Tests and Trials

[Rodgeir]

Kroshav

► Show Spoiler

((You could call the chain knuckles a weapon, but that might be moot depending on the outcome of this roll. Give me an an athletics or acrobatics to wrest the shortsword away!))

Kroshav spins on his heel surprisingly quickly and gets his hands around the hilt of the blade.

The voice behind Kroshav curses and says more squirelly words.

Jaq

► Show Spoiler

As Jaq sprints he quickly leaves the mud behind him. The sound of clacking stone on stone gets closer far quicker than expected...and then starts coming from behind him. After another dozen seconds Jaq spots the source, or rather sources, of the noise. Filling the hallway before him appear a column of little golems, very much like the one they followed here but these ones are armed and bearing down on him. Behind him the clacking is also getting closer but he doesn't see anything yet.

As he has traveled down the hallway there have only been a few small alcoves but no proper rooms, it is more a less been straight shot from where he came in without any diverging paths.

((Jaq has gone about 180 ft from leaving the mud room))

Lurn

► Show Spoiler

Cougher wraps up on Lurn's back and Lurn is surprised how light he feels. His arms are quite thin and shaky but he says, as he coughs into Lurn's shoulder to muffle it,

"Good to know. Out is that way."

He considers this for a moment then says,

"How we doing this? Aye just pointed but that don't help. Aye can maybe guess at distances to go and give left and right but that is going to be rough."

He gets you to the door and has you lean him out to look in the hallway.

"Aye don't see anyone. Yer friend went to the right, that's where they do the torturing. Left is just hallway and aye think they have some prisoners up there. They did anyhow when aye first got here. They haven't really let meh wander."

[NotStickFigures]

► Show Spoiler

Jaq stops running and loudly states, "Hello, I am not here to fight. I am friendly! I am fleeing the drow!" He will lower put his hands up in a non fighting stance and he will go into dodge mode. How large are these golems and how many are there? The drow mentioned dwarves before, do the golems look dwarf-like?

[Dlover]

► Show Spoiler

Lurn casts his head left and right, "If you can give directions, I'll keep the sword ahead of me so I know when there's a wall ahead. Just let me know if there's a step up or down and if I need to turn..." After a moment, Lurn turns to the right, "You might disagree, but getting Kroshav loose first may be our best chance. If we head straight for the exit we'll get caught, and I alone can't fight an army, especially in the dark. With him, our chances will be at least a bit better. Hopefully there are only two or three in the torture chamber, then I may have a chance."

[Rodgeir]

Jaq

► Show Spoiler

These golems look identical to the one that they used to guide them here, except these are all armed. They are largely featureless but are about dwarf height.

The golems in front of him, more than a dozen stop just outside of melee distance. They could be statues if Jaq didn't just see them run. The clacking sound behind him resolves into a half dozen mud covered golems also carrying weapons. Once they have also reached 10' behind Jaq they stop. As a group they all say at the same time and in the same vaguely feminine, toneless voice Jaq is used to hearing from the golem guide,

"You have entered a restricted portion of the archives. You will be given ten seconds to withdraw. Failure to leave shall result in expulsion."

It is a bit disconcerting to hear the echoing voices coming from so many un-moving golems.

Lurn

► Show Spoiler

"Die now in a fight is better than dying in there. Maybe we can kill a couple of'm before they get us. Just hope the spider-man is busy."

He directs you to place your hand to the right so you can feel the wall as you walk. He also is doing his best to stifle his cough into your back. It is getting wet there.

((Are you trying to be sneaky? If so roll stealth with disadvantage, also give me a perception check.))

[NotStickFigures]

► Show Spoiler

The last thing Jaq wants is to be bodily carried up the steps by the goloms up to some waiting drow. So he will say, "I did not know this was off limits, I will leave." He will then begin back tracking down the hall and walk back to the area where there were three ways to split off. As he is walking back he will say, "I just need to get away from the drow." He will then wait and see how far they follow him or what they do as he begins leaving the area and heading back to the mud floor area.

[spiderwrangler]

► Show Spoiler

Athletics: 1D20+8 = [15]+8 = 23


Assuming that works, he'll light it up as soon as he can.

[Dlover]

► Show Spoiler

Lurn does as guided, moving along as best he can, "Can you hold out back there? I can provide some degree of healing, but what I can do right now would only be a stopgap if it's an emergency. And... Spider-man?"

Stealth; perception: 1D20+1 = [10]+1 = 11
1D20+8 = [12]+8 = 20

[Rodgeir]

Jaq

► Show Spoiler

The golems just stand there but if Jaw starts moving backwards the ones behind will part for him to pass. As he moves back the muddy golems follow to the mud room where many, many more golems have risen from the mud. A drow stands at the base of the stairs and upon noticing Jaq stops talking to the golems and points a crossbow in his direction while waving behind him.

Two more drow come into view on the stairs. All are glaring at Jaq and one says,

"We told you not to come down here. Sorry for the incursion, it was truly a mistake. We'll take care it doesn't happen again."

Kroshav

► Show Spoiler

((They can't beat that, but they have their turns now. They weren't particularly surprised you didn't sit in the chair.))

Kroshav feels as someone yanks on the blade in his hand to no effect before something painful is stabbed into his back.

((Con save please, the attempt to wrestle back the blade was less than your modifier so no worries there.))

From the corner of his eye Kroshav spots a bluish white light just before he feels a deep coldness strike him. He feels stiff, like he's been swimming in cold water.

(-10 movement speed next round)

Shaking the original owner off the short sword Kroshav lights it up revealing a simple room with a bed and faded tapestry. In the middle of the room near where Kroshav stands is a blood covered chair with arm, chest and leg restraints. Immediately in front of Kroshav stands a drow in black leather armor with no shortsword. Immediately behind and to the left stands another drow with a dagger and studded leather armor and what looks to be Jaq's cloak. In the far corner of the room, still a bit in shadows stands another drow with a staff and no armor but a very unpleasant look on his face.

((I'll pause here for input before rolling through their turns.))

Initiative
Kroshav
Drow guard
Drow talker
Drow caster

Drow attack, trying to take back the weapon and attack again: 1D20+6 = [7]+6 = 13
1D4+4 = [3]+4 = 7
1D20 = [6] = 6
1D20+4 = [13]+4 = 17
1D8 = [2] = 2

Lurn

► Show Spoiler

"Ain't gonna die just yet, but aye don't want to get us caught either to speed it along."

He muffles another round of coughing.

"Oh, aye. A poor bugger, torso and head of a drow legs and rest of it from a big spider. Maybe more darks damned than the rest. Was the one that got meh."

Ahead you hear some talking distantly, and maybe Kroshav's voice?

((That stealth should have been at disadvantage, consequence of Cougher. I'll pause until I get that...))

[NotStickFigures]

► Show Spoiler

This time Jaq speaks in Dwarven, "Please don't make me go with them. The drow are evil and are keeping my friends prisoner. Don't make me go back to them. We came to this library following a golum we found like this, but without weapons. We didn't know the library was occupied. Or dangerous."

[The Lost]

► Show Spoiler

anything for Joe yet?

[spiderwrangler]

► Show Spoiler

Con save: 1D20+2 = [17]+2 = 19


Kroshav calls on the Five, and his new sword flickers with divine favor, he spins and lays into the guard.

Shortsword: 1D20+8+4 = [15]+8+4 = 27
1D6+7+1D4 = [1]+7+[2] = 10 piercing
1D20+8+4 = [20]+8+4 = 32
1D6+7+1D4 = [4]+7+[1] = 12 piercing

Crit: 1D6+1D4 = [3]+[1] = 4 piercing


"Would it kill you to be just a little polite?!"

[Dlover]

► Show Spoiler

"If they worship spiders, that may be an honour for them."

Stealth disadvantage: 1D20+1 = [17]+1 = 18

[Rodgeir]

Joe

► Show Spoiler

Depending on what Joe does shortly, maybe soon. I'll ping you with a PM!

Jaq

► Show Spoiler

Two of the drow look more displeased, including the one that was doing the talking before. One just looks as unhappy as before. The one doing the talking, also says in Dwarven,

"Come now Jaq! I don't know what you expect, you stab us in the back and think you can run off? We trained together for years."

He addresses the assembled golems directly,

"I warn you, this one will betray you if you let him near you."

Persuasion Deception: Deception: 1D20+2 = [17]+2 = 19


((Okay, so give me another go at persuasion with the most persuasive you think you can be. Roll it with advantage and I will decide if the listener agrees it should have that!))

Over 80 knows dwarven: 1D100 = [92] = 92
1D100 = [97] = 97
1D100 = [38] = 38

Kroshav

► Show Spoiler

The dagger stings a bit more than it should, but otherwise Kroshav doesn't feel anymore hurt than a piece of metal inserted into the body normally causes.

Kroshav lays into the stunned guard and chops him down before turning to the questioner and asking his question.

For his part the questioner completely unphased by the death of the guard and slides the dagger into his belt and pulls out a shortsword.

"You should have sat in the chair."

He then swings twice leaving relatively shallow wounds.

((Give me two more con saves please))

The drow in the corner says something and that causes the drow questioner to spit and snarl something back. The drow in the corner chuckles and leans against the wall.

Drow trying to kill Kroshav: 1D20+7 = [6]+7 = 13
1D6+4 = [2]+4 = 6
1D20+7 = [15]+7 = 22
1D6+4 = [1]+4 = 5

Lurn

► Show Spoiler

"Who gives a rats ass what they care about. They stuck a guy on top of a giant spider, that is off."

Muffled coughing followed by,

"Hey, ye see that?"

Up ahead, in the direction that you heard Kroshav you see a light suddenly pour out of a door and hear Kroshav again, something about being polite?

((If you dash you can get there in a turn. Cougher would let you know you would be running by a few doors to do so, but is up for whatever.))

[spiderwrangler]

► Show Spoiler

Con: 1D20+2 = [17]+2 = 19
1D20+2 = [6]+2 = 8

[Dlover]

► Show Spoiler

Lurn is loathe to get ahead of his spiritual weapon, but does decide it's better to get in there quickly and have some element of surprise, so he'll dash, starting out by saying, "Hold on tight, there'll probably be a fight."

[The Lost]

► Show Spoiler

Depends on what Joe does? She’s kinda unconcious.

[NotStickFigures]

► Show Spoiler

OOC Funny thing is Jaq would be better at deception then persuasion! Ha

Persuasion with maybe advantage: 2D20.HIGH(1)+1 = [19, 16]+1 = 20


Jaq keeps up his hands and speaks calmly and quietly, in dwarvish, again, "I am an elf, but look at my skin, I am not a drow, but a high elf, from above ground, not one of these drow who hate my kind. And they still hold my friends prisoners, A human, an dwarf and an firbolg. They are my traveling companions from afar, and we came here to explore, unknowing that we would fall into a place controlled by drow. I ask, plead, for safety. You can question me further when I'm away from them." as he says this he looks not happily towards the three drow.

[Rodgeir]

Joe

► Show Spoiler

I meant Jaq, apologies!

Kroshav and Lurn

► Show Spoiler

Kroshav begins to feel distinctly unwell. A ringing starts in his ears almost immediately and his vision begins to fuzz around the edges.

So much so that he is pretty sure he is hallucinating as he half turns and sees what looks like Lurn carrying a gaunt, grey skinned dwarf with a white beard stained with blood and worse standing in the doorway to the room.

Lurn, for his part, sees a wobbly and bleeding Kroshav holding a brightly glowing shortsword facing off against a drow in studded leather armor and another drow further back in the room with a staff. Both of the drow look surprised to see Lurn and Cougher and the drow. There is a large, blood soaked chair in the middle of the room near where Kroshav is standing. There is also a simple bed in a corner and a few moldy tapestries on the wall.

((Roll me initiative Dlover!))

Initiative
Kroshav (poisoned) <----
Drow talker
Drow caster

Jaq

► Show Spoiler

There is a long silence after Jaq makes his plea. Long enough the drow speaker snorts and says,

"Lay off it Jaq, you heard. Get over here and we can talk about your--"

He gets cut off as the golems say in unison,

"Agreed. You have been granted temporary refuge in the Archives. Follow."

The golems behind Jaq squeeze to make a path through them and two begin the clicking steps back down the tunnel.

Before Jaq can go more than a step the speaker drow yells, with cold malice,

"If you go Jaq, we will kill your companions. Do you want their blood on your hands?"

[NotStickFigures]

► Show Spoiler

"You are planning on torturing and killing my friends no matter what, so I will not willing walk into your hands again. And you are causing more trouble for yourselves than you know, the firbolg is royalty, and his death, even here, will not go undetected by his kind, and they will not let that go unpunished. That is YOUR warning." he says with a sneer and a wink as he follows and go further in with the golums.
Deception: 1D20+8 = [18]+8 = 26

[spiderwrangler]

► Show Spoiler

Kroshav clings tenaciously to the spell he's concentrating on.
Conc: 1D20+2 = [17]+2 = 19
1D20+2 = [12]+2 = 14


He staggers blearily, but jabs at the drow.
Shortsword: 2D20.LOW(1)+8+4 = [20, 16]+8+4 = 28
1D6+7+1D4 = [4]+7+[3] = 11 piercing, 3 radiant
2D20.LOW(1)+8+4 = [19, 19]+8+4 = 31
1D6+7+1D4 = [6]+7+[3] = 13 piercing, 3 radiant

If he gets through the guard, he'll stagger to the caster, smiting if he's able to attack.

[Dlover]

► Show Spoiler

Initiative: 1D20+1 = [10]+1 = 11

Lurn takes a moment to take in the scene, grunting, "Good to see you didn't completely let down your guard, friend."

[Rodgeir]

Jaq

► Show Spoiler

The drow are quiet at the comment about Lurn and they say a few words to each other. Then the talker says,

"We'll string up the gnome, here in the stairs so you can hear her screams. Then the dragonborn."

He doesn't appear to have anything he wants beyond that and turns on his heel and walks back up the stairs. The remaining two drow stay at just visible in the stairwell.

What is a firbolg?: 1D20 = [7] = 7
1D20 = [1] = 1
1D20 = [17] = 17


Jaq follows the golems down an increasingly rough tunnel that only has two cross tunnels that disappear into the darkness without revealing anything if interest beyond more golems, standing like statues. After a few minutes of walking the golems stop before a stone door and step aside to let Jaq forward. Jaq can make out a faint light around the door and an odd smell.

((Roll nature for the smell))

Pushing the heavy door open Jaq finds himself in a huge cavern, or probably a huge cavern. It is hard to tell because there are stacks and stacks of books blocking the view except for a half dozen small paths and one large. The small paths are filled with moving golems but the wide has mostly clear of them.

Lurn and Kroshav

► Show Spoiler

Lurn watches as Kroshav, even with his uneven movements, strikes out and connects twice against the drow in armor. The drow grimaces but doesn't fall and returns the blows but Kroshav stumbles out of the way of both.

Lurn takes a moment to take in the scene, grunting, "Good to see you didn't completely let down your guard, friend."

The drow in the corner laughs at the misses and says snidely in Elven,

"And she put you in charge? Can't even connect with a half dead lizard. She is going to very upset when she gets back."

He looks over at Lurn and lazily shoots a bolt of white light that hits the firbolg in the chest. Lurn feels his arms and legs stiffen from the cold.

► Show Spoiler

Still after Kroshav: 1D20+6 = [2]+6 = 8
1D6+4 = [6]+4 = miss
1D20+7 = [2]+6 = 8
1D6+4 = [1]+4 = miss

Frost at Lurn: 1D20+4 = [16]+4 = 20
1D8 = [4] = 4

Initiative
Kroshav (poisoned)
Drow talker
Drow caster
Lurn <----

((How many hit points do you two have left? Lurn is down another 4 after that attack.))

[spiderwrangler]

► Show Spoiler

I have him taking 20, down to 27?

[NotStickFigures]

► Show Spoiler

Nature: 1D20+4 = [7]+4 = 11

He takes in the path and tries to remember where the golems are leading him (Not sure why I have such a hard time spelling golems the right way )
He stays quiet without questions for the trek to the further in cavern, the last thing he wants to do is say something wrong and have them expel him back to the drow immediately.
Once he is in the large cavern with the books he thanks the golems for their asylum and then asks, "Who is in charge here?" if the answer he gets doesn't include any living creatures, just the golems, he then asks, "Are there other living beings down here other than golems?" He also asks, if there is an appropriate pause, "Why do you allow the Drow and their spiders inhabit the level above this of the archives?"

[Dlover]

► Show Spoiler

After the 4, Lurn is down to 32.

Lurn chuckles and speaks in Common, "Worry about what 'she' thinks once you've survived." Raising his hand and letting go of the nail to free it, Lurn fires a Guiding Bolt at the armoured drow.

Guiding Bolt: 1D20+8 = [19]+8 = 27
4D6 = [1, 1, 5, 3] = 10
Assuming a hit, Kroshav will have advantage on one attack roll against that target.

Also, Spiritual Weapon is probably... Around 40 feet behind Lurn still, going to take a bit to catch up.