Even jerks awake at the approaching noise, grab his Halberd once again, and stares blearily at the approaching flesh creature. He staggers forward and mutters something mostly incoherent and rushes forth and takes a swing at the ... thing.
"Well, if it's slow I'll hold it off for a moment while you two start backing up."
Xipe, launches two arrows towards the rolling blob of flesh. The first arrow thuds in the dirt, but the second thuds into the side of the disgusting mound.
Damage: 13 ooze
The blob than slams back the heavily armored food.
+ fort save if I hit
You guys are up.
Even: next to blob
Xipe/Yurian's are 30' from it
Xipe launches two more arrows at the thing, hoping arrows can even hurt a giant blob.
"Never heard of this sort of thing, not natural!"
Seeing his short sword have minimal effect, Yurian backs off and takes a shot with his his crossbow.
Xipe, launches two more arrows while Yurian launches a bolt of his own.
All three hit, and the blob is peppered ad now multiple projectiles stick out from it.
Damage:
blob: 35
Yes, I stacked you and missed horribly. And sorry bout your computer, I know the feeling. Will bot you if you go dark.
Even takes another hack at the blob.
Even leaves a nasty gash in the blob as it dissolves into a pile of goop.
Sifting through the revolting and disgusting mess, you find a ring of protection +1, as well as 10 durable blunt arrows.
Your group heads inland, but stays within a half-days distance to the coastline. You travel for a couple miles, as you reach the treeline. You run parallel to the treeline and keep both terrains near you.
A full day, goes by without issue, surprising the wizard has enjoyed harassing you. During this time, you all feel re-energized and rejuvenated to combat the mad mad wizard.
The three of you continue inland for another full days travel, night has fallen and the air is crisp. Gulls occasionally squawk around, hoping to get some free food. Little do they know, that you view them as a primary food source.
The moon is half-full, providing decent illumination for the watches.
Even's watch goes by without any problem, but the same cannot be said for Xipe's watch. On her watch, she hears the once friendly squawks of the gulls to completely vanish from the sky.
Xipe looks around, and nothing comes into view. Nothing North, West, South, East or above. She takes another look above, and sees it. She is unsure what it is, but it is coming down from high above to wreck whatever plans at a restful night sleep your group has.
Xipe hisses to the others to wake up, nudging them with her toe. She nocks an arrow and begins to study the creature. If possible she will try to hide.
"Something is coming from the sky. Wake up and be ready for a fight."
"Hmm?"
Yurian pulls himself out from his bedroll, loads his crossbow and checks that his short swords are secure.
Even rolls out of his bedroll, grabbing his Halberd ... and then looks up.
"Oh, great. I do not think I'll have the couple minutes needed to armor up, so lets hope this one is ... different, and doesn't attack us immediately."
Even moves a bit away from where Xipe's voice was moments before, so as to spread out a touch.
The creature continues to come down from the sky. As it gets closer, you see a glint come from its general direction, as the moon is high overhead. After nearly 12 seconds of tense moments, and wondering if this will be the end of your lives...it lands.
Before you is a dragon, tiny in size. Its scales are a dull, but amazing shade of copper. It opens its mouth, and you see gas start to coalesce in its maw.
"Dragon stop! What do you want with us? Leave us in peace. We are prisoners here, and tired of being harassed every day!"
(awesome!)
"Help us or leave us or we make you into a satchel!"
Even looks tiredly at the tiny dragon.
"Please. We're very tired of getting attacked by he who rules this Island and his minions. Are you going to attack us for no reason too?"
Yurian keeps his crossbow trained on the creature, "Should I shoot it?"
The dragon, with gas forming in its mouth, closes in a sign of backing off.
It begins to speak in draconic, than switches to common to make things easier.
Who are you? I see you have killed an evil brother?
He stands about 75' from you, in a defensive posture.
Xipe replies in Draconic at first, then also switches to Common. "I am Xipe. These are my companions. We are trapped on this island by an evil wizard. We have slain a dragon that attacked us a few days ago."
The dragon looks at Xipe as it too switches between draconic and common.
Interesting. It seems that we have a mutual goal, in escaping this accursed island. I have found that no matter how far I fly, in any direction. I eventually run into an invisible barrier. I am unsure how this wizard in question managed to encapsulate ab island, but I would love to tell him how I feel about it, as the dragon lets out a snort.
A few moments pass, the dragon takes flight.
I will leave you, and wish you the best of luck. Should I find out any information, I will attempt to find you and tell you. If you come across my hoard, feel free to take it if you find it will help you in your journey. I ask you leave the pearl ring, it has sentimental value.
With those parting words, he takes flight and leaves you to the rest of your evening.
---------------
The next morning, Even dons his armor and you start to continue traveling in the southeastern direction. After a few hours of traveling, you come across a sinkhole in the ground. It is not impassable, but it is a good 40 feet in diameter. There is no easy way down, other than tying rope to the top and free-repelling down.
Xipe nods to the dragon, wishing to talk more, but isn't sure what to say and neither of them appeared to know much information. Long ago her tribe spoke draconic, and as a matter of tradition it was taught to all the people, even if it was rarely used, except for rituals. It seemed strange to her that here and now it came in handy.
Later at the sink hole,
"This might seem crazy. But I feel like we should investigate the sink hole. Inumerable things may have fallen into it over time. We can secure a rope."
Yurian crouches down next to the sinkhole, "Actually, I'd be fine going down too. Seems like we haven't had a lot of luck finding this wizard's tower above ground; maybe he headquarters underground."
"Course, I don't like what that dragon said about that invisible barrier; makes it sound far too much like there is no way off this island. Anybody else ever hear that story about the wizard with a world in a bottle, sitting in his laboratory? It's pretty hard to find the wizard's home when we're already there, and this whole island is just sitting in a jar on his desk."
"I have no objection to seeking answers below. Our new friend would most likely find anything that there is to find above ground. I find myself not surprised by the invisible barrier, and while I have no idea if your idea Yuri is what's actually happening, I find it plausible. Lets see if we can find something sturdy to tie a rope to."
Even wanders around looking for something that would hold a couple hundred pounds without worry.
Xipe stands around pondering, kicking at a pebble with her toe. "No rope." She chuckles raspily.
"Here."
Everyone looks around for rope, and realize nobody has any. Yurian double checks his gear and realizes he was looking right at it, and a sigh of relief is heard by all. Xipe, secures the rope to the bottom of an exposed tree trunk, the strength of the rope is then tested. After all looks good, Even casts light on his sword and the group repels down into the darkness below.
At the end of the 40' drop, you come to a long dark passageway. It extends 40' in a eastern direction before turning south.
"Hey this could make a safe refuge. Someone built something down here. Hopefully no one is home."
She has an arrow knocked, ready to pull and fire. Proceeding cautiously....
The sinkhole is dark, pitch black darkness. Even moves forward, as Xipe has an ear out should something be scurrying about.
Nothing is heard, unless your heavy breathing counts. Everyone progresses slowly forward, towards the corner. Even take a peek around the corner, and he sees that the passageway south goes beyond the vision of his light spell, while there is a passage that heads east, about twenty feet from his current location.
The group, decides to go east. Even peer down the eastern passageway, and 30 feet down the passageway, near a pile of rocky earth, there is a strange creature.
The creature looks like a giant cricket, with a large mushroom cap fused to its back. It doesn't appear to notice your approach to the corner. It looks at though it is scavenging for food of some sort in the rubble. It chomps on a small rat it found in the rubble, as you continue to observe it from a safe distance.
"Should we leave it alone? It seems unlikely to be intelligent."
The group heads past the creature. It turns its head towards you, but ultimately leaves you three alone as you seem to be a meal too large to be worthwhile.
Even and Xipe can see a passageway that heads south...and what appears to be set of stairs that head downwards to the north past the passage that heads east from your current location.
"Shall we continue East before going down deeper? All the adventurers that have come through my sleepy little village said something or other about things being more dangerous, the deeper you went into the earth. Though that was almost immediately followed by something about the rewards always being better the deeper you went."
Xipe nods at Even. "Yes, that seems like good thinking. At this point, what have we got to lose? We can always run away." she says jokingly, her think accent and blunt delivery making it hardly a joke.
"Might as well. I we die, I'm just hoping it's quick."
The boy sounds depressingly resigned.
"You guys want me to go first? I'm pretty good at spotting anything suspicious."
As he's suggested, he moves into the lead, headed towards the descending stairs.
The three of you continue down the southern hall, before descending deeper into the sinkhole. Yurian, takes point, and as he turns the corner, he hears a hissing sound farther down the corridor.
Moments later, a elephantine centipede scurries about, its double tail lashing angrily behind it.
It looks up, as much as a huge vermin can and its mandibles twitch about as it sees its next meal.
Initiative
Tracker: round 1
Xipe: go
Yurian: go
Me:
Even:
"Uh oh. Trouble."
Given that it is still down the hall, he brings his crossbow to bear an looses at the segmented thing.