(011) The Expedition North

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Gustave pauses where he stands in the shivering night, and observes what comes to pass while Ulric reaches his pack and digs out his sling...

Olaf staggers back from his previous exertions calling out for a general pull back. Flewellen, Boris and Fix need little more encouragement, and beat a hasty retreat in order to expose the tyranical monster to the ready barrage of missile fire, but Caine and Dieter heed not Olaf's alarm and press their attack.

Padrig (1d20=8) and Anwyn (1d20=4) launch arrows and Michele (1d20=5) and Victor (1d20=11) catapult their bolts into the fray, but despite the deadly criss-cross no missle strikes more than a glancing blow against the ramshackle giant. By great fortune alone, neither Dieter nor Caine are struck dead by any missile!

Initiative is rolled (1d6; The Foe=6, Caine=3+1, Dieter=2+1) and the punishing combat continues. The Fell Thing of the Night groans like toppling timber, and swipes its crushing limbs down upon Olaf (left exposed by this previous attack roll of 1) (1d20=13) (8dd=1,2,2,2,3,3,5,6) for 6 hit-points as it entraps him in a suffocating crush of vines and tendrils! Olaf brutally pinned to the chest of the monster, and alarmingly finds himself being inexorably drawn into the stinking mass of it by a thousand creeping vines!

Meanwhile Caine dives in once again striking at the thing from behind (1d20=13) and this time he punches his knife into the heap of moss and bark for (2dd=5,6) 1 hit point. Dieter likewise hews madly with his great steel blade (1d20=10) slashing off leaves and vines and hitting the main trunk repeatedly (2dd=1,5+1) for 2 hit points.

Mads pulls himself free of the violence, and lies at clutching his near fatal wounds in the bleak cold night.

Gustave's eyes confirms that the monster has neither eyes, nose nor ears to speak of, only a great tunnel of a maw. Even though the bulk of its body seems thick and impervious and oozes pond scum, it has suffered enormous punishment. Half a dozen missiles protrude from it, scores of lesser vines and branches have been shorn off, and great wedges of bark and moss hang awkwardly where they have been hacked free by axe and lesser blows, and the whole of the shambling mound is scorched with sorcerous fire and still steaming. Uncountable quivering tendrils quest from the beast's enormous flat feet into the earth about it, seeming almost to guide it? If the thing has a weakness it is not readily apparent, and now it seems to be drawing the struggling Olaf into its very core!


Mads has 1 of 9 hit points remaining.
Olaf has 4 of 10 hit points remaining, and is helplessly entrapped.


Your intentions for next round, if you please?

[waysoftheearth]

coffee wrote:
Fight on!

[waysoftheearth]

makofan wrote:
Caine notices that his daggers are doing very little damage. He withdraws a little ways to let missiles and flames do their work

[waysoftheearth]

eris wrote:
Olaf will attempt to free himself from the monster, struggling and chopping with his sword as best he can.

"Keep shooting!" Olaf shouts, knowing he might be hit, but also knowing that unless he is freed from this monster he is dead in any case.

[waysoftheearth]

verhaden wrote:
Mads the Fair

Hearing Olaf's shouts, Mads rouses up what remaining strength he has and grabs his short bow. Steadying himself and aiming carefully, he fires at the monstrous apparition of nature that has a) Killed a good friend b) Entangled another and c) Ruined a good night's sleep.

[waysoftheearth]

tombowings wrote:
On Olaf's command, Flewellen draws his sling from his belt and scours the ground for a stone, firing it at the abomination.

[waysoftheearth]

tonneau wrote:
Noting the significant chances of being shot by his own side, if not clubbed to death by an walking dungheap, Gustave decides against toe-to-root combat. Not confident he would not do worse for the ensnared Olaf with his sword anyway, he retreats to the fire in search of a burning limb. Perhaps a jolt of flame in the rear will be enough to make it belch up a comrade?

[waysoftheearth]

mushgnome wrote:
Michele yells to the retreating Boris and Fix:

"One of you, give me a hand reloading this!"

[waysoftheearth]

heartless wrote:
Padrig will continue to shoot arrows.

"It must be hurting by now, press on and lets finish it off, to save Olaf!", shouts Padrig.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Caine retreats back to the edge of the clearing, and both he and Mads ready their bows and missiles to fire next round.

Michele yells Boris over to help him with the heavy crank of his mighty crossbow and the fellow obligues hastily. Between them, the well muschled pair wind the wire back double quick, and soon have the weapon ready to fire. Victor too reloads his crossbow, while Fix looks around for a reasonable stone to throw, and Gustave makes a dash for the subsiding oil fire in the hope of finding a substantial burning branch...

Meanwhile the animate mound of swamp muck seems to hunker down, squatting heavily over poor Olaf, and burying him into its inards and simultaneously crushing the life from him (1dd=3) causing 3 hit points! The gasping young fighting-Man has nearly vanished from sight entirely... but the company are not done with the monster yet!

Flewellen and Ulric pelt the target with sling stones, while Padrig and Anwyn again bend their bows to launch arrows despite Dieter's proximity. The magic-users both fire waywardly (1d20=5,6), their stones vanishing harmlessly into the pitch night. Padrig's burning arrow (1d20=13) woefully pierces Dieter as he strives yet to slay the creature, (2dd=3,4) and he suffers 4 hit points. But Anwyn's eye is fairer (1d20=12) and her arrow drives deeply into a mossy crack between sheets of hard bark on the beast (1dd=6) for 3 hit points. The monstrosity is now emmiting a deeply disturbing low moan, that must surely be distress.

It strives suddenly to thrash at whomever ails it (1d6; 1=Dieter, 2=Gustave, 3=Fix, 4=Boris, 5=Michele, 6=Padrig, =2) catching Gustave off guard as he draws a burning limb out of the remains of Flewellen's oil fire (1d20=14) and deals him a punishing blow (8dd=1,1,2,3,3,3,5,6) for 9 points of damage that smashes him off his feet and pitches him bodily out of the clearing, to land in a scarcely conscious heap.

Dieter disregards all danger (as usual) and continues the heavy work of cleaving the thing apart, hew by awful hew of his sword. He raises his mighty arm again and again (1d20=20!) hacking out great chunks of moss and vines and bark now (3dd=4,4,6+2) causing 5 hit points damage!


Taines is slain.
Dieter had 8 of 12 hit points remaining.
Mads has 1 of 9 hit points remaining.
Olaf is trapped and suffocating and has 1 of 10 hit points remaining.
Gustave is incap and has 0 of 9 hit points remaining (slain at -1).


Gentlemen, your intentions for next round?