V. Going Underground

[OGRE MAGE]

Sasha sees the bats and then hears Morgan taking damage. She knows she can't flee with the others behind her so, she attacks again, sighing heavily as her blow does nothing to stop this armored onslaught.

[Zhym]

Pendleton quickly assesses his options. Try to cut down the bridge? It would take too long and risk dropping Sasha and Morgan into the chasm besides. Apply first aid to Sasha? It's difficult and dangerous, trying to bandage someone who is fighting. He sighs with resignation, realizing that he truly is useless in this battle.

"Go, or get out of my way!" he shouts back at Bingus. "We can't do anything else here! Go!"

The scholar, having found this latest episode of field work much too messy, tries to climb out of the fracas. As he climbs, he calls back in Elvish:

"Try to knock them off the bridge!"

[dmw71]

Round 8
Pendleton quickly assesses his options, and seeing the chaos unfolding before him, resigns to the fact that he has but one option. "Go, or get out of my way!" he shouts at Bingus. "We can't do anything else here! Go!" Bingus, already hanging from a rung approximately 5-feet above the ground, resumes his climb, with Pendleton hurrying up after him. As he climbs, the mage calls down in the Elvish tongue: "Try to knock them off the bridge!"

Down below, Sasha and Morgan continue to wage battle against the armored guards they're paired off against, and all four combatants fail to connect. The bats, however, all swoop down in unison and attack the guard Sasha is engaged with. The guard reaching up and touching the back of his neck gives the indication that at least one of the bats inflicted some damage against him.

Just down the eastern passage, Phineas returns and produces his bow. Not wanting to fire into melee, the half human nocks and arrow and draws a bead, but waits for a clear shot before letting loose his shot.

R08.png (11.7 KiB) Viewed 683 times

Actions?


Rolls:
Initiative: Guards [1d6] = 4, Bats [1d6] = 4, Players [1d6] = 4 -- chaos!
---
b1 (p4: 1-4) (Sa: 5-6): [1d6] = 3
b1 (+4): [1d20+4] = 10+4 = 14, [1d4] = 2 -- miss
b2 (p4: 1-3) (p3: 4-5) (M: 6): [1d6] = 1
b2 (+4): [1d20+4] = 16+4 = 20, [1d4] = 1 -- hit
b3 (p4: 1-2) (p3: 3-4) (M: 5-6): [1d6] = 1
b3 (+4): [1d20+4] = 1+4 = 5, [1d4] = 2 -- miss

[Zhym]

When he has climbed all the way up, Pendleton looks around for anything heavy—well, sort of heavy; it is Pendleton after all—he could drop on an armored man if one tries to pursue.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sasha sees her only chance at survival as the bats (hopefully) distract the armored man long enough for her to turn tail and run for the ladder. If she makes it without dying, she climbs up as quickly as she can, hoping the topside members will have her retreat covered somehow.

Phineas! Cover me!

Get ready up there, I've got company coming up right behind me.

[AleBelly]

Dagger already in hand, Bingus is happy to hear Sasha beating a retreat. He reluctant cuts a small strip from his beloved wool sweater, stuffs it in a flask of oil and prepares to light it and drop it on Sasha's foe if it pursues her (obviously he'll drop it after she's topside).

If her opponent is the one with oil already covering him, Bingus will look for a thick stick that he can dip in the oil, light and throw down on the pursuer instead.

[dmw71]

Round 9
Reaching the surface, Bingus completes his climb and, producing his dagger, reluctantly cuts a small strip from his beloved wool sweater, stuffs it in a flask of oil, and prepares to light it if any non-friendly attempt to follow them topside. Pendleton, nearing the surface in his own right, shares Bingus' plan of dropping something down on anyone pursuing them.

Down below, Sasha decides to risk fleeing, hoping the the bats would have distracted the armored man long enough for her to safely run for the ladder -- and her calculated risk pays off, as the guard does just as she hoped. It turns and effortlessly slices one of the bats clear in half, before turning to look and spot Sasha already beginning to climb the stairs.

With the departure of their companions, Morgan and Phineas remain trapped down below. Morgan and the spearmen exchange blows, and the retreating party members hear the brave female warrior yelp in pain as she's skewered by the guard's spear for the second time. Phineas, arrow already nocked, takes aim against the bats as they circle overhead between strikes and lets and arrow fly, clipping the winged beast nearest her.

R09.png (9.44 KiB) Viewed 661 times

Actions?


Rolls:
Initiative: Guards [1d6] = 6, Bats [1d6] = 3, Players [1d6] = 6
p4 (Sa: 1-3) (b2: 4-6): [1d6] = 4 -- Phew!

[dmw71]

Greg has been MIA, and Inferno is a known absentee, so below ground is pretty much all me NPCing characters.

Anyone topside want to add anything, or should I just run things?

[Zhym]

Pendleton will try to drop something heavy-ish on any armored head that pops up. Unless Morgan or Phineas are wearing helmets.

Anyway, yeah, NPC'ing the goings-on below is fine by me.

[AleBelly]

Bingus will just be cheering Sasha on and will keep his flask of oil at the ready. So I'm fine with just playing things out belong ground.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sasha is relieved to have made it to the ladder. She climbs up, showing little concern for the lives of those still behind her.

Is it possible for her to shoot her bow from the top of the ladder? If not, she climbs out.

[dmw71]

Is it possible for her to shoot her bow from the top of the ladder? If not, she climbs out.

Of course you'll be able to... just not at anything except the ground, unless something comes to the base of the ladder. It's a 30-foot climb, and then there's the "landing" area which runs inward approximately 15-feeet.

[dmw71]

Round 10
The sounds of battle continue underground.

From here down is for ToniXX and Inferno only.

The realization that the rest of the group has abandoned them triggers their survival instinct. Morgan, already heavily wounded, lashes out with a perfectly placed strike with her sword, dropping the spear-wielding guard, causing him to tumble over and fall over the edge of the bridge and into the depths of the chasm below. Phineas follows suit with a perfectly placed arrow, piercing the nearest bat and instantly ending its life. The final bat continues to target the armored guard, and manages to land a successful strike, which angers the guard, who elects to focus his efforts on the winged beast instead of Morgan. With yet another powerful placed strike, the last bat gets cut down.

Once the proverbial dust settles, the overall outlook of the battle appears to have swung favorably as Morgan and Phineas now out number the guard.

R10.png (7.72 KiB) Viewed 629 times

Actions?


Rolls:
Initiative: Guards [1d6] = 1, Bats [1d6] = 5, Players [1d6] = 6
Sword (lvl 1, ac 3): [1d20+4] = 20+4 = 24, [1d8] = 4
Sword (20): [1d8] = 2
Phin w/ bow (+2 dex, +1 lvl, +1 range, +4 ac): [1d20+8] = 20+8 = 28, [1d6] = 5
Phineas (20): [1d8] = 8
b1 target (p4: 1-5, M: 6): [1d6] = 3
b1 vs p4 (+4): [1d20+4] = 18+4 = 22, [1d4] = 2
p4 (b1: 1-4) (M: 5-6): [1d6] = 1

[Zhym]

Pendleton calls down below, "How's it going down there?"

It's kind of wild that the only people who should look at that spoiler block are the players who are away from the game.

[dmw71]

Unless Morgan or Phineas are wearing helmets.

Morgan, like the armored guards, is wearing plate mail

It's kind of wild that the only people who should look at that spoiler block are the players who are away from the game.

Tell me about it.

[dmw71]

Round 11
Pendleton calls down, hoping to receive some word from Morgan or Phineas, but the constant clanging of metal echoes throughout the underground tunnels, and either his companions are unable to hear his calls... or something worse has happened. The sounds below, while still clearly audible, seem slightly more muted than before.

From here down is for ToniXX and Inferno only.

The guard and Morgan, weighed down by the mass of their protective coverings, toil on the verge of exhaustion -- but find a renewed sense of determination and charge each other! The guard swings weakly at Morgan, missing, but the female warrior is unable to successfully counter; her sword clanging off the guards plate. Phineas, draws back another arrow and holds it... waiting... waiting... waiting for an opportune time -- when Morgan appears to be out of the way -- to let the projectile fly. His extra caution causes his arrow to sail wide.

The battle rages on.

R11.png (10.8 KiB) Viewed 625 times

Actions?


Rolls:
Initiative: Monsters [1d6] = 2, Players [1d6] = 1
p4 sword (hd 2, ac 2): [1d20+4] = 4+4 = 8, [1d8] = 1
R11, Sword: [1d20+5] = 10+5 = 15, [1d8] = 5
R11, Phin w/ bow (+2 dex, +1 lvl, +1 range, +3 ac, -4 melee): [1d20+3] = 5+3 = 8, [1d6] = 1

[dmw71]

Round 12
Just as moments earlier, the slightly more muted sounds of battle continue to rage on below.

From here down is for ToniXX and Inferno only.

Morgan and Phineas respond first, with the half-human sending another arrow wide, and Morgan flailing wildly, leaving herself off-balance. The guard capitalizes upon this, and catches the female warrior with a powerful thrust of his sword, driving it through her breast plate. A weak, pained gasp and the crashing of her metal armor as she falls, are the last sounds she will ever make.

R12.png (10.33 KiB) Viewed 625 times

Actions?


Rolls:
Initiative: Monsters [1d6] = 3, Players [1d6] = 6
R12, Sword: [1d20+5] = 2+5 = 7, [1d8] = 7
R12, Phin w/ bow (+2 dex, +1 lvl, +1 range, +3 ac, -4 melee): [1d20+3] = 7+3 = 10, [1d6] = 3
p4 sword (hd 2, ac 2): [1d20+4] = 20+4 = 24, [1d8] = 4
p4 (20): [1d8] = 4

[dmw71]

Round 13
The sounds of battle below, while still present, become even more distant.


From here down is for ToniXX and Inferno only.

With nothing but approximately 30-feet standing between him and the deadly swordsman, Phineas panics. Thinking he has a shot to get in one quick, hopefully fatal strike in before the guard can close the distance, he draws back his bowstring and fumbles his hold, sending the arrow sputtering harmlessly to the ground.

The guard engages, swinging his sword mightily at the half-human, but apparently needs to adjust his technique to account for the smaller stature of his final opponent.

R13.png (10.54 KiB) Viewed 625 times

Actions?


Rolls:
Initiative: Monsters [1d6] = 3, Players [1d6] = 6
R13, Phin w/ bow (+2 dex, +1 lvl, +1 range, +3 ac): [1d20+7] = 1+7 = 8, [1d6] = 1 -- no free attack when 1 is with ranged weapon.
R13, p4 sword (hd: 2, ac: 5): [1d20+7] = 7+7 = 14, [1d8] = 2

[dmw71]

Round 14
The sounds of battle below, while still present, become even more distant... then fall eerily quiet.


From here down is for ToniXX and Inferno only.

Since fleeing into the unknown, in the dark, with the sword-wielding guard already upon him, doesn't seem like a legitimate option, Phineas brings his trembling had to his waist and produces his short sword. Hoping to be able to fend off the labored guard, and maybe land a lucky blow, he lashes out and, much to his own surprise, feels his blade slip into the side of the armored guard. The guard's eyes grow wide in shock, then he tumbles lifelessly to the ground.

Victorious, Phineas rushes to Morgan's side, but quickly ascertains that her wounds have overcome her.

Not wanting to spend a second longer than absolutely necessary underground, alone, he rushes to the ladder and begins to climb.

R14.png (10.58 KiB) Viewed 625 times

Rolls:
Initiative: Monsters [1d6] = 2, Players [1d6] = 4
R14, Phin w/ sword (+1 lvl, +3 ac): [1d20+4] = 16+4 = 20, [1d6] = 5

---

Curious at the noticeable lack of sounds of battle coming from below, Bingus, Pendleton, and Sasha huddle nervously in the small hut, looking down the opening at the ladder, waiting for some sign.

Soft, rapid footprints are heard approaching below... when Phineas emerges at the foot of the landing, peering up. The normally loquacious half-human begins quickly ascending the ladder without so much as a word, filling those topside with momentary concern. Only once he arrives on solid ground absent any pursuers do the rest feel any sense of calm.



Actions?

[Inferno]

Phineas T. Codswallop, impresario:

Codswallop's little head pops above the surface, wearing an oversized helmet from one of the plate-armored warriors, and says, "Ah, here you lionhearted daredevils are!"

Phineas climbs out, holding a bloody shortsword and spear. "Lamentably, Morgan appears to have departed for her final reward. She died bravely and with multitudinous fury. Likewise, all the steel-plated, spear-bearing soldiery. And the chiropteran terrors.
"Morgan's remains abide, if you aspire to collect them. The subterranean latticeworks of bridges and doors are quiescent, if you've the spunk, hardihood and tenacity to resume your exploration of this province of manifold mysteries ...hopefully with more intelligence, circumspection and perspicacity than previously evinced," he winked as he smoothed his ample mustache.

Then, softly to Sasha: "Fear not, dear, gentle maiden. Phineas T. Codswallop is here now."