Expedition - Varas/The Dragon's Hoard - May 20, 1 VC

[Starbeard]

'Good thinking, Varas!' says Odium.

He grabs the dead body nearest to the door and attempts to toss it onto the oncoming bugs. If they are hungry, he hopes, they will eat; if not, they may mistake it for a hostile creature and attack it instead.

[Keehnelf]

Enemy Initiative [1d6] = 2

Odium tosses one of the corpses into the path of the oncoming centipedes, slowing them long enough for their anxiety about the flames to die down and offering up fresh meat for their consumption. Immediately, the mass begins devouring it, offering the party a window in which to slip by the centipedes or to try and attack them directly.

Varas strikes one of the centipedes with an arrow, as Frent and Alfric move in to defend the party--Frent engaging directly with an attack against the centipedes, slicing it in half with his blade.

Deliah's knife, thrown awkwardly to avoid striking Frent, hits the centipede-infested corpse instead, lodging hilt-deep in the gnoll's stomach.

(Actions and Initiative!)

Combatants:

9 centipedes

[Marullus]

Deliah looks with dismay at her knife, lodged in the center of the horde. "If you want to go around them, I'm game," she tells Varas after a moment, then continues, "Unless you think we can douse them better this time?"

[Starbeard]

Without waiting for an answer from Varas, Odium scampers out the door and looks for someplace to run that isn't blocked by the flames.

[AleBelly]

Varas nods at Odium as he exits the room. "I suggest we save the oil" he replies to Deliah. "And save our energy for greater foes."

He steps into the hallway, torch aloft.

[Marullus]

Deliah hitches up her skirts and scoots directly after Varas, waving the two men-at-arms to follow suit.

[Keehnelf]

As the centipedes feast on fresh gnoll-flesh, Varas leads the party around them and out through the door to the corridor, Frent and Alfric serving as rear-guard should the creatures turn too quickly from their new meal. Out in the hall, their options are quite limited: after only 15 feet or so, safe passage on is blocked entirely by flames, and on the right wall nearly at the fire's edge is a single metal door.

[AleBelly]

I assume that this the room we exited is at one end of the corridor? Can you let me know if we're facing north? I'll start mapping for the group when I get back from work travel...

Varas walks cautiously to the metal door, listening for any noise that might be beyond. If he hears nothing, he will attempt to open it.

[Keehnelf]

Yes, the room you exited is at one end of the corridor, and the corridor itself heads west, with the metal door on the north wall.

[Marullus]

How far does the corridor extend beyond the fire?

[Keehnelf]

The glare of the fire makes it impossible to see how far it extends.

[Keehnelf]

May 26, 1 VC - 5:00pm

Time is of the essence--the party darts past the writhing centipedes into the hall, Varas tucking one ear against the door to ascertain if there is anything beyond. Knowing it will take time to really inspect, and wanting to escape from the centipedes without further conflict, he pushes the door open after he hears no immediate sound. In the hall, Frent pulls the door closed behind them to block or slow the centipedes' advance if they choose to come after the party.

On the far side of the newly-opened door, a chamber twenty feet deep and thirty feet wide extends. The party has entered in the middle of the south wall, and there appear to be no other exits from the chamber. Several larger murder-holes, covered with heavy iron hatches, line the north side of the room, and on the west wall a series of openings allow heavy chains to enter and wrap around a massive winch. On the north wall there are several open windows that stretch across a darkened divide of perhaps ten feet, looking in on similar windows on the far side. The party spies movement there--given the fire behind them that must have been visible when the party opened the door, it would be folly to assume that whoever that is did not notice their entrance.

While there is a manual crank on one side of the winch, there is also a lever on the opposite side that seems intended to allow automated operation of the device. Presumably, this controls the gate.

[AleBelly]

"I think we've been spotted" says Varas to the others. "If you want to try to raise the portcullis, I'll cover you with my long bow. If one of you are good with a ranged weapon, take my place and I'll help turn the winch."

If the others work the winch, he'll draw his longbow and take cover next to the window, looking to fire upon any hostiles.

[Marullus]

Can Deliah see enough across the gap to determine if the movement is humanoid and clothed? How about to target her Charm Person spell?

[Keehnelf]

It's just moving shadows on the far side--but she can see locations clearly enough to target one of them: though she needs to be able to communicate directly with the target for the spell to work.

[Marullus]

We're already seen, so no harm done. If nothing else, it'll distract them while the others figure out the winch, reasons Deliah. Using the window frame for cover, Deliah calls across Goblin, then if necessary in Common. She calls across in greeting and asks who they are.

So, we'll find their disposition, and if I know a common language for charming, I hope?

[Keehnelf]

Alfric and Frent move immediately to begin working the winch while Varas provides cover for Deliah's gambit. It takes only a second to work out which direction is up, but they realize as the chain goes taut but doesn't move that the mechanism for raising the gate probably operates simultaneously from both sides, ensuring that an invading force will have to storm two separate locations to gain access to the interior of the fortress.

Meanwhile, Deliah calls out in goblin, in her most disarming manner.

There is a silence and the movement across the way abruptly ceases and the shadows disappear from view. Varas considers releasing an arrow but the movement is a bit too sudden and he knows he would only waste an arrow. A voice calls back, after a moment, in goblin:

"Hey, stranger--how did you end up in our gate house? What happened to our friends over there?"

Deliah reaction [2d6-1] = 10-1 = 9

[AleBelly]

Varas looks at Deliah. He'll offer a possible rejoinder only if she doesn't seem up to it.

[Marullus]

Deliah pauses, weaving her spell in sibilant whispers from behind the cover of the wall. Once completed, she replies, still pleasant and ingratiating.

She chuckles. "Oh, THAT'S a story. Let's lift these winches then we can go down below and I'll tell you the whole thing." She continues, exuding confidence in her tone. "Ready? On three. One... Two..."

[Keehnelf]

The voice takes a long moment to respond, once more in goblin. "You have more friends outside, I take it? Who sent you?"

Having returned to keep watch at the door, Frent scowls. "I hear something footsteps--coming quickly!" He readies his weapon.