Against Darkness

[Magnus]

Date: Autumn, 432 ca., Campaign Day 10
Time: 4:30
Weather: 36 degrees; clear
Location: Fist of the First Men

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Antheris: 48/48
Vorsyin: 48/48
Gaerys: 60/60
Hollis: 50/50
Lorath: 40/40
Ethan: 71/71
Marcus: 35/35
Tybalt: 46/46
Nia: 33/33
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Protection from Fire/Protection from lightning

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The air is cold and still as the party awakens before first light, breaks fast, and dons their gear. The boisterous joviality of prior night has faded into a stoic whisper.

The party sets out under cover of darkness, moving as quietly as each member can manage. The sun begins to peek above the horizon just as the party reaches the Steading. The party, as planned, enters through the west opening. Proceeding inside, they see the hallway leading up to the storeroom yawning before them.

Now is the time to execute whatever plan the party settled upon...

[Zhym]

Gaerys readies his axe and waits for Nia to scout ahead.

[drpete]

Ethan lines up at the top of the stairs, ready to catch anything coming up. He motions, suggesting Gaerys watch their back so the ranger's keen senses can prevent a rear ambush, or if Gaerys is not interested, motions for Marcus to watch the rear. If Hollis ends up near Tybalt in the cramped quarters, he tries to wave them apart.

[Zhym]

Gaerys nods at Ethan's suggestion and watches the party's rear as Nia scouts.

[Sulara]

Niamah heads toward the stairs holding up her hand, glancing down at her copy of the map she then quietly stows it away. Pointing at herself and then to the stairs she pulls her goggles on and melts into the darkness. with or without the boots Niamah moves slowly checking floor walls and above for traps and secret or hidden doors. Stopping from time to time to listen carefully...

[Computer +1]

The other thread is locked but Vorsyin would of course given over the boots and put back on his old ones.
He also left his staff behind at the Fist.

[Todd Spengo]

Tybalt keeps his sword at the ready and waits.

Unless I specify otherwise, Tybalt will apply his Defender sword's bonus to defense.

[NJWilliam]

Antheris

Antheris quietly hands a silver dagger each to Vorysin and Marcus.

[Eulalios]

Lorath keeps an arrow on the string as he has had since breaking from the tree line.

[Computer +1]

Vorsyin give a nod of thanks to the druid and tucks the dagger in his belt.

[Magnus]

Here is a map:

againstdarkness.jpg (107.8 KiB) Viewed 1224 times

The brown areas are where doors or walls have been removed.

[Sulara]

Niamah moves carefully toward the stairs checking for any traps on floor walls or above, assuming she reaches the stairs safely she will listen for any sounds. If she hears nothing she will move down following what is for her a standard scouting, checking all areas for traps or secret openings. this is what I know as the plan, to get to stairs and scout lower level, I am again assuming we moved through upper rooms to get where we are.

[Zhym]

Is the plan to check for traps all the way, or just to scout for enemies? Checking for traps is wise, especially at entrances the giants know we've used, but it also takes time.

[Sulara]

Since you guys entered this way before my thought was thus would be the place, if any, they would set them. Niamah has some goggles that are hugely helpful, with that I feel would speed up the process. Magnus please correct me if I am wrong in that.

[saalaria]

Hollis unthinkingly grips his holy symbol and mutters a quiet prayer to his gods for their beneficence in this latest action.

[drpete]

After Hollis finishes his prayer, Ethan nudges him to switch places with Lorath, to give Lorath a view of the room with his arrow, and Gaerys backup if the ghasts come from behind.

[NJWilliam]

Antheris

Antheris quietly whispers to Tybalt, "Sense any evil nearby?"

[Todd Spengo]

Antheris quietly whispers to Tybalt, "Sense any evil nearby?"

Tybalt reaches out with his faith to reveal any lurking evil nearby.

He uses his Detect Evil 60' ability.

[Magnus]

Date: Autumn, 432 ca., Campaign Day 10
Time: 5:50
Weather: 36 degrees; clear
Location: Steading

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Antheris: 48/48
Vorsyin: 48/48
Gaerys: 60/60
Hollis: 50/50
Lorath: 40/40
Ethan: 71/71
Marcus: 35/35
Tybalt: 46/46
Nia: 33/33
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Magic in Effect:

Protection from Fire/Protection from Lightning (Most party members)

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Niamah moves carefully through the dark storeroom, towards the stairs, noticing immediately that the door into the storeroom has been torn off and its contents emptied. The flicker of smoky torches down the stairs provide just enough shadowy light for the thief to see her way forward.

She checks for any traps on the floor, walls and above in the storeroom, finding nothing.

The goggles speed things up for sure, but still require some time to actually look over the objects/surfaces being trapped. The most important thing is that the player must affirmatively state that she/he is checking for traps and secret doors and identify the given surface/object. Perhaps obviously, the DM makes the find traps, hear noise, hide/MS, and other rolls where the character will not know the outcome.

She reaches the top of the stairs. The door that once lead to them is smashed to pieces. Prior to making any further checks, she listens for any sounds. She hears the vicious gibbering that calls to mind her fellows' description of their encounter with the ghasts. It is actually loud enough where she is not sure that her particularly attuned hearing is necessary to perceive those sounds.

She still now stands at the top of the stairs. The next move is hers.

In the meantime, the party, following at a safe distance, takes their positions. In particular, Lorath takes an angle such that he can fire an arrow into the storeroom if necessary.

Tybalt reaches out with his faith to reveal any lurking evil nearby. He does not detect any specific evil within the range of his sixth sense, but the soft aura of evil taints the first level of the Steading.

[Sulara]

Hearing the sounds nearby Niamah moves down the stairs, again checking stairs walls and ceiling for traps or secret openings..her thoughts go to the equipment loaned to her, feeling that with these things she has a better chance to move further in and see where the evil creatures are and how many they face. Niamah remembers the plan..fireball, her mind calms her breathing slows..words roll through her mind.. where should they cast, must give them the best chance to do the most damage...