Barek grunts in approval as he sees Orik cut down the last goblin. "Alright, I guess you earned your sword back. Just see that it stays pointed at goblins and demons."
He points back to the door where the bugbear died. "He was trying to get in there, but it's just an empty short corridor. Don't know what's on the other side of it though."
"Or we can continue to search the rooms."
detect magic
spellcraft on potion
spellcraft on arrows
Selena takes a few moments while the others are gathering the itmes to detect magic in the darea. She sees 2 auras and attempts to identify them hoping that they will be able to help later on. Unfortunately all she can do is identify that the potion is a cure moderate wounds potion. The rest of the items she lets the others catalog.
As far as the corridor,Let us clear out this southern hallway first before we go in areas unknown. Once we have this area clear then I will feel safer not having to worry about something coming at us from behind. It will also give us a decent staging area should we have to fall back and regroup. since it is by the stairs.
Returning her blade to the sheath hanging from her belt, Mirela lightly kicks the corpse of the fallen bugbear warrior to ensure he's dead. "Mean bastard this one; good thing we put an end to him."
Moving towards the door that Barek was alluding to, Mirela studies the door while speaking frankly "Maybe its best if I take a quick look before we move on, you know, scope things out beyond the corridor to make sure we won't be flanked?"
Quickly but quietly, Mirela opens the door again and begins to slip through into the corridor, but pauses to look back to see if anyone objects to her scouting mission before continuing on.
"The foul temple is in sight." Seldon says testily, but does not object to the other's suggestion. He tests the pull on the monster's bow. "I wonder how many of my kinsmen this monster struck down..." he muses, wincing at the painful memory of his departed friend not a half-hour past. "I shall name it Finilleth, in honour of my kinsmen murdered by these creatures. They'll have their justice when I put an arrow through Nualia's black heart."
Tunder looks over at Orik as he finishes off the last of the squealing goblin women as if he expects Orik to take another swing at him. When the attack never materializes, he says, looking over the carnage, "I still don't trust you, but its a start."
Selena takes a position in the back of the room to watch the hallway going past the temple while she nods for Miri that she is ready.
perception check
"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Orik growls out at Barek's comment, you really can't tell if he is being sarcastic or not.
"I understand your reluctance, and that earns my respect. You should always be wary of those who turn sides quickly, though I truly have no love for goblins or their kin. It was more of easy money and the trickster demon and her wiles that attracted me at first." Orik says with a heavy sign to the dwarf after his comment.
He then takes up his spot near the cleric hoping he will get some healing but asks for none. Nonetheless he will try to make sure the healer takes no more damage.
Seldon tries pulling the bow, but his strength is not enough to draw the massive longbow.
Mirela stealthily makes her way through the corridor to the second door double-checking with the group before opening the next chamber.
"I give thee Desna's blessing, Orik Vancasterkin. But know it is also her curse. Those who jilt the Lady Luck find disaster where e'er they traverse." the elf says, bathing Orik's wounds with soothing starlight. He flashes the man a wry smile. "Now come, let's talk no more of your loyalty. Your actions will speak louder than words."
As they wait for Mirela's return Seldon will nock an arrow and stay alert, but his posture relaxes and he begins to make smalltalk as it becomes clear the group aren't in immediate danger. "You said you hailed from Riddleport, mercenary? By Calistria, I can still recall the incense of the House of the Silken Veil like it were only yesterday... truly the jewel of Riddleport, wouldn't you agree?"
I think we have enough resources to press on. With min/level duration buffs I'd rather try to blitzkrieg through this floor rather than take the slow, methodical approach. When we're ready to press on I'll cast communal prot evil and premptively burn my scrolls of Remove Fear on Tunder and Orik (the two with the best ranged options) for a +4 vs the yeth hounds. What does Selena have left?
I have these potions of healing if someone should need them. I am in the back so do not have to worry as much about being attacked as the rest of you. I am still well prepared for further exploration and future encounters. I can increase the strength of 2 of you, enhance a weapon to make it hit easier and harder. I can still increase the size of a person or create a pit to drop our foes into. I have not used many of those spells as we have taken a methodical course of action and the duration of the spells is not that great. If we are going to hurry through the rest of this complex and search it later then I can bestow some these abilities upon you whenever we are ready.
Bull's strength x2
Create pit
Enlarge person plus scrolls
Magic weapon plus scrolls
Protection from evil
Plus bonded item spell
Given the slowness of PbP I'm going to once again advocate we don't do the room by room sweep of this place and instead try to speed things up a bit like we were saying earlier.
Arriving at the door at the end of the corridor, Mirela opens the door very slowly before entering the room beyond. Leaving the door open just enough to slip into the room, Mirela slows her breathing and quietly attempts to gauge anything of interest or danger.
Selena stays back to let Miri do her work while Selena keeps watch in the rear to make sure nothing comes upon us by surprise.
Orik stands alert and ready to do as the group wants. He is either beside the cleric or in the back next to Selena. At this juncture he moves away those trying to be quiet and stands next to Selena. He quietly whispers to her as they watch for any threats, "So what brought you to this goblin hole?"
Selena responds to Orik normally as since they are in the back any one that hears them will not be expecting Miri that much closer perhaps. Well, ironically my wagon broke down onthe side of the road. My driver went to go get some help to repair it. While I was waiting the others showed up. We got to talking for only about 5 minutes before we were attacked by some goblins. Durig the fight I noticed that the goblins possessed items that belonged to my guard and driver. Not having anyone to assist me in my travels I joined up with these people here. They mentioned something about clearing out some goblin infestation which suited me fine as I was looking for some adventure. It wasn't till after we got here that I found out about the bugbear and some half devil woman.
Orik nods his head seeing the progression of her state, "I am sorry about your driver, hopefully he is in a better place. Well there is that half elf bastard to watch out for as well. So why were you looking for adventure?"
Selena takes a long look at the man before her. Odd re he would have no clue a to who her father was and no connecion to him. Yet it was never wise to divulge too much to a stranger. Settling on a version of the truth to help hide some of th real reasons she answers, I was bored with my old life and wanted a change. The opportunity presented itself and i took it. It also gave me a chance to avenge my driver. IT seems that this 'adventure' is perhaps a bitbigger than I firt realizd. I am till resolute about finishing this though.
Turning the tables on Orik, What bring you here exactly. I heard what you said to the others earlier but is there any more to it than that?
Selena does have nicer quality clothes than perhaps is the normal leding you to believe that she at least comes from a well to do family.
He answers Seldon about Riddleport and leads into Selena's questions, "I miss my home town greatly, yes the temple of Calistria is a site to see let alone visit. I hope to return one day to pay back problems that were made due to other's actions. For now with few allies I was forced to leave or likely be hunted down. Nualia found me in Magnimar and as it turns out another bad choice on my end."
Barek smiles at Orik as he converses with Seldon and Selena. Then he spits on the ground.
Mirela opens the door carefully, and finds crates, barrels, and mounds of miscellaneous refuse lie heaped against the walls here. To the north, the sound of crashing surf echoes through a narrow (squeezing) corridor. The area does not appear to be whole man-made as the other areas of teh lower level do. It is more a natural cavern that was widened and attached to the dungeon.
The mounds of refuse are clearly cast-offs from human habitations and are of no value to anyone besides goblins.
Peering around the room, Mirela shrugs disappointingly as she inspects the discarded refuse strewn about the cavern. Junk, nothing of interest here. After checking to make sure there are no apparent dangers residing in the natural cavern room, Mirela eyes the corridor to the north and continues along with her investigation.
Squeezing through the corridor, Mirela sees dim light ahead, as if filtered sunlight were entering the larger corridor. The floor of this natural cavern seems strangely polished and smooth.
Creeping a bit further in Mirela catches her breath. The light seems to be coming from a vine covered opening in the rock that leads to outside the dungeon. The sound of shorebirds and the surf is loud in her ears here, but most impressive is a large blue creature with long writhing tentacles dangling from a rock outcrop near the cavern opening. As Mirela watches, the thing uses its tentacles to fish a seagull from the air and stuff into its mouth full of sharp teeth. The creature appears not to notice her, so far.
Near as you can tell another passage does lead off towards the west, but that way is blocked from your vision by a outcropping of stone.
With a silent gasp, Mirela recoils slightly at the sight of the creature. Taking a few steps back from whence she came, the young acrobat decides not to press her luck and retreats.
Heading quickly back from the caverns, Mirela suddenly and swiftly pops out from behind the door, safely putting herself behind brawn warrior. Leaning against the west door, Mirela appears wide eyed and slightly horrified to Barek as she reports her findings "Umm... I guess Orik was right Barek, no need to go in there again; just goblin junk and some kind of squid-like monstrosity." With a quick shudder, Mirela starts to head back towards the others to relay her findings to the entire group.
"Yes, let us not deal with that thing." Orik says glad she is back without having to deal with it.
Mirela is able to spy the tentacled beast and retreat without attracting the notice of the creature. She spills the story to the others.
Selena will try to ask a few more pointed questions like size, color, number of tentacles to get a better idea of what the creature was that Miri saw. Hopefully with a more detailed description Selena can try to determine what it was without actually needing to see it.
Knowledge (arcana) ,
Knowledge (dungeoneering) ,
Knowledge (engineering) ,
Knowledge (geography) ,
Knowledge (history) ,
Knowledge (local) ,
Knowledge (nature) ,
Knowledge (nobility) ,
Knowledge (planes) ,
Knowledge (religion)
As for the questions...
What reach does it have with its attacks as you said it snatched a bird out of the air
What is its HD/Hit points
What is its AC
1. Reach = 10 ft
2. HD=6
3. AC=17
Once Miri comes back tot he group and explains what she saw Selena pipes up. That sounds like a tentamort. I studied them a little bit. Indeed with their tentacles they have a reach greater than any person normally. It's at least a 10 span, possibly more as the creature gets bigger. This size of one should only have the basic reach though. They are hardy creatures as well capable of taking quite a beating before they finally succumb to their wounds even if they are not all that well defended. (6 hd and AC 17) it would be best to leave it alone for now as we have other pressing matters. I wonder why it is here though. It surely can't be an ally of the goblins or Nualia. Perhaps it has reached a stalemate with the local denizens.
"Is it a demon? Maybe after we deal with Nualia, we can come back and kill it to be sure it doesn't escape." Barek points to the south. "Miri, can you check the rooms to the south quickly? If Orik's right then we could catch someone sleeping."
"Sounds as if it's hindering rather than helping their plans. I say let it skulk down here on this god-forsaken rock for as long as it pleases. This is hardly a place for honest men." he shrugs, and begins to rifle through his scroll case, awaiting Mirela's return.
Listening closely to Selena with the occasional nod, Mirela shrugs as the others posit their thoughts on the monster "It's a nasty thing whatever it is. I'm pretty sure it was probably here long before Nualia and her crew showed up, the cave appears to be its home." Sticking her tongue out, Mirela shudders in disgust "It was having some seagulls for lunch when I left it, so I'm pretty sure it isn't going anywhere if we want to exterminate it on our way out as Barek suggested, though I'd be happy to leave it alone."
With a quick nod at Barek's request, Mirela quietly heads towards the rooms located in the south wing. Before entering the southern door, Mirela looks back at the others with a rueful wink "If you here a blood curling scream, that's the signal to come and save my sorry tail!"
"If we're going to spend any real time here, we'll want to take care of it, but for now, its presence can be of benefit to us. Let's get back to work."
We were supposed to search the bedrooms then go north. If there's nothing to find in those sections let's montage through them.
As Mirela slinks down the hallway, she finds the 5 bedroom doors, just as Orik drew on the map. She opens the first door to find a one-person bedroom which shows many signs of having been lived in. The bed itself is rumpled and unmade, and a half-eaten mael of bread and smoked salmon sits on the nightstand. Articles of dirty clothing are scattered around the bed. This appears to be the ill-kempt bedroom of Orik.
Moving to the next room, on the north, she finds it to be clean and well-organized. A low dresser to the southwest has a stack of papers sitting atop it weighted down by a large chunk of obsidian, while to the northwest sits a well-made bed.
The notes on the nightstand appear to be rough drafts of Tsuto's plans to blackmail his father and to use the Sandpoint Glassworks as a staging area for the investigation of the Catacombs below the city.
The first room on the south is a bedroom with a faint musty odor. The bed is covered with matted grey and black hair, and bloodstains mar the stone floor, while morbid stack of bird's feet lies heaped on the floor by the side of the bed.
The second room on the south is clean and brightly lit by an everburning torch on the nightstand. It's spartan decor makes it unclear if it's actually lived in.
The last room on the end is a larger chamber containing a fine bed with silk sheets and a writing desk under a hanging lantern. This room appears not to have been occupied for some time, as a fine layer of dust covers most surfaces.
After investigating all the rooms, Mirela grabs the torch out of the second room on the south side. Heading back quickly, Mirela reports her findings.
"Not a soul to be found. It actually appears as though some of the rooms haven't been occupied for days; the fancy room I'm guessing was Nualia's has a layer of dust an inch thick." Holding up the torch, Mirela shrugs somewhat contently "I did find this though. Anyway, if you ask me, we can move along."
"Alright, let's go see this Cathedral, Orik." The fighter has a tense look about him, either preparing for a fight or whatever horrors could be in a place of worship for Nualia or the goblins.
"Hold a moment, I would not think to fight these creatures without the goddesses aid..." he says, annointing each member of the party with a dab of holy water.
"Hei-Desna shar-shelevu: astald, vara, le heren."
Orik enters the temple before the cleric and the entire party if no one acts, otherwise in line to enter behind the dwarf. ;)
Barek is surprised when Tunder leads them past the indicated door to the temple, but he can only agree with the dwarf's reasoning. "You're right, Nualia might be in there herself. If we can find Lyrie and reason with her then we can take away her resources."