Dramatis personae
Poklov, Town Watchdwarf
Felcanis, cleric
Honsou, bowman watched by the Town Watchdwarf
Quid occurrit
Poklov does First Aid on Angelista and Felcanis casts Major Healing and Minor Healing on her, healing her fully. From looting the bodies, they get 10 copper farthings, 3 cheap broadswords, and 3 large knives.
While hiking, wasp swarms attack everyone but Honsou. They get them off after some swatting and chasing after Bill, who bolts from the stinging wasps. Felcanis casts Stop Bleeding and Major Healing on Bill.
The group's foraging is good for everyone, and Angelista gets a few small animal furs worth only 5 copper. Angelista sets up camp, and Felcanis casts Watchdog, but nothing happens that night.
The next day, they set forth. After about an hour and a half of hiking east, you see the trees start to look withered, and fewer animals. There is a copse of bushes that look alive, however. Angelista leads the group away from them, overriding Felcanis's yearning to check them out. Up ahead, things start to thin out a bit more. Farther past, there is a big tent rock in the distance, with what looks like a keep on it. Felcanis points at the big tent rock. "That is Dībités Rock. There's a tower there, and it isn't elven."
As they heroes get nearer, they can see hustle and bustle around the rock and the tower atop it. The tent rock isn't too high, but the tower goes up at least 50 feet above it. A bit past a drawbridge they see a group of men come towards them. There are nine, three are mounted. Poklov steps forward to talk, and a man on a horse with a cleft lip and wearing light mail nods. "Hail, dwarf. Žrêdete (Mannish for "greetings" to more than two folks) to all of you."
Poklov says, "What has the day been to you?"
The man looks puzzled. "It has, uh, been a day of activity, as always. What has it been to you, Kuzzy?" ("Kuzzy" is a slang word for dwarf, slightly derogatory.)
Poklov isn't bothered. "Uneventful, which is nice for once. We are tracking some leads to find a person of interest, and were looking to see if we can stay in the safety of your walls for the night."
The man's lips curls in what looks like a sneer, but since it's cleft it's hard to tell. "Who's the person?"
Poklov says, "A demonologist or something like that. We've had several stories of strange coming and going a ways from here."
The man stops. "Who told you that, Kuzzy? What stories?"
Poklov nods towards Felcanis. "Oh, our fair priestess heard a few while treating travelers. There have been some tavern stories, too."
He turns his gaze to Felcanis, with a leer. "Oh, did she? What kinda stories you like, lassie?"
Angelista pushes her spear a bit forward, just enough so the man sees. "I would modify my tone when speaking to a priestess of Saundīvós."
The scoffs. "I'll talk to the Albanérēs (elf women) however I like. They're mighty comely."
Angelista says, "Then you obviously have no fear of gods. Poklov, this … person … is rude and uncompromising, and disrespectful to women. Finish our exchange quickly please."
Whether this stops the man or not, he seems to be a bit more respectful. "But I'm on duty. What are these stories, oh Cleric of Saundīvós?"
Poklov cuts in, "I'd hate to have her bore you with stories of common folks and travelers, but if you think you can help us we'll gladly share."
The man laughs. "Sure, I think we can help each other."
Poklov asks, "How about we talk about it over a couple pints?"
The man guffaws. "I'll say this for you, Vérge (Mannish for greeting a dwarf) runt, you kuzzies love to drink. I'm down with that. My commander also would be."
Angelista says, "Is that all you have been taught? Sneering and slinging insults?"
The man doesn't like this. "Hey, I was born with this lip problem, sweetness. I can't help it. I don't think you'd like getting your lip like this!"
Angelista says, "It's not the lips I am offended by. It's is the language coming from them. Your treatment is knave-like in its tone."
This is well above the man's level of understanding. "Eh, all I ever learnt was Mannish. I could be up for a few Elvish lessons, though, if my language isn't good enough."
Angelista says "Then I suggest a little more respect, lest another woman give you lessons of her own." She shrugs. "Unless of course you are into that kind of thing."
This baffles him. "Look, lady, enough of this shit. My commander can talk to you folks."
Poklov cuts in. "Either way, do you and your commander have an establishment we can visit after your duty?" Poklov hands him a few copper for drinks later.
The man says, "Lemme take you to him." The men lead the heroes towards the drawbridge. Once there, the man tells a guard to fetch "Aidīvós." After a few minutes, a thin, bald man clad in mail with a twisted ear comes out.
Poklov says, "'Ello, good commander."
This bald man says back, "Žrêde, Vérge. What brings you and your friends to our little of neck of the woods?"
Poklov chuckles. "Honestly, with all the rocks, it looks kind of my neck of the woods."
Aidīvós laughs. "You're right, this is a little odd for the woods."
Poklov keeps going. "But, I'm a constable from Mīštássun, and we just tracking down some missing people and trying to find the reason behind it all."
The man looks puzzled. "Missing? Who's missing? Anyone I might know?"
Poklov shakes his head. "Nah, just some local folks, but last we heard some stories of some weird coming and goings and maybe a demonologist further east. We just happened to stumble across your keep, and were looking for some safe lodging, possibly some drinks."
The bald man thinks for a moment. "Demonologist, eh? Sounds like a nasty customer."
Poklov says, "Well it's either true or the story is exaggerated.
The man starts to talk again. "Listen, Vérge of Mīštássun … how the hell did a dwarf get to be on the Mīštássun Town Watch, anyways? It's not common, you know?"
Poklov says, "I'm good at what I do. I'm more like traveling constable."
Aidīvós asks, "And what do you do?"
Poklov says, "I bring justice."
Angelista smiles. "He has proven to be of some value."
The bald man says, "Justice is … good, you know."
Poklov says, "Without law, we are no better than the animals."
Aidīvós smiles. "Yeah, I miss seeing those. We haven't had many animals around here in awhile, you know."
Poklov asks, "Oh really? What you eat then?"
The bald man says, "We have to trade for grain, and we send … hunting parties. Hunting is good once you get away from this rock."
Poklov asks, "Any good fishing near by? A good fisherman and half a day's fishing can feed a small group pretty easy."
Aidīvós puts his hand on Poklov's shoulder. "No, good dwarf, there isn't too much water here, you know. But I think we can make a deal."
Poklov says, "Aye, what do you need? I'll see if we can accommodate."
Aidīvós grins. "Well, we have a problem under the keep. Seems this rock has more below it than someone would think."
Angelista pipes up, "I believe that may be where I come in. Can you describe this problem?"
Aidīvós nods. "Well, good lass, there was something here before this tower. And now, it seems that something is poisoning our woods, you know?" He waves his hand at the twisted, dying plants.
Angelista nods. "I have noticed."
Poklov asks, "Oh, that wasn't just the lay of the land?"
Aidīvós shakes his head. "Nope. And I, uh, can't spare my men to root out anything below there."
Angelista asks, "Are there any other misshapen events or creatures that may also be cause for concern? I have dedicated my life to the slaughter of monsters, demons, and undead."
Poklov agrees, "Aye, and she's pretty good at it. Do not get in a fight with her. She packs a wallop."
Aidīvós and smiles. "I can appreciate that."
Angelista pulls aside Poklov. "However, Poklov, if we do this, we do it all the way. We clear the entire dungeon of this evil: every room. We leave no room for error lest it return. Can you commit to that?"
Poklov nods. "Aye, how long we thinking? Days, months, years? I mean we don't even know how big this thing is."
Angelista says "However long it takes. However many forays we must make."
Poklov chuckles. "I ain't scared of going under some rock."
Aidīvós shrugs. "I don't know how far down this goes. I doubt it's more than months."
Angelista says, "Even if we go in, we attack and then retreat and then enter again and reattack, and we can eventually win. Yhink of it as war. with all its offensives and tactical retreats. The aggressor usually wins the siege when properly equipped. But for a lasting victory then entire dungeon MUST be cleared."
Aidīvós nods. "Now, listen, I can't have you popping out during this. I'm guarding some students who are studying. I don't want them getting startled."
Angelista asks, "Define, 'Popping out.'"
The bald man says, "Once I let you down, the door to the underground has to stay shut. We don't want folks asking questions about all this, you know."
Angelista nods. "I think we can handle that but if it does take weeks then we will have to come back out for things like food and water. My main concern is water."
Aidīvós smiles. "I think you'll find you can live off the surplus of the dungeon easily." He points out the pond feeding the moat. "I'm pretty sure this goes under there, too."
Angelista asks, "Can you describe any other troubles that you are enduring brought on by this problem? It may help us to identify our enemy."
Aidīvós says, "There's the occasional fell demon that gets out that we have to … take care of, you know?"
Angelista says, "Believe me, I know."
Aidīvós grins. "I'm sure you'll do fine. I can spare a few meals and let you spend the night first."
Angelista says, "That will do nicely. I assume we don't need some secret code to leave the dungeon when the job is finished. And I assure you we will finish."
After a night in one of the buildings near the wall, Aidīvós leads the gang into the tower. He takes the heroes down the stairs. "Now, our troops have been trained to whack first and ask questions later about anything that comes out of that door, so even banging on it from the other side isn't a good idea."
Angelista asks, "Then how do we get out when the job is done?"
He thinks for a moment. "Good question, and I don't have a good answer for it. How about you yell your name and what you've found?"
Angelista says, "Or we can yell our names and that the evil is dead. Does that work for you?"
He shrugs. "I suppose. But let us know what the evil was when you do so."
Angelista nods. "As you wish."
With that, he takes off the last bolt, and the guards take their position, looking at whatever is past. He opens the door to a big, dark room. Angelista leads the way, shield and spear in hand. When the heroes walk inside, they fall about a yard as the floor unexpectedly stops. Once everyone is inside—and the guards don't let the heroes tarry—the door shuts, and the heroes can hear the bolting and bars being put back on."
A bit beyond, they see some movement. They look like centipedes as big as a man. Angelista holds back and Honsou stays outside the light, but Felcanis steps forward. The centipedes scurry nearer, then rush towards the gang. Honsou misses with his first shot, but Poklov smashes the nearest centipede with his axe a few times. Angelista steps between the centipede and Felcanis as she stabs at the centipede on her left. Felcanis holds up her shield.
Poklov slams a centipede with his shield, knocking it down. Angelista puts her spear into another. The third turns to run away, but Angelista reaches it, and puts her spear into it, too.
The heroes rest up. Angelista lights a torch and looks around, and finds a short flight of stairs to a door to what looks like an old cottage. Going away from the cottage, she finds an old well. She goes back and tells the others.
They agree to check out the cottage. Honsou tries picking the lock to the cottage, but cannot, being a nasty gnomish lock. So, instead, they walk around the cottage, and see what looks like was once an old village. Was this once on the surface? How?
Moving away from the rock walls and the cottage, they little by little see the walls of an old keep, somehow still intact. Walking a little farther, they see what was once an old stable, with its door stuck open. Inside they see what was three stalls, and the carcasses of who knows what, overgrown with mold.
They leave the stable, and go to the keep. As they walk down this short flight of stairs, you see decorative weapons lining the walls. The weapons are more for show than for actual use. They get to a door, and Honsou picks its lock. They go into a room, and see one wall is lined with bones. A thick rope hangs down from the middle of the ceiling, coming out of the ceiling itself. The rugs there are rotten. The marble altar near the north wall has two stout round legs, and sits on a one-step daïs. There's a few of what looks like a long sequence of segmented shells, which Angelista thinks are the molted shells of giant centipedes.
Felcanis checks out the altar. It heavy and made of marble. She thinks this altar is for the dark god Ažbrátōr. The others check out the bones, and they are from all kinds of humanoids and animals, though nobody knows for sure. Poklov looks under a rug, and finds nothing. However, the bones on the north wall look a little off in the middle of the wall, a little too neat. Poklov studies them, and thinks that pulling on what might have been an ogre toe or a woman's femur might do something interesting. Poklov beckons to Honsou, who moves the bone, and a door in the wall opens
In the middle of the room beyond the bone wall is a stone sarcophagus, and the wall through which they came is lined with bones, much as it is on the other side. The right wall has the outline of a door but they see no way of opening it. On the far wall you see a drawing in chalk.
Angelista looks at the drawing. The drawing is crude, but she can clearly see stick figures of men under what looks like water above. Some are falling over from the oncoming water. She points it out to the others. "A warning, perhaps?" she muses. While she looks at it, Honsou pushes open the sarcophagus. It's heavy, but he can open it after some pushing and shoving. Whoever was in this sarcophagus isn't here now. And he took his grave goods, whatever they may have been.
They go back, and go down a hallway to another room. There are two wrecked tables in the middle of this room. They go past, then down a hallway after a fork. They get to another fork, and peer down it. A man in the corner of a deadend spots them. "Aaah!"
Poklov says, "Hello there."
The man has a stocky body, a sculpted face, light grey eyes, long, bushy black hair, and a braided beard. He's wearing heavy leather armor with a cheap short sword and a shield. Honsou walks towards him with his knife drawn. The man holds up his hands and screams out, "Aaah! No, man, I'm good, I'm good!"
Angelista tells Honsou to hold off. Poklov asks how he got down into the dungeon.
The man looks both ways. "They're madmen up there. I figured they were up to something no good, and they threw me down here when I planned on sneaking out and going to town."
Poklov asks, "Madmen? Care to show us where they are?"
They man waves his hands as he talks. "There's something down here. They know it." He points upwards. "They're not gonna let us out."
Angelista nods. "I believe the mad men are above, in town."
Poklov asks him to them where the "bad thing" is, and the man nods at Angelista. "They're running the keep."
Angelista smiles and nods. "They will be poorly prepared if they try to keep us down here, though."
The man sighs. "Whatever it is, it's below, well below, and they don't want to confront it."
Poklov says, "Well, we have a priest and an expert demon hunter with us. I think we can handle it, if we just knew."
The man's shoulders slump. "They don't think you're gonna live. They don't think any of us are gonna live."
Poklov pours a little wine in a cup and hands it to him. "Well dunno if you heard, dwarves are tough."
The man takes a sip of the wine and nods. "You best dig your way out if you know what's good for you. We're not the first down here. I know they sent some goons from town down here last year and they never came out." He looks up at the heroes. "The master of this keep … did you meet him? That old man is mad."
Angelista asks, "What is going on above? Tell us."
The man lets out a sigh. "That old man is doing something that brought whatever that is into the world." He starts to wave his hands again. "He's in league with some kind of demons, man."
Angelista says, "Well, we are here now. Whatever he is up to, consider it ended very soon."
The man shakes his head and and raises his hands. "No, man, he's too powerful! I've seen one of those things, man. It's some demon, all green and shit!"
Poklov asks, "Want to come with us, good sir?"
The man asks, "Are you getting out of here?"
Poklov says, "Well we going to get rid of this problem in here first, then we will. You're welcome to be with us or take your chances else alone."
The man shakes his head. "I need to get out of here. I'm not going farther down there."
Angelista says, "Then go. We will inform you if we kill it."
The man says, "I have no idea how to get out, lady!"
Angelista sneers. "Go or stop whining about getting out, I don't care which. Just shut up if you are not going to assist."
The man asks, "You mind telling me how the hell I get out of here then, lady?" Angelista walks away. The man mutters, "Bitch," under his breath, and shakes his head.
Angelista walks over and slaps him. "Watch your mouth." He shrinks back, but doesn't act against her. Angelista points to where she came. "The exit is that way. Fuck off with you."
The man says, "Lady, that way is locked. You know damn well they won't open the door for any of us."
Angelista says "Then your kinda fucked, aren't you? So stop whining about it."
The man asks, "Who's whining?"
Angelista says, "You are. You complain about not knowing how to get out but you offer no information other than what we already know. So shut up or offer actual information."
He scoffs. "Lady, I told you what I know. There's something down here, well below us, that the crazy old man brought into this world."
Angelista says, "And I told you we will inform you when we kill it, if you live that long."
He smirks. "Oh, I plan to. It's you I'm worried won't be alive."
Angelista says, "We are not leaving. Do you understand that?"
He waves his hands in the air as he talks, this time above his head. "Do YOU?"
Poklov beckons to the others. "Let's press forward."
The man mutters, "You're fucking crazy," as the heroes walk away.
Down the hall, they turn a corner, and see a big spider web, a broken blade, and a ripped sack. Honsou looks at the sack, and it's empty, though it has some nasty oil on it.
Honsou doesn't have enough time to think about what the oil is before the spider drops on him. The spider, a giant black widow, grapples him. However, Honsou can reach his knife, and sticks it into the spider. Angelista throws her spear at the spider, but misses, and it flies into the web. Poklov charges the rear of the spider and plants a couple of axe blows into its head, taking it down. They get the spider off Honsou, kill it, and burn its web, which also burns the remains of the table and chairs to which the web was stuck.
They go back the way they came to look at a door they missed. Once Honsou opens it, and a cross between a norker and an earth elemental sticks its spear into him, though his armor stops it. The monster is about four feet tall, with its red skin making plates. Honsou pulls out his knife and chucks it at the another one in the room, but it gets out of the way. The little monster slams into Honsou, giving him a small bruise. Angelista misses as she tries to rush it with her spear. Poklov whacks its skull with his axe, knocking it down.
Out in the hall, another demon slams into Bill, but Bill whinnies as he steps away. Honsou whips out his bow and shoots an arrow into the other demon in the room. It takes the shot, and shoves its spear into Felcanis. Angelista sticks her spear into it, and realizes what it is. It's a hellshot, a little guy from some hell, and when it is hurt, it goes nuts.
Poklov moves inside, and Bill books it past the hellshot. Felcanis stays up, and Honsou nocks an arrow. A hellshot sticks its spear into Angelista. It isn't a deep wound, but it hits a nerve and she falls down. Poklov swings again for a hellshot, but can't get through its plate-like skin. Honsou takes a shot, but cannot get his arrow through its skin. It keeps wailing on Angelista, even though she's on the ground, and sticks its spear into her again.
Felcanis drops her helmet with Continual Light cast on it, and runs after Bill. Poklov again chops at the hellshot's thick skull, but it stays up. Honsou misses with his next shot, and the hellshot yet again sticks its spear into the downed Angelista.
Poklov keeps wailing on the hellshot as Felcanis runs after Bill. Honsou misses yet again with his shot, but Angelista gets her shield up as the hellshot tries to stab her again. Poklov gets off a last flurry of blows, and downs the hellshot. Felcanis gets Bill, and they start healing up.
Felcanis casts Major Healing on Angelista. They go into the room where they fought the little demons and rest on the cots. They lie down. Honsou sets up makeshift traps on the doors, Felcanis casts Watchdog, and they lie down to rest.
Near the end of their rest, Honsou is on watch. He hears someone trying to open the west door, and Felcanis wakes up, her spell alerting her. Angelista and Poklov wake up, though are rubbing their eyes as some pig-faced humanoids with twitchy ears kicking open the door. A big, bullnecked orc with a unibrow snarls and yells for the others to strike, but not before Honsou shoots and misses the foremost orc. Angelista and Poklov grab their weapons and sit up, and Felcanis fires up a Sunbolt. The orcs rush into the room.
Honsou gets out another arrow and aims for the leader. Angelista and Poklov stand up, and Poklov grabs his other axe. Felcanis throws her Sunbolt at the lead orc, but misses, while the orcs get nearer. Honsou steps and shoots a bodkin arrow at the orc leader, but the orc leader shoves his shield in the way. The orc leader yells "Schmaggot!" He rushes forward and takes a couple of swings at Honsou. Honsou dodges the first one, but takes the second axe blow to his side.
Angelista runs at the leader and swings her sword at him, but misses. Poklov swings for the leg of the orc almost upon him, and cripples his leg when the orc does not block the swing. Felcanis tries to plant her mace in the body of the orc before her, but the orc gets his shield up. The orc swings his falchion, and hits Felcanis as she tries to step back. Another steps and swings at Angelista, hurting her but not dropping her when she doesn't parry.
Honsou steps back, whips out his sword, and holds it up to try to block any blow, but the leader again hits him with his axe. He stays up, but Angelista steps and tears into the leader's arm with her broadsword. He can't get out of the way of the blow, and falls from the pain that Angelista has given him. Poklov steps and tries to put his axe into the skull of another nearby orc, but the orc blocks his axe with his shield. Felcanis puts her shield up to stop any blow as she steps back.
One orc yells, "Gah! Darûk lûmpuzat!" This must mean something to the orcs, as they turn to run. Poklov bashes an orc from behind, felling him, and then does the same to the orc whose leg he has crippled. The leader rolls over, but Angelista stands over him and points her sword at his throat. He spits at her, calls her a bitch and a "schtupit" woman, and tries to push his shield into her but cannot hit. Poklov comes over and hits him with his axe, knocking him out.
The other orcs have armor that is too smelly to sell or even wear, but the leader is wearing mail. Upon taking off his hauberk, the gang finds that he's wearing a shirt that somehow has no tears in it. It find this odd, so keeps it as well as his armor.
After a little more rest, they get up. Poklov tries to tend to Felcanis's wounds, but cannot help. They pour a potion of Major Healing down Felcanis's throat, and she wakes up. Now that she's awake, she casts Major Healing on both Angelista and Honsou, then Honsou slugs a potion of Minor Healing. Felcanis, after some rest, also casts Minor Healing on both Poklov and Angelista, then drinks a potion of Minor Healing herself.
Now mostly healed, they try to set off, but Bill balks at something. As Felcanis is trying to get Bill to move, Angelista, after getting a Light spell on her sword from Felcanis, checks out the hallway. She finds orc tracks leading to the right along the dust; nothing she didn't expect. Honsou takes the sword and looks around, but finds nothing else. He gives the sword back to Angelista as Felcanis at last gets Bill to move.
They walk back to the hallway where they found the wiry man, and see that he is no longer there. Just past that nook is a stairs going down, which they take. They find themselves in what looks like it was a big hall, with rotten banners above. They go to the left of where the stairs opened and walk into a hallway. The hallway turns after a few feet, and there is a door to their left. It looks like it is locked, and Honsou picks it open.
They open the door, and they go into a room. Sets of torture equipment and tools of the trade lie scattered about. A whip in a glass box hangs on the far wall alongside a rack of tools, such as boards, pliers, thumbscrews, and tongs. After checking out the room, they leave it, finding nothing worth keeping or any other way out.
They go back down the hallway, and find a door. To the left of the door is a small table and chair here in the cranny, somehow still intact. Honsou finds the door locked, and cannot pick it. Poklov pulls out the orc leader's axe, and starts chopping the door. After a few swings, there's a big enough hole to reach through and open the door.
Inside the room, there are rusted cages. There is a painting on the wall next to the door. It shows a woman wearing a silver necklace and laughing at a party. Felcanis thinks there's something mystical about that painting. Honsou takes the painting.
Honsou thinks there's something weird about the cage by the east wall, how it's sitting. It's not flat on the floor like the others.
Angelista says, "Hey, Honsou, before you just take off with the painting why don't you inspect the wall?" Honsou checks to see if it's connected, and weirdly enough, it is propped funny with the wall, and there's a small indent in the wall where its corner sits. He doesn't see anything remarkable about the indent. It just seems to fit with the corner of the cage. Which is odd since the wall is stone.
Felcanis starts playing with the cage door. Angelista tells her not to touch it, but Felcanis says, "This is pretty neat, not sure what exactly what this does." Honsou checks again, and sees that the cage is sitting funny, at an awkward angle and not flat on the floor, with one of its corners sticking into the wall where it seems to fit. He pulls it along the wall, and the wall opens.
Felcanis smiles. "I knew something was up."
They walk through the hole in the wall, and into another room with rotten straw mats and rotten wooden dummies. The dummies have indents in them that are more recent than the rot. There is a door on the far side.
Angelista says, "These appear to have been used recently."
Poklov muses, "Someone training to fight here?"
Honsou checks the door on the other side, and finds it untrapped and unlocked. He opens it, and they go into a room with a bunch of desks with beakers and mortar and pestles on them. There is a door to the right and a hallway to the left.
Felcanis pokes around on the table in the middle. "What's these strange liquids in these bottles? What you think they are making?"
Poklov shrugs. "It ain't ale, so I dun care."
Felcanis sticks her finger on the edge to feel the residue left behind. The table here has just old alchemy tools on it, while the desks by the wall also have drawers. The bottles are mostly broken, and the chemicals therein are dried to the glass. It has been so long that the chemicals aren't even sticky.
Poklov says, "Any of y'all feel that this place use to be inhabited? Recently, by normal people, not creatures that go bump in the night. I mean, orcs aren't known for their alchemy, mainly fighting and smashing."
Angelista nods. "No, but other creatures might be."
Honsou opens a drawer in the middle desk. When he does so, a cloud wafts out of the drawer and Honsou falls down. The cloud dissipates before anyone can get to Honsou, and Felcanis puts her hands on him. She finds that he's asleep, not dead. The others bring him into the training room and rest for four hours. Luckily, nothing comes in that time.
Once he wakes, they go back into the laboratory, then through the hallway to the left. Once there, they go into a room with a high vaulted ceiling and rotting pews in the half of the room near where they came inside. In the other half there is a dais raised about six inches off the floor, and on it, next to but not flush with the wall, sits a pipe organ. Three big beetles in the other half of the room spot their light and skitter towards them.
Honsou gets out an arrow, but his bow turns in his hand when he fires it wildly. Luckily, he misses everything in range. Poklov moves warily to fight, and Angelista steps and waits for the beetles to come to her. Felcanis casts Armor on Angelista just before one of the beetles moves to bite her. She sticks her spear into the beetle, but its hard shell takes most of the blow. It bites her and she can't get her shield in the way, and the magic armor likewise takes most of its blow. Another one turns its rear to Angelista and lets out a stream of hot oil that just misses her.
Honsou steps, trying to get his bow ready. Poklov rushes the beetle with his shield, but it steps away. Angelista chucks her spear at the innards of the beetle that shot its oil at her, but her spear bounces off its carapace. She gets out her sword right after the lob. Felcanis casts Flaming Weapon on Angelista's sword, while the spider who just ignored Angelista's spear moved to just outside the bright light of Felcanis's Continual Light, and the other two beetles turn their rears to fire.
Their steal-happy archer gets off his shot after nocking his arrow, but his arrow bounces off the carapace. Poklov tries to cleave the beetle nearest him, but drops his axe. Angelista bolts for the fore of the beetle and swings her sword, but it gets out of the way. Felcanis fires up a small Sunbolt. One beetle hits Poklov with a stream of hot oil, which doesn't hurt him, but numbs him with its blisters. Another one bites him and gets past his armor.
Honsou loads his bow and starts aiming at a beetle. Poklov gets out another axe and hits the beetle in its carapace. Angelista shifts to the left side of the beetle and swings at the beetle, but likewise cannot get through its carapace. Felcanis aims her Sunbolt at a beetle as it skitters and turns its rear to squirt. Another one already does so, and its oil hurts Poklov, further numbing him with blisters.
The archer again gets off a shot that, like his last shot, bounces off the beetle's exoskeleton. Poklov tries to hit a beetle nearby, but his axe instead twists in his hand. Angelista says she has Poklov covered, and dashes to hit the beetle near Poklov, but misses. Felcanis's Sunbolt flies at a beetle, but the light hits the shell and does nothing. The two beetles by Angelista and Poklov move away from them, while the one that Felcanis hit steps forward and turns to shoot.
Honsou gets out an arrow, steps, and aims. Poklov shakes out his hand and grips his haft anew. Angelista hustles to hit a beetle, but again cannot get through the beetle's carapace. Felcanis fires up a big Sunbolt as Poklov blocks a stream of bug juice coming towards him with his shield. Honsou keeps aiming, while Poklov rams his spiked shield into the rear of the beetle, knocking it down.
Yeah, it's that kind of fight.
Angelista turns and whacks a beetle with her sword, this time getting through its shell. Felcanis aims her spell at a beetle between two pews. One beetle turns its rear and the one on the ground starts to stand, while the third shoots its juice at Poklov, who again blocks the stream with his shield. Honsou shoots the beetle between the pews in the eye, this getting through.
Poklov goes for a chink in the neck of the beetle and gives it a good chop, while Felcanis burns the beetle in the pews from behind. It and another beetle turn to see what is behind them, while the one that Poklov knocked down gets up and move. Honsou pulls out an arrow and starts aiming, while Poklov rushes the beetle that just stood up with his spiked shield, knocking it down again.
Angelista tries to chop a beetle in the neck, but it shifts its neck away. Felcanis warily looks around. The beetle near Angelista moves away and turns around, the one by Poklov starts to stand, while the third turns to see what is behind it. Honsou keeps aiming, Poklov again plants his axe in the beetle's neck, but Angelista fails to do the same on that same beetle. Felcanis fires up another small Sunbolt.
The beetle from which Angelista has moved away shoots out a stream of bug juice, but as Angelista has moved, there's no one there for it to scald. The one she just struck bites her, but the magic takes the blow. The last one lunges to bite Felcanis, but she blocks it with her shield. Honsou shoots the beetle in the pews in its lone eye, taking out its eye, but somehow it still is fighting.
Poklov and Angelista chop at the neck of a beetle; both hit, though Poklov instead hits its back. Felcanis aims. Two of the beetles move away, while the third runs behind the pipe organ. Honsou gets out another arrow and aims, while Poklov moves. Angelista also moves and tries to hit the beetle's back, but misses.
Felcanis keeps aiming at a beetle. The beetle in the pews rears up, and the one nearest Angelista blindly shoots at her, mildly scalding her. The third beetle keeps running around the side of the room. Honsou keeps aiming, Poklov moves, and Angelista hits a beetle on the carapace just past its head.
Felcanis shoots her spell at the beetle, but it gets out of the way and runs between some pews. Another moves away from Angelista, while a third shoots juice at Honsou, scalding him. Honsou gets off a shot at the beetles as they skitter away.
Res aliae
The beetles had inadvertently-great tactics. They take a penalty in bright light, so they were taking care to move away from such light. This kept them out of the range of the PCs much of the time, especially Angelista, who had Flaming Weapon.
I have no idea why I thought the beetles should shoot their oil out of their rears, but I did that at the start and kept it up. That brought a few cringeworthy moments.
They'll start next session down quite a few Fatigue Points, as Angelista and Poklov were burning theirs on Mighty Blows to get through the thick (DR 9) plates of the beetles. Angelista was also using Heroic Charge as the beetles kept skittering away from her while she held her flaming sword.
I have one screenshot, but I can't get any links or pictures to work in Blogger at the moment. Maybe I'll edit it in later.
