Chapter 1: Welcome to Stonespear Province

[GreyWolfVT]

Galot Wenz "Certainly you can have some water. Here." he hands Kopholo his water. "Please do not drink it all."

[Zhym]

Bubba swallows carefully. He seems to be getting control of whatever is going on with his head after banging it against the floor.

"Suppose we oughtta hunt down those other two roly-poly things?" he asks, looking down the hall.

[caveman]

"Perhaps we should head East? Seems to be the way the previous doomed expedition wandered."

[Zhym]

"Follow the path of people who died. Great idea," deadpans Bubba.

[GreyWolfVT]

"Follow the path of people who died. Great idea," deadpans Bubba.

Galot Wenz thinking he has picked up on the sarcasm in Bubba's response decides to speak up "I do agree with Bubba. If the other group died why would we wish to follow their path?"

[Nate]

Gurzubar:I guess thats what we're down here to do. Find their remains, hopefully find the NulRod among them, grab it, get back up that ladder. Unless there's another way out of here? To Kopholo: Huh, Wooly man? You know any other ways out the underworld? Thinking aloud, remembering the magic tattoos and touching his forehead: Oh crap

[Captain Kinkajou]

Anurak Orm

Paying only peripheral attention to the debate about how best to proceed and instead focusing on more important things, Anurak continues his parceling up of a quantity of the sweet-smelling pill bug flesh. After inspecting the purple bat-creature meat he screws his nose up at it and keeps well clear of it.

"I'm afraid the brains are off," he sighs disappointedly. "But, I could cook us up some delicious fritters with this pill bug meat. I have just the recipe. Besides, everything always seems clearer at the end of a fine meal don't you think? A decision is best made on a full stomach my granny always used to say."

Not really waiting for an answer (I mean who could refuse some tasty fritters?), he starts to break out his cooking gear.

Yum. Yum.

[Pulpatoon]

Kopholo gratefully accepts the offered water, drinking it down, wetting his shaggy chin.

Gurzubar:To Kopholo: Huh, Wooly man? You know any other ways out the underworld?

Kopholo: "Kopholo eat the spirit-fungus to open spirit-eyes, then go to sacred ice-river. Sacred ice river carry Kopholo under the mountains. Hit Kopholo with many rocks. Steal Kopholo's wind. Bring Kopholo to be tested in terrible Underworld."

Realizing that the party is not offering up meaningful answers to his other questions, Kopholo becomes distracted, and begins to wander around.

Anurak Orm starts a fire and heats up some oil in his shield to make giant pill bug fritters. Krodok and Kopholo, who otherwise have no interest in each others society, nevertheless share the same reaction to this activity: befuddled amusement.

A belly full of warm food is a great luxury on a delve, enhanced even further by being followed by one of Gurzubar's cigarettes. Pleasant smells and bonhomie fill the small chamber.

Krodok pulls out a withered strip of jerky to eat. Kopholo climbs a wall to extract a piece of fungus from a high crevice. After eating the fungus, his eyes become noticeably dilated and his movements become hectic and jerky. His contributions to conversation are limited to vague noises and appreciative groans.

I won't do this all the time, but I'm so delighted by the fritters that I'm going to award some HP recovery for having eaten a good meal. The spreadsheet has been edited to reflect this.
Good food: [1d4] = 3

Underworld Events: [1d12] = 9 [1d6] = 4

Oothu jumps up and calls the parties attention to the NNE passage. "Something's coming."

Down the NEE passage, a flickering orange light combats the even blue-green glow of the Underworld. You hear a snuffling sound as something approaches. Several snuffling sounds.

ACTIONS!
Next action-post: Monday morning, EDT

[Nate]

Gurzubar looks for a place to hide, even if it means cowering behind brain bat corpses.

[Zhym]

Bubba suddenly remembers to check whether he can still use the arrow he put in one of the brain creatures. But hearing the approaching noises, he readies his bow and looks for a place to hide, even if it means cowering behind Gurzubar.

What are the rules for recovering arrows?

[Pulpatoon]

What are the rules for recovering arrows?

Let's let circumstances dictate. In thiscase, it seems easy enough to reclaim one arrow.

[Pulpatoon]

Gurzubar looks for a place to hide, even if it means cowering behind brain bat corpses.

Hiding options include:
1. Going back the way you came, until you're around the bend (Here be pill bugs)
2. Going down the NNE passage
3. Improvising cover, either with bat-corpse or pill bug carapace.

[GreyWolfVT]

Galot Wenz former showman sees no need to hide and waits where he is for whatever comes from the passage to the NNE.

[Nate]

Improvised brain bat cover it is!

Hiding options include:
1. Going back the way you came, until you're around the bend (Here be pill bugs)
2. Going down the NNE passage
3. Improvising cover, either with bat-corpse or pill bug carapace.

[Zhym]

Bubba takes a long look at the pill bugs, wondering if their carapaces could be used as shields.

[Captain Kinkajou]

Anurak Orm

As Gurzubar and Bubba leap up and scuttle off to find cover, Anurak turns his attention to the cooking pots and leftovers.

"It seems we may have some late arrivals for dinner," he casually observes to Galot Wenz, nodding in the direction of the flickering lights. "Let me see if I can rustle up a few extra fritters."

[Pulpatoon]

Bubba takes a long look at the pill bugs, wondering if their carapaces could be used as shields.

The bug shells have been snapping pretty easily underfoot as people have moved around this cavern, so Bubba is pretty sure they wouldn't hod up very well as shields. At least, not against being stepped on.

[mjulius]

Ollan casts his eyes around at the options and opportunities..

I hope that it's not the wrong time, but perhaps we can talk? If we solve with swords, we'll likely end up in a stew. Perhaps I could engage them and we can prepare some kind of plan B defense.

Anurak's offer just might turn the tide, perhaps providing a bonus... Unless they're pill bugs.

I have high charisma

[caveman]

Cedric trots down the NNE corridor and looks for a nook to hide in there. He clutches his axe and nervously smooths his coif. It's important to look good while dying, that's the code of the desperado.

[Pulpatoon]

Into the chamber rocket a dozen bolts of fire, low to the ground, knocking carapace shells aside. You can see shapes within the flames—the running forms of dogs. These are not noble-looking beasts, but awkward, lop-sided mutts who sprouts tongues of flame where you would expect to find fur. They run pell-mell, looking panicked rather than aggressive.

Like this, but on fire.

The flaming hounds ignore the members of the party in their maddened rush, but as they tear through the chamber, they upset Anurak Orm’s oil-filled shield/paella pan. The oil is ignited by the dog’s flame. Flaming oil sprays across the chamber!

Oothu, Krodok, and Anurak Orm and splattered with burning oil and their clothes are now on fire! Krodok takes the worst of it, as his fur is on fire.

Dicing & Damage:

Initiative: [1d6] = 1 Flaming Hounds go first.
Drama: [1d6] = 1 Something bad happens!
Gurzubar is protected by bat-creature corpse and Cedric is out of range. I’ll be generous and say that Bubba, digging around in the pill bug shells, is able to dive among them for adequate cover. Everyone one else needs to dodge flaming oil!
Save: [1d20] = 13
Fire splatter damage: [1d4] = 1 [1d4] = 3 [1d4] = 2
Oothu: 14. Fail. Dmg: 1
Krodok: 14. Fail. Dmg: 3
Kopholo: 17
Ollan Lumis: 16
Anurak Orm: 14. Fail. Dmg: 2
Galot Wenz: 15

Before the party can act, the hounds have passed through the chamber, and disappeared around the bend.

Oothu smacks at the flames on his clothes while Krodok screams and drops on the ground, rolling among the bug shells.

ACTIONS!
Next action-post: Wednesday morning, EDT.