The northeast passage is narrow and choked with rubble. Not a dozen feet in the passage branches to the south. The southern passage is barricaded with wooden slats, barrels, and crates, lashed together with rope and some kind of alchemical cement. Spidery runes cover the barricade, written in a strange form of undercommon.
The runes are difficult to make out, as they are an odd dialect of undercommon. What is clear is the repeated use of the runes for Danger, peril, and silence.
Anklebiter beckons the others closer and whispers in as low a voice as he can manage while still being audible to the rest:
"Runes is warning. Danger, peril, silence. Maybe stuff falls if we makes too much noise? Sneaky-folks takes point and shores stuff up?"
"A trap, hm?", Bruendor says through a half-smirk. "Let me see what I can figure out. Can you also check and see if those runes are magic? If they aren't, I'd like a rubbing of them. We're going to need to learn their language, and we're going to need as many samples as we can get to break it."
"I wonder. If they were warning other people away, it would be in Common. I think this is intended for themselves. It could be some sort of trick, but it seems like an awfully complicated way to try to persuade people like us that that's not where they are. We might have more luck going the other way first."
Anklebiter mutters a word and gestures, checking for magic auras.
Lefrik waits while the others work, but nods at Calla's comment, "Yes. I doubt they knew any of us could read it."
Anklebiters magical senses are awash with energy as the entire barrier appears to glow with illusory magic. While he is doing his magical investigation, Bruendor uses more typical means but finds nothing of interest at the barricade or the cave-in.
"Is all illusion magic!" Anklebiter hisses as he flinches, eyes shooting from left to right and back again. "All magic! Hold... hold..."
Anklebiter can't identify the exact spell used, but at least one of its components is very similar to a Silence spell.
"I can't figure it out!" Anklebiter says, shaking his ears in distress. "Part of it looks like a Silence-spell, and that means Bards or Clerics."
Calla grunts in displeasure and casts a quick orison of her own to see what Anklebiter is seeing.
Bruendor shifts from foot to foot with growing displeasure. "Damn their casters," he grumbles. "I can bust a lock or crack a blade trap, but magic..."
Calla sees the same thing as Anklebiter. The effect on the barricade is at least partially based on the Silence spell.
"Maybe trap is that you can't scream for help once you're in, and there is something waiting," Anklebiter suggests.
"Hmph. Still seems like it's worth checking the other way first. If we have to, we can come back this way."
"I like Calla's idea, no need to disturb magical traps unless we're forced to do so."
"Agreed. For all we know, the rest of that says 'Don't go this way, only bad death awaits'."
anklebiter
kelendra
bruendor
calla
lefrik
enemy
You make your way back to the western exit from the entry cahmber and Bruendor leads the way, followed closely by Lefrik and Calla. You barely have time to register the fact that this cavern has exits to the north and south before a shadowy form bursts from the darkness and attacks with an ear-piercing shriek. Its claws rake along Bruendors left side and right cheek, leaving deep bloody furrows, then it appeared to lose solidity. Only a wavering shadow seemed to stand before teh bleeding dwarf, his blood on its insubstantial claws.
When he can, Lefrik moves towards the foe and makes a hole behind him for Calla and the others while he swipes at the thing that attacked Bruendor
"I'm starting to think 'safe path' is a relative term with us... what IS this thing?"
"Not knowing yet!" Anklebiter says as his face twists up. "Ask me again later!"
Kel shifts forward beside Anklebiter and combats the shadow with a burst of color before her companions can slip in behind it.
Calla growls gutturally as she moves around her companions and swings her morningstar at the creature.
"Torag's teats!", Bruendor shouts as the shadowy creature's claws lacerate his cheeks. He staggers back, his bare chin now covered in a beard of his own blood. "What the hell is this thing?!?" He also shifts forwards, allowing Calla some space to surround the monster and thrusts his blade at its flickering form.
5' step to N19. With Calla and Lefrik adjacent to it, the beastie is considered flanked, which would probably concern it a great deal more if it weren't incorporeal. Still...
, high hits
, high hits
Lefrik wades in with a powerful stroke that cleaves through the shadows and draws a streak of pain from the dark form. One of it's heavy wings looked to be barely functional, and a rain of dark fluid splattered on the floor. Bruendor slipped around the distracted creature, who became even more distracted when Calla's morningstar glanced of its snout.
The creature flashed back into solidity for a bare moment, raking its claws at Lerik. The barbarian managed to turn one with his axe, but the other scored a light wound down his left side.
[spoiler=Round 2]
Lefrik takes 1 damage.
Initiatives:
enemy (already gone)
group
Anklebiter creeps forward, attempts to squeeze past Calla and looks at the creature.
Waiting for Bruendor to move again to put it directly between the two of them, Calla swipes at it again with her morningstar.
She curses as it fades out before she can connect.
Kel attempts to carefully aim another shot into the fray...
...and again misses badly.
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Enthused by his first blow against the creature, Lefrik tries to finish it off...and begins to sing, he's no skald mind you...
"When I was just a lad, trying to figure out my place
on how to answer questions that had long plagued the Ulfen race
My Grampa said to me, worn helm upon his brow
"My kin I know that look, you're asking why and how...
Not knowing all the answers, that's simply no disgrace
but an answer that almost always works is Axe to the face!"
"Axe to the face my boy, axe to the face!
Many a primal warrior has used it successfully in debate
For it severs a smug foe's silver tongue
And fights over land, or a maiden's hand
There's nothing like an enemy's head on a plate!"
"Trouble with the bill?"
"Axe to the face!"
"Tricked by a shill?"
"Axe to the face!"
"Bored and need a thrill?"
"Axe to the face!"
"Well, I heeded my grandda's advice
beyond his dying day
And it's amazing how well it works in each in every way
Axe to the face, my friends, Axe to the face!"
"Not knowing all the answers? That is simply no disgrace!"
"But the answer that almost always works is Axe to the face!"
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Bruendor winces. "I'm not sure what's more painful, his axe swings or his singing." Bruendor strikes at the shadow creature again, hoping it is doubly distracted by the Ulfen warrior.
Same as last round.
Inspired by Lefrik's song, or despite it, you put the shadow demon down hard. Lefrik's final blow cleaves the monster's head from it's shoulders in a spray or dark blood. To the north, the sounds of combat has set off a commotion that is audible to everyone.
"Something else is coming," Calla hisses.
Slinging her her morningstar back onto her hip, she pulls out the unused hand crossbow and throws a bolt onto the slot.
"A music lover no doubt," Lefrik says
Kel follows Calla's actions, loading her crossbow and waiting to skewer something.
Watching the north, you see a pair of male drow rushing into the tunnel ahead. One spat a word and a globe of darkness appeared around you. The magical light of your own light sources hold the darkness at bay, but the light is dim and murky. Facing the north hallway, you were completely surprised when a light lit up behind you. A male drow in wizard's garb stood with a ball of fire in his hands, a ball of fire that he suddenly flung at Bruendor!
The flames slam into the beardless dwarf and a searing pain washes over his chest. If he hadn't been shaven before, the flames would surely have burned Bruendor's facial hair away.
Shifting forward, Kel directs the power of Desna against the northern foes, weaving a pattern of colorful lights about them.
AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 13/16
Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +9
CMD 14
HP 29/29
Divine retribution (DC 13) 2/6; Judgments 1/2
Arrows: 0/18; cold iron arrows 0/20; bolts 1/20
Spells: 0/4 (first-level); 0/2 (second level)
Effects:
"Bastards. Calistria will make you pay!" Calla curses, as she lets loose an arrow at the wizard to the south. "Beardless, that one's yours and mine. Lefrik, go play with the other ones and keep them busy for a minute!"
Taking careful aim, she opens fire at the drow wizard with her hand crossbow, a streak of red magical energy following the bolt as it hits the caster in the side.
[ooc]Activate destruction judgment (+2 damage)[/dice]
Bruendor howls and slaps the smoldering sections of his shirt to put out the lingering flames. "You better believe he's ours, Calla." He follows shortly after Calla's bolt, his blade leading his charge. He nearly slips on a slick patch of stone, however, and his blade skitters across the cave wall.
Charge to P19. +2 to attack, but -2 to AC.
Blarg.
"The dark elf, dwarf, not the wall!"
"Kel seems to have plans of her own that I don't want to disrupt or get caught in, but maybe this will aid," He flings his javelin at whichever doesn't seem caught in Kel's spell.