As you descend into the darkness below the stairs give very little room for you as you stand two by two heading down the stairs with Quentin in the lead. The light seems to be eaten up by the dark and musky air that soaks into your lungs as you go further and further underground. As first walls of the stairs are to your side and then you feel them vanish. A simple torch light shows you that below you is darkness far below where you are heading. A trickle of drops can be heard somewhere far in the distance.

When you finally reach the edge of the stairs which lead to a giant old rusty door. Two torches are on each side of the door and on the sides of the door are huge walls of stone as high as you can see. Almost like a small village appears to be underneath the house itself.

Looking closely to the ground you can see that there is track marks of people walking down the stairs. At the edge of the platform you can look down into two pits of abyss that are on both sides of area you are standing.

"Perhaps it is best settled later."  Aeress had said earlier to the inquiry of her state.  She did look quite ghastly though, being pale and bloodless.

Nonetheless Aeress took up in the formation, her longer weapon allowing reinforcement even if she weren't on point.

"A trap?"  Aeress asked.  It seemed obvious but what manner of trap?  "Clearly, but what is its mechanism?"

“You had a rope” Lirian said to Olix. “May I suggest the first one to cross to do it secured with it? Even more, I suggest everyone to cross this pseudo bridge so secured…” she suggested, seeing the pits. “If there’s a trap, it probably would be to make people fall to the pits…”

Nonetheless, she looked the ground, trying to see if there was a steps mark that could show where to put the feet when crossing.

<private to Lirian>

"This also might be another bit of trickery."  Piper reasoned.

She hopped down from Mosii's back and took a look around then gave a little shrug.

"Only one way to find out."  Piper announced before stepping forward and beginning to cautiously head for the door.

"Olyxs rope was lost in the house. Aeryss still has hers" Hunter commented.

Jenkins went forward looking closely at the tracks to see if they avoid certain places.  She takes care to stay on the path with the most traffic.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:12, Mon 19 Feb.

"Piper wait, you may be smaller but you can still be tethered."  Aeress was already digging out her famous rope.  Her rope contributed more to solving problems than she did.

Piper kept going, not slowing down when Aeress called out.  "Nope, too heavy."

Olyx was about to get his rope, when Hunter's comment made him realize that, indeed, he had lost it. He shrugged; ropes were cheap to replace. All he had to do was sneak aboard a ship at night...

He just looked at Piper braving the trap without the rope. "You'd make a fine rigging monkey, I be damned if I'm wrong", he said in admiration.

In the meantime, he checked around to make sure nobody crept up on them from the rear.

Quentin keeps the dogs at his side and lets the volunteers check the path ahead. Having the pits present nearby to the walkable path, he remains on lookout for anything that might, say, swoop in and shove someone into such a handy nearby pit.

As the old door creeks open Piper is happy to see that while the door is massive in size even her with her smaller size is able to move it. The torches flicker the hallways in front of you to life with shadows and sounds bouncing off the walls. Looking inside you can see old cobble stone walls filled with moss and other natural things like dust and spiderwebs. Still most of the area looks untouched except for the main walkway which has clear been traveled recently.

You look around for any traps but you don't spot anything out of the ordinary that would lead you to believe that there are any. The current hallway seems to branch off into a separate right or left path.

"Well, that's that I guess."  Piper turned and remarked to the others from in front of the open door.

She waited for Mosii to pad silently across the bridge type structure and join her before mounting up and venturing inward a little bit to just before the hallway split off in opposite directions.

Being also lighter and with better low vision than most, Lirian crossed too to support Piper. Touching the ground with her staff, just in case she could detect a trap this way, she moved to her side. “Judging from the tracks, it seems people moves through this way” she whispered her, pointing at the main one, where the tracks lead. “If so, I guess there will be little ot no traps…” she added hopefully

Jenkins pattered along with the advance group, eyes gleaning orange in the dark. "Go main way, less traps" She suggested.

Hunter followed behind, strung fairly close to Olyx and Quentin with their lights.

Aeress proceeded but suggested "I still suggest we each cross this gap, one at a time.  With all due respect."

As the last one in the rear, Olyx followed suit, using his lantern to improve the visibility... but not shining it down the pit. The last thing he wanted was any one of them getting a bout of vertigo and falling down.

He just hoped this wasn't a giant trap...

Kai stops to examine the left torch sconce.  "I think we're overthinking this whole traps thing.  If Jester and his bosses wanted us dead, they could have easily did it back in the house.  Instead they kick us out and then leave us a stairway down.  Now if I were making a trap, I would have made the stairsteps disappear when we were halfway down and we would have slid the rest of the way and right into a pit.  Quick and simple."

As he walks over to examine the right torch, he continues.  "No, I don't think whomever wants us dead.  At least not yet.  From my experience with mad warlocks and such is that they think they are oh-so- much smarter and more powerful than everyone else and nothing they enjoy more than showing that off.  Any traps from here on in, they're probably just there to show us how clever he is and how dumb we are."

"Part of me hopes you are correct, part of me hopes dearly you are wrong."  Aeress responded evenly.  She flat out did not like either of the options.

"I don't know what's going on in their heads, and that sounds prudent enough for me" Hunter said, deciding to follow Aeryss's advice and maintain plenty of space between himself and others when crossing the pits. "It occurs to me that there was a house full of traps and a set of stairs leading down, those who enter and go straight down avoid all nastiness while those who seek to explore run into all kinds of trouble. But someone has great malicious joy in crafting snares for the unwary."

"Oh I be seein' the cruelty, alright. Traps like these are not to scare people off, no no... but you forget, maddened warlocks and witches can be just as incompetent in the trap department as anyone else."

"Now I once met this sailor from the south... he went and told me stories, 'bout traps. I shiver me timbers every time I think about'em. Jus' because them wanted us dead, doesn't mean they actually could, dem rat buggers."

Sailor tales. Always a reliable source of information.

As you continue down the hall when you finally make it to the split the area where you can go left or right there are tracks leading down both paths. It seems some people went left and the others went right? You aren't sure what to make of it and a quick look down both leads to more hallways and more diversions among those hallways. Likely a maze of some sort.

"I say we go left and keep going left whenever we can," Kai suggests.  "Easier that way top retrace our steps and not get lost."

Piper stood up on Mosii's back and stepped to the little knapsack that was secured to the feline's collar.  After a moment of rummaging she pulled out a chunk of chalk approximately the size of her fist and then urged Mosii down the left passage a short ways before she reached out and put a big "X" on the wall.  Well, big for her, with each stroke being about the length of her forearm.

Obviously satisfied with her work, she and Mosii began moving at a cautiously sedate pace down the left hallway to see what there was to see.

Aeress nodded.  "One direction consistently until we know better seems prudent to me.  No guessing that way."

Jenkins snorted. "My Grandfather tell story. One time yuman caravan attack goblin village. We flee into cave. Tunnel go long and down, twisty and windy, and drop into cavern. There lots of stalac... stalag... pillars, an' big boulders an' little caves an' holes, an lots of little twisty paths. Like maze in cave. We fight yumans there, run an' hide an' ambush an' run. Always shoot at man with lights an' run. Then we leave.

"Yumans do wot you do. Always go left. Mark little Xs with chalk or blood. Try draw map."

"But entrance six foot up. They no see."

"They in there for days, go round an' round in circles, never find entrance. Angry an' yell an' hungry an' die. No-one ever come out."


**************************************************************************

Hunter just followed everybody else.

"Sounds like a dashin' story, mate!", Olyx humored Jenkins. "By the tides, though, I do think we can crane our necks up to check!", he said, stifling a short laugh as he kept guarding the rear.

"You seem to 'ave a handling on the situation", he added, preferring not to chime in with anything. He had no idea about mazes anyway, except as abstract constructs his master was trying to explain. It didn't get through his thick skull, sadly. He asked the person right in front of him, though, "I hope that mouse girl be' springly and sprighty, or springin' a trap'll be nasty."

Lirian tried to listen at both corridors or to discern which corrider had more tracks going to. “Do your dogs smell any clue about which way to go?” she asked Quentin. “Or Mosii, for what’s worth, as it sure has better smell than any of us…” she said to Piper.

“If you’re going to leave marks, better leave them where on must know they are there to find them” She added to Piper. “The letter hinted us they were still waiting for more people, and I’d hate to leave clues for them. OTOH this makes less likely the way is trapped…”

Quentin looks at the dogs to see if they prefer one way or another. "I can command them to search, but then they'll try to take the lead. Not sure that is the best course of action. I didn't train them to communicate any concepts beyond that. Well, that, and an actual presence of something."

"We don't have time to scout this whole place before we choose which way to go, so we're going left as it's as good a choice as any."  Piper chimed in, having already put actions to words.

"You'd also be surprised how often big folks don't pay attention to anything above or below what they can see looking straight ahead, just like in Jenkins' story, but if you wanna leave some sort of mark somewhere else, go ahead."

As you start heading left you curve around the corner and shortly after you come to a four way stop that is going in completely different directions. You look to your left and you see another long hallway that takes another left turn at the end judging from the wall. You look right and you see a hallway that might lead to a dead end but you aren't sure. Forward seems to go down a ways and then it splits again likely left and right.

OOC: The hallway can have two people (persons max). Who is taking up the front and who is in the rear? Tag yourself with 1-5 only two people can take up 1 number. 1 = front, 5 = very back. Also, not providing a map for this one. You will need to create your own. :)

"Wait. This looks like a maze. Let's talk about this" Hunter called out, and hurried to catch up with the leaders.

"Has anybody got any chalk? Oh, good work Piper. Right, before we go any further, write 'X' for 'exit' and an arrow pointing towards the stairs. Moving forward, I propose we label every intersection A,B,C etc and put arrows showing where the tunnels go. We just came from X, this is intersection A, we go left to B so we cam mark that now. Those other hallways might go to G of M or whatever, we will find that out later."

OOC: Marching Order: Jenkins is 1, Hunter is 4.

Also, when you said "the tunnel goes down a ways", do you mean "down the road" or "slopes downwards to another level"?

Olyx scratched his head. "I, umm, I'll be leavin' this to you", he simply said. This whole thing was giving him a headache already, and they still had no idea what traps were waiting for them. He had lost his rope and grappling hook, but then...

"An idea I be havin'!", he exclaimed, digging into his pack for a small mirror. "Whoever's up front, take this. Don't stick a neck out- no sayin' for what traps, or worse, there be. Use the mirror to peer around."


OOC: Olyx is 5.

Aeress had nothing to add at the moment, but took her place in the formation.

Aeress can go front or rear if needed/desired but can still help with fighting from one rank back.  If a better warrior wants to go 1, that's fine Aeress will go 2, or if no one else is available she'll take 1.

"That path there look like it go to stop. Or trap" Jenkins said, pointing to the right. She squats down and looks at the floor to see if there are any tracks heading that way.

As they paused at the second intersection of corridors Piper listened to Hunter's explanation of an elaborate marking system.

She scratched another mouseling sized "X" as well as an "O" at the end of the hallway they had just come from.

Piper then urged Mosii into the left hallway and made another "X".  The pair then began down the hallway at the same cautious pace, keeping to the original plan of "staying left".


Piper and Mosii will also be 1
This message was last edited by the player at 21:17, Sat 24 Feb.

Lirian thought about it for a moment.

“Do we know which direction are we moving?” she asked. “I mean, if we assume their base should be close to the sewers, I guess we should try to move towards the city, if we can. Also any water noise should point we’re closing them…” she shared her thoughts.

OOC: as for march formation, and seeing Piper is taking the point, she’s willing to be on first line, while Aeress, as she said, can support from second line. So I guess Lirian is 1

“May I also suggest to divide our attention according our position?” she suggested. “First row should center their attention forward, each one to his side , middle rows should look up and down, and the back person should look the rearguard. Do you agree?”

"I wouldn't be countin' on it... as the lil'un put it, there's also up 'n' down. Let's say we're goin' left where we ought to- and then it's a dead-end, but if we had went right, there'd be a ladder or stairs goin' down and goin' back left the proper way...", he mused, utterly discobombulated by his environment. He never had been claustrophobic -can't really be when in a ship- but this was starting to get too much, too soon.

He didn't reply to Lirian's last words though, instead shrugging with one hand holding the lantern and the other the sword, and resumed watching the rear.

OOC:This is how I am going to play it currently.

1 - Aeress, Jenkins, Piper
2- Lirian, ??
3- Quentin(2)
4 -Hunter
5- Qlyx

Quentin does not mind walking in the middle. He tries to make a note if we ever walk away from trampled path, but other than that, does not care much in which direction we are going as long as we do not split ways.

Kai lines up aside Aeress and behind Jenkins.  He pulls a chakram off his belt.

"This better not be a maze.  I hate mazes."

"That... that makes two of us."  Aeress had initially seemed like she was going to argue, but then considered what he'd actually said.  It was that strange occurrence from a few moments ago, it had her rattled.

Hunter trudged along grumbling and mumbling "... idiot stubborn mice and Xs and how hard is it to write a damn letter even letters would be better than xs whats the point if its all the same damn idiot ..."

"Jenkins! Have you got any charcoal in your grubby sticky little pocketses?" he suddenly called out.

"...no?" Came the dubious answer back.

"Jenkins! What have you got in your pockets?"

"Stick... coins... fish head... brass key... Liriam button... string... shiny armour bits.  No charcoal!" Jenkins called back triumphantly.

"Where did you get the key from?"

"Floating dragon man tall building"

"Roland? Why have you got Roland's key? I hope he doesn't need it."
"mutter mutter charcoal... if we had a torch we could make charcoal..."

"LAMP BLACK!" Hunter wheeled around.  "Olyx my dear fellow, can you make your lantern as sooty and black as possible? And do you have any alcohol?"
"Jenkins, I'll need that stick. And your tin cup please."

"You've got cup. In backpack."

"Oh, so I do. Good chap."
This message was last edited by the player at 11:53, Sun 25 Feb.

Finding herself on the second row, Lirian concentrated on looking up and at the flank, trying to make sure no danger might come from there. Jerkins history had hit on her, and she didn't want to pass any danger at differnet level...

Hunter pulled out the tin cup, and then frowned, rummaged around further and pulled out a couple of pieces of charcoal and a small sack. He opened the sack and looked inside. "Glass beads? Where did you get from?"

Jenkins came growling and grumbling back and grabbed the backpack. "Gimmie bag back! Stop messing with stuff!"

"No. Where did you get beads from?"

"Scary hat man forgot them. Keep them safe for him. Give me bag."

Frowning, Hunter tossed the beads to Kai. "Apologies, my good sir." He looked through the rest of the bag and then passed it to Jenkins "Don't take things from me or anyone else in the party" he admonished the goblin.

Jenkins smiled ingratiatingly and insincerely, nodded enthusiastically , grabbed the bag and scampered ahead into the dark.

Hunter sighed a long suffering sigh and scrawled a rough 'A' beside Piper's 'X'  and pocketed the charcoal. "Let's move on."
This message was last edited by the player at 08:15, Mon 26 Feb.

A dry chuckle was all that Hunter got. "Had I any, I be drinkin' it away prim and proper. The lantern though- that might be possible", he said, trying to do what Hunter asked. "What be you needing it for- leaving your mark, eh?", he asked while he tried his best to blacken his lantern. Which, in retrospect, was a bit dumb because it was one of their light sources, but then again, cap'n gave an order.

"Never mind,I've got some charcoal" Hunter replied. "We need the light. But it might be something worth doing next time we stop."

"It will suffice.  So long as we have a clear, deliberate mark."  Aeress concluded.  She had found the whole exchange a bit tiresome after all they'd gone through to get here, but held her tongue out of tact.

Kai's eyes widened as much as his face reddened.  "You little toad!  Stay out of my stuff!"  He takes the bag of beads and shoves it deep into his pack.

"When we get out of here, I'm going to buy a bag.  It'll be just big enough to hold two goblin hands.  We'll see how long it stays empty."

Jenkins growls defensively at Kai and scampers after Piper. Left, left, left...

"Oh if you're going to do that, at least get one big enough for the head too."  Aeress remarked, ever practical.

"How about we be silent, eh? Just in case we be hearin' any monster shriek or giant rat squeak in time", Olyx slightly admonished them as he felt they were talking too much, and too loud, considering their surroundings.  Sound tended to travel far in a maze of empty corridors.

As you continue down the left hand side of the tunnels keeping to your left you come to the another two way path with a left or right. To the left is a hallway that dead-ends to what looks like the right. To the right is a door that connects to something else. Foot prints litter the halls like relics of the past. There seems to be many and many of them are old and dusty showing hardly any new signs of foot prints recently.

OOC: By the way if you ask for the map. I can give you the map of where you are and where you come from. I'll need to hide somethings but it should workout fine.

Aeress raises her hand, spins it and points, suggesting they continue their current convention, but looks for signs of assent or dissent alike.

Jenkins carefully walks down the way to the left to check that it is actually a dead end, and if so, whether it ends in an actual wall or a  secret door or a trap.

Let me know if I need to roll something.

“Though a door means something man made and minimally private, and so interesting in this case, all footprints seem old, so I have serious doubts about being what we look for…” Lirian whispered, sharing her thoughts with the others.

She then looked for footprints going left, to evaluate if it could be more interesting a way…

Map: Map

** Sorry about the crappy fog of war. I am going to work on that.

Sticking to the plan, and seeing as how Hunter had found a method for marking their passage in accordance with his somewhat elaborate system, Piper urged Mosii down the left corridor to see what lay beyond the turn at the end.

ooc: seems functional enough to my eyes so I wouldn't worry too much about getting fancy.  I'll take it over nothing!

From his position in about the middle, and without a strong opinion about how to proceed, Quentin mostly keeps his eyes open for anything alive or animate, and the dogs' reaction to maybe some such.

OOC: The map is perfectly fine, thank you!

This being the third junction since the exit, Hunter scrawled a C in charcoal on the wall.

The map looks good. Old school, I like it! Though at first glance I don't see any doors, and at second glance it appears both left and right from our current position end in doors. Oh well. Jenkins is going left to confirm it is a dead end.

OOC: Jenkins need to make a perception check. -1 difficulty.

After I have this roll we will move forward. to the section that says 1.

"Maybe a diversion, eh? To keep eyes away from the real door... a secret'un!", Olyx exclaimed, and then fell silent again. He tapped his blade's pommel a bit on the wall next to him, trying to see if there was any hollow sound, though he did it half-heartedly.

07:16, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 3,4 using D6-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 4,5.  Jenkins notice. – [roll=1709576168.4287.378126

Jenkins is moving forward and right before he is about to step on a tile that leads forward and to the left she finds herself tossing a rock ahead. Sure enough the floor collapses into a rather shallow pit of spikes. You don't see any bodies below and the pit is able to be jumped across with ease once you know it's there. She leads the pack and comes to a very old and rusty door before signaling the group.

When you follow behind you are greeted with the same door that she has seen. You open it and move forward into a room that is filled with spider webs. Making it hard to see anything beyond the entrance to the door. At the back of the room something glints in the light.

"Should we burn these en masse? Or would you prefer to play safe with the loot?" Quentin does not quite say that such play might be not quite safe with the people, but he expects the people are competent enough to infer that part too. He also looks at the dogs' behavior to see if they smell any spider presence, recent or otherwise not ancient.

"Burn it," Kai says.  "Just to be safe."

"I oppose that idea on the basis we don't know what we're burning.  We could be overwhelmed by the fumes and smoke, and for all we know they stored all their alchemical incendiaries in there.  Winding up stuck here fighting whatever comes barreling out while we choke, blinded by smoke, is not appealing to me."  Aeress pointed out.  "It's also clear no one's been in there recently.  I vote we close and backtrack."

"I vote we poke our nose in just a bit and see, but be prepared to run and  shut the door behind us."  Piper squeaked, her curiosity piqued by the room that was no doubt filled with dust and giant spiders and who knew what else.

She and Mosii then began advancing step by cautious step into the room.

Kai shrugs.  "I don't see a problem.  We set the webs on fire and close the door. Smoke stays inside.  Whatever's alive stays inside.  While everything burns, we go look somewhere else and come back later.  It's not like we don't have options.  And if anything goes boom, then it's a few less explosives Jester's friends can use against us."

"Shiny!" Jenkins exclaims, darting forward.

"Wait!" Hunter calls after him, causing him to pause and look back briefly. "Kai's right. Set it on fire, the spiders or whatever nasties are in there and come back later."

Jenkins thought about this. It made sense. She returned to the group "Burn spider burn spider burn burn burn spider nasty spider burn nasty sticky webs burn and boil and shiny!"

Quentin nods to the current torchbearer and prepares to close the door from the outside. He could breathe some fire in there, but if torch will do fine enough, he'd rather not.

“But why to burn them?” Lirian asked. “I mean what is the goal to do it? Those webs are old, and this means no one has passed through this room for time, so we’re out of our way. Just leave them in peace and let’s look for other way, as it’s clear this is not the one we’re looking for.”

She looked at the others to see how did they react to her words. “And beside this, we don’t know if there are other things in this room that might burn, and a big fire here might act as a siege mine, collapsing it and whatever is above...”

"Shiny" Jenkins says in an aggrieved tone, her bottom lip bulging rebelliously.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:32, Tue 05 Mar.

Piper and Mosii paused a few steps into the room.  "We are caught in a trap of someone else's making.  Like the house above there is no guarantee that any of this is even real.  Like in that house, logic should not be  trusted, but instead we should seek out the game pieces left for us to find and hope that we are smarter than our enemy thinks we are and are able to glean enough knowledge from what is found to get ahead of the game that is being played."

“Maybe, but if we start a fire we might warn anyone still not knowing we're here” Lirian answered. “But are you suggesting to burn them or not to? I’m not sure I follow you…”
This message was last edited by the player at 15:33, Wed 06 Mar.

"I'm saying that closing the door and walking away is a poor option.  I can go in and see what's there, or Quentin can try to preemptively burn any dangers, but we should look."  Piper replied.

"I think Piper is making good points" Isaac said. "I'd like to have a look around, but those webs concern me. They make it hard to see, they could trap us, especially if we have to flee, and they imply something is living in there. They might be long dead and gone, but who knows."

"If you can avoid the webs I am okay with looking, but I prefer not to set this alight without a lot more information.  Even if we close the door, what if something monstrous is stirred?  Any number of us can force a door, it's not a unique capability."  Aeress offered.  "Or as I pointed out there could be something dangerous in there.  Closing the door will not block smoke or fumes unless this is some kind of meticulous stonework."

"Ok."  Piper stated before she and Mosii started advancing into the room slowly and cautiously once again.

Jenkins crept after the pair, intent on the shiny thing but more intent on not getting eaten or trapped.

"Wait!", Olyx snapped before they went too far. "I... I don't know if it be a good idea, but maybe you can tie a rope around yerselves? And we pull you out if you get caught like a little fly? It be safer, methinks." He tried reaching for his backpack, and then he realized his own rope was gone. He grinned sheepisly and pointed at the nearest rope he could see, that someone might have tied next to their backpacks.

“Well, it seems I’m the only one disagreeing…” Lirian thought to herself.

“OK, I concede, as you all agree” she said, “but I still think we will only lose time and let them to better reorganize after their raid to the castle. I somehow feel time is important” she said as her last attempt.

Then she turned to the rear, moving to the corner to keep watch on the intersection form distance, watching the rearguard just in case

A cold wind blows through the top of the room which you can see above. In the darkness of the tomb there is a low skittering happening that is happening somewhere far far above your head. In the darkness it's hard to make it but whatever it is sounds normal for this closed in room. As your light torch touches parts of the room the twinkle of the object in the corner blocked by a path way of web give you a small bit of hope that you can grab the object and escape but it will take extreme luck avoiding all the webbing in the room.

Jenkins closely examines the tomb and the shiny object without touching anything.

Kai stays by the door, keeping an eye on the hallway.  "I still think this is a bad idea, but go ahead, get yourselves killed."

Piper paused near a bit of the webbing towards the front area by the door.  She waited for Jenkins to see what the goblins plan was so she didn't get in the way trying her own route through.

She did peer upwards, the darkness not being an impediment, wondering how tall the room was.

Lirian was surprised to see Kai seemed to agree with her. As she was going to the corner to keep the rearguard she whispered to Hunter “can I suggest at least putting  something blocking the door from closing? Remember what happened above at the kitchen…”

Hunter was frowning. "I don't have anything to block the door, do you?" he asked Liriam.

"Jenkins! Don't touch the webs!" he called in a low voice. If you have to, best to do that at the doorway" he called in a low voice.

Jenkins turned and nodded.


Can Jenkins get close enough to see what The Shiny is, without touching any webs or anything else? Could she conceivably get close enough to tie a rope to it, then leave, then pull the thing out?
Also, "tomb"? how do we know this is a tomb, is there a sarcophagus?

Lirian took he short sword she was carrying as reserve and handed it to Hunter. “This will avoid it to lock, if not to close” she said him

Hunter took the sword and placed it across the threshold so that if the door slammed shut then it would slam on the blade, preventing it from closing completely and locking.

As Jenkins walks carefully into the room she is greeted with a large amount of webbing. At the door it seems like it was less thick but once inside she notices it's much thicker than she would've expected. However going deeper in without a torch it's hard to see the strands. While they are thick they are transparent to some degree making it harder to make it more than a few feet.

OOC: Going inside without a light source will require an athletics roll -2. The difficulty to try the bypass the webs and reach the object will be a task roll of 3 rolls. Each difficulty changes per roll.

First roll -2
Second roll -3
Last roll -1

* Tomb is more of the feeling of the room itself.

Jenkins slowly and carefully makes her way back out of the room. "No like. Bad feel" She said, shivering.

With Jenkins not keen on advancing into the room, Piper sent another volunteer inside to satiate her curiosity.

With a gesture a giant spider spun out of web coalesced across the room next to the unknown shiny object.  Another appeared next to the door, waiting.

With a bit of chittering Piper directed the appropriate beast to grab the object and then begin making its way back to the door.


Summon Giant Spider x2, 1PP

Piper rolled 9,3.  Spellcasting

Aeress felt useless, she just kept her spear handy.  It made a handy thing to run behind at least.

Kai throws up his hands.  "See?  Even the toad is making sense.  If the lot of you want to go into that rat trap, let's do it after we finish what we came here to do.  Every minute here is a minute closer Jester's boys to their goal."

A chakram appears in Kai's hand.  He reaches back to throw but pauses as he follows the threads of aether from the spider back to Piper. "That's a nicely done spell, Piper.  Maybe next time don't evoke something that looks like it lives in there?  I want to be sure I'm attacking the right beast."

He mutters something about spiders under his breath.

As the spider touches the object and is able to grab it with one of it's legs there is a gust of wind from up above. A roar sounds from somewhere in the darkness. It echoes through the hallway and send a chill down your spine. As the spider skitters back to Piper avoiding all the webs and making it back just a few steps from the door. Up above anyone close to the entrance sees a green glow coming from above and the next thing you know the summoned spider is hit with a wave of energy that sends you reeling back from the blow.

What was once the spider is now nothing as the creature has been dissolved by the blast of energy. The key lays upon the floor and darkness above creeks and cracks. There is a silence of something move above but you can't make out much even with the torch. You can grab the key quickly and close the door but whatever just attacked the spider is still there. Laying in wait.

Olyx had shrugged and raised his shoulders when his advice wasn't taken, but honestly, Piper's idea was much, much better.

And once he got up and dusted himself from the knockback, he simply said, "Oi, good thin' the li'l 'un wasn't there after all, rope or no rope", with a shudder.

He resumed his position as the rearguard, letting others pass if they had to double back and take another direction. But the thought of whatever was in there sent chills up his spine, whether it was traps, or something worse.

Piper pulled back towards the doorway as the spider began rapidly crawling back to them with whatever it had grabbed.

When whatever it was had made everyone aware that it knew they were up to something she made Mosii step back to the threshold of the room.

Both flattened down as much as they could as the force from the green energy came crashing down and washed over them.

Backing out completely into the hallway she chittered at the second spider which had been standing by waiting to grab the object and get out, trusting one of the others to shut the door after the surviving spider made it back into the hallway.

Seconds after closing the door and grabbing the object which everyone can see is a key. There is some sand from above the entry way to the door that drops on your heads. The dust gives you the feeling that something is moving inside of the room. Seconds later you feel a loud "BOOM" hit against the wall of the entry way door but not against the door itself.

“Have you finished and can we resume our mission” Lirian asked from the corner, clearly eager to keep going.

“As I said, it’s clear whoever entered didn’t follow this path, and we must try to reach the gathering before they can do more evil, and if possible before they can gather more forces and heal their wounded on the raid…”

Quentin stands ready some distance from the closed door, ready to cover everyone's retreat and blast if something appears to follow us into the corridor.

Hunter yanked the sword out of the door and slammed it shut, heart pounding  and wide eyed.

"Well done, but I suggest an orderly retreat and we pray whatever is in there has no interest in coming out now that we've gone so quickly.  Carefully, I will cover."  Aeress half spoke, and half whispered, her heart in her throat after seeing all that.

"Let's get out of here" Hunter said, returning the sword to Liriam. "Jenkins, take the lead. Keep going left."

Jenkins leads the party back to the last intersection, amd the door. She tries it to see if it's locked.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:51, Wed 13 Mar.

Kai slaps his hat against his leg, knocking loose whatever sand is still on it.  "I'm not saying anything," he says.

Piper gripped the key, which was nearly as big as she was, and beat a hasty retreat with the others.  She sent the remaining spider ahead of them, figuring it could trigger any surprises in their place while it was still around.

Oh come on!"  She exclaimed.  "Nobodies the least bit curious about what that thing was and how it got in there?  I mean, not curious enough to go back and find out, but it's still something to wonder about as we're running away!"

Kai shrugs.  "It's a key to something important.  That much is obvious, considering what its guardian did to your spider.  It must have been in there a long while since there were so many cobwebs.  Maybe Jester's friends haven't been over here or didn't have the guts to go investigate.  Either way, it's something worth following up on after we complete our mission."

"Anything on the key?  If someone makes a key out of gold, they at least de4corate it.  Maybe that'll give a clue what it's to."

"Mayhaps the key is just a shiny decoy to get'em poor souls inside for that monster to devour, I reckon- or mayhaps it indeed be the key to a challenge where the wind takes us", he shrugged, checking over his shoulder again instinctively to make sure they weren't followed.

"At least none were lost, that be all that matters", the marine added.

"Maybe it is a key for the door we just passed. Or for the exit. Or for a sarcophagus in that room it was in, hidden with webs, inside is but a mouldy shirt. It could be critically important, it could be nothing. But it is best to have it" Hunter remarked.

Lirian moved back the corridor, moving forward once the corner has been past (OOC: to the up direction from the red X).

“I won’t deny this key may be useful in the future” she said, “but if ti was abandoned there, end for what we can guess from the webs not needed from long time, I guess it won’t have an immediate usefulness, while time is probably coming short…”

As you grab the key and run jumping over the pit again you move to the next area (marked with a 2). You are interested to find that the door is open. Opening the door leads you into a room that contains a number of bones in the room itself. You don't see much but a small well in the middle of the room that is very small in feature. The well seems out of place for a room that is underground but still the well is there. Looking inside of the well you find that there is a long drop down below and it's hard to see all the way down the bottom.

Meanwhile back in the direction you came, you hear another loud "BOOM" that shakes the hallway. Even with the darkness you can't see much but you are assuming that whatever is making that noise is ramming the door.

Hearing the knocks behind, Lirian felt anxious. The bones on the ground didn’t calm her either…

“We should move quickly” she said returning to the intersection. “I guess the best option is to head ahead (OOC: up, relative to the map), as the other corridor seems to be a dead ending…

Quentin does not move anywhere, but knees down to examine the bones. Of interest:
1. How old are they (all same age)?
2. Do they lie in general shapes of their original owners or (semi-)randomly scattered?
3. Do they total to the original numbers or form (narrow) subsets?
4. How many sets of what sort of creatures are there?
5. Any damage on the bones (like, have they been gnawed upon or otherwise affected)?

00:05, Today: Secret Roll: Quentin Fox rolled 7,33 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 7,(6+6+6+6+6+3)33.  Healing about the bones.
00:04, Today: Secret Roll: Quentin Fox rolled 4,3 using 1d6,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,3.  Notice on the bones.

Agreeing with Lirian that they should continue moving, Piper decided to spend a very small amount of time investigating the well anyway.

This consisted of ordering her remaining spider to jump into the hole and listen for how long it took to splash or thud depending on whether the well was dry.

She reasoned it would be a quick way to figure out what was down there, just in case it became important information to have later.

"Go back to B, take the next Left" Hunter commands. "I'll keep a rear guard.

"Quentin, we are being chased by something and we don't know what it is. Two things: you don't want to get trapped in here. And if this thing can raise the dead, maybe we should consider taking some bones with us."

"No don't!" he said to Jenkins, who was about to start throwing skulls down the well. "We don't know what's down there. We could awaken something else. Go to Intersection B, take the next left." Fool of a Took!

Hunter stands at the entrance of 2 until Quentin leaves.

OOC: some more information that could be added to Quentins description of the bones is what is meant by "A number of bones". Are these full skeletons? Have they been laid out respectfully or did they die here? Is it a pile of bones from the meal of some predator, scattered and gnawed?
This message was last edited by the player at 23:39, Wed 13 Mar.

Realizing they were saying the same thing in different words, and agreeing with them, Aeress volunteered.  "I'm not much of an investigator, if you'll take the rear guard I'll move up a little to ensure nothing comes from the way we came."  She hoisted her weapon and moved quickly.

As suddenly his position was all the rage, Olyx shrugged and moved forward, to be as close to the front as possible instead, right before the scouts. Using his lantern to light the way for everyone, he just kept an eye out for whoever was up front to back them up- unless he ended up being the one in front, in which case he'd just follow the directions given.

Quentin bends down to examine the bones and notices that there are two full sets from plain view. The bones appear to be a full grown adult and a child. Upon looking at the bones he can see that they had a bag of what is likely food that the brought down with a few old and scattered objects in the room.

As the spider falls into the darkness you wait to hear the sounds of the creature hit something down below. Instead you are greeted with a scream of the spider as something kills the creature and then a light green glow forms that blossoms into a full raging inferno that blasts up from the well into the ceiling and then slowly disappears into the well once again.

Another loud bang rattles the stone floor you are standing on.

"Well, that's not a good escape route."  Piper remarked as she and Mosii darted away from the well and out the door.

"Time to go then."

"Move. The doors here are strong enough, but yes, the wrong room. We do not want to die from thirst and hunger like these two."

Notably, Quentin does not even try to lead the way.

As you move back in the main hallway I have updated this on the map (the star is your current location & map updated). There is a loud smashing sound behind you as if one of the doors have come off it's hinges from the stone wall. You see a long hallway the ends up ahead and branches off into a T with a left and right option.

OOC: I need perception rolls using the following:

Whoever is in front, I need a perception check for them.
Whoever is in the middle, I need a check for them.
And finally whoever is last, I need a check for them.

I guess the formation was more or less broken as some moved back to our current location and others stayed to examine the well room. My take is Lirian is currently on front line…

19:25, Today: Secret Roll: Lirian rolled 1,2 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,2.  Notice (not sure if low vision may help here). – 1,2. It seems some dust has entered Lirian’s eyes, or maybe she's too concentrated in looking up after what Jerkins has told…

Quentin might or might not be the last one to get moving, but he surely intends to be last one to leave the four-way intersection, letting everyone move ahead of him on the way whichever they are going to (Quentin expects this will be left turn, but he does not care.

23:25, Today: Secret Roll: Quentin Fox rolled 4,7 using 1d10,1d10, rerolling max with rolls of 4,7.  Dogs Notice (middle)
23:24, Today: Secret Roll: Quentin Fox rolled 11,3 using 1d6,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+5)11,3.  Quentin Notice (middle)

Can I remain "on hold" until everyone goes by?

Jenkins hurried up to the front and scampered up the corriador, turning left at the next intersection.

Hunter kept up the rear as he'd said; if Quentin really wanted to be dead last then that was fine but Hunter would be close by. Every so often the fallen aristocrat stopped to turn around to see what was behind them.

OOC: Jenkins is at the front and sees nothing.

Hunter is at the rear with Quentin and sees something.

08:13, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 5,2 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,2.  hunter notice . – 5,2

08:11, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 2,1 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,1.  Jenkins notice. – 2,1
This message was last edited by the player at 00:08, Fri 15 Mar.

Olyx keeps looking back and forth, trying to shine with his lantern and check for any potential threats coming from anywhere... including up or down. Who knows what might be crawling up above their heads.


OOC: 22:12, Today: Olyx Mintarios rolled 2,9 using d4,d6, rerolling max ((2,(6+3)9)).
 

As Piper and Mosii skedaddled down the hall with the others she wondered out loud.  "Think that thing in the first room can fit through the door?  Or will it have to break through whatever lies behind these walls to escape?"


ooc: Not sure where Piper and Mosii will end up, adding rolls just in case they're needed.


Piper rolled 4,1.  Notice (Piper)

Piper rolled 3.  Notice (Mosii).

Aeress resumed the formation as the others finished their inspection.  "Let's not find out if we can possibly avoid doing so."

Kai stops at the intersection.  "Let's ambush it here.  With that green death ray, we don't want to get into a ranged fight."

Aeress wasn't completely adverse to that idea.  If it kept coming, they couldn't reasonably escape it, and far better to fight deliberately than be overtaken.  "What say the rest of you?"

"It's a good idea. Likely we have to fight it, if we keep running we may have to fight something else as well" Hunter opined.

<<secret moves>>

"There's something moving overhead" Hunter said, pointing up at the ceiling where dust was coming down.

OOC: How high is the ceiling at the 4 way intersection?

"Too big to fit through the door then maybe?"  Piper reasoned aloud.

"If all these spots where the stones above us are lower than the height of that wall we saw when we came in are hollow above, then maybe we should keep moving instead of having that thing come down on top of us."

About 6 feet higher than that your head.

“Time for better light. Ready any missile weapons” Lirian said, readying the bow herself. She began to softly sing, again the joyful song she had sang in the cellar on the Library.

23:38, Today: Secret Roll: Lirian rolled 6,5 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,5.  Performance (singing Song of Light). – 6,5. 2 PP used

Suddenly, the corridor was illuminated by the magic light of the song, The light reached the ceiling and some yards in all directions...
This message was last edited by the player at 22:44, Fri 15 Mar.

Fighting the urge to just do something about it, he turned to the rest of the group and said, "I be noticin' this. What make you of it?", as he shone the lantern's light towards a portion of the wall, and almost tapped against a loose brick that was part of it. The brick seemed out of place, easy to miss in the darkness but now that the light was on it there was no mistake; it was cocked in a slight angle, enough to make it seem like it could move somehow.

"Push it. See what it does. It's probably a door. I doubt it's a trigger for a trap, they tend to be in places where people might trip over them" Hunter suggested, forgetting that half the traps they'd triggered so far had been by picking up something like a candlestick.

He had his pistol in his hand and was pointing it at the sounds in the ceiling, trying to follow its movements.

Where does the thing go after the intersection? Does it jump down, go left, go right, go straight...?

Up ahead, Jenkins realized the others were no longer following her, and paused.

Gingerly, Olyx pushes the brick with the tip of his sword, hoping that one meter of difference might be enough to save him from any devious traps hiding behind that innocuous brick.

Unless, of course, the entire ceiling collapses or the floor opens up into a pit. Or worse.

As Olyx pushes the brick a door slides open from the right hand side of the brick. Inside there is a decent amount of light torches that flicker to life showing a room that is circular in fashion. Inside are a bunch of chairs that face a round section of a table. In the middle of the table is an orb inside you see hardly another objects but in the inside of the chamber is a leaver that looks like it can close off the door and seal the entrance to the room again.

Olyx's mouth drops for a second, but he quickly regains his composure and stops gawking at the inside of this strange room.

"What in the seven hells be this place? A scrying chamber?", he asked, looking around, trying to think what the room could be used for, while glancing at his companions, puzzled- nothing came to mind. He didn't try to get inside though, not risking it- who knows what traps were in there?

OOC: 12:11, Today: Olyx Mintarios rolled 3,1 using 1d4,1d6, rerolling max ((3,1)) for Occult

As she was casting the light, Lirian saw Olix pressing the brick and the door opening. “Can’t they be more patient and do one thing at once” she thought, not daring to say it in loud out of concern to offend them. “If we open several fronts at once we’ll sure get in trouble…”

She then looked at the ceiling, trying to discern what could be moving as hunter has said, now that light was good…

"Interesting but there's the matter of the menace above."  Aeress pointed out, her spear cached for a deep thrust.  There was a joke there somewhere.

"We running or staying and fighting?"  Piper asked, glancing upward.

"Probably staying and fighting. Here seems as good a place as any, and we're only fighting it, as opposed to it and a heap of other things. Depends what it does though, if it just disappears..." Hunter shrugged.

He took up a position at a corner of the intersection, ready to shoot wherever it came down, or duck out of the way. He's still trying to follow where it goes.

Jenkins comes back to see what the delay is, and goes to stand by Hunter.

Since the people prefer to be fighting, and the thing we are to be fighting is currently out of both reach and sight, Quentin just waits to see how it turns out. While at it, he tries to make sure he's never directly under the sound above.

With Lirian's light, he simply deposit the lantern in a convenient corner and grips his sword with both hands, ready to fight. It doesn't matter if it was a monster or a ghost- it's something to swing a sword at, as opposed to rats scurrying in the shadows or nefarious traps ready to be sprung at a moment's notice.

"Any tactics we aught to know beforehand, cap'n? Or just like last time, swing 'till it drops? 'xcept in last time, it be the house that dropped!", he said in a low, hushed voice but insterspersed with an odd chuckle or three.

"Just do your own thing, and try to stay alive" Hunter suggested.

"And loot!" Jenkins added, earning a glare from her master.

"To either side of me, that way regardless of where it comes down at least two of us can menace it!"  Aeress suggested, still alert for a strike.

As you are in the hallway waiting for the drop to come it finally shows it's face but what you notice is two glowing green eyes coming from the darkness back where the door and well were. The creature gives a loud Hhhhsssss as it comes at you. Seconds later behind you in the other direction the ceiling gives out as yet another creature coils down from the ceiling giving another loud Hsssss....it's bring green eyes light the hallway.

Round 1:

1.Hunter AH
2.Quentin AD
3.Kai JS
4.Aeress 8D
5.Serpent 2 7C
6.Olyx 6D
7.Lirian 5D
8. Piper 4D
9. Serpent 1 2D


This message was last edited by the GM at 14:25, Thu 21 Mar.

What range  are they boss?

Kai pulls out a chakram.  "Oh.  There's two.  This just gets better and better."  He turns around to face the second creature.

Hunter fired his pistol at the closest snake thing, cast it hehind him and drew his rapier.

Jenkins grabbed the gun and began reloading.
(Spending two actions to reload if possible?)

12:48, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 7 using 2d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 5,1.  Hunter pistol damage. – 7

12:47, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 4,7 using d6,d10, rerolling max with rolls of 4,7.  Hunter shooting. – 4,7

Mosii dashed out of the way of boots and feet and the threshold of the secret room.

Piper waived her hands about and from out of the orb stepped a tiny humanoid creature looking to be made out of the same material as the orb itself.

It disappeared from the table and reappeared next to Piper and Mosii before briefly doffing its hat in greeting.

Piper rolled 1,4.  Spellcasting.


Casting Summon Monster, to summon 1 Brownie (1PP)

Quentin chooses the serpent other than which Hunter shot and goes against it as follows: he moves closer to it than everyone in the group, taking a fairly large potion from his bandolier, he then uncorks it with his teeth, takes a large gulp and breathes fire at the serpent. Meanwhile, the dogs follow Quentin, barking loudly at the serpent and eventually overtaking the man, but stopping short of biting the serpent as long as it continues to burn...

09:51, Today: Secret Roll: Quentin Fox rolled 6 using 3d4, rerolling max with rolls of 3,1,2.  Lingering damage ("on the victim's next turn", wherever that is, still AP2).
09:42, Today: Secret Roll: Quentin Fox rolled 13 using 3d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,5,4.  Damage (AP2).
09:41, Today: Secret Roll: Quentin Fox rolled 7,1 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 7,1.  Alchemy: fire breath (extra damage + lingering + AP2).

OOC: Both are at the end of the hall, you have a light source so I won't penalty you for that. But they are at medium or normal range currently.

Okay so reloading this is how it's going to work. If you want to try to reload in one round. You can do one of the following:
Either both you and Jenkins spend an action and the weapon would be reloaded in one turn (guaranteed) or you can try reloading yourself in one turn with a multi-action penalty but you can fail, it would be the same as running. -2 agility roll required.

Jenkins will just reload normally then.

Aeress picked her target.  Kai went one way, so she another, to keep these monsters busy.

Seeing she had the initiative for once, she took it, coming in low, then thrusting high!

Okay I counted the squares from where I think we are to the end of the Hall.  With the Spear's Reach, Aeress should be able to close without having to run.  Just barely.

Aeress will Attack twice (-2 MAP) with Wild Attacks (+2).

Hit Parry 6 for 6 damage - 18:47, Today: Aeress Veles rolled 6,3 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,3.  Fighting with Modifiers. – 6,3

18:48, Today: Aeress Veles rolled 5,1 using d6+2,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,1.  Wild Attack Spear Damage. – 5,1

Hit Parry 5 for 29 damage - 18:47, Today: Aeress Veles rolled 5,1 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,1.  Fighting with Modifiers. – 5,1

18:48, Today: Aeress Veles rolled 13,16 using d6+2,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+5)11,(6+6+4)16.  Wild Attack Spear Damage. – 13,16

Kai hurls his chakram, which goes wide.  He curses his luck and draws another.

07:15, Today: Kai Wasser rolled 3,1 using 1d6,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,1.  attack. – 3,1

As the creatures get closer to the group before being attacked you can make out the faces of the snakes which appear human like in appearance. It gives a Hssssssss before giving a single bunch of words, "Intrudersssss, your presence here is a blight on humanity." says the first snake as Hunter fires a shot that hits her but harmlessly bounces off her skin. "You foolssss will die! Attack sister!"

As Quentin moves to the back for the second snake he is able to steps between the group and sees the other snake coming from behind them. It's sharp teeth glint in the dark as it gets closer ready to strike he breathes fire as the snake screams in a pain from the attack illuminating much of the hallway.

Kai rushes one of the creatures but his attacks seem to miss the target.

Aeress swings wild with two attacks but only one manages to hit before bouncing off the skin of the creature.

The snake closest to Quentin on fire makes a sound that gurgles up to her throat as she spits acid towards him but it hits the wall and soaks into the stone eating away at the old rubble. She slowly coils into a fine fire that burns brightly as she screams into the air.

OOC: Olyx, Lirian, you are up before the next snake attacks.
08:51, Today: Vaelan Nightshade rolled 1 using 1d10, rerolling max with rolls of 1.  Snake 2 Vigor roll to soak a wound. – 1
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:54, Tue 26 Mar.

Olyx is so startled, that he takes a swing at the creature but misses. Cursing in a foul language appropriate to a sailor, he readjusts his grip on his sword, ready to strike again when the opportunity presents itself.

OOC: 17:55, Today: Olyx Mintarios rolled 3,4 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max ((3,4)).
I assume if Lirian missed with a 5, I also miss with a 4.

The first creature from the hallway that you just came from rears her head back and tries to strike Aeress. He mouth of razor sharp teeth try to bite bit miss Aeress by inches.

OOC: 12:05, Today: Vaelan Nightshade rolled 4 using 1d8, rerolling max with rolls of 4.  Snake attack Aeress. – 4

Round 2:

1. Olyx AS
2. Hunter AC
3. Aeress QD
4. Kai JC
5. Quentin 7H
6. Serpent 2 6H - Parry: 6, T: 11(2)
7. Serpent 1 4C - Parry: 6, T: 11(2)
8. Lirian 3S
9. Piper 2H
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:55, Tue 26 Mar.

(OOC.It remained Lirian to attack, don't it?)
This message was last edited by the player at 17:49, Mon 25 Mar.

Yes. You can still make your attack for that round or action.

Seeing the serpents approaching, Lirian took her staff and moved to one of them, attacking it:“Well, any stealth possibility is now ruled out” Lirian said hearing Hunter firing his pistol. Then, seeing the serpents approaching, Lirian took her staff and moved to one of them, attacking it:

18:55, Today: Secret Roll: Lirian rolled 5,4 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,4.  Atacking closer snake. – 5,4. If I understood the situation well, both Olix and Kai are close to them, while Aeress supports from behind with her spear. If so, Lirian would havea a +1 for Gang Bonus (and the other +1 is nullified by the second snake). If that’s true, effectiverolls are 6,5, and so a hit.

18:58, Today: Lirian rolled 6 using d6+d4, rerolling max with rolls of 3,3.  Damage (if hit). – 6 Even if hit, there’s no damage done…
This message was last edited by the player at 18:00, Mon 25 Mar.

Hunter ran up and stabbed the closest snake person in the face with his rapier: a half second later blasted it with his shield.


Rapier
10:06, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 12 using 2d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+2)8,4.  Hunter rapier attack. –

10:07, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 15,1 using d6,d4, rerolling max with rolls of (6+6+3)15,1.  rapier damage . –
23:55, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 4 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4.  raise damage. –

Pistol
10:08, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 6,5 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,5.  Hunter pistol attack

10:10, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 9 using 2d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of 4,4.  Hunter pistol damage. –

Jenkins continues reloading

This message was last edited by the player at 11:00, Tue 26 Mar.

Redoubling his efforts against the one that he narrowly missed, Olyx grits his teeth and steps in with a tremendous two-handed blow... But he steps in too much, and instead of cleaving through, he hits with the part of his sword that is closer to the guard, robbing it much of its momentum, and leaving him open.


OOC: Wild Attack. But damage dice were horrible, I literally missed it by 1 (it should be 2d8+3, so that's 5+1+3=9 with AP 1 vs T11(2).
At least I'll give someone a ganging up bonus...
22:38, Today: Olyx Mintarios rolled 8,6,8 using 1d8+2,1d6+2,2d8+2, rerolling max ((6,4,5,1)).

Discovering a tough opponent in both senses of the world, Aeress got a better grip on her weapon and redoubled her efforts, going back to basics and looking for one good opening.

So probably best to just do one attack.  Let's try it!

19:38, Today: Aeress Veles rolled 7,3 using d8+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 5,1.  Willllllllld Attack! – 7,3

Probably a hit.

7 damage- 19:40, Today: Aeress Veles rolled 4,3 using d6+2,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,3.  Wild Attack Spear Damage. – 4,3

lol not a great roll there.

"Blight on humanity?"  Kai snorts.  "Wait 'til you get to know us."

Kai whips the chain at the sister snake.  The end of the chain wraps around the snake around its midsection, just above the ground.  Before the chain can fully wrap around, Kai yanks it back.  The spikes rip into the snake's scales, rending its flesh.

Hit 11 for 15 damage.

18:35, Today: Kai Wasser rolled 15 using 3d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+3)9,1,5.  STR+d6+d6 raise damage. – 15
18:31, Today: Kai Wasser rolled 11,5 using 1d6,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+5)11,5.  attack. – 11,5
This message was last edited by the player at 01:32, Wed 27 Mar.

As hunter rushes in he stabs the creature through it's body before opening fire on it at the same time. A chain swings by Hunter wrapping around the snake at the others attacks harmlessly bounce off the creatures body. Kai pulls with a tug and the creature splits in half with it's blood splattering most of the walls.

You stand for a select looking back as Quentin finishes the other creature. Just as quickly the fight is over and there is a silence other than the sound of crackling fire at the end of the hall.

Sighing, Olyx picks up the lantern and spares a glance at his sword, then turns to Aeress and raises his shoulders in a shrug. "You win some, you lose some- we be alive, all that be matterin'".

With that, he was ready to resume their trek in the darkness, a bit more aware of other potential enemies. At least nobody got hurt.

Then it dawns on him. "Did they- did they fancy themselves as human?!", he asks in horror, not realizing he raised his voice.

Lirian was slow to react, but saw how her comrades made short of the two creatures quite quickly. “What in the hell were those creatures?”she wondered in low voice, having at least a moment to recofer from the fight. “I’ve never seen or heard about anything like them…”

Then an alarm clang in her head. With those creatures attacking they had forgotten about the noise over them. She looked up to see if anything could be seen in the ceiling, now that her magic song of light was already in effect…

Jenkins ran forward hooting with glee to loot the bodies. "Snakesses! Hates snakesses! Crawling through tunnels hunting gobbers and stealing babies. Horrible crawling sneaking poisness snakesses!"

Hunter pulled out a pipe and lit it. "Well, that was entertaining. My rapier seems to have proved a worthwhile purchase. Snake kebab, anyone?" He asked, puffing away laconically. He wiped his blade clean and sheathed it, and then regarded his smoking shield. "Well, that worked. Didn't blow itself up, at least. Always a good thing."

Sitting unconcerned on the rump of the snake under Liriam's light, he took the shield apart and reloaded it, wincing when he burned his fingers on hot metal, and grumbling how this was inconvenient and took too long. "There must be a better way to design this, to make it easier to reload. Maybe if I put..." He trailed off, fingers moving deftly.

Aeress had been quiet.  She hadn't exactly covered herself in glory in the exchange, and might as well have not even been there, but on the other hand it didn't seem anyone was hurt so she called that a win.  Sort of.

But it didn't soothe her ego that there'd probably be more of that.  Those creatures were bizarre, and there couldn't be so few, surely.  She looked around, spear pointed at high ready to avoid taking anyone's eye out.

"We resume our search then." It was half question, half statement.

Piper stepped out of the other room, the equally sized gem faceted fey she'd conjured forth still by her side.

Seeing everything dealt with so quickly she gave a nod of approval.  "Should we take a look at this cleverly hidden room before we move on?"

Moving towards the table she held on as Mosii deposited her atop it so she could get a closer look the orb.

Kai walks across the room to retrieve his chakram.  "Did that strike anyone as too easy?  I don't like it."

The witch hunter grabs the top half of the creature he killed and drags it across the room, far from its lower half.  "Just in case you try to pull yourself back together," he says.

"I feel we got lucky, rather than it being easy" Hunter said, without looking up.

If the snakes have swords, Jenkins is going to chop off a segment of the tail for dinner later, provided she can get through the tough hide.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:29, Wed 27 Mar.

"Absolutely, let's take some time and examine the secret room."

Quentin does not hurry to do that himself, though, expecting the summon to do the first run there.

OOC: Snakes had no weapons. Jenkins can still take the tail...if so mark it.

IC: Inside of the room Piper finds that much of the room is chairs surrounding a circular table that fits most of the room except for the small spaces around the wall. With her and the brownie it seems much like the room is more for discussion based upon what she is seeing. As she gets further inside she notices a circular object in the middle of the table and that held up above what looks like a circular hole. Other than that nothing else appears out of place or gives any impression of importance.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:40, Wed 27 Mar.

Since nothing of this springs at Piper or seems too dangerous, Quentin turns to the only thing of any interest, namely the orb. And, specifically, to the way it is "held" above whatever. Is it mechanical stand of some sort? Magical levitation?
This message was last edited by the player at 16:56, Wed 27 Mar.

Piper stood on the table towards the edge and then asked her fey helper to go have a look down the hole in the table.  She was interested in finding out if it appeared to just be a place for the orb to slot and nestle decoratively into or if it is in fact some sort of mysterious bottomless pit or the like.

The orb is suspended mechanically up in the air with four arms that hold it in place. Underneath is the orb it is hallowed out as if it fits the orb perfectly. Little suction cups appear in the half moon shape where the orb fits. It almost looks like you can just simply push it down into the hole with force.

"Would you mind if I push it? Just make sure the door is unable to close while I do."

Quentin had no idea what would happen if he would push the orb in place, but sort of expects it would not be immediately lethal. He also more strongly expects it would be interesting.

Lirian puts again the sword again in the door antry, avoiding it to lock and stays on guard, her staff in her hand. out of LOS from the orb...

“When you wish...” she says

Piper hopped down from table to chair and then backed up enough that she could see the orb from her vantage point before Quentin executed his plan.

With an audible gulp, Olyx readied himself. He was about to yell them not to try something like that, but he could be a curious fellow, and these people had a penchant for poking anything they could get their goblin's little grubby hands on regardless.

A Quentin pushes down the orb into it's place it sets into place with a loud audible click into place. For a second nothing happens then suddenly without warning the orb shoots a light straight up high above everyone's head and then it widens. In the middle of the light you can make out the face of a man you have never seen before. He has thick black hair with a face of that similar rodent like features but still very human. His greasy skin and pale skin is something you could not forget.

"Welcome followers!" the man says, "Your loyalty will be rewarded. Teknos will raise again and we will crush the king where he stands. Our loyalty to our god will only strengthen our resolve. This maze will offer as a guide for the strongest of the bunch. Many will die going through my maze but some will live. If you've made it this far I commend you. Continue forward and be rewarded unlike what you would expect. Soon when Teknos raises from his grave, he will give us all the strength to stand up against this king's rules and laws. The kingdom will be ours and we will deserve it. When I go top side you will not recognize me but I will recognize each one of you.", the man snaps his fingers and in the blink of an eye turns into the Jester that you are very familiar with. "Stand strong."

The orb flickers for a second and then the light shuts down and vanishes from sight. Almost mechanically, the orb raises up to the top level again.
This message was last updated by the GM at 20:33, Wed 27 Mar.

"That's not encouraging."  Aeress remarked.  This place just kept getting weirder and stranger.

"On the contrary, I reckon- it be a sign we might actually weather this storm. We just need be stronger and smarter, lass!", Olyx mused after watching this very strange missive. He couldn't shake the feeling he was a rat in a maze- pun intended.

"Strong and smart usually lose out to crazy."  Aeress countered.  Admittedly, she couldn't back that up, but it felt right to say.  "Is there anything else in here to check?"

Outside the room, Jenkins trying to stuff half a tail into Hunters backpack, running roughshod over his protestations and objections.

"Just carry it and shuts up!" She orders. "Don't argue with the boss!"

"The snakes made a lot of noise," Kai says as he takes a moment to peek down the hallways.  "If there is anyone else down here, they could be setting up an ambush somewhere along the line.  We better check every nook and cranny to make sure we don't wind up without a line of retreat."

"Fine, I'll carry it. Give me my pistol back" Hunter said. "What's down that path there?"

"Dead end."

"Really? Are you sure there's not a secret door at the end? Go check, would you? And be careful,  it might be a path going straight to a trap."

"Fine."

Jenkins heads due East of the yellow star to check it is in fact a simple dead end.

Before they left, Olyx pointed at the strange globe. "Mayhaps we need that o'er there? As, I dunno, evidence? That befraggled rodent of a man's a noble, no?"

He scratched his head, trying to remember what his master had said about orbs and storing spells and messages in bottles and orbs. He never, ever paid attention to that stuff, he was into the more flashy magic, so little got through that thick skull of his.

Quentin shrugs. "If we win this, we should have ample time to gather evidence. These types do not seem like cleaning after themselves." But then again, the house did disappear all of a sudden, so Quentin is not quite sure. In any case, he would prefer to be somewhere outside behind a corner if and when the sphere would be removed.

Thinking about it more, Quentin adds: "Or removing it might destroy evidence, in case it won't work by itself. Your call, man, I have no idea."
This message was last edited by the player at 12:59, Thu 28 Mar.

"We should keep moving."  Piper suggested.

"There will probably be plenty of opportunities for the ones behind this whole thing to makev their deeds and intent clear without needing such things as that message device.  You'd likely need to bring the bits it's connected to in the table to get it to easily continue to work again anyway."

OOC: I guess Lirian did not see anything in the ceiling, when she checked for the noises

Having heard the message from the orb, Lirian entered the room and tried to take it and put it in her backpack. “If this is some way of communication among different cells, I guess cutting their communications will not help them” he explained the others.


“Well, compared with Hunter’s pistol, they were silent as the best thief…" she said. “But you’re right in that we must from now on assume they know someone is here, and I guess we will be their main suspects…"

Then she looked to Piper. “Agreed, we must keep moving. At least the message confirmed us we’re on a maze, and a test one as it seems… Can we close this door again before leaving?" she said, checking everyone was out the secret room and pulling the brick again to see if it closed. “No need to leave more clues than the unavoidable ones…"
This message was lightly edited by the player at 21:00, Thu 28 Mar.

OOC: Sorry Lirian. Missed that. No you don't see anything in the ceiling that draws any interested.

Hunter roll notice for Jenkins.

08:19, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 6 using 2d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,4.  hunter jenki

Going down the hall Jenkins comes to the end of the hallway and can feel air flow but it could just be the cracks in the dungeon. Either way she turns around and reports back to Hunter what she found.

"right, well, lets get moving!" Hunter said decisively, shouldering the pack and shrugging hos buckler. "Jenkins says she couldn't find a door at the end there, but she could feel wind moving. I think this place is dotted with secret tunnels."

"If we continue as we before, next way is that way" we said, pointing to the North. "Unless someone wants to explore the snake tunnels and risk running into one headon?"

"Not me!" Jenkins quickly replied, and headed up the North passage.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:08, Fri 29 Mar.

"Moving air might also be because of some illusory wall, I guess. Either way, we'll come to that dead end sometime later."

Quentin is not quite so eager to discard the finding, but has no preference which way to move first, so does not go there to check.

"Off we go then."  Piper chimed before she and Mosii started off for the unexplored hallway.

"We 'ad enough murder spagherdur for a while, methinks", Olyx mused as he followed them down, sword in one hand, lantern in the other.

"Didn't we come this way to do better time...? It feels none like better time."

"We came this way to not get lost I thought.  Perhaps it was beneficial we did so, or perhaps not.  I don't suppose we'll ever know."  Aeress commented dully.  She watched her steps, the ceiling, everything.  The place was going to make her paranoid, if she weren't there already.

Hunter halted."Olyx has a good point" he said. We chose to come raise way to find out what's going on and shut it down while the rats are attacking the city. Perhaps the house and maze are designed just to be a colossal waste of our time. Perhaps we would be better just leaving and going down into the sewers. "

He paused, thinking about this for a bit. "Then again, who would go to the effort of making a house like that and an entire underground maze just to waste somebody's time who may or may not even ever come here? And would taking us into the sewers even get us to where we need to be?"

"The sewers are just another maze aren't they?  Didn't we get that map that just had where other people sent in had begun not coming back?"  Piper asked.

"Unless we know exactly where to go, I don't think we'd save time.  Assuming this place is what it appears and not some elaborate trick intended to just waste time while having no actual path through."

Olyx spared a quick chuckle before chiming in again, "Well, I ne'er said we should be turnin' this boat around- just commenting we're well within reef territory now."

"At least, the smell here be better..."

“The message in the ball said this maze is a test for new recruits for the cult…” Lirian remembered. “If so, they might well be waiting us as friends, not as enemies, or they may be waiting us ready for combat. Whatever it might be, I guess they will have already regrouped their forces, though we can hope weakened by the combat. I don’t believe we should turn back and try another approach tight now…”

She took again her position in the formation, ready to head up (map relative)
This message was last edited by the player at 16:36, Sun 31 Mar.

"On we go then" Hunter said. "I was just thinking it's probably good to re-evaluate where we are and where we're going from time to time."

Hunter is in the middle somewhere, Jenkins is up front. Same as before.

As you near the end of the hall walking over the snake creatures charred remains. You come to yet another split with a door to the left and a door to the right. No clear signs lead to the face that anyone has traveled this way before so you aren't sure what to expect.

OOC: Map updated.

"To the left."  Piper recommended, recalling the rule of paw they'd established when they first entered this maze.

“It’s OK to me ” Lirian answered to Piper. “After all, we have the same probabilities wherever we go…”

She kept alert and trying to scrutiny the walls and ceiling every few seconds, just in case there might be more such secret doors or other surprises…

Jenkins goes up to the door in the tunnel to the left, listens, pokes it with a knife, amd them opens it.

Opening the door leads down a hallway and then takes a sharp turn to the right. The hallway ends and to the left almost taking a very sharp turn.

OOC: I need Jenkins to roll for notice against difficulty of -4. I need someone in the back to roll for notice same difficulty -4

With -4, that makes 0, -2.

10:33, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 4,2 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,2.  Jenkins notice -4.

Aeress didn't feel a need to argue, it was as good as anything.  She just kept ready.

Lirian looked what Jerkins was doing. while keeping alert in all directions.

15:49, Today: Secret Roll: Lirian rolled 8,2 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+2)8,2.  Notice roll. – 8,2. I guess a success even if at -4 as Jerkins...
This message was last edited by the player at 13:52, Tue 02 Apr.

Kai stays near the tail end of the group, keeping an eye on their rear.  He felt uneasy, but there was nothing behind but empty corridor.

Notice 9-4=5.  Not much of an improvement.

20:12, Today: Kai Wasser rolled 1,9 using 1d6,1d4, rerolling max ((1,(4+4+1)9)).
This message was last edited by the player at 03:15, Wed 03 Apr.

"If this be a maze, it just barely be doin' a good enough job", Olyx muttered as he followed the others, keeping an eye out for anything that might ambush them. He's somewhere in the middle, not sure exactly which place is more appropriate for him right now.

OOC: I either go blind, or see things that aren't there, or what XD
15:21, Today: Olyx Mintarios rolled -3,-3 using d4-4,d6-4, rerolling max ((1,1)).

As Lirian cautiously watches she notices that the floor takes an interesting shift or pattern. It is too little too late before the floor underneath Jenkin's feet caves sending her to a short pit below. There is a yelp at she hits the bottom of the pit with a thud hitting her head against some rocks at the bottom. A careful light tells you that she didn't hit spikes or anything dangerous but the pit is pretty deep. It will take a rope and someone to go down and help her get out.

Right now she is knocked unconscious unless she succeeds at her roll.

OOC: 09:33, Today: Vaelan Nightshade rolled 20 using 2d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of (6+6+3)15,3.  Jenkins damage. – 20

Lirian saw something strange in the floor, just before Jenkins. “Beware, Jen…” she managed to say. Too late, she saw the goblin falling as the floor opened as a pit.

“Jenkins, how are you? “ she asked to the pit, looking down.

Seeing her motionless and not answering, she feared for the worst. Not that Jenkins was the most liked of her comrades, but she was one nonetheless…

“Do you keep the rope?” she asked to the team. “Jenkins does not move, and I’m not sure if she’s alive, but we must check her.” She looked at the team. “And I guess I am the lightest one to go down to fer…” she said. “At least of the ones that can pass a rope around it to take it up again” she added, looking at Piper.

Aeress was already searching for her famous rope, which had been her main contribution to the effort thus far.

"I can go down."  She offered.  She wasn't insulting Lirian's offer, she was just offering the option.  Aeress did wear more armor after all, which might not matter, or it might.

"It would be ill-advised to move her in this state. Just haul me down and say whether you want her healed quick or slow."

OOC: If asked, Quentin explains he can heal more people the slow way, which would be 10+ minutes and leave his instant-action vials available for later use. Whatever is called, Quentin heals Jenkins one wound (and restores her consciousness, if necessary) before the two of them are to be hauled up. He can then heal more as requested.

21:42, Today: Secret Roll: Quentin Fox rolled 5,1 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,1. Healing (one way or another, as called).

Mosii edged up to the hole and looked down curiously, tail lashing back and forth.

Meanwhile Piper, from her perch atop the big cat, kept her eyes and ears open for any sign that something or someone might have heard the trap being triggered.

Fluidly, Olyx sheathed his sword and handed someone nearby the lantern, picking up the end of the rope. "I'll be helpin' with whoever need be down there, and up again. None be me healin' skills, but I be a human winch much better."

He was ready to help whoever wanted to go down there, keeping the rope in his practiced and calloused hands.

“I agree, but I can try my Song of Health before moving her, if she’s still alive indeed…” Lirian answered to Quentin. “But I have to go down, as I must touch her while singing…”

She took the rope Olix offered and began her descent to the pit

Aeress grabbed the rest of the slack behind Olyx, figuring it couldn't hurt to provide what help she could.

“Someone should stand on watch, just in case anyone else appears…” Lirian suggested when beginning her descent.

Hunter rushed ti the edge of the pit looking down, white faced and mute.

Jenkins is not moving.

I burnt all my bennies. If GM's generous, Jenkins soaked one wound...

07:17, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 2,2 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2.  Jenkins soak reroll. – 2,2

07:16, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 1,4 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,4.  Jenkins soak reroll. – 1,4

07:16, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 3,2 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,2.  Jenkins soak reroll. – 3,2

07:15, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 3,3 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,3.  Jenkins soak roll. – 3,3

OOC: Until she is a full ally, you can't spend your own bennys. Because she is a wild card, I'll give her the bennys that a wild card would have for free which is 3. So shaken, 2 wounds. She is still very hurt.

IC: There is the slightest groan from the pit as Hunter looks over he can see for a few minutes she doesn't move at all but finally she gives a small cough but does not look up or try to move.

Kai let out a small breath of relief.  The Toad could be more trouble than she was worth sometimes, but she was part of the team.

"Careful, Lirian.  That pit ain't deep enough to kill outright.  There might be something down there to finish off anyone who survived the fall."

Figuring the team had things well in hand, he stood guard at the rear.

“Thanks for the warning, Kai” Lirian said, as she reached the bottom of the pit. She gave a quick look at it to be sure there was no more dangers and then checked Jenkins.

Seeing she was still alive, Lirian began singing her Song of Health while waving her hand on Jenkins’ wounds.

• 13:49, Today: Lirian rolled 2,4 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,4.  Perform: singuing Song of Health. – 2,4.
• 14:22, Today: Secret Roll: Lirian rolled 0,2 using d8-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 2,4.  (Spending a benny) rerolling perform: singuing Song of Health (-2 due to Jenkins wounds). – 0,2
• 14:22, Today: Secret Roll: Lirian rolled 0,2 using d8-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 2,4.  (Spending a benny) rerolling perform: singuing Song of Health (-2 due to Jenkins wounds). – 0,2Success without raises. Heal one wound (I guess)

As she was singing, Jenkins’ wounds stopped bleeding and begin to close, quickly improving, though she remained somewhat hurt.

“I guess he can get up now” she informed those above. “Join the others, I’ll follow you” she asked Jenkins, giving as more careful look at the walls of the pit, just In case there might be a secret door there too, be it as a way out of for something to go in…
This message was last edited by the player at 12:25, Sat 06 Apr.

Olyx was ready to firmly but gently help both of them to get out of the pit, pulling to make the ascent easier- with Jenkin's wounds especially, better for him to do all the pulling.

"Let's get some wind in our sails, lads, before we be trapped here forever! But keep a weather eye, lil'un, ok?", he said as soon as Jenkins was up, refraining from patting her anywhere to avoid hurting her further.

"Wait a second" Hunter called down into the pit. "Liriam, tie a loop into the rope. Jenkins, stand in the loop and hold on and we will pull you up." When they were ready, he helped Olyx pull the rope.

When they had successfully pulled the goblin out of the pit, Jenkins stood standing shakily, leaning on Hunter. "Me no want go first no more" she said, a trickle of blood running down her grimy face.

"That is fine, stay with me then" Hunter said, throwing the rope back down for Liriam.

Relieved that Jenkins encounter with the rigged floor wasn't worse, Piper reassured the goblin.  "We'll take the lead from now on."

"That was one tough fall. Here, drink this." Quentin hands Jenkins a little vial, marked, in neat dense handwriting, as "Cure Wounds", in case Jenkins is going to read it.

OOC: And she's healed to full.

Jenkins took the vial and drank it. She looked at Bad Torturer and Goblin Song and said "Thank for heals. Why you help little gobber like me? My own witch doctor maybe let me die, or heal half, say "Next time open eyes, dumb Gobber." I not even Yuman. You think I look funny, smell funny, steal fings. Why you heal me like dis?" Tears ae trickling down her face, amd she still seems shaken, and not just from the fall.

"Someone has to fall into the traps for us," Kai replies.  "Next time be more careful."

As she reached the others out of the pit, Lirian looked sympathetically to Jenkins as she spoke. “Well, little goblin, you may not even be human, and sometimes you may be a pest, but you’re loyal to your master and you’re now one of us, and so you deserve our support, and loyalty should be repaid in kind” she answered.

“But in one thing I agree with your witch doctor: next time open your eyes” she added with a friendly smile.

This said, she turned to follow Piper, her staff ready and testing the ground with it to see if there’s any place it sounded void…

"That is the deal, Jenkins. You risk your life and I heal your wounds." Then, after a pause Quentin adds: "As for you being a goblin... so far you've been much more of an asset and much less of a nuisance, so, I don't know, be proud? If there were more goblins like you, the whole race might have less of a stigma."

“Amen” Lirian jsut added, showing her agreement with Quentin's statment

It was a tad more awkward than he was comfortable with, so Olyx merely played the dumb muscle in this case, helping them up with the rope and then expertly stowing it away and giving it to whomever had provided it in the first place. After that, he picked up his lantern but kept the sword in the sheath, in case he needed a free hand to grab anything-or anyone. So far, traps ahd proven so much more of a problem than foes.

Jenkins bowed her head, a bit disconcerted and embarrassed by all the attention. Seeing that, Hunter said  "Well, we should open that door".

"Next time keep your eyes open, dumb Gobber" he said with a grin, clapping her affectionately on the shoulder. He carefully moved past the pit and went up to the door,ready to open it.

As you gets up from the pit you can finally make your way to the next door. You walk down a hall that leads you into a large circular room. This time there is a a small square area to your right open right and another small opening to your left at the back of the room. You can see that there are statues around the room many which are broken and destroyed from time.

Hunter walked around gazing curiously at the statues.

Liriam looked at Hunter approaching the statues“Beware the most intact statues, Hunter” she warned him. “Maybe I’m paranoid, but I would not be surprised if one of them moved and attacked us…”

She, once more, took her staff in defense mode while entering the room behind him.

The statues seem far past their age in relation to the room itself, possibly by hundreds if not thousands of years. Inside there are a number of pieces broken off on many of the statues. Many are holding weapons of all sorts swords, axes, and shields.

Many are missing body parts from arms, heads, pieces of torso and even full bodies. The statues seem to be huge in size doubling the size of what Hunter's current height is.

Mosii and Piper padded around the perimeter of the room, giving everything a wide berth in order to peek into the squared alcoves to see if they held anything of note.

Aeress followed into the room, alert and weapon ready.  This place was strange, and that was the understatement of the year.

As Piper checks the more square areas she notices that instead of there being a statue there is a small chain that in the dark leads up into the ceiling. The chains seem to hang down around the square platform hanging loosely. On the other platform there is a throne that is large in size and seems to have three skulls protruding from each of the arm rests and the headspace. Other than that the room seems rather empty except for these items.

Piper looked up at the chain.

"So, think this chain opens a super secret door, sets off some trap, or rings a bell and attracts the attention of some creature?"  She asked the others, not looking like she was ready to pull the chain and find out (if she could even manage the feat) but obviously curious about it.

“Too obvious for a secret door or trap…” Lirian answered to Piper. “Though we cannot rule out those possibilities… Anyone want to try?” she asked, half joking.

In the meanwhile, Liriam examined the throne, looking for some mechanism on it, thinking it would be the best place for it (if there was any)


OOC: which kind of chain are we talking about? A light one, like the ones used to ring a bell to call for the maid in Victorian houses, or a heavier one, as the ones used to keep prisoners (I don’t believe it to be a very light one, as used in jewelry, nor a very heavy one, as the ones for a ship anchor)

"This place be so bizarre", Olyx muttered to noone in particular as he took a healthy distance from the rest of them as they explored this room- if he triggered a trap, he didn't want others to suffer because of his clumsiness or stupidity. Using the lantern to peer better between the statues and even inside the statues, he checked the chains as well. "What if this be a hangin' platform? And whoever not be near the chains, they be falling to their doom?", he asked aloud, wondering what new strange contraptions they would have to face.

OOC: Chains are pretty thick...not boat anchor thick but they are thick enough that they would be used for something similar to a bell or possibly to chain people. There is a good bit of them hanging from the ceiling but just in that one area.

"What if... and hear me out, the chain is akin to a whisker of some bizarre creature or a trigger to a mechanism?  I know it is a mad thought, but if we're going to move past it, I suggest we take pains no one touch it at all."   Aeress suggested.  It was the only advice she had.

"I kind of want to know what it's for."  Piper confessed.

"But... I think we have a ways to go in this place so better to leave it be rather than try to safely figure it out."  She concluded.

"Unless the floor be taking a drop- in that case, grab on to them for dear life, me buckos!", he mused as he continued the exploration. Another shiver down his spine. Every minute that passed he felt more and more uneasy.

As the people were investigating the room, Quentin was not. He took a look at the room, learned that it looks like a dead, then let the more qualified people conclusively prove it one way or another. So, he returned to the latest intersection, taking his dogs with him, and stood there providing rearguard.

"Me no like this place" Jenkins offered, tugging at Hunter's sooty coat.

"This looks like a dead end. Let's go" Hunter said, and rejoined Quinton back at the last intersection.

As you stand trying to figure out the room, the chains shake every so slightly. There clang seems to echo off the walls in the room as if something is moving them. You cast a torch looking up above but see nothing. You are confused and then all of the sudden tons of chains of varying lengths drop from the ceiling above your head. They stop slightly before they make a loud ruckus but at the bottom of the chains are dangling small cages. Inside each cage is mouselings.

Quentin presumably hears this and goes back half the corridor. "Everyone all right?" He does not want to move in if everyone is not and does not want to obstruct the exit from the room if that's required to be unobstructed.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:55, Thu 11 Apr.

Startled, Olyx checks on the small cages- if their participants are alive or dead, or even worse, something inbetween ready to tear them apart with tiny teeth. Just in case, he draws his sword, ready to skewer anything too toothy that comes too close.

When haring the noise of the chains Lirian jumped prone close to a wall, just in case the ground opened. Then, seeing the small cages, and Olyx cheking it she remembered the place where she and qhentin releases Piper and Kai.

"Don't try any magic on the cages" she warned Olyx. "They have a kind of steel that is not only imprevious to it, but rebound it in the worst way."

While she was standing back, se looked at Piper. After all, she was a mouseling too, so could know better what to do...
This message was last edited by the player at 17:42, Thu 11 Apr.

"Well now I be feelin' bad I never learned a good luck charm spell!", he exclaimed with a hint of laughter in his voice, fighting off the urge to prod a mouseling through the bars with his sword, just to see how it would react.

The mouselings inside of the cages seem drained of life and even their strength. A few lift a paw when they see the heroes but quickly fall back into a slumber from which they came.

“They seem to have been drained of their life or blood… Lirian said, looking at Piper and his reaction to see how his race was being treated. “As their weapons are rats, could mouseling blood be a component for their black magic? she asked to Quentin, believing he could know more about this than herself.

"That's just... it's beyond sadistic." Aeress practically hissed.  Her disposition changed quickly.  "Whoever did this should be impaled upon a spike, then hung, then hung again!"

Piper jumped when the chains fell suddenly, then kept to her feet when she saw what was inside of them.

Urging Mosii to the nearest one she clambered up the cat until she was perched stop his head and could reach her paw into the cage, mindful of the bars.

She was intent on taking the paw of her fellow Mouseling in her own as she chittered at them, "Are you ok?  What happened, how did you get in there?"

Hearing the excitement just behind him, Hunter turned back to see what was happening, stopping just outside the door. His face turned black with wrath but he didn't say anything, just waited to see what happened next, with a weather eye out for trouble.

Quentin orders his dogs to sit in the corridor and comes in. The arrangement of cages suddenly handing from the chains strikes him as bizarre and not in any way practical. If he would have to hold a lot of mouseling-sized test subjects, he'd just arranged a stack of cages near a wall. He wonders if there in fact is any practical reason for this arrangement, like hauling these cages somewhere upwards for some processing or this being a trap. Anyway, he comes to the nearest cage and tries to figure up what's with the mouseling inside, namely:
1. How long have it been since that (presumably healthy at the moment) mouseling was first put in that cage? Here Quentin looks for starvation (in case no food was provided), feces (in the cage and below it on the floor, in case food was provided, but cleaning was not), loss of hydration (if water was not provided) and maybe some similar things.
2. What has been done to this mouseling? Here Quentin looks for signs of blood drain and maybe other procedures.
3. Anything else wrong with their health?

He narrates his findings then asks, "Shall we heal and interrogate one of these? Shall we haul them all outside?".

10:05, Today: Secret Roll: Quentin Fox rolled 3,5 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,5.  Healing roll to come up with a diagnosis.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:42, Fri 12 Apr.

"You be meanin' ask nicely, friend", Olyx warned Quentin. While he wasn't particularly perturbed by the sight, he did feel bad, and he was sure that after noticing most of the groups reactions- Piper's worry, Aeress' outburst, Hunter's face... especially Hunter's face, that guy seemed to like the shorties-, he felt a more discreet and careful choice of words was appropriate. Callousness could be the spark that blew this particular powder keg.

However, he let the others worry about them for now and kept an eye out, as this would be the perfect distraction to spring a trap on do-gooders.

"Yes, nicely, of course. I'm pretty sure they will be willing to talk as soon as they are in condition..." Quentin was distracted enough by his investigation to miss the whole point of Olyx's worry.

Lirian approached to one of the cages where she had seen some movement. She took her waterskiing and, lacking any recipient to offer water to the mousleing, she let some drops to fall to his mouth, seeing if it drank them.

“Do any of you have the means to open thise cages?” she asked to the group

"Check if the key fits." says Quentin without quite bothering to bring to his attention if there are any locks on any of the cages. Then he stops and actually takes a look. And takes some time to think. "If we take them out, maybe we put something in. Like fried snake sort of thing maybe. Not sure if those chains are weight-sensitive."

The keys to the cages don't seem to do much. A little mouseling picks up it's head and replies to Piper. "He...he is coming." the little creature stays before slumping over again.

The chains of the cages begin shaking and some of them move up and down violently as you hear a clicking noise coming down the chains. You aren't sure what it is but by the time you see it, you are terrified. It has the body of upper of a large rat ogre with the lower body of a mechanical spider. Each leg clinging to the cages. The rat creature moves down the cages to one of the cages puts his nose close to the cage and breathes in when you see green fumes coming from the small mouseling.

He turns and looks at you with green tinted eyes and two big sharp rat teeth.

"Welcome! I can smell you. I can smell your scent. And you smell delicious."

OOC: Make a fear check against this creature. Roll spirit. If you fail. I'll roll on the table for you to determine what happens.

20:46, Today: Lirian rolled 5,1 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,1.  Spirit (fear) roll. – 5,1, I guess a success

23:48, Today: Secret Roll: Quentin Fox rolled 1,11 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,(6+5)11.  Spirit reroll.
23:43, Today: Secret Roll: Quentin Fox rolled 2,3 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,3.  Spirit.

07:04, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 4,4 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,4.  Jenkins spirit. – 4,4

07:04, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 1,3 using d4,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,3.  Hunter spirit

OOC: Poor Hunter:
Panicked: The character immediately moves his full Pace plus running die away from the danger and is Shaken.

Seeing he monster coming down was really scary, but Lirian was able to keep herself calm. She took her bow, aimed at the monster and released the arrow…

23:32, Today: Lirian rolled 1,0 using d4-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 3,2.  Shooting at the monster (-4 for distance, +2 for size, as told). – 1,0

It was clearly too far for her bow…

Aeress was, apparently, pissed.  She stood as tall as she could, her spearpoint leveled at the horror.  "You abomination!  Surrender or be torn asunder!"

She was of course scared as any sane person would be, but kept it under the surface.

18:20, Today: Aeress Veles rolled 16,1 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+6+4)16,1.  Fear Check. – 16,1

Piper released the mouseling's paw when the chains began rattling and held on as Mosii darted away.

Looking up at the creature she gritted her teeth at its display as she evaluated the best way to kill it.

Piper rolled 1, 8.  Fear.

The moment he saw it, fear gripped him tight, his chest feeling squeezed by an unseen hand. But he pushed it down, down to where all those emotions were, down to where he hid the fear and anxiety and stress. Just one more for his collection.

With renewed resolve, he looked at the creature and quipped, "Well, you be lookin' less tasty than a kraken's privates", before putting the lantern down and with his freed hand performing quick incantation and gesture, the air around him rippling slightly... and nothing else happening.

OOC: Uff, worried I'd wet my pants here.
09:33, Today: Olyx Mintarios rolled 9,3 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max (((8+1)9,3)).
Trying to cast Deflection:
09:36, Today: Olyx Mintarios rolled 3,3 using 1d6,1d6, rerolling max ((3,3)).
...ho ho.

Jenkins chased after Hunter. "Ay! Ay! Where you going! Stop running, me head hurts. Ow, ow, ow, stop, you bastards. Where you going, rat thing that way. Need help Piper frenz. Gimme gun then! Wuss!"

Grabbing the gun, Jenkins made her way back to the battleground. Hunter kept running until he ran out of wind, whereapon he leaned against the wall panting and trembling and hating himself.

19:47, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 5,7 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,(6+1)7.  Jenkins shake shaken, if necessary
This message was last edited by the player at 07:52, Sat 13 Apr.

OOC: Since everyone rolled their checks. I think it's safe to assume we can move into combat.

Round 1:

You lucky bastards.

1. Olyx: Joker Black +2 to all rolls including damage
1. Aeress: Joker Red +2 to all rolls including damage
3. Rat Creature JS Parry: 6, T:13(2)
4. Piper: 8D
5. Jenkins: 5D
6. Lirian: 2D
7. Quentin: 2S

Every draw 2 bennies, Kai and Hunter included. When Kai and Hunter enter back into the battle I will draw for them. Olyx and Aeress the stage is yours.

Throwing caution to the wind, Olyx bellows a warcry and goes straight for the kill, hoping to take the creature out as quickly as possible- and that his companions will keep him alive. He tries a mighty downward cut, and regardless of its result will follow up through with a thrust straight to its center of mass.

OOC:
Wild Attack & Multi-action (the last d6 is the +d6 IF I get a raise)
First Attack:
14:22, Today: Olyx Mintarios rolled 6,4,17,4 using 1d8+2,1d6+2,2d8+4,1d6, rerolling max ((4,2,1,(8+4)12,4)).

And I have AP1 and +1 damage from 2-handed (which I remembered right after rolling). So first attack is 6 (no raise), with 18 AP1 damage vs T13(2) so 6 damage leftover for 1 Wound.

Second Attack:
14:22, Today: Olyx Mintarios rolled 3,13,13,1 using 1d8+2,1d6+2,2d8+4,1d6, rerolling max ((1,(6+5)11,2,7,1)).

Second attack is 13, so that's with a raise, for 13+1+1(the d6 raise lol), so 15 damage vs T13(2), so that's 3 damage leftover, only Shaken (but if it can get Shaken, it was from my first attack, so hopefully that's a 2nd wound...?)

Thanks, Olyxand Aeress!

As alwaya, Lirian draws low initiative...

BTW, @Olyx: did you remember to add the +2 for having drawn a jocker?

SWADE Core Book, page 92:

quote:

JOKERS: Characters (or groups) with a Joker act whenever they want in the round, even
interrupting another’s action. They also add +2 to all Trait and damage rolls this round!

(underlying is mine)
This message was last edited by the player at 13:19, Sat 13 Apr.

Aeress ran into the melee with the creature, spearpoint first, screaming.  No, she didn't run, she charged, trying to skewer the monster on the head of her spear!

Whether it would be effective or not was in the hands of the gods.

Right.  Aeress is going to attack twice (-2 MAP), Wild Attack (+2 hit/damage), Gang Up (+1), and has a Joker (+2 hit/damage).  +3 cumulative multiplier.

12:22, Today: Aeress Veles rolled 8,17 using d8+3,d6+3, rerolling max with rolls of 5,(6+6+2)14.  First Attack with Modifiers. – 8,17

That is assuredly a hit with a Raise.  Str d6, Spear d6, Raise d6, WA +2, Joker +2

27 damage - 12:23, Today: Aeress Veles rolled 9,11,7 using d6+4,d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,(6+5)11,(6+1)7.  Damage Roll. – 9,11,7

Second Attack!

12:25, Today: Aeress Veles rolled 8,13 using d8+3,d6+3, rerolling max with rolls of 5,(6+4)10.  Second Attack with Modifiers. – 8,13

That is almost assuredly a hit with a Raise, especially if there's a Size bonus to hit it.  Str d6, Spear d6, Raise d6, WA +2, Joker +2

19 damage with the Raise, 10 without - 12:26, Today: Aeress Veles rolled 6,4,9 using d6+4,d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,4,(6+3)9.  Damage Roll. – 6,4,9

The massive attack of Aeress and Olyx take it's tole on the rat creature as blood spills on the floor from it's body being cleaved by the attacks. The giant creature laughs with green blood trickling down it's mouth. It opens it's hands as if sucking the life out of the air and you see the life drain from one of the small mouselings in the cage as it's hair on it's body goes from grey to white. Then the legs from the creature begin attacking the group. The first leg swings out and tries to hit Aeress(6) but does not hit.. The second and third legs swing wildly not hitting their targets but rather swiping air. The last leg strikes Olyx (15) with a very sharp stick before pulling back it's leg after stabbing him (13). While all this is happening he lifts his hands into the air and the cages from the ceiling come down in a circle around him wrapping everyone with in attacking distance Entangled in his chains (See Bound and Entangled).

"Tasty food." he says as his climbs up the chains higher than before (only ranged attacks can hit him-long range modifier)

OOC: Spending 1 benny to soak.
11:01, Today: Vaelan Nightshade rolled 7 using 1d12, rerolling max with rolls of 7.  extra damage from leg attack. – 7
11:00, Today: Vaelan Nightshade rolled 15,5,6 using d8,d6,d12+2, rerolling max with rolls of (8+7)15,5,4.  Leg 4: Attack/Damage. – 15,5,6
10:59, Today: Vaelan Nightshade rolled 3,4,4 using d8,d6,d12+2, rerolling max with rolls of 3,4,2.  leg 3: attack/damage. – 3,4,4
10:59, Today: Vaelan Nightshade rolled 6,2,5 using d8,d6,d12+2, rerolling max with rolls of 6,2,3.  Leg 2: attack/damage. – 6,2,5
10:59, Today: Vaelan Nightshade rolled 7,3,9 using d8,d6,d12+2, rerolling max with rolls of 7,3,7.  Leg 1: attack/damage. – 7,3,9
10:57, Today: Vaelan Nightshade rolled 6,2 using d10-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 7,3.  Entangle. – 6,2
10:18, Today: Vaelan Nightshade rolled 0,9 using d12-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 2,(6+5)11.  Unshake Rat-Spider. – 0,9
09:29, Today: Vaelan Nightshade rolled 9,4 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 9,4.  Rat-Spider soak. – 9,4 (soaks 2, heals 1)

This message was last edited by the GM at 17:45, Mon 15 Apr.

Liran saw with horror how some of her comrades were entangled with the falling chains. Not sure how she could help them, though, she aimed at the monster.

OOC As it won't affect other players, I take my turn now: Liriam aims (as per page 97 Core Book) her bow instead of attacking this turn

Jenkins darts forward from the doormay to the statue nearest the action. Using it as cover, she aims her pistol to where she thinks the monsters going to come down to.

When the chains lashed out, Mosii attempted to jump the pair of them clear, but the metal was too heavy.

Rooted to the spot though they were, they hadn't been completely constricted.

Therefore Piper thrust her paws up through the heavy links that were keeping her pressed down against an agitated Mosii and tried her best to call for aid, but to no effect.



Spent 1 Bennie on a re-roll
Expended 1 PP on failed activation

Piper rolled 5.  Mosii Evade.

Piper rolled 1,3.  Spellcasting.

Piper rolled 3,1.  Re-roll.

Quentin struggles to get himself free from the chains, but has no success whatsoever.

07:37, Today: Secret Roll: Quentin Fox rolled 2,1 using 1d4,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,1.  Athletics.

As the leg stabs straight at him from an unprecedented angle, Olyx manages to use the guard of his sword to reduce the attack's momentum just enough to catch it on a leather-armored part, sparing him from being impaled.

OOC: Spending a Benny to Soak.
17:30, Today: Olyx Mintarios rolled 4,3 using 1d6,1d6, rerolling max ((4,3)).
Ok, so I guess that's one success, so assuming no AP, 13 damage with 7(2) is 1 wound, and I managed to soak it. If it's AP2... then I get 1 Wound instead of 2.

OOC: Current map. I will update the post this morning.

Map

* Brown things on the ground are the cages around the creature. There are tons of them.
* The Spider is the rat creature, closest I had to an image of it.
* Kai is off the map and waiting for his return.
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:33, Wed 17 Apr.

Round 2:

1. Quentin KS
2. Lirian 10S
3. Olyx 9S
4. Rat-Spider 9D
5. Aeress 7D
6. Piper 5S
7. Hunter 2C

Quntin still struggles to get himself free of the chains. This does not seem like it's going anywhere...

21:06, Today: Secret Roll: Quentin Fox rolled 2,5 using 1d4,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,5.  Athletics.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:09, Wed 17 Apr.

Having taken her aim for some seconds, Lirian released her arrow at the hanging monster above them. She had never been a good shot with the bow, but was the only thing she could do now…

OOC: unless I missed something, aiming cancels distance DM, so the only DM applying is the +2 for size.

• 18:08, Today: Secret Roll: Lirian rolled 3,9 using d4+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 1,(6+1)7.  Shooting at the spider-rat. – 3,9 . I guess hit with a raise…
• 18:10, Today: Secret Roll: Lirian rolled 10 using 3d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,2,3.  Damage (2d6+1d6 for the raise). – 10
• 18:11, Today: Secret Roll: Lirian rolled 13 using 3d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,5,3.  Spending a bennie on damage roll. – 13

I guess the spider-rat is shaken…

The arrow hit the spider rat, but its effect seemed not to be significant...
This message was last edited by the player at 16:15, Wed 17 Apr.

When Lirian hits the creature it slides down the chains a bit before coming to it's senses. The creature does the same thing it does before and reaches for one of the cages taking a huge huff of air that seems to suck the soul out of the mouseling leaving it dead in it's cage. The Rat-spider comes down from the chains landing in front of Aeress and Olyx before it says, "FOOD!".

The creature raises it's hand and blast Aeress with hellfire burning parts of her clothes and skin.

OOC: 14:47, Today: Vaelan Nightshade rolled 11 using 3d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,4,5.  damage. – 11
14:47, Today: Vaelan Nightshade rolled 10,1 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (8+2)10,1.  Spellcasting. – 10,1
14:38, Today: Vaelan Nightshade rolled 5,9 using d12,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,(6+3)9.  Rat-Spider unshake. – 5,9

Aeress took advantage of the chains and pulled against them, quickly moving herself out of the way, though she was now clad in a lot of very hot metal and that didn't feel great.

However much to her surprise, she found a few links were so damaged by the fire she just evaded she was able to slough them off.  Reasserting her spear, Aeress set her jaw in ready stance, spearhead up.  "Vile creature!"

So I assume that's an AoE, so my armor does not help me one lick.  Otherwise I'd just ignore that other than being Shaken.

20:37, Today: Aeress Veles rolled 6,1 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 6,1.  Attempt to Soak. – 6,1

That's enough to soak it, but I'm down a benny.

Strength and Athletics are the same for me (for now, plan for that not to be true if I don't die lol), so let's see if Aeress can get out.

20:41, Today: Aeress Veles rolled 8,3 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (6+2)8,3.  Escape Entanglement. – 8,3

The dice gods are kind this round.

Jenkins huddled behind her statue aiming carefully with the pistol; and the monster dropped down to attack Aeryss who was struggling to free herself from the chains. Gloriously, the creature stood still long enough to cast a spell, so Jenkins shot him in the head.

*************************************************************

Down the hallway, Jenkins' shot called Hunter to his senses, and felt a deep sense of shame that he had left his friends behind in peril. His empty hand shook and he vaguely remembered Jenkins frantically tugging the pistol from his hand. Turning, he swept his rapier from its scabbard and sprinted back towards the combat.


OOC: I'm acting slightly out of order, I don't know what Piper's doing but I doubt she's going to leap into hand to hand combat with it...

18:42, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 1 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1.  Jenkins raise damage
17:31, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 11 using 2d6+5, rerolling max with rolls of 4,1. Jenkins damage ((2d6+1 pistol damage = 6) +4 from targetting vitals and +1 raise damage if applicable)
17:29, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 9,5 using d8+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 7,3.  Jenkins shoot, +2 Big, +4 Aim, -4 target vitals (aim negates called shot penalty.
07:52, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 3,7 using d6,d4, rerolling max with rolls of 3,(4+3)7.  hunter spirit
This message was last edited by the player at 09:40, Thu 18 Apr.

Realizing his weapon is not enough to reliably penetrate the armor, Olyx quickly runs his left hand over the sword's blade. Silvery energy crackles between his fingertips and the steel blade, arcane runes temporarily etching themselves on the blade as it was suffused with a silvery-purple aura that crackled menacingly. With a smile, he looked at the monster, ready to put it down.


11:01, Today: Olyx Mintarios rolled 11,10 using 1d6,1d6, rerolling max (((6+5)11,(6+4)10)).
WOOOHOO +4 damage.

A shot is fired out that rings true that strikes the rat creature in the stomach but the creatures nature seems to deflect the bullet but raising one of legs just in time. The bullet harmlessly bounces into the dark area.

The one of the creatures in the cage points out to Piper. "Release us. Please.". The small creature points to the chain itself.

Round 3:
*Not sure where Piper is but I'll give her a chance to act before we move on to Round 3 fully.*

1. Olyx: 10D
2. Rat-Spider: 8C
3. Lirian: 6C
4. Hunter: 5S
5. Quentin: 4H
6. Piper: 4C
7. Aeress: 3H

Not my turn but I don't think there's a rule against this:

"Olyx, wait!"  Aeress cried out.

Aeress shouted, but Olyx was already too committed. With the sword blazing with arcane power, he tried to cut through one of the legs blocking his way to the soft underbelly with a powerful downward cut using the leverage of his hands, but not letting the sword follow through the cut completely; the blade simply batted the leg aside and ended up in a forward guard, and he thrust from downward with all his strength, his left hand clutching the pommel and bracing it against his own body as he put his weight behind that thrust with reckless abandon.


OOC: Description is fluff. Wild attack, two attacks as before. The +2/-2 cancel each other out.
12:54, Today: Olyx Mintarios rolled 1,4,12,1 using 1d8,1d6,2d8+7,1d6, rerolling max ((1,4,3,2,1)).
12:54, Today: Olyx Mintarios rolled 3,7,12,5 using 1d8,1d6,2d8+7,1d6, rerolling max ((3,(6+1)7,3,2,5)).

Using a Benny to reroll the first attack:
12:56, Today: Olyx Mintarios rolled 1,1,16,2 using 1d8,1d6,2d8+7,1d6, rerolling max ((1,1,7,2,2)).

...what the.

First attack is a miss and then a botch, but second hits for 12 damage with AP1, which is just enough to shake it -.- Unless the first botch cancels the entire attack? 

As Piper struggled, Mosii slinked his way out of the layers of chain which was enough to free Piper as well.

While still concealed by the piles of chain Piper tried once again to call for aid.

Thrusting her paws into the air she weaved them about in an intricate pattern as a quartet of beetle looking creatures made of the same substance as the floor emerged from the ground.  With long antennas wavering about they made a beeline for the chains holding the many cages and attempted to corrode and chew through them.



Piper rolled 9.  Mosii: Athletics.

Piper rolled 5,1.  Piper: Athletics (Limited Action)

Piper rolled 15,4.  Spellcasting

Spending 1 Benny for 5PP

Casting Summon Monster, Summoning 4 Rust Monsters (5PP)
Rust monsters will use rusting touch and try to break some of the chains holding the cages.

Damage (If Rusting Touch isn't enough)

Piper rolled 2,4=6.  Rust  Monster.
Piper rolled 2,1=3.  Rust  Monster.
Piper rolled 3,4=7.  Rust  Monster.
Piper rolled 2,5=7.  Rust  Monster.

The spider like creature seems to shake off the blow from Olyx. The creature seems to want to hold it's action waiting for other attacks from your group before responding. The creature itself only says one word.

"Fooooooodddd!"

OOC: 12:38, Today: Vaelan Nightshade rolled 18,3 using d12,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (12+6)18,3.  Unshake Rat-Spider. – 18,3

The creature spends a benny to unshake.

If anyone else wants to go feel free to make your roll.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:00, Mon 22 Apr.

Seeing the Spider rat not attacking itself, Lirian decided to take her chance. She left her bow fall, took her staff and closed to attack with her staff, trying not to step on the chains and aiming at its head.

OOC: Liran attacks the spider trying a called shoot (vitals) from distance 1. DMs are -4 for called shoot, +2 for gang up bonus, +2 for size, +2 for Wild attack, for a total of +2

• 20:29, Today: Secret Roll: Lirian rolled 3,9 using d8+2,d6+2, rerolling max with rolls of 1,(6+1)7. – 3,9. I assume the +2 for unarmed enemy does not apply, as if it does it’s hit with a raise
• 20:30, Today: Secret Roll: Lirian rolled 11 using d4+d6+6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,3.  Damage (+4 for vitals, +2 for wild attack). – 11
• 20:31, Today: Secret Roll: Lirian rolled 16 using d4+d6+6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,(6+3)9.  Rerolling damage (using another bennie). – 16. I guess shaken (and I hope it’s low on bennies)

This message was last edited by the player at 18:45, Mon 22 Apr.

Aeress groaned.  They weren't using any tactics they were just all stabbing it and hoping to get lucky.  So she tried to put on a clinic and hoped it didn't blow up in her face.

Aeress began to make a vicious, fast series of thrusts at its legs, forcing the creature to back up or risk injury.  It was a feint, but she hoped her form was tight enough to deceive the creature.

Aeress will attempt a Fighting Test to make the monster Vulnerable, by forcing it onto awkward footing.  Unfortunately I can't use combat modifiers on Tests but it can't either.

18:49, Today: Aeress Veles rolled 11,2 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (8+3)11,2.  Fighting Test. – 11,2

Hunter came charging round the corner, but paused to see what her plan was. Seeing her back the creature up and force it off balance, he timed his attack; coming in he batted a leg aside and thrust at its face to make it more off balance, and then thrust his shield against the body and pulled the trigger.

Jenkins, meanwhile, had thrust her smoking gun inside her ratty clothes and pounced on onenof the cages, and was rattling it, twisting it, banging it on the stone weapons on the floor like a hungry urchin trying to get into a jar of candy.

OK, Hunter is holding, letting Aeryss go first and then attacking. Regular rapier attack 15 (=11+2 size +2 gang up); 11 damage (6+5 raise if applicable)
Called shot pistolshield attack is 5 (+2 big, +2 gang up -4 called shot; damage is 21 (12 +4 called shot +5 raise if applicable)

I haven't factored in anything  from Aeryss making it vulnerable.

No idea what to roll for Jenkins, if anything, please advise.


10:42, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 5 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5.  hunting shooting raise damage. – 5

10:41, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 16 using 2d6+5, rerolling max with rolls of (6+3)9,2.  hunted shooting danage. – 16

10:40, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 4,5 using d6,d10, rerolling max with rolls of 4,5.  hunter shooting +2 big +2 gang up -4 called shot. – 4,5

10:38, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 5 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5.  hunter rapier raise damage. – 5

10:38, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 4,2 using d6,d4, rerolling max with rolls of 4,2.  hunter rapier damage. – 4,2

10:36, Today: Hunter Gallagher rolled 18 using 2d6+4, rerolling max with rolls of 3,(6+5)11.  hunter rapier attack +2 size +2 gang up. –

Quentin abandons his attempts to break free and instead, with a hand on one of bandolier pouches, waits for a moment when the spider thing will be sufficiently wounded for one final attack.

On hold until the spider thing seems to have had two wounds (can roll some Healing if necessary to correctly recognize the moment).

(uses it's turn before Lirian)
The creature seems to focus heavily on the two in front of it eyeing Olyx with it's rat lips drooling. Just as all this happens the creature seems to notice that Piper has released an army of rust monsters as cages fall one by one and the mouselings are slowly able to escape, the eyes of the creature enrage.

"NOOOOOOOO MY FOOD!!!!" it says.

The creature makes a mad dash towards the rust creatures ignoring Olyx (free attack) and Aeress (free attack). As the creature passes Aeress is able to do some fancy footwork that allows her to get under the legs of the creature stopping it in place. She grabs them one by one throwing the creatures balance off leaving it (distracted).

Lirian's attack is let lose and the creature is stunned from the attack seemingly being attacked on all fronts.

OOC: Is Hunter attacking? Also Aeress and Olyx get another attack. Aeress if you want to make another fighting test it can be vulnerable after being distracted.

Yes, Hunter will attack after Aeress

Taking advantage of its momentary distraction, Olyx attempts a parting shot with his blazing blade. By sheer luck, it connects, just enough for the energy to discharge.

OOC: I assume Wild Attack doesnt apply here, so I'll just roll with no mods.
13:56, Today: Olyx Mintarios rolled 3,3,9,2 using 1d8,1d6,2d8+5,1d6, rerolling max ((3,3,2,2,2)).
Using a Benny to reroll the attack, also I need to stop from now on rolling all in one thing.
13:56, Today: Olyx Mintarios rolled 5,2,8,1 using 1d8,1d6,2d8+5,1d6, rerolling max ((5,2,1,2,1)).
Final Benny to reroll damage, and I think I'm out. (one to soak, two now for reroll, and at least 1-2 more from before? I had 3+2)
13:57, Today: Olyx Mintarios rolled 16 using 2d8+5, rerolling max ((6,5)).
FINALLY. That's 16 damage AP1, which is BARELY enough to cause a wound.

While she intended to close, seeing the spider-rat climbing again made Lirian change her decision and she raised again her bow and released another arrow, aiming for its head

20:15, Today: Lirian rolled 1,0 using d4-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 3,2.  shooting (-4 for called shoor:vitals, +2 for size). – 1,0
The arrow flew, but the precipitation avoided it to hit the spider-rat...