rando1000's page

The deception, at least as William sees it, is not in the job Grey asked them to do, but in the "of value to the Crown" part. Grey indicated Hoyle was disloyal to England in some way, though he does not appear to have intimated exactly what that way was. William claims to have bought that reasoning initially, but since the results were what they were (essentially the tribesmen being cut loose to deal with things on his own, rather than Grey sticking up for them or at least hiding them), William now doubts that the mission ever had anything to do with England or the King, but merely some political machinations of Grey himself.

The solution here is kind of open ended, perhaps too much so. I'll try to think of a way to wind this down and get you guys to where we can complete the adventure.

Combat map updated. I tried to place you in logical positions considering it's only been a few seconds since you walked in. I placed Rocko defensively near Chaucair and almost in line with Zia based on his description.

William looks ashamed. "I believed we would be doing good in causing the failure of this mine, and that in turn I might gain favor with Anneliese, or even just see her one more time. Instead, I am now a wanted man, with no reward, and the more I consider, the more I realize we were really just contracted killers. That there was no higher goal, other than Grey's own ambitions."

"I am willing, if need be, to turn myself in to the British for trial, if I can but implicate Grey as well. If I deserve punishment, he certainly does triply so."

The once-dragon hisses a sound somewhere between that of a lizard and that of a ghoul. It cranes its head upward and fires a blast of black, crackling energy into the ceiling, then lowers its head once again to regard the party.

1d20 + 12 ⇒ (7) + 12 = 19

"Many things the powerful Gavalde had gathered, ere he was finally killed. He left me to guard them, in case he managed to return. And guard them I have. I care not for what you have killed or taken thus far, nor for any 'gifts.' None of this treasure is for exchange, and I guard it with my immortal life. I will allow most of you to leave now and live, to warn the others who may come to stay away. But first, I must demonstrate me power."

The dracolich is about to take a hostile action. You may wait to see what it is and possibly avoid combat (at a cost), or you can attack now, since you have initiative, and potentially alter whatever it intends.

Initiative (precaution; combat has not yet started)
Order: Whole party, Dracolich

Dracolich: 6

Amideo: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23
Djack: 14
Rocko: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19
Yoltzin: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
Zia: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13
Chaucair: 1d20 ⇒ 20

"Well, here they are at last! I've been watching you all this time. You've made quite a mess of the guardians, to say the least," the creature says smugly in a deep, commanding voice.

1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

Now that you're inside, you can see all the doors do in fact lead to the same room. Now, whether none of the other doors were trapped or not, you do not currently know. The one you opened (and the party eventually entered by) wasn't.

Amideo and Djack walk through the door first, followed by Rocko, then Yoltzin, and finally Chaucair and Zia.

The stench of death is on this place; despite some free air flowing from up above somewhere, it smells more like a tomb than the lair of a beast.

1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

A nervous shiver runs up the wild elf's spine. Yoltzin suspects this dragon is some form of undead, possibly a dreaded Dracolich.

We've been floundering here. You guys have a plan?

Pretty sure this is covered in the post on Sun, Apr 7, 2024, 04:38 pm, do you have specific questions beyond that information?

I see everyone else has their basic stats in their character line. I really need to get up to speed and do that as well.

Any help would be appreciated so I'm not fumbling around trying to figure it out

If you go to your profile, on the right side you'll see "Edit". Once you do that you can add information. I'll send you some screen shots.

Note that most of the others are using aliases, not their main account. You can create an alias by logging in to your account settings. Once you have an alias, you'll have choices in your posts of who to "Post As". Note this is optional. If you just want to keep Rocko on your main account, you can just enter his info under your profile.

Yoltzin catches a glimpse of gold as she closes the door. The pile of treasure in the room is astounding. This horde could possibly contain the Lanterna Venerata, the reason the group has traveled here.

The chamber behind the doors is vast, and the ceiling high. A small amount of light shines in from somewhere above, though Djack cannot see the source.

In the dimly lit room, Djack sees the glint of gold and silver. And then he notices movement very near the gold, about 75' away. A huge winged creature comes jerkily to life.

Combat Map updated. Djack has opened the easternmost (righthand) door. Rest of the party is on the ledge outside, on the other side of the wall.

William looks heartened by this turn of events, but also perplexed.

"But how can we do that?"

Djack doesn't find any traps on the door.

Rocko cannot fathom most of the stuff they've fought; the recent (narratively described) water-centipedes are natural, but perhaps a throwback to an earlier era like the dinosaur they fought a few months ago. Most of the rest have been either undead or just really odd creatures that Rocko considers to be of dubious origin.

We seem a little stymied by the lake so I'm going to move us on.

Eventually, some of you a little soggier, you make your way across the lake. A centipede-like water creature of some sort attacked, but was make quick work by Rocko and his Axe enchanted against Vermin.

Now you find yourselves on the narrow ledge outside what might be one long room or might be several, with multiple doors to choose from.

No, Jeremiah believes there would be no significant alteration to the timeline doing things involving her. And her name is from her father.

Zia holds the door so Djack can get a running start.

[ooc]Go ahead and make an Acro roll, DC 25.[/b]

"I could write novels about just the first time I saw her. I know everything about her I could find out. But...there is no place in her world for a man like me." William pinches the dark skin of his arm and frowns.

"I'd hoped maybe what Walter Grey had me doing would get me at least closer to her. But his words were lies. I now believe he was just using us Africans, like all the others of your kind, English, Dutch and Boer alike."

It seems to Jeremiah that Willam, the self-confessed assassin before you, was part of some scheme by Walter Grey to cause trouble to the DeBeers mining operation, for unknown causes. William, if he is to be believed, seems to have gone along with his old professor primarily in the hopes of somehow working his way into Anneliese Beyers' life.

So, as far as finding the shooter, it appears the travelers have been successful. What they do now is up to them. If they turn him over to DeBeers, he'll probably be hanged or shot after a British military court convicts him (as a formality) of murder.

Could Djack get a running start?

Yes, long as someone holds the doors open for him.

The doors open; nothing immediately evident happens, leaving Djack to question whether he succeeded or not.

As the doors open, a rush of humid, cool air hits you. What appears to be a long lake within the Mesa sits before you, with another set of doors across from it. There appear to be other doors on both sides of the wall as well; this area can obviously be approached from many directions.

See lake map above. Gray squares are doors, blue squares are water. Brown squares are wall, sandy squares are flat shore. Orange X represents the party.

William's eyes go wide, a look of gratitude crossing his face before remembering the circumstances. His face then hangs a bit (guilt?) and he nods.

"That is Anneliese Beyers." Having recently considered this time in history, Jerimiah immediately makes a mental connection between the name Beyers and Christiaan Frederik Beyers, a prominent soldier in the first Boer War, and who was destined to play a part in the second Boer war soon. History does not mention Anneliese.

Djack catches himself but barely, after Amideo's clap on the back. Taking it in good humor he moves South.

26

A successful Perception check! Had to happen eventually!

The doors are cursed. It is hard to tell exactly what would happen. Djack thinks that between his newfound magic knowledge and his good old-fashioned scout abilities, he might be able to circumvent the curse (would be a Disable Device roll).

"An interesting find." She mutely observed, looking closely at the figures depicted upon the doors.

[Dice=Planes check on demons]1d20+8

The "demons" are actually devils. To be more precise, they are named Rinziris and Gathura. They are commonly invoked by Necromancers as the "source" of their undead summoning knowledge; if true it would make sense why their idea of what to do with dead spirits is so different from the elven ways.

Going South, the hallway wides after a short distance, and you come to two rusty iron doors. Each door is 5' wide and 11' tall. From the look of the hinges set into the stone, each of these great doors must be at least 1' thick. On each valve are many leering demon visages in bronze. The air is unusually damp in this area.

William spits in an angry gesture as he says"A man I thought I could trust. A man named Walter Grey. Grey was a professor at Zonnebloem College, where a bunch of us went to learn civilized ways."

"Recently, Grey contacted me as some of the other students. He had a job for us, one of value to the crown. Seemingly a man named James Hoyle was a traitor to the Crown of England. Grey promised us money and respect if we could destroy his operation at DeBeers Orange River Mine, where Hoyle was in charge."

Jeremiah remembers at that moment the locket that was found after the shooting, and wonders how that ties in.

"Then indeed you are searching for me, I am afraid." The man speaks with a British accent, slightly mixed with that of his original language.

"My name is William Zola, and it was my bullet that found the surveyor's heart. I was...deceived."

Heading east, you come almost immediately to a smallish square room. There is very little of interest here. After a brief recon, you determine your current choices of direction (aside from going back), are:

Cavern Map updated

South (A)
Jog North, then back down South (B)
or
further Northeast, then job South and continue East toward the rock creatures that bested you yesterday (C).

There are only two ways out of this cavern; back toward 4, or east. Continue on?

With those two attacks, the horrible she-creature lets out a piercing scream, and her body reverts to a puddle of putrid goo.

The single long fingernail lands pointing toward a chest nestled in a crack in the rocky wall.

Inside the chest, you find the following (added to party treasure):
738 gp worth of gems
1442 cp
1261 sp
314 gp
27 pp
wand of magic missile (20 charges; 3rd level, claimed by Xia)

The man sits up slowly, rubbing his head, obviously still disoriented from the thumping Bekkah handed out. He holds up his hand placatingly.

"Okay, okay," the African man says in English, "I'll come peacefully. No need to hit me again." He blinks and looks at the group, clearly expecting some form of arrest to occur.

Top of Round 3.

Djack and Amideo may act.

Reminder if you attack the creature, the protection against it making physical contact against you will be nullified, thought the rest of the Protection from Evil effects will remain in place. AKA you attack it, it can attack you back.

The more powerful of the two attacks glances off the creature's gooey flesh, but the shield-bash lands solidly in its midsection, spewing green undead gunk into Rocko's snout.

As Yoltzin casts her spell, she feels something pushing back. Unlike its usual manifestation, the protective energies coalesce with a fierce determination, shimmering with a faint, defiant light that seems to push back against the encroaching darkness. In this corrupted domain, the protective aura seems to pulse with an almost aggressive vigor, as if it's engaged in a silent battle against the malevolent forces lurking in the shadows.

1d6 ⇒ 4

Bekkah, ever the soldier, steps up, moves the barrel of the rifle aside with her arm, and knocks the man unconscious with krav maga palm-strike to his temple.

Attacking for Amideo
1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24
1d8 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

The creature hisses out as the steel of Amideo's blade sinks into it shortly after Djack's piercing strike.

Amideo saving throw
1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17

The woman locks eyes with Amideo and speaks some foul words obviously intended to do him harm, but the knight is too strong-willed, and her attempts at witchery fail.

Yoltzin and Rocko may act.

Sorry for the slow posting lately guys I've had a lot on my plate. Work has gone nuts this week, tons of stuff in my personal life as well as illness. I hope to be back to normal soon. Of course, as the weather gets nicer people tend to post less anyway.

rando1000 wrote:

Failed to confirm, she takes the 15.

Is Chaucair is singing, should be another +2. For 17 to hit, if that matters.

He is, but still short.

Djack manages another solid hit, puncturing the horrid "woman" in its monstrous abdomen.

Failed to confirm, she takes the 15.

Holding on Djack and Amideo.

Any rogue/operative type bonuses for disarm or unarmed attack?

Do I still need to flank to get the +1d6 precision damage?

No on the bonuses, but go ahead and make a Stealth check; I'll allow you the bonus on DC 15 (natural 8 or better).

D'Nisha hits, the stun beam interacting with the man's neurological network, but he manages to focus and shrug off the greater part of the effect.

Bekka and Jerimiah may both act in round 2 (though Jerimiah still doesn't have a clear view from his position).

1d20 ⇒ 11

Using my Pyrokinesis power to cause the metal on the gun to increase in temperature. DC is 14.

The shooter removes his steadying hand from the barrel of the rifle and shakes it, concerned that his gun is retaining so much heat, but not yet ready to drop it.

Hopefully that same obstacle will provide some soft cover.

We'll go with concealment; 20% miss chance

1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21
1d100 ⇒ 56
1d8 ⇒ 1

The man is an expert at firing through bush (literally, in this case), but evidently not an expert at hitting vital organs. Bekkah feels the familiar burning pain of a bullet ripping through flesh, but it's just a graze.

Think I skipped ahead. Yoltzin's action was end of round 1, not 2.

Top of Round 2 (pretty sure).

Amideo and Djack may act before creature.

Combat Map updated.

Yoltzin's arrow strikes true. However, her knowledge draws a blank. While the creature has suffered several damaging attacks, it looks like it still has a lot of fight left.

Bekkah moved towards the shooter twice (three times if full round is a double move), should she be closer (to them)?

My bad; map updated. I moved you to 10' away. I believe you could have gotten right up to him if you wanted, but since you've double-moved, no attack in last round. The bushes he's behind foil a charge.

Let me know if you want to have moved into melee range last round; it might affect D'Nisha's action.

Holding on Yoltzin end of Round 2.

Chaucair does his Bard thing, everyone get +2 attack and damage.

Despite this bonus, Rocko's axe swing only connects with loose, slimy parts of the evil beast, doing no damage (aka 19 total is a miss).

You've been describing the creature as large, but the X on the map looks medium? I'm guessing it will get an attack of op as Rocko approaches. Let me know if that stops his attack.

Large end of medium, you're fine.

Gnarok heads forwards, trying to get a better vantage point on the shooter by clambering up onto a nearby ridge.

1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

Gnarok spots the man, an African man dressed in western clothing wielding a magazine-fed rifle (probably a Lee-Enfield model, a British design).