Varis is unable to make horns or tails of it either.
hmm..i seem to remember the last time things had spiked the door shut, and we opened it, there were some nasties in it. Before we proceed, let's check this other hallway and see if we can get a better idea of what may be in this room?
Fizz will move with am after you gesture towards Fergus.
Fergus will lead the way down the hallway referenced by Fizz.
The hallway continues on for a few minutes before ending in a set of sturdy-looking double doors. No signage or other indications of what lay beyond them can be seen.
here's my thinking, we open the doors, Fergus go right, Haldor go left, Varis take the middle if there's room, and it's not a 10 foot section. I'll be behind Varis, ready to support with long range stuff and healing. If there are no objections, let's go
Good lets do this.
Yes, and Fergus is out of whack again.
Fergus tries the door but it is firmly and securely locked. The door is also trapped as a dose of acid sprays onto the paladin!
Taking a better look at the door Fergus can clearly see that merely trying to shoulder it down won't do at all. Either the party would have to spend time to hack it to pieces with weapons (which would be loud and very time consuming) or try to find a key.
Fergus mutters some foul oaths.
Fergus then gives Fizz a look.
Fizz shrugs, and comments that he should have checked the door.
Varis, what do you want to do? the spiked door? or back up the ladder to continue down the main hall, or down the staris we found at the beginning
Varis would want to go and explore the corridor north of room #8.
okay by me
The corridor leading out of the room that you just battled to gnolls leads to a similar door as the last you had just encountered. While it is possible it leads to the same room it is far enough away that it could present a different venue entirely.
i say we go down the stinky stairs.
That is fine. We can explore the corridor another time, it is not going anywhere.
"Same as before? Fergus go right, Haldor go left, I take the middle?"
I like it
The party decides to brave to foul smells and proceed down the stairs... which leads to more stairs.
At the bottom of the second staircase is a crescent-shaped chamber set with three doors, its walls and floors stained red-black with dried blood. The stench of rot and filth is overwhelming, a number of gnolls apparently oblivious to it as they argue among themselves and with whoever or whatever is in the cages.
Varis inches slowly forward, trying to get in position to surprise the gnolls.
Going to try to stealth, too, at disadvantage:
or
Fizz will sit back and be ready to support Varis and Fergus
Haldor will also hang back with Fizz.
While one of the gnolls easily detects the group, his yaps and snarls mostly confuse his packmates and give the party the advantage!
Starting With Yellow ( I presume advantage?)
as bonus
Seeing who Varis is attacking, Fizz will join him to bring the gnoll down quicker.
FireBolt range 120ft
Varis leaps at the front gnoll, stabbing him twice! Fizz adds in a dash of fire, nearly bringing the enemy to its demise!
Against the yellow gnoll:
for
for
Sacred Flame on the yellow gnoll.
Fergus misses with the first attack but the second just clears the parry of the hapless gnoll, killing him!
Haldor moves up and chooses another victim!
Seeing one of their own go down to the party's unprovoked assault, the other two gnolls close in!
for
for
for
for
Obviously these gnolls completed their training!
Haldor (-4)
Fergus (29/58 HP)
Fizz (-3)
Varis (12/35 HP)
Attacking red gnoll
FireBolt range 120ft
Healing Varis
(1) Healing Word Range 60ft
1d4 for each cast level as 2nd or higher
Attacking the black gnoll:
for
for
Both the gnolls are not looking very healthy as the party continues their ambush!
Another Sacred Flame, this time on the black gnoll:
The gnoll was ready for the spell and dodges out of the way!
VS Red
(spend my last ki to stun Con 14)if stunned move to black, otherwise keep pounding red
as bonus
Varis stuns one and then moves and strikes the other, killing him! The party then wipes the floor with the last stunned gnoll, ending the fight!
With much of their resources exhausted, the party finds themselves in a jail or prison of sorts. Three humans, one in each cell, looks at you with expectant eyes.
Greetings, who are you? How long have you been here?
The prisoners are all from different areas of Elsir Vale, and they have no idea why they were kidnapped by the gnolls. Each is a person of some importance. One is a wealthy landowner, another is a curate at a church of Pelor, and the elderly one is a retired sage. They have lost track of time while here but the sage estimates that he has been here about two weeks.
All of them are in failing health but should have enough strength to flee the fortress if given food and water. The captives have no knowledge of the gnolls’ operations or plans as none of them were able to understand their language.
Could you guess how often your captors come to visit and harass you? Would you be willing to stand guard and alert us if anyone is coming if we gave you food and water and helped you get out of here, so that we might rest?
open the doors so that we are not talking through the bars or the doors.
They were constantly coming in and out of here. We were toys, like they were playing a game. Threatening us seemed to give them pleasure.
They would rather not hang about in this place any longer and would very much like you to lead them out of here as soon as possible. However, they would be willing to act as a sort of "alarm system" if you wanted to camp out somewhere in the fortress and get some rest.
Fizz thinks that would be a good idea, but wants his other friends to verify his choice.