[IC] Chapter 1-4: Cellars of Hate

[Lugar]

After considering everyone's words Lugar makes up his mind. "If Merri wants to leave we should escort her back to the portal so she can recover.  You put up a good fight but it's no use getting yourself killed by ghosts. We might as well go back to the beginning to search, see what was below the water in the cave.  Besides, I'm still wet from the last dip we took, might as well go swim again."  Lugar sloshes the water in his boots to make his point.

[DM Surranó]

Hah-hah, we will ask the next one. Merri's safety is the first. Let us go start the search, do not waste the time then.

"My safety lies beyond that cylinder of light," Merri says, pointing firmly in the generic direction of west.
Murkatos looks at the elven girl with an incredulous, or maybe confused, look on his young face.

After considering everyone's words Lugar makes up his mind. "If Merri wants to leave we should escort her back to the portal so she can recover.  You put up a good fight but it's no use getting yourself killed by ghosts. We might as well go back to the beginning to search, see what was below the water in the cave.  Besides, I'm still wet from the last dip we took, might as well go swim again."  Lugar sloshes the water in his boots to make his point.

"I don't want to hold you up guys but if you insist on escorting me back that's fine."

"I wouldn't risk passing that way myself," Murkatos notes as Merri turns to leave. "Otherwise I would've left myself ages ago. But I can't recall any-- cylinders of light, did you say?"

"This is quite a tight situation indeed," Maul enters the conversation, somewhat blocking Merri's way. "What is it you really want? Leave? Or live?"

"Hah. Very witty. Looks like the same at this point."

"Remember the council's explanation on the Chant? Once you pass that cylinder there will be no way back. Staying here may mean sacrifice but we may save the city. Remember: seven seas, likely means seven portals. If we fail on the very first one then it's everyone's lives at stake."

Murkatos steps back, tapping his chin.
"This is getting interesting by every passing moment."
If the situation weren't so grave his look could be interpreted as a sign of amusement.
The priest continues his argument.

"Camping here sounds ridiculously risky but it's still what I propose. Let me pray to Pelor for a new set of spells, purely for protection against undead and maybe some offense for the same purpose. Then I can bring you back to the confident warrior wizard you once were."

"Or play your last ace and use that scroll of yours right now. You keep it for yourself just in case you got attacked, don't you?" Merri seems to get more sarcastic and impatient with every sentence of the conversation.

Maul, however, keeps his cool and nods.
"Still cunning and sharp-eyed, glad to see that. Your accusations are true. But you certainly know, and not just feel, that I have no selfish motives."

"I know," the elf admits. "If you lose your most powerful prayers you can still use that scroll and then, by regaining your prayers, use them on the rest of us."
Pausing, she looks around then finishes the conversation.
"This is why I leave now. It was fun while it lasted.

With a determined look on her withered face and a shove of her hand, the elf passes the priest and heads out, not looking back.

"Stubborn elves," Maul mutters and looks at the others to see their reactions.

"Hey," Murkatos calls out, "Mind leaving your spellbook behind for me?"

However, Merri doesn't look back anymore.

[Silent Giant]

Ej-ej-ej, not good, not good.  - he sighs - Should we accompany her to defend her or begin the search?

He shrugs - But she is a big girl, isn't she?

[Lugar]

Lugar marches off with Merri Starsong. Without a word he takes the lead to scout the way for her, pick at the ready and on guard for trouble. (full combat expertise +5 AC)

[DM Surranó]

OOC - you can't use CE while scouting. You can use it only in actual melee:

When you use the attack action or the full attack action in melee...

Maul mutters something under his nose that may be interpreted as "Stubborn dwarves" then looks at Giant and Murkatos.

"I don't think splitting up is the best strategy at the moment. Let's move," he says but is hesitant to move.

[Silent Giant]

Lugar marches off with Merri Starsong.  Without a word he takes the lead to scout the way for her, pick at the ready and on guard for trouble. (full combat expertise +5 AC)

Yeah-yeah, you are right. He shrugs and follows them.


ooc - what a nice situation, a duergar and a half-orc defends an elf girl :-)

[DM Surranó]

The team marches back towards the entrance with the cylinder of light in single file; duergar scouting forward, followed by elf, orc, and two humans.
As the team passes the vault with the stalactites there's a tiniest flicker in the light of the everburning mace Merri carries. Before the party could even think about what happened dark shades descend from beyond the edge of the torchlight landing with heavy stomps on the heads of Merri, Maul and Murkatos. All they can do is emitting muffled sounds and Merri collapses.

The fourth shade hits Giant's breastplate and slips off to the ground beside him.

Lugar, spinning around, and Giant, sizing up the opposition, can see the shades looking like massive cloaks made of flesh; their hides dark grey mottled with brown and black making them the perfect camouflage in this terrain.

Roll for initiative!

OOC - the party suffered a major failure on the spot checks so everyone was tightly packed and fully surprised. On the other hand, proximity is now for the benefit of duergar and half-orc alike since you don't need to take more than a five-foot-step to attack. The creatures attached to the three M's are considered grappling so they are in the same square as their victims. Merri is prone but Maul and Murkatos still stand.

[DM Surranó]

First Round

Lugar and Giant can hear bones shattering and a slurring sound as the beast that fell on Merri feasts upon its prey.

"Krisp!" and a ray of blue energy envelops the armorer's attacker. However, the chilling pain doesn't break the grapple.

The dwarf's pick passes the creature's hide, damaging it and the sneaky blow destabilises the creature's hold.
"Let's see who kills more Giant. One for me!" even though he hasn't felled the foe yet.

Distracted by the challenge, Giant all but throws his double weapon. Regaining balance, the off-hand swing bounces off the creature's tough leathery hide.
"I have to sharpen my axe" he grunts and swings again, almost managing to drop his weapon again.

The creature that hit Giant's armour the first time slams again, hurting the half-orc (-6hp). It fails to attach and thanks to the excellent defensive maneuver it even hurts itself on Giant's armor spikes before falling back to the floor.

Maul shrugs off the creature from his face and steps closer to Merri.

Second Round
Merri's attacker feels the pain from the dwarf's axe and rises to the air, fleeing. Three weapons are swung. Lugar's pick finished the foe, Giant's axe and Maul's mace dissect the lifeless creature mid-air, lumps of flesh falling back upon Merri.

"Krisp!" again and blue envelope again. The creature's hold on Murkatos eases a bit and the creature emits a hiss of pain but doesn't let go of the armorer.

Lugar tries to tumble past the closest foe to flank it but fails. Luckily, the creature fails big time. Its mistake costs dearly as the agile dwarf's pick sinks deep into its hide on the most vulnerable spot. Still, it survives the assault.

Maul's attacker follows its prey and its slam hurts the priest but Maul doesn't let it attach again.

Giant delivers a devastating slash against Lugar's victim and the creature is ripped apart. He turns on Maul's opponent but both ends of the double axe slide off harmlessly on its tough hide.

Murkatos cries in pain as his opponent tightens its grasp again, staggered by the crushing pain.

(OOC - here was another set of AOOs on the fleeing creature but ignore it-- it's already ripped apart by Giant's axe. I'll recycle Giant's AOO as Giant's next attack.)

Maul kneels down and removes the beasts' corpse to find that the torn body of the elven girl is beyond repair. He stands up, facing the next beast with determination.

Third Round

"Krisp!" and another bluish layer engulfs the beast but it still doesn't let go of the armorer.

Lugar's turn!

[Lugar]

Lugar circles around to attack the creature grappling with Murkatos.  "Chew on this!"

Pick (1d20+8) = 22
damage (1d6+3) = 5
sneak attack (2d6) = 2
Total = 7 damage

[DM Surranó]

The creature chews on the pick in its hood indeed.

The clever creature between Lugar and Maul gets aloft (5ft step south and up) and attacks Maul again. With a powerful slam it staggers the priest and attaches upon his head!

Giant's turn!