Panting heavily, Radsworth does decide to follow behind Kate. It is a full withdraw, scattering quickly away from the horrible beasts to the safety f the others.
Having stepped just to the limit of its 10-ft reach and defensively cast burning hands in round 2, Rad is able to make a clean getaway from the faceless stalker that was Bob Rauh, and backpedals up to Kate behind the towering Koran....
Is there anything left?
koran walks over to the slumbering skum, and promptly crushes there skulls.
Not so fast! There are still two faceless stalkers standing and fighting yet....
Is there anything left?
Two faceless stalkers.
Oops. Koran attacks one.
(In Aklo) We are bested by these man-things!.... We must retreat or fall before them!
The faceless stalker that was Bob Rauh carefully withdraws from the melee, cleaver stretched out defensively, and when it gets a safe distance from giant Dawnbringer and giant earth breaker, it turns and runs, diving over the guardrail of the bridge into the canal with a great splash!
(In Aklo) Agreed! Let us report the might of The Fierce Ones to The Slime-Shrouded Master! The faceless stalker that wore the guise of Cindy Rauh also withdraws to the canal, diving into the water near The Chuul's Folly!
Team Lido/The Fierce Ones are again victorious over the forces of evil!
The team has earned 9,600 XP (8,800 for monsters killed, +10% good RP bonus), which comes out to 1,200 XP each....
That's it. Run away! Cowards Grimm says as he starts to transform back into his three-armed self. It would be nice to find a boom box and have a little music with our work. Grimm remarks rapidly. I could go for a stiff drink and some time in the hot tub back at the Box though.
Derrik stops glowing as the creatures retreat and drops to a knee, breathing heavily the blood from his wound stopping mere seconds afterward . Frustration clearly apparent in his movements, many thoughts going throughout his head.
He stands after a small rest and looks to the group. noticing.. besides the professor's brush with danger that they were for the most part fine.
" We have a big issue .... One Even I had not thought upon... Our enemy has the ability to make themselves appear one of us. And laid a trap for us for fall in. While we only saw two.. what is it to say there isnt more? Can we be sure that all here are who they appear? I noticed two cannibals from before leaving... I.. have to make sure of something if we intend to leave.. "
The team has earned 9,600 XP (8,800 for monsters killed, +10% good RP bonus), which comes out to 1,200 XP each....
Everyone okay?
Kate touches Radsworth's shoulder and burns her last non-domain 2nd-level spell to cast cure moderate wounds....
Those are some nasty cuts, Rad, necromancy's not gonna keep those together for long.... Let Mama Kate take care of those boo-boos....
Cure light wounds .... Soft golden light radiates from Kate's hands and knits up Radsworth's wounds....
Kate then turns to Dr Grimm and touches his bestial face with a tentative hand, casting cure light wounds ....
Her next cure light wounds is cast on Koran....
Her last cure light wounds is cast on Krar....
Well, that's it, boys.... I'm spent.... Hope we find some good loot, and no more monsters....
Ummmm Koran is at 16 or in RP terms BLEEDING FROM EVERYWHERE.
The team has earned 9,600 XP (8,800 for monsters killed, +10% good RP bonus), which comes out to 1,200 XP each....
No, including, and I'm tracking it, but you may for your own knowledge if you wish....
Derrik nods to Kate as she goes about blessing the group with her powers. He looks down to the frog-captain of Chuul's Folly and speaks.
" How much time do we have left before we need to leave, from our movement we have found out that there are some survivors. and those who appear to be so. but have not traveled far. I suppose we can search a few areas.. if we encounter anything else we will have to retreat... Also.. Kermit.. we have.. bad news."
Derrik staying still as he looks in that direction.
Ummmm Koran is at 16 or in RP terms BLEEDING FROM EVERYWHERE.
Producing a foot-long, thin wand of hand-carved ash engraved with sacred symbols of healing from a leather sheathe affixed to her backpack, Kate waves the wand in an elaborate gesture and intones an ancient word that means "cure" in the divine tongue of angels, tapping Koran as she does so....
....and again ....and again ....
Derrik nods to Kate as she goes about blessing the group with her powers. He looks down to the frog-captain of Chuul's Folly and speaks.
" How much time do we have left before we need to leave, from our movement we have found out that there are some survivors. and those who appear to be so. but have not traveled far. I suppose we can search a few areas.. if we encounter anything else we will have to retreat... Also.. Kermit.. we have.. bad news."
Derrik staying still as he looks in that direction.
Aww, Foxy.... He didn't make it, huh? Captain Kermit shakes his head sadly and sighs....
Captain Kermit hangs his head sadly in silence for a moment.
Monkey Dude's gonna be real sad to hear his star apprentice won't be coming back.... Oh, and Hell-No Kitty.... Damn it, Foxy, that sucks eggs....
Kermit wipes away a tear and clears his throat....
You can have all the time you want, Derrik, I'm just the chauffeur.... This seems like a good spot for looting, for sure, yep....
Team Lido/The Fierce Ones begin a systematic looting of each of the shops on St Armand's Circle, a lengthy but truly worthwhile endeavor....
Derrik made sure to keep a token of Kinyama, His Revolver, with a small amount of fur from his tail chained lightly to it. During the Looting process Derrik seems to visit and pay close attention to some Jewelry/ Fashion stores... searching for a necklace or bracelet and a few Sundresses..for women. He seems to be unsure at times mulling over it while doing other work before returning and choosing 6 or 7 dresses/outfits and then a ring, Bracelet and necklace.. of a best quality as he can figure. He doesn't mention why he does this if anyone asks or seem to particularly hide it.
Searching every store in St Armand's Circle thoroughly for valuables proves to be a time-consuming task. The sun sets on the 1st of April, and only one quadrant of shops has been looted.
The team makes camp in Tommy Bahama Tropical Cafe on the second floor, overlooking the site of your victory over The St Armand's Terror, the faceless stalkers, the skum, and the otyugh.
During the night, the monstrous croaks, shrieks, roars, and howls of the new, appallingly savage wilderness that Lido Key has truly become make sleep difficult at first, but the exhaustion of fighting and looting eventually wins over the nervousness, and sleep finally comes....
All of April 2nd is spent looting the shops on St Armand's Circle, loading boxes of non perishable foodstuffs, bottles and cans of beverages, gems and jewelry from the jewelry stores, bags of clothing, and weapons from the police station onto The Chuul's Folly.
By 4:00 PM, the team has completed their search and looting of St Armand's Circle, having loaded onto The Chuul's Folly some 40 lbs of packaged foodstuffs worth 8,000 gp; 4 rifles worth 500 gp each; 5 revolvers worth 400 gp each; 2 shotguns worth 500 gp each; a +1 Kevlar vest (chain shirt) worth 1,250 gp; a +1 riot shield (heavy steel shield) worth 1,170 gp; gems and jewelry worth 4,000 gp; about 20 lbs of drugs and medicines worth 4,000 gp; and 1,000 bullets worth 1 gp each.
Derrik made sure to keep a token of Kinyama, His Revolver, with a small amount of fur from his tail chained lightly to it. During the Looting process Derrik seems to visit and pay close attention to some Jewelry/ Fashion stores... searching for a necklace or bracelet and a few Sundresses..for women. He seems to be unsure at times mulling over it while doing other work before returning and choosing 6 or 7 dresses/outfits and then a ring, Bracelet and necklace.. of a best quality as he can figure. [dice=Appraise]1d20 He doesn't mention why he does this if anyone asks or seem to particularly hide it.
Derrik has no trouble finding the items he seeks among the loot taken from several of the shops.
Having loaded The Chuul's Folly with some 25,000 gp-worth of loot taken from St Armand's Circle, Team Lido/The Fierce Ones are ready to depart for the return trip to Pandora's Box.
Captain Kermit ferries the battle-seasoned adventurers aboard The Chuul's Folly back to their secret home in the Everglades--Pandora's Box. The ride home is a sad and quiet affair, as each member of the team remembers moments spent with Kinyama....
Not quite six hours later (about 9:50 PM), The Chuul's Folly motors into the marina at Pandora's Box, and Captain Kermit wearily cuts the engine, drops anchor, and ties the pontoon to a dock. He bids Team Lido a good night, offers his condolences again about Kinyama, and heads to the cantina to get drunk.
Having performed admirably in the field, under great duress, and having recovered a valuable trove of treasure from St Armand's Circle on Lido Key, at the sacrifice of their brave companion, Kinyama, Team Lido/The Fierce Ones are rewarded handsomely by the authorities at Pandora's Box.
Each PC gets another 3,000 gp worth of new gear or upgrades to existing gear, which, as usual, you should describe in a brief post in this thread.
After purchasing/upgrading, please add up the total value of your gear to confirm that it is around 6,000 gp +/-....
On the first night Dwayne Lee Hooker spends at Pandora's Box, the night of Tuesday, April 2nd, he has trouble falling asleep....
Perhaps it is trying to sleep in a strange place, even though the bed is far more comfortable than the futon in the old trailer....
Or maybe its the memory of poor Jeb getting enveloped in The St Armand's Terror's gooey flesh, screaming, his eyeballs popping out, his skin shriveling and turning black and blue....
Thunder rumbles outside, and rain begins to rattle on the rooftops of Pandora's Box.... Its steady patter finally lulls Dwayne Lee to sleep....
Dwayne Lee.... Dwayne Lee.... Why'd ya go and let it eat me, Dwayne Lee?.... Why?.... HAW-HAW!! Naw, I'm just f$!&in' with ya, bubba! HAW! I ain't gonna haunt ya or nothin', you know I's always too lazy for s~!$ like that 'n such.... I just brung you a message from....you won't never believe it! Your hero!.... No, not Dale Ernhardt Jr, your other hero.... Doc Holliday! No f*~+in' s@!%, Doc F@#&in' Holliday! He's here in the Spirit World with me, Dwayne Lee.... 'N old Doc Holliday himself wanted me to tell you this.... A no-good, black-magic-workin' warlock done dug up Doc's grave, and stole his favorite gun, Daisy!.... Doc said he'd much prefer to see old Daisy in the hands of a worthier man, Dwayne Lee.... I think he was talkin' 'bout you, Dwayne Lee!
A peal of thunder and a flash of lightning banish the dream and the ghost at once, as Dwayne Lee sits up in bed, awake and covered with sweat....
Koran replaces his old llamelar with a newer one. Doc gives him an amulet to prevent him form being eaten.
+1 llamelar
+1 amulet of natural AC
On Wednesday, April 3rd, Hell-No Kitty goes by herself to a secluded glade in the Big Cyprus Swamp, about a quarter-mile from Pandora's Box....
It is a place that she and Kinyama used to go to when they were teenagers, growing up at Pandora's Box....
They would stalk each other for hours, pouncing on each other and making love in this glade afterward....
Hell-No Kitty produces a small chime, which she hangs from a stalk of bamboo framing the glade, and a stick of incense, which she lights and sets to burn in the bamboo, its sweet, sacred smoke anointing the air in the quiet glade....
Goodbye, Kinyama-san.... I will love you always....
Radsworth only retrieves one item from Pandora's armory. A simple white silken band which he places around the outside of his top hat. As he dons it, he feels more repressed and forbidden knowledge tease it's way into his brain. Insignificant details overlooked, lessons forgotten, connections between one fable and another all make themselves known.
Otherwise, his time is spent with Aaron and Sun Mi. He receives a genuine shock when he sees how they have been keeping themselves busy.
"You've been doing what now Sun Mi?"
"Studying Professah. I found dis in the ribrary!"
She unravels am old brown scroll, written in chinese. It contains a number of pictures of men in dark clothing performing a number of tasks, from stealth to assassination to throwing many small projectiles at a single target.
"Oh, I read your other books too. Well, some of them. All of them have da same story almost. Dey show what happens when bad people come in charge of a group of people. We were dat at the hotel I guess. It was different though, like we were puppets or someting."
"Yea. She thinks she a damn ninja now. She stole my shoes three times last week. I've been busy too, but in a different way. They have me working with the animals and the farms. It's something I guess, other than reading Animal Farm."
Kate spends some time with Sister Maria De La Rosa crafting a phylactery out of fabrics and precious materials looted from St Armand's Circle. She invests her share of the reward into this phylactery, giving it a current value of 3,000 gp.
Eventually, when the phylactery is ready (Kate has 11,000 gp sunk into it), and Sister Maria is feeling powerful enough (when she hits 10th level--she's currently 9th), it will become a phylactery of positive channeling!
When Derrik returns he takes his stash to his consignment area.. Having little contact with anyone for the rest of that day. closed off to those who try and visit him. The next day he seeks out some company, Trying to Find Amber Lynn first and to gift her some vibrant yet modest dresses/outfits he found.. A way to keep the worries of the world away from her and to give some chance of a normal life. If Jewels happens to also be there Derrik calms her down and invites her back to his.. quarters where he proceeds to offer her the more..sensual and well thought out dresses/outfits.. one being sheer.
While most likely ecstatic about the clothing Derrik will give Jewels the Jewelry as well.. and the Ring.. encased in a box. He will take her hand and slip it upon her finger.. it fitting quite well as though he remembered her dimensions and offers tat he spend the day with her out in the open for everyone to see.
The next couple of days Derrik is vigorously working upon his Battalion Armor when he notices a few etchings upon the Chestpiece. Upon touching it he cuts himself, the blood impacting the surface and a bright light, several runic symbols swirling the room in an odd language that slowly becomes recognizable to him. The form in the air and a light shines upon him. The words " Cast in the name of God " Arrive in the air Derrik pauses watching with wary eyes. It seems to flash again, rushing towards him the symbols enveloping his entire form reaching through his wound painfully. This seems to be eons.. but Derrik endures his mind holding his body from collapsing; An image.. a soft one of his family.. happy and safe.. in a paradise..smiling and waving. He wants to go to them..but but... his lips purse through the pain a soft voice comes from him " Not yet.. I have done nothing to join you... I have too much to do. " The family smiles.. almost approvingly until he feels a hand clasp his shoulder.. and it is a white-suited man in armor, much grander than he could ever have, an overbearing aura coming from both him and the elegant sword sheathed upon his right hip.. it shined like alabaster and was fierce and powerful. This figure nods its guaranteed hand grips with a booming voice " Go forth then "
The image fades quickly And Derrik returned to reality the symbols floating in the air with the words " Ye not guilty " before leaping towards the etchings in his armor and bursting it apart in a torrent of mystical energy, shooting forth upon Derrik and fitting upon him changing itself to fit him much more properly and getting a richer hue in color and strength. His armor Now much more Medieval in nature though somewhat a combination of both Fantasy and Modern Alloys.. Light yet strong. A small flash of light and in Derrik's hand, his Axe had grown double bitted and large bladed with a deadly curve both it and his newly formed armor resonating with runes that he could no longer understand.
Somehow in his mind.. he knew that this was a gift, not from a malicious entity.. but someone else with power beyond his comprehension.
Mmmmm.... Look at you.... You're a beauty, to be sure.... I can't believe you've been lying in the dark for over a century.... All that wasted time, Daisy.... But we'll make up for it, won't we, baby?....
Coal Withers gazes lovingly at Daisy. He pours gun oil onto a worn white cloth and polishes her barrel meticulously....
There's more than a little bit of Doc's soul in there, isn't there, baby?.... That's why you're so powerful....so lethal....
He draws her revolving cylinder out, examining her chambers....
Now that your mine, Daisy.... Men and monsters shall quake before us, baby.... Why, even old Cthulhu himself might just have to kiss our ass someday....
He closes the cylinder, kisses the barrel, and begins a series of elaborate, beautiful spins of the gun on his fingers, holstering and unholstering Daisy, and letting her spin and dance across his hands....
But you want something, too.... I can feel your will, baby.... It's a terrible thing....festering inside you, eating away at you the way the TB ate away at Doc.... You want me to go to Tombstone.... But why?.... What's there?.... Is it my fortune?....the fortune promised to me by The Dark Goat of the Woods With a Thousand Young?....
Jewels wears the dresses Derrik gave her, and the jewelry, flaunting them obnoxiously whenever Amber Lynn is around....
Oh, baby, I'm so lucky to have such a hot boyfriend!! Like, OMG, I totally wanna rape you every time I see you....
What a f@%~in' b*&** Jewels is.... I'm so sick of her s&$!.... Just because Derrik likes her and gave her even prettier dresses and jewelry than the ones he gave me.... Ooh, I hate that f$%+in' b#$~%!.... What does he see in that big, green-skinned freak, anyway?.... Ew! Her pussy's probably dark green....
Grimm spends his time drinking with Kermit, romancing Kate, listening to funk and jazz records, drinking, reasearching the many artifacts that they had found including the odd leather backpack that seemed like a relic from simpler times with it's large brass buckles and simplistic design, finding it unique that it can hold so much and then almost read his mind by readying what he needed upon command. He also spends time with Hoffman developing alchemical items including acid and alchemical fire, and tanglefoot bags. He also spends time collecting flasks of holy water from Sister Maria.
Emerging from the shadows of the library at Pandora's Box, as if she were a ghost materializing out of the Ether, Hell-No Kitty startles Sun Mi as she is studying an ancient Chinese treatise about cultivating ki....
I can teach you more than you will ever learn in those dusty old books, Sun Mi-ko....
Hell-No Kitty begins Sun Mi's training in the ancient arts of ninjutsu, starting with basic conditioning exercises (which Sun Mi quickly learns to hate) and the foundations of herb lore (which Sun Mi quickly masters)....
Grimm is often seen walking a creature that he refers to as "Duke."
The creature resembles sort of a featherless turkey with a snake-like neck and head and a very strong tail that mimics a short whip.
He is often seen trying to train it. Walking it on a leash. Whenever someone gets too close, he responds,Careful! He's poisonous, give 'em some space. As for Duke's origins, Grimm always states that it is just something he has been working on to help them in the field although he seems to have developed a connection with Duke, as one would have with a dog.
Damn, Grimm.... That's one ugly pooch ya got there.... Duke, huh? Looks more like Dooky, to me, buddy....
Captain Kermit fetches another pair of cold beers from the cooler aboard The Chuul's Folly, hands one to Dr Grimm, who sits comfortably with a fishing pole in one hand and a Cuban cigar in the other, and cracks the other one open to take a long gulp.
Do ya think it wants a beer? Kermit grins at the tumor familiar wagging its whiplike tail at Grimm's feet.
Then again, you said it's poisonous.... Maybe we don't wanna be stuck on the boat with a drunk, poisonous tumor-dog....
Now your using your noggin, Kerm. I got Duke under control, he'll mind.
The New Boss came to Tombstone at dusk on the 2nd of April. He rode up in a black coach with bloodstone and mother-of-pearl inlaid panels and elaborate gilding, drawn by a pair of animated horse skeletons named Sticks and Stones.
With him rode two scarecrows, propped up seemingly by magic upon skeleton horses, also propped up by necromancy.... These the New Boss called Haystack and Corncob. They never spoke, they only silently obeyed the New Boss' every command....
There was also a mysterious stranger with The New Boss.... Mr Leng, from the far distant land of Leng.... The poor survivors of Tombstone thought him to be a Chinaman, perhaps.... He kept his features hidden behind a silk scarf and head wrappings, and wore long, exotic, silken robes with bewitching embroidery.... Mr Leng rode upon a fierce, black steed, its eyes burning like coals, and tongues of flame licking from its nostrils and around its hooves, burning the earth wherever they trod....
Two females rode into town in the coach with the New Boss.... His "ladies", he called them, though they were far from that.... One was a tall, sultry, scarlet-haired woman with tiny demonic horns on her forehead, scarlet bat-like wings tattooed with the most wanton and lusty of scenes, barbed tail pierced with gold rings, and the name Reba. The other was a centauric monster with the upper body of a full-breasted, blue-eyed blond woman, and the lower body of a lion, named Sonja....
The New Boss himself was tall, handsome, and insane. Coal Withers emerged from the gilded coach like a lord accompanied by his ladies--Reba and Sonja--and took in the little town of Tombstone with a long, scrutinizing look. The dogs barked loudly at their approach, but scurried off with whimpers when the skeletal steeds trotted into town, and yammered in abject panic at the scent and sight of Mr Leng's infernal steed....
The wary survivors inside The Oriental Saloon were awed and frankly terrified by Coal Withers and his ghastly entourage, and when he declared himself their New Boss, they could not help but comply with their whole fear-stricken hearts....
Salutations, dear citizens of Tombstone! I, Coal Withers, am your New Boss! I shall endeavor to make your lives tolerable given the unfortunate circumstances we find our poor world subjected to.... And in return, you shall obey my every command to the best of your abilities, do you understand?
Initial protestations are met with swift and inglorious death at the roar of Daisy, Withers' shiny Colt .45 revolver, and the remaining band of survivors surrender completely....
Merlin opens his eyes after sleeping for over sixteen centuries....
Morning, is it?..... Finally.... I feel I've been asleep for quite a long time now.... Damned Morgan and her sorcery.... Wait 'til I get my hands on that c#@#'s willowy little neck....
"These exercises suck Kitty! How fit do I really need to be if I'm just going to put some poison on a dart and throw it at something? It's not like they'll ever find me."