Chotka bared his teeth in an attempt to smile as he had seen humans do, but his large tusks detracted from his efforts. As he stood there, he tried to follow the slurring speech of people of Torch, but could only occasionally pick out a name.
Karek sighs as no one else speaks. "Greetings. We are here to search for Khonnir Bhaine. We seek Joram for the magic that will let us breath water for this reason."
"Best be alongnow," the old man said, dismissing the others. They went.
"I'm Joram. If you're truly of a mind to bring back Bhaine, then I have that magic for you. Mind now, the Whisperer in Bronze's rites might not be the kind of thing you folks are accustomed to. Nothing I'd do will put you under any obligation to her or steal away your spirits. Those are just my- I mean, that's not so. Just so there's no misunderstanding."
He took a quick count of the sworn band.
"I can handle the lot of you. With my dilator you'll breathe water whenever you need to for six hours, but not a tick more. Something to keep in mind."
Karek explains to the rest of the party in Hallit that Joram will cast a spell using his God's magic, and that it will carry no debt, or imperil our souls.
Also making sure that we all know the time we have before it runs out!
"Thank you for your magic, given to us so freely. We hope to repay your faith with the return of Khonnir Bhaine."
Rikal listens to Karek's explanation, and nods his acceptance and understanding of the time limit.
Seeing no objections, Joram produced a small assembly of bronze gears and springs from his apron. He approached Karek with deliberation, adjusted his gears, wound a spring, and spoke a prayer that sounded equal part words and the din of wheels and gears spinning over the instrument.
"Now I'll need for you to just open your mouth. You might feel the goddess' touch when the blessing takes effect, but it will do you no harm."
Joram held the instrument up to Karek's lips and it sprang forward in a smooth, sharp motion. A metallic mist entered his mouth and nose and he heard whispers surround him for an interminable moment before falling silent again.
Karek follows the whole procedure with interest, his role is to seek out new knowledge and see if it will benefit the tribe. He is used to drinking strange substances anyway.
Chotka's eyes narrowed as the old man completed his procedure, but then he shrugged and opened his mouth. If it means an opportunity to avenge my kin, I can endure anything.
Rikal eyed the strange apparatus warily, not sure he trusted the device. Still, he was a warrior of his tribe - and he figured it couldn't be any worse than what he had been forced to drink in his Test of Spirit. Once Joram gets to him. He opens his mouth once his turn arrives.
Bavmorda hisses as at the unnatural concoction. Such things are beyond the spirits' Jen. They are wrong and cursed things that taint both mind and body. It is known. But, this was the only way. She would perform a cleansing ritual after this was done.
She, too drank the unnatural humor.
Owen shrugs. "Better than trying to breathe water on my own."
"You're all set to go now," Joram said. "Bring him back, even if he's dead. We need Khonnir."
We shall bring the metal-worker to you.
Chotka nudged Rikal and said, "I don't feel any different. Do you?"
Breathing Timer: 5:50
Ten minutes later, the sworn band found themselves at the Weeping Pool. It stood in the very shadow of Black Hill, at a still pond. The water had a bitter, rotting stink to it and nothing grew near where it touched the ground. From all they had heard, a tunnel and cave lay somewhere beneath its surface.
When they arrived at the pool Chotka wrinkled his nose at the stench. "Are we so sure the man didn't just die from touching this? I don't care if we can breathe it, I'd rather not."
When everyone was ready, Chotka took a deep breath and dove in, hoping to reach the other end before he was forced to breathe in the foul liquid.
With the end in sight, Chotka's lungs burned and his vision dimmed before he was forced to gasp and breathe in the foul liquid.
Soaked and coughing, the orc dragged himself out of the fetid pool eventually and glared at the others. "Orcs don't swim," he grumbled as he looked around the hidden chamber.
Karek ignores the smell with the familiarity of one used to horrible stinks.
10 feet.
10 feet.
10 feet.
Oooh shiny!
10 feet and out.
He wrings out his beard. "I wonder if they have a bathhouse in Torch?" He muses. Giving the grumbling Chotka a slap on the back. "You made it friend. Who cares if you didn't look pretty doing so?"
Shrugging, Rikal says, "I feel no difference, but the magic should be working. If we were not deceived."
Wrinkling his nose, Rikal is faintly reminded of the pool from his Test of Spirit. Leaping in, he begins swimming towards the grotto - after throwing the remains of the metal man in to sink to the bottom.
Climbing out, Rikal shakes his head to whip some of the water out of his hair. "That was one of the more unpleasant things I have swum through - though not the worst I have smelled."
Owen takes a look at the pool. It reminds him of latrines he's seen in the past. Unfortunately, it isn't getting any sweeter smelling as he looks at it. He squares his shoulders and dives in.
Upon arriving in the cave, Owen immediately sets to work squeezing the foul water out of his beard.
Karek
Bavmorda speaks words the green words of the Spirits. She plunges her hands into the muck about the pond as mist fish swim about the hexcrafter' head. She finishes her casting and pulls out her hands. As the mud falls away, they reveal webbing between her fingers tipped by tiny claws. She hops into the water and swims with unerring accuracy towards the opening. When she leaves, foul water dribbles from her body as she takes stock of her surrounding.
[ooc]Monkey Fish which grants a swim speed of 10. That's 5 rounds of swimming]
Breathing Timer: 5:48
Mostly with ease, but instead with difficulty in Chotka's case, the sworn band swum through the foul-smelling waters. They emerged dripping in a tunnel where the water ran only two feet deep, just enough to make for a foul-smelling trudge on submerged rock. They found dry land in a damp cave with slick walls, the calm water winding off to the east, past a soot-scarred beach. A ledge, five feet high, stood over the beach. Several stalagmites rose there, giving teeth to the tunnel that vanished into the darkness beyond.
Karek will climb up and have a look down the tunnel.
Rikal will have cast light on his morningstar, so they could see.
Bavmorda spits three times and makes a sign to ward off evil. athe spirits do not like this place. This is a cursed and evil place.
With Rikaal's light at his back, Karek climbed the wall with ease and found himself looking down a low-ceiling cavern thick with stalactites and stalagmites. In the distance, he saw the body of a half-orc sprawled on the ground.
"Got a body up here." Karek informs the others. "Doesn't look like Bhaine."
He carefully advances to inspect the corpse. Keeping an eye out for suprizes.
Owen finishes finger-combing his beard and moves up to stand near Karek.
Karek stepped forward to examine the dead half-orc as Owen climbed to the top of the ledge. Just as he bent down to look at the body, Karek heard stones dislodged ahead of him. He looked up to see a grotesque, froglike creature as tall as a dwarf with huge, bulging eyes. They flared blinding bright, searing Karek's eyes for an instant before he could turn away. A moment more and he'd have been struck blind!
Percs. Only Karek and Owen are up where they have a chance to see/hear.
And Karek's is 21.
Bugger. Froggy still has init, though.
Surprise round. The bad guy steps around the corner and turns on the lights. Only Karek is in range. Fort DC 15.
dammit, he can still see. Unfair!
Inits then.
Karek immediately bellows out a warcry and attacks.
Hearing Karek's war cry, Rikal immediately rushes forward, climbing the ledge and running down the passageway.
[ooc]Not sure what action it is to get up the ledge. I moved as far as I think I can get this round. If I did not move the maximum (or moved too far) let me know.
Hearing Karek's war cry, Rikal immediately rushes forward, climbing the ledge and running down the passageway.
[ooc]It's a move action and needs a DC 10 Climb check. I handwaved it for Karek and Owen because the precise time didn't matter then.
Karek didn't recognize the froglike creature before him, but he knew it was flesh and blood. He swung his axe hard but the creature ducked under his blade. Hearing Karek's cry, Rikal raced up the ledge and plunged into the tunnel.
The frog is a magical beast, no love from dungeoneering.
Bavmorda curses at the tiny opening. I cannot enter, and still permit room for the warriors. Gwalhur. go. Gwalhur snarls and heads down the hall. But, I shall consult the spirts.
"A giant frog? Now I've seen everything. Or is it a toad? Toads are on land, right?"
While Owen ponders what exactly it is that he's fighting, he moves forward and readies his sword.
Bavmorda consulted the spirits and they whispered to her that a blindheim lurked ahead. They were dumb beasts, but could strike men blind with their searing gaze.
"I cannot enter, and still permit room for the warriors. Gwalhur. go," she said, bidding her wolf advance.
Owen followed after the wolf and came upon their foe. "A giant frog? Now I've seen everything. Or is it a toad? Toads are on land, right?"
The frog had no answer for them save its burning gaze, which flashed forward to bathe Owen, Rikal, and Karek in its fell light. Rikal's world vanished into a painful red haze while Owen and Karek cast their eyes down just in time to spare themselves. The creature surged forward, biting Karek's leg and tearing his stomach with a claw. The warrior came near to losing consciousness and blood suddenly rushed free of him.
It's a magical beast, so we're looking at arcana.
he's up
ditto
Fort DC 15
Rikal is blinded for one hour. I've marked him with a closed eye mask icon to note it.
And a full attack for Karek
Bite and 1 claw for 12 damage. Yowza. Disabled:
A character with 0 hit points, or one who has negative hit points but has become stable and conscious, is disabled. A disabled character may take a single move action or standard action each round (but not both, nor can he take full-round actions, but he can still take swift, immediate, and free actions). He moves at half speed. Taking move actions doesn't risk further injury, but performing any standard action (or any other action the GM deems strenuous, including some free actions such as casting a Quicken Spell spell) deals 1 point of damage after the completion of the act. Unless the action increased the disabled character's hit points, he is now in negative hit points and dying.
Karek will draw his extract of Cure light and drink it.
Otherwise Karek will ready himself and make a 5 foot step back as Owen advances to attack.
Chotka clambered up the wall after hearing his companions' shouts.
Once up, he rushed towards the injured Karek, intent on keeping the warrior on his feet.
Reeling, Karek held his ground. Owen would be there soon to take his place. Chotka climbed the ledge in two swift bounds and came up into the tunnel, but not quite fast enough to bring him to Karek's side.
Full attacks don't preclude AoOs.
It is a dumb beast ahead. Brutish, and corrupt...they are unnatural and cursed by the spirits. But, their gaze is dread, indeed. Look them not in the eye, they can blind with but a stare!
Then, Bavmorda calls to Gwalhur. GO! attack the beast!The wolf snarls and rushes forward, charging past friends and pushing the monster back.
Bavmorda mutters as she tries to climb the cliff. Now, I shall attempt to get closer to the beast..
Rikal, blinded, presses himself against the wall of the cavern to ensure he was out of the way of the other warriors, knowing he would be a hindrance without his sight. Instead, he gropes to find where his war drum is tied on his pack, and begins beating a war beat upon it.
Owen felt his blood begin to race as the familiar beat of the war drums vibrated in his bones. He steps forward and attacks.
Izaak rushed forward, scaling the wall.
Rikal groped about in his pack, found his drum, and began to beat it. A blood rage surged through the sworn band.
"It is a dumb beast ahead. Brutish, and corrupt...they are unnatural and cursed by the spirits. But, their gaze is dread, indeed. Look them not in the eye, they can blind with but a stare!" Bavmorda warned. She turned called to Gwalhur: "GO! attack the beast!"
The wolf surged forward, but the frog creature threw it aside with a vicious claw to the flank. Now left entirely behind, Bavmorda tried and failed to scale the ledge herself.
Owen and Karek swapped places and the older man, bones shaking with rage, swung furiously at the frog. He slashed only air as the short creature ducked under his attack.
Then the blindheim's eyes flared hellish red again and the vision of Owen and Karek burned away in a red haze. An instant later it bit into Owen's leg and then turned both claws on Gwalhur, leaving the wolf badly hurt.
Raging Song (Inspired Rage):
+2 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution and a +1 morale bonus on Will saving throws, but also take a –1 penalty to AC. While under the effects of inspired rage, allies other than the skald cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride) or any ability that requires patience or concentration
Gwalhur is trying a bull rush.
no love
hit
And Blindy is up. Time for some more Fort saves, DC 15. Gwalhur is to the side of the cone now and Rikal already blind. That leaves Karek, Owen, and Karen & Owen.
damn, blinded for an hour for both.
To Owen from Blindy. Since he's blind, he takes -2 to his AC on top of losing his dex bonus. Puts him at 13.
To Gwalhur
Chotka rumbled down the hall speaking a few guttural words, the grabbed Karek by the shoulder, "That oughtta keep you on your feet, now fall back so I can get to him!"
Chotka moved forward, eyes down, and worked guttural healing upon Karek. The spell pulled Karek back from the bring of unconsciousness.
"That oughtta keep you on your feet, now fall back so I can get to him!"
Izzak rushed ahead, throwing his shoulder against the blindheim, shoving it roughly back into a cavern. Water flowed below and to one side. Close up and still in possession of his eyes, Izzak sees a tattered leader hood hung in strips about the creature's head and a brand on its flank.
Averting eyes gives a 50% chance at not needing to save.
works
Izzak bullrushes
ow
And the rush
. CMD 18, so that's 10 back