Game Thread Catacombs - Page 12

Master of Monsters · #**166** 02-15-2010, 01:40 AM

Travis targets his enemy with his holy powers and causes the enemies’ bones to begin to bubble, and while it shrieks in agony, Travis focuses healing powers on Halcyon.

Halcyon, seeing a chance to set things up to better help his friends, charges into range of the skeletons and attacks then both, landing two well placed attacks on the bow wielding skeletons. He laughs as he is able to parry the clumsy club like attacks from A4 as he lures the enemy into the position he wanted him in. Halcyon finds the stubborn skeletons amusing as they would be much tougher in hand to hand combat if they would draw their belted sword and defend themselves.

Marcan darts between the biers to position himself for an attack. His attack on the skeleton archer was so well placed that it causes the skeleton to explode into a find mist of dust.(exact damage to kill skeleton, found it funny.) Marcan then teleports to the skeletons and casts another nasty spell causing the skeleton Halcyon just lured into place to become closer to return to his eternal slumber.

Grabbag stands himself up, and charges at the skeleton that Marcan just weakened. The combination of Grabbag springing into sight, and the cover Marcan gave until he disappeared caused the skeleton to be dreadfully unprepared for Grabbag’s fatal attack.

Aruma, following the tactics of her companions decides to charge up on the poltergeists and attack one of them. However, these foes were much mightier then the ones Halcyon and Grabbag attacked, and they were prepared for the charging tactic. With synchronized attacks, they both shifted back and sent kinetic claws at Aruma. The first one landed with such a great impact that it tossed Aruma’s petite form away before the second attack could land. When Aruma was finally able to pull her prone form to her feet, she found herself next to Rahmun.

This was not true for very long. Rahmun felt he was a better match then Aruma for the poltergeists and copied her movements almost exactly. To his luck, Aruma has exhausted their prepared defense, and Rahmun was able to move adjacent to the ghastly ghosts without any rebuttal. His attack was errant, though, and even though he realized his weapon could harm the enemies, his accuracy was the underlining factor to why he didn’t.

Dedrik suddenly found a single target near him, but while this fact held true, he was unable to hit that target.

__________

The two Poltergeists attack Rahmun, with only one connecting. The surrounded skeleton does finally draw his long sword, but Grabbag found it to be only a minor threat.

The two remaining archers in the hall both target Rahmun, with one having minor success.

Sakure · #**167** 02-15-2010, 02:57 AM

Aruma charged the poltergeists recklessly once more. She was sore, the arrows stuck in her hurt more than anything she could remember. Every movement tightened and contracted muscles around the invasive projectiles. Flesh slid and tore around them as she forced her limbs to react.

I can stop them. I will make sure no harm comes to these people whose lives are already downtrodden enough...

Her charge was short lived. An incorporeal hand burst forth from the dark recesses of the hallway. Despite the arrow still lodged in her midsection she drew a sharp breath. The claws were too swift for her to do anything else. All she could do was watch in wide eyed horror as they passed right through the thick metal covering her chest. The icy fingers passed the metal, the leather, the trappings, her skin, her ribs... Finally they found what they were looking for, her warm throbbing organs.

The hand grabbed one of the larger ones with malice. It's fist closed around her good lung, claws puncturing it while the fingers squeezed.

The evil ghost's efforts were rewarded with a frothy discharge from Aruma's mouth and nose. The air in her lung was mixing with the blood now flooding it, making a grotesque noise and sight over her face. The ghost responded to her visible torture by beginning to squeeze and release the lung.

Each time she convulsed, violently retching some more bubbly gore. The feeling sickened her as she felt the slimy bile sliding up her throat and out various orifices to bathe her face. Her only solace was that with each quashing, less and less was expelled as the lung was depleted.

Mercifully the claws lifted her internally and tossed her several feet back when it tired of it's game.

Aruma could only lie there in the dank tomb, slowly drowning in her own blood. Crimson fluid was still slowly running out of her mouth and nose. The smell and taste together were pungent.

The shiny metal with blue and gold designs was now doused in red stains. Memories flashed of her childhood and more recent teenage years. Hope for living a charmed life, a privileged life again. She didn't want to die in this awful place, not alone, not among these charity cases. She deserved more! Someone owed her that! How dare these specters take my life, they have no right, I deserve to live!

The battered knight closed her eyes as sleep, possibly eternal slowly washed over her. The pain gave way to relaxation as the ever cooling darkness cradled her on the floor. no! Please, not like this!

Her eyes opened as she staggered to her feet with the help of her sword. There wasn't much vitality left in her. Her wobbly legs struggled to support her armored body.

She knew she wasn't going to live to see the sun again, that didn't matter, at least maybe the others still might.

Her spirit pulled strength from her own body, burning it into divine fuel. Her bangs waved in unnatural wind as a pink light outlined her body. A dazzling wave of pink brilliance washed out from her, enveloping the poltergeist in a light that was both spiritual and divine.

Exhausted from the last ditch effort, Aruma's shoulders slumped and her body sagged. The pink light faded away, plunging her into darkness again, under her own strength. Her shield arm was wrapped protectively over her chest as she held the tender area around the arrow with her hand. The warm fluid continued to wash over her fingers...

hvg3akaek · #**168** 02-15-2010, 03:17 AM

A little overjoyed as to his latest accomplishment, Marcan's next blast is off the mark somewhat. It doesn't seem to phase him that much, eager as he is to move across the room and curse one of the creatures down the hallway. "Move to the sides!" he chirps, hoping that the others will get away from the archer's sight.

Humafan · #**169** 02-15-2010, 02:47 PM

Watching the bloodied paladin struggle to fight, the swarm of insects coalesces into the familiar strange wolf form. It leaps up onto the bier to surround the archer with Aruma and swipes at the skeleton hoping to bring it down. The wolf lands a solid blow swiping hard at the skeleton's femur.

Halcyon · #**170** 02-17-2010, 10:54 AM

During the end of last round...

Enjoying relative safety in the shadows, Halcyon's grin droops as his eyes wander across the field to catch a glimpse of the anguish on Aruma's face, impaled and held in midair by some spectral pole protruding from the eerie green light that bathed the adjoining hallway. The golden-haired warrior's face was a bloody, runny mix of shock, pain and frustration, but there was something else intermingled in her features... something Halcyon understood subliminally as resolve or determination, but didn't quite recognize from personal experience. It enveloped her eyes and pulled at the corners of her lips. It defiantly protested the specter's upper hand and made her beautiful to behold to the half-elf's whimsical eyes.

'She is mad as a loon!' He rationalizes with an arching eyebrow. She would never give in... despite tears, blood and mucus, despite pain that carries the promise of lifelong injuries or eternal curtain-drawing darkness, her resolve to stick her blade into the ghost's black heart and disperse it to the winds would never diminish. Beautiful lunacy!

With a start, his eyes follow her form as it is flung back through the air to crash between the biers by Rahmun's tusked helm and be lost from view. Cue the elephant! Without a split-second's hesitation, the little ball of muscle and steel vaults into action and takes up the holy warrior's call to arms. With blade gripped over his helm he charges into the green light and disappears behind the arched doorway. His heavy footfalls and gravelly battlecry tell the rest of the tale clear enough, followed by the retaliatory wails of the undead, a fine spray of mortal blood through the portal and the zipping of low-flying arrows through the doorway to clatter off the foremost sarcophagus. Only Rahmun's grunts of pain reveal the stout halfling had survived the charge.

Presently...

Impulsively, Halcyon dives from the corner with a long jump that settles him ontop of the bier and behind the last skeleton in the room (now protecting itself properly with a longsword). His own sword dips toward the creature's back from the rogue's elevated position, which finds purchase against the distracted ancient archer's collar bone. Achieving this vantage however had little to do with dispatching this enemy and everything to do with following the progress of the swords-woman that had caught his attention. With burning curiosity, Halcyon needed to witness Aruma's follow through. Her eyes had promised to never surrender. Halcyon needed to see whether such conviction was a lie, a myth a dying warrior told herself when the end was upon her. And when she stands, bloodied and battered, but not beaten, Halcyon sucks in his breath and his eyes grow very wide. His mouth remains agape with respect but his instincts already dictate his next move. Marcan calls out their plan and Halcyon will do his part.

Hopping off the bier, he ducks down and hides, watching the doorway for the opportunity to ambush a ghost. Aruma, shaky as she was, was going to be their bait, but Halcyon resolved not to let them get to her. The adventurers had taken the room. Halcyon would get the chance to embellish the tale of this battle someday and he wanted to ensure everyone would be there for the retelling. That Rahmun would likely ruin the ballad with facts hardly even phased him anymore!

**Admin Sedracus** · #**171** 02-18-2010, 02:44 AM

Grabbag looked at Marcan with a vastly increased respect in his eye - for the halfling used a tactic not unknown to him, although he rarely thought to do it himself. Move aside so they can't see you, let them move in and clobber 'em upside the head!

His powerful legs took him away from the southern edge of the room, knowing that the Spirit of the Panther granted him strides beyond normal men, and that he could even get to the southwestern side of the room in a single deadly charge. He dug in his heels and steadied his oversized hammer, ready to pounce upon the first of the poltergeists when it came near.

**Admin Sedracus** · #**172** 02-20-2010, 08:11 AM

Rahmun Buddy

At the edge of his hearing, Rahmun's ears picked up his fellow halfling calling the tactics. Furiously, he pushed his shield forward, up into the poltergeist's chin and causing it to fall backwards, towards its archer companion. "Back, you honourless deceased!" he shouted, before deftly turning his body around and quickly stepping back into the room, seeing all his own companions ready to brutalize the ghosts should they get near. He jumped up on a bier next to Travis, turning a bit mid-jump so that he could put his shield in between him and any hostile advance. He was NOT going to get thrown like that one more time, no, sir, he wasn't!

Sakure · #**173** 02-20-2010, 11:59 AM

Travis waited as instructed in the rear. He was exhausting himself with all of the healing required but he persevered. When a battered Rahmun approached he asked his gods for help, and of course they answered.

Sticking a single finger into one of Rahm's wounds Travis willed the bleeding to stop. Miraculously it did, though the wounds still existed, for now the hemorrhaging had ceased.

KithKunabi · #**174** 02-20-2010, 07:49 PM

[fieldset=ooc] Sed's action= what my action would have been.
Actual HP at the moment:33/39, 0 THP.[/fiekldset]

Master of Monsters · #**175** 02-21-2010, 02:59 AM

Travis’ job of health restorer seemed to never end, and with that holding true, he patched up several major holes in the large Halfling’s body.

With one minor threat around, Halcyon begins to move into a flanking position with the dwarven (shh…don’t tell Grabbag.) companion, but as he does, he stumbles a bit. The stumble cost him his desired position, but it saved him from the skeleton’s defensive move. Adjusting to a different perch, Halcyon slipped his blade against the bones of his foe, and to his utter disappointment, the skeleton began to fall apart, but the last threads of magic held the bones barely together.

Marcan saw that Halcyon was unable to finish this job, and he had just the attack in mind. He used his best ‘remove last threats of magic’ attack, also known as any attack that hit, and this attack did just the trick, as it barley grazed the skeleton, who quickly fell apart afterwards.

Grabbag moves away and waits for an opportune moment.

Aruma battles with her injuries, and eventually wins the war. Once that personal battle was finished, she positions herself to seek revenge. He attack was errant, but the foe still felt minor effects. (missed)

Rahmun felt the healing powers of his companion, and using that renewed vitality, bashed the ghostly form causing it to skid backwards, then retreated away, taunting the creature to come forward.

Dedrik finds his intended foe dead, thus moves into position and waits.

________________

Unlike what the companions had hoped, the enemies did not approach the room, but remained in the safety of their hallway. The Poltergeists attacked Rahmun and Travis respectively, and both missed. Meanwhile, the two skeleton archers also copied the foul ghost’s tactics and succeeded. One skeleton hit Rahmun in the shoulder, and the other skeleton pinned Travis right in the gut, the arrow shot so powerfully, that the cleric’s armor was unable to deflect the blow.

hvg3akaek · #**176** 02-21-2010, 03:33 AM

"No, the sides!" Marcan cried in an overly emotive manner, whilst theatrically waving to people to move further away and out of sight. Then he hopped down from his perch, ran across in front of the hallway and let a blast of his magic race towards the wounded poltergeist, before taking up a spot behind the opposite corner.

Sakure · #**177** 02-22-2010, 06:43 AM

Aruma watched with mild admiration as Marcan skillfully winked around the room blasting enemies with far more effect than anything she had tried. The paladin then watched as their plan faltered.

Multiple ghost hands and arrows relocated into her companions. In terror she witnessed Travis' armor split and allow an arrow to penetrate him. It was one thing for her or the others to receive this punishment, but Travis was different. He was frail and not meant for this sort of demise. Exhausted as he was she doubted that he'd be able to purge his own wounds.

Biting her lower lip Aruma wheezed through her nose as she took stock of the situation. Everyone else seemed to be holding their own for now. She needed to get to Travis. It was a daunting task in her present state though.

Aruma stared at the ground in front of her, focusing on a small black pebble. She began to take several shallow but rapid breaths in preparation. As she stared at the rock the edges of her vision faded until finally her head snapped up in a classic display of stoicism. Using one hand to help leverage herself up, Aruma swung her feet up on the Bier, followed by pushing her torso upright. Once on top she took a step and leaped past Rahmun to the floor next to Travis.

The landing shook her, the arrows jostled and ripped what little scabbing had taken place, letting the wounds flow freely again. Her pink skin had all but faded to white, just as the bloody footprints she left behind hinted.

There was no time for self pity though. A slim gauntleted hand made contact with Travis' side near the break in his armor. A soft pink light glowed around her, then quickly funneled itself around her arm and into Travis' wound. It didn't seem possible but Aruma became noticeably paler with the act. If she was white before she was now looking slightly gray.

Her acrobatics too were paying their toll, with a shriveled lung and punctured diaphragm her lack of oxygen was consuming her with fatigue. The knight's lips were quite blue and her brow was starting to bead sweat. Her blonde hair, slick with perspiration was stuck fast to her forehead.

Clutching her side under her arm, trying to steady the arrow lodged there, she defiantly stood her ground.

...as best she could.

The paladin had to suffice with leaning her back against a bier, her legs slightly bent to allow the majority of her weight to push against the stone tomb. The resolve on her face momentarily broke into a gentle smile for just a brief time.

Despite all that was happening to her, her vanity was still present. A cringe had echoed through her body when she realized the amount of cobwebs that she had just attached to herself, no doubt with spiders still grossly crawling about. The filmy material was swaying mildly from her boots, gloves, and likely her torso, but she didn't dare look. What kind of a knight am I? Even in death I am vainglorious.

Halcyon · #**178** 02-24-2010, 08:54 AM

With the extra flourish of a showman, Halcyon spins his blades around his fingers in a practiced maneuver before slapping them into their sheaths. Hands free, he navigates between the biers crouching low and pushing off them as he goes for extra speed. Once he clears the doorway, he spins and faces down the remaining undead host that had ambushed them. Not many left... this place had a way of spawning surprising however. Who were they anyways? Halcyon's questions were quickly shelved for another time. This was the time for action. He didn't remain exposed in the doorway for long. In one dynamic motion, his hands produced the small crossbow while loading it and his legs propelled him backwards as if he had stepped on a spring. In the air, he fired a bolt at the remaining ghost but did not watch the shot produce results. Instead, he back- flipped behind the bier that Aruma had found shelter with and ducked down low for cover. From the shadows he looks at the paladin and asks with a wry smile,

"Where is your sense of self-preservation? Get down!"

Halcyon · #**179** 02-24-2010, 11:16 AM

With Rahmun and Aruma both looking like they'll survive, Travis decides to retain the healing energy he has left for the imminent future.

"Let's dig in... make them come to us!" He calls before moving past the biers to the center of the room. He drops down for cover, though his longspear sticks up like a flag announcing his presence to the undead down the hall. Hiding securely, Travis steadies his breath and steels his nerve for the task to come.

**Admin Sedracus** · #**180** 02-24-2010, 07:26 PM

Grabbag doesn't so much as shift a muscle as the brute waits to clobber his enemies.