Just before Suny starts pushing, she notices some sludge on the stairs, like they were recently used.
Suny pauses,
'Um...guys? Whut uf it be tha' folks we bin chasin' movin' about up here?" She asks in a whisper.
"They might be waitin' fer us ta', y'know, pop our heads up so's they can lop 'em off?"
Karsielle just shrugs, "Nothing I can really offer to help."
With a gulp, Bloody responds "I could disquise myself as Artued again and scout it out?"
"Just let me do it. I'll slice the bastards up if they try anything."
SUny pads back down the ladder and awaits the development of a new plan.
Silas tests the trap door. It seems unlocked, but pressing meets with some resistance. He's pretty sure he can push through by exerting enough force.
Suny draws her weapon and prepares to help Silas. Readying herself to clamber up the ladder and assist in assaulting the room above.
"I got a back up plan, I'll move in last. " Bloody gives a wink then shifts into "Artued".
Disguise:
Silas pushes the trap door up. The weight resists for a moment and then gives way as the sound of boxes and breaking glass come from whatever was on top of the door.
The trap door opens into a lightless, cramped room. In the dim light shed by Karsielle's light, Silas can see various cooking and cleaning supplies, foodstuffs, and dry goods. Near the hatch he just opened, rest a pair of toppled crates and shards of broken pottery. A crack of light frames a door to the west, from which spills the sound of people moving about and clanking of kitchen pots.
Silas (Perception)
Silas (Stealth)
Enemy (Perception)
Enemy (Stealth)
Silas
Mishael
Suny
Karsielle
Bloody Flag
Enemy
Mishael (Perception)
Mishael (Stealth)
Attack
Attack
Attack
Silas emerges into the room, not seeing anything else present. Mishael pushes her way up a moment later, also not seeing anything.
"Ow, something just stung my foot!" Mishael looks down and her foot. "Scorpions!"
"I don't like the looks of this. Maybe they got away..." Silas moves in further, but is brought up abruptly by Mishael's cry. Rushing back to her, swords drawn, he starts the attack.
Silas's sword slams into the floorboards with a "THUNK", but misses the quick little pests.
"Hey, watch my foot there Silas!" Mishael slashes her cutlass at one of the scorpions attacking her boot. With a direct hit, she cuts the tiny creature in twain.
Suny peers over the lip of the trap door and watches Misheal and Silas deal with the teeny, tiny, stingy nasties they've found.
She waits for them to be dealt with before getting her brown, nekkid self into the room. (^_~)
"Artued" moves past Suny and strikes the scorpions with his longsword.
Suny wiggles aside upon the ladder as 'Artude' moves to put their weapon, and boots, to good use. (^_^)
Artued's swing at the scorpions also meets the floor instead of one of the little scurrying critters.
Karsielle takes out her whip and attempts to strike a scorpion.
Karsielle's whip crack also misses the quick little monsters. One of them keeps stinging at Mishael's boot while the other two rush for the exposed skin of the elf. Karsielle's flesh proves an inviting target and both scorpions manage to give her a sting.
Mishael swings her cutlass again, attempting to connect with the remaining scorpion by her foot. This time the cramped quarters and speed of the scorpion confound her and she misses.
Sunny gives a small 'Epp!' as she sees two little scuttling horrors coming towards her nekkid self.
As she tries to squish a bug with the flat of her blade.
Karsielle her body strong in the faith of Calistria, feels her holy patron's presence which is enough to fight back against the poison that entered her body. The distraction of the bite, and her movement away (5ft step) is enough to put her off her aim with the whip, and it cracks loudly on the empty floor by one of the scorpions.
"Artued" swings away,
The scorpions are nimble and elusive, both Karsielle and Bloody Flag miss their attempts to whip, squash or stab them.
"Nasty, squicky, scuttly BUGS!" Suny exclaims, though she is not in any sort of position to help her friends against their tiny but terrible attacks.
Silas finds his sword blow deflected by one of the crates in the room, but manages to stick a dagger right through one of the remaining scorpions.
The scorpions angry at being dropped from a crate and then undergoing assault from four (five) angry adventurers sting again. Karsielle dodges back just in time, but this time "Artued" is stung.
Sting (Artued)
Sting (Karsielle)
Eyes flaming with difficulty in hitting the scorpions, Mishael strikes again, this time managing to skewer one of the last two.
Suny stays in the hole, offering encouragement to her friends.
'Yah! Squish 'em! Mash 'em flat!"
Karsielle, her annoyance growing lets Calistra's power suffuse her whips tip, as it pulses alternate black and yellow as it flies at the scorpion.
One sting meets another as Karsielle's whip snakes out and licks the tiny scorpion. It wobbles crookedly on its tiny claws.
A frustated "Artued" swats at the pesky little arachnids.
Stunned by Karsielle's whip, the tiny arachnid is no longer able to dodge and "Artued" brings his sword down to finally squish it.
Taking a moment to investigate, it looks like someone must have stacked some of the crates from this pantry up on the trap door with the scorpions in a jar on top. When the crates were knocked over, the jar fell and shattered, releasing them.
You can see one door to the west in this room outlined by a crack of light. You continue to hear the sound of people talking and clanking of pots. It does not sound as though your fight with the scorpions has been heard.
With people moving out of the way Sunny scampers up the ladder and looks around, then gives poor Karsielle a quick hug before moving over to the door and listening and peering through the cracks.
Suny, you can hear the sounds of a busy kitchen coming from behind the door. The cracks are too narrow to actually see anything, but all of the sounds and smells are consistent with that of cooks and servants preparing a major dinner or party.
Sunny frowns.
"Here. If tha' peoples we bin chasin' come through this way. Why in't no one on'a other side of this door seemin' upset?" She asks to her companions. Then begins to search around to room for possibly even another way out.
"They weren't that far ahead of us....Were they?" She asks, puzzled.
Carefully stepping up to the door, Silas peers out. Seeing the kitchen, he can only wonder what's going on. "I think I have to agree with Suny here. I really doubt they came through these kitchens, unless this whole place is a front. Maybe they stashed their cult gear here somewhere, and simply wandered out as bystanders?"
Silas is grasping for straws. He knows that it would be rather strange to have people magically appear out of a closet.
Karsielle watches at the door, listening to the conversations of the kitchen staff for anything 'interesting'.