GM Therenger's page

Having consolidated behind Grumblejack at the open doors leading from the gate house to the bridge, and then to freedom, the group begins the descent from the apex of the island on which the ancient fortress slowly concedes to nature's fury.

The pair of guard dogs are easily visible on the far side of the bridge, two beautiful animals waiting impatiently for whatever interesting smells penetrate the intervening air. They are not yet making a raucous, but even their poor eyesight will pick up on the irregular form of the ogre quickly enough. There is as yet no sign of anyone else waiting for you at the end of the bridge, but you may assume the dogs are not waiting there without purpose.

Go ahead and move yourselves up on the map. We're still in combat rounds. I'll tell you when something changes as you advance.

I was going to ask why the guard that attacked me didn't get that same -8.... I said that I was holding the shield against the arrow slit! But then I looked at the roll. With the -8 it still hit me.

There's no penalty to attacking through the correct side of an arrow slit. Otherwise they wouldn't be very useful. The only restriction is that it offers a limited arc. I thought Treesa's maneuver was clever so I gave her partial cover but the guard attack roll was very high.

Sorry, that was my careless mistake. I did not think the information had not been shared. I don't see any harm in retconning if you would like to keep that information to reveal at your discretion.

"Posh, how many hours on foot between here and the nearest reinforcements"

Posh calls out in a loud whisper, but no one responds.

The group rapidly agrees not to leave Kid to the buzzards, and the young fool is administered a cure potion from the Veil of Useful Items.

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

Kid is restored to good health and foul temperament. The two remaining guards, seeing the ogre and other party members looming over them, drop their swords and beg for their lives, but neither Grumblejack nor Kid is in a mood to take more prisoners, and the two men have their immortal souls sent on for judgment.

"Thanks," Kid mutters.

Now the way is clear, only the bridge remains, and perhaps the Sergeant and the Warden.

Combat Order:
Yellow, Guard (DEAD)
Orange, Guard (DEAD)
Black, Guard (DEAD)
Treesa Lore (-4)
Green, Dog
Morthos the Malevolent
Tomas Blackerly
Blue, Guard (DEAD)
Dargon Lake
Warden Richter
White, Guard (DEAD)
Posh Stemtimple
Kid Vicious (-5)
Red, Dog
Grumblejack
Rendydlyn the Red Waif

Please muster yourselves on the map and make any final preparations.

You could choose to stabilize Kid and then leave him behind. Once you kill all the remaining adversaries, no one is scheduled to arrive at the prison for another 3 days, which you can safely assume. Kid will come-to in a day and find his way back to the kitchen and then eventually out of the prison. He might hate you after that but so what. Or don't bother stabilizing and leave him to to his fate. Of course you may yet want him for what's ahead. Either way.

Kid Stabilize: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Grumblejack grunts disapproval. The bridge is directly in his field of view. He only need to cross it to freedom. But now he must perform another errand for these humans? Well, they did break him free from his cell, and they are clearly not like the others.

Unless Dargon has any way of stopping the guards from moving...
The ogre pivots and lumbers around to the kennel with Posh. They spot one of the guards heading for the main doors back into the prison. Grumblejack decides to intervene.

Combat Order: Bold may Go!
Yellow, Guard (DEAD)
Orange, Guard (-6)
Black, Guard (DEAD)
Treesa Lore (-4)
Green, Dog
Morthos the Malevolent
Tomas Blackerly
Blue, Guard (DEAD)
Dargon Lake <- We are here
Warden Richter
White, Guard (-6)
Posh Stemtimple
Kid Vicious (-13, UNC)
Red, Dog
Grumblejack
Rendydlyn the Red Waif

Attacking through the wrong side of an arrow slit gives +8 to the defender.

Morthos tries to fish for guards but comes up empty. Treesa taunts the guards, who are feeling pretty bad about themselves at the moment. Realizing they're next breaths will be their last unless they can flee the gatehouse, they gang up on Kid, who looks like he should be very easy to kill, being unarmed and wearing no armor. Is this kid stupid?

Longsword: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19 Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Yes, he is. The guard's longsword slices through Kid's unprotected skin, wounding him severely enough to drop the young monk unconscious. (0 hp)

Combat Order: Bold may Go!
Yellow, Guard (DEAD)
Orange, Guard (-6)
Black, Guard (DEAD)
Treesa Lore (-4)
Green, Dog
Morthos the Malevolent
Tomas Blackerly
Blue, Guard (DEAD)
Dargon Lake <- We are here
Warden Richter
White, Guard (-6)
Posh Stemtimple
Kid Vicious (-12, UNC)
Red, Dog
Grumblejack
Rendydlyn the Red Waif

While Posh bends language to his will, Rendylyn rains fire down on the unsuspecting guards.

Guards Reflex Save: 1d20 ⇒ 141d20 ⇒ 3

Each of them takes the full fury of Rendylyn's flame attack. The one who was still holding a bow drops it and lurches about, trying to simultaneously bat out the flames while taking sword in hand. Perhaps out of desperate panic or some resilient well of hidden competence, he manages to lunge and attack Kid.

Longsword: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20 Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Whichever the source of this drama, the attack is successful, scoring kid's bare chest with a bloody gash.

Combat Order: Bold may Go!
Yellow, Guard (DEAD)
Orange, Guard (-6)
Black, Guard (DEAD)
Treesa Lore (-4) <- We are here
Green, Dog
Morthos the Malevolent
Tomas Blackerly
Blue, Guard (DEAD)
Dargon Lake
Warden Richter
White, Guard (-6)
Posh Stemtimple
Kid Vicious (-7)
Red, Dog
Grumblejack
Rendydlyn the Red Waif

Morthos catches up with Grumblejack at the massive twin doors separating the Keep proper from the land bridge to freedom. The two stout allies easily toss the heavy wooden bar aside and throw the doors open. Now, a mere fifty paces separates you from the final gate.

Stymied by Treesa's clever use of a shield, the guard on the opposite side of the arrow slit drops his bow and draws his sword, determined to find leg or arm to stab.

Not really great rules for this sort of thing. Seems to me that if an archer is not impeded in any way except for arc, then he should be able to thrust a sword through the opening. Reach is the other consideration, but Treesa is pretty clearly right up against the wall. And I don't believe Witches are proficient with shields. I'll give you partial cover.

Longsword vs Treesa: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23 Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Meanwhile, Kid slogs his way through the kennel and kicks in the door to the east gate house, causing both guards to turn to confront him.

Combat Order: Bold may Go!
Yellow, Guard (DEAD)
Orange, Guard
Black, Guard (DEAD)
Treesa Lore (-4)
Green, Dog
Morthos the Malevolent
Tomas Blackerly
Blue, Guard (DEAD)
Dargon Lake
Warden Richter
White, Guard
Posh Stemtimple <- We are here
Kid Vicious (-3)
Red, Dog
Grumblejack
Rendydlyn the Red Waif

Would someone please remove the skulls from the guard icons?

One of the guards takes a shot at Treesa when she moves into the entryway.

Ranged Longbow: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

He must be confused by her shield technique, and he misses so badly the arrow disappears.

Combat Order: Bold may Go!
Yellow, Guard (DEAD)
Orange, Guard
Black, Guard (DEAD)
Treesa Lore
Green, Dog
Morthos the Malevolent <- We are here
Tomas Blackerly
Blue, Guard (DEAD)
Dargon Lake
Warden Richter
White, Guard
Posh Stemtimple
Kid Vicious (-3)
Red, Dog
Grumblejack
Rendydlyn the Red Waif

You can see a pair of dogs pacing in front of the front gate at the other end of the spit.

Please move yourselves on the map.

Dargon finds the roof unguarded, which no longer surprises you. Before your arrival there was a grand total of one prisoner in Branderscar. Inmates do not stay long and there simply isn't enough real evil happening in Tallingarde to keep the place properly stocked and staffed.

Or maybe the warden didn't take you seriously.

The wounded guard sees Dargon throw his fellow man off the top of the wall. He needs very little encouragement to speak the truth.

"Two! Two men with bows. We're to kill anyone comes through the main gate!"

Rendylyn's keen eyes spot the subtle shifting masses of two men poised behind drawn arrows pointed through the narrow slits in the walls on the opposite side of the entryway.

Kid smiles menacingly down at the guard. "Thanks," he says before delivering a crushing knee to the man's skull, dashing the stone wall with blood.

Everyone may go. Will resume combat order from the top as necessary.

Combat Order:
Yellow, Guard (DEAD)
Orange, Guard
Black, Guard (DEAD)
Treesa Lore
Green, Dog
Morthos the Malevolent
Tomas Blackerly
Blue, Guard (DEAD)
Dargon Lake
Warden Richter
White, Guard
Posh Stemtimple
Kid Vicious (-3)
Red, Dog
Grumblejack
Rendydlyn the Red Waif

The courtyard of the castle is adorned by a small fountain. The fountain’s centerpiece is a statue of the Mitran pantheon’s patron saint of law and order -- St. Dothan the Just. In his outstretched hand is a sword that points to the Great Hall. At the base of his statue is an inscription: “Thus is justice done.” A stone path surrounds the fountain and leads around the Great Hall.

The imposing pair of doors which separate the Gatehouse entryway from the courtyard are open. It's hard to see from the courtyard whether any guards wait in ambush inside.

On the immediate right side of the entryway ramp is a dog kennel, but there is no sign of animals present. The kennel is taller than aa man, and may sit in front of another door identical to the one through which Grumblejack has just emerged.

Except for the whining of the injured guards, the prison is quiet.

GMT, does the door from the wall lead to what appears to be the ground level of the gatehouse, 3b, or does it lead to what seems to be the second floor of it, 3d?

Sorry, in my haste to simplify the map I was unclear. Ignore 3d. There is no second floor. You can gain roof access to 3e from b3 or 3c. 3c will have an additional door connecting to the kennel, the same as what 3b has leading to the courtyard. You will have to go out into the courtyard and then into 3a from the courtyard. Is that helpful?

Slight retcon to push this ahead

Weighing the greatsword in his massive hand, Grumblejack instead decides to swing the pig carcass at the guard.

Dead Pig Club: 1d20 + 5 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 5 + 2 + 1 = 20 Damage: 1d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 1 = 6

The bloody, salted pig carcass flies in a wide arc over Morthos' head, striking the guard squarely in the helmet and knocking the man into the battlement. Dazed, the guard cowers against the wall, dropping his sword and begging for his life.

Kid turns around and opens the door into the gatehouse.

You notice, for the first time, how the ancient castle itself is grounded at the base of a long ramp which leads from the massive double doors up a long dirt incline to the gatehouse, such that the level of the wall is even with the gatehouse and the bridge crossing the spit of land to the entry gate and greater Talingarde.

Opening the door reveals a pair of guards inside, standing their ground, prepared to succeed in battle against the forces of evil. When they see the bare chested boy with bloodied fists throw open the door they both fire arrows at him!

Ranged Longbow: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18 Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 1
Ranged Longbow: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20 Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 2

Kid is grazed but miraculously escape serious wounds.

Map updated

Combat Order: Bold may go!
Yellow, Guard
Orange, Guard
Black, Guard
Treesa Lore
Green, Dog
Morthos the Malevolent <-- we are here
Tomas Blackerly
Blue, Guard (-12)
Dargon Lake
Warden Richter
White, Guard
Posh Stemtimple
Kid Vicious (-3)
Red, Dog
Grumblejack
Rendydlyn the Red Waif

Okay, somebody kill this guy and open the door.

Kid doesn't need anyone's permission to get to killin', but since it was Dargon who said it he let it slide without comment. Kid still thought of Dargon as the leader even though many in the group were showing value in the arena. Well, maybe that was a stretch.

The young monk approaches the guard, then tumbles athletically to the opposite side to cut off his escape into the gatehouse.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

If anyone's watching, the maneuver is hardly clean and almost results in Kid diving into the guard, but he manages to pull it out with a body contortion that can only be performed by the young, escaping the ire of the overly confident guard. He turns and throws a punch while enjoying the benefit of flanking.

Fist of Fury!: 1d20 + 6 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 6 + 2 + 1 = 28 Damage: 1d6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 1 = 6 The attack is precise but with Kid's momentum moving in the wrong direction, the blow does not deliver full impact.

Meanwhile, Grumblejack plods ahead, doing his best not to accidentally bump one of the other party members over the wall onto the jagged rocks far below. The ogre hesitates with the greatsword, unsure if he should swing it over the top of Morthos' head. You get the impression he is unskilled with it.

Dargon figures the inner wall, down to the courtyard, could be climbed relatively easily.

Combat Order: Bold may go!
Yellow, Guard
Orange, Guard
Black, Guard
Treesa Lore
Green, Dog
Morthos the Malevolent
Tomas Blackerly
Blue, Guard (-6)
Dargon Lake
Warden Richter
White, Guard
Posh Stemtimple
Kid Vicious
Red, Dog
Grumblejack
Rendydlyn the Red Waif <-- we are here

While Morthos' errant swing leaves the guard temporarily unscathed, the poor fellow's sudden surge of confidence compels him to stand firm against the approaching wave of escapees. What must he be thinking? The Hero of Branderscar! Yes! Once his longsword cuts down these devils in human form, he'll be exalted. Perhaps the warden will give him a raise. Of course he will! Heck, the warden is no spring chicken. Maybe a big promotion...

You think you see a smile cross the guard's face as he raises his sword to attack Morthos.

Longsword: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

A momentary setback...

Combat Order: Bold may go!
Yellow, Guard
Orange, Guard
Black, Guard
Treesa Lore
Green, Dog
Morthos the Malevolent
Tomas Blackerly
Blue, Guard
Dargon Lake
Warden Richter
White, Guard
Posh Stemtimple
Kid Vicious
Red, Dog
Grumblejack
Rendydlyn the Red Waif

There is a door from the battlements leading into 3b, behind the blue guard. It is closed.

With Posh cracking wise to everyone's benefit, the unlikely band of escapees move quickly into position for the final push. On the opposite wall, the guard appears to be having some kind of personal crisis. He pulls taut the string of his longbow only to relax and lower it, shuffling his feet indecisively back and forth. Finally he heads toward the gatehouse and disappears.

Combat Order: Bold may go!
Yellow, Guard
Orange, Guard
Black, Guard
Treesa Lore
Green, Dog
Morthos the Malevolent
Tomas Blackerly
Blue, Guard
Dargon Lake
Warden Richter
White, Guard
Posh Stemtimple
Kid Vicious
Red, Dog
Grumblejack
Rendydlyn the Red Waif

I encourage this.

Rendylyn speeds forward to the cover of the tower, eager to avenge herself on more Mitrans.

GMT, is there a door to 3d behind this guard?

Yes

GM Therenger wrote:

I may have also failed to acknowledge that Grumblejack took the greatsword when offered, He carries that on one shoulder and the half pig over the other.

Yes, yes, but where is he carrying the collections of gnomish cultural literature?

Those are firmly clenched.

I may have also failed to acknowledge that Grumblejack took the greatsword when offered, He carries that on one shoulder and the half pig over the other.

Morthos, if you have a post inbound go with it and I'll adapt.

While Treesa takes cover and provides logistical instruction, Morthos charges ahead, taking sword in hand. Sprinting around the northwest guard tower, he closes the distance until he can see the man's face, a mix of fierce determination and terror. Dropping his bow, the guard takes up his sword and swings at Morthos!

Longsword: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

The attack is clumsy, pathetic even. It misses Morthos by a mile and makes the guard look foolish. He steps back away from the antipaladin. 5' step

From Morthos' new vantage point, he can see another guard on the wall past the gate complex.

Combat Order: Bold may go!
Yellow, Guard
Orange, Guard
Black, Guard
Treesa Lore
Green, Dog
Morthos the Malevolent
Tomas Blackerly
Blue, Guard
Dargon Lake
Warden Richter
White, Guard
Posh Stemtimple
Kid Vicious
Red, Dog
Grumblejack
Rendylyn the Red Waif

Are any of these the guard that has been spoken to by Mitra?

You all only see the one guard atm. It's hard to tell since you didn't get a close look at that guard and you can't see this one very well.

We've got a lot of combat to move through and only 2 weeks before I take a 2 week vacation out of country, so if we don't have everyone posting within 24-36 hours when their name goes bold then I'll bot. Please have a Bot Me section on your PC profile. Thanks!

I was asked about Mitra. According to the preview, House Darius worships Mitra above all so I'm rolling with that. It reads, "They have elevated the Shining Lord to the head of the pantheon." Not sure why FairyGM put in his restriction and left out Mitra. Perhaps it is explained in the full AP. I'll stick to the materials I have available. Having stated as much, it's certainly possible I missed something. I'm not a super into the details person.

The spellbook is of no use to this party beyond its value to sell.

The group follows the slinking figure of Dargon out through the second-floor doorway onto the fortess wall. It is a precarious progression, with the wall being in an awful state of repair from decades of neglect. One wonders, with the low staffing and poor maintenance, whether the current regime of do-gooders thinks imprisonment is somehow unfair to prisoners. In any case, no one stays in Branderscar for very long, and then they are either executed or sent to their final destination, making the upkeep of such an ancient castle a nuisance expense. Far better to cast the umpteen-thousandnth gold statue of Mitra for this or that town square, to remind the population not to do bad things in the first place. A ton of prevention is worth sixteen tons of cure.

Now, as the group round the battlements they get a very good look at an alternative escape route. Looking down, you see why Branderscar was chosen to be the prison. From this vantage point, it is a sixty-foot vertical drop to a ring of jagged black boulders. The sea churns mercilessly, slickening the stonework of the wall to make climbing it impossible. Feather fall would not spare one from being dashed against the rock by the surf or drowned in the riptide. One might fly out of the prison, or teleport, and perhaps the powers that be hadn't considered those possibilities.

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 211d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

An eagle-eyed guard spots Dargon as he emerges from the southwest guard tower, and he immediately blows his signal horn, being alerted to the group's presence and prepared for them to approach the gate. The jig is up!

Combat Order: Bold may go!
Yellow, Guard
Orange, Guard
Black, Guard
Treesa Lore
Green, Dog
Morthos the Malevolent
Tomas Blackerly
Blue, Guard
Dargon Lake
Warden Richter
White, Guard
Posh Stemtimple
Kid Vicious
Red, Dog
Grumblejack
Rendydlyn the Red Waif

Sorry, this cold still has me run down. Well move things along tomorrow.

No need to over complicate. All of the towers have access to the wall, including the warden's tower. Same is true for the gate house.

Ladders

scroll to the right. You're all in the tower.

Moving up
The spiral staircase upward ends at a stone landing. The stairway appears to have once continued up to the roof of this tower but now the roof is closed off. This small chamber is lit by a single torch on a sconce. To the north is a door bearing a plaque that reads "Office." The southern door has a similar plaque that reads "Private: Keep Out!"

The Warden’s office is tastefully adorned in hard wood. The office is dominated by a massive oak desk. Inside the desk is a neatly folded map of the
surrounding area. The map shows the quickest route through the moors and Old Moor Road.

The warden is not here, meaning he is not in the tower. His private bed chamber is well-appointed and includes a fine four poster bed, a full length mirror, and an oaken wardrobe. Though the furniture here is of high quality, there is no easy way to get it out. More portable is the Warden’s wardrobe including no less than five noble outfits. This collection of noble finery is mostly elegant silk robes and could fit most anyone.

Posh bravely leads the party up the spiral stair. The entire second floor of the tower is covered by a large collection of books and scrolls across a wide range of subjects. The most common items in the library are the penny dreadfuls. These poorly printed compilations of lurid tales range across the whole gamut of adventure genres. However, the one genre over-represented is bawdy tales featuring amply endowed young gnome maidens in grave peril. The value of this collection is in the eye of the beholder.

In the more scholarly section, there are fifty-five books on subjects ranging from magical theory, history and astronomy. Fifty-two of these are common books and tomes worth an average of 3 gp and each weighing a pound. A perusal of the tomes reveals three of particular interest:

Treesa follows the group around the corner. When she remembers the shield she shrugs and keeps moving, trying to reload the crossbow while she moves....

Not sure if there's a roll for that?

If you're referring to reloading the crossbow, it is a move action but you have time to stop.

After a few tries, Dargon feels the subtle twists of the tools pop through the series of tumblers and release the lock to the tower door. The Veil of Useful Items has had one useful item, at least. One wonders wither the mysterious woman who smuggled it in might have been more frugal and instead just slipped Rendylyn a set of picks in a bar of soap or a small cake.

Upon entry you quickly ascertain the tower is the residence of the Warden. This entire first floor is dedicated to the history of the Castle Branding and the subsequent history that led the castle to become Branderscar Prison. It consists of a series of mostly uninteresting plaques that tell of nobles and deeds hardly anyone remembers anymore. There are a number of banners and flags.

One of the wall hangings is an old brocade tapestry that depicts Castle Branding being turned into a prison with the motto "His Judgment Cometh and that Right Soon." There is a central spiral column stairway leading up.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18

With the guard raising the horn to his lips, Posh whispers a message that confidently portrays deific projection. At first the man is merely confused, and swivels his head to find the source. But this is no mere messenger, this is Mitra, the Sun!

He looks upward while receiving Posh's words, and once the question is asked he answers promptly, "I will protect them, Lord!

The guard releases the horn to his hip and runs north along the wall.

I like your creativity. Roll Bluff

Tressa's crossbow bolt comes within a whisker of piercing the guard's face, but it misses nonetheless, sailing harmlessly over the wall and into the violent churn of the ocean, far below.

Anyone else?

feeling worse today. Please forgive the lack of effort in these posts.

The guard crouching on the wall may not have seen Rendylyn or Dargon, but he's not blind, and as soon as Morthos and Kid and Grumblejack emerge from the servant's doorway he jumps to his feet and prepares to blow his signal horn.

Everyone except Rendylyn may act. If you don't kill this guard he will blow his signal horn. Please keep the map current.

Okay, weird, my new posts notification is not working, or I did something. I see now there are several posts in Gameplay since yesterday.

This still party order?

Ogre
Kid | Morthos
Dargon | Posh
Treesa | Rendylyn

If nothing else in gameplay I will move us out into the open air.

I'm dealing with a bad cold and not a lot of energy to post. Will keep things moving.

Rendylyn wades through the kitchen haze, still extremely unpleasant but no longer lethal, and pokes her head out the servant's door to the garden and the fortress wall immediately beyond. Perhaps her eyes betray her but she does not see anyone else outside. As far as she can tell, her presence is also unnoticed.

The cloud in the kitchen begins to thin. Grumblejack lumbers to his feet and approaches Morthos, who he seems to like for some reason.

Correct.

The guards allow themselves to be imprisoned and do nothing that would provoke retribution.

By my read, everyone was in or very near the Mess Hall except for Dargon. No one is required to make saving throws in the mess.

Wow. 24 posts. Ugh. I'm so far behind.

You're doing fine. It's not going to get away from you.

Despite the seemingly impenetrable quality of these ancient quasi-petrified wood doors, obviously the guards carry signal horns for a reason, although given the circumstances, that reason is not clear.

Yet from the other side of the door leading to the kitchen, an explosion of sound is heard. It begins as a low tremor, then tears off with a powerful calamitous ripping noise, as if a great forest has been hewed all at once by a titanic scythe, the great wood exploding to splinters. The door itself reverberates rapidly, adding to the noise with a zipping thrum.

Anyone standing especially close to the door must deal with the aftermath, an expulsion of poisonous, gag-inducing gas from the pores and invisible seems of the wood and from the narrow gap at the threshold. It wafts upward, attacking nostrils as if by an unseen hand directing it.

A minute later, the door opens. Inside the kitchen, through what an observer might describe as a visible haze, Grumblejack stands with the most relaxed expression on his face one might ascribe to an ogre. He steps backward almost lackadaisically, and sits down heavily on the floor, his belly swollen full of questionable meat.