Hall of Harsh Reflections I
The team travels for three days to reach Free City. There they are forced to wait in line for 2 hours before receiving far too much attention from the gate guards for their liking. Every bit of the kobold's gear is gone through and they begin to get quite irritated before the end. When at last the guards announce that some of their gear will have to be confiscated (none of them make the Sense Motive check to realize it's a shake down), the team has had enough. They gather their gear and leave the line, snubbing the guards completely.
Camping out a few miles away they wait until midnight before Rue casts Invisibility on everyone and they approach the city wall. Copper spider climbs up the wall while Toerag uses her Rope of Climbing to get up to the top. They lower a rope down for Rue and work together to pull her up (she makes he Will save to overcome her fear of heights for a moment, having previously objected strenuously to the whole plan), then reverse the process down into the city. With that they secure good hiding places in a nearby alleyway until dawn.
When dawn comes they follow the directions Allustan gave them and head for the Garden District. There, noticing the looks of suspicion from the gate guards, Rue makes friends with them and receives a brief overview of the district (and simultaneously assuring the guards of their own motives). The arrive at Eligos' house soon after. Making their presence known they are greeted by a servant and escorted to the parlor to wait.
After guzzling the wine offered to them and devouring most of the fruit, Eligos at last appears. At first abrupt, the sage becomes more interested when the three kobolds in his parlor drop Allustan's name. And far more so as they dig through Rue's haversack and begin disgorging several artifacts and other extremely interesting items. In minutes the team has laid out a concise overview of all they have learned in the past month and Eligos seems already hard at work examining this and that tidbit. When it becomes clear that his research may take as much as several days the team is disgruntled. When it further becomes clear that he expects they will leave their evidence and artifacts in his care, they becomes suspicious as well. After some consideration, however, the team decides the man is a friend of some sort to Allustan so should be trustworthy. Besides, they can always come back and eat him.
With his promise to contact them the moment he has anything to impart, the team is escorted out. They leave the Garden District, headed for the Foreign Quarter, intending to seek out the Crooked House (an inn the sage recommended) before finally doing some shopping. Though the folk of the city tend to display curiosity when they see the kobolds wandering around the team is pleased that they don't seem to garner any particularly negative attention. More confident now that they'll be able to sell some of their loot without difficulty they discuss plans for future purchases while they ride.
Arriving at the Crooked House the team finds the accommodations (and the price) modest and to their liking. They rent three rooms and pay for stabling for their mounts before immediately making for the Market District. The team pawns most of their old loot while Copper seeks and finds a simple protection amulet. Toerag trades in her trusty long sword (and a good deal of gold coin) for a mildly enchanted scimitar. Rue spends some hours tracking down the various ingredients for several Moillan rune bones to augment necromantic spells, after which she collects equal portions from everyone to purchase two wands of healing (light and moderate). In the end they have a little over a thousand in gold left and decide to squirrel it away for now. With that they head back to the Crooked House.
On the way they find the intersection ahead blocked by a small parade of some kind, with jugglers and various performers amusing the growing crowd. As they attempt to backtrack and find an alternate route an uproar is heard, followed by sounds of panic and the unmistakable roaring of some beast or other. Looking back they see the chimera that was previously caged as part of the parade has somehow broken lose of its cage and shattered the glass. It has already caught and badly wounded one onlooker.
1)
Copper dismounts and wields his chain
Rue dismounts and casts Spectral Hand
Chimera attacks the downed onlooker: hit, 13, killing him
Toerag dismounts and wield her new scimitar
The crowd scrambles to get out of the way, one group trapped near the chimera.
2)
Copper activates his Draconic Aura (energy shield) moves within attack range of the Chimera
Rue moves forward to get a better view of the chimera
Chimera turns to attack the trapped civilians, all of whom are too frightened to dare make an AOO. It attacks one: kills him.
Toerag draws her kukri and moves forward behind Copper.
3)
[The team notice individuals in the crowd are screaming and avoid them as much as the Chimera.]
Copper now has a clear line of sight to the beast and attacks with his Breath Weapon: Chimera makes its save, 7.
Rue attacks Chimera with her Spectral Hand/Bestow Curse: hit. Chimera fails his save and suffers -4 to attacks, saves and checks.
Chimera moves to engage Copper, Copper's AOO: miss. He fires his Breath Weapon at Copper: He makes his save, 7.
Toerag moves around Chimera to flank, AOO: hit, 9, Chimera takes 4 acid damage. She attacks: hit, critical, 14+6
4)
Copper attacks Chimera: hit, 7
Rue dispels her Spectral Hand and casts Magic Missile at the Chimera: 5, 5, 3, 5
Chimera attacks Toerag: miss, hit, 13, hit, 10, hit, 7, hit, 3
Toerag attacks Chimera: hit, 6+5, hit, 4+8, killing it
Once the Chimera slumps over dead it soon becomes apparent that the lizard-like appearance of weapon-brandishing Kobolds coupled with the bloody escape of the caged Chimera led many of the onlookers to assume some connection between the two. Though their slaying of the Chimera has more or less proven they aren't the culprits to most of the civilians there are enough still screaming about "Kobold raiders" that quite an uproar is still ongoing. Rue's Diplomacy skill is enough to calm most of the folk, though, and convince them that they aren't involved. By the time the city watch arrive the team has managed to ingratiate themselves with the commoners that they aren't immediately charged with some form of criminal behavior.
After clearing up that matter and even receiving the thanks of a few commoners the team makes their way quickly to the Crooked House where they intend to lay low until Eligos completes his research and contacts them.
On their second night at the Crooked House the Kobolds are in the common room doing their best to make nice with the other patrons in the hopes of improving their reputation in the area (Toerag's idea). Toerag leaves the group to sound out prospective buyers for some of their more exotic loot, since her rude behavior does little more than hamper their attempts anyway. Soon she returns to tell the party she's found a buyer for the preserved Drow head they took from the Grimlock barbarian weeks ago. He's apparently right there in the building and is offering 500 gold for it! Copper immediately runs to go fetch it.
Moments later the patrons and the Kobolds are all shocked when Copper suddenly walks back down the stairs, approaches Tarquin (the Gnome proprietor) and stabs him in the chest with a dagger. As they gawk he turns and flees back upstairs.
The patrons soon take to their feet, some rushing to help Tarquin and others grabbing random objects to go and bring the murderous Kobold to justice, Toerag and Rue find those immediately around them already glance askance at them and edging away. Rue attempts to calm the patrons, assuring them they're perfectly harmless and will get to the bottom of things. At the same time another patron, who just entered the room from upstairs and spied the unconscious Tarquin, begins immediately calling for the others to grab them and secure them until the city watch arrive. These Kobolds, he insists, are the same one who killed a rampaging Chimera in the streets two days ago. Clearly they're very dangerous and must be seized and held fast until the watch arrives. Copper, meanwhile, is still upstairs fetching the Drow head and unaware of the goings on.
Reasoning that taking on all the commoners in the inn is probably doable but not likely to earn any points with the city watch, Toerag and Rue surrender and try to appear as meek as possible in the hopes of keeping things from getting out of hand. Copper returns downstairs with the preserved head and is immediately confronted by two dozen bottle and chair wielding commoners, all demanding his surrender...or else. Spying the dying Gnome he asks that his team members be allows to tend to him but the inn patrons are already beyond reasoning. Realizing his only choices are fighting or surrendering (which Toerag and Rue are already encouraging him to do), Copper stays true to his fatalistic nature and succumbs to the inevitable. He does manage to activate his Draconic Aura (vigor) and maneuver within range of Tarquin for a few moments before finally surrendering.
As the patrons hold the Kobolds fast, waiting for the city guard that one of their number has already gone to fetch, Tarquin is eventually healed by Copper's aura enough to come around. With the dagger still sticking out of his chest, however, he naturally wakes up screaming in pain. As several of the inn employees tend to him, horror at his plight incites the crowd still further and the team soon find themselves on the receiving end of a few punitive blows from the crowd. Copper and Rue manage to stay reticent but Toerag curses the crowd and threatens them, resulting in them all being beaten still more before her two teammates can convince her to shut up.
When the watch at last arrives several minutes later the Kobolds are actually relieved and eager to be taken away from the increasingly violent crowd. They are all formally arrested and bound, their gear confiscated and Rue is muzzle-bound. Taken away by a large iron caged wagon, they spend the night in the local jail awaiting interrogation by the guard captain the next day. Copper, of course, assures the other members of the team that it was not he who attacked Tarquin.
Surprisingly, after being told they are to await an interview by the guard captain, they are transferred the following morning without explanation to another part of the city via another caged wagon, this one completely covered. Upon arriving they are dragged unceremoniously into a old, moldy building (apparently a dockside warehouse or some such), through a large storage room, the adjacent false door therein and finally dumped into separate cells in a secret dungeon beyond that. Before they are imprisoned themselves they can see in other cells a young Elven woman, two humans males and a corpse. Copper is placed with the corpse.
Once their abductors leave the team immediately search their individual cells. Copper finds that the supposed corpse is actually alive, though very near death. He activates his Draconic Aura (vigor) to heal him and waits for him to awaken. Toerag and Rue report nothing. After a subsequent inspection of the cell door lock Toerag reports that she has no hope of picking it, even if she still had her tools.
When the "corpse" awakens Copper is able to interact with him enough to discover the man is somewhat insane. Once he's introduced himself he immediately searches through the straw, finds a sharp stick and begins jabbing himself in the neck. Copper's attempts to subdue him fail and the man finally falls unconscious again. This occurs several times through the night, so Copper eventually decides to just keep his aura running (though he can empathize with the man's decision to end his suffering).
The two human men introduce themselves as Martal and Regim and seem friendly enough. It doesn't take much questioning before they reveal all manner of horrors that await the team. They relay nightly mind probing, torture and even repeated dismemberment (followed by healing to correct the damage) with no apparent goal beyond pure sadism. The Elven woman, Ilya Starmane, has little to say for herself and certainly seems unwilling to discuss anything at all with a bunch of Kobold "knee-biters". The team eventually decide simply to leave her be.
That night, after the team have discussed every idea for escape they can think of and gathered all the information they can from their fellow prisoners, two pale creatures (recognized as doppelgangers) come and seize Rue from her cell. Still bound, she is unable to resist as the two doppelgangers beat her to unconscious in full view of her teammates. She is then taken away, not to return for over an hour. When she later finally regains consciousness in her cell she is unable to recall exactly what has occurred to her in the meantime. Nevertheless the team is relieved to finally have a clear explanation for how Copper could have apparently stabbed the inn proprietor without remembering it.
The team further takes some heart when Rue reveals that she still has her ring of minor spell storing with a Lightning Bolt spell tucked safely within. The worst case scenario, they reason, is that she can attack the guard if/when they come for one of the others and hopefully aid them in escaping.
Meanwhile, Copper makes use of their most obvious means of escape: his acidic Dragon Breath. On his first attempt he manages to do significant damage to his manacles...but burns badly himself in the process. His second attempt fares much the same and he is forced to maintain his Draconic Aura (vigor) just to mitigate his self-inflicted wounds. An attempt to physically break the now weakened manacles fails, so he Takes 20 on the attempt and is discouraged to find he has little hope of succeeding. Resigned, he continues his breath weapon tactic and has to make five more extremely painful attempts before he manages to damage the manacles enough to shatter them.
Finally, having spent several minutes burning himself, he is free and uses his Touch of Vitality to heal himself fully before tackling the cell door. After four minutes of hammering at the door with his Dragon Breath, waiting to recover, then hammering it again, he finally melts the lock and swings the door open to step free. He immediately sets about freeing Rue by the same method, aware that his need to wait and recover each time is dragging things out and increasing the chances of his being discovered. Eventually Rue is free and he uses the last of his Touch of Vitality for the day to heal her a bit. He then sets to work on Toerag's door.
Rue immediately goes to check the north door, noting the stagnant pool and timbers beyond. Checking the southeast door (through which they entered the dungeon) soon reveals that one of the three chests within holds their gear. She dons her own gear and calls Copper to do the same, so that they might be ready if they are discovered before Toerag is freed. A minute later they finally have Toerag free to fetch and don her own gear (after Rue uses her wands to heal her up fully) while they face the other prisoners who have all (with the exception of Gattel) been clamoring for release the whole time.
While Toerag is busy dressing and stowing her gear, Copper has set Rue to watch Gattel while he works on freeing Martal and Regim. By the time he has the lock to their door melted, Toerag has joined him. Once the door lock is disabled, Martal and Regim immediately grab weapons from beneath their mattress and attack.
Surprise:
Martal Bull Rushes Copper out of the doorway.
Regim leaves the cell and engages Copper. He attacks: miss
1)
Regim attacks Copper: hit, 9
Martal attacks Copper: miss
Toerag draws her scimitar and attacks Regim: miss
Copper changes his Draconic Aura to Energy Shield, draws his chain and attacks Regim: hit, 5
Rue steps out of the cell (Regim's AOO: hit, 13, Regim takes 4 acid damage), makes her Concentration check and casts Scorching Ray at both men. Martal: hit, 12. Regim: miss
2)
Regim attacks Rue: miss
Martal attacks Copper: hit, 12. Martal takes 4 acid damage
Toerag attacks Regim: miss
Copper attacks Regim: miss
Rue takes a 5-foot step back and casts Magic Missile at Regim: 3, 3, 3, 2
3)
Regim moves to engage Rue. Copper's AOO: ; Toerag's AOO: hit, 6 nonlethal. He attacks Rue: miss
Martal attacks Copper: miss
Toerag attacks Regim: miss
Copper attacks Regim: hit, 5
Rue has nowhere out of Regim's threat to retreat and attempts a spell, Regim's AOO: miss. Rue casts Summon Monster III, summoning a Pseudonatural Bison behind him.
4)
Regim attacks Rue: hit, 11. Regim takes 4 acid damage.
Martal attacks Copper: miss
Toerag attacks Regim: miss
Copper attacks Regim: hit, 9
Rue orders her PBison to attack Regim. She pulls her Wand of Cure Moderate Wounds from her haversack and goes Total Defense.
PBison attacks Regim: hit, 15
5)
Regim attacks Rue: miss
Martal attacks Copper: miss
Toerag attacks Regim: miss
Copper attacks Regim: miss
Rue uses the wand to heal herself: 18. She is not in Total Defense again until her next turn.
PBison attacks Regim: miss
6)
Regim attacks Rue: miss
Martal attacks Copper: miss
Toerag attacks Regim: miss
Copper attacks Regim: hit, 6
Rue goes Total Defense again
PBison attacks Regim: hit, 16
7)
Regim attacks Rue: hit, 8. Regim takes 4 acid damage
Martal attacks Copper: hit, 9. Martal takes 4 acid damage
Toerag attacks Regim: hit, 7 nonlethal, KOing him. He falls and reverts to his doppelganger form.
Copper attacks Martal: hit, 8
Rue cast Magic Missile at Martal: 2, 4, 4, 4
PBison is forced to back up to attack Martal. Martal's AOO: hit, 15. Martal takes 4 acid damage. PBison attacks Martal: hit, 11
8)
Martal attacks PBison: miss
Toerag moves to engage Martal. Martal's AOO: hit, 17 nonlethal. She attacks Martal: miss
Copper attacks Martal: miss
Rue wields her crossbow and loads it
Pbison attacks Martal: hit, 11. Martal is down and dying.
The team fetch their own manacles from their gear but decide cuffing a doppelganger is pretty much useless. Over Toerag's objections (wanting to question the doppelgangers) Copper instead kills Regim before he can recover. Rue then uses her wands to heal everyone.
While Copper gets to work on Ilya's cell door lock, Toerag and Rue see about dealing with Gattal. They find he seems a bit more lucid now that their escape seems imminent and is gradually becoming more focused on that goal. They coax him and soon have him standing in the hallway with them waiting for Copper to get Ilya free.
In moments he's done so and even Ilya seems a bit more at ease than before. Before they leave Ilya identifies and takes possession of her belongings from among those in the three chests. Gattel, however, claims not to recognize anything there as belonging to him (though he does seems rather confused). When the team discovers the bag in question is some type of Bag of Holding and contains a wealth of gold coins they seem simply stow it away in their gear, saying nothing further on the matter.
Leading the two rescued prisoners out of the secret door and into the Storage Hall, Toerag runs ahead first to scout. When Toerag gives the all clear sign, Copper leads Rue and the two civilians toward the front doors of the building. As he passes in front of the large wooden crate there, however, it reaches out and attacks him.
Surprise:
Mimic1 attacks Copper: hit, 2. Mimic1 takes 4 acid damage (Copper's energy aura is still active). Copper is now grappling.
Mimic2 attacks Rue: hit, 11. Mimic2 takes 4 acid damage. Rue is now grappling.
Mimic3 moves forward, effectively blocking the front door and separating Toerag from the group. It attacks Copper: hit, 11. Mimic3 takes 4 acid damage. Copper is now grappling with Mimic3 as well.
1)
Copper fires his Dragon Breath at Mimic1: it fails its Reflex save; 12
Ilya takes a 5-foot step back, fetches a hunk of timber from the ground and chucks it at Mimic1: hit, 2
Mimic1 attempts to crush Copper. It wins the grapple check: 8. It takes 4 acid damage.
Toerag draws her scimitar and attacks Mimic2: 4 nonlethal
Mimic3 attempts to crush Rue. It wins the grapple check: 9. It takes 4 acid damage.
Gattel picks up and wields a hunk of timber, attacks Mimic1: miss
Mimic2 attempts to crush Copper. It wins the grapple check: 12 damage. It takes 4 acid damage.
Rue casts Lightning Bolt from her spell storing ring at Mimic2. It fails it Reflex save: 31
2)
Copper drops his chain and draws his dagger.
Ilya searches around for something else to throw but can't find anything.
Mimic1 attempts to crush Copper again. It fails the grapple check.
Toerag draws her kukri and attacks Mimic2: miss, miss
Mimic3 attempts to crush Rue. It fails the grapple check.
Gattel attacks Mimic1: miss
Mimic2 attempts to crush Copper again. It wins the grapple check: 8. It takes 4 acid damage.
Rue draws her dagger.
3)
Copper fires his Dragon Breath at Mimic1. It fails its Reflex save: 10.
Ilya finds a fist-sized chunk of stone and hurls it at Mimic1: hit, 2
Mimic1 attempts to crush Copper: fails the grapple check.
Toerag attacks Mimic3: miss, miss
Mimic3 attempts to crush Copper: fails the grapple check.
Gattel attacks Mimic1: hit, 2
Mimic2 attempts to crush Rue: it fails the grapple check.
Rue attacks Mimic2: hit, critical, double critical, 6
4)
Copper attacks Mimic1: miss
Ilya snatches up another piece of refuse and hurls it at Mimic1: miss
Mimic1 attempts to crush Copper: it wins the grapple check: 11. Mimic1 take 4 acid damage. Copper is now dying.
Toerag attacks Mimic3: miss, miss
Mimic3 moves to Rue, attacks her: miss
Gattel attacks Mimic1: hit, 2, killing it
Mimic2 attempts to crush Rue. It wins the grapple check: 5
Rue attacks Mimic2: hit, 2
5)
Copper loses another hit point
Ilya searches but can't find anything at hand to throw
Toerag moves to engage Mimic3, AOO: miss. She attacks Mimic3: miss, miss
Mimic3 attacks Rue: miss
Gattel attacks Mimic2: hit, 5, disabling it
Mimic2 releases Rue and attempts to flee. Gattel's AOO: miss. Rue's AOO: hit, 1. Mimic2 is dying.
Rue withdraws to the far northeastern corner.
6)
Copper loses another hit point
Ilya retreats next to Rue
Toerag attacks Mimic3: miss, miss
Mimic3 moves to engage Gattel, his AOO: miss. It attacks Gattel: miss
Gattel attacks Mimic3: miss
Mimic2 retreats to the east side of the room.
Rue draws her Wand of Cure Moderate Wounds and uses it on herself: 12
7)
Copper loses another hit point
Ilya picks up a piece of refuse and throws it at Mimic2: miss
Toerag takes a 5-foot step and attacks Mimic3: miss, miss
Mimic3 attacks Gattel: miss
Gattel attacks Mimic3: miss
Mimic2 retreats south.
Rue cast Lightning Bolt at Mimic3. It fails its Reflex save: 26
8)
Copper loses another hit point
Ilya can't find anything to throw
Toerag attacks Mimic3: hit, critical, double critical, 12 nonlethal; hit, 2 nonlethal
Mimic3 takes a 5-foot step from Gattel, surrendering and begging the kobolds to spare it
Gattel takes a 5-foot step, consumed with insane rage, and attacks Mimic3: hit, 1
Mimic2 retreats south
Rue attempts to talk Gattel down and stop him from killing Mimic2. She moves to Copper with her Wand of Cure Moderate Wounds in hand.
9)
Copper loses another hit point
Ilya takes no action
Toerag attacks Mimic3: hit, 7. Mimic3 is KO.
Rue uses her wand to heal Copper enough to rouse him, then calls everyone around to heal in his Vigor aura. Toerag delivers a coup de grace on Mimic3, killing it. When Rue asks her what the hells she's doing Toerag insists they should kill the Mimics to revenge their nearly killing Copper. She draws her bow and likewise slays the Mimic cowering in the southeast corner. Though the rest of the team objects, she claims the Mimics can't know anything of use and therefore are useless to them anyway.
After everyone gathers and spends a few moments healing from Copper's aura, Rue uses her wands to bring everyone back to full health. Then, leading the team directly to the waiting door of the place, Toerag moves outside to be sure there aren't any lookouts or guards for them to run into. After getting the all clear from her, Ilya and Gattel depart, giving their thanks to the three kobolds. Ilya, who was initially disdainful of the three, even offers Rue a small charm (a gem on a silver chain which she assures will protect her from illness). With that the two depart, with the kobolds staying on at the door to be sure they've escaped the grounds safely.
The team checks the Storage Hall and find little of value or interest. Toerag then picks the first of the two southern doors and the team checks the Abandoned Office. There Toerag turns up a ring which Rue suspects may be magical and they stow it away for the time being.
In the next room they find the ladder up to the crosswalk that extends from here through the Storage Hall. Having searched the entire building other than the room with the stagnant pool north of the cells, the team heads there to check it out. Toerag warns the rest of the team to hold back while she seeks out the mechanism for opening the secret door. When she finds it and activates it the pit trap beneath Copper and Rue is activated as well.
Copper: makes his Reflex save and avoids the trap.
Rue: fails her Reflex save and falls in; Fall: 14. Spikes: 7.
Badly wounded but still alive, the team soon has a rope lowered to bring her up. Rue, however, fails her Will save and, after having just fallen 40' down into a dark pit, refuses to be hauled up again (Rue is afraid of heights). She uses her wands to cure herself and a stand off then ensues. Attempts to use Diplomacy by Copper and Toerag fail and the two are left scratching their heads trying to figure a way to reason with her.
Toerag, however, is eager to make amends for the bad blood between her and the rest of the team that has been developing recently. She offers Copper one end of her Rope of Climbing and has him let her down to Rue. There, after taking 20 on a Charisma check, she manages at last to coax Rue into accepting a lift, so long as they stay together for the whole ride up. Copper has to work a bit harder but manages to get them both back out again.
Once the team finally make their back to the Collapsed Chamber at the rear of the building, Toerag convinces Copper to go across the planks and check out the unseen area around the corner while she and Rue cover him. Rather than brave the planks, however, Copper uses his Spider Climb to climb on the nearby wall and proceed around the corner that way. Copper makes it around the corner with no difficulty, noticing a pile of bodies in the water as he passes. Before he can check the door that he finds there he comes under attack by Invisible Stalkers.
Surprise:
Stalker1 engages Copper, attacks: hit, 11. Stalker1 takes 4 acid damage.
Stalker2 engages Copper, attacks: hit, 7. Stalker2 takes 4 acid damage.
1)
Stalker1 attacks Copper: hit, 10, hit, 12. Stalker1 takes 8 acid damage.
Toerag doesn't hear any sounds of combat from around the corner
Stalker2 attacks Copper: hit, 9, miss
Copper wields his chain. Because he can't detect his attackers, he fires his Dragon Breath into the space directly in front of him (Stalker2). Stalker2 fails his Reflex save: 11. Copper activates his Vigor aura and calls out to the others for help.
Rue moves out onto the planks and around the corner. Seeing Copper engaged with invisible attackers she casts Lightning Bolt into that area (Stalker2). Stalker2 fails its save: 36.
2)
Stalker1 attacks Copper: hit, 13, hit, 9. Copper is down and dying.
Toerag moves out over the planks, wielding her bow and draws next to Rue.
Stalker2 moves to engage Rue, attacks: hit, 8. She makes her Balance check to avoid falling off the plank.
Copper loses another hit point.
Rue is unable to take a 5-foot step with Toerag directly behind her. She casts Lightning Bolt again, Stalker2's AOO: hit, 6. Rue makes her Concentration check and her Lightning Bolt blasts through the area where Stalker2 lurks. It makes its Reflex save: 15, killing it.
3)
Stalker1 moves to engage Rue: hit, 13. She's KO and dying.
With Copper and Rue both down and dying, Toerag is left to face the invisible creature alone.
Later that evening Rue wakes up back in her cell. This time she is bound in manacles again, gagged, blindfolded and apparently chained to something heavy (some kind of stone block, upon physical examination). Copper wakes some time after in the same condition, his gag preventing him from using his Breath Weapon without immediate and unavoidable damage. Toerag is already awake in a third cell in the same condition as the other two.
Outside the open doors of the cell all three can hear someone pacing leisurely back and forth in the hall, presumably guarding them. Attempt to get the unseen person's attention meet with no success. Within an hour two Doppelgangers come for Copper, dragging him into the hall as they did with Rue the previous evening and beating him unconscious.
When Copper wakes later he finds himself still shackled and gagged but the blindfold gone. He is laying on the floor near the pool in the room where the invisible creatures attacked him. Peering through slitted eyes he finds a Doppelganger kneeling near him, bending over to undo his manacles clearly with the intention of dumping him into the water with the other corpses he noticed there before.
On the ground next to him is the Doppelganger's medium sized long sword.
As soon as the manacles come off Copper surprises the Doppelganger by snatching up the sword and attacking.
Surprise:
Copper activates his Energy Shield aura, grabs the blade and attacks Doppelganger1: hit, 8
1)
Copper stands and attacks Doppelganger1: hit, 5
Doppelganger1 stands and attempts to Bulls Rush Copper into the water. Copper's AOO: hit, 7. Copper wins the Str check.
Doppelganger2, in the cell room, fails his Listen check to hear the commotion.
2)
Copper attacks Doppelganger1: miss
Doppelganger attacks Copper: miss
Doppelganger2 fails his Listen check.
3)
Copper attacks Doppelganger1: hit, 6, killing it
Doppelganger2 fails his Listen check.
Copper changes to Vigor aura until he sheds half his nonlethal damage (bringing it down to 28). Copper then barrels through the double doors into the Cells area where a lone Doppelganger2 is pacing back and forth eyeing the bound, blind-folded and gagged prisoners (Rue and Toerag).
1)
Doppelganger2 draws his blade and moves to engage Copper. Copper's AOO: miss.
Copper attacks Doppelganger2: hit, 8
2)
Doppelganger2 attacks Copper: hit, 9
Copper changes his aura to Energy Shield and attacks Doppelganger2: hit, 5
3)
Doppelganger2 attacks Copper: miss
Copper attacks Doppelganger2: hit, 4
4)
Doppelganger2 attacks Copper: hit, 6. Doppelganger2 takes 4 acid damage.
Copper attacks Doppelganger2: miss
5)
Doppelganger2 attacks Copper: miss
Copper changes to Vigor aura, attacks Doppelganger2: miss
6)
Doppelganger2 attacks Copper: miss
Copper heals 2 points (1 lethal/1 nonlethal), attacks Doppelganger2: miss
7)
Doppelganger2 attacks Copper: hit, 2
Copper heals 2 points (1 lethal/1 nonlethal), attacks Doppelganger2: miss
8)
Doppelganger2 attacks Copper: miss
Copper heals 2 points (1 lethal/1 nonlethal), attacks Doppelganger2: miss
9)
Doppelganger2 attacks Copper: hit, 8
Copper heals 2 points (1 lethal/1 nonlethal), attacks Doppelganger2: miss
10)
Doppelganger2 attacks Copper: hit, 4
Copper heals 2 points (1 lethal/1 nonlethal), attacks Doppelganger2: miss
11)
Doppelganger2 attacks Copper: miss
Copper heals 2 points (1 lethal/1 nonlethal), attacks Doppelganger2: hit, 2, KOing it.
Copper immediately heads for the chests, hoping the gear is still being kept there. Finding that it is he switches to Sense aura and dresses as quickly as possible. Dashing to Rue he turns on his Vigor aura and uses his Breath Weapon to destroy her bonds as well, relying on his aura to keep her alive through the acid burns. Once she is free he follows the same method with Toerag.
Though everyone is thoroughly traumatized from their repeated acid burns they are equally as determined to have their vengeance. Rue again uses her wands to heal everyone. The kobolds are now positively itching to rampage into the next room, slaughter the invisible creatures there and find the hidden portal to the rest of the lair that they're sure is there. Nevertheless, they find the wherewithal to grant Rue time to meditate and replenish her magical arsenal. Once she has, though, they march immediately through the north door and into the Submerged Chamber.
When nothing immediately attacks them, Copper activates his Energy Shield aura and marches bravely out onto the planks with his chain whirling.
Surprise:
Stalker1 attacks Copper: hit, 11. Stalker1 takes 4 acid damage. Copper makes his Balance check to stay on the plank.
1)
Rue casts Scorching Ray at the space where the attacks on Copper are coming from: hit, 16, hit (miss from invisibility/concealment).
Toerag fires at Stalker1: miss
Copper attacks the space: hit, 7
Stalker1 attacks Copper: miss
2)
Rue casts Magic Missile at Stalker1: 3, 5, 5, 5
Toerag fires at Stalker1: miss
Copper attacks Stalker1: 9, destroying it
The team continue on around the planks to the out of sight door around the corner. Looking over the bodies under the water (where the Doppelganger had intended to add his own corpse) he spots the golden glint coming from in amongst them. Taking a moment to dive down in the water and dig around a bit he produces a wand of some sort which he turns over to Rue. Rue, in turn, uses her other wands to cure the numerous cuts and punctures from the multitude of weapons that have been seeded in the surrounding waters.
Once at the door Copper blasts it with his Breath Weapon and they gain entrance almost immediately. Beyond they find the break in the floor and the well itself. Examining the broken floor takes only a few moments and eliminates it as an egress. The well, however, seems the obvious route to a separate section of the lair. Toerag volunteers to go first but the team decides to stay together from here on.
- Home
- Leave us a note!
- Marvel Heroic Roleplaying
- Star Trek (Decipher)
- Our Atomic Highway Campaigns
- Our D&D Campaigns
- Our Cortex: BSG Campaigns
- Our Cortex: Serenity Campaigns
- Cortex: Supernatural campaigns
- Our Cortex: Homebrews
- Our D20 Modern Campaigns
- Atomic Highway resources
- D&D Resources
- Cortex: BSG Resources
- Cortex: Serenity Resources
- Cortex: Supernatural Resources
- Cortex: Homebrew Resources
- Cortex: Homebrew Campaigns and Settings
- Cortex Adventures
- Miscellaneous