Glad that nobody had been seriously hurt yet, Khaz continued on at the head of the party. He didn't want to be in another situation where the group got attacked and he was too slow to be of any use. He could hear some of what Lorena was saying, and nodded approvingly. If Aniva could keep Aravashinal from shouting, that would be for the best. He just wished that he were a better healer, and could have done something for the elf's eyes. If so, then he was certain that the elf's magic would have been of great use.
1d20+1 Diplomacy
"Sir, I promise we're doing everything we can to get out of here. The sooner the better, of course, but we're not really sure when or if it'll be."
He then turns to Aravashnial as theu walk.
"I believe I missed where you said you were a magician. What sort do you practice?"
"Conjuration, I summon creatures to bolster the ranks of the crusaders and to keep this city safe." Aravashnial "looks" to where the voice of Carson is.
"What do you study?"
Firinn reappears out of the darkness ahead. "There's a cavern up ahead, filled with statues. It's obviously been carved quite deliberately. We should be careful, whoever made this place might be nearby!"
"All we can really do is watch. The injured are going to make a good deal of noise, so anyone will hear us. But we really need to keep them with us. We'll just have to be ready."
The armor and marks on the statues depict that they were members of the First Crusade.
Aniva leads Aravashnial into the room, whispering to him. Horgus is silent but curious about the statues.
Khaz walked ahead into the room, looking intently at the statues. He had no idea who made the statues or how old they were. "First a temple of the forge father. Now these statues. Doesn't look dwarven to me. There must have been an entrance to the surface somewhere around here."
Earlier while walking:
Oh, that's excellent. Personally, I just learn everything I can here and there. Do you have any notes we might be able to exchange after we get out of all this?
Now:
Carter looks around the room in aw at the depictions of the fallen warriors.
Wow, look at these. I wish I recognized any of them.
"I don't think I want to know who they were. That would give the place an age, force it into a time. As it is, it is a dark, mysterious place dedicated to the unknown. Far more entertaining."
Firinn, with some of the groups best eyes, makes an effort to stay with Avarashnial and describe everything he can in detail - hoping to bring the elf on side a little more by this show of helpfulness.
Lorena isn't too interested in the statues, instead focusing on anything that could be hiding behind them...but the cave seems to be clear for now.
"I have a theory that some of the first Crusaders were perverted by Abyssal energies, upon their return here they went underground and formed a community. It is a theory I tell you but it makes sense." Aravashnial says not so loudly.
There is a pile of droppings on the floor at the exit to the other side of this cavern. There is also blood stains on the floor around the droppings.
Those look like the droppings of a Dark mantle
”Aravashnial, I think that what ye say makes sense. The undead dwarf we fought, the defaced shrine o’ Torag...these statues. Nay be the most pleasant o’ theories, but it rings true.” Seeing the blood, he said ”Stay sharp. Fresh blood on the ground. We nay be alone.”
Know Arcana
Carson notices an amount of inky excement on the floor and it only takes a second for his cryptozoological skills to make the right jump. He quickly moves against a wall, staying away from the middle of the cavern.
[B]Darkmantle! Everyone check the ceiling right now, they disguise themselves as stalactites.[b]
He conducts his wand and zips one of the ghost lights upwards to the ceiling to try and help the group find it/them.
Firinn stays next to the elf, who obviously can't see anything, but his bow is in his hands almost faster than the eye can follow. With an arrow strung he scans the ceiling.
"Horgus, Aneiva get down! Elf - don't move!"
What in the name of the seven hells is a darkmantle? Terry starts scanning what he can see of the ceiling, looking more for motion than form. In a pretty clam tone and volume, the human says "Quiet and still will probably be your friends more than being low. Anyone see anything?
Terry sees something up in the rocks, it doesn't look like the rest of the rocks.
"There. I think I see something. Let's see if I can hit it."
"Darkmantle? That sounds ominous." Lorena has no idea what they're talking about, but she stops and scans skyward as well.
With Terry's help Firinn too draws his bow and aims at the creature in the rocks.
Terry's Shot just clips the Dark Mantle, the arrow biting in and drawing a screech and some blood from the creature. Firinn's hits a piece of the ceiling just missing one of the creatures.
The Dark Mantles descent upon the group, one going for Terry the other for Firinn
Both of the Dark Mantles hit their Targets, attempting to Grab.
Firinn is able to avoid the grab but Terry is wrapped up in the tentcles and the hood of the Dark mantle.
Khaz moved up to attack the creature, but just as he was bringing his axe down he saw the dark mantle wrap it's tentacles around Terry. At the last moment he jerked his axe away, lest he split his own comrade in twain.
"Mmmmfffmfmfmffffmmmm!!!"
'Time to test this Dwarven steel!" remarks Aerleth as he moves in to strike the strange foe.
Someone that isn't chucking magical wooden Spears needs to get that one off of Terry!
Carson moves into range of the other and summons a spear which propels itself at the standalone darkmantle.
to hit spear
damage spear +1 bleed
Firinn jumps sideways away from the darkmantle in front of him. "Elf! Step back! There is a foe a few feet ahead of you." He draws, nocks and looses an arrow in the time it takes to shout the warning, striking home in the darkmantle with an unpleasant slicing sound.
Lorena looks on in disbelief as two...things come flying out from the cave, one latching itself to the head of the rogue. Recovering, she casts another spell, this time emanating a decidedly unholy energy from her hand, but she can't connect with the creature as he struggles to free himself.
Yeah. I'm not staying in here, I don't care how hungry you are . . ..
Terry takes a half second to force himself into a trained relaxation, before he flexes the muscles in his neck, and then relaxes them as he tries to slide his empty hand up along his throat, into the gap created as he relaxes his muscles WHILE he's relaxing them, working to gain some leverage against this beastie's grasp . . ..
Terry manages to wriggle his hand all the way up past his jaw, pushing his elbow out away from his body and then levering the creature off his head. "Not gonna happen."
Firinn's Arrow lands with a slice drawing ichor form the creature, Lorena comes to Terry's aid but Terry is thrashing around to much and Lorena doesn't want to bad touch him. After a moment Terry Frees himself form his "new Hat" backing away as he goes. Carson's Aim is off and the splintering wood breaks apart on the rock wall. Aerleth hits the Dark Mantle that tried to befriend Firinn with a sickening thud.
Having gotten an idea of what type of foe they were facing, Khaz took the time to aim his blow so that it would not harm his allies. ”Stay still...”
Khaz kills the lone Dark Mantle.
From up the cave you hear. "My Pets NO!!! Who is attacking my pets?"
"They're trying to EAT US!"
"But I eat THEM!" At the bottom of the tunnel that you didn't come through comes a Dwarf, his hair is wild and unkempt his clothes are the same. A burst of coloured energy sprays out from his hand towards, Terry and all those in melee with the Dark Mantles.
DC 13 will save plz
Khaz turned around just in time to see the dwarf begin to cast. He opened his mouth to try and talk to the poor soul, and for his efforts was hit full force with the color spray.
Khaz falls backwards, landing unconscious on the ground. His greataxe lies in his open palm, of no use now to him or the party.
Lorena shrugs off the spell, turning towards the dwarf, spear at the ready. As she advances warily, she casts a spell, calling on divine energies to aid her.
Firinn pulls an arrow, hesitates a second and then, once the dwarf attacks, fires back - but the dazzling aftereffects of the spell hamper his aim.
Carson was 20 feet away from the melee battle, so the spell didn't quite reach him.
He summons another quick spear and flings it at the attacking dwarf.
to hit spear
damage spear +1 bleed
The Dwarf yelps as the wood which shouldn't be underground bites into him.
"Talk? After you try to incapacitate us while your pets are trying to eat us? Really?"
Terry also looses an arrow at the "peaceful" dwarf.
The Dark Mantle on Terry moves back to attack him.
Missing completely as the wounds it has suffered make flying difficult. The Creature carries on it's path and flies back up to the ceiling.
"Son of a . . .." Terry doesn't respond well to the darkmantle trying again, but he's uncertain if he's madder at the thing trying to eat him or the dwarf trying to feed him to it.
After only a slight hesitation, he decides to try to keep an eye on the darkmantle, but deal with the dwarf first.
He inches closer to the dwarf and looses another shaft.