Stones of the Ancients

Game Master Seamus Greenbottle

"I say we explore the side passage first. I would not care to have any threats at our back if we can help it," Terwin says.

Chance simply nods at that, giving his agreement, eyes flicking every which way.

As you move down the pathway, it opens into a wider chamber. Near the wall of the chamber looms a spider of gigantic proportions gnawing on the corpse of a large lizard. As soon as you enter the room, the spider drops the lizard and moves to attack.

The spider is about 20 ft. away. I don't think we need a map for this one. Orren, Jia, Terwin, and Navarro are up!

Jia raises her arms (in Crane Style, Swift Action) and leaps to strike the spider.

Flying Kick: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22
Damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

Flying Kick (Confirmation): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11
Damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Terwin rushes forward and unleashes lightening next to the great spider!

Lightening Flash DC 15 Reflex for Half: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Navarro aims his crossbow, but seeing the spider in melee with his companions already he drops it.
Instead, he draws his sword and moves to contact.

My initiative modifier is only +1, though it doesn't really change anything.

Orren calls out to Nethys, requesting his divine protection for him and his allies. He then moves to the side, hoping to line up a shot at the spider. He activates his deflection aura, giving everyone +2 AC for the next round.

Jia connects soundly with her kick, and distracted by the monk, the spider cannot get out of the way of Terwin's bolt. The electricity washes over the spider, and it falls to the ground.

Only one pathway leads out of the room in the top right corner of the open area.

"Well, that is one way to handle things..."

That was fast!

Don't underestimate flying kicks. :-p

"Excellent!" Terwin exclaims, "let us continue on, if it goes too far we can always turn back."

"Go on then."

Cyrus gives the dead spider a quick glance to see if there's anything of interest to him.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

The passage is cold, dark, and the low-hanging ceiling makes it even more ominous. After only a few yards, the tight passageway splits, one path heading left and the other heading right.

"Which way folks, I believe it is not my place to make the decisions on direction unless that is the plan of the group."

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14
Track: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

"Be mindful, I think I hear something in the right fork..." he says in a sort of forced whisper.

"Then go right."

Terwin nods, "Better to face danger head on than let it creep up from our backs!"

Orren whispers, "True, true. I think I hear something in that direction as well."

perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

You follow the small pathway until it opens back up into a much larger cavern with water pooled on the side near the far wall. This larger area leads south.

Lead the group the direction of the tracks, his voice a soft whisper, "There are tracks heading this way..."

Track: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

Terwin nods and motions Chance onwards.

*Nod*

Wincing, Navarro nods as well.

Suddenly, you hear shouts up ahead. A human-like voice seems to be shouting combat orders, though you can only make out "surround him." Even louder, a smaller, squeakier voice shouts in a different language.

At this point, you can't see anyone, but it sounds like the shouts are coming from around the corner up ahead.

"Let's go, if we need to intervene we need to do so now!" Terwin urges.

"Be careful! We don't know what these men may be capable of." Orren tries to keep somewhat quiet while following the group. (If we indeed go) "I did not expect a goblin here, though. Could this be the exiled one the goblin at the bridge spoke of...?"

Jia continues ahead.

Darren leads the way, moving slowly to try and stay hidden.

Stealth: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18

Cyrus follows, also adopting a stealthy approach even as a small smile creeps onto his face at what they might find.

Stealth: 1d20 ⇒ 8

As you enter the room, you see six masked figures on the right side of the room, all of their focus turned to a goblin in the top left corner of the cave opening and all preparing to attack. The goblin is holding a scimitar in one hand, ready to fight.

Here is a Map. I'll let you place yourselves as you act—it will take 10 ft. of movement to get to C9, and then you can continue from there. Because of the complications of this combat, please don't post until your block is up. Terwin, you can act first. Feel free to use a Stealth check to sneak into the room, but remember that you can only move at half speed unless you want to take a -10 penalty on Stealth.

Terwin moves into the room only giving a cursory attemot at stealth and then color sprays the five nearest masked figures.

Move to C8 firing from top right corner of square, should get all but elf. DC 15 Will.

Why did he just attack those humans?

"What are you doing?"

Terwin's spray of colors floods over the group of people, and when the colors settle, two of them have dropped to the ground.

The woman in back, seeing her companions fall, moves close to the man in the middle, pulls a sheaf of parchment from the pouch on her belt and begins chanting. She reaches out to touch her two fallen companions seconds before the three of them disappear.

Map is updated. Jia and Chance can act.

Jia assumes her crane stance and moves up to C5 to confront the goblin.

Chance moves forward, standing beside Terwin, and pulls the bowstring taut, arrow aimed for the female before him.

"Stand down, we are here representing the local authority. Depart and we won't have any further problems. Fail to do so, and it will be regrettable."

Ready to attack if they move offensively towards any of our party.

The closest of the humanoids, quite short and stocky, moves backwards with his hands in the air and growls in a low, grumbly voice.

"You are in way over your head, ranger. Don't meddle in things you don't understand."

Stay in initiative. Orren can act.

sorry for the wait. Got busy yesterday and forgot to check. Are these, in fact, Razmirans as I suspected?

spellcraft: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

"Those three have teleported away. They can't be very far, though."

Orren mutters a prayer to Nethys, asking for his aid. casts bless, +1 to everyones attacks

Responding to the priest's comment, "And what business do Razmirans have in Varisia? You're quite far from home."

The woman up against the east wall answers the question.

"The servants of the Living God can roam freely where we choose. But as my companion said, you are in far over your head. You should leave this goblin to us and we won't bother you."

Cyrus and Navarro can act. Map is updated.

Double move to C-3 or C-4 if that's not possible, risking AoO from goblin.

Cyrus dashes through the cave, cloak flapping when he passes Jia on the way to the goblin's side. "Leave this one to me," he tells her. "There is something very, very, interesting going on."

Navarro painfully limps in far enough to be able to cover the strangers with his crossbow.

The goblin does indeed strike out a Cyrus as he moves into position, catching the antipaladin off-guard and finding a weak spot in his armor. The goblin's scimitar slashes Cyrus's skin, opening a wound.

The final masked humanoid, a red hood covering his head, speaks as he reaches into his pouch.

"If you wish to continue along this path, then this will not be the last you see of us."

His attention turns to the sheaf of parchment he pulls from his pouch—after reciting a few words, he reaches a hand out to each of his two companions, and they vanish.

As the masked figures vanish, the goblin speaks surprisingly calmly in an odd languages.

He mutters a few words under his breath and extends his hand toward Jia and Cyrus. A flash of colors like Terwin's flies from his extended hand, but Cyrus and Jia are both able to fight off the spell's effects.

All of the masked humanoids are gone. All can now act for round 2. Map is updated.

Maybe they have all gone insane?

Jia leaps forward in a flying kick against the goblin.

Flying Kick: 1d20 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 2 + 1 = 16
Damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

Jia comes close to landing a blow, but the quick goblin deftly dodges out of the way.

"Please, hold!" Orren shouts, amplified by the echo through the cave. "We may be able to learn something from him! Terwin, could you make out what he said?"

Moving to where he can see the goblin, he glances to Orren, "Our task is not negotiable, to do so would be doing ourselves a disservice..."

How much damage did I take?

Cyrus grunts, shrugging off both the pain of the wound and the flash of colors. He takes a light step along the cave wall, circling the goblin and putting himself at the dead end.

5-foot-step to B-2, for flanking with Jia.

Holding off on my action until I know if I can risk another AoO.

Without another word, seeing the blood flowing as Cyrus moves, Chance fires an arrow.

Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 3

This will have been a move in the previous post, then a standard now, was free actioning speech

"Think for a moment! This is a lone goblin in a cave, hardly a threat to Sandpoint. You can justify it by the letter of our task, but certainly not the spirit!" Orren takes a few steps forward into the cave while speaking (to d-2) "That Razmiran priests can all the way here for a single goblin is highly troubling. At the very least, it's worth seeing what he knows first."

"Just try not to kill him first," he says with a sigh.

He spends his turn talking :p