Beyond the Pale Part 4
Log Info
- Title: Beyond the Pale part 4
- GM: Thurid
- Place: Catacombs beneath Sendor graveyard
- Summary: When we last saw our foolhardy heroes, they had picked up a fight with gargoyles, now we shall see if they can prevail...
GAME: Ulthan rolls weapon4: (6)+7: 13
Ulthan lets go of his flail, bringing his shortbow out and taking a shot at one of the gargoyles on the far side. Unfortunately, it is a clear miss.
GAME: Bryn rolls weapon2: (5)+7: 12
The one she didn't see when she came out, and smacked Bryn for it, is done. That just leaves the other ones throwing sharp pointy things at them. Lucky for Bryn, she has sharp pointy things, too! Her blade drops with a clatter and she pulls the (compartively) short bow from her back, nocks an arrow, and lets it fly. Right into the wall near one of the things.
Pale grey-green eyes go from swinging blades of death to the remains of the gargoyle to the two archers that both whiff their shots. Skyler purses his lips, and then abruptly turns and dashes back the way they came, into the entrance chamber, "I'll check for alternate route!" He calls, before making his way to where Ulthan had pointed out the loose stone. He slams it with the hilt of his sword, and lets out a laugh as the door slides open. "HEY! GOT A SECRET PASSAGE HERE!" He calls back, before squaring his shoulders and rushing into the passage. Yolo!
Into the darkness Skyler disappears, the only sign of where he's gone being the faint glow of the little stone floating around his head like a *very* dubious little moon.
GAME: Haggerty rolls Ranged: (20)+4: 24 (THREAT) GAME: Haggerty rolls Ranged: (1)+4: 5 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Haggerty rolls 1d10: (1): 1 GAME: Thurid rolls 7: (1)+7: 8 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Thurid rolls 7: (10)+7: 17
Haggerty has but to smear the cobweb in his right against his chest, brings the first crossbow to rest against his shoulder and lets fly with a characteristic chunk, whistle through the air, and a defiant thud when the bolt breaks in twain to harmlessly fall to the ground. The shot was good, but the flying rock is tougher! Wizard and doglet make after the former sky pirate.
The pair of squat, ugly gargoyles on the platform across from the party heft another pair of darts- this time one of them has changed targets, though, rather than loosing them both at Bryn, one of the projectiles is directed towards Ulthan. The toss for Bryn falls well short, hitting the ledge to the pit and falling below. The one aimed at Ulthan was a nearer thing, but still faiuls to find its mark, sailing past him and clattering to the ground in the passage behind him.
GAME: Crik rolls stealth: (15)+13: 28 GAME: Thurid rolls 5: (1)+5: 6 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Thurid rolls 5: (20)+5: 25
GAME: Ulthan rolls weapon4: (19)+7: 26 GAME: Ulthan rolls damage4: aliased to 1d6+0: (5)+0: 5
Crik stares blankly at the swinging blades, gargoyles, flying tigers and other miscellania an average adventurer will face in a regular crypt. Then he hears Skyler, and he turns his beak. "Don't press anything, and if you do, cover your eyes!" He calls out with his deep voice, and with a flutter of wings, heads on after the sky pirate. And like that - he was gone like a murder into the night.
Ulthan draws another arrow, taking aim and then letting fly, landing on the center of mass of the gargoyle, only to see the arrow shatter, without penetrating into the monster.
GAME: Bryn spends ONE use of BARDIC PERFORMANCE. GAME: Bryn rolls weapon2+2: (3)+7+2: 12 GAME: Bryn rolls weapon2+2: (10)+7+2: 19 GAME: Bryn rolls damage2+2+2: aliased to 1d6+4+2+2: (5)+4+2+2: 13
"Ey! C'mon over 'ere! So's ye can die tired!" Bryn calls out at the things, invitingly(?). Not that she waits for them to fly across. "We gots this!" she now calls out to her peers. "Poke 'em fulla holes if'n we gotta! Bleed'em dry inna sky!" She draws another arrow, sparking a vibration in the pointy end with a harmonic hum before loosing it. This time, it connects and buries itself deep. "Ha! Jus' like that!"
Does Skyler hear Crik's oh so wise words? Does he take the necessary moment to pause and absorb them?
Ha! This is *Skyler*.
Meaning either way, he goes rushing down the tunnel, skidding to a stop at the lever and jerking it down while squinting his eyes closed. Does he know what it does? Probably not. But the Gods favor fools, and when the tunnel doesn't collapse he opens one eye to look around before popping the lapel of his jacket. "I meant to do that!" He calls out down the tunnel before moving briskly to the end of the tunnel, pausing at the corner behind cover to peek out.
GAME: Thurid rolls 7: (1)+7: 8 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Thurid rolls 7: (20)+7: 27 GAME: Thurid rolls 7: (5)+7: 12 GAME: Thurid rolls 1d3: (3): 3 GAME: Bryn rolls fort: (5)+6: 11
Haggerty yells behind him, "Secret Passage!" The arcanist hurries after the scimitarist, stark red braids a-flying under his hat. He thus stands right behind the lever operator, huffing slightly while he begins to eye the makeup of the architecture inn the hallway.
The Gargoyles toss their darts again, heedless to the death traps grinding to a halt or the party members rapidly closing on them from behind. For now, they seem fixated on those firing arrows at them. Another dart sails well wide of Ulthan, but the one directed for Bryn lands true and sinks deep into her flesh. Like the first, the wound sears with pain greater than the dart itself should be able to inflict. And the searing sensation begins to spread.
Crik moves on after the others; he knew the temptation of pulling levers in dangerous unknown dungeons without prior knowledge, so who was he to judge the natural reaction? Still, the corvid rogue struggled to keep up while adjusting the gazillion cloaks of his to match the minutia of his surroundings with his steps.
Ulthan sees the blades stop moving, and almost immediately he is switching up again by letting go of his bow and grabbing his flail from the ground before moving forward, reaching little over half the bridge in few strides.
"Ha! They broke 'em!" Bryn laughs and her boisterous refrains turn to topics of shoddy, rust things. She grabs up her dropped blade and hustles after Ulthan across the bridge.
GAME: Skyler rolls weapon1+2: (15)+12+2: 29 (THREAT) GAME: Skyler rolls weapon1+2: (5)+12+2: 19 GAME: Skyler spends ONE point of PANACHE. GAME: Skyler rolls damage1+damage1+2+10: aliased to 1d6+5+1d6+5+2+10: (4)+5+(3)+5+2+10: 29 GAME: Skyler gains ONE point of PANACHE.
Skyler holds a hand up to Haggerty and, behind him, Crik; The universal sign for 'one moment'. He peeks out from behind the corner, brow furrowing as he gauges distances, sizes up the gargoyle...
And then kicks off the wall to launch himself at the creature, scimitar slashing out with a wicked blow at the base of the neck that cracks the gargoyle something fierce, even if doesn't actually *destroy* it. "Ollie Ollie in come free!" He shouts.
GAME: Haggerty rolls melee+1+2: (20)+2+1+2: 25 (THREAT) GAME: Haggerty rolls melee+1+2: (10)+2+1+2: 15 GAME: Haggerty rolls 1d6+2: (5)+2: 7 GAME: Bryn rolls fort: (20)+6: 26 (CRITICAL SUCCESS)
Haggerty scoots around the corner where he catches a flutter of wings. And another! They are too far apart for the comfort of burning them both. He snags his staff from the back and swings it wildly at the one Skyler poked to near popping. The wizards lands what looks like a perfectly square dose of the smackering, but again the things' hide is too strong. "This takes a bigger mallet than I brought!"
GAME: Thurid rolls 4: (16)+4: 20 GAME: Skyler spends ONE point of PANACHE. GAME: Thurid rolls 4: (10)+4: 14
At the sudden and violent attack from Skyler, one of the gargoyle's wings is severed entirely. It turns about, forgetting about tossing any more darts and lunging for Skyler- Skyler manages to deftly sidestep the attack, and the creature seems to have expended the last of its energy in the attempt as it collapses into a heap at Skyler's feet.
THe other Gargoyle isn't looking much better off, with Bryn's arrow still sticking out of its chest, but it has vigor enough to launch itself towards the oncoming adventurers. It snaps at Ulthan with stone jaws, but catches nothing but air.
Meanwhile, Bryn feels the searing pain continue to spread. It makes her mind swim and feel sick to her stomach, but she manages to grit her teeth and bare it- and the searing begins to ebb, though the sickly, disoriented feeling lingers.
GAME: Burai rolls 11: (7)+11: 18 GAME: Burai rolls 2d6+8: (5)+8: 13 GAME: Crik rolls weapon2+2-4: (12)+8+2+-4: 18 GAME: Crik rolls damage2+3d6+1: aliased to 1d4+0+3d6+1: (3)+0+(13)+1: 17
Burai is still getting used to 'walking' over empty air. But he seens an opening, meneuvering his large form into place and then snapping a bite. But when Burai changes forms, he sometimes has to fight the instincts of the animal he changes into. Tigers rely on surprise and overwhelming strength over most any other tactic. But against gargoyles such an approach is far less effective than other creatures, and Burai's savage bite is less effective then he had hoped.
Everyone has left. The passage, now dark and empty. Voices ring out beyond - but up ahead, nothing. Nothing but a turn. Crik carefully, and with measured pace, waddles forwards...
... and turns the corner, aiming his hand crossbow haphazardly. A bolt somehow manages to hit the gargoyle in its chest, dropping it.
Ulthan sees the last visible gargoyle drop, so he scans the room, before retrieving his bow and stowing it on its sling on his back.
Once the last gargoyle is dropped, Skyler glances around the room, eyebrow furrowed as he takes in their surroundings. "Well." He says brightly, expression transforming into a sunny, absolutely brainless grin, the ioun torch around his head glittering. "That turned out well. Moral of the story: rush into unknown, dark passages and pull random levers blindly!"
With the traps disabled and the last of the Gargoyles Dispatched, the deathtrapped entryway seems to be safe for the time being. A long hallway extends northward from it, ending in a pair of sturdy carved stone doors. From the party's position, it appears as though the corridor continue around to the right, though they'll need to get closer to peek and see what lays around the bend.
Here and there, roots push their way through the stone walls of the subterranean crypt- it seems to predate the oak above, which itself looked fairly ancient.
GAME: Crik rolls knowledge/dungeoneering: (12)+7: 19 GAME: Ulthan rolls kdun: aliased to knowledge/dungeoneering: (4)+4: 8
Bryn grins tuskily at Skyler and bellows a "Woot! Yep, always works fer me!" So claims the oruch with a replacement arm, eye, and might be slightly inebriated with poison. None of this dampens her enthusiams, of course. She looks to the room, then the others, then back to the room. "Which way we goin next?"
Burai jerks his back instictively as the crossbow bolt flies in and finishes off the last gargoyle. He turns his head to peer in the direction it came from. Then he gives a huff. "Nice shot," he rumbles. He takes a longer look around the area and then focuses on some of the roots pushing through. Finally he pads over to the longer hallway, stopping just short of the entrance.
Crik lowers his hand crossbow in the myriad cloaks he was wearing, and he hops over. "Fine lever pulling." He compliments Skyler, then nods at Ulthan. "That passage saved a bad fight."
Then a sand covered notebook is pulled open and the corvid hops over one of the gargoyle corpses. Tenderly, he pokes at the flesh of the beast, and stares at his notebook. Back at the corpse. Poke. Back at notebook. Turn notebook upside down. Poke at the corpse.
"... these are young. Something muts be feeding them. Maybe to guard this place." He cranes his head upwards. "Remember to poke the ceiling with sticks." Finally, the book is shut off, and he stares blankly at Bryn with his black eyes. "Which way is the wind blowing?"
Ulthan checks his gear is stowed properly again, then advances towards the corridor. "How about we let our pro scout first, and I'll follow him so we have a big, juicy target when something pops out again, and the rest of you keep watch we don't get run at from behind?"
Haggerty does the winchwork needed to reload the crossbow, sets a fresh bolt into the mechanism, rolls up the cobweb to stow it, wipes a little sweat off his browline. The wizard sighs, echoed by some low panting of the pug. Both squint a look at Skyler, shrug, "A little caution would be nice. Errm..." The Aesir studies the others. Who needs some bandaging, please? Bryn, Burai?" He nods to Crik and Ulthan, "Really good work there!" Compass engage and that is shown to the others who bother.
"Caution? But you only live once." Skyler protests to Haggerty, shaking his head sadly, before pausing and adding, "Well. Usually you only live once. But I guess that's a little cheeky to say given we're apparently dealing with necromancy?" He frowns, "Does unlife count?"
He shakes his head again, this time shaking off that train of thought, "Anyways! I'm mostly okay. Do we push on?"
GAME: Crik rolls perception+2: (1)+11+2: 14 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Crik rolls perception+2: (14)+11+2: 27
Crik bows his head at the others in that distinctly avian way, and then starts half walking, half hopping ahead. His eyes were glued mostly on the ceiling, but occasionally he looks down at where he was going. The door makes him pause and he turns towards the others, "There are no traps-"
The corvid pauses, then points with an open beak towards the other end of the corridor. "... except for that flame thrower."
The party press their way onwards, with Crik taking the lead as they head up the passage towards the sturdy stone doors. They move cautiously, keeping an eye out for loose flagstones or ceiling hatches full of spikes or the like, and everything seems to be going fine. Until there is a sudden roaring sound, as a massive gout of blue, heatless flame washes down the corridor to the east. The gout lasts for several seconds before dying down- and while it doesn't quite reach the party it is fairly close.
At the far end of the eastern corridor, they can see the source of it. There is a graven head, looking like a fork-tongued imp, with a spout at it's center. After several more seconds of silence, another gout of flame erupts and washes down the corridor towards them.
There appears to be a small alcove about halfway down the corridor, and the gouts of cold flame seem to come at regular intervals.
At the edge of the corridor full of flame throwers, Skyler frowns and watches the bouts of flame. He taps his fingers, counting out between bursts of flame and pauses.
"Six seconds on, six seconds off. So a twelve second cycle."
Skyler crouches down, adjusting his boots that seem to glimmer slightly with fiery energy. "I think I can make it. One... two... three..." And he begins a countdown as he goes to the very edge of where the flames start.
Ulthan watches Skyler's preparation, then glances at the doors. "I'll keep an eye on these in case someone pops out while we're looking at the secrets down the 'Do not come' corridor..."
Burai watches Skylar's preparations with great interest. "Perhaps that is how the doors are opened," he offers encouragingly. Or maybe he just wants to see what happens.
"Huh.." Bryn watches the flames spew, pause, then spew again. "Guessin they don' want nobody goin thattaways." Then she grins. "That means that's were we need ta go."
She watches Skyler, then, and her grin widens. "Looks like we're playin tag with fire. Sounds like fun ta me."
Haggerty frowns and gestures with his hand in a way a teacher or mom might wiggle a finger in strong disagreement, "Unlife does not quite count. It is evil, parasitic and an act most foul against the way the good forces, and Dana herself, willed the world to be!" Sure, he could have said "Unlife bad!" and then readied a scroll to protect the trapfinder from harm. But. The studious man could rant instead! At least the pug carrier does try the ceiling thumping business. A moment later, Hagg wonders idly, "Maybe we can use the flagstones somehow? Alas, I have no plaster to block the flamer. I mean, I have some acid to smother the nozzle of the trap."
GAME: Skyler rolls athletics: (6)+5: 11 GAME: Skyler rolls athletics: (6)+5: 11 GAME: Skyler rolls perception: (9)+10: 19
Crik takes a step forward. "I can try to-" He starts, but Skyler is already running. Looking after him for a moment, he then turns towards the rest of the party and points at the doors. "Maybe there is another switch in there." He says, then adds, "Or more gargoyles to smash." Have to sell the sane option somehow, apparently!
Skyler grins at Bryn, and straightens up to shoot her finger-guns and a wink at her encouragement before he turns back to the corridor, counting slowly. "Four... five..." And without even calling 'six' he launches himself forward into the corridor, moving swift and sure as he runs in a quick sprint for the wall opposite the alcove on the size. He hits the wall feet first, using momentum to launch himself into the alcove...
... and lets out a yelp as he lands, tumbling to absorb the impact. "AAAAAIIIIEEE! I'M DYING! OH NO!" He screams, with a blood curdling scream before he straightens up, peeks around the corner with a shit-eating grin, and says, "Just joking! I'm fine!" He giggles, and adds, "It's not fire! It's icy-hot! Like that salve the temples make for sore muscles!"
GAME: Crik rolls perception: (9)+11: 20
Bryn looks concerned at Skyler's wailing... at least for a moment. She then gives the appropriate response, in Handspeech, with one raised metal finger.
GAME: Skyler rolls athletics: (2)+5: 7 GAME: Skyler spends ONE use of CHARMED LIFE. GAME: Skyler rolls reflex+2: (8)+8+2: 18 GAME: Thurid rolls 6d6: (23): 23
Still giggling like a mischevious school-girl, Skyler gives Bryn an utterly witlessly charming grin as he attempts to make the second half of the tunnel. At first, it looks like it's going to go well. But while the Gods shelter fools and idiots, even they apparently have their limits. As he attempts to grab the corner to slow his momentum and do a stylish backwards step through the hole with a flourish, he trips on his own feet.
Icy fire blasts him full on, although he almost instinctively throws himself down and rolls, but even at the end of the tunnel they can tell he took a *nasty* hit. He surfaces, shuddering will chill and coughing with a bit of blood at the corner of his lips. "'Mfine!" He gasps, clearly not. "Gods it's colder'n a witch's tits!" And he would know. Sorry, Jarik!
Crik has moved onto inspecting the door now, rubbing at his beak, whilst Skyler's screams and other antics continue. He touches the door's surface, then another, looks around its construction. "Tells us what you see, pirate!" He calls out, "I do not think this door will open from here!" He then looks at the rest of the party. "Witch's tits? I do not know any tits with witches here." He stares blankly.
There is a large room beyond, now that Skyler is safe to observe it and out of reach of the cold fire. At it's southern end is an alcove with a statue- even a lay person will recognize that it's a statue of Vardama, the harpist. But this is no shrine of devotion. Her head is severed, and held in her own hands. A deliberately blasphemous icon of the goddess of judgement. It's almost like a deliberate challenge, and at her feet is another lever. Between Skyler and the apostate statue is a pit, not as deep as the one in the first room- but this one is lined with spikes at the bottom.
And there is something dripping from the ceiling.
As skyler turns his gaze towards the source of the drips, he will see an ink-dark, oily mass clinging to the ceiling of the room on the far side of the pit.
"Sometimes Jarik puts on winter weight." Skyler calls weakly to Crik, wiping blood off his mouth with the back of one hand, "Truth be told, he's kinda cute with the extra weight, more cuddly. But he doesn't always close his shirt and his tits get a little cold."
Beat.
"OH! Right! Situation check!" He squints, turning around and his eyes widen. "Gods preserve. This is *not* good!" He calls, voice rising in panic, "Statue of the Harpist, her head severed. There's a lever at her feet, and a pit with something dripping into it from the ceiling." He gulps, "I think the lever might shut off the ice-flame throwers. D.. do you want me to try it?"
"Ey!" Bryn calls down the hall. "Ya need some 'elp? Don' get yer bits freeze-burnt off!" After hearing what Sky Guy sees, she offers, "Ye, get the lever! Don' fall inna pit!" She's still wise, poison or not!
Ulthan shakes his head listening to the banter while trying to keep track of where everyone is and if there are any blind spots for ambushes.
Burai listens to the discussion. He seems puzzled at much of it, but at the description of the room Skyler found, the fur on his neck and back starts to rise slightly. "Yes! Wait for us, we'll join you!"
Crik is quick to call out, "Do not pull the lever! Unless you have a stick! Really long stick!" He caws out, then looks at Bryn. "... unless you wish to see him be covered in oil." Which, one supposes, is a fair wish in some company. "See if there is anything moving!"
As they shout back and forth down the corridor, Skyler hears a wet tearing sound emenating from the room he had just looked in, as though to answer whether he should head in there himself. The oily mass clinging to the ceiling peels away, and then falls to the ground where it splatters out, splashing across the flagstones and the walls. It then slowly pulls itself back together into a roughly spherical mass directly in front of the lever in question.
That counts as moving, right?
Haggerty rolls his eyes at some point. This information was unneeded. However. However, there is a heedless person in a dire situation. The little friend yarfles. The wizard sighs once more, "Hang in there. Do not touch anything, Skyler!" He looks a bit helplessly at the others. "If at all, try to use a rope for the lever. Uhmm, does the black stuff pulse somehow? There are monsters in locations like this which are like a mass of blackness on ceilings and walls."
Sorry, Haggerty. Skyler is too busy screaming to answer you.