"Welcome back," Qadim-sul tells Fargrim. "Now what are we standing around for? There's doors standing invitingly open. Last one in is ape-bait!" Without waiting for a response, Qadim-sul ducks inside.
"HA! Not so fast," says Fargrim, trying to rush past Quadim-Sul.
"Hasn't anyone figured out that running ahead can get you killed. I'll take rear guard...or as it's been lately, clean up duty."
"And I will be right in front of you. For ease of cleaning."
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As you inch down the corridor, a sickeningly sweet stench assaults your senses, accompanied with a soft, ceaseless chanting. The floor of the corridor narrows into a slender pathway that arches over a fell laboratory of some sort. Broken into 3 tiers, each level of the chamber is home to a chaotic jumble of arcane experiments and the like. At the very base of the inverted ziggurat is a portal that glints softly in the gloom.
Rin looks panicky. "Don't inhale!" he whispers. "If this is anything like the other stuff the Zain kin used, it could have strange effects."
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There is nobody visible in here. The source of the chanting is from across the room, and might be moving.
Nature would be more relevant than Arcana (DC20):
Ok, the map:
White is the upper level, even with the hall you're coming in from. There is a narrow arch spanning the distance to the far platform. The far end curves around widdershins to stairs leading down to the next tier (green). The green tier passes under the white in rows 7-10 and curves around to stairs down to the next tier (yellow). The yellow tier passes under the white in rows 11-18, except where the portal (pink) shines. I went ahead and shaded the part of the arch over the portal. Basically you have to cross the arch to walk down the levels. Levels are 10' apart if you choose a more direct route. The arch is 5' across, so poses no obvious threat . . .
The entire area -- walls, floors, and ceilings -- is hopelessly cluttered. Rin could lose himself for a lifetime (not a hint).
Rin mentally curses himself as some useful hint lurks just out of reach ...
Lafiel squints her eyes, trying to find anything of interest.
Perception check (1d20+5=12)
"We should check the room and the portal." Lafiel says, then (if no one objects) drops stealthily to the green level, still looking around for anything interesting.
Stealth check (1d20+9=23)
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"We should check the room and the portal." Lafiel says, then (if no one objects) drops stealthily to the green level, still looking around for anything interesting.
Stealth check (1d20+9=23)
Qadim-sul draws his hand crossbow and moves out slightly onto the arch, here he can hopefully cover Lafiel and anyone else descending into the room.
"Ye know. I think it'd be best if i were in front." He taps Quadim-Sul's shoulder.
Qadim-sul drops into a bow with a flourish. "By all means, Master Dwarf. 'Tis your funeral," he adds with a grin.
"Something is watching us", Lafiel whispers up to the rest of the group. "The chanting stopped as soon as I reached down, and now I can hear something giggling at us."
"T'would be cowardly of me to not protect my allies. I can provide you cover, so you may shoot whatever it is that may reign death upon us. Let me protect, it's my duty." Says the dwarf plainly, remembering the horror of what happened to those villagers.
"Something is watching us", Lafiel whispers up to the rest of the group. "The chanting stopped as soon as I reached down, and now I can hear something giggling at us."
Barshevy kneels down, sticks his head over the ledge and looks down at Lafiel.
"From where is the laughing coming from?" he whispers back.
"I think it's the far end of the room, but I can't be sure".
He looks back and addresses the group. "Should we call out a challenge? Should we retreat?"
"I suggest we move forward as a group." If the others agree, Drivish cautiously moves to G12, and barring any hindrance, will continue in 5 square increments.
"Gravity isn't our friend round these parts, is it."
Rin sounds slightly resigned at the rodent carpet emerges. "Somehow I think we don't want them surrounding us."
"Don't fight them on the arch. Bring them back here where we can all get at them."
Lafiel looks at the rats with disgust. Seeing her fallen companions lying helpless on the floor, she pays no attention to Drivish's call, and advances foward toward the rats.
Positioning Strike vs Will(1d20+10=25)
Damage + Sneak Attack (1d4+4=7, 2d8=9)
"What the..!!"
Fargrim falls off the edge, tries to grab the ledge..
..and fails.
"Duck. Going to fry them." A jet of flame emerges from Rin's orb.
Rin stays where he is, grateful to have the rats on the other side of the gap, but fishes for his rope to help his comrades up.
The falling globe crashes into Qadim-sul, knocking him down and off the edge. (1d20=7) Luckily, he manages to grab on to the side of the arch before he falls. (1d20=17) Qadim-sul watches in pity as Fargrim falls to the floor below.
Clinging to the arch, Qadim-sul hears Rin yell "Duck!" and so stays on the side until after his companions have fired their spells before climbing back up.
Drivish pulls out a hammer and throws it, already knowing the result. "You know these are going to be just like the tiny dragonlings we fought in the woods... Our weapons are not the best option."
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As Fargrim and Qadim-sul fall over the edge, Qadim-sul managing to cling on, Lafiel advances and manages to force the bulk of the rats down over the edge, as well as killing a number of them.
Rats save vs. falling (1d20=6)
Qadim-sul clambers back up (move action, still have two actions remaining).
However, all is not well with Fargrim. When he falls, he lands with a horrible squelch -- not his own body, but that of a transparent ooze he lands on. It cushions his fall, in a manner of speaking, but he starts to sink down into it and feels his flesh being eaten away.
The remaining rats, meanwhile, squeal loudly as the flesh is eaten away from their bones. Some of them manage to escape, and huddle, terrified and bloodied, on the yellow level.
"Pull him up! Fargrim, we're working on it."
Panicking, Rin tries to drag a rope from his pack to drop down to the dwarf (minor action?, if not, move action, passing to Drivish if possible as a minor), while at the same time, a bolt of ice shoots towards the cube.
Ray of Frost at cube (on hit is slowed until Rin's next turn), cold damage (1d20 3=23, 1d6 3=4)