After some tense moments on the rope, Melisaria is ever so thankful to feel the touch of her Goddess below her feet again. She is just getting re-settled when the feral rates spring out of the shadows at her and the reptile man. Narrowly avoiding their slashing teeth, she swings her shield round and takes a defensive posture trying to hold back the vermin until the cavalry arrives.
Fortunately, she sees the lizardman hack up one of the rats, and a sling bullet plunk off another. Whispering a silent prayer, she stands her ground.
You can defend yourself as a standard action. You get a +4 dodge bonus to your AC for 1 round. Your AC improves at the start of this action. You can't combine total defense with fighting defensively or with the benefit of the Combat Expertise feat. You can't make attacks of opportunity while using total defense.
The rats are Dire Rats, larger cousins to their more docile counterparts. They are the size of small dogs, growing up to 2 feet long and weighing over 35 pounds. They are quick and violent, attacking as a pack. They have been known to carry disease, most commonly Filth Fever, and can be found anywhere they can scavenge for food.
Round Summary
Yenli acts quickly, calling out a warning and sliding halfway down the rope to reach the others.
Rifiki also cries out, and drawing forth a sling sends a bullet flying through the air. One rat glances up in time to have the bullet impact directly onto its snout, shattering teeth and drawing an enraged hiss from the creature.
S'Koth shouts his anger at the creatures, before taking his falchion and skewering the Dire Rat threatening him, killing the creature instantly.
Zar remains where he is at the moment...(feel free to post something and as long as it doesn't conflict with anothers action, I will retcon it.)
The two Dire Rats left alive let out another loud hiss, and teeth bared, spring for Melisaria!!!
Melisaria again swiftly springs out of the way, before taking up a defensive stance, facing the Dire Rats.
Status
Initiative Order is...
Yenli[30ft Down Rope, 20 from closest Rat, Perfect Health]
Rifiki[Top of Ravine, 50ft from closest Rat, Perfect Health]
S'Koth[Ledge, 5ft from closest Rat, Perfect Health]
Zar[Top of Ravine, 50ft from closest Rat, Perfect Health]
Dire Rat 1[Ledge, 5ft from S'Koth and Melisaria, Perfect Health]
Dire Rat 2[Ledge, 5ft from Melisaria, Wounded]
Melisaria[Ledge, 5ft from two Rats, one to the Northwest, one to the East, Perfect Health.
Battlefield
The Ledge is 50 feet wide by 30ft long. S'Koth and Melisaria are each a 5ft step from where the rope touches down upon the ledge,Melisaria has 2 rats 5ft from her, one to the East, and another to the Northwest. The Dire Rat to the Northwest of Melisaria is also 5ft North of S'Koth. The rope is 5ft South of each of you.
[.][.][.][.][.][.][.][.][.][.]
[.][.][.][.][.][.][.][.][.][.]
[.][.][.][D][.][.][.][.][.][.]
[.][.][.][S][M][D][.][.][.][.]
[.][.][.][r][.][.][.][.][.][.]
[.]=5ft Square
[D]=Dire Rat
[S]=S'Koth
[M]=Melisaria
[r]=Rope
Will that be helpful enough to suffice for a map?
On this Ledge the lighting is normal, as the sun overhead gives off light.
(If rat to north of S'koth isn't slain by Yenli or Rifiki):
Keyed up by his earlier success, S'koth chops at the next rat creature.
Standard Action
Power Attack rat with falchion:
Damage:
(If rat to north somehow dispatched):
S'koth moves to take out the rat threatening Melisaria.
5' step to North of Melisaria.
Standard Action:
See above attack.
(If rat to north of S'koth isn't slain by Yenli or Rifiki):
Keyed up by his earlier success, S'koth chops at the next rat creature.
Full Round Action
Power Attack rat with falchion:
Damage:
Bite Attack
Damage:
(If rat to north somehow dispatched):
S'koth moves to take out the rat threatening Melisaria.
5' step to North of Melisaria.
Full Round Action
See above attack.
Oops. Looks like me edit/adding in his bite attack made S'koth more successful the second time. Let's just say he missed everything. ;)
Rifiki, looks at the current situation and sees one lass hideous rat due to it being chopped in half. He loads his sling, and takes aim at the rat next to Melisaria again, hoping to end it's menacing threat.
Move action: load sling
Standard action: attack rat
Melisaria is pleased and encouraged not to be rat food already. She cheers inwardly as another stone smashes into the head of a nearby rat. She leans out of the way as the falchion of S'koth narrowly misses skewring the last creature.
Undaunted she draws her scimitar, weapon of her patron deity. She then lunges to strike any remaining rats.
If he can see the battle going on (), Hedrroth sends a javelin hurling down at one of the rats.
If he can't, he begins descending.
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Yenli looks through her tiki mask on the dire rat causing it to panic.
Standard Action: Evil Eye on Dire Rat beside Mel targeting AC: Will save DC 15.
Round Summary
Yenli stares through her mask, muttering a curse as her gaze meets the Dire Rat. Her left eye flares with eldritch light, and the rat hisses weakly.
Rifiki strikes true, his sling bullet crashing into the wounded rat's skull, blood and brain matter splattering out and some onto Melisaria.
S'Koth attacks the Dire Rat threatening him, showing a fearsome display of weaponry and his own teeth. Unfortunately, having seen its companion already slaughtered by the brave warrior, this rat seems to be more cunning, deftly leaping aside.
Zar drops 5 feet down the rope, drawing and launching a javelin as he slides. The weapon flies through the air but again the rat leaps aside.
Landing, it pounces again at Melisaria, eyes feverish from the smell of blood and the curse of the Evil Eye.
But Melisaria's swiftness and skill at defense, along with Yenli's curse thwarts the Rat! In response Melisaria lashes out, but the gore splattered around her cause her to stumble, and her scimitar goes wide of the mark.
Status
Initiative Order is...
Yenli[30ft Down Rope, 20 from closest Rat, Perfect Health]
Rifiki[Top of Ravine, 50ft from closest Rat, Perfect Health]
S'Koth[Ledge, 5ft from closest Rat, Perfect Health]
Zar[10 feet down Rope, 40ft from closest Rat, Perfect Health]
Dire Rat 1[Ledge, 5ft from S'Koth and Melisaria, Perfect Health]
Dire Rat 2[Ledge, 5ft from Melisaria, Dead]
Melisaria[Ledge, 5ft from closest rat to the Northwest, Perfect Health.
Battlefield
The Ledge is 50 feet wide by 30ft long. S'Koth and Melisaria are each a 5ft step from where the rope touches down upon the ledge,Melisaria has 1 rat 5ft from her to the Northwest. The Dire Rat to the Northwest of Melisaria is also 5ft North of S'Koth. The rope is 5ft South of each of you.
[.][.][.][.][.][.][.][.][.][.]
[.][.][.][.][.][.][.][.][.][.]
[.][.][.][D][.][.][.][.][.][.]
[.][.][.][S][M][.][.][.][.][.]
[.][.][.][r][.][.][.][.][.][.]
[.]=5ft Square
[D]=Dire Rat
[S]=S'Koth
[M]=Melisaria
[r]=Rope
Here's a post about using Googledocs for maps and other aids for PbP:
though as I said I'm very happy with everything now.
I'll wait for Yenli and Rifiki to post b4 posting S'koth's actions...
Rifiki will look at the battle below, and seeing there is only one disgusting dog sized rat left, decides to wait for his allies to conserve his ammunition.
Move action: load sling and delay action before last rats turn in hopes it will die by an ally
Standard action: sling rat if still alive after ally's turn
I got a sling bullet ready to pulverize the rat if you guys can't dispatch it before it tries to gnaw your face off again.
One,and Yenli had already cursed it.
Melisaria lashes out at the rodent one more time trying to end this battle.
S'koth bears down on the remaining dire rat again, in the heat of the moment neglecting to consider either capture, nor merely kicking the foul vermin off the edge into the yawning chasm.
Full Round Action:
Attack with falchion:
Damage:
Attack with bite:
Damage:
As Yenli curses the rat again, and Rifiki prepares for a shot, S'Koth rushes forward, slicing the rat cleanly in half before kicking its remains into the gaping darkness. A few moments later the sound of impact can be heard, and then silence, other than the sounds of your breathing and the rustling of your gear. The way down lies before you...
Searching around, footprints, obviously not belonging to you all, can be found in the dust, as well at rather large rat prints. An old firepit can also be found, filled with ash and stone arrowheads of goblin manufacture.
The only way down is winding, five feet wide stairs. There are three landings, each twenty feet down. Rifiki, you can see the bottom of the stairs, eighty feet below the ledge. They look precarious, and not very well made, but they appear to be sturdy enough if you are careful. As you all reach the second landing...
At the edge of sight, a fortress top emerges from the darkness. The subterranean citadel, though impressive, seems long forgotten, if the lightless windows, cracked crenellations, and leaning towers are any indication. All is quiet, though a cold breeze blows up from below, bringing with it the scent of dust and a faint trace of rot.
The narrow stairs empty into a small courtyard, apparently the top of what was once a crenellated battlement. The buried citadel has sunk so far into the earth that the battlement is now level with the surrounding cavern floor. The floor stretches away to the north and south, and it is apprently composed of a layer of treacherous, crumbled masonry, which reaches to an unknown depth. To the west looms the surviving structure of what must be the Sunless Citadel. A tower stands on the west side of the courtyard.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------
MAP
[-][-][-][-]
---[-][-][-]
[=][-][3][-] ^
---[-][-][-]
[-][-][-][-]
[-][-][-][-]
LEGEND
[-]=5 foot square
[2]=What area this is, i.e [1] is Ledge, [3] is Courtyard...
^=Stairs leading up to the Ledge, not to scale.
[=]=Closed Door, though I may switch symbols if I decide this is too confusing.
[ ]=Open Door.
---=Blank Space or Formatting Purposes
I will try to update as necesary, again I advise someone else to also keep track of this for your own reference.
Rifiki will make his way down the rope, being ever so careful not to go splat on the ledge or worse, on the Citadel floor. He then looks around the battle area, sees a few goblin made arrowheads and picks a couple up, never know when something may come in handy he thinks to himself. He then looks down, and wonders if the armor clad dragon will be able to traverse down the steps and not fall over the ledge, along with anyone else not wearing flexible armor. Rifiki will check the stairs for any traps and to make sure they are sturdy.
S'Koth be careful going down those steps. They may seem safe for now, but one slip could be the end of you. The same goes for everyone else. he pauses a moment to let it sink in then turns to Melisaria, Could you be so kind as to cast light on this pebble for me. It will help guide us down the stairs and into the cavern. I may be well adjusted, but that doesn't mean everyone is, Rifiki will ask with a smile as he hands over a pebble he snatches from the ground near the rat carcasses.
Once he and the others have reached the cavern floor safely, he looks around and surveys the current landscape.
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"That went well, good job guys." as Yenli slids down the rope, a little bit thrilled with excitement.
Perception:
"Ok, let there be light!" she clasps her hand and casts Dancing Lights around.
"Now that's better. I guess it's really living up to it's name, Sunless Citadel. I suppose somebody can bust open this door or we look for another entrance?"
"I've got a crowbar for the door. We should be ready for combat once we break it open. If the hobgoblin clan still lives here, they won't take our invasion lying down."
Strangely, despite the overwhelming defeat of the dire rats and the lack of injuries, S'koth seems somehow crestfallen. He meets Hedrroth's eyes and bows.
"Zar - forgive me for my presumption. Perhapss I sshould have waited for your lead. I will not be sso hassty in future."
He turns to Melisaria "I am glaad to have been of sservice."
"Think nothing of it. You're the closest thing this squad's got to a second-in-command. Taking a little initiative now and then isn't a bad thing - if you succeed."
We are all standing and with no blood loss, that is a victory in my book. Now before we go traipsing into the Citadel, let me check the door for any unexpected surprises.
to notice any traps on the door
Seems all clear, big strong guys S'koth and Hedrroth, do your thing cause I sure aunt got the upper body strength for it Rifiki will say with a chuckle.
Heeding Rifiki's advice S'koth makes his lumbering way gingerly down the stairs. He takes in the amazing sunken fortress, wondering who built it, what led to its present position and who might currently reside below.
Falchion at the ready S'koth tries the handle of the door.
If the door is locked:
Strength check:Take 20+3=23. Taking 20 ok? Otherwise:
Strength check:
After carefully moving down the broken stairs, and across the courtyard of crumbled masonry, you discuss the door leading into the tower for a few moments. As Rifiki moves forward to check out the door, a sharp click can be heard before the floor underneath him swiftly falls away!
As the trapdoor falls open, Rifiki springs to the side, landing on a narrow catwalk running across it that he hadn't noticed before. The trapdoor stays open for a few moments, giving Rafiki time to see a few goblin corpses, the gleam of coin, and a hissing Dire Rat feeing on the corpses looking up before it closes shut again.
(I remember now - the writing Zar read was hobgoblin, warning folk to stay outta their territory. But the villagers only mentioned goblins right?)
"Careful Rifiki!" S'koth cries, clawed arms outstretched to pull Rifiki to safety if necessary. Once the drow is settled, S'koth looks at the remade floor. He looks to Rifiki, indicating the trap:
"Any way to stabilize it?"
S'koth becomes suddenly very aware that the entire rubble strewn floor is possibly littered with similar traps...
The town only mentioned Goblins. As for the trap, the catwalk Rifiki leapt to is one foot wide and stretches five.feet.across the pit up to the door.
"We should rope up before someone falls into a hole."
Rifiki, fixated upon the door, fails to think about the way to the door. Upon hearing the click, Rifiki with his nimble reflexes jumps back and crashes slightly into S'koth as he reaches out to aid in him not falling into the pit.
That was close, I made a rookie mistake, I should have checks the area leading up to the door as well. I was able to catch a quick glimpse of some coin, goblin corpses, and a very hungry dire rat down in the pit. I will leave it to the group, I can try to break the trap for good, or attempt to rig it to stay open to kill the rat, grab the coin, then I can permanently disable the trap. Your thoughts all? He poses the question to the group...then when looking at S'koth, Thanks for the hand, I seem to be a little rusty in my skills. Been outta the game a little too long. Rifiki will say with a slight chuckle as he scratches the back of his head like I can't believe I missed that one
The big lizardman shrugs. "Ssounds good to me."
Melisaria is thankful to have eliminated the rats without incident. She whispers a silent prayer to Eloria as they climb farther down into her surface.
Upon reaching the door, she watches fascinated as the trap springs and the Drow Elf lands safely on the cat walk. As the Drow tries to disable the trap, Melisaria grabs her holy symbol and calls for Eloria to watch over him
After examing the trap for a few moments, Rifiki suddenly reaches down into it and pulls on something unseen to the others, and with an audible click, the trap springs open! The Dire Rat hisses and begins climbing up the wall, but between the five of you is dispatched before it can even make it halfway up.
Climbing down into the pit reveals three Goblin bodies, two skeletal and one still relatively "fresh". From a spilled pouch at its side, Rifiki can find 4 gold and 23 silver, all Drow coin.
If anyone examines the corpses, the skeletons are obviously old, but the fresh Goblin appears to only be a day or so dead.
After climbing back out, Rifiki can rig the trap closed or open, however you choose. Proceeding through the doorway, this circular area is cobbled with cracked granite, upon which sprawl four goblins, all apparently slain in combat. One stands with its back against the western wall, the killing spear still skewering it and holding it upright. Three wooden doors lead off from this area, one to the northwest, one to the southwest, and the other the one you entered from. Above, a hollow tower of loose masonry reaches thirty feet in height, butt the intervening floors and stairs are gone, except for a couple of crumbled ledges.
What do you do?
67 Exp each.
Rifiki will pull himself outta the pit, goodies in hand. All Drow coin, interesting. I will have to make a mental note just in case Rifiki will tuck the knowledge away for later. He will jingle the coin pouch in front of everyone. I suggest we make it a group pot, easier for the time being until we get back to town where we can divide it properly. Any thoughts? he will pose it to the group.
After the minor decision about loot us made, he takes a gander at the goblin corpses strewn about the courtyard, and the couple doors that lie before him. He decides to investigate the southwestern door, hoping to do it silently and not trigger any traps so as to suffer the same fate of the goblin.
When at southwestern door, Rifiki will check the door for any traps, and if all clear will check to see if its open
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"Wait! This doesn't make sense, the doors are on the west side and this goblin is skewered on the west wall. If this is a surprise, the ones that threw this spear, must've been above, and they might have went through this northwest door. Hmm, want to check the southwest door first?"
Perception on the southwest door:
Can I notice something within the door?
Almost as if Yenli speaking of it summoned it, the spear holding the Goblin upright suddenly snaps, the corspe sliding down the hall, leaving a bloody smear along the wall behind it. Where the Goblin's body used to lay, there are now revealed glowing red runes carved into the wall, in a tongue few of you understand.
Ashardalon, The Great Ravager, Draconious Imperator, Lord of Dragons, may your dark gaze and fiery wrath inspire your humble servants to spread your ruin amongst the land.
Rumours circulate amongst scholars that Ashardalon is the name given to the first Dragon created. During the Age of Betrayal, much knowledge is lost, but what is known is that Ashardalon was the first Dragon to side with Asmodeus, but suppposably betrayed him as well. He is also known as the Father of all Dragons. His coloration was a unique variation on the normal Reds, being a dark crimson, at times almost black in color.
Rifiki, you do not hear any sounds coming from the next room, nor does the Northwest door appear to be trapped or locked.
Yenli, you do not notice anything concerning the Southwest door, nor does it appear to be locked either. You do not hear any sounds coming from room either.
Rifiki, will relay the information silently, back to the party about him hearing nothing and the door being unlocked, then makes sure the party is ready before he opens the door.
Rifiki will gently open the door, dagger in hand, trying to be as quiet as possible, just in case there is something nearby. The trap had taught him 'even if I cannot see it, doesn't mean it is not there', sense of paranoia.
Assuming nothing bad happens or attacks, perception in the room/area
Zar Hedrroth listens to the sounds around him, straining to hear anything moving.
To Rifiki: "I don't see why we shouldn't open that door. Go for it."
Zar, you hear a faint whistling sound, like wind going through small openings or cracks coming from the southern wall.
Melisaria checks out the goblins to make sure the fresh ones are all really dead or if anything strange is afoot with them.
Provided there is nothing new to note, she will examine the runes, but quickly determine she cannot read them. "Can anyone tell what these say? They might be important?"
She is okay with proceeding, when you are.