Lunar Sloth's Second Darkness

Game Master Slothsy

Following the path Zinc her took the night before, it dips down toward the shore before turning back to the cliff. The path narrows to five feet wide when it starts to curve around the Cliffside before it ends abuprtly in a crack as wide and as tall as a horse.

Patients?

Sorry, I was phone updating at the beach. Thus the weird text. The patients are snoozing happily in their cots and seem to be on the road to recovery.

As Rilia and Nel check over the end of the cave wall, they notice the faint outline of a door set into the stone. A well-placed stone serves as a handle to push to door to one side.

Perception A: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18
Perception G: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16
Perception T: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (11) + 0 = 11
Perception N: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9
Perception R: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14

Perception A: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12
Perception G: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12
Perception T: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (9) + 0 = 9
Perception N: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24
Perception R: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20

Following suit with the others, Gillian readies a torch and prepares for what might be a leisurely stroll or an arduous trek through the caverns. But even if it were, she wasn't particularly worried. Slow and steady progress was nothing new to her.

Aishe checks his crossbow one more time and frets. Still loaded.

He waits for one of the tougher folk to open the door. He tries to be somewhat near the front liners so his light pierces any darkness that might lie beyond. But he stays back well enough not to be underfoot. Nothing worse than getting in the way of a charge lane. he thinks to himself.

Taking a deep breath, Nel begins to move forward to the door. As she moves forward she grasps tightly onto the handholds. When she reaches the door, it is a tense moment of adjusting her weight before she feels confident to open it. Trying the handle, Nel takes an audible deep breath before pushing it open.

As Nel opens the door, a nearly-invisible glyph erupts on the door. A torrent of sound blasts her for 7 points of sonic damage. As the noise glyph fades, a whisper follows, "La dette området hvis du vet hva som er rett".

Inside, water drips down along the walls of this damp cavern. The cave itself is cluttered with bits of rubble and debris, much of which seems to be from a strange, blackened form of rock quite different in appearance from the rock that makes up the walls of the cavern. The ceiling slopes up to the north, from a height of about ten feet near the southern exit to a height of twenty-five feet to the north.

Two elves with deep purple skin jump as the sonic attack ceases before turning to look at Nel. One the men has a rippled scar over his left eye. He looks to the other and says, "Elkzur?". The man with the scar draws a rapier and while the other man pulls out his crossbow.

Nel Ref Save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
Damage: 2d8 ⇒ (3, 4) = 7

This is initiative.

Entry Chamber - Round 1

Nel - You're Up!
Enemies
Gillian, Aishe, Tamiro, Rilia

Gillian: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (4) - 1 = 3
Aishe: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
Nel: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23
Tamiro: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
Rilia: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11

Elkzur: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14
Narl: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

Winching as the loud noise rings in her ear, Nel sighs heavily as she spots the midnight skinned elves. "اعتقد انه من الكثير أن نسأل عن كيفية الوصول إلى المكتبة؟?" Closing the distance quickly, Nel lashes out at the scarred rapier wielder. Holding her torch aloft to illuminate the way for the others, Nel eyes the crossbow wielder with a weary gaze.

Attack: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19
Damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

Entry Chamber - Round 1

Nel
Enemies
Gillian, Aishe, Tamiro, Rilia- You're Up!

Nel's sword strike true and deep, and the drow yells out in pain, و الكاهن نسمع عن هذا." He returns her blow with a lunge and a twist of the wrist dealing 4 points of damage.

1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21
1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

The man in back stands still with his crossbow, obviously waiting for something.

Round: 1, Initiative: 10

Being so far back on the path, all Aishe can do is double move to get into position this round. He sizes up the, uh, drow, and wonders, So these are drow huh? Look like they’re from the southern continent or something is all. Don’t look so tough to me.

Yet he worries about what he can’t see as he gets into position.

Initiative 11 so there! Xp

Those voices! No. They can't be! She moves forward to the entrance Which she doesn't have a enough movement to squeeze thougth and prefers the 'cover' to being an 'easy' target ...They are!

But it-- Rilia reels it in. She collects herself quickly. After all hasn't she already seen any number of strange, unreal monsters in her short life?

swift sense motive: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (16) + 14 = 30

♪♫"الأدعياء !الليلية سخيفة !الطعم للأسماك التي من شأنها أن تملص ذلك في الوحل و القذارة ! نعم ، أنت جبان في الظهر! حتى هو الملتوية لسانك . كنت أتكلم الجان كما لو كان لديك الذبابة عالقة في الأنف لك !و قزم حقيقي من العفريت الرئيسية يقف أمامكم الآن!"♪♫ She slashes her rapier through the air dramatically.

[dice=diplomacy v crossbowman (antagonize)]1d20+14+2[/dice]

Initiative 4! Gillian really is a lame oracle :P

Gillian's Round 1

Though she can't see what's happening inside the cave, the eruption of Elvish spoken by her two companions as well as someone unfamiliar tells her that it can't be good. Deciding to let the more martial-minded have first crack at whatever's inside, she moves forward only a little more and begins to invoke her magic.

"لذلك ... أي فرصة لل حصول على تلك الاتجاهات بعد ذلك؟?" she asks as she raises her arm and makes a sweeping motion to encompass herself and her companions.

Casting Bless, whee!

"More dark elves! Always with these dark elves!" Tamiro growls, as he rounds the corner of the cave, and moves in, double moving up to the first dark elf, both his blades flashing into his hands.

"This time your kind aren't going to be running away!"

Entry Chamber - Round 1/2

Nel, Gillian, Aishe, Tamiro, Rilia- You're Up!
Enemies

Just realized that the party is now acting together. Waiting on Nel.

Initiative 4! Gillian really is a lame oracle :P

I like to call it abiding.

"Baka, shinimasu!" Tamiro yells, bring both his blades down on the elf with all of his strength.

"Get back into the darkness!"

Attack 1: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19Damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Attack 2: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11

Hissing at the jab, Nel swings with her sword again aiming for the drow's shoulder. "What did I tell you? Why must all you elves see things with your own special eyes before you believe?" Cutting deep into the duelist Nel huffs in annoyance.

"التنحي إذا كنت تريد أن تعيش." She barks out at the man in front of her.

Attack: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22
Damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

Tamiro, I'm assuming that's your round two action, since you had to move to get up there?

Entry Chamber - Round 2/3

Nel, Gillian, Aishe, Tamiro, Rilia- You're Up!
Enemies

"هل تعتقد أن الموت هو أسوأ شيء يمكن أن يحدث لل روح ؟ وسيكون شرف لي أن أموت في الدفاع عن عملنا من أمثالك," the man with the crossbow retorts, flashing a smile and heavy eyes. He continues to wait for an appropriate opening, moving his crossbow from person to person.

The man with the rapier lunges forward "لقد حصل ذلك. سنقوم كسب المجد من دمك !" His rapier flashes and nicks a line across Nel's cheek for two points of damage.

1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Forgot to mention: Nel's attack hit, and the first of Tamiro's attack hit, but not the second.

... the first of Tamiro's attack hit, but not the second.

I don't think he's up yet then. You got him bold in the Init tracker.

Rilia works her magic against the duelist (from cover, having antagonized the archer). Then says putting emphasis on the third to last word: "أنا أوصيك أن إسقاط سيفك"

As I noted in my first post, Tamiro took two actions last round. I'm assuming that he's full attacking this round; if he does so, then he hits with the first attack and misses with the second.

Even with cover, the readied action will go off..

The crossbowman sends a shot flying at Rilia with a grumbling, "زانية كريهة."

The bolt, however, hits the cave wall, causing a few rocks to scatter down.

Round: 2, Initiative: 10

Aishe focuses fire, trying to drop the drow with the rapier so our front line can get back to the crossbow wielding evil. He takes his shot with grit*, shooting through cover like it wasn’t there. He shoots the crossbow weirder if the first drow is down by his turn.

Crossbow (silver, cold iron, magic): 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 10 + 2 = 32 (point blank, bless)
damage: 1d8 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 11 + 1 = 14 (point blank)

crit threat Crossbow (silver, cold iron, magic): 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 10 + 2 = 31 (point blank, bless)
damage: 1d8 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 11 + 1 = 18 (point blank)

Yowzer. I get my grit back if he's at least 3HD.

* Shooter’s Resolve (Ex): When making a crossbow attack as a standard action you can ignore the effects of concealment (though not total concealment) and cover (other than total cover) against that shot.

Entry Chamber - Round 2/3

Nel, Gillian, Aishe, Tamiro, Rilia- You're Up!
Enemies

Aishe's shot seems to curve around the corner of the cave to the drow. The bolt squelches into the man's chest, immediately caving in a lung and causing him to drop to his knees before falling over.

Yep, he had 3 HD. Good job, Critty McCritface!

The crossbowman sends a shot flying at Rilia with a grumbling, "زانية كريهة."

The bolt, however, hits the cave wall, causing a few rocks to scatter down.

** Crude Elven spoiler omitted **

"HA! لم أكن حتى تناولها أداة!" Rilia shouts back.

Yes I full attack for my second round. I got confused on the order of things.

Closing the small gap to the crossbow wielder, Nel strikes out quickly. However she appears to over correct and misses the drow by a mile.

Attack: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12 Aww yeah nat 1

Round 2

Deciding that she's given everyone enough time to forge ahead, Gillian moves past Rilia and into the cavern...and then realizes that it's a rather tight squeeze and keeps moving past Aishe and into the larger room. As she ducks behind Tamiro, her eyes widen with shock and surprise when she spots the drow.

Gillian double moves which should get her to the space just below Tamiro. Posting from mobile so can't move myself on the map right now.

Entry Chamber - Round 3/4

Nel, Gillian, Aishe, Tamiro, Rilia- You're Up!
Enemies

The man drops his hand crossbow with a loud clatter before pulling out his rapier. He attempts to transition his drawing of the blade into an elegant strike, but falls off balance and misses.

Attack: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

Round: 3, Initiative: 10

Aishe shifts 5’ to clear the entry a bit and takes a shot at the final drow, well, here anyway. He uses grit* again to make his shot through cover.

Crossbow (silver, cold iron, magic): 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 10 + 2 = 20 (point blank, bless)
damage: 1d8 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 11 + 1 = 17 (point blank)

* Shooter’s Resolve (Ex): When making a crossbow attack as a standard action you can ignore the effects of concealment (though not total concealment) and cover (other than total cover) against that shot.

Round 3

Even though she was only half-elven, Gillian still felt a sense of wrongness as she gazed upon the drow. Now she had an idea of why Rilia had reacted as she did.

This isn't what an elf is supposed to be. It's not right!

Eyes narrowed, she points at the creature.

"خريف! و يواجه حكمك!"

Caster Level vs. SR: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25

Gillian casts Command, requiring a DC 14 Will save. Provided Aishe didn't just pincushion it to death, that is!

spellcraft: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16 Command!

Rilia moves forward and slashes her sword threateningly.

intimidate: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10 Pass....

Antagonize (the crossbowman) You fluster your enemy. For the next minute, the target takes a –2 penalty on all attacks rolls made against creatures other than you and has a 10% spell failure chance on all spells that do not target you or that have you within their area of effect.

Will Save: 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 + 2 = 5

Oof. He will fall on his turn. Waiting on Tamiro and Nel. Botting will commence shortly.

Oof. He will fall on his turn. Waiting on Tamiro and Nel. Botting will commence shortly.

Oh sure! It works for her!

Slothsy wrote:

Oof. He will fall on his turn. Waiting on Tamiro and Nel. Botting will commence shortly.

Oh sure! It works for her!

Did you remember your monthly sacrifice to the dicebot?

Slashing out at the drow in front of her, Nel lets out an aggravated shout as her blade cuts through the drow's flesh.

Attack: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (16) + 11 = 27
Damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

Sorry was flying back from the company HQ yesterday, was down there all week, and trying to get in what hours I could in client systems.

The short, tien man charges the drow and swings one of his blades at him, catching the draw fully in his swing.

"Your next!" he yells with a grin.

Charge Attack: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (17) + 13 = 30Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Oh, duh!

Aishe's shot weakens the man considerably. As Nel and Tamiro rush in, they strike true and down the drow.

Congrats! You are out of initiative. As you search their bodies, you find between the two of them two masterwork rapiers, two masterwork hand crossbows, two masterwork chain shirts, two masterwork light steel shields, and 20 bolts.

There are three passages leading out of this cavern; one goes to the east or right, the other goes to the west or right and the third leads back out the way the party came.

Aishe helps to gather up the loot and does his share of carrying it. He then replenishes the bolts in his quiver and looks to Nel for direction, standing idly along the cool stone wall.

"Where to boss?"

Wiping his blades on the clothes of the dead drow, Tamiro looks around at the equipment. "I see little of use here besides coin."

Looking up towards the exits available, he grunts, "Looks like we have a fork in the road. Should we take care of light before heading in? Both of my hands are full."

Swinging his two blades around, to add to the point.

AH! Point! Get it?! Cause sword point?! Oh I crack myself up. But seriously, I am blind as a bat underground.

I have an ioun stone of heightened continual flame that should bypass all darkness, including deeper darkness, unless it is also heightened (per the feat).

So there's a 20' radius of bright light around me, and a 20' radius of dim light around that. I don't know if there are other light sources as well.

"I dunno Tamiro, some of this stuff is masterwork and would fetch a few gold in the markets. Not a lot mind you, but it's what we've found so far so I think we should take it..." he thinks a moment, "...at least for now."

"Of course if we find something better, we'll drop this stuff, and quick. It's heavy!" he says hopefully with a grin.

"We could always just tuck it out of sight somewhere close to the exit," Gillian suggests. "It might be easier than lugging it all over the caves." With that said, she turns her gaze back to the two fallen drow.

"I never thought I would actually see such a thing," she murmurs quietly. "I wonder what their purpose here was?"

Flicking the blood off of her sword, Nel rolls her eyes and holds up her torch in response to Tamiro's question. "Who knows? Kwava and I don't exactly have long quiet discussions over the intimacies of our mutual annoyances plans." she quips out to Gillian. "But, I find it rather insulting that everyone here did not actually believe me, until we ran into dumb and dumber here." Kicking one of the corpses with her boot, Nel points to the east. "Let's check that way first, we can always double back if we find it going on too long."

The cavern the Nel approaches is dark and difficult for the human eye to see in without light. This passage is choked with rubble; cave-ins dot the sides until the passage ends abruptly at a wooden barricade covered in scrawled Undercommon.

"Well, it's not as if drow are like goblins," Gillian returns, though if she's put off by Nel's response she doesn't show it. "They're myth to most people and so it makes more sense to assume that tales of sightings are...exaggerated or mistaken, in some way. But, I am sorry that I doubted you."

As the group proceeds down the eastern passage, she peers curiously over the shoulders of her companions when the group suddenly comes to a halt. "What is it? A dead end?"

Aishe tries to take up a position so he can see, but from the back, with the choked tunnel, he's at a loss to see anything useful.

He stands near Gillian and examines one of the drow bodies nearby. "Fascinating." he mutters as he pokes it with his toe.

Furrowing her brow, Nel studies the writing on the door. "It says that there is an undead peril behind this barricade." Flashing an impish smile to the others behind her, Nel taps the barricade with her sword. "What do you guys think? Should we check out this peril?"

"Well, it's not as if drow are like goblins," Gillian returns, though if she's put off by Nel's response she doesn't show it. "They're myth to most people and so it makes more sense to assume that tales of sightings are...exaggerated or mistaken, in some way. But, I am sorry that I doubted you."

Rilia remains silent at Gillian and Nel's exchange.

Later at the sign post.

bluff: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26

Rilia remains blasé. "Unless you believe it to be too perilous."

"Rilia's right, if it's too perilous for the drow to handle, it might be the same for us. Still, we beat these two handily enough... You fought them before, are they all like this? Or just the guards?"

Aishe isn't sure what to do. He'll follow Nel's lead here, though he does check for his ghost touched quarrels before proceeding.

The tien man spits on the ground and addresses Aishe, "Bah, they are just dark skinned elves. Quick and tricky, but break like twigs. I do not know the fuss that is being made about them. If you see one, shoot it."

Looking around to the others he slaps the barricade with the flat of a blade, "Whats the fun in being safe anyways. Jinsei wa ichidodake!"

Jumping over the barricade with a yell and a loud, barking laugh, he motions to Nel with one of the swords, "Ken Otome! Time is wasting!"

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13

"Well, he's certainly got spirit," Gillian chuckles as Tamiro leaps over the barricade. "And maybe he's right...if a wooden barricade is enough to contain it, how much of a threat could it be?"

This large chamber rises to a height of roughly thirty feet near the center, where a very small hole acts as a natural skylight. Relatively quiet, with the constant crash of the ocean muffled by solid stone, this cave seems an ideal lair. Moisture-slicked mildewing tapestries and bookshelves cover nearly every inch of the walls, indicating that at one time this chamber did serve as home to some kind of creature.

Sitting in the center of the floor is a ghostly bird-like creature with the head of a beautiful woman. She smiles serenely as the barricade falls and rises. Her hands fold outward in a gesture of peace and welcome.

"Welcome, saviors of my beloved's soul. I can feel the warmth of Yaris within you."