Fifth Expedition

[Raven Crowking]

They blink, surprised at your perfidy. Then, when nothing happens, they walk to the skeleton, bash it (although it does not rise), and take its electrum bracelets. Each stows away one of the bracelets, and comes back, apparently unhurt.

[beermotor]

"Hrmph," Daryll snorts. "Door number three then."

Gunnar nods and goes and removes the spike from the door. "Come, Milner, let's see what we're dealing with in here..." Once in position, Gunnar will open the door.

[Raven Crowking]

The door opens on another 20-foot-square crypt, with ancient and crumbling brickwork lined with mouldy and yellowed tapestries. The tapestries are ragged and torn. What they once depicted is no longer clear, for they are faded with age. There are six skeletons, brown with age, on as many stone slabs. The bones are in various states of decay, and some are scattered across the floor, with only small bits of the remains actually on the slab. There is a smell of silver in here, detectable to a dwarf's nose.

[beermotor]

"Hmm, just six. That's not too bad," Gunnar says.

"Maybe the priest can do his thing first, eh?" Daryll says, jerking his chin at Jed. "Or the other one," he adds, pointing at Jonas.

[caveman]

Milner steps forward cautiously. Shield raised, sword poised. He peruses the closest bones.

[beermotor]

Gunnar will back up Milner.

[Raven Crowking]

As Milner steps forward cautiously, the remains continue to remain where they are.

[beermotor]

Daryll is going to do a more thorough search of the biers the skeletons were on in the second room, looking for the type of secret compartment that was found in that large room, where the holy book and mace were stashed.

[Dogma]

"Nice to see sumtin' dead tha' stays dead, eh"" says Willem as he joins the search of the room.

Jonas nods in agreement as he searches also. "Praise be to Nergal."

[caveman]

Milner looks at the tapestries? Are they 70 meters long? Do they depict the Battle of Hasting, a quick 1066 years ago? What is behind the tapestries?

maybe I should roll luck or something for poking around? 19!!

[Raven Crowking]

The tapestries are large, each about a 10-foot square panel, yellowed and torn. What they were intended to depict seems to be lost to time and fading, although you can see human (?) figures here and there. The edged are torn and ragged, and Milner is the only one not surprised when the holes behind them disgorge 8 two-foot long rat-like creatures with black coats and all-too-human faces.

"Hot damn!" chitters one. "A meal!"

Milner may roll initiative and act this round; next round is a free-for-all.

[caveman]

"Oh the humanity!" Milner lashes out a the closest rat thing. As a Mighty Deed, Milner tries to pull the tapestry down upon the two abominations as well...

Roll of 8 + 2 + Deed 3 = HIT AC 13. Possible damage 9

Huzzah!

[Dumnbunny]

Seeing the chittering things crawl out of the walls, Jed hisses for Murq's attention, who hustles down from the knocked-down section of wall, dropping his mace weapon at Jed's feet as he passes him, readying his shield and spear as he enters the room and attacking the nearest of the rat-things. Meanwhile, Jed prays to Nergal for the power to paralyze his foes.

Initiative: 1 (d20) + 0 = 3

Murq's attacks:
Spear: 16 (d20) + 1 (Str) + 3 (Deed Die) = 20 To Hit, 4 (d8) + 1 (Str) + 3 (Deed Die) = 8 Damage
Shield Bash: 10 (d14) + 1 (Str) + 3 (Deed Die) = 14 To Hit, 1 (d3) + 1 (Str) + 3 (Deed Die) = 5 Damage
Going for a defensive mighty deed. Deed Die 3.

Jed's spell:
Paralysis (pg 264): 18 (d20) + 1 (CL) - 1 (Per) = 18

Time permitting this round, Jed will pick up the mace weapon.

[beermotor]

Initiative: 7 + 1 = 8.

Gunnar will try to clock one of the ROUSes into another with his warhammer, and send them flying across the room. To hit: 20! + 1 (deed failure) + 2 = 23. Critical hit: 10, weapon sundered... shards of metal go flying. (I'm guessing teeth, or claws? Doesn't say anything about additional damage for creatures with natural weapons... but 9 has +2d6 damage, so if you want to add that, I'm cool with it. Damage: 3 + 1 + 2 = 6, plus whatever from the critical if anything. Then he'll try to shield bash another, to hit: 6 + 1 + 2 = 9, damage: 2 + 2 = 4.

Daryll and HP will take up positions in the hallway, waiting to see if any get out.

Cisneros will remain by the busted down wall, nervously looking out into the hallway.

[Dogma]

initiative [1d20+1] = 15+1 = 16

Willem will lunge with his spear. "I don' be thinkin' thar be naught human about these beasts so don' worry none 'bout thar 'umanity."

[1d20+2] = 13+2 = 15 to hit, [1d8+1] = 8+1 = 9 damage

Jonas will hold back with Daryll and HP, short sword at the ready, fervently praying under his breath.

[Raven Crowking]

Daryll is still searching the other room when the rat-things attack. He hasn't found a secret compartment, but he has uncovered a few coins that were missed previously - 6 gp and 13 sp.

The rat-things act before Milner. At this point, the room contains Gunnar, Milner, Willem, and Jonas. With eight of the rat-things, that is two attacks apiece.

Against Gunnar, a 12 and a 7. Both rat-things miss.
Against Milner, a 7 and a 3. Again, both rat-things miss.
Against Willem, a 10 and a 1! The rat-thing rolls a "2" on its fumble, but makes its save with a 9 + 2, therefore not ending up on its furry backside.
Against Jonas, a 19 and a 7. That 19 is going to hit; Jonas takes 2 points of damage.

Milner manages to pull the moldy yellow tapestry down, raising a cloud of spores and trapping three of the rat-things beneath it (for the moment). At the same time, he slays one of the rat-things, leaving only seven to deal with (and three will lose their action next round getting free of the tapestry).

The surprise round is over.

Milner lashes out, 10 + 2 (deed die) + 2 being sufficient to hit another of the rat-things, and 4 + 1 + 2 being more than sufficient to skewer it.

Seeing the chittering things crawl out of the walls, Jed hisses for Murq's attention, then utters a prayer to Nergal.

At the same time, Willem lunges with his spear, easily slaying the rat-thing which had the temerity to bite him.

At this point, three of the creatures are dead, and three more fighting their way out from under the tapestry. The other two make a Morale check, but actually pass it, and so with bright red eyes they throw themselves upon Willem and Milner. Against Willem, an 18 for 3 points of damage. Against Milner, a 12, missing. The three trapped creatures emerge from under the mouldy cloth.

Jonas tries to hold back with Daryll and HP, but those worthies are actually in the second crypt (or now near its entrance). Fleeing would normally provoke a free attack, but with the rat-things engaged with Willem and Milner, or newly struggled from beneath the tapestry, Jonas sees a chance to make a break for it, and takes it!

Gunnar smashes one of the rat-things with his hammer. (When a crit result makes no sense, you drop to the first result that does....in this case a blow to the femur that shatters it. In any event, the creature is more than destroyed!) He attempts to bash another with his shield, but it skitters out of his way.

Murq hustles down from the knocked-down section of wall, intent on dropping his mace weapon at Jed's feet as he passes him, but is still 20' from the door to the room at the end of this round. Thus, Jed cannot yet recover the mace.

Fully half of the creatures remain.

[beermotor]

"Filthy rats!" Gunnar smashes at one with his hammer, trying again to tee it off one of the others (a pushback sort of thing I suppose?)... to hit: 16 + 3! (yay!) + 2 = 21, damage: 6 + 3 + 2 = 11. He'll try to smash a second one with his shield... to hit: 8 + 3 + 2 = 13, damage: 2 + 3 + 2 = 7.

Daryll pockets the coins and keeps searching the biers, then moves to the walls if he doesn't find anything. He's not worried about the sounds of rat killin'. Neither is HP, who keeps searching on his own as well.

Cisneros continues to stand guard by the entrance. "What is it?" he calls out to the others. "Do you need help?"

"They're fine," Daryll answers him from the second crypt. Is Fang doing anything while in this crypt room? Sniffing around or anything? Just curious.

[caveman]

Milner lays about him, skewering what rats come near, wielding his shield defensively.
Roll 16+2+ Deed 3 = hit 21AC dmg: 8

Init 5

[Dogma]

Willem stabs again with his spear. "Rat on a stick. Jus' like me ol' mum usta make," he says with a short laugh.

[1d20+2] = 14+2 = 16 to hit, [1d8+1] = 5+1 = 6 damage Willem is on fire with that spear! I need to pick up another short sword so I can start to double wield.

Jonas bursts into the other room where HP and Daryll are searching. "Giant rats! Giant talking rats! Lots of them!"

[Raven Crowking]

Willem stabs again with his spear, skewering one of the rat things, which dies with a foul epitaph on its disease-ridden lips. "Rat on a stick. Jus' like me ol' mum usta make," Willem says with a short laugh.

At this point, only three of the rat-things still remain. They attack Gunnar (11), Milner (14), and Willem (11) with a ferocious intensity but to no great effect.

Gunnar smashing one of the remaining rats with his hammer, and then crushes a second with his shield. Milner easily destroys the last of the rat-things.

In the crypt room, Fang is paying attention to what is happening outside. His haunches quiver somewhat with supressed excitement at the sounds of combat and the smell of the rat-things.

1 XP for Jonas, Willem, Gunnar, and Milner.