Reynard follows Faywen and the others.
René was in no mood to rush. So instead he waited until he was alone and jumped down the hole, landing lightly on his feet.
Cordwin will follow the others down the stairs.
You all follow through the caverns. Unfortunately, there are three ghouls lurking in the shadows. They seem to ignore Iesha, but they eagerly come out to eat you.
+2 stonework, +1 vs giants
Skarn and Erond see slight movement just in time. The ghouls close in (surprise round but win initiative).
Skarn, Erond - you have a surprise round now - just 1 standard action.
Skarn will activate his judgement for +2 to saves, and attack the ghoul next to him.
x4
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Cordwin will aim his crossbow at one of the ones Skarn is not engaging.
Corwin places a well aimed bolt in the ghouls forehead. It doesn't drop it, but it certainly does some damage.
The ghouls attack.
Most of the attacks are dodged, but one claw each scrapes Druamin and Reynard.
Skarn keeps swinging at the same ghoul...
x4
Crit Confirm...
Druamin growls and swings his axe at the ghoul in front of him.
"Kobu, attack!" He shouts. In response, the porcupine moves adjacent to the same ghoul and slaps it with its tail.
Faywen takes a step back, focuses, and blasts the ghoul who attacked Reynard, doing her best to wipe it from existence.
René giggled. "So we finally get down inta the basement, where I said there was ghoulies and still managed ta get ambushed. Least they ain't ghosties though, right?"
Reynard shakes off the ghoul's poison. Interesting effects that, I should study it some time, when there's time. he thinks, then snaps back to the fight. He flicks his wrist, and a vial appears in his hand, and he quickly downs it. Before the ghoul's eyes, his muscles sqwell, his claws and teeth elongate, and he smiles, toothily. "Let's see how you like it."
Cordwin, feeling rather pleased with himself will launch another bolt at the target.
Erond barely misses with his first arrow, but then hits Red square in the chest. It would have killed a regular man, but the ghoul is made of sterner stuff.
Skarn then destroys his opponent, striking it so hard, it hit the wall and splattered into unrecognizable goo.
Druamin misses with his attack, but opens the way for the vicious porcupine to get in there and finish off red.
René hexes purple . Immediately thereafter, Faywen hits it with a water blast that drills a hole right though its center, causing it to drop as well.
Iesha continues here trek. The cramped tunnel opens into a vertiginous gulf here, a cathedral-like cavern with a roof arching thirty feet overhead and dropping into a sloshing pool of foamy seawater fifty feet below. A steep stone ledge winds down to these surging depths, its slope glistening with moisture and mold. A stone door stands in the northwestern wall about halfway down the slope. Iesha starts slamming her fists against the door in an attempt to get past it, allowing you time to catch up and take a breath.
Faywen looks around quickly to ensure there are no more ghouls waiting to ambush them, then hurries to follow after Iesha. She makes her way down the ledge quickly but carefully, until Faywen catches up at the door.
"Whatever's in there," Faywen says, "I doubt it'll be happy to see us. When everyone's ready, I'll get that door open." In preparation, she begins pulling water to her from the nearby pool.
"Well, at least she hasn't tried to kill us yet." Faywen replies, nodding toward Iesha.
After Kobu's tail slap finishes off the ghoul Druamin grins at his companion and calls him to his side. Crouching down he pets Kobu along his back. "Great job there, my friend. Now let's see what else is hiding down here."
The dwarf and porcupine make their way along the slippery ledge to catch up with Faywen and Iesha. Duramin nods to Erond. "Did you check out the door yet? Is it trapped? I'm guessing it's locked or our guest would have just walked in. Unless she didn't try the handle."
Druamin watches Faywen pulling water up from the pool. "Neat trick. What are you going to do with that?"
Just as Reynard finishes drinking his mutagen, the ghoul in front of him comes apart in a jet of high-pressure water. "Thank you, ma'am" Reynard says, with a nod and a smile to Faywen.
"Any time," Faywen replies, returning the smile.
-----
"It's my universal key, Druamin." She gives him a wink, and begins hammering the door with blasts of water.
Before you do that, let me see if I can unlock it. Cordwin offers.
Trox is stunned by the speed at which his team handles thing. Wanting to ready he gets close to the door for when it is opened.
Between the ledge, and Iesha, Cordwin finds the prospect of unlocking the door to be extremely risky. But Faywen's approach seems to work just fine, clearing the way for Iesha to continue.
The air in this damp cavern reeks of a horrific stench-a foul combination of decay, brine, and mold. The cave contains a rickety table, its damp surface cluttered with all manner of what appears to be garbage: empty bottles, bits of clothing, crumpled bits of paper, and more, lying in neatly organized rows. A painting leans against the far side of the table, facing a large leather chair that sits nearby. This chair's high back and cushion are horribly stained by smears of rotten meat and its arms are sticky with blood. A smaller table sits against the southern wall, its surface heaped with plates and platters of rotten, maggot-infested meat. The horrific stench of the room seems strongest to the west, where the cave's wall has been overtaken by a horrific growth of dark green mold and dripping fungi. At the center, a patch of black tumescent fungus grows, its horny ridges and tumorlike bulbs forming what could almost be taken to be a humanoid outline. What appears to have once been an exquisite puzzle box the size of a man's fist lies smashed on the ground at the fungoid shape's feet.
Aldern Foxglove, or what remains of him in his ghastly state, sits in his chair as you arrive, When he sees you, his eyes widen in a mixture of fear and delight "You live! Well and good, for now I shall have the reward of tasting your heart while it is yet warm . . . "
Then he recognizes Iesha and his demeanor changes. Confronted by Iesha, Foxglove shrieks out in grief and falls to his knees to beg forgiveness from his murdered wife. For a brief moment, as Iesha caresses Aldern's sallow cheek, it may appear that she may be willing to forgive-yet a moment later, she shrieks in rage and attempts to destroy him.
Faywen's face is a mask of revulsion and fury as she takes in the sight of this den of horrors and its inhabitant. "If you want my heart, monster, you'll have to come and take it," she snarls, blasting him with a jet of water from her outstretched hands.
"Trox, Reynard, do your thing."
Faywen's action was all Trox needed to know what was going on. Quickly stepping around the well dressed creature, even if it leaves him exposed for a moment, he swings his cold iron longsword.
"You are welcome to try and get to my heart fiend."
Reynard easily navigates the slope. As he sees the ghastly scene, he draws and drinks an extract, then surreptitiously palms a couple more. As all hell breaks loose, he drains one of them, and lumbers forward.
Cordwin will cautiously climb down the slope.
”Aldern, how far ya’ve fallen. Are you really the same man who went boar huntin’ and flirted with Sabina? What ill has brought you so low? You sure ya wouldn’t like to share a nice cold ale again instead o’ hearts?”
René stayed where he was, giving a nervous chuckle as he pet Hadley and sending good luck towards Trox.
Faywen and Cordwin struggle with the ramp, but eventually you all made it to the door.
Unfortunately, both Faywen and Trox fail to hit the surprisingly spry Aldern.
Skarn will take 10 on climb getting down.
Druamin reaches down to touch Kobu on the back and quickly casts a spell on him. The prickly spines covering Kobu's body grow a little longer. "Attack!" Druamin directs Kobu towards Aldren.
Kobu moves up to the man and slaps at him with his tail.
Kobu makes a strike, and shudders upon touching the ghoul.
Iesha slams a clawed hand upside the ghouls face again.
Aldern screams and swings his war razor at his beloved.
Faywen summons another blast of water, but is so surprised by the brutality of Iesha's attack on Aldern that her attack goes wide.
Reynard drinks his last extract and steps up, ready for combat at last.
Skarn moves forward, although there doesn't appear to be a way to get into the fight.
Cordwin, not able to get into the fight, cheers his companions on!