With their darkvision, Rees and Brenin can see to the bottom of the hole. The chamber below you is more like a cave, likely connected with the sinkhole outside. A drop of about 45' ends in water. How much is very hard to tell from up here.
Oh yes, and I'm the MAP!
Brenin looks around but doesn't see any convenient way to get down from here. Walking around the hole, the walls of the cave are more like piles of lime-flow.
There's a gory board on the floor with a huge nail sticking through it, business-end up. There's random bloodstains, old and new on the remaining boards between the nail and the hole.
Kwava comes behind the group and lingers at the door, attention focused on the woods outside.
"I think I see a cave at the bottom of the sinkhole. Otherwise, nothing moves in the forest."
Lia doesn't like the look of the hole in the floor. She's thinking this place needs to be redecorated to be considered disgusting. She heads outside to check out the sinkhole.
Navigating down the soft shoulder of the sink is not very difficult. A quick look around reveals several tracks in the soft earth.
The cave opening is about shoulder height and it is pitch-black beyond the threshhold. Kwava wrinkles his nose at the dark hole.
"Something smells very bad in there."
Great, if we are doing this, I'd go rather go this way. Drow hole, yea this is going to be fun.
Reese is thinking to herself, this is probably the end of our group as she knows it. She takes a moment to grab her blowgun and sling. She tucks a few darts in her belt and kicks the ground looking for some ammo for her sling. She is disgusted by how unprepared she is and looks down to make sure her wand is still there. She loosens her pouch a little just in case her snake needs to get out and looks down at her potions and thinks maybe with a little luck she can make this work.
She turns and looks at Trystan and feels her eyes glow. She walks over to him, kisses him gently and whispers," I hope your Cayden blesses us". She can't seem to get her eyes under control, so she walks away. Feeling a bit crazy, she steps up and says LETS GO and walks to the cave.
"I'll take the lead as long as this vision holds out. Kwava, hang out up here with me. We'll leave the torch bearers in the back." [ooc]Sword and shield ready. Perception check is and stealth is if needed. I ready a torch in my pack in case my darkvision goes out unexpected. Girls in the middle, boys in the back?
"Let's go get the b!tch."
Lia likes how Brenin thinks. "Let's go!"
As Trystan and Isegrim work to light the torch, Brenin peeks past the vines and roots in the mouth of the cave and takes a look inside.
Beyond the low entrance the floor drops a couple feet into the same natural cavern you spied from above. The water here looks shallow throughout - perhaps a foot or more at its deepest. The roof of the cavern comes to a peak and a chimney hole there reveals the flickering candle in the cabin above. Long stalagmites hang from the ceiling and their cousins reach up to them in places from the floor.
The air is heavy with fish-musk, colored faintly with stale sea water, bat dung, and death. Bones of all kinds are scattered throughout the chamber. More than one are discernible from a distance as humanoid skulls and rib cages.
Brenin's eye is drawn by a ripple spreading across the floor from the far side of the chamber. Resting there in the water is the largest, toothiest fish-thing the highlands ranger has ever seen. It's like a semi-terrestrial eel monster, and its at least 10' long. As Brenin sees it, a sound from the party behind him startles the creature.
The monster is here.
Lia whispers to herself, "Looks like one of my brothers...."
The creature moves kind of like a big thick snake, with spiny fins propel it forward. It's half-way to the cave mouth before it senses the silent ranger standing there.
Init
initiative is 19 plus whatever.
initiative is 19 plus whatever.
Kwava holds his fire as the monster advances, waiting for the clear shot. He takes it just as Brenin's shoulder dips to engage the creature. The arrow whistles by Brenin's ear and ricochets with a splash.
The monster fights like a very big dumb fish. It's movement brings it into melee range for Brenin.
.
Brenin deals a blow to the beast as it charges into combat.
There is a map, and it is Rees's turn. The cave mouth is tight, but you should be able to see enough to deliver most of your attacks.
The monster has moved to take up squares (7,9) - (7,10).
Reese looks the beast right in the eys and thinks if I can put you to sleep, we can just walk on by. She can feel her eyes turn yellow and waits to see if the thing drops off into lala land.
The witchery takes hold of the monster, freezing it in place. It wavers there for an instant, then collapses into the water at Brenin's feet.
"One hit and he goes to sleep?"
Damn I'm good. I can only do this once to him. So whatever we decide better be good.
You weren't really in the chamber so you hadn't gotten a lot of details. There is a further tunnel at (3,10) that leads off into the dark.
Trystan smiles to himself at the kick-ass nature of his lady. He hates the thought of killing a helpless creature just going about its creaturely business, but if it was going to be a problem going in it will probably be a problem coming out. He nods to Isegrim as if to acknowledge he is the best equipped to put the beast down quickly and cleanly.
Isegrim, take your mighty stab...
Feel free to delete this post ASAP, but just wanted to say that lurker me has read all 1400+ of y'all's posts last night & today and enjoyed 'em greatly. Keep 'em coming! [returns to the Ethereal Plane]
Damned beastie, (quietly) go thee down to sleep with the kiss of the Raven's Blade.
Aye! The Raven's Blade was thirsty, and I've no love for the spiny snakes.
Lia shakes her head and looks around at the party that's gathered. She remembers the old adage of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. She hopes never to be on the wrong side of this crowd, especially the witch.
Slumbering there under the poised tip of the Raven Blade, you have to marvel at the size of the creature. It's easily as big around as Isegrim's thigh for the majority of its length.
The big man's blow catches it behind the eye, cleaving deep into its skull and spilling dark blood into the shallow water. It thrashes for a moment, nearly wrenching the sword from Isegrim's grip, then stops struggling and lies still.
The cave at the back of the chamber is tight quarters. No more than five feet in width and often stooping to little more than crawl space. Brenin's darkvision is still active, so he and Rees are able to give it a quick look - enough to tell that it's not a short passage.
The torch eventually catches, bathing the wet chamber walls in red and orange. Kwava moves over to peer at the passage.
"I can't see any better in here than you." This directed generally at the party. "But even with the light, I can't make out any tracks in here. She's likely down here - her kind are at home underground - but I can't guarantee it."
Lia looks at the party. She knows she has skills. She also knows this is not her favored place to use them. She puts herself squarely in the middle of all the man-meat. "All right, let's move out!" she declares with more confidence than she feels.
I'm good with the marching order. Lets see what's next.
Rees looks back at the group to see if anyone noticed Trystan pinch her a$$. Not really caring, she smiles at him and wonders when she can get him alone again.
Just around the corner a side tunnel shoots off to the left and appears to descend more swiftly than the main tunnel.