"Thank you Lothalian. Rask, can you find a defendable camp to recover our strength? Ordrud appreciates the healing and asks the dwarf.
"It will be my pleasure."
Rask finds a small hidden area under some pine trees that are quite ominous looking, and you camp for the night, without disturbance. Morning comes early, and it is still pitch black, but the sleep was long enough that the spell casters will be able to recover spells. Rask, who took last watch wakes everyone up, still in complete darkness, and you all see a badger that Rask says wandered into the camp at night and decided to stay.
Hey Rask! Who's your friend? I bet that little guy hates this unnatural darkness as much as we do! The elf says as he fishes out a ration from his pack to share with the little critter.
"I hope we do not find another spider creature like that last one. Invisibility, lightning bolts, and arrows; that thing was right and proper nasty. Too bad I cold get my axe in it, would a liked ta chop a leg or two off it."
Harek sorts out his equipment and wings out any remaining river mud and water, getting ready to set out once more.
Once everyone is ready, he takes to the front, shield ready and hand on a javelin.
Rask plays with the small badger.
"I named Logan! Seems like a good boy... I think I will adopt him!"
He makes a small breakfast for everyone, and then gets ready for continuing the pursuit.
"I hope they are not very far away. By any change anyone got arrows... I am out of them!"
Ordrud falls into a deep slumber after his watch. He dreams of being knighted by the Inheritor with a flaming longsword and awakes refreshed. He silently prays beside Lothalian to Iomedae while his elven friend reveres Serenrae.
Before breakfast Ordrud comments, "Rask, I think you camped us in this fellow's home. This unnatural night appears to affect the animals, too."
After breakfast, Ordrud concurs, "Thanks, Rask. Good breakfast is a luxury on the campaign trail. Lead on. I'll follow you anywhere for another breakfast."
He travels with longsword and shield ready.
No darkvision
No darkvision
After breakfast, and introductions to Rask badger, whom he named Logan, you head back to the road, perhaps fifty feet away from you campsite, and Rask confirms that the drow and villager tracks continue to head away from Rybalka. It is still quite dark, on this second day of complete darkness, and the road turns to the northwest.
A short while after the turn in the road, the dense wood opens into a small clearing dominated by a single great tree at its center. Old roots stretch out from the massive trunk before stabbing into the ground several feet away. A few low mounds of earth rise above the moist dirt here and there, signs of some form of animal life.
Rask and Ordrud notice a few large holes scattered through out the clearing, almost like giant gopher holes.
Rask signals the other to stop and be alert, while he tries to remember something about it.
Seeing the holes, Ordrud stows his shield and sheathes his longsword replacing them with his sling and a loaded bullet. He suggests, "there are large gopher holes out there that don't look friendly. Let's try to keep any animals at range until we must fight in melee."
"i remember something about underground humanoids that attack in packs. Be careful."
He takes a flask of oil, prepares it as a bomb, and throws it into the closest hole.
"Lovely. If that doesn't get them up and out, I don't know what will."
Harek draws a javelin and prepares to engage enemies.
Yowza! Lothalian interjects as the blast from Rask's bomb causes a ringing in his keen ears. He will nock an arrow and cast light on it ready for the first sign of humanoids or large gophers.
Harek 20
Harek
Ordrud 20
Ordrud
Lothalian 15
Lothalian
Rask 18 threat
Rask
Sirasa 16
Sirasa
Rask 18 not confirmed
While everyone readies themselves, Rask throws a lit flask of oil at the closest of the "gopher" holes in ground and it explodes on contact sending a plume of flame into the air, but also some down the hole.
In response, ten creatures pour out of the holes and run, some on two legs and some on four towards the group and two attack each of you, leaping and swinging there clubs hitting Lothalian, Rask and Sirasa. Both creatures land just next to you.
Skin pale as a slug's belly, eyes huge and bulging, this thing runs along the ground like a spider, but its shape is hideously humanoid.
Harek UP
Dropping his longbow, Lothalian will draw his longsword and skewer the closest Morlock.
There sure are a lot of them!
Harek drops his javelin, seeing how fast the creatures got up on them.
Drawing his axe he swings with purpose.
power attack, slashing damage
When he saw the swarming of the creatures, Ordrud drops his loaded sling and draws his longsword and shield. As two converge on him, he slashes one and steps toward one of his companions to fight back-to-back. But his blade catches on the ground.
Rask uses his Waraxe against one of the creatures attacking him.
Harek 20
Harek
Ordrud 20
Ordrud - bite threat
Lothalian 15
Lothalian
Rask 18
Rask
Sirasa 16
Sirasa
Ordrud - not confirmed
With the creatures crawling all over you, and landing next to you Harek drops his javelin, draws his axe and swings at one of the morlocks, but misses. Ordrud also swings at one of the foes and misses. Lothalian drops his bow, draws his longsword and skewers the closest morlock to him, while Rask also misses with his axe. Sirasa steps back and casts a magic missile at one of the morlocks and damages it.
The morlocks all swing at each of you, with the two on Sirasa taking a step so they are next to her. Ordrud gets bitten, Lothalian gets hit by a club, Rask gets hit by a club and Sirasa gets hit by a club.
Harek UP
DM note: They did not get the flanking bonus last round because they did their special leap attack. This time and as long as two are on a character they get flank and sneak attack damage.
Ordrud grits his teeth as a creature bites him while he deflects the other with his shield. He backslashes the one that tasted his blood and wounds it with a gash across its chest. Then, he steps toward Sirasa. "Coming Sirasa!"
Rask keeps attacking the creatures.
"Blasted things! Can't get a good angle!" Harek grumbles in dwarven as he swings again.
to hit, power attack; slashing damage
confirmation
slashing damage
The creatures moving and leaping saves it. What might have been a clean decapitation merely left a hideous open wound across one of the morlock's jawline.
"That's more like it!
I feel like I'm surrounded! Lothalian says as he swings his sword again, but this time hits nothing but air.
Harek 20
Harek
Ordrud 20
Ordrud
Ordrud
Ordrud
Lothalian 15
Lothalian
Rask 18
Rask
Harek swings extra hard at one of the morlocks on him, and almost turns it to jelly. Ordrud swings at the two on him and wounds one of them, then takes a step next to Sirasa so he can attack the ones on her. Lothalian, swings at the one he wounded but misses, while Rask wounds one of the two on him. Sirasa steps back behind Ordrud and continues to fire magic missiles at the one she wounded last time.
With Sirasa stepping out of the line of fire, the two morlocks that were attacking her, switch to Ordrud, and all ten attack. Harek gets clubbed, Ordrud gets clubbed three times, while Lothalian and Rask are missed.
Harek UP
Harek swings more carefully at the wounded foe this time.
to hit, slashing damage
Watching the mutant fall under his axe he grins widely and yells loudly.
"Ha! Ya mutant fishbelly wannabe humans ain't got nothin' on me! Step up and get chopped back down!"
He steps closer to Sirasa, looking to aid the Sorceress in her melee.
Ordrud withers under three club attacks while protecting Sirasa. He takes a deep breath and centers himself in the faith of the Inheritor. The half-orc warrior waits for the wounded one and slashes it trying to put it down.
Lothalian, keeping an eye on Sirasa but not wanting to do a burst least it heals some of their foes, swings again to help make their opponents fewer.
Hold on Sirasa, I will heal you soon!
Logan decides to help his new friends, and attack the Morlocks. He moves 5' trying to flank the Morlocks, and tries to bite one of them.
Logan moves another 5' getting into flank position.
Rask keeps attacking the creatures, thanking mentally Logan for the flank.
Harek 20
Ordrud 20
Ordrud
Lothalian 15
Lothalian
Rask 18
Rask
Harek swings and kills the wounded morlock. Ordrud, uses his power of healing on himself and then puts down one of the morlocks on him. Lothalian continues to wound the morlock in front of him. Rask and Logan team up in a flank, and the badger wounds the wounded morlock more, but does not put it down. Sirasa casts a magic missile at the wounded morlock and kills it.
Even with some of their number down the runty little creatures keep attacking. Lothalian gets hit by two clubs, and a bite, and falls to the ground, while Rask gets hit by two clubs but is still standing. The two creatures on Lothalian, step on the elf as they move up to attack Ordrud.
Harek UP
Ordrud shouts to his companions. He takes another deep breath centering himself in the faith of the Inheritor and swings at the wounded creature on Lothalian.
"I see him! Lemme gut this critter and see if I can't get it off him!"
Harek power attacks the healthy one still fighting him.
to hit, slashing damage
Lothalian pulls his sword free and almost immediately he is clubbed in the knee. As he loses his balance and falls, he gets smacked by a club to the back of the head and then darkness.
Rask looks at Lothanian, but realizes there is nothing he can do for him now except killing the creatures in front of him, before they drop him too.
Logan keeps hissing menacing, jumping and trying to bit the creatures, flanking with Rask.
Harek 20
Ordrud 20
Ordrud
Ordrud threat
Rask 18
Rask
Ordrud not confirmed
With Lothalian down and dieing the group redoubles there efforts to kill the morlocks. Harek does his part by severely wounding the creature on him. Ordrud, swiftly heals some of his wounds, and then kills the wounded creature standing on Lothalian, who continues to bleed out while Rask almost puts down the creature in front of him. Sirasa casts another magic missile at one of the foes attacking Ordrud.
Even though four of the ten morlocks are down and dead, the other six continue to fight on as they see the group is not invincible, so they attack. Harek gets hit by a club, Ordrud comes close to being critically wounded by a club, and Rask is knocked unconscious and falls to the ground.
Harek UP
"By Torag's beard! These little mutants are quite persistent! Die, freaks!"
Lining up his blow, Harek swings at his remaining foe, to hit; slashing damage
Ordrud shouts to his companions. From the high guard position, the half-orc swings at the wounded creature facing him.