Mordae's Old Skool Combined (IC)

[Mordae]

The orc-to-orc standoff continues for some time while the others make introductions and swap stories of the exploration. The most curious acquisition so far is the gigantic iron oven that the female orc's mule is dragging patiently through the underground labyrinth. From the other half of the party, the female human who had come with her own two mules (Alicia by name) offers to lend them to pulling the big chunk of metal to the surface so it can be taken back to town for scrap value; the female ranger, who calls herself Jayne, suggests that she can assist as well. Raevin and Thump also announce their intentions to go, declaring the whole effort a colossal waste of time.

The room in which the newly combined party is gathered has an archway leading to the northeast, which Barzulf's map shows connects to the part of the dungeon they've already explored; the portcullis-gated southeast entrance that goes back to the bugbear chamber and the entrance through which Krug's group had come; and the unexplored western wooden door. Althaminil, examining the stack of barrels in the northwest corner of the room, determines the leaking substance to be lamp oil. There is also a dead creature on the floor, which Jayne the ranger off-handedly identifies in parting as a darkmantle.

So, we're dropping off everyone who isn't participating. That means the remaining group is:

Althaminil (ezkajii), Krug (Deadlykire), Glorfinbad (MandibleBones), Randur (wkwkwkwk1), Isaac (neriractor), Barzulf (WrittenInBlood), Horrik (drack), Mudd (Jyssika), and Regarre (Techmagss).

There are also three orcish henchmen and one mule attached to Horrik.


Horrik's torches: 32/60
Jayne's torch: 28/60

[Deadlykire]

Krug glares at the other orc. He pats Issac on the head, "Krug." He then wanders off towards where the flying beast had slashed his face. He peeks around the corner to see if it was flying back to a nest of some sort.

[drack]

Having reached a similar understanding, Horrik returns to the bugbear, taking it's head, it's feet, hands, junk, and searching it both to see if it was already dead, and for loot. Afterwards she directs her henchmen to brush the leaves into a sack. They looked dry and more flammables could only help when it came time to make camp. As she works she demands more then asks for the other group to tell their skilled dwarven cartographer of the layout of the dungeon their group had passed through.

yay, big map. :smallbiggrin:

Through it all however, Horrik refuses the offers of assistance, preferring to think of her oven as a cart rather then a large block of scrap metal.


Yup, I think I'm going to let it drag after all. I mean we've concluded that you can't really have the mules carry it where it won't drag on the ground, and it's really not looking like it's worth having humanoids carry it at the moment. :smallconfused:

[Jyssika]

Mudd gleems a huge smile;
"Krugg!"

And then follows Krug, her
chest puffed out, her arms
taught at her sides and her
fists clenched tightly.

[WrittenInBlood]

After formal presentation and rest of perfunctory courtesy, Barzulf begins examination of eastern wall. Map shows unsettling void behind it.

Search for secret doors: [roll0]

[neriractor]

Isaac starts walking around atfer he (and only he) managed to avoid conflict, until he remenbers the beast the so called "darkmantle". "that could have some interesting properties" he says as he picks up a few samples and tries to remember if he hass ever heard about such meaningless creature.

Int check to see what it can do(it being the remains of the darkmantle): [roll0]

[Mordae]

Barzulf's searching yields no leads. Isaac wracks his brain to try to think of where he might have heard of a darkmantle before, but comes up empty.

When their offers of aid are met with resistance, Alicia, Jayne, Raevin, and Thump decide to strike out on their own, taking Alicia's two mules with them. They leave behind the firewood that Krug had gathered, largely out of a desire to avoid any conflict with the two orcs--both Krug, who always appears ready for a fight, even when bleeding badly, and Horrik, who is averse to the possibility of anyone making off with the loot she's accumulated.

You can try to pick a fight with them if you like, but it might not be in your best interests since they're as poor as you are and won't be worth that much XP. :smallwink:

[drack]

Seeing some of their number ready to depart, Horrik holds back Reavin and Thump, offering them positions as hirelings.

[Techmagss]

Regarre's looks down at the creature the lesser had been examining. Hm. Interesting.

Int check, to see the hell it is.
[roll0]

[Mordae]

Darkmantles tend to lurk in shadowy places, hiding on stone surfaces and dropping on their foes to suffocate or crush them. They are poor fliers but have keen senses.

[neriractor]

mmm... no clue what this could do Ill take a sample anyway thinks Isaac as he saves a little piece of darkmantle and starts moving around the room. "hey you elf monk or watever, smart dwarf, krug and Althaminil wanna go scout a little while the rest of the group stop wasting time?" he says as he points at barzulf, regarre and his friends and then to a door (or in the case there isnt one to the lesser door encountered/opened ratio, hallway )

[drack]

"Scout wastes time." Horrik replies, a sinister grin spreading across her face. "It's getting away." breaking into a light jog, then with a grimace, slowing to a pace that wouldn't leave dwarvs behind, Horrik follows the trail of wreckage in the room with the bugbear, signaling the hirelings to grab the monster corpses for dinner, and to take up the rear, passing off the two torches as the others pass.

[neriractor]

"Indeed it does just as standing around, and may I say you have a really lovely mind for a soldier" he says as he moves behind the orc crew and waves for the other to come over.

[ezkajii]

Althaminil follows behind the newly-mobilized group, rapier at the ready, eyes darting about the chambers.

[MandibleBones]

Glorfinbad moves along with the new group, somewhere toward the middle. He doesn't even bother putting away the components for color spray, knowing he may need to use it soon.

[WrittenInBlood]

Barzulf joins Horrik in the advance-guard, with bow ready and senses sharpened.

Spot: [roll0]

[Mordae]

The group follows the lead of Horrik and Barzulf, circling around the pit trap with the hirelings trailing along behind with the mules.

OOC: The other adventurers are willing to tag along as hirelings for a 1/2 share of treasure.

After several minutes of careful walking, watching for traps and ambushes along the way, the group makes it to the room at the south end of the map. Aside from the passage leading back to the pit trap and the dead bugbear, there are two wooden doors, both well made; one leads west, the other south. Both could be barred from the inside, but the bars were lifted off earlier by Krug and lay discarded in the corner.

[roll0][roll1]
[roll2][roll3]
[roll4][roll5]

[wkwkwkwk1]

"I say we go south," Randur finally says, after a long while of being silent. "I want to find out what's behind that door."

[drack]

Horrik nudges thudd "Yes, south." Motioning for the hireling to lead the way.

[WrittenInBlood]

Probably more doors, sideways and other distractions - Barzulf replies to Randur - and there's other door at the corridor's turn, apparently leading to dead-ended chamber. If we delve further into unexplored part, that will be that much more way to drag our junk back there.

[Mordae]

Alicia cracks open the door and has a peek around the other side. "Corridor," she confirms. "Twenty feet, sharp bend to the right. Give me a second." She pads forward on silent feet, watching the floor intently, and disappears around the corner. She's back in only a few seconds with a scowl on her face. "Thirty feet from the bend, another turn left, then ten feet to a stone door. Looks to be locked." She tilts her head to one side. "Pick it, or break it down?"

[drack]

As her mercenaries break off the door they just passed through Horrik nods in agreement. "You pick then if no, thudd break."

[ezkajii]

"Let's try picking the lock; if that doesn't work we'll move on to plan B - break it down." Althaminil quick looks over the new door then tries to pick the lock.
Search (for traps) [roll0]
Open Lock [roll1]

[Mordae]

Althaminil surveys for traps and finds none; satisfied, he gets to work while Alicia offers assistance. In short order, the elf hears the latch slip open.

[roll0]

[neriractor]

Isaac moves behind the group little battered by the fact he coudn´t identify the darkmantle.


wasn´t plan A to break down doors?:smalltongue:

[drack]

Horik signals for the group to file into the room, her mercenaries towards the rear to pry loose any doors they pass through.

[Deadlykire]

Krug plods around in the back of the group. Clearly his apt scouting was no longer needed. They were intent on taking forever with doors yet again so he stood around waiting. A more intelligent man would wonder why they announced their presence with such bright lights when he could see just fine in the dark, but Krug didn't question it. Krug was content with having killed something though these new folks disrespect for the dead upset him greatly. He quickly forgot his qualms as they wandered forward.

[Jyssika]

Mudd still followed Krug, although a little upset they
were now at the rear of the group, however, her chest
remained puffed out and her arms remained taught at
her side like a posing bodybuilder .Althought, with almost
no muscles to show for herself it wasn't a particularly
impressive display.

[Techmagss]

Regarre follows the group, silently and willingly. This place is creepy.

[Mordae]

Barzulf leads the group through the stone door into the dark chamber beyond, pushing the door open wide enough that a faintly decaying scent is drawn forth from within. "Looks like something got eate---"

The dwarf never gets to finish his sentence as he is suddenly grabbed from the right side of the door frame by two clawed hands and dragged bodily into the dark space.

Order of Battle: Horrik, Enemy, all others in the party


[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]

[drack]

Horrik looks into the darkness, mentally registering if this were some foul magics (which is best left for mages to squabble with), or a nice savage looking clawed monster for her to hack the face off of in the way any civilized woman might.


Looking at it is a free action! :smalltongue:

So as not to hold up the game though I'll toss an attack roll so that if you figure I'm going that rout and the critter would still be alive, that you can have it tear people apart like a good critter would. :smallbiggrin:
[roll0] for [roll1] slashing damage

[Mordae]

Horrik peers through the door opening, angling around the corner just enough to see a ghoul dragging Barzulf's petrified body toward a bone pile at the far end of the room. A second ghoul is there, looking hungrily at the appetizing dwarf and not really paying much attention to the doorway through which its comrade has just dragged today's meal.

In the quick look, Horrik judges the space to be roughly square-ish, about 50' on a side, and extends east-southeast (e.g., to the left) from the doorway. No other doors are readily visible from this vantage.

Lunging to the attack, the orc drives her greatsword down and nearly cuts the first ghoul in half. It staggers from the strike and drops Barzulf, who clatters stiffly to the floor.

The wounded ghoul charges at Horrik in feral rage, but she easily sidesteps the mad plunge. The second one comes closer, but not yet in range to attack.

Order of Battle: Party, Enemies



+---+DD+
| |
|Mo rg |
|KR+---+
|Il|
+AH+-------+
| G |
| b |
| |
| |
| |
| G |
| |
| |
| |
| %% |
+----------+
H = Horrik
A = Althaminil
I = Isaac
K = Krug
M = Mudd
R = Randur
o = Oyynk (animal companion)
l = Alicia (NPC)
b = Barzulf (NPC)
r = Regarre (NPC)
g = Glorfinbad (NPC)

G = Ghoul
% = bone pile

[drack]

Having dodged the ghoul's suicidal plunge Horrik decides to do the civil thing and return it to the cold embrace of death that its rotting flesh so clearly craves after. Heavily she swings her sword back through the creature' aiming to remove it's lower jaw.
[roll0] for [roll1] damage

True to her aim Horrik catches the ghoul square in the lower jaw, still she had made just one mistake. She had forgotten how heavy her Urrukish blade was. I mean could you blame her, by now twirling the oversize sword was as easy as it is for a child to swoosh a little stick through the air. As it happens when the blade caught the ghoul in the mouth it didn't cut the ghoul's skin which had toughened from the mystic rigors of death. Rather the sword dragged the ghoul along with the strike, arcing through the air the ghoul moved as a puppet on a stick until the swing carried it down again, crumpling the creature into the ground with a sickening crunch.

Her eyes darted about wildly, dismissing the crumpled ghoul and instead fixing her bloodthirsty grin on the living one, still splattered in bugbear gore her razor sharp tusks giving her grin a toothy appearance. You know, in the sense that hungry sharks look toothy.

[neriractor]

Isaac hears the sound of fighting and rushes to the front where standing near horrik he shoots what appears as a fire-made arrow from his finger towards the unliving enemy.

I move until I have line of sight to the ghoul and then shoot an energy ray(fire).
power points expended:1
power poins left:4/7
damage:[roll0]fire damage
attack type:ranged touch
attack roll:[roll1]

[Jyssika]

Mudd and her faithful Oyynk follow clattering behind.
KRUG!
*SQCHWEEEEL*

Quickly comming to an abrupt halt as the first ghoul
falls to the floor, then standing looking shocked
and waiting for the large orc to do or say something.

[Mordae]

Althaminil and Alicia quickly size up the remaining ghoul as "not rogue's work" and make their way to the back of the party, gesturing for the fighters to come to the fore. Isaac launches a blast of fire that narrowly misses the ghoul, as Randur gets his sling ready and tries to maneuver to get a sight line--a tricky prospect in the narrow corridor.

Horrik's quick work of the first ghoul leaves her exposed to meet the second ghoul's attack as it rushes forward. Fortunately, the scrape of claws leaves only ragged marks on her studded leather armor as she almost side-steps the attack.

Order of Battle: Party, ghoul.

Notes: You can move through your own teammates without penalty, so there is plenty of space for Krug and Oyynk to get into melee position this round as long as you're not planning a charge.


[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

[drack]

Horrik, stopping only to bellow "RHHHAAAG!" into the ghoul's face with speckles of spit and breakfast tagging along for the ride, Horrik the Urruk swings her greatsword at the ghoul's legs. She was going to make this slow.

[roll]1d20+4[roll] for [roll0] damage

The greatsword scraped heavily across the ground throwing up allot more dust then sparks, yet dulling the blade all the same. Grimly she cursed in Urrukish.

[Deadlykire]

Krug approaches the remaining ghoul as he pulls out his greatsword. He grabs it in both hands and readies a mighty swing.


If I can attack this round too assuming I'd have moved through my allies last round.
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[Mordae]

The ghoul doesn't even have time to react after its leap over Horrik's swing before Krug is upon it. The second greatsword comes in with a massive arc that rends the fell creature in half diagonally from hip to shoulder, sending both decaying parts flying for a good ten feet before coming to rest in messy heaps on the stone floor.

[Deadlykire]

Krug's face lights up with a big grin as he cleaves the creature into multiple parts. He even pats his imitator on the head before moving on to explore more of the area.

[Jyssika]

Mudd leans across, and without even a second's thought
pats Oyynk on the head in a perfect copy of Krug.
A huge grin also on her face.

Krug!

[ezkajii]

Althaminil cautiously creeps into the room, bow and arrow at the ready, and examines his surroundings. [roll0]

[Mordae]

Athaminil carefully observes the small square cutouts in the corners of the floor before determining them to be harmless. Slowly he zeroes in on the bone pile and, noting a glint of metal from within, shuffles the bones away until he uncovers what is left of an armored man: banded mail (slightly rusty at the edges), a buckler, a heavy pick, and a light crossbow (the string of which is broken). Beneath the heavy bands, a jingling leather sack (covered in mildew) offers the promise of coins within.

[drack]

Horrik meanwhile goes to check on Barzulf, signaling her hirelings to collect the bones and ghoul corpses.

[Mordae]

Barzulf looks to have sustained some minor claw injuries but is stiff as a board, managing not so much as a blink in response to Horrik's examination.

The muscled Urruks clean up the mess, compiling the dry, cracked bones and putrefying ghoul bodies into a neater stack in one corner of the room.

Alicia comes to the fore, helping Althaminil with the search but not discovering anything new or interesting.

[drack]

In Urrikish society it is understood that the body above all else needs to devote time to two tasks, the time to fight, and the time to rest so you could fight again. It seemed Barzulf needed some time to rest, so Horrik placed the dwarf atop a mule.

[Mordae]

Randur steps in and has a look around at the remains of the carnage. "No doors; must be the ghouls' lair. Back to the last room? Or wait for Barzulf to shake it off?"


Torches: 10/60

[drack]

After allowing Athaminil time to search for what loot he may find, Horrik boldly leads the group back, north through the corridors, entering through the second door she encounters.
In the middle of the existing map. I should be starting on the new (uglier) map shortly. :smallwink:

[Mordae]

Horrik leads the group back through the previous chamber, circling back around the big pit trap. Not far down the hall, they encounter the mule train noisily dragging the iron furnace through the stone hallways. Leaving them to reverse course on their own, the bold Urruk tries to throw upon the door just south of the entry chamber, only to find that it, too, is locked.


Torches: 10/60

[drack]

Calmly Horrik gives the door a few Urrukish jiggles to loosen it in its frame.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

[Mordae]

A few shoulders is all it takes to crack the casing, causing the door to swing inward with a creak. There's a 30'x50' chamber on the other side; the stone floor is partially obscured by mounds of dirt and crumbled stone where parts of the ceiling have broken loose and come down. Bits of wood and something that looks like broken eggshells can be seen heaped in the far southeast corner.

Randur looks at the ceiling for a bit before declaring, "Looks safe enough."

[drack]

Striding slowly into the room Horrik gives the other party members time to look around for anything useful while she signals for her new orkish hireling to gather up the eggshells for her, passing him a sack as she does.

And the war to raid all aesthetic features from the dungeon rages on! :smallbiggrin:

[Mordae]

Thump moves forward, taking the sack and looking carefully about as he advances on the eggshells. Just as he's about to get there, he suddenly stops and backs up to the west, dropping the sack and raising both fists as a long centipede, about as thick around as an orc's thigh and covered with dirty red scales, comes crawling out from a crack in the ceiling. It clings to the broken stone face as it undulates toward Thump, beady black eyes fixed.

Time for some initiative! Centipede goes on 12, so if you roll more than that, you're up!

[roll0]
[roll1]

[drack]

Horrik looks on grimly, taking in the sight before her.
[roll0]

Hurridly she gestures for one of the orkish hirelings to pass her a torch, which she readily throws into the center of the room allowing the rest of the party to see.

Move action to take the torch, standard to throw it. Will ya look at that, Horrik does have a utilitarian bone somewhere in that beefy body of hers! :smallbiggrin:

[Jyssika]

Oyynk, ever faithful, yelps and snort as he
scuttles into the room in chase of the torch.

It may be on fire but to the little piggy its
just a slightly more interesting game of fetch!

[ezkajii]

[roll0] We'll see how twitchy Al is today.

Edit: Not bad! Althaminil will hold his action, though.

[Mordae]

Those in the hallway watch, ready to join the fray as soon as they can get past Horrik, who is holding the doorway. The centipede crawls over the ceiling and chases down Thump against the wall, trying to take the half-orc in its mandible pincers. Fortunately he is able to dodge away, though his retaliatory strike glances off the creature's gleaming exoskeleton.

"A little help, here!" he barks as he readies for another go.

Order of Battle: Party, centipede.


[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]

[Deadlykire]

Krug charges in at the creature swinging his great sword.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[roll2]
[roll3]

[drack]

Horrik runs forth with krug, jabbing at the great centipede with the own mighty greatsword.

charge action
[roll0] for [roll1] damage
AC -2 next round

[drack]

OOC
rolling to confirm critical [roll0] +2 flanking 14
I always just take the damage of the first roll and double it. doesn't really matter which method we use, but may as well assume the simpler way to start with.

I assume centipede moved to attack the hireling, gave Horrik the most direct rout (as all charges should be), and ended up flanking it, cool beans ay? :smallbiggrin:

[Jyssika]

Oyynk and Mudd join in, Oyynk closing in
and biting at a leg with his sharp tusks whilst
Mudd moves into the room and hurls a javelin
into the fray!


Oyynk
To Hit [roll0]
Dmg [roll1]

Mudd
To Hit [roll2] -4 for Throwing into Melee
Dmg [roll3]

[drack]

Horrik glares at the centipede wondering if it's dead or if she'll have to hit it again.

[Mordae]

The party's three tusked front-line fighters--that is, the two urruks and the pig--charge into the battle and assist Thump, while Mudd's javelin goes flying overhead as cover. The ceiling-bound foe is out of Oyynk's reach, but the javelin pierces its chitinous armor and the tall warriors have no trouble slashing the overgrown insect into three pieces with mighty hacks from their greatswords. Bits of ichor and bug come raining down on everyone in the room as the trisected centipede writhes on the ground in its death throes.

Alicia comes forward from the back, peering around the rubble to see if there are any hidden treasures.

[drack]

Looking about the place horrik grimly adds "Here is no good sleeping place.", turning from the room without a second thought while waving for her orkish henchmen to load up the shells, the door, and the centipede gore. "Soon." She promises, leading them off, back into the hallway and to the door almost directly to the west of it.

[Jyssika]

Mudd walks over to the dead Centipede, pulling
her bloody javelin from the corpse and following
the orc west.

"Krug!"

[Deadlykire]

Krug gets a big smile and pats Mudd on the head. He is pleased with her(?) work, though a bit confused about her yelling his name. He readies to follow the rest of the group to whatever new fight lies in wait. He could use a rest and some time to heal wounds, but it doesn't seem anything has become dangerous enough to cause him to risk stopping on his own.

[Jyssika]

Mudd leans over and pats Oyynk on the head.
A big smile filling her little face with pearly
white teeth highlighted against the brown
dirt surrounding them.

[Mordae]

The group works its way back into the wide entry chamber where half their number had first explored the cave. The door to which Horrik leads is the only one in the room yet unmolested, though a quick glance at the map suggests it leads to the chamber where the bugbear was defeated. It is not locked, and the party had removed the bar on the opposite side earlier in the exploration efforts.


[roll0]

[Jyssika]

Mudd yawns and scratches her head, looking
to the taller party members she shrugs before
walking upto the door and knocking loudly three
times.

[Mordae]

The sound echoes hollowly from the opposite side of the wooden portal. However, nothing responds.

[drack]

Horrik directs the appropriate adventurer-hireling to check for traps and open the door.

[Mordae]

Althaminil and Alicia both validate that the door is untrapped, and the elf quietly pushes it open, allowing the group to file into the bugbear lair.

The torches are, at this point, quite low, and the hirelings stop to light three new ones as the trapfinders move to the western door to repeat their work.

"No traps," Althaminil announces.

"But it's locked," Alicia adds. "A few minutes to pick it, unless you want to hack it down or go around. No particular need to be quiet since you're dragging that things around." She gives a nasty look at the giant iron furnace that's been hauled noisily from room to room at the van of the adventuring train.


Subtract 3 torches from inventory.

Torches: 60/60


[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

[roll4]
[roll5]

[drack]

"Pick it then." Horrik replies decisively. In all honesty she was quite proud of her noise-maker. It might be just the thing they need to attract anything living in here. Still, why waste a perfectly good door? Dimly she gestures for her mercenaries once more to collect the doors as they pass.

[Mordae]

About two minutes later, the two thieves working together are able to slip the lock and allow the door to swing open. The room on the far side measures 50' N-S by 70' E-W, with a 20'x30' alcove in the north wall nearest the west wall. Phosphorescent moss gives dim lighting to the entire expanse, which features four additional visible doors: a wooden door on the west wall directly across from the bugbear entry; a stone door twenty feet south of the first; a dilapidated wooden door on the south wall nearest the southeast corner; and a well-made wooden door in the north wall nearest the northwest corner (in the alcove area). On the south wall, a 10' wooden table (somewhat given over to rot) sits against the wall, with a glazed terra cotta basin sits in the exact center. Over the top of the basin on the wall, someone has written in Common: "MIND THE GAP".

[Mordae]

"Great, another freakin' empty room." Althaminil tucks his lock picks away and moves to begin examining the doors. One of the hirelings follows, carrying a torch to help illuminate the space more brightly, while the other two set about dismantling the door, making quite the racket as they go. Alicia shoots them a nasty look and goes as far away as possible, checking the western portal.

[drack]

Horrik skillfully waits for the rogues to clear the doors before pointing to the north door "That way.", once more signaling for the door to be dismantled behind them.

OOC

I'll update the map soon-ish.

[Deadlykire]

Krug merrily clambers along with the party. His face is starting to itch from the blood and scratches, but all he does is crinkle his nose. Scratching would require putting down his weapon, and Krug wouldn't do such a thing when he may be able to fight soon!

[Mordae]

Alicia goes to examine the northern door while Althaminil is still fiddling with the southern one. She carefully checks for traps before beginning work on the northern portal. As she sets to work picking the lock, however, a gout of bright magical flame issues forth from the ceiling directly above!

The rogue adroitly dodges the central blast of the flame. However, rather than being nearly incinerated on the spot, she ends up being painfully roasted into unconsciousness.

Alicia takes 7 damage and is dying (-1).


[roll0]
[roll1]

[drack]

Seeing that the rogue needs rest Horrik tosses her limp form onto the mule and instructs isaac to try the door.

[Jyssika]

The Feral child is much more sympathetic than the
scary orc! Mudd humms and giggles, placing her
hand upon the rogues bleeding wound.

Casts Cure Minor Wounds.

[drack]

Horrik grins as the burns begin to heal. "Magic." she grunts approvingly.

[Jyssika]

Mudd smiles wide...

Krug!

[wkwkwkwk1]

Seeming to awake from a state of dormancy, Randur approaches the rogue and casts a spell

Thar ye go. I cannae heal ye better 'till we rest, it seems.

Cure Minor Wounds is the spell Randur cast

[Deadlykire]

Krug is a bit confused by all of this "magic" the others were talking about. He wasn't sure how he felt about it. The others seemed to touch you and you got better. He walked up to Mudd and gently poked her. When it didn't heal him he frowned a bit and shrugged, turning to wait on a door to finish being opened.

[Mordae]

With Alicia stabilized for the moment and "resting" "comfortably" on top of Horrik's mule, Isaac assesses the door, keeping his distance. With visible concentration, he stretches out his hand and pulls on the door handle with the power of his mind, causing it to swing gently open. The torchlight reveals a passage leading north for at least sixty feet, its only feature a wooden door about thirty feet down the corridor on the right side.

[drack]

Horrik gestures for one of the would-be-deserters to get the next door.

[Mordae]

Althaminil glances at the map for a moment before moving to the door. "I think I know where this leads." Motioning for a torch-bearer to accompany him, he takes a listen at the door and then just pushes it open, glancing in before looking back up and down the corridor. "Right, this is the barrel room, the one with the dark--sucker thing. The passage goes sixty feet north and bends east, with a door on the west side of the corner. The corridor probably goes back the way we've came. The door..." He looks back speculatively.

[drack]

Nodding in agreement Horrik gestures to the door that leads to the unknown.

[Mordae]

Althaminil gives the door a look over, pronounces it free of traps, and starts to work on the lock. After a few moments of trying, there's a soft 'click', but when he tries to gently push the portal open, it doesn't budge. "Stuck or barred. Looks like a job for an orc, not an elf." He grins and steps back well out of Horrik's way.

[drack]

Without much enthusiasm Horrik jiggled the door "gently", wondering why it was that they never seemed to be able to get these things open on their own.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]

[Mordae]

The stuck door pops open on the first try, swinging inward to reveal an expansive chamber on the far side--50' N-S by 70' E-W, with a 20'x30' alcove in the south wall. The foul stench of dung and rotted trash pervades the moist air. The glow of phosphorescent moss is brighter here, as it covers nearly the entire floor; it is particularly bright in the alcove area to the south, where it grows thickly upon the heaps of refuse. There is a closed iron portcullis at the north end of the west wall, and another wooden door in the center of the north wall.

[drack]

Horik directs thud to get the next door.

[Jyssika]

Oyynk shall attempt to identify the smell
using survival and Scent.

[roll0]

[Mordae]

Oyynk waddles into the room, sniffs at the dung from a good distance away, and offers up a discontented grunt. Then, he starts to chew on some of the glowing fungus.

Mudd recognizes that particular sound as one the pig makes when it's not feeling particularly threatened. Mudd knows from her time in the wilds that only humanoids intentionally produce midden heaps of this size; most animals try to bury or scatter their droppings so as to disguise their presence.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]

[Mordae]

Thud moves forward to the north door with one of the torch-bearers in tow, casting a glance along the wall toward the portcullis as he does so. Apparently satisfied that there's no threat, he pulls the door open and looks down the corridor beyond. "Ten feet past the door, it bends to the right--then another sixty feet to a bend left," he announces quietly. "Nothing else in sight."

[drack]

Boldly Horrik follows Thud down the passageway, leading the party onward.

Edit:
Oh yeah, and map's updated.

[Mordae]

Thud advances quietly toward the corner, even though the entourage behind him is making enough racket to wake the dead. "Another sixty feet, then a dead end full of rubble. Looks like an iron grate in the west wall about forty feet down."

Meanwhile, at the back of the party, Randur yelps with alarm as an arrow zings out from beyond the portcullis in the dung-room, striking him in the leg. Turning in that direction, he growls out a warning. "Goblin archers. We get through that grating, I'm ripping their fingers off." Then, he makes a wary retreat behind the doorway to shield himself from further attacks.


[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[drack]

Horrik grunts, a slow murderous grin spreading over her face. There were a few options here, and they all ended in the sort of civil violence and death that proper Urrukish ladies like Horrik could enjoy and use to pass the time. They could send back archers and have a shootout, they could retreat, fortify the passageway in which they'd all crowded, try to open or break down the portcullis, or... calling back through the procession Horrik orders the iron door be opened opened. "Get that door open, see if we can't head them off and back them up into that iron grate of theirs."

Edit: heh, only 5' or so of space to spare cramming everyone in that hallway. :smalltongue:

[neriractor]

Isaac was reading a book most of the time, he was trying to overlook the fact that Krug had beaten him of all people in every door opening contest until now, as he saw the dwarf get shoot he focused over there to provide cover fire while the Orcs handled the door at least I can do this better that those brutes"



ready action to manifest an energy ray(electric if they wear metal and cold if they don't) to the first goblin in range.

[wkwkwkwk1]

Peeking out of his cover, Randur chants a few holy words and points at the goblins


Entangle the Goblins!!

[Jyssika]

Mudd will draw a Javelin from her back and scramble into
cover, dragging Oyynk by the tail as she does so!

[drack]

Horrik directs her mercenaries to use their tower shields to provide cover to those firing at the goblins.

half cover: +4AC
Maybe they're prone?: +2AC against ranged attacks if they care to lie in the glowing fungus

[Mordae]

The three uruks hastily change course, leaving the mules and furnace in the corridor and bringing their tower shields to bear in the dung-chamber. Several more arrows issue forth from beyond the portcullis, but none of them find a mark. The rest of the adventurers crouch and advance upon the portcullis. While there's no obvious mechanism for raising it from this side, between Krug and Thump the grating is raised by main strength--though there is no obvious way to keep it aloft for the remainder of the group to pass.

[drack]

Horrik strolls through the corridor, taking two cheep wooden doors off her mule as she does. Confidently she slips them under the portcullis and orders one of her mercs to make sure everyone's clear of the tunnel and back into the room, then to seal off the corridor with his tower shield. Then she orders the other two to give full cover from the archers to the room with their tower shields, leaving a gap so that anyone who cares to can still run ahead and attack. With that she casts her gaze about to make sure everyone's accounted for, silently cursing under her breath that her enemies might still be getting away.

[Mordae]

The doors keep the portcullis propped, and the lack of arrows incoming suggests the enemy has retreated further into the system of tunnels. The room into which the portcullis leads is fifty feet square, with two doors facing each other at the far west end of the north and south walls. Both are wooden, closed, and look to be in decent repair. There is a fire pit in the very center, with a chimney cut into the ceiling to allow smoke to escape; it is dark and cold, but ashes within suggest somewhat recent use. Several wooden barrels have been lined up along the south wall nearest the southeast corner, six in all occupying about twenty feet of the wall space.

[drack]

Horik gestures for thud to check the barrels.

[Mordae]

Thump nods and cautiously moves forward toward the barrels, with the others keeping a watchful eye back at the portcullis. Suddenly, a volley of arrows springs out from hidden slits in the south wall, peppering the monk. He manages to avoid three, somehow, but the fourth catches him in the right thigh.

Thump takes 2 damage.

Roll initiative and state actions. Thump will be retreating on his turn--he doesn't have the HP to take another arrow spray.


[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4][roll5]
[roll6][roll7]
[roll8][roll9]
[roll10][roll11]

[drack]

Horrik's gruff shout informs the others of arrow slits in the walls.

[roll0]

[neriractor]

Isaac nods to Horrik and readies himself behind the shields as he wonders when did they change lead orcs.



[roll0]

[Jyssika]

Fluff throws a small tantrum, she throws her
javelin on the floor and behinds stamping her
feet.

[roll0] Initiative.

Fluff is converting Magic Fang into Summon Natures
Ally 1, if she is able to cast through the arrowslit/other
-wise she will cast as close as possible to archers.

[roll1]
1 - Dire rat
2 - Eagle
3 - Monkey
4 - Octopus1
4 - Owl
5 - Porpoise
6 - Small viper
7 - Wolf

[wkwkwkwk1]

Sighing, Randur starts to chant another spell, making flames burst from his hand. He then follows the rest of the party.


Casting Produce Flame

[Mordae]

Thump takes one more arrow before he can run back behind the cover of the shields; fortunately, it's a grazing wound and not a fatal one. Popping into existence behind him is Mudd's owl, which cannot fit through the arrow slits but at least provides a visual distraction and alternate target should more arrows be forthcoming.

Order of Battle: Party, Archers

[roll0]
[roll1]
Archer attack: [roll2] [roll3][roll4]
Archer attack: [roll5] [roll6][roll7]
Archer attack: [roll8] [roll9][roll10]
Archer attack: [roll11] [roll12][roll13]

[drack]

Considering their situation, Horrik is forced to accept that her skills were not well suited to a shoot out. As such she takes to watching the mules, instructs her three mercenaries to form a shield wall with their tower shields, and suggests that anyone who can shoot should take the initiative. Already her mind was thinking ahead. A fire pit with a chimney, a defensible area with arrow slits from which to watch for any threats, if they could take this place they'd be able to rest soundly.

Map updated
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ainCR-wO5fdMFM17fpMD_oUy2EbQst6Sn6SOyOm3r-o/edit#gid=5

[Mordae]

With the impenetrable shield wall formed, the volleys of arrows have no chance to harm anyone who is prone behind the trio of tower shields. Unfortunately, there's still the matter of about thirty feet to be crossed to get to the southwest door; but once there, the archers should have no angle to attack.

Stacked together, the three shields only protect about a 10' wide space, vice 15' as seen on the map.

[Mordae]

Thump hangs back, still nursing his injuries, but Althaminil, Randur, Krug, and Barzulf use the cover provided by the tower shields to inch their way across the room to the southwest corner. Another two volleys strike the shields, but without the overhead space to arc shots down from above, there's no angle for the unseen archers to target any of the advancing party with any accuracy.

"Locked," Althaminil grumbles from his huddled position by the far door. He pulls out his tools and gets to work. On the far side, there's sounds of banging and scraping. "Probably barricading it now, too."

[drack]

"Take it down." Horrik commands, and promptly two of the mercenaries move behind the cover of the third, using crowbars to pry the door off its frame.

round 1
[roll0]
[roll1]
round 2
[roll2]
[roll3]
round 3
[roll4]
[roll5]
round 4
[roll6]
[roll7]
round 5
[roll8]
[roll9]

[Mordae]

The hirelings make quick work of the door, prying without regard for noise, as Krug, Barzulf, and Randur prepare to assault the far side. Althaminil takes up one of the shields to help form the wall, being otherwise useless with his stealthy skills no longer required at the fore.

As the splintered door comes down, smoke starts to billow into the room from the far side, obscuring any sight lines that would have developed.

[drack]

Horrik adopts a defensive stance as she waits for something to step out of the smoke.

[Mordae]

No creature steps through, but a flurry of arrows does come launching out of the smoke-filled space beyond the ripped-down door. Fortunately, the defenders' aim is as spoiled by the smoke as the aggressors' sight, and only one strikes Krug squarely enough to draw blood.

Krug takes 3 damage.


1=Barzulf,2=Krug,3=Randur,4=Althaminil,5=hireling1 ,6=hireling2,7=hireling3
[roll0][roll1][roll2][roll3]
[roll4][roll5][roll6][roll7]
[roll8][roll9][roll10][roll11]
[roll12][roll13][roll14][roll15]
[roll16][roll17][roll18][roll19]
[roll20][roll21][roll22][roll23]

[drack]

As the smoke rolls out of the doorway, Horrik releases a gut-wrenching battle cry and commands the hirelings to advance while signaling the mercenaries to fall back to cover the main party. Dimly her mind tingled at the thought of the fresh blood she could shed.

[Mordae]

The hired uruks take up the shields as Krug and Barzulf lead the charge into smoke darkness, with Althaminil and Randur coming behind in reserve.

"Goblin archers! Shields forward!" comes the uruk shout from down the smoke-darkened hallway, Krug's voice carrying clearly.


[roll0][roll1]
[roll2][roll3]
[roll4][roll5]
[roll6][roll7]

[drack]

With the shield wall returned, Horrik (and anyone else who cares to) takes a move action to get safely back over to the recently removed door whilst the hirelings fight.

[Mordae]

The twang of bowstrings has been replaced with the sound of steel as Krug, Barzulf, Randur, and Althaminil press the attack forward. The smoke has begun to dissipate, and with darkvision Horrik can make out shadowy shapes fighting in the hallway about forty paces away from the now-empty door-frame. No arrows come from the hidden slits to assail the shield wall on its way over.

[neriractor]

Isaac starts moving towards the fight, making sure to always have a hulking comrade between him and the goblins "if you could bring yourselves to capture one, that would be most helpful" maybe we can stop running around this dirty maze and get somewhere...

[drack]

Horrik orders the guard to advance ahead of them giving them cover in this round before they enter the Frey (hopefully we'll be able to tell friend from foe by then. :smalltongue:) Hearing Isaac's council, Horrik orders the guards to detain one of the goblins when they get there, meanwhile she slips the Zweihänder free, a slight smile on her lips. I think they've got +5 grapple each

[wkwkwkwk1]

Debating between joining the fray or throwing a rock, Randur remembers the flame dancing above his hand. Maneuvering to get a clear shot, Randur throws a flaming orb at one of the goblins.


Shooting at the farthest goblin that isn't engaged in melee. Failing that, well, he shoots all the same. :smalltongue:

Attack (vs. Touch AC): [roll0]
Damage (Fire): [roll1]

[Mordae]

As the mercenaries advance with shields, Randur tosses his flame and catches one of the goblins squarely, igniting the creature's clothing--which, aside from the distraction, also serves as a limited light source as the inflamed archer tries to beat off the blaze.

In the 10-foot passage, Krug and Barzulf are fighting the first rank of goblins, while Althaminil and Randur are right behind them. The second rank of goblins appear shaken, perhaps ready to break, with one of them on fire and so many adversaries ahead.

[drack]

Seeing the passage overcrowded as is, Horrik waits for space to clear itself.


map updated
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ainCR-wO5fdMFM17fpMD_oUy2EbQst6Sn6SOyOm3r-o/edit#gid=5

[wkwkwkwk1]

Quickly retrieving a stone bullet, Randur aims at a goblin's head and lauches it.


Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

If a 20 is rolled:

Attack: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

[neriractor]

a wave of sound bursts trough the air loudly towards one of the goblins, Isaac then walks ahead, waiting to see if one of them is still alive enough for his purposes.


manifesting mindthrust
DC 13 will save to negate the damage
damage [roll0]

I´ll attack a weakened goblin or a strong one if there will still be one left afterwards. :smallsmile:

[Mordae]

Randur's sling bullet misses badly, while Isaac puts the flaming goblin out of its misery with a quick mind thrust. Krug has switched to striking with the flat of the blade to try to keep one of the goblins alive, perhaps causing the knockout stroke to miss, but Barzulf shows no such mercy and cleaves his foe in two.

The second goblin in the back rank breaks and flees, running past the smoldering form of his dead companion.

[drack]

Calling back into the room, Horrik orders the rest of the group into the passageway behind them so as not to make them appear as easy targets to be picked off. Upon seeing a goblin flee she also orders Althaminil to chase after it and hunt it down before it can summon reinforcements.

Map updated with out of combat NPC movement for a round, death of one goblin, the goblin behind it fleeing to unexplored regions.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ainCR-wO5fdMFM17fpMD_oUy2EbQst6Sn6SOyOm3r-o/edit#gid=5

[Mordae]

The attack presses down the hallway. Krug lands a heavy sideways blow that knocks his foe out cold, and Althaminil heeds Horrik's call to rush down the passage ahead. Barzulf, whose natural loathing of goblins is intense, follows the elf along the dark passage as well.

At the rear, the mercenaries and hirelings form up in the passage. The limited light from the torches and the burning goblin help illuminate the passageway as the smoke thins out. All can see a narrow (5') side passage to the east, just beyond where Krug had slammed his opponent to the wall. The main passage goes forty feet before bending to the west, and it is this direct that the fleeing goblin has gone, pursued by elf and dwarf.

[neriractor]

Isaac starts feeling tired after so much mental stress, his head hurts as he feels some of the pisonic energy whitin himself leaving his body, he walks towards the corridor, cleaning some blood that fell on his robe from the bloody mess Horrik made of the last goblin.

He waits for Krug or a hireling to grab the unconscious goblin before following the scouts, all the time remembering the rooms they went trough before, cataloguing the qualities amongst them, to see in wich one they should rest after they are done wich their feeble enemies.

[drack]

Horrik motions for pause while the portion of the party still lagging behind catches up (20-40 secs), and for two of the mercs to retrieve any bodies, barrels, and remnants with one staying behind the main (PC) group for lighting. Likewise she directs Krug to take the lead, remaining slightly ahead of the main (PC) group until we can regroup with the two hirelings.

While they wait Horrik also directs one of the merks to disarm the unconscious goblin, stabilize it if necessary, and pin it in his arm for somewhat-less-risky-transit.

Seeing the western side passage to the cavity from which the goblins had been shooting had not yet been thoroughly investigated, Horrik directs one of the mercenaries to block the corridor with a tower shield.

[Mordae]

Horrik catches the fleeing goblin just as it reaches the corner, with predictably messy results. However, before her orders can be carried out, a flurry of arrows comes from further down the passage to the right (west) of the corner. Two of them bite through armor, one deeply.

Horrik takes 7 damage.

Turning toward her attackers, Horrik can see that the passage leads twenty feet east before opening into a larger chamber, the walls of which are beyond the reach of her darkvision. Right at the opening, goblins have flipped a table onto its side and are using it as cover from which to launch volleys.


[roll0] [roll1] [roll2]
[roll3] [roll4] [roll5]
[roll6] [roll7] [roll8]
[roll9] [roll10] [roll11]

[drack]

Horrik Grunts, both in primal savagery and pain as the arrows strike her, but through baleful wrath her sweeping glare did sight her attackers before she ducked back into cover. They were a wounded and ragged lot, and the two most wounded of all were the two most ready to hurl themselves headlong into death. Angrily Horrik sliced her hands down before them, cutting them off, smiling her prettiest bloodthirsty and ferocious smile as she commanded them further back. Over the next half a minute as the others arrived, Horrik instructed them as to their charge, drawing forth her little steel mirror with which to watch the goblins around the bend as she instructed them.

Raevin and Jayne would take the front. The mighty sorcerer hadn't yet cast a single spell the whole day, and if anyone knew how to deal with arrows it would be the ranger.

The Sorc (Raevin) has 19 Cha, but neither of those two have sheets, which means a few quick rolls are made, or their deaths are GM fiat, either way I'm sure it'll work itself out.

Next would be Regarre and Glorfinbad. The wizards were spent, but the look in their eye told her they'd be good for nothing else, rested or not, and that it'd be a mercy were they to to die now before seeing worse horrors down here. Then would be Oink and Mudd who were the freshest fighters with the best chance to get through that table and put some fear into these goblins.

Note, everyone would get to move and attack short of the first few who die after moving due to readied actions.

Last, anyone who wanted (PCs) would remain behind these ranks, slinging whatever long ranged attacks they had left in them to topple this foe. Krug and Thump (who we've been calling Thud), meanwhile, would be let past the mercenary's tower shield in order to check out the room with the arrow slits, and to make sure it's both clear and secure.


I'll wait until mord ratifies it with a crunchy-post before I update the map. Note, we've all been on within a few hours, so I'm gonna assume everyone who's wanted to, has posted lately. :smallsmile:

[wkwkwkwk1]

Randur decides to simply load another bullet into his sling and stay back behind the safety of his companions.

[neriractor]

Isaac, looks for a ranged weapon with haste among the diseased bodies, seeing himself in need of ranged back up as he hordes what little energy he's got left.

[Mordae]

Althaminil and Barzulf, seeing Horrik take the bites of arrows, hang at the corner while the plan is worked out. Raevin nods at the description of the improvised barricade, while Jayne considers her options. "Give me one of the tower shields, and I'll draw their fire--then Raevin can cast his spell, and I'll rush them."

[drack]

At Horrik's direction, the merc grappling the goblin relinquishes his shield.

[Mordae]

Jayne takes the proffered shield and, with a nod to Raevin, leaps out into the center of the hallway shouting a war cry. Immediately, four arrows come her way. As soon as the bolts have flown, Raevin runs for the cover of the shield and points with his fingers, sending a cone of flame toward the table. There are screams from the defending goblins, and flickering yellow light indicates that the wooden table has caught fire. "Let's go!" Jayne calls back as the column of adventurers forms up behind her.

Isaac takes up one of the dead goblin's short bows and arrows, while Thud/Thump takes a torch and confirms that the arrow-slit chamber is fully clear.

Any other actions before the whole group rushes to the chamber?


[roll0] [roll1] [roll2]
[roll3] [roll4] [roll5]
[roll6] [roll7] [roll8]
[roll9] [roll10] [roll11]
[roll12]
[roll13] [roll14]

[Mordae]

Raevin casts a Light spell on a small pebble and throws it into the room, while Jayne pushes forward with the shield, kicking the burning table out of her way. "Medium sized room, doors left and right, more tables," she calls out as she moves into the chamber. Regarre and Glorfinbad rush after her, diving for cover, but the elf falls victim to one arrow from the flurry of four that comes in return. Raevin slides along the wall to the left behind Jayne, hand going to the dagger at his hip.

Mudd goes charging in with Oynnk, the latter driving straight into the fray. By the sounds of the goblin screams, it's at least having the effect of sowing terror in the ranks of the enemy.

By the time Horrik, Isaac, and Randur make it to the entryway, there's a pitched battle underway, with all of the participants having dropped bows and other ranged weapons in favor of close-quarters combat. Regarre is hard-pressed to the right of the entryway by two goblins, while Jayne has tossed aside the tower shield and drawn a longsword against a trio on the left. The room is about forty feet square, and once had four long tables running north-south through the middle; one of them was sacrificed earlier as an improvised barricade, so only three remain upright. Two goblins have sprung atop the nearest one in an effort to avoid Oynnk's charge; the pig is tossing benches and chairs with its tusks. Mudd has her staff at the ready, having backed herself into the corner furthest the entryway.

Initiative: PCs, Goblins, NPC allies

Updating map now.

[drack]

Horrik, pulling the arrow from her foot, puts a bit of weight on it before grunting her approval as it bears her weight. Working her sling she cast a small pebble into the fray

[roll0] for [roll1] damage

[neriractor]

Isaac can´t seem to find a clear shot at the goblins, disdaining Regarre, he looks at the group of goblins near Jayne, letting loose a wave of psychic energy against the inferior mind of a goblin.


manifesting mindthrust against the strongest looking of the goblins surrounding Jayne
DC 13 will save to negate the damage.
damage: [roll0]

[wkwkwkwk1]

Randur spins the sling a few times and lets loose a pebble.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Mordae]

Horrik's sling bullet errs wide, flying all the way across the room to strike the far wall instead of a goblin. Isaac's mind thrust somehow manages not to find its target. Meanwhile, Randur's bullet strikes true against one of the unengaged goblins.

The defenders rush forward to protect the doorway. Short swords flash against Regarre and Jayne; the ranger acquits herself admirably, but Regarre takes a sword thrust and looks badly wounded. Two more goblins jump down from the table to defend the burning table-barricade against Althaminil and Barzulf, but don't manage to score any hits.

Jayne and Regarre fight back against overwhelming odds, and the desperate wizard returns blood for blood against his aggressor. Raevin directs another burning hands spell against the two nearby goblins, but his arm gets bumped by Jayne's furious defense and the flames spray the ceiling instead of the goblins.

Althaminil and Barzulf go after the goblins in front of them, scoring minor wounds.

Mudd remains at the back, directing Oynnk to rush one of the goblin groups from behind. The pig's charge, however, is sidestepped by the target goblin.

PCs up!


[roll0]

[roll1] [roll2] [roll3]
[roll4] [roll5] [roll6]
[roll7] [roll8] [roll9]

[roll10] [roll11] [roll12]
[roll13] [roll14] [roll15]

[roll16] [roll17] [roll18]
[roll19] [roll20] [roll21]

[roll22]
[roll23]
[roll24]

[roll25] [roll26] [roll27]
[roll28] [roll29] [roll30]

[roll31] [roll32] [roll33]
[roll34] [roll35] [roll36]

[roll37] [roll38] [roll39]

[neriractor]

Isaac clumsily prepares to shoot his new bow, the bow shakes in his hand as he lets an arrow loose on the general direction of the goblin Althaminil is fighting.

move to reload, standard to shoot

attack:[roll0]
damage: [roll1]

*grumble* finally roll a twenty for an incredible 0 damage :smallfrown:
attack:[roll2]
damage: [roll3]

[drack]

Horrik, quite carelessly, tosses another bolt.

[roll0] (-4 shooting into melee penalty) for [roll1] damage.

[wkwkwkwk1]

Once again, Randur looses a pebble towards the goblins, missing spectacularly...

Attack:[roll0]
Damage:[roll1]

[Mordae]

Horrik and Randur throw sling stones across the room to no effect--almost as if they were trying not to help their "allies" in the room. Isaac can barely pull back the bow string, and although his aim is nigh-miraculous, the shot does nothing more than scratch the target goblin.

Jayne and Oynnk take on the three goblins to the south of the entryway, with Raevin fumbling with his dagger behind the fray. Short-swords flash in the firelight, and Jayne gives out a cry as her blood spills and she falls to the ground, clutching deep wounds. The third goblin cannot find purchase on its porcine adversary, while Oyynk's thick tusks spear it to death with quick lateral thrusts.

Althaminil and Barzulf strike across the burning remains of the table-barricade against the two goblins holding the doorway. Both the goblins strike home, with Barzulf managing to twist-dodge at the last second so his opponent's stab manages only to nick his neck instead of rip open his jugular. With great anger, he strikes back and kills the goblin with a single crushing blow. Althaminil's rapier thrust is equal to his enemy as well, and the second goblin goes down in a heap.

Two goblins and Regarre, struggling north of the doorway, press home their furious close-quarters combat. Having luckily survived one round, the wizard dies ignominiously as the goblin slashes him across the face, practically cutting off his jaw.

PCs up!


[roll0] [roll1] [roll2]
[roll3] [roll4] [roll5]
[roll6] [roll7] [roll8]

[roll9] [roll10] [roll11]
[roll12] [roll13] [roll14]

[roll15] [roll16] [roll17]
[roll18] [roll19] [roll20]

[roll21] [roll22] [roll23]
[roll24] [roll25] [roll26]

[roll27] [roll28] [roll29]
[roll30] [roll31] [roll32]

[roll33] [roll34] [roll35]

[drack]

Noticing that her aching foot-wound is throwing off her aim, Horrik sits down against a wall to tie her sling around her foot.

[neriractor]

Isaac lets outanother arrow to some random goblin, knowing that his magnificent aim would compensate for the lack of force behind his arrows.

move to reload, standard to shoot

attack: [roll0]
damage: [roll1]

attack:[roll2]damage: [roll3]

[wkwkwkwk1]

Cursing under his breath, Randur throws another pebble, this time nearly hitting his own head.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Bows don't take a move action to load. Crossbows and slings do. I'm assuming its a bow, since crossbows take no damage penalty from a low strength score :smalltongue:

[Mordae]

With their allies in the hall entirely ineffective, the rest of the party continues the struggle against the goblin defenders, but it's clear fate is no longer on their side. Raevin is cut down where he stands, even though Oynnk avenges him with a tusky attack that fells one goblin. The two who had defeated Regarre charge up to hold the doorway, and with desperate thrusts they send Althaminil and Barzulf both to the ground. Mudd looks ready to join the fight from the back, drawing her staff and rushing to Oynnk's side, but not closely enough to attack at the moment.

PC's up!

OOC note: Two goblins, one injured, can close to melee range of Horrik and Randur this round. I'll update the map when I'm not on airport WiFi.


[roll0] [roll1] [roll2]
[roll3] [roll4] [roll5]

[roll6] [roll7] [roll8]
[roll9] [roll10] [roll11]

[roll12] [roll13] [roll14]
[roll15] [roll16] [roll17]

[roll18] [roll19] [roll20]
[roll21] [roll22] [roll23]

[neriractor]

Isaac sees his comrades fall and decided to squeeze what little psionic energy he left as a backup, thinking it´ll come back with a good eat once this whole thing is over. As his frail body moves closer to the enemy a burst of sound just loud enough to make some heads turns finds its way from Isaac to a goblin.


moving just close enough (using cover if available)to manifest mind thrust on a goblin (a frail or hurt one if one is close)
DC13
damage:[roll0]

[wkwkwkwk1]

Moving away from the fray, Randur simply reloads his sling.

Move: Move 30 ft. away
Move: Reload sling

[drack]

Horrik draws a new, pre-loaded sling, and fires a bolt before backing up to draw another and drop it into Rander's hands. Seeing that Mudd's mostly directing Oynk, Horrik calls out to her, suggesting she do so from behind the defensive line, carefully moving around the goblins so as to avoid the reach of their weapons.

Now that we have sling-loading mechanics in front of us, I guess I'm glad I grabbed multiple. that should save your mechanics from getting funky after the retreat. :smallsmile:

By-the-by Mord, Mud has augmented summoning and a level 1 spells left. Druids can spontaneously cast summon nature's ally like how clerics spontaneously cast cure/inflict. It may be a full round action, but these goblins seem to have wracked up quite the kill count ay? :smalltongue:

Aw well, Mudd's officially our party healer now. Come the next day 2 cure light wounds spells and 3 cure minors should help patch up the PCs a bit. :smallbiggrin:

sling roll on suthernmost gobby
[roll0] for [roll1] damage

[Mordae]

The battle rages on, with most of the combatants down for the count in the room. One goblin fights a battle against an enraged Oynnk, with Mudd joining in with her club, while the others press the attack at the doorway. Horrik fells one with a sling stone, and Isaac directs his mental energy at the other and crushes its mind. Oynnk rips the last of the three goblins in half with a mighty tusk thrust, and the battle is suddenly, bloodily over.


[roll0] [roll1] [roll2]

[roll3]

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

[roll10] [roll11] [roll12]

[drack]

Horrik instructs everyone else to situate themselves in the defensible room, which barely fits everyone when some people sleep on the mules, so it'll be tight and stuffy...) while she commands her hirelings about once more. She commands her hirelings to retrieve the dead, squiring any living goblins with the exception of their hostage. She then commands them to gather the tables, to search and gather the barrels. Since we haven't a single cook, Horrik's gonna focus on things it's harder to botch. With the three remaining tables, she has them erect a rough smoke house and carve up corpses for meat, few interesting tidbits for Horrik, tossing most of the inedible bits in a pile in the corner, designated as a latrine area to be moved to the glowing fertilizer pile in the next room after everyone rests. Horrik chooses one of the wooden doors and the broken table to fuel the fire. Since the ghouls are probably too rotten to eat, she'll have their hands and heads chopped off to save, and the rest caked up and tossed in the waste pile. She'll also have the empty centipede egg shells crushed up and put there. Isaac, Krug, and Thud will be in charge of interrogating the KOed goblin, the latter to keep it restrained, guard will be held in shifts with one merc at the doorway at all times with a tower shield, and at least one more looking through the arrow slits, between those two all points can be watched. A third will stay on duty to mind the smoke shack. One of the mules is gifted to Randur. (Animal empathy means you can make it see you as a close friend, and potentially be useful.) Horrik also informs Mudd that she's in charge of making the party healthy the next morning.



1) Are all the fallen PCs dead, at least by the time we get to them?
2) What gear did each goblin archer have?
3) What gear did Jayne have?
4) Corpses. 7 goblins, 1 bugbear, 1 centipede, what's that, 300lb of edible meat?
4.5) Corpses. 6 party members, that's ~450lb edible meat? :smalltongue:
5) Anything of note in the bugbear?
6) What's in the barrels?
7) How many barrels are there?
8) What gear does Raevin have?
Smoking meat takes ~3-8 hours, so it should be done in the morning.

[neriractor]

Isaac finds himself in front of the prisoner, stoping Krug as he was about to use his methods of investigation, waving for him to stand back he said: "don´t worry, if what I´m about to do works, we won´t need one of those... gruesome methods, now put down your weapons, they´ll make this harder"

smiling, he chants a few words and slowly waves his hands, green mist made of nothing surrounding the goblins head and suddenly dispersing.


spending my last power point to manifest charm, psionic on the goblin, cross your fingers fellows :smallbiggrin:

DC 13 will save to resist

[Mordae]

The goblin blinks several times as the visual effect of the spell dissipates. Then, he tilts his head a little to the side and looks to Isaac. "Why I tied up, friend?" he asks the psionicist in the language of Goblins, a puzzled expression on his face.

[roll0]

[neriractor]

Isaac smiles and answers in fluid goblinoid and with a comforting tone, "you got knocked out and there seems to be undead around so I decided to keep us both safe by binding you with the ropes, but don´t worry mate, seems like you didn´t catch any of the grave illness."

he draws a small map of the parts of the dungeon they have visited and shows it to the goblin, "could you please help me complete this map? we have not travelled enough to know the whole caves as well as you do.

He waves for Thud to untie the goblin and give him a bit of chalk and promptly moves towards Krug whispering to him closely "go tell Horrik she needs to hide the goblin corpses, quick."

he then goes closer to the goblin, waiting to see if he/she can improve the map and giving him indications on where everything (aside from the dead things) is just in case he/she doesn´t get the map.

I sometimes forget just how fun abilities that punish lies are to try to use by wording things correctly :smallbiggrin:

[Mordae]

The goblin nods slowly, the thoughts turning over in its mind. "Alright, I see you have just discovered our home, which is good since we are friends. Did you defeat the undead? They are a menace in the southern part of this level, and we have not been able to do anything other than trap them. The bugbear is a solitary fellow and we let him have his own piece of the place." He fills in a few more details in the northwest corner of the map.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[drack]

Horrik was watching the hirelings crack their way through the bugbear's thick carapace when krug walked in. Casually she motions for the mercenaries to continue their work within the makeshift smokehouse. Walking into the interrogation, Horrik smiles showing her pearly white tusks only moderately bespectacled with blood splatter. "The boys are just cleaning up in the other room, I hope you don't mind..." ...but her attention drifts, fixating on the map. "Why that's interesting, I don't suppose we could get a sketch of the downstairs too, could we?" Her gaze was on the goblin, but the question was open to anyone. Without thinking much of it she used a sling to wipe the gore off her blade before sheathing it. Urruks didn't mind blood, but it could spoil a a good sword with time.

[Mordae]

"I'm afraid not,", the goblin admits. "I'm just a muck-scavenger and not a scout. We sent our best scout to help the women and children get to the surface when the fighting broke out."

[neriractor]

Isaac´s eyebrowns twitch a little when he hears they got the wrong goblin.

He speaks again a bit annoyed by his tools failing him but keeping the friendly guise "we got rid of some undead, but I´m not sure we got them all, surely the scouts have told tales about what´s on the lower levels, could you share them, knowing what´s below will be very useful"

[Mordae]

"We moved in about six moons ago. I know that after we built our defenses here, we looked out the back door, but there were some dark elves in those passages and so we shut them tight and put traps and boarded doors to keep them away. They only started looking on the lower level recently, but I know they found a tunnel leading out past some big cent-i-bugs. There were undead there too, but just skeletons. Ta-chek didn't come back from that raid..." The goblin looks a bit sad at the memory.

[drack]

I'll let Isaac take it from here.


Horrik looks Isaac in the eye, "See what else you can learn about the other corridors on this floor, then we'll need to know where his women and children fled. They're not safe up there." With that she leaves them to it.

[neriractor]

I saac nods and goes back to the goblin "if you can point to everything else you know of this level I would appreciate it.."

He coughs a little, exhausted by today´s work and proceeds "...also, could you tell me where the non-combatants should be right now, is a dangerous world but together we should be able to protect them better that just a few scouts"

"what´s the orc´s aim with this tribe..."

[drack]

Horrik, directs the mercenaries to save the bones, filling a second sack, and to cover the barrels with sacks to conceal them from the goblin.

[Mordae]

Unfortunately, the goblin doesn't know anything more useful about the level. The southwestern portion has been walled off and trapped to keep out drow, and the party has explored almost all of the eastern half of the tunnels. The goblin believes the non-combatants are being led to a goblin village several miles northeast of the caves, well beyond the reach of the Genesis garrison.

[neriractor]

Isaac thanks the goblin and asks it to stay put, quickly he relies the new info to Horrik thrusting her and the hirelings to provide protection for the night.

He finds a quiet spot and after eating some of the hireling's special "meat" he goes to sleep in order to replenish his precious energy.

[drack]

Horrik, while disappointed to hear the goblin tribe is gone, is quite willing to share her bread (considering the meat will be done in the morning), and goes off to bed herself after making sure Isaac would keep the goblin controlled or dead through the night. As an added safeguard she gives krug the same responsibility.

[Mordae]

Krug gives Horrik a definitive nod before settling in for the night's watch. The goblin, however, is a bit nervous about the accommodations. "Can't I go back to my sleeping chamber to pick up my things?" he wonders aloud to Isaac. "I thought you said you dispatched the undead."

[roll0]

[neriractor]

*sigh* "no, my friend, you have gotten it wrong, we have killed some of the undead but is dangerous to move around when our strength is depleted, go to sleep and perhaps tomorrow we could go and look for your things, I doubt they´ll move from where they are."

afterwards Isaac walks to the place he chose, meeting Krug half way and telling him quietly "the goblin is no longer useful to us, take care of it before morning..." with that said
he smiles and finally goes to get some well deserved rest.

[drack]

Horrik kills the goblin, tossing its corpse to her mercenaries to dispose of. It was a shame they hadn't gotten the right goblin, but it was now beyond their reach, as would the other goblins likely be soon.


Assuming we aren't attacked in our sleep, tomorrow were gonna scout out the rest of the goblen's first floor residence. First Mudd will, hopefully, heal the party. Then to check the loop, Mudd will take the north rout, Krug will take the south rout, and if they see any threat they'll circle back. If they meet each other first they'll hold the north room Thump, meanwhile, under the supervision of a hireling, will check out the southernmost room while the other hirelings deconstruct the smoke shack, stash the meat&bones, offer meat sandwiches to the party (breakfast), and while everyone else is generally waking up. Horrik will pay the hirelings for yesterday (former NPC and full time NPC alike.)

[Mordae]

The evening passes without incident--aside from the dispatch of the captured goblin--and the next morning after preparing her spells, Mudd tends to the party's various and sundry wounds, expending much of her daily power within the span of the first hour.

Then, the party prepares for exploration. One of the hirelings suggests that the entry portcullis be lowered and braced in place to secure the goblin lair from the rest of the dungeon.


1x CMiW for 1hp to recover Randur to full HP
1x CLW for [roll0] plus 1x CMiW for 1hp to recover Horrik to full HP [roll1] each - saving the second if the first recovers Horrik's 7HP lost, swapping CMiW if it would be a better option

[drack]

Sticking with the plan, Horrik sends the mudd, Thump, and krug ahead to explore, mostly to prevent the goblins from running a circle about them and escaping. Still, he made sure Thud and Krug would exercise caution in the trapped room before the drow. The last thing they needed was to loose people to traps before cornering the goblins.

[Mordae]

Mudd scouts out the northern passage, confirming that the layout matches the description provided by the now-deceased goblin. The room immediately north is a common bedchamber for the clan and shows signs of hasty departure, with straw beds scattered and various minor possessions overturned; anything of significance is apparently gone. The east passage from that room wraps back around to the north door of the fire pit chamber, and this passage features a number of defensive emplacements such as sharpened sticks and missing floor stones, designed to make it hard for anyone breaking through the door to gain access to the bedchamber.

The south room is a storage place, where the goblins apparently kept their food and other supplies. Due to the hasty retreat, it stands largely untouched. Stacks of smoked bread-cakes, wrapped in large leaves that the party can recognize as coming from the trees above, line one of the walls. There are also four deer-skins, wrapped on long, thin poles and neatly leaning against one corner. Three water-barrels and a vast number of crude cookpots, table service, and crockery complete the space.

The southwest passage that was marked "drow" is difficult to gain access to. The goblins have driven more than a dozen iron spikes into the narrow gaps between the door and frame to wedge it securely in place. Krug is prying at one of these when Horrik and the hirelings finish breaking down the camp and are ready to move on.

[drack]

Horrik allows the mules to graze on the hay as she has krug leave the dorw-barricade alone, and instructs the hirelings in bundling everything from the kitchen onto another makeshift door-sled for the second mule, allowing the party to refill their water-skins and jugs before dumping the water someplace that it wouldn't make everything wet.

I think I can make due with just a general weight for the bread and a weight for the crockery. I'll call the poles 10' poles.


Horrik then sends two of her mercenaries to the lower level to scout it out, or rather to poke around quickly and see if either there are but a few goblin rooms, or if there is a whole complex of caves down there, cracking open only the first few doors they see. She chose to send the mercenaries instead of the hirlings this time in order to play it safe. Not only were the mercenaries uninjured, but if trouble presented itself they could readily raise their tower shields, sealing off the tunnel, and retreat in formation.

[neriractor]

Isaac eats his breakfast, waiting for the scouts to return and dreading his own idiocy when he chose to not bring even one book to entertain himself while the rest attend to their duties.

[drack]

Horrik casually examines her newly cleaned and sharpened blade. It wasn't quite complete. Running a hand through her beautiful hair, she removes some of that grease that so adds to its illustrious sheen, carefully applying it to her blade. That would help protect the blade from water damages... which is to say the blood that would no doubt coat it once more son enough.


If you don't have a basement map, but it's more then two rooms, we'll accept that as an answer and go on to explore the area marked with a red box on the map. :smallsmile:

[Mordae]

The hirelings return after about a quarter hour, noting that there are a number of chambers and interconnected passageways below, so the layer possibly extends for some ways. They found some prints in the dust, but they were too many to be tracked.

Hearing this, the party gathers up its remaining strength to explore the few uncleared areas on this first level. It only takes a few minutes to get to the stone door, which is still shut tight. There are no signs of any goblin tracks, or anything else that might be a resistance. The faintest of breezes seeps through the rubble to the north, suggesting there is a path to the surface through it.


[roll0]
[roll1]

[drack]

Plying their trusty crowbars, the orcish mercenaries attempt to remove the door, standing cautiously to the side as they do.

[roll0]
[roll1][roll2][roll3][roll4][roll5][roll6][roll7][roll8][roll9][roll10][roll11][roll12]
Edit: Oh, well that first one looks pretty good, lets go with that. :smallbiggrin:

[neriractor]

Isaac waits behind the muscle of the party, grabing his quarterstaff strongly, and remembering in silence the manifestations of his powers, just in case he needs to use either soon.

[Mordae]

The door is tightly fit, but with enough hammering and prying and chiseling, the stone slab yields without dismantling the locking mechanism. The noise of the effort completely masks any sounds coming from the far side, or along the corridor, and so it is with some surprise that gibbering sobs replace steel-on-stone as the hirelings lift away the heavy door. The voice from the far side is small but deep, wracked with fear, and spoken in Undercommon: "Don't hurt me!"

[drack]

Horrik takes one of the lit torches and, while motioning for the hirelings to save the door, tosses the torch in the direction of the voice.

[neriractor]

Isaac steps closer, trying his more soothing voice "As long as you cooperate I will be nothing but friendly, show yourself" can´t speak for the rest tough

[Mordae]

The torch flutters into the space, illuminating a prison perhaps twenty feet square. There are shackles along the other three walls--four sets on each wall, two of the sets holding skeletons of some small humanoid creatures. The speaker is a dark, grubby fellow, emaciated by his imprisonment but definitely not a goblin--he appears gnomish in nature were it not for his coloring. The party can be confident in his masculinity if only because his stark nakedness reveals everything, including a massive number of wound-scars all over his frail body. The little man squints his eyes shut tight at the sudden light, screaming unintelligibly.

None of you speak Undercommon it appears, so you don't understand a word he says even if he were coherent.

[drack]

Horrik considers taking the prisoner's manhood and teeth with which to make an ornament, but ultimately decided against it. The man just wasn't an impressive enough individual to make for a good trophy. Naturally his corpse still had value, but chances were good that he belonged to another subterranean civilization. With the goblins gone, freeing him could only earn the party good will from another group. Now, she was unlikely to make peace with them, but if nothing else it might give them a better opportunity with which to strike. Considering this Horrik ordered the prisoner be let free.

It truly was a disappointing find. When the party first formed she had suggested there might be a dragon in the dungeon. Behind so heavy a door she expected there might be a Minotaur at the least. To find such shriveled husks... Well the monsters of the cave hadn't wondered much. With the possible exception of the not-at-all-giant-but-rather-mundane rats it didn't seem that any of the denizens of this cave moved about much. That is to say that each seemed only to care for the defense of their own lair so they were unlikely to be approached by foes in the previously explored sections. Still, it would take some time to gather the scattered resources of the dungeon, and the party had at least one more brutal fights worth of stamina. Choosing not to vocalize her disappointment with a sigh, Horrik began instructing her mercenaries. She had them gather the bones of the other prisoners into the bags with the other bones, offering what scarce loot they may have to her party members first. Then she had them put their pics to work, digging the manacles from the stone. Then, backtracking, she had them remove the portcullus (both of them) in the same fashion. To mine the iron spikes from the pits, to gather the rails that had accompanied the hooked chains and stove in the other room,, to gather any doors they'd passed through yet not taken, to load up the bugbear's lair as animal feed, and to hack with their picks around the stone skull to preserve it too for transit. With that the mules would be near capacity.

Minors, in D&D, if I recall, dig ~4 5'x5'x5' sections/day, so that's probably a couple of hours. So three torches an hour... how many should we say I'm out?

So maybe a random encounter, if not we'll explore one last room, that southernmost stone door by the ghouls room.

The freed prisoner's manacles would be broken as I don't think we have a key, though if there is one nearby, then that's easier.

[Mordae]

It depends--are they all working in the same section at once, or splitting up across the level? I'd say you're roughly out 10, just for ease of calculation, but it may vary if there are random encounters...

[drack]

OOC

We'll stay as a group. It'd be kinda bad for our survival chances if anyone squishy got separated. :smallsmile:

I'll mark it as 12 then.

[Mordae]

The hirelings spend the better part of four hours carving out items from the very stone of the underground complex. By the end, when the workers' muscles are exhausted along with the patience of the adventurers--standing around watching picks being swung not being particularly interesting--Isaac catches a flash of movement in the passage outside the eastern doorway of the glowing chamber, where the miners are removing the last of the portcullises.


[roll0] [roll1]
[roll2] [roll3]
[roll4] [roll5]
[roll6] [roll7]

[drack]

Horrik, being an adventurer herself, passes the time with some practice swings, sharpening her sword, and resting. It wasn't much different then what she'd done the day before after a half-days travel, 2 hours exploring, and then passing the rest of the day before they slept. While she liked to imagine scenarios in which draco-liches charged down the corridors, she silently accepted that this was part of adventuring too. Having not noticed anything as she stares down a vacant hallway, Horrik continues to rest.

[neriractor]

Isaac rises his staff in alarm, pointing to where he spotted the movement and talking in a bit of a rush "¡¡I saw something moving over there!!"

[Mordae]

The hirelings quickly stop work and shift to a more defensive stance, looking to Horrik. Oynnk sniffs the air, trundling over toward the doorway; Mudd takes up her javelin and trails a bit further behind.

[drack]

Horrik pockets her wetstone, rising with her sword still bare. She motions then for mudd to investigate. The girl and her pic where less likely to draw notice, and krug&Thump were heavily wounded. Chances were they'd die if sent forth, so it might be better to hold them in reserve for the moment.

[Mordae]

Oynnk picks up the pace as he rounds the corner, and Mudd peers down the hallway with her usual boundless-energy smile on her face. She holds up one finger and holds her hand above the ground palm down, as though to indicate height; the size is roughly consistent with a halfling or gnome.

[drack]

Horrik was uncertain... was it a big angry dog, or a sentient humanoid? In order to clarify this issue, Horrik goes to take a look for herself.

[Mordae]

By the time Horrik comes out of the chamber into the passageway, Oynnk has cornered the "prey" at the south end doorway. It's another creature of the same race as the one imprisoned, but looking hale and hearty; he cowers up against the doorway, eyes fixed on the oversized porcine tusks that are poised to rip him apart.

"Oynnk!" Mudd exclaims proudly, petting the pig's back.

[drack]

"Oynnk" Horrik confirms before ordering the hirelings back to work. Turning to the newcomer Horrik questions them regarding who they are and what their business is. Moreover, if they seem to understand she invites them to join the rest of the group where the others can contribute.

[neriractor]

Isaac approaches once he notices the situation didn´t escalate to a fight, now more confident he gazes upon the tiny fellow, still a safe distance behind Horrik.

[Mordae]

The gnome understands Common and responds that he's called Bumblecrunch, and that he's looking for a friend who was captured by the goblins. His kind live two floors below and make their living as couriers for the Drow. He's willing to help but not to leave this level until he's found Gnurvel.

[drack]

Horrik informs the gnome of the released gnome prisoner and the direction they departed in before commanding the mercs back to work.

[Mordae]

The gnome departs with hurry, perhaps still not convinced that Mudd's prodigious porker didn't want to eat him. The miners continue their tasks and complete the dismantlements over the next hour. Horrik estimates it should be about mid-day, or at the very latest early afternoon, on the surface by the time the mules are fully loaded for the eventual venture back to town.

[drack]

Thus, loaded up and ready for one last blaring stint before returning to town, the party ventured to the southernmost stone door they'd found leading to area near but not within the ghoul's lair. Once more they carefully removed the door and threw a torch into the room.

[neriractor]

Isaac moves along with the group, increasingly bored now that there was nobody close to his
intellectual level to make conversation with.

[Mordae]

The door is locked, but that hardly matters to Horrik's no-holds-barred approach to exploration. It takes about an hour to work through the stone around the edges of the door to force it open. The room on the far side is about twenty feet wide (E-W) and thirty feet long (N-S), and appears to have been a hideaway for one of the more sentient creatures of the tunnel system. It's also quite uninhabited at the moment. A pallet stuffed with matted grass appears to be its bed--small-sized, as of a goblin or gnome--and is shoved into the northeast corner of the space. In the northwest corner, a small pile of loose, shiny trinkets rests atop a somewhat decrepit table that's had its legs roughly sawed off to bring it down to a shorter height. The southern extent of the room is scrupulously clean except for an old water-barrel (mostly empty) and a couple piles of simple cloth that might pass for garments.

[drack]

Having the cloths and shinnies dumped into a sack for a mercenary to carry, Horrik dumps the barrel and secures them and the table to the mule with the stone skull. Then she has the mercs each pick up a clump of grass to feed to the mules as they walk. She has the door strapped to the back of one of the hirelings so as not to strain the mules any more so then they already are. At this point it'd be too weighty. With that the party concludes their exploration, venturing back to town. It being the evening hours when they leave, they're like to return after dark. Along the way Horrik offers the NPCs the option to either leave or continue to work for her. There'd be no point keeping them against their will in the town. Horrik opts to spend the night at the edge of the town sleeping in shifts with her mercenaries since she doesn't trust an inn with her loot. She doesn't however force the others to do so if they'd rather spend the night in a cozy bed.


OK, so perhaps we'll be ambushed on the road, but the odds are low. I figured to make it easier I'd split selling things into spoilers in posts while in the city.

So, first thing's first.
In the early morning before they've got their wits about them she attempts to sell her meat, or at least 800lb of it. She offers it to an inn for 500gp and free money changing. While a butchers shop might have little need for meat, an inn could prepare better meals with it and make a little extra money while improving the reputation on their establishment. The party on the other hand had three mages who were quite literally having trouble hauling around all that glimmering gold. (market price 480gp, but in a fronteer town food supply might not be as well established, and a couple nights of better food, perhaps better drink, would loosen purse strings for them. Mind you, inns would normally buy meat anyways so at the least it probably wouldn't be bought at half price.)

While at the inn Horrik will also try to sell...
6 barrels goblin swell for 78gp (market price, some cultures use alcohol as a currency so it may be a trade good)
2 bags of crushed bones for soup stock for 10gp
...and the goblin cooking utensils, dishes, and cooking implements for whatever they think is fair. After all, while folks might be willing to give a good deal to an as-of-yet still gore-plastered orc with a giant sword who looks about as ready to kill them as barter with them, a good deal's likely to keep better relations with the locals and if they're lucky, leverage more profits later on.

[neriractor]

Isaac runds some errands in the town, getting new clothes to replace his ruined outfit and paying in advance for the best room at the inn.

In the late afternoon he walks towards the local temple of Heironeous and makes a 50 gp donation, praying for a bit before going back to the inn.

how much is the best room and a nice meal in the best inn of a border town? :smallconfused:

[drack]

Horrik meanwhile visits a temple herself, one dedicated to nerul at which she attempts to pawn her giant stone skull for a handy two hundred gold. Hauling giant stone heads ain't easy you know. As a bonus she throws in the spikes from the spiked pit traps. Then, she tries to sell her meat hooks&rails to a butcher for 25gp, and her oven&coal bin to a bakery for 100gp. Next she goes to the representative of a noble to sell her tapestries. 280ft of tapestries, hand woven and died. Sure they're a bit faded, but they're perfect for decorating&insulating a castle. Better yet since the noble's probably in charge of defense around here, the stories it tells may shed some light on the enemies hereabouts. 1000gp? Having sold her tapestries, the pride of her loot, she seeks out a carpenter to whom she'll sell her 2 stone door, 1 ornate wooden door, 21 wooden doors and 1 heavy iron prison door for, say... OK, stronghold builders guide says doors cost 10-40gp for wooden, 300gp for stone, 500gp for iron, and 750gp for portcullises. So assuming 15 a piece for the wood as they're probably on the lower end (and should probably be discounted a bit), 200 for the stone, and 400gp for the iron... the listed prices include instalation which is probably a big part of portcullises, and I did break at least one in half to transport it out, so say 200gp a piece on them. The ornate probably has extra artistic value, lets call it 50, so that totals 1580gp. (...and I didn't expect them to be worth that much. :smallconfused:)

She then goes to a general merchant to sell off some excess adventuring gear.

Trade goods for full market value, other goods for half:

flint&steel, Grappling hook, longbow, rapier, adventurer's outfit, 80GP safron
Caltrops, 10 .1lb candle stubs/1lb, shortbow, Peasant's outfit, Rations x9
Thieves' tools, belt pouch, Chalk (x5), fishing hook, Waterskin, flint&steel, blanket,
studded leather armor, ,9 10' pole, Hammer, Oil (1 pint)
4 bows, 3 backpack, 3 dagger, 3 robes, 4 spell component pouch, longsword
4 empty barrel, 4 mancles&chains (1 broken, so scrap iron), 11 short swords, 11 decrept leathers, 2 leathers
Totaling 420gp and 7sp

Alright, I really should get a go ahead on some of these prices before I log them as sold.

[Mordae]

Having the cloths and shinnies dumped into a sack for a mercenary to carry, Horrik dumps the barrel and secures them and the table to the mule with the stone skull. Then she has the mercs each pick up a clump of grass to feed to the mules as they walk. She has the door strapped to the back of one of the hirelings so as not to strain the mules any more so then they already are. At this point it'd be too weighty. With that the party concludes their exploration, venturing back to town. It being the evening hours when they leave, they're like to return after dark. Along the way Horrik offers the NPCs the option to either leave or continue to work for her. There'd be no point keeping them against their will in the town. Horrik opts to spend the night at the edge of the town sleeping in shifts with her mercenaries since she doesn't trust an inn with her loot. She doesn't however force the others to do so if they'd rather spend the night in a cozy bed.


OK, so perhaps we'll be ambushed on the road, but the odds are low. I figured to make it easier I'd split selling things into spoilers in posts while in the city.

So, first thing's first.
In the early morning before they've got their wits about them she attempts to sell her meat, or at least 800lb of it. She offers it to an inn for 500gp and free money changing. While a butchers shop might have little need for meat, an inn could prepare better meals with it and make a little extra money while improving the reputation on their establishment. The party on the other hand had three mages who were quite literally having trouble hauling around all that glimmering gold. (market price 480gp, but in a fronteer town food supply might not be as well established, and a couple nights of better food, perhaps better drink, would loosen purse strings for them. Mind you, inns would normally buy meat anyways so at the least it probably wouldn't be bought at half price.)

While at the inn Horrik will also try to sell...
6 barrels goblin swell for 78gp (market price, some cultures use alcohol as a currency so it may be a trade good)
2 bags of crushed bones for soup stock for 10gp
...and the goblin cooking utensils, dishes, and cooking implements for whatever they think is fair. After all, while folks might be willing to give a good deal to an as-of-yet still gore-plastered orc with a giant sword who looks about as ready to kill them as barter with them, a good deal's likely to keep better relations with the locals and if they're lucky, leverage more profits later on.


Horrik finds the best inn unwilling to take meat from an unknown source, but the seedier ones are willing to trade without asking any questions about exactly what sort of meat it is. She has to divide the sale among three establishments as none of them individually can afford the sum total. The cooking utensils, dishes, and other implements are unneeded by the inns, but a gnomish tinker who recently arrived in town buys them for 15gp.


Isaac runds some errands in the town, getting new clothes to replace his ruined outfit and paying in advance for the best room at the inn.

In the late afternoon he walks towards the local temple of Heironeous and makes a 50 gp donation, praying for a bit before going back to the inn.

how much is the best room and a nice meal in the best inn of a border town? :smallconfused:

Isaac's donation is well-received with wishes for the blessings of Heironeous in future endeavors. Then, he finds his way to the best inn (the one where Horrik was unable to sell the meat), and for the sum of 2gp has himself a princely night of wining, dining, and sleeping.


Horrik meanwhile visits a temple herself, one dedicated to nerul at which she attempts to pawn her giant stone skull for a handy two hundred gold. Hauling giant stone heads ain't easy you know. As a bonus she throws in the spikes from the spiked pit traps. Then, she tries to sell her meat hooks&rails to a butcher for 25gp, and her oven&coal bin to a bakery for 100gp. Next she goes to the representative of a noble to sell her tapestries. 280ft of tapestries, hand woven and died. Sure they're a bit faded, but they're perfect for decorating&insulating a castle. Better yet since the noble's probably in charge of defense around here, the stories it tells may shed some light on the enemies hereabouts. 1000gp? Having sold her tapestries, the pride of her loot, she seeks out a carpenter to whom she'll sell her 2 stone door, 1 ornate wooden door, 21 wooden doors and 1 heavy iron prison door for, say... OK, stronghold builders guide says doors cost 10-40gp for wooden, 300gp for stone, 500gp for iron, and 750gp for portcullises. So assuming 15 a piece for the wood as they're probably on the lower end (and should probably be discounted a bit), 200 for the stone, and 400gp for the iron... the listed prices include instalation which is probably a big part of portcullises, and I did break at least one in half to transport it out, so say 200gp a piece on them. The ornate probably has extra artistic value, lets call it 50, so that totals 1580gp. (...and I didn't expect them to be worth that much. :smallconfused:)

She then goes to a general merchant to sell off some excess adventuring gear.

Trade goods for full market value, other goods for half:

flint&steel, Grappling hook, longbow, rapier, adventurer's outfit, 80GP safron
Caltrops, 10 .1lb candle stubs/1lb, shortbow, Peasant's outfit, Rations x9
Thieves' tools, belt pouch, Chalk (x5), fishing hook, Waterskin, flint&steel, blanket,
studded leather armor, ,9 10' pole, Hammer, Oil (1 pint)
4 bows, 3 backpack, 3 dagger, 3 robes, 4 spell component pouch, longsword
4 empty barrel, 4 mancles&chains (1 broken, so scrap iron), 11 short swords, 11 decrept leathers, 2 leathers
Totaling 420gp and 7sp

Alright, I really should get a go ahead on some of these prices before I log them as sold.


The temple is willing to take the spikes, but the giant stone head won't fit in through the door--drop the price by 50gp to cover remodeling expenses.

The baker informs Horrik that the "oven" is more of a "blast furnace" suitable for smelting. Horrik finds out that sort of metallurgy isn't carried out in this town and there's nobody who wants to buy it for future sale, but the blacksmith will take it as scrap iron for 50gp.

The noble's reeve inspects the tapestries and points out that they will require substantial cleaning and remediation due to their centuries-old condition. 700gp and not a copper more.

The doors, meanwhile, are little better than scrap wood for the low quality ones, especially since many of them took some damage when forced open. Also, the list prices in the SBG are the installed prices, and the installers have to make some profit too, so you could sell all of them for 2/3 of the list price and we'll call it good.

For the goblin weapons, they are of lower than average quality so half the value, I think that's about 10gp to subtract.

[drack]

Horrik looks about ready to slice the noble's representative in half when he appraises her tapestries, she even considers doing so after the sale, judging that to take the cleaning fee to remove. After a dew growling breaths however she managed to calm down and offer it for 700gp, and access to inside information, mostly on nearby monster threats as they occur in the future, even those not yet great enough to act upon.

She'll then get her deer hides, goblin cloths, and bag of shinnies, the foot stool, and the three surviving tables appraised&sold.
She'll also get a cost estimate on the goblin barricade materials, adding the broken table to them, and the centipede eggs.

Boy, goblin shinnies and monster eggs are a grab bag. They could be tin or could be gems, they could be an orderv or could be thousands in trainable monsters.
Centipedes lay 15-55 eggs, so if they don't sell for much, then if they train cheep they'd make fine attack dogs. :smalltongue: With three mercs with handle animal they'll probably train cheep too. :smalltongue:


She'll try to buy a wand of lesser vigor for 750gp, and a cart for 15gp (market price.)

Lastly She'll see how many penniless peasants she can hire, not with money, but with her cache of smoked bread wrapped in large leafs.

Horrik believes in hiring people for food to prevent food-riots in the streets is the natural thing to do. :smallwink:
Nah, numbers can make a formidable force and I ought to hire some hands to mind the stash room.

Anywho, would the former PCs agree to work hauling that pile of poop back in the cart?

[Mordae]

The reeve is satisfied with Horrik's counter-offer and can be relied upon to provide useful intel when asked.

The deer hide, cloth, and tables end up valued at 50gp for the lot--mostly for the tables, which have decent wood in them, and the hide, which hasn't been butchered too badly by goblin tanning techniques.

The remaining "barricade" materials are basically worthless, being smashed and splintered furniture. Only the table has a few pieces worth salvaging, but the woodcarver is willing to give a couple gp just to have Horrik stop hounding him.

The local jeweler picks through the "shinies" and finds a couple of semi-precious stones, but the rest are just varying degrees of quartz. 125gp for the two useful ones.

Centipedes, being vermin with an Intelligence of 0, cannot be trained. And the nobility of this frontier town are not intrigued by the idea of vermin caviar.

[drack]

For a moment Horrik considers giving the eggs to one of her mercenaries to train, but in the end she decides against it, irritant tossing the centipede eggs to side of the animal trainer's property. She had neither the time to train them nor the desire to eat them. On the other hand she opts to keep her barricading materials, certainly not forcing the issue. It was probably true that she'd find more use for them herself.

Moving on she looks for nearby farmers to see if there's a good market for fertilizer. Generally control over where the animals are kept (and thus where they fertilize) is perhaps one of the greatest powers of nobles, but the fertilizer in the dungeon would be hers to sell, and as a precious and scarce resource there's bound to be a market. A cart full could rejuvenate an acre of desolate land or further improve yields on three acres that aren't, so she attempts to negotiate a price of 100 gold per cart if she can bring them some.

Lastly she addresses the goblin bread reserves. Little loaves of flatbread delectably wrapped in leaves to better preserve them. Food with this much work put into it was probably meant to be the non-perishable reserves for the tribe, something to get them through a siege or a war. Given they were made by goblins they might not be the best food to be had, but there was a wealth of it, so she decided to use it as currency with those few who would be so desperate. She looked to the crippled and the deformed, the impoverished and the inept. Genesis was a frontier town, not a major city, so its own buggers would largely consist of failed adventurers who'd been maimed and the elderly too old to work. Starting with a quarter of her bread reserves she offers a few flatbread each to commoners willing to travel and spread the word to the beggars in the larger cities that there was work for, and even a living to be made by, the beggars of the other larger cities out here in the frontiers. Next she takes another quarter of her bread offering it as payment upfront for any willing to accompany and serve her in the dungeon.

So, we're talking people with fours and sixes as ability scores, blind folks, people missing limbs, and generally each without a copper to their names. She's looking for them to act as messengers and laborers in the dungeon, as well as to fortify a single room on the top level in which to store loot. Anyone who tries to cross her will die, they will travel in groups of at least three when moving through the dungeon for safety reasons, A loose command structure will be established with those she trusts more in charge of guarding/distributing food, and ruling in her absence on if anyone's actions are betraying her. When we returned they'd be escorted to the ghoul's room and left with the barricade materials and the bread. In the mean time, before we return, they'd be expected to go to the edge of the woods and pick out sticks (clubs listed as free) rocks, and scraps of their own cloths (slings listed as free) to use as weapons if need be. Once set up there they'd be told horror stories of the monsters in the dungeon with a bit of urrukish intimidation to keep them both alert and confined. That should be about as good a way as any to get a secure room for loot-storage, and better yet it'd be accessible mid-adventure. On the return trip they'd be responsible for gathering up stones to load up the mules, the hirelings, and themselves, with which we should be able to fill in a pit trap or two. :smallsmile:

Those venturing to other cities should ensure there's an abundance of beggars to hire more help from later, and perhaps even an overcrowding of them in Genesis down the line. Ah rumors... :smalltongue:


With that done she smiles, satisfied with her adventure-ready mule team and hirelings. I suppose she'll also try to buy another wand of lesser vigor, knowing us, we'll probably need it... =\
Lastly horrik will pay her three mercs for the day of selling and recruiting. Hopefully we'll get some fresh blood in our party.

[drack]

The Red Dragon Inn was a bustling dive, within which a muscular orc, a bookish Elan, and a dwarf with leaves in his hair wait patiently outside the pub for their new colleagues to show.... that is if anyone would come at all. Doubtless if they loitered inside drinking they'd look like any other orc, elan, and dwarf, and it'd probably pay to stay sharp for the culling ahead. Still, that didn't make waiting go any quicker. Horik tenseness her muscles in annoyance, but made sure to smile presently at passers by. Still, with her immaculately kept bloodied tusks and the new skulls and bugbear mandibles she'd added to her cloths, one could hardly have guessed that it was meant as a pleasant smile. Casually she stretched her muscular midriff, causing the heavy greatsword to shift slightly. She chuckled slightly in recollection of the horrified screams it had evoked from her foes just two days prior, but her mood quickly soured as she recalled how the womenfolk and children had escaped the slaughter. Her wrath only intensified as she thought of how that cowardly urruk, orc, and child had ended their adventuring careers, unwilling to risk adventuring further with her. The short sighted fools didn't see what glory and riches they'd have found had the bloodied risks been tenfold. There hadn't even been a single dragon so far, not even a baby. Frankly she was wondering if there might be more for them in another dungeon, though she kept the thought to herself. If nothing else they'd received a good lead regarding where to look for better loot, and this time they wouldn't need to turn back so easily.

Leaning back against the wall she returned to smiling at travelers, only a touch more bloodthirstily now as she thought of the slaughters ahead.

The ad was simple and spread by word of mouth, mostly from cripples and beggars throughout the town. "Adventurers sought for dangerous expedition. Monsters to be killed, money to be made. Seasoned adventurers only. Bring your own gear. Meet at the Red Dragon Inn tomorrow morning at sunrise."

[Vegan Squirrel]

"Adventurers sought for dangerous expedition. Monsters to be killed, money to be made. Seasoned adventurers only. Bring your own gear. Meet at the Red Dragon Inn tomorrow morning at sunrise."

Dangerous expedition. Ooh, now this looks exciting. Monsters to be killed, money to be made. Adventure! Seasoned adventurers only. Well, just surviving in the woods counts as an adventure to city folk, so of course growing up in the woods counts!

"I'll do it!," Sylesha exclaims a bit too enthusiastically to no one in particular, upon overhearing this expedition's pitch being given to someone who looked more the part of an adventurer. That's not to say Sylesha looked unprepared. With a bow and quiver on her back, a sword at one hip, and an axe at the other, she certainly looks ready for adventure. But her girlish braids, adorned as they are with sprigs of lavender, accent the youthfulness of her features. But an elf of thrice her age would also look youthful to the other races.

* * * * *

So this youthful and enthusiastic wild elf walks up to the Red Dragon Inn just before sunrise, her purplish eyes bright with excitement. A gray goat follows her, packed with her supplies. She eyes the orc, elan, and dwarf outside the pub. "This is the dangerous expedition, then? Where are we headed?"

[drack]

Horrik grins, her lips curling back to reveal savage barbed teeth as she leans down towards the elf, her breath misting healthily in the early morning air. "Into the heart of a den of monsters of course. Are you to be joining us? Are you any good with traps?" Her questions here harsh and demanding, her eyes quickly locked onto and began sizing up the elf. She had the air of one accustomed to giving orders and not to repeating herself. Her braid contained several skulls which might have been human, and pair of mandibles big enough to eat a human, all ending in a simple silver bell. About her neck was a simple rope bearing three severed heads. The two on either side seemed to be undead, and the third, human, looked to be that of the prettiest man you've ever seen. At her waste four clawed hands dangled from a strand of rope, tied by the skin of their arms like woven garlic.

[drafterman]

Ol' Grindle happened to have wandered up during the Orc's interrogation of the elf. Oh, I'm sure this will end well. He grinned mischievous as he approached the pair - but not too - close, leaning on his spear as a crutch. In his other hand he shined an apple along the breast of his tonic, pondering for a moment.

"Traps? Experience? Hm. Not much, unless you mean as bait."

He winked an eye at the Orc and went to take a bite of the apple only for it to vanish before his eyes.

Grindlenub frowned slightly. "Well figgle. I guess I left the real one with that teacher.

[Vegan Squirrel]

"Err.." As she takes in the picturesque Urruk more clearly, Sylesha suffers a momentary lapse in her concentration. Intimidation. The skulls are just for intimidating her enemies. She gulps.

A gnome arrives, breaking her momentary nervousness. Then Sylesha chimes back in, perhaps too hastily, "Yes, I'll join! But I haven't dealt with traps, really. I mean I can trap small game if need be. I'm more of a tracker. And I'm not a bad shot." She blinks, certain that she's only hurting her case as a "seasoned adventurer."

[neriractor]

Isaac scoffed at the new recruit, mages, not a single party seems to leave this Town without some useless mages... Bait is right he thought but of course he couldn't just tell him that, perhaps he'll learn and they'll be down one and not many applicants had shown up.

He leaned a bit ahead, seemingly inspecting the one's that did show up, his pale skin seemed to crack around the bottom of his neck, and his bright less eyes sported several veins as he inspected them, he feared the answer to his questions but he had to ask before settling with the ones who arrived "do you have any previous experience on this sort of jobs? do you have any useful skills? How do you feel about dying for a cause?" emotionless he took a step back, glaring from behind horrik as he awaited for answers.

[drack]

The proud Urruk harumphs at nobody in particular. "Very well then, with any luck we'll get one or two more before we get out." With that she coldly ends the dialog, not being one for wasted words. Still, it troubled her that without someone knowledgeable about traps they might need sacrifice one or two of their new recruits to enter that trapped segment that she'd seen Isaac's eyes light up at the prospect of... She didn't particularly mind, it just seemed wasteful. Absent-mindfully touching one of the skulls in her hair she wondered if it might have been better not to let the two thieves die...

You're joining too? The asks the man with the fake apple, almost as an afterthought. Maintaining questions from multiple interrogators would put them off their guard and make it easier to spot a lie.

[drafterman]

The human-looking one caught his attention with the new barrage of questions. Not quite the pleasant bunch, are they? He pushed off of leaning on his staff and gave it a small toss in the air, catching it in his hand and slinging it across his back. He strolled toward the Elan (not particularly knowing that it was an Elan).

Well, I've never been one for 'jobs' in the traditional sense, though dangerous expeditions are another thing. When you're my size in a world built for people of your size, getting out of bed each morning is a dangerous expedition!

He rubbed his smooth chin as he paused a moment, pondering.

"Your last two questions are a bit silly. I use my 'useful skills' to not die for a cause! And in not dying I have many years of experience."

[drack]

Horrik siletly watched the smaller fellow reply. Five of their fellow adventurers had died alongside them in that dungeon, and it had only been her leadership and keen familiarity with bloody wars that had allowed the other six to survive, two at the brink of death. Three had sworn off adventuring after that, and it was no surprise those who were willing to return weren't "pleasant." Still, she deemed it'd be better to leave them with what delusions of grandeur until they were in the dungeon. If she didn't at least allow them that they'd never find recruits, and their number was sorely depleted from the slaughter within. Flying monsters, giant brutes, the life-draining dead, and organized armies. She found her hand slipping from her trophies from these kills down to her favorite. The head of the pretty man. It was no surprise Reavin had died. He wasn't a man of the most robust health, nor was his sorcery able to evaporate any foe before him, but his one redeeming trait, his pretty face, she had made it hers. Certainly an ornament to make others grow orange with envy and to further embolden her natural beauty. In addition to her new decorations she'd recently bathed and cleaned off what blood it was appropriate to clean leaving her smelling only faintly of death. She'd applied some small gore as was proper for a young Urrukish dame, just enough to show her civility, and awareness of cultural norms. Much like how soft-skins might dab themselves with rose water. She could already see the lust gleaming in their eyes like terror, that nervous perspiration that bespoke longing, but she cared nothing for them. None of them had what it takes to prove themselves to a true Urruk as a gentleman might. By force.

[Vegan Squirrel]

"My experiences have been in the wild outdoors. As for dying, well I'm not sure I understand your cause, but it's not really living if you aren't taking any risks. That's why I'm here." How the elves back home would recoil from such reckless words! But Sylesha mostly means them. That is why she left the woodland tribes; sure, they shared stories of adventure, but tribal life boiled down to finding a tame routine to safely live by. There's value in knowing how to survive, but why dream on other people's stories when you can make your own?

[J-H]

Wayne
A thin, dark shadow moves behind the group, clearing his throat. "I'm here, so what are we doing?" Black hair obscures much of his face, but the figure is clearly an elf. He's carrying a rapier and a bow.

[drack]

Wayne
A thin, dark shadow moves behind the group, clearing his throat. "I'm here, so what are we doing?" Black hair obscures much of his face, but the figure is clearly an elf. He's carrying a rapier and a bow.

"Leaving." Horrik replies coldly. "Soon."

Turning to the newcomer she repeats herself, somewhat irritated that someone else wasn't there to do so for her, asking if he were here for the adventure and about his expertise with traps.

[J-H]

Wayne

"Nah, I'm here for the ladies. Yeah, I'm here for the adventure. Traps? Sure."

[neriractor]

Isaac sighted, insolent as the best of them he thought, afterwards a small movement on his mouth, almost resembling a smile happened when hearing the elf's answer, bringing back some memories.

As the hiding figure revealed himself Isaac jumped back a bit startled by the intrusion. Guessing his intention to join the crew, he was about to ask his questions until he heard about the newcomer's trap abilities can't afford to let this one piss me off

He then approached Randur who had remained silent and whispered to him "seems like a decent crew, aside from the mage, but any seemingly important target besides me is good to have around"

[drafterman]

Grindle made his way back to the tall Orc, looking up past the shrunken heads into her broad scowl.

Soon? Good. Going to tell us where we are going and what we are going to do, or is that a surprise? Don't get me wrong. I like surprises, but usually ones that aren't trying to eat me.

[drack]

Deciding they'd waited long enough horrik replies "We're going to a dungeon about about a half-days walk away." as she pushes off from the wall. "Time to go." she declares loudly, at which two muscular fully armed orcs walk about from the side of the building with three mules and a cart. They each wear a heavy tower shield on their back with two battle axes within ready reach. While they're proficiently keeping the animals and doggedly following horrik's orders, they have the look about them of hardened mercenaries fresh for a fight. As they depart Horrik hands out meat and bread to the party leaving the fresh recruits with some of the poorly cooked flatbread wrapped in leaves as a show of how by proving themselves they too could earn preferential treatment.

Leading them back through town Horrik begins leading them off through the woods until the party meets with yet another muscular orc, this one surrounded by cripples and beggars, each armed with a club. Smiling faintly Horrik continues as they fall in line, taking up behind the mules. Horrik then orders that everyone gather any rocks they see, even those larger then their heads, and even participates herself. At first the rocks are loaded onto animals and cart, then into sacks that the orkish mercenaries carry, but then Horrik orders even the party to carry as many as they can. All at once a hike through the woods turns into a half-day of heavy labor, hiking with the backbreaking weight of rocks. It's almost a releaf when they spot the dungeon entrance n the distance, but Horrik doesn't even pause, marching on, confidently making her way through the dungeon.

The three mercenaries produce and light a torch each at the edge of the dungeon, spacing themselves throughout the party to provide sufficient lighting, not that they themselves needed it. Picking one of the three doors, and turning from the first room down a long curved hallway, the party quickly finds itself a a 10'X10'X10' pit into which she finally allows the rocks to be dropped. Once filled she makes her way Through the next room, and to the left end of the room after it where a similar pit stood open into which she had the remainder of the rocks dumped. Then heading north a room, and to a room filled with glowing fungi to the west of it across a hallway. Leaving the cart, a mule, one of the orkish mercenaries, and four of the beggars, Horrik orders them to fill the cart and haul it back to town. Shed already arranged for the mercenary to privately receive payment which was to be passed on to her at the earliest convenient time, but until then she'd have the beggars working for their bread, shoveling the manure into the cart. Heading back over the latter filled pit, and continuing south she leads the party to the southernmost room of the first floor of the dungeon, full of claw marks and the occasional blood stain with a 5'X5'X10' pit at the entrance. She instructs the remaining cripples and beggars to establish a defensible base here. Picking the two who strike her as the most frenetically loyal she gives them the responsibility of judging when those among them are accused of betraying her (for which the penalty is clearly death), and entrusts them with the remainder of the flat bread and the responsibility to distribute it to the others over time. She also leaves the beggars with the barricade materials she'd previously gathered. Lastly she picks another two who look faster then the others to use as messengers to accompany the party. With that done she leads the party north back over the pit, to the first room on the left. At that point she motions for the rogue to approach.

OOC

You thought mord was kidding about selling monster poo? :smalltongue:

Also, mord, in the spirit of old skool D&D, feel free to award a point of strength for heavy labor if you feel it's been done enough to actually strengthen them. :smalltongue: (To be fair it'd probably take at least a week of hard labor to put on any real muscle, and translated to 3.5 earlier edition ability score changes would probably only change the base 3-18 we started with, but it probably wouldn't hurt for our mages to build enough strength to carry at least their purses on their own. :smalltongue:

mord will no doubt drop random monsters on us as he deems appropriate, but before that lets give AsDeR a chance to join in wherever he chooses.

Loot: Horrik tends to grab most of it, if you want anything among it just say so and you're free to claim it first. You get whatever you take and can carry, she tends to cannibalize the rest for logistics. She's got food, torches, and hirelings in case you didn't notice. :smalltongue:

Mord: made a box of red on the area we're exploring next on the map. I'll assume nothing's moved into the previously explored area, but of course I wouldn't be surprised if something had, so feel free to lob it at us.

Post's a bit big and goes by a bit fast, but figured might as well throw us right back into the thick of it ay? :smallbiggrin:

[drafterman]

My legs are half as short, so it should take half as long for me to get there..., Grindle thinks to himself, doubtfully, but unable to pinpoint the flaw in his reasoning. He ponders it long enough to almost miss the group's departure. He races up and hops up into one of the empty carts. riding it to their first stop.

He frowns slightly at the ragged bunch surrounded by foul-looking orcs. He's not entirely sure this situation is "consensual" but doubts the gnome could do anything about it amid this litter of giant and well armed orcs. He stays to the outskirts of the group as he collects rocks. Not one for manual labor, he quickly grows tired (mentally and physically) of the task. Wishing to avoid potential confrontation at shirking this "duty" he conjures up some sufficiently real looking, but practically weightless rocks from the aether [Presditigitation]. Enough to make it look like he's working, but would disappear after an hour.

His general suspicion of the group grows as he quietly watches Horrick manage the laborers. He follows the group back to the first room, readying his spear as Horrick calls for the rogue. The insistent questions about traps lingering in his mind. He keeps near to the wall as he observes, but unsure of whether the danger was deeper in the cave, or right infront of him.

[neriractor]

Isaac scuttles around close to the cart, picking up a meager two rocks barely worthy of the name, when arriving he scuttles around the familiar entrance of the dungeon, making a point of grabbing some more glowing fungus just in case.

As he sees Horrik directing the group his usual estoic expression hides how impressed he is at the number of "followers" Horrik´s hireling had been able to convince to join them. mid-way trough towards the room he gives Grindlenub a stack of the glowing fungus "they can be used as the focus for light spells" then he turns his head around and resumes walking.

[drack]

Noticing the sharing of components horrik hands the four hands knotted by skin over too. "Probably make spell bad." She adds lamely. Magic wasn't her forte, but she'd seen the touch of one of those hands nearly kill an ally before, and magic made bad stuff worse, so they'd probably be useful.

[drafterman]

Oh, um... thanks.

He stares down at his hands for a few moments. Severed hands in one, glowing fungus in the other. He pockets the fungus in his component pouch, along with the materials already there, and then surreptitiously tosses the bound hands on the ground behind him, kicking them back with a casual flick of his foot.

A bit unnerved by the silent waiting, he decides to strike up some muted conversation.

It looks like you've been making some big preparations here. What can we expect?

[drack]

Seeing the mage didn't want the hands, Horrik re-attaches them to her belt. Bad hands would always have a use down the line.

"There are a few rooms to check before we go to investigate the drow, so we don't know what's next, but the area leading to the drow was heavily trapped by their enemies, so we'll want to be doubly cautious once we finish up here."

[Vegan Squirrel]

Well, here you are, Sylesha thinks to herself. Adventure. Sure, she hadn't thought the ad would lead her to following the orders of such a frightful orc, but it's a chance to explore.

At Horrik's urging, she grabs a few small rocks, but her arms quickly tire from the sustained weight bearing. She loads some into her goat's pack and contents herself to carrying one modest rock, suitable for throwing. She follows the group rather quietly, her enthusiasm dampened by the mood of the group.

She perks up when they get to the dungeon, and when the pits get filled she even admires the planning this group has put into the expedition.

Seeing that they've reached the point of the unknown, Sylesha feels the rush of adrenaline through her blood. This is it. She draws her bow and stands back to let the traps guy check take point. During the wait, she asks, "What do we know about these drow?"

[drack]

"Nothing." Horrik replies somewhat bitterly. "Except they kill goblins."

[drafterman]

Well that's not exactly a bad thing, is it?

He begins ticking items off on his fingers.

Goblins. They smell. They're green. They're dirty. Uncivilized.

[drack]

"They're also gone." Horrik replies, inspecting the blade of her sword. "Question is if they'll try to kill us too. That's why we left the traps."

[drafterman]

He scratched his head.

So we're... moving past our own traps to go after the drow you're worried will try to kill us?

[drack]

"No, they're not ours. We'll still need to disable them when we get there."

[J-H]

Wayne

Wayne seems to vanish during all of the rock-moving, reappearing when there is something useful for him to do. He looks ahead, his low-light vision making the area as bright as daylight.


Do you want me to actively roll search checks for every square? It seems like this place is trapped heavily enough to require it, but that puts us moving very, very slowly.

[AsDeR]

"Helloooooooo!" Leafy finally yells from the outside of the dungeon.

A humanoid creature clearly made of vegetal materials, roots and vines, stands there, curious, waiting for an answer. It wears armor and a shield, but they look like hanging from it more than properly donned.

"Hellooooooo, Mr.Adventurers!" Leafy had been following them for a while now, studying their group. How they decided rock were valuable, and how they all looked like they had a purpose.

"I bring a gift!" Leafy shouts again, waving the rock he had carried for the adventurers, as they seem to love them.

It waits outside, patiently, for one of those "adventurers" to come out, so he can finally offer himself as an apprentice.
"I would like to become part of your group! If you can teach me! I can carry rocks, and I'm a good sentinel!"
"Helloooooo?"


Leafy doesn't know exactly what being an adventurer means, it has been on the forest alone for a century, he recently decided to try to do something with himself out of pure boredom, and Obad-Hai answered his call for the power of nature.
His armor, shield, and mace are his only posessions, and he borrowed them from a corpse long forgotten on the forest.
https://tarosan.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/10march25_greenknight.jpg

[drack]

*back when entering the dungeon*
Horrik pauses, peering out of the dungeon. That was funny, she thought she'd heard someone... Then she saw a tree move, and almost in an instant her sword was beside it's base, poised like an ax. It was only after her instincts had taken over that her mind began processing what it had said. Lowering her sword and jovially slapping it on the mid-section-somewhere, Horrik welcomed it aboard, showing it just where it could put its rock with everyone else.

[AsDeR]

I've done it! I'm an adventurer! thought Leafy overjoyed.
Little did it know what was about to happen on the closed rooom.

*Forwarding to where the party was before*

"Why would anyone put traps here? Are there animals to catch?" asked Leafy oblivious to the ways of dungeoneering.

[drack]

"Yes, us." Horrik replies, quite seriously.

[neriractor]

*back when entering the dungeon*

Isaac turns to the coming voice and approaches, ignoring any concepst of personal space while circling around leafy stugying him "fascinating, what are you?" after a couple of moments he takes a couple of steps back and changes his amazed expression to the usual serious one, embarrased to display such childlish curiosity.

Before heading back to the dungeon he looks back at leafy, and says "you can come with us, just follow Horrik" after the last part he points pointing to the towering Uurruk and then heading back inside.

[Vegan Squirrel]

As their leafy companion joins their company, Sylesha is filled with wonder and curiosity. Isaac asks the question first, and the wild elf waits with anticipation for the cheery foliage creature's explanation.