Hysteresis Loops: The Gion Cover Up (Inactive)

Game Master Terquem

Listening to the conversation with ever-growing amusement, Mog leans over to Gruul, speaking in a loud whisper.

"Did yer 'ear that, Gruul? 'Charges', init? We was bein' followed. Hehe. Well, I spose I can 'ardly blame the priests for wantin' ter keep an eye on such a one as meself."

"I'm used to such treatment, but I wouldn't take this one personally Mog. They hold this place sacred." Gruul says quietly.

Speaking louder, "We'll have no trouble guiding you folks out of here, even after these torches die. But maybe for your friend's sake, we should leave before then." Gruul couldn't help but notice the edge of fear in Ryko's voice, though he wasn't sure what concerned him most; the temper of the lady, or the darkness of these catacombs.

Surana opens her mouth to respond to the dwarf when the torch goes out and Ryko speaks. "Fool," she mutters, "ere' er kalina ten' an lema..."

Pointedly turning her back on the dwarf, she addresses Gruul. Her voice softens ever so slightly, though it still bears a sharp edge of annoyance. "We do not require your 'guidance', but kindly allow this one"—here she motions toward Ryko—"the use of your torch. He will leave it at the entrance to the catacombs."

"I only bear it because of the policy here, it's yours as far as I'm concerned. But there is still the matter of our duty, which can't be ignored if there are hostiles around." His voice betrays his own annoyance, which is in part directed to the shackles his employment has put on him. Were it otherwise, I'd leave these fools to their fate and be done with it, Gruul thought.

"Since she represents this church, I'd be willing to leave it to our keeper to decide." he said with a nod to Kudzu.

Surana's shoulders relax, and she chuckles musically. Keeping her back toward the dwarf, she addresses the half-orc with the tiniest smile. "I am sure that such a reasonable keeper will have no objections."

Krevek wait patiently as the conversation continues,vigilantly watching for any others.

Kudzu sighs deeply. "Well, as the blue girl seems uninterested in sharing her name..." She turns to the orc, "What is your mission, perhaps I can assist?"

Before the Half-orc can answer the question, there is a loud and continuous scream, high pitched, guttural, from the area beyond this room (where Surana, Krevek, and Ryko have recently come from).

"What in the name of..." Krevek blurts on "That sounded goblin" he says and quickly moves to the room he was just in, drawing his sword. "Get that damn light over here!"

Surana's gaze snaps toward of the sound, and she prepares to follow the man and half-orc as soon as they precede her with a light.

Gruul thrusts the burning torch into Ryko's hands, barely pausing to make sure he'd grabbed hold. "Follow." he said with a snarl.

"Hope your powder's dry..." Gruul draws his falchion and walks into the room, searching for the source of the scream.

Kudzu will set her lantern down, draw her shield, and move in right behind Gruul.

Dropping low and keeping quiet, Mog brings up the party's rear.

Stealth 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (5) + 17 = 22
Double Moving at half speed (10 ft.)

Ryko drops the burnt out torce, and deftly takes the new torch from Gruul, then moves after Kudzu.

In order to be helpful, I hope, let me describe the area using an earlier post. First, from the fifteen by fifteen foot room, where everyone was getting acquainted, there is an archway, then a ten foot section of corridor, five feet wide (it’s actually about 8 feet wide, but for the game I’m saying it’s a five foot wide corridor). Then there is another archway, and then this description:

It is noticeably cooler in the room you enter. It is a chamber about fifteen feet square. There are openings in the walls to the left and right. These openings are wider than five feet, and have a similar, if somewhat smaller, design, as the arch you first noticed as being different. There is less dirt here, and the walls, ceiling and floor are smooth and it is difficult to tell what kind of material was used to construct this place. There are no unusual smells, only the expected scent of stale air and dirt.

On the right, through the opening in the wall, you can see the strange table like apparatus that Ryko described the night before, but nowhere can be seen the body of Refan. On the left, through a similar opening, you can see what look like wardrobe like storage units standing against the walls. The rooms to either side of the main room, the one you have just entered, are about the same size as this room.

So to clarify, there is a room. It is 15’ by 15’. There are openings (which have sliding doors that can be closed, Krevek and Surana have discovered this) to the left and right as you enter, and these openings are centered in the walls. There are chambers (rooms) beyond these openings that are about as wide as the first room (15’) but are longer (deeper) extending to about 25’ past the openings. The room on the right has a strange table in the center, and no other features. The room on the left has “wardrobe” like standing cabinets made of metal along the long walls and a strange glass, curio style cabinet or device on the far wall opposite the opening. I hope everyone gets an idea for the area. I am still trying to figure out how to use MapTools, please be patient with me. Thanks

As Krevek runs back toward the three room area, he has to dodge two Goblin children running in the opposite direction.

Grull is close behind Krevek, Surana and Kudzu are next, followed by Moq and Ryko (who is holding a light source).

When Krevek enters the center room he sees two dead Goblins on the floor, an adult and a child, their bodies seem to be smoldering.

There are sounds, repetitive whirling, clacking, and snapping sounds, coming from the room on the left.

With Krevek in the first five foot square entering the center chamber, Gruul directly behind him, Kudzu and Surana “squeezing” into the square behind Gruul, and Moq and Ryko “squeezing” into the square behind them, please roll initiative.

Initiative: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (11) + 0 = 11

Initative: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Init: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (3) - 1 = 2

That is an unfortunate roll!

Not exactly light on her feet!

Another Goblin child runs out from the room on the left, and nearly collides with Krevek.

Momentarily distracted by the idea that more Goblins may come running, Krevek looks down toward the floor, and then the sound of metal striking metal jars his eyes upward as an object walks to the doorway on his left.

It is unlike anything any of you have ever seen. It stands just over five feet high, on five, possibly six, legs (it is difficult to tell). The legs extend from a body that is shape like two, shiny, silver dinner blows placed one overturned on the top of another, with a gap, something internal acting as support for the upper bowl. The bowl shapes are no more than two feet in diameter, and the gap between them is only inches, but it is from this gap that the mechanical legs of the object extend. The legs look as if they are made from a combination of wood and metal, and are mostly just a series of rods and cylinders. A large cylinder, nearly three feet long toward the bottom, then a rod, and then extending to a foot or more over the body is another cylinder with a round knuckle at the top, and then sharply angling back down toward the body another cylinder and rod with another knuckle fastened to a rod that passes through the gap in the bowls and disappears into the body. The legs have a decidedly insect like look, almost spider like, but the strange way they are connected to the body is remarkable. It is as if the body can rotate in place while the legs remain where they are. The rods, embedded in the cylinders, are constantly moving, adjusting up and down, the articulated nature of the legs is alive with constant motion, but the bowl shaped body, floats almost undisturbed by the activity. The legs end in three pointed affairs that look like the feet of a giant bird.

The bowl shaped body is not entirely smooth. It is lined with raised ridges and has dark pockets of shadowy recesses. Loose and waving tubes come out of the recesses, travel a few inches across the body, and then disappear again into a different recess. Some of these tubes are made from a material that resembles cloth, and is translucent. Dark green and brown fluids flow through the tubes broken now and then by what look like bubbles of air.

The object appears to be either a living thing, or some animated apparatus, either powered by magic or a technology that is beyond your understanding. There do not appear to be any arms or anything like hands, no eyes, or any sort of mouth. It is impossible, at first to tell if the object is facing toward Krevek and the rest of you or not.
As you get your first look at the object, it has walked, or moved somehow, to stand just beyond the doorway to the left, you watch an adult Goblin leap onto one of the objects legs. The goblin takes hold of the leg with both hands and tries to bite the cylinder of the lower, another Goblin, this one hardly more than a child, strikes another leg with a small hatchet.

The attacks the Goblins are making seem to be having little or no affect.

Moq and Surana can declare their actions. Mog is 15 feet behind Krevek, and 30 feet from the object and does not have an unblocked line of sight to it (he can just about make out the very edge of the object through the angle he must look). Surana is 10 feet behind Krevek,25 feet from the object, and has a better view of the object, but her line of sight is blocked as well (as far as making a ranged attack is concerned).

Surana frowns and attempts to move forward just enough to give her companions a bit more room. Can I get into a free square where I won't be squeezing, without provoking an AoO?

She then points at the thing and whispers, "Ilnactur!" and a dart flies out of her hand toward it.

Flat-footed(?) Ranged Touch: 1d20 + 0 - 4 ⇒ (16) + 0 - 4 = 12 (Includes penalty for firing into melee.)
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 1
This attack deals acid damage and ignores spell resistance.

Oh, of course, roll minimum damage... sigh.

Grimacing at his viewing angle, Mog turns to Ryko and tugs on his clothes, hard, and gestures towards his musket.

"I need a view. Put me up on yor shoulders. Oh, and cover yer ears."

Mog readies a Move action to 'mount' Ryko as soon as he lets him.

"oh, sweet crumb cakes! Not again," Ryko thinks to himself as he lowers his arm into a position that Moq can use to climb him.

"How does this keep happening to me? Why do I always end up with a Halfling or a Goblin on my shoulders?"

Stifling a wicked cackle, Mog clambers up Ryko's side and sits on his shoulders.

"That's a good boy! Steady now! Steady! Right, now lets spot wot we 'ave 'ere."

Leaning forward and squinting his eyes, Mog spots the large machine and readies his gun for a shot. "This should be a tad more effective I fink"

Ranged attack with Small Battered Musket and Deadly Aim (-1 To Hit for +2 Damage)
vs Touch AC (First RI): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Damage: 1d10 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9

Krevek, looking on at what cannot possibly be moving, draws his sword and attempts to strike with sword and shield.

Sword: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21
Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11

Shield: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Surana can move forward and right, without any danger of being attacked, inthis round, and have a clear target.

Surana’s dart flies true and manages to strike the body of the thing. Smoke rises from where the acid splashes against the hard shell.
Moq leans forward and to the right, turning his head to get the best view he can, and fires, but his aim is off and the bullet ricochets harmlessly off the open archway beside the machine.

The machine reacts to Suran’s attack and the body spins rapidly, revealing a side of the thing you have not seen. The legs move up and down, and the feet spin as each foot moves, and the strange machine takes one five foot step closer to Krevek.

With the new face of the machine toward you, you look on in surprise as a slim panel, no more than a couple of inches wide snaps open on the shell, and rectangular box extends out of the shell. The front of the box glows red, and a beam of heat fires toward Krevek (actually aiming for Surana, but Krevek is in the way).

Ranged Touch Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17 damage if hit heat damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Krevek takes the heat, glad to be in a position to do so.

Hoping my solid hit from before does some damage!

Gruul takes in the scene while magic and bullets fly around him. He watches as the machinery moves and opens fire at the group. I don't know what madness this is, but better to smash it first and question later...

He closes the distance to the strange creature and raises his falchion high over his head. With a yell, the half-orc brings the blade down with all of his strength, aiming for the center of this wretched contraption.

Power Attack, Falchion: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17
Damage: 2d4 + 9 ⇒ (1, 2) + 9 = 12

if it's possible to get beside the unit and out of the line of sight between it and the party, that's where I'd like to be.

Kudzu yells out, "Torag, hear our plea! Bless our weapons that we might strike down this creature!"

cast bless... +1 attack rolls and saves against fear

She then moves forward, trying to get in a flanking position for Krevek or Gruul.

The burning heat scorches Krevek’s shield arm as he rushes forward, throwing off his timing, but as he ducks and turns he brings the sword up and across severing one of the legs of the strange machine.
The machine wobbles, the body spins, as the strange box tracks his movements. A glow begins in the recesses of the strange box, but just then, Gruul rushes forward and with a tremendous blow drives the body of the machine down until it cracks and slits in two.

Sparks fly out of the shattered body, and short gout of yellow-green flame follows. All motion of the machine ceases.

But this is not over. Now standing in the doorway, and looking into the long room on the left, Gruul and Krevek see that this thing was not the only one of its kind.

Surana, can see between the man and the half-orc, and her eyes stare intently as she watches another machine, like this one, and then another, come clambering up from a hole in the floor of the room just to the right of the glass curio cabinet that looks as if it is some kind of trap door that was opened by the goblins.

Ryko moves, stepping to the left and then to the right, cautiously until he is standing beside Surana, and can also see the two other machines, just as the second one clears the hole in the floor.

"Get the children out of here" Krevek says to the goblins in undercommon as he stands, ready to engage the new threats. "Someone get the door closed!"

Surana nods at Krevek's words and sends another acidic dart flying toward the new arrival.

Ranged Touch (bless): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17 (-4 penalty if I can't get a clear shot due to allies in the way)
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Edit: good catch, thanks Gruul.

+1 to attack for Bless?

+1 attack and save vs fear

Mog grumbles and reloads his musket. Trying his best not to spill any of the powder on Ryko, what with the torch nearby and everything.

1 bullet and powder used. Will keep track and mark them off at the end of combat.

It is Round 2

Surana strikes Unit #2 with a dart of acid. The body of the thing smokes and a few small sparks escape from a crack that forms as the acid eats away at whatever material the thing is made of.

Hearing Krevek’s command, the remaining Goblins run for their lives, one of the Adult Goblins, taking two of the Goblin Children by the hands as it runs.

There were originally five adult goblins and six young, now there are only three adults and three young (one adult and one young goblin are dead on the floor in the central chamber, remember?) meaning that one adult and two young goblins are unaccounted for.

The Unit in front (Unit #2) Steps quickly to the side, making a place for the other unit to rise completely out of the ground and stand next to it. Krevek, standing fifteen feet away from the units, cringes as he notices that both units are deploying the same small heat producing boxes from their bodies.

Each Unit targets a different person

Krevek Ranged Touch Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6 damage if hit Heat Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Gruul Ranged Touch Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15 damage if hit Heat Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Gruul clenches his jaw as he sees the blast rush towards him. With a flash, the strange energy connects with his chest. He feels a searing pain and smells the faint odor of singed clothing, and then Gruul's eyes lock on the machine that attacked him. I take the damage (7 / 12 hp), Ranger's Focus, swift action, using my 1/day use to get +2 on attack and damage rolls vs this unit

With a few quick steps, Gruul winds up and swings his falchion with all of his strength at the machine that shot him.

Falchion, power attack, ranger's focus, bless: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26
Damage: 2d4 + 11 ⇒ (4, 1) + 11 = 16

on preview, crit threat! not sure how you want to handle damage if it confirms... roll once x2, or roll twice?
crit confirmation: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21
Damage, if I'm rolling twice...: 2d4 + 11 ⇒ (3, 3) + 11 = 17

I need tougher Machines, gulp!

Surana watches silently as the... creatures... are broken down.

Skip action.

Kudzu takes a moment to analyze the tactical situation, then will channel the might of Torag to heal the wounds of both her companions and the goblins.

channel, excluding the remaining machine 1d6 ⇒ 4

She'll then call out, "Anybody have any idea what the hell these things are?" as she moves forward to block their access to Surana.

Krevek swings at the one one that attempted to burn him with sword and shield again.

Sword attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12
Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Shield: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Don't forget the Bless

yes, oops... so 13 and 9 for my attacks

Having finished his reload, Mog raises his rifle and takes one last shot at the remaining machine.

Ranged attack (Small Battered Musket) w/ Bless vs Touch AC: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14
Ranged damage (Small Battered Musket): 1d10 ⇒ 10

Dice seem to hate me for some reason xD

Durring round 2,the goblins flee, Moq reloads, Surana hits Unit #2 with acid, the units attack Krevek and Grull, but…

Gruul rushes machine #2, and with the momentum of his movement strikes the machine just below the legs. Angling upward as he swings, the sword destroys two of the legs completely, and continues upward, striking the body and causing the machine to explode into fragments. As the sword rips the body apart, sparks of blue and green fly and Gruul feels a rush of warmth as some kind of stored energy from within the machine is released.

Krevek’s attacks do not damage the machine. His sword seems to bounce off of the body, while his shield blow is absorbed by one of the legs as it retracts a few inches at the moment of impact.

and Kudzu channels positive energy, healing everyone for 4 points of damage.

As round three begins, Surana is skipping her turn, and…

Moq, swaying from his precarious perch aims and fires at the same machine Krevek attacked (unit #3). The lucky shot misses the hard body of the machine and flies in through the gap between the top and bottom halves of the shell. There is a loud shattering sound, like glass breaking, and the machine shudders, but does not collapse.

Unit #3 reacts to Moq’s attack, a small rod pops out of another concealed compartment on the body and points directly at Ryko and Moq, and then the body spins, bringing the heat ray to aim at them as well,

Ranged Touch Attack – Targets both Ryko and Moq: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9 damage if successful, Heat Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Gruul, Krevek, and Kudzu can now take round three actions, let me know if I got anything out of order, please

Krevek continues to try and keep the machines attention and swings again with sword and shield.

Sword Attacl: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 3 + 1 = 18
1d8 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Shield Attack: 1d20 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 + 1 = 16
1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Kudzu takes one quick step to the side, then swings at the rampaging device.

Warhammer 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11

1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

"Nice shot" Gruul says as another bullet flies. He gathers himself and again swings his sword at the remaining machine.

Falchion, power attack, bless: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
Damage, if I hit: 2d4 + 9 ⇒ (4, 3) + 9 = 16