The elf starts to shoulder her bow, giving the man a curious look. "Do you want us to leave?"
Spizz does a happy little dance! "Spizz killed bad bug! Spizz stopped bad bug! Spizz and friends best bug hunters in the business!" Spizz stops and looks at Djack. "Spizz named Spizz," says the gold Kobold practically bouncing up and down as he talks, "We(?) are heroes! Spizz help the misfortunate!"
The fire sorcerer seems to seriously believe what he is saying, and his enthusiasm is quite contagious.
"Who are you?"
Djack considers the lot of them. You're quite the... menagerie. I've been traveling alone, well with the exception of Djill here... He pats the horse on the withers.
Then kneels down to be kobold-height, without getting in the little dragon's face.
Spits, that's funny... in a good way. You were quite heroic, yes as that things is many many times your size. Me?
I'm Djack.
I help folks, too... it's nice to help others. My grandmother insisted.
Standing back up he turns his attention to the somewhat attractive yet strangely stand-offish Elfess. Yes, I want you to leave.
But, I'm not going to get what I want... am I? Because by the looks of it, we're headed in the same direction.
With a sign, he starts to make sure Djill is prepared for travel.
"Are we? She asks with some genuine curiosity. Absently she looks over to the corpse of the beetle, looking for stray embers. "They tell me we seek a fortress of some nature. Have you come acrossit?"
You were coming from that way and headed in that direction... close enough. Fortress? Tell me what you know. Perhaps I have.
I may look like a young man, but they tell me I've an old soul... and maybe that why I appreciate the classics. He brandishes his rapier whimsically.
Bronze isn't used much any more. But, there is an elegance to it.
"Rocko, Gimme a hand with this, what can we use? Pots and tools you said, any of it worth anything"
Elias moves over to the carcass and begins tentatively cutting at it with his knives.
He calls over to the horseman
"Listen Kid, I don't know what's with all the animosity to the Elf, the way I saw it we saved you here and she played her part in that. If you want to take your chances on your own next time, I'll shed no tears. Otherwise, we're headed to the old fort, you and your antique are welcome to tag along."
-Thuk- his blade slices down and amputates one of the insect's limbs
She made a slightly contemplative noise, watching Elias prepare the body for whichever purposes he saw fit. These humans were certainly interesting examples of their race.
Djack seems surprised,
What? Animosity... no, no. I'm grateful. Just used to it just being us.
He looks over at the butchering, seeming about to retch.
Absentmindedly, Spizz grabs a hunk of raw meat from the carcass, and puts it in his mouth. "Yoltzin-ByBirth is famous!" he says, between bites, pointing at the elf. "At least Elias says so. And one day, Spizz will be famous too!" Spark crackle around his hands as he pantomimes shooting fire. "Woosh! Crash! Fapow! Oh Spizz, you are so cool, and you saved the day! And the other kobold were so stupid to step on your head every day, and so mean to try and break off your horns and paint you red!" The last part is in a falsetto which is high pitched to the point of being inaudible.
With that, the team, as well as Djack and Djill, move on, as they do seem to be traveling in roughly the same direction. The area has become more rocky here as you near the Camino Guerreros, the old Soldiers' Road. The way is quite overgrown by thickets that now rise high enough for you to walk under, though you have trouble getting past on occasion, and the road's stones are broken, some missing entirely.
Finally, right around time for the noontime meal, you see a 10' high stone entrance into a hill, flanked by columns hewn from the living rock. The doors are long gone.
Djack seems surprised and slows his horse down and to a stop. This looks like something important. This what you're looking for?
"Perhaps? It looks impressive, as far as holes in the ground are concerned. " She spoke, dark eyes peering into the shadowy depths. It would, in truth, be a welcome change to the harsh sunlight of the shallow woodland.
Djack makes polite conversation. True enough... there are holes in the ground then, there are... holes in the ground. The trick is discrimination.
Peering into the darkness, Djack inspects the area around the entrance for possible traps, and discovers with great confidence that it is clear. From the daylight alone, he can see about 30 feet into the structure. He can see the hallway widens a bit, then narrows again.
The walls are made with well-worked stone in the fashion of the old kingdoms. Not too far into the hallway, Djack sees bones of various animals from the size of a rabbit to a goat.
Djack relates his initial findings to the rest of the party.
Elias slips in behind Djack
"Yeah, this looks like the place. Lick of paint and some scatter cushions, it would make a lovely little retirement home. He smirks.
Crouching, he sorts through the bones with the tip of his knife.
Djack inches forward, bronze rapier out. He chuckles at Elias' comment.
Came across a place like that once, actually... fabled lamp, black, blah. Nothin'. Well, nothing that wasn't trying to kill me.
Starting to get dark in here.
Elias is pretty sure they were eaten; bits of flesh still stick to some of the bones. They do not appear to have been cooked beforehand.
Also among the animal bones, Elias finds the bones of a young human, less that 10 years of age.
Djack starts a torch, Let there be... light
With the torch in one hand and rapier in the other, he looks around shaking his head, before advancing.
"Something's been eating from these bones, not cooked though... an animal?... These though... There's remains of a human here too, small, just a kid. That's too bad." Elias is clearly upset by this find. "Anyone heard anything about a missing kid recently?"
"We'll be back for you kid." He whispers, before following after Djack, knives drawn.
The elf flinches back at the sudden flash of firelight. Of course, she realized, humans were on the more diurnal side of things. She would have to make do. Elias' words drew her closer, pausing to look down at the bones before following behind. A return to properly burn the bones would be in order.
The 15x15 room (where Elias finds the human skeleton) but there does not seem to be any discarded clothing or equipment; that doesn't jibe with the fact that there is still the remains of flesh on the bones. An animal might drag prey back to its lair to eat in solitude, but it could not easily discard clothing, let alone remove it to a different location.
Elias has heard tales, of course, of disappearances. It's part of the whole body of suspicion that got the Intendente Caprone to hire the party to investigate. He doesn't specifically remember any missing children in specific locations, but that could easily be because it was a child of a rural household, who might not know who they could report such a disappearance to.
Djack, Elias, and Yoltzin (and Rocko and Spizz, assuming they've followed) move through a doorway into a larger room.
This room appears to have been a staging area for the soldiers long ago. The remains of padded training dummies lie rotting on the floor. Along the walls are various racks and shelves that at one point probably held a wide variety of weapons and armor, but those items have long since been removed. The walls are decorated with imagery of an ancient old-world battle legion fighting forces of evil.
The elven woman approached one of the murals, fingers tracing the imagery as she tried to piece together figures from her memory. No use, of course. She was never the most attentive when it came to the more borish of academic lessons. "Three doors." Spoken without turning from the pictures. "Each of equal significance, as far as can be seen."
Rocko frowns as he sniffs around the first room and then peers into the second, axe still out. "I don't like this. Place don't look or smell like an animal den. It's just ... off."
So... what were you folks hoping to find in a place that could be... this?
The young man inspects the area for salvage be it, trinkets, weapons, armor, etc...
The once-stronghold reminds Rocko more of the holes favored by humanoid tribes such as goblins than animal dens. But Rocko has never seen a goblin, only heard of such in tales.
Djack finds nothing in this room of much interest. A couple stray pieces of armor, perhaps, fallen off suits long gone. Worth only a few copper at most to an armorer.
Down the rabbit hole, then? Though this might be one nasty rabbit...
Djack moved to the left door.
A quick scan over the surface of the left door reveals nothing spectacular about it.
Djack starts reaching for the door, but thinks better of it... giving it a closer look.
No traps were found.
Seems clear... He opens the door.
"Spizz feels at home! Spizz's tribe lived in cave. Less nice than this place."
As Djack opens the door, he sees several sets of feline eyes reflecting the light of his torch. Then next thing he notes, is that they're starting to stand up---on TWO legs. And, they appear to have weapons close at hand.
Initiative
Misunka:
Djack:
Rocko:
Yoltzin:
Quince:
Spizz:
Djack freezes for just a moment as the creatures prepare to attack.
Spizz notices the movement out of the corner of his eye and can act first, if he chooses.
Spizz runs into the room with the bad guys, and north one square from the door. Then he drops a 10ft radius burning flash spell that hits the top left guy, and the two closest to him.
"Spizz magic is powerful! Although a little short in range. Please to be standing in front of Spizz now..." the kobold reflects on his lack of foresight.
Saves:
Super-secret roll:
All three of the creatures nimbly avoid the full brunt of the damage, but they are obviously the worse for the attack.
One rushes up to the door (charge) and pushes Djack back (Djack gets no AOO because he's still flat footed):
The three Spizz hit load their crossbows.
One other finishes standing and runs up right behind his companion.
And a final one runs up and attacks Spizz with his Hand Axes
Rest of party may act.
The elf swiftly moves closer, moving to a spot adjacent the gnoll. Yoltzin calls out in her true language, pleading to the spirits beyond the veil to lend their aid. A point in spade just south of Spizz begins to spark and sputter, and then with a flash of light a grim bird is pulled into existence. It screeches a terrible melody, before turning its claws upon its foes nearest by.
If the first creature it attacks is considered Evil, +1 damage until it is dead. It's first target is the one near Spizz.
One of the cat-like creatures is hit with a talon, and growls in anger, blood shooting from its shoulder.
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Djack is literally taken aback... but, he steps back towards the the door and left, setting up a flank with Elias.
His rapier lashes out.
Djack's sidestep attracts the attention of the cat creature and it briefly turns it's back. Elias spots a gap in the creatures defences he pounces at the opportunity and leaps forwards; plunging a knife at the creatures shoulder, looking to sever a tendon, a disabling strike, but not lethal.
Rocko... CHARGE and plug the hole!
Djack's attack appears to hit a vital area: the creature is quite injured.
Quince's attempt at looking for a non-vital area misses, in part due to the creature's feline agility.
Rocko's action, round 1
Shoot, Spizz is stuck on the other side and cut off. Rocko isn't nearly so interested in plugging the hole as making sure his new friend doesn't end up skewered.
"Rrr, wanted shield out."
Rocko will have to trust his new armor to protect him as he attempts to muscle his way in to protect Spizz. He yells out a gnollish war cry as he prepares to muscle his way into the room.
"HRICKCHAAAA!"