Baux raises his shield, moves over to stand on the remains of one of the downed skeletons, and then tries to smash the still active one near him.
Biltri grunts as the skeleton's claws scrape his skin. He swings at any undead left standing while raising his shield.
[ooc]Strike, Strike, Raise Shield/ooc]
Dethor stabs at skeleton #1 with critical precision and it falls to pieces.
Kruppe shoots a ray of frost at #3, but not all of the damage sinks into it's bones.
Biltri swings twice at skeleton #3, but is unable to hit.
But Baux steps up and smashes the skeleton to bits with his warhammer!
Out of combat!
With the undead destroyed, you have time to look around the room for treasure. The strange blue torch is a special magic item called an everburning torch.
In addition, one of the skeletons was buried with a polished shield carved to look like a roaring lion!
Circling back through the barricade and down the tunnel, you pass a ledge with what looks to be an ancient wooden door. It is difficult to see from where you are as it is about 10 feet off the ground.
"That's a nice shield," Biltri says. He secures his dented on over his pack and picks up the polished one. "I'll fix the other when we get a moment to stand still."
-----
He eyes the ledge and grunts. "Let me go see what's above," he says. Sliding his axe into his belt, he looks for a decent handhold on the wall. Finding one he likes, he takes hold and scrambles to the top in a flash.
There is indeed an ancient wooden door on top of the ledge.
"Need help?" Looking at the rock face, Baux says "May take few tries fer me to get there."
"Old door. Probably full of trouble," Biltri says matter-of-factly. "Let me hop down and see where the tunnel goes."
Kruppe and rope meet again. The wise dwarf shall not be bested! HA! He rups his muscles down with his handkerchief
He looks up from the ground. Kruppe believes it is best that perhaps he never discovers what is above. He belongs on solid ground, like a good dwarf. .
There is some clanking and shuffling, and then a rope drops down over the edge.
"Ready," he says.
Kruppe merely battles the immutable laws of nature.
And at times, is fortunate enough to call himself the victor — if only for a battle. But never the war.
While Dethor and Kruppe climb up, Biltri hops down, checks out the tunnel ahead, and climbs back up to drop a rope.
Kruppe opens the door (after checking it for traps!)
"Kobolds at the end of the tunnel in somebody's store room, if we want to catch them by surprise," Biltri informs the others.
Baux readies his hammer and nods to Biltri. "Lead the way."
The ancient wooden door creaks open on rusty hinges, revealing a ruined chamber. The sum of mold and rot stain every surface. On the far side of the room is stone statue of a giant squid, its tentacles reaching toward an altar in the center of the chamber. The scum covers almost everything, but it hasn’t touched the silver bowl sitting atop the stone altar. The water in the bowl is perfectly clear.
Kruppe climbs down as quietly as he can — luckily, not falling on his butt — and follows behind.
Moving on and leaving the door on the ledge for now!
The tunnel continues a short distance and then opens into a large room that looks like it was once a storeroom for a building above. At the far side, is what might have been a cage or cell at some point, but it is now full of crates and barrels.
Four lizardlike creatures the size of human children are clustered around the door to the cell, trying to pry it open. They are so involved with their task that they don't notice you.
Kruppe can recognize these as kobolds!
Once you are within ten feet of them, the kobolds turn around and snarl, ready to attack!
Biltri
Dethor
Baux
Kruppe
Kobold 1
Kobold 2
Kobold 3
Kobold 4
Baux raises her shield, moves up, and swings his hammer at the nearest lizard.
"Oh, I've got plenty against kobolds," Biltri says as he charges into the throng. He swings his battle axe through the kobold warriors.
Kruppe moves in.
Oh, hello. Diplomatic Kruppe is likely deputized as a legation for the good municipality of Otari. Tamli would not mind. In fact, the wise businesswoman might applaud Kruppe’s ingenuity. Unlike his friends, fellow Kobolds, Kruppe is willing to treat such fine, chromatic tetrapods better than the common brobdingnagian rattus or deinopidae. It is what sentient beings deserve. Perhaps, after observing the gusto with which Kruppe’s stout friends have charged into the fray, a state of detente may be achieved — or even considered desirable — to the mutual benefit of all parties, achieving a state of non-belligerence.
Kruppe waits to see the results of his diplomatic efforts.
Biltri starts things off by chopping kobold #1 in half. The body barely has time to slump to the ground before Biltri hacks into kobold #4.
Baux and Dethor both take a swing at kobold #4, but neither manage to hit!
Kruppe gives a long speech that sounds like common, but with their colleague's blood pooling around their toes, none of the remaining kobolds can focus enough to pay attention.
Kobold #2 draws his spear and stabs Biltri!
Kobold #3 draws his spear and moves around to flank with kobold #4, then tries to sneak attack Dethor!
+
Kobold #4 draws his spear and tries to stab at Baux!
Biltri
Dethor
Baux
Kruppe
Kobold 2
Kobold 3
Kobold 4
Bold may act!
"You saying something, Kruppe?" Biltri yells back in dwarfish as he swings his axe back toward the kobolds standing next to him and raises the lion-faced shield in defense. "Hard to hear over the whistling of my axe."
Biltri finishes off kobold #4, and takes a chunk out of kobold #2!
Biltri
Dethor
Baux
Kruppe
Kobold 2 -5hp
Kobold 3
Bold may act!
Concerned about the nasty blow Dethor took, Baux raises his shield and then attempts to heal the fellow.
Kruppe will endeavor to speak louder. Many diplomats and stage-actors formally trained in voice and diction say that one must speak from the diaphragm, however it is a skill that takes practice and breath training. Which is not taught in the Scrolls. And so, Kruppe’s entreaties are whistled away in the violence of the moment like a thin voice upon a gale. Only, in the present case it is not a gale screaming, but an axe.
Thus, it seems negotiations are currently at an impasse due to the unfortunate acoustics of the current situation. Kruppe entreats his friends to leave at least one alive, however. If such a plan does not appeal to Biltri’s empathy (he seems to relish the task at hand, after all — and good for him, for what dwarf would not joy in excelling at his work? Such is the nature of all dwarves.), perhaps the concept of an interrogation appeals to Biltri's tactical acumen as well.
Kruppe points his trusty halibut at #3, then raises a shield.
–10-foot status to Speeds for 1 round if crit
He examines the results .
Oh dear.
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While Baux heals Dethor, Kruppe debates the role of proper acoustics in negotiations, and then freezes kobold #3 to death with a well aimed ray from a halibut.
Biltri
Dethor
Baux
Kruppe
Kobold 2 -5hp
Kobold 3
Dethor is up. Only the wounded kobold #2 remains!
After an awkward stumble that he meant to do, Dethor takes out the last of the kobolds!
Out of combat.
The kobolds are carrying dried fish stolen from the fishery—clearly they were involved in the thefts, but more fish were missing than can be explained by four kobolds.
The door to the cell can be opened in either of two ways. Someone can use a set of thieves’ tools to roll a DC 15 Thievery skill check to pick the lock— it opens on a success! Alternatively, someone can force open the door, which requires a successful DC 25 Athletics skill check.
While Dethor picks the lock, Kruppe would like to interrogate the kobold, if possible.
Baux joins Kruppe in interrogating the surviving Kobold.
"Who are you? Why are you stealing all our fish? Who is your boss?" He is as blunt as his weapon.
He tries both Common and Dwarven.
"I'm all for killing kobolds for fun," Biltri says. "But didn't we do it because they were trying to steal someone's stuff? Maybe that big old pile of stone is a collapsed stairwell--then finders keepers and all--but maybe we should see if there are stairs going up behind this door?"
The kobold is not entirely cooperative. It hisses and growls and pantomimes something with a big belly and a big mouth before Dethor knocks it out and ties it up.
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“I think he was saying their leader eats too much and is fat.” Baux comments after seeing the kobold pantomime.
Krubbe nods at the Kobold, agreeing with Box's assessment. Perhaps. Kruppe would like to investigate whatever has enticed these voracious osteoderms. It may be a clue. However, he has no more toothpicks with which to pick the cage and liberate the nonpareils that surely lie within.
Next, Kruppe would like to once again ascend yon rope, and investigate the oddly hygenic bowl (is it salubrious? Might it contain stock for Kruppe's trusty halibut?) and its calamari keeper. Is there such thing as a hypogean cephalopod? Kruppe would like to know.
"I don't know either hypogeon nor cephalopod, but that's fine," Biltri grunts and moves on back toward the hole they came through in order to lead them back to the shrine.
The ancient wooden door creaks open on rusty hinges, revealing a ruined chamber. Mold and rot stain every surface. On the far side of the room is stone statue of a giant squid, its tentacles reaching toward an altar in the center of the chamber. The scum covers almost everything, but it hasn’t touched the silver bowl sitting atop the stone altar. The water in the bowl is perfectly clear.
Kruppe has never seen a cephalapodic Gozreh. Quite interesting. This water looks delightful, worthy of quenching wise Kruppe's thirst.
He drinks the water!
"I'm all for bucking tradition when necessary, but if that's a sacrifice to Gozreh, should dwarves be drinking it?" Biltri says, making a sign to Trudd.
Anyone may drink from the bowl! Those who choose to do so, read below:
Kruppe smiles, burps, and then clutches his stomach. He turns green like a seasick sailor. Ahhh. Kruppe wonders if this cephalopodic avatar of the Wind and Waves is a dramatic embodiment of both their generative nature and their hostile nature. They are dichotomous. However, Kruppe would like to know, what do calamari create? To his knowledge, they only hunt, destroy, consume. In hindsight, this may have been an important clue. What mortal could ever know? These pelagic mysteries of the deep are surely the exclusive demesne of Gozreh and their hierophants. Kruppe belches. It smells like brine.
Such mysteries, thinks Kruppe, are better left hidden. For would it even be a sea without monsters in the dark? No. It would be a puddle! Would it be an ocean without swells and seiches to torment sailors and Kruppes alike? No. It would be a bathtub!
Kruppe wobbles on his feet… but is ready to move on. He is already planning an exciting new scholarly article!
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Concerned, Baux goes over to inspect the water in the bowl.
“Think ya might want ta mix yer water with alcohol next time, Kruppe. Makes drinks safer.”
Baux can't quite tell what happened to Kruppe, but if he detects magic on the bowl, he does detect the presence of magic.