2812 - dijani_k - Thu Aug 30, 2001 1:43pm

3015 - Shrsholn - Fri Sep 14, 2001 10:35am

A magickal storm has been conjured here, and the thunderous hammerblows have begun to deafen Dijani now after two or three days.

Also, the rain and wind is strong but intermittent, swirling about, as if the elements were at war with each other.

The last few days you have spent in difficulty spying out the hamlet. You have noted several thiings amiss, namely a marked lack of human activity -- even within shelters; no visible livestock of any sort; and the unmistakable signs of gremlins -- lots and lots of gremlins.

As she is stooped down for cover, observing a nervous band of hamleters rush out quickly to the only well, while others guard the home with pitcforks and staves. Of the three who ran to the well, two are similarly armed, perhaps with a knife affixed to the end of a short staff as a makeshift spear.

Harriedly, the one lowering the bucket tries to reclaim it's precious contents, but upon bringing the bucket to the lip of the well, three scaly, cat-like creature -- gremlins -- leap, one each, upon a man.

As the dread Lasagna Cat of Khazan is known to be able to devour an entire family serving of the aforementioned dinner, so too, these fearsome felinoids scrabble and claw these poor, hapless folk.

Outraged, Dijani attempts to maintain her composure and her cover, all the while crying out within to come to their aid...no good, she can't hold back.

Practically flying there, Dijani's nickle-plated shortsword glints in a flash of lightning from the storm pummling the hamlet.

With one stroke, a gremlin is launched from his victim to the age-old cobblestones, and does not stir.

With another, the bucketeer is saved from his clawed attacker, and this one too shall not rise.

Ah, but the third...

[2nd Level SPD SR, please]

3026 - dijani_k - Fri Sep 14, 2001 9:44pm

3027 - Shrsholn - Sat Sep 15, 2001 0:30am

The critter hissing and growling, claws at her in spastic savagery.

The the spear-armed men high-tail it out of the open back toward the shelter of the house. The bucket man looks around desperately, then picking up a fallen short-spear, shouts, "Hole still, A'll gittem!"

[>What do you do?<]

[a). Trust the hamleter to skewer the rapidly dodging gremlin.
[b). Try a round of melee at 1/2 your total.
[c). Attempt to use a Cantrip.

3030 - dijani_k - Sat Sep 15, 2001 10:53pm

Realizing that there is no time for an effective strike, she attempts to buy some time by casting "distract" on the gremlin, and turn it away from herself, but at the same time, not toward the hamleter.

3032 - mistwalker_ - Sat Sep 15, 2001 11:51pm

3039 - Shrsholn - Mon Sep 17, 2001 1:38am

Realizing that there is no time for an effective strike, she attempts to buy some time by casting "distract" on the gremlin, and turn it away from herself, but at the same time, not toward the hamleter.

[Temp. -01 ESS; +02 APs; What's next?]

3040 - Shrsholn - Mon Sep 17, 2001 1:56am

Escemine and Silthis, and the Orc look as if they have all come to the conclusion that this was probably their worst job they'd ever taken -- and quite possibly end up being their last.
They are silent.

"This is utterly amazing and yet terribly morbid.", Kellis says, shuffling in mental shock at the sheer carnage in the tunnel; the armed and armored ogre-zombie..."If I should live to tell the tale -- they'd never believe me...", he continues, looking astonished.

There is silence for a few moments as everyone prepares to embark on the next phase of this tunnel-trek.

Kellis picks up the discarded stiletto, and looks as if he'd received a slight jolt, but then taps the flat of the thin plade against his left palm, and stands up, tossing it and catching it with extrordinary talent. "Well, now that I'm alive and all...I suppose we should head out."

3061 - dijani_k - Thu Sep 20, 2001 3:27pm

[[OOC: When the gremlin attacks again, she will be ready, and will strike quickly.]]

3062 - Shrsholn - Thu Sep 20, 2001 3:40pm

With a flash of blue-white lightning, the world seems to slow to a crawl...

It seems a near eternity between the stroke and the thunder.

The drops of rain, tumbling through the lazy air, stream down slowly, and Dijani hears them crashing individually on the old stones near the well.

The gremlin slowly rattles its head, the drops shaking lazily in all directions, as the little bugger begins his languid and syrupy trot toward Dijani, claws unsheathed and with a wild look in its eyes.

[The gremlin has rolled a Round total of 11]

[>"You're faster than this! Don't try and hit me...Hit Me!"<]

3074 - dijani_k - Sat Sep 22, 2001 3:29pm

[Dijani rolls: 13 [3d6 (4+4+5) for shortsword] + 20 (Melee Mods) + 12 (Combat Bonus) = 45 Round Total]

3075 - Shrsholn - Sat Sep 22, 2001 7:27pm

The immediate crisis over, the roar of the rain, and the clockwork thunder return to dominate Dijani's senses.

THREAD 2: Elise
-=[ Scene change ]=-

Elise and the others have sealed off the tunnel leading to the hot spring and river. There are two tunnels, one leading directly into town; the other out toward the coast.

The townward tunnel looks to be of old, but sturdy, possibly even dwarven-assisted, construction. It appears to be used frequently, and Elise's tracking skills tell her that it surely leads to another spot worth investigating.

However, the skelletons have reported to Lady Silkervish that there is definite activity coming from the coastward tunnel -- large numbers (more than 20) of humans and humanoids -- possibly pirates.

[So let's get this ball rolling again, shall we?]

3076 - Shrsholn - Sat Sep 22, 2001 7:32pm

[>end techno-music<]
The immediate crisis over, the roar of the rain, and the clockwork thunder return to dominate Dijani's senses.

The house is a large hovel, with addition hovelettes for the children and their families.

It has a thatch roof, and plaster covered adobe walls.

"C'mon..." the hamlet dweller urges.

3078 - mistwalker_ - Sun Sep 23, 2001 4:54pm

She creeps down the tunnel moving as quietly as she can, alert for any signs of ambush or traps and testing the air every few seconds for her quarry's scent.

3079 - Shrsholn - Sun Sep 23, 2001 5:43pm

With a rejuvinated Kellis, Elise creeps down the coastward tunnel, and carefully pops her head around a bend to see three or four surly looking sea dogs (pirates) armed with cutlasses, longswords, and one even weilds two shortswords.

[Lvl.2 LCK SR please]

Silthis is flying nearby, ready to zip back and sound the quiet alarm.
Kellis is armed, and looks to Elise for orders.
Escemine and the others are back a few yards, the skelletons ready to enter the fray...

3087 - mistwalker_ - Thu Sep 27, 2001 6:28am

(Missed the save by 9.)

3089 - Shrsholn - Thu Sep 27, 2001 7:37pm

..Make them come to us."

Kellis, obligingly runs back toward the group, and is hotly pursued by two of the pack.

The other two seem intent on taking you down.

>[Fight them as a unit of MR 72 (08d+36)= 62, with one '6' rolled for an automatic hit.]

>[Kellis is facing a unit MR of 54 (06d+27)= 46, with one '6' rolled for an automatic hit.]

[Kellis counters with all of 14, but with three '6'-s -- so each dog tasted his steel at least! However, Kellis is vicously dropped by the cuthroats...and Escimine and Silthis are already on the scene, with Lady Silkervish, and her kinswoman in the next rank now loosing spells.

3090 - dijani_k - Thu Sep 27, 2001 8:17pm

"I'm coming!" She says, and heads for the house.

3091 - Shrsholn - Thu Sep 27, 2001 11:35pm

The hovel-hub is filled with simple, grungy folk, but they welcome you to what little they have -- namely a hot bowl of carrot and parsley soup, and a place to dry off and get warm.

The three that you rescued are treated as best as the womenfolk know how with the few supplies they can spare, but one man is badly hurt, and isn't likely to last long in this environment without serious curatives or magicks.

The jumbled mass of data they offer you consists mainly of gremlin tales, wizard tales, and strange superstitions about an undergound ocean.

[what next?]

3092 - dijani_k - Fri Sep 28, 2001 11:41am

The tales of an underground ocean intrigued her. Could this be an ideal spot for this bounty to hide? Could it be used as a base of operations for an entire network? Perhaps the people were frightened of the place for reasons that were perpetuated by the cunning adversaries.

It seemed that the women in the group had done all that they could, while Dijani had been eating, for their fallen friend. She wondered if there was somewhere nearby where a person of magicks or healing could be found.

But first she needed some answers. Still, it looked as if the poor bloke mightn't last much longer without help. "I'm not very familiar with this area. Can you tell me more about this underground sea? Has any of you actually seen it? And is there a healer nearby for your friend there?"

3093 - Shrsholn - Fri Sep 28, 2001 1:07pm

"I'm not very familiar with this area. Can you tell me more about this underground sea? Has any of you actually seen it? And is there a healer nearby for your friend there?"

"The underground ocean is somewhere only the foolish venture into. It is guarded by the wizard's creatures which you saved us from.
"It is best not to anger the wizard any more than he already is, judging from the storm he has loosed upon us...", replies Geun, the bucketeer.

3095 - Shrsholn - Sat Sep 29, 2001 2:41pm

A cursive and writhing gout of ebony flames proceeds from Lady Silkervish, sweeping first from the two who downed Kellis, then toward those engaged with Elise.

[She inflicts 61 on the first group, and 50 to the group on Elise]

Larshes'ke produces a potion recovered from the chest, and pours it down Kellis's throat.

Escimine attacks the two on Kellis with her twin daggers [31] after the flames have swept across, and she easily dispatches the roasted pair.

Silthis shouts, "There's more comming!"

3098 - mistwalker_ - Sun Sep 30, 2001 5:00am

4,4,3 +4 & 5,4,1 +4 =29 +adds 28 & warrior bonus 16 =75 hits. Armor stops 6,4,2,4 x2 =32 hits.

3103 - Shrsholn - Sun Sep 30, 2001 6:40pm

[Hot sea-dogs anyone?]

Between the black flames razing their bodies, or Elise's twin blades of death, the first wave of pirates is thoroughly dispatched.

[take one hit past armor]

"There's more comming!", Silthis shouts shrilly.

Indeed, Elise sees four or five more barely peer round the rocky tunnel passage some 10 yards ahead, then, popping out is a black clad archer whose left fist is encrusted with writhing and moaning rings. "Chum is what you'll be if you don't go out there!", this man shouts to the others as he dashes out; then, "Look boys, we'll have fun with her first, then cook her as steaks!"

He lets fly with a flickering arrow.
[Elise is a 3rd Lvl SR target]{dice rolling...}

The phantom arrow which misses Elise is lit like swamp gas, and smell at least as bad.

The archer's rings all hiss and boo, and he shouts at them, "Shuddup!". They continue to gibe and gibber in a low tone...

3105 - mistwalker_ - Mon Oct 1, 2001 10:13am

She keeps her swords at the ready, intent on dismembering anything that pokes it's head around the corner.

3106 - Shrsholn - Mon Oct 1, 2001 0:40pm

Having seen the devastation wrought in such little time by the party, the other pirates are reluctant to storm the tunnel.

The archer dashes back to his mates, and shouts something as he disappears around the corner they rounded. They follow...

[Bwa!ha!ha!ha! <wringing hands evilly>]

3127 - mistwalker_ - Thu Oct 4, 2001 10:06am

She looks back at the rest of the group, giving each of them a quick appraisal before her eyes rest on Lady Silkervish.

"Are the skeletons expendable?"

3134 - Shrsholn - Fri Oct 5, 2001 0:48pm

"Yes, what do you have in mind?", Lady Silkervish asks, looking concerned.

Kellis begins to moan and spasm as the potion Larshes'ke administered begins to kick in.
He shoots up, reaching out his hand toward Elise, then lowers his arm, and half-closes his eyes, laying back down.

Escimine asks Larshes'ke, "Is that a typical response?", looking doubtful.

Larshes'ke is silent, then offers, quietly, "Perhaps the other, orcish potion -- has...modified the intended effect. In either case, he appears to be stabilzed..." She continues to observe Kellis, who seems to barely breathe, and seems to be a bit greyish in coloration now.

The orc, Silthis, and the skels busy themselves with the task of checking the other directions, and making sure no one ambushes the group.

[A L2 SR on (INT + your Trapping skill Rank), please]

[p.s. Elise has earned an additional 230 experience...I've been negligent in handing it out. Sorry.]

3146 - mistwalker_ - Mon Oct 8, 2001 7:37pm

Turning her attention back to Silkervish, "What I have in mind is sending them ahead to flush out whatever ambush they have planned. It would work better if they could be made to look more....alive, but as long as they're attacked before us we get an edge."

3149 - Shrsholn - Tue Oct 9, 2001 7:44pm

Within a few minutes, the skels are dressed in what clothes can be salvaged and spared.

Perhaps in dim light they will seem to be entirely human, however once a blow or two should land, the ruse will be at an end.

Hopefully that will be enough time.

* [3d roll; and an unnamed SR, please]

The skels are sent on their way, and Larshes'ke and Lady Silkervish are remotely coordinating them -- so they are out for spell casting for at least one-half a melee Round should something happen...

[Look in the Photos section]

[Editor's Note: Image from Photos section of group saved, cropped and shown to the right. Click image for full size. Caption: "Skels away! Into the gloom they went to deal death", by Shrsholn]

3153 - mistwalker_ - Date: Fri Oct 12, 2001 8:21am

3155 - Shrsholn - Fri Oct 12, 2001 4:03pm

Some comotion seems to indicate that the scallywags are on the run, and purple-black flashes of light from down their end suggest that some of the battle is arcane in origin.

"I think we should advance to the next curve." Lady Silkervish offers. The others are ready, Kellis standing but still looking like death warmed over.

[+26 experience]

3158 - mistwalker_ - Sat Oct 13, 2001 9:18pm

She steps around the corner quickly, surveying the situation ahead as she moves.

3160 - Shrsholn - Tue Oct 16, 2001 11:09am

The black-clad archer is avoiding combat as much as possible, trying to climb up an outcropping to enter an elevated tunnel, possibly leading to the surface.

3162 - dijani_k - Tue Oct 16, 2001 5:11pm

[[OOC: If he says no, she'll ask why. If he says yes, she'll ask if he needs help. Then...]]

"I realize that the underground ocean is taboo... but surely some youth among your group has gotten a bit curious. Is there no one who has been ambitious enough to seek answers about this underground mystery?"

3164 - Shrsholn - Fri Oct 19, 2001 7:41pm

"Will you be taking Awulf to the wizard for aid?" Dijani asked her companion.

[Dj_K>"yes"<] "I realize that the underground ocean is taboo... but surely some youth among your group has gotten a bit curious. Is there no one who has been ambitious enough to seek answers about this underground mystery?"

Dijani can hear scraping noises on the heavy wooden door, as well as meowing-like laughter from all around the hovel. What first sounded like thunder now a second time, sounds like a single, heavy rap against the door.

A stroke of lightning crashes outside the shuttered window, sending a bright violet flash throughout the interior, just as a third ramming of the door occurs.

3166 - dijani_k - Sat Oct 20, 2001 4:43pm

3167 - Shrsholn - Sun Oct 21, 2001 0:01am

The gremlins continue their assault against the hovel, and it seems that soon, the door will give way.

[please give me a 2nd lvl. Luck SR]

3168 - mistwalker_ - Mon Oct 22, 2001 7:47am

3169 - Shrsholn - Mon Oct 22, 2001 10:38am

Grabbing for her mancatcher, Elise sees the archer's torso slide into the elevated tunnel he's squirming into, exposing only his legs.

The man is still 20 yards -- or so -- further in the darkness.

A Bola throw might do the trick, but it will be tough.

[3rd Lvl. DEX SR with Bola Ranks added to DEX]

But, before Elise can do any of that, she is faced with two pirates on her left flank.

[They are worth a combined 8d ~ 32 HPT this Round, and can effectively take 28 hits as a group]

3170 - dijani_k - Wed Oct 24, 2001 2:50pm

"Everyone grab anything sharp--a pickaxe, a rake, a pitchfork, a utensil--and cluster around the door. If they break it down, we can't let them just rush in; we have to contain them at the door!!" Dijani shouted, as she took position.

3171 - Shrsholn - Wed Oct 24, 2001 3:24pm

2nd lvl Luck SR: 8 (Makes it!)

The door holds for now, allowing Dijani to rush to the large benched dinner table, ready to reinforce the door. The other occupants help, and the table is positioned squarely to receive the next blow which comes as soon as it is set in place.

Dijani knows that the door wouldn't have held without that timing, and that there is a [Round or two: about 5 min.] left of the baracade -- at most.

"There are entrances to the underground in most of the cellars here. Ours has been bricked-up since before I was born.", the young man blurts out. "All our tools -- anything useful like that, is down there." responds an old-timer, who had been largely silent up to this point.

3172 - dijani_k - Thu Oct 25, 2001 4:00pm

3173 - Shrsholn - Fri Oct 26, 2001 9:34am

[heh]

Pulling back a heavy trunk, reaveals a door in the floor of the hovel. Lifting the door reveals a steep set of stairs down into an oddly musty and yet briney smell.

Producing light from some handy source, the bucketeer hops down from the last rung, and begins to wheel around, illuminating the cellar of the structure.

He moves a pace or two, and begins to clear the shelves of masonry jars and roots preserved in the dank cold.

"I've got it. Here, here...", he says excitedly as he begins to move the shelf exposing a shoddy brick job, held fast with limestone mortar.

The opening is an archway, bricked from top to bottom. Its height is about five feet.

3174 - dijani_k - Sun Oct 28, 2001 8:08am

3175 - Shrsholn - Sun Oct 28, 2001 11:24am

The mortar begins to crumble and give way with a moderate kick.
Geul, the bucketeer, and the others begin rummaging through the burlap sacks for the tools the old timer mentioned.

Dijani can hear the table slide after a forceful ram buckles the door. There is litle time.

Quickly producing a hoe, and a spade, the men begin smashing the mortar seams, and with a few kicks, a suitably large exit is formed.

As the bricks topple to the cold tunnel beyond, the sound of splintered wood raining down on the table above signals that the small creatures must surely be through by now.

Above the din of the scrambling, meowing gremlins and the crashing thunder, Dijani can faintly sense powerful magicks being cast from the underground passageway, and perhaps hears the sounds of human voices...

[p.s.: Awulf is carried in a sheet as a stretcher by two others eager to escape certain death.]

[p.p.s.: Dijani's magick abilities might come in handy...if the spell book is available, look at Levels 01-04 -- hint, hint]

3176 - mistwalker_ - Mon Oct 29, 2001 10:14am

3177 - Shrsholn - Mon Oct 29, 2001 10:27am

[repost:>[They are worth a combined 8d ~ 32 HPT this Round, and can effectively take 28 hits as a group]<]

[I need Elise's damage total for the first Round of combat...If her total is greater than 60 points, then Elise barely notices their feeble strikes, and she can try for that 3rd Lvl. (DEX+Bola Rank) SR this same Round...]

3190 - mistwalker_ - Thu Nov 1, 2001 1:29pm

1st sword did 3,4,5+4 =16.
2nd sword did 6,5,6+4 =21.
Plus personal adds 28 and Warrior bonus 16 =81.
Got a 9 on the DEX save, making it by 3 I believe.
Armor roll is 6,2,2,1 x2 =22 if needed.

Elise guts them with a snort of contempt, grabs her bolas and sends them spinning at the archer!

3193 - Shrsholn - Thu Nov 1, 2001 9:01pm

Before the two have crumpled to the ground, the bola finds its mark, tangling the archer's legs together just as he was nearly out of sight up the shaft.

Curses fill the tunnel.

The others are sweeping the human debris from the tunnel; the skels slashing and dropping the foes without hesitation or mercy -- leaping over the fallen to engage the next.

The orc now clambors up the rockface to the same small passageway the archer has begun to wriggle up. Grabbing an ankle, the orc is shot by a swamp-fire arrow which releases his grip. And reveals a frightful scowl on the face of the orc.
"Gharruk Vak!" he cuses, clutching his broiled arm.

Escemine runs up him, and dives into the shaft, both Sax in her hands. She thrusts and slashes at the foeman's legs, and further screams and cursing fill the tunnel.

The hob'tess is summarily ejected from the crevace having apparently suffered a few minor wounds -- though bloody still.

"Hrumpf!" she exclaims as she lands on her tusch.

Elise runs-through the last of the pirates still in the tunnel justs as a ghostly arrow dips incredibly out of the shaft, and looping once, strikes the orc squarely in the chest.

He clutches at the wound, then falls to the ground, looking unsconscious at the least.

Fiften or twenty dead or dying pirates litter the tunnel, and the short distance the handful of survivors who were able to flee headed down curves sharply to the right -- east, to the coast.

Larshes'ke begins to administer to the orc, and Kellis ambles up the few yards, and slowly and carefully peers around the corner.

"They're in full retreat. The tunnel opens onto the beach where the've a dhingy waiting...", he says somewhat listlissly.

[+65 Exp.]

3197 - mistwalker_ - Sat Nov 3, 2001 7:10am

3200 - Shrsholn - Sun Nov 4, 2001 1:54pm

Elise realizing the ineffectual application of the poison, coupled with the tight confines of the -barely- human-sized chimney makes the Mancatcher a useless weapon at this stage.

The black-clad archer has at least gotten to the top of the chimney, but is clearly wounded -- and most of that in the legs - and he's likely still tangled in the bola - so he isn't likely to be far off. If only a means to the upper levels could be found...

"Well, that was riotous." Lady Silkervish quips, looking very drained.

Larshes'ke too is sweating and shivvering from the massive expenditure of arcane power channeled through her lithe form.

The orc is coming 'round.

Kellis has made his way back toward Elise.

Escemine is busy gathering any useful and portable trinkets from the fallen pirates, while

Silthis is flitting about the men, looking for ones still alive enough to be questioned.

The undead ogre, far too large to fit the tunnel that the melee took place in, continues to guard the point of entry for the party, back at the intersection.

* > Town tunnel - n.east
* > Coastal tunnel [current location] - east
* > Due north tunnel

Which tunnel seems most profitable for Elise's mission?

3201 - Shrsholn - Wed Nov 7, 2001 9:20pm

The gaming group you have tormented over a couple of months have finally given up hope. They have seen your heavy-handed style, grim narratives, and swum the bloody sea of your adventures 'til they realized that there was little hope.

The staunchest of players, mistwalker, has finally walked-off set, hoping to find greener pastures for his Minoelf bountyhunter.

You are alone in a dark and dangerous place, ill equipped to face the challenge of gaming -- once again -- by yourself.

*** What do you do? ***

3202 - Shrsholn - Wed Nov 7, 2001 9:31pm

She's wary of gremlins, evil wizards, bandits, pirates, innocent 'good' NPC-types who might confuse her with a monster, and a party of recently escaped hamleters lead by her former player's character: Dijani_K.

She figures only the gremlins would let her pass unmolested [elsewhere a hob' snickers] due to her innate affinity with both cats and malicious evil tendencies (or is that one in the same?)

[To remind the GM, Shrsholn is a 13th level Trollop with advanced Sarcasm abilities, so if there are any vaguely humanoid creatures which might debate eating her rather than --um-- ravishing her, she gets to make a 1st level CHR SR to be ravished instead.]

3203 - Shrsholn - Wed Nov 7, 2001 9:37pm

[I know all about Shrsholns Trollop abilities, don't you worry your sweet little iceicle of a heart none.]

The tunnel leads onward for several hundred yards, then comes to a split.

On the left hand side is a tunnel which has an occupied sconce on the rough tunnel wall illuminating a sign which reads (in Common) 'to a quick and painless exit from this drivvel'.

The right-hand tunnel has a similar sign also illuminated by a torch. It reads, 'to utter ruin, dismay, and general mayhem.'

*** Which tunnel do you take? ***

3204 - Shrsholn - Wed Nov 7, 2001 9:40pm

p.s. She's still armed with her swordbreaker...

3205 - Shrsholn - Wed Nov 7, 2001 9:46pm

[Rolling dice...]

Shrsholn is eventually greeted by an evil wizard named Bjolfe or something like that. He takes her to his evil wizard hideout, and wines and dines her.
[he fails his 13th level IQ SR by 3...damn!]

In the morning, Shrsholn finds a roughly chewed-off forearm (right) under her.

Apparently the wizard came to his senses, and escaped.

Apart from any unseen servants (tm), the wizard hideout appears to be uninhabited.

A small trail of blood on the sheets indicate the initial direction of his escape.

*** What do you do? ***

3206 - throst54 - Wed Nov 7, 2001 10:02pm

and he begins his journey home.

--Throst, the guy still wondering what exact post the dwarf died.

3207 - Shrsholn - Wed Nov 7, 2001 10:21pm

Did I mention the evil wizard was _very_ short?

3209 - mistwalker_ - Fri Nov 9, 2001 2:14am

3210 - dijani_k - Fri Nov 9, 2001 2:44pm

dijani

3211 - Shrsholn - Sat Nov 10, 2001 2:10pm

I was just getting desperate.
(Ask Shipy what happened last time I got desperate...)
[Wink-wink] [Editor's Note: A reference to the side-adventure starring Shipy and Shrsholn, of course.]

3212 - Shrsholn - Sat Nov 10, 2001 2:12pm

-Shrsh'

3213 - mistwalker_ - Tue Nov 13, 2001 1:38am

If it looks like she can catch the fleeing pirates before they get too far from shore she'll try to snag one of them with her mancatcher. Otherwise she'll wipe her blades on the tunic of the nearest corpse and help try to find a survivor.

3214 - Shrsholn - Tue Nov 13, 2001 5:21pm

[Unless Elise desires to run down the remaining tunnel yardage out to the rocky coast to get a pirate, she should probably stick to questioning the (current) survivors.]

3215 - Shrsholn - Tue Nov 13, 2001 5:23pm

"Well, that was riotous." Lady Silkervish quips, looking very drained.

Larshes'ke too is sweating and shivvering from the massive expenditure of arcane power channeled through her lithe form.

The orc is coming 'round.

Kellis has made his way back toward Elise.

Escemine is busy gathering any useful and portable trinkets from the fallen pirates, while

Silthis is flitting about the men, looking for ones still alive enough to be questioned.

The undead ogre, far too large to fit the tunnel that the melee took place in, continues to guard the point of entry for the party, back at the intersection.

* > Town tunnel - n.east
* > Coastal tunnel [current location] - east
* > Due north tunnel

Which tunnel seems most profitable for Elise's mission?

3216 - Shrsholn - Tue Nov 13, 2001 5:31pm

The mortar begins to crumble and give way with a moderate kick.
Geul, the bucketeer, and the others begin rummaging through the burlap sacks for the tools the old timer mentioned.

Dijani can hear the table slide after a forceful ram buckles the door. There is litle time.

Quickly producing a hoe, and a spade, the men begin smashing the mortar seams, and with a few kicks, a suitably large exit is formed.

As the bricks topple to the cold tunnel beyond, the sound of splintered wood raining down on the table above signals that the small creatures must surely be through by now.

Above the din of the scrambling, meowing gremlins and the crashing thunder, Dijani can faintly sense powerful magicks being cast from the underground passageway, and perhaps hears the sounds of human voices...

[p.s.: Awulf is carried in a sheet as a stretcher by two others eager to escape certain death.]
[p.p.s.: Dijani's magick abilities might come in handy...if the spell book is available, look at Levels 01-04 -- hint, hint]

3217 - eickeric - Wed Nov 14, 2001 1:51am

"Well, that was riotous." Lady Silkervish quips, looking very drained.

3218 - mistwalker_ - Wed Nov 14, 2001 6:04am

3219 - Shrsholn - Wed Nov 14, 2001 10:56am

The summary is thus:
* They are pirates
* They had been summoned by the Wizard Bjolfe
* Their captain owed/owes a favor to Bjolfe
* Their captain's name is Dagon Webfoot
* They were expecting to go on some sort of expedition
* The Black-Clad Archer is not part of the crew, but is an agent of, or ally of Bjolfe and Spurlious Trask
* His name is Willim Dritauge, and he is a bad-dude
* They know nothing of the bounty on the Nightshade Gang, but aren't surprised about it either
* They are not affiliated with the Nightshade Gang
* They expect the ship to have raised anchor and sailed off after the attack by your group
* They know nothing of the tunnels except that the one they were to take would lead them to the hamlet's underground sector, where a ladder would lead them to the Wizard

The interrogation was aided by drugged wine, and subtle magicks cast by Lady Silkervish.

"Well Elise, we have nearly exhausted our arcane strength, as well as our supplies. What course of action do you propose?", the Lady inquires, the blood and gore barely noticable against the black lace and leather.

The others are recovering, slowly, but the Orc looks pretty-much out of the action for at least a day or two.

Just then, a boom, such as cannon, is heard to resonate through the tunnel from the beach.

"A warning to the Wizard then...", Larshes'ke offers, then continuing, "They'll be expecting us -- if they weren't already..."

Lady Silkervish appears apprehensive, but says nothing.

Escemine, Kellis, and Silthis are silent.
Kellis has spiderwebs of veinwork visible under his skin, like a corpse, and his eyes seem almost vacant.

The howling wids of the storm outside whistle and moan eerily throughout the caves and tunnels...

3220 - throst54 - Wed Nov 14, 2001 8:22pm

"Well, that was riotous." Lady Silkervish quips, looking very drained.

---

Quipping is hard work, when it's done right.

3221 - Shrsholn - Wed Nov 14, 2001 9:24pm

Shrsh'

3222 - eickeric - Thu Nov 15, 2001 3:03am

Thanks again for interrupting my game Throst. If you are bored, why don't you start up a game of your own, under your own thread?

3223 - Shrsholn - Thu Nov 15, 2001 10:15am

L8R,
Shrsh'

3224 - dijani_k - Thu Nov 15, 2001 1:21pm

3225 - Shrsholn - Thu Nov 15, 2001 8:18pm

Raising her enchanted shortsword, Dijani calls forth the arcane symbols which she had learned would release the desired spell.
In a twisting arc of dimensional energies, the magick shoots upward and explodes around the cellar door in a burst of sparks and a deep, resonant growl.
The sound of scrabbling claws and frightened, raspy meows fleeing from the spell is joined by two asynchronus wailing meows as two enraged and now enscorceled Gremlins launch themselves directly at Dijani!
[Her total combined pertinent stats were enough to scare-off a few of the crowd, but the remnant is now hades-bent on invinting D_K to the Friskies Buffet!]

Two really nasty Gremlins:
* One armed with a Stilleto & MR 22 (4d+09 ~ 23)
* Another with only MR 24 (2d+12 ~ 19)
For a total of 42 points this Round.

[Dijani must generate a total of 42 or better points not to take hits (before armor, of course). D_K automatically generates 32 Hits due to her experience and her Melee Modifiers, and her shortsword is worth and additional 3d6. On average, she'll just make it...but we'll see...<bwa-ha-ha-ha...oops> This Round, no one else in the 'group' may assist her.]

"Wreaow! Mreaow!!"

3226 - dijani_k - Fri Nov 16, 2001 1:59pm

Dijani decides that it's high time for some sliced-n-diced kitty litter.

3227 - Shrsholn - Fri Nov 16, 2001 5:00pm

Managing to fight off the first Round of attacks from the scaley critters, Dijani even scores one hit one each of them.

The others [rolling dice...] startled at first by the swift attack, now begin to close on the two beasties.

The Gremlins, now outnumbered, do their best to survive...or take a few out with them...[6d+22 ~ 45 points this Round]

Geul, and Charn, armed with mini-spears begin thrusting at the now prone Gremlins.

[A new Round, with Dijani's base 32 points, combined with the hamleters' total of 16 pts (48) plus D_K's shortsword 3d = ... (likely, this is the next to last Round with these two.)]

[Roll 'dem bones...]

3228 - mistwalker_ - Fri Nov 16, 2001 11:27pm

"Well Elise, we have nearly exhausted our arcane strength, as well as our supplies. What course of action do you propose?", the Lady inquires, the blood and gore barely noticable against the black lace and leather.

"This is quickly becoming more complicated than I expected." Elise says, a hint of irritation in her tone.
"Perhaps we should make our way to the town to rest and plan our next move."

3229 - Shrsholn - Fri Nov 16, 2001 11:59pm

The group consolidates its remaining resources, bandages its wounded, and heads back to the intersection, guarded by the undead ogre.

Sending the Skels ahead as scouts, and retaining the zombie-ogre as rear guard, the group takes the NE tunnel toward the hamlet. The pirates indicated that that was the one they'd have taken, based on their orders.

Some distance later (hundreds of yards), sounds of fighting become quite evident.
Bricks and light masonry have spilled into the tunnelway, and Elise catches the scent of gremlins.

The skels investigate the aperture in the tunnel wall, and Lady Silkervish -- holding the very bridge of her nose, while her eyes are shut -- relates that they see more than five, but less than ten humans in a small room, perhaps a cellar, fighting with gremlins.

Escemine and Silthis cautiously advance to within a few yards, then quickly return.

"Commoners and a gallant woman are embroiled in a fight with two or three gremlins. The confines are such that the little cusses have the advantage, I'd say.", Escemine informs the group.

"I say we press on, and reach the ladder to Bjolfe's...home.", Silkervish suggests, dabbing at a trickle of blood oozing from her nostrils.

Larshes'ke looks coolly at her with her one eye, then, "I disagree. They likely know the lay of the land, as it were, and if nothing else, they are more fodder to suffer on this accursed trip than our ranks."

There is a quiet tension, but the Orc breaks it, "I agree with Larshes'ke. Escemine? Silthis? Elise? ... Kellis?"

Everyone but Lady Silkervish is looking at Elise for her vote. The Lady seems ill-disposed at the moment. Kellis is impassive, and slouching, though still standing, his rapier and main gauche at the ready.

With the Black Clad Archer still loose -- a confederate of Bjolfe and Trask -- the direct method of knocking on the wizard's cellar door may prove...delicate, to say the least.

"MwreOOOW! Hthsssss!"
"Little bastar-- Oh bugbears! Come here you little wretch!"
"ReaOW-hchshshs-Wreaowll!!!"
"Agh!"

...and more come from the partly collapsed cellar wall.

*** What is Elise's vote? Her course of action? ***

3230 - mistwalker_ - Sat Nov 17, 2001 0:59am

3231 - Shrsholn - Sat Nov 17, 2001 11:04am

Standing next to the skels, Elise peers into the darkness, and sees the scene for herself.

A tall woman (though not taller than Elise) weilding an impressive shortsword is embroiled in a battle with two -- now ragged, and bloddied -- GREMLINS. The woman is obviously a capable delver-type of some sort, and she is somewhat aided by the commoners who are using makeshift weapons.

The rough opening was bashed-out from their side, and will require one Round for Elise to navigate, due to her full plate armor, and longish weapons.

[rolling some dice...] no one seems to notice Elise or the skels.

3232 - Shrsholn - Sat Nov 17, 2001 11:07am

[At the end of this new Round, an imposing figure in black full plate armor, and armed with matching broadswords, begins to enter the cellar from the tunnelway beyond...]

3233 - Shrsholn - Sat Nov 17, 2001 8:28pm

Shrsh'

3234 - dijani_k - Sat Nov 17, 2001 10:12pm

"I sincerely hope that you're no friend of gremlins, stranger!" Dijani said loudly, "umph"-ing as she struggled in battle with the gremlins.

[3d6=10 (1+6+3)]

3235 - Shrsholn - Sun Nov 18, 2001 0:14am

One gremlin is badly wounded, and scrambles off into a darkened corner, where the others dare not pursue it, while the stiletto-armed leader still seems filled with feline arrogance and viciousness, and presses the attack.

3236 - dijani_k - Sun Nov 18, 2001 1:29pm

Stumbling, Dijani made herself vulnerable to the near-rabid gremlin. She braced herself for impact.

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