[Game Thread] The Fall of Kenabres (A)

[Cedric]

Menkel Menkel turns his attention to the arrogant healer, his pale grey eyes boring into him. On his cheek is a tattoo, two black strikes portraying him as being part of the Blackfeather Company, they are all that he has in this world and now, for the second time it seems as if everything has been torn from him by the hands of the demons "Do what you must do, but be quick. We are needed above." He turns from the wounded, reaching into his backpack for a sunrod which he strikes against a rock. He seems impossibly tall as he stands with long, muscled arms holding the rod high to better light up the area. Broad of shoulder and slim of waist, all corded and sinewy muscles, he Perception Dice Roll: 1d20+5 (7)+5 Total = 12 takes a look around, Survival Dice Roll: 1d20+5 (13)+5 Total = 18 looking for the most likely way to lead them out of this place "We need to get moving, soon." he mutters, more to himself than anyone else.

[Medesha]

Truly you appear to be a motley gathering of individuals. As you organize yourselves, and after brief introductions, you begin to take stock of your situation. It seems apparent that somehow the dragon Terendelev saved you from a grisly death by falling--the reason why remains yet unclear. The way up is blocked and inaccessible in any case, unless you all sprouted wings. The only way onward seems to be through the looming cavern.

The man with the white-streaked hair takes charge of the injured immediately. Marcus begins to lean over the human man wailing on the ground but jumps at Sandros's commands. Just as well; whatever was wrong with the man seemed beyond his abilities. Together you maneuver the injured next to the healer and stand back.

Menkel bends briefly over the elven man before allowing Sandros to take charge. In that brief examination, however, even those of you bereft of healer training could see that the elven man was badly burned and breathing shallowly.

The human man, however, moved easily inside the perimeter, bellowing and lamenting all the while in a strong but somewhat whiny voice. "I demand to see a healer! I am very badly injured! Move aside, all of you. By the Inheritor's sharpened blade, what happened to us? What have you all done to me? WHERE ARE WE?" It becomes quickly obvious that the blood on his tunic is not his and that he bears no visible injuries. The panic in his voice, though, seems all too real.

Gideon and Shoko move to scout the perimeter of your makeshift camp. Their soft footfalls echo in the shadows as Sandros works.

[Eddas]

Marcus Taim "I'll go see if I can quiet him down. If you need anything, just call." Marcus whispers to the healer before standing and walking over to the whining human. "If you would sit, sir? Iomedae shields us, if we are worthy. You seem to have fallen through a crevice with us when the city was attacked." Marcus tries leading the man to a smooth bolder he could sit and lean against. Dice Diplomacy: 1d20+7 (18)+7 Total = 25 Marcus pulls a flask of wine out of his pack, and offers it to the man. "Would you care for a drink sir? It'll make an unpleasant situation a little more tolerable."

[Mal Radagast]

From a hitherto unexplored direction:

"Hurensohn ov a..."

There follow a series of sounds very much like shifting rubble, shaking leather, and Stalav cursing. Then the gritting scuffle of boots tripping in the darkness. "Dumme schiesse verdammt..." A ishyoung ishman stumbles into the radius of relative light, beating clouds of dust out of his long coat. Glancing up from these efforts, he raises an arm in greeting. "Ah, heya!" Spotting a long slash in the leather under his arm, a slim dagger falls through the tatters to the floor. He frowns, then shrugs, picks it up and slips it into a pocket. The pocket clinks.

Wolf wasn't actually at the plaza ceremony, as such. He was in a little hole-in-the-wall The Knight's Abandon, mebbe you know of it?pub around the corner, taking part in the more read:vulgarcolorful Armasse tradition of read: bar brawlsmock duels. Of course, the catastrophe interrupted the festivities and the brawlers took to the streets - Wolf spotted a losing battle straightaway and so, against his better judgement, joined right in. He blames the local troll porter for impairing his faculties, but who are we kidding? Anyhow, the ground cracked open right under him, and if that en't a shortcut to sobriety, nothing is.

Adjusting a few straps and buckles, straightening his waistcoat, clomping toward the center of activity, Wolf grins - clearly pleased to see so many survivors sharing in his...misfortunes? Or in his luck? Either way, the company is welcome.

One particular individual catches his attention. "Oy, herr doctorarzt! Whew, thet was a thing, eh? Now what?"

[Cedric]

The tall ranger seems focused on one end of the cavern when suddenly he springs into motion, drawing his bow and knocking an arrow in one fluid motion as he moves slightly crouched over to Gideon and Shoko "Careful." is all that he whispers as he moves past them towards something lying on the ground, his bow making way for a sword the size of a small man. Well smaller than Menkel, anyway.

 

[ShadowcatX]

Gideon shakes his head sadly. "Among my many gifts that is not one of them. At least not this darkness now under a starlit. . ." Gideon pauses and cocks his head as something Perception:

Dice Roll:

1d20+4

(18)+4

Total = 22

Knowledge: Planes

Dice Roll:

1d20+8

(9)+8

Total = 17

Knolwedge: Arcana:

Dice Roll:

1d20+8

(13)+8

Total = 21

catches his eye and the ranger skirts by. And taking the ranger's battle readiness as his que he steps foward placing himself between the young woman and the odd something quivering on the ground ahead of them.

"I am afraid, m'lady, that we may be rather talented as scouts, only moments into our stroll and already we have found something."

[Ehlana]

Inwardly slightly dismayed by the tall man's bolting forward Shoko agrees softly with her companion. "Indeed." She steps to the side, into the dark shadows of a huge chunk of rubble and Stealth:

Dice Roll:

1d20+8

(3)+8

Total = 11

steals forward, soft-footed. Since the tall man has already decided to make an open approach, there is no point in suggesting she slip forward to make a stealthy examination. If the lump is hostile however, keeping hidden may give the three of them just a bit of edge. Also, it will prevent chivalrous arguments from her associates. Moving carefully so as to make no noise, she slides her hanbo into her hand.

[Medesha]

As the three self-appointed scouts make their way towards the unknown motion in the cavern, Marcus tends to the not-so-injured man.

"That's more like it," the man says, mollified, as he takes a small sip of the proffered liquor. "Ahh...very refreshing. Bracing. Just the thing. Not my nerves, you understand, I've no nerves to speak of, but all the same. Good of you to offer. I suppose we're all trapped down here, are we? No one can teleport or fly us out of here?"

The man glances nervously at the ceiling. "Not that perhaps we should go back right away...give the crusaders a bit of time to clear up the mess, hey? I should say so. All the same, I'm an important man up top. Very important man." He lowers his voice to a stage whisper, though from whom he's trying to keep his words hidden is not immediately clear. "Horgus Gwerm's my name. Get me back up top with all my bits in the right place and I'll reward you handsomely. Yes indeed."

Meanwhile, the object that Menkel, Gideon, and Shoko are stalking becomes more clear to the three scouts. The rest of the party can now see the dark object quivering in the shadow, but the three scouts more clearly perceive the form of an immense black spider crouching silently on the ground.

[Cedric]

With both hands gripping the hilt of his blade and ready to strike, Menkel moves up to the quivering spider "Gods...the stench." he grunts as he carefully prods the spider with the toe of his thick, oiled boot.

 

Prod spider
Ready action to strike should either it move or something chew itself from within it.

Attack Dice Roll: 1d20+5 (2)+5 Total = 7

Damage Dice Roll: 2d6+6 (2, 1)+6 Total = 9

[Eddas]

Marcus Taim "Of course sir, just a little pickmeup. I don't believe anyone here can fly, or teleport, or at least not that they've mentioned. Don't worry though, I'm sure once everyone is mobile, it shouldn't take us long to find a way out. Now if you'll excuse me." Marcus notices the air of caution that surrounded Menkel, and finally notices the object in the shadows. Drawing his sword in both hands, he moves in closer, ready to see what happens.   Marcus moves in, 5 feet behind Menkel and 5 feet to the right. Readying to attack should the thing in the shadows make an attack. Dice Attack Longsword: 1d20+4 (14)+4 Total = 18 Dice Damage: 1d8+4 (1)+4 Total = 5

[Sassafrass]

So much redundancy. If any of these people had the ability to heal, wouldn't they have stepped forward to do so?

The tailed doctor is quick in step and inspection, looking over each injured soul in turn. The Elven man's wounds are fine, but he will not see again, not without divine intervention, and that comes in short supply around these parts, apparently. A sigh, as Sandros wraps a bandage about his face, both for the benefit of keeping the wet parts from becoming infected, and for the aesthetics of the others: most people do not do well with the sight of mangled eye-parts, let alone mangled skin. Cauterized: now that's a blessing. Strange, that a balor's whip does such good work. His assistant, not up for the job, goes around, elsewhere, even. "As you like: bring me water, then, and make sure this man is hydrated, and the others have need."

The woman is another matter entirely: a broken set of fibula means she cannot move without help, and that help looks to be in short supply. "Sit or lay, but apply no pressure to your legs: the less, the better, and the least the more I can work with it." His mind races, his head looking around for something to help, and his tail scratching his head as he begins to formulate a plan, the necessity of a splint being called for. "Someone strong: find me some wood and bring it here, I have use for your brawn and your assistance." He could do it alone, but it would not be nearly so good. "Then I need someone to carry this wom—oh, bloody Hell."

Wolf. Wonderful.

"Now we find a way out of this cave, but only after I have treated my patients and you have attempted to stop trying my patience. What the Devil are you doing here?" It's as kind a greeting as he allows himself to the brigand, who admittedly (to no one but himself) he actually likes. A bit of a loose canon, and not to be had when cleaning up a battlefield, but sometimes loose canons have their purpose, and here there might be one here. "Walk, quickly, and assist me. It will give your hands something to do that's not troublesome."

This is a strangeness, one and all. Saving Wolf? Why would she do something like that, the dragon? Perhaps she was more of a trickster than anyone might have originally thought. A silver dragon, and all that.... hmm. She saved them, all of them: why? Why did she save them, of all people? Of all the innocents? Of course, why she might save Sandros seems to answer itself, what with his healing prowess, but the rest? They seem to be warriors, or travelers, even. Everyone here might have a purpose. Might, being the key word, and it does not speak often of absolutes with "mights." No data to glean, he can but irritate himself with thoughts of this.

The man demanding to see a healer he saves for last, by virtue of his demanding to see a healer. If you can ask for one, that suggests you are in good enough health to know you're fine. And, judging by the drink, he's fine: Sandros pays him little mind. "We're not here for a reward, sir. This is not the place for soldiers of fortune, nor are we mercenaries: we are survivors of a disaster that history will well remember, and that alone is payment enough. Now shut up and stop making a fool of yourself." Sandros turns and heads back to the woman and the Elf.

"Your names, your thoughts, your reasons for being: give them to me, and I give you my solemn vow to make you will see better days than this one." This he says to both, bringing them closer together, Wolf-willing. Going through his pack as he prepares to start making the splint, his mind won't let him forget the darkness about them. "What's out there?" He says this only loud enough for Wolf to hear, but it is a question for all. Darkness begets darkness, that he knows: sometimes darkness is not a bad thing, but right now, Sandros is not convinced.

[Medesha]

Menkel prods the spider's body with the toe of his boot. The reaction is immediate. Plump white forms, sticky with the juices of the husk on which they had just been feeding, erupt from the spider's corpse. The stench of decay swells up from the corpse, telling everyone in the cavern in no uncertain terms that this spider has been dead for several days.

The maggots, however, are very much alive--and they seem hungry. Each one measures almost as long as Shoko's lithe form. They boil out from the corpse and wriggle towards the nearest target: Menkel.

Menkel stands adjacent to the maggots, with Gideon and Marcus just behind him. Shoko has crept farther around the spider's bulk and stands 10 feet from the combat. Wolf and Sandros, by the injured, are 30 feet from the battle.

[Cedric]

Menkel // Hp: 13/13 // Ac:15/T:11/FF:13 // Fort+44/Ref+4/Will+1

At the sight of the maggots erupting from within the husk Menkel is quick to react "Don't let them near the wounded!" he growls as his blade goes to work, trailing a steel arc in the dim light as

Standard Action: Power Attack & Damage Dice Roll: 1d20+4 (15)+4 Total = 19 Dice Roll: 2d6+9 (5, 3)+9 Total = 17

he brings it down, full force, on the nearest maggot.

[Eddas]

Marcus Taim Marcus, sword drawn, steps forward to Menkels right side. The light from the two sunrods making his polished blade gleam as he lifts it high in both hands. "Iomedae be with us!" he snarls as he begins his attack.   Dice Attack: 1d20+4 (17)+4 Total = 21 Dice DMG: 1d8+4 (4)+4 Total = 8

Stats HP 13/13 AC: 17 / T: 11 / FF: 16 Fort: +4 Ref: +1 Will: +1

[ShadowcatX]

Gideon // Hp: 8/8 // Ac:12/T:12/FF:10 // Fort+1/Ref+2/Will+5

As the stench of the corpse fills the roomGideon's hand flies to cover his nose and mouth. "Disgusting." But at the sight of the maggots he slouches out of his pack and begins digging through it to retrieve one of the flasks of lamp oil he had stowed away along with the flint and steel he keeps tucked away in the pack, if the buggers want to get to the wounded, or the beautiful young Shoko, the least he can do is set them ablaze for their trouble.

 

Two move actions, both retrieving stored items in the form of a flask of lamp oil and flint and steel.