Jakun points at the leader, "You, lead us to your Highbulp. No more delays!"
Jakun points at the leader, "You, lead us to your Highbulp. No more delays!"
The gully dwarves quailed, but Tunket shuffled forward.
"Yes, mister horny-head," he said. He led the companions through the double doors, down a very short corridor, and into another domed room. The ceiling arched sixty feet above. Vines and moss dangled from great cracks therein. Slimy mold clung to the walls. At the room's center stood an empty pedestal, its top impossible to see from the floor. Just to the side of the doors, a circular staircase slick with green film plunged into the earth.
The stairs made for a steep climb. Three times Tunket slipped and fell forward. The companions came at length to a larger chamber. Its vaulted ceiling, though heavily reinforced, remained intact save for a few large cracks. A vast hall stretched out to the east, and there the floor buckled and gave way in several places. The dim light, filtering up from below, revealed that the passage went further east but other pits cut off the rest entirely. To north and south smaller corridors, these intact, drew away. Hot mists, carrying the odor of decay, rose near the holes in the floor.
Tunket turned from there down the south passage. As he did, he paused, "There's more dwarves here. We work the lift."
The corridor bent east, parallel to the broken path, and to either side opened in alcoves, each with a broken crypt inside. The sound of dwarven voices came from ahead for just a few moments before the report of a whip cut if off and a harsh voice called out, "Quiet, you maggots!"
Whispering to the group It seems these dragon men have enslaved the Aghar. I do not know however, that it is a good thing for them to know that we are here.
Caitlyn nods, she had no great love for the overly ripe gully dwarfs, but slavery was something she'd found abhorrent. Whispering to Thistletorp she asks, "I think it's time to bump a few dragonmen heads, could you go sneaky sneaky and find out how many of them there are?"
Thistletorp stole forward at Caitlyn's suggestion, hardly needing to be told twice. He returned in short order, whispering excitedly.
"Hiya! There's a really neat lift elevator type thing down the way. It has big wheels hooked to this big chain with a pot on the end like for when you need to cook a whole lot of food. Like a whole cow, but I don't know who could eat a whole cow. Except a dragon. Oh! It could be for the dragon except the pot is too small for her. There's two holes and the chain goes down both, but only one had a pot on it. There's a big ogre by the wheels. Do you think he'd give me a piggy-back ride if I asked? I should go ask. And two of the dragonmen too, but they've had him all day. I should get a turn. I saw him so I'm first, but then the rest of you can go too."
Jakun shakes his head, "No time for rides now Thistle. If this is the only way down I suppose it will have to do. We will need to rest after this so that I may refresh and I can fly us back up on the 'morrow.
I have but a few spells left but they may do. Gavin this time I will Enlarge you, then I can use a spell which will hopefully stun the Ogre. Everyone else should focus on the Dragonmen as they are quite difficult to bring down.
If anyone has any better ideas I am open to suggestions".
The half elf will draw her mace and pray that Mishakel and the rests of the gods once revered in this place protect hem.
Caitlynn listened to Jackun's plan. She sighed, "I guess..." Magic made Caitlyn uneasy although intellectually she could see the sense in Jakun's plan. "If you can take the Ogre out then there's two Dragonmen, one for Gavin and one for little old me." She grins at Gavin, "Time go knock some heads! Just don't let Jakun's spell make you too big for your boots." The last was said with mischief twinkling in her eyes.
OR your trousers quips the half elf.
Jakun casts his Enlarge Person spell on Gavin.
He then attempts to Stealth near the Ogre to utilize his final spell Color Spray.
Stealth
Once near, he unleashes the magic!
Color Spray at the Ogre - Will save DC 14.
The Aghur, as Mariel called them, might be pitiable but at least they weren't slavers like those despicable dragon-men! Just thinking about the way they had treated her and Gavin was enough to set her teeth grinding. Now they had a plan, she was itching to swing into action. Deep down she knew Jackun's plan was tactically sound, but sneaking forwards to unleash magic felt wrong to her. Still they'd done it to her, so maybe it was OK this once to settle the debt.
Suddenly vivid impossible colors erupted from down the far end of the corridor, followed by cries of consternation. The time for thinking was over, it was time to do. Streaking forward, she hurtled down the corridor, with her hair trailing behind her like the flame of a rocket!
On an autonomous level her body reacted to the enemy, but she was going so fast it was all she could do to bring her polearm to bear and whip it into the face of her foe!
The cleric will move up and then take cover near a wall.
Thistletorp giggles and slips intot he shadows before darting ahead to lay in wait in one of the alcoves.
Jakun stole forward, his approach lost in the low din that the aghar about continued to produce. Many looked at him as he passed, some turning away in fear and others watching curiously. He slipped into the room with the lift and cast a spell while the draconians were still gaping in surprise at the minotaur suddenly in their midst. Coruscating colors washed over the ogre and one draconian. The ogre shrugged it off, gaping dumbly, but the magic struck the dragonman blind and knocked him out cold.
Caitlyn rushed forward an instant later, trailing her hair like a banner as she flew into a rage. Her huge polearm thrust ahead and slashed deep into the nearer draconian. The dragonman let out a strangled cry as its flesh petrified, locking her weapon within.
Mariel advanced and took cover in one of the alcoves. Thistletorp darted ahead, giggling, and did the same.
Let's get initiative:
Total 33, Average 16.5
never flat-footed
Total 97, average 19.5
Advantage: Party.
Gavin is enlarged from pre-buffing.
DC 15 vs. color spray
no love
Caitlyn needs a save. Ref DC 12
and her polearm is stuck in the draconian. It'll be free in minutes.
Jakun, out of spell will charge the Ogre and ram it with his horns!
Melee Attack Gore
Gore Damage
Head down, the Wizard misses the mark.
Gavin Challenges the Ogre and charges at it to flank it alongside his longtime friend, Jakun.
"Face me Beast!"
Melee Attack
Masterwork Greatsword Damage
The half elf will make a double move.
Caitlyn's fierce joy at caving in the Dragonman's sternum quickly turned into a howl of rage and anguish as her weapon got stuck as her foe rapidly petrified! Frustrated she lets go the the polearm's long handle and lightly sprints at the Ogre. Moving sinuously with the wind in her hair, she doges past Mariel and then Jackun and tries desperately to evade the Ogre's powerful strike! At the last moment she pivots on one foot and twists with her hips to bring her right foot up off the floor and with all her momentum behind her, she lashes out with a thunderous side kick!
Actions:
Free action: Rage 2/14 rounds
Swift action: Engage Dragon style. First unarmed attack does 1.5x dmg.
Full round: Charge with rage & power attack & acrobatics to try and avoid AOOs.
She has Improved Unarmed Strike so her unarmed attacks do lethal damage if she wishes and she sure does!
She will smash one of the closest draconians to her with her mace.
Thistletorp darts forward quick as lightning, swords and ready to strike. He comes to a stop at the feet of the dragon-man and smiles.
Hiya! I'm Thisteltorp Babblebrook! Pleased to meetcha! You were really mean to my friends and tried to hurt them. I can't have that. So, poke... poke poke.. poke.... poke.
He swung both swords at the dragonman in wicked scissoring motion.
His magic spent for the moment, Jakun lowered his horns and charged. He came to a hard stop against the ogre's thigh, horns neatly bracketing the limb but leaving it unharmed.
Gavin rushed up behind him, shouting a challenge as he rushed ahead. His enlarged strides covered the ground in an instant and the ogre-sized man cut deep into the actual ogre. The huge brute howled piteously and threw up its arms to shield its head.
Caitlyn too closed the distance, moving in a flowing series of flips and dodges that brought her into the ogre's shadow. She leaped up, pivoting in the air and bringing her foot into the ogre's small ribs. It staggered for an instant as she recovered, then collapsed with a satisfying thud, sprawling half into one of the shafts in the floor.
Mariel joined the advance, swinging her mace at a draconian. The last foe standing brought up his blade a moment too late to parry and reeled under the blow.
Thistletorp came forward, blades drawn, and accosted the same draconian: "Hiya! I'm Thisteltorp Babblebrook! Pleased to meetcha! You were really mean to my friends and tried to hurt them. I can't have that. So, poke... poke poke.. poke.... poke." Two pokes left the draconian, like the ogre, sprawled on the floor and a threat to no one.
Jakun grins at the well executed plan, "We must hide these bodies somehow and make our way down with haste".
Gavin, can you dispose of the ogre corpse? Perhaps we can hide the armor and the weapons from the dead lizard men? asks the half-elf.
Thistletorp casually flicked the blood from his swords and sheathed them. Serves them right for trying to hurt my friends.
As suddenly as it started, the battle was over. Caitlyn blinked with surprise and looked at the corpses with vague horror. Shacking softly from the adrenaline she points at the petrified remains of the dragonman which her weapon was embedded into and grumbles, "Just great! These things turn to stone and now I get to chip my hammer out." She moves over and gives it a good tug, but it's stuck fast. She was about to say something more when the 'statue' suddenly crumbled into dust, "Would you look at that!" she exclaimed.
After picking up her weapon she suggests, "Maybe it's time for us to head down that lift contraption, after I've helped Gavin drag these bodies away?"
Interesting. I can see how even in victory over these foes we can still be defeated. A stuck fast weapon being denied to us can bring death with these brass colored men. The bronze begin explode she says out loud.
Yep yep yep! Thisteltorp pokes the stone draconian with his foot. Definitely need to be fast and tricksie with these guys! I wish I could turn to stone! That'd be soooo cool! I could be all VAmp! and turn to stone and hide like a statue and then Bzaark! turn back to me and help peopel protect their things or see new places!
Caitlyn shakes her head at Thistletorp's banter but there is a feint smile on her lips as she helps Gavin with the task of moving the bodies and the crumbling bits of rubble left by the dragon man.
Janatorial duty done, she returns to the party. Spotting some movement, she smiles sweetly and asks one of the gully dwarves she saw staring wide eyed from round a pillar, "Hey I won't hurt you! Can you please show us how this lift works? we'd like to go down."
A gully dwarfess stepped forward, "You get in the one pot. We get in the other one. Crank cranks. Simple!"
Then her eyes fell on the large, dead ogre. "Or not. But we can crank too! We did it before them!"
Jakun grimaces at the Gully Dwarves' words, "I will stay up here and assist with the crank then use my magic to glide down to the rest of you. Goldmoon, may I have my hat back? I will use it to take the appearance of these Dragon Men in case another patrol comes as I am lowering the rest of you down".
Caitlyn looks at the chain dubiously, 'I hope this holds my weight. I hope they hold my weight...' With a sigh she shakes her head and clambers in.
The half-elf will go in to the pot as well.
Thistletorp eagerly bounces into the pot. Wheeeeeee!
Seeing and hearing the enthusastic kender the half elf will counsel Now Thistlethorp, you need to be quiet and not so excitable. We do not know what is at the bottom or even on the way down and if we draw undue attention to ourselves they might hurt us.