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Lumo looks back and his face looks startled. "The map! I nearly forgot. Typical Lumo, getting distracted at the first sign of something to smash. " After Lumo gets over the tree he pulls out his map, draws an ugly little box and writes: 'First room. Scary witch mural. Makes you sleepy. If you're weak.' Lumo chuckles to himself.
Remi is right. Danger could come from anywhere. I'm most concerned from underwater - there is no telling what dangers lurk just below the surface.
A great serpentine thing rises from the water like a fat tentacle and grabs at Conal!
Round 1! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Remmy
__ Slug thing!
__ Conal
__ Kahwen
__ Lumo
__ Kyra
__ Ree
Round 1! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Remmy
__ Slug thing!
__ Conal
__ Kahwen
__ Lumo
__ Kyra
__ Ree
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Lumo shouts an obscenity in Draconic as the slug erupts from the water. He is about to drop his prisoner, then realizes he will drown. Lumo sighs then wades over to the hallways where he drops the prisoner and the torch.
Then, he moves closer to the leech and draws his greatsword. "Remmy, leeches still bleed when cut, yes? "
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"Eeew! Why couldn't it have been a shark or crocodile or vampire?" Kahwen declares when he sees the size of the bloodsucker they are facing. He racks his brain to try to remember anything about the creatures.
But he has nothing else to contribute. Except his sword.
He slogs through the water and takes a swing at the slug like creature.
Round 1ish! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Giant leech
__ Conal
__ Kahwen
__ Lumo
__ Kyra
__ Ree
__ Remmy
The thing's wet rubbery hide resists all blades!
Round 1ish! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Giant leech
__ Conal
__ Kahwen
__ Lumo
__ Kyra
__ Ree
__ Remmy
And then suddenly the leech is dead.
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Remmy pants for a bit, then licks his claws and begins to mutter...
Blood is rather foul tasting... Normally would need to de-vein, but the size may make that choice less than ideal. Salting could make a interesting jerky...
As he mutters, the little rat starts hacking at the giant leech with his claws, ripping and tearing at the dead body and pulling out hunks of flesh, and eventually ripping out strips of teeth from the beast.
Dripping with the blood of the leech, he puts the teeth into one pouch, and some of the hunks of flesh in another lined with wax covered paper of some sort.
W-w-we'll eat well tonight I think! I know just the s-s-spices we can use...
He then turns to start exploring the tree, as if nothing he had done was unusual in the least.
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Lumo stops. His jaw drops to the floor. " Remmy... are you feeling ok? " Once he ensures that Remmy hasn't been possessed by the witch, he picks up his prisoner and torch then climbs over the tree. After marking the witch on his map, he adds another box. This time he notes, 'Dire Leaches-Weak to claws and bites.' He takes a look around at the room while he helps others climb over the tree.
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Kahwen's first swing misses and he is getting ready to take another when Remmy slaughters the leech, first figuratively, then literally.
He can only gape in amazement. Slowly, he bows to the little rodent man, his beak almost touching the water.
He makes no more comment but turns to continue scouting the room.
Well, that was terrifying. We should press on. The less time spent dwelling on what just happened the better...
Well, that was terrifying....
While passing the banyan tree, Lumo notes a soggy bit of leather caged amid the roots.
Beyond, up a couple of steps on the dry side of the room, is rotting iron bound door. A faint but building chant can be heard from some large echoing space beyond it. The chant is nonsense, or a name, or magic pronounced over and over Rajhan-Vol, Rajhan-Vol.
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Lumo, midway over the tree roots, stops. He reaches in and pulls out an old satchel. He reads the scroll slowly then holds it above his head. "Uh...You guys should read this. I think we might be in trouble. "
As someone else reads the scroll, he speaks to Kyra. "There may be undead in this tomb. Sarenrae hates them, right? Do you have any holy water? "
Tired of reading, he reaches into the satchel and pulls out some sandals. "Hmmm... not really my size. Remmy, are these magic? " He hands them off to Remmy or Kyra for analysis.
After the group talks he draws his Earthbreaker and mutters something. "Gorum curse those skeletons and their slippery ribcages. " Moving to the door, he pauses and does his best to write down the phrase in his notebook. In case we end up like the last expedition.
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Lumo offers the sandals to Conal and Kahwen. "Maybe these would work for one of you fast fellows. Not enough protection for me. "
With that, he sets down his captive against the wall and walks up to the door, listening. "Conal, I don't know who or what this Rai-jhon Vull would be either. Could be some nasty cultists. " He looks back at the group with a twinkle in his eye and his Earthbreaker in his hands. " But, want to find out? "
Exactly six seconds later, he opens the door and moves in the room.
I do not have any holy water, however I can use the light of Sarenrae to burn any undead. I don't know what they are chanting about, but in my experience interrupting the chanting is usually a better idea than letting them finish. Lets get in there.
Kyra will cast bless before we kick in the door to the room with the chanting.
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Kahwen, adventurous as he is, is wary about putting on unidentified magical objects (UMOs.) Besides, his feet aren't built quite right for sandals.
As they all gather around the door, he will take an opportunity to check it out for any signs of traps before Lumo lays his giant boot against it in a violent and forceful manner.
Kahwen checks the door for traps and nods the all clear.
The door flies open upon a large dark space.
This cathedral-like hall has a vaulted ceiling supported by eight square pillars. Dominating the middle of the hall is a huge mound of undulating gray-green flesh covered with weeping scarlet boils. The entire mass stinks of a weeks-old corpse. Writhing about the flesh is a cluster of emaciated, degenerate beings most are vaguely humanoid with dog-like muzzles and long tongues, but some are more canine than others almost completely adapted to moving on all fours. They sway almost like they are drugged before the great mass.
They don't seem to react to your entrance.
+++++++++
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After crashing through the door, Lumo stops almost immediately, not wanting to initiate violence. He takes a look at these particular creatures. Lumo is particularly interested in the quadropeds. " Must be some warped form of undead. "
He takes a few steps forward and whispers. "There's a lot of them. But I don't think we can slip past them. Any ideas? "
Kyra will advance just far enough into the room to get a look at the creatures.
After seeing them, she will move back and inform the party of what she knows.
Both of these creatures are types of ghouls- cannibalistic humans who were dragged back from death due to their foul practices in life. The four-legged ones are festrogs - they usually travel in back and bring down targets before killing them with their bloody maws. They are covered in necrotic boils that contain a foul disease. Perhaps we should draw their attention, then fight them in the previous room at the choke point.
One of the ghouls claws out a shuddering hunk of the green mass and begins to eat it messily. The rest (including the canine ones) continue chanting.
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Remmy nods.
Agreed, a c-chokepoint might be a g-good idea, we s-s-should...
He sighs as Lumo walks forward.
Walk right up to the raving undead m-madmen. Oh d-d-dear...
He quickly scampers in, dodging to the left to hide in the shadow of the pillar cast by Lumo's light as he walks forward. He pokes head out from behind as Lumo slides forward.
P-please don't die, it'd be very s-sad if you did Lumo.
He tucks his head back, returning to the shadow.
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...their DCs are both greater than 10...
Lumo, so incredibly stealthy in his jangling steel armor and enormous boots, stops at Remmy's voice. He chuckles softly. "Hurhurhur. Good point, little friend. " Lumo continues to shield his light and walks back to the room. "Kyra, you are as wise as you are deadly. I agree. If battle is unavoidable, let's take the high ground. "
He positions himself by the door, setting the torch down behind him. Then he swaps out his weapon for his greatsword, ready to slice the undead when they enter.
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Kahwen does not want to be in the room alone...even mostly alone, despite how effective Remmy has proven at cutting down opponents, the Tengu suspects the Ratfolk is only a little tougher than he is and he knows how easy it is for him to get knocked out.
Once he has stalked out of the chamber he looks around at the way everyone is arranged.
He cannot frown, because his mouth does not work that way but his feathery brow furrows in thought.
"Friend Lumo, you should stand where Friend Ree is standing. Then, Friend Conal, you should stand next to him, or behind him. Friend Remmy can take Friend Lumo's spot, or just back a little bit then, when the creatures come in he and I can take advantage of their distraction."
"Also...how will we get them to come in here?"
Once everyone is ready, Kyra will advance into the room. She will raise her holy symbol and channel the fire of Sarenrae to burn the undead.
I've left the marker where I channeled, but I will retreat back to the hallway after channeling.
Lumo readies himself for the onslaught, making room for Kyra to escape behind him.
Sounds good, though I may just stand back and channel. I should be able to hit all of them once they are bunched up in the corridor.
One other thing DM, I'll move light from my holy symbol to a sling bullet and drop that in the room before running back so we can see in there once I leave.
Kyra gets a bigger reaction than she thought. The entire mass of necrotic flesh seems to shrink slightly away from the cleric as she funnels the power of Sarenrae into the chamber
The chanting ends as all the creatures in the room react as if waking from a night terror. They begin screaming and clawing at one another in their fever dream. Then they turn their eyes all slowly focusing on the cleric in their midst.
The mass shudders and Kyra is buffeted by a wave of necromantic energy emanating from the disgusting heap of flesh! The energy seems to be bolstering the undead! Only one of the canine creatures takes the full effect of Kyra's metaphysical assault.
Round 1! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ The Party
__ The Ghouls Orange - 4hp, the rest -2 hp
By Sarenrae's holy light! What is that thing!?
Kyra will advance back down the hallway and draw her scimitar.
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Kahwen hears the inhuman, unholy cries in the next room, though he can't see the source. A few moments later, Kyra comes rushing into the chamber where he and his companions are gathered.
He takes a deep breath to center himself and draws his sword up over his head, his eyes going faintly out of focus as he concentrates only on his attack.
Then, he waits.