Gnome's OOTA Story Thread [CLOSED]

Katryl takes aim with her shortbow as she holds her position. (Steady Aim) She then looses her arrow at the nearest Barlgura. 
(Shortbow Attack: 12, Damage: 12 + 15 Sneak Attack damage) 

She urges the other Scouts to also focus their fire on the same creature. 

A plan well crafted and laid! With stunning precision (apart from a couple of stray shots) and ample teamwork, blades, arrows and bolts of magic assault the barlguras, and despite their large size and terrifying look, quickly fall prey to you group! The poor demons just never stood a chance against your coordinated assault.

(Combat over)

Khessa is satisfied with yet another Army's success: "Good! Another small step, but always in the direction of preventing the Underdark from becoming a new layer of the Abyss!" she doles out enthusiastic pats on the back and high fives to anyone who comes within range.

After that, the blonde arcane warrior checks where the demons were initially located... is there evidence of what they were doing? Is there something particular about that place? If yes, she tries to investigate... else, if nothing seems (too) unusual, she is ready to continue the journey.

With the assistance of his invisible familiar and his elemental servant, the noble drow too scours the area for any clues as to what the purpose of the barlgura's were.
After that Traydark too is ready to continue the journey to Gravenhollow.

Horkas nods grimly - it was a textbook ambush and his forces sustained no injuries, but he was cautious to celebrate this single victory just yet. Best to keep everyone on their toes. 

"Enough of yer hooten-nannies...we gots more of these things to hunt and kill..." he says as gruffly as he can before breaking into a wide grin, betraying his gnomish wonder at staying alive in the face of these giant demons! "A'right...mebbe a little celebration ain't so bad..." he concedes.

Lulu allows her Guardians to disperse as she approaches the others and they dissipate in a shimmer of moonlight. Horkas' grin is contagious as one of her own spreads across the firbolg's face.

"Well done, team. Well done. A fully lubricated machine, ye lot are." She gives them a wink. "Will put me right out o' a job and I willnae be even an ounce sad about it." Indeed, any incident in which her people need no healing is a great relief.

Movement in her periphery briefly catches her attention and the cleric's eyes follow the invisible familiar as it flits about. She's no longer surprised to see it when her eyes are blessed with divine enhancement, but the conversation that needs to be had about it with its master continues to gnaw away at her.

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A quick but thorough search of the area where the balguras were turns up nothing other than the tracks they made which came from deeper in the Underdark. A short discussion between all parties could conclude that demonic activity is indeed on an uptick, making the travels all the more tense if there were more demons wandering about.

Over the course of the next week, you happen across a string of dead bodies, drow, kuo-toa, some fire beetles and finally a behir, all of which were not too terribly far in decay, or would be were it not for a few scavenging gnolls (who were easily shooed off by the scouts) and none too few oozes (also easily dealth with). The behir in particular, despite the numerous molds and oozes working on it, has numerous marks of damage, mostly acidic although some spots of deep bludgeoning can be found as well.

Shortly after the last discovery an argument breaks out between some of the soldiers and agents with you, apparently over the direness of the situation, restlessness and anxiety settling in some. Unfortunately, their argument is loud enough to attract something's attention as the scouts suddenly call for a stop as a horrible droning sound begins to fill the air, echoing around the barren rock. A moment later a half dozen giant....mosquito....creatures(?) come ripping out of a side passage and swoop over the caravan!

(Everyone make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be rendered unconscious for the next 10 minutes. You can do a general roll for the scouts, soldiers and agents if you wish.)

The terrible creatures swarm the area for a brief moment before zipping off through the darkness, their awful droning noise finally fading away after a few long minutes.

In the middle of an incantation to calm the emotions of the group, Lulu's ears twitch as the sound of droning undercuts the argument. Head whipping round to try and place where it’s coming from, the scouts call their warning and her flexible ears press back. Fluffy tufts of fur flatten over her ear canals and help to drown out the noise as she prepares for an attack.


((CON save: Natural 20 +2 22))

(Katryl CON Save: 17) 

Katryl quickly tries to get cover once the creatures start to arrive. Although she barely seems to have time before they head off again. When the sounds finally abates, she starts to look about to see if the others are alright. "Think they'll come back?" 

Traydark Con save: 12 + Dark one's own luck: 5

Saves:

Khessa: 14

Veterans of the Gauntlet: 16

Quote from Painted_Beyond >>

This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.

Saves:

Khessa: 26

Veterans of the Gauntlet: 4

Khessa is very quick to swirl Dawnbringer, at the same time expanding its sacred light - and the demonic swarm thus keeps well away from her.

“Everybody come near me, veterans!” the blonde arcane warrior also tries to protect the infantrymen, but unlike her, they were fully hit by the swarms and the supernatural influence makes the tenacious soldiers fall unconscious.

As soon as the swarms have passed on, the tall adventuress bends down worriedly to check the conditions of those who have collapsed to the ground. She is partially relieved to discover that the evil influence seems to have simply caused her to faint, but she still does her best to wake everyone up as soon as possible, calling them, or shaking them, or dousing their faces with water...

Horkas feels the swarm's droning hum as it washes over the party, attacking everything in sight. His own daily concoctions seem to be enough for him to withstand the creatures' toxicity (Con save:18 in log), but he sees others fall. Seeing Khessa tending to them, the artificer looks around for any of the creatures that may have been killed or swatted successsfully so that he can examine it...

Thankfully none of the flying demon bugs got close enough to do any real damage, other than laying low a few soldiers for a few minutes, but leaving no trace of their existence behind them. Waiting around for a bit it seems the creatures are well and gone, but a few of the ones with you blame the ones arguing for attracting the bugs, but others point out the fact that the bugs didn't actually attack anyone, so perhaps it wasn't their fault.

Regardless of why they swarmed by it continues to be apparent how dangerous the Underdark is still getting, and the possibility of running into more demons was becoming more and more inevitable. The journey to Gravenhollow continues though over nearly a month, more bodies, sightings of gnoll packs and pools of oozes scavenging anything and everything. There are a many close calls with more demons of various kinds but thanks to being well prepared and on the lookout, able to be avoided.

That is, until late one day, the incredible stench of acid billows through the cavernous tunnel you're walking through...

"Traydark..." Khessa murmurs to the drow-looking angel "Perhaps it is time to send to scout ahead the invisible little celestial who is at your service? This incredible stench of acid is suspicious to say the least..."

The noble drow nods grimly and does as suggested, Grax'xt fluttering ahead to scout out what could be the cause for the stench of acid, assuming more servant of mighty Juiblex, maybe hiding in the ceilings.

Perception: 11

The dark familiar speeds out away from the caravan, searching the nearby chambers and tunnels for a few minutes before returning back to Traydark and reporting that there are some oozes and such nearby, and one rather large pile of them, but isn't sure what that is.

"A rather large pile of oozes..." Khessa muses aloud "Everything points to yet another Jubilex plot. Maybe he intends to gain knowledge from Gravenhollow? And that's why we find his favorite servants on our way ? However, if they are common oozes, taking advantage of our attack from range capabilities and our mobility we should beat them without difficulty... They can only represent a real threat if they are spellcasting oozes like those who commanded the offensive in Blindgenstone..."

"What do you think, Angels?" the blonde arcane warrior seeks advice from the wisest celestials "Shall we try to eliminate this threat too?"

The noble drow does share with the others what his familiar reports to him, then listening to the blonde human's response. 
"The servants of the demon lords are likely numberless human, trying to cleanse the Underdark by taking them all on is futile, we should proceed to Gravenhollow and only deal with what we must in order to reach our destination." Traydark says grimly.