The next morning you continue on your way, having passed a peaceful night. Mikodin and Jon are again scouting, with the rest of you following about ten minutes behind.
The passage again turns northwest after about another mile-and-a-half.
Suddenly, from some distance ahead, you hear the sounds of humanoid yelps and war cries.
"Bugbears!" exclaims Jo-owrn, and breaks into a run.
Ayazin draws his scimitar and calls out, "Beware of Drow ambushes -- it's happened before!"
He follows the group, watchfully guarding against attacks from the rear.
Farad runs after Jo-owrn, sword in hand.
Brennon hurries after the others. He carefully scans the passageway trying to find any drow that might be hiding.
Aldarin draws his flaming sword and follows, "The first battle of the day. A good way to stretch the muscles and get the blood flowing."
"Looks like we have some action," says Kelar, running down the hall and drawing falchion and scimitar.
You run and trot for about five minutes. After a bit, the sounds of the bugbears cease.
Suddenly the voice of Mikodin calls out to you. There is no sign of him, but the voice sounded close by.
"Mikodin, where is Jon....and where are the bugbears?" ask Kelar quietly.
He keeps an eye out for anything unusal...checking for secret doors and whatnot. He finds nothing out of the ordinary.
Brennon starts feeling the walls of the passageway looking for anything unusal. Perhaps a hidden path that cannot be seen. He also pays attention to the passage floor, trying not to fall into anything.
"Mikodin, where are you? Keep talking and we'll try to follow your voice," Brennon says.
Aldarin does likewise, especially looking for hidden or concealed doors.
Ayazin says, "Careful -- if it's a trap, we want to make sure we don't fall into it ourselves. And that might not really be Mikodin we hear, but an impostor or illusion. Farad, can you detect any of their minds nearby?"
He also tells his wolf to use his nose to search for our companions.
"Arf!" says the wolf, and he starts nosing around.
Raz arches an eybrow and looks towards Ayazin.
"My, we have gotten paranoid, haven't we?" he says.
Mikodin chuckles, then says in a loud, firm voice, so that all can pinpoint at least his general whereabouts, "I'm still invisible, remember? Jon and I were scouting up ahead when I clumsily made some noise, which attracted the attention of a group of bugbears. They charged towards me, but I easily outran them as I headed back toward you to warn you of their presence. Jon is still up ahead, also invisible. Apparently the bugbears gave up on chasing me, so I'll turn around and scout back up ahead until I see them or meet up with Jon again, assuming he's where I left him. Any questions?"
This last is said with a huge grin, but the effect is largely lost when you're invisible.
"Well thats a relief," Brennon sighs, "At least you're alright and still nearby. Although some in this group may not find it so funny."
He glances around at the others.
Ayazin says, "Well, I hope Jon had the good sense not to get himself killed again. Mikodin, will you take us to this place?"
"At least we know that there is a possible group of bugbears up ahead somewhere. How many are there, Mikodin?" Brennon asks.
Mikodin bows out of habit (invisible still), and says, "Of course I will lead you. Simply keep going as you are, and I will move ahead to spot the bugbears. If I spot any, I will run back and tell you, so be prepared for my voice to come out of nowhere again. We should hurry some, I would think, in case Jon is in trouble by himself up ahead." Waiting for any responses, Mikodin then says, "Well, is everybody ready?"
"Sounds good", comments Raz. Looking for signs of bugbears ahead, Raz waits for the warriors to lead, and follows.
You set off, Mikodin leading, Farad close behind (this time), the other warriors next, and the wimpy mages and clerical-types bringing up the rear. The tunnel continues on as before. Every now and then you pause and listen. Apart from the usual noises, though, you hear nothing.
Farad frowns. "I think Jon may have gotten himself carried off. I'm going to go a lot further ahead at a faster pace ethereally and see what I can find out. The rest of you continue on carefully. If you find a secret door mark the wall so I can follow you. If I'm not back in thirty minutes I'm probably in trouble too."
The elf turns ethereal and begins to fly ahead as fast as possible.
Raz nods to Farad as he turns ethereal and continues onward...keeping a sharp eye out for any signs of trouble.
A minute or so after Farad takes off, you hear the voice of Jon calling from just ahead...much like you heard Mikodin a short time ago...
Mikodin, still invisible himself, calls out to Jon as he moves forward, hoping to get close enough to Jon to speak in a normal conversational tone.
"Did the bugbears come back this way, Jon?" Mikodin asks, wondering how they could have missed them on the way back to Jon.
Aldarin looks over to Raz, "I'm not so sure I like this invisible scouting thing. Its beginning to become annoying."
Humphrey adds, "I'm paranoid that I am going to walk over somebody."
Humphrey moves towards Jon's voice.
Jon replies, "Well, Aldarin, we haven't got the way of working together as invisible thieves down pat yet. Please think of this as a learning experience but I humbly suggest it has sort of worked. Up ahead are a total of eleven bugbears and three drow, broken up into two groups: one just ahead with one drow and the other further up opposite the landslide. The drow leader and one other drow is with the second group! My guess is the first lot will attack the middle of the group as they are well concealed then the others will charge. It would be nice if we could get some prisoners for once; particularly the drow leader."
Aldarin replies, "Excellent job, Jon. I may just have to change my mind about this issue."
"Any thoughts of a plan?"
Suddenly you see a faint, distant flash of light from down the passage ahead...followed an instant after by what sounds like a crackling rumble.
Aldarin draws his sword, "Uh oh. Where's Mikodin? It looks like he may have been discovered."
Sharone prepares a silence spell. "Seems Farad is embarking on another of his covert scouting missions."
Jon says, "Sharone, why don't you cast it on me and I will stay near the drow, invisible. That should cause them problems. I suggest the rest charge and bypass the first group, if possible. The second group has the leaders and the bugbears are just fodder, anyway."
He then starts heading toward the commotion, attempting to keep to the shadows.
Mikodin, surprised by Jon's news of what lies ahead, and even more surprised by the spell being cast up ahead, finally speaks up, "I am Mikodin, and I'm right here! I'll run ahead to see what is wrong. So again, be prepared for Jon's or my voice to appear out of nowhere, in case we don't attack anyone and become visible."
"I'll see what I can do to even the odds abit by casting a darkness spell on one of the drow groups. I'll only do so however if I can be sure that we will be out of range of it," says Raz. He follows, not sure about how prepared his friends are to face the would-be ambushers up ahead, but never-the-less sure of his loyalty to the group.
Ayazin says, "No, that's Farad! He must be in trouble if he materialized enough to cast lightning -- let's hurry!"
Aldarin adds as he moves quickly down the hall, "I will cast a spell at the bugbears that should incapacitate the majority of them while the others move through."
Aldarin will cast a Hypnotic Pattern at the group of bugbears when he sees them.
Jon says, "Aldarin, try to get the drow with the first group."
Aldarin answers, "I'll hit everything in the first group with the spell but don't expect too much from its effects on the drow. They are rather resilient to magic. But I will take care of them with my blade."
You hurry off down the passage, Mikodin leading.
Every now and then you hear yells and screams...then silence.
You run past a part of the tunnel where the side wall has partially collapsed. This, you learn from Mikodin and Jon, is where the bugbears and drow originally had their ambush set up. Now, there is no one about.
Another few minutes down the passage, though, you come to a most curious sight...
Upon the floor sits a drow male, giggling and swaying back and forth. Jon recognises him as the leader.
The corpses of two more drow lie nearby, hacked to death.
The place is littered with the burnt corpses of bugbears. Others, not quite dead, lie here and there, either stunned or asleep.
One last bugbear hangs suspended in midair, struggling and cursing.
Beyond the struggling bugbear stands Farad.
Raz grins at the sight before him.
"I see that Farad is still up to his old tricks." Raz turns to Farad. "Good job...excellent job..."
Drawing forth a dagger from his robe, Raz comments to himself, "Nothing like having a psychotic elf on your side to keep things lively."
Dagger in hand, Raz then goes around sliting the throats of the creatures that are still alive...occasionally pausing to search a body here and there.
Farad has quite the self satisfied smile upon his face.
"This is one group that won't be warning anyone of our coming."
Raz nods. "Yes, that seems to be the case doesn't it?"
Turning toward you, he asks, "Want to question this bugbear, or shall we simply kill it?"
Raz shrugs. "I have nothing to ask it."
Jon asks, "What and how did you do to them?"
Jon walks behind the leader drow and taking Geerzo, knocks him unconsious. Then, he proceeds to take cloak and boots from the drow.
Aldarin also goes to relieve the Drow Leader of his weapons (dagger, shortsword, hand crossbow), cloak and boots.
You wrestle Jon for them.
Jo-owrn takes bets.
Aldarin pauses, "I didn't realize anyone else was claiming these."
Jon says, "Boots first then cloak."
All of the drow were identically dressed: chain mail, bucklers, cloaks, boots.
Jon sees if he can find one set that fits him out of the three, including the chainmail and buckler, but the boots are the priority.
Jon finds a set of clothes and a pair of boots that fit. However, the chain mail is quite noisy and bulky on him, and he will find it hard to carry out certain activities...
Aldarin does the same, starting with the leader's armor. He will take a complete set (armor, weapons, buckler, cloak and boots) and trades them for what he is currently wearing.
He also finds a set of clothes and armour that fits.
Aldarin also finds a broach of a tan-enameled puffball mushroom on each of the drow.
Brennon, admiring Farads handywork, asks, "Will the leader stay like this temporarily, or is this a permanant effect? If its only tempoary then we should bind him up and question him later as to any pertinant information, as far as those bugbears, maybe we should finish those flea-ridden mangy things, and be done with it...unless of coarse it knows something.
"My only other suggestion is to dump the bodies someplace and try to cover our tracks should anyone come by this way."
Mikodin silently nods in approval at getting rid of such chaotic evil creatures, who, if left alive, would surely pose futher great threats to the group.
"Well at least someone agrees with me that the foul mangy flea-bitten creatures should be dispatched post haste," Brennon comments, watching Raz.
Then, turning to where he believes Jon is, Mikodin speaks, "Jon, I also believe that invisibility has worked to the advantage of the group. We merely need to iron out a few bugs in our procedures, and everything should work out fine. This last encounter, for instance, worked out splendidly. My speed is my one great attribute right now, and by leading creatures back to the group, and warning them in advance, means we are leading them into a trap instead of the other way around. What do you think?"
Ayazin chuckles. "We've been trying to 'iron out a few bugs' for what seems like years now. But I agree -- even if Farad hadn't been here to do the heavy lifting for us, we would have done well against them. DO tell, Farad, how you managed it?"
Farad stabs the bugbear hanging before him, putting it to a quick end.
"I flew ahead and found this group practically running down the corrider. It was fairly obvious that they were going to warn someone of our coming, and our party was moving too slowly to catch up. So I figured I'd slow them down and yell to bring you folks forward quickly."
The elf laughs. "I didn't expect to be nearly so successful."
Continuing, he says, "So I took a few moments to prepare. Casting a shield spell to protect against magic missiles and the like, and a protection from evil spell to help against any enemy spells, I then put up my final defense."
Fading away to the ethereal just then, Farad reappears on the opposite side of the bugbear. Pointing behind him, he says, "A web spell, cast across the corridor, and then turned invisible. Basically a nice barrier so I wouldn't have to worry about swords distracting me."
"Then I waited for them, launching a lightning bolt once they came into range. The lightning took out most of the bugbears, and two mindblasts did the rest. The drow weren't touched by the lightning, but they did seem to be effected by the mental shock. Two began fighting each other, and the leader simply sat down and ignored everything."
Turning to look at the dead bugbear hanging in the invisible web he points out, "Only that one survived all of it, but he didn't plan on my final trap."
Jon says, "Ooh, can you turn a web invisible???"
Farad smiles. "Nice trick, eh?"
Jon looks confused and full of wonder.
"But how come you don't stick to it when you touch it?"
Farad shakes his head. "You'll stick to it. Thats what is holding the bugbear up in the air right now."
Jon comments, "Did you know that we can hear the group at least 100 feet away clinking up the corridors? Everybody needs to make an attempt to quieten drown what they are wearing. Any ideas?"
Jon says, "Mik why don't we have a quick look at where we originally left the bugbears and we can discuss tactics for the future and some signals. I suggest you try some drow boots and cloak on."
"Verrrrrry nicely done, Farad," Beth says, looking about at the carnage. "I guess I can't fault you for acting impulsively here, because not only did you do what seemed like a good idea, it worked remarkably well."
She looks at Mikoden and Jon. "How far ahead of us have you been scouting? If you can hear us 100 feet off, then you should scout further ahead. We need to be able to know what's ahead of us without their knowing we're coming, or else we're going to have to depend on Farad pulling a rabbit out of his ethereal hat every time to save our fat."
The scouts have been perhaps 1000' in advance.
Jon says, "Does any body have a familar we can carry or do we use Mikoden as the runner and maybe write notes...suggestions. By the way, Mikoden, see if any of the drow boots fit. I believe there will be a time when the scouts get trapped and will need the group very quickly...."
Mikodin has been taking all of this in, and finally speaks up, "I think, perhaps accidentally, Jon and I hit upon a working strategy. If I follow him a little ways back, then I can run back to warn the main group of any approaching danger. I can outrun any humanoid or drow, and with any head start at all, can make it back to the main group before anything REALLY fast, like some flying creatures, catch me."
Aldarin speaks up as he is changing outfits, "That sounds like as reasonable a plan as any. The main objective should be to scout but not engage. Of course if a situation occurs like this one then action should be taken within reason, as Farad has done."
Jon and Mikodin return to the collapsed portion of passage where the enemies were hiding, but find nothing there.
On the bodies you found only 24pp on the drow. The bugbears carried nothing.
When you are ready, the scouts set out again and the rest of you follow.
The rest of the morning's walk is uneventful. The tunnel continues northeast for about a mile and a half, then curves northwest. After about two more miles it begins a gentle curve northeast again.
About midway through the curve you come to an intersection. A narrow (~20' wide) tunnel runs off to the west, while the wider passage that you have been following continues northeast.
It is early afternoon.
"I vote to continue on our present path to the northeast," Brennon says, looking down both passageways.
Mikodin, after a moment's contemplative thought, offers, "If my recollection of the map is correct, we need to turn Northwest at some point to reach the drow city".
Humphrey looks down the west passage.
"You know we wouldn't want to be ambushed from behind. I suggest that we scout the west passage at least a little ways before heading on the normal path."
Two people voted to go down the narrower passage against one who wanted to continue on the main route, so you head west.
Aldarin decides to accompany Mikodin on the scouting for the rest of the day.
"Mikodin if you don't mind I think I will accompany Jon during the scouting today. I can become invisible at will and shouldn't have any problem being silent with these new boots."
Jon says, "The more the merrier."
Before leaving he does remove the drow chain and asks if someone minds hauling it for the time being.
So, Jon leads, with Mikodin and Aldarin following, and Farad somewhere behind them and the rest of the party.
This tunnel is not only narrower, but has more cave-ins, crevasses and side caves off of it, as well. You make progress, though, and by the end of the afternoon you have travelled maybe three miles down it. After about a mile the passage turned northwest, and continues on in that direction.
Just as you are beginning to think about stopping for the night, you come to an intersection. This tunnel continues northwest, while an even narrower passage (~10' wide) runs southwest.
Aldarin observes, "If we're planning on stopping to rest we may want to check out the smaller passage. It may lead to some type of small cavern or something for us to hole up in."
"Agreed," agrees Raz.
Jon nods.
"Yes, I agree. Down the small one we go...okay off go the three scouts."
Mikodin speaks, realizing now that invisibility means not nodding or shrugging shoulders, "I agree. Let's check it out for a short while, at least."
"Let's check the the southwest passage. It's almost time to find a spot to rest for the evening," suggests Sharone from her spot in the middle of the group. "A hot meal and a cup of tea are well overdue."
"That sounds like a great idea, the southwest passage it is," comments Brennon from somewhere in the middle also. "I look foward to a rest, hot meal and a good cup of tea."
The scouts head off southwest; the rest of the party follows a few minutes after.
You do not go far before you find a small side cave which will make a defensable camp for the night. When the main party arrives, you settle in.
The night passes quietly.