Broderus orients his eyes to the dim light in the cavern and also looks around carefully for any signs of goblins or undead.
"I'll second Treygan's opinion. How about the dry path first?"
"Yes. That is agreeable."
Yeah depending on how deep that water is I might need some help...so lets go with the dry route first!
The squeeze into the next cavern is quite... intimate, and the particularly large gravel beneath your feet does not agree with the plate mail of your resident Goblinbane. As you move, you are starting to realize that moving away from the water was a wise choice, as simply walking upright requires a bit of an effort here with the moisture and the loose flooring.
Immediately upon entering the cavern, you recognize that things are not particularly well. A faint stench of decay easily recognizable from the stagnant waters without assaults your nostrils, and as you turn the corner, you recognize that you have discovered the lair of a rather large spider.
At its feet lies a prone animal, something vaguely reptilian in nature, but you cannot be certain unless you get closer with your torches
The spider is a giant wolf spider. It has darkvision, tremor sense, can climb fairly well and shoot web. Also, you do not want to get bit by one because it is poisonous.
Also, the creature it is currently eating is a gecko of some sorts.
With that check, yes, you do know that while feeding the spider is unlikely to pursue you. It will likely become aggressive if its meal is disturbed.
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Broderus, unfamiliar with these surroundings, slowly shuffles into the chamber, his hands gripping his weapons tightly. He tries to stay in the field of light created by Treygan and Seiji,watching his footing carefully. He eyes the spider but doesn't make any overtly aggressive actions towards it.
-
"Ugly bugger. Think it'll come fer us when he be done?" Valcrim asks the rest when he spots the spider, hefting his shield and hammer, ready to throw down, should the arachnid menace decide that it wants desserts.
"If it has just fed, unlikely." Seiji replies, his voice low. "By its markings and proportions, I can tell that it is a wolf spider, though I have not seen one of so great a size before. It should act in a similar manner to its smaller kin. If it perceives a threat to its lair, or to its meal, it will certainly attack us. If we leave it be, it should ignore us. Be sure that it already knows we are here. It can feel us."
This is where I hope you can all appreciate that being small puts me in a somewhat terrifying situation...that thing is...ah...HUGE! Just someone stay between me and it, just in case. Yea?
Valcrim steps out ahead of the party as they pass along the opposite wall "Tha' be me sacred task in life, lad." he solemnly tells Joyabraund, his keen eyes locked on the spider, ready to engage it if it so much as hisses at his friends.
Stepping back from the spider's lair, you find yourself in the main cavern again, and with Treygan and his torch leading, at the edge of the water. Being intelligent and wise adventurer's, you pause near the edge to pick up a loose rock and sink it into the waters. It lands with a meaty thunk and you each pause on the ball of your feet in the pregnant moments that follow, as though expecting something to rise from the sediment and attack you-
But the only thing you hear is the continued dripping from the walls, and the occasional rustling of the nettles with the breeze and snap of the flames on Treygan's torch.
As Broderus enters the water, it quickly becomes apparent that this is no typical surface pool. Two steps in it is close to his knees, and he has a fair distance to go. The loose rocks that make up the floor are covered in stagnant water sludge and extremely slippery. It is safe to assume the shorter folk in the party will have difficulty making this crossing.
-
Valcrim takes a deep breath and speaks a short prayer to Torag to shield his pride () and stows away his shield so his balance is improved, before trying his best to cross.
Anything but graceful, the dwarf manages to stay standing, giving credence to the famed dwarven stability, drawing his shield when he is safely across, ready to take on any danger, and block it from approaching his prone companions.
"Looks like my turn." Despite the heavy armor, Treygan shows off skills unexpected by such a divine warrior, staying afoot with ease. "Looks like all that time imitating Shalelu paid off when I was younger."
Ya know you guys need to limber up. Do some stretching?
Joya crosses with the skill of a person simply built for such activity.
Upon seeing Treygan cross Joya will clap silently, VERY impressive sir paladin. You have a future in the arts if the adventuring ever grows tiresome!
Valcrim gives a sigh of relief that he made it over without the involuntarily soak, and clutches his iron holy symbol, offering a prayer for the safety of his companions.
"Don't be worryin'" he calls to Broderus "Yer armor should be fine if ye let me clear out tha joints later tonight." he assures him.
After some difficulty for Broderus and Yamamoto Seiji, and aide from the unflappable Father Goblinbane, the group finds themselves on the other side of the water, and back on loose rocky ground.
You find yourselves at yet another junction. There is another small fissure in the cave walls to your left, that when investigated, yields a very slight stirring of air. Ahead of you, the path is wide enough for several of you to stand abreast if you intend to power through.
"The wider path would be best." As he speaks, Seiji fingers through his satchel, ensuring that all his alchemical components remain sealed. "We can investigate the smaller sections on our way out."
Broderus runs his hands through his wet hair, "Someone remind me to find a nice strong fire tonight."
A sheepish grin appears on his face as he realizes the party's two trackers took the worst tumbles in the water, even as their heavily armored dwarf stood firm!
"Yes, the wider path should be the better choice," he says as he steps forward.
-
"Me eyes see well in tha dark. Keep yerselves behind me, lads, an' I'll lead fer now. Underground be tha domain o' dwarves." Valcrim gruffly announces, turning ahead and using his darkvision to see what the cavern holds beyond the lightsources carried, then, if no threat is apparent, starts forward.
You enter the cavern, and see laying on the floor four human skeletons, scattered about this large area. They do not seem mobile, which jars from the information you collected outside...
There are two skeletons hiding in the water at R15 and T11
The skeletons battered armor seems to be Tian make.
Grasping his weapons tightly now, Broderus walks into the large cavern just behind Valcrim.
"These skeletons appear truly dead, but let me investigate a little closer."
Using the light flowing from Treygan and Seiji, he walks over to the nearest pile of bones and prods the skeleton with his longsword.
-
-
Treygan follows Broderus to provide him with light. "Must say, I'm a bit disappointed. I thought we would have found some evil lair or something. Probably for the best though."
You guys don't listen to bard's much huh? The skeletons will look dead until we move to leav or find their treasure or something. How dull would it be if they just popped up for no good reason?
The surprise on Seiji's face is evident as he leans over the crumpled skeleton. These adornments are of Tian make! Father showed me pictures of armor near identical to that which these fallen warriors wear. Astounding...
Initative:
Initiative
The Heroes
Yamamoto Seiji - 12
Valcrim Flinthammer - 7
Broderus - 5
Treygan Gorski - 1
Joyabraund Northropple
The Monsters
Skeletons
Broderus's prodding causes the skeleton beneath him to stir, provoking an attack of opportunity if he has combat reflexes.
Taking a step backwards, Seiji pulls loose a small vial from his satchel. He flings it at the skeleton that has risen before him.
Attack (Bomb) - vs. Touch AC
If it hits, it deals points of fire damage.
His eyes growing wide as saucers, Broderus steps back a foot as the prone skeleton stirs. Long have I head tales of the restless dead, but to actually see one...
Both of his hands tighten around his mace, and a cold sweat runs down his back.
=
=
Round 1
Seeing the skeletons arise from behind, Treygan moves to help intercept them.
Joya clears his throat and begins to relate the tale of Amberin of Katapesh and his classic fight against the risen skeletons of Ashen Sun Outpost.
Joya will stay in his starting square for now.
Attack:
Damage:
If the skeleton is dead, he takes a move action to engage the one next to Joyabraund, interposing himself between the skeleton and the halfling.
Skelly R10 reflex vs. bomb
Round One
Seeing the skeleton rise, Joyabraund leaps into form, and his performance lends to the natural abilities of his comrades. Unfortunately for Yamamoto Seiji, his bomb misses his target, and it shifts as it rises, avoiding most of the splash damage. Valcrim's mighty blow utterly crushes the skull of the skeleton in front of him, and he moves to protect his comrade, Joyabraund from the next attack. Broderus, with his improvised club, scores a rather heard hit, bringing the skeleton threatening him down. Treygan Gorski moves around and brings down the skeleton that Yamamoto Seiji failed to with his improvised club, as it has yet to rise.
Round Two
The remaining skeletons shamble to their feet, and those hiding in the water become visible as they stand, and the skeletons at Q5 and T11 provoke attacks of opportunity from Father Flinthammer and Treygan Gorski. The skeleton at R15 rises and advances into melee, but has wasted his actions doing so, and cannot attack.
On his turn, Valcrim turns to look for any remaining targets, and charges ahead, shield leading, hammer crashing down overhead.
Attack:
Despite his gusto, the attack swings at empty air.
Perception:
Seeing the battle is pretty well in hand, Broderus scans furiously for an opponent to target. He decides to lend support to his comrades covering the skeletons emerging from the water.
=
=
Seiji pulls another vial from his belt, and quaffs the liquid within.
Treygan makes another attack against the skeleton menace.
Round Two, Continued
As the skeletons rise near your divine champions, Father Flinthammer and Treygan Gorski, their reactions flawlessly dispatch the abominations, and they clatter to the rocky ground in heaps of decimated bone. Yamamoto Seiji steps away from danger and drinks deeply from a vial, which Joyabraund observes with his typical halfling fervor and inquires after the name of the brewer, expounding upon a happier time with his lads that is slightly less inspiring than he was before . Valcrim, feeling Torag's LAW flow through his hammer, charges ahead but misses his intended target. In quick succession, Broderus and Treygan Gorski too step in to assist, but not a one manage to land a hit on this remaining skeleton!
Round Three
The remaining skeleton, finding that his opponents have done him the favor of standing still to receive his blows shoves at Father Flinthammer with his bony claws. The second hits, and draws blood from the cleric's steely maw.
Yamamoto Seiji, feel free to flank :P
Seeing the skeleton still standing after all their attacks, Broderus lets out a yelp and swings hard at its skull.
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Seiji hooks his crossbow onto his belt, and draws a sickle from behind his back, edging closer to the final skeleton.