DM Jelani's Carrion Crown

Game Master Brian Minhinnick

Oh! Cool :) I didn't realize you leveled once for each day of the trial. But now you gotta be real careful for the next two levels.

Not a problem. I have a feeling that Drosil is going to be a little gun-shy after this, anyway...

Your leg still got torn off. It can be healed back on when they cure you, but just to make it more horrible in the meantime.

That is definitely going to put a damper on things...

I can stitch a troll leg on in its stead if you'd prefer, Dros =P

Round 6

At first fascinated by Drosil's grisly end, the fact that one of her friends was literally torn to pieces in front of her sinks in... "NO!!!" The scream ends her song, but not her voice. In Azlanti she gives her rage voice-the words a violent promise of the troll's end. The almost physical force of her temper flares outward and sparks fear into the trolls and flames on their flesh.

"DROSIL!" Janos drops his axe and takes a step forward before his battle senses regain controls. He glances back at Anton and Dantrian. "Kill them!" He waits for the inevitable volley of arrows or flasks.

The world suddenly drops into slow motion. Anton watches the scene unfold before him in perfect clarity.

He sees the trolls tear into his childhood friend, claws sickeningly rending and tearing his flesh, sending sprays of blood shooting into the air - all in perfect. Terrible. Clarity.

"Drosil!!" he roars as he steps forward firing arrow after arrow into the troll on the right. His rapid-fire arrows strike with such force that they tear the giant's head straight off. It flies through the air to tumble to the floor. The giant falls over dead.

Dantrian mutters darkly, "Fool of a Fetchling," before sending another vial of acid at the left troll. It strikes home, burning the troll further.

Janos steps forward and with two mighty hacks, cuts this troll's head off as well. It joins its companion on the floor, dead.

Tibideau's invisible jaw drops in utter astonishment at the carnage before him. Seems like that... was a bad idea. That Drosil was the victim takes a moment to register. "I REALLY hope we can fix that!" he whispers in fury. As Drosil falls, a monstrous three-headed dog pops into existence behind where the trolls stood moments before.

End of Round 6

Though the only obviously apparent enemies are down, we are still in combat. Moving the dead trolls out of the way for now.

Map

Dantrian is at Drosil's side as soon as the second troll falls to Janos' axe, his practiced hands and critical eye searching for signs of breath or a pulse. He moves calmly and deliberately, his hands steady and breathing even as he surveys the damage with clinical regard.

Heal (cruel anatomist): 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (4) + 13 = 17

"He still lives. The biggest threat to Drosil's life now is that remaining troll. If the rest of you deal with it, I will remain here and tend to our savaged fetchling."

"There was one more, right?" Janos moves forward to the stairwell intent on climbing up to get revenge for Drosil. He glances at the three-headed dog. "Let's go pup. Troll meat for you. It's the snack that grows back."

B'yelka says to Dantrian, "No, you go with Janos and Anton. I will stay here with Tibi and make sure Drosil is ok." The Diva move closer to the fallen Fetchling whistling a tune summoning healing energy to Drosil.

Cure Light Wounds on Drosil CLW: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12 after a 5'step to get close enough to him. This is round 2 of 2 for Lingering Performance.

Please save him, Dantrian. I'm going to have that Troll's head for this! Anton says, moving through and into the keep, hugging the wall and training his bow for any movement.

Dantrian glares at B'yelka but his words are cool and firm without betraying his anger, "His leg has been severed, B'yelka. Do you or Tibideau have the means or knowledge to reattach it? I do. And do you want him conscious for this procedure? I most assuredly do not. Trust me, I have all the means to save Drosil at my disposal. You and Tibideau, wherever he has gotten to, can best help by assisting Janos and Anton."

Combat, need specific actions please, guys.

Moving to AX34

B'yelka snaps at Dantrian, "For someone that slaves to logic and pattern, you spend a lot of time trying to order about people that want to help you. Keep your logic, and make sure Drosil is going to live." With that she stands up and begins following Anton.

Move to AY33.

Move to AV31 and climb the stairs unless we see the troll sooner.

Antons head snaps around and he, quite uncharacteristically, shouts;

B'yelka, hold your tongue for once and let the man save Drosil, damn your eyes! That thing is still out there and I for one want to see it's evil wiped away forever!

Even when Dantrian was being his most obstinate he has never raised his voice among this group. But now his pale blue eyes are sharp with indignation.

He turns back to the courtyard then, a fury burning in him like never before. He can sense the Troll's stench of evil, somewhere hidden but near. Desnas grace still flows through his veins as he called down her judgement upon it and his draw arm quivers with adrenaline.

You hear me, you bastard! Desna will see you damned for what you've done!

Okay, essentially the round plays out, and the troll doesn't appear.

Janos climbs the stairs, and finds a closed trap door at the top. He tries to lift it, but its stuck closed.

Is it a trap door up or down? Down would mean it somehow leads back towards ground level.

"Up here! There's a trap door I can't get open." Janos tries to lift it again and see if it's merely stuck or if it may be locked.

Up, as in up onto the battlements where the trolls were shooting you guys from. It's over his head, he's pushing upward and its not budging.

It has no apparent locking mechanism.

Or has a giant troll sitting on it.

Janos calls up through the trap door. "We know you're up there. We know you're hurt. You'll heal, but no matter. Your mates have nearly killed one of us and for that, we've removed their heads. Don't think you can wait us out. We have a master of alchemical fires and acid. Give him enough time, I bet he can fill that whole battlement in fire and acid." Janos pauses to let that sink in.

"What are trolls doing here? What have you done with the Count?"

There is no response to Janos' query.

"Hell, anyone speak troll?" Janos goes back down to retrieve his axe and then returns. "Well, we can chop through this door just as well."

I got skipped. So this post happens back before Jelani's post saying the round played out. What is that, two rounds ago?

As Janos tries to open the trap door, Tibideau soars back up above the battlements to look for the remaining troll.

His three-headed doggie snarls aggressively at the trap door.

Fly fifty feet straight up. Still invisible. Do I see anything?

Fly check against DC 20 to move up at greater than a 45 degree angle: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (13) + 13 = 26

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23

Whoops! Sorry. Yeah, so as Janos was going up the steps Tibideau flies up and sees the troll lying flat against the floor of the tower. The troll fails to notice Tibideau (since he's invisible). Tibideau also sees another troll, on the other side of the gate house listening to what's going on inside. There is a flesh golem hound on the opposite end of the bridge from the troll.

Map

Dantrian showcases an impressive ability to block out the surrounding shouts and chaos as his ministers to Drosil. With a confidence born from practice, the alchemist sets the fetchling's severed limb in place, ensuring the bones are in alignment. As cold and calculating as he often is, Dantrian's hands move with uncommon gentleness and care as he then adroitly begins to stitch Drosil's leg back in place. Drosil gains +5 hp, should bring him to -7 unless B'yelka's cure light wounds was still cast.

Using my healing touch ability with a little bit of flavoring to suit the circumstances.

Are all the F4 area open the sky? Can Anton sit in one of the towers and hit the troll with arrows?

I was assuming it was still cast...

They are not open to the sky (thus the roof on the map), but Tibideau was basically in the doorway when he flew up. So I just had him fly up and out, and then back over the building.

So far only one round has passed since the two trolls died. I think everyone who wants to did something that round. Now it's the next round, Tibideau can fly back down, or yell and risk revealing his position. B'Yelka's CLW brings Drosil up to 0 HP, Dantrian's brings him up to 5.

Gonna post later today, just didn't have time the past two days, sorry.

Warmth. Surrender. No, not surrender; relief. Job well-done, life well-lived.

"NO!!!"

Ah, B'yelka. So talented, so strong...

"DROSIL!"

Are you here, too, Janos? I can't see you...

"Drosil!!"

Anton. I thought for sure that you would succeed, even when I failed. Always so steadfast, friend...

"His leg has been severed, B'yelka."

Whose leg, Dantrian? I can't imagine...wait. More warmth...no, turning colder. What's going on? No...don't. Wait. Pain. Oh, Gods, the PAIN! No!! Make it stop, makeitSTOPMAKEITSTOP!!

"NOOOOOOO!!!"Drosil screams as he awakens, the pain of severed limbs and evisceration still fresh in his mind. He sees the trolls laying next to him and screams again, tries to scramble backwards to the nearest corner, but he's held in place by Dantrian's strong grip. He writhes in agony, every nerve in his body crying out. A cold sweat breaks out on his forehead, and the warmth seeps from his limbs into the cold stone.

For the moment, he can do nothing but close his eyes and grit his teeth against the pain.

Tibideau floats back down to his previous position and shares his observations with his companions. "The bastard is hiding flat against the floor of the tower like a coward. There's another troll on the other side of the gate house and his little flesh golem doggie friend across a bridge. Perhaps we can plan a way to dispose of them."

B'yelka sits near Drosil and takes his hand in hers. She begins a soft lullaby to soothe her friend, her tune channels more healing energy into the Fetchling. Thinking hard thoughts, Say something Dantrian. Tell me not to worry about us. All of us!

CLW: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

"His dog? These trolls have golems and trollhounds?" The cogs of her mind spin and she thinks about the question. Aaron is a golem, the trolls aren't golems. This house is owned by a golem-creating eccentric. Maybe the golem hound is a guard? "Tibi, is the golem hound with the troll or is it guarding the schloss?"

It's pretty clearly not with the troll. It's guarding the door to the schloss.

"Drosil, Drosil calm yourself. You are back among us but not yet out of danger. Focus, Drosil!" Dantrian, still kneeling beside the downed fetchling, leans forward and takes both sides of Drosil's head in his hands, forcing the shadowy man to lock eyes with him. His next words are firm and stern as he tries to draw the rogue back to clarity, "Drosil! Look at me! B'yelka and I have addressed your most immediate wounds as best we can, but you are needed. Do you hear me, Drosil? You are needed. We need you to master your pain and get back up. Do you understand me? Get back up, Drosil!"

Drosil stares blankly at Dantrian, his mind completely overwhelmed. Get up? What does he...I don't... He takes a breath. Oh, right. Stand. I can do that, right? Right? Drosil's expression betrays his fear, and his eyes lose focus as waves of pain assault him, but he nods at Dantrian. He spends the next few seconds calming himself, taking deep breaths, then stands...and sags against the wall as he is overcome with vertigo, his body rebelling against being used so quickly after such an ordeal. He remains upright, however, and after several more seconds, nods his readiness to Dantrian. "I'll be okay, Dantrian." Oh, Gods, please let me be okay... "What do you need me to do?"

Tibideau feels an incredible sense of relief when his companions put Drosil back together again. Watching Dantrian berate the poor fetchling, a look of shock flashes across Tibideau's invisible face. I shouldn't be shocked, mean old coot. "Was that necessary, Dan?" he asks. "Be nice."

"The golem hound is guarding the schloss," he replies to B'yelka. Then, the witch flies up above his new puppy and places his hand on her head. "Давай, мы собираемся до," he tells her matter-of-factly. "The Cerberai is going to the other side of the door to start in on that guard." he tells the others. Suddenly, the Cerberai appears to pop back out of existence.

Automatic success to make the Fly check against DC 10 to move less than half speed and remain flying

The beast reappears on the other side of the door behind the troll on the bridge, with her fairy godfather still floating invisibly above her and to the back. She starts to tear into the troll, but she feels too disoriented after the teleportation to do much chomping. However, Tibideau still looks on at his pet approvingly. "Я думаю, что я тебе позвоню "Rippy."

Bite 1: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12
Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Bite 2: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15
Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

Bite 3: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (14) + 11 = 25
Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

Only 6 damage that time.

Tibideau flies then casts Dimension Door with Rippy as his willing co-traveler. Rippy ends up in AR32 and attacks the troll. Tibideau is flying five feet in the air in AQ32, still invisible.

Janos, can you get that trapdoor open? Hack it apart if you have to!

Anton then turns to see Drosil staggering back to his feet.

Drosil! I thought you were gone for sure!

Will delay action until wither the trap door or the main doors are open

Janos, you can start hacking it this turn.

As Drosil's focus returns, Dantrian releases his grip on the man with an approving nod. Just before the alchemist pulls back though, the fetchling notices something stir within the alchemist's eyes as they shimmer and swirl from their normal mousy brown to a bright yellow. A grimmace twists Dantrian's face as the beast within him takes advantage of his relief, and a moment later his body lurches and jerks as the curse exerts itself yet again. Within the span of a few breaths, the transformation is over, and the form kneeling before Drosil is barely recognizable as Dantrian any longer. It is only the eyes that Drosil recognizes, brown and human once more.

Sharp claws gouge the flagstone beneath them as the wolf-like creature pushes himself up to his feet. Dantrian steadies himself with a breath and answers Drosil's last question in a ragged and guttural voice even as his eyes lock on the large door Tibideau's dog vanished behind, "We need you to fight."

*gasp* Has the change taken him? Will he prove himself right and hurt one of us? B'yelka says nothing, realizing that if this is what Dantrian was suppressing, he was right in calling it a curse.

Janos begins hacking through the trap door.

Axe Damage (PA): 1d6 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13
Axe Damage (PA): 1d6 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10

Drosil nods to Dantrian...or, rather, what used to be Dantrian. Hearing Janos' axe slamming against the door, he says, "Let me know if Janos makes it through.", then roots around in his pack for his magical rope. Taking it outside, he commands it to knot itself and directs it up the outside of the tower.

It will take 5 rounds for the rope to get to the top of the 50' tower.

Jelani, can Tibideau just open the door from the other side?

There's a troll on it. A LOT of "free action" talking went on this round. I'll parse what actually happened action wise later and do an update. It should essentially be like this:

Round a) trolls die.

b) Janos goes up stairs, Dantrian and B'Yelka heal Drosil. Tibideau flies out to take a look. Anton move a bit and talks.

c)Janos talks, tibideau flies back down.

d)Janos hacks door, Tibideau teleports dog.

Okay, to make this easy on myself I'm going to just say all delcared actions happened. Now it's the start of a "new" combat with the same initiative order as last time.

New Initiative:
Grork 23
Party 13.8
Troll 13

Begin "Round 1"

Grork quivers in fear on top of the trapdoor that Janos is rapidly hacking through.

You're all up. Ceiling door has 7 HP left, hardness 5. Once it's gone Grogk's belly is fair game.

Map

With a sudden surge, Dantrian nearly leaps the distance between himself and the door, drawing his mace as he does. He brings it crashing into the center point of where the two doors meet, hoping to shatter any crossbar that might be on the other side.

Mace damage (power attack): 1d8 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16

Move action: move to AV33 & draw mace
Standard action: Smashy smash!

Once Dantrian smashes the last of the trap door, Janos drops his axe and draws his longsword. He stabs the sword upward through the opening with both hands.

Is an attack even needed if he's laying on the opening?
Attack (PA, FF): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19
Damage (PA): 1d8 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18

The trolls have barricaded the inner gate (hardness 5, hp 20, Break DC 23) against the flesh golem hound guarding the manse on the other side of the bridge, and any of Caromarc’s other beasts. The barricade is composed of a number of cots, tables, and other furniture.

Oh wait, I thought Dantrian was helping me. My bad. Revised action: Janos continues to hack at the trap door.

Axe Damage (PA): 1d6 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
Axe Damage (PA): 1d6 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

Jelani - are you saying I'm smashing a barricade rather than doors?