A Tunnels and Trolls PBP (Play By Posting) Adventure
Chapter 6: Tunnels but no Trolls
[[OOC - Laimia_Best posing as Misfitsprite until she posts in her own stead. This sounds like one of those soap opera’s (giggles).]]
[[Lilac]] With my light staff in hand I leave Shipy’s shoulder on a quick scouting sortie (buzzing Jax as I depart), heading down the left sewer passage. Keeping up next to the eight foot high ceiling. Following the corridor for over a hundred feet I pause at a fourway intersection. The passage straight ahead is collapsed, the passage to the left ends in a smooth stone wall. I quickly turn down the right passage. It ends a bit later in a square squalid (20 by 20 foot) room with a large pile of refuse in one corner. A sewer inlet leads up the back wall. Zipping upwards towards it I quickly find it has been cobblestoned over ages ago. Pirouetting in the air I speed back down the passage widst I came. About midway down the first corridor I notice a trip wire stretched across the passage. Pausing only a moment to take note of it, I continue back to Shipy’s shoulder as fast as my tiny wings will carry me.
Landing safely back on Shipy’s shoulder I relate my entire scouting mission verbatim, also showing the party my crude sprite drawn map so far.
[[ Editor's note: Lilac's map was shown to the players at this point. It was drawn incrementally with each successive move, but not saved in incremental steps--only in its final form. Therefore, the map will not be revealed the reader until the end of the adventure in order to not spoil future plot. ]]
515 - jaxdracon - 4/28/00 8:31 am
[[Shipy]]
“If’n you take one more step forward Jax you’re gone’a fall in a pit!” says Shipy, whispering from behind you. “Trust me big slayer... its there!”
Jax freezes in mid-stride. The small waves generated by the party propagate silently in the putrid sewer water as a smattering of ever-expanding circles, crossing the so-called pit effortlessly and without effect.
"If you say so, Shipy; how can you tell?" But Shipy's response is delayed by the arrival of Lilac from her scouting foray.
Landing safely back on Shipy’s shoulder I relate my entire scouting mission verbatim, also showing the party my crude sprite drawn map so far;
Jax is awed by the faerie's artwork! But his attention soon returns to the task at hand. "I need info, Shipy. What else can you make of the pit?" Jax moves to the nearest wall and carefully prods the floor with his foot.
516 - khara_khang - 4/28/00 4:28 pm
Khara_Khang...(continues)
[[Jax]] Prodding the floor with your foot causes the stone work pit to unexpectedly to drop open, causing the shallow water within the passage to flow into the pit. Leaning forward you see a twenty foot deep pit lined with teeth-like three foot long iron spears. You also see a skeleton amongst the water a debris. A narrow ledge allows access past the pit along the right side.
[[Shipy]] "See, see... told ya Jax!" jabbing you in the back with his finger.
517 - Kopfy - 4/29/00 3:23 am
[[OOC: Kopfy is looking awfully thin considering 5th ot 6th edition rules.]]
523 - jaxdracon - 5/1/00 6:11 pm
Steadying himself as the sewer water rushes past, down into the newly-revealed pit, Jax is thankful for the luck o' the Hobbit. "You nailed that one, Shipy!"
Lilac buzzes overhead, circling the pit and its unlucky denizen. "Oooh! That had to hurt!"
"Good bye and good riddance!" Michael quips...
544 - eickeric - 5/5/00 10:51 amI changed my mind.
If that's my quip, i go back to queries.
...to the foul-smelling liquid as he squeezes out the putrid hem of his robes.
544 - eickeric - 5/5/00 10:51 amI had a lackey who used to do this, but he used to keep peeking to see what wizards wear under their robes.
"Whaddaya say we all head over to that trash heap Lilac's discovered?" Jax offers. Not waiting for an answer, Jax sheaths his blade, heads over to the right side of the pit, flattens his right jowl against the wall, and carefully begins to walk across the narrow ledge with his arms spread wide, hugging the wall. "By the tusks of Arahk Gnahk, I've got to lose some weight!"
524 - hobbit_king - 5/1/00 9:07 pm
[[Shipy]] "Ya’ know... there could be some treasure down there Jax?" Peaking over the edge of the foul smelling pit I look inside and turn up my nose in disgust. Nibbly I climb past the pit on the wrong side (clinging to the wall like a spider) as Jax slowly edges across the ledge like a cave-man on a tight-rope.
525 - jaxdracon - 5/2/00 8:01 am
"Hmm, you're right. It's worth a look-see," Jax says to the moldy bricks of the sewer wall. Not surprisingly, they don't talk back.
[[Shipy]]
"Ya’ know... there could be some treasure down there Jax?"
Jax speaks again, "Say, Shipy, I'll meet you at the other side and then lower you down with my rope. You can sniff for gold down there to your Hobbit's heart's content!"
Lilac buzzes by Jax on her way over to the Hobbit, who was adeptly scaling the sewer walls like a hairy spider. ("Sheesh, I hate it when she does that!") Her high-pitched giggle echoed off the walls.
"Hey Hobby, can I come too? Pretty-please?? You might need my light stick!"
Taran starts across the ledge after his brother. "I for one will stay above and watch for visitors. Right behind you Jax."
Kopfy stands akimbo, looking down the pit, and then at his ever-undaunted sidekick.
545 - eickeric - 5/5/00 11:16 amFind your own sidekick. I already called dibs on Shippo.
Michael seemed to be debating internally the merits of crossing the narrow ledge or attempting a triple jump over the top.
545 - eickeric - 5/5/00 11:16 amThe ledge, of course. The odds on rolling a triple aren't very good.
"I was a champion leap-frogger in my home town. Had to be. My friends were unicorns!"
545 - eickeric - 5/5/00 11:16 amI had friends? Keen.
I borrow money from them.
526 - tarandracon - 5/2/00 8:49 am
Taran starts across the ledge after his brother. "I for one will stay above and watch for visitors. Right behind you Jax."
Once on the other side of the spiked pit, Taran watches as his brother and Shippy [sic. Taran's use of a double 'p' in Shipy the Cunning's name is a result of the orc's never asking the hobbit how to spell his name. The repeated misspellings are not typographical errors, but are authentic spellings intended to make this reading accurate. -Editor] combine grapple rope and innate hobbit dexterity to lower the thief to the depths of the pit. Taran scans the passageway both from whence they came and further ahead before distracting himself with cranking another bolt into his crossbow.
Glancing down into the pit at the doomed once-adventurer, he wonders aloud, "At least he didn't have to pay for an expensive burial plot."
527 - khara_khang - 5/2/00 1:40 pm
Khara_Khang...(continues)
[[GM]] One by one the entire group crosses the pit using the narrow ledge.
[[Shipy]] "If’n you’re gone’a lower me into that foul pit, I’ll be tying my own knots Jax. Your sheep shank knot just doesn’t cut it." Quickly a rig up my own harness and secure it before allowing Jax to lower me into the dank spear lined pit. "I’m supposed to be party leader, not bait on a rope!" By then Jax had already lowered me to the bottom of the pit, a wry smile on his face. I notice more than a few others are smiling as well. Lilac hovers above, her light stick illuminating the pit thoroughly.
Running my hands over the skeleton, and into the putrid water around it I find a small leather pouch (with the top tied) about the size of Jax’s meaty fist (it seems filled, the pouch that is). I also find a rusted falchion and an ivory wand with a small black button on it. Searching everywhere else I find nothing. "Up Jax... I’m finished... Jax? Jax?" I look upward, my future depending on Jax.
528 - tarandracon - 5/2/00 3:06 pm
"Up Jax... I’m finished... Jax? Jax?" I look upward, my future depending on Jax.
"Oh, pull 'im up," Taran mutters over his shoulder to his olive-skinned brother, as he scans the passageway ahead of them. "After all," Taran continues under his breath, "he DID find something."
529 - jaxdracon - 5/2/00 4:16 pm
[[Taran]]
"Oh, pull 'im up," Taran mutters over his shoulder to his olive-skinned brother, as he scans the passageway ahead of them. "After all," Taran continues under his breath, "he DID find something."
"Heh. Right-o, bro. Sheep shank knot, indeed. Those knots got me up one mile to Gristlegrim, buddy!" Jax hurls the last words down the pit as he pulls the Hobbit upwards.
Once Shipy is safely out of the pit, Jax loops up his rope, asking, "So let's see what Bones had on 'im already!"
530 - khara_khang - 5/2/00 4:49 pm
Khara_Khang...(continues)
[[Kopfy]] "My magical energies are all but expended. I must rest very soon," says the ork-sage-wizard, speaking to everyone as he waits for Shipy to be drawn up like a bucket of water.
[[GM]] As Shipy raises up near the halfway mark (lifted by Jax) Lilac glides down into the pit and lands on Shipy’s shoulder smiling and looking at the new found loot. Without warning the six inch thick hinged stonework lid (which dropped into the pit) suddenly snaps up shut in less than a second. It instantly cuts the rope, dropping Shipy back into the pit, and trapping Lilac and Shipy inside the pit. Everyone in the sewer passage above is suddenly cloaked in darkness. No sound can be heard from within the pit over Michael’s screeching.
545 - eickeric - 5/5/00 11:16 amOnly if it's a star bellied screech, otherwise it's more of a shriek. (Although, I did particularly like that mewling like a kitten comment that came up somewhere.)
[[Michael of the Midnight Magicks]] "Aaaah, I’m blind.... my eyes, my eyes... I can’t see!" screeches Michael.
531 - jaxdracon - 5/2/00 6:06 pm
[[Rewind...]]
[[Taran]]
"Oh, pull 'im up," Taran mutters over his shoulder to his olive-skinned brother, as he scans the passageway ahead of them. "After all," Taran continues under his breath, "he DID find something."
"Heh. Right-o, bro. Sheep shank knot, indeed; those knots got me up one mile to Gristlegrim, buddy!" Jax hurls the last words down the pit as he pulls the Hobbit upwards.
[[GM]]
Without warning the six inch thick hinged stonework lid (which dropped into the pit) suddenly snaps up shut in less than a second. It instantly cuts the rope, dropping Shipy back into the pit, and trapping Lilac and Shipy inside the pit. Everyone in the sewer passage above is suddenly cloaked in darkness.
The sudden snapping of his rope causes Jax to stumble backward and fall on his rump. "Ooof! What the.... Who turned out the lights?"
With trained reflex, Jax's nictitating membranes snap open as he speaks. He immediately notices that he cannot see the heat signatures of Shipy or Lilac. But worse, he has a hard time making out the others as well. "T, Kopfy, how's your HotVision(TM)?" Jax nurses a nagging suspicion that the sewer gas is interfering.
As Taran grunts in astonishment, Kopfy responds, "Blurry! And I can't pick up Shippo 'n' Sprite; they must be trapped inside the pit!"
Jax fishes around in his pack, feeling for some matches, but cannot find any. "Frak! Must've thrown 'em out after the jellyfish soaked 'em. T, tell me you still have some matches!"
Taran finally gets a word in edgewise, between Michael's screeches, "Mike...MIKE!! Cool your jets! Your eyes are fine."
545 - eickeric - 5/5/00 11:16 amThen I'll open them.
Then, turning to his blurry brother, he responds, "Nope, Jax, sorry," then again to the magician, "Say, Mike, got a light? Kopfy?"
Jax feels his way toward the near edge of the erstwhile pit, hoping to activate the door again.
532 - khara_khang - 5/2/00 7:47 pm
Khara_Khang...(continues)
[[TARAN]] "Mike...MIKE!! Cool your jets! Your eyes are fine. "Say, Mike, got a light?"
[[Michael of the Midnight Magicks]] "I’m not blind, er.. sorry? Oh.. why yes, I have a light." Withdrawing my magical ‘Banal Intensive Creator’...
545 - eickeric - 5/5/00 11:16 amSigh, it's BRIGHT Intensive Creator.
I named it after myself.
...I flip it open with a click. It instantly creates a small flame. "I call it a ‘Bic’ for short. I’m going to get rich with these some day."
545 - eickeric - 5/5/00 11:16 amAlways good to have a plan for when the `Beanie Buddies' market drops out.
Pulling a new torch from my backpack I light it and hand it to Taran.
545 - eickeric - 5/5/00 11:16 amThat's pretty unselfish of me. I clap my hands together so I can pat myself on the back.
Clicking my Bic shut I put it back in my pocket. "Problem solved... excepted for the saving Shipy and Lilac part."
545 - eickeric - 5/5/00 11:16 amBottom and Peasblossom, you mean.
533 - tarandracon - 5/3/00 5:45 pm
Taran takes the torch from the would-be wizard and scans the floor. "There's gotta be a catch," he speaks like a human with a mouth full of marbles, or in this case, exactly like an orc with a mouth full of tusks. "Surely if Jax tripped the pit once, and Mr. Bones down there tripped it once before, then we can trip it again."
"Unless there's some kind of enforced time period between trips," Jax adds, "which to me wouldn't make much sense. Surely the crafters of this pit would want to maximize the tripping of their trap."
"Maximum trippage yields maximum trappage," Kopfy thinks to himself with a smirk.
"Well let's quit yappin'," Michael offers intensely,
545 - eickeric - 5/5/00 11:16 amSee, I told you I was intense.
"and start trippin'!"
545 - eickeric - 5/5/00 11:16 amTrippin'?
Not me, I've got a 10 dex.
Hoodey Hoo!
[[ Collectively, the above-trap adventures try to figure out a way to re-trip the pit--without falling into it themselves, of course. ]]
534 - khara_khang - 5/3/00 6:31 pm
Khara_Khang...(continues)
[[Taran]] whether by accident or luck you step on the trigger of the pit and the lid instantly drops open, revealing Shipy in one corner with a nasty chest wound and Lilac hovering above him.
[[Lilac]] quickly exits the pit, still holding her glowing light stick. "Poor Shipy! He went and got himself buggered up!" she says, hovering above the group.
[[Jax]] Dropping a rope to the hobbit you quickly pull Shipy up out of the pit to safety. Even wounded he still holds onto the treasure tightly (a pouch, a rusted falchion, and an ivory wand). Blood flows easily from his torn blue silk shirt as the bleary eyed hobbit eyes everyone, still in shock from the experience he thought to be a cake walk.
535 - misfitsprite - 5/4/00 4:07 pm
Hovers over Hobby and raise my light stick so everyone can get a better look at his chest.
"Geez Hobby, why'd you have to and get yourself hurt on us? That was not every thoughtful of you at all!" I scold Hobby, tring to keep his attention off of his chest wound.
Looking over my shoulder at Jax, I whisper, "What do u make of it lizard eater?"
536 - tarandracon - 5/4/00 4:56 pm
Shippy mutters under his breath, "medic!"
Jax pulls out some cloth strips and attempts to bind the hobbit's wound. He is obviously frustrated that he can't get a tight enough tourniquet around the hairy one's chest.
Amused, but maintaining a grave focus, Taran steps in. "Right over left, left over right, pull it tight!" He stuffs some extra strips of not-as-absorbant dried leather next to the wound. "Easy as pie, bro!"
"Frak, T! I knew I should've studied with you instead of ol' Luthen in Warrior class."
"How bad is it, doc?" the Cunning one asks. "Am I gonna live?" Through the obvious pain, Shippy overacts a pose of despair.
All look on wondering what their collective knowledge in the healing arts will say in response.
537 - hobbit_king - 5/4/00 5:26 pm
[[Shipy]] I hand the treasure off to Kopfy (a pouch, a rusted falchion, and an ivory wand). Blood oozes freely from my chest wound as Lilac keeps my attention focused on her as Taran binds my wounds.
I examine Taran's binding wounds skills a little later. Looking around for more sympathy I wait until everyone's attention is focused back on the sewer passage and then I pull out a small potion vial from my pocket and drink it's contents. Something a hobbit should never be without... healing. My wound suddenly heals and disappears. The potion doesn't fix my silk shirt or get rid of all the blood.
Turning to Kopfy, I snatch the pouch out of his hand as the group continues on to the fourway.
538 - misfitsprite - 5/4/00 5:27 pm
OOC: I forget, do I have any healing ablities?
IC: Eyes big from worry I watch the brothers bind up hobby.
"Of course you're not gonna go and die on us. We don't wanna carry your body in these sewers cause you'll start to smell worse then they do!" I scold the overacting hobbit. "Besides, what are we gonna do if our party leader goes and croaks on us at the begining of the campaign?"
I look to the party members, "So, what now fellas?"
539 - jaxdracon - 5/4/00 5:28 pm
[[Lilac]]
Looking over my shoulder at Jax, I whisper, "What do u make of it lizard eater?"
Jax looks up at the faerie after tying the square knot the correct way. A nice sun-dried lizard *would* be good about now.... He whispers back, "Well, I'd like to say it's just a flesh wound, Lilac, but then, as you noticed, I had to stuff some intestines back inside.... Still, Taran and I've seen worse."
Then, to the group: "He'll make it---look at how he grips his loot! This Hobbit's a fighter, if I've ever seen one!"
Then, to Kopfy and Mike, much softer: "Either of you got enough juice left for a healing spell?"
540 - jaxdracon - 5/4/00 5:38 pm
[[Shipy]]
Looking around for more sympathy I wait until everyone's attention is focused back on the sewer passage and then I pull out a small potion vial from my pocket and drink it's contents.
Jax turns back to the oozing Hobbit, and does a double take: the wound is gone! He doesn't notice that Kopfy and Mike are as amazed as he is.
545 - eickeric - 5/5/00 11:16 amAmazed? What for? He just ASKED for a healing spell. I'll have to explain the power of psychic healing sometime.
"Wow, guys, that was quick! Good show!" Jax remarks obliviously.
Kopfy says with a smirk as Shipy snatches the pouch from his hand, "Right. Whatever. Now off to the right folks. Let's check out the trash heap. We can figure out what the wand does later."
"Watch the trip-wire!" Lilac cautions, buzzing ahead of Jax.
541 - khara_khang - 5/5/00 9:46 am
Khara_Khang...(continues)
[[GM]] Following the sewer passage to the fourway, everyone turns right and continues on, making a point to step over the trip wire about midway between the fourway and the sewer union beyond. The sewer passage ends a bit later in a square (20 by 20 foot) room with a large pile of refuse in one corner. A sewer inlet and steel rungs lead up the back wall. A quick check reveals it has been cobblestoned over ages ago, just as Lilac stated. Except for the trash pile in one corner, the room is dry and moderately clean. Shipy, Michael, and Kopfy sit down in one corner and rest. Lilac glides in effortlessly and lands on Shipy’s shoulder, pulling on his ear and scolding him. No one hears what she says except the hobbit.
[[Michael of the Midnight Magicks]] Accepting the ivory wand from Kopfy after being offered a look, Michael turns it over looking at every inch of it. (It’s about two foot long, white, with a single black button.) For some reason people scurry out of the way which ever direction Michael points it.
545 - eickeric - 5/5/00 11:16 amObviously, it's a wand of avoidance. Look at folks run.
"Very cool, I can’t wait to use it in combat. I love zapping stuff!"
545 - eickeric - 5/5/00 11:16 amCombat? Why wait that long? Fire the thing at Shippo and see what it does, that's what I hired him for! Hobbits have LOTS of health. No, on second thought, better not. Fireblossom is probably resting on his shoulder again. No sense losing two people. Point it down the corridor and press the button.
"Plus it feels real smooth!" says Michael, smiling and stroking his wand.
545 - eickeric - 5/5/00 11:16 amKhara_Khang, don't be a hentai.
[[Kopfy]] "I detect a resplendent summoning power, one of indeterminate in origin, with no predetermined circumscribed manipulation. An untested application may result in unanticipated circumstances for everyone involved. Of course that’s just my theorem," explains Kopfy, in a way few could understand. Leaning back against the wall he closes his eyes.
[[Shipy]] Gaining his best voice as only a hobbit can, he says, "Okay people, listen up, we’ll stay here for about five hours and let our so-called wizards get some rest. Everyone relax and have some food and drink. I hope one of you thought enough to bring me some! First off, anyone want this rusted falchion...? Kopfy said it didn’t show up as magical. I thought we’d let the wizards carry the wand if no one objects." Dumping the contents of the pouch out on the floor in front of him the hobbit counts 22 gold lions, 16 silver eagles, 3 rubies, and one large emerald (party treasure). Eyeing the gems closely under Lilac’s light he says, "The emerald is worth roughly 312 gold, and the rubles are worth about 105 gold each, give or take a few gold pieces, and I’m never wrong about these things. Jax, you and your brother have done an excellent job so far, especially the part where you saved my life and bound my wounds... I thank you!" Shipy fakes a slight chest pain for sympathy.
542 - eickeric - 5/5/00 10:18 am
Interesting. Look likes things heated up the day after I disappeared. Go figure. Still likely to be gone for a while, I'll arrive in Japan in June, and should have computer access regularly again there.
I was going to simply have MMM wander off, but wasn't able to post that before I went. Good thing I didn't, it's pretty clear he's been the power of the group so far. *Ahem*
No real complaints to whomever has been running him in the meantime, quite good actually, more or less- just a few comments that probably went through his head. So to everyone: Ignore the following messages if you like, since they make absolutely no difference in the actual game. (Especially since most of these scenes are LONG gone.)
[Editor's note: I have inserted Eickeric's comments in their appropriate places earlier in the story segments. Since he missed out as it was being written, it seemed only fair to interject his humorous and correctional posts regarding his character's actions in his absence. No doubt you have seen them by now.]
546 - eickeric - 5/5/00 11:19 am
Overall, looks great everyone; I can't wait until I can actually get involved. Too bad we lost poor pnakh, I TOLD you guys that discrimination against dead things was a bad idea.
549 - jaxdracon - 5/5/00 12:30 pm
OOC:
Well we had to do something while he was away!
Glad to have you back, eickeric, and sorry
if we got MMM wrong, but I sure enjoyed reading
your critiques. Had me lol in the office, and
people were starting to look at me funny.
It is kind of awkward to write exclusively about one character in game posts, however, so I hope people don't mind if I occasionally put words in their character's mouth. We can always "edit that part out later," as tarandracon would say.
--jax