Mr. Stache's mouth overcomes his fear....
"I hope you can take as good as you give, little wildling.
Of course,....I'm more the noble. My friends don't aid me with spellplay."
Right on...
Altai:
"I thought the pendulum would slice you into luncheon meat, mage...looks like I'll have to dance for my supper now."
He pulls his lower legs out of holes in the wall, his hands and head slip impossibly out of his fetters.....he's at you....
He waited until the bull was gone too; he ain't stupid....
INIT then I'll put numbers to this guy and catch up to youse later tonight; their fight'll go on a few more days anyhow.
Altai:
I guess everybody else can read all the spoilers; no top secret stuff there; I didn't think they would get to be sooooo damn voluminous...
I guess everybody else can read all the spoilers; no top secret stuff there; I didn't think they would get to be sooooo damn voluminous...
I guess everybody else can read all the spoilers; no top secret stuff there; I didn't think they would get to be sooooo damn voluminous...
Short summary: I wandered through the fog and came upon a mansion. Once there, I was attacked by ghouls; after killing some of them, the last one offered to be my guide, complete with creepy "We have been expecting you, Altai" dialogue.
We (me and the nameless ghoul) walked into the mansion, dodged some odd monster and ended up in the room with the baron and the hobgoblin fistfighter, who was identified by Mr. Moustache as Jag-Doom's clone. After some idle chitchat about a multitude of topics including ghoul art and the provenance if ice cream, you guys show up and I'm dropped down a chute.
Once I hit the bottom, I found myself chained to a chair, surrounded by hordes of huge rats and menaced by a huge whirling blade trap. Also there was a legless prisoner. Once I escaped from the trap, it turns out that the "prisoner" had legs and had bad intentions. Currently I'm fending off his attempts to eat me.
Altai:
setup a-e, 1-5
the ghoul is at b1, the shaft upwards is at c1, you're at d2, there's grates at e2 and e4, and the prisoner, who has turned into a wererat and is brandishing a kukri, is at c5.
On their initiative, 2 things the size of dire rats dart ratfast from the gratings, one attacks the ghoul who is now screaming like a ninny and misses. One hits you, bites you in the leg, 1 h.p. damage.
You look down, and this hideous little creature has the body of a rat with hair slick wet with sewer water. It has a hideous parody of a human head, though, and tiny humanlike hands. Malice and madness glint in it's eyes, and it digs its filthy teeth into your leg.
Your turn then the wererat former prisoner, whose teeth are chittering a challenge.
"Famous last words, ratling. I'll burn that smirk off your face." Altai unfurls a scroll and unleashes a bolt of fire at the knife-wielding scumbag.
Altai:
The wererat moves to c3 and stabs with the kukri.
He hits, and you take 6 in damage. When it cuts you, it jolts you with electricity somewhat.
Oh; your attack did hurt him, really badly.
Another of the man headed rats attacks the ghoul, and hits for 2 h.p. damage.
The rat thing pursues you to d2, but misses.
Sorry for cliffhanger; I gotta crash.....
Altai:
The man-faced rats give up their meagre onslaught. All is calm, except for the tittering of the ghoul...
"Master, do you....care if I....sate my hunger?"
Back in the arena room; it's Stiggy's attack, then the hobgoblins; clone and the Amber fop with the rapier.
I'm thinking Beldan might disappear into a mirror for some strange reason; I don't know yet...
Stig keeps low and swings hard.
Dayum! You knocked the bejeesus outta him!
He took an axe to the abdomen. There's some.....fresh tripe on the mat.
He's dismayed, mortally wounded, but still fighting...
The clone monk steps up and punches Stiggy in the chest; his breastplate is dented in a little bit under the blow, takes 9 h.p. in damage.
Also Stiggy; make a d.c. 14 fort save or be stunned for one round from the blow to your solar plexus.
The Amber (rolls a 1 and a freakin' five) swinging at Gittik.
"Stand still, you quick imp! I'll put a swat to you yet!!!"
Hobgoblins at c3 and e3 move to e1 and e2 to help their liege against Gittik.
One hits; 5 h.p. damage. (the other one fumbled too!)
Hobgoblin at d5-a8,
d9-zz10 attacks Riese and misses, (Riese and Elgan can aoo him)
c10 to a9,
d12-a10,
e11-a11,
f12-a12,
h12-b12,
g4-e3,
i4-b8,
k3 stays put and swats a prisoner,
L5 climbs in the ring to j5,
m7 climbs in the ring to j8,
m9 climbs in the ring to j7,
L11 climbs in to j9,
and J12 climbs in the ring to I10.
ROUND 2!!!!!
** spoiler omitted **
Yeah; maybe you're right.
Altais room--there's a kukri, a ring on the wererat, nothing much else but a ghoul eating well and a broken chair and a bladed pendulum, also broken.
OUF!!! Stiggy's stunned for round two...
And the little fairy princess flies onto his shoulder, and whispers, "sanctuary!" in his ear...
mwahahaha!
As the Hobgoblin takes a swipe at Reise, the elf starts to shimmer out of reflex, but stops with a frown, and continues his casting,...
;p
Right on; it's the new round, so you can complete the spell and attack anyway's.
Altai puts the ring and the kukri in his satchel before looking up the chute that dumped him down with the rats. "How in the infinite Abyss do we get back up this?"
The ghoul responds:
"I can climb, no problemmo. Then go get a rope and pull you up. It's only 100 feet." Then he laughs, "too bad I ate the guts allready.
Intestines make pretty good rope."
"Heh.. Let's do it. Beware of fighting up there, though - my associates just came through the door when I was dropped down here. Something tells me that they;ll be less interested in... chatting with that Amber jackass than I was."
"Aye, aye, sir!" He salutes; and starts scrambling up the shaft.
Meh;....Gittik, duelling the Amber chap, sees a ghoul climb up; he produces a rope and Altai clambers up as well...
I know more than two rounds elapsed and all, but you can get into this fight, what the heck; time does funny stuff in the Castle of Amber. Dreams that seem to last hours really take seconds to occur.
You can drink a potion of healing, and attack in round 3...prolly tomorrow or Sunday.
Altai emerges from the pit not 12 seconds later.
Either that, or this fight might go on for a week.....
I was thinking about puttin' Altai in the first room of Hungry are the Dead, but
1) he's 5th level only
2) he's half outta spells
3) I just bought it today.
Elgan completes his final chant with a flourish he learned by watching Reise.
As he grins, there is a whoosh of air, a flurry of leaves, and a flash of light.
When the glare fades, several of the opposition are facing approx. 400 lbs of furry, diabolical eating machine with a bad temper, spikes on its back, and a mouthful of teeth. With a sound that is more of a roar than a growl or howl, the Dire Wolf lays into the nearest hapless goblinoids.
"Who let deh dogs out?" Elgan sings with a smile. "Oh. Dat wuld be me! Back off buddy, mistah talks-a-lot is off limits!" He snarls as he shimmers into wolf and puts the bite on the one who had the audacity to attack Reise.
Elgan's predator form attack: (1d20 6=15, 1d6 3=4) Thpppt! :P
Dire Wolf Bite/Dmg/Trip attempt if bite hits: (1d20 11=22, 1d8 10=13, 1d20 11=25)
You can drink a potion of healing, and attack in round 3...prolly tomorrow or Sunday.
Altai emerges from the pit not 12 seconds later.
*glug*
Altai blinks in confusion as he watches the carnage unfold before him. "You!" He points at the Amber aristocrat. "Your puny trap failed miserably! I'll have your hypothalamus for that!"
He turns to the ghoul. "Still think your... feral cousins should stay out of this? Trust me, these hobgoblins are history."
the dire wolf appears at bc 9-10, and rips up the hobgoblin at a10; Elgan's able to take out the one at zz10, clearing out the doorway a bit.
The dire wolf bites the hobgoblin's head off and swallows it in one gulp.
That'll leave Beldan, Riese, and Gittik to attack in round 2.
"Him have hippopotamus? Where?"
The moustachioed Amber parries Gittik's scimitar with his rapier, but the kukri finds purchase in his flank. He's being whittled down...whittled down...
Beldan reloads his crossbow, takes a 5 foot step to YY9 and fires at the hob at A11.
The bolt sticks him in the neck real good. He drops. He ain't dead, but he ain't fighting anymore.
He's crawling away, so as to get away from the gigantic wolf that is tearing into his comrades.
Riese!!!
Mothman
Fake Healer
Snorter
