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15:40, 29th March 2024 (GMT+0)

2 Mirtul DR1368 - 'On the Horse you rode in on'

Posted by The Thread-WeaverFor group 0
The Thread-Weaver
GM, 159 posts
Look upon my works
And despair!
Thu 17 Nov 2011
at 23:13
  • msg #78

Re: 2 Mirtul DR1368 - 'On the Horse you rode in on'

Having watched his first shot fall well short of its target, Abbas quickly made adjustments for his second shot. By the time the bolt had loaded he was sure of his angle, allowing plenty of height on the shot to compensate for range. Unfortunately he did not compensate enough for lead and the oversized quarrel hit the space where the starboard creature was seconds before.

Linni wasn't having any better luck as two of her fiery missiles flew well wide of their target.

Krogan and Lambrac continued their duties supporting Abbas, Krogan's chest heaving as he hefted each bolt into place and Lambrac continuing to shout directions.

Jibril began to mutter an incantation, raising his arms into the air as he did so. It was clear the spell would take some time to complete.

Thaniel continued to watch the battle unfold, waiting for an opportunity to use his magic or arrows.

The two flying reptiles swung in from either side of the Scilandar, screeching their belligerence at this strange invader of their territory. One raked its talons along the starboard side, ripping entire sections of wood in a shower of splinters. The other closed over the gunwale, its long spear-like beak snapping towards Thaniel. The elf's quick reflexes saved him from being dragged overboard however and he rolled nimbly to one side. A close call.

As the creatures pulled away to turn for a second attack, a beautiful voice rose through the air. Fareeda stood close to the elm, her rousing song inspiring those around her. Any doubts were evaporated as the words took form. Nothing and nobody would stop them from reaching their goal...

OOC: Bard song in effect.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:13, Thu 17 Nov 2011.
Thaniel
player, 37 posts
Fri 18 Nov 2011
at 09:03
  • msg #79

Re: 2 Mirtul DR1368 - 'On the Horse you rode in on'

Thaniel mutters an elven curse at his folly for almost being taken off. He draws out his longbow and sets an arrow, loosing in the direction of the creature that would have taken him.

20:03, Today: Thaniel rolled 10 using 1d20+6. Longbow attack on nearest creature.


.....He mutters another elven curse, chiding himself for not having practised his archery more often.
Krogan
player, 125 posts
I'm always up
for a fight!
Fri 18 Nov 2011
at 12:45
  • msg #80

Re: 2 Mirtul DR1368 - 'On the Horse you rode in on'

Krogan continued his work helping, unless there was a more effective means to help out, other than assisting with the ballista.

Dragon Aura is on DR1/Magic for everyone within 30 feet.
Abbas
player, 107 posts
Fri 18 Nov 2011
at 12:52
  • msg #81

Re: 2 Mirtul DR1368 - 'On the Horse you rode in on'

Nothing might stop the party from reaching their goal, but it certainly seemed that Abbas and the ballista were not faring particularly prominently in the battle to ensure same.

Despite the assistance of Krogan, the guidance of Lambrac, the inspiring song of Fareeda, and his own skill with archery, Abbas simply could not find the timing measure of the ballista.  He watched silently as the lastest bolt over-estimated an arc and sailed uninterrupted between the two great beasts.

This level of failure was exceedingly frustrating to the elven warrior, even with his calm exterior.  Rather than dwell upon it, however, he looked to Lambrac and Krogan to see if either wished to have a crack with the powerful missle weapon.



09:12, Today: Abbas rolled 13 using 1d20+11. ballista att.

This message was last edited by the player at 12:54, Fri 18 Nov 2011.
Lambrac
player, 86 posts
Lantanna Rogue, 6/8 hp
I'm not a thief!
Fri 18 Nov 2011
at 13:04
  • msg #82

Re: 2 Mirtul DR1368 - 'On the Horse you rode in on'

Lambrac swore an oath to Gond as he saw the pterodactyls starting swooping overhead. "Take cover!" he shouted to the others, and hunched himself lower over the ballista, continuing to aid Krogan and Abbas. "Alright, how about one more crack of this, then we switch to bows, yeah?" he suggested, finding using the ballista to be significantly less effective than advertised. "Try to lead the ptero more, the ballista is slower to respond." he offered.


OOC: I suspect you've got the best attack roll of us anyway, Abbas.

Profession (Siege Engineer) 10 - ooh, just enough.
Linni
player, 29 posts
Eccentric gnomeling
sorceress extraordinaire!
Sat 19 Nov 2011
at 02:16
  • msg #83

Re: 2 Mirtul DR1368 - 'On the Horse you rode in on'

Linni cursed silently as her fireball flew wide of the creature again.

"Stay STILL!" She shrieked, although it was neither the creatures flight or the airships movement which was likely causing her to miss.

Lining up another attack Linni casts her third fiery orb towards the creatures.


OOC:
Cast Lesser Orb of Fire on nearest creature.
13:12, Today: Linni rolled 21 using 1d20+4. orb of fire att.
13:14, Today: Linni rolled 7 using 1d8. orb of fire dam. 

Jibril
player, 97 posts
Fashionable and stylish
leric of Azuth
Sun 20 Nov 2011
at 16:18
  • msg #84

Re: 2 Mirtul DR1368 - 'On the Horse you rode in on'

As soon as his Celestial Owl appears to attack one of the vulturous creatures, Jibril casts another spell at the other one, shouting loudly "Go away!"

________________________________________________________________________

OOC:

Standard:  Casting Cause Fear.

The Thread-Weaver
GM, 162 posts
Look upon my works
And despair!
Wed 23 Nov 2011
at 16:15
  • msg #85

Re: 2 Mirtul DR1368 - 'On the Horse you rode in on'

Abbas' luck failed to improve and yet another quarrel plummeted into the churning ocean below.

Linni fared better and her fiery missile exploded against one of the flying lizards. It shrieked as flames spread over its midriff and aborted its assault to spiral and put out the fire.

Ignoring the attacks, Lambrac and Krogan continued to assist with the ballista, heaving another missile into position.

Jibril's celestial ally appeared out into the open air on the port side and immediately surged into an attack on the second beast. Its frenzied assault seemed to do little damage, but at least it was distracting enough to prevent another attack on the ship.

Jibril followed his first spell up with another, targeting the creature already on fire with a fear spell to emphasise its plight. It shrieked again and swept away towards the rocks.

Thaniel unslung his bow and let fly an arrow at the remaining Pterosaur, his shot flying well wide.

The huge-winged creature hissed in frustration at the attacking owl, as it drew too close, it snapped out its beak and the celestial creature disappeared with a flash of blue light beneath the pterodactyl's jaw. Its attention deferred for a moment, it began the long turn to come around for another go.

Fareeda continued her song, only slightly worried by the near-fatal attack on Thaniel.
Abbas
player, 111 posts
Wed 23 Nov 2011
at 18:29
  • msg #86

Re: 2 Mirtul DR1368 - 'On the Horse you rode in on'

With the combination of efforts from the others in driving away one of the great leathery birds and distracting the other, Abbas found himself with a little more time to adjust to the patterns of the attackers.  Fareeda's song focusing the mind and removing distraction, adjusting just so the path of the missle as Lambrec suggested...

The elven warrior waited for a clear shot, and the creature obliged with its bank around.  A powerful twang launched towards the remaining foe and Abbas permitted himself a small self-nod of satisfaction.  Whether or not the beast went down, he had a better feel for the weapon now.


OOC:
14:49, Today: Abbas rolled 18 using 1d20+11. ballista att.
14:51, Today: Abbas rolled 13 using 3d8. ballista dmg.
*That should be 14 dmg (+1 from the bard song).
 

This message was last edited by the player at 18:31, Wed 23 Nov 2011.
Thaniel
player, 39 posts
Wed 23 Nov 2011
at 22:52
  • msg #87

Re: 2 Mirtul DR1368 - 'On the Horse you rode in on'

Thaniel draws another arrow and put it to his bowstring, intent on improving his aim. He lines up the nearest creature and fires.

Standard: longbow attack on flying creature

09:51, Today: Thaniel rolled 6 using 1d20+5. longbow attack on creature.

....and finds himself cast out of archery school

Krogan
player, 128 posts
I'm always up
for a fight!
Thu 24 Nov 2011
at 13:16
  • msg #88

Re: 2 Mirtul DR1368 - 'On the Horse you rode in on'

Seeing success at last, Krogan continued his ballista duty.  He was starting to enjoy the weapon.
He wondered how much they cost.
Linni
player, 30 posts
Eccentric gnomeling
sorceress extraordinaire!
Thu 24 Nov 2011
at 22:40
  • msg #89

Re: 2 Mirtul DR1368 - 'On the Horse you rode in on'

Linni giggled to herself as the creature burst into flames and spiraled away from the airship.

"You will BURN!" She yelled at the remaining creature, hurling yet another fiery orb from her hands.


OOC:
Cast Lesser Orb of Fire on nearest creature.
09:35, Today: Linni rolled 12 using 1d20+4. orb of fire att.   

Lambrac
player, 88 posts
Lantanna Rogue, 6/8 hp
I'm not a thief!
Fri 25 Nov 2011
at 00:00
  • msg #90

Re: 2 Mirtul DR1368 - 'On the Horse you rode in on'

"Yeah, that, keep doing that." Lambrac said of Abbas's first good shot. Seeing Krogan begin eagerly loading again, Lambrac had no choice but to assist. "Don't get excited, that's three attempts and only good shot." he grunted, helping him move the ballista bolt into place. "We'll be more successful using crossbows — or sticks and stones. Do you want Linni there to have all the fun?"


OOC: Profession: Siege engineer 12
Jibril
player, 98 posts
Fashionable and stylish
leric of Azuth
Sat 26 Nov 2011
at 16:56
  • msg #91

Re: 2 Mirtul DR1368 - 'On the Horse you rode in on'

Jibril grabs his violet wood staff and prepares to strike at anything that gets near him.
The Thread-Weaver
GM, 164 posts
Look upon my works
And despair!
Mon 28 Nov 2011
at 15:07
  • msg #92

Re: 2 Mirtul DR1368 - 'On the Horse you rode in on'

The ballista thunked yet again, Abbas releasing the quarrel towards the remaining Pterosaur. This time he smiled, finally having got the hang of accounting for wind and the alternating speed and direction of ship and enemy. The missile flew true, impaling the creature's left wing. It shrieked in pain and immediately began losing altitude.

At that moment the Professor burst from the Helm doors, his minuscule form staggering under the weight of some kind of machine wrapped around his shoulders. The strange-looking apparatus seemed to be made of steel, dotted with multicoloured pipes and glowing runes. Hingleswip gripped the apparent release for the machine, a long cylinder fixed with a funnelled nozzle and iron sight at its end. It was definitely a weapon of some sort.

Bellowing - or at least making an attempt at bellowing - the Professor lunged forward onto the mid-deck and aimed the unwieldy device towards the wounded Pterosaur.

"Look away!" He shouted, then fired. The morning sky lit up with dazzling blue energy that arced towards the flying reptile like a slow-moving bolt of lightning. The shot caught the creature flush and it disappeared inside a roiling vortex of blue power.

The Professor stopped firing and watched as the creature began to plummet. He grinned at the effectiveness of his attack - but his expression quickly changed. The body of the creature was not heading towards the shallowing ocean below - it was coming straight for the ship, carried on the route of its attack.

"Brace for impact!" he shouted again, diving to the deck just as the reptilian carcass slammed into the Helm at breakneck speed. Bits of wood and engine exploded from the crater and the whole ship shook violently under the collision.

A loud groan reverberated through the air, as slowly, inevitably, the Scilandar started to go down...
Krogan
player, 129 posts
I'm always up
for a fight!
Mon 28 Nov 2011
at 18:11
  • msg #93

Re: 2 Mirtul DR1368 - 'On the Horse you rode in on'

Krogan rolled his eyes.   He'd been first impressed with the gnomish weapon, so much like dragonfire, that he considered asking to use it sometime.
But now he wasn't so sure.  He hunkered down to brace for the ship to crash.   Falling was, sadly, one of the adverse side effects of flying, it seemed.
Abbas
player, 116 posts
Mon 28 Nov 2011
at 19:39
  • msg #94

Re: 2 Mirtul DR1368 - 'On the Horse you rode in on'

"Krogan," Abbas called out to the *much* stronger half-orc.  Despite the urgency of the situation, "Grab what you can from the hold that is soft - bags of flour, loose sailcloth, and pad the bow so we have some cushioning - if we don't make that cliff, we could split on it, so hanging back further on the ship may not be a good idea." The elf suggested as he headed to gather spools of rope to allow people to have a safety line or tie themselves in to not be knocked clear.

"Fareeda - call the others below deck and hie themselves deckside; if hanging back is bad, and staying inside it could turn us into skewers!"  He suggested as he sheathed his blades and tossed the rope to whomever looked handy and inclined to rig harnesses.

"Professor, what features does the ship have to recover from the damage or minimize the impact?"
Krogan
player, 130 posts
I'm always up
for a fight!
Mon 28 Nov 2011
at 20:47
  • msg #95

Re: 2 Mirtul DR1368 - 'On the Horse you rode in on'

Krogan nodded and tried to gather anything soft, especially bedding and the like.   He also focused his draconic magic on protecting himself and his friends, picturing the thick hide of a red dragon.

OOC: dragon aura on Protection, with DR2/Magic for everyone within 30 feet.
Linni
player, 31 posts
Eccentric gnomeling
sorceress extraordinaire!
Mon 28 Nov 2011
at 22:22
  • msg #96

Re: 2 Mirtul DR1368 - 'On the Horse you rode in on'

Linni clapped excitedly as the lightning hit the creature and started to run across to her Uncle to investigate the weapon. Before she had taken two steps she realised the danger the ship was in. With a little "Eep!" she turned the other way and ran to the closest thing to hold onto, which happened to be Krogans leg.

Even with all the commotion she had the time to turn a frown to her Uncle, unimpressed with how his attempts to 'help' them had turned out. She made a mental note to have a stern talk to him about staying out of any future fighting.
Thaniel
player, 40 posts
Mon 28 Nov 2011
at 23:29
  • msg #97

Re: 2 Mirtul DR1368 - 'On the Horse you rode in on'

Thaniel moves to the side of the vessel and watches as the mountains grow large before them. He ponders when would be the best time to alight from his carriage before it crashes.

10:29, Today: Thaniel rolled 12 using 1d20+1. Int check.

Jibril
player, 99 posts
Fashionable and stylish
leric of Azuth
Tue 29 Nov 2011
at 01:11
  • msg #98

Re: 2 Mirtul DR1368 - 'On the Horse you rode in on'

With a shrill scream, Jibril looks wild-eyed as the ship begins to sink, and he clutches onto Lambrac's arm with a terrorized grip.  "What?! Where are the parachutes?," he sputters to the Professor.
Lambrac
player, 89 posts
Lantanna Rogue, 6/8 hp
I'm not a thief!
Tue 29 Nov 2011
at 04:10
  • msg #99

Re: 2 Mirtul DR1368 - 'On the Horse you rode in on'

Lambac shook off the squealing priest and strode angrily up at the gnome. "Professor! Next time, leave the monster slaying to us!" It was always frustrating when the client wanted to help.

He'd seen enough Lantanese inventions go awry that he quickly began assessing the damage, wondering what systems remained intact and functional. Sadly, that experience didn't include a great deal about airships. "Looks like Helm control is down, but what do we still have? Engines, rudders? Can you manage a controlled landing?" he demanded of the speechless inventor.


OOC: Intelligence check for rate of descent: 10, or -2 for 8
Knowledge (Architecture & Engineering) - what's broken? 16
This message was last edited by the player at 04:11, Tue 29 Nov 2011.
Professor Hingleswip
NPC, 15 posts
Gnome Explorer
Ingenious Insanity
Wed 30 Nov 2011
at 15:44
  • msg #100

Re: 2 Mirtul DR1368 - 'On the Horse you rode in on'

The Professor stood frozen on the deck, his expression aghast. The area behind him was a ruin, the wheel gone and a huge crater all that remained of the rear decking. Several cables connecting the balloon had been severed and now some of the air compartments were swinging free.

He turned slowly to observe the damage and the cliffs looming agonisingly closer. "Distance and velocity, height and rate of descent". He mumbled something else, but was distracted by Abbas' question.

"Forget that! We need to start shedding weight, now!" he shouted, suddenly springing into action. He unshouldered the metal device that had caused this chain of events and grunted as he heaved it over the gunwale. "Useless weapon!" he cursed as it plummeted towards the Shining Sea waves. "If we ever return to Calimport, never trust Igur Thimblevun, or his Baravar-damned inventions.

That!" he pointed at the ballista, ignoring Jibril's parachute question, "Get rid of it. And the bolts. Anything else that isn't bolted down and looks heavy, over the side, quick - we need altitude!"

Behind him inky smoke started drifting up from the crater. Of Ham and Jens there was no sign...
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 13:30, Sat 03 Dec 2011.
Abbas
player, 117 posts
Wed 30 Nov 2011
at 18:40
  • msg #101

Re: 2 Mirtul DR1368 - 'On the Horse you rode in on'

Abbas, close to the stairwell near the mid-stern of the airship, left the ballista to Lambrac and Thaniel, rather than waste time when the Professor's comments suggested the ship might be salvaged - or at least safely landed.  The two skilled party members would have no challenge removing the powerful, but heavy, device and its ammunition.

Instead Abbas looked across the ship for other items that might be removed or... or rebound!  The professor's gesture above had shown the loose-floating airsacs.  Re-attaching the airbags might make the difference in keeping the ship's balance and aerodynamics/structure supported to make landing - or make it survivable.

Agilely moving across the damaged area of the deck to avoid further damaging it or falling through, Abbas balanced himself and reached out to begin retying the ropes.
Lambrac
player, 90 posts
Lantanna Rogue, 6/8 hp
I'm not a thief!
Thu 1 Dec 2011
at 02:44
  • msg #102

Re: 2 Mirtul DR1368 - 'On the Horse you rode in on'

Lambrac didn't like the sound of jettisoning anything, as they might need it later. He had no desire to be marooned in the Chultan jungle, especially not without decent weapons and supplies. Damn it, damn it, damn it all. He should have stood up to Jala, one way or another, and stayed in Calimport, far away from such disastrous expeditions to Chult.

He crossed to the ballista, unbolted it from the deck and beckoned to Krogan to help him give it a push towards the rails and lift it over the side. Gond forgive me.


OOC: Disable Device 16
Strength check 15
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