Ukufa follows along.
There's no movement inside the room that you can see through the doorway.
As Ukufa moves forward she draws both her Masterwork Daggers, then readies for the inevitable ambush and combat with a hushed litany to her Goddess...
"Stern Lady. The Taker."
"Grant all who fall passage."
"Grant all who fall peace."
Kellan keeps pace while mumbling and gesturing, placing a blessing on his companions. Shadows bring us balance!
Spinnaker Jon hummed a little tune to cast Vanish on himself. Now invisible, he then half moved forward stealthily, squeezing by Bhru.
Bhru continues his headlong charge readying a blind swing should he see anything,
Phineas breathes deep and heads for the door, sword at the ready.
Bhru bravely takes point and bravely steps into the rogues' ambush. Nimble blades find gaps in armour and he slumps to the ground.
Unaware of Jon's infiltration, they reset their positions and wait for the next victim.
Incensed at Bhru's fall, Spinnaker Jon used the last of his Invisibility to move in behind the North rogue...
...to stab him in the back with surprise!
for a possible piercing and precision damage.
"Special message from Bhru, ye landlubber bastards! HAHAHAHAHA!!" He exulted, suddenly visible now.
As Bhru drops and Jon manifests Ukufa moves forward then attempts to deftly spring past the waiting blade(s)
[ooc]Am presuming here that Jon is taking up one of the primed attackers, so just the one attack to avoid?)
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Kellan moves up, drawing his crossbow as he does, and casts Stabilize on Bhru. Not dyin' today dammit dwarf!
Rage swells within Phineas. He swings his sword accordingly:
“You Angradd-defiling swine! I shall write a fine and memorable story of you. Your blood the ink, my blade the quill.”
Jon's appearance out of nowhere completely throws the rogue's plan off. It proves enough distraction to allow Ukufa to slip through and Phineas to take position.
Both strikes are true, but neither fell their quarries. Bleeding the thugs strike back.
There's the sound of running feet on stone and you see another guild member appear in the door behind you.
Jon curses as he just missed the parry and took a flesh wound.
He shifted right to flank his target with Voronwe, and adjusted his stance to be a little more defensive.
"That was the last bit 'o luck you'll ever have laddie!" He said before lashing out with his cup hilted rapier.
for a possible piercing and precision damage.
AC now 19.
Kellan steps forward with the intent of healing Bhru but a quick glance over his shoulder at the scuff of footsteps shows another assailant. He makes the decision to fire a bolt first. Hang on fella, gonna need a sec or two
Ukufa lands unscathed and shifts before bringing both her daggers to bear on the same thug Phineas blooded;
Phineas musters another swing of his sword:
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With focus and determination, the party finishes their work and dispatch the wounded thieves.
Back in the hallway, Kellan snaps off a quick shot. The bolt wizzes off towards the silhouette in the doorway where it hits with a sickening thunk. The wounded thug clutches at the bolt protruding from his side and backs out of the doorway and out of sight.
"C'mon stout fella let's get ya back on your feet." Kellan kneels next to Bhru, laying his hand on the dwarf's shoulder and casts Cure Light Wounds.
Ukufa tends the bodies on the dead thieves; positioning them in a restful pose, closing their eyes and of course checking them over for anything of value or use.
"I don't suppose I could get a spot 'o healin'?" Spinnaker Jon asked the party healer, wincing at his injuries.
Bhru groans as he eases himself up to his feet,
'Glory master Phineas, glory..'
He pats himself down, finding what he's looking for bites the cork out of a small vial and drinks,
He fumbles for the other vial he has and hands it to Jon,
'Mind the next door would you lad?'
Jon hesitated, but then quickly accepted Bhru's offer.
"Cheers matey! I'll owe ye two!" He said, downing it.
healed.
Thus fortified, Spinnaker Jon listened at the door...
...then shifted to total defense and combat expertise (AC25) and carefully opened the door.
Phineas eyes the damage he’s incurred. The survival of he and his comrades is a welcome surprise.
By the bleeding gods! Ale at this juncture would be most welcome. I’ll be sure to bring some next we all dive head-first into a dark and cavernous place.
Phineas shuffles over to Jon and readies himself for the next encounter.
Not hearing anything beyond the door, Jon opens it, revealing an angled corridor that leads to a couple of well placed arrow slits that look over the pool and crocodile pen. From there, the path slopes off and runs on until it ends in another door.
Spinnaker Jon, keeping his defensive posture, quietly made his way down the corridor to the next door,
...listening for the enemy.
"Hssst, Ukufa, what do you make of the trailer? I shot one behind us..."
Kellan trails near the back but tried to get the attention of the Touv woman.
Bhru falls in behind Jon, keeping a bit of space between the two of them.
Phineas moves up to Spinnaker Jon and joins in on the sneaking and perceiving:
Hearing nothing, Jon opens the door, revealing another circular chamber with a ladder leading to a trapdoor in the ceiling and other door to the west. The western door opens on a long hallway, with another set of arrow slits that overlook the crocodile room that ends in a door that opens on to another circular chamber, with ladder and a door to the west.
This last door opens on a short hall the turns to the north and ends in an odd hinged plaster wall. Releasing it's latch, you pull it open, revealing it to be a section of fake wall in the crocodile room. Your exploration having brought you around in a full circle.
Jon, realizing where he was, just stood there jaw agape.
"What in the Name of Olidimarra is going on? We're back where we started!" He exclaimed.
Bhru scratches his beard and starts to backtrack looking for anyway the scum could have fled.
'Guessin' they went up, or someplace else...'
"They're getting around somehow, we still haven't found the rat I shot behind us."
Kellan tries to drag anyone who'll listen to the spot where he shot someone, looking for blood trails, or any proof that he didn't make up the mystery character who showed up to get shot then disappeared.
“We’ve been here before…we’re going in circles.”
Phineas steps towards Kellan and begins to search for signs of the mystery baddie.
Jon goes with Kellan, looking around for secret doors, trap doors, etc.
Ukufa, silently confused also joins in the search for answers and a trail...
Backtracking to where you last saw the injured enemy, Ukufa picks up a trail of blood drops that leads to the wall. A bit of investigation turns up a latch which reveals a hidden door. Behind it is a short hallway that leads to another secret door, which you push through.
The purpose of the macabre chamber beyond seems obvious. A stretching rack dominates the northwestern corner of the room, and an open iron maiden its southeast corner. A sizzling brazier of coals sputters in the southwest corner, giving the chamber a hellish red cast.
A burly man, in ragged clothes is strapped to the rack. A rogue tends to the irons heating in the brazier, while another tends to a bolt wound. They both turn to door as it opens.
Combat
20 Jon
20 Bhru
18 Rogues
16 Kellan
15 Ukufa
3 Phineas
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"Found ye lubbers!" Shouted Jon.
Rolling next to the one in the middle, Jon lunged at his torso.
for a possible piercing damage.
"Fifteen more rounds, and you're going DOWN!"
At the sight of something worth running head first into Bhru charges,
Jon rushes forward and pokes at the rogue, opening the way for Bhru to come thundering in. He slams into the man, sending him sprawling in a spray of blood, as his jagged armour tears his flesh.
The wounded enemy remaining, grits his teeth and comes for Bhru,
finding a gap in the dwarf's armour and drawing blood.
Jon and Bhru’s boldness spurs Phineas to action. He charges forth, sword at the ready.
Kellan walks up following his companions and fires wildly into the crowded room hoping to contribute from his position at the door.
Jon tumbled around to attack the remaining rogue from the side.
for a possible piercing damage.
Bhru turns as after last man standing. He draws his warhammer and brings it down bellowing to the lords of old,
'For the LORD OF HAMMERS!'
The wounded rogue remains quite nimble, dodging and weaving around your attacks. That is until Bhru steps up beside him, crushing him to the floor with a mighty blow.
The immediate dangers dealt with, you can turn your attention to the other features of the room. The man on the rack calls out weakly, "Well done. I don't know how much more of this I could have handled."
Jon moved up and started disengaging the prisoner from the rack.
"Aye laddie, how came ye ta be here, in the belly of the beast?"
Kellan casually reloads his crossbow hoping his wild shot went unnoticed.
"And ya better come up with a name and a good reason to trust ya with a blade if you're to assist in your escape." Kellan says to the prisoner while eyeing the next door.
Phineas approaches the prisoner as he examines the blood on his sword:
“Regale us with the story of what happened here, if you would, sir. And please do not omit the events that have most presently unfolded. Should you recount our martial prowess sufficiently… and perhaps offer us a weasel’s hair of knowledge as to the identity of those egregious fellows…I for one would be much obliged.”
Bhru pats some gore dry from his beard.
'Better speak quick. We are after some one.'
Ukufa stoically watches the prisoner, ready to weigh his words...