Once again, as the party shoves, pulls, and drags the mass of tentacles and its rocky housing out of the passage, the cave opens up into sand and blackness. As the party exits the narrow tunnel the light of the servant's torch touches the rockface which housed it and falls along cliffs to the west but in all other directions, even upward, the light reaches nothing but sandy desert. Somehow, within the depths of the Black Hill is a world unto itself.

Without close rock or steel to quietly echo every step and breath from the band of adventurers and no ambience of wind, flora, or fauna the blackness is eerily quiet and oppressive as if at any moment the ground will fall away beneath them and they will discover themselves in complete nothingness. As wonderment settles in the party, a closer look at the sands around them reveals a grooved path with a frozen wake coming from the north and to cave, likely carved by the beast they just fought, and a line of tracks made by several pairs of feet trudging through the sands and off towards the east. Speckled and scattered about the sands are the remains of more coral-like, branching structures likely once inhabited by creatures like what they had just fought and far in the distance, to the southeast, is the faintest of glowing light on another cliff. [Private to Kalasha Roadsworn; Zorden: As you look around, taking in the strange sights, you catch a glimpse of something watching you from around the rock wall to your south ... something bone-white and with empty eyes. ]
Group 0 Map Updated.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:50, Fri 21 Jan 2022.

Zorden reached out and put a hand gently on Cain's shoulder to pause his advancement.  His tail distinctly wavered its tip lazily in a southerly direction as he remarked on the trail before them.

"Whatever is here, they may have walked right into its quad armed embrace."  He stated quietly in warning.

"We should be ready for the same if we follow, or perhaps we could cut in the other direction and attempt to circle in if we wish to investigate the source of that light."

With Zorden’s gesture along the rock wall to their south directing his attention (Call it Aid Another) Cain can make out the oversized, white skull of some strange creature around where the cliff turns out of sight; watching them with large, hollow eye sockets. Morin and Sesla still don’t see what the fuss is about.

Seeing Cain and Kalasha turn in the direction of Zorden's tail was enough to finally clue in Morin that the gunslinger might not just be talking about a hypothetical four-armed embrace.

"You see something out there?  Something dangerous?"  He whispered, doing his best to seem casual.  After a second, his face broke into a wide grin.  "Oh man, that's great!  I'm so happy for you.  This whole time we've been getting jumped in tight hallways, and you've been stuck trying to use that boom-stick of yours in the middle of a swordfight.  But now, you can just take your time, line it up all careful and...*pow*"  Still whispering, Morin accompanied his sound effect by making a little "explosion" gesture with his hands.

He gave Zorden an encouraging pat on the arm.  "Go on.  Show us how it's done!"
This message was last edited by the player at 03:03, Sat 22 Jan 2022.

"Well that's something you don't see every day." Cain comments on their new surroundings as he looks around. When Zorden draws his attention he quickly focuses and tries to figure out what they are dealing with here. "Looks like it. And if we follow their tracks we'll do the same, whatever that thing is."

Decision time, I guess. Do we fight, look around some more or turn back now? Personally, I would like to see Zorden try that shot. I mean, what's the worst thing that could happen?

Zorden unslung his weapon and took a look at it.  He hadn't reloaded it after clearing the half burnt powder and lodged round from when he'd attempted to shoot the tentacle creature right before Kalasha split it open like an under-ripe melon.

He held it up and sighted quickly down the barrel, then re-shouldered the weapon.

"If I hit it, which is a big if, I probably won't kill it.  Then it, and however many of them there may be, will be on us pretty quick I think."  He stated quietly, but matter of factly to the others.  "Is that how we want to try and take them?  We could try drawing it, or them, into the passageway.  That might be effective if they're all claws and fists and such.  Though that's up to Kalasha as I imagine she'd be primarily holding them at bay."

As Zorden and the party confer over whether to risk using the Tiefling's damaged musket, a pair of haunting green lights flicker to life within the empty eye sockets of the waiting stalker and it seems no longer content to just watch.
Combat begins. Only Cain and Sesla won Initiative; only Cain may act.

15:47, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 26,14,12,22,17 using d20+6,d20+1,d20+9,d20+3,d20+5.  Initiative Cain, Kalasha, Morin, Sesla, Zorden.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:05, Sat 22 Jan 2022.

"Heads up! Whatever that thing is, it looks like it's coming over to say hello." Cain give a warning as he steps between the creature and the rest of the party.

5' step SE, ready attack when it comes in range.

The sands are deep and heavy beneath Cain's feet, but he trudges into position to defend the others from the coming skeleton. The stalker soon reveals itself from behind the rock wall--the animated skeleton of some bipedal creature with a large, elongated skull, wide jaw, four arms each with a large, four-fingered hand, and long, digitigrade legs. It marches quickly through the sands, into the light of the torch, and right up to the Half-elf who lashes out with his dueling blade--which the skeleton barely sidesteps. The green orbs of light within the skelton's sockets then wink out ... and reappear in the sockets of another skeleton not far away which pulls itself up from beneath the sands and begins to close on the party before the green lights move on once again.
New Combat Round, Everybody may act.
Group 0 Map Updated.
All sandy terrain within the desert is difficult terrain.
14:46, Today: Dungeon Master, on behalf of Cain, rolled 13,6 using d20+5,1d8 with rolls of 8,6.  Readied Attack.

With Zorden hesitant to use his musket, Sesla pulls the strap of her loaded crossbow from her shoulder,holds the weapon out for the tiefling to take, and offers, "Here, take it, you'll put it to better use."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:17, Sun 23 Jan 2022.

"Don't be so certain."  Zorden wryly commented as he accepted the weapon.  "Though, thank you, I will certainly try.". He then did just that, raising the weapon to use against the newly awakened skeleton.

Zorden rolled 17,4.  Attack, (Potential) Damage.

"Huh!" Morin pondered as the skeleton eyes lit up and the creatures started moving forwards.  "Wonder what that green light is?  Is there a necromancer around here casting spells on them?"

With a mental command, Morin sent his invisible servant closer to the second skeleton, waving it's torch around wildly to attract it's attention.  That trick hadn't worked against the gremlins they'd fought earlier, but maybe a mindless skeleton would be stupid enough to swing at the nearest moving object?

And if not...well, Morin still had a few healing scrolls handy.  If things got really desperate, he could probably use the jolt of positive energy they held to finish off a damaged skeleton.  Morin pulled one of the scrolls out just in case, holding it ready in his off-hand.

MOVE: Direct unseen servant 20 feet west, and have it move around wildly to attract attention.
STANDARD: Draw scroll of CLW.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:49, Sun 23 Jan 2022.

"That light is very strange.  Does anyone know if there are necromantic spirits that would look like that?  "  She asked as she stepped up next to Cain and prepared to attack any foe that approached.

Move: 10' East
Standard: Ready to attack any enemy that comes near.

Attack if needed: 22:34, Today: Kalasha Roadsworn rolled 16,12 using 1d20+5,2d6+9 with rolls of 11,2,1.  Readied attack if needed.

Knowledge religion on skeletons: 22:35, Today: Kalasha Roadsworn rolled 25 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 20.  K: Religion for skeletons.

"Son of a..." Cain curses as he slips on the shifting sand, nearly falling when he tried to strike at the undead. "Let's worry about what those things are when they are dead again!"

Damn you, dice roller!
13:55, Today: Cain rolled 6,3 using 1d20+5,1d8 with rolls of 1,3.  Attack, Damage.

Zorden fires the borrows crossbow at the approaching skeleton--finally a target presenting him with a clean shot--and the bolt strikes true against one of it's ribs ... but then rattles around harmlessly within its chest cavity before dropping into to the sands. But as the four-armed skeleton draws nearer, completely ignoring the floating and swing torch, Kalasha is there to meet it with her trusty blade--the combination of its weight and her strength proving a perfectly adequate substitute for a proper bludgeon as it crashes through the monster's collar bones and ribs violently enough to dispel whatever held the bones together and sends them scattering about her feet. Cain, however, is no so lucky. The half-elf's blade swings wide and leaves him off-balance and ill-prepared when the strange skeleton leans forward and lashes at him with each of its four clawed hands; two of them breaking through his magical ward and raking through cloth and flesh alike. (-3, -5 HP)
[Private to Cain: As Morin's unseen servant carries the torch deeper into the desert, the furthest edge of the dim light catches another skeleton coming at the party from the northeast.]
[Private to Kalasha Roadsworn: Kalasha is extremely well-versed in the matter of skeletons. Quick but generally not any more dangerous than the creatures they once were--and generally lacking any of that creature's experience. Resistant to slashing and piercing weapons and immune to cold. But other than the four claws being dangerous in close combat Kalasha can't tell anything about the creatures they once were or any other abilities they might have kept. As for the glowing lights it is reasonable to assume it is some necromantic or divination effect, but too little to guess anything more.]
New Round, Everyone may act.
Group 0 Map Updated.

This message was last edited by the GM at 00:51, Tue 25 Jan 2022.

Seeing Cain in distress, Sesla drops her quiver of bolts at Zorden's feet and moves up behind Kalasha. After briefly pausing to focus the divine energies gifted to her, the oracle reaches out and touches Cain--granting him a Shield of Faith. "Here, this should help keep you safe." (+2 Deflection bonus to AC for 1 minute.)
This message was last edited by the player at 01:08, Tue 25 Jan 2022.

"Bludgeoning weapon, anyone got?" Kalasha asked holding out a hand.

OOC:
Talk as free action, delaying to see if anyone's got anything.

Morin raised an eyebrow as Kalasha asked for a blunt replacement to the greatsword that had just completely annihilated the first skeleton.  Then he shrugged.  He wasn't here to question how people lived their life.  "All I've got is this lasso."  He responded, throwing the rope loop in the direction of the remaining skeleton..  "Hi-ya!" The lasso flopped to the ground ineffectually, and Morin got ready for another attempt.

"I guess, you can bonk it with my torch if you're just looking for some variety.  Or...OR I've heard that if you grab the sword by the blade and hit your enemy with the pommel, the weight distribution is pretty much identical to a maul!  But you'd probably need some kind of special practice to pull off a feat like that."  He scratched his chin.  "A gauntleted fist would probably do the job, if you don't mind getting close..."

STANDARD: Make lasso attack, fail.
MOVE: Direct Servant to move near Kalasha, in case she wants to use the torch as an improvised bludgeon?
This message was last edited by the player at 03:16, Tue 25 Jan 2022.

Just because Kalasha knew skeletons were more vulnerable to bludgeoning weapons didn't mean that her greatsword needed replacing.  She shook her head, "Thanks, but I'll just keep going with this.  Hopefully I'll keep getting lucky with it."

She stepped up next to Cain's new four-armed friend and attempted for another bone-crunching swing.



OOC: Sorry, I'm not sure how I mangled the reading of the update so badly, but I definitely managed it.
Move: step up next to the visible skeleton
Standard: swing for the fences - probably not a crit

22:32, Today: Kalasha Roadsworn rolled 25,17 using 1d20+5,2d6+9 with rolls of 20,4,4.  Power Attack, Dmg.

22:32, Today: Kalasha Roadsworn rolled 10,16 using 1d20+5,2d6+9 with rolls of 5,5,2.  Crit confirm and extra damage.

Zorden smirked as the crossbow bolt landed on target, and did nothing.

Still, nothing for it but to keep on keeping on, and Kalasha seemed to be doing just about fine for the lot of them all by herself.

He grabbed the quiver with his tail as he used his hands to reload, and took several steps more into the open in case there were more of those skeletons heading their way.

Reload, Move 2 squares north

Another four-armed skeleton is returned violently to rest in a shower of bones and shards of bones by Kalasha's heavy blade.

Cain reels back from the skeleton's strikes, more than happy to let Kalasha reduce it to a pile of broken bones. "Bloody hell! Look out, there's another one!" He points northeast with his sword while holding a hand over a bleeding wound.

4 attacks, nasty. Ready action to attack the next one that comes in range, for all that's worth.

Morin glanced at Cain's bleeding wound, then at the healing scroll in his off-hand.  "You good over there, Cain?  Or do you need a patch up?"

Delaying action.