Jamros, seeing nothing down the hallway, moves to the torch to examine it more closely. He attempts to take it off the wall if possible and brings it back to Gareth. Jamros then waves his hand through the flame and, just for fun, puts his face in it and does his best maniacal laughter. Still giggling, he hands the torch to Gareth and makes an "after you" motion with his hands.
Well, I can scout ahead quietly, but don't fall too far behind; I've no interest in fighting an entire army myself. We'll need to communicate, let's see... Oh, everyone give me your small coins, and I'll leave one behind every few hundred feet. Copper means keep following, silver means wait there until I report back with more information. Understand?
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Jamros removes the torch from its sconce. Seconds later several loud explosions rock the corridor and the ceiling between you and the entrance to the tower collapses.
Gareth is notably startled upon hearing the explosions. "Well, so much for sneaking up on them. No turning back now. My guess is we'll have company any moment." Gareth says as he draws his bow.
Jamros quickly hides the flame in his cloak and he says what you assume is a low swear. There is still a lit pebble down the hall about 50 ft, but that is the only light. After a few moments, the sound of about 10 to 15 footsteps with clanking armor can be heard off in the distance can be heard. There is a some shouting, but you can't quite make out what is being said because of the echoing tunnel. They get closer and then, suddenly, Jamros charges forward the torch outstretched, yelling. After he gets about 20 ft, the sounds stop, and Jamros starts laughing so hard he falls on the ground.
He slowly gets up, having to lean up against the wall of the tunnel because he is laughing so hard. He walks back to the group, making a motion to indicate that they should get moving.
The clanking noises continue to approach after Jamros ends the spell. The voices end with the spell.
Will:
At first, Gareth looks a bit confused as the noises approach. He begins to notch an arrow, but then cracks a smile and puts his bow back down. However, when the noises still approach after Jamros appears to have ended his spell, Gareth looks really concerned, bow drawn once more. "Are you still f#&&ing with us, Jams? Are you?"
Jamros' face goes pale as he shakes his head rapidly. He hides the torch in his cloak again, moves to G10 and stealths in the darkness.
Brilliant Caladrius says exasperatedly as he too moves to hide, but in the shadows across from Jamros. Ας έχουν ένα πράγμα πάει γαμημένο δρόμο μας He swears in Draconic as he frantically motions for everyone else to get out of the middle of the hall. Lights out!
If that is another ever burning torch behind me, I am going to grab it and shove it into the dirt to smother the light.
There is nothing to hide behind but the shadows, no. The tunnel is finished in stone - there are no visible wooden supports. There is only the one torch.
Gareth darts to the side, searching for any kind of cover or concealment he can get.
Stealth:
Will Save:
Martin grins at the noise, but as the spell fades so does his grin.
"Well, boys, looks like they found us."
The clanking noises continue their approach, and the dim silhouettes of three heavily-armored figures appear. "ARNING. OU ARE IN A RESTRICTED AREA. URN BACK NOW OR BE REMOVED BY FORCE," one of them says in a booming monotone. Each carries a pickaxe in hand.
You can see the things clearly thanks to your darkvision. They are human-sized and -shaped metal-and-wood creatures. Each bears the crest of Silverkeep upon its chestplate, and carries a pickaxe. They glance at each of you in turn, indicating that they, too, can see in the dark.
Caladrius motions to the others They are not the dwarves, they are just the golems that work the mines. Show them the Mithril Guard badge.
Gareth looks very relieved to see the metallic figures approach, given the alternative.
Pygrado holds out the badge.
Mithril guard.
Martin mutters under his breath
"Hope this works"
They charge forward, swinging their pickaxes. Two of them attack Jamros, while the third attacks Caladrius. Both of Jamros' assailants strike the unlucky halfling . Caladrius' assailant misses.
"ew protocol: liminate intruders."
Initiative Order:
Jamros (23)
Caladrius (21)
Pygrado (19)
Martin (18)
DM (16)
Gareth (13)
Note that everyone except Caladrius suffers a 20% miss chance from concealment until someone produces a light source. Also, the tunnel is only 20 feet wide .
"Uhh"
As Jamros shifts back E11, he brings his left hand (holding the torch) out into the open. He firmly says "Gwoabnast!" and flames shoot flames from his fingers at the golems.
(reflex save damage/2; failed save = burns for 1d4 turns, losing 1HP/turn. If they are flamable, they automatically catch fire (like you would sent a flammable monster at me....))
Top:
Mid:
Bottem:
Jamros holds the torch high above his head to see if the golems appear to catch fire.
Despite the two in D13 and E13 ducking under the worst of the blast, they all catch fire.
Pygrado draws both shortswords and drops into a defensive crouch (taking full defense action), his eyes flicking from golem to golem, watching for an opening in their formation.
Martin shoves past Pygrado to greet the constructs, pulling out his sword [move to E12].
"Well *&@%!"
Sword atk to D13
Atk:
Dmg:
Caladrius cries out "But we're from Silverkeep, you stupid golems!" He then steps back to G11.
Martin destroys his target.
Both remaining golems continue to burn. Unfazed, they step into flanking positions around Martin and swing their picks at him. Both miss.
Gareth draws his bow and steps to F10 to get a better shot on the golem in F12.
Attack:
Damage:
Jamros shifts back to D10 and says "Anaemrrt!" in a loud, clear voice. A shimmering translucent blue battleaxe appears next to the Golem in D12. The axe attacks.
Pygrado throws himself into a roll, coming up next to Caladrius (tumble to G12
He attacks with his sword.
Attack
Damage
After blocking a mechanical blow with his shield, and dodging anoth from behind. Martin steps to the side, caging his foe between himself and Caladrius
Martin 5ft steps to E13
Sword+Board atk on F12
Sword:
Board:
Dmg:
Sword:
Board:
If board hits, follow up Bash:
Edit:
Dmg:
Sword:
Board:
Gareth's arrow clangs harmlessly off the flaming golem's armor plating.
Jamros summons an axe, which strikes a glancing blow against the golem in D12.
Pygrado leaps and tumbles across the hallway, but he is not agile enough to avoid the pickaxe swung at him . He then turns and plunges his blade deep into the golem's torso. It falls smoldering to the ground.
Martin follows through on Jamros's strike against the one in D12 with both sword and shield. He connects heavily with his sword, but his blow with the shield fails to connect. The golem continues to burn, and it, too, falls .
Gareth breathes a sigh of relief to see the golems fall to the ground.
"What the hell was that? Caladrius, I thought you said they'd cause us no harm! Maybe the dwarves got to them first, controlled them somehow. No matter. Is everyone alright?" In particular, he looks concerned with some of Jamros' wounds he sustained as the golems set upon the party and seems to be willing to tend to them.
After the golems fall, Jamros lets out a sigh and slumps against the wall. His heavy breathing is interspersed between incomprehensible mystical chants and he heals himself.
I didn't say they wouldn't do us any harm. I said that they were the golems that worked in the mines. I guessed that they would not do us any harm Caladrius says petulently.
Martin stands up out of his defensive stance, and looks around once more, convinced that the danger has passed.
"Well, I'm not any worse for the wear, but I think your right Gareth, the dwarves must have tampered with em'. Maybe meant to slow us down. I think it's best if we keep plunging ahead."
Gareth nods, "We'd better press on. But we need to be careful, especially if more of those golems are going to come after us. Pygrado, I liked your scouting plan, you still up for that?"
Well, I figure we'll be continuing down the tunnel. Until we get to a fork, that's pretty much our only option.
With Pygrado scouting ahead and leaving coins every few hundred feet, you make slow but steady progress for some time . The tunnel isn't perfectly straight, and after an initial downward slope you discover that it bends and snakes up, down and from side to side periodically. No more torches adorn the walls, leaving you in utter darkness but for those light sources you yourselves carry.
Eventually, you come to a pair of two-way junctions. The first junction branches off to the right, and appears to lead into a much narrower, unrefined passageway than the main path, which continues onward toward and beyond the second junction. Footprints branch off from the main pathway and return to the main path along the same route.
Thirty feet further along the passage, the second junction also juts off to the right and appears much like the first, save for the fact that the side passageway has caved in. A hand protrudes from the rubble, its owner apparently caught beneath the cave in. It is not moving, and is covered in thin, sticky strands.
Also, the strands are not spiderwebs. Knowledge (Nature or Dungeoneering) may tell you more.
Knowledge (Nature or Dungeoneering) may tell you more.
Int:
Surv:
Perc:
Martin moves in closer to examine the strands. You see a surprised look on his face. "It seems that these aren't actually spider webs. Also these boot prints here are fresh. If these are in fact the dwarves as we think, then we are actually closing in on them. In a couple of hours time we might even overtake the main force. Does anyone know anything about where this passage might lead?"
knowledge nature:
Int:
Perception:
Gareth scratches his head. "Okay, okay, let's see. If we just think about it, and reason this through, we'll figure out which way to go. Now, what do you mean, those aren't actually spider webs?"
Jamros scratches his head.
Int
Surv
Per
Kn(Engineering) . What can you tell me about the construction of the side-passages?
They look natural, however. They seem sturdy enough, however.
Jamros Detects Magic.
That's odd, these side-passages are older than the main hall... So, we face a decision. Do we follow the dwarves here, hoping not to catch up to them, or take another path, hoping to beat them to the city? And what's up with that hand? Martin's right, no spider did that. Someone check, is it magical?
Pygrado examines the hand closely but carefuly without touching it. Perception .
The strands are sticky enough that, en masse, they could entrap a person. There aren't nearly enough of them to hold someone. You can also see that they are rapidly decaying and losing their adhesiveness.