Round 3:
Contented as his corrosive payload serves to strip the unlife from the festrog, Chitleen hurls another of his alkhahest bombards forth...
Alkahest Ho: for (6 splash)
Despite the low ceiling and the monk looming before him, Chitleen hurls his bomb directly at the farthest Festrog. It explodes on target dissolving undead flesh wherever the alkhahest falls. In moments nothing is left of the remaining festrogs except bits of bone floating in stinking foamy puss.
Lockjaw shakes festrog from his axe.
"Hah! Did you see that? Cut 'em in half. Nice work elf!"
"Think there's more? How many more bombs ye got?"
Lockjaw squeezes past Mankato once the pools finish bubbling. His companions will be able to note this is the one time he doesn't smell worse than his surroundings.
Chitleen regards his work with the calm removal of an expert in his trade and gives it a cursory nod of satisfaction. Moving after Lockjaw, Chitleen is wary of more festrogs awaiting further down the tunnel.
Is it possible something is making these things or do you think some disease caused this and that just a mine full of these?
Karrak nods appreciatively at his companions' competence in the face of danger. After the battle he tries to assess the damage.
To Mankato: "Maybe we will find the answers ahead. If not I shall commune with Torag on the morrow."
Surveying the tactical situation, he moves into the position behind Lockjaw so he can use his reach weapon. He takes his crossbow in hand and loads it.
"Beh, prolly made together. If'n ther like animals could be dozens spread out."
As previously noted your explosive casks are truly effective. It does have the desired effect of lessening the odour these undead dissipate once given the final death.
Daeron sniffs the air a little and adds,
Perhaps a dilution could be used for hygiene purposes as well?
Daeron spends a while looking around while holding aloft the light infused stone.
It takes little further effort to determine the extents of the tunnel. After only about another hundred feet, the passage ends abruptly. It appears to have caved in and little headway will be made without a tremendous and well supported effort. Some of the loose rocks have been cleared from the passage to create a small chamber which by its foul odor apparently served as a den for the festrog.
"Best to search it fer clues. Any of ye game or do ye wanna keep watch while I look?"
Karrak wrinkles up his nose and searches the chamber, using his holy Light spell for illumination.
Perception: adding +1 for Guidance orison.
+2 for unusual stonework
I would be interested to scout out the chamber beyond, foul smell or not. Let us see whether anything still awaits beyond.
Daeron tosses the light stone into the opening, and awaits for a response.
You take your time searching the tunnel for any clues that might reveal what happened here or at least explain the origins of the festrogs, but you turn up nothing more. The dead end contains nothing of interest besides a vile smell. Likewise the tunnel is well shored up, but not noteworthy. Back at the entrance chamber however, a careful search reveals a pair of potion vials carefully hidden behind a rock.
Daeron stoops the potions and examines it closely for any signs of magical essence within.
We have a respite from these foul undead. Now, what is the next action would you propose. I have yet to drain myself of magic and we have barely begun our descent.
Daeron identifies an emergency stash containing a potion of remove paralysis and a potion of remove disease.
The tunnel is a dead end. The dwarves believe this tunnel was an attempt to burrow straight into the lower mines, but given the loose rock material moved, it quickly collapsed. Further effort would require extensive use of wood braces that would take on the order of years and exposure to gnoll attack which was possibly the death knell for this operation.
The main entrance to the settlement and mine is at the end of the road leading to fortifications higher up the mountain.
Daeron handles the vials and stuffs it in his front pouch.
I have deduced them to be concoctions for removal of paralysis and disease. I think it would be appropriate if I kept it till the need arises.
"Sure, might come in handy. Headin' to the main entrance now er what?"
That is what I would propose. Unless you dwarves would like to take a breather?
Karrak looks at the tunnels and wonders if he should have spent more time mining with the other dwarves instead of reading books.
"Breather? We're just getting warmed up. Right, Lockjaw?" Karrak gets ready to go.
I am ready to follow and try to also find something I can use for distant attacking as well. I have not been on many of these adventures and forgot such a thing.
As you exit the stinking tunnel after taking some time to make a careful search, you find that the sun has nearly moved behind the mountain that you were just beneath. It is early evening as you head back through the forest of tombs to the old road up to the fortifications.
Karrak offers Mankato the use of his heavy crossbow.
"Perhaps we should look for a defensible place to camp. I would hate to get surrounded in the middle of the night."
As they emerge from the mine Chitleen is thankful for the burgeoning dark taking the sting from his sensitive eyes. He then ruminates "Well we have seen some of what there is to fear here... and one thinks that our employer's thought of easy recovery was optimistic at best. Caution must be held in high regard as we continue..."
On the topic of a place to camp "If we are to rest, I would suggest among the unnamed dead. While macabre it would give us best chance to shield our camp from idle sight."
If we must rest then some fortification should be erected. What we see in the day would find darkness very much to their liking.
"If we camp it will give me the opportunity to pray and meditate and be ready for battle tomorrow. Channeling so much divine energy is strangely draining.
Perhaps we could camp in the entrance room to the tunnel we just explored. We know there is nothing beyond it so we would only need to guard against attack from the entrance, and we should be able to see danger as it approaches."
The group apparently spent more time in the tunnel than expected. Upon seeing evening approaching, the group stops under the darkening pines to discuss their plans.
"Aye, I agree with Karrak, the tunnel can be defended."
Lockjaw will look to stack up stones and debris along the barrier to reinforce it.
Didn't help these sods but at least we'll die in the earth.
I am willing to go along with that plan.
It is decided that perhaps the fortifications would be better approached during the light of day. Discussion then turns to a proper place to camp and the dwarves and earth blooded monk weigh in on the benefits of the festrogs' tunnel. At least the air near the entrance is good enough.
Lockjaw does his best to pile the biggest bits of debris at the entrance as a nod to some kind of barrier and you eat your rations and settle for the night. Chitleen takes the first watch and it is not long after darkness settles over the valley that you hear the first barking shouts of the foul festrogs prowling the woods.
Wary of the noises, but unable to see well enough to get any idea of how close they are... Chitleen settles in close to the others so that they might be awoken easily... and waits.
Chitleen moves back from the meager barricade to his sleeping companions and waits in the darkness. The weird vocalizations of the festrog, unintelligible yet so voice-like, continue outside. Chitleen can almost make out actual words in the hoarse shouts as he listens warily. At times the noise seems to draw near and then recede for a while.
Finally, near the end of his watch and the start of Karrak's post, the noise definitely draws nearer to the entrance of the tunnel. Chitleen has no need to wake the others as only the dead would be not be alerted by the racket just beyond the barricade.
Chitleen slowly paces backwards to be stench between himself and the undead and reaches within his satchel for another vial of his alkahest.
Karrak readies his crossbow and heads to the entrance, hoping to get off a shot before they close.
Karrak arouses quickly ready for his turn at watch and hears the undead at their doorstep. It takes him a moment to don his armor and move to the entrance with his crossbow loaded.
The entrance is a ten by ten opening with lumber, boulders, and broken equipment roughly stacked about two feet high. High enough to hinder a charge if nothing else. Beyond the tunnel, Karrak sees the furtive shapes of the festrog in the darkness. There must be a score of them hungrily shouting as they lope forward ducking from boulder to boulder.
Karrak lets out a whistle and quickly calls the others. "About 20 of them!"
Karrak moves to the barricade, fires at the closest one, and then drops the crossbow behind him and pulls out his dorn-dergar.
Attack:
Damage:
Hit:
Damage:
Daeron feels himself clawed back to the present by the unearthly growls and grating noises of their new adversaries. Pulling himself to a stand he notices the others up and quietly readying for battle, the sign of seasoned adventurers as the festrog make their way to the cave opening.
Slipping his hand into his reagent pouch, Daeron readies to cast some choice spells as battle becomes imminent.
"Dammit. Less we got some time and ye can help I'm going armorless for this one. Gotta learn to sleep in it. Save me life mebbe."
Lockjaw equips his shield and axe and stands the line with Karrack.
Mankato helps assist Lockjaw if looks like can get him into his armor but will move up to the entrance if not.
We will need to be cautious here if so many of them are gathering. We need to be careful with healing so we don't run out too fast.
"We can take turns on the barricade and hold them off. Chitleen, I hope you have more of those acid bombs."
I only have one channel energy left and I plan to make good use of it.
Chitleen grimaces as Karrak draws the attention of the festrog "Let them come to us... into the tunnel is we can force them."
"Aye, we can fall back into the tunnel if need be."
I would slicken the path leading to our refuge, only if to delay their advance.
Daeron's fingers keeps to his spell pouch, fingering the knob of butter that slowly lubricates his index finger and thumb.
Chitleen hisses with urgency "We should fall into the tunnel now. It will limit the number that can be brought against us and make them swarm together... which would be more advantageous for my alkahest."
Karrak moves toward the entrance and is joined by Mankato and an unarmored Lockjaw as Chitleen calls to fall back into the narrow tunnel. Daeron's components are readily at hand as the first festrogs leap the barricade!
Chitleen
Karrak
Daeron
Lockjaw
Mankato
Festrogs
Round 1:
Having not moved to the barricade and instead remained within the tunnel, Chitleen does not have a clear line of action to the undead... and he has little intent of moving his sweetly scented elven form into the firing line. He waits for the festrog to make an appearance.