of spiking the tunnel to prevent the boulder from continuing into rooted section of tunne.

The work takes quite a bit of time and effort and everyone is drenched in sweat when the task is complete. The stubs of several burnt out torches littering the nearby ground, a testament to the amount of time a mining operation with makeshift tools takes.

The task complete, the party eyes the pressure plate further up the tunnel. Now all that is left is for someone to set the boulder rolling and hopefully make it back to the alcove before being crushed by the loose ball of death. But who?

Sarah looks at the others then turns to the boulder.  Still looking at the trap, she slowly wriggles her back pack off her shoulders, followed by her cloak.  She holds them out toward Eoni.

"'m probally fastest," she says, just loud enough to be audible.

"Be careful," Eoni said to Sarah as she accepted the pack and backed into an alcove.  "We'll leave the closest alcove open for you."

Sarah was so young but Eoni had to admit that the girl had proven her mettle on more than one occasion.

"Avandra bless you and keep you safe," Eoni intoned softly as she clutched the symbol at her throat.

"Moradin's blessing on you, Missy," Valthur whispers as he backs into the alcove.

 Marklin replaced Sarah as the rear guard of the party. But he did offer a silent pray for the brave Sarah,to any god that happened to be listening.

Eoni having taken the cloak and pack, Sarah unbuckles her sword.  Folding the belt with the scabbard, she presents the weapon for safekeeping (and to avoid it tangling in her legs).

She then starts up the path toward the boulder.  Just before she disappears from sight, Sarah stops and turns.  Her foot idly traces an indiscernible pattern on the ground and her gaze is directed toward the ground.


"If this don' work, keep my stuff.  There's nobody to give it to."

With that she turns and trots (to conserve energy) toward the trap.

Aldara only offers a nod to the young woman, leaving her to do her work.

Valthur gulps audibly.

Sarah jogs down the tunnel toward the trap. Having taken measurements and pre-gamed her plan, the young woman steps quickly on the pressure plate to get the ball a-rolling. Moments later, the boulder lurches forward from its casement and begins sliding down the tunnel.

Slowly at first, but picking up speed every second, rumbling through the tunnel with great momentum. Stone chips away and the ground cracks here or there, a layer of dust rising upward as the boulder makes its downward ascent.

The party crowds closer inside the constructed alcove, tensely hopeful their calculations were correct. The earth shakes as the boulder approaches, nearly rattling the adventurers' teeth right out of their head...

And then it passes, straight through the alcove toward the rooted section, eventually running into spikes that have been set out for it. The boulder slams into spikes and lodges, noisily into its new, temporary home. The plan worked!

For her part, Sarah remains standing in the center of the tunnel, seemingly right where the boulder should have layed her out like a pancake. Except she's not. Not a hair on her head has been mussed up. It's like she willed the boulder around her, because nobody in the party saw how she avoided getting splatted. Tricksy indeed.

Eoni tried to wave the dust away but it only encouraged a fit of coughing.  She gave up and pulled her cloak up over her face with one hand.  She emerged from her alcove and looked to see where the boulder was wedged in the tunnel before turning back in Sarah's direction.

The Sister of Avandra walked over to the girl and held out her backpack, cloak, and gear.

"That seemed to work," she mumbled through the cloak.

Sarah wanders nonchalantly toward the group, and redirects toward Eoni when she advances.  Wordlessly, she retrieves her gear and reverses the process she just undertook to unburden herself.

 Marklin walked over to Sarah, and clapped her on her shoulder. " Damn well done,lass. Ye have  more stones, then some men I know." He said with a grin.

"Moradin's beard, girl!" Valthur exclaims in disbelief. "You should have been flattened to a pulp standing there! What just happened?"

"I'm small," Sarah says.  She continues re-equipping her gear, finishing with her cloak.  If there's something more to her survival, she is not forthcoming.

"So am I," Valthur replies with a confused shrug. "But you don't see me standing around in the path of giant rolling boulders."

He replaces his dumbfounded look with a shake of his head and an admission to himself that he'll probably never know what just happened.

The large spherical rock has now been dislodged from its housing revealing...a dead end!

All that effort to spring the boulder trap and it was seemingly for nothing. Well, perhaps not a total loss. The wall on the other side of the boulder contains Druidic runes carved into the stone. No secret or hidden doors are detected at the end of the tunnel.

Of course there is still the secret door (trapped) the party found in the same tunnel, just before entering the rooted section. But other than that, the party seems to have few remaining options for exploration.

Several hours into their foray, the party has yet to find any evidence of the Beast of Barren Hill...only traps and more traps!

What manner of Beast constructs magical and mechanical traps?

“What sort of bloody beastie makes traps with rolling rocks?" Asked Marklin, to no one in particular.  The Warrior looked at the dead end with a deep frown.

"Well mates, it seems we are for the trapped door back aways."

"Maybe there's no beast . . ." Sarah observes.

Sarah gets a funny look on her face as she turns back to look at the dead end again.

"I wish we could copy these runes," Eoni opined as she looked over the druidic sigils.  "They have to mean something to have been hidden so."

After a few more moments, she turned and waited her turn to chip away at the rock wall so they could make their way back around the boulder.  While she waited, she took another look at the scrape on Charlotte's face.

"I think we should do something about this before we head back into the roots," she observed, peering at the wound.  "If the root gets a hold of the same spot, it would do a lot of damage.

"I could pray for Avandra's Mercy," she proposed.  "Unless you'd prefer to take care of it?"

Some of the runes are divine in nature and Eoni recognizes a few marks as those that might be made by worshippers of Melora, Goddess of the Wild.

Meanwhile, Sarah examines the runes as well and recognizes a few marks as well, these related to an old parable know as The Spirit of the Land, a folk tale about a greedy miner who robbed a living mountain of its wealth. Naked and hungry, the mountain hunted the miner down and devoured him, vengeance for the wrongs it endured.

Aldara also examines the runes.

Eoni, Sarah and Aldara are able to piece together the runes as being some form of transmutation magic that alters the properties of nearby stone.

Lingering ley lines waft over the runes but otherwise the they do not seem to be active at the moment. Perhaps their magic has already been exhausted?

"Well let's get on with it," Valthur suggests with a disgusted tone. "I'll admit I'm not exactly thrilled about crawling back through those roots, but I don't see any other choice." The dwarf heads a few steps toward the roots, but waits for agreement from the others before going too far.

Fortunately, this time the spiked roots are not as animated as they were when the party first approached them. It's as though whatever enchantment had been cast on them no longer holds sway. The roots seem quite inert and look to pose very little difficulty to the party as the traverse through the tunnel.

"This seems like the worst lair a creature could have," Eoni said, glad to be past the roots safely.  "But I'm beginning to agree with Marklin that no wild beast would use doors and set traps.

"If it is intelligent," she said after a moment of contemplation as they trudged back along the tunnel, "perhaps we could reason with it."

At the secret door marked by runes, Sarah cocks her head to one side and studies the markings.

In reply to Sarah (msg # 173):

The runes are magical in nature and to Sarah's trained eye, trapped. It might be possible to open the secret door without triggering the magical runes, but success is not assured.

OOC: Requires a Remove Traps roll to attempt to do so.

Valthur examines the runes and quickly realizes this is not a job for him. Instead, he turns to the mysterious thief. "Well lassie," he inquires hopefully. "You have any tricks to get us through this door in one piece?"

Sarah looks very hesitant, even as compared to her recent escapade with the boulder.  At first she does nothing, and appears unwilling (or perhaps, afraid?)

But slowly, ever so slowly, she probes the trapped area with her fingers and a small tool (that she produced from somewhere).

 Marklin had to force down a sudden urge, to kick the door in with a booted foot.

Sarah traces above the runes with a slender metal tool in an effort to locate a release mechanism, if one even existed. Surely there must be one!

Finally, settling on a likely indentation near the side of a carved rune, she slips the tool into a notch...

The runes suddenly flare brightly, the tunnel filled with the smell of sulphur...and then a roar of sound...

FWWOOOOOM!!!

A ball of fire erupts from the runes, stingily consuming the air in the immediate vicinity.

OOC: Saving Throws vs Dragon Breath please

Just before the roar of flame, a quieter sound is heard.

"uh-oh"

Having that much warning of what she'd done -- but little more time to react -- Sarah dropped flat to the ground and thus was able to avoid the brunt of trap.


16:46, Today: Sarah rolled 19 using 1d20 with rolls of 19.  Saving Throw (16).

OOC: Out of curiosity, had I needed it would dexterity have modified the roll?  The rolls are silent, and further suggest that only wisdom modifies magic.

Sarah leaps, mostly, out of harm's way as the runes explode, sending searing flames bursting into the adjoining space. She is slighlty burned in the process, but otherwise still in one piece, albeit a few lingering tendrils of smoke serving as a reminder of the perils of her chosen profession.

Well, the trap has certainly been sprung now, and the door now stands slightly ajar. Through the open doorway, the party sees another dark tunnel descending further into the earth. The tunnel dips down into darkness, but the party can see the shimmer of liquid below.


OOC: Save for half. Sarah takes 3 points of damage.

I don't think DEX figures into Saving Throws in Basic D&D, even though it would make sense if it did in some cases.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:39, Mon 19 June 2017.

Sarah gets up, coughing a bit, and quickly begins batting at her cloak to extinguish the remnants of flame.  She looks very unhappy, as if more concerned about the damage to her new cloak than any personal harm she may have suffered.

" Blood stained gods!" shouted Marklin,as he dropped his spear and shield and moved over and covered Sarah in his cloak to smother the fire.

Aldara joins Marklin in attempting to sket the flames, yanking her banana off, balling it around her hand, and patting her.

"You all right, Missy?" Valthur inquires sincerely. He considers tending to her with the others, but figures she is in capable hands and instead takes a longer look through the doorway into the dark passage beyond.

Once the hubbub of tending to Sarah has subsided, he motions to the door. "Shall we?"

Eoni picked herself up from where she'd fallen when the blast went off.  It seemed her reflexes under duress were less than optimal.

As the girl expressed no signs of significant injury, the Sister let her be.  Sarah would let her know if she'd suffered any serious injury.  The girl didn't need a mother hen pecking at her.

Eoni bent to pick up her staff and nodded to Valthur to proceed.  Beasts did not set such traps as these.

The last sign of flame having disappeared, Sarah rolls up her sleeve to expose her arm.  The outer edge shows signs of blistering and extreme redness.  She probes it gently and winces, then raises it closer to her eyes where she scrutinizes the area with seeming curiosity.

 When he saw that Sarah was more or less alright, Marklin regained his weapons and fell into the marching order.

"All right," Valthur concludes. "Let's get moving... and keep your eyes open for more traps."

The dwarf takes his own advice and scans the floor, walls, and ceiling before carefully proceeding. What kind of beast sets traps like this? None. Whatever we're after here, it is more than a simple beast.

The party descends down the slick tunnel, marching ever closer to the shimmery reflections ahead. The tunnel itself is about 10 feet wide and tall, its edges smooth and crusted with glittering crystals, they too reflecting the light of the party's torch. After descending some 80 feet or so, the tunnel levels out a bit, its surface consisting of standing water, fresh and cold.

The standing water section continues for about 40 feet before reaching a yawning portal, at least double as wide as the tunnel itself, it opening to what appears to be a much larger cavern beyond. In the faint light of the party's torch, group can make out what appear to be a large cavern filled with widely dispersed stalactites and stalagmites.

The party is presently 40 feet distant from the large cavern, separated from it by the flooded section of tunnel. It's difficult to accurately determine the water's depth in all but the first 10 feet or so, but from what the party can see, the bottom of the shallow pool appears to be about 2 feet deep. There are no ledges around the water, the edge of the water meeting the tunnel walls themselves.

Finally, keen-nosed party members might detect a musky, animal-like smell in the air, originating from somewhere ahead, in the large cavern....

"Oh dear," Eoni said frettfully.  "Now we're going to be all wet."

She couldn't see any way to avoid it and reached down to try and keep the hem of her dress from getting wet.  The Sister held the torch in one hand and her staff and dress in the other as she waded in after the others.

OOC Taking back the torchbearer position.

Valthur stares long and hard at the water in hopes of identifying anything that may be lurking below the surface. "Hmmm. Don't like this one bit."

After a pause, he steps into the water and slowly shuffles his way forward.

 Seeing the Dwarf step into the water, Marklin had to speak up. “Valthur, ye have the courage of a hero, but I av a long pole in me hand. Let me take point on this one, so I can test th depth by poking th water.”

 Marklin did not really wait for a response, but stepped into the water, and used his spear  to prod in front of him, to test the depth and ground firmness.

The ground beneath the water is quite firm and Marklin does not detect anything unusual as he prods the surface. Eventually, Valthur bravely trods forward into the water-filled tunnel, drawing closer to the large cavern ahead. The water level slowly rises as the party pushes forward, eventually rising to about 3 feet high as the group steps out of the tunnel's depression into a circular pool at the mouth of the great cavern.

The large cavern is filled with widely dispersed stalactites and stalagmites, giving the impression of entering the the beastial maw of some savage primordial beast. The ceiling is 20 feet high at its highest point. Bones, droppings, and bits of vegetation are strewn about the cavern floor. A low growl and two pairs of feral eyes filled with rage peer out of the darkness ahead...

Moments later, the party sees a large black Beast emerge from darkness, barreling quickly toward Valthur. As it draws nearer, there can be no mistaking its Beastly quality.

Possessing a large body with powerful limbs that propel it forward in a jerky motion, the Beast comes bounding in, its broad paws, long snout, and round ears growing larger with each passing second. The dark beast has a shimmery quality to it, as though its physical form only half occupies the prime material plane, the other caught somewhere between the Ethereal and Shadow Planes.

As the Beast rears up, it towers above Valthur, bearing its ivory fangs while bellowing a pulsing roar that reverbates through the large cavern and indeed, the adventurers' bones!

With a swipe of its outstretched paw, the Beast crashes down into Valthur, using its steel-like claws to swat at the diminutive dwarf! Valthur manages to get his shield up just in time to prevent the Beast from rending his head right off his shoulders. It's a glancing blow, but enough to let Valthur, and others, know this Beast means business.

Meanwhile, a second much smaller Beast, Beast Junior, comes rushing out and swipes at Marklin, but the fighter easily dodges its feeble advance.


OOC: Everyone please make Saving Throws vs Spells (Fear). Valthur took 1 point of damage.

The Beast
AC: 4
HP: ??/??

Beast Junior
AC: 6
HP: -3/??


PC         AC   HP    9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1  0 -1 -2 -3
Aldara     8    7/7  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Eoni       8  16/16  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Marklin    5  14/14  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Sarah      4    5/8  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Valthur    5  15/18  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20

[Private to GM:

  HD       9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1   0   -1  -2  -3
Up to 1    10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20  20
1+ to 2    9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20
2+ to 3    8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20
3+ to 4    7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19
4+ to 5    6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18
5+ to 6    5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17
6+ to 7    4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16
7+ to 9    3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15
9+ to 11   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14


OOC: PCs are UP

This message was last edited by the GM at 00:31, Wed 28 June 2017.

This message was deleted by the player at 22:31, Tue 27 June 2017.

Undaunted, Sarah zips a dart into the bigger beast's hindquarters.



11:31, Today: Sarah rolled 15 using 1d20 with rolls of 15.  Saving Throw vs. Spells (14).


11:36, Today: Sarah rolled 15 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 12.  Dart (15 to hit).

11:37, Today: Sarah rolled 3 using 1d4 with rolls of 3.  damage.

12:32, Today: Aldara rolled 6 using 1d20 ((6)).

Aldara is not as courageous as her allies, choking on a horrified scream.

Buoyed by the Mercy of Avandra, Eoni threw her arms wide and called out to her for strength, "Avandra, we pray you guide our hearts and arms to rid this place of it's evil host and rescue those we seek.  In your mercy, hear our prayer."


OOC: Eoni Daflin rolled 19 using 1d20+1.  Spells/Staff (15).
Cast Bless for +1 hit and damage to all allies for 6 turns.

18:27, Today: Marklin rolled 9 using 1d20 with rolls of 9.  Save vs Fear.

Run away, stand frozen in fear, whatever works.

As the large other-worldly beast roars, Valthur freezes in his tracks. His mouth opens, but he has no courage to speak.

22:02, Today: Valthur Ironhelm rolled 6 using 1d20 with rolls of 6.  Save vs. fear (13).

Marklin and Valthur, at the head of the group and bearing the brunt of the attacks, are initially shaken to the core when the vicious Beast emerges from the darkness. Aldara too is frightened by the Beast's monstrous appearance. The sudden appearance of not one, but two of the powerful monsters strikes terror into their hearts.

On the other hand, Eoni and Sarah keep their wits about them and immediately spring into action. Eoni invokes a bless spell and Sarah begins flinging darts.



The larger of the two Beasts thrashes its head about wildly and roars, bearing its massive foaming maw at the adventurers, eventually directing its attention to the largest of the adventurers: Marklin, who is presently engaged with the smalller of the two Beasts.

The larger Beast swipes two meaty paws at the fighter and follows up with a powerful bite, bashing and slashing the warrior, sending him momentarily to his knees.

The smaller Beast fights alongside the larger, mauling Marklin in the process with a furious succession of claws and bites.


OOC: Marklin takes 10 points of damage!

Eoni cast Bless granting all PCs +1 on all to-hit and damage rolls for 6 turns.

The Beast
AC: 4
HP: -3/??

Beast Junior
AC: 6
HP: -7/??


PC         AC   HP    9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1  0 -1 -2 -3
Aldara     8    7/7  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Eoni       8  16/16  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Marklin    5  10/14  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Sarah      4    5/8  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Valthur    5  15/18  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20

[Private to GM:

  HD       9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1   0   -1  -2  -3
Up to 1    10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20  20
1+ to 2    9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20
2+ to 3    8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20
3+ to 4    7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19
4+ to 5    6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18
5+ to 6    5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17
6+ to 7    4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16
7+ to 9    3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15
9+ to 11   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14


OOC: PCs are UP

This message was last edited by the GM at 21:28, Fri 30 June 2017.

OOC: DM post moving over Marklin's original post. Please edit it as you wish, as the situation has changed. You can assign the attack to either Beast or Beast Junior.

The Warrior saw the horrors that came out of the darkness, like twin demons from the hells. Much too fast for Marklin to use one of his javelins, it lunged at him, but the trained reflexes of the man at arms dodged out of its way.

 With a cry of “ For the honor of Kord!” upon his lips, the Warrior thrust his spear into the flesh of the beast.


11:35, Today: Marklin rolled 7 using 1d6+1 with rolls of 6.  Spear damage on junior.
11:33, Today: Marklin rolled 19 using 1d20+1 with rolls of 18.  Spear attack on junior Beastie.

Sarah chucks another dart at the larger beast, but it zips right past its ear.


14:00, Today: Sarah rolled 14 using 1d20+4 with rolls of 10.  Round 2: Dart (15 to hit).

OOC: I don't know how big a deal it is, but my first attack was on the bigger creature and the damage has been assigned to the smaller.

Once she catches herself, Aldara begins to weave magical energies in a way that will induce a magical slumber in the two Beasts.

"I want, excellence, allowed to me..."

Casting sleep in a way that will affect the Beasts.

Eoni sloshed up behind Marklin and touched his shoulder with her staff hand while chanting, "May Avandra's eternal mercy and forgiveness bring you strength to carry on."

OOC: Eoni Daflin rolled 6 using 1d6+1.  Cure light wounds on Marklin.

No longer petrified with fear, Valthur tightens his grip around the handle of his battle axe. He swings with all his might, but finds only empty air in his weapon's path.

Pull yourself together, Valthur. Keep swinging like that and you'll be that thing's next meal!

23:29, Today: Valthur Ironhelm rolled 6 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 3.  Battle axe vs. Bigger Beast.

Aldara weaves her enchantment and causes both Beasts, big and small, to rock and sway as hypnotic waves lull each toward sleep's sweet, sweet release. The Beasts' careen around wildly, both eventually lying down for a little nappy time.

Now that both Beasts have been put to sleep, everyone in the party has a chance to observe them in a less aggravated state. The difference is quite striking, for both appear to be little more than black bears: presumably a mother and her cub.

Mama Bear has a gem-studded collar with some sort of gold medallion attached. Baby bear is collarless.

The cave becomes quite still as the Beast is seen in this new light.


OOC: The Beasts are asleep for 12 turns.

Eoni cast Bless granting all PCs +1 on all to-hit and damage rolls for 6 turns.

The Beast "Mama Bear"
AC: 4
HP: -3/??

Beast Junior "Baby Bear"
AC: 6
HP: -7/??


PC         AC   HP    9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1  0 -1 -2 -3
Aldara     8    7/7  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Eoni       8  16/16  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Marklin    5  10/14  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Sarah      4    5/8  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Valthur    5  15/18  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20

[Private to GM:

  HD       9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1   0   -1  -2  -3
Up to 1    10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20  20
1+ to 2    9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20
2+ to 3    8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20
3+ to 4    7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19
4+ to 5    6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18
5+ to 6    5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17
6+ to 7    4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16
7+ to 9    3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15
9+ to 11   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14


OOC: PCs are UP

Beyond surprised that her spell worked, Aldara has to stifle a surprised gasp.  Nonetheless, she reaches for her silver dagger, and complements it with a regular dagger in her other hand.  The mage looks from one companion to the other, to gague their reactions.

Preparing daggers.  Looking for reactions.

"I think they may be enchanted," Eoni said, slowly sloshing toward the larger of the bears with the collar.  "Remember the druidic symbols we found?  There may be one down here causing them to attack.  It would explain the magical trap on the door.

"Take a look around," she said, gingerly reaching for the collar.  "I'm going to see if I can get this off.  It may be what's controlling them.

"Aldara, I think you had the potion for animals.  Have it ready in case they wake up."

OOC: Assuming Aldara is the catch all carrier for unclaimed magical loot.  See loot sheet.

Also hoping that they didn't slouch in such a way as to begin drowning which would probably wake them back up.

 Marklin felt much better, after having the nice lady cleric cast a heal on him. But before he could say thank you, the Lady hedge wiz…that is to say, the Lady Sorceress put them to sleep.

  “Eoni, are ye daft? While I be grateful for the healing, ye don’t know what ye are doing here. Even if something be controlling these two beasties, it be a momma with her baby. She will fight til death. Better to slay both, while they be down.”

 The Warrior raised his spear to plunge it into the adult bear.

As soon as Marklin declares his intent and raises his spear aloft, the party hears the feral snarl of an enraged bear behind them. Wheeling around, it seems to come out of the very stone itself!

Moments later, an even smaller black bear emerges from the stone, roars menacingly, its mouth held wide open. Then, a jet of flame shoots forth from its open mouth, straight at Marklin!


OOC: Marklin, please make a save vs Breath Weapon. The flame breath will deal 19 points of damage (save for half damage, i.e., 9). Obviously a lot is at stake here. Good luck!

:)

Eoni cast Bless granting all PCs +1 on all to-hit and damage rolls for 6 turns.

The Beast "Mama Bear"
AC: 4
HP: -3/??

Beast Junior "Baby Bear"
AC: 6
HP: -7/??

Fire-Breathing Baby Bear
AC: 6
HP: ??/??


PC         AC   HP    9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1  0 -1 -2 -3
Aldara     8    7/7  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Eoni       8  16/16  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Marklin    5  -9/14  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20   Dying (Successes: 0, Fails: 0)
Sarah      4    5/8  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Valthur    5  15/18  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20

[Private to GM:

  HD       9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1   0   -1  -2  -3
Up to 1    10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20  20
1+ to 2    9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  20
2+ to 3    8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20
3+ to 4    7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19
4+ to 5    6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18
5+ to 6    5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17
6+ to 7    4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16
7+ to 9    3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15
9+ to 11   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14


OOC: PCs are UP

This message was last edited by the GM at 13:29, Sat 01 July 2017.

09:22, Today: Marklin rolled 10 using 1d20+1 with rolls of 9.  Saving throw.

 * I don't think that role comes even near what is needed. please pass the BBQ sauce.*
This message was last edited by the player at 13:47, Sat 01 July 2017.

The fire-breathing black bear charges out of stone and scorches Marklin before the fighter has a chance to plunge his spear into the sleeping Beast. There is little Marklin can do to prepare for the blast and he gets burnt to a charred crisp.

Marklin falls where he stands, unconscious and dangerously close to death's door.

The bear roars victoriously, casting its keen eyes about at the rest of the party to see who wants to be next...

"Aldarrra!" Eoni shouted as she splashed over to Marklin's motionless smoking body where it floated face down in the water.  He looked bad.  Really bad.

Trying to keep the torch above water with one hand, she dropped her staff and flipped the man over onto his back.  Cradling his head in her arm, she tried to keep his face above water.  It seemed it had born the brunt of the flames, scorched and burnt.  She could see his teeth through the ragged edges of his cheek, now seared clean through by the sudden gout of fire.  His eyes were crusted shut with charred skin and blood, his neck crackled as she struggled to keep him afloat.

He didn't seem to be breathing.

Without any consideration for the sleeping bears, Aldara hisses when the fire-breathing cub emerges, "Imbecile!"  And then Marklin collapses.  Her daggers clatter to the ground as she grabs her bag and quickly fishes out a potion she'd almost forgotten was in its confines.  Wasting no time at all, the mage quickly tears the stopper off and drinks its contents, suffering whatever smells and tastes accompany it.  Gods above and fiends below, was Marklin going to get a stern talking-to if he survived!

At the very least, his family would be told to stop procreating.

Her attention is now fixed on the bear cub, but her eyes scan the area for any other cuddly but vicious threats.

Prolly up to you to suss out how many Hit Dice of creatures are affected, GM.

"Marklin!"

Startled by the surprise attack, Valthur drops his axe. He quickly retrieves it and charges the bear, but barely has a proper hold on the handle when he swings. The result is a wild miss.

18:46, Today: Valthur Ironhelm rolled 6 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 3.  Axe vs. fire breathing bear.


This message was last edited by the player at 23:50, Sat 01 July 2017.

Sarah inches toward (but not out) the exit, and throws a dart at the new threat as she does.

11:55, Today: Sarah rolled 14 using 1d20+4 with rolls of 10.  Attack fire-bear (13 to hit).
11:56, Today: Sarah rolled 4 using 1d4+1 with rolls of 3.

Sarah hurls a dart at the fire-breathing black bear and a moment later Aldara's swirling enchantment causes the mysterious stone-walking, fire-breathing animal to fall into a deep slumber. The bear comes crashing down in a heap, its tongue lolling about as it dreams of whatever bears dream of.

And then, in the immediate aftermath of the battle, something odd happens. The most recently slumbering bear polymorphs into a diminutive, ruddy-faced and earthy humanoid, no taller than 3 feet, were he standing.

At first glance, and to the uninformed, the creature might look like a scrawny, deformed dwarf. But Valthur immediately recognizes the humanoid for what it truly is: a gnome.

The bulbous-nosed gnome snores heavily, louder than even Mama or Baby Bear.

Additionally, now that the threat of battle has abated, the party spots two bound humans in a nearby alcove: Ebermund's "lost" companions, victims of the Insatiable Savant's peculiar sense of humor. Both are very much alive and are struggling against their binding ropes.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:35, Sun 02 July 2017.

*Gurgle,Gurgle.*

Sarah bends to the task of tying the gnome's hands.  Gently, so as to not wake him.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:19, Sun 02 July 2017.

"Well that's new," Valthur concludes. "A gnome that turns into a fire breathing bear. No match for your magic, though, Aldara. He's sleeping like a baby now... A very dangerous baby."

The dwarf walks over to the two captives and draws his dagger, completely oblivious to the fact that it may appear to them that he intends to slit their throats. Any misunderstanding is temporary, however, as he starts to work cooperatively at the ropes.  "Here, let me get those. We're friends of Ebermund. You have any idea what this little gnome was up to?"

Not waiting for an answer, he looks over to Eoni and the fallen fighter. "How's Marklin? Will he be all right?"

Seeing the threat handled by Aldara, Eoni turned her attention back to the charred fighter.

"Avandra in your mercy," she chanted as she held the man's heavily damaged face above the water, "please grant this man forgiveness of his big mouth and rash actions and lead him back from the darkness.  He has a good heart and more to do in this life."

She prayed that she wasn't too late.

OOC: Eoni Daflin rolled 4 using 1d6+1.  Cure light wounds 2nd on Marklin.

Ebermund's companions,  Byron and Sharlayne, both dresses in circus finery, profusely express their gratitude while and after Valthur cuts the ropes that had held them in place.

Ebermund, who had been hiding behind the adventurers all along, runs up and hugs each of his companions, clearly happy to see both again after fearing the worst.

Sharlayne and Byron both claim the Insatiable Savant magically whisked them away to this cave when he grew impatient with their lack of tradeable information.

"One moment we were there, the next here," Byron offers in confusion.

They were first set upon by two bears, both of which growled quite angrily upon finding intruders in their den. "The big one would have surely mauled us, had that crazy gnome not stepped in..." Sharlayne adds in.

The two go on to relate the gnome calmed the two bears down and proceeded to tie both up, "for our protection he says," Byron adds in sarcastically.

"The gnome said he wouldn't allow us Carneys! Carneys mind you!?" Byron protests, "near Buschka and Panzi. That we couldn't have 'em. He'd see us fed to 'em first!" Byron spits out.

As it turns out, Byron is a sword swallower and Sharlayne is a circus side show curiosity, the DemonLady, as she has two small horns protruding from the side of her temples. Ebermund is a contortionist. The trio, as Ebermund explained earlier, are members of The Good Baron Hobnobble’s Beguiling Court of Merryfellows and Gentlewomen.

"I don't think the little guy is evil, just mad," Sharlayne adds in while looking in the sleeping gnome's direction.

Meanwhile, Sarah secures the gnome while the others talk and Eoni attends to Marklin. The big fighter will live, but perhaps have a few scars to remind him of this day.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:30, Mon 03 July 2017.

Sarah joins the others.  "His club glows.  Didn' want to touch."

While Aldara appreciates Valthur's praise for her magical ability, the mage can do nothing other than focus on the bears.  Her expression is nonetheless surprised at the events that are unfolding before her.

"Valthur," Eoni called over, "help me with Marklin.  He'll live but he's unconscious.

"Aldara," she continued, turning her attention to the other woman, "how much time do we have?"

The bears will be magically asleep for about two hours.

OOC: 4d4 turns, a turn being 10 minutes of time.

Valthur examines the sleeping bears. Certainly, they don't look as fearsome now as they did when they were awake. "Pushka and Bambi, eh? Or whatever he called them. We just going to leave them here? I know what Marklin would suggest if he was awake."


OOC: do they still have their shimmery not-fully-from-this-plane-of-existence look to them or did that disappear when they went to sleep?

"Long enough to get Marklin somewhere safe if we work together and fast, and to get all of us out of the sight of these bears.  I'd say we have over a half an hour."

Both sleeping bears look like normal sleeping bears, albeit one of them is wearing a strange collar. Closer examination of the collar reveals it contains the following inscription:

Buschka the Bear, Jingo's Traveling Circus

"We still have the tribe outside to deal with as well," Eoni said, letting Marklin's head rest on the dry ground they'd carried him to.  "Avandra teaches that everyone deserves their freedom both beasts and bretheren.  The gnome was just defending the helpless from Marklin's unthinking reflex to retaliate.

"We've found what we sought.  No one need die today."

The Sister of Avandra held her torch high and turned to the two newly freed to ask, "Did you see if there was another way out of here than the way we entered?"  She gestured toward their entrance through the shallow waters.

In reply to Eoni Daflin (msg # 230):

The circus performers nod their heads in the negative when asked about other entrances or exits.

"The gnome and bears always came and went the way you came in," the man offers.

Eoni was nonplussed that they would have to return past the goblins.  They would be disappointed the two humans had been found but not the beast they'd described.

"Ebermund," Eoni asked, nodding to the man, "could you and your friends carry Marklin out past the doorway while we finish up here?"

She realized she held the only dry torch to light their way and added, "Just get ready and I'll light the way in a moment."

She motioned for the others to gather round as she proposed a plan.

"Our biggest problem now are the goblins waiting outside.  I don't believe that they'll honor our passage as we haven't found the beast they've described.  Just a gnome and a couple of circus bears.

"I propose that we wait them out until daylight.  We can all head back down the tunnel and squeeze past the boulder.  I don't think either of the bears could get us there.

"In the morning we'll hope that the goblins have given us up for dead and gone home.  If they haven't we'll be better rested than we are now.

"Any ideas?"

She looked around for any input from the others.

Valthur digs out a potion of healing from his backpack. "Here," he offers. "This potion should get Marklin back on his feet again. I also have a couple of those magic acorns in here somewhere."


Once done fiddling with his backpack, he turns to Eoni and sighs. "I'll be honest, I don't like the idea of sleeping in this filthy cave, but I don't like the chance of running into those goblins in our current condition, either. So let's rest on the other side of the boulder like you suggest. Maybe the gnome knows of a secret entrance. He might tell us in exchange for us not slitting his throat like we should."

Sarah wanders to the group but does not join in the discussion.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:07, Fri 07 July 2017.

"Keep your healing draught for now," Eoni said to the dwarf.  "By morning, Avandra's strength will allow me to address his injuries once more.  These magical drinks are too expensive at the moment.

"And," she added pointedly, "I'd rather avoid any argument with our plans.

"I don't want to wake the gnome because he'll then know that we're still within the cavern.  I'd rather have him wake and unwittingly charge after us to confront the goblins.  Or for the goblins to come in and run into him.

"We'll untie the gnome asleep and retreat to our safe haven.  We'll bring Marklin around by whatever means in the morning and force our exit if we must."

Sarah wanders back to the gnome.

Ebermund agrees to haul Marklin back up the natural staircase into the tunnel currently blocked by the boulder. He rounds up his companions and they carry the unconscious fighter away, as instructed. Meanwhile, the rest of the party finishes up their discussion and eventually decides to leave the sleeping bears and gnome as is for the moment.

Taking their leave of the cavern, the party joins the circus companions and sets in for the night.

The intervening hours transpire largely uneventfully. There are no indications of the goblins, gnome or bears make any effort to come and find the adventurers.

Marklin is still gravely injured, but stable.

OOC: The party will heal d3 hit points while resting.

Sarah experiments with what awards to be a  faintly glowing wooden club, attempting to determine its usefulness as both a light source and a weapon.

The club radiates magical light in a 30 foot radius. Additionally, the club feels quite light, well balanced and natural in the hands. It is undoubtedly enchanted beyond its obvious radiating effects.

"Sarah," Eoni asked, dubiously, seeing her with the new club.  "Where did you find that?"

She was afraid that she already knew the answer.

"I tol' you, the gnome had it."

OOC: Post 223

Sarah stops experimenting with the club and says frantically: "I did!  I tol' you about it!  I didn' hide it."

"We're the trespassers here," the Sister of Berna explained.  "We came looking for Sharlayne and Byron.  We discovered that someone was living here and had their door locked.  We broke down their door, invaded their home, and they defended themselves.

"The gnome didn't kidnap those two.  The Savant sent them here and they weren't eaten or injured.

"We have no right to take anything from them.  All of this was just a misunderstanding.  If anyone is to blame, it is the Savant for sending Sharlayne and Byron here to stir up mischief.

"If we see the gnome again, you'll have to return that to him."

Following their rest, and once everyone is up and moving, the party's strength and vitality returns. Even Marklin regains consciousness, though he is still quite sore from the mauling and burns he received.

OOC: Party stats are as follows:



PC         AC   HP    9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1  0 -1 -2 -3
Aldara     8    9/9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Eoni       8  16/16  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Marklin    5   8/14  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20   Unconscious
Sarah      4  12/12  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20
Valthur    5  18/18  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 20

This message was last edited by the GM at 19:37, Sat 08 July 2017.

 His eyes fluttered open, and a groan escaped the warrior’s lips. Marklin was again among the living. Since every part of his body hurt, he had to assume he lived. “ Where be th bloody piss pot o' a bear, th one that burned  me? I wanna bear skin.”
This message was last edited by the player at 14:13, Sat 08 July 2017.

Sara cocks her head to one side as she listens to Eoni.  The look on her face appears to be one of confusion, although she doesnt say anything so there's no confirmation as to what the girl is thinking.

After the lecture is finished, Sarah continues looking at Eoni for a moment.  She then walks approximately fifteen feet away and resumes "shadow clubbing" with the new weapon.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 14:18, Sat 08 July 2017.

Aldara did not have anything useful to contribute to the discussion prior to departing, and so kept her concentration on the bears.  The retreat, when it occurred, could not have come soon enough!  Despite her confidence in the potion's magic, she still found herself looking over her shoulder every so often, in addition to straight ahead and to her side.  Magical bears were bad news, and Goblins were another kind of bad news; combine the two with some injured adventurers, and that was a recipe for tragedy!

Her time during the brief rest is spent writing something in her spell book, every so often looking about at even the slightest noise.  Every so often, she will look at Marklin, and scrawl something in the margins, no doubt about magical bear collars.  She is clearly impressed by Sarah's find, and rolls her eyes at Eoni's lecture.  "The Gnome had far more coming than just his trinkets being stolen.  If anything, let this serve as a lesson to him.  Besides, we know that in Sarah's hands the club will be used for good and not mischief, just like your staff!"

"Thank the gods!" Aldara is surprised at how glad she is to see Marklin conscious.  "That fire-breathing bear turned out to be a Gnome that was, erm, somehow able to shape-shift.  Its pets, however, were not Gnomes."

 Marklin took in the words of Aldara,and let them sink in. " Blood stained gods.... A curse on all magic." Then he remembered there where those that used the arcane arts in this group.. " Nay offense ta anyone present."

"In truth," Eoni replied to Marklin as she bent to examine his wounds, "I am just a vessel to direct the merciful energies of Berna the Forgiving.

"Aldara is the only true user of magic here."

She examined the scabs and blisters across his face and neck for a few minutes before asking him to hold still.

"Merciful Berna, please aid us in our works and give us strength to overcome injury and hardship.  We strive to do good and show mercy and forgiveness in our action.  Please hear my prayer."

She placed her hands on either side of Marklin's face and brought the divine energy of Berna to the overcooked cretin.

OOC: Eoni Daflin rolled 7 using 1d6+1.  Cure light wounds On Marklin 1.

The three circus performers, Ebermund, Byron and Sharlayne are quite nervous about the prospect of being ambushed by goblins on the way out of the cave beneath Barren Hill.

Sharlayne cuts in hopefully, her pitch rising at the end, "Surely you fine adventurers has means to dispatch them with ease, right?"

The trio claim they have a small cache of gems that might help bribe safe passage from the goblins. "It's not much, but we'd gladly offer it," Byron adds, though his tone conveys the fact he is not altogether thrilled about willingly giving over anything to goblin brigands.

"Like Eoni here said, I'm a wielder of magic, and one of my incantations can put most creatures to sleep.  I've also got an illusion or two up my sleeve for more troublesome foes."

  Marklin attempted to sit up but failed. He grunted in frustration. " Gems? Ye have av gems? Bugger the Goblins, we deserve them gems fer our troubles. I almost get slain and the Dwarf was wounded? We could of all been slain in this fools errand., and have empty pockets in the end.”

All that Aldara can do is furrow her eyebrows and nod her head furiously, gesturing to Marklin.  Thrilling heroics did, after all, come at a price!  The band she travelled with wasn't a bunch of simpering Paladins!

Too good not to post again so soon, sorry!

Byron shrinks away upon hearing the burned fighter's outburst. He thinks of something to say in response but can only meekly offer, "I'm sorry. I was just trying to help. We do appreciate what you've done for us."

Sharlayne looks down guiltily at the worn fringe along the hem of her skirt and Ebermund searches for any words but likewise comes up with a similar, "Yes. Thank you. All of you." He looks around the room to each adventurer.

 Marklin grunted again in pain, or was it something else. “ Yer appreciation don’t put money in our purses. I be thinking potions and what not, be used up on this lark in th underground. We still be empty handed after ye be sorry and thanking us. Get em out of me sight.”

 His groan, this time, was because of the pain.

Eoni frowned in the dim light of their last torch.  The one they'd saved for their return to the surface.  It had been a long night passing watches between them in utter darkness.

Marklin was injured and scared but it was no reason to take it out on Ebermund and his friends.  The man had brushed near the skirts of death but they too had lived their own nightmares in this cavern.  Bound in the dark with no hope of rescue.  If it hadn't been for Ebermund's tenacity, who knows what might have become of them.

"It's time for us to go," she said to the fighter, trying to change the subject.  "See if you can get up."

Soon enough, they'd find out which of their evening's hosts would see them out.

 With whomever would help him stand, Marklin would do his best to depart with the others.

The party aids Marklin and moves beyond their makeshift camp to see what they can see. Closing in on the secret tunnel that leads down to the Gnome and Beast's lair, the group notices the tunnel seems to have been filled in with living stone. It is as though the tunnel never even existed!

Valthur, gifted with the ability of stonecunning, detects the alteration to be magical in nature, though the stone is definitely real. But the working of stone is definitely magic. In any event, there is no passage to be gained that way, or at least not the way the party came through the first time.

Progressing further up the tunnel, the adventurers probe the entrance chamber to determine whether goblins await their arrival. The group make their way topside and find evidence of the goblin's setting camp in the entrance chamber, but all that remains are ashen coals in a fire pit and a few charred animal bones thrown in for good measure. It appears as though the goblins have either up and left!

Glancing outside, it is now mid-afternoon...one loses track of time underground, and there are no goblins to be found. Just the blazing sun scorching overhead.

 Seeing no signs of Goblins, and in spite of Marklin being near exhaustion.” I say we  regroup, and go back into that placeand We explore every bloody inch o’ it. Secret doors and magic traps seems beyond a Gnome. There has to be more to that place. We must have missed something."
This message was last edited by the player at 22:27, Mon 10 July 2017.

"We've done what we set out to do," Eoni said confidently.  "We have the translation and found Ebermund's friends.

She'd hope to return the gnome's club and set things right but it seemed he was in no mood to talk.  Eoni would find another way to lead the young girl along a brighter path.  That was for another day.

"Now it's time to go home."

Sarah's gaze moves to focus on each speaker, but she offers no thoughts of her own.

The Sister of Avandra turned to the three with them and said, "We'll escort you back to Terrelton.  It's on our way and you may be able to ask if anyone has seen your troupe.

"And Ebermund," she said addressing the man they'd first met at the Savant's, "would you mind if we kept those papers we found with you?"

"And just who put ye in charge, Eoni? I nay recall, ye being elected Captain of our group. While I be in yer debt for healing me, this be business. We av naught ta show for our efforts. There might be treasure in that underground. Secret doors and magic traps be there for a reason. They be guarding something o' value. I says we put it to a vote. leave empty handed, or dare the perils o' that place again, for the chance o' profit"

 Marklin looked to, Sarah, then Aldara, finally to Valthur,” What say ye?”

"Marklin's got a point," Valthur agrees. "There may be treasure below that we missed. A fair payment for our efforts."

OOC: I'm secretly in favor of sticking with Eoni's plan to head back to town, but Valthur would be intoxicated by Marklin's promise of treasure, so I'm trying to see it through his slightly treasure-biased eyes.

Aldara's jaw drops.  It's as much that Marklin actually asked her opinion as it was his tone towards Eoni.  He must have suffered head trauma, in the case of the former!  The latter was business as usual for the warrior.  "First, we should take them back..." She gestures at the performers who, unlike Bards, generally have no place among adventurers at work.  "...and then we can return!"

She gives Eoni a quick look, a mix between "sorry!" and "it's too good an opportunity to pass up!".

Marklin was scared.

Having been so close to death, the fighter wanted to take back control of his life and kill what had nearly killed him.  It was instinct.  She couldn't blame him for his fear but she wouldn't let him drag the others down if she could help it.

She'd make no headway addressing his fear directly so she'd tackle the pretense of his argument.

"What treasure?" she asked calmly.  "The treasure of a druid that rescues circus bears?  Unless you saw something other than I, that's all that I saw down there.

"The same druid that created those traps and concealed its home.  The one that molded living stone to protect them from us.

"The others can tell you there was no treasure there.  No other way out.  Believe what you will but we've seen everything there was to be seen down there.

"And if you think you'll be able to pass a bear pelt off as the Beast of Barren Hills, I'm certain you'll be disappointed.  You've heard what they've described.  They're looking for a raging Beast, not some common bear.

"If it's gold you're really after, we have a better chance of rubbing two gold together facing the Jackals on the way back."

The trio of performers make it a point to let the party know the bear was not part of their act, The Good Baron Hobnobble’s Beguiling Court of Merryfellows and Gentlewomen. "We don't do animals," Ebermund asserts.

The performers are familiar with the outfit listed on the large bear's collar, a traveling circus out of some far-off land beyond the Shining Plains.
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 22:46, Wed 12 July 2017.

Marklin just shook his head. “ So, what ye want ta do is tuck tail and run. But run where, I ask ye? We have nothing to show for our trouble. If we do it yer way, all we have is these buggers good will. But good will won’t put bread in yer belly or coins in yer purse. I say we go back in and have another look see. What say ye?”

"It's two votes for going and two votes for staying. That leaves it up to the girl." He looks over to Sarah. "What say you, Missy?" As he wonders what she is thinking, he realizes he doesn't know her very well and has no idea which way she will vote.

For what it's worth, not that any offer their vocal support either way though their intentions are quite evident through their non-verbals, the trio of entertainers wish to leave this unpleasant business behind them and move on post haste.

Sarah's head had been rotating rapidly as each person spoke, almost as if she was tracking a flying insect.  Nonetheless, she looks startled when Valthur addresses her directly.

Here head's movements now stop, but her eyes flit about.  This effort only confirms that the others are waiting for her to say something.  She looks to the ground and is quiet for a moment.  Then:

"There weren't no secret passages where we found the gnome.  I checked."

"Let's go," Eoni said to the bedraggled entertainers.  "I'll get you back to town."

With or without the others, she was headed back to Terrelton and began marching in that direction.  She would have no part in this banditry.

 The look on Marklin's face, was surprise, when Eoni offered to take the others back. " Fine!. I will get these buggers back to town, but then we come back. if I thought ye where going to turn yer back on yer mates, Eoni, I would nay explore with ye again."


 Marklin attempted to walk on his own, being a proud man, he wanted no ones help, if it could be avoided. "C'mon Valthur, seems Captain Eoni be calling the tune, we dance, on this one."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:07, Thu 13 July 2017.

With Eoni leading the way, the party marches sourly out of the caves beneath Barren Hill. Their expedition to seek audience with the Insatiable Savant had been mostly successful, save for the complication of meeting and agreeing to help Ebermund. The foray into Barren Hill to slay the Beast had been fraught with its own complications: a rival goblin tribe also seeking to slay the Beast and reclaim their cave, a series of magic secret doors and traps, a crazed gnome druid-sorcerer, and a mama circus bear and her cub comprising the "Beast".

There had been little treasure for their effort and some were feeling quite stormy over the whole affair. The trio of entertainers all too readily follow Eoni's footsteps and are quickly on her heels, the rest of the party perhaps filing along shortly thereafter.

The march back to Terrelton proves to a hot and dusty affair, but otherwise offers little fanfare save for each party member becoming drenched in their own sweat. Upon reaching the dusty fly-speck of a town, Ebermund produces a small sack of gems and hands them over to Eoni.

"A small token of our appreciation. Be sure to look us up if you ever make it out east to Brindol." He then hands her a handbill for their trouple before the trio offers the adventurers their thanks. Once farewells are said, the trio departs into the town, eager to put the whole affair behind them and to begin plotting their return to the city.

The party has returned to Terrelton and is at a bit of crossroads with some members wishing to return to the cave and others, not so much.

OOC: Inside the small leather sack are 5 small cut malachite stones, worth 25 gp each

Sarah buys a piece of warm bread.  She holds it in both hands, munching on it and chewing each bite thoroughly before swallowing.  Her mannerisms are rather mouse-like as she nibbles on her food.

Having perhaps seen the last of Ebermund and his friends, Eoni handed each of the others one of the gems.

"Let's get cleaned up and a meal into us before we make our plan to lure out the Jackals on our way home," she proposed.  "Perhaps there may be a caravan headed our way that would pay for an escort."  She added this last with an eye for the more mercenary of their troupe.

"Aye Captain Eoni. Whatever ye say. Mayhap ye want us to fall in for head count. We could march some for ye." Said Marklin,with obvious scorn in his voice.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:20, Sun 16 July 2017.

Valthur places an arm around the angry fighter and pats him on the back. "Come now, Marklin. Don't take it too hard. We lost the vote fair and square and we made it back to town with our heads still attached to our shoulders. Let's go see if the local pub accepts malachite stones."

OOC: Safe to assume we each take a single stone?
This message was last edited by the player at 07:31, Sun 16 July 2017.

 Marklin tossed the gemstone that was his share, a few times in the palm of his hand. When he heard Vulthur's words, the frown upon his face lessened. “Aye, a few ales will help to wash the foul taste from me mouth. Let's go, Vulthur."

 Marklin would shock many,when he spent some of his coin on a new spear,and garments. THEN, he would blow the rest on drinking and what not.

Only slightly disappointed that the others were more survival-minded than herself and Marklin, Aldara resolves to buy more supplies with her share of the kingly treasure, so that there is less need for return trips.

She also, true to herself and regardless of whether or not a stable is in pain sight, asks around add to where she might be able to find a pack mule.

Marklin would make his way to the market place, where he would seek to purchase a new spear. He would then visit places to replace or repair his armor, and get spare garments.

 Once these errands where done, the warrior would return to the Inn, but not before stopping at a few watering holes along the way. With any luck, Marklin would encounter his buddy, Valthur.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:16, Wed 19 July 2017.