The Crimson Echo Season Three

[PiccadillyPi]

"Those frogs are ferocious"

Cleaning his blade with a snap of his wrist, Silas tittered in response.

"They're not so bad!"

Meanwhile, frost overcame a fresh lily on his breast that he wore as a boutonniere, crumbling against the cold of each toad's aura.

[Darvin]

Dalen steps into the room. Best to eliminate these creatures quickly rather than let them pull additional tricks. He points his wand at the nearest frog and lets loose a pair of missiles

Spoiler: OOC

Show

5-foot step to L11
Magic Missile (2d4)[6]

[Inspectre]

After Magenta pulls back to heal herself, Marcus gratefully steps into the space left and rains a series of blows down upon the first icy amphibian. His scimitars leave a series of bleeding, gaping rents in the toad's rime-coated skin, but the preternatural hardiness granted by Shudder is clearly evident as the giant mutated toad fights on.

Spoiler: Marcus

Show

5' step to N14, full attack glacier toad #1

Main-Hand
To-Hit: (1d20+19)[34]
Damage: (1d8+6)[8]

To-Hit: (1d20+14)[27]
Damage: (1d8+6)[13]

Off-Hand
To-Hit: (1d20+19)[24]
Damage: (1d8+6)[7]

To-Hit: (1d20+14)[24]
Damage: (1d8+6)[13]

Meanwhile in the tunnel leading further into the warren, Sabrina cuts the third derro into literal pieces, bisecting him messily at the waist with a series of wide swipes from her falchion.

Spoiler: Sabrina

Show

Full Attacks Vem (Squeezing, Power Attack)
To-Hit: (1d20+13)[18]
Damage: (2d4+21)[25]

To-Hit: (1d20+8)[10]
Damage: (2d4+21)[27]

To-Hit: (1d20+3)[23]
Damage: (2d4+21)[24]

[Inspectre]

Eyes even wilder than usual, the cornered derro Vicks looks desperately around for a way out, since fighting hasn't worked out so well for him thus far.
Dalen stepping out of the tunnel leaves a potential escape route open for the little blue freak, and it took his chances, diving for the narrow gap between Bellinda and Marcus as the first step in running for freedom.
Desperation grants good fortune, as the derro manages to avoid Aliani and Bellinda, and with Marcus busy grappling with the second toad, only Silas stands in the tumbling derro's way to escape.

Spoiler: Vicks

Show

Attempts to tumble around and past Bellinda and Marcus, which will result in AoOs from nearly everyone in the party, so . . . this isn't going to work out for him - unless he rolls a natural 19! This is enough to avoid AoOs from Aliani, Bellinda, and Marcus is now grappled, but due to the increasing DC from each additional opponent, that result of "22" doesn't beat Silas's effective CMD of 24 (20+4), so Silas gets an AoO.
Acrobatics - (1d20+3)[22]

Meanwhile, the derro bleeding out on the floor at Marcus's feet freezes solid as the second ice toad clambers over his body to bite at Marcus, while the first continues to bite at Silas. Again Silas manages to fend his off, but Marcus is not so fortunate as the toad hopping up to join the fight chomps down on Marcus's shoulder.

Spoiler: Glacier Toads

Show

Cold Damage To Silas and Marcus (and Vorg, killing him for sure): (2d4)[5]


#1 at Silas
To-Hit: (1d20+12)[16]
Damage: (1d8+7)[13] plus (1d4)[3] Cold
Grab attempt: (1d20+16)[31] vs. CMD

#2 at Marcus
To-Hit: (1d20+12)[25]
Damage: (1d8+7)[9] plus (1d4)[3] Cold
Grab attempt: (1d20+16)[30] vs. CMD

Battle Map

Spoiler: Status

Show

Good Guys
Magenta - 13 Damage
Bellinda - Barkskin
Aliani - Shield
Silas
Dalen

Marcus - 8 Damage, Grappled
Sabrina - Squeezing (-4 To-Hit, -4 AC)

Bad Guys
Vicks - 33 Damage
Vorg - DEAD
Vem - DEAD
Glacier Toad #1 - 62 Damage
Glacier Toad #2

[PiccadillyPi]

The cold washed over him, prickling his ears and nose. It was greatly discomforting, and not something he wished experienced any more for those around him.

"Not so fast!"

Silas swept his steel in reflex toward the ducking derro in an attempt to put down the demi-human.

"Bastard-idjit!"

Not able to chase him from where he was, the tiefling chose a sufficient insult before continuing to fend off the treacherous toads alongside Marcus.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

AoO Power attack vs Vicks
Attack: (1d20+8)[21]
Damage: (2d4+13)[19]

Spoiler: Crit on result of 26+

Show

Attack: (1d20+8)[13]
Damage: (2d4+13)[18]

Move action to study Glacier Toad #1 & attack.

Power attack vs Glacier Toad #1.
Attack: (1d20+9)[29]
Damage: (2d4+14)[18]

Spoiler: Crit on result of 27+

Show

Attack: (1d20+9)[24]
Damage: (2d4+14)[21]

Silas
HP: 31/34
AC: 23 (FF: 20 / TC: 15 / CMD: 22)
Saves: 6/7/-1
Speed: 20
Current Studied Target: Vorg
Buffs: Inspire courage / Divine Defense

[Stelio Kontos]

Aliani cast an inquisitive eye at the toads. His instinct was to charge in; t'wasn't fair to leave the heavy lifting to others, so to speak. But perhaps it was right to allow them to shine in the moment, because he certainly wasn't going to.

Silas had just more or less obliterated the escaping derro -- but it seemed there was still a breath of life in it. And for all the bravado, he wasn't entirely sure they hadn't just done something rather untoward.

Reaching down, he pulled the near-corpse a bit out of the way of the frog's frigid aura.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Move and drag Vicks' body out of the range of the toad aura.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Spoiler: Bellinda's Status, Round 4

Show

Bellinda Swiftfoot
Female Lawful Good Halfling Bard (w/ 2 Archetypes), Level 4, Init 4, HP 29/29, Speed 30
AC 21, Touch 15, Flat-footed 17, CMD 16, Fort 5, Ref 10, Will 6, CMB +2, Base Attack Bonus 3
Arcane Strike, Battle Dance (+2 to hit and damage) MW Scimitar (315 GP) +10 (1d4+7, 18-20/x2)
Mithril Shirt (1,100 GP) (+4 Armor, +4 Dex, +2 Natural AC, +1 Size)
Abilities Str 10, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 16
Condition Battle Dance (Inspire Courage, +2 vs charm/fear and +2 on attack/damage rolls)
Arcane Strike (+1 damage and magic)
Bardic Performance used today: 4/13 rounds
Barkskin (+2 Natural AC) 40 minutes
Deflection Aura (+2 Deflection AC)
Charge (-2 AC, included above)

"Sarenrae has blessed us this day! Put down the monstrous toads!" laughs the halfling swordswoman with glee as she dances and leaps at the nearest frozen amphibian.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Show

Free action to maintain Battle Dance (Inspire Courage).
Swift action to activate Arcane Strike.
Full round to charge Glacier Toad 2 by moving to P14: MW Scimitar (1d20+12)[26] to hit (not including flanking bonuses or cover penalties, if applicable), (1d20+12)[30] (18-20/x2), (1d4+7)[11] magic slashing damage, (1d4+7)[9] critical strike damage.

If any enemy incurs an AoO: MW Scimitar (1d20+10)[25] to hit (not including flanking bonuses or cover penalties, if applicable), (1d20+10)[16] (18-20/x2), (1d4+7)[8] magic slashing damage, (1d4+7)[11] critical strike damage.

[Darvin]

Dalen briefly nods at Aliani moving the unconscious Derro out of range. Though uncertain of how useful interrogation of the demented creatures would be, it wasn't an avenue to close off lightly. He keeps his wand aimed at the toads, carefully analyzing the situation.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Dalen will only use another charge from his wand if both toads are still standing after the attacks they have received. If one is down, he will conserve the charges and let the martials clean up.

Damage rolls if necessary: (2d4)[7]

[Starbuck_II]

Magenta moves 5 ft forward and rewraps his bandages.

Spoiler

Show

AC: 22 () HP: 28/28 (temp hp 0) (+13 from heal check)
touch: 11, ff: 21, CMD: 16
Saves: +2/+6 /+6
Speed: 20 feet (20)

heal - (1d20+14)[28] + inspiration - (1d6)[3]
If reach DC 25: 10 hp
If Reach DC 30: 14 hp

[Inspectre]

Silas cleaves through the chest of the last derro as he tries to flee through the middle of the party, and then brings his heavy blade around and cleaves through the neck of the ice-coated amphibian in front of him.
While the blow doesn't *quite* decapitate the Shudder-infused beast, it's more than enough to cause it to collapse in a bloody heap, quickly on its way to whatever afterlife awaited such creatures.

Seeking to have at least someone to question later, Aliani pulls Vicks away from the second toad still attached to Marcus's shoulder before the derro freezes solid.
Nonetheless, it's quite apparent to him from the blood pumping out of Vicks' gaping chest wound that the derro does not have much longer on this mortal coil (he's still bleeding out, but it won't be long until that stops).

Spoiler: Derro

Show

Death Save: (1d20-12)[-10] vs. DC 10

Magenta manages to fully bandage her side up on her second attempt, the healing salves kicking in and swiftly knitting the torn and frostbitten flesh back together.

Dalen keeps his wand at the ready for any new threats, but with the apparently dangers down to only one single mutant frog now, he preserves his wand for later use.

Bellinda rushes forward to join the fray just outside the doorway of the ice toads' makeshift cell, expertly slipping her rapier in underneath Marcus's arm to skewer the ice toad in the snout.

While the creature reels from the sudden stabbing pain in its throat, Marcus delivers a pair of hard blows to the top of its head with his free sword arm, leaving more bleeding wounds to encourage it to stop trying to eat people.

Spoiler: Marcus

Show

Full Attack versus Glacier Toad #2, down to one arm's worth of attacks due to being tied up in a grapple.

1st Attack
To-Hit: (1d20+17)[36]
Damage: (1d8+6)[9]

2nd Attack
To-Hit: (1d20+12)[20]
Damage: (1d8+6)[13]

A few moments later, Sabrina emerges from the tunnel, stepping in behind Marcus and Belinda to quirk a curious eyebrow at the battle against the ice toad. She doesn't even seem to flinch as another wave of cold air wafts out from the toad over Silas, Marcus, and Bellinda as the toad releases the Sable Commander to concentrate on a target that is small enough for it to eat - the hafling that just stung it in the throat. While the wave of cold stings Bellinda's face and hands, the magical protections Aliani have woven around her manages to deflect the creature's jaws harmlessly away from her. (Bellinda does take 4 Cold damage, but nothing else due to a miss. The toad, meanwhile, is decidedly unhappy after losing nearly half its total HP in one round).

Spoiler: Glacier Toad #2

Show

Unleashes cold aura: (1d4)[4] Cold

Free action: Release grapple on Marcus

Standard: Attempts to bite Bellinda
To-Hit: (1d20+12)[19]
Damage: (1d8+7)[12] plus (1d4)[4] Cold
Grab Attempt: (1d20+16)[25] vs. CMD

Battle Map

Spoiler: Status

Show

Good Guys
Magenta -
Bellinda - 4 Damage, Barkskin
Aliani - Shield
Silas
Dalen

Marcus - 12 Damage
Sabrina - 4 Damage

Bad Guys
Vicks - 52 Damage (Bleeding Out)
Vorg - DEAD
Vem - DEAD
Glacier Toad #1 - DEAD
Glacier Toad #2 - 42 Damage

[Starbuck_II]

Magenta decides to move close and stabilize the Vicks for questioning later, "I got him"

Spoiler

Show

Since I stabilize on a 1 do I need to roll? DC 15

firstaid - (1d20+14)[16]

[Stelio Kontos]

"Oh!" Aliani exclaimed, with his hand half-extended towards Vicks. "Very well!"

The fray seemed as though it didn't really have room for him; the wider perspective of the situation meant that a mere suggestion was all he probably had to offer.

"Miss Belinda? You may wish to step back and allow Miss Merrin to take your place. I speak a bit of toad, and I believe it was saying some very untoward things about her parentage."

[Darvin]

"You know, a toad would make a fine familiar for you, Aliani. Such a shame that your particular discipline of magic does not make use of them," Dalen jests, keeping the wand at the ready in case something goes badly but otherwise avoiding interfering with anyone else.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Spoiler: Bellinda's Status, Round 5

Show

Bellinda Swiftfoot
Female Lawful Good Halfling Bard (w/ 2 Archetypes), Level 4, Init 4, HP 29/29, Speed 30
AC 23, Touch 17, Flat-footed 19, CMD 18, Fort 5, Ref 10, Will 6, CMB +2, Base Attack Bonus 3
Arcane Strike, Battle Dance (+2 to hit and damage) MW Scimitar (315 GP) +10 (1d4+7, 18-20/x2)
Mithril Shirt (1,100 GP) (+4 Armor, +4 Dex, +2 Natural AC, +1 Size)
Abilities Str 10, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 16
Condition Battle Dance (Inspire Courage, +2 vs charm/fear and +2 on attack/damage rolls)
Arcane Strike (+1 damage and magic)
Bardic Performance used today: 4/13 rounds
Barkskin (+2 Natural AC) 40 minutes
Deflection Aura (+2 Deflection AC)

"Fine, one last twirl, though!" quips the little halfling woman as Bellinda slashes at the toad and then steps away to make room for another PC in her place.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Show

Free action to maintain Battle Dance (Inspire Courage).
Swift action to activate Arcane Strike.
Attack the remaining Glacier Toad: MW Scimitar (1d20+10)[18] to hit (not including flanking bonuses or cover penalties, if applicable), (1d20+10)[17] (18-20/x2), (1d4+7)[9] magic slashing damage, (1d4+7)[9] critical strike damage.
Then 5-ft step away.

If any enemy incurs an AoO: MW Scimitar (1d20+10)[15] to hit (not including flanking bonuses or cover penalties, if applicable), (1d20+10)[11] (18-20/x2), (1d4+7)[10] magic slashing damage, (1d4+7)[11] critical strike damage.

[PiccadillyPi]

Silas worked in tandem alongside Belinda, Sabrina, and Marcus to prepare toad tartare.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Forgot to edit out.
AoO Power attack vs Vicks
Attack: (1d20+9)[20]
Damage: (2d4+14)[20]

Spoiler: Crit on result of 26+

Show

Attack: (1d20+9)[16]
Damage: (2d4+14)[21]

Power attack Glacier Toad.

Power attack
Attack: (1d20+9)[20]
Damage: (2d4+14)[20]

Spoiler: Crit on result of 27+

Show

Attack: (1d20+9)[16]
Damage: (2d4+14)[21]

Silas
HP: 31/34
AC: 23 (FF: 20 / TC: 15 / CMD: 22)
Saves: 6/7/-1
Speed: 20
Current Studied Target: Vorg
Buffs: Inspire courage / Divine Defense

[Inspectre]

While Magenta bandages the gaping chest wound on the derro, saving its life (for now at least), and Dalen and Aliani trade quips, Bellinda and Silas continue to work on finishing off the last mutated toad.
Bellinda's rapier narrowly glances off the toad's rime-coated scales, but Silas's blade manages to bite through just enough to draw more blood.
As Bellinda steps back, Sabrina is only too happy to step in and quickly bring this fight to a brutal end, bringing her falchion crashing down and splitting the toad literally in half.

Spoiler: Sabrina

Show

Power Attack
To-Hit: (1d20+21)[40]
Damage: (2d4+21)[27]

To-Hit: (1d20+16)[21]
Damage: (2d4+21)[27]

To-Hit: (1d20+11)[12]
Damage: (2d4+21)[25]

"Pathetic. Some moldering bones and freaks of nature is all that Lamm had left?"

The queen's bodyguard spits on the hacked apart remains of the two frogs. As the echoing silence of a tomb resettles on the area, it does indeed seem as if no more defenders are present to bar your path.
Pausing for a moment, Sabrina closes her eyes and fiddles with the cape around her shoulders, before nodding decisively at the tunnel leading deeper into the complex.

"She's that way and still further down. Come on, let's go!"

"I believe that we have acquired a prisoner, who may be a valuable source of information on what lies ahead."

Marcus says, nodding at the unconscious but still - albeit shallowly - breathing derro.

"You really think that little freak is going to give us a straight answer? Particularly after we killed all of his friends and pets?"

"Won't know until we try."

"Ugh, still more delays!? And while we drag our heels, the queen gets closer to death!"

[Stelio Kontos]

"You're both right, you know" Aliani said to the party's colleagues, while eyeing the ravaged derro with a hint of actual pity and a soft shake of his head. He reflexively brought his hand partway up to his collar before turning to Magenta. "You think you can make sure he doesn't bleed out? I can't imagine he'll be moving any time soon."

He squinted his way into the darkness. "I figure if we hurry, we can careen madly to our doom, and then stop and pick the little chap back up on the way out."

[DarkOne-Rob]

As the fight ends so does Bellinda's frenzied dance. She takes a moment to catch her breath and then carefully - and thoroughly - cleans her scimitar off. It's clear to anyone watching that she takes it seriously - an act of her faith - and that she won't be hurried by everything else. Then, once it's clean and sheathed again she shakes her head. "No one will be rushing into anything, sillies. I'll go ahead again," she snorts a bit, laughing at the foolish attitudes of the bigger folk. Then she all-but disappears as she starts scouting again, intent on finding their lost Queen.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Show

Stealth is at +11, Perception at +9. Bellinda will first head to the right of the map (the room from R4-W8), searching as she goes (Perception: (1d20+9)[14] in the room specifically) and then down to Z-AB14. What is further right? Are the stairs going down? What more does she see?

[Darvin]

"Pathetic. Some moldering bones and freaks of nature is all that Lamm had left?"

"All the more reason to keep on our guard, none of the main players are accounted for yet, just some underlings. Lamm's death would have fractured much of his organization, and with any luck some of his more powerful allies would have taken their coin and their toys and gone home. But the presence of Derro means we should expect Vreeg and his pet. And this so-called 'Rolth' is an unaccounted wildcard, a wizard whose abilities eclipse my own and almost certainly keeps his most powerful undead minions as a personal bodyguard," Dalen explains.

Upon hearing the discussion of the prisoner, Dalen nods, "I agree with Sabrina. We have the element of surprise and cannot afford to waste it. We may have need of the Derro yet, and once the queen is secure he may provide intelligence on our enemy's disposition that would be invaluable to her. Staunch his wounds, tie him up, and throw him in one of the empty crates. That's all the time we can spare at the moment,"

[PiccadillyPi]

Banging on a stray crate, Silas beckoned the crystalized blood on his sabre to rattle and break away cleanly so he might sheath the tool. Nodding to Belinda, he crouched down to look into the small-roofed passage as she scouted ahead.

"If that is what you wish, Rosey. I only hope we tarry 'fore we find our heads fit for a fly rink. Onward - least over there to await further news from Bella."

Silas tip-toed after the acrobat into the lab, ensuring nothing might sneak up behind her from a hidden hatch or trap triggered. His sight was only useful enough to tell good from bad, and not much more. This much cleared the way for the others to whisper in safety as they began any searching of potions, poisons, or elixirs. A detailed list of insurgents was perhaps too much to expect.

"Any of us with talent to track? I've forgotten much of my younger days since... I've forgotten a great deal. At the very least I retained enough to know North unassisted."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Taking 10 for:
a) stealth: 17
b) perception: 15

[Stelio Kontos]

"Mr. Rittle, don't you think maybe tied up and in the crate might be a bit of overkill?" Aliani asked, a bit sardonically, but also seriously at the same time.

"Silas, I think, we already have our tracker" he replied, nodding in the direction of Sabrina. "The nose knows, as they say."

[PiccadillyPi]

"I only need note that, mad as they are, derro have proven clever enough for tools and trade. Traps and ambushes may lay hidden further down. A sharp eye and knowing nose are welcome more than my spun-down senses."

[Darvin]

"Mr. Rittle, don't you think maybe tied up and in the crate might be a bit of overkill?" Aliani asked, a bit sardonically, but also seriously at the same time.

"Putting him in a crate is for his own protection. If we left him merely tied up, I would wager we'd return to find his throat slit. Lamm has impeccable taste in allies, as you must know by now," Dalen turns to follow Sabrina.

[Stelio Kontos]

"Putting him in a crate is for his own protection. If we left him merely tied up, I would wager we'd return to find his throat slit. Lamm has impeccable taste in allies, as you must know by now," Dalen turns to follow Sabrina.

Aliani pursed his lips, clearly not wholly satisfied with that answer, before muttering "No bet."

[Starbuck_II]

"As long as he doesn't bleed out, hate for all my work to be undone" Magenta says

[Inspectre]

Ever the prepared type, Marcus produces a length of rope and swiftly ties the derro's arms and legs after Magenta is finished stitching the derro's previously gaping chest wound shut.
The derro should live without interference from one of its erstwhile allies as Dalen feared, although it would undoubtedly not be happy upon waking up.

Sabrina makes her own contribution to that unfortunate future waking moment as she deftly slides the tip of her falchion underneath the lid of a still intact crate, popping it open without damaging it.
It takes a few more minutes to unpack the contents of the crate, which seem to be some sort of volatile alchemical solution, and thus not something to be kept in the same place as the wounded derro.
With an empty crate now, it is but the work of a moment to fold the unconscious derro into the crate and replace the lid, leaving it indistinguishable from the others at least until the derro wakes up and starts attempting to free itself, which probably won't be for hours yet.

"*Now* can we go?"

Sabrina growls, which is a bit of a moot question given Bellinda and Silas are already scouting ahead for the group.

In the next chamber where the derro that Sabrina cut down came from, Bellinda and Silas find an alchemical laboratory, not dissimilar from the Shudder Lab that the party closed down where they first met Vreeg and his pet.
The one notable addition here that was *not* present at the other lab, however, is the dead dog-sized spider lying curled up on one of the table, clearly being dissected and studied.
The acid stains from where it's fangs have dripped down the table and its twisted spine-covered legs are sure signs that this is another of Lamm's Shudder-mutated freaks of nature.

Beyond this laboratory is another low-ceiled tunnel, although this one is quite short, perhaps only 10' in length, before it opens up into not so much a larger tunnel as a stone-lined corridor lancing through the dead earth of the Grey District.
While not quite the cathedral-esque arched ceiling of the Poryphia tomb, the stone corridor does allow Silas to stretch up to his full height with a good foot or more of clearance above his head.

The corridor's stone is a relatively featureless black/dark grey slate color, although curiously there are no seams where one block is joined to the next with mortar - it at least appears to be one long contiguous piece that has been hollowed out.
Given the corridor is fifteen feet wide and stretches out into the darkness to the north and goes for nearly fifty feet to the south before ending in a flight of stone stairs, this seems like a construction beyond mundane means.
The only breaks in the stone are the hole that has been clearly smashed through the wall to connect it with the derro's tunnel, and a similar hole smashed through the opposite wall to the south, just next to the flight of stairs heading downward.

Risking a bit more scouting, Bellinda moves down to the end by the stairs, and listens at the mouth of the other hole, which appears to lead into further derro warrens dug into the soft earth beyond this stone tunnel.
And sure enough, while she can't make out what is being said given its undoubtedly in the derro's native tongue (Aklo), it's clear that there are more of them in the chamber at the end of this second dug tunnel.
Given the cackles and boisterous chattering, it does not seem as if the derro are aware that there is anything amiss, at least not yet.
Before Bellinda and Silas can have a quiet consultation over whether or not to press on and investigate what is down the stairway, the rest of the party joins up with them.

With a whispered warning of the nearby derro, the party has a very quiet conference on what to do next.

"This tunnel . . . I've heard of stonework similar to this elsewhere beneath Korvosa. This looks like we're entering the Vaults to me!"

Marcus whispers, the name he gives the corridor at least familiar enough to everyone present to be aware of this troubling and mysterious aspect of Korvosa's street lore.
The Vaults are a network of stone tunnels deep beneath the city of Korvosa, built for unknown purposes by unknown parties (although it's construction and ancient nature suggest an origin of Thassilon or similar civilization).
Most sections of the network have gone unexplored except for small disconnected bits and pieces, as most adventuring parties who ignore the warnings and laws against exploring the Vaults don't come back.
The fact that the derro seem to have infested the ruins is one possible explanation for that, although there's any number of urban legends about horrific death traps and worse things lurking down in the depths beneath the city.

"She's down those steps. We need to keep moving."

Sabrina adds after concentrating on her cloak again.

"I don't like the idea of leaving more derro behind us, but given this seems to be a major lair of theirs there is no telling how many more chambers make up this warren. I would object to recklessly pressing onward at this point down into the godsforsaken Vaults of all places, but I'm just going to save my breath at this point. So . . . sneak past and continue onward into likely horrific death?"

Marcus offers with a shake of a his head.

(OOC: So, you can continue down the stairs and into the Vaults, leaving at least one group of derro between you and the exit, or you can go through the side tunnel and continue deeper into their warren to attempt to clear it out and not leave any enemies at your back.)

[PiccadillyPi]

Silas nodded toward the stairwell, deeper into danger. His brow furrowed against the thought.

"Our window for rescue is smaller than eggs on ice. We've our escape, derro or no. I've not a care that five or six present their necks on our way out, but we can just as easily run past them into the light they hate so greatly. This isn't any sort of podsnappery. We mustn't dally, darlings! So say ye all?"

[Starbuck_II]

Magenta ponders on it, " I mean, we got this far without worrying about a few dwarves, what is a few more. Let's press on."

[Darvin]

Dalen nods, "I'd agree, the derro are not our primary objective and if they can be avoided that will make our task swifter and more successful,"

[Stelio Kontos]

Aliani let out a loud sigh. "I pray" he whispered, looking Sabrina and Marcus squarely in the eye, "that you will be there for us, as we are for you now." He gripped his morningstar tightly, tiptoeing as best he could down the tunnel.