Chapter 11: Brash Excellence

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Session Number: 11
Date: Thursday 27 March 2008
Venue: Tammi's
PCs & Players:

Catria Rgr1 (Tammi) (kills: 2 goblins [plus seriously maimed 1 more goblin until it shot itself in the eye], 2 stirges)
Nuff Mage1/Drd1 (Densial) (kills: none)
Sack Thf2 (Fergus) (kills: 1 stirge)
Sigil Ill1/Thf1 (Craig) (kills: 1 stirge plus one spooked stirge)

XP Awarded: 1000 each

Let's have a crack at an illusion!

entry_cavern_illusion.jpg

Sigil sneaks back into the entry tunnel and casts Phantasmal Force as soon as he is within sight of the barricade. Illusory mist begins to appear on the surface of the water - thin and wispy at first, slowly growing higher and thicker. 5 minutes later the mist has risen almost to the cavern's ceiling and is spilling onto the near shore, fully 20' wide. Sigil concentrates and the mist begins to thicken, obscuring vision. As soon as it thickens to the point where the goblins beyond the barricade can no longer expect to see us, Sigil carefully moves a little further up, maintaining concentration on the illusion. The others follow. They have been carefully briefed about what to expect, yet Sack still succumbs to the simple but clever ruse and is unable to see the other side. Nuff, Sigil and Catria see a crossbow-armed goblin peer confusedly over the table's edge, apparently unable to see us. Catria looses an arrow at it and barely misses, the arrow bouncing harmlessly off the little creature's armoured upper torso. It ducks for cover.

Catria then stows her bow and quietly slips into the stream, hoping to scale the other side and put her daggers through some goblin eyes. Unfortunately, there is simply not enough leverage to be gained on the other side for Catria to stealthily pull herself out of the water. Catria returns to the other side and thinks… "Stuff this - I'm going for it," turns and runs back towards the stream. Leaping - she flies towards the other side and performs a deft handstand on the table's edge and somersaults over, landing, crouched on her feet behind two utterly surprised goblin scouts. In one swift movement, Catria assesses the situation, pulls out her two brand new ruby, hilted daggers and simultaneously stabs them both, instantly killing them. Pulling the daggers out, Catria takes a quick look behind her to see a very frightened, shocked looking goblin, with crossbow in hand and jaw dropped open in disbelief. Thinking quickly, Catria turns in one smooth-flowing movement and releases one of her daggers which hurtles towards the stricken goblin - the dagger hits its mark, but it's not a death blow. The dagger has imbedded itself into the little goblin's shoulder - it reels back, but manages to stay on its overgrown feet. Looking down the goblin sees the dagger protruding from its shoulder, looks back to this savage human girl in front of it and panics - the goblin fires its unreadied crossbow… back to front (whoops). The bolt pierces the hapless goblin's eye and it falls to the floor, lifeless. Catria… smiles and nods her head. She retrieves her dagger and giggles a wee bit as she goes back past the other two dead goblins.

Satisfied and feeling quite proud of herself, Catria thinks that she may have proven herself a little more as a worthy companion to the rest of the group (especially to that half-elf Sack - who for some reason doesn't like humans… or woman much). Catria then swaggers back to the group, informing them that the way is clear. The rest move across, Sack obviously impressed with Catria's handiwork.

A quick look in the kitchen reveals that it is unoccupied. The group head across the barge and into the now familiar crystal cavern. Sack slides down the tunnel and returns, reporting that the water level has returned to its previous 5'-6' depth. Sigil heads back to the upper stream and drops some kindling in, hoping that the other party members might see where it ends up - purely out of curiosity rather than having an actual use for the information. The kindling disappears into the hole at the end of the tunnel and is not seen again.

The group salvage two tables from the kitchen and drag them down the sloping tunnel in the crystal cavern floor, pushing them into the deep water beyond. The tables are lashed together and Sigil and Catria climb aboard while Sack and Nuff hang off the sides. The current slowly takes the waterborne group through the dogleg corridor and deposits them near the end of the tunnel. The group disembark, wring out their clothes and head for the chuted chamber at the end of the corridor. We debate the possibility of exploring the shaft leading up - Nuff has a Spider Climb spell memorised, after all. Reason wins out - we simply cannot fathom a way for someone to safely climb both up and back down again.

aaaaaaaaaaAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…… <thud>
(The sound of someone falling from the upper chute through to the lower :-)

So, how about heading down, then? Sack is not very happy with this idea - he's been down there before. He finally agrees to both himself and Sigil climbing down together. The two thieves safely negotiate the 100' deep chute and drop to the rubble on the floor below. Sigil briefly scratches at the stones beneath them, finding not much else beyond more stones. The two stop and listen. There is the sound of leathery wings beating rhythmically, somewhere beyond the range of infravision. The thieves draw their swords…

Two bat-like creatures with long proboscises fly out and attempt to latch on to the two tasty treats! Sack fells one with his long sword but two more join the fray. The two sword-wielding rogues fight back-to-back, now outnumbered. One of the creatures is possessed by bloodlust and savages one of its companions. However, the odds do not improve for the beleaguered rogues - two more creatures fly out of the gloom, drawn by the scent of warm blood. The odds are now 4-2 and things are starting to look grim!

Sack gets skewered twice and loses all but one hit point. Another of the winged foes hits Sigil.

"Heeeeelp!" calls Sigil. "Heeeelp!" cries Sack as he desperately tumbles about, trying to avoid the creatures' rapier-like attacks. Nuff and Catria hear the cries from below. Nuff asks for Catria's lantern and oil. He pours the flask of oil down the chute and drops the lit lantern immediately after. Catria almost jumps after them… (they are her only source of light - much needed by Catria, least she crumple into a heap on the hard ground, rocking back and forth, sucking her thumb in the dark). Catria realises Nuff has done this so she can see below. Nuff then casts Spider Climb on Catria and urges her down the chute.

A creature again latches onto Sack and he falls to the floor. 4-1! Sigil casts Spook and one of the creatures shrieks and flees, just as the oil ignites at the gnome's back. The burst of fire and light scares the remaining creatures and they flutter back a few yards. Catria completes her climb and drops to the stony floor, pulling her bow off her shoulder and nocking an arrow. Her first shot fells one of the creatures. Sigil cuts another down just as Catria's second arrow drops the last remaining creature.

[Craigo] Phew! Catria really kicked arse this session! [Tamz] Oh yeah baby!!! Girlz so roole!! Hehe.

After a few deep breaths Sigil calls up to Nuff, asking what to do about Sack's many wounds. Sigil's efforts do little to stem the flow of blood but Catria's efforts prove more successful. Sack is safe, for now… or is he? Nuff cannot climb down to the rest of the party. Sigil could climb up to Nuff but there is not enough rope for Nuff to reach the bottom of the 100' drop. The party has extra rope hanging down the chasm outside, but Nuff cannot readily climb up to fetch it and Sigil cannot readily swim through the corridor towards it. Catria's Spider Climb spell is wearing very thin and there is not enough left for her to climb back up, leaving her stranded at the bottom of the chute with the unconcious Sack. The fire is burning lower and lower and Catria's lantern is smashed. Not to mention that there is still at least one more oversized mosquito out there. The group is kind of stuck - not quite knowing what to do, what will happen, or what will attack next…

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