Kolaiah stands with her arms crossed, watching Simon intently as he works on the secret door. Her gaze is unwavering, assessing his every movement with sharp focus. The silence in the room is broken only by the soft tapping of her hoof against the floor as she waits, patient but clearly on edge.
She shifts slightly, ensuring she’s in a good position to react should anything go awry, but for now, she watches the thief’s methodical movements with a steady, watchful eye.
The dwarf smacks Kolaiah's leg. "Knock it off. Let him work with some peace."
as simon examines the secret door for a way to open it, you hear a loud, metal snapping sound! it comes from the tunnel to the southwest, and rebounds within the entry chamber you stand in. Moments later, you smell a sharp smell of ozone, as though a lightning bolt split the air not to far from you.
"So from what I have seen...." before Simon can explain, the smell of ozone fills the room.
"Action already, the explanation will have to wait".
Simon draws his crossbow and loads a bolt.
"That sounded ominous!"
She hold her staff, ready, pack hissing from her neck, staying away from her staff as it will soon be, maybe, be swung around violently
Power coalesces around Ceirn's hand and he says, "We should move forward cautiously."
The dwarf unhooks Gloryhewner from his weapon belt. "Time for fun."
The moment passes to several heartbeats, and on to seconds, and further to a full minute... but nothing comes out of the tunnel.
As you stand within the room, you begin to let out a slow, soft breath of held air but catch it once more. a very faint, hardly heard sound barely touches your ears. You strain your hearing to hear more, but all you can hear is
help me... help me
Simon grimaces, "I hear something, whether it's real or its a trap, I suppose is irrelevant. We need to look".
Simon, crossbow in hand, will stealth in the direction of the sound, for what it's worth. His body becomes encased in force armor resembling studded leather before he fades into the darkness ahead...
Kolaiah will likewise draw her weapon and move forward.
Gaelden nodded in appreciation of Simon's analysis. She was glad that the halfling had joined them, for he showed both caution and a kind soul. While the former was required to survive in their line of work, the latter was important in her eyes when it came to a companion. Silently she moved forward, alongside Kolaiah.
The tunnel itself is another 40 feet in length, before ending at a wall. Set against the wall rests a treasure chest, and before it, laying upon a blackened spot on the dark stone floor rests a robed figure...
you step down the hall, following Simon and his glowing torch. He approaches the end of the hall, pausing a moment and cocking his ear. He holds still for a moment and, pressing his body tight to the corner, thrusting his arm out into the hall.
a shallow voice, barely more than a breath above a whisper, you all hear help me... hellp-
Simon whispers to his companions "Hold a moment".
Simon pauses and slows down his breathing, staring at the figure to ascertain if this being is truly injured or if this is some sinister trap!
Simon frowns and looks back at his new companions, "It's a trick, I'd not recommend investigations close up.
Let's see what a well placed crossbow bolt does to our enticer".
Simon takes aim at the hooded figure with his crossbow and fires!
Heavy Corrosive Crossbow
Damage -
You watch as simon loads his crossbow, lean around the corner and the heavy twang of the crossbow firing fills the tunnel. A moment later a thud is heard... but no sound of pain.
several moments pass and you again hear help. help mee- help mee
"Yep. That sounds like a trap to me", Vondal sighs.
"We knew traps were going to be present" she lazily looks over to Simon, Pac also letting his gaze fall on him
"But what kind? I am now curious as to see what we will find disguising the jaws"
Kolaiah watches Simon with a raised brow, her arms crossed as the crossbow bolt strikes the figure and a heavy silence follows. Her hoof taps once against the stone floor in thought.
"A trick indeed," she mutters, her voice steady but laced with frustration. "We’ve known traps were bound to be here. But now, it’s a matter of deciding how far we’re willing to let the game go."
Her gaze narrows as she listens for the sound again, the faint cry of "help me" echoing through the tunnel. "Curiosity may have its rewards, but we need to keep our heads, and our weapons, sharp. We’ve already seen the cost of rushing in blind."
She pauses, stepping forward just slightly, hooves making no noise on the stone floor. "Still, there’s wisdom in waiting and watching. We need to make sure this isn’t just another game the dungeon plays with us."
Simon gives consideration to what this might be.
"Could be a Lamia, could be a Mimic, could be some sort of undead, maybe an evil illusionist? Lots of possibilities...
Let me try something else..."
Simon tries another tactic to get the "figure" to move.
"Damn... "
Nothing happens from down the hall...
Hellig waits patiently, trusting Simon to know his business.
Gaelden shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. Dealing with traps was nowhere near her abilities, so she had to trust the expert. She just hoped that the halfling would be alright...
"I am not sure what is up there, but we have to do something. If someone has a polearm, now is a good time to go and try and shift the figure so that we can see what is really happening." Ceirn says.
You cock your head, thinking heyyyyyyy.... im pretty damn sure that that is a mimic....
"OK, I'm not exactly sure how it's doing it, but that trap is being set by that chest. I think it is indeed a mimic.
Can we light it up with arrows and magic?"
"My magic is not really fitted for such a creature. If you want, i could simply go and strike it with my weapon?" she asks in a very monotone voice
Ceirn will walk forward and look at the chest. He glances back at Simon and shrugs as he lifts his hand and fires a blast at the chest.
Once Ceirn makes his attack, Vondal rounds the corner, Gloryhewner in hand.
Simon shrugs in response to Astrillith's question, "My thought process when exploring is to minimize opportunity for my allies to be injured. Mimic's are dangerous but not mobile, if we can eliminate it from afar, we preserve our health. However, if you wish to charge ahead and strike, that's certainly fine with me!"
He waves nonchalantly "Simon, was it? Do not mind my thoughts too much. I have been told they can be grim or even suicidal. Not that I would understand much of those topics. I simply speak my mind in certain events" she looks over to bothVondal and Ceirn "Though it seems I have been sidelined" the snake makes a strange motion that could be attributed as a sigh or what ever a companion did to show such emotion
"Sound tactics." Helig says, as he pulls out an oversized orcish bow and begins loosing arrows.
Ceirn steps around the corner and launches a soulbolt at the treasure chest.
The bolt smashes center mass, right where the keyhole on the front of the treasure chest is. A heavy thud sounds wetly within the long tunnel.
Hellig, a step behind ceirn, steps out into the tunnel and fires his bow twice in rapid succession. his first arrow strikes true, hitting the "box" once in the lid.
The lid flies open, hinging obscenely wide! A row of sharp fanged teeth run the perimeter of the opening, and a long grey tongue strikes out, similar to an attack from a frog! it lashes out, and smacks onto the body that lays still before it! With a solid heave, it pulls the body into its mouth and begins to chomp and chew loudly, the heavy wetness of blood and muscles being torn and striped from bone!
With an almost bored expression, Astrillith watches the unfolding 'combat'
"Go team." she 'cheers' almost with no emotion and with her deadpan face
Round 1
Vondal advances toward the mimic, hugging the wall to give the casters and archers room to fire. Seeing the remains of the poor victim in the mimic's mouth, the dwarf roars, "OH! You'll pay for that!"
Simon holds off as he only has so many bolts and doesn't want to waste them on defeating this particular foe.
Kolaiah charges the strange creature and attacks with her greatsword.
19-20/x2
With a final attack from kolaiah, the mimic dies with a shudder. The body of whomever it was hangs half in, half out of the gaping maw.
"Yey. Go team." she lifts her fist into the air before she meanders over to the defeated foe.