Mukluk repeats Jean's gesture, drawing his heavy pick and getting ready to get dwarfy on more trog ass.
Not sure what Jean is motioning for, Sir Gavin nevertheless stands ready for the game to kick off.
György gets his longspear ready to help with the attack. Once Jean has his dagger off, he joins Mukluk and Sir Gavin on the attack.
One troglodyte turns about and as the dagger sticks into its back, the troglodyte roars in pain, turning about to see Jean poking his head in, another dagger seemingly at the ready. Behind the pirate elf he also sees a few of his allies and roars louder in anger, flexing his claws to attack along with his buddy.
Corvus, sneaking past the sleeping troglodytes is easy and you manage to track down the south latch on the eastern bunk room door. How to open it, however, is a different question...
Jean -
Corvus -
Mukluk -
Gavin -
Treygan -
Kelda -
Trogs -
György begins reciting the virtues of Desna, "More of the foul-smelling deep ones. Desna, like you guide us with the stars you have placed in the heavens for our navigation, steer our weapons accurately to dispatch these reptiles."
Round 1____________
Sir Gavin boldly pushes his way past Jean to engage the closest Trog.
for a possible slashing and magic damage.
Corvus identifies the closest adversary. Blade in hand, she attacks with speed and her usual grace.
Jean will move in behind the front Trog, delay until Gavin enters the room and prepares to attack that Trog via flanking and attack with his rapier from the other hand.
Attack
Damage
If he drops that Trog, Jean will wave a finger at Gavin and then point to the other Troglodyte.
Round 1
Mukluk draws his pick, but doesn't yet move in to fight.
"Yeah, there you go. Go fight like dwarves would...except with less attractive hair..." ...and smaller dingalings.
Together, Treygan and Corvus work their way into battle. Treygan cuts down the first troglodyte with a mighty swing of his blade. Meanwhile, Corvus dances into the room, a graceful swan amidst the lake of battle. She arcs her blade upward and inks her name in blood across the second troglodyte's throat. The two reptiles immediately fall.
"Nice teamwork. Did any of you see if there were more of them close by that we can reach before this noise brings them to us?"
Mukluk stows his pick, again nodding along with the combat success of the party.
"Where to next, Jean? We seem to be sweeping nicely along...we gotta find what we are looking for, don't we?"
Mukluk looks over the dead trogs, taking a deep whiff.
"I ain't going to miss the smell of these, I tells yeah. And I ain't going to forget the smell either. "
From the room where the troglodytes were sleing, you hear scrambling and hissing. A few moments later you hear scraping and hurried shouts from the throne room where you saw the old Tian man and his compatriots.
"We'd better hurry. Sounds like company is on the way. Should we take care of those other troglodytes before turning to the others?"
Sir Gavin smiled.
"No need to go to the enemy if they're coming here."
He poses his sword over his shoulder and shield forward, ready to strike when they come through the door.
"All right, we hold our ground then." György moves a step behind Sir Gavin to take advantage of his spear's reach.
Mukluk stands behind Gyorgy, ready to stand his ground.
He draws his wand of scorching ray, rather than his pick, as he expects to fight from the 2nd row.
"I like a good defensive stand, I do. It's easier on the legs."
Kelda pulls her blade and readies herself for the volley of enemies likely to rush them. "Agreed! Steeling ourselves is the best course of action. Wouldn't you agree, Sir Treygan?" His falchion already at the ready, Treygan nods but says nothing. "They'll be here any second now," Kelda adds and almost as if in response you hear scrambling from the next room and cries of anger from multiple voices. The rest of the party sets up defensive positions as well - Jean with his dagger and rapier at the ready and Corvus with her scimitar edged and prepared to taste blood.
As the amalgam of troglodytes rush your way, they stop short of the door, sending only one through the closed door as a test. He is not greeted with a happy sight of an easy kill. Resigning himself to his fate, he attacks the nearest foe - Sir Gavin - and fails horribly, raking his claws across Gavin's armor and leaving no distinguishing marks on the knight's skin. The rest of the enemies back away and snarl from a distance outside of the room, their leader, the Tian man who now looks less man than ever, barking orders the entirety of the time in a strange language. As he does, he motions to someone just out of your line of sight and screams forcefully.
"Wait here. You two, go around back of them and grab the other two. We'll flank them and push them out!"
[ooc]Use last combat's initiative since it was only a round between the two fights.[/url]
Having stopped his sermon between waves of enemies, György begins anew wondering what manner of foe the new entrant represents.
Corvus - 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19
Mukluk - 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Gavin - 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13
Treygan - 1d20 + 0d6 - 1d1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + (-) - (2) + 7 = 24
Kelda - 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
Trogs - 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (4) + 0 = 4
Round 1, Init 7
Mukluk fires at one of the rearer trogs (cover penalty, but no combat penalties).
""Ah-man Seck-het!" Mukluk says, invoking the power.
touch to hit;
fire damage.
Round 1_________Init 13
Sir Gavin lashes out at the closest Trog in a workmanlike manner.
"Humph. One could wish for more variety in one's opponents."
for a possible slashing and magic damage.
Corvus had forgotten she was wearing the Scholar’s Ring until she heard the man calling out to his comrades in Tian.
Realising none of her party would be able to understand what was said, she lowered her voice and warned them.
"Two of them plan to go around the back and attempt to flank us."
And then she twirls her blade theatrically before starting her dance of death.
Jean will attack the nearest flanked Trog.
Attack with Rapier
Damage
György interrupts his praise of Desna to reply, "I can help hold them off then from back here."
The old Tian man skirts away as the party fells three enemies in quick succession - the not so bright troglodytes stepping up in the place of the last one - falling for the fatal funnel. One is pelted head-on by Mukluk's ray of fire and the ally that takes his place is skewered through his abdomen by Jean's rapier.
Managing to find her tune yet again, Corvus' dance of death fells a third one, finally convincing the others that stepping through the door might not be such a grand idea. Two vanish from sight as another two run up from an adjacent room to take their place.
Kelda screams to the rest of you, "The old man flees upward! Should we pursue?" Corvus and quite possibly Jean can confirm that the door adjacent the troglodytes is now open and there are stairs that lead up to the next floor which the old man took two-by-two, attempting to escape. However, there may be more pressing concerns at hand as you hear chittering of more trogs scurrying from a door at the far end of the room [behind you]. The three remaining troglodytes approach but are loathe to step through the door, their three fallen brothers already lying dead in the frame.
"No Kelda. Let's finish the troglodytes first. Then we can figure out how best to deal with him." György will continue to hold the back of the formation, knowing that the troglodytes circling the group could arrive at any moment.
Mukluk turns and moves shoulder to shoulder with Gyorgy, ready for the next trogslaught.
"Reminds me of them calistrian priestesses who thought I had a gold dong. We were shoulder to shoulder, fighting them off, Gyorgy. That was a good night, wasn't it?"
"Have to say the trogs aren't as cute, but they might be carrying less disease."
Sir Gavin nods his agreement with Gyorgy.
He will step forward and attack the next Trog. If there is no room, he will adopt a defensive stance and wait for an opportunity.
for a possible slashing and magic damage.
Jean will run on and give chase against the Tien man. As soon as he can hear him stop or slow Jean will dropinto stealth mode (half speed, stealth and perception checks)
We cant let him get away, he looks like Ameiko!
Seeing Jean go dashing off, György shakes his head, "Jean remind you of anyone, Mukluk? Maybe that Shoanti scout we met on the Storval Plateau. That didn't turn out well either."
As Jean dashes off, Kelda curses and takes off after him. [b]"I'll keep the little one from trouble." The three troglodytes take a swing at Jean as he passes by, but only two connect and even then just barely. Kelda dodges between them as she moves past, glad that they've focused their ire briefly upon Jean. Upstairs enters into a small office wherein lies a desk and chair with papers sprawled across it. There are three doors leading from this chamber and only one is open.
Meanwhile, downstairs, the three troglodytes advance, two of them moving into range of Treygan and Sir Gavin. Treygan whispers a prayer to his goddess and swings his blade, connecting with one of the troglodytes and leaving a large but not so fatal gash across its abdomen. Meanwhile, Sir Gavin strikes out at the one closest to him and manages to leave a twin to Treygan's cut on that of the other troglodyte.
From the back door where Corvus and Gyorgy guard, two trogodytes burst in and immediately work their way up to the two. Then they attack. Corvus' manages to barely strike a glancing blow off her while Gyorgy's manages a bit more .
Round 1
Mukluk moves up next to Corvus and give the trog there a piece of his pick.
to hit;
damage.
"You like that?" Whiff! "Well...maybe you'll like it more next time."
Her focus entirely on the troglodytes in front of her, Corvus continues where she left off, using her rapier to inflict as much damage as she could.
So she spins and dips before slashing at the nearest foe.
While Mukluk's almost content to remain with his magical wand, slightly disappointed at his missing the tro with his trusty pick, Corvus' finds her step and carves off the one Mukluk missed. George attacks the other troglodyte and together the two fell the flanking party (such as it was) and turn their sights back towards the main entryway.
Sir Gavin and Treygan stand toe-to-toe with each other and cut their own swatch of justice through the two troglodytes fool enough to step through their door. As the last of his allies fall, the one remaining troglodyte runs off (catchable if warranted). Kelda and Jean meanwhile vault up the stairs after the old one. As the round the top, they come face-to-face with the old man, who steadily changes form into a bipedal bird like creature.
"You dare invade my castle!? I shall offer your bones as a sacrifice to my master who resides below." He bellows. [b]"My master shall absorb your souls and his many arms shall choke the life from the each of you at once!"
He's a bit wired, of course, but by piecing together his rant you think he may be speaking of the abomination you encountered upon your entry through the dungeons.
Corvus readily appreciates what they're up against, but struggles for a succinct way of describing it. Instead she thinks frantically for a few words that might sum up its likely strengths or weaknesses.
Suddenly realizing that the fight has moved upstairs, Sir Gavin shouts; "Everybody! After Jean!"
He thunders up the stairs in pursuit.
Mukluk follows Sir Gavin.
"What are you bellyachin' about? And where is Jean?"
Mukluk hustles waddles as fast as he can on his stumpy dwarven legs.
Once the trogs have been dealt with, György joins the pursuit of Jean and Kelda.
Hearing the bird man brag about his master, György interjects "Too bad we already sent your master to the Boneyard to be judged by Pharasma. Perhaps you should consider Desna's faith and lay down your arms instead."
The oni hesitates for a moment. "Nonsense! Our master is a god. Much too powerful for the likes of your ilk!" He growls a bit at your party, unable to believe you.
"No he's not!" Sir Gavin shouts as he continues to pound up the stairway.
"He tried to fell us. If he was a god, he is no more. More likely he was a young one-of-those-who-wish-to-be-gods who lurk in the dark spaces between the stars before Desna and her allies root them out and send them on like all mortal creatures. Now lay down your arms before my more martial companions forget their manners." Sadly, György's attempt at diplomacy comes off more like a threat.
Mukluk tries to help with the diplomacy.
Diplomacy
"Oh no, he wasn't a god. I doubt he had any dwarven blood in him...so I'm sure."
Corvus winces at the others' attempts at convincing the creature.
"We know you for what you are - Oni. And you know that for us to reach you, we will have dealt with the various minor obstacles in our way.
I do not know what treasure brought you to this place but rest assured, you will leave empty-handed. All that remains to be decided is if you'll leave with your life."
Though seemingly hesitant at first, hearing the entire party confirm the death of his master seems to sober the up. His mood changes slightly and the grip in his blade loosens as Corvus begins to speak - the eloquence in her voice offering a disturbing sort of calm. "No, this isn't possible. How? How could you have defeated our god?" He becomes increasingly distracted, stamping about his half of the room. "Not possible! It's not possible! NOT POSSIBLE AT ALL!" His voice calms. "But what if it is? What if our master's defeated? What if he's dead and gone. His spirit passed on. Dead and gone. Dead and gone? Gone. On. Yes, yes! That's perfect! Perfect!" He throws his sword to the table and sits down, pulling a parchment out and begins to scribble. "Dead and gone. Spirit passed on. Dead and gone... Spirit passed on..." He continues repeating these last few words, mixing their order and repeating them, ignoring your very presence, completely distracted now with perfecting his disturbing rhyme.
"Dead and gone. Spirit passed on.
György turns to Mukluk, "Have to admit, this is a new one. Do you think we've just pushed him over the edge? I think we need to try to talk to him though. Perhaps he can tell us more of the upper floors of the castle."
Mukluk waits, wondering how a God could possibly die.
"Gods don't die. Even Aroden, that lazy bastard, isn't dead. He's just hiding because he's so ashamed for what humanity has become. He'll be back when he's ready," Mukluk says, mouthing his theology of the day.
Mukluk slowly walks up to see what the beast is writing, trying to read it from a safe distance.