The council of Dragons

[Killsauce]

You are all in the bustling port city of Oceansgate. Oceansgate sits on a white sand beach on the middle of a large natural harbor. Many ships from various parts of the world come to this city to trade in their various wears. This is also the location of the Order of the Eastern Rose, a large and influential group of arcane magicians who have set up a college(Halls of the Eastern Rose) here for the study of the arcane. Next to the college is the Library of Boccob(dedicated to him due to his love of knowledge). The library is massive, one of the largest in the world and has a special wing that functions as a temple to the deity, where only ordained members of his priesthood are allowed to go. Also in this city is a group known simply as the Black Skulls. Black Skulls bear only one identifying mark, a black silhouetted skull on the back of there neck, which they often cover with there hair. They are a guild of thieves, some of the finest in the world and are notorious for recruiting new members from the sailors and drifters who wind up in this town.

Currently it is getting late and many of the citizens are calling it a night and gathering at the local taverns to relax and catch a story or song from a traveling bard, before going home for the night. You have all stumbled, for your own reasons, into the "Drunken Dragon Inn and Tavern", a quaint little tavern with a sign displaying a dragon passed out on the ground with a cask of ale spilled nearby. The room is packed with all kinds of interesting characters of almost every race imaginable.

[Violet Octopus]

Zyasel Moonbrook

Zyasel closed the door of the Library of Boccob behind her, with the odd combination of concentration and imprecision that comes from being trance-deprived. It had been a long few days collating and transcribing her notes, cross-checking and updating the Library's records on the towns she had visited. The work wasn't unpleasant, but it got mentally fatiguing. At last it was done, and she decided to go somewhere to unwind.

After glancing through the window of the Drunken Dragon, she decided it looked cosmopolitan enough to be likely to stock her favourite. She entered, and once another patron had left, sat down in his seat.

I'll have an elven bark tea, if that's possible."

[Derjuin]

Amirla Wildanar

Amirla set down the book and let her head rest on the table. She'd spent the whole day looking for and attempting to read - to the best of her ability - books, scrolls, anything with more information than she had on the undead. The sun was already down, to her surprise - time for rest. As she went to leave, she saw another of the Library's visitors - from the looks of it, a priestess - walk out the door.

Walking through the city at a quick pace, Amirla spotted a homey-looking Inn: the Drunken Dragon. A patron had just left, but a familiar-looking elf sat in his place.

She waited for another spot at the bar to open, then quickly took the seat.

"A pint of ale would do me good."

[Parlity]

Ady Renci

Ady had dozed off in a nook in the library, dreaming amidst the books of old tales and legends. She hastily gets up and re shelves her book about local heroes of Oceansgate, patting herself down to check that her stiff limbs are functioning. She leaves the Library of Boccob on the heels of another library patron, takes in a big breath of the evening air and wanders through the city, aimlessly following the confident looking wild elf.

Inside the inn, Ady sees that there's no bard playing. She hesitantly approaches the innkeeper, "Will ye take an evening of singing for some of yer bread and stew?".

[Omegonthesane]

Ewan Brand's son

Somewhere in the corner was a gangly-looking bloke with a cloak over him and a crossbow on his lap, because - for some reason - the Drunken Dragon allowed people to keep weapons at their side. Ewan had to resist snorting at that custom in the first city tavern he went to, when Sairi's lot were still together and drank together; even then, as a youth hardly worthy to run messages from place to place, he had known the stories about adventurers who the whole economy revolved around. And now, his only chance was to become one, with the group rumbled and him on the run; there was plenty of demand for runners, but no one would hire a grown man to do a little boy's job, and it was no step at all from hardcore freelancer to adventurer.

He noticed a couple of elves passing through the doors, replacing regulars, a priest of some kind and a chick with a bow. Hot stuff, but elves were right up there with eunuchs as far as odds went, so no reason to bother. He wouldn't have gone to the bar, but his tankard was empty and he had nothing else to do today, so he put an arm through the weapon's shoulder strap and stepped up. Some coins fell into his hand on the way, and he slapped them on the bar at the first opportunity.
"Another pint of Kord's Finest, please!" Then he saw it... a girl, nearer his age, thought she could get her keep for a song. Cute. "And another for the singer!"

[Killsauce]

Ady, the inkeep is in a small room adjoining the tavern. He is a large orc, who is surprisingly well groomed and wearing very fine clothing. "Of course sir. Just let Snorri, the barkeep, know that you want the bardic special. If I know him, he's already filling your order."

A rough looking dwarf with an eye patch and a wiry, bristled, beard takes the order.

"Lets see, here's the tea. Two orders of Kord's finest." He looks through a large opening into the kitchen "Bread and stew!!". Then he turns back to the other elf. "What kind of ale would ye like. We have Kord's finest, Goblin guts(nasty stuff that, but the orcs like it), Smitty's Brew, and if your looking fer somthin' ta knock yer little elven boots off, we have some genuine Dwarven Firebeard.".

[Derjuin]

Amirla ponders the choices a moment, then places a few coins on the bar.

"I think I'll have some of Kord's Finest."

She turns to view the rest of the patrons, then spins back around when her ale is ready.

[Killsauce]

Just so everyone knows the price of Kord's finest is 6 copper pieces(being fairly high quality ale) per pint.

and the tea is 2 copper pieces

[Parlity]

"Thank you," Ady says to the finely dressed innkeeper. She sets her pack down near a wall and tunes her lute, plonking and strumming it badly.

When the gangly bloke with the crossbow next to her calls out for a drink for her, she nods and says in a clear, carrying voice, "Thank you kind sir, have you got a request for a song?"

[Violet Octopus]

While waiting for her tea to brew, Zyasel sees a rather striking wood elf sit a couple of chairs away. A few moments later, she notices a young woman talking with a rather respectable-looking orc. Zyasel is pleased when she pulls out her lute - it's been a long time since she heard any good music. Small-town minstrels tended to lack a certain finesse.

Her tea arrives. "Thankyou kindly."

Zyasel pays for the tea, and sighs audibly as se begins to drink it. I'll have to come here more often. She places the delicate cup back on its saucer. After a while, something about the elf sitting nearby strikes her as familiar, yet she can't place it. She turns to her.

"Excuse me, but have we met before?"

[Derjuin]

Amirla turns to the lady next to her, taking another sip of her ale before setting it down.

"Hmm? I recall seeing you at the Library of Boccob; perhaps that's where you saw me as well?"

[Violet Octopus]

Now that she thought about it, Zyasel did remember seeing the other elf in the library, looking at shelves devoted to arcana. Odd, she didn't look like a mage.

"Hmm, you're right, I think we must have seen each other in the library." She paused awkwardly, then smiled. "My name is Zyasel."

[Omegonthesane]

Well, she apparently appreciated the gift of Kord's finest, or else was ridiculously polite, which would be a first among bards who frequented the kind of tavern Ewan would ever go to. Well, a first in his experience, he wasn't exactly a widely gone traveller or anything. The barman took the money Ewan offered, one silver and two coppers, all stolen on the way to the bar; then he heard the singer ask if he had a song request. Hm. That was a toughie.
"Er, d'you know the Epic of Pun-Pun?" That was a great one he'd heard in his lord's tavern, as a little lad, detailing how a shapeshifting druid nearly usurped the gods themselves, in the days when the world was young and gods walked the earth alongside their creations.

[Derjuin]

"Pleasure to meet you, Zyasel. My name is Amirla."

She smiled back to Zyasel before finishing off her drink. She looked over her new acquaintance and thought for a moment.

"Do you live here, in this city? Or are you a traveler too?"

[Parlity]

Ady looks a little worried. "Hmm I may remember that one," she mumbles, strumming on her lute badly, she puts it down and starts singing.

"pun pun pun pun whoosh creeeeaaaaawk!!"

[Killsauce]

What the hell!!!! What kind of song is that? Anyhow, give me a perform check.

[Parlity]

Perform(singing) [roll0] mostly forgotten epic of pun-pun in auran with ad-libbed words.

[Killsauce]

((oh, right. Whoosh is an auran word, I forgot.lol))

[Violet Octopus]

"A pleasure to meet you too, Amirla."

Zyasel is distracted by the performance, which is unlike any musical tradition she's heard before. She decides to talk with the singer after she finishes,see what she can learn. She sips her tea again, and continues.

"Yes, I am a traveler, though not very widely. I visit towns and hamlets to learn information, which I then collate in one of our Libraries. I expect the Church will send me out again soon, though I don't know where."

[Derjuin]

"Interesting; I once protected my home and kin, but they no longer needed me...so here I am, a wanderer."

Amirla takes a quick look at the singer before looking back at Zyasel. She was singing in quite an odd language (if it was one at all), and decided she would talk to the girl after she was finished with her songs.

"Perhaps if we cross paths in the Library again, you can show me around it. I don't think I found what I needed last time..."

[Killsauce]

Ady, some of the guests begin setting coins on the stage to the tune of 5 gold and 3 silvers worth(though in various smaller denominations). One patron, however, doesn't seem to impressed. He's a small gnome(small even by their standards) and he appears to be quite old(again, even by gnomish standards). He waves his small pipe and yells "sing something in Common, what kind of language is that". Maybe it's best to to sing something everyone can enjoy.

However, before the gnomes request can be fulfilled, the loud merrymaking of the Tavern is broken with the loud sounding of long deep horn blasts. "It's the warning signal!" cries the barkeep "everyone evacuate the city!!".

[Omegonthesane]

Despite not being able to understand the language of the song Ewan hums along, remembering the tune well - though he's a little off key and definitely is no bard.

When the horns start blasting, he loads his crossbow and starts heading out with an itchy trigger finger, muttering his worry at the thought of what could require citywide evacuation.

[Parlity]

Ady bows and sweeps the coins off the table into her backpack, "Thank you, and for you kind sir I'll sing a lively ballad in Common," she says to the elderly gnome. As the horns blare and the barkeeper shouts, Ady looks around.

"What's the warning signal?" Ady tries to remember what the warning signal is for as she puts on her backpack and picks up her lute.

Bardic Knowledge roll [roll0]

[Derjuin]

Amirla nods, appreciating the old gnome's request for a more understandable song. Her request for another ale is interrupted by a loud horn, to which she stands up hurriedly with the rest of the patrons. She follows the barkeep a few steps and shouts to him.

"What's the alarm? What's going on?!"

[Violet Octopus]

Zyasel opens her mouth to reply, when some kind of horn sounds, and the barkeep tells everyone to evacuate. One hand grasps the hilt of her sword, the other pats her chest to make sure her holy symbol is still there. She moves towards the door to take a look outside.

[Killsauce]

sorry, failure on the bardic knowledge. All you know as a bard, is that the horns must be frickin huge to produce a sound like that. You also are pretty sure the horns involve emergencies of some kind, and this is probably one.

Everyone who is asking around about the signal gets something to the tune of "They're the massive horns that were installed to signal invasions and such." Nobody has ever seen an actual evacuation in their lifetime and there is some chaos about finding the evacuation route. As you enter the street(whether or not you wanted to) you see the entire population of the city moving to the large gates on the landward side. It seems that the trouble is coming from the sea.

Ewan, give me a knowledge streetwise if you have it.

[Omegonthesane]

((No ranks in it but Knowledge (local) is a class skill and my Int mod is +2. I'm guessing this isn't DC 10 knowledge, but just in case: [roll0]))

[Killsauce]

dang, failure. Sorry.

[Violet Octopus]

Zyasel moves swiftly back to the Library of Boccob. She is worried not all the elder sages have made it to safety, and perhaps someone there knows what's happening.

[OOC: I'm trained in knowledge (local), if you'd like me to make a check]

[Killsauce]

Sure thing violet. Also as you approach the library an orc in clerical robes stops you.

"Here" He says "Take this and get as far from here as possible. There is a statue near the center of town. At it's base is a sewer grate. Get in and follow the rats, they know the way."

With that he leaves. You realize that you are now holding a very large red spherical object. It appears to be some sort of egg, though what kind is unclear.

[Derjuin]

Amirla follows the horde of evacuees a short distance through the city, stopping at a statue to try to get a good look towards the seaside part of town to see what is approaching. She tries to use a part of the statue to elevate herself a bit above the crowds rushing past.

[Parlity]

Ady follows the crowd for a short distance. She notices the confident looking elf climbing onto a statue. She stops and asks, "Do you see anything? Those horns must be huge to make a sound like that."

[Violet Octopus]

[OOC: Knowledge (local) check: [roll0]]

Zyasel accepts the strange item from the other cleric, wraps it in her traveling cloak and puts it into her backpack.

She backtracks to the statue in the centre of town, and sees her new elven acquaintance climbing onto it. She hears the tavern singer ask what Amirla can see. I don't know why, but I feel I can trust these two, at least for now.

Zyasel waits for Amirla to reply, then tells them about the sewer grate. "Apparently we have to follow the rats, i know, I don't understand either."

[Parlity]

"Ady Renci, at your service," she says to the elf with the package.

I wonder if there's anything I know from history, Ady thinks to herself.

Know (history) check if you allow it [roll0]

[Derjuin]

[OOC: Forgot to make a spot check roll (that would be the appropriate one right?) and apparently it doesn't want me to roll via edit]


[roll0]

[Killsauce]

Failure on the knowledge local. Succes on the knowledge history reveals that the massive horns are built into watchtowers at the end of two long piers(by built in I mean that the towers ARE the horns). They have only been sounded two previous times, once when Orcs invaded and a second time when it looked like a nearby volcanoe was going to erupt and bury the town in ash(it was a false alarm).

As for the spot check you clearly see the piers and towers. Also, since your result was so damn high, you see heavily armored men LITTERALLY marching up from the waves(as if they didn't need to breath and walked across the ocean floor to get hear). The heavy plate armor is so complete that not a bit of flesh or scrap of cloth is showing(not even the faces). You watch in horror as they make short work of anyone who gets in there way. They march slowly and purposefully, almost as if under the influence of some distant puppet master, with no concern at all for the lives of even women and children. There are litterally thousands of them.

[Derjuin]

"I can see...men, maybe, in heavy armor - thousands of them. They're marching up from the shore and killing anything in their way."

Amirla jumps down from the statue and, after Zyasel explains, agrees to follow.

[Parlity]

She glances at the red sphere curiously and mumbles to herself, "I'd like to look at that. Where's that sewer grate?"

"Excuse me, kind sir," she calls out into the crowd to the fiendish guy with the crossbow who requested that epic of Pun Pun song that she could only remember the tune to and was forced to ad lib in the esoteric tongue of Auran, thus getting heckled by the elderly gnome.

"Would you help us look for a sewer grate? I'm much too weak to lift a filthy, slimy and disgusting sewer grate with my bare hands," she lies outrageously.

Spot [roll0]

[Omegonthesane]

Ewan got buffeted and pushed by the crowd, trying and failing to work out what was going on; truth be told, it was taking an inordinate amount of effort to make sure his crossbow didn't shoot accidentally. Somehow he got to the general area of the library, where the bard recognised him and gave a specific request. He didn't believe her exact statement for a moment, but a sewer grate meant a way out of here, and with the panic bells sounding that had to be important.
"Why's it always me?"

Spot check [roll0]

[Killsauce]

To find the grate in a packed crowd like this will require getting down on hands and knees, therefore I'm ruling it a search check to find it.

Also Derjuin, you're right about the editing thing. The forum won't let you roll dice and then edit, or roll dice as an edit. It's to prevent cheating(though I mostly just find it annoying that I can't edit when I jack up the code).

[Parlity]

"You looked like you wanted to come with us and were waiting for an invitation. Come on .. help .. look ...." Ady tries to search the ground in the middle of the crowd while keeping hold of her two whips, longsword, backpack, lute, and crossbow.

Search [roll0]

[Derjuin]

Amirla kneels down and searches with Ady, trying to avoid being stepped on or kicked by the evacuees.

"I only hope we find it in time..." She mumbles to herself.

(Search roll:)


[roll0]

[Omegonthesane]

Ewan got on his knees and searched the floor without question once he realised he couldn't hope to see such a little detail through the crowd... after taking a moment to unload his crossbow. No reason to risk it misfiring and killing someone, even in this confusion the authorities would probably find him if that happened.

Search [roll0]

[Killsauce]

wow, what aweful roles guys. Well that ten will do.

You find the entrance to the sewers, it's a rusted metal grate with hinges on one side. The other end is locked. Zyasel may wonder why she wasn't given a key.

[Omegonthesane]

((I have Thieves' Tools and not one rank in Open Lock. Do you mind if I either make an untrained check, or shift ranks from Escape Artist into Open Lock?))

[Violet Octopus]

Zyasel searches the grate for some kind of hidden mechanism or symbol.

[search: [roll0]]

[Parlity]

"Strange the cleric didn't give you a key. Could I see the red sphere?" Ady asks.

Search [roll0]
Bardic Knowledge [roll1]

[Killsauce]

Omegonethesane, you can shift your points. Also the search doesn't reveal a hidden catch, it does however reveal that the lock and the grate are fairly old and rusty. As for the bardic knowledge check, there is a rumor that this city's temple of Boccob has been in league with a secret council of dragons. Perhaps this is a dragon egg?

[Omegonthesane]

Ewan pulls out a pair of lockpicks, and gets to work cracking open the grate the non-destructive way, no matter how rusted it looks.
Open Lock [roll0]

[Killsauce]

The lock opens.

[Omegonthesane]

"All right everyone it's unlocked!" Having thus informed everyone who could hear him shouting, Ewan pockets the lock as a trophy, reloads his crossbow, then points it down and gestures urgently. "You did want to go down here right?"

[Killsauce]

Ewan, you can see a large sewer tunnel beneath you. It looks to be running north to south(the sea is on the western end of the city and the main gates are to the east). You can also just barely make out shadowy forms scurrying south. There's a lot of them.

[Derjuin]

Amirla follows Ewan down into the sewer, noting the direction the things in the sewer are running. She motions quickly to Ady and Zyasel.

"Everyone in, before those creatures are upon us!"

[Parlity]

Ady follows Amirla, gripping the edge of the sewer grate carefully before dropping down into the sewer.

Jump check [roll0]

"It's dark down here." She fumbles in her backpack trying to find a torch and flint and steel. "Would you help me out? I can't see as well as an elf."

[Killsauce]

When you guys get into the sewer you realize that the creatures are rats.

[Violet Octopus]

Zyasel climbs into the sewer behind the others, and carefully closes the grate. She hears Ady ask for help, and rummages in her own bag for a torch, flint and steel. Seeing the rats approaching, she says,

"Oh good, hopefully he literally meant 'follow the rats'. Is there an idiom I'm unaware of?"

[Derjuin]

"We should probably get away from that entrance, in case something tries to follow us down."

Amirla begins heading down the sewer, following the rats, but not running off completely, waiting for her comrades to follow before continuing.

[Parlity]

"Thank you," Ady takes the torch from Zyasel and heads off after Amirla.

[Omegonthesane]

Ewan notices that everyone is going in the same direction as the rats, and decides he might as well stick with the party - it's not like he knows these sewers well enough to do better. Still, if there's a specific reason it would be nice to know.
"Why are we chasin' the rats?"

[Parlity]

"That elf went to the Library and an orc in clerical robes gave her a red sphere to take far from here, and said to follow the rats in this sewer. I'm Ady by the way."

[Killsauce]

As you follow the rats down the sewer they seem to be an endless collumn marching from end to end. About 40 feet ahead of you their is an opening in the wall to the right. All of the rats go through it.

[Killsauce]

The following is only for Omegonthesane(anyone can read it but it's only CHARACTER knowledge for Ewan Brand's son)


I rolled spot checks for everyone and only yours was high enough to notice that there's something not quite right about the rats. It seems like the same rats keep running by in exactly the same way(like a modern day recording on a loop).

[Parlity]

"What's your name?" she asks.

[Omegonthesane]

"Ewan." He points to the rats, more concerned with escape and worrying than womanising at this exact moment in time. "Look, it's like I'm seein' the same rats over and over..."

[Parlity]

"That's odd. If we turn right here, we'll be heading west."

(ooc: I'd like an intro so I can stop calling people man with crossbow, and that elf. I can't think of a good way to say it. That and you didn't post and we were waiting on you.)

[Omegonthesane]

(Sorry, I procrastinated. As for the intro, he just said he's called Ewan, so you don't need to call him man with crossbow anymore. :smallbiggrin:)

[Derjuin]

"I'm Amirla; should we continue following the rats?" She says, looking down the south tunnel, and then the hole the rats are running through.

[Killsauce]

Now that you have been made aware of the questionable nature of the rats anyone who wants to can give me a will save to disbelieve.

[Parlity]

Will save [roll0]

[Killsauce]

These are the most convincing rats you've ever seen. Ewan doesn't know what he's talking about.

[Violet Octopus]

Zyasel has been engrossed in her thoughts and only now realises the bard is trying to introduce herself.
Oh... I'm Zyasel. Um, it's nice to meet you, given the circumstances. She smiles awkwardly, embarrassed.

[OOC: Will save to disbelieve rats: [roll0]]

[Killsauce]

You also fail to disbelieve.

[Parlity]

Ady smiles back cheerfully as she looks up at Zyasel. "Nice to meet you Zyasel. Sorry to distract you from these little guys." She pokes a running rat with her finger carefully.

"These rats feel real to me, but the tunnel will take us back to the coast. I suggest following the rats and seeing if there's a turn off or secret tunnel, else why'd the cleric tell you to follow the rats? I'd be happy to leave this smelly, slimy, dirty sewer too. We can stick together in the crowd and get the sphere to safety that way."

[Derjuin]

((Will save to disbelieve: [roll0]))

[Killsauce]

Amirla successfully disbelieves. The rats are clearly not real. She still sees them though. Also, Parlity, I'm afraid you spoke to soon. The rats actually do not effect the sense of touch, your finger goes right through. So let's just assume that Zyasel didn't say that bit about them feeling real.

[Omegonthesane]

"Well, if they're an illusion. it explains why we were just told to follow a bunch o' rodents rather than given real directions. Let's get moving."

[Derjuin]

Amirla motions for Zyasel and Ady to go before her, studying the rats for a short time before bringing up the rear. She noticed what Ewan had said about the rats.

"Did the orc give you the name of what destination we're after?" She says to Zyasel.

[Parlity]

Ady goes into the opening, wiping her finger that touched the filthy and disgusting bottom of the sewer tunnel on the cuffs of her explorer's pants. "Those rats looked real but I couldn't feel them. Odd way to guide someone," she remarks.

[Killsauce]

Ok, Ady and Zyasel, I made Spellcraft checks for you in secret here are the results.


What you both know is that it's the spell Silent image.

What only Ady knows(26 was your result Holy Spell components batman!)

The spell has been modified with permanence and a trigger of some kind. Presumably it's for use in emergencies.

[Parlity]

Glancing around, Ady says, "I recognize this spell, it's an illusion called Silent Image, modified with permanence and a trigger."

[Parlity]

(ooc: has everyone lost interest?)

[Omegonthesane]

((Still here but I'm at a conference so I actually do have something better to do most of the day, and limited web access besides))

[Derjuin]

(OOC: Sorry, I'm here as well, just busy from classes starting back up and moving)

[Killsauce]

Alright, I'm glad your still with me. To refresh your memory.

"As you follow the rats down the sewer they seem to be an endless column marching from end to end. About 40 feet ahead of you their is an opening in the wall to the right. All of the rats go through it."

[Parlity]

(ooc: :smallwink: glad to see you're here)

Ady heads into the opening.

[Violet Octopus]

(ooc: still here as well, Zyasel's just being a little quiet and awkward)

Zyasel follows Ady through the opening.

[Killsauce]

As you guys round the corner you see a long hallway filled with cobwebs. You hear the muffled sound of someone's voice in the distance. They sound like they are struggling.


btw, for anyone who may be in the rise of darkness game that I am also in, NO I did not steal this idea. I had already planned on doing this when I started this adventure, the similarities are an odd coincidence.:smallbiggrin:

[Derjuin]

Amirla follows the others through the opening, making sure nothing is following them. When she hears the muffled sound, she draws her longsword, looking back through the hole and then down the new hallway.

((Attempting to see what is making the sound, if it's not too far away.))

[roll0]

[Killsauce]

Amirla strains to see, but alas, the darkness is too much beyond the reach of the torches(you guys did light torches right?).

[Parlity]

(ooc: Yes, Ady is carrying a lit torch.)

Ady listens, trying to make out what is going on.

Listen check [roll0]

[Killsauce]

It sounds like "help!! Can anybody hear me?" and that sort of thing.

[Parlity]

"Someone's crying out help, can anyone hear me!"

Unless one of the group says something, Ady walks quickly down the cobwebbed hallway.

[Derjuin]

((How wide is this corridor we're in? If it's enough for one only, I'll follow Ady, if it's wide enough for two I'll go by her side.))

[Killsauce]

enough for two.

[Omegonthesane]

"Why is it never simple..." Ewan loads his crossbow, if it isn't loaded already, and follows after Ady and Amirla, hiding behind the bard for now as the passage isn't that wide. This is still apparently the only way out, after all.

[Killsauce]

As you travel through the corridor you come to a four way crossroads. The rats appear to turn left here. The webs are getting thicker by the second and now you are constantly pulling them off of you. Spot checks btw.

[Derjuin]

[roll0]

Spot check roll

[Parlity]

Spot: [roll0]

[Omegonthesane]

((Wouldn't it have been slightly faster for you to roll all relevant Spot checks in secret? :D))
Spot [roll0]

[Killsauce]

true enough. I'll post the results tomorrow, I'm about to go to bed.

[Violet Octopus]

[Spot: [roll0]]
Zyasel draws her longsword, and walks beside Ewan. Her other hand fumbles for her holy symbol, making sure it's still there and hanging freely.

[Killsauce]

Everyone is taken by surprise when two spiders the size of German Shepherds drop from the ceiling and attack Ewan and Amirla.

The first spider makes a serious miscalculation and bonks his head against Ewan's before tumbling to the ground and landing on his back at Ewan's feet.(confirmed fumble, get your AoO).

The second spider attempts to bit Amirla but gets a mouthful of studded leather armor instead. It lands on it's feet ready to fight. Stand by for initiative.

[Killsauce]

Initiative.


Amirla[roll0]
Ady[roll1]
Zyasel[roll2]
Ewan[roll3]
Spider1[roll4]
Spider2[roll5]


BTW, Ewan, Where do you get that +4 misc modifier to init? I don't see improved initiative as one of your feats.

Ewan will get his free attack(which will count as a sneak attack:smallbiggrin:) and then we will go in initiative order. Spider1 is the one that epically failed, spider 2 is the one that is ready for action.

Just post your intended actions and I will sort them out.

[Killsauce]

Correction. I just read that ties in combat are actually hits, therefore Spider 2 did hit Ady. She sustains a single point of damage. Soon, however, the venom sets in. Her frail immune system is no match for it and she begins to feel her strength leaving her(2 points of STR damage).

[Derjuin]

Amirla grunts as the spider's fangs graze her skin, and again as her arms feel suddenly a little heavier. She lunges at the spider that bit her and swings her longsword straight down at it.

[roll0]

(OOC: I assume when you said Ady you meant Amirla, right? Or shall I redo my action?)

[Parlity]

(ooc: I took improved initiative for Ady and didn't mark it. Her modifier should be +6, +2 from dexterity, +4 from the feat.)

Ady draws her longsword and slashes at the spider next to her.

[roll0]

[Omegonthesane]

BTW, Ewan, Where do you get that +4 misc modifier to init? I don't see improved initiative as one of your feats.
((I probably had it as a feat before I'd finalised the build and forgot to remove it.))

Ewan reflexively puts a crossbow bolt in the spider that just fell at his feet, since there's a crossbow in his hands.
Attack roll [roll0] Normal damage [roll1] SA damage [roll2]

If that spider is not yet dead, he puts another bolt in it. If it is already dead, he turns and focuses his attention on the other spider. Either way:
Attack roll [roll3] Damage [roll4]

[Violet Octopus]

Zyasel attacks the spider next to her and Ewan, longsword flashing out.

[against spider 1. attack: [roll0], damage: [roll1]

Having seen Amirla get bitten, she calls out, "Amirla, do you report any unusual symptoms, tingling or numbness in the extremities?"

[Derjuin]

"My arm, it's feeling weaker and weaker." Amirla shouts over her shoulder, keeping an eye on the spiders' movements.

[Killsauce]

Ewan jumps at the opportunity presented to him and fires at the spider that landed on it's back. His bolt catches the creature in the narrow point between two body segments and splits it in have, spraying entrail all over his legs. Without wasting time he readies another bolt and shoots the other spider. The bolt goes right through and pins it to the wall were it twitches then goes limp.(seriously, killer rolls.:smalleek:). The rest of the party just watch as Ewan makes short work of them.

XP awarded:
Ewan:200 for single handedly wiping them out
Amirla(not Ady, my mistake):100 for generously taken the poison so the others didn't have to.

Recap: you are in a crossroads(well tunnels). The rats are going down the tunnel to the left, there are two dead spiders and a lot of webs in this room.

((OOC, sorry I was gone for a while, I fell terribly ill[I think it may have been swine flu]. But I'm better now))

[Parlity]

Ady sheaths her longsword and says, "Nice work Ewan." She listens for the cries for help, trying to figure out which way they are coming from.

Listen [roll0]

(ooc: Glad you're feeling better.)

[Violet Octopus]

"Indeed, that was remarkable."

Now that the immediate threat has passed, Zyasel pulls out her healing kit. Unwrapping a strip of alchemically coated paper, she asks if she can swab Amirla's arm.

"It will help me identify the poison"

As she says this, she starts grinding together the herbs.

[makes a Heal check, [roll0]]
[OOC: edit: Sorry, hope your saving throw is better.]

[Derjuin]

"Go ahead," Amirla says, extending her bitten arm. As she does so, she grunts, the wound still tender.

[roll0] ((Fortitude check))

"Excellent shots, Ewan. Now, which way ought we go?"

[Killsauce]

The sounds, though muffled, appear to be coming from the direction where the rats are running. Amirla manages to shrug off the poisons after effects. She'll be fine after a nights rest. As for identifying the poison, you simply know that it is spider venom though you are unable to ascertain more than that.

[Parlity]

"The cries for help are coming from the same passage as the silent image of rats."

Ady points at the left passage. "Down that way."

[Violet Octopus]

Zyasel picks up her longsword and follows Ady.

[Omegonthesane]

Ewan takes an exaggerated bow as the others compliment his shooting, then thinks back to why they came down this corridor. First to follow the rats, now the moaning.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get moving." He decides to hide behind Zyasel this time, given she looks tougher than Ady.

[Parlity]

Ady heads down the left passageway.

[Derjuin]

Amirla follows the group, sheathing her longsword and drawing her longbow and an arrow. She shifts her arm a bit, noticing that it's feeling just a tad bit better than before.

[Killsauce]

You guys head down the corridor and catch a spider the size of you still wrapping up it's victim who is crying out for help.

[Killsauce]

Initiative
Spider
Amirla[roll1]
Ewan[roll2]
Zyasel[roll]1d20_2
Ady[roll3]

[Killsauce]

Zyasel[roll0]
Guy in coccoon[roll1]

[Derjuin]

Not taking the chance of shooting with someone so close to the spider, Amirla draws her longsword again and moves closer to the group, the spider and the webbed victim.

[Parlity]

Ady draws her longsword and starts singing an inspiring song, "Squish, squish, squish the even larger spider!"

(+1 morale bonus to attack and damage)

[Omegonthesane]

Since the spider is off guard when he first reacts, Ewan reloads and attempts to put a crossbow bolt in its weak point for massive damage.
Spider is flat-footed until its turn starts.
Attack roll [roll0]
Normal damage [roll1] & Sneak Attack damage [roll2]

[Violet Octopus]

Zyasel draws her sword and approaches. She considers offering a prayer for Boccob to aid her allies, but upon Ady's burst into song, decides it will be redundant.