The party winds their way through the streets of Torch and around the great Black Hill itself, passing by a group of familiar guards as they haul the body of the metal man and a sack full of swept up parts back in the opposite direction--casting glances at the group that show a mix of awe and annoyance. After several minutes of travel, seeming all the longer with the ticking clock now in the back of everyone's minds, the party arrives at the Weeping Pond.

The placid-looking pond is set off from the surrounding area by a crescent-shaped escarpment. No vegetation grows on the banks and no fish live in these waters which carry a bitter stink of sulfur and other chemicals, enough to make the eyes water after spending too much time on the shore. The thought of swimming in these waters, let alone breathing them in, is enough to make most gag.

Brokam eyed the water skeptically, his mind racing with all the infections and diseases one could likely contract from that water, but he knew there was no other way. He paused to ensure the packs were properly sealed, rolled up his sleeves and sighed.
“Let’s get this over with,” He said, making his way to the polluted water.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:14, Tue 03 Aug 2021.

Sesla waded into the polluted waters. She nodded once to Brokam and disappeared beneath the surface to see what she could see.

Cain waits for others to enter the water before following, cursing silently under his breath as he steps in. Swimming through this mess would greatly diminish his enthusiasm for this mission, assuming he had any to begin with. "You better be alive, old man."

It was more brackish brew than water to Ix. Behind his mask his nose wrinkled, then seemed to recall he had forgotten a very interesting element. First his arm, now his face. It seemed this adventure was exposing him more an more to the ways of man.

Ix waited until Cain turned away, though it seemed pointless. Surely, they would see his face once they even so much as turned around. His mask had been in homage to the Gray Man, but more importantly it had been his sanctuary, a reprieve where he could express himself without fear of others' assessment of very varied emotions.

Now was no time for such sensitivities, so Ix pulled his mask away from his face.

Dark eyes that held an oddly violet hue, and the skin was brown and smooth like a polished mountainside. His jaw was herculean, the line of it keen and hard as an axe head. A strigine nose, and a mouth so curvy it could kiss the waves punctuated his features in perfection. In fact, his face was too perfect.

Unnaturally so, in the same way one looks at an idealized portrait of a person, reflecting features at their highest potential. If one were to imagine that picture being real, with emotions and effusing in the present, that's where the wrongness began to settle. That's where Ix head from, the eyes that saw him as something so unnatural that he would be conflated as a machine.

The android put his mask into the waterproof bag, securing the straps of his shield tight against his back. Had time not been of the essence, he would have undone his armor, but that wasn't the case. So with a wrinkled pair of nostrils, he found himself wading into the water until his head dipped beneath the surface.

The party members each enter the water and begin swimming along the eastern edge, searching for the underwater passage they were told would lead them into the caves.

Brokam immediately loses himself to disgust at the taste of this putrid water, making no progress and forcing those behind him to swim around. The first of those is Sesla who, although swimming well enough, is slowed by her hide armor and forces the more lightly encumbered behind her to detour even further from their path.
10:50, Today: Dungeon Master rolled -2,14,15,13 using d20-3,d20-3,d20+0,d20+6.  Swim Brokam, Sesla, Cain, Ix.

Brokam soon recovers his senses but finds it difficult to make much progress. Fortunately for both him and Selsa the water breathing spell allows them to be unconcerned with staying afloat and both are able to drag themselves along the pond bed while Cain and Ix quickly break away head of them.
10:57, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 6,6,14,13 using d20-3,d20-3,d20+0,d20+6.  Swim Brokam, Sesla, Cain, Ix.

Brokam continues to struggle, pulling himself along the bottom of the pond while Sesla begins to pull ahead of him. The oracle very nearly catches up to Ix, who thought to pull himself along the bottom for speed only to find it just slowed him down, while Cain gains some distance from the others and manages to spot the break in the stony bed that must lead into the caves.
11:01, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 8,13,10,7 using d20-3,d20-3,d20+0,d20+6.  Swim Brokam, Sesla, Cain, Ix.

Cain slows as he lines himself up with the spring, hesitant to dive in and blocking the way as Ix comes up from behind. Selsa is soon to join them while Brokam carries up the rear, still dragging himself along the pond bed.
11:07, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 7,17,1,17 using d20-3,d20-3,d20+0,d20+6.  Swim Brokam, Sesla, Cain, Ix.

With a bit of urging from Ix behind him, both Cain and the android begin to swim through the narrow tunnel. The already dark, murky water grows even darker as light from the sun can no longer reach them. Sesla slows as she nears the spring, looking behind to see Brokam still diligently pulling himself along.
11:10, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 4,3,14,19 using d20-3,d20-3,d20+0,d20+6.  Swim Brokam, Sesla, Cain, Ix.

Cain and Ix continue through the dark passageway, but soon Cain notices the water beginning to lighten somewhat. Sesla finally reaches the spring and prepares to enter herself while Brokam continues to pull up the rear.
11:14, Today: Dungeon Master rolled -1,6,12,24 using d20-3,d20-3,d20+0,d20+6.  Swim Brokam, Sesla, Cain, Ix.

Cain struggles a bit as the tunnel takes a sharp turn, holding up Ix behind him while Brokam finally figures out this swimming thing and Sesla pulls herself in the tunnel.
11:17, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 15,6,6,15 using d20-3,d20-3,d20+0,d20+6.  Swim Brokam, Sesla, Cain, Ix.

With another strong push as the floor of the narrow tunnel begins to rise, both Ix and Cain finally break the surface of the putrid water and find stale but breathable air(not that the water wasn't for these heroes.) [Private to Cain; Ix Tlacoatl: DC 15 Fort Save or be sickened from breathing the foul water for 1 minute.][Private to Ix Tlacoatl: This is a poison effect, so you get +4.] Selsa and Brokam continue to pull themselves through the narrow tunnel.
11:19, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 5,1,14,24 using d20-3,d20-3,d20+0,d20+6.  Swim Brokam, Sesla, Cain, Ix.

As the pair gather and pull themselves to their feet, they look about their surroundings which seem to be illuminated in a pale, yellow-green light. Dampness hangs in the air of this cave, condensing into heavy moisture on the slick, stone walls. A five-foot-high ledge sporting several stalagmites rises to the east, beyond which a low-ceilinged cave beckons. The calm, dark waters wind around to the east up north, along a stony, soot-scarred beach.

It is on this beach that the strange source of the light seems to sit--a few dull-brown stones each with a pair of glowing yellow-green spots. Except the stones seem to be moving? The pair blink and wipe the awful water form their eyes to take a second look, soon realizing the stones are in fact beetles. Beetles the size of house cats which seem angered at their presence and quickly move in to attack! The three vermin quickly scurry after Cain and snap at him, and while the half-elf manages to hop away from most of them, splashing in the shallow water, one of them manages to take a small chunk out of his shin(-2 HP).
Combat has started, Ix and Cain are up while Brokam and Sesla are still making their way through the tunnel. The luminescent beetles are providing dim lighting, so 20% miss chance unless you have low-light vision or darkvision.

Game Map Updated
[Private to Brokam; Sesla Lento: You are both still navigating the underwater tunnel. On your turns, you can make Swim checks (DC 10) to move HALF your speed as a full-round action. If you fail, you may still move 5 feet by pulling yourself along. Since the tunnel is narrow, Brokam may not pass through Sesla's square. If you don't post before Ix and Cain I'll take care of these rolls for you to move this bit along as quickly as possible.]
11:45, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 20 using 1d20.  Initiative Beetles.
11:45, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 18,12,14,14 using d20+2,d20+6,d20+2,d20+3.  Initiative Brokam, Cain, Ix, Sesla.
11:49, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 12,5,20,2,1,2 using d20+1,d20+1,d20+1,1d4,1d4,1d4.  Beetles Attack/Damage v Cain.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:47, Wed 04 Aug 2021.

Ix came out of the water feeling as foul as...well...the water.

Like some primordial birth, the android ascended with the exact same bitterness etched into his face. His hair was cast across his face like a curtain of despair. He looked miserable. Not surprising. At least the water didn't make him worse. (Fort Save 17)

They all swim slow. They all swim terribly. It was an observation Ix felt was important for some reason. Perhaps because none of them go the exercise that he did. Baking was a challenge to mind, body, and spirit alike.

Living in the wilderness helped too.

Ix's eyes cut through the darkness with ease. Still his eyes alighted upon the lights upon the rocks upon the shore. Moving rocks? Attacking rocks!

*schnk!*

It was an awful sound of meat being removed from leg. It at least sounded worst than it was. To Ix. Who couldn't feel Cain's pain.

Once again, with no war cry or celebration, Ix's face grew somehow more grim. With his mask removed and black hair over his face, he didn't seem much less scary.

Gray Master guide me.

Ix ran forward, feet splashing in the water, his shield pulled over one arm as he ran up beside Cain to stomp on the beetle. Maybe Sesla could command these not-machines to stop too.

Move Action: Stepping up 5ft while withdrawing shield
Attack Action: Stomping on the middle buddy!
08:48, Today: Ix Tlacoatl rolled 9 using 1d6+4 with rolls of 5.  Damage against middle beetle.
08:48, Today: Ix Tlacoatl rolled 19 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 14.  It's stompin' time (Unarmed Attack).

The middle beetle emits a cross between a squeal, a chirp, and a squish from its limited insect vocal chords as its legs and carapace are crushed, pushing liquid innards into the pool of water as it very slowly flows towards the tunnel the men had just swam through.
Middle Beetle is dying. Cain is up.

Cain retches the foul water, not even noticing the beetles until one tries to make a meal of his leg. That he notices. "Son of a...!" He draws his sword and feebly slashes at the assailant.

Failed, sickened.
20:06, Today: Cain rolled 5 using 1d20 with rolls of 5.  Fort save.

Move action to draw sword, attacking the right beetle.
20:09, Today: Cain rolled 15,2 using 1d20+2,1d8-2 with rolls of 13,4.  Attack, Damage.

I'd like to then take a 5' step back to where Ix just was, if that's possible (not sure if we are in difficult terrain or not). Sorry about trying to hide behind you Ix, but Cain would not be of much use in melee even if the best of conditions. Which these are not.

[Private to Dungeon Master: DM, is my Mage Armor still up by any chance? I cast it when we were fighting that robot and I'm not sure if an hour has passed since or not.]

[Private to Cain: Good thing you reminded me! Yes, Mage Armor would still be up for, lets say ... 60 Minutes - 20 at Tavern - 5 walking to Kyte - 10 w/ Kyte - 10 getting here = another 15 minutes.]
Despite the feeble swing from the retching Cain, the sword's tip manages to lop off one of the beetle's wings, causing it to screech in pain and charge after the scoundrel as he takes cover behind Ix. Either due to the distraction of its pain, the loss of it's companion, or the effort in this deeper water, the injured beetle's bite is easily avoided, as is the bite of its surviving companion.

Back behind the fight, in the depths of the narrow tunnel, Brokam finds his progress further impeded by the slow-moving Sesla dragging herself along.
New round. Game map updated(remember to force refresh, ctrl+F5.)
14:50, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 2,3 using d20+1,d4 with rolls of 1,3.  Beetle v Ix.
14:50, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 5,2 using d20+1,d4 with rolls of 4,2.  Beetle v Cain.
14:48, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 12,0 using d20-3,d20-3 with rolls of 15,3.  Swim Brokam, Sesla.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:59, Thu 05 Aug 2021.

Sesla Lento rolled 11 using 1d20 with rolls of 11.  Swim Check (DC 10).
Sesla swims 10 feet forward (1/2 of movement).

This message was last edited by the player at 20:29, Thu 05 Aug 2021.

Slowly, Brokam pulled himself through the filthy sludge that was the water.
ooc: Rolling a swim check, I pass with an 18 on the die, and thus pull myself further along by fifteen feet.

"Get the hell off me!" Cain tries to fend off the persistent beetle with his sword.

14:43, Today: Cain rolled 18,1 using 1d20+2,1d8-2 with rolls of 16,3.  Attack, Damage.

Ix notified me that he will be absent this weekend and agreed to be NPC'd.
With another feeble swipe of his blade, Cain manages to lop off a few legs from his insect assailant, and with another heavy stomp Ix leaves a second beetle badly injured and immobile. The last beetle, now barely able to move in the shallow water, puts up very little fight as the two men surround it and finish it off with little effort(100 XP for everyone). A few short moments later, the slower Sesla and Brokam emerge from the underwater tunnel largely unaware of the strife aside from the glow still emanating from the beetle corpses and the faint taste of beetlejuice mixed in already foul water they breathe.[Private to Brokam; Sesla Lento: Fort Save DC 15 or be Sickened for 1 Minute.]

Dampness hangs in the air of this cave, condensing into heavy moisture on the slick, stone walls. A five-foot-high ledge(DC 10 Climb) sporting several stalagmites rises to the east, beyond which a low-ceilinged cave beckons. The calm, dark waters wind around to the east up north, along a stony, soot-scarred beach.

Game Map Updated
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:02, Fri 06 Aug 2021.

Sesla emerges from the foul water and immediately retches. The oracle doubles over "releasing" her stomach of its contents.


OOC: Sesla Lento rolled 1 using 1d20 with rolls of 1.  Fort Save

With the beetles dead, Cain wades out of the water and sits down, trying to calm his stomach down. Only then does he examines the wound he took. It does not look nice, but at least it's not bleeding much. "Well, that could have started better."

Brokam pulled himself from the foul water, his long exposure to various chemicals and other unpleasant substances offering him a degree of tolerance for the muck. Once he was free of the sludge, he began to wipe it off his face and body as best he could, glancing to the others as he did so. Sesla had clearly been overcome by the fouled water, and by his estimation would probably be fine once she’d vomited up whatever she’d swallowed. Cain was favoring one leg over the other, a small gash opened up in his leg. Clearly he’d missed something.

“I have a potion if you think it necessary, but just the one for now. If you don’t want it, then we should at least bandage that, it would be unpleasant if it became infected,” he said to Cain, already reaching into the packs to pull out torches and his medicine bag.

"Nah, it looks worse than it is." Cain comments his wound. "Keep the potion, you might have need for it later. As for the infection, I'll worry about that when we get out alive from this death trap."

Now that he is feeling better Cain starts looking around. "It looks like we have two options here. Any preferences?" He wades to the tunnel bend to see where the stream leads before returning to the beach.

Going 15' north to check out the tunnel, then returning. Got some rope we could use to climb up, assuming we can't just take 10 here.

While the others take to the beach to recover, Ix dutifully gathers each of the beetles from the water to give them another stomp--ensuring there will be no recovery--and spread them and their luminescence across the cave floor. Seeing the half-elf moving into the darkness to have a look, the android passes off one of the slimy corpses for him to use as a light source. Mashed beetle in hand, Cain's elf eyes can make out another beach similar to theirs after a bit of protruding rock wall and on that beach rests a mass of vegetation. After a moment of squinting the half-elf catches a glint of beetle-light bouncing off what must be a steel buckle--it seems like the body of a member of one of the previous expeditions, now overcome by moss.
You can Take 10, but that's still a failure for Brokam and Sesla. Of course, failing means a fall of less than 5 feet.
Group 0 Map Updated

And good riddance.

Like flowing flour, Ix's hands and feet were dusted in the remnants of foul-tempered pests. After handing a radiant cadaver to Cain, Ix had washed...well..."rinsed his hands in the devious water. He glanced over to Sesla's retching figure, mumbling under his breath, "Never seen a machine do such a thing."

There was, however, a level of sympathy. Even for Ix's hardened figure, internally and externally, the foul water even made him feel less than pleasant. He could ascertain it would be even harder on such soft mortals. Figuring Brokam could tend to Sesla, he takes the time to don his mask again. It was like putting back on his skin; he felt ready to conquer the challenges ahead.

"What did you find, Cain?" Ix strides toward Cain, oblivious of wet feet and unimpaired by the dark of the cave. By the look on their face, the scoundrel most have found something.

Cain frowns. "A body. We should try to identify the poor bastard. I doubt it's Khonnir, but we better make sure all the same."

He carefully approaches the moss covered body. "What the hell kind of a moss would do that?"

Moving a bit closer, but still keeping at least 5' away from the moss.

As Cain inches forward, squashed bug in hand, and Ix, who needs no light, joins him, they spot two more small-sized bodies buried in moss lining the stony beach--which itself is covered with the same green-grey moss. [Private to Cain: Cain recalls that the first expedition to enter these caves was a group of halfling adventurers. These are likely their remains.]
Group 0 Map Updated
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:43, Tue 10 Aug 2021.

After Sesla finishes retching she wiped her face and took stock of the inner sea-cave that she found herself within. After precious moments struggling against the ebbing light from the battles, she casts the Light cantrip on her shield.

Uhhm? Sesla said that the mention of a body and she moved up to look over Ix's shoulder to see if the substance was known to her.

Brokam had been looking over at Sesla as she retched, just to be sure she got it all up, but diverted his attention away when Cain announced he’d discovered a body. Making his way over to where they were, he stepped closer than Cain had to get a better view in the dim light given off by the beetle’s remains, inspecting the body but careful to not touch.

Ooc: I would like to roll my Knowledge(Nature) to try and identify the moss, with a result of 12. Additionally, I’m rolling a heal check to see if I can tell how long this guy’s been dead, which goes a little better with a 16. Misread earlier, edited to reflect the scenario correctly.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:50, Tue 10 Aug 2021.

"What the hell kind of a moss would do that?"

As Sesla moved to look over his shoulder, Ix tilted his head the way a crow regards a shiny thing. As though afraid of starting the moss he slowly shifted his shield back to his arm before walking forward. Where Sesla peered from behind him, now Ix loomed over Brokam's inspection. He looked over the mortal coils. Perhaps they held on to things that would help his party's own venture here in the world of the living.

He himself lived and breathed. These deaths made him grateful for the gift of his own breaths, granted to him by the Gray Master.

"Dead long?" Ix asks Brokam.

Ix isn't especially careful with Brokam's inspection, but he does try to stay out of their way as he sees what he too can notice.
16:39, Today: Ix Tlacoatl rolled 24 using 1d20+6 with rolls of 18.  Perception (Dead Folks).

To Cain, Ix, and Sesla the moss doesn't seem like anything special, just an unremarkable, common moss. [Private to Brokam: Brokam's trained eye can identify it as a common Sphagnum genus--but determining the exact species would require proper study and references. He estimates that to grow over the bodies as it has would normally take nearly two weeks, but the state of decomposition of the body(green skin, bloated, bloody foam leaking from and crusting around the mouth) suggests about a week.][Private to Ix Tlacoatl: Without getting too close, Ix can't see any useful gear. In fact he is able to make out a few sheaths among them without any blades in them, suggesting someone has already looted the bodies.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:38, Tue 10 Aug 2021.

Brokam observed the remains for a few moments, brow furrowed in confusion before Ix’s question snapped him back out of his thoughts.
“Hm? Oh, yes, dead a while, but oddly not long enough. Let me explain,” He said, seeing the beginning of confused expressions on the others faces at his admittedly unhelpful answer. “Judging by the decomposition, I would judge that this man has been dead for a week, maybe ten days at most. But this,” He explained, gesturing to a particularly thick patch of moss as he did so, “This is wrong. I can’t be certain of the precise species without a proper laboratory to test it, but this moss is clearly of the Sphagnum genus, you might have heard it called peat moss. Regardless of its name though, it’s grown far too quickly.  This moss in normal conditions would need at least two weeks to cover these bodies so extensively. These men have not been dead long enough for this to have happened naturally.”

Sesla stepped back.

"Magic moss?" Sesla said in disgust. She looked back to the fouled water. "By the gods, have we all been infected?"

Cain nods. "The first group to enter the caves was a party of halflings. Looks like we found what happened to them. Maybe. Anyway, it's not the speed of growth of this moss that I find worrying, but the fact that it's growing from their flesh. Oh, and in a dark cave as well. I am no expert in botany by any means, but I am pretty sure both of these are somewhat unusual traits for a plant. So let's just stay the hell away from it."

Should we proceed down this passage, or try to climb in the other tunnel? I'd prefer we explore the other tunnel first, in case there's another passage that does not take us by flesh eating moss. And with Aid Another even those of us with -2 to skill should be able to Take 10 to make this climb.

Brokam's explanation, Sesla's vexation, and Cain's observation were each addressed by the android with a single grunt. Their more destructive predisposition suggested they burn the strange growth, but unknowing of how the fumes and water would react made Ix reconsider the action. Staying away was the wiser choice.

"Perhaps we will check ot'er tunnel first," he mumbles, shambling slowly over to the ledge. It shouldn't have been too hard to get up for him and Cain and Se-

Ix looks back at the stargazer, then to the alchemist before emitting a needlessly long sigh.

He slides his shield onto his back before standing tall with bent knees, his masked face pointed at his...softer companions.

Agreed, Cain.
If anyone approaches the ledge to climb, Ix will not say anything and will attempt to manhandle you up. It's his way of "helping" XD.

Brokam nodded with the other’s assessment, and shrugged at Sesla’s question. “It’s possible that we’ve breathed something in that we shouldn’t have, yes. There’s nothing I can do about it here, sadly, we’ll need to seek treatment when we get back.” He said, caught between wanting to calm her and understanding that lying would do nothing to help anyone. He made his way to the ledge and waved Ix aside before hefting his pack to the top of the ledge, pulling himself up behind it. As he waited for the others, he pulled one of his torches from his pack and began working to light it, suspecting that bioluminescent beetle innards weren’t going to cut it down the line.

Ooc: okay, now that we’re actually headed in this direction, I’d like to remove my pack and toss it up the ledge, then pull myself up behind it with a take ten.

Brokam makes the climb onto the ledge without much trouble while Ix plants himself at the base to help lift the others up. (He's strong enough to negate the need for a check.) Once atop the ledge, the alchemist retrieves a torch from his water-poof sack and quickly lights it with a small flint and steel. Holding the flame aloft, he finds that a collection of stalagmites choke this low-ceilinged cavern, making it difficult to squeeze between them. Matching stalactites close in from the five-foot-high ceiling, giving the impression of a maw of needlelike teeth bearing down on one another. A dead half-orc sprawls on the ground near this cave’s eastern entrance.
Note: You will need to stoop and squeeze to pass through this area.
Group 0 Map Updated.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:55, Thu 12 Aug 2021.

Cain clambers up on the ledge as well. "Eesh, this place really is a death trap. We have not moved 10 yards from the entrance and already we keep tripping over dead bodies." He moves closer to examine the body to see if he recognizes who it was, and how they died.

Plus to see if there's anything of value to loot.

Selsa hops up onto the ledge while thanking Ix for his assistance.

"This place is telling us that it is dangerous and that we had best tread curiously else we will end up like those who have come before. No heroics, if we need to cut and run we do just that, and come back later more prepared. I wanna be the first to break this curse and actually return from these damnable caves."
This message was last edited by the player at 11:26, Fri 13 Aug 2021.

Cain squeezes through the stalagmite forest to approach the corpse.[Private to Cain: Cain immediately recognizes the fallen half-orc as Parda Garr, a popular brawler in Torch who almost everyone considers a friend. She recently fell in with the local gang, the Ropefists, and she and a few others of the gang made up the second expedition. Examining the body, Cain finds multiple stab wounds from a short-bladed weapon and no gear or valuables beyond her clothing.]

Brokam followed behind Cain, keeping the torch as high as he could to spread the light around. While Cain busied himself with the body’s belongings, Brokam inspected this corpse as well, this time hoping to identify a cause of death. “I doubt it was animals that killed all these men, no beast would waste good meat like this,” He mused aloud as he conducted his inspection.

Making another check to work out how this guy died, with a result of 24.

After examining the body Cain agrees Brokam. "No, animals did not do this. I recognize the body, that was the brawler Panda Garr from the second expedition. She was stabbed to death with a dagger or something similar. We better proceed with caution. Somebody does not want us here."

Cain drags the body out of the narrow passage and to the side. He plans on carefully and stealthy making his way to the other side. To have a hope of remaining unnoticed, he will leave the glowing insect remains behind and instead trust in his keen eyes to navigate the passage.

Well, one of us has to be first, and I guess scouting is what a rogue is supposed to do. Unless someone has a different idea?

Brokam confirms Cain's findings, easily spotting the multiple stab wounds inflicted by a short-bladed weapon on the woman's corpse. It also seems that any gear or valuables, if the brawler brought any, have been stripped and little more than her clothes and boots remain. After moving the body aside and leaving his beetle corpse behind, Cain carefully approaches the narrow opening to have a look with the light of Brokam's torch behind him. This passage ends another narrow passage twists to his right, but to his left the cave opens up into a dark cavern, its twenty-foot-high ceiling thick with stalactites. A rocky shore overlooks a placid pool and stream, fed by a trickle of water leaking from a narrow fissure to the north. A small garden of toadstools and dark mold grows along the banks, and resting atop this bed of fungus--as of yet unaware of the approaching torchlight--is a small, frog-like, vaguely humanoid creature with webbed and clawed hands and feet. On its flank is a branded symbol, unfamiliar to Cain, and tied to its large head are the tattered remains of a leather hood.
Group 0 Map Updated.

Once Ix half-helped half-chucked his companions up onto the ledge, he followed up himself with his shield on his arm. The stalagmite forest was certainly an uncomfortable feeling, so the android stayed back for now. The feeling of limited mobility was discomforting, and he set his unseen jaw against the mysteries of this coffin of a cave.

"No beast would waste good meat like this."

Perhaps the meat was the problem, Ix thought.

He waited just behind Brokam, looking around this stalactite forest with wary eyes.

Rolled a fat one on perception in this spikey room. Imagine Ix doesn't see froggy yet.

Brokam followed behind Cain at a distance of ten or so feet behind the man, near enough to provide some small light by which to see, but hopefully far enough not to give away where he might be to any creatures further along. He stopped when he spied the garden, and the frog-man within. He paused, taking in the features as best he could make out, wracking his brains, trying to think of what it might be.

Rolling knowledge(Nature) to try and identify the creature, assuming I can see it well enough from where I am, with a result of 24.

Cain waves to those behind to follow him through the passage before he tiptoes across the new tunnel to make room for others. There he hides in the shadows as he waits for the party to join him. Hopefully someone in the party will know what they are up against here.

Sneaking 10' to the right to hide in the new passage going south. DM can roll stealth for Cain if needed.

As Cain leaves cover and Brokam advances, spilling torchlight directly into the creature's chamber, the grotesque frog-like beast spins around at the disturbance and screeches at the pair, revealing a row of sharp teeth and long, slithering tongue. The only thing that comes to Brokam's mind at the sight is that there is nothing natural about this creature. (No one has ranks in Knowledge: Arcana, so no one can identify this Magical Beast.) Quickly, before anyone can react to the beast's apparent warning cry, it bolts from its spot on the shore and after the encroaching pair. As it closes in, the beast's eyes suddenly emit bright, blinding light which floods through the entire cavern and makes Brokam's torch seem like little more than a candle under the bright sun. Overwhelmed by the flooding light, there is little Brokam can do to protect himself from the lunging beast and soon he feels the pain of several dagger-like teeth tearing through his leather armor.(-5 HP)
Group 0 Map Updated.
Everyone may now act.
Sesla is Staggered per her Curse.
Stalagmite forest(from ledge at west to dead beetle at east) is difficult terrain(half movement, no running or charging).
Everyone within or entering within 30' of the beast(this extends 5' past Ix) is subject to its blinding gaze. DC 13 Fortitude Save or be blinded for 1 hour. To avoid the gaze you may shield or close your eyes, acting as if blind and accepting 50% miss chance. You may also attempt to avert your eyes, giving you a 50% chance to avoid the gaze but giving the beast concealment from you(20% miss chance.)

17:59, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 12,11,16,5,17 using d20+2,d20+6,d20+2,d20+3,d20+2 with rolls of 10,5,14,2,15.  Initiative Brokam, Cain, Ix, Sesla, Enemy.
18:16, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 24,5 using d20+7,1d4+1 with rolls of 17,4.  Enemy Attack/Damage Charge v Brokam.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:31, Mon 16 Aug 2021.

Sesla moves forward drawing her crossbow before she notices the brilliant burning light.

"Gaah, what in the name of the gods...?"

Averting his gaze to avoid getting blinded Cain draws his sword and slashes ineffectually at it.

Going with a half measure of averting gaze, luckily it works. Please ignore my first roll, I mistakenly rolled d20 instead of d2 there.
13:55, Today: Cain rolled 1 using 1d2 with rolls of 1.  Averting gaze (1 - works; 2 - nope).

And attacking (I'm assuming that flanking is possible, if not, that's -2 to my roll):
13:56, Today: Cain rolled 8,2 using 1d20+6,1d8 with rolls of 2,2.  Flanking (Attack, Damage).
13:58, Today: Cain rolled 3 using 1d10 with rolls of 3.  Concealment (1 & 2 - miss).

Even with the penalty to AC from charging that's still likely a miss. Well, at least I'm not blind. Yet.


edit: It looks like I can't get behind it from my position. We need to bring as much hurt on this thing as we can. Does anyone have any ideas? Cain can 5' step south in the tunnel, but even then I'm unsure Brokam can move past the monster. Maybe he could 5' step back and someone can step forward in his place?
This message was last edited by the player at 05:22, Fri 20 Aug 2021.

Cain manages to avert his gaze from the beast's eyes just in time, but the effort results in him failing to strike the beast with the swing of his blade. Injured and overwhelmed, Brokam shields his eyes from the bright light and stumbles back down to the crop of stalagmite, feeling his way along the walls. (Withdraw Action) As the alchemist fleets, the android brute rushes in, heedless of the light. His vision is quickly awash in a flood of useless and distracting, flashing and moving colorful spots--but no more cave or enemy. (Ix is Blinded for 1 Hour) Despite being unable to see, he continues to face the monster and throws what would be a strong punch if only it had found its target. Startled by the sudden start of combat, Sesla remains back in the stalagmite tunnel but pulls out a crossbow. Emboldened by fleeing Brokam and the failed attacks by Cain and Ix, the little beast lashes out at the large android and although it fails to chomp down on false flesh with its teeth, the beasts's claws both make it past his shield and draw blood which looks real enough. (-4 HP, -4 HP)
Group 0 Map is updated.

18:09, Today: Dungeon Master, on behalf of Ix Tlacoatl, rolled 19,6,40 using d20+5,1d6+4,d100 with rolls of 14,2,40.  Attack/Damage/Miss (Low is Bad).
18:14, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 7,4,23,4,18,4 using d20+5,1d4+1,d20+5,1d3+1,d20+5,1d3+1 with rolls of 2,3,18,3,13,3.  Attacks/Damage Enemy vs Ix.

Ix's cry a fury and anguish seemed to be more vibrating than vocalized. The dark encompassed his sight, and he saw nothing more than an inky abyss. Yet the pain that swept across him ignited his sense of touch.

"Fiend."

That was all he said as he flailed with futility, hoping to end this miserable creature, and his own miserable state.

11:55, Today: Ix Tlacoatl rolled 14,7,7 using d20+5,d6+4,d100 with rolls of 9,3,7.  Hit/Damage/Concealment Roll (Low is bad).

Not looking good, kids.

5ft. Step away from the Battle Toad.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:41, Tue 24 Aug 2021.

"Oh, to hell with this! Ix, back away, I'll blast this thing!" Cain yells a warning as he shields his eyes. He takes a step away from the monster and grabs a handful of colored sand from his pouch, ready to cast his spell the moment Ix gets out of line of fire.

Completely shielding eyes against the glare. 5' step to the south, Color Spray to the north the moment Ix steps out of AoE. I've been saving this for a rainy day, but the sky looks pretty damn cloudy already. Hopefully it's not immune to this spell.

Ix, you really need to do a 5' step away from this thing. I do not know if Color Spray works on someone already blind, or if tunnel walls would provide cover from the spell or not. But let's not find that out the hard way. This is a nasty spell against a 1st level character.

Sesla bobs and weaves while trying to get a line of"Incoming." fire on the toad.

Sesla Lento rolled 11 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 8.  Fire and light-creature with crossbow.
Sesla Lento rolled 5 using 1d6 with rolls of 5.  Crossbow damage.

After another blind, wild swing from Ix, both Ix and Cain step back as the roguish mage blindly flings out pinches of multicolored dust. Neither of the pair can see what follows, but both can hear the frog-like creature let out a croak of distress before the quick procession of a crossbow bolt clacking against the cave wall and a loud blast joined by a wave of heat. While neither knows for certain that Sesla's crossbow shot went wide and Brokam tossed a quickly made bomb to great effect(-11 HP!), Cain does see the bright light of the monster's eyes through his eyelids and neither hears or feels the beast's continued assault.
Group 0 Map Updated. Enemy is Blinded and Stunned ... but for how long?

12:28, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 10 using 1d20+2 with rolls of 8.  Save v Color Spray.
12:41, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 56 using 1d100 with rolls of 56.  Brokam Avert Gaze.
12:43, Today: Dungeon Master, on behalf of Brokam, rolled 20,11,50 using d20+4,1d6+5,d100 with rolls of 16,6,50.  Bomb Attack/Damage/Miss.

"Let's finish it!" Cain shouts as he moves in to stab at the monster once again. This is not helped by him still shielding his eyes.

I'd like to finally get in a flanking position, but I'm pretty sure that's still a no go without an Acrobatics check. Since Cain would be doing that while shielding his eyes, it's probably hopeless. Still, it does not hurt to try since he can't make AoOs.

09:29, Today: Cain rolled 9 using 1d20+4 with rolls of 5.  Acrobatics (at -4).

Yeah, Cain is not going anywhere. So I'll just take another stab at him.

09:31, Today: Cain rolled 23,2 using 1d20+4,1d8 with rolls of 19,2.  Attack, Damage.
09:32, Today: Cain rolled 13 using 1d20+4 with rolls of 9.  Crit?
09:32, Today: Cain rolled 8 using 1d10 with rolls of 8.  Concealment (1-5 miss).

It's a hit, possibly a crit? But for miserable damage either way.

Ix was quiet.

Blind, bloodied, blundering, but quiet.

Eerily so, even.

Was he scared? Nervous? Upset?

The android stumbled back, and like everything in front of him his face remained unseen as one arm raised his shield, the other thrusting out behind him. He felt for those stalactites as he tried to move as far back as he could.

Move back 15 feet, or as far back as he can, favoring the left side (North) side of the cave wall.
As I'm trying to act out being blind, I'm not refreshing the map for dramatic effect :)

While Ix stumbles back to collect himself and Brokam shields his eyes from the beast's beacon-eyes and retrieves his mace to prepare to rush in to battle, Sesla takes aim with her crossbow and unleashes a bolt between the pair, striking the beast true and wedging the bolt into its backside. (-7 HP) Wasting no time, Cain presses his own attack, but awkwardly stutters his steps as he nears the beast and fails to find a way to slip around the creature as it reels from the crossbow bolt. In frustration he lashes out with his blade at the nearly helpless beast and manages to make a good slice across its throat, drawing spurts of blood through the small cut. (-5 HP) The creature falls as consciousness slips away from it, and soon the light pouring from its eyes begins to dim to a safe level as it clings to life. Although no longer blinding, the light provided illuminates his home cavern fairly well and reveals the mostly-eaten, slowly putrefying corpse of an unidentifiable man laying in the shallow, slow-flowing pool of spring water.
150 XP Each!
Group 0 Map Updated.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:07, Fri 27 Aug 2021.

Standing over the dying monster, Cain breaths deeply as adrenaline leaves his body. "Well, that sucked. How do we stand with healing spells and potions? I got one potion and that's it. If someone needs it, they are welcome to it."

He sets out to examine yet another dead body they found. "Oh, and do remind me to tell our wise councillor sending us here just how much I appreciate her helping us in our task by offering a discount in town shops in the future, instead of, you know, actual bloody supplies and assistance we could use in here. Assuming we get out of here alive, of course. With such care with planning these expeditions, is it any wonder we keep tripping over dead bodies of previous parties?"

Examining the dead body. Someone Cain recognizes?

Evidently the face is the tastiest part so there remains little for Cain to identify the corpse by, but at least the hair is short and brown rather than Khonnir's long, black, and graying mane. The man's clothing and leather armor are torn into useless tatters by the beast's large, toothy maw but still attached to his belt is a pouch with its weighty contents pinning it beneath the shallow pool.
(I'll generally assume you're only observing a body unless you tell me explicitly you're looting or searching it, and I WILL roll perception for you if it is important before you loot. So, you don't SEE any danger in taking that pouch...)
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:50, Sun 29 Aug 2021.

"He's dead, alright. But he's not our man." Cain draws a dagger to cut the pouch off the the belt, preferably without touching the body. There might be something useful in it.

Examining the pouch, what's in it?

After cutting the beltpouch from the hip of the corpse, and ruining any resale value of said pouch, Cain carefully opens the container in the dying light of the beast's eyes to find within nearly a pound of gold coins, 42 pieces in total, a silver amulet depicting a pickaxe made of a skull and bones--the unholy symbol of Zyphus,--and two water-tight vials of liquid. With a simple cantrip to detect magic, Cain is able to identify both vials as potions of Cure Light Wounds.

"The money is worthless to us here, but these potions are more than worth their weight in gold. Ix, you need one?"

Er, how are we dividing loot anyway? Any preferences? Even if we are not bothering with that now, we should at the least distribute the potions of CLW. Cain already has one, so he does not need another one right now.

And then I guess we hunker down here until Ix recovers?

I agree let's do a little healing. ST our time is good I am sure because we have like six hours on the spell?

From the deathly silence that broke, Ix presumed the fined was felled. Good riddance.

The android groaned, moaned, huffed as they whacked at their own masked face, futilely, trying to forcefully remove the blindness from their eyes.

For some strange reason, it didn't work.

Ix took deep breaths, steadying himself. Most mortals would panic, scream, flail. These were emotions that Ix understood, but certainly did not feel. It was only a feeling of deep concern that filled him. That, and a hefty dose of irritation.

"Ix, you need one?"

Cain's voice came from somewhere as Ix inched forward, trying to make his way back to that tunnel by moving his flesh-hand along the wall.

"No," Ix said. His iron hand pulled away from a wound, covered red and dark. "I like to bleeeed for fun."

The pause hung long in the air.

"T'at was a joke. Give to me."

Ix held out his bloodied iron hand.

"I have been...vi-su-al-ly impaired." The automanton had wanted to press ahead, but logic dictated he rest less he become even more unfortunate...

In terms of splitting treasure, Ix can't even see it!

"I have one for myself." Brokam notes, pulling his last extract from his bandolier and quaffing it. Soon the blood flowing from the several tooth-punctures on his leather armor ceases and dried up, but man still seems to be in a good amount of pain. (+2 HP) After stowing the emptied vial for use with another tincture tomorrow, the alchemist adds, "And if we're resting for a bit, I can see about stitching some of Ix's cuts."

"We better stay put until you recover then. I'll keep watch so nothing creeps up on us. Here." He presses two vials in Ix's hands before finding a nearby shadow to lurk from.

Giving both CLW potions to Ix, he may needs them both in case dice roller keeps rolling like it has.

Ix feels the vials pressed into his iron digits. He rips the top off and downs one of them with the gusto of a lush (+5 HP).

"Thank you," Ix says, not even knowing if the rogue was still roundabout.

Like a deflating bellows, the android pulls his shield around in front of him and sinks to the floor, his back sliding against the rough stone wall. One need not see his features to notice his defeated demeanor. The brawler was unaccustomed to waiting helplessly, and it showed.

The party settles down in the areas of the stalagmite forest and the beast's more spacious cavern, seeing, except for the android Ix, by the lights shed by squashed beetle, torch, and the eyes of the unconscious toad-like beast as it labors for shallow breath. While they wait, hoping for the android's vision to return, the alchemist/healer Brokam pulls out a kit brimming with bandages, balms, and sutures and sets to stitching up and wrapping Ix's wounds, but after an hour of work doesn't seem to have helped noticeably after the android's use of magical potion. Time passes painfully slow as they linger in the caves for as they come to rest and quiet themselves the ambient sounds of the caves seem to grow and even play tricks on their minds: the trickle of the spring water and the breathing of the frog-beast are clear, but shuffling of feet, skittering of more insects, scraping, whispers, cackling in the distance ... are these all real or imagined? Eventually, as Brokam is forced to break out flint and steel to light another torch, the android's vision clears and the party can once again focus on pressing forward.
Waterbreathing remaining: 4 Hours, 45 Minutes
Cain's Mage Armor: Depleted
HP: Cain: 6/8, Sesla: 8/8, Ix: 10/13, Brokam: 7/10

12:54, Today: Dungeon Master, on behalf of Brokam, rolled 17 using 1d20+7 with rolls of 10.  Treat Deadly Wounds DC 20.

Once Ix regains sight, Cain picks up a nearby pebble and with an arcane word it starts to glow like a torch. From his pack he fishes out his last scroll to armor himself in magical force. He is not clearly happy with using it up, but given how things have worked out so far, he will need every bit of protection he can get when they move on. "Well, shall we?"

Using scroll of Mage Armor. Once we start moving, Cain will try to stay near the front of the party. Stealth I feel is kinda useless here. Anyone would easily notice our light, and we can't move in the cave without one.

Sesla proceeds after Cain keeping her crossbow high.

The light came too slowly.

Ix removed his mask only for a breath - revealing that unnaturally beautiful face - rubbing at his eyes before placing it back on. Yes. He could see.

With a grunt he gets to his feet, lumbering as though he'd awoken from some sort of weeks-long slumber. He adjusts his shield, gives his iron armaratus a few swings. They had less than five hours. All thank sto him. Looks like he'd have to make up for lost time.

From behind the mask, Ix's lips parted, an apology waited on his tongue before-

"Well, shall we?"

The android hesitated, then grunted again.

They'd only waited because they'd depended on him. Even the wrong-words woman had patience enough to make sure he was able to do his part.

He'd prove his apology by way of well-placed punches.

@Cain makes sense to me :)

Gathering together, the party presses on once again, choosing the branching tunnel to the south which doesn't appear to circle back along the spring water. With Cain's bright pebble at the front and Brokam's torch at the rear, they begin to squeeze single-file through the narrow passage as they leave the beast's cavern behind them. Further ahead in the tunnel they can just make out what appears to be a 4-way intersection, but as soon as they've all entered this passageway, the light of the frog-creature's eyes snuffs out behind them and the sound of its clawed feet scraping across stone and then splashing in water quickly follows.
[Private to Ix Tlacoatl: While the others are distracted by the sudden loss of light from behind, your keen eyes make out a bit of motion in the intersection ahead. A humanoid of some kind with skin nearly indistinguishable from the cavern walls watches the party from around the left corner but is already moving to slink away.]
Group 0 Map Updated
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:25, Thu 09 Sept 2021.

Cain quickly throws the glowing pebble in the direction the sound of splashing water is coming from.

Er, what do you mean by "entered the light of the frog-creature's eyes snuffs out"? Is there another one of those ahead of us, or do you mean the one we killed has finally stopped glowing?

Ix's aura was cloaked in quiet. His armor and gear clinked softly, his steps hit the ground with a gravity all their own, but something about him was incredibly stilled. He didn't want what had happened to him to happen again. As the only one of them who seemed to need no light, it was ironic that he had been the one that was blinded.

The tight tunnel walls brought little comfort to Ix; what would have been fear in most amounted to aggravation to the android. He'd felt like a dart in Mapa's blowgun, tightly compacted, ready to shoot forward in a sudden gust of wind. The dank wet smells made Ix wriggle his nose. It was the lack of fresh outside air that assaulted his more olfactory refinements.

As he mused over how he would be better prepared for the next time, he spotted...

"Cain!"

It was a loud, snapping hiss of a whisper, but a whisper nonetheless as Ix tried to snatch Cain's arm mid-swing.[Private to GM: (Rolled a Dex check of 10. Do with what thou wilt, DM!)]

"Eyes forward. Creature. Ahead. Moving away. West corner."

Cain stops his throw at the last moment. He waits a bit, trying to see what it was that Ix spotted, but there's not much even half-elven eyes can do without light.

Huh, I did not realize that monster we left behind was still alive.

Ix, unless you have a better idea, I'd like to throw the stone where you saw the creature anyway, to light it or whatever may come from that direction up, and then proceed stealthily. Kinda hard to do that when you are carrying a flashlight.

"I saw it too," Brokam chimes in as he pushes through the group to head to the intersection and peer down the branching tunnel. With a shrug he adds, "But it's gone now. Best be on our guards."

As the group enters the intersection of tunnels they find the tunnel branching off to the southeast, down which Ix and Brokam spotted their observer, is empty of any creature but strewn with debris at its entrance. The tunnel eventually narrows and twists away, limiting how far Ix and Cain can see with their keen eyes.

The tunnel to the southwest narrows but continues on fairly straight until the walls and ceiling pull away, opening into a larger cavern, but soon after the floor drops away as well leaving little touched by light aside from the far wall.

To the northwest the tunnel widens into room of sorts, heaped with a collection of crates, boxes, rubble, and scavenged metal in the damp cave. Several strange chalk drawings of twisted, spiny plants, a strange three-legged creature, and emaciated four-armed humanoids mark the walls. Interestingly the three-legged creature depicted has the hunched back and forward-protruding head which the party recognizes as similar to the metal man they found tearing apart the Foundry Tavern. [Private to Ix Tlacoatl: From your broad knowledge of humanoids, you can only surmise the four-armed creatures depicted on the wall are some unknown or undiscovered race.] A quick appraisal of the piled rubble reveals many scrap plates of metal, bundles of the colorful, waxy-covered metal cords, and thin, sturdy, patterned sheets similar to what the party found among the metal man's innards.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
wires, circuit boards, plastic, and other technological scrap

---

Group 0 Map updated
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:08, Sat 11 Sept 2021.

Brokam glared down the winding corridor the creature had disappeared through. "I don't know if I like the idea of following that thing through a cramped, blind tunnel.  It's just about the perfect setup for an ambush."

With a last suspicious glance at the tunnel, the alchemist turned his attention to the room full of...destroyed metal men?  "And speaking of ambushes, we should at least make sure nothing in that scrap pile is going to come alive and attack us.  Might even be something useful in there."

Brokam moved towards the refuse pile cautiously, using his mace to poke through the scrap before inspecting the crates.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:34, Mon 13 Sept 2021.

Cain finally throws the glowing stone down the south-east tunnel, immediately feeling better now that he is no longer holding a glowing bullseye on himself. He slips in a nearby shadow to watch over the tunnel while others search the pile of scrap for anything useful.

As Brokam sifts through the rubble he finds no threats, but settled at the bottom of the pile of rubble and inside one of the broken creates he finds a total of 7 silverdisks--small, silver disks etched with overlapping lines similar to an android's tattoos or the markings on some of the other junk in this rubble (circuitry) which form a common local currency in Numeria equivalent to a platinum piece and believed to be some kind of burnt out, useless technological item which doesn't even draw the attention of the Technic League.

"Are you done?"

Ix had crossed his arms, his shield leaning against his side as Brokam spent time inspecting - what amounted to the android's mind - junk. The strange rune-like, interconnected symbols drew obvious parallels to his own tattoos. Something in the discovery didn't settle well in the shield-bearer's spirit. Unsurprising.

"We go now."

Ix carried on down the tunnel (SE), his shield raised, his arm cocked at his side like a crossbow.

Cain follows after Ix once the party starts moving again. He picks up his glowing pebble once they reach it, only to throw it again as far ahead of them as he can.

Wish I prepared Dancing Lights instead. We're following whatever was here before, right?

"What if we..."  Brokam started, before trailing off with a shrug as Ix carried on down the tunnel.  Arguing with the surly android seemed pointless, and it was hard to complain when Ix was willing to take the bulk of the risk by going first.

Brokam pocketed the silverdisks to worry about later, then took up a position behind Cain as they followed the mysterious creature down the cramped, blind corner.  He could only hope they weren't walking into some sort of ambush.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:08, Wed 15 Sept 2021.

The party continues on through the tunnel, past the slight bend which had blocked their vision, and soon the tunnel opens into a very large cavern. The ceiling of this vast chamber rises nearly thirty feet overhead. A five-foot-wide ledge runs along the western wall, sloping down to the cave floor ten feet below. Four ramshackle huts made of what appear to be strips of metal, hides, and some sort of fibrous plant matter sit in the cave, while to the south yawns a dark pit. Their vantage point along the western ledge allows the party to see much of the cavern, but only Cain and Ix's keen eyes can make out the far walls in the torch- and pebble-light: most of the far surfaces are the same reddish rock walls shared through these caves, but towards the east a smooth wall of dark gray metal bisects the cavern, its expanse pitted and scorched but quite solid looking. A strange, circular opening pierces the wall five feet off the ground, allowing access to some sort of hallway on the other side.

As the group pauses to take in the sight of this cavern, they spot movement behind one of the makeshift huts. A lone female emerges cautiously from hiding, tallish and very thin with grey skin, bald head, and no real clothing to speak of beyond leather straps to barely protect her modesty and hold two sheathes on her hips--empty sheathes as she holds both a short sword and a dagger in her hands. The female holds her arms out, showing that she holds her blades loosely and isn't attacking, but doesn't trust you enough no to be prepared. After a silent moment appraising the group, she finally speaks up in an unpracticed and accented common, "You wait, we not attack. Talk peace?" [Private to Brokam; Ix Tlacoatl: You recognize the woman as a skulk, a stealthy race common in deep caves and the Darklands.] [Private to Ix Tlacoatl: You are very familiar with skulks--they are naturally able to shift the coloring of their skin to blend in with their surroundings and are generally very cruel and untrustworthy. It may be your distrust which allows you to catch a glimpse of movement, almost like shifting rock, from a tunnel to your southwest.]
Group 0 Map Updated
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:07, Fri 17 Sept 2021.

Of all the things they could have found under this hill, a village was about the last thing Cain would have expected. "Sure, we talk." He's not sure of the intentions of whoever these people are, but just by not immediately trying to eat them these strangers are already an improvement over the rest of the inhabitants of this gods forsaken place.

"We are looking for others like us. They may have came through here some da..." He realizes that the person he is speaking to may not even understand the concept of day and night. "... a while ago."

Brokam matched the Skulk woman's gesture with one of his own, raising his mace out to one side to show that he had a weapon, but didn't intend to use it right this second.  He didn't know much about these creatures, aside from the fact that they had a reputation for being both very good at sneaking up on people, and very prone to doing so.  He also remembered that one of the bodies they had found had been stabbed to death with a short blade, much like the one's held in this stranger's hands.

Then again, it might have been self-defense.  The other corpse had been a Zyphus worshiper, after all.  "We're looking for one man in particular.  A human-"  He gestured to himself, just in case the skulk didn't know what a human was, "-named Khonnir Baine."  He gave a quick description of Khonnir's appearance.  "We would be glad to find any of the others alive, but they're somewhat...less important."

As Cain and Brokam make clear that they are willing to talk rather than fight, the grey-skinned woman nods and sheathes her blades, but as they begin asking questions, she shakes her head and answers simply, "Many others." She then gestures towards the east and directs the party, "You talk with Sef. Sef is leader now." As she speaks, another bald humanoid dressed in nothing more than leather straps--although this one male--seems to appear at the mouth of a tunnel headed north. As his skin seems to shift from a reddish brown which blends with the surrounding cave to a grey matching the woman who welcomed the party, the newcomer gestures for the group to head down the tunnel he emerged from.

Cain shrugs. "Could be a trap, but that's our only lead so far. Blindly stumbling through these tunnels is turning out well for us. Let's hear what they have to say."

Brokam returned Cain's shrug.  "I thought the blind stumbling was going pretty good so far," he retorted lightly.  "But it would be nice to have some idea what's going on here.  Besides, if they mean us harm they could have simply attacked us while we were in this choke point."

Brokam kept his mace at hand, though he rested the end on his shoulder in what he hoped was a non-threatening position.  With a glance to the others, he stepped forward out of the tunnel.  "Shall we?"

"Lets" Sesla said as she sling her crossbow over her shoulder.

The party follows along as directed, and once they all file into the tunnel, the grey-skinned man steps into it to close off their exit. The tunnel quickly opens up into a cramped cave filled with metal junk covering almost every inch of ground. The precarious pile rises up in a heap-like hut to the northwest. Sitting on a makeshift bench of this metal junk is another grey-skinned female, although this one has no qualms about covering her adaptive skin with an excessive number of sheathed daggers. As the party arrives, this female nods in greeting although she eyes them with distrust before introducing herself and asking, "I am Sef, leader of my people now. Why do you invade our caves?"

Group 0 Map Updated
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:56, Tue 21 Sept 2021.

"The fire that sustains our people has gone out, we have come to understand why and to see if we can fix it. Please, we come in peace, allow us to do this thing so that no more will follow us into your caves."

Sesla says with a bow.

Brokam nodded in agreement with Sesla's statement, adding: "We're not here to attack you, or to rob you.  We didn't even know you were here."

"Speaking of which:" He added, genuinely curious, "What are you doing here?  These makeshift huts don't look like long-term dwellings, and it's rare for your people to come up so close to the surface.  Are you looking for something?"

Cain uneasily waits to see where this talk is going. He knows nothing of these strangers and really dislikes being cornered in a tunnel like this.

"Fire? We know nothing about this." Sef responds to Sesla with a bit of confusion in her voice and on her face--it seems to genuinely be the first time she has heard anything of the sort. She then looks to Brokam and answers, "We are settlers, came to make a new home. We were here first!" She seems very adamant and defensive to her people's claim on these caves, but after a moment she looks between the gathered party and continues, "We lost many when the wizard came, now we are too few to guard against the gremlins that come for our things."--she gestures through the tunnel opening to the east--"If you clear out the gremlins, we will let you pass and pay you what we were paid to stop you."

Brokam's expression became blank as he tried to analyze the information he had just heard.  The first thought that came to his mind was simple, ruthless calculus:  If the skulks knew where the gremlins were but couldn't wipe them out themselves, then wouldn't killing the skulks be easier than fighting the gremlins?  Especially now that the party was alone in a room with the skulks' leader.  Sef looked to be the toughest member of the group, and if the four of them rushed her, she might go down before she even had a chance to draw her blades.

Brokam's second thought was that the party might not be up to such a fight at the moment.  Either fight.  It might be better to back off for now, maybe search around the entrance a bit more in the hopes of finding some clue or survivor they had missed, then head back to Torch.  It couldn't hurt to do some more poking around the shore and the underground stream, if for no other reason than to finish off that frog-beast with the blinding eyes.

The third thought  was simply that they needed to know more.  "That...sounds reasonable."  He replied diplomatically.  "But before we agree to anything, much less kill on your behalf, we need to know what's going on.  This wizard, was he human like me?  Tall, with long dark hair?  Did you fight him?  And who paid you to stop us?"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:01, Thu 23 Sept 2021.

Cain tenses up even more on hearing that these people might have clashed with Khonnir party. And even worse, that someone has been paying them to do so. "This just keeps getting better and better." He mumbles under his breath.

The skulk leader Sef narrows her eyes as she appraises Brokam and considers whether she should trust the party, but eventually nods as she answers, "Yes, like you with long, dark hair. We tried to fight them, but were no match. They killed our leader, Brosh." She clenches her fists, the murder of their beloved leader still fresh in her mind, before continuing, "The first invaders to come; orcs and rats and a woman with purple hair. Gave us a bag full of silverdisks to stop anyone who followed."

"Might I see one of these silver discs. Only to see if it is worth our time of course." Sesla purred as she took in the details of the history of the caves.

Brokam kept his face carefully blank, desperately trying to hide his thoughts. It was pretty clear to him that there was no way the party was getting into that solid metal ruin without fighting the skulks.  These people had tried to kill Khonnir and the other expeditions, without mercy and for pay.  Judging from the corpses he had found stabbed and stripped, they'd wiped out at least one of them.  If the party played along and fought those gremlins for them, their reward would be knife in the back the moment they returned.

He waited quietly for an answer to Sesla's question.  He didn't care much about the money, but it would be worth finding out where this band of ruffians hid their valuables.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:32, Sat 25 Sept 2021.

The skulk leader squints and tilts her head at Sesla, seemingly confused by her question before explaining, "Silverdisks. Money. Like gold coins, but worth more." She shakes her head in frustration before standing and moving to the makeshift hut in the small cavern to reach inside and pull out a weighty, jingling sack and drop it at the feet of the party--apparently unconcerned with the risk of them trying to steal any while cornered and surrounded in her chamber. Inside the sack are a large collection of common silverdisks and the grey woman informs them, "Two score and nine."
Silverdisks are a common currency in Numeria worth 1 Platinum Piece or 10 Gold Pieces. They are silver-like discs etched with circuitry designs and, for those in the know, are in fact the burnt-out and useless remains of batteries.

Despite telling himself he didn't care about the money, Brokam let out a low whistle.  "Two score and nine" silverdisks were equivalent to nearly five hundred gold coins.  Granted, it was an almost comically small payment for the number of murders the skulks had committed to carrying out.  But it would certainly be useful to the party.

He nodded slowly, doing his best to keep his poker face on.  "That's not a bad payday.  We'll need to head back to the surface and get some new equipment if we're going to be fighting gremlins.  But we'll be back"  He held himself back from adding more: Brokam was far from a good liar, and he was getting paranoid that he might let something slip about his true thoughts.

He turned to the skulk blocking their exit, motioning for it to move out of the way.  "If you'll excuse us..."

OOC: Two questions: First, does Brokam know anything about gremlins?  He has knowledge: arcana.  Second, can he make a rough guess of how many skulks we're dealing with, based on the number of huts?
This message was last edited by the player at 20:45, Sat 25 Sept 2021.

Cain follows after Brokam, trying not to turn his back at any of the skulks present. "And maybe some help as well."

Alright, back outside then to pick up the new characters?

The skulk leader stares at the group in silence for a few moments, considering whether she can trust them if they come back at full strength, but eventually nods and agrees, "Fine, you go rest and prepare, but don't leave us waiting for too long." She gestures with her hand to the thin man guarding the exit and he steps aside and to the east, directing them with his arm back in the direction they had come.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:55, Tue 28 Sept 2021.

Brokam and the others made their way back to the watery entrance of the cave.  As they passed the dead half-orc woman, the one who had been stabbed and robbed, Brokam stopped.  "We should probably bring this corpse back.  The priest back in Torch might be able to speak with the dead, and if I'm right...well, it might be relevant to hear how this one died."

Reaching down to pick up the woman, Brokam looped his arms under the corpse's armpits, then gripped his wrists tightly.  With his head, the alchemist gestured for Ix to grab the legs.  It would be a tough swim, hauling a dead body through murky water, but he estimated they had plenty of time left on the water breathing spell to struggle through the passage.

OOC: Unless we're stopped, I'm good to make the rest of the trip back to town.

OOC: Perfect, Sesla will aid the others carrying the body if she can by carrying other items of theirs or in any other way that might help.

"Maybe. Maybe the big shots would pay to have her raised as well. Considering how little they are paying us for venturing into this death trap, I seriously doubt it, but maybe. Let's get out of here and try to prepare better for our next try."

OOC: Cain has no particular desire to help carrying the body, but if needed he will do it anyway.

Brokam chuckled, somewhat darkly. "If they've got a spare scroll of raise dead, they had better be saving it for us."

"Or... Saving it for you, at least." The alchemist shook his head, a little ashamed of what he was going to say.  "When I signed up for this, I thought we were going to just be fighting monsters and machines.  Now it sounds like fixing the torch is going to mean killing people before the job is done, whether it's Skulks or the purple-haired lady and her entourage.  I'm not sure I'm up for that kind of bloodshed."
This message was last edited by the player at 22:11, Thu 30 Sept 2021.

Brokam, Cain, Ix and Sesla

The party makes there way back through the caves the way they came, past the pile of discarded rubble and through the stalagmite forest where they collect the remains of Parda Garr. Ix, silent ever since encountering the silverdisks(possibly still considering the implications of their patterns matching his own tattoos,) helps Brokam with leading the stiff body through the stone pillars and silently throws it over his shoulder as he enters the water and climbs through the underwater tunnel ahead of the others. With the water-breathing spell still in effect, the path now familiar to the party, and no giant insects waiting for them to emerge the swim back to the pond's shore is much more calm than before.

As the party gathers along the foul-smelling beach, some retching from breathing the waters while others unpack and redistribute dry goods from their waterproof sacks a group of three guards from the nearby garrison overlooking this end of Torch and the Black Hill head down to meet them. As they near the one in the lead calls out, "That didn't take very long; did you find--wait, is that Parda?" The guards quicken their pace until they are standing around the half-orc's body, bowing and shaking their heads in disappointment. Eventually breaking the silence, one looks to the group and asks, "How ... how did she go?"
50 XP each and +2 circumstance bonus on Diplomacy checks made in town for returning Parda's body for burial.

---

Morin and Zorden

The mood is dark in the town of Torch. The streets are lined with growing piles of garbage, the air carries the smell of filth, and the faces of the people betray an uncertainty for the future of the town and the people's livelihoods now that their namesake has gone out. The ever-popular Foundry Tavern near the town's singular entrance is closed, its proprietor missing, and strange rumors greet you as you move through the streets. [Private to Morin Matzylford: "You’ve heard of androids, right? There are a few of them living here in town, but they’re mostly harmless. Right?"] [Private to Zorden: "The Technic League is behind the problems in town. One of their agents put out the torch so we’ll all go broke and they can take the place over for free!"] But what doesn't seem to be mere rumor is that there has been another call for people to delve under Black Hill to solve the mystery of the Extinguished Torch and find the previous expeditions and that anyone brave enough should meet at the Town Hall at midday.

Well, for whatever reason, you weren't able to make it to the Town Hall at midday. When you finally did arrive and waited your turn to meet with Councilor Dolga Freddert she informed you that the latest expedition was already under the Black Hill and you were far too few to be sent in alone. Instead, she suggested that you head to the Foundry Tavern to meet the young Val Baine who would be willing to host you until the other expedition returns ... or you can gather more brave souls to follow them in.

Arriving at the Foundry Tavern you find both the foundry and the tavern to be quiet and empty--the tavern dark and the furnaces cold. It takes a bit of poking around to find the young, blonde Kellid girl cleaning up a mess in the third building--the Baines' personal residence behind the other two--piling the remains of a couple doors shattered into splinters and various scraps and bits of metal into a cart just outside. As the strangers near, the young girl looks up from her work to apologize, "Sorry, the tavern's closed. The Copper Coin just north of here'll serve you."
https://db4sgowjqfwig.cloudfro...avern.png?1427312901
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:48, Mon 04 Oct 2021.

So far, Morin's bid to become an adventuring hero wasn't quite going according to plan.  Everything had seemed in place this morning:  After touring around Numeria for a couple of weeks, he had already found an honest-to-Desna quest!  All he had to do was wander over to the town hall around midday, meet up with some band of desperate mercenary vagabonds, and swim into a dark hole in the ground that nobody came back from!  After that the heroics would flow freely, and with them would come the inspiration for Taldor's next great epic novel!  Or stage-play?  Well, Morin reasoned, obviously the exact format of his great story would depend on the exact format of his heroic adventure.

And yet alas, Morin had failed to accurately predict the big'un mind.  He had shown up several hours late, reasoning that the expedition would have a lot of boring preparation to go through: requisitioning equipment, going over maps, haggling pay and the like.  That was how every Taldan mercenary band seemed to do things, and obviously Morin was looking to skip that part.

But the others had skipped that part too!  On the one hand, that was good--They sounded like a very decisive bunch.  But without a trained bard on the team, the party's morale would certainly plummet in those dark caverns.  They would all fall prey to despair and infighting without him to keep them together.  If they made it back at all, half of them would probably be ready to quit after one expedition.

It was with these worries on his mind that the scraggly gnome reached the Foundry Tavern, seemingly oblivious to the albino tiefling right beside him.  In response to Val Baine's apology, Morin cracked a wide smile.  "I dunno, it looks pretty open from here!  Get it, 'cause the door's busted open?  No wait, that's your house, not the tavern.  I, uh, I guess the joke doesn't really work in that case..."

After a brief but awkward pause, the little man stuck out a hand in greeting.  "You must be Val Baine!  I'm Morin Matzylford, and I'm here to save your town. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Zorden had arrived in Torch by happenstance.  He'd not heard the rumors of the issues they were having but had only learned of them as he'd been at another establishment looking to get a hot meal earlier that morning.

Eventually he'd overheard enough information to turn his attention towards the Town Hall.  It was already past midday by the time he'd decided to go seek more details from the governmental representatives of Torch so he wasn't surprised to learn he'd missed the latest group to venture off.  Though from the other things he'd been told or overheard, he reasoned there might well be another expedition soon if the pattern of people venturing out and not coming back held up.

So he'd made his way back towards the town's entrance to wait at the Foundry Tavern.  He kept pace a short distance behind a small fellow who was apparently heading towards the tavern as well.  Zorden wondered to himself if the man was looking to take the town up on its request.  He didn't look well equipped to succeed on such a venture.  Perhaps that was part of the reason none of the others had supposedly succeeding in even making it back to Torch.

Zorden followed along as they eventually came upon the young woman.  As the other man assailed her with words Zorden closed the distance and took an interest in what she'd loaded into the cart.  Leaning in he studied it for a moment before pulling out the shattered remnants of what looked like a rounded piece of glass.  A Gearsman?  Maybe the rumors are true...  He thought to himself as he turned the object in his hand.

"What happened here?"  He asked the girl as he turned to look at her, the piece of debris still in his hand.  In contrast to Morin, Zorden's tone was calm and transactional as he forewent introductions in favor of fact finding.


Zorden rolled 25.  Knowledge: Engineering.  What, if anything, can he discern about the robot scraps in the cart?

The young girl smiles uncertainly at the gnome's joke, looking back to the damaged home for a moment before turning back, wiping her dusty hands off on her apron, and wiping some sweat from her brow. At the teifling's question she explains, "A metal man ... creature ... thing ... that my father took from under the hills just sprang to life a while ago and started tearing things up. Lucky for me the people from the expedition today were here and destroyed it. The guards took the body away, but I'll be sweeping up little bits for weeks after how the big guy tore it up." She then looks between the pair and continues, spreading her hands as if in apology, "But you're a bit late if you wanted to join them ... they left almost two hours ago. You can set up in the tavern if you want to wait for them?"

Unless I'm overlooking something on your CS, you need the Technologist feat in order to not be considered untrained on technology-related checks. Either way, the remaining bits and debris aren't enough to tell you anything other than they are parts of something technological.

Still spiting out the foul water as he waits for his stomach to stop dry heaving, Cain is in no mood for the guard's questions. "Badly."

But he is at least happy that they can unload the body on the guards. "Shall we head back to the tavern for now?"

"I'm going to stay with the body.  See if I can't get Father Kyte to ask her some questions." Taking out the silverdisks from his pack, Brokam divided the spoils up four ways, using coins from his pocket to even out the split.  Then he moved to shake the others hands.  "Good luck, be careful, and try to get ahold of some cold iron if you're going to deal with the gremlins.  I'm sorry I won't be there to help but..."  He trailed off with a shrug.  "I guess I'm just not built for heroics."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:46, Tue 05 Oct 2021.

"That would be lovely!"  Morin exclaimed in response to Val's offer to let them wait in the tavern.  He motioned for her to follow, unconcerned with whatever work she was in the middle of. "While we wait, can you tell me all about this metal man?  What did it look like?  Did it talk?  I did a little reading on Numerian artifacts while I was doing research for a play, so I'm practically an expert on this sort of thing."

Walking into the tavern, the gnome immediately moved to pour himself a drink.  "I'm a playwright by trade.  Maybe you've heard of my work?  I wrote "The Sovereign's Wives and Their Many Knives" and "Rovagug! The Musical."  Or maybe not, they didn't get a whole lot of traction outside of Taldor.  Well, not outside of the capital.  Or IN capital for that matter.  I swear, people just don't appreciate a good comedy these days.  All they care about now are bombastic histories and heroic epics.  But like everyone says, you have to write what you know..."

It seemed likely Morin could keep prattling on like this forever, whether or not anyone was actually listening to him.

"Uh, yes."  Zorden commented in agreement with Morin's sentiment in regards to the young woman's invitation.

A Morin filled the world once again with the boisterous sound of his voice Zorden once again fell in several paces behind, content to let the other man lead the way.

Once inside he found a seat off to the side that let him keep an eye on whether some other potential patron, or duly appointed expeditioner, might be making their way to the Foundry.

In reply to Brokam (msg # 109):

Cain nods cordially to Brokam. "Best of luck to you as well. I'd say it was fun, but I'd be lying then, wouldn't I? Keep safe." He leaves for the tavern, to rest and prepare for when they next enter the caves.

Right, Brokam is out, and Ix probably as well. Onward to the tavern then, to meet the new party, unless Sesla has a different plan?

"I'll go too." Ix declares simply before nodding to both Cain and Sesla and stooping down to pick up and cradle the body in his arms. As they head off with the guards beside them, making their way to the other end of town, Brokam begins to detail all which they had found beneath the Black Hill for the guards to report to the council.

Cain and Sesla instead head to the tavern, but soon realize that despite being so worn out by their trials within the caves the sun is still high in the sky. As they arrives at the Foundry Tavern, they find the tavern occupied by two new characters--a gnome pouring himself a drink at the bar while rambling and a tiefling sitting across the room near a window watching the roads. The young Val Baine stands near the back exit, listening politely to the gnome's ramblings although visibly uncertain about the gnome helping himself to the drinks, whether she can leave, and when she can get a word in edgewise.

Zorden mostly tuned out the gnome as he watched the pair approaching the tavern's entrance.

After they entered he gave them a polite nod of greeting.

He didn't ask after their business, whether they were newly sent by the people at the Town Hall or simply wandering into town looking for a drink.  Zorden reasoned they would announce their intentions one way or the other soon enough, and if they didn't, Morin would undoubtedly verbally pounce on them and beat it out of them via bludgeoning with words.

Zorden's assumption was immediately proven right.  Morin looked up with a smile as Cain and Seslo walked in, covered in the chemical waste they had been swimming through.  "What is that heroic smell I smell?  Sulfur, blood and..." He took a deep sniff, then gagged a bit.  "...shit?  Either way, it's the smell of boldness!  You've been down in the caves, haven't you?" 

He hopped to his feet, drink already forgotten.  "And you made it back!  Excellent!  What did you find?  I should hope you didn't already find Khonnir Baine and save the town without me!  Oh, I'm Morin, by the way.  Explorer, writer, archaeologist, plus actor.  I'm also handy with a spell, nimble as a cat, and I think I've gotten the hang of this lasso I made."  He made a small gesture to the crudely tied lariat at his waist, the only weapon he seemed to be carrying.  "Not that I'm trying to brag, of course!  But with me in the party, I can basically guarantee the expedition will be a success."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:31, Fri 08 Oct 2021.

Cain sniffs his arm. All these question are doing nothing to improve his already foul mood. "No, that's the smell of that damned water covering the entrance to the caves. And if you think it smells bad, try breathing the damn thing. And you, I take it, are more fools our ever-so-wise Council is throwing to be slaughtered down there for a promise of a few coins they will not live to see? Sorry, that came out wrong, I meant, more fearless adventurers in search of wealth and glory?"

As he is talking he walks over to the bar to look for a drink to wash away the aftertaste of the polluted water from his mouth. "Ah, much better. To answer your questions:

Yes, we were down there. We found several bodies of previous groups that ventured there, but not Khonir.

We also found some beetles that tried to eat us, some kind of flesheating moss, a beast that blinded us and then tried to eat us, and finally some skulks.

The skulks at least have not tried to eat us. Yet. Instead they offered us a job to go kill some gremlins, so now we have that to look forward to as well. Oh, and apparently they were paid by someone to keep people out the caves.

That's about it. All in all, it's been an eventful couple of hours. Wish you were there. I also wish I wasn't."

"So, do you have a time frame decided upon for going back in?"  Zorden asked, reflecting none of the abundant enthusiasm Morin had espoused, but also apparently none of the disdain for the prospect Cain had rightly shown.

"As soon as I pick up some supplies, if it's up to me. I'd like to be back in before the water breathing spell wears out. Swimming up stream is difficult enough without worrying about drowning." Cain answers.

He notices the girl in the back. "Don't worry Val. We'll find Khonir one way or the other, and the Council has shelled out for a resurrection scroll for one of their own, in case of 'other'."

Not sure about Sesla, but all I need is to buy a scroll or two and I'm good to go. DM, how much time is left on the water breathing spell? And did Zorden and Morin also had the spell cast on them?

The girl's look of discomfort turns to one of concern as Cain describes the hazards and bodies. She leans against the wall to steady herself and crosses her arms across her stomach to both rub the sudden chill from her forearms and control her unease. She asks Cain and Sesla uncertainly, "So ... do you think he's alright? My father?"
This message was last edited by the player at 21:49, Fri 08 Oct 2021.

"Do you mean is he...dead?"  Morin asked, growing somber at the reminder that Val's father was at risk.  After a second, he nodded cheerfully.

"Yes.  Almost definitely.  But don't worry, that's fine.  Like Cain said, the council's got a resurrection scroll handy.  And from what I hear, your father's a good man.  So the worst case scenario is that he spends a week or two relaxing in Celestia or whatever until we can bring him back.  That actually happened once to my uncle, Torin Tatzylford!  He always said that week he spent dead was the time of his life."

Morin was lying, of course, both about his uncle and about what the actual worst case scenario was.  But that was fine, he figured.  Bigguns generally expected you to lie to their children about important stuff like death.

He looked at the scratched up and filthy pair standing in the doorway. "Are you sure you're ready for round two?  I mean, I'm ready if you are!  OR we could just wait for you guys to grab a quick nap, then go get Father Kyte to hook us up with another water breathing spell."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:56, Fri 08 Oct 2021.

Perhaps when the guard described the Foundry Tavern as "Closed" he had simply meant "Closed to the likes of you." Kalasha brooded as she heard the light-hearted chatter of several voices within the tavern.

She moved to the threshold and set the knuckles against the door, frowning as what was intended as a polite knock emerged as more of a *thump and clang*.

"I seek the party investigating the disappearance of Khonnir Baine, to lend my efforts to their endeavour," she offered, before adding, "I am Kalasha."

The half-orc could not help but radiate menace as she stood upon the threshold. Across her back rested a sword nearly two feet taller than the gnome, and the visible skin of her left side was marked with intricate, jagged tattoos. From her neck, peeking out from behind a plain grey tabard, hung a yellow wooden key. She glanced at those assembled, and offered a slight deferential nod to the girl she presumed the missing Khonnir's daughter.

Cain tries to reassure Val as best as he can. "Khonir is not someone to go down easily. But either way, we just have to find him."

When Kalasha introduces herself, Cain cheers up a bit. Their chances just went marginally up. "You found it. Welcome aboard! I'm Cain, and this is Khonir's daughter Val. We were just discussing our next course of action."

He hesitates for a moment. "Problem will be getting in the caves again. We need that water breathing spell for that, and Kyte may not be able to cast it again today. So, on second thought, it may be better to rest up and wait for tomorrow rather than risk a disaster before we even set foot inside."

Morin responded to Kalasha's entrance with a cheer.  "Huzzah!" He yelled, raising his pilfered drink in a salute.  "That settles it.  First thing in the morning, this expedition begins in earnest!  And that means tonight, drinks are on me!"

He slapped a single gold coin down on the counter, then looked up to the selection of liquors on offer.  "Uh, as long as we keep it strictly mid-shelf.  Once we haul Khonnir Baine back to the realm of the living, then we'll drink his good stuff!"

OOC: Spending 1 gold to not feel bad about drinking Val's booze in front of her.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:05, Mon 11 Oct 2021.

Kalasha nodded in return, stepping over the threshold at the implied invitation. "I am loathe to let the sun set with the matter unsettled, but will defer to your judgement and experience" Kalasha offered Cain by way of response, minding her manners. She was uninitiated in the dangers of the venture, and would probably learn much that was important to the success of the venture, even if immediate action was her preferred course. She took off her travelling pack and stowed it under one of several tables. "I would hear more of the dangers to come, if you are willing to share such information for our shared purpose."

She was bemused by the small one's generosity, "you will forgive me if I stick to a lighter ale; I would not begin our endeavour muddled and askew."

"Given the circumstances, tomorrow will have to do."  Zorden weighed in.

He stayed seated where he was.  Though there was some time to make ready before the expedition resumed, he was interested in what answer might be offered in response to Kalasha's question.

"Right, details." Cain gives his report.

"The entrance to the caves is underwater and difficult to get in. The moment we got in we were attacked by some bugs, and then started tripping over bodies. First the halflings from the first party that ventured inside, some kind of moss growing on them. We took a detour around that. Then we found Parda Garr, the brawler, stabbed to death, and finally some other poor bastard, half-eaten."

"There we were attacked by some beast that tried to blind us with its glowing eyes before striking at us with claws. Taking that one down was a real pain, and even after we managed that, we failed to finish it. It dragged itself away when we were not looking. Fighting in those tight tunnels is a problem all on its own, as only one or two fighters can strike at the opponent, and the rest of the party is stuck behind them."

"We did not get very far from there before we found the skulk village. We talked to their leader and she told us that they were paid by a group including orcs, rats and a woman with purple hair to stop any other intruders. The skulks may have also fought against Khonir's party, and took heavy casualties. Heavy enough that they offered us a deal - we remove a group of gremlins nearby and they will let us through and pay us what they were given to hold others out."

"And that's it. We turned back after meeting the skulks. Khonir may have passed through their village, but what happened to him after that we don't know."

Zorden listened and nodded a bit at points during Cain's retelling.

"How far is the swim?"  He asked before adding, "By your estimation."

Whatever they were swimming through it didn't seem to be acidic based on the fact the pair were still dressed in what looked like the garments they wore traversing through the stuff.

The rest sounded like some tricky business with the skulks that was only fair dealings until something better came along.  That might just need to be played by ear, assuming the gremlins weren't more trouble than the skulks ultimately would be.

In reply to Zorden (msg # 127):

"I couldn't reckon the distance very well. It was by first time with a water breathing spell-if that muck could be truly classified as water..."

Sesla said as she turned her head to spit.

"Dark and shitty..."

Morin cocked an eyebrow as he listened to Cain's story and the discussion of the watery passage.  "Wait, how did Purple-hair and her people get in there, anyways?  Unless they came up from the underdark, they would have had to swim through the same tunnel you did, right?  The one right in the middle of town?  A group like that, somebody would have had to see them come through."

Finishing his drink, Morin hopped down from his barstool.  "And what the hells, we've got some time to kill.  I'm gonna go see the sights and do some asking around."

OOC: During our downtime, I'm going to use Diplomacy to gather information, especially about the purple-haired woman, strange rats, or suspicious half-orcs.
10:16, Today: Morin Matzylford rolled 19 using 1d20+9 with rolls of 10.  Diplo to gather information.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:08, Tue 12 Oct 2021.

"Then, since there may be more than one trip back and forth and if it is somewhat difficult to swim, it may be worth trying to run a rope."  Zorden suggested.

"Especially if we're to rescue someone who may have been through a bit of trouble.  The rest I suppose will be dealt with when the time comes.  As Mr. Khonir may need additional provisions to make the crossing."

In reply to Morin Matzylford (msg # 129):

Cain shrugs his shoulders. "You guess is as good as mine. Maybe they got in the same way the skulks did? Or they swam inside as well. Could be worth asking a few question around, yes."

This notion of a rope sounds wise, especially if there is a possibility of an enchantment wearing off or being countered by one of the wizards at play," Kalasha agreed, feeling the weight of her armor, and imagining maneuvering in it under hundreds of punds of water.

"Gremlins," Kalasa mused. "I am not sure that I have encountered such creatures, or that these ones have done much to earn the sharp edge of our blades. The skulks on the other hand have committed murder for hire and abandoned their employer when they lost their courage. Perhaps their emnity is to the gremlins' credit." She suggested, hoping she had not overstepped herself as a recent recruit to the venture.

Do you consider us bound by this offer of payment, or should we investigate the matter further. Perhaps these gremlins have more to offer, and would make for more reliable allies in the endeavour to come.

"Or perhaps they are as the name 'gremlin' implies, and simply beasts to be disposed of." She conceded, with a shrug.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:21, Wed 13 Oct 2021.

Cain thinks back on the meeting with the skulks. "I believe we only said that we need to go back and prepare if we will be fighting gremlins. So, not exactly a rock-solid agreement. Still, I'd like to give the skulks the benefit of doubt, simply because they talked to us instead of trying to kill us. That was something of a novelty in those caves. I wouldn't turn my back on them, but striking first and attacking them in their village wouldn't sit quite right with me either."

He shrugs. "Gremlins are fey of some sort I believe, but I have no idea if talking to them is possible or not. If it is, we can try and see what they have to say. I'd advise bringing cold iron weapons though, just in case."

"Oh right, the skulks."  Morin tapped his chin, thinking.  Asking about Purple-Hair could wait for a bit, he figured.  "Now on the one hand, they haven't killed anybody I know.  But on the other hand, maybe they just haven't killed anybody I know yet.  But on the third hand, the job is going to be tough enough without looking for fights we don't need.  But on the fourth hand, maybe fighting them is inevitable, in which case we're better off if we're the one's doing the ambushing.  It's a sticky question.  Really as much of a matter for a philosopher as for an adventurer.  Does anyone know if there's a decent philosopher around?  Maybe we could ask them."

OOC:How much does Morin know about Gremlins and/or skulks?
18:09, Today: Morin Matzylford rolled 19 using 1d20+6 with rolls of 13.  knowledge Local, skulks.
18:09, Today: Morin Matzylford rolled 12 using 1d20+2 with rolls of 10.  Knowledge nature, gremlins.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 01:07, Thu 14 Oct 2021.

[Private to Kalasha Roadsworn: While moving through town and seeking to join the expedition, you encountered an interesting rumor: "A pair of dwarves got drunk at the Foundry a few nights ago and went up to Black Hill to drink some of the sludge up there on a dare. One of them grew a lot stronger for a few minutes after drinking the stuff, but the other one nearly died after the fluids burnt a hole in his gut!"]

Val, horrified by Morin's nonchalant insistence that her father must already be dead, soon excuses herself from the tavern with a mention of picking up some chickens from the butcher for tonight's dinner. Once introductions and planning settle down, a few of the party settle in to rest in the converted tavern--now lined with cots for them to crash in between expeditions beneath the Black Hill--while Cain heads to market and Morin sets out to learn more about rumors of a purple-haired woman, rats, and half-orcs.

Cain is luckily able to find what he is looking for; the general store happens to have a line on a mage who can keep them stocked on scrolls for some basic spells and is willing to accept a few of his belongings in trade. For the cold iron weaponry, however, the storeowner Inkrit Kollisun directs him across town to the Torch Guildhouse where most of the local smiths ply their trade. Many of the smiths give the half-elf strange looks as he searches--Torch is the city of Skymetals, not simple iron--but he is able to find what he's looking for in the back corners of storerooms gathering dust.

Morin meets with less success. Maybe it's the dreary mood hanging in the air, the foul smell of a city who's waste disposal has been upended driving people to shelter, or maybe people just don't have the information he's asking after. "Yeah, I remember her." "Came to town with some merchants, I think." "She had long, purple hair, shaved on the side. And fancy tattoos." "Probably with the Technic League." "Didn't talk much." Though some did have information he wasn't looking for. "Garritt the Junkmaster found something a few weeks ago that lit up his shack like a second torch. He’s been real quiet lately. Wonder what he’s hiding in that junkyard?"

The adventurers gather once again near sunset to discuss their plans while sharing two roasted chickens and a pot of vegetable stew between them. They bed down for the night, their cots and bedrolls spread across the tavern floors and the women claiming some privacy in the kitchen and foyer, and in the morning Val reclaims the kitchen to fry up some eggs and giblets for breakfast and bake some hardtack and salted pork for your lunches. Once everyone is prepped, the head to the Temple of Brigh to find Councilor Joram Kyte who at first doesn't recognize the group. Eventually his furrowed brow raises and he nods, mostly to Cain and Sesla, "Your friends said yesterday they might not be going in again, is this the new bunch? Are you ready to head back in?"

"Oh, yeah. Can't get enough of the place." Cain replies sarcastically. He sighs wearily before continuing. "Alright, cast your spell and let's do this."

Looks like everyone is ready?

"Ready as we'll ever be!"  Morin chipped in enthusiastically.  He advanced on Kyte, aggressively moving in for a handshake.  "I hear you're the man with the water breathing spell.  I really appreciate the help you're offering towards our efforts to save the town.  I was wondering, since you're already doing so much, if there's one other thing you could help us out with.  I hear the water we're swimming through is pretty tainted, and I'm worried some of the others might get sick if they make too many expeditions.  Not me, of course, I'm a professional actor, I've got lungs of steel.  But..."  He leaned in close, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "You know how half-elves are, they get a little sulfuric acid in their lungs and they act like it's the end of the world.  I don't suppose you could spare some sort of protection from poison for one of the frontliners, could you?"

OOC: I figured I'd take a shot at making Kyte useful, but I'm ready to go in either way.
07:59, Today: Morin Matzylford rolled 14 using 1d20+9 with rolls of 5.  Buttering Kyte up.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:30, Sun 17 Oct 2021.

"Your assistance is welcome Councilor", Kalasha responded. "Time will tell if we are truly prepared for what is to come, but we have steeled ourselves to proceed."

Zorden folded his arms and nodded his assent.

Dwelling on the potential difficulties wouldn't make them any easier.  Best just to get on with things.

"Thank you for your blessing Councilor." Sesla said while bowing briefly as the magic unfolds and enhances the group.

"I know it can't be pleasant down there, but the town depends on the torch's flame and not only is Councilor Baine beloved by most or the people, he was also instrumental in the construction of Crowfeather Palace. Without his knowledge the best our clergy can do is make sure the mechanical bits stay in repair and spend our energies supplementing it." the old man explains, probably needlessly, in response to the half-elf's sarcasm. He seems more tolerant of Morin's eccentricity, excitable gnomes being fairly common among Brigh's flock, but explains empathetically, "As I said, we are pouring all of our energies into keeping the water potable and everything else that seems to be breaking down without the flame. If you give me notice and tithe the agreed rate I'd be happy to save a blessing for you--the town could use the coin as well." The priest then nods in appreciation of Kalasha and Sesla's manners and then offers a prayer to his goddess much like the one the day before--again while holding the simple metal rod.

Once the blessing is complete, the party makes there way across town to the Weeping Pond. Concerned about how they, or even Baine, might fare should they need to return without the blessing of water breathing, Zorden and Kalasha tie together three lengths of rope by Cain and Sesla's estimation and secure one end to the trunk of a nearby tree. The party then makes their way into the pond and through the underwater pass, with some difficulty as none are competent swimmers, before finally emerging within the first cavern of the underground network. Dampness hangs in the air of this cave, condensing into heavy moisture on the slick, stone walls. The calm, dark waters wind around to the east up north, along a stony, soot-scarred beach. A five-foot-high ledge sporting several stalagmites rises to the east, beyond which a low-ceilinged cave beckons. Soft, yellow-green, bio-luminescent light emanating from the squashed remains of two large beetles are the only source of light in this cavern, with a similar glow coming from beyond the stalagmites to the east.

Group 0 Map Updated
Fort Save DC 15 or be sickened from breathing the foul water for 1 minute.

Despite his claim of "iron lungs", Morin was completely overwhelmed by the foulness of the water they had to swim through.  He collapsed on the beach, retching up the grimy runoff until he was confident it was all out of his system.  Clambering to his feet, he wiped his face with a handkerchief and made a visible effort to regain his sunny disposition.

"How...bracing."  He eventually managed.  "That sulfur in the lungs really wakes you up." 

Undeterred by the darkness, Morin's eyes wandered up the coast of this undersea beach, and his expression quickly took on some genuine excitement.  "Oh, is that the moss you were talking about!  Oh wow, that really is just all over them!  I wonder how fast it spreads to a new victim?  Only one way to find out, I guess!"

Bending down, Morin scooped up one of the smashed beetles at his feet with a grunt and rested it over his shoulder in a shot-put position. "In the interests of science..." He started, concentrating as he lined up his throw.  "I'm gonna feed the moss this beetle!"

OOC: Morin gives everyone plenty of time to stop him.  If no one does, he throws the dead beetle at the nearest moss-covered body.  And rolls a natural 1...

17:44, Today: Morin Matzylford rolled 1 using 1d20 with rolls of 1.  Beetle toss (only if nobody stops me.)  Includes -4 for improvised weapon.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:51, Sat 23 Oct 2021.

Zorden was glad they'd strung the rope to help with the water crossing.  Without it he was all but certain he'd still be stuck in the dark foul substance that passed for water and the thick muck it concealed.

As it was he still dropped to a knee once he emerged from the water and sunk his head low as the muck dripped off and out of him and he struggled silently to not be sick.  In the end he rose to his feet somewhat unsteadily, but ready none the less.

As Morin futzed about with whatever shiny thing had drawn his cheerful savagery, Zorden busied himself with unpacking a waterproof bag that he'd carefully packed his weapon and several smaller pouches inside for the crossing.  He spent a short while getting things situated and loading the rough and ramshackle looking device then gave a nod to the others that he was ready to proceed forward.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:11, Sat 23 Oct 2021.

Cain shudders as he steps in the foul water. Even with all other dangers that cave had, this was by far the worst part of it all. And sure enough, after surfacing on the other side, he spends a minute dry-heaving a breakfast he didn't have precisely because of this. "God damn. Khonir better be alive, so I can kill him myself." He is too preoccupied to notice what others are doing.

10:57, Today: Cain rolled 8 using 1d20 with rolls of 8.  Fort save.

The long swim was uncomfortable for Kalasha, and she was embarassed to have the wind knocked out of her so early in the adventure. she doubled over, coughing, before collecting herself. She carefully unpacked her stored equipment, unwrapping her heavy blade and garbing herself for combat. Seeing the gnome play with beetles and moss, Kalasha looked to those veterans of the earlier expedition to intervene if needed. She was still finding her feet, she told herself. Still, should something unexpected happen, she readied herself to intervene.

"Perhaps if we can rescue the man alive, you might win over our patrons and have the spell of revivication added to the prize," she suggested to Cain, appealing to his sense of self interest..


20:04, Today: Kalasha Roadsworn rolled 7 using 1d20+6 with rolls of 1.  Fort Save.

Sesla drug herself from the foul water and immediately coughed up the contents of her stomach.
"Did I mention that the water was fouled?" Sesla said sarcastically as she wipes sick and awful away from her mouth with the back of her hand.


OOC: Sesla Lento rolled 4 using 1d20 with rolls of 4.  Fortitude Save.

Once everyone has finished getting sick in the already foul water, Morin moves to the north and tosses the drying, but still sticky, remains of one of the beetles at the nearest halfing corpse/mossy mound. Even before the corpse lands, however, the gnome spots extremely subtle movement among the mossy mound and instantly recognizes something hiding within the body cavity of the desiccating corpse: a young slime mold holding very still, imitating the surrounding moss. [Private to Morin Matzylford: Morin recognizes that these are younger slime molds, probably incapable of engulfing prey but still resistant to fire.]

Group 0 Map Updated
And I'm figuring out GIMP as I go ... cropping was eluding me until now. Next area I can spring for higher resolution maps. ^.^
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:03, Tue 26 Oct 2021.

"So I suppose our first stop will be the skulk's camp?"  Zorden asked of Sesla and Cain as he looked about the uniquely oppressive atmosphere of the cavern and tunnels.

"Ooh."  Morin muttered, watching the baby slime from a distance.  "That's where the moss came from.  Slimes!"

He looked up as Zorden suggested they move on, seemingly surprised that the others didn't find the mossy corpses as interesting as he did.  "Huh? Oh, sure.  Makes sense to do the hard stuff first while we're all fresh.  But on the way back, we really should squash the slimes over there by those bodies.  Those things get big fast, especially with that much food."

"Sure, we can deal with them on our way back. Assuming we are in any shape to do so by then. Anyway, those gremlins should be somewhere east of the skulk village, if we are doing that." Cain says, after using clean water from his waterskin to wash away the aftertaste from his mouth. He then digs in his pack for a scroll to cast, feeling a bit better once he is protected by its magic.

Using a scroll of Mage Armor. I'm alright with moving on if everyone else is.

Sesla looked over to Morin and to their discovery before she nodded once to Zorden and then to Cain. "We ready?"

Ignoring the feasting slimes for now, the party scales the nearby cliff and climbs through the cluster of stalagmites to the east before turning south and winding their way through the tunnels again to pass the pile of scrap and emerge once again at the skulk camp. The same female skulk who greeted the party before is there again and directs the party to their leader's lair/scrap hoard. Sef waits there, guarding the sack of silverdisks and various other scrap, and nods in greeting as the party arrives. She looks the new members over suspiciously before looking past them and speaking seemingly to the shadows behind them, "Watch for the others. No surprises." Then, looking past the half-orc Kalasha to the familiar face of Sesla, she asks, "You bring new people. Why? Are you going to take care of the gremlins?"

Group 0 Map Updated.

Sesla nodded to Sef

"As we agreed..." Sesla gestured to the others. "...we have gathered our strength. In exchange for taking care of your gremlins" Sesla said with an inclination of her head to the tunnel opening to the east. "You will let us pass-and we will speak more about peace agreed?"
This message was last edited by the player at 01:32, Fri 29 Oct 2021.

Zorden casually gave a look about the place, but otherwise just slouched a bit as he stood and waited.

He reasoned Sesla and Cain knew what was going on, and the Skulk leader seemed inclined to trust them, so if there were any details to hammer out, the pair of them would be better suited, so might as well let them do the talking.

"That was the agreement, I believe. Also, do you know of any other surprises in these tunnels we should be wary of, besides the gremlins?" Cain backs up Sesla and also uses this opportunity to try to learn what else they might be facing here.

Kalasha frowned at Skulk's distrust, before realising that she would have shared it if their positions were reversed "I am Kalasha, servant to Abadar, whose wisdom guides my dealings," she intoned the ritualistic greeting toward Sef, "I would hear more of these gremlins before I agree to take their lives. What crimes have they committed against your people that you would seek their wholesale slaughter?"

If possible, Kalasha will use her Detect Evil ability on Sef when she intones her greeting.

The skulk dressed in little but daggers nods to Sesla and affirms, "You take care of gremlins and we reward you and let you pass." To Cain she answers, "We don't go in their tunnels. After the wizard attacked, there are too few of us to risk." And then to Kalasha she explains, "They are small, quick little devils. If we aren't always on guard they steal, attack, or curse us while we sleep. They don't speak or bargain, only torment." [Private to Kalasha Roadsworn: Kalasha can sense the presence of evil, but detects no auras.]

"Your words sound sweet to my ears. Perhaps, after this business is behind us-we can discover even more things that we have in common."

Sesla bowed slightly at her waist.

"Is this agreeable to everyone?" Sesla said as she settled her eyes on Kalasha.

Morin looked over the faces of his companions as they dealt with the skulks, briefly quiet for once.  Sesla was treating the ragged killers like they were new friends, though he really didn't know her well enough to tell if she was being sincere.  Cain was more neutral, but he had made it clear he didn't really care who the creatures had murdered as long as they weren't threatening him.  Kalasha was clearly leaning the opposite way, and Morin was inclined to take her side of things.  Bringing a bunch of subterrainian murderers to justice was a much more exciting story than exterminating some troublesome imps or whatever.  Besides: Why fight to earn some of the skulks money, when they could just take everything from them?

"You don't go into the tunnels?"  Morin asked, curious.  "You mean, you never even tried to go after the gremlins yourself?  Do you know how deep their tunnels go, how many gremlins, anything like that?"

Zorden replied to Selsa's question with a nod.

He got the impression there may be more to things than what was said but they weren't about to get any answers anyway, so might as well get on with things and trust it would all work out somehow.

Cain nods to Sesla. He is not really happy with not receiving any useful information, but like Zorden, he figures that they are unlikely to learn much else.

“A shame to be beset by such creatures,” Kalasha nodded reassuringly, “And we are surely blessed to make acquaintance first with reasonable folk such as yourselves before being ambushed by such fiends. Morin’s questions are wise, and I would hear their answer, but I am inclined to find what common cause we can with your people,” she agreed amicably.

Despite her words, Kalasha’s palm rested against the hilt of her sheathed greatsword, in a gesture of readiness, though not alarm.

Sesla nodded again seeing that the group had reached an accord.

"Well then, seeing that we have something of an agreement." Sesla nodded and allowed her hanging words to indicate what their next action should be.

The skulk glares at the gnome and his accusations before asking indignantly, "Would you attack a stronger enemy while still licking your wounds and grieving for your friends and leader murdered after the wizard's attack?" She shakes her head, forcing herself to forget the insult before adding, "There are many of them, but they are not always there. They can blink around, they are stealthy and cunning, they see in blackness, and they fear no blade. If you can't best them, then we have to keep our agreement with the purple haired lady and hope her people can." She says the last bit as diplomatically as she can manage, as if it isn't a direct threat.

Morin rolls his eyes at the threat.  "Yeah, yeah, we're on it."  He moved to head down the tunnels with the others, before turning back to the skulk.  "Just so we're on the same page, though: Our friend the wizard didn't murder your people.  You tried to murder him, and he taught you a valuable lesson about picking fights with people tougher than you.  A lesson that clearly didn't stick if you're still dumb enough to make death threats while alone in a room with the five of us."

"Lucky for you," the gnome continued brightly, "My friends and I are in a favour-doing mood.  So rather than teach you a lesson the way Khonnir taught you, we're going to deal with your gremlin problem for you.  And then you'll give us your money and stay out of our way.  Not because of any honour or integrity or anything, because you don't have any of that.  But because hopefully by then, you'll finally figure out that you're not in a position to "let" or "not let" us do anything."

"So sit tight.  We'll be back with some gremlin heads."

OOC: I'm good to go.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:19, Tue 02 Nov 2021.

The gray-skinned Sef grins wryly at the gnome and nods in his direction. The pile of scrap behind the gnome ... clears its throat? ... and another skulk seems to fade into view as the coloring of his bare skin slowly shifts from camouflage matching the junk and cave walls to a neutral gray matching Sef's. The skulk leader then gestures with her arm to the tunnel exiting to the east, trusting her point has been made.

Zorden twitched his tail in annoyance at the whole exchange which had just occurred.

Still, since it seemed to have resolved without anything coming to actual fruition, he started moving in the direction they were supposed to find the gremlins.

Cain just raises an eyebrow at that particular exchange, then prods whatever piece of scrap is behind him with his boot, just in case. "Well, if we are quite done here, we might as well get started on this task." He follows Zorden's example and heads after him.

With Zorden leading the way and Morin holding his tongue, the party begins to venture into the tunnels to the east. As they pass through the first stretch leaving Sef's lair, they encounter another of the skulks who had been watching their discussion patiently but now steps aside with a nod to let them pass. Before Zorden moves too far, however, Cain stops him--his elf eyes spotting the very subtle break in dust along the cave floor revealing a tripwire strung low across the passway into the small cavern to their east.

We're going to go into action time for this portion; please include a breakdown of your actions, if any, and specific movements.
Group 0 Map Updated

Zorden paused at Cain's urging.

He turned to the skulk who had been watching the entrance.

"What's this way?"  He asked, gesturing North.

At the same time he gladly switched places with any of the others who preferred to get a closer look.

ooc: Zorden will drop back in the marching order (via 5ft step or standard move action) in a western direction, if space allows.

The male skulk squints down the passageway before shaking his head and shrugging, answering only, "Gremlins," as he backs his way to the south--it is apparent he doesn't like being this close to begin with.

The skulk's response to Morin's bravado worried the gnome.  It wasn't the sudden appearance of a cave-dwelling murderer right behind his back that spooked him, though.  It was how smug Sef was about it.  If these people were ruthless enough to murder complete strangers for a fairly small amount of money, and dishonest enough to then pay said money to the people they had been hired to murder, then even Morin wasn't foolish enough to trust them to hold up their end of a bargain.  If they thought they could get away with murdering the party and taking their stuff, they would try it.

And if Sef's smug threats were anything to go by, she did think she could take them.

Which meant Morin and the party would have to do their best to convince her otherwise.  They didn't have to just defeat the gremlins, they would have to obliterate them.  If they could wipe out the creatures that actually did scare the skulks and make it look easy, hopefully Sef would learn enough respect to stay the hell out of their way.  Or hey, maybe the gremlins were more reasonable than Sef was making them out to be, and they could work together to take out the Skulks.

Which brought him back to the task at hand.  From the back of the party, he peered through the party's legs to get a good look at the tripwire.  "Oh!  I've got just the thing!"  Reaching down to his belt, Morin pulled out a long scroll.  "Behold!  An unseen servant!  Invisible, practically invincible, able to yank tripwires, drag scrap over pressure plates, carry lights, and more!  Everybody take just a few steps back, and I'll do some science to that tripwire."

Holding the scroll in front of him, Morin intoned the magic words to activate it.  At the end of the spell, he snuck in a short sentance in sylvan, the language of the fae.  <"Hey gremlins! We want to give you a hand messing up these skulks!  Don't attack us, and we can talk!">

Hopefully said skulks couldn't understand sylvan.  Especially since Morin was now alone in a room with two of them.

MOVE: draw scroll of unseen servant.
STANDARD: Use scroll of unseen servant.
FREE: 5' step south.  Talk incessantly.

"Be my guest." Cain shrugs as he steps aside to let Morin's spell do its work. He doubts this spell alone would be enough to trip every possible trap they could be facing, but it can't hurt to try.

Moving 5' north. Drawing a sword.

With Z and Cain stepping back slightly, Morin figured they were probably a safe distance away.  "Pull on that tripwire."  He said to the seemingly empty air, and his servant complied, giving the hidden wire a yank with all of it's meager strength.

Kalasha scowled at the gnome ordered its Unseen Servant to set off the trap. Who knew what dangers might be set off in such confined quarters? It seemed unlikely that Sef would thank them if the Skulk's new home was flooded, or buried in a cave-in, or filled with poisonous gases.


Drawing Sword, remaining in position.

Sesla cocks and loads her lightcrossbow.

As the front line of the party repositions a bit, Morin summons an Unseen Servant which promptly gives the tripwire a tug. Immediately, a scythe-like blade whips out from its clever concealment along the cave wall and swipes across a large portion of the small cavern before coming to a halt, wobbling and suspended in the air by its shaft.
100 XP Each for circumventing the trap.

"These gremlins really don't want visitors." Cain comets as he examines the suspended blade. "You gonna push that spell of yours in front of us?" He asks Morin.

"Oh!"  Morin exclaimed.  "Now THAT is a clever little piece of engineering."

Nodding at Cain's suggestion, the gnome handed his unseen servant a lit torch and instructed it to stay about 20 feet in front of the party, floating low enough that it would hit any tripwires of similar design.  He considered having it drag a heavy piece of scrap along the ground to trigger any pressure plates or pit traps, but decided against it.  If the cavern was any decent length, it would take forever for the servant to haul something like that across the floor, and the party's spells put them on the clock.  Besides, he would get bored.

"Lead on."  He said cheerfully, content to stay at the back of the party as they traveled through the trapped cave.

Zorden eyed the blade from the trap and kept his position towards the rear.

He double checked his weapon and shifted it into his hands so it was at the ready.

He then waited for Morin's trap finder, and any others looking to follow more closely behind it to lead the way.

"Oops!"  Morin muttered out, realizing at the last moment that the servant would dissipate if it got too far away from him.  Pushing his way into the group a little, he called the servant back slightly. "I, uh, probably should have handed the scroll to you, Cain.  This thing doesn't have the best range on it."

OOC: Moving to the center of the party, since the servant can only go 25 ft away from Morin.  Keeping it at it's max distance, which should still be 15 feet ahead of the person in front.

The party rearranges themselves and advances somewhat, quickly finding what might have been a turn to the south is instead just a nook and beyond that a choice on whether to head north or south.
Group 0 Map Updated
I'm not sure exactly how you're planning to maneuver the unseen servant in this situation. I assume you need line of effect to direct it, so you could direct to to go around a corner but you couldn't do much without being able to see around that corner yourself.

"The skulk who was watching the entrance said there were gremlins on the path to the left we didn't take.  Perhaps with another route heading in that direction that's the way to go now."  Zorden stated in case it might lend weight in favor of one direction or the other now that they were faced with a choice.

"Pfft." Morin snorted cheerfully.  "They also didn't mention the deathtrap ten feet away from their hideout.  I dunno if their word is worth any more than the air it's carried on."  He kept his voice quiet so that the nearby skulks couldn't overhear unless they were actively spying on the party.

Nevertheless, he followed Zorden's advice, directing the unseen servant to turn left and head up the northernmost tunnel.  He kept the servant as far ahead as he could, given the winding corridors, and tried to peek around corners to give himself a clear line of sight.

OOC: Morin keeps the servant as far enough ahead as he can, even if it means it turns a corner out of his sight.  He tries to take the corners as wide as he can: for example, in the current map, he would move to the square south of Kalasha so he could see up the northern tunnel.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:43, Tue 09 Nov 2021.

Cain keeps up the rear guard for now, uneasily staring up the passage north. "This place is a bloody maze."

In reply to Cain (msg # 185):

Sesla nodded at Cain's words and attempted to mark through-passage on the wall using the tip of one of her crossbow bolts.

Kalasha frowned as she heard the gnome echo her own doubts about the skulks. She kept her sword up in a protective stance and carefully moved to follow the northern route, listening to the gnome's instruction and following her best approximation of his unseen servant's steps.

As the party turns north, inching carefully along behind the path of the unseen servant as it drags itself through the dust and debris on the cave floor, this new length of tunnel seems to go on straight for some distance but with possibly several other tunnels branching off of it. Further north appears to be an opening into a larger cavern, but little can be seen beyond the ledge without getting closer.

Group 0 Map Updated

Zorden followed Morin as the group proceeded.

He kept his eyes moving to the left and right to try and catch anything that might be lurking.  The fact that Morin didn't obstruct his immediate view certainly didn't hurt this effort.

Cain follows after the group to the passage leading east, guarding their rear.

Move 3 squares right, 1 up.

Morin had the servant quickly illuminate the side channel to his left as the party passed by.  If there were no obvious traps, he sent it north towards the large cavern.  The big room to the north seemed different, meaning it might be interesting.

The party continues pushing forward, now with Morin directing his unseen servant to the west. As they are adjusting to keep the servant's torch within Morin's line of sight, Zorden hears the faint sound of scraping which draws his keen eyes to the corner they are about to turn--where he sees a tiny, clawed hand pressed against the rock wall as some gremlin lays in wait, ready to pounce!

Surprise round! Only Zorden has been able to detect the presence of the gremlin, and he has managed to beat its initiative.
Group 0 Map Updated.

Zorden stopped and brought the crude looking implement he carried up to his shoulder and aimed it towards the corner they were about to round.

At the same time he let out a long obvious frustrated sigh.  The sort of thing someone traipsing through an underground cave might inadvertently let slip (or quite deliberately if they were feeling melodramatic and wished to make their feelings known).  Though Zorden had been silent to a fault when not expressly speaking, so the emotive sound was quite out of what bit of character the others had gotten to know thus far.

They hadn't discussed any sort of subtle communication, or other things that in retrospect might have proved helpful in such situations.  Still, he hoped Kalasha at least, would turn to look and get his intention without any of them tipping off the gremlins.

Readying an Attack action, if a target should present itself

Before anyone has a chance to react to Zorden's ... warning ... the ambush is already sprung! The tiny gremlin hiding just around the bend springs out with horrid, shrieking battle cry and thrusts its tiny blade at Kalasha, only to glance off the steel shin-plate of her heavy armor. At the same moment, possibly on the signal of the other's cry, another tiny gremlin springs out from the north-west tunnel the party had left behind them and thrusts its blade at Cain ... but misjudges the distance to his target and stabs nothing but air. [Private to Zorden: You can take you readied attack if you like; I'm not sure exactly what you were waiting for.][Private to Morin Matzylford: Morin recognizes these gremlins as Jinkins: devious fey who can ritualistically bestow curses and have resistance to common blades frequent among gremlins.]

Round 1; Zorden, Morin, and Sesla have won initiative.
Group 0 Map Updated

"Look out!  Jinkins!"  Morin exclaimed, much too late to be of use.  The good news was, Jinkins weren't THAT scary: their tiny little knives could only really hurt someone if the fey were able to catch their prey off guard.  The bad news was...well, they just had caught the party off guard.

Morin quickly realized that keeping party morale up was priority number one, and frantically tried to think of something funny to say.

"Aw, come on gremlins, that's not very knife!  If you don't start treating us fairy, you might just run into an ironic end!"  He paused. "Ironic because we're gonna kill you with cold iron.  I'll admit that one didn't really work."

STANDARD: Use inspire courage.  Morin's terrible puns give everyone +1 attack and damage.
MOVE: Draw Lasso
This message was last edited by the player at 02:23, Wed 17 Nov 2021.

Zorden triggered his weapon at the gremlin as soon as the creature moved to strike at Kalasha.

He then moved to get it ready again.

[Private to GM: OOC: It didn't look like there was Line of Sight between Zorden and the Gremlin he spotted.  Which is why I readied an attack rather than just taking it, as I assumed the gremlin would have to step into view before attacking.]

OOC: Zorden rolled 20,2.  Attack, (Potential) Damage

The above roll doesn't include the penalty for ranged into melee, though I think it may be moot due to DR anyway.

Sesla fires her crossbow at the gremlin that had thrust out to attack Cain.

---

09:43, Today: Sesla Lento rolled 4 using 1d6+1 with rolls of 3.  Damage (Gremlin).
09:42, Today: Sesla Lento rolled 19 using 1d20+4 with rolls of 15.  Attack Gremlins.

As Morin start rattling off puns, Sesla and Zorden both fire off shots at the little bastards--the blast from Zorden's rifle sending out a flash of smoke and light and unleashing a painful, concussive noise that reverberates off the rock walls of the tight caves repeatedly. But as both measure their aim to not strike their allies, they fail to strike their foes. The tiny gremlins each attack again, the one at Cain's feet stabbing more accurately but being pushed aside by his invisible armor and the one beneath Kalasha managing to find a gap beneath the half-orc's armor--leaving her a nice gash behind the knee(-2 HP). Then, as quickly as the gremlins arrived, they turn tail and flee into the caves once again. Cain sees his attacker turn the corner to the north and Kalasha sees hers head north and then west around another corner ... and soon sees Cain's attacker moving in a similar direction but down a different tunnel.

Everyone may act now.
Group 0 Map Updated. The red arrows show the routes the gremlins took.
[Private to Cain: I deleted your last post because it wasn't your initiative yet and you wouldn't be able to take the same action on your turn.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:15, Fri 19 Nov 2021.

"Oh no!" Morin exclaimed as the gremlins sprinted away.  "We're completely taken in by their cunning trick!  Quick, everyone blindly rush after them!" 

As he japed, Morin examined Kalasha's slashed knee.  It looked painful, but the gremlin's tiny blade hadn't managed to hit any of her tendons or major blood vessels.  It probably wasn't worth spending a spell to heal her.

But aside from healing, what could Morin do here, aside from cracking jokes and hoping the bigguns with him were able to kill the little monsters?  He had plenty of magical tricks up his sleeve, but none of them seemed like they would be useful here.  He could try to trip the gremlins with a grease spell, maybe, but the nimble fairies would have a much easier time moving on greased floors than the lumbering half orc in front of him.  How could Morin be a hero if none of his spells could work?

Well, he knew ONE way he could be a hero.  Stepping past Kalasha, Morin took the lead and continued north.  If he took the next hit, maybe K would be quick enough to pull off a counterattack.  He silently directed the unseen servant to follow the fey along the other path and swing the torch around as it went.  The gremlins had walked right past the servant before, but maybe it could serve as a distraction if it acted more like an actual invisible person.

MOVE: Move 20' north.
MOVE: Direct unseen servant to follow the gremlin on the northwest path (it was already in that side corridor).  It is directed to wave the torch around wildly as if held by an invisible gnome, but still low enough to hit any tripwires.
FREE: Maintain Inspire courage (7/8 rounds remaining).
This message was last edited by the player at 04:29, Sun 21 Nov 2021.

Given that there was nothing to do but push forward, and be wary of more ambushes, Zorden finished reloading and then fell in line to do just that.

With Morin pushing ahead he readied to begin moving once Kalasha did.

With the fight over before he even had a chance to react, Cain can only throw curses at the retreating fey. "Bloody hell. Fast little buggers, aren't they?"

He sheaths his sword and draws a dagger he bought just for this occasion instead. He'll keep following the party in case the gremlins try this again.

[Private to GM: Sorry, I did not realize that.]

Grimacing in pain at the sudden attack, Kalasha was taken aback by the gnome’s bravery. She glanced back toward the others and gestured silently with her free arm toward the western path, while readying herself to proceed north with Morin. A pincer move seemed the best tactic to her mind.

Proceeding north, behind the unseen servant of possible, until line of sight is established, or a pathway opens up to the west.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:33, Sun 21 Nov 2021.

Mid-Action Update
As Kalasha moves quickly in pursuit of the fleeing gremlins, the cave opens up into a relatively large cavern to her east. Several different passageways converge on a narrow ledge overlooking a rubble-filled cavern. The far wall is made of a smooth, dark gray metal similar to what was seen in the Skulk dwellings. A single circular door, tightly closed, sits on the metal wall just above the upper level of the rubble. Only a single stride later the tunnel taken by the fleeing gremlin opens up and Kalasha spots it and its partner both pressed against the inside of the turn, attempting to stay hidden. Only a moment later, the torch wielded by Morin's unseen servant floats into the room, swinging about, and a twang can be heard as the tension of another tripwire is released and another scythe-like blade springs from the wall to violently--but harmlessly--strike the unseen mass.
100 XP each for overcoming another trap
Group 0 Map Updated
Since most of you couldn't predict your later actions at the start, feel free to finish off your move actions and take your remaining actions for this round.
Cain: Sheathed Sword, Drew Dagger
Kalasha: 15/20' of Move Action taken, Standard/Move Action remaining
Morin: Directed Servant, 15/20' of Move action taken
Selsa: Full Actions available
Zorden: 15/20' of Move Action taken, Standard/Move Action remaining

"Hi there!" Morin greeted the gremlins cheerfully in common.  "How about you two drop your weapons?  We'd rather do things the peaceful way."

As he spoke, Morin took a step to the side to move out of Zordens way.  Another shot from the tiefling's boomstick might provide a more convincing reason for the Jinkins to surrender.

Moving 5' to the east with the last of my movement.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:56, Tue 23 Nov 2021.

Zorden stepped forward into the space Morin had vacated.  He could see a sliver of a silhouette of one of the gremlins, so he trained his weapon's sights on that.

However he did not fire.  Instead he waited at the ready in case one of the creatures attempted to close in on them again, or made a run for it, and gave him a better shot.

OOC: Using 5' of remaining movement to advance north.

Readying an attack action to use if either of the gremlins move from cover, or otherwise become easier to shoot.

Sesla reloads her crossbow and readies herself for the sudden appearance of another one of the mischievous creatures.

While the rest of the party positions themselves and prepares to strike should the gremlins reappear, the Kalasha continues headlong into their tunnel in an attempt to corner them. With the half-orc Paladin bearing down on them, the two gremlins split up and continue to flee--but not before Kalasha lashes out at their backs(Choose one and take an AoO.) One flees southward and turns the corner to the west while the other heads eastward and turns the corner north, passing by Zorden who has prepared to fire(Take readied Attack.) But in the commotion another gremlin appears from the tunnel to Morin's east--this one bigger, fatter, and meaner-looking than the others and with an appropriate mohawk fashioned out of a gray, metal gear salvaged from the rubble--and strikes out at the gnome, sinking his rusty blade deep into the bard's kidney(-7 HP).
Group 0 Map Updated.

Zorden adjusted his aim, and fired, as the gremlin broke north for the tunnel in that direction.

He then began to reload.


Zorden rolled 16,7.  Attack, (Potential) Damage

Edit: forgot Mordin had Inspire Courage still going.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:56, Thu 25 Nov 2021.

"Another one?!"  Morin yelped as the bigger gremlin burst out of hiding and stabbed him in the flank. "You gotta be kiddin'ney! Agh.  Shit."

The little bard stumbled back, chanting a quick spell to heal his wound, but only managing to patch himself up a little. "Hey, big'uns!" He called out to his scattered party, his impenetrable cheer seeming to falter slightly.  "Get over here and splat this fat brat!"

FREE: 5'step to North. Maintain inspire courage (+1 attack and damage to party)
STANDARD: cast cure light wounds on self, healing 2 HP.

This message was last edited by the player at 02:12, Sat 27 Nov 2021.

Zorden took a step back, but kept an eye on the styled gremlin as he reloaded.

Misc: Take 5ft step West.
Full Round Action: Reload

On hearing the commotion up front, Cain rushes forward, hoping to catch their attackers before they can slip away again. He slashes at the gremlin menacing Morin, but with the gnome in the way his dagger strikes only air. "Get the hell off him!"

Move in range, swing and a miss. Dice roller seems to hate us again.
13:53, Today: Cain rolled 10,3 using 1d20+5,1d4+1 with rolls of 5,2.  CI dagger (attack, damage).

Kalasha lashes out at the fleeing gremlin, barely managing to nick the monster with the tip of her blade, but the sheer force behind swing knocks it into the air to smash against the nearby cave wall and fall limp to the ground(100 XP Each!) At the sounds of Morin in distress, both Kalasha and Cain rush in to lend their aid but are both easily evaded before the mohawked gremlin turns and rushes back into the narrow tunnel he sprang from. (AoO provoked from both Cain and Kalasha.) Meanwhile Zorden works to reload his noisemaker and Sesla begins to move carefully to the west and protect the party from further flanking. As she rounds the bend she spots the second gremlin taking cover in a small cavern and looses her bolt at it, but only manages to spook it into fleeing between her legs and back towards the east.
Group 0 Map Updated.
New Round, Everyone Up
Following the gremlin through the narrow tunnel will require squeezing.
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamem...ng/combat/#Squeezing

Cain slashes at the retreating gremlin, but then hesitates when their attacker flees down a tight corridor. Too damn tight for his taste. "No, that's just what these little bastards want, for us to run blindly after them through this maze."

14:46, Today: Cain rolled 19,2 using 1d20+5,1d4+1 with rolls of 14,1.  AoO.

Squeezing is really, really bad news for 1st level characters. Let's not go down that tunnel, at least until we run out of other options.

"Agreed."  Zorden stated in response to Cain's speculation as to the intention of the gremlins.

"I think they're going to continue running in and running out.  Trying to chase them will just let them get us where that want us."

"Yeah," Morin agreed. "I say we get some distance from this little hidey-hole, and try to corner his little buddy." 

But the little man's actions didn't match his words.  Instead, he quietly stepped to the side of the door and ducked down amongst the rubble.  He readied the lasso in his hand:  Morin hadn't even bothered trying to rope one of the little monsters with it before, but he might have a chance if he could catch the fat one flat-footed.  Morin's unseen servant moved around the corner and headed south, tapping it's torch against the ground.

With a cheeky smile, he gestured to the other side of the narrow tunnel, encouraging Cain to set up a similar ambush.

FREE: 5' step to the east.  Hide using the corner and rubble with a 17 on stealth.
STANDARD: Ready Lasso attack when he gets a clear shot.
MOVE:  Direct Unseen servant.  It moves 10' east then 10' south, making noise as it goes.

OOC:  I'm not 100% sure how an ambush would work when both sides are doing stealth.  But it seems better than just sitting around waiting to get sneak attacked again.  Unfortunately, this means I have to pause inspire courage, since I can't crack jokes and hide at the same time.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:59, Wed 01 Dec 2021.

With others watching the tunnel, Zorden brought his weapon up and kept his eyes on the other routes into the large room.  He waited in case a target presented itself.

Readying an attack action.

Sesla prepares herself for the emergence of another gremlin her crossbow raised and ready.


I agree, circle the wagons herd strategy it is.
Ready action to shoot the next enemy that appears.

Cain tries to follow Morin's example, but as he is getting in position on the other side of the tunnel entrance, his foot slips on a rock with a muffled curse.

5' step NE, ready action to attack the first gremlin to take the bait. Attempting (and failing) stealth:
07:16, Today: Cain rolled 9 using 1d20+8 with rolls of 1.  Stealth.

Most of the party sets up for counter-ambushes against the gremlins while Kalasha stomps away in her heavy armor--both trying to mislead the enemy and clear and cover at least one of the unknown nooks in this cave system. Before long, the mohawked gremlin springs out from its tunnel and stabs at the clumsily hidden Cain, opening a large gash just under the half-elf's kneecap(-3 HP). (Cain, Morin, and Zorden all get their readied actions after the gremlin leader's attack. It is unaware of and flat-footed to Morin.) Meanwhile, separated from the party, Sesla holds her position and trains her crossbow at the shadows. The moment the sounds of Cain's pain carry through the tunnels and distracts the oracle, the gremlin she had been hunting springs from around the corner to her south and lunges at her--high enough to sink its blade deep into her abdomen(-7 HP). (Sesla may take her readied action to attack, but it will be firing in melee--which provokes an Attack of Opportunity.)
Group 0 Map Updated.
New Round, Everyone Up

"Son of a..." Cain curses as the gremlin stabs at his legs. He tries to fend off the little nuisance with his dagger before stepping back and directing a burst of light at it.

Probably missed the attack. Again.
10:36, Today: Cain rolled 15,4 using 1d20+5,1d4+1 with rolls of 10,3.  Readied attack (attack, damage).

5' step NW, Color Spray directed to SE. Maybe he will roll badly as well.

Zorden had hoped to catch any gremlins before they could get within stabbing range.

Trying to shoot around the others at such a small target hadn't been very successful so far.

So he left the mohawk alone for a moment and waited for either one of the others to come running in or for some distance to open up between it and the others.

Keeping an attack action at the ready

Cain's spell sends waves of color spraying over the little beast, forcing it to take a moment's pause and shake the colors from its eyes, but otherwise leaving it unaffected.

[Private to Cain: 10:13, Today: Dungeon Master, on behalf of Cain, rolled 20 using 1d20+1 with rolls of 19.  Caster Level v Spell Resistance.
10:15, Today: Dungeon Master, on behalf of Cain, rolled 18 using 1d20+6 with rolls of 12.  Jazvit Will Save.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:20, Fri 03 Dec 2021.

Sesla takes are readied action and shoot her crossbow at the gremlin more from shock than due to any type of technical advantage.

After the blade sinks into her abdomen, the woman takes a knee. "...uuughn..."

---

OOC:
Sesla Lento rolled 19 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 16.  Readied Attack on Gremlin.
Sesla Lento rolled 7 using 1d8 with rolls of 7.  Crossbow damage (on Gremlin).

As the gremlin flies through the air Sesla manages to reflexively pull the trigger of her crossbow and strike the little bastard in the chest, but as the gremlin comes to land beneath the oracle's feet the bolt seems to be pushed from its chest by its supernatural resistance to the material and fall to the ground only leaving a minor wound. Sesla still has full actions for this round.

Morin threw his lasso with surprising accuracy, but his target was so fast that it had already dashed between Cain's legs by the time the rope flew.

Dropping the rope, Morin picked up a particularly sharp rock to menace the fat gremlin with.  Any attack he made would be completely ineffectual, but even if Mohawk realized that, it was hard to ignore someone waving a sharp object in your face.

"Y'know,"  Morin mused, his voice relaxed and casual despite the increasingly dire situation, "Maybe we've been going about this the wrong way.  I mean, you're bigguns and they're little'uns.  Instead of dancing around and swinging swords, what if you just...I dunno, sat on them?"

He waved to the huge orc paladin, who was inexplicably wandering about in a gremlin-free area of the cave.  "Hey, Kay!  C'mere and sit on this guy!  Sesla, wherever you are...just like, sit on them!"

---

REACTION: Throw lasso, 14 against flat-footed touch AC, probably fails due to throwing into melee.
MOVE: Pick up improvised weapon from rubble, so I can actually help flank.
STANDARD:  Inspire courage, +1 to attack and damage for all allies within 30' who can hear Morin.  Also applies to combat maneuvers.
FREE: 5' step to the south.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:40, Sat 04 Dec 2021.

Sesla casts the Command spell and commands the gremlin to Halt.


Cast spell Command DC: 15


This message was last edited by the player at 00:20, Mon 06 Dec 2021.

Kalasha looks back and forth between the jester gnome and her great blade for a moment before shaking her head in a singular gesture of both dismissal and fury as she lets out a roar and leaps clear across the cavern from her raised ledge, bringing the blade down hard on the shoulder of the tiny but fierce gremlin. Even over the ferocity of the Paladin's roar the bones of the gremlin can be heard snapping like a bundle of twigs. Soon, as the little beast drifts out of consciousness, it pitifully raises a hand with a pointed finger and speaks its first words to the adventurers, "Ok ... Jazvit gives up..." and in another moment its eyes lose focus and its tongue falls from his open mouth. Meanwhile, the badly wounded Sesla stumbles back from her assailant[Private to Sesla Lento: Took the liberty of adding a 5' step for you so you wouldn't profoke an AoO.] and with a single, authoritative word stops the gremlin in its tracks. It looks about, confused and unable to act.
Jazvit Defeated! 150 XP each.
Group 0 Map Updated
New Round, Everyone Up

Cain wipes the sweat of his forehead, then looks around the party. "Hang on, where the hell is Sesla?" He runs back to the tunnel they came from to find Sesla locked in combat with another gremlin.

I think I have just enough movement to get to the square right of Sesla. If I can attack the gremlin from there, I'd like to try to trip it.
21:18, Today: Cain rolled 16 using 1d20 with rolls of 16.  Trip.

Morin let out a quick yelp of shock as Kalasha clobbered the fat gremlin just in front of him, quickly turning it into a cheer.  "Nice hit!" He exclaimed.  "What was I thinking, with that 'sit one them' nonsense?  I guess that's why you're the one with the sword!" 

Picking up his lasso from the ground, he looped the rope over the unconscious monster's body.  He had heard about the frog-thing slinking away after the fight, and didn't want this particular little terror sneaking off, and coming back to haunt them later.

"I was starting to think they didn't speak common.  Do we wanna talk to little monster, or just squash it?  I don't really want to hand it over to the skulks while it's still alive."

FULL: Tie up gremlin
FREE: 5'step west, maintain inspire courage (30' radius, dependent on sound, not sight.  should reach Sesla and Cain.)

With the mohawk down, and Cain assisting Sesla, Zorden stepped back into the big cavern but otherwise stood with his weapon at the ready as he swept his eyes between the various tunnels in case another should appear.

5ft step east
Keeping a readied attack action

With the gremlin briefly held in place Sesla backs up again to reload her crossbow and quickly fire another shot at it, but the beastie still manages to move just enough to avoid the streaking bolt. It can't, however, avoid Cain's foot as the half-elf rushes in and knocks the tiny fey over. Kalasha rushes down another path to surround the last gremlin, but her heavy armor slows her too much to do anything more than stand there looking menacing with gremlin blood dripping off her blade. Now surrounded and alone the little gremlin seems to give up the fight, closing its eyes for a moment to concentrate and seemingly giving Cain and Kalasha a brief opening. The two each take the advantage, swinging and stabbing at the prone jinkin, but only manage to strike stone as it quickly vanishes into thin air--a magical effect Cain immediately recognizes as a form of Dimension Door.
Last jinkin has fled, 100 XP each!
Combat Over
Group 0 Map Updated

Zorden kept his weapon loaded and in his hands as everybody gathered back together.

"Well, that's two down and one gone off somewhere."  He tallied.  "Did we get a count of how many the skulks needed to consider the job done?"  He didn't remember such a figure being given, but perhaps it had been mentioned during the initial conversation, though 3 seemed too few, unless their numbers had been thinned by the various others who'd been through recently.

Morin moved to regroup with the others, his gremlin prisoner in hand.  "Eh," He responded with a careless shrug. "It ain't really about the deal with that type of person.  It's more about whether or not they think they can take us in a fight.  And given how spooked they were of these little guys, I'm betting they'll be just as spooked by us if we walk back into their cave and chuck a few bodies their way."

He paused, thoughtfully.  "Unless they were never afraid of the gremlins, and this whole thing was just a trick to soften us up so they could kill us after.  In which case, uhh..." He looked around at the party, every one of which was bleeding out of a tiny stab wound.  "In which case, it absolutely worked."

The injuries on Cain and Kalasha weren't that bad, really.  But Sesla and him had been gotten good.  Morin burned another spell slot, and went through one of his stockpiled scrolls to get the two of them closer to fighting fit, then looked around the cramped gremlin cave.

"But first things first:  We're done shooting, lets get looting!"

OOC:If we're out of combat rounds, Morin casts CLW on himself, healing to full, then uses one of his scrolls on Sesla, healing 3 hp.

Morin passes the captured gremlin to Cain or Kalasha, since they're the only ones who can actually kill it if it wakes up and tries to escape.  Then he searches the rubble and the bodies, and takes a look at that big door.  Anywhere that we haven't gone through yet gets cleared by the unseen servant first.

"Not that I remember." Cain answers Zorden's question. "If there were more of them, maybe they fled as well. We should be careful when looking around all the same, there could be more traps even if the gremlins are gone."

Yeah, let's look around and loot anything not nailed down.

The party spreads out to search through the gremlin caves for anything of value, but are disappointed to find that the fey's idea of value must have been quite different from their own and only find various piles of colorful junk. Morin is still cautious and sends the unseen servant first into any new areas--and his caution is proven apt when the servant springs another concealed scythe-like blade in the small offshoot the gremlin leader had tried to lead them to. The door in the largest cavern, along with bits of wall surrounding it before being covered by the brown stone of the rest of the caverns, is strangely made of a strong, grey metal which most recognize as Numerian Steel--an alloy of adamantine and iron which seems to only be found in Numeria. The door and its frame is heavily pock-marked and judging by the angle of the tight gaps between the door and its frame it would slide upward if you could even get it to budge.
Another Trap avoided - 100 XP each!
Group 0 Map Updated
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:08, Sun 12 Dec 2021.

"So much for wealth and riches to be found. And we are not getting through this any time soon either." Cain lightly kicks at the metal doors. "Guess the only thing left to do is go back and see if the skulks are actually going to honor their word, or try to kills us like everything else in these caves."

He takes a potion from his pocket and drinks it down.

Potion of CLW. Bit of a waste, but eh.
17:30, Today: Cain rolled 8 using 1d8+1 with rolls of 7.  Potion of CLW.

We are bringing the gremlin with us, I suppose?

"Perhaps we'll have some small luck."  Zorden suggested wryly in regards to the bargain with the skulks.

He paused to visually examine the big cavern, ledges, strewn rubble, and the metal door for anything of interest, but was otherwise ready to head back.

ooc: probably easiest to take them, though Zorden isn't about to volunteer despite how comical such an endeavour would be.

Morin looks over the door, appraisingly.  "Y'know, I heard a story like this once: A band of fresh faced adventurers on their first quest finds their way blocked by a big adamantium door.  At first, their big concern is getting past it to the treasure's behind it, until one of the realizes what they're looking at: adamantium!  A huge, 500lb door made up of a metal six times more valuable than gold!  So naturally, they forgot all about the goblins or whatever they were chasing, and spent the rest of the week prying that massive door loose."

He rapped the door with his knuckles.  "I wonder how much this door is worth?  I mean sure, it's not pure adamantium.  And yeah, first thing first is saving the town, getting past the skulks without getting our throats cut, that sort of stuff.  But afterwords...Well, I wouldn't mind becoming fabulously wealthy in the near future."

The little bard gave the enormous door a second look, trying to picture just how a party might get a huge door like that out of it's frame.  "...Or maybe not.  Seems like a lot of work."

Mulling it over, Morin turned to follow the others back to deal with the skulks.

The group gathers together and returns to Sef's lair, dragging the bound gremlin leader by Morin's lasso. As they arrive the slender skulk looks them over, a grin breaking across her face at the sight of the disheveled and bloodied state of the party, and can't help but remark, directed at the gnome, "Not so easy to handle, eh? Did you get them all?" Then, once the party presents the captive gremlin leader, she turns to nod at one of the male skulks keeping guard in her chamber. The skulk quickly draws his blade ... and heads out into the gremlin tunnels to confirm their defeat. She grins wickedly at the unconscious gremlin but soon tilts her head in confusion and asks, "Why didn't you finish it?" Without waiting for an answer she quickly draws one of her many blades and begins sawing into the tiny fey's neck.

As Sef went to cut the gremlin's throat, Morin tugged the little creature out of harm's way.  "Ma'am, I don't know how you do things down here, but up on the surface we live in a nation of laws.  This gremlin is a sentient creature.  It's entitled to a fair trail, in order to determine if it really deserves death for it's crimes.  You are, of course, free to testify about...Ha! I'm just fucking with you.  Go ahead and kill it."  He cheerfully handed the little monster back for execution.

"Anyways, we can assure you we didn't leave any gremlins alive in those tunnels."  This wasn't a lie, strictly speaking.  When they left, there hadn't been a single living gremlin in the tunnels.  Unless the others were just hiding, which was completely possible now that he thought about it.

The little gnome continued, flashing his most winning smile.  "I'll admit, we took a few more wounds doing it than I thought we would.  We had to make sure we held some of our spells back, you see.  Just on the off chance that we might have to run off a second band of backstabbing scoundrels.  But fortunately there's no backstabbing scoundrels here!  Just my good friend Sef, waiting here to hand over the money she owes us!  Right?"

Zorden stood silently by as the gremlin was handed over.

Morin had already requested payment, so now it was just a matter of whether the skulks would hold up their end of the bargain.

Sef grunts in amusement at the gnome's antics, but once she gets her hands back on the unconscious gremlin she proceeds to methodically, and almost gleefully, remove the head. After standing back up with the severed head in hand, she looks around her lair for a moment before finding a nice, prominent place to mount the gruesome trophy. Soon enough, the male skulk returns and tosses the head of the other incapacitated gremlin to his leader's feet and reports, "Only one body, but the tunnels are clear." Sef nods to him and purses her lips in a mixed look of disappointment and thought. After a few moments of this, she shrugs and explains, "I guess most of them were away. You got lucky. But with their leader dead maybe they'll stay away." She bends over to reach into her hut and pulls out the hefty sack she had shown the party before and hands it off to whoever is willing to accept it. She also pulls a handful of what look like stark white playing cards made of flexible, smooth material with strange symbols, pictures of humans, and a single brown strip along their side from beneath a leather sheath strap on her hip and holds them out to the party with the explanation, "The purple-haired woman was also looking for these. Don't know what they are, but maybe they're worth something to you?"
[Private to Morin Matzylford: You recognize the symbols on the cards as Androffan. They appear to give the name of the pictured human, their department(Hydroponics, two Janitorial, and two Anthropology) and all prominently display "Habitat K-4 Access Level 1."]
200 XP Each for clearing gremlins for Sef.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:56, Sat 18 Dec 2021.

Zorden stepped forward and retrieved the bag.  He'd managed to come away from the fight with the gremlins unscathed.  He reasoned if the skulks were going to double cross them, now would be a good time.  Perhaps it was better he have to deal with Sif's blades than someone still recovering from those of the gremlin's.

The fact she didn't seem to be interested in betraying them, but more commerce was a positive in his mind.

He took a good long look at the cards as she held them out.  "Hard to say without knowing what they are."  He replied.  "Where'd you come across them?"

Cain relaxes a bit now that it seems the skulks are holding up their end of the deal, for now at least. But just a bit, he is still careful not to turn his back on any of the skulks.

"And exactly what would you want for those... whatever they are?" He asks the skulk leader when she shows them the strange cards. He has no idea what they are or what their value is, but if this mysterious woman was looking for them then they must be worth something.

"No, you take these too. No use to us, but maybe to you." Sef insists, waving the cards slightly in a gesture that she is giving them freely. "We found them in the metal rooms past the door." She nods in the direction of the open doorway and metal wall the party has seen in the greater cavern to the south before adding, "These and the sleeping metal drider, the moving coral, and the four-armed skeletons." Either the joy of the new trophy has made her talkative or she is just beginning to trust the party, but the skulk leader now seems more than willing to share what she knows and help out--to an extent.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:35, Sun 19 Dec 2021.

With the terms of the transaction clarified, Zorden accepted the cards as well with a small bow of thanks to the skulk leader.

"So you opened the door?  We didn't investigate it much, but we assumed there must be a trick to it?  One you were evidently clever enough to figure out."  Zorden commented, doing his best to convey an impression of being impressed with the achievement.  Which isn't to say he wasn't, more that he figured actively trying to make that clear might work in their favor.

Sef shakes her head in response, "No, the big men with your wizard friend got it open. The orcs with the purple-haired lady got the gremlin door open, but they did something to it--we can't even get it to budge now."
Group 0 Map Updated
Updated the map, removing the fog of war, to get you the full picture. There are two large, circular doors, identical to each other, in a metal wall which seems to pass through the cave walls themselves. The southern door is open and about 5 feet above the cave floor.

Cain mulls over the information the suddenly talkative skulk leader is giving them. "No choice but to follow them through the open doors then. What about the rest of these caves, anything we should be wary off?"

There's still the SW corner of the map unexplored. Not sure if going there is a good idea or not though, it probably has something that would try to make a meal of us. BTW, how close are we to leveling up?
This message was last edited by the player at 13:12, Sun 19 Dec 2021.

Sef shrugs, almost dismissive of the threats in the caves beyond the gremlins, before noting, "We blocked an entrance with brown mold, but you'd be stupid to wander into that. Your wizard killed Xesi and her pet blindheim ran loose. And if you look carefully in the dark you can find glowing beetles sheltering in tight spaces ... they're good eating. Nothing really dangerous."

Zorden nodded.  "Thanks for the heads up."

He pulled out the cards once again and took a longer look at them to see if they looked different from each other.

Morin peeked under Zorden's arms at the cards.  "Two cleaners, two anthropologists, and one...water farmer?  Huh.  All access level 1, which is either the highest level or the lowest."  Morin pondered for a second.  "Would a janitor be high access or low access?  I mean, if they're gonna clean EVERY room, they'd have to have high access, right?" Morin picked whichever badge had a picture that looked the most like himself and pinned it to his lapel.

"I think it's an ID card.  If we each wear one, maybe those metal men will think we're their masters.  But maybe we should leave the doors until tomorrow.  Whaddya say we squash some slimes, maybe poke around the brown mold, then see if we want to call it a day?"

He shined a bright smile at Sef, seeming to forget about their earlier enmity.  "Thanks for the cards, AND for not trying to murder us the moment we got back.  I take back some of the mean things I said about you: you murdering cave-freaks are all right with me!"

Cain is a bit skeptical of Morin's theory about the cards. "You think that's what those do? Well, it's worth a shot." He takes one of the cards for himself as well.

"As to what we do next, I'd prefer we continue onward. Who knows how much time Khonnir has, assuming he is not dead already."

I understand the reasons for clearing up the rest of this place first (loot and xp to maybe level up before continuing), and those are good reasons, but for the sake of roleplay Cain would prefer not to mess with slimes or mold, but to carry on with our mission.

Not sure how much time Cain has left on his Mage Armor either.

Zorden shrugged at Morin's suggestion regarding the cards but couldn't figure out any reason not to go along with it, so he picked his own card and followed suit.

In regards to moving on he looked to Sesla, who he assumed had a finite amount of resources in regards to her magic.  "Feeling up to pushing forward, or would it be better to make sure we've got our pathways here figured out and call it a day?"  He asked.

"Khonnir may be short of time, but the contingencies in place should allow us the luxury of making sure we also don't die trying to get to him."  Zorden pointed out.

Kalasha hangs back as the others speak with the skulk, ever-ready to loose her blade from her back holster to smite these evil grey-skins and fully aware that she wouldn't be able to keep her distaste for them and their actions from coloring her dealings with them should she speak up. More than a few times she flinches as the gnome speaks, wishing he would show the same restraint as her, but as everything turns out amicably in the end she quietly offers her thanks to Abadar and preaches for anyone who might listen, "As Abadar teaches and so it is, honored trade can bring enemies together for the good of each and even turn wicked hearts to good ends." With their dealings done and talk now turning to how to proceed, the Paladin dutifully insists, "We weren't hired to clear out slimes and molds, and unlike saving these people from gremlins it wouldn't do any good--especially not for Baine."

"Wait, we're assuming Khonnir isn't dead already?"  Morin asked, surprised and a little amused at Cain's reasoning.  "I thought you guys were just lying to the kid when you said that!  I mean...I know he's your friend, Cain, and I don't mean to be rude.  But the guy's deader than Aroden.  We're on a mission to rescue his chewed up bones."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:20, Thu 23 Dec 2021.

"Sure, there's a good chance he is dead already. But it's also possible he is just injured or stuck in here somewhere until he bleeds out or runs out of supplies. We don't really know, but the mission is to search for him and not exterminate every random pest we come across in these caves." Cain responds to Morin.

"Oh, and one more thing, if an extra incentive is needed for us to try our best to find Khonnir still alive. Our ever so wise elders have already prepared an actual scroll of resurrection for him. But, should we recover him alive, they have promised to add said scroll to our reward. A scroll that is, I dare say, considerably more valuable than the actual promised reward in gold. Just something to consider."

Going with this for roleplaying reasons, but I'm fine with whatever the rest of the party decides on.

The discussion on whether or not to press on seems pretty split until a silent glance from Sesla makes it clear that the party will make their way deeper into the caves. The party heads south into the skulk's makeshift home and east towards the smooth wall of dark gray metal which bisects the cavern, its expanse pitted and scorched but quite solid looking. The strange circular opening pierces the wall five feet off the ground, allowing access to some sort of hallway on the other side. Kalasha, taking point, hops up and grabs the edge of the opening to, with some effort, haul herself and her heavy armor into the hall. She starts suddenly and grabs for her greatsword at the sight of something beyond, but after some pause turns back to offer her hand to help the others climb up.

The walls, floor and ceiling of this slightly curved hallway are made of smooth, dark gray metal. Panels of lighter material run along the ceiling eight feet above. To the north and south the tunnel is blocked by walls of metal junk and rubble, while an open doorway yawns to the east and reveals what caused Kalasha to jump--a metal man nearly identical to the one which trashed Baine's home except that this one has a full compliment of four legs, appears to be in much better repair with no exposed innards, and stands on its own to the side in the hallway. And also unlike the first metal man, this one seems benign for the moment--its single eye glows with blue light but it does not react to your presence. Beyond the metal man and the hallway those with better-than-human vision can make out three more of these large, circular doors passing through two metal rooms and ending at a rock wall with a tunnel that turns north and out of sight.
Group 0 Map Updated
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:33, Sat 25 Dec 2021.

After Zorden was pulled up through the doorway, with his own attempts to aid his ascent being laughingly ineffective, he cautiously pulled out his weapon.

He eyed the metal humanoid warily as he softly said, "Well, time to see if Morin was right."

Given that the group had no way to go but forward they would have to pass by the machine no matter what.

Morin looked around the metal ruins excitedly.  He still didn't really see the hurry; it's not like Khonnir Baine was going to become MORE dead.  But the amateur archaeologist in him was thrilled at the chance to investigate ancient Androffan ruins firsthand.

At Zorden's statement, Morin nodded eagerly and stepped up to the machine man.  Time to see if his theory was correct.  The bard made sure his ID card was in plain sight, and threw his arms out wide.  "METAL MAN!"  He called out, before realizing his mistake and switching to somewhat broken Androffan.  "[Metal Man!  I am your masters!  Identify yourself, you!]"

OOC: 09:20, Today: Morin Matzylford rolled 19 using 1d20+2 with rolls of 17.  knowledge eng to identify Robot.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:21, Sat 25 Dec 2021.

The metal man ... or drider? ... pays no heed to Morin's command and continues to stare at the wall.
[Private to Morin Matzylford: Morin recognizes this as one of the not-exactly-magical golem-like beings known to guard many ruins in Numeria called 'robots' in Androffan. Judging by its design it seems to be built primarily to repair other devices but would still be a dangerous foe to combat. At the moment, judging by subtly blinking lights along the frame, it seems to be in a state of slowly recharging.]

Morin looked over the centaur machine for a moment, before nodding to himself.  "It's a robot.  They're like...a sort of nonmagical golem?  This one is made to fix devices.  Judging by those blinking lights on it's body, I think it's...charging itself up for something?"

Morin took the ID card off of his lapel and reached up, waving the card in front of the robot's face.  "[Obey me!  Follow me!  Habitat K-4 Access Level 1!  State...designation?  Emergency activation?  Oh my god, look over there!]"  He took out one of the silverdisks Sef had given the party.  ["Repair this."]

Assuming none of his commands had any more effect than his previous attempt, Morin turned to look at Sesla.  "Hey Ses, I hear you were able to do some mind-magic on the other one of these you ran into.  Got any tricks that would be useful here?  A repair bot would be real useful around in a place like this, but if we can't get it to do what we want...well, there's already a few too many dangerous things waiting along our way out, if you know what I mean."
This message was last edited by the player at 22:44, Sat 25 Dec 2021.

While Morin pestered the metal machine, Zorden decided to ignore it for now.  Instead he chose to walk forward into the next room to see if they could safely pass by it which was more important in his mind, then trying to communicate with them.

"Well, at least it's not trying to murder us. Yet. So your theory about these cards may be true. Either that or this one is not attacking anyone anyway. I'd prefer we leave it alone, unless it decides to "repair" us." Cain comments on Morin's efforts and follows after Zorden, keeping the metal construct in sight at all times.

[Language unknown: "Te chad ndeforortint oueen foricadinareica."] The shrill but monotone voice of the metal golem suddenly emits seemingly from its chest as it turns its head to look directly at the gnome. Then, after a moment of silence, the head pivots again to return to staring straight ahead.

Zorden and Cain pass the arguing robot and gnome and into the next room. The northern wall of this otherwise empty metal room is a tangle of what look to have once been strange cages of some sort. Tangled amid the metal ribs of these cages are ribs of a more organic nature—the ancient bones of some sort of alien creature. Smaller mounds of rubble lie against the opposite wall. Along the southern wall is a closed doorway, smaller than the others and rectangular with rounded corners. Besides this doorway, and all the others doorways for that matter, is a light grey panel only slightly protruding from the Numerian steel wall. The panels are a lighter grey than the walls and smoother and more reflective, of a material more similar to the strips on the ceilings or even the cards given by Sef.

Wanting to stay near the front but still cautious of the mostly silent guardian, Kalasha passes by it but stays close by.
Group 0 Map Updated

Morin immediately broke into a shit-eating grin.  It talked to him!  Sure, the robot was basically telling him to fuck off, but hey, it was a start!  Morin got told to fuck off all the time, and it had never stopped him before.

He nodded enthusiastically at the metal man, while doing his best to be charming in a dead language he barely knew.  It was possible the machine was too stupid to be reasoned with, but it was a good sign that the thing could talk. [Language unknown: "Res.  Wi wh iveshe'bleain loom ardorendeenclin.  Ntlin llshe tacein-ecwh?  Il nce ev, i nd prvor res o romarehisenc unca.  Mathi losaul mi ol on?

K...An oneconlat a eaubleand ie areandtha'atiich!  Ha a ulchad?  Ersshence er ithconare ss trilut.  Ev erastahou."]

The fact the bot spoke was a surprise.

The fact that Morin seemed capable of annoying both real and artificial people with his nattering was less so.

Zorden kept an ear open, listening for sounds of the machine deciding to quiet the gnome in a more forceful manner.  At the same time he approached the door along the south wall and investigated the small door and strange panel.

Reaching out he attempted to see if he could reason how to open the door, perhaps by manipulating the panel, perhaps by using the strange cards they'd been given.

While Zorden examines the door to the south and Morin annoys the machine, Cain quietly approaches the open door to the east to take a peek in the corridor beyond. He figures it's more likely the missing party went that way.

Moving 10' to the east to see what's in the next room.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:50, Mon 27 Dec 2021.

The robot continues to stare forward, ignoring the talkative gnome, thought the blue light of its singular eye seems to dim slightly as if it were slowly loosing its will to live...

Zorden examines the doorway and the nearby panel, but no amount of fiddling with them gets the door to open. He does, however, get the door itself to budge slightly upward before shifting back down and feels someone much stronger than himself might be able to force it open. (DC 25)

Cain moves up against the eastern wall and peeks around the corner. The light from Morin's Servant's torch is dim at this distance and doesn't reach around the corners very well, but with his elven eyes Cain can see two strange machines sit to the north and south against the walls of this small room. Their faces appear similar to coils of metal tubes with several nozzle-like protrusions pointing into the room itself. Inside the room, on the walls near these machines, are additional light-grey panels similar to the ones adjacent to each doorway but of a slightly different shape.

Zorden stood back and evaluated the door for a moment.  He then turned to Kalasha.  "I don't know if this is worth opening, but I think it's possible if you were to give it a good upward pull.  I'm certainly never going to manage it."  He told her, leaving the choice of giving it a try, or prioritizing potentially moving onward up to her.

Being of no help with opening a stuck door, Cain focuses instead on the room to the east. Distrustful of those nozzles, he looks around for what may be trigger for a trap.

DM can roll perception if needed. I'm thinking this is either a trap or a decontamination room. Or just a shower, I guess.

Cain continues to look over the next room, but can't find and tripwires, pressure plates, or other mechanisms that might activate a trap.

Kalasha backs away from the silent guardian cautiously to investigate the door for Zorden. She pushes upward on the door for a minute before pulling a crowbar from her backpack and wedging it under the door. With the bit of leverage and a great deal of effort the heavy numerian steel door begins to lift into the frame with a loud creak.

Alerted, the until now passive robot flares to life, the subtle blue light if its central eye shifting quickly to a fiery red, and stomps through the hallway and right up to Kalasha with a shrill, alien shout, [Language unknown: "Plun-aifi roroting! Osartr!"]

Combat Begins. Everyone except Kalasha has won initiative and may act.
Group 0 Map Updated.

14:27, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 16,28,13,18,12,13 using d20+6,d20+9,d20+3,d20+7,d20+1,d20+2 with rolls of 10,19,10,11,11,11.  Initiative Cain, Morin, Sesla, Zorden, Kalasha, Bot.

"Lookout!" Cain gives a warning as he draws his sword and closes in on the construct. He vividly remembers the fight back in town, and that was against a damaged robot.

Draw weapon, move one square up-left, then one square down-left to hopefully provide Kalasha with flanking without eating an AoO in the process.

Zorden raised his weapon and fired on the machine.  Even with having to take care to avoid accidentally hitting Kalasha, the metal man was a much larger target than the gremlins had been.  Which Zorden assumed would make such a task easier.


Zorden rolled 7,5 using 1d20+2,1d12 with rolls of 5,5.  Attack, (Potential) Damage

Included is the -4 penalty to avoid Kalasha

Morin leapt back in surprise as the robot reared to life, then sighed.  [Private to group Androffan: "Alright, have it your way,"] he grumbled, as he pulled out his lasso.  "Looks like opening that door really pushed it's buttons.  Since it couldn't just recharge quietly in a corner, it looks like we'll have to supply it with some battery."

"Oh, uh, a battery is a thing that recharges tech."  He explained, realizing that one wouldn't really work for most people without his education.  "It's also a synonym for assault!"

STANDARD: Inspire Courage (3 rounds remaining)
MOVE: Draw Lasso

The blast of Zorden's musket reverberates painfully between the numerian steel walls of these strange rooms, but that is all the damage it does as Zorden's caution to not hit his allies sends the bullet slamming into a nearby wall--interestingly with no ricochet or visible damage to the wall. Once everyone has regained their senses after the blast Cain repositions, Morin begins awkward jokes, and Sesla marches forward to shout at the metal man, "Fall!" The seemingly enraged construct pauses suddenly in its advance on Kalasha and turns and tilts its head to look at the woman, as if confused, but in an instant its four legs give out--splaying out in opposite directions and dropping the robot's hunched torso to the floor. The predicament doesn't stop the robot from trying to carry out its duties, but it does make it quite difficult--the robot swings futiley at Kalasha, its arms not long enough to reach her from the ground. Kalasha, conversely and despite being caught off-guard by robot's attack, is quick to retrieve her great blade and bring it down hard on the foe's shoulder--sending sparks and bits of metal scattering about the area(19 Damage!).
New Round, Everyone Up
Group 0 Map Updated

00:05, Today: Dungeon Master, on behalf of Kalasha Roadsworn, rolled 14,18 using d20+6,2d6+6 with rolls of 8,6,6.
00:01, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 4,8 using d20+2,1d4+6 with rolls of 2,2.  Bot Attack/Damage v Kalasha.
23:50, Yesterday: Dungeon Master rolled 14 using 1d20 with rolls of 14.  Bot Will Save v Command.
[Private to GM: Cain: Full HP, -1 Spell
Kalasha: -2 HP
Morin: Full HP, -3 Spells
Sesla: -5 HP, -2 Spells (1 this round)
Zorden: Full HP, -3 Bullets (1 this round)
Robot: -14 HP, Prone (-14 HP this round)]

Zorden frowned and reloaded his weapon.

At least it looked like Kalasha had the advantage on the thing now.

"Yeah!" Morin yelled encouragingly. "Kick his ass, guys!"

He kept his lasso ready, but between the chaos of melee and the robot's low profile, actually throwing it would be a pretty futile gesture.

FREE: 5' step closer, maintain inspire courage (2 rounds remaining)
STANDARD: Ready lasso attack if robot stands up.

Cain tries to help out against the robot as well, but without much success. His own strike barely scratches the paint on the metal construct.

Probably another miss:
11:37, Today: Cain rolled 11,5 using 1d20+7,1d8+1 with rolls of 4,4.  Flanking (Attack, Damage).

Yeah, Cain is going to be pretty much useless in a fight until he hits level 3. Luckily Kalasha is still around for now.

Cain hits the downed enemy with a swipe of his blade, the blow generating a spark as metal strikes metal, but does little more than scuff a steel plate on its back. Meanwhile Zorden prepares his musket for another blast, Morin encourages the fighters, and Selsa readies her crossbow and hopes for an opening to shoot at the construct. Now free from the oracle's spell, the robot picks itself up from the ground, leaving an opening for both Cain[Private to Cain: Take an AoO if you like.] and Kalasha. The paladin lands another telling blow(16 Damage) on the enemy before it swipes at her again--but feebly for all the damage it is sustaining. Without letting up, Kalasha lashes out once more with her great blade, nearly knocking its arm off for all her effort(10 Damage).
New Round, Everyone Up
Group 0 Map Updated

22:46, Today: Dungeon Master, on behalf of Kalasha Roadsworn, rolled 26,16 using d20+9,2d6+7 with rolls of 17,3,6.  Attack/Damage v Bot.
22:51, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 7,9 using d20+6,1d4+6 with rolls of 1,3.  Bot Attack/Damage v Kalasha.
22:55, Today: Dungeon Master, on behalf of Kalasha Roadsworn, rolled 23,10 using d20+9,2d6+7 with rolls of 14,2,1.  Attack/Damage v Bot.[Private to GM: Cain: Full HP, -1 Spell
Kalasha: -2 HP
Morin: Full HP, -3 Spells
Sesla: -5 HP, -2 Spells
Zorden: Full HP, -3 Bullets
Robot: -28 HP (-11 - 5 + 2 HP this round)]
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:02, Mon 03 Jan 2022.

Zorden kept his weapon ready but held his fire.

Kalasha seemed to have the bot on the ropes and he wasn't confident he could safely make the shot with Cain and Kalasha tangling with the machine.

OOC: Keeping a ready action to attack should the battle turn or another threat present itself

Cain likewise strikes at the machine as it gets up again. "Why won't you just die already?!"

AoO, then attacking again. And for once I rolled well, 18 damage if that's a crit.
13:26, Today: Cain rolled 16,5 using 1d20+7,1d8+1 with rolls of 9,4.  AoO (Attack, Damage).
13:27, Today: Cain rolled 26,9 using 1d20+7,1d8+1 with rolls of 19,8.  Flanking (Attack, Damage).
13:28, Today: Cain rolled 23 using 1d20+7 with rolls of 16.  Crit?

As the others piled onto the robot, Morin tried to back them up by entangling the machine with his makeshift lasso.  It didn't go well, but it seemed like Cain and Kalasha didn't need much help dismantling the thing.

READIED: Lasso attack.  Miss with -3 (including penalty for throwing into melee).
STANDARD: Lasso attack.  Miss with 0.
FREE: Stop inspiring courage.

OOC: On re-read of the description, I think if you miss a lasso attack you can just keep attacking, unlike with a net.  Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

With a pair of quick swings at the robot's exposed rear, Cain manages to hit something important under its plated exterior and with a loud pop, a spark, and a puff of dark smoke the construct grinds to a halt--slumping slightly but still standing rigidly upright as the red light of its central eye and other various, blinking lights quickly fade out.
Repair Drone Defeated! 150 XP each.
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:45, Tue 04 Jan 2022.

Kalasha, in the process of making ready for another mighty swing, hesitates as the robot falls into what looks like a standing sleep. Relaxing her stance but still wary of the enemy possibly springing to life again, she reaches out and gives it a solid prod. It remains rigid and unmoving, even slipping along the floor at her push. Looking to the others, the doubtful half-orc asks simply, "...is it dead?"

"Probably."  Zorden speculated in regards to the bot.

He then turned his attention towards the door Kalasha had been levering open, wondering what was important enough to agitate the machine into attacking them.

"I certainly hope so." Cain adds as he joins Zorden at the stuck doors, curious to see what this machine was guarding.

Did Kalasha make any real progress on opening it? Can we squeeze under it or do we have to lift it more?

"I don't."  Morin replied sadly, moving to the fallen robot while everyone else lost interest.

The little bard doffed his hat in respect to the fallen machine.  There was just a hint of a tear in his eyes. "Farewell, repair droid. You traveled to our world from distant lands unknown and spent nine thousand years buried underground, waiting to be discovered again, only to get hacked to death by your discoverers while trying to protect a door from 'vandalism'. I hope you were just a mindless machine, and not a thinking, feeling creature that just had poor communication skills.  Your death would be pretty tragic, otherwise."

Putting his hat back on his head, Morin pulled out a pocket knife and started enthusiastically prying open a panel on the dead robot's corpse.  "I wonder if we can use it's body for anything?  I mean, this is advanced technology, right?  It's gotta be full of...like, batteries and motors and stuff.  Maybe someone back in torch would buy it!"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:14, Wed 05 Jan 2022.

Kalasha continues to watch the now statue-like enemy cautiously, debating with herself whether she should risk her blade to continue hacking it apart until Morin begins his process of dissecting it. With the strangely commanding Selsa watching over the investigation, Kalasha reluctantly turns her back on the standing foe and returns to work on the closed door. With the crowbar wedged in, the mighty paladin is able to get a good grip beneath it and with considerable effort pushes it into the ceiling until something seems to catch and the door remains recessed above and within the door frame. On the other side is what once may have been a hallway leading away from the door but now is little more than a closet of rubble--only a few feet within the room ends in a wall of mixed metal, stone, and hanging wires.

Morin's inspection of the robot's insides, although most of it is far beyond his understanding, yields better results. Tightly packed within the length of its right arm, possibly designed to be fired from its palm by some mechanism, are a series of five combat nets made of an unfamiliar but very strong material(10 HP vs 5 HP, DC 27 vs 25 to Break.) Morin suspects they could fetch a good price on the market. [Private to Morin Matzylford: They are sized for Medium, but I'd rule you could trade one of them to have another resized for Small--or even trade just the excess material to have the net cut back small enough for you to use(but it would then only be effective against Small and Medium targets.)]

Zorden moved cautiously into the collapsed space to give it a closer look and perhaps a prod or two.

Whatever used to be here the machine seemed awfully concerned about it, which may mean a few moments of investigation would be worthwhile.

Unless it was just responding to them trying to open the door itself with no discretion as to what may lay behind it.  In which case it was a lot of effort for nothing.

Morin stretched out one of the nets, looking it over and examining the heft of it.  "This thing is nice!  A bit big for me, but the rope seems really sturdy.  Maybe I could get a lasso made out of this stuff when we get back to Torch!  Anybody want one?"  Five nets weighed about 30 lbs, and Morin certainly wasn't going to carry that much weight around.  So any that weren't picked up by the stronger members of his party were left there on the ground to recover on the way back.

Then Morin turned his attention to the room with the strange nozzles.  Standing back from the door, he sent in his unseen servant to check for traps.  First he had it carry the lit torch inside to light the way for his darkvision-impaired companions, then he had it poke around the nozzles and their control panels to see if that had any effect.  Finally, he had the servant grab the heaviest piece of rubble it could drag (about 50 lbs), and haul it from one end of the room to the other, in case there was some form of pressure panel in the floor.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:08, Thu 06 Jan 2022.

Cain passes on the nets. "Not really something I have the skill to use properly. I'll stick to just stabbing things for now."

He joins Zorden While Morin checks the room ahead for surprises. "Looks like a dead end. Do you see anything of value in there?"

Poking through the rubble of the collapsed room reveals nothing of interest and Morin's careful direction of his unseen servant uncovers no hidden traps. Not wanting to leave anything valuable behind, Kalasha picks up the bundles of nets and stores them in her pack and with the others unable to find any traps in the next room, she cautiously enters ahead of anyone else--trusting her armor to protect her. When nothing happens, she turns back, shrugs, and asks, "Ready to move on?"

With nothing of note in the two adjacent rooms, Zorden nodded to Kalasha.

Might as well move forward, cautiously, at least a bit.

Still glaring suspiciously at the strange nozzles, Cain follows after Kalasha. "Maybe I should go first after Morin's servant. If there are any surprises ahead that his spell can't trigger, I stand the best chances of spotting them before we stubble into them."

Cain's a rogue, so this is in his job description. And Kalasha may be an NPC now, but she is still our best bet in combat. So, when Morin orders his servant forward, Cain will follow after it stealthy down the tunnel, then give a signal for other to follow down as well if it's all clear. DM can make any rolls for Cain he thinks are necessary.

What's the lighting condition here anyway, we don't have to carry our own light anymore, do we? Kinda pointless to try to be stealthy when you carry a lit torch.

This message was deleted by the player at 19:23, Sun 09 Jan 2022.

Morin nodded and fell in quietly beside Cain, not saying anything for once.  For all his chatter, the little man could move surprisingly quiet when he wanted to.  His unseen servant took up the lit torch, and continued down the hallway, doing it's best to imitate an invisible gnome with a torch in hand.

OOC: Also stealthing ahead, since he needs to see the servant.  If possible, I take 10 on the stealth checks for a total of 20.

The party proceeds carefully onward into stone cave beyond the strange, metal rooms with Morin's invisible thrall in front--dragging itself along the ground to trigger any traps and holding a torch to light the way. Cain follows closely behind, pressing himself against the cave walls to try to stay hidden despite the torchlight. Behind him is Kalasha, stomping along despite her best efforts to quiet her armor, and Morin acting as stealthy as he can despite having to dip and lean to see past the others and direct his servant. Zorden and Sesla take up the rear--both more accustomed to ranged combat and Sesla's hide armor at least protecting her from any attack from behind.

The stone walls of the cave quickly turn north and just as quickly end in ... blackness. The stone ground turns to sand well before the cave ends and that sand continues on as far as the torchlight reaches and dark eyes can see, but, at least directly out from cave's exit, there are no walls or ceiling to be seen. Something in the air tells you that this is more than just a large cavern, but before anyone has a chance figure out what it is Cain is startled to find himself suddenly anchored to the ground. Strange, purple tendrils grow quickly up from the sands, ensnaring his feet and continuing up his legs. Searching about to figure out what is going on, he finally spots some kind of purple mass of tentacles slithering out from within a grey, coral-like structure just outside the cave.
Combat Begins! Everyone beat the enemy's Initiative, so everyone can act now.
Group 0 Map Updated.

Cain is Entangled and anchored; Full-Round Strength Check DC 14 to break free, or attack the tendrils(No AC, just roll damage.)
[Private to Morin Matzylford: (Rolled 2, taking 10) Morin doesn't recognize this creature although it is some kind of aberration, but he gets a good feeling that the coral it is hidden in makes for good protection, the tentacles reaching out from that coral would be quite good at beating prey, and the tendrils from the ground are likely an extension of the monster meant to immobilize its prey.]
[Private to GM: Cain: Full HP, -1 Spell, Entangle: 4 Rounds
Kalasha: -2 HP
Morin: Full HP, -3 Spells
Sesla: -5 HP, -2 Spells
Zorden: Full HP, -3 Bullets]
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:23, Mon 10 Jan 2022.

"Oh shit, that thing's big!"  Morin yelled as he got a glimpse of the huge tentacle mass just outside of the cave.  He had no magic left to cast, and barely anything else he could bring to the table, aside from his lasso.

Fortunately, this seemed like the perfect time for a lasso!  Morin threw the rope to Cain where he was trapped, and pulled it taut with all of his (completely pathetic) strength.  His unseen servant dropped the torch onto the sand and also grabbed the rope, adding it's minor might to the equation.

"Okay, uh...let's all get off of the sand!  We back up into the metal part and come up with a plan.  I don't know if that thing can move or not, but it looks like it's using that rock for protection."  Morin improvised a plan, holding the end of the rope behind him for Sesla and Zorden. "Unless anyone else has any bright ideas?"

STANDARD: Throw lasso to Cain.
MOVE: Direct unseen servant to aid the next strength check to free Cain:  Rolled a 13, which should let it add +2 to the roll.
FREE: 5' step west, if that's possible.

This message was last edited by the player at 05:42, Mon 10 Jan 2022.

"Get the hell off me!" Seeing the mass of tentacles coming his way is more than enough motivation for Cain to break free. He uses the rope thrown to him and Morin's spell to pull himself out of the grasp of the tendrils.

Well that was embarrassing, getting caught so easily right after taking point. Anyway, I wasn't sure if the Servant's help counts or not, but dice roller decided to be cooperative today, so it does not matter.

Full round action to get out of this mess, then 5' step... SW, if that's possible?
14:48, Today: Cain rolled 19 using 1d20 with rolls of 19.  Strength Check DC 14.

As Cain pulled free without the need for assistance, Zorden moved backwards to allow everyone ahead of him to put some distance between themselves and the tentacled beast.

Moving as needed so folks can also move and not end up stacked atop each other.

As Cain manages to wrestle himself free of the growing tendrils, the entire party begins to move back through the cave to make room and to regroup. But hope soon fades as the monstrosity slaps two tentacles down into the sand and in a display of great strength drags itself and its rocky home into the narrow cave--its coral-like carapace scraping against the cave walls as it enters and all the sand in a wide area around it shifting as it 'swims.' Again, purple tendrils begin rising from the sandy floor to grab at Cain's feet.
Cain: DC 14 Fort Save or be Entangled again.
New Combat Round, everyone up.
Group 0 Map Updated.[Private to GM: Cain: Full HP, -1 Spell, Entangle?
Kalasha: -2 HP
Morin: Full HP, -3 Spells
Sesla: -5 HP, -2 Spells
Zorden: Full HP, -3 Bullets]

Seeing the predicament Cain is in, Kalasha dips down to scrape at the tendrils vigorously with the tip of her great blade and manages to damage them enough that they release their grip on the rogue and withdraw back beneath the sand.

She moved back to make space for her ally to step away from the beast.

Standard: attack tendrils
Move: go 15' back

15:07, Today: Dungeon Master, on behalf of Kalasha Roadsworn, rolled 15 using 2d6+6 ((6,3)).
This message was last edited by the player at 14:41, Tue 11 Jan 2022.

Cheering and clapping as Kalasha freed Cain, Morin backed up further into the metal ruin.  "Okay!"  He said, doing his best to project confidence.  "If we can get it off the sand and into these tight corridors, we should be able to gang up on it and take it down.  Probably! Unless we can't beat it, in which case, uh...well, it doesn't look that fast and we can just run away.  Probably!"

MOVE: Move 15' west and 5' south, through both sets of doors.
STANDARD: Ready lasso to be thrown again.

"I don't know if it will fit."  Zorden observed.  "Which would be good for us, I think."

With Cain clear and the thing pressing up against the opening at the opposite side of the tunnel, Zorden decided to try and dissuade it from following by taking aim at it with his weapon and attempting to shoot it.

Zorden rolled 10,13 using 1d20+6,1d12+2.  Attack, (Potential) Damage

Cain is suitably grateful for Kalasha's help. "Thanks! Now lets get off this damn sand." He retreats through the doors, trying to get Kalasha to follow as well. If they have to fight this beast, at least they can do so on solid ground.

Moving back to the nozzle room.

[Private to Morin Matzylford: I wouldn't count offering the rope of your lasso as 'using' the lasso so that it has to be reset. Especially since Cain got free both times without it. Did you maybe mean to ready an attack instead?]
The party moves back to regroup and make a stand in the metal rooms, but the aberrant monster follows close behind. Zorden fires off a blast of his musket at the encroaching beast but the bullet hits the walls of the narrow stone passage instead. The beast reaches out with innumerable tentacles to grab the walls of the cave and drag itself and its stony shell forward through the narrow passage. Bits and pieces of its encasing scrape and splinter off at the narrowest points but still it moves forward. Soon, a purple, slimy liquid seeps through the sandy floor, carrying bits of sand along with it as it surges into the metal room and encompasses the feet of those in the strange foyer. The slime begins to stiffen around the feet of Cain once again and spread the now familiar tendrils up his legs(Save failed, Cain is Entangled.)
14:35, Today: Dungeon Master, on behalf of Cain, rolled 6 using 1d20 with rolls of 6.  Fort Save DC 14.
New Combat Round, everyone up
Group 0 Map Updated
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/Gamem...onditions/#Entangled
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:35, Wed 12 Jan 2022.

Zorden, agreeing with Cain, begins backpedaling towards the doors.

As he goes he pulls a small sachet from a pouch and ramrods it down the barrel of his weapon.

Moving out of the room in whatever fashion is possible without blocking anyone, reloading with a paper cartridge

Cain tries to pull away as well, hacking away at the tentacles holding him in place with his sword.

Attacking tentacles, then trying to pull back 10' if I get free. I think that should be enough to force the monster to the entrance of the cave, if it wants to grab Cain again. I hope. And assuming Cain can even get free.
11:16, Today: Cain rolled 6 using 1d8 with rolls of 6.  Damage.

With an effortful grunt, Kalasha again swung her sword to free her unlucky ally.  She stayed where she was, hoping that he could get some distance and cause its aggression to fall on her.  She thought about making a joking remark about the need for him to learn not to get caught by tentacles but as she had not yet faced the challenge, she bit her tongue and focused on the duty at hand.


10:07, Today: Kalasha Roadsworn rolled 21,13 using 1d20+5,2d6+9 with rolls of 16,1,3.  Power Attack to free Cain.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:11, Mon 17 Jan 2022.

As Cain, Zorden, and presumably Sesla backed off, Morin waited by Kalasha.  He would have preferred to back up a little more, but this should be fine.  If the beast moved just a bit closer, then Cain and Kalasha would both be able to move forward and strike through the doorway of the nozzle room.

Swinging his lasso above his head in a rough approximation of competence, Morin waited for the beast to get close enough to rope a tentacle.

READIED: Lasso Attack when the beast gets within 10'.  Total of 20 to hit touch AC. Entangles on hit.  2 hp, AC 10, Can escape with DC 15 escape artist or 23 str as a full-round action.

As Sesla and Zorden back off to prepare, Cain and Kalasha work together in scraping the grasping tendrils from the rogue before moving into the next room. The mass of tentacles whips one at Cain as he exposes his back but to little effect as it must reach around the narrow cave walls. It continues to drag itself forward, forcing the heralding layer of slime ahead of it to envelop the feet of Cain, Kalasa, and Morin but as it nears the gnome sends out a large loop of rope and manages to catch a few of the tentacles and cinch them tight together. The beast flails wildly at the inconvenient rope, but it and Morin manage to hold fast against the struggle.
New Combat Round, everyone up
Group 0 Map Updated
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/Gamem...onditions/#Entangled
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamem...ng/combat/#Squeezing

With the beast distracted by Morin's rope and trying to maneuver in the close space, Zorden attempted to shoot it again.



OOC: Zorden rolled 8,9.  Attack, (Potential) Damage

"Ha!"  Morin crowed in triumph as his lariat finally caught something.  "I got it!"

Watching the creature futilely struggle against it's bonds, the bard added: "You know, we might have overestimated just how dangerous this thing is.  Sure, it has a lot of tentacles, but it still seems mostly 'armless."  This pun, like all puns, put everyone who heard it in the mood to hurt something.

STANDARD: Use last round of inspire courage, giving allies +1 to attack and damage.

Kalasha smirked at the pun.  "Fortunately armless is not the same as unarmed, or I'd have to think about letting it keep on violating Cain's personal space," she returned.

Growing serious again, she stepped up next to the beast and swung with all her might, hoping to break through the carapace and damage the creature within.



Free: 5' adjust to be adjacent
Standard: Attack - power attack, inspire courage - 21 to hit, 15 slashing damage

00:25, Today: Kalasha Roadsworn rolled 21,15 using 1d20+6,2d6+10 with rolls of 15,2,3.  Attack the beat beast: Power Attack, Inspire Courage.  (this is at the monster, not the bard.)

Finally free of tentacles, Cain follows after Kalasha to slash at the monstrosity chasing them. His sword does little more than tickle the monster, but it's still better than staying in the back and listening to Morin's puns.

Edited my post. 5' step forward and attack. Likely minimal damage.
17:01, Today: Cain rolled 17 using 1d20+6 with rolls of 11.  Attack.
14:27, Today: Cain rolled 2 using 1d8+1 with rolls of 1.  Damage.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:09, Wed 19 Jan 2022.

If the monstrosity could scream it would probably be as hideous as the mass of tentacles looks, but instead it merely quivers, recoils, and flails about wildly as Kalasha's blade cracks through its coral shell and sinks deep into the center of the shapeless mass. Fleeing from the cause of such pain, the beast easily rips free from Morin's grip and drags the lasso along with it and it's bound tentacles as others pull it rapidly back down the narrow cave(AoOs from Cain and Kalasha). Zorden fires his musket at the fleeing beast, but although the flintlock flashes brightly there is no bang and no bullet. [Private to Zorden: Rolling 2 is a Misfire, the musket is now considered Broken.]
New Combat Round, everyone up
Group 0 Map Updated
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/Gamem...onditions/#Entangled
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamem...ng/combat/#Squeezing
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:40, Wed 19 Jan 2022.

With the creature on the run, Zorden worked on clearing the fouled charge from his weapon.

He knew it would be even worse to use now until he had time to properly address it, but it wasn't as if he'd made good use of it thus far.

"Keep it up with the lasso - maybe more people could help hold it back?"  Kalasha called over her shoulder.

She kept her focus on using her greatsword for what greatswords are good for.  She again capitalized on the tentacular beast's desire to escape and murder more helpless prey as she continued her powerful swings - once as it tried to flee, and again as she charged headlong after it.

Attack of opportunity: 32 dmg if 20 hits and crits are good, otherwise 12.
Full round action - Charge attack: 17 dmg  (-2 to Kalasha's AC until next turn)

22:16, Today: Kalasha Roadsworn rolled 24,17 using 1d20+5,2d6+9 with rolls of 19,3,5.  Attack of Opportunity.
22:17, Today: Kalasha Roadsworn rolled 20,20 using 1d20+5,2d6+9 with rolls of 15,5,6.  Crit Confim and extra damage: attack of opportunity.

22:18, Today: Kalasha Roadsworn rolled 2325,12 using 1d20+57,2d6+9 with rolls of 18,2,1.  Power attack Charge.  (strike throughs because I forgot to fix numbers for charge before rolling)
This message was lightly edited by the player at 03:23, Thu 20 Jan 2022.