Mordan will climb up next, setting up a defensive wall to protect the rest of the group and their climb.
Haroon makes his way up the rope, thankful for the ring of climbing, but keeping his lights below. Stay close, Mordan he whispers. I'll light this place up once it's safe to do so. But until then, you, Oliver and Sam will have to depend on the rest of us. Haroon holds out the two potions of darkvision should anyone wish to use them, and offers a potion of invisibility as well. Maybe someone a bit stealthier could take a look ahead, he suggests.
Valtyra walks a short ways into the hallway staying in the shadows and looks to see what may be in the next room.
Unsure what happens there Oliver tries to reassure himself the climb is safe and after a few good tugs, he begins the climb. Once up he tries to orientate himself, but fails to do so in the darkness. "Light?" he whispers into the darkness.
A rusted iron door sits in the center of the eastern wall of this small chamber. A copper brazier hangs from the ceiling above a flimsy wooden table.
Two mongrel men stand watch here, one sitting bored a the table the other whittling at what appears to be a part of a human femur.
Valtyra charges one of the two mongrelmen, bring down the sword on the creature.
"Boo." Sam says as they level their pistol at the other Mongrelman, firing off a shot. A devastating one.
Haroon illuminates the area with dancing lights so everyone can see.
Valtyra's sword flashes bright as it cuts into the neck of the mongrel man, felling him with a single stroke. Sam's shot echoes as the other mongrel's head bursts like an over ripe melon!
Haroon's lights illuminate the mess.
Almost wishing he hadn't shed light on the grisly scene, Haroon curls his lip into a frown. Unable to reconcile the necessity of the violence with the gruesome display, he settles for a quiet Well, that was quick.
He picks his way through the mayhem and stands ready near the iron door.
"So that is what happened under the cover of darkness," Oliver says smiling to himself. He stands and draws his bow, holding an arrow ready and indicating he is ready to move on.
Valtyra step over the body of the dead mongrelman that she had killed and walks over to the door. Pressing her ear to the rusted iron door to see if she hears anything on the other side.
The door is thick and locked, you can hear nothing. A quick search of the bodies produces:
Treasure
The guards had a deck of cards, loaded dice, a light crossbow with 15 bolts, a iron key and, 23gp.
Haroon tries the iron key in the lock.
Looking questioningly at Valtyra Oliver ask: "Anything on the other side?" When Haroon tries the lock in the door, he draws his bow ready to fire.
"I can't hear anything, the door may be to thick to hear anything from the other side." Valtyra states while looking at the ranger.
This large chamber must have once been a cistern for the sewer system. Walls made of identical stone blocks hold up a lofty ceiling reinforced with elegant stone arches, while the center of the room contains a more recent-looking structure made of brick walls that reach from floor to ceiling.
Moving to the most rightly wall Oliver tries to spot anything in the labyrinth ahead. "Nothing to see yet," he calls out.
Haroon moves up and sends his torches to the first turn in the labyrinth.
Valtyra moves into the first hall of the maze past Haroon's dancing lights. Looking down the next halls to see if the way is clear for the party to follow. "Path is clear so far," Valtyra calls back to the others.
Ginger gingerly steps forward into the maze, amazed that we are so close to the surface. She continues onward past Valtyra looking at the fork. Mumbling almost to her self she wonders aloud "North or south then?"
"I will go north and see if there is anything blocking our path," Valtyra says to Ginger. Valtyra then moves to the end of the path just to the north of her. "It looks like there is a path that continues this way but something is in the way," she calls out to the others.
Haroon waves Oliver past him and moves forward, further illuminating the maze with his lights. What is it, Valtyra? he calls out.
The gunslinger hangs back for the time being, not wanting to rush headlong into yet another ambush or trap. "Hey, just curious, are those brick walls mortared? Or can we possibly knock them down with the right nudge?" They ask, taking a look.
A Valtyra moves farther north into the maze... and is surprised by the small creature that leaps forward to attack!
This creature's bloated frame shudders with each heaving step, yet despite its shape, the thing moves with surprising quickness.
It bites her hard tearing away at her flesh.
Order
Dretchs
AC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 14
Fort +5, Ref +0, Will +3
Valtyra grunts in pain as the creatures bites her hard in the leg. She stabs down at the small creature but misses do to the blood flowing down her leg.
Haroon pulls out his scroll of protection from evil and takes a quick step around the corner before chanting out the incantation. He then claps Valtyra on the shoulder, warding her against further attacks.
Stepping out behind Ginger Oliver smiles coldly as the Dretch comes in to view. Inside he shakes as flashbacks to that faithful night. With practise Olivers arrow flies true.
Mordan moves closer, hoping to fill in should someone need to fall back.
As Oliver steps out vs. and fires he fails to notice the other creature behind him!
Angered by the holy blade swinging at it the first dretch continues it assault on Valtyra. With the protection from Haroon only its snapping maw tears again into the Aasimar's flesh.
In the southern passage, Oliver is caught unawares by the vicious onslaught if claws and teeth.
"Monsters, huh? Yeah, I knew this would happen," Sam sighs as they head to the entrance of the maze, calling out. "Hey, meatshields! You want to fall back out where you're not pinned in and draw them out in the open?"
The gunslinger levels the pistol down the corridor, hoping that the others would understand the tactical importance of creating more space for the fight.
The last thing Oliver remembers before falling to the unnoticed enemy is satisfaction. Then he falls to the ground.
Valtyra raises the sword high into the air and stabs it down into the dretch next to its spine, hoping that it will severe the creatures spine from the brain.
Haroon moves into the corridor and looks at Sam with exasperation. Oliver can't fall back. He's fallen beneath those claws!
Ginger steps over the down Oliver and swings at the monster growling "how dare you touch my friend you slimy beast" she then swings hard but her axe just clinks against the creature doing nothing.
Valtyra's righteous anger burns as she strikers down the forsaken creature.
Now facing the dwarf the dretch lashes out at her, the vile hate-filled glint in it eyes showing nothing but contempt for the beings of this plane. As its claws flail about it distracts the dwarf from its maw, tearing into Ginger's meaty flesh.
While having taken some severe wounds in addition to those he were carrying before, the bleeding stops as Oliver lies unconscious on the cold stone floor.
I'd like to try to grab Oliver and pull him away from the Dretch. Not sure how much I can do in one round. What do you think?
Hearing about their fallen comrade spurs Sam into action, pushing past Haroon and Greylocke to come up in the same corridor that Ginger was fighting the dread creature. "Hey, give it one more whack then clear my shot!" They shout to her, readying the scale for its last electric arrow.
Valtyra lays her hands on the would on her leg and channels the energy from her cure light wounds spell into the injury.
Ginger winces as the teeth dig into her flesh, but swings again with renewed vigor at the demon. She then falls back, stepping past Sam, easily avoiding the creatures counter.
Sam strikes it soundly with the magical attack felling it.
Navigating the remainder of the maze is a simple task. The old sewer tunnel here leads about a hundred feet east before connecting to more recent sewers-and more importantly, to the first of several ladders leading up the surface.
Mordan steps up to the fallen Oliver, pulling out the remaining bits of his healers kit.
Cleaning and bandaging the wounds to prevent some demonic infection, he then begins to pray. "Blessed Iomedae, grant this man another moment in the light."
Haroon pours a potion of cure light wounds down Oliver's throat.
Once the group reaches the ladders, Haroon looks up an swallows noisily. The surface! We're almost there! What do you think it's like above? They must have fought off the demon invaders by now, right? he asks no one in particular.
We won't know until we get up there my friend but the people of Kenabres are strong people. They will not have given into the demons easily. Valtyra then grabs the rungs of the ladder and starts to climb towards the surface.
As the divine power revives Oliver, he looks fearfully for signs of demons. "Are they gone," he asks panic clear in his voice. Looking to Greylocke he adds in a calmer voice: "Thank you for the divine intervention father." Continuing to Haroon he mumbles: "And thanks I guess."
Seeing the ladders Oliver only says: "Finally."
Valtyra stops a few rungs up and looks down, "We need to get the others, they don't know we have cleared the area of danger." She then climbs back down the ladder begins to head back through the maze and other rooms to get the others from the entrance of the enemy's place.
Haroon smacks his forehead. Of course! Anevia and Aravashnial, and the goodfolk who guided us here! Haroon scurries back to Valtyra to fetch them, cloak kicking up to reveal his tail as he hastens downward.
"Agreed. Those above will not fall quietly. Still, we should be cautious entering the streets until we know more of what's going on. Let's gather up the others, and slowly head up to see what state the city lies."
Mordan stands near the ladder, waiting for the rest to gather up before venturing up first.
Lann, Anevia, Aravashnil (and Hargu's remains) have waited patiently for your return. They eagerly listen to your descriptions of the battle to clear out this lair of the vial and the vicious.
Upon learning of the three Templar safe houses, Anevia is eager to get this information to Irabeth and the Eagle Watch. Aravashnial is particularly intrigued by the mention of the Tower of Estrod being a safe house and would like to either investigate it or learn more about it second hand.
As you emerge from the sewers, you step into a city vastly different from the one you left at the start of the adventure.
The tremors and demonic attacks have devastated the city, leaving it a smoking, apocalyptic ruin. Deep chasms riddle the city, while the paths of enormous demons have left ruinous trails of rubble extending out from the city's heart.
Above, the once-familiar skyline of Kenabres and forever changed-the tower of the Kite and the Cathedral of St. Clydwell having been completely destroyed, while elsewhere plumes of dark smoke still rise from the smoldering remains of burned-down buildings. Fat buzzards wheel above in skies scarred by red smoke and black clouds. The Worldwound
has expanded its borders, and now the city of Kenabres is enveloped in it.
The place feels deserted, yet it's never long before the scream of a fresh victim peals through the soot encrusted streets, indicating that number of survivors has dropped again. Evidence of violence lie everywhere, whether burned buildings, splashes of blood, or dead bodies waiting to be claimed by vultures.
Haroon stands agog at the destruction of Kenabres. Oh gods above, he whispers, it's... gone. They've destroyed it! Somehow the Wardstone failed... Those damned Templars! He covers his face with his hand, and then clenches it into a fist as he looks up.