Chapter 4: Quenching the Burning Plague, Pt.1

Squin takes a step forward as he draws and notches another arrow. Even though it seems like the others seem to have things in hand, the centaur is curious as to how shooting with those blue guiding hands would feel like. Picking the closest one kobold without an ally in the way, he steadies and aim. When aiming, the extra "hands" just seems to make aiming much easier. Taking a deep breath, Squin aims as best as he can, then relaxes and tries to feel where those hands are guiding. After another moment, the arrow twangs off the bow and flies rapidly towards the kobold behind the table.

Attack: 12 + 8 = 20 - (firing into melee?) + (guiding blue hands) =
Damage: 8 + 3 = 11

*Dammit* Rasa thinks to himself as he gets stabbed the the Kobald's blade. He barely lets out a cough as he quickly drops to the floor and then tumbles out of the way of a second, and much more potentially fatal slash. He then sends a nice bolt directly at the Kobald. He hates these worthless beings. So much.

Tumble to B6: 9 + 9 = 18
Handcrossbow shot at Kobald at B3: 19 + 5 = 24
Damage: 2

Alterith’s attack misses the kobold, while Krytox’s spiked chain finishes off the dying kobold, flinging its lifeless body to the ground. Rasa's bolt and Squin’s arrow strikes true, snuffing the life out of the other kobold near Krytox. As Philo looks on, the last remaining kobold, lucky enough to have avoided an axe blow from Alterith, retreats to the east, taking to its scaly heels. Out of view, its barking voice comes back into the room clearly as the adventurers hear banging on the yet-unseen door that must lie to the east: "Let me in, let me in! Help, help!" The halfling finds no opportunity to sneak in an attack edgewise (total defense).

Alterith moves quickly to follow the kobold as it leaves the area...he pauses at the corner to the hallway judging the distance to the door. He holds his action waits for whoever is on the other side of the door to begin opening it, then with a roar rushes headlong down the hallway attempting to smash the kobold and block the doorway with it's body.

Attack: +6

Random number (1,20) :

10

Damage: +3

Random number (1,10) :

9

As the kobold at the end of the eastward corridor barks for help, the door opens - just as the halfling was expecting. Alterith charges down the hallway and turns the kobold before him into a pincushion, despite its increased strength. With its life departing its body, the kobold's complexion turns from greenish to a sickly yellow-brown, and the muscles it gained through its potion shrink back down to normal immediately.

The other adventurers recover from the melee that just ensued. Rasa's dancing lights continue to flit around the room, illuminating it for Alterith, but the halfling will need a new light source in order to see into this other room which has just opened (it is pitch black).

"ooc Alterith":

"ooc Philo, Squin":

When the last Kobold makes a run for the door the lizardman doesn't give chase. Whatever noxious fumes existed had taken their toll. He was tired, but seemed to be recovering a little now that the Kobolds were beaten. Taking a moment to take a few deep breaths and recenter himself proves to be too much. Alterith, in his hot-headed way, charges off after the juiced up foe. Sometimes there is more logic in retreat... but Dakkon wouldn't approve. He works himself back up and follows the halfling down the hall. The distance isn't far, but Alterith has a definite head start. And a head of steam. Krytox looks to the others as he makes his way past the overturned tables as if to say - "Ready? Let's go!"

Listen: 18 + 8

Philo barely has time to note with satisfaction the success of her spell to help Squin when the halfling charges after the only remaining kobold. A smashing noise follows, likely indicating his own success.

Suddenly she senses a presence behind her. Fearing the worst, Philo whirls around, only to encounter her riding cat, Tex, covered in dirt and soot. "Tex, where have you been?" she asks, with We could have used your help implicit in her tone. Tex cocks an eye at her, his catlike shrug indicating that they seemed to have done fine regardless. Before she can ask him what he found, though, Krytox starts to barrel through the doorway after Alterith.

"Wait," Philo calls after him, "before we charge in there - is everyone all right? No injuries?" She turns to the centaur. "Squin, can you hear me yet?"

The centaur is slow to react to the sight of the kobold running down the side hallway with the halfling hot on the kobold's heels. As Squin raises one hoof, he catches Philo spinning around out of the corner of his eye. Fearing a trap, the centaur takes a spinning hop forward and comes up facing back down the hallway tense with one hand dropping towards his falchion. Seeing the big cat again and Philo taking to the big cat, Squin eases.

Philo then appears to be talking to others, then turns to the centaur and to continue talking. Squin just looks at Philo quizzically. The centaur saw the lips move, but all he hears is ringing in his ears. Annoying ringing. Shrugging his shoulders, he turns back around and a quick glance reveals that the big lizardman is gone. Judging by the faces and reaction of others, (namely, lack of major surprise or fear), the centaur assumes Krytox followed the halfling. Looking around once more, Squin move towards the edge of the hallway the kobold, Alterith and hopefully Krytox just ran through, hoping to peer around into the hallway first before stepping fully into it.

Listen: 16 + 7 - 100? (deafness, unless the battle in this room took an hour somehow .... twilight zone ....) = ?

ooc: Auto Fort save rolled for Alterith.

"Krytox":

"Squin":

"Philo":

Alterith stares into the pitch black room ahead, squinting but not being able to see anything. His body fights off another mounting surge of sickness. The kobold's steaming carcass slumps lifelessly in his small but iron-hard hands. Rasa, meanwhile, has slipped into some kind of reverie.

Krytox catches up with Alterith shortly after the killing blow, keenly aware that none of his companions followed them. The door is standing partially open, possibly indicating more enemies within. He peers as far into the room as he can, but his ability to see in poorly lit places can only do so much. Knowing the Halfling's shortcomings in this regard, he describes in broken common as much as he can about the room.

"Shelf and food in room. Not see more Kobolds," he says the last bit in Draconic, but gestures at the dead body at their feet. "Room too big. Not see far side..."

He trails off as he listens intently and struggles to see any movement in the dark unknown.

Listen: 7 + 2 = 9
Spot: 17 + 3 = 20

Moving up to the hallway the halfling and (presumably to Squin) the lizardman went in after the kobold, the centaur braces against the wall and cautiously peers around the corner keeping as little of himself exposed as possible, ready to duck back out of way as quickly as possible if need be. Peering in, it takes Squin a moment to identify what is going on. It appears that Krytox is talking to Alterith, but he cannot hear.

With that side seemingly safe for now, the centaur looks back around the room at the others. Rasa seemingly in another one of his trances, and Philo busy with her cat. Oh well. To him the action is in front of him, so he focuses back on the lizardman and the halfling. The centaur stays ready, trying to figure out the lizardman's and the halfling's plan of action through their actions and body language (probably just keep rushing is his guess).

Unable to make anything out in the room ahead, Alterith listens to Krytox's description. "Someone just opened the door for him," he indicates what is left on the ground in front of him. He returns quickly to the room the came from to retrieve his torch from where he dropped it.

"You gonna move those lights elf or you gonna keep staring at the wall like it just stole your last copper?" Not receiving any answer, the halfing shrugs and heads back towards the blackscale with the flickering torch light leading the way. It may make him a target, but fighting blind has never been his style. He hefts his axe across his shoulder as he flashes the torch side to side in the room making sure nobody is waiting for him just inside. He then begins to explore the room with the blackscale shadowing him (hopefully).

Rasa does as the halfling says and sends the lights straight into the room ahead. It was the least he could do for dazing off like that. The elf the proceeds forward behind Alterith, and replaces his crossbow with his Shortsword. will be ready for anything this time....

As the lights and torchlight illuminate the room, leaving the center decently lit at the edges dimly lit:

For the whole group: wrote:

This long, narrow room (is lined with shelves loaded with foodstuffs and supplies. Heavy burlap sacks are piled atop one another in the corners of the chamber. A few have been torn open, leaving spills of oats and flour along the floor. Several barrels stand in a cluster near the far wall. Behind these barrels, the group can see small dark forms darting from between the barrels.

"Krytox":

ooc: Auto Spot for group.

Alterith crosses into the room, and his foot trips a stretched metal string across the doorway. Enormous sacks are released from the ceiling. In mounting terror, the group watches them hit the floor in slow motion. Out spills...

Enormous clouds of flour. Suddenly, the flour is stinging their eyes, and like driving in a bad snowstorm, they can barely see each other, much less the inside of the room anymore.

From a distance across the room, sending chills down their spines, they hear a shrill reptilian voice: "FIRE!" Following closely behind are the menacing cranking of crossbows preparing to loose a stream of deadly crossbow bolts.

ooc: Everyone, roll:

Initiative
Spot
Listen
3 (three) d% rolls

Hurling the torch in the direction of the barrels, Alterith drops to the floor, all grace and form gone in his haste to become as small a target as possible. He then begins a rapid roll to the side before coming back to his feet against the wall.

Initiative:+4

Random number (1,20) :

9

Spot:+0

Random number (1,20) :

6

Listen:+8

Random number (1,20) :

14

Random number (1,100) :

62

Random number (1,100) :

91

Random number (1,100) :

34

At the last moment, Krytox sees the carefully laid trap. He reaches to grab the halfling before he can make a move into the room, but it is too late. His bark of a yell carries no true meaning; there was simply not enough time to form a coherent word before the trip wire was triggered. The suffocating cloud of flour seems to be everywhere, overwhelming all his senses. After a second he realizes their true folly - an ambush. Damn these eyes for not being sharper!

He flattens to the ground, pushing the door at least part way closed in a simultaneous motion. Alterith was already in the room, but nothing could be done about that now. Crossbows take a while to reload and if the enemies didn't have loaded backups, the advantage would be to Krytox and his deadly chains. The key for now was not becoming a pincushion.

Initiative: 3 + 3 = 6
Spot: 6 + 3 = 9
Listen: 7 + 2 = 9
% = 98
% = 48
% = 83

RaSa dives backward and attempts to get behind something.. anything. Last thing he wanted was to be full of new holes. He has a few tricks up his sleave if and when he gets the chance butt for now, dodging is what is on RaSas mind. Hopefully the halfling makes it. And blast those fools for this ambush, but soon, retribution will be his...

initiative : 16 + 4 = 20

Listen : 4 +10 = 14

Spot: 18 + 10 = 28

Random numbers d100: 86, 67, and 28

The companions dive for cover, the flour cloud still stinging their eyes. Instincts honed from combat experience preserve their lives, though not without injury. Crossbow bolts whistle through the air, slamming and clattering against the stone floor, thudding against the wooden door. All around them fall a storm of bolts. The group hears one of their own gasp and hiss in pain, but despite their concern they still can't see. However, the flour cloud is slowly dissipating - more will be revealed soon.

The kobolds across the room begin reloading their devices - the group can hear the familiar cranks of metal levers being turned around solid wooden barrels. Even as they do so, there is a shuffling of feet suggesting a large quantity of movement behind the barrels.

"Alterith":

"Krytox":

"Rasa":

"Squin":

"Philo":

RaSa knows that this is a very difficult situation. Since when do Kobalds have the intelligence to set something like this up? There must be something directing them. Multiple Kobalds with crossbows holding the party down at a choke point and the halfing down at the front of it all calls for drastic measures. He hates to use it, but it'll definitely help him out in what he plans to do next. He sheathes his sword, pops a flask off of his belt, and quickly gulps it down. He quickly survey's the area for his perfect ambush. Then, Just for good measure, he sends the dancing lights swirling directly in the faces of the Kobalds. Hopefully that will give them a bit more cover...

Rasa drinks potion of Mage armor

Jerry, can I please get a diagram of the room ahead if at all possible?

Squin stands there and tries to figure out what is going on when the Halfling rushes out and rushes back in with a torch. Whatever he did, he got the elf out of his trance. In they went and *poof* the whole place fills with a white cloud. Something is wrong, very wrong. He sees something come flying out and scrape the wall just above his head. Bolts! The centaur finally is able to identify the projectile after seeing a few lie on the ground in the hallway.

He can't see, and he can't hear. Thus the centaur is unsure of what he needs to do and unsure what is going on. He glances back at Philo, still busy with his/her cat, before peeking around the corner trying to gauge what is going on. Squin rests one hand on his bow, simultaneously trying to see what is happening inside and trying to see if he can get closer without being so exposed.

Init: 11 + 4 = 15
Spot: 1 + 7 = 8
Listen: 8 + 7 = deafened

28
46
39

As the group takes defensive positions, the cloud of flour becomes less of a threat as it begins dissipating. An attack now would still be hampered by the fine powder somewhat hindering their vision, but it is still possible. (Concealment will apply for the kobolds)

The kobolds fire another salvo of bolts. This time, the adventurers are fortunate as none strike them (though one comes uncomfortably close to where Rasa is crouching next to the north side shelves, glancing off the faint, shimmering mage armor that just appeared after he quaffed the orange sludge-looking potion.

The secondary line of kobolds continue and finish reloading their weapons, and they begin trading places with the first rank again.



ooc:

• L5 is Alterith's torch - it's still burning but since it's on the ground the visibility is reduced.
  
• Rasa's dancing lights are hovering around where the kobolds are (the kobolds are hiding behind two rows of barrels, which are the blobby-looking things between them and you guys).
  
• Philo is farther left beyond A5 where Squin is - a single move action of 30' will bring her to either square behind Krytox in relation to the door into the room.
  
• The two long horizontal rectangles on the map are shelving units; the four blobby-things in the corners of the room are barrels also.

Now knowing exactly what was in store, RaSa had to do something, quick. While the flour won't stop the volley of darts from the Kobalds, a frontal assault with melee might do the trick. It definitely wasn't RaSa's style, but desperate times require desperate measures. If his allies can hold off for just a matter of seconds, Rasa would be in position and take down as many of the fiends as possible before he gets taken out himself. He may not have any care for any average trash that was in this world, but RaSa would still do anything for a friend, and Alterith was one of the few of those he had.

"Here goes nothing...." he says, as he blinks out of vision and begins his positioning.

RaSa uses 1 round invisibility and moves to either O2/O3, wherever he can fit in, and then hopefully get a sudden strike off it at all possible.

MOVE SILENTLY: 14 + 10 - faster than normal movement = ?


IF any of these are needed to get to or over the barrel and into place,
Balance: 15+5=20
Climb: 10+2=12
Tumble: 8+9=17
Jump: 11+2 = 13

Bloodlust surges into control of the body with a ferocity the likes of which Alterith has never felt. He finds himself locked in a small dark corner of his own mind, folded over the pain in his gut as the rager sends his body hurtling towards the enemies. He is hardly aware of his surroundings as the misty red of pain and rage combines into one vision. Bloodlust lets out a snarl that echoes around the room, more beast than halfling, sending Philo's cat into a frenzy looking for the source of that sound. Adrenaline surges through his body, lending increased strength to his muscles and draining the fatigue and pain alike from his battered body. The blood leaking around the bolt in his gut slows to a trickle as his abdominal muscles lock around it. He leaves it in place as he races across the room, murder and death in his eyes. With a roar he leaps the barrels in a flying tackle, leading with his axe. As he comes down among the creatures on the far side, he looks something like a pincushion, but the bolts sticking out of him only add to his aura.
"Ye dogs shoot worse than a red dragon in heat" He grins at the dog faced kobolds as the gleam of his axe is dimmed by the blood now staining the blade.

Goad (all melee attacks must be made against Bloodlust -Will save DC 13)
Attack:+9

Random number (1,20) :

11

Jump:+7

Random number (1,20) :

12

Dmg:+5

Random number (1,10) :

3

(2 handed weapon)

Random number (1,10) :

10

If applicable: AOO +9

Random number (1,20) :

11

Dmg:+5

Random number (1,10) :

5

Random number (1,10) :

4

After the second salvo, the centaur takes the opportunity to move up. To his surprise, he cannot seem to find the elf, but can clearly see the halfling barreling into the kobolds. Squin moves into the room, and realizes that it is a custom made shooting galley. He moves towards the corner and reaches out to pull, drag and slide the barrel in front of him. The centaur wraps his arms around the barrel, braces himself, and grunts with effort as he tries to pull and slide the barrel.

OOC: Moving to E6 and trying to move the barrel from E7 to F6.
Strength: 15 + 3 = 18

All too often had Krytox heard the thudding sounds of projectiles striking wood. There were no complaints from the lizardman, just silent thanks to the gods. He wasn't sure how the others had fared, but he wasn't going to waste time finding out. Kobolds usually were found in small groups and based on the numbers of 'thuds' he counted there were between 5 and 10. If I go now I can get to them before the next volley... There were obviously two volleys already, but there certainly wouldn't be another set... would there? Only if the first shooters were skilled would they have time to shoot again.

He decided to take the chance and threw the door open. Closing the distance as quickly as he could revealed that his initial guess was correct. Towards the higher end... but still close... damn already?! He sees them readying to fire again, but it doesn't slow his progress. His gambit would have to pay off. He swings his chains down at the kobold straight in front of him, hoping for the best.

Attack: 20 + 10 (nat) + 8 = 38
Damage: 3 + 4 + 7 = 14
Attack(crit): 15 + 7 = 22
Damage (crit): 1 + 2 + 7 = 10

ooc: move to N4 (or as close as I can get... not sure how the barrels work). Attack Kobold in O4. Please roll any AoO for me to save time. If I am in N4, I believe I threaten all enemies. If in M4, I believe I threaten all in the first row.