"OH CRAP!...I mean um, names Joe. Joe MacGillicuddy. You can call me Mac. Or Joe. You know. Whatever. And these other fellas here are my buddies. That's Col', Gustin, Crael and Arrux. Now don't worry about Arrux, he may look like a lobster but he's really just a good ol' boy." After he makes introductions, he says to the party through clenched teeth, "Fellas, he's got a dang gator with 'im. I was sure hopin' he didn't have any friends with 'im." Returning to the conversation at hand, "Ya know, that's a real nice gator you got there. What's his name? Probably got a good name for him, huh?.....Yeah...OK." As his demon eyes continue to burn through Joe, more sweat seems to be falling from his face. "Er..um, so who are you?" Joe finally says thinking he handled that pretty well.
Crael leans over to Mac. "Well put". Arrux looks at the crocodile and makes a series of clicking noises before rumbling out "What a strange beast."
Those of you with good hearing may hear Gustin mumble, "This should be interesting" as he clinches his bow.
"Well Joe, I am Tasskar, and I will soon be the new lord of these lands. I shall gather the corrupt beasts of the area with a great spell of summoning and the warm blood in your veins will fuel it. Snapjaw, attack," the troglodyte replies while lifting his scythe and directing the crocodile.
Colburne
Crael
Gustin
Balenar
Tasskar
Snapjaw
(14) Joe
(14) Balenar
(13) Crael
(10) Gustin
(9) Colburne
(9) Snapjaw
Round 1, Tasskar
(24) Tasskar begins to hiss and growl weaving one hand through the air he finishes with a high pitched screech thrusting his claws to the side. The windows burst open and hundreds of bats stream into the room coalescing into a biting swarm covering Joe and Colburner.
Crael turns to face Arrux, begins speaking word of arcane power and raises his hand. A green light edges his palm and fingers, as he presses his hand to Arrux's shell the glow moves into the beast and travels to Arrux's claws. "Get in there and take out that creature."
Arrux grunts and moves up the stairs and through the bats, he grunts as he attempts to crush Snapjaw's neck.
"Oh no, fellas! He's got bats to go with his gator buddy!" Joe then covers his mouth, "I think I'm gonna be sick!" As Joe moves out of the way to let the others through, seeing how he suddenly feels weak in the knees and sick to his stomach. "Sorry fellas, it seems I can hardly stand!"
Holding his breath, Colburne barrels through the cloud of bats towards the albino gator. "That's it Arrux, but be careful not to ruin the hide, this gator's gonna make a fine set of boots when we're finished!" Colburne follows his comical remark with a swift axe blow to the gators head.
Seeing his allies in pain and the enemies at full health Gustin tries to even the playing field
Round 1, Tasskar
(14) "Oh no, fellas! He's got bats to go with his gator buddy!" Joe then covers his mouth, "I think I'm gonna be sick!" As Joe moves out of the way to let the others through, seeing how he suddenly feels weak in the knees and sick to his stomach. "Sorry fellas, it seems I can hardly stand!"
(14) Balenar begins to sing a tale of hero's conquering an evil tyrant. The age old lyrics echo off the walls insirping the heroes.
(13) Crael turns to face Arrux, begins speaking word of arcane power and raises his hand. A green light edges his palm and fingers, as he presses his hand to Arrux's shell the glow moves into the beast and travels to Arrux's claws. "Get in there and take out that creature."
Arrux grunts and moves up the stairs and through the bats, he grunts as he attempts to crush Snapjaw's neck. The crocodile quickly rolls out of the way once again proving quicker than it would seem. The floor underneath begins to creak and groan after the attack.
(10) Seeing his allies in pain and the enemies at full health Gustin tries to even the playing field. Gripping his holy symbol tightly a wave of healing energies washes up and through the stone.
(9) Holding his breath, Colburne barrels through the cloud of bats towards the albino gator. "That's it Arrux, but be careful not to ruin the hide, this gator's gonna make a fine set of boots when we're finished!" Colburne follows his comical remark with a swift axe blow to the gators head. Cutting a huge gash from it's tough hide and blinding it in one eye.
(9) Bleeding profusely from the cut on it's head the gator attacks Colburne madly.
The six-foot albino crocodile snaps at Colburne lightning fast and inch long teeth piercing his armor in a variety of places. After the bite it slams the dwarf to the ground still holding him firmly.
(24) "Excellent Snapjaw, kill the fool before attacking the others. They have a cleric to mend their wounds," says Tasskar as he moves around the throne. He begins to chant in the hissing tongue and streamers of green fire crawl down his arm erupting in a blaze at his palm. Jerking his wrists the troglodyte throws the flames at Joe.
The flames lick and burn eagerly at the farmers skin.
As their primary targets have both fled the swarm of bats attack the next closest thing, Crael. Swirling down the stairs they fill the steps with chirping, squeaking, biting, madness
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"NOOOO!" He yells as he watches, in horror, Colburne get ripped to shreds. "YOU DANG, STUPID, GATOR! " Joe suddenly feeling physically better, but emotionally pissed off, rushes to help Arrux bring down the crocodile and try and save his buddy Col'..... before it's to late.
"NO ONE RIPS COL' TO PIECES, YOU OVERSIZED BACKPACK!" He yells victoriously.
Crael rushes up the stairs to escape the swarming vermin, he pauses to assess the room. Arrux reels from the terrible smell, he lumbers toward the source of the stench and swings his claw.
Gustin moves over to his dying friend and substitutes cure light wounds for his prepared shield spell
Cure light wounds
As Colburne regains consciousness he scrambles to retrieve his trusty axe lying on the floor next to him. "Thanks Gustin ol' pal, thought I was gator food for sure. Looks like you finally got the hang of that scythe Joe, WHOOOO."
"Just in the nick o' time, too! Good to have you back, buddy!" Joe relieved to see Colburne back on his feet. "But our troubles ain't over and you're still pretty tore up, so be careful. We still got lizard guy to deal with and he doesn't look a might to happy after what I did to his gator." He smiles at the thought.
Round 2, Tasskar, Master of the Fallen Fortress
(14) "NOOOO!" He yells as he watches, in horror, Colburne get ripped to shreds. "YOU DANG, STUPID, GATOR! " Joe suddenly feeling physically better, but emotionally pissed off, rushes to help Arrux bring down the crocodile and try and save his buddy Col'..... before it's to late. With a mighty overhead swing Joe brings the point of his scythe straight down through the back of the albino crocodile's skull. The blade erupts from the creatures mouth as he tears through it.
"NO ONE RIPS COL' TO PIECES, YOU OVERSIZED BACKPACK!" He yells victoriously.
(14) Balenar carefully moves up the stairs continuing his epic song. He draws his rapier as he does and readies for a fight.
(13) Crael rushes up the stairs to escape the swarming vermin, he pauses to assess the room. Arrux reels from the terrible smell, he lumbers toward the source of the stench and swings his claw. The blow bounces off the trogs tough hide, barely harming him.
(10) Gustin moves over to his dying friend and mends his wounds with flowing divine power. As he kneels on the floor the stone underneath begins to creak and groan.
(9) As Colburne regains consciousness he scrambles to retrieve his trusty axe lying on the floor next to him. "Thanks Gustin ol' pal, thought I was gator food for sure. Looks like you finally got the hang of that scythe Joe, WHOOOO." As he stands the floor gives away. A terrible noise booms and echos as the stones underneath begin to tear away and fall down the tower.
"Watchout fellas, SHE'S COMIN' DOWN!" Colburne warns.
"Whoooo!"
Reflex
As the remaining east side of the tower collapses Tasskar lets out a scream of rage and terror,
Arrux and Colburne quickly move across the crumbling floor and leap to safety. Gustin stumbles, his fingertips brushing the stable floor as he's pulled away by the falling rubble. Joe pitches his way down the slide shouting at the top of his lungs.
The two of you go hurtling past the fourth in a flurry of debris.
As the rest of the floor collapses Gustin and Joe land hard on the remains of the second floor. The wind is knocked out of Joe and several ribs crack. Gustin on the other hand lands on one of his arms wrong with a hideous cracking sound. Both are knocked out from the fall.
As the dust settles there is no movement from the pile of rubble below. No sign of the troglodyte druid or his crocodile.
Worried about his friends, Colburne begins looking for a safe way down to Joe and Gustin, while calling out to his other party members. "Crael.... Balenar.... You fellas alright? Joe and Gustin need our help. I think they're on the second floor, c'mon lets go!"
"I think you're right, you could try jumping down, but I'm going to hit the stairs! Hopefully it's not too late to heal them," the Pathfinder calls from the stairwell as he disappears down the steps.
Within a minute Balenar and Colburne have run down to the injured companions. Balenar casts another pair of curative spells restoring the two to conciosness. "That...was only slightly unexpected," pants the bard, "I mean you know. With the creaking of the floor and a quarter of the tower missing."
"Dangit. Last thing I remember, I was ridin' a bunch o' rocks straight down. There was somethin' happenin' 'efore that though. Oh well, it'll come to me later I guess." Joe gets up, dusts himself off and checks to make sure nothing is broken. "I appreciate the healin' Balenar." He then turns to Gustin, "How ya doin' Gustin? You don't look no worse for wear." He gives him a big pat on the shoulder and notices two of their party missing, "Hey Col', did Crael and Arrux make it out okay? I notice they ain't around."
A moment later, Joe's eyes get wide as he suddenly remembers what was happening before the tower collapsed, "That dang lizard!...He didn't get to 'em did he?!....Where's ol' Cutter, dangit?!....There ain't no time, Col'! Hurry, 'efore he gets us too!" Joe searches frantically for his weapon, while at the same time, looking around in a craze to see if he spots Tasskar anywhere.
"I think that smelly trog went down with the tower, no sign of him or his dead gator." Colburne scans the rubble of the collapsed tower for signs of movement.
"BLOODY AXES!... I really had me heart set on those boots. If I gotta dig up the corpse of that blasted gator.... Yea, I think Crael made it out ok, but I'm not so sure about Arrux."
"I think that smelly trog went down with the tower, no sign of him or his dead gator." Colburne scans the rubble of the collapsed tower for signs of movement.
"Oh. OK. Well heck! Looks like we won! Whoooo!" Joe feeling much better, hearing that Tasskar is dead.
"BLOODY AXES!... I really had me heart set on those boots. If I gotta dig up the corpse of that blasted gator.... "
"He oughta be in there somewhere, Col'. Heck, he'd make a nice pair o' boots for all of us!" Joe surmises with a wink and a smile.
Yea, I think Crael made it out ok, but I'm not so sure about Arrux.
"Well that's good. I hate to see ol' Arrux fall. I sure hope he made it out too. He's a purdy good ol' boy in a fight. With those big ol' snappers. He demonstrates claws snapping with his hands, while making snapping noises with his mouth. "He's durn handy to have 'im on your side in a fight. Yes sir." He states proudly.
Crael and Arrux emerge from the tower. "Sorry if we are late coming down, I had to get Arrux to stop stomping on those creatures as we came down. Joe! Colburne! you made it! Not many people get into that kind of fight with gravity and live."
Crael and Arrux emerge from the tower. "Sorry if we are late coming down, I had to get Arrux to stop stomping on those creatures as we came down. Joe! Colburne! you made it! Not many people get into that kind of fight with gravity and live."
Seeing Crael and Arrux alive, Joe breaths a sigh of relief. "Good to see you two make it out o' there! Col' told me you made it but he wasn't so sure about ol' Arrux there." He slaps Arrux on the shoulder. "Well you know us country folk, ya been in one rock slide, you been in 'em all. Yes sir! Whooo!" With a big ol' Joe smile and a slap on Crael's shoulder, Joe lets out a good hearty laugh. "Man that's funny stuff, I don't care who ya are." He finally slows down. "Anyway, seeings how we beat this lizard guy, I guess we ought to head on back and collect our reeward. Come to think of it, maybe we ought to see if we can find the overgrown lizard first, among all this rock, and then head back. He did have a mighty looking Cutter, just like my own. That'd be a nice souvenir to take back home to mama and daddy. They'd be proud." He beams at the thought. "Speaking of which, I still gotta find my own Cutter." He continues his search for his weapon, along with looking for Tasskar and his weapon.
After twenty minutes of searching the rubble it seems that Joe's scythe is lost for good. While there is no sign of the troglodyte the dead crocodile is easily found under some of the dusty rubble. Moving it out of the debris reveals the wicked bone scythe wielded by the ex-master of the fortress. There is not a scratch on it's darkwood handle or blade.
Balenar's eyes glow after muttering a quick rhyme, "Joe, while I mourn the loss of your blade, this one is of superior quality, protected and sharpened by ancient magics."
Tass'kar's large wooden chest has even survived the fall relatively undamaged. Inside is a variety of treasure including; a masterwork short sword, 15 cold iron shurikens, two flasks of acid, a potion of cat’s grace, a potion of lesser restoration, a wand of magic missile , an amethyst worth 100 gp, and 247 gp in assorted coins.
"Whoooo! Thanks Balenar! She sure is a beaut! I must say though, I sure am gonna miss ol' Cutter. Guess I'll just have to call this one....new Cutter! Whooo!" He examines the weapon in amazement.
He stops a moment from examining his new weapon, "Hey Col', don't forget to skin that gator. I'm lookin' forward to seein' those boots, Whooo!" He finishes with a big Joe smile and goes back to examining the bone scythe.
"You bet buddy, I'm gonna have to find someone to do all the dirty work though, I must admit I don't know the first thing about skinning animals." Colburne looks over the contents of the wooden chest rubbing his hands together in a greedy fashion. "Looks like we've amassed a small fortune, congratulations guys we just hit it big! Joe your gonna have to remind me not to lose my whole share playing cards or throwing dice, I'm an adventurer now, I don't have time for trivial games of chance." After inspecting the loot, Colburne drags the carcass of the gator near the wooden chest. "We're gonna have to flag a ride back into town, this is a lot of gear to haul!"