"I'd choose the secret door. It's secret, and derro-sized."
"I wish those necrophidians had a spare mace about them," she mutters. "Or a wand of blasting undead. Er, constructs. Abby, let's get to crawling."
Cherias gives up trying to follow the tracks and nods at Mel.
Seren nods assent to Mel, frustrated with his own piss poor planning.
Segang looks dubiously at the small door. You want me to go in that little hole?
Cherias bites his tongue, trying to avoid the temptation, but finally gives into it.
"You'd be surprised what can fit into a relatively small opening with appropriate... preparation," he says with a cheeky grin.
"And yet, one might not be so surprised," Absinthe says, her tone of voice cool, verging on icy. "One would appreciate knowing how we are doing in the magic department. How much healing and combat support have we left? Such is most important for the decision whether to advance or retreat for the day and return tomorrow."
"I've got quite a few resources left, but most are useless against constructs and undead. Can enlarge Segang, enhance a weapon, blind or decieve sentient creatures, and a couple on short term invisibility spells left "
"I can unleash a swarm of spiders, which would be good for large undead or construct alike. Aside from that, I can only daze non-mindless opponents and have a few non-offense spells such as ventriloquism and an unseen servant. And the hexes, of course, although Misfortune is the only one that works against the mindless.
...the derro is not mindless, of course, and neither are any builders of golems."
The dusk elf pats her pack. "And scrolls of Web Bolt, Enlarge Person, and Web. We aren't done yet. Just keep Segang alive and find Absinthe something blunt. Besides your head, Cherias, you wag."
"Very well, then," Absinthe says, her expression inscrutable. "One shall, once again, take point."
The tiefling starts to crawl down the tunnel, rapier already in hand to stab at the first thing she meets. (Really, a bashing weapon would just be too cumbersome in these tight quarters...)
Cherias looks a bit downcast when his joke is not well-received. "I can channel positive energy twice more before needing a rest, and cast three more spells, other than basic orisons. I can also summon creatures, both with my own inherent magic, and with some scrolls, and I have scrolls to shield one of us against a foe."
Absinthe heads into the tunnel, crawling carefully across the dusty stone surface. It heads north before bending around to the left, where a rough slope runs to the south-west. Two side passage run off to the north and south, and you quickly determine they run to secret doors in the ossuary and exsanguination rooms.
Just as you turn to continue south-west, the sound of movement greets. Absinthe sees a pair of derro coming from that direction. Once they spot her, still fifteen feet away, they stop in alarm and reach for their crossbows.
Depending on what Absinthe does, Segang will act on his turn, but he recommends Talk to them?
Absinthe lunges forward, her eyes glowing like coals as she scuttles towards the derro like some kind of twisted, predatory insect. Her eye-teeth flash as she screeches at the two derro in the dark, rigid language of her unholy ancestors.
Cherias isn't sure what Absinthe said, but he assumes it's not "pretty please with sugar on top, let us go by". He tries to add to her ferocious appearance with a growl, and unexpectedly is able to produce a furious-sounding, lionine snarl.
"I'm not sure that's what Segang meant by talking to them. Seren says as he cranes his neck to see what's going on.
Segang will roll with the opportunity. Moving past Absinthe and into the area where he can fully stand he will move, assist the intimidate and ready to attack should they close with him.
Melianthe will Evil Eye the nearest derro, if she can see it, affecting his attack rolls.
The derro is startled by Absinthe's ferocity, and shouts in surprise but still stands his ground. He raises and fires a bolt from his repeating crossbow, driving a bolt right into Absinthe's shoulder. he yells over his shoulder to the derro behind, who then turns and backtracks.
;
Absinthe roars with the pain and shoots forward, her rapier leading the way.
Cherias winces as the bolt sinks into Abby's shoulder, feeling the same wound open on his own.
Cherias takes out his crossbow and loads it, but doesn't have a clear shot.
Segang pushes past Absinthe and stands in the wider passage(T17). As he moves he drops his hammer and pulls his long spear. With a powerful thrust he jabs at the derro 10' away. Come here you bugger. I was not bluffing back there!
Depending on how things all fall out, Seren will crawl forward as far as he can without being in melee. Doubt he will be able to act this round.
Melianthe will pull out her scroll of Enlarge Person (!) and crawl forward.
After the derro attacks, Absinthe moves up and stabs with her rapier, deflecting the blade harmlessly off the derro's armor. Segang is only a few feet behind, and jabs past her with his long spear. The derro is caught off-balance, and the spear head drives right through his neck. Segang withdraws the spear and the derro collapses, bleeding profusely.
Melianthe, Seren and Cherias, unable to see much of what's ahead, crawl forward cautiously.
The second derro continues to retreat around a bend in the tunnel, shouting something in his foreign tongue.
Melianthe crawls.
Cherias follows. Not much to do until we get out of the narrow tunnel.
Crawlin' just as fast as we can! Holdin on to one another's hand!
Segang advances as well, a scowl on his face.
Hissing, Absinthe follows after, ready to attack again as soon as she sees another Derro.
You follow, crawling after the retreating derro. Absinthe comes around a bend and through another ten feet of tunnel before it opens out into a larger chamber. This place is rank with the stink of sweat and mud, but the interior is completely obscured by an area of magical darkness that Cherias's light does not penetrate.
You hear the click of a crossbow, and a bolt hits Absinthe in the arm a second later.
Absinthe howls at the agony. "The filth is on the opposite side of the room!" she squalls as she collapses to the ground, blood gushing from her fresh wound. "He is alone, but there are at least two more of them somewhere!"
Segang moves into the room and into the darkness, his spear before him. Guide me Absinthe.
Seren keeps crawling.
Cherias whimpers as another wave of pain hits him, Absinthe's wounds closing and the same wounds opening on the cat-boy's body. He crawls forward into the room, staying behind Absinthe and Segang, and growling with anger, lifts his loaded crossbow and peers through the darkness.
Fail.
If Cherias doesn't have a clear shot, he will heal himself.
Melianthe gets up to Absinthe's place and squeezes past if she can, hexing the derro with Misfortune. "Now try to hit us, aberrant thing," she says grimly.
With fresh vitality burning through her veins, Absinthe bounces back to her hooves and surges forward into the area of magical darkness without hesitation, growling. The instant she crosses into the magical murk, her movements actually become smoother, more nimble!
"Your shadows are nothing against this one, deepspawn!" she shouts (incidentally providing a target for Segang to home in on as well), kicking out at the Derro at the end of her tumble. "Nothing!"
Crawling forward, Melianthe looks for an opening, which finally frees up when Absinthe moves into the darkened area with Segang in tow. From the tunnel opening, she casts her hex but the derro wills it off.
Cherias and Seren crawl up through the tunnel, the former taking a moment to heal himself.
The derro spins away, turning to fire again and hit Absinthe with another small bolt.
A secret panel opens up behind Segang, revealing a second derro wielding a hooked polearm. It drives the blade into the blind man's back.
Segang hears the sound of a scraping rocks behind him a moment before a cold blade pierces his back, accompanied by a cruel laugh.
;
; plus
Cherias feels the bite of wounds flooding his body as he absorbs the pain from Segang and Absinthe. He whispers to Melianthe, asking her to step forward and to the side, and when she does so (assuming she does) he will move forward and shoot from prone at the first Derro they saw.
Melianthe stands up, takes a 5' step, and Dazes the jerko derro who stabbed Segang.