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05:27, 26th April 2024 (GMT+0)

Chapter #7:  Catacomb Kids.

Posted by The RaconteurFor group 0
Liseth Thoradin
Human Oracle, 802 posts
Deluge of Positive Energy
HP 24/24
Thu 10 Apr 2014
at 20:11
  • msg #227

Re: Chapter #7:  Catacomb Kids

The darkness was terrible.  If it wasn't for Kerr's arm around her, and her own grip on him, Liseth was certain that she would already be starting to panic.  She had never liked the darkness; in fact, one of the very first things that she had learned how to do was to summon a divine light to keep such darkness at bay.  The young acolyte couldn't imagine many things worse than being lost in the darkness, unable to see, with monsters lurking about.

Feeling the tension in Kerr, Liseth imagined that she must feel the same way to him.  Audible relief escaped her when Pisca summoned her own small gnome-light to chase away some of the gloom.  At least now she could see something.  Even though the words that followed the newly created light source did little to lessen the tension.  Words that spoke about 'pretty evil girls' who 'delight in corrupting good boys.'

That mean girl Cerlynne came to mind again, causing the diminutive blonde to reflexively tighten her grip on Kerr once more.  But she trusted Kerr; he said that he didn't even like Cerlynne, she had always been mean to him.  Liseth did not, however trust Cerlynne.  Especially after that cruel glare that was leveled at her during their first meeting.

Thinking about things like that was only going to make Liseth upset and anxious, so she did her best to return her attention to the present.  They were still in a dark passage possibly full of monsters, after all.  She recalled Kellan and Cato having said something about stringing up Jubrayl.

"Oh!  No one would do that just because someone was from out of town, would they?"  That didn't sound like anyone in Sandpoint, she had only been in town for a little while and Liseth had never felt unwelcome.  "I mean, wasn't there just all those visitors for the festival?  Nobody seemed upset because of them.  But I suppose that the goblins did kind of interrupt things..."

"Hide?"  Liseth was interrupted by Pisca's command.  She didn't know how to hide!  Not knowing what else to do, the girl simply leaned in closer to her hero-boyfriend.  She spoke back through the Whisper Magic, "Pisca, I'm as ready as I can be.  Wait, if there is nothing in there, how can we take nothing by surprise?"
Kellan Storval
Human Fighter, 505 posts
Former Red Shirt
Fri 11 Apr 2014
at 04:40
  • msg #228

Re: Chapter #7:  Catacomb Kids

Kellan seemed to consider the responses then shook his head.

"Well not because he is from Magnimar, I don't even know of he is really...it's just that a lot of people around here associate his type with the big city. We normally don't have many problems with city people, I mean, the sheriffs there right now."

He gestured a little as he spoke.

"But in the city you have so many people, Sandpoint is a close knit little community, pretty much everybody knows the Vinders, most everbody buys from them too. A general store can burn down in the city, and maybe a few people get upset but its just another store, ya know? For us it would be personal..."

He cocks his head a little as he formed his next words

"Its hard to hide in Sandpoint...most everybody knows everybody, and every town has a few bad apples. But there is a big differance between drinking away the day at Fatmans with your thug friends and burning down a store... or murdering someone. Mayor Deverins a fair sort, and not prone to side with a mob...she'll act on evidence, but if even the rumor got around that Jubrayl was involved in anything that serious I imagine they would run him out...stop selling to him, stop selling to people who deal with him, people are afraid of him, sure, but that only goes so far for so long..."

He readied his weapon

"Anyway...guess we should get back to work" he added with a nod as Pisca threw open the door
The Raconteur
GM, 866 posts
Teller of Tales
Writer of Wrongs
Fri 11 Apr 2014
at 06:47
  • msg #229

Re: Chapter #7:  Catacomb Kids


Pisca gently opened the stone door for a second time, in this instance with much-better illumination, and sent her gnome-shaped lights dancing into the circular room she discovered on the other side.  The small chamber was dominated by a round stone pool located in its exact center.  Water rippled quietly in the pool, the rim of which was lined with skulls.

Indeed, skulls seemed to be the order of the day when it came to decor for this particular room.  Pisca's sorcerous light cast ominous shadows across its expanse, reveling the decapitated, dessicated heads of various creatures, both real and stylized, placed carefully about in a macabre imitation of interior design.  Skulls of varying sizes hung from the walls, some obviously carved from wood, some metal, and some (most disturbingly) from bone.  Each skull stared down at the pool in the room's center, as if to ensure that nothing pool-related could possibly occur without their knowledge.

On the other side of the room, about 15 feet away from where Pisca stood in the doorway, was another door.  This far portal was twin to the one Pisca had just opened in every perceivable way.  The gnome's light-homunculous stood patiently and politely in front of the stone barrier, as if waiting for someone to open it.

Other than the staring, leering skulls and the mysterious pool that had captured their attention, there seemed to be no recognizable threat in the room.  The area was quiet except for the rippling pool's infrequent sloshing.

OOC:

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26|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+


D  = Door      G = Pisca (she's a Gnome, right?  So as not to confuse her with Pool)
A  = Altar     L = Liseth
S  = Stairs    K = Kellan
P  = Pool      C = Cato
               R = Kerr

DL = Pisca's Dancing Lights


This message was last edited by the GM at 17:50, Fri 11 Apr 2014.
Pisca Neep Freemish
Gnome Archaeologist, 824 posts
The Gnome!
And Her Imagination
Fri 11 Apr 2014
at 12:46
  • msg #230

Re: Chapter #7:  Catacomb Kids

"Nothing ... " said the gnome, as though in a whispered answer to Liseth's question.  "That's a surprise."

"You see," she went on to explain, "this gnome was thinking that this must be an entrance from the surface.  Or, it must, at one time, have been an entrance from the surface.  Not only does the hallway to this point incline upwards, which I'm sure you've all noticed.  But, that statue of Runelord Lady Alaznist back there is facing in this direction, which you might not have noticed, welcoming, or warning, if you will, all who enter from above."

"And, the reason this is surprising," Pisca goes on to explain even further, "is that if I were a gnome with my very own underground laboratory and prison catacombs, I would put a guard on the entrance."

"But," the gnome then shrugs, "maybe that's just me."  With a twitch of her finger, she directs the Gnome-Shaped Light to wander slowly along the southern wall of the room as though admiring the craniofacial decor.

"This still looks like a highly likely place for an ambush, though.  And not all guardians are Rune Dogs, or even living, so wait here while I make sure that no huge stone balls are going to roll down on us when we lift the golden idol before following me into the room.  Alright?"

And with those words, the gnome begins a thorough search for tripwires and pressure plates as she traverses the room to the north of the mysterious and possibly deadly pool.

Perception, please.  To search for traps.

BTW, how high is the ceiling in this room?  Is there any possibility that there are spikes in the ceiling?  Is there a lip or raised wall around the pool?

Active Effects:  Antitoxin 1h, Message-All but Kerr 20m, Dancing Lights 1m

AC15
HP 15/18
Archaeologist's Luck: 2/7
Used:  Antitoxin, Arrows -2

Pisca Neep Freemish
Gnome Archaeologist, 825 posts
The Gnome!
And Her Imagination
Fri 11 Apr 2014
at 19:37
  • msg #231

Re: Chapter #7:  Catacomb Kids

"Well, that was almost shocking," commented the gnome as she arrived at the far door none the worse for having traversed the Incredibly Dangerous But Absolutely Trap Free room with a pool.

Nothing.

"Nothing!" Pisca straightened from her stealthy crouch and called back across the pool to the others just outside the far door.  "Looks safe."

On the other hand, would you trap your front door if you were one of seven competing Thassilonian Runelords?  The answer that came to the mind of the gnome gave her pause.  But it was still not enough to stay her hand as it reached up to open the far door to whatever might lie beyond.

Active Effects:  Antitoxin 1h, Message-All but Kerr 20m, Dancing Lights 1m

AC15
HP 15/18
Archaeologist's Luck: 2/7
Used:  Antitoxin, Arrows -2

Cato Crispin
Human Wizard, 453 posts
Have arcana, will travel.
Fri 11 Apr 2014
at 20:12
  • msg #232

Re: Chapter #7:  Catacomb Kids

As their explorations revealed yet another empty room, Cato began to suspect that the truly stressful part about exploring these dungeons wasn't the encounters with whatever horrid beasts still sheltered here, but instead the tension about exactly when those encounters would occur.  The wizard looked around again and shivered.  Not that the decor improved the mood any.  Cato couldn't imagine spending everyday in a place like this.  Would the cultists or who or whatever else lived and worked here adjust to it?  Did this room of staring skulls seem normal when you'd walked through it 100 times?  Maybe that explained part of the insanity of the Quasit.  After passing through this room everyday for millennia, summoning Rune Dogs and creating other monsters must seem like a completely normal thing to do.  Or did those creatures start out wrong, and this place had always seemed right and normal?

Cato sighed.  It was hard to be on guard for this long, and it was weighing on him, along with the sheer amount of arcane power he had channeled.  Then again, the wizard considered himself lucky.  Kellan and Pisca had suffered far more serious physical harm than he, and Pisca for one seemed to be completely okay.  Then again, the gnome always seemed to be disturbingly energetic regardless of what had just happened.

"Is that what being a guardsman is like, Kellan?  Hours of tedium interspersed with brief moments of sheer terror?  How do you do it everyday?  I had some brief..." Cato searched for a good word, "experiences with this in the past, but this is harder.  Maybe it's the surroundings, or the horrific nature of the beasts we end up fighting against, but it's enough to age a person prematurely.  And nothing's even touched me.  You've been bit and cut and beaten up worse than any of us.  Well, aside from maybe Pisca."
Pisca Neep Freemish
Gnome Archaeologist, 826 posts
The Gnome!
And Her Imagination
Fri 11 Apr 2014
at 22:40
  • msg #233

Re: Chapter #7:  Catacomb Kids

"Humm?"  Pisca heard her name spoken.  Then she heard something else.

"SOMETHING!!!"  And still, despite all her apparent panic, despite her mad diving roll back across the room, the gnome kept to her silent discipline and whispered back through her magic.  Truth be told, it was a rather loud-ish whisper.  But, it was a whisper none the less.

"Something!  Somethingsomethingsomethingsomething somethingsomethingsomething!"

She fetched up just outside the room.  Eyes wide, she stared hard back into the room where her Gnome-Shaped light stared back, quietly waiting for commands.

"Lysa?  How quickly can you become a ghost?" the gnome asked.  "I heard wings.  Flapping wings.  You don't think Quasit Girl is following us around as a ghost, do you?"

Acrobatics to tumble back out the door from which she came.

Active Effects:  Antitoxin 1h, Message-All but Kerr 20m, Dancing Lights 1m

AC15
HP 15/18
Archaeologist's Luck: 2/7
Used:  Antitoxin, Arrows -2

Liseth Thoradin
Human Oracle, 804 posts
Deluge of Positive Energy
HP 24/24
Sat 12 Apr 2014
at 00:28
  • msg #234

Re: Chapter #7:  Catacomb Kids

Skulls?!  When Pisca's gnome-light illuminated the many gruesome and various skulls displayed throughout the small room, Liseth had a start.  What possible function could all of those horrible skulls serve?  Who would even want to put them there like they were, arranged all around that small pool which the girl hoped did not summon any Rune Dogs like the last one did.

But the group was moving forward, into the room.  They had to, there was still another door on the other side of the room which might contain anything.  Liseth didn't make it very far though.

When Pisca said it was safe, or at least that she heard nothing, Liseth thought it was okay.  As far as dark, skull-filled, scary rooms with mystical pools could be considered okay.  Then the gnome whisper-shouted that there was indeed something!  And tumbled back through the little room.

Liseth had another start.  Expecting something terrible to happen, the small blonde found herself ducking behind Kerr and whispering frantically to back to Pisca, "What is it?!"

"A GHOST?  I don't...I don't think that demons can become ghosts.  I hope that they can't."  Liseth squeezed her arms around Kerr's waist, staring forward for signs of demon-ghosts.  "Kerr, you could see if there was a ghost hiding in there, right?"

"Pisca, is it okay for me to bring out my light again?"
This message was last edited by the player at 00:29, Sat 12 Apr 2014.
Kellan Storval
Human Fighter, 506 posts
Former Red Shirt
Sat 12 Apr 2014
at 01:22
  • msg #235

Re: Chapter #7:  Catacomb Kids

Kellan crept along with the others, stop, shuffle, listen, stop, wait shuffle. He was glad that they were taking their time but a small part of him just wanted to throw open the doors cone what may. Taking a deep breath he steadied himself and spoke to Cato over his shoulder.

"Maybe in the big cities...but Sandpoint it is mostly boredom. Its kind of rough because the Sheriff and Alergast are very big on keeping us to a professional standard...and that requires a little detachment sometimes. I think as kind of a small town outlanders tend to expect us to be corrupt or incompetent bumpkins with spears."

He shifted his weight a little bit, feeling the strain of the days work on his shoulders and back

"When things do go bad, like the late unpleasentness...or the goblin attacks it seems to pretty much come out of the blue. One day your trying to deal with cattle grazing on the wrong land, or a husband and wife having a spat, and the next your fighting for your life...or hacking up a thousand year old demon" He grinned "Kind of a weird feeling"

At Piscas warning he froze and readied his weapon, expecting something to burst through the door
The Raconteur
GM, 867 posts
Teller of Tales
Writer of Wrongs
Sat 12 Apr 2014
at 07:33
  • msg #236

Re: Chapter #7:  Catacomb Kids


The group moved hesitantly into the circular room when Pisca gave the all-clear, skirting the skull-rimmed pool as they advanced carefully towards the chamber's other door.  No one saw anything amiss; there was no discernable movement aside from the pool's gentle rippling.

Suddenly Pisca began whisper-yelling and diving back along her line of allies to and through the open door by which they had all just entered the room.  Each of them managed to dodge out of the gnome's way, gripping their various weapons, holy symbols or arcane components as they looked around, wide-eyed, for whatever had caused her to go leaping so violently away from the still-closed door at the other end of the room.  It seemed as if she might have heard something from beyond that portal that didn't agree with her.

Then suddenly, they all heard it.

The gentle rustling.

At first, it seemed as if it might be a particularly forceful sloshing from the pool, but the more-perceptive members of the party quickly determined that that wasn't it.  It was almost like a . . . like a flapping.  The flapping noise gradually became more pronounced, finally allowing them to locate it by direction.

That direction was . . . directly above them.

As the party slowly looked up, they were horrified to find two blackened fiends' heads unfurling heretofore hidden wings from the shadows which had to this point concealed them.  Tentacles dangled from the skulls' chins and scalps, and their fanged mouths hung agape, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth.

As the group watched in stunned silence, wondering what sort of new devilry this might be, the animated skulls opened their mouths wide, distending them far past the point where any normal creature would have dislocated its jaw.

Then they shrieked.

These shrieks were not normal, run-of-the-mill shrieks, like those made by a person suddenly surprised by something frightening.  No, these shrieks were louder, and fuller, and altogether more terrible.  They were shrieks of hideous despair that wallowed in the secret pain each person carried with them, even those hidden from all others.  They were shrieks that delved deep inside, piercing the soul, allowing for all the ill feelings, self-doubt, and insecurities that might be sequestered there to well up and overwhelm the psychic defenses that normally held them at bay.

They were the shrieks of the damned, and they threatened to overwhelm the party before combat could even be joined.

OOC:

   P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X   Y  Z AA BB CC DD EE FF GG HH II JJ KK LL MM NN OO
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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3 |  |  |  |  |  |XL|  | X|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
4 |  |  |  |  |P D R|PP|1 D  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
5 |  |  |  |  |  |X2|C |KX|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+-XXXXXX-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
6 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+XXXXX+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
7 |  |  |  |  |  | XX  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  XXXXXXXXXXXX+--+XSS-AAA-+X-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
8 |  |  |  |  X  X  S AAA | X|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  XXXXXXXXXX--+XX+--S--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
9 |  |  |  |X |  |  |SSSSSSSSX  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+-X+--+--+--+--+--XDDXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
10|  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |XX|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+-S+--XX-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
11|  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  | SS  | XX  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+- X--+--+--+--+--+--SS-+--+XX+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
12|  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |PPPPPP  |SS| P|  XX |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--D--+--+--PPPPPPPP-+--S-PP--+-X+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
13|  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  D  |  |RPPPPPPPPPP|  S PPP | X|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+--PPPPPPPP-+--S-PP--+-X---+--+--+--+--+--+--+
14|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |PPPPPP  |SS| P|  XX |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--SS-+--+XX+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
15|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  | SS  | XX  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+-S+--XX-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
16|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |XX|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XDDXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
17|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
18|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
19|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
20|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
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  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
22|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
23|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
24|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
25|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
26|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+


D  = Door      G = Pisca (she's a Gnome, right?  So as not to confuse her with Pool)
A  = Altar     L = Liseth
S  = Stairs    K = Kellan
P  = Pool      C = Cato
               R = Kerr

1 = Skull #1
2 = Skull #2

DL = Pisca's Dancing Lights
Combat:

Everyone needs to make two DC 12 Fortitude checks against the shrieks, one for each skull.  Please note against which skull you are rolling (#1 or #2) as you are immune to a particular skull's shriek once you successfully save against it.

If you fail one or both of these Fortitude checks you are paralyzed for 2d4 rounds.

If you make both saves you may take an immediate combat action.  The skulls are located on the walls about 15 feet up.




This message was last edited by the GM at 07:36, Sat 12 Apr 2014.
Liseth Thoradin
Human Oracle, 807 posts
Deluge of Positive Energy
HP 24/24
Sat 12 Apr 2014
at 15:48
  • msg #237

Re: Chapter #7:  Catacomb Kids

Gentle rustling.  In any other time or place the sound might seem innocent; normal even.  But down here, under the ground with so many staring, horrible skulls perched around the small room, Liseth thought that the rustling was the most terrifying noises that she had ever heard.  The girl found herself looking all over, trying to locate the source.

Once she had, she wished that she hadn't.

Liseth met the shrieks of the winged, fanged, tentacled...head monster things with a shriek of her own.  Screaming in terror, horror, and dismay, the young blonde acolyte tried to cover her ears in order to shut out the terribly evil noise.  In doing so she lost her grip on Kerr and stumbled backwards, trying her best to get away from the monsters and their shriek.

Bumping her back into the wall, she realized that she wasn't getting away quite as effectively as she had hoped.  Under the oppression of the unrelenting shrieks she almost crouched down right there in a tear-streaked panic.  Liseth felt the worst kind of panic coming one, and she almost froze.

But, she didn't.  All of her secret self-doubts and insecurity tried to come up to the surface again; but they didn't.  They weren't secret anymore; they couldn't hurt her because she had just shared them, all of them, with Kerr.

The horrible monsters were made no less terrifying though.  Sputtering with small, unintelligible noises, Liseth retrieved her Befuddler Bag once more.  The girl tried to throw it, she hoped that it would make them stop, but when she attempted the maneuver found the bag slipping from her fingers and dropping straight into the floor.

OOC:
Move: Retrieve Befuddler (Again)
Standard: Throw Befuddler; Natural 1

06:56, Today: Liseth Thoradin rolled 22 using 1d20+3. Fortitude Save #2.
06:56, Today: Liseth Thoradin rolled 23 using 1d20+3. Fortitude Save #1.
07:01, Today: Liseth Thoradin rolled 4 using 1d20+3. Throw Befuddler at Skull Face #1.

At least I made the important rolls!
Kellan Storval
Human Fighter, 508 posts
Former Red Shirt
Sat 12 Apr 2014
at 17:16
  • msg #238

Re: Chapter #7:  Catacomb Kids

Kellan had been so focused on the door that even the rustling above him failed to draw any attention until it was nearly too late. With both hands on his weapon his ears were left to the mercy of the shrieking, that seemed to piece his skull right into the most sensitive regions. His hearing rang and ached, causing him to clench his eyes shut in pain and shock.

The sensation was momentary however, as the guardsman managed to pry himself lose from the shock to step forward and crane his neck up at whatever this wretched creature was. Letting the spear tip trail along the floor as he moved he suddenly whipped the business end around up at the thing, the blade giving that signature sound as it passed.

HP: 35/35
AC: 18
Move: 5' Step to W4
Standard: Reach, Power Attack Skull #1
10:07, Today: Kellan Storval rolled 14 using 2d4+7. Damage Skull #1.
10:06, Today: Kellan Storval rolled 19 using 1d20+7. Reach Power Attack Skull #1.


This message was last edited by the player at 17:26, Sat 12 Apr 2014.
Cato Crispin
Human Wizard, 454 posts
Have arcana, will travel.
Sun 13 Apr 2014
at 01:03
  • msg #239

Re: Chapter #7:  Catacomb Kids

Cato stared up at the skulls, taking in the latest form of monster in these dungeons.  At first, he was relieved.  Some sort of flying undead, perhaps?  Compared to the Rune Dogs, these monsters didn't seem nearly as bad.  Something tugged at the back of his mind, that perhaps these skulls were something to worry about, but then they opened their fanged jaws and shrieked.  Perhaps if it had just been one skull, Cato would have been able to act.  But the two together was too much to take.  Cato's mind flooded with painful moments from this life, freezing the mage in place.

He remembered his father, on the day he left to join the Hellknights.  "Ha!  Been reading books all your life, and what has it got you so far?  You won't last a week with the Hellknights before you're forced to come crawling back here."

He remembered the look on Paravicar Lucius Winters' face when he tracked Cato down in Magnimar, and the threat: "The Order WILL find traitors!"

He remembered a dozen nights spent in roadside inns, in villages, looking over his shoulder, constantly paranoid that another Hellknight agent would send a report of him back to Korvosa.

And all Cato could do was stare, frozen at the shrieking skulls above him.


OOC:
20:54, Today: Cato Crispin rolled 16 using 1d20+4. Fortitude Save vs Skull #2.
20:54, Today: Cato Crispin rolled 7 using 1d20+4. Fortitude Save vs Skull #1.


20:55, Today: Cato Crispin rolled 3 using 2d4. Paralyze Duration.

This message was last edited by the player at 01:04, Sun 13 Apr 2014.
Pisca Neep Freemish
Gnome Archaeologist, 828 posts
The Gnome!
And Her Imagination
Sun 13 Apr 2014
at 23:44
  • msg #240

Re: Chapter #7:  Catacomb Kids

"I knew it!"  The gnome cried out even as her hand reached for an arrow from her quiver.  "I knew it, Iknewit-Iknewit-IIII-AAAAAAAAAAAIIIII!"  Pisca's voice rose in pitch as though in tandem with the twin sonic declarations of death and despair issuing from the mouths of the pair of tentacle waving skulls.  The screams of death pushed in on the gnome's psyche, but the voice of the gnome pushed back.

"CUT THAT OUT!" Pisca snapped in the direction of the two skulls as her own shout peaked and ended.   Then she also snapped off an arrow in the direction of the furthest T-Skull, driving the shaft deep into it's mouth.

Attack S1

Could you roll an appropriate knowledge check for Pisca to identify these creatures and one or two weaknesses?

16:16, Today: Pisca Neep Freemish rolled 21 using 1d20+3. Fort vs S2.
16:16, Today: Pisca Neep Freemish rolled 15 using 1d20+3. Fort vs S1.


16:41, Today: Pisca Neep Freemish rolled 22 using 1d20+6. Hit S1.

16:41, Today: Pisca Neep Freemish rolled 3 using 1d4+1. Damage.

Active Effects:  Antitoxin 1h, Message-All but Kerr 20m, Dancing Lights 1m

AC15
HP 15/18
Archaeologist's Luck: 2/7
Used:  Antitoxin, Arrows -3

Kerr Mollin
NPC, 54 posts
Acolyte of Desna
Chosen of Iomedae
Mon 14 Apr 2014
at 20:33
  • msg #241

Re: Chapter #7:  Catacomb Kids


Kerr thought he would be very, very justified in starting to feel just a little bit skittish about entering ANY room in this godsforsaken place.  First there were Rune Dogs boiling out into the corridor, then there was the vengeful quasit, and now there were . . . whatever these things were.  And Pisca had even said that the room was safe!

Truth be told, the acolyte was feeling a mite bit put-upon by whatever mad Thassilonian had designed this place.

But in this case, he also questioned the mad Thassilonian’s skills.  Kerr wasn’t sure exactly what it was that the tentacle wing-skulls were supposed to do; they certainly didn’t seem to be the most impressive guardians imaginable.  Maybe they had a vicious head-butt of some sort?  Kerr really didn’t want to wait around to find out.  He reached back for an arrow, and then . . .

. . . and then they shrieked.  A deep, anguished, harrowing shriek that searched through one’s psyche and sought for any hidden hangups that might be used to rack the recipient with grief, doubt, or indecision.

Fortunately Kerr didn’t have much along those lines to get hung up about.  Or at least he didn’t think so.  But suddenly he was almost overwhelmed by a fear of losing Liseth.  Of her lying bleeding and broken, dead at his feet after he was unable to save her from a painful, horrific end.  Of never hearing her musical laugh, never seeing her shy smile, never walking along the Turandarok with her, listening to her talk about the gulls.  The vision was so powerful, it was . . . .

Courage, my child.  A voice stole through Kerr’s mind, banishing his anguished thought of a perished Liseth and clearing his mind for what needed to be done.  His vision cleared.  Nocking an arrow, he sent one flying after Pisca’s towards the first skull, turning quickly and sending another almost directly upwards at the second.

He would not fail Liseth.  Not now.

Not ever.

OOC:

Kerr’s Shriek Saves

13:00, Today: Kerr Mollin rolled 19 using 1d20+8. Fortitude Save v. Skull No. 2.
12:59, Today: Kerr Mollin rolled 12 using 1d20+8. Fortitude Save v. Skull No. 1.

Kerr Turn:

Full Round Action – Rapid Shot

Move – None

Attacks –

13:06, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Kerr Mollin, rolled 15 using 1d20+5. Rapid Shot #1 (PBS, DA).
Damage (+DA).
13:07, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Kerr Mollin, rolled 7 using 1d8+4. Rapid Shot #1 Damage (+DA).

13:06, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Kerr Mollin, rolled 16 using 1d20+5. Rapid Shot #2 (PBS, DA).
13:07, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Kerr Mollin, rolled 10 using 1d8+4. Rapid Shot #2


This message was last edited by the player at 20:36, Mon 14 Apr 2014.
The Raconteur
GM, 875 posts
Teller of Tales
Writer of Wrongs
Mon 14 Apr 2014
at 21:07
  • msg #242

Re: Chapter #7:  Catacomb Kids


The skull at the far side of the room had barely finished its horrific wail when it was immediately shattered by the tripartite force of Kellan's poleaxe, Pisca's shot, and Kerr's first arrow.  No longer animate, the skull's broken fragments immediately fell to the floor, where they lay on a bed of tentacles that flopped for a couple of seconds more before they too were still.

The second skull received a direct hit from Kerr's arrow, but that wasn't enough to ground it.  It flew down toward Cato, the only person who had succumbed to its scream, just barely dodging Kellan's poleaxe as the warrior swung it back around in a desperate attempt to knock the creature off its course before it reached the wizard.

Kellan's attempt was for naught.  The skull reached Cato and fastened itself onto the paralyzed scholar's mouth, giving him a deep kiss.  The whites of Cato's eyes stood out prominently as he was forced to endure this horrific invasion of his person, but he was unable to do anything to prevent it.  The scholar felt the skull's decay and rot seep through his mouth, down his throat, and into his lungs as his horrified companions brought their weapons to bear, intent on destroying the thing that was attacking their friend.

OOC:

   P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X   Y  Z AA BB CC DD EE FF GG HH II JJ KK LL MM NN OO
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+-XXXXXX-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
3 |  |  |  |  |  |XL|  | X|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
4 |  |  |  |  |P D R|PP|K D  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
5 |  |  |  |  |  |X2|C | X|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+-XXXXXX-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
6 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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7 |  |  |  |  |  | XX  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  XXXXXXXXXXXX+--+XSS-AAA-+X-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
8 |  |  |  |  X  X  S AAA | X|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  XXXXXXXXXX--+XX+--S--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
9 |  |  |  |X |  |  |SSSSSSSSX  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+-X+--+--+--+--+--XDDXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
10|  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |XX|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+-S+--XX-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
11|  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  | SS  | XX  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+- X--+--+--+--+--+--SS-+--+XX+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
12|  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |PPPPPP  |SS| P|  XX |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--D--+--+--PPPPPPPP-+--S-PP--+-X+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
13|  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  D  |  |RPPPPPPPPPP|  S PPP | X|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+--PPPPPPPP-+--S-PP--+-X---+--+--+--+--+--+--+
14|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |PPPPPP  |SS| P|  XX |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--SS-+--+XX+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
15|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  | SS  | XX  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+-S+--XX-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
16|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |XX|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XDDXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
17|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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18|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
19|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
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21|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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22|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
23|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
24|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
25|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
26|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+


D  = Door      G = Pisca (she's a Gnome, right?  So as not to confuse her with Pool)
A  = Altar     L = Liseth
S  = Stairs    K = Kellan
P  = Pool      C = Cato
               R = Kerr

2 = Skull #2

DL = Pisca's Dancing Lights

Skull #1 takes 24 points of damage and is destroyed.

Skull #2 takes 10 points of damage.

SKULL TURN

Skull Number 2

Move:  5' directly downward to attack Cato

Attack:  Melee Touch Attack (Kiss) on Cato

Per Special Rule, inspires AoO from Kellan

13:45, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Kellan Storval, rolled 14 using 1d20+8. Polearm AoO (Power Attack).

Skull Kiss Attack

13:47, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Skull No. 2, rolled 19 using 1d20+5. Kiss Attack on Cato.

13:47, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Skull No. 2, rolled 19 using 1d20+5. Kiss Attack on Cato.

13:48, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Cato Crispin, rolled 7 using 1d20+4. Fortitude Save.




Pisca Neep Freemish
Gnome Archaeologist, 835 posts
The Gnome!
And Her Imagination
Mon 14 Apr 2014
at 22:40
  • msg #243

Re: Chapter #7:  Catacomb Kids

"Soul Tormentors!" cried the gnome.   "It's laying its young in Cato's chest!!!  They'll keep him dormant!  It'll kill him if we try to cut them out!  it'll grow and grow and soon it'll burst out of his chest and hunt us down, stalking us across the levels, burning holes through the deck with its acid blood!"

The words made less and less sense as she went on, but Pisca could not stop the images that flooded her brain.  So dark.  So intense.  So full of cold, naked fear and a brutal, uncaring malice.  Overcome by these images the gnome drew and fired again, unaware, this time, of whether her arrows hit or not.

15:33, Today: Pisca Neep Freemish rolled 14 using 1d20+6. Hit the Soul Tormentor.
15:34, Today: Pisca Neep Freemish rolled 2 using 1d4+1. Damage.

Position: T4

Active Effects:  Antitoxin 1h, Message-All but Kerr 20m, Dancing Lights 1m

AC15
HP 15/18
Archaeologist's Luck: 2/7
Used:  Antitoxin, Arrows -3

Liseth Thoradin
Human Oracle, 819 posts
Deluge of Positive Energy
HP 24/24
Mon 14 Apr 2014
at 23:56
  • msg #244

Re: Chapter #7:  Catacomb Kids

Finally, finally their terrible shrieking ended.  Thanks in no small part to one of the horrible flying skull face monsters being broken apart by Kerr's and Pisca's arrows and Kellan's spear no doubt.  Liseth was desperate for her light now and reached down to her side in order to retrieve her glowing focus from it's place concealed within her pouch.  With the comforting, white light now aglow in her hand, the girl held it up to better illuminate the room along with Pisca's glow-gnome.

Her eyes found the remaining skull monster just as it violated Cato by pressing it's filthy, rotten lips on his mouth and...kissing him.  Deeply.  The young acolyte was mortified beyond words and her mouth merely hung open in horror and revulsion.  Then like a trap her mouth snapped shut and her focus-less hand covered her mouth.

Pisca's 'explanation' of what it was doing to Cato didn't help Liseth much either.  She took a step away, frantically searching the room for any more of them that might be waiting to swoop down on her and do the same.  Reaching her hand, with the brightly-lit focus clutched tightly in her grasp, towards the now-nearby Kellan, the young girl touched it to him.

"Kellan, you have to stop it before that thing Pisca said happens!"

Move: Retrieve Glowing Focus
Free: 5-Foot Step to V3
Standard: Cast Guidance on Kellan (+1 to an attack, save, or skill check)
Kellan Storval
Human Fighter, 511 posts
Former Red Shirt
Tue 15 Apr 2014
at 00:56
  • msg #245

Re: Chapter #7:  Catacomb Kids

Kellan had no idea what Pisca was on about, but it sounded absolutely horrid. Yes despite Liseths blessings and all the good will he could muster Kellan could not seem to hit the blasted tentacled thing, perhaps our of fear of striking Cato. Between the dim light, Piscas dire omens and the gallery of skulls peering down on them, it was enough to throw the young guardsmans aim.

HP: 35/35
AC: 18
Move: 5' step to W5
Standard: Reach Attack Skull 2
17:49, Today: Kellan Storval rolled 13 using 1d20+8. Reach attack Skull 2 w/ guidance.
Cato Crispin
Human Wizard, 458 posts
Have arcana, will travel.
Tue 15 Apr 2014
at 01:34
  • msg #246

Re: Chapter #7:  Catacomb Kids

After the "kiss" had been delivered, Cato found himself once again able to move.  "Kiss" really was a poor explanation for what happened, as the awful sense of decay crept into his body.  He let out a shuddering breath, and then quickly took a step back.  "Ah!  That was awful.  I can feel it inside me."  Cato retched, and weakly wiped his mouth.  "Pisca was right.  That's how these things reproduce.  And it did it to me."

The wizard's eyes glared at the flying skull, and he snapped up his crossbow and let a bolt fly.  The effects of the paralysis and his retching ruined his aim, and the bolt sailed wide.

Cato stood, shuddering.  Every report from his body's nerves was a new symptom of infection.  Had his ears itched 5 minutes ago?  Was his scalp tingling?  When did his shoulders start aching?  "We need to finish in here and talk with someone back in town.  Maybe Father Zantus can help.  Whatever that thing has started doing to me, we need to stop."

*Edited for continued paralysis
*Edited again for activity
Move Action: 5' step back to W5
Standard Action: Shoot Crossbow

21:29, Yesterday: Cato Crispin rolled 10 using 1d20+3. Crossbow Attack vs Skull 2.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:27, Tue 15 Apr 2014.
Kerr Mollin
NPC, 55 posts
Acolyte of Desna
Chosen of Iomedae
Tue 15 Apr 2014
at 13:46
  • msg #247

Re: Chapter #7:  Catacomb Kids


Kerr grinned as the first skull burst into pieces and fell to the ground, but his thrill of victory was short-lived.  The young archer blanched as he watched the second fiend shrug off his bowshot and descend to attach itself to a seemingly-frozen Cato Crispin.

Liseth unveiled her light just in time for Kerr to see, in disgusting detail, the skull give Cato the nastiest perversion of a kiss one could possibly imagine.  With all the horrors the young acolyte had seen this morning, this was the first one that had nearly made him lose his breakfast.

Steeling himself against his revulsion, Kerr almost stumbled backwards, giving himself room to shoot, and sent another two arrows speeding towards the monstrosity.  The first missed, but the second looked to be right on target . . .

OOC:

Full-Round Action:  Rapid Shot.

Move:  5-foot step to U3.

Attack:

06:21, Today: Kerr Mollin rolled 11 using 1d8+4.  Rapid Shot #2 Damage (+ Deadly Aim).
06:21, Today: Kerr Mollin rolled 20 using 1d20+5. Rapid Shot #2 (PBS, DA).
06:20, Today: Kerr Mollin rolled 13 using 1d20+5. Rapid Shot #1 (PBS, DA).


The Raconteur
GM, 879 posts
Teller of Tales
Writer of Wrongs
Tue 15 Apr 2014
at 15:34
  • msg #248

Re: Chapter #7:  Catacomb Kids


As the skull finished with its ghastly osculation, it detached from Cato, dipping down just in time to avoid yet another slash from Kellan's polearm.  Meanwhile, Cato, who had shrugged off his paralysis, stumbled backwards and brought up his crossbow, but in his disgust at what had happened sent his shot wide of its mark.  The skull, with some fancy flying, was just able to dodge Pisca's shot and one of Kerr's arrows, but Kerr's second shot struck true, bursting the monster into pieces and scattering it across the corner of the room.

In the sudden quiet, Cato's dry heaving and retching seemed incredibly loud.  The water from the pool gently lapped at its skull-lined rim as the group stood there, stunned at what had happened in the space of no more than twenty seconds.

Kerr was the first to break the silence.  "Cato!"  He said, dashing to the scholar's side.  "What . . . "  Pisca's yelling finally registered with him, as did Cato's more-sober explanation of what had just happened.  Kerr had thought he could not possibly be any more disgusted with the situation than he already was.  He had thought wrong.

"Wait," the acolyte said, not wanting to understand.  "Cato, are you saying that thing, um, IMPREGNATED you?"


OOC:

   P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X   Y  Z AA BB CC DD EE FF GG HH II JJ KK LL MM NN OO
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1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+-XXXXXX-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
3 |  |  |  |  |  |XR| L| X|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
4 |  |  |  |  |G D  |PP|K D  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
5 |  |  |  |  |  |X |  |CX|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+-XXXXXX-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
6 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+XXXXX+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
7 |  |  |  |  |  | XX  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  XXXXXXXXXXXX+--+XSS-AAA-+X-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
8 |  |  |  |  X  X  S AAA | X|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  XXXXXXXXXX--+XX+--S--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
9 |  |  |  |X |  |  |SSSSSSSSX  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+-X+--+--+--+--+--XDDXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
10|  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |XX|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+-S+--XX-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
11|  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  | SS  | XX  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+- X--+--+--+--+--+--SS-+--+XX+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
12|  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |PPPPPP  |SS| P|  XX |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--D--+--+--PPPPPPPP-+--S-PP--+-X+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
13|  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  D  |  |RPPPPPPPPPP|  S PPP | X|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+--PPPPPPPP-+--S-PP--+-X---+--+--+--+--+--+--+
14|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |PPPPPP  |SS| P|  XX |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--SS-+--+XX+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
15|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  | SS  | XX  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+-S+--XX-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
16|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |XX|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XDDXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
17|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
18|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
19|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
20|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
21|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
22|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
23|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
24|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
25|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
26|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+


D  = Door      G = Pisca (she's a Gnome, right?  So as not to confuse her with Pools)
A  = Altar     L = Liseth
S  = Stairs    K = Kellan
P  = Pool      C = Cato
               R = Kerr

DL = Pisca's Dancing Lights

Skull #2 takes 11 points of damage and is destroyed.

Combat concluded.



Cato Crispin
Human Wizard, 461 posts
Have arcana, will travel.
Tue 15 Apr 2014
at 15:52
  • msg #249

Re: Chapter #7:  Catacomb Kids

Cato nodded weakly in response to Kerr's question.  Vigorous motion still threatened to make the scholar queasy, though he seemed to have finished for the moment.  Just the thought of that thing...Cato shivered and forced him mind to move on.

"Yes, from what I understand, that's exactly what it did.  Those things reproduce by kissing, and I can still feel..."  Cato's stomach roiled and he trailed off, trying to think of other things.  Cato looked first to Kerr, than to Liseth.  "I don't suppose you know any divine spells for abortion?  I don't think Sarenrae would mind in this case, seeing as how it would kill one of those monsters before it was born."

Cato looked at Pisca.  "Do you anything about how long this gestation period is?  Do we have time to finish down here before getting help in town?"

The wizard stowed his crossbow and pulled out his quarterstaff, leaning on the heavy carved wood.  "I think I'm feeling a little better.  At least I should be able to manage down here if we need to.  At the very least, we need to make sure there's no more of those flying skulls down here.  Could you imagine if those got loose in Sandpoint?  I think it'd be worse than the Rune Dogs."
Kellan Storval
Human Fighter, 512 posts
Former Red Shirt
Tue 15 Apr 2014
at 15:55
  • msg #250

Re: Chapter #7:  Catacomb Kids

Kellan rushed over even as the disparate pieces of rotten skull were still settling upon the floor, the jangling mail and clatter from his armaments incredibly loud in the small enclosed space. He sincerely doubted that he could help against whatever black craft  Cato was reffering to, bur the urge to try something was too much.

"Cato!" He called perhaps a bit loudly as his boot crushed a small concave piece of skull in his passage.

"Your sure your ok? What was that thing?" He shot a worried look to Liseth and Kerr "Should we head back up straight away?"

His concern was worn plainly on his face. He wished that he knew more about the world and the things that lived on and beneath it.

"Stop jumping to conclusions, let him speak" he admonished himself interally "Keep it together"

He willed his heart to slow down and took a slow breath. Panicking would solve nothing here.
Pisca Neep Freemish
Gnome Archaeologist, 836 posts
The Gnome!
And Her Imagination
Tue 15 Apr 2014
at 17:04
  • msg #251

Re: Chapter #7:  Catacomb Kids

"I ... I ... "  Pisca's feet shifted uncomfortably, driven by sympathetic waves of squeamishness.  Rune Dogs she'd been prepared for.  And Quasits.  And death.  Even the eventuality of death was something that the gnome had steeled herself for, whether it be her own or one of the other Saviors of Sandpoint.  Even death would have been ... heroic in its own tragic way.  But, the slow painful, debilitating, demise as one became the spawning grounds of the evil ...

"I don't know, Cato.  They ... The Soul Tormentors are from the fiendish outer demesnes.  They ... Time ...  I don't know, Cato.  Time might pass differently there than it does here.  It could be hours.  It could be years.  And there's no guarantee that we'll have what we need up in Sandpoint to get it out of you, either.  I mean, what if we need eye of newt and no one has eye of newt?  We might have to send to Magnimar for eye of newt, and that might take days."

"I think we should go now.  Um ... Kerr, could you take one of the Soul Tormentors with you too?  We'll go to Father Zantus.  The Soul Tormentors are fiendish, so he'll probably know what to do.  But it might be best to take one so that he knows exactly what he's dealing with.  Or, maybe he might need a part of the Tormentor that kissed you, Cato.  It would be really bad to go all the way back to Sandpoint only to find that we needed it, wouldn't it.  Or, maybe better to take both, huh?  They're from the outer demesnes just like the Quasit, right?  Best not to leave bits and pieces around to become the foci of unholy rituals."

The gnome sighed.  It was a sigh of worry.  It was a sigh the color of deep concern, heavy with an aura of frustration.

"But ... but, but first, I'm going to see what's behind that door.  Get ready."  And, without really leaving a whole lot of time for readiness, Pisca opened the door.

Active Effects:  Antitoxin 1h, Message-All but Kerr 20m, Dancing Lights 1m

AC15
HP 15/18
Archaeologist's Luck: 2/7
Used:  Antitoxin, Arrows -3

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