Lucon blinks at Enko. "I don't hear anything." he says, tearing deeper into the barricade.
Here, maybe this would help Tavi says offering someone her prybar.
Strength rolls
"I think these sewers are making you jumpy; I hear nothing," Jaiyana responds to the monk, putting away her gore-stained flail and moving to help clear the barricade, "but if we don't remove this blockage quickly we will have another very real battle on our hands. Still, it is best to remain cautious as we do. Even if there are no intelligent threats lurking here, I'd hate to think of what nasty spiders would live among rubble in the sewers." She shudders visibly at the thought, before shrugging it away and continuing.
"I would have weapons trained on the sewage, arrows especially, and at the ready. I am sure I heard something." Enko eyes the muck.
"Everyone defend Tavi and Lucon, then," he says cautiously.
The sewage continues to moves along slowly, stinky as ever, and the barricade continues to be a barricade.
"I am caught between looking cowardly and acting foolishly," says Enko. "My senses did not lie. Keep your arrows nocked."
He takes a moment to drink one of the looted potions, then moves to work on the barricade.
back up to full HP, in case the muck monster gets me.
Better the look the coward than to die the fool
"We remain alert, of course, with Hellknights hot on our heels, but it is not as if we have elsewhere to go, and while I'm not normally the optimistic sort by any means, I think we are through the worst of it for now- we've been tested enough for one night," Jaiyana replies, pausing briefly to give the barricade a few taps with the toe of her boot and reflect on how there are now fewer Hellknights to terrorize Cheliax into fearful submission thanks to the group. "Shouldn't be much longer now; I think we are most of the way finished clearing this rubbish," she finishes, returning to aiding in the effort.
"I set on this path to remove blocks from the natural flow of Cheliax, and here one is, literally," says Enko with a smile. "If I must be a fool to do so, then perhaps our hopes must lie with fools."
He finishes moving the barricade around, less suited to this job than others.
"That being said, Tavi, keep your blades sharp."
"Viscount, if you step into the sewage, you will find a new level to sink to."
Seeing other take up the task, Tavi will step back and keep overwatch, her blades ever ready.
Jaiyana tenses and rolls her eyes a bit to herself at the Viscount's remark and (her quick temper getting the better of her) readies a retort about doing honest work, but decides better of it and holds her tongue; now was neither the time nor the place to let her short fuse and prejudices cause them to get into anymore trouble than they were and instead she focused on the task at hand. Easing a bit, she glances to Enko after he speaks. "I'm starting to like you. I do believe that we will be friends," she says with a nod.
"Surely being ankle-deep in sewage is worse than a spot of hard work..." the man says, eyes widening in alarm as he stops himself. "Forgive me, milord. I spoke out of turn." he mutters, eyes cast downward and stiffly going about his work.
Enko smiles at Jaiyana. "Let us all survive to grow in friendship," he says with a look of goodwill that sweeps over commoner and noble alike.
I had nearly forgotten the ways of Westcrown. I have grown soft in the Upper Reach. It is good to put theory to practice, he thinks.
Lucon returns the smile in turn, taking a conversational tone between the sounds and strains of heavy lifting. "You are... Enko, correct? I did not catch all of your names at the inn. From where do you hail?"
Amon
1
2
3
Corneleous
2
3
Attempt #1:
Jaiyana 22
Corneleous 3
Tavi 2
Enko 5
Amon 5
Lucon 12
AC 15
Total: 22+2+2= 26
Attempt #2: Prybar assisted
Jaiyana 13
Corneleous 18
Tavi 14
Enko 9
Amon 17
Lucon 7
AC 5
Total: 18+2+2+2+2= 26
Attempt #3: Prybar assisted
Jaiyana 19
Corneleous 1
Tavi 6
Enko 3
Amon 21
Lucon 21
AC 10
Total: 21+2+2+2+2= 29
As the last large piece of barricade is manhandled to the side of the tunnel it reveals... more tunnel. You notice two bodies on the far side of the dismantled barricade, just bones in tattered clothes. There is something small and shiny among the bones as well. The barricade over the sewage channel is intact, and can be walked over freely. You all stand on one side of the barricade, the tunnel ahead is dark, but clear of Hellknights and Goblins.
DR 1/piercing or slashing; Immune acid, Weaknesses ooze-vermin hybrid, telepathic sensitivity. blindsight 10 ft.
Perception -
Hmm. . move trouble in my . . in our way. . .
Anyone know of these. . .things? Are they dangerous? Can we pass?
Kn: Nature: Untrained
"Look there!" the man says, in alarm. "They are... Ooze Bugs. The damned things are always finding their way into my shop, eating away at the stonework... but... I've never seen so many. They are usually skittish, but I am not certain..."
He looks to the more knowledgeable members of the party for further advice. "But we've tarried long enough. If we are to push through..." he grunts. "I can shelter you from the worst of the harm, little one." he says, gruffly.
Aid Another [DC 10]
Jaiyana's relief at removing the barricade is short-lived as she sees what lies further down the sewer tunnel. The young woman wrinkles her nose in disgust at the strange, filthy creatures, taking a tentative step backwards. "Enko...I suppose that I owe you an apology," she forces out, obviously a bit disturbed by the creatures, "but Lucon is correct; we must not delay too much longer. Are they dangerous?"
"None needed, Jaiyana." Enko nods at her.
"Lucon, you are somewhat familiar. My parents were fishmongers and I lived in the Rego Scripa. Perhaps you knew them."
He thinks for a moment about the bugs.
"Fish...lure...could we distract them with food? Or perhaps drive them away with smoke? I am afraid I am not well versed in animal lore," he says humbly.
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You say these creatures are found here naturally? And they eat through stonework? How would they react to acid? Are they acidic themselves? Why were they unable to cross the barrier? Is there something that we could use to shield ourselves from them? The Viscount is clearly cheered up by the new challenge, and has forgotten his stinking, wet robes.
He stares at the creatures, trying to determine how fast they move and if they'd survive being bottled. He will make no action until he knows what they can be touched with.
The Viscount, despite his upbringing and the way he refers to himself in 3rd person, would have addressed Lucon earlier about his 'my lord' comment.
You know me as a Viscount, a title I hold for my family's benefit. Please do not feel that you must address me as lord unless we are in public. Among what I hope will be friends, no such honoraries are needed. I am as much a part of the aristocracy here as you are; I spent most of my formative years in Korsova, learning my art. The other nobles barely acknowledge me, and would not heed me at all if I didn't have my father's title.
Ideas? I do not relish the thought of running through there.
Lucon scratches his beard thoughtfully, breaking off a half-rotten chair leg from the debris before tossing it as far as he can down the passageway.
"In the Upper Reach, the ground is rock and ice in many parts. We often bury people
'in the sky', letting birds of prey eat their dismembered corpses," says Enko.
"The Hellknights could aid us yet again," he says without a trace of humor, looking at the two bodies in the hallway full of ooze bugs.
"Will someone help me carry one here?"
"If it will keep those things from touchy me; gladly," Jaiyana replies, "I am not fond of normal bugs, let alone these disgusting things." The ranger then cautiously, yet swiftly, moves to aid Enko.
Lucon heaves the chair leg down the tunnel, and the constant motion of the blobs stills for a moment as they track the chairs legs movement with translucent eyes. The tumbling projectile happens to catch an ooze bug at the far end of the swarm, and as it is struck it virtually explodes. Black and yellow ichor radiates out from the miniature explosion, covering roughly a three foot radius. Even from where you are you can hear a faint hissing sound on the stone floor. Dozens of it's fellows quickly move towards the hissing fluid, mopping up the black filth in a matter of moments with tiny invisible mouths.
Stealth Roll to scout ahead/back to the bodies.
Enko and Jaiyana follow Tavi.
"By every god and his mother..." the man says, slackjawed as the ooze bugs tear apart their own. "I think it's feeding time."
Lucon appears troubled as the others speak. "You want to feed them to those... those creatures?" the man looks troubled. "They are knights of Cheliax. They deserve..." Lucon's head darts around as he squints down the passageway. "Did you hear something?" he asks to noone in particular. "Whatever you do, be quick about it." he says, dismissively, as he sags against the wall, clutching his wounded leg.
"I should be putting young Tommen to bed right now. The wife is going to have my head." he says, despairingly, with a hopeful twinge to his voice.
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My good friend, I respect your reverence for the dead. However, these are corpses; they lack all spark of life and only a holy power of the highest magnitude would return the escaped soul to flesh, and only if they wanted to return. We can safely say that such a person has traded their soul to the very devils they serve. Rest assured, that soul is now being tortured and conscripted into the armies of hell. Do not feel sorry for him. The Viscount rests his hand on Lucon's shoulder.
There will be time enough to coddle your son once this mess has passed.
The three with an idea to bring a corpse back are overheard and the idea is discussed in front of the rest of you. Hearing no objections Tavi, Enko, and Jaiyana move off semi-silently down the tunnel, back the way you came. It's taken several minutes to get to the barricade from the battle with the goblins. You all know it'll be over double that amount of time for them to sneak back, moving slower because of it, and then lug a body or two back with them. As they turn a corner and are gone from sight, you hear several scrapes and less-than-stealthy noises from the dark tunnel, apparently some of them are having a difficult time being truly quiet.
In no time at all, there are no traces of the ooze that exploded from the chair leg, the ichor mopped up completely, and the carnivorous oozes which ate it slowly return to going about their semi-mindless wandering. You notice that some of the closer ones, the ones nearest the barrier, have inched a tad closer. Maybe they are starting to realize the way is clear, or maybe their wandering movements just happened to bring them a tiny bit closer? The others have been gone for about 2 1/2 minutes at this point, the way they left is dark and quiet.
#1 - "Oh the Boss, and Bessy, and Racker, and Vickle and Shurp, and Popky and all the others are dead! DEAD! Killed by these nasty ugly bigmen! Make sure you cut off all their noses!!" You hear the sound of cutting and kicking, probably some biting as well.
#2 - "Yes, YES! I Flackle! am only survivor! Kill at least 3.. No FOUR! Bigmen all by myself. But don't forget other bigmen! Flackle seen them before forced to run protect goblin lair! They're still in our tunnels!"
#1 - "Go, brave Flackle, go! and find da rest of the goblin scouts, patrols, and hunters. Tell them Bigmen kill da Boss, and make sure they bring their slicers!"
There is a frenzied screeching of many goblin voices, more than 4 you estimate. And then all three of you were leaning in so close to hear, you bump heads, and when automatically flinching away create a rather un-stealthy little ruckus. It happened during the screaching, but the goblins...
#1 - "Shattup! SHATTUP!! Welsy maybe hearsy somethingy! Shhh!!"
Things: 4.
"Aye." he says, slowly, nodding along. "Eternal torture? It's hard not to feel sorry for the poor fool."
"But thank you, milord. I bear no love for the Hellknights. You've put my conscience at ease."
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float the rock over and drop it on the back side of the swarm, in an attempt to squish a bug and recreate the feeding frenzy away from the barrier.
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Seeing the response of the first stone, the Viscount repeats the process, but this time he casts on the rock, and flies it lower, in a circuit to gather the attention of the whole swarm. If possible, he'll piper them down the hall and hopefully down another path. How quickly do they move?
Could one of you aid me in an experimental analysis? Let's see if they can consume leather. Perhaps toss a strip to them?
Perception