"N..no, I can't leave my sister here. I'm not much of a fighter, but I want to be here when you bring her back. I'll wait here."
Cotton walks over to the man and takes one of his hands in both of hers, smiling up at him.
"I can tell how afraid you are," she says, "but always remember this: you didn't run. You may have been too scared to advance, but you didn't run backwards, either. You've got enough iron and stone in you to stand where you were. That's worth something, and don't let anyone ever tell you it doesn't."
"You are being awful nice towards someone that tried to kill you. Better than I would have treated him,." Moira whispers, while ruffling the little gnomes colorful hair. She was proud to have her as a friend. But now it was time to get serious. The Everflame could wait. Something evil lurked in this place.
Cotton grins up at Moira and momentarily leans against her leg.
"Meow," she says, jokingly. When she continues, she speaks in a humorous drawl: "'Tain't no thang, ma'am. He din't even muss my hair with that shot. 'Sides, ain't no reason ta carry no grudges 'gainst a frightened feller."
Dyrm nods again Good folk are around me. Thank the green path that led me to them.
"If everyone's ready, we should move on." Vera move tentatively towards the door, but pauses and turns to the man. "Thank you for all you've done for us. Please, stay safe."
You guys have a few different options on where to go. There is a hall to the left of where Moria is on the map with a door visible from where she is. The hall left of Dyrm cuts south and presumable continues. There is an unexplored door in room 1.
Also unless you guys state you're changing it, I am just going to leave your marching order as is.
"Don't forget to check for bony footprints," Cotton says. "There should be plenty of dust; it's a tomb, after all1"
"You're lead Moira."
The tomb is actually well kept. The floors have been recently sweeped and are free of dust.
[ooc]Without foreknowledge of the map, any path is as good as any other. So yeah, let's start with the western door.[ooc]
This small chamber is mostly empty, save for the body of a villager sprawled in the center. Perched atop the corpse is a man-sized brown and yellow beetle, trying to push the corpse into the corner. As you open the door the beetle turns its head making an aggressive clicking noise at you Moria.
"Well, someone took a double scoop of self-esteem with his morning bowl of maggots," Cotton says, snorting at the beetle. "Shoo! Get lost!"
"Oi. Drop it you little...whatever you are." Moira tosses the sunrod into the room to illuminate it and hopefully drive the little bug away. If not she takes aim and lets and arrow fly.
Roll initiative.
Moria throwing the sunrod at the beetle causes it to enrage as it's clicking becomes more intense and it sets for you.
The creature is a bombardier beetle. They feed on carrion and offal gathering heeps of the stuff to build nests in. They can spew acid as a defense mechanism but typically choose to flee from predators. They become more defensive of their nests when preparing to lay eggs or while nesting their eggs to hatch.
"Oy, bug off!" Cotton snaps, and she makes a gesture at the charging beetle. "Stilla acida!" A droplet of acid flies from the Gnome's fingers as she takes off running, putting distance between herself and Moria, but maintaining her distance from the beetle.
Dyrm, curious as much as anything, WILL peek in...and almost immediately regret it, "That's a bombardier beetle. They normally feed on offal, carrion, that sort of thing ...they spew acid, very nasty. Normally they flee predators but if it's getting ready to lay eggs or the like it ain't gonna back off as easy."
Sa'sori, grimaces.. the corridor is too crowded for her to see whatever Moira shot her bow at{?}... or did she throw something?
The lovely half-elf shrugs and readies to cast Acid splash at any foe that presents itself in her line of sight.
Vera is going to move into the room, head to the bug and take a swing with her axe.
Dyrm moves into the room and takes a look at the critter. Vera draws her ax while moving in swinging and missing. Cotton fires into the room with a splash of acid, careful to avoid Vera while peeking around the corner, but she can't quite get the angle and her acid splashes harmlessly on the ground. Once you're fully in the room you can see a pile of filth gathered in the corner that appears to be a nest. The bettle slides over placing itself between Vera and its nest. Its clicking grows louder as it makes a small gurgling sound and sprays a cone of acid forward.
"It's just defending it's nest. I don't feel right fighting this thing. I think we should either fall back or try and move past it quickly."
Map Update That should help.
"If we're going around, then let's run before it can work up another acid blast!" Cotton suggests. "In other words, RUN!"
as soon as she is able, Vera is going to use the withdrawal action and make a break for what appear to be the stairs on the other side of the room.
Sa'saori walks past everyone straight ahead to the far wall {which is exactly a 30'ft foot move for her}.
She turns hefts her Elven curve blade to her shoulder but casts a spell at the Acid Spitting Beetle... shaking her head.
She says sadly, "Your desire to not kill unnecessarily is admirable ... if a bit unexpected from a ! This mindless vermin may only be protecting its nest... but what then? Should we allow an entire colony of acid spitting and undoubtedly hungry mindless vermin to fill the town crypt and holy sites? Sadly, I think not. That is not an animal.. it is a vermin.. it is mindless - it can't be reasoned with or 'tamed'. We must kill it and it's vermin spawn lest they see us as prey and a source of food."
"There is a difference between battle and slaughter. I would no more slay this beast than slay a mother protecting her child. Plus, according to Dyrm the creature only feeds on carrion and the like. It's no threat to anyone as long as we don't threaten it."
Moria lets her arrow loose striking the beetle. The wooden shaft sticking from its abdomen. Sa'sori moves into the room and casts a spell striking the beetle. Dyrm moves away not wishing to harm the creature. Vera withdraws from the beetle moving towards the stairs. Cotton runs through the room towards the stairs. The beetle starts its agressive clicking and moves towards Sa'sori its pincers trying to bite the young sorceress.
Sa'sori hefts her Elven Curve Blade and replies, "...yes it eats carrion.. because it kills its prey then allows its victims to rot so they are more digestible! Or would you prefer it eat the honored dead of the town interred in here? No matter really, if we had not stumbled onto its lair it might have had a much different reaction when it got hungry and started looking for freshly or not so freshly dead~ that acid spittle is a good way to 'find' or make the recently dead it likes to feast upon. But so be it.. if the hard choice is not one you desire to make.. I'll end the threat it represents to any who would enter this sacred crypt!"
Sa'sori swings her blade in a killing stroke at the Beetle...
"Then how about I appeal to your sense of urgency. We haven't the time to waste on threats that we can simply walk past. If the beetle truly bothers you, we can deal with it AFTER we've dealt with the undead and saved the girl."
Vera isn't doing anything besides talking. She doesn't want to leave anyone behind, but she has no interest in fighting the beetle either.
Dyrm has been somewhat paralyzed by inaction, and his face turns to embarrassment as he realizes just that.
"So be it," He sighs, "Sa'sora forces our hand, I fear, right or not. Now that she and it fight, we risk an ally being wounded. I hope we can slay it quickly so it does not suffer overlong"
Dyrm flings a sling stone at the insect.
Now was not the time for talking but action. Sa'sori was too close to the bug to fire her bow so Moira drops it in favor of her shortswords.
+2 if I can flank. Can't see map at work.
Moria moves up the the beetle swinging her new sword down but she misjudges the force needed from the lightness of the weapon and is unable to crack the beetles shell. Sa'sori too cannot seem to pierce the beetles hard defensive shell. Vera holds her place at the top of the stairway. Dyrm turns back tossing a rock from his sling that harmlessly bounces off the creatures shelling. Cotton turns and casts another at the beetle. It coats the beetles shell as it lets out a hiss of pain. The beetle then attempts to bite the lovely sorceress again.
Dyrm fires another sling
Perhaps a mistake as his aim isn't aces let alone when firing into a crowd