(003) At the Ruins

Waysoftheearth's Hinterlands PBP

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Post by waysoftheearth » Sat Apr 10, 2010 11:19 am

(003) At the Ruins

waysoftheearth wrote:
The ground floor of the tower is a simple square chamber, perhaps less than two dozen feet wide with a single entrance in the western wall, and two arrow-slit windows looking out over the surrounding wilderness -- one facing east and the other facting south. The creaking rafters that hold up the ceiling are about a dozen feet overhead, and must double as the bearers for the floor of the room above. In any case, they are veritably choked with dust and cobwebs.

A steep, narrow flight of unprotected stairs ascends along the northern wall to a bare opening in the ceiling, while opposite, a similar flight descends into the tower dunjon, below.

Taines, Anwyn, Victor and Mads take up guard position on the ground floor, while Olaf leads Rodrick, Dieter, Ulric and Caine up the stair -- all with arms at the ready.

The stair is scarcely two feet wide and clings precariously to the northern wall as it climbs, weeds and the dirt of unknowable seasons accumulated in the cracks between the rough hewn stones.

Soon, Olaf is able to peer cautiously into the dim room above as he approaches the top steps. Like the ground level, the next level appears to be occupied by a single, open square room.

At a glance the room is empty but for the dilapidated, cobweb-choked remains of a few pieces of timber furniture. There is a shuttered window in each wall, creaking against its fastness as the wind whips about the exterior of the tower, and several changing, wintery shafts of dull grey light that are cast through gaps between the planks of the trapdoor at the stair top -- like searching fingers in the otherwise dark chamber. Beyond a small landing, the stair can be seen to turn along the eastern wall to what must be the final level above.

Olaf notes a vaguely unpleasant odour on the air as he takes the second last step, and more disturbingly, as he reaches the top step, he spies several ghastly skeletons dangling from the thickest webs among the rafters above...

(1d6)

...and before Olaf can comprehend what he is seeing, he is beset by a terror most foul that lurches from the darkest recess of cobwebs in a flich, a bulk of black chiten and barbed legs that strikes (1d20=12) him squarely in the breast with its hateful stinger! Olaf is knocked backward into Rodrick behind him by the treacherous puncture, suffering (1dd=3,2) 4 hit-points of damage. Worse yet, he already feels a dire venom burning through him...


Olaf has 2 of 6 hit points remaining, and I will be rolling his saving throw next round.

You are in single file on a 2ft wide stair, at the very cusp of the room with Olaf blocking the entrance.

Gentlemen, your intentions please (includind Olaf's).
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]

Posts: 16921
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Post by waysoftheearth » Sat Apr 10, 2010 5:19 pm

(003) At the Ruins

eris wrote:
Olaf croaks out, "Giant Insect! Poison!" before he collapses back into Rodrick.

OOC: I'm guessing it's a scorpion, and Olaf is dead meat. [img]images/smiley/sad.png[/img]

Olaf throws his hand up to his chest feeling for the barb of the stinger. If he can grasp it he will attempt to pull it out.

OOC: That's about all he can do on the two foot wide stairs. The rest of you will have to decide whether to pull him back as you retreat, or push him out of the way (and off the stairs) if you want to advance.
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]

Posts: 16921
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 1:15 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Post by waysoftheearth » Sat Apr 10, 2010 6:06 pm

(003) At the Ruins

tombowings wrote:
In a zealous rage, rodrick calls back to his companions on the stairs for assistance, "By Thuull, Olaf is down and your swords are needed." He then takes up his barbarous flail, hoping to plant it inside the insect's chitin head.
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]

Posts: 16921
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 1:15 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Post by waysoftheearth » Sat Apr 10, 2010 6:19 pm

(003) At the Ruins

danhem wrote:
"Fall back down the stairs and take Olaf to safety!" Ulric screams. "If he is poisoned he needs immediate attention. I will cleanse the room with fire!"

Ulric quickly descends the stairs to allow the others a safe avenue of retreat. If the way becomes clear he will advance far enough up the stairs to cast The Word of Anthracite Sufferance into the room above.
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]

Posts: 16921
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 1:15 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Post by waysoftheearth » Sat Apr 10, 2010 6:49 pm

(003) At the Ruins

tombowings wrote:
After hearing Ulric's words, Rodrick chances from a mind of battle to a mind of cover and retreat, falling back far enough behind Ulric's, but still close enough to him to lash out at any survivors.
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]

Posts: 16921
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 1:15 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Post by waysoftheearth » Sat Apr 10, 2010 6:59 pm

(003) At the Ruins

makofan wrote:
Caine runs back down the stairs (I think he was last)
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]

Posts: 16921
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 1:15 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Post by waysoftheearth » Sun Apr 11, 2010 2:51 am

(003) At the Ruins

waysoftheearth wrote:
Initiative is rolled (1d6; Olaf=5, Rodrick=4(-1)=3, Dieter=4(+1)=5, Ulric=3, Caine=1(+1)=2, The Enemy=3).

Olaf struggles to back away from the hideous grasp of the prying, grasping black legs that seek to drag him to an awful doom, breaking free only when Rodrick grabs him by the shoulders and pulls him back down the stair to push bruskly past Dieter and Ulric -- who are left to front up to the loathsome monster.

A scarcely audible croak seems to hiss "Dinn-nerr..." from the lair, but the monster seems reluctant to pursue Olaf down the stair and into the light. That hesitation is just long enough for Dieter to front up to the top of the stair and block the lair entrance altogether.

Almost immediately Dieter finds himself fending off probing attacks from black, noisome forelimbs with his wooden shield, and slashing back with his bright sword, while Ulric beings to incant the unnerving Draconic verse on the stair behind him. But before Ulric can complete his evocation, the bloated monster hisses "Minnnne..." from the dark and pounces at Dieter, moving with incredible speed for all its stinking bulk -- but Dieter is no fool, and anticipates the attack, thrusting his blade directly into the path of the monster (1d20=16) and impaling it for (2dd=2,3) 4 hit points of damage.

The monster squeals hideously at this affront, but does not relent in its attack. Ulric utters the unspeakable Word at the very same moment the fiend aims its deadly stinger at Dieter, and with appalling vehemence (1d20=20!) pierces him entirely through for (3dd=1,5,1) 6 hit points of damage. Ulric flings his open hand forward and the air explodes into a scorching burst of white-green fire that illuminates the ghastly spider you face for an instant before enveloping it in flames (1dd=4) for 5 hit points of damage.

As this unfolds, Rodrick and Caine have Olaf to the base of the stair, but they don't know what they can do to aid the striken lad (saving throw; 1d20=7) who has become frighteningly pale and sweaty, and his whole body trembly and torpid.

With its foul carapace afire, the detestable arachnid squeals unbearably as it withdraws as speedily as it came -- Dieter drops his sword and falls to his knees as the monster pulls its deadly barb from his chest. The retreating monster leaves a vile trail of viscous bile from its wounds as it seeks the safety of its web-nest among the higher rafters...


Olaf has 2 of 6 hit points remaining, and is paralysed.

Dieter has 0 of 7 hit-points remaining, and is incapacitated (he will be slain at -1). I will roll his saving throw against the spider venom next round.

The giant spider is sorely wounded.


Gentlemen, your intention for next round if you please...
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]

Posts: 16921
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 1:15 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Post by waysoftheearth » Sun Apr 11, 2010 3:11 am

(003) At the Ruins

eris wrote:
Olaf lies there.

OOC: That's about all he can do at the moment. [img]images/smiley/smiley.png[/img]
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]

Posts: 16921
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 1:15 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Post by waysoftheearth » Sun Apr 11, 2010 3:43 am

(003) At the Ruins

billhooks wrote:
Can Victor productively attend to Dieter's wound? If so, then he'll do that.

EDIT: In addition, Victor suggests a possible plan for dealing with the spider -- tie a flaming torch to the end of Olaf's 8 foot pole, and proceed with that held well forward to burn up the spider's webs if possible. A couple of people can watch the outside of the tower to see if it escapes that way. In any case, we need to try to deal with this thing without giving it a chance to ambush us again.
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]

Posts: 16921
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 1:15 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Post by waysoftheearth » Sun Apr 11, 2010 3:54 am

(003) At the Ruins

waysoftheearth wrote:
billhooks wrote:Can Victor productively attend to Dieter's wound? If so, then he'll do that.
He can try. At the very least he could attempt to shield Dieter from any further harm (which would be fatal).

Right now only the stricken Dieter is properly in the spider lair. Ulric is at the top of the stair. The rest of the party is on the ground floor.
[f=32]Golgildir the Elf Medium (MV 12", AC 9, HD 1, hp 1/1, AL N) great cloak, lantern; spells: color spray; scrolls: sleep, sleep, charm person
Hirelings: Georges; torch[/f]

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