Frain growls when he sees the floating mass of tentacles. The cultured dwarf rarely steps back from frightening sights but the unnaturalness of the creature makes him shudder. WIth smooth skill the dwarf warden drops his craghammer into his belt and grabs his smaller throwing hammer. Its sillvery sheen flashes as he swings it upward in an arc towards the creature. As the dwarf lets go, his side spasms because of the pain still felt from the half-giants earlier blow and the missle flies wide. Frain curses the giant as he catches the magical hammer when it returns to his hand.
Jaana's slingstone is the straw that breaks the camel's back: as it shatters against the great, bleeding brain the grell can go on no longer and collapses to the floor in a huge, slimy mass. It feebly squawks a few times as life seeps out of it in dark greenish globs, and then the blasphemy of its existence is finally purged from a world left more wholesome with its passing.
This one is close enough for me to call. COMBAT OVER! I'll post a bigger update when I can, with more of the map filled in and an exit for the orphaned characters, but in the meantime you can all post as you wish. Get to know each other, spend any healing surges as necessary, decide whether you to try to save any of the goblins or orcs for prisoners, and choose your next course of action.
Even though Jaana sees the creature drop, she continues to reach for more stones. "Is it dead? Make sure! Kill it again! Make sure it's dead!" she screams, her voice still agitated from the encounter.
She continues to ignore the newcomer, then turns to the bodies to see if there is anything of worth amongst them.
OOC: Search the bodies, as usual. I'm good on surges and stuff.
As the fighting continues on the altar, Wilem is briefly distracted by an additional newcomer on the battlefield. An orc woman enters the chamber and strides up the left side of the gallery. She speaks about being friends but begins incanting a spell directed towards them. Wilem tenses and calls out to Krana and Jadeth in warning, but the orc's magical whirlwind is aimed at the monster in the air, and she slams it against the wall above the altar. She follows the first assault with a beam of ice and the creature shrieks in pain. Wilem takes the opportunity to pull the thing back down to the ground. There, the heroes set on it again. The aberration is finally brought low by one of Jaana's slingstones. Wilem impales what he thinks is the head with his longsword, while Harn continues to hack it with his axes and Shattertusk gores it at the dwarf's command. It is dead Lady Jaana, he calls down, whatever it is.
The Shield Lander lets his sword stand in the corpse for a moment as he wipes the sweat and viscera from his forehead and catches his breath. He scans the chamber; three dead giants, a handful of goblins, a gang of orcs, and the bloody mass in front of him that floated up from the depths. It was a mighty battle indeed. He retrieves his sword, wipes the gore from it, and sheathes it. With Harn's help, he pushes the monster's corpse back through the hole in the netting it floated in through and watches as it vanishes into the gloom below, Let us be rid of the thing.
Finally, he makes his way to Krana and the other orc woman, extending his hand to the one familiar to him already, Well met Lady Krana, your arrival was not a moment too soon. He eyes the full-blooded orc that had cast the spells, And thank you for your help as well. He looks back to Krana, his eyes hinting at confusion. Why would an orc help them when they were slaughtering her own kind? Krana was at least a half-blood. Do you know each other? he asks.
Wilem is at 60 out of 105. He will spend two healing surges (at 26hp a pop) to get back to full health. He now has 5 out of 11 healing surges.
Regarding throwing the corpse back into the pit, anyone can search it first if they want to before he pushes it over. It may have a Ring of +5 Awesomesauce in its gullet or something.
Cleave Tide of Iron Footwork Lure Pass Forward []Sweeping Blow []Shield Riposte []Come And Get It []Come And Get It []Dauntless Endurance []Reactive Surge []Destined For Greatness [X]Action Point []Second Wind []Comeback Strike [X]Rain of Steel []Victorious Surge
Krana gives the pillar one last grudging look, debating whether to tear it down anyway, on principle. She decides to let it go, though, and sheathes her blades to return Wilem's handshake with a familiar air. "Lady Krana? That's somethin' I don't hear everyday." When asked about the newcomer, Krana shrugs. "She knew the way in, and I didn't. Didn't count on her getting us here so bloody late, but that's how the dice fell. Who's the new stunty? Thought we had enough of them already."
Seriously, though, you should check out the PbP Haven. You might also like Real Adventures, IF you're cool.
Knights of W.T.F.- Silver Spur Winner
4enclave, a place where 4e fans can talk 4e in peace.
Krana's strong handshake is reassuring. Her strength and tenacity are things Wilem knows he can rely on. Her comments make him smile. When they first met, Wilem was wary of the woman warrior, a prejudice against orcs found in most Shield Landers. But as they spent more time together on the road to Greyhawk, he warmed up to her. She reminded him of the Pathfinders he grew up with before becoming a squire, and resonated with a side of Wilem few have seen since he was knighted.
He glances back at Frain when Krana asks about him, That is Frain Stonegut, a warden we met upon entering the tower. He is formidable and has proven himself a trusted ally.
Turning to the other orc woman, he says, I am Sir Wilem of Weslan.
Frain mouths a silent prayer of thanks to Moradin and then moves his armour to test his wounds. With great care he adjusts his padding and armour and binds his wounds with precision. For all of the beatings that he has taken, the dwarf looks suprisingly unfazed by the damage.
Looking up at the two new commers, Frain is uncharacteristically quiet. I formally nods to the two orcs but remains silent. Its clear they have helped finish the battle in their favor, but they are still orcs and not to be trusted. The dwarf goes about cleaning his gears while his companions greet the two.
Here's a little fill-in for Pash and VoyRager, but the rest of you are welcome to read it as well. Unfortunately, I ran out of time for the other stuff I promised, but I'll get to it as soon as I can.
Here follows a description of the rooms explored and things seen by Krana and Breeze on the level of Shatterstone before entering the chamber of the ruined altar: A long, winding staircase (1) leads for well over a dozen flights deeper into the dark, cold earth before abruptly ending at a stone door left half open. Beyond is a small chamber that looks like an unused den, with a mound of moldering hay pushed into one corner. Breeze sifts through the rank straw and finds a number of old bones scored with teeth marks; they may well be the bones of men or elves, but they all must be years and years old. Krana, meanwhile, takes note of the door, which she realizes must be well-hidden indeed to anyone on the this side. Bars like a prison cell stand open to the west, opening into a wider chamber (2). A row of doorways blocked with bars of rusted iron line one wall here. The southern half of the chamber is packed full of small crates, barrels, and other easily portable containers, the majority of them filled with flour, sugar, ale, dried meat, and other food supplies. All of them are fresh and edible. Another large wooden door leads to the west. Through them is a small, tidy kitchen (3), with two large fireplaces in opposite corners and a pair of tables in the center. One of the fireplaces is lit, and a boar roasts over a fire on a spit. Two doors lead out of this chamber, as well as a passageway heading south. The sounds of feasting can be heard coming from that direction, betraying the presence of Shatterstone's dangerous denizens. While Krana moves quietly towards the sound of the revelry, Breeze scouts out the two doorways, each of which opens to a small larder: one has shelves lined with more dry goods (flour, sugar, saly, rice) while the other contains barrels full of fresh water and ale, and a cask of oil. It's the feasthall to south (4) that provides most of the interest for Krana, of course. This large chamber holds five small battered tables surrounded by chairs. A gaggle of rowdy orcs are gathered around the tables, laughing and swearing and ripping red, juicy meat from the bone. In one corner resides a small stage raised above the floor, on which is a table and chair in front of a fireplace. At this seat of honor sits a massive, ugly brute with a huge broadsword slung over one shoulder. Krana's hands drift to the hilts of her own swords, itching for action. She is sizing up the foes, planning her attack and weighing how best to use her element of surprise, when sound breaks the through the din of the feast. "INTRUDERS!!!" is the guttural tocsin that echoes through the halls, and for an instant Krana and Breeze fear that they've been spotted somehow. "Up, you worms!" growls the half-giant. "That was Braggi by the chasm!" As the orcs grab for axes, Krana's swords slide from their sheaths, but to her amazement the orcs and giant rush off to the south. Knowing that battle is only delayed and not avoided, Krana hurries off on their heels, while Breeze lingers behind a little to search the vacated feasthall. Through the doors to the south is narrow passageway leading east and west (5). The way to the west is dark and dusty, clogged with cobwebs and certain ill-used. The way to the east, on the other hand, is clear and lit by torchs ensconced on the walls. The orcs head that way, and so Krana does as well...
Krist Breeze bluffing with a weakly suppressed militarilistic mannerism while presenting a clumsy attempt for a lady-like reception for Wilhelm, purposely greeted him with a strong grippng handshake while answering in a near perfect human female lady-like common language tone, "Nice to meet you, sir. I'm called Breeze and do pardon my appearance, I didn't expect to meet the more honorable sort in here."
Breeze then glanced at Krana as she release Wilem hands showing no pretense about her tru character "She is corrected."
"Yet I saw more reason to don't rush, mostly because moving fast without caution, isn't how I'll like to do things but I'm too,..." Breeze then looked back at Wilem while continuing conversing "...more grateful we did get here in time enough to be of help. Now excuse me, couragious lai-die,..." saying lady with a feminal orc's light laghter, "...and gentlemen,..." now again, by saying gentleman with the same humourous tone, "... your wounded and Damaris' favor beckons attention..."
Breeze quickly paused to adjusted her tone and how she was looking at Wilem to directly to address him with the intentionally clumsily dialect acting "...and you, I...!" then she paused showing she had to catch her breathe while lightly coughing up a small "...uhh, excuse me..."that followed by an appeal of "...Sir! I'm pleased to make your acquaintaince, but there's one other; a local, we, well, I, owed for this meeting more and he wants a sword this gang stole from him returned." then she displayed as if she found a perfect mimic of a tone of a smiling human female, "Would you mind if I've look among your "victories' for it? I am sure it can be found with the dead."
Breeze was now presenting a straight emotionless look on her face awaiting a response.
@MTG Forums. Contestant: A Contest Like No Other hosted by Fakeartist. An Angelic Aspect In The Wild, Wild World Of The Mata Hari's Agency.
@DnD Forums. Digital Artist In Training: What Do YOU Think MY Character Looks Like's Thread - @4e Character Development forum. Player (Osborn) - Bounty Hunter (Fighter DnDNext): DnD presents The Walking Dead @Play By Post Forum. Player (Shana Zorus) - Professional Bodyguard/Adventurer (Hybrid Warden/Paladin 4e): The Unhallowed Gate @Play By Post Haven Forum (DM by ffShadow) Player (Krist Breeze) - Twiceborn War Mage/Imbuer (Hybrid Warlord/Wizard 4e): Castle Greyhawk - @Real Adventures (DM by Icanus) Player (Blyne Munro) - Happy-Go-Lucky Scout/Explorer (Warlock 4e) Domain of Shadows-Darkness Falls - Play By Post Haven (DM by WhisperMagellan) Player (Ansmril) - Vistani Blessed Psalmist (Bard/Shaman 4e) The Dragon Below Can't Have It This Good - (And I'm The DM) DM - The Young Mercenaries/Ps'V-GoodShip Drow Diplomacy. DM - The Unlikely Diplomats/Ps'V- GoodShip Drow Diplomacy. DM - The Dragon Below Can't Have It This Good/Ps'V GoodShip Diplomacy. Referee - People Of Oz @Dorothy's Kansas Games(inactive). Oz League: The Ardent Lord w/People Of Oz @Dorothy's Kansas Games(inactive). Ps'V = The Players' Vault Forum Group In Which I'm The Owner Of.
Jadeth is surprised when a whirlwind appears above the grell. She glances over, assuming for the moment that Gar is the one responsible. She wonders if there is a way for her to duplicate something similar. Than a strange voice cuts through the sounds of battle, screaming for friendship. Her vibrant violet colored eyes are wide as she looks toward the sound of the scream and spots an orc of all things! They had just attacked and killed all the orcs & now this one is screaming for friendship? They had spent almost a week chasing the orcs who attacked the caravan down and so far they’d killed the first wave of orc attacks. She expected there would be more. So, the question is what is this orc up too? Jadeth prepares herself, readying an attack against the newcomer.
Her companions deal with the grell, allowing her to concentrate on the newcomer. The orc woman moves to join Krana, leaving Jadeth to relax her grip on her sword. After a few minutes, everything is explained and Jadeth turns, putting her sword away and going to check on her butler, Xikel-Dham. He is busy attending his wounds. She kneels down next to the troglodyte, reaching into her backpack and pulling out the first aid kit. Opening it up, she begins rifling through the contents. {Draconic}“No, that probably won’t work. This might but I don’t know how it would react to your physiology. Oh, this should work!” She hands him a styptic pencil. She looks very much like a teacher as she shows him how to hold and use it to stop his cuts from bleeding. “You are very brave,” she states matter-of-factly. {/Draconic}
Assuming Krist notices Xikel’s injuries and comes over and joins Jadeth…Otherwise, just ignore & I can remove this next part.
Jadeth looks up as the newcomer walks over. “Hail and welcome Breeze. I am Jadeth de’Sutorath and this is Xikel-Dham, former prisoner and future butler. He currently only speaks Draconic. Do you speak the language of the dragons?” Her slanted half-elven eyes look steadily at the orc. She reaches up and pushes her glasses up on her nose, the better to look at the newcomer. Breeze gets the impression that the woman in front of her is something of a scholar, though she wears a sword at her side. If Breeze has been watching the battle for any amount of time, she would have noticed Jadeth pointing her sword at her enemies but never using it to actually poke them with it. She leaves such things to the others, who have the brawn for such maneuvers. Jadeth will stick with her fey powers.
Do NOT meddle in the affairs of dragons; for you are crunchy and go good with ketchup
