The Burning Plague

[Mellhurst]

Map of Eastern Cormyr (Forgotten Realms)
http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/9082/spass.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/23/spass.png/)

A sickness has come unto the simple mining community of Duvik's Pass... Now the livelihood of its people rests on a tainted well, blighted supplies, a tenous hold on law and order and their future beyond the plague relies on the mine in which some of the menfolk have gone missing, but none dear to tread.
The village guards lay flat on their beds or rise to the sky in the ever increasing funeral pyres, the mayor is barricaded in his home with his retinue, and banished outsiders scavenge the mountainsides for game like famished scarecrows impersonating packs of werewolves.
The situation is growing desperate.


It had been a long, tiresome climb, some of it along narrow trails to which rope ran along pitons fastened to the sides of the mountain for safety. The mission you had set out on promised hope, perhaps some resolution to the problems now below you. Father Samuel, lying on his deathbed had rambled on about 'the vile mystery of the hidden miners'. At the very least it was a rescue mission, a clear flame of altruism, treasure, or both, and in some ways it was safer than what you had left behind.
The idea had first been formed by the young ranger Desmond Blackstone, who had volounteered to investigate the mines in an attempt to rescue the missing workers. He had not been taken seriously due to his youth, and by that point the villagers had become fixated with the hope that the new well that they were digging would prove fruitful and untainted, or that clerics and doctors from the capital would arrive. Desmond had been ignored, even when to his surprise his younger sister Samantha Blackstone had spoken up in his support.
However just yesterday two outsiders had come into town, bearing a flag of truce on which engraved was the emblem of the purple dragon of Cormyr. The two men had introduced themselves as Jozan and Hoss, a fighter and cleric intent on rescueing Duvik's Pass whom had met with the Captain of the quarantine, so impressed with the gamble of their lives had he been he had offered them this token so they could approach the village unmolested.
While the offer of aid had subsided rage and elicited murmurs of appreciation the villagefolk had not known how their aid might rescue their home, until Desmond once again spoke up in favor of saving the miners. Knowing not what else to do and unwilling to spare supplies to the newcomers the leaders of the emergency village council, the mine's owner Mr. Doverspeak and the chief miner's wife, Arianna, had wished you the best of luck and offered you the services of a dwarven village guard, the barbarian Gumnar Rockburst, who had assented to the mission before the village folk could even blurt out threats to banish him too.

The next day you had finally been able to get away from the stench of filth and decay emanating from the cordoned homes to whom the meagerest of rations were delivered, the despair and bitterness in the eyes of those who had lost and were losing loved ones and the rising, barely contained anger and raw impulses that surged in those still strong enough to both fight and care for their survival. Worst of all perhaps were the panicked reactions to a stagger or cough or the handful of lynchings that had occured, one just yesterday after your meeting, as a man was accused of stealing bread from the untainted supplies to feed his own children. People avoided each other in the streets, never sure whom to trust, never sure whom to betray.

Rising above this you had travelled into the mist of the higher mountains, crossing one glacial valley then cresting the side of a peak, your boots beginning to touch the snow and the air growing thin, after one hour, two, three then four.
Finally a particularily ardous climb towards a mountain plateu had led you through a terminus of rocky crags to a clearing on the plateu's south side, opposite of a deep river valley to the north. At the end of the clearing your eyes set on the mine entrance that leads to the innards of the the rock you stand on.
Had you been urban city dwellers you would surely be fatigued. As it is the sun stands at the zenith. You are not tired yet but your strength could be salvaged by a couple of hours rest at the entrance, but who knows what dangers lurk on the mountainside at night.

To your front the rubble of the mines warns of conflict and the dark entrance whispers of its lost souls and riches and softly beckons you to your fate.

...
A cool breeze drifts from the towering heights of the Thunderpeak mountains, as you behold the entrance to the caverns. The frost-rimed ground is littered with the rubble of tools, picks and shovels, some of which protrude from soft banks of snow. A single darkened shafts leads into the depths of the mine ahead, to which the rays of sunlight strike only the first two steps, allowing but the dwarf to peer deeper in.
The dirth path beneath the mine's wooden support structure (10ft high) is covered with stone debris, a few pieces of which occasionally glint with the slightest hint of silver ore. Burnt-out torches are strewn across the floor, their brackets torn from the shaft walls. Behind you, the worn road leads back through the crags, peaks and narrow valleys to the village below. Aside from the quiet whistling of the wind through the crags, complete silence fills your shelter within the mountains.


Section 1 - Entrance

Ungridded Map
http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/2169/burningplagueplayermap1.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/690/burningplagueplayermap1.png/)

Gridded Map
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/2169/burningplagueplayermap1.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/209/burningplagueplayermap1.png/)
(Note: Yes, I just switched the grids around since A should obviously be closest to the party's starting position.)
Grid Coordinates: Designate A-1 for the top left hex of Grid A, designate A-5 for the middle hex of Grid A, and designate A-9 for the bottom right hex of Grid A.


Direction: Up is North
Map Scale: 5x5ft
Height of underground tiles: 10 ft as far as you can see.
Map Legend: Bottom tiles signify rubble, middle ground tiles signify empty hexes of the mine's interior within visual range, greyed out tiles signify hexes outside the range of clear visibility, brown lines outside the mine signify steep rocky inclines and inside of the mine signify rough and solid rock walls.

[Re'ozul]

Pulling himself up by the guard of his greatsword planted in front of his feet, Gumnar lloks at his 'companions'.

'Why am I plagued with these characters? Heres to hoping they will actually be useful for whatever we encounter.'

"So, we're here. Now, knowing you surface dwellers you'll either stumble around in there or make everything unnecessarily bright with your torches. So I say it'd be best that I go in front and you follow where you don't mess up my vision with your lights."

Looking longingly at the entrance and towards the darkness within the mines his thoughts once more turn to escape.

'Maybe if I'm far enough in front I can ditch these incompetents somewhere.'

[OMG PONIES]

The Blackstone Siblings

"Sure, you can go in front," a spry young woman chirps to the dwarf. "Since I'm sure your keen dwarven eyes can spot pressure plates, trip wires, pit traps, secret doors, and the like...correct?" The little spitfire doesn't wait for an answer before continuing. "We'll use torches and we'll proceed with caution. If you'd rather barrel headlong into the dark, you can stay at the back, away from our torches, though I'm none too thrilled at the prospect. You see, I was delivering supplies to Lieutenant Grimwald yesterday, and he told me that you were--"

"That'll do, Sam," a gruff voice calls out from the trees, and the girl is silenced immediately. A man strides forward, bow at his side with an arrow constantly knocked. While the girl is waifish, he is muscular. Instead of her porcelain skin and blond hair, his skin is tanned with sun and dirt while his hair is a dark auburn. In contrast to her verbosity, he seems to be a man of few words. Embarrassment crosses his face as his sister insults the dwarf, but all he can muster in response is a shrug and the words, "Sorry 'bout that. For what it's worth, she is one hell of a trap sniffer."

The girl opens her mouth to speak once more, but only gets out "But Desmond--" before her brother raises a hand to silence her. She sighs and whispers "...bourgeois," which causes a sharp glare from her brother. "No elven out of you," he scolds in his best parental voice, which only causes his sister to giggle at the man's lack of both vocabulary and authority over her. Even still, she obeys. "We're the Blackstones," he says with a slight bow, clearly uncomfortable with such genteel gestures. "I'm Desmond and this is my kid sister Samantha. I think our first question is whether we head in or make camp here. What do you say?"

[Hazzardevil]

Jozan and Hoss

Jozan and Hoss walk into the area in stark silence, with the occasional glare between the two.

Jozan then speaks
Dwarf, if you are so confident in walking down a tunnel of traps, be my guest, the rest of us will follow a good hundred feet behind on the off chance an army of devils jump out of the shadows and...

Hoss interrupts
No Jozan, you shall walk 10 ft behind the dwarf, while I stand behind you to make sure you do not run.

Jozan retorts.
Cleric, if you intend to die in a trap when your career has barely begun, be my guest. Do not end my life as well. I intend to at least reach retirement with my body and mind intact and a pile of gold so I can own a plot of land to live on.

The two continue to bicker while the rest of the party talks.

[Mellhurst]

Hoss: Round 4 Spot Check, DC 15
Hoss: 1d20 (17) + 3 - 5 (distracted) = 15

Leaving little space to the mine the mountain juts out on its left side, forcing the wooden supports propping up the entrance section to lean outwards, but a couple of steps from where the cleric stands.
Distracted by the conversation but observant by nature Hoss notices the closest supports appear to be chipped and torn, as if recently damaged, and stained with small flecks of dark red.

[Re'ozul]

Glaring at the little girl who fancies herself capable Gumnar adresses her loudly.

"Traps? You expect traps in there? Pah, what use would those contraptions truly have against me? Still, if you need to feel important for the sake of your brittle ego, be my guest, walk into a dwarfs domain. We'll see how much you truly can contribute soon enough."

He then turns to Desmond, completely ignoring Jozan's outburst.

"So, Blackstone eh? A fine name, wonder how yer family came to it. At least you seem to have a more restrained mouth on you than the little brat." Resting his arms on the guard of his greatsword, he adopts a more thoughtful expression. "If ya wanna rest then this is probably the best and worst place for now. If theres really someone watching the entrance, they'll find us and we then be fightin with our backs to the ravine so to speak. Better to move on in my mind. Maybe we'll find a place inside we can rest."

[Hazzardevil]

Jozan speaks.You talk too much and say very little, let's go.
He then starts pushing Hoss into the tunnel.

[OMG PONIES]

Desmond silences his sister before she can form a rebuttal. "Aye," he agrees with Jozan, "we move forward with Samantha quietly in the lead. Any problems with that?"

[Re'ozul]

Looking at the human Gumnar can't help but think that such a grand name as Blackstone is way too good for him. He draws his sword from the ground and rests the flat of the blade on his right shoulder, then adresses him.

"Suit yarself, if ya think the brat can keep 'er mouth shut, then by all means try ta be stealthy. I'll be right 'ere when she comes running back wailing about 'aving stubbed 'er toe or sometin' simlar."

[Hazzardevil]

Jozan stops pushing Hoss and both draw their weapons. (Reacting to the presence of the man coming in behind them) Jozan also stands besides Hoss so he is behind Samantha in the middle of the corridor.
The quickly hisses to Samantha.

Girl, stay behind me and Hoss, whatever that is, I don't like it. And it would not look good on whatever they decide to review when I go into the afterlife if you die before me.

[Mellhurst]

(Repost Accident (belongs 1 post up))

Desmond: Round 6 Spot Check, DC 15:
1d20 (18) + 6 - 5 (distracted) - 1 (range) = 18

Distracted by the conversation but observant by nature and trained to notice details Desmond's eye catches a series of chips and tears in the nearest supports, as if recently damaged, and stained with small flecks of dark red.

Hoss starts pushing Jozan into the mine, then deciding on a plan Samantha jogs up from their flank to take point at Desmond's orders as he struggles to catch up and Gumnar brings up the rear, though the dwarf can see a bit further than any of the humans. After a few steps the mine slopes downwards in a gentle, but noticeably incline. Thanks to the ambient daylight filtering in from the entrance of the shaft the forward party members can still make out the basic shapes of the tunnel they're descending into, which continues downwards, a smoothely worn corridor, rough but sturdy.
Farther down the corridor the party is no longer able to make out anything in the darkness, needing a source of illumination or for Gumnar to get closer.

http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/2169/burningplagueplayermap1.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/836/burningplagueplayermap1.png/)

Meanwhile at the outside of the mine a sixth person emerged from between the rocky crags, just in time to catch the last glimpse of a short, stocky adventurer descending into the Earth.

---

At the sight of the warrior approaching from behind the cleric and fighter quickly draw their weapons. It does not seem the man has spotted you yet in the darkness, but you recognize the man outside in the light to be the only healthy professional guardsman left in the village who didn't barricade himself in with the mayor.

Section 1, Entrance
http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/2169/burningplagueplayermap1.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/819/burningplagueplayermap1.png/)

[OMG PONIES]

Samantha waves away the protective words of the cleric and the paladin, consumed as she is by her task. "Yes, yes, whatever works," she says. "Just bring that torch a few feet forward."

Taking 20 on Search for a result of 29.

Desmond is a bit more on edge than his sister; he draws his bow and nocks an arrow. However, his arrow is pointing deeper into the shaft rather than at the new visitor. "Everyone grab a weapon and proceed with caution," he says (barely above a whisper). "There are chips and blood on the nearest supports; there may have recently been a battle here."

[Reikenbach]

All those faces. Moaning, crying, pleading with unseen visages of light and darkness. Those agonized, wretched faces of the dying haunted him still. Worse were those only early into the sickness; they saw clearly what would await them as the plague advanced. Unsurprising that a few had chosen to take the easy way out. For the rest, once Lord Sendars had recalled the remaining healthy guardsmen, they were left to fend for themselves against the elements, the plague, and their own desperate crimes. Most, once friends and neighbors, heeded their darker instincts and were now perfectly willing to descend into looting and violence once supplies started to run low. But that wasn't the worst part.

The worst part was that they couldn't. Half were maddened by the disease, retreating into their own minds rather than stay in the hell that was their own bodies; for the rest, they hardly had the energy and lucidity to consider such crimes, let alone enact them.

Enough of that. Klaus scrabbles up a rocky outcropping, easing himself down the five-foot drop on the other side. Given that the road is several yards away, it's likely the man was taking shorter route to the mine than the path provided. He's outfitted for an expedition, by the looks of it; rope coils and a few tins hang off the travel bag strapped to his back, knocking together like wind chimes.

Stepping into the clearing, he eyes up the mine entrance, the rubble. While not the most perceptive person, it's clear from Klaus's stance and expression that even he can sense the forlorn feeling radiating from the place. His hands find their way to the warmth of his underarms, the sunlight doing little more than bringing a glow to his frosted breath. No sign of them.

After a few moments' thought, Klaus starts off across the ice-crusted clearing, alone in the world but for the crunch of his boots and the odd, distant cry of some snowbound woodland creature.

"Hello?" he calls, listening to his voice echo against the canyon wall. "Is anyone there?" His steps come to a halt shortly before the looming archway of the mine entrance. Still shivering, Klaus squints into the darkness of the tunnel's mouth, quite obviously unable to see very deep down. "Huntsman? Dwarf?"

[Hazzardevil]

Jozan sheathes his falchion, but Hoss only lowers his.

Hoss shouts:
"Your one of the guards from the entrance aren't you?
Why are you here?

[OMG PONIES]

Samantha freezes in her spot and winces at the volume of the two gentlemen shouting. Her brother turns on his heel and lowers his bow for just long enough to hiss: "Kindly keep it down!" He raises his finger to his lips to silence the others, and the two Blackstone siblings move forward with great caution.

[Mellhurst]

Desmond draws his arms, warning the party to caution.

Klaus approaches the mouth of the mine, hailing some of the party members. The guardsman is in return questioned by the cleric Hoss as to the reason for his presence.
Some of the shouting echoes through the shaft, but thankfully your voices don't seem to carry very far, surrounded as you are by snow and earth.

With great care and caution Samantha painstakingly begins inspecting the darkening corridor. It strains her eyes for a bit given the lack of illumination, but thanks to her late-night study sessions it's nothing the youth can't handle.
Then, frustrated at the volume of her compatriots she cuts her task short after a cursory overview, and reasonably sure of the absence of any traps directly ahead she continues forward with her brother.

[Mellhurst]

Introducing yourselves to each other (sorry about this fast forward, need to recoordinate a bit, you may rp it of course) and eventually lighting one of Klaus' torches you catch up with the siblings further down the corridor.

The tunnel opens into a small, roughly rectangular chamber.
Scattered chunks of rich silver ore surround an overturned pair of wooden carts.
The lower half of what appears to be a human body juts out from beneath one of the cart’s edges. The body shows no signs of movement.
Dried blood is smeared across the northern wall in several places.
Peering across the edges of the room to the right and left you notice exits leading to a flimsy, wooden door to the west and a more roughly hewn passageway leading to the east which narrows and drops off after about sixty feet.

Section 2, Greeting Room http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/4056/burningplagueplayermaps.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/687/burningplagueplayermaps.png/)

[Re'ozul]

Gripping his sword tighter, Gumnar points at the corpse with his other hand.

"I'm not touching that one, just wanna make that clear. Don't get any idea of me pulling him out or anything."

[Reikenbach]

After explaining his desire to help the party, apparently to their satisfaction, Klaus steps deeper into the mine. As no one else seems to have had the forethought to bring a torch to explore a cave, the guardsman lights one of his own, keeping vaguely to the center of the group as they make their way to the first intersection.

"Gods..." Klaus mutters as they come into view of the gruesome scene, cadaver under the mine cart and blood across the wall. A small thought nudges its way into the corner of mind, bringing with it the realization that a month ago, he likely would've lost what little he'd had for breakfast at the sight. He knew his way around a sword and usually came out on top when it came to the guards' training matches, but the truth was that aside from the odd feral animal or tavern brawl, he'd never seen real violence, and certainly not so much gore.

The plague had robbed him of that innocence, though. He had blood on his hands, now, though he preferred to think that he had given what small mercy he was able; compared to what the disease did to people, what it made them do to others, this little display of butchery was tame.

At the Dwarf's comment, he draws closer to the cadaver himself, holding the torch before him. Unsheathing his sword, Klaus nudges the body with the flat of the blade. He tries to catch the weapon on part of the ragged clothing in an attempt to pull the body out from under the cart, all the meanwhile suppressing his fear that there isn't actually another half to be found.

[OMG PONIES]

The Blackstone Siblings


Gripping his sword tighter, Gumnar points at the corpse with his other hand.

"I'm not touching that one, just wanna make that clear. Don't get any idea of me pulling him out or anything."

Samantha can hardly suppress a laugh. "Oh no," she says, "I'm under no illusions of you doing anything helpful. But here it's actually wise to--sonofa!"


"Gods..."

"Gods is right!" Samantha scolds as she draws forward and knocks Klaus' blade away from the corpse. "Ever heard of the old Mortician's Mix-Up? Classic con if ever there was one. You don't just walk up and touch a dead body; it might not be all the way dead. As a general rule of thumb, nobody should touch anything in here until I've conducted a proper investigation. Those who proceed at all proceed with caution."

Taking 20 on Search once again for a result of 29 to search the scene for signs of either trickery afoot or clues as to what happened.

As Samantha makes enemies, her brother lowers his bow and extends his hand to Klaus. "Pay no attention to her," he says quietly with a wry smile as Samantha conducts her search. "I'm Desmond Blackstone, and that's my kid sister Sam. Her mind's just as sharp as her mouth, but she needs to learn to treat people with the same care she gives everything else. I've seen you on watch in the Pass, haven't I? What's your name, friend?"

[Mellhurst]

It takes more than five minutes to carefully search the cart and body but during the course of her investigation Samantha notices series of puncture wounds in the corpse, marks of crossbow bolts sunk deep into the flesh. She is unable to identify the miner as his face is turned to the ground beneath the cart. Eventually Samantha discovers a thin silk line held in place by the body and running up along the cart and wall to the rocky ceiling 10 feet above (the legs of the corpse) where it barely supports the weight of a thunderstone. The line is so weak as to snap if handled roughly or caused friction by the body or cart moved more than a fraction of an inch. Unless the thunderstone can somehow be secured by a nimble grasp the trap looks somewhat difficult to disable by line.
There also seems to be quite a bit more silver ore in the carts, alltogether enough nuggets and rocks in the area to fill a backpack.

As the minutes pass and the Blackstone girl plies her skills the whole party becomes distinctly aware of the occasional doglike yapping from behind the door to the left, and as their attentions focus eventually make out the occasional hollow clatter of bowls dropped back to a table. The noisy chatter from behind the door remains unintelligible but as the party grows accustomed to its rhythm they begin to pick up a sharp, animated cadence, familiar to them from discussions and quarrels.

[OMG PONIES]

Samantha makes an odd motion as she traces the line of the trap with her eyes, equal parts nodding and shaking her head. Her cropped blond hair dances as she completes the odd motion, and she looks up at Klaus. "My apologies," she whispers. "This was no Mortician's Mix-Up, but a good old Welcome Wagon. We trip the line, the stone drops and sounds the alarm. Ergo, someone is at home."

Her words are affirmed by the strange barking sounds coming from the door on the left, and her mind kicks into gear. She had heard these strange grumbles before, but where? She makes an odd hand motion recognized only by her brother, and he draws closer to the door in order to take a listen.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2] to identify the language or creatures that use it...modifier is the same for all Knowledge skills, so pick the most applicable.
[roll3] if Samantha can reach the thunderstone (or any part of the trap to disable without dropping the stone)

As they both listen to the strange sounds, Samantha's attention is drawn away from the door and back to the trap. Whoever planted it was clever, and she fancied herself a good puzzle. How could she reach the stone in order to quietly disable the trap? Perhaps they could take the thunderstone and use it again the very ones that intended to use it against them. A wide smirk crossed her face; how deliciously ironic that would be.

[Reikenbach]

"Klaus," the guardsman answers the hunter, blanching as Samantha points out the suspended stone. He'd almost walked right into it! What was he doing, trying to take the lead? Don't out-step yourself. You're no fortune hunter.

Fortune hunter? This was the first time he'd left town in years!

But as the barking becomes more distinct among the various sounds of the cave, he casts a wary eye towards the doorway. If there were traps here, then surely... Let the girl do her work. She knows this better than you.

He returns his attention to the stone, raising his torch a little higher to examine the booby trap. The odd-colored rock was unfamiliar to him, which wasn't particularly surprising. But the girl knew; she had said the stone would sound an alarm. An alarm when it drops. But she hadn't chastised him much for his attempt at inspecting the body, which was unexpected. And she didn't say it would have gotten us killed.

So the thing itself was probably harmless, or what passed for harmless to the kind of people who dug around in beast-infested catacombs on a daily basis. Still, probably best not to leave it there on the off-chance the stone fell of its own accord. "That rock. Would it...'sound the alarm' if it landed in water?"

[Hazzardevil]

Hoss speaks:
Jozan, help me move the minecart when Samanha is finished, I shall then give the bodies their last rights.
When Samantha is finished, Hoss and Jozan attempt to move the minecarts off the bodys.
And, is there any rails nearby the put the minecarts on?

Strength Checks if nessecery.
Jozan: [roll0]
Hoss: Assis Check: [roll1]

[Mellhurst]

Samantha: The yip-yip-yapping does not offer appreciable clues to Samantha, the structure is very different from most languages she's heard, though she vaguely recalls encountering a couple of phrases like it in old tomes, which she can't pin down. However there is a distinct lack of the outright barks, snarls and more forceful exhalations of air in Gnollish.
Unable to reach the thunderstone unless her brother was to hold her up rather precariously at the knees, but posessed of a bedroll and a set of trap disabling tools the Blackstone girl directs Desmond to hold the blanket in a concave form 7 feet up under the stone to catch it softly should anything go wrong. Then she produces a set of tweezers and gingerly seperates the line from contact with the wall at a high point that she can still comfortably reach, before snapping it off at a lower point and carefully threading it downwards smoothly, hairwidth by hairwidth.
Impressively the thunderstone makes it all three feet down to Desmond's blanket without the silk line snapping.

[Trap Disabled - Party XP Pool + 300, Thunderstone Obtained]


The trap disabled Hoss and Jozan carefully life the minecart off the body and having found no rails set both of them along the far end of the wall, away from the rubble of silver ore surrounding the body. Though the tense athmosphere leads to an initial bit of clumsiness as a few pieces of ore remaining in one of the carts slide from one end to the other held less steadily by Hoss, Jozan's bulky build and strength allows the pair to lift the carts clean and well off the floor, avoiding any loud friction against the rubble and allowing a gentle placement back down on even ground. The mealtime sounds from behind the western door continue on uninterrupted.

Finally the cleric administers the rituals long denied the deceased miner. The pale face is illuminated by torchlight as Hoss closes its eyelids and says the prayers of Heironeous, and it dawns on the three locals and then Gumnar that the deceased man is Jacen Tungstan, chief engineer and husband of Arianna Tungstan.

Section 2, Greeting Room
http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/4056/burningplagueplayermaps.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/195/burningplagueplayermaps.png/)

[OMG PONIES]

The Blackstone Siblings

As they procure the thunderstone, Samantha smiles and tucks it gently into one of her belt pouches. This will come in handy later, she says to herself. Desmond is smiling as well, but only because Samantha had proven what he already knew to the others: her worth.

Looking down at the corpse, Samantha clucks her tongue lightly. "Ugh, poor Jacen," she laments. "Ari's going to be so broken up." Looking back to the doorway on the left from which the odd sounds were emerging, she connects the dots. "Whatever is back there, I know two things about them: that they definitely aren't gnolls, and that they did this to him. I think it's time they answered for it." She spins back towards the door on the left, drawing the thunderstone from her pouch as she does so.

[Hazzardevil]

When the group makes its decision, Jozan and Hoss push one of the minecarts to block the route that it doesn't take.

Hoss:
We don't know what's down here, so we should try to restrict the movements of anything there is, lest they escape the mine and kill townsfolk. To do this I recommend we block the route off we don't take with a minecart.

[Mellhurst]

After blocking off the eastern pathway with the minecarts the party prepares to crash through the western entrance.

Shattering the flimsy wooden door with a mighty bull-rush the party bursts into a large, dimly lit room interspersed with wooden tables and kobolds in leather armor sitting on benches, looks of utter shock fixed at you and foul-smelling bowls of stew just starting to slip from their hands, while shortspears and unloaded crossbows lean against the tables and walls.
In the southeast corner of the room, a couple of kobolds watch over a stewpot steaming over a few glowing embers providing illumination and producing a minor amount of smoke that rises up through a hole drilled out from the fireplace alcove. Frozen in mid-step while walking from a closed door at the north end of the room is a slightly stockier kobold, a large cut of meat and loaded crossbow in hand, chain shirt visible underneath a ragged tunic.

Party has surprise round.

Combat Notes & Map Section 3, Mess Hall
Turn Order by dexterity: Desmond, Klaus/Jozan, Samantha, Gumnar and Hoss. Feel free to post and edit turns freely, everyone, regardless of initiative. If orders conflict as a result I will do my best to resolve it efficiently.

All the kobolds next to tables are sitting for +2 to-hit with melee attacks, but if on the opposite side of the table from a ranged attack get +2 to AC from cover while surprised and +4 when ready (or +1 and +2 respectively if in a diagonal line from the ranged attack).

http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/9886/burningplaguemesshall.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/42/burningplaguemesshall.png/)

... my massed crossbow fire... :smallfrown:

[Hazzardevil]

Tangled web is down for now, hopefully it will be back up again by the time everyone else has done their turns.

Jozan has 14 dex and I believe Hoss has 8.

[Mellhurst]

Initiative Changes: Group Initiative will now be used, which average out to +1 (I will roll for the entire group with one roll after the surprise round). Initiative is by first-post (if two characters the player decides which moves moves first and can post for one and then the other rather than contigously if so desired).

[OMG PONIES]

"I frakkin' hate kobolds," Desmond spits as he lets an arrow fly from his bow towards the kobold immediately South of him, but his arrow flies wide and careens off the wall. Samantha mutters a few strange arcane syllables and presses her hands together beside her head as if laying down on a pillow. A cloud of rose petals bursts into life and rains gently over the center of the Southwest table, catching all four kobolds sitting around it within the radius of the spell. They begin to yawn and fight to keep their eyes open.

All four kobolds around the Southwest table must make DC 15 Will saves or 4 HD worth of them fall asleep for one minute.


Samantha casts Sleep.
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2] should actually be +3...not that it matters.

[Mellhurst]

Gripped by bloodlust Desmond nearly snaps his bowstring off with his first shot. Samantha is more fortunate however, as all but the closest kobold collapses onto the table in deep slumber.

Surprise Round (actions complete: Desmond, Samantha)
http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/9886/burningplaguemesshall.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/401/burningplaguemesshall.png/)

[Reikenbach]

Trailing after Jozan and Gumnar as they burst through the door, Klaus skids to a halt on the cavern floor upon spying the reptilian diners. For a moment, he hesitates. From stories alone, he could recognize the creatures as kobolds, far too short to be lizardfolk; some of them barely surpassed two feet in height. They were evil little things, weren't they, causing cave-ins on miners or sabotaging their equipment? Yet he hadn't thought them this small. They were practically children.

At the twang of Desmond's bow, though Klaus snaps back into action and breaks for the kobold sitting alone, on their right. But you know very well what children are capable of, and these things are probably full-grown! Sword drawn back as he runs, the guardsman makes a swing toward the scaly, antisocial creature.

Klaus Attacks - [roll0]
Possible Crit Confirm - [roll1] (19-20/x2)
Damage - [roll2]

[Mellhurst]

Careening round the table Klaus brings his sword around in a wide arc, the kobold's arms still up to hold its bowl the sword impacts on it's left side, grating and snapping through, bone fragments and blood splattering out at the impact, some of it staining the warrior's armor at the midriff and legs. The kobold collapses backwards onto the floor.

Map Section 3, Mess Hall (+info post)
Surprise Round (actions complete: Desmond, Samantha, Klaus)
Grid added. Jozan and Hoss' colors changed to their text colors. The small black x is for dying monsters, and now that I have red free a small red 'x' will be for monster corpses (I'll just use your character's initials in black for dying and red for dead too (if it's ever necessary oc... Anyway, I guess I'll also use dark grey as disabled and light grey as unconcious). The regular orange 'k' changed to a big orange 'K' is for the kobold wearing a chain shirt already carrying a loaded crossbow.
http://img560.imageshack.us/img560/9886/burningplaguemesshall.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/560/burningplaguemesshall.png/)

[Re'ozul]

Grinning at the opportunity to let loose after these constricting days around the humans, Gumnar steps forward. Giving the kobold a mock-bow he uses the action to lift his greatsword from his shoulder and deliver an overhead smash to the creature.

free-five to G12
smash Kobold at F13

attack: [roll0] that should be a 14 due to the +2 for sitting kobolds probably.
damage: [roll1]

[Mellhurst]

Too surprised to properly dodge the massive blow Gumnar's greatsword finds its target at the top of the creature's right shoulder a split second before the kobold can swivel away from it, tearing down through its neck muscles to its lung. As Gumnar withdraws his sword the kobold's eyes roll up and the creature simply slumps down on the bench, dead on impact.

Map Section 3, Mess Hall
Surprise Round (actions complete: Desmond, Samantha, Klaus, Gumnar)
http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/9886/burningplaguemesshall.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/36/burningplaguemesshall.png/)

[Hazzardevil]

Jozan and Hoss both move to approach the kobolds.
Jozan moves to F11 and whacks the kobold with his Falchion.
Attack

Crit Confirm
[roll1]
Damage
[roll2]

Hoss moves to I13
He attacks the kobold next to him.
Attack

Crit Confirm
[roll4]
Damage
[roll5]

[Mellhurst]

(additional critical damage: 9)

Joss neatly whacks off a third of the kobold's face and half his brain, leaving a bowl of greyish goop on the floor as Joss moves up to his own enemy, poking the kobold in his right armpit and leaving a narrow but deep cut. His opponent seems a bit tougher than the others however, and half snarls at the cleric before breaking into a cough.

Map Section 3, Mess Hall, End of Surprise Round
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9886/burningplaguemesshall.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/152/burningplaguemesshall.png/)

[Mellhurst]

Initiative, Kobolds: [roll0] Kobolds win.
Initiative, Party: [roll1]

Pained by the wound and desperation in his eyes the kobold facing Hoss grabs the shortspear leaning right next to him on the table, stands up, and attempts to strike back at the cleric.

[Hazzardevil]

Pained by the wound and desperation in his eyes the kobold facing Hoss grabs the shortspear leaning right next to him on the table, stands up, and strikes back back at the cleric. Leaving no more than a nick (1 dmg) the kobold yelps in victory.
Meanwhile

That provokes an AoO doesn't it?
Attack
[roll0]
Crit Confirm
[roll1]
Damage
[roll2]

[Mellhurst]

(curses... I had considered the drawing of a weapon so close to be aoo free, but perhaps it isn't (if so you'd probably be technically correct) or you're referring to the standing up which I a bit liberally classified as a free action since he's only half prone... Vengeance denied! (Also, that's a d-twenny, but I'll just count it a 5 on a d8 since it's not above 16 (9 being 1 again).)

Hoping to perhaps leave a mark on the cleric the kobold is refused as the cleric adds a second, broad slash across his enemy's torso, who edges backward in shock, toppling over to drape the bench.
The tough-looking kobold holding the crossbow immediately drops the cut of rotting meat and trains his weapon at the mage, aiming past the guardsman for her neck, but Samantha twists and the bolt instead slams into her right shoulder (4 dmg), the marksman grimacing in disappointment.
He then hisses and snarls at his subordinates and withdraws towards the heavy wooden doors behind him, out of sight from them except Gumnar.
His two closest compatriots immediately grab their unloaded crossbows, chasing after their leader, the bolder and closer of them moving to block Klaus.
The two kobolds at the kitchen counter step towards their sleeping friends, rousing them with rough shakes and grabbing the first and best unloaded crossbows.

Map, Mess Hall. Round 1, Party's Turn
(The sleeping fellow and the two just awoken kobolds (closest to the lower left table) are still completely unarmed (neither have any kobolds equipped their shortspears).

Round 1 Actions Taken, Initiative by post order: 0/6

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/9886/burningplaguemesshall.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/204/burningplaguemesshall.png/)

[Re'ozul]

Looking at the result of his first attack, Gumnar chuckles darkly to himself and raises his gaze to meet that of the remaining kobolds.

"Not much fight in ye huh? Still, you die all the same."

His Greatsword now pointed at the floor next to the killed kobold, Gumnar takes another step forward onto the corpse of his first victim and violently rips the sword upwards at the next kobold.

Free-five onto the dead kobold at F13.
Attack the kobold in front.
I'm going to just roll his normal attack rolls, please apply situational modifiers as the situation demands.

attack: [roll0]
damage: [roll1]

[Mellhurst]

The body of his foe rolled off the bench onto the floor as the dwarf strode forward. His shoes squished against the gathering pool of liquid on the corpse. It was uneven ground but Gumnar was used to such travel. Ripping his sword up in a near vertical arc the blade catches the next kobold in the left thigh, following up his body and exiting at the right ear, the two seperate pieces lifting up several inches and falling to each side from the remaining force of the blow.
The kobold who had been at the counter for another portion lets out a nearly unnatural scream in a high tearing pitch as the kobold he just woke is torn in twain, his eyes fix on the dwarf as he begins loading his crossbow.

Map, Mess Hall. Round 1, Party's Turn
Round 1 Actions Taken, Initiative by post order: Gumnar (1/6)

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/9886/burningplaguemesshall.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/15/burningplaguemesshall.png/)

[Reikenbach]

Grimacing as the kobold's blood flies across his uniform, Klaus turns his attention to the northern doorway just in time to see the crossbow bolt fly past his shoulder, barely more than a flash of motion and a whistle of air. Catching only the scarcest view of the creatures' apparent leader before it flees down the corridor, Klaus pulls back his sword to ready another blow and continues his stride towards the two kobolds now blocking his path.

Running clear past the first one, the guardsman brings his blade around in a follow-up sweep, hoping to divert the creature's attention with his own movement while also putting himself within striking distance of its companion.

Klaus moves to E7 and attacks the kobold at F6.
Attack Roll: [roll0]
Possible Crit Confirmation: [roll1] (19-20/x2)
Damage: [roll2]

[Mellhurst]

Ready for the attack the kobold ducks hard towards the wall, saved by its reflexes as the guardsman's blade passes a hand's width over, nearly scalping the creature. A look of conflicted panic crosses the kobold to Klaus' left as he presses the reach of his blade and it yips in panic but as his chain-shirt armored friend in the back shouts a few words of draconic in reply it settles to a whimper.
In the dim light from the torch and embers Klaus sees the fell marksman reaching for his keys as he stands next to the thick pinewood door.

Map, Mess Hall. Round 1, Party's Turn
Round 1 Actions Taken, Initiative by post order: Gumnar, Klaus (2/6)

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/9886/burningplaguemesshall.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/51/burningplaguemesshall.png/)

[OMG PONIES]

Desmond draws another arrow from his quiver and loads it into his bow. "You!" he shouts at the cleric with a nod toward his wounded sister, "Your only job is to heal her!" He strides into the center of the room and lets an arrow fly at the kobold directly to his North, spying the larger kobold making a beeline for the door. "Guardsman!" he calls to Klaus, "stop him!" 11 vs. the AC of the kobold in F6 for 9 damage.

Move action: move to G11
Standard action: fire at kobold in F6
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]


"Don't worry, Des," his sister says with a laugh that is stopped by an obvious wince at the pain caused by her wound. "I'm fine." As her brother turns her back, she looks to the cleric with wide eyes in a look that belies her true need for aid. Once she is healed, the girl moves quickly toward the back of the room and closes with the group of three kobolds. She makes a motion as if blowing a kiss to the lizardmen, and rainbow-colored irridescent dust bursts forth in a cloud that assaults all three of them. The creatures claw at their eyes and try to resist. Samantha provokes an AoO from the kobold in G15, but the kobolds in E-G15 must each make a DC 16 Will Save or suffer the effects of Color Spray.

Samantha will hold her initiative until after she is [hopefully] healed by the party cleric, then take the following actions:

Move action: move to H15
Standard action: defensively cast color spray (http://dndsrd.net/spellsC.html#color-spray).
[roll3]

[Mellhurst]

Determined to stop the flight of the remaining kobolds Desmond calls out to the cleric to heal his sister as he rushes to the center of the room to line up a shot at one of the subordinates covering the retreat. If the kobold was only a bit bigger the arrow would have pierced its liver, but the lucky reptilian survives yet an attack as the missile half splinters on impact with the wall it threw itself against to avoid Klaus' blow, leaving a dent in the hard rock.

Map, Mess Hall. Round 1, Party's Turn
Round 1 Actions Taken, Initiative by post order: Gumnar, Klaus, Desmond (3/6)

http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/9886/burningplaguemesshall.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/833/burningplaguemesshall.png/)

[Hazzardevil]

Hoss quickly reacts to Samantha being Injured and Casts Cure Light Wounds on her before moving on to H15 to attack another Kobold. (His Attack Roll is higher than before because I forgot to factor in weapon focus from the war domain) Cure Light Wounds expends a Protection from Chaos to cast CLW.
Cure light wounds:
Heals [roll0] Hit Points to Samantha

Attack:
[roll1]
Crit Confirm:
[roll2]
Damage:
[roll3]

Jozan moves to F8 to attack the Kobold at E7 in an attempt to take out the leader.
Attack:
[roll4]
Crit Confirm:
[roll5]
Damage:
[roll6]

[Hazzardevil]

Hoss couldn't have whacked the kobold, he didn't have the actions to do it, so he moves to H16 instead, disregard his attack.

[Mellhurst]

Calling forth Heironious' divine power Hoss lays hands on Samantha. As the god's healing power flows through her shoulder the flesh mends, reknitting the flesh and substituting the lost fluid, as the bolt is pushed out, miraculously restoring the girl to full health.
The cleric then marches forth to confront the kobold giving Gumnar the evil eye.
At the same time Jozan advances to attack the lucky, regular size kobold, side-by-side with Klaus, but his sword-thrust scrapes against the wall as the kobold pivots then sidesteps to the left, preparing to withdraw.

Reinvigorated Samantha joins Jozan, opening herself to an attack from the enraged kobold that swipes at her with his wooden crossbow, missing by a wide margin, his concentration on the dwarf.
The mage lets loose her second blast of magic, blowing forth a psycotic swirl of colors stunning the angry kobold and the newly awoken one at the far end, leaving only the cook.

Map, Mess Hall. End of Round 1.
http://img813.imageshack.us/img813/9886/burningplaguemesshall.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/813/burningplaguemesshall.png/)

[Re'ozul]

Finishing the upward swing of his sword, Gumnar allows its momentum to whirl him around and sees Jozan attempting to strike the leader.

'Oh no you don't. These guys are weaklings, I'm not about to let you take the only fight that might be worth something away from me.' - he thinks as he charges at the Leader.

Just before he would barrel into Jozan, he turns slightly, grinding his boots into the floor to slow and uses the left-over inertia in his sword to aid him in delivering a violent diagonal downward slash to the Leader.

Charge to F8
attack: [roll0] apply circumstantial modifiers as necessary
damage: [roll1]

Gumnars AC is reduced by 2 until next turn
Crit confirm and extra damage in ooc thread.

[Mellhurst]

The heavy-set kobold leader quickly produces his keyring, turning the lock and pushing the heavy wooden door inwards to the left, following it with a single step he now dominates the opening (at F1), letting the brave little survivor withdrawing (from F6) squeeze in between him and the doorframe as the kobold shaking in fear (at D6) reloads his crossbow and attempts to fire at Klaus leaving himself open to a distracted swipe by the guardsman which misses by a foot. The kobold aims for the head (to-hit critical check missed by one point), grazing his left temple (1 dmg), before taking a step closer to salvation.
At the south, the cook alone alive and conscious decides discretion to be the better part of valor. Slowed by the benches on each side the reptilian chef steps over the first bench, hustling under the human-sized table (sorry, forgot to mention table-size specifically) as he avoids being slashed by the dwarf or whacked by the mage holding the crossbow, both surprised by its bold tactic, missing by seconds and hitting only the cover of benches and table, on the far end it hops over the second bench, however the rubble at the busted door provides a third obstacle, slowing down the runner.

Map, Mess Hall, Round 2 - Party
Round 2, Party's Turn, Initiative by post order: 0/6
http://img804.imageshack.us/img804/9886/burningplaguemesshall.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/804/burningplaguemesshall.png/)

[Reikenbach]

Klaus whips to the side as the crossbow lets fly its payload, just barely turning what might have been a fatal shot into a flesh wound.

You're getting sloppy. Don't think you're getting any more luck.

Ignoring the blood running down his face, Klaus turns his attention to the kobold leader as the creature manages to open the door. He steps between the distraught grunt on his left and Jozan on his right, then breaks into a full sprint for the doorway. The guardsman disregards any attempt at swordplay or finesse, vision turning red from adrenaline (or possibly blood) as he barrels at the leader and turns the charge into a tackle.

Klaus takes a 5-foot step to F6, then charges the leader at F1 and attempts to overrun it; he will move into F0 and attack the leader if it chooses to avoid his overrun attempt.

Strength Check (if Blocked): [roll0]
Attack Roll (if Avoided): [roll1]
Possible Crit Confirmation: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

[Mellhurst]

Sidestepping the enemy Klaus rushes after the chief, as he takes his second step he feels the heavy but blunted impact of a crossbow clubbing to his back, sure to leave a bruise (2 dmg). The enemy leader makes a more vicious swipe as Klaus closes in but miscalculates the guardsman's speed, his blow striking air, though his reflexes do not fall short of getting in Klaus' way, and it is almost enough but the human's size knocks the reptile flat on its back as Klaus barrels on into the room...

Map 3a, Mess Hall, Turn 2 - Party
Round 2, Party's Turn, Initiative by post order: Klaus (half-done), 0.5/6
http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/9886/burningplaguemesshall.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/252/burningplaguemesshall.png/)

[Hazzardevil]

Hoss Coup de Graces the kobold next to him as a full-round action.
He Automatically hits it and gets a critical hit.
Damage.
[roll0]X2
Or it instanly dies if the kobold fails a fortitude save of 10+ damage dealt.

Jozan moves 5 ft to E7 and then takes another swing at the kobold.
Attack
[roll1]
Crit Confirm
[roll2]
Damage
[roll3]

[Mellhurst]

... bowling over the kobold leader, Klaus chases in after the retreating subordinate, taking his torch with him and leaving the party with the dim glow of the embers (enemies have concealment relative to their abilities). His sudden entry surprises the plucky survivor, and with a well-placed swipe to its back the kobold rolls forward, unconcious.
Klaus finds himself in a room with shelves to either side with tools strewn around and barrels at the far end and at the corners. At the back of the room an empty area behind the barrels is covered by four large bundles of wornout clothes, cloaks, rags and torn sacks, to the right of them a rope is tied to one of the barrels, running along the roof to which it is fastened at the end above the heavy pine door onto a hook hammered into the wall, supporting a big, heavy-looking sack which if overturned by a pull to the rope would empty its contents onto the entrance (the two five-foot squares directly north of the door).

Hoss executes a surgical swipe with his longsword, neatly seperating the unconcious kobold's head from his lower neck, blood gushing out with minor amounts of spinal fluids, water and lots of phlegm; Joss sidesteps and slashes at the kobold which simpers in panic, but the fighter overbalances and the swing goes wide.

Mess Hall & Storage Room, Turn 2 - Party
Round 2, Party's Turn, Initiative by post order: Klaus, Hoss, Jozan, 3/6

http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/9886/burningplaguemesshall.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/690/burningplaguemesshall.png/)

[Re'ozul]

Finishing the upward swing of his sword, Gumnar allows its momentum to whirl him around. Seeing the leader on the ground he frowns.
'On one hand theres the one thats trying to flee, on the other thats the only target really worth anything among these pathetic wretches. Oh well, could be worth at least the gleam of hopelessness in his eyes as I bring Slayer down on him.' - he thinks as he charges at the Leader, now a dark grin on his face.

Just before he would barrel into his target, he turns slightly, grinding his boots into the floor to slow and uses the left-over inertia in his sword to aid him in delivering a violent diagonal downward slash to the Leader.

Using the same rolls from my overzealous post, only with a +2 on the confirm roll as the leader is now prone.
Hit: nat20 Critconfirm: 25
normal damage: 14 extra crit damage: 15

AC -2 until next turn.

[Mellhurst]

The leader brings his free arm up to shield himself, lifting his shoulder as he prepares to roll to his side and up. To no avail as the greatsword tears, tears through the armor, hand and shoulder, multiple organs, shredding the chain shirt through the waist in a sprinkling of rings, severing the other arm as a farewell. Looking up at the dwarf, eyes fading, the kobold marksman sputters "Daar gein sil los hin."

Mess Hall & Storage Room, Turn 2 - Party
Round 2, Party's Turn, Initiative by post order: Klaus, Hoss, Jozan, Gumnar, 4/6

(Please note the rope does not curve alongs the western wall, it is merely to indicate suspension and to prevent it from looking like it crosses the room (I guess maye I could slide it over the middle with the words 'along the ceiling' though...).)
(Sorry about the funky barrels btw., couldn't find anything better for now.)

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/9886/burningplaguemesshall.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/84/burningplaguemesshall.png/)

[OMG PONIES]

Desmond curses under his breath and knocks another arrow. He stares down the kobold running for the entrance and breathes heavily, letting another arrow fly without a word. Meanwhile, his sister steps over the corpse of the kobold in front of her to stand adjacent to the unconscious kobold. She loads a bolt into her own crossbow and holds it to the creature's temple, her arm quaking with apprehension. She had never killed another creature; she struggled with it not as a moral quandary, but an intellectual variable. Questions flash through her head of what the experience will be like and what it might change in her.

Desmond

Standard Action: Attack kobold in J25
Move Action: None

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

Samantha

Move action: move to F28
Standard action: trade for move action to load crossbow

[Mellhurst]

Desmond fires a third arrow, his concentration fouled only by the acts of violence and his sister cocking a crossbow as she approaches the fallen foe at the edge of his vision.
Flanked by corpses Samantha looks down at the handiwork her spell has produced, drawing a bead at its skull...

The first kobold to go down (at G21) from the guardsman's slash to its ribs lets out a garbled rattle, perhaps beginning to make some of the party aware that the room is starting to stink worse than it already was, with loosening bowels and bodily fluids scattered onto surfaces, fixtures and even their own clothes and skin.
As the dwarf zips past the fearful kobold (at E19) turns to run after him, but sees only his leader easily dispatched, then turning back to Jozan notices the adventurers at the other end of the room in the process of dispatching his remaining friends.
The enemy drops his crossbow to the ground, raises his hands to his head and steps westwards, away from the dwarf with a panicked, pleading look at Jozan. "You no dwarf kill Silktz!? Many sikrits!"

The kobold chef flees...
Mess Hall and Storage Room, Round 3 - Party
Round 3, Party's Turn: 0/6
http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/9886/burningplaguemesshall.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/339/burningplaguemesshall.png/)

... running all the way to the minecarts, however Desmond can still still spot him through the exceedingly poor light and broken doors. A very difficult shot, but doable.

Greeting Room, Round 3 - Party
Round 3, Party's Turn: 0/6
http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/4056/burningplagueplayermaps.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/820/burningplagueplayermaps.png/)

[Reikenbach]

As he hears the kobold leader's death throes, Klaus stops to take a few ragged breaths. By the sound of things from the last room, the fighting seemed to be over, and the adrenaline-fueled vigor he had been experiencing was replaced with aches and a lack of proper breath. The entire affair had taken less than a minute, probably not even half that, but he felt as though he'd spent an hour sparring with the other watchmen. He'd killed. They'd been thinking, talking creatures, and he'd killed them. The fact that he didn't seem particularly bothered by that fact, even now, was itself a little troubling.

Regaining his senses, the guardsman looks down at the kobold he'd most recently laid low. It was bloodied from where his sword had caught it across the back. But the creature's chest was still moving, which meant it was still breathing. Which means it's still alive.

So he had a choice.

You're not a soldier. You arrest whenever possible. Killing is your last option.

After a moment's hesitation, Klaus resheathes his blade and kneels down next to the kobold. Taking the waterskin hanging off his pack, the guardsman undoes the seal and lets a little of the cool liquid trickle into the gash on kobold's back. He then tears a few of cleaner portions from the creature's clothing, making a damp pad which he sets on the wound and uses to apply pressure.

Klaus attempts to stabilize the unconscious kobold at F11.

Heal Check: [roll0]

[OMG PONIES]

Desmond steps back into the doorway and trains his sight on the kobold by the minecarts. Adjusting for the creature's speed and leading it the slightest bit, Desmond launches yet another arrow down the corridor. Come on, come on, come on, he pleads internally. Meanwhile, Samantha depresses the trigger on her crossbow, and the twang of the device is quickly followed by the sickening splat of the bolt nesting itself in her enemy's skull.

14 vs AC of greeting room kobold for 4 damage.
The kobold next to Samantha takes 5 damage and must make a DC 15 Fortitude save vs. death if it survives the damage.

Desmond

Move action: move to J24
Standard Action: fire at the kobold in the greeting room

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

Samantha

Full-round Action: coup de grace the kobold in E28.
[roll3]

[Mellhurst]

Treating the kobold Klaus struggles to remember the way the cleric's assistant had done it back in Duvik. However the wound is deep and while Klaus cleans the wound neatly he perhaps presses a little too hard and the bleeding continues.
Incidentally the guardsman notices various types of mining equipment, picks, shovels, small tents, leftover food and water supplies, drills of various sizes, large amounts of rope, nails and hammers of various quality strewn across the shelves as well as a wooden box with no lock on it.
As his heartrate slows down and his visual focus allow room for the more peripheral senses to report back Klaus smells the room stinks of rotting meat and worse, ablutions, the odor emenating from the back. However from what little he knew of the diminutive races, they were civilized enough not to relieve themselves in their living quarters.

Straining his eyes, the ranger overcomes the heavy darkness he is so used to from hunting game, the arrow flies true through the corridor, nailing the runner in the back. Lights out the creature slams into the cart ahead, sure to cause a concussion should it ever wake up again.

In the dim backlit glow of the fireside embers Samantha efficiently executes the kobold whom was probably one of Jacen's killers.

Mess Hall & Storage Room, Greeting Hall, Round 3 - Party
Round 3, Party's Turn: Klaus, Desmond, Samantha, 3/6
http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/1664/burningplaguemesshallc.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/838/burningplaguemesshallc.png/)

Greeting Hall
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/4056/burningplagueplayermaps.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/138/burningplagueplayermaps.png/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

[Re'ozul]

Dismissing the pitiful babbling that were the last words of the now dead creature in front of him, Gumnar turns to do the same to the one his weakling excuse for a companion seemed to have trouble with. He readjusts his grip on Slayer, ready to charge the little kobold ... and stops. Incensed by the declaration of the now weapon-less kobold he starts shouting.

"Oh come on. Not only pathetic but cowards as well? This 'fight' wasn't even good enough to get my blood going and now the sniffeling little wretch doesn't even have the will to fight to the end? And you" he points at Jozan "what in the darkest deeps were you doing with him, dancing? Cause that sure didn't look like fighting. If this is what I'll be looking forward to with all of you, then I can already write my will, cause I'll die of boredom."

With no more targets in the room, for these pathetic creatures don't deserve to be called enemies, he notices that there still seems to be some food left. Not having had the foresight to pack much himself, he decides he might as well, have whats here.

Lifting his sword up on his shoulder again, he marches back between all the tables, spitting at the cowardly kobold's feet as he passes him.

Double Move to M25.
Looking over the tables and fireplace for something to eat, the more meat the better. Though if no meat is there, his thoughts will go towards that the dead kobolds, stringy as they are, might have some on them.

[Mellhurst]

(assuming movement to E25?)

Some of the bowls are empty, but several of them contain plenty of remaining meat, though it be foul-smelling concotions; gunky, half-rotten and poorly cooked, less of a concern that most of it is spilled out on the tables.
A few of the bowls still remain upright. Mere steps ahead Gumnar notices one, on the lower right side of the lower left table (E27) next to Samantha, still contains a full allotment. The close-cropped blond girl appears to just have delivered a coup de grace.

Anxious to please Jozan now that the dwarf has passed him over Silktz continues in a pleading whimper. "Dorf blood kill, Silktz gold!" the kobold points back at the storage room empathically. "Too big wissel bakk bakk, kill mann! Mann ahrk dorf kill too wissel, Silktz no!"

(updating map when Hazzard/Jozan-Hoss have moved)

[Hazzardevil]

Hoss runs straight into the wall at B29, that is all for his turn.

Jozan ignores the unarmed kobold and moves to B25.
That is all.

[Mellhurst]

The chef starts bleeding where he lays.

Ignored, yet left to his own devices for the moment the cowardly kobold moves up to the top left corner of the room, lying down and compacting itself into a ball-like shape, face towards the wall, mumbling something indistinct.

Mess Hall & Storage Room, Greeting Hall, Round 4 - Party
Round 4, Party's Turn: 0/6

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/9886/burningplaguemesshall.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/41/burningplaguemesshall.png/)

Greeting Room
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/4056/burningplagueplayermaps.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/138/burningplagueplayermaps.png/)

[Reikenbach]

Cursing slightly as the kobold continues to bleed out, Klaus tears and wraps another, cleaner pad, wetting it once more and again trying to keep the creature from slipping closer to death.

Klaus tries once more to stabilize the kobold at F11.

Heal Check: [roll0]

[Mellhurst]

The kobold's condition begins to improve, though its breath is still ragged (failure to stabilize, heal check DC improves to 13).

Two dire weasels spring forth from their hiding place under the bundles of clothes in the back, arcing gracefully over the barrels and landing with well balanced thumps (audible to the mess hall) in front of Klaus with the momentum left over to attack the guardsman. Yet the weasels halt, snarling at the warrior, eyeing the corpse in the doorway and his injured patient, ready to pounce.

Mess Hall & Storage Room, Greeting Room
Round 4 - Party's Turn: 0/6
(edit: reset party initiative to keep group initiative smooth, Klaus gets a new round)

http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/9886/burningplaguemesshall.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/856/burningplaguemesshall.png/)

Greeting Room http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/4056/burningplagueplayermaps.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/138/burningplagueplayermaps.png/)

[Re'ozul]

Eyeing the bad meat the kobolds were eating, Gumnar ponders how much meat is on the kobolds themselves, when he hears the thumps behind him. Turning he sees the weasels.

'I just never ends, does it? Though, might be easier too roast those than the scaly buggers, easier to peel too.'

Wanting to see wether his companion might actually be worth something, he stops shy of the doorway and tries to draw the attention of the weasels to him.

"Oy, come to papa ya little bastards. Come and give Slayer a kiss."

Move to F19
Ready an an attack should one of the weasels come within 5' of me.
if so: attack [roll0]; damage [roll1]

No clue what to roll to get their attention if at all possible.
I'm guessing Intimidate as that would probably cover agressiveness:
[roll2]

[OMG PONIES]

Samantha moves next to the sleeping kobold, loading another bolt into her crossbow as she moves. She feels surprisingly indifferent in the face of her first kill, and pulls back the mechanism on her weapon for a second. Meanwhile, Desmond ducks back into the mess hall. Taking cover behind the closest table, he fires at the unarmed kobold curled up in the corner.

Samantha

Move action: move to C27
Standard Action: trade for move action to load crossbow


Desmond

Move action: move to G24
Standard Action: fire at kobold in B19

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[Reikenbach]

Calm down. Think. It's dark; the creatures have been in it all this time. They likely aren't accustomed to light yet.

Holding the torch in front of him, flame pointed toward the pair of feral creatures, Klaus slowly reaches into a side pocket of his pack, drawing out several sausages. They were trail-preserved and not exactly choice cuts of meat, even when it came to sausage standards, but they still carried the unmistakable, mouth-watering aroma of smoked, fatty meats; each link was shiny with greasy goodness, reflecting the dim torchlight headily.

Holding the sausages in front of him, just close enough to the torch's cinders that the meats grew warm and strengthened their scent, the guardsman makes a few whistling noises, as though communicating with a particularly well-trained dog. After wiggling the links around a few times, he pitches the meat between the two monstrous weasels with enough force that they hit the ground and slide a few feet beyond, leaving an oily trail thick with their tantalizing smell.

[Mellhurst]

Instead of staying ready to pounce the male weasel catches the sausage links in the air with an acrobatic twirl, quickly swallowing them up before refocusing, but on the door, whereas the female remains still in her crouching position and starts a low hiss as the dwarf approaches. The two animals are no longer snarling directly at Klaus.

Meanwhile Desmond fires an arrow at the curled-up kobold, whom is unaware he is being attacked until the arrow smashes into the wall where his belly would have been were he standing. He lets out a shriek of pure mad terror and anguish, and wheels onto his heels, starting to get up.

Mess Hall & Storage Room
Round 4 - Party's Turn: Gumnar, Desmond, Samantha, Klaus: 4/6
(after which weasels will move at the top/beginning of Turn 5)

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/9886/burningplaguemesshall.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/96/burningplaguemesshall.png/)

[Hazzardevil]

Hoss attempts to grab hold of the kobold and take it prisoner.
Grapple:
[roll]1d20[\roll]
Attac roll:
[roll]1d20[\roll]

Jozan then walks to D20, attempting to block off the kobolds escape route and funnel it towards Hoss and the others. Preparing to attempt to grapple the kobold if it try's to move past him.

[Mellhurst]

(rolls: 15 and 18)
Hoss grapples and pins the kobold (DM fiat an unconcious opponent grappled goes straight to pinned), as it rudely awakens, spittle striking the table over a string of draconic swearwords.

Jozan moves to block off the kobold, which attempts to dash past him under the chairs, seeing the kobold attempt to flee the fighter slashes outwards with his sword, catching the kobold in the stomach and opening its belly (base roll: 15, 9 dmg), conciousness fades with the look of hopelessness before the pain fully registers.

The kobold pinned by Hoss begins to squirm vigorously in an enraged panic that surprises the cleric, but due his firm grip and its small size the little creature is ineffectual in its attempt.

As the cleric struggles to keep his captive under control the weasels slink past Klaus as they cautiously patter towards the door opening (at F14), hissing and snarling at the dwarf awaiting them in the corridor.

Mess Hall and Storage Room, Round 5 - Opposition
(The number of changes to track have dropped, so I skipped the Greeting Room map and the End of Turn map for right before the weasels began their movement.)

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/9886/burningplaguemesshall.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/20/burningplaguemesshall.png/)

[OMG PONIES]

Spying the weasels, Desmond double-moves to E18. As he closes the gap, he makes slow, sure movements so as not to startle the creatures. Back in the mess hall, his sister keeps her crossbow trained on the pinned kobold. (Ready action: attack kobold if it escapes the pin)

Rolls:
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[Mellhurst]

The dire weasels pass through the open doorway (at F14), the female then takes the west flank. They stop fifteen feet away from Gumnar (at E16 and F16), hissing at the various inhabitants of the room and growling at the dwarf specifically and readying themselves to maul any attackers with vicious bites and iron jaws.
(Dire Weasels have readied attacks.)

Desmond moves ahead of Gumnar to his left, approaching the animals slowly, which direct more muted growls at him in return, their focus remaining primarily on the dwarf.

Further down the room Samantha reloads her crossbow, eyeing Jozan's grip on the kobold cooly.

Mess Hall & Storage Room
Round 5 - Party's Turn: Desmond, Samatha, 2/6

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/9886/burningplaguemesshall.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/338/burningplaguemesshall.png/)

[Re'ozul]

"Oh for Clanggedin's sake, you want to make 'em your pets now? Not enough that you allow the scaly ones to surrender and treat the ones you injured yourselves, now you want to make friends with a bunch of snivelling rodents?
FINE, you're all insane. Try your luck, I'll be right here laughing at you when they chew off your face."

Gumnar doesn't move, and drops his aggressive stance to a more guarded one.

Readied Fullround action to sidestep to E19 and slash if a weasel moves into F18 in an agressive manner.

Readied attack:
[roll0] vs AC
[roll1] slashing damage

[Hazzardevil]

Because Hoss managed to pin the kobold the kobold takes damage from an unarmed strike.
[roll0]

He then attempts to deal more damage. Makes an opposed grapple roll.
[roll1]

Jozan moves to F17 and slashes at the weasel at F16.
Attack:
[roll2]
Crit Confirm:
[roll3]
Damage:
[roll4]

[Mellhurst]

Scolding his teammates Gumnar moves into a defensive position should their attempts to stop and calm down the beasts fail. The weasels eye the opened route, but seem increasingly agitated with the number of strange humanoids smelling of kobold guts and blood as Jozan approaches.

With a heavy hammerfisted blow to its head the kobold pinned by Hoss ceases its struggling, groggy with impact and pained from taking strenuous action. At the same moment as the cleric finishes subdueing his captive Jozan finishes his stride towards the beasts, raising his sword and preparing to slash... but as soon as Jozan enters pouncing distance the dire weasels leap on the fighter...

M. Dire Weasel attack: [roll0]
- confirm critical: [roll1]
- damage: [roll2]

F. Dire Weasel attack: [roll3]
- confirm critical: [roll4]
- damage: [roll5]

... misjudging Jozan's dexterity however their long fangs find only the purchase of his breastplate, leaving but dents. Jozan quickly retaliates, slashing the male weasel from the right forethigh all along the side to its haunch. The weasel squeaks, falling back on its paws as blood begins to soak its hide. It eyes the fighter cautiously, preparing to pounce him again with its mate.

Map, Mess Hall and Storage Room, Round 5 - Party
Bottom of Fifth Round - Party: Desmond, Samantha, Gumnar, Hoss, Jozan: 5/6

http://img848.imageshack.us/img848/9886/burningplaguemesshall.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/848/burningplaguemesshall.png/)

[Hazzardevil]

Hoss drops the kobold on the floor when it stops moving and makes a double move to get to the weasels, stopping at F21

Jozan slashes at the same weasel as before before 5 ft stepping away from the weasels to stand at F18

Attack:
[roll0]
Crit Confirm:
[roll1]
Damage:
[roll2]

[Reikenbach]

With the weasel situation apparently under control, Klaus makes one final attempt to stabilize the dying kobold.

Making this fast because I'm the only one who hasn't acted in round 5.

Heal Check: [roll0]

[Mellhurst]

Klaus makes some further progress, staunching most of the bleeding, but it's breath is still uneven and raspy, the creature is still recovering from the shock. (Further Heal Checks at DC 11)

[Mellhurst]

The weasels jink to the left and right then punce again, aiming for the small exposed chink between Jozan's breastplate and his lower body armor, hoping to puncture his arteries with their dagger-like fangs...

M. Dire Weasel [roll0]
- crit [roll1]
- dmg [roll2]
-- crit dmg [roll3]

F. Dire Weasel[roll4]
- crit [roll5]
- dmg [roll6]
-- crit dmg [roll7]

... the female connects, piercing the fighter's flesh and latching on to Jozan in frenzied excitement, the creature begins to suck out the fighter's lifeblood.
(Jozan is grappled by the female dire weasel. The party needs to pin or knock out the weasel to remove it. Jozan can also strike the weasel (like the others), but at a -4 modifier (however he will only miss on those four points, whereas other party members will not have a -4, but will hit Jozan on a 50% percentile chance (70% with precise shot)). The weasel has lost her dexterity bonus to AC.)

Map, Mess Hall and Storage Room, Round 6 - Party
Sixth Round - Party: 0/6

http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/2469/burningplaguemesshalld.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/856/burningplaguemesshalld.png/)

[Hazzardevil]

Jozan grapples the female weasel to try and pin it.
[roll0]

Hoss should be at F21 this turn.
Hoss moves to F16 and prepares to attack the male weasel if it moves.

[Mellhurst]

(actually the last post was out of turn order, I left a note in the OOC (not sure if it's still there), I'll leave one in the IC too next time. PM sent)

Female Dire Weasel Grapple: [roll0]

Jozan attempts to pry loose the beastie attached to his leg in a curl with fangs and claws, but the monster is so tightly attached he can find no leverage.
Seeing his charge in difficulties Hoss hurriedly drops the disabled kobold to the floor with a thud and heads towards the melee (to F21 (or elsewhere if so desired)).

[Reikenbach]

Klaus decides that his final attempt wasn't his final final attempt.


Heal Check: [roll0]

[Mellhurst]

Klaus finally gets the cloth bound tightly and neatly around the kobold's wound, then places his enemy in a stable position to allow him to breath easily. It's hard to know for sure, but Klaus is fairly certain the kobold's bleeding has stopped and has no severe internal injuries.


Map, Mess Hall and Storage Room, Round 6 - Party
Round Six, Party's Turn: Klaus, 3/6
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/9241/burningplaguemesshallk.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/214/burningplaguemesshallk.png/)

[Hazzardevil]

Hoss moves to F18 and prepares to attack the male weasel if it moves to E17 or F17.

Jozan attempts to take control of the grapple.
[roll0]

[Mellhurst]

Hoss moves a bit further up, preparing to slash the bloodied male weasel should it get closer to supporting its mate.

F. Dire Weasel Grapple: [roll0]

Meanwhile Jozan continues to struggle with the angry furball that maintains her death grip on his upper right leg.

Map, Mess Hall and Storage Room, Round 6 - Party
Round Six, Party's Turn: Klaus, Hoss, Jozan, 3/6

http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/9886/burningplaguemesshall.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/827/burningplaguemesshall.png/)

[OMG PONIES]

The Blackstone Siblings

Desmond thanks his lucky stars that the female weasel has found someone else to latch onto and takes advantage of the fact that it can't bite him to launch an arrow at her from only a few feet away before retreating back into the mess hall. Some of the druids he hunted with in the past had attempted to teach him how to influence the attitude of an animal, but Desmond found it took longer and required more subtlety than an arrow through the skull.

Meanwhile, his sister steels her gaze at the disabled kobold. She takes a step back, raises her crossbow, and pulls the trigger. Somehow, shooting at a target that was not helpless felt much more visceral to her. Her brain struggles to reason with it--both were equally alive, but both were also equally her enemy. Survival instincts and compassion clash and clang in her mind like church bells. As the bolt sails toward its mark she closes her eyes, unwilling to see the result.

Desmond

Standard Action: attack weasel in F17
[roll0]
[roll1]
Move Action: move to F21


Samantha

Free Action: 5-foot step to C28
Standard Action: attack kobold in C26
[roll2]
[roll3]

[Mellhurst]

Lining up a good shot Desmond aims at the female dire weasel's back to help out Jozan. Trained in the art of hunting deer in the mating season Desmond was used to firing at bucks fighting each other, the ranger subconciously adjusted his shot as he let it fly, reacting to the beginning of a swing his eyes had registered before his brain. Jozan hacks at the monster latched to him, spinning towards the missile but Desmonds fine aiming still sees the arrow grace along the weasel's back and holing its tail before slamming into the wall and splintering.

Further down the mess hall Samantha prepares to finish off the last concious kobold. It barely moves as she takes aim, turning its head slowly to the left to avoid her bead. Staring down at the kobold with a steely look but inner turmoil roiling the Blackstone girl adjusts her aim and pulls the trigger, the bold digging into the earthen floor to the left of the kobold's head, she'd overadjusted.
The kobold sneers at the human standing over him, it's muscles tensing, perhaps it could leave the adventurer with a scratch or bite mark...

In the corridor as Desmond opens up some room the male weasel momentarily hisses at the dwarf with the great metal stick, then turns towards the fight his mate is in, compacting himself into a loaded coil to spring at the fighter.

Map, Mess Hall and Storage Room, Round 6 - Party
Round Six, Party's Turn: Klaus, Hoss, Jozan, Desmond, Samatha, 5/6

http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/9886/burningplaguemesshall.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/692/burningplaguemesshall.png/)
(Health Status: Jozan 7/13, Male Weasel 8/X, Female Weasel 3/X, Klaus 3/9, 1 kobold disabled, 1 kobold stabilized, 2 kobolds dying)

[Re'ozul]

Looking at the evolving scuffle, Gumnar can't help but laugh.

"Pfahahaha, whats the matter human? Don't you like little furry things? Some of you keep some as pets if I recall. Is the little things love too much for ya? Have fun with your new friend."

He then moves his eyes to the weasel still on the ground and grins maniacally.

"As for you, you are just right for me. I haven't had any good meat in a while and you look juuust right. So be a pretty and DIEEEEE."

His yell accompanying his charge as he drags Slayer on his left side then using the stopping momentum to execute a low horizontal slash.


Charge to E17
Slash at the weasel: [roll0] on attack for [roll1] damage.

[Mellhurst]

Gumnar carefully observes his opponent as he derides the humans, but the moment he notices the male dire weasel starts compacting himself for a pounce he executes a low, speedy slash, catching the weasel in a crouch and taking off the right forehaunch and both forelegs. His enemy slides forward with a pathetic slump.

The female dire weasel's fangs reach Jozan's arteries and the beast starts sucking out his blood with great force (1 temp. Con dmg) as she continues to wrench her other teeth around his wound, barely managing to work through the armor as Jozan, unable to dodge, still nearly unclamps her jaw. The creature shreds and gnaws at the flesh around his upper right thigh till it's a mere pulp (7 hp dmg). Jozan collapses forward unconcious, landing partly on his right side due to the weight of the dire weasel whom stays attached to the leg on his bottom side (no grapple percentile chance to hit Jozan, still no dex bonus to the dire weasel, though she now has half cover from Jozan instead (quarter cover against Desmond's precise shot)), making the montrous animal easier to finish off without a fateful accident (also, players may opt to take a penalty to their rolls equal to the bonus of the cover AC to just miss if they'd otherwise hit the cover AC).

Casting a last glance at the wounded kobold whose life he just saved Klaus ascertains it was perhaps about half a minute from expiring.

The kobold at Samantha's feet throws itself at her foot in a last gambit to leave a mark, affording her an attempt to take it out. Taking advantage of her enemy's prone position Samantha backsteps and catches the kobold on the side of its chin (bare hit, 1 dmg), cracking its jaw slightly she knocks out the kobold whom falls to the floor wheezing unconciously and starts coughing out a mixture of blood and phlegm on the floor.

Meanwhile the unconcious kobold at the lower right table hacks out a final spatter of blood mixed with bile and phlegm and dies while the kobold that tried to surrender stops bleeding.

Blood flows out of Jozan's leg, flowing around the ermine's gums. (failed stability check, -1 hp)


Map, Mess Hall and Storage Room, Round 7 - Party
Round 7 - Party: Jozan (unconcious), 1/6

http://img546.imageshack.us/img546/9886/burningplaguemesshall.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/546/burningplaguemesshall.png/)
Health Status: Jozan 15/12 (dying), Klaus 3/9, Male Dire Weasel dying, Female Dire Weasel 3/X, 2 kobolds stabilized (one roughly -5, the other unknown), 1 kobold dying

[Hazzardevil]

As Jozan collapses he utters the words:
Screw you dwarf.
He then passes into blissful unconsciousness.

Hoss curses as he sees the sellsword he's been charged to convert to the light collapse unconscious.
He then takes a swing at the female weasel by Jozan's corpse.
Attack:
[roll0]
Crit Confirm:
[roll1]
Damage:
[roll2]

[Re'ozul]

'Oh, just perfect. A weasel brings down the mighty human, this is starting to become ridiculous. And now I have to be careful to not kill him when I do the work he should have done. I have half a mind to take no care and let happen what might, but even as weak and pathetic as they all are, at least the magic users might get to me before I am gone. Not yet Gumnar, not yet. ... Heh, at least I can lord it over him that he was beaten by that thing, might lighten up this drudgery a bit.'

As the thoughts flash through his mind, he turns further to the right attempting to let his horizontal slash continue through the other weasel. Jozan's body though makes it necessary to aim higher, making success slimmer by a considerable margin.

Slash at weasel: taking the -2 to not hit Jozan (already in attack roll)
attack: [roll0]
damage: [roll1]

[Mellhurst]

The last dire weasel falls in a spray of bone fragments, blood and fur as Gumnar nearly scalps the creature, his greatsword slicing through part of the fur on its head, neck and its right ear on the pass. The monster collapses, but though it's wound are severe it stops bleeding almost immediately as the blood coagulates around its flesh wound.

XP! Party XP Accumulated

Thunderstone Trap: 300
Kobolds & Storage Room Trap: 1350
Dire Weasels: 1350
Roleplaying: 300

Total Party XP Pool: 3300 divided by 6
Individual XP: 550 of 1000

Map, Mess Hall & Greeting Room
http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/9886/burningplaguemesshall.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/836/burningplaguemesshall.png/)

As the din of battle abruptly ceases and the whimpering of the dying grows weaker the party stands victorious. The two rooms are covered in the corpses and wounded bodies of their foes, the area theirs to peruse at will.
Immediately apparent is the big, leather bag hanging over the entrance of the storage room door, laden heavy with unknown contents, the trap should be very simple to disarm if someone can reach high enough.
A moment later the adventurers recognize the unmistakeable glint of gold and silver pieces escaped from the pockets of the kobolds that ran as they were felled. In the door entrance, in the limp grasp of the heavy-set kobold leader's severed left hand all nearby (but Samantha) notice the keyring the marksman used to unlock the door, the heavy iron loops carries two keys, one big and heavy, the other small and delicate. On top of and in his right hand Klaus, Desmond and Gumnar notice the crossbow is of unusually high quality.

The tunnels of the mine sound quiet from here, almost peaceful were it not for the grisly sight and doubly foul stench of internal liquids and rotting meats. If any reinforcements were on their way they would be utmost quiet or the party exceptionally distracted not to hear them through the broken door to the corridor that leads to the greeting room.

(Take 10 and 20 Search checks per hex and Spot checks per area will take the regular amount of time, but come at a penalty if done by humans without a lit torch (currently Klaus has one torch lit, one unlit and Desmond has a sunrod))

[Reikenbach]

Klaus breathes a sigh of relief as the sounds of battle ebb away, finally taking the time to look around the storage room. He hadn't seen it before so much as been vaguely aware of it, in the same way that a goldfish is only vaguely aware of its bowl; his first glance had been interrupted by the appearance of those animals. They'd looked like weasels, but they'd been almost as large as a horse!

He picks up the stabilized kobold carefully, not wanting to undo all the work he'd put in to keep it from bleeding out. The scaly creature is propped in a sitting position against one of the barrels toward the back of the chamber, and as afterthought, Klaus retrieves a pair of manacles from his bag. He hadn't really known why he thought to bring them; in his rush to catch up with the others, he'd just grabbed all the equipment he could carry. Just good luck, he supposed. It might explain why he was still alive, albeit with a few cuts and scrapes.

Shackling the kobold's right arm to its left leg, the guardsman pockets the key. He then proceeds to retrieve all items dropped by the creature, as well as anything in its pockets, and sets them in a little pile to the side. It may have been under odd circumstances, but he was still a watchman, and the thing was still a criminal in his custody. If it could think, it at least deserved due process.

As an afterthought, Klaus sets a sack of some powder (maybe flour, maybe cement components) on top of the kobold as well, both to keep it in place and for its own protection. From what he knew, helpless kobolds without protection tended to contract that deadly disease known as Face Full of Arrows.

That done, Klaus moves on to examine the shelves, once more thankful he'd brought a torch. The storage room stank, but it was stuffed: mining equipment, various tools, a great deal of rope, preserved foodstuffs, barrels of water. It even had a few tents, which struck him as peculiar; it wasn't as though miners needed to contend with the elements. There was also the box.

Keeping his distance, Klaus unsheathes his sword, fitting the bladetip under the container's lid and flipping it open.

Manacles (Simple Lock): Escape Artist(30) | Strength(26) | Open Lock(20)

Klaus takes a Spot check to notice anything that stands out, then proceeds to Search the room shelf by shelf. He avoids the area toward the back where the rope disappears among the sacks. Any clearly-Masterwork or better items he sets in one pile in the center of the room. Food is set in another pile. Torches, lanterns, cloths, oil, medical supplies and similar objects are moved to a third pile. Other miscellaneous valuables or locked containers get their own heap, as does any ore or refined metal, making five piles in total aside from the kobold's belongings.

He doesn't inspect or take anything from the Leader's body. He moves to protect the unconscious kobold if it becomes the target of violence.

Spot Check: [roll0]
Search Check (Take 20): 22

[Re'ozul]

"Well, so much for that." Gumnar exclaims as he starts moving away from his downed companion back into the main room.

Knowing that the Fur of the things needs to be removed before he can try to grill them, he looks for a knife that seems sharp enough to skin them.

[Mellhurst]

Gumnar is able to find a meatcleaver at the kitchen counter, two cutting implements for rough meat, and a skinning knife, all rather sharp with exception of the meatcleaver, which is rusty with blood. There is also a rather sharp cheese grater, a small box with two compartments in it filled with some red spice and pepper respectively and the top half of a skinned rabbit, its white coat (including missing bottom) stretched next to the fireplace.


As Klaus Ostermann carefully leans his prisoner patient to a barrel and restrains its potential movement by securing the creature's arm to its leg, he notices the barrel is made of fine oaken wood, with a high-quality brass tap attached, it smells faintly of fruit and rather weakly of alcohol.
Going over the kobold's pockets he picks up its crossbow from the ground, emptying its pockets he also finds 20 bolts, 4 gold coins and 18 silver pieces (coins and fairly pure nuggets), the kobold is also protected by a small set of leather armor almost as good as new (though it is stained with sweat and traces of old and new blood) though with a slash through it at the back. Cautiously picking up the keyring lying in the grasp of the kobold leader's severed left hand without touching the kobold Klaus otherwise leaves the corpse alone (PM/OOC for Klaus to leave the rings).

Soon finished Klaus looks through several burlap sacks, finding one full of slowly rotting grain with a number of maggots in it, another with heavy cement then one with flour full of brown spots that he places over the kobold as an additional security measure that might protect it from his adventuring companions.

Moving on to examine the shelves Klaus notes the number of picks (14), shovels (20), crowbars (4), sledgehammers (15), small well-insulated tents (7), a mostly empty meat rack with 30 small bits of fresh rat meat and a couple of old rotting sheep flanks, large drills (7), a large number of small drills (17), roughly 800 feet of hemp rope taking up most of the shelves to the right (as well as 80 feet of silk rope), a couple of thousand nails of various sizes in a number of boxes on the shelves to the left, ca. fifty planks stacked along the walls under either shelf behind the barrels, hammers medium, large and small-sized (14-7-3), several dozen pitons, eight sets of climbing harness, five hooks and six grappling hooks, 60 feet of chain on one of the shelves to the left, common lanterns and torches with a pair of sets of flint and steel beside them (9 common lanterns, 14 spare torches, 6 sets of flint and steel in a case) on the shelves to the left, close to the exit, and ten wool blankets at the end of the shelves, as well as the large bundle of soiled clothes (looks like about 15 Ibs worth) at the back where the weasels lay. As Klaus searches through the shelves on the right side he eventually becomes alert to the smell of oil from one of the barrels in the right corner at the back, earlier masked by the scent urine from the front corners of the room,
Four of the other barrels each have a jug next to them, though one of them is stained red and smells strongly of alcohol, reminding Klaus of the local tavern and the sour drink there.

Finished with his tasks Klaus cautiously unflips the box's lid with the tip of his blade to the far side, exposing what looks like several pages worth of scrolls.

Slightly disappointed perhaps the guard is unable to make a pile for masterwork items, the only high-quality item he can spot being the crossbow comically half cradled, half draped over the severed right arm of the dead enemy leader. Though as Klaus sorts the items out into piles the smell from the barrel with the tap triggers a memory of a time he and some other guards were selected by the seargeant for an invitation by the Mayor and the rich Mr. Doverspeak to the Mayors big, brick house for a short, well-spoken, meeting sometime after the aristocratic Mayor had moved in with his family, before they were served lamb's meat and glasses of wine out in his rock garden decorated with hardy mountain flowers (trees withering if they were imported).

Looking back to survey the room Klaus casts another glance at his prisoner then back at his well armed companions in the mess hall. Summarizing his search through the room he fairly confident he's checked everything except for the contents of the eleven barrels, four of which have a jug next to them (one of them stained red), the one he leaned his prisoner next to smelling of alcohol and one in the back smelling of oil.

List of Items: 1 regular light crossbow, 20 bolts, 4 gold, 18 silver pieces (coins/nuggets), 1 set of small leather armor,
1 small wooden box with several pages worth of scrolls,

80 feet of silk rope, 14 spades, 20 shovels, 4 crowbars, 15 sledgehammers, 5 hooks, 7 small well-insulated tents, 30 pieces of rat meat, 2 rotting sheep flanks, 7 large drills, 17 small drills, ca. 800 feet of hemp rope, ca. 2000 nails, ca. 50 planks, 14 medium hammers, 7 large hammers, 3 small hammers, several*12 pitons, 8 sets of climbing harness, 6 grappling hooks, 60 feet of iron chain, 9 common lanterns, 14 spare torches, 6 sets of flint and steel, 10 wool blankets, 15 Ibs worth of soiled clothes, 4 mugs (1 stained red),

11 barrels of unknown content (one of which smells strongly of alcohol, one which is made of fine oak and smells faintly of fruit and alcohold with a nice brass tap, and one smelling of oil),
and 1 leather bag suspended over the heavy pine door, and roughly 70 feet of hemp rope used to suspend it, hanging from a hook on the wall at the back of the room.

[Re'ozul]

Grabbing the two cutters and the skinning knife, Gumnar walks back to the table closest to the storage room and puts them down on it. After that he walks by Jozan's unconscious body and grabs the dead weasel that isn't held down by his useless companion dragging it back towards the table and heaving it on to it, making it land with a sound somewhere between a smack and a squelch.

He then goes to work on it. He doesn't really know anything about skinning a creature, but it can't be that hard. Its not as if he is particularly picky about the quality of the cuts as long as it works.

Intelligence based roll to work this:
[roll0]

[Mellhurst]

Kneeling down next to his fallen charge the priest extends his hands over the wound, Jozan would not die on his watch, not with Heironeus to watch over them. Expending the force of his prayers and calling back his now reinforced devotion passed through his God, the force returns through Hoss' hands to Jozan's body, first in the light pulse of the orison knitting the organs and bone within, stopping the bleeding and lessening the shock, then as the steady blue glow of the divine spell knits the depths of the wound and replaces most of the fighter's lost fluids Jozan returns to conciousness.
Assessing his work Hoss notes the otherwise possibly fatal blow to a mere severa mauling of his thigh, but that Jozan remains a bit pale. Apparently the healing has been unable to return the full amount of fluid lost, but given his complexion the cleric can tell the fighter's constitution should recover by the next day (Jozan is at 4/12 hp).

Gumnar starts skinning the four feet long and one feet tall cadaver of the dire weasel, cutting it up at the edge of the tailbone, then using the tail to pull down the slit up hide (though this process is a bit disrupted by Jozan's slice along the side) and repeating the process by slitting up the skin of the ermine at the ankles (though this is unnecessary for the front legs and haunch that Gumnar dismembered), then once he's pulled the skin off everywhere he opens the creature at the stomach. After which the dwarf removes the sex organs of the weasel, tying off the waste tubes to prevent spilling. Gumnar eventually finds the wind pipe and gullet, cutting them and pulling them out with most of the other organs following, setting them aside as special ingredients or for simply removal.

Taking a bit of extra time for caution and working around the sword-wounds he finishes about fifteen minutes later, with a surprisingly solid cut of good meat and healthy organs (except the liver which seems darkened and spotted), though the pelt is ripped where Jozan's and Gumnar's swords sliced it along the side and dismembered the front limbs. Apparently this male weasel was quite well-fed and exercised in its lifetime, though the dwarf becomes aware through the process of an unusual amount of mucus and enlarged tonsils in the animal.

[Mellhurst]

As Karl makes a full inventory of all but the trap and the barrels in the storage room and Gumnar skins the female weasel the Blackstone siblings decide to deal with the corpses later in favor of fussing over their injured comrade.
With the assistance of Desmond and Samantha Hoss is able to clean, disinfect and bind the wound tightly, giving Jozan water, a blanket for comfort and setting him against the wall, lying sideways on a bedroll.
A while passes, and a quarter of an hour later, by the time Karl and Gumnar have finished their task the fighter feels markedly better (+1 hp, 5/12hp).

[Hazzardevil]

Jozan staggers to his feet, tired and still feeling pain from some of his wounds, but capable of fighting. Hoss helps him get up, but once standing he stops supporting Jozan, causing him to stagger. But then him and Hoss sit at a bench by items that have been gathered. They then attempt to clean the soiled clothes.

[Mellhurst]

Hoss helps Jozan over to the right bench of the lower right table and the pair of adventurers clean their clothes of the various gunk and blood stains then move onto maintaining their weapons. In the meantime Desmond leaves them to start transferring the items that Klaus has inventoried out to the mess hall in a neat pile in front and on the table. The guardsman remains in the storage room deciding whether to wait with dealing with the barrels and the leather sack suspended over the door.

Samantha, freed of her caretaking tasks begins to look about the room, taking in the various sources of potential income. Giving in to temptation whenever Desmond is in the storage room she gives the once over on each of the fallen enemies till she's covered them all by the time her ranger brother is finished with the task. All told she discovers a fair amount of coin and silver nuggets with the rank and file as well as some more luxurious items with the leader. 1 platinum piece, 65 gold coins, 288 silver pieces (mostly nuggets), a beautiful oval-shaped amethyst, a stoppered vial containing a light blue liquid, a dagger, five darts, a small leather coat of goat's hide under which is a damaged chain shirt set with the outer arms ripped off as well as a long tear through the top of the front body and 39 crossbow bolts. Realizing the fearful kobold from earlier has stabilized she also finishes the miserable creature off with a bolt to the head.

Gumnar finishes skinning the weasel meat. Looking about for something to stick the food with for the grill his eyes quickly fall on the shortspears stacked along the tables and walls, one spear lying on the floor from the Kobold that Hoss took out. The dwarf has ample time remaining to spit and begin grilling his meat before the the cleric and his fighter and the Blackstone siblings finish their tasks.

Health, Time, Area Status Jozan: 5/12 hp, 13 Con, Klaus: 6/9, 40-100 minutes after noon. Outside Area: numerous passive spot checks, corridor lightly searched, cart heavily searched, Greeting Room unevenly searched (cart heavily, rest numerous spot checks), storage room heavily searched (sans simple trap (leather sack suspended over doorway) and eleven barrels, mess hall: numerous pasive spot checks only (light checks on kobold corpses).

[Re'ozul]

Grabbing two of the shortspears, Gumnar skewers them full of meat, about four fist sized pieces each, then walks to the fireplace and rests the end on the wall encasing the fire mindful to turn them every few minutes and poking them with his fingers to test when they are nice and done.

Intermittently he looks at the rest of the meat:

'Gonna need a way to transport that and keep it fresh.' he eyes his companions wearily 'They better not try to steal it from me.'

[OMG PONIES]

Samantha pulls all of the loot into the dining hall and drops it on the table, save for one particular coin she keeps in her pocket and tells nobody about. "A decent haul," she announces, "About 94 gold's worth of coinage, a gem that's probably not worth much due to a few air bubbles in the top facet, a potion, a damaged chain shirt which I say we can toss, a small dagger, some darts, and a few crossbow bolts. Granted, the thieving nature of kobolds leaves one to wonder how much of this actually belonged to them in the first place."

Sense Motive DC 18 to open:
Samantha is not being truthful about the contents of the haul or the value of the gem.

"None of it, methinks...frakking kobolds." Desmond spits. "Nasty little things probably stole all of it from good, hard-working miners from the pass." He shakes his head as Samantha sits down with the vial of mysterious blue liquid, turning it over and over in her hands as she studies it and watching the bubbles of air dance from one end of the vial to the other.

Rolls:
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[Mellhurst]

The enticing smell of grilled meat begins wafting up mostly through the ventilation hole but some escaping to cloy its way through the awful and worsening scents of the room. The dwarf guardedly turns the meat around, watching the fat drips down on the embers with a satisfying sizzle.

Noticing his sister passing over the weapons while looting all the kobolds in the mess hall Desmond can't help but notice the high quality of the dead kobold leader's light crossbow, as well as the numerous other crossbows (10 light crossbows) and shortspears (11) lying around the floor, on the tables or leaning against the wall. All the kobolds, are also wearing small-sized leather armor (1 set sliced in two by Gumnar's greatsword, 2 damaged by Jozan's longsword and the dwarf again and 7 in good order) and a packet of ten bolts in each of the corpses' pockets (100).

The potion reminds Samantha nothing of any concotions she'd had the oppertunity to observe in the brew. Unstoppering the vial and taking a cautious sniff the potion smells pleaseantly of a fresh mountain spring. Yet somehow the young adventurer is reminded of the latrine, but perhaps it is just the foul smells of the room pressing through to her thoughts.

Appraise Check: Samantha is exceedingly sure that the amethyst will fetch exactly 150 gold if she can find a good buyer.

[Mellhurst]

After the men finish moving out the supplies Klaus returns to the storage room. Following the guardsman Samantha discovers Klaus standing next to a barrel with a concerned look on his face as he spots her. Leaning against a sturdy oaken barrel with a fine brass tap on it is an unconcious kobold, its hands seemingly forced behind it's back and a heavy sack of flour pinning it down.
Exchanging a few words with him she learns the only objects that remain unchecked are the barrels. Carefully inspecting the remaining objects Samantha discovers six of the barrels contain water, the prisoner is propped up against a seventh oaken barrel, upon looking at it closely she can tell it is stained with wine. Barely moving off the tip of the lid to peek down an eight barrel Sam discovers it is filled with dry beef jerky, and she also spots a handful of rats in it. The ninth barrel at the far right corner of the room is filled with lamp oil, and next to it a tenth barrel, oaken and solidly built, but with no brass tap is half-empty. Upon closer observation Samantha discovers numerous stains around the barrel, as if the liquid was frequently poured, perhaps a bit clumsily at times, the liquid no doubt consumed. In an eleventh barrel she notes a smell of molded cheese and hears the skittering of little feet, but notes the appearance of a false bottom. With Klaus' help the two quickly kill one of the rats, chasing away the remaining three to the back of the room Klaus dismantles the barrel to the bottom part that Samantha then nimbly parts out the subsection, revealing a small cloth bag containing a moonstone, a gold brooch with a jade inlay, three pieces of moss agate, 24 gold coins and a vial with a transparent, milky liquid.
In the twelth barrel there is a large amount of salt and a box at the top bound with thin silk threads containing various other spices.

Emerging out from the storage room, leaving Klaus with his captive Samantha finds the priest Hoss and her brother Desmond on guard, watching the hallway as the fighter rests with an eye open, ready to assist his comrades. The dwarf appears to have just finished grilling his meal and a good bit of time seems to have passed since the end of the combat, perhaps over an hour. Having given all of the mess hall but the fireplace a cursory check, as opposed to her and Klaus' careful detailing of the storage room, Samantha peers carefully into the fireplace, noting one of the stones underneath the embers looks a bit uneven.

[Mellhurst]

As Gumnar starts munching in on his meal with the hearty satisfaction and dwarven contentment of a well-earned meal after an annihilation of foes, Samantha carefully looks about the room with deft attention, her eyes searching for an appropriate tool with which to brush the embers further back to allow her access fireplace.

At that moment Hoss spots a small figure next to the ore carts in the darkness of the corridor. The figure is kneeling down over the body of the kobold that Desmond shot and is looking tentatively at the two figures by the broken door leading to the mess hall. At the moment Hoss takes action the figure stiffens...

Surprise Round - Mess Hall
Initiative: Hoss - Kobold - Desmond - Init rolls!
The creature is flat-footed against Hoss (the broken door is x2 movement).

http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/4056/burningplagueplayermaps.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/838/burningplagueplayermaps.png/)

[Hazzardevil]

Hoss as a full-round action runs towards the figure, and stops with 1 square between him and the figure.

[Mellhurst]

As Hoss closes in on the enemy in the near total darkness, he recognizes it for a kobold, wearing leather armor and carrying a shortspear and a loaded crossbow. The creature rises up from its crouched position with a high-pitched shriek, dropping its weapons in favor of a hasty scramble up onto the minecart.

[Hazzardevil]

Hoss makes a grab at the kobold and attempts to grapple it.

He provokes an AoO, if this hurts him then the grapple fails.

Presuming it doesn't hurt him, me makes a melee touch attack
Attack: [roll0]

[Re'ozul]

Looking up at the sudden burst of running as Hoss exits the room.
Rolling his eyes he calls out.

"Whats the matter? Smell's to much for ya? Pfff, humans and their weak stomachs."

Having ridiculed his copmanion enough for now, he goes back to eating.

[Mellhurst]

Hoss manages to grab the kobold by the scruff of its neck as it slaps back at him fearfully, but ineffectually, its hands bouncing off his armor. It yelps in fright, but stops screaming and soon ceases struggling.

It takes but a moment before Gumnar, Samantha and Klaus realize they had heard very similar screams just an hour or so earlier...

(Everyone's actions again, the kobold has surrendered)

[OMG PONIES]

The Blackstone Siblings

Desmond thinks for a moment about calling his sister, but reminds himself that he's dealing with kobolds--tricky little creatures that look for any advantage they can find. This new intruder may just be drawing their attention so the others can scurry up behind them. "Stay back there and keep your eyes open, Sam," he says over his shoulder. "Holler if you see anything." The hunter knocks an arrow and aims down the hallway at the two grappling creatures, ready to shoot the kobold should it try to scurry free.

[Mellhurst]

The kobold struggles in Hoss' grasp pathetically for a moment (grapple roll: 1d20-1 = 0), unable to do more but twist its muscles painfully, before ceasing its resistance...
"Let Jakk live. Jakk tell all!" it spits out in a few high-pitched words.

Returning from the storage room, carrying his unconcious prisoner in a tied-up sack, its head sticking out, Klaus joins up with the others, throwing an uncomfortable glance at the dwarf chowing down on one of the weasels.
"What's going on out there?" he asks Samantha and Jozan, as she spots Desmond aiming a knocked arrow down the hallway. "Is Hoss fighting?

[Re'ozul]

Swallowing his current mouthful of delicious though decidedly unseasoned weasel, Gumnar only says "Looks like theres at least one more of the scaly buggers. Nothing to worry about I'd say. ... You wouldn't happen to have any salt or pepper on ya would you?"

[Mellhurst]

"Oh! I see." the guardsman visibly relaxes, then walks over to the pile of storeroom equipment and the kitchen counter in turn, picking out a small box bound with a thin silk thread from the treasure pile and the cruder box at the kitchen counter with the two compartments of red spice and pepper before sitting down at the dwarf's table and handing him the goods with a small smile before producing some stale rations from his backpack.
"We were treated to some grilled meat by the mayor once..." Klaus comments if Gumnar opens the threaded box. "Most of it's really weak" he laughs "... except for that bright red powder."

[Hazzardevil]

Hoss releases the kobold and then speaks up:
The kobold is my prisoner, we are not killing him, surrendered to me and I'm not killing him.
And yes I have been fighing, but I'm not going to hurt him unless he decides to run away. And your not going to run away now are you Jakk?
He smiles, in a friendly way at Jakk on the last sentance.

[Mellhurst]

"Yes - yes! Jakk no run!" The kobold insists frantically, seemingly unaware of its spoken contradiction. Jakk shifts slightly, looking with longing at the path leading up and out of the mineshaft, but not daring to turn around.
"Der... menny udder kobold in blakk!" he starts hesitatingly, then getting into stride, he turns around, pointing into the darkness. "Nine friend, one boss, one prayer-man, one hide... two kobold cub, two wissel cub, udder wall. None sick. Friend sick!" Jakk points down at the downed kobold with one of Desmond's arrows sticking from its back, and Hoss suddenly realizes it's still breathing.
"Bad orc-mann deep blakk... dedd mann! Dedd kobold!" Jakk finishes, in a warning tone.

"Jakk go?" the kobold finishes with a question, stepping a foot away from the cleric, and tensing as if asking permission to run.

[Hazzardevil]

Hoss crouches down to become eye level with the kobold and continues talking to him.
He suddenly changes tact with talking to the Kobold.

Jakk, this Orc man, is he the boss? Or is he a different person? Do you want us to get rid of him? Because we believe that he created this plague and if it isn't stopped, we will all die and that would make us, your god and my god sad.
Diplomacy:
[roll0]

[Mellhurst]

"Orc no kobold boss! Orc boss ui Grumsh! Kobold boss kill dorf-mann, orc kill all!"
Looking frustrated Jakk breaks into draconic. "Hesi boss dronilnra udoka tenpiswo ekess raid dout mines vur yth killed shio wer humann! Onelka ve! Onelka udoka! Shar yth shio itrewica jimva tagoa wer Gruumsh Orc sunathear kill water weyogir dout pab vur raising wer dedd, douta vur hesini! Boss no cave nomenes ias udoka svaust jahen dedding ini sending, eligne kitch hall! Gruumsh ui lotoc mrith nomeno! Jaka origato ve go! Si mi go jaka!! Tir ti kill ve!!!" the kobold seems to grow increasingly agitated towards the last few sentences, almost screaming them at Hoss, and his muscles tensing as if preparing to run. And indeed at the end of 'tir ti kill ve" Jakk finally bolts for the outside!

(Instead of an aoo Hoss gets a full-round action to react since the kobold's actions were obvious to him (he is half-prone though which I rule to take up 15 feet of movement), Desmond can take his readied action to fire his missile.)

[OMG PONIES]

The Blackstone Siblings

Desmond sighs and mutters, "Frakking runner...of course," before loosing the arrow he had prepared for an instance such as this. The arrow misses wildly and skitters down the hallway while Desmond curses his own luck and the foolishness of his companions for not killing the greasy bastards on sight. Meanwhile, his sister is unaware of this and asks Gumnar "What does weasel taste like?"

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Hazzardevil]

Hoss gets up from half-prone and sprints after the kobold for the whole round.
Double move action, doubled because of running, minus 15 ft for getting up. He manages to run 65 ft after Jakk.

[Mellhurst]

Wearing heavy armor Hoss is not quite able to catch up with Jakk, keeping pace a few steps behind him (15 ft) and the the pursuer and the pursued emerge out in the sunlight. Dodging in between boulders that leads down the valley Jakk eschews the safer route that leads down the valley in favor of sliding down a steep ravine leading down to the eastern rivery valley, in hope of losing his pursuers.
Hoss (and Desmond whom catches up at this point if desiresd) catch up with Jakk at the moment the kobold disappears off the side of the cliff face with a yelp. Looking carefully down the sixty degree decline the adventurer/s spot Jakk running downwards clumsily before losing control and tumbling downwards violently before coming to a stop as he crashes into a boulder, some 120 feet away.
From the vantage point it is unclear whether the kobold is dead yet, though apparently unconcious you can not spot any obvious wounds.

Any adventurers (as Jakk is incapacitated anyone can make it there in time to make the following attempts) may climb down after Jakk, using either climb or balance against a DC of 10 (both ways) to reach the kobold (a failed check will result in continous 1d6 damage per round till a successful check is made (unconcious checks are made at -5) and additional checks to climb back up. Rope may be used to connect multiple climbers (if the first loses control the second climber can stop their tumble at a DC of 15 or be pulled along).
Any adventurers may use missiles or thrown weapons to finish off Jakk if he is alive/use the corpse as target practice. The kobold is unconcious and thus an easy target, but is benefiting from cover, a prone position and range.

[Party Rewarded 150 XP for successful interrogation.]

[+1 Balance/Climb competence bonus for the skill used by any character that reaches the kobold.]

[Hazzardevil]

Jozan starts making his way out of the cave hearing what is going on.

Hoss begins climbing down the slope.

Climb
1d20+
Balance
[roll0]

[Mellhurst]

Making his way down the dangerously steep slope, Hoss finally reaches Jakk. [Hoss gains 1 competence point in balance!] The kobold is still breathing.

Having finished his rations Klaus makes it to the cliffside with Jozan, and reacts with considerable shock upon seeing the cleric a considerable way down, attempting to save the kobold. "We need rope!" he exclaims to the others. "One wrong move and he'll tumble down another length!"

"STAY RIGHT THERE!" he shouts down to the cleric. A while later the guardsman returns from the mine, having fetched a quarter of the 800 feet of rope from the storage room. After fastening the top end to a boulder and the other end to a small-sized rock to better throw it Klaus and Desmond sling the rope down to Hoss who able to use it to climb back up safely.

"We have two prisoners now." he says, unlimbering the sack with the other, still unconcious kobold, from his back. "What shall we do after interrogating them? Perhaps I should travel to the village to find someone who speaks draconic? If I travel in haste I may be able to return sometime after sundown, which will give you time to rest and recuperate your divine and arcane abilities."

(yes, I forgot you guys looted 800 ft. of rope. On the other hand, high-risk climbing is the ultimate teacher!)

[OMG PONIES]

The Blackstone Siblings

Desmond sighs and rolls his eyes. "All this conversation about how to NOT kill a few pests? Do you lament the fate of a housefly like this? I say we kill them both. No muss, no fuss."

Meanwhile, back in the mess hall, Samantha's curiosity is piqued by the loose stone in the fireplace. She searches around the stone, attempting to decipher whether it is a trap or a hiding place. She wonders who would bother to trap a fireplace, but then remembers she's dealing with kobolds--it was often better to wonder why something hadn't been trapped when they were involved.

[roll0] to look for traps/hidden compartments.
[roll1] to disable any traps

[Mellhurst]

(using PMd intents (and overriding a few actions to speed things up))

As they decide that Klaus should travel back to hire an interpreter the guardsman fishes a ring with two keys hanging from it, handing it to Hoss he looks darkly at Desmond. "You can do as you wish with the cleric's captive if he allows it, but the other one is under my protection."

As the conversation occurs Samantha begins the process of uncovering the loose stone back at the mess hall as the dwarf chows down on his meal, crunching through bones and smacking his lips appreciatively. The fighter watches her inquisitively, observing her method of searching. Samantha pushes away most of the embers with one of the shortspears and douses the rest with the soup from the bowls left unturned.
Underneath the now extinguished fire she finds a small strongbox with a lock in it.
While wondering how to unlock her discovery Desmond and Hoss return to the mess hall with their two prisoners, informing them that Klaus has left for the village. Remembering the marksman who shot her Samantha asks for the keys the guardsman recovered from the grasp of their dead foe, and Hoss hands them to her. One of the keys being obviously too large, but perhaps a fit for the storage room door, Samantha tries and successfuly unlocks the little strongbox with the second, tiny key. Inside the box she finds several pieces of official-looking pages of paper, on top of which rests one hundred and twentyfive gold coins and two stoppered glass flasks of alchemist's fire, though the glass looks unusually thin, as if designed to crack and spill easily.
The documents include a map of the mine and a list of wages owed for the week and to whom, the sum of which matches the 125 gold pieces.

(I'll need some time to prepare the rest of the map and write Klaus' return with another NPC (he made the check :).)

[Mellhurst]

Map of the Mines (unmodified, 10x10 feet hexes)

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/1741/burningplaguemapclean.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/3/burningplaguemapclean.png/)

The center area further down the mines show where the mining activity is going on, in particular the southern and western face are shored up with a number of structures (I'll fill this in tomorrow (as well as some details of this post in general)) and the hall is filled with large stalagmites. The area east of the central cavern looks like it's been roughly sketched by the same pen responsible for the earlier sections of the map, whereas the northwest ridge of the central mining area that leads further in northwest hat looks like it's been scribbled in recently with charcoal.

[Mellhurst]

OOC (also unspoilered in OOC thread): Also spoilered in the IC thread: Dear Players, given how much time I use on the internet and an impulsive personality I believe the only way I can use the internet for work-related matters without succumbing to temptation is to go completely cold turkey on all social activities and entertainment on the internet (I will be signing off permanently from this forum in a few minutes, but you can reach me by [email protected] if there's anything). I am very sorry! Thank you for playing with me in our game. It was fun :), and actually lasted for a couple of combats. If there is anything I learnt it's to get good players like you guys, and to consider a PBeM instead of PBF (I've seen a lot of impressive campaigns use their emails) and to consider IM, though that would not be possible for everyone!
For your curiosity and reference if needed: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/BurningPlague.pdf (I bumped up the encounter and treasure levels by 50% but you guys still fared well! :)
(I'd say something about mapping, but I believe you guys very likely have more efficient approaches, despite the effort I made with maps per player turn. Wish I'd known Excel. ;)
Oh, and the module doesn't take place in any specific geographic or cultural context as it's generic (except for some religious context which can be easily adapted), so it can be used for any campaign.)

Once again, sorry. And doubly so: thanks for playing, I really enjoyed your characters!

Sincere Regards,
- John YSC Groenvold/Mellhurst