[IC] Temple of Dorgan

[Throndir]

As your sword sliced through the air, it landed right at the creature's head, sinking into it's earth-like flesh then running cleanly through the beast. The worm-like creature backed off from the pain as it once again started to make the strange sounds of grinding earth. In a few more moments the creature shivered, then fell to the orange-tiled floor. The flames on its head started to wink out, the insistent wriggling started to slow, and the grinding sounds of earth stopped altogether.

[spoiler]

Round X in progress - Still to move: -

Damage Dealt
Worm creature: 20, dying

Spells/Abilities/Potions used since the day:
Kin Sheel

Branwen
Resistance (Level 0)

Sophie Cain
Bless (Level 1)

Jornathal Mithraiian
Magic Missile (Level 1)

Party HP
Kin Sheel: 11/11, bless,
Branwen: 9/9, bless, resistance
Sophie Cain: 5/5, bless,
Jornathal Mithraiian: 9/9, bless,

[/spoiler]

[Linwelin]

"There. That's better." Kin states matter-of-factly as he walks up to the worm, looks down at it, and swings his sword down vertically, lopping it in half. He then begins to look over the body in case something of value can be had from it.

[spoiler]Coup de Gras, as the opponent in helpless, for an auto-critical

[blockquote]Search:  1d20+1 : 10 + 1, total 11[/blockquote]
[blockquote]Appraise what's found:  1d20+1 : 20 + 1, total 21[/blockquote][/spoiler]

[Neko]

"Woo! Awesome job guys!" Sophie cheered with excitement. Their first enemy had been pretty easy, seeing as they all had managed to avoid taking a hit. Mimic ruffled his feathers, still a little weary despite the worm being brought down. Sophie glanced around the room as Kin checked the worm for any valuables. Perhaps there was something else to be found in here? She began walking around, searching for anything that might be of interest along the floors or walls.

[spoiler][blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 4, total 4[/blockquote][/spoiler]

[Eireleen]

Branwen heard the conflict cease behind her, but didn't seem to care. She merely continued down the hallway, taking advantage of the temporary lull in shouting to move with some measure of surreptitiousness through the dungeon.

No doubt the worm had done its job. Yes, at this very moment, it was surely digesting the remains of her former allies. The halfling's corpse would rot in its stomach, melted down slowly over the course of many weeks until nothing remained. There could be no other outcome, she thought, as she imagined the madman's slow and painful demise. There would be no hope of rescue from the worm's stomach. Perhaps he was being digested alive, crying out in pain and untold suffering as his body melted away limb by limb.

Yes, that was surely how the events behind her had transpired. Confident in her assertion, she continued as she was before, moving quietly, and keeping an eye out for any form of danger. As she reached the corner, she carefully peered around, attempting to discern what lay beyond.

[spoiler]Branwen double-moves east at half speed (30 ft total)
Move Silently: [1d20+8] 20 = 20 + 8 = 28
Hide: [1d20+8] 12 = 12 + 8 = 20
Branwen peeks around the corner while hiding behind it.[/spoiler]

[Throndir]

The fight with the creature left those in the group warmer and uncomfortable as ever. The temperature was too hot, and likely it was from these so-called denizens of the plane of fire or perhaps lava from the volcano of Mt. Hersh seeped in from somewhere. After the ensuing fight, and the rush of adrenaline dissipating, those who wore armor started to feel heavy and warm. The handle of the blade Kin carried had burned his hands, though, only slightly.

Around the room as Sophie searched, she went between the various furniture in the room. A large table was in the middle, with various altar-like tables on the walls. It was much like the previous hallway, though the orange tiles were ruined as various holes and crushed tiles marked where the creature had moved from. There were chests on the eastern and northern walls of the room.

[spoiler]1 point of fire damage to Kin.

[/spoiler]

[Eireleen]

Branwen narrowed her eyes as she pulled her head back from the corner. The hallway was filled with corpses, both of dwarves and of worms. At first glance, all of them looked dead. But she saw the gentle stir of the flames around the head of a single worm. One of them was still alive - whether it was in its death throes, or merely playing dead, she couldn't tell.

She stepped back. While the darkened hallway gave optimal conditions for sneaking, it was useless to hide from something that lacked eyes. She would be unable to hide her presence from the creature if she approached any closer, and she knew all too well that such a creature, even weakened, could easily fell her in a single blow.

She walked back through the hall she came through, to look for another way around. She figured that the worm from earlier would be satiated from the corpses of the others, and too full to eat again. They likely hid underground while they digested their meals, so she presumed, anyway. Naturally, she was surprised to find all three of them safe and sound in the room from before.

"Oh, the halfling. You're still alive." She said, with not a hint of gratefulness in her voice as she sheathed her sword. "Excellent. Please continue to rampage through the dungeon in a disorderly manner, endangering your allies and making my job more difficult."

[Manzokushi]

The conflict has sped by quickly with the gnomes?s combat prowess defining the encounter. Jorn nodded his respect to his companion as he moved into the room. His voice dropped to a whisper, ?Nice work Kin, however this heat is surely unbearable let?s not allow the environment to quicken our tempers further in acting. Branwen went on ahead to scout further it appears. We should wait in this room for her return. We have a foot hold there seems to be no reason to push further without knowing the lay of the land.? He walked to Sophie?s side, ?Have you found anything of note??

He slowly sheathed his blade, allowing his hands a small reprieve from the intense heat.

[Linwelin]

"Will do, Bran, will do." He said, almost cheerfully. You saw him wielding his giant blade, with the earthy scorch marks along its edge, giving away that the halfling was the one that caused the fatal wound. Not only that, but Kin barely had a mark on him.

"So did you find anything else interesting while you were away?" He asked curiously as he looked over the room for the first time.

[Eireleen]

Branwen's eyebrow twitched ever so slightly, but she showed no more annoyance than that. "Another worm. It seemed unconscious. I doubt it to be a trap, as if it wished to hide itself, it could easily do so underground." She pointed out. "Under the condition that the halfling leads, we could, theoretically, finish it off in its likely weakened state. It guards a point of egress that leads deeper into the temple. It would likely be a less dangerous option than whatever lay behind these doors."

She looked back in the direction from whence she came. "If you are weak of stomach, I would suggest covering your nose as we proceed. Corpses do not preserve well in this heat, and the entire hall smells of badly cooked, rotting dwarf." She tended not to pay much mind to corpses. But there was one thing she did take special notice of. Thus far, five of the seven dead dwarves they had found had been nailed to the wall. Worms did not tend to nail things, due to a distinct lack of thumbs, and indeed hands and arms altogether. If they proceeded deeper, it would likely be more than worms that they encountered...

[Linwelin]

Kin was saddened when what he said didn't infuriate his rather cold teammate. But then again, that's what makes it fun!

"Well I'd be more than happy to chop up another worm, lead the way! Though, I would like to look around the room a bit, didn't actually take the time after chopping up the first one." Kin then gives a slight chuckle, then begins to wander around the room as Sophie had done, enjoying himself.

"As for that smell, well, if we want this job done, guess we'll have to deal with it. And why are you so frightened of what's behind THESE doors?" Kin asks pointedly, spinning on his heels to face Branwen. "I mean, they ARE the most convenient."

[Eireleen]

"If you wish to charge headlong into the unknown, feel free to do so." She stated in a deadpan voice. "Personally, I prefer to take my chances with a half-dead monster than be ambushed by a fully alive monster."

She turned around, heading back to the hall. Her original intention had been to attempt to ascertain what lie behind the doors here, and use that information to plot an optimal path through the temple. But there was no point in a subtle approach so long as the halfling was around. She didn't wish to squander any more of her time with petty bickering while they steadily wasted away more and more in the awful heat. She could be using this time for further scouting. Taking her leave, she proceeded back down the hallway. Whether her allies followed her or not was their own choice. Her voice echoed through the room as she made her exit.

"Given the prominence of dwarf corpses in the area, I would expect the denizens of the temple to be well-suited to the hunting of those less than four feet tall. Pay that what mind you may."

[spoiler]Branwen moves back to her previous position at the corner, waiting to see if the others follow her before proceeding[/spoiler]

[Linwelin]

Kin laughed out loud at the statement, "Used to dealing with dwarves, not a halfling with an agenda, but thanks for the concern, Bran." He follows her out, seeing that there's not much in this room, and bursting through another door seemed kind of boring. Plus, he was hoping for another bickering match. Despite the climate, this is a good time! Let's see, should I go for making her crack a smile, or more exasperated sighs...SIGHS IT IS!

With that, he takes point, strutting right in front of Branwen as they go down the hall.

[Neko]

Sophie smiles as Jorn approaches her. "Hm..well, the only things I found of interest were a couple of chests." She points out the two of them, but then notices that Bran and Kin were already on their way out. She looks to Jorn again. "Should we check them out?" It had bothered her before when Bran went off on her own, but at least this time Kin had followed along.

[Manzokushi]

Bran and Kin were two very different souls indeed. It was no surprise how strange the party makeup seemed. But in his analysis this was not a coincidence. The Guild masters are looking at those with difficult demeanor. Perhaps these two were fated to help one another with their inner struggles. Or its just back luck and they have no love at all for one another. Well only time would truly tell for sure. Though Sophie seemed a kind and gentle soul. Perhaps he favored her kindness as it was akin to his own. These musing along with others rattled through his mind, as the task at hand fluttered back into perspective. Jorn let out a small chuckle next to Sophie, "Sure why don't you and I take a look and see if there is anything of value within the chests. We can catch up to those two afterwards. Lets hope Bran can keep Kin out of trouble until then. We can always race out to save them if they should decide to stumble into danger." His eyes were filled with mirth and kindness as he looked down into Sophie's eyes.

Jorn walks over to the nearest chest and opens the lid to examine the contents.

[Throndir]

Jornathel made his way towards the eastern chest, avoiding the broken tiles and flooring as he made his way through the room.

Meanwhile, Branwen and Kin made their way eastwards from the previous hall. The heat was still unbearable, and the walking only seemed to make things worse. The two stopped right before turning around the corner. And as Branwen suggested earlier, the stench of the corpses, though faint, was lingering in the air even though the corpses were still a distance away.

[spoiler]I want Jornathel and Sophie to roll a fortitude save sometime.

[/spoiler]