Eberron Giantslayer (Inactive)

Game Master mittean

This is for anyone who's has gone through the back door of the kitchen, into the top level of the storage.

You enter a large cavernous room through a door on a balcony overlooking the storage area below it. Stacks of crates can be seen interspersed throughout the room, with ever-burning lanterns hung intermittently throughout. The balcony runs the width of the ship before jettisoning in a staircase that descends to the level below.
The light blue squares are waste height, the dark blue squares are head height. The pillar is the tallest object at over ten feet tall.

The music for this scene is here. It is Akkadian empire, by Audiomachine.

Roderik, Kurst, and Omast move quickly along the balcony before descending the stairs into the hold, where Kurst works on fastening Roderik's armor and Omast works on Kurst's.

In the center of the open area stands the pillar that many of you visited earlier, covered by a tarp. It is over ten feet tall and fastened down by straps.

"This will have to do," Roderik says to the group as the rest of you enter.

The ship suddenly lurches with turbulence before returning to normal, causing everyone to catch their balance. Shouts can be heard in the distance.

Thalmor considers for a moment, then speaks, ”if they’re orcs, maybe we have a chance of holding them off for a little while. It’s possible that the giant needs smaller folk to get down here. I tell ya, I think we’re out of our depth but I expect we can do little more than fight.” He sighs. ”I’ll cover the door, I suppose.” He cracked his knuckles, his rings shining brightly.

”Someone help cover the door with me - I’ll stab the bad guys as the come through, or try.” He wipes his forehead a little, and then pinches his beard, twisting it a bit, seemingly as a reflex, then gripped his spear as he approached the possible place they could arrive.

Will try to cover the stair heading down or entrance to the second level from up above. Should be simple enough.

Hmm, weird wasn't getting my updates on this... Tuk would have gone back at least as far as the balcony above the storage area. And have grabbed his stuff...its' all he's got :)

Looking down at the tarp covered artifact, "huh, so that's what's causing all this fuss..."

He turns back hearing word of orcs accompanying the giants above, "Orcs sound easier than giants!" he declares, rolling his shoulders watching the stairs at the far side of the common area.

"A sound tactical position. When the enemies cross the threshold, we can ambush and flank them."

Engineer moves to the other side of the door, glowing ectoplasmic battlefist at the ready.

Everyone, make sure to place your character where you intend them to be on the battle map.

Thalmor will push open the door nearby but stand with spear ready near the staircase on the crew deck that leads between the main deck and the lower orlop deck.

Just waiting on Thuurvi and Jacynta.

Jacynta hears Thalmor, Three, and Tuk above, preparing their defenses, and looks around at the three armored men around her, then looks down at her white-knuckle grip around the haft of her tangat.

"I'm not much for religion, but does anyone remember any prayers, off-hand? I think now might be the time for them."

I shifted Jacynta to behind the dark blue square, which I assume is a wall of some sort. What's the difference between the kind-of dark blue squares and the very dark blue squares?

The difference is in their height. The dark blue squares are around head height or higher, 6-8 ft. tall. The light blue is around waist height, 2-4 ft.

So Jacynta is next to a large crate of some sort.

With a boom, something hits the door above Thalmor with an extreme amount of force.

"It's a good day to die!" Valeros crows, pointing his longsword around the room at Ezren, Three, and Tuk and Thalmor, each just outside of the room.

"We do not die today, my friend." Ezren replies with a mix of confidence and doubt.

The door leading up to the deck bursts apart as a long metal arm, woven with strips of heavy dark wood, punches through the barrier.

"Giant!" Valeros yells.

Last post before I roll initiative, everyone. Again, I will average everyone's, so it will likely be the party acts, then the NPCs. I may intersperse NPCs in between your posts, as part of my replies. If you want to roll your Reactions, put them under a spoiler. There are 36 currently, so random between 1 and 36 should do.

"I'm joining Thalmor. Jacynta, aren't dinosaurs a halfling thing? Maybe let it out and aim it at a giant," says Thuurvi with a gleam in her eye.

Ok, if I understand the map and Thalmor's position, Thuurvi's near the door on the crew deck, and other people are down in the hold. Is this correct?

"Thalmor, we're retreating to the stowage again, strategically, right?" says Thuurvi as she reaches the dwarf's side, grimacing and showing her tusks. "I'll make the stairs difficult for them once they appear...let's not make this our sacrificial stand, though."

The problem is, if we want to actually try and stop them from getting the pillar, we have to cover this stair. This is the only direct way to get from the outer deck to the orlop deck (there are two stairs and they pass through two decks). Note that if we want to let them take the pillar (which I'm fine with) we can just all hide under a table on the crew deck or something and let them go by.

Three and I were going to try and cover the staircase I thought. I could be wrong.

We could also descend down into Orlop and try to get them as they come down, but they may ignore us and move through the food area, then just leap onto the lowest deck from the balcony.

That is correct, Thuurvi.

Also...Thuurvi and Thalmor, you are both in the room that the door in the ceiling just burst apart as a giant metal arm punched through it. Neither of you seemed to respond to that...just wanted to make sure you understood.

Thalmor starts a bit when the giant arm rips through, but sighs and nods at Thuurvi, ”might as well get dying over with. Who knows why they need smaller minions if they can just tear apart the ship…” He shouts into the doorway to Three and Tuk, ”hear that? We’re retreating, head away and stand down.” He quickly hurries down the stairs and moves to the northern wall of the hold, holding his spear but not readying it threateningly.

Move to the lower level and stay out of the way of whomever wants to come down and steal.

Sorry, was having trouble getting bearings.

"That was quick," says Thuurvi, scurrying along with Thalmor. "Metal arm? A warforged? What was that?"

"Hey Thalmor. When they come for us, we have another way out of the hold. There's a rear door. I'd rather let 'em have the pillar and not die."

Colossus map seems to be gone now.

The map isn’t showing up for you? The link is still at the top of our page, it’s still fully up for me. Anyone else unable to access it?

The map is on the second tab at the bottom...called sheet 1. Don't see the giant metal arm on the map...not entirely sure where that is :)

What Tuk said. You have to click Sheet 1.

I am not sure what created that first tab, “form responses”. I’ll have to poke around at how to remove that.

Just right-click the tab and hit Delete! Feel better!

It's telling me I can't because it is a linked form. Linked to what? Who the eff knows. I hate being pretty good with technology yet still feeling clueless sometimes.

Sorted out that fiorst tab. Thanks, Tuk. :)

Thuurvi attacks the darkness.

An obese orc wearing ill-fitting studded leather armor with white paint slashed across his eyes and standing six inches shorter than Thuurvi rushes down the stairs and into the room brandishing a falchion. Thuurvi attempts to slam him in the nethers with the pommel of her dagger as he passes, but misses.

"Edrychwch ar yr ast fach danllyd, hogia." His voice is slow, but intoned with pitch, considering the frenetic pace of the battle.

Two more orcs quickly follow him down the stairs, one taller than Thuurvi, wearing a dented breastplate that was once painted blue and carrying a light wooden shield, immediately jumps at Thalmor, thrusting with his short spear. Thalmor knocks the spear out of the way and binds up the orcs weapon arm, grappling him.

The second orc, this one not wearing any armor and wielding a hand ax in one hand and a dagger in the other, laughs in a gravelly voice as he cuts under Thuurvi's attempts at defense. "Gadewch i ni droi'r hanner brid hwn yn lludw."

A fourth orc wearing dirty leather armor with a hawkish face and a mohawk rushes and attacks Engineer #3 with a javelin, but Three hit's it hard in the chest, and the leather armor rips along one side, hanging uselessly off the orc's shoulders.

Down in the hold, cries and yells can be heard amidst the obvious clanging of weapons. The allosaur in the crate bellows in extreme fear and bangs against the door of its crate, attempting to escape.

The party is up!

For clarification, the noises of clanging weapons and such are what everyone in the hold are hearing...those noises are not coming from the hold.

Seeing the attacking orc's armor has failed, Engineer grabs the humanoid by the shoulder with its left hand before driving the ectoplasmic enhanced fist like a piston into the orc's sternum.

"One combatant engaged, and its armor has been removed. Advise if you require immediate assistance, please."

Where's Three on the map, and the fourth orc?

Thuurvi takes a steady step back, grinning at the dagger-wielder. "mae moch fel chi bob amser yn gwichian pan maen nhw'n cael eu hysbaddu," she retorts.

The ground suddenly becomes strange and uneven under orcish boots. Unearthly Terrain.

Difficult terrain now from L5 to O8 in a square. Thuurvi took a 5' step back and did her thing.

Keep in mind, Thuurvi, that puts Thalmor in your difficult terrain. Three is on the level above you, in the doorway to the eating area.

I'm aware. Thalmor has options. :)

Three slams the orc in the chest. It gasps with effort as it tries to fend off the warforged's assault, rasping in a high, wide voice, "Rwy'n falch ein bod ni'n cael chwarae, wedi ein cynhesu."

He grabs ahold of Three's wrist, a fervent, mad look in his eyes. "Gawn ni weld sut mae gwaed ein gilydd yn blasu. A oedd yn cynhesu pob toriad eu hunain, dim ond i weld y lliwiau bywiog?"

"Taste your own blood, orc!" Valeros yells, swinging his longsword at the orc. He is unable to get his sword around the corner at this awkward angle and misses.

Thalmor shakes a bit, and then hisses, saying to the orcs, "haven't got a quarrel with you, lads, take what you want and go." He lets go of one of them, shoving them towards the door. "Just let em pass lass, even if we win - we're not gonna beat the giant." He gestures, sighing, and resigned, towards Thuurvi. "No funny business from you lot, though, just leave everyone be, got it?" He gives them a piercing look, to see if they understand.

Thalmor lets the orc go but holds his spear at the ready in case they get any funny ideas, to try and stab them. Readied action will be to attack anyone who approaches him to attack.

Thuurvi narrows her eyes at Thalmor, then turns to the orcs.

"Roeddwn i'n byw yn Cazhak Draal, rydych chi'n idiotiaid. Nodwch eich busnes. Mae'r corrach gwallgof eisiau gadael i chi basio."

Valeros turns and hustles through the kitchen towards the rear where Tuk stands. "Ezren, Three, lets get down into the hold, we're stronger with the others." Ezren nods, joining him with the other two as they move downstairs.

They descend the stairs into the rear of the hold. As Ezren moves past Jacynta, the allosaur launches itself against its container. "Ah!" he gasps, jumping back, swearing. "What in Aurala's name?" A deep, pulsing chitter escaped from the crate as the dinosaur trilled anxiously, then barked twice.

More yells can be heard as another swarm of orcs come down the stairs. Suddenly a voice calls out, and the orcs stop. They vary in size and build, some carrying falchions, others wearing leather or chainmail.

"The Jhorgun'taal says...she...” a surprisingly smooth voice speaks from out of sight up the stairs, "...is...from the nation." The voice speaks slowly, pausing often.

"Jhorgun'taal, you are...gwrach. Corrupt. You and your..." he pauses again, and you can hear the contempt in his throat as he growls out the word, "...friends." A shadowy figure descends the stairs slowly, his features shrouded. The ship lists to the side, and everyone has to lean a little as the deck tilts. An explosion can be heard up on deck. "You people are why Eberron is...dying. Your wars," he gestures and the orcs push Thalmor and Thuurvi into the hold, "your warforged creations. Your..." he steps into the light finally, "...magic."

A tall thin orc wearing no armor, save some vambraces made out of animal skulls and a bandolier attached to a leather pauldron over his right shoulder, steps into the light. A wicked bit of iron is forged around his head.

He looks into the hold, past Thuurvi and Thalmor, to where Roderik, Omast, Kurst, Jacynta, Ezren, Tuk and Valeros are.

"Ashbound! Find the tattooed woman! Kill the rest of these corrupters!"

Everyone please roll initiative.

"Curious, this orc was covered in a fine dust. I wonder if that is significant somehow "

Thuurvi's eyes widen. "I've spoken with the Ashbound! I work with the Aesc-Geir! You can't just slaughter people like this!"

She pulls a smoke pellet from her bandolier, ver-ry carefully.

It's in the discussion. Jutta, her mentor, is a member of the Aesc-Geir, a 'milder' splinter sect of the Ashbound that seeks to control and limit, not destroy, arcane magic.

Ahhhh, got it. I looked at the recruitment page. No wonder.

The orc looks at Thuurvi, his eyes narrowing. "Syniad da. Lladdwch nhw. Dewch â'r ferch ataf."

Valeros draws his swords and moves up to Roderik. "Once more?"

Roderik smiles, drawing his long sword and short sword as well. "Once more, my friend." They touch their swords together, and turn to face the orcs.

Everyone may go

Thalmor looked at the orcs assembled in the door after having been shoved into the room, "lads, I haven't fought in any war, we bear you no ill will. I know about the Ashbound - and they are a peaceful group. Like the orcs I've known, for that matter. Violence as a last resort." He gestured towards the one he let go, "we haven't corrupted anything, and are willing to let you go on your way with what you want."

He cracks his silvered knuckles, and adds as if resigned, "but if we can't avoid a fight - let's get on with it then." He sets his spear as if he's waiting for the inevitable attack.

A large muscular orc, standing taller than almost everyone else, strides forward from the room with the stairs. He wears a breastplate and an ill-fitting helmet that does not seem to induce being able to see out from under it. Giggling weakly, he lifts his wooden shield and his short spear, smiling at Thalmor.

"Rydych chi'n sefyll ochr yn ochr â llygredd. Gyda'r Jhorgun'taal hwn." His spear stabs out at Thalmor.