Wilds - After Them!

The party has finally escaped the smoke and flame of the bugbear lair, but their foes have seemingly vanished. The only clue as to their whereabouts, a slamming door to the north...



"Go ahead, we'll makes sure the arrow fort is clear," whispers Locky. He and Ingvild proceed cautiously into the smoke-filled arrow fort [recall the oil flask recent thrown into a slit], scanning with the mirror as they go.

Maro and Raúguey, followed by Mordikarr, Durego, and Ohwatoo, head north up the hallway, drawn by the sound of a slammed door. When they reach the fork leading to the Death Pit, Maro doesn't hesitate, he turns left, headed for the door. Raúguey follows, but Mordikarr continues north. "Me look at tree place, and fire room." Durego and Ohwatoo hesitate at the intersection. Durego looks back down the hall. He can barely see Rawon crouched by the north entrance to the Broken Dais through the thick smoke, and the rest of the party is out of sight.

"I still don't see anything," says Locky, walking backwards into the Arrow Fort.

"I think they took off," answers Ingvild, "but we should check those southern arrow slits too. Those kobolds are small enough to hide in one, completely out of sight. I don't want a bolt in the back." The pair continue their slow recon of the room, pausing at each arrow slit to check for occupants.

Back in the Broken Dais room, Tesso and Dagmarten have joined Rawon at the north hall juncture. "Where is everyone?" croaks Dagmarten, peering through the smoke. He still looks pale and unsteady.

"Ingvild and Locky are checking the Arrow Fort, The rest went up the hall. Maro heard a door slam."

"Maro, I think you should wait before you open..." Durego is too slow.

Maro grabs the door and pulls it open. The corpse-tainted air of the Death Pit rolls out into the smoke-filled hall. "Gaa, I forgot how bad that smells," mutters the elf, before moving forward, mirror images in tow. Raúguey goes through the door, but stops a few paces in. Durego moves to the door.

Mordikarr comes back to the intersection. "No see anything up there. But dark. No have light. Suren no smell dog heads." He and Ohwatoo edge forward into the small side hall. Meanwhile to the south...

"It's empty," says Locky as he and Ingvild join Rawon and the others in the Broken Dais room. "Anything up there?" he asks, gesturing at the hall.

"Quiet. I heard the door open. We should probably follow."

Maro stands near the edge of the pit, looking down at the rotting flesh below. It's impossible to say how deep it is, but the topmost bodies are only a few feet below the greasy and blood-soaked rim. A hint of movement catches his eye, and he looks up just in time to see a kobold leveling a crossbow at him from the far side of the pit. "Look out!" he cries, scrambling back from the edge and ducking behind one of the nearby pillars.

Two bolts flash out of the northwest chamber and another comes from the south, skipping off the walls and pillars. One strikes a mirror image, which vanishes. There's an angry squeaking cry from the NW chamber, and Maro sees one of his assailants duck back behind one of the pillars there.

OOC

The pillars in the Death Pit room are about a foot wide, providing fairly good cover for human-sized foes, and really good cover for kobolds. There are lots of bodies in the pit, and the narrow ledge around it (less than a foot), is greasy-looking and blood stained. Probably not the best footing. Two shots were fired from the NW chamber, one from the S chamber next to the Death Pit.

Maro and Raúguey are in the Death Pit room. Durego, Mordikarr, and Ohwatoo are in the hall just outside the door (in that order). Rawon, Ingvild, Locky, Dagmarten, and Tesso are at the X in the hall.

The smoke in the Dais room, and nearby halls is thinning as it spreads out, but there's still enough to cause your eyes to water and dim light sources.

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