Dot away. Game will likely begin Monday 4/14/14
Happy to dot!
It makes it so that the campaign is added to your accounts campaign page so you can track when new posts are added. The term comes from the dot that is added to the thread title once you've posted on the thread.
Didn't realize this was up - should've thought to check. Derp!
The afternoon sun beats down on you like a kiln, only occasionally shielded by the shadow of a crying gull passing overhead. The skies are clear and the salty air gently carries the smell of the sea. It'd be a perfect day, but you're feeling a might bit claustrophobic with that noose around your neck.
The crowd around you jeers and froths like a tempestuous ocean, drowning out the birds overhead. You've had to dodge a few vaulted items, and endured far more scathing names in the past few minutes. The bindings are cutting into your wrists, fastened behind your back; and though the heavy hemp around your neck rests loose for the moment, you have a suspicion it's about to feel a lot worse.
But hell with that! You've got different plans! A bead of sweat slides over your brow as you pray to whoever you think would listen that the plans play out.
--------------------------------------
Obed Marsh, for the viscious murder of a merchant near the docks stands in the far noose, cackling beneath his hood in spite of the dire circumstances. Beside him stand his Captain, Everett Kale, the flamboyant Sebastion Atticus Abberforth the Fourth, and three other crew members you recognize that accompanied Sebastion to shore. They shoot uncomfortable but inquisitive glances, betraying their shock at seeing each other in the same predicament.
They are currently unaware that their navigator Quelthas Greybreak is so near, concealed by the Executioner's robes. The Admiral, Bartholomew Blackwater, also stands by with Sebastians rapier in his belt as well as the man's shining breastplate worn slightly askew in mockery of the vagabond. He too stands on the platform beside the executioner, casting a long shadow over the gathered spectators.
Serving as a human wall before the throng are half a dozen guards, with weapons unsheathed. At their head is Ezran Slade. Though not a guard himself, the powerful man with a hook-shaped scar possesses enough clout to stand in prominence at the grizzly display.
Numeo and Squart hide amongst the crowd, looking to each other for direction as to what should happen next... both silently waiting for the inevitable events they've put into motion.
For a second the yelling fades, muted by anticipation. You can hear the boards creaking beneath the men's feet, and the distant lapping of the tide at the docks. The silence is broken by a voice shouting from the eager crowd, "SEND 'EM TO HELL!" Which is followed by a rising cheer as Admiral Blackwater draws Sebastion's blade and signals the executioner, who reluctantly drops the floor beneath the dead men.
Numeo stands near the gallows, his cutlass resting lightly in its scabbard and his hood drawn close around his face to conceal telltale scars. He smiles as he looks out over the raging crowd. Their bile only elevates the body's humours and puts them further out of balance. The random polymorph potion will work better than I'd planned, he thinks hopefully to himself.
Moments before the floor drops:
Captain Kale sighs as he stares out at the crowd. To his right, Obed is laughing to himself, muffled by the coarse burlap sack over his head. To his left, his nervous young cabin boy, Kaph (a tortise-like Briney with a hooked, beak-like noise and flat skull), squeezes his eyes shut and prays to the sea. Some more of Kale's crew are strung up futher down the line, but with the heavy noose lying on his shoulders, it's hard for him to twist his neck around and see which of his men will be dying beside him today.
Shouldn't have come back to this blasted port, Kale thinks. He looks down at Kaph, who shivers in terror. Now I'm going to get this boy killed. And it's only a matter of time 'fore Slade roots out Squart and the rest of my crew, and lynches them too...
Looking around the gallows, Kale suddenly siezes on an idea. If I twist and kick out when I fall, I might be able to push somebody over to the back side of the platform. But do I try to save Obed, or Kaph?
Suddenly, the floor drops!
Kale begins to fall, feels the rough rope tightening against his neck. Sorry boy, thinks Kale, as he swings toward Obed, but if that old priest is laughin', that might just mean he knows something our executors don't... Slim hope, but better than none.
Kale kicks toward Obed, hoping to push him toward the edge of the gallows platform.
Kale's maneuver falls short of his original intentions of kicking Kaph free, instead managing to catch the briney's pants in one of the buckles of his boots, entangling them both. Now the weight of both men pulls at the captain's gullet. You seem to be holding Kaph up temporarily, sparing him the noose, but increasing the weight on your own.
Two guards posted before the scaffolding take notice of the attempt as the crowd gasps at the display. The two guards rush the stairs to make a quick example of the luckless escapees.
Kale curses and chokes as he swings back and forth! I'm getting too old for this...
Wait! Kale's eyes grow wide as a sudden realization hits him. Is this noose...padded? Whats going on here?
The alchemist tenses as the gallows open and glances toward the crowd, looking from one thirsty yeller to another. Did my potion fail? Where are the random transmogrifications? The extra eyes? The ancillary appendages? All eyes are still on the gallows, I can't expose myself yet! But the crew... he glances over at the kicking Captain, and draws his cutlass when he notices one of the crewmembers further in the back and struggling. Cue Ball? How did he get mixed up in all this, I sent him to the grocer's for some cuts of meat!! he glares at his lab assistant/assistant cook as the bald, tattooed man kicks in the air, growling. He's got enough air to do that...a minute, at most, he has, even with that thick noose.
He turns back to the crowd over his shoulder, pulling his hood tighter around his face. Come on, come on...
Obed's laugh is cut off as he drops through the gallow's floor which immediately tightens the noose around his neck. However the foolish Landlings conveniently overlooked the fact that Obed can breath underwater through the gills in his neck which in an emergency he can try to use to breath through on dry land. Concentrating hard, Obed switches his breathing to his neck gills and waits for the crew to either free him or to play dead until he's cut down.
Sebastion never lets his poise falter. Even up there on the gallows, he must die with dignity. He turns to look at Grool the Urchin, shifting his arm as if to give the brutish, pot-bellied man a nudge but forgetting the shackles. "Don't look so fearful, die with a smirk on your face and let them know they weren't vict-" Before he could finish the floor drop and he hears his neck crack as the rope tugs at his stiff joints. "Ouch. I needed that." Fretting around a bit, the pirate stirs in his mid-air position thinking of a way to escape. His feet kicking about manage to make contact, triggering the release of his hidden stiletto. "Well hello there..." he says, remembering the contraption outlined in his father's notes. Suddenly he is filled with an incredible burst of insight and shouts in a raspy, half-choking voice, "HAHAHA! Don't worry maties! I've got this under control!" Swinging his legs back and forth, he garners enough momentum to throw his feet overhead and slice the rope with his hidden blade. As he falls, he throws his shackled hands under his feet so they rest in front of his body. With his hands somewhat available, he lifts his bladed foot to his waste, pulls of the boot and wields it in his hands. He runs along the underside of the gallows cutting loose anyone who still needs it, the sliced remainder of the noose bouncing behind him as he runs.
When you laugh confidently before performing a crazy acrobatic feat, describe it and roll +DEX. On a 10+, choose three. On a 7-9, choose two:
- You end up exactly where you want to be.
- You don't attract unwanted attention.
- You grab someone nearby and bring them along with you.
- You show off and feel fantastic about it - take +1 forward.
Clad in the Executioner's robes, the moment of sentence approaches Quelthas. Admiral Blackwater shouts the order, and the elven mage is simply out of time for any more tricks to save his fellows. Thankfully, the Gallows have been rigged, just enough to ensure his shipmates will survive the initial fall. Hesitating for but a brief moment, Quelthas curses inwardly...
"I'm never going to hear the end of this one..."
With a groan, the platform shudders as the men fall when the floor drops out from under them. Stepping back, Quelthas puts a few paces of distance between himself and the Admiral. With a sidelong glance, Quelthas checks to make sure that the crowd's attention has been drawn to the struggling men. At the sight of the escape efforts of his shipmates, Quelthas draws back his hood with a smirk. Quelthas catches the eye of some of the rest of the crew before returning his focus to the scene before him.
Touching the mithril circlet on his head with his fingertips, Quelthas focuses inwardly, bringing to mind an image of a bay filled with fog on an overcast day. Slowly, the elf gestures to the air in front of him, beckoning the surrounding elements to obey his power and bring fog to the gallows.
Obed's laugh is cut off as he drops through the gallow's floor which immediately tightens the noose around his neck. However the foolish Landlings conveniently overlooked the fact that Obed can breath underwater through the gills in his neck which in an emergency he can try to use to breath through on dry land. Concentrating hard, Obed switches his breathing to his neck gills and waits for the crew to either free him or to play dead until he's cut down.
Obed: You find that in spite of the rope closing off your windpipe, you're able to breathe rather comfortably through the slits at the base of your neck. You take notice, however, that Ezran Slade has raised a suspicious eyebrow in your direction. He sees the subtle rise and rall of your chest, and doesn't appear to be fooled.
Sebastion never lets his poise falter. Even up there on the gallows, he must die with dignity. He turns to look at Grool the Urchin, shifting his arm as if to give the brutish, pot-bellied man a nudge but forgetting the shackles. "Don't look so fearful, die with a smirk on your face and let them know they weren't vict-" Before he could finish the floor drop and he hears his neck crack as the rope tugs at his stiff joints. "Ouch. I needed that." Fretting around a bit, the pirate stirs in his mid-air position thinking of a way to escape. His feet kicking about manage to make contact, triggering the release of his hidden stiletto. "Well hello there..." he says, remembering the contraption outlined in his father's notes. Suddenly he is filled with an incredible burst of insight and shouts in a raspy, half-choking voice, "HAHAHA! Don't worry maties! I've got this under control!" Swinging his legs back and forth, he garners enough momentum to throw his feet overhead and slice the rope with his hidden blade. As he falls, he throws his shackled hands under his feet so they rest in front of his body. With his hands somewhat available, he lifts his bladed foot to his waste, pulls of the boot and wields it in his hands. He runs along the underside of the gallows cutting loose anyone who still needs it, the sliced remainder of the noose bouncing behind him as he runs.
Sebastion: People can't help but notice the flair and ease with which you free yourself. While much of the crowd gasps at the unfortunate turn this execution seems to be taking, there's a couple of appreciative whistles as well. With quick movement all six of the condemned men find themselves freed from the noose with only a bit of bruising.
Everett Kale: You drop to the floorboards as Sebastion cuts you loose. Your quick thinking managed to kick Kaph free of the false floor beneath him, but you now find yourself prone, with feet dangling through the openned hatch.
Obed twists as he drops to firmly catch the floorboards beneath him and remain standing; but both Cueball and Grool the Urchin drop, surprised but relatively unharmed, only to take a hard hit on the ground beneath the scaffolding.
Admiral Blackwater calls out in alarm, raising Sebastion's rapier symbolically as he orders the stationed guards to put an end to that "philanderer's" life - spittle flying from his lips.
Ezran Slade however grabs two of the men nearest him by the shoulders and whispers a quick order to the contrary, with a cold glance toward the Deep One.
With a groan, the platform shudders as the men fall when the floor drops out from under them. Stepping back, Quelthas puts a few paces of distance between himself and the Admiral. With a sidelong glance, Quelthas checks to make sure that the crowd's attention has been drawn to the struggling men. At the sight of the escape efforts of his shipmates, Quelthas draws back his hood with a smirk. Quelthas catches the eye of some of the rest of the crew before returning his focus to the scene before him.
Touching the mithril circlet on his head with his fingertips, Quelthas focuses inwardly, bringing to mind an image of a bay filled with fog on an overcast day. Slowly, the elf gestures to the air in front of him, beckoning the surrounding elements to obey his power and bring fog to the gallows.
Quelthas: The thick fog quickly rolls down the streets and alleys, spilling between the ramshackle buildings and settling over the courtyard like a winter blanket. Even after removing your cowl, everyone seems too distracted to have noticed your ruse. Now the air is so thick that it's hard to see more than a few feet in front of you. You also begin to sense a building tension of magic all around you, like steam building in a cauldron.
That is when the the courtyard erupts into chaos.
Numeo: It's like music to your ears, as panicked shouts rise around you. Something is happening in the fog, and only you possess the information to understand what. "Oh gods, what is happening to me?" A man shouts from the fog. Another collapses before you with massive tentacles flailing from his back, twisting the fog around him in trails from the new appendages. Someone stumbles lightly into you from behind, revealing what would be a rather attractive silhouette save for the shaggy facial hair. His shock would indicate that the comely form comes as much more of a shock than the beard.
The prevalent assumption seems to be that the mysterious fog is responsible for the drastic changes suddenly taking place, and the once blood-thirsty crowd frantically scatters to escape the transforming mist.
But six guards, so far unchanged, burst from the fog atop the hangman's scaffolding. Four of them following the Admiral's orders and rushing Sebastion with bayonets fixed. With such long weapons it will be difficult to get close enough to strike at them. Two others erupt only a foot or so from Obed, blades already raised to fillet the Deep One and faces filled with fury.
Hearing the chaos erupting in the crowd, Numeo laughs in triumph! IT WORKED! MY CONCOCTION WORKED! "AHAHAHAHAHAHA!" he has to keep himself from tossing his head back and cackling.
Still chuckling a little, he calls, "SEBASTION! If you're tired of wielding your footwear, try this!" and tosses the pirate his cutlass.
Kale roars as he pushes himself to his feet, beard trembling with rage. The severed noose still hanging from his neck, his tricorner hat sitting askew. "YOU DARE!", he bellows, echoing above the screams of the panicked crowd. "You dare to string up ME! And MY CREW!
Kale stares at the six men rushing onto the scaffolding, his eyes flashing, his body trembling with rage. The force of his righteous anger is almost palpable.
The four men rushing Sebastion are accustomed to obeying voices of authority, and even with a limp noose around his neck Captain Kale commands it. They pause for a moment in their rush along the scaffolding, weapons drooping slightly in their hesitance.
Sebastion, ever aware a perfect opportunity, snatches the soaring cutlass out of the air with his shackled hands and sprints for the distracted guards. He is no fan of killing people, as he still sees them for what they are - victims to the harsh reality of life. However, certain situations call for unfortunate responses and with this notion Sebastion settles on a fight to the death if need be. Sprinting towards the distracted soldiers, Sebastion raises his loaned blade and attempts to cut down across one of the men's legs, leaving him with a crippling wound that would leave him breathing, but hopefully too demoralized to fight.
After his quick strike, Sebastion will attempt to get a quick look out at the crowd and locate Admiral Blackwater.
Sebastion: The proffered blade digs deep into the man's leg, who drops from the scaffolding with a yell. Two of the others stab quickly, but their bayonets are quickly flicked aside by your swift swordplay. In fact, even with the clash of steel you're able to look over their shoulders where the fog is already beginning to spread and fade, where Admiral Blackwater stands with a worried look on his face.
Quelthas, only half garbed in Executioner attire stands unnoticed only a foot or so behind him.
As you're looking, however, one of the three begins to strafe around you hoping to flank your masterful swordplay.
Numeo: The fog still hangs thick at the base of the scaffolding where you stand, but it's quite satisfying to see your blade cut ribbons through the whispy atmosphere. Then suddenly the ground begins to shake, accompanied by the squeels and shouts of some of the crowd that still remains, as if something large were moving quickly through the fog in your direction.
Obed's fall from the gallow loosened his hands enough that he was able to pry them apart allowing him to rip the hood off his head giving him a clear view of the two men charging him. Quickly pulling the gag out, he shouts unholy words that seem to be out of place in a world that has sunshine and trees and flowers...
"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Dagon R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!!!"
Thrusting the hood towards one the guards, you see his face contort in horror as he sees something that is unimaginably horrible to the man.
Even as he horrifies the one guard, he keeps an eye on the other dodging as the man stabs at him.
Kale lets out a vicious laugh as one of the guards falls, screaming, off the edge of the gallows platform--thanks to Sebastion's well-placed slash. His eyes narrow as he sees one of the guards begin to sneak around behind Sebastion. "So you'd you stab my First Mate in the back, would you?"
Kale lowers his head like a bull and charges forward across the platform, boots thudding on the sea-warped wood. Bellowing incoherantly, he dives for the dishonorable guard, planning to catch him by surpise and send them both plummeting off the platform.
Quietly, Quelthas steps away from the Admiral, putting a few more paces of space between the two. Taking note of the dissipating fog, Quelthas slowly draws his trusty dagger, keeping it palmed, the blade concealed along the length of his arm. Inwardly, his elven senses were still flickering from the sudden flood of magical energy being released in the area.
Hardly a Sailor of martial talent, Quelthas readies himself for action in case the Admiral tries to make an escape, or should an opportunity to subdue the Admiral arise...
Obed: The two men that erupted from the fog around you both dig in their blades as you cast your spell, spilling inky blood upon the platform and ground below. The horrible visage that erupts immediately after sends one sprawling from the platform clawing at his eyes. The second falters backwards a step. "What in the seven seas are you?!"
Quelthas: The admiral begins to backpedal in your direction. "Finish them, Uhtred!" he commands you, beginning to look back and see why his executioner is not retaliating.
Kale: Your foot must still be caught on Kelph's trousers, as your bull-rush attempt sends you sprawling wide of the flanking guard. You're tumbling over the edge, but are close enough to the man to grab the cutlass in his belt and still bring him down. That would do some real damage to your hand though.
Quelthas: The admiral begins to backpedal in your direction. "Finish them, Uhtred!" he commands you, beginning to look back and see why his executioner is not retaliating.
Thinking fast, Quelthas answers with a sharp,
"Yes, Sir!"
Swiftly closing the gap, Quelthas swings wildly at the Admiral with his dagger, hoping to catch him off guard...
Kale: Your foot must still be caught on Kelph's trousers, as your bull-rush attempt sends you sprawling wide of the flanking guard. You're tumbling over the edge, but are close enough to the man to grab the cutlass in his belt and still bring him down. That would do some real damage to your hand though.
Kale stumbles forward, as off balance as if he'd downed a quart of rum. He stands on one foot for just a moment, right on the edge of the platform, windmilling his arms wildly.
He grabs for the cutlass, heedless of the pain, as his weight drags both him and the hapless guard down to the ground below.
Quelthas: The admiral begins to backpedal in your direction. "Finish them, Uhtred!" he commands you, beginning to look back and see why his executioner is not retaliating.
Thinking fast, Quelthas answers with a sharp,
"Yes, Sir!"
Swiftly closing the gap, Quelthas swings wildly at the Admiral with his dagger, hoping to catch him off guard...
[dice=Hack and Slash (STR)]2d6 + 0
Sebastion has a quick moment of indecision, "Go after the admiral or continue to look amazing on this wonderful stage?" As if to make the decision for him, he spots Quelthas stike the Admiral. Turning to re-engage the soldiers, he glimpses Kale flying by his side as he grabs onto the flanking soldier and yanks him off the gallows. He quickly pulls free of the loosened rope bindings and attempts to pull the remaining noose from around his neck with his free hand while keeping an active defense with the cutlass.
Sebastion keeps his cutlass up and at the ready, prepared to knock aside any attacks coming his way and keep harm at bay.
When you parry an enemy's attack with your blade, roll+DEX. On a 10+, choose 2. On a 7-9, choose 1:
• You take no damage.
• You deal damage equal to your level to your opponent.
• You lock blades with them, keeping their full attention.
Black blood sprays from a wound in Obed's side as the guards slash him. Unluckily for them, they didn't realize who they were dealing with.
Obed's magic blasts into the fear centers of one of the guards who claws at his eyes trying to deal with the knowledge of man's insignificance in the universe as a bit of the veil is pulled a part. The second recoils away from the black eyes that stare into his face. What in the seven seas are you? the guard whines. "I'm the abyss that stares back at you in your darkest nightmares, I'm the sound that you hear under your bed, I'm the shape you see out of the corner of your eyes, I am the voice of Father Dagon and I am your DOOM" shout Obed as he brandishes the hood in the face of the second guard.
Panicked screams continue to fill the courtyard, and the mysterious fog makes it difficult for anyone to see exactly what's happening. As Kale, grimacing in pain, staggers to his feat near the base of the gallows, a middle-aged man in a leather apron runs toward him, moaning in terror. Kale takes a step back, under the gallows, and the man rushes past--struggling with the third arm now growing from his chest!
Under the gallows, Kale holds his injured hand close to his chest as he scans the area, trying to catch his bearings. Long time since I've found myself in a brawl as mad as this one, Kale thinks. Fog o' war, indeed! Above him, steel clashes and rings as Sebastion fights off the two guards still on the platform with him. A few feet away, the guard that fell off the platform with Kale is climbing to his knees, shaking his head and cursing. Kale's hat lies at the ground near the guard's feet, having fallen from his head during the tumble from the platform's edge. Another guard lies on the ground a few paces behind the first, wimpering in pain and attempting to stanch the bleeding from a vicious cut to the leg.
Further behind Kale, Grool the Urchin and Cue Ball cower in the shadows beneath the gallows, more terrified of the 'evil fog' than of the guards. Hrumph! Those two are useless, but at least they're out of trouble for the moment. I think Kaph is still up on the platform...hope he's safe. But before Kale can look for his cabin boy, he spots the guard heading his way.
The uninjured guard grins and lifts his weapon menacingly. Kale starts to lift his fists, reluctantly preparing to fight, when suddenly the captain's face goes slack with horror. "W-what...what in all the hells is THAT!", he cries, pointing just behind the guard.
If this works, Kale thinks, I'm going to sock that idiot across the jaw and snatch his blade...
After deftly deflecting the dastardly duo, Sebastion manages to loosen the noose enough to slip over his head, careful not to dishevel his own beard or luscious locks. Sebastion shifts his footing from a defensive stance to one better suited for a lunging strike that would bring him past the enemies' defenses. He keeps his cutlass pointed and bends his elbow, preparing for a stab like a well trained fencer, but at the last minute, the captain's feigned cries of horror catch his attention. He steps back and turns to see what it could be. Nothing obvious stands out to the pirate. He looks down for the captain and only sees his heavy hand protruding from beneath the planks. Sebastion traces the finger and finds an advancing soldier charging towards his captain. Acting quickly, he readies his left hand, the one holding the noose. He quickly flicks the hooped end of the rope over one of the soldier's neck and laughs triumphantly, "HaHA! Now, if you would be so kind, let me introduce you to the gallows!" He leaps off the gallows, keeping a firm grip on the thick rope. As he plummets to the ground, the guard advancing on Kale runs straight in his path and collides with Sebastion's outstretched feet, knocking him to the ground. As Sebastion lands, he feels the rope jerk out of his hand. Looking back he finds the lasso'd soldier face down on the gallows, pulled head first to the floor by the force of the dashing hero's fall. "She's quite nice isn't she!?" he yells back, now at Kale's side. He tosses his captain the cutlass and dances lightly on his left foot, preparing to use the knife in his boot if necessary. "You take this, I'm going to reclaim my sword from that libido-lacking landlubber Blackwater!"
Numeo: The fog still hangs thick at the base of the scaffolding where you stand, but it's quite satisfying to see your blade cut ribbons through the whispy atmosphere. Then suddenly the ground begins to shake, accompanied by the squeels and shouts of some of the crowd that still remains, as if something large were moving quickly through the fog in your direction.
Numeo's expression changes from satisfaction to concern quite quickly. Narrowing his eyes, he opens his coat - a strange pirate affectation loaned to him by the Captain - and reaches for his alchemical bandolier.
When you Swill a potion in your mouth and breathe it out, roll 2d6+Int. On a 10+, choose a tag and apply it to one of the options below:
The cloud of vapour counts as a reach weapon and deals class damage. Describe how.
It has lasting effects (e.g. forms into an ice bridge, melts armour, etc.)
If you roll a 7-9, as above, and your aim also hits something unintended, or the GM picks one of the potion's tags and applies the effects to you!
Reckless Mixtures: When you use your potion as a breath weapon, (i.e. Belch), on a 12+ you can choose BOTH positive effects, not just one. You also get one of the negative effects from rolling a 7-9, GM's choice.
He grasps a potion of enervating flames (languishing and flaming tags) that he had prepared for this situation. Glancing at the bottle and swilling it momentarily to sift the ingredients inside - which include nightshade and fire beetle secretions - he empties the bottle into his mouth. Then, immediately after the potion's effects are triggered by his mouth's bacterial flora, he will spew a wall of flames in a cone in front of him to dissuade any from approaching.
Quelthas curses inwardly, managing to merely nick the Admiral with his surprise attack. A new thought crosses Quelthas' mind as he twists his face in feigned confusion.
"Oh gods! The fog! It has bewitched me, Sir! My actions are not my own! Get away! Get away!"
Quelthas takes another swing at the Admiral, pressing his combination of attack and distraction...
Obed: Even as one of the guards flees screaming and flailing, the second begins to seriously question the direction his life is taking. This openning gives you a golden opportunity to solidify those fears. Once again calling on your slumbering god, the fears of the depths echo through your voice and overwhelm the man before you to the point that he simply passes out in a puddle of his own urine. With this last spell, you can sense the magic around you begin to tear like a fine tapestry... it's growing fragile.
Your two immediate threats are gone, but just beyond where they were you see Quelthas revealed and sparring with the Admiral...
Quelthas: Your first slash goes undefended, but clanks off of the Admiral's shiny breastplate with a spark. Wait, isn't that Sebastian's shiny breastplate?!
The man turns quickly to face his executioner , just as you lunge again. For a second time your blade lights off of his armor with a spark. With fear in his eyes, but bolstered by your so far futile attemps, the Admiral slides Sebastian's rapier free from his belt and thrusts it through your left arm as a wicked grin crosses his face.
Sebastian: Kale's selfless act has freed you up to focus on the two guards before you without guarding your flank. It was a gutsy move, you must admit, but you may need to help him work on his style. Both men stab at you with their bayonets, and everytime you push them aside with the cutlass. You're unable to find an openning, however, to thrust yourself.
Finally, hearing your captain call out from below, you hatch a plan. The guard seems more than a little shocked as you flick the empty noose over his nest (dead ringer), and even more so as you slide your arm around his waist. He jabs you in the side with his blade as you take to the air.
About halfway through your leap, the guard is wrenched from your embrace like a yoyo, and you land gracefully atop the guard below - who crumples to the ground, his head crashes to the dirt. You are about to take a bow atop his still body, when you see the massive silhouette racing your direction through the dissipating fog...
Everett Kale: Your hand stings from the blade you clutched, but a cursory evaluation leaves you confident that there won't be lasting damage. In a quick play for an advantage, you ply the oldest trick in the book. The guard before you doesn't even glance behind him, as his eyes grow wide with fear at something approaching behind you.
Perhaps he should have looked, though, as he might have seen Sebastian swinging in. The guard lays still now at your feet, but there's no time to thank your first mate, as he too notices whatever distracted the guard. He swiftly tosses you his cutlass in preparation...
Numeo: The chaos around you is music to your ears, though the screams are fading with the fog as much of the crowd has vacated the cursed area. That's when you notice the lumbering steps, thundering in your direction. Kale and Sebastion now stand beside you pull a brilliant flask from your bandolier and quaff the bubbling concoction.
You turn to face the towering silhouette just as the flames spew from your mouth - illuminating the area and warming your faces. Whatever fog remained between you and the threat is most certainly burned away, filling the air with the smell of steam and burnt hair.
Stalled before the three of you, but certainly not deterred, rages a giant of a man - with singed and smoking beard, now hairless chest, and nothing but a giant axe and a disgruntled stare to adorn himself with. It seems the real executioner has managed to free himself.
In shock, you (Numeo) wipe the lingering liquid that runs down your chin, flicking it behind you where it unintentionally bursts into flame - igniting the base of the hangman's platform.
- Three of you stand below, as the naked Executioner lifts his gargantuan axe into the air above your heads.
- Quelthas stands wounded before a bolstered Admiral, and though Obed stands behind Blackwater unnoticed, he also has the final guard Sebastian left now approaching him.
- A small fire is quickly spreading beneath the platform where a lone guard hangs, swinging.
In this moment of perfect chaos, Numeo stares up at the executioner above him. What do they EAT in these lands, to grow to such sizes? a shrill inner voice cries inside his head. Shut up and concentrate, his more focused mind clamps down on his fear. Volatility of the tempers induces sudden and erratic instability in the host and can create unwanted side-effects...AGH!
Numeo blinks his eyes. The flaming vapors of the fog and the burning gallows behind him sound somehow familiar. He finds that he was staring at one hand, where an Incredibly Acidic Goo potion (bubbling and acidic tags) sits, and then glances upward again.
The executioner glowers right at him, and grips his axe menacingly. Through the fire, Numeo's eyes play tricks on him, making his normal, human features suddenly monstrous and alien in appearance. "STAY BACK! STAY BACK!" Numeo screams desperately.
Wild-eyed, he pulls the cork stopper out of the potion and empties it into his mouth. Without wasting an instant, he spits an acidic cloud of vapor through the wall of flames, and into the executioner's face!
Obed reaches out to the Power that is hidden beyond the veil to expose the final guard to the insignificance of man and his works. He smiles even as the words of power flow like a festering sore out of his burning throat.
Obed croaks "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Dagon R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!!!". Unfortunately for Father Dagon's choosen, Obed's ability to grasp and tear the veil has failed him. The last guard is confronted by the escaped prisoner thrusting an empty hood at him for no apparent reason.
Obed reaches out to the Power that is hidden beyond the veil to expose the final guard to the insignificance of man and his works. He smiles even as the words of power flow like a festering sore out of his burning throat.
Obed croaks "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Dagon R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!!!". Unfortunately for Father Dagon's choosen, Obed's ability to grasp and tear the veil has failed him. The last guard is confronted by the escaped prisoner thrusting an empty hood at him for no apparent reason.
Obed: You can feel the spell slip away from you as soon as you begin to speak. In fact, with every word the man before you begins to grow darker and darker in your own eyes - shifting and twisting into something frightening.
You know that panic that's growing in your mind isn't true, but a backlash from your own spell. But it still clouds your mind and draws your focus to maintain composure. You're quickly pulled from it's tendrils as a bayonet slices through your hip, spilling more of your inky blood on the growing flames licking from below.
The guard before you makes a disgusted face at the appearance of your blood, but seems undeterred from spilling more as he thrusts a second time...
In this moment of perfect chaos, Numeo stares up at the executioner above him. What do they EAT in these lands, to grow to such sizes? a shrill inner voice cries inside his head. Shut up and concentrate, his more focused mind clamps down on his fear. Volatility of the tempers induces sudden and erratic instability in the host and can create unwanted side-effects...AGH!
Numeo blinks his eyes. The flaming vapors of the fog and the burning gallows behind him sound somehow familiar. He finds that he was staring at one hand, where an Incredibly Acidic Goo potion (bubbling and acidic tags) sits, and then glances upward again.
The executioner glowers right at him, and grips his axe menacingly. Through the fire, Numeo's eyes play tricks on him, making his normal, human features suddenly monstrous and alien in appearance. "STAY BACK! STAY BACK!" Numeo screams desperately.
Wild-eyed, he pulls the cork stopper out of the potion and empties it into his mouth. Without wasting an instant, he spits an acidic cloud of vapor through the wall of flames, and into the executioner's face!
The giant is surprised by the acidic vomit, and actually checks his swing as a spray of acid begins to slowly burn at his weathered, exposed flesh. His grimace deepens, and with a roar and lifts his axe once again - determined not to be caught off-guard by the same trick twice. (Though in truth he already has, twice. But I'm not going to tell him.)
Obed's mind is awash with feelings of horror until the last guard's blade bites into him. He feels a sharp pain in his hip followed by a warm liquid rolling down his leg.
Gathering his will, Obed tries again to call on the primordial power dwelling behind the veil to remove the confidence in the guard's eyes and replace it with the terror that belongs there. This time he feels the veil open to his will as he again thrusts the hood at the guard. "Run away human before I put your heart into this bag!"
Your two immediate threats are gone, but just beyond where they were you see Quelthas revealed and sparring with the Admiral...
Quelthas: Your first slash goes undefended, but clanks off of the Admiral's shiny breastplate with a spark. Wait, isn't that Sebastian's shiny breastplate?!
The man turns quickly to face his executioner , just as you lunge again. For a second time your blade lights off of his armor with a spark. With fear in his eyes, but bolstered by your so far futile attemps, the Admiral slides Sebastian's rapier free from his belt and thrusts it through your left arm as a wicked grin crosses his face.
Quelthas groans in pain as the rapier pierces his arm. Eyeing the Admiral coldly, Quelthas calls out to his mates.
"We've got a live one here, me trumps!"
Springing away from Blackwater, Quelthas works to put some distance between himself and the Admiral so he can better avoid further injury.
Quelthas groans in pain as the rapier pierces his arm. Eyeing the Admiral coldly, Quelthas calls out to his mates.
"We've got a live one here, me trumps!"
Springing away from Blackwater, Quelthas works to put some distance between himself and the Admiral so he can better avoid further injury.
As Admiral Blackwater slides the bloody rapier from Quelthas' arm, the elf vaults backwards off of the platform, dodging a quick thrust from his frustrated adversary and landing on the ground beside it with only a light touch of the hand to maintain balance.
The Admiral spits in your direction and rushes for the steps descending from the platform, not willing to attempt the same acrobatics as you.
You notice, now that almost all of the fog has faded from the courtyard that only a small handful of disformed citizens remain - most of whom have mutated in a way that has made running for succor a relative impossibility. You also notice that Ezran Slade is nowhere to be seen!
Obed's mind is awash with feelings of horror until the last guard's blade bites into him. He feels a sharp pain in his hip followed by a warm liquid rolling down his leg.
Gathering his will, Obed tries again to call on the primordial power dwelling behind the veil to remove the confidence in the guard's eyes and replace it with the terror that belongs there. This time he feels the veil open to his will as he again thrusts the hood at the guard. "Run away human before I put your heart into this bag!"
Even as the communion of your god seems to be thinning, you have no trouble this time in ripping the last guard's sanity - who drops his weapon and leaps toward the rising flames to escape whatever it is he's seen.
Behind you, the constable - Admiral Blackwater, seems more interested in the faux executioner than in you, leaving you alone atop the platform as the spreading flames rise around you, licking at the edges of your tattered robes.