Round 1 Actions
While the golem's attention is focused on Alis and Morgaard, Priyya takes the key she retrieved from the fire, slides the 5' towards the golem's back and attempts to insert and twist the key...
Felmor suffers a -2 on all ATT/DAM/Saves/Skill rolls because he is too busy visualizing 'riding' to get the job done. :p
DM Hat: OFF
Since you did not have a DM Hat ON - we can only assume that your immunity to said 'conditions' are merely character aspirations and wishful thinking. Your -2 penalties remain in place. Your 'Hat Status' has been set to 'Disabled'. Please contact Laith to adjust this status. :p
DM Hat: OFF
As Morgaard regains his feet, the towering golem turns and aims a powerful strike at him with its shield...
... just barely missing as it cracks the paving stone he's standing on with the massive shield!
As it pivots, it exposes its back to Priyya who quickly sneaks up on it, inserts the key and twists only to discover this key is about half the size necessary to fit the keyhole.
Morgaard attacks the Construct with his great axe:
Priyya blurts out a set of expletives that are as creative as they are physically impossible, "&@$#&#%^*$#$^!!! We have the wrong key! We need one about twice this size!"
"Aye, son of a *****!, what say we retreat, 'n see if'n we can find th' key?"
In true Golden Axe fashion, Morgaard tumbles along the ground, past Alis delivering a strong hack that carves a log-sized chunk out of the golem's left leg.
"Get away from that thing," she yells, "we're no match for it!"
Popping the seal on a flask of oil you found earlier, Alexis uses magehand to pour lamp oil over the wood golem.
"Alis, use one of the tindertwigs we found!"
It's attention still fixed on the dwarf that is carving it up, the tall construct aims its attacks at Morgaard...
...while he ably dodges the first shield, the second impacts him so hard that you are certain the blow would have nigh well disabled anyone else. His vision goes grey for a moment and his ears ring from the force of it before his head clears enough to hear Alexis yelling for him to withdraw.
HP Remaining:
Alis pulls one of the tindertwigs out from where she stuck it in her bracer and attempts to light one of the rivulets of oil running down the golem's body...
...her attack strikes true and in the next moment, a trail of flame races up the golem quickly engulfing its head in flames.
"That won't keep it busy for long, let's get out of here!"
Unable to see, the golem flails about, striking its own head as it tries to extinguish itself. In the process of doing so, it drops the two shields it was holding.
Alis easily leaps clear of the massive shield while Morgaard is missed more thru sheer luck than skill.
, Morgaard, Priyya, Alexis, enemies, Alis
As the hefty shields clatter to the ground, Alis' eyes grow big. "These are what we came for and that thing is too big to fit thru the doors! We might be able to get a win out of this yet!"
MAP: Room 09 #02
Morgaard makes another attack, hoping to offer distraction so that the others can grab the shields:
Much to Alis' chagrin, instead of picking up one of the over-sized shields (which look to weigh more than half what she does), Morgaard decides to remind the golem of their location with his axe as he takes another chunk out of its leg.
, Priyya, Alexis, enemies, Alis, Morgaard
Priyya Actions
Priyya checks to make sure the ramps can be climbed before committing to her course. She races down to the nearest shield and lugs it onto her back, cursing her weakened strength. She begins to slowly take it back towards the door. Hopefully she will draw at least one strike away from Morgaard and Alis for stealing the shield.
Still blinded by the flames engulfing its head, Priyya is able to run past the golem and down the slide without being attacked. With quite a bit of effort, she hoists one of the massive shields.
Seeing the debacle unfolding in the southern half of the room, Alexis uncorks another flask of oil and mutters under her breath, "I find myself almost tempted... to swear..."
With that, she levitates another flask of oil above the golem and pours it on...
...and the flames on the golem's head roar even higher.
"That's the last of the lamp oil I have, you'd better hurry it up, that won't keep it blinded for more than another 10 or 20 seconds, tops!"
, enemies, Alis, Morgaard, Priyya, Alexis
Felmor moves across the room and grabs the other shield, moving back up the ramp, to hand it off to Alexis.
Running past the flailing golem, Felmor hefts the shield that almost clobbered Morgaard and struggles up onto the western ramp ahead of Priyya his face turning red with the effort.
Swatting at the flames scorching its head with one hand, the golem attempts to step upon the whatever it was that last hit it. Raising it's left foot, it takes a ponderous step forward attempting to squash Morgaard...
... and succeeds in very nearly turning him into strawberry jam.
HP Remaining:
Morgaard /16
"Morgaard, you better not die on us, or Miss Nell will take it out on us!"
HP Remaining:
Morgaard /16
"I'll try to lure it away. See if you can help the others with those shields. If that thing hits you again there won't be anything left for Priyya and I to heal!"
Alis retreats eastward shouting as loudly as she can, "HEY HOT-HEAD, OVER HERE!!!"
, Priyya, Alexis, Felmor, enemies, Alis
MAP: Room 09 #03
Alexis... mutters under her breath, "I find myself almost tempted... to swear..."
Despite the cacophony going on around her amplified by the shield she lugs, tortoise-like, on her back... Priyya (the Perceptinator) hears Alexis' comment and gives her a labored grin, "You crazy b!tch, this is the perfect time to swear! Now if Morgaard would just stop playing with that puppet... MORGAARD! We are LEAVING!" She adds, under her breath, "I hope." That ramp is long and her march is painfully slow.
"Aye, ifn'ye want Cap'n I kin teach ye some nautical cuss words, I gots some doozies in thar!"
Morgaard is dazed and somewhat confused, but alive. He moves as fast as possible and gets clear of the golem, seeing that he'll do little good against the construct.
Priyya's active spells are bolded on her character sheet.
"Felmor, you must want to lose that hand... otherwise it wouldn't be resting on my ass."
"Crazy b!tch!"
"Spawn of Darkness, I rebuke you!"
"I do not think that word means what you think it means..."
... and my most used term:
Morgaard quickly snatches the shield from Priyya with suprising strength as he passes:
"Leaving eh? Probably not without my help. Now, be a good lass and help that one...", Morgaard nods in the direction of Felmor, "...with his shield. I've enough strength for this one. Now hurry, we've no time!" His voice is loud and firm; clearly the tone of a professional soldier. He is merely being direct in his words, with no intention of being rude. He is still gravely injured, blood froths at the corner of his mouth and spills onto his grey beard.
Morgaard then makes for the ramp nearest his position. He attempts to climb the ramp as quickly as possible:
Even with blood pouring from places it ought not to, Morgaard is still sure-footed as a mountain goat, and twice as strong. After sliping out from under the golem, he hoists Priyya's shield and hustles to the top of the ramp with enviable ease before coughing up a spongy mass about the size of a chicken egg.
, Alexis, Felmor, enemies, Alis
Climb Checks (First Move)
Climb Checks (Second Move)
With her burden suddenly relieved, Priyya hurries forward and helps Felmor with the weight of the second shield. With her help, they make it to the top of the ramp. Just as Felmor clears the top with the shield, Priyya's footing becomes a bit shaky and she freezes in place to keep from falling. The sailor staggers forward suddenly bearing the entire load again...
...fortunately, he keeps his feet under and doesn't get pancaked by it.
Seeing that Priyya is still standing dangerously close to the golem, Alexis runs forward, clasps her arm...
...and helps her to safety.
Raising it's hands, the golem claps them together in front of its face extinguishing the flames obscuring its vision with the deafening blow. For a moment, it hesitates, seeing the shields being carried away. It then looks at its empty hands and deep resonating sigh seems to escape it.
Without further violence, it returns to its pedestal, its weight restoring the stairs. The fey light in its eye sockets fades and it becomes inanimate once more. After a few moments longer, the flames on its neck and head die out and you watch in wonderment as fresh growth seems to regenerate the damage it suffered. Within the span of about a minute, there's no evidence that you ever even harmed it.
XP: +400 each = 1916/2000
Practically tip-toeing back up the stairs, Alis walks over to Morgaard's side her forehead creased with worry. "You going to be OK Uncle Morg? I thought that was it when that thing stepped on you!"
Morgaard is in pain, but he manages a smile.
"Ah, I've fought fiercer things than that pansy. Was there ever a doubt my plan would work? I am an expert at stopping my enemies attack with my own face! Now, give me a moments rest... "
He lets out a rattling sign and sits down the shield as he himself takes a seat. He winces as his rump hits the ground.
Frowning with concern, Alis notes with alarm all the blood on Morgaard's ribcage and side. "Is that one of your ribs?! Priyya, let's see if we can't patch our stubborn old friend up, shall we?"
HP Remaining:
Morgaard feels the warmth of the healing energies tingle though his body. He uncontrollably gasps as feels the wounds close, bones set, and other things order themselve properly in his somewhat broken body. After a moment, a genuine smile crosses his face, this time, not laced with the pain of battle:
"Thank you, dears! That'll do ol Morgaard just fine. Of course, the touch of two beauties such as yourselves would being any man to his feet!"
The stout dwarf winks though his bushy eyebrows then leaps to his feet:
"Ah, good as new! I healed faster than ol' woody dwarf stomper over there. Now, since there is so much smoke already in the air, a little pipe-weed will serve nicely as we discuss what we shall do now."
Morgaard lights his pipe and puffs a large smoke-ring in the direction of the construct.
"Now, be a good lass and help that one... Now hurry, we've no time!" His voice is loud and firm; clearly the tone of a professional soldier... blood froths at the corner of his mouth and spills onto his grey beard.
At the word 'lass' and the implication that she is the one who delayed their retreat, Priyya looks ready to spit iron. It is only Morgaard's grievous condition that compels her to hold her tongue and assist Felmor up the ramp. Felmor hears her angry muttering but wisely chooses to ignore it. Morgaard's put her in'a fine mood t'be sure!
Seeing that Priyya is still standing dangerously close to the golem, Alexis runs forward, clasps her arm... ...and helps her to safety.
Priyya teeters on the edge of the ramp until Alexis grabs her and pulls her away. She looks back at the golem, imagining how badly that might have gone. "My thanks, Alexis."
"Thank you, dears! That'll do ol Morgaard just fine. Of course, the touch of two beauties such as yourselves would being any man to his feet!"
The stout dwarf winks though his bushy eyebrows then leaps to his feet...
Priyya smiles sweetly then, when his attention turns to his pipe, she draws her scimitar and spanks him across the ass with the flat of the blade.
"Don't ever pull a stunt like that again, Morgaard. Not every problem can be solved with your axe. When Alexis tells you to retreat - she probably has a good reason and you should listen to her."
Priyya's tone softens, trying to take the sting from what she just said, "As for what we should do now, I'd like to see what is down this corridor since we are in the neighborhood."
Felmor hasn't worked around dwarves very much, seeing as most of the dwarves hated to sail, but he did work with a few at his time in Darkmoon Vale. One of the things he learned very quickly is they were very stubborn. Not wanting to see the situation escalate (and also a little fearful of the mercurial priestess), he tries some tact.
He walks over to Morgaard, once Priyya steps away, and while he is still smarting from the blow, responds, "Aye, I think she was jes concern'd 'bout ye, Morgaard. Th' way th' golem nearly kilt ye, I think it kinda scared 'er. Jes keep it in mind, ok? We all like ye, ye is a good man, 'n ye gots ta protect yer charges."