A Candlekeep Mystery (IC)

[Leatherhead]

Argenti barely found her way out of the moss the first time, she doubted her ability to navigate it a second.

"Hawthorne, where are the others?" She worriedly asked. "Should we hack and burn the moss?" The young woman paused for a moment, as if someone was whispering something in her ear. "I could stay in my amulet, and give it to you, that way we can't be separated while looking for them."

OOC: Oof, Int checks, Argenti's dump stat. I'm not sure how well it's coming across, but I've been trying to RP all of her "smart" ideas off as influence from Aurumamma.

 

[DEFCON 1]

As he turned back and looked behind him, noticing the missing forms of some of their compatriots, Hawthorne panicked for just a second before taking a deep breath and steadying himself. "Okay, this isn't good."

He slung off his backpack and pulled out his length of rope, then proceeded to tie one end around his waist before then threading the other end through the loops / straps / belts of Kaliban, Ethian, and Argenti so that they'd all be connected together and hopefully not get separated. Once that was done, he glanced down at the path they just travelled and closed his eyes to focus on his hearing... trying to get any indication of where Cairn or Crock Jon might have split off from.

OOC: INT saving throw: (16)+5=21

With a few moments of concentration he thinks he has some general knowledge of where they might have gotten off to.

"Okay, I have a plan. I know exactly what to do." He begins leading the group back the way they came. "Now, stay close. Stay close. I know. Do exactly as I say. Get ready. Ready? GET THEM!"

And he begins hustling back through the tunnel yelling for Cairn and Crock Jon.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Roped together, they found Cairn quickly enough. He had taken a short north-going side-passage and was standing at a dead-end. He had been certain that the rocks there wanted to part, to show him a way forward, but they were stuck - barring his path in a way that he still did not understand. When he rejoined the group, they found that the moss had started growing from his shoulders and his back.

As they continued with the trick, trying to find Crock Jon, at one point Ethian took a different branch of the tunnel to that of Hawthorne and Kaliban, and not knowing any better, Argenti followed him. Soon the rope was wrapped around a bend in the tunnel wall, and they played tug-of-war for awhile, calling out to each other in confusion, "Come forward! Go back! This way! No, this way!"

When they finally worked it out, they realized that a voice in the mix had not been any of them at all, though it had sounded like one or another, and had made wrong suggestions, that had kept the confusion going for far longer than it should have.

Finally, after working it out, they set out again when Hawthorne heard "Down here, Suh!" in a muffled bellow that sounded exactly like Crock Jon.

OOC: I'll be back in a bit to say more on the subject.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

As Hawthorne led the way toward Crock Jon, Kaliban (who was next behind him on their rope-line) suddenly felt the line behind him go slack. He pulled the rope to himself, only to find a frayed, severed end.

Hawthorne grew wary as he approached 'Crock Jon'. Kaliban was trying to get his attention from behind, but the big figure that moved through the moss before him seemed odd, in spite of insisting, "I'm here, suh." in a voice very much like the big half-orc's.

Hawthorne brushed the moss aside to reveal another twisted, bug-like creature like the one they had seen in the mayor's mansion.

Ethian, who had been next in line, thought he felt Kaliban tug him forward, and heard Crock Jon's call from his right. He followed who he thought was Kaliban down a tunnel, before suddenly realizing that it was not the gnome at all. The figure in front of him stood up from being bent over (it had seemed only a moment before to be the correct height for a gnome - a fact that now seemed impossible, and Ethian cursed himself for a fool.) The creature let go of the severed rope and turned a bug-like face toward him, reaching out with a claw-like pincer.

Ethian stumbled backward, bumping into someone behind him (he was relieved to find that it was Argenti, just as it should be. Behind Argenti, at the end of the rope, was Cairn, who suddenly felt something grab at him from behind, pinching him hard. It was another of these misshapen, bug-like creatures.

The real Crock Jon, for his part, was alone at a tunnel crossroads. One of the creatures had grabbed him through the moss, and (true to form) the old prize-fighter grabbed the thing back. The two were wrestling, and the bug-thing was losing.

OOC: Crock Jon took 14 damage but has his grappled. (Kobold and I discussed on a PM); Cairn took 8 slashing and must roll a dc11 con save or be paralysed (sorry about that). Everyone will have to roll a dc11 wis save or become frightened as well. Round-Roller pending!

Spoiler: Rolls

Meenlock Stealth
ML1 vs Crock Jon PP12: 2D20.HIGH(1)+6 = [10, 19]+6 = 25 surprise
ML2 vs Hawthorne PP17: 2D20.HIGH(1)+6 = [1, 10]+6 = 16 spotted
ML3 vs Cairn PP13: 2D20.HIGH(1)+6 = [15, 9]+6 = 21 surprise
ML4 vs Ethian PP16: 2D20.HIGH(1)+6 = [20, 8]+6 = 26 surprise
Meenlock Surprise Attack
ML2 vs Ethian: 1D20+4 = [5]+4 = 9 miss
ML3 vs Cairn: 1D20+4 = [18]+4 = 22 for 2D4+2 = [2, 4]+2 = 8

 

[FitzTheRuke]

GM: Encounter: Black Dragon Agents vs Meenlocks in the Mossy Maze

Spoiler: Map of Mine (Mossy Maze)

(General Features)
Difficult Terrain: Everywhere (Moss is heavy, terrain uneven)
Visibility: Dark (Underground); Obscured by moss (You can only see adjacent 5')

Spoiler: Allies

Name * AC * HP * Hit Dice * PasPrc * Spells * (Notes)
(PCs)
Argenti AC14 HP 31/31 THP 0/7 HD 4/4 PP13 SS 2/2
Cairn AC18 HP 35/43 THP 0/7 HD 4/4 PP13** 2W 1/1 AS 1/1
Crock Jon AC14 HP 22/36 THP 0/7 HD 4/4 PP12* SD 4/4
Ethian AC19* HP 25/27 THP 0/7 HD 4/4 PP16* PIns16 SS 4/4 3/3 CD 0/1
Hawthorne AC14 HP 31/31 THP 0/7 HD 4/4 PP17 PInv17 PIns15
Kaliban AC18* HP 35/35 THP 0/7 HD 4/4 PP10* PED 4/4 (d6's)

Spoiler: Enemies

Meenlocks AC15 HP 37ea PP14*
-ML1 37/37; ML2 37/37; ML3 37/37; ML4 37/37;

GM: Begin Round One

 

[Neurotic]

Cairns different physiology and mind easily repel whatever toxin or magic the creatures touch infuses him with. And while he feels the fear for his existence, he is a fighter first, coward later. Having Argenti right behind him helps as he is charged with her safety.

His arms morph into great battering rams as he swings toward the creature. Unfortunately, his choice of the morph was...not the best, fused arms require lots of space to swing. And now that he is in combat there is no time to separate them into shield and weapon.

"Do not worry, Argenti, this one agent will protect you." he rumbles

Spoiler: Actions

Con save: 1D20+5 = [19]+5 = 24
Wis save vs fright: 1D20+1 = [10]+1 = 11

Maul vs meenlock; bludgeoning damage: 1D20+6 = [4]+6 = 10
2D6+4 = [1, 6]+4 = 11

 

[Steve Gorak]

It is now clear to Ethian that these creatures are foul. "there's a meenlock in front of me!" he tells his companions as he strikes the one it with his sword, invoking elven battle magics.

OOC: action: cast booming blade: to hit: 12, damage 5, booming damage if target moves: 1 DC12 wis save: 19 success!

 

[Kobold Stew]

Crock Jon, all alone, squeezes the creature he holds. The sound as it coplains is familiar -- another meenlock.

He calls out, "Watch out! There are creatures that wish us harm!" but if his voice is heard, it surely comes from the wrong direction.

With a fist he attempts to pummel the creature he holds, but he can't connect, no matter how hard he tries.

OOC: Damage to grappled creature 1d4=1. Attack to hit: 1d20+6=13. Action surge! 1d20+6=9. ARGH. Wotta waste.

 

[VLAD the Destroyer]

Kaliban's words trail off as the creature leaps from the moss towards Hawthorn. The gnome moves forward to support the man. He slashes out with his sword striking once and scoring a hit against the creatures thigh. He then quickly flicks the blade up trying to catch the creature off guard but it stumbles back out of the way.

Kaliban raises his shield and prepares for any counter attack.

OOC: Move up to ML4. Rapier strike against ML4: 1d20+5 23 1d8+3 11 Uses action surge to attack again. Ation surge rapier strike against ML4: 1d20+5 12 1d8+3 10

 

[FitzTheRuke]

OOC: Both @Kobold Stew Crock Jon and @VLAD the Destroyer Kaliban need to roll the dc11 Wis Save or become frightened (failure will screw up Kaliban's turn, so you better make it, Vlad!)