Karrak stops for a moment in silence as he takes in the entrance to the fabled lost mine, then introduces himself to the berserker.
Wiping the blood from his lips as best his grubby hands can and yanking out the last of the arrows as the healing magic of his kinsman washes over him, Tararr responds to the paladin,"Tararr Trollsplitter, youngster. That's who ya see before ye. Seems these pointy ears have a knack fer throwin' with our lot, hahahaha."
Looking to his friends he says, "It takes a pretty mean beast ta bring me down, elf. Good thing I'm one of the meanest in these parts."
With an inscrutably playful bent to his words "Indeed good Tarrar... though I'd wager you've a worthwhile combatant in those stakes with good Lockjaw here... your mean-ness against his malodorous odour - surely it would be a battle worthy of dwarven annals."
Looking to the mine's entrance Chitleen muses "The way is barred... though I wonder how..."
Disable Device:
Even from a distance, Chitleen can tell that moving the monolithic portcullis would be a titanic effort. All return to Karrak to partake in his second burst of healing energy and discuss further plans.
Squinting at the newcover Lockjaw responds to Chitleen.
"Yer talkin' 'bout my armor o' Torag. Ye noticed ain't nothin' attacked me at night."
Turning back to Tararr.
"Yer lookin' fer a youngster he's over there mine gazing. I'm called o' Torag, Chosen I am, and t'was dwarves hired me ta come here."
Daeron sniffs a little, finding the combined presence of Tarrar and Lockjaw synergistic in a multitude of ways. Reminded of Chitleen's advice, he goes around examining the fallen gnoll's armaments a little closer, gathering and stripping the carcasses of any useful items.
A routine casting of Detect Magic ensures Daeron anything valuable is not missed.
Karrak greets the newcomer. "What were you doing with those gnolls? Should we expect more of them?"
He pulls on one of the looted bows experimentally. "It's too bad I never learned to shoot one of these. I'm sure Daeron can put these mithril arrows to good use, though."
Karrak scans the upper battlements for guards.
Perception:
Looking around, "It looks like there's only one way forward, and that's under the portcullis."
Looking to his elven friends, he says, "I got nabbed up by that bastard at the bridge, but he wasn't the bridge bastard he was a giant man-bat thing. Him an' another plucked me up as I was a chasin them mules of ours. I told ya he was no good! Maybe ye'll listen next time!"
Looking to the new dwarves, he continues,"Them mangy, dog faced, lay abouts tried ta bring me an' them bat fruits down to eat fer dinner. Bats flew off and I grabbed this stuff on my way out. Smacked a couple of 'em real good coming this way after the sneakin' by thing didn't pan out. That got 'em a runnin'. Seemed like the place is crawlin' with these pieces of garbage.", he finishes giving one a kick for good measure.
Chitleen drops the humour and replies in kind "The bat-folk attempted to shanghai Karrak last night also... though it is comforting to know that the hyena and bat do not agree." putting a hand on Tararr's shoulder "It would seem you were right Tararr back after you had supped upon the man's goat... I would wager he always meant us ill."
"The real question of the moment however is whether we press ahead within... or scout about still outside. I would be more at ease if we saved the first foray into the mine until we had a sure sense of the land about it's entrance. Your thoughts sahib?" addressing the question to all.
"Well we know that every damned dog in the house is no aware we have been out herepokin' our noses in their business, I can tell ya that much."
I find it odd that these gnolls are very well equipped indeed. I would see from the craftsmanship these armaments would be worth a fair amount of gold.
Daeron nods on at Chitleen's counsel and replies.
I would agree with my kin. Being prepared before delving would increase our chances of success. I would also expect Tarrar to have some insight of the layout of our surroundings.
"Alright, let's find a bat free hidey hole then. Wouldn't want them ta go after the sweeter tasting dwarves again. Ha!"
Lockjaw laughs loudly before breaking wind and looking about for a secure location.
I do hope what shelter found has at least adequate ventilation, bat free or not.
Tararr shakes his head with disgust at the paladin, saying,"An' yer ta be representin' Torag here..."
"Aye, I am! Ye got a problem with that Tararr?"
Lockjaw flexes his beard muscles to increase its size as he stares at the barbarian pugnaciously.
none of the structures outside the mine look to have been inhabited in a long time and the search for shelter is not too promising. The gate towers below as you found, are too ruined to easily secure against flying invaders though the ground level of each tower was not explored.
The barbican towers at the mine entrance are in better condition, but have been pillaged over centuries and all the doors and other trapping removed.
"I do, ya stinkin' musk ox. Ye ever got near a body of water? Ye smell like an ogre's loin clothe after mating season." Tararr says now face to face with the other dwarf.
"Ha! I trust ye ta have been near an ogre's loincloth whilst it was matin'! This be tha armor o' Torag, ma stench keeps away wimmin and other evils. Water be tha realm o' Magrim and ye well ken it! He'll na ken when I'm dead an rottin' so he canna take me. Ye can smell like flowers and elves if ye want but I'll keep maself pure."
Carefully withdrawing as Tararr and Lockjaw begin to compare beard sizes... Chitleen takes a wry pleasure in the fact that Tararr still wears the pantaloons that were purchased from the gnome. He then salvages the arrows to split with his brethren.
After much jostling and arguing about the length of beards and the finer points of what it is to be a dwarf, then a little pushing and shoving the pair come to a common ground on the fact that gnolls need to hammered and it needs to be done soon. Picking up the axes, Tararr notices Chitleen snicker at the remains of his colorful silken breeches.
"It was likely these damned pants that got me snatched, elf, I should stick yer head in his armor."
Karrak waits for the other dwarves to finish their yelling. He expresses admiration for the axes but decides to stick with his favored weapon. "We could go back and explore under that trap door in the tower. Might be somethin' useful down there."
Thinking about the question of what he had seen, Tararr is momentarily distracted by the hunger rumbling in his stomach,"They had me danglin' over some shaft fer some time. I reckon it must 'ave been fer the better part of a week. That fella from the bridge seemed ta be in charge and came ta taunt me pretty frequent. Lousy host. Didn't offer me a drink 'r nothin', hahaha. Guess I shoulda been nicer the first time. Anyway, couple of his lackies snatched me up an' were takin' me somewhere else when the gnolls took some shots on 'em."
"We he hit the ground and I slipped away. Comin' out I saw a tavern. looked to be the base of operations fer these fellas. They had hummies like them folks I bowled over comin' out inside also. Probably lookin' eat 'em. The mutts that followed me were some lazy, lay abouts that were on guard duty. I'm guessin' that is all I canna remember right now." As his stomach rumbles again, he says,"Which a ya have somethin' ta eat? They got me armor, prized urgrosh, and sack.",he finishes with it being difficult to tell which item he is most distressed about having lost.
"So the bats had you captured, and the hyena-faces have the human slaves? At least they are not working together. How crowded are the mines? Do you think we can find hiding places or are there lookouts everywhere? I do have some food here in my pack. We left a stash of it back at our last camp but it's a good thing *somebody* brought extra." Karrak offers Tararr some bread and dried meat, and water (*Create Water*).
Karrak hands him a platinum ring. "As for armor you can try that spiky gnoll armor if you like. Now my job is keepin' us alive. Sometimes I do it by killin' stuff, sometimes I heal. Well, Torag heals through me. Take this ring. It'll let me absorb some of your damage for a time. Not that I plan on doin' that a lot, but if you're gonna' be a pincushion for those hyenas, I might can keep you alive. And it won't work until tomorrow, so don't get any ideas."
http://www.pathfinder-srd.nl/wiki/Shield_Other_(Spell)
"I do, ya stinkin' musk ox. Ye ever got near a body of water? Ye smell like an ogre's loin clothe after mating season." Tararr says now face to face with the other dwarf.
We could let our next captured foe decide which dwarf was the most waterphobic and interrogate him that way.
So the bats had you captured, and the hyena-faces have the human slaves? At least they are not working together.
I would concur with Karrak's wise observation. Next time we meet up with a werebat or gnoll we should try to keep one alive so Lockjaw and Tarrar could extract some useful information.
Lockjaw allows his beard to return to it's natural position before looking through it for any rations Tararr might want.
"Ah, ye beat me to it Karrak. Let's look under tha tower, or mebbe follow Tararr back ta where they dropped him."
Daeron begins to unstring the longbows before arranging them in his pack. After dividing the arrows with Chitleen, Daeron does an arrow count, refilling his quiver.
Shelter is what we need, though we should let Tarrar have his fill.
Lockjaw allows his beard to return to it's natural position before looking through it for any rations Tararr might want.
Tararr puts his hand up denying any assistance in taking his wounds. "Boy, I take my own hits and deal 'em too. I don't need ta help in killin' ya."
From the upper floor of each tower, a trapdoor leads to the foundation level. The door in the western tower where you spent the night is weakened from exposure and the punky wood nearly crumbles as you pull it up. From below wafts a damp spoiled smell which is likely food rations long since decayed. The trap door in the tower near the gardens is buried beneath the rubble, but once cleared appears to be better preserved.
"OK, suit yourself."
Karrak will have a look into the stinky basement with darkvision before trying the other one.
Daeron moves in, accompanying Karrak as the dwarf investigates the previous night's tower.
If you are seeking more worthwhile armor Tarrar, I remember one of the fallen were-creature donning a chain shirt where we left it on the roof.
Karrak finds the west tower indeed has piles of long rotted supplies covering half the floor below. It could be cleared away, but the smell would linger for some time. Combined with Eau de Dwarf it would likely overcome fine elven senses to be locked in such a malodorous oubliette all night.
With a quissical look on his face, Tararr moves to investigate the body of the dead bat."A chainshirt you say..."
Lockjaw stumps along with the rest.
"Let's look at this one under tha rubble."
While you are there, you could strip him of his other possessions that you would think useful. Otherwise this chamber bereft of circulation and with such dank air would mean the death of us elves.
Daeron calls after the rapidly climbing Tarrar.
With nothing more to see, Daeron start waiting outside, until Tarrar finishes his business and starts to head to the garden tower.
The trap door in the tower near the gardens is buried beneath the rubble, but once cleared appears to be better preserved.
Chitleen carefully examines the trapdoor in case of some long forgotten dwarven defense...
Perception:...before seeking to open it and plumb the depths below.
Daeron stands nearby the opened trapdoor, before he cries, Lampus!, sending a small glowing humanoid figure descending in the depths below.
The heavy mouth-breathing of the increasing number of dwarves distracts Chitleen as he tries to listen at the old wood trapdoor. Wincing he flips it open and Daeron sends a stylish glowing mannikin below.
There is the immediate clack of mandibles and the faint light reveals the sickening churning of hundreds of legs as a centipede as big as a horse bursts through the door. A moment later a companion-pede clambers up from a crack on the outer tower hissing hungrily at the prey buffet.
Chitleen
Karrak
Daeron
Lockjaw
Mankato
Tarrar
CUS
Having returned from his search upstairs just as the elf opened the door, Tararr is cut off mid-sentence,"Can you believe the audacity of them bastards? Took ma gear and ripped off the slee...." Seeing the things come bursting into the room,Tararr says, "Whaoooo! Been many years since seein' one a these uglies." Bedecked in what remains of his chainmail and wielding his new axes Tararr looks for the larger of the two.
calling over his shoulder to Lockjaw, "You take the little one. I don't want ya gettin' hurt, boy, hahahaha."
With the monstrous vermin so close, Daeron steps back, giving himself some space.
Seeing Tarrar's handiwork, Daeron adds some remarks,
I think you could do better Lockjaw, those mandibles look dangerous and I would not like to get bitten.
Daeron taps Lockjaw, surging the paladin's size with a jolt of magic.
Round 1:
Cursing indelicately in his native tongue, Chitleen brings his talwar to bear...
Talwar: for
Round 1 Init 16
HP = 34/34
AC = 21/10/21
SR = 8
Weapon Equipped = Mwk Cold Iron Dwarven Waraxe
Speed = 20'
Lay on Hands/day = 3/3 (1d6)
Smite Evil/day = 1/1 (+2 hit, +3 damage, +2 deflection AC)
Status Effects = None
"Make sure ya don't throw yer back out ya geezer."
Karrak draws his dorn-dergar (move action) and attacks the one 10 feet away, unfurling it between Chitleen and the other dwarves.
...and it whacks solidly against the ground.
Karrak quickly unfurls his ball and chain and nearly hits Chitleen as he whirls it at the giant bug. Tararr steps toward the outside and lays into it double axe style. One axe skitters over its thick chitin, but the other breaks through with a satisfying crack. Lockjaw matches Tarrar's blow by hacking into his bug with equal force.
Chitleen however is off balance from nearly being brained by Karrak and nearly drops his talwar with an awkward strike. Mankato fails to connect as well. Daeron steps back and with a touch sends Lockjaw rocketing in height and girth.
The giant vermin snap reflexively back at their attackers. Tararr dodges the venomous mandibles, but Lockjaw is caught off guard by his sudden transformation and suffers a terrible bite.