|
Not you too, damnit! Seeing the shark attack her new friend, Talindra focuses on her training and calls down the light of Shelyn to protect the embodiment of the light of Sarenrae standing next to her. Clearly the beast is hungry, but it's going to have to find a meal somewhere else. "This shark's going to kill us, let's go!" She moves southwest, past Sable, to open the door to the west. The beast can't give chase out of the water, and it's surprisingly been the most dangerous foe they've encountered tonight. Whatever's on the other side of the door can't be as dangerous.
It all happened so fast, Lenrelle didn't even see it coming, all she knows is she nearly died, and would have if not for the noble champion of Shelyn, Oh, THAT'S why they call them Champions comes the thought accompanied with more bloodloss than she herself has ever experienced until now. Lenrelle might have screamed, she doesn't recall, but she does let herself be pulled along by the goodly elf muttering to herself about the nature of her wounds and how much closer it would have been without her.
Staying crouched, Ioca looks for an opportunity to stick the shark as it comes by again.
In the Water - Round 2 - concluded
After helping Lenrelle avoid the worst of the shark attack, Talindra then clambers onto the wooden walkway, squeezing past her alies, to the small door that leads back into the underside of the fishery. She's surprised and frustrated to find that little door locked and she cannot gain access.
Crouching in the skiff, Ioca readies to stab the shark should it come back within melee range. (readied action).
End of Round 2
In the Water - Round 3
24 Billi
23 Sable
22 Perivolt
16 Shark (10hp dmg)
15 Lenrelle (2/17hp remain)
11 Ioca (readied action)
6 Talindra (18/19hp remain)
The shark is apparently not done with the group, which is sort of stuck on the underpier in less than ideal conditions.
Billi grabs is 3rd javelin, and readies an action to throw if the shark gets within range.
"Don't worry, Lenrelle, it's not that bad of a bite. Sable says soothingly, her words seeming to carry some mystical weight as her hand ducks into one of her pockets and comes out with one of the vials from the alchemist.
"We have VERY different definitions of 'that bad'" Lenrelle laughs, but Sable says it with such confidence and the healing is welcome. 'I'm supposed to heal others. for a moment, Lenrelle fears she, a healer among warriors, is the weakest link here. Then she realizes, it doesn't matter if she is. She is A Link, and no time to buckle under the weight of her own doubts.
She steps as close as she can to Talindra, ready to use the woman as cover as best she might.
She readies her sling. And then fires.
(Round 3)
She prays for guidance for herself, and fires twice more.
[ooc]Guidance for Action 1 on R3. Action 2, regular to hit (Dmg if it hits)
(if hits)
All seeking to kill that damned shark
Perivolt considers his options while maintaining the glowing orbs. He has them positioned to maximize the light in the confined space.
He's just seen two of his new comrades become seriously injured by this monstrous fish. In turn, the dwarf has struck a significant blow with one of his javelins. Seeing the second javelin Billi threw which missed the shark floating in the disgusting water below the fishery, an idea comes to him.
"Since these seem to be working..."
Perivolt once again summons magic to manipulate the world around him. The javelin jerks into the air and rather than flying like an arrow, it begins to spin and gathers momentum. It suddenly flies towards the shark, trying to pierce its bulk violently.
In the Water - Round 3 - concluded
While Billi waits for the shark to close in, Sable use the last bit of her real magic to mend some of the wounds Lenrelle has. Then she palms an acid flask, just in case it comes to that.
Earlier, Lenrelle crouches behind Talindra in case the shark comes hunting her again. While crouched, she grabs and loads her sling and tosses a stone at the shark, but the bullet skips harmlessly off the water.
Now, Lenrelle casts a spell to divinely help her aim, but she fires two more sling missiles, and all of them miss.
Perivolt recycles Billi's lost javelin, grabbing it telekinetically and lasering it after the shark. The speeding weapon slams into the skull of the shark damaging it critically. This last impact is enough to fell the carnivore, and it slowly rolls over dead.
End of Combat
The group exhales almost as one as the menacing shark expires. Still no sign of your missing loved ones, or Gaedren Lamm. Bells continue tolling in the city, the din heard above the rushing river.
The heroes are still stuck on the wooden plank underpier in a low crouching space below the smelly fishery. The small door to the west is apparently locked.
But at least it's well lit....Thanks Perivolt!
Sable looks up, towards the fishery and the city beyond. "Something's happening. Something big. I've never heard this many bells at once, and it's not stopping. We should get the kids, get out of here, get them to safety, and see what's going on.". There's a strong undertone of worry in her voice.
She also puts the vial away for now.
Billi sees if the javelins in the shark can be removed. He moves to the door to hack it down or let someone pick it with his big axe in hand.
Perivolt attempts to reassure Sable with gentle words.
"I know this sounds somewhat callous, but whatever is going on in the city at large, I daresay, the children are safer staying in this forgotten fishery for the moment. Whatever it is about, if it's really city-wide, there would be little we can do, but such a calamity could allow Gaedran Lamm to disappear for good...but not the illusion trick Murder Magician here," he gestures at the resting frown face of Ioca, "is hoping to perform himself."
Then the wizard cracks a smile.
"Besides it's probably just something silly to keep the rabble entertained. Maybe Old Eodred finally broke the Curse and got his pretty redheaded queen with child? That would be worth ringing some bells!"
Unfortunately, unless you want to swim for it, the shark corpse is too far away to retrieve the javelins that still stick out of its head.
"If you'll give me some room to get there, I can try to open that door."
Assuming the group DOES give Ioca room, he'll work his way to the door, check the lock and frame for traps that might go off by attempting to pick the lock or actually opening the door, and if he thinks it is safe, THEN he'll try to unlock the door.
Billi sadly gives up on having a pair of shark javelins.
|
|
Talindra backs away from the door and gives Ioca room to work. It's more accurate to say that she engulfs Lenrelle in a hug, the verging on too tight kind. "Gods, I am so sorry! We're going to finish up here, and then... then we're going to get you some help, okay?"
Without releasing Lenrelle from the hug, she turns to Sable, trying to sound convincing. "Perivolt's right. I'm just as worried as you are; the temple is my home here. But it's best we finish up here." She didn't believe a word of it, but knew that Perivolt and Ioca wouldn't willingly leave. It wouldn't do to split the group, especially with several people wounded.
While Ioca works on the door, Sable prepares in case of danger beyond it. First, she recasts Light on her sword sheath, then she draws the blade and finally puts one of the acid vials in her other hand. It's better to be prepared if there is something waiting for them.
Billi does a thoughtful calculation, and reluctantly writes off the two javelins as a loss.
"Those two javelins killed the shark. Perivolt that was an amazing bit of magic--getting someone out of the water and putting the javelin in deeper with your magic than my first cast. And yes, keeping the children with us is a great suggestion. With our amazing blend of talents we have come so far, but we can't let the head of the snake survive this night."
Billi firmly decides magicians are useful, and maybe dwarves should be more trustful of magic.
Perivolt tips his hat to Billi’s compliment.
“Thank you kindly. If only one bearing my family name had been here to witness your astute observation.”
He winks at Talindra and then says, “But I’ll just have to be happy such a strong, beautiful champion lives on to protect the people for another day.”
Lenrelle is praying softly to herself. The shark bite is quite a new and unpleasant life experience. She's also counting in her head if she can afford to heal herself further up or should keep it in reserve . They haven't even faced Lamm himself yet.
But then she does cast one more guidance on Ioca.
Ioca moves to the small hatchway door, and looks about the door, lock, hinges, and jamb, but finds no traps; then he begins to take out lockpicks and look at the lock but despite his usual skill, his hands shake with anticipation, and instead of the snick of the lock opening, he instead hears the deflating crack of the his lock pick breaking off inside the lock.
Unfortunately, since the picks broke off in the lock, even if you had the key, you can't use it. Ioca spends a few minutes trying to at least work loose the broken piece, but can't manage that either.
Billi starts axing the door.
After Ioca breaks off his tools in the lock, Billi steps to the plate, bringing his axe to bear on the small hatchway. The first strike is just a test, and it hits the wooden door, but does no damage. After that, the strikes from the dwarven fighter start cutting large chunks from the door, and after 3 strikes, the door is broken, but not burst.
Unfortunately, the noise Billi's way, is quite loud, especially as it echoes in the narrow space undernearth the fishery. Anything (or anyone) in the under-building is certainly alerted to your presence now. In fact, a voice calls out in between smashing strokes of the axe.
"Oi! The old man says cut it out! Youse don't knwo who youse messin' with. Just go home now, and now harm done eh?"
Billi continues to open the door with his axe.
"There is a shark out here, we need to come in Billi shouts."
|
|
Talindra takes up a position behind Billi, readying her glaive against any assault from the other side of the door. The nerves strike again, as she bounces on the balls of her feet and again irregularly taps the rear of her glaive on the planks. If it looks like Billi is having trouble with the door, Talindra will take her anxiety out on the door.
ioca . . . waits. Worrying about possible bolt holes, though he knows the far side is below street level, he also knows that doesn't mean there's not a way out over there.
With a few more resounding chops, Billi finally succeeds in cutting the door to splinters, leaving a small opening where it used to be latched. The room inside is light by two smoky lanterns hung from hooks in opposite corners, giving flickering illumination.
The air in this large room is chilly and stinks of the river, thanks to a huge opening in the floor that drops away to the river shore three feet below. Several pilings emerge from the waters to support the roof eight feet off the floor, with mossy ropes slung between them. In two places, rusty manacles hang from these ropes above the water, two unconscious children dangle from teh manacles, feet just a foot or so above the waterline.
Two five-foot wide walkways cross the hole to the other side of the chamber, where a collection of old cabinets, lockboxes, and piles of clutter are strewn about. Chipped porcelain plates, a cracked goblet, badly rusted silverware, an old wooden shield with a crossbow bolt embedded in it, the odd dinged up helm, and other "treasures" litter the floor of this side of the chamber. Three tables heaped with clutter stand amid this mess. In the southwest corner, a wooden door provides access to another walled off section.
Standing amidst the mess on the tables, is a jaundiced and bent corpse of a man, his eyes yellowed and skin speckled from age. His left leg has a pronounced limp as he shuffles about. He wears an old stained set of padded armor and wide brimmed sun hat, despite the dim light. It is clearly Gaedren Lamm, or what's left of him. He appears much more old and shrivled than you expected.
Another club wielding man waits near the door, ready for fight, and swimming in the pool of water is a long, swimming creature at least 6' long with a snout full of sharp teeth and a spiked iron collar around its neck.
Lamm speaks in a thick hoarse voice, "i don't know how the hell you found me, but you'll be sorry. No one will take my treasures, no one I say! Erick, get them! Gobblegut, attack!"
And the fight begins.
Gaedren's Playground - Round 1
26 Lamm
25 Ioca
24 Gobblegut
21 Billi
20 Erick
14 Lenrelle
13 Sable
13 Talindra
7 Perivolt
Lamm yells curses and invective at the swimming alligator, and ends up firing a bolt from his hand crossbow at the creature. The shot sends the alligator into a frenzied rage, snapping it jaws in anger, and splashing about in the water with its club-like tail. "Haw!" Lamm laughs. "Now you've gone and upset me pet!" He then reloads the small crossbow.
Seeing a chance, Ioca attempts to get through the door.
Billi continues to smash to remove the sill at the bottom of the door, knowing striking down would be easiest and give most leverage.
Gaedren's Playground - Round 1 - continued
Ioca makes a leaping plunge through the small door hatch, and at first it looks like its going to be trouble, but he somehow twists and contorts enough to squeeze through the small opening and end up inside the fetid treasury. He marches right up to the thug, who appears to be a twin of the one fought earlier.
Bili uses his axe and splinters the weathered wooden frame around the narrow door, widening it a bit. The first and last blows do some good, but the middle blow doesn't seem to have any impact at all.
Enraged and spiteful after Lamm's crossbow to its back, the alligator makes a loud grunting sound and lunges back across the room. It slips into the small pool, and swims across to where Ioca now stands. The massive jaws of the gator bite down hard on the young rogue's legs, grabbing him in its over-sized teeth.
Erick, seeing the gator grab Ioca smirks ironically. Then smashes down at the Varisian man with his club. It's a very near thing, but Ioca just does bob his head to the right, as the club whooshes past his left ear avoiding a head0-splitting blow.
.
From her position well in the back, Sable frowns a little. She can't see much, and this isn't her normal activity, but even she can tell the situation is far from ideal. Still, the best way through is trough and she starts to move.
Dancing around people, smashing axes and maybe even smashing glaives, Sable tries to get into the room.
Lenrelle realizes she's scared, but then everything explodes, and the door is still in the way.. at least partly. And hells bells, is that a gator in there? Be brave, Lenrelle, and don't shame your goddess!
She prays and puts a guidance on herself, then Talindra, and then tries to get in
Gaedren's Playground - Round 1 - continued
Sable inspires her allies, moving through the crowd to the small aperture that leads into the lair of Lamm. She wiggles and squeezes, and pushes through rather easily, landing on the wooden platform inside the room.
Lenrelle knows she needs to get inside that room, but as she attempts to move to the narrow doorway, she gets completely stuck, and cannot get unwedged no matter how much she tries.