"I h-hope they d-didn't kill them," Marigold frets as they follow Kikinnin along and head towards the ground floor doors. "I know they weren't b-being c-completely honest with us earlier, b-but neither one of them s-seemed like s-someone that deserved d-death."
Noticing that Maxim still seemed a bit injured, the halfling steps over and pats him on the arm. "C-can't have you f-falling down again r-right off the b-bat," she says with a small chuckle.
Think they have abandoned the place entirely?
Shaking his head, "Doubtful, they may have withdrawn to marshal their own forces but I doubt they've abandoned the place. The armory above suggested they had more than the ones we've already fought."
Looking up and down, with options for both to be searched "Start at the ground floor and work our way up, unless they can fly, not an improbable idea, we'll find the all the rats in one place. At least the ones willing to stand and fight."
"I agree with Ryan. Those upper doors are a bit of a poser."
"We might as well check the easier ones first."
The ground doors open with ease to a wide corridor. At half-way it crosses with another corridor that opens to a set of smaller rooms at the east from where sounds of tinkering are heard. To the west, it opens to a wide room which floor is filled with water, while to the south you find another set of double doors.
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Maxim eyes the others with a frown;
"Course they took 'em. We talked with 'em... know our make up an' numbers... Makes a passel o' savvy that they'll pick their brains dry..."
The dwur grimaces as he realises his statement might be taken literally by JJ and Marigold;
"Meanin' questions, not literally... lessen they got a Illithid or two hauntin' this place..."
Giving up on that mental image, the gun-mage draws his pistol and loads a flare cartridge as he trudges along.
Maxim looks to his companions whispering as he does;
"That water don't look right... ah'm more inclined toward that sound o' tinkerin'"
Kikinnin takes Maxim's direction, and moves to the east, expecting confrontation at any moment. His pace is deliberate, allowing the others to follow close behind, so they don't find themselves pulled too thin.
Maxim follows his bror, trying to discern what they approach;
:
Juraan follows the others through the ground level double doors.
"Well, it is a little odd that someone went through the trouble of cleaning up the aftermath of the fight."
"And then just left. Maybe someone other than kuo-toa did that?"
While Kikinnin and enter the Western passage, Juraan has a look at the Eastern one.
He then quickly casts a spell: « דאַנסינג לייץ » . .
And uses that to see what he can in that chamber, from a (hopefully) safe distance:
Down a long hallway is an alcove, partially covered with a bright red tapestry hanging from pegs in the ceiling. Beyond it is a primitive forge and a table with woodworking and leather crafting tools.
Beyond the second red curtain is another alcove, dominated by a wooden table covered with mixing bowls, mud-pots, and ceramic jars of paint.
This alcove has a pedal-operated grinder and a table covered with chisels, picks, and shards of flint, some crudely fashioned into spearpoints.
A big loom covers most of the available floor space in this alcove. A half-completed tapestry on the loom depicts the green and black legs of what is apparently a kuo-toa, and the swirling black tail of something else. Another tapestry is rolled up and leaning in a corner.
The final alcove holds a round table with a bag of feathers, wooden shafts of various lengths and thicknesses, and a stitched-together padded mannequin with several crossbowbolts sticking out of its head.
In the middle of the room and working on a strange pincer spear there is a strange rotten-pink colored kuo-toa. The creature is so much focused in his tinkering he does not realize on Maxim and Kikinnin's approach.
Marigold follows along behind the two dwarves, taking care not to block the way should Ryan or JJ or Juraan find themselves needing to move up front in a hurry. She peers into the various alcoves with interest, marveling a bit at the variety of crafts that the kuo-toa apparently worked in.
"S-Seems they're a c-crafty lot," Marigold comments. "They m-may be w-wicked creatures - m-most of them, anyway - b-but at least they s-seem to know the v-value of w-work..." her voice trails off as they peer into the final alcove and she spots the strange-colored kuo-toa. She quickly snaps her mouth closed and freezes, waiting to see what Kikinnin and Maxim want to do.
Seeing nothing except for water in the western chamber, Juraan follows the Dwarves.
"Maybe he knows where Zenith is" he whispers to the dwarves before they get too close to the kuo-toa weapon-smith.
While the others check out the side room, JJ stays as rear guard, keeping a watchful eye on the murky waters of the room not entered.
Spinning around, he then watches the double doors, then pirouettes back to the water room. Sighing he backs towards the others to a spot he can easily watch both, if not the route back.
"What was that Marigold, valuing work?" he calls out, not understanding.
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Kikinnin gains line-of-sight on the pink frog foe, for surely it is foe. He stares at it with his Look, figuring it will shimmer in an evil casting, much like the rest of the frog folk, but this one is different. At least, for its coloring.
Looking down on the floor, and seeing water, Kikinnin waits, and debates rushing in, rather than bait the fish, and pull it from the water, where his footing is better. He decides to bait.
"Hey. Hey! Nice weapon. Looks like you're gonna get to try it out.
Come at me, frog-man."
Kikinnin grips his Axe handle firmly, and readies for the face-off. If the creature waits in the water, Kikinnin grants someone else more suited to the puddle-jumping to go first.
Ryan follows the others to the intersection and into the room the tinkering sound comes from.
"Hmmm, no clue what these are worth, nice colors though."
"Pattern's interesting, but beyond my ken to know what it's worth. Maxi...." his words trail off as Kikinnin's challenge is ushered.
Raising his shield he moves towards Kikinnin while simultaneously turning to watch for opponents coming from the rear.
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:
Maxim pauses momentarily, casting his critical eyes o'er the paints;
"Nice pigments an' nice value too Taskerhill. Some 500 Gold Suns worth to the right buyer..."
:
However at the tapestries he merely shrugs;
"Weaves ain't my forte... could be worth a pretty penny, or could be old tat..."
As Kikinnin challenges the Kuo-Toa, the gun-mage holds from spell or shot as he lets his bror take the lead.
The kuo-toa suddenly jumps to a side grabbing with strength to the spear and grunts something, then he starts to shout louder and louder "Ko koe te hoariri! Kei konei ratou! Here! Kei konei ratou!"
As Kikinnin menaces with his axe, the kuo-toa reacts by readying himself for the violence as well.
JJ keeps watch. "Kikinnin...he was just painting. An axe won't solve all your problems you know." he calls out.
The boy steps out of any line of effect of a lightning bolt, having been badly scorched more than once the day before.
Unable to see clearly around the curtain and knowing that quarters are tight, Marigold holds her ground and waits to see what happens.
_______
As the Kuo-Toa shouts, Maxim grimaces and grumbles;
"Shoot. Shoulda' taken my darn Tongues spell 'stead o' loadin' fer bear..."
The gun-mage shifts behind his bror and draws his pistol and loads with powder and bullet...
While JJ waits Maxim loads his gun and Hlanamm moves swift and stylish the spear throwing it against Kikinnin.
The shortspear hits the dwarven armor and then flies back to the kuo-toa's hands who catches it on the fly!
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AC = 25, No shield, Smite Evil
HP = 74/74
Weapon Equipped = +1 Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = None
Kikinnin looks over his shoulder at JJ, as the spear returns to the pink frog's fingers. "Paintin', eh? He's got a strange understanding of arts and crafts. Him slaving over weapons, I'd say an Axe'll do just fine here."
Kikinnin recognizes that he'll just keep taking spear throws, if he doesn't slink into the water after it. Fortunately, by the time he's stepped forward carefully, and gives the pink a good, two-handed thwack. Before he does, he brings Abadar's attention around, marking the creature for the evil he sees in it.
"Morning, Abadar. Our work's just begun this day, but I expect to praise Your strength more than once, if I'm industrious."
Ryan maintains his watch in the passageway behind them. One of the wounds from yesterday still bothering him he takes a moment to heal.
Now with the certainty of battle upon them, Marigold weaves and pushes her way forward a bit in order to have a better view into the small room ahead.
Just one? This won't take long, then.
She reaches out and gives Maxim a pat on the shoulder, offering a bit of silent support and guidance for his next shot.
_______
Kikinnin jumps over Hlanamm crashing his axe on the kuo-toa crafter. The evil creature seems surprised by the strength of the dwarven blade.
Ryan invokes the power of Abadar and heals himself, the cleric's wounds quickly disappearing in their totality.
Marigold requests a blessing touching Maxim with guiding hand.
Rather than running away, Hlanamm moves his spear with skill trying to skew Kikinnin.
The pointy weapon scratches the dwarf's left chick!
Shouts are heard on the corridor at the groups back!
AC = 25, No shield, Smite Evil
HP = 69/74
Weapon Equipped = +1 Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = Smite Evil
Kikinnin lets one hand go from his Axe, to reach back and rub his left buttock, stiffening in his resolve to put the critter down promptly. He figures another poke will only give him another chance at sepsis, in these dank quarters.
"Alright, fair trade, frog-man. Let's see how long you hold onto Life." He brings his second hand to the Axe hilt, and brings the head full 'round.
"Alright, the universal gesture for surrender is throwing down your weapon. I know you don't understand me, but hear me using my words here, just the same. I don't think you'll survive another one of my swings."
Kikinnin decides to take a single swing, then use the rest of his energy to side-step out of the way for another to step up and try their luck.
Round 1
Hearing Kikinnin call out in pain JJ hurries forward, drawing his blades as he goes.
"He might have been willing to talk.." points out the lad.
Round 2
With fresh blood pouring down Kikinnin, JJ reluctantly puts his blades to work again.
"Move over Kikinnin, we can get him between us."
"You speak Frog-Tongue, JJ? You able to learn it faster than it wants to gig you back? I gave it a chance to open a dialogue, and it threw a spear at me. Don't go chiding."
"You gentlemen alright in there? Company's coming out here."
Ryan calls out while readying his shield and seeking Abadar's favor cast divine favor
Kikinnin and JJ make good disposition of the weapon crafter who collapses to the ground under the mortal metal.
Meanwhile Ryan casts a spell readying himself against the potential enemies at the east.
+1 returning shortspear
mwk studded leather
Without losing much time you do head towards the central corridor to check the source of the noise.
The shadows of the room disappear as soon as Juraan's lights enter the room.
This octagonal room has a stone staircase ascending into an alcove in the northwest corner and an iron portcullis in the south wall. It looks like a net has been woven through the bars of the portcullis, but the net only reaches halfway up the bars. Most of the western half of the room is covered with standing water. The water is murky, so it's hard to tell how deep it gets, but if the floor is mostly level, it shouldn't be more than a foot deep. The walls are covered with frescoes of young kuo-toas emerging from eggs and being handed spears by other kuo-toas.
Two soldiers flank the stairs and are making noise while getting armored and raising the alarm.
JJ hurries forward, heading towards the one with red scales.
"Tell us where Splintershield is." he tries in common, hoping but not expecting, that further violence can be avoided.
Marigold gives Maxim another encouraging slap on the shoulder and hustles forward after JJ, drawing her longspear as she goes.
More trouble...let's just hope they're as wimpy as that last one was!
_______
Ryan double moves into the room using some fancy footwork to apparently walk on water as he moves towards the Kou-toa warriors.
"JJ, this is likely a nursery, it's doubtful they will take any comfort or ease at our being here." Ryan says taking in the frescoes on the walls.
JJ and Ryan move over the waters to find the kuo-toa soldiers. As they do, they observe the water is filled with plenty of strange fingerlings.
Marigold casts Maxim, while Juraan holds his bow previously reinforced with magic.
One of the soldiers attacks JJ.
But the trident is deflected by the skillful use of one of JJ's swords. The kuo-toa
The other soldier moves over Ryan and attacks.
The trident hits in the breast of the cleric causing some pain.
A glistening school of ebony tadpoles turns the water black as they swim closer to Ryan and JJ. As they come closer to the surface of the waters you observe a swarm of black scaled fingerlings, as if they were a strange hybrid of black dragon. They swarm around JJ and Ryan biting them. Their bite is caustic as acid.
JJ manages to hold it together, but having a swam of what looks like tadpoles or leaches aim for him was unpleasant.
He frantically hits out at the guard, hoping to finish him quickly. The first strike draws blood, but in the dim light it is hard to see how well placed the other thrusts were.
Seeing some nasty swarms come up, Juraan moves into the chamber and tries dealing with the nearest swarm first:
« მჟავე ხელები » . .
AC = 22, no shield
HP = 69/74
Weapon Equipped = +1 Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = None
Kikinnin slowly returns to the central cross in the hallway, passing Maxim as he does.
"Hva nå? Det er mye mer sprut enn gutten kan gjøre selv. Og er Juraan spyttet brann? Vel, det må være noe som har dem riled opp."
"What now? There's plenty more splashing than the boy's able to do by himself. And is Juraan spitting fire? Well, there must be something's got them riled up."
"બહાર જુઓ! તેઓ...તેઓ આંગળીની વસ્તુઓ છે! પાણીમાં!" Marigold cries out, trying to describe the things in the water and only making partial sense. While she tries to figure out what their true nature is, she steps forward and calls on Sarenrae's power to aid herself and her friends.
"Watch out! They're...they're finger-things! In the water!"
_______
"Hey!" Ryan calls out as both the trident scores a hit and the acidic bite of the fingerings gets to him. Stepping out of the water he calls out. "'ware the water, the creatures bite is filled with acid!"
Turning his attention fully on the kou-toa soldier, Ryan swings his mace.
Maxim flashes a hard smile as his bror rumbles past;
"Hvem kender bror !? Jeg vil satse på, at det ikke bliver smukt på nogen måde!"
"Who knows brother!? I'll wager it won't be pretty either ways!"
The gun-mage moves forward, pausing momentarily to take in the scene, before shifting again to beside Marigold
With a deadly whirl of sword attacks JJ drops the first soldier.
Although the swarm of draconic fingerlings cover behind the water, a good amount of them die under Juraan's acid.
Kikinnin hurries down the corridor as fast as his heavy dwarven armor allows him.
Marigold moves towards the group and casts a prayer.
Neither the fingerlings nor the solder seem affected by the prayer.
Maxim moves towards the pool.
Ryan's mace is deflected by the soldier's armor, while the soldier tries to give back to him.
Bur Ryan bends down and the trident hits the wall.
One of the groups of fingerlings continues attacking JJ while the other moves around unsuccessfully reaching Ryan.
AC = 22, no shield
HP = 69/74
Weapon Equipped = +1 Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = None
Kikinnin moves up, spying the edge of yet more water, and holds up. He looks back and forth between Ryan and JJ, and their zeal to engage in the large chamber among the piranha in the water.
"That looks quite unpleasant. They might be more vulnerable if you can lead them out of the water, eh?" Kikinnin doesn't sound enthusiastic about engaging aquatics in aqua.
"Oh gods, they are crawling up my legs!" cries out the alarmed JJ.
He hurries through the yucky water and with some relief uses the stairs as a bridge to get behind the warrior facing Ryan. He offers the frog man a quick stab in the back for forcing him to get his boots wet.
Ryan takes advantage of the attack JJ makes to try and land his own attack on the fishman.
Juraan throws one of his acid flasks at the group of fingerlings that JJ moved away from:
Kikinnin hesitates as he reaches the fingerling infested waters.
JJ jumps over the stairs and out of the fingerling swarm and attacks the soldier from the back while Ryan crashes his mace on the kuo-toa's face. Not ready for the bloody sandwitch the monstrous-humanoid collapses into the waters.
Juraan's flask crashes on the water surface pouring its contents among the waters the swarm is swimming on. Some of them twist in the waters as the acid consume them, but most of the draconic swarm continues swimming around, menacing the group.
The draconic fingerlings swarm once more around JJ's feet biting with their caustic small mouths!
Juraan throws a second acid flasks at the same group of fingerlings :
"ಓ ದೇವತೆಗಳು...ಅವರು ಕಪ್ಪು ಡ್ರ್ಯಾಗನ್ ಮತ್ತು ಕ್ಯೂ-ಟೋಸ್ಗಳನ್ನು ಹೇಗಿದ್ದರೂ, ಹೇಗಾದರೂ! ಈ ವಸ್ತುಗಳು ನೈಸರ್ಗಿಕವಾಗಿಲ್ಲ!" Marigold calls out, horrified at her own realization.
"Oh gods...it's like they mated a black dragon and kuo-toas, somehow! These things aren't natural!"
Also reluctant to enter the water, all she can do is offer Kikinnin a moment of guidance should he get the chance to wet his blade within the next few seconds.
_______
Just as she's lamenting her lack of alchemist's fire, Marigold suddenly remembers that she does have a means of dishing out some fire damage after all. Taking a deep breath, she flings a small orb of fire at the swarm of fingerlings that is (thankfully) unoccupied!
JJ backs as rapdily away from the swam of tadpoles as he can.
"Yuck..gross. Leeches"
Ryan takes a swing at the fingerlings below him, attempting to golf some out of the water if possible.