But will their fate be any different?
Only the players of the characters listed below may post to this thread.
Your Heroes
Boirin, son of Naerin
Boirin
HP: 20/41
Init: +4
AC: 16 (+0 Dex, +2 studded leather, +1 proficiency, +2 defense, +1 Dodge), -3 touch/-3 flat-footed
DCon: 1 (studded leather)
BAB: +6/+1 (add -1 to melee attacks and +0 to ranged attacks)
Atk:
¤ dagger +5 melee or +6 ranged (1d4-1, 19-20/x2 crit, 10' range increment)
¤ +1 dwarven waraxe +6 (1d10+1, x3 crit)
¤ morningstar +5 (1d8-1, x2 crit)
¤ short sword +5 (1d6-1, 19-20/x2 crit)
¤ hand crossbow +6 (1d4, 19-20/x2 crit, 30' range increment)
¤ light crossbow +6 (1d8, 19-20/x2 crit, 80' range increment)
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +1
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 9, Cha 14 (9)
Skills (includes modifier for MW tools and -3 penalty for exhaustion): Balance +2, Bluff +12, Climb +8, Diplomacy +4, Disable Device +14, Disguise +9 (or +11 acting), Escape Artist +7, Hide +9, Intimidate +6, Jump +8, Move Silently +9, Open Lock +16, Profession (bartender) +3, Search +11, Sleight of Hand +12, Tumble +13
Feats: Dodge, Improved Initiative, Quick Draw, Skill Focus (Open Lock)
Languages: Common, Dwarven, Orc
Special: evasion, fast movement, rage 0/1, sneak attack +4d6, trapfinding, trap sense +2, uncanny dodge, exhausted
HP: 20/41
Init: +4
AC: 16 (+0 Dex, +2 studded leather, +1 proficiency, +2 defense, +1 Dodge), -3 touch/-3 flat-footed
DCon: 1 (studded leather)
BAB: +6/+1 (add -1 to melee attacks and +0 to ranged attacks)
Atk:
¤ dagger +5 melee or +6 ranged (1d4-1, 19-20/x2 crit, 10' range increment)
¤ +1 dwarven waraxe +6 (1d10+1, x3 crit)
¤ morningstar +5 (1d8-1, x2 crit)
¤ short sword +5 (1d6-1, 19-20/x2 crit)
¤ hand crossbow +6 (1d4, 19-20/x2 crit, 30' range increment)
¤ light crossbow +6 (1d8, 19-20/x2 crit, 80' range increment)
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +1
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 9, Cha 14 (9)
Skills (includes modifier for MW tools and -3 penalty for exhaustion): Balance +2, Bluff +12, Climb +8, Diplomacy +4, Disable Device +14, Disguise +9 (or +11 acting), Escape Artist +7, Hide +9, Intimidate +6, Jump +8, Move Silently +9, Open Lock +16, Profession (bartender) +3, Search +11, Sleight of Hand +12, Tumble +13
Feats: Dodge, Improved Initiative, Quick Draw, Skill Focus (Open Lock)
Languages: Common, Dwarven, Orc
Special: evasion, fast movement, rage 0/1, sneak attack +4d6, trapfinding, trap sense +2, uncanny dodge, exhausted
Why would a lich make its lair here? All this damp would have a very deleterious effect on books and scrolls...
It makes me wonder what the ... mitigating factor was. What could possibly be so advantageous that you'd live in a sewer?
While Mirielle walks, her eyes scan their surroundings, and she chitters softly with Ixchal.
"Could be that something's buried under here." Gamis unships his mace from his belt and keeps it in hand, ready.
Mirielle narrows her eyes, considering.
"Any heads-up that can be provided gives us a most adventatious edge. Given a minute I could arm us to the teeth with an assortment of abjurations. Can you remember how far into these sewers the battle occured Boirin?"
Zap has directions to stay just in front of the light provided (35'?) and to be on full alert. At each juncture she finds any cover availible and listens.
Natala stops the first of the group before they can climb into the gate.
"We'll move faster if we don't have to trudge through that," she says, gesturing at the watery muck that waits inside.
Asking that each of them make some kind of contact with her, she chants a prayer and gestures at each of them as if indicating they are on the rising end of a scale.
She takes her place in line to enter the sewer, and each person finds as they enter that they stand just a few inches above the sludge.
(And let's just hope we're not here long enough for this to wear off.)Oo. she thinks with a shudder.
Shae smoothes the kestrel's feathers trying to calm her, even tough all she has to share with the bird is pain, fear, and worry.
"This way Gamis,"he says pointing down the corridor.
Pulling out Aramil's Axe he lets its yellowy-white illumination fill the corridor. Then look back at tink he says, "I will tell you when we are allmost at the sight of the slaughter."
"If everyone is ready I will lead us there now."
If that is so Boirin heads off deeper into the sewers to find the lich.
"Tynk, maybe you should keep Zap near. She's isolated up ahead on her own."
Flinching at the smell, she's thrilled that they aren't having to walk in the water, though she makes a note that her outfit and anything Kywyn has on him (that isn't highly important or expensive) will be burned.
She listens to ther others talk, trying to keep her mind on gleaning what she needs to know to kill this thing and get Kywyn out.
Instead the blue-green lizard walks next to him so he can take advantage of her greater hearing and sight in darkness. She spots a rat and for a moment he fears an outburst, but she does not pounce.
Until now Tynk has had no real test of her control under such situation. Again he nods slightly, this time in approval to the alert friend and familiar.
Zap:"Ate one already, above when I follow you. These aren't tasty anyway."
As the tunnel continues to pass by he tries his best to remember the route and stay alert. In spite of the offence to his nose, he forces himself to also take notice of any changes in the way the air smells as he silently and unconsciously moves his lips in prayer.
"The evil in our hearts can never die but will never take away our freedom to choose...there is no fault in finding evil, likewise can there be fault in evil finding you. It all falls down to choice, the more difficult decisions giving the pathway to a corrupt soul. I pray for the strength to see your will fulfilled and for the safety of my friends. I pray we are the ones doing the finding. Amen."
Item breakdown coming soon to a DM Paging thread near you.
At their best guess, it's just a bit shorter than her, but certainly bulkier. It's difficult to make out in the dim light, especially with how close it sticks to the wall, but she discerns the occasional glint of what could be armor. A certain degree of fuzziness around the face could be a beard (though a rather unkempt one if it is), or it could just be the shadows playing tricks.
(OoC: In case people are wondering, only NaShae and Palasha have been able to detect the intruder at this point, thanks to a combination of low-light vision and better Spot and Listen checks than either Natala, Ixchal, or Zap.)
"Because all the information you gave me about it fits with what it did. I didn't just pull the name of the monster out of my arse if thats what you think. Its not like, wow I just watched a bunch of my friends get slaughtered by a pile of tenticles and sewage. Lets pretend its an undead mage."
Nice to know it isn't tentacles.
Not wanting to attack someone who may have survived, she speaks just a bit louder, "Hello?"
. o O(Please don't be...)
[Casts Mage Armor on himself and shares some of the enchantment with his familiar.]
"Be alert for others."
He follows his own advise, letting those in front deal with what is known and ready to alert his friends of anything that shows up that is not. How strange it is that he is thankful not to know who the odd wall-hugging short person is and for having such a good excuse not to look.
The short, broad figure sloshes forward a few paces.
“Well, did yah hear from the Half-orc as well? I come from the left passage where it forks up ahead, I didn’t find anything but yee might want to look. Figured I’d try this away before the other, ‘scarey’ way.” he continues to talk as he walks towards the group. Once in their light he squints his one eye and spits out the side of his mouth. Before them is a very alive dwarf toting a large double headed axe, bigger than the one Boirin carries.
”Well, out with it. Did yah hear from the half-orc? Treacherous creature no doubt. I’se here first, so I get first dibs…”
"We're on a rescue mission," she states flatly. "We've seen no one else."
"Who are you and who is 'The Half-Orc'. There is more than one of the buggers in the city."
Boirin examines Bhurleg's axe. It is indeed bigger than his own. Thinking the one hanging on his wall is about that size, he thinks,
.oO(I've got to give my axe a try some time.)
Tilting her head, she steps forward, "Burleg? Isn't that your name?"
Good afternoon...
One sunrod used, 1 hour burn-time.
”Aye, Burleg Kharne, I returned to the city for a little business, and got side tracked. I didn’t ask the half-orc’s name, ain’t important. He found some gems down here, or so he says. “
Burleg tilts his head and speaks after a brief pause for muttering.
”What are yah rescuing then and from what?”
Boirin studies the dwarf wondering how he'll take the information.
"From this lad's tale, you'll need all the help you can get. I'll go and lend me axe to help if'n I get an equal share in any loot, but I'll make no promises about riskin' me neck for any of yah. "
He runs his finger along the blade of his axe.
"It's been a while since I've swung it good and at something. Don't want to freeze up.. "
"I'll accept your offer. Its 'loot' may not be of much interest to you; this creature is an undead spellcaster. Take the rear for now and limber up if you're feeling stiff."
Burleg lets them pass and then gazes down where they came from and turns to follow the group
"Lotta static in that hair on his face."
He meets the dwafs eyes as he walks past him and falls back to walk in front of him, speaking softly as he dares and trusting the dwarfs hearing.
"Not to underestimate your knowlege, but this thing is very hard to damage without any mystical or elemental means. He is practicly immune to physical blows. Does your weapon carry such an enchantment?"
He glances at the axe, and concentrates more on being aware as he turns to look ahead.
"No, I ain't never had it blessed and figured enchanting did about as much good as cursing."
He looks at the rest of the group.
"What'll they all be usin then? Cept for maybe the Boss man, I'd say I've got yee all beat as far as what my hand can do, with or with out my axe, especially those three." He indicates with an arched finger the three females.
Boirin continues to peer into the gloom as he trudges along through the darkness.
"Besides, it sounds like whoever is already down here needs you, and soon.. "
He nods his head.
"I'm gonna go down thataway after you. If I can help I will, if not, then leave me alone and I'll do the same for you."
He states this flatly assuring them his mind is made up.
"What we are after is our friends, verily storng ones I have witnessed whose metals are tested. The thing that felled them is a being who escaped death through necromantic magic and through a ritual that grants him great strength that is to worry of beyond the fact that he is a spellcaster, one weilding knowlege strong enough to have performed such a feat."
He looks the dwarf square.
"I can tell your metal is worth much to our cause, but you would do well to present you axe for a temporay 'curse' when I bid you to. Without it you may as well strike at solid steel."
"As cramped as these holes are you'll not be movin any faster than me. I don't know what yer after down here or if yer honest at all, but you'll not need to worry with protectin me. I can see to my own good health."
[...]
"I'm gonna go down thataway after you. If I can help I will, if not, then leave me alone and I'll do the same for you."
He states this flatly assuring them his mind is made up.
Natala nods her own head, agreeing to his terms.
"Let's waste no more time, then. Boirin, you were leading us?"
Her tone makes the question almost a command.
And to NaShae, she gives only a brief glance and a slight, almost imperceptible shrug. Natala's lack of response isn't enough to hide her fear from the elf, however — the fortuneteller is more afraid than NaShae has ever seen her.
As he drudges down the tunnel he mutters dwarven curses about bickering allies and those inept for social behavior.
It takes her a second to recognize the eyes; the rest of the frog's dark form is nearly invisible down here.
Burleg whispers to Tynk as he comes to a stop beside the group. He points with his gloved hand furthur down the passage.
"The ceiling above ripples with unfelt currents, and I swim lower whenever shadows flutter overhead."
Two golden orbs that seem to shine open in the muck, straining to remember who he is, who they were.
"Then, without warning, the changes start, and I am drowning. I am no longer one of Her children, I am one of Her slaves. I need Her more but want it less; I need Her to live, but I cannot stay. I am bound yet rejected."
The black frog pauses from the circle he was swimming.
"Why didn't She want me anymore?"
"Cast out, I crawl into the mud, surprised to find my young limbs strong enough to carry me. I am hiding in an alien landscape, cold and unforgiving."
"I'm scared."
"We want to go back. Guo-guo."
The familiar strokes over to a resting spot, surrounded by the smell of decay.
"The words will be written in the shadows, but no one will remember how to read them.
The roads will lead nowhere and everywhere, but no one will care to tread.
We must have died a long, long time ago.”
“Alive, alive, alive… you’re dead.”
---
From the bead of darkness, something between a chirp and a croak echoes very faintly for those with sharp enough ears to pick it up.
[Search +3]
[make that Aid Another]
Boirin pokes around looking for the door, investigating the walls with his hands and such.
[search +11]
Noticing the frog, Shae's eyes widen, "Hex!" Eyes filling with tears again, she kneels to pick up the tiny frog, her voice quiet again, "I wish you could tell me where he is."
"Unhand me, nymph!"
The sewer comes into focus and the frog realizes none of them are waterbound... The haze lifts slightly and Hex recognizes his second master as well as some of the other human shapes.
"Wait, I knew you. He knew you, his last thoughts were of you."
"I remember..."
"I wish I knew what they were saying."
The frog curls up in NaShae's hand, seeking safety, though he knows there would be none down here.
"Hex, where, I don't see the bloody lich. Whos trying to curse us?!"
Then Boirin notices the frog in NaShae's hands, blushes slightly and turns around to investigate the wall again after putting away the axe.
OoC: Not to cause alarm or anything, but before Boirin goes to open the door, may I have a general indication of marching order. The tunnel you're all in at present is approximately 10 ft wide (and plenty long enough).
And again, I only ask for information purposes. Really.
NaShae? What...? she whispers loudly.
She makes sure Palasha behaves, though she knows her familiar is happy to see the frog as well when she catches the bird making a small nest in the pack for him.
"So in what order are we going to go in?"
Hand on the mechanism he waits to open the door.
"I'll take point after you open it," he says to the guide from his spot behind him.
Burleg remains silent and in the rear of the party. He moves to a more central location if chance allows.
. o O (By Agathalos, this is a good sign. How far could they be from here? Should I...No. Not yet.)
Boirin knows that door wasn't closed by him either. There simply wasn't time to worry about niceties like that when he fled this place. It was bviously closed by something else. He has a pretty good idea what that was.
Boirin walks into the room, looking around suspiciously. Heading towards the door he prepairs to open it as well.
The first thing he notices is a faint lingering odor of ash. Only after that does he register the absence of corpses in the corridor.
.oO(Should I feel relieved that he checked the doors previously? Maybe he'd be more careful now if he hadn't... Or maybe I'm being paranoid...)
Boirin walks down the hallway looking for any signs of traps or attacking liches or anything.
[ooc: Boirin slows and looks for traps, Search +11]
"We shouldn't get seperated, but if we're too bunched we could be vulnerable to something like Miri's explosion. Tynk, stay ready with that staff."
The memories clash in the small mystical animal's mind, memories on top of memories, things they did, and things they should have done, and things that might not have happened if...
Hex blinks, "Got to keep it together. Help if I can."
The black frog climbs to peek through at where they are walking. The ash scent in the air permeates the amphibian's skin. Recalling the pit trap at the door last time, Hex chirps lightly with increasing frequency as the humans proceed down the hall.
"I think Hex is getting nervous, be careful."
OoC:
Only the first 15 ft of the corridor have been checked at this point, just in case you feel this particular find is worth investigating further before you proceed to check the rest of the passge. At this point, Boirin can't tell which way his companions were dragged, though he does recall that most of them fell in the room he just left.
Boirin looks around for where they got dragged to. He squats where the trail ends. Then he swears like a miner in dwarven . Looking up at the group, he says,
"I can't tell you where they were dragged after this. We'll have to check the hallway for more clues. But almost all of them died in that room back there. Except for Ulerian, hes the smell of smoke and ash in the hallway."
"I suggest we look for another secret door around the entrance, seing as how the tracks dissapear, and then try further down the hall."
Boirin starts to look for another secret door if no one objects to it.
[ooc: search for secret door, +11]
OoC:
For future reference, Boirin is not that good a tracker. He can see signs that the bodies were dragged away rather than simply, mainly scratches that are probably made dwarven mail scraped against the stone floor, but no idea of where they lead. There are only signs, not a trail, as far as he's concerned. Nevertheless, since it was only natural to conclude that they were dragged somewhere, the search for a secret door was an appropriate reaction, so I've run with that. ;)
"Hay um, mages, I think I found a bit of magic here!"
Boirin demonstrates by waving his hand through the wall.
"Right here."
[color=olive]"Not the end, the beginning. Trust this..."[/color] he croaks as he tries to comfort her, knowing he won't be understood, and not certain the words have any merit anyway.
Brief lives fading out. What proof is there that they are anything else?
The jarring contrast of Burleg's voice draws the frog's attention. He points both amber eyes at the dwarf.
[color=olive]"Who is this stumpy man?"[/color]
.oO(These people are all obviously a little off.. At least ole Hodge can pull a cart, or help carry a load.. I don't think frogs and lizards can do nothin much more than keep the birds hungry..)
[color=olive]"Why does he look at me like that? Oh! I know! He wishes to eat me!"[/color]
The amphibian's large eyes narrow.
[color=olive]"I'll make you swallow your own tongue,"[/color] Hex ribbits lightly.
Bolder in his anguish and delirium, Hex opens his mouth slightly a few times before flicking out a long pink tongue toward the dwarf.
"Well, someone go through and find out what's on the other side... "he says in a coarse whisper that echos in the tunnel.
[swf]See what you can see or smell, Ix, but be as sneaky as you can, I don't want you hurt,[/swf] she whispers, sending the weasel through to scout.
[swm]"No one here, Miri! Just shelves and a chair."[/swm]
OoC:
Dialogue adjustment available upon request. ;)
OoC:
For a better image of the place, imagine three 5-foot square blocks stack to form an L-shape, like so:
O
OO
Picture the top of the uppermost "O" as the wall Mirielle and Gamis just walked through. The shelves are stacked around the three walls bordering the lower "O" furthest to the right in this diagram. Both Gamis and Mirielle can now see freely through the wall they passed through to get to this place, but no one else can at this time -- not even Boirin, curiously enough.
O
OO
Picture the top of the uppermost "O" as the wall Mirielle and Gamis just walked through. The shelves are stacked around the three walls bordering the lower "O" furthest to the right in this diagram. Both Gamis and Mirielle can now see freely through the wall they passed through to get to this place, but no one else can at this time -- not even Boirin, curiously enough.
"I am watching our backs, but let me know what's going on in there."
Gamis' armor gives him indication that he can actualy hear through the illusionary wall. Zap stands next to him, aiding in the prevention of a rear surprise.
"I'll help with the door, you let me know if you find another.. This is small, cramped and unfamiliar and I don't like it.."
Boirin suggest indicating with his head back the way they came.
. o O(Such a formidable opponent! We must hurry...)
The paladin and the weasel find much less success in their own search -- neither can find signs of where the others might have gone.
"Dead end.. or so it seems.. I don't like this place one bit.. "He says to Tynk as he inspects the stone around the little corridor..
"Think these evil creatures made this place?"he asks as he looks around.
Resting a hand on her shoulder, he says to Miri, "We can come back to these afterward."
She turns from the books reluctantly, and returns to the corridor.
We didn't find any clues in there, other than evidence of a spellcaster... I would have expected a lich to have a slightly larger library, though.
The frog wonders how they can do that without tangling all the strings that are attached to their limbs. It occurs to him that at one point he did not know that the humans were moving on strings like marionettes. But he had since come into this knowledge, and now he cannot rememeber which facts are true. So, Hex tries climbing the string he sees running from NaShae's head to the ceiling of the tunnel.
He cannot quite get a grip on it and that leads him to believe that, in fact, they weren't pulled by thread. He could have sworn that it was true, but it has been hard to hold thoughts together since... he can't quite remember.
The other puppets, their strings were cut. That's how he ended up here.
Hex jumps to stick to the wall behind Shae. He stares down at the door they never managed to open, the one that had the hidden pit in front. He hops back to cling to the elf's pack, not letting the door out his sight. The familiar has the strangest notion that if he did, it would open up with a toothy maw and inhale them all. Doors were sneaky like that... always waiting for you to turn your back.
Hex ribbits.
Gamis finds very little dust on the shelves.
Something about the wall at the back of the nook catches Mirielle's attention. This was shaped by magic. It might not be magical, but it's not natural or the work of a mason.
Gamis. Darling, send that dwarf in here, please.
She begins hurriedly transferring books out of the way of potential wall-smashing.
"Burleg, we need you. Found something after all." Coming back to Miri's side he lends a hand. "What is it?" he asks her.
"What have yeh found? Nothing for my axe just yet I suppose.."
I doubt you'll want your axe for this, sir. Please take a look at this wall; I think we're going to want it knocked down or something.
He continues his observation for a painfully long time for those eager to be done with matters here. Then he raps the stone with a fist.
"Solid. No part of the original construction, that's obvious. Can't have been here more than a day, from the look of it. Not the rest of yeh could tell."
He pauses to scratch his beard for a bit, then, in a wry tone, adds "So I'm thinking you'll want it knocked down now?"
"Dead end.. or so it seems.. I don't like this place one bit.. "He says to Tynk as he inspects the stone around the little corridor..
He nods his agreement, allowing himself a small measure of relief that even the stout warrior feels so.
The youth files in behind Burleg for a look at the find, eyeing the books momentarily. He then resumes his position outside next to his lizard and observes the frog's strange behavior.
. o O (Now we only need to make it out alive with our friends to see thier use. But what is wrong with Hex?)
“Aah! Waves and stars, mire and sparks.”
Hex crawls up the leathery surface of the backpack to glare at the reptilian familiar.
“You there!” he chirps incomprehensibly, “It’s up to us now. They were powerless when the time came.”
It no longer occurs at the moment to the dark frog that he might not be right in the head.
“Yes... Now we need to build a bridge across to breach the gate,” he turns from side to side and adds, “And watch out for that stout Master Snake.”
Hex hops down to croak at Zap with the authority of a crazed general.
“Don’t just stand there, gather the supplies.”
A rapid series of impassioned croaks amounting to low noise in the tunnel.
“How will you feel when they are all frozen and dying? Will you have the strength to watch them fall, Young Warrior Lizard?”
The dwarf lumbers over to the wall, muttering inaudibly as he looks it over.
He continues his observation for a painfully long time for those eager to be done with matters here. Then he raps the stone with a fist.
"Solid. No part of the original construction, that's obvious. Can't have been here more than a day, from the look of it. Not the rest of yeh could tell."
He pauses to scratch his beard for a bit, then, in a wry tone, adds "So I'm thinking you'll want it knocked down now?"
Yes, I daresay we will. Mirielle looks up at Gamis, Some sort of precautions? We might be attacked from the corridor, or they -- or it -- might be ready to blast us the minute the wall comes down...
She pokes her head in the other room, "Miri, Hex is acting very strange. I don't want to have to contain him, but I may have to. Do you know somewhere I can keep him safe?"
"Hey! That's enough."
"I know you can hear me think. It's one of the things you do."
The frog stares intently into NaShae's eyes when she looks at him. The reflected gold light hints that not all reason has fled his brain.
He maintains the silent stare while miming an unsual action. The familiar reaches his tiny webbed hands up to his head and then mimics a throwing action toward NaShae's head repeatedly.
"The door was locked, the door was locked, the door was locked..."
She pokes her head in the other room, "Miri, Hex is acting very strange. I don't want to have to contain him, but I may have to. Do you know somewhere I can keep him safe?"
Miri turns to look at NaShae, and bites her lower lip.
Shae... you know a familiar won't leave his master willingly. If... if the worst has happened, well, Hex would be very stressed. We're going to knock down this wall, and there could be fighting then. Maybe you could put Hex in your pack and fasten it shut?
Miri moves next to NaShae, resting a hand on the elf's shoulder, and looking closely at Hex.
Poor thing...
He takes a step back. "It's definitely suspicious, being as new as you say. And I'm sure it won't come down quietly. I don't have the tools for this..." the paladin glances at Burleg.
"Probably the best we can do is stay ready to swing at anything that comes at us and keep Tynk ready with that staff in case of magical attack."
Tynk senses this and is at a loss.
"I've got all the tools we need.. but if it's a well placed wall.. then well, it could take some time.. hours.. If its too solid, I might have to cut through at the edge, and dig there..So what do you think?"
"About right fer you I'd say."he adds before turning to the wall.
"Ye know, This is going to be heard by near everything down here. You sure you want to let'em know we are comin?"
He steps over to the day old wall..and runs his fingers along where it meets the older work.
"Hit it here, where they meet, right after me. Mind your swing! Have one of the other men run and fetch us another pick, a real miners tool..."
Boirin says remembering what his clan uses to do mining.
Burleg holds the pick between his knees and spits in his hands rubbing them together.
Boirin runs down the tunnels heading for the entrance, and once he leaves for hte market place.
[to market square]
The frog familiar rubs his head as if scratching an itch.
[color=olive]"Why won't they listen to me. They've all gone insane."[/color]
Hex sees a slit of light where he might slip out, but he remains in the dark for the time being.
He is struck by an idea and he turns to Mirielle, tapping on her shoulder lightly to avoid alarming her.
"We should take a better look at these findings. There may be parchment tucked in the book pages, maybe a helpful map? A name could be written or something to relate their previous owner."
Miri begins flipping through the books methodically, focusing on the ones written in Draconic, first.
OoC:
Boirin will return in 32 minutes from this point. What will the rest of you do in the meantime?
"Found something."
He hands the sheet to Mirielle.
"As for Boirin...he may be some time in returning.
"We must be at the center of the world..."
OoC
Tynk, while the idea of casting message was a sound one, I'm afraid I'm going to have to rule that it doesn't work in this case. First, I'm pretty sure Boirin had time to get out of range by now. Second, while the spell doesn't require line of sight to maintain communication, the fact that you have to point your finger at creatures you wish to include in the spell effect when you cast it indicates to me that you need to start with line of sight to them.
However, while I'm going to have to rule that the spell doesn't work, I'm also going to rule that you'd know this and thus allow you to edit the post to have not cast the spell, in case it might prove useful later.
However, while I'm going to have to rule that the spell doesn't work, I'm also going to rule that you'd know this and thus allow you to edit the post to have not cast the spell, in case it might prove useful later.
”Well.. I rekon I over compensated for the thickness.. Wonder why it was so thin?”
Burleg steps back and waits for the better thinkers to decide what’s next. In the meantime, pack and lights his pipe. The embers give him a dim red twinkle in his eyes as he clamps onto the pipe freeing up both hands for the axe….
E,
send several of your creations into the sewers near the river over the next few weeks. It would seem that S could use a diversion right about now. The funds should cover everything, including your fee. I'd also like your cooperation in ensorcelling my pets the way you've done with your guardian -- a magnificent piece of work, and I must commend you for it. Send me a quote on the price and we'll arrange a time.
-- N
Gamis can find no indication that anyone was dragged this way.
There are at least three people involved, she says quietly to the others. Who-or-whatever was 'existing' down here, someone who paid him off, and someone allied to them.
"Someone's been soliciting him," he says as his teeth grind.
Hex chirps as he looks between the shiny man and the elf mate.
"They are too big, they can't hear me. Guo-guo."
The familiar cranes his little head left and right. He hears a beat in the back of his mind, as if the stone catacombs have a pulse.
Such noise. How can they get anything done?
"Any webfoots here!?" a louder croak echoes as the frog calls out to any others of his kind that might dwell in the sewer tunnel.
It takes Mirielle only an instant to realize what this is and just how much danger they're all in. Meanwhile, NaShae and Gamis have just enough time to see something moving up ahead before the cloud engulfs them all.
OoC:
Mirielle's Spellcraft check is sufficient to recognize a cloudkill effect. Based on descriptions, it catches the following people at this time: Gamis, Mirielle, NaShae, and Tynk, all of whom take 1 point of Con damage. (It also does 1 point of Con damage to Zap, but each of the other three familiars in the room take 2 points of Con damage.) The first post of the thread has been adjusted accordingly.
The initiative order is:
Please don't feel you have to wait for your turn in the initiative order to make a post. In fact, please don't wait for your turn. Things will move more smoothly if you don't, even if we have to make adjustments as we go.
Regrettably, Boirin still isn't here at this time. However, to make up for having to wait, I'm including an extra little scene below, just for him.
The initiative order is:
- NaShae
- Zap
- Gamis
- Hex
- Burleg
- Natala
- Shadowy Figure
- Palasha
- Ixchal
- Tynk
- Mirielle
Please don't feel you have to wait for your turn in the initiative order to make a post. In fact, please don't wait for your turn. Things will move more smoothly if you don't, even if we have to make adjustments as we go.
Regrettably, Boirin still isn't here at this time. However, to make up for having to wait, I'm including an extra little scene below, just for him.
The frog squirms out of the pouch.
[color=olive]"Must get underwater..."[/color]
Hex sees they are still in the room next to the corridor.
[color=olive]"Must get upwind..."[/color]
He notes the immense size of the moving cloud.
[color=olive]"Must get to higher ground..."[/color]
Hex climbs over to where Palasha is on NaShae's pack and acsends up to the kestrel's back.
[color=olive]"Fly!"[/color] the unhinged frog looks about as the vapors poison his breath through his skin.
In his mind, Hex now sees only a colossal yellow dragonfly larvae looking for prey with multiple hideous and spiny forelimbs. Though he doesn't believe he was ever truly a natural animal, Hex prepares to make a dash for water, as his deepest instinct compels him.
---
[Readies to flee from gas cloud if party remains still.]
.oO(This better be worth it. Bloody death trap gives me the creeps.)
He walks along atop the water, and is still mildly disturbed by the feel of stepping on the muck as if it were dry ground. Then off to the distance he notices something, a wake a shift of the muck, like a rat under a rug, coming towards him.
.oO(Great another deader, just my luck to find one when there's no one to back me up.)
Then the voice of his foster father filters through his thoughts. .oO("No matter how thick the cackie gets, remember lad, its allways better to die trying!")
.oO(Might as well pops, might as well.)
In a snakelike motion Boirin pulls out the axe and lets its dim glow fill the hallway. He watches the wake, and, judging his distance, he closes the gap between himself and the ominous bulge. Swinging the axe low in a tight grip, trying to get the head of the weapon to bite under the water. He aims for the creature's theoretical brainpan.
OoC: Boirin charges and attacks, +11 (+6 BAB, +2 Str, +2 Charge, +1 majik) with Aramil's Axe 1d10+4. If I'm really lucky thats just a normal, alive, monster, but I doubt it, if it is I think I get sneak attack +4d6.
.oO(This could be the lich. My mace hasn't been enchanted yet. But we can't give it a chance to work on us.)
"There!" he calls, pointing with his weapon, then runs forward to attack.
[Power Attack for 2]
"Is the fog deadly?"he asks in despiration.
OoC:
Just replying to Boirin for the moment, waiting for a few more parties to chime in before I give results for the main group.
First the bad news. Drawing a weapon can only be performed as a free action as part of a regular move. The good news, however, is that it was within reach of a single move, and that the attack roll came up as a 20. The bad news is that even if it had been possible to charge, you still missed the confirmation of the critcal.
However, there is more good news -- it turns out that it wasn't immune to sneak attack damage.
Then again, there's also more bad news. Boirin takes 9 (+1 nonlethal) hp of damage from its attack. On the other hand, the poison save was successful.
First the bad news. Drawing a weapon can only be performed as a free action as part of a regular move. The good news, however, is that it was within reach of a single move, and that the attack roll came up as a 20. The bad news is that even if it had been possible to charge, you still missed the confirmation of the critcal.
However, there is more good news -- it turns out that it wasn't immune to sneak attack damage.
Then again, there's also more bad news. Boirin takes 9 (+1 nonlethal) hp of damage from its attack. On the other hand, the poison save was successful.
[Casts Haste on Gamis, Mirielle, Boirin, and himself.]
With amazing speed, Zap runs forward just close and long enough for a single shock, watching for any effects it may have before bouncing back a few feet safer.
Shae grabs Hex and hurries away from the spreading gas. Calling to Palasha, she holds out the frog, "Take Hex. Take him somewhere safe. Home if you can."
Recoiling from the snap at his calves he curses the big lizzard.
[dwarven]"Die you dainty, pointy-eared, halfling's armpit!"
Boirin swings the axe like a lumber jack tryin' to snap the crocodile's back!
[ooc: Full attack, +9, +4 1d10+4 damage]
Zap squeals as the creature spears him, but manages to pull free, carefully avoiding further jabs and an offhand swipe.
Natala is startled to see Palasha fly past. Curious, she sticks her head through the shadow wall to see Burleg warily examining the cloud before him, hearing the coughing of those within.
Eyes widening, she wastes no time considering the situation or the reason or why she'd no idea of what was happening from the other side of the veil, instead banishing the cloud with a gesture.
Mirielle doesn't recognize the creature revealed by the parting fog, but its as though its glowing red eyes practically seem to radiate hatred.
OoC:
I assure you that all initiative modifiers were taken into account. Hey, the poor paladin has gone last so many times it's not funnny. He was overdue for a better place in turn order. :P
Unfortunately, Tynk is going to have to choose between one of three options, due to the limits of the effect (one creature/level, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart):
1. Cast haste to affect himself, Gamis, and Zap.
2. Cast the spell to affect himself, Burleg, NaShae, Natala, and Mirielle, since Palasha and Hex will have moved beyond that limit.
3. Delay casting the spell until after Mirielle moves, in which case the result is as with #1, except that Mirielle is also affected.
Note also that the problem with casting it on Tynk to share the spell with Zap is that the spell effect ceases to affect him as soon as he moves more than 5 ft. from Tynk, as is the case here. Shared spells have a very limited range.
Also, due to the limits of drawing a weapon on the move, Gamis was unable to move far enough to attack this round. I've instead given him a double move.
Zap delivered nonlethal 6 hp of damage with that jolt. He then takes 11 hp of damage, +1 nonlethal. (This leaves him with 3 hp.)
Natala cast her silent dispel magic, which removed the cloudkill. Her action was delayed until after Palasha's turn, and I've delayed Burleg's action to take place after hers now, freeing him up to take his own turn.
Also, since Mirielle acted after the cloud was dispelled, she now has a visual target, should she wish to make use of the fact.
Unfortunately, Tynk is going to have to choose between one of three options, due to the limits of the effect (one creature/level, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart):
1. Cast haste to affect himself, Gamis, and Zap.
2. Cast the spell to affect himself, Burleg, NaShae, Natala, and Mirielle, since Palasha and Hex will have moved beyond that limit.
3. Delay casting the spell until after Mirielle moves, in which case the result is as with #1, except that Mirielle is also affected.
Note also that the problem with casting it on Tynk to share the spell with Zap is that the spell effect ceases to affect him as soon as he moves more than 5 ft. from Tynk, as is the case here. Shared spells have a very limited range.
Also, due to the limits of drawing a weapon on the move, Gamis was unable to move far enough to attack this round. I've instead given him a double move.
Zap delivered nonlethal 6 hp of damage with that jolt. He then takes 11 hp of damage, +1 nonlethal. (This leaves him with 3 hp.)
Natala cast her silent dispel magic, which removed the cloudkill. Her action was delayed until after Palasha's turn, and I've delayed Burleg's action to take place after hers now, freeing him up to take his own turn.
Also, since Mirielle acted after the cloud was dispelled, she now has a visual target, should she wish to make use of the fact.
- NaShae
- Zap
- Gamis
- Hex
- Beetlelike Creature
- Palasha
- Natala
- Burleg
- Ixchal
- Tynk
- Mirielle
.oO(At least distract him, while Gamis finishes him off...)
OoC:
Yup. Spell resistance.
[color=olive]"Guo-guo... too big... guo-guo..."[/color]
The frog taps the bird on the shoulder when they find a place to stop. With large gold eyes, Hex scans the sewer.
[color=olive]"Here again... Always running... We can't be finished yet,"[/color] he ribbits.
If the room and tunnels would only stop spinning for a moment.
"Tynk, get Zap back! She's not Valor!" he shouts as his mace falls to the floor with a dull thud. His blade sings its way out of its scabbard and his off hand joins the grip as he sets it over his left shoulder. A double pass straddling Zap brings him within reach and he slashes at the creature's right hind leg.
[drawing sword, 5' step, two-handed Power Attack for 3]
[ooc:Full atack, +9/ +4, 1d10+4]
"Sorry Zap, bad choice.
"He readies himself with his crossbow in the case that cover-fire for a retreat is needed, working on freeing a minor healing potion for his little injured friend.
"Outta my way!"He shouts as he runs full speed down the hallway.
{OOC: Burleg will spend this round and next if need be running at full speed to get to the beetle and will attack asap}
Mirielle flattens herself against the wall as the dwarf charges past.
Okay... sometimes brute force is best...
Natala peeks around the corner to check on the source of commotion. She briefly takes in the battle up ahead before focusing on Tynk and his injured familiar, using a minor healing spell on Zap.
OoC:
Since Tynk didn't select from the options presented, I'm going to have to do it. I opted for him to delay the spell (he now comes after Mirielle in the initiative order), thus hasting himself, Gamis, Mirielle, Ixchal (in the absence of another eligible target), and Zap. As Burleg managed to come into this area before Tynk's turn, I will allow him to be selected as a target also.
Unfortunately, Burleg needs to move in a straight line to run, so he's limited to a double move. This delayed his arrival on the front line for a round, as he cannot end his turn in an occupied square. Regrettably, he had to draw an AoO to get an attack in this round, but it missed and it does put their enemy between foes. However, I don't know what weapon Burleg intended to use, so I haven't made the attack roll for him just yet.
I've also delayed NaShae's action for this round to allow her more time to select an action. If necessary, I will declare an action for her.
Zap delivered nonlethal 6 hp of damage with that jolt. Natala converted deathwatch to cure light wounds, healing the familiar for 6 hp, plus 1 nonlethal. It won't be able to use the potion until round 3, when Tynk can act again.
Gamis took 1 hp of damage, plus 8 nonlethal. This assumes I have him wearing the correct armor for this assignment. Please review the first post and advise me if I'm incorrect. If he's in a chain shirt instead, he's taken 5 hp of damage, plus 4 nonlethal.
Unfortunately, Burleg needs to move in a straight line to run, so he's limited to a double move. This delayed his arrival on the front line for a round, as he cannot end his turn in an occupied square. Regrettably, he had to draw an AoO to get an attack in this round, but it missed and it does put their enemy between foes. However, I don't know what weapon Burleg intended to use, so I haven't made the attack roll for him just yet.
I've also delayed NaShae's action for this round to allow her more time to select an action. If necessary, I will declare an action for her.
Zap delivered nonlethal 6 hp of damage with that jolt. Natala converted deathwatch to cure light wounds, healing the familiar for 6 hp, plus 1 nonlethal. It won't be able to use the potion until round 3, when Tynk can act again.
Gamis took 1 hp of damage, plus 8 nonlethal. This assumes I have him wearing the correct armor for this assignment. Please review the first post and advise me if I'm incorrect. If he's in a chain shirt instead, he's taken 5 hp of damage, plus 4 nonlethal.
- Zap (9/14 hp, haste 1/8 rounds)
- Gamis (69/70 hp +8 nonlethal, haste 1/8 rounds)
- Hex
- Beetlelike Creature
- Palasha
- Natala
- Burleg (haste 1/8 rounds)
- Tynk (hasted for 1/8 rounds)
- NaShae
- Ixchal (haste 0/8 rounds)
- Mirielle (haste 0/8 rounds)
”Somethin’s happened to me.. I feel 50 years younger!”
Burleg tries to hit the beast with a little grit, imagining it a rock needing splitting, that will reveal a rich ore.
[OOC: Power attack +1 on each, +2 Damage to attacks]
[full attack, two-handed Power Attack for 3]
The cold-blooded amphibian feels his body warming as heat is absorbed from the kestrel he clings to. This lets his thoughts flow more freely. The fear had left him cold. Hex recalls memories of being frozen solid in a block of ice to survive a harsh winter. The cognitive logic did not come so easily then.
The familiar tries to think of his master but only finds a black hole in his mind, as if the memory was blotted out with ink.
[color=olive]"I am not just a frog,"[/color] Hex keeps telling himself; he was more.
OoC:
After reviewing NaShae's character sheet and feat selection (particularly Point Blank Shot and Precise Shot), I opted to have her cast ray of enfeeblement. Unfortunately, I rolled very poorly on the attack roll.
I also had Mirielle cast keen edge on Gamis' sword, with the idea of avoiding the issue of spell resistance for the moment and giving Gamis a bit of an offensive boost (one that should last almost two hours).
As chance would have it, this spell was a fortuitous choice -- Gamis scored and confirmed a crit on his first attack of the round because of it. Sadly, he missed on the bonus attack, but he then went on to crit on his next attack roll (again thanks to keen edge, and just barely making the confirmation roll again!) Unfortunately, he missed on his final attack roll, but the overall results are better than he'd have scored if he'd hit (but not critted) all four times! In return, it barely managed to hit him once, but causes another 8 hp of damage (+4 nonlethal). Burleg's first attack roll missed, but the bonus attack hit (with respectable damage, I might add) and he barely scored a hit on his final attack (and barely got some damage through as well).
All in all, this has been a very poor round for your adversary, but it's still in the fight. The next person in the initiative order is Natala, but once again, please don't feel you need to wait your turn to post your action. (If circumstances suggest that you might wish to adjust your action, either let me know or I will make an attempt to contact you before I post.
I also had Mirielle cast keen edge on Gamis' sword, with the idea of avoiding the issue of spell resistance for the moment and giving Gamis a bit of an offensive boost (one that should last almost two hours).
As chance would have it, this spell was a fortuitous choice -- Gamis scored and confirmed a crit on his first attack of the round because of it. Sadly, he missed on the bonus attack, but he then went on to crit on his next attack roll (again thanks to keen edge, and just barely making the confirmation roll again!) Unfortunately, he missed on his final attack roll, but the overall results are better than he'd have scored if he'd hit (but not critted) all four times! In return, it barely managed to hit him once, but causes another 8 hp of damage (+4 nonlethal). Burleg's first attack roll missed, but the bonus attack hit (with respectable damage, I might add) and he barely scored a hit on his final attack (and barely got some damage through as well).
All in all, this has been a very poor round for your adversary, but it's still in the fight. The next person in the initiative order is Natala, but once again, please don't feel you need to wait your turn to post your action. (If circumstances suggest that you might wish to adjust your action, either let me know or I will make an attempt to contact you before I post.
- Zap (9/14 hp, haste 2/8 rounds)
- Gamis (61/70 hp +12 nonlethal, haste 2/8 rounds)
- Hex
- Beetlelike Creature
- Palasha
- Burleg (haste 2/8 rounds)
- Natala
- Tynk (hasted for 1/8 rounds)
- NaShae
- Ixchal (haste 0/8 rounds)
- Mirielle (haste 0/8 rounds)
[OOC: Assuming Burleg is flanking the beast, he'll take 2 off with power attack and add 4 to the damage]
"Keep it up!"
He follows the phrase, maintaining his barrage.
[full attack, two-handed Power Attack for 3]
OoC
Greater Magic Weapon
He closes the distance to stand beside and behind the skilled mage, brushing her shoulder to release the energies that will offer her aid.
OoC
Cat's Grace on Mirielle, ready to put himself defensively between her and the creature should it charge past Gamis.
OoC:
To keep things moving along, I've posted both of Natala's turns here, one to move toward Gamis and convert calm emotions to cure moderate wounds (I decided to have her prepare a higher level cure in case Gamis got injured while she was coming to him, but wouldn't you know this would be the round the monster can't hit him at all?) and the second to deliver the touch. Gamis didn't score a critical this time around, but there were three hits between you. Gamis is back up to full health (well, less the point of Con damage).
Shae, I really don't know what my dice have against you -- once again, I rolled incredibly low with ray of enfeeblement. I'll have to try something different next time, unless you get a chance to make a post or call for another action by PM. As for Miri... I just didn't roll high enough. :P
We're back around to Tynk's turn now, but again, post when you can.
Shae, I really don't know what my dice have against you -- once again, I rolled incredibly low with ray of enfeeblement. I'll have to try something different next time, unless you get a chance to make a post or call for another action by PM. As for Miri... I just didn't roll high enough. :P
We're back around to Tynk's turn now, but again, post when you can.
- Zap (9/14 hp, haste 3/8 rounds)
- Gamis (haste 3/8 rounds)
- Hex
- Beetlelike Creature
- Palasha
- Burleg (haste 3/8 rounds)
- Natala
- NaShae
- Ixchal (haste 3/8 rounds)
- Mirielle (haste 3/8 rounds)
- Tynk (hasted for 2/8 rounds)
"I thought the pick was too small for your arm.. maybe you should hit it!"he jests at the human who keeps hacking away with him.
{ooc: exact same action as last time.}
Pulling back from the thing, Boirin raises the axe again striking as quickly as he can and with as much strength as he can muster.
[ooc:Full attack +9/+4, 1d10+4]
[full attack, two-handed Power Attack for 4]
She ducks aside to avoid a bolt flying past.
.oO(And my job is to keep the others on their feet until we reach our goal.)
And then, suddenly, it is as though the monster was never there. It simply vanishes.
OoC:
Since drawing the weapon counts as a move action, Tynk still has time to include a standard action this round, if he wishes. Of course, it might be a moot point now that the monster is gone. For this reason, NaShae is no longer committed to casting the last spell she intended to use.
- Zap (9/14 hp, haste 4/8 rounds)
- Gamis (haste 4/8 rounds)
- Hex
- Palasha
- Burleg (haste 3/8 rounds)
- Natala
- NaShae
- Ixchal (haste 3/8 rounds)
- Mirielle (haste 3/8 rounds)
- Tynk (hasted for 3/8 rounds)
"No one let me do anything stupid from here on; I think I've used up my luck for the day."
He looks at his blade, and finds it free of the creature's blood. He glances at the spot where it had stood and sheathes the weapon. "Summoned," he says, glancing at Miri. He picks up his mace and holsters it. "Burleg, are you hurt?"
Burleg mumbles a few curses at the vanishing act and turns towards the corridor..
"Whatever is down here doesn't want this fight and would rather escape.. We are being slowed."
Glancing back, she nods to Tynk, Thank you.
Still holding the crossbow in her right hand, she steps up and pats Gamis on the arm as though to reassure herself that he is there, still.
[swf]Ix, scout ahead please. Be careful.[/swf]
[swm]Someone is watching, Miri! Can't see or smell or hear but someone is here!"[/swm]
"That creature was summoned, alright. This means that trouble is not far at all." he says in a low voice as he holsters his crossbow, removes a golden rod from his belt, and adjusts the cloth band covering his headband.
OoC
Casts Fox's Cunning on Mirielle.
Gesturing Natala and the others closer, she repeats her whispered warning.
[detect evil]
~~~
Gamis can sense no evil in his immediate vicinity, yes Ixchal still seems quite tense, looking about frantically for something she cannot find.
"Let's get on with it.. It'll get us and we can kill it!"Burleg says with a harsh whisper. He turns and slowly goes forward down the passage.
OoC:
The minute Tynk thinks a spell is being cast at the group he will attempt to dispell with the staff.
.oO(I should be able to sense a wraith, something incorporeal, shouldn't I? And she'd smell something just invisible.)
"Perhaps these are reasonable undead..."He mentions half heartedly as he squints back at the light.
Yes, let's find Kywyn and get out of here...
.oO(Could Ixchal sense a divination being cast on us?)
She muses over the thought, while maintaining her alertness to her surroundings.
"You think there are more false doors or traps, or is this simply as plain as it looks?"
[color=olive]"Where are the giants? Taking too long,"[/color] the frog gazes toward the passage to the hall.
He turns side to side, thinking he hears whispers from the exits, before Palasha manages to shake him off. He lands softly next to her.
[color=olive]"Hush..."[/color]
OoC:
Boirin (as well as Hex and Palasha) may now rejoin the group from this point. Boirin suffers no further consequences from his previous encounter.
"That dragonfly spawn might still be around..." he eyes the passage suspiciously and motions for Palasha to edge forward.
"You know.. we've just said 'Here we are, and we are comin in.’ You sure you wanna just walk down that hall lookin around? Whatever is down here Is smart, and dangerous, and know its business. “
Burleg puts both hands on his axe and sizes up the situation a little more in his mind as he watches out for Boirin and his trap finding.
"Hello, got the picks, I would have been sooner but I ran into a snake that wanted me dead."
Boirin looks at the tossled appearance of the group.
"Looks like you had a run in with something too."
[color=olive]"Tired..."[/color] he thinks, still feeling the effects of the poison gas, [color=olive]"Must stay... awake..."[/color]
"It came down quicker than expected and we found a monster on the other side," he says to the other human man. "Do you need healing?"
Boirin is a little annoyed at running around to get picks he didn't need, but packs them up with him anyway, just in case.
"Once I get patched up I can look for traps."
"Looks though we weren't the only ones to find trouble. You should drink this."
OoC:
Tynk hands a Cure Moderate Wounds potion to Boirin.
"We must hurry. Are we ready?"
"Let's get on with it.. we've been held up long enough."
OoC:
Boirin recovers 13 hp and heals all nonlethal damage, leaving him just 1 hp shy of his full total. First post has been updated.
OoC:
Also, Tynk's spells have expired by this time. Both greater magic weapon and keen weapon are still in effect.
If no one objects, Boirin does just that.
[color=olive]"Could not kiss, just regress..."[/color]
The black glob crawls to look down the first corridor, trailing the others when they decide to move ahead, but staying out of their way.
[color=olive]"All too big, guo-guo. Is it the stomach of some beast that's eaten us all without our knowing? How did I get here again?"[/color] Hex struggles.
Boirin stands out of the way for the paladin to listen at the doors, his tools dissapearing somewhere about his person.
"I assume it's been a day or two since yer friends went missing. These door haven't been used for at least a day or so..."
Burleg gives the walls and floors a closer look.
And while Gamis listens, he can hear nothing beyond any of the doors.
Burleg looks to those more qualified with such things for some remedy as he slowly brings his axe to the ready.
"Give a hand would you?" He says to Natala as moves past her.
He walks back down the long hallway between the beetle and the store room. He checks the walls and floor for any tracks other than the ones just left by the group. He also prods and pokes the walls as he goes along..
.oO(They've got us right were they want us.. Well, not ole Burleg, he'll not be trapped like a rat in a hole!)
Furious, she steps up next to Gamis. I'm not going out of my way to pull his bacon out of the fire if he's going to stir the coals like that!
”Hopefully I’m wrong. I’m tougher than I look, don’t worry, sides, you’ve got Mr. Steel down there to keep you all safe.” this last part is mainly echoes as he turns the corner talking.
Instead, he stares ahead over the pit at the unreachable door. The familiar keeps watching for NaShae and Natala, drawn by some other bond he doesn't remember fully.
Burleg can find no sign that anything -- or anyone -- was dragged along the passage. The half-elf follows him as far as the bend in the passage, but no further, probably because she, unlike him, cannot afford to get too far away from Boirin's light source.
Gamis quickly discovers that the door in front of him is locked.
the dwarf thinks to himself as he searches along the passage. He notes the half elf stopping and exhales heavily through his nose. He wracks his very black and white brain for a reason he is even helping these foolish people. Whatever they are tracking down in this hole is smarter than they, but more so, Burleg. Escape would be easy now. He could leave and take a left out of here and find what the treacherous half-orc said he found down here. He grumbles to himself and slowly turns back towards Natala.
.oO(Better stay close if I wish to make a name for myself again in these parts. Maybe if we do find it and kill or capture it we can loot it for more than imaginary corpses!)
The greedy little thought warms the dwarf. His mind has always been one of riches, and despite his set backs, he was ready to get what was owed him. What he thought was owed him...
.oO(Well I should get a cut if I do my part, but that's funny.. hmmm...)
He turns again, and go back out the false wall, back to the begining. Here he searchs for signs of a battle, and the bodies, and what may or may not have happened to him. If nothing imprtant is found, he will trot back to the group
He begins to systematically check and open (and kick in if necessary) the doors in this passage and take stock of what lies beyond them.
OoC
Will attempt to break down each of the doors if they don't seem to pose too great a challenge--"good" quality or worse
Meanwhile, Burleg has more luck finding signs of recent activity when he's back out beyond the shadow wall. He's quickly able to determine that something made at least two, possibly three, trips down the hall, toward the pit or door beyond it, with heavy loads.
OoC:
And by a large room, I mean 60 ft by 25 ft, measured so that the far wall is 25 ft away.
.oO(What have we here? Ole Burleg figured yah out.. Have a look and get the others...)
OoC:
I haven't had Gamis try to open the door at the end of the hall yet, since he's found something behind the two unlocked doors. If he'd prefer to try that again as well, let me know -- or let me know if the group is checking the lab they found.
In the meantime, Burleg has found something else.
In the meantime, Burleg has found something else.
.oO(Well, there they are.. not hidden.. hmm better get the rest)
Burleg turns and makes his way back to the group at a quick pace. He turns the corner and walks past everyone to Gamis and the door. He looks in with a quick glance and turns to the man in metal.
"I found them.. at least three.. maybe four...all dead or damn near it. In the pit. Just piled up in the muck..."
Burleg indicates the direction and leads them back should they choose to go back.
.oO(If they're already dead, would it hurt to look at these things first?)
She bites her lip and looks up at Gamis, then casts her eyes towards NaShae.
"Do what you can for her with Natala," he murmurs to Miri, following her look to NaShae. .oO(They could be bait...) "In the storeroom. The laboratory tells me that we're awfully close, so no more separation."
He places a hand on Boirin's shoulder. To Burleg he says, "Show us."
"Um, for future refrence, I'm a pretty good locksmith. I can probably open everything in here. Next time I'll pick 'em open, sorry just..."
Boirin sighs. .oO(This whole bloody thing hasn't worked out the way it should.) He notices Bhurleg coming back. His contenance darkens visibly with the news.
.oO(At least the elf woman won't try to strangle me for leaving him down here alive...)
Stirred from his thoughts as he feels Gamis's heavy hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah, sure." It catches in his throat. As if there was more.
"This way."
Boirin heads on deeper.
"See.. trickery."he adds as he turns, tapping his finger to his head.
He leads them back out and to the right after the false wall.
"There they are, in the pit.. it's quite a drop so mind yourselves."
Burleg points to the pit, but stays back, and moves to the wall opposite the false one
At the pit, he looks down, casting the light from his ring as he judges the distance and breaks out his rope. (Just dumped them into here...?)Oo. he thinks solemnly.
[color=olive]"All this chattering the giants do, they'll dry themselves out. This will all make sense when the rain returns..."[/color] the frog thinks froggy thoughts.
Hex keeps still while listening and watching for any signs of disturbance, ready to croak a warning if needed.
Ulerian.
"I'm ready when you are."
When the Paladin has braced himself he climbs down the rope.
[ooc: Climb +11]
Search the pit as he might, however, he is unable to find the body of Ulerian.
"HsT!" He warns, hopeful it is loud enough to signal it to the rest.
Raising her crossbow, she waits.
The frog then curls up against the wall where it meets the the floor, the animal urge to hide overpowering any sense of bravery he had. He has a vague sense of what the party is retrieving, and he watches NaShae trying to cope.
.oO(I'll call on the Mother's vision to see beyond these illusions if it can't be avoided, but I don't want to lose our chance to escape quickly if things go badly.)
...but otherwise stays close to NaShae, hoping to lend strength and calm to the young elf, especially as they find her love's body and draw it out of the pit. At the sound of the shuffling, though, she starts and stiffens.
"Is it in this tunnel?" she whispers, seeing the others' reactions and straining to see beyond the light. "From the sound of it, I thought it was in another."
"I am not the only one to here something...from over there."he wispers to Burleg as he points with a wave.
. o O(If it's him, I'll need to be quick to enchant his axe...)
...and he readies the components.
Mirielle senses the animal's overwhelming terror, but not the cause of it.
OoC:
Map
The green lines represent doors, red is the pit, and that other non-black color represents the secret entrance and the illusory wall. The numbers represent the characters as follows:
1 = Boirin (with sunrod)
2 = Gamis
3 = Burleg
4 = Mirielle
5 = NaShae
6 = Natala
7 = Tynk
8 = Zap
9 = Ixchal (moved ahead to next turn, where Tynk has tossed the sunrod)
H = Hex (actually Hex is probably on the other side of that door behind him, but the door is open)
Initiative Order:
The green lines represent doors, red is the pit, and that other non-black color represents the secret entrance and the illusory wall. The numbers represent the characters as follows:
1 = Boirin (with sunrod)
2 = Gamis
3 = Burleg
4 = Mirielle
5 = NaShae
6 = Natala
7 = Tynk
8 = Zap
9 = Ixchal (moved ahead to next turn, where Tynk has tossed the sunrod)
H = Hex (actually Hex is probably on the other side of that door behind him, but the door is open)
Initiative Order:
- Tynk (24)
- Palasha (20; higher modifier)
- Mirielle (20; lower modifier)
- Boirin (18; highest modifier)
- Ixchal (18; lower modifier, won tie-break)
- Burleg (18; lower modifier, lost tie-break)
- NaShae (15; higher modifier)
- Gamis (15; lower modifier)
- Zap (8)
- Hex (6)
- Natala (4)
.oO(Need help... something to get between Ix and whatever it is...)
OoC:
Mirielle will cast Summon Monster IV upon reaching visual range of the... 'situation.' I'll decide what exactly she summons when I find out what we're up against!
OoC:
Cast's Magic Weapon on Burleg's axe.
[OOC: Assuming Tynk can still magic up the axe, that is what Burleg will do. Move as far forward as he can, preferably between Weasel and Terror the TPK Monster]
NaShae hardly notices this, however, instead following Boirin into the next room, where she immediately ensures that Palasha and Hex are still well.
OoC:
Weasel, Tynk, not ferret. And whispers. Whispers, whispers, whispers, whispers. Please notice the h. I'd let it go, but over the last few years you never seem to have passed up a chance to use the word. :P
And I'm afraid Mirielle rolled a 1 on her saving throw this time, while Burleg didn't do much better.
I've taken us up to NaShae in the initiative order, giving Gamis a little more time to post. In the meantime, I'm holding off on further details down the passage with Burleg, Ixchal, and Mirielle a little bit longer.
And I'm afraid Mirielle rolled a 1 on her saving throw this time, while Burleg didn't do much better.
I've taken us up to NaShae in the initiative order, giving Gamis a little more time to post. In the meantime, I'm holding off on further details down the passage with Burleg, Ixchal, and Mirielle a little bit longer.
.oO(Back! No! BACK!!!)He tries to yell, but nothing comes, just thoughts, nightmares. He tries to turn and flee but he can't. The terror moves closer. He wants to shut his eyes but they too are frozen. The proud dwarf stands there, axe held overhead, and can do nothing.
.oO(no, we must get away!)he think in tired desperation.
"The liche's magic must have gotten to him."
He waits for an oponant. Hopefully this time everyone won't die. Well everyone being everyone but him. The devil is in the details.
Hex envisions a primordial water and muck where everything is alive or about to be. It seems the safest protection, always find the water.
Hex chirps an obscure warning.
"Stay..."
The familiar mimes covering his eyes.
Burleg and Mirielle can only watch helplessly as a band of three heavily bandaged figures, only one of them passably human, advance slowly upon them. The first of them slashes the dwarf across the face with a clawed hand.
The entrance to the sewer is pulled aside and a pair of scaly green creatures with long tails and wild beards rush in, glaives swinging wildly back and forth to keep their enemies back. One sawed blade cuts across Boirin's chest, drawing blood.
And then, behind them, another figure steps into view. Impossibly thin, with scaled skin the color of ash and eyes that glow with a hateful fire, it is a terrifying sight. A few quick words fill the space behind Boirin with heavy webbing, entangling all in the area.
But just as it looks hopeless, they hear Natala call upon her Mother for aid. Gratefully, both Mirielle and Burleg feel the terror release its hold upon their muscles.
Maybe, just maybe, they'll get out of here alive after all.
OoC:
Boirin takes 13 hp of damage +1 nonlethal, while Burleg takes 5 hp of damage +2 nonlethal.
There is also another map forthcoming. The green outlined squares (which contains everyone but Boirin and Burleg) are webbed areas. Gamis and NaShae both made their save against the spell, but no one else did. However, Natala is completely unimpeded by the web, enabling her to move and cast spells freely at this time. Mirielle, Tynk, and NaShae may find this more difficult until they can either get free of remove the webbing from the area.
Natala cast remove paralysis on both Burleg and Mirielle, who both made their saving throws. Ixchal and Zap, however, remain paralysed with fear.
Key:
1 = Boirin
2 = Gamis
3 = Burleg
4 = Mirielle (shares her square with Ixchal, #9)
5 = NaShae
6 = Natala (Natala is actually one square above the one listed, which is instead occupied by Zap, #8)
7 = Tynk
Rust (Red) 1 = Unusual Mummy #1
Rust 2 = Unusual Mummy #2
Rust 3 = The Sort of Mummy Me Mum Used to Tell Us About
Rust 4 = Glaive Wielder #1
Rust 5 = Glaive Wielder #2
Rust 6 = Emaciated Fellow with Glowing Red Eyes
(I have put the glaive wielders on the wrong squares on this map. They're both 5 feet to the left of their indicated position. For a better idea of the distances involved, hit "Continue Drawing" and then select "Grid On" under file.)
Initiative Order:
There is also another map forthcoming. The green outlined squares (which contains everyone but Boirin and Burleg) are webbed areas. Gamis and NaShae both made their save against the spell, but no one else did. However, Natala is completely unimpeded by the web, enabling her to move and cast spells freely at this time. Mirielle, Tynk, and NaShae may find this more difficult until they can either get free of remove the webbing from the area.
Natala cast remove paralysis on both Burleg and Mirielle, who both made their saving throws. Ixchal and Zap, however, remain paralysed with fear.
Key:
1 = Boirin
2 = Gamis
3 = Burleg
4 = Mirielle (shares her square with Ixchal, #9)
5 = NaShae
6 = Natala (Natala is actually one square above the one listed, which is instead occupied by Zap, #8)
7 = Tynk
Rust (Red) 1 = Unusual Mummy #1
Rust 2 = Unusual Mummy #2
Rust 3 = The Sort of Mummy Me Mum Used to Tell Us About
Rust 4 = Glaive Wielder #1
Rust 5 = Glaive Wielder #2
Rust 6 = Emaciated Fellow with Glowing Red Eyes
(I have put the glaive wielders on the wrong squares on this map. They're both 5 feet to the left of their indicated position. For a better idea of the distances involved, hit "Continue Drawing" and then select "Grid On" under file.)
Initiative Order:
- Tynk (24)
- Mummy
- Glaive wielder #1
- Palasha (20; higher modifier)
- Mirielle (20; lower modifier)
- Boirin (18; highest modifier)
- Ixchal (18; lower modifier, won tie-break, paralysed for 2 rounds)
- Burleg (18; lower modifier, lost tie-break)
- Unusual mummy #1
- NaShae (15; higher modifier)
- Gamis (15; lower modifier)
- Emaciated fellow with glowing red eyes
- Unusual mummy #2
- Zap (8; paralysed for 1 round)
- Glaive wielder #2
- Hex (6)
- Natala (4)
(To view, copy the link into a new browser.)
He remembers Khan's shaman trumping the web they used when attacking his tent. He isn't so sure of his own ability to cast the spell properly, but the conjured net at least blocks the fiend's glaive from taking advantage of his casting. .oO()
"" he intones, focusing on the web and attempting to dismiss it.
[dispel magic, Concentration +5 (between damage and exemplary human bonus, Con modifier should be +1. Caster level 6)]
"Oh you'll need tah do better'n that yah foul wretch!"he chalanges as he releases his suspended swing and brings his axe down at the undead. He follows this with a another powerful stroke.
{+10/+5 1d12+5}
"The light of Thalos has come back! This time you will fall."
OoC: Boirin rages, his strength becomes 18, his constituion 16, his AC 17. Full attack option vs. glaiver. +11/+6 1d10+7
.oO(No fire, if I light the webbing we'll all be fried...)
Frowning with determination, Mirielle carefully casts a spell.
Casts Summon Monster IV, earth mephit, to the square behind Rust 3.
He struggles to keep his mind where it should, to look for a way to help. Part of the frog starts growing detached, animal-like, again. He knows he needs to care about this outcome. Why can't he focus?
Glowing red eyes...
"By The Wise..."
His own eyes lock on them, sensing the hatred fuling some life-force not meant to be lived. There is little he can do, but that little may be enough. He does his best with muscles trained to turn pages and write to now force his way forward through the thick magical muck, white knuckles gripping the one hope he has to buy time and help turn a dire tide.
Holding the swirled oak, sage, and redwood staff-head toward the red-eyed thing, the mage mouths a word, ready to release the negating abjural energies the moment he believes it will cast.
He also prays the caster is not ready for this, and the staff's power is enough to disrupt.
OoC:
Readied Action: Dispell Magic from staff at any spell red-eyes attempts to cast. Tynk will try to make it to the hallway juncture 15' toward the frontal fray.
Burleg finds his opponents similarly resilient -- the first swing bounces harmlessly off his target, which catches his axe as he makes a second attempt. The dwarf is able to pull it free only at the cost of several scratches along his arms.
NaShae hesitates, either considering her chances against Boirin's adversaries or else waiting to see what Gamis will do. She doesn't have to wait long before she recognizes the words to a spell that might eliminate the barrier holding her. Unfortunately, while the paladin easily retains the thread of his spell until its completion, its intended purpose is unsuccessful. Shaking her head in irritation, the elf draws energy for a spell of her own, targetting one of the bearded monstrosities as it drops its weapon and moves to rend Boirin limb from limb with its bare hands. Its partner follows its example, but neither has much luck with the effort, barely managing to scratch Boirin once.
Alone in the gloom near the edge of the pit, trapped in the webbing that covers everything, Tynk watches and listens for the threat he is sure must follow. When it comes, it doesn't matter that the words of the spell are unknown to him -- the staff's power still proves sufficient to negate the effort.
As Mirielle nears the completion of her spell, she hears the dry, weathered voice of the creature furthest away from her mumble, "No, I think not," and rattle off a quick spell of its own. She knows what to expect -- it is a spell she has used many times before herself -- and that knowledge is all that allows her to endure one blast after the next as they slam into her, focusing all of her will to complete her incantation.
"If I could just get some room, I could--" she hears Natala say, then stop. "Of course. We'll be right back, everyone."
The wizard barely registers the words before she sees Natala appear suddenly up ahead, Zap and Ixchal at her feet. It is only after she completes her summoning, watching with satisfaction as the short but rugged little fellow sprays her enemies with a deluge of stone shards, does she have time to wonder if Natala has rescued the familiars -- or trapped them and herself in here.
OoC:
Boirin takes 25 hp of damage +3 nonlethal. He takes a further 2 hp of damage. Burleg takes 6 hp of damage +4 nonlethal. Mirielle takes 14 hp of damage. (Any more and she'd have lost her spell.) The first post has been updated. NaShae's spell of choice this round was ray of enfeeblement, which made contact with its target this time. Tynk's counterspell was also successful. Sadly, Gamis' dispel attempt was not, though he did make the Concentration check.
Natala has replaced silent invisibility purge with dimension door, placing her and Ixchal 10 feet to the "east" of the mummy furthest from Burleg, with Zap standing one square "east" of that.
With the completion of casting summon monster IV, it is again Mirielle's turn.
Initiative Order:
Natala has replaced silent invisibility purge with dimension door, placing her and Ixchal 10 feet to the "east" of the mummy furthest from Burleg, with Zap standing one square "east" of that.
With the completion of casting summon monster IV, it is again Mirielle's turn.
Initiative Order:
- Mummy
- Bearded thing that just dropped its glaive #1
- Palasha
- Summoned Earth Mephit (used breath weapon)
- Mirielle (trapped in web)
- Boirin (rage, 1/6 rounds)
- Ixchal (paralysed for 1/2 rounds)
- Burleg (trapped in web)
- Unusual mummy #1
- Gamis (entangled by web)
- NaShae (entangled by web)
- Tynk (trapped in web)
- Emaciated fellow with glowing red eyes
- Unusual mummy #2
- Zap (free to act next round)
- Bearded thing that just dropped its glaive #2
- Hex
- Natala
Grimly hoping that the spell will interfere with any spell the undead may be preparing, she calls up a minor necromantic counteroffensive. After sending the queasily-pink ray at the mummy, she yanks her more-powerful wand from her belt, dropping her crossbow in its favor, and directing the charge at the same target.
OoC
Casts Disrupt Undead on the spellcasting mummy. +6 to hit.
[Strength check to move out of web]
Something must be done, and the young man decides. He begins casting, hopeful that the summons will be complete in time to disrupt any further magics from the red-eyed figure.
OoC:
Casts Summon Monster IV, calling upon the aid of the celestial lion to smite this evil.
It seems like a play following a script. It's written, it's fate. The endless cycles that run throughout the world, playing out actions we have done before. We're dancing steps we've danced before.
The shapes loom large, truculent.
The delusions are already growing more extreme. Hex tries to hang on. Stress must make it worse. He is watching a play and can do nothing to change the outcome, even if he knows what is going to happen. He is alone and cut off, outcast not fitting here or there. The body of his master is somwhere among the webbing down the hall. Hex remember some things now and again, and they make him shudder.
[color=olive]"Just choose... climb up or let go. It's that simple, isn't it?"[/color]
Suddenly the very human emotion of self-pity floods through the frog's thoughts like he has been injected with it. Simple, isn't it? Simple.
NaShae pulls herself loose of the webs holding her, then casts a ray at the second of Boirin's two adversaries, both of whom are now perceptibly weaker than they were before.
OoC:
Tynk, I might be misunderstanding, but if I'm not, I should let you know that Tynk has no way to know what Zap is doing at the moment. A very good Listen check means he is aware of someone calling out the words of a spell around the corner where Zap and several others went seconds ago, but he can't tell exactly what spell it was.
Tynk's spell will be completed at the start of his next turn.
After a review of the wording of the web spell, Scheherazade and I concluded that there appears to be something missing from the description, since there is hardly any difference in effect for those who succeed or fail the saving throw. To that end, we're adjusting it. A character that makes the save or succeeds on either the Strength or Escape Artist check after a failed save may move 5 ft as a move action, or may attempt a Strength or Escape Artist check as a full round action to move a greater distance, as described in the spell effect.
What this means is that both NaShae and Gamis are able to pull out of the webbing this round, and that Gamis still has an action available to him. I'll hold off posting further actions a bit longer in case he wishes to take another move or standard action this turn.
Tynk's spell will be completed at the start of his next turn.
After a review of the wording of the web spell, Scheherazade and I concluded that there appears to be something missing from the description, since there is hardly any difference in effect for those who succeed or fail the saving throw. To that end, we're adjusting it. A character that makes the save or succeeds on either the Strength or Escape Artist check after a failed save may move 5 ft as a move action, or may attempt a Strength or Escape Artist check as a full round action to move a greater distance, as described in the spell effect.
What this means is that both NaShae and Gamis are able to pull out of the webbing this round, and that Gamis still has an action available to him. I'll hold off posting further actions a bit longer in case he wishes to take another move or standard action this turn.
.oO(Um Boirin, you do realise that maybe the axe isn't working too well. Maybe the morningstar I thoughtfully provided for us will work better.)
.oO(Does it matter? I kill them all anyway! They will die by my blade.)
[dwarven]"BY ARAMIL'S AXE YOU WILL FALL!"[/dwarven]
.oO(Why am I trying? You'll go off and get us killed you know that. If I was fighting like you we'd be dead by now.)
Part of Boirin is currently too preocupied by trying to rip the opponants to shreds to respond with some witty remark to that. Instead he just swings his axe.
Full attack
Elsewhere, Zap finds himself unable to get close enough to his heavily wrapped target with the mephit in the way and is forced to watch as it scratches ineffectually at the mummy.
Natala invokes the name of Ordemetrex with as much authority as she can muster. Nervousness causes her voice to crack, but the authority is not to be questioned; two of the mummies turn to assault their spellcasting brother in bandages. It responds with another spell, one that envelopes it in blue fire.
OoC:
Gamis' action courtesy of Gamis. :P The spell was effective against NaShae, who is now blind.
Boirin takes 1 hp of damage, plus 1 nonlethal, then a further 2 hp of damage. His hp total has been adjusted in the first post.
Natala uses a turning attempt and aquires control over the more unusual pair of mummies and I couldn't resist the alliteration. She and Mirielle both recognize the spell used by their opponent: fire shield. They also recognized it as the chill version of the spell, reducing fire damage by 50%.
Ixchal is now free to act again.
We are back to Mirielle in the initiative order, but you may all prepare your actions for this round as you get a chance, unless you'd prefer to see the results of earlier actions taken in the round first before deciding.
Initiative Order:
Boirin takes 1 hp of damage, plus 1 nonlethal, then a further 2 hp of damage. His hp total has been adjusted in the first post.
Natala uses a turning attempt and aquires control over the more unusual pair of mummies and I couldn't resist the alliteration. She and Mirielle both recognize the spell used by their opponent: fire shield. They also recognized it as the chill version of the spell, reducing fire damage by 50%.
Ixchal is now free to act again.
We are back to Mirielle in the initiative order, but you may all prepare your actions for this round as you get a chance, unless you'd prefer to see the results of earlier actions taken in the round first before deciding.
Initiative Order:
- Mummy (Blue Fire Mix)
- Bearded thing that just dropped its glaive #1
- Palasha
- Summoned Earth Mephit
- Mirielle (trapped in web)
- Boirin (rage, 2/6 rounds)
- Ixchal (paralysed for 1/2 rounds)
- Burleg
- Unusual mummy #1 (controlled by Natala)
- Gamis (entangled by web)
- NaShae (entangled by web)
- Tynk (trapped in web)
- Emaciated fellow with glowing red eyes
- Unusual mummy #2 (controlled by Natala)
- Zap (free to act next round)
- Bearded thing that just dropped its glaive #2
- Hex
- Natala
[throwing holy water at Rust 4, then moving to support Boirin]
You're right. This just won't do!
She utters the command word, sending gobbets of pink energy at the creature.
THe dwarf tries to free himself from the webs and persue the mummies.
Still caught up in the web, Mirielle can do little to avoid the energies that wash over her. The agony knocks her senseless, but even she fares better than the other two mummies, both blasted to bits.
Elsewhere, Boirin continues to attack with great fury, driving his enemy into a shaky defensive. It lets out an hiss of pain as Gamis' vial strikes it, but the creature next to it barely acknowledges the threat.
It does, however, react with a loud yelp as a golden lion suddenly appears and leaps on it from behind, mauling it quickly into senselessness.
Behind them, the combination of the webs and darkness have become too much for NaShae, reinforcing a sensation she's felt all day, that of the world collapsing in on her. Struggling to break free, it all builds inside her until she releases it in screams of terror.
And then it builds into something else entirely as she feels a claw rip into her, taking everyone aback, especially their enemies as the sound batters them like thunder. The one closest to her can't stop shaking its head, as though still trying to make it stop.
Away from the front, the gaunt figure with winces, then, seeming to reply to Gamis, asks, "Have we met? Ah, no matter..."
The ember in its eyes seem to ignite, then erupt in beams of unholy fire, severely scorching both NaShae and the nearby lion. Ominously, the elf falls silent, the darkness finally taking her completely.
And as a claw nearly manages to tear open his throat, Boirin can't help but realize that he might fall next.
OoC:
Mirielle sustains 31 hp of electrical damage, leaving her at -1 hp. Burleg makes his save and takes only 15 hp of damage, but now has a clear target. Natala makes one more turning attempt, but is unsuccessful.
My apologies to Gamis. He (and NaShae) are now at the edge of the web, rather than free of it, and thus still entangled, though able to move as stated. (He can free himself next round by taking a 5' step "northeast" next round, but this will put one of the two targets out of reach.)
NaShae took 2 hp of damage, but successful Concentration checks provided her with more than enough compensation in return. Unfortunately, she and the celestial lion then took 26 hp of damage each, which currently puts her at -6 (and leaves the lion with 6 hp). Boirin takes 3 hp of damage, plus 1 nonlethal, then another 2 hp of damage, leaving him in very rough shape (but still upright).
Tynk's celestial lion has done quite the number on one of Boirin's antagonists, the one that scratched NaShae. The creature is at the very least unconscious now, if not dead.
HP have been updated again. It is presently Tynk's turn, though I have cycled through the actions of the other group (Boirin, Mirielle, Natala, the familiars, and their enemy) to keep things moving.
Initiative Order:
My apologies to Gamis. He (and NaShae) are now at the edge of the web, rather than free of it, and thus still entangled, though able to move as stated. (He can free himself next round by taking a 5' step "northeast" next round, but this will put one of the two targets out of reach.)
NaShae took 2 hp of damage, but successful Concentration checks provided her with more than enough compensation in return. Unfortunately, she and the celestial lion then took 26 hp of damage each, which currently puts her at -6 (and leaves the lion with 6 hp). Boirin takes 3 hp of damage, plus 1 nonlethal, then another 2 hp of damage, leaving him in very rough shape (but still upright).
Tynk's celestial lion has done quite the number on one of Boirin's antagonists, the one that scratched NaShae. The creature is at the very least unconscious now, if not dead.
HP have been updated again. It is presently Tynk's turn, though I have cycled through the actions of the other group (Boirin, Mirielle, Natala, the familiars, and their enemy) to keep things moving.
Initiative Order:
- Mummy (Blue Fire Mix)
- Bearded thing #1 (unconscious or dying)
- Palasha
- Summoned earth mephit
- Mirielle (trapped in web)
- Boirin (rage, 3/6 rounds remaining)
- Ixchal
- Burleg
- Gamis (entangled by web)
- NaShae (dying, -6 hp)
- Celestial lion (has used smite, 6 hp remaining)
- Emaciated fellow with glowing red eyes
- Tynk (trapped in web)
- Zap
- Bearded thing #2
- Hex
- Natala
.oO(Damnit you're getting use killed. Time to get out of my way.
They'll DIE!! Thats what they get for keeping me in the dark! DIE DIE DIE!!!
Shut up!JUST SHUT UP!)
Boirin manages to push asside his screaming, frothing, inner terror for a moment and a scream erupts from his throat. Pain washing over him his vision blurs and darkens.
"Some healing would be great. Thanks..."
The more sensible part of himself shrinks to the back of his mind. The part more similar to a rabid dog jumps back in. Screaming and frothing at the mouth. Ready for combat Boirin gets ready to swing again, and does.
ooc: Full Attack
From a sense given by his familiar he can tell things dont go too well in the next hall.
. o O(Foolish! Think,Waverstone! It is not over and your choises are limited, but you have them to make and only now to make them.)
With a detached presence of thought and a remote sense of mind, he begins casting nearly before he realizes which spell he is to release. Seems well, as the boost may be just what is needed to keep the front flanks alive.
OoC:
Haste on Gamis, Boirin, and Nashae (should she come awake to benifit I do not think any other friendlies can be included in the haste spell, but please do include if I am wrong. Hex?)
I do not think any other friendlies can be included in the haste spell, but please do include if I am wrong. Hex?)OoC:
While Mirielle, Burleg, Natala, and the familiars are not eligible target's for the haste spell Tynk cast, the celestial lion is -- and is thus affected. Boirin dropped the second of his attackers on his second strike.
Burleg and Gamis are up next in the initiative order.
Initiative Order:
Burleg and Gamis are up next in the initiative order.
Initiative Order:
- Mummy (Blue Fire Mix)
- Bearded thing #1 (unconscious or dying)
- Palasha
- Summoned earth mephit
- Mirielle (trapped in web)
- Boirin (rage, 2/6 rounds remaining, hasted 8/9 rounds remaining)
- Ixchal
- Burleg
- Gamis (entangled by web; hasted, 9/9 rounds remaining)
- NaShae (hasted, 9/9 rounds remaining; dying, -6 hp)
- Celestial lion (has used smite, 6 hp remaining; hasted, 9/9 rounds remaining)
- Emaciated fellow with glowing red eyes
- Tynk (trapped in web)
- Zap
- Bearded thing #2 (unconscious or dying)
- Hex (hasted, 9/9 rounds remaining)
- Natala
[Power attack -3/+6]
"Your reputation proceeds you, lich."
Gamis is badly torn between helping Boirin and NaShae, but reasons that Eldarosh is more likely to focus on Boirin, still upright. A silver glow suffuses his left hand, which he touches to Boirin's back. Positive energy flows into him, then he tears his way through the web towards the fallen elf.
[lay on hands for 20hp, moving towards NaShae at best speed]
~~
"Lich?" Gamis' last foe asks with a chuckle. It is drowned out by a leonine roar as Tynk's guardian rushes him, only to be deflected by a quick boot to the head. Arcane syllables fill the air, sapping the strength of everyone nearby.
Weary or not, Gamis' ministrations come as a great source of relief to Boirin.
OoC:
Tynk could hear the words to the spell, but wasn't able to identify it. Boirin, Gamis, NaShae, and Tynk's lion are all fatigued.
NaShae loses 1 hp. Boirin recovers 20 hp (and all that nonlethal stuff). I'll have his hp total updated shortly in the first post.
In case anyone's wondering, Burleg's attack did indeed hurt. :P
Tynk, Zap, Hex, and Natala are next in the initiative order.
Initiative Order:
NaShae loses 1 hp. Boirin recovers 20 hp (and all that nonlethal stuff). I'll have his hp total updated shortly in the first post.
In case anyone's wondering, Burleg's attack did indeed hurt. :P
Tynk, Zap, Hex, and Natala are next in the initiative order.
Initiative Order:
- Mummy (Blue Fire Mix)
- Bearded thing #1 (unconscious or dying)
- Palasha
- Summoned earth mephit
- Mirielle (trapped in web)
- Boirin (rage, 2/6 rounds remaining, hasted 8/9 rounds remaining)
- Ixchal
- Burleg
- Gamis (entangled by web; hasted, 8/9 rounds remaining)
- NaShae (hasted, 8/9 rounds remaining; 14 hp)
- Celestial lion (has used smite, 6 hp remaining; hasted, 8/9 rounds remaining)
- Emaciated fellow with glowing red eyes
- Tynk (trapped in web)
- Zap
- Bearded thing #2 (unconscious or dying)
- Hex (hasted, 9/9 rounds remaining)
- Natala
He swings again, holding little back, he neglects his skill for more force.
[ooc: repeat -3/+6]
"Remember me? I said I'd come back."
OoC: Full Attack if Able
I dream I am sitting in the curved back chair next to our bed. I suddenly awake to find blood on my hand. It has come from the sheets; they are covered in crimson, and NaShae lies curled in the center like a warm, nested bird. I rummage quickly for a liquid remedy she keeps in her pack by the desk. I can hardly breathe. Our impossibly tiny child lies wet and cold with her, something has gone terribly wrong at birth. I can’t tell if it’s Dak and we are in the past, or if it is our next newborn. I imagine a brilliant baby girl with silver hair. When I pull my arm back from the sack, I find it is skeletal, only bone, up to the elbow. In my emaciated hand is a drenched wet sewer rat that stares at me disapprovingly as if it is my fault.
"I-is that you?..."
Ignoring the towering iron giant nearby, Hex bolts remarkably fast for NaShae’s pack. Making due with whatever light he has, the frog looks for a certain vial he knows should be here. He rushes before the memory leaves him.
---
[Seems like a silly idea, but if Hex can find the healing potion Shae used to have or something similar, he’ll see if he can move it at all.]
Charge, and Bite.
[cure light wounds, hoping I'm in range]
Another prayer causes her hand to shimmer lightly with energy, waiting to be used.
Zap releases another jolt before allowing her to step past.
"Fine with me," rumbles Mirielle's summoned ally, retreating while Burleg keeps the mummy busy, trading hits. Despite the seemingly fragile nature of his foe, Burleg gets the worst of it this time with a blow to the temple, one that sets his ears ringing for a few moments. The monster aims a kick at Ixchal, but the weasel evades the foot easily, then clamps down on it. Sadly, this hardly seems to bother the creature at all.
It turns as the woman rushes it, swinging wildly in a futile effort to avoid its fate. Grabbing it by the shoulder, she releases the summoned energy. The mummy withers and sags to the floor in a heap.
~~
Knowing that the others might need assistance as well, Tynk struggles to break the web's hold on him, but he can make no progress.
"Excuse me a moment," the monster at the door tells Boirin, almost blithely ignoring the axe that grazes him as he calmly unleashes a barrage of energy into the cat menacing him.
As the leonine creature vanishes, he returns his attention to Boirin once more. "Now... who do you claim to be?"
Further back, Hex rummages around in the pack until he finds something that might be useful. Carefully, he withdraws a vial, hoping that the paladin will know what to do with it.
Gamis has other plans for the moment, however, uttering a prayer over NaShae. It's not enough to revive her, but he knows she's out of danger for the moment.
At least as much as any of them are right now.
OoC:
My two main concerns with Hex fishing out a healing potion are that he doesn't have any idea of what's in her pack and I'm not certain how a frog, even one with average human intelligence, would get the vial unstoppered or otherwise unsealed. Nevertheless, having him search the pack for anything that might prove useful is a reasonable action by itself.
Gamis' spell heals NaShae only 6 hp (), which leaves her at -1, but stable.
Mirielle loses one more hp. Burleg takes 10 hp of damage, plus 2 nonlethal. (Sadly, he only managed to hit once this round, but it was a near miss on his second attack. For the record, however, he made the saving throw. ;))
Natala converts resist energy to cure moderate wounds. As the initiative order has effectively scrolled through to come back to her, I've taken her next turn as well, advancing to strike the mummy now that both Zap and the mephit have cleared the squares between her and it. This attack was just enough to finish it off.
We're back around to Tynk, Zap, and Hex in the initiative order, with Nat having already taken her action.
Initiative Order:
Gamis' spell heals NaShae only 6 hp (
), which leaves her at -1, but stable.Mirielle loses one more hp. Burleg takes 10 hp of damage, plus 2 nonlethal. (Sadly, he only managed to hit once this round, but it was a near miss on his second attack. For the record, however, he made the saving throw. ;))
Natala converts resist energy to cure moderate wounds. As the initiative order has effectively scrolled through to come back to her, I've taken her next turn as well, advancing to strike the mummy now that both Zap and the mephit have cleared the squares between her and it. This attack was just enough to finish it off.
We're back around to Tynk, Zap, and Hex in the initiative order, with Nat having already taken her action.
Initiative Order:
- Bearded thing #1 (unconscious or dying)
- Palasha
- Summoned earth mephit
- Mirielle (trapped in web)
- Boirin (fatigued; rage, 1/6 rounds remaining; hasted 7/9 rounds remaining)
- Ixchal
- Burleg
- Gamis (entangled by web; fatigued; hasted, 8/9 rounds remaining)
- NaShae (fatigued; hasted, 8/9 rounds remaining)
- Emaciated fellow with glowing red eyes
- Tynk (trapped in web)
- Zap
- Bearded thing #2 (unconscious or dying)
- Hex (hasted, 9/9 rounds remaining)
- Natala
"I'm coming, Boirin. Let me at him." And he goes thrashing out of the web, intent on attacking Eldarosh.
[moving towards Skinny, will attack with Power Attack for 4 if there's an action remaining]
He pushes off the wall and follows.
The first words the young wizard hears are, "Dame Dyer, remain calm. We need to get through this web, to make sure the others are all right. Is there anything you can do to accomplish this more quickly?"
~~
As Hex looks for means to open the vial he's found and Tynk flounders in the darkness to break free of the webs holding him fast, Boirin continues his assault on the man at the entrance. He manages to hit twice, but only the second manages to break the skin, leaving a cut that swiftly closes itself before his eyes.
He feels exhaustion starting to overcome the fury sustaining him. Gamis' arrival comes as some relief, though the paladin's first strike is off the mark. Then Eldorash, if that's his name, carefully utters another brief incantation, slamming Boirin with the same energy that destroyed Tynk's cat seconds earlier.
OoC:
Natala casts cure light wounds in place of sanctuary, bringing Mirielle up to 10 hp.
Boirin takes 15 hp of damage. His rage will end just before the start of his next turn (when he will also, incidentally, go from fatigued to exhausted), which will leave him -3 hp.
To keep Tynk and Hex in the initiative order, I'm going to assume they repeat actions for now (the frog might need a new strategy when it comes to opening vial stoppers). Zap can be assumed to have wandered after Burleg and Natala (whose action I've posted out of turn again). That means it's Mirielle's turn next, followed by Boirin's unconscious.
Initiative Order:
Boirin takes 15 hp of damage. His rage will end just before the start of his next turn (when he will also, incidentally, go from fatigued to exhausted), which will leave him -3 hp.
To keep Tynk and Hex in the initiative order, I'm going to assume they repeat actions for now (the frog might need a new strategy when it comes to opening vial stoppers). Zap can be assumed to have wandered after Burleg and Natala (whose action I've posted out of turn again). That means it's Mirielle's turn next, followed by Boirin's unconscious.
Initiative Order:
- Bearded thing #1 (unconscious or dying)
- Palasha
- Summoned earth mephit
- Mirielle (trapped in web)
- Boirin (fatigued, starts next round exhausted; hasted, 6/9 rounds remaining)
- Ixchal
- Burleg
- Gamis (entangled by web; fatigued; hasted, 6/9 rounds remaining)
- NaShae (fatigued; hasted, 6/9 rounds remaining)
- Emaciated fellow with glowing red eyes
- Tynk (trapped in web)
- Zap
- Bearded thing #2 (unconscious or dying)
- Hex (hasted, 6/9 rounds remaining)
- Natala
[full attack, two-handed Power Attack for 4, smite evil on first attack]
"Won't... work... can't..." Hex's mind is straining for another way.
Mirielle blinks, looking from Natala to where they need to be.
If I burn it away with a magical fire, I risk burning our allies as well. I could teleport us over there, though...
OoC:
From where Mirielle is standing, it's all web. She does not have line of sight on the room where Gamis is making his stand. There's also the risk of teleporting into an occupied square, but that might be considered worthwhile.
Dusting off her hands, Mirielle casts another Summoning.
OoC
Summon Monster IV, calling 1d3 small Fire Elementals, directing them to move ahead of us down the corridor towards Gamis.
Boirin steps asside to allow the paladin to get access to the licy.
Soon after she has passed from sight, a pillar of flame, vaguely humanoid in shape, appears ahead of Mirielle.
~~
As Gamis prepares to unleash his righteous fury upon his foe, Boirin collapses against him, spoiling the attack. The paladin rallies magnificently, bringing himself back onto the offensive with a brutal slash, but the enemy recovers from the shock well enough to avoid attempts to finish him. He even manages to get another spell off, a dark beam that saps more of Gamis' strength.
He risks a glance behind him when he hears Natala arrive.
"This is getting to be a nuisance," his enemy mutters in a tone of mild exasperation.
OoC:
Hey, Gamis? Remember that time you attempted to smite Faith? Yeah, you got a 1 on the attack roll again. At least you had backup attacks this time, though only one got through, I'm afraid. However, Gamis has also taken three negative levels, with the following results (included in first post listing):
Boirin is exhausted at and -3 hp. Natala moves quickly enough to reach the room where Gamis is fighting on this turn, but has no actions left to her (double move taken).
Tynk is still trying to pull himself free (though he's still welcome to post other actions instead, if he wishes), while I'm waiting to see how Hex will overcome the obstacle a closed potion presents. He's got the strength to get it into position -- he just needs to figure out how to open it.
I've taken us up to the start of Mirielle's next turn. Since she can't speak Ignan, her ability to communicate with the elemental, but gesturing should be sufficient to indicate where she wants it to go. It can make 5' of progress into the web each round, burning it out of the square it occupies before moving onto the next one.
However, there's a problem. Mirielle can't summon it into the web, nor has she been able to pull herself out of the web either. Before the elemental can make any progress, either Mirielle will have to escape the web or she'll have to suffer the fire damage.
MAP
Key (numbers based on party initiative order this time):
1 = Mirielle
2 = Boirin
3 = Burleg (plus Ixchal)
4 = Gamis
5 = NaShae (plus Hex and Palasha)
6 = Tynk
7 = Natala
E = Eldarosh (?)
F = Fire elemental
M = Mephit
Z = Zap
Initiative Order:
- -3 penalty to saving throws
- -3 penalty to attack modifier
- -3 penalty to skill checks
- -1 penalty to defense bonus
- -3 penalty to smite evil damage
- 9 hp reduction in power of lay on hands ability
- -3 on effective level for other purposes
- loss of remaining spells he'd prepared
Boirin is exhausted at and -3 hp. Natala moves quickly enough to reach the room where Gamis is fighting on this turn, but has no actions left to her (double move taken).
Tynk is still trying to pull himself free (though he's still welcome to post other actions instead, if he wishes), while I'm waiting to see how Hex will overcome the obstacle a closed potion presents. He's got the strength to get it into position -- he just needs to figure out how to open it.
I've taken us up to the start of Mirielle's next turn. Since she can't speak Ignan, her ability to communicate with the elemental, but gesturing should be sufficient to indicate where she wants it to go. It can make 5' of progress into the web each round, burning it out of the square it occupies before moving onto the next one.
However, there's a problem. Mirielle can't summon it into the web, nor has she been able to pull herself out of the web either. Before the elemental can make any progress, either Mirielle will have to escape the web or she'll have to suffer the fire damage.
MAP
Key (numbers based on party initiative order this time):
1 = Mirielle
2 = Boirin
3 = Burleg (plus Ixchal)
4 = Gamis
5 = NaShae (plus Hex and Palasha)
6 = Tynk
7 = Natala
E = Eldarosh (?)
F = Fire elemental
M = Mephit
Z = Zap
Initiative Order:
- Palasha (in NaShae's square; fatigued)
- Summoned earth mephit
- Summoned small fire elemental
- Mirielle (trapped in web)
- Boirin (-3 hp; dying and exhausted; haste round 5 of 9)
- Ixchal (shares square with Burleg)
- Burleg
- Gamis (entangled by web; fatigued; haste round 5 of 9)
- NaShae (-1 hp; stable and fatigued; haste round 5 of 9)
- Emaciated fellow with glowing red eyes
- Tynk (trapped in web)
- Zap
- Hex (in NaShae's square; fatigued; haste round 5 of 9)
- Natala
.oO(I'd better heal myself as soon as it's gone by!)
His gauntlet shimmers and swings out at Eldarosh, laded with healing. He keeps the last drop in reserve and then kneels, laying the hand on Boirin to keep him from slipping further.
[lay on hands for all remaining points except one, which is given to Boirin]
~~
Gamis grabs his enemy by the shoulder, sending him into momentary convulsions. The monster's reply is unintelligible to him, the words to a spell strung together with the utmost care, perhaps. He is struck by another bolt of dark energy and feels yet more of his vitality ebb away.
OoC:
Mirielle takes 4 hp of fire damage, but will be able to trade places with the elemental in her next turn.
Gamis will not be able to lay hands on Boirin until his next turn. However, this is a moot point, as in the meantime, he suffers another 3 negative levels and has no healing left to give.
Natala administers the potion Hex brought out for NaShae, curing 19 hp of damage (leaving NaShae with 18 hp). She will tend to Boirin, now at -4 hp, next round.
MAP
Key (numbers based on party initiative order this time):
1 = Mirielle
2 = Boirin
3 = Burleg (plus Ixchal)
4 = Gamis
5 = NaShae (plus Hex and Palasha)
6 = Tynk
7 = Natala
E = Eldarosh (?)
F = Fire elemental
M = Mephit
Z = Zap
Initiative Order:
Gamis will not be able to lay hands on Boirin until his next turn. However, this is a moot point, as in the meantime, he suffers another 3 negative levels and has no healing left to give.
Natala administers the potion Hex brought out for NaShae, curing 19 hp of damage (leaving NaShae with 18 hp). She will tend to Boirin, now at -4 hp, next round.
MAP
Key (numbers based on party initiative order this time):
1 = Mirielle
2 = Boirin
3 = Burleg (plus Ixchal)
4 = Gamis
5 = NaShae (plus Hex and Palasha)
6 = Tynk
7 = Natala
E = Eldarosh (?)
F = Fire elemental
M = Mephit
Z = Zap
Initiative Order:
- Palasha (in NaShae's square; fatigued)
- Summoned earth mephit
- Summoned small fire elemental
- Mirielle (trapped in web)
- Boirin (-4 hp; dying and exhausted; haste round 6 of 9)
- Ixchal (shares square with Burleg)
- Burleg
- Gamis (entangled by web; fatigued; haste round 6 of 9)
- NaShae (-1 hp; stable and fatigued; haste round 6 of 9)
- Emaciated fellow with glowing red eyes
- Tynk (trapped in web)
- Zap
- Hex (in NaShae's square; fatigued; haste round 6 of 9)
- Natala
OoC
Cure Light Wounds
""
[full attack, two-handed Power Attack for 3, smite evil on first attack and the bonus attack from haste]
"You want to die like a coward, here you go Boirin, its all yours. I'll be back. The thing is I'm not really leaving.")
Boirin suddenly is markedly more in control of himself. He is of course not used to exerting himself. Also the gaping, bleeding wounds aren't very good for him either. Thats something hes not very used to. His mind pulls its usuall escape card. The warm grey clouds fog his vision.
"Oh bugger."
With that he collapses in a heap on the paladin, and then the ground. Oh well at least its warm now.
"Maybe you could leave one of them critters back here to keep us from getting attacked again."he suggests as he follows along
Mirielle completes her healing spell as the elemental moves ahead of her.
~~
"Thank you, little one," Natala says to the frog before she turns away, then turns to aid Boirin.
"What's happened? Is it over?" NaShae asks, uttering the words to a warding spell as Natala replies.
[color=gree]"Not yet, but Gamis appears to have things under control for the moment."[/control]
"I can't see, Natala."
"Not much of a view down here anyway," Natala tells her, but her voice doesn't quite achieve the levity intended.
Several feet away, Gamis has managed to score several hits on their foe, but only the first scores anything deeper than a scratch. Nevertheless, he reads concerns in the creature's expression. The paladin seeks an opening as it begins another spell, but his opponent is too cautious to leave one. Bracing for another blast of life-draining energy, Gamis is not prepared for the fog that suddenly fills the room, nor for the awful stench that accompanies it. He begins gagging uncontrollaby, barely aware of the retching sound from NaShae somewhere behind him.
Managing to keep the contents of her stomach down, Natala focuses on reviving Boirin. The son of Naerin awakens with a deep breath...
The results are not pretty.
OoC:
Mirielle heals herself for 7 hp of damage. Out of bless, detect undead, and divine favor, which spell did she convert to the cure?
NaShae cast mage armor on her turn.
Natala converts magic circle against evil into cure serious wounds, bringing Boirin back up to 20 hp. He starts his turn prone. Despite his nauseated state, I'll permit him to grab the waraxe again. However, since he's not drawing it per se, and since he's nauseated at this time, grabbing the axe will require a move action in this situation.
With the exception of Natala, everyone in the room (Boirin, Gamis, Hex, NaShae, and Palasha) is nauseated. While nauseated, they may not attack or cast spells and are limited to a single move action each round.
Natala recognizes the spell cast as stinking cloud, but she's the only one in the room able to do so. (For the record, both Tynk and Mirielle were also able to identify the spell cast from where they are, so both will have some idea of what's waiting for them..)
MAP
Key (numbers based on party initiative order this time):
1 = Mirielle
2 = Boirin
3 = Burleg (plus Ixchal)
4 = Gamis
5 = NaShae (plus Hex and Palasha)
6 = Tynk
7 = Natala
E = Eldarosh (?)
F = Fire elemental (has advanced 1 square)
M = Mephit
Z = Zap
Initiative Order:
NaShae cast mage armor on her turn.
Natala converts magic circle against evil into cure serious wounds, bringing Boirin back up to 20 hp. He starts his turn prone. Despite his nauseated state, I'll permit him to grab the waraxe again. However, since he's not drawing it per se, and since he's nauseated at this time, grabbing the axe will require a move action in this situation.
With the exception of Natala, everyone in the room (Boirin, Gamis, Hex, NaShae, and Palasha) is nauseated. While nauseated, they may not attack or cast spells and are limited to a single move action each round.
Natala recognizes the spell cast as stinking cloud, but she's the only one in the room able to do so. (For the record, both Tynk and Mirielle were also able to identify the spell cast from where they are, so both will have some idea of what's waiting for them..)
MAP
Key (numbers based on party initiative order this time):
1 = Mirielle
2 = Boirin
3 = Burleg (plus Ixchal)
4 = Gamis
5 = NaShae (plus Hex and Palasha)
6 = Tynk
7 = Natala
E = Eldarosh (?)
F = Fire elemental (has advanced 1 square)
M = Mephit
Z = Zap
Initiative Order:
- Palasha (in NaShae's square; fatigued)
- Summoned earth mephit
- Summoned small fire elemental
- Mirielle (trapped in web)
- Boirin (-3 hp; dying and exhausted; haste round 5 of 9)
- Ixchal (shares square with Burleg)
- Burleg
- Gamis (entangled by web; fatigued; haste round 5 of 9)
- NaShae (-1 hp; stable and fatigued; haste round 5 of 9)
- Emaciated fellow with glowing red eyes
- Tynk (trapped in web)
- Zap
- Hex (in NaShae's square; fatigued; haste round 5 of 9)
- Natala
"Lady, tell that lizard to stick around and make sure no one sneaks down this path."
When his stomach is sufficiently empty he reachs out and grabs the axe. Not sure what to do.
OoC
I seem to recall Boirin having a 'bandolier' of potions, and mentioning putting one of the holy waters on it.
The vile mist clears, but the webbing does not.
"Bah!" the man at the entrance declares, before transforming himself to mist with a few more arcane syllables. He then drifts back into the tunnels.
OoC:
Tynk uses another charge from the staff of abjuration, bringing down the stinking cloud and NaShae's mage armor, but not the web or the keen edge on Gamis' sword.
Boirin and Gamis will remain nauseated for another two rounds, NaShae for three, and Palasha for four. Hex, hardy amphibian that he is, is only nauseated for the next round. Boirin is still prone, but Gamis has the vial he was seeking.
The fire elemental has advanced two squares. Mirielle's turn is next.
MAP
Key (numbers based on party initiative order this time):
1 = Mirielle
2 = Boirin
3 = Burleg (plus Ixchal)
4 = Gamis
5 = NaShae (plus Hex and Palasha)
6 = Tynk
7 = Natala
E = Eldarosh (?)
F = Fire elemental (has advanced 1 square)
M = Mephit
Z = Zap
Initiative Order:
Boirin and Gamis will remain nauseated for another two rounds, NaShae for three, and Palasha for four. Hex, hardy amphibian that he is, is only nauseated for the next round. Boirin is still prone, but Gamis has the vial he was seeking.
The fire elemental has advanced two squares. Mirielle's turn is next.
MAP
Key (numbers based on party initiative order this time):
1 = Mirielle
2 = Boirin
3 = Burleg (plus Ixchal)
4 = Gamis
5 = NaShae (plus Hex and Palasha)
6 = Tynk
7 = Natala
E = Eldarosh (?)
F = Fire elemental (has advanced 1 square)
M = Mephit
Z = Zap
Initiative Order:
- Palasha (in NaShae's square; fatigued; nauseated round 2 of 5)
- Summoned earth mephit
- Summoned small fire elemental
- Mirielle (trapped in web)
- Boirin (exhausted; nauseated round 1 of 3; haste round 6 of 9)
- Ixchal (shares square with Burleg)
- Burleg
- Gamis (entangled by web; fatigued; nauseated round 1 of 3; haste round 6 of 9)
- NaShae (fatigued; nauseated round 1 of 4; haste round 6 of 9)
- Emaciated fellow with glowing red eyes
- Tynk (trapped in web)
- Zap
- Hex (in NaShae's square; fatigued; nauseated round 1 of 2; haste round 6 of 9)
- Natala
.oO(Some form of rock demon, check.. creatures made out of FIRE, check.. a rat and a lizard, check.. Well Burleg, quite a heroic bunch you've taken up with, once you make it out of here you should start your own traveling circus ....)
Burleg continues to amuse himself as he waits as the webs are burned away before him.
Gamis hears a loud popping noise off to his right, but the misty form he pursues is drifting slowly into the darkness on his right. The paladin knows that he'll need light to maintain the pursuit. Behind him, Natala keeps watch over Boirin, NaShae, and the familiars, though she keeps glancing in the direction Gamis ran.
Elsewhere, Burleg bides his time as the elemental finally reaches the next juncture.
OoC:
As she arrived a bit off-target (I assumed she would head for the room, since she can't teleport to a person whose location she doesn't know precisely), Mirielle appeared in the sewer passage with no light source, save for the light that emanates from the room at the moment. Gamis doesn't have one either right now and thus she went unseen by him for the moment. Also, Mirielle is mildly disoriented for the next two rounds (limited to a move action only).
The fire elemental is now visible to Boirin, Natala, and Tynk. Hex overcomes his nausea at the start of his next turn.
MAP
Key (numbers based on party initiative order this time):
1 = Mirielle
2 = Boirin
3 = Burleg (plus Ixchal)
4 = Gamis
5 = NaShae (plus Hex and Palasha)
6 = Tynk
7 = Natala
E = Eldarosh (?)
F = Fire elemental (has advanced 1 square)
M = Mephit
Z = Zap
Initiative Order:
The fire elemental is now visible to Boirin, Natala, and Tynk. Hex overcomes his nausea at the start of his next turn.
MAP
Key (numbers based on party initiative order this time):
1 = Mirielle
2 = Boirin
3 = Burleg (plus Ixchal)
4 = Gamis
5 = NaShae (plus Hex and Palasha)
6 = Tynk
7 = Natala
E = Eldarosh (?)
F = Fire elemental (has advanced 1 square)
M = Mephit
Z = Zap
Initiative Order:
- Palasha (in NaShae's square; fatigued; nauseated round 3 of 5)
- Summoned earth mephit
- Summoned small fire elemental
- Mirielle (disoriented, round 0 of 2)
- Boirin (exhausted; nauseated round 2 of 3; haste round 7 of 9)
- Ixchal (shares square with Burleg)
- Burleg
- Gamis (fatigued; nauseated round 2 of 3; haste round 7 of 9)
- NaShae (fatigued; nauseated round 2 of 4; haste round 7 of 9)
- Emaciated fellow with glowing red eyes
- Tynk (trapped in web)
- Zap
- Hex (in NaShae's square; fatigued; haste round 7 of 9)
- Natala
"I assume there is still someone to talk to... That half elf that crawled through this looked fine.."
.oO(What's this? I know I left it open. Why isn't it glowing?)
At the sound of the pop, the paladin whirls to face it, suspecting a hostile summoning.
OoC
Casts Light
OoC:
Mirielle won't be able to cast a spell for two more rounds -- she's limited to move actions only during that period. I'll move the rounds ahead to that point, though.
"Well, the otherway is cleared. Do you want to get the bodies above, or clean up the rooms we've not been to?"
"Spellcaster turned into mist and went up this pipe," he explains to Burleg. "Ixchal could fit in it, but I don't want her isolated again."
"Well do you think it lives in this hole? If so we can make a mess of things.. or get the bodies out. Personally I wouldn't mind looking around a bit for some loot.."he adds as kind of an after thought.
"We were too close to seeing him destroyed to give up completely." He takes hold of the pipe's end and rattles it, gritting his teeth.
"I'm going back to check on that other caster..Come to me when you've made up yer minds.."
Burleg leaves and goes back to the hall of mummies. He searches the bodies and listens for activity back towards the lab.
The familiar is forgetting. It feels like they have been down in this dark labyrinth forever. Perhaps it is some form of purgatory, Hex considers. But he cannot recall he if believes in such things or not.
[color=olive]"I am not a frog... guo-guo..."[/color] he spins weakly against the degeneration.
Pulling a scrap of red cloth from her pouch, Mirielle focuses her attention as far into the pipe as she can.
Scamper, squeak, find what I seek...
OoC:
Casts Summon Swarm, rats, aiming it deep into the pipe.
.oO(They may not be able to hurt him, but maybe they'll give away where he is.)
They sound of so many vermin squeaking and scuttling is almost unnerving as it echoes down the pipe, but it is impossible to tell if they've found anything, for there is no other sound to be heard coming from that direction.
Do you think it might be a room we already have seen? And do you think that dwarf might be able to block this pipe so that Ugly can't skip out on us again?
"The pit and the storeroom are over there, so maybe..."
.oO(They've found what they were lookin for, now let's see what Burleg can come up with..)
"The pit and the storeroom are over there, so maybe..."
"Maybe Mirielle could direct her elemental to free Master Waverstone from the webs?" Natala interrupts from the corner, where she can both see what Gamis and Mirielle are up to, and keep an eye on NaShae. "And if we want to check whether our enemy has gone anywhere within our reach, I can try to determine that.
"However, I do not recommend re-engaging if it can be avoided," she says firmly. "Look at yourselves, and at us all. We've achieved our aim today, though not as much as we'd like."
.oO(And I don't want anyone else to die, today.)
"I found some loot.. Are yer minds made up? The bodies or the hunt?"
Something draws the black frog forward. He begins crawling forward like he is hearing some call only frogs can hear.
"I know you..."
He peeks down the dark passage.
"There now, I can carry this one here.. can the rest of you manage the others?"he asks as he lift Aramil up wrapping his arms around the other dwarf's torso under his armpits. He walks backwards dragging him towards the exit.
"But I suppose you're right, Cousin. Before we leave let's have a quick look in the lab; we may be leaving, but Eldarosh should have a mess to clean up. He's certainly left us with one."
"Alright, you wanna go on huh? Looks like you'd better call it a draw and take what you can."
Taking a look over the bodies of the pair of monsters that nearly killed him, Boirin retrieves two pouches filled with black gems, including a pair of pearls.
Returning to the lab he'd opened earlier, Gamis find that it's quite generously stocked. It won't be easy to inventory, let alone remove, everything here; the heavy tables and shelves likely won't be worth the trouble even if they're broken down first -- and judging by the condition of them, it might ruin them to try it.
"I have the means to look behind one of these doors," Natala suggests to Gamis, "but only one and that will require the better part of the magic left available to me. NaShae and Mirielle both need more help than I can give them right now. You need help. We have the bodies we came for--"
"Most of them," Boirin corrects her. "We're still missin' Ulerian."
"He got you all into this," NaShae tells him, a low rage penetrating her fear. "No one else should have to die trying to find him."
"I'm reluctantly forced to agree with her, cousin," Natala sighs. "We may have beaten Eldarosh, but we're in no shape to deal with any surprise he may have left behind for us."
"Actually, I have a number of spells and alchemidical--" Tynk begins, but Natala cuts him off.
"Alchemical, Mr. Waverstone. It's alchemical. And while your abilities could be indispensible in getting us out of here, the support we could provide you is very limited. Our Mother has been merciful thus far; let's not take it for granted, shall we?"
OoC:
There is a door at the back of the lab that has not been opened at this time. That and the door that wouldn't give when Gamis tried to open it makes two doors that haven't been used.
Natala converts her last 2nd level spell to cast detect thoughts.
Natala converts her last 2nd level spell to cast detect thoughts.
"Miri, Tynk--let's find something valuable and easiest to carry--potions, perhaps. Maybe a divination would help. Then I want you to blast this place, love. And we'll get out of here."
"I'll give a hand with that.."he indicates to Gamis.
[color=olive]"I... can't feel you."[/color]
Hex reaches a dark protrusion of a boot and climbs up the dingy metal armoring of the instep. The amphibian continues his arduous ascent up the cold plates lining a shin and onto the grey cloth mountain. Overhanging ridges hugging the slope, lifeless limbs hold onto none of the motive they once had. The troubles and passions that seemed so important a moment (was it just a moment?) ago have fled elsewhere.
Hex passes a hand encased in metal sheathing, creeps up the assortment of steel angles and reflective surfaces, and finds his way ever upward.
He chirps, [color=olive]"You said things were changing. But what am I supposed to do!?!"[/color]
The shadowy mountain gives him no answer.
The frog grabs hold of more charcoal footing and pulls himself up to rest of a swatch of pale flesh that is a neck and collarbone.
Hex looks up at the cool, umbrageous face above. The frog bows his head before the visage carved into the mountain like it is the face of a dead god.
[color=olive]"I can't hold on without you."[/color] the sound is an animal croak.
[color=olive]"But I will try."[/color]
Hex climbs into the ragged grey cloth, seeking a spot underneath.
Kywyn's body sits motionless.
"If we leave now will we ever come back for the evil? It won't go away while we rest. It will only grow. Even though Ulerian is an honorless dog, he deserves to be buried just as much as the others do."
"I don't want to tarry here, Thalos knows how much I want to get out of here, but I don't think we've finished the job yet. If we leave now can we ever come back here?"
"I can help some with that," NaShae offers. "Even like this, I should be able to locate any magic auras in the room."
She speaks a few words, then places her hand on the nearest wall.
"Give me a few seconds," she says, concentration evident in her voice. "I just need to make sure I scan the entire room. It's smaller than sixty feet across, right?"
"That's right," Natala confirms.
"I have another suggestion," Tynk says. "If Natala can check behind the locked door and we find nothing inside, I have a lightning spell that might be able to break it down."
"We might yet need resources like that to get us out of here safely, Mister Waverstone," Natala answers, "but thank you for the suggestion. Anything, NaShae?"
"Something... right over... you'll need to guide me to it, Natala. It's faint... it's... no, I can't make out anything beyond that. It's right here. This."
She places her hand on a book.
"This is it. There's nothing else I can find in here."
"Say there captian..."Burleg says to Gamis."That enemy that left, think he might've just regrouped and is comin back for more? This is his place after all, maybe we need to leave before he comes back for revenge..."
Boirin kneels in front of the door and carefully checks it for traps. If he finds any, he attempts to disarm them. When the check is complete he picks the lock.
[ooc:Search +11, Disable Device +14, Open lock +16]
While he works, the others are ushered out of the lab, allowing Mirielle to finally unleash her fireball on something. The tables and some of the shelves survive, but it plays havoc with the glassware and other delicate equipment.
Mirielle looks up at Gamis, anger warring with exhaustion in her eyes.
Ultimately, darling, we really can't leave a hazard like that roaming around under the city.
"It's time to leave. Leave or, likely, die -- and what will you have accomplished then?"
"We weren't fully prepared anyway. Come on. We have fallen to tend to."
"You can at least feel comfortable that we got his thugs..."
Shae frowns, hearing the voices, but not as able to track them in the echoing tunnels, "Could we discuss this later? Possibly after we're out of the sewers and rested and healed and have people back with us?" Getting angry at the discussion of coming back while they are still there and technically in danger, she is frustrated that she has to wait for someone to help her get Kywyn out and to the temple.
"Let's go."
Mirielle chooses to trail along at the rear of the group, ready to take on an attack from behind.
OoC:
I'll leave this thread open to allow everyone to declare who, including the corpses, is going where.
{To Temple}
[to temple of ordemetrix]
Oskar was a cleric of Agathalos; I'm sure he'd want his remains taken there for burial. Aramil too, most likely.
Mirielle curls her lip in disgust at the smell and filth that has accumulated despite Natala's spell.
"Good luck Nashae, and thank the mother we all made it out o.k."
To Church of Agathalos.
It is only when she is back in her own rooms that she allows herself to tremble. Her prayers are no less private.
By morning, Natala is ready to face the world once more. After a light breakfast and morning supplication to her Mother, she goes to visit NaShae, only to find the elf not at home. Knowing of only two places she might be, and knowing one to be barred to her, she immediately makes inquiries at the temple, where she learns of the arrangements made. Making a few of her one, she then spends several minutes with Kywyn before finally returning home.
When the time comes, she will be ready.
OoC:
And with this explanation of the last member's whereabouts at the end of these events, I draw this adventure to a close.