Chapter 1c: The Fountain Room

[Stirling]

Xerxes

Stabs his long shovel into the cheese to cut off a spade sized portion if he can. Wrapping it in some sackcloth.

"Blue veined bacterium but full of flavour. A bit whiffy but if it has matured so long, it might have some extra unction." he hopes he is a man who knows his cheese.

Zygmund, searches his grimoire for any use of 'cheesy poultices' or 'cheese as an anti-biotic' for combating disease.

"We should check the dwarf-door." he gestures to the other corner.

human sized Blue spiders? Where do they scuttle away. That large sounds dangerous?

[AleBelly]

Oops! Meant to type “human finger.” Not sure if it autocorrected or I had a tired brain fart. Either way, they are finger-sized. Big by spider standards but not monstrous.

[gurusql]

Cotgric

Cotgric sees that Xerxes intends to stab the cheese with his shovel. He says, "Do not stab the fine dwarven cheese with your dirt covered shovel. This cheese in its current form is worth at least 10 gp - less than half that if you foolishly stab it. STOP!"

[Stirling]

Duala examines the cheese wheel.

Xerxes concluded from the above action that no trap was activated.

This cheese in its current form is worth at least 10 gp

That is if it is sold on at the market. My thought was that the mouldy bacteria grown to mature it might cause it to have boosting properties, like healing, anti-fungal or disease. That has a greater worth, broken up and shared out.

He hesitates in his greedy swing when Cotgric offers a gesture of protest. How big is this cheese. I imagined that it was about 5'ft in diameter and a foot thick. Surely worth more than ten gold if it is that size. Can it be carried away or does it have to roll along like a spare wheel?

He will take Cotgric's caution as the dwarf may be more familiar with such delicacies, leaving the cheese whole and moving on then to open the door in the corner.

[AleBelly]

The cheese wheel is about 18"x9" (approximately 45x22.5 cm for those so inclined), so about 85 pounds or 40 kilograms. Will be difficult to carry but could be wheeled.

[Marullus]

Rolf goes over and bends down, peering through the dwarf-sized door. (How big is it, really?)

Hailey clutches her grimoire and watches the cheese skeptically.

[AleBelly]

The adventurers debate whether the cheese is trapped and the hefty sum it could provide. Xerxes considers hacking off a piece, but defers to Cotgric's dwarven wisdom on the matter.

Zygmund suggests examining the door in the corner, and Rolf obliges, stooping down a bit as he opens the unlocked door, which is about 5' high. The woodsman's flickering torchlit reveals the room beyond.

This side room, which is about the same size as the cheese room, appears to have been an extension of the kitchen—a pantry perhaps—with a few beds, sized for a dwarven staff scattered about. In addition to the door you just entered, another door exits through the left wall. It seems an earthquake or some other cataclysmic event has nearly sucked the room back into the bowels of the earth. The ceiling joists are broken and large stones have fallen through. The floor tiles are cracked and the loose earth has been pushed up. Beds and tables are overturned.

[Stirling]

Xerxes

Won't disturb the extra room since it looks close to collapse. He will withdraw and go to the Odlo room where the others are.

Zygmund scripts notes and follows behind.

[Marullus]

Rolf is glad it isn't a long tunnel, ducking his head to cautiously enter the pantry bunkroom. Moving with extreme care, he checks the bedding areas for any useful items.

Hailey watches from the doorway...

[gurusql]

Cotgric

Cotgric looks around being a stonemason to study if the room looks structurally sound.

[_1d20]=(17)=17

Ayre, Baye, Duala

The other three stay in the room with the cheese.

[AleBelly]

Xerxes and Zygmund don't like the look of the next room and exit to join the others. Hailey watches from the small doorway as Rolf enters, searching the beds for valuables. Cotgric casts his eye over the stony room and finds it to be sound. Per private message He then enters followed by Ayre, Baye, and Duala. They try to pick their way through the broken room, but stub their toes on exposed beams, causing more pebbles from above to fall to the earth. This doesn't worry Cotrgic, as he knows the ceiling remains structurally sound. But then the earth below them begins to tremble. As the five in the room hold their breath, the floor beneath them begins to rumble and quake. Suddenly a large alabaster-skinned grub-like creature pushes through the earth, as big around as the trunk of a tree! It arches its head like a snake, its open maw revealing row after row of finger-sized yellow teeth!

Actions?

[Marullus]

"Eeeaaauuugh!!" cries out Rolf in gutteral disgust and surprise! If he can fall back to escape through the small door, he will. (I think the other three are closer and between him and it, in which case he can't) if not, he swings his woodaxe as hard as he can hoping to cleave its putrid, boneless flesh while keeping its teeth away from him.

[1d20+1]=19+1=20[1d6+1]=1+1=2

[AleBelly]

"Eeeaaauuugh!!" cries out Rolf in gutteral disgust and surprise! If he can fall back to escape through the small door, he will. (I think the other three are closer and between him and it, in which case he can't) if not, he swings his woodaxe as hard as he can hoping to cleave its putrid, boneless flesh while keeping its teeth away from him.

[1d20+1]=19+1=20[1d6+1]=1+1=2

Yes, the PCs can flee (either back the way they came or through the other door, provided it's not locked, barred, etc). It will come down to initiative whether they are attacked...if the PCs win initiative, they flee. If they lose, they could be subject to attack.

[gurusql]

Ayre, Baye, Cotgric, Duala

The four look at each other and attack the snake-thing.

Ayre
Init [1d20]=2
Staff [1d20]=18 Damage [1d4]=1

Baye
Init [1d20+1]=11+1=12
Stick (as club) [1d20-1]=7-1=6 Damage [1d4-1]=1-1=0

Cotgric
Init [1d20-1]=17-1=16
Hammer (as club) [1d20]=12 Damage [1d4]=3

Duala
Init [1d20-1]=19-1=18
Pitchfork (as spear) [1d20]=7 Damage [1d8]=6

[AleBelly]

Rolf decides discretion is the better part of valor, and escapes the room before the grub can attack. Ayre, Baye, Cotrgic, and Duala all exchange glances then attack the giant worm.

Duala fails to find her target with her pitchfork. The dwarven stonemason strikes its side with his hammer. The smooth skin ripples from the impact! -3 hp. Baye and Ayre both land glancing blows with stick -1 hp and staff -1 hp. The grub appears wounded but not anywhere close to death.

The grub arches its body backwards, searching for a target. Then it quickly strikes with surprising speed towards Ayre.

Grub attacks Ayre [1d20+3]=14+3=17 damage [1d4]=4

It swallows her whole! Peristaltic waves radiate down the grub's body as the elven artisan's body enters its digestive tract.

Well, that's it for the elves in this group. Actions?

[gurusql]

Ayre, Baye, Cotgric, Duala

The three look at each other in terror as their friend was just swallowed whole, but there can be only so much space in the stomach and they try and free their friend.

Baye
Init [1d20+1]=16+1=17
Stick (as club) [1d20-1]=18-1=17 Damage [1d4-1]=1-1=0

Cotgric
Init [1d20-1]=1-1=0
Hammer (as club) [1d20]=17 Damage [1d4]=1

Duala
Init [1d20-1]=5-1=4
Pitchfork (as spear) [1d20]=5 Damage [1d8]=4

[Marullus]

"Get out of there! If Odlo went in there he is already digested!" calls Rolf through the small door. At least the door is too small for the grub to follow. He groans in dismay as they continue fighting it.

Hailey places a hand on his shoulder, her voice kind but her words pragmatic. "Everyone makes a choice. Let'sfind the others, and Odlo." She turns and leads up the stairs. After one more moment, Rolf follows.

[AleBelly]

Rolf tries to convince his fellow townsfolk to retreat as he and Hailey rush to join the larger group.

But Baye, Cotgric, and Duala fight on. Cotgric lands a light blow on the giant grub with his hammer, and Baye lands another light blow with her stick -1 hp each. Baye's blow draws the attention of the grub, and it slams its body down upon the urchin, causing a few more pebbles to fall from the ceiling above. Despite her nimbleness, she's unable to dodge the attack and is crushed by the grub's massive body.

Grub attacks Baye [1d20+3]=19+3=22 damage [1d4]=1

The creature pulls Baye's lifeless body into its grotesque mouth. The combatants' seem to have judged correctly that the grub could only hold so much. It begins its retreat, withdrawing into the ground below.

Cotgric and Duala are ahead of the grub in initiative, so they can attack twice next round - once per regular moves and an attack of opportunity as the grub withdraws from combat.

[gurusql]

Cotgric & Duala

Cotgric and Duala hope to avenge their friends.

Cotgric
Hammer (as club) [1d20]=10 Damage [1d4]=1
Hammer (as club) [1d20]=2 Damage [1d4]=3

Duala
Pitchfork (as spear) [1d20]=18 Damage [1d8]=7
Pitchfork (as spear) [1d20]=10 Damage [1d8]=4

[AleBelly]

Cotrgic and Duala beat and stab the disgusting white grub as it retreats into the ground. Duala's pitchfork draws pale yellow ichor from its hide, and they think they've nearly slain the beast...but it just barely escapes with its life and Ayre and Baye's bodies.

The room quickly returns to silence. It is in even more disarray that when you first entered. There is a normal-sized door to the left and the dwarf-sized door from which you entered.

Actions?