Expedition: Neegan - Orb Quest - 19 August 2021

[Marullus]

Actions? Limited time before the ward expires.

[Jernau35]

"Yes, check the engineer's room", Tollander says, suddenly struck with an idea. "Even if there's nothing about the wards in there, you might find architectural plans or something that would help us find another way".

[Dram]

Neegan- Do ya think if we toss the Orb across the ruins and make a run for it.

[GreyWolfVT]

Neegan- Do ya think if we toss the Orb across the ruins and make a run for it.

Galmit shrugs "Just bout anythin's worth a shot. Coulda just thrown it in that cistern yah know."

[Dram]

Do them undead creatures block the path to where the wards are at?

[Marullus]

Yes. The creatures are blocked at the doors to the Main Hallway, which is the only way you know to get down to the Spiral Vault (and runes).

I am reading the above as "use the last of our time to search the Engineer's quarters thoroughly and then engage the creatures here when the spell expires."

If you toss the orb and make a break for it, or execute any other plan, now is the time to say so.

[Jernau35]

"No! Don't toss the Orb away!" cries Tollander. "If we find nothing here, we can retreat before the wards fail and find a choke point further back, up the stairs or in a doorway. Fight these abominations on our terms, not theirs".

[Dram]

Neegan- Our way is block anyway lets continue to search then take them at one of the choke points Tollander suggested.

[GreyWolfVT]

Galmit heads to the engineers office "C'mon what er yah both waitin fer?"

[Dram]

Neegan- Follows Galmit takes a position besides the next closed door. And opens it from the side once everyone is ready. Lets move quickly! Before Tollanders spell fades.

[Marullus]

The party sacks the Engineer's shelves, poring over tomes and drawings. Neegan and Galmit, fluent in the language of their kin and proficient in stonework themselves, recognize that the Spiral Vault below this habitation is a true masterwork of the craft, ingenious to the point of being magical to the eyes of other races... Or in this case, anti-magical. They spiral downwards with a corkscrew hallway cut through solid bedrock, each vault a quarter turn on a cardinal direction, ensuring all vaults are at least hundreds of feet away from each other. The vaults harness natural features to make them anti-magical, deadened to any willworking from inside or out. This is reinforced at the vault doors and in each hallway by runecaster work and there are copies of the runes you saw such that you think you could try to repair them. They bar the passage of many non-dwarves, including all otherworldly creatures, evil beings, elves, and humans with willworking powers. It doesn't mention fire. The plans also detail ingenious and lethal traps (for which Agustin prepared) on every level of the spiral. The bottom vaults, 8-12, have additional precautions mentioned but not detailed, as they are filled and never to be opened again. Even dwarves will have trouble going there - it mentions "the bloodline of Jarkul" as it's keepers. Vaults 5-7 are apparently still empty. It doesn't say what is in Vaults 1-4, but they're currently closed.

Satisfied that you've gathered all you can in the hour remaining, you head back out to the dining hall. Tollander stands with the ward beginning to fail, holding his torch, and immensely relieved at your return as he holds the line alone in it's last moments. Tollander tells you the creatures previously wounded have regenerated... A worrisome development.

"Up the stair, you fools!" comes the voice of Sir Justin, still partway up the rear stair to the kitchen above. Agustin waits pensively for your decision, still visible at the stair base and looking askance at the adjacent cistern and it's watery dweller.

The group looks for a choke point to give advantage; the divine wards begin to falter. In a moment the devils will pour through the wide double doors from the grand hallway. It appears that Sir Justin may have the right of it - the narrow stair up to kitchen is the tightest and would force them into single file. You could avoid him, however, and face the creatures in either of the residential hallways, two abreast.

Snap decision. Someone call it. Then everyone roll Round 1 combat Actions.

Date: 26 August 2021, 10:03pm
Light: Lantern (until 10:30pm)
Distance: None
Effects: Protection from Evil, 10' radius (Until 10:02 pm)
Injuries: Galmit (moderately injured), Tollander (Minorly Injured)

[Jernau35]

Tollander, being in the front line, has no intention of being mobbed by the evil spawn. "Back to the stairs!" he cries. "Quickly! Run Billy lad!"

He runs if he can get away cleanly, if not, he tries to swing his way out with the Blessed Knuckles.

Blessed Knuckles of Holy Fury (vs Living). To Hit: [1d20] = 6 (THACO:17) Damage: [1d3+3] = 1+3 = 4

Blessed Knuckles of Holy Fury (vs Undead). To Hit: [1d20] = 4 (THACO:16) Damage: [1d3+4] = 3+4 = 7

I wasn't sure which would apply, so I rolled both.

[GreyWolfVT]

Galmit urges Trollander to head to the stairs as well "C'mon Trollander we gotta run, if yah need help I'm comin'."

the dwarf tries to help buy time for Trollander and himself to head for the stairs swinging his pick to help fend off the fiends.

Pick, Heavy [1d20+1] = 18+1 = 19 to hit, [1d8+1] = 7+1 = 8 damage

[Dram]

Neegan- Up the staircase! The best blades to the rear. Those that have a bows and crossbows take front so that we can fire on our foes. Tollander in the middle so that you heal our swordsman if neccessary. Billy you first up the stairs! Neegan hands billy his crossbow and bolts.


Line up for the stairwell defense should be. Back to front. Billy , Thief, Tollander, Galmit, Sir Justin, Neegan Enemy.

Neegans Attack
M.W. B. axe(THAC017)[1d20+3] = 12+3 = 15 todam[1d8+3] = 1+3 = 4

[Marullus]

Single file on the stair; Neegan has normal melee rolls, Galmit has -2 from the second rank. Above them is missile fire and counts as firing into melee. (A miss that rolls an odd number hits an ally.)

Neegan barks a battle plan, hurrying the others up the stairs in front of him and protecting the rear as the lemures from hell rush across the kitchen behind them. He hands off his crossbow to Billy and pulls out his dwarven battleaxe and shield, ready to face the foes. Billy readies the crossbow, Agustin shortly behind him. They don't get far enough up the stairs to reach Sir Justin, who calls down from the kitchen above, "Abandon your damn orb and get up here! We're no match for such as these!"

Neegan is about five steps up - enough to narrow the attacks of the onrushing horde - when he must turn and swing his axe. His axe cleaves the flesh of the first lemure (-4), then Galmit's pick collapses its skull (-8). It collapses on the steps before it can swing at Neegan. The one right behind it steps on its motionless body to swing at Neegan, but to no avail - the dwarf's shield is effective cover and swats the creature's grasping claws away. Tollander is too far up the stair for his knuckles to be of use, but he does manage to dodge to the side as Billy releases a crossbow bolt past his head... it flies wide and misses friend and foe alike. Agustin tries to jostle past Billy to get up the stairs while the lad moves to reload.

Round 2!

Date: 26 August 2021, 10:04pm
Light: Lantern (until 10:30pm)
Distance: None
Effects: None
Injuries: Galmit (moderately injured), Tollander (Minorly Injured)[/quote]

Initiative: Us [1d6] = 5 Them [1d6] = 1
Billy crossbow [1d20] = 7 [1d6] = 6
Lemure [1d20-2] = 13-2 = 11 [1d4] = 2

[GreyWolfVT]

Galmit not being in an effective place to attack with his melee weapon just keeps heading up the stairs as best he can since he is sandwiched in the middle.

[Marullus]

Justin is not where Neegan wanted him. That means Galmit is in second position right behind Neegan and can attack with a -2 penalty. Only Neegan and Galmit can use melee at all.

[GreyWolfVT]

Justin is not where Neegan wanted him. That means Galmit is in second position right behind Neegan and can attack with a -2 penalty. Only Neegan and Galmit can use melee at all.

Galmit will just keep moving to provide Neegan room to move

[Jernau35]

Tollander continues to retreat up the stairs. As he does, he takes off his backpack and rummages around in there for his flask of Holy Water. He's not sure if it will be an effective weapon, but figures that being higher up the stairs will allow him to shower it down upon the infernal creatures below.

I'm assuming searching his backpack takes a round

[Marullus]

We don't penalize for drawing/stowing a weapon. LabLord Basic doesn't specify to do so, and it generally only penalizes PCs and not foes.

Go ahead and roll to throw it.