Taking her longsword, Talia parts a particularly tangled bit of undergrowth, revealing a shaft headed downward between some of the tree's roots. "Magna, can you see where the shaft leads?"
The shaft is a small one - as would befit creatures the size of mites. It drops 20' or so into an earthen cave. The roots of the tree itself provide a way to climb down...
With a quick gesture and incantation, Talia casts light on the pommel of her dagger, and then gripping the dagger in her teeth, starts her way down the shaft into the cave. As she grabs hold of the roots and lowers herself below the tree, Talia realizes this is the second time since she's been in the Stolen Lands that she's crawled into a hole in the ground. At least I'm not going in head first this time. And at least there's no risen dead in here. I assume.
Magna worries to see Talia go in first, but make noise wont help her. She lets her go, and moves behind her. The armor makes the descent much harder than it should be.
But she manages anyway.
Naralesh follows down after Magna, casting light on another arrowhead.
Dregan takes a moment to unstring his bow but is ready to head down by the time the others are down to follow carefully. If there are no troubles at the bottom he'll take the time to string his bow again.
Gavriil looks to Dregan and shrugs before saying, "Ladies first, I guess," and follows the others down.
No sooner do Talia and Magna land at the bottom when there is a high-pitched squeak and two mites leap to the attack! One stabs at Magna with a small dagger, piercing her leg just behind the knee. The other fires a caltrop from a strange looking slingshot-like device, hitting her in the arm.
"Ouch! Stop that!"
Talia drops her dagger and draws her longsword, shifting to the east, and swinging the longsword as she does so down at the mite's head.
Talia crushes the mite's skull, the blade powering through the fey's natural resistance to damage. The second mite drops the makeshift sling with a screech and dives down the hole to the east.
Talia stands stunned, as her sword strike goes true, looking up just in time to see the other mite disappearing down hole. Her swing just a second too late, a curse escapes the playwright's lips. "Blast! Magna! That one's getting away!"
As an standard action Magna uses her new hand-waving signals to let the team to be on the Lookout for any other mites (Battlefield Presence).
As a swift action she uses her lay on hands ability on herself.
Finally she moves to the hole mouth and peeks in (she has darkvision) while taking a Total Defense stance.
"Get down here quickly... be ready to follow it. And watch out for traps."
Naralesh drops to the ground, bow drawn and ready to use his magic if needed. He crouches beside Magna, also focusing totally on defense in case they're ambushed.
Three crude, wooden workbenches occupy the center of this room, their tops strewn with various tiny tools, metal and wooden hardware, and blocks of wood. The shaft Magna looks down quickly becomes a 30' shaft going straight down. To the east, another opening can be seen that leads up and over a hump and into a second space.
Magna whispers:
"Anyone has a Thunderstone?"
Dregan follows the other down quickly and draws his axe while looking around for the foes that attacked his friends
Talia whispers back. "No thunderstone. We need to get that little bug before the whole... nest? Hive? Of those creatures comes at us."
Picking up her dagger, Talia dismisses the light spell and casts it again, this time on the pommel of her longsword. Drawing the wand and holding it in the hand with her buckler, Talia nods to Magna, and peers again into the hole the mite scampered down. "Err. I think it is going to be a tight fit. After you. Or Dregan."
"Keep your eyes open."
Magna descend on the hole.
Longsword in front of her, Talia follows the group's hammer down the hole.
"Be sure we remember the way out," Naralesh comments, committing the steps he takes to memory as he follows.
"I think knowing the way out and getting out might be very different." Dregan says following.
Three crude, wooden workbenches occupy the center of this room, their tops strewn with various tiny tools, metal and wooden hardware, and blocks of wood. The shaft Magna looks down quickly becomes a 30' shaft going straight down. To the east, another opening can be seen that leads up and over a hump and into a second space.
"I 'ave some rope on da pack 'orse up top, i' would take a momen' t' get but i' might reach tha bottom ov what shaft."
"Rope is wise. Magna, I know you wish to halt the mite before he can raise the alarm, but that may already be infeasible. We must stay together and stay safe, or we will be surrounded in these tunnels. That is a long drop, and not all of us can heal our wounds as quickly as you." He lays a hand on the eager paladin's shoulder. "Let us seek out the mites with caution and resolve, not reckless haste. Perhaps the other path is a better route as well."
Dregan climbs back up the roots to get some rope, then quickly comes back down and secures one end. Dropping the free end into the shaft, he sets it up for Magna's descent.
She rolled just an 8 some posts ago... Can I use it? :D
Magna has the Teamwork feat Lookout up, and cover the ground as soon as she reach the bottom.
Talia moves to the shaft and looks down. Long way. Oh well, hope there's no snipers. Sheathing her sword, Talia once again casts light on the pommel of her dagger and grips it in her teeth as she shimmies down the rope.
No archers, no archers, no archers.
Perhaps it is her nervousness, but Talia finds the descent difficult, slipping a couple of times. Luckily, she's able to stop herself before she slides too far or drops.
Hitting the ground with a thankful thump, the playwright scans the room quickly, looking for threats.
"You know what would be really unfunny. This hole leads to a dead end, once we all get down, it flies back us cuts the rope and then just waits for us to die." Dregan says as he starts down.
upon getting his feet on firm ground he'll take a couple of steps to avoid fall friends, then if combat is already underway draw his axe and if not draw his bow and restring it.
The walls of this egg-shaped cavern are obscured by thick tangles of long, pallid roots. To the east, the chamber opens into a wide, root-filled chasm. A group of six mites are joyously tormenting a captured Sootscale kobold—one of four black-scaled kobolds who have been tied into the roots along the wall. The other three already hang limply by their bonds, dead from the mites’ torment. The last kobold shrieks in pain as the six mites take turns poking it with sharp sticks — each shriek eliciting a fresh wave of giggles and cheers from the mites. They drop their sticks and draw their tiny knives in rage as you appear in their cave!
Talia steps forward and draws her longsword, but stumbles over a root and swings way wide. Cursing, she looks back over her shoulder. "Help!
A coarse scream rise from her throat, trying to scare the mites, while she charges against the first one...
"AAArrrrrggggg!"
"Quick get down here, there are 6 of them."
If Magna killed the mite Dregan will charge the mite 'north' of the one she charged, otherwise Dregan will move to same square but hit the mite she hit, either way +2 bonus to hit.
Battleaxe
The charge of Magna and Dregan serve to crush the front line of the mites. Both dying horribly - and instantly. That doesn't deter the rest as they scramble to attack, frothing and spitting. They seem to be particularly focused on the dwarf, as their ancient hatred for that race bubbles forth.
One stabs at Talia, barely missing the inside of her leg, while the other three attack Magna. She takes one cut from a small dagger but in so doing, she shifts right into another stab, this taking her in the kidney just below the ribs.
The charge of Magna and Dregan serve to crush the front line of the mites. Both dying horribly - and instantly.
The charge of Magna and Dregan serve to crush the front line of the mites. Both dying horribly - and instantly.
Naralesh quickly assesses the situation and rapidly casts a spell, flicking a tiny cloth bag and miniature candle into the air as they're consumed by the spell's energies. "Inimitas valoru caelus! Celestum iniviti!" he chants, as in a burst of feathers and sparkling light, radiant celestial eagles appear in the cavern, swooping down on the mites and pinning them between Magna and their razor-sharp talons.
As they do, the eagles are sure to s evil.
Growing more accustomed to the summoning magic, Naralesh is able to cast the spell without much strain on his body.
Gavriil hears the cries of the mites from bellow where the others had just gone down. He looks to Naralesh and says, "I gotta go. They MITE need me!"
He grabs the rope and descends to the others.
Gavriil draws his rapier and dashes next to Talia to strike at the mite to her right. "Gods they're ugly!"
Gavriil's blade slips past the mite's defense and scores a hit!
The eagles scratch and claw at the mites, but their attacks are only cause very minor cuts, as the fey creatures natural resistance to damage protects them.
Dregan tries reposition his feet to allow him to swing more freely but stumbles on the rough floor causing his swing to wide.
Regaining her footing, Talia swings and this time with more luck, slashes the mite across its neck.
As a swift action Magna uses her lay on hands ability on herself.
After it, she keeps pressing on the mites.
Naralesh can't help but crack a grin as Gavril makes a pun before charging down the rope.