D&D 5E Out of the Abyss IC

Solace rolled into the quaggoth, which seemed too surprised to bother with an attempt to claw her, but she missed piercing the creature's shaggy hide. The downward slope of the ledge gave a forward momentum to Solace's roll she hadn't anticipated. Solace found she couldn't stop her body from crashing through the bannister, leaving a gaping hole in her wake. She caught herself before falling off the ledge into the webs below--or worse, a hundred foot drop to the chasm floor. Nimble fingers clung to the lip of the stone ledge. The quaggoth looked down and started to lunge to attack. Its movement spurred Solace to action. She kicked out with her feet and legs as hard as she could, and flipped herself back onto the ledge, coming to rest behind the shaggy beast.

From her new position, Solace could make out next to nothing in the dark, but memory told her she was close to the area where the guards took prisoners each day to dump the chamber pots of the ledge into the pool of water on the chasm floor. By the overwhelming sickly sweet stench of musk, Solace could tell she was very near the cell where the drow kept quaggoths imprisoned. And, if that was the case, then the northernmost guard post was also near at hand. She wasn't sure how many guards normally stood watch here, but recalled that the post was small enough that it couldn't possibly hold more than three.

Down below the ledge in the webbing, the giant spider quivered with anticipation, then crept forward on silent feet, heading directly for Topsy and Turvy, neither of whom appeared to notice the spider stalking them. The pair of deep gnomes hadn't budged since lighting on the webbing; instead, they were engrossed in an argument about which direction to head now that they'd attained freedom. Topsy pointed south. Turvy gestured down. The spider crept closer. It closed with a finishing leap, springing at Topsy and stinging the small gnome, dealing 6 points of damage. Turvy's eyes went wild with fear as Topsy turned green and keeled over sideways, falling through the webbing all the very long way to the chasm bed. A small thud echoed through the pit, announcing Topsy's probable demise. Turvy howled in outrage.





Credit for the map background: Wizards of the Coast Cartography: Jared Blando


Initiative:
K'nyr 18
Drow Guard (X18) 18
Kago 15
Solace 14
Giant Spider (X16) 14
Brinn 9
Quaggoth (AA17) 9 --already took an OA for Rd 2
Raza 6
Kamael 3
NPC Prisoners 1

*Deleted by user*

Brinn held his ground and said his piece to Ront, from whose mouth escaped a growl. The orc stared back in open disdain at Brinn, challenge firing Ront's eyes. For now, neither made a move.

Out on the ledge, the quaggoth set off in pursuit of Solace. It cornered her outside the slave pen for the imprisoned quaggoths, and went on a rampage of claws, dealing 13 points of damage to the aasimar. The quaggoths inside the pen began to howl and stamp their feet. Solace made out one of the beasts as it grabbed hold of the iron gate barring the cell. The quaggoth inside the cell hissed at the quaggoth behemoth attacking Solace, then began pulling at the bars with all its might, tensing with exertion. The iron bars groaned under the strain. Between the quaggoths and the yowling Turvy, despair and rage filled the entire chasm in rippling echoes.






Credit for the map background: Wizards of the Coast Cartography: Jared Blando


Initiative:
K'nyr 18
Drow Guard (X18) 18
Kago 15
Solace 14
Giant Spider (X16) 14
Brinn 9
Quaggoth (AA14) 9 --already took an OA for Rd 2
Raza 6
Kamael 3
NPC Prisoners 1

[sblock=Combat]Raza move to AA15.
Action: Bite quaggoth: Raza vs Quaggoth; DC 11 Con or poisoned: 1D20+4 = [4]+4 = 8
1D4+2 = [3]+2 = 5
3D6 = [4, 5, 4] = 13: Miss![/sblock]
[sblock=Raza, in brief]
[size=+1]Raza Thulcandra[/size], halfling Druid 3
Initiative: +2; Inspiration: Yes
AC: 13, Current: 12; HP: 24/24; Speed: 25 ft

Str 8 (-1), Dex 15 (+2) , Con 14 (+2), Int 11 (+0), Wis 15 (+2), Cha 12 (+1)

Saves: Intelligence +2, Wisdom +4
Skills: Insight +4, Perception +4, Religion +2, Stealth +4
Senses: passive Perception 14

In Hand: nothing
Spells Prepared: (5) (Grimoire)

• 2nd level: 2/2; Darkvision, Flame Blade*, Spider Climb (circle), Spike Growth (circle)
• 1st level: 4/4; Cure Wounds*, Faerie Fire, Goodberry
• Cantrips: Druidcraft, Mold Earth, Produce Flame

* can be cast at higher level

Special:
Lucky, Brave, Halfling Nimbleness, Naturally Stealthy, Natural Recovery 2/2
Wild Shape 1/2 (1 hour duration)
[/sblock]

Raza the Centipede skittered forward, but missed chomping at the quaggoth.

As he steps forward towards the start of the bridge, Kamael breathes a sigh of relief to feel the return of the Weave, his arcane senses once more engaged. Almost instinctively, he wills the Weave into material form with intent to dissolve into nothingness the disgusting quaggoth which still threatens Solace.

End of Round 2, Start of Round 3

Kamael walked up behind the Giant Centipede--stood ten feet behind the skittering creature as it tried but failed to bit the quaggoth--and intoned a word of power while deftly weaving the symbol of a spell in the air. A bubble of acid, its skin thin and filmy, burst over top of the quaggoth, which dodged out of the way at the last moment. The bubble splattered missed the quaggoth and splattered against the wall to the creature's right.

Inside the cell, Ront made a move on Brinn, but Brinn was lightening quick and pummeled the aggressive orc in a quick one-two open palm combination. The blows dealt 11 points of damage to Ront, who had enough time to realize his mistake before keeling over and landing on top of K'nyr. Brinn heard the distinctive sound of keys jingle when Ront fell. His Highness's eyes lit on Brinn, then on Buppido, then flicked back to Brinn. Brinn's quaggoth cellmate seemed to decide something for himself, then edged closer to the open gate and peered into the inky dark beyond the cell. He huffed with disgust. "I say. There's a quaggoth outside the cell. Nasty brute. It's got the angel cornered. I'm afraid she hasn't a chance." Brinn could see nothing of what His Highness described in cold, clear droning tones. Stool remained in place, but Jimjar darted forward and crouched down beside K'nyr. Brinn heard the jangle of keys. A moment later the deep gnome returned to Brinn's side and whispered, "Hold out your wrists. I've nicked them keys what the drow had on his belt. Steady now, there's the ticket." A beat later, and Brinn's wrists were free of the manacles. The chain hung limply from his iron belt, however, and Brinn's iron collar 'round his neck was still in place. Buppido had sharper eyes than Brinn and could see in the dark. The derro hopped over to Jimjar and silently held out his own manacled wrists. Jimjar hesitated. Outside the cell, in the webbing twenty feet below the ledge, Turvy turned tail and fled from the spider. In no time flat, Turvy made his way to the rock wall of the ledge and began scampering down at an unnatural rate of speed.

Shuushar remained in the lotus position, a center of focus and calm amidst the erupting chaos.

---

The Drow Guard with the light crossbow disengaged from Kago. The guard stepped backward away from the orc war priest and entered the room inside the hanging stalactite. Kago spied a table made of what appeared to be gray wood, perhaps--though there was no grain to the wood that he could see--around which sat three unoccupied chairs. A series of spider-silk webbing formed hooks, on the wall to the right. From these hooks hung a coiled length of rope, one metal shield, and a waterskin. No one was inside the stalactite, save for the fleeing drow guard, who swiftly crossed the room and headed to another door on the opposite side of the room.






Credit for the map background: Wizards of the Coast Cartography: Jared Blando


Initiative:
K'nyr 18
Drow Guard (V18) 18
Kago 15
Solace 14
Giant Spider (X16) 14
Brinn 9
Quaggoth (AA14) 9
Raza 6
Kamael 3
NPC Prisoners 1

Kago pulls hard against his restraints, but the chains refuse to give. An inconvenience to be sure, but Kago is a warrior. And Kago has Gruumsh.

He bounds across the rope bridge to the door of the stalactite, whispering under his breath and twiddling his dirty fingers despite their restraints. He spies the fleeing drow, and locks eyes. "Gruumsh!" he says with a nod, and a perfect replica of the Orc God's spear appears floating in the air beside the drow! Before he can blink, the ghostly spear leaps forward and digs deep into its prey.

As the blood is drawn, Kago chuckles and smiles at the drow. "Gruumsh!" he laughs.

---

A spear with a hooked end piece formed in wavering waves of heat in the air adjacent to Kago, who smiled. The spear whizzed through the air and slammed into the gut of the drow guard, who looked up at Kago in fear. The whites of the drow's red eyes flashed in pain before closing. The drow guard grabbed the spear and withdrew it from his side, bits of flesh coming away with the weapon.




Credit: conceptart.org Artist: Unknown








Credit: Wizards of the Coast Cartographer: Jared Blando

A rope ladder fashioned of thick hemp and odd-looking grey wood captured Kago's eye. The rope ladder hung to Kago's right, from a trap door in the ceiling.