Good to see we can part on amicable terms. You were a good team, all. :)
As for combat, I felt that sped the posting up since there were less choices to slow down the decision-making.
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I'm getting the impression that overall interest in this campaign is waning. How do you see this? I think we're all afraid of being the first one who wants to leave for fear of being killed off right before things get interesting, or being accused of killing the campaign. Problem is, it's been a year and we're only at the end of the started dungeon. Honestly, it's like this with every PbP game I've been in: everyone starts interested, then everything moves at a starfish's pace after a month or so.
Sioned attempts to withdraw and stitch places with Caleb so that he'll be able to attack.
Sioned tries her luck again against a rat.
I'm tempted to shout out their leader's dead, Sioned thinks regarding the guards, but they could run and tell someone else.
Sioned moves to a rat and takes a swing at whichever one is the most injured.
Sioned goes down the ladder and moves to attack the nearest rat.
"I like that idea, though I suspect they will come to us on their own."
Sioned casts light on a nearby rock and tosses it to the center of the hallway. Shen then slinks back down to report. "There's a long hallway in the next room. It's filled with shredded cloth and reeks of animal waste, so I don't think there's any cultists there. More practically, it's the only place we haven't been."
There is one way out of this room that no one has ventured through yet. An only iron ladder that leads down a hole, surrounded by shredded cloth. It radiates no evil, but does have a foul stench.
"I'll scout ahead into the unexplored room, I'm a lot better at that than swimming." Perhaps I'll even get credit for that accomplishment Sioned thought, before quickly focusing on her task.
Caliban will leave the bodies as he found them, instead opting for the jerky, dropping it into the underground river.The dried meat doesn't seem to make much of an impression with the underwater beasts. It disappears under the water and Caliban does not see any signs of the creatures from the rock. "That was an unfortunate waste of potential rations. Back to the upper level, then, Caliban." At that, Sioned goes to drag down one of the corpses.
"Hoepfully, whatever tried to eat me will find dried meat just as palatable. Otherwise, you and I will have to drag down something more like their last attempted meal."
"Do we have anything edible to distract them while we check out that door on the other side?" "There's plenty of meat here: the stored jerky, the butchered bits near where we took out the cult leader, and especially all those dead bodies we left behind."
Thank you, Suryani, Sioned mumbles, before calling on Arshea's grace to heal herself. [dice=cure light wounds]1d8+2[/dice] Thank you, Arshea, for letting me live and learn from my mistake.
Her mind focused purely on survival, Sioned swims to the shore.
Sioned immediately struggles again, this time with divine aid.
Yeah, I noticed interrupted services too.
Sensing that she can't swim, Sioned tries to struggle free.
Arshea, please don't let me let me die like this... Sioned attempts to swim to the shore.
Knowing her initial plan isn't working, Sioned opts to swim back.
Sioned ritually caresses her cheek, slightly blessing herself.
Wanting to be useful, Sioned quickly climbs down after Suryani. Sioned then pulls out her long length of rope and ties it to herself. "I'm going to swim to the other side. Pull me back if I give two sharp yanks or if you see me in trouble." Sioned then hands the other end of the rope to Suryani, wades into the water, and swims for the other end.
Why didn't I think of that? Sioned pulls her rope out of her pack and hands it to Kloss. Why Kloss, I'm supposed to be the one coming up with ideas here. Based on what precedent? Now I just sound arrogant...
I'm here, but just waiting. Being decisive is so much easier when I don't have to worry about not being bossy.
5 Masterwork backpacks
"Hmm... The buckler is tempting, but that's about half our treasury just for one of us. Still, it's a possibility. My mind's on more mundane gear, however." "Suryani," Sioned says, turning to her, "Perhaps a healer's kit would help conserve your divine grace? If you can carry the extra weight, other healing tools may help that vital bit more. More than anything else, I think that everyone should get masterwork backpacks like what I have," Sioned says, patting hers for emphasis. "If nothing else, it means we'll be able to carry back more loot."
"I know that Nyserian was wealthy but nothing besides that." Sioned turns to Horgus and "innocently" says, "A man of means like yourself, however, can surely make up for my woeful ignorance."
"We found a human cultist of Baphomet, her race and religion making it very likely she came from the surface. That she had a note with instructions on her makes me think she had regular contact with the surface, and she'd have to have relatively easy access to the surface if that were possible."
"We can always come back for what's too heavy to take with us right now. For now, I'd recommending stashing what we're leaving behind for now in the lockbox. For our return trip, we should see if any of the companions we found can determine the value of our spoils."
We need to get back to the surface to see what remains and what help we might be able to render to the defenders of Kenabres. "That you speak of "what remains" is all the more reason to value everything we find. For today, however, we should prioritize out findings."
"Sioned, you think pulling back is our best option? I will admit, I am pretty spent after that ill-advised engagement with the teifling and heretic. Do you think there are still occupants somewhere in this warren?" Caliban asks, trying to make sense of the pile of things. "If we don't know for sure that there are still occupants then it's best to assume that there are. It's also best to be in our best forms in case there are any surprises." "It also may not be worth our time and effort to bring all of these things out, maybe we can lock them up for the residents of Neathholm and present them a key??" Caliban says, his obvious frustration with trying to determine the use of some of the furs. "I'd rather trade our spoils than give them away. For now, my advice is to take everything we can carry and come back tomorrow with thick sack we can pull along the ground. After completely clearing this place, we'll be returning to Neathholm one last time to properly supply ourselves before braving the surface."
"Sioned, have we covered all avenues in this complex? Are there other things we need to investigate?" Caliban says, trying to coalesce a pile of found items, and attempting to sort useful things out to a smaller pile. "There are still more rooms to investigate in this lair, but we should save those for tomorrow. For now, we strip only the rooms we cleared of valuables. My most immediate concern right now is figuring out a way to carry everything back."
On the southwestern slab, A masterwork dagger that’s been used as a cleaver is wedged in between the ribs of a butchered dire rat. Sioned pulls out the knife and leaves the room. It's at this point that she notices Caleb's new glowing sword. I suspect informing them of butcher scraps and a good knife would ruin the moment.
Sioned opens the door to the north and uncovers a small room. A stone pedestal holds a copper brazier aloft in the center of this room. Against the western wall, an enormous pile of animal furs and thick quilts serves as a bed. Sheathed weapons and stone carvings adorn the walls. The eastern half of the room holds a wooden desk, beneath which stands a long, thin iron lockbox.
I should've brought some sacks to put everything in. Thick sacks since we'll likely be dragging everything. Sioned goes south out of the room. "Everyone, I found a lockbox, a brazier, some weapons, and a lot of furs. We may want to use those furs to wrap some of the loot up to carry back. Sioned then checks the south room.
Sioned takes some deep breaths before addressing the group. "We got really lucky there. That was just one tiefling -- no offense meant, Kloss -- and a lot more of that tactic, tieflings with darkness are quite common. Imagine if there were two or three, ready to blot out all light one after another. We should really be willing to briefly withdraw if necessary, as well as scout first before charging in." "Speaking of scouting, I'm going to check the two adjecent rooms, starting with the one that woman came out of. I don't think there's anyone there but I'm going to be careful regardless. Assuming there's no more surprises, we carefully loot everyplace we've been to and head back to town for the day...or evening." At that, Sioned creeps into the north room to give it a look-over.
Sioned moves to flank and gives the woman another smack with the flail.
Thank you, Arshea. With a growl, Sioned charges at the woman and swings at her.
"Caliban, they're after you specifically! Everyone, this darkness is going to end soon!" Sioned continues to detect evil. Arshea, don't let us lose. We're so close to winning, and I want to know who saved me.
Now needing a guidance to her target, Sioned opts to detect evil.
Now who else needs to be kept alive? After that thought, Sioned goes to heal Caleb.
Sioned will heal Suryani.
Kloss is the only one who can fight them right now; better help him. Sioned runs to Kloss and lays a hand on him, murmuring a brief prayer. By Arshea's caress, be free of pain.
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