Sunny gives a 'Thumbs up' sign to Varian as he enters the room and again peeks around the pillar she's hiding behind.
"Just want to remind you guys that these dwarves here, along with their allies, captured us and killed many of our friend or associates. Regardless of what or who these people in the cells are they do not deserve to be captives of the likes of these: captives of people who eat your soul or whatever the orc said. Furthermore, I do not trust that one heading toward the back. Derro are not a race that are "okay". They are an evil, manipulative lot and plenty clever. I think we should start freeing these prisoners."
The silence drops... you suddenly hear at least two voices yelling "help! Let us out!" from within the cells on both sides. The derro on the left throws down the torch, and retrieves his rod. The darkness ends on his side. "We orders... no interfere." .. pointing to himself then to you.
The other derro drops his darkness, as well, and cautiously moves to the back wall; holding his black gem-tipped rod out defensively... like a holy symbol to a vampire.
There are two prisoners on the left (one standing at the bars and yelling for help, one crumpled against the bars)
...and two prisoners in the cells to the right. (one standing and yelling for help, one lying unmoving on the cell bench)
The yelling prisoners go quiet... seeming more nervous than relieved at the odd turn of events and apparent coming release.
The mortar between the stones is eroded everywhere you have seen, but particularly so in a horizontal line to the right of the right torch bracket... the exact direction derro2 is heading.
"There is a secret door behind the retreating dwarf! We really dont want to let him get away."
Lyrralt pulls his arrow back and walks into the room. Looking to the dwarves he says to them in dwarven,"If you move, I will put this arrow in you. If you even look to that door behind you, I will put an arrow in you."
They both stop. The first eyes Lyrralt curiously "No dwarven... some human words... you go and we go. You take these humans... we not stop... we get back later."
The other speaks with more smug bitterness, and better command of the language "Talk big... master let you wake. Put on show for the new blood. The doors are open... freedom awaits..." After pointing to the door you just came from, he turns toward the back wall and starts to walk to the torch sconce on the right... assuming he is calling Lyrralt's bluff.
Lyrralt takes the shot at the dwarf going for the sconce. They were fairly warned.
Zed rushes forward, mace in hand to help subdue the one that Lyrralt shot at
The arrow poangs from Lyrralt's bow, and slices the derro's outer thigh. The injured small blue figure, pushes back his hood as he spins around... liberating a puff of white hair the size of his head. He draws a tuning fork the size of a short from his robes, bangs it on the ground and points it toward you...
"Vwod ooo freesch!!"
... it rings painfully in your ears...
The ringing makes you dizzy... everything seems to move faster than you can think for several seconds.
You see the other derro gesturing with his rod toward Lyrralt, but do not see any results of what he might be casting.
Spellcraft
Fort Save
Zed narrows his eyes to try and identify the magic, but then feels a violent ringing in his ears and loses his focus
Sunny sits behind her pillar, the world suddenly doing strange things about her head.
Lyrralt moves up 10 feet and fires at dwarf that used the sonic spell.
Varian moves to H5 and attacks the Derro right before him, using the greatsword he extends from his hands as a swift action.
The derro on the left receives a nasty defensive wound on his forearm from Varian, then barks something in another language to his ally.
"Nogtot!"
They both step back, and make zig-zag motions with their rods while chanting. They then blink out of sight.
Any that hit, but don't crit are reusable
Lyrralt casts Grease at the exit to the room and rushes to the secret door in an attempt to prevent them from escaping.
Spellcraft
Zed looks at where they vanished "Hmm, perhaps they realizes this was a one sided fight" he goes to the cell on the left and talks to the prisoners "Are you all right?"
"Where did they go? Are they still in the room?
The previously unmoving prisoners now start stirring... presumably awoken by the sounds of battle. The one who was yelling from the left earlier, frantically blurts "Yes! I think we are without serious injury. Thank you! Thank the gods you've come. We are loggers for Mayor Doyle. We got back late after we popped the axle on our wagon. Saw a dozen of these things roaming around the lumberyard. Took us out with poisoned darts in seconds, and woke up here."
Varian steps up and takes a swing at where he last saw the Derro (at F5),
You hear a screech of pain as Varian swings. An arc of blood becomes visible as it is flung from the invisible caster's body.
Hearing the scream Zed turns and raises his mace. He puts a hand out to the prisoners "Stay down" he twists his left hand around "Wierda" and his eyes glow a faint blue
Shaking off the ringing in her ears Sunny tumbles from the pillar she's using as cover to the next pillar 'inside' the room.
Looking where Varian sliced the derro, you see there are magic auras in you view.
The derro disappear, and Zed checks on the prisoners. Sunny shakes off having her bell rung, and tumbles further into the room from pillar to pillar behind cover. Lyrralt dashes to the north wall. While standing between the two unlit torch sconces, he conjures a puddle of oily substance in the south doorway. Varian slices the air and his blade finds its target. Zed then casts a spell to enhance his sight.
The right sconce slides... there is a grating noise of stone against stone. There is a tiny voice "Chilsa sheem" as a portion of the stone wall starts to move. All of a sudden there is a vicious roar coming from behind Lyrralt... one of the derro appears to his right trying to shoulder him out of the way.
The sound startles you just as you are pushed from the side.
Following closely where he sees the magic auras, Zed again channels water and flings it towards the area, hoping to hit the invisible foe so the water makes it easier to notice him
Sunny peers from behind her new hiding spot, sees Varian slice at where the pair were standing, only to see his blade dull as it comes into contact with something. She too lashes out.
While the water becomes invisible when it touches the invisible creature, the water dripping from it conversely becomes visible, so Varian will move toward where that is happening (if necessary) to even move, and strike again at the invisible foe.
Though startled, Lyrralt retains his balance, and the now visible derro regains his footing just to Lyrralt's left.
After Zed tosses the water, Sunny beats Varian to where the droplets of the arc of water disappear. She pummels the air before returning to her fighting ready stance... Varian swings at the air above the now reappearing fallen derro.
"Nertz!"
(O_o)
"What daFAQ is that!" Sunny points to the door through which every one entered.
Will
Lyrralt draws his short sword and attempts to stab the derro.
"The noise isn't real, it's another trick, stay focused!" Zed calls out
Zed carefully watches for the dripping water, then rocks back on his heels and charges forward, swinging his mace sideways
Attack
Damage
After being stabbed in the belly by Lyrralt, the remaining derro hops back and drops to his knees. "Yield! I yield! Not kill." He releases his rod and large tuning fork to the ground on either side of him.
Lyrralt keeps his short sword pointed at the derro but bends down to pick up his discarded items.
Zed raises his hand to calm the derro "No need to worry, I never kill a fore who yields. However, I'd like some information. Answer truthfully and we'll simply tie you up and leave. Assuming you know who we are, where is our equipment? Who are these prisoners? And what is the fastest way out of here?"
Diplomacy
The derro grimaces as Lyrralt picks up his things, and gives off a whining moan which lessens with Zed actions...his brief pragmatic comfort while retaining dominance seems to be effective.
" things are up up up on top of world. These dirty- humans are from up up top too... break trees to cut in pieces. They spy us when they should be sleeping so we make prisonerse. For you to go up up... Open no doors on the wall, and only go up." He points to the south door... wrists together ready to be tied. "up."
Sunny looks over the wounded foe,
"Where'd yer mate go?" Sunny asks politely. Then, as she awaits a reply, she moves over and begins looking at a way to get the other prisoners out of their cells and checking on their health.
"So? Do we follow Ferd's advice and keep on going 'Up, up, up'? Or do we have a gander beyond that hidden door?"
"Top of the world...do you mean the surface? Are we underground right now?" he casts a look at the others "Thank you" he looks around "Does anybody have any rope, or anything else we could use to tie him up?"
At Zed's question, Sunny simply begins to cut ribbons of cloth from the clothes 'Ferd' is wearing and tie him up in the ruins of his own robes.
"Is simple." (^_^)
Zed laughs at the simplicity "You're a genious Sunny" he looks to the rest of the party "So, according to what he said we need to head up. Seems reasonable" he then makes his way to the cells and uses the keys to open the locks. If they don't fit he takes the mace and tries to break them open