Still, she has the whip, so she'll try driving the oxen towards
the slab. Anyone want to try for the horses? I bet the animals are spooked what with all the Fell around.
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Taemon'dow steps forward and shouts at the legate,
Need to make this short and sweet...
"Legate! WAIT! You are going to die unless you keep these Fell at bay. You cannot fight us and the Fell at the same time! Release us! Whether fighting along side you or making a run for it, some of the Fell will come for us and give you a better chance to survive!"
[dice=Diplomacy]d20+9
The legate looks at Taemon'dow, obviously thinking about the elf's words. Suddenly, he swears. "Izrador damn it!" He looks as if he has a bad taste in his mouth. Something rotten, perhaps. "That pointy-eared bastard is right!" He stops for a moment, looking at the slaves who are trying to scare the animals. "That winged freak has the right idea, at least. You, move the carts! Push the animals at the Fell, and then push the slaves after them!"
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Slavers are confused, but they nevertheless rush to obey. A cart is moved just enough to let the frightened oxen stampede out of the enclosure, trampling Fell.
Slavers turn toward the slaves, preparing themselves to push them after the oxen, but several slaves cry out loud. "No! Don't make us go outside! We will die!"
Sighing while looking at all the people that will probably just die, Alan does what he know he must.
"If we stay where were are, we will all surely die! If we move, there might be some chance for an escape. Come, let us try and do something for ourselves, for the Shadow surely will not. "
Taemon'dow does not back down, continuing to call out to the Legate, "Give us tools to free our hands! Weapons if you have them to spare! The more of them we kill, the longer we last, the fewer of them there will be for you to fight!"
"The oxen are clearing a path! Going right behind them is the only way to get out!" Rÿarkaelin called out, charging after the oxen as closely as she dared, trying to make it to the slab. She held the whip ready as she ran, more in hope of keeping the beasts moving than of warding off the ravenous Fell.
Anwyn at first turns her back to the slaves who cried out and moves closely behind Alan and Lantesh, using their bodies to shield herself as best she can from the oncoming Fell.
When Alan makes his plea, she turns to look back at the faces of the slaves while maintaining her pace. Her voice echoes forth, low and cutting. "Fools. To stay here will surely mean your deaths. This way offers a chance at survival...and freedom! Will you surely choose to live a life shackled?"
Not knowing what the legate is saying, Therudrim simply continues to hop about behind the oxen moving as they move.
Shaking his head at the Legate's foolishness, Taemon'dow turns and runs after the stampeding oxen with the others.
Fool. Every word I spoke was the truth. Hopefully, his death will provide us the delay we need to get to cover.
His fiery magic spent, Yardiff Bey continues to run after the livestock, waving his arms, trying to stay with the others.
Doing his best to stay small and unnoticed, Eadfaas followed the animals with the rest of the group.
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Stamped of animals and slaves makes a hole in the ranks of Fell. Those giant creatures seem to be concerned with the legate only. The Fell are latching themselves to the animals and slaves, feasting on the blood and entrails of those who succumbed to them.
Nevertheless, it seems that the path towards the stone in the ground and plains beyond it is free...
Grimacing at the slaughter before him, Yardiff Bey sighs at the necessity of such a thing. His moment of introspection is short however, as he spies that the group's objective lay exposed.
With a look to the side to see if the others were following, Yardiff Bey sprinted across the trampled earth to the stone. Once there he investigates how it may be of use.
Perception
Anwyn turns her face away from the slaughter, fighting off a wave of dizziness. She rubs her eyes with one dirt-smeared hand trying to shut the noise out of her mind, without much success...
Please, by the spirits, let me escape this hell...
Stumbling over the rough terrain she hangs onto her bodyguard while also allowing her friend Alan to lead her to the upraised stone, and hopefully an escape from the madness.
All around, these people are dying; dying horrible deaths, and yet all I can think of them is that warriors, craftsmen, and farmers are being robbed from our efforts. I care nothing for the people themselves... is this another symptom of the change? I feel like I should care, like I would have before, but here I am, splattered with gore and hearing their screams and instead of the horror it feels like I should feel, I feel nothing...
Taemon'dow rushes to the cleft in the stone with the others and examines it as best he can; measuring the width of the opening to see if someone could squeeze through, or if there might be any plausible way of opening it. As well, he spares a moment to look within, and take a guess at how many might fit within the space.
On reaching the stone, Rÿarkaelin let the others examine it, whirling to keep an eye on the Fell - and their other enemies - with her whip in hand.
"Do we have an escape?" she asked as she slowly backed toward the group, eyes roving across the horrific scene before her.
Eadfaas, having followed the others, and not being a very observant sort, stumbled directly onto the stone. Once realizing he was there, the little gnome gave an experimental hop, testing its solidity.
Trying to shut his mind to the cries of the people dying around them, Alan feels like he is pushing his way through a thick substance, taking most of his willpower not to try and rush off to help them.
Some fighter I am. My parents were right to keep me away from this, I am too weak to take care of myself, let alone fight the Shadow and protect others...
And there he was, he reached the spot where he saw the crack in the stone earlier. This snaps him from self-deprecation, as he mentally slaps himself thinking It is not over, I can still try to do some good.
And he starts frantically searching the ground and inspecting the slabs.
When some of the escaping group came to a halt by worked stone, she stops with her wings folding behind her. She surveys the carnage ahead of her, only giving a simple shrug at the sight and noise, for she had seen this savagery many times before by the demons and fell in the Aruun Jungle, though not on such a scale of death.
As she looks around she whispers in jungle tongue, "I will watch for when the fell begin approaching again.".
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Grimacing at the slaughter before him, Yardiff Bey sighs at the necessity of such a thing. His moment of introspection is short however, as he spies that the group's objective lay exposed.
With a look to the side to see if the others were following, Yardiff Bey sprinted across the trampled earth to the stone. Once there he investigates how it may be of use.
Perception 1d20+5
Yardiff is confounded by the chaos and slaughter around him, and his senses are unable to see through the chaos and death in front of him.
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All around, these people are dying; dying horrible deaths, and yet all I can think of them is that warriors, craftsmen, and farmers are being robbed from our efforts. I care nothing for the people themselves... is this another symptom of the change? I feel like I should care, like I would have before, but here I am, splattered with gore and hearing their screams and instead of the horror it feels like I should feel, I feel nothing...
Taemon'dow rushes to the cleft in the stone with the others and examines it as best he can; measuring the width of the opening to see if someone could squeeze through, or if there might be any plausible way of opening it. As well, he spares a moment to look within, and take a guess at how many might fit within the space.
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When some of the escaping group came to a halt by worked stone, she stops with her wings folding behind her. She surveys the carnage ahead of her, only giving a simple shrug at the sight and noise, for she had seen this savagery many times before by the demons and fell in the Aruun Jungle, though not on such a scale of death.
As she looks around she whispers in jungle tongue, "I will watch for when the fell begin approaching again.".
[dice=Perception]1d20+10
A frightening battle rages between the legate and the giant undead, while the Fell are attacking soldiers and escaping slaves...
Therudrim speaks in jungle tongue with concern in her voice, "Need to find escape route fast. The legate is already in battle with undead giant behind us, and the fell is finishing off the animals and slaves ahead."
Anwyn raises her head at the words spoken by the strange winged female Danisil. Does she perchance know of the Raven Speech as she appears descended of one... She thinks to herself.
Alan's sudden movement startles her as she looks back to him, she feels the sense of desperation flowing from him in waves. Glancing back at her quiet yet still alert bodyguard Lantesh, she motions to the raging battlefield behind them. "Warn us should any of them approach here, Lantesh."
Satisfied her back is covered by her faithful companion, she glides next to Alan and starts running her hands over the slabs. "Here, allow me to assist you Alan." Her voice echoes softly from next to him. "I pray the Spirits do not forsake us now!"
"This appears to an interior chamber or basement to a larger building that once stood here. Somehow this portion survived after the rest collapsed or wore away. Anyone have insights into what it might have been?"
At the Erunsil's words, Rÿarkaelin ducked in close to have a look herself.
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"This appears to an interior chamber or basement to a larger building that once stood here. Somehow this portion survived after the rest collapsed or wore away. Anyone have insights into what it might have been?"
[dice=Knowledge: Engineering]d20+5
[dice=Knowledge: Old Gods]d20+1
[dice=Knowledge: Local]d20+1
Taemon'dow stares down into the recesses of the cleft for a moment and then stops. A smile creeps into his lips. He looks up at the few more capable "slaves" gathered around him.
"Gather close! We're going in."
With that he reaches in, grabs a hold of the lever and shifts it into position.
Taemon'dow stares down into the recesses of the cleft for a moment and then stops. A smile creeps into his lips. He looks up at the few more capable "slaves" gathered around him.
"Gather close! We're going in."
With that he reaches in, grabs a hold of the lever and shifts it into position.
With a small squeak, Eadfaas hopped off of the stone, so as not to wind up falling into the unknown.
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As soon as Taemon'dow pushes the leaver, the stone starts to move, sliding into a previously unseen wall, covered by the tons of earth and rubble.
Small gnome jumps from the slabe and lands on the top of moist stone steps descending to unknown dark depths. The moment his feet touch the first stone, a number of rusted blades springs from the hidden wall compartments, slashing the air above his head and at his chest level, but all of them grind to a halt, with a screeching of mechanisms corrupted by age and absence of maintenance, without a drop of his blood being spilled.
But, passing through the thicket of blades and into the dark staircase and the passage beyond seems almost impossible...
Eadfaas eyed the rusty blades closely, not *quite* ready to let himself exhale just yet.
"Aye, that was lucky, wasn't it?"
Carefully, he attempts to make his way through the rest of the blades without cutting himself.
Given his size, and the fact that he was already part-way through, it was easy enough for the little gnome to navigate the rest of the way safely. While the others gathered, Eadfaas took a moment to peer into the darkness - there was no sense fleeing from the Fell straight into the maw of some other threat, after all.
While looking, Eadfaas softly whistled a tune - very similar to a jig. As he whistled, four small globes of light began to appear, swirling and dancing along to the tune, and providing some illumination.
"I hope you can close that again before the Fell are upon us."
Rÿarkaelin wasted no time in coiling her whip and following the gnome. Rusty blades were less of a threat than the Fell, in her opinion.
Twisting and bending like a reed in the wind, she ducked through. Once past them, she stepped carefully, wary of other traps, but needing to make room for those coming behind.
Anwyn is more than happy to get out of the blinding sun and into the cool darkness, not to mention getting away from the impending danger of the combating Fell and the slavers.
She nimbly climbs down after receiving a signal from Lantesh saying all is clear. On seeing the rusty barrier, a small smile plays across her face as she realizes their former captors (and the unwashed slaves) would be barred from proceeding further.
She slides her slender body through the rusty barrier, her dress nearly catching on a protruding blade causing her to slip and nearly gashing her arm. Taking a position on the other side of the barrier, she allows her darkvision to activate so she can take in her surroundings...until the little gnome decided to riun things with his cantrip.
"Put out that light!" She hissed softly to the gnome. "There is no telling what lurks down here!"
She slides her slender body through the rusty barrier, her dress nearly catching on a protruding blade causing her to slip and nearly gashing her arm. Taking a position on the other side of the barrier, she allows her darkvision to activate so she can take in her surroundings...until the little gnome decided to riun things with his cantrip.
"Put out that light!" She hissed softly to the gnome. "There is no telling what lurks down here!"
Eadfaas, who had been whistling well before the dark woman arrived at the bottom of the stairs, gave her a look as if she'd just suggested that he might have a gnome in his family tree.
"That would be why I called the lights to me," he said, pointing back over his shoulder with one thumb, "That hole leaves us backlit to anything that might 'a been hidin' down here. My dancing friends kinda even things out a bit. Though he had stopped whistling, the lights didn't stop dancing.
Yardiff Bey watches the pale elf reach into the cavity...and smiles as the rash Gnome almost gets his head cut off.
There is a rush as others make their way past the rust blades. Looking about, Yardiff Bey follows as best he can.
Dexterity
Easing his lithe body past the sprung trap, Yardiff swats at the floating globes of light as he passes Eadfaas.
As he goes forward, he lowers himself into a crouch, his senses focused.
Perception(Trapfinding)
Hearing the stone sliding, she quickly turns to see an opening forming with stairs leading down, with the gnome hopping into the opening. Seeing some rusted blades almost slice the gnome she pulls her cape around her wings and body with some difficulty due to the manacles on her arms. After the bright red haired one Therudrim carefully makes her way down the stairs avoiding the rusted blades though stopping behind the dark skin elf in front of her. She looks past the others in front of her into the dark to see if there are other dangers ahead.
Being the last who is coming down, the fighting is getting very close to Alan. Trying to descend through rusty blades of the old trap with more haste than he should, Duncan's chains get snagged on a edge and being jerked back, he loses his balance and feels a blade sinking into his flank.
The pain blinds him for moment, so the only thing he saw were the outlines of those already descended.
Once the majority of his comrades have preceded him down the ramp, Taemon'dow follows them, seemingly taking his time, but also keeping an eye out for a twin of the lever that might allow him to close the trap door, just as the first one closed it.