ALright... so plan outline
1) Cast prepratory spells, including spider climb
2) I head across the bridge and wait just over the door
3) Hru cast shatter on the lock
4) Assuming the door doesn't fly straight open, I open it, retreating above the doorway immediatelly afterwards
"Hold up, cousin," Orlan offers, "Let's be consultin' with the Forge-father 'bout this undertakin'..."
Orlan steps forward and offers a lengthy prayer for insight into what lies ahead if they pursue this course of action.
"Lord Torag be aidin' yer servants in the reclaimin' o' these Spires so we might rededicate 'em once more ta yuh," he finishes, "Lend us yer wisdom, Forge-father. And please be tellin' us...if'n we open these doors, does weal or woe await us in pursuin' our goals?"
Orlan feels Torag has blessed them with a challenge worth undertaking.
After a few moments of meditation, Orlan opens his eyes and gives a nod. "Aye, this be a door worth openin', cousin," he announces, "By the will o' the Forge-father, let's have at it!"
I cast spider climb on myself and move across the bridge and take my place above the door, waiting for Hru to shatter the lock.
When everyone is in position Hru will go down to one knee, and holding the greatsword in one hand, the other tucked in to his chest and begin his low chant to Gorum. After a particularly bass note he snaps his arm forward with open palm, quickly snapping his fist shut! Reality pulses around the lock as the divine energy chisels into it's very molecules.
"Gorum!!"
When everyone is in position Hru will go down to one knee, and holding the greatsword in one hand, the other tucked in to his chest and begin his low chant to Gorum. After a particularly bass note he snaps his arm forward with open palm, quickly snapping his fist shut! Reality pulses around the lock as the divine energy chisels into it's very molecules.
"Gorum!!"
You've seen worgs before but you've never seen anything like the creature that pushes through the door when the lock shatters and Klyndak prods it open from his hiding place. A pair of heads that appear to stem from one central neck pokes its way out snarling and glaring at you. It appears at first to be a two headed worg.
It is only when the beast begins to bound across the bridge towards Hru that you realize what you are seeing. A pair of worgs have been chained together at the neck. The left legs of one have been bound to the right legs of the other. It is an obviously ridiculous arrangement and very uncomfortable for the already ferocious beasties.
As they hit the kobold's traps and trigger the first explosion, the worg on the left tries to reverse while the worg on the right tries to leap. They take the full brunt of the blast. At the second trap, they at least leap in the same direction. By the third, both worgs are beginning to rethink the endeavour. They slow a bit before deciding that Hru should be blamed for the situation they find themselves in. They leap at him triggering the fourth trap. This kills them and injures Hru.
"Well," I say to myself, pleased, "That was workin' out nice. What idiot was after putting those poor beasties together like that I wonder."
I wait above the door though, wondering if there might not be an owner of the monsters still waiting inside.
I motion for the others to come carefully towards the door and keep a hand on my hammer.
I motion for the others to come carefully towards the door and keep a hand on my hammer.
Orlan steps past Hru's position and nudges what little remains of the charred worg corpses off of the bridge, before hastening after his cousin on the far side.
"Sure'n I don't know what be chainin' such animals t'gether like that," he offers to Klyndak, "But if'n they be big enough ta keep worgs as pets, then maybe they be big enough ta be offerin' more o' a challenge ta our claim on the Spires. Sure as stone they gotta be knowin' we've breached the gate with all that racket..."
He nods sagely at Kelborn. "Be keepin' a sharp eye," he warns. Then to Hru, "An' a sharper blade..."
A voice rumbles from beyond the doors. The language seems familiar but not.
"Gnish? Gnash? Stupid dogs. Gnish? Gnash? Getchyer back here."
A voice rumbles from beyond the doors. The language seems familiar but not.
Intelligence check... 1d20+1 = 15
Orlan looks to Klyndak and lowers his voice. "Seems the beasties had 'emselves a master after all, cousin," he says, "Gnish? And Gnash? What kind o' fool names're those for such animals? Regardless, I think we be facin' some kind o' giantkin ta be speakin' that tongue."
Then Orlan's natural instincts as a strategist and protector of Torag kick in. He eyes the ruined bridge behind them. "Sure'n we shouldn't be facin' any kind o' giant on this thing," he warns, "Those darn explosives probably weakened it and he could easily push us off inta the chasm. We should either be pressin' our advantage and take the fight ta 'im...or fallin' back ta t'other side, cousin!"
I speak just loud enough to be heard by those below me.
"Lad's I'm thinkin' we 'ave an ettin er such inside. Orlan, ye and Hru take point, me 'n the lad will follow behind."
Assuming Hru and Orlan do enter, I will cast Bull's Strength on myself and then enter behind, albeit on the ceiling.
"Lad's I'm thinkin' we 'ave an ettin er such inside. Orlan, ye and Hru take point, me 'n the lad will follow behind."
"Aye, cousin!" Orlan growls with a hint of eagerness for the fray ahead of them. Before stepping ahead with Hru, he calls upon Torag to protect and aid him in battle. "If'n it be an ettin," he tells Hru, "That means there be one 'ead fer yerself and one 'ead fer me!"
Kelborn draws his weapons and enters in behind Hru and Orlan, about ten feet behind.
As Klyndak suspected, the master of the unfortunate pair of pets was an ettin. As you enter an enormous chamber, you smell the two-headed giant before you see him. He's lumbering across the room, dragging a pair of humanoid corpses on a chain saying, "Gnish, Gnash! Yer dinner!".
The room is the largest you've seen so far. The ceiling soars 40' above the wide, open hall. Light from dozens of enchanted gems provides more light than dwarves normally need in their environments. Stalls line each wall and stairs lead up to a walkway and a second level of stalls above the first. From here you can see light streaming in through the lowered portcullis on the other side.
When the ettin's two heads take you in, one looks startled but the other grins maliciously.
From my position on the ceiling, I cast a blistering scorching ray at the creature.
Touch Attack: 1d20+3=16
Damage: 4d6=16
"Flank it," I yell, "Surround it."
Kelborn hesitates, deciding to allow the two in front of him to charge in before making a move. Perhaps that way he will be able to position himself well for a more deadly strike.
When the ettin's two heads take you in, one looks startled but the other grins maliciously.
Orlan moves in on the ettin's 'startled' side, shield held before him and dwarven waraxe swinging. "Hammerfoe!" he shouts.
Attack... 1d20+7 = 24 to hit
Damage... 1d10+4 = 7 hp
[ooc] gibberish!!
A slightly scorched looking Hru moves to the "malicious" side to attack with a cry of "Gorumm!! Blood and Souls for Gorum!!"
Kelborn rushes in, more eagerly than skillfully.
Klyndak, Orlan, and Hru pound the ettin with a wave of attacks that leave its two heads trying to look in four directions at once. It focusses its attacks on Orlan because he's close and he's a dwarf. He swings his morning star too high but brings it up, around, and down and connects solidly.
By the time Kelborn rushes in, the creature's huge morning star is swinging wildly making it difficult to tag him.
Somewhat staggered by the heavy morningstar and the ettin's strength behind the blow, Orlan struggles to regather himself. He swings once more with his axe while securing a stronger hold on his shield.
Attack with +2 flanking bonus... 1d20+9 = 14 to hit
Damage... 1d10+4 = 9 hp
I prepare to charge down the wall, but before I do, I summon arcane force energy and fling it towards the chest of the ettin.
Kelborn again misses.
The repeated poundings from all directions bring the giant to his knees. His two heads look at each other in bewilderment before he falls forward onto Kelborn.
Realizing that the Ettin is not simply feinting, but actually falling to the ground from its accumulated injuries, Kelborn deftly jumps aside, avoiding the poor fate of the few tiles previously underneath his feet that have now shattered.
"Well, that wasn't so bad," Kelborn utters with a smirk.
The ettin falls forward, smashing faces first into the ground beside Kelborn. The echo reverberates through this massive, relatively well-lit chamber. A few nesting birds are startled and circle 30' above you before settling again.
The ettin falls forward, smashing faces first into the ground beside Kelborn. The echo reverberates through this massive, relatively well-lit chamber. A few nesting birds are startled and circle 30' above you before settling again.
"Hunh..." Orlan grunts, "What's that old sayin' 'bout the bigger they be, the harder they be fallin'...? Only in this one's case, I reckon it he fallin' doubly hard."
He glances around the rest of the chamber, curious if the noise may have alerted anyone else in the Spire to their presence...or if it may have damaged anything structurally important.
The ettin falls forward, smashing faces first into the ground beside Kelborn. The echo reverberates through this massive, relatively well-lit chamber. A few nesting birds are startled and circle 30' above you before settling again."Hunh..." Orlan grunts, "What's that old sayin' 'bout the bigger they be, the harder they be fallin'...? Only in this one's case, I reckon it he fallin' doubly hard."
He glances around the rest of the chamber, curious if the noise may have alerted anyone else in the Spire to their presence...or if it may have damaged anything structurally important.
The ettin was dragging meals for Gnish and Gnash -- two dead bodies on a chain; the carcasses were surely humanoid at one point but have been heavily chewed and are starting to decompose. There are dozens of stone rooms, open in the front but walled on the other three sides, on the left and right sides of the room. These rooms resemble marketplace stalls but much more permanent. Stairs in all four corners head up to a second layer of stalls .
Klyndak finds a leather backpack tied to the ettin's waist like a small pouch. He keeps his treasures in here, which includes a large bone sharpened to be used as a toothpick, a well-chewed squirrel, and quite a bit of loose coin: 50pp 60gp 18sp 100cp.
Orlan notices that many of the stalls still had goods in them when they were abandoned. Non-perishable heavy goods that seem to have been manufactured from the same kind of stone that makes up the spires have survived all these years. There are hundreds of plates, pots, jugs, and bowls -- more than the four of you would ever be able to use.
Something gleaming in pile of dog shit.
Whoever these humanoids were, they armed themselves with decent short bows. Two shortbows and two, half-full quivers lay abandoned in a pile of other scraps of clothing.
Kelborn will approach the... pile, and after putting on a pair of work gloves, will attempt to extract this "shiny" object that he's found.
Kelborn will approach the... pile, and after putting on a pair of work gloves, will attempt to extract this "shiny" object that he's found.
While Kelborn goes to investigate...() the worg excrement...Orlan gestures towards the merchant stalls.
"There be plenty o' dwarven-crafted goods left undisturbed here, cousin," he tells Klyndak, "Sure'n we can put many o' them ta use when our kinsmen arrive. But there may still be plenty left over even after that. Perhaps we should consider takin' some o' it with us down ta Kerrigan's Keep for sellin' ta the locals when we get a chance?"
He squints as he eyes the upper level of the marketplace with typical dwarven greed. "Do yuh be wantin' ta search up there as well? It might be worth makin' sure we don't leave anythin' valuable sittin' out fer just anyone ta find."
"Or do yuh be wantin' ta press on and clear the rest o' the Spire a'fore we take stock o' the place?" he asks.
I pocket the coins, to divvy up later and then take a moment to examine our surroundings.
When Orlan talks I listen and nod in agreement, to both points.
"Aye, these goods would be better used bein' sold than a sittin' 'ere. N' checking more closely isna' a bad idea. There may be other, 'idden cubby-'olds too in some o' those stalls. when ye lads are done, let's take a gander at the wares 'n be searchin' the walls fer secret panels n' such."
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 8
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A thorough search of all the stalls on both balconies reveals a similar collection of useful items. This level is, if anything, less full than the first. Some of the previous occupants probably found it amusing to throw stone pots, cups, and dishes off the balcony. In any case, you have enough goods to furnish the tables of whatever cousins you manage to attract to the spires and some to sell as well. Many of the merchant stalls have hidden niches but none that contain any coins or jewelery.
The hidden niche of one stall does have a well sealed leather pouch contained waxed paper. Opening it reveals over 25 lovingly penned letters from a travelling merchant named Ullik Stoneheaver to the stall keeper Karra Meaddaughter. The dates show that their unconsummated affair continued for over four years during which time Ullik refused to take a wife and continues to offer a home to Karra if she wishes to leave her unappreciative husband. There are also several rough drafts--each more intense than the last--of a letter that Karra was writing that suggest that some immense strain had come upon her marriage recently and she would escape to Ullik if she had time. The letter does not appear to have been finished or sent.
Ullik has a real knack for this. Correct the spelling errors and copy them into book form and these would sell quite well to lonely women of Janderhoff and possibly to dwarven men wanting to woo women.
I pocket the letters with the gold.
I pocket the letters with the gold.
No stairs leading down. The marketplace is open to the world outside but access to the spires is quite restricted. To get to the rest of the spires, a visitor would have to pass through the heavily guarded Garrisonspire.
Hru will examine the bows, as he is currently without missile weapons as well as the arrows.