Hell's rebels - In Hell's bright shadow [ dnd 5e IC ]

[CaoimhinTheCape]

Andvari Stoneweller
Mountain Dwarf, Artificer 1
AC: 16 (Scale Mail) | HP: 10/10 | HD: 1/1d8 | Speed: 25
Passive Perception 9 | Initiative: +2 | Stealth: Disadvantage (Scale Mail)
Spell Slots: 1st 2/2
Magical Tinkering: Ring, 5 ft of light (Andvari) : Stone, 6 seconds of audio "Hey, over here!" (Andvari)


Seeing that Hep no longer has a spider on them, Andvari turns to Copper and tries to help with the spiders around her, hurling fire at the creatures.

"Where are these blasted things coming from?!? I'll leave whenever the group is ready but I was hoping we would find a bit more."

Spoiler: Attack

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Fire Bolt: (1d20+4)[16]
Damage: (1d10)[7]

[Smilex]

Andvari shoots one of the spiders in Copper's legs and turns it to crisp. ...

Rexus calls out
How're you doing? This'll take a couple of minutes I think...

and he casts another acid splash at the gate's hinges.

Spoiler: Initiative queue

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5 Orion

Round 2

18 K'tak
17 Copper
11 Hep
10 Spiders and stuff
9 Andvari

3 Rexus

[Continental Op]

Orion
V. Human (Aberrant) Sorcerer 1
AC: 12 | HP: 8/8 | HD: 1d6
Initiative: +2 | P. Perception: 13 | P. Investigation: 10
Spells: 1st: 1/2 | Sorcery Points: 2/2
Active Effects: None
Conditions: None

Unable to mentally connect to anyone (or anything), and seeing the spiders seemingly come from nowhere, Orion comes to Copper's aid. He focuses on one of the spiders crawling on Copper and casts Mind Sliver at it. "Die, vermin!" He then moves closer to the office rooms (any except the one with the large dog still in it), hoping to get out of the way of more falling spiders.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

The spider has to make an Int save (DC 13) or take (1d6)[3] damage. And I really wanted Orion to shout "Crucio!" but I resisted. Mostly.

[Smilex]

Orion concentrates on one of the spiders until it's primitive brain gives up. The arachnid curls up and rolls over.
Orion then runs toward the offices though he doesn't quite get there. The dog seems to be in the more distant of the two office rooms. The nearer one is free...

[StoneSeraph]

Hep Rigley
Human Extortionist, Bard
AC: 13 HP: 10/10 HD: 1/1d8 BI: 3/3d6
PPrc: 9 PInv: 13 PIns: 9
Conditions: - Disguise: - (PDec: 15)
Concentration: -

The strangeness of the situation increases by the second. Seeing the spiders on Copper, Hep quickly turns to Rexus, "We should be able to hold off... whatever it is we're holding off. Keep at it for now!"

Moving towards Copper with blades drawn, Hep does his best to swat away the spiders with the flat of his sword.

Spoiler: OOC: Mechanics

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Move: towards Copper
Action: Attack (Rapier) against the spiders swarming Copper: (1d20+4)[16] to hit; (1d8+2)[8] (piercing? I don't want to kill them, necessarily...) damage

Spoiler: Actor's Repertoire

Show

Voices that Hep can mimic using the Actor feat:
Ally PC's: K'tak, Copper, Andvari, Caelin
Ally NPC's: Rexus Victocora
Enemies: Barzillai Torkrest
Randos: wiry ratfolk urchin, skeevy ratfolk merchant

[Zhentarim]

Copper takes her mace and tries to smash some of the spiders.

Spoiler: Rolls

Show

(1d20+5)[10]
(1d6+3)[7]

[Zalphier]

K'tak
Lizardfolk Barbarian
AC: 15 | Current HP: 14 | Max HP: 14 | Hit Die: 1d12
Initiative: +0 | Pperception: 15
Condition(s):
Active effect(s):

K'tak's own claws linger at her weapon, but she figured the axe and javelins would make fairly poor choices against the spiders. Instead, K'tak seized her shield in both clawed hands and was prepared to bat or squish the spiders with the broad flatter surface. She would however hang closer to Hep and Rexus to offer some additional support to them unless they decided to leave, in which case she would follow.

[Smilex]

K'tak assumes a defensive posture and Rexus says
Thanks for watching my back...

Copper and Hep try to bash some spiders. Hep cuts a few legs off one and Copper bashes the pile of debris making pieces of wood fly.

The spiders around Copper skitter into the depths of the pile. For the while there's nothing attacking anyone, but the pile of wood and shrapnel that Copper is standing on... somewhere inside there are a large number of large spiders...

Another dog lights up, spasms and dies in front of you.

Orion who's heading to the other office catches some movement inside. It doesn't look like one of the dancing shadows you've seen so far...

Spoiler: OOC

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And we're out of initiative order for the while. If Copper wants to try to get to the shiny thing, she can roll athletics again.

Within the next minute the shadows continue to dance and both the other tied down dogs die with a moment of radiance. Looking at what's happening Copper realizes she's seen the effects. It's the sacred flame of a cleric spell.
After this the shadows stop dancing and the tremors stop as well. It's weirdly calm.

Orion who's run into the other office notices that there's some tracks of a tiny shoeless creature in the dust. No major claw marks. Relatively long thin toes, five of them. He finds that there's a hole in the ground under the desk and another in the wall between the office and the next stable stall. There's plenty of tracks between these two openings.

A moment later Rexus kicks the lower part of the gate in.
How is everyone? Seems like the quake calmed down. Easy, eh?

[Zhentarim]

Spoiler: athletics

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(1d20)[8]+5=13

"I've seen what's killing the dogs in the past--there is a cleric casting Sacred Flame cantrip, and I think that cleric may be the same cleric who left those simian footprints. I'm going to try to get to this thing on the ceiling again, and then I really think we should leave."

[Smilex]

Spoiler: athletics

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[roll0]+5=13

"I've seen what's killing the dogs in the past--there is a cleric casting Sacred Flame cantrip, and I think that cleric may be the same cleric who left those simian footprints. I'm going to try to get to this thing on the ceiling again, and then I really think we should leave."

Copper still has some trouble climbing up to the rafters but Rexus comes to help him up... Rising on the dwarf's shoulders Copper can reach a horizontal beam. She reaches on top of it and drags down a magpie's nest. Inside the nest there's a glittery ring that looks precious.

[StoneSeraph]

Hep Rigley
Human Extortionist, Bard
AC: 13 HP: 10/10 HD: 1/1d8 BI: 3/3d6
PPrc: 9 PInv: 13 PIns: 9
Conditions: - Disguise: - (PDec: 15)
Concentration: -

Hep backs away from anything remotely resembling a spider's nest as he watches the precarious effort to climb into the rafters. "If someone's casting holy magic, then I would assume that they're trying to help us..." He let his thoughts wander before walking over to the kicked-in gate. Lowering himself prone, Hep attempts to crawl under through the opening.

"If whatever's up in the rafters is what Rexus is looking for, then we're out of here, but for now, I vote to press on with investigation."

Spoiler: OOC

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If I'm able to get through the gate, I'd like to investigate this new space beyond. If I can't get under the gate, I'll walk around the building and take the crowbar to the loose planks.

Spoiler: Actor's Repertoire

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Voices that Hep can mimic using the Actor feat:
Ally PC's: K'tak, Copper, Andvari, Caelin
Ally NPC's: Rexus Victocora
Enemies: Barzillai Torkrest
Randos: wiry ratfolk urchin, skeevy ratfolk merchant

[Smilex]

As Hep moves beyond the gate, the first thing he notes is that the floor of this narrow space seems to have been covered by blood at some point in the past. The leftover iron has stuck in the floor as a rusty layer.

The secret door that's hanging open seems to have once been quite elaborate but it's lock is chewed through by strong small teeth. Now the door's hanging loose.

Beyond the secrte door there's another room, about 20'x20' in size. There's numerous old slaughterhouse tools, veterinary equipment and woodworking tools strewn about. There's a heavy layer of dust in most areas but here and there the layer has been disturbed. There's tiny simian footprints but also plenty of rat tracks and rat droppings..

There's a couple of large work tables. On those Hep can see a couple of heavy mallets, coils of crumbling rope and some metal tools which Hep doesn't recognize. There's pegs on the far wall that hold a couple of bridles.

At the southwest corner of the secret room there's a trap door in the floor. It's held open by a block of wood. Just as Hep's peeking in the wooden block flies to the other end of the room, hits the opposite wall and drops on the floor. The trapdoor falls shut.

[StoneSeraph]

Hep Rigley
Human Extortionist, Bard
AC: 13 HP: 10/10 HD: 1/1d8 BI: 3/3d6
PPrc: 9 PInv: 13 PIns: 9
Conditions: - Disguise: - (PDec: 15)
Concentration: -

The sudden slam of the trapdoor and the clattering of the wooden block makes Hep jump backwards. Cursing loudly, he grips his sword and dagger tighter, pointing both towards the interior of the secret room as he slowly pushes the door open with his leg.

"Friends! In here! Come around from the outside if you cannot get under the gate." The man returns his attention to the trapdoor, fixated on any further movement.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

So who wants to go first?

Spoiler: Actor's Repertoire

Show

Voices that Hep can mimic using the Actor feat:
Ally PC's: K'tak, Copper, Andvari, Caelin
Ally NPC's: Rexus Victocora
Enemies: Barzillai Torkrest
Randos: wiry ratfolk urchin, skeevy ratfolk merchant

[Continental Op]

Orion
V. Human (Aberrant) Sorcerer 1
AC: 12 | HP: 8/8 | HD: 1d6
Initiative: +2 | P. Perception: 13 | P. Investigation: 10
Spells: 1st: 1/2 | Sorcery Points: 2/2
Active Effects: None
Conditions: None

Orion nods at Copper, "Yes, I am guessing whatever made those footprints lives below this building and was the thing--or things--causing us grief. He steals a glance at the ring Copper is holding, and his eyes get large. "That looks expensive. I bet we could pawn that and live on it for half a year." He reluctantly adds, "But...maybe we should show it to Rexus, and see if he recognizes the crest..."

Orion then hears Hep from the secret room, and moves to join him, gripping his crystal focus tightly in his hand.

[Zhentarim]

"Yeah, we should show the ring to Rexus, first."

Copper readies Toll the Dead to deal necrotic damage to any hostile creature that comes across her path. Then, she begins to investigate the area:

Spoiler: Investigation

Show

(1d20+1)[5]

[CaoimhinTheCape]

Andvari Stoneweller
Mountain Dwarf, Artificer 1
AC: 16 (Scale Mail) | HP: 10/10 | HD: 1/1d8 | Speed: 25
Passive Perception 9 | Initiative: +2 | Stealth: Disadvantage (Scale Mail)
Spell Slots: 1st 2/2
Magical Tinkering: Ring, 5 ft of light (Andvari) : Stone, 6 seconds of audio "Hey, over here!" (Andvari)


After the fight dies down, Andvari looks to the dogs in sadness - there was no reason for the dogs to die. And the cause being a cleric's spell? With time to continue investigating, Andvari would take his pieces of rope back and use the Mending cantrip to return the rope to its full length.

As the ring is found, Andvari would be interested in the crest and ask to see it. "If it is from someone around here, Rexus and I may be able to see where it is from."

If time allows, Andvari would cast Detect Magic as a ritual (full time to cast is 11 minutes), but breaking his ritual to help the party if needed.

Spoiler: Rolls

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History check on the ring: (1d20+2)[11]

[Smilex]

Copper slowly goes through the materials in the hidden room but doesn't find additional hidden things. Rexus helps her and comments that this building used to be a slaughterhouse in some old maps.

K'tak actually recognizes some of the metal devices in the room as contraptions that are meant to hold animals in place.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Andvari casts ritual magic so the rest of the group has a bit of extra time... Anyone want to do something extra, this is a good time...

[Zhentarim]

Copper goes outside to watch clouds drift by in the sky. The passage of time makes her feel things like desolation and emptiness. Will she, as a wraithguard, outlive everbody she's ever known and be forever alone?

[Zalphier]

K'tak
Lizardfolk Barbarian
AC: 15 | Current HP: 14 | Max HP: 14 | Hit Die: 1d12
Initiative: +0 | Pperception: 15
Condition(s):
Active effect(s):

K'tak finally lowers the shield and moves it back to a proper place on her arm, and then follows along to see the old restraining equipment in the trap door room. "Slaughter house sounds right, those could hold many back and still for a good cut," she adds with a point towards the restraints before looking about the room some more. "Someone used magic to kill the dogs? Then where are they?" K'tak would ask no one in particular before trying to see if she could pick up a scent or maybe even tracks in the possibly dusty and uncommonly used floor. If she couldn't find anything though, she would head back to the dogs and use her axe to hack off some parts for later use.

Spoiler: OOC Actions

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Going to try and see if K'tak can't track the mystery assailant. Possibly a nature or perception check?
(1d20+5)[12]
And should that fail, she'll go to the dog corpses and gather some materials for use in cunning artisan when they take a full short rest.

[StoneSeraph]

Hep Rigley
Human Extortionist, Bard
AC: 13 HP: 10/10 HD: 1/1d8 BI: 3/3d6
PPrc: 9 PInv: 13 PIns: 9
Conditions: - Disguise: - (PDec: 15)
Concentration: -

Hep retrieves his crowbar and begins prying away at the loose wall planks leading outside. "If we find something beneath us that we cannot manage, whether it's our mystery mage or something worse, I'm not comfortable with a half-broken metal gate blocking our escape..."

Once content with the size of the hole in the wall, enough to fit the largest among the group, Hep stows his dagger and keeps his rapier pointed at the trapdoor before opening it with his free hand.

Spoiler: Actor's Repertoire

Show

Voices that Hep can mimic using the Actor feat:
Ally PC's: K'tak, Copper, Andvari, Caelin
Ally NPC's: Rexus Victocora
Enemies: Barzillai Torkrest
Randos: wiry ratfolk urchin, skeevy ratfolk merchant

[Zhentarim]

Copper says "I know the Light cantrip should we need more light down there."

[Smilex]

Outside of the stable, Copper sees the town still mostly sleep. The morning is very early. It's looking like the beginning of another sunny day. A lone child is playing on the street with a spinning top. Somewhere distant a rooster is making noise.

K'tak looks around for more evidence. What she finds is a the tip of a very long tail hidden in a pile of debris. It looks like it might have belonged to a ratfolk. Seems like it was chewed off. It also seemed like it was purposefully hidden.

With nothing else to do, K'tak gets some dog food.

While Hep starts to open the wall with a crowbar, the ground starts to tremble again...

Andvari finishes the magical ritual. The first thing that looks surprisingly magical is the single black glove Rexus has. The ground also has a spell causing the rumbling.

When Hep opens the trapdoor... the latch immediately slams closed again. When reopened and kept open manually it's easy to keep it open. What faces him next is a nauseating smell of urine and feces.

There's a fifteen foot shaft with a ladder down into the darkness...

[CaoimhinTheCape]

Andvari Stoneweller
Mountain Dwarf, Artificer 1
AC: 16 (Scale Mail) | HP: 10/10 | HD: 1/1d8 | Speed: 25
Passive Perception 9 | Initiative: +2 | Stealth: Disadvantage (Scale Mail)
Spell Slots: 1st 2/2
Magical Tinkering: Ring, 5 ft of light (Andvari) : Stone, 6 seconds of audio "Hey, over here!" (Andvari)
*** 10 minutes of Detect Magic ritual ***


For the past ten minutes, Andvari had been in the corner, tinkering with a pair of glasses. As he worked, the lenses seemed to change color in time with the dwarf grunting or rolling his eyes. "Blasted things... need a new pair one day."

Finally, Andvari stood up, round glasses on his face. He took a quick look around the area before returning to the group. "I'm ready to go. There's surely a spell on the ground here causing the tremors but I don't see anyone else. Best if we move quickly, I'll be able to see traces of magic for a short time. Long as these things continue to work."

Andvari notes the magic on Rexus' glove but doesn't worry too much about it yet - he would tell the party when he has a chance (without Rexus overhearing) but there was no reason to be suspicious of the other dwarf.

Spoiler: OOC

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Do I get any schools of magic on the glove or the tremors, per the Detect Magic description?

If you sense magic in this way, you can use your action to see a faint aura around any visible creature or object in the area that bears magic, and you learn its school of magic, if any.

[Smilex]

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Do I get any schools of magic on the glove or the tremors, per the Detect Magic description?

Spoiler: OOC

Show

The ground is affected by transmutation.
The glove on Rexus' hand has an abjuration aura.

[StoneSeraph]

Hep Rigley
Human Extortionist, Bard
AC: 13 HP: 10/10 HD: 1/1d8 BI: 3/3d6
PPrc: 9 PInv: 13 PIns: 9
Conditions: - Disguise: - (PDec: 15)
Concentration: -

While Hep starts to open the wall with a crowbar, the ground starts to tremble again...
...
When Hep opens the trapdoor... the latch immediately slams closed again. When reopened and kept open manually it's easy to keep it open. What faces him next is a nauseating smell of urine and feces.

There's a fifteen foot shaft with a ladder down into the darkness...

The stench sends Hep retching; he was grateful that he hadn't eaten yet this morning. "Brace your senses, friends..." Hep remarks, "and grip the ladder tight on the way down... Copper, could you please illuminate this dagger?"

Once light is cast on the blade, Hep drops it flat into the darkness below, not wanting to climb down the ladder until he knows what awaits.

Spoiler: Actor's Repertoire

Show

Voices that Hep can mimic using the Actor feat:
Ally PC's: K'tak, Copper, Andvari, Caelin
Ally NPC's: Rexus Victocora
Enemies: Barzillai Torkrest
Randos: wiry ratfolk urchin, skeevy ratfolk merchant

[Smilex]

Once light is cast on the blade, Hep drops it flat into the darkness below, not wanting to climb down the ladder until he knows what awaits.

There's a 15 foot drop into the next room. The ladder goes all the way down. You see a room with all kinds of dirt strewn over the floor. A number of small creatures are hiding in the corners of the room so that you can just see their eyes glistening in the shadows... Maybe half a dozen, maybe ten in number. There's a number of piles of boxes, that create hiding places for the creatures. You can also see a door that's closed. It's a simple cellar, but you suspect the creatures, whatever they are, have used it as their toilet for years.

[Zhentarim]

Copper steps up and peers down the hole at the glowing dagger down below.

"I'm most heavily armored. I'll go first."

[Continental Op]

Orion
V. Human (Aberrant) Sorcerer 1
AC: 12 | HP: 8/8 | HD: 1d6
Initiative: +2 | P. Perception: 13 | P. Investigation: 10
Spells: 1st: 1/2 | Sorcery Points: 2/2
Active Effects: None
Conditions: None

Orion sniffs at the opening. Though not unused to the smell of unsanitary living conditions, that doesn't mean he enjoyed it any. He quickly moved his fingers is an a complicated gesture, and cast prestidigation to make the area (at least immediately surroundings) smell better. He nods at Copper. "We will be right behind you."

Spoiler: OOC

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Prestidigitation says that it can make an "odd" odor. Hopefully "odd" can also mean like oranges, or flowers. :)

[Smilex]

As Copper starts to move down the ladder, Orion's spell takes effect. A vaguely orangey, perfumelike smell mixes with the smell of urine and other waste. The mix becomes siginificantly more bearable though not quite pleasant.

Squeaking noises rise up as Copper nears the floor. Copper catches sight of a rat the size of a small dog.

Four dire rats jump on Copper from behind the boxes as she reaches the floor. They start biting metal and surprisingly one of them manages to find a soft spot with a critical strike doing 8 piercing damage.

Spoiler: Initiative queue

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The ladder forms a gap. Only one person can climb down per round. Two others can use ranged attacks through the latch each round.

21 Rats
18 Copper
16 Rexus
15 Orion
14 Andvari
10 Hep
10 K'tak

[StoneSeraph]

Hep Rigley
Human Extortionist, Bard
AC: 13 HP: 10/10 HD: 1/1d8 BI: 3/3d6
PPrc: 9 PInv: 13 PIns: 9
Conditions: - Disguise: - (PDec: 15)
Concentration: -

Hep's eyes go from widened shock to narrowed focus as he formulates a plan of action. Moving out of the way of anyone who might descend or fire magic from above, he holds the trapdoor open and begins shouting at the top of his voice, weaving magic into his words. "COPPER! RISE AND FIGHT! CRUSH THEM UNDERFOOT!" Looking to the group, he nods towards anyone poised to climb down next. "I'll descend after you - for now, I have the door!"

Spoiler: Mechanics / Thought Process

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Move: towards the side of the trapdoor, if not there already
Action: hold open the trapdoor, unless this interferes with ranged attacking from above, at which point, I'll instead move away from the opening
Bonus Action: Bardic Inspiration: Copper: 1d6 to be used on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw (100 rounds remaining)
BI will be expended in the IG stat block at next post.

Copper only has to hear the Bardic Inspiration for it to take effect; I don't want to step on the toes of those who can do considerably more damage from above, and getting in the way of better melee fighters is also a bad idea, so I plan to dive into the mix on the next turn.

Spoiler: Actor's Repertoire

Show

Voices that Hep can mimic using the Actor feat:
Ally PC's: K'tak, Copper, Andvari, Caelin
Ally NPC's: Rexus Victocora
Enemies: Barzillai Torkrest
Randos: wiry ratfolk urchin, skeevy ratfolk merchant