A Curious Request, part 2
Log Info
- Title: A Curious Request
- Emitter: Whirlpool
- Characters: Ashes, Silmeria, Zaxx, Edinaz
- Place: Dragonier
- Time: Wednesday, April 07, 2021, 9:22 PM
- Summary: The party sneaks up on the wights, which ignore them until they are attacked. A volley of crossbow bolts from Zaxx and Silmeria's channelling does them in. The group ventures further in, discovering a mine shaft. They make their way down, mostly by falling. Once at the bottom, the lift starts up again, operated by a very unpleasant looking wight construct.
-=-=-=-=-=-= Appearing, in Order =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ashes 5'11" 177 Lb Hobgoblin Female A somber arvec in grey clothes with a skull face Silmeria 5'8" 126 Lb Human Female A sweet-looking blond human in a long black dress and breastplate. Lysos 5'6" 105 Lb Human/Tsuran Female Dark eyes, dark hair, olive skin, a jotun-sized chip on the shoulder. Zaxx 5'2" 152 Lb Shadow Elf Male Compactly built, bald man with dark skin and pointy ears. Edinaz 6'10" 296 Lb Half-Orc Male Grey-skinned half-oruch, extensive black ink. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-= As the GM =-=-=-=-=-=-=--=--=--=--=--=---=--=-- Whirlpool 5'0" Otyugh I am stinky! -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
GAME: Ashes casts See Invisibility. Caster Level: 8 DC: 16 GAME: Zaxx rolls stealth: (18)+5: 23 GAME: Ashes rolls stealth+3+5: (14)+14+3+5: 36 GAME: Silmeria rolls stealth: (10)+2: 12 GAME: Lysos rolls stealth: (15)+3: 18
Slinking out of hiding, the brave adventurers soon find your way down along the mine tracks. You're trying tyo be careful, of course. It isn't easy, but you've moistly managed it. It's not as if the wights are paying you any heed.
In fact, Lysos actually trips face first over some stones with a loud 'whoof' and that jostles Silmeria. Either way, the wights look your way ...
... and don't even budge a muscle from their tasks. They're /controlled/. Savage and hungry though they may be with those looks on their faces, they have orders. And their orders are not you.
... not yet.
Zaxx moves along the time honored lines of a quiet march, with bootwraps. These soak up the slickness of the smeary, fatty, grime drenched pebbles the wight operated machines spit out when they have to cut and bore through denser rock. The mul lends a gloved hand to help Lysos back up.
Ashes moves quietly along, crossbow in hand, a part of the shadows, eventually picking a spot that gives her a good sight line on the mine entrance, that's far enough away she'll have time to switch weapons if something charges her. She waits for the stone and the silent alarm.
Yes, indeed... clearly those stones were placed specifically in Lysos's way, and so focussed was she on doing her best to be as quiet as the others in the group that she missed them. Completely. The toe of her boot catches on one.. and while she quite likely might have managed her balance, and maybe even some semblance of maintaining a minimum level of quiet, her other foot comes down hard on the second stone. And it rolls. And her arms flail out, windmilling.. resulting in anything near her being quite unsafe. And down she goes, unable to stiffle the sound of the air escaping her lungs, and then being sucked back in. When Zaxx offers his hand, she just stares at it, obviously stunned.. until the deadly realization of what just happened, where they are, and what is in this mine sobers her up like the hair of the dog. Eyes wide, one hand over her mouth, she clasps the Mul man's hand and lets herself be hauled up.
Silmeria stumbles, nearly falling flat on her face at the sudden jostle, and only saves herself by jamming the edge of her shield into the rubble. The Speaker winces, head snapping up to see the wights staring their way, but unmoving from their positions. "....Well that's vaguely terrifying," she murmurs, gathering her feet underneath her, and standing up straight.
But, no sense deviating from the plan just yet; there may be wild undead nearby, who would be drawn by the noise of fighting. Thus, Silmeria brings a pebble to her lips, whispering a prayer for the death of sound in their immediate area.
The resulting stillness is very nearly a sound all its own. Nodding to herself, the Speaker tosses the enchanted pebble amidst the workers, and moves forward back into the spell's radius, gun drawn and awake.
GAME: Silmeria casts Silence. Caster Level: 9 DC: 14 GAME: Lysos casts Shield. Caster Level: 6 DC: 17
It's almost reflexive now... the moment danger is imminent, Lysos has developed the almost unerring ability to bravely hide behind her magic. "Defendarius!" she blurts out, thrusting her splayed hand in front of her.. the focussed magic briefly coalesces into a blue energy half-sphere before her before fading. And then she ducks behind Zaxx.
The wights are still moving like they don't care you're there. They're just ... working.
Rolling hat mining cart up out of the mine, getting ready to relieve it of stone that they haphazardly toss aside. They're dressed in the outfits of minors with a decade of rot on.
GAME: Ashes rolls weapon3: (16)+6: 22 <OOC> Ashes says, "it's a flaming light crossbow, so has +1d6" GAME: Ashes rolls damage3+1d6: aliased to 1d8+1+1d6: (2)+1+(4): 7
It seems like the fight has started, well, everything is quiet. That was the signal, wasn't it? The wight looking the party's way has certainly noticed them. The ashen Arvec carefully raises her crossbow, loads the bolt, aims. "Feiu of the Tears, help me take these down."
>ffffsss-thunk!<<
Her bolt bursts into flame, and flies true, sinking into the nearest wight and its rotting clothes. She drops the front of the crossbow, pulls the reloading lever, draws it all the way to the back. The wire snaps into the catches, she cranks it forward, raises and sets another bolt. As she puts it to her shoulder she resets the safety. Breathe.
<OOC> Zaxx says, "Open up on the wounded with rapid shot and deadly aim." GAME: Zaxx rolls ranged+1+1+2+1-2-3: (1)+14+1+1+2+1+-2+-3: 15 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Zaxx rolls ranged+1+1+2+1-2-3: (1)+14+1+1+2+1+-2+-3: 15 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Zaxx rolls ranged+1+1+2+1-2-3: (15)+14+1+1+2+1+-2+-3: 29 GAME: Zaxx rolls ranged+1+1+2+1-2-3-5: (5)+14+1+1+2+1+-2+-3+-5: 14 GAME: Zaxx rolls 1d4+1+1+2+2+6: (2)+1+1+2+2+6: 14
Zaxx nods firmly to Lysos and does not force the enchantment to be able to speak. The baldie marches on, if that is within battle line parameters. To mind, every third step is sideways while facing the group. He draws a pair of small crossbows which come with blue shimmering bolts. The next moment, when the fight commences, is not that methocially accurate. The crossbowman almost mixes up the entire order of magically assisted peppering which includes a misload of the second bolt which should be shot not roll and tumble to the ground where it evaporates in a whiff of blue sparkles... But! One bolt strikes true and dissipates in the chest of the undead Ashes shot, too.
<OOC> Silmeria says, "Swift action: Judgments of Justice (+1 attack) and Destruction (+3 damage). Full attack; shoot the next wight in line." GAME: Silmeria rolls ranged+1+1: (15)+9+1+1: 26 GAME: Silmeria rolls ranged+1+1-5: (20)+9+1+1+-5: 26 (THREAT) GAME: Silmeria rolls ranged+1+1-5: (13)+9+1+1+-5: 19 GAME: Silmeria rolls 1d6+1+3: (2)+1+3: 6 GAME: Silmeria rolls 4d6+1+3: (13)+1+3: 17
As the battle is joined, Silmeria looses a long, slow breath, eyes moving directly to the next wight as the first is taken down. The traceries decorating her pistol glow with a shimmering silver fire, that reaches out to limn her entire form. Within the bubble of soundlessness, the bright silver muzzle-flare from her gun is the only sign that she has picked her target and gone on the attack.
Training takes over her arms, the gun breaking down at the breech to be reloaded before the Inquisitor recovers from the recoil, and the shot is taken again. The first bullet thuds dead center in the wight's chest, but the second spears right between the creature's eyes, turning a rotting head into shards of bone, sloughed skin, and clotted blood.
A good start to a good day.
GAME: Lysos spends ONE use of TOUCH OF DESTINY.
Lysos grabs her skirts and marches after Zaxx, apparently having decided he makes a good person to keep between her and the undead. For now, anyways. She ducks around him, then reaches out to briefly touch his shoulder... and in that moment she imbues in him a sense of... clarity. Like a feeling of what's to come.
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Okay, NOW the wights are turning to charge at you." GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+4: (6)+4: 10 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+4: (12)+4: 16 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+4: (10)+4: 14 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+4: (16)+4: 20
So, the wights see the flash of light from Silmeria's gone and perhaps feel the nearness of a threat in one of Vardama's followers. They run towards them, clawing at her as the gun-wielder nimbly is able to get aside, even as some of them have fallen, their bodies dissolving into bones and rags.
GAME: Ashes rolls weapon3-4: (7)+6+-4: 9
The wights are rushing up! Ashes tenses up, jerking the barrel of her crossbow. Her bolt goes high and wild, a fiery arc in the gloom. Silmeria is about to be surrounded. The Mourner is not about to let another Vardamite be alone in this fight, though she had hoped it would be mostly at range. Setting her crossbow down, she draws her khopesh from her satchel and moves up, swinging the messenger bag to her other side. Shield will have to wait. Stepping up beside Silmeria, she says in monotone, "..."
Still in the silence.
GAME: Zaxx rolls ranged+1+1+2+1-2-2-3+5: (5)+14+1+1+2+1+-2+-2+-3+5: 22 GAME: Zaxx rolls ranged+1+1+2+1-2-2-3+5: (6)+14+1+1+2+1+-2+-2+-3+5: 23 GAME: Zaxx rolls ranged+1+1+2+1-2-2-3+5: (6)+14+1+1+2+1+-2+-2+-3+5: 23 GAME: Zaxx rolls ranged+1+1+2+1-2-2-3+5-5: (17)+14+1+1+2+1+-2+-2+-3+5+-5: 29 (THREAT) GAME: Zaxx rolls ranged+1+1+2+1-2-2-3+5-5: (4)+14+1+1+2+1+-2+-2+-3+5+-5: 16 (Confirmed) GAME: Zaxx rolls 1d4+1+1+2+2+6: (2)+1+1+2+2+6: 14 GAME: Zaxx rolls 1d4+1+1+2+2+6: (4)+1+1+2+2+6: 16 GAME: Zaxx rolls 1d4+1+1+2+2+6: (3)+1+1+2+2+6: 15 GAME: Zaxx rolls 2d4+2+2+4+4+12: (5)+2+2+4+4+12: 29
Zaxx sees the awkward motions of the undead with supernal clarity, gains limited precognition, in fact. The mul does a whole lot better and nails all four bolts into the postmortal humanoids. When one is dusted to after-afterlife, the cursed man switches to the next.
<OOC> Silmeria says, "Mkay, let's do a little mass ablation to make this quick. :D Channel for damage; " <OOC> Silmeria says, "Channeling Scourge makes me count as a 10th-level Cleric." <OOC> Silmeria says, "So that's a Will save, DC 19 to take half damage for every Wight within 30'." GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+3: (5)+3: 8 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+3: (19)+3: 22 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+3: (7)+3: 10 <OOC> Whirlpool says, "One wight saves, but it was damaged." <OOC> Whirlpool says, "the remaining wights are dusted." <OOC> Whirlpool says, "The entry is clearfd."
Silmeria nods to Ashes as the hobkin runs to the fore, but upon taking a second look around the battlefield, specifically at the nearly half-dozen destroyed wights littering the mouth of the mine, the Speaker seems to shrug to herself, shield hand closing around the medallion at her throat.
A moment of concentration, a silent prayer to the Grey Lady, and the nimbus of silver fire surrounding her explodes outwards, stripping the unlife from the corpses and setting them heavily back into the dirt. Blue eyes open, and note with satisfaction that the way is clear.
With her pistol, she gestures further in to the mine, and whatever other horrors Heth's brood may have in store for them.
But so far, it's a very good day indeed.
Edinaz was a step or two too slow, and arrives to see the wights crumple. "Well, shit."
Ashes watches at the wights crumble to dust. She nods at Silmeria, and slips her khopesh back into her bag. Next, she retrieves her crossbow. It's nice, but it doesn't compare to Zaxx's, "I'll leave the shooting to you."
She takes a quick look around the mining equipment. Explosives were a possibility. As she searches, she asks in monotone, "How are we going in?"
Zaxx mentions laconically, "Out of the wight!" He holsters the lefty crossbow, touches one of the bolt cases upon which the bolts inside vanish, redraws, stomps ahead. The squat mul shrugs, "Your shooting helped. Every bolt is practice. Never dismiss contributing to a fight." He sets the boot down, "We look for runes and wards, then use our feet."
Lysos is, of course, crossbowless. And staffless. And packless. It's a good thing this isn't an extended vacation, right? With little else to do with her hands, she brushes them on her skirts... pointedly avoiding looking at the now inert ex-undead. When Edinaz catches up, her eyes light up and she waves, then she sets about helping Ashes search about.
GAME: Silmeria rolls perception: (19)+20: 39 GAME: Edinaz rolls perception: (14)+13: 27 GAME: Ashes rolls perception: (16)+3: 19 GAME: Zaxx rolls perception: (13)+12: 25 GAME: Lysos casts Light. Caster Level: 6 DC: 16 GAME: Silmeria casts Light. Caster Level: 9 DC: 12
Well, you can definitely hear the sounds of work from within, along side the distant moans of the undead. Hungry. So hungry. They sound it. Famished....but the work. The work is unending. You travel down the mining tracks and move inside, where here it splits into three directions. A careful ear drives you down to the right, following the sounds of the hungry dead, whereupon you come to a shaft for a lift that leads down.
The problem, of course, is that the lift is now below you, and there does not appear to be any way tyo bring it to the surface properly. Whatever control system ther was appears to be missing, what, with the way some of the dges of the shaft seem to have collapsed slightly. Ashes carefully follows along, happy enough that there's light. It brings out the colours of the mine, delicate earthen shades, and grey. Ones she likes. She halts at the mine-shaft, stares at the absent lift. "How do they get up?"
She adjusts her satchel, takes another look. The walls seem dodgey. "I can get down with a spell. The lift might not make it up."
There is a cable for hauling the lift up. It's in the center of the shaft, of course. BE a bit of a hop to grab it.
Edinaz waves to Lysos with a smile, then also gets to searching. He ends up staring out at the cable, lips pursed. "Oh hells."
Zaxx looks down, "I can shoot my pulley gun into the wall, then let one of you get to the platform, I can make the thing move itself, I can climb and get it." He rolls his bald dome which causes a few cracks.
GAME: Silmeria rolls athletics: (7)+0: 7
"Well," Silmeria says, fastening her shining shield on her back, and holstering her gun, drawing a simple steel khopesh from her hip. "Down we go. If you hear shooting, well... try to join quickly."
It really did seem like a good idea. And if Silmeria were half as coordinated day to day as she is on the battlefield, it probably would have been. A few steps back, run, jump, and use the hook-bladed sword to catch the cable and help control her descent.
And it almost worked! ...Except for the fact that something got muddled, the Speaker forgot to use her feet to slow her fall, and while it would be the height of stupidity to scream in *this* mine, a suspiciously tea-kettle noise of fear Dopplers away, marking Silmeria's too-rapid descent.
GAME: Ashes casts Glide. Caster Level: 8 DC: 16
Ashes listens as various ideas are discussed. She watches as Silmeria jumps for the cable, then vanishes rapidly. "I should help."
She makes an arcane gesture in the air, then steps off. She glides, forward five feet for every foot down, so this could take a while. It seems she's walking an invisible staircase around the edge of the mine-shaft. She takes the time to look at it. Before her head drops out of sight, she says, "Zaxx, your idea is good. Anchor a rope so we have a way back up."
GAME: Zaxx rolls athletics: (18)+14: 32
Zaxx holsters his launchers and hustles down the cable-rope to catch up with the party. Just like that. It is what you do when covered in heavy layers of chain until addressed. He gets the khazadi tech from the backpack and does as asked.
<OOC> Edinaz will climb down. Lysos is welcome to backpack GAME: Edinaz rolls athletics: (2)+12: 14 <OOC> Whirlpool says, "Lysos, are yyou on his back?" <OOC> Lysos says, "Yes please."
Edinaz looks at Lysos. "Climb on." Then, he leaps out onto the chain, grunting with the effort. He starts sliding down, with ever increasing speed. The grimace on his hands deepens even as he holds on, trying to manage, trying to keep from shrieking.
Lysos does indeed climb on... as much as some might balk at putting their fate entirely in someone else's hands, the young tsuran woman can't help but feel certain hands are better than her own when it comes to climbing down the cable. So she climbs aboard. And is less successful than Edinaz at supressing her shrieks when the descent goes rather more quickly than she'd hoped.
Ashes continues slowly pacing down against the walls as everyone else flies by.
Zaxx ably controls his descent and makes way for the big oruch. They are not supposed to let it slide that way. He makes it down safely, the shrieking in his pointy, slightly drooping ears.
Down you go.
Down, down, down. Sure, Silmeria is first. There's a bit of a clatter at the bottom, and she's soon joined by Edinaz and Lysos, with Ashes bringing up the rear. ZAxx? ZAxx just...
...hey, when did ZAxx down here? He made it far more eaisly than the rest, aside from Ashes.
Still, you're now at the bottom of the shaft, or more accuartely, on top of the lift.
Clunk, clunk, clunk.
...there's a sound as it starts to climb. With all of you on it.
Because of course NOW it would start to go up.
"...Well *that* was the worst idea I've had since dating," Silmeria mutters sourly, slowly picking herself off the roof of the elevator, massaging an aching shin.
The arrival of the others in their turn has her smiling, however, and when Ashes lands the Speaker beams. "Well then!" she says, quietly but no less cheerfully, "not we can--"
CLUNK
"...Oh for--"
The ashen Arvec alights on the lift platform, ending her spell. She glances around as it rumbles and starts to rise. She makes sure she's not near the wall, her arms and legs safely within the ride. She glances upwards at the damaged wall sections. Looks back at everyone and shrugs a bit. "He already knew we were coming."
Zaxx readies his crossbows once he stands, "Let's fight through this."
When Edinaz crashes down on to the top of the lift, Lysos loses her grip on his shoulders and slams down upon with a bit of a crunch. And she thought tripping on the rocks hurt. She's too stunned to realize the thing is starting to go up.
Edinaz lands on the roof, wincing, hands burning. "Fuck." He looks back at Lysos. "That didn't work out as planned. Sorry." He's also not really registering the rising up.
Crunch crunch crunch. The lift continues to rise, but all this extra wight on its *top*, it is not really designed for, combined wiht whatever's in the lift. You can't really see just yet, you'd need to lean around and take a peek down below.
GAME: Ashes rolls stealth+3+5: (4)+14+3+5: 26 <OOC> Ashes says, "Feh, stupid dice" <OOC> Ashes says, "I can still make the roll without you"
Ashes, wondering what is in the lift that is causing it to rise up, lays down. She carefully checks the wall to avoid decapitation, and peeks over the edge to determine what is coming up with them.
...there's a grossly obese wight sitting in the mining cart. It has multiple heads. And multiple arms. And seems to be manning the controls. It has no eyes.
Yet, it looks right towards Ashes. Right. Towards.
She KNOWS there's no way it should be able to see her. She *knew* how stealthy she was.
Ashes sees what she sees, and very quickly ducks her head back. She stands, her mouth a little open as the lift continues to rattle higher and higher. She speaks, once more in monotone, "Wight. Multiple heads, multiple arms. Blind and it saw me. We should get ready for this."
===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 1 =====================
---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
21 Lysos 1
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>> 19 Wights At Entra 1 <<
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15 Ashes 1 Flat-footed (0 rnds remaining)
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12 Zaxx 1 Flat-footed (0 rnds remaining)
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7 Silmeria 1 Flat-footed (0 rnds remaining)
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