Despite knowing that she has little chance of succeeding Terra takes a look at the tracks to see what she can determine.
Aliesah and cutie check the tracks
track, aid cutie
track
After sniffing around the tracks, Cutie paws on the ground briefly in communication and holds its head up high in supreme confidence, then looks at the opening of the cave, with almost an "asking-permission" expression.
Of course, sniffing around the area, Cutie is careful to be as quiet as possible after Aliesah has given the command for stealth.
Not that the rhino-babe is all that quiet
50 yards away, hearing the rhino shuffle around the cave, startled birds take to flight.
"Do we want to attract attention?" Gregary asks while Cutie paws his way around the area.
"Raggo can make some serious noise, you know." He raises an eyebrow.
"We do have a good location to draw them out to, it should be fairly easy to deal with them in smaller numbers. Of course that assumes they are dumb enough to come out here that way." She remains in her place with her whip at the ready should an enemy come out of the cave.
As Terra and Aliesah are surveying the Xvart tracks they can listen inside the cave in case they hear anything.
As Terra examines the tracks she also takes a second to listen at the cave entrance.
Terra easily hears a muffled voice from deep inside the cave mouth, although it is of a different language or accent than that of the Xvarts from last night's failed attack.
Further, she thinks she can just hear a bit more shuffling from a small but indeterminate number of other creatures.
Moving back to the others she says, "There are voices down there, I can't make them out but they aren't the same as the xvarts. There are also several other smaller creatures which I would imagine are the remaining xvarts. If I had to guess we have our little slavers and their captives down there. I also doubt they'll be coming out anytime soon."
Terra's remark about them not coming can be juxtaposed with the superficial observation that the caves seem small from out here (The mouth is barely wide enough for a Large creature to squeeze through.) and Xvarts are Small themselves. Additionally, Xvarts aren't exactly diurnal so they may be more likely to stick with underground activities during daylight.
"Smoke them out?" Wulfrun almost states more than asks. "With a well enough fire the smoke and ventilation will force them to address us or suffocate for lack of trying.
"We'd need to build it inside the cave itself, but if we're willing to risk the danger I'm okay with using smoke." Gregary wraps his face up in consternation. "There is a problem, though - they have kobold slaves. If we smoke them out we may suffocate the creatures."
Terra replies, "Yes, they might all be kobolds, but it's also likely the missing people are down there as well. Smoking the xvarts out could well end in the deaths of all of the the slaves, kobold and human alike." She thinks a moment, "Maybe a better way would be to give them bait to lure them out to us. They seem to be after slaves so maybe some of us making ourselves seem 'easy' targets would work."
How about we just go in? Aliesah moves a bit to the cave, cutie beside her.
Keep an eye out for traps and she starts to walk to the cave opening.
Raggo looks around, looks at Aliesah, and then follows her. "I like you."
"There is not room enough for me let alone our number in that opening, but you are welcome to check it out." she says to no one in particular.
"I'm for luring them out somehow if we can. Even if only some of the xvarts emerge we'll be breaking up their forces into smaller numbers, and we have the advantage out here. We'll be able to determine our positioning at will, also." says Gregary. "Scouts are welcome, of course, to go in - I have no experience at being quiet so I'll stay out here."
Aliesah moves up to the entrance, biding cutie to stand for the moment.
She carefully looks inside the cave, an arrow notched in her bow.
Aliesah sees the pitch of blackness just beyond the edge of light coming through the canopy of trees and various vines & shrubs.
The mouth of the cave looks as if it extends 20 or so feet in without widening; medium creatures can be "hunched over" upon entering. The daytime light, such as it is, barely reveals what looks to be a drop-off just past the 20-or-so-feet mouth. The sounds heard earlier came from down there. The hole at the edge (drop-off) looks to be about the same width as the mouth of the cave (medium creature can "hunch over" / large creature can squeeze).
Aliesah picks up a stone and casts light on it. Then she throughs it in the room. Then she waits to see if there is a reaction.
Aliesah advances slowly to the drop off. A whistle and gesture brings cutie to her, five feet behind and to the right side.
rage stands ten feet in front of terra far enough away as to not make too much noise. His location also gives terra some cover and an opening to charge if necessary.
.
.
Looking carefully ahead of her as she advances, Aliesah almost, almost, notices a slight trip-wire about five feet before the drop-off. She does, however, easily hear an immediate rumbling behind and above her and even sees how the trip-wire was carefully crafted to enter a diminutive hole in the bottom of the rock-wall where it secured the device holding aloft some boulders nearer the mouth of the cave.
The trip-wire having been tripped, the boulders now collapse.
So now,...
Five feet into the mouth of the cave, boulders fill the "square" -- it will take a "strong" character one Full Round Action to clear the area enough for it to be rough terrain for a 5-foot-step.
Cutie must attempt a REF Save DC: 21 against the boulders or take full bludgeoning damage instead of half.
Cutie and Aliesah are on the inside of the boulder-fall; everyone else is outside the cave, a pile of boulders between them and their two allies.
.
.
.
...
Reacting faster than Cayosin Raggo runs forward and begins clearing the rocks.
|
Aerodus dashes towards the hole, dismounting fluidly at the entrance, his hands beginning to glow with a golden light. He reaches up as he walks towards the hole, and begins to run his hands down over his face and hair. As his hands caress down over his face his body begins to shrink and change, giving out a bright golden light. As he stops before the entrance the light explodes in a flash, and standing where the tall Aasimar stood just moments before, was a light bleached Gnome-esq creature, with long flowing white hair, and a distinct lack of wings.
"Let's go save our Hunter." he muttered, as he drew his Greatsword, now sized for a much shorter person.
Alter Self 4 minutes = 40 Rounds.
Rounds Remaining 39
Gasping in horror, Terra thinks to herself, Oh my goddess, can she have survived that? Knowing she's not of much help in moving the rocks, Terra waits for the passage to be open and moves forward to enter with the rest of the group to reach Aliesha.
Gregary stays outside of the cavern for now, waiting for the rubble to be cleared before he rushes in to help. He casts dancing lights and directs two of the lights to rush in to the head of the cave, to aid in sight for his human allies.
Note that it is a Full Round Action to clear the Boulders to make it merely Rough Terrain.
Ok, Raggo will assist in moving the rocks until he is able to get through.
Wulfrun is hardly aware of what's happened, but perks up to attention when the cloud of earth and dust spews from the mouth of the cave.
Initiative Order:
.
.
.
23.6
19.4
Raggo of Gorum 19.1
17.7
Wulfrun Taverner 14.2
Cayosin 13.8
12.5
Terra Minora 10.2
Aerodus Aluain 9.1
Gregary, Lord Crowley IV 8.4
Aliesah Leafborn (tbd)
Cutie (tbd)
From below her, Aliesah Leafborn can hear what sounds like arcane casting but there is no way to discern what is being magicked. Beyond that she only hears the dust and debris settling from the trap.
Rd 1:
.
.
.
23.6 (unknown)
19.4 (unknown)
Raggo of Gorum 19.1
17.7
Cutie 17.1
Wulfrun Taverner 14.2
Cayosin 13.8
12.5
Aliesah Leafborn 11.6
Terra Minora 10.2
Aerodus Aluain 9.1
Gregary, Lord Crowley IV 8.4
Swift action, aspect of the tiger (+2 DEX)
(if the light stone is under the rocks. )
Aliesah casts a spell
Lux
And touches her bow. A pearly light illuminates the area.
(If Light is still there)
telum of reverentia
And touches her bow, which seems to shiver with power.
Cutie shrugs off the damage, and readies to strike any who approach.