Move 405: Waiting for the Quaggoth ScoutsTunnels--Late, Day 41 (Marpenoth 24)
The party stood in the tunnel on high alert. Azrun cast an invisibility spell on Arachne, bringing the number of invisible party members, including the two scouts, up to four. Aloysius invoked a command word. Blacky and Dalgaer hoisted their weapons. Jana shifted anxiously. Kanon looked slightly out of temper. Five to ten minutes crept by before they heard the very soft noises, so quiet they likely would have gone unnoticed if they were not being hypervigilant, of something unseen approaching their position.
"Echo?" Jana whispered softly in the direction of the soft noises. "Are you okay?"
"Four ahead on the left at the tunnel split," Echo whispered back urgently.
"How far?" Jana whispered back. "Do they know we're here?" She glanced back at Blacky and whispered, "What do you think about a charge?"
"Close. Maybe 100 yards."
"Not yet, but they were sniffing around."
"No surprise under running at them. Familiar us here now. Ought we be to walk forward acting childrenish. Run to when beside --" "That's not right," she added in whispered common. "can't surprise with presence. Might surprise with action."
"Well , that or we could invite them to tea at this rate." Blacky whispered back. "I think with you, me and Dalgaer, we should be able to take them. Especially with the others' support."
Dalgaer nodded, "If we could keep them quiet during the fight that would be good. Our priests had a spell that stop sound. Do any of the spellcasters here have such a spell?"
"Corellon has granted me just such a spell," Renn said. His voice came from the same area that Echo's had.
"Surely they can see our light," said Aloysius from somewhere in the back and above the party. "There will be more than 4. Lure them in this direction and mayhap I can neutralize them with one quick stroke."
"Whichever is decided, I'll do what I can," Renn affirmed. "I'll try to stay invisible as long as I can."
Azrun looked around, "So we're going to wait here for them, then? If that's the case, how about you tall folk in the front kneeling down. That way I can get a couple arrows off when the first show up. Once they're in melee range, I'll use my spells."
"Where do you think I should hide so that I'll be out of the way of Aloysius's neutralization?" Arachne's voice whispered near Azrun. "Since he can't see me to make sure he misses me?"
"And someone place a light stone up ahead a ways, perhaps 50 yards or so," suggested Aloysius's voice from above. "I'll need as much notice as I can get of their approach."
".Or me an' Blacky and Sunshine here could just charge 'em," Jana suggested. "Hells, the noise of the fight is gonna alert any others that might be down there anyways. Now, if you can cast that quiet spell on a pebble like the light thing, we can have Echo sneak back up there, toss it behind 'em and then we charge. That's keep any back there from hearing."
"Excellent idea!" Dalgaer said. "Quick and quiet."
"'Sunshine'?" asked Aloysius' voice. "That . . .seems sound, I suppose. Unless, Stargazer is 'Sunshine'," he added in a quieter voice.
Dalgaer said, with a smile, "I think I'm 'Sunshine'."
"Uhm, well, actually I meant him," Jana mumbled and pointed at Kanon. "You know, Lathander, Sunshine..." She shrugged then said, "But it doesn't matter all that much. Might be best to have four charge so we can try to get them all at once,but then, that might make it too crowded. I was thinking Aloysius would be right behind us so he could shoot those blobs o' light if one tries to run for it."
"Blobs . . ?" asked the mage. "Hmmm . . . .Well, if you want me to come along, I'll hve to stay a ways back so the silence doesn't ruin any spells I may try to cast. Is that how you wish to proceed, Janathell?"
"Up to you Jana, I'm more than willing to see what the skinny guy's got. If it doesn't work, well we clean up the mess per usual." Blacky said jerking his thumb in the aproximate direction of Aloysius.
"'Skinny guy'?" echoed Aloysius. "Methinks 'Sunshine' is more favorable," he grumbled.
"How 'bout 'Bad-Ass Mage' instead?" Jana suggested with a grin. "Anyways, staying behind is fine.”
"Jana says that staying behind is fine," Arachne's voice whispered to Azrun, "so I think that's what I'll do. I can watch for anyone coming from the wrong way -- I know that's pretty unlikely, but it's a serviceable justification for staying behind while Blacky et alia are --" She paused slightly. "-- cleaning up the mess per usual."
"I was thinking Aloysius could take care of any trying to escape," Jana clarified.
Kanon looked down the tunnel still sporting his bitter facade and offered his idea in a hushed tone, "I think that Jana, Blacky and Dalgaer should go up together as a frontline with Jana and Blacky carrying silence spells and Dalgaer in the middle so he can be fired over. I will follow after them to offer Lathander's support. As for the invisible individuals I am at a loss. Most likely wherever they are most needed?" He dropped his morningstar into the loop on his belt and put his shield onto his back to prepare for the coming spellcasting.
Azrun nodded, "I guess I'll stay behind too. A big wad of bodies charging up the tunnel isn't where I want to be either." Azrun leaned up against the wall watching the way they had come from.
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