The Wilds - Geckos?

A trap? It couldn't be, could it?


[Round One - ?? Initiative]

The cowardly attacks from the shadows enrage the party's fighters. Raising his sword, Grendor cries out, "Valiant Soul!" Shimmering energy rushes forth, enveloping nearby party members [Strom, Grendor, Durego, Raúguey, Saurabh, Maro, Ohwatoo are Blessed].

"At 'em lads!" shouts Strom, and he and Grendor lead the charge south along east hall. Raúguey and Durego both follow. Ohwatoo raises the wand of bats and summons a giant vampire bat to do his bidding, and then he pulls out a dart and follows the fighter's rush at a cautious pace.

The remaining party members at the intersection stay put. "We hold here, just in case they're circling around north," says Maro.

"I wonder..." says Rawon. He points to the door leading to the chamber of pits. "Maro, maybe you should check that door. There could be something waiting there."

"Erk!" says Saurabh, who happens to be standing by the door. He looks up the northwest hall, then south, "I"m with them!" He darts after Raúguey and the others. Maro, Rawon and Dagmarten shift around to cover the three-way intersection, acutely aware that they're well-lit targets.

In the other room, Mordikarr and Ingvild hear the distant commotion. "We better go," says the thief.

"Cautious though. Might be an ambush." The two start moving west, crossing the summoning room and then pausing to check the statue room for potential foes before proceeding.

As the fighters near the southern end of the hall, they see movement ahead. "The door!" shouts Raúguey. A group of kobolds is swinging the door to the pit room shut! The fighters race to block the opening, but they're distracted by more crossbow bolts from cross hall as they pass. Amazingly, one finds a gap in Raúguey's armor [4 damage]. The fighters reach the doors and try to yank them open, but it's too late; the doors are latched. As they attempt to force the doors open, a horn call sounds from cross hall.

The bolts from cross hall slow Saurabh and Ohwatoo. The mage sends the bat into the hall, with instructions to slay any small creatures it finds [Ohwatoo, being one of the smartest people in the world, realizes a bat doesn't know what a kobold is.]

Hearing the horn, Dagmarten says, "That has to be a signal! Be careful!"

[Round Two - Foe Initiative]

As feared the horn was a signal to spring the trap. The door leading to the chamber of pits is yanked open by an unseen hand and a huge lizard lunges forth! Before anyone can react, the creature is clawing and biting at Maro! It scores hits with both claws, inflicting brutal slashes. [9 damage].

"Raúguey! Durego! There's a..." Dagmarten's warning is cut off as a second giant lizard rushes out of the northwest hall and attacks. It scores a single claw hit on the cleric [5 damage].

A screeching cry from cross hall indicates the giant bat has found something to fight, but its success or failure is unknown.

"That sounds bad!" says Ingvild. "We better get there." He and Mordikarr move at a quicker pace, still pausing to check doorways and halls as they pass. When they reach the group Rawon is already unloading an arrow into the lizard attacking Maro, but he misses. Ingvild ducks into the shadows near the statue, but there is nothing within range of his blade. Mordikarr crosses the hall, hurling a tomahawk at the lizard attacking Dagmarten as he goes. The axe skitters off the creature's scaly hide and bounces up the hall.

"Strom! Grendor! Take care of whatever's in cross hall! No time to deal with a door now. I'll help the others! Come on Durego!" Raúguey charges north, past Saurabh and Ohwatoo, who both attack the nearest lizard with missile weapons (sling/dart). Saurabh misses, but Ohwatoo manages to stick the target. [4 damage]. Durego follows, but more cautiously.

Grendor and Strom give each other a look and a nod, and then turn and run into cross hall, where they're greeted by another lizard and a trog! The bat circles overhead, trying to attack the trog, but to no avail. There's no sign of any kobolds, but the west doors are wide open. The two fighters close and attack both lizard and trog. Grendor hits the lizard and Strom the trog [10 damage each]. The trog loses its head, but the lizard just gets annoyed.

In the main hall, Maro is too pressed to attempt a spell. He, Raúguey and Dagmarten all attack the nearest lizard, but none of them can connect. Raúguey and Durego catch a glimpse of a trog in the chamber of pits, and a familiar and hideous reptilian smell rolls out of the open door.

OOC: Seems like a good place to stop. Only Raúguey and Durego can see the trog in the chamber of pits. These lizards look very much like those you saw in the reptile house. They're *fast*.

It's likely Grendor, Strom, Raúguey and Maro will be affected by trog-stench unless they move, even dead trogs smell.

Wounds:

Dagmarten: 5
Maro: 9
Raúguey: 4

Komodo Dragon image CC BY 2.0: Mark Dumont - Flickr: There Be Dragons

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