Since the figure seems appropriately Fascinated, difficult to see, and armed only with a dagger, Shayne would approach to E22 anyway for a closer look.
"I have found a lone person here.
Everyone should feel free to draw near.
No threatening behavior or my charm will end,
Perhaps it will surrender or be a friend.
"With robes and a dagger I guess he can cast,
Someone be ready to interrupt a blast.
If Caylen could bring my shield and stay back,
Not sure if nearby light would be considered an attack."
Round three: Rema (now acting), Aak, Caylen, Silx, and Shayne.
____
At first Caylen doesn't get Shayne's trick of wordplay, but after a moment she realizes that part of his hypnotic song is instructional. Swiftly crouching down, she picks up the small shield in both hands and carries it on front of herself, staying behind Aak so as to not flood the hallway with such bright light.
Rema calmly approaches within reach of the creature Shayne has sung of. She readies an action incase the creature reacts violently.
Silx slowly approaches the figure, making sure he does so in a non-threatening manner
As others approach, the figure remains intently watching Shayne.
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Aak will use his body to shield the light from the Shayne's shield until it is with its owner. Once delivered Aak will stow his weapon keeping his shield out with his spiked gauntlet on. Aak is horrible with words so he will not try to make "friends" with this stranger. Aak will prepare an auction to grapple the fascinated guy if he tries to cast an aggressive spell at anyone in the group. Aak will be 5' behind Rema ready to charge forward in case something bad happens
Although the sitting figure seems to have taken notice of Aak's approach, Shayne's singing still demands its attention.
Round three: Rema (readied action), Aak (readied action), Caylen (now acting), Silx, and Shayne.
As Caylen carries the shield through the tunnel the darkness seems to be working to diminish the light some how. Though this diminishing of the light holds in the tunnel, it seems to relent near the rocks in front of the creature.
Round three: Rema (readied action), Aak (readied action), Caylen (move taken), Silx (now acting), and Shayne.
Silx approaches slowly, and tries to gently take the knife away
With a flash of realization the figure's attention shifts to Silx...
As the figure grasps solidly on its dagger and begins to lunge forward, Rema's fist flashes toward it.
Stunning Fist:
Flailing uselessly in the dark, Rema's fist flies wide...
The figure continues lunging toward Silx...
Atttack: , Dmg: .
Reflex roll for Silx to see if he reacts quickly enough to get out of harms way (DC 19).
Take damage and Fort save (DC 15) if Reflex roll misses DC 19.
Round three: Rema (action complete), Aak (readied action), Caylen (move taken), Silx (rolls remaining), and Shayne (now acting).
After Rema's fist flies wide, Aak storms forward - powerfully bashing the creature with his shield.
Round three: Rema (action complete), Aak (action complete), Caylen (move taken), Silx (action complete), and Shayne (now acting).
Shayne curses in Undercommon. "Pooh covered gorsebushes! Silly Drow, you are supposed to be our diplomat, not a kleptomaniac. How were you hoping to grab a poisoned dagger by the blade anyway, with this pale friend already holding the hilt? Good thing our Half-Orc is around to protect you. By all Hooper's flavored raincoats!"
Then to the creature: "Do you happen to know where we could sell some food, or hire a guide for the way South to Minmish? Now beg pardon while I ask my many, large, strong, blood-thirsty friends to not squash you flat or turn you into a toad unless you attack again." Shayne winks--unless it's a leer--a bit difficult to tell in these shadows.
Finally, in Common: "I've told it we will not attack again unless it attacks first."
The creature looks with great confusion at Shayne. It mutters something about "the master's tongue" in Undercommon and then shouts angrily in a language none of the group understands.
Dispite it's shouting the figure is clearly shaken.
Round four: Rema (delayed action), Aak (now acting), Caylen, Silx, and
Rema delays, waiting to see if the creature will attack.
"Shayne!" Caylen shouts, worriedly, when she hears the creature shrieking in its native tongue. The young oracle rushes ahead with the shield to bring the light up in to the area where the altercation appears to be happening. As she does, she worriedly offers a look to Aak.
_____________
As Caylen walks forward with the shield the light suddenly brightens, as if the darkness is pressing against it with less strength.
Round four: Rema (delayed action), Aak (readied acting), Caylen (move taken), Silx (now acting), and Shayne.
"Oh great," Shayne sighs in Undercommon. "It's a Pale-Beaked Sputterer. They're Lawful Livid, and their sentries do not know the difference between guarding a corridor and decorating it with their innards. We will probably have to kill it. Fraggle fewmets!"
Reflex
Fort
Silx gets ready to fight the creature, then is blinded. His heart jumps but he tries to keep calm, palming his dagger and moving backwards, one hand in front of his eyes
Round four: Rema (delayed action), Aak (readied acting), Caylen (move taken), Silx (action taken), and Shayne (now acting).
Shayne sings, "Bim bom, bim biddy bom".
Talking to the creature again, he asks in Undercommon, "So, talk?". A small, strange and slightly wrong-looking egg appears in his hand.
"Or fight?". Shayne squashes the egg.
The creature glances with concern at the group surrounding him after Shayne squashes the egg. Then he looks further into the dark tunnel and a look of fear flashes over his face. "Must obey", he mumbles in Undercommon followed by more words in some other language.
Rema looks at Shayne, "Do you know what he is saying? Will he surrender?" She stand ready to respond to violence.
Round five: Rema (readied action), Aak (now acting), Caylen, Silx, and Shayne.
Shayne first replies to the creature in Undercommon. "Trolls under the bridge to Terabithia! Have you no imagination? What exactly are you required to do to pass this 'test'? How is the test worded? Were you given a test or a death sentence? Think carefully. I expect you are just befuddled from the lingering effects of my song."
Then he answers Rema in Common. "Probably not. He is not merely a sentry, but put here as some sort of test. Fight us or die. He is not creative enough to find a loophole."
.
The creature gestures toward the group members and makes a cutting motion with his dagger across his throat. Then the creature points at himself, makes a walking motion with his fingers, points further into the tunnel, and makes another cutting motion with his dagger across his throat.
He says, "many words," in Undercommon, then mumbles on in a different language.
Seeing a confused look cross Shayne's brow as he tries to follow the creature's words, Rema focuses her attention (using her readied action).
"I can understand the creature's words for a time, but I cannot speak it's language."
Rema continues, doing her best to relay the creature's words in common.
"You cannot be a master. You speak a master's words, but do not understand the trial. I must pass this test if I am to serve any of the masters. I must serve a master."
"It keeps repeating that you cannot be a master." Rema indicates the creature is speaking about Shayne.
Shayne shrugs at Rema. "True enough. You're our leader. I'm just the one everyone listens to."
He sighs again. "I was at least hoping it would tell us about his leaders--by telling us about its 'test' it might share more than it intended about its people. It probably is some incurably evil thing that needs to be killed. But in lots of stories those can have surprising usefulness to an enterprising hero, at least until they try to eat everyone's food or steal the cursed jewelry."
Shayne tries once more to pacify the creature, speaking in Undercommon. "Does the test say you have to challenge us? Does it have to be a fight? Can we play checkers or trade riddles instead?"
"Or does the test say you have to keep us from going down the tunnel past you? Can we burrow under you instead?"
"Or does the test say you have to guard this tunnel? Ta da! You saw us. Well done with being a lookout. We have not stolen anything. Well done with that guarding. Can we wave farewell and keep going?"
"Or does the test say that we cannot pass you? Then stay a few steps in front as we proceed. We will not pass you, and you can introduce us to your people's merchants."
"At the very least, if you are sure you cannot succeed in the test, then before we fight at least tell us your name and the name of your superior who assigned you an impossible test. Then when we meet him we will show him justice for wasting your life in a silly manner."
Shayne points at Caylen. "By George's missing tail! See her hands? She serves a fire god. She can turn into a healing fire--whoosh! Can she be a master?"
"Or maybe the Drow? He is probably our oldest and wisest, even if he is too fond of collecting poisons. Can he be a master?"
The creatures eyes grow wide as Shayne speaks, as if overwhelmed. It resumes babbling in it's native language.
Rema does her best to keep up with the panicked creature's words.
"You cannot. Drow speak words, but are not. She human. Not us. I must have proof."
The creature lunges forward..
Round five: Rema (action complete), Aak (now acting), Caylen, Silx, and Shayne.
"Wait, Aak! I don't think it-- " Caylen yelps as she watches Aak lunge towards the rag-dressed creature. Frightened and not sure how to proceed, Caylen stumbles back a step and looks to Shayne for instructions. Burning a pile of seething rats is one thing, but actually killing another sentinent creature seems like too tall an order for a girl her age.
_____
After Aak's morning star shears the side of the creature's shoulder it desperately swipes in the half-orc's direction.
, after the attack glances off Aak's armor the creature tries to tumble () out of harms way. The creature falls prone. Attacks of opportunity for Rema, Aak, Shayne, and Silx.
Rema attempts to stun the creature. Stunning Fist: , non-leathal dmg: .
The creature lies stunned and prone in F23. It has dropped its dagger.
Round five: Rema (action complete), Aak (action complete), Caylen (move taken), Silx (now acting), and Shayne.
Aak, clearly not expecting the ragged creature to become a sack of potatoes lying on the floor, attempts to correct at the last second and his Morningstar goes smashing into the stone floor. A good 5' from the ragged man no less.
Round five: Rema (action complete), Aak (action complete), Caylen (move taken), Silx (now acting), and Shayne (now acting).