023: Can't get there from here

[Sierra]

<El-Cideon> Deep in the bowels of the plane of Earth, between a caved-in tunnel and an unholy shrine, with only a narrow burrow leading down into the ground...which way to go?
<Franceska> "Are we good enough to travel towards that drow camp?" Franceska asks, once everyone had a chance to recover.
<Steph> "I'm ready if you guys are," replies Stephanie.
<Julia> Julia tries not to let her disappointment show and being unable to properly loot the evil shrine, but it would be imprudent given present company. "Yes, we may as well then."
<El-Cideon> Rosemund lights her mace anew. "Let us be well away from this awful place before we settle in for the night!" she agrees.
<Steph> "You are ready, right?" adds Stephanie, patting Brenna on the shoulder. "We can escort you back if you're not! No need to push yourself!"
<Franceska> "Can you dig through all that rock?"
<Julia> "Here," Julia passes her pick over to Brenna. "I never use it anyway. It's just to deter violence."
<El-Cideon> "Is that to be my new occupation?" she queries Franceska with a faint smile, eyeing the pick she's just been handed.
<Franceska> "Oh. No. I would only tell Stephanie to do that."
<Julia> "Or me," Julia pouts, looking mournfully at her now ragged nails.
<Franceska> "I suppose when you volunteer I find it hard to refuse," Franceska agrees with a curt nod, before setting off onwards!
<Julia> Only because no one else did! Still, she's learned a valuable lesson about keeping her mouth shut.
<Steph> Stephanie seems utterly guiltless about not stepping up, and sets off to start crawling back through the tunnel.
<El-Cideon> Crawling is quite right--you're soon on hands and knees squirming through this little passageway, and it shows no sign of opening up or stopping until well past all your limbs are cramped and protesting. Finally it deadends, save for what looks like a hole in the floor ahead of you.
<Franceska> "It was a trick!" Franceska exclaims. "This is a horrible, horrible plane!"
<Julia> Luckily crawling through crypts and tombs has somewhat inured Julia against claustrophobia. Even so, the inability to turn around does rather concern her.
<Steph> "Quit your yapping! This is nothing compared to the time I got locked in a closet!" retorts Stephanie, aiming to peer down that very hole!
<Franceska> "How does this even compare?!"
<Julia> "What's the holdup?" Julia asks, behind Stephanie and thus unable to see the hole, only that she's stopped.
<El-Cideon> Stephanie's darksight is just about able to spot ground some fifty feet below--the hole seems to open up right through the roof of some large cavern. There's no handy wall to climb down, you're looking right out into empty space.
<Steph> "There's a fifty-foot drop here! Oh, boy, and we gotta go out head-first, too," mutters Stephanie.
<Julia> Once more Julia is relieved that even if Rosemund can't heal her, she can heal herself with great efficiency. "You're acrobatic, I'm sure you'll land on your feet!" she encourages. "Wait, isn't that more like a hundred with the gravity?" she adds, more concerned now.
<El-Cideon> "I have rope!" Rosemund calls forward, passing it along the line.
<Steph> "Yeah, hold that for me instead, willya?" mutters Stephanie.
<Julia> "Is there anything to tie it to or should we all hold some?" Though that does leave the last person in a sticky situation...
<El-Cideon> "Not that I look askance upon your generous gift," Brenna says, "but perhaps we could use it as sort of a makeshift piton?"
<Steph> "I got a grappling hook, it should hang on to the edge," explains Stephanie.
<El-Cideon> "Or that," Rosemund agrees.
<Steph> She puts that to the test!
<El-Cideon> OOC: descending? Roll climb if so. Note planar penalty to STR/DEX checks.
<Steph> roll 1d20+8
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+8 --> 6,0[ 1d20=7 ]4,0{15}
<El-Cideon> Stephanie shimmies down the rope without any difficulty, finding herself on a path that slopes both up and down. To your immediate left is a vast, dark shaft that seems to run through the center of this cavern. The path you're now on seems to spiral round the vertical channel, up and down out of sight; the whole cavern is perhaps a hundred feet in diameter and composed of smooth, shiny, black stone. Broken, jagged edges are everywhere--falling here would probably be even more painful that usual!
<Julia> Anticipating a fall, Julia casts false life before she clambers over the edge, trying her best to hold on. "Look out below!" she calls, commencing her climb.
<Julia> roll 1d10+9 false life hp
<Rei-chan> 6,0Julia rolled :6,0 1d10+9 1,0false life hp --> 6,0[ 1d10=10 ]4,0{19}
<Steph> "Um, guys? You really don't wanna fall down here," she advises. "Hold on, I'll light a torch so you can see," she adds, doing just that.
<Julia> roll 1d20-1 climb
<Rei-chan> 6,0Julia rolled :6,0 1d20-1 1,0climb --> 6,0[ 1d20=17 ]4,0{16}
<El-Cideon> Julia also alights safely on the ground!
<Julia> "Phew!" she gasps, stepping aside and shaking her tired arms. "That was scary, I didn't think I'd make it!"
<El-Cideon> "My turn!" Rosemund says next. And, apparently following Julia's example for luck: "Look out below!"
<Steph> "It's just a rope, you just need to not let go," replies Stephanie, puzzled.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20 --> 6,0[ 1d20=19 ]4,0{19}
<El-Cideon> Rosemund breathes a sigh of relief once she's safely on terra firma once again!
* Franceska starts climbing down sadly after Rosemund, ready to turn into an owl to arrest her fall if she somehow fails at something this easy.
<Franceska> roll 1d20-1
<Rei-chan> 6,0Franceska rolled :6,0 1d20-1 --> 6,0[ 1d20=6 ]4,0{5}
<El-Cideon> OOC: which she did!
<Julia> "That's really hard when you feel all this earth pulling you down," Julia insists.
<Franceska> OOC: Of course she did. Well, it's a swift action for me so....
<El-Cideon> OOC: then get to saving yourself from humiliation~
<Franceska> "I cannot believe thi--" Franceska mutters, before an undignified squawk cuts her off and she ends up gliding down next to Rosemund looking much like Darrin's older sister. Darrin himself floats down after her, looking embarrassed.
<El-Cideon> Brenna peers down to make sure the landing is clear below her, then follows.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+7
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+7 --> 6,0[ 1d20=13 ]4,0{20}
<El-Cideon> She seems well practiced at climbing and makes the descent with natural ease!
<Steph> "Now, we'd better not need to get back up there. Going up is harder," advises Stephanie.
<Julia> "I'm just amazed no one got hurt," Julia remarks, looking around now to see if there's any idea where to go next. "Up or down?" she asks.
<El-Cideon> "Down?" Rosemund guesses. "The directions said down...eventually."
* Franceska chooses to sulk rather than contribute anything meaningful.
<Steph> "Down we go!" declares Stephanie, staring to carefully start negotiating the stones. "I really hope we don't need to fight here."
<Julia> "Doesn't seem to be anything around," Julia says with some hope, following downwards.
<El-Cideon> It's rough going--the slick black stone demands a careful tread to avoid slipping, and after an hour your bodies are all loudly protesting the exertions of the day. (OOC: pressing on, resting?)
<Franceska> "We will die if we try to sleep here," Franceska says gloomily, having reverted back after half an hour of sulking.
<Julia> "I should have brought Isabel to carry me," Julia moans, trudging onwards.
<El-Cideon> OOC: CON checks
<Julia> roll 1d20+1
<Rei-chan> 6,0Julia rolled :6,0 1d20+1 --> 6,0[ 1d20=8 ]4,0{9}
<Steph> roll 1d20+3
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+3 --> 6,0[ 1d20=12 ]4,0{15}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+3 Rosey
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+3 1,0Rosey --> 6,0[ 1d20=3 ]4,0{6}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+2 Brenna
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+2 1,0Brenna --> 6,0[ 1d20=9 ]4,0{11}
<Franceska> "Thank you for reminding me it could have been worse," Franceska tells Julia fatalistically.
<Franceska> roll 1d20+3
<Rei-chan> 6,0Franceska rolled :6,0 1d20+3 --> 6,0[ 1d20=11 ]4,0{14}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d6 nonlethal Julia/Rosey fatigued
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d6 1,0nonlethal Julia/Rosey fatigued --> 6,0[ 1d6=4 ]4,0{4}
* Julia walks rather like a zombie herself now.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund trudges along with slumped shoulders, visibly haggard--but after another hour you do find a side tunnel branching off the chasm. An avenue ten feet wide breaks to the right, a bare dirt passageway.
<Franceska> "This is all the armor you carry around, you realize," Franceska says, there to help Rosemund learn a valuable lesson.
<El-Cideon> "I will be glad for it all when we suffer a surprising and dastardly ambush one day," Rosemund declares.
<Franceska> "I sincerely doubt that."
<El-Cideon> OOC: stopping here, pressing on?
<Julia> OOC: please stop!
<Franceska> OOC: We can stop in the side tunnel where we will probably not just slide off to our deaths
<El-Cideon> Rosemund steps inside the side tunnel, leaning against the wall with a sigh of relief. "I feel as though my feet are slanted permanently now," she complains, taking off her boots to massage her ankles.
<El-Cideon> "If these elves do not want visitors, this is a good place for them to live," she goes on.
<Franceska> "It's not like we want to visit them," Franceska mutters, sitting down next to Rosemund.
<Steph> "Forget how hard it is to visit. Think about escaping," replies Stephanie. "If a slave has to climb up this thing, there's no way he'll escape alive even if he makes it past the guards, right?"
<Julia> "Don't remind me we have to climb up it as well," Julia groans, using her bag as a pillow and laying down.
<El-Cideon> "Slaves?" Brenna queries as you set up to rest.
<Steph> "Yes, the drow slavers we talked about?" replies Stephanie, looking for some place where she can properly lie down. "I'm just thinking about it. If you're a slave trying to escape, you need to actually run away someplace after escaping. And good luck with that around here."
<El-Cideon> OOC: anyone on watch/doing anything particular other than resting a night?
<Julia> OOC: thing can be on watch
<Franceska> OOC: Darrin volunteers for the next watch
<El-Cideon> Night passes quietly in the heart of stone--if it can be called night, light being as alien here as sound. Everyone wakes the next morning fully refreshed and healed, ready for further challenges!
<Julia> "I hope it's not much further," Julia muses, starting out of their little alcove and down the slope.
<Steph> "I want to go home, too," opines Stephanie.
<Franceska> "I want this place to never have existed."
<Julia> "I don't mind it existing, I just don't want it in my face."
<El-Cideon> "Oh, you two! Where's your spirit of adventure?" Rosemund chides. Another two hours' awkward descent, past a couple more branching tunnels, and you think you've finally seen the end of the obsidian shaft. Your walkway circles down to the bottom floor of the chasm to touch down on a level floor of cold gray slate. There is only one evident way forward down here, a broad tunnel some thirty feet in height. Pursuing this, you eventually find the way forward barred by an artificial gate: a steel portcullis blocks a man-made archway through the slate cavern wall. Two men in chain mail stand at either side of the gate. Skin as black as the obsidian gallery you so recently left, hair a blinding ivory, each in chain mail and standing at attention with a pronged spear at hand. Above the gate, archers can be seen behind narrow windows. In an alcove to the left of the gate, a hulking arachnid form rests quietly.
<Steph> "I think I left my spirit of adventure in Peridot," whispers Stephanie.
* Julia wonders if creatures with exoskeletons can still become undead skeletons.
<Franceska> "Hello," Franceska says, stepping up after her momentary pause. "We were referred to you by the Peridot trading post. May we enter?"
<Steph> Filthy, demon-worshipping slavers! Terrible thoughts go through Stephanie's head, even as she keeps her face firmly neutral.
<El-Cideon> "For what purpose?" the guard on the right says, suspicious but somehow still with a deferential air about him. "State the nature of your business here."
<Franceska> "Trade, at the core. There is something you have that we want to discuss purchasing."
<El-Cideon> "The products of our labor are for the adornment of the Matriarchs," he says instantly and dutifully. Rosemund hands over the letter of introduction from Pomerand and he takes a moment to read through it. He hands it through the portcullis grille to a counterpart whistled down from the archers' gallery, who hurries out of sight in the opposite direction. "A moment, humans," the guard says. "We await Mistress Thela's pleasure."
* Franceska gives him a curt nod and then seems to dismiss the guard from her mind altogether.
<Steph> Stephanie peers at the elves, and wonders if she's taller than them!
<El-Cideon> You wait several minutes. Finally the portcullis grinds up into the ceiling. A cordon of four guardsmen with rapier and shield at hand wait on the other side. "Follow and do no stray," the lead guard says.
* Julia placidly follows along, taking in the sights of the exotic dark elf slave pits.
<El-Cideon> Stephanie finds she is taller than the bulk of the guardsmen, who are as a rule quite comely if one favors effeminate men with obsidian skin and long hair.
* Franceska follows, looking straight ahead. The job of scouting the place is left for Darrin's sharp eyes.
<Franceska> roll 1d20+29
<Rei-chan> 6,0Franceska rolled :6,0 1d20+29 --> 6,0[ 1d20=4 ]4,0{33}
<Steph> Stephanie follows along, counting the number of opponents she sees and contemplating whether or not they could just take on them all...
<El-Cideon> You pass under the portcullis, through a gallery perforated throughout the ceiling with murderholes (Darrin perceives the pinprick reflections of Rosemund's light in the eyes of men up above). You walk between two squat buildings of obvious utility as a barracks, and then the tunnel opens up into a vast cavern. To your immediate right, a stairway is hewn into the stone wall, leading up to tastefully sculpted house perching out on the cavern wall; to the left a large cage with a lever set in the wall beside it. Before you is a platform looking down over a cavern too deep for you to accurately gauge its dimensions; every now and then the sound of pick on stone rings up form the dark depths. A building with the look of an office perches on the corner of this platform. (more)
<El-Cideon> Standing before this building is a dark elven woman. Her squarish and blocky features lack much of the natural elegance of her race, save for the lushness of her lips. Bone-white hair is pulled back into a simple ponytail (and held in place with a pair of jet spikes that could likely serve as weapons in the proper hands), imparting a perpetually severe expression. Her attire consists of plain tunic and breeches, simple and conservative but for a plunging neckline that gives view to a generous valley of cleavage. A rapier and a small shield stand ready at either hip. At her side, standing with obviously protective demeanor, are a handsome drow male in armor and another in a crimson robe.
<El-Cideon> Stephanie's seen at least a dozen men about the place so far, and those barracks could probably support thrice that figure. No women save the one before you have been in evidence, though.
<Julia> Julia could never pull off an outfit like that, despite the cliche of necromancers vamping it up in scandalous attire. At least her face is prettier, though!
<Steph> They fight in that sort of thing! They really do! Stephanie doesn't understand...
<Franceska> "Mistress Thela?"
<El-Cideon> She nods. "I do not insist upon the title with foreigners." One lip quirks into something resembling a smile. "But you may employ it if you like. I shall not begrudge the honor." She looks over your group carefully. "We do not often receive visitors from Peridot. You come with a proposition of sorts, I understand?"
<Julia> "Yes, we're searching for a man who's ah, fallen into your employment," Julia phrases it delicately, mindful of the large number of dark elves all around.
<El-Cideon> She nods. "This male has a name?" she queries.
<Steph> Stephanie nudges Rosemund.
<Julia> "William Alcembron," Julia remembers!
* Franceska looks at Julia with mingled surprise and respect.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund nods helpfully, beaming at Julia! The name provokes an instant and undisguised look of distaste from Thela.
<Franceska> "We require him as a witness to a crime committed back home, Mistress Thela," Franceska says, seeing no harm in addressing her the way she wants to be. "And we are prepared to compensate you for the trouble."
<El-Cideon> "This male is important to you, then?" she observes. "And what manner of compensation are you prepared to offer me for his release?"
* Julia has no idea what a slave is worth! She looks hopefully at Franceska for some reason.
<Steph> "What was his buying price?" asks Stephanie, quickly getting in there!
<El-Cideon> "Suspiciously cheap, in retrospect," she says with an air of chagrin.
<El-Cideon> Brenna quietly seethes throughout the conversation, looking as though she'd like to bury her new weapon in every skull around her.
<Julia> "Well, I don't know how long slaves endure the sort of work they do, but I imagine he's even less valuable now?" Julia suggests.
<El-Cideon> "The true question is how valuable he is to you," Thela points out.
<Steph> "Oh, he's of some value. But an equal question is whether or not this strikes you as an opportunity!" replies Stephanie. "After all, a slave of his tenure wouldn't be worth what you paid for to start with, and after a certain point they're not likely to make you a profit at all, are they? So if we were to, say, pay you one and a half times what you paid to get him, you'd be making a pretty
<Steph> nice profit!"
<El-Cideon> "And I should have you know, in my camp I take care to maintain the functionality of my chattals," she adds with a degree of pride. "Proper labor is rewarded with rest. I do not insist that they labor in excess of half the day, and set aside one day of seven for recuperation." With a nod, she sums up: "A broken tool serves no one. This 'William,' of yours, however--HE was a source of constant mischief and obstruction. Which is why he is no longer in my possession."
<Franceska> "Ah, I see. In that case, Mistress Thela, it might please you some to know that he would not enjoy being associated with theft back home. And if we knew where to go from here, I will make sure to inform him of the charges properly."
<Julia> "Oh. Did you sell him to someone else?" Julia asks, not naive enough to believe he was set free.
<El-Cideon> "I sent him home, to Ilishtir on the Prime," she says, adding with a tight grin and an air of vindictiveness, "My sisters are always clamoring for a greater share of my lot. Let them have it, I say." She goes on, more professionally: "I may have him retrieved. If it's sufficiently important to you."
* Franceska grimaces. "That depends on the cost. What would it be, Mistress Thela?"
<El-Cideon> She turns to the robed drow at her side. "I thirst. Some wine to ease negotiations, forthwith." He nods, disappears into the nearby building and emerges with a crystal decanter. Pours a goblet for Thela and gestures to your group for anyone who might want some. "You propose for me to trade you a life, in essence. And I must have you understand that it is not without risk for me to ask for his return. Thus, I would ask for a service of commensurate value."
<Steph> "Does this service involve the slicing, dicing, stabbing or possibly crushing of your foes?" asks Stephanie, sounding bright.
<El-Cideon> "You are prescient," she confirms.
<Franceska> "And who might those foes be?"
<Steph> Other drow! Stephanie hopes it's other drow.
<El-Cideon> She gestures you closer, speaks low to keep the conversation out of hearing for the cordon of guardsmen still standing by the tunnel entrance. "I maintain this outpost in part for its comfortable distance from my siblings, but family, alas, is a creeping weed. My eldest sister has recently dispatched one of her daughters here." She grimaces. "I was fed some dross about inspections for efficiency and accounting, but I do not entertain for a moment the thought that she is here with any ultimate purpose other than claiming this mine's output for her own. Of course dearest Liamele could only have diamonds decorating her nipples." She rolls her eyes in disgust.
<Steph> Her dreams have come true, and Stephanie's smile turns dreamy.
<Julia> That's a strange idiom. Or is it literal? Julia looks a bit puzzled.
<El-Cideon> "Your companion relishes the thought of killing," she observes of Stephanie's expression. "Shall I take this for acceptance?"
<Franceska> "She might just like her wardrobe choices," Franceska mutters. "We need to hear more before accepting anything."
<El-Cideon> "I need her to disappear beyond the sight of the males in my service," she says. "I believe I have chosen and monitored my staff carefully, but one can never be too careful with the question of spies. I will set her some task requiring transit to Peridot. You will ambush her entourage en route. She wears a signet ring denoting standing in our house. Bring me this as proof of the deed. What you do with the rest of her belongings is no concern of mine, but see that the body isn't left to be found by anyone investigating thereafter."
<Steph> "Is she tough? What kinda guards does she have?" asks Stephanie, nakedly eager.
<Julia> A drow skeleton would work nicely, wouldn't it? Of course Brenna might not approve... It's a hard life, being a necromancer.
<El-Cideon> "She will be well-armored, and calls upon the favor of the spider goddess in smiting whomsoever invites her enmity. Which I may say it is a trifle to inspire. Her chief consort is an enchanter. I advise against letting him speak. Our house guards are trained chiefly in the ranseur in rapier. She brought four with her."
<Franceska> The more this drow speaks, the easier it is for Franceska to come to like the idea of murdering other drow. "This sounds acceptable," she says out loud. "I presume you would arrange for our quarry to be returned here, Mistress Thela? How long should that take?"
<El-Cideon> "The walk to our portal to the Prime and Ilishtir beyond is a week's duration each direction, presuming Earth itself doesn't interfere with its damnable quakes. Of course, I would not wish to detain you here throughout the duration. I will see your prize escorted to you in Peridot upon his return."
<Franceska> "Between two to three weeks, then?"
<El-Cideon> She nods in confirmation. "I shall dispatch a messenger upon your return with evidence of completion of your task," she says.
<Franceska> "Alright."
<El-Cideon> Thela sips at her wine. "Very good. I will set my niece on the road to Peridot on the morrow. Neither of us want her to reach the city. It pleases me to maintain pacific relations with our neighbors on this plane, but Alruzia will have no such inclination. I will be obliged to give her orders of a mercenary nature simply to avoid arousing her suspicion. See that she does not live to carry them out and we shall both prosper." She nods, giving you all an approving glance. "Go and prepare your ambush, then. I await good tidings."
<Franceska> "Is there more than one way to reach Peridot from here?"
<El-Cideon> "I know of no alternative to ascending the obsidian gallery," Thela says. "She will be forced to traverse it. Any of the side tunnels should afford you a convenient hiding place."
<Franceska> They really do need to climb up. Earth is such a horrible place.
<El-Cideon> "If that is all...?" She gestures for the squad of guardsmen to escort you outside if no one has anything else to add.
* Julia is ready to go!
<Steph> "Oh, out of curiosity," adds Stephanie. "What kind of attack will you ask her to make?"
<El-Cideon> She shrugs. "I will provide her with a list of fictitious debtors who have failed to provide due services and obligations to house Ilvari. She may feel inclined to extort through personal interrogation, as is her wont."
<Steph> "How devious! Well, we'll get onto this," replies Stephanie. "Good news will soon come your way~"
<El-Cideon> Outside, as you reach the obsidian ramp again, Brenna bristles with displeasure at the situation. "Is this how the children of men deal with Lolth's spawn in this era? They kill others at their bidding to pacify them?"
<Franceska> "It would reduce the amount of guards in that outpost," Franceska muses, "as well as give us a chance to interrogate some of them about the defenses."
<Julia> "It's the first time I've dealt with them," Julia admits. "Are we going to change our plans again and shift quickly from diplomacy from slaughter? I always have such a hard time keeping things straight in my head."
<Franceska> "If it looks like we can," Franceska is all too happy to say.
<Steph> "Well, I've got an idea..."
<El-Cideon> "How devious," Rosemund observes. "But...ah, excuse me, but do we get Mr. Alcembron back if we kill everyone?"
<Julia> "I imagine we'd go to their city on the prime and kill everyone there?"
<Steph> "Um, yes. Because we only kill them after they send out the messenger, then we ambush the return party and save him," replies Stephanie. "But! But. We should let the first group get to Peridot, and get them when they start trying to rough people up."
<Franceska> "Why?"
<El-Cideon> Rosemund blinks. "What? Why? You heard what she said, her niece would just want to hurt innocent people!"
<Franceska> "And it is illegal to kill people who deserve it within town limits."
<Julia> "And there'd be lots of witnesses who might spread word of our murder of a drow... noble?"
<Steph> "Not if they're trying to fuck people up," replies Stephanie. "Anyway! Listen! If the drow start shit in Peridot and get exposed, there'll be an uproar! And we can turn it into an uproar against all slavers!" pronounces Stephanie. "If the mayor wants to hold onto his job, he'll subsidise the adventurers guild to get revenge, it'd be the best PR move! Then we can kill the raiding party, trash
<Steph> the Dao trading post with an angry mob, and then lead a bunch of city-subsidized goons to take out the drow here!"
<El-Cideon> Rosemund points to Stephanie. "Well, just you remember that if we go all the way back to town to do this, then we have to make this whole climb two more times!"
<Steph> Stephanie pauses. "She's got a po- no, I won't be dissuaded! We can totally make this work."
<Julia> "That sounds extremely optimistic," Julia comments. "These are the same slavers who feed people to mind flayers, and you expect the town to riot over a dark elf roughing people up a little?"
<Franceska> "This is a stupid plan," Franceska deadpans. "It is too complicated, and it relies on the people of Peridot not being sheep. We know that they are. Also, due to all the witnesses... if nothing else, the trading post will likely let these drow know about it, and we will never see that-- what's his name back alive."
<El-Cideon> "Alcembron!" Rosemund chides Franceska. "Is it so difficult?"
<El-Cideon> "Any plan that puts innocents at risk for gain is unbearably reckless," Brenna adds for her part.
<Franceska> "Whatever," Franceska says dismissively. "I propose killing all these horrible people in phases. A priestess of Lloth deserves to be killed on mere principle, regardless of who else wants her dead. Then, we await the recovery of that man. Then, we try to kill the rest of the drow here. The slavers in the city will be left for later."
* Franceska turns to Brenna, asking, "Would you be willing to lend a hand to this?"
<Steph> "Is not. The people of Peridot are sheep, but they're sheep looking for someone to do something dramatic so they can follow him, instead of whatever they're doing now," replies Stephanie. "And I bet the trading post won't even have time! Especially not if we're ready to get anyone trying to leave the town on the path to the drow mine." She purses her lip. "You saw how many drow there were.
<Steph> It's gonna take more than us to crush them. That's why a plan is necessary!"
<El-Cideon> Brenna gives Franceska a nod of approval for the notion of directly decimating the mine, at the least.
* Julia considers the tiny little crawling tunnel and then the overhang over a sheer drop with one flimsy rope to clamber down. And she imagines a horde of furious and disorganised idiots all trying to traverse it. It's enough to make even her wince.
<Franceska> "Ah, but what if we interrogated the priestess's guards to discover a way into the mine?" Franceska asks Stephanie. "If one of us was able to sneak in and free them in time with our attack...."
<El-Cideon> "Are you suffering a migraine, Julia?" Rosemund observes with concern.
<Steph> "Um. We can just burrow into the mine if you want to launch a sneak attack," replies Stephanie. "Can't we? That's not the problem." She shakes her head. "And how good do you really think a bunch of slaves are at fighting?"
<El-Cideon> "Well, the one we are looking for helped kill a lich," Rosemund points out. "So there could be all manner of persons in there," she adds optimistically.
<Franceska> "We might learn of our options after catching this group of drow," Franceska points out. "If, in the end, we discover nothing useful and the odds are too far against us, we will be forced to leave it for now."
<Julia> "Just thinking of how a giant mob would traverse the same path we took," Julia says weakly.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund starts up the ramp. "Then let us find a place to set up and camp and wait," she says.
<Steph> Stephanie winces. "I was figuring that the mob would trash the dao, but we'd get a bunch of proper fighters to come with us for the drow. Not like everyone," she says, starting after Rosemund. "Maybe we can hire some out of pocket, if the odds are as bad as I'm thinking."
<Franceska> "It also occurs to me," Franceska muses as she follows Rosemund as well, "that the drow left here might not be so certain of their loyalties if we were to tell them how their mistress set up her own family to be killed."
<Franceska> Then again, would these elves care?
<Steph> "Drow elves are racist fucks," replies Stephanie, tartly. "They'll be in to kill their boss, but not to release all the slaves. I'm not trusting them with my back."
<Julia> "You can disguise yourself as one, though," Julia points out, having no real idea where they're going or what they're doing anymore.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund makes her way up several turns of the ramp until she reaches the first branching tunnel. It's a bare dirt passageway ten feet wide and tall, winding away out of of sight. "Shall we stop here, or do we want somewhere bigger to camp?"
<Franceska> "How about the next one?"
<El-Cideon> Rosemund nods, and presses on.
<El-Cideon> An hour up the ascent, you find a broader avenue to slip into, twice as wide--the ceiling is low, almost touching your heads, but there's room to spread out at least.
<Franceska> "This should be fine."
<Steph> "Want me to lay out some caltrops?"
<Julia> "Only if you can hide them."
<El-Cideon> "Ah, if you can keep them well-hidden, yes," Rosemund echoes.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund hands over to Brenna a spare shield and ring accumulated during your travels. "I am sorry that I do not have a spare set of armor for you."
<Steph> "In this ground, which is already just a bit short of a field of spikes?" replies Stephanie, starting to lay some out. "Turn around, then see how long it takes you to spot them. And then, think about how hard it would be when you don't know they're there."
<Julia> Julia tries just that!
<El-Cideon> OOC: Steph, care to roll...hmm, sleight of hand for how well-placed they are?
<Steph> roll 1d20+15
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+15 --> 6,0[ 1d20=19 ]4,0{34}
<El-Cideon> OOC: feel free to try perception vs that, Julia!
<Steph> OOC: I want to place them ahead of the tunnel, btw
<Steph> OOC: So they'll walk past us before they step on them
<Julia> roll 1d20+2
<Rei-chan> 6,0Julia rolled :6,0 1d20+2 --> 6,0[ 1d20=9 ]4,0{11}
<El-Cideon> Julia can't make out what's the floor and what's the caltrops. Hopefully Stephanie can remember, at least!
<Julia> "Oh... did you even put any down?" Julia asks uncertainly.
<El-Cideon> Night passes, rest occurs...Somewhere around what you could guess is midmorning, the party is roused by noise coming up the chasm towards you. Whoever it is is not troubling to move silently--speech echoes up, the liquid rush of what Stephanie could recognize as a dialect of elven, a woman's laughter, armor rattling as the strangers come closer...
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+10
<Julia> Julia gets ready to cast but doesn't dare make any noise that could alert their prey of what is to come.
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+10 --> 6,0[ 1d20=19 ]4,0{29}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+13
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+13 --> 6,0[ 1d20=5 ]4,0{18}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+14 only per roll that's not academic!
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+14 1,0only per roll that's not academic! --> 6,0[ 1d20=12 ]4,0{26}
<El-Cideon> Rosemund takes the opportunity to cast a spell of divine protection while she waits for the enemy to arrive, chanting softly under her breath.
<Steph> Stephanie reaches out to touch Rosemund, and both of them vanish from sight...
<Steph> OOC: Three rounds of invis each. Ambush++
<El-Cideon> OOC: one thing first, though--
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20 --> 6,0[ 1d20=3 ]4,0{3}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20 --> 6,0[ 1d20=17 ]4,0{17}
<El-Cideon> Casual conversation turns to violent swearing outside as one of the strangers impales his foot on one of Stephanie's gifts! Of course, he's probably got worse than that coming his way soon enough--
<Steph> Stephanie soon emerges invisibly from the darkness, seeking out this so-called enchanter so she can silence him quickly!
<Steph> roll 1d20+10 wolf fang strike for two attacks, presuming target acquired?
<Steph> roll 1d20+10 wolf fang strike for two attacks, presuming target acquired?
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+10 1,0wolf fang strike for two attacks, presuming target acquired? --> 6,0[ 1d20=7 ]4,0{17}
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+10 1,0wolf fang strike for two attacks, presuming target acquired? --> 6,0[ 1d20=8 ]4,0{18}
<Steph> OOC: also, +1/+1 to both those attacks, sorry
<El-Cideon> Immediately outside the cave, standing amidst the field of caltrops, are two drow males in chain mail, each bearing a ranseur. Ten feet behind the vanguard is a drow woman, devilishly beautiful in midnight armor embossed with a latticework of webs, a black-robed male in a night-dark mask by her side; bringing up the rear ten feet behind are two more guards with rapiers and shields.
<Franceska> Practically hugging the wall, Franceska seeks out the enchanter they had been warned about. It takes an instant to be certain of her target in his black robes, and then the previously-smooth rock underneath him elongates into a stalagmite that seeks to impale him from underneath!
<El-Cideon> OOC: and both hit one of the lead guards flat-footed. You'll have to weave through the caltrops to hit the enchanter if that's your goal?
<El-Cideon> OOC:is that a ref save, Franceska?
<Franceska> roll 9d6 piercing ref dc18 half
<Rei-chan> 6,0Franceska rolled :6,0 9d6 1,0piercing ref dc18 half --> 6,0[ 9d6=33 ]4,0{33}
<Steph> OOC: I shouldn't have to? The caltrops should be ahead of the cave we're emerging from, right? If he's at the back or in the middle, I should be able to get to him
<Steph> OOC: It's only if he's in front that I'd need to go through the caltrops
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+7 ref
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+7 1,0ref --> 6,0[ 1d20=6 ]4,0{13}
<El-Cideon> OOC: oh, okay! Thought you set them up before the cave for some reason.
<El-Cideon> OOC: then both hit him, yes
<Franceska> OOC: He's impaled until a DC15 escape artist check or DC25 strength check
<Steph> roll 1d6+7+4d6
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d6+7+4d6 --> 6,0[ 1d6=6 4d6=9 ]4,0{22}
<Steph> roll 1d6+6+4d6
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d6+6+4d6 --> 6,0[ 1d6=4 4d6=15 ]4,0{25}
<El-Cideon> Pinned to a spear of rock and slashed through, the elven enchanter is not long for this world, almost instantly expiring!
<Julia> Julia goes for a more indiscriminate approach, stepping out of the cave and casting her magic over the entire group of dark elves... and unfortunately Stephanie as well. Giant rubbery black tentacles erupt from the ground, writhing and thrashing as they seek to grab everyone in their midst!
<Julia> roll 1d20+14 CMB I believe
<Rei-chan> 6,0Julia rolled :6,0 1d20+14 1,0CMB I believe --> 6,0[ 1d20=3 ]4,0{17}
<Steph> Almost as an afterthought, Stephanie activates her defensive armor and shimmers in and out of existence...
<Franceska> Her task accomplished, Franceska nods in satisfaction and becomes a mighty albino bear, closing in on the drow leader!
<El-Cideon> Tentacles erupt from the obsidian floor, but all their flailing doesn't manage to snag any targets yet!
<Julia> OOC: movement at half speed within the tentacles even if not grappled
<El-Cideon> Barred from stepping out of the cave by all those tendrils, Rosemund opts to call down holy wrath upon the group's leader!
<El-Cideon> roll 4d6 will halves
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 4d6 1,0will halves --> 6,0[ 4d6=12 ]4,0{12}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+12
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+12 --> 6,0[ 1d20=17 ]4,0{29}
<El-Cideon> The drowess in charge of the party cries in incoherent rage as her companion is butchered next to her. "Humans! Impertinent inferiors--your kind dies well and noisily. Let me show you! It won't be so fast a death as his, I promise you all!"
<El-Cideon> OOC: proper init rollin'
<Franceska> roll 1d20+1
<Rei-chan> 6,0Franceska rolled :6,0 1d20+1 --> 6,0[ 1d20=15 ]4,0{16}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+1 Alruzia
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+1 1,0Alruzia --> 6,0[ 1d20=4 ]4,0{5}
<El-Cideon> roll 4#1d20+7 guards
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 4#1d20+7 1,0guards --> 6,0[ 1d20=14 ]4,0{21}, 6,0[ 1d20=4 ]4,0{11}, 6,0[ 1d20=9 ]4,0{16}, 6,0[ 1d20=2 ]4,0{9}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+2 Rosey
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+2 1,0Rosey --> 6,0[ 1d20=13 ]4,0{15}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+3 Brenna
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+3 1,0Brenna --> 6,0[ 1d20=6 ]4,0{9}
<Julia> roll 1d20+2 Julia. Thing is sitting this one out
<Steph> roll 1d20+5
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+5 --> 6,0[ 1d20=20 ]4,0{25}
<Rei-chan> 6,0Julia rolled :6,0 1d20+2 1,0Julia. Thing is sitting this one out --> 6,0[ 1d20=17 ]4,0{19}
<Franceska> roll 1d20+3 Darrin
<Rei-chan> 6,0Franceska rolled :6,0 1d20+3 1,0Darrin --> 6,0[ 1d20=12 ]4,0{15}
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: heavy gravity (-2 to attack rolls, physical skills) | Steph (25) > Caltrop'd ranseur guard (21) > Julia (19) > rapier guard A (16) = Franceska (16) > Rosey (15) = Darrin (15) > ranseur guard B (11) > rapier guard B (9) = Brenna (9) > Alruzia (5)'
<Steph> "It'll take you more years than you've got to kill me, you raging dyke cockmunching slut of a priestess to the insect goddess of the octohandjob!"
<Julia> Julia draws breath to say something suitably stinging in retort, but is left rather deflated by Stephanie's far more eloquent command of repartee.
<El-Cideon> ~