DAI readies himself to move with the others, suggesting ZEIG hold off on the Illuminate until they actually reach the next house, to make it last the longest. He also reminds them that they should look for some kind of graveyard perhaps, or an area where a body might be stashed.

None of the books are labeled, though one is sitting on a desk rather than filed away in one of the cabinets. The books only have one thing written on the spine, though it is encoded.

Across the street from the alchemist's shop is a large two-story house. The front set of double doors has had one pried off of its hinges. The heavy wooden door's several locks are all still engaged as it lays face down just beneath the entryway.

ZEIG casts Illuminate on his staff again.

There are many stone pedestals inside that look to have supported large statues or perhaps suits of armor in the main room. Remnants of tapestries are hanging near the 20' tall ceilings, indicating that whatever was hanging was simply ripped down.

There is a stairwell leading up and doors to either side of you, both of which are open. The one to the left seems to lead into a sitting room of some kind while the one on the right clearly opens into a hallway. Underneath the stairs, near the eastern wall is a closed door. Common sense dictates it's probably a closet or a stairwell down to the basement, though of course it is possible for drow architecture to differ.

MILO sniffs the air, and then lets out a low growl.

S = stairs to second floor, they rise upward from the west
# = closed doors

SSS#S

    M

DSZ
--# --

This message was last edited by the GM at 22:13, Tue 13 Mar 2012.

18:11, Today: ZEIG rolled 5,5 using d20+4,d20+4. Spot/Listen.
Alright, this is getting out of hand. Time for some drastic measures.

Zeig takes a quick look around the house and decides that he needs some help to get his head straight. He reaches into his bag, pops the cork off of a bottle of Old Cornelian, and takes a mouthful right there before replacing it in his bag.

15:13, Today: DAI rolled 5,6 using d20+1,d20+1. spot/listen.

You see each other. You both hear MILO growling.

Zeig will follow Miloh towards whatever he might be growling at if he goes anywhere. Otherwise, sitting room it is.

What's that, boy? There's a drow corpse in the well?

DAI pulls out his wand of Lock that totally would have helped last fight, and readied himself for another ghost.

Sili looks to Milo, trying to determine what he's growling about and if there's anything to be wary of.

Growling itself rarely means anything but a potential enemy. For the rest Milo's body language should tell Sili a lot.  Such as if he's growling and staring in a corner, there may be an enemy in the corner even if we can't see it. Where is Milo looking while he's growling?

MILO remains in the main room until SILI moves, which he'll follow as usual. The hair on his back is standing on end.

The sitting room has a large and ornately decorated fireplace. The stonework is exquisite. There is a musty and rotting old couch made of fine fabric in the room with a matching set of comfortable-looking chairs. There are a few overturned wooden chairs and tables around the edges of the room.

A closet door remains open, and inside quite a few sets of what passes for drow clothing that have been absolutely decimated by moths and mold.

Zeig continues going over the house with the hallway.

Unless otherwise meeting an obstacle or someone else does something differently, systematically searching the rest of the house, 1st floor first, scary possibly basement door next, then upstairs.

The party continues the process of searching the house. The hallway leads to a washroom, a dining room, and a kitchen. Rummaging through some of the things, the party is able to find some iron cook-ware. The cabinet where the finery may have been kept has had its front bashed in near the lock.

Opening the door to the basement releases a musty and grossly sweet odor--the kind that you can taste as much as you smell. MILO's growling grows a bit louder. A small light can be seen coming from the bottom of the stairwell.

The stairs are just shy of what you would call "cramped". They are simple wooden planks with no decorations. The wall to the left stops about 8' off of the basement floor (and opens up into what is a room of some kind). The wall to the right continues all the way down. The stairs descend a total of about 15'.

I need to know the order you proceed down the stairs.

I call middle.

Are we 8th level yet? I'll take the back, Dai has Ice Armor at least.

SILI and ZEIG give DAI the eye.

DAI looks at the two of them, then sighs and goes to take point. "I swear...the day a Black Mage is the toughest one among us, is a sad day indeed..."

Attempting to be stealthy or anything? Any spells? Just walking on down?

Zeig isn't really the sneaky type, and Milo is making a lot of noise.
Shellra and Protectra for +2 Saves and +2 AC.
MP: 25/53

DAI has his wand of lock, and is readying an Ice Armor if something tries attacking him.

DAI begins to walk down the stairway. The smell gets more and more foul with every step. SILI is behind him, on the landing at the top with ZEIG leaning in to shed his light down. MILO is outside next to ZEIG, watching the party's flank and still looks extremely uneasy.

The light at the bottom of the stairs flickers slightly, like some kind of torch. Not a single sound can be heard apart from an occasional creaking step. Just as DAI is about to calm down, he sees something large flit at him from the left.
14:33, Today: teslas, on behalf of DAI, rolled 16 using 1d20+1. Spot.

DAI is unable to react in time, and sees a giant pair of pincers mounted on a huge insectoid head come straight at him. Everyone on the staircase sees much the same thing, except only a grossly-huge pair of antenna frantically tasting DAI's body and the very tip of enormous pincers as they narrowly miss him. It appears to have been curled up against the ceiling, and is attacking you from this hiding spot. You have cover relative to it. Knowledge (nature) if you're able to see a good bit of the creature (so far only DAI has).

DAI can feel the pincers scrape past his cloak a slight bit, barely missing him due to the odd angle at which it came out of its hiding place.
14:43, Today: teslas rolled 14 using 1d20+11. #1 bite vs. DAI.

MILO barks hearing the ruckus but unable to see it, and waits for instructions from his master.

Round 1: Surprise round has already occurred
14: SILI
14: MILO
14: Bad Guy(s?)
 8: ZEIG        - Flat-Footed
 4: DAI         - Flat-Footed

We're going to rely on our imagination for this fight until it's necessary to do something else. The stairwell is not a fun situation to draw. SILI, DAI is 10' away from you, essentially west 10' and below 8'. The stairs end about 5' further down and empty out into a room. You are behind the door into the stairwell, and ZEIG is leaning in from the outside room with MILO next to him.

You already know what the ground floor looks like from the previous map.

Whatever is making the light in the basement and ZEIG's staff are the two light sources. The basement light is providing dim illumination at the base of the stairs, as is ZEIG's staff.

SILI, you cannot see the creature from where you are, though you absolutely noticed it reaching out to attack DAI.

edit-
Fixed post. With cover, as I said, a 14 misses a flat-footed DAI. Woohoo!
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:55, Thu 15 Mar 2012.

Sili will back up 5 ft., draw his harp, order Milo to protect Dai, and play march to speed up Zeig. Then his harp bursts into flame. He doesn't quite manage it.

16:35, Today: SILI rolled 14 using 1d20+13 with rolls of 1. Perform (Harp) (March on Zeig).

MILO barks again and then runs down the stairs. He runs past DAI, then notices something that he apparantly doesn't like above him and to his left. He rears back on his haunches, ready to bite at anything that attacks DAI.

DAI, MILO is now below you at the bottom of the stairwell.

DAI and MILO are treated to witness a horrible series of events.

SILI and ZEIG, outside in the top room, cannot see anything, although they hear a massive amount of chattering and clicking and grotesque biological sounds. They then hear MILO's empty jaws snap shut followed by furious growling.

Round 1:
14: SILI
14: MILO
14: Bad Guy(s?)
 8: ZEIG
 4: DAI         - Poisoned, Flat-Footed

ZEIG, you are in the main room just outside of the doorway down to the stairwell. If you take a 5' step you will be at the top landing of the stairs, and will be able to see DAI and MILO and a very small amount of the room below. You can proceed what is effectively 10' of movement down the stairs next to DAI and see the rest of the room if you wish.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:57, Thu 15 Mar 2012.

"Twice damned..."
Zeig casts Aquaveil on himself and proceeds down the stairs to see what horrible eldritch demon is waiting for them.
MP: 22/53

ZEIG is let in on the secret.

DAI's turn. DAI, ZEIG is just above you on the stairs and MILO is below you standing on the basement floor.

edit-
Wording change to avoid ambiguities.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:23, Thu 15 Mar 2012.

DAI, now ready to rant for about a day on the stupid things he's seen, now including gigantic fucking centipedes, fires off a wide shot of flame, before trying to backflip up the stairs and out of the basement.

15:32, Today: DAI rolled 16 using 1d20+6. cross-class tumble.
15:32, Today: DAI rolled 15 using 1d20. conserve MP 12-14.
15:30, Today: DAI rolled 8 using 1d20+6. Fire(RTA)(PBS) vs Centipede.
MP 29/54

DAI's spell, though inaccurate, can't help but collide with some part of the centipede as it takes up nearly half of the room. It squeals in pain, stinging everyone's ears.
16:39, Today: teslas, on behalf of DAI, rolled 19 using 3d12+8. Fire damage.

Although a competent attempt by DAI, the stairs increase the difficulty of nimbly getting away from the centipede. It still manages to bite at him as he's leaving, and DAI in turn throws up a shell of Ice Armor as the pincers dig into his skin. MP: 26/54
16:41, Today: teslas, on behalf of DAI, rolled 16 using 1d20. Conserve MP Ice Armor
16:36, Today: teslas rolled 18 using 2d8+9. damage.
16:38, Today: teslas, on behalf of DAI, rolled 20 using 1d20+8. Fortitude vs. poison.
16:35, Today: teslas rolled 29 using 1d20+11. 'pede AoO bite vs. DAI.
Again it seems as if it's not injecting enough poison to take immediate effect on DAI.

Round 2:
14: SILI
14: MILO
14: Bad Guy(s?)
 8: ZEIG
 4: DAI         - Poisoned x2

DAI, you can make it to pretty much any square near the door upstairs, apart from the one SILI is in. If we all move upstairs I'll make the map.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:34, Fri 16 Mar 2012.