|
[I]Oloch begins to call on divine aid, filling him with the fury to enact his wrath while Celie moves up and away, calling on a curse to give the Ettin terrible luck.
ROUND 2
Guilford (Ready Grease/+20ft), Theo (), Fair Banks (-19), & Ramen ()
--------------------------------------------------
Ettin ()
--------------------------------------------------
Oloch (), Celie (+20ft), & Dhastrach ()
|
Cursing at Fairbeaks' inability to follow instructions, Little Foot moves to catch up to the others, who seem to all be charging ahead. He call a command at the axebeak as he does so.
Fairbeaks, gives a loud aggrieved squawk at the ettin, then falls back.
Nearing the others, Theo draws a dagger with one hand, letting it fly at the ettin as he moves in beside Dhastrach.
, for damage.
, for an additional damage.
|
|
Guilford gets close enough and finishes whispering the occult words he'd been holding back, causing a thin layer of grease to accumulate on the giant's off-handed weapon, but the Ettin manages to swing it about wildly, flinging most of it off harmlessly.
Theo flings a dagger, might as well be a toothpick against the giant, but it's enough to allow Fairbeaks to flee from immediate danger. Seeing he is far outnumbered, he takes a step back towards the wall, dropping into a defensive stance and holding his ground, refusing to be surrounded and forcing you to come to him, while shouting out a taunt in Orcish, accusing you all of being cowards and stupid. The crowd begins to laugh, then shout derogatory things at you.
ROUND 2
Guilford (+20ft), Theo (), Fair Banks (-19), & Ramen ()
--------------------------------------------------
Ettin (Defensive, -7)
--------------------------------------------------
Oloch (), Celie (+20ft), & Dhastrach ()
|
Seeing that the situation is in the pathfinders' favor, he casts prayer to further enhance their fighting capabilities and diminishing theirs. Defiantly, he moves a tad closer to the ettin.
Sacred Armor (Light Fortification)
Sacred Weapon (Vicious)
Oloch charges the Ettin
...
...
...
...
|
|
Ramen becomes visible after attacking. he'll fight defensively, moving and taking the one attack this round.
|
|
Oloch chares forward, bringing hi massive sword down in an overhanded arch, only to have the giant bat it to the side effortlessly, but luckily, because the giant had been focusing exclusively on defense, drawing you in closer, it isn't able to bring it's powerful flail around to counter as well, leaving Oloch safe, for now.
ROUND 2
Guilford (+20ft), Theo (), Fair Banks (-19), & Ramen ()
--------------------------------------------------
Ettin (Defensive, -7)
--------------------------------------------------
Oloch (), Celie (+20ft), & Dhastrach ()
|
|
Knowing what to expect from the flying Elven woman with the strange glove, the Etten shields his eyes just in time from her dark glance. From above Guilford sends down a powerful heated laser of arcane power, focused sunlight, but misses his target as the Ettin dives to the side. Theo tries his hardest to land a solid blow, but likewise just fails to connect as the orcs Champion bats his weapon aside at the last moment, but it allows the hidden Ramen to land a solid blow from behind, digging his smaller weapon into the creatures spine, through it's armor and thick skin, and twisting the blade as he calmly, methodically pulls it back out, taking with it a stream of blood.
Now with plenty of opponents in close quarters, exactly where he wanted these "puny humans", the Ettin goes all out, being pretty beat up itself, but far from out of the fight, and clearly able to give as well as it gets.
ROUND 3
Guilford (+20ft), Theo (-28), Fair Banks (-19), & Ramen (-16)
--------------------------------------------------
Ettin (-27)
--------------------------------------------------
Oloch (-17), Celie (+20ft), & Dhastrach ()
Sacred Weapon (Vicious)
Full Attack
...
...
...
…
...
...
...
…
|
|
Little Foot grunts with pain, as the flail strikes a solid blow, but manages to avoid the followup swing.
He calls another command at Fairbeaks, and with an angry squawk, the axebeak once more charges across the sandy arena to strike at its earlier tormentor.
, for damage.
After his friend charges in Little Foot goes on the offensive as well.
, for damage.
, for damage.
|
|
EDIT: I may have been reading grease incorrectly?
I take the last sentence to apply all the time regardless of the first save. But I suppose a very strict parsing of the text could suggest that everything after the sentence about the initial save no longer applies if that 1st save is successful. Thoughts?
|
|
As you surround him, stabbing and smashing into the giant, he finally falls before your might. The crowd grows silent, almost as if confused at what they have just seen, but suddenly begin to cheer at your crushing victory, only saddened that some of you didn't die in gruesome ways first.
Furious that you actually managed to survive, but at the same time happy that you indeed may be the ones to get his revenge and cunning enough to know he can't squeeze any further favors out of you, Ploog keeps his word, granting you the slave Gulros and makes it clear that you are all under his protection as you depart Urglin.
Utilizing the small magic token you had received from the Venture Captian before entering once you are far enough away from that damnable place, Venture-Captain Canayven Heidmarch, or rather a figment of him appears to hear your reports. Seeing that you have a new ally with you, he vanishes, but using the token as a focus, and now aware of your general area, quickly completes an arcane spell that transports you all to him instantaneously, walking the pathways of magic.
========================================================================
========================================================================
"You have done well, agents. I'm proud of you. Now, now we might just stand a chance." as he offers you an honest bow of respect. "While you didn't fine Eando's route, and it's possible there was no route to find, you brought us the next best thing."
Around you sits a well concealed camp at the base of the Mindspin Mountains. While the VC takes Gulros to a small tent to question him, he also offers you the chance to rest, grab some hot food and a cot and relax.
The next mourning, after a good breakfast (for the road that is), the VC summons you one more. "Pathfinders, in light of recent discoveries in the orc city of Urglin, we now have enough information available to send a team into Koldukar. In Janderhoff you discovered a damaged stone stele marked with the names of the other five known Sky Citadels, the fortress cities of the dwarves. The rune for Koldukar glowed when we spoke its name, just like you said, and we suspect an even more complete stele resides in that city. Getting in would be rather difficult,” he admits with a grim face, “but it seems that Gulros knows the way.”
With that, Heidmarch motions to a lean orc who nods his acknowledgement. “I have had some time to speak with Gulros, and I believe him trustworthy. Do not abuse that trust, and do not abuse him. He owes us a favor, but you will be at his mercy if he feels betrayed. Follow him to a series of caverns to the west of the orc city of Urgir, and there he will direct you through a tunnel that leads directly to subterranean Koldukar. From there, navigate the Sky Citadel and find your way to the stele. If it is still intact and functional, activate it and see what else you can learn of dwarven history. I suspect that you will also be able to use the stone to signal Janderhoff. I will be there awaiting that signal, at which point I’ll coordinate your extraction from hostile territory.”
“These animals have all the supplies to see you to Urgir and back; if you find anything missing, hurry to Urglin and acquire it. You’re heading into a ruin that predates the common language, so make sure that
somebody has the means to speak and understand Dwarven. Any questions?"
capital city of the orcs, a place they call Urgir, meaning “first home.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
Celie recalls this places history. "The dwarves built Koldukar upon completing their Quest for the Sky more than 9,000 years ago. The site is now the
capital city of the orcs, a place they call Urgir, meaning “first home
Koldukar was a multi-level city held aloft by giant pillars of stone and iron deep beneath the earth. Tremors and earthquakes ravage the area around Urgir.
Celie looks at the carvings. "These steles are more than just maps; they are carved from the same type of stone and radiate an aura of divination magic. It is said they can speak, but what other powers these steles hold is either a secret guarded by dwarves or lost to time."
|
|
"Tutors didn't talk much about Koldukur," Little Foot adds, "Bit of a sore point I guess."
"But I remember learning some about these steles." He shrugs slightly, clearly not too certain on his recollection. "They don't just speak, but they speak to each other. From across the world."
"If the runes are intact, you can talk to any other stele at any of the other sky citadels." He frowns slightly, before adding, "Maybe even the lost ones."
"Seems unlikely the orcs have found it, or it wouldn't still be intact."
|
|
No ill effects.
Dhastrach clears his throat and turns to Celie and Theo. "Yourr knowledge astonishess me," he begins, amused, "these steles werre not the only aspect howeverr. Each stele had itss guarrdianss. Though they shouldn't attack dwarrvess, of courrse, but ass these guarrdians can be deactivated and contrrolled with prroperr use, I can imagine some foul infidelss exploiting dwarrven excellency to theirr own uselesss goalss."
He then turns to the venture-captain. "Will Gulros accompany uss all the time, orr will he deparrt once we find Koldukar? I doubt a derrelict Sky Citadel is without dangerr, and he doesn't look like the fighting type."
|
|
Your journey to Koldukar is largely uneventful, though at times Gulros directs the small party to take cover to avoid mountain orcs or leads you through winding arroyos to stay out of sight. Following 2 weeks of travel, you reach the entrance to the tunnels that Gulros claims will lead them to Koldukar.
Here Gulros says he will wait, meeting with any other Pathfinders that will be following you as a sort of waypoint.
"This passage is not completely unknown to the orcs of the Hold of Belkzen, but it is a route too impractical for common use and leads to a section of Koldukar that the orcs dismissed as useless long ago." he says. However, as you soon discover, several orcs who had ties to Ploog’s Bloodworks in Urglin recently heard that the Pathfinders were hoping to use the passage, and they have moved into the tunnels to intercept the group not long after entering the cave tunnels. About 15 minutes after entering the dark tunnels, you come across a strange Orcish banner planted in the center of the path.
The monotony of cavern terrain—gray sand, gray walls, and gray rocks—is broken by the appearance of a fierce banner as the tunnels open into a slightly wider stretch of cavern. At the cavern’s center, a standard constructed from a column of giant vertebrae is planted into the sandy floor. An intact femur forms the standard’s cross beam, and a sheet of purple cloth hangs from its knobby prominences. An image of an orc skull almost entirely encircled by coiled spinal column is emblazoned across the banner’s center.
Clan, a violent tribe of orcs with a deep-seeded hate of humans—and of members of the Pathfinder Society in particular.
As you begin to approach, you hear a guttural voice shout at you from the darkness. "Pinkskins! I told you, Kogan! I may not be able to see them before you, but I can smell their perfumed skin long before you spot them.” Emerging from the shadows, a large orc with prominent lower tusks, milky white eyes, and innumerable scars steps forward and snorts contemptuously.
“And what’s more, I reckon these pinkskins are the Pathfinders we were expecting.” A toothy grin spreads across the orc’s meaty face as the guttural laughs of several more orcs echo off the cavern walls. He continues, “I am Magra of the Broken Spine Clan. I demand to know what right Pathfinders have to cross into the Hold of Belkzen and pass beneath Urgir’s walls, all without the protection of the clans. It is especially galling when your Society owes me so much gold!”
The hidden orcs laugh again, and impossibly, his grin widens. “And before you let your itchy weapon hands get the better of you, know that I have an entire clan of brothers in Urgir who expect me back soon and know where to come find me. If they fail to find me alive, rest assured that they will find you!"
|
|
Little Foot seems to enjoy the trek through the Holds of Belkzan, spending most of his time ranging ahead, through the mountain passes, Fairbeaks by his side.
He continues to have no knowledge whatsoever of the local orcs tribes or their customs, however.
"That Ploog is like a disease, continuing to irritate long after you think he's gone." He growls, as signs of others having reached the caverns ahead of them become known.
He grips his club tightly at the ready, not overly worried about the orc's threats. Doing his best to back up his companions with a show of force if needed, and making sure the orcs know it.
"Clearly these aren't the smart ones." He growls.
Oloch chuckles at Magra's posturing ... then spits in obvious contempt of the orc before him.
"Pretty words ...
I am Oloch of Gorum, God of Destruction. We are here because the Broken Spine Clan is accused of cowardice and Gorum demands your head on a stick."
With that Oloch draws his Greatsword and executes a Dazzling Display
|
|
(attempting to whisper to the group when they find the flag, not during dialogue)
:: the flag is some sort of ritual challenge. if we find out what clan its from, Oloch can probably intimidate his way through the challenge.
(in the dialogue)
Oh, your friends will find you. Whether you're alive depends on if you're smart enough to surrender.
|
|
All the time Dhastrach has been making notes about their journey, moreso about Gulros' route for future use.
He's not surprised to find orcs hiding in the passage, snorting. "They fail to rrealize the potential of teleporrtation, but let them bathe in theirr foolishnesss," he whispers, all the while ridiculing the orc's threats, "and furrtherrmorre, these Broken Spines arre the violent sorrt, hate humanss, and especially Pathfinderrss."
Instead of joining the intimidation squad, he puts his journal away.
|
|
Aware that you are not the weaklings they expected, the robed woman offers a challenge to save face. "Very well. You pay us 600 gold coin for protection, or we fight. My champion vs your champion. To death or surrender. No magic. If we win, you pay double debt. If you win, you no pay."
-Posted with Wayfinder
|
|
Celie nods at Theo'd words. "it's not nice to be bullies." she says. She pats Oloch on the shoulder. "May Fortune be with you" she hexes as she steps into the back of the group.