Joryn's switch to the Fiend-Cursed Dagger isn't doing what he had hoped. The Hydralith bobs and weaves it's many heads, looking for an opening in the cavalier's defenses. In nothing else, though, Joryn's actions distract the beast long enough for Ambrose to escape unscathed from the jail cell.
Outside the cell, Ambrose performs a scan similar to Mika's attempt. However, Ambrose's senses extend into the realm of magic. It is on this level of perception that Ambrose notices a magical aura coming from across the room. Behind you in the lower area, mounted above the northern door is a fragment of a massive crystal ball. It's roughly the shape of a shield. There seems to be a blurry image within, but the details are very difficult to make out.
It is this very crystal fragment that is giving off the aura. As Ambrose focuses, he can sense the image inside moving...
Travok utters, "Quick lads! How do we do this?? Maybe we should retreat with the grace of Mordian!!"
Ambrose quickly relays what he finds and adds, "We need that mirror as a shield against this three-headed drake."
ReplyDeleteAmbrose further studies the crystal fragment for clues on how best to use it against the creature.
ReplyDeleteOOC:
Take a move action from next turn
Save further actions for now.
Private message to Ambrose' player regarding what he sees as he examines the crystal ball fragment from afar.
ReplyDeleteFeeling a sense of darkness creep into his soul, Ambrose takes a moment to return his gaze back around and toward upper dech ad the cage, scanning for any other Abyssal that he may read and interpret.
ReplyDeleteOOC:
Second move action for his turn.
Repost: Feeling a sense of darkness creep into his soul, Ambrose shudders a bit, then takes a moment to return his gaze back around and toward the upper deck and the cage, scanning for any other Abyssal that he may read and interpret.
ReplyDeleteOOC:
Second move action for his turn.
Ambrose scans the entire chamber, but sees no other examples of Abyssal writings.
ReplyDeleteObserving his companions interest in the shield, Tharl surmises that his best course will be to strike when opportunity next presents an opening. "Stand ready spirits, I may call on your soon."
ReplyDeleteTech: delay until Tharl sees something that might indicate a chance for a successful attack.
When it seems that things cannot get worse, the Hydralith sprouts two more heads to join the three it already has!
ReplyDeleteThe five heads eye up Joryn for dinner.
Joryn continues his pressed attack, trying to sever the heads as quickly as he can distracting the beast from attacking his teammates. He looks the statue over, looking for some way to try and shut it down.
ReplyDeleteTech:
Standard: Vengeful Strike, +9 vs AC, 1d8+7 radiant damage on hit.
Request: Can we get a description reminder on the Hydralith and just what it looks like and is housed in?
Joryn's sword slices off one of the heads, which shatters upon the floor of the jail cell. The remaining four are about to strike him, and he readies to dodge.
ReplyDeleteDescription reminder:
At the back of the cell is a fountain of water. You see set about the lip of the fountain three cup-like indentations, each a different color (sanguine red, dirty yellow, sea blue). Mounted above the fountain like a trophy is a three headed hydra statue... and it's beginning to move!
Feel free to look back on old posts for clues. Especially since the text above came from a post two months ago in real time!
[Hydralith]
ReplyDeleteThe fifth head regrows, while the other four attempt to rip Joryn limb from limb. Joryn's defenses are admirable, but one bite on his torso draws a serious wound, and the cavalier falls to the ground, unconscious...
Tech: 1 hit for 12 damage. Joryn is at -2 hp.
"Travok or Smudge, shatter that crystal shard! It has an Abyssal connection that maybe powering this stature. You two are the healthiest to have the best chance to survive the fire and stentch. Then we can rescue the others." Ambrose yells, almost gibbering.
ReplyDelete"Use a ranged weapon if needed to save time! Anyone!" The mage says frothing with urgency.
ReplyDelete[Travok]
ReplyDeleteTravok runs to the mentioned crystal shard.
[ooc]
Minor action: 5 ft. drop back
Move actionx3: run
free action: none
standard action: none
[Travok]
ReplyDeleteTravok runs in the direction of the crystal shard, which hangs above the northern door. Slipping on the greasy stairs, which is still on fire, he lands hard on his bottom and tumbles unceremoniously to the bottom, into the poison filled lower area.
Tech: Adding together fire, falling and poison, the sum damage is 16. Travok is down to 2 hp and prone at the bottom of the stairs.
However, if there's a bright side, that was just one move action. You still have a standard and a minor action to spend.
Travok also now sees the key ring lying next to the dead body of Aramagan, in the lower tier of the chamber, next to the portal on the west wall.
ReplyDeleteAmbrose winches while watching the brave Paladin fall hard and hoping he didn't doom them all.
ReplyDeleteOOC: Note, that since the Hydralith went, everyone can now go. A "new round" of actions, if you will.
ReplyDeleteAmbrose takes a second wind action and reads the abyssal on the cage door at the furthest distance he can without going down the stairs.
ReplyDeleteFreaking out some, he blurts out, "Sshould we just leave to the next room? I'm no help in healing others."
OOC: The symbols on the door are really readable, just a trap on the lock that Smudge opened. The only other abyssal you saw was in the image in the cystal ball fragment.
ReplyDelete[1st]
ReplyDeleteTravok lies there with a groan and touches his arm to doing his healing.
[2nd]
Travok stands up from prone and picks up the key ring.
Travok feels a little better (at 12 hp, 7 surges), and moves to grab the keyring. It has 6 keys on it, all brass, of varying sizes.
ReplyDelete[Travok]
ReplyDeleteTravok shouts, "Okay, I got the keys! Now what??"
Spitting and frothing almost incoherently, Ambrose yells, "Can you open that door in front of you on the East wall? Let's get out of here! No dwarf to rescue here anyways, just death!" The mage visibly shakes, wishing for the tranquill woods of Golden Acres and happy he hadn't pissed in his leggings yet.
ReplyDeleteHe scans the cage once more, especially around the hydra for arcane clues and key holes and ponders some easy way to safely recover their fallen brethren. "Damn!"
Ambrose does receive a very subtle magical aura on the fountain itself, under the hydralith. The auras are specifically centered on the lip of the fountain, about the three colored bowl-like indentations.
ReplyDeleteJoryn gurgles from the ground, his blood spilling in a pool underneath him. As he feels the life fading from his limbs he ponders just what his demon friend is going to do to him in the afterlife.
ReplyDeleteHis eyes roll up into his head and he leans back with blood filling his gaze and he stares into the face of the demonic statue before him. If only his allies can escape, perhaps it won't be a total failure.
If Ambrose still has time left for actions, he will study the bowl-like indetations on the fountain to try and deterimine its function and purpose. (from outside the cage of course)
ReplyDeleteOOC: Sorry, you the PLAYER need to figure out their function and purpose... in Fourthcore, dice rolls and skill checks only get you so far. You have the clues, but sometimes assembling them is the tough part.
ReplyDeleteHint: Re-read the private email I send you on 12/13/2011. Let me know if you don't have it, and I'll resend.
Ambrose's agitation over being so close to death clouds his thoughts, think, think, you son-of-a-mage! He resist a few moments more to try to find another solution to their hydra threat. Otherwise the temptation to shoot himself in the head with his own magic missile might become overwhelming.
ReplyDeleteOOC:
ReplyDeleteJoe, looks like I missplaced your private email you sent on 12/13/2011. Yes, please resend.
OOC: Resent to your mmplayer account.
ReplyDeleteOOC: Dungeoneers, this is your week to shine. If next week Monday (Jan 9) comes around and you're still in the Sanguinary, the hydralith will kill you off, one per day, until a TPK is achieved.
ReplyDeleteHave a pleasant day.
Ambrose wracks his brain one last time, the solution to the hydra had to be in the clues of the busted orb and cage, busted orb and fountain. In frustration he recalls what he saw for the others, so that if they should die, no clue was left undisturbed.
ReplyDeleteMournfully he reveals in shouts of pain, the vision seen within the shard, "I witness a
wind-whipped sea of blood, in which a brown-robed acolyte bound in iron chains struggles to stay afloat. Tears and sweat stream down his
anguished face. His mouth is gagged with a cloth upon which is written a phrase, "Blood, Sweat, Tears" in Abyssal."
Chocking back tears, the mage continues his loud oration, "The drowning acolyte looks up in dread fear at a distant mountain range. An enormous black triple-hydra-headed humanoid demon with three fingers on each hand towers above the mountains, torturing the acolyte
with a barbed rusty chain whip!"
A faint dawning of realization and peace starts of grow within the tortured mage. "The lip of the fountain three cup-like indentations, each a different color, sanguine red - BLOOD!, dirty yellow - SWEAT!, sea blue - TEARS! This cage was to be a place for sacrifice, starting with Tharl from our last chamber. The ritual has not been finished!"
Lucid or crazy, the mage made his final desparate plans. Not waiting for the others in case he was wrong, he rips two pieces of cloth and places one in each hand. Then with one he drenches the sweat off his brow.
Next he bites his forearm, tearing into his own bloody flesh and muffling his own high pitched screams until the flow of blood dripped contiunously.
After wiping the tears from his eyes with the second piece of cloth, he charges toward the fountain, aiming to complete the sacrifice. The hydra had already batterred him once, mayhaps he can give back the blood, sweat and tears.
Doing his best to reach the fountain unhindered, Ambrose attempts to place his sacrificial fluids into the correct colored indentation: sanguine red - BLOOD!, dirty yellow - SWEAT!, sea blue - TEARS!