The Druid turns after the fleeing goblin lashing out with a ball of fire as his ax drops to the ground.
The greenskin goes down before it reaches the door, Razkiv lifts his ax back into his hand with a proacticed tug on the cord before he turns to follow his companions.
Loth dashes after Tsuto and the others, finds an opening and lunges towards Tsuto in a grapple, trying to pull him to the ground against all odds!
Rushing around the group, Mizzug lashes out a final snap with her snout as it begins to shrink and quiver. Yet again...catching nothing but air...and her snout is gone.
for
Aventail stomps in behind Toot and fires her heavy crossbow at Tsuto.
[+1 BAB, -4 firing into melee]
@Razkiv: There is no line of sight on that goblin. You would need a full double move before being able to see out that door. Feel free to redo your turn.
The last remaining goblin high-tails it through the open doors and starts down towards the beach.
Confronted on so many sides by foes, and now hurting even further from Toot's attacks, Tsuto continues to run, his face grimacing in pain.
You'll never get away with this! I'll tell her what you've done!
Tsuto uses another withdraw action, descending down the stairs (which are difficult terrain) and disappearing around a left turn in the hallway.
(Clarification on the map: The stairs and landing shown in the upper right corner map "Sandpoint Glassworks Basement" correspond directly with and are the same as the room/stairs in front of Mizzug/Loth/Toot. So don't traverse them twice, they are the same.)
So here is what happened with the grapple. I forgot.
____
Tsuto instinctively kicks out at you when you try to grab him (AoO for not having Improved Grapple.)
His kick goes wide as Loth ducks under it and grabs onto him.
On Tsuto's turn....
Needing to break free, he attempts to wrest himself from Loth's grip...
Tsuto fails to get out and grabs a small vial from his belt pouch.
Raz follows along with the others.
Loth adjusts himself to a more advantageous position and pins Tsuto against the wall.
"Give it up, Tsuto! Tell us! Who is "she"? What is your role in this goblin mess?"
Toot looks furiously at Loth, who had deftly slipped in and taken is quarry. Had the pair, and Bumbo, not spent a good amount of time together Toot may have flown into a rage. As such, though, he nods at Loth's apparent and surprising skill, then gets his tusked face close to Tsuto to breath hot horrid snorts into his face.
Bumbo, wheezing, trots along behind. He's far too out of breath to say anything witty.
Aventail supports the doughty halfling in hampering Tsuto as best she can.
[+4 CMB]
@Loth: Natural 20 is a natural 20. I know the rules can be a little vague on "are CMB's an attack?", but I consider them so. As such, they can be crit and fumbled.
@Aventail: With a single move, you can get in range with your reach weapon... so I'll let it work.
Mizzug tries to get around Tsuto to his other side to prevent his future escape...
Frustrated, she just tries to hit him (non-lethal) to knock him out....
Undeterred by Toot's proximity, and enraged by being held in place by a halfling, Tsuto does not given in.
Unable to escape, and since no one seems to keen on continuing to hit him, Tsuto is going to risk drinking his potion.
Presuming he stays conscious...
Runs SCREAMING from the building. He escapes down the beach where he meets a Wayang. Through a series of wacky mis-adventures, they fall in love and live happily ever after in the shadow realm version of Absalom. (maybe)
Also, don't forget to add your HP from Dol's channel. Some of you are doing fine .... some of you are NOT.
Toot appears completely aggravated that everyone seems to be messing with his prey. Bumbo comes forward and puts a hand on the beast as if to calm him...which only seems to infuriate him more. Bumbo gets in close to Tsuto, not trying in any way to stop him from taking the potion.
Now, hold on, Tsuto. We want to help you, but you have to see how this looks from our perspective. Goblins attack the town, now you're here consorting with them...how can we not have reacted how we did? He holds his hands wide, as if to illustrate that he was trapped into this situation. Then, he glances from side to side, as if he were a conspirator, then leans in closer to speak in a more hushed tone. Here now, give me something I can use? Right now, you're not in a great position...I just want to help. Tell us what you're doing here.
While grappling, Loth will attempt to bonk Tsuto on the head with the back of his dagger, tired of his resistance.
Aventail tries to knock Tsuto out with a swift smack to the head...
[+1 BAB, +3 Str, -4 non-lethal; 1d4 natural attack, +3 Str]
@Loth: Not against the target of your grapple. You can't take AoO's against others, but you can against them. They're just unlikely to be able to do anything that would provoke, so it doesn't come up much.
Also, Loth, what is your actual action this turn?
@Everyone: Is anyone else going to take an AoO? Don't presume that Tsuto is out of this fight. He still has a fair amount of HP and doesn't seem to be giving up...
Razkiv will try and work his way through the crowded room to block the stairs.
Failing his first attack, Loth refuses to let up!
Mizzug tries another swing, in her anger at not hitting she forgoes the "non" part of non-lethal....
...hitting him square in the head and knocking him straight out.
Still screaming, sand kicking up from his flapping, splayed feet, he trips over the aforementioned wayang.
Free action to bleed. Standard action to drool.
Loth suddenly finds his grip slipping as Tsuto goes limp in his hands. The weight of a half-elf is slight, but still much more than a halfling is used to. This fight is over, but not everything is solved.
Like Loth asked, who is "she"?
Where is Ameiko?
What happened to all the workers?
How did Tsuto and the goblins get into the building without anyone seeing them?
_______
Bumbo sighs as the target of his conversation falls over. Well...I guess that's that, then. He then looks around. Is everyone alright?
"I think we need to head downstairs, he was running for something."
As the heat of battle subsides and it becomes clear that Tsuto is out cold, Loth weakens his grip with a deep sigh and mutters to himself.
"Is it that difficult to stay loyal to those that share your blood..?"
He then turns to Bumbo. "All things considered, I actually feel... very well. And Razkiv, I agree, but I think our first priority should be to disarm and restrain Tsuto. We can then interrogate him further once we've looked through the basement. What do you all think?"
A cold hard hand presses down on Loth’s shoulder.
”Well fought little one! You held a creature much larger than you!” the adamantian says, clearly oblivious to any outrage by calling out the halfling’s diminutive status in a group comprised almost entirely of “small” entities.
All right, so who is actually going to tie up Tsuto? Don't care who it is, but somebody needs to roll the CMB check to tie him up.
Also, what is the next step?
Take Tsuto to the local lock-up?
Explore downstairs?
Explore the rest of this floor?
Sit in a circle and play spin the bottle?
Some other options I haven't thought of?
Bumbo is positive that he can be helpful in this situation. He looks to Toot. Watch him, okay, big fella? He then uses his might to try and tie the fellow up, wanting to show off to his new friends.
Feeling that Bumbo has this Razkiv takes a few steps down the stairs listening carefully.
Though startled by the sudden chill, Loth turns to Aventail and smiles. "Thank you, Aventail. I'm honestly just as impressed as you."
Once the half elf has been disarmed and creatively tied up by Bumbo, Loth follows Razkiv down the steps.
@Dol/Bubmo: We're going to go Rule of Fun for this time because that is just to good to pass up. I will say that it is obvious to anyone who looks that the rope may be looped several times, it is somehow unsecured on itself.
Side Note Dol: Where exactly did you find that text? Is it under Escape Artist skill in the CRB?
@Razkiv: You make your way down the stairs and into the darkness. Ahead of you, the hallway stretches on with a slight curve to your left that you can't see much past. But two things of immediate interest catch your eye, and one your nose.
1) Blood streaks on the floor stretching along the stones and around the slight curve.
2) Immediately to your left, another hallway opens up through what appears to have once been a section of the wall that was broken down, the rubble still strewn along the floor.
3) A stench, of offal and blood......
@Loth: It is an eerie scene. Razkiv stands at the base of the stairs, his silhouette barely illuminated by the ambient light. Everything beyond him shrouded in darkness. One step, and his ash covered form will disappear into the unknown.
____
The lone goblin tussles with the wayang he tripped over. A knife flashes and is flung across the beach......
"Hsst... Something bad went down here." The dwarf lifts his shield he moves forward and crouches to take a closer look at the blood.
"Tanks fer healy light" whispers Mizzug as she follows Razkiv down the stairs.
Looking around, she frowns "No gud ting be don 'ere."
|
Patting Bumbo on the shoulder, Dol smiles. "Good work. Here, it looks like this knot here is coming undone. Let me just tighten it here.... and here.... and move this....
Hmmm... It looks dark downstairs. Loth probably needs some light. Do you have a spell prepared for that? I'll just finish up here and join you."
Dol sets about undoing whatever Bumbo did to the ropes and retying Tsuto.
Bumbo looks up at Dol, then gives his ropes a second glance. Oh...coulda' sworn I... He chuckles to himself and shakes his head. Thanks. Guess I gotta' work on that. He can feel Toot's gaze upon him, no doubt questioning once again why the mighty eidolon got saddled with such a useless companion. Bumbo doesn't look the boar's way, and instead watches Dol's movements in hopes to not make the same mistake next time.
Bumbo won't leave till Tsuto is secure, feeling it as his own responsibility since he had botched the first attempt. He looks to Toot, and sends him down to help the others.
Toot shakes his big head from side to side but complies, heading down to back up the others as they explore the darkness beyond.
"Oh, that's alright, Dol." Loth says before pulling out and lighting a torch.
"This rubble... Is that a tunnel? That might explain how the goblins could've entered the Glassworks unnoticed... Not to mention the town itself. If Tsuto's behind that, it'd be the perfect cover. Lonjiku was out of town, after all."
@Razkiv: Indeed, someones. Near as you can tell, the better part of a dozen bodies, medium sized, were dragged down here by a group of small sized creatures. The blood trail leads in the direction of the red dot I just placed onto the map.
@Mizzug: You spot nothing additional. But you smell the blood and viscera even stronger due to your more animalistic heritage.
@Dol: You find the following items on Tsuto:
composite shortbow with 20 arrows
magical ring
masterwork thieves tools
masterwork flute
silver earrings
journal
6 pouches of gold dust worth 50 gp each,
8 pouches of silver dust worth 5 gp each
10 pp
____
Tsuto is tied up, disarmed, unconscious; and a mysterious basement stretches before you. Who will venture forward first? Which way will you go.
|
|
As he sets the items to the side, he plucks the ring off of Tsuto's finger and examines it. "What have we here?"
Casting a spell, he notices the magical emanations. He glances at Bumbo. "Can you let the others know that I found something interesting on Tsuto. If they aren't in immediate danger, I'm going to take about 18 seconds to try to figure out what it does."
Continuing to concentrate, he tries to identify the auras.
"Well, well, it is a defensive ring. Very nice. We should give this to Mizzug, I think."
Raz pauses, ready when Dol asks for a moment.
Bumbo nods and head off towards the others to relay Dol's odd estimate of timing.
The requisite amount of time passes, items are identified, and everyone.......
|
|
Gathering up the rest of the gear, Dol joins the others.
"Loth, you have a set of tools like this, don't you? This pack seems to have more tools though. Perhaps you can use it." Handing Loth the masterwork thieves' tools, he moves on to Mizzug. "Here, put on this ring. It will help keep you from getting wounded."
"Anyone have use for this shortbow?"
"My this is a grisly scene. Let's follow the blood trail, in case the person who left all of this blood is still alive."
Razkiv taps Mizzug on the shoulder in a mannor the dwarf hopes indicates 'I am moging past' and proceeds to the bend in the hall and quietly looks around the bend.
Aventail calls out.
”What do we do with Tsuto? If we leave him he may eventually escape...”