As we got back to the main hallway, Siora looked to her pet werewolf. “Maura, which way should we go to meet the rest of your friends? We should take care of them before they try and do anything naughty.”

The Sorceress smiled at Siora, and pointed to the left. “Well, this way, there’s some stairs down that will take us into the ‘pantry’, where the arrays to feed us are kept. There should be guards tending the pantry. A bit further on, there’s a hallway to the sleeping den, where a few more should be resting. There are some traps on the floor as well.”

She turned to point the other way. “This way, there’s another cache of items. And, if you go further, there’s another set of stairs, leading to the chamber where Mistress Rena is working on the ritual to shorten the seal’s life.”

I nodded slowly, and looked to the others. “Right, then. I say we clear out the sleepy wolves, and then go to the pantry, before we head to the rituals. No sense in anyone coming from behind us accidentally wondering if the ritual caster would like a break for dinner, right?”

Vestele smirked. “Yes, that sounds about right. Better make sure everyone is seen to before dinner.”

Siora’s Search Check: 1d20+20 = 40 (Success)

Siora’s Disable Device check: 1d20+24 = 30 (Success)

Your party has defeated a deathblade wall scythe trap.

Melinda gains 225 XP.

Frostmane gains 163 XP.

Siora gains 163 XP.

Vestele gains 163 XP.

Siora took point, moving slowly down the hallway. Having been warned about traps, she was taking the time to look for them. And, well, she found one pretty much straight away. There was a narrow gap in the wall on one side of the hallway. Siora crouched low, and carefully uncovered a pressure plate hidden under a couple loose stones that made up this part of the mine’s floor. In moments, she’d managed to disable it.

“Someone was a little tricky, here. See this hole? There’s a blade there. Maybe poisoned. At any rate, it would have been bad news for anyone who stepped on this plate.”

Maura nodded. “Yes, they trained us to avoid that side of the passage when we were walking through here, and avoid the other side of the passage further on.”

Siora nodded. “Good to know.” I couldn’t disagree. Knowing where to look for traps made them a lot easier to find.

Siora’s Search Check: 1d20+20 = 33 (Success)

Siora’s Disable Device check: 1d20+24 = 31 (Success)

Your party has defeated a well-camouflaged pit trap.

Melinda gains 225 XP.

Frostmane gains 163 XP.

Siora gains 163 XP.

Vestele gains 163 XP.

Once again, Siora led the way, searching for the trap that Maura had warned her about. This time, it was the kind of trap that one would expect to find in a mine, a pit that descended down into darkness. Probably led to somewhere in the sealed off areas of the mine, which would make getting out again problematic, at best.

Siora looked back to Maura. “Is that all of them?”

Maura nodded. “That I know of.”

I nodded once, and took a breath. Looking at everyone, I said, “All right then, Frostmane in front, I’ll come after, and everyone else follow as you can. Let’s go.”

The hallway dog-eared to the left, before turning again, and we found ourselves looking at a stone room, with piles of fur to make rough beds. Blood was splattered in several places, and gnawed bones looked to be everywhere. Oh, and there were four werewolves waiting on us.

Initiatives

Melinda

Frostmane

Vestele

Fiendwolf Warriors

Fiendwolf Sorcerer

Siora

Fiendwolf Acolyte

Maura

Melinda’s Attack Roll (FA): 1d20+19 = 26 (touch) (Hit)

Vitriolic Chain Damage: 7d6 = 26 (Acid)

Melinda’s Attack Roll (FW1): 1d20+19 = 31 (touch) (Hit)

Vitriolic Chain Damage: 13 (Acid)

Melinda’s Attack Roll (FS): 1d20+19 = 36 (touch) (Hit)

Vitriolic Chain Damage: 13 (Acid)

For the first time, I unleashed the new ability I’d gotten after that last battle. Instead of the usual purple or the icy blue hue my blasts normally took, a bright green orb of energy formed in my hand, before it bolted off like an arrow from the string, striking the acolyte in the back of the group before bouncing to one of the warriors and the sorcerer in turn. The wolves howled as the acid of the bolt burned at their skin, but what struck me most was how this blast was able to cut through the wolves’ resistance to my magic! Finally, a reliable weapon against these demonic werewolves!

Frostmane’s Attack (FS): 1d20+15 = 26 (Hit)

Power Attack (5) Bite damage: 1d8+19 = 26 (Piercing) (DR 5/Silver)

Freezing Bite: 1d6 = 2 (Cold) (Fold Resistance 10)

Frostmane’s Trip attempt: 1d20+13 = 24

FS’s STR check: 1d20+3 = 13 (Fail, Prone)

Frostmane bounded forward, his eyes locked upon the sorcerer. It was a simple tactical decision, really. Take out the mage before they could do anything nasty. His fangs met the werewolf’s flesh, and he threw the sorcerer to the ground.

Vestele’s Attack Roll (FW1): 1d20+8 = 22 (Hit)

Damage: 1d8+1 = 6 (Piercing, Silver)

Vestele did her best to take some of the heat off of Frostmane, launching a silvered bolt from her crossbow at the warrior I’d tagged with my blast. She didn’t do much damage, but between the silver and the magic of her crossbow, it cut through his resistance, and definitely left the warrior knowing he’d been hit. Grinning, she reloaded her crossbow for the next shot.

FW1’s Attack (Melinda): 1d20+18 = 19 (Miss)

FW2’s Attack (Frostmane): 1d20+18 = 30 (Hit)

Damage: 1d8+9 = 15 (Slashing)

Flaming Weapon: 1d6 = 6 (Fire) (+50% Damage)

FW2’s Attack (Frostmane): 1d20+13 = 30 (Hit)

Damage: 1d8+9 = 10 (Slashing)

Flaming Weapon: 1d6 = 3 (Fire) (+50% Damage)

FW2’s Attack (Frostmane): 1d20+8 = 14

FW2’s Bite (Frostmane): 1d20+12 = 17

That was probably for the best. While one of the warriors did, indeed, come at me, gouging a gash in the stone wall in his eagerness, his companion stayed close to Frostmane, and unleashed a quick set of attacks, two of which hit, hard, causing Frostmane to yowl in pain. I didn’t want to find out whether he could stand up to that punishment for too long.

Frostmane’s AoO (FS): 1d20+15 = 17 (Miss)

The Sorcerer managed to get to his feet without Frostmane’s jaws closing on him again, and clearly decided that regrouping was in order. Retreating to put his back against the far wall, the wolf panted slightly, wounded, but not yet out of the fight. At least he wasn’t going to be troubling Frostmane at this second.

Siora’s Bluff Check: 1d20+14 = 31

FW1’s Sense Motive Check: 1d20+2 = 10 (Fail, Flat-footed)

Siora’s Concentration Check: 1d20+19 = 35 (Success)

Siora’s CL Check: 1d20+12 = 26 (Success)

FW1’s Will Save (Reality Blind): 1d20+6 = 21 (Fail) (Blind) (Stunned)

Siora’s silver dagger flashed in the air, a feint that caused the werewolf to become distracted from the motions of her other hand. The wolf never saw her conducting the signs of a spell as she muttered the incantation as softly as she could. The next instant, the wolf staggered, his sword falling to the ground from suddenly slack hands. Siora, standing there with her hand raised towards the creature, grit her teeth, and said, “I have him, for the moment. Take out the rest of them.”

The Acolyte howled in rage, eyes glaring at me. “Foolish girl! Watch as I rip your pet apart, and know that you’ll be joining him soon after!” And, with that, he unleashed a spell that swelled him with power, and made him much larger, before taking two steps towards Frostmane, preparing to take on the wolf.

Maura’s CL Check: 1d20+10 = 27 (Success)

Maura’s Attack Roll (FA): 1d20+4 = 14 (Touch) (Hit)

Scorching Ray: 4d6 = 16 (Fire)

Maura’s Attack Roll (FA): 1d20+4 = 16 (Touch) (Hit)

Scorching Ray: 4d6 = 13 (Fire)

Maura sneered back at the Acolyte. “Francis, you were always too damn full of yourself! Take this!” And, with those words, she unleashed two rays of scorching red energy, blasting the larger werewolf, causing him to once more howl in agony.

Vitriolic Blast lingering Damage (FA): 2d6 = 4 (Acid)

Vitriolic Blast lingering Damage (FW1): 2d6 = 4 (Acid)

Vitriolic Blast lingering Damage (FS): 2d6 = 9 (Acid)

Melinda’s Attack Roll (FA): 1d20+15 = 18 (touch) (Hit)

Vitriolic Chain Damage: 7d6 = 23 (Acid)

Melinda’s Attack Roll (FW2): 1d20+15 = 29 (touch) (Hit)

Vitriolic Chain Damage: 11 (Acid)

Melinda’s Attack Roll (FS): 1d20+19 = 24 (touch) (Hit)

Vitriolic Chain Damage: 11 (Acid)

With the warrior in front of me neutralized, for the moment, I darted into the room, so that I had a clear line of sight on the remaining enemies. My acidic blast took the acolyte in the back, Adding more acid to what was already eating at his flesh, before chaining to the warrior facing Frostmane and the sorcerer.

Frostmane’s Attack (FW2): 1d20+15 = 33 (Hit)

Power Attack (5) Bite damage: 1d8+19 = 23 (Piercing) (DR 5/Silver)

Freezing Bite: 1d6 = 5 (Cold) (Fold Resistance 10)

Frostmane’s Trip attempt: 1d20+13 = 24

FW’s STR check: 1d20+4 = 21 (Fail, Prone)

Frostmane whirled to face the warrior who had wounded him with his burning blade, and repaid the favor by clamping his jaws down upon the werewolf’s arm and bodily throwing him to the ground. With a glance at the hulking acolyte, Frostmane chuffed in amusement. “You think getting bigger is going to save you, priest?”

Vestele’s Attack Roll (FW1): 1d20+8 = 11 (Miss)

Vestele calmly fired another bolt at the Sorcerer, who was off on his own, but the werewolf was looking straight at her, and managed to get out of the way in time. Still, as she reloaded again, she said, “Take out the casters, let Frostmane deal with the warriors for the moment.”

FW1’s Will Save (Reality Blind): 1d20+6 = 18 (Fail)

Frostmane’s AoO (FW2): 1d20+15 = 27 (Hit)

Power Attack (5) Bite: 1d8+19 = 20 (Piercing) (DR 5/Silver)

Freezing Bite: 1d6 = 4 (Cold) (Cold Resistance 10)

Frostmane’s Trip attempt: 1d20+13 = 22

FW2’s STR Check: 1d20+4 = 18 (Fail, Prone)

The werewolf Siora trapped with her spell stayed where it was, staring blindly into space. The other warrior had little better luck, standing directly into the path of Frostmane’s fangs, sending him to meet the floor again, before he finally managed to make it to his feet, looking the worse for the wear. He held his sword at the ready, though, so he clearly wasn’t out of this yet.

The Sorcerer clearly realized that his personal survival was not guaranteed if he didn’t do something, quick, so he did perhaps the most sensible thing he could. He cast a mirror image spell. Growling in a low voice, he said, “Francis, don’t play around, kill the winged one. She’s more dangerous than the wolf right now!”

Siora’s Attack Roll (FW1): 1d20+11 = 28 (Hit)

Damage: 1d6+1 = 7 (Piercing, Silver)

Siora grit her teeth, concentrating on holding the spell on the werewolf. She couldn’t cast other spells while holding the magic, but that didn’t mean she was helpless. She pulled her shortbow up, and fired a silver arrow into the werewolf’s chest.

FA’s Attack roll (Melinda): 1d20+13 = 33 (Crit Threat)

Confirm Crit: 1d20+13 = 30 (Normal Hit)

Damage: 2d6+6 = 14 (Bludgeon and Piercing)

Flaming Weapon: 1d6 = 4 (Fire)

The Acolyte growled. “Francis is dead! My name is Bloodhowl!” But he still did as the sorcerer asked, and turned to face me. There was no dodging the blow, as that massive morningstar came crashing down upon me. It was all I could do to keep it from hitting anything vital. As the flames on the weapon scorched my skin, Francis growled. “Shouldn’t make me angry, girl. Might get yourself hurt that way.”

Maura’s CL Check: 1d20+10 = 20 (Success)

Chain Missile (FA): 5d4+5 = 19 (Force)

Chain Missile (FS): 1d4+1 = 5 (Force)

Chain Missile (FW1): 1d4+1 = 2 (Force)

Chain Missile (FW2): 1d4+1 = 2 (Force)

Maura unleashed a bolt of arcane power, the missile unerringly flying to strike the acolyte, before individual missiles splintered off to strike the other werewolves. “And maybe you should pay better attention, Francis. Might get yourself hurt that way.”