[Game Thread] II. The Monastery

[DarkTower]

Ro1

More needles rain down on the PCs, this time aimed at the enforcer and slave shielding the others. A pugwampi in the draped tent above rips a hole in the fabric and also shoots an arrow at the gladiator. The cactus needles fashioned into weapons hit and bend, deflected by their armor. The little gremlins shake their knotted hands at then intruders and rant at the top of the their lungs. For creatures so small they are seriously loud, grating against the skin.

Khandir stands his ground, shrugging over his pack and standing ready for more attacks, then offers to shield the druid to the ladder. Karsh, however declines and casts a spell at the gremlin that shoots arrows from the tent. Fire leaps from his fingers and misses the gremlin, which shrinks back from the floating flames. The fire, however, touches some of the Nest and the generations of matted fur and oils sparks a fire quite easily. The flames begin to grow. Karsh then kneels down to help Alphard only to realize that he had moved over behind a marble pier and chugs the potion in one swig, healing his wounds already.

"Despicable Vermin." Khalid spits as he seizes his dropped weapon and advances on the cowardly fey above. The long hook would be excellent for slipping around the evil little monsters high above.

[Of Line and Flow]

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

As soon as Alphard reaches safety, Khalid throws the pugwampis a furious look of betrayal-turned-vengeful.

"Despicable Vermin." he spits.

He seizes his dropped weapon and advances with murderous intent.

 

OOC Double Move: Pick up guisarme and move to threaten the pugwampis 2 and 3 (and possibly the new pugwampi in the Nest) from (9,16). His 10ft reach plus his 6ft natural stature should let him swipe at the pugwampi 15ft up.

[LupusRegalis]

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

Khandir took the opportunity that Khalid provided. As the human moved up and threatened the creatures, hopefully taking their attention for the moment, Khandir moved towards the ladder. He moved as if following the manling, but diverged once he found a row that came out near where the ladder up was. He carefully, cursing low to himself the whole while, picked his way through the tight confines of the pews. He made good progress and hoped the others could keep their attackers busy just a while longer.

 

OOC Move action: Double move to (5,14)* *by way of (10,13) to (10,14) = 10ft, then (10,14) to (5,14) = 25ft (half of remaining 50ft from double move)

[Of Line and Flow]

As the pugwampi raise their bows for another salvo, Khalid aims to claim more heads with a swift swipe of his weapon. He follows-up with yet another lunge.

These pugwampi remind him of unruly gangs of street urchins. Individually a minor threat, though a significant pestilence in numbers. After a few years, there is little hope of bringing them back to normal society. Petty thieving turns to organized crime, including assault and even murder. All too often, they end up dead at the hands of the law or other gangs, missing limbs, or rotting in prison. As a practical matter, Khalid considers it medicinal to take even human lives when lawlessness presents this badly.

 

OOC Khalid can make up to 3 AoOs per round due to his Combat Reflexes feat. Free Action: Attack of Opportunity vs Pugwampi #2 for using a ranged attack while threatened. Attack 9 Damage 12 Free Action: Attack of Opportunity vs Pugwampi #3 for using a ranged attack while threatened Attack 17 Damage 13 Because AoOs interrupt the action that provoked them, if Khalid kills the pugwampi that would've shot him, that pugwampi's attack would fail to go off. Move Action: Move to (8,16) to threaten all three pugwampi on the rafter. Standard Action: Attack the furthest pugwampi from him (preferably #3 instead of #1, which Khandir can reach after climbing up) Attack 18 Damage 13

[Bismuth]

" Very well as you have cover from the attacks, I will, as you say, attend to the vermin! " Karsh turns back to view the burning nest, not quite as good as I had hoped, lets see what I can do this time!.

The Pugwampi are attacking from the rafters thinking that their height will give them an advantage, Khalid is moving forward, the stupid beasts are well within his range. Karsh targets the Pugwampi furthest away from where Khalid is attacking, hands and words weaving a mantra of fire. Within very few moments Karsh again extends his hand toward his target and a blast of fire bursts out.

OoC Rolls

[Ockerdoodle]

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

Alphard watches as his companions move against the gremlins that continue to rain pointy death down all around them.

"Let's see how you like it when we turn the tables..." he mutters as he begins moving forward against the group in the rafters. As he approaches, the cackling of the diminutive humanoids begins to get the better of him, and his blood boils with anger. Without a gesture, without a sound, his hands fly up and his fiery rage boils forth in a beam of pure flame. The fire cuts out across the dank air of the chapel, rushing towards the poor pugwampi that was soon to be the victim of Alphard's rage.

 

OoC Move Action: Move to 7,13 Standard Action: Uses Elemental Ray against Pugwampi #1 Attack 15 Damage (Fire) 6

[DarkTower]

Ro2

1) Pugwampi
The pugwamis are distracted by Khalid as he advances on them. They draw their arrows in haste and do not see the blade moving in fast from their left. Khalid is more than ready and takes the opportunity to slice them while they're loading their bows and decapitates a gremlin in one swift swipe at and then lunges to the side and impales the other with his hook. The second one gangs dead on his hook.

2)Khandir
The slave glides through the pews, squeezing his large frame through the tight space as the Duskwalker takes care of the misfits above. A rickety (but safe) wood and iron ladder goes straight up to the choir balcony at Level 2.

One move action to climb all the way up.

3)Alphard
The gnome crawls over two pews and slides down on one seat. Fire from his hand and streaks over Ranger. The gremlin bursts into flames and plummets down to the ground.

4)Karsh
Karsh draws the fire from the planes of elemental and casts at the tent at the same gremlin. The gremlin has no idea what's going on his whole world bursts into bright flames! The Nest around him catches more fire. The whole room glows with an eerie orange from all the magic being released at once.

5)Khalid
Khalid makes his way to join the group when a sound draws his attention to the bundle of skulls hanging from the roof.

Ro3

1) Pugwampi
Everything is suddenly quiet in the chapel as the four gremlins lie dead from either being sliced or burned to death. Khalid stands ready with a javelin in hand for any movement. Karsh stands separate from the group under the hanging bundle of gnoll skulls. Then something catches Khalid's eye.

A single pugwampi darts from the Nest dressed in thick furs and a knife clenched in it's teeth to free it's hands. The nimble creature climbs down the fabrics like a lizard and darts up on top of the heap of skulls and removes the knife from it's mouth, cutting the rope with one swoop as it hangs over the druid. Khalid tosses the javelin with all his might. Just as the spear hits the gremlin the pugwampi cuts the rope and it all comes crashing down towards Karsh.

But Karsh sees the mass of dead gnoll heads coming down and rolls out of the way in the last moment, saving his self from serious damage. The silence is broken as all the skulls shatter to the floor. As the bones and gristly decayed flesh come to a stop there is laughter from the Nest above. "Careful careful! Wahahah Wahahaha!"

[LupusRegalis]

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

Khandir does a startled hop and nearly stumbles out of the pews at the crash of the gnoll-skull totem. The high-pitched laughter of yet another of the gremlins causes him to twitch his ears in annoyance. He bares his teeth in reply but stays quiet, not wanting to draw attention to himself at the moment. With a careful but practiced movement he re-sheathes his falcata, freeing his right hand. He crosses the last bit of the nave between the end of the pews and the ladder up into the rafters. The half-orc slave leaps onto the old wooden ladder, frowns as it creaks ominously under his weight, and holds still until he's sure it won't give out. Then he deftly ascends to the upper level of the nave.

 

OOC Move action: Sheath falcata Move action: Move to and Climb ladder

[Of Line and Flow]

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

Khalid watches with some satisfaction as his spear flies true. But, he quickly winces as the gnoll skulls splinter and crash all about Karsh, now tarred in ichor and feathered in bone dust.

"You," Khalid speaks up at Khandir. "Watch for more of them."

"Are you hurt?" he asks of Karsh, standing guard beside him while he steadies himself. "We must press on. It will be our heads if even one Vermin lives to attack the Princess in her sleep."

 

OOC Move Action: Move from Alphard to Karsh. Free Action w/BAB+1: Draw a javelin. Standard Action: Ready an action to hurl his javelin as soon as he sees an enemy (standard).

[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 ||*

After his anger is sated by watching the small gremlin's charred remains fall to the floor, Alphard turns his attention to the burning nest. However, while he turns his body the huge chandelier of skulls comes plummeting towards the ground. His shriek of terror is caught in his throat as he sees Karsh standing directly below the death trap.

"KARSH LOOK OU--" before the words have even finished leaving his lips Karsh inhumanly rolls out of the way, "...t above you..." Alphard sighs a breath of relief. "At least that fetish is no longer desecrating this place."

His attention now returned to the growing flames of the burning nest, Alphard moves to begin putting out the fire. His fear of the small inferno spreading to the surrounding sanctuary outweighs his desire to smoke out any remaining gremlins from the disgusting hovel. As he closes on the nest his hands again stretch out in front of him. This time, after chanting that sounds faintly familiar to Karsh and Khalid, instead of flames blasting forth from his small hands a jet of cold air and ice rockets forward from a single pointed finger towards the base of the flames.

 

OoC Sorry I was doing the coordinates wrong before, thanks for clearing it up with the letters. Move Action: Alphard moves to A13,B9 Standard Action: Alphard casts Ray of Frost at the base of the flames I don't know if I need to roll for this but I did anyway Attack 7 Damage (Frost) 2

[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 ||*

For a second Karsh's gaze is held by the sight of the leaping creature as it moves from the burning nest to the Gnoll chandelier. It was only when he saw the flash of a blade that he realised what the creature was up to, but it was almost too late as the mass of bones fell from above. Karsh instinctively twisted his body away from the area of impact, the chandelier smashed into the floor of the mosque showering Karsh with bone fragments and dust.
From above, within the burning nest, he hears a voice mocking him. It sounded like the voice he heard earlier out in the desert.

A low guttural growl escapes his mouth as he stares at the nest. He is about to unleash another bolt of fire at the nest when out of the corner of his eye he sees that Alphard has beaten him to it. Karsh realises that he almost recognises some of the words that he is chanting and then out from Alphards extended finger bursts a shower of ice!!

 

Karsh having managed to dodge the falling skulls doesn't move any more this round. He holds back from casting and tries to get a sense of how their fight is going

[DarkTower]

Ro3

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

2) Khandir
Khandir's 200+ weight puts the ladder to the test but it holds with loud moans and creaking wood. He reaches the end and steps off, scanning his surroundings.

2e. He now seems to be on a choir balcony. Looking past this he overlooks the chapel floor some twenty feet below. Two rows of tall-backed wooden choir chairs dominate the reach of the balcony, which hugs the chapel's concave walls. The balcony falls away (collapsed for a span of fifteen feet since it slopes downward) just on the front side of the choir area. The rotting wooden "booths" are inscribed with religious symbols, but the whole apparatus is in terrible shape and it looks like it would literally crumble to the touch. To the slave's utter surprise he sees three of the gremlins standing unaware of him in the back row of seats (pugwampis #6-8), hiding from the PCs below. They are totally and completely oblivious to the half-orc despite the noise he made climbing up. One gremlin leans to the other and chatters in a ratherly loud whisper and they both start giggling, pointing at Karsh and Khalid as they stand by the pile of gristly debris. The one in the middle stands on what appears to be a human skull, trying to find purchase so that it can see over the high seats of the first row. The little monster has a sudden itch (a flea? it wouldn't be surprising) and it makes a balancing act as it actually raises a hind leg all the way up to scratch viciously behind it's right ear. All of them have bows clenched to their chest.

2c. Across the way Khandir sees the Nest. Two huge sections of these rafters have been engulfed in a nest comprised of a patchwork of random bits of cloth creating a sort chamber of walls. Through this he can see the shadows of more pugwampis.

2d. Rafters crisscross the way across the top of the chapel. They look weather worn and aged with exposure.

2f. The ornate and broken window lies here reaching all the way to the ceiling. It gives a good view of the landscape beyond the rocky hill that the monastery has been founded on. Heat waves fade as the sun flirts with the horizon and the sky takes on a darker hue of royal blue. The first of those rare, thin clouds rest in the so very distance.

3) Alphard
There is a bluish glow as shafts of frost shoot from the gnome's hands and engulfing the flames. There is a sudden hiss as the fire fights back with a vengeance but soon bends to the to the magic's will as ice crystallizes onto the fabric, weighing it down. The dead pugwampis' frozen body rolls off and tumbles to the ground, shattering like glass on the chapel floor. When the spell ends a gaping hole is all that's left, frosted with ice at the edges. Through the hole that Karsh and Alphard made the gnome can see the roof of the nest.

5-6) Karsh and Khalid
The enforcer and druid stand ready and watching by the pile, but they do not see another attack. Instead they hear satanic giggling from above, almost bubbling from these sacred walls.

Ro4

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

1) Pugwampi
The evil little creatures have stopped their attacks, either out of fear or from a depraved enjoyment in watching the show progress in their otherwise boring and dull lives.

[LupusRegalis]

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

Khandir takes the opportunity of the gremlins distraction to conceal himself. He crouches his large bulk down, moving carefully and quietly so as not to give himself away. Blind luck that they hadn't noticed him climbing up behind them. Great luck that ladder let out right next to the choir pews. He watched with a vague amusement as the creatures pointed and laughed, and almost broke out laughing as he watched the little thing scratch itself like a dog. The gremlins balancing act gave him an idea though.

He leaned to his left and carefully looked, as much feeling with his hands as seeing, over the bench the gremlins were using. The rotted and weakened condition of the chapel in general, and the pew itself, might just lend itself to his purposes. He found some hand-holds to grip and tightened his hands about them. Khandir slowly strained against the choir chair, trying to not give himself away until he thought it would work. He lifted with his knees and pushed up, while at the same time trying to twist the pew. Hopefully he would surprise the creatures enough to catch them between the two pews or the pew and the floor, giving him a chance to close with and dispatch them at his leisure.

 

OOC Move action: Stealth attempt, 22 Standard action: Attempt to flip the choir bench the gremlins currently are seated on, on top of them. Strength check, 14 ROLLS

[Bismuth]

Alphards icy attack certainly was effective thinks Karsh as the Pugwampis body falls to the floor and shatters like glass. Now that that problem had been dealt with Karsh's eyes swept the area looking for any signs of another attack.

Then he heard that damn voice again, giggling at them. Karsh tries to pinpoint where the voice is coming from.

OoC Perception 15 worst of 2 Perception Rolls

[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 ||

Still tense after the battle, Khalid takes a deep breath. "Let's secure the room, then we move to the next as a group. If you spot a feyling, call it out. I don't want anyone going after them alone. They're tricky buggers, as Karsh can attest. I'll check over there."

Khalid advances to the altar to check what, if anything, is behind it.

 

OOC Double-Move Action: Move to the Altar and the Book (A25-B12).