Bein nods in agreement with Lord Finnabar. setting his lance in its holder he puts a hand on his sheathed longsword, they're foes were smaller then before he was ready to face them on foot. "They prefer ambushes, cowards, we best be careful and avoid tight areas then."
Xarafine speaks a prayer to Belam, then touches each member of the group .
You travel slowley, the trail hard to follow in the half-light, even with Jack's ability to see relatively well. Every now-and-then you lose the creatures' trail and it takes several minutes of hunting to find it again. As the sun climbs above the eastern horizen the trail becomes easier to follow and you begin to make better time.
After a full two-hours of travel it seems clear that the trail has stopped meandering and straightens out, speeding your progress further. As you come to the top of a ridge you see a mighty oak in the distance straight ahead, it stands out above the other trees of the area and seems to be the destination of the tracks.
Bein dismounts, giving a low whistle and indicating for Arundel to follow. He ties the reins to his saddlehorn and proceeded towards the great oak on foot. He draws his Longsword and travels slowly towards the oak, while eyeing the underbrush warily.
Staying close to Bein, Jack looks the large oak up and down, for signs that something/someone might have climbed into it. He scans the canopy for breaks that would suggest nests built in as well.
Finnabar follows closely, looking for the creatures' lair or ambushes.
Xarafine keeps just behind and to the right of Finnabar. She watches for trouble, then casts in the direction of the tree.
Hidden amid the ancient tree’s roots you manage to spot a hidden entrance which, on closer insepction consists of a root-lined shaft
that drops 10 feet down to a dirt floor below. The shaft is lined with the mighty tree's roots and should make it easy to climb down.
Finnabar, you don't detect evil from the area.
"Look there, amid the roots. There seems to be a hole; perhaps a burrow. It may be where our nasty little bandits are hiding."
"Look there, amid the roots. There seems to be a hole; perhaps a burrow. It may be where our nasty little bandits are hiding."
"Have we got any lantern remaining? We should have a look as these ones may also attack other than Kalds."
Bein turns and shakes his bullseye lantern, smiling at the sound of the fuel oil slopping about on the inside. "My lantern is still full Lordship, I also carry spare torches as well. Both are at your disposal."
"Well let's move in. Jack, do you want to move in first alone or with us in close support?"
Jack answers after a quick moment's thought. "Let's go together, I think."
Jack takes one of the torches and steps close, peering into the hole before making his way down.
"Captain, in what order do you want us to descend? Jack has the vanguard, but who follows him, and who has the rearguard?"
Bein nods and speaks up. "I can take Rear Guard, with Lord Finnabar and Jack leading the way. Someone must watch your back Teacher." Bein looks to Arundel and gives the command for Arundel to Guard until his return.
Bein nods and speaks up. "I can take Rear Guard, with Lord Finnabar and Jack leading the way. Someone must watch your back Teacher." Bein looks to Arundel and gives the command for Arundel to Guard until his return.
"Good point, let's go with this order."
Xarafine moves into place between Finnabar and Bein, and watches as Jack disappears into the hole.
Jack easily makes his way downwards into the hole, closely followed by Finnabar. After descending roughly 10 feet you reach the ground. Streatching east to west, and angling downward in both directions is a natural tunnel between 5 and 3 foot wide and only 5 foot high - effectively lower, since it is covered in tangles of tree roots and small stalagtites . The floor of the tunnel is muddy and wet and reflects the light of the torch strangley, causing the shadows of the stalagtites and tree roots to dance strangely against the walls of the tunnel.
Jack listens for signs or sounds of the creatures they are tracking.
Although it is hard to make out, you can just about hear some high-pitched chirps from the west. Although more bird-like than human sounding it remined you of laughter.
Xarafine mutters a quiet prayer for understanding under her breath.
She motions for the others to remain silent as she attempts to listen to the chirping voices.
You can only make out bits of the conversation from this distance,...
"ha! (Name) you missed! Now its my turn give it to me. No, Let go! Its my turn. OK, stand over there. (pause) OK just a moment right 1, 2, 3 FIRE! Ha, ha, ha got ya! (laughter)"
"They appear to be playing some sort of game. It may be best to confront them now, while they are distracted," she whispers to the rest of the group.
"They appear to be playing some sort of game. It may be best to confront them now, while they are distracted," she whispers to the rest of the group.
"A game? If they are distracted, let's move in. Weapons out, people. We'll take the same formation. Bein, you have our back. Jack and myself are in point."
"Aye sir." He nodded, kerping his sword drawn and his buckler raised as he followed behind the group.
Xarafine nods her assent and waits to follow when Jack and Finnabar move.
Jack draws his blade and walks alongside Finnabar, wondering at the games these little robbers play.
You move forward slowley, forced into a close, crouched, single file as proceed towards the sound. Jack edges further to get a view and is confronted by the strange sight of two blueish-grey coloured bipedal creatures, with short legs and arms, covered in short, dirty feathers or hair.
One stands at the north of the cavern (which is no higher than the passage but measures 15'x15' and has another exit on the far side.) On the other side of the cavern stands the other creature, which holds a sticky white ball. As Jack watches, the creature flings the white ball at its companion but misses. The ball itself sticks to the wall behind the target.
What's the ball appear to be made of?
Jack looks to Finnabar, pointing at the two little creatures, uncertain as to how to proceed.
What's the ball appear to be made of?
1d20+9
Jack looks to Finnabar, pointing at the two little creatures, uncertain as to how to proceed.
Finnabar concentrates briefly on both creatures before answering Jack.
In this light, and at this distance you can't really tell what the ball's made of.
Finnabar concentrates briefly on both creatures before answering Jack.What's the ball appear to be made of?
1d20+9
Jack looks to Finnabar, pointing at the two little creatures, uncertain as to how to proceed.
Whoops, sorry Finn.
The creatures detect as evil!
These are evil. Take the far one with your bow, I'll go for the close one.
Jack draws his bow as quietly as he can, nocks an arrow, and shoots.
Xarafine follows Finnabar into the chamber, moving to the right side of the tunnel entrance so that Bein has clear access to the ensuing battle. She holds the Speaking Staff at the ready, striking if either creature moves within reach.
Finnabar rushes into the room, moving onto the closest creature, trying to cut it in halves with a mighty axe stroke.
Bein angles his blade so that he can thrust and puts his shield in front of him to deflect blows as he watches his fellow join these creatures in combat. He didn't understand the sudden attack but his comrades hadn't led him astray and doubt never crossed his mind.
Jack's arrow streaks forward, hitting the small, ugly creature in its arm but seeming to do little damage. Immediately, Finnabar rushes into combat with the second creature which crumples into a small pile of bloody feathers as his axe slices through its neck into its abdomen. Bein pushes past Jack into the arrow-wounded creature which pales backwards as his sword descends to cleave its head in two, splattering the tall cavalier in sticky black blood.
The cavern contains a few piles of filthy rags splattered with white and which produce a strong and disgusting smell, a simple bench built by placing a rough plank across three conveneient stalagtites, and little more other than the small bodies of the two creatures. The whole, bloody scene is dimly lit by a small amount of light from a small hole in the roof above, unlike the utter blackness of the tunnel ahead, which even Jack's keen eyes can't penetrate.
Jack kneels down and examines the bodies of the creatures, and the ball they were playing with, looking for any items of note or anything that tells him what they were doing. He hopes they did the right thing, launching the offensive, but between what these creatures did to the kalds and Finnabar's supernatural sense for those with darkness in their souls, he tries to trust that other actions may have led to greater harm.
He squints up ahead. "I can't see at all, we will need light if we go further. And that may mean announcing ourselves."
"Walking into where we cannot see would benefit us nothing. We should light our way, and pray to the Nine that we are not walking into an ambush."
Jack:
The white ball gives off a pungent smell and, when you touch it, burns like acid. It has flecks of black in it and resembles nothing so much as fresh guano - bird poo.
Jack cleans off his hands carefully and puts his gloves back on. "It seems they were actually tossing shit at each other." He pauses. "Apologies for the coarse language, but some things are what they are."
"Quite acidic in nature. We should take care they don't throw any at us, and not just because it's disgusting."
"Walking into where we cannot see would benefit us nothing. We should light our way, and pray to the Nine that we are not walking into an ambush."
"I don't really know what they are. But I know they are evil by nature and we have seen their acts. I'm not saying the Kalds are better, but if these beings prey on the weak, we need to root them out. Let's light up our way and go forwards. But be wary of ambushes."
Bein nods and lights up a set of torches he had been carrying just for this occasion, he also lights his bullseye lantern and hands it to Finnabar. "Throw this at them if you must, it is full of oil and should burn fiercely enough to buy us time to retreat Lordship."
Are you going to continue in the same order? If so, who's holding lanters or torches and are you going to continue in this direction or head back past the entrance?
Bein will remain at the rear of the group unless prompted to change, he also doesn't mind splitting up to cover more ground but that would be... unwise. :/
Xarafine will carry a torch, or the lantern, since she is the middle.
Are you going to continue in the same order? If so, who's holding lanters or torches and are you going to continue in this direction or head back past the entrance?
Are you going to continue in the same order? If so, who's holding lanters or torches and are you going to continue in this direction or head back past the entrance?