Diablo 2: The Lord of Terror (Inactive)

Game Master Groundhog

Fredric kills one of the demons, and Bryna a second, before Frank's spell goes off, sending the fallen caught in the blast into a heap on the ground.

Rasmus delivers a quick one-two punch with his katars.

The Fallen seem quite listless without their leader - what had been a coordinated charge crashing into the party is degenerating into a desperate melee, as the three demons who remain standing hack at whoever is closest. It's not very effective, but Rasmus does catch a bit of a nick from an axe.

Did I manage to hit one?

Fredric withdraws his blade from the Fallen he just slew and slashes at the new attacker.

"I got the shaman!"
Frank's face shows his grim satisfaction as he circles around the unconscious shaman. The shadows cast by the light from his club dance as Frank swings overhead at the insensate demon.

Frustrated at his misses, Erodin shifts and ends up behind the last standing Fallen. His axe crunches into one Fallen, and his gauntelted fist slams into another.

Rasmus grimaces as the axe bites into his arm. "Gah! I'm gonna have to clean that! Those blades don't look sanitary." Rasmus dodges out of the way, trying to put himself somewhere useful. Finding an opening, he sinks a katar into the base of a demon's skull, severing the spine in a manner most satisfying. He turns his head to look at Frank. "See, that's how we do it in the VJ! That right there? That was textbook."

Dismayed at her lack of offensive might, Almaia will again send lightning coursing at one of the Fallen.

Totally ignoring her wounds, Nioku tries to finish the fight right here, right now.

Pallan sees an opening and hurls his javelin at one of the Fallen. He then draws another javelin.

"Seems like they regret rushing us already!"

Bryna shakes the dead creature from her spear then steps forward, lashing out at another Fallen.

You kill the last fallen, executing those who lie unconscious.

They were a number of gold pieces, and the leader has a potion of some kind, but outside of that there's nothing but their weapons, shields and torches. The leader also had a tattered flag, but you don't think you could sell that to anyone.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17.

Erodin moves up to the front of the group, facing West, and speaks matter-of-factly. "There's something out there. Grab the loot and heal up." He picks up his torch again, giving him along with his weapon two sources of light.

"Something out there you say?"
Frank peers into the darkness, holding his glowing club overhead.
"Tim, do you see anything?"

Timothy hops up and down on Frank's shoulder to turn towards the deeper parts of the cave.
"Tim hear. Big and small." He turns his head a few times, listening carefully.

"Big one. It that way." Timothy points towards the west with his beak.

"Many small. Them that way." Timothy hops to turn towards the south.

Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 7

"I could use healing!" , Fredric says as he helps loot quickly before more enemies arrive or the group moves on. He will move to the front regardless.

Bryna helps gather up the spoils of the battle, lifting a torch high in her hand as she does. At the others' suggestions of dangers in the darkness, she tries to focus her senses in either direction, but her heart is still pounding with the fury of battle. "One big or many small, eh? Anyone have a preference?"

"A big one is easier to surround, smaller ones are easier to kill. So a boon either way!"

"The bird is correct. I hear it too."

Taking a moment to consider, Fredric continues:

"We should destroy the larger enemy first. That may demoralise the smaller ones. Even if it doesn't, it means it no longer can move in to support other enemies."

"Bring on the big one. I've been waiting for a worthy enemy all day." Erodin remains steadfast in peering West for the threat.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13

"I'll take your word for it. I can't see anything out there!"

"I could use healing!"

Your stat line says you are at full. Did someone heal you already and I missed it?

"How are your resources going? Do you want to go on, or do you need to rest?"

Frank puts the potion into his bandolier after moving one of his vials of oil into his belt pouch.
With this I'll be able to help anyone who gets knocked out, unlike last time...

* * *

"I don't think Caladrel can carry any more stuff, he seemed to have trouble walking until I dumped the clubs and one of the short spears. Maybe we should turn back after we pick one more fight?"
Frank moves towards the east end of the group.

"If the rest of us need to pick up loot, that will be fine. Caladrel is doing us great service. Another fight, then head back to town. We can rearm and ready ourselves to finish cleansing this cave."

"How are your resources going? Do you want to go on, or do you need to rest?"

"If you are talking to me, I have barely dipped into my reserves of power for the day."

Pallan gathers up his javelin.

I haven't used any of my spells so far. I have one ray of enfeeblement and two cure light wounds spells. I also have 5 of 6 channels left but I am the only one that can be healed by that. I want to save some for command undead.

Almaia starts to say reply to Nioku's question, then Pallan answers and she stops speaking and begins blushing.

Raz turns and looks at Frank and Frederic (good ol' F&F) with a patronizingly quizzical expression. "Seriously? You want to head back to town because the cart's too full of loot? We've got a job to do down here! You want to give the demons a chance to regroup? Better to finish it first. Slay now, loot later, capiche?"

*****

Adventurers. Pssh. More like adventure capitalists, am I right? I mean, don't get me wrong, I like finding shiny objects just as much as the next guy. But this cave ain't the lost city of Ureh. It's not going to just disappear with everything in it as soon as the job is done. And most of this stuff is junk, anyway, worth a few silvers at best. Copper-wise, gold-foolish as they say. Give me a single cracked wand over ten superior longbows any day of the week.

"Yes. So that we can trade for more effective arms and armour to beat said demons with. I already nearly met my end with insufficient gear and I would rather not repeat the experience."

"What, you mean Demonsbane or whatever your sword's name is isn't cutting it? You don't see Erowin complaining, do you? He doesn't even have a shield!"

*****

Oh, sure. Blame it on the gear, why don't you? Oldest excuse in the book. But when I was locked in that cell, manacled, stripped of gear, and with only the rats for friends, did you see me complaining about my gear? No! I waited until dinner-time, choked down the gruel they served me, fed the stale bread to the rats, and said, "Oh look. They gave me a spoon."

"This? It is a decent blade, but quite an ordinary one. In hindsight, I was ill-equipped coming here. And a shield is not the be all and end all of combat. Regardless, we still have a monster to kill despite our differences in what to do after that, so I suggest we get to it."

"Ha!" Erodin gives Rasmus a friendly punch in the shoulder. "This guy can't say my name right, but he's got fightin' spirit! He is not afraid of battle even with that puny li'l blade." He gestures towards one of Rasmus's katars for emphasis and grins.

"If we can discover some undead creatures, I may be able to bend them to my will. Then they can lead the way, taking the damage that would be meant for us. I am able to continue."

Bryna listens to the foolish men arguing for a bit before offering her wisdom. "If our resources were depleted and the majority of our company injured, I would agree with the sense of falling back. But right now we have only made an initial strike into this target, and our backs are still strong. I would be unwise to fall back at this time. Fredric, was it? When you were almost killed, you were wearing a militiaman's leathers, now you have a suit of chain and a stout shield. What more could you want for protection, what is wrong with an ordinary blade? Do you think the townsfolk have a wealth of enchanted blades just waiting to be handed over to you? No, we push on. And I would counsel towards the multiple smaller targets. Don't need them to flank us while we are handling the big one."

"Umm...If carrying stuff is a problem, why don't we just make a stack of it somewhere out of the way and then get it on the way out?"

"That is a sensible solution. And frankly, who would steal or sabotage it here? We'll be busy killing the monsters."

"Final decision. Which way? I say go west and slay the large one first."

Frank's mouth opens at Almaia's suggestion, but no sounds come out. He looks back and forth between his donkey and the clubs and spear he dropped by the entrance.
"Yeah. Let's do that."
Frank starts dumping all the stuff they've scavenged that isn't coin, lit, or claimed by the entrance to the cave.

Almaia will blush when Fredric praises her, and then will quietly follow after whichever way the group chooses to go.

As the group can't seem to decide where to go, Erodin shrugs and moves from facing West to facing South. "Eh, screw it, let's listen to the girl and go south. Seems like where most o' ya cowards wanna go, and I'm ready for some action!" Erodin seems to be looking at Frank as he says this, verbalizing what the wizard may have just been hinting at with his body language.

Just changin' my vote, so now I think there's a consensus of 3 to go South.

Not paying attention to the loot thing, Nioku listens though to the options everyone chooses relating what direction to take.

"I agree with Bryna."

"Eh, screw it, let's listen to the girl and go south...."

"All right, south it is. Let's proceed."

<knock.>

Ditto.