Yulya is glad that Ashley has returned safely and - like to Alice - again explains what had happened and about the encounter with the spectator.
Good work Ashley! I am glad retrieving the elevator went well. Please also get our bags before we proceed but...

Yulya is torn between exploring the former Forge of Spells and moving on and looks at Ashley.
Looks like those 2 want to go. I also think we might find some important answers down there. But I agree we should be fully rested first. Even if those skeletons are weak in large numbers they can become a problem. And waiting here too long could get us a visit of the bulettes.



Unless Ashley fundamentally disagrees Yulya continues her rest and then sends Alice down the passage to the Forge of Spells again as scout before following with her party and checking the area for traps and other anomalies.

Ashley reluctantly summons the bigglesworths.

Alice is slightly baffled, having expected an excuse or rude denial from Ashley.
For real now?

"These mechatherial beasts are their own being. They follow my orders to attack only because they enjoy the hunt, in other words, I can present them to you but I can't force them to endure your 'affection'."  Ashley shudders and returns to the tent with Mr. Bigglesworth; he happily snuggles with her.

Hey now!
Are you implying Alice is not nice to cats? I may sometimes kill and even eat humans - but I am always nice to cats!

Mrs. Bigglesworth looks at Alice...

Alice looks back at the angry Mrs. Bigglesworth, unsure what to do.
Don't give me that look! You brought tis upon yourself! Who's been a bad girl? It certainly wasn't me!

Alice sits down on the floor and carefully extends her hand to the demonic Mecha-cat.


Am I really that horrible? I mean, I get that I'm not in my best shape right now, and I'm used to being called a monster! But out of awe and not - disgust...
I have never been able to pet a cat before - or another animal for that matter. There are no animals where I come from.

Alice's self-pity is eventually interrupted by bulette-scratching
Damn, the blind cave-niggers are coming! Running away really doesn't sit right with my pride as pest remover...

Cat quickly packs up the tent but suddenly hesitates.
Nyaa our bags Ashley Nya! All our food is in there Nya!

Yulya has no interest in another bulette encounter.
If there is nothing of interest in the chamber down there let us depart quickly!

"Cat, I already got that stuff hours ago. They're on the elevator."

Again well done Ashley! No reason to stay here any longer!
Yulya leads her party to the elevator

[Time: Thursday, Spring 27, 22:00, 10C Calm]

Ashley de-spawns Mr. and Mrs. B and everyone gets on the elevator and Cat helps Ashley descend into the abyss. About 60ft down, it looks safe enough to stop and resting resumes. Two hours later everyone is refreshed and it's time to keep going. Surprisingly, only another 40ft or so the elevator stops with an abrupt slam. Ashley refreshes her Truesight and realizes...

"We're down, this is it. Light it up Yulya."

Yulya lights a pebble and the area surrounding lights up.



There is a path leading South and West, recent footprints in the dust head both directions. There is some new shoring to the West, but nothing to the South, the passageway to the south looks somewhat natural. After a few moments, a light appears to be moving South and a harsh deep voice is heard, something like a man barking orders at others. Yulya quickly extinguishes her light, they seem to know something's happened in your area, likely they heard the elevator land.

[Interactions Required]

[Round 0]

Yulya estutely recognizes the Bulette tunnel except it's not nearly as fresh as the tunnels above and seems to be larger and has been worked to remove the easily accessable ores. Additional chanses have taken out any veins that interesected the tunnel long ago, this tunnel is likely an abandoned tunnel of that creature.

Ashley, Alice and Cat are blessed.

Cat gains 4 THP as she enters Rage and approaches the enemy with Alice.

W18: Maze Caverns:

Natural and dug passageways dominate the eastern half of this cavern. Secured to iron stakes along on the eastern edge of the tunnel are several ropes leading North-South, perhaps used for guidance in the dark. Alice and Cat approach a the area where a drow holding a torch is barking orders at four bugbears who are sifting through rubble. They seem to be trying to dig through a recently collapsed section of the path.



The group is too busy to notice Cat and Alice rush up.

Ashley's Glyph ring triggers and Nixie is summoned 10ft South. She rushes off as Ashly rallies her to attack.

Cat reaches them with feline agility sets up flank with Alice and sweeps the drow and two bugbears.

Alice reaches them with step of the wind, flanks the Drow and attacks with her spear and unarmed strike followed up by flurry of blows. (2 ki points are used) Nixie reaches the Drow and Pounces, then attacks again with rally attack.

Bugbear 1 and 3 are exceptionally large, Bugbear 2 is very small, Bugbear 4 is average sized.

[HIT(A) SWORD SWEEP vs AC14,AC18,AC18 1d20+5+2+1+1d4=(24,CM)(24,23)(29,12)], [DMG 2d6+5+1+2=(15,16,12)]

[HIT(A) SPEAR vs AC14 1d20+2+3+1d4=(24,18), HIT(A) UNARMED 1d20+2+3+1d4(25,18)(24,CM)(11,17)][DMG 1d8+3=8, 1d6+3=(9,5,9)]

[HIT(A) CLAW (2) vs AC14 1d20+5+1d4=(19,20),(CR,17), GRAPPLE vs DC13 1d20+4=CM, HIT(A) BITE vs AC14 1d20+5=(CR,14), CON vs DC15 1d20+x=14,8][DMG (1d6+3+2=14), (1d6+3+2)X2+(1d6+3+2)X2=(14,15)]

Cat's sweep is successful, hitting all three with one smooth motion and does 15, 16, and 12 damage to the Drow, Bugbear2 and Bugbear3 respectively.

Alice hits every blow doing a combined total of 31 damage to the drow.

Nixie's initial claw atack is enough to down the drow and she follows on to Bugbear 2 with her pounce critically hitting the small bugbear for 14, this downs that bugbear, given her momentum, she's able to bite Bugbear3 for 15 additional damage, wounding the bugbear in the back.

[Initiative Team=16 vs 18]
[Round 1]

The bugbears attack whoever they can dual wielding large maces and daggers off-hand.

[HIT(3) vs AC14,12,16 1d20+9,+7 (CM,21)(25,22)(18-2,16-2)][DMG 2d4+8+1d4+8 (13,11)(10,10)(14)]


The first Bugbear's strike on Alice is true but she deflects it (1d10+7=10), unable to fully deflect it, she takes 3 blunt damage but resists most of it, ending with only 1 damage. The second blow from his dagger hits for another 11 piercing damage.

Bugbear4 is far enough from Cat to avoid her Sentinel ability and hits Nixie for a total of 20 damage from blunt and piercing, unfortunately that's enough to push her back to the negative plane.

Bugbear3, weakened by Nixie's critical hit strikes Cat with only the dagger and she only takes 7 of that after her resistances.

The "drow" slowly fades to an odd looking scaly humanoid without ears, apparently the drow façade was an illusion, this being has no equipment or ears. Sadly the long velvety ears of the drow fade and it is revealed it has no ears, only small holes on the sides of its head. There are no external ears at all on this being. An evolutionally trait of this being has left it without external ears. It is simply devoid of those lusciously long drow ears it has promised originally. Alice obviously laments the lack of ears on this pathetic earless creature.



[Make your moves]

The "drow" slowly fades to an odd looking scaly humanoid without ears, apparently the drow façade was an illusion, this being has no equipment or ears. Sadly the long velvety ears of the drow fade and it is revealed it has no ears, only small holes on the sides of its head. There are no external ears at all on this being. An evolutionally trait of this being has left it without external ears. It is simply devoid of those lusciously long drow ears it has promised originally. Alice obviously laments the lack of ears on this pathetic earless creature.

Alice freezes mid-battle and stares at the non-drow in disbelief.



The.Fuck.Is.That?
Where are my ears?
Was that this Nezzer guy?

Alice turns to the surviving bugbears for answers
Who was that guy? And you let yourself be ordered around by - that thing?? At least you have ears! I still need some decent ones from you bugbears!

Without warning, Alice jumps bugbear 1 and attempts to grapple him. As always followed by a shove prone move, or a second grapple attempt in case the first one fails.