Just as Ascaede is about to mutter something about corvids and carcasses and the justifiably macabre link between them, the sky itself surrenders to gravity and whacks her on her head.
Slightly stunned by said gravitational anomaly, Ascaede holds her injured skull.
"Wha' happmd?" she mutters.
Grah. Well, they all know we're in here now Waedin moves up to inspect Ascaede. That's a pretty bad one. Maybe we get you patched up before moving on.
Ustemir winces as the rocks descend. Once the dust settles, he walks over to Ascaede to look her over.
"Naaah, just some bruises. You'll be fine." he cleans up the wounds and applies some rubbing alcohol, then a herbal ointment to reduce swelling. "Right as rain. Tomorrow morning." he chuckles.
Sebastian seems to be searching for an umbrella against further gravitational shananagins....
Ascaede nods numbly, forcing a wan smile as Ustemir provides first aid.
”Waedin is correct in that it is eminently possible that somebody now knows somebody else is here. As a corollary, we now also know someone is most definitely invested in protecting this place, and that they have secret means of doing so.”
The acolyte pats her shaven head for good measure.
Ustemir sits Ascaede down and patches her up. I'm sure the rest of the crew gets increasingly nervous as the seconds add up to minutes passing while Ustemir treats her wounds, everyone acutely aware of the noise the trap set off.
There's a door leading out of this small room to the south, or else you can continue down the hall to the north.
Well, we know there's people here.... and they haven't come out... and they've set up traps... so Waedin cracks her knuckles and raises her shield. I think we got some ambushes comin' up. I'll go in first.
Ascaede gets to her feet.
"You know, there is the possibility that the trap is *not* intended as an alarm, but merely as a means of creating a food source..."
Ascaede waits for others to follow Waedin and then also follows along, taking care to be close to Sebastien's light source.
Stepnik watches the treatment of wounds to see if he could discern any new techniques to add to his already impressive skills.
He makes a note on his weathered pad as he turns to follow the others.
Weadin moves in to open the door, shield raised before her. The room is packed, though, and Stepnik and Kolek are hanging out in the hall.
Sebastien's light reveals another cramped room, this one featuring two wooden beds. One bed is littered with bird bones, the other one looks recently slept in.
Weadin hears something move beneath one of the beds.
OI! COME OUT OF THERE, UNDER THE BED! Waedin stomps into the room to make way for more to come in.
As Weadin stomps into the cramped bedroom, a black-scaled kobold jumps out from beneath a bed and shouts "Aha!" while brandishing a shortsword and daggers. However, it notices it is easily surrounded, and hesitates.
Waedin drops her shield and tries to grapple the kobold with her free hand.
With interest, Ustemir watches Waedin wrestle the kobold. "Subdue this one? Can we talk to it?"
◆ Ready action to pull & throw a Glue Bomb (Tanglefoot bag) if the kobold manages to make a run for it.
◆◆ Strike - Bomb (Quick Bomber)
Glue Bomb
A glue bomb is a harmless explosive mechanism bursting with sticky substances. When you hit a creature with a glue bomb, that creature takes a status penalty to its Speeds for 1 minute. Many types of glue bomb also grant an item bonus on attack rolls.
On a critical hit, a creature in contact with a solid surface becomes stuck to the surface and immobilized for 1 round, and a creature flying via wings has its wings tangled, causing it to fall safely to the ground and become unable to Fly again for 1 round. Glue bombs are not effective when used on a creature that is in water.
The target can end any effects by Escaping or spending a total of 3 Interact actions to carefully remove the sticky substances. These Interact actions don't have to be consecutive, and other creatures can provide the actions as well.
Weadin grabs the kobold by its arm, as Sebastien pantomimes some wrestling moves. Stepnik gets ready to throw a tanglefoot bag if the kobold dares an attempt at escape. Ustemir and Asceade hold their actions, waiting to see how things play out.
The kobold does try to wrest free from Weadin's grasp.
Unsuccesful, it then tries to cut it's way out.
The kobold shouts out as it draws blood
"For King Merlokrep and the glory of the Truescales! Death to the intruders!"
Ascaede’s eyes boggle slightly as the nasty creature cuts her friend. She rushes at it, trying to wrestle it to the ground. She shouts back at it in the same language.
”Vaksh kor-ken vigh or’henvishk!”
Who is this kobold?!?
◆Stride ◆ Grapple ◆ Recall Knowledge
Ustemir sighs. "Alright. You picked this, little guy."
He draws his other blade, and goes for two slices.
+1 Shortsword +9 (Agile, Finesse, Versatile S), Damage 1d6+1 P
Main-gauche +8 (Agile, Disarm, Finesse, Parry, Versatile S), Damage 1d4+1 P
Asceade steps up and tries to double down on Weadin's hold, but can't catch a grip on the wily kobold. However, she speaks his draconic tongue! She thinks and thinks, and remembers kobold lookouts such as this one typically prefer stabbing in the back. She also recalls the Truescale are a local kobold tribe, but who were rumored to be driven from the area about a year ago.
Ustemir tries retaliating but has a hard time attacking from around a corner.
Grah... you... little... it's trying to kill!
The Bard then begins to pantomime wrestling strategies to Waedin!
Inspire Competence
The Bard also attempts to Inspire!
Sebastien continues to aid Waedin's efforts, and ends up inspiring the whole crew!
However, Waedin loses hold of the kobold, and misses twice with her hammer.
Stepnik moves into the room and gets the kobold in his view, then throws his sticky bomb.
The bomb splats against the far wall.
The kobold looks around and considers its options and chances of survival. It yaps back at Ascaede in Draconic "Catch me if you can, loser!", then dives between her legs.
Ascaede blocks the kobold from escaping, so it tries to cut through her instead.
It then jumps back onto the bed and throws a dagger at her in one swift motion.
The dagger lands at her feet.
Ustemir follows the kobold into the corner. As he does so, he shouts at Kolek "Sic!". When getting into position, he slices at the kobold with both blades.
Kolek runs through the room, sinking in his jaws and tasting kobold flesh.
Dang it! If I'm going to be an adventurer for the ages I've got to learn to take my time and do better.
Stepnik hears the sounds of combat and pain, and realizes that the fierce little dragonkin has probably breathed his last.
Oh well! Ascaede did warn him.
Ustemir whistles and rushes into the cramped bedroom, faithful Kolek right on his heels. The half-orc gives the kobold a taste of his own shortsword, while the you g bear absolutely mauls the reptilian creature, biting into it and shaking it fiercely, snapping it’s neck. The kobold hangs limply from Kolek’s jaws, life pouring out of its fatal wounds.
You’ve made quick work of the single kobold, but not without taking a couple of cuts. This one appears to be a lookout, meaning there must be more about.
On the kobold’s person you find: 4x daggers, a shortsword, 2x minor healing potions, thieve’s tools, leather armor.
Sitting atop one of the beds is a set of sterling artisan’s tools for masonry or stone carving, and a small sack containing 62sp and a small hexagonal garnet.
Sebastian appears suspicious of forthcoming barrage of angry kobolds....
Not to make assumptions or anything... but I don't think this lookout was much of a stone carver. Weaedin grunts. Hey can someone do some healing on me?
"Here".
Stepnik hands Waedin Elixer of life.
EofL
Ustemir pats Kolek when he stops tearing into the kobold. "That's enough, pal."
He pulls out his bandages, and points at the bed. "Sit down? I'll try to take a look."
When she sits down, looks her over.
"Not much I can do about that. Here." he offers a healing elixir instead.
Ascaede also takes a seat.
”I may have need of one of the kobold’s healing draughts…”
Ustemir takes ten minutes to patch Weadin up, but she still feels the sting of the kobold's blade.
Asceade drinks one of the kobold's potions.
There's a hallway leading north.
The halfling begins to flex. No one is impressed.
"You guys, uh, need me to grab something?" Ustemir looks puzzed. "And Sébastien... Nice guns." he pats the halfling.
You got all the rest of the loot. I'm full up. Waedin grunts.
After recuperating from the skirmish with the kobold lookout, the group heads back into the narrow hallway and moves north. There, Ustemir comes to an intersection with a short but wide hallway, choked with debris and years' worth of cluttered leaves. Immediately to his left (west) is a set of double doors hanging slightly ajar. To his right at the far end (east) another set of double doors hangs open, and the last vestiges of light from outside creep in as the sun sets and night falls.
The narrow hallway continues north and turns a corner. Emerging from around that corner, stalking, snarling, growling, is a wolf!
(perception)
(perception)
(perception)
(perception)
(perception)
(perception)
(stealth)
Sebastian places a scented handkerchief over his nose and mouth as they venture forth through the filth, filth, filth of the foliage grounds.
Someone get this place a weed Wacker.
At the sight of the snarling wolf, the Bard begins orating about the cost of pelts these days!
The halfling then flings some broken pottery at it!
Ustemir pats Kolek and points to the wolf. "Sic, boy."
With a roar, the bear charges into the hallway, as Ustemir reaches for both of his weapons.
Kolek offers a bear claw to the wolf. Two apex predators. Duking it out in this dilapidated complex, about to be retaken by nature. Suddenly, a vase.
Ascaede moveds past Ustemir and heads to the eastern pair of doors. She pushes the northern door of the pair fully open allowing her to see the courtyard.
◆ Move ◆ Move ◆ Interact (open door)
"There's a door over there, on the northern edge of the courtyard that may lead to where this wolf is coming from..."
Waedin stomps up and raises her shield next to AScaede, Hey maybe ya can get Kolek to back up so we can all hit it?
As Ascaede opens the doors to the courtyard, she sees a second wolf waiting outside.