Obscure Literary References
Subject: Re: sorry
As Mission's body hangs in the jaws of the swamp dragon, his lifeless arm waves at the retreating members of the party as the creature thrashes him from side to side.
"Look! He beckons! He beckons us to follow!" cries Cadfael.
:100 billion points to anyone who gets the literary reference. You guys utterly failed me on the last time I did this (Dear Little Friend). . .:
From: Matt
Subject: Re: sorry
Moby Dick, no?
More Break
Subject: Lizards
Ty's been eaten by the Swamp Dragon.
The DM is dead.
Long live the DM.
From: Matt
Subject: Re: Lizards
How ironic. Ty's been eaten by Slash's cousin... the one who didn't get the evolutionary memo.
I'm not one to talk, though, so I'ma stop doing that.
Cadfael is a Big Pain in the Neck
Subject: The underground trail; what do you mean we go down the hole one at a time?!
[Initiative Sa'id 20, Tichenor 17, Garyth 14, Cadfael 13, Rennik 12, Mission 12, Swamp dragon 5, Farron 4, hippogriff 4]
Mission's warning that the swamp dragon will not be stunned for long still ringing in his ears; Sa'id runs full speed back to the tunnel opening. It was excellent foresight to keep the rope attached, and the wizard says a silent thank you to whoever's idea that was. He grabs the rope and begins climbing down, regretting that he has so little experience with such maneuvers, and cursing the slowness with which he climbs. Unfortunately, attempting to climb faster would put him in serious danger of losing his grip and falling 25' to the stone floor. The wizard hopes that the dragon doesn't do too much damage to the camp, since he was unable to stop and pick up his gear before descending.
Tichenor continues to dance around the swamp dragon, barking and dodging. The dragon is still stunned, and the wolf is doing its best to keep the monster confused and off balance.
Garyth moves over to the tunnel opening, and puts himself between the dragon and the rope. His face is white and drawn with the pain caused by moving, but his expression and grim, and his weapons to not falter in his hands.
Cadfael carries his collected gear over to the hole, still humming his jaunty little tune. He drops the bundle past the climbing wizard, and then begins descending the rope just above him.
Rennik realizes that he will not have time to pick up his gear and still get off another shot while moving toward the hole. Always a believer that a good offense is the best defense, he abandons his pack for the time being, and moves over next to Garyth to take one final shot. [Roll 21, hit; damage 3] Again, the arrow strikes the monster, but just bounces off, appearing to do little damage.
However, the dragon gives one final massive shake of its head after the arrow hits, and the shakiness leaves its bearing. Mission cartwheels away [Tumble attempt 18; success] from the dragon, avoid the creature's quick snap at his heels as he retreats. He pauses for a quick second to tuck the large wolf under one arm, then moves to the hole to wait for Cadfael and Sa'id to move out of the way.
The swamp dragon, now fully recovered from its unsteadiness, and apparently quite angry at the indignity of having a soft pink thing knock it silly, lunges across the space between it and the group in a lightning fast move. Its jaws open wider than it would seem possible, and it attempts to swallow the now encumbered monk in one huge bite. [Attack 18, hit; Damage 20; grapple attempt 31 vs 28; grappled] The bite pins Mission's left arm and shoulder inside the creature's mouth, and he drops the wolf.
Almost as an afterthought, the swamp dragon's tail comes whipping across the ground at Farron's legs. [Attack 31, hit; Damage 24; trip attempt 25 vs 2 resist; Farron is tripped] The tail strikes his knees with bone crushing force, and the wizard is literally flipped completely over by the blow, landing with a sickening crunch on his neck.
The wizard is still conscious though, and calls out for aid to his hippogriff while he tries to crawl back to his feet.
The hippogriff comes slashing down onto the swamp dragon's broad and armored back. [Attacks 22, 21; both hit; damage 10, 8] Both claw attacks strike home, and this time they actually do some visible damage, as a section of the crocodile's armored skin is ripped away from its shoulder in a spray of blood. The crocodile whips its head around, trying to bite at the annoying thing on its back. It appears that the dragon may be distracted for a while if the hippogriff can keep tearing at it.
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The underground trail; what do you mean we go down the hole one at a time?!
Addendum:
When the croc turned to face the hippogriff, it of course dropped Mission.
From: Karl
Subject: Re: The underground trail; what do you mean we go down the hole one at a time?!
Farron will command the hippogriff to keep attacking and will move as quickly as possible toward the hole.
From: Dan
Subject: Re: The underground trail; what do you mean we go down the hole one at a time?!
Cadfael climbs down lightly after Sa'id, as he is in no hurry himself he is not bothered by the mage's slow descent.
When he reaches the bottom he will gather his things and check to make sure nothing is broken. Assuming all is in good order he will move a healthy distance from the rope, unpack his bedroll and try and catch up on lost sleep.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: The underground trail; what do you mean we go down the hole one at a time?!
Mission picks himself off the ground.
"I'll get the wolf," he pants lamely.
He'll grab Tichenor again, and drop down the hole using slowfall.
From: Karl
Subject: Re: The underground trail; what do you mean we go down the hole one at a time?!
I hope mission will remember it was MAGERY that saved his ass this time. Perhaps he will make mention of it during Farron's eulogy.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: The underground trail; what do you mean we go down the hole one at a time?!
If Mission can't make it through the hole this round, for whatever reason, he'll use stonetap again on the swamp dragon.
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The underground trail; what do you mean we go down the hole one at a time?!
Ok. Here is the deal. Those without any climb skill or rope skill are forced to move at 1/4 speed down the rope. That basically means that only one person per round will be able to get on the rope. People can move faster, but they will take the chance of falling.
Though, a 25 foot drop does less damage than a bite from the dragon, so you picks yer poison on that one.
From: Karl
Subject: Re: The underground trail; what do you mean we go down the hole one at a time?!
Well, in Farron's case, I imagine either the bite or the fall would finish him off, so you can pick whichever one has the most dramatic value.
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The underground trail; what do you mean we go down the hole one at a time?!
I'm guessing the guys will let the badly thrashed Farron go next. And the hippogriff should be able to keep the croc busy another round or two. Without a critical, the croc can't kill the hippogriff in one round.
From: Dan
Subject: Re: The underground trail; what do you mean we go down the hole one at a time?!
Sadly for everyone else, Cadfael seems pretty relaxed about this whole situation and isn't about to risk his neck by climbing too fast.
1/4 movement rate it is.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: The underground trail; what do you mean we go down the hole one at a time?!
Cadfael. Traitor. Madman. Mission watches him out of the corner of his eyes, as the cleric shouts insanity at Garyth, as he slips slowly down the hole.
And now to see him clutching the rope, hear him huffing and panting lightly-- he didn't seem in any hurry to get down.
A sudden impact, like he had slammed his shoulder into a boulder, and Mission felt the swamp dragon's teeth tear into his arm and side. It had him, and he felt a moment's panic. But then, a rush of wind, the smell of some animal, musky and powerful-- and Farron's griffon raked its claws along the dragon's back.
He was free. Free to move.
If Mission can get down the hole using slowfall, he will attempt to hurry Cadfael along-- by smacking him on his way down (subdual damage). He'll only do this if he can make the move without upsetting his own balance, whilst holding a passenger, and only if he thinks he can knock Cadfael off the rope to make room for someone else.
On that note if Mission thinks he can grab Farron and make it safely down the hole in one round, he will carry the mage down rather than Tichenor.
That said, if Mission cannot slowfall while people are on the rope, he'll stay up top and strike the swamp dragon with stonetap.
From: Raja
Subject: Re: The underground trail; what do you mean we go down the hole one at a time?!
*climb climb climb*
From: Matt
Subject: Re: The underground trail; what do you mean we go down the hole one at a time?!
Rennik will stand at the top of the hole while the beast is distracted to make sure everyone else gets clear. If Mission did in fact grab Farron instead of Tichenor, he will stay topside with the wolf until he can think of some way to get the animal to safety.
If the beast again turns to focus on the party and Tichenor is not safe, Rennik will climb the nearest tree to get above the swamp dragon's snapping jaws, and start tagging it with arrows from above.
Keeping the Beast Distracted, Who Jumps?, Rules Discussion: Falling Damage
Subject: Re: The underground trail; what do you mean we go down the hole one at a time?!
Gritting his teeth against the pain, Garyth silently curses the priest. His heart nearly stops when he sees both Mission and Farron go down, and he runs forward to help Farron to his feet. Hustling the wizard to the hole, he glances down, judging the distance. It's deep, but maybe not so deep that jumping down would kill him. Almost as if in response to the thought, Garyth feels one of his broken ribs shift. If it's a choice between jumping or being food, he'll jump.
[Garyth will wait until Mission and Farron have started down the hole. At that point he'll climb down if he has time, or will jump (and make the appropriate Jump check to reduce damage) if the croc has finished with the hippogriff.]
From: Ty
Subject: The underground trail; of crocodiles and hippogriffs
[Initiative Sa'id 20, Tichenor 17, Garyth 14, Cadfael 13, Rennik 12, Mission 12, Swamp dragon 5, Farron 4, hippogriff 4]
Sa'id gets within five feet of the floor, and seeing the tense faces ringing the hole above him, decides to go ahead and drop the remaining distance. He is able to land without harming himself, though he does go sprawling onto his backside.
The wolf, looking fairly disgruntled by all the recent manhandling, dances away from the stricken monk, and continues darting in and out at the crocodile, using its speed and agility to distract the beast. Though, clearly, the wolf has greater than normal cunning. It never allows itself to get within range of the massive crocodile's jaws.
Garyth's eyes go wide when he sees the normally invincible seeming monk clamped in the dragon's jaws and shaken like a rag doll. But of even greater concern is the devastating injury to Farron's legs. Garyth rushes to his side as he struggles to get up, and helps him to move over to the hole.
Cadfael continues down the rope at his careful pace, while Sa'id curses at him in a foreign tongue from below.
Rennik sees that the top of the rope is now open, and yells to Mission to grab Tichenor while Garyth helps Farron. Mission is able to pick the wolf up one more time, then grabs the rope with one hand and slides down. His feet strike the top of Cadfael's head about 15 feet above the ground, and the cleric goes tumbling off the rope [Climb check failed]. Cadfael lands heavily on his back, and the wind is knocked out of him [damage 5]. Mission drops lightly to his feet after the priest falls, and puts Tichenor on the ground next to him. Meanwhile, Rennik looses another barrage of arrows to keep the dragon busy. [Attacks 15, 18, 23; miss, miss, hit; damage 6] Once again, a single arrow strikes home, though this time it lodges in the croc's flaring nostril and seems to do more than just annoy it.
The swamp dragon has larger foes to worry about than the halfling though. It contorts its body, and snaps at the hippogriff still perched on its broad back. [Attack 30; hit; damage 22; grapple attempt 38 vs 9, grappled] The dragon grips the hippogriff in its massive jaws, and begins shaking the creature apart. From the sounds of crunching bone, the summoned monster will not last long.
The hippogriff continues to rake the dragon even while clenched in its jaws. [Hippogriff full attack 10, 18, 16; all miss] But the creature is unable to get any leverage while being shaken about, and all of its attacks strike the crocodile's armor without effect.
[Garyth, Rennik, and Farron are all at the rope. At most, two can go down the rope in one round. So, either someone waits, or someone jumps.]
From: Karl
Subject: Re: The underground trail; of crocodiles and hippogriffs
Farron, with Garyth assisting, struggles toward the hole, each step causing sharp stabbing pain to shoot though his hips and up his back. Dully under the pain he can feel the crunch and grind of dislocated and broken bones. He pats once on his side, checking for blood, but the additional shooting pain that causes makes him not want to check again. Luckily his hand comes away free of blood, but that doesn't help the thought that he's probably bleeding inside. He wonders absently if someone will think to bring his pack.
(Farron will stay with Garyth and do as he says in terms of going down the rope first or not. He isn't going to jump unless the swamp dragon comes for him again. Either way he's dead, but by jumping he might deprive the foul thing of a free meal.)
From: Mike
Subject: Re: The underground trail; of crocodiles and hippogriffs
The hippogriff is fading fast; in a few moments the swamp dragon will be on them. Farron is in no condition to be jumping, and Rennik's small size would likely make the fall worse for him. By the time all of this has occured to Garyth, though, he is already motioning for Farron and Rennik to get down the hole. "Go!" he shouts. "Hurry!"
If any of the party's gear is in reach, he'll kick it down the hole. Otherwise he'll take the rear, climbing down next turn if there's time, jumping if not.
OOC: Ty, I noticed that your email address seems to have changed. Do you want me to change the list to reflect that, or should I keep the other one in there?
From: Scott
Subject: Re: The underground trail; of crocodiles and hippogriffs
Mission will keep one eye on the hole above, and one eye on Cadfael.
If any of the party jumps through, he'll attempt to jump at them and catch them in midair, and use slowfall to ease their way down.
OOC: Hey, it's a longshot, but my rolls have been pretty good so far. . .
Ty, is the hole big enough to let a swamp dragon through?
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The underground trail; of crocodiles and hippogriffs
Scott, there is zero chance of you pulling off that maneuver, just so you know. :)
And it doesn't look like that croc could squeeze through the hole. Nor, with a 25 foot drop on the other side, would he probably want to.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: The underground trail; of crocodiles and hippogriffs
Oh.
Shoot my hopes down, why don't you.
What if I rolled a 20?
Okay, so no jumping up in the air, ala Superman and catching Garyth-- but Mission WILL stare very hard at the hole and use his massive will to make the warrior's landing softer.
And he'll watch that yella-bellied godbotherer too.
From: Matt
Subject: Re: The underground trail; of crocodiles and hippogriffs
Rennik will hold Garyth back before the wounder soldier leans to make his jump.
"Friend Garyth, wait! You are wounded, and a bad landing from this height could cripple you. I am used to jumping from trees and softening my fall - it is a test of courage for Chorrdath children. I will be okay - you help the mage!"
(OOC: Rennik has a Jump of 8 and a Tumble of 5, which can reduce the fall damage down to a d6 with a successful roll... instead of the 3d6 it'd be for Garyth)
From: Dan
Subject: Re: The underground trail; of crocodiles and hippogriffs
OOC -- Cadfael casts Cure Serious Wounds on himself to cure 5 measly points of damage and spite the rest of the party. Ok, not really, but he seriously considers it :)
IC:
Mission's blow from above takes Cadfael by surprise and he falls heavily to the ground where he lands in an awkward heap.
Standing, he slowly and deliberately wipes blood from his mouth. Glaring at the monk he speaks thickly, clearly having bitten his tongue in the fall.
"2 days."
He then spins on his heel and retrieves his fallen pack. Ripping out the bedroll he tosses the rest aside and lays down to sleep.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: The underground trail; of crocodiles and hippogriffs
"Good idea," Mission says softly to Cadfael. "We can use your bedroll to bandage Garyth's and Farron's wounds. I'm glad to see you're thinking ahead. Go ahead and start tearing it into strips. I doubt any of us will get any rest at all these next two days, anyway."
From: Mike
Subject: Re: The underground trail; of crocodiles and hippogriffs
Garyth pauses for a moment. He should be the one to stay behind. The group needs Rennik's knowledge and skills more than they need one more strong arm. But the halfling is right, so he nods and helps Farron to the rope before descending himself.
OOC: Having ranks in Tumble would be useful. Garyth has 4 ranks in Jump for a total bonus of 7. Plus I thought it was 1d6 per 10 feet. That made more sense than 1d6 per 10 feet or fraction thereof, since I don't think 1d6 makes a lot of sense for a 5 foot fall. Either way, though, Rennik would do better. So go for yours. :)
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The underground trail; of crocodiles and hippogriffs
Yes, Mike is right. The total damage for the fall would be 2d6, or 1d6 if you can jump or tumble the first 10 feet. In the old rules, it was 1d6 for 10', and then a progression from there of 2d6 for the next 10, and 3d6 for the next 10, and so on. A 30' fall was 5d6 damage under those rules.
In the new rules, it would be a straight 3d6.
It took me a while to find the open source rules on falling damage.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: The underground trail; of crocodiles and hippogriffs
Yeah-- the Open Source for 3.5 kind of sucks in that the download seperates everything into different, seperate documents that are not easily searchable.
:feels Ty's pain:
From: Raja
Subject: Re: The underground trail; of crocodiles and hippogriffs
Ah, the joys of find-by-content indexing. ;)
IC:
Sa'id listens to Mission and Cadfael's exchange wordlessly. He feels numb. His fire had barely hurt the thing, whatever it was. Swamp dragon. If only the party had been closer together and his thoughts more collected when he awoke... a mass invisibility spell might have resolved the problem without a fuss. Now Garyth was probably dead... no. Peering up the hole, Sa'id sees the human standing at the edge. He breathes a sigh of relief.
He felt impotent, worthless. He could feel his mood darkening with each breath. If he could not drive off a mere jungle beast -- an overgrown jungle beast to be sure, but still a dumb animal -- how could he conceivably defeat as guileful and cunning a foe as Anileth guided by Kor Garesh? And Elise?
He shook his head. Hopeless. He was a lost cause.
Farron and Garyth Make It Down
Subject: Re: The underground trail; of crocodiles and hippogriffs
Farron gasps and winces with every move as he positions himself on the rope and moves down. He is worried about his speed, knowing that any delay could mean one of his companions might die, but he also knows any fall at all would likely kill him in this state. His progress is further slowed by the fact that holding the rope with his legs causes near-blinding pain. He concentrates on holding the rope tightly with alternating hands and letting gravity move him down the rope.
At about the halfway point, the pain has become so bad that he briefly contemplates just letting go. One more burst of pain at the bottom and then he wouldn't hurt anymore, being dead and all. But he grits his teeth and, white-faced, continues on.
From: Ty
Subject: The underground trail; we all finish running away....
[Initiative Sa'id 20, Tichenor 17, Garyth 14, Cadfael 13, Rennik 12, Mission 12, Swamp dragon 5, Farron 4, hippogriff 4]
Sa'id stands at the bottom of the rope looking worried and making "go faster" gestures with his hands as he watches Farron slowly trying to climb down.
Tichenor shakes himself all over once after Mission puts him down, then immediately begins scouting out the sewer tunnel, sniffing the walls carefully.
Above, Garyth is helping the badly injured Farron get onto the rope. Watching the wizard grimace in pain every time he moves his legs only reminds the battered guardsman of how bad he himself feels right now. The halfling had gone on and on about how dangerous the jungle was, and how dangerous the swamp dragons were, until finally Garyth had begun to tune him out. Now, with half the party badly injured and their camp in disarray, he resolves to pay attention again.
After saying "two days" to the monk, Cadfael rolls out his bedroll and sits down on it.
Rennik stands in front of Garyth and Farron as they attempt to move down the rope. He holds his bow in one hand, but does not fire. If the swamp dragon is distracted by the wizard's monster, then so much the better.
The crocodile continues to thrash the hapless hippogriff about in its jaws. [Grapple check 34 vs 24; hippogriff still pinned; damage 21] The hippogriff struggles to break free, but the swamp dragons jaws grip it like a vice. There are more sounds of crushed and grating bones, and the hippogriff looks like it won't last much longer.
Farron moves with great pain about ten feet down the rope, and sees that Garyth has climbed on just above him. Now, only Rennik remains on the surface.
The hippogriff, badly broken in the swamp dragons teeth, continues to fight and struggle. It's dying screeches are terrible to hear, but it does not appear to be giving up either. [Full attack 16, 16, 14; all miss]
From: Karl
Subject: Re: The underground trail; we all finish running away....
Farron will continue moving down the rope.
From: Mike
Subject: Re: The underground trail; we all finish running away....
Garyth also continues climbing down.
From: Matt
Subject: Re: The underground trail; we all finish running away....
Rennik twiddles his thumbs waiting for his turn, ready to jump if need be.
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The underground trail; we all finish running away....
Actually, unless someone has some specific thing to do, I am just going to write up that next turn tonight.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: The underground trail; we all finish running away....
Mission glares at Cadfael, but says nothing. He will help Farron get off the rope and do his best to patch him up.
He'll give the mage a healing potion if he has one.
We All Finish Running Away, Moving East
Subject: The underground trail; we all finish running away
Sa'id stays by the rope, helping Farron to the ground once he reaches the bottom. The two wizards then help Garyth off, because his damaged ribs make the climb extremely difficult. They can hear the fight between the two monsters continuing above, then suddenly there is silence. A second later, Rennik comes sliding down the rope.
"Your beast is dead," he says to Farron. "Though, it did wound the dragon at least once. That means he'll go find himself a nice deep pond somewhere and sit at the bottom sulking. We can probably go back up and collect our gear tomorrow."
[At this point, only Cadfael has his pack with him. There are no healing potions here in the tunnel, as my notes show that Farron and Garyth still have theirs, but their packs are above. Unless someone wants to take a specific action before the night is over, I will just write up the next turn. Let me know pretty soon if you need to do something.]
From: Matt
Subject: Re: The underground trail; we all finish running away
Reaching the bottom of the rope, Rennik immediately seeks out Tichenor and finds him investigating the perimeters of their new camp. There's nowhere to run, now, Rennik thinks. If something comes down this tunnel at us while we sleep, there's no way for us to escape. He shivers at the thought of being trapped.
He'll try to get a good emotional read off of the wolf, to see if it is nervous about either end of the tunnel. Tichenor's nose is far better than his own.
Upon catching Mission's eye, he will nod his thanks. "You fought well, and I thank you for saving Tichenor. Wolves are intelligent animals, and he will remember your effort to save him. I, too, will remember."
With that, Rennik will finish a perimeter check of the area (and his Animal Empathy check to gauge Tichenor's reactions).
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The underground trail; we all finish running away
Rennik and Tichenor will determine that the sewer tunnel runs off into the distance both east and west. Though, presumably, the tunnel dead ends going west when it hits the cave in.
Tichenor does not seem particularly nervous, though he does seem to keep sniffing the center of the tunnel. This might mean that there are a large number of interesting scents there, which could mean that a lot of people passed this way recently.
From: Karl
Subject: Re: The underground trail; we all finish running away
"Well, that's that," Farron thinks to himself. He looks around the tunnel briefly for a spot that looks like it would be at least smoother if not softer and lays down gingerly, wincing from the pain of dislocated and broken bones. He will try to sleep until someone wakes him up in the morning.
From: Ty
Subject: The underground trail; the camp, and going east
The morning following the swamp dragon attack is not a pleasant one. Mission, Garyth, and Farron are all badly hurt. Farron has the greatest trouble, as his wounds are concentrated around his knees, and by morning he can not stand without assistance. Mission can move normally, but has trouble using his left arm for much. Luckily for Garyth, he only hurts when he breathes.
Now that a swamp dragon has been seen by all of the party members, a consensus is quickly reached that running into more of them is a bad idea. Rennik has already determined that this tunnel is the same sewer tunnel you found before, though of course much further to the east. According to Farron, this tunnel should run right to the temple itself, and it makes sense that this was the "underground trail" that they referred to.
Rennik, who is uninjured, returns to the surface and begins collecting the party's gear. There is surprisingly little damage, though the fight with the dragon did scatter things about. About half the food was lost to damage and small animal scavenging during the night. Of more immediate concern though, both of the remaining heal potions are intact. One at a time, Rennik lowers the packs down the rope to the party waiting below. He then does his best to conceal the camp and the trail, and returns to the tunnel.
[If anyone wishes to take any actions, like say healing someone, you may do so and I will add the results in before the next turn. However, in the interests of time, I am going to write up the days travels now.]
Cadfael's eternally glowing glove gives the party light to travel by, and the floor is smooth and dry on both sides of the narrow central channel, so the group makes rapid progress. At about mid morning, a second blast of darkness sweeps over the party, and everyone is stunned for a few moments. The visions of darkness and impending doom that accompany this are even more potent than last time. Mission and Cadfael are again the most affected, though neither is willing to share his own private vision of hell with anyone else after it's over. No one says, "two days left", but everyone is thinking it.
At regular intervals, side passages break off from the main tunnel and go off into darkness. Farron is quite sure that staying on this main path is the right thing to do, and his ability to recall the map from memory is already well proven, so no one argues. Occasionally, small holes in the ceiling of the tunnel let in some bit of natural light. By the time this natural light is gone, the party is already so exhausted that the decision to camp is quickly reached.
Rennik recommends finding a side passage and moving down it a ways to get off the main tunnel before camping. This seems wise, and a suitable side tunnel is found. Tichenor sniffs the camp site for several minutes, then pronounces the site good by flopping down on his belly and closing his eyes.
Farron and Rennik confer for a moment regarding distances on the map and how far the halfling thinks they may have traveled that day. When the are done, Farron says, "I think we can reach the temple by tomorrow night, if we can keep this pace. That puts us there the night before the priest's vision says we have to be there." Turning to Mission, he says with compassion on his face, "We will make it in time for Promise, no matter what."
From: Mike
Subject: Re: The underground trail; the camp, and going east
Can we get a run-down of the party's HP?
Who Gets the Potions?
Subject: Re: The underground trail; the camp, and going east
Mission will use the healing salve and bandages he bought off of Gully on himself (if he still has them).
An HP count would be useful-- my count is that after the fight with the dragon, and after levelling up, Mission is at 9. Is that correct?
From: Karl
Subject: Re: The underground trail; the camp, and going east
I'm pretty sure Farron is at 7. He was at 1 before leveling and rolled pretty good for HP upon leveling.
Farron will use his heal skills on himself, using any supplies the group has left and will let him use. He will see how he feels in the morning before deciding whether to drink his healing potion or not. He will sleep with the potion at hand, though, in case something dire happens in the night. In his state, he won't refuse healing from anyone if it's offered, but he's too afraid of Cadfael's apparent schizophrenia to ask him for it himself.
(I'm assuming one of the two healing potions is in Farron's pack since he hasn't used the one he was given back in Overlook, but if I'm mistaken and Farron doesn't have claim to one of them then he will just try to heal himself as best he can without one.)
From: Scott
Subject: Re: The underground trail; the camp, and going east
Mission rolled a 2.
A 2.
:shakes head:
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The underground trail; the camp, and going east
Farron is down 24, Garyth is down 20, and Mission is down 20. Cadfael took 5 points of subdual damage from his fall.
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The underground trail; the camp, and going east
Yes, Farron has one of the two potions.
From: Mike
Subject: Re: The underground trail; the camp, and going east
Before the party leaves the first campsite, Garyth will recommend that Mission and Farron use the two remaining healing potions. His own wounds still ache, but he is still more intact than they are. When the party stops for the night, he will accept any aid given in caring for his broken ribs.
From: Karl
Subject: Re: The underground trail; the camp, and going east
Farron will take the healing potion, then, and will try to use his healing skills on Garyth as best he can at the campsite.
From: Raja
Subject: Re: The underground trail; the camp, and going east
There's the matter of the spellbook. Sa'id still wants to do his dispel while protected from the elements. I'm not sure whether this should happen before or after the day's travel.
From: Dan
Subject: Re: The underground trail; the camp, and going east
Cadfael stays within himself for the day's travel, speaking little and then only when spoken to. Each time the darkness comes his stride becomes more focused and his eyes glitter with anticipation, though the flesh on his face grows more haggard.
When the party stops to make camp he quickly settles in for the night. He has nothing to say to anyone and if nobody approaches him he will quickly drop off to sleep.
HP Discussion, Followed?
Subject: Re: The underground trail; the camp, and going east
OOC: Mission will accept the potion, and give Farron Gully's salve and bandages to help him with Garyth's wounds.
From: Ty
Subject: The underground trail; camping again
Mission gratefully accepts the healing potion, and drinks it down. Whatever his feelings toward Cadfael now, he must admit that the priests of Pelor produce effective healing balms [Healed 22].
Farron drinks the last of the healing potions given to the party by the temple in Overlook [Healed 17]. There is a certain feeling of dread that comes with the use of this last potion. A feeling of nothing being left for the trip back. Farron wants to believe that the temple of Kor Garesh is the mid point of his journey, not its end. But that hope is getting harder to hold onto.
Once he is healed, Farron uses what skills he has to try and tend to Garyth. He helps the young guardsmen remove his armor and shirt, and can't help but gasp when he sees the injury. The armor helped stop the teeth a bit, but the crushing power of the swamp dragon's jaws is evident in the massive bruising and cracked ribs. Farron applies the unguents that Gully gave the group, and wraps the rib cage in bandages to keep the cracked ribs from moving too much. It is the best he can do, and only rest or healing magic will do the rest. Farron does suggest to the group that Garyth be allowed to sleep a full eight hours this night, and not take a watch. [If Garyth sleeps 8 hours, he recovers 12 HP]
Cadfael moves off by himself and appears to immediately go to sleep.
[I need a watch order, and any final actions before we do the next day. Can every check in real quick? Gracias.]
From: Karl
Subject: Re: The underground trail; camping again
Can Farron do any additional bandaging on himself or anything to gain some more HP while he sleeps?
Oh, and "I'm here".
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The underground trail; camping again
Actually, just getting 8 hours of sleep will get Farron 6 HP back. That would put him 1 under max.
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The underground trail; camping again
Also, this used up the last of the healing goodies that Gully sold the party. Garyth's wounds were extensive.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: The underground trail; camping again
OOC: I'm a bit confused. By my count, Mission was down to 9; By Ty's email, he was down to 15. So-- where does his HP count lie? At 31, or 35 (Mission's max hp, unless Ty is being INCREDIBLY charitable. . . .)?
Whatever the case, Mission volunteers for the first watch.
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The underground trail; camping again
By my notes, Mission was down 20hp.
The healing raised him to max. am I missing something?
From: Karl
Subject: Re: The underground trail; camping again
"this" being Garyth and Farron? Or just Garyth? (I.E. Is is sleep alone that gets Farron back the 6 HP?)
From: Dan
Subject: Re: The underground trail; camping again
No last minute actions from Cadfael. He does not volunteer to watch.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: The underground trail; camping again
Well-- you noted that the potion healed him for 22; 35 (starting HP) - 20 (damage) = 15; 15 + 22 (healing) = 37.
Hey, if you want to give me 2 extra hitpoints, fine by me. . .
;)
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The underground trail; camping again
I was just posting what I rolled. When I actually altered my notes, I just took him back to max.
Sorry.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: The underground trail; camping again
No problem-- I really just wanted to make sure that I wans't miscounting Mission's hp.
Not that 2 hp are going to matter when Kor Garesh swallows us all. . . but. . . y'know?
From: Raja
Subject: Re: The underground trail; camping again
[OOC: Given that we now have no means of healing short of asking the insane priest, I'm not sure about this spellbook thing. I suppose if we live we can take it to Nesalin. Given that, I'll memorize the same spells tonight as I did last night, except ]
IC:
Sa'id sits with Farron, sullen. They had set out with so much hope, only to be beaten like waves against coastal rocks. And with this impossible task -- the rescue of a baby from its blasphemy of a mother -- still before them.
He sighs heavily. They had been forced to flee from a jungle beast, battered and half-dead. What hope did they have against the likes of Anileth -- invulnerable while Promise lay within her -- and Elise, who had defeated the powerful Rennik without any semblance of effort, according to the proud warrior? He knows he shouldn't wallow in his dark mood, that now is a time when optimism instead of resignation could mean the difference in reflexes between life and death, but the fact that he now can't risk opening the sealed spellboook is unbelievably galling to the wizard.
Tomorrow night they would reach the temple. If Anileth could not be harmed before Promise was born, but when Promise was born it would be too late, what chance did they have? He didn't see any way that Anileth could be kept away from the altar, not so close to the source of her power. And for that matter, what of his spells? What would be needed in order to be most effective? If there was a large-scale battle, they were all dead. But to be stealthy meant following Cadfael, and the broken priest would certainly take the most direct route to Anileth that was possible, thereby sacrificing any advantage Kor Garesh's inability to see them might have brought.
Sa'id reaches up to adjust his turban, feeling his familiar coil along his arm. For a moment he regrets swearing to help Mission, because the further things progress the more this endeavour looks like a convoluted way to commit suicide. And the monk was so focused on his son that he didn't appear to care what happened to the rest of the party anymore.
The necromancer shakes his head. There would be plenty of time to choose and memorize spells when his watch came up. Perhaps sleep would brighten his mood.
From: Matt
Subject: Re: The underground trail; camping again
Rennik will volunteer to take an extended watch to allow others time to rest and heal. He'll go on the bare minimum of sleep needed to remain functional (no penalties) the following day.
From: Ty
Subject: The underground trail; ever eastward
[Rennik failed Con check to stay awake]
Rennik comes awake with a start. The first dim light of dawn is coming through the cracks in the tunnel ceiling, and the sleeping party is dimly visible around him. By his side, Tichenor kicks one leg fitfully, chasing some unknown prey in his dreams. Rennik kicks himself for falling asleep, though the last few days have been incredibly draining. At least he woke before anyone else did, and no one caught him sleeping.
Even more disturbing is the sight of the priest, sleeping through the dawn hour when he had prayed each morning so faithfully.
Rennik wakes the rest of the party, and their breakfast is subdued. No one knows what lies at the end of this tunnel, nor what midday tomorrow will bring. But there is a comfort of sorts in knowing that there is only one more night to wait, before the end of the quest is seen. Whatever demons they face, at least they will finally see them. Waiting and wondering is far worse. Either promise will be saved or he won't. Either they will escape with their lives or they won't. At least they will finally be able to act.
After breakfast, the group begins moving east along the tunnel again. Farron and Mission are quite recovered from their injuries. The healing potion and a full night's sleep seeming to have fully refreshed them. Even Garyth moves with greater comfort, Farron's bandages bed rest having relieved some of his deep aches.
Toward midday, the darkness returns again, knocking each of the party members briefly senseless, save for the dark dreams it gives them. But like most dark things, once experienced, it loses some of its dread. The party recovers quickly, eats a bit more of their greatly reduced rations, and moves on. Mission says, "Tomorrow. My son will be born tomorrow." The sounds of longing and fear mix in his voice, and are heartbreaking to hear. Even the gruff Rennik pats him once on the back in a show of solidarity.
By midafternoon, the steady repetition of placing one foot in front of the other, the sounds of leather slapping on stone, even the clicking of the wolf's claws on the tunnel floor have become hypnotizing. When Rennik realizes that Tichenor is no longer walking at his side, that the clicking claws have stopped, it snaps him from his reverie. He gives a low whistle to stop the party and turns around. The wolf has stopped twenty feet back, and is facing behind them, ears cocked. Rennik quickly drops to the ground and places his ear on the stone. [Listen roll 12] He hears nothing. But Mission, seeing how the Halfling reacted, also drops down to listen [Listen roll 20] and he hears the sound of footsteps coming distantly from behind.
[Mission can hear that someone is approaching from behind, but can't tell how far away they are or how many. The group had passed a cross tunnel about 100 yards ago, and if the pattern is consistent, there should be another one 400 yards ahead.]
The Invisibility Option
Subject: Re: The underground trail; ever eastward
"Someone's coming behind us," Mission says quietly to Rennick. "I can't tell how many, or how far away they are, but--" he shrugs.
"I don't like the idea of allowing anything to follow us in these tunnels. As much as I do NOT want to fight again, especially when we're so close to Promise, I definitely don't want to be caught between a horror behind us and a terror in front of us."
From: Scott
Subject: Re: The underground trail; ever eastward
Mission continues, softly, "I suggest that we move the party on down to the next intersection of tunnels-- quickly, and quietly as we can, and lay an ambush there. Where the tunnels divide, we'll have more room to move and fight, or take cover, while we'll catch our pursuers in the narrow."
He swallows, waiting for the halfling's reaction.
From: Karl
Subject: Re: The underground trail; ever eastward
Farron feels a sinking feeling in his stomach at the news that they are being followed. He does not want to risk injury again before the battle with Anileth as he's sure there will be no healing again on this trip unless Cadfael can be relieved of his dark insanity. Nevertheless he will do whatever Mission and the others propose.
From: Raja
Subject: Re: The underground trail; ever eastward
"There is," Sa'id says quietly, "one other option."
He swallows.
"I have a spell that can make us all invisible for a time, provided you stay within a certain distance of me. If we head to the intersection and move into one of the side tunnels, I can shield us from the sight of whatever is coming if we wish not to be seen." He pauses. "Either way, I agree that we should make for the intersection quickly and quietly."
From: Mike
Subject: Re: The underground trail; ever eastward
Garyth nods at Sa'id's suggestion. "We don't even know who our followers are; they may not be enemies. We should use Sa'id's spell to hide ourselves. If they do turn out to be enemies, we still have the option to take them." He doesn't say it, but from the way he winces when he takes a breath, Garyth is in no hurry to get in another fight.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: The underground trail; ever eastward
Mission's heart hammers. He nods at Sa'id wordlessly.
"Fine."
From: Dan
Subject: Re: The underground trail; ever eastward
Cadfael will agree to the invisibility plan.
OOC -- Sorry, busy today, but I don't want to hold things up.
From: Raja
Subject: Re: The underground trail; ever eastward
Sa'id falls into stride beside Garyth. He speaks quietly, not quite whispering in case Mission and Rennik are listening. "I have a spell of light that I can cast in the intersection. If we then move down the side passage, we may be able to see what comes. They might be more likely to search, though..." He pauses. "Also, I have my fireball spell memorized, if it comes to that, which is safe provided we are far enough away from them."
From: Mike
Subject: Re: The underground trail; ever eastward
Garyth thinks a moment, then shakes his head. "No, if we attract their attention, they may find us. We'd be better off staying concealed until they're past."
From: Raja
Subject: Re: The underground trail; ever eastward
[OOC: Just got this from Matt, I assume he meant it to go to everyone.]
Sa'id nods his agreement. The halfling makes sense. "Just remember that if anyone attacks or works further magic, it will break the spell for that person but not for the others."
------ Forwarded Message
"No light," Rennik says. "We want them to pass us by, not stop and look around. I'd rather be behind them than in front."
He barely catches himself agreeing to be cloaked by magic. When he had the speed spell cast on him the previous night, there seemed to be no harm. Silently, the halfling begins to rethink his views on magic and mages - it seemed priests and monks were proving more problematic.
------ End of Forwarded Message
From: Matt
Subject: Re: The underground trail; ever eastward
D'oh! Oops!
The Following Group
Subject: The underground trail; hiding
Sa'id's plan is a good one, and the party begins moving as quickly as possible toward the next junction. Now that he knows they are being followed, Rennik cringes at every sound the group makes. Sa'id, Farron, and Mission are all actually fairly quiet when they walk. Garyth, in his leather armor, only makes noise when he runs into something. But Cadfael, dressed in metal and with a shield banging on his back, sounds like a box full of scrap metal being shaken by a giant. Or, at least, that's how it sounds to the halfling now.
A few minutes bring the party to the next junction. Everyone quickly moves into the northbound side tunnel, and Sa'id begins his spell. Rennik tells everyone to stay absolutely silent, and grips Tichenor by the scruff to keep him from moving. The cunning wolf seems to understand the situation though, and sits on his haunches.
Before Sa'id can finish his spell, Mission gives an exasperated sigh, and reaches out to pluck the glowing glove out of Cadfael's belt. He sticks it under his shirt just the spell finishes, and the tunnel is plunged into darkness. It is difficult to tell if the spell worked or not, because this stretch of tunnel has no openings, and no light.
Time passes, with only the occasional scuff sound of someone shifting their feet, and the quiet panting of the wolf. After a while, distant talking can be heard. As it grows closer, it becomes clear that whoever is out there is making no attempt to hide themselves. They talk loudly, with occasional loud laughs. They are also carrying light of some kind, as the east bound tunnel begins to slowly brighten with a red glow.
The group passes the junction a few moments later, and their light brightens the side tunnels as well. The party tenses, but the spell must have worked, because even though several from the passing group glance down both side tunnels, no one gives them a second look. The group itself is five men, though one of them barely fits that description. Four of them look like ordinary city ruffians. Only one of the four is wearing armor, and his armor is cheaply made leather. All four carry weapons of a cutthroat sort; short swords and long knives. The fifth figure is somewhat more intimidating. He stands six and half feet high at least, and fairly bulges with muscle. His wart covered skin has an odd greenish gray cast to it, and his face is hideous. His lower jaw juts out, and a pair of flattened tusks peek out from his lip. His nose if flat, and his brow sloped. Farron, Sa'id, and Mission have all seen such a creature before, and Farron says in a whisper so low that even those right next to him can barely hear it, "Half Orc."
While his human companions appear to be only thugs, the half orc has a hard look of competence to him. His light armor is well oiled and well kept. Carried across one shoulder is an enormous polearm, with a double headed axe at each end. Rennik recognizes the weapon as an orcish double axe, a weapon that is very difficult to use, but extremely dangerous in the hands of a master. Of greater concern to the halfling is the casual way the brute carries it in one hand. The weapon must be extremely heavy, but the half orc carries it like it weighs nothing.
The group is moving quickly, and vanishes from view into the eastern tunnel. Their torchlight and voices continue to fade into the distance until all is silence and darkness again.
[Please check in]
From: Karl
Subject: Re: The underground trail; hiding
When all has been quiet for several minutes, Farron lets out a small sigh of relief, but cuts it short as the slight sound reaches his ears. He had been standing so quietly the tiny rush of air sounded altogether too loud to his straining ears. "If there are more like the big guy, we're dead," he whispers gloomily to Sa'id.
(ooc-Farron will do whatever the group decides. He's just playing passenger on this particular ride into hell.)
From: Raja
Subject: Re: The underground trail; hiding
Sa'id is relieved to find that the other group is comprised of mere mortals, large half-orc or no. Though, the question of what city folk were doing here was an interesting one. He idly wonders what it will feel like for them when the soul drinker consumes their essence.
He smirks a bit at Farron's words, a measure of good humour returning for some inexplicable reason. He winks at his friend. "I could take him in a bout of fisticuffs," he says quietly, imitating the tone of one of their teachers at the wizards' school.
Sa'id then turns to Garyth and Rennik. "What now? From how far is it safe to follow them?"
From: Karl
Subject: Re: The underground trail; hiding
Inexplicably, Sa'id's words dispel a large part of the gloom in Farron's mood. He's not at all sure about the battle ahead, but he's known for a couple of days now that there's no going home without finishing this. He returns a small smile to his friend, then realizing he can't see it in the dark, he chuckles softly at the joke.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: The underground trail; hiding
"Cale mentioned a brute of some sort back at the tower," Mission says softly, nodding his head in the direction of the half-orc. "And those other four had the same look as Elise's crew at the cabin where we first met her."
Thinking of the tower, the cabin-- events that seemed like a lifetime ago. A different man had worn his skin in each of those places. Blood and Stone, it seemed like ages ago he'd listened to Rennick plea for help, and Garyth call for volunteers. The memory seemed more like the memory of a tale told to him, rather than the memory of an event in his life.
"We must go even more quietly now, with those men in front of us," Mission urges. "Rennick and I can scout ahead, try to discover where they're going. Were they looking for us, or just on patrol?"
He takes a deep breath, and chokes on the fetid air. He stifles his coughing, though. "How long will this invisibility spell last, Sa'id?"
From: Raja
Subject: Re: The underground trail; hiding
"Only a few minutes," the necromancer replies, "and it is broken if you stray from me."
[OOC: Working from memory here -- IIRC, Invisibility Sphere lasts one minute per caster level and affects people in a 10' radius around the caster at the time of casting.]
From: Matt
Subject: Re: The underground trail; hiding
Rennik's mind lingers on the half-orc and its axe, and wishes his hadn't been sundered by the shebitch. He whispers a silent curse at her and thinks about the situation.
"It might be best to attack them before they reach the mountain if we can do it without injuring ourselves too much. They are only five right now - but they will be five of many more at the end of our journey if we don't stop them. If we have to deal with that beast, I'd rather do it when he is our main concern... not when he has a wereboar and the shebitch Elise at his back."
"Though it might be too risky to attack them, especially when we are so close."