"Lead the way, Disarmer of Traps!"
Amir leads the way into a guard chamber at the end of the corridor. His flickering torch reveals a chamber about 20 feet on each side which contains only an empty weapon rack. A passage continues from the left corner.
Kzrira smiles as Amir finishes his meticulous work:
Well done, now lets show these mongrels how we treat those who would place wicked traps in our way.
Kzrira keeps her bow in hand as she moves behind Amir read to shish-kabob anything which might decide to not stay out of the way.
Perception: <-- don't suppose they are gnolls?
I look to Amir, "You did very well in keeping us from harm, but they did not seem very obvious to me, maybe if one expects to find them they are easier to find? It is a good thing that Bug warned us of them."
Unseen overhead, two man-sized pale spider-like creatures with claws and large jaws spring on Amir and Kzrira! Huge jaws tear into Kzrira as a clawed pincer slashes her side. The clicking jaws miss Amir, but he is captured by pincers which rend him frightfully.
Amir
Karethas
Faelar
Kzrira
Giant bugs
Kzrira calls out:
Faelar, back up and give me room to shoot. One of your jaunty tunes would be nice about now.
Assuming Faelar moves back and starts Inspire Courage:
Kzrira 5-foot steps back to D9 and begins firing at the spider which bit her (D7):
Attack-rapid shot:
Damage:
Attack-rapid shot:
Damage:
Crit confirm:
Damage:
Before Kzrira has even said anything I have retreated 10 feet and begun to sing an inspiring tune, although it is not as jolly as I would have liked it, it still raises the spirits and makes you feel more confident.
I look at the creatures and try to recall if I have ever read anything about them before.
Faelar moves back singing and recognizes the creature from his travels in the desert though he's never seen one so huge. It appears to be a monstrous solifugid or camel spider. They have great jaws and grabbing claws that can rend after they pounce on their prey. Their minds are not developed enough to be affected by spells that affect the mind.
Kzrira steps back and rapid fires two arrows at the nearest creature. The first on strikes it right in one of its two large dark eyes. The next one also strikes its head, but the great arachnid keeps coming.
"Karethas, they are immune to mind effects!"
The thing comes staggering forward at Kzrira only to collapse at her feet dead!
Karethas also takes a step back, but seeing one of the creatures already fallen, settles for flinging a glob of acid at the other.
;
;
Karethas acid splash whizzes past Amir to burn the pale multi-legged freak. Amir shifts so as not to be in line of fire and attacks with his paired short swords, but the great arachnid is too fast. The mindless creature continues assaulting the rogue resulting in only deep cut.
I stop singing, but my song continues to play in the minds of my friends. Not knowing any other way to help my friends I draw the wand from my belt and touch Kzrira's back with it.
Round 2
Seeing her arrows strike home, Kzrira smiles briefly before once more returning to the expressionless look she gets when calming her nerves and aiming her bow.
Attack-rapid shot:
Damage:
Attack-rapid shot:
Damage:
"These things are revolting!" Karethas throws another glob of acid at the injured spider.
Kzrira gives no sign of noticing Faelar's aid as her concentration on her bow is absolute. Both shots pierce the great solifugid as it continues to assail Amir. It shows no signs of weakening as another glob of acid burns through chitin armor.
;
;
Amir is hard pressed and fails to land a telling blow with his twin blades. Though he blocks the creature's powerful jaws, the superior reach of its claws flick past the blades slashing and rending once again. The aging rogue is left bleeding horribly through his mithril shirt.
Kzrira calls out:
Faelar, Amir needs your help fast. He is not going to last long.
She then fires two more arrows at the giant arachnid.
Attack-rapid shot:
Damage:
Attack-rapid shot:
Damage:
While calling for help from Faelar throws off her first shot, the second again strikes true on the thick carapace of the creature.
Kzrira's final shot sinks deep into the solifugid's body and its ten legs convulse inward as it rolls over and dies. Amir looks pale as he catches his breath and presses a hand over his deepest wounds.
Before Kzrira has said anything I have already begun to move towards Amir, wand drawn and ready to release its energy. I manage to connect once before the creature falls.
Once the creature is down I begin to release the energy from the life saving wand so that everyone who is hurt, no longer feels the pain.
Now that I see that Amir is fully healed, I turn to Kzrira and release another charge of energy.
Kzrira is left with a small bruise but her life does not seem to be in danger anymore. With that I go to put the wand away, but think better of it and have it in my hand ready in case it is needed again.
Once the spider collapses, Kzrira gives it a quick kick to make sure that it is no longer moving. She then turns to Amir only to find Faelar hard at work.
Turning back to the spiders:
Don't suppose that these two have caught and trapped anyone, or anything else? Frequently spider nests have been known to contain coins and other more valuable items no longer needed by the spider's last meal.
With that, Kzrira begins to poke around looking for any sign of a nest or anything that might be valuable.
Perception:
Faelar can correct Kzrira's misconception; solifugids are not spiders and do not weave webs. These have likely wandered or were led here from deep underground. Besides the monstrous corpses, the chamber is empty. The passage continues into the mountain.
While I am healing up Amir I correct Kzrira on the correct nature of the now deceased creatures, never taking my eyes off of Amir. Once everyone is healed up I tap the wand to my hand, making sure not to release a charge, "This wand is starting to run low on energy, we shall either have to buy another or fill this one up somehow."
"Yeah, I was suggesting that we purchase one when we went to Katapesh, but no one else seemed to agree." Karethas shrugs, "It is not something we can do anything about unless we find one somewhere along the way.
Amir cautiously probes his healed wounds and smiles at Faelar. "Those wands are certainly worth more than their weight in gold."
"Do not worry so much about money, my friends. That is my job. Abadar says that the virtuous will receive their just reward," he quotes with a finger lifted to the heavens and a hand across his heart. "I expect it will be quite a virtuous thing to remove the gnoll blight from these hills and we will be quite well rewarded. I love it when doing good intersects with doing well."
Moving forward, Amir very very slowly and carefully leads the way. The hall narrows and becomes nothing more than a rough tunnel as you follow Amir's magical torch. After quite a long while, the tunnel widens again before a wall holding a pair of ancient bronze doors.
Amir takes his time inspecting the door, "Yes, it is a rather simple trap. I believe that I can handle it..."
Amir does something that involves shims and small tools and then smiling opens the doors safely. Beyond is a large hall that reeks of death and something else equally foul.
The doors grate softly as they swing open. Beyond is a twenty by twenty foot chamber with a low domed ceiling. Amir's torch causes bits of crystal embedded in the rock above to glitter faintly which would be pleasant if not for the gnoll carcasses suspended about the room. Cave vermin and roaches scramble over the rotting corpses which strangely lack their lower legs and feet. Something long and low scrabbles under the bodies which swing slowly on hooked chains.
Kzrira readies her bow to fire on whatever is moving.
Looks like something in there enjoys drumsticks. Karethas, something with fire might be useful as shooting swarms of bugs is not one of my strong suits.
Knowledge(Dungeoneering, Nature, Geography, Engineering): <-- add +1 for Geo.
Perception:
Readied Attack:
Damage:
I hold my hand over my nose to keep the smell of rotting meat from assaulting my nose too much when I notice something moving along the ground, "What is that?"
Amir
Karethas
Faelar
Kzrira
??
Amir leads the way into the room with Kzrira at his side. Faelar and Karethas are right behind. Amir's torch illuminates half the room leaving the rest in dim shadows. Through the swinging corpses that conceal much of the room, all eyes turn to the half seen creature that moves to investigate. From the back row, Faelar can't see it well enough to identify it, but Kzrira recognizes it as a razorscale lizard, one of the six-foot long reptiles with sharp scales that prowl the highlands of Katapesh. They prefer carrion, but are very territorial.
Amir hands his torch to Faelar and draws his blades as Kzrira fires at it. She easily makes the pointblank shot injuring the lizard. It hisses and twists loudly biting at the arrow protruding from its side. Kzrira sees something else moving at the back of the room, humanoids though they are only half seen through the hanging meat. Whispered words are heard from the shadows and two more razorscales charge forward as a gut-wrenching stench assails you. Amir is unaffected by the stink and easily fends off the lizard that assaults him. Kzrira dodges the weakly envenomed jaws that snip at her as well.
Seeing that we have now comes across another encounter I move back 10 feet again and begin to tell the tale of how Amir and Kzrira will defeat our foes.
Kzrira goes into her tactician mode:
Razorback lizards, nasty bites but not tough. Those guys in the back are more of a concern. Everyone back up a step of a time, make these things come to us. This will keep them from flanking us.
Kzrira steps back and fires at the lizard in front of her, and then at the one in front of Amir if the first gets taken down.
Fort:
Attack-rapid shot:
Damage:
Attack-rapid shot:
Damage:
Karethas reels back from the staggering stench, but quickly recovers and begins a summoning spell.
"I was going to suggest we wait a minute before entering the room.
Fortunately, no one is incapacitated by the foul smell. Karethas backs away and calls across the planes for assistance. Faelar retreats even farther and encourages his companions. His voice echoes through the tunnel as Amir lands a pair of telling blows with his twin short swords and steps back with Kzrira. The archer wounds its neighbor though her last shot shatters on the stone floor.
The spined lizards follow plodding after jaws wide and strands of drool hanging from pointed teeth, but are not fast enough to bite the retreating humans. Hissing voices come from the shadowy hall ahead and the musky humanoids creep forward though they still take cover behind the suspended gnoll corpses. Kzrira and Amir feel dark impulses invade their minds and Karethas senses the shadowy passage tighten around him.
I step back again and stop telling my tale and get ready to cast a healing spell in case anyone gets injured. Even though I am no longer telling the tale it is still echoing through the heads of my companions.
Karethas' brows furrow as he feels the shadowy foreign presence in his mind twisting his perceptions. He thinks back to his training at the College of Dimensional Studies and shreds the presence with a jab of his will. Even while fighting this battle in his head, Karethas manages to complete the familiar motions and incantations of the summoning spell. A silvery glowing feline appears in the room and immediately pounces on one of the humanoid figures.
Meanwhile Karethas glares at the humanoid shapes in the darkness. He pulls his rod from his pack, and twisting his ring, he casts a spell. A silvery glowing sphere surrounds the group. "Stay within the sphere to keep them from compelling you."
N Medium animal
Init +4; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +5
DEFENSE
AC 15, touch 14, flat-footed 11 (+4 Dex, +1 natural)
hp 19 (3d8+6)
Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +2
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft.
Melee bite +6 (1d6+3 plus grab), 2 claws +6 (1d3+3)
Special Attacks pounce, rake (2 claws +6, 1d3+3)
STATISTICS
Str 16, Dex 19, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 6
Base Atk +2; CMB +5 (+9 grapple); CMD 19 (23 vs. trip)
Feats Skill Focus (Stealth), Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +8, Climb +11, Perception +5, Stealth +11 (+15 in undergrowth); Racial Modifiers +4 on Stealth in undergrowth
Will: <-- add +2 more if charm, +3 if a fear effect
If Karethas' magic circle is applicable:
Second Save: <-- +3 if fear, +2 if evil, +4 if enchantment <-- not sure which bonuses are applicable, waiting on actions until I know the result of the saves
Karethas' arcane training allows him to repel the wild fear that compels him to flee and he completes the spell to send a celestial leopard against the shadows.
The cat immediate sneezes and growls at the foul stink that greets it and then leaps upon one of gray reptilian humanoids. Although likely repulsed, the cat grabs the creature by its scaly throat and nearly disembowels it with its rear claws. Karethas immediately casts a sphere to protect his allies against further evil spells.
It is a moment too late, however. A flicker of hatred crosses Amir's face and his blades rise slightly toward Kzrira before he regains control. Instead he strikes once more at the pursuing razorscale and the ferocious lizard is killed by his flaming blade. As he steps back into Karethas' protective circle, Kzrira turns her bow on him, her face twisted with murderous rage.
Before she can release the arrow however, Amir knocks the bow from her hands. It lands at her feet as she regains her senses enough to avoid the snapping jaws of the vengeful lizards she has wounded.
As Faelar continues to retreat down the passage, he moves farther away from the protective circle as well as taking the party's sole source of light. In the shadowed room ahead, the glimmer of the leopard reveals that the cave creature has not freed itself from the cat's jaws though its two companions have moved in to help free it with their battle axes.
Realising that everybody needs me back where I was to be able to see anything I walk back towards the group but leave enough room between Kzrira and myself in case she needs to step back. I then get ready to heal anyone if they are injured again.
Getting her senses back, Kzrira picks up her bow and then steps back to fire again at the lizard before her.
Move: pick up bow (may provoke AoO).
5-foot move back
Attack:
Damage:
Karethas smiles with satisfaction as the humanoid creatures are distracted by his summoned aid. He waits for the leopard to get a few more licks in before summoning a layer of grease under the feet of the creatures.
Knowledge(dungeoneering): <-- at least I did not roll a natural 1 like the brain trust.