[Completed] - Lars/Finger of Doom - 19 March, 1 VC

[Zorroroaster]

I vote we search the pool, get everything out and make a move back to the cave mouth. What if we stay there until she regains consciousness, like we did with Lars?

EDIT: Looking at the rules on healing, I think we'd have to be waiting 3 full nights (minimum) before she regained consciousness.

Orrin looks wistfully at the iridescent waters.

"I wish this were a healing spring of some kind."

[KingOfCowards]

The only one who rolls worse than me with my characters is the DM
With Naila out of immediate danger, Lars quickly collects as many gemstones as he can.
"Let's move quickly and then get Naila out of here "
I think we might be pressing our luck as it is. We know there are a few left in the cave. One more surprise attack at night and we're done for. I'll follow whatever the group decides, but I have regretted sticking around this long after that last battle. My vote is get Naila to safety. If we can find somewhere to camp, we can stick around for her to recover. If we think we absolutely must stay in the cave, I say we find a way to go after those buggers. We have them injured and at least its not two on one in the middle of the night. Keehnelf how big is the opening they came through and how far up? Would Lars be able to climb up to it?

[Keehnelf]

Lars could make a climb attempt to reach it them--they're about twenty feet above the floor and in an angled section of the wall that's almost a part of the ceiling. Relatively smooth water-worn stone with hand holds. A straight roll, but you'd be at a huge disadvantage there vs creatures that can cling naturally to any angle.

[Keehnelf]

The openings are probably three to five feet in diameter. Hard to tell exactly from here.

[Keehnelf]

Are Orrin and Lug gong back to their fishing attempt, or is someone going for a swim this time?

[Zorroroaster]

Here's a question I should have asked long ago. If Orrin, dwarf that he is, knows the ingots are a mithril/steel alloy...would he also have a rough idea what each was worth? It might prove useful info if we have to triage what we take if we are to carry Naila to a safer location.

I think swimming will be faster.

[Zhym]

Lug goes swimming for armor.

[Keehnelf]

A lot depends on the concentration. A straight steel ingot would be worth about 5gp, while a pure mithril I got could fetch 1,000gp or more depending on the market. There's no reason to make the alloy if you have enough mithril to make a large share of an ingot mithril, though, unless you can't work the pure metal properly, so the concentration is probably no higher than 5 or 10%, which means maybe 25-40gp per bar in average value.

[Zorroroaster]

Orrin picks up the grappling hook and starts to step out of his armor.

"You two have crossbows. Why not keep them aimed at those holes while I dive down and attach this hook to the figure. I'll grab what gems I can, swim out and we can pull up the armor after that. Then we get Naila out of here."

[Keehnelf]

March 24, 1 VC - 10:00am

Lug peels off his armor and dives into the pool by the light of the torch now held aloft by Orrin over the iridescent water. The massive man returns shortly, a bundle of rusty metal plates hanging barely together by molded straps all that remains of the armor over one shoulder, and a gleaming disc of copper that shimmers even in the dim light slung from the other: a metal shield burnished to perfection with the likeness of a roaring lion's head embossed on its surface, in pristine condition. Also he has a pouch full of the gemstones taken from the bottom, and a report that the water tastes kind of funny.

Naila is not doing well. She needs to be by a fire within the next forty minutes or else she will deteriorate further--and it will wake you at least thirty minutes to get her out of here even without interruptions.

[Zorroroaster]

Tastes funny?

Orrin bends down and scoops up a handful of water.

"Here goes nothin'..."

He drinks the water from his hand and sees if he can identify the taste for himself.

After that, he starts helping get Naila to the surface. With two working the ropes and body and a third as rearguard they should be able to make reasonable time.

[KingOfCowards]

"Let's get moving gentlemen. We have to get Naila to safety."
With Lug back, Lars will start tying the rope around Naila, to prepare to get her back up to the ground level.

[Zhym]

"Junk!" Lug hurls the rusty plates back into the water. "Lars, Orrin—either of you use a shield?"

[Zorroroaster]

"Aye, but let's get Naila to the surface quickly before we see what youve got there."

[Zhym]

Lug hands the shield to Orrin. "You hold this. I need both hands to hold on to Reason."

He climbs up the rope ahead of the others, so he can lift the ropes from above.

It is feasible to think we can get Nalia back to health? Our options are (1) staying in the cave another three days, waiting for Nalia to be able to move under her own power, while hoping we aren't attacked again, or (2) putting her on a stretcher and hoping we can find town? And either way, she needs to be near a fire (attracting attention)?

Lug's reaction, in character (check his alignment. ), would probably be that she's beyond hope and that the rest of us should grab all the loot we can, get the heck out of here, and try to make it back to town.

[Keehnelf]

March 24, 1 VC - 10:30am

The trio brings Naila's unconscious form carefully up through the winding passage and get her re-settled near the fire at the entrance to the cave, which can be quickly rekindled from its earlier embers. Her breathing eventually regularizes and they settle in, for a while at least, to consider their next option.

[Zorroroaster]

After seeing to Naila's comfort, Orrin sets down his gear and drops to the ground next to the fire. He examines the gash in his arm to see how it has fared during the climb out of the cave. He flexes his forearm a bit, testing the makeshift dressing he's applied.

"Luck seems to be on our side, if only just. How many gems did we find? And coin? Lars, help me count this stuff. I'm not great with numbers. I know we have quite a few ingots, but with all these gems maybe we can afford to leave a few heavy bars behind if we need to carry the lass back to town."

Orrin begins the process of collecting and examining all the gemstones found during each foray into the cave, the coins found in the pool, the coins taken off the goblin patrol, the Dwarven sword. He stacks the mithril bars all together nearby. Lastly, he'll take a close look at the shimmering shield, examining it carefully. His actions are methodical, as if the process of ordering everything is somehow helping him cope with the madness they've recently experienced.

[Zhym]

Lug stands guard, Reason in hands, for anything that might approach from deeper in the caves.

[Keehnelf]

Orrin counts out:

37 good pieces from the goblins
One shiny dwarf-sword
24 gemstones worth 20-25gp each
61 gold pieces in assorted coins from the pool
One shiny shield
A large number of mithril bars divided between slings and packs--better not to fish them out of others' stuff.

He feels calmer.

[KingOfCowards]

Well, we got the "big" treasure out of the pool. I say we rest until Naila is stable and can be moved. Then we take what we can carry and hightail it back to Vaul with Naila on a stretcher. The mithril we cannot carry we can stow away here and come back for later.