Goodman Games

OOC:

Ok Marching order I just put us in order of when we posted our characters in the forum. Grom and Mavory will take point if Scotti and Shingen want thier pairs to be in the middle just make the changes to the order as needed.

Scotti: A, B
Shingen: A, B
Chuck: Grom, Mavory
Dimonic: Jim , Aloysius

Scotti: C, D
Shingen: C, D
Chuck: Krieger, Smokey
Dimonic: Shanaserial, Slobo

OOC: My lines in the party ranks will be A - Hugh, B - Kleaver, C - Grismelda, D - Dhourdem. Laid out just like in Chuck7497's post.

Suitably chastened by the harsh words of the tavern master's daughter Hugh reaches down and puts a hand upon little Kleaver's shoulder. "I suppose we'd best be on our way. There is a mystery to solve and people to rescue. Let's take the lead."

Upon reaching the rather mundane sight of Nebin's front door the front rank stops a moment. Kleaver has walked by his neighbor's home plenty of times in the past. Yet today is different because Nebin is missing and that knowledge fills the spritely little butcher with dread. Summoning up his courage he reaches out and turns the doorknob, testing to see if it is locked.

Dervos the corn farmer is a man of courage. He will push past the group and burst into the door!

OOC - That marching order is fine for me.

OOC: Ok, so here's the marching order I have:

Scotti: Hugh, Kleaver
Shingen: Dervos, Eibur
Chuck: Grom, Mavory
Dimonic: Jim , Aloysius

Scotti: Grismelda, Dhourdem
Shingen: Silas, Percival
Chuck: Krieger, Smokey
Dimonic: Shanaserial, Slobo

Kleaver tests the doorknob. It is unlocked. Suddenly, Dervos pushes past him in an impatient huff, and opens the door.

Almost immediately, a wave of skittering, ravenous yellow salamanders with blood red eyes pour over Dervos' feet and limbs and then does the same to Hugh and Kleaver! They go straight for Dervos' hen and Kleaver's chicken meat [EDITED] with razor-sharp teeth!

Each of the three must make a DC 8 reflex save if they want to try to quickly discard their food or animal...

Aloysious will take a step back (if possible) and hurl one of his cobble stones at a salamander.

He rolls an 11, and a 3 on a d3+1 for damage (if he hits).

Jim will hack at one with his shortsword if it comes within range:
d20 => 3 - he swings wildly and misses.

Shanaserial pulls her bow and hesitates, looking for an opportunity to get a shot through the crowd.
d20 => 19. d6 => 6. Amazing shot!

Slobo tries to climb up onto a table (reflex: d20 => 19+3 = 22) - no-one and nothing is going to steal his food - and tries to hurl a cobblestone:
d20 => 4. Oops.

OOC: Hugh doesn't have a goat listed among his possessions. It looks like Eibur has one?

Kleaver is about to turn the doorknob when Devros pushes past him. "Hey! I was about to op..." His protest is cut short as he sees the onrushing horde of creatures coming straight for him. Eyes wide in panic he quickly realizes they seem to be coming for the meat he carries and tosses it as far to the side as he can. (Reflex Save, d20:14)

Hugh (Reflex Save, d20:6+1=7 if still needed) & Kleaver each draw their blades while trying to back away from the oncoming salamanders in hope that they'll chase down the 5 lbs of chicken meat that were tossed away.

Sorry, my bad.

They go straight for Dervos' hen and Kleaver's chicken meat [EDITED] with razor-sharp teeth!

Kleaver successfully tosses his chicken meat aside and it is quickly and ravenously consumed by a mound of writhing salamanders.

What does Dervos do re the hen?!?

Grom and Mavory step back from the mass of salamanders,
Both ready weapons in case any of the creatures heads their way. otherwise they will watch events unfold.

Kreiger tries to look ahead to see what the commotion is all about. Smokey looks around and behind us for anything trying to sneak up on the group.

OOC: Sorry Shingen, but we have to move forward. Please subscribe to the topic and try to check in at least every 3 days.

Whether it is panic, or attachment to his favorite hen, that keeps him from acting we will never know, but Dervos grips that hen like a vice even as the salamanders' razor sharp teeth devour it like ravenous piranhas, then viciously nibble through the flesh of his arms, and through the arteries that lie therein.

Even as the salamanders disperse into the tall grasses and rocks of Nebin's lawn, Dervos stares up at the sky and bleeds out, the light fading from his incredulous eyes. His first adventure is over, before it even begins.

The open door beckons.

Grom, Mavory, and Kreiger pass the first fallen and whisper prayers and comfort to his soul. Smokey kneels down and tries to wrest the pitchfork from the farmers posession.

Little Kleaver struggles to hold onto his meal from the tavern as he watches the feral creatures make quick work of poor Dervos. Hugh, Grismelda, and Dhourdem all observe a brief moment of silence before turning back to the task at hand.

"Nothing to be done about it now. Let's see if we can find out if the missing suffered the same fate." Hugh steps up to the now open door and peers inside, sword drawn and at the ready in case any further dangers present themselves.

Kleaver & Hugh cautiously enter the domicile first. Hugh does a quick look over of the home. "If the salamanders had eaten our missing persons there'd be bones left behind. Picked clean of course, but there'd still be some sign of them. I guess we'll have to check out this hole." He grabs the fresh torch & the rope thinking they'll likely be useful down here.

While Hugh is gathering the supplies Kleaver steps over near the mouth of the hole and peers into the darkness trying to get a better view of what lies below using his infravision.

OK, so Aloysius and Jim head in in the second rank, and Shanaseriel and Slobo bring up the rear.

Grismelda & Dhourdem join the rest of the crowd now gathered around inside of Nebin's home. While Kleaver is peering down the pathway Hugh goes ahead and lights up the torch.

"You may be able to see down there without a light little one, but some of us aren't so fortunate. How does it look down there?"

Kleaver moves his head from side to side but not seeing anything he shrugs his shoulders. "Looks clear to me. Just seems to head down." Ever the nervous sort the diminutive butcher cautiously places one foot into the passage and test the ground. If it seems safe he begins to descend with Hugh following or moving up next to him if the space allows.

OOC: Hugh has a torch lit, anyone else? Does this marching order look right?

Scotti: Kleaver, Hugh
Chuck: Grom, Mavory
Dimonic: Aloysius, Jim

Scotti: Grismelda, Dhourdem
Chuck: Krieger, Smokey
Dimonic: Shanaserial, Slobo

Assuming so...

You slowly enter the descending tunnel. The walls are rough-hewn rock, but the footpath appears to be smooth, well-worn and covered in a thick layer of dust. There are two sets of footprints in the dust, both leading downward; neither lead back up.

OOC: Looks good for order.

Mavory inspects the shovel and hands it to Kreiger, "s'got better reach than that crowbar or that stick"
Kreiger nods and and takes the shovel and ends up by smokey who waits his turn to go down the tunnel.

All four head down the tunnel in order.

Silas, Percival, and Eibur stand huddled around the fallen Dervos. Cold sweat gleams on their brows as they eye the remains of the body and Eibur promptly rushes aside, losing his lunch. After a moment, Silas and Percival move off into the darkness and grab Eiber by the back of his tunic and follow after the rest of the group.

Eiber lets out a low moan, and a deep *gulp* with an audible click in his throat then steadies himself and shrugs off the other two and enters of his own volition. I'm good, I'm good, and steps in, following the group to the stairs.

OOC, the remaining three will join in the ranks

Percival up front
Silas and Eiber in the rear

OOC: Order looks correct to me.

Standing side by side, though not shoulder to shoulder due to the height differences involved, Kleaver & Hugh cautiously began to follow the pair of tracks leading down into the darkness. They proceed slowly, testing the ground with their feet to ensure it never treads too treacherously.

OOC: You proceed...

Scotti: Kleaver, Hugh
Chuck: Grom, Mavory
Dimonic: Aloysius, Jim
Michael: Percival

Scotti: Grismelda, Dhourdem
Chuck: Krieger, Smokey
Dimonic: Shanaserial, Slobo
Michael: Silas, Eiber

The tunnel descends for nearly fifty feet before it opens into a taller and wider chamber. Stalactites hang from the ceiling above while stalagmites force a meandering path across the chamber floor. Both sets of footprints continue into the chamber...

Judge Perky wrote:OOC: You proceed...
The tunnel descends for nearly fifty feet before it opens into a taller and wider chamber. Stalactites hang from the ceiling above while stalagmites force a meandering path across the chamber floor. Both sets of footprints continue into the chamber...

Shanaserial asks Slobo to hold still, and she rests a book on his head and starts to commit the passage and cave to paper, checking the orientation and size in her role as navigator.

Judge Perky wrote:The tunnel descends for nearly fifty feet before it opens into a taller and wider chamber. Stalactites hang from the ceiling above while stalagmites force a meandering path across the chamber floor. Both sets of footprints continue into the chamber...

Grom looks out at the cavern as it opens up and sees the formations. He hays in a lowered voice so as not to echo too much. "Stay close fellows, we already are missing two people don't want any more going missing from wandering around in these caves." After he speaks and enters the cave he pulls out his axe and looks around. Lots of hiding spots around here he thinks as he steps closer to Mavory. Mavory nods silently as Grom speaks out and brings his shovel up to a ready position.
The two in the back, Kreiger and Smokey file into the cave but don't break ranks and stick close to the group they are both freaked out by being underground, The snapping salamanders earlier didn't help any either as they both are jumping at the shadows of the torch that is waaay up front.