Gaedren's Playground - Round 2
The heroes find the object of their revenge. Nargun is mangled by an alligator. The drama escalates.
24 Mirela (4hp dmg)
15 Nargun (11hp dmg, +2 to AC)
10 Gobblegut
10 Yargin
9 Aleira (on delay)
7 Twilight
6 Lamm
3 Atticus
16 Devan (delayed)
Nargun is so focused on Lamm that he doesn't care if he hits the gator
Oh gods above that laugh! It do make me want to hide... to run
No! 'Ere will I stand. You have no power over me any more!
Then she lines up and takes a shot at the 'gater to free up the dwarf.
Gaedren's Playground - Round 2 - continued
Strengthening her resolve against the pain and swirling emotions, Mirela fires a shot into the alligator pen, her arrow slamming through the leathery skin of the great beast and drawing a well of blood to the water's surface.
As the alligator slides back into the water, Nargun tries to counter-attack, but the odd angle and his fixation with Lamm makes his axe stroke less well-aimed than intended and it strikes the walkway edge rather than the reptile.
Again the monstrous behemoth lunges its great body out of the water, snapping at the legs of Nargun, but this time the mighty jaws close with a snap, catching nothing but air, as the monster slides back into the water once again
From the back, Yargin chucks another vial of acid at Mirela, again hitting her squarely and again spraying her with the caustic fluid which burns the priestess, draining her vitality to dangerous levels.
"Damn it! On the verge of our victory how is it that we are threatened with defeat by something as mundane as a small door?! Mirela's hurt and she needs to focus on the alligator. I need to get in there."
"Devan! Unless you can help Mirela's wounds I need some room to get closer to her!"
Twilight impatiently waits for space to open up in front of the door so she can get close enough to Mirela to heal her before Mirela takes a mortal wound.
Gaedren's Playground - Round 2 - continued
With both Aleira and Twilight holding for position into the basement room, Lamm reloads his crossbow and fires again, this time aiming for Atticus, who is moving around the other side of the watery pit. The small bolt from the hand weapon smacks into the side of the alchemist, causing a slight wound.
"Nice try Professor. I may be old, but I can still see you sneakin' around the back. Ain't gonna have none of that today!"
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Devan stood there for a moment, eyes wide as the object of his torment taunted him with the truth of his last few weeks. The musician's eyes go out of focus, his gaze cloudy as he tears up. Yes, he had drunk his life away since Joline's death, too cowardly to subject himself to the torment of her loss. So he had washed away the pain with alcohol, salving the wound with thoughts of revenge in his moments of clarity. The glowing Longsword slips from the bard's grasp as he stands there, mouth slightly open as though he is trying to think of a retort that just won't come to his lips.
Time seemed to slow down for him, processing only vaguely the redhead getting hit with another vial of acid, the woman barely able to keep her feet. The desperate struggle of the dwarf against the enraged alligator. The quarrel the Professor suddenly sprouted as Lamm pressed the attack. The dark eyes of the musician take it in numbly until he hears his name called. Turning, he sees her!
No, not her. Joline's features had been more rounded, less of her elven heritage shown. Still, the image shocked him back to the present. He heard her voice in his head as he gazed at Twilight. "Do what you know best..." He nods at Twilight, focus returned as he steps forward to make room for her, shifting his lute around to a playing position. He begins to play, fingers strumming out the mournful song he had been writing in his brief periods of sobriety these last few weeks. Despite the slow pace and sad tone, his companions can still feel vigor creep into their person, strengthening their resolve.
Twilight sees the shock in Devan's face as Lamm addresses him and her heart sinks when she sees the sword fall from his fingers. "Is he about to panic and run?"
Then he turns and looks at her with that same look that she has seen from him before, a mix of familiarity and longing. Suddenly his resolve seems to harden, as he steps back and makes space she scrambles through the door. She wondered for a moment what he was thinking when he looked at her but now in the thick of things her thoughts were violently wrenched back to the situation at hand.
"Let Calistria ease the pain of your body while Old One Eye looks after your aim"
Twilight had prayed for the power to help her companions, weaving the Lady's gift into a spell to bless her allies' aim, but now the situation called for something much different. She mentally undid the blessing in her mind and let the raw divine power flow through her and into Mirela where it healed her wounds.
Impatient to join the assault on the old man who had caused her so much pain, Aleira steps forward close behind Twilight. Still unable to move into the room she bends forward and scans the room, her gaze inexorably drawn to the old man. Summoning her own hate and fear she narrows her eyes and mutters, spitting in his direction.
Gaedren's Playground - Round 2 - continued
Tormented by his inner voice, Devan drops his longsword, but then brings forth his lute and begins an inspirational song bringing out the heroism in the others.
With the space in front of the small door now open, Twilight squeezes through and seeing the wounds troubling Mirela, calls forth her healing magic revitalizing the wounded huntress.
As Twilight enters Lamm calls to her: "You! Cain't believe you cast yer lot with this crew of fool an' losers. I'd bin keepin' my eye on you, sweet one. You and me are similar ain't we. You got a mean streak about yeh. A real wildcat, I reckon. You'd make a fine partner fer me once this is all behind us. What'd ya say? Forget these rabble and follow yer destiny, whatdya say, eh?"
Aleira moves forward to the small doorway, but like the others, she is stuck there without the ability to move forward.
Atticus moves forward toward Lamm trying to get a new flank open.
Twilight's response starts out with a pleasant sweetness in her voice. "Why Mr. Lamm, I am deeply flattered that you've taken an interest in me. You should have come visit, we could have had this encounter in much more comfortable surroundings."
The tone of Twilight's voice becomes more introspective.
"While its true some of my companions are a little shabby around the edges, you work with what you've been given, something I'm sure you can understand." Twilight cocks and eyebrow and gives a brief glance towards Yargin.
"As for destiny Mr. Lamm," Her next words drip with intense bitterness "The moment you or one of yours killed Wyninn, this first and likely last meeting between us became my destiny."
Gaedren's Playground - Round 2 - concluded
Despite taking the crossbow bolt in the side, Atticus keeps moving around the alligator pit, trying determinedly to reach Lamm.
Seeing Lamm out of reach of her hexes, Aleira settles for hexing the great alligator, trying to limit its fighting effectiveness. The hex only has limited effect however.
Gaedren's Playground - Round 3
The combat continues. Mirela gets burned and healed. Lamm shoots Atticus.
24 Mirela (1hp dmg)
15 Nargun (11hp dmg)
10 Gobblegut (evil eye, -2 to attacks, 1 round)
10 Yargin
6 Lamm
3 Atticus (3hp dmg)
16 Devan
7 Twilight (delayed)
9 Aleira (delayed)
Lamm chuckles evilly at Twilight's riposte. "Why Yargin, methinks the lady protests too much. Haw! Don't deny you've wanted to taste the dark side, darlin'. Well it ain't gettin' much darker 'n this."
once again, Nargun fails to draw the big reptile's blood.
How he can miss such an huge target will forever stay a mistery
Mirela staggers as she is hit by the second flask of acid.
As the acid drips between the cracks of her armor she screams in pain.
But that scream is cut short as Twilight places her hand on her, for the pain is suddenly swept away and replaced by the burning fire of revenge.
With hate burning in her eyes he glares at Lamm:
You may wish to not be done with me, you old puss leaking gimp, but in a few moments this child and I will be done with you forever. Even if I 'ave to drag you bodily to The Pit myself. You will be going there. I'm sure you make a great play thing to some slug of a devil.
Then still shaking with rage she fires at the 'gator again.
Gaedren's Playground - Round 3 - continued
Reinvigorated by Twilight's healing magic which only deepens her feelings of vengeance, Mirela fires another arrow at the great alligator which is collapsing back into the pool after lunging at Nargun. Mirela's missile is on target but the water lessens the impact enough that it cannot penetrate the reptile's leathery skin and glances off ineffectually.
No more effective is Nargun's attack on the enraged alligator which missed him the last time. His blade falls again just as the alligator flops back into the pool and whooshes just over the intended target's head.
Just then the monster pushes itself up again out of the pool. The hex from the alley witch helps as the mighty jaws snap closed on wooden planks rather than the legs of our heroic dwarf.
Seeing Atticus coming around towards his master from the other side, Yargin rushes around the edge, launching yet another acid flask at the professor. The glass carafe shatters on impact and the alchemist takes the full brunt, the caustic acid burning him in excruciating ways.
Reloading his crossbow, Lamm turns it on Mirela, firing at the young Erastilian once again. The shot is on target, just turned aside by her hide armor from a more serious wound, but painful nonetheless.
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Twilight looks around as it seems her companions begin to falter, and then she has an epiphany. She suddenly understands why these people were brought to her and how she has failed to adequately prepare her companions for this. She also realizes and what she must do now.
Despite the chaos around her she takes a deep breath and lets it out, the fire still burns in her eyes, but her demeanor is much calmer now.
In a loud, clear voice she speaks above the din of combat, trying to parse her liturgy with the somber tones of Devan's music
"We have been brought together this evening to partake in the divine persuit of vengeance. Within all of us here burns a need to see that the wrongs committed against each of us to be answered for by this man, Gaedren Lamm.
In the name of Calistria, all slights against me will be repaid tenfold.
Yet, while there is power to be had in that burning need, there is also the danger that it so conumes one that they are blinded by it. One needs to be able to harness that passion and direct it towards one's goals. Impotent rage is a slighted child, railing against the injustice of the world and accomplishing nothing.
We are here because deep down we each have realized one of Calistria's truths:
I am the instrument of my own justice. If i am wronged, i will take vengeance with my own hands.
Nargun, you best of any of us know the value of taking control of your anger and drawing power from it, use it!
Mirela, an animal of the wilds stands between us and our goal. Show me what a favoured of Erastil can do with the bow!
Twilight lays a firm hand on Mirela's shoulder
"None of us have come this far to die for Lamm's amusement. See the obstacles and use your anger to overcome each in turn!
Slay the beast!
Dispose of the minion!
Savour your vengeance!"
Again his companions are hit by Lamm and Yargin, though thankfully Nargun managed to not get chomped upon once again by the gator. Things weren't going great for the group, but they were all still drawing breath. All it would take was one brutal chop of the axe, one well-placed arrow, and this fight would tip back squarely in their favor.
The half-elf exhorted upon them to claim their vengeance in a loud, clear voice, specifically mentioning the dwarf and Erastilan. The bard had a claim to that vengeance, as well, but he would try to ensure his companions lived to see it also. To that end he focused on the acid-thrower, weaving a spell from his mournful song meant to confuse and delay the man so Devan and Atticus could make it to him and remove him from the deadly game.
Twilight steps away from the door and motions to Aleira
"Come Aleira, stand with us. Inflict your vilest curses upon his defenders so that Lamm may witness the suffering he has in store. Let Lamm see what he has made you into, and let him despair!
A coal burns hottest when stoked by the blacksmith's bellows. Through Devan's music he shares with each of us a part of his own pain, and in doing so fans the flames of our own ire to even greater intensity!
Atticus, you face an opponent using alchemy, you know this way of fighting! Don't let your anger overwhelm your reasoning, use your intellect to find the weakness in his form of attack, one you should know intimately, and then draw on your anger for the power to put theory into application and overcome the obstacle!
Feeling the pain from the acid Atticus just has time to wince.
He slowly moves forward and attacks Yagrin.
Gaedren's Playground - Round 3 - continued
Rushing forward despite the acid burning his skin, Atticus skewers the bath-robed man on the point of Devan's rapier, driving the blade into the man with force and fury. Yargin staggers but does not fall from the wound.
Continuing to strum his lute, hopefully inspiring his allies, Devan advances steadily around the hole in the floor. Once close enough, he interweaves a magical spell into his song, trying to confuse the acid-throwing man. The bard's efforts are rewarded as the man's eyes seem to glaze over momentarily, and his actions stop as he seems mesmerized by the music, oblivious to the pain from his fresh wound.
Urging each of her companions forward with her voice, calling them to fuel their desire for vengeance now, Twilight honors Calistria. She then reaches out to touch Mirela, passing a divine bit of luck to the archer. The priestess then clears the doorway, allowing Aleira to enter if she chooses.
Aleira grins as the path opens up before her and ducks through the doorway, leaving Cat on its far side. Once again focusing her gaze on the crocodile she squints and makes a complicated gesture and snarls.
In her anger, even the bruse she recives from Lamm's little bow can't distract her from her vengeance.
It do be time to end this! To 'ells 'eart with you!!!
Mirela draws back her bow and tries once again to end the 'gater and free everyone to focus on Lamm.
Gaedren's Playground - Round 3 - concluded
Easily squeezing through the narrow doorway, Aleira finally gets a good look at what the object of her vengeance. Shrunken and frail looking, Lamm is no longer the monster from her past, but his voice and laugh still send shivers up her spine. Knowing she must have patience to deal with him, the former Lamb turns her witchcraft on the biggest threat, the alligator. Her hex meant to lessen the creatures defenses lands with full effect and a wry smile crosses Aleira's face, despite the nearness of her childhood terror.
End of Round 3
Gaedren's Playground - Round 4
Atticus closes in. Aleira joins the fun. Twilight invocation inspires the group.
24 Mirela (3hp dmg)
15 Nargun (11hp dmg)
10 Gobblegut (evil eye, -2 to AC, 7 rounds)
10 Yargin (dazed, 13hp dmg - including prior wounds)
6 Lamm
3 Atticus (8hp dmg)
16 Devan (BP)
7 Twilight
9 Aleira
Taking heart from Twilight's speech, and letting the pain from Lamm's small bolt focus her, Mirela sends an arrow from her bow straight and true, wounding the alligator mildly.
Nargun finally snaps.
Maybe its the fear of seeing Lamm escaping his wrath.
Maybe its the pain of the wounds from the gator.
Maybe he doesn't care to survive this battle, as long as he can kill Lamm.
The litany of destruction begins again, as Nargun chants the name of his nemesis until he screams it at the top of his lungs.
Lamm. Lamm. Lamm. LAMM.LAMM. LAMM.
There's blood in the water as the axe strikes relentlessly the big reptile.
What's more unsettling is that Nargun rarely break eye contact with Lamm as he slaughter the gator.
Lamm can see what will happen when the dwarf will come for him.
Gaedren's Playground - Round 4 - continued
Snapping inside, Nargun begins his litany of rage once again and his axe falls with murderous abandon on the alligator at his feet. The dwarven axe chops rises and falls with each syllable of the mantra, and soon the gator is nothing but piecemeal.
With the alligator dead, and Yargin dazed, only Lamm can act for the foes. The old man cries out as his pet is killed "You kilt my Gobblegut, you dwarven scum. Take that!"
He fires his hand crossbow once again, this time at Nargun, striking the dwarf in the belly, but barely scraping the skin with what might have been a dangerous shot.
Atticus quickly attacks again.
Eager to close with Lamm, Aleira slips past Mirela towards him. Focusing her hatred, she focuses her gaze and mutters what sounds like a very rough expletive as she gestures at him with her dagger.
Twilight mouth twists into a cruel, wicked smile. She draws the whip from her waist and moves towards Lamm with a slow, sultry stride.
"Praise be to Calistria! With our focus restored and the fires of our conviction renewed the beast has been slain, and the minion discarded.
The final act is upon us!
Each of us has a personal reason to see you undone Mr. Lamm. I also have the honour of administering the vengeance of those who are not here to revel in the deed themselves. For Kester and each of the other children who's childhoods and very lives have been torn from them. For madam Esmeranda and the son you took from her and all the other mothers and fathers who have lost children to your vile schemes. For all the unknown innocents who you have harmed taking their hard earned wealth, taking their well being and even taking their lives.
And above all else Mr. Lamm, for taking Wyninn from me.
You said in jest that I wanted to taste the dark side, you have no idea. Pray Mr. Lamm, that one of my companions grants you a clean death for I have such things to show you."
Twilight cracks the whip to emphasize her words.
"Your end is upon you Mr. Lamm. Witness your doom!"
When Twilight talks about a "clean death", theres a savage grin on Nargun lips....
There won't be anything clean about Lamm's death, if the dwarf can do something about it..
Devan continues to march towards the object of his obsession these last weeks, fingers sliding over the frets and strings of his heirloom loot effortlessly. Out of the corner of his eye he sees Mirela and Nargun put a grisly end to the former apparent scourge of the Lambs, Gobblegut. Atticus again drives his blade through Lamm's remaining defender, Yargin, the wounded professor channeling his pain into his strikes.
The musician's lips curled up ever so slightly into a grim smile as Lamm's defenders fell about the old man. Without changing the pitch or tone of his music the bard lays a similar spell upon the old man as he had upon his helper. He wanted Lamm to watch helplessly as the noose tightened about his neck, as he watched these wounded men and women close in around him and realize there was NOTHING he could do about it except wish for a quick end.
The old man had certainly been on the other side of that coin for many decades now, killing unfortunates who happened to cross his path if they had anything he coveted. Using the blood and sweat of these poor lambs during their most innocent of years, then discarding them like garbage when they became old enough to challenge him. Yes, karma was a b&!~#.
Devan rounded the corner, mere feet from the old crime lord, stepping over the dying Yargin. The bard looked down at the man as he gasped out his last before locking eyes with Lamm. As he stopped playing his song, he spoke, face deceptively calm. "Your reign of misery and despair is at an end, old man. You've no more bodies to hide behind, and nowhere to run. Sorrow have you sown, and by the gods, pain, agony, and suffering shall you reap."
Gaedren's Playground - Round 4 - concluded
Atticus draws the rapier from the body of the dazed Yargin, then plunges it right back in again. The red-robed man slumps to the ground slowly, a trickle of blood running from his puffy lips.
Ceasing his inspiring music now that the object of his hatred was all alone in front of him, Devan moves forward to confront the old man up close.
Twilight also advances, readying her whip as she comes. She starts a litany of all those that have been wronged by Lamm. The elderly foe snickers as Twilight mentions Esmeranda's name. "I remember her. The Varisian harlot! Such beautiful eyes an' silky hair. I couldn't bear to feed them to my pet -- she's in the next room if you'd like to speak with her. Ha!" He motions to the door near him as he speaks.
Aleira, weapon in hand, slips forward and curses Lamm but the cagey villain didn't survive this long without being tough and his willpower overcomes the witch hex.
As he sees his defenders fall and the odds turn against him, Lamm's eyes begin to betray a sense of urgency for the first time. "Well, well. It's down to you an' me, eh? I coulda run, but this here is my place an' I'll go down fightin' for it to the end! Bring whatcha got, whorespawns!
End of Round 4
Gaedren's Playground - Round 5
Only Lamm remains, as the heroes close in to seek their revenge.
24 Mirela (3hp dmg)
15 Nargun (13hp dmg)
6 Lamm (evil eye, -2 saves 1 round)
3 Atticus (8hp dmg)
16 Devan
7 Twilight
9 Aleira
Still full of rage and hate, Nargun rushes to the fight, the blade of his axe covered in alligator's blood, his eyes mad, his mouth foaming, and only one word in his whole world, one name to his madness.
Lamm. Lamm. Lamm. Lamm. Lamm. Lamm. Lamm.
Hard to say for sure from where you are, but there is no evidence of major wounds like crossbow bolts or alligator bites.
Gaedren's Playground - Round 5 - continued
As Devan stops his performance, he actions and words spin an arcane dweomer instead and Lamm's eyes seem to cloud over and he ends up sitting still in dazed confusion as the bane of his sordid life closes in upon him.
Moving forward with the others, Mirela fires another arrow, this time at the object of her hatred, Lamm himself. Willing herself to breathe and act calmly, the huntress' shot is true, striking Lamm in the neck and causing a serious wound that soon has a thick trail of blood oozing from it.
Right behind the arrow comes Nargun, a deadly missile in his own right. Chanting his enemies name over and over in a litany of vengeance, the wild-eyed dwarf brings his axe crashing down on the hold man, who staggers with another wound, but remains upright, somehow.
As his blood pours out upon the boards of the fishery, Lamm only sits there, his eyes unblinking, but far away.
[/dice]
"This is your vengeance! Savor it Nargun. I have to save Nikkodemus!" Burnt from acid, wounded from a bolt, Atticus tries to find out how to savely lower the boy and save him, leaving the old man to those with more personal reasons for a vendetta!
Seeing the old man standing there, his eyes full of fright as he realizes he can't even attempt to defend himself against the crazed dwarf, the musician's grin smile grows larger and larger, and he starts to laugh, even that sound having a disturbing musical quality to it. The young man numbly realizes he no longer has a bladed weapon with which to cut down the old bastard, so he starts up another tune.
This one is from the ending scene for the main antagonist of a recently popular play. The mastermind had spun a web around himself until he had become so entangled in his machinations that his downfall had been assured. It seemed fitting. Still laughing, the musician cries out, "And how the wheel spins round! Perhaps I'll write a song about this one, old man. Too bad you won't be around to hear it!"
His tone is mirthful, but his eyes are dark. Full of hatred and disgust, despair and loathing. This wouldn't bring back his love, but it still gave a certain satisfaction to Devan to know the old man would feel what his victims had surely felt as he cut them down. The bard savored it, almost tasting the man's palpable fear as the crime lord waited for the final stroke that would remove him from this life.
Smiling at the look of fear that fills the old man's eyes, Aleira makes a small gesture and then releases a scream of incarnate rage, inaudible to all but her target.
You unleash a powerful scream, inaudible to all but a single target. The target is dazed for 1 round and takes 1d6 points of sonic damage per two caster levels (maximum 5d6). A successful save negates the daze effect and halves the damage.
Damage + Daze (DC 15)
Gaedren's Playground - Round 5 - concluded
Atticus moves back away from the wounded crimeboss, looking for ways to rescue his ward, Nikkodemus. The youth hangs by a set of manacles from a heavy steel chain which dangles just above the water line. He could be reached by climbing one of the wooden pilings and grabbing the boy. But without a way to open the manacles or break the chain, it will be difficult to free him. The lad is not in any real danger at present since the alligator is slain.
Devan realizes he doesn't have a weapon to finish off Lamm, so he uses his lute and voice to fill the space, ready for his revenge.
Now within range, Aleira unleashes a different take on her witchcraft. Releasing all the fury from her torturous childhood into one fell scream, the girl's arcane power channels that fury as a silent spell that explodes in the eardrums of only Lamm. The old man screeches in pain and jambs his spotted hands to his ears but the silent noise is just too much and he slumps to the ground, unconscious.
End of Combat
As Lamm falls Mirela scans the area looking for any more threats.
Professor, is that the child you were looking for?
When Lamm goes down, even before he could strike him with his already bloody axe, Nargun stops, suddenly, blinking, as if he couldn't believe his own eyes. His song of destruction ends nearly comically.
L.. La..Lamm?
Spent, the dawrf has an hard time catching his breath, eyeing the Fallen gang leader suspiciously, as if it was a trick. His voice now soft, he speaks calmly.
I'll kill him... Now. If anyone don't mind.If you have a different opinion say it so right now.
"Aw, poor Lamm. He seems to have survived. Quickly, someone help me tie him to this chair and pull off this armour of his before he truly expires. He has a few more minutes of life in him. Just a couple of more minutes and we can all finish him together Nargun"
Twilight motions to the closed door
"Someone should go check on Esmaranda. What in the name of prudence compelled her to come after Lamm herself after getting all of us together?"
Atticus looks at Nikkodemus and then at Mirela. "Can you use an arrow to cut the rope?" Stripping quickly Atticus jumps into the water, waiting for the boy to fall down.
Mirela does not see any more threats in this room. Atticus look forlornly at this the young boy who still hangs limply just above the water. Getting in the pool, the professor can just reach the knees of the young boy as the water is nearly waist deep.
Nargun's battle frenzy ends as Lamm falls unexpectedly and weariness overcomes him for half a minute. Twilight begins disrobing her foe, momentarily overpowered by the stench of his body odor. Bleeding still, Lamm wears padded armor as it is removed, you find a dagger in his boot top in addition to the hand crossbow that now lies nearby. Further a leather thong is tied around his neck which holds a brass key, an iron key, and what is clearly the key to a set of manacles.
Soon the Calistrian has Lamm tied to the chair, unconscious, helpless, bleeding and dressed in just his filthy small clothes.