Glintaxe returns to the north, again floating backwards. This close, you also notice an u pleasant, acrid smell as it passes.
Hearing no objections, Batu waits for the spirit to near him again. He also makes sure not to be in his traveled path so as not to disrupt it. As soon as it does near, "Glintaxe the Ghost! I am Batu and am wondering if I could ask you a question or two. Namely, why do you patrol these halls endlessly? For what purpose does it serve?"
Glintaxe slides on by, ignoring Batu completely.
Turning to the others, he shrugs. "I know very little about ghosts. I believe once we have freed the children, we should work to collect a priest of great faith and bring them here to destroy the creature. I understand they are well suited in returning the dead who are not dead back to their rest they are truly in need of. Let us continue on down the hall unless one of you know of a way to deal with the ghost properly?" If no one does, Batu heads back down the long hallway and heads to the left when it dead ends.
"Dealing with ghosts are done by those who are able to use powerful magics. I don't think we are that strong and I don't want to find out, not unless I have no other choice. That other hallway that we did not follow seems like a better way to find the children."
Oryn follows Batu back to the unexplored hallway.
You start to scurry past the ghost hallway and into what looks to be barracks across the way, but sounds to your right distract you: sounds of battle. The hallway continues for quite a ways, opening up in a larger room partway down (area 12) that’s lit by a fitful glow. You catch a glimpse of Kimi as she dashed from one side of the room to the other, followed by a kobold.
Unfortunately, Glintaxe is currently between you and the children.
"I'm not liken the odds facing off against yon ghost. Can we get around him? What about that northeast corridor? That looked like it might hook around to the northwest." Asked Kylan.
As you watch, another kobold comes into view in the room ahead. It sees Glintaxe approaching, gives a squeal of fright, and ducks back out of the hallway. Glintaxe continues into the room, still moving straight. It looks like Glintaxe will continue past the room to the end of the corridor before returning its slow patrol.
"I'm not liken the odds facing off against yon ghost. Can we get around him? What about that northeast corridor? That looked like it might hook around to the northwest." Asked Kylan.
"He does seem to always make himself an obstacle, does he not? I have no objections to the northeast corridor. Let us try that direction and see if we are able to make our way around the relentless watcher."
"Or, we could just wait until he passes us by and then we can move down the hall." He then looks down the hallway to see if he can see him before looking back to the others. "But he is awfully slow though, isn't he?"
Map updated.
"and I have used up my ring for the day - so I can only shoot gusts of wind at it. I can at least shoot the blasts down the long hallway, but I'm going to make a lot of noise doing it. It looks to move about as fast as we do Batu, but we can try and run past it if we have to."
"I believe patience is our best weapon. Once he passes us by then we move down the hallway at a rapid pace. If we are forced to fight him then fight him we shall. Otherwise, probably best to avoid him as much as possible."
You wait for Glintaxe to glide south of your intersection, then make your way towards the battle in all haste. You easily reach the opening into what looks like a grim mess hall. Three heavy stone tables fill the space in the middle, along with some long benches which have been overturned. On the left side of the room, you see four--no wait, five--kobolds, taking cover behind tables or around the corner, being held at bay by Kimi and very disheveled halfling you don't recognize. The two of them throw rocks whenever a kobold pokes his head above a table, though it would seem they are quickly running out of ammunition. Kimi also clutches a length of dry-rotted wood, perhaps a chair leg.
As you are all joining a battle already in progress, you automatically get to go first at the beginning of this round. Please also take note of Glintaxe's position. He moves 30 feet every round in the direction of the arrow.
Eyes narrowing in anger - an odd sight coming from the kineticist who seems to always be smiling - Batu draws a javelin as he moves to protect the children. "You are safe now, children. I am Batu, and me and my allies will conquer these kobolds and free you, do not worry." He then turns and fires the javelin at the closest kobold.
Master Kylan hustled over to the opposite side of the overturned table.
Spotting the blue kobold, he thrust forth a hand and caused currents of aether to loft a broken stool into the air and fling itself at the target.
for a possible kinetic damage.
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Marioc hurries past the ghost looking terrified at it. He is glad they are able to outrun it and reach the situation where the children are trying to fight some kobolds and he means to help. For the meantime, it is better to just control the battlefield and get into position, so he concentrates on making the floor slippery and dives for cover.
The stool and javelin both crash into the table, just missing the kobold.
Both kobolds also just manage to keep their footing on the slippery goo.
Oryn looks back at the ghost I wonder what a burst of air will do to Glintaxe and makes an impetuous decision.
The sounds of strong winds from a storm intensify around Oryn as he focuses a blast of air down the corridor towards Glintaxe.
Oryn’s air hits something solid-ish before Glintaxe, and the air in front of (or behind) the armour and axe ripples like water, diffusing the light of the axe. Glintaxe continues gliding north.
Still Rao left to go.
The pink and blue kobolds pop their heads up, triggering a thrown rock from Kimi.
The rock clatters off the table. The two kobolds in turn, throw a javelin at Rao, who seems most exposed.
The unknown halfling calls out, ”Very much appreciative of the assist, my good fellows. Capital timing!” then he begins to chant sing an unfamiliar but inspiring battle hymn. Everybody gains a +1 morale bonus to attack and weapon damage (which includes kinetic blasts).
The other kobolds hold their positions for the moment. Everybody is up.
Giving a smile and a nod in response to the halfling, Batu turns his attention back to the kobold and throws his hand up and then down in a fist as he directs some rubble toward the kobold.
Alas, those pesky tables bump their AC to 19 (touch 16) with the cover.
Master Kylan hustled west near the north wall to enfilade the kobolds behind the table.
He thrust forth a hand and caused currents of aether to loft a half filled garbage basket into the air and fling itself at the blue kobold.
for a possible kinetic damage.
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Seeing the kobolds managed to remain standing on the slippery floor, Marioc chooses to let his concentration go, lest it take a toll on him. From this position, he shoots some freezing water at the kobold he can see.
The blast goes towards the kobold and he says to the halfling "Wow, you really sing the song of heroes! What does it say?"
Purple kobold takes ice to the face and goes flying, lying still.
Oryn wonders if his blast did any damage to the ghost, but since it is still far down the hall he decides to try again.
Another rush of wind and thunder surrounds Oryn as he focuses his energy at the ghost.
Red and blue kobold move out from behind the tables to swarm Kylan, while orange moves up to challenge Oryn. Kylan takes two quite nasty thrusts of their spears.
Meanwhile, Oryn’s blast down the hall causes another disturbance in front of Glintaxe, almost as if some transparent liquid or almost liquid was disrupted by the blast.
”It says ‘Go kill the scaly bastards,’” the halfling responds, and throws a rock at blue kobold.
The kobolds on your side scurry out of the corridor. ”Glintaxe comes!”
Everyone is up.
Master Kylan staggered back a square, bleeding from two deep spear thrusts. He thrust forth a hand and caused currents of aether to loft a discarded wooden platter into the air and fling itself at the blue kobold.
for a possible kinetic damage.
Batu takes a step over and brings about more stone, but this time toward a kobold not behind a table.
Eyes going wide, "Glintaxe is no ghost! He is what they call a 'gelatinous cube'! If it comes in contact with organic matter, it will dissolve it in mere moments! So that is why it did not respond when I spoke! It is all becoming far more clear now. Stay away from it, all!"
"A what!?! Dissovles!?!"
Oryn disengages from the kobold that approached him and retreats through the room into the corridor to the north.
Blue kobold was mixed by Kylan’s blast, so I will reassign those attacks to red, which also goes down.
Orange and pink kobolds both throw javelins at Batu, missing wildly.
The halfling throws another rock at orange this time.
Kimi grips her club but with Glintaxe so close, she stays put.
Glintaxe advances.
You’re all up.
The last time you watched Glintaxe, it went through this room into the north corridor and back. Of course, you’ve disturbed it so it may not continue moving blindly this time.
Something transparent freezes where Marioc’s bolt hits it.
With only the cube in his line of sight Oryn continues his noisy assault on what was formerly thought of as a "ghost". "Look! Marioc froze Glintaxe!"
With what should certainly arouse any/all creatures in this area, the sounds of a storm surround Oryn again.
Torn between the kobolds and the cube, Batu targets the far greater threat as he draws some loose stone around him and punches forward toward the creature.
Master Kylan takes a moment to sink to his knees and lay hands on himself...
healed; for 1 burn and 2 nonlethal damage.
"Oh, that's a relief laddie..." He sighed with relief.
The party continues to batter poor Glintaxe. Shreds of transparent gelatinous material scatter, landing with a hiss on the corridor walls and floor.
The two remaining kobolds throw more javelins at Batu, one of them getting a lucky hit.
-2 DR
The halfling continues to sing, but the music has lost its supernatural quality, so inspire courage has ended. He throws a stone at orange, rapping him in the forehead.
Glintaxe slides into the room, then stops. Sensing prey after its discombobulating experience, it lashes out at orange kobold, but swings too high.
Everyone is up.
Batu continues to attempt to take down the ooze with more stone, hoping they can rid themselves of the horrible creature.
Master Kylan stood up and thrust forth a hand and caused currents of aether to loft one of the discarded kobold spears into the air and fling itself at the Glintaxe/thing...
for a possible kinetic damage.
Stones, fire, and spears slam into Glintaxe, and the ghost is finally at rest, it’s armour and axe clattering to the floor.
Having seen you defeat the mighty Glintaxe in battle, the two remaining kobolds turn tail and run south. You can take potshots at them or let them go.