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Ingrge shrugs. "If no one has a better idea, I'll try to make my way across with a rope. If Traber will allow me to borrow his rope, I'll tie it around my waist...and if Kiboko can hold the other end, I'll be grateful..."
If no one comes up with a better plan and if Traber agrees to lend him the rope, Ingrge will carefully try to make his way across to more solid ground...
...if he's successful, he'll look for a secure place to tie it off for the others to cross...
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"Kiboko thanks you, Traber. Mvumbu is healed. Kiboko will hold the rope, Ingrge. Walk lightly."
Kiboko holds onto the rope, to ensure that Ingrge does not fall. When it comes time for Kiboko and Mvumbu to cross Kiboko casts one last spell upon his companion: Spider Climb. And the hippo, with only a minimum of cajoling, walks over the walls and ceiling to the other side of the water. Kiboko then takes a running jump and clears the chasm in a single bound.
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Ingrgre, with very deft feet, lightly steps along the edge of the water and across the bridge. Some rock crumble and tumble into the rushing water, but hardly enough to cause any problems for him. Looks like the rope tied around him wasn't needed after all...
Just as he steps off the bridge, however, what had appeared to be an unassuming patch of yellowish mold suddenly burst, sending a huge cloud of yellow spores into the air with Ingrgre right in the middle, and filling his lungs!
”Fire destroys the spores and mold, while sunlight renders the mold dormant!“
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Ingrgre coughs furiously as he races out of the cloud of spores, the reaction so bad that he coughs out quite a bit of blood . Once he gets away from patch of yellow mold, the Pathfinders lob a vial of liquid fire at it. The resulting fiery explosion obliterates the mold and much of the surrounding spores. A short while later, the rest settles down harmlessly to the ground.
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Kiboko and Ingrge can hold the rope taut to form a guide for the rest of the Pathfinders.
"Do you each have a length of rope? Tie your own rope to yourself, and loop it around the one that Kiboko and Ingrge hold. That way you cannot fall into the water below."
Kiboko then executes his previous plan, casing Spider Climb on Mvumbu before jumping the chasm.
Enora rips a hole into space and jumps through it to appear on the other side.
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Pooka shimmies across the rope as carefully as possible. His stubby fingers white knuckle it all the way across, the weight from his armor and gear pulling down at him and threatening to drop him into the underground river.
The halfling wipes the sweat from his brow when he reaches the other side and drops the heavy pack. His weapons clatter to the ground as he dusts off his hands and pulls a cloth across his brow, already beading up with sweat again.
"Ok girl. You can do this. Ready? Luna. HUP!" Pooka commands, the word echoing in the chamber.
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Luna whines the entire time Pooka is clambering across the river. She paces back and forth in the span of about ten feet, wearing the stone down with worry as her master dangles precariously over the moving water. When he finally reaches the other side, her tail wags as she plops her hindquarters down, her tongue lolling out.
When Pooka gives the command, there is no hesitation. Her rear legs uncoil with power, launching the rest of her body in three long strides before she reaches full speed.
Luna's head dips close to the ground as she reaches the edge of the broken stone, preparing for the leap across. It's a leap she has done hundreds of times, and this will be no different than the rest. No river will keep her from her master. Her rear paws plant down in line and outside of her front paws. She stretches out, leaping into the air and soaring across the water.
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A few of the Pathfinders cross the river in rather mundane manners, leaping across the gap, shimmying over the rope the Kiboko has set up. Others take a more unusual path, flying through the air or stepping through extradimensional pockets. Of course, nothing could be more unusual than to see a 2 ton hippopotamous clambering along the walls and roof of the cavern. The magic holds over as Mvumbu eventually descends, disloding some staglamites along the way.
Meanwhile, Severin continues scouting the area, finding an empty chamber with several patches of dull mushrooms grow in the dampness of this
room. Careful examination reveals them being harmless. The room is beautiful, illuminated by tiny sparkling gems embedded in the floor and walls.
Severin also takes a detour, flying down the course of the river. After it descends a plunging waterfall 10ft high, he finds a room filled with clear water, filled with shimmering light from glowing gems embedded in the rock beneath the water. It provides a hypnotic, glittering luminance to the chamber.
When the party is finally gathered, Severin steathily glides a flight of stairs at the left junction. Almost immediately, he spots two crouching humanoids and he quickly retreats to report to Nicholas. He describes them as gray-skinned emaciated figures with their mouths distended, hollow pit of darkness...
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DR, resistances please - she shouts out loud to the group
Enora casts HASTE!
* * *
"Be careful! No digging or sonic spells or the cave collapses! These are agile undead and they have these resistances ... "
Mvumbu advances, defending her companion.
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"C'mon girl, let's run one of these buggers down!" Pooka says, his energetic tone translating instantly to Luna beneath him. She eagerly bounds up the stairs and past Mvumbu, ducking underneath her tiny swishing tail. Pooka pulls gently on the reins enough to get Luna to spin on her rear paws, and the halfling lowers his lance to line it up for a charge.
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"You dare disturb our mistress' demesne! Die!" The leading undead screams at the Pathfinders. Seeing Pooka getting ready to charge, he tumbles his way across to him past Mvumbu. However, it very clumsily trips over a stone and stumbles. It nonetheless closes the distance and slams a palm straight into Pooka's chest. It cracks a rib or two, but suddenly, he feels his mind being sapped, and also his body starting to freeze up!
The other step forward and strikes at the intimidating hippo with three quick thrust of its fist. The first two lands solidly, smashing Mvumbu across the face. Like Pooka, she starts to feel her mind being drained, and her body starts to stiffen.
When you finally see the kurobozu, you recall that they do not have any additional defences beyond evasion. You recall though that they have a very nasty ability - they can suck the breath out of a stunned or helpless victim!
Enora again slips through space to jump into the cavern.
Then she uses her staff of ember to send a fireball to the two enemies.
"MOOOOAAAAARRRGGGHHHH!!!"
"MOOOOAAAARRGGGHHHH!!! HAAARRRR!!!!"
Raging Mvumbu chomps on the foul creatures who would dare attack her! She remembers that dark cave in the Expanse where rotting creatures severely wounded her, and Kiboko saved her...
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"Holy S..." Pooka stabs his lance forward, taken off guard by the boldness of the undead. He furrows his brow, knowing he is unable to get Luna's momentum behind his blow.
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When the stunning fist hits him, he recoils, gasping for breath and trying to center his focus on the frenzied fight in front of him
The stout halfling sucks in his breath and holds it for a moment. His mind reels as it starts to panic, but Pooka patiently waits for the siren bells to clear. You've had worse. Nothing you can't breath through. Slow down.
The mental mantra works, and the halfling's face turns into a satisfied snarl.
"Sic!" Pooka shouts, and Luna snaps forward, teeth bared.
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Pooka pulls on Luna's reins, and only the dog's countless hours of training allows her to ignore her bloodlust and back up slightly. The move brings the pointy end of Pooka's lance into a more advantageous position. Nearly standing up in the stirrups, Pooka thrusts the lance hard at his foe to bring it down before it can hit him again.
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With remarkable constitution, both Pooka and Mvumbu resists the stunning and draining attacks of the undead monks, with only the hippo feeling somewhat light-headed from the attack. They don't do so well themselves, however. The one approaching Pooka gets badly chomped by Mvumbu and stabbed by Pooka.
While it seemed to gain vitality from its attack on the hippo, it is almost immediately drained off by the full blast of fire from Enora. Almost immediately after, Kiboko turns his fury on the undead that dared attack his loyal companion, slicing it completely in pieces. The avenged hippo turns to its companion, and again rips out a few more chunks of undead flesh. Then from over Pooka's shoulder, a powerful shot of an arrow from Ingrgre punches right through its head, ending it unholy life!
Going through the cave, you find little. On one of the monks, you find it wearing a cloak and a medallion, perhaps relics of its previous life.
Enora sighs! "Why are we continuously attacked? And what the h*** did these things want from us? How did we disturb there mistress 'demesne'???"
She detects magic and analyzes the items and tell everybody what she identified.
"MOOOAAAARRRGGHHHH!!!!"
Mvumbu roars in triumph, as Kiboko examines her wounds for infection. No rotting fiend will get the better of her again, now that he is full-grown.