XIV. Kobold Lair - Underground I

[OGRE MAGE]

Sparrow

We are sitting ducks crossing here with them up there. I'm comfortable letting you take a look, as long as you don't go and get yourself killed!

I can try to get to the top of the barricade and give you some cover fire if necessary.

What do you think is making the shuffling noises behind it?

[Alethan]

Ciar shrugs, "Could be them kobolds messing around up there. Could just be rats. Could be... Undead.

Leaving it at that, Ciar makes his way back to the blocked passage and begins examining it with a more practiced eye. Does it appear sturdy enough to stop a few rats? Or strong enough to keep mindless ghouls at bay? Or just enough to keep anything from seeing what is going on past the blockade, like a door?

He also tries to determine if it would be possible to take down part of the blockade such that he might pass through without making too much noise.

[dmw71]

The group agrees to return to the barricaded area in hopes of finding another way to reach the kobolds perched above them on the ledge. With the halfling assuming the lead, the group retreats the 50 or so feet to the barricaded area, which Ciar proceeds to study. It is a simple wooden barricade, and not overly sturdy. It is evident that it was assembled on the passage-side, which they're on. The occasional scurrying sound, and the sound of something clawing against stone, is heard coming from beyond the wooden obstacles.

Barricade.png (7.17 KiB) Viewed 827 times

Actions?


Rolls:
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---

Date: 7 Neth, Year 4707
Time: 19:19 (Sunrise: 06:41, Sunset: 16:52)
Temp: 57F outside (55F in lair)
Conditions: Winds, E 11mph
Light Sources: Everlit torch (Sparrow), Everlit torch (Sorsha, Fulp Ciar)
Known Spells in Effect: None.
Spells Remaining: Sylvan (priest-1st: 4, 3)
* Note: Spell-casting character will be listed above only after they reveal themselves to be casters.


Health
Good: Grim, Leliana, Sorsha, Sylvan
Fair: Ciar, Fulp, Sparrow
Serious: None
Critical: None

[Alethan]

Is there any way to remove part of the barricade to shine a light through and see what might be making the noise?

[onlyme]

Fulp shakes his head,
Seems even they didn't want what ever is back there to get out... why would we risk it? Are we sure we didnt miss another one of those secret walls like where the lizard was kept? Maybe we should retrace a few steps?

[tooleychris]

"Did he say...undead?" Sorsha laughs nervously. "He's kidding....right?"

[dmw71]

Individual pieces of the barricade can be removed with some effort, but the barricade is essentially stacked piles of wood scraps. Removing scraps or planks will be possible, but will not necessarily be the quietest of endeavors, especially if working quickly, and may result in creating an imbalance in the structure which could bring it tumbling down.

[OGRE MAGE]

If there are any gaps at the ceiling, Sparrow will attempt to climb the barricade and shine his light on the other side to see what might be making the scratching noise.

[tooleychris]

Sorsha hands sparrow his lamp back once he gets to top.

[FantasyChic]

Leliana paces a bit, back and forth, "Can we hurry this up? This adventure has gone on longer than I anticipated and I feel as if something is going to go wrong in a manner of minutes."

[AleBelly]

Sylvan, pensive and silent, grows restless at offering little help. He pulls mistletoe from his pouch and very quietly waves his hands over the party. His whispers are barely audible.

"Deithe an domhain, ag breathnu thar linn"

[saalaria]

Grim shakes his head at the elf's comments, muttering to himself in the process. He keeps an eye to the rear.

[Alethan]

Ciar frowns, "Well, Lelianna, what do YOU want to do? If you have any better ideas, please share them!"

"If we don't want to mess with this barracade, then we need to either get past the kobolds up in the balcony or eliminate them. I can't find any way up to them; I checked for passages on the other side of the pits and found nothing. I know *I* can get past them by crawling through the pit, but I don't know about you lot, so we probably need to eliminate them. Start coming up with ideas."

[onlyme]

Fulp speaks,

"I imagine we have to get past those kobolds anyway. I am a bit worried that we are getting ourselves in deeper and trapped in, if they ambush us. It is more than a quick escape at this point.
How bout we return to the surface, and leave our friendly pet dino guarding the scuttle hole? That should keep the upper layer free from kobolds, correct? Then we can re-arm our friendly spell man here with something to assist us.

[AleBelly]

"I don't see what turning back now gets us" replies Sylvan. "They'll discover the ones we've killed and we'll lose any element of surprise. Let's press our advantage. Ciar, I don't hear any better ideas; I'll cover you while you work on the barricade. I've asked the gods of stone and earth for aid if we find ourselves in battle."

With that, he draws his scimitar from his belt.

[Alethan]

Ciar nods in agreement. "Agreed. If we leave now, anything we've gained will be lost."

He takes a bit of time to remove some of the upper level of barricade enough that he can get a better look at what might be behind it. All the while, he mutters a question to himself, "Is the enemy of my enemy my friend?"

[FantasyChic]

Leliana shrugs "I didn't say anything about turning back. I didn't come this far with you lot to leave empty-handed. Let's press onwards then."

[Alethan]

Ciar talks as he works on the barricade, "I didn't say nothing about turning back neither. I just said if you wanted to speed things along then you might consider tossing out some ideas as to how we go about doing that. I'm not always the fastest thinker..."

He offers her a pleasant, if not smudged and dusty, smile to show he means no animosity with his response.

Once he's removed a bit of the upper part of the barricade so a slight opening is made, he tries to shine a light into the opening to see what is on the other side.

[dmw71]

I spent a majority of my day voluntarily disconnected, so my update is coming later than normal. Apologies.

---

After some brief deliberation, the group elects to capitalize on their current progress and not return to the surface. Ciar and Sparrow begin to carefully clear away the uppermost sections of wood from the barricade and quickly realize, while working from the top, that the ceiling beyond beyond the obstacle quickly slants downwards, and a moldy smell becomes evident. Just before the latest pieces are cleared, Sylvan produces a pinch of mistletoe and begins uttering phrases foreign to the ears of his companions, but everyone, centered on the area of the busy halfling and dark-skinned warrior, begins to sense a feeling of good fortune or divine inspiration. Instants after the druid's spell is cast, the pair, continuing to clear wood away on their way down, are able to uncover the top of what appears to be a cramped cave on the opposite side, completely stuffed from the floor to its cramped 3-foot ceilings. Scurrying sounds, almost certainly the results of rats or other vermin, increase in frequency and intensity as the light from the group's side begins to spill into the tiny cave beyond.

Cave.png (7.88 KiB) Viewed 785 times

Actions?


Rolls:
None.


---

Date: 7 Neth, Year 4707
Time: 19:36 (Sunrise: 06:41, Sunset: 16:52)
Temp: 57F outside (55F in lair)
Conditions: Winds, E 11mph
Light Sources: Everlit torch (Sparrow), Everlit torch (Sorsha, Fulp Ciar)
Known Spells in Effect: Bless (Sylvan; ends 19:42).
Spells Remaining: Sylvan (priest-1st: 4, 3, 2)
* Note: Spell-casting character will be listed above only after they reveal themselves to be casters.


Health
Good: Grim, Leliana, Sorsha, Sylvan
Fair: Ciar, Fulp, Sparrow
Serious: None
Critical: None

[saalaria]

"I think we will 'ave to pass them bastards by the stone bridge regardless if we want to get onwards."
Grim offers helpfully from the back.