The passageway widens out into a chamber. It slopes gently downwards, with stalamites and stalagtites reaching from floor and ceiling to form columns. Frost sparkles on the rock surfaces. Slumped in the centre of the room is a corpse, lying face-down.
Gart will cautiously approach the corpse and try to determine the cause of death.
Jareen will hang back, keeping his eyes peeled for the thret that killed the corpse.
"How long's it been there Gart? Not many things in the wilds that leave corpses hanging around."
aid another
heal
Th'Kal approaches with Gart, no so much to help, but to keep his eyes open for danger.
"See anything, buddy?"
The body is a human male of middle years and shows claw marks, but they don't look enough to have killed. He also has a few strange burns on the face and feet.
Safier pales upon seeing the body, "That is...was Roderk. He was one of the drivers on the carvan."
Jareen peers at the burns on the body, sure they should mean something, but not getting close enough to make them out properly.
Arakan comes up to look at what the big deal is about the dead man. Seeing something in the woman's eyes, he watches her as he speaks, "Well, unless we're all waiting for him to hop up and walk out of here, why don't we see if he has anything useful on him. That is, if what or whoever caused those burns didn't destroy everything of value." He just raises an eyebrow at the 'prisoner' before looking over the body for something worth taking.
"Take care." He gestures with one of his underclaws towards the nearest stalactites/stalagmites. Using his claw to trace a pattern in the air (), hoping it will help the others to see the slight runes or glyphs carved into the icicle-shaped mineral deposits. Motioning to Jareen, "Ka'Cho, can read it." It comes out as a statement rather than a question -- he assumes that is Jareen's place in the pack to know that stuff.
"More. We are not the only hunter in here. I scent something scurrying just outside our light." Th'Kal's left antenna bounces about slightly as he does his best to taste the scents in the air in order to pin point the "scurrying thing in the dark".
"What's that?" Jareen wanders up to Th'Kal and looks at the Stalagmites he's pointing out.
Jareen gets no time to consider the interesting rock formations. As Th'Kal chirrups his warning, horrible insectoid reptilian things come skittering from the dark. Behind them lurk three warped humanoid figures about the size of halflings.
Safier responds to Jareen's question, though not regarding the stalagmites. "Kruthiks and Hejkin. I've heard of them, though fortune up to now has prevented me from meeting them."
As the creatures all enter the room, and Arakan becomes aware of them, he confirms with Safier "From what I know of these things, I let you off the hook here and not assume they're friends of yours. That said guys, I don't think I'm gonna talk my way out of a fight with them."
I'll take N 11.
init
I'll take P 11 then. That's open, right?
Gart is at P13
Also I will use Battlefront Shift on Furio, allowing him to shift half his movement as a free action.
Battlefront Shift: As combat breaks out, you give a quick call, urging an ally to move or spurring yourself to take action. (No action, Martial) Close Burst 3, Target you or one ally in the burst. Trigger: you roll initiative. Effect: the target shifts half his or her speed.
"Go get 'em!" Gart yells to Furio
pyowww
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Hejkin Raver 2 1d20+3
As always when a threat is present, Arakan springs into the action required to try and protect himself. He whips his crossbow from its harness, loading it in the same smooth action. He fires at the lead kruthik, before darting behind some of the cavernous outcroppings to try and become unseen.
I'll shift to m10.
The kruthiks head round the edges of the cavern before moving to try and gang up of the stragglers.
Safier recoils back as she's severely mauled by the creature. "Aaaahhh!"
Arakan sees the pointy little beasts scrabbling all over members of the group, and has to decide who is worth more to him. The kreen has been a valued warrior, but he is certain the thing can take care of itself, especially with the Mul nearby. The other two, the healer and the captured woman most likely need more help, and both have to possibly more to provide for him. As always when a threat is present, he springs into the action required to try and protect himself. He whips his crossbow from its harness, loading it in the same smooth action. With merely a turn and a shout he focuses his voice into a killing force. All the while turning and firing at the nearest one crawling over the kreen.
After he sees what all he's done, he realizes he needs to be a harder target than he is right now in the middle of the room. He turns to move and hide behind a large chunk of the cavern pillars, offering only a warning to Jareen before he goes, "You may want to be a little more subtle about your 'talents' around the misshapen ones, or you'll be their only focus." His hide place is tough to justify, considering he just made himself a worthy opponent.
Arakan bursts the grip the kruthiks have on Safier and Gart, pushing them back and getting his companions out of immediate danger. With a flourish he plants a bolt in one of the kruthiks attacking Th'Kal, then withdraws to a hiding place. But his pleasure and surprise at his performance leaves his satisfied smirk obvious even in the dark.
A hejkin follows the path of the kruthiks attacking Th'Kal, swiping at him with a flinty claw. It gibbers something incomprehensible.
Jareen nods at Arakan's warning, and begins moving backwards, trying to conceal his actions under the movement. "Th'kal, move back!"
"Careful, newcomer, our day has just begun!" Gart says to Safier to inspire her to greater action. (inspiring word, Safier can use a surge to heal her surge value+1d6)
Gart then steps forward to P14 and attacks K3. If it hits, trigger takedown strike.
(+4 more dmg and knocked prone if hits)
Furio will move to L10.
Goading maneuver or manoevre or whatever on Kruthik K2.
to hit;
damage
if that hits, Furio slides to J8, marking the Hejkin.
Round 1
HP 35/35
Surges 6/7
AC 16 Fort 14 Ref 16 Will 19
Action Points 0
Storm Soul Active? Yes
Encounters
Whirlwind [X], Spatial Trip [ ], Dancing Lightning [ ], Quick Formation [ ], Second Wind [ ]
Dailies
Howling Tempest [ ]
Despite feeling better from Gart's words, Safier darts away, as though to hide. Once in a secure location, she focuses on the creatures, attempting to hide her ability as she brings up a whirlwind on two of the kruthiks, hoping to disguise her ability as some form of psionic telekinesis.
Safier's whirlwind knocks the two kruthiks on their backs.
The second hejkin shambles forward. With rocky claws it smashes its way through an interposing stalagmite to attack Furio from behind.
Beaten to near unconsciousness, Th'Kal uses it to fuel his anger. Humming in the sheer pleasure of the hunter, Th'Kal slams his axe into Chanter between himself and Furio, and then slides out of the way of the Kruthik's annoying bites.
Furio's hit; down to 37 hp of max 50.
Th'Kal lays a mighty blow on the hejkin, but while it is grievously wounded it doesn't fall.
The last hejkin moves up, ploughing through more rock formations to rip at Furio.
The two kruthiks closest to Gart right themselves and press the attack, while the other surviving kruthik circles around Th'Kal to attack him again from behind.