Your hometown of Sandpoint is a quaint seaside settlement that periodically has problems with monsters, such as wicked goblins and hungry ghouls, but the citizens always manage to endure and survive.
Lately, however, a far greater danger has come to threaten the town. A few weeks ago, livestock started to disappear from nearby farms. Sometimes a half-eaten corpse is found, sometimes only bloodstains. The people of Sandpoint are afraid, and mayor Kendra Deverin is growing desperate. She hopes some heroes will volunteer to search out this menace and put an end to it before it kills a person. She’s offered a reward of 1,000 gold pieces to the group that stops this mysterious creature. Although no one has seen the killer directly, a long black fang was found in one of the animal corpses, prompting the locals to dub the unseen killer “Black Fang.”
You have decided to go on a quest to put an end to these brutal killings. Rumor holds that Black Fang is living in an old cave not too far from town, which has been used as a den for many monsters over the years. You’ve gathered your gear and are now approaching the entrance to this dungeon, but you still have a few moments to get to know your fellow adventurers.
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At last! The dungeon is in sight up ahead! Its entrance looks more like a cave than the front door of an underground fortress. A curtain of thick, green moss hangs over the entrance, hiding what lies beyond. Standing in front of the entrance is a menacing old stone statue of a warrior.
I scrunch up my nose and frown with one side of my face when the light from the torch illuminates the entrance of the cave.
Whispering
“Well I hope you all don’t expect me to take the lead. Valeros, why don’t you go first, and the Kyra can follow, she’s got pretty good armor. Ezren, do you want to go ahead of me, or should we go side by side? By the way, did anyone get a chance to ask around town about this place? I’ve never been here before. It looks cold. So, okay, I don’t mind cold, but if my feet get wet, well I just hate that.”
I draw my rapier and flex my fingers around the hilt a few times
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As Ezren's friends move into the dark cave he shakes his head.
"I guess I'm the torch bearer once again."
Ezren pulls a torch from his backpack and lites it using a little magical energy from his hand. He then slowly moves right behind Kyra.
Ezren will inspect the statue. Knowledge History: d20+7 (12) = 19
Well I still can't move but I can grab my token now. it just will not stick.
As the small party makes its way to the cave, Kyra chats up her companions. "So, have any of you been blessed by the warm, glowing, warming glow of Sarenrae?" The woman pats around her armor and searches her belt pouch. "I know I've got some pamphlets here somewhere...Perhaps I left them at the temple. Oh well."
Once at the cave's entrance, Kyra's tone changes in her response to Merisiel. "Here," the cleric produces a torch from her pack. "I can light this." She turns to Ezren, "Do not worry, oh wizened one. I shall be your sister in torch-bearing."
Kyra holds the torch aloft, closes her eyes and grasps her holy symbol with her free hand. "May these torches light out way through this dark cave as the holy guidance of Sarenrae lights our paths in righteousness in an evil world."
Ezren turns his head toward the statue and away from Kyra, rolling his eye's. "The gods...uhm.
“Sarenrae? Hmmm, I think that’s the one with the girls who dance with swords, am I right. Love those robes, and the style is amazing. Thanks for adding more light. Hey, Ezren, slow down there young fellow, don’t get too close to that statue. Let’s keep back a good five feet and examine it carefully. Hey, Valeros, have you ever seen a statue like that before? I haven’t either. “
Like to try a perception roll, to see if I noticed anything peculiar about the Moss curtain or the statue
Kyra also takes a careful look at the statue, "Hmm, not sure if this is familiar. Reminds me a bit of St. Alphonso - a devout of Sarenrae."
One look at the statue and you can tell that it is positively ancient. The features of its face have been blunted by years of wind and rain and whatever it once held in its outstretched arms has been shattered or stolen long ago. There is, however, a peculiar spot on its shoulder that appears to have been melted away by acid rather than exposure.
The curtain of moss draped across the entrance of the cave is similar to the growth sprawling the boulders and rocks throughout this marshy region of the Sandpoint hinterlands. The moss, dark green and earthy, manages to completely obscure the darkness of the cave's mouth beyond it.
Weird... acid melted the shoulder of the statue.
Anyone heard of an animal or monster that attacks with acid?
I wonder if the statue is magic
"Wait a tic tac, I think this mossy curtain is hiding something"
I moved to the edge of the moss curtain behind the statue
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I don't mind leading the way and no I can't say I know anything about the guy or that kind of monster, but it does spook me a bit. Please keep a light close I wouldn't want to walk into what ever melted it without at least having a bit of warning.
Valeros will step forward three spaces and wait for the others to fall in.
Ezren does not detect any magical aura. While ancient and mysterious, the statue is entirely mundane.
As Merisiel and Valeros approach the entrance of the cave, the curtain of moss suddenly parts and a pair of small, green creatures with melon-shaped heads and toothy mouths charge out, swinging crude swords. These are goblins, a common pest that lives in these hills. Howling battle cries, they charge to attack!
"Die, doglickers!," the uglier one of the two cries.
Ezren Merisiel Valeros Goblins Kyra
Ezren steps forward, raises his free hand and whispers the command word for Ray of Frost. A icy ray shoots from his hand toward the first goblin.
"Not today big head!"I shout as I roll across the ground with dramatic flair.
Oh, you sneaky little thing, hold still so's I can poke you even unto being dead like."
A thin dusting of frost covers the first goblin's melon-shaped head and his teeth chatter from the cold. Cussing in Goblin at the wizard's arcane attack, it seeks to take its frustration out on Valeros, lunging at the fighter clumsily with its short sword.
The second goblin 'oohs' and 'aahs' at Merisiel's theatrical roll, though the impression is diminished when she fails to finish it with a successful strike at his companion. Recognizing the rogue as a threat, albeit a strangely alluring one, he rushes at her side, stabbing at it with his short sword.
Ezren Merisiel Valeros Goblins Kyra
Though at first disturbed at the sight of these small creatures, Kyra draws her scimitar, keeping her lit torch in her off-hand, and moves forward.
"May the dawnflower guide us this day against our diminutive enemies!" She cries out to skies.
Well you have to love goblins, they are as stupid as they are ugly!!
Another icy ray shoots from Ezren's hand toward the goblin in front.
feeling a rush of excitement from Kyra's empassioned plea, I stabby stabby once again
"Kyra, you are so hot when you talk like that!
"Ah, good sister, it is these goblins that will be hot when bathed in the discerning light of Our Lady's power!"
Kyra smiles brightly, confident that she is representing the dawnflower well.
The thin sheen of ice reforms across the first goblin's face and his putrid breath is clearly visible as he spouts an intelligible curse at Valeros. With failing strength and resolve, he lunges his short sword forward at the fighter once more.
Before he can do any more than gawk at the elven rogue, the second goblin is blinded (and murdered) by a rapier through the eye socket. Dark, foul-smelling blood pours forth as Merisiel retrieves her implement.
Ezren Merisiel Valeros Goblins Kyra
"Guide my blade, sure and true, that I may send this goblin's soul to you!"
With her cry to Sarenrae, Kyra brings her scimitar down upon the remaining creature.
The goblin shatters in a horrifying death knell as Kyra's scimitar reveals the severity of Ezren's magical frost.
Beyond the moss curtain is a small cave with a low ceiling. On the far side of the cave are a pair of straw mats, with a battered treasure chest sitting between them. Off to one side, a passageway leads to a pair of stone doors.
I'll advance into the room a little bit and wait for the others
"Looks like this cave was their home. I wonder how many more things a living here?"
Anyone searching the bodies of the two goblins find two rusted short swords, a dead lizard, an empty jug of wine, and a belt pouch containing 2 gold pieces between them.
"I've heard that goblins are clever trap builders. let's be careful. Kyra,Ezren, bring those lights over here and I'll see what I can see."
Damn, goblin's stink even worse when they are dead. I don't think that these are the only ones in here and if they are living with Black Fang then that means Black Fang is more then just a beast or he would have eaten the goblins as well.
Ezren will move behind Merisiel to light here inspection of the chest.
Thank's Valeros, I'm sure I can use the eyeballs for something. Do you mind guarding the passage while we get this chest open?
Ezren moves into the cave holding his torch high to help Merisiel get a better look at the chest.
Looking at the chest Ezren says I wouldn't put my dirty under clothes in that thing, but who knows the goblins mine have something worth of value in there.
Kyra follows her companions into the the cave. "Oooh, a treasure chest!" She holds the torch high for the others.
"Truly, Sarenrae is blessing us in our efforts."
Kyra keeps a hold on the torch and her wooden holy symbol as she glances around the room. Though she is excited to discover the contents of the chest, she busies herself with examining the walls of the cave, feeling the cool of the rock with the back of her hand.
The locked and battered treasure chests sit between the two straw mats, just waiting to be opened.
While scanning the room, Kyra happens upon a key laid on the floor underneath one of the goblin's mats. "I can't imagine this would feel comfortable to sleep on." She stashes her holy symbol and brushes some of the dirt and rust off the key, then picks it up gingerly with her free hand - the other still holding the torch.
She then picks up the key, and with a breath of hesitation, places tries it in the locked chest.
"What do you suppose those two were keeping stashed away in here?"
There is an audible click as Kyra turns the key in the lock. The lid sticks for a moment, having been dented from what you assume is years of rough use, but ultimately opens to reveal the slain goblins' prized possessions: a small sack of 20 gold pieces, a masterwork dagger, a small ruby (worth 50 gold pieces), and a glass potion vial of orange liquid.
"Wow, who would have thought that we would find some rich goblins in a dark, dirty cave. Lucky us. Kyra let me take a look at what we got in there." Moving near Kyra Ezren takes a knee to peer into the chest.
Ezren will cast an area Detect magic spell.
Ezren chants a word of magic and passes a glowing hand over all the items in the chest.
"That vial looks interesting"
"The vial here has magical healing properties" Ezren tosses the vial to Valeros. "This just might save your live one day. Never say we don't care about you."
Now why in the ding darned depths of the valley of the super vixens would those creatures keep a perfectly good dagger locked away instead of use it. Well, there loss. Hey, can I have that? I mean I know right I've got like eight daggers, but I don't have a fancy one like that."
I casually approach the chest and my eyes bug out when I see the dagger, but I try to stay cool
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Not expecting anything to come flying at him, Valeros fumbles the vile but is able to keep it from hitting the ground. "Thanks...I think. Was that a complement or were trying to say I can't keep myself from harm?"
He then looks at Merisiel "You can have the little poker, it's too small for my liking. Now if we're all done playing with our little chest can we get back to killing the Black fang"
Valeros moves to the edge of the room and waits for everyone else to follow.
Valeros taps his foot as I update the map
"Your usually much more agile then that Valeros. Did you have a long night at the bar last night?"
"Well if you don't want it. I save it for myself." Ezren walks over to the vial and picks it up off the floor. "We are lucky it didn't break. The magic within is very valuable." Ezren places the vial in his front belt pouch for quick access.
If keeping yourself from harm means letting a goblin poke at you while you fan him with your longsword then you need all the help you can get!!! Ezren gives Valeros a grin with a quite laugh.
Kyra stands back up. "You wouldn't mind if I held on to these gold pieces, would you? Oh, Our Lady Sarenrae will surely accept such a generous gift. Oh, no - I mean my portion, of course. It would be unfair of me to offer up gold on your behalf, thus giving you the opportunity to feel the blessing of the Dawnflower..."
The cleric notices Valeros tapping his foot. "Oh yes, onward! We must deal with the evil in the cave."
As she places the coins in her pack, she notices Ezren. "Say, would you want to hold this ruby?" She holds the gem out to the wizard.
"Thank's Kyra"
Ezren will move toward the door in the north passage. He will ready Detect magic to be cast on the door after it has been inspected by the rogue.
Ezren's Move