The Witch King

Swifthand Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:38 am

Blinking repeatedly, Mordax watches the conversation with disbelief.

Swifthand Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:38 am

"Den . . . ins da name o' da Queen, an' ins honorage o' da Great Rinh . . . we disarms da ghastlies dat fouls da Temple's name."

OOC: And I know every other word is in question Forum Auto - Spellchecker!

Swifthand Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:39 am

Davin wrote:What do we see beyond the open door?

Staring into the darkness behind the now-swinging door, Davin sees a narrow tunnel that extends to an unknown depth; wherever it goes, it will be necessary to travel single-file (and the taller party members may need to crouch a little as they walk).

Swifthand Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:41 am

Vangg wrote:"Den . . . ins da name o' da Queen, an' ins honorage o' da Great Rinh . . . we disarms da ghastlies dat fouls da Temple's name."

"Hmm. Yer beformered kinsmens'll undo whatsever disarmin's we 'complish! Mayhaps, I should despatch da ghastlies whilst ye run ahead t' thwart da dwarfs? I'll follow afters da besmotin's done."

Swifthand Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:41 am

Now that resurrected baby death angel is conversing eloquently, Verity is certain it's going to be another one of those days. He puts a hand on Vangg's shoulder and interjects;
"Asraelbenzariel, your mother was sent home by the Dwarves who spawned those abominations. By destroying them you will help complete her quest. Too, we are a step closer to restoring the Temple, as be Her will and mine own solemn vow. We four servants of the Queen and our stalwart comrades will surely see that your mother's sacrifice was not in vain."

Swifthand Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:42 am

"I must agree with Verity in this. We should stay together. The zombies are not the issue. More, it seems that all our quests are linked to the Dwarves. By removing the Dwarven threat, we destroy the plans of the Terramancers and thereby move closer to attaining Alex's goal - to reverse the damage done to the Aquamancers of Imil. We now know that the Hag sisters have allied themselves with the Dwarves, and by hampering their plans, we too hamper that of the Hags, and thus move closer to the vengeance that Mordax seeks. By subduing the Dwarves, we secure the Cave Temple, allowing Verity, Joogug, and Vangg to avenge the slaughter of their fellow worshippers, and giving them the freedom to rebuild their temple in safety. And of course, we also remove the military threat to the Empire, and by association, the threat to all our peoples."

"We all followed Verity's vision here, hoping to attain our goals. We talked to the dead clansman in the Imperial City and discovered a secret path to the Dwarven Halls. We are equipped and ready for our journey. But the problem is, now, I have no idea how we are going to stop the Dwarves by going there. Diplomacy? Assasination? We can't kill all the Dwarves..."

"I know nothing of the Dwarven homeland. Vangg, you lived there for much of your life - what can you tell us? What is their political structure? Who is their King? Why do you think the Dwarves were looking for you by name, branding you traitor? Are you someone important to them? Do the Dwarves have clergy devoted to the Queen?"

"Forces beyond our control push us toward convergence; it seems there is only one path before us now, friends - forward and below."

His piece being said, the elven ranger turns to the nascent angel, bowing low.

"Herald of the Queen, I am Davin Fletcher of Talthanin. Though a baby, you speak with the ancient wisdom of your Mistress. We know not if you are meant to accompany us on our dangerous journey. What is your will?"

Davin straightens up, and throws a piece of jerky to Hound and takes a bite himself, wiping his mouth with the back of his sleeve. Then, with a start, he looks back at the baby.

"Are you hungry?"

-Swift

Swifthand Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:43 am

Alex gapes as doomangelchild speaks with Vanng. "Most...impressive."

He shakes his head and listens to Davins speech. "Well. I was hoping to hamper them by destroying their Nexus, though I know not how, perhaps when we get there I'll find out, or it could become obvious?"

Swifthand Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:43 am

"Aye, grant ye wisdoms upon we Raven Cherub . . ."

Swifthand Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:44 am

Shaking himself from his near stupor, Mordax says "Destroy tha' nexus, get word tae tha' chiefs o' the terramancer treachery, an' kill as mony terramancers as we can find. This is oor goal, methinks, an' in tha' order."

So saying, he hefts his borrowed hammer and continues "Davin, if ye can scout tha' way I'll come up behind ye, wi' Verity at me back. Vanng, Alex an' then Straegis tae follow. P'haps tha' wily greenskin can aid ye' wi' yuir scoutin'?"

Swifthand Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:44 am

Davin wrote:"I must agree ... We should stay together. ... By removing the Dwarven threat, we ... move closer to attaining Alex's goal ... move closer to the vengeance that Mordax seeks. ... secure the Cave Temple, ... remove the military threat to the Empire, and ... all our peoples."

"Ye be mighty pract'cal, fer an elf. Fine, den, I'll go wit' ye, Davage Fletchums, t' da Dwarfen halls."

Davin wrote:"I have no idea how we are going to stop the Dwarves by going there. Diplomacy? Assasination? We can't kill all the Dwarves..."

"We'll burn dat bridge whenst we come t' it."

Davin wrote:"I... the Dwarven homeland. Vangg, you lived there for much of your life - what can you tell us? What is their political structure? Who is their King? Why do you think the Dwarves were looking for you by name, branding you traitor? Are you someone important to them? Do the Dwarves have clergy devoted to the Queen?"

Vangg can tell it in his own words, but ... he knows their political structure is clan-based feudalism. Each of the Clans is ruled by a more-or-less hereditary Clanhead, who is in turn ruled by the hereditary king of all Dwarves. The current Dwarf King is called "Njörðr VIII" or "Njörðr the Saga" (a distant cousin of WoeGhar Diijungghar).

Despite being ostracized by his family for choosing the Queen over the Soulforger, Vangg isn't sure why a bunch of random Dwarfs would call him traitor. After all, Dwarves do worship the Raven Queen; they just typically hold Moradin in higher esteem than the other gods. What he did was considered disgraceful, but not traitorous (tho, befriending goblins and ogres might be deemed as such by several of his hatemongering kinsmen). ... But becoming a priest of the Raven Queen would not, in itself, brand him a traitor (though his once immediate family might say differently).

Davin wrote:"Herald of the Queen ... What is your will? ... "Are you hungry?"

"Hyqo weu'eu ... en hy starfin." I will go with you ... and I am hungry.

Swifthand Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:45 am

Straegis hands the baby a few pieces of dried fish to hold him over and laughs to his friends as he says "We'll probably need to spend any treasure we find trying to keep this baby's belly from runnin' empty, eh?" He likes Mordax's idea, and takes up a position in the back of the line.

Swifthand Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:45 am

As Asraelbenzariel eats the fish, you realize that he doesn't even have a belly! Nor an asophagus. Yet, somehow, the food dissappears when he eats it (and of course, he doesn't have any lips, so watching his chew is rather disgusting).
_____

Judging by the conversation thus far, it seems like you're planning on heading through the door, right after Vangg answers Davin's questions about the Dwarven homeland; and the marching order will be like this:
Davin
Hound
Juugug
Mordax
Verity
Asraelbenzariel
Vangg
Alex
Straegis
It also sounds like your plan is to: Destroy the nexus at the Wise stone; then, continue on to the Halls of the Dwarf King, where you will tell the King what his Terramancers are up to, and hope he puts a stop to it (and if not, you will put a stop to HIM). Along the way, you will kill any Terramancers you encounter.

Does that sound right?

Swifthand Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:46 am

And we'll deal with any hags we find too. So...yea!

Swifthand Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:47 am

Okay, what about light? Is someone holding a torch?
Where is the Eyepatch now? Did Alex get it back?
Is Verity still CARRYING Asraelbenzariel?

Swifthand Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:47 am

Walking single file, the heroes move into the cramped tunnel, where some of them are forced to crouch slightly to avoid scraping their heads on cieling. Neither Vangg nor Juugug needs to crouch. The tunnel is so narrow that most Dwarves would be dragging their shoulders against the side walls, but Vangg is skinnier than most Dwarves, and has no such problem. Asraelbenzariel, however, has the same problem with his wings; the tunnel is just too small for them, and his wings are uncomfortably squished as he moves down the hall.

Passive Percetion: About a hundred feet into the tunnel, Davin notices there are a bunch of tiny tiny holes in the walls, floor, and cieling. He signals for the others to stop, and examines them, finding that they were not all bored at the same angle; in fact, they were dug at hundreds of different angles.

Swifthand Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:48 am

Verity, moves down the narrow passage, shield in one hand, everburning torch in the other. He takes a defensive stance behind the shield when Davin motions stop. The torch he extends high forward, hoping to better illuminate this new danger.
"What do you recall of this trap Brother Juugug? Vangg?"

Aid thievery: 7 total
Then full defense, provide cover.

DM EDIT: A 7 would've failed anyway, but really Verity is in no position to Aid Davin on this.
He's just too far back to see it, and doesn't know enough about it to advise.

Swifthand Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:49 am

Verity wrote:Verity, moves down the narrow passage, shield in one hand, everburning torch in the other

In such a narrow passage, the everburning torch comes in mighty handy. A regular torch would quickly become uncomfortable; too hot, too bright, too smokey.

EDITTED.

Verity wrote:"What do you recall of this trap Brother Juugug? Vangg?"

"Bah! Brutha Talgaarnuk be still workin' here las'time me comes dis way. No trap dwelt here at dat times ... Mayhaps Vangg recall sumtin?"

Being as far back in the line as he is, Vangg begins to realize that his dwarven upbringing would have been highly valuable where Juugug is standing; afterall, Vangg grew up in tunnels like this (Dungeoneeing is a very useful skill underground).

Swifthand Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:50 am

Malazek wrote:In such a narrow passage, the torch quickly becomes uncomfortable (especially for Verity and Mordax). It's too hot, too bright, too smokey; yet, completely necessary.

PHB wrote:Everburning Torch: This torch never stops burning. It sheds magical light but no heat, so you can stow it in a bag or a pouch. You can’t set fire to anything with it.

OCC: Does the everburning torch give off smoke?

Swifthand Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:51 am

Halcyon wrote:OCC: Does the everburning torch give off smoke?

OOC: No, it does not. No heat, either.
I didn't realize you had one of those. I'll go back and edit my previous post.

Swifthand Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:51 am

Davin nods at the grizzled commander's direction and moves to the head of the group.

"Alex - perhaps I should wear the Eyepatch to better scout out traps ahead."

Perception=33

-Swift

Swifthand Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:52 am

Malazek wrote:Walking single file, the heroes move into the cramped tunnel, where some of them are forced to crouch slightly to avoid scraping their heads on cieling. Neither Vangg nor Juugug needs to crouch. The tunnel is so narrow that most Dwarves would be dragging their shoulders against the side walls, but Vangg is skinnier than most Dwarves, and has no such problem. Asraelbenzariel, however, has the same problem with his wings; the tunnel is just too small for them, and his wings are uncomfortably squished as he moves down the hall.

About a hundred feet into the tunnel, Davin notices there are a bunch of tiny tiny holes in the walls, floor, and cieling. He signals for the others to stop, and examines them, finding that they were not all bored at the same angle; in fact, they were dug at hundreds of different angles.

Davin wrote:Perception=33

Davin takes a careful moment to look around until he can make out a web of nearly invisible tripwires cross-crossing through the tunnel in front of him. The most agile members of the group might be able to weave through the nest without tripping the trap, but it might be safer to just disarm it. Also, Davin guesses that something shoots out of all these holes when the wires are disturbed; probably darts or gas (and since the holes run at multiple directions: probably darts).

Malazek Mon Aug 17, 2009 10:09 am

151prooftattoos wrote:"What ye 'ave up thar?"

Vangg squeezes past and around the others (he's very thin) until he is where Juugug is. He looks around.

Dexterity check getting around the others: 1d20=5 (OOC: Hear a lot of "Ouches!" I'm sure)

"Naynigh needeth go'bins in da front, we all knownt da won'drous skills dey 'ave w' creatin' tings. Likes da 'andiworks o' dat bedamned bridge an 'undr'd steps back."

Vangg smiles at Juugug, "Dat be calls sarcasmism, me friend."

Dungeoneering Take 10 = 21

Malazek Mon Aug 17, 2009 10:09 am

Malazek wrote:
Vangg wrote:"What ye 'ave up thar?"
Vangg squeezes past and around the others (he's very thin) until he is where Juugug is. He looks around.
OOC: Oh jeez. You guys are ALREADY squeezing (page 292), but I guess you can technically fit through any space smaller than your head and shoulders ... but it's VERY unfomfortable..

Vangg wrote:Dungeoneering Take 10 = 21
Even standing right under Davin, Vangg cannot see the holes or the wires; they are just far too fine for the naked eye. Examing the stone work, however, he quickly determines that it is indeed a Dart trap ... tiny pock marks on the wall are indicative of darts striking the stone (Davin saw the marks, too, but had no idea they weren't caused by chisels). With this information, Vangg quickly surmises that different wires cause different darts to shoot out at different angles (it's not just one continuous wire that triggers all the darts at once). He relays this information to Davin, which should make disarming the trap significantly easier. (+2 Bonus).

Malazek Mon Aug 17, 2009 10:09 am

Swifthand wrote:Moving carefully to the first tripwire, the ranger clamps it, stopping it from receding into the wall, then follows the wire back to the opposite wall, doing the same at that end. Then, Davin cuts the wire, ties a fat knot in it's end, and finally releases his clamp, returning to the other end repeating his actions. The elf goes to each wire in turn, his thin, nimble fingers working furiously until the path is clear.

Thievery=35 (Eyepatch bonus and Vangg's bonus included)

-Swift

Malazek Mon Aug 17, 2009 10:10 am

Malazek wrote:
Davin wrote:Moving carefully to the first tripwire, the ranger clamps it, stopping it from receding into the wall, then follows the wire back to the opposite wall, doing the same at that end. Then, Davin cuts the wire, ties a fat knot in it's end, and finally releases his clamp, returning to the other end repeating his actions. The elf goes to each wire in turn, his thin, nimble fingers working furiously until the path is clear.
Thievery=35 (Eyepatch bonus and Vangg's bonus included)
35? Right on the button.
Davin and Vangg make short work out of this trap, and the party continues on.
117 XPs. 16,380 Total.

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