(050) The Heart of Woe

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Olaf kneels behind the ruinous, burned altar to examine the remains of a dinted bowl, a twisted candelabra, and a pile of charred refuse, but soon gives up as Gustave give a sharp whistle which characteristic bravado from across the whole length of the chamber.

Gustave begins the laborious task of removing the heavy bar from the door, but realistically it's a job for two. Fortunately, Olaf comes loping toward him to assist... (though it will take him half a minute to cross the full length of the abbey).

Ulric, meanwhile, pokes around behind the charred altar, looking for clues or secret compartments {1d6} but finding none.

Unseen to the others, Invisible Highbough peers up into the lofty reaches of the abbey ceiling, high above. There are many grand arches and beams and busts of saintly looking women in the ceiling space -- most of the timbers are unharmed, while the statues have each been broken or defiled in some way. The roof looks intact, and there is a mezzanine level running above the two doorway at the rear of the abbey (above Gustave's position). There is no telling how to get up there from here though...

Armando eyes the great crater of smouldering tar nervously as Olaf begins to skirt around the right hand edge in order to reach Gustave...

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
...and it is well he does!

From his vantage, Armando sees the surface of the smouldering tar pool ripple as Olaf trots up to the edge. Then the surface breaks!

{surprise is checked; The enemy will not be surprised. 1d6=2, neither is Olaf.}

Olaf screeches to a halt, shielding his face from the splatter of scalding tar as a giant sized humanoid figure bursts violently from the pit!

The rain of burning tar ignites scores of little fires, and a broiling miasma of choking black fumes rolls out of the pit like surf as the black and burning fiend staggers, step by step, to over 10ft above the surface! It is black as tar itself, with long scars like burning coal running over it. There is no recognisable face beyond broad downturned horns and a single scorching red eye that casts a fiery hot beam when ever it should look through the tumbling clouds that issue from it.

The dolor of smoke pall about it is so thick that all sight will soon be choked by it!


Melee has commenced gentlemen. What do you want to do in the first round?

[waysoftheearth]

eris wrote:
Olaf raises his shield to deflect the heat of its gaze. While griping his sword with his other hand, he backs up a step or two to keep himself firmly on the floor and not next to the pool of tar. He is thinking to draw the fiend out of the tar pool where it will have less access to whatever power it might be drawing from it.

"We need our magic users." Olaf says loudly.

[waysoftheearth]

mushgnome wrote:
If Gustave still wants to get the door open, Invisible Highbough will help him... Otherwise, he's got his magic spear in hand and circling around behind the scary thing!

[waysoftheearth]

tonneau wrote:
Gustave casts an annoyed eye over his shoulder as the smouldering abomination rises from the tar pit, "Ah, it seems that my darling wife has returned...", he observes.

Turning his attention back to the bar, he redoubles his efforts to hoist it off its lugs.

[waysoftheearth]

mushgnome wrote:
When Invisible Highbough sees Gustave draw his blade, he immediately hoists the Ire Spear and moves into position to flank the apparition. When he has a clear shot, he jams the spear into its back!

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
So... Gustave and Highbough intend to wade 20ft into the tar pool to engage the thing?

[waysoftheearth]

mushgnome wrote:
Highbough's out of melee range? He briefly considers blink-attacking into the creature's back, and then surfing down its corpse, Legolas style, but he's getting too old for that kind of stuff! If Highbough doesn't have a good attack option, he will help Gustave with the door.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:

OOC: ah, i was under the impression that 'melee has commenced" implied it was attacking us.

Sorry about the confusion. To be more specific; time tracking has shifted to the round-by-round melee scale.

[waysoftheearth]

danhem wrote:
"I doubt my magic will be much use against this creature!" Ulric shouts to the others. "I suggest making our way out of here. It may be tied to the pool."

Ulric moves swiftly back toward the open window he came in through.