After a couple minutes, Tony manages to remove what turns out to be a cleverly concealed panel. However, his work is not pretty and not only is the panel damaged, but the piece of paper hidden behind the panel is also damaged. He carefully removes it and looks at it, but is unable to make out what the strange runes say.
Unable to read the runes, he hands the scroll to Belle, Agyen and Garrosh to decipher.
jump and ventriloquism are ledgible. Unfortunately the third spell is damaged and missing some runes, but you believe it used to be stinking cloud
"Ahhhh.... Sorry guys. This is what my crowbar was used for..", Tony says as he hands over the magical paperwork.
Belle has read magic too.
Are there any auras left in the chest/lid?
"well...we "profited" with this go. But I'm ready for us to pull out while we can. I doubt if any of us will be able to sleep in here. Let's see if we can make our way out."
Tony goes to check the crack one more, see if that undead thing was hording anything back there before heading back up the stairs.
Agreed.
Belle is so excited to leave she leads the way, hurrying back to the exit.
The group beats a retreat back the way they came. Something that they find....interesting....and gives them pause is, when they arrive in the room which formerly contained the coffin and the rugs, they find a large patch of green slime in the center of the room. It is easily enough avoided, but how did it get here. And then you notice that....it is moving. Slowly, but it is moving, pulling itself along on pseudopods.
"That stuff is scary."
She keeps a wide berth but continues on her way.
That is most unsettling. Maybe we ought to camp atop something in case it meanders to us in our sleep? I've already been nearly digested once today.
"Ugh, what in the nine hells?
Tony wracks his brain for an answer, as carefully goes around the creeping psedopod.
You carefully maneuver around the puddle of slime, and move on through the complex. Where you had built a bridge of stone over the slime, only the bridge remained. Climbing back up the shaft into the interior of the mausoleum, you are thankful that the capstone on the shaft has not been replaced, but chagrinned to find the doors closed.
Tony examines the doors finding them locked and trapped.
"That's what I was afraid of when we found them locked on the way in last time. Looks like we will need to find another way out. Shall we risk the rat tunnels again, this time together?"
"Do you thing that slime stuff melded with the offal creature? I hope it didn't move somewhere below our rope and is waiting for us to descend."
She has one worried look on her face.
Tony peers back down to check, Belle's hypothesis.
looks clear
|
"Do you thing that slime stuff melded with the offal creature? I hope it didn't move somewhere below our rope and is waiting for us to descend."
She has one worried look on her face.
"I think the rat tunnels should be risked, but let's all go together. I don't wish for one of us to get separated and lost."
"I really don't see any alternative."
Tony goes back down first, careful to scan the area as he goes down.
Reynaud follows behind Tony.
First, the Stench, DC10
Belle and Agyen, -2 morale penalty on all rolls.
Back down into the stinky place you go, and since you intend to use the rat tunnels to try and find your way out, you make your way to the first available. Garrosh, Reynaud and Agyen shed their armor, and the group gets ready to crawl through.
The tunnel twists and turns, with many offshoots. Fortunately, you have decided to go in together, and by following close behind the party member in front of you, you are able to stick together. Garrosh and Reynaud are particularly squeezed due to their large frames, and dragging their armor behind them makes it nearly impossible to keep quiet. The stench of rat is horrible, and the confined space makes all of you very aware of the weight of earth and stone above your bodies.
Eventually, Tony feels a breeze on his face. A breeze carrying the stench of more rat, as well as the sound of rat. He cautions the others and moves ahead quietly, eventually peering out into a cavern, its floor carpeted with a writhing mass of rats.
Tony backs up through the tunnels until he feels Reynaud's hand on his boot. "Rats. Hundreds of them. This looks like the cavern I emerged into the first time I crawled through that hell..."
"You know, if they are willing to leave us alone, I'm willing to leave them alone. I just want out of this place as fast as possible."
"well let's be quiet, and try another path", Tony whispers to the group as he urges them on.
He also squeezes into his pouch and pulls a pepper pellet, ready to repel whatever may give chase with a nasty surprise.
The rats did not seem to notice Tony. Perhaps they had been in here long enouugh that the stench had settled into their clothing so they smelled just like the rest of the place.
Backing their way through the tunnels was more difficult than crawling through the warren the first time (or third time, for Tony and Belle.) As they work their way, Garrosh, who is now in front, even though he is leading with...his armor... notices a change in the air. The stench of rat, urine and dung is replaced with warmer, moister air, with a musty odor to it.
He gets to a place where he can turn around, and does so. His armor in front of him as a protective barrier, he surveys the scene before him. This tunnel emerges into another cavern. Fungus and moss of every description covers most of the wall and floor. Bats can be seen flitting around the ceiling, while rat squeaks can be heard off in the darkness. It does not sound like many rats, but the squeaks give away their presence. A rotted rat corpse lies a few feet beyond Garrosh's armor pile. From somewhere beyond his view to the left, the half-orc can see....sunlight?
Belle comes close to tears when they emerge into another cavern, but brightens considerably when sunlight is mentioned. She barely checks her impulse to bolt for the light.
She takes a good look at the plants and the surrounding environs with a fair bit of suspicion.
to be used if any of these knowledge skills apply: Arcana, Dungeoneering, History, Nobility, Planes, Religion.
I'm guessing a perception roll might be required now or soon so...
Tony still cramped in the back, is having a hard time seeing around the mass of people.
But once he gets further into the wide cavern he sees the fungi. He tries to remember anything about about the possible dangers associated with them.
"Well, hurry on then. Which way?"
Garrosh crawls to his feet and moves out of the way, allowing Brodin to climb out. Agyen pushes his armor into the pile with Garrosh's and gets to his feet, followed by Belle. Reynaud and Tony are still in the tinnel, backing their way out. The sunlight is emanating from a crack in the wall to the north, but Garrosh can't see if the path between him and it is clear, as it is farther away than his darksight allows.
Belle turns around and urgently calls out, "Garrosh! STOP!" In the dim light from the crack, as well as Reynaud's ioun torch, she is horrified to see Garrosh standing dangerously close to a cluster of man-sized mushrooms, three of which are a pale purple color, with their caps bearing deep fissures. "Those are violet fungi! They are a subterranean plant creature which can move slowly and bear poisonous tentacles! One more step and it can attack you!"
And then she looks to Garrosh's left and grows even paler, "And the ground to your left is covered with yellow mold, which has poisonous spores that can cause serious respiratory issues!
The first thing she does when she is able to is cast Mage Armor, though that touch thing will bypass Mage Armor - ick.
Does Belle know if either of these things are vulnerable/susceptible to a fire elemental or any element/attack(such as acid or alkali) in general?
Belle knows that fire destroys yellow mold. Violet fungi are no more vulnerable to fire than other plant creatures.
Initiative Order
1) You all, any order
2) All the violet fungi
Belle's action is to cast Mage Armor.
Reminder! Garrosh, Agyen and Reynaud are still unarmored.
Reminder! Reynaud and Tony are still in the tunnel and cant get out until people move out of the way.
You cannot stand in the same square with a pile of plate mail, but you can move through it as if it were difficult terrain.
Can Belle still move since it is not a surprise round?
She moves out of the way then.
"The hell is going on up there."
As Tony catches glimpses of action from a piece of fungus, he can only guess that it's gone side ways up front.
Fungus, huh.
Tony reaches into a side pouch and pulls a vial of alchemist fire. He passes it over to Reynaud.
"Hey, Rey. Pass this up front, it'll help clear a path."
Brodin's arrow strikes the fungal creature with a thunk, but still the creature shambles forth.
Agyen bolsters the party with his magic, filling them with courage.