[Game Thread] II. The Monastery

[Ockerdoodle]

<Alphard> * || Stats hp 8/8 ; AC 16, 14 touch, 11 flat-footed (+1 size, +3 Dex, +2 Cover ) || *For +2; Ref +3; Will +3 ||*

Alphard having stopped the fire from spreading to the rest of the chapel turns to see that Khandir has ascended the ladder with ease. Wanting to know what the slave sees in the area, Alphard points at the half-orc with one hand and pulls a small piece of copper wire from a pouch on his belt with the other. After a moment of muttering and gesticulation the gnome replaces the wire in his pouch and continues looking up at Khandir, almost expectantly.

 

OoC Standard Action: Alphard casts Message

[DarkTower]

Ro4

Initiative Order: 1)Pugwampi 2)Khandir 3)Alphard 4)Karsh 5)Khalid

Khandir
(*don't forget the double-rolls for badluck ) Khandir works without being heard at all by the three gremlins. He braces his legs and lifts with a growl and old wood pulls from the floor like rotting teeth. A whisper haunts his ears at that moment. The pugwampi's look around in horror, confused, when the bench falls onto them. They are quick little rascals and two scamper out of the way before it fall on them. The one in the middle, standing on the human skull, loses his balance however, and is pinned down hard by the bench and is squeezed onto the skull. It screams high pieced shrieks, the skull wrenched against it's neck as it's forced down, and begins to try and push the bench with it's little arms without avail.

Alphard
Alphard watches the half-orc as his message magically drifts to the slave's ears. Just when the spell is cast Khandir is pulling up the choir bench.

Karsh
Karsh concentrates on the giggling. It's coming from the Nest. Perhaps about four of those creatures are up there. He squints his eyes and sees that the little creatures seem to be clustering near the middle of the cloth chamber.

Khalid
Khalid approaches the altar and the late afternoon pools the area with intense light. A sour stench fills his nostrils. He finds torn-out pages strewn about the altar which has been smeared with excrement. Gremlin footprints cross the altar to the window going both ways. Peering at one of the pages he sees a passage worn nearly gray on crumbled parchment: “Let the healing light of the sun burn out the darkness within you. Let your inner light be a guide for others, and a searing flame against unrepentant evil.”

Ro5

Initiative Order: 1)Pugwampi 2)Khandir 3)Alphard 4)Karsh 5)Khalid

Pugwampi
The two pugwampi that escaped Khandir's trap run to the other side of the balcony and turn to attack Khandir. Two cactus needles hit him painfully in the face. One goes straight through his cheek and hits a tooth and another lodges near his Adam's apple.

[Ockerdoodle]

<Alphard> * || Stats hp 8/8 ; AC 16, 14 touch, 11 flat-footed (+1 size, +3 Dex, +2 Cover ) || *For +2; Ref +3; Will +3 ||*

Seeing the half-orc straining against the bench and hearing the squeal of one of the creatures, Alphard quickly surmises what is happening on the balcony. His lips move almost wordlessly as he rushes to the ladder as fast as his small legs will carry him.

 

OoC Move Action: Alphard moves 10ft to A13,B7 Move Action: Alphard moves 5ft to A13,B6 and then 5ft to A14,B5

[LupusRegalis]

<Khandir>*Falcata/Light Spiked Stl Shield||Stats: HP 9/13 ; AC 17/15 Flat/12 touch (+4 Armor, +1 Shield, +2 Dex)||For +4; Ref +2;Will +1||Init +4

Khandir's moment of satisfaction at the results of his surprise, minor victory that it was, is quickly wiped away in anger. The pain came next as he realized the little pests had actually managed to prick him with their darts. And it Hurt! He shouted wordlessly at the gremlins poised on the far side of the balcony, swiping the needles out of his thick skin with two quick sharp tugs. The whispered message in his ear forgotten and drowned by his natural instinct to return violence on his attackers.

With little hesitation but careful maneuvering Khandir stepped up onto the torn bench he'd just uprooted. Satisfied he could make progress he started towards the further gremlins, falcata ringing as he swept it out from its sheath. He moved as quickly as he could, and took some satisfaction as his nearly 300lb weight was added to the trapped gremlins distress. Normally he didn't approve of making creatures suffer more than necessary, but in this case he was willing to make an exception. He'd deal with it after he'd slaughtered its nest-mates!

 

OOC Move action: To (A17, B4) and drawing Falcata Move action: To (A20, B4) note: assuming bench is difficult terrain similar to previous situation, if not Move Khandir as close as possible to the two pugwampi (8 & 6) at the far end of the balcony.

[Bismuth]

<Karsh> * Hide Shirt || Stats hp 8/8 ; AC 15, 11 touch, 14 flat-footed (+4 Armour +1 Dex, ) || *For +4; Ref +1; Will +6 ||*

there you are, little devils Karsh spots 3 maybe 4 of the creatures through the hole in the nest, time to be inventive smiles Karsh to himself. He quickly swings his backpack from off his shoulders and sits it on the dusty floor at his feet. He kneels, reaches inside it and retrieves a flask of oil.

As he stands up he focuses on the hole in the nest " Serenrae guide my arm " he intones to himself as he throws the flask of oil with the intention of sending it through the hole in the nest and for it to shatter and cover the inside of the nest and its occupants with the highly flammable liquid.

 

Move action - retrieve item from Backpack
Standard action - attempt to throw flask into nest
If this is too much for one round it can be split

Attack roll worst of two = 6

[Of Line and Flow]

<Khalid> Spiked Armor & Javelin || Stats hp 13/13 ; AC 18, 12 touch, 16 flat-footed (+6 armor, +2 Dex ) || Fort 4, Ref 4, Will 0 ||

Keeping his distance from the despoiled and nauseating altar, Khalid moves around the altar at the head of the amphitheater, alert for trouble.

While he considers himself an intelligent fellow, books never interested him much. At least at the moment, he feels confident that the book, yet unread and quite immobile, remains the least of his perils.

 

OOC Move Action: Move to A30/B10 Standard Action: Readied action to attack any hostile foe detected.

[DarkTower]

Ro5

Initiative Order: 1)Pugwampi 2)Khandir 3)Alphard 4)Karsh 5)Khalid

Khandir
The whole balcony groans at the half-orc storms through, his falcata shrieking from it's sheath. He as trudges through his total body weight presses down on the gremlin stuck underneath, snapping it's spine and splattering it's guts. It give one last wet burp as a last word. Another whisper in his ear warns to be careful and not get his self killed. He's almost upon the pugwampi, making his way through all the broken wood. The gremlins quiver and begin to panic.

Alphard
The gnome makes his way to the ladder after giving a final message to Khandir. He looks up and knows he'll be alongside the slave a few moments. (Since Alphard is small it will take a full round to climb the ladder).

Karsh
The hole is small but Karsh tries his best to launch the flammable liquid upon the gremlins hiding inside. The canister begins to fly from his hand but his momentum goes wild in the last moment, undoubtedly from the enchantment in the room, and goes into the Nest but misses the pugwampi a good mark. Oil pours into the Nest, however, and pools in Square A15 B13, making a dark pool above and then begins to drip to the floor. The smell is strong and the pugwampi begin to chatter in annoyance and excitement. They move further back into the Nest.

However one gives a quick peek through the hole and rears it's ugly head at Karsh. Pugwampi have been thin creatures from as far as the druid has seen in his life but this one was morbidly obese and full of warts over it's face. A crown of bones and a bird beak rests on it's head. The king pugwampi snorts at Karsh before moving away from the hole.

Khalid
Khalid stands at the alter, the sunlight all around him. His multitude of weapons gleam brightly. He ignores the stench as he waits for any moment, his javelin raised at shoulder's length and his dark eyes slowly tracing the corners of the room. Then there is the crashing sound as Khandir storms through the choir balcony. There are cries and then he sees moment through the rafters. He braces his self, arching back the spear.... ..

Ro6

Initiative Order: 1)Pugwampi 2)Khandir 3)Alphard 4)Karsh 5)Khalid

Pugwampi
Seeing Khandir tearing through the balcony is terrifying to the cowardly little gremlins. They can only stand there and watch in horror as the half-orc comes at them. They finally find the courage to launch a last second pair of arrows and flee. One needle breaks as it hits his chain mail but one strikes him in the thigh where the rings of metal stops. It's a good hit and he feels blood leek down his leg.

The two gremlins run through the rafters, flushed out by Khandir, and are panting with their bows slung over their back. The first one, the one that struck Khandir, sees a point of movement from the altar. The moment it looks around Khalid's spear stabs into it's chest, killing it instantly. The pugwampi falls to the pews below and smashes into the rubble, the shaft of the spear and be seen sticking up from the ground still.

The whole room is littered with the dead creatures now, making the PCs feel like a bunch of exterminators.

[Bismuth]

Right up until the flask of oil left Karshs hand it felt right, he just knew it was going to be on target. But as it flew from his extended fingers the realisation hit him that it didn't feel right, and true enough it missed the Pugwampi's in the nest but at least the flask got into the nest.

A dark patch began to appear on the base of the nest and a strong smell of oil was easy to detect.

As Karsh was about to make his next move, he was taken aback by the sight of the bloated, warty Pugwampi that looked out from the hole in the nest. Pugwampi are, as far as Karshs experience had shown him, usually thin, spindly creatures not the abomination poking out from the nest.

" My friends " he shouts above the noise of pews crashing and cracking " the nest holds the leader and he looks to be a more sturdy adversary than his lack lustre kin! ". Karsh takes a few seconds to collect his thoughts and then he lets loose yet another bolt of fire drawn from his Druidic depths.

 

Gets a 6 Rolls

[Ockerdoodle]

<Alphard> * || Stats hp 8/8 ; AC 16, 14 touch, 11 flat-footed (+1 size, +3 Dex, +2 Cover ) || *For +2; Ref +3; Will +3 ||*

Alphard sees the pugwampi retreating from Khandir but decides to ascend the ladder anyway in case there are any more that threaten the half-orc. His hands close on the rungs of the ladder and about halfway up he realizes that climbing this thing would be harder than he first assumed! His small untrained body is pushed to the limit as he reaches the top where he breathes deeply trying to steady himself. He surveys the area as his breathing steadies.

 

OoC Full Round Action: Climb Ladder

[Of Line and Flow]

<Khalid> Guisarme & Spiked Armor || Stats hp 13/13 ; AC 18, 12 touch, 16 flat-footed (+6 armor, +2 Dex ) || Fort 4, Ref 4, Will 0 ||

Feyling shrieks accompany a double-twang of bowstring. Khalid rises to his full height, head and shoulders crowned in yellow and orange, perhaps lending a moment of holiness, deserved or not.

Probably not. His arm lets fly at the pair scampering back to their filthy nest, and the enforcer is quick to follow with a flick of his wrist. Black blood stains the altar.

"Listen fast, scum." Khalid raises his voice like a man born indifferent to brutality. "Your warriors are broken. Lay down your arms and surrender, or die by fire and steel. This is your final warning."

 

OOC Free Action: Grasp his guisarme in two hands. Double Move: To A21/B12 and threaten #8.

[LupusRegalis]

<Khandir>*Shortbow||Stats: HP 7/13 ; AC 16/14 Flat/12 touch (+4 Armor, +1 Shield, +2 Dex)||For +4; Ref +2;Will +1||Init +4

Khandir growls in annoyance at the sting of yet another barb in his flesh. He's more annoyed that the little devils have managed to flee him for the moment. He stops his rush and laughs resoundingly as he observes the manling's spear, Khandir assumes as he only saw Khalid with weapons, punch one of the gremlins off the rafter. "Excellent Cast!" He bellows out to his comrade.

Khandir's attention returns to the other gremlin panting in what it must assume is safety on the further rafters. He grins in anticipation as he remembers that he too brought a ranged weapon. He flips his falcata tip down and lets it drop to stand quivering in the rotted wood at his feet. It takes him a bit more time to remove his shield, as it was securely strapped, but that too thunks down at his feet. With a growing grin as he watches the gremlin intently, he removes the curved shortbow that desert raiders have used from time immemorial. He sets his grip, takes up and nocks an arrow, and easily draws the bows string to his cheek as he aims the weapon at the pugwumpi.

 

OOC Free action: Drop Falcata Move action: Remove Light shield Move action: Draw Shortbow

[DarkTower]

Ro6

Initiative Order: 1)Pugwampi 2)Khandir 3)Alphard 4)Karsh 5)Khalid

Khandir
His reliable bow is strung as the half-orc takes sight of the fleeing gremlin. He's not sure he can get it once he has an arrow ready because the thing is running for the Nest. Then the fire from the druid flowers into life within the chamber.

He finds that he can see the shadows of the pugwampi with the fire going. The creatures have Total Concealment but he can try and plug away a few arrows if he'd like (50% miss).

Alphard
The gnome reaches the top rung and steps off to the choir balcony. He sees an absolute mess of broken wood and dust from Khandir. There are dead pugwampi everywhere and one scutters down the rafter leading back to the nest. One lands and slams into the piers below, Khalid's javelin sticking up from it. Down below he hears a loud, flaring FLOOOOOSH!

Karsh
Karsh again invokes the power of the desert and draws heat from it's burning sands. The fire circles around his hands and then bolts towards the wet area of oil and FLOOOOOOSH! the fire catches with new and invigorated lust.

Khalid
Khalid races over with the polearm and stops the fleeing puwampi in it's tracks. It slides just in time when the hook levels to it's chest. "Chup yep chup chup!" the gremlin calls Khalid.

"Listen fast, scum." Khalid raises his voice like a man born indifferent to brutality. "Your warriors are broken. Lay down your arms and surrender, or die by fire and steel. This is your final warning."

There is a submissive sound of the gremlins clamoring surrender from the Nest but it is quickly smashed by a deeper, more authoritative sound of a larger pugwampi screaming at his disciplines to silence. "COME AND GET ME MANNLING! it screams in a screeching form of Common.

Ro7

Initiative Order: 1)Pugwampi 2)Khandir 3)Alphard 4)Karsh 5)Khalid

Pugwampi
The gremlin begins to try and edge around Khalid's polearm and stays at the edge of the wooden board to keep away from the enforcer's deadly hook. It races back to the nest the best it can.

[Of Line and Flow]

Khalid swipes at the fleeing pugwampi, but it seems to have expected his blow. He shaves the rotten wood, sending splinters flying, but it manages to scamper into the patchwork nest.

"Fool." he moves to the middle of the room, refusing to be baited. "You will burn, Vermin. Escape the flames, and meet my blade. Either way, I collect your head."

He waves his hands winks as he prowls the main aisle, indicating that Khandir, Karsh, and even Alphard should flex their muscles and stoke the pugwampi's fear as well.

 

OOC AoO misses: natural 1. Move Action: Move to A15/B12. Standard Action: Intimidate (+2 skill +8 size) vs pugwampi leader (10+target's HD+target's Wis mod) Demoralize 14 One successful Indimidation causes the target to be shaken (-2 to attacks, saves, skill, and ability checks). Two successful Intimidations causes the target to be frightened (as shaken, plus runs on choice of path for 1 round plus 1 round per 5 by which the check exceeds the DC). Three successful Intimidations cause the target to be panicked (as frightened, plus runs in random direction, drops anything held, and cowers if cornered). The DC should be 11 if the leader is a puny warrior to 16 if it's an optimised monk or cleric. But, with your +8 (+4 for Alphard) size and +2 orc bonuses, you'll only need to roll a 6 on the d20s. Plus, concealment doesn't matter versus intimidation. Driving it through flames or where we can shoot him without penalty will ensure victory with minimal danger.

[LupusRegalis]

<Khandir>*Shortbow||Stats: HP 7/13 ; AC 16/14 Flat/12 touch (+4 Armor, +1 Shield, +2 Dex)||For +4; Ref +2;Will +1||Init +4

Khandir's wide mouth splits in a ferocious grin as his target comes into focus. His sharp and distinctive canines displayed for view for the first time alongside his more obvious tusks. He can feel the shot is good, he knows his target will soon be writhing in pain or dead with his arrow in its small body. They cannot hide from him, for he was a creature as much of the night as they, and the light only made it easier. Soon they would all fall to his skill.

So when he loosed the arrow, and it did not fly true as expected, he could only stand there in gawping confusion for a few seconds. Rarely had he failed in such a manner, and it brought a string of orcish curses flowing from his mouth like sewage. "I'm gonna spit and roast you dogs for my dinner, you hear me?!" Khandir shouts at the gremlins as he draws and knocks a second arrow, preparing to attempt yet again to strike out at his foes.

 

OOC Standard action: Ranged attack vs. concealed gremlin, Crit Miss

[Bismuth]

Not being that much of a fighter Karsh decided to leave the 'steel slicing through Pugwampi' stuff to the others.
The oil flask he had thrown had performed its task adequately and had at least soaked the nest with flammable oil.

The feelings he experienced when casting the fire bolt was very intense it was like he was channelling the very essence of the desert through his body, it worried him on a subconscious level that it was verging on pleasurable!

Thankfully the nest looked to be well alight and Karsh hoped that soon the occupants of the nest would be driven from their refuge to get their comeuppance.

Karsh remains where he is and observes.