The two remaining Nazi submachine gunners, horrified by the carnage so easily wrought by Excalibur and the other weapons of The Fierce Ones, and seeing the shadow on the stairwell wall of whatever otherworldly horror was making that terrible caw-roar (Kepler), quail with fear and despair....
They glance at one another briefly, a haunted look in their blue eyes, and as Kailin's flute trills with climactic urgency....they fall upon each other's swords!
Impaled, each on the other's longsword, the two Nazi submariners salute each other with the Nazi salute before collapsing into bleeding heaps on the floor!
Well! That was....unexpected! Nice of them to do us the favor, I guess....
Grimm moves the rest of the way down the stairs and points the barrel of his rifle at one of the two dark arched doorways exiting the chamber.
Wonder if we'll have any more coming to join the party?
Out on the upper deck of The Kraken, Vash (and Glaza) can make a Perception check versus DC 15....
How's everyone feeling? Do I need to fix any boo-boos?
Perception checks from everyone inside the White Tower (everyone except Vash and Glaza) versus DC 15, please....
The Nazi snipers finish breaking down and packing away their rifles inside their cases, and hurry down stairwells inside the towers on which they stand, until they reach the flooded level, outside of which are tied jet-skis....
Not a scratch, babe.... You guys okay?
Grimm scans his companions for signs of injury....
Derrik has several holes in various places upon his armor but simply grunts a sign of discomfort more than anything as Dawnbringer's Axe-blades cease to Glow and and shrink to normal.. and his bleeding ebbed.. He turn's his helmeted head towards Kate and the group and nods.
" I am fine, My Wards protected me and their silly assault did little against Axe and Blade... But we need to Hurry before they can regroup... Suicide is not uncommon in history, but rarely bodes well.. they must have something planned... Follow me.. "
Walking up and past Yingzen, his eyes/ears sharpened and still endowed with the ability to locate Invisible creatures.
So.... These bold mortals dare to attack us again.... This time, they shall know the error of their foolish choice....
The vampire pushed his coffin lid open and rose up out of it in a single motion, stepping out into the cargo hold of The Kraken among a dozen other coffins....
Achtung! The vampire's voice resonated with sepulchral bass, seeming to vibrate the other coffins in the cargo hold....
Awaken, you lazy bastards! They are back! Kommen sie hier! Schnell! Schnell!!
The other coffins fly open, and the vampire spawn crewmates spring out, hissing and slavering for blood!
Hiss!.... Slaver!.... (x12)
Seeing that the action has cooled down outside, Merlin-hawk glides down in a tightening spiral, landing on a merlon, then hopping down to the roof of the White Tower and transforming back into Merlin the man....
Wait for old Merlin, lads! The old Archmagus chuckles as he hurries to the corner tower housing the stairwell....
Derrik's keen ears detect the sound of booted feet on stone coming from an adjoining chamber.... It sounds like a small company of men approaching at a hustle....
Kate's eyes narrow as she scans the slowly shrinking holes in Derrik's breastplate and the blood glistening in the elaborate runes graven into the enchanted armor....
Fine my sweet ass....
Kate touches Derrik and burns a command to cast cure light wounds, healing Derrik of damage....
Levinson turns to Kate, "The big guy is pretty banged up if you can spare any magic." pointing to Kepler whose feathers and fur are matted with neon blue blood.
The Arcane Duo then proceeds down the stairs following the others, and Levinson gives the dead body a quick kick, "Verdammt Nazis...
Kate touches Kepler's blood-soaked wing and burns a protection from evil to cast cure light wounds, healing Kepler for points of damage....
Oh, you were hit, too, Levinson.... I think....
Kate sees blood from the wounds caused by Levinson's life link with Kepler on the summoner's jeans....
She channels for good measure.... points of damage healed by all wounded FOs within 30 ft of Kate....
Thunder rumbles in the sky outside, and dark storm clouds begin to converge on The Tower of London as Mjolnir is brandished by the vampire captain of The Kraken....
Wir mussen die blut von die schweinen trinken! Kommen sie, mein nachtigalls!
Kailin walks over to Derrik and offers a hand. "greetings great Arthur, my name is Kailin Kros and I have come from lands afar to record the brave battles of the Fierce Ones into the greatest epic ever to be heard"
I am well miss
looks at DerrikYou seem to be an incarnate of death
The vampire spawn hear their master's call and obey, filing out of the dark cargo hold and up the ladder to the upper decks....
Ich mochte blut, bitte! Blut! Blut!! Ja! HAHAHAHA!!!
Eagerly, the dozen vampire spawn ascend through the decks of The Kraken to join the fray and slake their thirst for blood....
Merlin comes down the stairs behind Levinson and Kepler.
Don't mind me.... I'll stay well out of the way.... The field of battle is no place for an old man....
Merlin gestures and becomes invisible to normal sight....
As the team travels, Levinson focuses her energy to Kepler and his fur and feathers become even more unnatural taking on a quasi-crystalline appearence.
If time permits she continues to pour strength into her doppelgänger, as a supernatural aura envelops him. Finally, he seems to vanish from our plane.
If The FOs remain in the chamber they are currently in, they have 3 rounds to prepare before more enemies arrive....
Derrik wished to deny the sudden healing bu Kate was to fast in her worries and found his wounds quickly, which give of an extra glow when it graces his form. Sheathing Dawnbringer for a bit he grasps Kailin's hand in his.
" Title mean very little to me and though I'm not sure where you come from, your Assistance will be most helpful and I hope this tale will spur hope in the possible people that come after these events. Something to give people the will to continue. "
His Hand rising in the air as another glow comes over him, basking his weapons is complex runes that seem to grow fierce when near the bodies of the Nazi's. As he looks Upon Yingzen
" An Incarnate of Death? You may be right... For Sometimes Justice and Death are one in the same.. I take no pleasure in it, But Great evil must be purged and I intend to be the Blade that Ends it's imbalance. Now.. We must prepare.. more are coming.."
Drawing Dawnbringer once more in his right hand and both weapons fresh with the blood of his foes. He looks to Merlin and Kelper with knowing Eyes.
" A fine ambush on our side.. "
Yingzen moves to the shadows to hide and to prepare to strike any enemies down
you are correct sir knight
Radworth thinks for a moment, then calls out.
"When everyone is ready, do gather around. I have a spell that could be of some help."
Then all are within range, he begins to mutter under his breath. The magic of transmutation flows from him, and a Haste spell falls over Derrik, Yingzen, Koran, Vash, Kate, and himself.
Radworth thinks for a moment, then calls out.
"When everyone is ready, do gather around. I have a spell that could be of some help."
Then all are within range, he begins to mutter under his breath. The magic of transmutation flows from him, and a Haste spell falls over Derrik, Yingzen, Koran, Vash, Kate, and himself.
** spoiler omitted **
Feeling generous, so I'll allow Radsworth to notice Vash standing on top deck of The Kraken outside through an arrow slot in the stairwell tower, allowing him to be included in the haste....
Do the FOs wish to form up any special formation in those 3 rounds? There are two archways, in the south and east walls. The stairwell is in the northwest corner of the 20-square-ft chamber....
Derrik positions himself at the south Archway holding both his weapons at his sides
I would like to place Kepler by the likely entrance of the vampires so he can take his full round action. And I want Levinson in the back of the pack presumably with Kate and Kailin.
Kailin stands at the back of the group, awaiting the arrival of the new foe.
Koran stands across the archway from Derrik, his hammer ready to strike. He also takes out two vials of a pale green liquid and hands one to Derrik before drinking the other. Drink it, they gave these to me back at pandora's box. It will make you hurt them more.
yingzen clings to the shadows near the stairwell
The vampire spawn arrive in the archway, two abreast. Let them have it, Fierce Ones!
Levinson casts Haste on Kepler, herself, and Kalin
The invisible Kepler attacks the closest vampire with a fierce series of power attacks
for
for
for
for
for
Levinson casts Haste on Kepler, herself, and Kalin
The invisible Kepler attacks the closest vampire with a fierce series of power attacks
[dice=Claw 1]1d20+10 for [dice=damage (plus cold)]2d6+11+1d6
[dice=Claw 2]1d20+10 for [dice=damage (plus cold)]2d6+11+1d6
[dice=Claw 3]1d20+10 for [dice=damage (plus cold)]2d6+11+1d6
[dice=Claw 4]1d20+10 for [dice=damage (plus cold)]2d6+11+1d6
[dice=Claw (haste)]1d20+10 for [dice=damage (plus cold)]2d6+11+1d6
Kepler cawroars and rends the pale figure into dead shreds of anatomy!
I'm assuming that two rounds were sufficient to cast buffs and move into formation, and on the third round, Radsworth casts haste, and any other caster casting a round-per-level spell does so, and everyone going before the vampire spawn in initiative order holds their actions until the arrival of the first rank of vampire spawn in the southern archway, allowing full-attacks, while those coming after might opt to ready a standard action for their arrival....
Scootch....
Vash!
Glaza!
Koran!
Levinson!
Grimm!
Nazi submariners! Undead variety this time!!
Yingzen!
Derrik!
Kepler!
Kailin!
Radsworth!
Kate!
Eeeeek! Eeeeek!
Vash and Glaza hear undead Nazi submariners running up the covered gangplank, followed at the last by a confident stride that seems to carry with it the singing crackle of lightning and the low rumbling of thunder....
A sepulchral voice intones an incantation....
The vampire is warded by Mage armor.... DC 16 Spellcraft to know this from hearing the incantation....
This is the music that begins to play from loudspeakers aboard The Kraken....
The Fierce Ones begin to understand why the Nazi submachine gunners were so freaked out by the tune Kailin happened to use to inspire his allies.... It was the very tune now coming from The Kraken.... A sense of foreboding must have gripped them, to hear their enemies taunt them with the very music they used to raid and plunder and slaughter to....
I'm assuming that two rounds were sufficient to cast buffs and move into formation, and on the third round, Radsworth casts haste, and any other caster casting a round-per-level spell does so, and everyone going before the vampire spawn in initiative order holds their actions until the arrival of the first rank of vampire spawn in the southern archway, allowing full-attacks, while those coming after might opt to ready a standard action for their arrival....
Actually, everyone can make a full-round action right after the vampire spawn appear in the archway, then it will be the vampires' turn to act, et cetera....
Captain Kermit licks the last of the beer from the bottom of his glass with a long, sticky tongue.
Yep. Apparently, the new mayor and sheriff of Tombstone can often be seen at the Oriental Saloon at night, playing cards with the local survivors, or even with the Ghost of Doc Holliday himself!.... And, oddly, the ghost of some nobody named Jeb, both of which are rumored to be Dwayne Lee's "spectral forces"!
Kermit snickers and grins a broad, green-lipped grin.
Ghostly deputies.... That he plays cards with....
Mikey stares at his empty glass, listening to Kermit with a grin on his face.
That's frickin' awesome, dude....
Hooty nods his head in agreement and turns his empty glass upside-down on the bar.
Bartender! Another round for my incredulous amigos, here....
A plump Navajo woman brings a full pitcher of beer to the three amigos seated at the bar.
And is there anything besides pretzels to munch on around here? Captain Kermit asks the bartender.
She nods and hurries off to fetch whatever she has in mind....
Hooty continues his tale about the evil sasq-wolves of the American Northwest....
So, the really scary thing about these sasq-wolves, see, is that....they aren't under Cthulhu's command.... They answer to another master, equally terrible, and equally hell-bent on destruction, chaos, murder, and rape.... Another Great Old One, who rules the arctic wastes and frozen tundras of the far north.... Ithaqua, the Wind-Walker, the Wendigo, the Abominable Snowman of Tibet.... Father of the Yeti.... It is believed that he opposes Cthulhu as a rival, and covets the Dread One's warmer domain....
Hooty sips his fresh beer....
Can you imagine what a war between Great Old Ones is like?.... Look at the devastation Cthulhu and his spawn caused against us.... Our global civilization, carefully built and nurtured over thousands of years, has been reduced to utter ruins in a matter of weeks.... The great metropolises of the world are now flooded ruins, or piles of rubble at the bottom of great chasms.... There is no more Internet.... There are no more satellites.... More than half the electronics on Earth were fried in a matter of days when R'lyeh rose out of the Pacific Ocean, bringing a barrage of electromagnetic storms.... What wasn't destroyed by lightning was destroyed by flooding, or tornados, or....worse....
Hooty closes his eyes for a long moment, pressing the cold glass of beer against his forehead....
The bartender returns with a basket of popcorn and sets it down in front of Kermit, who sighs, clearly disappointed....
Damn. says the frog-man. I was hoping for chicken wings, or a hotdog.... Gimme some meat, not another version of ground meal....
Levinson easily recognizes the spell as something equivalent to her own armor spell.
"Um, guys... Whatever's coming this way is definitely a spell caster, and he's got defensive magic at least..."
Kate moves closer to the south archway, coming up beside Kepler, and presenting her Neolithic Earth Mother holy symbol, channels to harm undead, dealing positive energy damage to the dozen vampire spawn, all packed into a neat formation of six ranks of two, that falls within her 30-ft range! Will DC 15 halves the damage to 9....
Will save vs DC 15 positive energy channel
Will save vs DC 15 positive energy channel
Will save vs DC 15 positive energy channel
Will save vs DC 15 positive energy channel
Will save vs DC 15 positive energy channel
Will save vs DC 15 positive energy channel
Will save vs DC 15 positive energy channel
Will save vs DC 15 positive energy channel
Will save vs DC 15 positive energy channel
Will save vs DC 15 positive energy channel
Will save vs DC 15 positive energy channel
Will save vs DC 15 positive energy channel
The vampire spawn writhe and wail as they smolder in the divine energy, half of them taking 18 damage, the other half taking 9....
After hearing the vampires begin to leave the kraken through the gang plank Vash ready an action to somehow get I side the gang plank when he thinks everyone has left the kraken and attack!
After hearing the vampires begin to leave the kraken through the gang plank Vash ready an action to somehow get I side the gang plank when he thinks everyone has left the kraken and attack!
Perception vs DC 28 to perceive Vash shadowing him into the White Tower....
fails.... Von Ulrik is too thirsty for the blood of enemies he knows are before him to notice the stealthy enemy creeping up behind him....Vash lashes out with his spiked chain at Von Ulrik's back (flat-footed AC 22), but the vampire's magical wards protect him like an invisible suit of armor....
Kailin begins his flute playing again.
Koran swings a flurry of powerful blows at the attacking vampires.