Mean and Green, part 4
Log Info
- Title: Mean and Green, part 4
- Emitter: Williwaw
- Characters: Ashes, Asmli, Delilah, Donna, Strike, Victor
- Place: Alexandria Sewers
- Time: Monday, August 24, 2020, 7:36 PM
- Summary: Deputized by the Turtles, and assured they will be allowed through the breach once they track down what escaped from it, the party tracks the 'ugly demons' through the sewers drawing closer to the river as they do. Victor, with excetional hearing, detects the sounds of battle and rushes towards it. Determined to stick together, the others follow. They enter a large circular chambre, where some robed figured and goblin-like creatures are fighting another group of adventurers, who are falling fast. Battle ensues!
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Appearing -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ashes 5'11" 177 Lb Hobgoblin Female A somber arvec in grey clothes with a skull face Asmli 4'2" 178 Lb Storm Dwarf Male Blonde khazad-mornir, walking with a limp. Delilah 5'4" 106 Lb Human Female A golden haired human girl in white robes. Donna 5'4" 106 Lb Human Female A black-haired human girl in black robes. Strike 5'11" 155 Lb Half-Elf Female A dusky grey half elf girl in grey and black clothes. Victor 6'6" 290 Lb War Golem Male Pale humanoid War Golem in heavy armor. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= As the GM -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Williwaw -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
So it has become a job within a job! Though it had been close to hostilities with the shellbacked guardians, calmer heads managed to prevail and subsequent conversation has led to a trade of sorts. You've been deputized to hunt down creatures that broke past one of the brothers, leaving him severely injured... in exchange for dealing with these outsiders, the brothers have promised you supervised access to what they refer to as the 'loose stitch' so that you might analyze it with the device given to you by the pair of planar investigators topside.
Not having been part of the negotiations - that isn't his job - Asmli seems more than ready to continue, although again lets the tracker lead. He doesn't seem to have much to say.
Strike is rather zen about the whole affair, and simply awaits the indication that the show's about to hit the road. She considers the brothers, wondering again if her sister still roams the land, somewhere, then turns her mind back to the subject a hand.
Ash stands there, quietly watching and keeping a distance from the two guardians as she was the main cause of their upset. She looks around at the party, "Who's going first? Are we sneaking again?"
She holds the everburning torch out for Asmli to take, it was his originally.
Victor says, "I am willing to go first. I fear that stealth may slow us down." He glances back in the direction of the brothers. "And in fact separating ourselves between the stealthy and less so may have exposed us to unnecessary risk."
"Should have weapons to hand," Asmli adds, accepting the everburning torch back. He frowns at it, though, and the double-ended weapon he is holding. "Gonna have to let you carry this," he tells Ashes. "Can't fight carryin' it."
"Did the creatures do anything particularly noteworthy? Use specific weapons, attack with spells or some sort of innate function of their bodies?" Strike wonders as they move. She lightly touches some of her bandolier pouches to make sure they're still loaded, just to make sure, but moves to flank Victor.
"Ok," Ash says, taking the torch back. She holds her hands out to take the box as well, Just before she does she takes out her holy symbol. Her set of Vardama's scales are very small, so that's good, although she's almost juggling things now. "I'll follow."
"I don't think we should split up," Delilah offers. "As my sister will tell you, I'm better at tripping over my own feet than I am at being sneaky, personally; if you left those of us who stomp about like drunken clods in the back, we won't be able to help you when you get into trouble. And I'd much rather be able to help you, personally." She draws her pistol, gives it one last check, and pushes it back into the holster. "Let's move as a group. We can always re-evaluate later."
"Can you see down here?" Asmli asks of Victor. "I can't see over the lot o' you. I'll bring up the rear, but I might not be able to help you in a narrow space." He nods agreement with Delilah. "Stay together."
Victor hands over the box. He opens and closes the hand he's been using to carry it, growing accustomed to having a free hand again. "Yes, I can see in darkness," he nods to Asmli. Then he turns in the direction he thinks they should go in and takes a few steps. After a bit he glances back over a shoulder to see if everyone is moving or if anyone needs more time to prepare.
"I didn't see much..." the one named Theo had admitted when asked about what more he could tell of the creatures that had ambushed him. "They looked like you, actually... except for the small ones." The turtle man had shuddered a bit. "They.. when they looked at you, it was unnerving. And that horrible, horrible laugh they had..."
That was about the extent they could offer, besides the suspicion that those you hunt are not from your plane. And now that you know what to look for, the tracks are fairly easy to follow. Particulatly because there's only the one path to take, back down the narrow passage you'd come. Until it reaches the larger, main tunnel. Which, previously, you had determined which direction the tracks you had discovered earlier went.
Victor turns to look at the tracks and then glances at the party. "One mystery solved," he notes. A faceplate over his mouth slides open for him to speak the words, then slides back into place. He turns back and moves to follow the tracks.
It turns out to be a lot to juggle, the recording box, the torch and her holy symbol, so Ash passes the torch to Strike. This allows her to concentrate on the device's reading, as well as keep the symbol handy. Her centipede is on top of her head, legs entwined with her hair and bunching it like a giant hairclip, he seems to be looking ahead as well. The machine beeps and flashes, although what those ultimately mean aren't clear to her.
Strike turns as the torch is handed her way. She glances to Ashes' burden, seeing her load and nods without objection. She allows Donna to slip in front of her and otherwise maintains pace best she can, looking about for trouble.
"Good," Donna grunts, as Victor points out the solved mystery. With one final glance at Delilah and a wordless nod, the dark twin takes up her place, gauntleted hands flexing as she waits for trouble to inevitably find them...
GAME: Ashes rolls perception: (16)+3: 19 GAME: Asmli rolls knowledge/dungeoneering: (16)+8: 24 GAME: Delilah rolls knowledge/dungeoneering: (11)+3: 14
The ashen Arvec is following along, her head down as she stares at the device she's carrying. The box has something of a sub-audible hum to it. A vibration. There are lights in some of the crystal inserts, but there isn't any indication on whether they are detecting the quarry. Ash stops her slow progress for a moment. Standing in place she holds the device at arms length and points it in several directions: ahead, behind, high, low, at the wall, testing to see if the vibrations it is making increase. The vibrations do not seem to get noticeable stronger or weaker. "It doesn't seem to matter, right now."
She takes a moment to touch the wall as well. The wall is on the left. A sense of the history of the city is within the bricks, but nothing specific to recent events.
Delilah falls into step in the position designated for her by the group. Which... is pretty muc at the back, but not *right* at the back. Well, given that she's physically unimpressive (as far as combat goes, anyway) that suits her just fine. The less Donna has to worry about her getting smacked around while she's trying to fight, the better. "So... we're definitely near the river, but I think that's all I can tell you," she comments, to anyone nearby.
"We're underneath the trade district," Asmli supplies cheerfully from behind Donna. "Probably headed north towards the city walls, so this will prob'y find the main tunnel headed to the river, should be soon now. Let's hope our friend didn't decide to head for the river."
There isn't a lot more for Strike to do but keep an eye out and keep pace, and so she does without commentary, though there are subtle shifts in the cant of her head as her companions chime in to show that she's listening.
There is a map that the party was following, and it took them to the Turtles. The sequence of events had the party departing from the main tunnel down a side tunnel, which was the direction the map indicated the anomoly is. At that intersection, there were signs of something having come out of that side tunnel. The group elected not to follow, instead going into the side tunnel where they encountered the turtles. They did not want to let you pass. A deal was made where the party would backtrack and chase after the creatures that had ambushed the turtles, after which the turtles would let allow them through.
Essentially, the detour to hunt down these things is so the turtles will get out the way.
"We should keep following the tracks. This might not detect the demons." Ash suggests.
GAME: Asmli rolls survival: (16)+7: 23 GAME: Asmli rolls perception: (11)+4: 15 GAME: Ashes rolls survival: (2)+3: 5 GAME: Ashes rolls perception: (16)+3: 19 GAME: Strike rolls perception: (9)+13: 22 GAME: Strike rolls survival: (4)+2: 6 GAME: Victor rolls survival: (16)+8: 24 GAME: Victor rolls perception: (20)+8: 28 GAME: Donna rolls perception: (8)+10: 18 GAME: Donna rolls survival: (3)+6: 9 GAME: Delilah rolls survival: (1)+0: 1 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Delilah rolls perception: (2)+5: 7
The signs of recent passage, the tracks, are easy enough to follow and everyone is confident that none of them have diverged from the main passage. As the party progresses, the sound of moving water gets a bit louder.
"Sooooounds like they're headed for the river," Donna mutters as the group follows the tracks. "Anyone hear anything but water?"
GAME: Victor casts Shield. Caster Level: 5 DC: 16
"Fighting," Victor replies. "I hear the sounds of fighting!" His armor unfolds and withdraws in a loud clatter, revealng a sturdy but not mountainous War Golem form. He quickly chants a defensive spell, one he likely couldn't have cast while encumbered. Once this is completed the armor unfolds to cover him once more. Almost before the last plate slips into place he breaks into a plodding run.
"I hear it, too!" Strike replies, reaching into a pouch to withdraw a small vial of... water? There's been word of demons, so... why not, right? And so, the moves to follow the golem so he doesn't get surrounded. On the upside, either despite the sewer or because of it, it doesn't smell as bad as the last time she faced demons. She intends not to get swarmed this time.
"I hear water, no fighting." Ash says. As Victor, then Strike pick up the pace she reluctantly does so as well, trotting after them.
"Don't run off alone, ya metal-headed moron!" Asmli shouts as Victor takes off running, then growls in frustration and, as soon as the others begin to follow, does so as well.
"Shit," Donna says, launching into an easy lope as the pace gets picked up all of a sudden. "Close quarters, D. Know y'don't need t'hear it, but, careful yeah?"
Delilah is way too busy trying to keep her skirt out of the muck to notice what's going on until people start running off. "I HATE THIS PLACE," she declares in a tone that leaves no room for argument, but she picks up to a run to keep up with Donna. "Next time we get conned into coming down here I'm wearing one of those skirts that doesn't reach your knees! You know the ones that Mom hated?! EVEN BETTER!"
For varrying reasons, haste has become a higher priority now.. whether to be sooner involved in the reported combat up ahead, or just to keep the party from being split by what some might call an impulsive decision. Regardless, a few moments of running eventually reveal to everyone that, yes, *something* that sounds like combat is definitely happening up ahead. The light of Asmli's torch continue to reflect off of the walls and the slowly moving sewage in the channel in the middle of the tunnel, but then, almost suddenly, ahead the tunnel opens up into what is initially blackness. A chamber, or a widening of the tunnel that has not yet provided any surfaces for the light to reflect off of. Even the channel of sludge seems to drop off, dumping its contents below.
Only, it's not complete blackness. Another lightsource is ahead, and when you get close enough to see past the edges of the wall and the drop off for the travelling sewage, there is indeed combat. Several shrouded figures locked in combat with what appears to be a duo of sewer spellunkers such as yourselves. An elf and a human, both in leathers and wielding swords. A third, another human, is struggling on the ground. Was struggling on the ground. You arrive in time to witness one of the shrouded figures thrusting a sword into his chest, and then pulling it back out. Another body, this one unmoving, is off to the side, half hanging on the edge of the swirling mass of sewage which is being channeled into this chamber from three sides. Yours, the west, and the north.. to gather and then flow down what seems almost like a drain in the centre of the room. Among the several shrouded figures are two goblin sized ones, shrieking and pointing.
The diameter of the chamber is 80'. There are stairs down from the ground the party currently walks upon to a ledge that circles around the gathering sewage in the middle. The sewage spills out over the ledge. It's roughly 60' aroundaboutly to the east entrance. It is possible to walk around the entire thing without having a sewage shower... but there's no guarantee this will avoid the spray.
And Donna's thudding footfalls slow to a halt, just long enough to take in the melee at the edge. "Ssssssshit. Cover us, D."
With that, the dark twin slams her fists together, pale-blue runic tattoos flaring alight along both of her upper arms. Her eyes blaze the same color, trailing wisps of faint blue, and her outline seems to blur and smear at odd angles, as she pelts with purpose toward the battle.
Ash's trot turns into a hustle as the people in front hit their stride. She hurries along behind them, following Strike's flame, a shadowy-flappy thing in the gloom. She does not want to step in the sewage. As she enters the large chambre she adds some additional qualifiers. She doesn't want to get sprayed or fall in either. She takes in the details of the battle, the configuration of the room. She shoves the recording device into her satchel and snaps the flap down. Chippen takes cover inside too. Her grip tightens on her Holy Symbol. When she speaks, her voice is still an unhurried monotone, not an order, but a strong suggestion. "I have to be closer. Move up."
Victor slows a bit as he has to turn and maneuver - even the gently curving path he takes is probably more that he could handle at a full run. "We're adventurers!" he calls. Only after does he recall that identifying himself as such can draw mixed reactions depending on who hears it.
Strike sees the situation, and the others primed to fight and she nods. She has a cetain understated resignation in her otherwise busineslike expression as she follows the fighters into the fray, she increases her pace to follow the woman with the manic look in her eye. This is exactly why she wears junk clothing on guild missions.
Once you're down the steps, the floor of the ledge around the swirling pool in the middle is not as sure footing. Moving normally isn't hazardous, but certain things may be easier or harder due to the slight collection of slime on the ledge. Actions that tend to require movement or stability, such as bull rushes and the like may be dangerous. Without even addressing what falling into the sewer water will entail.
As the fighting comes into view, and the picture becomes clear, Asmli skids to a stop with the others, but shouts, "Fall in and yer likely to get swept to the river! Mind yourselves, whateer ye do."
The river of waste rumbles as more opponents join the battle.
