Lost Lab of Kwalish

OOC: <We can call it a short rest.  That would be 4 hours, so you'll have to figure out what you're dping with the monk, or he's going to get a bunch if strength checks to break the ropes and mathematically he'll probably end up getting out. Mind you, your not sleeping, so you can just let that happen and deal with it, but it's something to keep in mind. Before the short rest, minutes afterthe battle, the monk wakes up.>

The monk looks around as he comes to,eyes darting to the corners of the room, looking for the Grand Master overhead, ready to punish any who oppose his will, before finally seeing the pale exoskeleton lying on the floor.  He stops grunting and struggling against the restraints and catches his breath.  His panting builds to a distinct laugh before turning to a cough.  With a 'Hwaaaaack!' he spits a glob of yellow phlegm on the polished floor in the direction of the bone devil.  

"Finally, I'm free of this accursed place!  You guys saved me! I owe ya's one! Now just untie me and I'll show you where we keep the brains.  That's what you came for right, those brains in jars? Your lucky you didn't end up joining them.  They wear out sometimes, you know?"

Ah oh, a short rest is 4 hours?

Leann lets the others deal with the monk, as she would have just cut his head off rather than keep him alive to start with.

Omiy narrows her eyes suspiciously, wanting to tell if the monk is saying the truth. Insight: 6

"Hey hey," she holds up a finger and waves in front of him, "don't get excited, ok? See the skinny man over there? " She points to Shutorn, "if you don't behave, you're gonna end up like your little buddies and become his personal service zombies, and then you can say goodbye to everything, forever." She blows a puff in her palm and makes a silent "boom" gesture, "so, I will tell you what's going to happen. We are going to keeping you in chains, and you are going to show us where you keep the jars of brains. And then maybe, just maybe, we'll let you walk out of here with all four limbs."

Finishing her speech, Omiy turns around and gives others a wink that means "no we actually won't".

"Hey, I'm not so skinny!" retorts Shutorn in mock offense.

Quote from WhiteByakko >>

Ah oh, a short rest is 4 hours?

 No. It's 1 hour.  The rest is still true, though. It's a DC17 assuming hemp rope.

"Your'e the boss.  They're just around here." He's very compliant and leads you on the path to the left that curves around the crag. A shining metal building sits atop the rocks before you.  A staircase carved into the rock suggests the intended users were of a greater stature, as each is about 5ft in height.  There are three steps to the top.  A climb check is not needed, but one would have to climb. "It's right up there, but I can't make it there to introduce you to the enlightened ones. Sorry: my hands are tied."

Also there is a large opening in the rocky ground to your right, with several small stones floating over it and one large boulder with a small outbuilding perched atop.  The floating features are 30ft overhead, the elevation of the building where the monk indicates the brains in jars reside. The hole in the ground is right next to you.

Hondo notices something moving in the shadows on the underside of the Boulder floating above the pit, but can't make out what it is.  Just subtle sporadic movements on the face of the rock. (It's 85ft from your position and another 30ft above you.)

I assume you guys will climb the stone stairs and leave your monk, or do you cut him loose? Throw him in the pit 300 style? Thoss him up there like a sandbag?

Leann starts to climb the stairs, her blond braid waving behind her as she does so. The clink of her full plate accompanies every step she makes, and her shield sways on her back. She glances only ahead, watching for danger and trusting the others to deal with the monk as they wish.

Sam will also go with Leann “it is ok to not look but you kill for survival yess and look why this change of heart”

Huarache rearranges his knot-tying so that the rope functions more like manacles with a single lead, giving about 30 or so feet of leash. He then removes his work gloves, flexes his hands, and bolts up. "If it works with you, I'm gonna pull you up, and you use your legs against the steps to pull yourself up along with me. That cool?"

The monk consents to Huaraches proposal with a shrug.

In response to the Lizardman, the monk replies "Most things that happen here are the will of the Grand Master.  I'm truly impressed with what you lot done back there.  If even one of us didn't attack you, he'd killed us all, or at least one of us for every one of you that lived.  What do you think I volunteered to have me face shorn off?"

As if responding to the monks words, the suspended stone seems to roil with a great commotion.  From the stone surface, through the darkness a swarm takes flight, flapping through the night toward you. The sound of leathery wings fills the air as the flight of creatures fill the space around you.  But as they flit past your faces, you can see that these aren't bats at all.  They're humanoid faces!

One tries to take a chunk out of Hondo.

X Hondo: 21 for 7 piercing.

Note: swarms occupy the same space as other creatures for whatever its worth, mechanically.

Reminder: it's dark.

Hondo feels a bite in his neck. “Ow!! What the heck! Something bit me!!” He looks around to see what attacked him. 

You're totally swarmed by these flying faces. Even in the relative darkness, you can make out the leathery faces flapping through the night air (just disadvantage on attacks possibly).

During the short rest Shutorn recovered 8 hit points.

He shoots at the flying face swarm with chill touch Attack: 23 Damage: 9, and mentally orders his zombie minions to move in and attack the swarm (not Hondo).

edit: I assume I should roll for the zombies too?

Monk zombie 1: Attack: 15 Damage: 6

Monk zombie 2: Attack: 21 Damage: 7

Huarache activates the hammer of his Duskcrusher, which flares to life, lighting up the area (15-foot bright light radius, add. 15-foot dim light). He swings at the nearest faces, the light tearing through the darkness as the faces flutter.

Attack: 25 Damage: 14

Attack: 28 Damage: 10

The faces are not much of a threat to the adventurers.  As the joint attack of the zombies, spectral hand and flaming hammer easily decimate their numbers.  The remaining few scattered and fly off into the night... save one.  A solitary face makes straight for the monk you captured/rescued?,  grappling the monks skull in a nightmarish scene right out of the mind of H.R. Giger!  The monk shreiks ND clutches his face, falling to the ground as it appears to smother the brother.  The screams are muffled as the face seals over the pLe bones of the robed human twisting on the ground at your feet, bound and helpless as the tanned leather face, eyes and mouth sewn shut, embraces the monks skull. 

What do you do?

"I don't look ahead to not know what is done with the monk, but to let the others decide his fate." Leann replies, just before the heads attack. They seem intent on the others though, flying past her and then getting swatted down by her companions. As one latches on to the monk she waits to see what the others plan to do, taking no action herself.

Huarache tugs on a work glove and tries to pull the leathery face off of the monk.

Omiy's going to help Huarache's tug of war with the flying face by putting her arms around and holding his waist (?).