With everyone launching a salvo of attacks at the unexpecting creatures, Pavo held his shield and trident and stepped to the front, ready to intercept any that survived and closed in.
Renliat and Spitter's magical assault drops almost all of the grioths roosting in the ceiling. Only one remains, heavily burned and extremely wounded. It launches itself at Pavo with it's psychic alien-glass kurki leading the way.
Pavo's spins in place, his trident swiping through the air, raking towards the beast's face. His shield follows as his momentum carries it around to slam into the creature's body.
Renliat inhales, clearing the soot from his hand. He is content to let the others finish the last one.
Spitter spits in the room's corner, waiting for the last bat-man to die.
Pavo swats down the last surviving grioth with ease. After taking a few moments to search the burned out room the crew returns to the other dormitory and heads upward to the second floor Spitter previously scouted. A closed door stands to the northwest while a narrow hallway leads south.
Spitter moves to the door and listens carefully and checks for traps...
Pavo sheathed his trident across his back and drew his longbow. He nocked an arrow and readied for the door to open.
"Wilfried, stay close to him."
Nodding to the human Wilfried readies his heavy bladed spear.
"Go ahead little dragon, bring us a fight."
With no traps detected, Spitter opens the door. The space beyond apparantly served as the monastery's kitchen. It has been used recently, though the strange smells and stains don't see like the sort generated by preparing food. A cauldron of bubbling fluid sits atop a small fire burning in one fireplace.
Taking one sniff of the pot, Spitter wrinkles his muzzle and spits into the corner.
"Whatever that is, it is not natural."
Leng shrugs.
"Someone must've left it there. Hasn't all boiled away so it's fairly recent."
Shouldering his weapon and looking toward the door.
"Well lets go find the missing cook and ask em for the recipe."
The group travels along the hallway to the south. Statues of Iroran saints line the hallway in niches along the wall. The hall turns a corner where it ends in a closed door.
Following Spitter down the hall Will looks about.
"Nice statues, good stonework."
Beyond the door is yet more winding corridor. Niches filled with statues line the northern and western walls. At the end of the passage lies a closed door and an open archway.
Spitter quickly sneaks ahead to take a look through the arch...
Renliat sits quietly and picks his nails, knowing his untrained perception check can't get anywhere close to 30.
Spitter moves down the hall making almost no noise at all and takes a peak into the open room.
The ceiling of this twenty-foot-high room is painted with a scene of scholars at study. A polished wooden statue of a woman sitting in the lotus position, eyes closed in meditation, hangs from the center of the ceiling on several lengths of thin twine so that it seems to levitate.
Roosting upside down on the "levitating" statue is the largest grioth Spitter has yet seen! The monster appears to be slumbering.
Spitter moves down the hall making almost no noise at all and takes a peak into the open room.
The ceiling of this twenty-foot-high room is painted with a scene of scholars at study. A polished wooden statue of a woman sitting in the lotus position, eyes closed in meditation, hangs from the center of the ceiling on several lengths of thin twine so that it seems to levitate.
Roosting upside down on the "levitating" statue is the largest grioth Spitter has yet seen! The monster appears to be slumbering.
Spitter moves back to the group carefully but quickly! He hisses softly.
"We must be quiet! There is another one of those weird gargoyle-like creatures! Buts it is HUGE! If we are to take it out, we must strike hard and quickly! It hangs bat-like in the center of the room from a statue that seems to hover, but it is merely a trick with strings and lighting. Any suggestion on how we handle such a thing? Another Fireball perhaps?"
Renliat lowers his voice. "Fireballs work very well for large numbers of weak enemies. I have a haste spell saved up for you all to be more efficient at fighting a single strong enemy. I'll hit it with smaller blasts that won't catch the rest of you while you engage it."
Studying the scene and stroking his beard Wilfired nods.
"Well, I could shoot it. but if we could cut the strings the statue will come down on top of the critter. But either way it's another fight. This is turning out to be a good day."
Spitter scowls at the idea of dropping the statue.
"We would have to cut most of the strings at once for it to fall properly. I could fly or crawl up silently in an animal form and snip one of two...but not enough of them fast enough to get them to cause the statue to fall quickly enough to pin the creature underneath. As a Kobold, I know my traps mechanics..."
He hesitates for a moment, then continues.
"I have a spell that allows me to fly slowly and silently as a mist. I could get on top of the statue and cancel the spell just as you guys attack. Then I can attack the monster from above as you pink-skins hit it from below. Surprise attacks are a kobold's dinner-cave table-talk. I 'might' even be able to slice the strings fast enough with my little scimitar in order to cause the statue to fall."
Leng shrugs. "Fine with me. If you don't land on the creature the fall might hurt though."
Spitter flutters his tiny dragon-like wings, then chuckles quietly at the human.
"'Appreciate the worry, but I'll be fine I think. Are we agreed?"
"Agreed. Hopefully it does not notice you as an animal and think you're a snack."
"Now there's a plan. It will be interesting no matter what."
Nodding at the humans' acceptance, Spitter turns to head back in.
"Keep an eye out for me, stay quiet, and spread out with clear lines of attack. When I turn solid again and attack the strings, that's your time to act however you want that makes sense. Skip the Fireballs and similar this time however..."
He then turns, casts a Gaseous Form spell and slowly floats up to the top of the hallway then through the arch with the sleeping enemy. He then carefully floats up the closest wall and across the ceiling towards the 'hovering' statue.
As Spitter moves to leave, Renliat takes out a small piece of a dark red root from his spell component pouch. "Tairais svern." The effects are minimally noticeable, but potent.
Pavo waited for the others to move into the room before following. He had an arrow nocked and waited for Spitter to become solid again.
Moving just inside the room to the left Wilfried raises his crossbow ready to fire on the creature when things kick off.
Leng sneaks in...
... then starts whirling his flaming kusarigama in anticipation of striking.
Spitter materializes atop the wooden statue. Almost instantly Leng's flaming chain lights up the room as it catches one of the cords keeping it aloft. It snaps as the monster's eyes open in shock and confusion. Wil's bolt takes a chunk out of another while Pavo's cleanly bisects a third. Wil's cord strains and snaps simultaneous with the untouched one.
The huge statue comes down on top of the otherworldly creature with a loud crash. Dust and wooden splinters fill the air. The statue rocks and then sits steady for a moment before a guttural growl reverberates through the room.
Immediately letting his small wings take wind, he drifts a bit away from the creature's landing spot...
He then lashes out at the fallen beast with his lightning magic!
With the creature down, Pavo wanted it to stay that way. He dropped the bow where he stood before darting forward, freeing the net from the catch on his belt as he went. He slid to a stop several paces from the fallen beast as the net twirled in his hands.
Finally the net flew out towards the beast and wrapped itself mostly around what was left of the fallen statue.
Dropping his heavy crossbow, Wilfried charges the creature and swings his heavy spear at it. Twice!
Obviously he was distracted by Pavo's display of Net prowess.
Renliat cautiously moves into the room, waiting for an opportunity.