The Colony - Turn 52/53 - Commence Action

I doubled these up because turn 52 was very very short (and I am lazy).

Start Date: August 21, mid-morning
Start Status: Move along, nothing to see here
Start Location: Silverstream Mine

Adventuring: Rennard, Jinx, Mendel, Smoke, Zenobe
At the Tulip: Adrienne, Brigg, Hagan, Xon, Aaron

The Turn

Unwilling to deal with the glowing red slime, the party continues their right-handed exploration of the mine. The southeast passage proves to be a dead end, but the east tunnel leads to a small chamber with a pool of foul water surrounded by huge yellow mushrooms at one end. "Leave that for now," says Jinx. "Let's backtrack and keep moving."

The group goes back up the sloped passage, turns right and heads back to the main chamber. They take the right passage (north), which also slopes down. This branches and the right tunnel leads to more red slime. Here, Zenobe notes the slime is covering one of the wooden support columns with no apparent effect. As the group pauses to study the scene, they can also hear a faint and distant kla-klunk, kla-klunk, kla-klunk.

The other fork splits again with more slime to the right. The left branch goes uphill and splits again, but there's no time to investigate. Brigg spots movement in the shadowed left passage, and just has time to warn the others as several miner-things clamber over the mound of boulders and advance!

No one is surprised.

[Round One - Enemy First]

Before the group can react, the creatures rush forward, the first two run past Brigg toward the rest of the party, while two more engage the monk (the fourth appearing from behind the mound of boulders as the others move forward). Brigg kicks one of the passing creatures before the last two attack. [a miss]. Both creatures attempt to pummel Brigg with their fists, and one connects with a glancing blow [Brigg 2 damage]. The remaining creatures both attack the obvious target, Rennard, and one scores a solid hit [Rennard 6 damage].

Rennard shouts, "Brigg, fall back!" as he shifts to form ranks with Jinx, slashing with his sword at one of the creatures. [a miss].

"Aye, Brigg. Fall back!" adds Jinx as he pulls the trigger on his blunderbuss, blasting the nearest foe [5 damage].

"So much for stealth," mutters Smoke, then, louder, "I'm going to cover the rear!" She runs back to the big chamber to the south, sword in one hand, torch in the other. Nothing in sight, so far, but the faint kla-krunch, kla-krunch, kla-krunch sounds a bit louder here.

Zenobe stations himself behind Jinx and Rennard, flail and shield at the ready, but no target presents itself. An idea strikes, and he raises his holy symbol, attempting to turn the creatures in the name of Sarva [yeah, you didn't say you were, but it's come up before and it's the perfect oppportunity]. Nothing happens, and he does not feel the flow of holy power that usually accompanies an attempt. In the fairly dim light, the creatures look dead, their grayish skin is drawn taut over muscle and bone, but there is no foul stench, and he spots crystal growths like those seen before on both the nearest creatures.

Meanwhile, at the front, Brigg retreats from his two foes and finds himself cut off. He positions himself behind the creature Jinx shot and delivers a blow to its back, that does little damage but stuns the creature [1 damage]!

[Round Two - Enemy First]

The two trailing creatures follow Brigg and continue to attack him. One scores a hit [3 damage]. The stunned creature takes no action, but the fourth one attacks the unlucky Rennard again, scoring another hit [4 damage].

Brigg dodges past the stunned creature and pulls his bow, taking position beside Zenobe, who is busy preparing a spell [cure light wounds]. He fires at point blank range at the stunned foe and misses by a wide, wide, WIDE margin [my kingdom for fumble tables].

Zenobe casts his spell on Rennard [7 healing].

Jinx slams his blunderbuss into the stunned creature, scoring a hit [3 damage]. Rennard slashes again at the foe before him but fails to connect.

[Round Three - Enemy First]

One of the creatures in the back ranks yanks its stunned companion aside and steps forward to engage Jinx. The stunned foe staggers back and falls prone behind the three closer creatures. The two nearest miner-things attack with pummeling fists, but neither connects.

Brigg unleashes a bowshot at the stunned creature [with advantage] and scores a hit [5 damage]. The creature twitches a moment, then goes still. A thin stream of blood (?) dribbles from its mouth.

Jinx and Rennard each attack their nearest foes, and Rennard delivers a solid blow [9 damage] that staggers the miner-thing before him. Zenobe continues his waiting game in the back row, and Smoke listens to the kla-krunch, kla-krunch, kla-krunch noises with growing apprehension It sounds like they're coming from the west.

End Date: August 21, mid-morning
End Status: Zombie or not-zombie?
End Location: Silverstream Mine

OOC:

Brigg: 2 damage
Rennard: 3 damage

Meanwhile, back at the White Tulip, Adrienne tells the others she's giving up on the adventuring life. She plans to take a job as a butcher on the docks and will likely move out at the end of the month [character swap in progress].