Hastos rolls to a stop and as he’s getting up, he hears the clicking of the trap resetting, then sees Sera grabbing Kasi and running like hell back down the corridor!
”Aw, for the sake of all that’s holy!” He complains as he begins awkwardly sprinting back down the hallway in pursuit of Sera and Kasi. He’s takes large, uneven strides in the hopes of missing any trigger plates between him and the ladder down to the next floor.
With Sera leading the way (the trembling, and now squealing Kasi in tow) she clears the first place, triggering the glyphs yet again, which start to glow angrily. You can hear the whooshing of air chase her down the hall. As she steps on the second plate, a dart cuts into Sera's thigh, but most of the damage is absorbed by her freshly mended breeches.
Sera takes 3 damage (Piercing) from the 2nd dart, since the 1st dart won't fire.
The stinging of the dart hurts, but adrenaline gives her a burst of speed and the second dart flies just behind Sera as the third glyph lights up. But she's not fast enough to avoid the third dart, which is deflected somewhat by her thick leather belt, leaving an angry red puncture wound on her hip.
Sera takes 1 damage (Piercing) from the fourth dart.
But her stubborn resilience carries her through, and in a reckless dive, she crashes into the ladder, tumbling down it roughly to land on a heap on top of Merkas!
Merkas, Sera, and Kasi are now prone. I updated Sera's HP.
Coming in right behind Sera is Hastos, barreling through like a berserker! He clears the first plate one step behind Sera, and by the time they clear the first plate, Hastos feels a stinging bite on his rump as the angry dart buries itself with a leathery squeak.
Hastos takes 4 damage (Piercing).
The dart staggers his steps, slowing him down, and he catches another dart deep in his thigh!
Hastos takes 6 damage (Piercing).
But his homerun dive saves him from the final dart! With a graceful final dive, he clasps the edge of the ladder, and makes a fireman's slide down the rails just as the dragon's mouth begins to glow! Fire explodes above his head as he slides down gracefully to a stop just above the pile of groaning Dawnbound at the bottom. You can hear the echoing click of gears again and can reasonably assume the trap is loading up more darts.
Hastos takes a total of 10 damage (I've updated your character sheet) and you can choose not to step on your prone party members. cheapjoke123, in lieu of the intense situation (and due to the fact that you can see in total darkness, I opted to move the situation ahead without you, because it won't negatively or positively affect your results. As far as the party knows, only Dex saves can do that. For now, the party is split. Merkas, Sera, and Kasi are all occupying the same square. Hastos is in the same horizontal space, but is one square above the party.
Before he hears his friends coming again, Merkas climbs back up the ladder and while looking back the way he came starts speaking out loud as if they were beside him. (Cast message to Hastos) “Hey, you guys ok, I got a dart in the side but I’m fine, looking for the switch”
The blue apparition following him up to spot the on/off switch.
“C’mon it can’t be that hard to find after the trap! Ahh!!” With the Sera and Kasi coming to the ladder just asMerkas gets to the top the lot of them end up into a mess at the bottom, groaning he asks “Where’s Haz? Oh there he is!! Looking through the tangle of limbs on top of him he sees Hastos come through the opening at the top of the ladder “Anyone tell Sharn to join us?”
Hastos pushes off the ladder rails to land off to one side of the pile of his comrades.
Hastos hisses as he lands and staggers as he feels the darts biting into him. Angrily, he yanks the darts free from his thigh and buttocks. He puts them in his belt. “I’m going to be sure to return these to their rightful owner.” He says through gritted teeth. He can feel the blood streaming down his leg and he drops to one knee.
He begins to murmur something in Elvish. He feels heat rush through his body and concentrate in the wounds. The blood stops pouring and wounds heal to little more than minor injuries.
Hastos uses Second Wind: 7 + 2= 9 points returned to HP
Small blue hand reaches out from under Sera and Kasi. “Here, give them this one too, from me” He grunts a little, as he tries to squeeze his way out but doesn’t have the strength after the damage he’s taken. His glowing doppelgänger attempting to pull him free but their hands just pass through each other. “Sure would be nice if you could actually grab something”
Before Sharn could lift a finger to object, his group was already flying past the plates. He exhaled slowly.
"My stars ... Remember their youth Sharn." Then he remembered that Hastos was an elf. "I'm no one to question the words of the dirt."
He knelt down to see where and if he could find kobold footprints. Kasi had found a path, but soil only knew if it was the most walked. The path to the right, the one right before the plates. Perhaps it would be a path less trapped and more trodden. The heroes were all together, and would doubtless be safe. What was a cave, after all, but the bowels of the earth. The place to find destiny.
Sera hit the ground with a thud, landing right on top of Merkas. A sharp sting shot through her hip, and she hissed in pain—several small darts had lodged themselves in her flesh.Before she could even push herself up, Hastos came crashing down right after her, adding to the pile of tangled limbs and armor.
"This is getting ridiculous."
Groaning, she shoved herself upright, reaching down to yank out the darts. Damn things hurt. She turned them over in her fingers, narrowing her eyes. Poisoned? Maybe. But Duncan had given her an antidote just in case.
“I really hope these aren’t poisoned,” she muttered, rubbing her sore hip. “I’d rather not test dwarven medicine in the middle of a death trap.”
Sharn was still up there, likely trying to find a way past the traps without getting riddled with darts or set on fire. Probably smarter than the rest of them.Then she noticed it—Merkas, grinning through the pain, with his illusionary double also trying to lift him up.Sera forgot completely about being quiet. Not that it mattered—every kobold in this place probably knew they were here by now.
“YOU—” She spun on Merkas, ready to unleash the full force of her scolding. He had been so reckless, running ahead like that—
Then she saw the blood.
Her words caught in her throat. He was hurt. Worse than she thought. Behind her, Hastos grumbled as he plucked darts from his armor, pausing only to toss one aside when it nearly nicked something important. He’d be fine. A little bruised, a little stung, but fine.
Merkas, though...
Sera clenched her jaw and bent down, gently lifting him up. Without another word, she placed her hands over his wound, whispering a prayer.
“...Please, Paladine, heal this dumb, reckless, impulsive, annoying kender…...and watch over him” ( cure light wounds and heal 14 hp. Then give Merkas Guidance )
Frustration dripped from every word, but so did something else—fear. A fear she wasn’t ready to admit, even to herself.Silvery light flared from her hands, spreading like wildfire, knitting Merkas’ wounds shut. As the magic faded, she let out a slow breath and stood up.She turned away quickly, blinking hard. No one needed to see the tear she wiped away. One day, his reckless luck would run out. And what if she wasn’t there to heal him?
Sharn wanders east towards the hallway with the dragon sculpture, then veers south. He skids to a halt, when he notices something strange about the floor in front of him. Breakaway clay conceals a hollowness on the ground that suggests a pit trap.
To clear it involves a 10' leap. You may use your quarterstaff as a pole vault to gain advantage on the Athletics or Acrobatics check (DC 5)
On the other end of the pit trap is a shallow pool of water.
Difficult Terrain. If you break previous DC by 5 (result of 10 or better), you land softly anyway. If not, please roll a DEX check (DC) 5 to remain upright.
Sera hit the ground with a thud, landing right on top of Merkas. A sharp sting shot through her hip, and she hissed in pain—several small darts had lodged themselves in her flesh.Before she could even push herself up, Hastos came crashing down right after her, adding to the pile of tangled limbs and armor.
"This is getting ridiculous."
Groaning, she shoved herself upright, reaching down to yank out the darts. Damn things hurt. She turned them over in her fingers, narrowing her eyes. Poisoned? Maybe. But Duncan had given her an antidote just in case.
“I really hope these aren’t poisoned,” she muttered, rubbing her sore hip. “I’d rather not test dwarven medicine in the middle of a death trap.”
Sharn was still up there, likely trying to find a way past the traps without getting riddled with darts or set on fire. Probably smarter than the rest of them.Then she noticed it—Merkas, grinning through the pain, with his illusionary double also trying to lift him up.Sera forgot completely about being quiet. Not that it mattered—every kobold in this place probably knew they were here by now.
“YOU—” She spun on Merkas, ready to unleash the full force of her scolding. He had been so reckless, running ahead like that—
Then she saw the blood.
Her words caught in her throat. He was hurt. Worse than she thought. Behind her, Hastos grumbled as he plucked darts from his armor, pausing only to toss one aside when it nearly nicked something important. He’d be fine. A little bruised, a little stung, but fine.
Merkas, though...
Sera clenched her jaw and bent down, gently lifting him up. Without another word, she placed her hands over his wound, whispering a prayer.
“...Please, Paladine, heal this dumb, reckless, impulsive, annoying kender…...and watch over him” ( cure light wounds and heal 14 hp. Then give Merkas Guidance )
Frustration dripped from every word, but so did something else—fear. A fear she wasn’t ready to admit, even to herself.Silvery light flared from her hands, spreading like wildfire, knitting Merkas’ wounds shut. As the magic faded, she let out a slow breath and stood up.She turned away quickly, blinking hard. No one needed to see the tear she wiped away. One day, his reckless luck would run out. And what if she wasn’t there to heal him?
With the party mostly recovered and gaining their feet, you're able to take in the room. It's clearly a base camp. No kobolds are here at the moment, but the placement of the campfire and bedrolls imply that some are regularly stationed here. There's an oven here that can run hot enough to smelt ore. And in front of you are several crates, feebly blocking your entrance to the chamber.
No skill check required to climb over the crates. They're fairly small. But an appropriate size for kobolds to carry.
They don't look like the kind of crates you're looking for. But they do contain ore, precious gemstones, picks and shovels. Past the smelter there is a small mushroom grove. To your right, a tanner. Past the campsite, there is a workbench, and beyond that, three smaller chambers with what appear to be chutes.
Sharn took a couple of steps back, then using his staff as a pole for his considerable weight he vaulted over the pit (7 athletics). Just as he was about to lose his balance on the unsteady terrain, he jammed his staff down on the water. The stick might've been a poor weapon, but it was a great acrobatic implement. As a pleasant surprise, the path continued to the east, hopefully it would go back north. But he couldn't be careless regardless. With staff in hand to prod the ground ahead, Sharn continued with an eye out for traps (survival 14).
Sera took a deep breath, gripping her shining blade tightly as she scanned the chamber. The space had all the signs of a lived-in area—a tannery, a smithy, a campfire, and various crude furnishings. This wasn’t just a hideout; kobolds had made it into a home.
Her eyes narrowed at the makeshift barricade of crates stacked near the entrance. It was hastily thrown together, an obvious and clumsy attempt to block their path.
She spoke in Dwarven, knowing that everyone except Kasi would understand.
“...This makeshift block. And no one in sight. Do I make a bad guess if I say the kobolds here are hiding and about to pepper the first fool over the crates with arrows?” Sera look at Merkas almost expecting him to take her warning as an encouragment to do just that.
" how about you send your shining double up?" She ask Merkas
She tightened her grip on her shield, instinctively shifting her position for better cover. ( try get 3/4 cover from crates)
The silence in the room felt wrong. ( perception 4)
Every muscle in her body tensed as she waited, blade raised, eyes scanning the shadows beyond the barricade. An ambush was coming. She knew it.
Sharn took a couple of steps back, then using his staff as a pole for his considerable weight he vaulted over the pit (7 athletics). Just as he was about to lose his balance on the unsteady terrain, he jammed his staff down on the water. The stick might've been a poor weapon, but it was a great acrobatic implement. As a pleasant surprise, the path continued to the east, hopefully it would go back north. But he couldn't be careless regardless. With staff in hand to prod the ground ahead, Sharn continued with an eye out for traps (survival 14).
Back on the 1st floor, Sharn's boots splash into the bluish water, which coats the leather up to the ankles. Carrying on, he encounters a fork. Behind him, to the south, there is a chasm, where a pit trap has already collapsed. Looking down in it, Sharn sees a spiked pit with a dead oryx in it that had presumably wandered in to escape the heat and drink some water. To the north, you see a hallway that takes you back to the path with the ladder. Along the cavern walls, you notice slot marks in the wall that indicate a place where arrows or spears may come out. The pressure plates here are smaller, but more frequently placed, like a game of hopscotch on uneven stone. The higher stones are slippery looking with arching bubble shapes, and covered in algae. The lower stones dip down like a bowl, and hold pools of water.
cheapjoke123 roll Investigation or Insight for a clue as to how to avoid or disarm this trap. Hopscotching across it requires an Acrobatics or Performance (DC 15) check to get across the hall without landing on your butt.
In the distance, you can hear the kobold sounds switch from curiosity to panic. The sound diminishes and it gives you the impression that they are running away from your direction.
To follow the sound of the kobolds, you will need to get over the pit to the south. Same rules as bypassing the previous pit trap. Although jumping the trap doesn't count as disabling or surviving it, it does count as a skill encounter. Sharn receives 25 XP.
Down on the Second Floor...
Kasi dusts herself off, the rough tumble down the ladder snapping her out of her panic. She looks at Sera when she sees her speaking Dwarven. "What?" she rasps softly, her throat somewhat hoarse from screaming in panic down the fire-breathing hallway. "Not understand. Wait..." She jams a clawed finger into one of her ears to dig out some wax as if maybe she just misheard you.
Then she noticed it—Merkas, grinning through the pain, with his illusionary double also trying to lift him up.Sera forgot completely about being quiet. Not that it mattered—every kobold in this place probably knew they were here by now.
“YOU—” She spun on Merkas, ready to unleash the full force of her scolding. He had been so reckless, running ahead like that—
Then she saw the blood.
Her words caught in her throat. He was hurt. Worse than she thought. Behind her, Hastos grumbled as he plucked darts from his armor, pausing only to toss one aside when it nearly nicked something important. He’d be fine. A little bruised, a little stung, but fine.
Merkas, though...
Sera clenched her jaw and bent down, gently lifting him up. Without another word, she placed her hands over his wound, whispering a prayer.
“...Please, Paladine, heal this dumb, reckless, impulsive, annoying kender…...and watch over him” ( cure light wounds and heal 14 hp. Then give Merkas Guidance )
Waving away the light specter, Merkas barely has time to brush the dust off before Sera yelled at then healed him with the strangest incantation he had ever heard "Thanks Sera, I feel better than when we entered the cave! But you sure you should be saying all those things to Paladine? It's not a nice way to ask for something" He says this and in the light of the sword it's apparent that even his burns from Barkly are cleared away, though his left sleeve is still missing, can't have everything."But y'know my Pop always said fasted way out was the way you were facing, I was trying to turn the thing off when you all came running on top of me" Helping Kasi to her feet "You okay Gramma? Sorry I didn't understand to wait for the runes to stop, just saw how I could make the plates not be a problem"
Frustration dripped from every word, but so did something else—fear. A fear she wasn’t ready to admit, even to herself.Silvery light flared from her hands, spreading like wildfire, knitting Merkas’ wounds shut. As the magic faded, she let out a slow breath and stood up.She turned away quickly, blinking hard. No one needed to see the tear she wiped away. One day, his reckless luck would run out. And what if she wasn’t there to heal him?
Merkas turns back to looking for the off switch completely missing Sera's emotional response to his antics (Perception 2)
With the party mostly recovered and gaining their feet, you're able to take in the room. It's clearly a base camp. No kobolds are here at the moment, but the placement of the campfire and bedrolls imply that some are regularly stationed here. There's an oven here that can run hot enough to smelt ore. And in front of you are several crates, feebly blocking your entrance to the chamber.
No skill check required to climb over the crates. They're fairly small. But an appropriate size for kobolds to carry.
They don't look like the kind of crates you're looking for. But they do contain ore, precious gemstones, picks and shovels. Past the smelter there is a small mushroom grove. To your right, a tanner. Past the campsite, there is a workbench, and beyond that, three smaller chambers with what appear to be chutes.
As the others look over the room Merkas is looking through the various crates for valuable or magically imbued gems (Investigation 13).He attempts to pocket a few while the others are getting themselves back to their feet. As well as shimmy free the sending stone in the wall. (Sleight of Hand - 22)
She spoke in Dwarven, knowing that everyone except Kasi would understand.
“...This makeshift block. And no one in sight. Do I make a bad guess if I say the kobolds here are hiding and about to pepper the first fool over the crates with arrows?” Sera look at Merkas almost expecting him to take her warning as an encouragment to do just that.
" how about you send your shining double up?" She ask Merkas
(Merkas Doesn't speak Dwarven Sorry)
"What's that Sera? Sounds like your imitating stones rubbing together" Merkas looks out into the room for a bit trying to decide what is best as Sera seemed to have hit her head to hard and can't speak common anymore.
(Insight 16 for hint on how to proceed. Invoking the Campaign notes Insight
Get a hint from the DM about how best to succeed an encounter.
His light shadow stands bouncing on it's toes waiting for some thing to happen
Sera glanced over at Merkas, who was far too focused on rummaging through the crates to notice anything else. She had assumed he understood Dwarven, but the blank look on his face told her otherwise.
Suppressing a sigh, she leaned closer and whispered in Common, her voice low but firm.
"This barricade isn’t just random clutter. I bet the kobolds are hiding, waiting to pepper the first fool over it with arrows."
She shot him a pointed look, subtly nudging him away from the crates.
"That means you, Merkas."
Her words barely slowed him down. His hands were already deep in another crate, likely hoping for some shiny trinket or forgotten treasure.
Sera exhaled sharply. If he triggered the ambush early, Paladine help her, she’d need to be ready.
" how about you send your shiny illusion up front to lure them?"
The crates stand a little higher than a kobold. A medium-sized character crouching behind them would have Total Cover, but you'll have to peer between or above the crates to see, and gives you Disadvantage on Perception and Investigation checks. Standing will give you 3/4 Cover. A small-sized character has Total Cover even while standing.
You can leap over the crates without slowing your movement with an Acrobatics or Athletics check (DC 5), or crawl over them as difficult terrain. For the 5' that you are crawling over it, you are considered Prone for the purposes of Advantage and Disadvantage.
Sharn hummed inquisitive. The path trodden indeed. Every additional moment he spent the first level's tunnels made him think that perhaps Merkas' hasty, though unintentional sprint was not so unwise after all. For all he knew, that splash before might've alerted more kobolds than the fire trap. Then Sharn smirked at the confusion it would cause the rest if he praised the little kender once he got down to their level.
First things first. The path ahead of him was dark and slippery, the trap instruments within the walls betrayed themselves more obvious than the other hallway. The holes were larger, likely for spears, and the stones slicker. Yet overall predictable. These tiles were in a pattern, and it was one he could exploit. Three squares of spears, so to speak.
Sharn jumped over the first square, but he had underestimated how slick the stones of the second square were. With his footing unsteady, it was that stick again that saved him from paint. (Rolled a 12 on his dex save) Sharn stuck the staff to the side, between two more firm rocks, using them for balance like an improvised bar he could pull himself on. Stable enough to think, then came the last square of spears. This one was tricky. Muck and worn use had left it harder to predict where he should set his feet. Sharn took a deep breath. He swallowed the mossy air and winced in mild disgust as his mind focused. Then, he pushed himself off his staff and stepped on the wall closest to him, using the added momentum for his leap. The stunt forced him to abandon his old quarterstaff, but much like him it had a role to fulfill. One that hadn't become clear until the right moment. (Using a focus point to double Sharn's jump distance to try to make it to the other side without having to guess where the spears would come out of)
Sharn hummed inquisitive. The path trodden indeed. Every additional moment he spent the first level's tunnels made him think that perhaps Merkas' hasty, though unintentional sprint was not so unwise after all. For all he knew, that splash before might've alerted more kobolds than the fire trap. Then Sharn smirked at the confusion it would cause the rest if he praised the little kender once he got down to their level.
First things first. The path ahead of him was dark and slippery, the trap instruments within the walls betrayed themselves more obvious than the other hallway. The holes were larger, likely for spears, and the stones slicker. Yet overall predictable. These tiles were in a pattern, and it was one he could exploit. Three squares of spears, so to speak.
Sharn jumped over the first square, but he had underestimated how slick the stones of the second square were. With his footing unsteady, it was that stick again that saved him from paint. (Rolled a 12 on his dex save) Sharn stuck the staff to the side, between two more firm rocks, using them for balance like an improvised bar he could pull himself on. Stable enough to think, then came the last square of spears. This one was tricky. Muck and worn use had left it harder to predict where he should set his feet. Sharn took a deep breath. He swallowed the mossy air and winced in mild disgust as his mind focused. Then, he pushed himself off his staff and stepped on the wall closest to him, using the added momentum for his leap. The stunt forced him to abandon his old quarterstaff, but much like him it had a role to fulfill. One that hadn't become clear until the right moment. (Using a focus point to double Sharn's jump distance to try to make it to the other side without having to guess where the spears would come out of)
On the First Floor...
The spears start pounding into the wall when you land on the second square, and your timing is perfect. Sharn waits patiently for the spears to pound into the first square before leaping for his life back onto the main hall, lighting the glyphs. You can hear the whooshing of fire build up as the third and fourth glyphs light up. The first two don't and it seems like less fire than before. The dragon sculptures throat begins to glow!
On the Second Floor...
You hear the dragon statue begin to fill up with gas and flame.
You hear shuffling in the chamber, and a distant clamber coming from deeper inside the cave.
It was Sharn's time to imitate Merkas. He was close to the ladder, definitely closer than his allies had been when the trap fired last time. But he also had something they didn't, knowledge. The trap was at the height of a small creature, Hastos worked as an excellent elven ruler to measure that. Sharn timed it, patience and anxiety at the flames being his greatest rival. He stepped on one wall, jumping to the other and gaining height. His dense body had enough momentum to vault through the air, a nervous ball of dwarf, to land past the fire as it subsided and to the ladder. (rolled a 20, 18+2, on acrobatics to do monk gymnastics, if a dex save is necessary I'm absolutely in to roll it, I love doing monk stuff.)
Sera glanced over at Merkas, who was far too focused on rummaging through the crates to notice anything else. She had assumed he understood Dwarven, but the blank look on his face told her otherwise.
Suppressing a sigh, she leaned closer and whispered in Common, her voice low but firm.
"This barricade isn’t just random clutter. I bet the kobolds are hiding, waiting to pepper the first fool over it with arrows."
She shot him a pointed look, subtly nudging him away from the crates.
"That means you, Merkas."
Her words barely slowed him down. His hands were already deep in another crate, likely hoping for some shiny trinket or forgotten treasure.
Sera exhaled sharply. If he triggered the ambush early, Paladine help her, she’d need to be ready.
" how about you send your shiny illusion up front to lure them?"
"Why would anyone run into an open area like that, that's just crazy" Tossing aside another lump of ore as he talks"If that's how you and Haz wanna handle it sure feel free, Thing is there'll likely be kobolds hidden in them barrels on the left, the crates they were using as chairs are a good place to hide, them chutes down the back - bet they use them to sort stuff, and even in them shadowy crags above us to the right." He gestures to the various sections of the room he was talking about without looking up from what he was doing. Reaching into the next crate without exposing himself to the room he continues talking as Sera mentions sending in the Dancing Light Doll"Best bet is to find a way to make 'em all stunned with a bright flash, could send in my buddy here, like you just said, Probably best you douse your sword, then when they look or attack him he disappears and then we make a bright flash happen. A that time..."
On the Second Floor...
You hear the dragon statue begin to fill up with gas and flame.
You hear shuffling in the chamber, and a distant clamber coming from deeper inside the cave.
"Oh... Sharns coming! Great we'll all be together and we can make a run for the chutes out back and get to the next floor real quick, though they might be waiting for us there" Finishing with the rummaging he nods his head towards the room and the apparition walks through the crates and starts doing a saunter into the area pretending to whistle and act like nothings strange about an illuminated Kender walking through a Kobold Lair.
Sera listens Merkas talk and talk....she will the sword to darken and watch. She is glad Sharn joins them but it is no time for more talk. Merkas shiny double walks into view. Sere gets ready to ignite her sword and blind any kobolds.
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Hastos rolls to a stop and as he’s getting up, he hears the clicking of the trap resetting, then sees Sera grabbing Kasi and running like hell back down the corridor!
”Aw, for the sake of all that’s holy!” He complains as he begins awkwardly sprinting back down the hallway in pursuit of Sera and Kasi. He’s takes large, uneven strides in the hopes of missing any trigger plates between him and the ladder down to the next floor.
Dex save for Hastos: 12, 8, 19
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
With Sera leading the way (the trembling, and now squealing Kasi in tow) she clears the first place, triggering the glyphs yet again, which start to glow angrily. You can hear the whooshing of air chase her down the hall. As she steps on the second plate, a dart cuts into Sera's thigh, but most of the damage is absorbed by her freshly mended breeches.
Sera takes 3 damage (Piercing) from the 2nd dart, since the 1st dart won't fire.
The stinging of the dart hurts, but adrenaline gives her a burst of speed and the second dart flies just behind Sera as the third glyph lights up. But she's not fast enough to avoid the third dart, which is deflected somewhat by her thick leather belt, leaving an angry red puncture wound on her hip.
Sera takes 1 damage (Piercing) from the fourth dart.
But her stubborn resilience carries her through, and in a reckless dive, she crashes into the ladder, tumbling down it roughly to land on a heap on top of Merkas!
Merkas, Sera, and Kasi are now prone. I updated Sera's HP.
Coming in right behind Sera is Hastos, barreling through like a berserker! He clears the first plate one step behind Sera, and by the time they clear the first plate, Hastos feels a stinging bite on his rump as the angry dart buries itself with a leathery squeak.
Hastos takes 4 damage (Piercing).
The dart staggers his steps, slowing him down, and he catches another dart deep in his thigh!
Hastos takes 6 damage (Piercing).
But his homerun dive saves him from the final dart! With a graceful final dive, he clasps the edge of the ladder, and makes a fireman's slide down the rails just as the dragon's mouth begins to glow! Fire explodes above his head as he slides down gracefully to a stop just above the pile of groaning Dawnbound at the bottom. You can hear the echoing click of gears again and can reasonably assume the trap is loading up more darts.
Hastos takes a total of 10 damage (I've updated your character sheet) and you can choose not to step on your prone party members.
cheapjoke123, in lieu of the intense situation (and due to the fact that you can see in total darkness, I opted to move the situation ahead without you, because it won't negatively or positively affect your results. As far as the party knows, only Dex saves can do that. For now, the party is split.
Merkas, Sera, and Kasi are all occupying the same square. Hastos is in the same horizontal space, but is one square above the party.
First Floor, Second Floor Respectively...
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
Before he hears his friends coming again, Merkas climbs back up the ladder and while looking back the way he came starts speaking out loud as if they were beside him. (Cast message to Hastos) “Hey, you guys ok, I got a dart in the side but I’m fine, looking for the switch”
The blue apparition following him up to spot the on/off switch.
“C’mon it can’t be that hard to find after the trap! Ahh!!” With the Sera and Kasi coming to the ladder just asMerkas gets to the top the lot of them end up into a mess at the bottom, groaning he asks “Where’s Haz? Oh there he is!! Looking through the tangle of limbs on top of him he sees Hastos come through the opening at the top of the ladder “Anyone tell Sharn to join us?”
Loyalty Begets Honour
Hastos pushes off the ladder rails to land off to one side of the pile of his comrades.
Hastos hisses as he lands and staggers as he feels the darts biting into him. Angrily, he yanks the darts free from his thigh and buttocks. He puts them in his belt. “I’m going to be sure to return these to their rightful owner.” He says through gritted teeth. He can feel the blood streaming down his leg and he drops to one knee.
He begins to murmur something in Elvish. He feels heat rush through his body and concentrate in the wounds. The blood stops pouring and wounds heal to little more than minor injuries.
Hastos uses Second Wind: 7 + 2= 9 points returned to HP
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
Small blue hand reaches out from under Sera and Kasi. “Here, give them this one too, from me” He grunts a little, as he tries to squeeze his way out but doesn’t have the strength after the damage he’s taken. His glowing doppelgänger attempting to pull him free but their hands just pass through each other. “Sure would be nice if you could actually grab something”
Loyalty Begets Honour
Before Sharn could lift a finger to object, his group was already flying past the plates. He exhaled slowly.
"My stars ... Remember their youth Sharn." Then he remembered that Hastos was an elf. "I'm no one to question the words of the dirt."
He knelt down to see where and if he could find kobold footprints. Kasi had found a path, but soil only knew if it was the most walked. The path to the right, the one right before the plates. Perhaps it would be a path less trapped and more trodden. The heroes were all together, and would doubtless be safe. What was a cave, after all, but the bowels of the earth. The place to find destiny.
Sera hit the ground with a thud, landing right on top of Merkas. A sharp sting shot through her hip, and she hissed in pain—several small darts had lodged themselves in her flesh.Before she could even push herself up, Hastos came crashing down right after her, adding to the pile of tangled limbs and armor.
"This is getting ridiculous."
Groaning, she shoved herself upright, reaching down to yank out the darts. Damn things hurt. She turned them over in her fingers, narrowing her eyes. Poisoned? Maybe. But Duncan had given her an antidote just in case.
“I really hope these aren’t poisoned,” she muttered, rubbing her sore hip. “I’d rather not test dwarven medicine in the middle of a death trap.”
Sharn was still up there, likely trying to find a way past the traps without getting riddled with darts or set on fire. Probably smarter than the rest of them.Then she noticed it—Merkas, grinning through the pain, with his illusionary double also trying to lift him up.Sera forgot completely about being quiet. Not that it mattered—every kobold in this place probably knew they were here by now.
“YOU—” She spun on Merkas, ready to unleash the full force of her scolding. He had been so reckless, running ahead like that—
Then she saw the blood.
Her words caught in her throat. He was hurt. Worse than she thought. Behind her, Hastos grumbled as he plucked darts from his armor, pausing only to toss one aside when it nearly nicked something important. He’d be fine. A little bruised, a little stung, but fine.
Merkas, though...
Sera clenched her jaw and bent down, gently lifting him up. Without another word, she placed her hands over his wound, whispering a prayer.
“...Please, Paladine, heal this dumb, reckless, impulsive, annoying kender…...and watch over him” ( cure light wounds and heal 14 hp. Then give Merkas Guidance )
Frustration dripped from every word, but so did something else—fear. A fear she wasn’t ready to admit, even to herself.Silvery light flared from her hands, spreading like wildfire, knitting Merkas’ wounds shut. As the magic faded, she let out a slow breath and stood up.She turned away quickly, blinking hard. No one needed to see the tear she wiped away. One day, his reckless luck would run out. And what if she wasn’t there to heal him?
On the first floor...
Sharn wanders east towards the hallway with the dragon sculpture, then veers south. He skids to a halt, when he notices something strange about the floor in front of him. Breakaway clay conceals a hollowness on the ground that suggests a pit trap.
To clear it involves a 10' leap. You may use your quarterstaff as a pole vault to gain advantage on the Athletics or Acrobatics check (DC 5)
On the other end of the pit trap is a shallow pool of water.
Difficult Terrain. If you break previous DC by 5 (result of 10 or better), you land softly anyway. If not, please roll a DEX check (DC) 5 to remain upright.
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Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
With the party mostly recovered and gaining their feet, you're able to take in the room. It's clearly a base camp. No kobolds are here at the moment, but the placement of the campfire and bedrolls imply that some are regularly stationed here. There's an oven here that can run hot enough to smelt ore. And in front of you are several crates, feebly blocking your entrance to the chamber.
No skill check required to climb over the crates. They're fairly small. But an appropriate size for kobolds to carry.
They don't look like the kind of crates you're looking for. But they do contain ore, precious gemstones, picks and shovels. Past the smelter there is a small mushroom grove. To your right, a tanner. Past the campsite, there is a workbench, and beyond that, three smaller chambers with what appear to be chutes.
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My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
Sharn took a couple of steps back, then using his staff as a pole for his considerable weight he vaulted over the pit (7 athletics). Just as he was about to lose his balance on the unsteady terrain, he jammed his staff down on the water. The stick might've been a poor weapon, but it was a great acrobatic implement. As a pleasant surprise, the path continued to the east, hopefully it would go back north. But he couldn't be careless regardless. With staff in hand to prod the ground ahead, Sharn continued with an eye out for traps (survival 14).
Sera took a deep breath, gripping her shining blade tightly as she scanned the chamber. The space had all the signs of a lived-in area—a tannery, a smithy, a campfire, and various crude furnishings. This wasn’t just a hideout; kobolds had made it into a home.
Her eyes narrowed at the makeshift barricade of crates stacked near the entrance. It was hastily thrown together, an obvious and clumsy attempt to block their path.
She spoke in Dwarven, knowing that everyone except Kasi would understand.
“...This makeshift block. And no one in sight. Do I make a bad guess if I say the kobolds here are hiding and about to pepper the first fool over the crates with arrows?” Sera look at Merkas almost expecting him to take her warning as an encouragment to do just that.
" how about you send your shining double up?" She ask Merkas
She tightened her grip on her shield, instinctively shifting her position for better cover. ( try get 3/4 cover from crates)
The silence in the room felt wrong. ( perception 4)
Every muscle in her body tensed as she waited, blade raised, eyes scanning the shadows beyond the barricade. An ambush was coming. She knew it.
Back on the 1st floor, Sharn's boots splash into the bluish water, which coats the leather up to the ankles. Carrying on, he encounters a fork. Behind him, to the south, there is a chasm, where a pit trap has already collapsed. Looking down in it, Sharn sees a spiked pit with a dead oryx in it that had presumably wandered in to escape the heat and drink some water. To the north, you see a hallway that takes you back to the path with the ladder. Along the cavern walls, you notice slot marks in the wall that indicate a place where arrows or spears may come out. The pressure plates here are smaller, but more frequently placed, like a game of hopscotch on uneven stone. The higher stones are slippery looking with arching bubble shapes, and covered in algae. The lower stones dip down like a bowl, and hold pools of water.
cheapjoke123 roll Investigation or Insight for a clue as to how to avoid or disarm this trap.
Hopscotching across it requires an Acrobatics or Performance (DC 15) check to get across the hall without landing on your butt.
In the distance, you can hear the kobold sounds switch from curiosity to panic. The sound diminishes and it gives you the impression that they are running away from your direction.
To follow the sound of the kobolds, you will need to get over the pit to the south. Same rules as bypassing the previous pit trap.
Although jumping the trap doesn't count as disabling or surviving it, it does count as a skill encounter. Sharn receives 25 XP.
Down on the Second Floor...
Kasi dusts herself off, the rough tumble down the ladder snapping her out of her panic. She looks at Sera when she sees her speaking Dwarven. "What?" she rasps softly, her throat somewhat hoarse from screaming in panic down the fire-breathing hallway. "Not understand. Wait..." She jams a clawed finger into one of her ears to dig out some wax as if maybe she just misheard you.
No change to the map.
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My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
Waving away the light specter, Merkas barely has time to brush the dust off before Sera yelled at then healed him with the strangest incantation he had ever heard "Thanks Sera, I feel better than when we entered the cave! But you sure you should be saying all those things to Paladine? It's not a nice way to ask for something"
He says this and in the light of the sword it's apparent that even his burns from Barkly are cleared away, though his left sleeve is still missing, can't have everything. "But y'know my Pop always said fasted way out was the way you were facing, I was trying to turn the thing off when you all came running on top of me" Helping Kasi to her feet "You okay Gramma? Sorry I didn't understand to wait for the runes to stop, just saw how I could make the plates not be a problem"
Merkas turns back to looking for the off switch completely missing Sera's emotional response to his antics (Perception 2)
As the others look over the room Merkas is looking through the various crates for valuable or magically imbued gems (Investigation 13). He attempts to pocket a few while the others are getting themselves back to their feet. As well as shimmy free the sending stone in the wall. (Sleight of Hand - 22)
"What's that Sera? Sounds like your imitating stones rubbing together" Merkas looks out into the room for a bit trying to decide what is best as Sera seemed to have hit her head to hard and can't speak common anymore.
(Insight 16 for hint on how to proceed. Invoking the Campaign notes Insight
His light shadow stands bouncing on it's toes waiting for some thing to happen
Loyalty Begets Honour
Sera glanced over at Merkas, who was far too focused on rummaging through the crates to notice anything else. She had assumed he understood Dwarven, but the blank look on his face told her otherwise.
Suppressing a sigh, she leaned closer and whispered in Common, her voice low but firm.
"This barricade isn’t just random clutter. I bet the kobolds are hiding, waiting to pepper the first fool over it with arrows."
She shot him a pointed look, subtly nudging him away from the crates.
"That means you, Merkas."
Her words barely slowed him down. His hands were already deep in another crate, likely hoping for some shiny trinket or forgotten treasure.
Sera exhaled sharply. If he triggered the ambush early, Paladine help her, she’d need to be ready.
" how about you send your shiny illusion up front to lure them?"
The crates stand a little higher than a kobold. A medium-sized character crouching behind them would have Total Cover, but you'll have to peer between or above the crates to see, and gives you Disadvantage on Perception and Investigation checks. Standing will give you 3/4 Cover. A small-sized character has Total Cover even while standing.
You can leap over the crates without slowing your movement with an Acrobatics or Athletics check (DC 5), or crawl over them as difficult terrain. For the 5' that you are crawling over it, you are considered Prone for the purposes of Advantage and Disadvantage.
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
Sharn hummed inquisitive. The path trodden indeed. Every additional moment he spent the first level's tunnels made him think that perhaps Merkas' hasty, though unintentional sprint was not so unwise after all. For all he knew, that splash before might've alerted more kobolds than the fire trap. Then Sharn smirked at the confusion it would cause the rest if he praised the little kender once he got down to their level.
First things first. The path ahead of him was dark and slippery, the trap instruments within the walls betrayed themselves more obvious than the other hallway. The holes were larger, likely for spears, and the stones slicker. Yet overall predictable. These tiles were in a pattern, and it was one he could exploit. Three squares of spears, so to speak.
Sharn jumped over the first square, but he had underestimated how slick the stones of the second square were. With his footing unsteady, it was that stick again that saved him from paint. (Rolled a 12 on his dex save) Sharn stuck the staff to the side, between two more firm rocks, using them for balance like an improvised bar he could pull himself on. Stable enough to think, then came the last square of spears. This one was tricky. Muck and worn use had left it harder to predict where he should set his feet. Sharn took a deep breath. He swallowed the mossy air and winced in mild disgust as his mind focused. Then, he pushed himself off his staff and stepped on the wall closest to him, using the added momentum for his leap. The stunt forced him to abandon his old quarterstaff, but much like him it had a role to fulfill. One that hadn't become clear until the right moment. (Using a focus point to double Sharn's jump distance to try to make it to the other side without having to guess where the spears would come out of)
On the First Floor...
The spears start pounding into the wall when you land on the second square, and your timing is perfect. Sharn waits patiently for the spears to pound into the first square before leaping for his life back onto the main hall, lighting the glyphs. You can hear the whooshing of fire build up as the third and fourth glyphs light up. The first two don't and it seems like less fire than before. The dragon sculptures throat begins to glow!
On the Second Floor...
You hear the dragon statue begin to fill up with gas and flame.
You hear shuffling in the chamber, and a distant clamber coming from deeper inside the cave.
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
It was Sharn's time to imitate Merkas. He was close to the ladder, definitely closer than his allies had been when the trap fired last time. But he also had something they didn't, knowledge. The trap was at the height of a small creature, Hastos worked as an excellent elven ruler to measure that. Sharn timed it, patience and anxiety at the flames being his greatest rival. He stepped on one wall, jumping to the other and gaining height. His dense body had enough momentum to vault through the air, a nervous ball of dwarf, to land past the fire as it subsided and to the ladder. (rolled a 20, 18+2, on acrobatics to do monk gymnastics, if a dex save is necessary I'm absolutely in to roll it, I love doing monk stuff.)
"Why would anyone run into an open area like that, that's just crazy"
Tossing aside another lump of ore as he talks "If that's how you and Haz wanna handle it sure feel free, Thing is there'll likely be kobolds hidden in them barrels on the left, the crates they were using as chairs are a good place to hide, them chutes down the back - bet they use them to sort stuff, and even in them shadowy crags above us to the right."
He gestures to the various sections of the room he was talking about without looking up from what he was doing. Reaching into the next crate without exposing himself to the room he continues talking as Sera mentions sending in the Dancing Light Doll "Best bet is to find a way to make 'em all stunned with a bright flash, could send in my buddy here, like you just said, Probably best you douse your sword, then when they look or attack him he disappears and then we make a bright flash happen. A that time..."
Finishing with the rummaging he nods his head towards the room and the apparition walks through the crates and starts doing a saunter into the area pretending to whistle and act like nothings strange about an illuminated Kender walking through a Kobold Lair.
Loyalty Begets Honour
Sera listens Merkas talk and talk....she will the sword to darken and watch. She is glad Sharn joins them but it is no time for more talk. Merkas shiny double walks into view. Sere gets ready to ignite her sword and blind any kobolds.