Council of Thieves
Game Master Mug

Lucon blinks at Enko. "I don't hear anything." he says, tearing deeper into the barricade.

Here, maybe this would help Tavi says offering someone her prybar.

Strength rolls
1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14

1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

"Whatever is behind this barricade cannot be worse than the Hellknights, but how do we remove the impediment while still defending ourselves?"

"I would have weapons trained on the sewage, arrows especially, and at the ready. I am sure I heard something." Enko eyes the muck.

"Everyone defend Tavi and Lucon, then," he says cautiously.

The sewage continues to moves along slowly, stinky as ever, and the barricade continues to be a barricade.

Your combined efforts have managed to make good progress on attempts 1 and 3, there are a few more rolls I'm waiting on to see if the combined effort succeeds or fails for attempt 2, which will effect what happens next. I believe Amon, Enko, and Corneleous have yet to roll strength checks, if you aren't rolling to help, let me know. Nothing is happening in regards to what Enko may or may not have noticed.

"I am caught between looking cowardly and acting foolishly," says Enko. "My senses did not lie. Keep your arrows nocked."

He takes a moment to drink one of the looted potions, then moves to work on the barricade.

Better the look the coward than to die the fool

"We remain alert, of course, with Hellknights hot on our heels, but it is not as if we have elsewhere to go, and while I'm not normally the optimistic sort by any means, I think we are through the worst of it for now- we've been tested enough for one night," Jaiyana replies, pausing briefly to give the barricade a few taps with the toe of her boot and reflect on how there are now fewer Hellknights to terrorize Cheliax into fearful submission thanks to the group. "Shouldn't be much longer now; I think we are most of the way finished clearing this rubbish," she finishes, returning to aiding in the effort.

Str check 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

My cousins would never let this moment go, if the saw me engaging in such pedestrian of a task. How low have I sunk? complains the Viscount as he aids the others.

"I set on this path to remove blocks from the natural flow of Cheliax, and here one is, literally," says Enko with a smile. "If I must be a fool to do so, then perhaps our hopes must lie with fools."

He finishes moving the barricade around, less suited to this job than others.

"That being said, Tavi, keep your blades sharp."

"Viscount, if you step into the sewage, you will find a new level to sink to."

Seeing other take up the task, Tavi will step back and keep overwatch, her blades ever ready.

Jaiyana tenses and rolls her eyes a bit to herself at the Viscount's remark and (her quick temper getting the better of her) readies a retort about doing honest work, but decides better of it and holds her tongue; now was neither the time nor the place to let her short fuse and prejudices cause them to get into anymore trouble than they were and instead she focused on the task at hand. Easing a bit, she glances to Enko after he speaks. "I'm starting to like you. I do believe that we will be friends," she says with a nod.

"Surely being ankle-deep in sewage is worse than a spot of hard work..." the man says, eyes widening in alarm as he stops himself. "Forgive me, milord. I spoke out of turn." he mutters, eyes cast downward and stiffly going about his work.

Enko smiles at Jaiyana. "Let us all survive to grow in friendship," he says with a look of goodwill that sweeps over commoner and noble alike.

I had nearly forgotten the ways of Westcrown. I have grown soft in the Upper Reach. It is good to put theory to practice, he thinks.

Lucon returns the smile in turn, taking a conversational tone between the sounds and strains of heavy lifting. "You are... Enko, correct? I did not catch all of your names at the inn. From where do you hail?"

Ok, rolling for those who haven't, and they actually helped out quite a bit! Feel free to continue RP during barricade removal in Flex Time.

As the last large piece of barricade is manhandled to the side of the tunnel it reveals... more tunnel. You notice two bodies on the far side of the dismantled barricade, just bones in tattered clothes. There is something small and shiny among the bones as well. The barricade over the sewage channel is intact, and can be walked over freely. You all stand on one side of the barricade, the tunnel ahead is dark, but clear of Hellknights and Goblins.

Hmm. . move trouble in my . . in our way. . .

Anyone know of these. . .things? Are they dangerous? Can we pass?

Edit: Yes I point them out to the party

"Look there!" the man says, in alarm. "They are... Ooze Bugs. The damned things are always finding their way into my shop, eating away at the stonework... but... I've never seen so many. They are usually skittish, but I am not certain..."

He looks to the more knowledgeable members of the party for further advice. "But we've tarried long enough. If we are to push through..." he grunts. "I can shelter you from the worst of the harm, little one." he says, gruffly. Lucon can likely bear one of the halflings as a light load. I'll take an aid another action to boost Tavi's AC, if she's okay with it, and try to bear her through the swarm. I'll pick her up, wait a round, then take a run action through. I'll wait for the response from the rest of the party before I proceed, though.

Aid Another [DC 10] 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

No one charge off yet, it's more in the spirit of a puzzle than a charge through thing, but that is certainly an option! I want a consensus of at least three of you on a course of action, hopefully most everyone can weigh in. Once I feel there's a majority or better yet a definite plan we'll go from there.

Jaiyana's relief at removing the barricade is short-lived as she sees what lies further down the sewer tunnel. The young woman wrinkles her nose in disgust at the strange, filthy creatures, taking a tentative step backwards. "Enko...I suppose that I owe you an apology," she forces out, obviously a bit disturbed by the creatures, "but Lucon is correct; we must not delay too much longer. Are they dangerous?"

"None needed, Jaiyana." Enko nods at her.

"Lucon, you are somewhat familiar. My parents were fishmongers and I lived in the Rego Scripa. Perhaps you knew them."

He thinks for a moment about the bugs.

"Fish...lure...could we distract them with food? Or perhaps drive them away with smoke? I am afraid I am not well versed in animal lore," he says humbly.

You say these creatures are found here naturally? And they eat through stonework? How would they react to acid? Are they acidic themselves? Why were they unable to cross the barrier? Is there something that we could use to shield ourselves from them? The Viscount is clearly cheered up by the new challenge, and has forgotten his stinking, wet robes.

He stares at the creatures, trying to determine how fast they move and if they'd survive being bottled. He will make no action until he knows what they can be touched with.

Amon wrinkles his nose. "Ewwww. Those are decidedly gross. Do we press by them, or scoot them with a stick?"

Ideas? I do not relish the thought of running through there.

Lucon scratches his beard thoughtfully, breaking off a half-rotten chair leg from the debris before tossing it as far as he can down the passageway.

"In the Upper Reach, the ground is rock and ice in many parts. We often bury people
'in the sky', letting birds of prey eat their dismembered corpses," says Enko.

"The Hellknights could aid us yet again," he says without a trace of humor, looking at the two bodies in the hallway full of ooze bugs.

"Will someone help me carry one here?"

"If it will keep those things from touchy me; gladly," Jaiyana replies, "I am not fond of normal bugs, let alone these disgusting things." The ranger then cautiously, yet swiftly, moves to aid Enko.

Lucon heaves the chair leg down the tunnel, and the constant motion of the blobs stills for a moment as they track the chairs legs movement with translucent eyes. The tumbling projectile happens to catch an ooze bug at the far end of the swarm, and as it is struck it virtually explodes. Black and yellow ichor radiates out from the miniature explosion, covering roughly a three foot radius. Even from where you are you can hear a faint hissing sound on the stone floor. Dozens of it's fellows quickly move towards the hissing fluid, mopping up the black filth in a matter of moments with tiny invisible mouths.

Jaiyana is willing to go as long as Enko is going (I think we both trained Stealth), but would neither go alone nor allow anyone else to do so under such hazardous circumstances. In fact, if there is time she might even recomend laying a false trail at the last intersection.

Tavi is pretty small and has great sneak if you would like a scout.

3 and 4 would be a safer split than 2 and 5.

sounds good. 3 of us can go. I'm out for part of the day so I may need botting.

For when (and if, in case there are any objections from the rest of the party) we go, Jaiyana will remove her armored coat to get her full Stealth bonus. Looks like Tavi will be scouting ahead, and Jaiyana would like to stay astride Enko.

Stealth Roll to scout ahead/back to the bodies.

1d20 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15

Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16

Enko and Jaiyana follow Tavi.

"By every god and his mother..." the man says, slackjawed as the ooze bugs tear apart their own. "I think it's feeding time."

Lucon appears troubled as the others speak. "You want to feed them to those... those creatures?" the man looks troubled. "They are knights of Cheliax. They deserve..." Lucon's head darts around as he squints down the passageway. "Did you hear something?" he asks to noone in particular. "Whatever you do, be quick about it." he says, dismissively, as he sags against the wall, clutching his wounded leg.

"I should be putting young Tommen to bed right now. The wife is going to have my head." he says, despairingly, with a hopeful twinge to his voice.

My good friend, I respect your reverence for the dead. However, these are corpses; they lack all spark of life and only a holy power of the highest magnitude would return the escaped soul to flesh, and only if they wanted to return. We can safely say that such a person has traded their soul to the very devils they serve. Rest assured, that soul is now being tortured and conscripted into the armies of hell. Do not feel sorry for him. The Viscount rests his hand on Lucon's shoulder.
There will be time enough to coddle your son once this mess has passed.

I am dividing the group for a bit, since the three who stated they wanted to already rolled for it, expressed their intent, nobody tried to stop them, etc...

Possibly Unnecessary Clarification!! They are not eating rock, perhaps the ones in Lucon's shop are a different breed? But these oozes are definitely not rock eaters. The only thing you've seen them eat are each other and possibly the sewage. That is all.

The three with an idea to bring a corpse back are overheard and the idea is discussed in front of the rest of you. Hearing no objections Tavi, Enko, and Jaiyana move off semi-silently down the tunnel, back the way you came. It's taken several minutes to get to the barricade from the battle with the goblins. You all know it'll be over double that amount of time for them to sneak back, moving slower because of it, and then lug a body or two back with them. As they turn a corner and are gone from sight, you hear several scrapes and less-than-stealthy noises from the dark tunnel, apparently some of them are having a difficult time being truly quiet.

Barricade Group: Lucon, Corneleous, AC, Amon

Unnecessary, don't worry. They seem to be acidic, that's all. Thus they'd probably reek havoc in the workshop. I usually try to justify my knowledge rolls like that. It's proving a lot harder with someone as simple as Lucon.

"Aye." he says, slowly, nodding along. "Eternal torture? It's hard not to feel sorry for the poor fool."

"But thank you, milord. I bear no love for the Hellknights. You've put my conscience at ease."

I believe that I have low light as a halfling do I not? And I assumed Enko still had a Jaiyana still had a lantern.

@Tavi - I double checked because it seems Halflings should, but sadly they're as blind as humans are. At least according to the **PRD**.

@Lucon - Oh I see. I hadn't mentioned acid anywhere at that point so I was confused, but it was just Lucon's perception, gotcha. On with the Boraphyll! ;P