CH. 8: Proving Worth

[djhyland]

Arulia stumbles through the unnatural darkness towards where she last saw the snake people. Though she doesn't know how she'll manage to fight without sight, she imagines that waiting for them to come to her is a bad idea. At least this way, she might have the advantage of taking initiative rather than playing by their rules.

(OOC: if she can both stumble out of the darkness and reach the snake cultists in time, she'll attack whichever one is being attacked by only one of her allies.)

[Haahque]

Haahqae looks torn for a second, but then makes his decision. First, he kneels over Ismene. "You take care of yourself, Ismene. I'd like to stay, but it looks like we're in need of my bow to make this another victory. I'll be back when the snake things are dead. Or defeated, I guess we don't have to kill them if they surrender or something."

Then he gets up and makes his way through the darkness to find somewhere that he can get a clear shot on the snake creatures.

(Move 1 square north, 5 squares east, then shoot at S2)

[JadedDM]

Haahqae, Arulia, Gobax, Felran and Ne-Chanz (Deserted Building)
Ne-Chanz and Felran do their best to keep the cultists busy while the others fumble about in the darkness, trying to find their way out. Haahqae walks into someone, who yells out "Ouch!" It sounds like Gregeddin. "Watch where you're going!"

Arulia manages to step out, the sudden change in lighting causing her to blink and rub at her eyes. At least she can see again, but she doesn't have time to attack.

Gobax steps out next and manages to make it to the snakeman and whack him with his mace pretty good, knocking out a couple of teeth.

Pen also manages to escape the darkness and make his way to the snakewoman to aid the little minotaur.

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

Initiative
Haahqae (1d0+7): 4+7 = 10
Arulia (1d10+7): 5+7 = 12
Gobax (1d10+7): 6+7 = 13
Felran (1d10+5): 10+5 = 15
Ne-Chanz (1d10+5): 1+5 = 6
Gregeddin (1d10+8): 4+7 = 11
Ismene (N/A)
Pen (1d10+5): 10+5 = 15
Yvette (1d10): 4
Xyleena (1d10): 1
Snakefolk 02 (1d10+5): 1+5 = 6
Snakefolk 03 (1d10+5): 6+5 = 11

Round 3!

Snakefolk 02 slashes his long sword at Felran in studded leather armor (-2 hit) [TN 12] (1d20-2): 6-2 = 4, miss.
Ne-Chanz slashes his primary long sword with great skill (+1 hit/+2 dmg) while inspired (+1 hit) at Snakefolk 03 [TN 18] (1d20+2): 3+2 = 5, miss. He then slashes his secondary long sword with great skill (+1 hit/+2 dmg) while off-balance (-2 hit) and inspired (+1 hit) at Snakefolk 03 [TN 18] (1d20): 15, miss.
Haahqae moves 5 feet north and 10 feet east. He runs out of movement.
Snakefolk 03 slashes her long sword at Ne-Chanz [TN 12] (1d20): 8, miss.
Gregeddin moves 10 feet north and 15 feet east. He runs out of movement.
Arulia moves 20 feet east. She runs out of movement.
Gobax moves 20 feet east. He swings his mace at Snakefolk 02 while inspired (+1 hit) [TN 14] (1d20+1): 16+1 = 17, hit for (1d6+1): 5+1 = 6 damage. Snakefolk 02 is critically wounded.
Felran slashes his long sword at Snakefolk 02 with great skill (+1 hit/+2 dmg) while inspired (+1 hit) [TN 14] (1d20+2): 6+2 = 8, miss.
Pen moves 20 feet southeast and slashes his long sword with great skill (+1 hit/+2 dmg) at Snakefolk 03 while inspired (+1 hit) [TN 18] (1d20+2): 4+2 = 6, miss.

Deserted Building 36.jpg (108.6 KiB) Viewed 5828 times

Kendra Greylock (Haven's Vale)
After returning the kiss passionately, Sadron backs away slowly, his heart in his eyes. Finally, he manages to turn away and start walking away. He does look over his shoulder back at her several times before she can no longer see him anymore.

She is left alone by the unconscious Perp and the petrified corpses of her former comrades. All that remains is to wait for the former to wake up. By the time he finally stirs, the statues have all crumbled to dust. Sitting up, rubbing his head, Perp looks around drowsily. He looks at Kendra without recognition, but then seems to remember where he is and quickly tries to get to his feet, staggering. "E-Elves! We're under attack!" He fumbles for his spear.

Tulbas Erogund (Cultist Lair, Barracks)
Tulbas studies his spellbook.

===========

Tulbas is studying Sleep. He will memorize it in 3 rounds.

Shima Longfoot (Steel Tankard Inn)
Shima tries to eavesdrop on the women, but they are speaking too softly for him to make out anything substantial. The man and the waitress are even further away, over by the entrance, so he cannot hear them, either.

Looking to the man at the bar, they make eye contact. The man nods politely but otherwise does not respond. He looks at Shima a bit suspiciously before returning to his drink.

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

Shima makes a Detect Noise check [TN 45%] (1d100): 92, fail.

[HorizonsDream]

"Perp, it's too late," Kendra says as she puts her hand over his to stop him. She looks depressed, but thankfully it wasn't hard for her to look that way considering that she was. "They knocked us out, and then finished the rest of us off."

[TristenC]

Seeking to put the snakeman down quickly, Grubnick/Gobax strikes again (at S2).

[djhyland]

Seeing Gobax's strike against the snake-man he's fighting, Arulia decides that he and Felran probably have their fight well in hand. Knowing that Pen and Ne-Chanz are injured, though, she hastens to assist them. If she can squeeze in and attack the snake-man, she will. Otherwise, she'll stand at the ready to take the place of the minotaur or the kender should either fall or retreat and look about for something--anything!--that she might be able to hurl at the creatures while the others risk their lives.

[Haahque]

"Terribly sorry, would watch much easier if it wasn't dark, but it appears that's not the case."

(Haahqae proceeds 3 squares east and shoots at a snakeman if possible)

[JadedDM]

Haahqae, Arulia, Gobax, Felran and Ne-Chanz (Deserted Building)
Arulia and Gobax split up, each taking on a different snakeman. Arulia quickly finds that the scales covering the woman are as hard as steel and easily deflect her weapon. Felran manages to cut down the male one with a lucky hit with his sword.

Gregeddin and Haahqae both emerge from the darkness to find that only one opponent remains. Pen manages to get in a couple of lucky hits on her, hurting her badly. But she's not out of the fight yet!

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

Initiative
Haahqae (1d0+7): 3+7 = 10
Arulia (1d10+7): 1+7 = 8
Gobax (1d10+7): 1+7 = 8
Felran (1d10+5): 4+5 = 9
Ne-Chanz (1d10+5): 8+5 = 13
Gregeddin (1d10+8): 2+7 = 9
Ismene (1d10): 1
Pen (1d10+5): 7+5 = 12
Yvette (1d10): 6
Xyleena (1d10): 6
Snakefolk 02 (1d10+3): 7+3 = 11
Snakefolk 03 (1d10+5): 8+5 = 13

Round 4!

Arulia moves 20 feet south and 10 feet east. She then swings her mace at Snakefolk 03 while inspired (+1 hit) [TN 19] (1d20+1): 7+1 = 8, miss.
Gobax swings his mace at Snakefolk 02 while inspired (+1 hit) [TN 14] (1d20+1): 12+1 = 13, miss.
Felran slashes his long sword at Snakefolk 02 with great skill (+1 hit/+2 dmg) while inspired (+1 hit) [TN 14] (1d20+2): 18+2 = 20, hit for (1d8+2): 8+2 = 10 damage. Snakefolk 02 falls.
Gregeddin moves 15 feet southeast. He fires a sheaf arrow from his composite bow at Snakefolk 03 who is behind cover (-2 hit) while inspired (+1 hit) [TN 19] (1d20-1): 4-1 = 3, miss.
Haahae moves 15 feet east and runs out of movement.
Snakefolk 02 is down.
Pen slashes his long sword with great skill (+1 hit/+2 dmg) at Snakefolk 03 while inspired (+1 hit) [TN 18] (1d20+2): 19+2 = 21, hit for (1d8+2): 4+2 = 6 damage. Snakefolk 03 is now seriously wounded.
Snakefolk 03 slashes her long sword at Ne-Chanz [TN 12] (1d20): 10, miss.
Ne-Chanz slashes his primary long sword with great skill (+1 hit/+2 dmg) while inspired (+1 hit) at Snakefolk 03 [TN 18] (1d20+2): 9+2 = 11, miss. He then slashes his secondary long sword with great skill (+1 hit/+2 dmg) while off-balance (-2 hit) and inspired (+1 hit) at Snakefolk 03 [TN 18] (1d20): 16, miss.
Felran has no target in range.
Ne-Chanz slashes his primary long sword with great skill (+1 hit/+2 dmg) while inspired (+1 hit) at Snakefolk 03 [TN 18] (1d20+2): 9+2 = 11, miss.
Pen slashes his long sword with great skill (+1 hit/+2 dmg) at Snakefolk 03 while inspired (+1 hit) [TN 18] (1d20+2): 18+2 = 20, hit for (1d8+3): 1+3 = 4 damage. Snakefolk 03 is critically wounded.

Deserted Building 37.jpg (108.74 KiB) Viewed 5810 times

Kendra Greylock (Haven's Vale)
"Too...late?" Perp repeats, still a bit stunned. He stumbles over to Krup's remains and drops to his knees. Digging around in the dust, he pulls out an eyepatch. "Captain..," he murmurs.

Getting to his feet, he turns to Kendra. "But why...why did they leave us alive? Why not finish us off, too?" he asks, clutching the eyepatch.

Tulbas Erogund (Cultist Lair, Barracks)
Tulbas studies his spellbook.

===========

Tulbas is studying Sleep. He will memorize it in 2 rounds.

[TristenC]

[OOC: Can Grubnick reasonably run across the bloody altar north to attack S3? If so, he does and attacks S3 with his mace. If trying that would be unusually difficult, he attacks with his sling]

[Chris1234]

Shima Longfoot (Steel Tankard Inn)
{Sanding Order: Keeping a look out for the two descibed persons}
***
Looking bored, Shima wanders over to the woman hudled by the fire, and says, "You all right, my dear?"
***
Does this position, with an appropriate pause for listening, give any improvement on trying to eavesdrop on either the women, or the man and the waitress?

[HorizonsDream]

"I don't know," Kendra says softly. "The first thing that comes to mind is that they didn't see us as a threat."

[djhyland]

Arulia attacks the snake-woman again, hoping to end the fight before she gets another hit in on her companions.

[Haahque]

Now that he's freed himself from this all consuming and quite annoying darkness, Haahqae raises his bow again to help out in the battle.

It appears that it was going pretty well already.

(Action: Shoot at that snake-person as many times as it takes)

[JadedDM]

Haahqae, Arulia, Gobax, Felran and Ne-Chanz (Deserted Building)
The battle rages on against the final cultist, but her hardened snake-like scales protect her as well as plate mail would. Their arrows, maces, and swords are easily deflected as they bounce off her.

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

Initiative
Haahqae (1d0+7): 8+7 = 15
Arulia (1d10+7): 10+7 = 17
Gobax (1d10+7): 5+7 = 12
Felran (1d10+5): 5+5 = 10
Ne-Chanz (1d10+5): 1+5 = 6
Gregeddin (1d10+8): 9+7 = 18
Ismene (N/A)
Pen (1d10+5): 7+5 = 12
Yvette (1d10): 1
Xyleena (1d10): 6
Snakefolk 03 (1d10+5): 1+5 = 6

Round 5!

Snakefolk 03 slashes her long sword at Ne-Chanz [TN 12] (1d20): 4, miss.
Ne-Chanz slashes his primary long sword with great skill (+1 hit/+2 dmg) while inspired (+1 hit) at Snakefolk 03 [TN 18] (1d20+2): 2+2 = 4, miss. He then slashes his secondary long sword with great skill (+1 hit/+2 dmg) while off-balance (-2 hit) and inspired (+1 hit) at Snakefolk 03 [TN 18] (1d20): 5, miss.
Felran withdraws 5 feet northwest.
Gobax moves 5 feet southeast and 10 feet south, climbing up onto the altar. He then swings his mace at Snakefolk 03 while inspired (+1 hit) and on higher ground (+1 hit) [TN 18] (1d20+2): 13+2 = 15, miss.
Pen slashes his long sword with great skill (+1 hit/+2 dmg) at Snakefolk 03 while inspired (+1 hit) [TN 18] (1d20+2): 6+2 = 8, miss.
Haahqae fires a sheaf arrow from his short bow with excellent aim (+2 hit) while inspired (+1 hit) at Snakefolk 03 who is behind cover (-2 hit) [TN 19] (1d20+1): 16+1 = 17, miss.
Arulia swings her mace at Snakefolk 03 while inspired (+1 hit) [TN 19] (1d20+1): 3+1 = 4, miss.
Gregeddin fires a sheaf arrow from his composite bow at Snakefolk 03 who is behind cover (-2 hit) while inspired (+1 hit) [TN 19] (1d20-1): 4-1 = 3, miss.
Haahqae fires a sheaf arrow from his short bow with excellent aim (+2 hit) while inspired (+1 hit) at Snakefolk 03 who is behind cover (-2 hit) [TN 19] (1d20+1): 13+1 = 14, miss.
Gregeddin fires a sheaf arrow from his composite bow at Snakefolk 03 who is behind cover (-2 hit) while inspired (+1 hit) [TN 19] (1d20-1): 4-1 = 3, miss.
Bard song ends. The party is no longer inspired.

Deserted Building 38.jpg (108.5 KiB) Viewed 5779 times

Kendra Greylock (Haven's Vale)
"Oh..," Perp says numbly, not really able to process things. "We should...we should report back before they return for us."

Using one of Tern's daggers, Perp cuts off the ears of the two dead elves for proof, then the two head back to Haven. It is late afternoon by the time they step into the courtyard of the old keep and report to Mouna's office.

Perp turns in the ears and explains what happened. He tells Mouna of how they found the elf camp, killed two and took one prisoner, and then how more arrived and ambushed them. He explains that the others were killed, but he and Kendra were only knocked out.

Mouna frowns throughout, obviously not liking this one bit. She sends Perp to another room, so just she and Kendra are alone. "Is there anything you want to add?" she asks. "Like why the elves wouldn't kill you and Perp, as well? That seems awfully sloppy of them, don't you think? And perhaps a little suspicious, as well."

Tulbas Erogund (Cultist Lair, Barracks)
Tulbas studies his spellbook.

===========

Tulbas is studying Sleep. He will memorize it in 1 round.

Shima Longfoot (Steel Tankard Inn)
Shima approaches the pregnant woman. He is now close enough to try eavesdropping again, although not while he's in a conversation himself.

The woman starts at Shima's words and fear fills her eyes as she takes in the strange and his black leather armor. "Please sir," she says, pleadingly, "I don't want any trouble. I only have a few silvers left and if you take them, I'll be thrown out and homelessness is a crime now..."

[Chris1234]

Shima Longfoot (Steel Tankard Inn):
Shima looks at the woman, then squats down next to her, so as to point an ear towards the other party. He answers, "Why you think I would take your silvers? And what trouble is it that you fear?"