Ruins of Azlant IC 2

[DaOldeWolf]

Lightburn enters the viscinity with Hewitt just behind him. The two cant reach for the creature and instead decide to prepare for a counterattack.

Spoiler: OOC

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Readying an action to attack from both of them if the creatures try to attack them.

[farothel]

As she doesn't see anything in the darkness, Laurelata waits at the entrance of the cave, bow ready in case the thing comes back out.

Spoiler: OOC actions

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move to cave entrance where the thing (and the darkness) is.
ready action: if it comes out, I'll shoot: (1d20+5)[8]
damage: (1d8+1)[8] ((2d6)[5] good damage if evil)

[Farmerbink]

As the creature all-but disappears into the ceiling, Jessica is left scratching her head. "This is foolish," she murmurs, as Tazmara blasts the stalactites somewhat at random, and the others take up a defensive posture.

"Well, it's no threat to us, at this point," she comments aloud. "Let's build a bit of a fire and smoke it out. It shouldn't take too much, since the smoke will rise in here." She puts her glaive down for the moment, and retrieves a torch. "Might even do with just one," she adds, as she begins to light the bundle.

Spoiler: Jessica, Round 3

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Jessica Cooper
F NG Aasimar (Angel-blooded) Cleric, Level 3, Init 2, HP 20/20, DR Acid, Cold, Elec resist 5, Speed
AC 11, Touch 11, Flat-footed 10, CMD 15, Fort 4, Ref 2, Will 5, CMB +4, Base Attack Bonus 2
Glaive +4 (1d10+3, x3)
Dagger +4/+3 (1d4+1, 19-20,x2)
Abilities Str 14, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 16
Condition +2 CL for divination spells
Augery 2/2 (weekly)
Inner beauty: 1/1
Alter self: 1/1
Channel energy: 4/9, 2d6
Caravan Bond: (5/5) Active on all allies
Touch of good: 5/5
Bit of Luck: 3/5
Talisman of good fortune: reroll natural 1 (once, then it crumbles)
See sheet for spells: https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1453959

[u-b]

Jessica barely begins to go about her plan when, after a second jet from Tazmara blasts a second stalactite, one of the neighboring stalactites gets the hint and tries to retreat again, now into a passage to "northwest". So far, you haven't been there, so how does this consideration affect your chase?

Spoiler

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Tazmara: (1d12)[7]

Takes a run action, so likely you cannot move and use a short-ranged attack.

[SanguinePenguin]

Taz gives Jessica a puzzled glare. “This isn’t a bat or some cuddly cave creature, this is one of the aberrant beasts from the depths of the earth where untold horrors dwell. We can’t let this thing be anywhere near our camp. It could pass information to even more dangerous things below about us.” Taz begins to head after the fleeing creature.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Spoiler: Henri's Status, Round 5

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Henri (no last name)
Male True Neutral Half-Orc Ranger (Wild Stalker), Level 3, Init 1, HP 29/30, Speed 20 ft
AC 18, Touch 11, Flat-footed 17, CMD 18, Fort 7, Ref 6, Will 5, CMB +7, Base Attack Bonus 3
Greataxe +6 (1d12+9, 20/x3)
Breastplate (+6 Armor, +1 Dex, +1 Deflect)
Abilities Str 18, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 7
Condition None

"Right..." Says Henri, stepping forward and following the creature into the new tunnel cautiously...

Spoiler: Mechanics

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Double move to try and keep up with the darkmantle, but not too far that he cannot see the other PCs...

[farothel]

Laurelata follows the rest of the group, wondering where this is headed.

[Farmerbink]

"Please wait!" Jessica calls, quietly but urgently. "We know the creature is here and dangerous. We should proceed with caution. Can we take a few moments for me to call upon Shelyn's grace for a Blessing before we charge off into the darkness anew?"

She pauses long enough to hear her companion's thoughts before beginning a simple prayer.

Spoiler: OOC

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Jessica has one spell slot unprepared. If anyone has a more specific suggestion, I'm open to it. But I don't see any reason, much less a good one, to charge off into somewhere we haven't been without trying to prepare as best we're able.

[SanguinePenguin]

Taz sighs and relents, “you’re right… wait! I think I can…” she trails off, draws some power, drops to one knee and fires a blast at the creature from down the corridor.

Spoiler: Actions

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move: channel 1
Standard: extended range blast: (1d20+7)[19] Damage: (2d6+8)[14]

[u-b]

The flying thing is blasted through the center, but somehow manages to remain in the air to sort of hobble along behind a bend and out of sight, leaving a distinctive trail of blood and minced intestines.

[DaOldeWolf]

Hewitt wonders about the sutuation. Are we really being careful enough? He mentally wonders to Lightburn. I´ll try to cover for everyone to retreat if anything goes wrong and we need to retreat. Lighburn responds asthe two keep following the group deeper in the cave.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Spoiler: Henri's Status, Round 6(?)

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Henri (no last name)
Male True Neutral Half-Orc Ranger (Wild Stalker), Level 3, Init 1, HP 29/30, Speed 20 ft
AC 18, Touch 11, Flat-footed 17, CMD 18, Fort 7, Ref 6, Will 5, CMB +7, Base Attack Bonus 3
Greataxe +6 (1d12+9, 20/x3)
Breastplate (+6 Armor, +1 Dex, +1 Deflect)
Abilities Str 18, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 7
Condition None

Henri slows to stay within sight of the rest of the party and looks down the dark tunnels, his all-too-human eyes unable to pierce the darkness even as he hears the injured creature clumsily fly away. Nodding along with the wisdom of not getting too far ahead he waits for the others. "Can't light a wet torch - can someone make my axe glow?" he asks as the others catch up. "They know we're here - no point in sneaking."

Spoiler: Mechanics

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Requesting a Light cantrip or similar from someone. Can anyone help?

[farothel]

Laurelata would follow the others, weapon ready. If she spotted the critter, she would fire at it.

Spoiler: OOC actions

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move.
If I can see it and have my standard action still ready: shoot: (1d20+5)[9] for damage: (1d8+1)[3] (if evil: (2d6)[6] good damage).
else double move to keep up

[Farmerbink]

Jessica shakes her head ruefully. "I don't struggle with darkness, so I don't usually prepare such magic," she unhappily informs Henri. "I can prepare a spell to that effect, but I haven't in some time...." She continues to work on the torch in hand, intent upon bringing torchlight and smoke to the darkness.

[u-b]

Magically, as that seems the only viable way, you illuminate your way following the creature. It does not take you far as just behind the first narrow spot the cave to your left gets much wider and you see a space that has clearly artifically been hollowed out and veins of various crystals exposed, refracting any light cast upon their surface. Small piles of rock are heaped on the ground nearby, where the earth has been carefully chiseled way to expose the potentially precious stones. There is also a narrow passage leading "north-west", but by the blood trail left you clearly see that's not the way to chase your mark. It seems to have nowhere to go out of the room, so you take a moment and yep, see some fresh blood drop off a stalactite...

Spoiler: Lightburn

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The stones here smell funny. That is, they smell stone, but not just the way they do in the rest of the caves. Lightburn has no huge experience smelling sorts of stones, so he has not much to add.

Spoiler

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The thing is "hiding", but you see it no prob. Short range.

[SanguinePenguin]

Ignoring potential dangers of the room, the moment she spots the aberrant stalactite, Taz fires off a shot at the creature.

Spoiler: Action

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Attack: (1d20+8)[20] Damage: (2d6+9)[16]

[DaOldeWolf]

Henri slows to stay within sight of the rest of the party and looks down the dark tunnels, his all-too-human eyes unable to pierce the darkness even as he hears the injured creature clumsily fly away. Nodding along with the wisdom of not getting too far ahead he waits for the others. "Can't light a wet torch - can someone make my axe glow?" he asks as the others catch up. "They know we're here - no point in sneaking."

Spoiler: Mechanics

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Requesting a Light cantrip or similar from someone. Can anyone help?

Hewitt hears about the request and goes to help cast the spell. "Here you go." Hewitt replies. Lightburn informs the rest of what he smelled. "For some reason I can smell the stone here. I dont know why."

Spoiler: OOC

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Casting light as requested on the axe.

[u-b]

Tazmara blasts the "stalactite" off the ceiling. It lands in a number of places, deader than dead. So, are you done here? And now what?

[farothel]

Now the thing was dead, Laurelata took the opportunity to look around in the cave they were in, as they hadn't been here before. She didn't put her bow away of course, but it wouldn't hurt to see who or what had dug out these caves, or if they were natural, who had been in here before (besides the chokers that is).

Spoiler: OOC rolls

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Perception: (1d20+9)[23]
knowledge(dungeoneering): (1d20+7)[8]

[u-b]

This section of the cave does not seem to be lived in - that is, there is no such thingies lying anywhere - but it sure as hell seems to be worked in. There are three heaps of stones in the center. First, a big heap of cracked rocks. Second, a small heap of precious stones. And third, a medium heap of... well, rocks to process? These do not seem to be old. In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to name any lower bound, and cracking lots of rocks could well explain the smell that Lightburn was mentioning. You ask lightburn two questions. First, if the chokers were mining it. And the answer is "no". Second, whether he smells any miners. The answer is negative either. Looking around the cave some more reveals... well, not quite reveals, but the elves have keen senses, some even more so, and the southern wall does not quite sound right. Not "confined" enough? Laurelata tries to touch it... and finds nothing amiss.

Spoiler: Laurelata

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Nothing to see here. Move along.

[farothel]

Laurelata isn't fully convinced, so she turns to the others.
"I thought I felt something here," she said, "anybody can check it out for magic? I've already used my allotment of magic detection today."

In the meantime she goes to check out what exactly they were mining here?

[DarkOne-Rob]

Quietly Henri leads the others into the cave and then follows about as he keeps his eyes peeled for threats. At the request for magical aid he shakes his head, but he does come close to the wall where Laurelata was searching. "I don't see anything strange, but where did the miners go?" he asks.

[Farmerbink]

Jessica responds eagerly to Laurelata. "Certainly. Let me just... focus for a moment." In relative safety, she does just that, and spends several seconds scanning the room for magical auras, and trying to discern what she can from any that she finds.

Spoiler: OOC: Detect Magic

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Cast the spell, focus as long as able (if there's nothing here, it'll be quick).

Attempt Arcana for any auras, starting with the most powerful?:
(1d20+5)[24]
(1d20+5)[16]
(1d20+5)[14]
(1d20+5)[13]

Satisfied for the moment, she returns to investigating the room, proper.

There is also a narrow passage leading "north-west"...

"Probably over here," Jessica calls, from beside a small opening, easily overlooked in the dim recesses of the chamber.

[u-b]

Spoiler: Jessica

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Most of the southern wall radiates Illusion all over it. Jessica concentrates, trying to see through it, and sees another wall several feet behind the fake one. And in between, standing perfectly still, two dog-sized them...

[Farmerbink]

"What the heck!?" Jessica literally jumps, scrambling away from the "wall" to the south to hide behind Henri. "It's a trap! Its a- It's...." She stammers for a moment...

[DarkOne-Rob]

Henri doesn't say anything, but barrels up to the front, getting between the rest of the party and whatever Jessica saw...

[Farmerbink]

"It's.. gotta be the miners? That wall is an illusion, be careful!" Gripping her glaive tightly, more like a security blanket than an implement of war, Jessica stammers out a warning as she tries to figure out what she's seeing.

"They're like... gemstone scorpions? Except the size of a dog... I don't know if they are even alive, it could be some kind of machine, maybe."

[DarkOne-Rob]

With a scowl of confusion Henri turns his head slightly over his shoulder to ask, "Are they doing anything? Do they care that we're here?"

[farothel]

Laurelata took some distance from the wall and had another look at it, trying to pierce the illusion.
"Maybe they can talk, like that critter we met up on the way to the tower," she said. She wasn't sure what language, but it could be worth a try.

[DaOldeWolf]

"Well, we have seen a ton of strange machinery before, some of it pretty dangerous." Hewitt reminds the rest. "....still, we could use this chance to try to capture one if it turns outto be agressive.." he suggests.