Tyrandro hears the whistling continue. There is no indication that any of you has been noticed.
Ayako shakes her head.
Tyrandro opens the door.
Tyrandro opens the door.
The air in this room smells strongly of frankincense and is hazy with smoke from several incense burners mounted on the walls, yet a slight whiff of the stench from the sewers to the west nonetheless manages to linger faintly in the background. A pair of rickety chairs with moldy cushions sit to the south, while to the north stands a strange incongruity—a wooden bar, complete with shelves filled with bottles and tankards on the walls. A wooden door is set into the northeast corner of the room, amid all the shelves behind the bar.
A single goblin stands vigil here, perched patiently on the bar with its little bandy legs hanging over the edge. The goblin seems unsurprised by your appearance. In fact, he looks excited. He hops up onto the bar and holds wide his arms as Tyrandro steps into the room. "Welcome to my tavern, the “Sewer Brewer!” As my lucky first-ever customers, drinks are on the house." he says. The goblin then begins to line up and pour drinks on top of the bar.
Ayako pokes everyone with the Delay Poison wand
"How long are you the owner of this establishment?" Tyrandro asks, not yet putting the bow away. He carefully looks around if he missed something or if someone is hiding somewhere.
Oh how delightful! What other services do you provide? Ayako starts probing on finding out what the creature knows
"How long are you the owner of this establishment?"
"Well...let's see. I'd say it couldn't be more than a few months. It's hard to tell time though down here with the whole no sun thing. The explanation is simple. There was a need and so I am here."
Oh how delightful! What other services do you provide?
"Are you trying to imply that this isn't an upright establishment? I pride myself in being a high-class bartender who caters to only the most elite clientele. I wouldn't dare tarnish my image by dabbling in illicit activities. Please try a drink. After trekking through the sewers, I'm sure you'd like to quench your thirst."
Ayako takes a cup and a sip.
The drink taste foul, like sewer water mixed with sawdust, and Ayako gets a sense that the drink will be just as awful going out as it was going in.
The goblin sits on the bar with a wide grin on his face.
Ayako places it back on the counter My what a drink! She moves backwards towards the others. It seems to have turned though, seems more like something that could make one ill.
Iolana moves up to the bar. "I'll give it a try. She pretends to take a sip. [b]"It's wonderful. If we're your first customers in months, why did you see a need for a tavern here?"
Tyrandro looks out for exits, other than the one they came in.
She pretends to take a sip.
The goblin shows no sign of noticing Iolana not drinking the beverage.
"If we're your first customers in months, why did you see a need for a tavern here?"
"I didn't. You think I want to tend to this s$&+hole? The Red Mantis put me here. What? You think me stupid because I'm a goblin? That I just let that slip. No. I know you are adventurers here to challenge them. There is literally no other reason for a well equipped group like you to come through this part of the sewers. Why don't you tell me about some of your accomplishments. I've got all the time in the world." The goblin pushes another drink in Iolana's direction.
Tyrandro looks out for exits, other than the one they came in.
The only exits are the door you came in from and the door behind the bar.
Although you haven't had much interaction with goblins in the past, this is definitely the most well-versed goblin you've ever met.
Tyrando, Can you pin all it's limbs to the wall? Bet you a gold
"Are the drinks that bad?" Tyrandro asks. "Challenge accepted."
"You just said the wrong thing goblin."
Tyrandro's first arrow hits the goblin but the other two wiz by, smashing bottles behind it. The goblin yelps. "So this is how you treat your host? Who taught you you're manners? A goblin? You'll regret this!" Then the "goblin" magically transports away.
You now stand alone in the waiting room. The only sound is the dripping liquid of the broken bottles. The northern exit remains silent.
Checking the room, the bottle the goblin was pouring for you is poisoned ale. The other bottles of alcohol are for display only and contain sewer water decorated with various coloring agents.
The northern door is locked but Boule's key should work on it.
So much for the secret entrance, we best prepare.
Ayako casts Remove Fear, targeting Tyrando,Iolana and Sebastion She chants some more and protects everyone against flame
We best hurry
The northern door opens into a long winding tunnel of unworked stone that slopes slightly downward.
After about 60 ft., the tunnel is blocked by a thick wall of pale yellow glowing fog that obscures any vision past it.
Ayako tires to examine it a little more to see what it does
Tyrandro looks to Iolana. "What is that? Fog in a dungeon? What kind of magic is that?"
Fluffy stays at the bar for now.
Ayako is not able to identify exactly what the fog is. However, she is able to determine that it is a trap of sorts, thus, it can be disabled as one with Disable Device. Also, as a fog effect, it can be displaced by fire and wind spells.
This is a kind of magic trap that can be disabled by those with the needed skills and by fire and wind magic
Iolana gives Dispel Magic a try. "This probably isn't going to work, but I'll give it a try. Stand back just in case something bad happens."
Iolana tries to dispel the fog. The fog emits a loud humming sound and flashes brightly but does not disappear.
Responding to the humming sound, you hear angry feminine bestial howls and the flapping of wings echoing beyond. The way the sound reverberates indicates the possibility of a large cavern on the other side.
We are in for a fight it seems. Tyrando, can you disable this?
"Nope." Tyrandro replies. "Don't we have something to send in, that can trigger this, if it is a trap?"
Ayako casts SUmmon MOnster 3 and stands back as she send sit in to blow the fog away
"I guess that should work. I'm wondering what kind of trap that is." Tyrandro comments, his bow ready if something comes out of the fog that needs shooting.
The air elementals whirlwind and blow the fog away clearing the path for you to continue. However, the elementals are merely holding the fog at bay and it will return once the elementals are gone.
The tunnel opens into a wide cavern with a high vaulted ceiling that arches up to a height of thirty feet. Two ten-foot-high ledges look out over the wall from the northwest wall, while to the east the cavern dips down into a pool of dark water. Swaths of softly glowing blue fungus fill the cave with light the fungus grows in lumps that bear an eerie resemblance to brains. To the southeast, a fifteen-foot-wide tunnel is bisected by a deep pit. A pair of three-foot-wide planks forms a treacherous-looking bridge over the pit.
Above each of the two ledges, disembodied female torsos flaps through the air on batlike wings, their fanged faces a hateful mask.
Horrid undead, manananggals walk among the living by day and prey upon them at night. These creatures delight in spreading fear and distrust. By day, they tend to stay inside because of their light sensitivity. They mask this odd behavior by either living just outside villages as reclusive hermits or by obtaining roles within the community that explain away or justify their eccentricities.
Manananggals pass themselves off as normal people, usually posing as mad old women, midwives, hedge witches, or mystics. This allows the undead creatures to select their prey from within the community. Manananggals particularly enjoy feeding upon pregnant women, targeting them in their sleep so the undead may feast on the blood of both mothers and the children they carry. These foul creatures drain blood via their long, black, hollow tongues. Manananggals despise the scent of garlic and strong spices like cloves and anise.
As they fly through the night, manananggals make a ticking or clicking sound, leading some villagers to call the creatures "tik-tiks." Once separated, a manananggal's mobile torso has a 6-foot wingspan.
You need a good or silver weapon to damage it fully. And they have light sensitivity and are vulnerable to light bladed weapons.
pit.
Ugh.
Tyrandro moves forward. "That is no nice view." he tells as he sees the flapping women. "That is what could be named a halfling."
I have no idea what that is. Anyone?
"Looks dead to me. And biting. Which is probably a bad thing." Tyrandro makes a guess.
Tyrandro hits one of the winged creatures with an arrow. However, the arrow doesn't seem to damage it fully. The creatures waste no more time and attack...although they were going to anyway.
Iolana casts haste on the Party. "Go get them. I'll give Seb flight next."
Tyrandro clicks the heels of his boots of haste.
Ayako hurries up next to Tyrando and stretches out her hand. As she traces her finger down, a sliver of darkness forms and a bright yellow sliver of burning light shoots out at one of the vile creatursz.
Ayako's aim is poor though
Tyrandro peppers the first flying torso with arrows. Even its damage reduction cannot protect it from the onslaught and the undead creature collapses out of the air with a thump.
Ayako hits the remaining undead with a searing light. The creature is exceptionally vulnerable to the light and its skin crisps to a dark black. However, it still floats painfully in the air.
The crisped women swoops down as Ayako with its claw leading. It latches on and digs its claw deep into her skin. And then, to Ayako's horror, a long black hollow tongue shoots out of the Manananggal's mouth into Ayako's neck and it begins sucking out her blood like using a straw.
Tyrandro shoots the other half woman off Ayako.
Then he looks around if there are any other targets hiding in the shadows.
Ayako attempts to cast Liberating Command to get free of the grapple