Zorg's Lost Souls

Kastix will just hold his hand in the air, ready to use spell on the Derro of he makes a break for it.

The derro tries to push past the grimlock to escape back down the tunnel to the west, but is mentally pummelled by both Pax and Rhayna, and freezes in mid-stride as if playing a children's party game. The grimlock watches the derro blankly with one head while the other turns and snarls at Pax, swinging a rough wooden club clumsily. Kaylyn is taking none of that nonsense, and blasts the grimlock with celestial magic, dropping it to the ground like a sack of mushrooms.

The pause that follow is almost comical - the derro poises on one leg, Zeno and Kastix both hold their own shots, the two-headed grimlock gives off a smell of burning hair, and Sekkar stands there wondering why the fight is over so soon and whether to pick up the egg again. In the seconds that follow, the sound of shouting is heard from the west passage beyond the door. The echoes bouncing off the tunnel walls might be deceptive, but it sounds like as many as a dozen different voices grunting and yelling, as well as the clanking of weapons.

Pensive follows the small tunnel for another hundred feet or so, and comes to a fork. Both tunnels have faint light and faint sounds issuing from them. Here the pseudodragon pauses, sensing Kaylyn responding to the conflict before her.

Sekkar finally decided the egg should be picked up - left or right but they were moving. "Rhayna? Is this the cave with derro and grimloks that you saw? If it is, freeing those giants would do good  surely they have a word or two to tell to their captors, while we are escaping."

Pensive, sensing Kaylyn is not so much in trouble but certainly involved in something, chooses to turn right.  That direction would put him headed towards her.  As he comes to the opening he stops short of entering and looks around.

"Please. Bring the Derro to our side, and we may need to bar the door if possible. They have a two-headed giant amongst them." Rhayna shouts to the group, then she continues. "There is another cave up ahead that I emerged. The fungi patch was to the east side of that cave. They were performing some kind of demonic ritual in there. I believe that is where they are turning normal creatures into a two-headed one. Like what happened to Rihuud, the Stone Giant apprentice." 

"Sekkar could be right. The Grimlocks were in cages, and I believe that I saw seven of them. We might be able to pit them against their Derro masters."

Rhayna thinks for a moment. "So besides the two-headed Giant and perhaps seven Grimlocks. I saw two Derros in the cave with the Grimlocks, and another 6 on the other cave where they were conducting the ritual. There is also a two-headed dog that did not seem very friendly."

Pax, looks at the downed, smoking Grimlock, glancing back at Kaylyn, "Very impressive."  She walks up, her sword pointing at the Derro, "Is he stopped for good here...or should I help him stop for good?"

Kaylyn wiggles her fingers as she smiles and answers, "It's all in the fingers."

After a few moments more, Rhayna spells expires and the derro begins to move again, completing his last footstep and shaking his head. He lets out another somewhat-squeaky yell of alarm, before attempting to flee again down the west passage. The noise from that direction gets louder and clearer, and numerous figures start to emerge from around a bend in the passage. The first is a large two-headed dog that immediately lunges forward when it spots the first of the group. Behind the dog are six derro wielding crossbows, and they promptly assume an attack stance. These derro are noticeably more organised than the rabble in the derro slums, although they have a similar look of insanity in their countenances.

Pax can make an opportunity attack against the fleeing derro.

"I'm staying to see a pattern here," Kastix comments as he points his wand in their direction. 

Initiative if needed, 15

Rhayna Initiative: 26

(How are are the derros with crossbows? How high is the cave? Meaning, does it fit a giant?)

Rhayna points at the derros. "I believe those are the ones performing the rituals to create a second head on creatures. There must be also a two-headed giant behind them."

Pax, for her own reasons, doesn't strike the fleeing Derro but lets him go.  

Initiative : 17

The derro are probably about 200 feet away still. The cave height is about 10-15 feet. A Large creature might have to stoop, but would still be able to fit and fight in these tunnels)

Initiative: Derro 5, Death Dog 15

Roll initiative, and if you get higher than 22 you can declare your actions...

New Initiative: 21

Sekkar Initiative: 7.

Rhayna will cast Toll the Dead on the Death Dog. (WIS save 15. DMG: 3)

Initiative 19

Rhayna (26), Zeno (21), Derro (22), Death Dog (21), Pax (17), Kastix (15), Sekkar (7), Kaylyn (5)

I'll put Zeno above the derro in initative, just so the monsters are all acting together, to simplify things.

Toll the Dead has a 60' range, and the death dog is still 120' away.

One of the derro shouts a command to the dog and it stops short, 80 feet in front of them. The fleeing derro skips to the side of the tunnel but keeps running toward his comrades as they take aim with their crossbows and fire at Pax (no thanks for letting their mate go, eh?)
Derro 1: Attack: 8 Damage: 8
Derro 2: Attack: 14 Damage: 8
Derro 3: Attack: 5 Damage: 5
Derro 4: Attack: 17 Damage: 6
Derro 5: Attack: 12 Damage: 9
Derro 6: Attack: 11 Damage: 3

Pensive senses no occupants of the cave, and flies between two large patches of fungus to enter. An unpleasant musk lingers in the air. Three empty cages assembled from scrap iron sit on both sides of the chamber with door ajar. A spiral path circles into the center of the room, marked off by small stone pylons. A large cauldron sits on a small fire in front of a tent near the cave’s center. A large gate made of iron bars in the northwest entrance is open, and another passage exits the cave to the right.

Everyone can take a turn. Rhayna and Zeno can post two actions. In particular let me know if/when you are through the door into the passage, and what is happening with Gorlak and the egg. If Pensive enters the passage, please roll initiative for them too.

Pensive, out of curiosity, decides to check out the cauldron and then the tent.

Meanwhile Kaylyn focus on the dog creature and sends two blasts of Eldritch Energy at it.

Attack: 19 Damage: 13

Attack: 25 Damage: 13

Bless rolls from Rhayna 

Attack 1 2

Attack 2 1

She'll target derro instead if the dog is dead by the time it is her turn.

Zeno will run forward and to the side of the tunnel and try to find a place to hide.  (Should close to approximately 90ft) Stealth: 23

He takes aim at the death dog, and fires his hand crossbow.  (Adv/Disadv so straight roll).

Attack: 18 Damage: 9

Then he runs forward a bit, trailing behind the frontliners, and does the same thing, finding a rocky outcropping in the shadowy tunnel to take aim at the dog.  (Assuming the dog moved 40 feet, putting him 50 feet from Zeno, so Zeno moves 20 feet again and hides - net is 30 feet to the dog - advantage roll)

Stealth: 29

Attack: 14 Damage: 10

Advantage attack roll: 25 (sorry, I had forgotten to click advantage before submitting)
Sneak Attack: 13

Turn 1: Rhayna prays to the Goddess, and casts Bless (lvl3) on Kastix, Kaylyn, Pax, Sekkar, and Zeno.

Turn 2: Rhyana then holds her pendant towards the Death Dog, and casts Guiding Bolt on the creature. (Does Rhayna needs to see target?)

Attack: 23 Damage: 16