Archepex will also look for a precise weapon, then lead the group upward.
Imp-losion rounds
Hauling his find from its hiding spot, Hjalmar called out to the others, bullet satchel raised above his head "Bingo!" He smiled widely. "Imp Shot or Imp-losion rounds if ya wanna get real fancy." He pulled one from the satchel, holding it up. "One of these puppies strikes somethin' livin', all hell quite literally breaks loose. But no worries, the imps will only attack whoever the bullet hits." He smirked with a twinkle in his eye. "So ya know, best to not blunder into my line of fire."
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Olaeus pokes around some of the corpses with his shovel, then sits down in contemplation of the shade's answer.
"Up or down, doesn't matter to me. I could raise some of these vermin to watch our back, ambush anyone coming to investigate."
"Up or down, doesn't matter to me. I could raise some of these vermin to watch our back, ambush anyone coming to investigate."
"Great idea, Olaeus!"
Orlovsky is in the middle of scooping up a thin, hollow dagger that looks like it has a blood receptacle for when the victim is stabbed - when he discovers something strange. It looks like a toy box, with an opening in the top that's covered by a silk cloth. The silk cloth is only secured so that it doesn't fly around, it looks quite easy to lift off the opening. There's Skaven writing on the side; a bright, garish red arrow scrawled on the side of the box, pointing at the opening, with WARNING in big letters.
Rikard, you find a dwarven shortsword amid the pile that has black leather wrapped around the hilt; it's quite comfortable to hold, with a good weight to it and a scabbard that the sword fits into lying nearby on the floor. The scabbard is partially damaged from the molten steel that Khad overturned on the floor during the fight, but still serviceable.
Morley, heat detection through walls is possible with the monacle, but limited, especially based on the composition of the wall in question. Thin wood? Sure, definitely. Steel? Maybe not.
Archepex, it takes some digging, but eventually Mule screeches and flaps his wings as he finds an elegant looking longsword. It stands out slightly from the rest of the weapons in that it doesn't look of typical Dwarven design.
"Morley, come take a look at this."
Olaeus points at the odd box.
Archepex takes the sword and swings it around a bit. It responds beautifully. Much better than his clunky short sword. He sheathes the weapon and proceeds upward with Morley.
Olaeus sticks the dagger in his belt and turns to the dead vermin. He cuts out their hearts then taps his shovel against the floorstones, mimicking a heartbeat. "Arise, beasts, and obey your new master!"
As the skaven climb to their feet, the Speaker looks each in the eyes. "Let none pass."
Bathilda is positively giddy as she figures out her new weapon, so much so, that she's giggling as she has it shift from one style of sword to another, completely oblivious to the fact that the others can hear her plain as day.
Morley begins to test the Monacle of Interparty Discord, pushing the button and glancing around the room. As his gaze passes over Bathilda, he flinches and quickly removes it. He curses under his breath, then approaches the Barbarian, careful to avoid her ever changing weapon.
Before Morley takes the monocle off, he sees a few things he may not have noticed the first time he saw her sans clothes.
There's a tattoo of a shield in front of crossed swords on her right shoulder. Considering her rather aggressive personality, she has very few scars, only a few small ones on her limbs and a medium one across the top of her back.
Of course, he can also see what she wears under her clothes. Funny, she doesn't seem the type to wear black, lacy things.
"Bathilda, if I use this the chances of our group falling victim to ambush, traps, or locked doors will drop dramatically. But ... there is a cost."
He hands the monacle to Bathilda. "You should hold this. Perhaps I can use it in the future."
The mercenary turns to Morley as she puts her new weapon away. There's still a smile on her face, and she actually looks rather charming when she smiles. That soon disappears as Morley mentions a cost, then hands her the monocle.
"Look, I know what my strengths are, and being a scout is not one of them. If it can help, then use it, unless the cost you mentioned is too great. What is it anyway." she asks him, a slight frown on her frown on her face.
When Olaeus commits his necromantic ritual to raise the dead, the three Skaven that were living only moments ago, rise again.
The first one, the headless Skaven that was first to fall to Grigor's sword, nods in acquiescence to his new master's command, taking up station beside the door. It's holding its own head under one arm, and somehow heard Olaeus' instructions with it. The second one, the split-in-two Skaven that was bisected by Bathilda, merely stares dully ahead with a head that hangs off its neck by a thread of grisly flesh.
The third zombie, missing its throat and covered in Chaos stone shards that Emma shoved into it, begins mutating. The necromancy of Olaeus' spell mingles with the chaos energy that the stone shards are faintly giving off, rejecting Olaeus' control. With a hungry growl, the zombie-Skaven lurches at the necromancer that created it! Take 1d4 damage that ignores armor from the Chaos Aura that now surrounds the zombie, and roll Defy Danger to avoid being bitten yourself! You may take a +1 to the roll as the headless zombie you reanimated moves sluggishly to your aid.
Did I forget to mention that even zombies created with necromancy can create other zombies in this world? Yep, the magic you use to reanimate its corpse is nearly as contagious as the virus version. Better be careful!
Archepex was never really off guard and has a arrow ready for just such an occasion. He respects the Speaker for his command over death, but his magic is risky. As soon as the animated skaven lunges Archepex fires.
-reducing ammo by 1, he's not going to be reusing that particular arrow.
Bathilda sees the corpses walk, and one in particular go after Olaeus. She pulls out the new weapon and takes a moment to think. A halberd sized for her. She didn't want to get close to this thing of fell magic, and she was quickly coming to regard the mage in the same light as Morley and Dhice. Someone dangerous and unreliable. Still, they were all in the same group, and she was bound by honor to try and save them, even from their own stupidity.[/ooc]
Emma idly picks through the rack of weaponry, taking a small axe and another shield. They are all right, really, but she is disappointed her sword has vanished. It had sentimental value. Killed a lot of rats with it. She shrugs. The real issue is her jealousy about Bathildas new Omni-Halberd. An issue swiftly supplanted by the recently dead Skaven coming back to bite them. "Not again!" She growls. If the bow and halberd didn't finish it of, she'll decapitate it with her axe. She may do that any way.
Is Emma stills glowing with chaos fire at this point?
Morley sets the Monacle of Hastening Morley's Demise to X Ray and puts it to the Barbarian's eye.
Bathilda, you don't add your Str to your damage in Dungeon World, sorry to rain on your parade a little.
Archepex's arrows strike true, thudding into the zombie's chest. Unfortunately, the puncture wound just doesn't do very much to a zombie; they no longer care about internal organs, and the magic powering their undeath does not care about a simple arrowhead.
Bathilda's Halberd does a bit more damage, thudding into the zombie's gut. Stepping between Orlovsky and his undead ratty creation, the barbarian shoulder-checks the zombie when the corpse grabs hold of the halberd and doesn't let go. It's stuck in the creature's gut! The zombie scratches at you as you recklessly check it, take 1d4 damage and if you take damage after armor, roll Defy Danger: Con.
Bathilda holds the struggling zombie still long enough for Emma to finish the job, cleaving the rat-zombie's head clean off. Her exertion as she swings the axe causes orange light to briefly flare around her in a chaotically-shifting aura, dealing 1d4 damage that ignores armor to all allies nearby, including Morley and Bathilda. The zombie goes down and the flaring magic around Emma's body gradually subsides.
Bathilda only has time to mutter, "uh-oh," before Emma downs the horrid thing, and before she can even relax, or turn to Olaeus and yell at him, chaotic orange fire sweeps over her and rips at her skin.
As the aura of chaos dissipates, Bathilda looks warily at Emma as she slowly backs away. First the thief, then the two mages, and now this newest person had done something to make her very wary indeed when dealing with them. Right now, every fiber of her being was screaming at her to get as far as she could from the woman. Bathilda wrenched her new weapon free, thinking of it in the form of the small toy staff she had found it in earlier before pocketing it.
===
Bathilda takes a step back when she finds that she can suddenly see through Morley. As she did, she noticed that she could see through his clothing and her face begins to turn bright red as she snatches the monocle off.
"You owe me a keg of dwarven stout after that," she grumbles as she pockets the monocle.
Dammit! Why does he have to look so damn good under all the clothes and leathers?!
Yes, Morley, you're able to find a cunning Dwarven switchblade dagger with the concealable and precise tags. No bows though. Dwarves tend to prefer guns, and this isn't a gunsmithy.
Bathilda: Lucky you rolled low there! Would've been quite awkward to contract magical necromantic zombie fever at this stage. Not to mention all the diseases that a Skaven is likely to have naturally.
Morley looks crestfallen as Bathilda pockets the monacle, but immediately brightens when he sees a glint of steel near the forge. He picks it up, and grins wickedly as a dark blade emerges. He drops his rapier and turns to Archepex.
"Let's move."
Morley signals Archepex and they cautiously climb the stairs. At the bend, Morley peeks his head around the corner looking for more enemies.
Morley leads the way up the stairs to the lit room above. Rounding the corner, he sees a double row of bunk beds with a hallway leading down the middle. The bunks are designed such that you can't see what's on each lower bed until you're walking past it. The room is lit by ceiling lights and looks to be approximately thirty-five feet long. It smells foul in this room, and you know the smell - it's a heavy, musky odor that tends to accumulate wherever Skaven bed down to sleep. These are dwarven-made beds, but clearly the new landlords are making use of the existing furnishings...
At the end of the room is a stern, imposing painting of a Dwarf lord, nobody you immediately recognize. The Lord's painting has been thoroughly defaced by the Skaven, but the grafitti fails to mask the subject's stony gravitas. Beneath the painting is a large chest, covered in scratches and chip marks localized around the locking mechanism...
"I agree we must move forward, there could still be more prisoners. We ought to be quick about it."
No way these monsters slept through that ruckus.
Morley waits until Archepex is poised to cover him, then sneaks into the room along the right side, looking for traps. As he approaches each set of beds, he scans the contents of the left bunks, then peers into the right bunks, ready to slice throats if necessary. He will stop if he sees or hears an enemy.
Seeing the Thief leave to lead the group, Bathlda grabs him by the shoulder and turns him. She slaps something into his hands.
"Keep it, you can make better use of it than I can anyway. Just pray I never catch you looking at me while wearing it, clear?"
She turns and walks off before giving him a chance to reply. In Morley's hands is the monocle.
Start taking a look around for any traps, including where any Skaven may have gone.
Discern Realities
"I got nothing. Anybody else spot anything?"
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As he walks through the room, Morley mouths a curse and pauses. I am an idiot ...
He puts the monacle to his eye and sets it to infrared, hoping to identify whether any of the bunks farther into the room are occupied.
Emma is very quiet as the walk through into the next room. Very, very quiet.
As she (unconsciously) reabsorbs the chaos energy, she turns pale, and starts shivering a little.
Archepex is right there with Morley, arrow knocked. He waits for the thief's signal.
"Wait! What are yo-- OW!"
Bathilda takes a step back and rubs the spot on her forehead where Emma had headbutted her after grabbing her arms. She scowls as she opens her mouth to start tearing into the strange woman, but only to have her jaw go slack as she realized she was fine.
"How is it that you tried to crack my skull open and I don't feel any pain," she asks, almost scared of what the answer would be.
"Sorry..." mumbles Emma softly "wasn't looking where I was going..." She turns away, cracking Morley in the shins as she does
It's cool if you want to try to be discreet about it, Emma, just say so at the time. Still, you're glowing with chaos energy and when they first met you, boy were hanging upside down being tortured by a giant rat. Nothing about you is subtle to this group, i think it's pretty safe to say you have their interest after that intro!
Action post inc from me
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Myk-Myk is fascinated by his new map...exploring every forest and delve with a poke of his finger will provide hours upon hours of useful amusement.
His Dwarven treasure lust awakened...he takes a close look at the pile of weapons, searching out any axes that happen to have Runes of Forging etched upon them.
The new addition is interesting...so much anger and ferocity, and yet she also has the touch. She doesn't move much like a cleric...but she'd be the damndest Paladin he ever saw.
"Hello! I am called Myk-Myk! What may we be calling you?" He cheerily smiles at her and extends his hand in greeting.
.....
At the top of the stairs, in the misused bunkroom, a twinkle comes to his eye at the familar shapes of the bedsteads. Now where would the previous occupants have hid anything of value? He remembers where he and his kin would hide their precious treasures, and checks those spots on the beds first.
"Hello... dwarf. Nice... weather? We are having?"
Emma is absolutely atrocious at small talk.
"M'names Emma," she mumbles "How's, uh, priest...ing... doing for you?"
Absolutely.
Atrocious.
"Up, nothing but stone ceilings all day, everyday here. Prefect dwarven weather," Bathilda says with a snicker, some of her concern about Emma vanishing as her tendency to be a smart-ass takes over.
Morley, apart from some normal, mundane rats that flee into the dark corners of the room and huddle there, you see no heat signatures. The beds are empty. There are no traps here, nothing that can cause you any harm. The only obvious oddity is the crack in the far wall's right hand corner, and of course the giant painting with the treasure chest beneath it.
Once the thief gives the all-clear, Myk-Myk, recognizing the dormitory for what it was, immediately begins to excitedly check over the bunk-frames. Idle hands are said to be the Devil's plaything; if that was true for humans, it was more true that idle hands were the God of Crafting's playthings for dwarves. Often, when dwarves bunker down to sleep after a hard day's forging, mining, or smelting, they will actually design secret cubbyholes over the course of days or weeks, built into the very frames of their beds, just to help them fall asleep. Alas, there is nothing useful hidden in any of these bunks.
Once he is satisfied that the room is safe, Morley's inherent nature overwhelms him and he rushes to open the treasure chest.
Archepex enters, but keeps watch at the door. Just in case.
It won't open, Morley. You feel how heavy the chest is, and see the scrabbled scratch marks all over what looks to be its locking mechanism. The painting of the dwarf lord feels like it's staring down at you. Even covered in Skaven graffiti, it's capable of inspiring the heebie-jeebies.
Amature rats ... Morley attempts to pick the lock. While he is working he asks the dwarves in the party, Have you ever had any experience with a chest like this?
The lock confounds you, Morley, even with your skills. There's a fairly sizable keyhole that you use to gain access to the inner mechanisms, but they're far more complex than your average lock, and small enough that you could ruin the lock entirely if you push your luck too much. Your safest bet would be to hope to find the key somewhere...
Morley curses and steps back. It's no good. We will need to find a key. He points to the crack, Any guesses on what caused that?
Olaeus tries to push the disobedient thrall away but receives a nasty bite on the hand for his troubles. After the rat is slain for the second time, he scoops up the strange box and follows the others, leaving the remaining two thralls to their orders.