The masked stands back while the rest move to enter the cave. Before moving in, he returns to the side of the last kobold, still unconscious. He draws his bow, knocks an arrow, lines up with the creature's left eye (angled to the center of the back of its skull), and releases.
Once his task is completed, he will pull the arrow, wipe it off, then return to the tunnel with the group.
"You guys need light? “ Thomas casts Light on his sword and anyone who wants.
Joriannika smiled at Thomas in relief. "Much better!"
Hanzo nodded, tossing back over his shoulder, "Nice! Thanks, man. If you stay up front, Guru, you might be able to see farther than me before we alert anyone."
Though irritated at being placed in the front, the masked elf cannot argue with Hanzo's logic. A quiet flapping followed by a familiar pinch at his shoulder alerts him to Mori's presence, and reminds him that the eyes of Pharasma are watching. He makes his way to the front of the group, alert for any signs of danger.
Guruthos takes up the forward position of the party, and then several seconds pass. Everyone waits.
Do you venture forth?
Global Condition: -2 on Attack Rolls (Inside Lair) |Global Condition:
Thomas HP: 15/17 AC: 16/12/14 Status:
Guruthos HP: 14/14 (1nl) AC: 15/13/12 Status:
Joriannika HP: 10/12 AC: 17/13/14 Status:
Hanzo HP: 14/18 AC: 17/13/14 Status:
Guruthos looks around at his allies, takes a soft, rattling breath, and cautiously moves forward.
Haha!
Around the bend is a split in the path. The main tunnel seems to continue up a few earthen stairs to the left. To the right is a foul-smelling cave with thick mounds of moldy straw on the floor.
You hear something shuffling around in the straw.
You hear several somethings shuffling around in that straw-filled cave.
What do you do?
Global Condition: -2 on Attack Rolls (Inside Lair) |Global Condition:
Thomas HP: 15/17 AC: 16/12/14 Status:
Guruthos HP: 14/14 (1nl) AC: 15/13/12 Status:
Joriannika HP: 10/12 AC: 17/13/14 Status:
Hanzo HP: 14/18 AC: 17/13/14 Status:NPCS:
Thomas waves his light-giving weapon and raises his hand to give a stop sign. He then whispers. "I hear several noise sources in the straw."
Then the voice in his head returns: Straw burns well! We could smoke the whole cave, HAHAHA!"
The elf raises his bow and aims the arrow toward the straw. The bird upon his shoulder turns to look up the stairs. Guruthos takes a step back toward the stairs to allow Thomas to make come forward.
Thomas' whisper is somewhat amplified against the rocky walls of the tunnel. The skittering shuffling and all the skerfuffeling come to a stop.
Slowly, 5 rat-looking creatures, except much larger, emerge from the straw; they hiss in the general directions of Guruthos as well as the light which emanates from Thomas' weapon. It looks as though they are preparing to attack!
Bold may act!
Thomas, Guruthos // Enemies // Joriannika, Hanzo
Global Condition: -2 on Attack Rolls (Inside Lair) |Global Condition:
Thomas HP: 15/17 AC: 16/12/14 Status:
Guruthos HP: 14/14 (1nl) AC: 15/13/12 Status:
Joriannika HP: 10/12 AC: 17/13/14 Status:
Hanzo HP: 14/18 AC: 17/13/14 Status:NPCS:
Red HP: AC:
Orange HP: AC:
Yellow HP: AC:
Green HP: AC:
Blue HP: AC:
Guruthos takes aim at the closest (green) and looses his arrow.
Let's do some rat catching
Thomas moves in front of Guru in a position that he believes to be a strategic advantage. He then holds his sword high, ready to swing at the first rat to approach.
"Hanzo, come and به من کمک کنید پاساژ باریک را نگه دارید."
Seeing the large man step in his path, the shot that Guruthos was about to take is blocked. Instead, he points at the rat behind the one at which he had originally taken aim (red) and grumbles "Shh," followed by his creeping laugh.
Guruthos looses an arrow at one of the creatures, skewering the creature and it collapses, presumably dead.
The rodents are not phased by this.
Thomas prepares to slice and dice the first four-legged thing to get close enough!
They all run in different directions, making angry hissing noises. One (red) comes straight at Thomas, who swings his sword and cuts deep into the thing.
Orange scurries right past Thomas (provoking an AoO) and (if it survives that) bites at Hanzo!
Luckily it doesn't sink its teeth into his juicy flesh just yet.
Yellow runs up and clings to the wall and tries to bite Thomas in the face!
But it's not quite close enough.
Blue is walking on the other wall, headed towards Joriannika and Hanzo.
Bold may act!
Joriannika, Hanzo // then Thomas, Guruthos // enemies
Global Condition: -2 on Attack Rolls (Inside Lair) |Global Condition:
Thomas HP: 15/17 AC: 16/12/14 Status:
Guruthos HP: 14/14 (1nl) AC: 15/13/12 Status:
Joriannika HP: 10/12 AC: 17/13/14 Status:
Hanzo HP: 14/18 AC: 17/13/14 Status:NPCS:
Red HP:-9 AC:19
Orange HP: AC:
Yellow HP: AC:
Green HP:-8 AC:15
Blue HP: AC:
Hanzo wrinkled his nose in disgust. Rats.
Filthy, disgusting scavengers. Always running about in sewage and kobold warrens, making a nuisance of themselves.
Rats were the worst.
Giant rats were the worst with a rotten cherry on top.
Slicing and dicing, he sought to teach the nearest rat a lesson its ghost would never forget.
Joriannika yelped, only managing at the last moment to avoid screaming.
Rats!!! Rats were THE WORST!!!
Taking aim at the one on Thomas (yellow), she fired her crossbow!
Hanzo's attack on blue misses. Jori's shot misses as well. Guruthos may act.
Guruthos points to the rat attacking Hanzo (blue) and grumbles "Shh!", then cackles.
The rodent Guru pointed at staggers and collapses, breathing deep breaths.
The one vermin still standing...albeit on cave wall...bites again at Thomas
But this rat is terrible at its job biting things.
All may act
Global Condition: -2 on Attack Rolls (Inside Lair) |Global Condition:
Thomas HP: 15/17 AC: 16/12/14 Status:
Guruthos HP: 14/14 (1nl) AC: 15/13/12 Status:
Joriannika HP: 10/12 AC: 17/13/14 Status:
Hanzo HP: 14/18 AC: 17/13/14 Status:NPCS:
Red HP:-9 AC:19
Orange HP:-9 AC:18
Yellow HP: AC:
Green HP:-8 AC:15
Blue HP: AC: Status: alseep (hex; 1 rd)
Thomas returns the fight against the huge rat.
Slicing yet another rat in half.
Joriannika muttered something dark about rats under her breath as she fitted another bolt to her crossbow and ratcheted it back.
Hanzo slashed at the rat on the wall with vicious intent...
...but the cunning little monster was too agile for him to gut it.
Thomas slices one in half, and Hanzo stabs at another, the one that seems to be waking from its Elf-induced slumber. His first misses but he pierces it with his second. The creature wails but is still alive.
The last rodent still breathing looks badly hurt, but still has some fight left in it. Mustering all its strength, it launches at Hanzo, fangs first!
+disease
But all its strength isn't enough. Nevertheless, it doesn't flee. It's either brave or brainless.
All may act!
Global Condition: -2 on Attack Rolls (Inside Lair) |Global Condition:
Thomas HP: 15/17 AC: 16/12/14 Status:
Guruthos HP: 14/14 (1nl) AC: 15/13/12 Status:
Joriannika HP: 10/12 AC: 17/13/14 Status:
Hanzo HP: 14/18 AC: 17/13/14 Status:NPCS:
Blue HP: -4 AC: 14 Status:
Thomas is unimpressed by the rats and stabs at the last one with no emotion at all.
He should try a little harder, though...
Guruthos releases an irritated grunt as he knocks another arrow and fires at the persistent rodent.
Hanzo made another try, slashing at the crawling thing in frustration.
But today was not Hanzo's lucky day. He nearly got in front of Thomas' swing, and had to jump aside at the last second.
Leaving the rat to the others with a shudder, Joriannika eased past the men to keep an eye out for any trouble the noise might attract (careful not to step in any rat guts).
The fight was fairly distracting, though.
The rat makes a quick lurch and bites at Thomas' ankles.
It's fangs sink in, dealing 3 points of damage to Thomas.
days
Thomas has contracted Filth Fever which will reveal itself in 1 day.
All may act
Global Condition: -2 on Attack Rolls (Inside Lair) |Global Condition:
Thomas HP: 12/17 AC: 16/12/14 Status:
Guruthos HP: 14/14 (1nl) AC: 15/13/12 Status:
Joriannika HP: 10/12 AC: 17/13/14 Status:
Hanzo HP: 14/18 AC: 17/13/14 Status:NPCS:
Blue HP: -4 AC: 14 Status:
Thomas changes his kind about the rat immediately as it bites him deeply.
In response to the bite, the barbaracle swings his falchion low, cutting deep into the dire rat, but not all the way through. Instead, the two halves remain attached via a small scrap of flesh. At the end of Thomas' swing, the momentum sends the rodent flying back into the straw-covered cave where it smashes into a wall and breaks into two pieces and makes a grotesquely satisfying squishy-thud sound.
Combat over!
Joriannika had already ventured up the wide steps carved into the rock, leading to the next room. She comments that wide steps have been carved into the rock in each tunnel that intersects with this large cave. A five-foot-wide circular pit is the chamber's only feature.
Guruthos takes a moment to go check around in the straw, to make sure there's nothing there but rat crap.
Thomas cleans his blade in the straw.
Guruthos confirms that nothing lies in the moldy straw apart from giant crap.
Thomas' blade is kinda cleaner, but smells vaguely of...giant rat crap.
Hanzo joins Joriannika in the next room.
Examining the pit in the room, he quietly comments,
"Hm. Looks like a well. I guess lizards gotta drink too."
Finding nothing, the elf turns and follows Hanzo and Jori.
Jori and Hanzo inspect the room finding nothing of interest. There are two other paths that lead out of this room; one to the north and one to the east.
There appears to be torchlight coming from the tunnel leading north, accompanied by the small echoes of iron hitting rock.
The path to the east has some light coming from it as well. A stronger light dancing on the walls.
"There's more up here. Let's be quiet and see"
Saying this, Thomas runs into a small pile of rocks announcing their presence, unless the echoes of iron hitting rock are louder.