Piety hits the one in the crevice solidly, but is forced to strike it twice to put it down. Arthur takes a few measured stabs at the rat in front of him, but somehow the frenzied rodent manages to avoid his strikes. Revjak smashes two into rat pulp, and Carric skewers another with an arrow, and the last wounded rat turns to flee, only to be pinned by Arthur's rapier to the ground. It gives a final twitch, then dies, its blood leaking from its small body.
A quick search of the natural chamber reveals little; there is nothing of value here, and no sign of any other creatures.
Considerably wounded, Revjak swings Azuredge away from his friends to get the worst of the rat gore off it.
"Damn things have a bite on them!", he grumbles. "I would take healing if any remains."
"I have a little left, a rest might do you well Revjak." Arthur focuses some healing magic on Revjak.
"My thanks, Arthur, and aye, a rest would be welcome! Though perhaps not amidst shattered pests."
Reynwyn nods to Revjak's concerns. "Agreed, perhaps we should return to the stairwell for a short rest. I can keep an eye out for any movement in the darkness. We can even send Jareth a little further ways in."
"Best not to push ourselves too much without cause or we will pay the price for such hubris."
As the party rests, Reynwyn sends Jareth to scout further ahead. The bird flies through one natural cavern, one corner of which seems to be filled with refuse, and then comes to a properly excavated chamber. A square room, it has a central depression with clear water running into it. The walls are rough-hewn but regular. To the left (the north) is a door set in the wall, while one the other side of the water (the south) there stands a stone altar dark with old stains. Crouched around the altar, apparently feasting on a dead gnoll, are five creatures with bluish-grey skin and very little hair. As Jareth flutters into the room they look up, but don't move from their meal.
A foul stench washes over Jareth, and the bird begins to make strange choking noises . One of the creatures picks up a heavy rock and flings it at Jareth, its red eyes glowing in the darkness. The rock strikes the raven, and Reynwyn's connection with the bird is lost.
Reynwyn speaks aloud everything he sees while looking through Jareth's eyes while his companions rest until suddenly he lurches as if struck. "Jareth! Bastards!" Reynwyn jumps to his feet and prepares to rush toward the area that holds the creatures unless stopped.
"Renwyn what happened?" Arthur moves to keep pace with the other half elf not wanting him to get too far ahead.
Carric stays hot on their heels with his bow drawn.
Revjak takes some time to attend to his wounds, with marginal success.
When Reynwyn begins to rush, the Northerner leaps to his feet, seizes Azuredge and rushes ahead with him.
Reynwyn charges forward, and far from slowing him down they rush along beside him. The party moves through the refuse chamber, then things get a bit squishy as you all move forward beside the small stream. Reynwyn reaches a corner and can see the creatures ahead of him.
Carric creeps forward 30 feet and fires at the closest creature.
Revjak feels a little stronger even as he rushes forward.
Foul things! I will end them - but with cunning.
He creeps up, emulating his friends. As soon as he can, he swings and swings at the nearest foe. Already, he is eager for another to leap at him - and meet its end on his axe!
Arthur tries to slink forward with the others.
Reynwyn looks over his shoulder. "Some sort of creatures in here feasting upon a gnoll. They killed Jareth! They must pay!" The is a cold fury in his words that the group has never heard before...
As they round the corner, Reynwyn rushes up behind Revjak and targets the first creature he can see with a powerful Hex! Shadows suddenly detach themselves from all around the small cave and cling to the monster as Reynwyn sends a blast of the black, eldritch energy streaking from his ring towards that same creature!
Surprise Round
Round 1
That same cool fury drives Reynwyn into burning through his powers as he calls out to his lady for aid. "Milady, lend me your weapon so that I shall cleave through these abominations!" Suddenly a ghostly, black scythe appears hovering over the nearby water, nearly invisible in the inky darkness of the caverns. It cuts out towards the same Hexed creature just as Reynwyn summons more shadows into his ring and fires another bolt of his shadowy magic!
AZUREDGE
Weapon (battleaxe, now halberd!), legendary (requires attunement)
Forged by the archwizard Ahghairon, this intelligent battleaxe was crafted lo defend Waterdeep. Azuredge has a solid steel handle etched with tiny runes, wrapped in blue dragon hide with a star sapphire set into the pommel. The axe head is forged from silver, electrum, and steel alloys whose edges constantly shimmer with a deep blue luminescence.
You gain a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. The shield spell provides no defense against the axe, which passes through that spell's barrier of magical force. When you hit a fiend or an undead with the axe, cold blue flames erupt from its blade and deal an extra 2d6 radiant damage to the target.
Hurling. The battleaxe has 3 charges. You can expend 1 charge and make a ranged attack with the axe, hurling it as if it had the thrown property with a normal range of 60 feet and a long range of 180 feet. Whether it hits or misses, the axe flies back to you at the end of the current turn, landing in your open hand or at your feet in your space (as you choose). The axe regains all expended charges daily at dawn.
Illumination. While holding the axe, you can use an action to cause the axe to glow blue or to quench the glow. This glow sheds bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet.
It has other attributes as an artifact, but you're not really privy to those just yet. Also, I'm going to say that the +3 (and extra 2d6 for undead) only applies to your attack with the axe end, not the butt end, as it was never intended to be a double-ended weapon and it's starting to get OP at that point for a 4th level character. Enjoy!
Red DEAD
Green -28
Yellow
Cyan
Pink
The party charges forward. Renwyn's fury is apparent as he curses the largest of the undead creatures, then hurls a bolt of pure darkness at it, causing it to howl in pain and surprise. Carric fires an arrow at the nearest undead, striking it in the throat with his arrow, but the foul creature clings to life, rearing up from the carcass on the altar and casting about for the enemy that just wounded it so.
As Revjak gets within range of the creature he smashes into it with Azuredge. As it makes contact, the blade flashes white-blue, and it cuts through the creature like butter, and the thing disintegrates into ash before it can hit the ground.
Reynwyn screams out in fury, and his phantom scythe carves through the largest creature, wounding it terribly, and it is simultaneously hit by another shadowy bolt from the warlock.
Arthur moves forward hoping even a light blow will put the badly injured one down and thin their numbers.
Arthur steps up, piercing the largest creature's blue hide with his blade, and though it looks very damaged, its rotting flesh hanging from its bones, the green fire in its eyes still rages hot.
Green
Yellow
Cyan
Pink
Carric marks and fires at the pink enemy in a row by itself.
Red DEAD
Green [DEAD
Yellow
Cyan
Pink -11
Carric's arrow pierces the chest of the creature at the back of the pack, and stands quivering in its flesh. Finally rousing itself to action, the biggest creature, gnoll flesh still hanging from its maw, turns on Arthur with frightening speed, its sharp claws seeking to rend the half-elf's flesh! But Arthur knocks one claw away and ducks under the other.
Piety bangs his fists together, sending sparks flying, and steps forward, swinging his arms like hammers at the wounded undead. Both fists land, and the thing is blasted back into the altar, where it crumples to the ground.
The remaining three creatures rush forward heedlessly, one splashing into the three-foot deep stream in order to get within reach of Piety. The slavering creatures claw at Piety and Arthur, but the two manage to stand their ground and the undead fail to land any significant blows.
Seeing the foul undead go for the stream to flank Piety, Revjak grins. He swiftly slides into the water himself and the ghoul is faced with the imminent prospect of Azuredge carving it in half!
Out of the corner of eyes, the weapon's blue glow flickers that much more strongly ...
Green [DEAD
Yellow -7
Cyan
Pink DEAD
As the ghoul in the water claws frantically at Piety, Revjak steps forward into the stream, bringing his weapon down on the undead thing's head. With a boom and a blinding flash of white-blue light, the ghoul reels back from Piety, its head split asunder. As that opponent slides into the water, Revjak brings his weapon to bear on the next opponent.
Carric redirects his mark on the blue green enemy before Piety and fires.
Round 3
Reynwyn rushes into the room, standing in the water as he sends another bolt of inky darkness streaking through the room. Unfortunately, Piety's hulking form causes the attack to go wide and impact with the wall! The floating scythe then moves into a flanking position and slashes into the creature!
Arthur waits until the ghouls is distracted by Piety and strikes!
Red DEAD
Green [DEAD
Yellow DEAD
Cyan -12
Pink DEAD
Arthur lands a solid strike on the ghoul facing Piety, and Reynwyn's bolt and conjured weapon smash into it as well. Attacked on all sides, the creature hesitates for a second, and Carric's arrow blooms as if by magic in its right eye socket. Soundlessly, it drops to the ground.
Piety steps forth, fists no longer humming with energy, but both crunch into the last standing enemy with an audible crack! The creature howls, but still stands, and it lunges towards Arthur, tongue hanging from its mouth in hunger. Its claws grab at the bard, slashing into his flesh , and it tries to drag his face towards its sharp-toothed maw. Arthur feels an icy chill permeate his body, but he manages to resist the foul magic of its touch, holding his nose just inches away from its snapping jaws.
Round 4
Reynwyn once again fires his bolts of inky black energy and sends the dark scythe cutting through the air! "Die once more you filth!"
Renwyn roars at the last remaining ghoul, and his eldritch blast knocks the creature off Arthur. Immediately, the conjured scythe lashes out, decapitating the creature and sending its head flying into the shallow water with a plop!
Once the undead have been put out of their eternal misery, the only sounds are the soft sussuration of the gently running stream, and the breathing of those of you who have exerted themselves. The door in the north wall, by the calculations of those of you with good spatial awareness, likely leads into or towards the shrine of Tempus, although there was no visible door in the south wall of that room.
Inspired by his last carving of a ghoul, Revjak takes Azuredge and decapitates each ghoul corpse.
And should he "accidentally" crush a head entirely, well, that is no loss!
Reynwyn immediately begins searching the area for any signs of Jareth. "Oh, my friend. Please, please be alive here somewhere..." He spends the next fifteen minutes or so frantically searching, muttering to himself as he does. Anytime he steps near the ghast, he blasts it again with his eldritch blast. Eventually at wits end, he puts his back to the wall with a heavy and slides down it until his backside is on the ground. He pulls knees up to his chin. "I failed you, Uncle... I'm sorry..."
Once Revnak has decapitated each of the ghouls Arthur starts dragging them into a pile which looks quite like a pyre as they mount up.
Arthur keeps looking for Jareth just in case...
After searching the area, you find neither raven companion, nor treasure, nor anything of particular interest, aside from the gnoll corpse. The ghouls, it seems, were feeding on it, and besides its many wounds, the gnoll has reddish fur like some of those you faced above. Furthermore, tucked up inside its fur vest is a leather pouch, which holds 3 silver pieces, a small bag of what seems to be gold dust, and a folded piece of parchment.
Revjak points to the parchment.
"One more learned in letters should read that.", he says suspiciously. He pointedly keeps watch elsewhere, Azuredge in hand.
Arthur moves to open the folded piece of parchment. He eyes the bag of gold dust as he does so. "Some magics and enchantments require powdered valuable metals like silver or gold."