Bibi is confident that the door is safe.
Elena takes a moment to study the crumbling architecture.
"With the state of this place I don't know that the roof can handle our weight. Bibi and Carrufikus should be okay, but I wouldn't suggest more than one of them at a time."
She then brushes off the bits of mud and dirt she earned from her fall, quickly giving up the lost cause.
Noroc suppresses a laugh as Elena takes her tumble, but quickly helps her back up without so much as a word. He knows she's not exactly prideful, but she is sensitive, so no need to needle her about her misstep.
I'm not keen on the idea of climbing a roof anyway, Noroc says, eying the door as Bibi looks it over. But I'm thinking, whatever is that way, we should probably find out before it comes up on us from behind.
"Agreed, Noroc. Let's be about this then shall we? Peldur, would you do us the honours?"
Elena moves closer to the first set of doors, magically illuminated torch held high.
Peldur opens the door. A 15-foot stone walkway spans a narrow stretch of swamp water, connecting the ruined keep to a large stone outbuilding. Double doors block each end of the walkway. Standing before the southeast door is a seven-foot-tall skeleton dressed in armor made of gnarled roots, bones, and rusted metal. The skeleton clenches a rather proper morningstar in one weathered hand with the weapon’s heavy, spiked tip resting on the walkway at the skeleton’s feet.
Carrufikus, Talborel, and Noroc all notice that the skeleton is held together by twin and twigs; it is not an undead guardian.
(E, +1 v. Traps)
(T)
(T)
(E)
(T)
(E)
Peldur opens the door. A 15-foot stone walkway spans a narrow stretch of swamp water, connecting the ruined keep to a large stone outbuilding. Double doors block each end of the walkway. Standing before the southeast door is a seven-foot-tall skeleton dressed in armor made of gnarled roots, bones, and rusted metal. The skeleton clenches a rather proper morningstar in one weathered hand with the weapon’s heavy, spiked tip resting on the walkway at the skeleton’s feet.
Carrufikus, Talborel, and Noroc all notice that the skeleton is held together by twin and twigs; it is not an undead guardian.
In fact, Carrufikus detects magic somewhere within 30' now that the door is open.
(E, +1 v. Traps)
(T)
(T)
(E)
(T)
(E)
Avoid Notice (T)
Detect Magic (A: +1 (U), N: +7 (T), O: +1 (U) , R: +7 (T))
Investigate (A: +7 (T), C: +7 (T) M: +1 (U) N: +4 (T), O: +7 (T) , R: +4 (T), S: +7 (T))
Search (E)
Avoid Notice (E)
Scout
The rope which one of your first mitflit foes tried to use to escape is tied to a section of the wall here. It obviously ends at the double doors beyond...
"Mitflit handiwork. Can you check that there are no traps in front of us, Bibi? I trust your skills here."
At the mention of magic, Elena perks up. "That morningstar seems remarkably tidy. It could be infused with magic that prevents it from rusting. If that thing isn't a trap I'd be happy to study it more."
"Ha! Do you see that? It looks like the mitflits are trying to scare people away. Clearly this isn't a real skeleton. I don't think we have anything to worry about."
Using Detect Magic, Carrufikus focusses on the area that radiates an aura to see if he is right, or if he does have something to worry about.
Bibi carefully checks the area immediately around the skeleton, then checks the door.
Bibi approaches cautiously. She can tell it's rickety on purpose, and will be quite loud if it falls apart. She's confident that she can retrieve the morningstar. The door seems safe (and quiet.)
When Bibi shares what they know, Elena smiles. "They're a cunning bunch, but not by enough. Good work. Now pass me that morningstar, and I'll see if it's the source of the magic Carrufikus detected."
Morningstar in hand, Elena casts a spell. She then focuses on the weapon, opening your mind to perceive magical auras.
If it is indeed magical, she takes the time necessary to identify the specific nature of the item.
"Ok, let's prepare to surprise whatever is beyond that door. Ready?"
Elena spends a solid minute chanting the spidery words of magic, and determines that the morningstar is the source of the aura Carrufikus sensed.
Elena asks the party to hold up for 10 minutes while she studies the weapon, but cannot figure out what it is.
"So is this what is causing the aura that I am sensing? Do you think there is anything special about this item?"
The halfling's eyes widen in delight at hearing the weapon is enchanted.
Cayden's Cups!! I've only ever seen Uncle Bofus' magic weapn before--NEAT!!
Bibi stands to the side of the door, bow drawn. She whispers
You got it Elena--let's give 'em what for!!
Confident in Bibi's assessment of the bridge and door, Peldur crosses and opens the door.
Each of the newly minted adventurers looks at the other. Whatever safety the mitflits sought lies behind these doors. With a final nod from Bibi, Peldur opens the doors!
Splintered framing in the ceiling and floor hint that thin wooden walls once divided this stone building’s interior. With those walls demolished, only a single, large chamber remains. Rubble, swamp vegetation, and mud pile in heaps like foul nests, while a larger stack of rubble, sticks, and bones looks almost, but not quite, like a throne. A flattened mound of sand with a few dozen bits of wood and stone stuck into it covers the floor before the throne. The sand looks like it could be a crude map of Otari.
You several arrows that indicate plans of attack from the direction of Fogfen.
The throne seems a rickety thing indeed, as a pair of mitflits seem to be near exhaustion holding together. Sitting upon the throne is an "imperious" looking mitflit petting a spider-like creature twice their size.
"You stupid droogs. I am your Boss and you will hold my glorious throne together!"
Upon realizing the door is open, he is literally taken aback. In reasonably passable Taldane he shouts, "Gah! What in the poop pot are you doing here? Why are you here? I haven't done it yet!"
Initiative assumes Talborel is Scouting
Avoid Notice (T)
Detect Magic (A: +1 (U), N: +7 (T), O: +1 (U) , R: +7 (T))
Investigate (A: +7 (T), C: +7 (T) M: +1 (U) N: +4 (T), O: +7 (T) , R: +4 (T), S: +7 (T))
Search (E)
Avoid Notice (E)
Scout
Carrufikus bravely steps forward and speaks,
”Hello Oh Mitflit King. What a nice hall you live in and what a nice pet spider you have there. I am a follower of Desna, and my friends and I are following a butterfly. Did I say what an unexpected surprise it is for us to make your acquaintance. Umm, How long have you lived here?” The gnome is starting to panic, but still tries to keep it together.
Boss Skrawng looks down on the gnome and acts every bit the Grand Prince of Taldor, "Mudlickers used to live below, but a bunch of “mushroom eyed people” chased us up here many nights ago. I hate the “mushroom‑eyed people” and as your new king I can give you a big pile of shiny gems if you go downstairs, kill them all, and defeat their stupid king!"
"That is quite the proposition," Elena joins Carrufikus in speaking with this king, her curiosity piqued. "Can you tell us more about this mushroom-eyed people and their king? How many of them are there? Aside from their eyes, what do they look like? The more you can share, the better we can consider this offer of yours."
And given that the first mitflits lied to them, Elena considers every word he says as circumspect.
Bibi tries to stay hidden on the other side of the door, but risks a quick double-peek to get the lay of the room.
Noticing the spider, she marks that as her target to try to hit first, if things go sideways.
<--awesome
Bibi does her best to slink in while Elena turns a critical eye towards the "king."
"You ask too many questions for a good subject! They look like you but with mushroom-eyes! I don't know how many, more than Mudlickers. Enough of them to take over our rooms."
You think he plans to kill you, but if he can do it AFTER killing the mushroom-eyed people, then he'll be the Greatest King Ever.
Initiative assumes Talborel is Scouting
Avoid Notice (T)
Detect Magic (A: +1 (U), N: +7 (T), O: +1 (U) , R: +7 (T))
Sense Motive
Search (E)
Avoid Notice (E)
Scout
Recall Info on the Spider-esque creature? Nature? Something else?
Occultism is +5, Nature is +4, Elven Lore and Forest Lore are both +5.
Talborel quietly moves closer to the speakers and under his breath he prompts them:
Ask about the strange lights.
Elena doesn't hide her scowl. "If you want to be a good king of the Mudlickers, you should have informed and educated subjects. How else can you make sure that things get done right? So please, oh king, will you share what you know?"
"Oh, and perhaps you can also tell us about the lights coming from the lighthouse. It's what drew us here to begin with."
Talborel eyes the "pet" and can't quite put his finger on what it is, or more to the point, what it's capable of. He moves in to Elena and whispers a question to the more gregarious magic-user.
Boss Skrawng’s eyes get big, and he shakes his head, "The light is the creepiest haunting of them all! Every night, the light glows, there must be a big ghost up there!"
"I show you our old kingdom."
Boss Scrawng draws a new map in the sand. It's exceptionally crude, and he doesn't seem interested in explaining the rooms at all. Indeed, his patience grows thin even as he draws it.
...Riiiiiight, Noroc says. So we should go defeat the mushroom-eyed people for our kind and benevolent ruler here.
Leaning in close to Elena, he says quietly, Dunno if you noticed, but the old map was of Otari, and there were clearly attack plans from this "king" on it.
"So, are we here in the throne room?" Carrufikus asks the obvious. "Where do we go to get to the mushroom people?"
"They're down below!" The boss is getting increasingly agitated.
We humble servants have no knowledge of where to get "down below," you see, Noroc offers. We need your magnificence to help guide us.
"You go under the docks! you wait until the dragon is gone, then you swim under the docks!" He seems happy that at least some of his subjects know how to properly address him.
"This helps. Thank you, King Skrawng," Elena says politely. She then pauses, sighs, and adds, "That said, I think it's fairly obvious that you mean to kill us after we 'deal' with the mushroom-eyed people. And it also seems like you have plans to attack Otari, a town I call home. Put simply, we cannot allow this."
"So, I am sorry to say this but, I am going to have to ask you and your people to leave this place. Go far away from here, and do not return," her voice is steel, though she adds, "Respectfully."
Bibi, still trying to stay hidden, puts her mouth over her tight mouth "O", eyes wide with glee.
Hearing Elena's ultimatum, Peldur looks up from his spot on the floor and spits out the toenail he'd just freed from his little toe. He hops to his feet and looks at the King.
You're planning on attacking Otari? You can't do that! That's where I keep all my stuff!
"IT'S GOING TO BE MY STUFF STUPID HUMAN!" Skrawng's shouting turns incomprehensible, but the mitflits know what that means....
Round 1:
Talborel: Go
Elena: Go
Boss Skrawng: TBD
Noroc: TBD
Bibi: TBD
Carrufikus: TBD
Mooks: TBD
Peldur: TBD
Adding in:
Bibi: 21 (Hidden)
Carrufikus: 14
Elena: 24
Noroc: 21
Talborel: 24
Action 1-3: Magic Missile
"So be it," Elena says, working through the gestures to invoke the most potent spell she's learned to date. Glowing sigils float through the air as a glowing blue dart forms in the air. She repeats the gestures, creating a second and then a third dart. Each hovers benignly before, with a flick of her wrist, they fly unerringly towards the spider!
"Focus on the spider! It might have a venomous bite!"
The three blue darts fly and strike unerringly into the ten-legged vermin! Despite its size, Elena's missiles seem to do a number on the creature. Boss Scrawng screams in anger!
Round 1:
Talborel: Go
Elena: MM
Boss Skrawng: TBD
Noroc: TBD
Bibi: TBD
Carrufikus: TBD
Mooks: TBD
Peldur: TBD
Bite Bite: 11
Looking to end the battle quickly, Talborel casts a spell, reaching out to the Natural World around him, specifically to the pull that makes the down, the force holding us all to the world in the first place. Then, Quick as can be, Talborel lets loose with arrows, hardened and heavy, striking with the force of gravity.
Cast Gravity Weapon then strike then strike
Shortbow:
Hero Point Reroll: Shortbow:
Shortbow:
Mother of Pearl
Desna laughs at Talborel's efforts as a pair of arrows break at the nock.
Boss Skrawng shouts for his attendants and pet to attack! The multilegged creature pounces to block the entrance, attacking randomly
MIss
Miss
Miss
The boss then fires a blow dart at the one who escape targeting:
for
the throne trembles as he fires, and nearly collapses...
Round 1:
Talborel: Miss
Elena: MM
Boss Skrawng: ATK
Noroc: Go
Bibi: Go
Carrufikus: Go
Mooks: TBD
Peldur: TBD
DM:
Bite Bite: 11
Trusting that her stature and expertise in hiding means she's been unnoticed so far, Bibi drops her bow and quietly draws her rapier, moves like a shadow through her friends, and materializes in front of the nasty spider, stabbing it in the mandibles!
Bibi zips in between the others. When she comes out the other side, the creature is NOT ready for her! The attack is clumsy, and only by virtue of the hidden angle does she connect, and she connects! The creature falls to the ground and twitches as it dies!
"BITE BITE! NO! Kill that ugly halfling!"
Round 1:
Talborel: Miss
Elena: MM
Boss Skrawng: ATK
Noroc: Go
Bibi: Kill
Carrufikus: Go
Mooks: TBD
Peldur: TBD
Bibi breathes a sigh of relief, and glances up at Tal with a wink.
You boys mind running interference for me now, to stop those little sh1ts from poking me??
Carrufikus steps forward and casts Electric Arc at the vile Mitflit chief and his green minion.
Noroc feels something course through his veins, and it's not good.
Meanwhile Carrufikus goes for the boss:
And he takes it full in the face!
Pass
Round 1:
Talborel: Miss
Elena: MM
Boss Skrawng: ATK
Noroc: Go
Bibi: Kill
Carrufikus: Zap
Mooks: TBD
Peldur: TBD
Boss: 10
Green: 2
Noroc feels the poison course through him.
He quickly comes to the conclusion that he's not a fan.
He moves into the room to voice his displeasure with his "walking stick". Since he's also not keen on his kidneys being shanked by a pair of sycophantic mitflits, he opts to work on removing them first.
He growls as he does, hoping to break the mitflits' spirit.