Storm King's Thunder [CLOSED]

[ZombWie]

Bell watches as Lycan leaves the room and immediately feels lost in the dark chamber. A kenku may be cursed with a flightless form, but they all share a waking dream to soar in the skies once more. This dark, wet hole represents the exact opposite of that dream. Even though Bell can barely see the walls outside the flickering lantern light, he feels their too close embrace, like a prison. Each drip of water and echoed footstep brings a bit of terror to the kenku.

Soon, he hears the familiar clatter of the dwarf stomping through the next chamber and breathes a bit easier. He wouldn't admit it, but the last few moments had him imagining his own painful death to the black goo that took down Aseir.

Bell stares at Ruthenia for a moment trying to figure out how to explain what had attacked Aseir. Coming to the conclusion that their was no way to answer her questions, Bell stood and shrugged before leaving the paladin alone by the water with Aseir.

Bell walked across the chamber toward the entrance passage and pulled his bow. He wouldn't let them be surprised again.

 

[Ellywyck27]

Ruthenia watches the back of the Kenku as he walks away. Yeah. It was a stupid question.

She looks at Aseir.
She places her hands on his chest, where the damage had happened.
She closes her eyes.
She whispers.

 

[ramonlimon2]

Aseir gives a strangled gasp and bolts upright, clapping his hands over his mouth as he dry heaves. He focuses on his breath, falling back into rhythm before turning to assess the situation.

"Thank you, " he offers in a hoarse whisper to Ruthenia. "I thought I would be dissolved. There was a slime, massive and black. It followed us back, penned us in to feast on." He shudders again, before crawling to his feet. "I heard the water, thought it would be a quick exit through the stream if something went bad inside. It's a whole different pool."

 

[Baba Luga]

Dropped gear is gathered. Aseir is helped to his feet. Everyone reconvenes in the small chamber with the pitted stalagmite where the black ooze seems to make its lair. No one feels comfortable here, but a decision is made to explore the narrow passage that leads north, with Lycan at the lead. Torem advises extinguishing Aseir's bright bullseye lantern in favor of his candle, which he relights and clips back on to his helmet. Proceeding single-file, the candle from behind provides Bell Damper with the scantest clue about his surroundings; all he sees are the dim, rough walls to either side. The recently-met elven scout is lost in blackness just inches in front of his beak. Shifting her armor just behind the kenku, Ruth can make out the tunnel ahead, though her view is obstructed by the taller folk in front of her.

The passage twists and turns as it makes a series of gentle descents. Ruth thinks they are heading roughly west now. After another turn, Bell can just make out the walls and floor ahead; there is light coming from somewhere. The sound of the small waterfall has faded now, replaced by another watery sound: a series of steady drips, forming a complex polyrhythm that Lecuis accompanies with a few snaps of his fingers before desisting. "Sorry," he whispers in Ruth's ear. The sounds of moisture are joined by a damp, earthy odor and a warm, humid quality in the air.

Lycan and Ruth, and even Bell, now that his eyes have had time to adjust, can see that this narrow passage opens ahead into a large cavern, dimly illuminated from somewhere around the corner to the south. About thirty feet ahead, across the uneven cavern floor, is a chaotic jumble of stalagmites, rising as high as fifteen feet. Lycan flattens himself against the wall of the passage and slides out towards its mouth. He leans out a bit, then ducks back in quickly and makes a quick series of cryptic hand gestures and exaggerated facial expressions that are clearly intended to communicate something about what he's seen in the large cavern, but convey nothing specific to Bell, Ruth or Lecuis. The elf takes his bow in hand nocks an arrow. Torem and Aseir, meanwhile, are tucked around the bend at the rear of the group, and know only that movement forward has stopped for the moment.

 

[Ellywyck27]

Ruthenia understands none of the hand flapping and winking of the elf, but readying arrow ammunition is clear enough. She turns and makes the drawing, aiming, releasing motion of shooting to the three behind her, and nods anyone who can shoot to go in front of her.

 

[Baba Luga]

Torem has a shortbow, in addition to his spear, but he pulls back a bit when Ruth beckons forward, points to his eyes and then the candle pinned to his helmet, which provides only a small aura of light around him.

 

[ramonlimon2]

Aseir, unwilling to be caught unawares again, keeps his eyes trained on the stalactite as the group passes by. He keeps one atm outstretched on Torem's armor, letting the slightly-less-blind man lead. The other arm he keeps at his belt, gripping a hand axe.

As Torem halts, Aseir glances at the group ahead for a second before turning to watch the tunnel again.

 

[ZombWie]

Bell squeezes past Lycan to take a look for himself, but noticing the figure in silhouette causes Bell's forward movement to halt. The kenku turns at Lycan's touch and agrees to move back into the shadows. Bell stows his bow and draws his dagger then gives the rest a nod when he sees them all ready their weapons.

 

[Baba Luga]

The party retreats back down the passage to the stalagmite chamber. Speaking softly, Lycan says, "Two by the mouth, two across past the rocks, one over by the water."

"Clear as mud," Lecuis whispers to Aseir.

 

[ZombWie]

Bell squats in the cave and takes the lantern to shine some light on the ground. He nods to Lycan's intel then presses a thumb to his chest and then taps his temple to indicate he has an idea. Then the kenku proceeds to draw his plan out and communicate as best he can using hand gestures and names to indicate his idea. Bell proposes that he leave the way that they came in and head around to the front of the cave as indicated by Lycan earlier. He cups his ear and points to the group followed by the twang of a bow string and the yelp of an injured goblin. Once the group hears this they should hold until the rest of them head toward the cave entrance.

Once he is sure that the plan has been communicated Bell stands and brushes the cave dirt from his knees. With a nod, the kenku takes the lantern and heads out the crevice that they used to enter this hell hole. He beckons Aseir to follow him to the light then hands the lantern back to the bluish man to return to the group. From here, Bell makes his way toward the cave mouth readying his bow.

 

[Ellywyck27]

Ruth looks around at the group of adventurers huddled over Bell’s floor drawings, and considers. They have no leader. They have no ranks. They have no rules.
They don’t even have a common language or a common cause.

“So,” she says, “Who of us can: see in the dark, is good at listening, can count to seven, and wants to lead us in the attack?“ she waits to see if there’s a volunteer. She thinks these qualifications pretty much rule out Torem on all accounts.

 

[Baba Luga]

Before Ruth has finished her question, Lycan has already nodded and slipped back into the winding passage leading west to what seems to be the main cavern of the Nostril.

At the mouth of the "Sinus", the afternoon winds ruffle Bell's feathers. Still concealed by the tight passage, he's checking his bow string when he sees movement off to the left. A broad-shouldered canine, either the surviving worg from yesterday or a different one, is about two hundred feet to the northeast of this side entrance. The beast lopes south at a casual pace. Something dead and furry bobs in its jaws as it goes.

 

[ZombWie]

The kenku's eyes follow the foul monster as it lopes along with a ruined bit of furry animal in it's jaws. Bell's own jaw muscles tense in anger at the sight of this goblin's ally that is messing with his plan. As the worg turns and heads in the direction of the larger cave opening Bell counts off sixty seconds before he quietly follows in the direction of the returning hunter. Bell's plan is to get close enough to catch a glimpse of what faces them in the cave opening. His bow at the ready, the small black feathered rogue creeps toward the cave. If things go wrong, and Bell is spotted before he can evaluate the scene and take a strategic shot then he will let loose an arrow at the first creature that sees him and attempt to hide anywhere he can.

 

[Baba Luga]

Moving slowly and keeping close to the hillside as it bends around to the south, it takes Bell a few minutes to come into sight of the horse carcasses outside the cave. There are no living creatures in sight across the moor, but should someone come upon the area from any direction, they will surely spot the kenku at once out here in the middle of the day. Risking a few more feet takes him right up beside the broad cavern mouth, though he's not yet in a position to see inside. A coarse, raspy voice says something in what sounds like goblin speech just out of sight within. Another goblin, a bit farther away, laughs and says something back. The conversation continues, an apparent exchange of jokes or funny anecdotes. It's uncertain how attentive these two are, but if they're facing outward, Bell will certainly be seen if he goes any farther ahead.

 

[ZombWie]

Bell presses himself against the rock, stowing his bow and quietly drawing his dagger. The tip of his beak dips and his knees bend then he slips quickly and unexpectedly around the rock surprising the two doplic green baddies. The nearest goblin takes a grazing from Bell's knife and another wound as the kenku withdraws the knife with a rake across the filthy monster's skin. With another breath Bell calms himself to take in what he can, a dark cave opening, stalacmites in the distance and a strange puddle near the other goblin.

Tin-tan-bim-bom-bin-tan! Rings the sounds of a bell from the parted beak of the kenku.

A step back and a pivot gives the short feathered rogue an exit and he retreats to give himself a chance to use his bow from a distance. As he retreats he continues the musical recreation of a bell.

 

[Ellywyck27]

The two soldiers, dwarf and human, wait together in the side cave tunnel, a quiet 10 feet back from Lycan who is 10 feet back from the entryway. Ruthenia hefts her axe in her right hand and keeps the left on Torem’s elbow, standing beside her. He feels sweaty. He looks nervous. Earlier, she had assured him that she would not let him fall in battle alone. That probably hadn’t helped calm him. She can smell his fear. She knows that once they are out in the main cavern he will be able to see a bit in the dim light, but in here he’s as good as blind without the light from his candle. They wait.

When at last she hears surprised scuffling and shouting of goblins she looks for Lycan to signal the advance. Then she hears the loud clear sound of a bell ringing, and knows it to be unmistakably her feathered friend.

She pulls Torem along with her like a child, squeezing past Lycan. “Come on“ she hisses, “that was the signal!“ Stepping just into the room she lets go of Torem and looks around a moment before plunging herself into what will surely be several minutes of confused violence. She wants to be sure she’ll not be ambushed from behind as she moves forward. “Go fight in the light,” she pushes Torem left as goes to the right, plunging deeper into the back of the cave, hoping to close distance to a scrambling goblin by a pool.

“Nope.” She hears Torem say under his breath as he follows her. “Not leavin’ your side.”

 

[ZombWie]

Turning and backpedaling as he rounds the edge of the cave wall, Bell looks toward the back of the cave expecting to see his friends come pouring out to join the fight. Nothing. Then a second later the stout form of a dwarf and a taller man come rushing out. Ruthenia and Torem must have understood the signal and pushed past the elf. Maybe this plan will work after all.

Bell dips behind the cave wall trying to stay flat and out of the way. His knife slips in it's sheath and he readies his bow for another attack. With a shove, Bell moves from the wall, spins and takes a shot into the cave toward the still recovering goblin. The feathers of his cheek flutter as the bowstring flies by. The goblin takes the arrow in the side and falls to the cave floor dead, but Bell only spares a quick look for confirmation. Another spin and he ducks around the slope of the opposite cave wall.

 

[Baba Luga]

The other goblin guarding the cave entrance sees Ruth and Torem rush out from the small passage and starts shouting in earnest. Other goblinish voices answer back from beyond the cluster of stalagmites. There's a sound like stone hitting stone, and then a deep, rumbling voice exhales something like, "Hmurummmphhhrrr," from the center of the natural columns. Ruth and Torem are aware of a deep, rank, sweaty odor mingled with the moldy aroma of the slimy pool.

 

[ramonlimon2]

Hearing the battle begin, Aseir charges forward into the cave. As he spills out into the large chamber, he takes a brief pause to get his bearings and see where an extra blade or two will do the most good.

 

[Baba Luga]

Lycan steps out from the side passage and sinks a couple of arrows into the goblin around the corner from Bell. The Kenku hears a strangled cry and the thud of the goblin hitting the ground.

The goblin over by the stagnant pool, surrounded by Ruth and Torem takes a few steps back and tries to get off an arrow at the guard from Nightstone. The shot goes wide and the goblin fumes while retreating out of sight around the cluster of rock formations. In his haste to flee, he leaves behind a sword he was apparently washing in the foul water.

Lecuis follows his circus chum to the mouth of the side passage, imitating aerialist's defensive posture. "You've totally got this buddy," he says, putting an encouraging hand on Aseir's shoulder as he draws the longsword he picked up back at the keep. "Let's do it for Angelica the Snake Charmer."

And then, just as this seems to be turning into a rout of the goblins, another deep, guttural vocalization sounds from the midst of the stalagmites. Something quite large shifts, and rises to a crouch in there. There's a tearing sound and the swoosh of sand or grain spilling. Ruth spots a massive, hairy nose, lips, a big drooping eye. It's another ogre, possibly uglier than the singing brute from outside. "Nyahkyahnyahugh!" the ogre grumbles groggily as she pulls herself forward, somehow squeezing among and over the stalagmites, to grab a long broken fragment of one and jab it forward at Torem. The improvised stone club strikes the ground between Torem and Ruth, sending a spray of dank, slimy water up in both of their faces.

 

[ZombWie]

Even the dying gasp of a goblin seems forced and overly necessary to the reserved, selectively mum kenku. With a quick tilt of his head Bell confirms the death of his goblin foe, then a swift lunge has him moving into the cave mouth looking to join the fray, but not too close. There! The high ground will give the rogue a clear view of the chamber. He shoulders his bow and uses the carcass of the goblin to push off and leap toward the ledge. With a heave and a pull he pulls himself onto the stone plinth and pulls his bow once more.

 

[Baba Luga]

As Bell scampers up the steep slope to the ledge, an arrow strikes the stone beside his shoulder. Having gained the higher ground, he can't quite tell who fired that arrow or even exactly where it came from. The further depths of the large cavern, past the mud pool and the stalagmites, are lost in darkness to his eyes. He's not, however, blind, or deaf, to the snarling worg that comes racing out of the darkness behind the forest of stone columns. Its angry eyes lock on Bell as it slightly adjusts course to make for the Kenku's perch. The worg is quite a bit longer and muscular than a natural wolf, and might very well be able to scramble up here itself.[/div]

 

[ramonlimon2]

"For Angelica, right..." Aseir mutters, thinking back to all the times he'd nearly leapt out of his skin upon finding one of her "beauties" somewhere they shouldn't be. Checking his boots got to be a habit after a bit, what no decent person would sneak a king snake into the lining of a man's bedroll.

Shaking away the memory, Aseir drops the lantern and creeps forward toward the ogre. Unhooking a second hatchet from his belt as he moves, Aseir waits for his opening. The creature turns briefly, overextending itself for just a second as it moves to crush the intruders, and with a flabby thunk the blades are suddenly buried in flesh.

 

[Baba Luga]

"Hrurughh?" the ogre questions with a frown, glancing at the twin axes that seem to have spontaneously sprouted from her chest.

Lycan steps forth from his hiding place and sprints forward to fire two arrows at the charging worg. Both miss, and he retreats back towards the entrance of the small side passage.

Two more arrows strike the short stalagmites at the edge of Bell's ledge. This might not be such a perfect vantage point after all. The Kenku catches a brief glimpse of a triumphant goblin next to a stalagmite near the charging worg. Somewhere in the darkness behind the worg, a reedy goblin voice shouts, "Hoo-bar!"

At Ruth's side, Torem suddenly staggers and gasps as an arrow strikes his side. The goblin they chased from the slimy pool snarls from fifteen feet away before ducking back around the other side of the stalagmite cluster.

"General Ruth, beware the diuretic stench that follows that lumbering clod! It's caused by the below-average honey on which she constantly gorges!" It's unclear what prompted Lecuis to shout these particular words, but the ogre, though she might not understand what was said, clearly senses the unkind intent and winces in pain. At the same time, a strange burst of encouragement wells up in Ruth, to see the brute put in her place.

Still mulling over Lecuis' insult, the ogre only halfheartedly drives her stone club at Torem. Unfortunately, he's still reeling from the arrow in his side, and is struck down by the blow. The spear and bow fall from his hands as he hits the ground, unconscious. The ogre, now fully standing, presses forward out of the stalagmite forest so that she stands over the fallen guard. Ruth is nearly knocked back as a huge thigh slams pivots against her. With the specter of sleep still in her drooping eyes, the ogre stares down at the dwarf and raises her club high overhead.

 

[ZombWie]

Bell let's another arrow loose from his perch, where he finally feels safe, but is does little to slow the beast that sprints across the cavern toward him. Clitch tick! An arrow strikes the rock near him and the feeling of safety evaporates flees the kenku. He takes no time to plan, but rather slides down the bank. Scriiitch... and he lands with a roll on his feet making for the large rock formations ahead. One eye on the worg and another on his destination, Bell fakes and cuts the opposite way to deceive anyone who may be following his movements. In the darkness of the cave he takes a brief moment to calm his mind and prepare to burst out of cover.