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[Jackben]

((Niko is ready to move on))

 

[Mike M]

((Movin' on))

 

[KittenMaster]

<I'm assuming the majority is ready to head back.>

After you decide against chancing the unknown, you return back to the underground shaft to continue exploring. The last place you can check out that you have not attempted to get past is beyond the fork leading to the cellar, where a partially built wall hinders your path.

Thaddeus in particular won't remember this wall, and based on how quickly it was being built it likely started after he was captured.

 

[Jackben]

((Who has the LVL02 key card? We need it to get the C4 so we can blow open this wall))

 

[Mike M]

((How unfortunate we don't have a party member named Gorbochov.))

Dreadstone inspects the wall carefully. "They were trying wall somethin' up in a hurry," he observes. "Question is, we're they lookin' to keep someone out, or to keep somethin' in?"

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

While he's disappointed about not getting to see where the teleporter goes, Leo doesn't object to moving on.

As the party approaches the wall, he readies his nine-section whip again. "So, are we going to have to bust this one down?"

 

[Azih]

Stricia examines the partial wall, trying to see if the party members can squeeze past the open parts or break the wall down enough to get past easily.

 

[KittenMaster]

It looks like if the wall is broken up enough, it would be possible to squeeze through the hole safely instead of needing to break the entire thing down.

 

[Azih]

"It looks like they are keeping something important here. As stealth is no longer viable I think we should see what they were trying to hide. It should not be hard to break off enough of the barrier for us to get past." Stricia suggests.

 

[Jackben]

"Do it."

 

[KittenMaster]

<I'm just gonna say it takes about a minute of attacking the wall to clear away excess rubble to get a hole.>

 

[Jackben]

Niko chips in by having mage hand remove the debris out of the way as the party goes to town on the wall.

 

[KittenMaster]

Everyone eventually pulls each other through the hole with various help, and the Kobold is with you still, just remaining quiet and fidgeting as it ends up in places it feels like it shouldn't be.

You are now on the other side of the wall. There is a double sided door at the end of corridor.

<No sense making this wall a challenge.>

 

[Azih]

Stricia scopes out the corridor and the door

per double door: 1D20+14 = [14]+14 = 28

 

[KittenMaster]

Fortunately, while you didn't check traps while going down the hall, there were none there.

The door doesn't seem to be trapped in any way, and also doesn't appear to be locked. You can start to hear noises from the other side, but the sounds are faint.

 

[Azih]

((Leaving decision up to Dreadstone. Maybe we should move fast to catch up to the sounds?))

 

[KittenMaster]

<Give me a listen check Stricia.>

 

[Azih]

Stricia strains to understand the faint sounds.

Listen check: 1D20+14 = [17]+14 = 31

 

[KittenMaster]

Upon further inspection of the sounds, the sounds are both faint and noticeable, muffled by their own activity. They are voices, but screechy and in a language you do not understand. There is the occasional soft clatter and click.

The Kobold peers at the door, and opens its mouth and points at it.

 

[Azih]

"I think there are monstrous creatures beyond the door." Stricia says. "Talking to each other"

 

[Mike M]

Dreadstone observes the reaction of the Kobold who is not named Kenny.

"Think they're speaking Draconic, maybe?" he asks. "More lizardmen?"

 

[DeadPhoenix]

((Can i make a lingustistics check to try and figure.... something out. The language i guess, at least.)

 

[KittenMaster]

<Not sure. Does it even work on spoken words or is it just text? Been looking over it and I can't find the proper action for deciphering spoken language.>

 

[Jackben]

"Let's proceed carefully and get ready to kill some more reptiles." He looks at Kenny with sympathy. "No offense but I doubt they are going to be cooperative."

Niko applies mage armor on himself and Stricia in case it has worn off.

 

[DeadPhoenix]

((the flavor text says 'You are skilled at working with language, in both its spoken and written forms.' but other then that, no. You'd have to come up with something, if you think its even possible(honestly, probably be a high dc that might be nearly impossibly with my one rank in the skill).))

((Also, I hope we haven't spent an hour just to steal a couple items...))

 

[KittenMaster]

<I'll just go ahead and say you recognize it as Draconian (because I'm in a hurry atm) but you don't understand what they're saying.>

<It'll be very rare to actually wear off an hour long buff in forum game format. Whenever Dortumn had to pull information on Thaddeus, I figured "this will probably be the only time in my life time I will get to see a buff wear off" so I kind of made a bad DM call and did it just to do it.>

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

"Well, sounds like we should get in there and do some more enemy felling. I bet they're swapping baby-cooking recipes in there or something."

 

[Mike M]

((Trap/unlock check on the door, stealth check to scope out the lay of the room and maybe score a surprise round?))

 

[KittenMaster]

<Stricia already determined that the door was untrapped and unlocked based on an earlier perception.>

 

[Mike M]

Dreadstone dares to crack open the door and see what awaits them on the other side.

Stealth check:  1d20+16=32

 

[ThLunarian]

((Sorry about being away today guys, I feel like I missed out on some potential character moments))

"A moment before we proceed," Thaddeus says warily, suddenly getting a bad feeling about whatever is on the other side of that door.

He hooks his shield onto a belt latch and raises his sword above his head with both hands. "By the grace of Heironeous," he says, and it almost sounds like his voice echoes.

The blade of the sword illuminates with a light of blinding purity that might make the kobold recoil reflexively. Suddenly the sword appears significantly sharper, and it exudes an aura of righteousness.

He nods wordlessly to signify that he is ready to go in, reequipping the shield in his off hand.

((Giving my sword an extra +1 enhancement bonus that will last for 7 minutes))

 

[KittenMaster]

<Dreadstone, roll perception as well peeking through the small crack.>

 

[Mike M]

((33))

 

[KittenMaster]

A gaze into the life of the lizard people bursts into view between the tiny window between them and Dreadstone. Through the angle visions of the lizard men partake in food in bowls in plates at a set of tables, all draped with a simple cloth. They are talking to each other as they eat, but their attitude towards the meal seems to be that of routine, not celebration.

Dreadstone might glance at a light in the distance, just between the lizard people, but even with his sharp eye it is hard to make out what it is at a distance with much to obscure the line of sight between it and his view.

There are a fair number of them, more than six, less than a dozen. Some are dressed in a yellow vest and have a different hue in their scales.

<Since Dreadstone is able to peer into the room, I think I am going to go ahead and set up the Ditzie map that way you have an idea of what you're looking at.>

 

[KittenMaster]

What Dreadstone sees

<Technically he shouldn't see anything above row G at the angle he's looking, but he'll be able to see the lizardmen in the room.>

 

[Azih]

((I guess after Draco lets us know what these things are we can burst in. We could try to talk to them but I don't think that's going to work.))

 

[Mike M]

((Yeah, I'm thinking we hit them fast and hard. My years of playing SRPGs makes me want to park a unit on those teleporter squares to prevent reinforcements from arriving, but it would probably just warp our guys away))

 

[KittenMaster]

<The layout of the Ohgma blocks are a last moment decision but I think how they're placed now is perfect.>

 

[Azih]

((A good knowledge roll from someone would let the party know how they work right? What kind of knowledge?))

 

[KittenMaster]

<You guys already went through the ropes on those tiles (they are the same you saw in the small room). None of you know for sure how they work except that they are powered by a Conjuration spell.>

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

((Yeah, we should probably avoid stepping on the tiles for now. In between the number of enemies in the room and the location of the conjuration panel's room, I don't think reinforcements are a huge threat, unless the new variety of lizardmen can use them like a summon monster spell or something. Even if they can, standing on them would still be risky. So, are we thinking a surprise attack with Dreadstone and then a rush in?))

 

[KittenMaster]

<You can adjust the formation as you need for the start of the battle.>

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

((Ok, right now I'm thinking the yellow vests are an unknown quantity. Surprise attacking one of the normal lizardmen would be a guaranteed kill or near-kill, but using a surprise attack on the yellow vests will determine what it takes to hit their flatfooted AC (or if they can be caught flatfooted). There's also a non-zero chance they're casters, so it may be prudent to get them out of the fight early.))

 

[Azih]

((Stricia will use any surprise round just to move to one of them, so no attack here unfortunately))

 

[Mike M]

((Yeah, I have the same thoughts on Yellow Vests. From his current positioning, Dreadstone could take a five foot step and hammer a yellow vest (I think one is just baaaaarely in range for a PB bonus). Someone could take G6 to take on that Lizardman and prevent him from closing in on Dreadstone, Gnaw can head south and at least give a flanking bonus since he can't do a lot of damage and doesn't know any combat maneuvers.))

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

((I'm totally fine with subdoing the lizard around G6. That'll also let me cover Tiberious's shenanigans quota for this fight, if what I have in mind is allowed by the rules))

 

[Azih]

((Frontline melee should be at G6, and J6 to screen Dreadstone. One at G8 to flank the lizard there would be good as well))

 

[Azih]

((Here's another idea. 8 tiles here, 8 tiles in the storage closet. It's reasonable to assume that the tiles there link to the tiles here. We step on them, show up right next to most of these guys and wail on them with the surprise round. It's a risk of course. There's no reason why the tiles wouldn't go somewhere else entirely.))

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

((ok, my original idea is a no go. I can still attack the lizards near Dreadstone. I can also go engage the lizard at G12, or the yellow vest at J12.

 

[KittenMaster]

((Assumijg the tiles way back take you to this room, ill rule that stepping on them uses your move action))