|
Once rot grubs have infested a living body, they burrow toward the host’s heart, brain, and other key internal organs, eventually causing death. On the first round of infestation, applying flame to the point of entry can kill the grubs and save the host, but this inflicts 1d6 points of fire damage to the victim. Cutting the grubs out also works, but the longer the grubs remain in a host, the more damage this method does. Cutting them out requires a slashing weapon and a DC 20 Heal check, and inflicts 1d6 points of damage per round that the host has been infested. If the Heal check is successful, one grub is removed. Remove disease kills any rot grubs in or on a host.
You have three minutes until show time.
"So they have to be removed before they dig deep? So, for starters, put them on an extremity. A leg is thematically 'pleasurable', as one advances toward the body. And that leaves both hands for the removal."
"And remove them from the weakest of us, first. Will you have more than one knife? Who has any skill in removing arrows and such, in cutting without maiming? Brandon, and... Kyle?"
Yes. I can the wounds. At least this will be something I'm used to.
"This is a little crazy. Do we have to cut them out our self's?"
|
|
It looks like you will need to cut them out, one at a time, with the knife provided. However, given that it's a free action to drop it on the table, it's easy enough to pick up the knife (move action), attempt to cut it out (standard action) and drop it back on the table (Free action)...this allows everyone one attempt using their own heal check to remove it. If some fail, those with higher heal checks may want to do the check on the next round, as the rot grubs do progressively more damage each and every wrong.
"Nothing about this is even remotely sane - what have we done to ourselves here. Is there no means of escape? The thought of this whole thing terrifies me to no end."
Devil lays a hand on Corellon. "We allowed those we thought wiser than ourselves, more informed, perhaps more... moral? We allowed them to enlist us in a cause greater than they, greater than ourselves. And now, a complex plan, ruse within ruse within ruse, involves a risk. One we can manage. And manage better, if we keep hold of our own minds, and each other's hands."
Addressing Robahl, Tessai questions - "Director, do you see any issue with me using powers to regenerate any damage suffered during the course of the Act itself?"
"And also please clarify me this - I can also make my skin more resilient than usual - whcih would make the grubs labor in a more visible but lengthier fashion to enter my body - perhaps this would even be a better spectacle... Would you say this is acceptable for the Act?"
|
|
Perhaps. It's really all about entertaining the...
He pauses for a minute...sweating. He sits down and a stage hand brings him a drink. After gulping it down, he continues
... the people. If they see you're not affected by the creatures when they are quite visibly applied to you as the others, you...um... yeah. Sure.
He looks at those in the non speaking roles. It would look bad if you helped to cut them out. But... If you help them in a way that's not so visible, or worked within the context of the play, perhaps the audience won't notice.
If someone else helps, the person helping must roll a performance check to see if they make it look like a normal part of the play. If successful, the audience will not notice. If unsuccessful, the audience may become unhappy. A modifier is applied based on the action. Touching someone with a cure spell breaks the suspicion of disbelief a lot less than channeling.
Someone yells out, Places, take your places!
|
|
Act III- Trial by Pleasure
In this act, four of the actors are subjected to the trial of pleasure—the “Flukes of Asmodeus” are fictitious creations of the playwright, but the rot grubs who play their roles are very real. When each is applied, it is the actor’s duty to act as if in the throes of unbridled passion while the rot grub burrows through his flesh before cutting the rot grub out with the offered knife.
Torment—Rot Grubs A rot grub inflicts 2 points of Constitution damage per round as it burrows—a DC 17 Fortitude save negates the Constitution damage for that round. In order to remove the grub, a victim must cut the grub out with a knife—this takes a DC 20 Heal check and inflicts 1d6 points of damage to the victim per round the grub has been burrowing (1d6 the first round, 2d6 the second, and so on).
You are free to attempt to cut out their grubs at any point after you make the Perform (act) check to pretend to be in the throes of ecstasy.
Tessai, now that you are on stage, you realize the if you're protected from the grubs, you're going to have to do a good job to convince the audience that there is at least some danger to you. Roll a bluff check as well as a perform check if you wish to use the DR judgement (which does render them completely ineffective)
Otherwise, all speaking just first make a perform check. Then, they each roll a DC17 Fort Check to negate the CON damage for that round. Finally, they roll a heal check to remove the little buggers, inflicting 1d6 damage to themselves in the process.
Round 1
Status
Beppo (22/22 ),
Corellon (15/15 Larazod, Rot Grubbed),
B Devil (17/17 ),
Kyle (14/14 ),
Aemon (20/20 Drovalid, Rot Grubbed),
Edmond (22/22 Tybsin, Rot Grubbed),
Tessai (20/20 Dentris, Maybe Grubbed?),
Corellon does not like this at all. 'Nothing good can come from this. Nothing.' And he resigns himself to his fate.
He seems to be able to keep up the performance despite the impending agony.
But his will is weak and he really has little resistance to the effects of the rot grubs.
The blade missed its mark and he begins to bleed.
But the errant cut could have been much deeper.
The gap in his flesh provided by the blade allows Corellon to see it dig deeper into him.
The thought occurs to Brandon that the people who pay for this kind of entertainment must be morally bankrupt.
The grub burrows in but he grits his teeth and takes the pain.
Unfortunately the thing struggles more than he anticipated and he is not deft enough with the knife to catch it.
Beppo prances around the stage, cold iron in his left hand and silver in his right.
Diddledy Riddledy widdledly woo, what joy they have as the blood runs through...
He tries to surreptitiously slash open a space for his buddy Corellon to get his grub out.
With a lascivious wag of his fire-red brows, the dwarf creeps up, mostly hidden behind the taller folk, though one nut-brown hand emerges, following around the curve of the trim buttocks of the elf playing Larazod. A moment later, the clownish clownfish dwarf peeks out past the elf-Larazod, miming a nod and grin of lecherous approbation.
... while the other hand wields a sensitive touch and a sgian dubh, in search of tunneling death.
Aemon trying to keep cool and composed, but at closer inspection you can see how nervous he is.
I hope this is all worth it.
But he pull's off a good performance, as the grub burrows in to his arm he feel's light headed.
Shaking off whatever the grub is doing to him he grab's the knife and attempts to cut him out.
He almost get's the grub but it just slips in deeper, as blood starts to seep out.
Tessai's serious undertone seems to transpire just the right way, as she lends her character all her outrage at their present situation - words spoken through clenched teeth, insults redirected from their intended recipient to better fit the play - she does better than she has ever done before.
As the grubs burrow her skin, she clenches her fists against the pain, and masquerades it as pleasure, though her body fights HARD against the intrusion.
|
|
Player's Turn
After acting out being the throes of ecstasy (which feels very much like pain...how Chelaxian), Aemon takes the knife first, and cuts himself. The knife glows as he gets close to the grub, and cuts through his olive skin like a hot knife through butter. The grub falls out. (used an aid another and hero point). Tessai cuts next.
And another grub falls to the floor (Used Hero Pt). Corellon almost misses the grub (total of 18 before aid. The knife is actually a +6 for the purposes of removing grubs), but help from Black Devil to move the knife more to the left comes in handy, and he gets it out. Brandon, unfortunately, cannot get the bugger out.
After using the knife, you now know it's a +6 on heal checks to remove rot grubs
The audiance is 'eating this up', so to speak.
I did a mistake on last round's performance. After correcting it, and adding this, total sits at 337 so far.
Seeing that vile pest flung from his flesh, a wave of relief washes over him like a cool breeze on a ahot day. Relief from the fear is very comforting. But all is not yet well. Quickly he stands and animates himself in a mix of contortions intended to fuse agony and ecstasy into one. He dances around in throwes of his trance for a moment and tries to assist Brandon with his efforts.
A thin sheen of sweat breaks out on beandons forehead as the grub works its way deeper
He takes up the knife and tries once more to dig the worm out.
Hp=23/30
Chasing from fallen worm to fallen worm, the dwarf is repeatedly crestfallen, as the many worm-seekers 'accidentally' tread them to mush.
But then, another is freed!
The dwarf runs up and snatches the last worm with obvious lust on his face, running offstage with the foul worm held triumphantly high.
|
|
The audience claps at the performance, and the curtain comes down as the party survives another act. So far, so good...
Status
Beppo (31/31 ),
Corellon (15/18 Larazod, 2 CON dmg (3 hps)),
B Devil (25/25 ),
Kyle (20/20 ),
Aemon (22/28 Drovalid),
Edmond (23/30 Tybsin),
You prepare for Act IV, Trial in the Belly of the Beast. You know that as part of the story, Larazod, Dentris, Drovalid, Ilsandra, and Tybain must enter the belly of a beast, and then, get back out if they can.
The good news is,Robahld says, There's no real beast for this one. But it has to be the biggest contraption I've ever seen. There's acid on the inside. When he lowers the maw, you get in. Once you all get in, they turn it around so the maw is up in the air, and you try to get out.
At that point, Thesing walks by. He whistles. Wow...just saw the 'beast.' Good luck with that! I hope you all get out OK. Really, I do!
5 Minute to curtain.
|
|
The director replies, You will need to make sure you're doing the right movements and the such on stage. Once your friends are in the belly of the beast, it would make sense that you would try to pull them our or something. Just...don't go crazy and try to destroy the prop. That would be bad.
"Well if its designed as a giant trap of some sort, I might finally have a natural edge at ome of these sadistic shows. Between my reaction time and may past work tinkering with traps this might not be so bad."
|
|
4 Minutes.
The director answers, Trap? Like the kind used to guard vaults? No, this is not a simple mechanical device designed to test your ability to take it apart before it can harm you. My friends, you are climbing into a vat of acid...willingly, I'm afraid. Destroying or somehow disabling the huge beast is out the question. Just get out as fast as you can once you are in and they rotate the maw!
"In the belly of the beast, it matters not, North, West, or East. Like pitcher plant? The flower's snare? Fumes burn your eyes, and bleach your hair. It's up you'd go, in quickest wise. Such acid truths, best met with lyes."
Devil looks hopefully at Brandon.
Brandon is concentrating on the directors description of the beast when devil addresses him.
Sorry, friend. What?
"Acids. Lyes. One of the few things but blades that I need fear. So I know... too little. Isn't lye an acid that eats other acids?"
Aemon start's to prepare himself for the next act, having a drink and taking a seat.
"Thing's just get more and more interesting... what could go wrong? it's just acid"
Oh I see. Yes, you're talking about using a base compound to neutralize the acid. Appropriate quantities of sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide can neutralize any acid so the theory is sound. I just haven't got the time or the equipment to prepare such a concoction. If we are going to do this my advice is to hold your breath and get out as soon as possible.