@Lillita, descending into the well, the walls are close and tight smelling g of damp stone and mold. Deep the well goes, the circle of light above too feeble to illuminate but the first few feet. Snarling can be heard below, multiple bests fighting each other for the corpse and its meat. Lillita reaches the lip of the dug well, it breaks into a large cavern. Hanging upside down with the barest of view, a dry river bed runs through from north to South, a trickle of water all that remains of what was previously a torrent. A trio of dog like beasts, thier eyes shining in the dark, hairless flesh pulled taut across their bony frames. The most dominate feature the tusks and dagger like teeth tearing g chunks from the fallen woman and each other. Their front claws are almost human like, long sinewy fingers ending in sharp talons. The beasts are not alone, a humanoid figure stands a dozen feet away watching its pets. Standing upright a thick tail balancing its reptilian frame. Dozens of teeth jutting from a long scaled snout. You watch for several.moments before catching it turn its nose to the air, in the feeble light of glowing moss and luminescent algae it catches sight of you. Small beady eyes waiting for you to make a move,. A voice that sounds like water gurgling over stone, churning it barks at the 'dogs', they stop looking g up and begin to howl. The sound sending ripples of tension and fear deep into your soul
Fearful howl DC 12 Wis. If you fail it causes you to scamper the way you came with all haste.
OOC: Lilita DC Wis Check Roll results in a '1' Critical Failure...
The well is built of stacked and fitted stone, only for the top 10 or 15 feet. Wide enough to throw your legs over, pressing g your gangly legs against one side and your back against the other. As the brick changes to natural stone, gravel and loose dirt the sun from above is unable to penetrate any further.
Glancing downward a very faint greenish glow reveals the bottom of the natural chimney, and the opening of a larger cavern. The floor nearly 100' below. A deep black blob, the form of Lillita can be seen jutting out from the wall.
Tufts takes the chance and continues to climb downward, stone and gravel breaking free to tumble down the shoot with a patering clamor. A horrifying howl rises up from below making his muscles grow weak, his grip loosens, the rock he was holding breaks free, desperately Tufts begins to fall uncontrollably, the bottom quickly rising to meet him.
Make another Athletics check DC 10
If it succeeds Tufts catches himself, with Lllita climbing up from below they reach the well opening and climb into the light.
If it fails he completely loses grip and tumbles, falling out the bottom, the cavern opens wide with nothing but air to grab and smashes into the ground taking 7d6 falling damage.
Lillita
The howls of the 'dogs' fills you with utter dread, without thought just action you scramble towards the light with utmost haste.
If Tufts fails his Athletics, make a Dex save DC 10.
If you succeed you grip the wall tightly as Tufts slams into your head, halting his downward movement, allowing him to once again gain grip and climb out above.you.
If you fail, he tumbles past you and drops to the floor below.
The crowd has begun to break up, heading in many directions. Someone shouts, “Ive been robbed”, Another man asks “Whered the shields go” As you get closer to the building the stench is overpowering, it hangs in the air like a fog of Putrescence.
Gonye: Nature :21 The smell is organic, not rotting meat or putrid vegetation, something else. It reminds you of the Fetortoad, a foul specimen, the size of your hand. It releases a similar stench when frightened.
The alleyway is empty, of people, the two men are no longer in sight. Despite being delayed by the cart, the time it would take to walk the alley, they must have been moving. Swarms of flies buzz about, diving at your eyes and ears, even landing and crawling into your nostrils. Second story windows on both sides but no port or portal on the ground floor. The flies and swarming rats are feasting on a cart, its broken wheel tipping the pile of refuse and scraps upon the ground about it. A stack of broken crates further towards the far road, their sides caved in. A cat pokes its head from one of the cavities, regards you and scampers after a rat. There aren't any good hiding spots from here to there.
Rothgar
A seat opens up in the corner with a window next to it. He watches the bar, and street for anything interesting. Ale is 2 Nibs (cp), stew is 4 Nibs and a room costs a Noble (gp) per night.
The patrons at the communal table he joined are tossing dice as they discuss the recent Broadsheet, Neverwinter Nights just released. A copy sits on the table, held down by his neighbor’s mug of ale.
The Broadsheet - Neverwinter Nights
The Rising - A new evening club has opened in the Protectors ward, and it is said to be fabulous. Now I am not allowed to say but let me tell you the moment you walk through those doors it will change your life. Any body is welcome, but of course there is a steep door price so save those Moons.
Body Pile - A recent war between ‘The Rats’ and a new guild calling themselves Ibn Altair has erupted in several wards. The Wintershields have it all under control and the citizens need not worry. Please report any incident to the authorities.
Lord Neverember has The Wastes - The recent absence of Lord Neverember has finally come to light. He has been stricken with The Wasting. Reports from the castle say it is under control and the Lord will recover…we will be watching closely..
What's on everybody's mind - The Wasting - Well its been 3 weeks since the first outbreak and it shows no sign of slowing down. With no answers from the Keep or the Wintershields. The last statement is still, we are trying to track down the cause. Now we are being isolated, even I require a Writ of Passage to travel the city, unbelievable.
Missing - The young Lady Asander has been missing for several days. Last seen on Partis Way in the Protectors ward. Any sightings or Information report to the authorities.
Lillita, Tufts
The two of you head out and down the hill towards the closest well. A small group of citizens has gathered around it, yelling at each other as they try to pull the meager water up from below. A fight starts between two burly men, but a pair of Shields arrive to break it up just before you get there.
As you approach the crowd is angry, the well is empty. Many of them gathering around the hapless pair, yelling and screaming about the situation. It sounds like all the wells from the top of the hill and slowly moving down towards the river are drying up.
A woman begins hauling the bucket up to show there is nothing there when suddenly the rope is tugged from below, she pitches head first with a curdling scream into the well. Seconds later her screams stop with a sickening thud. The sound of growling and fighting rises up as the citizens look on in horror and disbelief, slowly backing away from the opening.
While Rothgar is used to sleeping in the woods, he opts for a room for the night. He pays for his meal, another ale, and for the room. He reads the broadsheet, taking notice of the missing Lady Asander, perhaps something to look into. Perhaps securing a contract with the Wintershields may be something to discuss. He places it back on the table, and continues to watch the room, drink his ale, and when his meal arrives, eat.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
The tufts of fur for which the bugbear gets his name stand on end at the piercing howl. The shiver distracts Tufts enough that he doesn't feel the brick hand hold slipping until it's to late. The lost grip forcing his back to slide down the well wall while tucking his knees to his chest. The pressure his feet were excerting on the opposite wall cause his heels to drag, allowing his torso to jack knife into head down orientation. Suddenly inverted he makes the effort to right himself by again tucking his legs up into chest and then grasping at the wall.
But alas, as Tufts reaches out to touch the wall he sees the bottom of the well glide by. The momentum of his failed maneuver continuing to tumble his helpless falling form so that all he sees is the ground rushing up to greet him.
(Rolled an 8 on the sheet. I did use acrobatics instead of athletics because thats what I had used originally. Let's do the damage roll together.)
The tufts of fur for which the bugbear gets his name stand on end at the piercing howl. The shiver distracts Tufts enough that he doesn't feel the brick hand hold slipping until it's to late. The lost grip forcing his back to slide down the well wall while tucking his knees to his chest. The pressure his feet were excerting on the opposite wall cause his heels to drag, allowing his torso to jack knife into head down orientation. Suddenly inverted he makes the effort to right himself by again tucking his legs up into chest and then grasping at the wall.
But alas, as Tufts reaches out to touch the wall he comes up short The far wall just out of reach. The momentum of his failed maneuver continuing to tumble his helpless falling form so that all he sees is the ground rushing up to greet him.
(Rolled an 8 on the sheet. I did use acrobatics instead of athletics because thats what I had used originally. Let's do the damage roll together.)
Tufts desperately grabs at anything in the dark, loose gravel and stone raining below as he slides towards his doom. Twisting this way and that he tumbles towards the the cavern, the faint glow, revealing the sharp stone and boulders below.
Tufts slams into something hard about 15' below from where he started. Lillita, gripping tightly to an outcrop halts his downward uncontrollable descent. With her form narrowing the passage, enough to get a grip and resume his ascent. Without his companion Tufts would be a smear, food for the dogs.
The two of you climb upward towards the light, a sigh of relief as you swing your legs out and over the well wall.
Without companions, the world is an unforgiving and deadly place.
Lilita, her figure draped in the lingering shadows of the well, looked upward as Tufts’ large, hairy form began to tumble uncontrollably. Instinctively, her body stiffened as the two collided, her petite, slender form halting his descent by chance rather than choice.
With the oafish bugbear’s clumsy fall ending abruptly, Lilita’s voice echoed off the damp walls, laced with a caustic edge that belied the adrenaline still coursing through her veins. "What possessed you, you great lumbering bohunk?"Her words were sharp, a barbed reminder of his near-fatal accidental blunder, fully aware of what awaited them at the bottom of the well. Yet, her grip on him did not waver until they were both safely perched on the edge of the well.
Once on solid ground, Lilita brushed off the dust and debris from her raven locks with jerky movements, her demeanor cold and detached. "Nearly dying does not excuse us from our task,"she stated flatly as she picked debris out of her companion's matted fur. The Dhampir's burnt-black eyes scanned the horizon considering their next course of action. "We still need water; there's no going home without it! So, we'll need to seek it further afield, that's all there is to it. And no more holes for either of us, got it?"
As they prepared to leave the vicinity, Lilita threw a final glance into its shadowy depths, her voice dropping to a husky whisper, "You do realize that there was a Bandersnatch down at the bottom of that well... waiting to feast on tasty bugbear flesh." She paused, allowing the weight of her words to sink in. "Let this be a lesson—stay away from going down into any more wells, dry or otherwise."
With that, she turned away, leading with a renewed sense of urgency, her thoughts briefly flickering with the silent gratitude she felt for not having to haul Tufts’ broken body from the depths. It was a gratitude she would never voice, as they moved onward, the precariousness of their situation hanging between them like the heavy air of the well they had just escaped.
(Assuming Gonye would talk about the smell from the building across the street from the tavern as they passed it and before entering the place. Also assuming the pair would overhear Rothgar talking with the undertaker...this means all three of them are in the same general area just outside the Flowing Flagon.)
Dav'eed nods to Gonye when he voices his thoughts about the building across the street. "Really? So not a busted sewer pipe? Hmmm. With the water problems we've seen recently, I wonder if these are connected."
Then overhearing a big northerner talking about dead not staying dead, he steps closer to listen. When the conversation between Rothgar and the man are done, or at an appropriate time, Dav'eed would say, "My friend and I could also help investigate this. Maybe it is linked to the smell coming from across the street? We can start there and then go to burial grounds? Maybe wait for Tufts to get off shift if we're heading out of town...he's always handy to have if things go wrong...Gonye, whaddya think?"
"Oh, I'm Dav'eed, and this here is Gonye...
Dav'eed will head towards the building across the street - the one with the foul stench coming from it. Gonye had recognized it as something different than sewage - and the townsman had mentioned something was disturbing the dead. That and the water problems combined to make the rogue think that there was something going on underground.
"C'mon, you two...let's go check out the cellar over there. Maybe there's something bigger than just overcrowding going on..."
"I don't know, exploring random buildings with mysterious smells seems dangerous, maybe we should wait till your hairy friend comes back and see if he wants to join us?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards. DM - The Old Keep
Lilita, her figure draped in the lingering shadows of the well, looked upward as Tufts’ large, hairy form began to tumble uncontrollably. Instinctively, her body stiffened as the two collided, her petite, slender form halting his descent by chance rather than choice.
With the oafish bugbear’s clumsy fall ending abruptly, Lilita’s voice echoed off the damp walls, laced with a caustic edge that belied the adrenaline still coursing through her veins. "What possessed you, you great lumbering bohunk?"Her words were sharp, a barbed reminder of his near-fatal accidental blunder, fully aware of what awaited them at the bottom of the well. Yet, her grip on him did not waver until they were both safely perched on the edge of the well.
Once on solid ground, Lilita brushed off the dust and debris from her raven locks with jerky movements, her demeanor cold and detached. "Nearly dying does not excuse us from our task,"she stated flatly as she picked debris out of her companion's matted fur. The Dhampir's burnt-black eyes scanned the horizon considering their next course of action. "We still need water; there's no going home without it! So, we'll need to seek it further afield, that's all there is to it. And no more holes for either of us, got it?"
As they prepared to leave the vicinity, Lilita threw a final glance into its shadowy depths, her voice dropping to a husky whisper, "You do realize that there was a Bandersnatch down at the bottom of that well... waiting to feast on tasty bugbear flesh." She paused, allowing the weight of her words to sink in. "Let this be a lesson—stay away from going down into any more wells, dry or otherwise."
With that, she turned away, leading with a renewed sense of urgency, her thoughts briefly flickering with the silent gratitude she felt for not having to haul Tufts’ broken body from the depths. It was a gratitude she would never voice, as they moved onward, the precariousness of their situation hanging between them like the heavy air of the well they had just escaped.
Tufts watched the ground coming up fast. So focused on his impending demise he didn't realize Lilita had miraculously stopped his fall. With the Dhampir's help he's is able to once again find purchase on the well walls. The two make their way back to the top. Only then does Tufts acknowledge Lilitas mild scolding. His face a little crestfallen and a little imbarrased at his hasty action.
"Nar, Did not want face danger alone. Will be better next time. No water today bad, no water tomorrow worse. We should find problem. Lilita talk smart. No more holes
He places a hand on Lilita as she starts to head to the next well.
No time look now. We go back. Dav'eed and new friend tracking little harmer to find big harmer. Big harm here. Many Big harms happening. Maybe Big harmer fault. We should check friends. Potus blame me not Lilita. Streets not safe. People see Lilita and I in well. Think us fault.
Regardless if Lilita agrees and the two return to the Flagon or if she insists on continuing, Tufts will follow her. A lifetime of taking orders and being told what to do and how to do it makes following others second nature for the monk.
Dav'eed concurs with Gonye. "Yeah - you're probably right. Strength in numbers, unless you're the scout! Just as well...I didn't get any food earlier, so might as we well eat now. That stench isn't going anywhere soon. We can talk about the thieves - Tufts wanted me to check that out. He always seemed to be the protector for the whole neighborhood...Maybe we can see if that big human northerner wants to help, too."
(Unless Gonye disagrees)They follow Rothgar back into the Flagon, sitting next to the large human. Dav'eed will ask him the usual small talk questions first - From where do you hail? What brings you to Abiershire? How good are you with that greataxe =) He answers any questions truthfully
Dinner comes and goes, the food was a simple stew with little meat and few vegetables, an insipid broth, molding cheese and stale bread to soak it up. Potus makes no apology for the poor fair yet still charges 4 Nibs (cp) for the grub. The sun has dipped behind the buildings as the shadows grow long in the narrow streets. The bustle of the day begins to wind down with fewer carts passing by. The crowd slims and changes demeanor from the hustle of mercantile endeavors to more rowdy leisure.
Tufts and Lillita find a well, still flowing with clean water, the third they tried. First downhill towards the river, the wells are drying up. In a final effort they climb back towards the summit of the promontory the town is built upon. The lineup speaks of the little availability of water within the Town, and they are forced to wait for over an hour for their turn at the spindle. Finally filling their buckets the two trudge back nearly two miles to the tavern. As they get closer the rank smell of the building across from the Flowing Flagon greets them long before it comes into sight. The stench has grown more powerful in their absence. As they round the bend screams and shouts erupt from the street ahead. In the shadow of the coming twilight people begin to run towards them and every which way, trying to escape a commotion that has erupted ahead.
Gonye, Dav'eed and Rothgar watch the tavern and patrons, keeping an eye on the road outside when the stench wafts over them. The dinner, finished over an hour ago threatens to come back up as the street suddenly turns into a milieu of screams, shouts and bellows. Green stinking reptilian humanoids pour forth from the stinking house, many with clubs and spears in their hands.
The reptiles use the clubs to bash the frantic citizens, knocking more than a few unconscious, dragging or hoisting them towards the building they poured forth from.
Over a dozen of the creatures have spread out upon the street, attacking and dragging the unfortunates towards the building past a larger reptile on the stairs next to one dressed in a headdress of feathers. Already several have carried off either the dead or unconscious into the depths of the building.
The green smudges are the Reptiles. The two red dots in the street are Tufts and Lillita. The other three are inside the Flagon.
Tufts sets down his burden and quickens his pace towards the closest reptilian. As he stalks towards the humanoid his fur bristles and he growls out a warning.
(Occ: Not sure if you consider that an action. Some claim speech as a free action but an action if you intimidate. If it's a free action Tufts will take the dodge action this turn.)
Hearing the commotion, Rothgar grabs his axe and heads out into the street and confronts the reptiles. Bringing his axe up, he growls "Be gone foul beasts or feel my wrath!" (Intimidation: 8)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Hearing the commotion, Rothgar grabs his axe and heads out into the street and confronts the reptiles. Bringing his axe up, he growls "Be gone foul beasts or feel my wrath!" (Intimidation: 9)
As Tufts and Lilita made their way up the town's narrow streets towards the Flagon the pair found themselves in the midst of chaos unfurling at an alarming pace. The stench of the enemy—a foul, piercing odor that spoke of rot and decay—filled her nostrils, but it was not enough to deter her predatory nature.
Using her innate Dhampir abilities, Lilita’s form blurred into motion, her limbs finding easy purchase on the rough facades to Spider Climb up the side of the nearest building. As she ascended towards the rooftops with the grace and silence of a nocturnal predator, she sought to gain a strategic vantage point from above continuing to move towards her opponents.
Perched atop the nearest building, Lilita crouched low, her burnt-black eyes scanning the scene below with a hunter’s focus. The reptilian humanoids swarmed the streets, their grotesque forms a blur of violence as they assaulted the townsfolk. A surge of cold fury washed over her, and with a flick of her wrist, she summoned the spectral essence of Chill Touch. The air around her fingertips frosted over as she wove the necrotic energies, casting it toward the closest reptilian creature below.
Her target was a brute wielding a club seemingly oblivious to the danger from above. The ghostly hand of Chill Touch spiraled downward, seeking the warmth of life to extinguish. This was the dance of death she knew all too well—the silent strike from the shadows, where fear and respect were earned in equal measure.
The shadows of the rooftops were her domain, and from here, she would mete out death as silently as the night wind. This was her world—a world where the darkness shielded her actions and her heritage dictated her isolation. Yet this day it also made her a guardian, a silent protector wielding the cold touch of death against those who dared disrupt the fragile peace of the night.
OOC:Game Log Chill TouchTo Hit 11 -/- If Successful Damage5 HP
Dav'eed's stomach churned at the suddenly overpowering stench, threatening to bring the thin stew back up. Had the wind shifted to make it so overpowering now? But then his ears twitched at the sound of the screaming, identifying the reason for the change and helping him to focus. Quickly he headed to the door of the Flagon and saw the cause of the outcry - a horde of reptilian creatures attacking the innocent townsfolk!
The lessons of his previous master take over, and he takes a steadying breath while surveying the field of battle. He identified multiple adversaries in the near distance, with a leader and potential shaman across the street seemingly directing those with bodies or prisoners back into the building. Dav'eed grabs his shortbow, nocks an arrow, draws it back to his cheek, aims at the reptile with the feathered headdress, and slowly exhales as he lets the arrow fly. (To hit: 12 Damage: 6)
"Take out the leader and the shaman first - that should disrupt the lesser ones and give us a better chance to save more townsfolk," Dav'eed says calmly to the others as he ducks back around the edge of the door. He took another deep breath, ready to fight for his friends and these strangers.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Oh my," says Gonye, "I haven't had occasion to do this in a while, I'm glad we didn't rush over there."
Moving to the steps of the Flagon, words of arcane power fall from Gonye's lips while he traces sigils in the air, culminating in him pointing to the shaman while unerring bolts of force leap from his fingers.
OOC: Lilita DC Wis Check Roll results in a '1' Critical Failure...
Tufts
The well is built of stacked and fitted stone, only for the top 10 or 15 feet. Wide enough to throw your legs over, pressing g your gangly legs against one side and your back against the other. As the brick changes to natural stone, gravel and loose dirt the sun from above is unable to penetrate any further.
Glancing downward a very faint greenish glow reveals the bottom of the natural chimney, and the opening of a larger cavern. The floor nearly 100' below. A deep black blob, the form of Lillita can be seen jutting out from the wall.
Tufts takes the chance and continues to climb downward, stone and gravel breaking free to tumble down the shoot with a patering clamor. A horrifying howl rises up from below making his muscles grow weak, his grip loosens, the rock he was holding breaks free, desperately Tufts begins to fall uncontrollably, the bottom quickly rising to meet him.
Make another Athletics check DC 10
If it succeeds Tufts catches himself, with Lllita climbing up from below they reach the well opening and climb into the light.
If it fails he completely loses grip and tumbles, falling out the bottom, the cavern opens wide with nothing but air to grab and smashes into the ground taking 7d6 falling damage.
Lillita
The howls of the 'dogs' fills you with utter dread, without thought just action you scramble towards the light with utmost haste.
If Tufts fails his Athletics, make a Dex save DC 10.
If you succeed you grip the wall tightly as Tufts slams into your head, halting his downward movement, allowing him to once again gain grip and climb out above.you.
If you fail, he tumbles past you and drops to the floor below.
Lillita-OOC- it would have been better if you had waited until Tufts rolled and posted. By rolling pre-emptivly it removes the drama from the action.
We will be disregarding your above Dex save until after Tufts posts his result please.
At which time depending on what happens you can re-roll and post the result.
While Rothgar is used to sleeping in the woods, he opts for a room for the night. He pays for his meal, another ale, and for the room. He reads the broadsheet, taking notice of the missing Lady Asander, perhaps something to look into. Perhaps securing a contract with the Wintershields may be something to discuss. He places it back on the table, and continues to watch the room, drink his ale, and when his meal arrives, eat.
The tufts of fur for which the bugbear gets his name stand on end at the piercing howl. The shiver distracts Tufts enough that he doesn't feel the brick hand hold slipping until it's to late. The lost grip forcing his back to slide down the well wall while tucking his knees to his chest. The pressure his feet were excerting on the opposite wall cause his heels to drag, allowing his torso to jack knife into head down orientation. Suddenly inverted he makes the effort to right himself by again tucking his legs up into chest and then grasping at the wall.
But alas, as Tufts reaches out to touch the wall he sees the bottom of the well glide by. The momentum of his failed maneuver continuing to tumble his helpless falling form so that all he sees is the ground rushing up to greet him.
(Rolled an 8 on the sheet. I did use acrobatics instead of athletics because thats what I had used originally. Let's do the damage roll together.)
35
**This Space for Rent**
(Edit in quote)
**This Space for Rent**
Tufts desperately grabs at anything in the dark, loose gravel and stone raining below as he slides towards his doom. Twisting this way and that he tumbles towards the the cavern, the faint glow, revealing the sharp stone and boulders below.
Tufts slams into something hard about 15' below from where he started. Lillita, gripping tightly to an outcrop halts his downward uncontrollable descent. With her form narrowing the passage, enough to get a grip and resume his ascent. Without his companion Tufts would be a smear, food for the dogs.
The two of you climb upward towards the light, a sigh of relief as you swing your legs out and over the well wall.
Without companions, the world is an unforgiving and deadly place.
🍃💚Lilita Lilitu💚🍃
Lilita, her figure draped in the lingering shadows of the well, looked upward as Tufts’ large, hairy form began to tumble uncontrollably. Instinctively, her body stiffened as the two collided, her petite, slender form halting his descent by chance rather than choice.
With the oafish bugbear’s clumsy fall ending abruptly, Lilita’s voice echoed off the damp walls, laced with a caustic edge that belied the adrenaline still coursing through her veins. "What possessed you, you great lumbering bohunk?" Her words were sharp, a barbed reminder of his near-fatal accidental blunder, fully aware of what awaited them at the bottom of the well. Yet, her grip on him did not waver until they were both safely perched on the edge of the well.
Once on solid ground, Lilita brushed off the dust and debris from her raven locks with jerky movements, her demeanor cold and detached. "Nearly dying does not excuse us from our task," she stated flatly as she picked debris out of her companion's matted fur. The Dhampir's burnt-black eyes scanned the horizon considering their next course of action. "We still need water; there's no going home without it! So, we'll need to seek it further afield, that's all there is to it. And no more holes for either of us, got it?"
As they prepared to leave the vicinity, Lilita threw a final glance into its shadowy depths, her voice dropping to a husky whisper, "You do realize that there was a Bandersnatch down at the bottom of that well... waiting to feast on tasty bugbear flesh." She paused, allowing the weight of her words to sink in. "Let this be a lesson—stay away from going down into any more wells, dry or otherwise."
With that, she turned away, leading with a renewed sense of urgency, her thoughts briefly flickering with the silent gratitude she felt for not having to haul Tufts’ broken body from the depths. It was a gratitude she would never voice, as they moved onward, the precariousness of their situation hanging between them like the heavy air of the well they had just escaped.
Dav'eed will head towards the building across the street - the one with the foul stench coming from it. Gonye had recognized it as something different than sewage - and the townsman had mentioned something was disturbing the dead. That and the water problems combined to make the rogue think that there was something going on underground.
"C'mon, you two...let's go check out the cellar over there. Maybe there's something bigger than just overcrowding going on..."
Love God. Love Others. Any Questions?
"I don't know, exploring random buildings with mysterious smells seems dangerous, maybe we should wait till your hairy friend comes back and see if he wants to join us?"
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
Tufts watched the ground coming up fast. So focused on his impending demise he didn't realize Lilita had miraculously stopped his fall. With the Dhampir's help he's is able to once again find purchase on the well walls. The two make their way back to the top. Only then does Tufts acknowledge Lilitas mild scolding. His face a little crestfallen and a little imbarrased at his hasty action.
"Nar, Did not want face danger alone. Will be better next time. No water today bad, no water tomorrow worse. We should find problem. Lilita talk smart. No more holes
He places a hand on Lilita as she starts to head to the next well.
No time look now. We go back. Dav'eed and new friend tracking little harmer to find big harmer. Big harm here. Many Big harms happening. Maybe Big harmer fault. We should check friends. Potus blame me not Lilita. Streets not safe. People see Lilita and I in well. Think us fault.
Regardless if Lilita agrees and the two return to the Flagon or if she insists on continuing, Tufts will follow her. A lifetime of taking orders and being told what to do and how to do it makes following others second nature for the monk.
**This Space for Rent**
Dav'eed concurs with Gonye. "Yeah - you're probably right. Strength in numbers, unless you're the scout! Just as well...I didn't get any food earlier, so might as we well eat now. That stench isn't going anywhere soon. We can talk about the thieves - Tufts wanted me to check that out. He always seemed to be the protector for the whole neighborhood...Maybe we can see if that big human northerner wants to help, too."
(Unless Gonye disagrees) They follow Rothgar back into the Flagon, sitting next to the large human. Dav'eed will ask him the usual small talk questions first - From where do you hail? What brings you to Abiershire? How good are you with that greataxe =) He answers any questions truthfully
Love God. Love Others. Any Questions?
Dinner comes and goes, the food was a simple stew with little meat and few vegetables, an insipid broth, molding cheese and stale bread to soak it up. Potus makes no apology for the poor fair yet still charges 4 Nibs (cp) for the grub. The sun has dipped behind the buildings as the shadows grow long in the narrow streets. The bustle of the day begins to wind down with fewer carts passing by. The crowd slims and changes demeanor from the hustle of mercantile endeavors to more rowdy leisure.
Tufts and Lillita find a well, still flowing with clean water, the third they tried. First downhill towards the river, the wells are drying up. In a final effort they climb back towards the summit of the promontory the town is built upon. The lineup speaks of the little availability of water within the Town, and they are forced to wait for over an hour for their turn at the spindle. Finally filling their buckets the two trudge back nearly two miles to the tavern. As they get closer the rank smell of the building across from the Flowing Flagon greets them long before it comes into sight. The stench has grown more powerful in their absence. As they round the bend screams and shouts erupt from the street ahead. In the shadow of the coming twilight people begin to run towards them and every which way, trying to escape a commotion that has erupted ahead.
Gonye, Dav'eed and Rothgar watch the tavern and patrons, keeping an eye on the road outside when the stench wafts over them. The dinner, finished over an hour ago threatens to come back up as the street suddenly turns into a milieu of screams, shouts and bellows. Green stinking reptilian humanoids pour forth from the stinking house, many with clubs and spears in their hands.
The reptiles use the clubs to bash the frantic citizens, knocking more than a few unconscious, dragging or hoisting them towards the building they poured forth from.
Over a dozen of the creatures have spread out upon the street, attacking and dragging the unfortunates towards the building past a larger reptile on the stairs next to one dressed in a headdress of feathers. Already several have carried off either the dead or unconscious into the depths of the building.
The green smudges are the Reptiles. The two red dots in the street are Tufts and Lillita. The other three are inside the Flagon.
Initiative
Tufts sets down his burden and quickens his pace towards the closest reptilian. As he stalks towards the humanoid his fur bristles and he growls out a warning.
"NAR, You leave them be! I will HARM!"
Intimidation: 14
**This Space for Rent**
(Occ: Not sure if you consider that an action. Some claim speech as a free action but an action if you intimidate. If it's a free action Tufts will take the dodge action this turn.)
**This Space for Rent**
Hearing the commotion, Rothgar grabs his axe and heads out into the street and confronts the reptiles. Bringing his axe up, he growls "Be gone foul beasts or feel my wrath!" (Intimidation: 8)
Hearing the commotion, Rothgar grabs his axe and heads out into the street and confronts the reptiles. Bringing his axe up, he growls "Be gone foul beasts or feel my wrath!" (Intimidation: 9)
🍃💚Lilita Lilitu💚🍃
As Tufts and Lilita made their way up the town's narrow streets towards the Flagon the pair found themselves in the midst of chaos unfurling at an alarming pace. The stench of the enemy—a foul, piercing odor that spoke of rot and decay—filled her nostrils, but it was not enough to deter her predatory nature.
Using her innate Dhampir abilities, Lilita’s form blurred into motion, her limbs finding easy purchase on the rough facades to Spider Climb up the side of the nearest building. As she ascended towards the rooftops with the grace and silence of a nocturnal predator, she sought to gain a strategic vantage point from above continuing to move towards her opponents.
Perched atop the nearest building, Lilita crouched low, her burnt-black eyes scanning the scene below with a hunter’s focus. The reptilian humanoids swarmed the streets, their grotesque forms a blur of violence as they assaulted the townsfolk. A surge of cold fury washed over her, and with a flick of her wrist, she summoned the spectral essence of Chill Touch. The air around her fingertips frosted over as she wove the necrotic energies, casting it toward the closest reptilian creature below.
Her target was a brute wielding a club seemingly oblivious to the danger from above. The ghostly hand of Chill Touch spiraled downward, seeking the warmth of life to extinguish. This was the dance of death she knew all too well—the silent strike from the shadows, where fear and respect were earned in equal measure.
The shadows of the rooftops were her domain, and from here, she would mete out death as silently as the night wind. This was her world—a world where the darkness shielded her actions and her heritage dictated her isolation. Yet this day it also made her a guardian, a silent protector wielding the cold touch of death against those who dared disrupt the fragile peace of the night.
OOC: Game Log Chill Touch To Hit 11 -/- If Successful Damage 5 HP
Dav'eed's stomach churned at the suddenly overpowering stench, threatening to bring the thin stew back up. Had the wind shifted to make it so overpowering now? But then his ears twitched at the sound of the screaming, identifying the reason for the change and helping him to focus. Quickly he headed to the door of the Flagon and saw the cause of the outcry - a horde of reptilian creatures attacking the innocent townsfolk!
The lessons of his previous master take over, and he takes a steadying breath while surveying the field of battle. He identified multiple adversaries in the near distance, with a leader and potential shaman across the street seemingly directing those with bodies or prisoners back into the building. Dav'eed grabs his shortbow, nocks an arrow, draws it back to his cheek, aims at the reptile with the feathered headdress, and slowly exhales as he lets the arrow fly.
(To hit: 12 Damage: 6)
"Take out the leader and the shaman first - that should disrupt the lesser ones and give us a better chance to save more townsfolk," Dav'eed says calmly to the others as he ducks back around the edge of the door. He took another deep breath, ready to fight for his friends and these strangers.
Love God. Love Others. Any Questions?
"Oh my," says Gonye, "I haven't had occasion to do this in a while, I'm glad we didn't rush over there."
Moving to the steps of the Flagon, words of arcane power fall from Gonye's lips while he traces sigils in the air, culminating in him pointing to the shaman while unerring bolts of force leap from his fingers.
Magic Missile; 13 force damage on the shaman.
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep