The combined assault from Bolty, Ken, and Mask put the last zombie to rest as it falls to pieces amidst the slick, uneven rocks.
Out of combat!
In the room beyond, there lay more corpses, but these do not move. One seems different from the others, wearing a robe, face down at the back of the cavern. The corpse seems to be that of a male dhampir, white hair flowing down over cold, ghostly flesh. After probing the corpse gingerly, you discover an ornate amulet and a fine, polished ring amongst the folds of the robe, and a rolled-up note sticks out of one of the pockets, detailing plans to start an undead army using the corpses of the "fish people" here.
Amulet of natural armor +1
Ring of protection +1
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Shota follows the others into the room. "Well fought, everyone. Mask, you handle yourself better than I would have fought. Apologies for underestimating you." As the group uncovers some jewelry on the dhampir corpse, Shota crouches down to investigate. After some concentration, he passes the amulet on the others. "I can't figure out what this is supposed to do. It's magical, but that's all I know. The ring, though, it protects from physical harm, making you more difficult to hit."
The rolled-up note elicits a snort from the Kellid. "Well, I guess the gillman was right about a danger to his fellows. But the problem seems to have solved itself..." He then looks around. "This seems to be a dead end. Should we go back, and tell Uori that the danger has passed?"
--
When you return to the pool, Uori is visibly saddened by the fate of his kin. His shoulders slump, and he says, "May the waters carry them on." He makes motions in the air with his hands as a strange kind of prayer.
The only cavern that you have not explored leads West. The walk is long through twisting tunnels here that vary in size between three and six feet wide. The tunnel branches off in different
directions at times, but all of those paths either narrow beyond the
ability to travel them, lead back to this main trail, or are blocked by a cave-ins. After about twenty minutes of walking you here rushing water, and the chamber opens. As you move further in, the persistent glow of the bluish fungi dimly lights the way deeper below the Kortos Mounts. The tunnels broaden to reveal a shallow river that bisects an immense tunnel stretching to the north and south. To the east a small passage exits the chamber at a steep incline.
On the other side of the river, between you and the passage stand three small blue creatures and a long insect with many, many legs.
In Combat!
Bold may act.
Round 1
Red
Green
Yellow
===========================
Korosh (-1)
Bolty
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Insect
===========================
Shota
Mask (1 NL)
Kennaniah
Bethany
The blue creatures seethe and yell in guttural tones at you.
They throw darts at the closest targets. One dart buries into Korosh's skin, and another hits Mask in the shoulder, failing to pierce in.
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Shota feels the Gillman's sorrow. "I am sorry about their fate. Death leaves scars for many generations..."
--
Shota grunts at seeing more adversaries getting them drop on them. "Anyone know what those blue folk are? Never seen them before. The insect I recognize..." Wanting to even the odds, Shota casts a spell at one of the creatures. The normally calm Kellid summons a torrent of power and raises his voice. "Cower before the might of SARKORIS!"
--
Bolty fires his bolts true and one of the blue creatures is pinned to the rock floor, dead.
Shota knows that this creature is a giant centipede.
The centipede writhes forward in a mass of wriggling legs, poisonous mandibles clack, clack, clacking. It gets slowed by the river, but you can tell that the water is only about 1 ft. deep, and the water is not flowing very fast.
It lunges for Korosh once it is in range, but misses wildly due to the current pushing it.
The puffy blue creature drops its weapons and flees from the terrifying witch, down the cavern on the other side of the river. You can hear its little screams echo off the rocks as it gets further and further away.
Bold may act.
Round 1
Green
Yellow
===========================
Korosh (-1)
Bolty
===========================
Insect
===========================
Shota
Mask (1 NL)
Kennaniah
Bethany
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Mask smiles at Shota as the large man says he had underestimated his elder.
"It is an advantage to be underestimated. Do not let anyone know your strengths or who you really are," he says.
Mask tries to avoid the weakly-thrown projectile, but is unable to do so. "Might leave a bruise, but I'm fine."
He steps toward the giant centipede and plunges his rapier deep into its carapace.
Ken gives Korosh a blessing while Bethany's whip cracks over the centipede's carapace, causing it dizzying harm.
The last blue creature howls what you believe to be a curse and points its crooked finger at Bolty.
Bold may act.
Round 1
Green
===========================
Korosh (-1)
Bolty
===========================
Insect (-3, 2 NL, staggered)
===========================
Shota
Mask (1 NL)
Kennaniah
Bethany
Bolty shrugs off the spell and the blue creatures already large eyes go wider as it scans the six opponents before it. Korosh misses with his greataxe. The centipede shudders from the damage to its legs and body and coils around in a kind of turn and begins the process of fleeing.
As it attempts to flee, Korosh's axe flies down on its back and bisects it into two coils of wriggling legs that eventually still, and are carried away by the river's slow current.
Bold may act.
Round 2
Green
===========================
Korosh (-1)
Bolty
Shota
Mask (1 NL)
Kennaniah
Bethany
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"My Lady," Ken breathes out as he moves into the stream to attack the last of the creatures, using his lady's gift of Agile Feet to aid him in his journey.
for
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Shota looks on with pride as one of the blue creatures flees from his spell. "I think we won't be seeing that one again," he comments. Since the last one doesn't show signs yet of giving up, Shota moves further up to the left, to get a clear shot. He mutters some arcane words and gestures, as if he were spinning a sling to launch a stone. A blue spark of pure frost and appears and flies towards their last opponent.
--
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The blue creature's eyes go wider still as it realizes it is now fully alone. Shota and Ken's strikes miss their mark, and although Mask's rapier hits, it doesn't do as much damage as it should have. Weathering the combined assault, the blue creature turns and attempts to flee, and does not see Bethany until it's too late.
The blue creature skids to the floor, dead, next to Bethany's feet and does not move again.
Out of Combat!
You continue along the winding caverns for several minutes, but soon begin to hear faint sounds of battle, Janira's voice, and the roars of what you believe to be the minotaur. As you rush forward, you can hear her almost chanting now: “As the legendary Gregaro Voth successfully battled the wild beasts in the deepest reaches of the Mwangi Expanse, so shall I defeat you, foul servant of Lamashtu!”
Up ahead in the distance, as you continue to head toward the sounds of battle, Reffu, Shota's familiar, Mask, and Bolty all spy one of the puffy blue creatures that you encountered before, the one that Shota scared away, but it is now suspended in the air, its eyes bulging, its arm already partially digested by something clear and cube-shaped blocking the party's path in the tight cavern.
You are horrified as the cube-like creature wriggles to life and begins to move aggressively toward you, sensing more food nearby.
In Combat!
Bold may act.
Active buffs: inspire courage
Round 1
Mask (1 NL)
Korosh (-1)
Bethany
Bolty
Shota
Kennaniah
===========================
Cube
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Earlier, immediately after the battle at the stream.
Ken says "Let's see to that injury, Korosh" Ken looks it over, "Well I can see to you it's only a scratch, but no sense in letting is linger." Ken channels a burst of healing energy.
Now in the tunnel
Ken steps five to the north and hurls a dart at cube.
for
Mask scores a direct hit against the cube with his sling and it shivers in response. Likewise, Korosh's flask hits against the cube's side and it explodes into flame, and Ken embeds a dart into the other side. More shivers ripple down its sides. Shota's snowball misses wide and smacks against the cavern wall. Bethany delays until she figures out waht to do. Bolty seeks another path.
The cube surges forward and lashes out at Korosh, striking a massive blow to the barbarian, but just misses a vital spot, which could have been much more damaging.
Bold may act.
Active buffs: inspire courage
Round 1
Mask
Korosh (-8, need Fort save)
Bethany
Bolty
Shota
Kennaniah
===========================
Cube (-12)
Korosh feels his muscles locking up after the cube's blow.
The cube has started to deteriorate from the barrage of damage, but still holds itself intact.
Bold may act.
Active buffs: inspire courage
Round 1
Mask
Korosh (-8, paralyzed for 10 rounds)
Bethany
Bolty
Shota
Kennaniah
===========================
Cube (-41)
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Mask misses with his sling. Bethany's attack likewise misses. The cube rears back and then rushes forward, engulfing Korosh's paralyzed body and consuming him whole. Korosh floats amid the creature's acid as it starts to eat away at him. Next to him lay the puffy blue creatures from before already dead, now almost down to just the skeleton.
Bold may act.
Active buffs: inspire courage +1
Round 3
Mask
Korosh (-13, paralyzed for 8 more rounds)
Bethany
Bolty
Shota
Kennaniah
===========================
Cube (-41)
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"We don't have time," the Kellid witch grunts. He draws his morningstar and pushes past Mask, squeezing along the wall to get on the other side of the cube. "Hang in there, Korosh," he shouts, hoping the barbarian can hear him. Shota then swings his weapon at the cube, but it's readily apparent that this is not his forte.
--
fire dmg: 1d6 ⇒ 3
Korosh rolled it. I included it in the damage total.
Shota easily brushes aside the attack from the cube and moves into place. The combined assault between Ken and Shota is enough to destroy the creature. It falls to a spreading pile of ooze chunks, Korosh spitting and coughing in the center, but still obviously paralyzed.
Out of Combat!
In the distance, you still hear the battle raging on between Janira and the minotaur. She continues to shout, though her voice has started to grow weary and ragged: “And it was Selmius Foster’s race against a marid and efreeti on the isle of Jalmeray, which taught us that nothing is truly impossible and every situation can end in victory.”
Korosh lay on the cave floor injured and unmoving, but still conscious. You know Janira can't keep this up for much longer. What do you do?