Kuva dodges back toward Mordecai. His falchion cleaves the head from one of the beasts and it tumbles into a slide toward the cleric, halting at his feet.
The creature Kuva had previously injured stumbles and drops to the ground, unmoving.
First wave, Ground floor: With wide jaws the lead creature leaps for Mordecai's throat.
Bite .. damage
Tendril .. damage
Tendril .. damage
if the bite hits: Fort DC 12 or take Con and Dex damage
First wave second floor. In Lecian's absence both Akatas turn on the bravest Cyphermage.
Bite .. damage
Tendril .. damage
Tendril .. damage
if the bite hits: Fort DC 12 or take Con and Dex damage
Bite .. damage
Tendril .. damage
Tendril .. damage
if the bite hits: Fort DC 12 or take Con and Dex damage
She goes down, screaming soundlessly.
First wave, top floor:
Climbing Akata
Climbing Akata
The Akatas have trouble gaining clawholds and are momentarily stalled.
Round three. In process:
Kuva 22, ground floor gone
Akatas 1st Wave 22, ground floor (1, down 3hp), Second floor (2, one wounded) and 2 climbing to roof, one wounded.
Mordecai 17, ground floor
Akatas 2nd Wave 15 ground floor (4 coming from outside) and second floor (2 outside waiting to enter through broken window)
Lecian 14, withdraws to ground floor,
Lothan 11, top (4th) floor
Tyrrol 9, 2nd floor
Gep 2, top
Samarintha and cyphermages 2, 2nd floor
Akata attack reference:
Tendril ['dice]1d20-3[/dice] .. damage ['dice]1d3[/dice]
Tendril ['dice]1d20-3[/dice] .. damage ['dice]1d3[/dice]
if the bite hits: Fort DC 12 or take ['dice]1d3[/dice]Con and ['dice]1d3[/dice]Dex damage
Climbing Akata
Two more Akatas wriggle through the window and bound past the dead woman. One attacks the cowardly Cyphermage.
Bite .. damage
Tendril .. damage
Tendril .. damage
if the bite hits: Fort DC 12 or take Con and Dex damage
He dodges the bite but one of the tendrils rubs across his bare skin and he cries in pain and jerks back.
The other turns and springs up the stairs only to be met by Tyrrol's descending mace. The mace crushes the creatures face and it tumbles back down the stairs and lands atop the fallen Cyphermage.
Samarintha floats above the fight below. She pulls out a wand.
Taking a more defensive stance, and noting to exclude both Kuva and now Lecian from the effect, Mordecai calls upon Urgathoa's hunger again.
Round 3:
Humming a cheerful little ditty that is quite at odds with the current situation, Tyrrol moves forward past the corpse of the creature he just dispatched, to focus on the remaining one on this level...
...his flail makes a satisfying crunching sound as it crushes the skull of another one of the creatures.
He then turns to regard the frightened mage.
Leaning out the window, he fires another arrow at one that's already been hit.
"Heck yeah! Take that you filthy wall-crawlers!" He screams in success.
Lecian fires a bolt at the nearest akata.
Round 3 Resolution:
First floor :
Mordecai's dark energy eddies clear of Kuva and Lecian as it surges through the first floor again. Again the creatures pause momentarily in pain and confusion, then continue coming.
One creature leaps for Lecian. As it touches him, he feels a sudden chill, and everything goes quiet. No sound at all, not from Kuva's blade, nor his yell, nor even from Lecian's own heartbeat.
Bite .. damage
Tendril .. damage
Tendril .. damage
if the bite hits: Fort DC 12 or take Con and Dex damage
Halted by Kuva's whirling blade, two engage the halfling.
Bite .. damage
Tendril .. damage
Tendril .. damage
if the bite hits: Fort DC 12 or take Con and Dex damage
Bite .. damage
Tendril .. damage
Tendril .. damage
if the bite hits: Fort DC 12 or take Con and Dex damage
One however leaps onto the wall beside the halfing's head and rebounds toward the cleric on the stairs.
The creature lunges at Mordecai, jaws snapping.
Bite .. damage
Tendril .. damage
Tendril .. damage
if the bite hits: Fort DC 12 or take Con and Dex damage
Lecian fires his crossbow at the lead Akata. The bolt strikes the weakened beast and it collapses.
Second floor
The two creatures outside scramble in the window. The second starts to slide backward, then its claws catch and it starts to haul itself in. Tyrrol just has time to step forward and catapult it back out the window with his mace.
Samarintha points and shoots the wand at the first Akata through the window. Two glowing green balls of force zip toward the Akata. The balls shatter into mist on contact. "D___ it! " the cyphermage swears.
SR roll: .. damage
Fourth(top) floor:
Lothan's arrow strikes his target between shoulder and breastbone. Its tendril mane lashes back toward the archer as the body falls nervelessly down the tower.
Gep gets his crossbow reloaded and fires at the other.
Crossbow .. damage
Round Four. Beginning
Third wave
Kuva 22, ground floor
Akatas 1st Wave 22, Second floor ( one, wounded, attacking Cyphermage) and 1 climbing to roof.
Mordecai 17, ground floor
Akatas 2nd Wave and Third Wave 15, ground floor (1 on Lecian, 2 on Kuva, maybe 1 on Mordecai depending on Kuva's AoO all wounded by Mordecai) and second floor (one v. Tyrrol). Third wave four fresh Akata's entering.
Lecian 14, ground floor,
Lothan 11, top (4th) floor
Tyrrol 9, 2nd floor
Gep 2, top
Samarintha and cyphermages 1, 2nd floor
Lecian's triumph is short-lived as he looks up to see four new Akatas entering the room. Another know of the strange beasts is behind them.
The tower lurches out over the cliff again, this time it continues to tip. There is a tremendous cracking sound as the mortar between the entryway and the tower proper surrenders to the stress. The tower drops onto the sloping face of the cliff. Its base strikes with a grind and everything inside goes flying as the top of the tower levers downward. Rents appear in the walls and dust flies as the top contacts the slope. The tower begins rolling down the slope.
From the window, Lothan can see the nearest Akata get flung into space. The overhanging edge of the cliff crumbles and a large portion flows after the tower in a landslide. At least two Akatas near the edge are dragged into the roil of stones, dirt and rocks following the tower downward.
Round 4 status:
Lecian ; Ride mode. DC 15 Balance or Tumble Check. An Akata passes nearby. You may attack if you rolled 17 or better on your check.
Mordecai Ride (DC 15 Balance or Tumble) or Brace by grabbing the stairway bannister.(DC 15 Climb)
Lothan Ride (DC 15 Balance or Tumble) or Escape through the window.(DC 15 Jump) Successful escape will present its own hazards.
Kuva Azul Ride mode. DC 15 Balance or Tumble Check. An Akata passes nearby. You may attack if you rolled 17 or better on your check.
Tyrrol Radanavich Ride mode. DC 15 Balance or Tumble Check. The cowardly Cyphermage passes nearby. You may attempt to grab him with a DC 14 strength check if you wish.
As the tower rips itself from the ground, Lothan tries to keep his balance. "Oh crap."
Slamming his head against the side of the wall as he goes flying, Lothan screams in pain as blood flows freely, covering his face. "Looks like we're in big trouble Gep." He says through pained gasps.
He then attempts to brace himself, to avoid tumbling about, roaring out in a guttural cry to the remaining Akata (who can't hear him, but he doesn't know that...) "I. Will Not... Be EATEN!"
And attempts to escape injury.
He tumbles and pirouttes gracelessly, appearing completely out of control, and head-sized chunks of masonry fly past him on both sides, as if he elegantly planned the precise movements needed to thread this needle and escape injury. Only the greenish cast to his features, his flailing limbs and his wide owlish eyes betray that this was not intentional...
|
As the akatas surround the fierce halfling, Kuva battles bravely, his sword forming a net of steel which he hides behind. A silent roar covers his face as he hesitates half of a moment too long and one of the beast slips by his defenses, tearing into his flesh with it's teeth.
As he grimaces against the pain and the poison coursing through him, he sees the foolishly brave akata leaping past him on the wall and swings with a savage accuracy.
As the tower suddenly gives way, Kuva is forced to defend himself from not only the akatas, but from the chunks of building that now rain upon him as well. He twists and turns as best he can, nimbly dodging the rain of masonry while falling. Seeing an akata similarly ensnared by gravity, he lashes out with his falchion. As the blade soundlessly gashes the creature, Kuva gives a savage and exuberant cry. "Even in the air I shall outdance you, creatures!" he yells. "Come to me and dance your last!"
As the tower tips over, Lecian prepares himself for impact, where he nimbly tumbles forward, rolling onto one knee and then standing unscathed. Unfortunately, he looses his sense of equilibrium and flops about uncontrollably as the tower rolls down the slope.
Muttering darkly to himself, Tyrrol does his best to ride-out the storm...
Seeing one of the Cyphermages tumble past, he does his best to grab him, trying to protect him from the worst of the damage...
Round 4, tower rolling:
After the initial impact, Lothan recovers and stumbles along with the motion of the tower.
Gep .... .. damage ... runs up the wall as the tower falls, managing to avoid hurting himself in the impact. Finding himself near a window he tries to jump clear, but misjudges his lead and rebounds off the edge of the window. He tumbles back into the tower, nearly colliding with Lothan ... lands awkwardly on his shoulder and cries out in pain.
Tyrrol
As the tower comes down, Samarintha .. damage lucks out. Her levitation allows her to ward off a heavy impact with the ceiling with her arms and she's able to float to the center of the room where she sits calmly in the eye of the rolling storm around her.
One of the Akatas .. damage , pitches across the full width of the room, smashing awkwardly into the far wall, riding up and falling again as it nears the top of the roll. The other .. damage moves fluidly , bounding along the walls.
Unable to grab the ring, Mordecai spins in midair when a chunk of something hard clips his leg.
Lecian also gets hit, ironically, by a spell book.
The Akatas
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
.. ..
..
..
.. ..
.. ..
..
The three creatures engaged in melee fair badly. As the tower falls they spring away, but land awkwardly or even violently. The four fresh Akatas fair better. They stumble with the first lurching drop, but recover and race along the rolling wall.
Round 5 Ride, Brace, Escape options:
Lecian .. Ride mode. DC 15 Balance or Tumble Check or take 1d6 damage.
Mordecai .. ..DC 15 Balance or Tumble Check or take 1d6 damage. Lecian passes nearby. You may attempt to grab him with a DC 14 strength check if you wish.
Lothan .. You may ride DC 15 Balance or Tumble Check or you may brace DC 15 Climb Check. Take 1d6 damage on a failed roll.
Kuva Azul .. .. DC 15 Balance or Tumble Check or take 1d6 damage. An Akata passes nearby. You may attack if you rolled 17 or better on your check.
Tyrrol Radanavich ..You may ride DC 15 Balance or Tumble Check or you may brace DC 15 Climb Check. Take 1d6 damage on a failed roll.
Mordecai feels his gorge rising as the world drops away and roils around him chaotically.
Seeing Lecian suddenly in front of him, he attempts to snag him and hold him steady.
|
|
Landing nimbly on his feet on the wall, Kuva begins running to keep up with the rotation of the falling tower. Seeing a less nimble akata still falling, he gives another swing of his falchion, howling wildly at the feel of chaos and battle in him. A window, however, provides enough of a distraction as Kuva has to leap to avoid it, giving the lucky akata a respite none of its brethren so far had earned.
Wincing slightly from the pain in his knee, Tyrrol nonetheless stoically attempts to brace himself against the wall, hoping to weather the worst of this most unusual ride...
Trying to gather his senses from his head being smashed against the wall, Lothan tries to wedge himself in hopes to avoid getting thrown around again.
Acrobatics:
Damage:
Lecian continues to take bumps inside the rolling tower.
ROund 5 round up:
First floor:
Mordecai and Lecian stumble, but fall with the roll of the tower and hurt themselves very little. Kuva dances but misses his "partner."
Second floor:
Tyrrol and the Cyphermage fall into a tight corner between the wall and the stairway. Tyrrol hits the wall first and the cyphermage barrels into his back, slamming his chest and face against the smooth stone, holding him there just long enough for the oracle to get a grip. Then the Cyphermage falls nervelessly away. Turning Tyrrol can see Samarintha fending off the other mage while she continues to float at the center of the room. The Cyphermage slams into the floor, begins to ride up the side with the roll and becomes airborne in a low trajectory across the revolving room.
Fourth floor: Lothan grabs one of the roof beams and twists himself so that he can lodge a foot against a window sill. The position leaves him staring into the splintering wood planking of the ceiling.
Round 5 the Akatas :
Second floor:
The remaining Akata bounds nimbly along the wall, dodging debris and Cyphermage bodies.
First floor:
......
The downward momentum of the tower is momentarily checked. There's a loud and a foot wide fissure opens in the wall as the tower plunges again. A shrapnel-like cloud of stone chips flies across the room.
The four Akatas charge along the wall.
They weave between the other Akata bodies and wide of Kuva. Chips from the crack strike one of the Akatas. Distracted, it loses its footing and trips. It crashes heavily into the stairs near Mordecai.
Round 6!!
Suddenly snapping stone thunders as the tower stops suddenly pitching everyone downward. A splashing gurgle turns into a torrent of salt water flooding into the tower from door, windows, fissure, and the huge rent in the third floor where the tower snaps in half.
Akatas getting hosed:
2nd floor :
First floor: , , ,
Akatas:
If your new initiative is higher go ahead and post your round 6 actions in addition to taking your lumps. Else, take your lumps and wait for slavering jawed death.
With the impact of the tower, Lothan gets thrown. Oh crap. Was his last thought as he yet again slams into the other side of the tower. Unfortunately for Lothan, it is too much to overcome as darkness overtakes him.
Braced against the wall, Tyrrol groans as the tower slams into the ground, causing his head to snap back and hit one of the walls.
Gathering his wits, Tyrrol falls upon the remaining Akata on his level of the tower!
He dispatches the final beast with a satisfying crunching sound, before musing out loud:
"Lle mae'r diafol yn cael y bobl eraill rhaid i?"
Again, stumbling with an uncanny drunken grace, Mordecai seems to almost walk on flying bits of masonry, crossing the room like a wild acrobat. He lands with a thump against the wall, which momentarily knocks the breath out of him, and his frail health seems to be taking its toll as he looks increasingly battered.
After the creatures make their next assault, if he's still 'up,' he'll attempt to Channel Energy again, excluding Kuva and Lecian from the field of life-draining energy.
The impact causes Lecian to flop around the tower like like a rag doll. Still, he's able to steady himself, only mildly injured.
Damage:
Reflex:
Initiative:
Round 6 continued:
Initiative and location:
Kuva, 20, 1st floor
Tyrrol , 19, second floor
Samarintha, , second floor
Akatas, 18, 1 on second floor, 3 on first floor
Lecian, 12, 1st floor
Mordecai, 9 , 1st floor
Lothan, 8, bleeding out on fourth floor
Lothan lands on his back with his head a foot or so above the water. The timber roof is gone and stark sunlight shines on his face. He can see a dozen Akatas lining the clifftop 80' above as he lies helplessly bleeding out while the water rises.
Samarintha stares in shock while Tyrrol strikes the silently thrashing Akata. Its struggles are more frenetic than you'd expect of an animal trying to swim and it is too distracted to even attempt to dodge his mace. She drops into the water and struggles toward the bodies of the Cyphermages.
Surging water and floating debris make movement difficult, particularly for the short halfling. Kuva's formerly infallible falchion strikes only water.
The first floor Akatas splash violently trying to get out of the water. Their tentacle manes writhe. Their limbs seem to flail blindly without real control.
Lecian and Mordecai, as do Tyrrol and Kuva, realize that the seawater is hurting them. It seems to be eating the flesh from their bones like acid.
Akatas in saltwater .
One by one their struggles cease and their bones fizz and bubble as they sink and are also consumed.
A floating spellbook bumps Lecian's waist.
[ooc] Amend this line, "Lecian and Mordecai, as do Tyrrol and Kuva, realize that the seawater is hurting them. It seems to be eating the flesh from their bones like acid." to read, "Lecian and Mordecai, as do Tyrrol and Kuva, realize that the seawater is hurting the creatures. It seems to be eating the flesh from their bones like acid.
Mordecai freezes for a moment, waiting for the tower to start falling again, convinced that this is just some brief surreal respite in the ongoing craziness, before regaining his composure and looking to see that Kuva and Lecian are both still on their feet, even if the sight of them standing on a wall, with floor to one side and ceiling to another leaves him disoriented as his brain struggles with the wrongness of the current tableau.
He puts his hand on the 'wall' (formerly the ceiling), and attempts to walk his way along the wrongly angled steps beneath the brackish and befouled seawater that covers the 'floor,' towards the room to his right, which was, only moments before 'the second floor.'
Does anyone require healing? he calls out, perversely pleased that his voice sounds strong and confident, and doesn't betray how close he is to shrieking panicky obscenities to the sky.
The lower portion of the tower subsides and rolls slowly until it is roughly half full and the first floor stairway is positioned so that you must swim down the stairs to get to the old second floor. The water is just less than 10' at its deepest.
This leaves the second floor with a scant foot of air space between the water surface and the wall which bisects that level. The door into the other room has become a trap door in the "ceiling". At its deepest the water here is about 8'. Again you must swim downward to take the stairs to the third floor.
The tower snapped in half on the third floor. There is 15' gap of deep water between the upper and lower tower halves. Looking around you can see that the lower tower lies roughly parallel to the rocky shore.
The fourth floor lies pointed back up the slope of the cliff. Its timber roof has been ripped away. The water laps at the lower edges of the nearer windows and the fourth floor is still grinding slowly downward.
On the second floor Samarintha quickly examines and abandons the Cyphermage bodies. Looking at Tyrrol she says, "What about the others?"
DC 12 swim checks to move between rooms or to the upper floor.
Calling upon the pale lady's favor, Mordecai pokes his head under the fouled water and attempts, unsuccessfully, to swim to the 'second floor.'
There is a crack in the "ceiling" overhead that looks large enough to get out.
His attempt to swim proving to be nothing more than a source of halfling amusement, Mordecai instead braces himself next to Kuva and places his shield in such a way that the small warrior can stand atop it and access the crack in the 'ceiling,' perhaps sparing him the inconvenience of having to climb these sodden and crumbling walls.
Tyrrol regards Samaritha curiously.
"If it is the will of the Gods, they will have made it out safely; I can certainly hear someone splashing around in the tower 'below' us. For the moment, we should concentrate on getting out of the tower ourselves, and possibly seeing if any of the people on the 'top' floor still live..."
"Huh..." Lecian mumbles at the spellbook in the water, before grabbing it and examining it's exterior.
Top floor: Lothan bleeds out peacefully. -1 hp.
Second floor: Samarintha stares back at Tyrrol. His plan is pragmatic. "OK. Let's get out of here. Then we look for the others."
She watches him scramble to the window edge and wriggle out.
Then she tries to follow suit. She pulls herself a few feet out of the water, but when she reaches for the edge of the window, she falls back in. "Don't worry about me! I'll get out on my own. Check the others."
Outside Tyrrol can see that a narrow spit of water separates the tower from a steep shoreline composed of loose dirt, uprooted plants, and stones. It looks like the tower brought a small avalanche down the slope. Gazing at the crest he sees the cleft where the tower once stood and the deep undercut to either side. It would appear that years of erosion had undermined the tower and you all were in the wrong place at the wrong time. A dozen of the silent leonine creatures line the cliff edge, looking down.
Glancing to the left the oracle sees an arm extended out a fourth floor window floating motionlessly. Looking to the right ...
Kuva the scapegoat:
Tyrrol sees a pair of small hands appear on the edges of a fissure in the stone wall of the tower. The hands are followed shortly by Kuva's head and shoulders as the halfling pulls himself effortlessly up and out of the tower.
From Mordecai's viewpoint Kuva's ascent is effortfull. The halfling pushes off the shield. He may look light, but he has considerably more leverage than the cleric who barely manages to support him.
Aid another:
Lecian:
Noting the motionless arm, Tyrrol shrugs.
Hmmm... I had better go and have a look at that...
Spotting Kuva, however, Tyrrol hails him.
"Kuva! Who survived in your room? Samaritha and myself yet live, but the other two Cyphermages that were with us were not so lucky..."
Tyrrol then tries to gingerly move his way to the '4th floor' window...
OR
...to check whom the arm belongs to, and whether they still live...
Tyrrol flips open his pocket-watch, glances at the face for somewhat longer than necessary, and then shrugs, before channeling healing energy into the body.
"Wake-up! It has been decreed that it is not yet quite your turn to visit The Boneyard..."
Tyrrol swims to the upper part of the tower. The arm belongs to a much abused, barely conscious Lothan. There is no sign of Gep.
On the clifftop, one of the creatures tries to negotiate the slope.
It gingerly zigzags along the slope. Seeing its success another four follow.
One slips on loose stone and begins sliding down the slope. After a dozen feet it begins to tumble and it bounces all the way to the foot of the cliff. Debris dislodged by its sliding fall forms a small talus pile which half-covers the corpse.
The creatures at the top of the cliff turn west and begin trotting along the cliff edge. The creatures descending the cliff watch the fall, then resume their course. They make it perhaps a fifth of the way down.
Samarintha tries hauling herself out the window again.
She joins Kuva on top of the lower tower.
"It looks like we will soon have company..."
Tyrrol then gingerly tries to make his way over to the cliff base...
More swimming required to get to cliff. Right now the two tower pieces are little islands.
