"Blue Pretty Crang, but me prefer Lizards"
The blue dragon sighs, and with an aura of palpable exasperation, grabs the still figurehead and the sword, and with quite a bit of roughness, shoves the sword into the keyhole and the figurehead's hand into the larger hole. There is a sudden series of grinding noises, then the metal door melts away into smoke, revealing a large chamber beyond.
Gold, platinum and mithral blocks line the 40 x 40 foot room, covering the floors completely and rising to a depth of three feet in some places. Gems, jewels and all manner of statues and worked metal figurines lie amongst the gold, shining in the sudden light. But the dragon's attention immediately locks upon a single marble pedestal sitting about five feet tall, atop which sits a crystal flask carved in the shape of a dragon's skull, which is about the size of a cannonball. The dragon grabs it eagerly, popping the cork on it and drinking down the contents, which appear to be some sort of smoky liquid.
"Finally! Finally immortality is mine! The collected essense of the greatest dragon, the greatest mortal ever seen on the plane itself! Serivinius Reborn!" His cackles continue as a strange glow seems to rise from his chest, where his scales begin to smoke and burn with power. But his cackles turn to screams as the fire seems not to remake him into a god, as he believes, but consumes him alive!
From his rapidly shrinking form, something inside him stirs, rearing up to send still smoldering dragonflesh flying. The creature is horse-shaped, standing on its hind legs, with bat wings and a terrible horse-like face lined with wicked sharp teeth. Hellfire burns in its eye sockets and it howls with a dog-like bay! Somewhere deep in your goblinist parts, you feel a primal fear and hatred, as if this creature were the reason that all goblins hate and fear dogs and horses. Your flesh crawls as its beady eyes turn upon you.
"Meat! I see the servitor races I created still crawl upon the earth, ready for my devouring! Once I've snacked on you, I will devour the rest of your race, little morsels, and I will regain my power! Once I come again into my glory, I will use my wealth and power to devour the world entire!" Its voice is like a thousand goblin screams, and it seems to permeate your forms down to your souls.
From the figurehead of Lamashtu, broken now and forgotten, a reedy, thin voice whispers that only Goblins can hear. "Little children! Meet your maker, the devil Bastorel. He made you as food when the earth was young, and I locked him away, taking you as my own. You must destroy him, and destroy him now, lest he grow too powerful to stop. He is yet weak, only a shadow of his true power. Strike, my children, strike!" Lamashtu's voice seems to blend with the roaring of the fire that is the dead dragon's remains...
Horse-dog. Horse-dog? Horse-dog!
Crang screams in fear and loathing and charges the monstrosity
init
"I never see horse dog befur... you destroy me sword! Help me Lamhastu!"
Spots attacks from behind to help Crang.
bite
if hits trip
trip attack
claw
claw
Splurg calls a bolt of lightning down on the dog demon
15 Bastorel
13 Splurg
6 Crang
Splurg sends Spots to attack the devil-horse, and with a somewhat reluctant look, Spots complies. Spot's bite latches onto the thing's leg and pulls it from its feet, though it seems to take less damage from Spot's teeth than it should... Spot's claws have less luck, doing no damage to the prone creature.
Splurg's lightning strikes the prone devil, illuminating it for a brief moment as it screams in pain.
Crang charges the creature as it struggles to rise, and his axe bites true, cutting deeply into the devil's side! It snarls and snaps at the barbarian!
ROUND 2:
The Devil lurches to its feet, allowing Spots and Crang a chance to attack it! Once on its feet, its eyes fill with hellfire and it roars, breathing flames in a cone 30 feet long upon the party! Its hellfire does damage, burning the earth and scorching the air.
As he swings again at the foe, runes on the blade of Crang's axe flare with a strange blue light.
Aaargh! Da Burns!
bite opp
Spots attempts to savage the horsydog as it gets up.
Ref Spots
Will Spots
Ref Splurg
Will Splurg
Spots nimbly avoids the fire but Splurg staggers as he takes the full brundt of the attack
Spots goes back to attacking the Demon
bite
trip
claw
confirm crit
claw
As Splurg's storm continues above the area he tries a different tact summoning some help
2 Rhinoceri materlize out of the ground and make an immediate charge at the horseman
"I bringz my own weird horseys to the fight huh?"
NonCharging Rhino
gore
Charging Rhino
gore
As the devil breathes its hellfire, Crang is struck dead on, taking the full brunt, but Spots manages to twist behind the goblin berserker, taking nothing. Splurg, however, is not as lucky and is burned by the horrid flames. As the fire clears, the horse-devil inhales, and seems to heal as the flames reenter its body.
Spots attacks the devil again, but only a claw is able to get through, and it seems to do less damage than it ought to. Splurg concentrates and summons the fury of nature, materializing two rhinoceri, who both move to attack. The charging one is the only one to break through the Devil's defenses, goring the devil terribly. Still, it remains, breathing heavily and clearly angry!
Crang's attacks fly furiously, but only his first blow is able to hit the beast, dealing a wound across its stomach that seeps black blood.
ROUND 3:
The Devil seems to concentrate, its brow furrowed. A shadow flies from the devil and seems to envelope Spots, who lets out a yelp of fear! Meanwhile, the hellish horse-devil's maw yawns and it bites at Crang, attempting to devour his very essence, while its hooves each lash out at the rhinoceri!
for
for
for
The Devil's hooves have no issue finding their targets as both Rhino's stagger under the blows.
Luckily they both recover and attack again
gore #1
gore #2
Spots Will
fort
bite
trip
UMB
claw
confirm crit
claw
Splrug concerned about his own well being heals himself
Crang slaps his own face and spits a charred, loose tooth on the ground.
Even as this happens he pulls back his axe for another strike, demonic ichor dropping from the glowing, rune-etched blade.
Splurg's summoned rhinos launch themselves at the Devil, but he avoids their blows, seeming to move in accelerated time. Spots recoils in fear from the shadow, but while part of his fur seems to turn white, he does not die outright. He does take damage. He resumes his biting and clawing, managing to claw the Devil with furious wounds. . Splurg hastily heals himself but while his wounds feel better, they still resemble burnt flesh, still smoldering from the hellfire.
Crang spits his tooth upon the ground and pulls back his axe, chopping at the Devil as one might chop a tree! His attacks penetrate the Devil's thick hide and deal grievous wounds, sending more devilish ichor-blood to the ground!
ROUND 4:
The Devil is bruised, cut and seeping ichor from terrible wounds, but the fire in its eyes still burns brightly! It snarls, the wicked teeth in its mouth flickering with hellish fire. It lunges at Crang, biting and snapping, while its hooves lash out at the Rhinos!
for damage!
for damage!
for damage!
Crang's grim-faced determination is emphasised by a low, throaty growl.
The Rhino's continue to take a beating from the Devil and continue trying to savage with their horns.
gore
gore
Spots redoubles his furious assault
bite
trip
umb
claw
claw
Seeing Crang in serious straights Splurg moves up to tend to him with his now glowing hands.
healing to Crang
The Rhino's attacks both punch through the Devil's defenses and open more holes in its hide, as Spots bites and claws, but cannot seem to do damage to the thing. Splurg's healing allows Crang to feel better, but his burns do not disappear, still smoking with the hellfire's smolder.
Crang summons his reserves and lashes at the Devil. One strike cuts through the Devil's front hoof as it rears up, while the other slash opens up the beast's abdomen, spilling steaming ichor upon the ground. However, the severed limb and ichor both evaporate upon hitting the ground, the smoke drawn as if into a vacuum toward the glass dragon's skull.
The Devil's burning eyes go wide as the strikes diminish him, and he seems to struggle against an invisible wind that blows him toward the bottle, his fiendish hooves digging furrows into the stone. "No, no, no! It cannot end this way! I will not be defeated by mere food!" With one last desperate grasp, the Devil bites out at Crang, seeking to grab the goblin! It latches onto Crang's arm, and the force of the mystical wind drags the barbarian along with the Devil, drawn slowly but inexhorably toward the bottle and captivity!
Squirming slightly uselessly in the big beast's grasp, a sly glint shines in Crang's eye and he thinks wolfish thoughts as he changes shape he writhes and slithers away from the demon.
With one last indignity a ray of green shoots from the rod hitting the demon squarly in the face before turning him green permenantly.
"Now youz looks like us!"
In a sudden inspiration, the barbarian gob turns his thoughts to wolfish things, and his form shimmers and changes. The Devil's teeth clatter together as the form shift causes him to lose his grip upon his last hold on this world and he flies backward at an accelerated speed, collapsing as he goes into mist that flies toward the bottle.
As one last indignity, Splurg's Rod of Wonder sends a blast a greenish light at the Devil, coloring him a brilliant bright green just before he disappears into the bottle! With a POP the bottle's cork flies in, sealing the devil away again.
From the prone form of the figurehead erupts a fire that rapidly consumes the statue, but forms into the wavering, shimmering form of a pregnant, jackal headed woman with burning eyes. A vision of Lamashtu, your Goddess, hovers before you. "You have done well, my children. Bastorel's greed would have grown until he was a threat to Me, and you have locked him away again. Unto you, I grant a single wish each. Name it, and it shall be yours. As for I, I shall take Bastorel's bottle away and hide it once more, that it may stay until eternity locked and hidden away safely. Now, name your wish."
"I wantz more wisdum so I helps Crang gud"
@Our Mysterious
Sure would love too (Splurg's brother). I am afraid i do not know much about the Shattered Star, but I am up for anything.
Crang furrows his brow in concentration and staggers backward as the battle fire leaves his heart and he slumps to the ground, exhausted.
As he does so, Crang's pteradon skull helmet falls to the ground before him.
He peers deep into the ruby eye and mutters, Wanna wisha be a great-big-massive dragon whenever I wanna wisha.
He peers up at the divine figure and a trickle of blood runs out of his nose and across his lips. Crang doesn't even have the energy to lick it up...
I have loved the game and am definitely up for some Shattered Star action.
The vision smiles, a wild, predatory grin. She waves her hand and disappears, as Splurg feels a sudden influx of insight into the workings of the universe and Crang feels an explosion deep in his chest, spreading outward with terrible urgency. In a matter of seconds he has become the thing he wished to be: a Huge Dragon.
The moment passes as the druid comes to grips with his newfound wisdom, and the goblin-dragon lets out a great roar that shakes the stones around you. After a few moments, Crang-dragon blurs to become Crang again, and the silence of the surrounding area gives you a moment to breathe.
Directly in front of you sits a 40x40 foot vault full of gold, platinum and mithral, with more treasure than you've ever seen. While the bottle has disappeared, the treasure has not, and you realize you are now not only Pirate Captains, but with this much gold, you can be Pirate Kings.
A bold future awaits the goblin heroes, a future that cannot be told here. Perhaps one day scribes will write of the reign of King Crang the Mighty, Goblin-Dragon King or of Splurg the Wise, rider of the fearsome Yrthak, but for today we must be content with this: the adventure will continue, and who shall know what mayhem goblins may wreak?
THE END