"Give axe, make magic!" Anklebiter snaps at Lefrik and Bruendor while he yanks a scroll out of the case.
"Well, hell, more trogs? Could be worse, I suppose." He rushes forward to brace behind one of the walls, lines up a shot at one of the beasts and lets it fly.
Moving to U40. Taking a shot at the trog in AB40. He should be flatfooted!
Not that it matters...
The stench of the trogs hits his nostrils just before he shoots, and he recoils, causing the shot to go wild. "Damn!", he curses, tossing away his crossbow in favor of his rapier.
"As soon as I can, Anklebiter," Lefrik says, having already thrown his javelin, he may have to wait at handing an axe over. "It's on my back if you can touch it"
The Goblin leaps up and slaps his hand against Lefrik's axe while reading the words of the spell. A thrill of magic pulses against Lefrik's spine...
Missiles fly as the opposing forces attempt to weaken the enemy before melee. Two of the troglodytes sprout fletched bolts, and stagger slightly before continuing their advance. They close with Bruendor and Calla, but the defensible nature of the tunnel mouth gave the two plenty of cover from the crude clubs. The stench of the creatures is even more overpowering in the tight confines, causing everyone to gag and eyes to water.
Everyone make me two DC13 Fort saves or be Sickened.
Initiatives:
group
enemies
"Uugg, these things stink!"
"Aside, one of you so I may..." Lefrik gags as he swallows some of the foul stench and feels a bit green, "I think I just lost my sense of taste, forever."
Assuming he can get past Calla or swing over a head, despite feeling a bit green, the barbarian attempts to kill a trog with the now empowered great axe.
AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13
Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +7
CMD 14
HP 15/15
Divine retribution (DC 13) 4/6; Judgments 1/1
Effects: 1 arrow, justice judgment, sickened (–2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks)
Calla spits a mouthful of bile as she backs up, making room for Lefrik, and fires another arrow into the scrum, hoping the power of Calistira's divine anger is enough to make the shot.
Five foot step back to T-40 if that's possible; if not, I'll have to back up farther, which might provoke an AoO.
Longbow, with justice judgment, sickened, into melee:
"Auggh!", the dwarf cried out, grimacing at the stench of the things that approached. "It's worse! How is it possible it's worse?!?" Regardless, Bruendor slashed at the one that confronted Calla, his blade flashing in the gloom.
Attacking the trog in V39.
"Stinks worse than old underwear!" Anklebiter complains, coughing and gagging. The Goblin still tiptoes up to Bruendor and, when he pulls back his arm to stab at the trogs, briefly taps his rapier on the hilt. Another scroll loses its writing, and the familiar thrum of magic pulses through the Dwarf's steel...
The companions gag and retch at the stench around them, the nausea welling up to spoil their aim and cause more than one to spew out the remains of breakfast onto the cave floor. The emitus only added to the foul reek in the air. Bruendor managed to drive his rapier into one of the trogs, piercing the thing's liver and sending it moaning to the floor. Another quickly took its place, however, wooden club slamming into the wall beside Lefrik's head as the charging barbarian ducks low.
AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13
Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +7
CMD 14
HP 15/15
Divine retribution (DC 13) 4/6; Judgments 1/1
Effects: 3 arrows, justice judgment, sickened 9 more rounds (–2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks)
"Blast it; we're too hampered here!" Calla says as she fires another arrow toward the trogs. "Can you push them back, blondie?"
"I have a cunning plan,"Lefrik answers between coughs "I call it, kill one, and step over his body and move forward. Let us see..gaah if it works." He slashes at the one in front of him again.
His axe goes wide, "Guess it needs ..*Gag* refinement"
Kel shifts forward (S41) takes another shot between the gag reflexes, targeting the trog out of combat (X39).
Anklebiter backs off a couple of steps and whips another scroll out of his pocket. He starts to chant, body swaying in time with the arcane rhythm.
"You're right," Bruendor quips. "It does need some refinement. Let me see if I can work on that!" He slashes at the trog before Lefrik, hoping to draw its attention away from the massive axe the Ulfen warrior carries.
Aiding Lefrik's attack.
The stench continued to affect the companions, as each of their blows went awry. Bruendor's opponent even managed to land a stronghit on the dwarf, numbing his right shoulder and arm.
Bruendor takes 6 damage
Everyone is sickened for 9 rounds.
Initiatives:
group
enemies
Map did not change
The dwarf grunts as the troglodyte slams its stone club onto his arm. "Damnation, these things hit hard!" He attempts to distract the same foe again, but this time begins to give ground. These things aren't especially smart, maybe I can draw it out of position.
Same as last round.
5' step to T41.
Lefrik grunts and tries ,tries again to make a connection with his axe.
AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13
Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +7
CMD 14
HP 15/15
Divine retribution (DC 13) 5/6; Judgments 1/1
Effects: 3 arrows, justice judgment, sickened 9 more rounds (–2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability
Frustrated and realizing it's too crowded for her bow, Calla calls on the divine power of her goddess once more.
"Hades take you," she growls at the troglodytes, her stomach still roiling.
Kel continues targeting the furthest trog as she unleashes a bolt and some bile. gods, how can they stink that badly!
A beautiful, golden eagle appears behind the troglodyte clawing at Lefrik and tears into the monster!
While the eagle strikes, Anklebiter scampers forward, his ugly, branded face working and twisting until the markings almost make sense. A pulse of magic surges through the others, giving them a feeling of slightly greater security.
An eagle appeared from thin air between the troglodyte ranks, clawing and raking Lefrik's opponent about the head. Between that, Calla's judgement, and Bruendor's fancy blade work, the trog never saw Lefrik's axe coming until the barbarian buried the blade in its head. The creature dropped to the floor, nearly knocking the troglodyte next to it down, forcing the creature to abort its attack on Bruendor and allowing the dwarf to step back to relative safety. The remaining trog struck out at the eagle, but the bobbing mass of feathers easily evaded the clumsy strike.
One more dead.
Anklebiter, how long does the eagle stay around?
Initiatives:
group
enemies
Anklebiter whips another scroll out of his case and chants the spell, pointing at the troglodyte so recently almost knocked over by its companion: "Simul clamo, simul moris!"
An unearthly wailing sets up inside the troglodyte's skull...
On top of Anklebiter's dome, Minky hops up and down and shrieks vindictively as the troglodyte falls. She blows a very rude raspberry at the trog currently being assaulted by her master's magic. The next moment, she snatches up a pebble and lobs it at the troglodyte's head, still screaming defiance!
AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13
Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +7
CMD 14
HP 15/15
Divine retribution (DC 13) 6/6; Judgments 1/1
Effects: 3 arrows, justice judgment, sickened 9 more rounds (–2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability
Smiling as one of their foes dies -- "good job, goblin!" she mutters -- a moment later she turns a frown on the foe directly to the south of her.
"I'd tell you to flee, but it's too late for that, creature," she says, bring Calistria's curse to bear once again.
"I like the eagle, can we keep it?" Lefrik says, turning on the next closest foe and chopping again.
Finally, the tide begins to turn for the Goblin's crew, and Bruendor saw he needed to press the advantage. He raced forwards through the opening presented, and struck at their final foe.
Move to W40, as I believe the trog will be dead by this time. If not, then I'll move back to U40 to strike the same one.
"No," Anklebiter says, "but I can figure out how to summon it again, later."
With little opportunity to make a difference between the retching and close combat, Kel holds her shot and stomach.
A piercing sound reverberated through the troglodyte's head, confusing it and making it more susceptible to Calla's divine retribution. It stumbled, smacking itself in the head with its own club, and stared stupidly around it looking for the source of the noise. The lizardkin was still looking about as Lefrik's axe smashed into it. The blow sent the creature reeling to the floor, most of its insides trying desperately to be outside.
The last trog pounced on Lefrik, who didn't manage to recover his swing in time. Its blow sent a wave of pain through the blonde barbarian's arm as it connected.
"Hey! Paws off our blonde barbarian!" Anklebiter yells as he unleashes a gout of acid on the final troglodyte.
Minky seizes another pebble and hurls it at the final troglodyte whilst jumping and screaming with rage.
Lefrik grunts as his arm is wounded, but decides to pay the trog back with a counter blow
With no opening to attack herself , Calla waits as Lefrik slaughters the last of their foes.
The companions bury the last trog in steel and magic. The lizardkin throwback had hardly any time to raise a defense before the combined efforts sent it reeling to the cavern floor.
The troglodytes weren't carrying much, other than their rough clubs and javelins. But tucked away in folds of their loincloths, you come up with a handful of coins and some small gems, amongst other less valuable (and sanitary) items.
Congratulations! 320 XP each
The loot:
"Finally. Wonder if we'll see more of those things. We may need to rest before we do," Calla says. "If so, do we go back to the Goblin, at least for this night? It'll let Saul get farther away, but should be safer."
"Wherever we sleep, I'd like to go there now," Anklebiter says, sighing. "I don't even have that many scrolls left for fighting."
"Aye. This place is a damned dungeon."
"Agreed that we go back to the Goblin, it feels like we're either clearing the path for Saul, or he snuck around somehow?"
"I know, Kel. It really bothers me that he's bypassed all of these things. He must have had some sort of arrangement with the trogs, and must have avoided the wight. Maybe he tossed some food to the barracudas to keep them off his back. I don't know." Bruendor slumped against a cave wall, his breathing finally returnign to a normal pace. "All I know is that we're not going to take down Saul in this condition. We rest in the Goblin, and head back out the instant you, Calla and Anklebiter are ready to move again." Once the discussion was over, Bruendor began to lead them back down the slick passages, and scoured the Goblin to find some way of securing the fight pit's yawning portal.
The Goblin's ears twitch slightly when Bruendor actually says his name, rather than calling him 'greenskin', but he refrains from commenting.
"Let's go, then," is all he says. "Before the blood-scent brings anything else."
You make your way back through the caverns to the fighting pit. The steep climb up the sinkhole was aided by the surprisingly stable structure hammered into the wall there. In the Goblin, it isn't difficult to find a chunk of metal to wedge into the trapdoor, and the gambling hall is mostly quiet still. The cook and her husband laid out a decent meal, and the closed doors and boarded windows are unmolested by raiders or the curious. In all, a safe place...for now.
"Ah, home sweet home," Calla says, her typical sarcasm dripping from the words.
"Let's see if we can't be more prepared for next time we're down there. Anklebiter, you want to scribe some scrolls? We've got all night, then let's get some rest and go back down in the morning."
"I want to refill my quiver, maybe we can sell some of these gems, and see if there's anything else we need to pick up."