"It's a signet ring," Sharper announces.

"Mucky mucks wear them. They use them to press into melted wax to seal their correspondence and such. Won one off of a blighter whose luck with the dice turned against him at just the right moment." Sharper gives a low laugh at the memory. One gets the sense that Sharper might have been involved with the man's sudden change of luck.

He looks to see if Pyke and Tarin have a sense of its origins. He concludes that Pyke was probably making a joke about Tarin's size, or lack thereof.

"Hopefully it's a treasured family heirloom, or a memento of a fallen wife or daughter, and some grieving family member will be willing to pay good money to get it back. If not? Guess my new family crest is twined oak leaves then."

Presuming the ring is too small for him to wear, Sharper pockets it and returns to looking for either 1) the source of all evil in this gods-forsaken place, or 2) a convenient exit, whichever comes first.

"Must have made a snack of some previous visitor," Urmdrak suggests.  "Hey Xiaoching!  That hand look familiar>  Maybe to someone you came down with?"

"It's Chaoxiang," he says to the dwarf softly, sighing.  Not knowing if Urmdrak is serious about the hand or not, he walks over and peers at it - but doesn't touch it.  "I don't know. There were some others with us before, but they... um... got taken away.  Anyway, I doubt it could have been one of them since all our valuables were confiscated on our arrival."

He also starts to scrape his boot around, wondering if there is anything else.

In reply to Keele Road Crew (msg # 111):

Chaoxiang finds a tattered leather pouch in the same area where the ogre’s stomach contents fell out. It contains 23gp and 3 emeralds with 150gp each.

And there’s the storage area to the northeast that the ogre charged out from.

"Those are valuable," Sharper points to the emeralds somewhat unnecessarily with his longsword. "I have a gambler's eye for such things. They will fetch a princely sum.

"Best share them around, so that they're not lost if one person gets buried in a cave in."

With that, he approaches the storage area to the northeast to investigate where the ogre came from.

A black cloud emanates from the storage area as you approach…

Sharper

Chaoxiang

Urmdrak

Tarin

Pyke

I need Will save at DC 20 please.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:38, Thu 25 Jan.

Lower is better, right?

12:25, Today: Sharper rolled 1 using 1d20-1.  Sharper Will save.

Nope, sorry.

In reply to The Judge (msg # 114):

DC20 !?
17:45, Today: Pyke the Astrologist rolled 15 using 1d20.  Tarin will save. – 15
17:45, Today: Pyke the Astrologist rolled 2 using 1d20.  Pyke will save. – 2

Chaoxiang picks up the leather bag and gawks at the contents.  "Ah! This will provide for so many of our poor brothers! I think I'll hold onto it until it can be properly donated.  However, should I die you all can do with it what you will." He puts it in a pocket inside his robe.

He starts to warn Sharper: "Hey, wait for... GAH!"

17:18, Today: Keele Road Crew rolled 3 using 1d20.  Chaoxiang Will save.

Ugh!  Not even his 10 luck points will be enough!

Urmderak shakes his head as the cloud emerges.  "This ain't gonna be good."

17:57, Today: Urmdrak the Rebel rolled 13 using 1d20 ((13)).

Thousands of small white worms emerge from the muddy soil as the black cloud dissipates. A misshapen creature that barely passes as human hobbles out from the crates, wearing leather armor and carrying a leather satchel and a sheathed short sword at his hip. His voice is gravelly like a backed up sewer pipe in full rebellion.

”So, you killed my sweet cow and tore apart my champion, eh? You had more stubbornness than I expected, even if you lost so many companions. But not worry, they will be redeemed when they rise again and join our army. I am Solom Qor. And I welcome you to the Way of the Worm!”

Those of you who failed your save find yourself crouching in a subconscious desire to emulate your new best friend.

The rest of you probably have a dimmer view of his offer.

Hearing a strange, gravelley voice emanating from the storage room, Jack snaps to and races into the room.

In a blinding rage, he attacks.

18:40, Today: Jack Quick the Beggar rolled 1 using 1d20 ((1)).

Oh noes.

UPDATE:
09:12, Today: Jack Quick the Beggar rolled 8 using 1d8.  Fumble. – 8

You accidentally smash your weapon against a solid unyielding object. Mundane weapons are ruined.

This message was last edited by the player at 14:21, Sat 27 Jan.

OOC: Hey Judge, I am not exactly sure what this means.  Could you elaborate a bit?  Have we become his new meat shields?  His new worm breeders?!

Katarina glares at this new man with the terrible voice, "C'mon Uri - we didn't escape just to let poor, naive Chaoxiang turn into a wormy minion!" She also rushes towards him and attacks. She tries to steer clear of Jack, since he seems to be having some trouble, but that causes her to lose her footing and she tumbles to the ground. D'oh!

18:32, Today: Keele Road Crew rolled 0,2 using 1d20-1,1d4-1.  Katarina attack, damage.
18:36, Today: Keele Road Crew rolled 2 using 1d4.  Katarina fumble roll. (2 = You trip but may recover with a DC 10 Ref save; otherwise, you must spend the next round prone.)
18:38, Today: Keele Road Crew rolled 4 using 1d20.  Katarina reflex save.

Uriwan rolls his eyes, and reluctantly follows behind Katarina.  When she falls down he jumps over her and also attempts to strike this new foe.

18:33, Today: Keele Road Crew rolled 7,2 using 1d20-1,1d4-1.  Uriwan attack, damage.

Gervaise sprints forward from the back before his friends can be influenced into doing something bad.

"RAAAAHH!!" he screams, and jabs at the monologueing villain. Sadly, his pitchfork waving doesn't actually connect.

OOC: 10:56, Today: Gervaise rolled 10 using 1d20.  Gervaise pitchfork

Welcome to Charm Person.

In reply to Jack Quick the Beggar (msg # 121):

As you try to climb over the pile of dead ogre, you lose control of your swing and your club shatters agains a wooden support beam.

Solom Qor belches out a command.

”I thought the useless ones were already set to soil! MINIONS! PROTECT ME!”

Jack gulps and grabs a crowbar from one of the squishy mounds on the ground.

"Retreat to the tunnel with the rock!" he shouts as he races back through the tunnel.

He attempts to get through the tunnel and with the help of anyone willing/able will block the entrance with the rock until the charmed people come to their senses.

Uriwan hears Jack yell, and looks around at his companions who are acting stragely. "Uh-oh!"  He heeds the thief's call, and beats a path toward the exit as fast as his little legs will take him.

Katarina curses her bad luck, and stands up slowly.  When she realizes what is going on she will attempt to follow Uriwan and Jack.

Weak-willed Sharper jumps in front of the misshapen man. He spins around, brandishing his sword to scare away anyone who might assault the creature.

"AAAAAH!" Sharper bellows, swishing his sword back and forth menacingly. "For the worm!!"

He stabs the air in the general direction of the retreating party to let them know he's serious.

Urmdrak stumbles forward, as if in a daze.  "Hey!  Back off!" he bellows, brandishing his spear.  "Did the roof drop on your heads?  He's one of us!"

Pyke says "Jack? Jack! Where are you off to? Can't you see this man needs our aid? Come back! You, Tarin! Go fetch that idiot."

Tarin looks from the mis-shapen man to Pyke then nods his head and scampers off after Jack with the fang clutched tightly in his hand.

Jack, Uriwan, and Katarina flee back through the tunnels for the sake of their free will with Tarin in pursuit.

The Reaper stands in the shadows, unseen by all as the four backtrack through the mud and rot and desperately climb back up the well to the surface.

A sigh escapes from the skeleton’s cowl as he places a bony hand over the camera lens.

Silver letters shimmer in a grainy film like an old VHS tape.