The Wilds - Out of the Fire

The party is suffering from the dense smoke trapped in the bugbear lair, and people are starting to droop. Or drop. Time for some action!


"Why can't that priest every stick with the group?" grumbles Rawon, taking another sip from his ever-present flask and pulling a wet cloth over his mouth and nose. "I'll go get them!" He slips out the door and darts across the lair once again, noting the fire is dying down but the doors have flames flickering across them. He yanks open the door, darts in, and cries out when Mordikarr's blade nearly takes his head off! "It's me!"

Mordikarr grumbles something inaudible, then says, "Priest man no feel good. He fall down."

"Help me get him to the south hall. He has the kettle." Together the pair grab the semi-conscious priest and half-carry him across the lair into the south hall. Not much has changed there. Dagmarten, Ohwatoo, Maro, and Raúguey are barely moving. The pair dump Durego beside the still-unconscious Tesso and Rawon digs into his pack. "Where is... ah there it is, right on top." He yanks out the kettle and speaks the words. "Help me with this Mordikarr." The sturdy wild man seems mostly unaffected by the smoke.

The pair doles out doses to those most injured, [Tesso 3, Raúguey 3, Rawon 3, Durego 3, Ohwatoo 4, Ingvild 3, Mordikarr 3, Maro 2 - both kettle charges used]. Those that imbibe shake off the effects of the smoke [leaving the unfortunate Dagmarten half-passed out.]

"We need to clear this smoke," growls Raúguey.

"Aye, and break out of here," answers Locky. "The fire is dying at least, and I haven't heard anything more from the hall... Where are you going?"

"I'm going to crack open the south door, maybe we can get some of this smoke out."

"Or let them send more in," mutters Ingvild from the north door.

Rawon follows Raúguey down the hall and they cautiously open the door a few inches, putting a spike in the jamb to keep it from swinging shut. A bare trickle of fresh air comes in. "I don't hear anything," whispers Rawon, but Raúguey is already headed back up the hall.

"Fire's almost out, but the door's burning!" calls Locky when the pair comes back.

"Mordikarr and I can use the table to get through the doors. We need to break out of here, now, before they use more oil and roast us all."

"I still think we should check that door across the pit," says Ingvild, stooped by his brother and giving him water. "But maybe now isn't the time."

"I'll be right behind you," croaks Durego, gripping his mace with a shaky hand.

"A moment," says Maro. The elf casts two spells upon himself [mirror image, shield].

"Gather round," coughs Dagmarten. He staggers to his feet and begins a prayer [bless]. "I don't think I'll be much good in a fight."

"I'll watch him," says Tesso, who is barely functional.

"When we break out, I'll try to seal the doors to the arrow fort with a spell, if there's anyone in there, they'll be trapped," says Ohwatoo.

"I can fire an arrow or two into the arrow slits from the south door," says Rawon.

"And I can toss a flask of oil there too," says Ingvild. "Locky, you should go with Raúguey, use that mirror and make sure nothing invisible is sneaking around."

"Got it," says the halfling.

"Right, let's do it then," says Raúguey with a nod to Mordikarr. "Start your noise on a count of 20."

The attacking group moves into the lair, Mordiarr and Raúguey in the lead, followed by Maro, Durego, Ohwatoo, and Locky, peering into his magical mirror. Mordikarr gestures the others aside, and pulls open the burning double doors, releasing a plume of thick smoke into the chamber. "Bad air," he coughs.

There's sudden noise from the south, shouts and war cries. "That's it, go!" calls Tesso from the door. The two strongest grab the table and using it as a ram, charge the far door! The charred wood splits and breaks, and the door swings open. They heave the table through the door and it slides across the floor to the far wall. Smoke billows out of the bugbear lair, spreading into the already-tainted air of the broken DAIS room and hall. Even with light sources it's hard to see.

Meanwhile at the south door, Ingvild and Rawon have created their distraction, firing a pair of arrows and hurling an oil flask into the nearest arrow slit. Flames curl around the slot, but there's no obvious reaction. The pair look at each other and shrug. "Back north!" They charge back up the hall.

In the broken DAIS room, Mordikarr and Raúguey quickly check the two nearest doors while Maro checks the north hall. Raúguey stumbles over a dead kobold, burned and blackened, just inside the door. "Guess you got one with that flask Locky."

The halfling shrugs, "Lucky toss. I don't see anything with the mirror." He notices a pair of the stump chairs beside the door. "Guess this is what they were using to hold the door shut."

The small room to the north is empty, the double-doors leading to the arrow fort are closed. "No hear dog heads," says Mordikarr. He kicks the doors and they swing open. Nothing but smoke and fire. "No here!"

"They're here!" shouts Maro, pointing north. "I heard a door slam up there! After them!" The elf heads north along the hall. The others begin to follow...

OOC: It appears the arrow fort is empty (though there are flames and smoke in the room, someone could be hiding), and the room just north of the broken DAIS room is definitely empty. Maro is headed up the hall, the others are in the broken DAIS room or coming out of the bugbear lair (Tesso, Dagmarten, Rawon, Ingvild). Both sets of doors leading to the bugbear lair are still burning.

Wounded:

Raúguey 3 damage
Rawon 3 damage
Tesso 5 damage
Dagmarten is still suffering from smoke (cursed 5 CON).

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