Cauldron, Part 22
10/03/08
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The DM notes that we had all just settled down for the evening, Jiona has sealed off the area.
The DM asks, "That sound about right to you folks? Anyone taking watch?"
Calico purrs hypnotically.
Tillandor snores lightly, in response to the reminder.
Kristof breathes quietly, in a slow rhythm, hands near his blades even in sleep.
Jiona has also drifted off to sleep with Evie, trusting in her sealing of the corridor to give them warning, as something trying to get through would - in her estimation - make a considerable amount of noise.
* With the door sealed, a soft silence falls on the hallway. The rhythmic snores are the only sounds.
- Sometime during the 'night', Jiona awakens, and looks around with a sleepy, puzzled expression, unsure what drew her to wakefulness. Sitting up just a little, she listens alertly for any other sounds besides those of her companions and the several prisioners they are rescuing.
Tillandor props himself on his elbow, and says quietly, "What is it?"
Jiona gives Tillandor an apologetic smile, keeping her own voice low. "Sorry for waking you. Something woke me up, and I'm not sure.... Oh." Her expression abruptly shifts to one of concern. "There's too many of us in here. I need to get some air flowing."
Calico sits up and listens quietly.
Tillandor blinks in the darkness.
Tass says, "Mmmm... more sleep yes..."
Tass rolls over and snores.
Jiona very carefully extricates herself from next to Evie, trying not to disturb the young girl, and rises to her feet. "This should only take me a little while," she quietly tells Till.
Kristof peeks through his eyelids and says groggily, "Wha is ih..."
Kristof sits up, a concerned look painted on his face.
Kristof holds his hands out extended, palms facing upwards as he looks himself over.
Calico listens to Jiona make her way to open an air passage.
Jiona shows a rueful smile as she notices her companions waking up, and decides to allow Tillandor to explain as she delicately walks down the hall to where she sealed off the corridor. Putting her hands to the stone, she gathers up her concentration for several minutes.
Tillandor shakes his head invisibly in the dark, and mutters, "Jiona needed some air, that's all."
Kristof jumps to his feet and everyone can hear the sounds of blades being drawn.
Kristof asks, "What was that?"
* Jiona rolls 1f20+3: 5,3 = 8.
Tillandor makes a sound like falling over. "Waht was what?"
- Carefully making her way down the pitch-black hall, Jiona manages to step around a few bodies, then starts to stumble over one of them, which suddenly rises up.
Calico asks, "we need some quick light?"
Jiona can't quite muffle her yip of pain as something cold and sharp slices through her furred skin, drawing blood.
Tillandor stumbles to his feet.
Calico purr-chants, and a dagger in her hand begins to glow, illuminating the area.
* A blinding flame lights up the corridor, coming from Kristof's blade. You can see Jiona standing there next to him, holding her wound.
* The flame fades and the corridor becomes pitch black again.
Kristof exclaims, "Jiona!"
Jiona is holding a hand to her lower chest, staggering back from the sudden blinding light.
Tillandor stalks toward Kristof in the brief illumination. A loud thump is heard shortly after the light goes out.
Calico looks around by the light of her spell touched dagger.
* You can hear the sounds of rummaging, then the dim light of Calico's dagger shows Kristof searching his pack.
Tillandor asks, "Jiona, what's going on?"
Kristof blinks momentarily, then sighs as he puts his half removed lantern away.
Kristof walks over and asks, "Are you alright?"
Tass rearranges the hall a bit.
DM rearranges the hall a bit.
Jiona manages to catch her balance against the wall, and shakes her head. "I'm... fine. I started to trip over Kristof in the dark, and... I think I bumped against one of his blades when he got up."
Tillandor frowns. "That's as I expected," and takes on a slightly angry lecturing tone. "Kristof, you should know better than to bare those things without knowing exactly where they're going to be swinging!"
Kristof looks slightly ill as he says, "I felt something strange bump into me and thought we were being attacked."
Kristof shakes his head, "I didn't swing at anything."
Jiona waves it off with her free hand, and makes her way to the end of the corridor while Calico's light spell lasts, letting the two of them argue it out. She can normally trust her nose when her eyes don't work, but in such an enclosed space, that doesn't work very well.
Kristof frowns and says, "It is usually not a good idea to go wandering around in the pitch dark not knowing what you are walking into, you could have gotten killed, and not just from blades."
Tillandor says, "Perhaps not 'just,' but maybe 'especially.'"
Calico checks the passage for airflow, and unwelcome visitors.
Kristof shakes his head, and with a gesture of frustration and resignation he waves the topic away.
* = The stone at the top of the end of the corridor begins to shift, almost melting away as Jiona works at it.
* A minute later, a rush of cool and somehow *delicious* air rushes in. After a moment, you all feel quite awake, though still slightly sore and fatigued.
Kristof spends a moment in quiet contemplation, savoring the air, before making preparations to go back to sleep.
Calico says, "I can take a watch."
Tillandor yawns a particularly wide yawn, taking in clean fresh (ish) air.
Jiona stands near the opening, still concentrating as the fresh air blows in, then looks over to her companions and asks, "Anyone have any idea what time it is?"
Calico sits where she can easily see anything entering through the opening.
* The opening is about 10 feet off the ground, and one foot wide.
Calico says, "though it's a small hole. I could get back to some healing a bit faster."
Calico begins purring, finally feeling the connection to the divine she'd been seeking at any down time for the last several hours.
DM says, "You are all healed equal to your level, by the way."
Jiona finally pulls her hand away from the shallow cut, shaking her head a bit, and continues circulating the air. "Because if it's been long enough," she says, "I should just re-open the entrance. I think I'm feeling ready to keep going."
Kristof starts putting his bedding away and mumbles something about a nice long stay at a proper inn once he gets back.
Calico ignores the chatter and continues meditation.
* The various prisoners start getting up and talking amongst themselves.
Kristof rubs his shoulder from time to time, obviously in disconfort.
- discomfort.
Tillandor stretches. "I could continue, and really the sooner the better."
Deakon watches Kristof and tries to emulate his stance. He fails, being rather dwarf-shaped instead of Kristof-shaped. But he tries.
Evie sits up and cries a little, seeing that Jiona is nowhere nearby.
Coryston walks over and picks up Evie, murmuring nice things. Deven smiles and pats Cory on the back.
Professor Drundlesput yawns a big gnomish yawn and cracks his neck as he sits up.
Tass soothes his mother, who seems a little more sane this morning. She shakes a bit, but with Tass's help manages to stand on her feet.
Jiona's ears flicker at the cry, and she cringes a little, not having intended to abandon Evie where she was sleeping... of course, she didn't expect to slice herself on Kristof's blade, either - this is certainly not one of her better mornings. Seeing that Coryston is trying to comfort Evie, though, and that everyone else is getting up, she busies herself with unsealing a bit more of the entrance, widening the hole down from ceiling-height.
Calico continues to ignore the chatter, purring in meditation.
Kristof oh yeahs and goes over to Professor Drundlesput and asks, "Did you happen to see Gorath, Erron or Joyce while you were down here?"
The gnome quirks an eyebrow at Kristof, "Who are they?"
Kristof says, "The priests I was staying with. They gave me the assignment of teaching at the Academy."
Kristof says, "They went missing some time ago."
The gnome ahhs, "You wouldn't mean Gorath Vallance, would you? Church of Pelor?"
Kristof nods.
Professor Drundlesput grimaces, "I haven't seen him in a long time... since before the kidnapping, that is."
* Tass's mother sobs at the mention of kidnapping.
Professor Drundlesput furrows his bushy brows, "Before I was kidnapped, in any case."
Kristof sighs and says, "Well perhaps we will still see them yet."
* The hallway once again is pitch black dark as Calico's light goes out.
* A few cries of despair and fright echo in the hall.
Kristof says, "Everyone stay calm, I will get out a lantern."
Kristof says quietly to those who might be nearby, "Please stand back."
* Kristof's assurance seems to quell the general fears of the group.
Jiona continues standing next to the coridor entrance as the light goes out again, still melting the stone away.
Kristof unsheathes a single blade and holds it high, causes it to burst into flame and wields it like a torch as he quickly makes his way to his pack and attempts to get things to where he can work on lighting it.
- lighting the lantern that is.
* Kristof rolls 1f20+3: 7,3 = 10.
Tillandor asks, "Ah," fumbling in the darkish. "Might I have a ball of ice, Jiona?"
Jiona flinches a bit as Kristof does the sword trick again... which suddenly reminds her of something else useful, just as Tillandor speaks up. Grinning to herself, she replies, "Certainly."
* Kristof manages to get his lantern lit, lighting up the hall pretty well. The entourage of ex-prisoners seems to visibly relax a bit now that they can see one another.
Tillandor says, "Ah, well. Yes. Perhaps next time then, Jiona."
Calico mutters something about ruby dust in her meditation.
Deven stands up and grips his spear firmly, "Well? Are we going up to the surface now?"
Jiona laughs softly. "All right. I think I've figured out how to make ice more readily now than I used to, so giving you a healthy supply shouldn't be a problem." She finishes melting the last bit of stone away, having had several minutes to do so, reopening the path back to the main hall.
Calico finishes her meditation, feeling stronger than ever.
Calico says, "Yes, let them try to stop us from returning to the surface."
Kristof asks the rest of the group if they have seen anyone matching the description of the priests.
Jiona carefully peeks out around the corner and down as much of the hall as she can see for any immediate threats while Kristof questions the others.
* The hall seems empty. Beyond the angled turn, you see the door to the bridge area is closed.
Calico asks, "Any healing needs before we depart?"
Kristof, hearing Calico's question nods in her direction and says, "Aye, I could use some still."
Tillandor says, "I could well stand some assistance."
Calico looks over Kristof to see how much healing he needs, as well as Tillandor.
Jiona returns to the group after a couple minutes, and reports, "Looks clear out ahead, so we can get going as soon as we're ready. We'd best be careful, though - they know something's up, and while there was no way around it, they've had time to prepare."
Calico lays a paw on Kristof...
* Calico rolls 1d8+5+3: 4,5,3 = 12.
* The entourage clusters uneasily, wary of the trek ahead.
Kristof looks visibly better as Calico does her magic.
Calico asks, "Tillandor, how badly you hurt?"
Tillandor shows Calico his wounds.
Kristof, after getting nothing useful from the rescued prisoners, heads over to the entrance where Jiona is.
* Kristof asks some questions of the group, but none of them seem to have an answer that is satisfactory to him.
Kristof says, "Jiona, what kind of preparations do you refer to"
- ?
* Calico rolls 2d8+5+3: 7,5,5,3 = 20.
Calico surges with power.
Tillandor flexes his arm, and pokes at his chest. "Veritably, you are not unworthy of note!"
Jiona answers Kristof, "Well, this is a prison, of sorts. It would seem reasonable that they would have ways of stopping attempted escapes. How they might do that... I don't have any idea. That's why I said we should be wary."
Kristof, remembering all the traps they have run into thus far, nods.
Calico glances at the deadfall trap, "we found at least one barrier."
Calico asks, "Out the way we came in?"
Kristof ponders for a moment and the suggest with a slight grin, "Hey can anyone here imitate voices well?"
Tillandor asks, "Unless perchance you know another manner in which we might make our exodus?"
Jiona thinks that over, and nods, "Seems to be the best approach, to me. I imagine I could tunnel us out, but it would take a considerable amount of time."
Calico says, "there is a door, but it may be trapped."
Kristof asks, "Remember that knock they used when opening the door?"
Jiona gives Kristof an amused look. "Not I, but I do wonder what you have in mind."
Kristof walks over the the stone and raps it in a specific pattern, much like the one seen when everyone first came here.
Kristof says, "They used that to signify that one of their own needed to get through."
* Nothing happens.
Kristof says, "Now if someone could make themselves sound like Kazmojen..."
Calico says, "assuming they haven't found his body."
Tillandor suddenly bellows in a terrible (and barely recognizable) mockery of Kazmojen, "Allow us to leave, you pitiable fools!"
Jiona's ears flicker in surprise, and then she visibly struggles to withhold her laughter.
Kristof shrugs, "It could give us an advantage.... if we can manage to pull it off."
Calico dashes out to look at the door, from a safe distance.
Tass says, "Not that I would know how to do such a thing... but it's not like we really heard his voice much... I'd think such a thing would be difficult without having heard his voice more than just twice..."
Tillandor says, "Ah well, that may explain my difficulty."
Tass coughs politely.
Kristof says, "Well, maybe even the knock would be enough. I am not sure."
Jiona drops her hand from her muzzle, grinning, then goes out into the corridor to help Calico investigate.
Kristof follows.
Kristof turns back and hands the lantern to one of the escapees.
Ethkin examines a crack in the wall.
Kristof then goes after Jiona and Calico.
Tillandor sticks close to Jiona.
Calico listens for activity beyond the door.
Kristof asks, "Perhaps through the hidden passageway and out to the bridge?"
Kristof let me check...
Tass leads his mother out into the hall carefully.
Kristof walks to the south, being very careful and quiet.
Jiona looks at the door for a moment, then heads south through the illusory wall they had discovered earlier. "The door's probably safe... but we know our original path was," she comments as she heads that direction, along with Kristof.
Kristof peeks around the corner.
Calico tries the door handle.
Calico says, "this door should be locked from this side, unless they were over sure of their other measures."
Kristof slithers along the wall, being very careful to stay out of sight and to be silent.
Calico releases the door handle and steps back.
Calico says, "Out the way we came in it is."
Kristof moves into the room and checks the expanse over at the bridge.
* The door bursts open and three Hobgoblins step in to attack.
* The first manages to hit Calico with a trick shortsword swing, the others miss.
* DM rolls 1d6+1: 1,1 = 2.
Tass says, "Roll initiative"
DM says, "Heh"
* Tillandor rolls 1f20+2: 10,2 = 12.
* Calico rolls 1f20+5: 5,5 = 10.
* Jiona rolls 1f20+3: 8,3 = 11.
Kristof roll 1f20+9
Kristof gahs.
* Kristof rolls 1f20+9: 16,9 = 25.
* DM rolls 1f20+1: 19,1 = 20.
DM says, "Go Kristof"
Kristof runs back towards the commotion, drawing his blades as he moves.
* The two hobgoblins in front swing, the third steps into the northern illusionary wall.
* DM rolls 1f20+2: 6,2 = 8.
* DM rolls 1f20+2: 15,2 = 17.
* Calico can now see the other hobgoblins charging across the bridge. Two of them throw spears.
* DM rolls 1f20+2: 4,2 = 6.
* DM rolls 1f20+2: 6,2 = 8.
DM says, "Go Tillandor."
Tillandor takes a few steps forward, cups his hands and stage-whispers to Calico, "Your south-most foe's armor is open on the left side!"
* Calico rolls 1f20+9: 4,9 = 13.
DM says, "Go Jiona"
Calico swipes a paw, narrowly missing.
- Hearing the commotion, Jiona turns around and heads northward into the illusory space, gathering her concentration as she moves. Seeing Calico threatened by two foes, she makes a rather more complicated gesture than a simple fling. There is a surge of... something... crossing the intervening space, and suddenly a 10' radius area, just in front of Calico, snarls with several arcs of electricity, striking everything within that vicinity for just an instant.
* Jiona rolls 1f20+3+4: 18,3,4 = 25.
* Jiona rolls 1d8+2: 7,2 = 9.
* The four hobgoblins closest to Calico all collapse to the floor, convulsing.
DM says, "Go Calico"
Calico steps forward chanting, and calls down a blazing like the desert sun on a remaining goblin through the door.
* Calico rolls 1f20+7: 18,7 = 25.
* Calico rolls 1d6+4: 6,4 = 10.
- The blazing reduces the goblin to a dried corpse.
* The poor hobgoblin disintegrates under the flare. Behind him, Calico can see more hobgoblins... being led by the dark dwarf Pyllrak, who seems quite angry.
* Tass steps into the hall, then looks north and raises an eyebrow. A moment later, you hear the scream of an unseen hobgoblin as it topples to the floor.
* Ethkin guards the remaining escapees, slowly leading them into the hall.
DM says, "Go Kristof"
Kristof moves further towards Calico and looks for the source of the noise.
Kristof moves the the side of the door, waiting for someone to TRY and sneak past him.
* The hobgoblins seem a bit hesitant, but Pyllrak goads them on, "There's only a little kitten. You can kill a kitten! Go!"
* Two hobgoblins burst in, the first attacking Calico
* DM rolls 1f20+2: 13,2 = 15.
Kristof slashes at the hobgoblin closest to him as it passes through the door.
* Kristof rolls 1f20+9: 17,9 = 26.
* Kristof rolls 1d6+4: 2,4 = 6.
* The hobgoblins in the back throw spears through the open doorway.
Kristof neatly slices the head off the hobgoblin as it passes.
* DM rolls 1f20+2: 18,2 = 20.
* DM rolls 1f20+2: 30,2 = 32.
* Both spears hit true, striking Calico.
* DM rolls 1f20+2: 7,2 = 9.
* DM rolls 1d6+1: 5,1 = 6.
* DM rolls 1d6+1: 3,1 = 4.
* Pyllrak shouts, "You can't hide from me!" A bolt of electricity leaps from his hand, striking Calico full in the chest, then arcing to both Kristof and the nearby hobgoblin (who falls dead), then again to Tillandor and back to Calico.
Tillandor gasps, "Ow!"
DM says, "12 to Calico, 6 to Kristof, 3 to Tillandor, another 3 to Calico."
DM says, "Go Tillandor"
Tillandor takes a step farther away, hoping to mitigate any such attacks in the future. "Calico, his stance leaves him vulnerable to low attacks!"
DM says, "Er... forgot to erase that dude. He's dead."
Tillandor says, "Doh."
DM says, "From the electric bolt."
Tillandor, seeing no enemies in range, does nothing but bounce on his heels.
DM says, "Go Jiona"
- Watching lightning flung down the hall to strike her friends, Jiona strides up next to Calico, her fists clenched and her fur nearly standing on end. "That's MY element!" she snarls at Pyllrak, and makes a dramatic sweeping gesture.
* Jiona rolls 1f20+6+4: 18,6,4 = 28.
* Jiona rolls 1d4+2: 4,2 = 6.
* Pyllrak hunkers down, holding his ground against the wind as his minions are pummeled by the wind. Only one of the six hobgoblins that were on the bridge manages to not be swept off of it.
* A heavy blast of wind pelts the bridge, blowing from the north. (by the way)
DM says, "Go Calico"
Jiona corrects, "From the south."
DM sorries.
Calico chants, summoning a celestial bison to appear near Pyllrak, and attack.
* Calico rolls 1f20+8: 3,8 = 11.
* Pyllrak is highly surprised, but manages to regain his composure in time to dodge the bison's attack.
- the bison swings around a horn, but misses.
Calico backs through the wall of illusion.
* Tass moves a bit closer, and the nearest hobgoblin finds a shard of metal embedded in it's chest. The hobgoblin collapses on the floor, bleeding.
* Ethkin looks around the corner watching the hubbub, but protecting the citizens.
DM says, "Go Kristof"
Kristof grins viciously and suddenly vanishes from sight.
Kristof reappears on the other side of Pyllrak, creeping up behind him.
* Pyllrak grimaces, "You might defeat me, but I will take some of you down with me." His left hand glows with a frosty light and cold whirls about him.
* The hobgoblin nearest the bison swings halfheartedly and misses. Then it tries to run. The bison takes a swipe at it, but misses.
* The remaining hobgoblin flees as well. Pyllrak shouts, "You cowards!"
DM says, "Go Tillandor"
Tillandor steps into the hallway proper, and peers toward Pyllrak.
Tillandor exclaims, "Kristof, his left leg is open!"
Kristof stabs down towards Pyllrak's leg, going for the opening.
* Kristof rolls 1f20+16: 14,16 = 30.
* Kristof rolls 2d6+4: 5,3,4 = 12.
DM says, "Go Jiona"
Kristof's blade stabs deep into the back of Pyllrak's leg, twisting and finding every which way to move before being retracted.
Jiona moves to stand up next to Tillandor as the wind dies down a notch, and still looking on angrily, she shouts back, "You should have run while you could!" before gathering and flinging another bright arc of electricity at Pyllrak.
* Jiona rolls 1f20+4+4: 18,4,4 = 26.
* Jiona rolls 1d10+2: 9,2 = 11.
* Pyllrak screams and falls to the floor, twitching.
Tillandor darts forward, appropriating Pyllrak's backpack.
* The two hobgoblins flee through the north door.
Jiona steps out into the falling wind, and watches the hobgoblins flee with narrowed eyes, then turns away with a grimace. "We should make haste. They'll surely run to gather more reinforcements."
* Ethkin carefully leads the crew forward.
- The Celestial bison gives chase for as many rounds as its summoning lasts.
Tillandor shoulders the whole pack alongside his own. "I agree, let us remove from this underdark!"
Calico limps forward, catching her breath.
Kristof inspects Pyllrak.
Jiona concentrates on stopping the wind, which finally dies down within a minute.
Kristof says, "Do we want this one to stand trial? We could keep him from dying I suppose."
Tillandor stares blankly at Kristof.
Kristof says, "At least until the town can have its way with him."
Kristof says, "Which I suspect would only be justice considering he has probably tortured many others."
Kristof says, "Perhaps he could even give us some useful information...."
Kristof says, "Such as where the others were taken."
Jiona considers that. "If you think we can safely take him out with us," she says with some skepticism. "I'm all for some justice, but we still need to rescue everyone here."
The DM pulls on the brakes.