Lief, you peer out of the knot hole.  Your neck is aching from the awkward angle and your back could use a good rub down.  But at least you can now see something.

That something turns out to be a small stretch of space.  There's a wall on the far side.  Some flickering light seeming to come from the right.  And that's about it.

Before you can think much more you hear a thud thudding.  It grows a little louder and you realize it's footsteps.  Heavy sounding ones.

Your lovely view of the wall and flickering light is blocked by what you think might be a trouser leg.

The barrel starts to shake.  Then suddenly you can feel blessed sweet, fresh air pouring down on the back of your neck.

Then something rough and warm, which you think is a hand, pours over the back of your neck.

You find your self lifted by the scruff straight up out of the barrel and left dangling in mid air.  A large man...a very large man.  Even bigger than a half orc...wearing trousers and a hide shirt is holding you up.  He peers into your face intently.  Than after a moment, says in a deep growly voice.

"You're not a muffin.  Growl likes muffin.  Jox said there was a muffin here.

"Did you eat the muffin?"

In reply to Mr. Whetstone (msg # 1):

And here he thought crouching into the corner of a watch tower for a few hours was uncomfortable, being stuck in a barrel definitely just took the top of the list.

Face to face with this large.... creature... "do you know which barrel it's supposed to be in?" He almost stammered but one thing the mercs helped him with was being quick to say something back in the heat of a moment.

In reply to Lief Forthwind (msg # 2):

Growl seems to think on that for a bit.

"Jox said it was in barrel with a big X on top of it."

You can see around the room.  Your barrel is one out of what must be twenty barrels.  There are also some crates and boxes.  Stacks of wood.  A pile in the corner which seems to be your stuff.  But that's pretty far away.

And...oh yeah.  The barrels. Every single one of them has a big X on the lid.

It seems Jox...whoever he is...wanted Growl to spend some time looking for said "muffin".

Questions?

In reply to Mr. Whetstone (msg # 3):

Quickly glancing around the room of barrels "umm, how about I help you look??" The gnome offered hopefully.

Above is a map of the room.  You are dangling in Growl's grip where his position is marked.  Your stuff has ingeniously been labeled "Stuff" in the bottom right corner.

The northern door is the one partially open.

Lief, Growl brings his snout close to you.  He licks a rough, thick tongue over some rather razor sharp looking teeth.  And he says, in a rough, deep voice...

"Okay.  But you better not try to run away."

Over his shoulder, you can see some shadows at the door to your north.  Like someone might be lurking on the other side of it...

---

Zale, you watch the others approach as you listen at the door.

It's actually open just a smidge.  As if someone had not closed it all the way.

From inside, you can hear a rough deep voice say, "Okay. But you better not try to run away..."

Peeking through the door, you can see what looks like a hairy ugly bear man holding a gnome up by his shirt as they stand in the midst of a sea of barrels, each with an X painted atop them.

The bugbear and gnome are located on the spot marked "Growl"

Well this interesting. Obviously Zale doesn't like barrels. First, the murder halfling. Then Duane. And now a lot of them. His eyes narrow as his body seems to shift as water forms in his right hand. Gnome and some other big hairy beast. The undine gets closer, getting within 30'. A whistle comes from Zale as he lets loose a waterball towards the creature!

Awsome to hit. Horrible initative.

18:47, Today: Zale Morcant rolled 6 using 1d20+5.  Initiative.

18:34, Today: Zale Morcant rolled 10 using 3d6.  Damage.

18:32, Today: Zale Morcant rolled 23 using 1d20+4.  Waterball Attack! Ranged Touch!

Offering what he can only hope to be a genuine smile, having been fighting the urge to gulp in fright the whole time, it probably came out more like he was also bearing his teeth. "I'll start overe there then" pointing towards the barrel between the one Lief was in and the one marked to have his stuff.

whether he was let down before the waterball or not, as soon as combat starts he tries to flip a barrel onto himself while ducking to hide.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:09, Fri 13 May 2022.

Breya figured this party had already been started, and waded into the fray.  "Hey, that's my gnome!"

So I'm going to double move, given the Terrain penalty, that should get me to Growl.

16:57, Today: Breya rolled 21 using 1d20+1.  Initiative.

lol waste of a nat 20

Cassandre was all the way by an other door when the first one got opened. She paid it little attention, focused on listening at the one she had elected. But as the others appeared intrigued enough to jump right in and ready to rumble, she doubled back and stoped at the door frame, crossbow at the ready. She made herself small so anyone could pass her, but readied a shot in case a foe appeared — or tried to leave the room.

Bellinha was fine with letting the more combat oriented of the group charge into the room.  She wanted to keep close to Moon, Duane and Cassandre, just in case.  That didn't mean that she was going to keep out the of the fight.

"Unhand Breya's Gnome and stand down!" she shouted commandingly at Growl.  Bellinha uttered several arcane words and cast Flare at Growl.  Maybe he would be less likely to fight if he couldn't....

Bellinha cast a quick glance to Cassandre.  "...wait...Breya has a Gnome?!"

OOC:
Initiative 8
Casting Flare (DC 13 Fort save or Dazzled for 1 minute)