"Hey, can Rissi's rat go down the stairs and check out who might be down there?"
The rat can confirm that there is a very ancient door at the bottom of the stairs.
Kufieno looks over the woman's gear and shrugs. "Miss Rissi, I think you'd be better carrying the scrolls and wand than I would." Picking up the cloak he hands it to Sealman. "Here my fine dwarven friend, try this on. See if it suits you."
"You are far too kind and *chhh* well mannered, Kufieno. Thank you."
Seal takes off the dirty, dingy, but magical cloak and takes the clean more pristine one Kufieno offered him. He then gives Kufieno the cloak he was wearing in return.
"Thank you. That one smelled of gobo. I like this one. It smells like lady.
Shall we check out the rest of this level before going downstairs?"
"Yes, that sounds like a *chitter* reasonable plan. Also, I would much prefer not to send my dear friend as a *squeak* scout in such a dangerous environment, unless absolutely necessary."
Kufieno smiles ruefully as he accepts Seal's old cloak. "Most gracious of you Sealman."
"A very sensible choice!" interjects Lucian, visibly distracted by something. "Shall we continue? I can't wait to get to the bottom of this. Tsuto's description of Nualia were... very evocative. I can't wait to meet her!"
Seal shoves some of the food he found in the storeroom. He shrugs then mumbles his reply as crumbs fall from his mouth and catches in his beard.
"You're welcome."
He walks over to the door Lucian is in front of and gently pushes him aside. As Seal opens the door, he looks back at Lucian with a question.
"So we are going to talk to this ... Nutella?"
The party moves along to the next small room where the lower four feet of the walls are covered with crude drawings in mud, blood, and paint. Most of the drawings show goblins engaged in some sort of violence against humans, horses, or dogs. One picture on the north wall is at least three times the size and complexity of the other scrawlings. This image shows Thistletop from the side, the goblin stockade perched atop it like a crown. A cave has been drawn into the center of the image, and looming inside is what appears to be an immense, muscular goblin with snakelike eyes and a dogslicer in each taloned hand. If the scale compared to the rest of the drawings is to be believed, this goblin must be at least thirty feet tall.
Rissi meditates on the visage, contemplating if it is some common goblin god, or perhaps a representation of the devil likely trapped inside these halls.
It does not seem to be a goblin god but perhaps their wish for what Malfeshnekor will be.
Seal stares at the mural. A small amount of drool drips from his agape mouth.
"Goblin ... Giant."
"Whatever this is, it doesn't bode well for Sandpoint. We should hurry and stop them while we still can."
Heading through the next door, the party finds a branching set of hallways. Doors lead off in every direction but the most interest lie to your right. Two large stone doors sit in the western wall here, their faces carved with images of horrific deformed monsters clawing their way out of pregnant women of all races.
"After we take over this place, you can paint fluffy bunnies over it, Miana. I say we go through that door last. These doors at the end of the hall look 'trapish'."
Once given the OK, Seal will open the western door.
"I'm ready."
The party finds the door safe and Seal leads the way through. The floor of this cavern seems strangely polished and smooth. To the east, a thick curtain of vines and nettles hangs down over a wide opening overlooking the Varisian Gulf.
As the party enters the room, a leathery, eyeless squid with a squat body the size of a rain barrel emerges from the tunnel to the right, its lower body a tangle of tentacles slowly moving it along the ground while two longer tentacles, one thick and muscular and the other lithe and tipped with a bone stingers, wriggle in the dwarf's direction.
"A poisonous tentamort! Watch out for it's *chhhh* tentacles"
Rissi pulls out the newly acquire [i]wand of magic missiles[/b] and taps it once.
"U.G.L.Y. You ain't got no alibi. You Ugly, ya-ya, you Ugly."
Seal moves up 10' and slings his dorn out to tenderize the uncooked calamari.
Rissi hits the squid creature with a missile. Seal moves up and swings but misses the wriggling mass of tentacles. Miana moves in but does not have any better luck.
Lucian gets to Sealman's back and prays for his hand to be guided by the powers that be.
Lucian guides Seal as the tentamort attacks Miana!
Shuffles passed the grappling pair like a nimble waiter.
"Miana! Watch out for that tentacle. It's trying to stick it in your ..."
Seal swings again once he's in position to let his dorn loose.
Kufieno moves up while grabbing his longspear, and attacks the creature.
...but, he trips as he passes Lucian.
Lucian draws his wand of produce flame and attempts to make it work.
As a flame appears in his burnt palm, Lucian suppresses his fears and throws the magical fire at the tentamort.
Rissi patiently sends another blue spark of magical force streaking towards the aberration.
Seal swings and misses, as does Kufieno! Lucian summons a bout of flame but misses the creature. Rissi shows everyone how its done by plunging a force missile into its side.
Miana nearly punches herself in her frustration.
The tentamort decides to try dwarf for a change in taste!
Those who love order often favor repetition... the wizard Hidetsugu Rissi strongly plays to this stereotype, as she launches another magic missile.
Seal's dwarven blood quickly neutralizes the poison like Sith Lords vs younglings. (Oh what, too soon? =v)
Seal slides over 5' to gain flanking advantage with Kufieno. (Reach Flank FTW!)
Even though the distance is not gaining Seal an advantage, he doesn't waste a moment to shorten up his dorn.
Seal then whistles and calls out to his new found pet.
"Thunderpuss, Attack!"
The big cat lumbers its way between Rissi and Kufieno to reach front stage so that it can bite at the weird tentacley thing.
Out among the crashing waves of the sea, a sad trombone can be heard . . .
Lucian attempts to use the wand again, sending another flickering flame towards the creature.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Kufieno tries to seize the advantage of Seal's flank, but has trouble stabbing the creature.
We live in the middle of nowhere and our internet (via satellite in our pasture) went out in a storm this morning. GMing via phone is the pits.
Rissi hits the ten tamper with another missile! Seal's bad luck continues and Thunderpuss shares in it. Lucian has trouble using his wand and Kufieno swings, only for the squid creature to leap out of the way.
Initiative:
1. Rissi, Lucian, Miana, and Seal
2. Tentamort
3. Kufieno
T: 13 dmg
Miana is up!
Miana dogs her blade into the beast only to have it turn on her again!
DC 15 Fort save against poison or con damage and nausea
Confirm:
Initiative:
1. Rissi, Lucian, Miana, and Seal
2. Tentamort
3. Kufieno
T: 17 dmg
You guys are up!
Seeing how he has missed this creature three times in a row, Seal stomps his feet in a tantrum as he begins to rage.
Thunderpuss empathizes with Seal's frustration. He begins to bite and claw at it while trying to avoid 'Mort's deadly stinger.
Third time's the charm... Another flame might erupt from the wand.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Heartened by Seal's success, Kufieno jabs with his spear again, buthis bad luck continues.
Seal quickly takes down the tentamort!
The party finds nothing in this chamber except bird bones, although the chamber to the north contains dozens of strange dead bodies scattered about. Most are sea birds and ospreys, but there are six dead goblins here as well. Each body is literally skin and bones, as if all of the interior organs and muscles have somehow been drained away, leaving behind skeletons draped with leathery, slowly rotting skins.
One of the goblins wears +1 hide armor.
To the south is a storage room with crates, barrels, and mounds of miscellaneous refuse lying in a heap against the walls. While the raw materials might be turned into furniture, dogslicers, armor, and the like, but is mostly worthless in its current state.
Lucian takes some time to examine the wounds sustained over the course of this fight with the tentacled beast. "Who's been wounded - are you alright, Miss Miana?" he quickly adds with a caring note in his voice.
"I wonder how long that creature has *chhh* inhabited these halls. I have heard of extensive and *squeak* well developed ecosystems underground - especially the remote vaults of Orv. It would be fascinating to visit such places some day." She looks around at her wounded companions. "With a strong bodyguard, perhaps."
"Just a moment or two, and I'll be ready to go. What is up with these gobos. Do you think that thing did this to them, or something else? If it was that thing, do you think they were feeding it with gobos that broke bad?"
Rissi shrugs. "Who can say? And it is perhaps *chhh* irrelevant to our task at hand"