The Vystera Jewels

[CoffeeIncluded]

As much as Shiny's masks bother her, having somebody who understand what she's saying is a comfort to Natalia. That makes two now. Funny that here of all places she might find people who like her.

Instead Natalia says, "We have muzzles. And me." She doesn't mean to sound like a braggart, but she's always been confident of her trapfinding skills.

But this talk about magic...She didn't know that. Natalia asks, "How long? How much left?"

[Athedia]

"I only have three left, and the only one that is useful right now could only tighten those knots. Unless you would like another light or have something magic on you, I am not of much use at the moment." Mithril gestured toward the kobolds.

"I need sleep, a good amount of it and then time to think. What Kurt said about ambushes is a scenario that could happen, but it is a risk I have to take if I want to use my spells."

[CoffeeIncluded]

"But we four can still fight...Can't see the passing of the sun." Natalia doesn't want to stay in one location for too long.

[Cavelcade]

Kurt nods his head at that suggestion, stroking his beard a bit as he frowns hard, wondering about how to phrase his suggestion.

"I think...we can ambush them. But it'd be easier if we were in the next room. They wouldn't expect that." He licks his lips at that, settling his axe haft on the ground. "Uh, that's if you think you can handle more killing if there's more of them in the next room. If you wanna vomit or something maybe we should rest anyway."

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia agrees with Kurt's idea of going to the next room, and says so.

(OOC: Sorry; I'm pressed for time and want to get this show on the road.)

[achinca]

Miriam shakes her head at Mithril's suggestion.

"We need to move forward. I have all my divine magic, none of us are hurt. Yes you and the truth not-telling gnome are tired but staying here is to risky. When it is time to rest, let's find a more secure place."

She smiles at Mithril "Don't worry sweet sister, I will not let you die."

A sad memory of Claric' sacrifice rushes to her head and she bites her lips not to cry.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia is surprised to see Miriam so despondent. After a moment's hesitation, she places her hand on the cleric's shoulder and holds it there.

[achinca]

Natalia is surprised to see Miriam so despondent. After a moment's hesitation, she places her hand on the cleric's shoulder and holds it there.

Miriam puts her hand on Natalia's and forces herself to smile. "Thank you. I am OK. I will be fine. It is just that some cuts are raw and deep and never heal."

She swallows hard and adds "Let's get moving. It help prevent too much thinking ..."

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia moves to inspect the lever and pressure plate, seeing if she can figure out their mechanisms She also searches the door and the path to the door (Take 20 on every tile, door, whatever for a 28). (OOC: I guess a Disable Device check would help her study it?)

Disable Device: (d20+8)[22] (EDIT: Sweetness)

Whether or not she can figure out any more on the lever and pressure plate, she moves to the nearer kobold and reties the knots so its hands are firmly bound behind its back, and the creature can walk, but not run. She looks at the group and asks, "Can't leave them, can't kill them, can't let them run free. Is this okay?"

[Athedia]

"Fine to me, if nobody minds I will stay closer to the back of the group. I can whack a few on the head, but I think that would only make them angrier." Mithril gestured to her quarterstaff, making a mental note to buy a crossbow as soon as the opportunity arose.

[Hefty Lefty]

Shrine of Aquatos - First Floor - First Room

The kobolds don't look like they understand exactly what their captors are saying, but the can definitely tell the attitude. They begrudgingly get up. Moaning and growling, they walk to the stone door.

"Pull the lever down."
"C'mon you paranoid freak!" The kobold harasses Natalia as she searches (she doesn't find any traps on the ground, door, or lever).

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia snarls, "Shut up!" and yanks the lever without thinking, jumping back a split second later when she realizes what she did.

[achinca]

Miriam gets ready to heal Natalia if she has triggered a trap.

[Athedia]

Mithril grabs her quarterstaff, ready to thwack anyone who came through the door. She muttered to herself "Seems she can talk when angry." as Whiskers readied himself on her shoulder.

[Hefty Lefty]

Shrine of Aquatos - First Floor - First Room

The kobold pair howls in laughter with Natalia's reaction. The door slowly rolls down with another loud *ca-chunk*. The stone door reveals a hallway lit with two lanterns about halfway through. Another stone door is at the end, with a lever beside it. The walls and floor, like the first room, is gray and featureless. Water drips through cracks in the ceiling and settles in puddles in the floor.

Spoiler

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[CoffeeIncluded]

"Once knew a different kobold," Natalia says in Draconic through gritted teeth as they walk. "Taught me your tongue. Trapteacher." It hurts Natalia, to have these kobolds mock her.

[Cavelcade]

"Let's go again, then." Kurt lifts holds his axe ready again, as he cautiously walks down the passageway, ready for whatever comes.

[CoffeeIncluded]

It takes Natalia a while, but she finally brings herself to ask the dwarf, "Two Kurts, so different. How...?"

[Cavelcade]

Kurt glances behind, a little startled at being asked something so directly. "Two Kurts, what do you - oh." He shrugs uncomfortably, facing forward again. "It's...easier to talk with this." He pats his axe a little. "People don't make fun when I talk with this."

[achinca]

Miriam smiles at the door opens without a trap. She refrains to say "I told you so" to Natalia and instead wait for everyone to come in before closing the march.

She knows little about kobolds so may be Natalia is right to be paranoid .....

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia nods grimly. She knows exactly what Kurt is talking about. "...Never Natalia, not before you," she says after some hesitation. "Not Natalia, but Nuts. Always Nuts. Except after my snares and traps."

[achinca]

Miriam shakes her head "You are Natalia. Not Nuts. Remember that sister. You are Natalia, the trapmaster!"

[CoffeeIncluded]

"...Thank you. Now to prove it."

[Hefty Lefty]

Shrine of Aquatos - First Floor - Second Room ((WOOOO!!!))

The party wrangles the kobolds and makes its way gingerly down the hallway. Kurt is just in front of the door when his foot is shifted. There is another soft *click*. Suddenly, the floor drops twenty feet behind him. Shiny is stunned by the floor dropping out beneath him.

Spoiler

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Shiny's Reflex Save - (1d20+2)[19] Ouch. Just missed it.

Shiny leaps forward with a light foot to avoid the fall, but can't manage to grab a hold of the dungeon floor. He tumbles down the pit, landing square on his back.

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[roll=Pit Falling damage]1d6[/roll]

The kobolds erupt into manical laughter, pushing each other with their shoulders and rocking into the walls. They're doing all they can to not roll on the floor laughing.
"Hahahaha what a fool!"
"Did you see his face!?"
When met by an angry party, they suddenly change their tone, but it is difficult for them to hide their cheer.
"Oh we forgot!"
"Yes, honest! We forgot that trap was there!"
"No more from us, honest!"

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[CoffeeIncluded]

(OOC: How the hell did Natalia miss that? ...Oh crap, I forgot to say I was searching? Dammit...Listen, please assume that I'm searching unless I explicitly say otherwise.)

Natalia leaps back when she hears the click but is too late to stop Shiny from tumbling over the edge. Her eyes go wide as she realizes that she missed a trap and failed her job, again.

When she hears the kobolds laughing Natalia snarls, punches one in the face, then uses whatever rope is left over from tying its hands behind its back (OOC: Unless we have a third set of rope. How many sets of rope do we have, guys?) and dangles it into the pit for Shiny to grab on to. The rogue doesn't say anything, but her eyes are wider, her lip is quivering, her knees are shaking, and I'm a big failure is running through her mind again and again.

[Hefty Lefty]

((Forgot you can't edit a post into a roll))

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Pit Trap damage - (1d6)[6]

[achinca]

Miriam's brain immediately goes into action. She move past Mithril and asks "Shiny, are you OK? I will heal you went you come out. We can send you a rope to lift you."

When she hears the kobolds laughing, she asks Mithril to translate "If you keep making fun of the group and not tell us about traps, we might decide that you are still fighting us and will have to kill you. And please Mithril, say it like if I mean it."

Finally, she addresses Kurt and Natalia "We might need to put Natalia first to look for traps. Also, I would propose to teach a lesson to the kobolds to ensure their participation. Let's put one of them in the pit and close the door. We will free him on the way back. We need them to help us. Another solution would be to put one of them first with Kurt ready to strike him if he activates a trap."

[Admiral]

Spoiler

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Tumble check to avoid 10 feet of falling damage (DC 15 I believe): (1d20+2)[3]

Ack, natural 1. (Also I was wrong to add 2, I forgot the armor check, so it's just a 1). Not much of a tumble!

[Admiral]

Shiny's voice comes wafting weakly up from the pit. "Not even a scratch!" Even his considerable skill at lying can't cover the immense pain in his voice.

The gnome grasps weakly at the rope that Natalia lowered, every movement agony. "Just taking a rest. Tell you what, why don't you go ahead and get me out on the way back?" he says, only half-joking. Finally he grabs hold and tries to climbs out.

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Climb check: (1d20-2)[17]

[CoffeeIncluded]

When Shiny makes his way up the rope, Natalia takes one look at his injuries, then turns away. She is curled up tightly, her arms crossed over each other and wrapped around her legs, the flared-out ends of her leather armor coat splayed against the ground.