Stepping Stones

[jedipotter]

Welcome to the Stepping Stones Game Thread!








Wiki: http://the-realm-of-wonder.wikia.com/wiki/The_Realm_of_Wonder_Wiki

[jedipotter]

Centuries ago, dwarfkind emerged from obscurity and built a sprawling civilization for itself. Yet even within it, monsters gnaw at it, hiding in dark corners, raiding small villages, and even mingling in it in broad daylight.

The kingdom of Stonhjem was one of them. A bright gem of a kingdom, where the mountains themselves were covered in so many gems that they shinned brightly when the sunlight hit them.

But it was not to last.....


A orc invasion force comes and destroys it. The brave warriors fall before the hail of magical fire from their legendary implements of destruction. The orcs complete their carnage calmly and without remorse, killing warriors and non-combatants alike. Few survive the fall. Most that do were simply not there at the time, traveling or trading or on the march elsewhere. Few handfuls of dwarves make it out of the kingdom alive, with little more then what they can carry.





Myarros Rannyth, half elf bard, first light scroll, taken down 830 DR

[jedipotter]

Shrine to Clanggedin Located high on a peak in the Crow Mountains, just east of the desert of Anauroch. The shrine is deep inside a mountain peak. The only way in, other then magic or flight, is to climb the side of the mountain. The shrine is little more then a connected set of three caves.

[ProudGrognard]

Shrine to Clanggedin Located high on a peak in the Crow Mountains, just east of the desert of Anauroch. The shrine is deep inside a mountain peak. The only way in, other then magic or flight, is to climb the side of the mountain. The shrine is little more then a connected set of three caves.

I really want to post, but what was the vision? Clanggedin appearing in his delirious state, I guess, and say what? I ask only because it directly concerns what he is to do next.If I may offer some suggestions:

- A location to visit "Go there and you will find answers'
-Someone to meet "See in his delirium a face and know who he is"
-A quest to undertake "Bring here This and I will grant you the knowledge you desire"

[jedipotter]

Oh, I thought you had a vision already to go with your story. You want to back track to the vision itself?

[jedipotter]

Vision The air around you gets blurry and hot, then suddenly a massive twelve foot tall dwarf is standing right in front of you. He has on gold plate armor, and has two axes, one silver and one gold on his back. "Far away be your one true home. Far away, never roam. Far way, far to see, is where it will be. Ask the axe stone and follow it's sound down into the ground and find your way home.

The giant dwarf fades away......and floating in his place is a transparent dwarf in gray robes'

"Great Rocks, that sure was a helm full of words, eh?" says the dwarf.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk had been fasting for days near the shrine, on water and deep mushrooms. Every hour of every day, he had been praying over and over. By now, his mind had been emptied of all other thoughts, since he knew that time was in short supply. If by the end of the twelve day he had not received guidance, his petition would have been denied.

But he never actually expected the appearance of Clanggedin. And certainly not of the floating transparent dwarf after. Kadmuk 's face is an almost comic mixture of confusion, reverence and surprise, He performs the double obeisance before getting up. Strangely his tiredness is gone.

"That was Him? Clanggedin Himself? Great Forge!

I must find the axe stone. What is an axe stone? And who are you?

I need an ale".

Kadmuk takes out his axe and leans on it. This was getting confusing.

Dwarf history check [roll0]

[jedipotter]

Fultdan AxefistI'm Fultdan Axefist, ah, Doghihrarok. If ye must be so tradintalist.

And, yep, that was the big guy himself. Quite a sight.

I'm your Undint Mizpal, your spirit guide.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

As Kadmuk recovers from the shock, his face takes his usual frown.

"An Undint Mizpal? I have only heard of such persons. I guess I am honored. So, will you help me decipher this vision? Where is this axe stone? What is an axe stone?"

[jedipotter]

Fultdan Axefist "I'm a guide, not an oracle. I don't know it all. This is a journey not just to find the Hold, it is also to find you. And your not the first, or the third or the twentieth. And they all failed. Maybe you won't.





I put this in the last post, but it did not show up?

Axe Stone Azul Strrokn- a large flat table sized stone, often a soft stone like limestone or shale. Used in rituals where dwarves tap the stone to indicate the truth. For more serious matters the tone will be hit with the axe, and the depth in shows the dwarfs strength, determination and blessing by Clanggedin. The deeper the better. Should your axe break it great shame.

Often used to ''speak at the axe stone'', where two or more dwarfs touch the stone with their axes. Anything said is secret and private. It ma not be used for gossip, but my be used for important things(you could report a crime you learned of, for example)

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk bows low at that, realizing that he has not greeted his guide properly. It was important to maintain tradition.

"Honor to you and to your clan, Fultdan Axefist. I need to find my axe stone, that is clear. Would you perhaps any suggestions on that? Should I try here or back in the Five Mountains?"

[jedipotter]

Fultdan Axefist "You don't need to do all that. I'm hardly worth it. I'm not sent from on high you know. I'm lucky to get a scrap from the trash out behind the Hall of Clanggedin. I'm here as I'm more like you. Worse. Well, was worse then you are now, anyway.



Sounds a bit like your suggestion is you asking what to do, but it is expected. I'm from the Great Mountain, right? So i know everything. By the stones, why don't I just tell you where Stonhjem is located.

I hope you understand that it does not work like that.....it can't work like that. You can't build a mine without the proper supports. The journey is just as important as finding it. Your journey. And your chosen as your you, so it does not really work unless you take the lead. Make sense?

But is should be ovbious that you won't find and long gray beards or rune stones or maps at any dwarven hold. 'Cause if they existed, then any empty headed dwarf would have found the place years ago."

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk bows long this time, his beard almost touching the floor. In his eyes, there is a new respect. He was being schooled and he was wise enough to understand it.

"You are a true Undinth Mizpal, Fultdan Axefist. I leave your company a wiser man. I believe I will follow your advice.

I need to become better. I need to become wiser. And I need to never wander, as He Himself said.

So I believe I will go back to the source. I know now that a road is there to take. I will go back to where I found this rune axe. Somehow, something from my home ended in the deep caverns of the Five Mountains. I will go there and search for my road."

Kadmuk bows once more and starts collecting his staff. When he finds a nice secluded spot, away from the sacred shrine, he creates a fire and prepares to eat. He must restore his strength. And then, he has a journey to start.

[jedipotter]

MAP

http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/intheshadows/maps/11185





Your tribe lives in the Giantspire Mountains.

The shrine is in the Galena Mountains(also called the Crow Mountains)

You served guard of the kingdom of Tethyamar (Located in the northern Desertsmouth Mountains) the ''five mountains''?

[ProudGrognard]

As I see it, Kadmuk has to get to Glitter and then follow the road to Melvaunt, Dagger fall and so on, up to Tethyamar (Let 's just say that the Dwarves call it Five Mountains, from the nearby range). I do not know what these places are and how far that is. Presumably, this is how he came, so he would know.

Being a dwarf, he will look for employment, perhaps acting as a caravan guard or anything else that would get him a job moving west.

[jedipotter]

You get a bit of distance from the shrine, in the pure wilds of the Crow Mountains. As true to the name, the mountains are full of crows. Not just normal birds, but several giant size ones as well. And while the crows are just about everywhere in the sky and on the ground, they don't bother you.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk continuously scans the area. He had a long way to go to reach the first town. He keeps a lookout for places to rest, for water and for any possible dangers.

Perception [roll0]
Survival [roll1]

How far to the next town? What does he know of it?

[jedipotter]

You don't see anything in the immediate area that could be a threat, other then some of the (horse sized) giant crows. Though the crows ignore you, but keep a watch on your location.

You don't find any water as you move, and go good places to rest.



Ilinvur is the closest town, back tracking along the way you came. Across and down the Crow Mountains, into the foothills, and then down into the grasslands of the Ride.

Ilinvur is a small mining town, that sends all it's goods mostly east and south. They are always looking for an extra out rider or two to guard the wagons. The town is mostly human and lupins(dog-folk), with a small mix of other races. The town is ''rough'', being mostly miners and services for them.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk decides to push on, until he finds either a suitable location or the town. Darkness is no problem for his dwarven eyes and it will not be the first time that he has marched all through the day, He has food and more importantly, water. This will suffice.

How far is the next town? If it is more that 24 hrs away, then another set of rolls

Perception [roll0]
Survival [roll1]

[jedipotter]

You can push on through the day and night. The ''forced march'' is little problem for you. It several hours of walking acroos the rocky ground, then down into the more dirt filled foothills, then to the grasslands.

Once in the grasslands you have no problem finding several nice cool mountain streams and plenty of fruit bushes and even some large clusters of rabbits. You have little problem getting water and fruits and even catching a rabbit as you move along.



It is close to a day of travel (16 hours or so), but it brings you to the town of Ilinvur, just a little before midnight.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk watched the town get bigger as he approaches. He does not like human cities specifically, but even this rough town is better than sleeping in the road. He approaches the gate, waiting for the inevitable challenge. Now, was there an dwarven inn here?

Kadmuk will try and find an inn to sleep, eat and wash. If there is one run by a dwarf, he will go there, even if the quality is worse. Tomottow, he will try to find if a caravan is heading his way and try to hire as a guard. If not, he will try to find a dwarf to network, and ask if any jobs need doing that way. If all fails, he will just go on tomorrow.

How far to the next town?

[jedipotter]

The twon is layed out in the typical messy human fashion, at random. There is no gate or walls, but are a couple sets of earthen mounds all around the town. Plenty of watch fires and guards are around, but all seems quiet. The town has a couple ''inn''s, though that is hardly the word for them as they are simple barn-like places where everyone sleeps in the same large room for just a silver coin a night.

The guards take note of you, but don't show much intrest in a lone dwarf walking into town.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk tries to find one such place run by a dwarf. If none is available, he just sleeps into the one nearest the market, hoping he can find a caravan going his way and hire himself.

He also makes sure he eats a big meal, accompanied with plentiful ale in the morning.

[jedipotter]

'The Gold Inn' has room available....that is room on the fur covered hardwood floor in the main room. For just a silver coin.

Breakfast is a hearty meat stew, also a silver coin, but it is all you can eat. Ale is four coppers a mug.

About when most are done eating a human in black leathers calls out for wagon guards to the Keep. Paying one gold a day, plus food, bring your own weapons.


The caravan goes to Zenthil Keep, along the road next to The Ride, to the Citadel of the Raven, and across the dragonspine mountains. You only need to go to the citadel, as Tethymar is west of there...

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

is almost done wipping his mouth with his beard, in proper dwarven fashion, when the human comes. Downing his second ale, he goes to speak with the human. The caravan was going his way and a gold was not bad.

"I am Kadmuk. I have been a Border Guard in what you call Tathymar for a long time. I would join your company"

[jedipotter]

Kazin Daygone "I'm Kazin Daygone. You look like a good enough fighter. And you can see in the dark too, yes? Always a plus. Your hired. We leave in a couple hours, just before noon. Just look for the wagons with the black and red flags with the three silver circles."

A mix of other humans and lupins also sign on with Kazin. You don't see any dwarves anywhere around in town.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk nods. Having eaten, he goes for a small rest before leaving tomorrow. He manages to get some hours of sleep before leaving.

Just before noon, he is by the wagons, packed and ready to leave. He goes searching for Kazin.

"I am here. Where do you want me posted?"

Kadmuk has some suggestions on that. But no dwarven soldier would suggest to his superior without being asked to.

[jedipotter]

Kazin Daygone nods as he sees you walk over, "Ah yes. Your post will be wagon ten. You can ride and sleep during the day, but we will need your eyes at night when we camp. That gives you the sundown to sunup shift."

He points out a large wooden wagon with a ''10'' marked on the side. Thick leather tarps cover the cargo in the back, with a wide seat up front. An older human male already sits in the seat, holding the horses lines.

"Any questions?"

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

"No questions. I am going to my station now."

Bowing very slightly he goes to take his assigned position. Climbing up to the cart, he nods at the driver.

"I am Kadmuk. I am a guard here. My shift starts at night. I have been told I can sleep in the morning.

If you have no objections, I will do so now. I have this cord tied to my hand. If you need anything, yank it and I will be by your side"

After the driver introduces himself and if no objections come by, Kadmuk will go get the rest of his sleep, waking up only for food. He plans to be up well before darkness.

[jedipotter]

Alphonse Wolfborn "I be Alphonse Wolfborn, welcome on board." says the older human as you get up and on the wagon.

Within the hour the wagons move out. Thirteen wagons total, eleven with cargo, one food wagon at the rear and the master wagon at the front. It is a very bumpy ride on the dirt road. Each wagon has a driver and guard, plus six guards on horse back, and two scouts.

The next couple of days you settle in: Sleeping from sunup to midday or so. Awake from midday to sunset riding on the wagon, on guard duty from sunset to sunrise once the camp is made.


On the 4th night out, about an hour before sunset just as camp is being set up, Kazin Daygone comes over to you. "We might have a problem. The scouts chased off a couple of orcs just as we set up camp. The orcs ran into a hole over that way. I'm concerned having an orc hole so close to the camp. For all i know there could be a hundred orcs down that hole, ready to come up. I was thinking you could go down the hole, seeing in the dark and all, and check. Maybe kill and orcs you find. Give you a ten gold bonus?"

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk only slightly mules over the decision. After all, this is why he was here. The 10 gold were not too much, but the orcs could also have some things worth keeping.

"This is fair. I will go down. Are you in agreement with standard practice of keeping what I find? I might have to come up in a hurry, so some scouts with arrows ready would be a good thing for the caravan."

Kadmuk 's common was rusty, but they seem to be coming back to him. He makes sure he has all his weapons, and takes out his axe and his throwing axe.

"I am ready. Where is the hole?"

[jedipotter]

Kazin Daygone "Keep what you kill, naturally."

The two mounted scouts each have bows, and lead you off into the grasslands south of the camp. After a couple minutes they move into some grassy hills, and then down to the base of a hill....where you see a hole. You can see the hole goes back a good ten feet, then makes a sharp turn to the left. The hole is empty of anything you can see.

The scouts set up and hide in the grass across from the hole.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk knows that moving silently is not something he is good at. Nevertheless, he tries as he approaches the hole. Near the entrance, he kneels and looks for signs and tracks. At this, he was much better. Making an almost inaudible grunting, dismissing sound, he then goes in the whole, his eyes open.

So. Stealth [roll0]
Survival for tracks [roll1]
Perception [roll2]

And then he goes in. Perception is for going in, for traps etc.

[jedipotter]

There are plenty of tracks in the soft dirt and mud in front of the hole and going inside it. Lots of wide boot prints with no heels and pointy toes clearly made out of furs patched together. Classic surface orc footware. There are plenty of small round holes in the ground where something, most likely a stick or more likely a spear was pushed in as the orc walked.

About five feet in the hole the ground is covered with bones. Lots of animal bones, mostly some types of herd animal bones...you can see several cow skulls. While not exactly a trap, the bones are sure to make a nice noise if stepped on. It is no problem to move past the bones at half speed and not step on any

The stench of orc skin/sweat/flesh is quite strong once you get past the bones and up to the sharp turn.


[roll0]


Just around the bend, five feet down the next passage, is a single orc with a spear. He stands leaning against the wall, looking down. He does not seem to notice you at all.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk
HP 37 AC18

Kadmuk eyes the orc with an almost malevolent glee. He has fought orcs for a long time. Suddenly, he springs, axe raised and he leaps at the orc.


Charge, Power Attack against the orc. Also, the Hatred racial ability is in effect, yes? Atk [roll0] dmg [roll1]
If this is a surprise round and then the next round follows, then again PA Atk [roll2] dmg [roll3], AC 16

If the orc falls, Kadmuk will try to catch it, so that it doesn't make any noise.

[jedipotter]

The orc barley has enough time to open his eyes wide as your axe blade cuts deep into it's mouth and throat. The orc does not even make a sound as it dies, still slumped against the wall. It drops it's spear, but it hardly makes a soft 'thump' in the dirt.

The orc has a waterskin, A Camouflage Kit, a spear, a hand axe, a dagger, and a fur pouch with six sliver coins.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

...holds the orc up to be sure it is dead. He takes the dagger, the hand axe, the kit and the pouch. He then puts his down with his spear, to seem asleep from a distance. Satisfied, he goes deeper in.

[jedipotter]

The tunnel moves to the left and to the right and then widens into a round fifteen foot or so 'room', with two more tunnels leading out of it. This room has a couple wooden crates, and lots of broken chunks of wood. Three hairy orcs lounge on the crates watching a small painting hanging on the wall. The panting shows a waterfall, and is animated with sights and sounds as if real...clearly with magic.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk
HP 37 AC18, 16 for a round due to charge

Three opponents. This was going to be tougher. He had to level the odds as quickly as possible. He charges as quickly as possible, to the one nearest the exit.

Again PA charge [roll0] dmg [roll1]
Initiative [roll2]
Atk PA next round to a different orc of the first is dead.
[roll3] dmg [roll4]

[jedipotter]

The orcs are all surprised as you rush into the room....and behead the orc by the exit. Their surprise only lasts a second as they grab their clubs and attack.


Initiative [roll0]
Orc 1 [roll1] [roll2]
Orc 2 [roll3] [roll4]



Round 1 The orcs react slow....but still faster then you. Both orcs swing their clubs....and don't even come close to hitting you. You swing and attack, killing another orc and sending another orc head rolling along the ground.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Pressing the advantage, Kadmuk turns to the final orc, lest it escapes. He wants to shout his clan's battlecry, but he cannot.

PA [roll0] dmg [roll1]

[jedipotter]

The last orc in the room half raises his club, but your strike is too fast.....and a second latter the third orc is dead.

The cave is suddenly quiet around you, other then the sounds you make. There are two tunnels out of this room (three counting the one you came in that goes up to the surface). Both tunnels look the same, and both have sharp turns at about ten feet.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk searches quietly the dead orcs for anything worth keeping. He also (tries to) take the moving picture. Then, he goes to listen in the corridors. If both are silent or both indicate presence, he goes to the left one.

Perception [roll0] and [roll1]

[jedipotter]

Each orc has a club, a waterskin, a bone knife and a fur pouch(so three total of each). Plus one hand axe, eight wax candles, fifty feet of rope, two flasks of dark black sirup-like liquid, a signal whistle, one climbers kit, and three scrolls. And a total of 37 copper coins, three silver coins and one gold coin.





Both tunnels are equally quiet. So you head to the left one. It twists and turns into a couple sharp turns, just like the other tunnels. The tunnel drops down several feet, and then widens into a room. The room is roughly twenty by twenty and has several piles of hay, grass, torn clothing and feathers. Three wooden chests are in the center of the room, two are closed, and the third is full of rotting fruit. There is no other way out of this room.

A single orc is in this room, sitting on one of the piles. He is quite shocked when he sees you

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk
HP 37 AC 18

Kadmuk looks at the orc for a split second and tells him, almost in conversation

"Fire. Fire and steel."

And with this, he springs into action, sending his axe for the orc.

Charge PA [roll0] dmg [roll1] AC 16 for a round

[jedipotter]

The orc has little time to do anything but blink, as you behead the orc and send it's body to the ground. The orc had a club, knife, 2 tanglefoot bags, a signal whistle, three flasks of a yellow honey-like substance, and a fur pouch with 33 copper coins, 11 silver coins, and 3 gold coins.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk collects the pouch, the flasks and the tanglefoot bags. He then tries to see if the chests are locked or trapped. If not, he tries to open them.

Perception [roll0]

[jedipotter]

You don't see any obvious traps on either chest, but both chests are locked.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

searches the room for a key. If he doesn't find one, he tries to open the chests with his crowbar. If that doesn't work, he shrugs and moves to the other hallway. He can always come back to get them.

[jedipotter]

Attempting to Smash open a chest with a crowbar is a Strength check. One for each chest. Crowbar: A crowbar grants a +2 circumstance bonus on Strength checks made to force open a door or chest.

[ProudGrognard]

I should have rolled them of course...

Str check 1 [roll0]
Str check 2 [roll1]

[jedipotter]

Both chests are strong and sturdy, you do not break into either one with the crowbar.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

... grunts from the effort but then shrugs. He will come and take them later. Since there is no other door here, he moves back to take the other corridor.

[jedipotter]

The other tunnel slopes downward as it turns to the right, then left, then back to the right. Just after the right turn the tunnel widens into ten feet wide and twenty feet long cavern, and at the end is a bone and hide door guarded by two zombie orcs. Each zombie orc is wearing spiked hide armor and have battle axes. The zombie orcs turn their heads in your direction, but they don't move from standing directly in front of the door.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk makes the sign of the forge as he sees the abominations. Whoever they were guarding, it would not be someone easy to take. And he certainly did not have the advantage of surprise.

So, they only decision to make was whether charging or throwing was in order.

Throwing. He could use the time.

Kadmuk takes out one of his heavy throwing axes. With a grunt, he sends flying at the zombie nearest to him.

Here we go. Atk [roll0] dmg [roll1]

[jedipotter]

Your axe zips through the air and strikes the zombie. With a thunk it slams into the zombies chest. Rotten flesh and gops of blood flow from the wound, but the zombie does not notice.


Round 1



[roll0]
[roll1]

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk
HP 37 AC18

The fight was on. Kadmuk, again only muttering his warcry springs towards the zombies, charging with all his might. He targets the one already hit.

Initiative [roll0]
Charge PA [roll1] dmg [roll2]
AC 16 for one round

[jedipotter]

You rush forward and hit the already damaged zombie a solid blow....and it falls to the ground much like the dead body it is...

The second zombie, moving much faster then a normal slow zombie should, takes a five foot step and attacks! Swinging it's battle axe...



[roll0]

[roll1]

The zombie scores a good hit to your shoulder......and an cold chill spreads from the axe blade into your wound......
Roll a Will save

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk
AC18 Hp31

Kadmuk growls as the axe hits him. He can feel the unnatural chill spread at the wound. He marshals against the pain and uses the opening to attack the zombie himself.

PA [roll0] dmg [roll1]
Will [roll2]+ 3 if poison or magic.

Wow, bad rolls!

[jedipotter]

The axe sets itself in the wound and does not come out. You also feel a bit of your strength slip away.


The effect is magic, of course, so you get your plus.....not that it helpped...

That is one point of strength damage


Your attack misses the zombie...


[roll0]

[roll1]




Zombie hits! And another save...

The bone and hide door opens, and two orcs poke thier heads out to see what is causing all the noise. They don't take another action.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk
HP 22+6 AC16 Rage rnd1

Kadmuk pulls the axe with all his strength, as he gets hit with quite a bit of strength. The situation was getting serious. Calling in his deep reserves of strength, he growls "Fire! Fire and steel"!

So. Entering rage. Will save [roll0]
PA atk at the zombie [roll1] dmg [roll2]

[ProudGrognard]

Also just remembered thar dmg and attack should be +1 due to Hatred.
Confirming critical [roll0] extra dmg [roll1]

[jedipotter]

The zombie falls into a pile of body parts.

One orc steps into the room, drawing two hand axes and advances towards you


The other orc closes the bone and hide door over the cave with a loud thump....



[roll0]

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk
HP 22+6 AC16 Rage rnd 2/13

Deep into his rage focused mindset, Kadmuk barely registers the other orc leaving. A part of his mind knows that, whatever is behind the door, is now preparing.

But now, the only thing in his vision are the two orcs alive in front of him. He targets the newcomer.

PA dmg [1d12+9

[ProudGrognard]

Damage reroll if that was a hit [roll0]

Again, forgot to add 1 to atk and dmg. Sorry!

[jedipotter]

The first orc dies without a whimper, the second swings his hand axe



[roll0]
[roll1]




The orc misses

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk
HP 22+6 AC16 Rg 3/13

Kadmuk sees that the tide is turning again in his favor. He growls a mighty grunt as he again swings his terrible axe at the last living orc.

PA [roll0] dmg [roll1]
Next turn he ends his rage. His Optimist trait lets it linger for [roll2] rnds more.

EDIT: I don't think the orc will survive that. Kadmuk will wait for the fatigue to pass (3 rnds) and loot the bodies. Then he will listen at the door. Take 10 to perception for 17

[jedipotter]

Loot: two sets of hide armor, two sets of spiked hide armor, six hand axes, two daggers, three battle axes, three flasks of brown liquid(tawny-colored, earthy odor/taste, bubbling, cloudy appearance), six flasks of thick honey-like liquid, 11 gold coins and 33 silver coins.


Listing at the door is quiet, other then a slight rustle of air.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk makes a bundle of all the looted items, securing the strange potions and the money on his person. The rest, he will collect on the way back. Perhaps he can sell them to the caravan master and have the liquids identified.

After listening for some seconds, and with his fatigue passed he opens the door suddenly, to surprise whoever is behind it.

[jedipotter]

Not too unsurprisingly, the door does not open when you pull on the handle. There is nothing like a key hole or lock on the door that you can see, but something on the other side of the door is obviously keeping the door from moving. Maybe a bar or latch on the other side.

The door is made out of lots of bones tied together with sinew, ropes and leather straps and covered in lots of thick solid hides. The door is set into a framework that is set into the top, bottom and sides of the tunnel. The door and frame are solid, with no holes to look through. The work is about of average quality, though not neat or nice to look at. The door is at least as solid as a normal wooden door.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk takes out his trusted crowbar and tries to force the door open. If that does not work, he takes one of the looted axes and gets to work on the door.

Strength check take 20 for 25. If not possible [roll0]

[jedipotter]

You can take 20 on an ability check, it just takes 20 times as long (2 minutes)



With your crowbar you force the door open and break it off of it's hinges over the course of two minutes....but finnaly the door is open.

Beyond the door is another tunnel, and about ten feet in the tunnel from the door, the whole tunnel is filled with thick greenish smoke making sight beyond impossible. The smoke is think and moves around, but does not move at all from where it is in the tunnel....sitting in place quite unnaturally.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk breaks the door with his axe ready, prepared to face a number of opponents. But this unnatural cloud gives him pause.

Magic. That was usually it.

Well, as his god dictates, sometimes a careful offense is the answer. He takes out one of the looted hand axes and sends it flying within the cloud. And then another.

Targeting the first obscured square. And then the next. He has four of them, so if nothing hits, he will charge through the cloud.
Atk1 [roll0] dmg [roll1]
Atk2 [roll2] dmg [roll3]
Atk3 [roll4] dmg [roll5]
Atk4 [roll6] dmg [roll7]

[jedipotter]

Your axes fly into the cloud, mostly hitting the walls of the tunnel (that obviously makes a turn like all the other tunnels.) But one of your axes...hit's something with a yelp.

Out of the cloud comes a four foot tall, green skinned humanoid. It is bare skinned and naked, with short stubby legs and long arms and claws. It screams and small fly-like bugs zip out of it's mouth at you. There is no would from your axe on it's skin that you can see...

Round 1



[roll0]

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk
HP 22 AC 18 (16 for one round)

Kadmuk watches the monstrosity with disgust. Wanted to play games? He shouts

"Fire! Fire and steel!"

... and leaps at the thing, his axe in a deadly circle.

Initiative [roll0]
Charge PA [roll1] dmg [roll2]

[jedipotter]

Your axe swing misses the humanoid, but only by a hair.

Alll the fly-like bugs from it's mouth hit you in the chest. Each explodes in a flash of black light leaving a bit of black goo. Roll a Will save vs. a magical effect.

[ProudGrognard]

Will save [roll0]

Attack if possible next turn [roll]1d20+7[/roll dmg [roll1]

[ProudGrognard]

Second try because the board is acting funny[roll0]

[jedipotter]

The effect washes over you and for a moment you get an odd feeling, but then in quickly passes and your uneffected.


Round 2 The humanoid acts first, and goes to claw and bite at you....


[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]

It hits with a single claw for 2 damage to you.



Your attack hits and you cut a gash across the side of the humanoid that drips yellow blood.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk
HP 21 AC 18


Kadmuk just barely manages to avoid getting hit by blocking with his axe and shifting his stance. He gets clawed a bit, but this gives him time for a counterattack.

Atk PA [roll0] dmg [roll1]

[jedipotter]

The claw hit kocks you off balance more then you thought....your axe swing does not even come close.

The humanoid just leaps at you again, claws and teeth out....


[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]

One claw hit:damage 5


One of it's claws rakes into your flesh, a bit deeper then the last claw hit

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk
HP 17 AC 18

Kadmuk fights on without a grunt as the thing 's claws rake him again. He steps back and then suddenly pivots, his axe again going for the thing 's spine.

PA [roll0] dmg [roll1]

Edit: Bad luck

[jedipotter]

Your fights with the orcs must have tired you out more then you knew, as your swings are slow and off target.

Seeing your weakness, the humanoid gets a nasty gleam in it's eyes and drools.....and leaps to attack with glee


[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]


One claw hit for five damage...no crit


One claw rakes you again...

[jedipotter]

Rolling to confirm the possible crit with the first claw......


[roll0]

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk
HP 13 AC 18

Kadmuk is getting hit again and again, as his swings get unbalanced. The blood loss is starting to tell. He tries once again, with a feint and a low swing. If that does not work again, he will have to take drastic measures.

PA atk [roll0] dmg [roll1]

Would it be possible to try and identify the flasks by taste? If he survives the fight!

[jedipotter]

The humanoid falls for your feint and dodges......right into your axe swing. With a sharp thunk, your axe goes deep into it's head. It stumbles for a moment, then falls to the floor. As soon as the body hits the floor it starts to pour out black smoke and crumbles into a pile of black ooze....and just seconds later the smoke and ozze is gone like it was never there.



Well, you can sure taste something to see what it tastes like, though that does not help identify it too much. While any liquid can be kept in a flask, in general, you only keep drinkable liquids in a flask....but you could keep, say poison, in a flask. You can't really tell if a substance is mundane, alchemical or magical by sight or taste without some skill in doing so.

Of course, the Old School method works.....you can just drink it. The vast majority of mundane and alchemical substances won't hurt you too much, but some will. And if one is magic, you will be effected by it....and mostly that is a good thing, though not always helpful.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk stops to catch his breath and staunch his wounds as much as he can. This battle did not go so well. He must identify the flasks he got but the middle of the dungeon is not a good place.

With a grunt, he shakes his head and moves on.

Well, the ideal thing would be to get someone to identify them. To drink it and just hope for the best is not a good idea right now. So, onwards. If Kadmuk does not see the end of the tunnel in the next fight or so, he will just head back. He must have done enough damage already.

[jedipotter]

The tunnel ahead is still full of the thick greenish smoke........did you just want to walk through it?

[ProudGrognard]

Since there is no other way, this is what Kadmuk will do. He will run through it, holding his breath. He will pick the axes if and when it dissipates.

[jedipotter]

You rush into the cloud of green smoke.......and nothing happens. Other then the thick green smoke blocks your vision, it has no other effect that you can see or feel. You can even breathe normally, in the cloud. It only take you a bit to kick around and find the axes on the ground.


The tunnel goes onward another thirty feet, then turns to the left. The green smoke ends right at the turn, and stays floating in just that part of the tunnel. After the left turn, the tunnel slopes downward at a sharp angle. The tunnel ends at a cavern entrance. The entrance is covered by several ropes hung from the top and tied all up with bones making a ''curtain'' of sorts. It looks easy enough to push through but you can't see what is on the other side.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk knows he has one more good fight in him, perhaps two. For no reason at all, he remembers what his spirit guide told him.


It is the journey that counts. And when has a dwarf walked away from danger when underground?


So, Kadmuk strains to hear anything behind the curtain. And then, if he hears nothing, he goes in.

Perception [roll0]

[jedipotter]

It is all quiet beyond the curtain of bones....

Beyond is a large cavern, it is about fifty feet high and about thirty feet long. The floor of the room is only a ten by ten square. Two large crude stone staircases lead up to a earthen platform about thirty feet above the entrance.

Two orcs, each with several spears stands about midway on the stone stairs, around fifteen feet above the entrance. At the top edge of the cliff stand three orcs looking down. Two female orcs and one large male orc all in spiked hide armor(much like the zombies).



The female orc speaks in dwarfvish "Welcome brave dwarf warrior. I'm Nizuza Birdcarcass, Cave Sister of Luthic. I see you defeated my dretch. That must make you a formidable warrior indeed. And the other orcs above did not give you much trouble. But I can see you did not make it down here unhurt. Your out numbered, and I'm ready to summon another dretch. You have slain a good number of orcs and a demon. You have shown great honor for the dwarven gods, but you have gone far enough. Return to where you came and write a great song about your slaughter. Just go...now."

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk takes a look around. He does not respond for a moment.

Why am I here? To deal with a problem. I have. This is a tough fight and one I would have problem winning even if I was not hurt. This is not my battle.

Without a word, Kadmuk turns around and goes back. He recovers the chests and the bundle he left and slowly shoves them back, out of the cave. he will notify the caravan master of the existence of a tribe here and of undead and demon worshiping priests. Though they have been hurt considerably, they will be a problem again in the future.

So. This fight Kadmuk would not easily survive. He takes all the loot and goes back to the caravan, He also will ask if anyone can help him identify things and/or sell the weapons.

[jedipotter]

The orcs let you leave and do nothing further. The caves and tunnels above are empty other then the dead orc bodies. It is dark by the time you get to the surface and walk back to the caravan.


Kazin Daygone is happy to see you return. "Sounds like you did good work. No need to kill every orc in the North. All I'm worried about is this caravan. I'm sure you cleared out enough of them that they won't be a threat to us.

There is no one to identify liquids here, but you will find plenty once we get to the Citadel of the Raven. We will be there in a couple days. Sell your other stuff there too."

The night passes without any incidents. Then it is four more days of caravan travel though the rocky grasslands, then up into the rocky foothills. Then up to the Citadel of the Raven: a massive series of interconnected fortresses grouped together all made of black stone. They look quite old, and many are in a poor state of repair and many look little better then ruins. The caravan heads down a paved dirt road to a more well standing section and into a massive courtyard.

[ProudGrognard]

It is plausible that Kadmuk managed to open the locked chests while on the trip. What was in them?

[jedipotter]

15 wooden scroll tubes, each with a scroll inside
5 bone scroll tubes, each with a scroll inside
2 bottles of liquid(mauve-colored, oniony odor/taste, viscous, smoky appearance)




11 jars of dyes and pigments, 2 rugs, 5 bundles of fox fur pelts, and 22 bull horns. 4 bags of shiny slivery dust. Two small, seeming live trees. A small bag with three tiny diamonds.

[ProudGrognard]

Since the caravan has reached the next city, Kadmuk will search for someone to identify the scrolls and flasks for him. Then he will sell what he found. If the caravan stays more than one day, he will look for news of the dwarven kingdoms and for the company of dwarves

[jedipotter]

Kazin Daygone tells you the caravan will be at the Citadel of the Raven for three days, and mentions that there are a bunch of dwarves in one of the northern citadels. He knows Dedgread Hardbrewer is a dwarven alchemist he has delt with fairly before. He also tells you of Zanitane Neraos a spellcaster that can identify things.


Zanitane Neraos is a bald human in black robes. He offers to buy all the scrolls and the chest they are in if you'd just give him a price.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk thanks Kazon and goes to find his kin. He tries to have the flasks and the scrolls identified by Dedgread, so he can give a price to Zanitane. He then also tries to offload all the things he found in the orcs' lair.

Perhaps Kadmuk would know the price of arms and armor, being in the biz himself? Here is the whole list. The bottom list are things that need to be identified, so he can sell it.

A Camouflage Kit
three hand axes
three daggers
one climbers kit,
Moving picture
two tanglefoot bags,
Two sets of hide armor,
two sets of spiked hide armor,
six hand axes
three battle axes,
1 jars of dyes and pigments, 2 rugs, 5 bundles of fox fur pelts, and 22 bull horns.
Two small, seeming live trees

three flasks of brown liquid(tawny-colored, earthy odor/taste, bubbling, cloudy appearance)
six flasks of thick honey-like liquid,

15 wooden scroll tubes, each with a scroll inside
5 bone scroll tubes, each with a scroll inside
2 bottles of liquid(mauve-colored, oniony odor/taste, viscous, smoky appearance)
three flasks yellowish,
two flasks of dark black sirup-like liquid
three scrolls.
11 gold coins and 33 silver coins, 4 bags of shiny slivery dust.

A small bag with three tiny diamonds.

After that, and after he pays the appraiser, Kadmuk will spend some time drinking with the other dwarves. If the money is enough perhaps buy something.

[jedipotter]

Dedgread Hardbrewer is an older dwarf. He is more then happy to look at your potions for just the price of you telling him your life story.


six flasks of thick honey-like liquid, ''Potions of cure light wounds''
three flasks of brown liquid(tawny-colored, earthy odor/taste, bubbling, cloudy appearance) "Potions of Barkskin''
two flasks of dark black sirup-like liquid "Potions of endure elements''
2 bottles of liquid(mauve-colored, oniony odor/taste, viscous, smoky appearance) "Potions of spider climbing''






Zanitane Neraos "Let us talk about price, dwarf. Lay your goods on the table and I can cast a spell to tell what is magical and what is not. For just fifty gold.

The scrolls are written down magical spells. I can see your not a spellcaster, but even that should be easy enough to understand. I can read the scrolls, using my magic skills, at the cost of five gold per scroll.

And then I can use my magic to identify the magic items, at the cost of ten gold per item.

So, assuming your not a dwarven king in exile, do you have upwards of two hundred gold coins to pay me for my services?


Or are you willing to deal? Trade me all the scrolls for my service and I'll identify all your items."

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk listens to the human mage. He did not like mages and had no particular fondness for humans either. But this was bargain, work. This, he understood. He speaks, his voice as deep as an underground tunnel collapse.

"Tell me your favor. I will then agree or not."

I suppose that the 4 day journey let him heal his wounds? If there was a healer in the caravan, he would get 6 HPs per 8 hr rest, which is enough. Perhaps he gave him the 10gp that the caravan master promised him?

Kadmuk also gives to the alchemist one of the endure elements potions as a gift. He will not need it next level.

[jedipotter]

Zanitane Neraos "The deal is as I said: You give me all the scrolls, scroll cases and the one chest....and I'll identify any and all of the items that maybe magical. No favor. Straight trade.




You can have used your 10 gold to get yourself healed up under the care of a healer in the caravan. So you'd be back to your full hit points.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk feels he is being shortchanged. But he has not many options and a great travel ahead of him. And the scrolls where useless to him. He nods his head in agreement.

Yep, Kadmuk is being cheated. Even at CL1, fifteen scrolls should be worth more than that. But oh well, he is not in it for the money.

[jedipotter]

Zanitane Neraos gathers up all the scrolls and puts them behind the counter. Then he spreads everything else out on an empty table.

"This will take about an hour. Your welcome to stay, or you can leave and come back." he says as he waves his hands in small circles and tosses tiny bits of dust from a bag into the air.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk goes out and comes back in an hour. He walks around the town to see what is on offer. Perhaps later, when he knows what wealth he has, he can buy something.

Just killing time.

[jedipotter]

An hour latter...

Zanitane Neraos "The magical items are,

The place picture, an Elven one, worth a good 50 gold at least, maybe more for an elf

The bags are dust of Tracelessness, toss a bit behind you and leave no trail

The two spiked hide armors are magical, poisoned armor. You grapple someone and give 'em a dose of poison.

The two battle axes are magic of light bursting. You hit with a good hit and lights dazzle your foe. Popular with underground types like drow, orcs and dwarves.

Hide armor+1 poisoned spikes and battle axes +1 of light bursting


The rest is non-magical."



The Citidel of the Raven is not exactly a town or even civilization. Dozens of mostly ruined keeps and castles stretching for miles. A couple hundred people more or less squaring in the less ruined parts. There is no law, rule or government.

Most of what you can see is very crude and thrown together. People simply use whatever they can to get by day to day. There are a couple shops in the courtyards of some of the keeps, like the blacksmith and horsesmith, but the rest just clear out a space and use it.

Even the dwarf keep looks like the rest. Dozens of dwarves just squaring in a ruined keep. They do have a nice, large brewery set up, but not much else.

[ProudGrognard]

Is there a way to sell things here? The armor, some of the potions, the non-magical stuff etc? Also, what is the worth of the two trees he found and of the bag of diamonds?
Also, are there things to buy? Such as magic weapons and armor?

[jedipotter]

Zanitane Neraos "All most forgot, brain rot and all, the trees are token trees, set'em down and say grow in elvish and they become new, real trees. Elven items, of course."

The Citadel of the Raven is not exactly a city or trading post, but they do have a market. Caravans from the mines to the east(where you came from) and ones from the south come through and use the Citadel as a way stop(just like your caravan did).

There are plenty of folks to trade with, though few ''shops full of selves of items''. You would not have any problem selling your loot.

Dedgread Hardbrewer 'Little flawed diamonds, only worth 25 gold each.

There is plenty of arms and weapons around....never know when some orcs, gnolls, giants or even a dragon might attack. But good quality stuff is a bit harder to come by, mostly people just got what they carry. What kind of armor or weapons did you want? If you head southwest of here you can get to Daggerdale, it's the last human land before you get to Tethyamar. The Daggerdale folks trade a lot with the kingdom, you won't have any problem finding arms and armor there. Then too, you could just head into Tethyamar too. Finest dwarf made items around."



Forgot the trees....

[ProudGrognard]

So, if I got that correct, he can sell the stuff but probably won't be able to buy anything like a +1 greataxe or heavier magical armor. Right?

If yes, how much will he get if he sells the following here?

Trees
Picture
The Endure Elements potions
2x Hide armor+1 poisoned spikes
2x battle axes +1 of light bursting
The three diamonds
A Camouflage Kit
Six hand axes
Three Dagger
Climbers kit
Two water skind
One battle axe,
three scrolls (these were not part of the chest, but by the deal they would have been identified, yes?).
1 jars of dyes and pigments
2 rugs
5 bundles of fox fur pelts
22 bull horns

I do not have a problem to move on, I am just trying to sell the loot and see if he can buy anything. But it would be fine to wait for the next stop of the caravan.

[jedipotter]

You can sell all your mundane stuff for a total of 135 gold. The trees and picture for a total of 50 gold.
Potions for 10 gold.


One of the dwarves, Hugiko Vaultsmasher has a great axe+1 of mighty cleaving, that he would be willing to trade for both the poison spike hide armors.

No one can really afford the magical armor or battle axes, unless you want to sell them at a huge loss, or trade for a service.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk


Kadmuk happily trades the armors for the axe. As a gift to his kinsman, he leaves him one of the potions of endure elements. He also sells the other potion, the trees, the pictures and the mundane stuff.

In the next stop, perhaps he will be able to trade the axes for a suit of armor. He will see.

Ready to move on! Equipment updated!

[jedipotter]

You spend a day going around trading. The caravan is there a total of three days so you have the time. Then on the morning of the third day, they head out. You take the same spot as the caravan moves along. Through the mountain pass, and down into the foothills, and then grasslands. It is another week of uneventful travel, then that Friday afternoon, the caravan goes into the stockyards of a small, stone walled city.



Kazin Daygone "End of the line. I think you for your service." as he pays out to each guard.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

"It was honest work. I thank you."

Kadmuk then turns to see the city. As always, he searches for somewhere to sleep and eat, preferably somewhere run by a dwarf. And then, he asks around for any caravan or party heading the way he wants to go.

Where exactly did we stop?

[jedipotter]

http://forgotten-realms.wandering-dwarf.com/moonsea/moonsea_region.jpg




Your in the city of Zhentil Keep. (see map) Tethyamar is just about due west, on the otherside of the Desertsmouth mountains.

[ProudGrognard]

So he is to go to Dagger Fall and then over the mountain? I am sorry that I slow the game down, I have little knowledge of FR.

Can he trade the two battle axes for armor here? Say for an enchanted Full plate of some kind? We don't have to RP it, if possible, we can just say eh did it.

Also, seeking for work the way of Dagger Fall if that is the correct way.

[jedipotter]

A merchant in town, Malforan Tulurian will trade both axes for a full plate +1 of fortification(25%)

It is easy enough to find a caravan of empty wagons headed to Dagger Falls, seems some go every other day.They will pay five gold for a caravan guard.

East is the way you want to go.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk is very pleased with his new armor. He sells the old one in the same merchant, even at a loss and hires himself to the new caravan. The pay was very small but it did not matter. They were going in the right direction.

[jedipotter]

Malforan Tulurian buys your old armor at half price.


Caravan guard duty only pays a little, but then they are just empty wagons. And even the dumbest of orcs knows not to bother with the wagons that are going west.

It is a four day ride with the caravan, down the well packed dirt road, where they reach of town of Dagger Falls(named for the very sharp water fall, also called Dagger Falls, that sit right next to the town.

The Tethyamar dwarves load large barges and float them down the Tesh River, all the way to Dagger Falls, where they have to stop and unload them. This eventually turned into a trade town. A couple hundred people live in the town, about a third of them dwarves. The whole west half of the town is all dwarven, and other races are slightly less then welcome. Other then to trade at the edge.

Dwarven guards are always needed to escort the empty barges back up river....

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk stays a day on town, drinking proper ale and learning the news. He has been away for some time.

Local [roll0]

He also tries to muster enough courage to ask for work in a barge. The caravan, with all these horses, was not pleasant, but sneezing and runny eyes Kadmuk could live with.

But boats were another matter. Kadmuk ventures to the river front many times, seeing the water and the barges move.

A constant earthquake, and without good solid rock over your head or under your feet to protect you. How could people stand it?

At the end of the second day, he angrily mutters and goes to the barges. He, a Hiethgaraz, who had seen a god, be afraid of an oversized bathtub? Preposperous!

But his voice trembles, when he finds a dwarven barge master and asks for work going to Tethyamar. And he is sweating...

[jedipotter]

The Brightblade clan of dwarves is the largest clan of Tethyamar living in the town of Dagger Falls. They are mostly jewelers and goldsmiths, and don't do much trade in goods, except their finished products. Most trade was done by Trademasters from various clans, with a couple free traders. Over the last couple seasons, a great many of the Trademasters have stopped coming to trade at Dagger Falls. Only a couple of free traders come now. The dwarves have nothing to say about this.

Milon Chath, a cleric of Denier and leader of the Steel Quills adventuring band, left to explore several caverns in the nearby Dragonspine Mountains more than a week ago and has yet to return. Several Varisians fear the priest has become lost in the labyrinthine caves said to riddle the endless depths below the mountains.


A strange persistent, unnatural, dark cloud recently appeared in the sky above the town starting a couple tendays ago.. It's the big news in town and everybody seems to have their own explanation. Some say it is the eye of a dark god, some say it is a half formed gate. Most dwarves say it is likely the beholder Gozreh attempting an evil spell. The town is offering 500gp to anyone who can solve the mystery and thus a steady stream of scholars, and arcane specialists have come to earn that gold. Most of them fall prey to the dangers of Dagger Falls rather quickly.
Agyelia Silverspring is an elven spellcaster and has gone missing just today.

The dwarf, Feldspar Teyira, reported seeing lots of 'black skinned elves' on a trip to the Spiderhaunt Woods to guard Marianna Fireheart as she collected spiders. She saw no elves there.

Vyurg Rustknut, a half orc cleric, has been run out of town several times. He keeps sneaking back in and is up to who knows what. But no one wants a half orc around. The ranger Alyn Hornwall has been hot on his trail, but found nothing yet.



One of the free traders, the dwarf Davked Splintershield will take you on as a barge worker, for no pay other then food and drink.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk hears the offer and thinks it over. It is not much but it would do.

But should he leave so quickly? There was work to be done here. And it was the journey that counted, not the goal only. His spirit guide told him that. Barges would come and go.

But which of the various threats should he pursue? Many of them could be related to each other. But some he was not very well equipped to handle. Why have the Trademasters stopped coming? This would be a difficult issue to pursue. What is this dark cloud? Now, this could be something he could find out but could he really take on a beholder? He knew little of those things, but this seemed something a team should handle.

The missing cleric seems something he could do. But the reward would be uncertain. On the other hand, having a servant of gods owe you favors is something good. That 's it then. He will try and find the missing cleric.

Kadmuk asks around to see where he was to go.

I think he will take up that challenge. Also Kadmuk initially had the Heal skill but ten I saw that he cannot self administer. Changed it to Dungeoneering. Healing is going to be a problem!

If Local check is needed then take 20 for 25 to see where the cleric was going and what to expect at the Dragonspire caves.

[jedipotter]

Kasia Riemos, the wife of Hevedol Riemos, knew Milon Chath as his group stayed at their Inn, The Long Rose, a couple nights. While much of the group wanted 'treasure', Milon found treasure in songs and stories.

The Dragonspine Mountains are easy enough to find, it is where you just came from and where the Citadel of the Raven is.

[ProudGrognard]

Sorry, does that mean he has to go back all the way he came? I hoped that the cleric got lost in some caves nearby.

If he has indeed to go back, he will go look for the cause of the cloud instead.

[jedipotter]

Yea, lets make the the Dagger Hills, that are right there in Daggerdlae.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

After buying provisions, Kadmuk heads for the Dagger Hills. It may have been a week, but a party leaves a trail behind. Also, there must not be that many underground caves in such a mountain.

To find the entrance or the caves or the trail
Survival [roll0]
Dungeoneering [roll1]
Local [roll2]

[jedipotter]

You have little problem finding several trails leading towards the direction of the Dagger Hills. It would seem that it is a popular place to go.

Lore:The Dagger Hills have always been a dangerous place where both monsters and bandits like to hang out. Dale folk come here from time to time to pick wild fruits that grow quite well in the hills. Even more so, the Dagger Hills are full of emeralds. Folks come to dig and try their luck, most find one, some find some gem flakes....but every so often someone finds a grape sized gem or bigger.

There have always been rumors of ''a labyrinth of tunnels'' under the dagger hills, but little proof. Daggerdale folk have not seen them, but visitors to the dale often talk about the vast tunnels and the monsters that fill them. Several dwarfs have gone to the hills and found nothing over the years, but some never returned. Tatdon Brightblade, a well known dwarven expert vanished in the Dagger Hills just two years ago as he tried to prove that the tunnels did not exist.

You find the Dagger Hills after a couple hours of walking out of the town of Dagger Falls. Your look around does not show any signs of caves or tunnels that you can see, but you see plenty of overgrown holes all around.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

... tries to find the trail of the most probable route the party took. Before leaving, he tries to gather information on where they said they would go.

Not sure what to roll, roll for me as appropriate. Kadmuk will try for a full day before giving up. Taking 20, if appropriate

[jedipotter]

It takes a day or so to track down a lead......several towns folks say they saw the wizard of the group, a young human male by the name of Vesrun, talking with one of the local mages Plestor. They were seen walking about often enough. Plestor lives in a small, leaning tower on the edge of town. He is also a bit worried for the group. The wizard asked him about lots of local lore and magic. Vesrun did let it slip that they were looking for the Quill of Veste'Evr.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk knows very little about magical objects, especially if they anre non-dwarven. So he goes around asking, starting from Plestor, what that is and where it was supposed to be in the Dagger Hills. And then, he goes to find the lost party 's tracks.

[jedipotter]

Plestor has no idea where the Quill of Veste'Evr might be in the Dagger Hills. It is just a rumor that it is there. Milon Chath was said to have a ''lead'', but he kept it secret.

Plestor knows some about the quill, it was made by a dragon and can write down spoken words and needs no ink.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Having nothing more to learn, Kadmuk goes to the Dagger Hills and starts to look for the caves. He especially looks for any place a large party may have camped in this past weeks.

So, here I am searching for a way to track the missing party. Survival [roll0] and Perception [roll1]. He will look around, as I said, for a couple of days. If he cannot find anything, we will go back and try to find another job.

I may be slow to post until Saturday evening.

[jedipotter]

You search around for a day in the area around the Dagger Hills. There are plenty of camp sites to be found, though most look like they were only one or two people at most. Then you spot a camp site that had to have at least five people. The site also has plenty of dried blood on some of the trees and rocks.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk offers silent prayer to his God for giving him luck. He goes carefully to search for clues, tracks and signs of struggle which would indicate where the party was taken.

As before, Perception [roll0] and Survival [roll1]

[ProudGrognard]

The board is being funny again [roll0] and [roll1]

[jedipotter]

The camp site is a mess, you can't tell what happened, other then it must have been a fight.


Your tracking skills do pick up on a trail leading away from the camp site and into the Dagger Hills. The trail is boots and shoes of at least average make, so you can tell it was most likely the group. Plus you get that odd hole in the ground every couple steps from someone walking with a stick or staff.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Hot on the trail, Kadmuk takes it to see where it leads. He also keeps his eyes open for any ambushes.

Perception [roll0]

[jedipotter]

There is plenty of wildlife around, but you don't see anything hostile to you at the moment.

The trail leads into the Dagger Hills and eventually over to some stone ruins at a hill top. The ruins are not much, it was not likely more the a stone house at some point, but now it is just some rubble in a vague square shape. The trail it self leads to a stone well just behind the ruins, where the trail ends.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk takes the time to look around, muttering under his breath. Perhaps something was hiding at the rubble or there have been other trails here. If he finds nothing, he will see whether there is a way to climb down the well. The potions he found would come in handy now.

Perception [roll0] and survival [roll1]

If he is to go down, he will tie a rope AND consume one of his spider climb potions. He is in full armor, getting down will be tough, unless he finds something that will make it easier.

[jedipotter]

The rubble is at best a couple inches high, not much room for anything to hide behind.

The area does show some use, plenty of trails lead to and from the well. It seems to be a common spot to go.

The well, and well hole are clearly quite old. You spot plenty of hand and foot holds dug into the dirt and carved into the rocks of the well hole. It would seem lots of people have used this spot to climb up or down.




Use climb to get down the well hole. Unless your sure you want to use the potion....

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk ties his rope securely, making sure to be able to brace against the wall. His armor is too heavy for climbing, but the rope and the small space should make it easier.

It seems that having a rope and wall to brace is a 5 DC check or 10, if I read it correctly. The +3 Kadmuk has should be enough. He will save the potion in case he needs to get up quickly.

Climb [roll0]

[jedipotter]

The well hole goes down a good thirty feet or so, and then opens into a cavern. There are four tunnels that twist out of the cavern. The cavern itself is about fifty feet around is filled with murky water that looks to be about two feet thick in most places, but much deeper in others. The well hole comes down on the far north side of the cavern, where the water is just two feet deep. Across the cavern, half submerged in the water, is a massive octopus-like creature. The creature has dark gray rubbery skin, that has several cuts and burn marks. The creatures long tenticals float in the water, but you notice four of them are quite short and cut off near the end. The creature looks around the cavern with two large yellow eyes. It gives no indication that it has seen you.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk
HP 37 AC 21

Kadmuk looks at the thing wearily. He did not like things of the water and engaging one while wearing heavy armor would not be a good idea. He takes out his throwing axes and starts to pummel it from afar. Maybe it will come to him


Dungeoneering [roll0]

Initiative [roll1]
Atk (surprise if possible) [roll2] dmg [roll3]
Normal [roll4] dmg [roll5]

[jedipotter]

A Decapus, an octopus-like land monster found in the Upperdark.

This creature’s body is a 4-foot diameter globe of pallid green. On rare occasions, a purple or even yellow hued decapus may be encountered. Patches of dark hair, brown or black, grow in various locations. Regardless of its body color, each decapus has 10 octopus-like tentacles protruding from its spherical body. Each tentacle is covered in suction cups that aid the creature in not only climbing and moving through trees, but also in holding on to its prey. Its large wide maw sports sickly yellow teeth and foul breath.

Decapuses seem to be able to speak with others of their kind using a series of guttural noises.

A decapus prefers to use its illusionary ability and sound mimicry ability to lure prey in close where it can strike with its tentacles. When its prey is within range, the creature drops from the trees, hanging from a tree limb with a single tentacle, and grabs and slashes with its remaining tentacles.




The creature is surprised. Both your throwing axes hit, sinking deep into it's already wounded side.
Round 1
It lets out a screech and moves forward to attack, it swims across the distance to attack swiftly....

Int:[roll0]
Round 1 attack
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]


[roll4] grapple check [roll5]
[roll6] grapple check [roll7]
[roll8] grapple check [roll9]

Round 2

grapple check [roll10]
grapple check [roll11]
grapple check [roll12]



If needed
[roll13] grapple check [roll14]
[roll15] grapple check [roll16]
[roll17] grapple check [roll18]



[roll19]
[roll20]
[roll21]








The creature hits with two tentacles for 17 damage, and attempts to grapple. Only it's first check makes it, so one tentacle grabs on.

You gain the grappled condition for round 2





Round 2

It holds it's single grapple and constricts for 8 damage

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk
AC 19 HP15+9 Rg 1

Kadmuk is in dire straights. The squid managed to get hold of him, and he felt its pins like a sledgehammer. He knows he cannot take much of this. With a yell of
"Fire! Fire and steel!"

and a roar, he kindles the fire in his soul. Teeth grinding, he takes out one of his hand axes and attempts to attack the creature

Rather pointless to try and escape the grapple since he will already be grappled again.
Rage for +2 to hit and dmg, hand axe for single handed weapon. +9 hps.

Atk [roll0] dmg [roll1]

EDIT: Not good

[jedipotter]

Round 3
The creature will continue to constrict you with it's tentacle

[roll0]
[roll1]

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk
AC 19 HP7+9 Rg 2

On his last legs, Kadmuk again tries to hit the creature with his hand axe

[roll0] [roll1]

[jedipotter]

Your axe blow strikes true. The creature does not make a sound, but suddenly stops moving and half sinks into the water. The tentacle releases you and falls into the water. Other then the slight sound of the moving water, there is no noise in the cavern now.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

With a bellow of pure rage, Kadmuk slashes the monster and falls on his knees. He had been hurt quite a bit. Quickly he takes out three of his healing potions and downs then one after another, letting his rage subside. Taking a deep breath, he starts to search this room, careful to stay above water.

So, 3 potions down [roll0]
Perception [roll1]

And then listening to each of the tunnels take 10 for 17.

[jedipotter]

Most of the cavern is full of junk: bits of cloth, hide and leather. Bits of wood. Bits of metal. Bits of glass. And lots of bones. There are nine daggers, three short swords, two battle axes, and one long sword that are still in good condition. A masterwork breastplate, three small steel shields and one tower shield. Two large pearls. 11 silver rings, 6 gold rings.

And lots of coins: 355 copper, 540 silver, 322 gold.


Two of the tunnels are quiet, the third has the sound of falling water and the fourth has a slight hissing like sound.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

As before, Kadmuk takes the coins and three daggers, and leaves the rest in a bundle, to be claimed afterwards. He then proceeds to the uttermost left tunnel of the four.

[jedipotter]

Was that quiet tunnel one, quiet tunnel two, falling water tunnel or hissing noise tunnel?

[ProudGrognard]

I was not sure which is which, so I thought I would go with what was at the far left, whichever it was.

But let 's go to the hissing one. Kadmuk does not like water much.

[jedipotter]

The tunnel slopes upwards a bit, and after only twenty feet it is dry and out of the water. Another ten feet brings you to a fairly new backpack laying on the tunnel floor. The backpack is full of small, nicely packed glass bottles. 12 withpink-colored, sweet odor/taste, oily, clear appearance liquid and 11 indigo-colored, buttery odor/taste, watery, phosphorescent appearance.



The tunnel goes along for another two hundred and then opens into a large cavern that is at least 100 feet long and a good 15 feet high. The walls, ceiling and floor are all covered completely with all shapes and sizes of fungus and mushrooms. Dozens of small lizards, each about six inches long, but some close to a foot, move about the forest. Several of them are sitting on mushroom caps and making a hissing noise.

There is a fairly fresh path of stomped, crushed and cut fungus heading into the cavern.

With no map, just number all the choices. I try to do so, but I often post quick. But if the description is one tunnel on the right and one tunnel on the left, just go right=tunnel one, left= tunnel two.

Or just say ''the tunnel with the hissing sound''.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

... is very happy to find another cash of liquids. He must find a way to be able to identify them. Shouldering the backpack on, he moves on carefully towards the path he sees. It would be strange if there had been someone else traipsing around here.

Seriously, Kadmuk needs to find a way to identify things. Perhaps a wand or a custom wondrous item?

[jedipotter]

The path of crushed mushrooms winds through the mushroom forest on the floor of the cavern. Several of the small lizards hiss at you, but they don't seem harmful at all. Across the cavern are three tunnel's leading out the other side. The path only goes towards the middle tunnel.


Sounds like a goal....

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Going near the entrances, Kadmuk tries to see if any of them seems trodden recently and if anything can be heard.

Perception [roll0]
Dungeoneering [roll1]
Survival [roll2]

Also.... what? Goal?

Also: I will be going at a business trip this Tuesday for ten or so days. Posting may be slow. Sorry!

[jedipotter]

The path of crushed, smashed and cut mushrooms only goes to the middle tunnel. You see no sign of any other paths in the cavern at all.

The sound of water drips from the far left tunnel (tunnel 1), but the middle(2) and right(3) are quiet.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk continues straight ahead, following the path of the crushed mushrooms.

[jedipotter]

The tunnel is dirt and rock, clear of mushrooms other then right by the entrance. The tunnel slowly starts to spiral downward after fifty feet or so. The tunnel goes down at least a hundred feet in a wide spiral, then levels off, and comes to a stop. The tunnel ahead stops, but there is a tunnel above that goes upwards at least fifty feet or so. There are some easy to see iron pitons pounded into the tunnel above, but no rope.

[ProudGrognard]

Moving under the stone, Kadmuk feels his spirits rise, These were untamed tunnels, nothing like the wonders of home. But still, it was good solid stone, and nice to have over your head.

When the tunnel stops, he eyes the pittons with an experienced eye. He then takes his own rope out and starts to climb carefully.

Climb check [roll0]

[jedipotter]

Kadmuk climbs up using the pitons and rope. The tunnel twists around a lot, but after sixty feet the tunnel comes up into the middle of a thirty or so foot cavern. The cavern is full of rock formations making the whole cavern irregular.



Climb DC was 5.......that was close

[ProudGrognard]

Not sure what you are describing. The tunnel is a dead end? Or is there another climb?

And yes, that was close.

[jedipotter]

I was being vague, wondering if you'd like to check out the cavern at all before you climbed up into it

[ProudGrognard]

Seeing the interesting rock formation, Kadmuk investigates a bit further.

Perception [roll0]

We can assume that Kadmuk takes 10 for a Perception of 17 everytime the 'scene' changes. If something is obviously more interesting, I will roll. Is that OK?

[jedipotter]

There s a soft clatter of noise coming from the room, and a sharp click from time to time.

Hanging along the walls of the cavern are eleven large three foot long insects. They are not moving much other then wiggling their annttenas.

Just five feet from the hole are two dead human bodies...or what is left of them. They have been chewed on and half eaten.







OK

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk slowly approaches the corpses, to see if he can glean who they are. He keeps a wary eye for the bugs.

Dungeoneering to identify them [roll0] . Searching the bodies. Ready for combat, if they approach.

[jedipotter]

They have the general look of Giant Carrion Beetles. They are not too agressive unless hungry, but will fight if in a corner.


Much of the bodies are eaten away, including both faces. You don't know who they might be. They still look fairly freshly dead, not much more then a week. They are oddly stripped of anything other then basic clothing. They have no weapons or equipment on them at all.

The beetles wiggle their heads and anttena, watching you, but don't otherwise move much.

[ProudGrognard]

More confident now that he knows he is on the right track -of someone at least- Kadmuk continues pressing on. The fact that these bodies were stripped, means that someone took the valuables. Beetles do not do this.

[jedipotter]

You can see lots a small tunnels out of this cavern. Most are only two or three feet around and quite irregular. Made for bugs not people. One tunnel, about five feet off the floor, is more humanoid size......and it has three iron pitons pounded into the rock...covered in a bit of blood.

[ProudGrognard]

Again, Kadmuk does not hesitate. There was a battle, and some survived. The bloodies pitons give him a way to follow.

Climb check if needed [roll0]

[jedipotter]

There are more bits of blood in this tunnel, with some torn clothing and two empty flasks.

The tunnel winds along for a while, until coming out in to a large cavern. The cavern is at least 100 feet high and 200 feet long and 400 feet wide. This cavern is again full of mushrooms and fungi. A large number of the mushrooms are 10 to 20 feet tall and several of the short ones are very wide.

A large waterfall comes down on the other side of the cavern some 200 feet away. The water falls into a pool and then flows into a river that cuts the cavern in half before heading out it's own low tunnel.

There are lots of paths through the forest, all look old, but not too well used.


Just outside the tunnel you came from is a stone statue of a female human, in a stance and expression of shock. The stature is well carved and very life like.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk takes a minute to look around this cave. Such a beautiful sight. But the statue worries him. He has heard strange tales, of monsters and magicians who could turn flesh to stone. Kadmuk examines carefully the statue, to see if this could have been once a living person. He then starts examining whether he can find tracks leading onwards.

Perception [roll0]
Survival [roll1]
Dungeoneering [roll2]

[jedipotter]

The statue is indeed very well detailed. It might be possible for a master carver to do such a feat, but it seems more likely it was once a person. Plus it's in a cavern in the middle of nowhere, and the statue sure is in an odd ''supprised'' stance.

The trail that is most fresh is the far left one. The trail it self is very old, but there are crushed and bent mushrooms(the three inch to one foot ones) on the edges of this trail.

There is plenty of foul magic that can turn a person to stone. The most likely:



Giant lizards with the power to petrify any dwarf, man or beast that meets their cold-blooded gaze. Some claim that using a reflective surface or some other alternative method to avoid making eye contact with the creature can help to negate its power.

Basilisks can be found nearly everywhere, including subterranean biomes. Typically, basilisks shelter within burrows, caves, or other similar areas. These dens are sometimes distinguished by what appear to be statues, although these are, in fact, creatures that have been petrified by the gaze of the creature.

Basilisks have a very slow metabolism, making their movements sluggish and clumsy. As a result, basilisks rely upon their powerful magical characteristics for hunting and are unprepared for a hard pursuit. As a result, prey that flees usually gets away unharmed. To prevent this, basilisks typically lair in hidden dens, waiting for any prey so unfortunate as to wander in, even if it is extremely small. Basilisks have a very robust digestive system and can digest even stone. When not hunting, basilisks sleep off their meals in their lairs, sometimes in small groups

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk suppresses a shiver in the thought that a basilisk could be nearby. He takes extra care to stick to the path, looking for signs that a basilisk could be lurking nearby.

[jedipotter]

The mushroom and fungi forest is quite dense, once your on the path, it cuts down your visibility to just a couple feet. After a couple feet the path takes a turn, to where three very life like goblin statues, all falling over each other, lays in the middle of the path. The goblin statues are easy enough to walk around. Two more turns after that allong the path, you come to the statue of human male in light armor on his knees pointing to a small 2 foot around hole in the ground, right in the middle of the path.






Roll perception

[ProudGrognard]

Perception roll [roll0]

[jedipotter]

The mushroom and fungi forest is fairly quiet and still around you. You don't see or hear anything in the immediate area.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk, careful not to look that much, he sticks the handle of his axe to see how deep the hole is. if nothing can be felt, he will move on. His mission was to find the missing party, or what was left of it.

[jedipotter]

The hole is at least as deep as you can reach with your axe....at least five feet....maybe more...hard to tell, with out a good look down the hole.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk fumes while considering the hole. On the one hand, perhaps his quarry went down that hole. On the other, to explore all possible nooks and crannies of this cave is not his mission. But can he afford to confront any possible menace on his way back? And what can he do against a creature that turns people to stone?

In the end, he takes out one of the shields he has found earlier. He polishes and oils it as much as he can. He then uses it is a mirror to look down. If he cannot see that far, he throws a torch .

[jedipotter]

You can see the reflection of the hole just fine with out a torch Darkvision..... The hole goes down at an angle about ten feet, then branches into a 'Y''. There is nothing in the hole that you can see.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Somewhat relieved, Kadmuk continues onwards to the path. Hopefully, the missing party did not go down the hole but went straight on at the path.

[jedipotter]

The path twists and turns through the mushroom forest. After two turns, it widens a bit and you see two stone statues ahead. One is a human fighter looking type, swinging a sword. The other is a well dressed sage-like type, dressed in robes. But statues are very life like.

Around the two statues are four small dead reptiles. Each has light gray and tan color scales (that match the mushroom forest colors). Each has six legs and a long, huge mouth and large, wide eyes. The reptiles look to be dead not too much longer then a week. They are mostly intact, but are crawling with lots of tiny black bugs. Two look killed by sword strikes, one looks more smashed, and the fourth is burned.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk takes a moment to look around the petrified remains of other adventurers. He was sure that this was what he was seeing. The wuastion is, has anyone survived so far?

He looks at the tracks and signs around the struggle.

Perception and Survival take 10 for 17. Trying to see if anyone continues on. Does he know anything about the bugs? Dungeoneering [roll0]

[jedipotter]

There are tracks, leading away from the area, but not down the main bath. They head not on the path, but into the mushroom forest, towards the nearest cavern way. The path looks fairly fresh, not too much more then a week only. The path is full of crushed mushrooms and is easy to follow.




Carrion bugs, common everywhere, they eat dead flesh and such. They don't have any real value or use.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk follows the mushroom path towards the cavern wall.

[jedipotter]

The path does lead right to the cavern wall, and runs along it for a couple dozen feet, and then ends at a small cave. The cave is only about two feet high and two feet wide. Blocking the cave entrance is a very life like stone statue of a human male in robes. He hashis legs spread and arms spread touching the sides of the cave.

Inside the cave, just five feet back, is a human female laying in the cave. She is facing the exit, and just fits in the small cave. She looks quite dirty, but does not look hurt. She is not moving much, but you can see she is breathing. She must be unconcious or asleep.

Three more dead gary scaled six legged reptiles lay dead outside the cave. Two have been burned, one smashed. They are party decaded and covered with more bugs.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk very carefully approaches the female. Ugly things, the humans were. But she must be a survivor, of she is alive. He goes closer, to see if she is sleeping or in shock. In full alert, he gently nudges her. His voice, unused for quite some time is almost a croak.

"Miss? I am Kadmuk. Miss? I have water and food. Miss?"

[jedipotter]

She moves a bit at the sound of your voice and whispers in common, "Who, who, is there?''

The sattue of the robbed human blocks the cave entrance from side to side. There is not enough room for her, or anyone, to enter or exit the low cave. She is tapped by the statue.

[ProudGrognard]

"Miss? I am Kadmuk. I am looking for the party of the cleric that was looking around these caves. Do not be afraid. I can take you out. Do you want me to push the statue away?"

[jedipotter]

"Who are you? What are you? It's too dark for me to see anything. And if I make a light it will attract the basilisks. You don't sound like a goblin, are you human? Be careful with the statue, it's Milon. He sacrificed himself to save me."

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk almost sighs. Humans. What are they doing in such places? They cannot see and they cannot fight like a dwarf, but still they persevere. Strange.

"I am Kadmuk. I am one of the People, of the Hiethgaraz. A dwarf, as you would say. Milon, was he the cleric that wanted to find the Quills?

Nevermind. We have to take you out. I will push Milon. And then, I will take you out. Basiliks are not to be taken lightly. Did you find what you were looking for?"

Strength check [roll0]

[jedipotter]

With a good tug Kadmuk moves the statue out of the cave opening, though making a loud scraping noise or two.

The human female fumbles about and clumsy crawls out of the cave, feeling her way along the wall. "We did not find anything except doom and death. " she says sadly.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

...somewhat awkwardly, helps her out. He scans the cave for any signs of movement.

"Is there anyone else beside you alive? If not, we should head back to the surface. Stay close to me"

[jedipotter]

"I'm the only one left. It was horrible. It's a nightmare down here." she says as she touches your should to steady herself. She is quite dirty and messed up, but does not look hurt at all.
"I'm ready to get out of here,"

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk


... the female in tow, starts to go back. This mission proves unsatisfactory. Only one alive left and very few prizes won. Not nothing, but something,

[jedipotter]

"I'm Idonna Bridgewater, servant of Milil. Thank you for your help." She brushes herself off and looks around blindly.


Spot Check!

[ProudGrognard]

Perception [roll0]

[jedipotter]

[roll0]




Kadmuk spots a three foot long, six legged lizard creature, sneaking it's way along the edge of the mushroom forest, heading right towards the cave. It is about 40 feet away when you first see it.


Idonna Bridgewater just blindly looks into the darkness.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk
HP 37+9 AC 19

Kadmuk lets out a slow, especially vile curse as he sees the basilisk approach. He turns to Idonna, he gives her a hand axe.

"We have a basilisk coming. Do not be afraid, human lady. We will trap it. Stay here in the cave with eyes closed and make noise. When it approaches I will attack it. Not to fear. We dispatch it and we are going back."

Kadmuk then leaves his polished shields around the cave entrance, so that he can see the basilisk from then. He goes a bit farther and waits for the basilisk to pass him. With a roar, summoning his inner power, he attacks the creature.

The idea is to use Idonna as a bait, attack the basilisk from behind and then attack it through the use of the shields as mirrors. I gather that the first attack would not have a problem, but the rest would be following the standard "Averting eyes" rules. Hopefully, he will do enough damage to drop it soon.

Does Kadmuk know about the ' the blood unpetrifies' rule?

Going into a rage and charging.

Atk 1d20+12 dmg [roll0] rage and charge bonuses included. Let 's see how that goes!

[ProudGrognard]

Mangled the attack roll

Atk [roll0]

[jedipotter]

Idonna Bridgewater takes the axe, backs into the cave and starts to make noise. The Basalisk
is quite attracted to the noise, and rushes right at the cave.


Kadmuk Hits!


the blood unpetrifies' rule? Is that official?

Maybe a Knowledge Dungeon check?

[ProudGrognard]

Dungeon [roll0]

Well, I think it is official, because two different DMs have played it that way. I do not want to look at the MM entry. Just asking. I actually thought that you planned it, so that lead cleric can be unpetrified.

[jedipotter]

The blood is a widely known myth. But dwarves know the truth: it's the stomach acid that de-stone flesh.


Your sudden strike sinks deep into the basilisks back, carving a deep wound. The creature lets out a yelp......and turn to rush back towards the mushroom forest......


...leaving it wide open to attack, of course

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk
AC19 HP43 Rage 2/13

Seeing his chance, Kadmuk, deep into his rage, bellows "Fire! Fire and Steel!" and again attacks the basilisk. A basilisk tooth would look god on him as a necklace.

Atk [roll0] dmg [roll1]

[jedipotter]

The basilisk slowly moves away, but is not very quick. Your blow cuts deep into the basilisk, right into your last cut. With only a slight squeak it flops to the ground, quite dead.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk, seeing the basilisk fall, stops and looks around for more threats. Gradually, his rage subsides and he takes a moment to get his breath back. He then motions to the woman.

Perception [roll0]
Also waiting for fatigue to pass.


"You can come out now. The basilisk is dead. Perhaps you don't know but the acids of its stomach are supposed to help unpetrify its victims. Not the silly blood myth the humans and elves say. Hah! Blood...

But come. Help take his fluids. We will try on your friends. I also want a tooth, to remember."

[jedipotter]

Idonna Bridgewater "What happened? Did you kill it? Your not turned to stone, right? Blast this darkness. " She does not see you have, but does hear your voice.

She fumbles her way towards you. "You think it's safe for me to make some light? I can't see anything in the dark."

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

"Yes, yes make your light. And then we will try and make your friends fleshy again."

Kadmuk continues to scan the room for any other movements as he goes around dissecting the basilisk.

[jedipotter]

Idonna Bridgewater says a few quiet words and her left hand blazes with a bright white light. The light fills the area around for about twenty feet or so. It's quite a bright beacon in the dark cave.

"By the Sliver Scroll, the basilisk sure is ugly in the light." She pulls out her knife and helps cut into the hide and remove the organs.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

"It is ugly in any light, that is true"

So, waiting to see what will work if anything.

[jedipotter]

The acid cause the stone stature to glow....and then with a 'woosh' returns to flesh. The human male in robes falls to the ground with a shock.

[ProudGrognard]

Kadmuk

Kadmuk helps the human stand up. He had never done that before. A nice story, it would make.

"I am Kadmuk. Who are you, human?"


I must tell you that tomorrow I am leaving for vacations for almost ten days, until the 19th. Internet will be spotty! Do you want to pause until then?

[jedipotter]

"Name? Name? My name... I'm, I'm Myless. Milynn. Millnos. Milos? Arrr, why I'm I so stiff? What happened? Arrrrr"


Idonna Bridgewater "Milon! Your Milon! Are you alright? You were turned to stone!"






Ok, with me. Have fun on vacation. Pause.