Still looking lost, Gilgar gestures towards the hole that the cauldron hangs over... "Down 'ere, mebby?" Then pointing back from where that blasted forge-thing had been... "'Ere?"
perception check
1d20+9 perception check
Wisdom check, please.
wisdom
With everyone quiet and listening, one of the kobold slaves moves over to the cauldron and listens, "They mad. Tell others kill girl, keep boy for crown."
The bard Edgrin starts herding children toward the double doors. "I only know of one boy down here, and he's the one we seek. My friend Tyran Moonsilver is down there somewhere, but no one would mistake him for a girl. Perhaps someone is running toward you and needs your help. Or perhaps it is a ruse. Either way, the children will be in danger and I am of little use. We will retreat to this temple you mentioned."
"Oh, I show you!" The two kobold slaves, heads bobbing vigorously, both volunteer in one voice.
Kimi says, "I'm not going anywhere until Hollin is safe." She plants her feet and crosses her arms, refusing to budge. The other children look from her to the halfling bard, obviously torn between the idea of relative safety and staying to aid a friend.
"I think the time for flight may be past, musician. Unless I miss my guess, you and the boys should be strong enough to hoist the cauldron - the lot of you have to be stronger than a half dozen kobolds. You two - you've seen this used - you show them what they need to do."
Looking at Gilgar, still looking around the room. "My barbarian friend, it's time to try out your new hammer. If they run to us, let's meet them halfway - question is, do we lower the cauldron to bring them to us, or do we get into the cauldron and meet them below?"
A flash of light and the unmistakable crackle of lightning followed by a cry of pain suddenly comes from the area below the cauldron. A female voice cries out, "Go! Climb!," and the sound of someone climbing and breathing very hard can be heard.
Gilgar hastily climbs into the cauldron. Not waiting for anyone else, he bellows "Git tuh lower'n!"...
The assembled cauldron-lowering crew complies, not wanting to consider angering the dwarf.
Surprised, the elf chuckles and looks at Nox. "And I thought we were supposed to be the ones that changed course quickly."
Checking to make sure his sword and daggers are in their respective sheaths, he draws his bow and fits an arrow to the string, waiting to see what comes into sight below.
On the right side, you see a small figure with curly red hair climbing the wall, finding finger- and toe-holds and slowly progressing.
Another flash of lightning and a croaking cry of pain draw your attention back forward. When you finally clear the ceiling, you can see two breaches in the finished walls, both full of webbing and muffled Draconic curses. A flash of light in one of the webbed openings might be an attempt to light a torch. In the other opening , a struggling web-entangled kobold and an enormous toad-like creature with tusks as long as your foot are stuck on this side of the webbing. The creature is covered in some secretion and looks like it is soon to be loose from the webbing. Between you and the first opening is another toad creature being ridden by a kobold wielding one of the strange chain weapons you saw earlier. A pair of javelins are stuck in the webbing of the first opening. Their intended target was apparently a halfling - the little sorceress that left the party with Aggo! - that is the source of the crackling lightning. Based on the smoke rising from the kobold and the toad, she is getting the better of their ranged battle.
Glenna sees you, hammer clenched, and gives a relieved smile. "Hollin! A friend! Get into the kettle with him!"
From above, you hear the elf shout, "You shouldn't take all the fun, you know! The least you can do is draw them back to where I can see them! How many are there?"
The cauldron stops descending a little below floor level and you realize that you are suspended over a pit that continues down.
Initiative:
"Tie 'er off'n git yer arses down 'ere on th' rope!" Gilgar bellows up the shaft.
The girl is our friend Glenna, the halfling sorceress. Gilgar is right, we need to get to where can helop.
if there is room, Nox will join them in the cauldron, if not, he will follow on the next trip with Perrin.
initiative
The splosh of thick liquid heralds this disgusting creature’s sloppy approach. This oozy abomination resembles a pale, slime-slick toad, its back dripping thick mucus-like secretions as it effortlessly hops back and forth, spattering secretions as it comes. The creature’s huge walrus-like tusks drag along the ground.
Glenna's most recent blast of lightning seems to have taken all the fight out of the slimy toad-beast, but his rider is still in the game. He dismounts and charges the halfling, swinging the strange claw on the end of the chain before flinging it at her. She easily evades the clumsy throw.
The two caught in the webbing struggle to escape - they seem to be working their way toward your location as though the webs were called into being around them. As the cauldron comes to a stop, the toadlike creature pops free and into the room facing you. The kobold you presume was his rider remains stuck, but not for long.
Gilgar hops out of the kettle, zones in on the free kobold, and hollers "Time tuh DIE, filth!!!!" His short stocky legs begin to churn as he veritably hops from one to the other in anticipation of the glorious feeling of enemy flesh beneath his hammer...
Gilgar moves right up into the personal space of the kobold with the chain. "Nice Yoyo..." he sneers menacingly "How's 'bout we hang yer guts on it aft'r I squishes 'em outta yuh?"
Intimidate:
The kobold's head whips around and he throws the claw at the approaching dwarf - he might not understand the words, but he can read the intent in your eye just fine.
The claw is turned away by the dwarf's armor and the kobold looks a little worried.
Gilgar grins with gleeful malice as his eye bulge slightly.
From his location, Graymoon can see the still-smoking but living toad, but not the kobold that Gilgar is ogling at, so he will shoot at the mount.
"Someone bring me a length of rope!"
With a shudder, the beast breathes his last.
Aggo helps the cauldron crew tie off the kettle and locates a section of rope that he brings to Graymoon. "It's not for me - not yet - lower it to the boy and get him out of there."
The dwarf drops the rope down and plants his feet . The boy below feels the rope hit and grabs at it successfully. Rope in hand, the climbing is a lot easier and he makes it nearly to the top quickly.
Kimi shouts, "It's Hollin!" She runs to Aggo and prepares to pull with him.
Below, Glenna moves toward the kettle. "Don't let it spray that stuff from its back - it's really sticky."
Nox will target the stuck toad creature with his Bow
attack
damage
Kill the toad first, but don't let the kobold escape if they get loose.
The kobold facing Gilgar backs away from him before flinging his chained claw at him again, screaming out in Draconic at the top of his lungs even as the dwarf bats the clumsy toss away with his new hammer.
His web-stuck ally redoubles his efforts to get free, but fails.
The toad-like creature (which Nox suddenly remembers is called a Slurk though he has never actually seen one), makes a strange lunging motion toward the dwarf, ejecting a yellowish-brown substance from several orifices on its back.
The arc of adhesive passes just over the dwarf and the kobold facing him to strike the wall where it solidifies as it slides to the floor, becoming solid before it makes it to the floor.
Unwebbed kobold - 5 down
Webbed kobold - 0 down
Slurk - 1 down
Gilgar takes a whack at the kobold... Cackling gruffly as he swings.
1-handed MW Adamantine Warhammer Attack:
MW Adamantine Warhammer 1-handed damage:
Stepping up to the diminutive lizardman, Gilgar feints with a head duck before connecting solidly with the side of the kobold's head as he chortles at the sight of its eyes rolling back in its head.
Nox will target the Slurk again
bow attack
Graymoon stows his bow and tells the dwarven monk, "Get the boy up here, I'm going down."
As Hollin continues to climb, Aggo starts reeling him in, finally lifting the boy to the ledge beside him before dropping the rope back down and bracing himself to support the tall elf's weight.
Alternating sliding and climbing, the elf is about 25' from the floor after his move.
Kimi grabs Hollin in a fierce hug almost before his feet touch the ground and the two of them run to where the other boys wait, eye wide.
The still-stuck kobold continues to try to get out of his predicament, calling out commands to his slurk-mount. He finally tears himself free and the slurk waits while he climbs aboard.
Voices shouting in Draconic can be heard from beyond the web nearest Gilgar.
Gilgar howls like a madman as he stomps over to the slurk and kobold. Drawing back his warhammer as he nears the pair, Gilgar swings with abandon.
1-handed MW Adamantine Warhammer Attack:
MW Adamantine Warhammer 1-handed damage:
The slurk reels from the blow. As Gilgar approaches, the rider tries to strike him with the odd little spiked chain they seem to prefer.
This one finally strikes dwarf, scratching for 2 points of damage.
Nox will target the active kobold with his bow
bow attack
bow damaage
Kobold down 3
Slurk down 10
The lanky elf comes sliding and rappelling down the rope, landing easily as he draws his blade from its sheath and takes in the scene.
Glenna watches from within the cauldron, conserving her strength. "There's more coming - they are almost her." She sounds surprisingly calm.
The kobold flings his claw at the dwarf, striking him again, while the slurk makes a sudden ducking motion and raises his tail as the nodules launch a brown resinous material, hitting the dwarf directly in the face.
As soon as it hits, he can feel the material harden like he'd been wrapped in plaster and let it dry.
Gilgar rages on the slurk...
1-handed MW Adamantine Warhammer Attack + Raging:
MW Adamantine Warhammer 1-handed damage + Raging:
The abomination barely has time after spraying the dwarf with resinous material to look up before the warhammer comes whistling in and smacks it between its bulbous eyes. The hammer leaves an impression on the face as the brain ricochets off the interior of the skull and the creature collapses, much to its rider's dismay.
The abomination barely has time after spraying the dwarf with resinous material to look up before the warhammer comes whistling in and smacks it between its bulbous eyes. The hammer leaves an impression on the face as the brain ricochets off the interior of the skull and the creature collapses, much to its rider's dismay.
Nox will shoot the rider.
bow attack
bow damage
The kobold, well aware that the odds are against him but his allies are close, withdraws from the dwarf's reach and leaps into the web that he so recently escaped. He is soon stuck fast, but he is far enough in to be out of Gilgar's reach.
Glenna asks, "Do we wait for them? Or make them follow us up to the next level?"
Graymoon replies, "You've brought us the last child, but the halfling said he had a friend that they recaptured. Do you know if he's still alive?"
The halfling shakes her head. "I did not see anyone else but kobolds, but I think they are crazy - more than usual - and he probably has very little time if he has not already run out. The only one crazier than their shaman is probably their king."
Gilgar is trying to claw the crap off his face... Completely ignoring the ongoing conversation, if the stuff doesn't come off at his pawing, he'll smack it once with the hammer.