The Ninth Adventure

[mushgnome]

Ethan, you're a trooper! Safe travels.

[kipper]

Indeed, where to now? We've got a couple of suggestions, one to venture into Dungeon Level 3, another to climb back up the gravel slope and confront the Xvarts.

Dame Simonetta is still leery of heading to level 3 with so many level 1 characters in the party. She remains in favour of Willie's plan. (https://forum.immersiveink.com/viewtopi ... 676#p35676).

[mushgnome]

The party returns to the loose gravel-covered slope (leading up to Area 8). Dame Simonetta and Willie lead the charge up the hill, anticipating an ambush by the xvarts.

Halfway up the slope they are assaulted by a half-dozen creatures that effortlessly "swim" through the rock: tunnel thugs!

The 6 tunnel thugs pop out of the ground at point-blank melee range with Willie and Dame Simonetta, like fish rising from the deep to consume water-striding insects. As always, the creatures are weaponless, contorting their strangely articulated limbs in ludicrous wrestling maneuvers.

Deja vu! What are your intentions for the first round of the vilstrak battle? Neither side is surprised.

[mushgnome]

Dame Simonetta is still leery of heading to level 3 with so many level 1 characters in the party.

Good point but (to play devil's advocate) it will take a looooong time to get those characters up to 2nd level, fighting 1/2 HD wandering monsters. Quick back-of-the-envelope math, I think the party would have to defeat roughly 450 half hit dice monsters to get everyone up to at least 2nd level. And that's me being generous and awarding 50xp for xvarts, instead of 7xp by-the-book.

What you really need (in my opinion) is some gems or jewelry.

[mgtremaine]

"Oh bother, here we go again." Kiplyn would look for an opening on the left side and hope to engage one of the tunnel thugs.

[kipper]

If Dame Simonetta can melee while she is on the slope, she will do so. Otherwise she will attempt to quickly descend so she can do so.

The only unexplored areas left on Level 1 now seem to be a narrow tunnels, one near room 25, and a bunch south of the area of rooms 10/11/12.

[dtspurrier]

Bilfur will assess the combat and see if he can recognize these creatures, an weakness they have. HE then will sling one if possible.

(ooc time for the npc henchmen to earn their keep)

[mushgnome]

Bilfur will assess the combat and see if he can recognize these creatures, an weakness they have. HE then will sling one if possible.

(ooc time for the npc henchmen to earn their keep)

Sling shot would be inadvisable because the monsters are already in melee range with Dame Simonetta and Willie.

I will give Bilfur a chance-in-six equal to his druid level. He rolls 1d6=5 and recognizes the creatures have an energy of Elemental Earth, not part of our natural world.

[Bastet1002]

Robur (if the chance is possible) will try sneaking up behind one and backstabbing it with his hobbit dagger.

[coffee]

Wilbur will close with these new foes and fight them, if he can keep any footing on slope.