Initiative Order - Surprise
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Selter and Sithiss - move
Marla and Brak - move
Darren - Hits for 12 damage
Li - Hits for 10 damage
Svetlana - move
Odo - move
-------------------------------------Round One
Selter and Sithiss -
Enemy
Darren and Li shoot from the darkness like synchronized sniper fire. Their arrows strike the lazy guard in the side and back and he falls, unconscious and bleeding out before he ever saw what was coming.
A cry of dumbfounded shock echoes through the subterranean complex as the second guard sees his fellow crumple like a dropped sack full of turnips.
-------------------------------------Round One
Selter and Sithiss - double move to threaten
Enemy - and 5 ft step
Marla and Brak
Darren
Li
Svetlana
Odo
-------------------------------------Round Two
Selter and Sithiss
Enemy
The stunned guard whirls his quarterstaff before himself, but the move seems more directed at keeping the reptilian druid at bay as he steps toward the grate in the floor.
-------------------------------------Round One
Selter and Sithiss - double move to threaten
Enemy - attack and 5 ft step
Marla and Brak - double move
Darren -shoots and misses
Li - double move
Svetlana - double move
Odo - double move
-------------------------------------Round Two
Selter and Sithiss - stabs and misses, moves
Enemy
Marla and Brak
Darren
Li
Svetlana
Odo
-------------------------------------Round Three
Selter and Sithiss
Enemy
The Pathfinders move in on the now lone guard as Selter and Sithiss pen him in. Darren takes careful aim, but the combination of the makeshift dam blocking his view and the guard's spinning staff prove too much to overcome as he slaps the arrow aside.
Selter's blow glances off the mans whirling staff, but a fearsome buzzing sounds as Sithiss moves near the sewer grate. A bile green magical arrow manifests, seemingly out of the wall and streaks down toward the vulnerable constrictor. Fortunately the aim seems set to strike a taller intruder and the snake easily twists her coils out of the way of streaking threat and the spell strikes the stone floor, fizzling out with a hiss.
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Odo pushes forward to stand next to Selter. He may have arrived to slow to land a blow of his own, but he is now ready for the next exchange of blows (and may keep the enemy from concentrating just on the lone target).
"Sorry, I'm late. Glad to see you saved some of this miscreant for me and Brak to chastise."
Brak finally manages to get within striking distance of the last (obvious) foe, and he makes a swing at the man's side with his axe.
As the onslaught of Pathfinders rolls in on the lone guard, he is quickly overcome. Darren's arrow severely wounds him, with Brak's axe finishing him off. He drops to the floor, bleeding from his wounds. Each of the men wear a necklace of a yellow-green stone, studded leather armor and carried a quarterstaff.
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Odo looks at the sorry example of a human at his feet and sighs. "I'll go back for our little blue friend." He then turns and heads back along the ledge to retrieve the mite.
"This way. It's safe now," he says as he leads the little fellow back to the group. When they reach the chamber, Odo points at the grate. "Way down?"
Brak steps up and has a look at the trapdoor as well. "Had a little experience with traps during the Orc and Goblin Wars..." he says.
Marla moves into the room from around the corner and pales slightly at the gore of the battle. She turns her focus from that to studying the necklaces.
As best as you all can tell, the trap was magical in nature and only set to go off once. The mite nods in response to Odo's question, and pantomimes climbing down a ladder. "Way down. Derro, slaves, rats."
Svetlana determines that the guards are both nearing their end as their lifeblood pools beneath them.
Selter hears nothing, but the smell of rat grows stronger at the grate.
Marla examines the necklaces and supposes that they were intended to protect these men from being targeted by the trap.
The mite seems unwilling to follow on the "way down", but he scratches a rough map of buildings, pointing to those furthest north and says, "Slaves here."
As you open the grate, you see a long, sturdy ladder descending into a pitch black cavern below. As Svetlana peers into the darkness, she makes out the shapes of several buildings clustered together below like some strange forgotten subterranean neighborhood. It will be nearly a 30 ft climb down to the cavern floor.
Brak pushes up to the front of the group. "I'll go down first this time." he says. Marla rolls her eyes at him, and he adds. "If you all don't mind."
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"I don't think our little slave friend will be joining us. But for now, I can still bring up the rear in case he decides to catch up."
To the mite, Odo offers some instruction. "We will not make you go, but wait here if you can. We will free more slaves if we can and try to send them back this way to join you."
"What? We want the archer to go first? Goblin-brained idea if you ask me." Brak says. He pushes past and begins to climb down, looking below for anything unusual.
The darkness presses in as if it had substance and weight on the long decent into the gaping cavern of Cassomir Below. The iron ladder seemed sturdy enough when you first tested it, but the cold metal collects condensation from the damp air and every rung seems slicker than the last as you fight to maintain your grip and footing.
Finally, you feel the stability of ground beneath you and turn to take in your new surroundings. Someone strikes a light and as it's rays penetrate the shadows nearby, you notice the eerie red glow of light reflecting back at you through the eyes of creatures lurking in the gloom. They greet you with a nerve-wracking chattering and gnashing of teeth as you notice them winding toward you around the crates and nearby buildings. These must be the great dire rats you were warned about, you think to yourself as you watch one rear up as tall as a man and bellow it's screeching attack call.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Initiative Order - Round 1
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Greater Dire Rats:
Rat 1 attacks Brak - bites for 8 damage
Rat 2 attacks Brak
Rat 3 attacks Selter
Rat 4 attacks Odo - bites for 6 damage
Darren
Li
Marla and Brak
Odo
Selter
Svetlana
The rats move in from all sides, two snapping their yellow teeth at Brak. One lands a nasty bite, ripping into him with strength no rodent should possess. Another closes in on Selter, but the snake-man avoids the diseased bite, while the last moves on Odo and catches him at the bottom of the ladder before he can ready himself. The monstrous rat bites down painfully on the halfling's leg. Fortunately, the bite victims are strong in fortitude and able to fight off the illness the disease ridden vermin carry.
Ssss
Sithiss strikes ineffectually at the rat next to her.
Initiative Order - Round 1
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Greater Dire Rats:
Rat 1 attacks Brak - bites for 8 damage
Rat 2 attacks Brak
Rat 3 attacks Selter
Rat 4 attacks Odo - bites for 6 damage
Darren - kills one rat and wounds another
Li - kills one rat and misses
Marla and Brak
Odo
Selter - Finishes off a rat
Svetlana
Pathfinder arrows fly like rodent-seeking missles. Darren's arrow goes straight to the overgrown creature's heart, felling it in one shot and he directs his next arrow to the one snapping at Selter. The rangers arrow wounds the beast, giving Selter the opening he needs to drive his spear home, pinning a second rat to the cavern floor.
Not to be outdone, Li's arrow strikes a third rat in the head, splitting though matted fur, meat and bone, goring through the monsters grey matter and the third rat falls, still twitching.
"Rats! Filthy beasts!" Brak bellows, bringing his axe to bear against the rodent.
Marla reaches out and touches Brak, muttering a quick cantrip.