CH. 6: Clockwork Horrors

[Breila]

"These are interesting devices" Ouragana says, trying to sound cool. "Before they kill me, I'd like to satisfy my curiosity about them a bit. Tell me, how do they find their prey? Do they sense body heat? Or how else do they tell a human being from a piece of furniture?"

[Nuke]

Val looks a little smug as she learns she was correct. Trying to explain her thoughts with slight gestures, she flicks her hand backwards, hoping the rest of them take the hint.

[Jenara]

"Oh I'm sure they would believe you." Arei says with a self satisfied grin. "They are an interesting design, totally flawed..." She grins, pushing back on the woman behind her, her blade still drawn. "We really should send them BACK to whatever unholy place they came from."

(She will take Val's hint, but will defend herself if needs be.
Called shot on the closest if it attacks.
1d10, 1d20, 1d6+1=[3], [15], [3, 1]

init 3, hit AC 4, for 4 damage on the eye)

[HorizonsDream]

"We only broke in because your spiders led us here," Jocelyn points out. "You kind of did it to yourself when you sent them to attack us," she explains.

[JadedDM]

"Oh, do you like them?" asks Frisno. "They're an interesting mix of magic and technology. They're programmed to hunt out whoever I tell them to; all I need is a good physical description of the person in question."

Areilon readies an attack but holds it and remains where she is. Likewise, neither Frisno or the spiders make a move just yet. Frisno doesn't seem to notice Val's gesture, or if he does, he doesn't react to it at all.

Frisno nods to Jocelyn. "Yes, I underestimated you. I've never actually needed more than one before. I only started stock-piling them when you four started sticking your noses where they didn't belong. Did you think I was stupid? That I wouldn't figure out what you were up to? Coming into my shop, pretending to want to show me some stupid magic dagger? Not to mention you freely broadcasted your intentions to everyone you spoke to! Plus, a cleric, a Storm Sorceress, an elf and a half-orc? Not a very inconspicuous lot, are you?"

He scowls. "And all women, too, of course! Women, women, women...bane of my existence, they are. They say they want a nice guy; someone who's intelligent and sensitive. But then who do they go for? An obnoxious pig like Hubert, that's who! He's an ass, you know? Doesn't even remember their names! But I did. I was there to comfort them, to be a good friend after he would dump them. Ha! What did it get me, though? Nothing!" He shakes his head. "I was always ignored. 'Oh, Frisno. You're like a little brother to me,' they'd say. Because I wasn't a jerk like him! Because I actually treated them with respect!" He stomps his foot for emphasis.

"Well, I proved them all wrong, didn't I? Hubert may have had their bodies, but I got their hearts in the end. Bah! I didn't even do anything wrong! They were just stupid whores; shallow, self-obsessed bitches that didn't know a good thing when they saw it. They all deserved to die, after the pain they put me through!" he rants, waving his gun around with wild abandon.

[Jenara]

"I wonder what you would have done if I stayed with him...?" Arei muses, checking the odds, Oura and Joyceln could escape.. To tell the Watch, the destroyed spiders at the Inn should collaborate their story..

"You know.. They'll find out sooner or later, the watch aren't stupid, slow, but not stupid." She gives him a wide grin. He was a little stupid, telling them his story, the bad guys always did that in the stories.

[HorizonsDream]

"Maybe they could sense the crazy in you," Jocelyn points out. "Which is why they never went with you in the end. Why didn't you just do away with Hubert?" she asks

[JadedDM]

"Ha! I was actually impressed you turned him down," Frisno says. "You're the first woman to ever do so. Too bad you had to stick your nose where it didn't belong and get yourself killed."

He looks appalled at Jocelyn's question. "Kill my own best friend? I'm not a monster! Now hold still while my spiders rip out your still-beating hearts. Initiate attack sequence three one four, engage!" he calls. The spiders all react to this by freezing suddenly. Then they begin to slowly advance on the party.

=====

(OOC: I already have Areilon's action and Ouragana's, so just need Val's and Jocelyn's.)

[HorizonsDream]

"Oh no, you aren't a monster!" Jocelyn says mockingly. "Idiot," she adds. "Ouragana, go get the watch," she says quickly. "I don't care how many laws we are breaking right now, we need all the help we can get." With that said, she readies herself and attacks when one of the spiders gets close enough.

Init Roll, Hit Roll (7, 20)
DMG Roll (5)

[Jenara]

"Oh I turned him down. Horrible little man, I wanted his money." Arei says as she darts forward, sliding towards the closest Spider, her blade driving into the gem on the creature.

[Nuke]

Val says nothing, just stands by with trident leveled. Glaring, she attempts to intimidate Frisno.

basic check, if required (1d20 =14)

[JadedDM]

Ouragana ignores Jocelyn's command and instead falls into a trance as she begins to chant and wave her arms around, speaking the mystical incantations necessary to conjure a small pool of grease in the middle of the floor. She watches with satisfaction as one spider slips and falls immediately, and a second one walks right into the pool and does likewise.

Another spider avoids the grease and makes its way up to Val and attacks, but she manages to sidestep it and then glare angrily at Frisno. The gnome does not back down, though, only points at Val and fires. Thankfully, he's a terrible shot. The bullet strikes a nearby crate instead, blasting a small hole into it. "Oh, fiddlesticks!" he curses, then drops the gun and pulls out a second one from his bandoleer.

It's then a second spider approaches Val and successfully bites her, drawing blood from her ankle.

Areilon moves forward and attacks the first spider that had attacked (and missed) Val, striking at its glass eye with her sabre. The eye cracks, but does not break. A third spider then approaches and bites Areilon in retaliation for its damaged comrade.

It's at this point that Jocelyn, of all people, comes in swinging. She smashes the spider that bit Areilon so hard, it nearly flies apart. Gears and widgits go every which way, leaving behind nothing more than a pile of scrap.

The cycle of vengeance does not end there, however. A fourth spider then approaches and bites Jocelyn, leaving her feeling woozy from the blood loss.

=============

Initiative
Areilon (1d10+5): 8
Jocelyn (1d10+4): 11
Val (1d10+3): 6
Ouragana (1d10+1): 4
Clockwork Spider 01 (1d10+3): 9
Clockwork Spider 02 (1d10+3): 5
Clockwork Spider 03 (1d10+3): 13
Clockwork Spider 04 (1d10+3): 13
Clockwork Spider 05 (1d10+3): 9
Clockwork Spider 06 (1d10+3): 7
Frisno (1d10+10): 12

Round 1!

Ouragana casts Grease behind Clockwork Spiders 01 and 02.
----Clockwork Spider 03 saves vs. spell (1d20): 5, fail. Clockwork Spider 03 slips and falls.
Clockwork Spider 02 moves 15 feet west and attacks Val (1d20): 7, miss.
Val makes a strength check to intimidate Frisno (1d20): 14, pass.
----Frisno's morale modifiers (-1 chaotic, -2 fighting against casters, +3 defending home; total modifier is +0 (2d10): 11, pass. Frisno is not intimidated.
Clockwork Spider 06 moves 10 feet west, into the grease. It makes a saving throw vs. spell (1d20): 13, fail. Clockwork Spider 06 slips and falls.
Areilon moves 5 feet southeast and makes a called shot (-2) against Clockwork Spider 02 with her sabre (+2) (1d20): 15, bare hit for (1d6+1): 4 damage.
Clockwork Spider 01 moves 15 feet southwest and attacks Val (1d20): 15, hit for (1d4): 3 damage.
Clockwork Spider 05 moves 45 feet to the southwest, around the grease, and attacks Areilon (1d20): 17, hit for (1d4): 2 damage.
Jocelyn moves 10 feet southeast and attacks Clockwork Spider 05 (1d20): 20, critical hit! for (2d4+1): 5 damage. Clockwork Spider 05 is destroyed.
Frisno fires his pistol at Val (1d20): 7, miss.
Clockwork Spider 03 is prone.
Clockwork Spider 04 moves 35 feet southwest and attacks Jocelyn (1d20): 19, hit for (1d4): 3 damage.

(OOC: Actions and Initiative for Round 2?)

[Jenara]

Striking #2 once more Arei drives her blade into the eye once more, pulling the blade back and jumping on top of the creature.

1d10+5, 1d20, 1d6+1=[4, 5], [16], [4, 1]

Init 9, hit AC 3, 5 damage.

[HorizonsDream]

Jocelyn lets out a small yelp, but she tries to fight through the woozy feeling she suddenly has as she turns her attentions to the spider that bit her.

Init Roll, Hit Roll (6, 12)

[Nuke]

Since the fight is on, Val goes to work.

init, hit and damage (1d10, 1d20+2, 1d6+3=[10], [10, 2], [4, 3])