Dolgrin can see the tunnel goes east another 20 or so feet and dead ends
While looking south, Dolgrin sees the tunnel start to open up to a slightly larger area, then contract again into a narrow passageway. Both seem void of life, danger; just collecting dust. Your footprints are the only ones that have been in here for quite some time.
"Straight ahead looks to be a dead end. The path continues to the south. It seems we're the first ones to walk in this cave for quite a while."
Dolgrin will wait till the rest catches up and will then walk into the bigger area to the south.
Thorakiz keeps an open eye on the tunnels around them, applying survival instinct where required.
When everyone had cleared the rubble Dolgrin walked cautiously into the clearing to the south inspecting the area as he went on.
Thorakiz and his eyes, see nothing but the surrounding walls and his companions.
When Dolgrin, walks into the bigger room, he sees a few off shooting tunnels to the east and west. He can see a tunnel to the south, beyond the larger room. This new tunnel, heads down, his vision cut off of view due to the slope. When he nears the tunnel, he can see it heads down, beyond his dark vision, at a steady decline, about 15-degrees.
"Binx, could your scorpion scout ahead to the south while we investigate this room and the tunnels to the side?", Dolgrin says back to the rest of the group, while looking at one of the tunnels to the west.
Eb starts to whistle to hide his nervousness, then remembers they are trying to be quiet and stops, grinning sheepishly at the others. Instead he studies the back of Binx's head intently while waiting for the scorpion to return.
Dolgrin and Binx come to an agreement of how to scout. Binx calls forth his green little buddy, and again gives it the usual commands. The scorpion skitters off, while Dolgrin checks out the off-shooting tunnels for any signs if what caused or created them.
The scorpion hugs the wall and does its best to stay out of sight. It heads down the tunnel for about 90 feet, and arrives at the bottom. It can hear voices in the distance, around a corner.
Dolgrin looks down the first side tunnel he sees , and notices holes on the wall, but has no idea to what could have caused them. He relays this information back to his group, and Ebenezer mulls it over for a moment. He peers down, looks at the holes and notices soot or ash around some of the holes.
Ebenezer thinks about what is capable of buying through solid rock, and the only thing he can think of is a creature called a Thoqqua. They originate from the boundary of the elemental planes of fire & earth. They are very temperamental and will guard their "territory" without warning. The are super concentration if heat, and will burn through solid rock and mineral ore which is their food supply.
No hissing can be heard, which is a telltale sign of a Thoqqua nearby.
Eb relates what he knows of Thoqqua activity to the others. Were elemental beings on our list? If not, I suggest we move on quickly.
"What is all on our list actually?", Dolgrin asked after hearing of the Thoqqua.
[ooc] ooooozzzze... :) [/b]
ah, the list, yes Eb rummages around in his pockets and produces a crumples piece of parchment, which he presents to Dolgrin with much aplomb.
Ooze Samples (ie. gray ooze, gelatinous cube, black pudding, etc)1
pound raw adamantite ore
1 pound raw mithril ore
Minotaur Horns
Scales from different dragons (ie. red, blue, silver, etc)
Kill a Giant(s) (ie. fire, frost, troll, etc)
Experience the Tian Xia festival held in the capital
"If it's true what you say about them eating mineral ores, then we could check if they left some of their food laying around?", Dolgrin said after looking at the list. "Although I'd be surprised if they'd leave something like adamantite or mithril laying about."
Eb blinks twice at Dolgrin's suggestion about Thoqqua eating habits. Well, I suppose looking for their leftover food is preferable to looking about for their, uh, other leftovers. Lets give it a whirl.
After Ebenezer and Dolgrin discuss for a few moments, about the thoqqua and their eating patterns, and overall nature, the group decides to investigate the side areas in hope to uncover some mineral waste, hoping not to anger any possible inhabitants of the areas.
Well, sir dwarf, lets start with those two there. Eb moves over to the two holes closest to Dolgrin on the west wall.
Thorakiz keeps an eye out for any further predators.
The trio of Thorakiz, Eb, and Binx, search around the first couple of tunnels. The three, combine simple cantrips to shed light, along with good old fashioned looking, but find nothing.
The group then travels slightly farther into the larger room, and discover another tunnel in the corner of the large room.
"Let's see if we find something in this tunnel."
Marvin will also take a look.
nevermind
Dolgrin, looks down the hole, at first not seeing anything. Then seemingly out of thin air, a serpentine body rushes towards him, with a body red like molten fire. Clearly aggravated by intruders, it lashes out in fury, trying to slam the red hot body into the enemy.
vs AC 17
Initiative:
Dolgrin:
Ebenezer:
Marvin:
Thackery:
Thorakiz:
Thoqqua:
Init count:
party (Dolgrin, 6 total damage + DC 13 reflex save)
enemies
Thorakiz brings his sword to bear on the serpent, rushing on it if it is still visible and there is room to do so.
Marvin will activate freebooter's bane and take one shot at the critter.
Everyone gets a +1 to hit and damage on the target.
EDIT:
Marvin takes a shot at what one assumes to be the head of the thoqqua. It burrows into the stoney flesh, causing fluid to leak from it. It stays standing however getting ready to strike at anyone whom threatens its home.
Oh, dear! Dolgrin, it seems to have singed your beard. Here, this should help. Eb produces a bone rattle out of a pocket. He shakes at the dwarf's back while humming a low guttural chant. He seems immensely pleased with himself as the wounds caused by the Thoqqua's initial attack completely vanish.
When the Thoqqua attacked Dolgrin reflexively struck back at it. He then stepped back so Thorakiz could attack it.
Dolgrin, is spry for a dwarf and ducks out of the way to avoid the worst of the damage from the angry creature, hoping to catch the intruder off guard. Dolgrin then retaliates of his own accord and lands a steady blow on the enemy. He is unable to connect twice, but moves out if the way so the hulking Orc can take a mighty hack at it.
Thorakiz, does just that. The creature is wriggling and squirming, hoping to get another shot it, when it gets utterly smashed by the large blade. A random twitch later, and the combat is over.
[ooc]Combat over...everyone gain 800 xp with fast track :) = 2100 out of 3300 xp needed for 3rd lvl
"Gotta say, this place has the strangest infestations. First bugs, now worms. Oh yeah, I guess there were some goblins too eh? Well nothing we can't handle. Let's go find an ooze. "
"Aye let us continue our search", with those words Dolgrin moved down the hallway and tried to see if he could find anything in that tunnel.
Dolgrin dusts himself off of the singed fibers of his beard, and progresses forward. He goes near the next tunnel, in the western corridor. He peers in, using his racial heritage to peer into the darkness. Luckily for him, he sees no hostile thoqqua waiting to burn through his flesh.
Dolgrin, also sees a slight glint of something metallic in the hole. He digs a bit, and manages to extract and small (almost miniscule) amonut of a precious metal.
Dolgrin tried to identify the precious metal and determine its worth.
Dolgrin, looks over the metal chunk. I only weighs about .20 pounds, and is black and hard as rock, but is not like any stone he as seen before. He is unsure what the material is exactly, but assumes that it must be valuable to some extent.
"Don't think this was what we were looking for", Dolgrin mumbled to himself. He then turned to the group showing the metal chunk he had found. "Anyone of you seen anything like this before?" He passed the chunk to one of the others, so they could look at it in detail while he moved further down the corridors, checking for other tunnels.
Dolgrin, peeks in the final visible 'tunnel' in the eastern offshoot. He finds nothing; no enemies, no loot...just gravel.
The only place left to go is down the hallway to the south. To where the scorpion got the sense that it wasn't alone.
Marvin takes the chunk of material from Dolgrin, and flips it over in his hands. After a few moments of scanning what he knows about all things underground, he realizes that is is adamantite. One assumes that if there is a little in one spot, there must be more somewhere else.
"Wow, that's admantite. You know, the ore used to adamantine. That's some valuable stuff. "
"Well there's none of it in any of the tunnels here from what I can tell", Dolgrin said after examining the last "tunnel".
"Maybe there's more down below, but I bet there might be more of those Thoqqua near it, so we should be prepared." With that said, Dolgrin leads the group down the hallway to the south, while looking for danger.
Marvin comments on the supremely rare and valuable item Dolgrin just found, and realizes the only way to go now, is down the descending tunnel. Everyone hoping that the danger and inhabitants are not as annoying as the ones currently faced. Dolgrin progresses down the tunnel, to the next level of the mountain cave complex.