”Let’s get a move on. Track down the beastie fey whatchamacallit so we can kill it right good.”
"Agreed, this place is unsettling... to put it mildly."
"Let's go, then."
Rau heads towards the wider slime filled tunnel and peers down it as he waits for the group. "Are we ready, or do you want more time to mess with the fungus?"
The tunnel leads away from the cavern with the captives, and eventually starts descending. Thorek is able to tell that it eventually begins turning to the right, though it is barely noticeable even knowing about it. The tunnel does get tight at times, but those spots are short and quickly bypassed.
The slime continues to be present, as does the stench. It's not quite powerful enough to cause nausea, but getting any of the slime near (or in) your mouth or nose certainly would.
The tunnel continues for a long distance, and you are certain you have walked for at least two hours. The tunnel begins to widen, and up ahead of you, a dim purple light is visible through another opening.
Seeing the light up ahead, Rau motions for the others to stop. He points forward, then to himself. Readying his bow, he moves carefully forward to get a view of the area ahead.
”About a mile deep now. Best place to fight. If we die we’re already buried.” Thorek whispered with a smile, enjoying the gallows humor.
Volkar looks to the others, then prepares to begin casting spells once they get close enough to see what is beyond the opening.
Azorius lets Rau and Volkar scout ahead knowing he is neither skilled nor equipped for it.
Tomas joins Rau in slipping forward, hoping to scout out what is ahead of them.
The left side of the cavern has caved in, leaving most of that area full of rubble and stones. Some are easily 10' in diameter.
The right side remains largely intact.
Across from your opening lies another one. Only darkness is visible beyond the cave.
On the right side is a larger opening with a carved door frame 10' wide and 20' high. In front of this opening are several creatures.
One with its back to you appears to be some kind of slug-man. It is about 15' feet long with several small stubby legs, and a front half that is raised up to reveal a humanoid head and two arms. A large sack is on the ground next to the creature.
The other five creatures are all dark-skinned elves with light, almost white, hair. All wear intricate armor and carry a variety of weapons. They stand with the opening behind them, facing the slug creature.
As you ponder the scene, a shrill sound draws your attention from overhead. You both look up to see a drow standing on the wall over the opening , staring right at you. He makes no move, though it's clear the shrill sound has come from him.
At the sound, all the other creatures by the opening are looking your direction.
You hear a loud shrill sound coming from the cave.
”Well. That sounds like it’s time to dance.” Thorek said. ”Watch out for fey trickery.”
Rau calls back to the group "We've been seen. No need for stealth" and then takes a quick shot at the drow on the wall.
Volkar moves forward behind Thorek towards the chamber.
Azorius moves up with with the others to provide aid.
The shrill sound is cut off as Tomas and Rau both shoot arrows straight up. Both arrows punch through the drow's armor and sink deep into his chest. A gargled cry escapes his lips before he falls down to land in front of Tomas and Rau.
All the other creatures (4 drow, 1 "slug") turn to stare as the one over the tunnel exit falls to his death.
Turning towards the room in front of him, Rau immediately begins to shoot at the nearest dark elf target
Tomas steps to one side to clear the entrance.
With the sound of arrow strings snapping, Volkar moves quickly to catch up to where the others are.
Azorius focuses on not lagging behind... if he can he'll shoot at the slug.
Rau manages to down one of the drow with his first arrow, but the rest of his and Tomas' shots clatter on the stone walls behind the elves. Azorius also manages to get a shot off, but it misses the slug.
While the rest of your party moves up, one of the drow says a word and vanishes. The other two move along the wall while pulling hand crossbows and loading bolts into them.
The slug-like creature slides along toward the far wall, shaking its head violently and screaming incoherently at you, at the elves, at the stone wall. At first glance, it seems this creature might very well be insane.
"If we hold this position it'll make it hard for him to try and sneak around us if that is his intent." Azorious says, edging forward as he reloads and shoots at the slug once more.
A sphinx hammer appeared in Thorek’s hands. As the party was holding his ground, he stepped forward five feet to join the front line and Readied himself to throw the hammer at the first enemy to come within 20ft of him.
Seeing that the drow had spread out before them, Volkar hefts his crossbow and fires at one of them.
Rau takes a step to the left to open up the corridor and continues shooting, this time at the one that is approaching them.
Tomas will join Rau in targeting the purple Drow.
The drow on the far wall is knocked backwards as arrows from Rau and Tomas hit him in the chest. He does not get back up.
The slug creature screams in an oddly hoarse voice and charges across the cavern, slashing Rau with a long filthy claw.
The drow who vanished last round reappears behind the slug and shoots his hand crossbow at Tomas, sinking a small quarrel into the man's forearm. The burning sensation that accompanies the strike can only mean one thing - poison!
Rau takes a step backwards and continues to fire away at the Drow, trying to get the group down to one target.
Sphinx hammer in hand, Thorek rushed over to the Drow. Ancestral anger burning in him, he swung it with murderous intent.
Tomas slumps to the ground.
With the positioning of the slug and the drow, Volkar decided to take a risk. He took a step forward, clearing Rau and Thorek from his line of fire, and then cast a spell, bringing his hands together to send a cone of flame forward, enveloping the slug and the drow.
One of Rau's arrows strikes the drow in the shoulder, while Thorek releases a mighty blow with his hammer, dropping the drow to the ground. Any possibility of survival is ended as the flames from Volkar's spell wash over the body.
Unfortunately, Tomas is not able to resist the poison of the drow, and he falls to the ground, unconscious.
The slug monster seems to have avoided the worst of the fire spell, and it contorts its neck, then spits a massive wad of saliva at Volkar's feet. The mass explodes into a disgusting web of sticky mucus, threatening to trap you amidst its viscous strands!
Entangled: An entangled creature can attempt to break free with a successful DC 14 Strength or Escape Artist check as a move action.
Volkar groaned as he was engulfed in sticky webbing. However, it was highly similar to his ectoplamic balls, so perhaps he could free himself easily.
Slinking out of the webbing, he moved himself clear of the slug's firing line to give Thorek the chance to move in and fight it.
Rau feels his boots and lower legs coated in mucus, securing him firmly to the floor. He grunts as he rips his feet back off of the floor, freeing himself before he takes another shot.
Azorious moves up just behind Rau and casts guidance on him. The vile slug thing and its allies were throwing out all sorts of tricks to hamper them.
Thorek mistakenly thought there were more Drow to fight, and looked around wildly for them. Finally realizing that the slug creature was all that was left, he took his ancestor-gifted hammer to it.
Rau's arrow flies past the monster, but Thorek's strike catches the monster across the chest with a powerful blow.
It's body easily slides across the mass of mucus as it closes with Thorek, attacking him with a claw. It's claw slices deeply into Thoreks's arm, the wound feeling like its on fire.
Rau takes a step back and continues to pepper the slug with arrows.
Thorek grit his teeth as it sliced him back. A lesser warrior might have been consumed by the pain. But he had something which gave him an edge ...he was too stubborn and prideful to look weak in front of his comrades.
”Hmph! Bloody gross bastich, fookin’ stay down!”
Azorius keeps calling upon Pharasma's aid to help guide Rau's shots.
Volkar decided to try and give the thing a taste of its own medicine. He drew forth a ball of ectoplasm and hurled it at the slug, trying to hinder it's attacks on Thorek.
With assistance from Azorius, one of Rau's arrows hits the slug creature and sinks deep into its chest. The monster ignores the arrow, but gets knocked around as Thorek's hammer once again connects, this time to the side of the its head.
Volkar's spell flies at the creature, but it somehow manages to dodge the spell, remaining free from the entangling ectoplasm.
The monster swipes at Thorek with both of its claws. One narrowly misses Thorek's face, but the other connects with his thigh, leaving three jagged wounds bleeding heavily.