Idriss, Pendleton, Dare, and Grimble stand back from the door as the operation continues, in the middle of the salty room with the octopus-woman ceiling mural. They are intently watching as the drama unfolds with Ablesforth trying to find a way to burn them all unsuspectingly... so focused, in fact, that they are surprised as another patch of the half-headed spawn rush at a full run around the corner and through the doorway on the opposite wall behind them, coming along the same course as the solid thread of weaving incense smoke. Thirteen more creatures burst into the room and are on the party before they can react. Thankfully, the protections from such evil as them still hold - they succeed in harrying and scattering Idriss, Dare, and Pendleton in the moment, separating the party from each other. A pile of them dive onto Grimble, who tries futilely to block them all with his shield, backing away as a few slashing, grimy claws find purchase on his flesh (-2).
Those spawn inside the room, emboldened by their companions appearance, seem to have been prepared to leap forward in unison as part of the surprise. They pile onto Neegan in the doorway - his crossbow momentarily serving as a parrying device as the surprise coordination as he too tries to defend from their claws (-3, -4).
The eyeless creatures don't seem deterred by Pendleton's invisibility and harry him as much as Dare and Idriss. He feels his enchantments against such supernatural evil buckle under their assault... he knows his protection will expire in no more than a moment...
(six inside the room, 13 outside the room, surprise round over - Round 1!)
...I extended Pendleton long enough to allow warning. Can someone look back the thread and find the timestamp for when Dare received his Protection? I should've been tracking that duration under the Effects.
Date: 23 July 2021, 3:21pm
Light: Dolph's Torch (until 4:00pm)
Effects: Invisibility (Pendleton) Protection from Evil (Ablesforth, Idriss, Dolph, Pendleton), smoldering incense (until 8:20pm)
Injuries: Neegan (moderate/severe wounds), Grimble (moderate wounds)[/quote]
Retreating to the surface isn't a bad idea.
