A Dark and Stormy Knight IC [3.5]

[zlefin]

(making up some description per request, hopefully it'll all be consistent enough in the end,).

torokk -> The ring has two inscriptions on it, each in a different language; they're not in a language you're familiar with. they appear to be reasonably short one liners as far as you can tell based on how long the script goes for.

[Mr Adventurer]

Torokk stops short of putting the ring on as he spots the writing, and squints at it. "Hey, there's words on here. I can't read it. Lars, you know stuff. What's it say?"

He holds the ring out to the bard.

[Morof Stonehands]

Lars takes the ring from the orc gently, and holds it up to better see the inscriptions. "Hmmm, Let's see," he mutters to himself.

Spoiler: OOC

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Lars knows Common, Dwarven, Elvish, Giant, Gnomish, Orcish, and Draconic. Do any of hose help here?

[zlefin]

Spoiler: what Lars can read

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One of the inscriptions is in Giant; and it says "This ring allows you to understand Giant"
The other inscription is in a language you don't know.

PS I'm using different alphabets for different languages, and ignoring the listed table wherein many languages use the same alphabet, cuzi'm not sure how to adjudicate it.

[Morof Stonehands]

"Well that's interesting," Lars says to the group. "It says in Giant that it lets you understand Giant. I don't know the other language, but if i had to make a guess I would say maybe it says the same in whatever language it may be in. I'm no expert though!"

Lars hands the ring back to Torokk. "Here, it may be more useful to someone else."

[Mr Adventurer]

"Thanks, good idea," Torokk says. He looks at the ring for a second, then puts it on, squinting at the writing as he does so. Can he read all of the script now? Does he feel any different?

[zlefin]

Spoiler: for Torokk

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Torokk can indeed read all the script.
One is the giant one, which he can now read.
The other says "This ring lets you understand goblin", and it is in goblin.

Torokk feels nothing unusual. he feels the same as always.

[Jopustopin]

The wood elf mostly just stared at the thing he killed. Finally he gave the head a kick across the room before picking up his light hammer and stowing it. While he watched the half-orc and the human play with the ring he began to get an irritated look on his face as the investigation began to drag into the hour.

[Mr Adventurer]

"The other one is Goblin," Torokk supplies helpfully. He leaves the ring on. Looking around, he sees Aareon. "What? It's only been a minute. Like I said - what next? The other door?" He points back into the main chamber.

Spoiler: OOC

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No way the diversion with the ring has been near an hour!

[Morof Stonehands]

"The other door sounds fine to me! Why not at this point, there may be other trinkets to be found!" Lars says cheerfully. He makes his way towards the last unchecked door, albeit a little more carefully seeing as the first was trapped and the second had a strange monster hiding in it. Upon arriving to the door, he leans in seeing if he can here anything.

Spoiler: OOC

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(1d20+2)[17] for a Listen check.

[zlefin]

as the party approaches the third door, a swarm of rats runs out from beneath it and attacks!

initiative!
party:
(1d20+2)[21]

the rats:
(1d20+2)[22]

[zlefin]

The 8 rats swarm in, biting and nipping at the party!

edit note: as per discussion in ooc I forgot to account for torokk's combat reflexes; he kills two rats via attack of opportunity as they come in, so the last 2 rolls by the rats will be discarded; those will be the 2nd attack on aareon and the attack on govanan.

all hits deal 1 damage.
3 bite at Lars
(1d20+4)[12]
(1d20+4)[5]
(1d20+4)[15]


2 gnaw at Torokk
(1d20+4)[10]
(1d20+4)[24]

2 try to chew on Aareon
(1d20+4)[19]
(1d20+4)[6]

1 nibbles at Father Govanan
(1d20+4)[14]

[zlefin]

Lars's calf takes a sharp gash from one of the rats!

Torokk takes a sharp blow
critical roll for the rat:
(1d20+4)[21]
and gets a fearsome cut on his right calf! (2 points of damage since i'ts a critical hit)

Aareon's foot gets chewed on! and being chewed on is not pleasant at all.

Govanan manages to avoid the rat.

edit add: torokk's quick reflexes managed to strike down 2 of the rats as they're rushing at the party!

it is now the parties turn.

(totals: lars takes 1 damage, torokk takes 2, aareon takes 1; for convenience and better tracking, please start listing your current hp when you post)

[Mr Adventurer]

Torokk's training kicks in as the animals swarm forward, his glaive bisecting two of them in mid-air as they leap to his left and to his right. But it's not enough to save him a nasty wound in the leg! He shouts in pain.

"Arrr! Damned rats!"

Without pausing, he shortens his grip on the haft of his glaive and tucks it in tightly under his arm, letting go with the hand that's armoured and spiked. He swings his fist in a broad, deadly arc, timed perfectly to strike at both the rats leaping at him. Then, he steps back to form a better defensive line.

Spoiler: OOC

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Thanks for making the adjustment, sorry to be awkward. Torokk's action is to initiate Steel Wind, making 2 attacks with his spiked gauntlet on the rats he's fighting. Then, five-foot-step back.

Steel Wind attack 1: (1d20+6)[23], damage: (1d4+5)[8]
Steel Wind attack 2: (1d20+6)[11], damage: (1d4+5)[7]

Current HP 10 of 13

[Jopustopin]

Aareon's blades ignite and he swings his blades across the swarm. He does a side leap away tumbling to avoid the creatures bites.

Spoiler

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Swift: Burning Blade
Standard: Wolf Fang Strike; short sword (1d20+3)[21] for (1d6+4)[6] and (1d6+1)[3]^fire and dagger (1d20+3)[16] for (1d4+2)[3] and (1d6+1)[7]^fire
Move: Tumble (1d20+7)[14] to move ten feet away from the swarm (if necessary to avoid AoO; not even sure if they threaten squares due to their size).

[zlefin]

As per policy, going to move things along and ghost the players that haven't acted in accordance with general guidelines people setup earlier.

Lars uses the withdraw action, moving to safety behind the warriors, letting them use AoOs if the rats try to approach.
Govanan will stay one square behind the warrior, and ready an action to hit any rats that get in range of him. (one square behind being a bit safer, but he coudln't use an AoO on a rat that entered that square in front of him, readied action will ensure he gets a swing in).


Torokk and Aareon have killed the rats that were attacking them, so only the 3 rats that were on Lars remain.

The rats turn:
The rats move forward to engage the warriors.
Torokk gets an AoO on each rat as they move forward, since he has enough AoOs for all of them. any hit will be fatal so not bothering to roll damage.
(1d20+6)[21]
(1d20+6)[7]
(1d20+6)[16]

Aareon will strike at the first rat that gets past Torokk with his AoO
(1d20+3)[18]

and Govanan's attack on any surviving rats that enter the square.
(1d20+2)[10]

if any rats survive they will all attack one of the warriors.
(1d2)[1] 1 = attacks torrok, 2 = attacks aareon

[zlefin]

As the final rats approach, they're all sliced to pieces by the skilled strikes of the warriors. you all remain readied in case more rats come out, but none are forthcoming; nor do you see or hear signs of any more. There is nothing on the rats themselves.
This had all happened as you approached the North door, but before you had opened it.
The storm continues to rage outside.

[Mr Adventurer]

"Hm," Torokk says, rubbing at his leg, "They musta been hungry. Bet there'll be some stripped corpses through there." He points with his glaive at the North door. "Shall we take a look?"

[Morof Stonehands]

"Yow, that stung a bit! I agree, with monsters comes remains of what they found before us! Hopefully it won't hurt more than that to check out! ALthough I think I'll let someone else lead the way this time!" Lars says, gently rubbing his hurt leg.

[Mr Adventurer]

"Good enough for me, friend," Torokk nods amiably. He pauses, though, "Did any of those rats or anything hurt anyone too bad? I'm OK for now, nothing a handful of good clean dirt won't solve." It's clear Torokk's medical training is second to none, i.e. is barely more than nothing.

Presuming nobody calls a halt to treat wounds, he plies his shoulder to the North door with gusto.

Spoiler: OOC

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Going to roll one Str check to see if Torokk can bust the door open in a display of manly strength. If this roll fails, DM, please presume he goes on to Take 20 and end up with 25 (plus any other assists)...

Strength on door! (1d20+5)[25]

[zlefin]

The North door shatters open into splinters (none of which hurt you).
It opens into a very long hallway, so long you cannot see the end of it.
Shortly beyond the door there is a small rat's nest, which does not appaer to have any rats left in it.

[Mr Adventurer]

"Ha ha!" Torokk shouts in glee - clearly stealth operations weren't part of his training either. "Mightier than any crowbar, right, Aareon?!" He flexes at the elf and winks.

He stops, though, and peers down the corridor suspiciously.

"Huh. Reckon there's any more dart traps?"

Then he adds, "Rats collect shiny things sometimes right?"

[Jopustopin]

Aareon has a generally sour disposition; you're not sure why. Perhaps it's being soaked in the rain and then instead of a quiet night of sitting around a fire drinking some ale he has had to fight off abominations and rats and other things. But who knows...

He winces slightly as the half-orc makes a racket so loud it'll wake the dead but then seems to shrug to himself before putting the crowbar away.

"Let's get this over with. I'm wet, and I'm thirsty. Once I've had a few drinks in me, I'll be ready for jokes." Aareon says with a forced smile at the end.

[Mr Adventurer]

And Torokk can sometimes get on people's nerves with his simple approach. He gives Aareon a vigorous clap on the shoulder, "I hear you, my smaller friend!"

He walks carefully up to the rat's nest and overturns it with the sharp end of his glaive, poking through it - just in case.

[zlefin]

You find nothing in the rat's nest; and no further creatures present themselves.

[Mr Adventurer]

"Turns out the only things rats like is the taste of Torokk," Torokk grumbles, perhaps unfairly. He points down the corridor with a thick finger, "Anyone want to go first? In case of... traps?"

Spoiler: OOC

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I don't think we have anyone with Trapfinding?

Also, DM, can I just check how long the corridor seems to be?

With a Light spell, or a torch, we can all see well for 20 feet (good light) and badly for another 20 feet (shadowy light) for a total of 40 feet.

Except people with Low-light Vision - such as our friendly elf Aareon - double these ranges and can see poorly out to 80 feet. Is the corridor longer than that?

Also, Torokk and anyone else with Darkvision can see using that, out to 60 feet.

[zlefin]

The corridor goes on for longer than any of you can see.

[Jopustopin]

Aareon leads the way following the corridor until he sees something.

[zlefin]

you see the end of the corridor soon enough as you inch forward carefully; it seems the corridor is around 150 feet long; and it looks to open up into a room ahead.

[Mr Adventurer]

Torokk shares a glance with Aareon, and moves to advance forward with him, side by side, toward the new chamber.