Almost Out, Who Goes First?
Subject: Re: The Chase; back down the tunnel 2
Well, the elementals Farron can summon are the smallest of their kind. Also, they only last for 5 rounds (i think). In essence, it is very likely that if he summoned one to hold the door, it would vanish before a significant portion of the party's pursuers even got to the door. While the idea is good in theory, I think in practical application in this instance it would basically be a waste of a spell.
From: Ty
Subject: so....
What now?
From: Scott
Subject: Re: so....
Where are we? Has Sa'id cast his Burning Hands spell yet?
Is Farron going to summon anything to tide the dark forces over till they can catch up with us?
Do we have any way of collapsing the tunnel?
Should Farron caste Haste now? (I vote yes, as soon as we get out of the mountain-- it will be too late once they've caught up with us.)
I don't like the idea of leaving Cadfael and Sa'id anywhere alone-- stick together, stay alive, says I.
Mission will follow Rennick and Promise closely.
From: Mike
Subject: Re: so....
I don't think you hepcats are waiting on me, but if you are, Garyth doesn't have much to add at this point. He did his bit with the oil and is now ready to move out.
From: Dan
Subject: Re: so....
Once Cadfael is done cutting off his armour he's ready to move out.
From: Matt
Subject: Re: so....
Rennik's all ready to run out, drop Promise like a greased bowling ball, juggle him a few times, then hand him back to his father... and run again. Faster this time, and away from Mission.
From: Ty
Subject: The Chase; More running away
OODM: there were a lot of things sent last turn that spanned more time than this one turn, so I might be fudging the timing a bit to make it all fit.
IDM:
At the bottom of the shaft, Garyth pours out oil all over the floor under the rope while Sa'id gets out his components and prepares to cast a spell.
After a quick exchange with Rennik, Cadfael is pulling out his dagger to cut the straps on his armor. Sa'id turns to everyone and says, "You might want to step away." Everyone takes a few steps further down the hall, and Sa'id spreads his fingers while muttering to himself. There is a loud *whoomp* and all the air is sucked from the hall for a second. But the fire fulfills its purpose, and the rope and oil both burst into smoky flame.
Farron is fairly bouncing in place. "It is really really time to go!" he says after the fire starts. The party does not disagree. From up the hall above them, the sounds of pursuit grow louder.
As they run, Mission and Rennik have their exchange, by the time they have reached the outer door, Rennik has fashioned his crude sling, and taken Promise in his arms.
Touching the child is a shock. The faded vision of his future, of the promise of what he can be, suddenly returns to Rennik in a sharp reprise. It passes again, but he is careful to keep the child totally wrapped in the blue cloak so that they don't touch. Those visions are too powerful for them to be hitting him as he runs.
The party winds up at the final door, the secret door in the mountain side. Cadfael has removed his armor. Rennik carries Promise in his sling. Everyone has been running flat out for about five minutes, and there is a fair amount of puffing and panting in the enclosed space. There is no longer the sound of pursuit, but there are several doors and the burial room behind you. Who knows how far back the pursuers might be? Or even if they made it past the burning shaft.
Farron's head pops up with a look of revelation on his face. "These beings are evil and selfish, right? How hard will it be for them to run through that gold filled room without stopping for a little snatch and grab? I mean, other than the undead?"
Sa'id nods with a hard grin on his face. "And let us hope that the ancients left traps behind to discourage such behavior."
Garyth looks impatient as he says, "What now, Rennik? Who goes out first?"
From: Matt
Subject: Re: The Chase; More running away
The words "I do" jump into Rennik's mind, but he holds them short, feeling the weight in the sling about the shoulders and knowing just how useless he'd be in a fight right now.
"You will lead Friend Garyth, followed by friend Sa'id. If there is any resistance, they should be able to handle it. Friend Mission will follow with myself next, and then Caller Farron and Friend Cadfael defending our rear."
Garyth's training should serve him well if there is a need to act quickly, and Sa'id's magic, from the way he speaks of it, would be best to dispatch a large force if one awaits them, though he is loathe to admit it. Desperate times call for desperate acts, even if such acts require magic.
Mission would certainly guard Rennik with his life for his son's sake, and would want to enter the unknown before his son, which is understandable. And Cadfael would be the best to hold off any undead pursuers behind, possibly with the help of the creatures Farron can call from the mountain.
Before letting Garyth go, he speaks again.
"It would be best to get back into the tunnel. There is a guardhouse with a ladder close to here that would take us out the way we came. It would avoid the perils of the jungle and give us almost a direct shot toward home."
He pauses briefly.
"There may be guards left behind that were not called into the chamber in pursuit, though they are likely few if any. There are also the zombies in the side tunnel, if they too are still there... though I don't know if an attack at the ladder would trigger them to wake."
"If I could cover our tracks behind us to the guard house, we could likely fool them into thinking we went to the woods... or, if you could call a creature of the wind, Caller Farron, it could blast our tracks away from the hard ground."
"It is risky, but it might be our best choice. We could likely lose them in the forest, but there are other dangers there. But we must decide quickly."