(036) The Remains of the Day

[waysoftheearth]

mushgnome wrote:

He sighs and looks apologetically at his still gleaming new armour then, pushing past Josiane and Highbough , takes a position next to Dorgan as space permits.

Highbough gladly yields melee position to The Gustave.

With the high ground and narrow staircase to our advantage, he thinks we can grind this one out easily. [img]images/smiley/smiley.png[/img]

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:

With the high ground and narrow staircase to our advantage, he thinks we can grind this one out easily. [img]images/smiley/smiley.png[/img]

"easily".

We'll see what the dice have to say shortly [img]images/smiley/smiley.png[/img]

[waysoftheearth]

mushgnome wrote:
ps Highbough will snatch up his lantern so it doesn't get kicked over in the shuffle.

[waysoftheearth]

heartless wrote:

Wibert; The Second Vault

As mage-fire bursts forth and a horrible slaughter of stinking corpses that walk commences, Wibert searches about for an escape route. There are five visible entries into this place ( see the map http://odd74.proboards.com/index.cgi?ac ... e=13#90403here ).

A mud map of the Second Vault...

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#P#@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#.#@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#w#@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#.#@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#d#@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
####################O####################
@@.................U...................@@
####.................................####
@@@@#...............D...............#@@@@
@@@@@#.............................#@@@@@
@@@@@@@#.........................#@@@@@@@
@@@@@@#@@####....../__\.....####@@#@@@@@@
@@@@@#@@#@@@@##...//..\\..##@@@@#@@#@@@@@
@@@@#@@#@@@@@@@@###...###@@@@@@@@#@@#@@@@
@@@#@@#@@@@@@@@@@@@###@@@@@@@@@@@@#@@#@@@

OOC: A bit confused sorry. Can I confirm the undead are coming from the bottom of this map, into the passage above?
Is the "strange stone edifice upon the dais in this vault" above this map?

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
The undead are coming into the vault from the top of the map.

The strange stone edifice is indeed in this vault. It looms behind you as you face the walking dead.

[waysoftheearth]

heartless wrote:

Wibert; The Second Vault
As mage-fire bursts forth and a horrible slaughter of stinking corpses that walk commences, Wibert searches about for an escape route. There are five visible entries into this place ( see the map http://odd74.proboards.com/index.cgi?ac ... e=13#90403here ).

As the others stand firm to stop the undead coming into the vault from above. Wibert will hold his torch steady and observe if the flame is drawn to any of the doorways, to try to detect any breeze heading to an opening out of here. If so he will have a quick look down that passageway, or else he will stand his ground with the others at the opening to stop the undead coming in to to vault to surround them.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
The First Vault
(Dorgan, Gustave, Highbough, Guntram, Josiane)

There is precious little space in the narrow passage, but Gustave manages to reach the ledge as Highbough withdraws to make room for him, while Josiane hardly notices that she is in the van all of a sudden, so focused is she upon recalling her mantra.

And the eager dead come clamouring up the stair to clash against Dorgan's steady shield!

But Dorgan is set for them, and gives his axe an almighty swing (1d20=17) catching the first of the horrors in its half-rotted skull for (2dd=3,1) 4 hit points, almost knocking its head clean off, but though it wobbles at the precipice it does not fall.

(initiative is rolled. 1d6; Gustave=2, Highbough=4, Enemy=3).

Highbough jabs Godehard's Ire Spear between Man and Dwarf (1d20=6), but the space is too confined for him to land a meaningful stab.

Now the fellons claw and tear back, a tide of stinking, putrid flesh that rend and hiss and press in their single-minded need to rip living flesh apart (versus Dorgan 1d20=7, Gustave=9), but for a blessing, the defenders hold them back.

Meanwhile, further back Josiane attempt to resurrect her spoiled chant (1d6=4) and her recall is good! The fair word begin to tumble from her lips once more, and it seems that the chill abates about her somewhat.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
The First Vault
(Dorgan, Gustave, Highbough, Guntram, Josiane)

The is a mudmap:


@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#@@@@@@@@@
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#..@@@@@@@
###################HH######....@@@@@
......J.N.H.G|.......|.|.....(*)@@@@
###########.d/x......|.|..........@@
@@@@@@@@@@@@#x/x.....|.|.......#####
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#/xx...\..\......#@@@@
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#/x...\..------#@@@@
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#x...\.......#@@@@
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#/...------#@@@@
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#/.......H@@@@
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#/.....#@@@@
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#/---#@@@@
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#..#@@@@
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#.#@@@@
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#.#@@@@

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
The Second Vault
(Dieter, Olaf, Pelenwin, Desmond/Mondes, Wibert, Ulric)

Dieter, Olaf and Pelenwin all hew bravely at the wave of unclean flesh that presses through the narrow door, but the sheer mass of them disgorging into the room makes it near impossible to dispatch them all!

Initiative is rolled (1d6; Dieter=6+1, 3+1, Olaf=2, 3, Pelenwin=3-2, Enemy=5).

Dieter, as ever, places a quick, grim stroke first (1d20=4) but he is forced to back-peddle out of claw reach even as he does so, and his stab goes awry. Almost immediately the flood of wretched corpses burst forth, rending and tearing wildly about them at anything in reach (3d20; versus Dieter=5, versus Olaf=5, versus Pelenwin=20!). Olaf and Dieter dodge and deflect skillfully, but Pelenwin the Bold is caught between hammer and anvil, and a particularly vile corpse snatches out and grasps his throat in a vice like grip, crushing his wind pipe mercilessly! "Yhhhesssssss!" it hisses, dealing (2dd=5,3) 5 hit points of sorely cold damage to Pelenwin.

Our heroes fight back (1d20; Dieter=15, Olaf=8, 20! Pelenwin=14) and it is a savage display of butchery! Blades hack mightily in the blue glare, slashing open terrible wounds, flinging arcs of ghastly black fluids out of fetid bodies, and deflating bloated corpses with gruesome punctures. Dieter (2dd=5,4) deals 7 hit points, not enough to destroy his foe utterly. Olaf slashes two enemy hard for (2dd=5,6 and 1,6,4) 8 hit points each as they come on. One drops, but the other fights on. Pelenwin, gasping for his breath, finally bring his great axe to bear (1d20=15) and (3dd=3,3,6) lops off the arm that grasps him, causing 6 hit points, and a fit of wild hissing from the fiend whose limb it was.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
The Second Vault

Meanwhile, Ulric hurries to investigate one of the two passages to his left, while Wibert scurries off to those on the right.

Desmond want to go left, but Mondes want to go right, and the clang heads together and go nowhere. "Idiot!" curses Mondes. "Fool!" curses Desmond.

Ulric takes the first few steps into the first of the left passages, and espies by his jangling lantern light that some little way ahead the narrow passage becomes a stair that descends deeper as it twists into an arc to the right.

Wibert takes the right passage nearer to the strange edifice, but there is little light to be had beyond the blue glare in the Second Vault. He has the impression that there is another vault 50 or 60 feet down the dark, narrow passage. Boy, is it ever cold in here!