You travel 100 feet, and the tunnel opens up into a very large room, that is about 100 feet wide by 80 feet deep. It is littered with the remains of tools, furniture and associated debris. However, some of the remains seem much more recent than the others, as if they had been left only a few days ago. The cave's entrance sports a sign, improvised on a rotted wood plank. It does not seem to be written in the common tongue.
Rikar looks around the large cavern, and when his eyes light on the sign, he chuckles a bit to himself. Speaking over his shoulder to the party, he says "Well, it looks like there was something in here the goblins were mighty scared of. The sign says 'Please do not enter - Danger - Pit of da KRITTER.' Not sure when I last heard a goblin say 'Please,' but they've got to be really worried about something to use written words at all, so I'd guess it's genuine."
Holding his greatsword horizontally in front of his body, he takes a step forward and asks "Shall we pay this 'kritter' a visit?"
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"That's what we're here for, is it not? Besides, goblins are scared of everything. Perhaps one of their human allies wrote that, and made up the word 'please' in goblin to confuse the little buggers."
Josef makes sure his darts are ready to be loosed, and follows Rikar and the others. Dancing lights continues at the 100' range, a pale green luminescence.
"That seems unlikely Josef. Can you think of a reason for it?" she question the suggestion of a human creating the sign merely to confuse, "This room was inhabited recently, or for a short time. Can you find any tracks in here Rikar?"
"Good thinking, Sezira. I'll see if I can find anything. Keep an eye out on the room while I study the floor, would you? I hate being surprised when I'm tracking."
Misha frowns at the sign and the situation, wondering what "kritter" it could be. While Rikar examines the floor, she approaches and looks for other signs--scratch marks, scents, etc. that might help indicate.
Dain:
Josef:
Misha:
Redona:
Rikar:
Sezira:
Dain:
Josef:
Misha:
Redona:
Rikar:
Sezira:
Critter:
As she moves up to help Rikar, she yawps in surprise as the huge insectoid creature appears from the darkness. She draws her swords () and scrambles to join Rikar and Sezira (), hoping to divide its attention and give Rikar and Sezira time to defend themselves.
Surprised but always ready, Sezira unsheaths her rapier and braces herself agains the creatures charge. "Lookout! I think we found our critter!"
when borris can see what is happening he draws his longsword while moving to the critter and attacks.
If he can take a flanking position he wil try to do so without getting attacked by the critter.
Readying a strike as soon as he sees the bug-like creature moving, Rikar says "Attack!" to Goma, then swings his greatsword but fails to connect.
Critter;
Josef;
Sezira;
When he notices most of the group taking up attacking positions Borris tries to 5ft step into a flanking position with Rikar Gnoma or Seizira.
Bashing with his shield and attacking with his longsword Borris tries to rip the creature up!
"Dain!" Misha cries out, horrified at the creature brutally tearing at their friend. Moving in to strike it, she swings as hard as she can, hoping to stop it or slow it down, calling upon whatever forces of luck guide adventurers to help her--but luck is fickle sometimes.
Redona cries out as well, casting bless in order to help as best she knows how, though she starts to panic from the sight of the brutal attack on Dain.
Rikar moves into a flanking position with Borris, saying "Nice shots there, man! Let's end this thing before it ends Dain!" Gathering his strength, he takes a mighty swing at the creature.
Sezira releases her defensive stance and strikes at the creature.
Misha cries out at the carnage that is done to Dain, and tries to hit the beast, but her sword swing misses as Lady Luck was not with her. Redona casts a Bless spell, trying to improve the chances that everyone else will put the creature down. Borris and Rikar both swing and hit, killing the creature. However in it's death throes, it finishes off Dain. You all stand that as Redona and Misha check out Dain, but the valiant dwarf is no longer among the living.
Borris looks at the body of Dain. let’s give him a burial we are underground this is where the dwarves live most of their lives i don’t think there is a place more suited.
Borris is a tough guy kinde not willing to show his true feelings about the incedent! but the other if they check can clearly see borris is trying to solve a problem not dealing with the situation.
Tears spring to Misha's eyes as she takes in the torn up form of the dwarf they had traveled with for over a month, that she had teased, that had been so brave. She wipes them away and tries to steel herself, knowing no dwarf would want tears when one had died fighting. She gives a look to Redona, concerned for the sensitive young cleric's, as she doubts Redona has ever seen such a thing. "You might want to turn away for a moment," she says softly to her.
She then grits her teeth and starts pulling away the body of the "kritter," so that Dain's remains can be properly retrieved.
"The magic it would take to undo this is far beyond any of our reach. Borris is right, we should probably bury him and know he is gone honorably to the next life."
Already having been in a foul mood, Redona's mood unsurprisingly took a turn for the worse when Dain was discovered dead. She refused to look away though, shaking her head through the tears and wanting to see the dwarf one last time, a reminder that she needed to be stronger and quicker here if she wanted to keep that from happening to anyone else. She said a quiet, tearful prayer for the dwarf to whatever gods he worshipped, and then dropped to her knees to cry. "I'm so sorry, Dain..." she sobbed aloud. She blamed herself for not reacting fast enough or being strong enough.
Borris clears his trought as it was dry from the emotions he did not like to alow the others to see.Redona i think he would have liked for you to saf a few words and bless his grave so he is sure of his place in the afterlife! This could be anny of us maybe we need to be a bit more carefull. or maybe we should just train harder!
Sezira watches as Dain falls. That could be any one of them. She listens to the others discuss what to do when it is confirmed he no longer breathes. She kneels next to him, one hand on his shoulder, remembering the camaraderie they had shared and the night watches together. A tear escapes her eye. It was an honour to know you Dain, may the gods deal kindly to your soul.
While the others say their goodbyes, Rikar finds a place where the earth is soft enough, and digs a shallow grave for Dain, burying the warrior near the rock that was part of his heritage.
After the brief ceremony, the group heads back to the four way junction where the cart was, and this time follows the path to the right heading east. After 40 feet, there is a side tunnel to the north (left) as well as continuing on straight (east). The tunnel to the north goes about 40 more feet and also branches east and west. The tunnel to the east goes about 30 feet and appears to open into a large room.
Misha walked along more somberly, wondering at what else might befall her and her comrades as they pushed on. The suddenness was overwhelming, and she felt cold. Still, she felt all the more determined to stick with the mission, and come back successful, so that he need not have died in vain.
Hearing the point scouts' report of what lay ahead, Misha suggests the eastern tunnel first, since it seems to go into a dead end and would hopefully be quick to explore.
Sezira leads the exploration again a short while after burying Dain. She would have to put him out of her mind for now or risk the safety of all of them because she was distracted. It was only the second time she had seen the death of someone she knew, the first had been many years ago. A man she had worked with caught a deadly disease and died a horrible death. She was thankful Dain's had been quick, not drawn out as is the nature of the worst diseases.
More tunnels, branches and choices... Sezira hoped they did not become lost down here. She motions towards the large room to the east, hoping they didn't encounter the last creature's mate.
Moving straight ahead into the east room, you are all correct. It does dead end. However, the forty by sixty foot room has a hole in the floor in the northern section, and you see the end of a ladder sticking up thru the hole. This must be the way down to the next level of the mountain.
You guys want to search trough the other coridors or coninue on down?
"I'd rather be thorough," Misha says, "And backtrack. If we need to find our way back here though..." She pulls out a piece of chalk, ready to draw a line along the wall as needed to follow their way back here.
"Good idea," Redona nods seriously, giving Misha a small smile to try and be supportive. She'd said her goodbyes and her prayers, and now she was resolved to be strong for everyone, because she couldn't be for Dain.
I'm game! If none object i sugest we start moving!
Josef:
Misha:
Redona:
Rikar:
Sezira:
Josef:
Misha:
Redona:
Rikar:
Sezira:
Spiders-P:
Spiders-I:
Spiders-St:
Spiders:
Sezira recovers quickly from the surprise and stabs forward at the spider but it dodges her strike.
Though not greatly troubled by the spider's bite, Rikar grimaces in pa
in as the creature's poison courses through his veins. He manages to summon his strength for a brutal retaliatory strike against the spider that bit him.
Borris swiftly moves longsword drawing towards a flanking position if posible to the back of the wounded spider if the first spider is dead he moves to the other one ofc! striking with his longsword
attack
dammage
Fumbling in his attack Borris cries out Ugh damn you fast moving ugly critters!
Redona runs over to assist Sezira, attacking the spider with her shortspear (flanking if she can safely).
Attack (+2 to total if flanking)
damage
Redona apparently has no idea how to fight spiders, and once again they easily dodge her spear's thrust.
Misha draws one of her swords and, seeing that everyone is quickly surrounding the creatures and hitting them, decides to lead Sunshine against a wall to help protect her. The last thing they need is their pack mule to be ambushed by more spiders while the rest of them are distracted by combat.
Rikar continues to look somewhat pale and shaken, but manages to move around the remaining spider so he is opposite Redona and swings at it.
Redona attacks the closest spider with her spear again if any are standing when her turn comes, trying to get in a hit, despite her lack of combat expertise.
Attack (+2 if flanking)
damage
Borris moves towards the last spider again trying to reach a flanking position, charging if possible.
longsword attack +2 if flanking +2 if charging
longsword damage
Sezira dodges the spiders attack and strikes again missing by a hair.
Josef:
Misha:
Redona:
Rikar:
Sezira:
what an awfull way to die! Let's burrie the poor girl properly after we invesigate her remains she might have some clue's on whats out here.
Borris moves closer to the corps investigating it for a journal or some kind of clue on what information the wizard posessed.