LitD [IC]

[Thalmor]

Thoric
(Round7)
HP: 40/63
AC: 17/15/12 (ac/ff/ta)
<Dodge versus Creature #3>
saves 8/4/3 (F/R/W)

Now sufficently annoyed looks at the creature infront of him and says To tough for yea to rip apart, eh. He then swings his axe at Otyugh #3.

Spoiler

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Att1 - (1d20+10)[30]
Dmg1 - (1d10+3)[9]
Att2 - (1d20+5)[24]
Dmg2 - (1d10+3)[9]

If I drop it I will use cleave to attack O#3.

If I drop it on the first attack
Cleave1 - (1d20+10)[22]
If I drop it on the second
Cleave2 - (1d20+5)[7]
And damage if I get to hit O#2
Dmg - (1d10+3)[11]

[Greyen]

Fethen

Swearing under his breath for missing and breathing a sigh of relief at his companions escape he lets loose with another bolt of acid.

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Round 7
HP: 31/31
AC: 18/16/12
<Greater Mage Armor>

To Hit (1d20+5)[9] ranged touch Otyugh #2
Damage (3d6)[7]

Abrupt Jaunt 10 feet back if they approach.

[Timaoh]

In a hail of dwarven furry and the glint of mithral the first Otyugh goes down and Thoric turns his attention to the remaining one and SLices his axe into the body of the Other Otyugh lodging it there as the shudders in the ground have barely faded as the corpse of the Otyugh hits the floor causing it to tremble violently.

The second Otyugh alarmed by the shiny piece of metal protruding from it is even more suprised as acid slams into it's body. Although the orb glaces off harmlessly the Otyugh seems annoyed at the interuption.

[EloquentRune]

Glade

HP: 18/35
AC: 15 Touch:14 FF:11
Saves: 5/7/2 (f/r/w)

Glade faces the creature that had held him down for that long time and lashes out against it. First Glade tries to bite it and then tries to smack it with his claws.

"Growl"

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Bite Attack (1d20+6)[15]
Bite Damage (1d6+3)[6]
Claw attack 1 (1d20+1)[12]
Claw Damage 1(1d3+1)[4]
Claw Attack 2 (1d20+1)[20]
Claw Damage 2 (1d3+1)[4]

[cintain]

Markus
Round 7

HP 31/31
AC 10
PP 39/49

Markus looks at the battle and shakes his head. He then walks over to Fethen and says, I think we might be able to contain the beasts better if we get Glade and Thoric out of there. What do you think?

He then turns to the monsters and brings his hand to his temple, muttering some kind of incantation as he frowns.

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Manifesting augmented mind thrust on Otyugh No. 3. Save DC is 16 (success negates).
damage - (3d10)[21]

[Timaoh]

The Otyugh grunts as the cat slams into it rending the creatue's tough hide with claw and fang. The creature shudders noticeably as huge chunks fly under Glade's assault and for a moment seems as though it will topple but doesn't. A few heartbeats later the creature's eyes go wide as it falls limp into the muck to join the other two lifeless corpses that liter the garbage strewn contents of the crevice.

Round 8

The End!

[cintain]

Markus


... or maybe not, says Markus answering his own question when he sees the last of the garbage monsters fall.

You know, those things were put here for some purpose. They might even have been trained, judging by their intial reaction. I think we should tread very carefully,

He looks at Thoric and Glade, I think both of you'll agree with me, next time we enter a seemingly empty room, we should be more... reserved.

He then turns to Fethen and says, we should think of some kind of basic strategy to deal with threats. Seeing your abilities, I am certain that you have some tricks up your sleeve that could have been used on those monsters as a group, were it not for the presence of... allies in their midst.

Markus then walks out of the chamber, sits by the door, and begins his meditation exercise.

Spoiler

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become psionically focused (hope this doesn't take too long...)
concentration - (1d20+10)[16]

[Greyen]

Fethen

Fethen looks around at his companions and steps up to Thoric. Hold still for a moment. Fethen channels light from his belt with a touch into Thoric.

As he does so he says to Markus You are correct about tactics. I am not the best mage for fighting but some of the spells I do know are largely for area effect.
The he says to everyone,
I did notice something before the fighting started, which may ahve been my fault and I apologize if it wwas but, it seemed that the otyugh was waiting for something. Maybe some of these creatures we find in this place have been tended to or domesticated by the keeper or caretaker of this place. The phantom fungus I encountered earlier almost seemed to have a similar reaction. It is only that both of these encounters seemed to be less reactive to our presence than many monsters I have fought in the past. Perhaps they are more used to humanoid foot traffic in the area.

When he is finished channeling healing energy into Thoric he stands back That is all I can do today.

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Healing belt - healing Thoric
Charge 1 (2d8)[13]
Charge 2 (2d8)[14]
Charge 3 if needed by Thoric(2d8)[2] if not then Fethen will use it on Glade

[Thalmor]

Thoric

HP: 63/63
AC: 18/15/12 (ac/ff/ta)
saves 8/4/3 (F/R/W)

As Thoric pull his Axe from the last of the dead creatures, he nod his agreement to Markus. Indeed, as this mess, motioning his arm around the room, is not the ideal battle field.

To Fethen he says, Aye, they did seem to pause for a moment, we had best becarefully not to let this to cause us to hesitate when action would be the best. After being healed he comments, Thats a handy belt you have.

[Timaoh]

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Everyone moving through the muck still needs reflex saves. Time for some comedic relief. I mean most of you guys are covered in the gunk already but it's still funny if you fall.

[cintain]

Markus

Markus walks back into the room after briefly stepping out, and looks around.

I also noticed that the Otyugh did not attack outright. Perhaps we will get to use that to our advantage later. I am concerned, though. Aberrations of different sorts are usually found together. I dread to find out what kind of creature would keep an Otyugh as a pet.

Markus looks around, What shall we do now? I'd be up to do some more exploring, but if you want to go back and regroup, I would also enjoy studying those markings on the floor of the cave where we started.

[EloquentRune]

Glade
HP:24/35
AC: 16 Touch:12 FF:14
Saves: 5/3/7 (f/r/w)

After flailing around in the muck for a bit Glade returns to his human form.

Don't know why I didn't do that sooner.

He stretches his back picks up his still glowing staff, and then goes over to the stuff he had found before the attack.

"Guys, I found a staff over here before the attack and some other things that may or may not be useful."

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(1d20+3)[5]
(1d20+3)[6]
(1d20+3)[5]
(1d20+3)[12]
(1d20+3)[7]
(1d20+3)[23]
(1d20+3)[7]
(1d20+3)[9]

[Greyen]

Fethen

Fethen looks around and waves everyone over to him. Lets get cleaned up and if anyone wants they can dig through that refuse. I for one am willing to stand aside and wait. With that he steps out into the entrance of the area and points his finger at himself. The refuse seems to wash off of him as he points of himself. He then will point to anyone else who approaches for cleaning.

-OOC Prestidigitation for 'cleaning'

[Thalmor]

Thoric

After searching and falling down numerous times Thoric looks at himself and realizes he is covered in muck. Aye Fethen I think a cleaning will be most welcome, and proceded to head out of the area.

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search - (1d20-1)[1]

reflex - (1d20+4)[17]

[cintain]

Markus

After everybody is out of the Otyugh room and back at the room with the statues, Markus leans into a half-crouch and says to no-one in particular: This looks like Gith work... most definitely.

He looks up. Well, there's our answer about whether this cave was natural or artificial. I would like to study the rest of the markings, see if I can glean anything else from them. Fethen, do you have any previous experience with the gith, or with mind flayers? Where the ones go, the others are never far behind, unfortunately...

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Rolling for any additional information I can get from studying the markings, if everyone is OK with sitting around while I look at them. Anything I learn I'll communicate to the rest of the party.
K: Arcana - (1d20+6)[12]
K: Dungeoneering - (1d20+6)[23]

[Greyen]

Fethen

Fethen shakes his head No, I have only read about them. I have studied some of their talents extensively though. Fethen begins walking around the markings on the floor while sketching out the markings.

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Sketch (1d20+5)[21]
k:Arcana (1d20+18)[36]
k:planes(1d20+9)[22]
k:religion(1d20+9)[10]
k:Arch&eng(1d20+11)[18]
Spellcraft (1d20+11)[13]

[Timaoh]

Fethen

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After going through about 3 sheets of vellum you finally get the dimensions and markings to work together although you get the idea that they keep shifting subtly even as you watch but you can't quite discern how or in what method/manner they are changing as they continually resemble your sketches while appearing 'off'.
There is little more you can discern from studying the markings as the intricacy and the sheer scale of the sigil. (That is surely what it is.) Is enormous and would take you several years to study with a full team of experts such as yourself.

Markus

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Dredging your mind for any clues or links to this exact marking as you walk around it seems to be in vain as you complete one full circuit of the markings and are still unsure of their design, intent, and importance. After a few more minutes spent in silent contemplation you think about the nature of your travel to this place and the others as well. With this new though held firmly in your subconcious you move over the markings again. This time you notice hidden in among all the other runes a repeating pattern of runes that mark teleportation in the Gith tongue. Elated you tell the others of your findings and try to explain even as they confess that they see nothing. Even Fethen does not seem to be able to see the patterns as clearly as you are able to.
The more hours you spend the more sigils you can find pertaining to different aspects of the ring of runes and etchings marked into the floor... (how many hours do you spend?)

The suggestion to study seems like a good one at first but as minutes drag on into hours and time dwindles by for those fo you not studying you quickly become bored and disinterested. You are cold, tired, grimy, and hungry, trapped in an underground hell of Gith design...

[cintain]

Markus

This is a complicated magical sigil indeed... Markus walks around the design, talking half to himself, half to the others. There seem to be patterns within patterns, as if the thing was changing, ever as I looked upon it. See? Teleportation runes, but over there... amazing. This cavern is a wonder. If we stayed long enough, I bet we could glean the whole purpose of this place just from these devices here.

(OoC: Markus will stay for as long as the others allow him to. Do I need to make more rolls to figure out more stuff from the runes?)

[Greyen]

Fethen

Markus, we need to go. This thing is more than we can take care of for now. There is toto much in this symbol to look into just in this day, it would take week just us two. Let it go we can come back after we find a way out of here.

[cintain]

Markus

Suddenly realizing how long it's been, Markus looks up at Fethen.

I suppose you're right. Let us continue our exploration, then. He looks at the others. Thank you for your patience,... although I have a nagging feeling that we must perforce return to this place before this is over. It might very well be that this same sigil holds the key to our release.

Markus walks towards the others, then says, Let us find the way out, or the creators of the sigil, or both. That might glean us some answers.
And I reiterate my conviction that, should we come upon more foes, we should be a little more... tactically-minded in our approach, friends. Gith tend to be well-organized in battle, and cruel to boot. I suggest Fethen and myself use those powers we possess that can affect mutiple enemies first, before we join the fray toe-to-toe.

[Thalmor]

Thoric

Aye, lets get going see if we can find our way out or at least find something that might help us get out. Thoric says as hefts his ax over his sholder. Aye, I let you guys do you area affects first then, then I can clean up with me ax.

(OCC: Timoah can we get an updated map so we can decide which direction to go.)

[Thalmor]

Thoric

As Thoric slings his Axe over his shoulder he looks at Greyen and says since you have been here the longest do ye have a prefered direction?I believe you have said you have explored some to the east of us did ye not?

[Greyen]

Fethen

Fethen looks at Thoric and says Yes, but we can look it over again easily. So we are all on equal footing. This way please. Fethen leads the way back through the areas he has already been. Withthe intent of returning to the point they are at, or resting int he alcove that he last rested in.

[cintain]

Markus

Markus wraps his cloak about himself as if suddenly overcome by cold and walks silently, following Fethen's lead. He keeps his loaded crossbow in hand.

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in case there's anything to notice
spot - (1d20+5)[19]

Oh, and I just want to remind the DM, I am psionically focused.

[Timaoh]

As you reach the door nothing seems to have changed about it. The faint traces of your stay in the other room and the disturbed dust appear as they did before.

Markus

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Looking around as you travel you notice a fair number of tracks ambling about through the cavern and the passages you enter before reaching the doorway. Although you are uncertain exactly where the other group travelled before they became statues once again and your ordeal started there seem to be more footprints than before, and that are easily explained.

[Thalmor]

Once he reaches the door Thoric will fully examine the door, pulling on all of his dwarven heritage to see if he shed some light on what this door is.

OCC: Anything I need to roll?

[Timaoh]

The door is not of Dwarven design but seems to be well-made either way. You can see no sign of tool marks or even how this door was formed. There are little runes carved into very tiny niches in the door itself. You cannot make out what they say and from your previous experiences with writtings in the cavern you doubt you would understand them even if you could make out what was written there.

The door seems untouched since your last visit.

[cintain]

Markus

Hmmm... footprints, says Markus, half-to himself but easily audible. You came down this way before. How many in your previous party, Fethen? There seem to be quite a few prints over here...

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Let me know if I'm understanding this right... when you say the footprints are "easily explained", you mean they are the footprints of the previous group, or there are other footprints besides those of the other group that are easily explained?

Markus studies the door carefully also, taking care not to disturb the dwarf's efforts.

Spoiler

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spot - (1d20+5)[11]
K:Dungeoneering - (1d20+6)[20]

[Greyen]

Fethen

Fethen shakes himself of the reverie that was playing through his head. Yes. Oh, I'm sorry, what now? Yes, those foot prints look like ours from before. In fact this cave over here is the place where we slept previously. Other than the fungus grove that is all that we had previously explored.

[Thalmor]

Thoric

After examining the door for a while, Thoric looks up and says Well I can't seem to shed anything new on this door, maybe it best to finish exploring the rest of this level of the cave. Maybe we can find something that will help us understand what is going on here better.