[D&D 5e] Princes of the Apocalypse DM Asmodeus (Inactive)

Game Master bwatford

Ember rushes forward and hurls flames at the rat in front of Kenna

Location: Tomb of Moving Stones
Map of Current Area (Click Here)

Ember rushes forward and hurls flames at the rat in front of Kenna, the flame striking the giant rat as in struggled against its burning fur. Soon all movement had stop and the rat lay dead smoldering from the heat of the flame. Soon a foul stench of burning rat filled the area and accosted the nostrils of everyone in the group.

Kenna spins around and glares at Narnel: "That one was harmless! You didn't have to attack it! Or kill it!"

Ember walks into the room, flames springing up in her hand again.

" What do we do with these sleeping rats? Can we trap them somehow? "

Will the other rats eat the roasted rat? Maybe we can just move everything over to the side and they can eat when they wake up?

Keaton looks like he wants to unload a boat load of snark remarks, but he does hold his tongue.

That is Kenna's call, I would assume. I am sorry for killing your...friend? In any event, we should move on. I prefer that all of the pests be slain.

Still glowering at Narnel: "We move them, there are plenty of doors we can close between them an us, they would probably east the dead ones if we leave those with them, and be satiated by the time we come through again. Should we have to take the same way out."

I will leave you to it then. Let me take a look ahead. Coming, Molok?

Narnel moves forward and peers into the darkness, around the corner.

Molok move forward, but turns and says "Sorry" to Kenna as he moves past her to join Narnel.

Location: Tomb of Moving Stones

Moving north through the exit of the room Narnel finds that the passage turns sharply east, looking down toward the east from the edge of the corner Narnel can tell that the passage opens up into another chamber in about another 30 feet or so. In the center of it, a black rock about a foot across hovers three feet from the floor. Otherwise the room is dark and still. Narnel can see no exits out of the chamber ahead from his vantage point.

Molok stands behind Narnel.

Narnel walks back a bit so that Molok and the others can hear him.

There is an dark empty room ahead with no visible exits. However, a black rock about one foot across hovers three feet above the floor. Shall we investigate?

Keaton eyes the sleeping rats, unsure of how Kenna wants to proceed.

When they wake, will they be upset magic was just cast on them? I mean, if they are, and we smother them with their dead friends to eat, which I hope will not continue to make them hostile, what assurance is there they will be content to feast on the dead rat corpses? Whatever you want to do we need to do it now, my spell will not last much longer. Let me know what you need me to do.

At the mention of a floating rock Keaton almost absent-mindedly walks away from Kenna but catches himself before being rude.

Keaton will assist Kenna with what she decides to do.

Kenna hesitates for a moment, visibly troubled, she doesn't want to waste more innocent lives, lowly however others might percieve them, she knew only too well what life is for a creature that only tries to survive, misunderstood and afraid trying to defend itself from perceived threats. But she neither soes she wish for any of her companions to be injured. Looking around as if searching the floor for an answer, she finally comes to a conclusion. "I know... If we move them back outside the door under the sink hole, they will probably wander off. They cannot climb out of the hole, but there was another passage leading out in a different direction, I assume it will either lead to a larger cavern or to an exit outside of town."

With that she loads one of the sleeping animals on her shoulder and wanders back toward the location of the sinkhole.

Location: Tomb of Moving Stones

Kenna and Keaton without a moment to spare rush the two sleeping rats back to the main cave and deposit them there just as they are waking up. They get the rusted door closed just in time as the rats are in a frenzy.

Returning to the room with their companions Keaton is non to happy about carrying a filthy rat, much less running with one that was on the verge of waking up from its magical slumber. However once back in the room they noticed something odd about the corpses that the rats were feasting on.

Each of the corpses has a symbol cut deeply enough in their foreheads to mark the skull. You immediately recognize it as the elemental symbol for earth.

Picture of the symbol.

So they were like guard dogs? We may not have a choice fighting them on the way out Kenna.

Kenna sighs. "Then so be it. At least I tried..."

Narnel waits patiently for the return of the others, and as the identity of the symbol unfolds, he cannot help but think this has something to do with his discovery.

I am supposed to destroy elemental nodes of power based upon my visions, and this MUST be a connection. Mayhap the stone in the next room is such a node?

Keaton will scurry over to the floating rock. He stays about 10 feet away to inspect it, then if it appears safe he will close in to 5 feet, then should it look safe he will get close to the rock.

Narnel approaches cautiously behind Keaton, but he also studies the rock to determine any connection to his visions.

Location: Tomb of Moving Stones

As Keaton approached the room with the lighted scarf around his neck the first thing he noticed was it was about thirty feet by thirty feet in size much like the last chamber than held the rats and there was a rough tunnel that headed out of the room to the southeast. The rock that was floating three feet off the ground was about one foot across and one foot tall but otherwise looked to be a normal rock. Keaton stood about ten foot away from the rock as he examined it before deciding to move closer. Upon approaching within ten feet of the rock Keaton's feet left the ground and he floated up about three feet off the ground as well.

As he was floating there Keaton realized he could not move from side to side by walking, his feet did not touch the ground. He was still to far from the rock to grab it for leverage to pull himself toward it. It was like he was just suspended in the air but he would need leverage, something to pull on or push on to actually move in the magical field. At the moment he was trapped.

Narnel watched the man as he floated trying to determine if this was an elemental node. He had never seen one so he had no clue. He didn't feel any air pushing the man up, no heat or water. Perhaps he could learn more with a detect magic spell.

*amazed*

By the gods! This is amazing! Hey Narnel give me a push over to the rock! Mwhahahahahahahahahaha

Ember walks into the Rock room after inspecting the corpses. She stares at Keaton floating and laughing.

" This is bad, those corpses have the symbol of this earth cult and the town elders are obviously involved somehow... What are you doing Keaton? "

Without entering the space that would levitate him, Narnel reaches out with his staff an nudges Keaton towards the rock.

Location: Tomb of Moving Stones

Using his staff Narnel gives Keaton a push as the wizard glides over to the rock in the middle of the room. After examining it, the rock looks to be.... well a rock. A one foot diameter chunk of stone, although in Keaton's hands it was at the moment weightless as was he.

Keaton will take a moment and dig out his coil of rope. He fashions some type of sailor's knot leaving a loop that will close when pulled. He wraps the loop around the stone, careful not to touch it with his body. He hold the rope in one hand and tosses the rest of the coil to Narnel. He then pulls himself out of the levitation field.

Hey can you pull that rock closer, but keep it still floating, pull it to here.

Keaton points to the spot that the levitation field seems to start.

I would like to see if there is anything on the bottom of the rock.

Narnel nods and does so.

Kenna observes the strange spectacle from a distance. It seems to help her forget what has transpried in the previous room, at least momentarily.

Molok moves to the tunnel leading out of the room and keeps watch while the others experiment with the floating rock.

Location: Tomb of Moving Stones

Keaton pulls himself out of the strange magical levitation and then pulls the rock closer to the edge of the strange magical field. Looking around the rock from all angles just reveals... a rock. Nothing special.

Molok looks souteast down the tunnel that exits the room and it travels for about thirty feet before turning due south. No signs of light or sound can be heard coming from that direction.

Ember takes off her pack and leans against a wall as Keaton inspects the rock.

" I know things seem urgent but should we take a little rest? "

Should we take a short rest here? Narnel and Kenna could spend a hit dice, and Keaton could get a spell slot back?

A short rest here sounds good to me.

Narnel moves to Molok's position.

Before heading down there, should we take a quick breather?

HD: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

"I could keep going, but if you need you need rest that is okay. I understand it is because you were abiding by my wishes that you got hurt. Perhaps I can scout ahead"

With this Kenna takes off towards the southeast tunnel. Moving down the corridor she looks down at her hands, concentrating I can do this...

A few moments pass before dark fur starts sprouting from her skin and her limbs and body extend, her clothing melding into the emerging fur, hands turning into clawed paws and the head stretching to take the appearance of a wolf's head.

I did it, father! she thought excitedly, now in the vaguely humanoid appearance of a sleek wolf-like creature as she begins sneaking down the corridor.

" Be careful! " Whisper says quietly as Kenna heads of to scout.

Ember moves to help Narnel bandage his wound.

Location: Tomb of Moving Stones
Map of Current Area

Kenna assumes the animal shape and stalks south down the corridor. She doesn't have to travel too far until she reaches another rusty iron door that blocks the passage.

Location: Tomb of Moving Stones
Map of Current Area

Kenna manages to use her paws and weight to eventually push the door open.

This fifty-foot-square chamber is hewn out of rock. The floor is rough but flat, the walls show the chisel-marks of the original builders, and the ceiling is about ten feet high. Identical stone doors with iron pull-ring handles stand in the middle of the east, north, and west walls. In the center of the room stands a life-sized and lifelike statue of a dwarf warrior wearing a chain shirt, helm, and big boots. He carries a shield on his left arm and a battleaxe in his right hand. The statue has clearly been broken into, roughly, the head and upper torso, lower torso, and legs. These pieces have been reassembled and held together and upright in a stout wooden frame. A dagger along with several coins and gems lie on the floor in front of the statue, surrounded by an ring of fine gravel. The ring of gravel surrounds the statue at a distance of
5 feet.

Kenna focuses on her enhanced sense of smell and keeping her distance from the statue in the center of the room, to try and open the western door and then the eastern door.

The two doors leading out of this room have pull rings set in the middle of the doors. You will have to change form if you want to open them.

Keaton looks very impatient, it is easy to tell that he is holding back his choice words for this situation. He summons a large comfortable pillow and gets cozy on the ground.

ready to continue

Kenna lets go of her bestial side and reverts to her original form. She carefully pulls each door open just enough to poke her head through and peer beyond.

Molok continues to watch the corridor Keena went down. He listens intently in case she runs into any trouble.

Location: Tomb of Moving Stones
Map of Current Area

Kenna moves around the statue to the western door and reverts into human form. She grabs the ring in the middle of the door and pulls it open slightly with a loud creaking of the rusted metal door and looks within.

This big, square chamber has been hewn out of the rock. In the center of the chamber’s west wall is a stone door that has a narrow viewing slit. Beside the door is a set of iron bars bolted into the wall about three feet above the floor. Ten oiled chains are secured to the bars, leading up to a hole bored in the ceiling. Another solid stone door is in the middle of the east wall. An eight-foot-tall rectangular stone stands upright in the room’s center. The stone has an inscription on it that’s hard to read from a distance. At the foot of the standing stone, a small human is pinned, face down, by rocks placed atop his arms, legs, and back. He is barefoot and wears ragged clothes.

In the room is a male half-orc that seems to be talking to six other humans. The six humans wear leather armor with the same symbol as you saw carved into the foreheads of the two dead victims in the room with the rats. They seem to be asking the half-orc questions about if they had seen anyone down here. A group of people, they seem to describe in general some of the members of the party when one of the group notices Kenna peaking through the door he screams to the others "There they are!" as he points to the door. One other man in the group of six says "We are the Bringers of Woe. We have come to reward your curiosity."

At that instant every hair on the back of Kenna's neck stood straight up, could she get back to the group in time or would this be the end of her journey.

The six men sling crossbow's off their backs as if one big trained unit and fire at the not so stealthy Druid. Most of the bolts bing off the door that protects her but one manages to slip through and scrapes her shoulder. Once the men finish firing they advance on her position, forcing the door open and spilling light into the darkened room with the statues.

The half-orc barks "I will hold the position here. Get after them!"

Round 1 Initiative
Keaton - Surprised
Bringers of Woe
Half-Orc (Readied Action)
Kenna
Narnel - Surprised
Molok - Surprised
Ember - Surprised

* Characters in shaded text have already went this round or are surprised/unaware for the first round

So no short rest for Narnel then?

I thought we got it in before her little jaunt.

As the Bringers of Woe advance on her Kenna screeches at the top of her lungs hoping it would be enough to carry uo the corridor behind her, and staggers back, doubling over, her next scream a bestial roar, as her body expands once again, into a freakishly muscled form, similar to the previous one but much larger and burlier. A claw lashes out at the man to her left and the large wolf-like face snaps its jaws.

Keaton holds his action, if enemies try to come into the room he will cast grease on the doorway.

Keaton stands up from his pillow, a puzzled look on his face.

Do you hear that? Hey ah, big guy you may want to ready that giant sword of yours.

Location: Tomb of Moving Stones
Map of Current Area

As the Bringers of Woe advance on her Kenna screeches at the top of her lungs hoping it would be enough to carry uo the corridor behind her, and staggers back, doubling over, her next scream a bestial roar, as her body expands once again, into a freakishly muscled form, similar to the previous one but much larger and burlier. A claw lashes out at the man to her left tearing deeply into his flesh as he staggers under the blow but does not fall, and then large wolf-like face of Kenna's new form snaps its jaws and the mans head is gone.

Keaton holds his action, if enemies try to come into the room he will cast grease on the doorway.

One of the leather clad men tries to move past Kenna into the room leaving himself open for a strike, Kenna lashes out with her claw and rips the man asunder as he falls to the ground. All the other men began moving into the room with Kenna, there was just too many to defend against as they moved past her and formed a line south of her position. They again opened fire but this time there was no door to protect her. The rain of bolts pelted her hide, three of the four bolts penetrating her fur and stuck in hide.

Round 2 Initiative
Keaton - Readied Action - Grease
Bringers of Woe
Half-Orc (Readied Action)
Kenna
Narnel
Molok
Ember

* Characters in shaded text have already went this round.

Narnel rushes down the hall in a dash upon hearing the screams of Kenna.

By my calcultion, that should put me about 35' from the door.

Kenna lunges forward into the middle of the line of men. Claws out wide and theeth bared she begins ripping into a man in front of her.

Location: Tomb of Moving Stones
Map of Current Area

Kenna lunges forward into the middle of the line of men. Claws out wide and her teeth bared she begins ripping into a man in front of her. First slashing its armor asunder with her claws and opening a terrible wound but the man somehow avoided her bite as he staggered from the blood loss of the initial claw.

Narnel rushes down the hall in a dash upon hearing the roars of Kenna's animal form.

Round 2 Initiative
Keaton - Readied Action - Grease
Bringers of Woe
Half-Orc (Readied Action)
Kenna
Narnel
Molok
Ember

* Characters in shaded text have already went this round.