Lanliss moves up behind Del and casts true strike on the cursed dwarf.
"Keep at it, Del! You can do it!"
"Can he do it? Are really sure?" Barnabus asks Lanliss.
Eye wide in alarm, Lanliss quickly looks over at Barnabus and makes a "no more" gesture by shaking his head and swiveling his fingers back and forth in front of his neck.
Bolstered by his companions cheers (Well for the most part anyway :-)) Del takes the mightiest swing he's ever taken, almost lifting off his feet with the effort.
(Raging, Power Attack, Shaken) Magical Sword Swing
(Raging, Power Attack) Edge of blade
And nearly twists himself into the ground in his effort. He then throws the supposedly magical weapon to the ground, bares his teeth, and charges in with his bare hands and teeth.
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Did I really miss... or not...
Critical confirmation
Maybe another
Bozvrig calls out from across the battlefield, “Oy! ‘Atta boy Del!”
Del, fully believing that he is cursed, takes one last swing with Merthuvial... the blade bestowed upon him from the Forgotten King. The blade strikes true and cleaves the last of the Unusually Large Cockroaches in two. For a brief moment Del thinks he saw a splatter of blood on the ground in the shape of a butterfly, but it is quickly overtaken by the rest of the blood from the cockroach.
Dalron’s two arrows fly wide of its target. The final two Giant Cockroaches hiss and bite out at those near them.
The Giant Cockroaches bite out at Bozvrig and Scarlet, but missed.
Initiative
Lanliss
Del
X
Bozvrig
Truffels
Dalron
Scarlet
Barnabus
Truffles moves in to provide a flank for Bozvrig.
Barnabus sends a Force Missile into the more healthy looking roach.
Bozvrig swings down his great axe and lands it firmly within the Giant Cockroach, but it stands up as he pulls his axe free. Barnabus shoots his Force Missile into the one next to Scarlet. Just seconds after that one of Dalron’s arrows land and finish off that Giant Cockroach.
The only remaining cockroach is the Giant Cockroach flanked between Bozvrig and Truffels.
"I think your curse is broken, Del!"
Lanliss draws an arrow from his quiver and sends it flying at the final roach.
Del takes a split second to look with wonder at his new swords carnage then swings at the remaining Roach.
Swing (Raging, Power Attack, Shaken, Flanked)
(Raging, Power Attack)
"Thank you Lanliss!!! You're remove curse spell worked it seems".
Lanliss smiles brightly and then glances at the heavens, as if sharing a private joke with his goddess.
Lanliss fires off an arrow that goes wide. Del, with a renewed vigor, moves up and brings the blade down upon the final Giant Cockroach. He several the head from the body....
Moments past, or maybe minutes, the party is not sure after such an onslaught. Is more to come? Finally everyone puts away their weapons, as they no longer hear the skittering or hissing of cockroaches. Pulling out waterskins the party takes a pull from the skins and spits the first part out, they realize their mouths have become caked in the remains of the cockroach dust. But then finally take a refreshing drink.
The party is almost all wounded and Barnabus knows that he still needs to attune to this node for the process to work.
Having suffered a number of roach bites, Bozvrig heals a bit of his wounds, then sits and communes with the strong natural energies of this place.
While everyone is together, Lanliss channels a burst of healing energy.
Lanliss is fine to hang out and chill for the next 8 hours.
Scarlet joins the group as Lanliss heals everyone. Watches his wounds completely heal as they decide to rest.
At some point Bozvrig approaches Scarlet, “Didn’t realize ye were in a bad way, kid.”
ability pts restored.
"I'll need to rest and regain spells. Then I can transport us through the node." Barnabus tells the party.
Dalron takes a look at a few of the holes. He sees a lot of scrapes and scuffs along the walls of the tunnels, but realizes that the marks are left behind by the carapace of the Giant Cockroaches. Then he finds a different marking and follows it in. Dalron has to army crawl through these tunnels to make his way through. Eventually, he finds the pathway blocked by a corpse. Having a difficult time, he pulls the body free.
Looking at the body you discover that it has been here long enough to become mummified. The flesh is dark, and you discover that this was an elf. You see within its hand the elf is holding a Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds. You check its pockets and find a pouch with 52 golden coins. They are odd because you have never seen these before. On one side there is a profile of a female elf and on the other side has a spider and a word in a weird language. The final thing you discover is a spider figurine. This perfect spider figurine is carved of black-banded red jasper.
The language is Undercommon, the word is “Pedestal”
When this object is tossed down and the word “lurux” is spoken, the figuring becomes a living Large Monstrous Spider. It cannot attack, but a medium or smaller creatures can ride it. The spider remains for up to 12 hours per use. It can be used once per day.
The time passes and everyone is fully rested. Scarlet you gained a total of 3 Wisdom back, unless someone aids you with a heal check. Barnabus cast a 2nd level spell into the ground. And instantly the party is encompassed by the earth magic of this node. You find yourself in a 30 foot diameter rock crater within a larger space, but the crater’s rim obscures your vision beyond.
Beyond the crater opens a wide Underdark vista lit by pale light shining through enormous columns that march into the misted distance. The benighted waters of a sunless sea meet a pebble-strewn shore a half-mile or so away. Across that dark water, a city glimmers around the base of the nearest column.
A cobbled road, which emerges from an opening in the dimly glowing cavern wall about a quarter-mile to the eft, passes within 10 feet of the crater and continues on to the right. It finally connects to a narrow but elongated stone formation that spans the shadowy sea, reaching more than a mile to the city.
Just across the road from the crater, a strange covered wagon sits. A broad and dusky dwarf, bald but with a white beard, stands in front of it, smiling. He wears a thick leather coat and gloves that have gold piping. Two large gray lizards stand idly nearby.
The grinning dwarf calls out in a deep baritone in perfect common, “Node travelers, and unless I miss my mark, surfaces too! I am Bruthwol Coalhauler, a humble merchant! Perhaps you would like to see my wares?”
Bruthwol Coalhauler is not just a common dwarf, he is a duergar.
|
"Look what I found guys, a relative of yours Lanliss. He has been down here for sometime.
What do you guys make of the odd coins and the cool little stone spider? What type of rock is it made out of Barnabus?
Can we Identify the rest of our magic items that we still need to figure out while we wait?"
"Aaa, hello Bruthwol. Yes I would like to see your wares. Sorry I have always been told that everything in the underdark just wants to eat you or kill you, yet here you are willing to trade with us. I guess you cant believe everything that you are told, right.
We might need to take stock in food and drinking water, don't think there is much of ether down here. And maybe some thing with a little
alcohol to drink, don't you think Barnabus?
Master Bruthwol you haven't see anyone else come through this node in the past eight hours or so, have you?"
Del mumbles to himself during the entire process, but in for a penny, in for a pound.
He volunteers to take first watch, the sleeps... sort of... lots of strange dreams keep him from his usual sleep of the dead, but he gets plenty of rest.
He smiles when he encounters a semi-friendly face. "Aye. I'll have a look at your wares as well. Might be up for some potions or reliable healing draughts".
"Hmm, this is intersting." Barnabus says as he examines the spider.
He memorizes Identify and examines it before we transport.
"Fascinating .... the spider will actually grow in size and obey the owner's commands."
Barnabus sacrifices a Flaming sphere spell to activate the Earth Node.
On arrival and greetings from the grey dwarf, Barnabus hefts his battleaxe.
"Hmm ... the words are fair, but the countenance is grim." Barnabus says.
"Master Bruthwol, your people and mine have long been adversaries. Why should we be trusting your word and your trade here and now?" he asks.
Bozvrig stares around slack-jawed at the underdark scenery unfolding around them, “Oy, what wonders Nature has in ‘er store, eh?”
He jogs down the slope to the merchant’s wagon and starts digging around in his wares, “Oy, whatcha got ol’ timer?”
Unusually saddened, Lanliss looks for any identifying jewelry or other object that might identify who the elf was.
By the time they travel through the earth node, Lanliss is cheerful again. The thought of travelling magically is exciting to him, and then once he finds out they're in the Underdark AND there's a new city nearby, Lanliss is over the moon.
"Hi, Bruthwol Coalhauler! My name is Lanliss Endarro!"
Having heard stories of the Underdark, he doesn't seem that excited about being here. Especially fearing running into the female lead Drow race.
"Yeah. We'll probably need to buy some supplies. So looking through your wares will be helpful."
Looking over the dead elf, the skin color, and if/when Scarlet says what the coin says, it is easy to put together that this elf is a Drow. Unfortunately, there is nothing on the the Drow that would point to who they are. Because they are mummified it is hard to guess how long they have been down here, but you know it has been a long time.
With the Lesser Restoration from Bozvrig, and his Aid during your rest in the node, Scarlet regains 4 of the Wisdom damage that he previously lost.
Bruthwol seems a bit overwhelmed by all the questions and comments thrown at him all at once. “You have questions? I can try to answer them. An informed customer is a repeat customer!” he nervously laughs as he hears Barnabus speak up about their racial differences. “I learned long ago not to hold onto ancient quarrels if I want to be a successful merchant. My trade route passes by this node and out yonder tunnel to the west. You never know who, or what, might use a node to travel quickly through the Underdark. But, not all of my kind share the same thoughts.”
Looking towards Dalron he gives a nod; “Right you are! Most things down here do want to eat you or kill you, or better yet both.... That is why I stay to the path to this node and back to Pedestal.”
Bruthwol begins to go through his wagon of goods. There are an abundance of doors and drawers filled to the brim with goods. Looking towards Bozvig, “Oh my dwarf friend I wish I had potions. They bring good money from those traveling the nodes. I do have two vials of anti-toxins and a healers kit. That is all I have in the way of healing supplies.”
Walking to the wagon Bruthwol pulls out two waterskins. “I do have two waterskins remaining... since you aren’t from around here I will let you know that since the plague water is scarce and most people drink ale, easier to keep clean.”
When Dalron mentions someone going by, “You’re looking for someone? Well, I have been camped here for a few days. Not too long ago, two cloaked figures, female humanoids by shape, though I couldn’t discern much else, emerged from this very node. Perhaps they are who you are looking for? They ignored my greetings and stalked off down towards the Oceannbridge.” Bruthwol points towards a bridge that crosses the dark water and leads to the city across the way.
"Is Pedestal that city over there? Will be welcome there?"
Bozvrig ponders the anti-toxins, "What sorta nasty critters be lurkin' 'round down 'here? What should we be 'xpectin'?"
"Oy, and where can we get summa dat ale?"
Nodding, “Lanliss you said? That is Pedestal, home sweet home. They have no central power. Several groups claim sovereignty, but during bad weeks, the city is little better than a war zone. Good weeks are merely lawless. Anarchy rose in the collapse of the Drow hierarchy. A terrible plague ten years ago wiped nearly all of ‘em out.”
With a shrug of a shoulder, “It all depends on how you act... you should know the top three groups who try to claim power. The Inheritors, House Dusklorn, and the guild. I mean the Assassins’ Guild, of course. The assassins are making a play for complete control by trying to ally with House Dusklorn, but the Inheritors oppose them. Who knows what the Inheritors what... they say a Pedestal free of Drow and assassin control. Doesn’t sound too bad to me...”
“Critters? Well you will want to be careful crossing the Oceanbridge. Wild Kuo-Toas and worse swim the sea’s murky waters. Sometimes travelers who start out at one end of the Oceanbridge fail to arrive at the other. In fact, part of the bridge has been damaged for a while now.”
With a smile Bruthwol walks over and pulls out a wooden cask with metal bands circling it. “I have a barrel here. Three gallons of Pedestal’s finest. Unless you have a cask to transfer it into, this is 5 gold.”
Boz holds up the antitoxins and healers kit, "Let's get dese."
"Underground fish-people." Barnabus tells Bozvrig.
"Nasty creatures."
To the duergar merchant:
"Well master Bruthwol, there are records from the past of commerce with our deep relations, but there are also records of conflict arising from misunderstandings and disputes. Trade fairly with us and you'll get honest dealing from ourselves."
"I am in the market for a length of wood, bone, or ebony to practice my carving on? Would you be having anything that would serve?"
"We'll probably want to buy the water. Fresh water might be hard to come by down here. Like others say, more rope and pitons."
Nodding a hearing what people as asking for, Bruthwol begins pulling things out of his wagon, “Well, let me see what all I have in here...”
“and a length of wood or bone? Hummm, that’s an interesting request. I don’t have either. But, when you go across the Oceanbridge I am sure you will find some bones along the way, if you look hard enough.”
"Hmmm...whiskey?"