Wounded as it is, the gremlin is just too nimble for Tyn's maneuver. It leaps out of his reach. Then, without any warning, it simply isn't there anymore.
Meanwhile, even though Shesik's blade is well-aimed, it fails to pierce through the gremlin's supernaturally tough hide. She does, however, capture its attention just long enough for Xaerai to line up the perfect shot. With a flash of light and a clap of thunder, the gremlin's head simply disappears into nothingness. Unlike his comrade, however, the rest of his body remains. After a brief moment of seeming confusion, it slumps to the ground and falls over.
Xaerai twirls the pistol around her finger. "And that's how you deal with--oh shi--!" The trigger guard slips off her finger and the gun clatters to the floor. Swearing in Dwarven, Xaerai retrieves it from the pile of junk and jams it back into her holster, face red.
Zelvin retrieves the bolt and reloads the crossbow before following the others into the northern cavern.
Shesik sheathes her blade and turns back to the trapped cavern. "I'll go take a look at that trap. We should keep watch, that gremlin might pop back at any time." She makes her way up the small embankment and into the trapped passage. Moving carefully she unwraps her tools and begins working with the trap.
Hekau limps along, clearly impaired by his injuries.
Shesik has no trouble disarming the trap, as it's virtually identical to the first one. Back in the cavern, while Xaerai is fumbling with her dropped firearm, she looks back up to see another of the gremlins, trying to sneak up on her with a bared blade. When it notices her noticing it, the creature bares its teeth and charges forward anyway!
Zelvin
Shesik
Xaerai
Tyn Foyle
Hekau
Jinkin
Zelvin aims and fires Hekau's crossbow at the advancing jinkin!
I knew they’d be back!
Having successfully made this trapped chamber safe, Shesik rushes to the main chamber when sound of combat resume. Finding herself next to Hekau, she grabs the cold-iron dagger. ”Gimme that. S’better on these things.”
Hekau makes no objection as Shesik takes the dagger.
He casts Acid Splash on the gremlin, though they are small and quick so he probably misses.
"Didn't see what happened to the last fellow, eh?" Drawing her pistol again, Xaerai reloads it with the smooth grace of endless hours of practice.
Both Zelvin and Hekau's attacks fly harmlessly over the gremlin's tiny head, as Shesik and Xaerai both prepare to do violence to it.
Tyn hops down the slope and moves next to Xaerai, hoping to provide some cover.
[/dice]
The gremlin lets out a tiny battle cry and charges straight for Xaerai, waving its knife around and slashing wildly at Xaerai's ankles. The weapon fails to penetrate her armor, though.
Zelvin
Shesik
Xaerai
Tyn Foyle
Hekau
Jinkin
Zelvin moves around the rest of the party, and readies a shot with the crossbow.
As Tyn reaches out to impede the gremlin's attack, he realizes that doing so would shatter the vial's precious contents and instinctively jerks it back at the last moment. Seeing the foul pest missing anyway, he tries to grab the credit,
"The emissary of the beloved Father of Invention...always at your service Slinger X!"
Seeing the enemy struggle to pierce Xaerai’s defenses, Shesik crouches low and swipes wildly at it.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Hekau is frustrated at this creature's persistence; he no longer has his cold iron dagger, and he isn't skilled at shooting into melee.
But he realizes something; while small and fast foes are hard to hit, they are easy to knock down, disarm, or grapple. And with the gremlin's lack of reach, he can attempt to trip it without risk.
He moves up and grabs the creature.
The gremlin seems untouchable as it evades every attack that comes its way, until Hekau's legs shoots out and knocks its feet out from under it. It falls right onto its back, momentarily stunned.
I had originally planned to trip, then changed my mind while writing the post to grapple instead.
The gremlin probably does have a decent Escape Artist check, so might as well go with the Trip. Whatever the GM wants to do.
"Heh, that's good thinking Hekau" Xaerai glares down at the gremlin sprawled out on the ground and backs away from it. Disregarding her pistol pistol for the moment, she jabs at it with an armored toe to try and draw its attention away from Shesik.
Watching Hekau skillfully drop the little gremlin, Shesik grins and stabs at it with his dagger. ”See we can be sneaky too.”
The gremlin rolls away from Xaerai's boot, leaping to its feet with its back exposed to Shesik. It lunges for the dwarf again, short sword raised high.
Zelvin moves to the other side of Hekau and fires the crossbow bolt at the gremlin when it stands up.
I don't think Hekau gets an AOO, as he is unarmed.
Shesik's aim is true, and her cold iron blade cuts a deep furrow into the gremlin's back. Zelvin's bolt, unfortunately, flies off into the darkness.
Zelvin
Shesik
Xaerai
Tyn Foyle
Hekau
Jinkin
Zelvin loads another bolt and fires!
With the gremlin’s blood now dripping from Hekau’s cold-iron dagger, Shesik grins madly and stabs and claws at her quarry between Xaerai’s feet. ”Got ye! Want some more?”
Tyn takes out his sickle and tries to strike the gremlin.
"Die!"
Hekau again tries to Trip the gremlin.
"I swear I used to know how to punch people. Jus' need to knock the rust off, is all." Reloading her pistol after stepping away, Xaerai levels her pistol and the gremlin. "Cover your ears, friends!"
The gremlin whirls on Shesik, leaping at her and drawing a tiny pinprick of blood with its equally tiny weapon. In the process, he somehow manages to avoid every attack sent his way.
As the gremlin turns and rushes at her, Shesik stabs at it with Hekau’s dagger.
As the gremlin turns and rushes at her, Shesik stabs at it with Hekau’s dagger.
With preternatural speed, Shesik uses the gremlin's lunge against him, slamming her dagger into and through his body. His face remains locked in an expression of surprise as he falls to the ground.
Zelvin starts to look through the pile of junk beneath their feet, but is immediately distracted by what looks like double doors behind them on the east wall of the chamber. Curious, he ambles over to investigate.
"Well done, Shesik. You may wish to hold on to that dagger in case we encounter any more.
Zelvin, I am sorry my crossbow has not worked well for you. I know it is not a weapon you normally use."
Zelvin giggles. "I've held out hope that things would have worked out differently if I had been usin' my trusty pistol, but thank the Whisper Shesik is so quick with the blade! I'll gladly give it back to you, but maybe let's wait until we're sure we got them all, that okay brother?"
"Certainly, brother. I will endeavor to trip the creatures again if we encounter more of them, or use Acid Splash if I have a clear shot."
"Well struck, Shesik." Xaerai doesn't holster her pistol this time, instead warily scanning the rubbish pile and surrounding cavern. "That's three, aye? Did they happen to mention how many gremlins we're up against?"
The circular doorway against the eastern wall is made of the same dark gray metal you saw in the skulk cavern, but you don't see any ways to open it from here.
"Good riddance to foul vermin! I am sure we would already know if there were more. I doubt they lack the self control to stay themselves from attacking us if any living ones were still present. Well. I guess we haul these bodies back as proof of our success?"
Shesik cleans the cold-iron dagger on the fresh remains of the goblin before starting to poke around in the junk at their feet. ”We should double check those passages to the northwest and southeast before saying we’re done.”
She takes a short walk into those areas to verify their vacancy and make sure the gremlins didn’t leave any surprises behind.
Zelvin cocks his head at the metal wall and circular door, but shrugs before returning to look through the (apparent) trash here. He is slightly wary of more of the creatures hiding in the pile or in one of the adjacent rooms, and apart from their hours-long water breathing spell there's no hurry.
Xaerai nods firmly in agreement with Shesik. "Aye, best to be sure before we start trumpeting our successes. And what do we think are the chances that other blighter--the one who disappeared--will pop back in to cause more trouble?"
Shesik finds another tripwire in the room to the southeast , but the chamber only contains more junk. The junk in the main cavern appears to be entirely useless, which is just as well, considering jenkins' proclivity for cursing anything that stays in their possession for long.
Fortunately, during the search, you have no further encounters with gremlins. It seems that, at least for now, they've been cleared out of the caves.
Tyn inspects the entryway to the small southern chamber.