The Brothers of Another Mother watcht he scene in utter disbelief, their mouths hanging dumbly open as they take in the spectacle before them.

"Anyone have any ideas?" Nyll finally asks aloud to the assembled group, "Because I have nothing..." he adds after a brief pause.

To which, Finn responds: "we could dress up in those robes and try to fit in..."
This message was last edited by the player at 06:03, Thu 05 Sept 2013.

In reply to Autarch (msg # 240):

As the vessel nears the approaching shore and spectacle Dourdoff says " I'll be the hairy bum of a north bound jack, seems we have got in a pinch o' the making for a mighty sing along and ale salute."
As Bill ascends the stairs from the empty hold , and witnesses the looming shoreline danger to come , he quickly ducks down and whispers as loud as he can at Dour and company "Maybe we can slip off unseen along the shore at waters edge just as the vessel banks. It would be better than being trapped aboard the ship with the tentacles at our backs. What say you? I'm not for battling numerous beastmen on the vessel."

Zar's eyes seem to pierce Sidd. ''Who has just sold his soul to a bunch of slimy tentacles? Eh?! Who did?!''

Sidd is humming and hawing a bit, weirdly touched by the sight of the terrible tentacle patting the ship's deck near his feet, but then his mouth goes slack and hangs open as he takes in the sight beyond Zar's shoulders (and accusing glare).

''We are so screwed...''

''No! You are screwed! Damned!''

''No, we are. Take a look behind you...''

''What are you... oh... damn.''

Sidd knocks his shovel hard on the ship's wood and cries ''Turn around! Turn around you stupid thing of lumber! Turn around!''

Zar and Sidd begin to look frantically for the ship's rudder.

Dave ponders for a moment, surprisingly calm (at least on the exterior) and says Well, we satisfied the tentacle beast.  Maybe they'll think that means we're on their side?  If we can keep the skull smoking they might even think we're part of the ceremony, and then we can head right over to the prisoners and... I don't know, do something.

After another moment of thought he decides to try draping his kudu pelt over himself in a way to suggest, if not that he actually is a beastman, then at least that he belongs with them.

"It's worth a shot," Nyll replies. "Maybe we can find another way in...you know, a secret door or some such?"

Assuming the others agree, and after safely sneaking up to a hidden lower part of the temple, Nyll will use his dwarf stonesense to search for a secret door which might allow an alternate entry point.

OOC: The idea would be to sneak around maybe the back of the temple, where there are not a horde of beast-men milling about, then take some time to look for a secret door.

''That will never work...'', Zar muses. ''Except...''

''They will expect someone to arrive on that ship. So someone has to. And can distract them, too! Maybe someone... with a robe. A skull. And a censer.''

Sidd pales considerably. ''Er...''

"Which brings us back to my original idea: perhaps our robed, skull-staff wielding Chaos-loving volunteer is escorting a new batch of thralls?" Nyll chimes in.

He uses his index and ring finger to make a walking gesture, "Except when they get to the top..." he balls up his fist and punches his hand for emphasis, "we strike the leader!"

"Or we just sneak in the back," Nyll adds hopefully. "Either way, Zar's idea has merit."

"Whatever it be we need to decide soon," Nyll says while gesturing to the approaching shore.

In reply to Udly (msg # 247):

Bill addresses the group of friends he has made and says "Yes I agree we need to act quickly as the shore looms closer. If all of you want to sneak off in one direction, I will approach the figure head on and draw all attention on myself. Let the cards lay where they may. I have lived a fully life but yet I grow weary of this journey and will make my last stand meaningful if need be."

Realities there must be wherein the goat-headed reveler surmises that the newly arrived train of prisoners has only been affecting a downtrodden mien, and the "prisoners" truly become prisoners, until they reach their full potential as sacrifices.

This is not one of those realities.

With Sidd in full chaos regalia and Dave in his partial kudu get-up, the emissaries from One Thousand Sands wind their way around and around the temple (there being no entrance on the lowest level). There's one at the top but that's never willingly taken.

The peak of the temple is dominated by a vast, smoking pit that glows with a hellish light. A mighty beastman hoists an effigy of a fearsome armored figure high into the swirling clouds as the prisoners are hurled screaming, one after another, into the pit. A trio of snarling beastmen upends woven baskets, pouring thousands of coins in after your fellow villagers, producing gouts of hissing smoke and flame! All about you is the thundering cacophony of drums and bestial howls as the bizarre ritual nears its climax!

Sidd's skull throbs with ineffable rage, scorching his fingertips and flashing a white-hot crimson, with each primal howl of "Mo Lan ... Mo Lan."

In a low voice, Nyll addresses his companions, "Think we can make it to the shaman before the others figure out what's going on?"

The dwarf's muscles tense in anticipation of the coming charge. If they could just take out the leader...

In reply to Udly (msg # 250):

Dourdoff tightens his grip on his mace and says to the companions "That sounds o' like a fine plan to me.. Me mace is wanting a little beastie blood and guts on it anyhows and we owes them a whopping from all the loss of our other fallen I say"

As the ritual scene comes into view, complete with its impossible odds and no clear path forward, Milton remarks with his implacable flatness, "Well, we wanted to find prisoners, and we've found them.  Success."

He has nothing to say when they are hurled into the glowing pit.

But Virgil's jaw clenches, and his eyes burn for revenge.  It's all he can do to keep his wrists together, as though they were bound, and as though Sidd and Dave were their captors.  He nods to Bill, of the same stoic mindset as he.  If the two of them can get near the shaman, at the very least all three tumble into the pit, and hopefully just the shaman.

OOC: So the plan is to get to the top as though we're about to be thrown in by Sidd and Dave, get positioned near the shaman, then pitch him in and see what happens? 

Dave makes a show of pushing the others around a bit and grunting when he's within earshot of any actual beastmen.

Felix walks with the group, doing the whole prisoner bit about as much as everyone else around him.

Arnie is very convincing in his portrayal of a prisoner on the way to who knows what awful fate.  Specifically, he is vocally afraid of going up the hill and isn't just acting when Dave has to shove him to make him move forward more than a few inches.

As the whole group nears the end of their climb, Dave looks around and then whispers to Virgil Sure, sounds good mate.  While you do that, I'll turn around and shoot anyone who tries to follow us up here.

Sensing the moment may be upon him, Nyll rushes forward, flail raised in a striking position:

"By Grum's Hammer, I shall smite you!" he roars while charging one of the beast-men atop the stairs.

"Oh hell," Finn calls out in exasperation. Yet, he too finds the call of battle stirring within. Not to be outdone by his blood brother, Finn also charges.

"Now's the time boys!" he cries aloud.

Well, you can't fault them for effort...but both attacks leave a lot of be desired in terms of effectiveness.

17:02, Sun 08 Sept 2013: Udly rolled 7,2,5,6 using d20-1,d8-1,d20+1,d6+1 ((8,3,4,5)).

Zar really doubts that they will get past the two beastmen on top of the ramp without anyone finally noticing that those 'prisoners' are pretty well armed under their rags. Anyway, things are taken out of their hands as Nyll and Finn charge.

It's time to act!

Drawing the bow he has pressed to his body under the cloak, Zar prays to the gods. The one god actually. They will surely all die, he has no delusions in this regard, but they HAVE to stop what is happening here. No summoning of Chaos gods on his watch.

''I stand with what's right. I will bar the way of Chaos! No sacrifice of people ANYMORE!''

His arrow flies true, aiming for an eye - and is deflected by the beastman's horn as it rears its head.

11:01, Today: Levkojen rolled 9 using 1d20+1. Zar shoots bow.


Sidd grips his shovel and takes a couple of steps down. His father has always said, 'Sidd,' he'd said, 'don't ever shovel a dig that's over your head.'

Oh well, it's pretty much too late for that now.

Swinging his burning and glaring evil skull in an arc, he tries to bluff off the beastmen down the stairs and screams. ''MO LAN... is rising! ... NOW! ... And I am his chosen Priest! ... HAH! Feel his presence! REJOICE!''

Dourdoff with mace in hand, along with Bill who draws his longsword , charge with their comrades up the steps and position themselves to strike and aid their friends when the opportunity presents itself..


19:58, Today: Dourdoff rolled 7 using 1d20. Dourdoff Initiative Roll.
19:57, Today: Dourdoff rolled 8 using 1d20-1. Bill Initiative roll.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:59, Tue 10 Sept 2013.

C'mon big guy, Felix says to Arnie as the charge begins.  Do it for that crazy girl of yours.  He then runs up the ramp, past the two beastman guards, and straight toward the nearest acolyte.  After a second to steel himself, Arnie follows close behind.  Both have drawn their weapons on the way, and they try to coordinate a fancy maneuver, with the halfling striking at the acolyte's knees while Arnie goes for a high strike that will hopefully bowl their target over.

Meanwhile, Dave turns around, draws his bow and an arrow, and shoots the nearest beastman behind the group.

Josh rolled 13,17 using d20+1,d20. attacks. (Felix, Arnie)
  Josh rolled 2 using 1d4. damage. (Arnie only - I don't know if Felix hit, or what the damage rating is for a crowbar)

Josh rolled 14 using 1d20. attack. (Dave)
  Josh rolled 5 using 1d6. damage.

Josh rolled 5,9,5 using d20,d20+1,d20+1. initiative - D, A, F.

Virgil rushes for the shaman, avoiding acolytes as best he can.  Milton, meanwhile, turns to brain another one of the beastmen behind the group.

Virgil full turn to reach shaman.

Milton attack beastman immediately behind party with Crowbar: att=16, dmg=6.

In reply to Gethin Ballider (msg # 258):

Dourdoff and Bill both hone in on the nearest Beastman and both attack. Dour, using his short stature , takes a swing at the creatures legs with his mace while Bill moves in for a forward lunging stab with his longsword at its midsection..

19:54, Today: Dourdoff rolled 21 using 1d20+1. Dourdoff Mace Attack Roll.
19:53, Today: Dourdoff rolled 2 using 1d6+1. Dourdoff Mace Damage Roll.
19:57, Today: Dourdoff rolled 3 using 1d4. Dourdoff Crit Roll.
20:01, Today: Dourdoff rolled 3 using 1d6. Dourdoff Crit Damage (d3).
(OOC) So essentially a 1 since I rolled a d6 and divide by 2 since the dice roller does not have a d3


19:59, Today: Dourdoff rolled 3 using 1d20. Bill Longsword Attack Roll.
19:59, Today: Dourdoff rolled 1 using 1d8. Bill Longsword Damage Roll.

shaman (4) engaged with Virgil (1) (a full turn to reach)
acolyte (19) -- pit -- acolyte (19) (close range)
Felix (9) and Arnie (9)

top of ramp -- two beastmen engaged with Finn (5) and Nyll (5)
15' down -- party in its marching order but with Sidd in the front

Sidd (14)        
Bill (9)
Zar (14)
Dave (7)  and a beastman
Dour (7)  Milton (1)

immediately behind party -- two beastmen (19)
behind them -- hordes of beastmen

With a crushing blow of his crowbar, Milton spills the brains of a big-headed bull-faced rager just as Dave's shaft finds a sweet spot between the ribs of another. Then, Dour descends the ramp to fell the last of the three beastmen just behind the infidels. That's you. You're the infidels.

At the top of the ramp, Felix and Arnie overwhelm one of the three acolytes. It seems unlikely that he will be reincarnated two thousand years hence during a religious revival.

The tide of the chaos-born surges up the ramp, sweeping along Dour and Milton towards their ineluctable doom (Dour and Milton are grabbed and will be carried 15 feet up the ramp unless they pass a DC 15 str test) (On the PC’s own turn, he can do nothing but attempt to escape the grapple with another Strength check).

The two surviving acolytes turn from the villagers at the lip of the pit and lacerate the jugulars of the two last brothers of another mother. Slumping to the ground, they cover their bare necks and count their last breaths.

Atop the ziggurat, at its very apogee, verily, the shaman howls at Virgil's intrusion. He raises the effigy even higher then before, faces, the pit, and cries out "Mo-Lan." To the night or to the effigy, you're not sure (Shaman has not actually acted given his low init).

Sensing this might be his only chance, Omm calls out to the other shackled villagers, "Now is our chance! Fight Man, Fight!"

Using whatever slack he is given, even if he has to drag a man on either side with him, Omm surges forward and rams into one of the acolytes, hoping to send the Cleric of Chaos hurtling into the pit.

16:56, Today: Udly rolled 17 using 1d20. Push acolyte .
This message was last edited by the player at 03:02, Sun 15 Sept 2013.

Invigorated by the action (and their relative success), all of the red dwarves push on.  Yes, even Arnie.  He and Felix run to the next acolyte, hoping to repeat their successful tactic and avenge at least one of the brothers' deaths.

Dave, seeing Milton and Dourdoff getting swept up by the crowd, tries to trip one of the beastmen carrying them (with the goal being to free one of them, or at least make it easier to free themselves).  Inspired by his mediocre disguise, he throws in a shout of Mo-lan! for the hell of it.

Josh rolled 15,14 using d20,d20+1. attacks - A, F.
  2 damage for Arnie (+1 in the die roller was a mistake), 6 for Felix

Josh rolled 10 using 1d20. Dave trip.
  I don't know how trips work here, but that's a 9 if it's based on Str and 10 if it's based on Ag
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:17, Mon 16 Sept 2013.

Dour uses his strong arms, honed through many years of swinging his mining pick, to break free of his captors grapple..

Bill takes another swing with his Longsword a the nearest Beastman. He grunts as he swings for the weapon is starting to feel heavy in his hands..


21:58, Yesterday: Dourdoff rolled 9 using 1d20. Bill Longsword Attack .
21:58, Yesterday: Dourdoff rolled 1 using 1d8. Bill Longsword Damage .
21:57, Yesterday: Dourdoff rolled 20 using 1d20. Dourdoff Strength Check .

Zar looses another arrow at the beastmen at the top. The shaman if he can get a free line, but otherwise any beastman will have to suffice. Doesn't really matter, since even if Zar's motivation is beyond doubt, his accuracy unfortunately is lacking.

It occurs to Sidd that his talents are wasted where he is.
''You are actually on our side, aren't you?'' He says to the burning skull on his shovel with endearing tones.
''Then let's see what we can do together to end this travesty!''

With sure stride Sidd approaches the pit, ignoring the beastmen left and right, and engaging directly the huge beastman shaman.

''I and my shovel, we'll have some words with you!'' Sidd says sternly. Finally all his years of whacking moles pay off. Finally the sacrificed skull gets his own bit of revenge. Because the shovel, skull and all, connects soundly with the beast lord's face.
''Take that! For the pride of A Thousand Sands! And all humanity!''


15:11, Today: Levkojen rolled 4 using 1d4. dmg.
15:11, Today: Levkojen rolled 17 using 1d20. Sidd shovel vs shaman.
15:05, Today: Levkojen rolled 5 using 1d20+1. Zar shoots shaman.

Hapless Milton struggles and writhes, but he cannot escape the filthy claws and grasping paws of the beastmen.  They carry him, held aloft, to the edge of the pit.  Milton's luck has run out, and he resigns himself to the hard dictates of Providence.  Had he not eschewed all papist ceremonies and symbols, now would be the time to cross himself.

Unexpectedly, his luck changes at the very edge of disaster.  One of the beastmen turns his ankle on a loose rock and falls to his knee.  Being a slightly pudgy poet, Milton proves too heavy for the rest.  They drop him, and so there he is, right at the edge of the roiling dark pit, where Virgil and the shaman grapple in the flickering shadow, neither able to force the other down to the chaos gods below.

Surely Milton has burnt all his luck and has none left.  Still, a man must do what he may, so Milton throws his doughy weight against the beastman shaman.

Unexpectedly, impossibly, it works.

Milton STR check vs DC 15 = 8, burn 7 luck = 15.  Luck now = 4.
Virgil push shaman in pit = 14
Milton push shaman in pit = 20 (critical success!)
This message was last edited by the player at 19:08, Wed 18 Sept 2013.