In which the adventurers face an ancient evil awakened from the depths of the earth...

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This message was last edited by the GM at 01:18, Thu 08 Dec 2016.

The Four sit in the Lord Mayor's nicely appointed chambers- which occupy most of the uppermost floor of the newly renovated Fire Hall- sipping drinks served by Mayor Vander's secretary. Commandant Overmark is there; so is the half-elf ranger, Zima, just back from Yonder's Hole. Everyone's attention is directed, at present, towards a stranger to the Four, a mid-aged dwarf introduced as Kerek Crusher.

"Tell them what you told us." Vander directs the newcomer.

"Alright, then. About a week ago, a prospector named Gulo, and his team are digging an exploratory shaft about two miles north of the camp when they hit a big vein of platinum, least that wide." the dwarf holds his calloused hands about half a meter apart.

"They tried keeping it a secret, but Yonder's Hole aint big, and word spread like the crotch pox."

"So, they stake their claim with the mayor- er, Deepdelver, not your lordship- and start following the vein, digging deeper, bringing out huge chunks of pure platinum. Others show up and start digging nearby. Anyway, some of the miners start getting sick, acting really odd. Gulo goes insane, murders one of his mates, starts eating his face. Sergeant Jaff had to lock him up, gagged and bound nearly head to toe. Hasn't been able to get a word o' sense out of him since."

Kerek shakes his head slowly, as if he doesn't want to believe his own memories.

"With Gulo locked away, there's a big row over who owns his mine. It gets ugly quick. More murders. Deepdevler steps in, negotiates a profit-sharing deal for the rival claimants. Nobody's really happy about it, but at least they can start digging again. And they do- faster now. A day or two later, they hit another shaft, a big one, cut stone, smooth walls, really high. I only saw it for a couple of minutes, but one man could stand on another's shoulders and not even hit his head on the ceiling."

"Show them," Overmark interjects, "the symbol you saw."

The dwarf removes a piece of parchment from his tunic, unfolds it carefully, and flattens it out on the coffee table. "Never seen anything like it in all my life." Kerek claims. Corros recognize the symbol at once. It's the numeral 2, in the long-dead script of the Forgotten Ones.

"Then things get really weird. Dead miners- the ones that got murdered and the others that were killed by them orcs a few months back, they dig themselves outta their graves, start attacking the living. We fight most of them off, but then other things start coming out of Gulo's shaft, monstrous things, lots of 'em. They killed a lot of people. The survivors retreated to the stockade and holed up there. Deepdelver sent us," Kerek indicates Zima, "back to get help."

Vander looks at the Four. There's a pause; everyone knows what's coming next, but Vander seems hesitant to say it.

"I can't send any of the Watch. They're still at half strength- barely able to keep the peace here in the city."

Overmark's scowl confirms Vander's assessment. He continues, "You know the way to Yonder's Hole; you've worked with Deepdelver before. You'll be paid, of course."

And then the Lord Mayor is quiet, looking expectantly at the adventurers.


Your Turn.


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This message was last edited by the GM at 01:34, Thu 08 Dec 2016.

Many cities of Nicolai's acquaintance hibernate during winter.  Travel and trade slow to a crawl and the economic metabolism cools to match.  Industry turns inward to maintenance and repair.  Citizens huddle in their homes, eschewing all but essential social engagements.  Not so in Balefyre - not this winter, at any rate.  The expulsion of the Bloodforged seems to have been a catalyst for growth and progress of a particular sort.  So Nicolai has taken his cue from the locals and eschewed rest as well, staying abreast of the changes and ensuring that his own threads become woven through the new images of Balefyre's social tapestry.

No few of those threads lead back to the people in this room.  They're relationships that run both ways, of course.  Vander well knows the Four have been intimately involved with the Fire Watch's reforging, so his need to speak of the guard force's readiness level is an indicator of his own unease with Kerek and Zima's report.

Nicolai glances sideways at Corros as the witchling leans forward to examine the glyph.  We'll go, of course, he comments to the others through the younger man's telepathic link.

Aloud, he addresses himself to Kerek.  "Describe these 'monstrous things,' if you would, please."  He leans forward to therapeutically refresh the dwarf's drink.  "And the survivors.  Numbers and provisions.  If they hold the stockade, how long will their supplies hold?"

Of course we will, although I'm about to make them pay for it, Corros returns across the link.  The rune is a number 2.  Another ring is my guess.  Like the one in the city.

The half-elf sits back in his chair and crosses one leg over the other.  His winter hadn't been quiet, either.  Too much going on in the City.  And a lot going on with Jenna.  It was hard to get excited about venturing back to the mine in the face of what he'd rather being doing with her.  But she would go, and so would he.  For different reasons maybe, but he assumed they would go together.  Hell, the gods would have to pry him away from her with a crowbar the size of a mountain.

He is kind of attached to the priestess, to say the least.

In a calculated move, Corros smiles.  From just about anyone else, what comes out of his mouth next would be rude to the point of insulting, but he manages to make it light.  "So, I'm not intending to be rude, but we go up there, stave of an orc slaughter, bring back word that maybe, just maybe, digging up there might not be such a good idea.  Or it should be done with extreme caution, and then we get ignored.  Due to circumstances sure, what with needing to rebuild an economy and all, and we did see it coming, yeah?  But then the miners go back, dig deeper and faster, find platinum vein of epic scope, murder and eat each other, and then tap into a horde of creatures hat manages to pin them into a stockade?  I just want to make sure we have this right."

He shakes his head. "I will go up there, again, but I need this council to understand something.  If we bring back word because of what we find that this digging must stop, then this digging must stop.  Until we can make is safe to continue.  Of course."  Which may occur never, he adds mentally.

Gods he'd rather be in bed with Jenna.  Or flying above the city making her laugh.

In an incongruous juxtaposition, Kerek's bearded countenance resembles that of a scolded child. (OOC: He's going to respond to Nic's queries but the following came out of me first.)

Vander steps in to respond to Corros' admonitions. "I understand your frustration, Master Graelor. You did bring warning- warning that there might be danger in continued digging there. The Council took your warnings seriously, but prohibiting all travel to the platinum fields was not considered practical, in terms of enforcement. And for a time, few prospectors dared return, making such prohibitions unnecessary. But memories of the trouble there faded quickly. The lust for wealth often trumps caution and, when new strikes were reported, the trickle of prospectors became a flood. We simply don't have the resources to stop it.

"You must understand, the Fire Council has little control over what goes on in the camps. We sent Deepdelver there  to try to bring order but there are limits to what he can do with the resources that he has available. The Fire Watch detachment there is too small and the prospectors too... willful. Yonder's Hole is a rich prize, and perhaps that fact has clouded our judgment, but if Balefyre washes its hands of the place, someone else will step in and take control- Varimor, Ardane, monsters even, gods forbid. The Fire Council doesn't wish to see that happen. So, we are, as they say, between a rock and a hard place.

"My main concern is this: whatever danger exists to the mining camp might also threaten Balefyre. If this danger is left unchecked, the consequences to the city could be dire. It is our hope that you can eliminate the threat, whatever it may be. What resources the city can spare to assist you will placed be at your disposal."

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Jenna Drax sits, listens to the conversations going on around her, both the spoken one that the Mayor and his people are party to and the silent one that is taking place only in the mind of Jenna and her companions. The Priestess still felt an occasional flicker on unease when she thought of that link, of the thoughts that she and Corros had shared. She doubted if Nicolai would wish to willingly intrude on those thoughts but the mere thought that she might unwittingly share something with more than her lover had been enough to bring colour to her cheeks in the days immediately after the Bloodforged had departed the City.

He didn't say that the digging would stop. It was a statement of fact rather than a question, a thought that comes to her unbidden after Vander had finished speaking, his platitudes that of a Politician, skirting around the matter without addressing it directly. It was difficult for Jenna to discern whether his concerns were truly borne from worry over the consequences for the City or from fear that the profit the mines brought would cease. Such was Balefyre. The probability was the digging would never stop.

Jenna sat forward in her chair, her hands clasped together, her eyes flicking to the dwarf, waiting to see what he can add to the discussion. The blonde haired Priestess wore a dark blue dress, one absent sleeves, that clung to her like a second skin, her grey hued battle armour in the home that she now shared with Corros, that which had formerly been Mayor Vander's illicit hideaway. Buying clothes had been one of her vices during the past three months. After all, Arma did not expect Her Clerics to go about unclothed. Her other vice was the young Warlock that sat around the table with her. Brother Jaro had assured her that Arma did not frown upon that vice either, although long hours of whispered conversation in the Temple had not completely assuaged her concerns in that regard.

Overmark reminds Kerek of Romanelli's earlier query. The dwarf shudders as he begins to describe the horrors that emerged from the shaft.

"There were a bunch of kobolds- we took care o' most of them. You know what an Umber Hulk is? Well one of 'em fucked up a bunch o' people before Zima here and the watch chased it back underground; there was the skeleton of a minotaur swinging a big fucking battle axe. And other things, creatures I ain't ever seen or even heard of before, like this big vulture-headed beast with sharp hooks for arms. Fucking scary shit.

"There's at least a hundred people holed up at the stockade. It's not like the orc siege, but it's not exactly safe to move around outside the walls, especially at night."

Zima picks up the thread and continues, "What's more is that others had begun to show up, just before the miners broke into the cursed shaft. A party of Reaver priests for one, posing- badly- as prospectors. And more besides, but we hadn't figured out what they were about before Kerek and I left to come here. It's a bit more than a coincidence, if you ask me."

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This message was last edited by the GM at 20:43, Sat 10 Dec 2016.

"How many in the Reaver party?" Jenna asked. "And how do you know they follow him?" Nicola and Corros had already committed to going but that snippet of information by itself meant that Jenna would have gone alone had they not done so.  "And this other group that you speak of, one whose allegiance you say you don't know, what are their numbers? Are they all quartered within the stockade?"

"The priests? Half-a-dozen, maybe. They didn't know the first thing about mining, to start off. That's not that unusual in itself, but they didn't seem to care to learn about it either. And at least a couple of 'em bore the mark of the Reaver- a double-headed axe branded on their necks, plain as day. Tried to hide 'em but a couple of us noticed. And to top it all off, when the other prospectors got to fighting over Gulo's strike, these blokes started selling curses. I shit you not!

"The others, I'm not sure who they're working for, if anyone. They were kind of like you lot, I think- adventurers, I mean. They helped us fight off some of the monsters. Seemed like decent types, though one of 'em was clearly demon-touched (i.e. a tiefling). Pretty much everyone at the camps have moved into the stockade since the monsters started coming out, but those two groups I mentioned left for gods knows where, not too long apart, just a bit before me an' Zima did. Supplies are starting to run low, but like I said before, things aren't clamped down quite as tight as during the orc siege."

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This message was last edited by the GM at 22:40, Sun 11 Dec 2016.

The Four pack their gear, make arrangements, and depart Balefyre, heading towards Yonder's Hole, with Kerek and Zima tagging along. The Fire Council provides the group with mounts and a sturdy pack horse for any excess baggage. Before she leaves, Brother Yaro gifts Jenna a Holy Medallion. Once a day, the priestess can use the medallion to cast a Bless spell on up to four individuals, herself included if she wishes. The magical item can only be used by a priest of Arma

The six riders arrive at Midway at the end of the first day's ride, fresh but more than a little saddle sore. Pace's Place, the seminal settlement's one and only inn, is coming along, but slowly- it's barely four walls and a partial roof, at present. Ol' Klem explains that it's almost impossible to keep workers on site for more than a day or two before they inevitably elope for the platinum fields. Thanks in part to the capital investment of the four, the former caravan driver has the materials to finish the building, but he doesn't have the labor.

Although spring has sprung all around the Great Inland Sea, it still rather cold at night out on the open steppes. The four make camp on the bare earthen floor of the skeletal inn's common room. Ol' Klem shares some of his provisions, supplementing the party's trail rations, and makes a welcome peat fire in the finished stone hearth. The travelers sleep well, and wake shortly after dawn rested, if a little stiff from lying all night on the hard-packed earth floor.

Having breakfasted on cold rations, the Four carry on with their journey, departing Midway an hour or so after sunrise, bundled in their travel cloaks against the chill morning air. They make good time, arriving at the badlands in the afternoon. The region looks much the same as before- barren, rocky, gently undulating hills marching off towards the wooded slopes of the foothills and the white-clad peaks beyond. Small patches of snow linger on here, in the shadow of the deeper ravines. The wagon trail isn't hard to follow, the ruts even more pronounced than before after the early spring platinum rush.

Zima seems ill at ease, and Nic can sense something amiss- the feeling of being watched by malicious eyes, stalked even. He warns the others, and not a minute too soon. As a result, it comes as not-quite-a-surprise when a hairy white beast roars out of a west-branching side ravine. It looks like some kind of horned abominable snowman, taller than the tallest man or half-orc any of the companions have seen. Its dark blue eyes burn with rage, or hate; its blood-curdling howl doesn't seem to differentiate.

The horses, none of which were bred or trained for war, immediately panic, bolting in all different directions. Jenna's mount and the pack horse gallop north. Nic and Kerek's horses bolt east. Gronk's horse skirts the charging monster and heads west, down the ravine from which the danger appeared. The white-furred monster slashes at the half-orc as he blurs past, raking the rider across the back with its claws (Gronk takes 7 slashing and 3 cold damage). Corros' horse stamps and snorts in fear, but remains rooted in place. As Zima's mount races south, back down the wagon trail, she shouts, voice trailing off,

"Yeti! They hate fire!"

The monster homes in on the lone stationary mount/rider (Corros).

OOC: The horses will cover 30' this round (and every subsequent round during which they continue to panic). Regaining control requires a successful Animal Handling check. Dismounting from a galloping horse is possible, but doing so without sustaining injuries [1d6 bludgeoning damage, IIRC] from the fall requires a successful acrobatics check.


Your Turn.

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This message was last edited by the GM at 00:35, Fri 16 Dec 2016.

Corros, not one for waiting around to fall victim to a panicked or paralyzed mount, slides off the saddle and takes a few steps towards the approaching monster.  It occurs to him that the rest of his group is fleeing from his position, leaving him exposed and alone.  The warlock is secure, though, that they will return to stand by his side.  And if the monster should hurt him, well The Library might have an opinion on that.

"Fire then?" Corros says with a slight grin. "Come and find some."

OOC:
Corros
AC 13, HP 61/61
Casting Fire Bolt: 2x bolts, +8 to attack, 1d10+5 damage each
If hit, will cast Hellish Rebuke,  4th level slot, 5d10 fire damage, save for half
This message was last edited by the player at 02:38, Thu 15 Dec 2016.

Then:

Nicolai keeps his tone mild as he sends a wave of wordless agreement toward Corros.  "Lord Mayor.  My colleague is correct.  Our research," sorry for the "our," Corros, "over the winter has refined some of our concerns.  You recall, of course," he assumes nothing of the sort but it's the kind of diplomatic prompt Vander seems to appreciate these days, "our accounts of the events we experienced before returning to find the Bloodforged here.  We don't believe Balefyre is the first settlement in this area, and something befell the previous tenants."  He leans forward, setting his body language to "earnest and concerned."  "We don't know enough about that catastrophe yet, but the fact that the local orcish tribal memory memorializes it is a significant indicator.  You know what it takes to make a lasting impression on a culture's oral history."

Leaning back again, he fixes Vander with a level gaze.  "We'll investigate.  But Corros has the right of it.  Right now, we're fishing blindly for someone else's lost sovereigns in a barrel full of broken glass.  If we don't take the time to sort it out, sooner or later we're going to pull back a handful of pain."

---

Now:

His instincts validated, Nicolai emits an irritated hiss and slides out of the saddle.  He'll deal with the horse later - or, more likely, let Zima deal with it, as his relations with equine associates have never been that warm.  For now, Corros is the fragile lynchpin around whom the party needs to reform.

Ice-rimed mud splashes and crackles under Nicolai's blurring feet as he races back to rejoin his companion.  A whistle captures the attention of the ravens that are never far from him these days; a finger-flick of thieves' cant from his right hand sends them spiraling in toward the white-furred colossus.  His left hand is otherwise occupied with steel...

Nicolai
AC 16; HP 61/61; Superiority dice 4/4
Move: Toward the fight
Bonus: Master of Tactics to "Help" Corros' attack with a raven distraction (granting advantage as the yeti's attention is on the birds, not the warlock)
Attack (if in melee at end of move): Rapier +1 (two attacks at +7, damage 1d8+4 [+2d6 on first hit if an ally is in melee too])
Attack (if not in melee at end of move): Dart (attack +6, damage 1d4+3 [+2d6 if an ally is in melee too])
This message was last edited by the player at 02:21, Thu 15 Dec 2016.

The monster doesn't scare Gronk, but the panicked mount does. This is the half-orc pit fighter's first experience on horseback, and he doesn't remember reading about this scenario in the user's manual.

"Whoa! Stop! STOP!" he bellows, pulling hard on the reins.

The horse ignores him. Gronk wants off. Now. He pulls his left foot out of the stirrup and attempts to jump to the ground to his right, which is rushing by beneath the galloping hoofs of the terrified steed at an alarming speed.

If and when Gronk gets his feet back down on the ground, he means to sprint back to the ambush site to assist his friends.

Gronk
AC 19; HP 78/88
Acrobatics check to dismount panicked horse; running back to join the fight

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This message was last edited by the player at 00:28, Fri 16 Dec 2016.

Jenna clings on tightly to her horse as it gallops off. With little experience of horses she knows that she is unlikely to manage to bring the beast back under control, however every step it takes is carrying her further away from the monster that is attacking them. And to add to the problem, the pack horse has followed her steed’s lead, and so their provisions and supplies are in danger of also disappearing over the horizon.

Ultimately though supplies are replaceable. Jenna looks at the ground racing by beneath the horse’s hooves, eases her booted feet out of the stirrups and tries to dismount from the beast as agilely as she can, bracing herself for a hard impact with the frozen ground.

Provided she doesn’t injure herself too badly getting off the horse she’ll rise to her feet, move back towards the Yeti as quickly as she can. If / when she gets within range she’ll then call on the Goddess’s grace to send a powerful Guiding Bolt towards the monster.

Jenna
AC: 21, HP 56/56
Dismounting / moving towards Yeti / casting Guiding Bolt (Level 3) when in range

With his companions scattered to the four winds, Corros stands alone against the charging Yeti. Heeding the involuntarily retreating Ranger's advice, the young warlock hurls a mote of magical fire at the monster; it strikes home in a brief burst of orange flame, leaving an angry-looking scorch mark in the beast's white belly fur (Yeti -8HP; next attack is at disadvantage). The successful spell attack fails to stop the monster's headlong charge, however. As it covers the intervening distance with long, loping strides, the Yeti's deep blue eyes are fixed on the warlock, and Corros can feel his body start to freeze up (Corros is paralyzed for 1 minute- CON save at the end of each turn to remove condition).

Unable to move, Corros can do little but await the ungentle caress of the monster's claws. The first blow lands hard. The second somehow manages to miss completely. (Corros -10HP).

Corros' companions, meanwhile, are doing everything that they can to come to his aid. Choosing expediency over caution, Nic leaps from the back of his galloping steed. He tumbles hard over the rocky ground before regaining his footing (Nic -2HP; -15' movement). He sprints towards Corros and the attacking Yeti but, realizing that he won't arrive within melee range quickly enough, Nic elects to use his darts. The projectile lodges itself in the Yeti's upper left arm, drawing a howl of annoyance and a trickle of crimson blood.

Jenna too tumbles from the saddle, getting to her feet slightly bruised but in one piece (Jenna -4 HP; -15' movement). She too races back towards the melee. Extending her arm, she launches a Guiding Bolt at the Yeti, blasting it with a burst of radiant energy. Staggering back, away from Corros, the beast roars in anger and pain (Yeti -23HP; Yeti grants advantage on all attacks until the end of Jenna's next turn).

Gronk hits the ground hard and rolls a few feet before coming to a stop (Gronk -5HP; -15' movement). The impact is painful enough, but the fresh wounds on his back make it damn-near excruciating. He climbs to his feet and quickly reorients himself. Wielding Spike above his head, the raging half-orc charges towards the fray, bellowing a guttural war cry.

After struggling briefly and with futility to calm her panicked horse, Zima decides to attempt a high speed dismount. Alone among all the adventurers, she manages to hit the ground on her feet. As her skidding landing comes to a halt, she turns to face the Yeti, unslings her bow, and notches an arrow. She fires twice from range, but misses with both shots.

OOC: Nic, Jenna, and Gronk can all reach the Yeti (i.e. melee range) and still take an action during the upcoming round. Corros is paralyzed until at least the end of the upcoming round, but can still communicate telepathically.


Your Turn.

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This message was last edited by the GM at 02:50, Mon 19 Dec 2016.

Seeing that Corros is the target of the beast's attack, Jenna feels a familiar mix of emotions coursing through her, a desire to protect her lover mingling with a raw anger that is directed at the source of the threat, an anger that is enough to make her eyes change colour several times, blue giving way to milky white that in is in turn speckled with black as she interjects herself between the monster and Corros, who appears to be making no moves to protect himself from its claws,

"Leave him be!" Jenna hisses as she places herself between the Yeti and the Warlock, the shield on her left arm raised to try and block its blows as she swings the warhammer held in her right, willing Arma to guide her blows as she tries to strike the beast down.

Jenna
AC: 21, HP 51/56
Melee Combat with Yeti, Warhammer +1
Using War Priest feature for bonus action (1st of 5)

Confidence in The Library drains rapidly from the warlock's mind as Corros feels his limbs succumb to the freezing effects of the Yeti's gaze.  There is fear to be sure, but also a touch of self-hatred and humor at putting himself in this situation.  Not the wisest decision, he muses around the pain of the Yeti's claws.  The fact that he can't scream in pain is probably what is keeping his thoughts relatively well put together.  Despite the paralysis, he can feel blood running down his side.  Claws hurt.

His allies are coming.  He knows it deep in his bones because he would be coming for them.  All he can do is try to will his mind and body free of this terrible prison.  And wait to get hit again.

I'm okay, he sends, trying to reassure his friends.  Just can't move.  Fear leaks through the channel, but not panic.


Corros
51/61 HP, AC 13
Trying to shake off paralysis
Con Save +3

The dagger comes into Nicolai's off-hand as he gauges the furry giant's reach and strength.  Be calm.  You've been worse, he tosses back at Corros as he closes on the yeti.  Then he's out of time for banter as Jenna interposes herself between the yeti and its intended victim.  Letting the priestess hold the creature's attention, he hooks around her right side, looking for a vital spot in which to plant his blades.

Nicolai
AC 16; HP 59/61; Superiority dice 4/4
Move: Into the fight
Attack: Rapier +1 (two attacks at +7, damage 1d8+4)
Bonus: Off-hand attack with dagger +1 (one attack at +7, damage 1d4+4)
Also: +2d6 sneak attack damage on first successful attack from Jenna's flanking
This message was last edited by the player at 22:48, Mon 19 Dec 2016.

Jenna and Nic arrive almost simultaneously, attacking the yeti from opposite directions. The monster bats Jenna's first hammer blow aside, but the priestess is undeterred. Her next swing drives Arma's Blessing into the yeti's hip, producing an audible crack (Crit! Yeti -10HP).

Nic gives the creature no time to recover, thrusting twice at the yeti's unprotected back with his rapier. Reeling from Jenna's powerful hammer blow, the creature suddenly lurches into Nic's attack, neutralizing his primary weapon's reach. Not missing a beat, Nic makes his dagger the focal point of his offense, driving it deep into the yeti's torso, aiming for the spot behind which most humanoids' livers reside (Yeti -4HP). Mortally wounded, the beast arches its back and moans, then falls on its right side, where it lies motionless, steam, blood, and black bile escaping from the deep stab wound (Yeti is dead!).

As soon as the Yeti falls, Corros' strange paralysis ends. Gronk arrives too late to influence the outcome of the contest. The fight is over.

Zima pads up, fresh arrow knocked. "I've never seen or heard of a Yeti being down this far from the mountains this time of year." she says, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Lost my horse; couldn't get him under control. I can track them easily enough but which one do we go after first? Or do we go after them at all? If there're more monsters about...

"Where's Kerek?"


Your Turn.

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This message was last edited by the GM at 01:11, Tue 20 Dec 2016.

Nicolai shrugs at Zima's observation on yeti migration.  "Wildlife.  Definitely your forte," he acknowledges, cleaning and sheathing his blades.

"Kerek's horse was taking him east, right behind mine," he observes, pointing in the appropriate direction.  "He'd probably appreciate not being eaten by something else horrible.  The horses, too," he adds sourly after a moment's reflection.

"Corros, Gronk, let me see to those before we start moving.  We don't want them to fester."  He rummages in his pack for a bandage and a packet of dried herbs.

Nicolai -2 poultices
Corros +10 hp
Gronk +12 hp
This message was last edited by the player at 02:25, Tue 20 Dec 2016.

”My horse and the pack mount were still headed towards Yonder’s Hole.” Jenna muses in reply to Zima’s question about tracking the horses. ”We should probably go after Kerek.”

Seeing that Nicolai has the required healing well in hand the blonde haired Priestess then walks over to Corros, places her hand gently on his arm, her voice soft as she looks at the Warlock. ”Are you OK?”

Corros considers bravado in answer to Jenna's question, but tosses the idea immediately.  Acting tough really hasn't been the basis of their relationship.  Honesty has been the foundation.  Well, that with a little roguish charm.  And my amazing good looks, he allows himself with some humor.

"I'm okay," he answers back after meeting his eyes.  "A little chilly around the edges, yeah?  I'd prefer if our enemies," a booted foot prods the yeti's corpse for a moment or two, "didn't remove the ability to move my hands, but, you know, we don't get to choose... Your flying dismount went well?"

The warlock takes stock of their situation and gives Nic a nod of thanks.  "I can fly up and get a look around," he offers.  "Maybe spot the horses before they get too far and give us a better idea of what where they're leading us."

"That would be very useful," Nicolai muses.  "If you can give us a look at the terrain around here, it'd save us a lot of time.  And possibly pain."  After a moment's thought, he adds, "Just don't make yourself a target.  Get the hell back down here if you see another manticore, yeah?"

His garments fluttering as his feet leave the earth, Corros rises slowly into the sky. This is no simple levitation spell, the bread-and-butter of street magicians Torwheld over. As the warlock gains altitude, this becomes clear. Corros means to fly. It's not something that many outside of the most renowned academies of magic have witnessed first hand. Gronk nearly dislocates his jaw gaping at the sight.

Corros is, pardon the pun, learning on the fly. It takes complete concentration and some time to master control of his airborne body but soon he's sailing west 100 feet above the nearest bluffs, searching out the errant dwarf miner. Several of Nic's ravens accompany the warlock, darting about the flying half-elf with a mixture of curiosity and bemusement. From this height, away to the north, Corros can see the simple hilltop stockade that serves as the ultimate redoubt for the inhabitant of the mining camp (an addition to the Yonder's Hole constructed during the rebuilding of the valley camp). Facing west, Corros follows the draw for a few hundred feet until he spots Nic's horse drinking from a small pool of snowmelt. Kerek, still astride his mount, is not much further on. His horse is in a lather, walking now, head down, away from whence it was terrorized. Ahead of the rider, around a small bend in the ravine, is another camp, much smaller than Yonder's Hole, and much dingier than the mining settlement ever was, even at the height of the Orc siege. Kerek, however, can't see this camp. His mount is stumbling, unawares, towards it.

This wouldn't be a problem if this squalid camp were simply an outlying annex of Yonder's Hole. But it is soon apparent that it is not. From a height, its occupants appear as tall, dog-headed men, mostly naked, most carrying nasty looking weapons. Within the bounds of the camp is a crude cage, packed to brimming with huddled humanoids- men and dwarves, predominantly. Not far to the east of this camp, boring into the flank of a low bluff, is a tunnel. As Corros watches, a stoop-shouldered man emerges from the tunnel bearing a basket of earth, dumping it as his overseer's lash bites at his naked back.

The others watch Corros sail off to the west, eventually losing sight of the airborne warlock as he's screened off by the looming western bluff. Zima volunteers to go after the pack horse.


Your Turn.

-
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:59, Sun 15 Jan 2017.

Corros leaves the ground and his friends behind in a moment of weightless freedom.  Nothing has compared to the sensation of freedom that this spell has given him.  The only feeling that he can remember as coming close to soaring through the air was the initial discovery of The Library many years ago.  He wants to rise higher than the bluffs and climb higher and higher into the skies to leave the earth behind.  Given that he's also not suicidal, and that he doesn't know what awaits him around the area or in the sky, common sense prevails and he stays near the ground.  Or nearish.

Sighting Kerek and his ultimate destination causes Corros' pulse to spike.  Their ally is in danger, and despite their short time together, Corros knows he has to do his part to save the man from imprisonment, if not death.  The warlock turns to the crows escorting him through the sky as he begins to descend.

"Go to Nic," he tells them, "please tell him that there are gnolls ahead and they must hurry.  Lead him to that place."  Corros points to the camp, then dives, skimming across the ground hoping to intercept Kerek before he meets his fate.


Corros
61/61 HP, AC 13
Flying to intercept Kerek
10' above ground
If gnolls come around the corner before he can stop Kerek, he'll cast Evard's Black Tentacles at a choke point
If he can get within range before Kerek is exposed, he'll use telepathy to turn him around and try to keep him silent

Nicolai watches with more than a touch of envy as Corros takes flight.  "He did not tell me he could do this.  Did he tell you he could do this?" he asks Jenna rhetorically.

The envy turns to concern as the witchling's course suddenly veers west and drops.  The cloud of crows plummets, too, returning to Nicolai.

"Gnolls," croaks one in a passable imitation of Corros' voice.  A second emphasizes the missive with a head-tilt and flutter of wings that's an eerily accurate imitation of the thieves' cant for "hurry" and "follow."

"Shit.  Gnolls," Nicolai repeats for the benefit of his companions, breaking into a run.

Jenna can't help but smirk a little at the look on Nicolai's face when the Rogue asks the question that he clearly already knows the answer to. "He did more than tell me, he would take me with him." Together she and Corros had soared over Balefyre, she clinging tightly to him as the City had slipped by beneath them.

She's still smiling at the thought of those memories when the ravens return, flock around their Master, the gist of the message that they carry understandable even before Nicolai repeats it. Jenna wonders whether these gnolls are connected to the same pack that they had bested before, the ones that had been plaguing the orcs, the ones from whom they had recovered the Hand of Doom talisman.

These were questions that could be asked after they had tasted Arma's wrath. For now Jenna sets off after Nicolai, matching her pace to his.

Gnolls.

Gronk smiles and falls in behind Nic and Jenna, eager for the fight that was clearly coming.

-

"He took you with him?  And neither of you told me?  He never takes me anywhere," Nicolai rejoins, tongue planted firmly in cheek.  Then he shuts up and runs.

Despite their seeming preoccupation with things subterranean, the gnolls, for gnolls they most certainly are, can't help but notice the floating elf-man and his swirling coterie of ravens. A particularly observant gnoll's barks of alarm alert the others; the presumed leader, conspicuous by his unusually large size, directs several from among his band to proceed east, at speed, down the draw, towards the airborne interloper. Corros realizes that this puts them on a collision course with Kerrek, still completely unaware of the danger into which he's riding.

The rest of the party is in hot pursuit, but Kerek, thanks to his runaway mount, still has a substantial lead. At the moment, the dwarf is closer to the gnolls than he is to his own travelling companions. As Corros watches, Kerek finally gets his mount turned around, but the gnolls are closing fast (quarry and hunters still can't see one another).

The party of gnolls moving towards Corros (and Kerek) numbers six, accompanied by four hyenas. There appears to be at least a dozen gnolls in and around the squalid camp; the cage contains several humanoid prisoners, although there are very likely more currently out of sight, digging below ground.


Your Turn.

-
This message was last updated by the GM at 16:03, Fri 30 Dec 2016.

Corros has to double down on his decision to try and save Kerek before the gnolls arrive.  Despite the warlock's reluctance to enter combat without his four allies, if he doesn't act, their new friend will perish.  Or be forced to spend the next several hours to days slaving under the whips of gnollish slave masters.  At least they gnolls are after Corros now, and that means he might be able to lure the creatures away.  Especially if he plays a little hide and seek.

Keeping low, he tries to try to keep a ridge line between himself and the gnoll camp.  He'll make it look like a bad attempt at stealth in an attempt to buy Kerek time to move.  At the same time, he starts looking for a good spot to draw their enemies towards.  A place where Nic, Jenna, and Gronk can do their best to inflict damage.  A choke point or a draw would be best.  Just away from Kerek will be sufficient.

If he has to protect Kerek, he will.

"Push Kerek to Nic," he tells the ravens.  When he has a good location to do battle, he'll send that via raven too.

Nicolai sees Corros dip below the jagged horizon, trailing ravens like an ebon comet.  "He's doing something stupid and heroic," he observes to Jenna, probably unnecessarily.  He concentrates on his footing.  As soon as the first gnoll is in sight, he wants to be in its face with blades out before it realizes what's happening.

Corros' diversion works. He drifts to his right, over the bluff that forms the northern boundary of the draw currently being used by all three parties (Kerek, Corros' friends, and the gnolls). The gnolls, still unaware of Kerek's presence (he's just out of sight around a gentle bend in the draw), scramble up the bluff towards the floating intruder.

Nic's ravens seem to understand Corros' spoken directions. Four of them break off and dive towards Kerrek, noisily hectoring him and his exhausted mount east, towards Nic and the others.

When the first gnoll reaches the crest of the ridge, he notches his bow and takes aim at Corros. Corros sideslips into defilade and the hastily-sent arrow sails wide. The gnoll archer's companions arrive in short order and, although their attention is naturally drawn to the floating humanoid, they now have a better view down the length of the draw. Invariably, one of them notices the noisy ravens herding a rider away from the gnoll camp. Much barking and snarling ensues. Four of the gnolls slide back down the draw and peel off in hot pursuit of the mounted dwarf, accompanied by all four of the hyenas. This leaves two bow-armed gnolls atop the ridge, both focused on Corros.

Nic, Jenna, Gronk, and Zima are still closing on Kerek from the east. They can finally see him up ahead. Since they and he are moving towards one another, his friends should reach him before the gnolls do.


Your Turn.

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This message was last edited by the GM at 16:20, Mon 02 Jan 2017.

"Keep going," Nicolai snarls as he passes Kerek and his winded mount.  He tugs his rapier and dagger free of their scabbards and angles toward where he estimates the gnolls will appear.

Nicolai
AC 16; HP 61/61; Superiority Dice 4/4
Move: Into melee with gnolls.
Attack (x2): Rapier +1 against first available gnoll (attack +7, damage 1d8+4)
Bonus: If necessary, Cunning Action for Dash to get into melee; if not, expending a superiority die to feint (first attack has advantage; +1d8 damage [on top of sneak attack damage] if it hits)

With his companions forming up a battle line, Corros decides to take a chance and see what he can do against a lone archer with a few of his own missiles.  The decision isn't without its flaws, to be sure.  If it works, though, his allies will have magical support to the gnolls rear.  Not a bad situation for any group of adventurers to find themselves in.  And if it starts to go bad, the street rat can make like rats everywhere, and scurry for friendlier shores.

And maybe The Library can help

Corros
Using Entropic Ward, casting Eldrtich Bolt x2 at the gnoll archer, +8 to attack, d10+5 damage each
Trying to stay behind cover as much as possible

Jenna pulls up short when Nicolai rushes forward, positing that she can do more damage if she stays back slightly and calls on the Goddess to aid her and her friends in the impending battle. So as the Ardani advances she takes a deep breath, raises her hands and points towards the spot where they expect the first of the Gnolls to appear. When the creature comes into sight she'll unleash a bolt of radiant energy towards it.

Jenna
AC: 21, HP 51/56
Casting Guiding Bolt (Level 2) at first Gnoll to show itself.

"Wait up!" Gronk says, trying to keep up with the fleet-footed Ardani. Once Nic stops and gets into position, Gronk falls in on his left side, ready to bash some gnoll heads.

Gronk
AC 19; HP 83/88
Moving to Nic's left flank; 2x attacks to first target that gets within melee range

-
This message was last edited by the player at 16:28, Mon 02 Jan 2017.

Kerrek's expression leaps from relief to alarm as Nic, Gronk, Jenna, and Zima pass him in rapid succession, moving quickly in the opposite direction. When he turns his head to see where they're going, he finally realizes the danger he's been in for the last few minutes or so.

Nic and Gronk set up a two-person battle line, with Jenna and Zima hanging back a bit to provide fire support from range.

If the gnolls are alarmed to find that their easy prey has formidable friends, they don't show it. The four hyena-headed monstrosities, followed by four quadrupedal relations hot on their heels, charge forward, directly at Nic and Gronk.

The lead gnoll stops dead in its tracks, just short of Nic, as a bolt of radiant energy hurled by Jenna slams into its furry chest (GH1 -17HP; grants advantage on next attack).

Nic thrusts his rapier through the stunned gnoll's throat. Dark red blood spews from the entry wound; the monster falls down, mortally wounded, as soon as Nic slides the slim blade free (GH1 -9HP; GH1 is dead!).

The next gnoll rushes forward, undeterred. Gronk is ready. Spike rises and falls twice, bashing the dog-man into the dirt, where it lies unmoving at his feet (G2 -25HP; G2 is dead!).

The others come on. Nic feints to create an opening, then follows through with another rapier thrust. The blade bites deep into the gnoll's midsection (GH3 -17HP). It snarls and hacks at Nic with its short swords (on in each hand). Both blades cut through Nic's studded leather armor, drawing blood (Nic -12HP; -10' movement until end of GH3's next turn).

Zima targets the next gnoll, sending two arrows its way. Both miss. It hurls itself at Gronk, spear reaching out hungrily for the half-orc's belly. Gronk turns the polearm with his shield and swings his morning star at the attacker, crushing its shoulder (G4 -15HP).

Two hyenas go for Nic, the other two go for Gronk. Nic's armor is proof against the beast's teeth; their breath on the other hand... it's nauseatingly foul. Gronk's armor can't stop one of the hyenas from nearly taking a finger (Gronk -3HP).

Meanwhile, Corros is engaged in a ranged duel with a pair of gnoll archers. Corros strikes first, killing one of them with a powerful brace of Eldritch blasts (Crit! GH5 -25HP; GH5 is dead!). The second gnoll archer is luckier, feathering Corros with a black-fletched shaft (Corros -6HP; -10' feet movement until end of GH5's next turn).


Your Turn.

-
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:34, Sat 31 Mar 2018.

Nicolai curses and staggers as the two staggering blows pummel his left leg.  He shoves himself backward with his good leg, and the unpredictability of the off-balance hop is probably what keeps the oncoming hyenas from pulling him down.  The point of his rapier buys him a few more seconds of keeping the beasts at bay.  It's enough time for him to slot into formation with Gronk and pivot toward his humanoid adversary to finish the job.

Nicolai
AC 16; HP 49/61; Superiority Dice 3/4
Attack 1: Rapier +1 on G3 (attack +7, damage 1d8+4)
Attack 2: Rapier +1 on G3 or G4 (attack +7, damage 1d8+4)
Bonus: Off-hand attack with dagger +1 on G3, G4, or H1 (attack +7, damage 1d4+4)
Note: First successful attack on an enemy Gronk can reach gets +2d6 sneak attack damage

The sight of the first archer falling under the blast of magic that Corros sent screaming across the distance is enough to almost make up for the pain the second archer inflicts on the warlock.  Almost.  Alas, getting feathered by an arrow isn't the most painful injury Corros has ever taken, but it still hurts.  A quick glance at his companions tell the warlock that they are doing okay.  He should still hurry.  With his confidence bolstered by the first exchange of fire, Corros draws forth another pair of magical bolts and sends them flying toward the remaining archer.

Corros
Casting Eldrtich Blast x2 at the gnoll archer, +8 to attack, d10+5 damage each
Still trying to present a difficult target

Holding her position behind the main battle line Jenna's lips curl into a satisfied smile as she sees the Gnoll that she targeted fall and not get up again, radiant sparks still flitting randomly around its lifeless body. The Priestess has already turned her attention to the next target, her eyes milky white as she extends her hands towards the beasts menacing Nicolai, intending to send them to meet their false God with the same speed that the first one had been despatched.

Jenna
AC: 21, HP 51/56
Casting Guiding Bolt (Level 2) at G3
If G3 already dead alternate target is G4

In spite of the painful bite wound, Gronk stays focused on his gnoll adversary, attempting to finish the dog-headed monstrosity before it can make another stabbing attack with its spear. If he can kill the gnoll, Gronk will ignore the nipping hyenas and instead assist Nic with his gnoll- unless Nic can take care of it himself, in which case the slavering hyena will taste cold steel.

Gronk
AC 19; HP 80/88
Attack +9 on G4, rinse and repeat on G3 (or hyena)

-

The gnoll hunter can't deal with Nic's quickness. Touch of Sylk pierces the monster's beady dog eye and slides into the puny brain behind, killing it instantly (G4- 10HP; G4 is dead!).

Gronk, meanwhile, attempts to finish his own opponent. The gnoll sidesteps the first blow, but it can't avoid a quick follow-up backhand strike. Spike slams into the side of the gnoll's dog head, caving in its skull and dropping the beast like a sack of wet laundry (G4- 13HP; G3 is dead!).

Deprived of both her primary and secondary targets in short order, Jenna instead directs another bolt of Arma's power towards one of the hyenas besetting the more lightly armored rogue-ranger. The hyena flies backwards in flash, rolling limply once it hits the ground, still smoking and clearly dead (H1- 13HP; H1 is dead!).


Nic runs the second hyena through, leaving just the two hyena's still snapping at Gronk. Redeeming her earlier misses, the half-elf ranger feathers both dogs, dropping them (H3 -10HP; H3 is dead! H3 -10HP; H4 is dead!).

Just like that, the companions, minus the still-airborne Corros, are alone. Corros' ranged duel with the gnoll archers continues. His second round of attacks are just as successful as the first, and he blasts the beast into oblivion (GH6 -22HP; GH6 is dead!).

Kerrek is safe and the gnoll reaction force has been annihilated. The gnoll camp and its slave laborers still remain under heavy guard.

Your Turn.

-
This message was last edited by the player at 20:25, Sun 08 Jan 2017.

"Geh."  Nicolai gingerly tests his leg until he's sure it'll bear his weight.  He begins to kneel, intending to clean his blades on a gnoll's fur, then wrinkles his nose and digs a rag out of his pack instead.  "Where's Corros?"  He cocks his head for a moment, listening.  "I don't hear anything, which means he won.  Let's get him back here and find out what he's seen."  He whistles to his ravens and flashes the thieves' cant for fetch little witch.

"Kerek, if you're all right, help Zima recover the rest of the horses, please.  We'll need them soon enough."

When the ravens arrive with their summons, Corros heeds the call.  He floats over the ground, not exactly stalling, but savoring this moment of flight.  Post battle, and post being sliced by an arrow, being airborne gives him a few bits of pure joy.  This kind of magic is fun, and fun is something that has been in relatively short supply over the half-elf's life.  It is, he concludes, something he needs more of.

He approaches his companions and hovers just off the ground, unwilling to let the spell end quite yet.

Are you okay? he sends to Jenna, wrapped in emotions of concern and warmth.

"Short work, that," Corros says aloud.  "But we've got a bigger problem.  Around a few more corners there's a gnoll prison camp.  They're mining.  With slaves."  The last word comes out thick with distaste.  "The gnolls we just defeated were sent from the camp to deal with me, so they know we're here.  If we're careful though, I think we might be able to hit them now.  It's hard to say if we'll get another chance.  And if the gnolls feel threatened, they might pack up and leave.  After taking care of their slaves, yeah?"

The unspoken answer to Corros' silent question is accompanied by a toss of blonde hair and a smile as he hovers there, just off the ground. Showing off. And she loves him for it. Yes. Just bruised from where I fell off that horse. For a fleeting moment thoughts of him examining that bruised skin spring to mind, just long enough to carry across the link before the news that he bears forces her attention back to less pleasant matters, her own countenance becoming equally grim as he talks of slaves being forced to mine.

"You're right. We should attack them now, before they have a chance to react to our presence." There's a nod towards one of the dead gnolls. "Do these beasts have the wit and cunning to do this by themselves?" The Priestess shrugs her shoulders. Ultimately the question was immaterial, they would find out the answer soon enough. There were other matters to address. "And more to the point, does anyone need healing?"

Gronk sucks at his gouged knuckle and spits a wad blood on the stony ground. "Nah, I'm good. Thanks, though." He'd almost forgotten about the Yeti claw marks on his upper back- Nic's poultice seems to have done the trick.

"I'm all for a attacking the camp." Gronk adds his vote. Turning back to Jenna, he adds, "If we're going right back into battle against superior numbers, one of those blessing spells you do sure would be nice."

Looking to Nic, Gronk asks, "Got any clever ideas how we're going to do this?"


-
This message was last edited by the player at 00:58, Thu 12 Jan 2017.

"Possibly."  Nicolai scratches his fast-blooming stubble.  "Corros, about how many more are there?  We'll need to be fast.  They'll figure out we took care of these," he gestures at the scattered corpses, "quickly."

"I don't think we can assume any of the slaves will be able to help once we attack.  I'm sure they want to but they're probably on minimal rations.  So we'll take the help if we get it, but we won't count on it.  Though... hmm.  Jenna, could you invoke Arma's favor for them?  Anything that would help keep the gnolls from slaughtering them?"

"And Corros?  How much longer will you be able to fly?  If you can circle around behind their camp and wait until we have their attention before sucker-punching them with witchcraft..."

Jenna's first act is to step over to Nicolai, place a hand on his forearm and whisper a prayer to the Goddess, her eyes turning milky white for several heartbeats as the Warrior's power healing courses through her and into Nicolai, causing the flesh torn by the gnolls and their hyena minions to knit back together. (Nicolai, +7 HP)

The Priestess then looks over to Gronk, fingers the amulet that Brother Jaro had given her. "I can call on Arma to Bless us all when we go in to battle." She turns back to Nicolai. "If I can get close to them I can call on my Spirit Guardians to help me to defend them but I'd need to be more or less right up next to them. I'm not sure if there's anything else I can do for them from a distance."

21:41, Today: Jenna Drax rolled 7 using 1d8+5.  Cure Wounds Level 1.

"Thank you."  Nicolai flexes his formerly-injured limb experimentally.  "All right.  My best thought, which isn't all that good, is that Jenna and I form up on Gronk so we can support each other more easily.  We've just seen that these things will fight like a wolf pack, so anyone who gets isolated and in grabbing distance will get pulled down.  Corros - if you can fly behind them and hit them from an unexpected direction, that will sow confusion.  But only if you can stay aloft."

He shrugs uncomfortably.  "We'll have to hope for the best for the slaves.  If the gnolls decide to start slaughtering them, we'll try to intervene, but we can't do them any good if we're dead because we didn't concentrate on the fight first."
This message was last edited by the player at 13:38, Sun 15 Jan 2017.

The companions, minus Zima and Kerrek (sent to collect the horses), advance up the draw towards the reported gnoll camp. It doesn't take long to make contact again. A large gnoll force comes out to meet them.

Apparently realizing that its pursuit force had fallen afoul of an ambush of some sort, the gnoll chieftain is personally leading out a second, larger war party. The leader of the band is at least a head taller than any of the others, its greasy fur adorned with multiple red-black handprints, a severed hand on a thong around its long, thick neck. It's a flind, an exceptionally large, physically powerful gnoll- an alpha male who leads by virtue of its sheer strength and higher than above average (for a gnoll) intelligence. Hanging from its hand is an impressively crafted flail, perhaps of dwarven make.

Intelligently led, this group of gnolls fights with more tactical acumen. The main body is preceded by skirmishers armed with bows. They stop about 30' from the adventurers and draw their bowstrings. A small pack of hyenas runs ahead of the archers, grunting, laughing, and snapping. The flind hangs back with six warriors armed with assorted melee weapons (mostly spears).

W1 W2 W3 FC W4 W5 W6

    A1 A2 A3 A4

    H1 H2 H3 H4



      N  G  J
          C

Your Turn.

-
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:53, Mon 16 Jan 2017.

The discipline of the gnoll battle line is almost impressive to Corros.  He's not used to creatures using actual tactics to attack him and his allies.  That being said, he's about to mess with their intentions.  He's had enough of being hit with arrows today.  "I'm not evil," he says, standing behind Jenna, Nic, and Gronk.  "But this spell might give you the wrong idea."  With a series of complicated gestures and words in no human tongue, the warlock calls for a pitch black pit of shimmering, writhing, tentacles that reach for the archers.

Corros
55/61 HP, AC 13
Casting Evard's Black Tentacles, 20' area
Creatures who start their turn in the area must save vs str (DC 16) or suffer 3d6 damage and become entrapped.  Creatures moving into the area must save or suffer the same effect.  Entrapped creatures suffer 3d6 per round until they save successfully.

Jenna can sense the power of the Amulet that is worn around her neck, feel it radiating out, almost like a gentle glow, one that though unseen envelops her in Arma's grace, spreads through her, around her, reaching out to caress each of her companions, share the Goddess's blessing and protection. It feels both serene and powerful at the same time.

The Priestess watches as the gnolls approach, growing larger as they come closer. A toss of blonde mane as she hears her lover's words, a smile, for she knows that he is not evil. There's the briefest of joining of minds. She's tempted to let her thoughts drift back to time spent together in Balefyre, time spent alone, in the rooms acquired from Vander. But it is perhaps best that there are no distractions.

And so the link is broken as he begins to speak in unfamiliar tongues. Jenna raises her own hands, her palms upturned, her lips moving in prayer to the Goddess, eyes turning milky white as the air around her begins to shimmers and ghostly figures start to form.

Jenna
AC: 21, HP 51/56
Bless in effect via Medallion
Casting Spirit Guardians (Level 4)

"Uh.  Those are tentacles of inky blackness."  Despite the imminent threat of the gnolls, Nicolai turns his head to look at Jenna.  "You knew about the flying.  He took you flying.  Did you -- um -- never mind.  Let's kill some gnolls," he finishes as the sword-priestess ignores him and begins invoking her own powers.  Tucking himself into the formation, the Ardani raises his blades and prepares to advance at whatever speed Jenna sets.

Nicolai
AC 16; HP 56/61; Superiority Dice 3/4
Move: In conjunction with Jenna, staying within Spirit Guardians AoE
Attacks 1&2: Rapier +1 on first available melee target (attack +7, damage 1d8+4)
Bonus: Help (deflecting incoming attacks to give Corros advantage on Concentration check to maintain his tentacles)

Gronk resists the urge to countercharge the hyenas. Instead, he stays in line with Nic and Jenna, advancing steadily, shield up, morning star poised to deliver destruction.

"Bring it on, bitches!" he shouts, goading the bipedal gnolls and their four-legged kin.


Gronk
AC 19; HP 83/88
Keeping pace with Nic & Jenna
2x attacks on nearest target/s; riposte on tap

-

OOC: The following is a half-turn. Corros' area-effect spell has created a tactical situation that might affect other players actions. Nic, Jenna, and Gronk may take actions in this half of the turn; Corros has already done so.

The Four advance, three abreast in the van, Corros brining up the rear. The warlock's spell takes immediate effect, ensnaring six of the eight gnolls in its area of effect. The monsters struggle against the clubbing, constricting tentacles.
(A1 -12HP, A2 -14HP, A3 -5HP, W3 -14HP, W4 -9HP, W5 -12HP)

The charging hyenas run heedless into Jenna's ring of Spirit Guardians; all four are instantaneously annihilated by the radiant summons (all four hyenas are dead!).

W1 W2 W3 FC W4 W5 W6

    A1 A2 A3 A4



      N  G  J
          C

OOC: The enemies with a strike through them are restrained and will have to waste their actions attempting to escape (or attack at disadvantage). Entering that area is not recommended.


Your Turn.

-
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:32, Wed 18 Jan 2017.

The whimpering of dying hyenas is still echoing in Jenna's ears as she takes a step forward, the ethereal figures of the Spirit Guardians swirling around her as she advances purposefully, knowing that Nicolai and Gronk are with her, Corros a little behind. She can see the tentacles grasping their prey just ahead of them, had purposely chosen to pretend not to hear answer Master Romanelli's question on the subject.

There's a gap between canyon wall and the lead gnolls, one that Jenna judges will allow them to close with the beasts without being caught in the tentacles' clutching grasp themselves and should hopefully allow the Guardians to continue to smite down anything that comes at them. Reaching that spot, Jenna pauses, points extended fingers towards the Gnoll Chieftain, her body trembling visibly as Arma's grace courses through her, more powerful than she has ever known it before, that divine power manifesting itself in a bolt of radiant energy that leaps from her fingertips, streaking in the direction of the Gnoll chief.

Jenna
AC: 21, HP 51/56
Bless in effect via Medallion
Spirit Guardians in effect via Concentration
Advancing in formation / casting Guiding Bolt (Level 4) at Gnoll Chief

Jenna leads the team in skirting the grasping, inky tentacles to launch an attack into the gnoll's left flank. Her Guiding Bolt flies straight and true, striking the huge gnoll chieftan squarely in its hairy chest (FC -20HP; grants advantage until the end of Jenna's next turn).

To the left and a little in front of Jenna, Nic squares off against the leftmost gnoll warrior, wounding it with the second thrust of his rapier (W1 -15HP). The beast hits back, driving the point of its spear into Nic's left bicep (Crit! Nic -7HP). Jenna's Spirit Guardians pass through this gnoll without any effect.

Just to the right of Nic, Gronk delivers two crushing blows to his opponent, permanently felling the creature (W2 -27HP; W2 is dead!).

The Flind wades effortlessly through the magical tentacles, flail lashing out at the nearest threat. The monster runs afoul of Jenna's Spirit Guardians along the way (FC -17HP), but it doesn't seem phased, savagely pressing its attack regardless of the fresh damage. Gronk's Lemnish shield deflects the first blow, and he barely ducks the second. The half-orc delivers a quick counterattack, leaving the gnoll chieftain smarting but still very much in the fight (FC -17HP). The monster's third attack lands squarely between the gladiator's shoulder blades, almost driving Gronk to his knees (Gronk -10HP). He's been hit with flails before- although he senses that he avoided the worst of its power, something about this one tells him that it's no ordinary weapon.

Meanwhile, several of the gnolls ensnared in the mass of writhing tentacles manage to break free. Those that weren't affected are already moving quickly around the spell's area of effect to join the fight.

One of the archers (A4) circles around behind the four and launches two arrows at their backs. The first strikes Corros, but the young warlock manages to keep his concentration on his spell (Corros -6HP; -10' movement). The gnoll wastes his second shot on Jenna, whose armor easily deflects the arrow.

The rightmost gnoll warrior (W6) arcs around behind his trapped confederates and charges Nic with its spear. Fortunately, the point catches nothing but air.

A1 -12HP; freed
A2 -14HP; freed
A3 -5HP; restrained (will take additional damage at the start of its next turn)
A4
W1 -15HP
W2
W3 -14HP; restrained (will take additional damage at the start of its next turn)
W4 -9HP; restrained (will take additional damage at the start of its next turn)
W5 -12HP; freed
W6
GC (Flind) -54HP; granting advantage


Your Turn.

-

When she sees Corros struck by the arrow Jenna's heart immediately screams out at her to strike down the creature that had attacked him, to send it to meet its false God. Flecks of black are staining the milky whiteness of her eyes, the darkness spreading across her irises in a way that eerily mimics the tentacles that the Warlock had unleashed on their enemies.

Logic, though, tells her that they should concentrate on the leader. The afterglow of the Goddess's radiant power is still flickering around it. It is close enough that she can smell its foul reek. Has already lashed out at Gronk. Jenna's eyes go jet black as she lunges forward, her astral protectors by her side, Arma's grace still flowing from the medallion around her neck invoking the Warrior's power and glory as she raises her warhammer above her head, every ounce of her strength in the blow as she tries to strike down the Flind.

Jenna
AC: 21, HP 51/56
Bless in effect via Medallion
Spirit Guardians in effect via Concentration
Melee Combat with Gnoll Chief, Warhammer +1
Using War Priest feature for bonus action (2nd of 5)

"Fucker," Nic hisses as the spearpoint drives deep into his sword arm.  He drops to a knee to avoid another thrust as the snap of a bowstring alerts him to the threat behind the party.  He pivots and lets fly with his dagger toward one of the archers closing on Corros, then spins back to face the spear line as he plucks his spare dagger from his belt.  Following Jenna's lead, he drives for the gnoll leader's flank, hoping to drop the creature and break the enemy line.

Nicolai
AC 16; HP 49/61; Superiority Dice 2/4
Move: As needed to stay in formation
Bonus: Off-hand thrown attack on A2 with dagger +1 (attack +7, damage 1d4+4)
Attacks 1&2: Rapier +1 on flind (attack +7, damage 1d8+4, first successful attack gets +2d6 sneak attack damage)
Option: If the flind goes down, any remaining melee attacks are on W1

Gronk makes contact with the huge gnoll chieftain, the biggest- literally and figuratively- threat on the battlefield. It's an unspoken contract, you or me, to the death; let's do this. Gronk knows that the odds are long; it's going to take everything he's got to survive this duel. Drawing upon his orcish heritage, Gronk calls forth the rage buried deep inside. He swings Spike at the monster's head with all of his might.

Gronk (Raging)
AC 19; 73/88 HP
2x melee attacks: 1st is a Goading Attack v. Flind, 2nd is standard v. same target

-
This message was last edited by the player at 20:14, Sun 22 Jan 2017.

The gnolls breaking free of the tentacles manage to suddenly tip the balance of power in the skirmish.  Corros snarls in frustration, and starts trying to draw more power from The Library.  A sudden tear in his side causes a dip in his concentration that is answered by a doubling down on the thoughts holding that particular wave of power together.  For once, they might have bitten off more than they can chew.

"Gods," he mutters to no one.

With this left hand holding the seething mass of tentacles in existence, he throws a pair of Eldritch Blasts at the archers struggling free.


Corros
49/61 HP, AC 13
Holding Black Tentacles
One each Eldritch Blasts at A1 and A2.  +8 to attack, d10+5 damage each.

The front rankers concentrate their offense on the gnoll chieftain, piercing and bludgeoning it with a string of powerful attacks- even Jenna's Spirit Guardians join in. The mad beast reels back and falls, overcome by his opponents' collective fury (Nic does 24HP damage, Gronk does 32HP damage, Jenna does 13HP damage, her spell does 18HP damage- the Flind is dead!).

Driven by bloodlust and the desire to avenge their fallen chief, three gnoll spearmen wade through the revolving barrier of Spirit Guardians without any ill effect. Nic is pierced (Nic -4HP), as is Gronk (Crit! Gronk -4HP). Smoke, Jenna's enchanted plate, is proof against her attacker's spear.

Corros turns to face the hunters emerging from the tentacle field. A pair of Eldritch blasts kills a pair of gnolls (A1 -12HP; A1 is dead! A2 -8HP; A2 is dead!), leaving only the archer who'd just feathered him. Although, caught in the shin by Nic's thrown dagger (A4 -5HP), its first shot flies true, striking the young warlock with agonizing force (Crit! Corros -9HP). Somehow, Corros manages not to lose his control of Evard's Black Tentacles- they continue attacking the three entangled gnolls, overcoming one of them (W3 -4HP, A3 -7HP, W4 -16HP; W4 is dead!). The hunter's second arrow misses Corros by a hair's breadth.

Both entangled gnolls break free from the grasping black tentacles, one on the far side of the seething mass, the other just behind the trio of gnolls assailing the party's front rankers.

    N W1
 C  J W5 W3
    G W6                              A3

    A4

Your Turn.

-
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:09, Sun 19 Feb 2017.

Still alive, yeah? Corros observes silently.  The two bolts of magical energy had done their job and dispatched two more of the gnolls.  That still left six.  Corros and his friends are still outnumbered and even with gnoll leader dead, the dogheaded warriors are still fighting like fiends.

The warlock is considering his next move when an arrow shaft embeds itself in his thigh with a wet thump.  Pain lances through his nerves, almost shattering the thought patterns needed to hold the tentacles in place.  He knows a cry escapes his lips, he can't help it.  The wound is painful.

I have something for you too, Corros whispers directly into the mind of the archer who's arrow is in his leg before unleashing two more blasts of magical energy at the creature.


Corros
40/61 HP AC 13
Two Eldritch Blasts at A4, +8 to hit, d10+5 damage

The sounds of the battle are filling Jenna's ears. The whimpering of gnolls as they fall, the clash of speartip against armour as her shield deflects the blow aimed at her. She can feel a dampness on her cheek, blood, not her own. Her spiritual protectors are still flitting around her, swirling ethereal forms, their touch death to those they do not recognise as her friend.

She is face to face with one of the spearmen. She has to jerk her head back to avoid its snapping jaws. Its breath is foul. She can hear Corros cry out directly behind her. Anger courses through her, through every fiber of her being. Her tresses are rippling, moving of their own accord. She wants to kill the gnolls. To kill them all. Every last one of them. Her eyes are pools of pure blackness as she swings her hammer again, Arma's Blessing cutting through the air, its blunt head aimed at the gnoll's skull.

Jenna
AC: 21, HP 51/56
Bless in effect via Medallion
Spirit Guardians in effect via Concentration
Melee Combat with W5, Warhammer +1
Using War Priest feature for bonus action (3rd of 5)
This message was last edited by the player at 13:45, Sun 22 Jan 2017.

Nicolai feels another spearpoint gouge his flesh but it's not the near-crippling blow that the last strike was.  Eventually, enough of these will bring him down.  Not yet, though.  He sidesteps to give Jenna room to swing and unleashes his own flurry of steel on the maddened gnolls.

Nicolai
AC 16; HP 45/61; Superiority Dice 2/4
Attacks 1&2: Rapier +1 on W1 (attack +7, damage 1d8+4)
Bonus: Off-hand attack on W2 with dagger (attack +6, damage 1d4+3)
Special: First successful attack gets +2d6 sneak attack damage
Option: If W1 goes down, switching targets to W5

Gronk's a bit surprised that the Flind is down already, but he doesn't complain- he's still juiced up on rage. The half-orc gladiator turns his full attention to the gnoll berserker now front of him, attempting to smash its dog face in with a big, spiky ball of heavy metal.

Gronk
AC 19; HP 69/88; 1/4 combat superiority dice
Raging melee attack v W6; repeat, if necessary, or switch targets

-

Corros' gift lays the dog-faced archer in the dirt (A4 -22HP; A4 is dead!)

Jenna dispatches her opponent with a mighty hammer blow (W5 -10HP; W5 is dead!)

Gronk's first attack lands, but not hard enough to finish the berserker (W6 -13HP). The monster parries Gronk's second, then cocks its swords to deliver a savage counter.

Nic steps in and puts Touch of Sylk through the berserker's neck, killing it (W6 -9HP; W6 is dead!)

The last two remaining gnolls, both just out of the tentacle field, turn tail and run back towards their camp, leaving the Four masters of the cramped battlefield. Thirteen hyena-headed corpses, nine of the two-legged variety, litter the ground at their feet. Of the weaponry strewn among the bodies, only the Flind's massive flail appears to have any value. The dead war chief wears a Hand of Doom talisman around its thick neck.

The gnoll's camp is about a furlong to the northwest. The Flind likely didn't leave it completely unguarded, and the two escaping gnolls will certainly bring word of their leader's demise.


Your Turn.

-

"Yeah, no," Corros says to the backs of the fleeing gnolls.  His mind gives up on holding the tentacle spell in place, allowing the conjuration to fade into nothing.  Or back where it came.  Running would be tricky with the arrow in his leg and that's why he has spells.  Another pair of Eldritch bolts fly from his hands in the direction of the running archer.  He's had enough of their shit.

Corros
40/61 HP, AC 13
Two bolts at fleeing gnolls
+8 to attack, d10+5 ea

Nicolai has never claimed to be an archer.  He carries a bow when he's in the wilderness, but it's really more in the way of reassurance so he'll have something with which to shoot back.  In this case, though, he's not above shooting backs.

Nicolai
AC 16; HP 45/61; Superiority Dice 2/4
Move: Toward fleeing gnolls to close the range
Bonus: Cunning Action for Dash to further reduce range
Attacks 1&2: Shortbow on fleeing gnolls (attack +6, damage 1d6+3)
This message was last edited by the player at 01:51, Wed 25 Jan 2017.

Jenna pauses long enough to gulp in a lungful of air. There’s an immediate, instinctive thought to go to Corros. She heard him crying out. She knows that he is hurt. And then there’s the desire to kill more Gnolls. The two now trying to flee the field as rapidly as they can. She knows that she will never catch them on foot. But they cannot outrun Arma’s wrath.

The blonde haired Priestess raises her right hand, fingers extended, a ripple coursing through her as a bolt of radiant energy takes form at her fingertips, shoots through the air towards the fleeing beasts. She can sense that it’s not as powerful as the one that struck the Gnoll chief. She is growing weaker, needs to rest, to pray, to regather her strength.

Jenna
AC: 21, HP 51/56
Bless in effect via Medallion
Spirit Guardians in effect via Concentration
Launching Guiding Bolt (Level 2) at fleeing gnolls

The Four are not about to let the two fleeing gnolls escape. Corros acts first, sending forth two more Eldritch Blasts. Each magical projectile finds its respective target; one gnoll goes down permanently, smoking wound in its back (W3 -9HP; W3 is dead!), the other staggers under the impact of the arcane energy, but continues its headlong flight- Nic ends it, planting an arrow between the monster's furry shoulder blades (A4 -4HP; A4 is dead!).

The camp lies about a furlong away. Again, it probably wasn't left undefended, but its guards know not of the fate of their leader and his warriors, and no one is left to tell them.


Your Turn.

-
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:09, Sun 19 Feb 2017.

The Spirits are fading in and out of existence around Jenna, the effects of the Medallion also beginning to lessen, the Priestess's hair no longer moving of its own accord, her eyes flitting from back to milky white as she turns to face Corros.

"You're hurt." she says quietly, the concern etches in her voice as she closes the gap between the two of them. The others are hurt as well, but her attention is focused solely on the young half elf Warlock for the moment. She'll see to the others in the moment. But she'll always turn to Corros first. Always.There's a smile on her lips as the gap becomes nothing, her hammer and shield set to one side as her hands reach out to gently stroke his cheeks "Let me take a look."

With a toss of blonde mane Jenna crouches down. "Look away. This will be painful, but only for a moment, then it will feel better." Her hands grasp the arrow, pull it out of his leg. She knows that it will cause him more pain, feels bad for that, but it will only be fleeting, for her hands are already hovering above the tear in his flesh where the arrow was, her lips murmuring a prayer to the Goddess, radiant energy shimmering around the wound, knotting the skin back together again. There's still a little blood, but it is better than it was.

The Priestess rises slowly, stands next to Corros, looks at the others as the Guardians disappear from sight, their work done. She feels weak, knows that she needs to rest soon, gather her strength, pray. "Does anyone else need healing?"

Corros +7HP, Cure Wounds 2

The battleground is a blood splattered mess except for the curiously bare patch in the middle where the conjured black mass was.  Some of the blood puddles have been curiously cut in half in a sharp line.  On one side of an invisible line, the ground is saturated and sticky.  Then, on the other side of the curving razor divide, the ground is hard and clean.  The effect is disconcerting.

"I'm okay," Corros says to his lover, smiling at her concern.  "You are amazing.  As always, yeah?"  His eyes dutifully turn away when Jenna asks.  Her care is comforting, a complete break from the force of justice and violence she becomes in battle.  And it is so far away from anything he has known in an life filled with fear, secrets, and betrayal.  Better not to think of those things around her.  It is hard enough to keep his mind from reaching out with the pleasant emotions.

He flexes his leg, feeling the newly mended tissues flex and bend.  They are still sore, to be sure.  The healing isn't complete.  Time will heal the rest.

"Shall we finish this my friends?" the warlock asks, pointing at the trail.

He's out spells, except for his blasts.  Those have been doing just fine.

Nicolai squints at the field where the tentacles grew.  Thinks about a pool of blackness sliding across the ground.  Thinks about pools of blackness sliding across Jenna's eyes.  Tests his sword-arm, finds it sufficient to serve for now.  Decides not to ask for magic at the moment.

"Good enough to finish this," he says aloud.

In the Camp

With the guards distracted by events somewhere south of the camp, the Elven Monk, Amaldaris Cenovir, manages to saw through his bonds with a jagged segment of wooden cage slat. He's unarmed and weak from his wounds, but his mind and heart are strong. If something's about to go down, he's not giving in without a fight. Deemed too dangerous to be among the other prisoners- mostly simple miners- the elf is in his own cramped cell. The guards appear nervous and agitated, arguing amongst themselves in their guttural, growling native tongue. They keep looking south; the occasionally clang of steel on steel hint of battle yonder that way. One of the guards, a particularly feral-looking gnoll, keeps looking at Amadlaris, liking its muzzle and slavering.

Meanhwile, the Four, girded for what they hope will be the culminating chapter of the current battle, approach the camp. They can see it up ahead and to the right, just atop a gentle rise leading to a relatively high, steep-sided bluff.

Two of the four guards spot the four humanoid interlopers and bark a warning. They are joined by two more gnolls. The gnoll quartet ready their bows and prepare to launch a volley at the intruders. The feral guard decides to take this opportunity to lunch on the tender, seemingly defenseless elf. He unlocks the cage and enters slowly opens the slatted door...


Your Turn.

-

"No more tentacles?" Nicolai asks Corros warily.  When the witchling shakes his head, Nic grunts an acknowledgement.  "Okay, then."  He whistles.  A cloud of ravens descends from the sky and plummets toward the remaining gnolls.  As the hyena-creatures' eyes flick upward, Nicolai charges, slashing at ankles and bowstrings.

Nicolai
AC 16; HP 45/61, Superiority Dice 2/4
Move + Bonus: Into melee with gnoll archers (Cunning Action for Dash)
Attacks 1&2: Rapier +1 on bowstrings if available; gnolls if not (attack +7, damage 1d8+4)
This message was last edited by the player at 19:05, Mon 30 Jan 2017.

Without breaking stride, Corros starts pulling yet more magic out of the ether.  The warlock's more formidable energies are spent, leaving him only the simplest spells.  The first that The Library taught him.  Those spell have proven over and over to be enough.  His face wears a simple expression of cold determination to finish this thing and free the prisoners locked in the camp ahead.  Someone has to.  It might as well be them.  Walking with his friends into yet another battle feels comfortable and familiar now.  It's another battle.  Another chance to make the world a little better.

"Let's finish this," he says, releasing his attack.

Corros
47/61 HP, AC 13
Eldritch Bolt x2 at a gnoll archer.  +8 to attack.  d10+5 damage ea

Jenna raises her shield arm to try and block any arrows that the Gnolls may be able to loose at the Four as they try to close down the distance between themselves and the foul beasts as rapidly as possible, the blonde haired Priestess breaking into a run, breathing harder as she tries to keep pace with Nicolai, Arma's Blessing held in right hand, the blunt end of the hammer still stained with blood and gore where it had met the pack leader's skull.

Closing with the archers she will swing the hammer towards the archers as Nicolai's ravens swoop at them, lips moving in a silent prayer to the Goddess, imploring Her to guide the blow, to strike down the remaining gnolls.

Jenna
AC: 21, HP 51/56
Melee Combat with Gnoll archers, Warhammer +1
Using War Priest feature for bonus action (3/5)
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 18:30, Mon 30 Jan 2017.

As the gnoll approached, seemingly intent on taking the opportunity to take himself some elf flesh to eat, Amaldaris struck, lashing out with a series of blows on one of his tormentors.

Though he was in poor shape from his time as a prisoner they had left him alone for long enough for him to collect his wits.  He had meditated and drawn the mystical Ki power that emanated throughout Tohrweld, present in everything that was natural and in harmony with the world, to him, filling up his reservoir of energy that allowed him to perform great feats.  Though he seemed defenceless to his guards, his spear and other weapons taken by them as trophies to adorn the walls of their crude huts, he was not.  Many decades of study and practice of the kata taught by the Ral'Keth had made his hands and feet as strong as iron, able to inflict grievous wounds without the need for a blade or other weapon.

The sounds in the camp that Amaldaris had been listening to for a while now indicated that something was up.  The gnolls were disturbed by something and seemed rattled, unsure what to do.  A sizeable number of warriors, a war party if he was any judge, had left a little while ago on some errand and a quiet anticipation has fallen on the rest of the camp since their departure.  Maybe someone or some thing had challenged their cruel brute of a leader or some rival tribe was attacking.  Something was clearly going on and either way Amaldaris doubted that he would get as good an opportunity as this to escape.  Summoning his Ki energy he unleaded a torrent of blows on the gnoll who had opened his cell door, trying to drive his opponent back out of the prison so that the entrance was open and Amaldaris could make his bid to escape from his torment.


OOC
Amaldaris
HP: 39/63
Ki Points: 8/8
Spending 1 Ki point to perform Flurry of Blows to have a total of 5 attacks.  He will try to drive his opponent back out of the cell and then knock him prone if possible.

Attack #1: +7 to Hit, 1d6+4 damage - if he hits he will spend a 2nd Ki point to make it a Stunning Strike (TN#13 Con save or be Sunned until the end of Amaldaris' next turn)

Attack #2: +7 to Hit, 1d6+4 damage - if the last attack failed to stun the gnoll and this attack hits then Amaldaris will make it a Stunning Strike

Attack #3: (from Flurry of Blows) +7 to Hit, 1d6+4 damage - if Amaldaris hits he will use Open Hand Technique to force the gnoll to make a TN#13 Str save or be pushed back 15 feet

Attack #4: (from Flurry of Blows) +7 to Hit, 1d6+4 damage - if the gnoll has been knocked back by Attack #3 Amaldaris will use Open Hand Technique to fore the gnoll to make a TN#13 Dex save or be knocked prone - if the gnoll was not knocked back by Attack #3 then Amaldaris will attempt the knock back again

Attack #5: (Bonus Action) +7 to Hit, 1d6+4 damage - nothing special

Movement: Presuming that Amaldaris manages to clear a way out of his cell he will use his full 45 feet movement to put some distance between himself and any gnolls

Reaction: He will attempt to catch and throw back any missile weapons fired or thrown at him - Deflect Missiles for 1d10+12 damage

Gronk loves a good ol'-fashioned headlong charge as much as the next half-orc gladiator. He tries not to outstrip the others as he throws himself into the fray, picking out an opponent and attempting to render the unfortunate gnoll dead posthaste.

Gronk
HP / ; AC 19
2x melee attacks v. unengaged gnoll

-

With his conspiracy of ravens distracting the gnolls, Nic closes the distance first. His rapiers severs one of the archers' bowstrings. The second gnoll quickly yanks his bow out of the rapier's long reach, then drops it and draws a short sword. He lashes out at the Ardani, but the ravens have got him seeing double. The blades whistles by inches from Nic's throat.

Corros blasts his target with Eldritch energy, badly wounding the gnoll archer, but failing to take it out of the fight (A3 -19HP). The stricken gnoll counterattacks, hitting the warlock with an arrow (Corros -6HP).

Jenna calls upon her god to grant accuracy to her strike. Arma's Blessing falls true, pounding her target, but the gnoll survives the blow and strikes back (A4 -11HP). Smoke once again deflects the blows, leaving Jenna unharmed.

Gronk goes after Nic's first target (Nic is engaged with his second) and bludgeons it to death with his morning star (A1 -27HP; A1 is dead!).

Amaldaris launches a flurry of lightening fast blows against the feral guard, knocking it backwards and beating it down to the ground. When he's done, the gnoll lies dead at his feet (GFG -27HP; GFG is dead!).

Three guards remain, all wounded.


Your Turn.

-

Nicolai skips backward as he briefly becomes the focus of far too much of the archers' attention.  For a moment, it's a blur of reeking hyena breath and notched, rusty swords.  Then Jenna and Gronk plow into the formation, completing its disarray.  The Ardani grins and drives forward, ready to finish off the pack.

Nicolai
AC 16; HP 45/61, Superiority Dice 2/4
Attacks 1&2: Rapier +1 on any available gnoll (attack +7, damage 1d8+4)
Bonus: Dagger +1 on any available gnoll (attack +7, damage 1d4+4)
Special: +2d6 sneak attack damage to first successful attack on a gnoll that's engaged with an ally

As her shield deflects the gnoll’s blow easily Jenna is aware of Nicolai by her side, catching sight of the Ardani out of the corner of her eye for a moment before he lunges forward. The blonde haired Priestess’s eyes come to rest on the gnoll that her hammer had already connected with once, the beast’s muzzle matted with blood, although whether its own or some unfortunate victim’s she can't tell. Jenna does not hesitate, lashes out again with Arma’s Blessing intent on ending this fight as rapidly as possible.

Jenna
AC: 21, HP 51/56
Melee Combat with A4, Warhammer +1
Using War Priest feature for bonus action (4/5)

A kind of sick laugh of the damned escapes Corros's lips when another arrow strikes him.  He's not resigned to death.  He's just really tired of being treated like some noblewoman's pincushion by dog headed bastard children of a chaos god.  They all just need to fuck off and die at this point.  Thankfully, there aren't many left.  Soon, there will be even fewer.  The warlock's allies are all fighting strong and he moves forward with them.

Corros
Eldritch Blast x2
One at A3, A4 +8 to hit. d10+5 damage

Stepping over the body of the dead gnoll Amaldaris gave the guard no further thought.  It had been intending on eating him and so killing it had been his only option.

Instead he looked around the camp and spied a pile of gear that the gnolls had dropped in the middle of the camp, including his backpack discarded on top.  Moving quickly he made his way over to the equipment that the gnolls had confiscated from their prisoners and started to search through it all, looking to see if the contents of his backpack had been emptied out and whether his spear was buried somewhere in the pile.  He loaded up his possessions, put his backpack back on and then slid his dagger into the scabbard at his belt.

All the time he kept glancing around for any other gnolls, either guards or other ones living in this camp.  Something was going on, giving him this opportunity to escape, and he wanted to find out what it was.  Particularly as there were other prisoners incarcerated in the camp and Amaldaris wanted to free them from their fate, either as slaves or as food.


OOC
Amaldaris
HP: 39/63
Ki Points: 5/8
Searching the pile of gear for his equipment, particularly his spear, as well as looking round, trying to work out what is going on

Gronk doesn't have to lift a meaty, green-grey finger. His companions all manage to finish their respective opponents- Nic and Jenna in a whirlwind of steel, Corros with his Eldritch magic. Three more gnolls lie dead- pierced, bludgeoned, and blasted.

There's no further opposition between the Four and the makeshift prison camp. As they approach the crude stockade, they see an elf rummaging around in a pile of baggage. He could be a confederate of the gnolls, but there's something about the elf that makes that seem highly unlikely.

In a few moments, the Four and the elf are face to face.


Your Turn.

-

Corros walks with a slight limp to Jenna and pulls her close, placing one hand behind her neck and touching her forehead to his.  From here he can smell her sweat and the blood that covers both of them.  Truth be told, it's a combination that he kind of associates with her now.  He breathes it in, along with her breath and just takes in the relief that they are all okay.  The emotions of concern and happiness at their survival flood out of his mind into her's, with more than a little of the depths of the feelings he's developed for this warrior priestess.

After ten seconds or so, he breaks contact and turns to face the camp.  And the elf.

"Hey, look.  An elf."  Corros says with a grin that shows just how tired and drained he is from the fight.  Can we keep him? The Warlock sends to his friends across their minds.

"I'm Corros," he says to the former occupant of the stockade.  "Are there more prisoners we need to free?"

Jenna pulls off a mailed glove as Corros pulls her in, lets it fall to the ground, not wanting anything in the way as her fingers move to find his cheek, tracing an aimless pattern as they glide over his skin. ”Did you cast a spell on yourself to attract arrows?” she whispers to him with a smile as they share the briefest of moments of tranquillity on this field of death. Unlike him she had survived the battle virtually unscathed, her shield and armour having deflected every blow that had been aimed at her, a glance at her shield in particular showing the marks left on it by the Gnoll chief’s flail, indicating how close it had come to landing what would surely have been a terrible blow.

The Priestess was tired though. She had felt the Goddess’ power course through her far more strongly than it had ever done before during the battle, had channelled it against the pack of gnolls but it had left her drained. Exhausted. She needed to rest. And she needed to pray to Arma. To regain her strength.

Reluctantly she steps away from Corros, not wishing to be parted from him. She can see the lines of tiredness etched on his face too. They need to rest. And soon. If they are attacked again they will be down to their last reserves. The blonde haired woman stoops down, to pick up her glove, her eyes, now back to their normal shade of blue, turning to the elf as she rises to her feet again, watching him, waiting for his reply, wondering if any will need healing.

The elf bowed very formally as the reasons for the chaos in the gnoll camp approached him, taking the time to greet each of the four of his rescuers with their own respectful greeting.

His appearance was a lot less serene than his manners however, his clothes showing numerous small tears and a couple of bloodstains along with the general dirt and grime of travelling.  His hair was unkempt and in need to a comb and then trying back in a proper warrior's top knot.  There were also marks on his face, scratches and bruises that he were obviously the result of a beating he had taken at some point.  Or from a series of beatings.  He moved gracefully though and it seemed that his injuries were purely superficial in nature, merely requiring rest for recuperation from them.

"My thanks to you all," he said politely as he finished his fourth bow.  "I am Amaldaris Cenovir, a wanderer from the City State of Thand-vaar and I am very pleased to make your acquaintance.  In answer to your question I believe that there are other prisoners who we should free from their captivity.  I was kept isolated in a cell but this pile of possessions scattered across the ground suggests that there are other victims of the gnolls in this camp.  That is assuming that the gnolls have not eaten them all."

It appeared that the elf either liked to talk or felt the need to make up for a recent lack of conversation.

Hefting his spear he continued in the same polite tone.  "Shall we see what we can find?  Either prisoners to free or more gnolls to defeat.  Or have you disposed of all of them yourselves?"

He took a position towards the front of the group, ready to engage any other threats that appeared, seemingly untroubled by his lack of any armour or any weapon besides his spear and the dagger at his belt.

Glancing round the camp to find his bearings Amaldaris then looked for any other pens or cages where other prisoners might well be kept.

If you keep him, you have to feed him. Nicolai sends before tilting a weary smile at Jenna and deliberately withdrawing from the link.

He summons a small reserve of energy and turns to the newly-rearmed elf.  He pauses for a moment at the mention of Thand-vaar, flipping through his mental files, but he can't quite summon the right accent.  With a mental shrug, he settles for switching to an academic Elvish, as if book-learned.  "Well-met, wanderer.  I'm Nicolai Romanelli, lately of Balefyre.  That was a nicely-executed self-rescue."  His tone is friendly enough despite the blades still in his hands.

Returning to the trade tongue, he continues, "I think we're out of gnolls for the moment, but this isn't the place to let down our guard.  There's more trouble in the area than these."  He nudges one of the fallen creatures with his boot.  "Let's see if we can rally any other survivors and put their story together."

Amaldaris bowed again and smiled at Nicolai when the man replied in Elvish.  "I am very pleased to meet an educated man," he replied, also speaking his mother tongue, his voice taking on an almost musical tone as he spoke.  "My thanks for your compliment but it is unnecessary.  The gnolls were brutes, not disciplined warriors, and your attack drew off all but one of my guards.  Had he restrained his hunger to eat Elven flesh he would not have given me the chance to escape.  He was sloppy and he paid for it with his life."

When Nicolai switches to Common Amaldaris nodded in response to his suggestion and then led the way, trying to find where other prisoners were  being kept in the camp.

The rest of the prisoners are not hard to find. Their pen is just a few meters away from Amaldaris' solo cell. Two others, chained together by the ankles, are cowering in the shaft.

They all recount more or less the same tale- having been caught outside the mining camp by gnolls, violently subdued and brought to this place, made to dig in shifts until exhausted, given very little water and meat that was extremely suspect in origin. The longest any of them have been here is four days, and that particular dwarf is in very bad shape. The others are weak and hungry, all show signs of abuse. Several prisoners died on the job; the gnolls reportedly feasted on their fresh corpses. No one knows why the gnolls wanted them to dig. The monsters didn't seem particularly interested in platinum, although not much of the precious metal was found anyway.

Filthy bedrolls and pieces of gnoll clothing (to use the term loosely) lie scattered about the camp. Aside from Amaldaris' light panoply, there's nothing of interest or value in the captured baggage. The freed prisoners rummage through the pile, taking back their stolen gear and casting lots for that of the dead.


Your Turn.

-

Corros looks over the ragged former prisoners and has to suppress a grimace.  "You're free," he tells them with an imitation of genuine warmth. "Take whatever you need to from the gnolls.  I wish I had good news for you about the condition of Yonder's Hole.  Alas, I don't.  From what we're hearing, it's not much better than the conditions the gnolls had you in.  We're heading there to try and fix whatever went wrong after we figure out what ever it is in the hells the gnolls were digging for here.

"You're welcome to wait for us to head to Yonder's Hole.  We're going to go hide up in the hills for a bit to catch our breath in case more trouble heads this way.  The better decision, in all honesty, is for you to make your way back to Balefyre.  I can see by your condition that's not going to be easy either.  Let us know what we can do to help."

Nicolai comes up alongside Corros.  "Whatever you decide to do," he adds, "you'd best do it armed."  He waves toward the small pile of rusted swords, unbalanced spears, and warped bows he's accumulated in the course of making sure every gnoll and hyena is truly dead and not just shamming.  "There's a lot of wildlife in this country just as dangerous as these, and probably more gnolls on top of the orcish tribes.  Take what you need.  And if you decide to head back to the city, Pace's is a well-defended stopping point.  Tell Klem we sent you his way and to put your meals on my tab."

He turns away and mutters to Corros, "I fucking hate the wilderness."

Jenna moves amongst the newly released prisoners, having a look at each of them to see if they require any assistance. She knows that she's too tired to use any of the Goddess's healing power on them, that what little reserves of energy she has need to be held back, for her and her friends. It was a harsh calculus, but if fresh enemies fell upon them now it would do these impoverished wretches no good if their rescuers were the first to fall. All that would achieve would be to delay their return to captivity by a few turns of a minute glass. So the last vestiges of Arma's gift to her would need to be saved. instead all that she can do for these poor unfortunates is offer a modicum of aid that will hopefully stand them in good stead whichever direction they choose to go in.

That done, she rejoins the others, just in time to catch Nicolai's whispered aside. She can't resist the temptation to tease the Ardani. "He took me camping once as well."   The Priestess then moves to stand next to Corros, her fingers lightly brushing over his forearm. "Shall we find a place to rest, return here later?" she asks, clearly as much statement as question. Her blue eyes flick to the elf. "What is your intent, Master Cenovir?"

Amaldaris bowed to Jenna with a smile. "Please call me Amaldaris.  I am no Master yet, though I hope one day to be so.  I still have much to learn and my wanderings in the world away from my cloistered life are but one of the opportunities to learn that I seek.

"As to my intentions I am interested in more details of what you plan to do now.  What is this Yonder's Hole place and what has gone wrong there?  I think I heard mention of a mine at Yonder's Hole from one of my previous travelling companions.  Is that the place?  If your appointed task is to rid this place of some evil influence then I would like to join you and aid you in that task."

"Clearly, I need to get my own witch," Nicolai murmurs, a small measure of good humor restored.  "You're obviously not inclined to share this one."

He turns to Amaldaris.  "Balefyre is a port city a couple of days' ride that way."  He points toward the coast.  "One of the major factors driving its economy is a platinum mine in these hills.  Yonder's Hole is the necessary cesspool that sprang up to support the miners.  Unsurprisingly, it's a trouble magnet.  These gnolls," he wrinkles his nose, "as well as a pack of Reaver priests, have some interest in it that seems to go beyond wealth.  The local orcish tribes believe some sort of ancient spiritual adversary is imprisoned in the area and are concerned that the digging may awaken it.  We brokered a temporary peace with them last autumn."

He quirks his mouth in something not quite a smile.  "Last week, unexplained sickness and insanity struck the miners.  Then there was an outbreak of risen dead, and some other manifestations.  Because we know something of the area and we've previously proven ourselves to be useful meddlers, the Balefyre government asked us to investigate."

"That sounds like a worthy task to investigate and problem to resolve," replied Amaldaris, a grave look on his face at the news that Nicolai related.  "I would join you if you will have me?"

Nicolai kneels over one of the dead gnolls to cut free its moldy belt pouch.  The brief action gives him time to toss an unvocalized thought through Corros' telepathic link.  He's competent, and eager despite the risks, and they weren't keeping him in that cage because he was their friend.  I'm inclined to allow him to recruit himself unless there are strenuous trust issues here.

Jenna smiles at Amaldaris. "I, too, grew up in Cloisters. Dedicated to the service of Arma." The smile then fades, briefly, her expression momentarily darkening when Nicolai made mention of the Reaver's lackeys, a reminder that they should make haste for Yonder's Hole, that the Goddess's justice might be delivered.

Putting that thought to one side for the moment the blonde haired Priestess looks from Corros to Nicolai, unaware that Nicolai's thoughts are in line with her words. "I see no reason to refuse his request."

Corros looks the elf over, not exactly overtly, but appraising.  Like Nic and Jenna, he's inclined to say yes.  The complication is that he's always felt like his mother's people abandoned him in a bad way.  There are a lot of elves in the world and of course most of them aren't bad.  To hold Amaldaris repsonsible for the actions that put Corros on the streets would be unfair.  Worse, it would be an echo of the very treatment that the half-elf received.
With a swallow that he hopes no one notices, Corros nods.

"I agree with Jenna.  Shocking I know.  Any help against the evil we face is welcome." He smiles and it's kind of shocking just how young Corros is.  Twenty years.  Maybe.  "Welcome aboard, yeah?"

"My thanks to you all," replied Amaldaris with another polite, formal bow.  "I am a Warrior Monk from the Order of Ral'Keth so I fight with spear or fist.  I hope that I will prove myself a worthy companion."

He glanced around the camp before continuing.  "You spoke however of finding somewhere first to rest for a while.  Do you have somewhere in mind?"

"And again, they were Five."

Chronicle of the Five

-

With their new companion, the Elven monk, Amaldaris Cenovir, in tow, Nic, Corros, Jenna, and Gronk enter the unfinished shaft. It's canted downward at a shallow angle and not particularly deep. Its ceiling hasn't been reinforced, so it's less safe than most wildcatter mine shafts- not a place where one should poke or stick around. The odd thing- and this confirms the captive miners' tales- is that there are several thin veins of platinum clearly visible in the walls, but no attempts to excavating the precious metal have been made.

Speaking of miners, they mill about outside. Some have helped themselves to the slain gnoll's short swords (the monsters' spears are too big and unwieldy for a human or dwarf), but they clearly don't know to use them very well. A spirited discussion about whether to stick with their saviors or head out on their own is underway. It sounds like the stick-withers are winning.

The camp site, although it reeks, offers a decent spot to rest. Climbing to the crest of the bluff into which the shaft has been cut would give the party a higher, more easily-defensible vantage point, but it would also make the group more visible to prying eyes. Yonder's Hole is not far off, probably about two leagues, as the crow flies- about two hour's march cross-country if the party pushes itself.

Your Turn.

-

Nicolai takes watch while the rest of the group rests upwind of the pile of dead gnolls.  The nearby high ground is a little too exposed to make a good campsite but there's enough cover and concealment for a one-man sentry position.  He settles in with a grunt of relief and sets to changing the dressings on his earlier wounds.

Most of the demonspawn's rations (even those that aren't hewn from former prisoners) were stomach-turning, too disgusting to even consider looting.  Instead, he breaks out his own supplies and lays out a small meal.  He nibbles at it and sips from a waterskin while tossing tidbits to his corvine followers.

Over the winter, he's learned that ongoing casual interaction keeps the ravens on task and makes them less likely to revert to instinct and petty vandalism when unattended.  It's not unlike managing a youth gang, a comparison that he has so far avoided making to either the birds or the Drowned Rats.  Also like the youth gang, occasional infusions of sparkly things make pretty good bribery, so he tosses a couple of bits of the gnolls' cheap jewelry into the air for the birds to tussle over.

"Should I name you?" he asks one of the individuals who's been with him since the flock first showed up.  He's gotten better at identifying them, too.  "It seems impolite to have such an impersonal working relationship.  Or do you already have a name that you just haven't bothered to reveal yet?"

The bird cocks an eye at him, then stabs at a breadcrumb and hops back with its prize.  It doesn't seem inclined to greater intimacy.  Nicolai shrugs and scans the horizon again.

11:52, Today: Nicolai Romanelli rolled 2 using 1d8+1.  Rogue hit die 1 (short rest).
11:52, Today: Nicolai Romanelli rolled 8 using 1d8+1.  Rogue hit die 2 (short rest).
11:52, Today: Nicolai Romanelli rolled 6 using 1d8+1.  Rogue hit die 3 (short rest).
Short rest: HP 61/61
Short rest: Superiority Dice 4/4
This message was last edited by the player at 17:01, Sun 19 Feb 2017.

Jenna stands by the entrance to the mine for long moments, staring into the gloom, wondering what it contained that was so important to the gnolls. Clearly it was not the platinum, for they had made no attempt to remove any of it as far as she could tell. So what else was hidden in its depths? Her mind wandered back to the orcs that they had encountered in these hills before, how they had spoken of ancient evils that should not be disturbed.

"I do not like this place." The comment is murmured as she turns away from the opening in the earth, not addressed to any one of her companions in particular as she looks for a good spot to rest for a short while. A spot that she can share with Corros, where she can regain some of her strength.

Once they have rested they will likely be descending into that hole. It must be just the wind, but Jenna thinks her cloak moving, the rough wool brushing against her throat. The Priestess's lips begin to move, in a silent prayer to the Goddess.

Corros sits legs crossed and eyes closed.  Jenna's presence is near to him, close enough that he could lean over and touch her shoulder to his.  The disquiet in her mind is in the channel they share, close enough now that he can feel many of her emotions even when they are not actively communicating.  He doesn't mention it though. He's kind enough to give her space to process her own concerns. There's plenty to worry about, for their next hours will carry them back into the earth.  Instead of dwelling on that fact, he breathes slowly and visualizes the Library, the twisting impossible corridors and the endless stacks of books.  Each book a mystery that the half-elf thinks maybe he'll be able to open someday.  So much knowledge waiting to be uncovered.

Without conscious thought, he sips from his waterskin and takes small bites of food he doesn't taste, attention elsewhere.

Eventually he thinks about his little enclave in the endless building.  The simple chair at the simple table where he learns.  He pictures his hands running over the ancient aged wood of the tabletop.  And The Library fills his mind.

Corros
HD roll #1: 3
HD roll #2  8
HD roll #3  6
HP 61/61
Spell slots recovered

Amaldaris rested briefly alongside his new companions, meditating to draw in the natural energies around him, filing up his well of Ki power as well as calming his mind.  It was more difficult than normal, the pain inflicted in the vicinity by the gnolls disturbing the mystical flows, their torturing and killing of prisoners upsetting the environment.  This place was how scared by the actions of the gnolls, an echo of the suffering they had inflicted lingering, quite possibly permanently.

Once refreshed in mind he took a little time to do something about his appearance, trying to scrape some of the dirt and grime off his skin and his clothes.  A cleansing bath would have to wait until they found a river or travelled to somewhere with an inn but Amaldaris did what he could in the short term.  He would also need the services of a seamstress to repair some of the tears and frayed edges of his clothing, the result of more than just travel on the road.

His eyes wandered around the mine.  “I am no expert in ore or metals and their procurement but even I can see that seams of value have been bypassed for some reason,” he commented aloud at one point, before pondering a question out loud.  “I wonder what that reason was?”


OOC:
Short Rest – Ki points recovered to 8/8

The Five move a short distance away from the stench of the gnolls' filthy camp to rest for a brief spell (hit dice spent/HP recovered, permitted spells and abilities recharged).

Somewhat refreshed from their recent labors, the group resumes its march, backtracking down the draw towards the intersection where they were ambushed by a yeti not two hours earlier. They find one of the horses there waiting, Zima's by the look of it (it had run off to the south during the ambush), but no sign of Zima.

The party calls for the ranger for a few minutes but receives no response. After spending a few minutes at the ersatz crossroads, the Five continue on towards Yonder's Hole.

On the trail, the more observant members of the party note some strange, non-humanoid tracks on the stony ground, but without a ranger's (or a druid) expertise, they can't identify the creature/s that made them.

After about two-hours' worth of hard marching, the Five enter the broad bowl-shaped valley that contains Yonder's Hole.

There've been some changes at the mining settlement since the adventurers were here last. The rebuilt camp still occupies the low ground astride the steam where it was sited before, but the remains of the surrounding log wall are gone, transferred to the top of the western bluff. A modest, wooden motte-and-bailey fort now dominates that height, providing warning from surprise and a redoubt for the settlement's fluctuating population of prospectors, diggers, and service-providers in case of attack.

A few unconcerned souls are going about their business in lower Yonder's Hole, but it looks like most of the remaining inhabitants of the settlement are holed up in the hilltop fort.

A couple of miners, a man and a dwarf, stand next to a horse, rummaging through the baggage strapped to its pack saddle.


Your Turn.

-
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:47, Sun 05 Mar 2017.

Corros won't go so far as to say he's glad to reach Yonder's Hole, it is a run down rat hole of a mining camp that seems to cause rather more than its fair share of trouble.  Never the less, he is happy to reach their goal and to have at least the illusion of civilization in the form of several buildings perched on the bluff.  The wilds make him nervous.

"Hi," Corros says to the folks going through the horses's saddlebags with good humor that he doesn't quite feel.  "I almost hate to ask this question, but is that one of our horses by any chance?"

Fatigue is etched on Jenna's face as the mining camp grows closer. The rest they had taken in the gnoll camp had relieved some of the physical tiredness that the Priestess felt but it had not been long enough to allow her to spend the time she needed in prayer to the Goddess, so Arma's spirit was still weak within her, a solitary flame that flickered and danced as though it was exposed to a wind rather than the inferno that it should be. Jenna is not disheartened though, for she knows that will soon change when she has sufficient time to pray properly. And she is with her friends.

When Corros addresses the man and the dwarf the Priestess leaves the talking to her lover, takes up a position close to him, on his right shoulder, near enough that she can intervene and place herself between the Warlock and the pair should they decide to take objection to his question and come at him with weapons in hand. Arma's Blessing is held in her right hand, its blunt head lowered, to the ground, while her lips offer each of them a brief smile, like the lowered hammer an attempt to appear non threatening.

After all,  enough blood had been shed already this day. Some of it still adorned her hammer, other streaks on her grey coloured armour. None of it was hers but hopefully the sight of it would serve as deterrent to the pair, persuade them that violence would not be a wise choice.

As Corros engaged the man and the dwarf in conversation about the ownership of the horse and its saddlebags, Amaldaris stood still and took the time to study this miners' camp called Yonder's Hole as it was his first time here.  It was hardly a name to suggest that it was a place of culture and decorum, somewhere where polite manners were important and respected.  It sounded much more like a place of desperation, where people came to seek their fortune at great personal risk, and of exploitation of the masses by the few ruthless enough to place themselves on top of the pile.  He was no expert but mining operations tended to be very dangerous affairs as far as he knew and many miners, unless they were dwarves, only took the work because they couldn't find anything safer that earned them nearly as much money.

He studied the crude castle for a while before focusing on the rest of the valley, taking in as much of his surroundings as he could.

"I have to wonder how well-supplied that is for a siege," Nicolai comments, lifting his chin toward the hill fort.  He flickers a bit of thieves' cant toward his ravens, dispersing them to act as a perimeter warning mechanism.

Then he turns his attention to the horse and the miners who are picking over it.  His expression and posture are set to let attention slide off of him.  The supplies are transitory - everything he really needs to do his job is on his person.  He's not going to start a fight over trail rations.  But he's also flicking through the mental file that says some of the miners out here have gone anthropophagous.  If either subject makes a threatening move toward Corros, he's primed to put nine inches of steel into someone's blind side by way of opening negotiations.

The two pickers take one look at the Five and back away from the packhorse, hands raised apologetically.

"Uh, this your horse? Uh, it just showed up here, by itself. We were, uh, we were just looking for anything that might have the owner's name on it. We weren't gonna take anything." The human does all of the speaking.

Sure enough, it is the party's pack horse, last seen galloping north, fleeing the Yeti ambush. All of the baggage is still there, albeit about jostled about.

"You two seen a half-elf ranger, name of Zima, or a dwarf named Kerek come through here last hour or so?" Gronk asks.

"Last hour? No, they left here like a week ago, ain't come back," the dwarf answers.


-
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:47, Mon 06 Mar 2017.

"Oh, good.  There's a sack of apples in that gray leather satchel."  Nicolai points helpfully by way of establishing that yes, the group knows what the horse is carrying, and therefore, yes, they really are the animal's rightful (ab)users.  He steps up, withdraws one of the withered fruits, and offers it to the horse.  Almost as an afterthought, he pulls out another, cuts in in half with a casual flick of a dagger, and offers it to the men.

"They got to Balefyre," he continues, picking up the thread of Gronk's inquiry.  "They had an audience with His Honor.  He asked us to look into your problems.  We had a run-in with the local wildlife today.  Horses got spooked.  They're probably still busy rounding up the rest of the mounts."  I hope.  "In the meantime, where can we find Jaff and Deepdelver?  They should remember us from the last time we came out here."  He cleans the blade before making it disappear again.

He twitches a thought at Corros: I'm not entirely unconcerned, but I'm also not sure we'd be any real help to Zima if we stumbled back out there to look for her.  We may as well see if any other help is available here for that.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:04, Fri 24 Mar 2017.

While taking in his surroundings thoroughly Amaldaris listened to the exchange between Gronk, Nicolai and the man and the dwarf.  It was clear that some organisation and order would be beneficial in this mining camp as it was presently a rather ramshackle affair that had grown rapidly rather than being laid out according to a plan.  The sanitation was poor for a start and it was likely that illness would soon be an issue for the population to deal with, though his definition of soon was rather different to a human's.

Teaching these people how to live in a sensible and well ordered manner was not his appointed task to resolve however, even though the mess of buildings and paths that had become streets irked him somewhat.  One of the instructions he had received from his Masters was to help others in the world but not to try to fix the entire of Tohrweld.  That was too big a task, even for an elf.  He had to remind himself of that sometimes.

He had several questions forming in his mind but he kept quiet for the moment, letting Nicolai resolve his line of enquiry with the two would be horse thieves.  They had clearly thought better of doing something silly but it was clear that Nicolai hoped to get some information or news from them while they were still off kilter.

Jenna relaxes slightly when the human and the dwarf rapidly back down over the ownership of the horse, her eyes flicking from the pair to the other denizens of Yonder's Hole who are moving about the camp, watching to see if any of them are paying what might appear to be too much attention to the new arrivals.

I couldn't find the gnoll camp again with a map and we just left there, Corros sends to Nic. I'm not writing them off, but we can't do much good either.

The warlock watches the human and the dwarf back away from the pack horse.  With ownership fully established, Corros figures they can be a little nicer.  Play for some friends in the pack, if things are as bad as they've been told.  "No problem, yeah?  Just wanted to make sure.  Most horses look the same to me.  So, thanks for looking out for...him?  Her?"  Corros walks forward and digs in the saddle bags for a few second before drawing out a bit of the food they brought with them.  The newly regained Five can't afford to feed everyone here, not by a longshot.  They can afford to be a little generous.

"We understand you lot are hungry out here."  His hand doesn't shake as he offers some hardtack and jerky to the men.  "Rations is what we can spare for you.  But not a lot, so mums the word, yeah?.  Can you tell us how bad it is up there?"  His head tilts towards the keep.  "I hear it's not good."

With a bit of hesitation, the men take the apples.

"Sergeant Jaff is up there," the man points to the hilltop fort. "The mayor is probably at the inn." he hooks him thumb over his shoulder, to indicate the valley settlement.



"Well, it's been better. Never know when a fucking zombie or monster's gonna show up. It's hard to dig, that's for sure. Belts are tight," he continues, munching on the apple, "but foraging parties manage to bring back some game and wild 'shrooms and stuff from the forest, so no one's starving to death just yet."

He must mean the forest into the foothills north of the badlands. Taking another bite of the half-apple, he asks, "Why hasn't Balefyre sent another caravan?"

-

"The reports coming out of here aren't exactly brimming with the kind of information that makes the city want to send what little bit of supplies it can manage to scrape together up here.  Things aren't great there either." Corros says.  "So they sent us.  The people who keep getting Balefyre out of trouble."  If there's bitterness in his voice, it's hid well under a layer of charm and a smile.

"Don't take it personally.  We don't."  Corros picks a fleck of dried blood of his robes and flicks it to the ground.  "Still digging, yeah?"

Nicolai clamps down on a snicker at Corros' well-veiled barb toward Balefyre's political leadership.  Not for the first time, he lets a brief flicker of regime change fantasy play out behind his eyes before clamping down on that, too.  With Corros and Gronk taking point on the conversation, he carves out a moment to survey the mining compound.  He's not yet certain what he should be looking for, but gauging a place's "normal" has always been useful in identifying "not normal..."

The two miners look at one another and shake their heads. The dwarf answers, "Not much. I mean, not out of sight of the camp. It's too dangerous!"

Still listening, Nic surveys the camp. It looks better than it did when last he saw it- more semi-permanent and permanent buildings. The inn's been repaired and looks to have added a second story. By appearances, Yonder's Hole must have been doing quite well before the latest... setback.

-
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:09, Fri 31 Mar 2017.

Taking a step forward Amaldaris joined in the conversation with the miners and Corros.  "Why is it too dangerous to go out of sight of the camp please?" he asked politely.  "What threatens the camp and this mining operation?"
This message was last edited by the player at 19:50, Sat 01 Apr 2017.

Nicolai waits for the men to answer Amaldaris' query - and to finish their nutritional supplement.  Then he tilts his head toward the inn.  "Tell you what.  If you gentlemen can keep an eye on our horses here and keep the other eye out for Zima and Kerek, we'll go check in with Deepdelver."

"Some big fuckin' monsters, that's what!" the dwarf answers impatiently. The human looks sidelong and down at his shorter friend and adds,

"Some assholes musta tunneled into their den."

His tone is somewhat accusatory. This draws a dirty look from the dwarf.



"Yeah, OK," the human answers. The dwarf rolls his eyes, not at Nic, but at his companion, and nods his head in acquiescence.

-

Mayor Berald Deepdelver's office is in one the inn's new upstairs bedrooms. Filled, as it is, by the Five and the just-arrived Sergeant Jaff (present at Deepdelver's invitation), the room is a rather cramped.

"All the miners were given explicit instructions to stop digging immediately upon finding anything unusual, but of course, some people just can't be bothered. Perhaps it's poetic justice that those very same people are dead now," Deepdelver explains.

"Twice," Jaff adds.

"Yes, there were the zombies: all the bodies in the cemetery, plus those killed by the first wave."

"The things that came out of the tunnel were worse," Jaff continues, "I lost a few men trying to keep the monsters out of the town. After we retreated to the fort, most of the monsters wandered off- back into the tunnel, or still roaming the badlands, I reckon. They left the town pretty much untouched. I'm down to a dozen effectives. With some healing and a couple of new recruits from among the miners, I can put maybe twenty- total- spears into the field."

"I suggested covering over the tunnel entrance, but I can't get enough volunteers to do it properly," Deepdelver complains, "But even if we had the manpower, we'd need someone to hold off the monsters long enough to get it done."

The mayor looks plaintively at the Five, inviting their thoughts.

Sergeant Jaff interjects, "Where's Zima?"


Your Turn.

-
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:48, Fri 07 Apr 2017.

Amaldaris bowed politly to the Mayor.  "Mister Mayor.  Though I have not known my companions for long I believe that we can be of help to you in this task.  Firstly though please let me introduce myself.  I am Amaldaris Cenovir, a member of the Ral'Keth Order, and I would be honoured to help this community in this way.  I have a question though.  Do the people holding off the monsters for a long enough period for you to be able to cover the tunnel entrance need to be inside the tunnel to do so?  If they do would they be trapped inside?  Or have I misunderstood in some way?  My apologies if I have."

"It would be tricky, for sure. I'm not sure how it could be done- I'm just throwing ideas out there. I invite everyone here to do so as well."

-

Amaldaris nodded in understanding and pondered for a few seconds before asking another question.

"Would it be possible to go and see this tunnel entrance to see what is spewing forth and how it might be sealed shut?"

"We got separated from Zima while dealing with a gnoll encampment.  They had prisoners and were conducting their own mining in the area.  It is our hope that she either turns up back here, or someone is going to have to go back out looking for her, yeah?"  With the monsters wandering around the area, The Four-no, The once again Five, couldn't just leave things as they were and hope for the best.

"As long as we have creatures spilling from tunnels," that we asked you not to dig, "we're going to have an unstable situation.  Something really bad is hiding underneath us, and sealing the tunnel off isn't going to solve the problem.  It's looking like we might have to go down there and clear out the problem."

"The ones who kept digging," Nicolai speaks up slowly.  "Are there any survivors?  We'll need to speak with them."

He pauses just long enough for Deepdelver to wonder if there's an implicit threat there, then adds, "I'd like to hear their firsthand impressions of what happened beneath.  And give our sword-priestess," he nods toward Jenna, "the chance to see if there's any residual taint upon them."

Jenna meets Nicolai's eyes, nods her head in agreement with his suggestion, then turns to Deepdelver. "I have heard that there are servants of the Reaver here, masquerading as prospectors. If this is so, do you know where they are?" Jenna knew that if she crossed paths with the Reaver's minions it was likely to immediately lead to violence, for it was the duty of the faithful of Arma to ensure that scum like that were dealt with, wherever they may be found. It was even enshrined in the tents of her faith. Those who succumb to Him and turn from Arma to His Dark path, must be hunted down and slain where ever they may be found. Arma's will made no allowances for Jenna's current state of fatigue.

"Well, I wouldn't take just anyone, but your companions here have proven quite capable so, with Sergeant Jaff's permission..."

The Fire Watch officer smiles knowingly and nods his head. "I won't try to stop them."



"Not that I know of. They're all dead or disappeared. Ogar's cousin was on the crew. As far as I know, he's still around here somewhere. Hangs out with a tall human named Mak. He might know something."



"They arrived just before the shaft was opened, then left the camp during the confusion causes by the zombies. By the time their presence was reported, they were already gone- I didn't have a chance to investigate. A witness claimed that he saw them go into the shaft itself, but he was killed during the monster incursion, so it might not be more than a rumor."

-

"Hmm."  Nicolai nods noncommittally.  "Ogar's cousin.  I think we met Ogar and Mak when we arrived."

"He'll keep for later, though.  First, I think we want to take a look at the quarters the Reaver's followers were using and see if they left any, ah, information we can use."  The verbal correction away from "intelligence" is almost natural by now but he's pretty sure Corros and Jenna noticed it.  "Then the excavation, at least the mouth of it.  After that, we'll interview Ogar and see if he knows anything.  Hopefully, by the time we're done gathering information, Zima will be back."

He turns to the rest of the reconstituted Five.  "Do you see any wrong paths there?"
This message was last edited by the player at 19:49, Fri 14 Apr 2017.

Jenna shakes her head in reply to Nicolai. ”I see no flaws in your logic. Although I find the idea of being in close proximity to anything to do with the Reaver to be...unpleasant –“the involuntary shiver that courses through her body serves to underline the distaste ”- it needs to be done. We need to see if they have left any clues as to why they are here.”   The Priestess doubted that it was random chance that had brought them to this place. Something in the mine had drawn them here.

Nicolai nods silently.  Through Corros' link, he sends Jenna a rare moment of candor: If you're unsettled, I'm fucking terrified, but you're right - it needs doing.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:35, Fri 14 Apr 2017.

We're here and we're here together.

It's a rare moment of global support from the warlock.  He's used to propping up Jenna when necessary or giving Nic a lift, but he's not one for the group hug.  Except now it seems like his companions could use one.  If he's being honest, he could use a pep talk, too.

We'll deal with this together, too, yeah?

"If you could point us to the quarters, then, we'll start sorting this out."  Corros tells the leader of the mines.

"Certainly. From what I understand, they spent one night in one of the common tents. I don't know why they didn't stay here. It's been said that they had quite a lot of coin."

Sergeant Jaff interjects, "I'll take them."

"Thank you, Sergeant."

As they leave, Deepdelver informs the Five that they may stay at the inn free of charge, and that he will pay for their dinner this night.

Jaff leads the Five to a large canvass tent a bit down the road from the inn. There are very few people staying there now- a result of casualties, flight, or using the daylight hours to prospect and/or dig. No one there now had any direct experience with the Reaver party, but all can share second and third-hand information. The rumors aren't particularly helpful. It's more or less a dead end.

"Do you want to visit the shaft now?" Jaff asks. "Pardon my saying this, but you look a little... tired. Perhaps you rest tonight, then I take you there first thing in the morning?"


Your Turn.

-

Nicolai canvasses his companions.  Gronk is as stalwart as ever but he still bears the marks of the day's fighting.  Amaldaris' elven inscrutability appears intact.  Corros and Jenna, though, almost certainly need communion with their respective patrons - and probably some alone time in as much privacy as is to be found in the camp.

Outwardly, his face remains impassive as he thinks for a moment.  "That would be good, Sergeant.  If you can tell us where we can find quarters, I'll fetch Ogar and bring him in for a talk while the rest of us dump our gear."

Amaldaris looked around the area of the inn.

"Is there such a place as a bath house here?" he enquired rather naively of those present.  "I would wash if possible and, though a stream will do, hot water would be preferable."

Sergeant Jaff volunteers to find Ogar, leaving the Five to clean up as best they can. Deepdelver rings for the innkeep, a convivial dwarf named Goli, who arranges for the companions to take turns using the bath (located downstairs, next to the kitchen)- hot water is two silver scribes a kettle.

The garrison commander arrives with Ogar. He's not the best source of information regarding the discovery, but he shares what he can. None the companions get the sense that he is being dishonest or prevaricating- the dwarf simply knows nothing.

"One day, he's over the moon, talkin' 'bout how he's gonna be rich- next day, he's barking mad. Tried to stab me, he did! Said I was 'gonna to take it from him. I had to defend myself, didn't I? I knocked him down, he started shaking and spitting, eyes rolled back in his head, then he's dead! I thought I'd killed him! Then I found out that everyone else in his party was acting more or less the same way! He wasn't buried five minutes before he comes out of the ground tyrin' to bite people- didn't stop until Mak caved his head in. Never thought I'd have to bury my cousin, let alone twice!"

-

Nicolai perches on a table, one foot drawn up along its leg, and frowns in thought.  "Did he show you anything he'd brought up from the mine?  Or did he describe what he'd found in any great detail?"  He blinks as a particularly unpleasant thought strikes him.  "Also, did he say anything about needing to travel - to take something someplace or to someone, perhaps?"

One of the benefits of being a couple is that Corros and Jenna could use less hot water through that most intimate of methods: sharing.  Not that they actually use less hot water, but they could.  That's enough to make Corros feel better about forking over a gold piece for hot water in an encampment they've come to save.  He has a brief fantasy of explaining in quite explicit terms why Goli should let them have whatever they want, but it's a fantasy that he doesn't give voice to.  The dwarf is too polite and Corros has resolved to not be an asshole to people when the dead are coming out of the ground shortly after being killed.  You never know who may try to eat you or need to unlock a door to let you hide from zombie hordes.

"The people that got bit.  Did they end up crazy and undead, too?  Or was this more of an 'I'm just going to eat your flesh' kinda thing.  Not that that makes it better, yeah?  I'm just trying to put all the pieces together..."  Corros enjoys a sip of lukewarm ale that is also featuring weak taste and nosebleed prices.  "And are all the dead people accounted for?"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:49, Thu 20 Apr 2017.

Jenna had found her bath most...refreshing. The Priestess is now sitting on a simple wooden chair, one leg crossed over the other as she listens to her companions question Ogar. Her hair is still damp. When the dwarf mentions his cousin accused him of wanting to take his discovery from him it stirs a chord in Jenna, although it takes a moment before she can drag the thought from her memory. Before the Bloodforged, when they had been in the underground City, and Corros had retrieved the crystals, some other artefacts. Jenna had been jealous.

The Priestess shivers visibly, looks over at her half elf lover. She had been more than jealous. The emotions had been much deeper than that. Much darker. Maybe there was a connection, maybe not. Although then there had been no sign of anyone having risen from the grave. Clearly dark forces were at work here, with the waters made even more murky by the presence of Reaver’s minions, who were no doubt here to further their own torn and twisted ends.

Jenna leans forward in her chair, uncrossing her legs as she does so. ”The ones that rose, I take it you buried them again, yes? Have they shown any signs of stirring again?”

Ogar seems a bit overwhelmed by all the questions but he does the best he can.

"I didn't see anything besides some platinum- nothing out of the ordinary there. But he said they found 'power'. That's it. 'Power'. No explanation. Course, that was when he'd started losing his mind. He didn't sayanything about going anyplace 'cept deeper into the shaft. Said it- 'the power', I guess- was calling to him. When we told him he was sick, and shouldn't go back, that's when he tried to bite and stab us.

"As for the zombies, I don't know why they tried to bite people. The people they bit got sick and died, then came back as zombies too. But then, so did everyone who died, from whatever cause."

At this point, Sergeant Jaff weighs in, "Once we'd killed them, again, we didn't bury them. We burned 'em. Nothing left to come back, you know?"

-

Nicolai glances at his companions' faces and doesn't need Corros' link to tell him that the witchling, Jenna, and Gronk are all reliving memories of their experiences in the ancients' caverns.  "'Power,'" he repeats.  "And a summons.  We've seen something like that before," he says, mainly for Amaldaris' benefit.  "There's an underground complex northwest of here. It's older than any history I've read.  It, or something in it, has a similar effect.  Paranoia, acquisitiveness, wild magic.  Possibly creating or attracting monsters, too," he adds with a well-suppressed shudder, thinking of the amorphous, cacophonous blob of flesh.

He turns to Ogar.  "Ogar, thank you for your time.  I'm sorry for your loss.  I think we're done here, but I'd appreciate it if you could make yourself easy to find for a few days.  If you remember anything else, no matter how trivial, please tell us."  He tosses the dwarf a couple of coins and a smile.  "Here.  Go buy a round on the council's money."

He falls silent until the miner takes the hint and leaves.  Then he clears his throat.

"The last time we were here," he continues, inserting a not-so-subtle reminder of services previously rendered, "the orcish threat had a religious basis.  They weren't here to seize the platinum.  They were here to stop you from digging deep enough to awaken a 'Sleeper.'  It's a mythic apocalyptic figure for them.  I'm not saying correlation is causality, but events are strongly suggestive of something exerting more and more malign influence the deeper you dig, whether that's a being or an artifact.

"I expect they'll return soon.  Their shaman will be aware of these events.  So that's another imminent problem to consider.  We managed some diplomacy last time but I don't expect we'll be able to pull that off again."  He doesn't lean forward but his face hardens and his voice drops to a venomous hiss.  "And despite that threat, and despite our full disclosure of what we had to do to stop the war last time, and despite the demons and living dead, these gold-blinded drooling idiots," he stabs a finger toward the wall and the camp beyond, "are still poking the bear.  That stops now.  They are making it worse.  I'm sick to death of having our good work undone."

Now he leans forward.  "So pass the word.  No more prospecting.  No more digging.  No more grubbing for personal wealth at the expense of the entire city's survival.  Until this threat is resolved for good, this operation is over.  The Fire Council sent us out here to solve the problem and we will solve it, but previous attempts to be polite haven't worked.  So polite was yesterday.  Today is getting the gods-damned job done.  So I will personally fucking murder," he chooses his words with deliberate extrajudicial malice, "the next ten men I see so much as lay hands on a pick without our express orders.  I'll start getting creative with the eleventh."
This message was last edited by the player at 13:05, Sun 30 Apr 2017.

The tenets of Arma's faith require Her Clerics to defend the weak and protect the innocent. At this moment in time Jenna is unsure as to how the Goddess's  commandments reconcile with Nicolai's threat to kill ten miners. Perhaps he is bluffing. Perhaps he is not. If these fools have any sense they will not put it to the test. Jenna does not know herself. She should speak out, tell her companion that he cannot do that. Yet her lips remain still, her eyes dart for the most fleeting of moments towards Corros. How many other tenets had she cast aside? The Goddess had told her that she would find redemption in the company of strangers. Was this what She had in mind? And if so who was Jenna, a mere mortal, to question her Goddess?

Her gaze shifts from Corros back to Jaff. Still she remains silent, as mute as a servant of the Reaver, for the Ardani is more than capable of intimidating the hapless Sergeant without her assistance, although the eyes that come to rest on Jaff bear a chill as bitter as that of the frozen Dales of the North, the ones ravaged by the Icewinds. Hopefully Jaff would be convinced of the wisdom of doing as he was bid and ensuring that the mining stopped, would not seek to find out whether Nicolai was truly bluffing or not. For Jenna doubted that he was.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:55, Sun 30 Apr 2017.

"I'll do the best I can," Jaff answers, adding, "... with the men I have available." He looks at Deepdelver, soliciting help from the ersatz mayor.

The dwarf is quiet, conflicted. "You're right," he finally replies to Nicolai, "I had such hopes for this place, but the cost... too high." Deepdelver looks to be on the verge of tears. He's got personal baggage, clearly.

"I will officially forbid all further excavation, in no uncertain terms," he announces, trying to project resolve. "Sergeant Jaff, if I order the evacuation of Yonder's Hole, will you escort the miners back to Balefyre?"

Now it is Jaff who looks conflicted. "I'm not sure my commission would allow such action, but... yes. I think it would be for the best."

"Then I suppose we have a lot of work to do," the mayor says, his tone more assured now. "What are your intentions?"

-
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:40, Sun 30 Apr 2017.

"Be sure to tell the Council I forced your hand," Nicolai says.  There may be a slight emphasis on the personal pronoun.

He glances around the assembled group.  "Recommendation: Let's rest tonight, but maintain a watch in case anything boils over.  In the morning, we'll help get the evacuation moving.  I don't want to go too deep into the mine works until the noncombatants are out of the way, in case we provoke an extreme response from the Sleeper or its ancillary evils.

"Sergeant, you'll need all your troops to cover the evacuation, given the local wildlife's activity levels.  But if any miners want to stay on for security - and in case we need excavations opened or closed in a hurry - I won't object.  That's only for volunteers who understand the high likelihood of dying horribly, though."

"I will stay," Deepdelver announces, barely waiting for the Ardani to finish his piece. "I know my way around a mine, and I was known to swing a mean hammer in my day." His tone makes it clear that his decision is non-negotiable.

-

"We will be happy to accept all the qualified help we can get," Corros says with gracious tone.  He's more than willing to play good-watchman to Nic's bad-watchman.  Of course, with the agent, it's probably not a bluff that he'd do exactly what he's proposing.  Nic might not enjoy it, but....  No link is necessary for him to pick up on the tension coiled in Jenna's frame.

"I agree with Nic, we need to rest.  It is still our hope that Zima shows up, yeah?  If not, our evacuees are going to have to keep any eye out for our missing ranger.  Once we finish up below ground, we can go look if necessary, but the evil underground is probably a worse situation than whatever is crawling around outside of this camp."  Probably, anyways. The  gods only know the truth.  There is an itch in his rib cage, a little spear of guilt, accusing him of leaving an ally behind.  But there is only so much that can me done.

Gronk wasn't really an idea guy, but one had occurred to him, perhaps even important enough to share.

"What if something from the tunnel grabbed Zima & Kerek and took 'em down there?"

-

Corros starts in his seat at Gronk's interjection.

"Well that's a hopeful thought," he mumbles before smiling at the half-orc.  "And entirely too possible to be ignored. Although there's not a whole lot we can do for them except rest up and go get them when we're ready.  Shitty though, yeah?  Well done, Gronk."

The warlock knew that Gronk didn't exactly consider himself the brains of the group and Corros wanted to make damn sure he felt comfortable speaking up whenever he felt the need.  Plus, he just likes the guy...er orc...oh whatever.

Nicolai blinks at Gronk.  "That is very astute.  And very disturbing.  And it makes me wonder if some of the creatures in the area may be drawn by the Sleeper, not just randomly wandering around out there."

He draws a deep breath and shrugs.  "I'd expect Zima to leave some signs if she were being dragged along against her will.  We'll keep an eye out for that.  In the meantime, though, we need rest if we're going to be effective rescuers."

"That there is a connection between the Sleeper and the sudden appearance of these monsters seems logical to me." Jenna offered as the conversation continued., the words followed by a barely stifled yawn. She was tired, knew it, knew that meant that her channel to the Goddess was weak, Dangerously weak. If she was to be of any use to the others she needed to rest, and to pray, to regain her strength, spiritually as well as physically.

The sky is dark when Corros walks outside.  He feels exposed, not dreadfully, but exposed enough that it. Rings back bad memories of his past.  Still he has allies in danger and while it is more likely that they have been drug underground,looking for evidence of their passage may give them the best chance possible.  The warlock scans the sky, remembering with physical pain the manticores that hunted earlier.  Fear is nothing.

He utters the necessary words, and rises into the still night air.  He won't be gone long.

Corros glides through the cold darkness that covers the landscape like a heavy, black burial shroud. A human wouldn't see much from 50 feet above the ground, but Corros is blessed with his elven lineage's darkvision. He sees the openings of several mine shafts of various sizes- all but one appear dormant. The lone exception appears to be occupied by a single humanoid zombie. It shuffles around mindlessly, taking no notice of the half-elf warlock floating overhead. Corros can't make out any tracks, save for those left by the wagon trains that, until recently, come and go every few days- he doesn't have the skill to pick out the spoor left by small groups or individuals. He does, however, find a dead horse, or what's left of it. He can't identify it, per se, but he's relatively certain that it was one of his companions', lost during the Yeti attack. All that remains is gnawed bone, scattered tackle, and a few scraps of hair.

-

The hilltop fort would be a better vantage point, but it also has too many potential witnesses on duty.  Instead, Nicolai swings out the window of his room on the inn's second story and levers himself onto the roof.  A low whistle brings his ravens swirling to him in a rustling, shadowed cloud.  With a flicker of thieves' cant, he sends a trio soaring away in Corros' wake, ready to report if the witchling finds trouble he can't fight or flee on his own.  For the rest, he has scraps of dinner.  He's not certain if Mórag's bond with the birds needs reinforcement in this manner, but it can't hurt.

"Not much but a dead horse," Corros says to Nic when he lands.  Having the crows show up had been a welcome addition, one that the warlock wishes he would have thought to ask for.  Despite the last months that he has stood along side his new friends and love, he still has moments where he's too tempted to just do things on his own.  "If our allies are out there, I can't see them.  We should rest."

Amaldaris, now a lot cleaner after his bath, had listened with great interest to the discussions between his new companions and a couple of the local officials.  There had clearly been a lot of trouble around this mining settlement and it sounded like it wasn't yet all resolved.  He had been a little shocked by Nicolai's threat to murder any errant miners who continued to take risks digging in the earth and drawing vile threats towards the village but he had managed to keep his impassive Elven demeanour and to mask his emotions.  He did wonder whether it had been an idle threat meant to bluff the miners or if Nicolai actually meant it.

At present he simply didn't know the man well enough to decide.

"Resting until morning and then organising a search seems like a sensible way to proceed," he commented to Corros.  "Do you believe us secure enough here or do we keep a watch ourselves?  I need little rest."

The companions are given a room of their own at the inn. They pass a restless night in peace, troubled only by strange dreams- not quite nightmares, but in a way more upsetting. In their dreams, each of the Five is haunted by a presence, always on the outer edge of perception- invisible, odorless, silent but...

There.

Trying to communicate.

Pleading? Warning?

Each companion wakes alone at some point in the night, strangely compelled by the dream to leave the inn and go to the shaft alone. All manage to resist, although Gronk is halfway out the door by the time an awakening Amaldaris stops him. These wakeful turns facilitate an ad hoc watch schedule. By dawn, each companion has managed to piece together enough sleep to regain his/her full strength (Long Rest completed).

After a breakfast of rabbit and wild mushrooms, the companions are ready to depart. Mayer Deepdelver has ordered the evacuation of Yonder's Hole and put Sergeant Jaff in charge. There's some grumbling, but it appears that most of the settlement's remaining residents will cooperate.

The Five plus one make the short journey to the shaft entrance. Deepdelver wears an old suit of mail and carries a two-handed war hammer, neither which appears to have seen recent use.

The party enters the shaft and descends into the darkness. Nic's ravens wait dutifully at the opening, hopping around squawking nervously.

The roughly dug miner's shaft opens up into a tunnel, about 10 from floor to ceiling, reminiscent of the loop beneath the City of the Forgotten Ones but smaller in scale. The floor is tiled, the smooth, arching walls show no pick marks. Confirming their suspicions, the wall bears an inscription in the dead language of the Forgotten Ones. Only Corros can understand what it spells out.


The tunnel runs roughly north-south.


Your Turn.

-
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:53, Sat 13 May 2017.

The last time the Five were underground, Ulfgar was along for the trip.  Nicolai finds himself missing the vulgar dwarf now, less for the druid's ease in cramped quarters than for the occasional gift of temporary darkvision that he bestowed.

The Ardani pauses and passes a hand near the inscription, not quite touching it.  He looks inquiringly at Corros.

Jenna had not slept well, her rest disturbed by a feeling that someone...something...was probing at her mind, trying to reach into her head, but for what purpose she knew not. At one point it had caused her to wake from fitful slumber, enticing her, luring her towards the mine shaft. The Priestess had closed her eyes tightly, tried to force whatever it was out of her head, clung tightly to Corros through the night, was glad when the Sun had finally risen over the horizon and it had been time to actually go to the mine. Whatever lay in its depths it was better confronted, now.

Slowly she descends with the others, her right hand grasped tightly around Arma's Blessing, as tightly as she had held Corros during the night, her eyes adjusting easily to the gloom, a gift from the Goddess Herself the Priests had said at the Cloisters. When she sees the inscription on the wall she comes to a halt, watches as Nicolai steps closer, mimicking his action as she looks to Corros, waiting for her lover to translate the inscription. And doubting very much that it was an invitation to proceed.

"It says 'all those who enter here will be skinned alive in the Hell of the Upside Down Sinners," Corros says solemnly.  When the heads of his companions turn, he smiles, trying to break the mood of the oppressive night it seems like all of them shared. "Nah, just kidding.  It says 'No unauthorized people past this point.  Leave your weapons here.'  I think we should ignore that part."  The most winning grin the warlock can muster crosses his face and he winks at Jenna.  Hopefully it's good for morale.

The warlock peers into the dark shaft, thankful for the heritage of his mother that allows his eyes to function in the gloom.

"No time like now, yeah?  Just remember, before we go down there, we all like each other and if it get's weird, it's the tunnel or the things we find.  Not us."

Nicolai ostentatiously adjusts one of his sheaths to tuck a dagger a little farther up his sleeve.  "Oops," he intones with mock solemnity.  "Right.  Forward into wholly-authorized exploration we go."

Amaldaris normally didn't dream.  His sleep each night was actually two hours of meditation and dreams didn't normally intrude in that so last night had been very strange and disconcerting experience for him, enough to wake him, as such, from his meditative state to be able to stop Gronk leaving their shared room in the tavern.  And Gronk's desire to enter the mine alone had been the same as Amaldaris had felt in his dream and so what they had dreamt had not been a coincidence.  Something, or rather someone, had initiated the same dream in both of them.

It has taken him a while to regain his centre and begin his resting meditation again but he had eventually succeeded and had managed to rest for long enough to be fully refreshed by morning.  He was still disturbed by the dreams however.

"Did anyone else dream a strange dream last night?" he enquired of the others as they contemplated the mines.  Continuing he started to share his thoughts but they were inconclusive, just a collection of things that had occurred to him that he could only speculate on at the present moment without any form of conclusion.  "For me dreaming is a rare enough experience but if I read my dream correctly there is some evil presence in these mines that can both invade our minds and wishes us to enter the tunnels.  It wants us individually however so does that imply that it fears us as a group?"

He glanced again at the inscription that Corros had deciphered before continuing.  "And is that inscription recent or old?  If it is recent then why write it in a language that most cannot understand.  If it is old then whom was it intended for.  Not us at least."

"I'm not sure if it's even a presence," Nicolai admits.  "It may be a spiritual contamination without any will behind it.  When we explored another set of ruins nearby, last year, it manifested as paranoia and greed.  But it was unfocused.  You're right - it seems to work against group integrity.

"The language is ancient.  It's the same one we saw in the other ruins.  These may be connected to that complex, if we delve deep enough.  I suspect the inscription dates back to those times as well."

The Five arbitrarily choose the branch to the right (north) and proceed in that direction, leaving the dim light of the opening behind them. The tunnel slopes gently, almost imperceptibly, downward, into rapidly deepening darkness. Nic is the only member of the party not blessed with some degree of Darkvision; the others accommodate for this hereditary disadvantage by lighting a hooded lantern. All benefit from the added light (see Darkvision rules).

The air is still. Cool and dry. Dead.

They haven't gone very far when they find the remains of several that had gone before. Some of the bodies appear freshly dead, showing very little sign of decomposition. Deepdelver recognizes a familiar face among them, one of Yonder's Hole's old-timers, Mortimer Greech. Other bodies are nothing but piles of bleached bones. One particular corpse, bisected at the waist, displays both conditions. The legs of the lower half look fit enough that if it they were miraculously attached to a willing torso, they could stand up and walk out of the tunnel right now; the upper half, however, is bone crumbling to dust. There are no useful artifacts among the strewn remains. Fortunately, none of the remains appear to be those of Zima, although a couple of badly decomposed dwarven bodies can't be ruled out as belonging to Kerek. Strangely, there's no odor of corruption.

The companions press forward, past the small field of dead. Amaldaris and Corros see it first. Up ahead, just beyond the reach of the lantern flame's orange light, a large humanoid figure stands stock still in the middle of the tunnel, its head almost touching the ten-foot-high ceiling. The Five slow their pace, approaching with utmost caution. As they draw nearer, the construct lifts his left hand, palm facing the intruders, and points with his right to a room cut into the left (west) face of the tunnel. The being appears to be formed from the same hard, grey stone through which the tunnel is bored. Like the walls, it bears no chisel marks. It's been carved to resemble a warrior clad in archaic armor; its flawless facial features are more or less human, perhaps elvish. It speaks not, its face completely dispassionate, but its posture and gestures seem to say, 'Stop! Enter that room.' On its chest, a platinum badge of some sort glints in the lamplight.

"I reckon that's a stone golem," Deepdelver opines.


Your Turn.

-
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:23, Sun 14 May 2017.

Amaldaris looked at the badge on the chest of the stone golem, taking a few moments to study it, trying to work out any symbols that had been carved into the platinum.  It was clearly important, otherwise why would the badge have been made of such a valuable material.  Understanding it might well be a clue to working out the purpose of the golem and therefore bypassing it.

After studying the golem's badge for a little while Amaldaris then moved cautiously over to the entrance to the room the golem was pointing at and looked inside it in an attempt to figure out what it was indicating.

"I assume that that is some kind of guardian to prevent us proceeding," he said quietly to his companions.  "They are strong constructs and tough to defeat.  It will be a severe test for us if we have to fight it.  Does anyone have any ideas on how to bypass it?"

"It seems to be offering an alternative," Nicolai suggests.  "We could take its recommendation and go west.  Or we could negotiate."  He glances at Deepdelver.  "I speak the language but I think it might react better to one of the Stoneblood.  Do you recognize the heraldry on its chest?"
This message was last edited by the player at 00:37, Fri 19 May 2017.

The dwarf squints, trying to make out any details on the golem's platinum badge.

Slowly shaking his head, he answers, "It's not familiar. There's a rune on it, but it's unlike any I've ever seen before."

-

"I saw one of these in Silverleaf," Corros says, referring to the golem. "It, uh, was defending the home of one of the soon to be removed lords of the city.  Can't say I'm eager to cross one after that, yeah?"

The half-elf peers at the golem, looks the badge over along with their new elf companion.

"I'm tempted to follow its advice.  For now."

The rune isn't familiar to Corros but, given his studies and the context, he can surmise, with some degree of confidence, that it indicates a measure of official authority. One could even infer that this golem is one of the 'guards' manning the 'guard post' mentioned in the inscription near the tunnel entrance.

-

"Left it is." Nicolas proceeds forward with care, ready to leap back and draw steel - for whatever good it'll do - if the golem issues objection to his passage.

"Indeed." Jenna nods in agreement with Nicolai, hefts her hammer in her right hand, smiles at the Ardani. "After you?" Her tone is light, intended to convey the humour in her words, even if that humour is more than a little forced after what they had witnessed getting to this point.

Still, if he defers she'll willingly take the lead instead. After all, she was a Priestess of Arma, would not stand by while another stepped into danger. For she fully expects following the golem's advice to be every bit as likely to lead to danger as not doing so. But, for the moment at least, it seems like the most practical option.

Watching the golem warily, the companions walk through the doorway and enter a large room, lacking any other exit. Running down the center of the room is a low stone bench. The wall on the left is subdivided into many tall, but narrow, doorless niches. These compartments remind Jenna of the temple alcoves in which the priests of her temple store their different sets of vestments. On the floor in most of the niches lie the crumbling remains of clothing. Some of the piles look very similar, others are unlike any other.

The right side of the room is lined with similar compartments, only each of these are closed off by smooth metal doors, each inscribed with a different symbol that Corros recognizes as numbers in the Forgotten speech. Each door has a small keyhole on the left side, midway between top and bottom. Some of these keyholes are empty, while the stems of keys protrude from others.

The golem, thankfully, did not follow the party into the room. It's massive bulk can be seen looming just outside.


Your Turn.

-
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:54, Sat 20 May 2017.

Nicolai kneels to examine a few of the clothing scraps, stirring them with a gloved hand.  He shrugs in incomprehension, then stands.  "Ritual robing and disrobing?" he asks, lofting the question in Jenna's general direction.  "When we were in the other place - the tunnel loop - we saw a record of some sort of ritual.  Did they need to cleanse themselves before conducting their summonings?"

He looks around the room.  "No other way out.  What do we need to do here to satisfy him before we can proceed?"  He tilts his head toward the golem.

Jenna's shoulders form a brief shrug in response to Nicolai's first question. "Temples of Arma have rooms like this. Or at least similar to this." The last is added hastily, left anyone draw a wrong conclusion. "Look, some of them look like they are the same, others are clearly not. That might mean different ranks. In Arma's Priesthood the lower ranked Priests were white, so that the blood that we shed for the Goddess can be more clearly seen. When one has attained a certain rank one is then permitted to wear grey."

The blonde haired Priestess turns her attention to the doors that line the opposite walls, considers Nicolai's second question. "Perhaps we need to find out what lies behind those doors before we can proceed." She can see the symbols on the doors but they are incomprehensible to her, so instead she looks at the remnants of clothing again, trying to see which sets appear to be unique and which doors they are opposite.

"I believe that you are correct," commented Amaldaris to Jenna as he looked around the room, taking in the layout.  It had a familiar feel to it, similar to temples he had visited over the years.  "It may be that we have to offer a prayer to a particular deity as well in order for the golem to let us pass.  There may well be some kind of entrance ritual to prove that you should be allowed further into the temple complex.  That is presuming that these tunnels are indeed a temple or holy shrine of some kind."

He walked over to the closest of the smooth metal doors that still had a key in its lock and examined it further.  Prodding it with the tip of his spear he checked to see if it was actually locked or not and then opened it, turning the key it necessary, to see what the compartment contained.

Amaldaris turns the key and opens the... locker. It is empty, save from a cross-piece that runs horizontally across the compartment, near the top. The cross piece has three notches cut into it.

Fortunately, the locker wasn't booby-trapped or Amaldaris might have paid dearly for his curiosity.

-

Gronk takes a peek over Amaldaris' shoulder, briefly studying the inside of the just-opened compartment.

"I used to have a locker kind of like that, back when I was a pit fighter- I bet that's where you're supposed to hang your weapons," the half-orc opines, pointing to the notched cross piece.

-

Corros eyes the slots and shrugs.  "How many weapons do I leave? Daggers? Wands?"  Deciding to try the system out, and electing himself most likely to have zero use for steel implements of violence, Corros puts his daggers into the slot Amaldaris opened up and starts back for the door.  Maybe this place has its version of logic or rules that must be adhered to.  It could be riskier trying to get around the defenses that just going along with them.  At least for a little while.

"It's okay," he says trying to keep his courage up.  "I'm going to go slow.  If the thing tries to block me, I'll just back off, yeah?." And not getting torn limb from limb would be a bonus.

"If it tries to block you, stop going slow," Nicolai advises dryly.  He eyes the... lockers... with all the enthusiasm of a vegetarian at an orc hill tribe's pig roast.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:46, Mon 22 May 2017.

Amaldaris watched Corros place his daggers in the slots of the locker and then return to the Golem.

"So your thought is that we are supposed to leave our weapons here and continue unarmed?" he asked, watching to see how the guardian responded to Corros' actions.

The golem side-steps to block Corros' path, its warding hand still outstretched. It's other hand gestures to the platinum ring on its chest. Corros realizes that if he tries to pass the stone sentinel, it will likely attempt to use force to stop him.

-

"'My parts are valuable on the salvage market?'"  Nicolai mutters at the golem's gesture, once no attack is forthcoming.  "'Please polish me?  You cannot be taller than this ring to ride this ride?'"  He waits until Corros is clear of the construct's reach, then turns back to the lockers to toss them for any sort of badge or passkey.

Corros steps back carefully, giving the golem plenty of space and distinct lack of threatening gestures.  This time Corros puts his wand in the locker as well and prepares to approach the golem again.  Slowly and unthreateningly as possible.

While Corros re-attempts to bypass the guard golem, Nic sets about trying to open a locker. He picks the one furthest from the door (and therefore furthest from the golem) and takes a knee, setting the lantern down so that its light is cast upon the lock he will attempt to pick.

The Ardani carefully inserts his lock pick into the small keyhole and probes the internal workings of the mechanism, making adjustments by touch and by ear. After a few seconds, there's a satisfying click and the door pops open. Fortunately, this does not appear trigger any sort of trap or alarm.

Inside, set in the notched bar, is an ornate sword hilt. The center of the crossguard is decorated with a sunburst.

Meanwhile, Corros has no better luck with the golem. The massive construct continues to bar his path, again pointing to the platinum ring on its chest.

Gronk crosses the room to the dressing niches and pokes around in one of the piles of rotting clothing. It crumbles at his touch, yielding nothing but dust. He tries again at the next cubby over. Same type of garment, same result. The next cubby down contains a pile of unlike clothing. He gives it one last try.

"Hey guys," he says, holding up a platinum ring, "Look what I found."

-

Nicolai grins at Gronk.  "Nice!  I think you just found our way in without a fight."

He removes his own find from the locker to examine it in the lantern's light.  "And here we have the sword you give the guy who can't find the pointy end of a normal one, I guess.  The very rich guy," he clarifies as the inlay sparkles.

"I suppose we'll need to leave that here as well." Jenna muses as she looks at the blade that Nicolai has picked up. "I mean, if we're supposed to leave all weapons." The blonde haired Priestess's shoulders wrinkle into a shrug. A stray thought flashes through her mind, namely that the original owner of the blade that the Ardani now holds may have once been in the same position as they were now, had left the weapon expecting to return and reclaim it but clearly had not done so.

She sees no benefit in putting such thought to voice and potentially unsettling the others, so moves away to inspect any of the apparent lockers that have yet to be searched. Parting with her Hammer makes her uneasy though, for it is no ordinary, common weapon; it has been blessed by the Goddess and Her power and grace radiate through it. But fighting the Golem is an unequally unpleasant option.

"Perhaps it is the ring that is the key rather than absence of weapons." She ponders as she completes her search. "Maybe we should retain our weapons while we try with the ring, see if that grants us passage. If that doesn't work we can try again without weapons." She looks over at Corros. "I'll try if you wish." So far the thing had not attacked the Warlock, only refused to allow him to pass so Jenna wagered that trying with weapons was worth the risk but she was unwilling to have another put her theory to the test, particularly Corros, just in case the thing did choose this moment to attack.

Corros flips his eyes over to Jenna and sees the worry reflected there.  Sees too her determination to see her own theory through rather than ask someone else to take the risk.  It's the same sentiment he had been using to test his own ideas and one that he must respect.  The warlock stands aside wishing he could take a moment to make physical contact with his lover, letting the feeling pass as this tunnel is neither the time nor the place for such things.  A feeling of being lucky the Jenna is here with him in the place and in his life washes over Corros drawing a warm smile.

"Careful, yeah?" he says needlessly.  "I wouldn't want you to have break the golem, he seems like a nice enough fellow."

Jenna locks eyes with Corros for a moment, nods her head, the gesture intended to convey more than a simple acknowledgment of his concern, it goes further than that, deeper, a recognition that she wants to hold him, to be close to him, but that will have to wait, until later, when they are alone. For there will be a later.

Her lips curl into a smile. "I shall try to be gentle with him." There is a twinkle in her eye, her demeanour light despite their current circumstances. Corros had changed her, given her something to focus on besides Arma, shown her that was a World outside the Cloisters.

Jenna pauses a moment, simply savouring the Warlock's nearness before nodding once again, taking a step away from him, turning to Gronk, holding her hand out for the ring. "May I?" When she has the ring she intends to approach the Golem slowly, with ring on left hand and hammer in right, the head lowered to the ground in an attempt to demonstrate that she does not intend to use it on the construct. If it continues to block her path she will simply step back, rejoin the others.

"If the ring is what we require to pass the golem then it may be that we need one each," commented Amaldaris as he continued on from where Gronk had left off, searching the remaining piles of debris and open lockers for any more rings.  "Regardless of whether we need to leave our weapons here or not."

He left any unopened lockers for the moment so that Nic could open them as necessary.

Amaldaris and Gronk search the remaining piles of rotting clothing but find no additional platinum ring badges amongst the debris.

Through trial and error, the Five discover that the golem will only allow an individual, unarmed and bearing the badge to pass. It blocks all attempts at any armed and/or badgeless individuals, even those 'escorted' by an unarmed badge-holder to get by.

-

"Maybe someone unarmed and wearing the badge can issue orders to the golem," suggested Amaldaris.  "Perhaps order it to walk out of the mine and then deactivate."

Corros takes the ring and badge of safe passage back from Jenna and steps in front of the stone creature.  There is a patient power radiating off the thing, a timeless sentinel waiting to do it's job.  For a moment, Corros wonders what that kind of patience would be like, an eternity of waiting and standing still until the conditions are right to act.  And then, what, a return to waiting.  His error, he knows, is bringing his own thoughts to something that is not human and doesn't share his way of thinking.  Something totally foreign.  With that in mind, Corros gathers The Library in his thoughts, seeking a link to the golem.

The probe is careful, the connection tenuous so as not to startle the creature.

Greetings sentinel, he sends.  We seek passage and do not wish to anger or disturb you.  We believe there is danger to our world beyond you and must discover the source.  How may we pass?

Corros has little doubt that the golem can understand him, but it quickly becomes apparent that the ancient construct is unable to reply in kind. It's ability to communicate is apparently limited exclusively to gesture.

The golem's actions and the signage that the party has so far discovered strongly indicate that the golem will not allow any unauthorized (i.e. badge-less) or armed personnel past this point. Fortunately, the construct doesn't seem to have the capacity to become impatient or angry with the party's persistent experimentation with bending the rules.

-
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:14, Mon 29 May 2017.

Being the most capable of the Five when it comes to unarmed self-defense, Amaldaris leaves his elven staff spear with his new friends and takes the platinum ring badge. The Golem allow him to pass by unhindered. In fact, the golem seems to completely ignore anyone who successfully passes its invisible threshold. Its sole focus appears to be prohibiting the unauthorized entry of armed individuals.

The soft-footed elven monk pads into the darkness beyond the single-minded guard and is soon lost from view. The tunnel continues straight ahead for some time, until it terminates in a small chamber made of metal. This chamber is closed off on Amaldaris' side by folding metal grate. This grate does not appear to be locked. In the far wall of the chamber is the hollow imprint of a ring, by the looks of it the same dimensions as the platinum badge he currently bears.  It reminds the elf of a mechanical lift, quite common in the advanced, sylvan cities of his people. There's writing inscribed inside the chamber, but Amaldaris is unable to read and comprehend it.

The others wait, under the unblinking gaze of the sculpted stone guard.

-
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:15, Mon 29 May 2017.

"I am trained in fighting with my hands," commented Amaldaris as he lent his spear against the wall.  He then pulled his dagger and placed it on the ground next to it.  "Should I take the ring and make my way past the golem?  It may be that further rings can be found just beyond the guardian."

Receiving a series of nods from his companions he took the ring and approached the golem.


After studying the writing for a while Amaldaris removed his calligraphy set from his pack and then copied it down as best he could on a sheaf of parchment, making use of his scribe training.  Once the ink was dry he then rolled up the parchment and returned it to his pack in order to show his companions later.  Hopefully one of them could make sense of the words.

He then took the platinum ring and placed it in the hollow that seemed to match the shape of the ring, half expecting the floor to move in some way.

Amaldaris carefully opens the sliding metal grate and enters the chamber. When he inserts the platinum badge into the recess- it fits perfectly- he is not disappointed. The badge glows faintly with a pleasant pale blue light. Two wedge-shaped crystal pieces set flush on either side of the metal ring mount slowly light up. The one pointing up is red. The one pointing down is green.

-

Amaldaris studied the two crystal arrows, unsure what the colours indicated.  Based on the logic that they needed to go deeper into the mine he both said "Down" aloud and then thought the same in his mind.

If that didn't work he then waved his hand at the green arrow in the hope that that would work.

Words and thoughts seem to have no effect. Lightly brushing the down-pointing, green-lit crystal, however, does. The light turns red and an unpleasant, intermittent buzzing sound blares out from somewhere behind him. He turns to find the source of the noise and realizes that he left the grate open behind him. He closes the gate and the buzzing sound stops. Clearly, the Forgotten Ones were big on safety precautions. After closing the gate, he tries again with the lift controls. What follows is a low rumble and a sharp creaking sound coming from somewhere above the chamber. The chamber shudders briefly, showering the elf in fine, grey dust, then it begins to descend, slowly at first, then picking up speed.

The lift descends for about thirty seconds or so, then screeches to a jouncing halt. The machinery has clearly not been used for quite some time.

Amaldaris looks past the grate into the space beyond. The lift entrance opens into a short hallway, ending in a metal door. Next to the door is another empty, circular recess.

-

There seemed to be a high degree of dust, judging by what had fallen on him while he descended.  Brushing the worst of it off he looked to see if there were any tracks in the dust on the floor of the hallway that ended in a metal door, trying to judge if any booted feet or animals of some kind had crossed the floor.  Once he had scanned it thoroughly he then searched the chamber for any more of the rings, hoping that something had been dropped and was concealed in the accumulated dust.

The rings seemed to be the key but Amaldaris was a little unsure whether he should proceed without the others.  Everything had been simple since passing the golem to this hallway but he was concerned that a solid metal door could have been installed to keep things in as much as to keep them out.

Once he had completed his various searches the High Elf then returned to the lift and tried to work out how the machinery worked so that he could return to the others.  He tried to repeat the gesture he had done previously but this time focusing on the arrow pointing upward, brushing it gently if simply wafting his hand in front of the crystal was insufficient to make the floor move again.

After examining the floor between the lift and the metal door (there are none), Amaldaris retraces his steps, reactivating the mechanism that returns him to the upper level. He finds his companions waiting patiently on the far side of the stone-silent guard, discussing possible ways to bypass the security system without a potentially costly fight with the powerful construct.

While the elf was away, Nic had a bit of an epiphany. Perhaps the extra-dimensional space inside Ulfgar's Bag of Holding will conceal the party's assorted weaponry from the golem. There's only one way to find out...

One at a time, bearing the platinum ring, the adventurers bypass the sentinel, tossing the badge back to those still waiting their turn. Again, once someone passes the golem, it ignores them, even if they no longer have possession of the badge. Corros and Amaldaris cross the threshold first, being as both are comfortable and competent when it comes to fighting without a conventional weapon. Gronk, Jenna, and Deepdelver, each still armed, wait on the near side. Then, it's Nic's turn, carrying his own weaponry, the suspected Sun Blade found in the locker, and Amaldaris' staff spear, in the Bag of Holding.

It works. The Golem, still facing south, makes no move to stop him. He tosses the ring, and the bag, back to Gronk who stuffs the rest of the party's weapons into the magical satchel. The half-orc crosses in turn, and the ring is passed on until all Five adventurers and Deepdelver are past.

They proceed down the passage to the lift and descend to the lower level. The ride is a bit cramped. The lift probably wasn't intended to carry quite so many.

The lift grate opens in to the short hallway endcapped by the metal door. The ring is placed in the lock plate and the door pops open with a long, sighing hiss.

What lies beyond is a natural cavern, dimly light by red and blue mosses. The cavern roof, hung with dozens of small stalactites, is roughly twice as tall as Gronk. The sound of slowly dripping water echoes around the cool, humid chamber. As soon as the first of the companions steps foot into the room, the floor and walls of the chamber seem to vibrate. Nic issues a warning. Something seems off. He gets the feeling the party is being watched, or otherwise monitored. The vibrations cease. The companions are on their guard, their personal weaponry recovered from the BoH in the lift. Another step is taken. The vibrations resume, more intense this time. Before Nic can issue another warning, a creature burst out of the cavern floor, about 15' ahead of the party.

"It's an Umberhulk!" Deepdelver cries.


Your Turn.

-
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:02, Sat 03 June 2017.

"Can we kill it?" Nicolai asks, but it's a pro forma question as he flicks his blades out.  He doesn't know what an umber hulk is, but it's apparently an ambush predator, which makes it a lot more inviting target than a golem that's just stoically doing its job.  He matches pace with Gronk and steps in, angling for a strike at the joints where the chitinous exoskeleton appears to have weak spots.

Nicolai
AC 16 • HP 61/61 • Superiority Dice 4/4
Move: Into melee (waiting for Gronk to move in for flanking)
Attack x2: Rapier +1 (attack +7, damage 1d8+4)
Bonus: Off-hand attack, dagger +1 (attack +7, damage 1d4+4)
Special: +2d6 sneak attack damage to first successful attack

The face emerging from the floor gives Corros pause.  He watches, drawing forth energy as Nic and Gronk move forward in a now familiar battle line to deal with the creature.  A few steps take the warlock to where he knows his place in the center of their group will be.  Flinging loose two bolts of power, he draws the Library near, betting that if there is one of these, there could potentially be more, each one ready to move through the stone like the brute in the corridor before them.  Emerging exactly where? That's the rub, yeah?


Corros
AC 13, 61/61 HP
Casting Eldritch Bolt x2 (+8 to attack, d10 +5 damage)
Will use Entropic Ward if another creature attacks him

The ground seems to simply part, the thing emerging from the hole ahead of them, perhaps thinking to block their passage. Unknowingly mirroring Corros' thoughts, Jenna's eyes flick about the chamber for a moment, looking to see if there any others coming out of the ground before she turns her attention back to the one ahead of the,

The blonde haired Priestess steps forward, not as far as Nicolai or Gronk, but placing herself between Corros and the creature as she raises her right hand towards it, a deep breath as she calls on Arma, the ends of her blonde mane beginning to move of their own accord and her eyes turning from blue to milky white as the Goddess's power and grace flows through her, culminating in a sudden ripple of energy that dances around her fingertips for a moment before she unleashes it at the Umberhulk.

Jenna
AC: 21, HP 56/56
Taking position in front of Corros / behind Nic and Gronk
Casting Guiding Bolt (Level 3) at Umberhulk

"And what, prey tell, is an Umberhulk?" asked Amaldaris as he looked at the creature erupting from the floor of the chamber.  There was a degree of uncertainty in his voice as he tried to recall matching descriptions he had read while studying.

Nicolai's question was really the relevant one however.  It was clear that this creature was intent on attacking them and that it wasn't something that could be parlayed with.  Therefore he looked for a way to get behind it so that he could attack it from the rear and increase the number of people engaging.

"Once it is engaged I will leap behind it," he called to his companions.  His intention was to get behind the creature and the attack it with his spear twice, wielding it two handed, and to then release his spear with one hand and strike his target with his fist.


Amaldaris
AC: 18, HP 63/63, Ki Points 8/8
Move: Using Acrobatics and his 45 foot movement to do a running leap behind the Umberhulk so that he can attack it in the rear (and hopefully ensure that Nic gains his flanking bonus)
Action: 2x Attack with Spear held two handed (+7 attack, 1d8+4 damage)
Bonus Action: 1x Attack with Fist (+7 attack, 1d6+4 damage)
This message was last edited by the player at 16:42, Sun 04 June 2017.

Amaldaris vaults the Umberhulk before it's completely emerged from its burrow, landing gracefully on his feet, staff-spear in hand, behind the monster.

Nic steps forward, expecting Gronk to be right beside him as usual. Instead, the Half-Orc stands still, a look of utter confusion writ large across his grey-green face (Gronk is confused!).

While Amaldaris and Nic are moving swiftly into attack position, Jenna and Corros unleash their magic. The cleric slams a bolt of radiant energy into the monster, wounding it, and illuminating the target for her companions (UH1 -23HP; grants advantage to Nic's attack). Corros' twin Eldritch blasts also connect, doing further damage (UH1 -10HP).

Nic lunges for the beast, aiming for a gap between the plates of its exoskeleton. Touch of Sylk fails, twice, to find the soft spot, but Nic's not out of tricks yet. With a flick of his left wrist, he slices the inside of the monster's elbow with his dagger (UH1 -11HP).

The creature's armored hide stops Amaldaris' first spear thrust, but the elven monk's second attempt is better, piercing the shell over its lower back. A follow up palm strike, however, has no discernable effect (UH1 -10HP).

Although preempted by the quick reflexes of its intended prey, the subterranean ambush predator fights back, lashing out at Nic with both of its claws (Nic -18HP). Surprisingly quickly for such a large creature, the Umber Hulk then turns on Almaldaris, mandibles snapping (Amaldaris -14HP).

While the Umber Hulk unleashes its wrath against the front rank of the party, three stalactites detach themselves from the ceiling and drop, silently, falling towards those in the rear. Despite benefitting from the element of surprise, all three creatures fail to do damage. The one targeting Corros misses entirely, hitting the ground beside the warlock, hurting itself instead (P1 -3HP). The other two bounce off the armor of their respective targets and land on the ground, injuring themselves in the process (P2 -3HP, P3 -3HP). Although startled, neither Jenna or Deepdelver are hurt. The strange, roughly conical creatures start to slink off towards the walls of the cavern, emitting a disgusting smell as they retreat. Appears that the monsters have shot their bolt, and now wish only to escape retribution.


Your Turn.

-

Jenna is momentarily taken by surprise when the....thing...falls from the roof, glances off the shoulder plates of her armour before falling to the ground. Her eyes flick towards it as it scuttles away, her nostrils wrinkling as she inhales the foul odour that the creature is secreting.

The Priestess has no idea what it is, is momentarily concerned that the smell may be harmful, toxic perhaps, but the snapping of mandibles ahead of her swiftly draws her attention back to the umberhulk that is clearly posing a threat as it menaces Nicolai and Amaldaris. Unable to strike at both she calls out quickly to Deepdelver. "Look up, see if there are more of those things!"

The words tumble from her lips. Her fingers are already crackling with radiant energy as she takes a deep breath, channels the Goddess's grace into another bolt that hurtles towards the umberhulk.

Jenna
AC: 21, HP 56/56
Talking to Deepdelver / Casting Guiding Bolt (Level 3) at umberhulk

Nicolai cries out in pain as the creature's claws bite deep into his overextended left bicep and forearm.  He manages to hold onto his dagger but it's a near thing.  As the creature turns on Amaldaris, he staggers backward, exaggerating his pain - then steps back in and rams his rapier toward the base of the creature's skull.

Nicolai
AC 16 • HP 43/61 • Superiority Dice 3/4
Bonus: Feinting attack (-1 superiority die)
Attack 1: Rapier +1 (attack +7 w/ advantage, damage 2d8+4)
Attack 2: Rapier +1 (attack +7, damage 1d8+4)
Special: +2d6 sneak attack damage to first successful attack

Corros risks a glance at the ceiling trying to spot a blank spot that lacks the possible living missiles that just dropped in an attempt to skewer the warlock and his lady love.  A few steps lead him to what he hopes is a safer spot where impalement is a less likely option.  Lighting up the strange creatures now walking away is tempting, except for the fact that the umberhulk is hurting his companions.  With the flick of his wrist, Corros sends two more bolts of energy flying

Corros
AC 13, 61/61 HP
Casting Eldritch Bolt x2 (+8 to attack, d10+5 damage each)

Reeling from the gash the umberhulk had opened up on him Amaldaris kept moving, trying to give it multiple targets to think about and therefore hoping to prevent it focusing all of its attacks on one single person.

He then lashed out with another series of blows with his spear and then his fist.


Amaldaris
AC: 18, HP 49/63, Ki Points 8/8
Move: Continuing to move but still engaging, trying to prevent the umberhulk focusing on a single target
Action: 2x Attack with Spear held two handed (+7 attack, 1d8+4 damage)
Bonus Action: 1x Attack with Fist (+7 attack, 1d6+4 damage)

Gronk snaps out of whatever strange fugue state the Umber Hulk had provoked in him, and instinct takes over. The half-orc, just on the edge of rage, lashes out at the big bug-headed beast with his trusty morning star, Spike.

Gronk
AC 19; HP 88
2x melee attack +8

-

The Umber spins around, its sweeping kaleidoscope eyes sweeping its rather feisty prey. Nic and Amaldaris are overcome by confusion (Nic & Amaldaris are confused!).

Jenna and Corros continue to fight back, as does Gronk, who's just come back to his senses.

Arma's power flows out through Jenna's outstretched hand, slamming into the Umber Hulk (UH1 -23HP; UH1 grants advantage to next attack). Corros hits the monster with one Eldritch blast (UH1 -6HP), further weakening it. The Umber Hulk is grievously wounded. It's half-way back into the tunnel from which whence it came when Gronk serves it a mighty overhand blow, caving in its insectoid head (Gronk scores a Crit!). The glimmer instantly leaves the Umber Hulk's multi-lensed eyes and it keels over, dead.

The mind-scrambling effect of the Umber Hulk's presence instantly ends; Nic and Amaldaris are one again in control of their own faculties.

The strange, stalactite-mimicking, slug-like creatures that dropped from the ceiling continue their slow, oozing retreat back up the cavern walls. Deepdelver smashes the nearest of the four with his hammer, splattering himself in its gooey, foul-smelling innards in the process (P1 is dead!). The other monsters slink out of reach. They no longer appear to pose any kind of serious threat to the adventurers.

Up ahead, the cavern curves to the right. Over the sound of their heavy breathing, the companions can hear the faint, almost ryhtmic clink of metal against rock.


Your Turn.

-

"So we're going to need to get you a bath, yeah?" Corros says to Deepdiver.  The warlock is obscenly glad one that the strange creature didn't pop on him and deliver that terrible smell all of his skin and robes.  Or Jenna for that matter.  Would have made things awkward.

Corros turns toward the sound of metal coming from further down the corridor.  "I suppose we should see what awaits us now."  The creatures they've been facing have shown a tendency to be tougher than what they've seen before.  What that means for the power at the center of this place is hard for him guess, but it can't be good.

"Post-combat hygiene seems to have been a theme since we met," Nic comments dryly.  Then the pain hits.  "Ow.  Shit.  Give me a minute."  He staggers to a nearby rock that's roughly the right height for sitting, fumbles a roll of bandages and an oilskin packet of herbs out of his back, and begins clumsily cleaning and binding the gouges in his arm.

Nic -1 poultice
20:39, Today: Nicolai Romanelli rolled 8 using 3d6.  poultice #1.
+8 hp (51/61)
This message was last edited by the player at 00:40, Thu 15 June 2017.

"What the 7 hells happened?" Gronk asks, patting himself down. He seems a bit surprised to have come out of the scrap completely unscathed. "One hit? I know I'm like real strong and all, but that fight ended way too fast." Apparently, the half-orc is unaware of the time he lost to the Umberhulk's confusing gaze.

-

Jenna's eyes follow the retreating slug things suspiciously, her nose wrinkling as she does so. "Should we let them go?" The Priestess asks after a moment. "They may return in greater numbers, seek to attack us again?" There's a significant amount of uncertainty in her voice, not having any clue as to what the creatures actually are.

Putting the matter to one side for the moment, she looks over to Nicolai. "Would you like me to have a look at that for you?" Poultices and herbs were all very well after all, but they were no match for the power of the Goddess. "Is anyone else hurt?"

"I'll walk holding a dagger over my head," Nicolai rejoins.  "I've got this one.  I need to stay in practice.  I might annoy Arma someday and it'd be a shame if I'd forgotten how to take care of myself."  He arches a millimetric smirk at Jenna as he ties off the bandage, then relents and nods toward Amaldaris.  "I think I saw our new companion take a bite, even if he's too stoic to admit it."

"No, I am not that stoic," replied Amaldaris with a forced smile as he indicated the wound he had received.  "I could do with some healing myself if that is available.  It's bite was bad and it's gaze was worse.  I was unable to attack or even defend myself after it looked into my eyes.  We should be careful of them.  If there are more that are avoiding us rather than choosing to engage then I suggest that we let them go.  We do not need to pick unnecessary fights."

He glanced again at the umberhulk.  "Besides that feels like an innocent denizen of this cave complex rather than the root of all evil emanating from here, if you see the distinction I make."

"Just make sure that if you kill one you are standing downwind of me at the time." Jenna says to Nicolai when he mentions holding a dagger above his head. "They stink." Her lips then curl into a grin. "And should you annoy the Goddess you would likely need more healing than that -" she nods towards the poultice "- will provide." She's working on her sense of humour but there's probably still a way to go. And besides, she thinks, looking over at Corros, her own slate was not exactly clean when it came to annoying Arma.

Pushing those thoughts to one side for now, Jenna walks over to Amaldaris. "Hold out your arm." She instructs the High Elf. When he has done so she places her hands on his bare flesh, her lips moving in prayer to the Goddess, her eyes briefly going milky white as Arma's energy flows from her hands, knitting the Elven monk's flesh together again.

Cast Cure Wounds, Level 2, Amaldaris +18 HP
17:53, Today: Jenna Drax rolled 18 using 2d8+5.  Cure Wounds, Level 2.

After a brief respite, the party bypasses the hole in the floor and advances deeper into the cave complex. Around a slight curve, behind a tall column of natural rock, the party encounters a strange device. Made of metal, it resembles an octopus, sitting upright, its eight arms held aloft, close to its body. The ends of several of the arms hold metal balls, about the size of a crabapple. The three arms facing south, southwest, west, and due north (facing the elevator shaft) do not. The arms are slightly convex on their inner faces, forming chutes that run from the tip, where the balls are situated, into holes in the body. A metal plate at the base of the device reads is inscribed with Forgotten Script. It reads:


The high-ceilinged chamber narrows at its southern end, forking right and left. The faint sound of metal ringing against rock seems to be coming from the western branch. An unpleasant aroma wafts forth from the eastern tunnel.


Your Turn.

-

"My thanks for the healing Priestess Jenna," Amaldaris said with a friendly smile and a slight bow of gratitude as the flesh on his arm closed up completely, her magic healing his wound fully, leaving no sign of a scar at all.  He flexed his hand, grasping the shaft of his spear, confirming in his own mind that his combat capabilities, particularly his speed of striking, had not been diminished.  The sleeve of his shirt still showed signs of the injury however, both torn and ripped in several places and marked with both his blood and the umberhulk's saliva.  The High Elf paid those marks no heed however.

Proceeding forward he studied the strange metal device with the eight arms, confusion on his face as to its purpose.  As others studied the script on the metal plate on its base, Amaldaris made his ways towards the southern end of the chamber where it split into two.  Stopping short of the actual fork he concentrated on what he could hear and smell from the respective tunnels, trying to work out what the unpleasant aroma was and whether there was any rhythm to the echos of metal striking rock.  Whether it was the sound of a miner at work or something else.

Nicolai leans forward to examine the device without touching it.  "More of the ancient script," he says, probably unnecessarily.  "If we keep doing this, I'm going to ask you for lessons, Corros."

Jenna walks around the metal structure, circling it, her eyes on it, studying it though in truth she knows not what it is, what function it serves, so even if something were amiss about it she would be unlikely to spot it. Still, perhaps logic might aid her efforts to make sense of it. "Perhaps those balls -" she points to the ones still atop the various arms "- are meant to roll down at some point, join those ones." Now she gestures to the three that nestle in the body of the metal beast. "Perhaps when all eight have fallen something significant might occur?"

The blond haired Priestess shrugs, continues to circle around the structure. Or perhaps the balls have no significance whatsoever. Even although her gaze keeps flicking back to the ones that are still mounted on top of the arms, curiosity flickering in her eyes.

"What is the name of this ancient script?" enquired Amaldaris quietly.

"I don't know that I can teach you to read this," Corros says to Nic slowly.  "I'm not sure I really read it, and I certainly don't know what it's called.  It's more accurate to say the Library translates it, puts the knowledge in my brain.  And even then..." the warlock pauses and peers at the machine. "'Seismography Station Number 2,'" he quotes.  "Even with the words, I don't always get the meaning."

Corros looks at the machine, trying to parse the meaning of the device.  A moment later, he shrugs and his eyes move to the hallways.

"I'm more likely to push one of these balls down the ramp than want to explore that smell.  The sound...another machine?"
This message was last edited by the player at 01:57, Sat 24 June 2017.

"Hmm."  Nicolai frowns in thought.  "Yeah, that's not exactly how I've learned any tongue before.  Seismography," he repeats, rolling the unfamiliar word around his brain.  "No idea.  But it's a numbered station, so presumably this is one of several.  And if those are like guard stations or way stations, each one is at a location that has some significance and value.  Not just placed randomly."

He shrugs.  "So what's valuable or significant here?"  He turns in place, slowly scanning the walls.

Nicolai's careful visual inspection of the cavern chamber yields no valuable insights. The "Seismography Station #2" device is the only man-made object in the room. The rest of the cavern appears completely natural and unremarkable. There are a few stalactites hanging from the ceiling. These do not appear to be the disguised ambush predators that dropped on Jenna, Corros, and Deepdelver during the fight with the Umberhulk.

The tink, tink, tinking continues, seeming to come from the right-hand tunnel. To Amaldaris' pointy ears, it sounds like metal picks striking rock. Deepdelver, a man with much more digging experience, shares this opinion. The smell emanating from the opposite tunnel is a mélange of death and stale excrement.

-
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:42, Thu 06 July 2017.

Amaldaris retreated a few paces away from the tunnel junction so that he could speak with his companions and report what he had observed.

"The sound of mining comes from the right hand corridor.  The scent of death and a meat eater's excrement comes from the left hand corridor.  Which would you rather investigate first?  I would vote for the right hand corridor as there is something moving down there.  Or do we wish to do something with this machine first?"

"Let's see who's mining down here," Nicolai suggests.  "After all, we are here to stop miners from digging up things best left untouched, yes?"

"Lead on, my friend," Corros says, "before they find something else we don't want to deal with.". Even the theoretical knowledge of the sleeper is enough to give the warlock pause.  And to cause a level of nervousness that makes him eager to prove the mining has been stopped.

"Stay behind me." Jenna says to Corros with a smile, moving to stand in front of him as they begin to make their way down the right hand tunnel, her eyes occasionally glancing upwards, just in case there are any more unpleasant surprises lurking above their heads.

The party takes the right fork, entering a fairly narrow, slightly down-sloping tunnel. It gradually curls left, then opens up a bit, before entering a large chamber. Stalactites and stalagmites reach towards one another from ceiling and floor respectively. The sound is definitely louder, more defined; it seems to be originating from deeper in this chamber. The adventurers creep forward, using the stalagmites to conceal their approach. They reach a sort of windowed ledge, where a gap in the rock allows them to look down on a lower level of the chamber. It appears that if the party continues forward, they'll eventually come to a sharp, descending bend, which will take them to the area they are now observing from above.

An odd assortment of creatures, each chained to another, is digging a shaft into the wall of the chamber below, supervised by half-a-dozen grey dwarves, one wielding a bullwhip with sadistic enthusiasm. The cracked exoskeleton of a dead Umberhulk, like a discarded suit of plate mail, lies near the excavation. Among the motley crew of diggers, a dark-skinned gnomish creature, a white-haired drow, a nearly naked, twisted mannish creature, and a grey, vaguely reptilian creature. They are clearly digging against their will.


Your Turn.

-

I don't see anyone who looks like a Yonder's Hole captive, Nicolai sends to Corros, but this is definitely undesirable mining.  Those dwarves - some kind of subterranean breed like the drow?

Perhaps, Corros replies to Nic.  They've the same bad skin and worse attitude.  I'm going to pull the others in so we can figure out what to do.  Let's see what our new friends make of this.

A smile crosses the warlock's lips, one that is half amusement, half pain at the shock of what is about to happen.  His mind dances across his friends, caressing Jenna with a rush of affection, drawing Gronk in with friendly pat on the "back."  Then he reaches out, carefully, almost quietly, to Amaldaris.  The warlock's "voice" is calm and reassuring.

Don't panic.  This is how we communicate in difficult situations.  I can't read your mind, I can only hear what you send me.  The others are here, too.  I'm going to reach out to our dwarven friend next.  We need to plan and I'm curious what he knows about these dwarves below us.

Corros waits patiently, then reaches out to Deepdelver as well.  His mind reels at so many contacts, so many bridges.  It takes more seconds than he would like to become the calm center of a storm, pulling at threads and weaving a "conversation" together.

He'd like someone to be proud of him for doing it and is left feeling hollow when he realizes that there's no one left to impress.

Jenna’s eyes close briefly, a mere second or so, as she feels Corros’ mind brush over her own. Different thoughts dance through her head momentarily, ones of love, tenderness, lasting for but a fleeting moment, a moment of fleeting intimacy before the others are each drawn into the mental web.

The Priestess’s right hand grasps the shaft of Arma’s Blessing tightly as she awaits Deepdelver’s response. The tenets of Arma’s faith seldom allowed for shades of grey, preferred to deal in black and white. Evil was afoot here, whoever they are or wherever they came from the workers were being treated harshly, cruelly, so Jenna’s immediate instinct is that they should intervene, strike down these grey dwarves.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 10:21, Wed 19 July 2017.

Corros senses Deepdelver startle at his unexpected telepathic presence. The dwarf starts to speak, then stops, thinking his reply instead. Clearly unused to such thing, the old dwarf's lips work silently beneath his grey, almost white moustache.

Duergar- dark dwarves. Fallen brethren. Greedy. Good fighters. Don't usually do their own dirty work- slavers, as you can see. I doubt they're digging for platinum.

-
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:13, Sat 29 July 2017.

So we're going to do this.  Nic's mental tone is as carefully uninflected as his speech would be.  It's laundry, or perhaps market day.  We don't have a lot of options for subtlety.  Open with a volley on the one with the whip, then Gronk, Amaldaris, and I close with them?

Yeah, volley of spells on the slave master, then let them come to us if they will, if not, try to herd them.  When they mass, even if they don't fall for the bait, I'll cast something nasty.. It's not the most original of plans.  It will, Corros hopes, do in a pinch.

Corros
61/61 HP, AC 13
Two Eldritch blasts at the dude with the whip.  +8 to attack, d10+5 damage each

Right.  Whose idea was this expedition, again? Nicolai asks rhetorically as he checks the string on his seldom-used bow.

Nicolai
AC 15; HP 61/61; Superiority Dice 4/4
Attack x2: Shortbow on whip-wielding dwarf (attack +6, damage 1d6+3)
Bonus: Master of Tactics Help on Corros' attack
This message was last edited by the player at 00:13, Thu 27 July 2017.

Jenna moves to try and get in to a position where she has a clear view of the dwarf with the whip, takes a deep breath as she feels the Goddess's power begin to course through her, the ends of her blonde tresses starting to stand on end as she becomes a conduit for Arma's power, raising her hand and pointing at the whip wielding slave master, ready to channel that power, unleash it at him.

Jenna
AC: 21, HP 56/56
Casting Guiding Bolt (Level 4) at duergar with whip
Spell slots expended (including this one): 1 x Lvl 4, 2 x Lvl 3, 1 x Lvl 2

Concentrating hard Amaldaris tried to send back his thoughts, hoping that he was doing this correctly.  He had experienced something similar once before while studying in the cloister and, though it was something that made sense to him, it did not come easily to him.  Communication with one's allies in a combat was something that had been drilled into him during his training and thinking like this felt wrong.

I, Amaldaris understand, he focused in his mind, trying his best.

He then looked to Nicolai and waited for him to launch his arrow, initiating the assault.  When that happened he planned to move quickly to engage the dark dwarf with the whip, flanking and turning him if possible so that others could attack his rear.  His attacks were his usual pattern for an opponent who's strengths he did not know, two quick slashes with his spear and then a pair of off hand jabs with his fist after first summoning up his inner Ki power and releasing a little of it.


Amaldaris
AC: 18, HP 63/63, Ki Points: 8/8
Move: Use is 45' move speed to try to get behind or flanking the dwarf with the whip so that others can use Sneak Attack on him
Attack#1: Normal Strike with Spear: +7 to Hit, 1d8+4 damage
Attack#2: Normal Strike with Spear: +7 to Hit, 1d8+4 damage
Bonus Action - Spend 1 Ki point for a Flurry of Blows
Attack#3: Normal Unarmed Strike: +7 to Hit, 1d6+4 damage
Attack#4: Normal Unarmed Strike: +7 to Hit, 1d6+4 damage

Gronk flashes Corros & co. an enthusiastic thumbs-up and pantomimes charging the grey dwarf slavers. His meaning is clear. As soon as his companions' ranged attacks are away, the half-Orc gladiator is going to close with the enemy and do his thing, up close and personal like.

Gronk
AC 19; HP 88/88
Move to nearest enemy
Dash action to get into position; CE die on tap just in case

-
This message was last edited by the player at 21:22, Sat 29 July 2017.

With Amaldaris and Gronk poised to rush into melee range, Corros, Nic, and Jenna let fly at the whip-wielding grey dwarf.

The unwitting slave-master is overwhelmed, first buffeted by eldritch blasts (D1 -15HP), then blasted by a bolt of Arma's radiant energy (D1 -18HP). The duergar is knocked forward, dropping his whip and face-planting at the feet of one of the slaves (D1 is dead!).

Nic smoothly switches targets, putting one arrow, then another, into the next closest Duergar (D2 -17HP). Startled and hurt, it spins around with a pained yell to face its attacker.

Amaldaris and Gronk are off down the passageway leading to the level below. They arrive at a sharp U-turn and realize that the passage continues on, after a short jog to the right. They ignore this alternative for now and curl around the sharp, descending turn. As they come around the corner, ready to fight, the five remaining Duergar disappear in quick succession, blinking out of sight like candles hit by a stiff breeze. The captives are, for the moment, too startled to react, but when they do, the Drow is first, crouching down and moving quickly towards the fallen slave-master.


Your Turn.

-
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:19, Sun 30 July 2017.

"Well, that was unexfuckingpected," Nicolai growls as he discards his bow and readies his blades.  He circles to put Corros between himself and Jenna's armor, hopefully giving the witchling some protection from the Duergar who he expects to be maneuvering for advantage.  "Let's move up.  This is about to turn into a knife fight in a pantry."

Nicolai
AC 16; HP 61/61; Superiority Dice 4/4
Move: Toward the Duergar's last known position
Attack x2: Rapier +1 on first Duergar to appear in melee range (attack +7, damage 1d8+4)
Bonus: Off-hand dagger +1 on first Duergar to appear in melee range (attack +7, damage 1d4+4)

"Where have they gone?" The duergars' sudden disappearance left Jenna momentarily confused, her gaze lingering for a split second on the spot where they had been but were now no longer. Nicolai was already moving though so the blonde haired Priestess simply bobbed her head, her question a rhetorical one, looked over at her half elf lover. "Corros, stay behind me." If they did reappear hopefully it would not be in their rear.

Jenna then falls in to step behind the Ardani, her head moving from side to side as she moves down the same passageway that Gronk and Amaldaris descended a few moments before, watching for any sign of the mysterious dwarves, ready to smite them down with their Arma's Blessing or another bolt of the Goddess's radiant grace dependent on how close they are if and when she sees them.

Jenna
AC: 21, HP 56/56
Ready to engage duergar on sight - warhammer +1 if in melee range, 1 x guiding bolt (level 2) if at a distance
Spell slots expended: 1 x Lvl 4, 2 x Lvl 3, 1 x Lvl 2, 1 x Lvl 1

Corros doesn't have to be told twice.  Or three times.  Nic's movement placing the warlock between the priestess and the rogue had been statement enough.  The half-elf suspects Nic is right, too.  He doesn't think that sudden disappearance of the dwarves means the companions have carried the day in battle.  In any moment, he is expecting the sudden reappearance of bloodshed.

"Happy right here, yeah?"  He might even have flirted in the moment a little, too.  If he didn't think he was about to get stabbed.  The power of The Library begins coalescing around him, ready to wreak vengeance.

Corros
61/61 HP, AC 13
Hellish Rebuke prepped (4th level, 5d10 damage, dex save for half)
Will cast Shatter on a mass of three or more duergar (4th level, 5d8 damage in 10' radius, con save for half)
2x Eldritch Blast if less targets present (+8 to attack, d10+5 damage each)

Gronk is startled by the Duergars' sudden disappearance, but he doesn't lose his cool. Deepdelver didn't say anything about dark dwarves being able to teleport, so the half-Orc assumes that they are still nearby, but invisible. He looks at the floor of the cavern, searching for signs of movement, while cranking his other senses up a notch.

Gronk
AC 19; HP 88/88
Attempting to make a basic attack on unseen target; riposte on tap

-
This message was last edited by the player at 20:03, Wed 02 Aug 2017.

Amaldaris pulls up short of the chained slaves, seemingly at a loss for what to do now that the Duergar are no longer visible.

Gronk passes the half-elf, shield up, but it proves difficult to block the blow that can't be seen. A Duergar's warpick strikes Gronk under his right collarbone; the half-orc's scale mail absorbs most of the blow, but the sharp point of the weapon still manages to draw blood. (Gronk -6HP). The Duergar attacker is now visible, standing toe-to-toe with the much taller half-orc. Gronk reels back as he is struck again, this time by a second attacker which duly appears before him. (Gronk -6HP).

Amaldaris somehow manages to avoid the same fate. He feels a puff of wind on his cheek as his invisible attacker's mattock whizzes by. The Duergar appears on the back-swing, presenting its exposed right shoulder to the half-elf monk. Amaldaris is quick to respond; his long-bladed spear darts out twice, both times piercing the Duergar's armor (D4 -22 HP). The monk withdraws the blade with one hand while lashing out with the other. The onslaught is too much for the Duergar to withstand (D4 -8HP; D4 is dead!)- it falls dead at the half-elf's feet. Amaldaris isn't so lucky the second time. A warpick wielded by a second unseen attacker embeds itself in the half-elf's upper left arm (Amaldaris -6HP). The wielder then appears, replacing his fallen comrade.

Nic and Jenna round the corner to see Gronk beset by two Duergar, and Amaldaris facing off against a third. Just past their two engaged comrades, another Duergar suddenly appears, growing rapidly to ogre height. It's still got two of Nic's arrows lodged in its side, but the feathered shafts now look ridiculously small protruding from the dark dwarf's enlarged body.

While Nic continues moving towards the melee, Jenna stops in her tracks and focuses her goddess' power into a bolt of radiant energy. Gronk appears to be in the most trouble, at present, so Jenna ignores the physically larger target and directs the spell attack towards the Duergar just to the right of her half-orc companion. It impacts in a shower of incandescent sparks, temporarily highlighting the target for Jenna's friends (D5 -20HP; grants advantage to next attack).

Corros is also hanging back. He takes aim at the largest target, that being the ogre-sized Duergar. Somehow, both of the young warlock's spell missiles streak by the overgrown dark dwarf without hitting it.

Gronk, hovering on the edge of rage, homes in on the glowing Duergar, knowing full well now what that divine illumination signifies. Spike caves in its head with a satisfying crunch (D5 -15HP; D5 is dead!). The half-orc pit fighter turns his attention to the first attacker, but misses with his next swing.

Nic doesn't miss, though. The Ardani arrives at his green-skinned friend's side and launches a flurry of attacks against the outnumbered Duergar. Touch of Sylk bites twice, and the rogue's dagger finishes the jobs with a curling slash. The Duergar drops hard and proceeds to bleed out on the floor. (D3 -30HP; D3 is dead!)

The Duergar in front of Amaldaris disappears again as the half-elf takes aim, leaving only the enlarged Duergar in sight. The big one hurls a javelin at Nic. The comically small (compared to the wielder) projectile sails wide, leaving Nic unmarked.


Your Turn.

-
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:32, Sat 12 Aug 2017.

How could you miss that! There's an amused twinkle in Jenna's mind, her thoughts drifting fleetingly through Corros' head as the Warlock's spell fails to find its intended target. There was no time to dwell on the matter though, for the giant sized dwarf - the mere thought of that particular paradox was enough to make Jenna's nose wrinkle - was still standing and appeared to be spoiling for a fight while another one was probably lurking under a cloak of invisibility, could appear anywhere to strike at one of them.

Jenna moved forward, took a step to one side to try and ensure that none of her comrades are in the way then raised her hand, concentrating on the threat that she could see for now, intent on unleashing another bolt of Arma's radiant energy in the direction of the giant Duergar, hoping that that would aid the others in their efforts to smite it down.

Jenna
AC: 21, HP 56/56
Engaging giant Duergar with Guiding Bolt (Lvl 3)
Spell slots expended (including this one): 1 x Lvl 4, 3 x Lvl 3, 2 x Lvl 2, 1 x Lvl 1

Corros gives a mental sigh of disbelief and then sends Jenna a mental smack on the ass as she heads towards the ogre sized dark dwarf.  Some spell slinger you are.  His own voice is echoing a sarcastic laugh.  With no further time to dwell, he starts pulling two more bolts out of the ether.  Maybe this time he'll get a little luckier.


Corros
61/61 HP, AC 13
Two Eldritch Blasts on the ogre sized threat, +8 to attack, d10+5 damage

Oblivious to the byplay, Nicolai closes on the enlarged Duergar - what do you call a giant dwarf? - and lays into it with a flurry of slashes.  The hairs on the back of his neck are standing up, though - there's at least one more enemy close by and invisible, and he doesn't know if any of the chain gang membera are going to turn on their rescuers.

Nicolai
AC 16; HP 61/61; Superiority Dice 4/4
Move: into melee with enlarged Duergar
Attack x2: Rapier +1 on enlarged Duergau (attack +7, damage 1d8+4)
Bonus: Off-hand dagger +1 on enlarged Duergar (attack +7, damage 1d4+4)

Contingency: If other Duergar reappears, Nic will divert movement and all attacks to it instead.  If it pops out of invisibility in melee with him, he'll spend a superiority die for a riposte.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 17:54, Sun 06 Aug 2017.

Gronk's certainly not much of a finesse fighter, so he looks to engage the rather large target that he can see instead of the smaller one that he can't. He pivots to face the giant Duergar and strides in, Spike cocked to deliver a killing blow.

Gronk
AC 19; HP 76/88
Move to target, 2x basic attacks v. the biggun

-
This message was last edited by the player at 18:33, Sat 12 Aug 2017.

For two or three seconds, the cavern is illuminated as if by the noonday sun. The giant Duergar is flung down by Arma's power, killed instantly by an overpowering blast of radiant energy. (GD -35HP; GD is dead!)

It takes a few seconds for the hero's eyes to adjust to the returning dimness of their surroundings. They just catch sight of the Drow slave darting off into the passage to the left, leading away from the hairpin turn leading back to the rock shelf/window where the party first espied the diggers. They also hear footfalls that don't seem to match up with those of the fleeing Drow- likely the vanished final Duergar- heading away in the same direction.

The other slaves are either cowering or scrambling for the keys that the escaped Drow presumably used to free him/herself. Among the chained prisoners are one dark-skinned gnomish-looking creature, a malodorous, bipedal reptilian, and a hideously ugly, pot-bellied humanoid, clad only in a ratty breechclout.


Your Turn.

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