I'll bring some of the food to the horse.
"Can we continue on now or do we take the next week to nurse the horse?"
"I am certain you would look quite fetching in a nurse's hat," Praxim mutters with a chuckle as he moves to cover the top of the stairs with his bow.
Rhianni raises her eyebrows with surprise at Praxim's joke and chuckles under her breath, not sure how Markum would take it. He seems a man of few words and great action, but so far she hasn't detected a sense of humor in him. "Am I right, are we going down those little stairs next to the latrine, probably the servants stairs in times gone by." she asks to her companions.
Down the little stairs by the privy, I think.
The staircase descends four feet deep before making a 90-degree turn and descending another four feet, where it abruptly ends at a stone wall.
Praxim will try to decide if this is new construction, or perhaps a secret passage.
Taking 20 on Perception equals 24
Praxim points the outline of a secret door to the others and motions for people to ready themselves. He knocks an arrow and attempts to detect evil coming from the other side.
On Praxim's command Rhianni stays behind the strong adventurers and readies her crossbow as he tries to open the secret door.
Quinion will have both swords out and ready.
Once everybody is in position, Praxim indicates to Markum to open the door, and he readies an action to fire his bow at any movement he sees inside.
Let's see what's behind door number 1!
A large table surrounded by chairs fills much of this room. A slateboard to the north is covered with scribblings in chalk, but the map of Sandpoint that has been carefully inscribed on it leaves no doubt as to the purpose of this room - this is doubtless where the recent raid was planned.
This is a Praxim sort of thing. Markum steps aside so that his companion can study the room. He'll prepare to open the south eastern door.
Markum Perception
Vuvo Perception Scent, aid another
Do any of the scribblings give a clue as to the next steps planned?
"This is not good. It looks like another, larger attack is planned on Sandpoint, both from ground and below. I think we have some time, but we are going to need more information."
He turns to Markum, "So we're going to need a prisoner."
"I don't take goblins as prisoners. Someone else wants to, I'm ok with that, but it's not my prisoner nor my responsibility. If that prisoner runs, it becomes a runaway and is no longer a prisoner and I don't take goblin prisoners."
Rhianni's face contorts into a grimace at the thought of taking one of the vicious little creatures prisoner. "Really, do we have too, they just aren't very nice, all smelly and horrible. Maybe they will just run away and not bother us."
"I could care less about the little vermin, but the next thing we face that looks like it might have an idea of the larger picture, be it human or goblin...or whatever; we're going to need to take it alive and question it."
"You'll want a leader. The average goblin isn't going to know anything about plans like this. One good news, however, if their plan was to attack from top and bottom, we may have already spoiled those plans by exposing those catacombs beneath Sandpoint."
Through the southeast door you enter a hallway with a door at the opposite end. Continuing through this door, you come to an art gallery of sorts.
The lower four feet of the walls in this empty room are covered with crude drawings in mud, blood, and paint. Most of the drawings show goblins engaged in some sort of violence against humans, horses, and dogs. One picture on the north wall is at least three times the size and complexity of the other scrawlings. This image shows Thistletop from the side, the goblin stockade perched atop it like a crown. A cave has been drawn into the center of the image, and looming inside is what appears to be an immense, muscular goblin with snake-like eyes and a dogslicer in each taloned hand. If the scale compared to the rest of the drawing is be believed, this goblin must be at least thirty feet tall.
Quinion looks at the drawing, then shrugs, opening the other door in the room.
Two large stone doors sit in the western walls here, their faces carved with images of horrific, deformed monsters clawing their way out of pregnant women of all races.
"That looks rather ominous. Should we knock?" Markum chuckles at his own joke.
"Well it certainly dampens my enthusiasm for cleaning up the place and settling in once the goblins are evicted.."
Quinion looks at the door again, "Lamashtu, you think? In any case my preference would be to make sure there is nothing else around here before we face whatever may be behind those doors. I suggest we start with the door to the east"
"Definitely Lamashtu," Praxim growls.
Does it look like these doors were put into this complex, or that the fortress was built around older doors that already existed?
Jequine studies the picture of the large goblin with the snake eyes, to discern if it is a god, or who it might be and if the scale as depicted is accurate, before following the others into the next room.
Everything around you looks the same age.
Rhianni catches up and follows them towards the door in the east.
The floor of this cavern seems strangely polished and smooth. To the east, a thick curtain of vines hangs down over a wide opening overlooking the Varisian Gulf.
"We're not alone in hear." Whispers Markum. He and Vuvo quietly continue further into the cave.
Markum Stealth
Vuvo Stealth
Rhianni follows the other into the cavern, stopping briefly to look intently up the passageway to the left as she walks in and then into the cavern looking around for the creature.
Quinion nods as Markum moves in, and glides in stealthily as well
"Of course we're not," Praxim mutters, "we never are."
Praxim knocks an arrow and peers into the gloom, moving in.
As you creep further into the cavern, the creature reveals itself. It looks like a leathery, eyeless squid, with a body the size of a rain barrel. Its lower body splits into a tangle of tentacles. Two longer tentacles, one thick and muscular, and the other lithe and tipped with a long bone stinger, emerge from either side of the body.
Round 1
The monster whips its long, slender tentacle at Markum, cutting into his abdomen (8 dmg and make a Fort save).
Initiative:
Praxim slips forward, trying to get to a place out ofreach of the thing, and looses his arrow.
Attack: ; damage
Unsure of how far the tentacles can go, Quinion slides along the northern edge of the cavern, taking care not to expose himself to attack.
Markum Initiative
Fortitude
Markum and Vuvo rush in to flank the tentacled beast (it will get any aoo as I come in anyway) and gash at it's flesh.
Markum Scimitar: to hit w/flank
Markum Scimitar: damage
Vuvo Bite: to hit w/flank
Vuvo Bite: damage
I'm guessing it can't be tripped but...
Vuvo Bite: trip
Rhianni, staying at the back of the group, removes the crossbow from her back, placing a bolt in and firing at the creature.
Round 1
Quinion slies along the cavern wall towards the opening, taking care to avoid any attacks from the creature, but the tentacle-monster doesn't seem to notice him...nor does it pay attention to Praxim and Rhianni as they unleash their projectiles into its gloomy flesh.
Markum moves in close to attack, letting the monster pierce flesh again, this time around Markum's sternum (5 dmg + Fort save). Markum misses, but Vuvo is able to rip off one of the smaller tentacles.
Round 2
The creature lashes it's thicker tentacle at Markum, but it flails about him harmlessly.
Again moving carefully to avoid exposing himself to attack, Quinion approaches the creature and strikes
"Markum, can you get Vuvo to castle with me? I'll be a lot more effective in a flanking position."
Markum lets out a quick succession of barks and growls then Vuvo moves to let Quinion into position.
Markum Scimitar: to hit
Markum Scimitar: damage
Vuvo Bite: to hit
Vuvo Bite: damage
Almost forgot
Fort
Taking aim for the central mass of the thing, Praxim looses another arrow.
Attack: ; damage:
Praxim strikes true again, hitting the monster in the center of its body. It writhes in pain, ready to lash out again, but Rhianni hits it as well. The creature falls flat against the floor.
"Is it just my imagination, or are these things getting uglier the further we go?" Praxim asks.
Markum goes over to inspect the beast and searches the area.
Quinion shrugs, "After passing those doors, I expect appearance is going to be all downhill from here...and goblins aren't a great starting point."