Chult Hex Crawl - IC

[Dr.Samurai]

Ondros Loxodon Rune Knight Fighter AC: 18 HP: 64/64 PPer: 12 PInv: 10 PIns: 20 Second Wind: 1/1 | Action Surge: 1/1 Frost Rune: 1/1 | Stone Rune: 1/1 Giant's Might: 3/3 Traits: Darkvision 120ft Conditions: -- Ondros steps back, startled, It's alive! It's alive... it just looked this way and I think it made that melody... Spoiler: Roll For Initiative Show Initiative - (1d20+2)[3]

[agignac]

Realizing there was an invisible threat, Nolwenn quickly puts her new spell to use. She immediately sees two creatures, with another climbing up the pole from beneath. They are about 4 feet tall, with mottled grey and black skin that seems to be dripping with mucous. Their small heads have three eyes in a row, no noses, and a wide mouth that nearly splits their head in half. Tiny teeth line the mouth, with a few larger fangs in the front. They walk like apes, using all feet/hands equally, sometimes on two legs and sometimes on four. They have long, bony tails with spikes jutting from the end.

One has jumped on the counter and is circling around the room. Another has climbed to the top of the pole, and a third is just appearing from beneath.

The wizard does her best to point to the creatures, and Desdemona reluctantly backs away under the counter and behind a box.

[Pyrophilios]

The Red Horns couldn't see the attackers, but Nolwenns description and the noises gave him a rough indication where to expect the two intruders. With a flick of his wrist, he made a heavy bottle from one of the shelfs fly in a direct line that should in theory hit one or both of them.

With a command, he send the construct forward to attack the unseen opponent

Spoiler

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Catapult using one of the lab contents - hopefully acid or something - to hit the unseen foes. If the first one makes his save, the second one potentially gets hit

(3d8)[10] + whatever damage the contents of the flask

(1d20)[9]+x Dex save vs. DC 16, if the creature makes it, (1d20)[9]+x for the second one

Steel defender attacks the first one blindly w/disadvantage

(1d20+8)[28]/(1d20+8)[14], (1d8+3)[9]

[Volthawk]

As Nolwenn points out the invisible attackers, Draelin takes a moment to assess the situation as best he can before firing off an arrow.

Spoiler

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I was gonna use Steady Aim to counter the disadvantage but let's actually use my subclass for once and try Insightful Fighting to attempt to qualify for SA despite the disadvantage.

Insight (opposed by Deception): (1d20+11)[13]

Attack: Worst of (1d20+8)[21]/(1d20+8)[27]
Damage: (1d8+5)[11] + (3d6)[12] SA if Insight check succeeded

[agignac]

The team has been working together long enough that even against invisible foes, the attack is near seamless.

Red grabs something with an unreadable label and throws it at the pole, where Nolwenn is saying there are two attackers. They must have seen it coming, however, as the bottle crashes against the far wall, scattering glass and a clear liquid.

The steel defender, going for the one on the counter, has better luck, punching blindly and connecting with something yielding and slimy. A spatter of dark blood stains the wall behind it, giving Draelin a target. The elf shoots with confidence, having hit invisible enemies before, and indeed his arrow sticks into something mid-flight.


The creatures go on the attack, becoming visible as they do so. The two that were climbing the pole leap towards Ondros, biting and lashing with their spiny tails.

One misses the loxodon, but the other scores a vicious bite, finding a vulnerable spot in Ondros's neck. It then coughs up a mass of sticky mucus at Ondros's face, trying to blind him with it.

Both creatures then lash with their spiny tails; the one who missed with the bite succeeds with the tail, gashing Ondros low in his leg.

Dex save DC 14 or be blinded until you spend an action wiping it off your face. Ondros takes 13 damage from the bite and 10 from the tail.

The third creature lunges at Red's steel defender, biting at its twiggy matrix. However, it can't get its teeth around the construct, and is frustrated in its attempt. Likewise it lashes its tail, and snaps off a small branch, doing no damage.

Nolwenn sees a fourth creature climbing up the pole, invisible to the others.

Everybody up. Check out the slide deck for the map. The icons are NOT what they look like, but they're what came up when I googled mucus monster.

[Pyrophilios]

The Red Horns threw his Yklwa at the creature attacking Ondros so viciously, aiming for high effect.

Spoiler

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Attack on 3 w/Sharpshooter
(1d20+4)[17], damage (1d8+16)[22], if crit (1d8)[3]
(1d20+4)[13], damage (1d8+16)[22], if crit (1d8)[2]

Bonus action to incite Steel Defender for another force rend on 1

(1d20+8)[19], damage (1d8+3)[11], if crit (1d8)[1]

[Dr.Samurai]

Ondros Loxodon Rune Knight Fighter AC: 18 HP: 41/64 PPer: 12 PInv: 10 PIns: 20 Second Wind: 1/1 | Action Surge: 1/1 Frost Rune: 0/1 | Stone Rune: 1/1 Giant's Might: 3/3 Traits: Darkvision 120ft Conditions: Frost Rune (+2 to Str/Con checks/saves) Ondros manages to kepe most of the goo off his face by intervening with his ear flaps, Get off me! he shouts at the creatures swarming him. He grabs one with his trunk and takes aim with his maul. Spoiler: Turn 1 Show Bonus Action - Frost Rune: For 10 minutes, you gain a +2 bonus to all ability checks and saving throws that use Strength or Constitution. Once you invoke this rune, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest. Action - Attack Monster 3 Attack - Grapple w/ Trunk (1d20+10)[18] Attack - (1d20+3)[10], (1d20+3)[9] (Grappler Advantage, GWM Penalty) Damage - (2d6+15)[25]

[Volthawk]

Now they've made themselves visible, Draelin feels a lot better about keeping up the barrage of arrows - now that he can actually aim instead of having to rely on his gut.

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Alright, now they're visible it's back to Steady Aim into attack, keeping targeting at 1.

Attack: Best of (1d20+8)[17]/(1d20+8)[25]/(1d20+8)[27]
Damage: (1d8+5)[13] + (3d6)[6] SA

[agignac]

The Steel Defender and Draelin make quick work finishing off the first visible creature. It falls to the ground with a shockingly heavy-sounding thump, and then explodes in a burst of mucous and spikes. The ground around the explosion becomes slippery and treacherous.

(Dex save DC 14 for steel defender or its blinded until it spends a turn wiping it out of its eyes. Does it have eyes? If it fails by 5, then it also gets spiked. That area is now affected as per the grease spell.)

Ondros grapples one in his trunk, but isn't able to damage the wiggling, slippery thing. Red's yklwa stabs cleanly into the loxodon's other foe, before vanishing and returning to the tiefling's hand.

Then Nolwenn jumps into action. Technically, she jumps onto the counter behind Ondros, trying to get a clear line at two of the creatures for a lethal dose of lightning. Frustrated, she realizes the danger to their new, big friend is too great, and switches tactics. Instead, a stream of wind gusts from her fingers. The invisible creature that had been on the pole gets slammed backwards into the wall behind it. The one not being grappled digs its claws into the stone floor and manages to stay put. The wind, much too strong for the enclosed room, crashes into the counter behind the pole and rebounds in all directions, sending alchemical apparati, jars, bottles, and papers crashing into the wall and then onto the floor. The area becomes a confused jumble of broken glass and chemicals.

The invisible creature leaps perpendicularly out of the stream of wind, over the steel defender, and at Draelin. It attempts to bite and tear at the elf. It lands a vicious bite on the side of Draelin's head, tearing the tip of his left ear. It then coughs mucous up on the elf, attempting to blind him.

(9HP damage, Dex save as below. Steel Def gets AoO)

The two on Ondros continue their attacks, wriggling, biting and spiking. The one in his trunk was held too tightly to fight effectively, but the other one bit him again, this time on the hand, and spiked him hard in the small of the back. It then vanishes from sight (except for Nolwenn).

(9HP total, and this time a Con Save, DC 13)

Everybody up.

[Pyrophilios]

The Red Horns switched targets and went for the one attacking Draelin, while the construct tried in vain to avoid a snot knot over its head. The Red Horns commanded it to clean itself up and move to its attacker to provide Draelin with support.

Spoiler

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Steel defender Opportunity attack w/ disadvantage

(1d20+8)[24]/(1d20+8)[21] damage (1d8+3)[4], if crit (1d8)[1]

Yklwa throw at 4

(1d20+9)[29], damage (1d8+6)[11], if crit (1d8)[6]
(1d20+9)[13], damage (1d8+6)[7], if crit (1d8)[7]

bonus action to command it to clean itself up - moves adjacent to 4, so Draelin can Sneak Attack

[Dr.Samurai]

Ondros Loxodon Rune Knight Fighter AC: 18 HP: 41/64 PPer: 12 PInv: 10 PIns: 20 Second Wind: 1/1 | Action Surge: 1/1 Frost Rune: 0/1 | Stone Rune: 1/1 Giant's Might: 3/3 Traits: Darkvision 120ft Conditions: Frost Rune (+2 to Str/Con checks/saves) Ondros keeps the slimy creature in the grip of his trunk and brings his maul to bear. Spoiler: Saving Throws Show Strength vs Gust of Wind - (1d20+10)[21] Constitution vs ??? - (1d20+9)[17] Spoiler: Turn 2 Show Action - Attack Monster 3 w/ Advantage (Grappler) Attack - (1d20+3)[7], (1d20+3)[10] Damage - (2d6+15)[22] Extra Attack - (1d20+3)[21], (1d20+3)[15] Damage - (2d6+15)[27] Move - Move directly beneath Monster 2 (remaining adjacent but no longer in Nolwenn's way)

[The Hellbug]

In hindsight, the papers and reagents now scattered across the opposite wall of the lab were a probable result of Nolwenn's magic, but there's no time to worry about that now. She is, though, happy to see that Ondros can hold his own. Nevertheless, she to be more intentional from now on. With this in mind, she repositions only slightly, directing the wind to continue to buffet the creature that has vanished from conventional sight now that the loxodon has moved his mortal struggle out of her path. However, seeing the horrible mess of reagents on the ground and guessing they may be caustic, she tries to push the creature past the hole and into them instead. In addition to this, she conjures up a deadly toxin and sends it drifting, invisible and scentless, towards her foes.

Spoiler: OOC

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Nolwenn's moving down just a titch and using a bonus action to try to get the wind moving 3 towards the nasty stuff on the ground on the top side of the hole. She also casts Poison Spray at 2 if it's still alive after Ondros's beating or at 3 if not. DC 16 Con save or (2d12)[3] poison damage.

[Volthawk]

There being another invisible one lurking around takes Draelin by surprise, but the pain of getting getting bitten like that does do wonders for getting one to focus on the monster in your face, and it's easy enough to not get spat on. Still, he's grateful for Red's construct getting involved again, and uses the distraction to get the thing off him and slip away. If nothing else, it gives him enough time and freedom of movement to line up another shot...

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Using my bonus action on Cunning Action to disengage (probably ending up near Red), and then attacking 4. It wasn't mentioned outright in the post, but going off how the others behave I assume it's visible now (if it is still invisible, then there's no SA, along with the disadvantage on the attack).

Attack: (1d20+8)[20]
Damage: (1d8+5)[7] + (3d6)[9] SA

[agignac]

As the fourth creature leaps over the steel defender, it swipes overhead, scoring a lucky hit. Red's friend then spends a few seconds wiping the greasy mucus from its eyes.

Steel Defender should have made a Dex save last round or fall prone due to the greasy floor. Please do that for him now. And then a second one this round unless he moves out of it.

Red's yklwa then plunges deeply into creature, and dark blood pours from the wound that the vanishing weapon leaves behind. Draelin follows up immediately with an arrow, making a matching wound. The creature makes an unpleasant, moist moaning sound, then turns and flees for the pole. It grabs on and slides down and out of sight.

Ondros continues to struggle with the one grappled in his trunk, missing at first with his mace. But he finally finds his rhythm, and whacks it soundly with his second attack.

Nolwenn shuffles down the counter, trying not to knock more things over (the counter is difficult terrain), altering the blast of her spell accordingly. The invisible monster loses its grip and tumbles back against the wall, through the mess of glass and chemicals on the floor. (1d8)[6] damage The one in Ondros's grapple would have flown away too if not for the loxodon's grip. Nolwenn then looses a poison spray, but it doesn't seem to bother them at all.

The invisible creature turns its back on Nolwenn, digs its claws into the stone wall, and scurries sideways along the wall towards the wizard. When its close enough, it leaps at her, mouth open wide. However, it catches the edge of the wind spell and crashes to the counter beside her instead, becoming visible and doing no harm.

The one in Ondros's grip continues to thrash and attack, but the loxodon's armour frustrates it yet again.

everybody up!

[Dr.Samurai]

Ondros Loxodon Rune Knight Fighter AC: 18 HP: 41/64 PPer: 12 PInv: 10 PIns: 20 Second Wind: 1/1 | Action Surge: 1/1 Frost Rune: 0/1 | Stone Rune: 1/1 Giant's Might: 3/3 Traits: Darkvision 120ft Conditions: Frost Rune (+2 to Str/Con checks/saves) Ondros extends his trunk to make space between him and the creature, and slams into it with his maul. Spoiler: Turn 3 Show Action - Attack Monster 3 w/ Advantage (Grappler) Attack - (1d20+8)[26], (1d20+8)[27] Damage - (2d6+5)[11] Extra Attack - (1d20+8)[28], (1d20+8)[15] Damage - (2d6+5)[13] Move - If M3 dies, move adjacent to M2. Bonus Action - If M3 dies, make a bonus action attack vs M2 (Great Weapon Master) Attack - (1d20+8)[9] Damage - (2d6+5)[15]

[Volthawk]

Finally given some breathing room and a nice visible target to shoot at, Draelin lines up a shot at the creature that just failed to attack Nolwenn.

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Steady Aim as a bonus action, and then shoot 3 with advantage (triggering Elven Accuracy and Sneak Attack).

Attack: Best of (1d20+8)[19]/(1d20+8)[27]/(1d20+8)[12]
Damage: (1d8+5)[6] + (3d6)[9]

[The Hellbug]

Nolwenn, thinking that she among her allies is the least presently engaged, prepares to follow the fleeing creature to the edge of the hole to see where it goes, but its invisible ally's charge interrupts her. The wizard stumbles back away from its pounce, and it's not a small amount of luck that keeps her away from its jaws. She doesn't see a good way away from the slimy beast, but, with her allies prevailing elsewhere, it looks like this is practically a foregone conclusion.

Unimpressed, though, by her cantrip's effects, Nolwenn tries a different tactic. She grabs a handful of papers off the the desk next to her and flings them in her attackers face while turning her gale directly upon it again, angling it upward for effect (and to hopefully not cause as much collateral damage). "Red!" she calls, "while it's distracted!"

Spoiler: OOC

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Action to Help, giving The Red Horns advantage on his next attack within a round against baddie 2. Bonus action to redirect wind at the same creature.

[Pyrophilios]

The Red Horns didn't think twice and threw his weapon at the distracted for, while the fallen construct picked itself up and attacked as well.

Spoiler

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Attack (1d20+4)[22]/ (1d20+4)[6] damage (1d8+16)[22] if crit (1d8)[2]

(1d20+9)[17] damage (1d8+6)[9] if crit (1d8)[4]

Steel Defender
(1d20+8)[19]
damage (1d8+3)[8] if crit (1d8)[1]

[agignac]

Ondros's maul does too much damage to his grappled foe, and it dies, exploding in a shower of mucous and spikes. The loxodon dodges the worst of the fallout, and moves to Nolwenn's rescue. The combined attacks from the rest of the party quickly overwhelm the creature, and it too falls apart in a shower of goo and spines.

Ondros and Nolwenn, you know what to do. Dex saves please.

For a moment there is silence as you all catch your breath.

[Pyrophilios]

"Everyone alright?" The Red Horns asked, while he looked around the devastation of the lab - still aided by Nolwenn's spell.

"There are likely more of those things down there. We could retreat and come back tomorrow - I can prepare a lantern of revealing by then. That should help us all preventing any more ambushes."

[The Hellbug]

"Yes, gulp I'm fine," Nolwenn stammers out between gags. When the creature next to her had exploded, she had the presence of mind to raise her arms to shield her eyes, but the slime is still oppressively rancid and everywhere but her eyes. It smells like a particularly foul fishmonger's stall at the end of the day, an odor she didn't know she had the good fortune of avoiding before she became an adventurer, mixed with something else that she can't put her finger on but is surely equally disgusting. Regardless, the wizard holds no ill will towards Desdemona when the cat creeps back into the open but refuses to approach the mess that is Nolwenn.

Once she's wiped as much of the foul substance off as she can manage in the moment and allowed her wind spell to subside, the magician answers Red. "A day feels too long," she opines, "my spell will remain for an hour, and if I lead the way they won't be able to sneak up on us with invisibility alone. Additionally, we have this:" From her mostly slime-free pack, Nolwenn produces the spyglass that she has recently made visible. "This can pierce through any sort of illusion or enchantment. It's more powerful than my own spell, but only for a few minutes each day." She offers the item to anyone who will take it.

"But that's getting ahead of ourselves." Nolwenn approaches the magical cell with the mysterious humanoid and inspects both more closely. The prisoner's pitiable condition tugs at her heart, regardless of what they are. Her focus being what it is, the young dilettante doesn't even consider for a moment the sound that it had made earlier. "Draelin, could you give me a hand here?" she asks, remembering his expertise with locks in the chief's hut, "I know it's magical, but often the logic of the mundane applies to such spells--their inventors are generally mortal, after all."

The wizard squats down as close to the prisoner as she is able. "Hello, can you hear us?" she asks, "I'm Nolwenn; we're here to help."

[Pyrophilios]

"Before we do anything, we should gather more information. I'm still not convinced that this isn't an undead or a demon possessed victim - or a plague victim.

If they surived so long, I'm sure they can spare a few minutes more - provided you aren't agitating them into spending their last reserves trying to answer you.

And finally, we can't concentrate on saving them while there are still hostiles around - just imagine we get them out and that's the moment one of those creatures explodes..."

The Red Horns replied.

[Dr.Samurai]

Ondros Loxodon Rune Knight Fighter AC: 18 HP: 41/64 PPer: 12 PInv: 10 PIns: 20 Second Wind: 1/1 | Action Surge: 1/1 Frost Rune: 0/1 | Stone Rune: 1/1 Giant's Might: 3/3 Traits: Darkvision 120ft Conditions: Frost Rune (+2 to Str/Con checks/saves) Ondros hisses as the creature explodes and he is splashed in the face, Gah! He sets the maul down with a heavy thud and wipes the remains off as quickly as he can, unaware of the greater conversation occurring about the creature in the cage. Spoiler Show Not sure how much damage was dealt..?

[agignac]

When Nolwenn turned her attention to the prisoner, the first thing she noticed was that the prisoner had moved. No longer face-down in the middle, the prisoner was now leaned against the far bars, knees up and arms wrapped around them. Again, the long hair spilled over the face and legs, reaching the floor from their sitting position.

When the wizard starts to talk, the prisoner slowly looks up; gaps in the long hair revealing wide eyes with silver irises. They look at Nolwenn with no comprehension, no expression.

Then The Red Horns approaches, speaking words of caution. The prisoner reacts immediately, scrambling to their feet with a gasp, pressing against the bars as if the get further away from the reborn tiefling. She reveals herself to be female, though she's too thin to have any curves. She holds one arm out, palm up, in a gesture of negation at the sight of Red. She opens her mouth, and again a beautiful cry comes out of it; brief, musical, and full of terror.

(EDIT: One point of damage to Ondros as a spine lodges in the thick muscle between his neck and shoulder. Now it's time for a Con Save DC 13)

[Dr.Samurai]

Ondros Loxodon Rune Knight Fighter AC: 18 HP: 41/64 PPer: 12 PInv: 10 PIns: 20 Second Wind: 1/1 | Action Surge: 1/1 Frost Rune: 0/1 | Stone Rune: 1/1 Giant's Might: 3/3 Traits: Darkvision 120ft Conditions: Frost Rune (+2 to Str/Con checks/saves) Ondros feels the spine in his neck and quickly plucks it out, Such a nuisance, these creatures. He hears the lyrical cry and looks up at the others near the cage, That's the sound it made before. Spoiler: Saving Throw Show Constitution Save - (1d20+9)[18]

[The Hellbug]

"Shh shh, it's fine we're fine we're not going to hurt you. It's gonna be okay. We're going to get you out of here," Nolwenn says soothingly, hoping that even though the prisoner clearly doesn't understand her, her intention is clear. Even if it's just malnutrition, the creature's skinniness gives Nolwenn the impression of a child, which only reaffirms her resolve. She then looks back at Red. "No, I don't think she's a danger to us," she states, "unless..."

Ondros is right, there's something about that sound. It's absolutely eerie...and beautiful. The wizard can't put her finger on exactly what it is, but there was that feeling of loss as it faded alongside the creature attack. She hadn't considered it at the moment because the adrenaline had jumped in and focused her thoughts elsewhere. "You may be on to something," she tells the loxodon, "I wouldn't bet on it, but this prisoner may have a magical voice. Thus the magic-dampening runes. Even still, I don't think she's a threat to us, and we do have a clue about the tower's master." She points up and down the undead tiefling. "Someone who looks like him."

Nolwenn then turns her attention back to the prisoner, both to try to calm her down and convince her of the party's benevolence and to try to get a clue about how to open the cage. First, she optimistically tries her greeting again in both dwarvish and elvish. Then, she turns to nonverbal communication, casting a spell to conjure an illusory copy of the prisoner. She mimes a friendly handshake with the illusion first. Next, tries to communicate that they wish to set her free. The wizard shrinks the image of the prisoner to fit it within a second illusion, that of a cage. Nolwenn mimes striking the cage-illusion, simultaneously allowing it to fade. Then, she points up the pole and directs the phantasm to head up and out. Finally, she morphs the silent image into that of a boat and conjures a second still image, a miniature copy of the tower from which the boat sails away. She points at the prisoner and then at herself and the rest of the party. "We're friends, and we want to help," she says slowly.

The last thing Nolwenn wants to communicate she's much less sure about. She rearranges her pair of illusions to be the prisoner in the cell again. She mimes grabbing the cage and lifting it off the illusory prisoner, looks to the genuine article and shrugs perplexedly. She repeats this part of the performance and hopes for a response.

Spoiler: OOC

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That's one Silent Image, using Malleable Illusions to turn it into whatever part of the display that needs to be in motion, and a number of Minor Illusions for the still images.

[Pyrophilios]

The Red Horns stepped back - less for the comfort of the prisoner, but because he did not trust the creature. A prison that well made had a dangerous prisoner inside. Weather the prisoner would be grateful, ravenous or remorseful for eating her rescuers was not something he wanted to learn directly. There was also the matter of the creatures. He tipped his temple to bring some guidance to his own thoughts to remember what those could have been.
After that, he sent the construct to scout out the next lower level. while he stepped to the pole hole, ready to throw at anything that revealed itself to attack the construct.

Spoiler

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Arcana or History check to identify those creatures (or religion, but then with -3)

(1d20+8)[27]+(1d4)[1]

Sending the steel defender down the pole and readying an attack for any creature trying to hit it - the steel defender is readying a help action to give me advantage

(1d20+4)[17]/(1d20+4)[23] damage (1d8+16)[22], if crit (1d8)[7]

[agignac]

As Red stepped back and Nolwenn began her illusion-charades, the prisoner relaxed a little. After a few moments, she became transfixed by light show, and hesitantly approached the middle of the cage, to see it better. When the illusion-group exited the tower to the boat, a look of great puzzlement came over her face.

When Nolwenn mimed removing the cage, the prisoner looked alarmed and shook her head. She pointed to the three piles of goop on the floor, then pointed down the hole. She held her hand about 5 feet up, then held up six fingers. Then she stood on her tiptoes and held her hand as high as she could in the cage and held up one finger. Then she stroked the inside of the cage like it was her friend.

Meanwhile, the construct wrapped its twiggy limbs around the pole and headed down a level. It was a well-appointed kitchen, and it was a complete mess. It was clear that the creatures had been ransacking, if not living in this level.

[The Hellbug]

The prisoner's confusion at leaving and apparent fondness, or at least gratitude--the wizard has a hard time decoding exactly what she means--for the cage causes Nolwenn to look her up and down again, but her condition still leaves no room for doubt in the arcane dilettante's mind that she must be freed. It is, however, clear that the cage is all that's been keeping those slime monsters from getting to her. "Don't you worry," she reassures the prisoner pointlessly, "we'll deal with whatever they are first."

"Do you all have any idea how we can communicate that it's in our power to take her away from here?" she asks, and then, "and do you think it's six more of these slimy beasts or six total? Plus one bigger...something, it looks like."

The second question is rhetorical, though, as Nolwenn immediately tries to ask the caged humanoid for clarification. She makes sure she has her attention, the raises one finger while pointing at the remains of one of the monsters, then raises a second when she points to the second and the same for the third. To finish her for thought, she points down the pole and raises fingers four, five and six. "Or..." She repeats the pantomime but this time counts fingers all the way up to nine.

"Which one?" Nolwenn flashes six fingers, then nine again, trying to make an inquisitive expression. "And is there anything you"--she points to the prisoner--"need?" The magician utilizes her illusion once again, shifting it between a delicious (to her) bowl of soup, a waterskin, a blanket, and a simple dress. She repeats the sequence twice, going slower to give the prisoner a chance to react.

"Could we even pass something through the bars? Food has to get in somehow, right?"

[Pyrophilios]

"Be careful, starving people tend to die if they suddenly eat too much or the wrong food. Besides, if anything could pass between the bars, I'm sure the runes would be vulnerable to manipulation.
We should exterminate the little creatures first - your see invisibility spell would be handy for that."

The Red Horns indicated towards the kitchen below, not yet risking moving down, but listening intently to discern the location of their hidden foes.

Spoiler

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Perception test vs. the creatures hide check to pinpoint their location.

(1d20+6)[22]+(1d4)[2]+(1d6)[6] - using my Reborn, Knowledge of the Past ability.