DM Brainiac |
Elizabeth Deceive: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24
Martha winces and shrinks from Elizabeth's fury. "Yes, mistress, of course! Only... Master Henry has locked the study and taken the key with him. You are welcome to wait in the parlor until he returns. I'll get right in your tea!" She scurries off to the kitchen.
Elizabeth Rose Adamell |
On the way to the parlor, Elizabeth keeps an eye out for a closet or cloak room - somewhere with just a door and no other exits. It'll be a bonus if the door opens outwards - which they usually do.
"We probably won't need to get into his study. Anything like a stolen body would probably be kept on another floor. The basement or something like that where the help stay out of." She looks back towards the kitchen. "Speaking of which, we need to put Miss Helpful somewhere where she can't cause any trouble. Then we can search freely."
How many stories does this house have? Do we know if it has a basement or not? Any closets or cloakrooms to stash Miss Helpful for a while?
Elizabeth Rose Adamell |
"I was going to ask her to wait in the closet," Elizabeth says with a smirk. "Servants rarely wish to stick their necks out for their masters."
She directs Saleh to put the unconscious woman in the closet and then shoves a door up against the hand to keep her there.
"Now we can explore in peace," she says. "First floor first. Quickly now."
DM Brainiac |
Over at the Redbrick, Abalard and Elizabeth continue to dine and speak. Melissa is able to overhear bits of their conversation. It seems the old wizard is trying to teach the young woman magic. She seems to be a poor pupil, though, who has difficulty focusing on her studies. Based on the way Abalard is looking at her, though, Melissa thinks his interest in Kyra Krent's niece is more than just an academic one.
***
Kragga's eyes glow green and her skin takes on a more earthen appearance as she invites the spirit of the World Mother into her body before following Saleh down the stairs.
The stairs descend 15 feet before reaching a laboratory with several tables. Upon one rests the withered remains of a humanoid man with severe features and long, pointed ears. The walls of the cellar are lined with long shelves loaded with strange ingredients, odd knickknacks, and other esoterica.
Two hulking undead creatures stand guard here. Made from the corpses of dead ogres, these monsters lumber about on thick legs, their huge and pendulous bellies swinging with each stride. Here and there, large tears in their gray flesh show their rotting inner organs, infested with maggots and crawling with flies. If these wounds trouble the monsters they show no signs of it, for great iron helmets cap their heads, blocking their vision and expressions. They heft huge cleavers as they move to attack!
These creatures are horrifying! Elizabeth, Kragga, and Saleh must succeed at a Will challenge or gain 1 Insanity and become frightened for a number of rounds equal to their new Insanity total.
Everybody may act! The undead are just a few yards away, within close range.
Elizabeth Rose Adamell |
Will Challenge: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
Frightened for five rounds? Ummm... no. Spending a Fortune on that.
Fast Turn
With a commanding voice, Elizabeth sends three fiery bolts streaking toward one of the hulking beasts.
fiery volley
Gaining 1 strain for a boon.
Will Attack vs Agility: 1d20 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ (20) + 2 + (1) = 23
Fire Damage: 1d6 + 1 + 1d3 ⇒ (6) + 1 + (2) = 9
Will Attack vs Agility: 1d20 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ (1) + 2 + (2) = 5
Fire Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Will Attack vs Agility: 1d20 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ (12) + 2 + (4) = 18
Fire Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Kragga |
Will: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13
Avalanche: 4d6 ⇒ (3, 5, 5, 4) = 17
Enemy Agility: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (6) - 1 = 51d20 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 1 = 0
Undettered by the monsters' horrific appearance, Kragga pulls up the top layer of the ground beneath the laboratory floor and hurls it at the undead! Both creatures are battered by the rocky barrage, and the path of the rubble hampers their movement.
Two of Elizabeth's fiery missiles burn into one of the monsters, and its prodigious gut spills open to release a flood of rotting organs and foul-smelling fluids! Fortunately, nobody is close enough to be affected by the effluvient deluge.
Saleh is up!
Saleh el'Dinn |
Will: 1d20 ⇒ 4 Umm, fortune for this!
Saleh ducks all the missiles and is fortunate not to be showered with guts. He then closes, stepping into the guts and lashes out with both weapons, first at one ogre and then at the other.
Attack: 1d20 + 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + (1) + 3 = 10 Boon Reroll: 1d6 ⇒ 4 Damage: 4d6 + 2 ⇒ (5, 5, 1, 6) + 2 = 19
CE attack: 1d20 + 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (14) + (4) + 3 = 21 Damage: 4d6 + 3 ⇒ (3, 6, 3, 4) + 3 = 19
DM Brainiac |
Prayer for Saleh: 1d6 ⇒ 1
Saleh misses the first undead monster, but he guts the other one with his dagger. Literally--its rotting innards spill forth onto the fighter, threatening to blind him!
The monsters slice into Saleh with their cleavers, each one scoring a critical hit! Their weapons hack into his bone, and blood sprays as they yank them free. The brutal assault causes Saleh to collapse into the puddle of organs and fluids!
Cleavers: 1d20 + 5 + 1d6 ⇒ (13) + 5 + (4) = 221d20 + 5 + 1d6 ⇒ (18) + 5 + (6) = 29
Damage: 6d6 ⇒ (1, 1, 5, 3, 2, 6) = 186d6 ⇒ (6, 1, 1, 3, 6, 3) = 20
Ouch! Two 20+ attack rolls means extra damage for these monsters, so Saleh takes a total of 38 damage. First, he has to make an Agility challenge roll or become blinded for 1 round. A creature blinded in this way must also get a success on a Will challenge roll or gain 1 Insanity. Saleh is unconscious and disabled. He must make a fate roll on a d6. On a 1, he starts dying. On a 6, he heals 1 damage and becomes impaired for 1 minute. A roll of any other number has no effect.
Everybody is up.
Elizabeth Rose Adamell |
Elizabeth blanches when Saleh falls, but her expression remains stoic.
Strain Roll: 1d20 + 2 - 1d6 ⇒ (4) + 2 - (3) = 3
Strain Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5
If Kragga's within 1 yard of Liz, she takes 5 points of damage.
Fast Turn
Elizabeth sends arcane bolts into the same figure she struck before. The bolts exploding as they strike.
Explosive Dart: 1 + 1d6 + 1 ⇒ 1 + (5) + 1 = 7
Explosive Dart: 1 + 1d6 + 1 ⇒ 1 + (1) + 1 = 3
Explosive Dart: 1 + 1d6 + 1 ⇒ 1 + (3) + 1 = 5
Agility Challenge to take half damage. Anyone else within 1 yard of the target also takes the 1d6+1 damage.
Saleh el'Dinn |
Agility: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12
Fate: 1d6 ⇒ 2
Saleh ducks the flying guts, but moves straight into two massive blows and slams into the floor near death. Thanks to Kragga's prayer he manages to stagger to his feet once again and lashes out once more, hoping desperately to win the race to death.
Attack: 1d20 + 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + (5) + 3 = 9 Damage: 4d6 + 2 ⇒ (2, 6, 6, 3) + 2 = 19
Extra Attack: 1d20 + 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + (5) + 3 = 14 Damage: 4d6 + 2 ⇒ (6, 6, 6, 4) + 2 = 24
Unfortunately his blows are weak.
Kragga |
Kragga snarls as Elizabeth's explosion scorches her. Still, the orc hustles to Saleh's side, interposing her bulk between him and the nearest monster as she heals his wounds.
Saleh heals half his healing rate plus 3 damage.
DM Brainiac |
Agility: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (14) - 1 = 131d20 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 11d20 - 1 ⇒ (17) - 1 = 16
Boons: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 2) = 8
Cleaver vs Kragga: 1d20 + 5 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 5 + 6 = 15
Cleaver vs Saleh: 1d20 + 5 + 1d6 ⇒ (8) + 5 + (2) = 15
The undead survives Elizabeth's explosive barrage. Each one swings its cleaver, but Kragga's and Saleh's armor keep each of them safe!
Everybody may act!
Saleh el'Dinn |
With luck on his side Saleh lashes out again, well aware that he can't rely on luck twice.
Attack: 1d20 + 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + (3) + 3 = 7 Damage: 4d6 + 2 ⇒ (2, 2, 3, 4) + 2 = 13
Attack: 1d20 + 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (18) + (2) + 3 = 23 Damage: 4d6 + 2 ⇒ (4, 5, 6, 5) + 2 = 22 Extra Damge if 5 over opponents defence: 1d6 ⇒ 4
Saleh el'Dinn |
Saleh takes deep breathes, trying to restore his strength as Kragga tends to his various wounds.
"Well. The wizard is the cause certainly." He says wryly. "What do we do now? Take the body back to the forest?"
He takes the time to examine the room carefully, looking for clues or useful items.
Elizabeth Rose Adamell |
Once it appears that there's no other direct threat here, Elizabeth turns to Kragga. "Would you go get the local constable, Kragga? He needs to see this so that our host doesn't escape the consequences of his actions. Once the local authorities know what's going on then we'll see if we can return him ..." she gestures to the body on the table, "... to his proper resting place. Perhaps then, our fey friends will be satisfied."
DM Brainiac |
Kragga Will: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Enchanted Objects: 3d20 ⇒ (3, 17, 11) = 313d20 ⇒ (20, 5, 8) = 33
As the divine spirit leaves Kragga, the orc stares around with wide eyes, her mind strained by the experience. Dully, she nods and moves upstairs. A search of the room turns up two enchanted objects and 25 gc worth of valuables.
The first object is a ring. You can use a triggered action on your turn to teleport to an open space you can see within 100 yards of you. The object has one use. The second object is a suit of scale armor. The armor changes color to match its surroundings perfectly.
After a few minutes, Kragga comes running back down the stairs. "Faeries! The town is under attack!"
More when I have time tonight or tomorrow morning.
DM Brainiac |
At Redbrick...
The pleasant atmosphere of the tavern is suddenly interrupted by screams coming from outside. The door slams open as a terrified young man runs inside. "Run! Run for your lives! Monstrous soldiers are on the march!"
As the crowd begins to panic, Abalard gets to his feet. "Go, Elizabeth! Get to safety!" His dinner companion nods, eyes wide, before turning to run off. The wizard boldly strides out the door.
DM Brainiac |
Whitehouse Basement
On a stand by the desiccated body is a sinister codex that measures 24 inches in length, 12 inches in width, and is 6 inches thick. Strips of brittle human skin stretch across the wooden boards that serve as its cover, with a thick cord of human hair fed through a hole that wraps around a hook on the back to hold the book closed.
DM Brainiac |
Melissa follows Abalard out into the streets. An explosion echoes across town, drowning out the screams of the panicked citizens running every which way. The wizard squints, adjusts his spectacles, and quickly turns away from the chaos, heading back towards his home at top speed.
***
Kragga hefts the corpse over her shoulder and follows Elizabeth out into the streets. An explosion echoes from somewhere nearby, sending a spray of rubble that once was a house up into the air. Looking in that direction, you can see a troop of perhaps twenty ugly humanoids in brigandine coats stomping through the streets of Bricksberg, cutting down any who cross their path. One plays a martial tune on a flute, setting the pace for the others.
DM Brainiac |
The soldiers turn at Elizabeth's call. As they draw near, you can see that all of them appear to be identical, with thick bellies, spindly limbs, and heavy jowls that hang to their shoulders. They thump their polearms menacingly as they march towards you. Upon spotting the corpse slung over Kragga's shoulders, they howl. One of them, the apparent leader, steps forward and shouts something in Elvish.
Melissa can attempt to Persuade the soldiers to stand down. This is a Will challenge with two banes.
***
Melissa Sneak: 1d20 + 4 + 1d6 ⇒ (19) + 4 + (4) = 27
Melissa silently shadows Abalard as he hustles through the streets. The stomping of the nearby soldiers gets his attention, and he moves forward to look at the commotion. His eyes widen when he sees the corpse slung over Kragga's shoulders, and he takes a step back. "No! Oh, no, no no!" he whispers. The wizard draws his dagger and begins to cast a spell...
Melissa Daylenne |
Melissa sees that it's time to act and is not morally opposed to a knife in the back. So she steps up and attempts to do just that to the necromancer.
"I don't think so, Round Boy," she whispers to him.
Boons: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 4) = 7
Long Knife Tricky Attack: 1d20 + 4 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 + 4 = 14
Long Knife Backstab Damage: 3d6 ⇒ (6, 5, 2) = 13
DM Brainiac |
Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
Epic Adversary: 1d3 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Boons: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 1) = 7
Immolate vs Agility: 1d20 + 3 + 1d6 ⇒ (11) + 3 + (6) = 20
Damage: 6d6 ⇒ (6, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3) = 19
Thr hobgoblins approach cautiously as Kragga places the body on the ground. An anguished cry sounds from a nearby alley, and as one the soldiers step back and raise their weapons.
In the alley, Abalard notices Melissa lunging towards him. He turns to face her, and the rogue plunges her knife into his chest. He cries out in pain. "Insolent woman! You will burn for that!"
He retreats a few yards away and quickly invokes a spell of potency, then he immolates Melissa, setting her ablaze! He focuses his mind to recover the spell and get his stamina back.
19 fire damage to Melissa and she catches fire. She will take 1d6 damage at the end of each round until she or someone else uses an action to smother the flames or douse them in liquid. Everybody may act! Melissa is 10'yards from the party. Abalard is 15 yards away.
Abalard is able to take multiple actions each round because he has the epic adversary trait.
Melissa Daylenne |
Fast Turn
The pain is excruciating as Melissa feels the flames envelop her. Just as quickly, she feels them vanish. The pain continues, however.
"Oi! Now you've gone and pissed me off, ya fat cunt!" the woman gasps out as she attempts to stab at the man again.
Boons: 2d6 ⇒ (1, 6) = 7
Long Knife Tricky Attack: 1d20 + 4 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 4 + 6 = 17
Long Knife Backstab Damage: 3d6 ⇒ (4, 1, 5) = 10
DM Brainiac |
Prayer Boon for Saleh: 1d6 ⇒ 6
Kragga hustles to Melissa's side, praying to the World Mother and healing her burns. The orc shouts a prayer as Saleh charge she past her, guiding his aim as he stabs Abalard!
Epic Adversary: 1d3 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
Melissa heals damage equal to her healing rate. I will post Abalard's actions in the morning. Four actions are a lot to figure out!