Expedition: Ablesforth: The Demon Hole: Part 2 - 30 Aug 2021

[Zhym]

*bump*

Is the previous post okay to move things forward, or should I post a more overt action?

[Marullus]

You were giving direction for Ablesforth to act and I was waiting for Rusty to post... He may want to embellish the action with additional prep. If he doesn't reply I will assume consent and proceed.

[Rusty Tincanne]

I'll make a post later tonight. Sorry for the delay.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Able nods at Pendleton. He steps through the door with the large slab of stone now ilon the floor (in the direction of where the incense went before). Let's just check out this room first, then we'll light the incense.

[Marullus]

The door where the incense smoke went is the one which remains locked. The slab is in front of the secret door. You're trying the secret door (right wall) or the regular now unlocked door (left wall)?

[Rusty Tincanne]

viewtopic.php?f=353&t=7646&start=260#p392508

Updated map:

Demon Hole Map.png

my understanding was that the incense had wafted from the Smashed Furniture Room through the portcullis. And then again from the knotwork floor room into the chameleon room. Did we see which door it went towards when it was smoking? a hard right (to the secret door) or just back into the room (as if toward the wall-door).

If Able believes it would have headed to the secret door, he'll try and just smash it down. Then, once through, he'll light the incense.

[Spearmint]

Trapfinding pole 1487 xp + 650 xp = 2137 xp

Quarterstaff of Trap-Finding. At basic level the quarterstaff may act as a rather large diving rod, quivering in the direction of traps and snares, (mechanical or natural like pits, rock falls, trip wires, etc, anything none magical. It may pick up the fact a snare triggers a dart trap, but not the fact that the dart is poisoned).

Idriss, the Templar mage awakes from a walking stupor."I'm sorry, I feel my mind has been absent for a long while."He concentrates on his quarterstaff as they move forward.

[Rusty Tincanne]

That'd've been useful a'fore now. Still, better late than never. observes Able.

[Marullus]

I stand corrected - you are right, you don't know where the incense went previously from this room. You do know that it went into the room on the other side of this secret door when you were elsewhere, so it is fair to begin there.

Also, for OOC clarity, Idriss' staff gives a +1 to his find traps ability, making him as good as an elf or dwarf (1-2 on d6).

Grateful that Eruanna's blessing saved your theives, you step around the fallen stone blocks and up to the artistic bone-fragment mosaic which covers the wall. You pull the catch and open the secret door, which swings towards you on quiet hinges, revealing the darkness beyond. The other side of the door has a demonic mask carved of stone mounted upon it, two others flanking it on the wall. The room itself is 50' square, your secret door in the middle of the wall. You see the wooden portcullis centered on the wall to your right, which you recognize having viewed it from the other side. You also can discern the crossbow traps pointing at it, accessible from this side. The right end of the far wall has an iron portcullis, dimly outlined from where you stand, and a plain wooden door is on the near end of the left wall.

The floor is covered with trash and detrious - whatever furnishings reduced to wooden kindling, books and scrolls torn into fragile tidbits. As your light pours into the room you hear a hiss and squeal! There are nine giant rats in the mess, their eyes glowing in the reflected torchlight - you are surprised as they are, for a moment.

Both sides surprised. Begin normally on round 2. Actions!

Date: 02 September 2021, 1:40pm
Light: Rhe's Torch (until 1:50pm)
Effects: Protection from Evil (Able, Pendleton, Idriss, Dolph, Jacques, Molay); Invisibility (Pendleton)
Injuries: Ablesforth (moderately injured); Dolph (moderately injured); Jacques (moderately injured)

[Spearmint]

Idriss

swears in goblinish (so as not to offend anyone), cursing the furry critters who chewed up his weasel friend. He attempts to play 'whack-a-rodent' with his quarterstaff, pounding at the head of the nearest rat. Attack roll with staff [1d20] = 13 damage [1d6] = 4

[Rusty Tincanne]

Able steps back and allows the giant rats to come to the party, using the doorway as a bottleneck. He joins Idriss in bludgeoning the rats as the pass into the room, crushing their skulls into the stone floor.

Three Rounds of Combat:
Round 1: "Persuader" (THACO 18): [1d20+2] = 19+2 = 21, dmg [1d8+2] = 8+2 = 10
Round 2: "Persuader" (THACO 18): [1d20+2] = 14+2 = 16, dmg [1d8+2] = 7+2 = 9
Round 3: "Persuader" (THACO 18): [1d20+2] = 19+2 = 21, dmg [1d8+2] = 8+2 = 10

Someone please roll three rounds of Initiative.

[Zhym]

What do we think—are Able, Idriss, and the Templars enough to dispatch nine big rats without a problem, or should Pendleton expend a spell on them?

[Rusty Tincanne]

I think we'll be okay.

[Zhym]

Famous last words.

Pendleton hangs back and lets the fighty types fight. Maybe being invisible will actually protect him for once.

Initiative (3 rounds): [1d6] = 1 [1d6] = 2 [1d6] = 3

[Rusty Tincanne]

I was thinking that same thing.
Initiative for three rounds [1d6] = 3, [1d6] = 4, [1d6] = 4,

[Marullus]

The rats are swift and vicious, swarming towards you! Their sharp teeth snap, the rats hiss, people dodge their feet out of the way. The rats find no success in their rush towards you, except that they startle Dolph (who emits a high pitched squeal) before he fumbles his sword. Ablesforth, Jacques, Molay, Idriss, and Sigmund each skewer one of their furry bodies, slaying over half of the creatures in the first salvo. The remaining four turn and try to flee, but Ablesforth and Sigmund dispatch two more of the furry beasts. The last two wiggle between the slats of the portcullis and escape.

You find yourselves alone now in the room, Rhe's torch scattering light over the demonic stone masks mounted to the wall.

Date: 02 September 2021, 1:43pm
Light: Rhe's Torch (until 1:50pm)
Effects: Protection from Evil (Able, Pendleton, Idriss, Dolph, Jacques, Molay); Invisibility (Pendleton)
Injuries: Ablesforth (moderately injured); Dolph (moderately injured); Jacques (moderately injured)

Rat init [1d6] = 4 [1d6] = 5 [1d6] = 1

Round 1:
PCs init 3 / Rat init 4
Rat attack [1d20][1d20][1d20][1d20][1d20]
Rat attack [1d20] = 11[1d20] = 9[1d20] = 8[1d20] = 3[1d20] = 18
Rat attack [1d20] = 10[1d20] = 7[1d20] = 7[1d20] = 2
No rats hit.
Ablesforth kills a rat (10hp)
Idriss kills a rat (4hp)
D [1d20] = 1 J [1d20] = 18 M [1d20] = 18 S [1d20] = 13 K[1d20] = 8
Dolph fumbles his sword
Jaques, Molay, and Sigmund each kill a rat
5 rats dead, 4 rats remaining.
rat morale [2d6] = 9
Rats try to flee.

Round 2:
PC Init 4 / Rat init 5
Ablesforth kills a rat (9hp)
D [1d20] = 5 J [1d20] = 2 M [1d20] = 2 S [1d20] = 17 K[1d20] = 11
Ablesforth and Sigmund kill two more.
2 rats escape through the portcullis.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Able takes a quick look around at the demonic masks before acknowledging it is time to light the incense. Maybe come back and take these later? And let's disarm the crossbow traps in case we need to get through that portcullis.

[Spearmint]

Idriss

"The masks radiate evil. They should be destroyed not taken back", remarks the templar mage. Idriss examines them for recent marking or adornment.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Able disagrees. They're destroyed back in the Infirmary, with Brother Mylo's guidance. After all that's gone on here, I'd rather not make any more gaffs.

This is a it meta, but destroying them and leaving them in these tunnels will not earn us any XP. Let's take them back, get the XP, and then worry about it!

[Spearmint]

Okay, templar HQ can deal with it. Mind you they blamed Eruanna for some previous diabolical stuff going on in Gaul so we don't want to add to it.