CH. 2: Bear in Mine

[djhyland]

Darga nods in agreement with Gregeddin. "If we're gonna kill Sekla, we need ta find out what she is. I say we keep goin'."

[JadedDM]

The party slowly descends to the third level. There is only a single, long tunnel to follow with no intersections or junctions.

Darga and Haahqae scout ahead, as usual. They are the first to come across a large cavern at the end of the long tunnel.

Inside are a pair of sligs, their backs toward the scouts, as they are facing a woman in black robes in the center of the room speaking. Between the black robed woman and the sligs are two other beings--but they are not any species that Darga or Haahqae has ever seen or even read about. They are clearly reptilian of some sort. They have large wings sprouting from their backs and are covered in brass colored scales. A long tail emerges from their tailbone. They, too, are listening to the woman in black.

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The woman in black robes is a hobgoblin. She is speaking to the two sligs and the two brass creatures. Actually, she sounds more like she is ranting. Neither the gnome or the gully dwarf understand the language she is using, but it sounds like the goblin tongue.

In the back of the room are numerous crates and chests. Immediately behind the woman is a small table with some scrolls and papers on it.

[djhyland]

Darga fights down his panic to flee as quickly as possible. With eyes wide with fear, he looks over to Haahqae and jerks his head towards the way they came from. Putting suggestion to action, he creeps as quietly as he can back up the tunnel to where his friends wait. Daring not to speak any louder than he has to to be heard, he whispers, "I think we found Selka, but there's trouble. She's got two more a' them sligs with her, and two demons too! And they ain't gonna stay down there long...she was scoldin' them something fierce, and if I was them, I wouldn't be hangin' around afterwards...so they're gonna be comin' this way soon!"

[JadedDM]

"Demons?" Bear asks, his eyes widening. "You mean, real demons? Not just sligs or kobolds?"

"We need a plan," Kynaston states. "Any ideas?"

[mgbevan]

"So there's five of them and seven of us, we have the numbers but not all of us are so tough. Maybe this thin corridor is our best bet, if we can take them out one at a time, they could drop quick enough so we don't get mauled too much. Like a bottleneck of the wine I will need after this."
Gregeddin adds to Bear, "bugger what they are, thought you wanted this mine back, so get ready to take it off them like heads from shoulders."

[HorizonsDream]

"So when they start to leave, we start to take them down?" Kendra asks

[Haahque]

Haahqae's gaze briefly glances over sligs and deamons, he studies the woman for a bit, but then notices the scrolls behind her. Is this what I came here for? So close, just barely out of reach. He turns to Darga with a grin, only to see Darga not nearly as optimistic. Darga jerks his head and leaves, leaving Haahqae a little perplexed, and alone. Huh, he's acting strange, no matter these things are best done alone.

Searching for hiding spots that aren't in the middle of an open corridor, Haahqae attempts to climb a wall, hoping to find a crevice or ledge he can hide on. I doubt they'll try looking up. No one ever looks up. However he fails to find sufficient handholds, so he soon gives up.

Well if I can't find a hiding spot, I better make one. He glances around to make sure no-one in sight range is looking, then presses himself up against the wall and casts a cantrip to cover him, making it appear like the wall has a slight bulge.

(Ooc: Climb (55%): 75, Hide (50%): 47)

[JadedDM]

Bear nods. "You're right. We've come too far to quit now."

"Wait a moment," interrupts Coroccoco suddenly, looking around. "Where is the other one? The gnome?" Should anyone look around, or back down the tunnel, they will not find Haahqae. He has seemingly disappeared.

Meanwhile, Haahqae presses himself up against the wall of the tunnel and uses a cantrip to help conceal himself. From his position, he can still hear the hobgoblin woman chewing out the sligs and demons. They just stand there patiently, letting her fume.

===========

Haahqae uses a cantrip.

[mgbevan]

"That's more like it, get that fire back in them bones" Gregeddin adds to Bear.

Gregeddin peers down the corridor but cannot see anything past the light of his torch, "Hmm we need all the numbers we can get to take these, but calling out or looking for him will give us away. If he's scampered..." and proceeds to seethe quietly.

To Kendra he replies "That's the best I've got at the moment, we still have numbers on them and as long as they go down quick we may have a chance." Looking at her and the other fighters he asks, "Where is the best place to fight? In this narrow bit or out in the open?"

[mgbevan]

After some thought, Gregeddin suggests

"Or, Darga, you sneak this torch up near the top of the corridor and prop it on the ground.

Then we all gather just out of the light's edge.

When the first slig steps into the light to investigate, all six of us charge and kill it before it can blink. Or like hold it on the floor and stab it lots.

After that we just fight the remaining things."

"What do you think?"

[HorizonsDream]

"Well, the sligs might be stupid enough to fall for that, but we don't know about the others. Though, that will narrow down their numbers."

[JadedDM]

"Fighting in the corridor has its advantages and disadvantages," Kynaston points out. "It will prevent them from swarming us, but it will also prevent us from swarming them.

"Aside from numbers, we also have the element of surprise," Coroccoco states. "It would be wise to make the most of that."

[mgbevan]

Gregeddin mulls over Knaston's advice, "Trouble is I just don't know what's better at this point" he replies, glancing at the wounds in the party.
Listening to Coroccoco, "Yes I think we have to. To stand a chance any how. These blasted torches give our position away like beacons, but without them half of us are helpless in the dark. Perhaps it is simply best to charge from behind while they are still listening and try and catch them off guard. With their vision they will spot any trickery from the torch light easily."

"All bets on a cavalry charge then?"

[djhyland]

Darga looks doubtfully down the tunnel towards where the demons wait. "Whatever ya decide ta do," he whispers, "ya'd better decide fast. Those demons aren't gonna stay there, and if th'gnome's gone and done something foolish, we might have even less time. But if those demons're comin', why don't we wait fer them ta come by, then jump out and kill 'em when they're not expectin'?"

[mgbevan]

"This is our time, our mine. We take the fight to them and earn this" Gregeddin hisses emphatically, restraining the volume of his voice so as to not alert the chamber

Vigorously tapping the armour of Bear and Trench, "You and you, axes out, you're leading this charge. First creature on the right is dead. All of us hit it, close, as one big group."

Drawing his sword and pointing it down the corridor, he adds, "If you have prayers to say, say them now, then let's go." beckoning the others to take up their positions ready to fight