Maelorn moves up next to Bron, striking at the Troglodyte in front of him.
Zane was Dazzled only 1to round. Ah, perhaps i should have mentioned that...
ROUND 3_____
Maelorn(Male Human Cleric 3)
Maelorn moves up next to Bron, striking at the Troglodyte in front of him.
But Maelorn has a bad angle and misses, bouncing off the corner.
Nakoda(Female Human(Shoanti) Bard(Savage Skald) 3)
As long as Bron is holding against the Troglodytes, Nakoda aims and takes another shot at the stalactite she hit before. Living rocks she had heard of, but what did Zane call them? Sentinels? These she had not heard of ever. Just where did these tunnels lead?
She chanced a look at Bron, to see if any more stink-lizards were coming, and then looked to Zane to see how he was doing.
But her shot slips off the bow and shatters on the stone.
[npc] Zane Argentus(Male Human Wizard 3)
Zane’s eyes having cleared, he launches another sling stone at the one Nakoda cracked earlier. He hits! Dealing crush damage. The hit lacked energy, but still clearly jolted the creature.
[npc] Bron__________
Bron winds up, swings and lands a hit! Dealing crush damage. The Troglodyte flies back, his body shattered by the blow.
Enemies__________
The second Troglodyte lunges forward to attack Bron.
Spear: for a possible piercing damage.
Sentinel A Lightning Arc vs Nakoda: for a possible lightning damage.
Sentinel A Lightning Arc vs Zane: for a possible lightning damage.
A: 9
B: 16
T2: 13
As he fires the stone Zane searches his vast store of knowledge for information that may help in facing the creatures from the darklands.
Knowledge planes
Just offhand you know the Darklands sentinels are related to Piercers and Darkmantles. They attack with flashes that activate the lightblindness most Darklands creatures have, as well as lightning arcs. Extremely sedentary, feed on exotic glowing fungi that grow out of the sunlight. They can be trained to not attack a specific creature.
As for tactics...
Covering it with a sheet? Coating it with tanglefoot bag goo? Staying out if it's 30 foot range? If only you had more time to study the problem...
Realizing that as worn as they were, there was no room for holding back what few spells remained available, Zane raised his hand encanting a brief arcane word as twin shards of pure force streaked towards the creature.
Saying nothing, and thinking little more at this point, Maelorn strikes at the Troglodyte again.
ROUND 4
Nakoda(Female Human(Shoanti) Bard(Savage Skald) 3)__________
It was as much of a mantra that had since been ingrained into her muscle memory, both practicing at home and being reinforced of late. Arrow, nock, draw, sight, fire, check on allies. Her teeth were grit at the shock from the.. Stalactite, but she persevered. Either they would fall, or she would. She now realized that.
Nakoda’s arrow sank into a crack opened by previous damage. The creature sparked a little, then let go the ceiling and dropped to spear into the floor at Nakoda’s feet.
Zane Argentus(Male Human Wizard 3)__________
Realizing that as worn as they were, there was no room for holding back what few spells remained available, Zane raised his hand encanting a brief arcane word as twin shards of pure force streaked towards the creature.
Seeing the first creature fall, Zane switched his target to the next one. Two starred cracks appear as the missiles hit, but the creature still lives.
Maelorn(Male Human Cleric 3)__________
Saying nothing, and thinking little more at this point, Maelorn strikes at the Troglodyte again.
Maelorn hits the creature square, doing modest damage.
[npc] BRON__________
Bron roars and delivers another crushing blow to the next Trog, pulverizing its head; it falls at his feet.
Enemies__________
The third Troglodyte lunges forward to attack Bron.
Spear: Miss!
Sentinel B Lightning Arc vs Zane: Miss!
B: 7
T3: 13
T4: 13
Drawing out a scroll, Zane quickly chants the words on it, as two more shards of force hurtle towards the creature.
Nakoda and Zane bring down the last of the Sentinel creatures, it's shattered husk bursting purple goo all over Zane's shoes.
Between the two of them, both Bron and Maelorn kill the last of the Troglodytes.
Silence descends on the smugglers tunnels once again.
The javelins aren't worth anything, but the clubs might be sold to a collector for an average of 50 crowns each, more or less.
The armor on closer inspection turns out to be made of Darkmantle skin; they also might be sold to a collector for an average of 50 crowns each, more or less.
Beyond the cavern where you fought the Trogs, you find a crude complex of caves once housing smugglers but now serving the Trogs. Each one is blocked off by mining timbers so that you have to duck down one at a time to go through.
One cave off to the left smells of a rotted fishy stench which is even more offensive then the odor of the Trogs themselves, which was scarcely believable. You're pretty sure it's their midden.
You spot movement in the gellied muck. Continued observation reveals an insectoid creature feeding on the slurry there, an aggressive insectoid creature commonly known as a "Fungal Crawler". You are sure if you go into that room to do... whatever, it will attack.
The largest is a sleeping cavern with more than a dozen nests, all empty now.
You find another score of the ornamental gemstones, all worth 5 crowns each. All the sleeping skins are also Darkmantle hides, but very poor quality; essentially worthless. And stinky.
Beyond the cave complex, the tunnel descends in a series of shallow terraces into the darkness.
You are heading under the Velashu river now. The rock here is extremely dense, preventing the passage from flooding, but nonetheless the constantly dripping water and puddles seem more prevalent here, gathering in 6 inch deep pools in many places before draining into tiny cracks in the surrounding rock.
Appraise
Appraise
Perception
Search
Knowledge Geography
Maelorn ignores the troglodyte caves, "It looks like down is the way to go."
You descend deeper into the bowls of the earth. The crystalline 'drip, drip' of water hitting a pool the only sound.
After a time, the tunnel widens out into a cavern.
This cavern is bathed in a strange orangish-purple glow that seems to reduce visibility rather than increase it, and in fact, seems to inhibit other light sources as well. The glow comes from a number of large rock nodules placed at intervals about the room. The eastern portion of the chamber is occupied by a still, black pool whose surface reflects the strange light.
It's hard to tell in this light, but there might be an exit on the far side of the chamber.
This strange glowing mineral is called Caphorite; a naturally occurring crystal only found in the Darklands far below the surface of the earth. It interferes with other illumination, suppressing it; and is often used as decrative lighting by the intelligent denizens who dwell therein.
Sunlight (or the equivalent spell) is said to reduce it to a sticky ash.
There is something off about this scene. Looking around you realize; you hear dripping water into the pool, but don't see any ripples.
Illusion!
Moving forward, where do you end up?
Seeming to appear out of the pool with no splash whatsoever, a pallid, slimy, worm-like creature the size of a human lunges at Nakoda!
You see its mouth is a sickening tangle of tentacles and hooked jaws as it opens them to attack.
Bite: Hit! for cutting damage.
Tentacle 1: Miss.
Tentacle 2: Miss.
Tentacle 3: Miss.
Tentacle 4: Miss.
At the same time, another one just like it pops out to attack Bron!
Bite: Hit! for cutting damage.
Tentacle 1: Miss.
Tentacle 2: Miss.
Tentacle 3: Miss.
Tentacle 4: Miss.
These creatures are known as "Gricks". Ambush predators of the Dark lands far underground, they possess a rudimentary intelligence, hate daylight and open sky, and have rubbery hides tremendously resistant to damage; requiring an enchanted weapon to penetrate. (DR10/magic)
knowledge nature
ROUND 1
Nakoda attacks, and her cut simply bounced off the creature's rubbery hide.
[npc]Bron attacks: and hits, dealing damage, but is unpleasantly surprised at how almost all of the damage is absorbed by the rubbery hide. He takes a step back.
Zane hangs back and studies the creatures.
[npc]Maelorn attacks: and misses wildly.
The creatures press, continuing to attack Nakoda and Bron.
Against Nakoda...
Bite: Hit! for cutting damage.
Tentacle 1: Miss.
Tentacle 2: Just missed.
Tentacle 3: Hit! for slam damage.
Tentacle 4: Miss.
Against Bron...
Bite: Miss.
Tentacle 1: Hit! for slam damage.
...Crit confirm? Confirmed for an extra slam damage.
Tentacle 2: Hit! for slam damage.
...Crit confirm? . Not confirmed.
Tentacle 3: Miss.
Tentacle 4: Hit! for slam damage.
Zane Int check:
You see no trace of Troglodytes being preyed upon by these critters, despite clear signs of Trog traffic through this cavern. You wonder how those Gricks knew not to attack them. How could they tell a Trog from anyone else?
ROUND 2
>CLICK< for the Tactical Situation.
Take your turn in order of posting, the Gricks will go last.
Practically out of spells and with limited options, Zane begins a rhythmic chant as he gestures towards Bron, altering reality with one of a slightly different scale.
ROUND 2__________
Zane cast Enlarge on Bron.
Nakoda hits the rubbery hide and again is repelled.
[npc] Bron abruptly doubles in size, grins, then winds up and swings for the fences with his flail.
Power attack: but misses.
[npc] Maelorn suspects he'll have no better luck, but attacks anyway.
Attack: Miss.
____________
The creatures press, continuing to attack Nakoda and Bron.
Against Nakoda...
Bite: Hit! for cutting damage.
Tentacle 1: Hit! for slam damage.
Tentacle 2: Miss.
Tentacle 3: Miss.
Tentacle 4: Miss.
Against Bron...
Bite: Miss.
Tentacle 1: Miss.
Tentacle 2: Miss.
Tentacle 3: Hit! for slam damage.
Tentacle 4: Miss.
ROUND 3
Zane was truly desperate now, he could see that Nakoda was fading fast, desprite his mad strength he was sure Bron couldn't stand much longer either. They needed to retreat.
As Nakoda fell back the wizard drew another scroll, calling upon a trick he'd pulled off no more than an hour earlier, though it felt like days. He began a chant that would summon an equipped riding horse directly in front of the grick, covering Nakoda's retreat and adding another combatant to the battle.
"We need to get out of here!"
ROUND 3
Nakoda(Female Human(Shoanti) Bard(Savage Skald) 3)
________________________________________
She was forced a step back, realizing that she was ill-equipped to deal with these creatures, perhaps a club would have better effect against them. "I cannot stand further!", she called to the group, hoping someone had a suitable idea for a solution.. Was anyone else in as bad a shape as she was?
Zane Argentus(Male Human Wizard 3)
________________________________________
Zane was truly desperate now, he could see that Nakoda was fading fast, desprite his mad strength he was sure Bron couldn't stand much longer either. They needed to retreat.
As Nakoda fell back the wizard drew another scroll, calling upon a trick he'd pulled off no more than an hour earlier, though it felt like days. He began a chant that would summon an equipped riding horse directly in front of the grick, covering Nakoda's retreat and adding another combatant to the battle.
"We need to get out of here!"
_________________________________
[npc] Bron
Bron was beyond reasoning, in the grip of a feverish need for battle. If he could only connect with it…
Power attack: for crush damage.
With a tremendous squish, Bron powered an overhand blow onto one of the creatures. While it's resiliant skin didn't break, much of it's internal organs and ichor burst forth from it's mouth in a disgusting splatter. It twitches feebly, but it is clearly dead.
_________________________________
[npc] Maelorn
Naturally disapproving of sacrificing a horse, nevertheless Maelorn was inclined to retreat as well. Taking a few steps back, he Channelled a Positive energy burst to heal damage from each of the party members.
The creature lunges at Nakoda again, when the summoned riding horse appears. It squeals in fright as it beats its hoves at the Grick, but fails to do damage. The Grick attacks the horse and begins to maul it.
Ignoring pleas to retreat, Bron wades in on the creature, stepping around the wildly neighing horse to power attack.
Attack: for
And *splat* the other grick explodes messily.
Bron staggers back, breathing heavily and covered head to toe in disgusting efluvia, guts and ichor. He grins.
"Ha! Got 'em good! Thanks Zane! Uh, you know any cleanin' magic too?"
The far corridor has a faint light just perceptible way down there. It has an odd quality to it though, kinda like the weird light those crystalline creatures showed.
A mix of a smile and a grimace is splayed across Bron's face as he looks at his ichor covered condition. "I haven't had this kind of fight since my days in Lubbertown," he says to no one in particular as he looks to the othgers. Though not in as bad a shape as Nakoda, the wear of their battles was evident in his slightly hunched shoulders. "Though I hate ta say it, might be better ta rest fer a spell. Especially since it looks like more o' those weird crystal creatures are further up."
Perception:
Whatever the lights are, they don't move.
Checking around, you are sure there are no more predators about. The corpses of the Gricks are being eaten by a swarm of some kind of beetles, reducing them to a cartiligious exoskeleton.
Seeing the beetles devour the gricks and remembering his own rush with beetles, Bron keeps an eye on the smaller cousins as he says, "Maybe we should head back ta one of the previous rooms. I'd hate ta be around here should those critters bigger cousins come around."
Moving back through the tunnels, Nakoda discovers a natural sandy shelf that is up off the floor, offers concealment to casual passersby, and is reasonably dry and comfortable when you scoop the sand right.
You sink into a dreamless sleep, lulled by the drip of water into a pool.
You awaken sometime later, refreshed after your sleep.
After meditating, praying and studying, you again venture down the tunnels and past the pools. The bodies of the Gricks have been entirely consumed; nothing is left.
When you venture into the narrow passage beyond, you come into a chamber modified somehow into a personal chamber for a person of quality.
The chamber is illuminated by strangly glowing crystals protruding from two stony outcroppings that rest on either side of a low natural shelf on the southern wall. The light from these crystals again suppress any magical lights you carry, and affect illumination in an odd manner; your skin shines black, and some of your dark clothing turn flourescant.
This shelf has been converted into a bed of sorts, complete with a luxurious white fur blanket lying rumpled on it, a velvet pillow, and a platinum filigreed footchest.
A pair of black boots rests beside the small ledge.
A low stone shelf acting as a convenient desk and complex fabric camp chair round out the room, a few devices and papers are scattered on top.
A strange belt quiver is hung up on a post next to the desk.