A Tunnels and Trolls PBP (Play By Posting) Adventure
Chapter 7: Stairs, Rhinos and Traps, Oh My!
Taran watches as his fellow adventurers for hire settle themselves about the floor. He eyes the garbage pile suspiciously, and wonders aloud, "Hey guys, why would somebody trap the entrance to a room filled with garbage? Whattaya think, wanna go trash pickin'?"
Seeing no immediate volunteers to join his garbage sifting, he ponders their current situation further. "Hm... With silly goblins in the mist running about with their knees bent and all, seems like sitting here with our wizard batteries low, and with no exit but the way we came in is a bad idea.... Unless, we bend the rules."
He pulls out his serpent power totem. "I got this from some really powerful wizard back in my days as an Agent for Arahk Gnahk. Never used it. It's supposed to beef up your ability to cast spells." [[ As a refresher course on my character sheet, it is a magic totem that grants up to 20 STR for 50 spellcasting efforts. ]]
He considers his options, as to whom he should ask for tutelage. "Lilac? Kopfy? Er, Michael? Know any spells you can teach me in a pinch? By the way, I still say we check the garbage."
547 - tarandracon - 5/5/00 12:16 pm
What I learned from eickeric's posts: I think we should all remember that M of the MM is not actually a wizard, and can't cast spells. So as we're writing for him while eickeric is gone, no more spells! (We're going to have to edit that part out in the final version!)
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
550 - khara_khang - 5/6/00 9:56 am
Khara_Khang...(continues)
[[Michael of the Midnight Magicks]] `Gusundheit' I yell loudly, looking around at everyone looking at me. Pulling a small fist-sized round black ball from my pocket I wait until the pyramid shaped symbol comes to the surface inside the glass ball. "I want’a see?" asks Shipy. "No, I told you once before, you’re too short! Besides... lackeys are never allowed!" I quip.
592 - eickeric - 5/13/00 4:41 amNo way. I gave up quipping for querying. All my quips seem pretty lame. Case in point.
When the pyramid shaped symbol surfaces it reads, ‘Your future looks bleak.’ With a slight frown I put it away.
Walking over beside Taran I say, "I would be happy to teach you to spell, but you must first start with the basics. Sing along with me... ABCDEFGHIGKLMNOP, QRS and TUV, WUX and Y and Z. If you need any more help just ask." I smile proudly.
592 - eickeric - 5/13/00 4:41 amBad enough to be singing the alphabet, but it's even worse to sing it wrong. hiGkl? wUx?
C'mon, I'm a pretty upright kinda guy- I was even willing to hang out with a mummy. I'll teach him spells. Start with `Blasting Power'.
Material component: mouth full of greek fire.
Somatic component: spit through a lighted torch.
Note: It's best to follow this one up with a high level `poor baby' spell on self. I'll teach him this one as soon as he raises his IQ. ;)
[[GM]] As Taran walks over to the garbage to start picking through it [HE FAILS A LEVEL 3 SR AGAINST DEX.] As he attempted to do some trash pickin' the illusionary trash instantly fades revealing a stone stairs going steeply downward. Of course by the time he discovers this he is already tumbling heading over heels into the darkness below saying something to the effect of "Ow, ee, ah, argh, oww, oh, ooow!" [TAKE 5 HITS. THIS HAPPENS AT THE SAME TIME MICHAEL IS USING HIS WAND.]
[[Michael of the Midnight Magicks]] Pointing my wand down the sewer passage I push the black button. A burst of energy explodes into the sewer passage, and a moment later stands a very large angry looking Rhino. "Ooops... time to save Taran!" Turning I rush down the stairs bravely, and the rest of the group follows quickly behind before the Rhino has time to react.
592 - eickeric - 5/13/00 4:41 amAre you nuts?
Taran WHO?!?
551 - khara_khang - 5/6/00 10:12 am
Khara_Khang...(continues)
[[OOGM: I just love posting twice to get it right!]]
[Er, you posted the same thing as in message 550. ? -Editor.]
556 - tarandracon - 5/8/00 12:10 am
[[Taran]] "Ow, ee, ah, argh, oww, oh, ooow!" were the nicest utterings Taran muttered.
592 - eickeric - 5/13/00 4:41 amBut if I DID go to all the trouble to teach him the alphabet, I'm quite disappointed that this is the best he could do.
The rest would make his mother frown. At the bottom, he did a quick scan of his surroundings utilizing his infravision. Bruised bones, cuts, scrapes, and bent pride needed to be put aside.
"Speaking of putting things aside," he thought to himself, "it seems my companions are joining me, post haste!" He gathered himself together and got out from the bottom of the stairs. He did a quick visual surveillance of his extremeties (VSE) to make sure all his digits and limbs still worked, and assuming the worst, fumbled for his cranequin to crank another bolt.
"Mamma always said trash pikcin'd get me into trouble."
557 - khara_khang - 5/8/00 8:36 am
Khara_Khang...(continues)
[[OOGM - Unless I missed something, Taran should still have the torch he was given earlier. We’ll consider he dropped it when he flipped head over heals down the stairs like the agile acrobat that he is not.]]
[[Taran]] Having no more than ceased rolling and stood up, you turn to see all of your companions come charging down the stairs. Moving out of the way you look at yourself, and other than all the cuts and bruises you look to be fine. Being the first down Michael hands you back your half used, but still burning torch. With Lilac’s light and your torch you see you are in a smooth (20 by 20 foot) plain room.
[[Kopfy]] Still breathing heavy he says, "I just might need that serpent power totem of yours if I don’t get strength back soon Taran! I didn't get much up there."
[[Shipy]] Also still panting from running Shipy withdraws a small vial from his hip pouch and hands it to you. "Drink this Taran, cause you’re not looking to good. Not that it will help your looks any, but it will heal your wounds. Trust me, its not poison, I’m sure I got the labels right this time." The small hobbit leader smiles as only a hobbit can.
558 - michael_midnight_magicks - 5/8/00 8:48 am
[[Michael of the Midnight Magicks]] "Boy are we glad to see you are alright Taran!" I say, trying to catch my breath.
592 - eickeric - 5/13/00 4:41 amI am? Has he ever come to one of my shows?
"At least our plan worked! In our headlong charge down the stairs we skillfully avoided all the traps, that and you rolling down it like a barrel and all!"
559 - jaxdracon - 5/8/00 12:26 pm
At the bottom of the stairs, Jax finds his brother contemplating Shipy's vial with upraised brow. "Hmm. Welp, here's mud in yer eye!" Taran mutters to Jax with vial upraised. Taran gulps noisily ("Guhhh-ga-guh-ga-guh-ga!") and his helmet does a backflip on his head. Immediately, Taran's cuts and bruises disappear.
"Wow, T, you look uglier than ever. Momma would be proud!" Jax slaps Taran on the back, resisting the urge to clap his hands simultaneously.
Above, heavy snorting and stomping is heard as the angry Rhino charges down the hall, finds no one to play with, then charges back the other way.
"Well, as long as we're down here, we might as well explore!" Jax speaks as he strides forward.
560 - misfitsprite - 5/9/00 3:01 pm
IC but OOC: Ok, MMM, I did enjoy your posts to a certain degree.
Just one problem, THEY ARE LATE. =)
Another thing, what is up with you and the "Peasblossom" and "Fireblossom"
bs???? I do not appericate it =P~
hurmph.
Also, I was sooo looking forward to dumpster diving with taran but he had to make it disapear and then fall down the stairs! Take all the fun outta it, why I have not been dumpster diving in over a month. Man, that was a juciy one, got all the old donuts from the bakery that they didn't sell the day before. Talk about a sugar high! (Sigh)Oh the memories....
Hey GM (may you live forever) it's nice that I told hobby something that no one else heard but I think it would help if I knew what I said too! Ok, down to buisness.....
IC: "Ok, now that tusk face is all better, shall we explore this new area before the rhino decides to try and come down the stairs??" I say as I hover in the air next to Taran.
561 - tarandracon - 5/9/00 3:29 pm
[[Taran]] "Sounds good, fairy." Taran whispers something to the sprite that no one else hears.
With a final turn Taran locks the bolt-action of his crossbow. "Locked and loaded, baby." Once again, Taran brings up the rear of the group and keeps an eye out for distant, yet easily blastable foes.
"By the way, Shippy, thanks for the juice. I feel like a new orc." Then, lowering his voice: "But I have a feeling we should've saved it for wounds much the worseah."
562 - misfitsprite - 5/9/00 4:25 pm
ARG!! Thanx Tar, I feel better now that you did that too!!!!!! mutter underbreath "men"
**************************************************
Flying to land on Hobby's shoulder, I start a private conversation with him as we head out. You see me hand the lightstick to him and he grabs it with his grubby little fingers. With that, I fly pass the party members and head to the stairs.
"Don't wait for me, I'll catch up" I say as I buzz pass and fly up the stairs.
563 - jaxdracon - 5/9/00 5:14 pm
[[Lilac]]
You see me hand the lightstick to him and he grabs it with his grubby little fingers. With that, I fly pass the party members and head to the stairs.
Lilac buzzes Jax's head as she zips back toward the stairs. "Erg! Now what is she up to, Shipy?" Jax sighs. Then, under his fetid breath, "Women!"
564 - tarandracon - 5/9/00 5:52 pm
[[Taran]] As Lilac zooms back from the front of the group to the stairs, Taran catches her attention and says, "Whoa, where ya goin' little winged one?"
565 - hobbit_king - 5/9/00 10:17 pm
(OOC= If I remember rightly Taran you took 8 hits, and then 5 hits... right? Thats a lot of damage even for an orc. I bet our GM would think it was! that was the reason I offered you the healing potion.)
[[Taran]] "By the way, Shippy, thanks for the juice. I feel like a new orc." Then, lowering his voice: "But I have a feeling we should've saved it for wounds much the worseah."
[[Shipy]] Smiling as only a hobbit can I look up at the orc named Taran. "I wouldn't want you to go and die on me beasty... besides, who would do our fighting for us. By hobbit rules of conduct the party leader should never be in involved in comabt."
Walking around the empty (20 by 20 foot) room I begin a thorough search, checking anything and everything. Whispering a few words to me Lilac gives me her light stick and then leaves the room.
[[Jax]] "Erg! Now what is she up to, Shipy?" Jax sighs. Then, under his fetid breath, "Women!"
[[Shipy]] "She muttered something about the Rhino." I turn towards Jax. "I can't find anything down here. Logically that can only mean something in the room above must open some type of stone work doorway down here. That means some of us have to go back up there!" I point up the stairs and sigh as Jax did moments before.
[[Kopfy]] "That or this is a dead-end!" suggests Kopfy, with a slight shrug and an off the cuff comment.
567 - tarandracon - 5/10/00 6:53 am
[[ (OOC= If I remember rightly Taran you took 8 hits, and then 5 hits... right? Thats a lot of damage even for an orc. I bet our GM would think it was! that was the reason I offered you the healing potion.) ]]
(OOC) Ahh, but the original 8 hits were illusory and the wound vanished when the goblins did. So I was at perfect health until I took a stroll down the stairs.
[[Taran]] "Alright, boys, if you think we need to go back up there, fine with me."
[[Jax]] "Yeah, my stinky bro could use some practice walking up and down the stairs."
[[Taran]] "Hey! I meant to do that, earlier,
sorta.
568 - jaxdracon - 5/10/00 12:38 pm
[[OOC]] Oops, I didn't read the part about us
being stuck in a 20x20 room! My past few posts
implied we were walking down another corridor.
D'oh! (T, you can edit that part out, right?)
[It has been edited. -Editing Editor]
[[ICN]]
I shall call my rhino `Jean-Clod van Darn.'
Remarking above Shipy's head to Kopfy, "Plus,
wouldn't want Lilac to have all the fun now,
would we?"
569 - tarandracon - 5/10/00 4:35 pm
[[ "Now's the time, I suppose; from the lack of
snorting above, it would seem Mike's Rhino has
wandered off." ]]
[[Taran]] "If that rhino wandered off, then he
probably tripped the trip wire. THAT can't
be good," Taran offers. "Wait a minute, rhino?"
Taran shakes his head to the tune of "uh-ee-uh"...
I better repeat that alphabet, he's just not getting it.
...and looks to Michael of the Midnight Magicks for
an explanation.
Talk about impossible dreams.
570 - hobbit_king - 5/10/00 10:56 pm
[[Shipy]] "Come on Taran, lets go back up there and if that
Rhino gives us any trouble, I'll let you take care of
it!" I say, wondering what an orc-ka-bob would look like.
Sneakly I head up the stairs.
571 - michael_midnight_magicks - 5/10/00 11:13 pm
[[Michael of the Midnight Magicks]] "You just be thankful oh tusked
one that I don't come up there and open a
can of wup-ass on that Rhino."
Why would I want to do that to Jean-Clod van Darn anyway?
And how much will a leash for him cost?
Waving my I notice everyone scurries out
of the way to where ever it points.
[[Kopfy]] Taking a hold of Michael’s arm, I help him point the wand towards
the floor. "Chill dude... remember,
don’t shoot till you see the red in their eyes!"
Hey, if ya got it, flaunt it. Krakapow.
[[Michael of the Midnight Magicks]] "And bring my lackey back dead or
alive!" I shout as they head up the
stairs.
Dead is better. That way he'll quit squirming
when I do my knife tossing trick.
574 - tarandracon - 5/10/00 11:40 pm
[[Taran]] Taran follows the hobbit up the stairs, careful
to note if the thief intentionally skips certain ones (in case
they might be trapped). His crossbow at the ready, he looks forward
to seeing this mentionable rhino.
[[ Did the rhino trip the tripwire? If so, did anything happen? ]]
575 - tarandracon and khara_khang - 5/11/00 1:39 am
[[OOC: khara_khang and I hacked this out earlier this
evening on Yahoo! Instant Messenger.... ]]
[[Taran]] On his way up the stairs, Taran spies
some writing on the wall. He tries to read the
writing, but it looks odd.
[[Shipy]] "Hey, that writing is upside down!"
says the hairy short one, noticing the writing,
too. With that, Taran scans the stairwell up,
and seeing nothing, puts down his crossbow
and picks up the hobbit by the leg with one arm.
With the other arm, torch in hand, he illuminates
the wall. Shipy protests, but soon realizes his
unique vantage point. Hanging upside down,
he reads aloud: "Push here to open, push here to
close, and if you keep pushing it you're going to
break something."
[[Taran]] "I don't guess," Taran offers as he
puts the hobbit down right side up, "it says what
it will be opening." Taran scratches his head
(insert L1SR on Int made!) "But I guess it should
open something up at the bottom of the stairs!"
[[Shipy]] "Could be," I say, trying to shake off
the dizzyness.
[[Taran]] "Well, let's inform the troops. But
first, let's check on that rhino. Haven't seen
one in years!"
[[Shipy]] "You first," I say, jabbing you with my
stubby finger.
[[Taran]] "Fine," I reply, picking up my crossbow.
The comfortable and familiar feel of the weapon
reassures him as he bravely heads back up the
stairs. As soon as he can see into the room,
he pauses to assess the situation.
[[Jax]] "What is up there?" Jax half-yells, half-
whispers, from below.
[[Shipy]] "If you were up here I wouldn't be
yelling down to you!" the hobbit responds. As
Taran inches his way up the stairs, Shippy
follows.
When the two of them reach ground level, they
spy the room, which is empty. "You know if the
Rhino sees the light, Taran, he's going to charge
to it!" he whispers.
"Fine, then!" Taran mutters, and puts the torch
down on the second step. They step into the
room, switching to HotVision(TM). Proceeding
further, they head to the door way, and peer
down the hall. In the hallway
are two ogres smashed into the floor where the
tripwire was. Something large comes rumbling
down the hall.
[[Taran]] With a knee-jerk reaction to large
rumbling things heading his way, Taran let's
loose with his crossbow. [L0SR vs. Dex: 6,3,
seek enchantment works--sort of...] But at the
last second, Shipy shouts, "No!", grabs the
crossbow, and pulls it toward himself. The bolt
tries to seek the intended target, but having
not much room to magically maneuver, grazes
Shipy's arm and thuds into the hallway wall.
Both orc and hobbit are stunned at each other's
actions. Shipy grimaces and grabs his arm as if
he's about to die (which he thinks he is).
They're both confused, and then they wearily
look up at the rhino which is now almost on
top of them.
"Gulp!" says Taran.
578 - michael_midnight_magicks - 5/11/00 3:31 pm
[[OOC- I caught our GM online (may he live forever)...
Yep, definitely not me. Forget the honorifics and flattery;
`shield-monkey' sounds SO much better.
...and the following is what happened. I never post specific
game information unless he gives it to me.]]
[[Michael of the Midnight Magicks]] Not wanting to wait for my lackey
to returns, I climb the stairs to the
half-way point and push the button Shipy spoke of not but a few minutes
earlier.
"Oh Shippo, come here you smelly little hobbit!"
How crass. I might THINK that, but I'd never say that aloud and
possibly hurt the poor little blighter's feelings. He can't help what he is.
Someday, I'm going to get him one of the Mutatum spells to fix that problem.
Before I can continue.
Kopfy, Jax and my lustrous self
disappear in a flash.
Am I more lustrous than the flash? And what were we bothering
with torches for if I'm so lustrous? :)
All three of us were on the stairs or in the room
at the bottom of the stairs. Shipy, Taran,
and Lilac were up above somewhere.
[[Taran]] "Alright, boys, if you think we need to go back
up there, fine with me."
"Now's the time, I suppose; from the lack of
snorting above, it would seem Mike's Rhino has
wandered off."
592 - eickeric - 5/13/00 4:41 am
592 - eickeric - 5/13/00 4:41 am
592 - eickeric - 5/13/00 4:41 am
Taran, I admire your optimism, if not your wisdom.
[[Taran]] "Wait a minute, rhino?" Taran shakes his head to the
tune of "uh-ee-uh" and looks to Michael of the
Midnight Magicks for an explanation.
592 - eickeric - 5/13/00 4:41 am
592 - eickeric - 5/13/00 4:41 am
592 - eickeric - 5/13/00 4:41 am
592 - eickeric - 5/13/00 4:41 am
592 - eickeric - 5/13/00 4:41 am
592 - eickeric - 5/13/00 4:41 am