As you return the room with the idol looks undisturbed. As Vulcan can confirm, there doesn't seem to be much congress between the three temples, and the references the priests made to the other cultists were very disparaging. "Freaks" was one of the nicer words used.
The door with the Rovagug symbol is opposite the door to the Zon-Kuthon temple, and the key fits in the lock. Chisora takes her time to search for traps, but the door seems safe enough.
Beyond the door, a narrow stairway winds its way down into the darkness.
When ready, Valgrim leads the party down the stairway. He whispers to the party, "If I cross me axes over me head, we've got trouble ahead and you should stop and be quiet!" He's going to be 30' ahead of the rest of the party, navigating with darkvision and trying to be stealthy. Chisora will be at his side (if possible; if not behind him), having cast Light on a coin, and keeping it clenched in her fist, only revealing enough for her to see 5' in front of her. Valgrim has both his waraxes in hand, while Chisora wields her whip.
Vug does her preparations in a frantic hurry, desperately trying to get back before the rest of the party is trapped. Upon seeing them safe, she cries tears of relief, but her trust in Valgrim's judgment has been impaired for the moment.
She hands Chisora a tanglefoot bag and says: "If you see someone casting spells, throw this at him. It may tangle him enough to ruin his spells."
Perception check:
Vug drinks her elixir of dexterity and hangs back with her lit torch in one hand and her new bow in the other.
The room that appears at the end of the stairs is a natural cave, about 25 feet in diameter. The passage continues at the other end.
A forest of stalactites and stalagmites fills this cavern. The rocky formations make it difficult to see far ahead, as they choke most of this natural cave. The steady, rhythmic splash of water dripping into a puddle echoes through the chamber. The ground here is rough and uneven.
If Valgrim does not detect anything unusual, he moves into the room, weapon in hand, using his darkvision on the ground and ceiling.
As Valgrim and Chisora gingerly make their way into the room, suddenly two gray shapes emerge from behind the stalagmites and take a swing at Valgrim, who is hit once for 5 points of damage.
Your opponents are some sort of grayclad humanoids with an ashen complexion, lanky black hair and eyes covered with a milky film. They snarl as they have at you with their crude axes.
Time to roll for initiatives.
Let me know if I got your marching order wrong.
As Valgrim and Chisora gingerly make their way into the room, suddenly two gray shapes emerge from behind the stalagmites and take a swing at Valgrim, who is hit once for 5 points of damage.
Your opponents are some sort of grayclad humanoids with an ashen complexion, lanky black hair and eyes covered with a milky film. They snarl as they have at you with their crude axes.
Time to roll for initiatives.
Let me know if I got your marching order wrong.
As Valgrim and Chisora gingerly make their way into the room, suddenly two gray shapes emerge from behind the stalagmites and take a swing at Valgrim, who is hit once for 5 points of damage.
Your opponents are some sort of grayclad humanoids with an ashen complexion, lanky black hair and eyes covered with a milky film. They snarl as they have at you with their crude axes.
Time to roll for initiatives.
Let me know if I got your marching order wrong.
init
Vug rushes forward, drops her torch and takes a pot shot at one of the humanoids.
shooting into melee, PBS:
If in the same position, Valgrim will take a swing at the gray humanoid in AA9 with cover, using Power Attack and then take a 5' step directly back:
"We've got company fellas!"
"Here we go!" Bubba moves as far as down the passage.
Valgrim's axe strikes true and the gray-skinned monster yelps in pain. Vug and Bubba move into position, Vug sending an arrow bouncing off a stalagmite.
Need initiatives from Feres and Vulcan. Chisora goes after the monsters.
Feres step up next to Vug, whispers a quick prayer, and touches the elf on the shoulder to grant her a bit of Sarenrae's guidance.
Vulcan extends a hand, a streaking object akin to a hailstone shooting unerringly from his fingertips to strike one of the creatures in the face.
The wounded monster is struck by Vulcan's hailstone in the face. With a crunching sound he collapses. His mate steps in front of Valgrim and gives him a devastating chop with his battleaxe for 9 points of damage.
The third gray-skinned figure shrieks and runs down the sloping corridor at the other end of the room.
You're up.
Chisora casts Shield of Faith on Valgrim and Copycat on herself as a move action.
Valgrim grimaces in pain at the hit. "Friar, some healing would be appreciated. As for you, you ugly bastard, die!"
The ugly bastard dies. Will you be in pursuit of the third one?
Vug steps up and fires an arrow at his fleeing back.
w/ Guidance and PBS:
Round Two:
Feres steps up to Valgrim and uses his wand of healing to channel healing energies into the wounded dwarf.
The third monster ducks around a corner just before Vug's arrow hits. There are no visible enemies left.
Once he does receive more healing, Valgrim will move to G11 and look down that passagway heading SW.
"Does anyone know what the heck those things were?"
Knowledge Arcana
The monsters are grimlocks, a species of subterranean humanoids notable for their blindness (and blindsight) and bloodthirst.
The passage twists so that Valgrim doesn't see anything more than stairs continuing downwards. But by the sound of it, someone down there is upset.
Vug picks up her torch. "Blind, you say? Well, then I'm glad I didn't buy any f-f-flash powder. But a little f-fire will probably do the trick just f-fine. I mixed a little sulphur in my latest batch of bombs -- that'll give their noses something to think about!" She titters eagerly at the thought of the noxious clouds of pure stink.
Apparently her recent moodiness is gone for the moment.
Feres taps Valgrim again with the healing wand...
... and again...
"Thanks, Friar! Grimlocks, huh? Makes sense, the journal did mention Grallak Kur and his minions came from the Underdark. Well, it looks like they ain't coming to us, so we'll have to come to them. The journal also said they are few in number and battered after their pilgrimage. Everyone keep a sharp eye out. These blind bastards tend to blend with the stone background." Valgrim leads the party down the cavern, unless someone else chimes in with a better idea.
Bubba nods and follows after Valgrim, keeping an eye out.
"I think there's something else down there."
Descending a crude set of stairs cut into the rock, you emerge into a large cavern facing a cliff.
As Bubba predicted your grey-skinned friend has company. Two weird grey-skinned cat-like predators growl at you as you enter.
Knowledge (nature) 14:
Perception 21
Initiatives, please. If you beat 15 you get to go first.
Valgrim moves to W14 and attacks creature K with Power Attack (add +4 to AC for cover).
"Get rid of the cats first! They can spook you and take you out of the fight!"
nature:
perception:
initiative:
Vug tosses one of her newly developed stink bombs in W16. "Take a whiff of this, Charlie!" she chortles.
attack roll to hit AC 5 to target the right square:
dmg: 5 fire (ref DC 14 for 1/2), stinking cloud effect for 1 round (fort DC 14 or be nauseated for as long as you're in the cloud & 1d4+1 rounds after)
Init
Valgrim plays curiosity and kills the cat. Vug's bomb detonates behind it and singes the grimlock and the surviving krenshar.
Coughing and sputtering they approach. The grimlock takes a swing at Valgrim and misses, while the cat gives out a bone-chilling screech as it pulls the skin off its face, revealing a skull-like structure.
You are up. The light green area is the stink that persists until Vug's next initiative, so if you choose to delay you can ignore it.
Round One:
Hearing Valgrim's shriek, Feres says a quick prayer to Sarenrae and casts a spell to remove the dwarf's fear.
Vug is crestfallen that neither foe seems much affected; she expected projectile vomiting and moans of discomfort.
She fires an arrow at the scary cat.
with PBS, possibly into melee
Bubba starts to tell a story about a blind man who had an extraordinary sense of smell.
Chisora and Vulcan delay while Feres cures Valgrim's fright. Bubba tells a story and Vug puts an arrow into the krenshar.
The krenshar advances and takes a leap for Chisora's throat for 6 points of damage. The grimlock ducks for cover.
Your turn.
There is a tingle of static in the air and the scent of ozone as Vulcan's staff crackles with electricity along its length. Whiling the weapon he strikes at the creature attackinh Chisora.
Vug tries to squeeze an arrow into a gap in the fighting, looking to finish the cat.
with PBS & bardic music, into melee
Bubba whips at the cat.
The scary cat succumbs to Bubba's whip and keels over with a whimper. Valgrim and Chisora still to go.
Round Two:
Feres calls upon Sarenrae's blessings to infuse a small stone with a bit of the Everlight's illumination. He then tosses the stone into the chamber.