Quivering Corruption (DM Lerus)

"It looks to be their refuse chamber. But, it is hard to tell for certain if it is safe to move through." Neya reports to Moneus as she assesses the room. "It looks like the it opens to the northeast."

Utar nods his agreement, then takes up his position to the rear of the marching order.

Doozey finishes arranging his goods once more. Even after ti becomes clear not everything could be found, he hardly seemed to react to it beyond a briefly raised brow. "We proceed." He whispered back, reaffirming his dedication to the hunt. Knowing the others, he walked just ahead of Utar, but behind everyone else.

While Doozey finishes collecting and arranging his items. Neya informs Moneus and the others about what she sees in the next chamber. The group then cautiously advances, perhaps getting closer to the dead animals and strange mounds in this new chamber than they initially planned. What at first Neya judged to be another refuse room is literary cast in a new light once Utar's Driftglobe gets closer. The mounds are nothing more than piles of hay arranged in roughly crescent shapes around a two separate feeding areas. It seems the cave's residents enjoy eating and sleeping in the same quarters.

Approaching the northeast exit, the group sees a more familiar area. A torch on the wall illuminates the general area where the party initially saw Doozey. A large stone pillar connects the ground to the ceiling, 25 or so feet high. In addition to the passage you are arriving from, there are three others. The south passage certainly leads to the area where CRAP was ambushed. The east passage leads to the chamber where Doozey came from just before meeting the party. Finally, the northern passage leads deeper into the cave system, and quickly splits into two other passages. One leads northwest and the other northeast. 

EXPLORED AREA:

Utar looks to the others, "Back here again. East or West, any preferences?"

"East sounds as good as anything else... But first..."

Graxx would like to try to remove the Torch in the T,2 area before proceeding with the group. Graxx will carry the Torch alone with the halberd on his back.

Doozey just remains quiet. Even if Graxx words inspired hope of finally facing the foes to the east, remembering Moneux' reminder, he could not bring himself to push one way or another. The only thing certain is his dedication in keeping a close eye on the group's surroundings as they traveled for even the smallest signs of aggressive movement in the party's direction.

"Considering those two bats escaped us, we should expect them prepare for us." Neya warns.

DM's Screen:

Mapping the explored area in his mind, Utar points the two uncharted paths to his companions. Graxx proposes the group faces a fight head on, to which Neya seems to agree. Doozey seems happy to follow the party's decision for now, his mind surely elsewhere at the moment.

Moneus' face assumes a defeated expression: "Utar, you know me. My specialty is to collect information and avoid fights. But if the group insists on heading into a clash, I must insist that we better arm... hmm... Doozey, was it? You've been adventuring for a while... do you have anything the halfling could use that would be more effective against our foes? You asked me earlier if I was properly armed and..." The tiefling unsheathes his black pearl dagger, looking at it while waiting for the party to come up with an alternate weapon so he doesn't have to lend his prized blade to the halfling.

The group then begins walking towards the east passage. Graxx picks an already lit torch from the wall to help illuminate the path, even though Utar's magical globe is still out. Perhaps he has other plans for the torch...

The group then makes its way through the eastern passage, arriving at the largest chamber yet. Doozey recognizes this as the chamber where the shapechangers were having a meeting earlier. Tables and stools make the room look like an underground tavern, and the large performance stage by the east wall makes it doubly so. Atop the stage a crude throne has been built, though no one sits on it at the moment. Three torches provide plenty of light in this space, and there are three exits excluding the one you are approaching from. One leads southeast, another northwest, and the last north. Doozey recognizes the northwest passage as the one he initially escaped from.

Doozey, Utar, and Moneus notice a large figure trying to hide behind the throne. Judging by its bulk, Doozey guesses it can only be the half-orc he saw earlier. Graxx and Neya are unaware of this.

Doozey frowned, and yet turned to Neya instead of confronting Moneus. Assuming he knew of her silvered shortsword, he would quietly call her back to ask for it, promising to return it later. Whether given it or not, as far as Moneus' offered concerned, only at Utar's insistence will he accept it.

When the group walk in and make their discovery, rather than call out a warning, Doozey said while trying appear 'casual' in surveying the room, "Say Neya. You should give king slaying a try. You certainly have the skills for it, I suspect." He says offhandedly, trusting, or at least hoping she'd figure things out from there.

Perception: 18, if at disadvantage: 19.

Neya unhooks her silvered sword from her hip and hands it to Doozey with a nod,

Understanding his lightly-veiled meaning, she turns her attention to the throne and says, "Perhaps, but even a new assassin knows that a king is never truly alone."

She then takes out her bow and starts shooting at the throne, not trusting whatever Doozey sees is the only thing in the room.

Bow vs throne Attack: 8 Damage: 6

Extra Bow vs throne Attack: 10 Damage: 8

Utar lets his eyes wander over the rest of the room, Neya was right of one had been hidden, there could be others. If it was just the one, getting some answers from it might just stopped things along.

Pacing around, he tries to cut off any line of escape from the throne to deeper into the cave.

Graxx drops his torch and draws his Halberd moving between the group and where Neya placed her arrows.

"WHAT DO YOU SEE?!" roars Graxx.

Moneus sheathes his decorated dagger with a sigh of relief after Neya lends her silver shortsword to Doozey. Then, a few steps later, the halfling repays the favor by pointing out a potential target for her arrows. The monk preps a shot or two and lets them loose.

Graxx steps forward, occupying an advanced position in case of danger. Utar moves to block the nearest alternate exit. Moneus spreads out.

Neya's first arrow hits the throne, sticking out. The second one licks the piece of fancy furniture before bouncing harmlessly away from some beast's magical hide right behind it. His surprise factor ruined, a half-boar, half-orc, half -man (man-bear-pig?) jumps out while screaming: "Now!"

Three goblin-bats fly down from nooks on the ceiling and a wolf lady flips a table in fury.

ROLLING FOR INITIATIVE

STAGE F(R)IGHT - INITIATIVE ROUND 1

• 23. Moneus - 
• 22. Neya - 
• 21. Doozey - 
• 15. Werebats - 20 feet from the ground;
• 14. Werewolf - 
• 05. Graxx - 
• 05. Wereboar - 
• 01. Utar - 

MAP:

 

NOTES: It's bright light everywhere except for shadows cast by furniture and objects.

(Moneus will go first.)

Moneus quietly moves to a spot behind the closest table {AS-76} and unloads two more temporary throwing knives at the werewolf:

-> Moneus' stealth check: 20 (Cunning Action.)

-> Flying Knife vs Werewolf: Attack: 28 Damage: 32 piercing (includes Sneak Attack damage.)

-> Flying Knife vs Werewolf: Attack: 9 Damage: 8 piercing.

The tiefling throws one of his most accurate knives ever, followed by one of his least accurate. The first projectile hits the werewolf's neck, the other lightly damages a stool before disappearing. (Werewolf takes 32 magical piercing damage.)

(Neya and Doozey are up next.)

Neya charges the wounded werewolf (move to AP-75) and unleashes a volley of attacks.

Unarmed Attack: 20 Damage: 7

Extra Unarmed Attack: 12 Damage: 8

Bonus Unarmed Attack: 11 Damage: 11

If the werewolf falls, she will retreat to next to Moneus (to AS-74).

(OOC: Wow! What a follow-up)

(@Lerus: Boooo! That only works if he was a Bugbear. And having played a Man-Bear-Pig-(Bug) before, only I know what it truly means to play Man Bear Pig.)

Seeing that Moneus and Neya had one were well in hand, a determined Doozey raced for other, more smaller threats. In the process of moving, he thinks back to the cell -- back to the struggle, and in a moment of either madness or brilliance, acts upon a idea. With vial in hand by the time reached the stool, he watched and waited for the perfect opportunity to fling the vial down the throat of an approaching weregoblin, hoping to catch mid-dive and mouth open wide ready to bite with a sudden choking hazard might interrupt its flight, if nothing else.

Or, if he sees the madness for what it was in that moment, he approached, standing atop a chair all the same, brandishing Neya's shortsword menacingly.

Movement: To AL-73.

Action(If Possible/Reasonable): Sleight of Hand Thrown Vial - 15 at Werebat at AK-3. (using Inspiration to cancel out disadvantage. And if able to use proficiency with daggers/darts for throwing a vial accurately, add +3 to the roll)

OR(if above not possible)

Action: Ready - Attack: 17 Damage: 5 of silvered piercing damage to first goblin to come in range.

Seeing an opportunity, Neya rushes forward to meet the werewolf in battle, who is holding her neck in pain. Three quick strikes to the neck wound's vicinity are enough to bring the beast down for good. As she falls and begins her transformation back to her half-elven form, Doozey recognizes her as the female half of the twin siblings he saw earlier. (Werewolf takes 28 magical bludgeoning damage and is DEFEATED.)

As the monk retreats southward, man-bear-pig Doozey steps up and climbs a stool. Despite being loaned an effective silver blade, the stoutling opts to brandish an empty glass vial. He readies himself to throw his improvised projectile if one of the bats flies close enough.

(Werebats go next.)

(Edit: We had previously established that the Driftglobe's light does count as sunlight, so I'll have to edit the attack rolls below. Please have a look at the bottom of the post.)

To Doozey's dismay, the goblins had apparently zeroed in their chosen target before the halfling's approach. The three of them fly high until the very last second, and then dive towards Utar. The half-orc notices that they seem a bit different them before. More specifically, their eyes have a green tint to them, and there is no way of distinguishing their irises from their sclera. They seem to burn in some kind of magical fervor that was not there before.

-> Scimitar vs. Utar: Attack: 24 Damage: 6 slashing. (Edit: disadvantage roll: 11 - no change.)

-> Scimitar vs. Utar: Attack: 13 Damage: 4 slashing. (Edit: disadvantage roll: 23 - no change.)

-> Scimitar vs. Utar: Attack: 18 Damage: 9 slashing. (Edit: disadvantage roll: 7 - no change.)

-> Bite vs. Utar: Attack: 8 Damage: 6 piercing. (Edit: disadvantage roll: 21 - no change.)

-> Bite vs. Utar: Attack: 20 Damage: 5 piercing. (Edit: disadvantage roll: 24 - no change.)

-> Utar's CON saving throw {DC 10}: 4

-> Bite vs. Utar: Attack: 19 Damage: 7 piercing. (Edit: disadvantage roll: 16 - not a hit.)

-> Utar's CON saving throw {DC 10}: 15 (Edit: no longer needed.)

Between his shield and mace, Utar manages to block some of the incoming attacks, but the werebats are simply too fast... faster then they were earlier. (Utar takes 13 slashing and piercing damage.)

The werebats then disengage and fly back to the relative safety of the ceiling, 25 feet above ground. Doozey thinks one of them passes close enough to him while retreating and launches his improvised vial at a gaping bat mouth.

-> Werebat #5's DEX saving throw {DC 15}: 13 Damage: 3 piercing.

The vial finds its way into the goblin's mouth, but the creature instinctively bites on the projectile. The vial breaks and cuts the inside of the creature's mouth and throat, which doesn't seem to be as tough as its hide. (Werebat #5 take 3 piercing damage.)

EDIT

The Driftglobe seems to be messing up with werebats' audio-visual-location system. Their attacks have disadvantage. Here are six attack rolls to account for disadvantage, in order: 9, 6, 24, 9, 20, 12

This does not affect their DEX saving throw.

(Graxx is up next.)