Fawkes: Sewer Rat

[Straither]

Tunnels: Sewer Network

Aspis: reactions to follow Fawkes taunt? [1d100]=68

Fawkes tries to use the barrier to non-hostility that his Sanctuary spell has created to draw the Aspis drone-warrior further along the walkway and potentially onto the dangerous tilting ledge trap.

Aspis: harpoon javelin [1d20]=8 [1d6+3]=2+3=5

The Insectoid does indeed follow along, loading another javelin into the huge crossbow, loosing it to fly powerfully into the water and strike the injured crocodile a second time. The beast thrashes but turns belly up, floating close to the walkway and drifting slowly around the edge of the whirlpool.

Aspis: Ledge Pit Knowledge vs 25% [1d100]=41Fawkes: Thief Skill check [1d100]=66

Fawkes, using a Climb Walls check to successful jump across the Ledge Out trap without triggering it, you get to the other side and kneel on the edge of the walkway, trying to reach the dead crocodile that it could be given as a meat offering to the Insect warrior. The Aspis considers, wanting food for the larvae to feast upon. It steps closer, a malicious intent to seize both crocodile and cleric-crook. Without knowledge of the trap, the unwary Aspis triggers the tilting ledge, it falls prone, almost sliding off the edge but instinctively reaches out with both upper limbs to grasp the lip of the ledge as it dangles precariously just above the maelstrom of sewage.

Next Actions Fawkes

[Stirling]

Fawkes

I think I want to try something crazy as the Insectoid Aspis looks a brute and obviously wants to hunt me. So ... I am going to try to dive feet first at the outstretched limbs of the Aspis and kick him hands or claws that grasp the ledge lip. I hope that doing so will drop him into the sewer water and he will get caught up in the drain suction.

Not sure what you might want as an attack.

Fawkes: Dex check vs 12: attack to kick Aspis? [1d20]=12 [1d100]=22

"Let go you critter!"

[Straither]

Tunnels: Sewer Network.

Fawkes launches himself into a flying kick, trying to kick away the Aspis' limbs that hold on to the tipped ledge. His dextrous leap is good and he scythes the Aspis, causing it to release its grip and the creature slides down the side of the walkway tile.

But no victory is easy or comes without risk and at it slips, the gangly critter grabs Fawkes by the ankle too.

Aspis: strength check vs opposed Fawkes kick [1d20]=3

Both Aspis drone-warrior and Fawkes, cleric-thief are swept up in the churning whirlpool of sewage and flotsam. The creature tries to swim, flailing about and with two limbs, holding overhead and trying to keep above water the Queen larvae still gripped by the pincers. Fawkes knows the dangers of the drain suction already and once more can hold breath and try to swim away.

Next Actions Fawkes, give me three attempts to swim away again. (vs 54%, 44% & 34%).

[Stirling]

Fawkes

Tries to avoid grappling with the drowning Aspis and once more, swim away from the drain grate and to the walkway.

Fawkes: swims vs sewer drain suction: vs 54 [1d100]=78 vs 44 [1d100]=7 vs 34 [1d100]=46

[Straither]

Tunnels: Sewer Network

Fawkes sinks once more, caught up in the spiral of sewage that is sucked towards the channel grate. The Aspis cannot swim, not in the sense of breaststrokes instead it sprays limbs outward and tries to hold the Queen larvae aloft. But it took gets caught in the maelstrom and gets sucked down towards the grate.

A second surge of effort can bring Fawkes out of the dragging currents and above water. You climb out the sewer for the second time. The Aspis does not resurface. give me a successful PP attempt to grab a random item thing from Aspis or Icon as you are churned about in your escape from the grate.

The sewer network is dark, quiet.

Sewer Network: random encounter vs 1 [1d6]=4

next actions please

[Stirling]

Fawkes

No worse off for another baptism in the sewage. I think to go explore the cave at the end of the tunnel.

Fawkes: Pickpockets vs 30% [1d100]=42

Didn't grab anything. I will try some silent movement to not attract anymore grubs or hungry larvae if more are in the garbage dump.

Fawkes: Move Silently thief skill vs 26% [1d100]=54

[Straither]

Aspis Territory: garbage hatchery.

6.00pm:
Illumination: infravision, luminescent fungi on cave walls.

Fawkes hopes that no more larvae and no more Aspis guards are sheltering in the cave of sewage garbage.

The floor of this next room is completely covered with drying garbage and other foul materials that float atop a boggy and stagnant pool of sediment. Everyone traversing the cave must surely wade through this muck to enter and go to and fro. The air is steamy and slick condensation appears on the walls, already covered by thin layers of verdant slimy growths. The heat of rotting garbage rises from the floor, rendering infravision almost useless. There are four exits from the chamber, one at each compass point. The exit to the west is a brick and stone passage (the one leading into the sewer tunnel network, where you currently stand); the other entrances are dirt tunnels. The odor of rot filling the air is almost nauseating in its intensity, stinking slightly more than you do.

Any attempt to 'Move Silently' is negated by the floor being 2'ft deep in boggy sewage that is thick like clay and makes normal movement almost impossible, characters crossing the cave need to wade through the mud that inevitably them down. The cave is not big by any means but navigating the mud without disturbing the floating garbage is not easy as you quickly find out. Perhaps cutting a staff to prod the safest way ahead might be prudent. Certainly just a few steps inside the cave and you inadvertently step from a solid floor underfoot to a deeper step down, now thigh deep and if not for the cautious MS approach, in danger of quickly stepping too far and seemingly off the unseen ledge of solid ground into the boggy centre of the cave and the potential pitfalls of quicksand like muck.

Your footsteps create little tremors, practically unnoticed by you but picked up by the garbage pit inhabitants which number several more fattened larvae that wriggle to rise to the surface in search of something meaty to feast upon.

Luckily there is no Aspis guardian watching over the larvae wellbeing.

Next Actions Fawkes give me another MS roll to determine if the blind maggots locate you and decide on a next actions..

[Stirling]

Fawkes

Tries to move away from the wriggling larvae as quickly as possible, sloshing through the boggy sewage. If I can get to a wall, I will try to Climb Walls to get out their reach and cross to the exit opposite.

Fawkes: Move Silently thief skill vs 26% [1d100]=87

Fawkes: Climb Walls vs 91% [1d100]=76

[Straither]

Aspis Territory: garbage hatchery

Failing to Move Silently or carefully enough to notcause the sloshing and ripple effect of your steps to indicate your location. Two grubs activated by your last round stumble into the cave are near enough to launch themselves in leech like fashion to at you and try to take a nip of your flesh.

With the boggy terrain nullifying any dexterity bonus, unarmoured to boot, you make a very tempting and easy target for two hungry larvae who both draw blood with deep wounds into your thighs and buttocks as you try to climb free of the sticky muck and garbage. -3hp

Aspis Larvae try to bite Fawkes: [1d20]=19 [1d3]=2 [1d20]=14 [1d3]=1

You do at least manage to get a foothold, albeit a greasy and tenuous one, upon the slimy cave walks and traversing around the interior of the cave. There are entrances at each compass point and reaching the southern exit you can peer into the passage and ascertain that two large, insect like humanoids are deeper inside. Trying to avoid a new encounter or conflict, you can give me another MS roll to cross the entrance without alerting these Aspis to your presence and a new CW roll to stay above the boggy garbage pit.


6.05pm.
Illumination: Infravision, luminescent fungi on cave walls.

Fawkes 04/17hp

Next Actions please.

[Stirling]

Fawkes

Rather than investigate the passage I spot the Aspis, I quickly leap across the entrance, hoping not to attract them or more larvae towards me.

Fawkes: Move Silently thief skill vs 26% [1d100]=71

Staying in the wall to avoid wading through the garbage in the cave.

Fawkes: Climb Walls vs 91% [1d100]=23

If I know anything tries to follow me, I will look for a place to hide if I can.

Fawkes: Hide in Shadows attempt vs 15% [1d100]=24

[Straither]

Aspis Territory: garbage hatchery

Aspis Larvae try to bite Fawkes: [1d20]=11 [1d3]=2 [1d20]=5 [1d3]=2

The two hungry larvae pursue the scrabbling Fawkes intent on another nibble of prime Half-Orc rump. They miss with their lunges, wriggling quickly back into burrows made in the soil and sediment of the boggy cage floor, a veritable compost heap warmed by the layer of rotting garbage that decomposes above. result of failed MS roll)

You pass the entrance to the passage where other Aspis seem to patrol or be stationed. You get a flash of heat that you can discern as an Insectoid who holds a throbbing ovoid in his limbs, reasoning how Insects have an instinct to protect eggs, the Aspis might be some kind of drone-midwife caring for newly laid eggs. You quickly flit by, the rising thermals and humid background masking your own body heat from infravisual inspection. You can conclude the garbage cave to be suitable terrain for maggotty grubs to grow once hatched. It makes you wonder just where you are exploring too ...

You leap off the wall once traversing the cave interior and step into a drier narrow dirt tunnel. (result of passed CW roll)

In similar construction to those tunnels explored when you descended from the cemetery crypt, these next dirt tunnels are excavated out from the soil, hard packed earthen walls and ceilings roofed by supportive mining type beams every 5’ft. The main passageways are normally 10’ wide, but this will vary considerably from section to section. The ceilings are about 8’ to 12’ft high. The passage leading east from the garbage cave goes about 30'ft before arcing in a curve and then joining a wider passage that extends to the left and right.

Tunnels Network: random encounter vs 1 [1d6]=1

You hear a whip crack, an unmistakable sound, followed by a groan and some choice cussing. Heading from the left is a chain gang of slave labourers. They are being herded by several guards who carry whips and firebrands. The group are accompanied by a silk turbaned merchant, a mailed bodyguard and the guard Sgt who interprets. The merchant juggles a pouch of jingling coins in his hand, seemingly boasting to the guard Sgt of his confidence to win a forthcoming wager.

The manacled slaves are hustled along and shuffle in noisy steps except for one who is kept separate from the regular file of soon to be press-ganged labourers. This one is a dwarven figure, his ankle chains linked to a heavyweight round ball, which ordinarily would hamper his steps to just a yard in length. In defiance he carries his burden, his biceps bulging under the weight. The dwarf has several scars and tattoos; injuries received in combat and indelible inks to mark each hard won victory. The warrior strangely attired; booted feet and plated shin Greaves cover him below the knees, above he is only dressed in loincloth held up by a wide leather belt and a cross torso bandolier, both fixed with protective buckler type shields.

A slave several steps behind the merchant carries a heavy wooden box, velvet lined and bearing inside a shiny helm, a weighted net and a three pronged trident. It marks the dwarf out to be some type of gladiatorial prizefighter though he has still yet to win his freedom. As the file of guards and slaves approach, the last slave carrying the box visibly wilts under his burden and the lashings he has taken. He falls prone, spilling the articles carried to much wrath and rebuke.

It causes a minor distraction but in that brief segment, the nearest guards catch sight of you in the tunnel entrance, (result of failed HiS roll),

"Hey, get back here scumbag, fall back in line." a brutal whip lashes out in your direction, the guards assuming rightly or wrongly you to be among the desperate file of ragtag slaves. You look and probably smell as bad as them since you ditched armour and weapons and walk barefoot too.

"This one's dead Sir!" exclaims a guard checking over the fallen slave. He turns the body over but not to resuscitate with any healing CPR. The bodyguard prods him between ribs with a sword. "He is now!" he gruffly speaks.

"Right, let's have this one carry the Beast's burden instead." Guards prod Fawkes at swordpoint too, hustling him to the rear and to pick up the dead man's burden.

It seems the end of the line for sewer rat Fawkes, given a fool's choice to either run back through the garbage cave and try to escape, try to fight these guards with fists and fury alone, or to resign yourself to being press-ganged into the slave troupe and hope to find another way of escape.

Next Actions for Fawkes.

6.10pm.

Fawkes 04/17hp

[Stirling]

Fawkes

I am too injured to fight and fleeing will not really work. I can only wade half speed in the garbage so will be slow and open to larvae attacks as well as range crossbows.

So, ...

"Sorry boss, I just needed the toilet. Diarrhoea, got the shits." he excuses himself and will go to the back of the line, eyeing the dwarf gladiator up along the way. I wonder why he makes no attempt to escape? Perhaps he is charmed.

Can I brush alongside or trip into the Guard Sgt? I figure he may have keys to shackles or manacles and I want to try some pickpocket to sneak them away.

Fawkes: Pickpockets vs 30% [1d100]=30

[Straither]

Tunnels: Aspis Territory

Tunnels: Aspis Territory

Fawkes, presumed by the guards to be an acquired slave gets press-ganged into the file of desperados and tasked with carrying the dwarven gladiator's equipment. Tripping over the prone slave and tumbling against the guard Sgt, he risks his wrath and a crack of a whip for his troubles but successfully pickpockets a rusty iron key.

The group carry on up the passage the the right, a dirt tunnel that dead-ends, a ladder fixed to the wall and leading up to an ornate trapdoor in the ceiling, about forty feet above.

"We have fame and fortune riding upon this Durgan. Don't let your Dominus down, you fight for your Master's pleasure and the great honour of his House." the Merchant's bodyguard reminds the dwarven warrior of his duties, which by his grim set face and stern look, must be enforced by some kind of charm hold that stops him from rebelling against the Master merchant.

The Guard Sgt climbs the ladder, fiddling with an intricate latch before opening the sealed portal and climbing through. Before he signals anyone to follow, he doffs his helmet, bowing before an unseen figure. Then he calls forth slaves and guards to ascend in file with Durgan, Fawkes, merchant and bodyguard bringing up the rear. It is a heavy task for Fawkes, encumbered by the load he has to haul up in one hand but eventually all climb and arrive in the sanctuary of the Gruumsh Temple, a trapdoor that opens ominously between the feet of a carved statue that stands above, sword in hand, one gem crusted eye surveying the court before it.

I will close this solo thread here and open a new thread for Fawkes & Durgan as you roleplay through the next encounter.