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Pendleton, Dare, and Ablesforth are left with the harrowing task of rescuing their companions in the face of nine half-headed demonspawn thirsting for their flesh. With a pique of bravery, the invisible Pendleton rushes straight towards the three oncoming spawn and grabs Neegan as he wretches and vomits on the floor. He manages to drag the dwarf clear of the cloud before the three pursuers can reach him, getting him safely back to where Dare waits at the cavern's edge holding Ablesforth's rope, the narrow passage behind them and the sunlight streaming in beyond. (2 rounds for Neegan recovery) The three spawn follow them out of the cloud, diving and clawing fiercely at Neegan and Dare. With Neegan unable to bring his shield to bear, one sniffer gashes his arm (-2) while a second claws ineffectively at his metal-clad legs as he is dragged onward. The third spawn catches Dare as he tries to dodge, severely wounding him (critical hit, -6hp).

Ablesforth runs into the miasma, grateful for Eruanna's grace as he avoids succumbing to its sickening effects. He grabs his fellow Templars, Dolph and Idriss, and heaves them both towards the fresh air with his strong carpenter's arms. The five demonspawn continue to follow and harry them, hissing as they are unable to break through the protection which Eruanna provides. He gets them clear of the brown haze, just behind Pendleton and the other foes, but they continue hacking, retching, and wheezing (5 rounds to recovery).

Date: 23 July 2021, 4:21pm
Light: Ablesforth's light spell (until 5:30pm)
Effects: Invisibility (Pendleton) Protection from Evil (Ablesforth, Idriss, Dolph), smoldering incense (until 8:20pm), Neegan incapacitated (until 4:23), Idriss and Dolph incapacitated (until 4:26)
Injuries: Neegan (moderate/severe wounds), Dare (moderate/severe wounds)

Able sets Dolph and Idriss down, trusting in Eruanna's protection. He snatches up Neegan and heads for the outside, allowing Dare and Pendleton to slip out in front of him. If he can find a bottleneck in the tunnel, he will set Neegan on the ground and act as a blockade, keeping the sniffers in the caves. He tries to get a few answers out of them, speaking their language. Who do you serve? What do you want?

Able is ready to head back to town for now, if the sniffers stay in the caves, especially if a patrol pass by and helps kill this lot.

Roll a [5d6] CHA check to get useful answers.

I've updated the map to show the areas you've personally explored. The front entrance is indeed a bottleneck - you usually have been cautious to avoid the traps there. You bought the original map off the guards and so knew to avoid the traps thus far.

Map:

Pendleton heads outside, though he keeps his ears open for any response from the sniffers to Able's question.

I'd forgotten about the traps, actually. Where are we now? With the map in mind, if possible, Able will lay Idriss and Dare to the side of the pit trap, and along with his bulk, try to steer the sniffers into the pit trap.
CHA 12 vs [5d6] = 15
Oh well.

Pendleton aids Neegan and Dare follows, all escaping swiftly past the traps and out into the afternoon sunlight.

Ablesforth tries to trick the half-heads into the pit trap, but they evade his ruse, sensing the pit before them and circumventing it as well.

Ablesforth speaks to them in the fiendish tongue of their home plane as he backs up with Dolph and Idriss into the sunlight of the cavern entrance. "Who do you serve? What do you want?" he asks.

"Come, you can meet him," they taunt. "He has cages enough for all of you."

The nine demonspawn prowl at mid-cavern, not coming close to where the light spills in. The party finds themselves safe outside in the fresh breeze of the afternoon. Those affected by the stinking cloud soon recover. Ablesforth still holds the smoldering incense stick, who's smoke is not dispersed by the breeze but rather wafts like a string back into the cave's mouth.

Date: 23 July 2021, 4:40pm
Light: Sunlight, Ablesforth's light spell (until 5:30pm)
Effects: Invisibility (Pendleton) Protection from Evil (Ablesforth, Idriss, Dolph), smoldering incense (until 8:20pm)
Injuries: Neegan (moderate/severe wounds), Dare (moderate/severe wounds)

"Let's not go back in there," says Pendleton. "Not right away, and not until we can develop a plan to keep all those half-heads away."

"Shall we proceed back to town? I, for one, could do with a nice long bath." And, hopefully, a level up.

Neegan - In the midst of his coughing and hacking. I agree lets come back with a better plan.

Able recommends waiting for a patrol to head back in and destroy the sniffers in the cave before returning to town. They seem t'be 'fraid of the light, but they might come out at night.
Let's do 'em in afore we let 'em loose on the world.

Dolph scratches his beard, contemplating the smoking stick of incense, and asks, "So I understand... You want to wait for some inexperienced guardsmen, tell them that three of the most potent demon-fighting Templars of Eruanna here in Gaul and their companions are too afraid to face these foes, and convince them to go in instead? If that's your confession, Brother, I accept it, but it wouldn't be mine."

"You want to send people back in?" asks Pendleton, incredulous. "Have fun with that. I'll wait for you here."

"Besides, this hole in the ground appears to contain an effectively infinite supply of halfheads. We might be able to kill these, but if they are now intent on ranging into the world at large, there appears to be little we can do to stop them. Our best strategy is probably to rely on the fact that they have shown little interest in leaving their lair so far. If that has changed, it will take more than the few of us to stop them."

I'm in Juneau for the day, so I can post.

Able explains to Dolph that the Templars are unable to touch the sniffers without being overwhelmed in return. I got no doubts 'bout our fightin' abilities, Brother Dolph, but there's just too many of 'em. We done been forced inta hodin' behind our blessings t' protect the rest of the party. I was just thinkin' that a few more hands'd tip the odds in our favor. It'd let us Templars join the fray, good an' proper.In the end, he acknowledges Pendleton's point and agrees to head back to town after locating Grimble. Let's gather up our missin' dwarf and head back t'town.

Something tells me that fewer members with more PFE and invisibility would be better. Does Idriss have that spell? If not, would Pendleton be willing to cast it on a few Templars? (Idriss is in NPC mode now and then not recruitable once the expedition ends, correct?

Correct; Idriss and Grimble leave the party when you hit town unless their players return. There is a new dwarf to pick up, though.

What's your action?

Dolph shrugs. "Don't think some dirty fingernails on a brainless thrall are much of a challenge; Eruanna didn't bless us to keep us from ever fighting." the big man then clams up, waiting for direction.

Let's head back to town.

Neegan Could we create a mirror system to cast sunlight down into the demon hole? Possibly draw some to edge of the hole and kill some of them?

ooc:
https://youtu.be/QQzg1vpxnnY

Making the decision to head back to town, the party arrives after a tired and plodding walk. It is only six hours after your entered the caverns last and you're home in time for dinner, though it seems much longer. The guards stop you at the gate to ask about the thin string of smoke which trails along behind you; as they question you, it finally snuffs out and they shrug, letting you enter.

You go straight to the infirmary, reporting in to Brother Mylo. (Please post IC your report) He returns the sacks of items you left with him that morning for safekeeping so you can distribute them among yourselves.


Date: 23 July 2021, 8:20pm
Light: Sunlight
Effects: Invisibility (Pendleton) Protection from Evil (Ablesforth, Idriss, Dolph), smoldering incense (until 8:20pm)
Injuries: Neegan (moderate/severe wounds), Dare (moderate/severe wounds)

Expedition Summary - Part II:
Encounter: Spawn at the barricade
Encounter: Spawn battle in the statue room
Event: Neegan falls into the sea-water pit
Encounter: Spawn in the sleeping chamber
Encounter: Fleeing the spawn to the exit
Encounter: Spawn in the stinking miasma

Exploration: 4 new dungeon rooms
Duration: 6 hours (less than 1 day)

Totals:
2,057 character XP / 1,025 item XP for each PC
1,029 character XP / 512 item XP for Dolph


Part I Treasure:
- 200 sp (20lbs, one small sack)
- a brass brooch with the image of runes in Elvish, and an octopus within a triangle. (20gp sale value)
- a beautiful copper periapt with the image of a skull encased in flame and set with three Moonstones. (600gp object d'art)
- a golden pitcher, covered in a wave-like pattern of etched lines. It is of marvelous workmanship. (Magic Item - 4001xp.)
- 5 fire beetle glow-organs (10gp each to the potion-maker, 50gp)
- Silver demon mask with golden horns (70gp value in materials, weights 52lbs, 350gp as object d'art)

Part II Treasure:
- 50lbs (just under one large sack full) of tarnished silver plates and silverware.

August 11, 2021

The party is able to rest and recover at the Infirmary, overcoming both the injuries and the horrors of their recent foray outward. (You advance to the current timestamp on entering town - August 11. That's three weeks of food and lodging. If you don't stay in the Infirmary, please post where you go and that you pay for food/meals accordingly.) All your wounds are healed, but strange rumors reach you from the guard and the town.

Brother Mylo addresses you all together in private. "I regret that your actions have worsened the state of affairs... while the incense was meant to be a string to lead you through the labrynthine maze to the hell gate at its center, your actions and then retreat have instead sparked the interest of the entity within AND provided it the thread to follow outward... and across the land to the gates of Gaul. It is even more imperative that you achieve your objective and seal the gate within."

"The Archduke is holding the Templars personally responsible for this; the Church of Baudh recently acquired a potent relic which protects the city walls from infernal incursion and is quite proud of its rather visible success. You know the Baudh followers have long seen us as a liability to a civilized city... given their success in protecting the city, and our apparent failure, the Archbishop is lobbying for us to be relocated outside the walls and away from Gaul so that we don't..." he pauses to sigh and recover himself, "we don't endanger everyone by leading more infernal beings back to the city."