As the drow's soft boots make haste through the cavern, the party follows in close pursuit.
Dagobert
Hawkseer (bloodied)
Vandis (bloodied, 2 temp hp)
Dannad
Galad (prone)
Dagobert considers rats and their ways and uses that knowledge to work out which route the drow will have taken.
Vandis picks up his heels and sets off in pursuit.
Galad listens closely for the sound of the drow's fleeing footsteps.
Hawkseer dodges around the corners, attempting to avoid any difficult obstacles.
Dagobert deduces that he's likely heading back up top now. The river is barred and the other stream is cut off by a culvert and a sodden corpse.
With the way shown, Vandis leads the way, arms pumping as he gives chase. He turns the corner to the slave pits just in time to see the drow begin to slip down the ladder.
Hawkseer follows closely behind, barely avoiding the trail of corpses in the previous room but he keeps Vandis in sight.
Dannad
Galad (prone)
Dagobert
Hawkseer (bloodied)
Vandis (bloodied, 2 temp hp)
Galad listens closely for the sound of the drow's fleeing footsteps.
[ooc]Perception: 1d20+10=18
Unable to add anything physical to the chase, Dagobert invokes Sune.
"Bring us a bit of light to see him, if you don't mind."
Dannad dodges around the running steps of the larger party members, trying to keep up without getting trampled upon.
Everyone finally reaches the slave pit. Galad hears the retreating drow's footsteps go up the earthen stairs to the Beggar King's lair, all sense of stealth abandoned.
Dannad forgoes the ladder, tumbling to the bottom of the pits by the river. Coming up a roll and avoiding his larger party members, he continues.
Dagobert offers up a prayer to no immediate effect.
Hawkseer (bloodied)
Vandis (bloodied, 2 temp hp)
Dannad
Galad
Dagobert
Hawkseer slows slightly, doing his best to get a view of the fleeing drow without being seen in turn.
Vandis and Hawkseer take the lead, reentering the demesne quietly but there seems to be no sign of the drow. Galad catches up shortly, however, and spots the drow cloaked in darkness in a nearby corner. His cover blown, the dark elf is at the mercy of the party.
Dagobert is no fan of unnecessary violence, but knows he doesn't have the skills needed to persuade the drow to surrender. He waits quietly.
"Surrender, elf. We spare the weak." Vandis says menacingly.
The elf refuses amnesty and after a minor scuffle, Vandis and Hawkseer dispatch the weakened drow, who goes down with a snarl on his face.
The rest of the party soon catches up and they find themselves once more standing in the Beggar King's bed chamber.
"A pity. He had the makings of a good ratcatcher," says Dagobert thoughtfully.
"Was he carrying anything useful?"
"Good thing his mates weren't so capable." The halfling thief comments as he examines the fallen dark elf.
Dagobert carefully checks Drazen's body, noticing the multitude of blades and knives secreted all about his person. Aside from his weaponry, the unarmored drow had little of value on him other than several viles of strong poison that, fortunately, he didn't have time to use during the fight.
"Tsk, tsk. Will you look at this? I'd better take care of these I think."
"Go ahead. I doubt you'd even use them on rats, though."
"Poison isn't a desirable option really. More of a last resort and only one you'd use in very specific circumstances where the layout of the lair is well-defined with good access points. What would happen in other situations is that you will end up with immune rats and this is very unpleasant indeed. Of course, once you reach that stage, there aren't too many options left. You really need to raze the building then."
Dannad looks at Dagobert as the dwarf takes the poison.
"Ah, but there are times when poisons can be applicable.... Though with rats I defer to your wisdom. Wonder what these'n were trying so hard to away with when we stumbled upon 'em...."
"Traps, more than likely. Or possibly other deterrents. We should look."
Dannad eyes a vial with some consideration as they make their way back to the boat, trying to dredge up memories from his training with the guild to identify the poison it contained.
Back at the boat, the party now has time to investigate the cargo. Carefully tied down are 3 chests and 2 coffers that are all very heavy to lift.
The 2 knolls and the fallen eladrin all lay still nearby and have not stirred since they fell.
Vandis searches the bodies.
Dagobert looks doubtfully at the chests.
"Vandis, old chap, could you help out when you've finished despoiling the dead?"
Then he considers the vial of poison. "Take it if you want to Dannad. I don't think it's much use to me."
"Shut up, dwarf."
"Much oblidged. Think I'll 'ave more options for usin' it if it comes to it."
The thief puts the vial into a pouch on his belt.
Searching the bodies reveals nothing of significance on their persons. The boat continues to rock against the outgoing current, though it remains tied securely to the rocks.
Dannad kneels beside the coffers and removes his roll of tools before setting to work on the coffers.
The chests are medium sized, one is unlocked but latched while the other 3 are securely locked. The coffers are smaller in size but are equally secured.
Dannad searches over everything but can find no sign of a trap anywhere.
After setting to work on the coffers and listening carefully, the halfling had extracted his tools after hearing the locks actuate and opened them before clambering about to get to the chests after only a cursory look at their contents.
"Oi, m' large an' quite intimidating companion, would you be so kind as to check this chest?" The halfling indicates the chest that's latched as he shifts away from it to one of the other chests, the pick he's holding with his lips muffling his words to near incomprehensibility.
Vandis smashes the latch with his sword.
Dagobert stands well back.