D&D 5E The Kalarian Precipice - Chapter Three

[daindarkspring]

Dain - The Crack

Dain followed the mystics through the crack, nodding to Carthum as the cleric took the rear position. His shield suited that well enough. Dain's sword felt good in his hand, balanced and ready for anything.

If Dain himself was not quite so perfectly attuned to the situation, it was only because they had fought for their lives twice in the last two hours and neither skirmish had been a sure thing.

So he was apprehensive.

But Essithea was close. And his comrades had proven themselves in a fight. So there was that!

 

[97mg]

The Crack

There is much to consider as Otiroth's glowing shape leads the party through the confines of a winding crevice. The sorcerer is focused, but in the back of his mind he has sensed other magic at play. Metea's skull eyes. They rang with a soft hum of potential as he watched her play with them. Annit’s finds, the glass disc and a small uncut gem too, might be sensed by the gifted to hold otherworldly secrets. But there was no time yet, to fully appraise any worth or potential in them.

A captive. A foe. The possibility of more interesting discoveries. This is what had their immediate attention.

Behind the glowing dancer Metea's illusion hovers, hopefully concealing the team; Jeovanna first of course, followed by the arcane wielders then Dain, Annit and Carthum protecting the back.

It is a cramped experience, even more terrifying when considering the many yards of rock looming above your heads. The occasional groan. A grimace perhaps as the larger built of the explorers push on. After numerous turns, Annit whispers, “we are close now”.

The glowing human form’s light starts to spread out ahead and creep into the area beyond, and to the right Jeovanna hears clattering and scratching. Then… was that a distant growl? Does she dare look out and take a peek? How far would Otiroth let the glowing dancer, the decoy proceed?

<The air is tense. Given Annit's earlier description of the area you could probably get to the mound's location in one move. The sounds seem to be coming from the same direction. Whatever is making them, it hasn't noticed you or Otiroth's decoy yet. Should you wish to charge to your right, you can have surprise on any foe that might be there. The choice is yours...>

 

[Otiroth]

Otiroth: The Crack

The lair was miserable, and Otiroth had to admit: Annit was quite brave, to travel around here on her own.

They were here to find the captive, no matter what state or level of friendliness it was, so the growling coming from the direction of the mound was oddly fortuitous. In its own way. They didn't have to choose. Since the group could no doubt see each other within Metea's illusion, he'd gesture towards the others to continue towards the mound, tout suite.

He would not charge his dancer towards the scene, but off at an angle away from them, slightly to the left.

Illumination, within Metea's illusion, was a tricky thing!

 

[Metea]

Metea: The Lair

No, keeping the illusion centered on the team while they suddenly scrambled was a tricky thing!

Metea would do her best, though. She hadn't really mentioned to the others that she couldn't stop them from bursting out of the illusion into the open, so that was kind of on her. Shouting it out now would ruin the whole set-up.

But hey, just because the others wanted to rush out and expose themselves didn't mean she had to... once they stopped moving, she didn't need to concentrate as much on the illusion!

These dark places... so delightful. Show me, Metea! At once! I must wallow in its disgust.

 

[Jeovanna]

Jeovanna: The Lair

Growling?

The teleparting demons had made many noises while they fought, but growls had not really been among them. Not outside the noise of any beast, though. Jeovanna's mind flashed back to what Metea had said. The 'captive' may not be. Insight on demons from a demon-touched was surely not something to be tossed aside lightly...

Jeovanna was already moving in the direction of the snarl, either insight or a desire to keep the spellcasters safely protected keeping her within the range of Metea's spell... for now.

They could not afford gallantry! And if the captive was a demon in disguise, she would not hesitate to strike. She could apologize to Otiroth later.

 

[Carthum One-Tusk]

Carthum One-Tusk: The Lair

Carthum squinted into the darkness. Perhaps, if he focused, he could see beyond Metea's shroud...

They were moving quickly now. Despite every other fear, being out of the crevice at least helped him feel a bit less claustrophobic. It was a near, thing, though, so deep under the earth. Sometimes, though, in the darkness was the place that needed Suru's light the most.

If there was indeed a captive, someone trapped by the foul demons that willingly lived in such places... they would surely need Suru's light!

 

[daindarkspring]

Dain - The Lair

Dain was creeping along behind the mystics, listening mostly to Carthum's armor and shield scrape and grind against the rock behind him. Nothing to be done about it, that was for certain. And as far as Dain was concerned, he would protect the cleric with his life no matter what happened, at least until the debt was repaid. If it would ever be repaid. At this rate, he would owe Carthum everything he owned within a fortnight. That that he owned much. Of anything.

As the lair came into view, Dain struggled for a view of it around his comrades. Whatever it was, it was not happy they were coming. It growled like a bear in its cave...

 

[97mg]

The Lair

Annit took her position among the others, moving forwards behind Metea’s illusionary wall. At least they were relatively quiet upon the mossy darkness that softened their steps, and the Tiefling had stayed back, wisely, to guard the exit back into the crevice. It was incredible the rogue thought, how a misty image of dark walls concealed them. It was all about faith... that they could see through it, but the horrible creature could not… yet.

From behind them Oritoth’s dancer was spending it's last few moments shedding light around the depths of the lair. Most of it was covered in a blanket of black moss, and on the ground here and there were old bones and a lingering aroma of decay. Away to the left of the mound, the light was swallowed by darkness. Another tight little crevice!

Their target was at the mound, a tall and ugly monolith created from what looked like macabre garbage. The creature just stood there, staring at it with it's back turned to them. Much of the beast appeared to be familiar. A mass of hair and spines upon its back. A thick mid-section supporting wide hideously formed shoulders. Pincers for hands. But there was one difference. It was a lot larger than the others! This was no miniature enemy. This one was… well almost as tall as Jeovanna!

Annit couldn’t help but gasp as it turned. It looked right through them, and then turned it's bulbous yellow-eyed attention to Otiroth’s humanoid light source. Oh yea, the beast was looking angry about that...

<Monster perception check = 23. Let’s say the dancing lights end in 2 rounds. Everyone can have one round of action before we roll initiative, as you have surprise. You can probably get three characters into melee with it at a time. Advantage on rolls this round as you have surprise!>

 

[Metea]

Metea: The Lair

Metea was, at the moment, quite high on her own power. Well... the power her pact had granted her.

She would focus on maintaining her illusion, prepared to adjust it when her comrades went into the attack, to make sure that at least part of the cavern- and especially her!- remained concealed. Refreshing and adjusting the illusion would be her main task for now- once combat had begun, she was sure the need to actually change what was being seen would no longer be necessary, and she could act a bit more freely... so long as she was not distracted.

The others could no doubt see the barrier of her creation, even as it no longer seemed to move forward; it would be their choice if they sprang from cover or not!

 

[Otiroth]

Otiroth: The Lair

Metea's spell was working fantastically. And the rest of the group, well, if they were not a well-oiled combat machine yet... they certainly had the workings to be as such!

His dancer would, soon enough, fizzle out, and the gig would be up as far as that went- he did not imagine it'd work twice! They would potentially need another source of light than their dim torches, though. This demon was, somehow, not as bad as the small ones to look upon... though he did not imagine he would be thinking that in a moment, when they were forced to fight it.

Otiroth would trust in the ensuing confusion to help obfuscate their tiefling's illusion- but the sorcerer would get the first volley. He moved to blast the creature with a firebolt, but something very strange happened indeed- his blood burned and seemed to act of its own accord, and instead of a single bolt of fire, three individual bolts of 'fire like' red energy darted from his fingers, arching up and over his comrade's head to strike the demon.

Ha! He knew of that spell. And knew that spell, apparently!

His master had said such things may happen...

<Spellcasting: magic missile. 4,4 & 2 damage- total 10>