[Game Thread] IV. The Ruins of Archeebald Mountain

[LupusRegalis]

Fahd wastes little time in retreating before the obvious violent intent of Olaf and his conjured minions. He'd been confident they'd be safe once they'd reached the Ichvaali ruins, partly due to Rip's word and partly from his own belief's. More fool him. He'd hoped in that safety he could tend his own wounds. It was obvious now that Olaf was very much willing to brave the Ichvaali holy site, in order to retrieve the Horn. So Fahd spun and ran, quick as he could towards the opening of the Dolman where Karla waited. When finally confident he was out of their range, at least for the moment, he spun back again to focus on their attackers.

A gift of the Cloak, perhaps, but an idea formed within his mind based on the increased energy it gained within this Sacred Site. A circle of fire formed in his minds eye, opaque but violently raging with energy. In his imagination, that ring of fire encompassed Olaf and his minions within its fiery circle. He spread his arms out towards those foe's, and drew upon the power within the cloak itself. Acting as a channel, he linked his Mind's Eye with that Power, and let the one flow to the other. There came the sound of hissing water, as snow turned to steam, and the Wall of Fiery Energy was made manifest. Fahd let out the breath he'd drew and held, and nearly fell from weariness.

 

Actions Initiative: 23 Move: To the dolman, up to 30ft Standard: Manifest 'Energy Wall', Ring of Energy around Olaf and the two shadow-wolves closest to him (up to a 25ft radius). Energy damage radiates inward. If the third wolf is close enough, include him as well, but Olaf and the two wolves closest to him and Fahd are priority. 5pp used. Lynx: Can do as the Lynx Spirit thinks best, or run back to the woods, or into the Dolman.

Combat Stats Fahd: HP 12/20 Spirit Healing 3/6, Cloak 1/10, +10 Fire Resist AC17 (12FF, 16 Tc) Fort +6/Ref +5/Will +5 Lynx: HP 6/16 AC 21 (13FF, 18 Tc, 25 vs OA), Fort +4/Ref +9/Will +2

[HenryLockwood]

Karla waits for Olaf's approach, tense, wary and frightened. Her earlier wounds still HP=24/39burn, yet she crouches ready, sword-blade bare, waiting for it to bite deep. She's uncertain whether it's Olaf or the wolf that's going to arrive first; uncertain which blow to make, and uncertain which she'd prefer: cut down the man who has been such a figure in her life this winter, or avoid him once more and hope to avoid his notice.

Regardless, when the time comes there is only the blade. Tired, almost staggering in the snow, Karla tries to make her attack

Dice Readied attack:

1d20+6	(3)+6			Total = 9
1d6+2	(1)+2			Total = 3

count.

OOC Readying an attack against the first hostile to come within reach. Karla's not yet using her new MW sword, because she doesn't trust it yet. Also not yet entering rage: she's only got 3 rounds left for the day, unless my records are wrong. Dice Initiative: 1d20+4 (5)+4 Total = 9

[mountainbound]

Fahd stumbles backward through the snow, reaching the entrance to the network of the Ichvaal while Olaf shouts insults at Rip. From the spiritchaser's mind suddenly erupts a ring of fire, encircling the creature that was once Olaf. At once the flames surround the Bear Shaman, and he stops short. If there was one difference between animal and man, it was mastery of fire, and in his current state, though he stood upright like a man, Olaf was truly more beast than human. In anger he bellows, raising his hands to the sky. The clouds rumble overhead, sending an icy blast that drives the snow like needle-sheets into eyes and faces. The ring wavers with the force of the wind controlled by Olaf, but doesn't quite give -- just yet.

Unfortunetly for the companions at the opening, the shadow-beasts are undaunted by fire. Made of nothing more than the stuff of night, the creatures leap through the conflagration, springing toward Fahd, Rip, and Karla -- her twin swords red in the firelight.

As Olalf's demon-wolves fly, a white streak appears from outside the ring of stones -- a wolf that springs forward at one of shadow-creatures, tackling and rolling together through the snow. The other two come at Fahd and Karla, black teeth biting deep into Fahd's thigh.

At the edge of the ring of huge standing stones, Silas and Dan finally appear, panting and out of breath from a strenuous climb up the long side of the mountain. They reach the top just in time to see Olaf send another blast of wind to smash a way through Fahd's fiery barrier. "The horn!" he shouts. "Give me the horn!"

Combat Notes Party Status White wolf takes no damage. Currently under attack by a shadow-beast. Fahd: 3hp damage by shadow-beast. Karla: Currently under attack by a shadow-beast. No damage this round. You can take your attack from last round, as well as this. Silas: You and Dan are standing at the outer edge of the wide stone circle, looking at Olaf blowing (literally) apart a circle of fire some distance away. In the middle of the circle of stones is a low dolman -- an entry to the Icvaali cave system. Fahd and Karla stand just outside it, and your perception check reveals the beasts they're fighting. The white wolf is also engaged, some 10' in front of you, with another shadow creature. Though he's screaming about the horn, he doesn't seem to notice you yet. Enemy Status Olaf: AC 16, Wounded for 10hp. Casting Cloak of Winds. Shadow Beasts: AC 15, Undamaged.

[HenryLockwood]

Though Karla had prepared her position, her weariness and the shadow-wolves' speed meant her cut I rolled it in the last post, and it was a miss.went wide. Now, however, the thing is in reach: her swords

Dice Full Attack:

1d20+6	(11)+6			Total = 17
1d6+2	(4)+2			Total = 6
1d20+6	(7)+6			Total = 13
1d6+1	(3)+1			Total = 4

dance and flicker as she tries to cut it to ribbons. The first blow cuts deep, the shadowy flesh of the demon seeming to quench the reflected firelight on Karla's blade, but its preternatural speed allows it to twist and flow aside from the second sword.

Karla glances to her left, seeing Fahd fighting another of the creatures, and she steps closer to him. Though she does not yet know she can trust him, he is more constant and less dangerous than the other things out here.

OOC Rolled the readied attack last time, and missed. Full attack here; one hit one miss. Taking a 5-ft step towards Fahd, if necessary/possible, to try to avoid getting flanked.

[LupusRegalis]

Fahd barely has time to let out a grunt of frustration as Olaf tears through his barrier. He'd not even been able to stop the wolves, or even harm their conjurer. Soon he's loosing a shout of pain and anger, as the shadow-wolf's wicked fangs tear into his leg. He manages to push the beast back just enough to draw his weapon, and takes a

Dice Melee attack:

1d20+6sh15	(6)+6		✘	Total = 12
1d8	5

wild swing at the creature in retaliation.

 

Actions Move: Draw Aklys Standard: Melee attack vs. Shadow Beast, designated Dodge target

Combat Stats Fahd: HP 9/20 Spirit Healing 3/6, Cloak 1/10, +10 Fire Resist AC17 (12FF, 16 Tc) Fort +6/Ref +5/Will +5 Lynx: HP 6/16 AC 21 (13FF, 18 Tc, 25 vs OA), Fort +4/Ref +9/Will +2

[Krimchee]

"Son of a....." Silas swore under his breath at the sight of Olaf, and the battle that was unfolding before him. Still breathing hard from the climb, Silas took out his bow. He tried to take smoother, deeper breaths to steady himself. He was about to draw on the beasts that posed the most immediate danger to his companions when he heard Olaf bellowing about the horn. With a start, he realized that Olaf was the real threat here, and that taking him out would probably undo whatever mojo it took to summon the shadow beasts to his will.

Without even reaching for an arrow, Silas drew the Ichvaali bow. It did more than hum this time. It seemed to thrum with power, almost like a note from a lute or a harp, strong and true and sure. He noticed this as he aimed, and filed it away for later. He had a bigger fish to fry for the moment. Gritting his teeth, and holding his breath, Silas fired two of the strange bolts of energy at Olaf.

Rolls Attack Olaf Dice Roll: 1d20+8 (7)+8 Total = 15 Damage Dice Roll: 1d10+4 (5)+4 Total = 9 Attack Dice Roll: 1d20+8 (11)+8 Total = 19 Damage Dice Roll: 1d10+4 (3)+4 Total = 7

Status HP: 16 AC 15

[mountainbound]

The Bear Shaman invokes the spirits of the heavens to blast apart Fahd's wall of fire -- but the magic of that sacred mountaintop called by the colonists 'Archeebald,' poses something of a miscalculation on Olaf's part. Rather than giving way to the force of his controlled wind, the Ichvaali fire moves, like a thing alive. It blocks his path anew a few steps farther, causing him to renew his concentration to get around it.

It's then that Silas begins his attack. Though the first arrow files wide, the second appears to change course in mid-air as though magnetically drawn to the Shaman's head. It crashes into his forehead with a pop. Indeed, the arrow shaft was not made of wood and feather, but of psychic power given shape by Silas's own thoughts, and sent flying by the Ichvaali Mindbow in the ranger's hand. And so it is that Olaf screams out, his misshapen paw-hands grasping his ears in searing pain. The intensity of it is enough to cause him to lose his spell, and he's driven back again by the heat of the fire.

"What the..." is the only warning Silas gets as Dan is seemingly dragged against his will to the ranger's side. The young wizard's face is a mix of wonder and confusion as the staff he holds rises up of its own and crackles, drawing sparks of energy from the stones. The skin prickles on the neck and arms of everyone in the area as suddenly there's a blinding flash -- followed immediately by an ear-pouding thunderclap. Lighting erupts like a river of white from Dan's staff, pouring across the battlefield directly into Olaf. It sends Dan sprawling as the recoil of the staff catches him unawares, smacking him between the eyes.

Meanwhile the white wolf tangles in the snow with one of the black beasts. At the entry to the dolman, Fahd and Karla also square off against the four-legged shadows. Fahd manages to keep his at bay, but as Karla scores a hit, the thing's tail whips forward, suddenly 10' long, stinging her in the neck with a paralyzing chill. Arrows fly past the companions' shoulders as Rip takes aim at Olaf from the safety of the small cave beneath the dolman.

Combat Notes Party Status White wolf takes no damage. Currently under attack by a shadow-beast. Fahd: no damage. Currently under attack by a shadow-beast. Karla: 4hp damage from the shadow-beast. Roll a Fort Save, DC 10. Dan: 1hp damage from the recoil. Enemy Status Olaf: AC 16, Wounded for 51hp. Spell interrupted; takes 24 from the lightning bolt (go Dan!), 7 from Silas, and 8 from Rip this round. Shadow Beast 1: AC 15, wounded for 6hp (attacking Karla) Shadow Beast 2: AC 15, Undamaged (attacking Fahd) Shadow Beast 3: AC 15, Undamaged (attacking the white wolf)

[HenryLockwood]

Finally - finally - Karla launches into a fully committed attack. She stabs,

Dice Full Attack:

1d20+9	(17)+9			Total = 26
1d6+4	(3)+4			Total = 7
1d20+9	(20)+9			Total = 29
1d6+2	(4)+2			Total = 6

left and right, furious at her foe for still living, furious at Olaf for coming back, daring to enter her life once more - I thought I was rid of him!, furious at herself for not... whatever it was she should have done instead. Above all, furious at herself for being cornered like this, back to the wall of the unknown, blades a thin shield against the danger outside.

The left blade Hit for 7 damagecuts, while the right

Dice Crit:

1d20+9	(11)+9			Total = 20
1d6+2	(6)+2			Total = 8

strikes true as well. The shadow-wolf suffers under the onslaught, but Karla has left her defenses open - can the enemy take advantage?

OOC Entering rage, full attack for a total of 21 damage (I think). AC=15, HP=24/41. Only two rounds of rage remaining after this one - let's take these guys down fast!

[LupusRegalis]

Fahd is tired, and can feel his energy draining from him as the fight continues. He'd put everything into the wall of fire that he could, almost. Holding back only enough for a last ditch ... whatever, should the time come. At the moment though he was too involved with keeping the shadow-beast away from his own throat to spare any more attention for the rest of the battle. He could only hope to either survive long enough, or defeat his foe quick enough, for other options to present themselves. For now though, he again

Dice Melee attack:

1d20+6sh15	(9)+6		✔	Total = 15
1d8	1

struck out at the monster before him.

 

Actions Standard: Melee attack vs. Shadow Beast, designated Dodge target

Combat Stats Fahd: HP 9/20 Spirit Healing 3/6, Cloak 1/10, +10 Fire Resist AC17 (12FF, 16 Tc) Fort +6/Ref +5/Will +5 Lynx: HP 6/16 AC 21 (13FF, 18 Tc, 25 vs OA), Fort +4/Ref +9/Will +2

[mountainbound]

Just outside the overhanging stone in the center of the dolman, Karla whips herself into a fury as hot as the wall of flames encircling the distant Olaf. Her swords shred the shadow-thing before her and it vanishes, dropping a bone-white jaw of some animal into the snow at her feet. It was the only thing real left of the beast. Beside her, Fahd smashes at the beast attacking him, but his aklys isn't much use against the growling creature. Behind the pair, Rip drops to one knee, and sends two arrows between Fahd's legs. The shafts zip into the shadow beast attacking the spiritchaser, causing it to vanish as well, leaving a mere set of jagged wolf teeth.

On the other end of the stone circle, Silas fires two arrows at Olaf and the bear shaman roars again at the excruciating pain caused by the Mindbow. He stumbles backward, nearly setting himself on fire in the flames. Indeed, the mottled bearfur encasing his back begins to smoke, but in another moment it's black feathers that are getting singed by the flames as Olaf sheds his misshapen man-form for another. "Your Ichvaal toys are powerful here -- but you can't hide among enchanted sites forever. I have eyes everywhere in the north. I will crush each of you!" A giant vulture with a long twisted beak flaps up and above the wall of fire. In seconds Olaf is retreating into the night sky, away from the deadly psychic shafts, lightning bolts and curses of the party.

The white wolf and the shadow beast twist and flip in the snow, but with its two companions and master vanquished, the shadow creature turns to smoke and disappears. The white wolf, suddenly robbed of her enemy, growls and pounces through the snow, not seeming to believe the battle was over so easily.

Dan stumbles forward. In the glow of the still-burning fire, you can see that his eyes are turning black from getting hit in the face by the staff. When he joins his companions at the entry to the lower ruins, he looks appraisingly at his weapon: "I never knew I could do that!" he says, remembering his magic. "I wish I had another go at Olaf. I could have roasted him with one more lightning bolt!"

Rip snorts. "Olaf is right, it's only a matter of time before he heals and summons reinforcements. He'll hunt us if he can." He looks at his young companions. "Well, what's your plan?"

Combat Notes Party Status Karla: You never rolled the Fort Check (DC 11) last round. Please do so now. Enemy StatusOlaf: AC 16, Wounded for 71hp. Fleeing away from the mountain. Shadow Beast 1: Quite dead @ 27hp Shadow Beast 2: 15 Dead (attacking Fahd) Shadow Beast 3: Gone.

DM's Note Behind Rip, the ruins descend down into darkness. It's about a 9 hour trek back to Jessup, and a few days back to Archebald. I'll see if I can find a map. All: Chapter 4 is just about spent. Please level up and post character updates in your private thread. Happy holidays!

[Krimchee]

Exhausted from so much excitement all in one day, Silas wearily put up his bow with a sigh. He wasn't at all sad to see Olaf gone, even if they hadn't seen the last of him. He would have preferred Olaf to have been wiped off the map forever, but the truth was he was too tired to care.

"What do you guys say we make camp here for the night and lick our wounds a bit? Olaf will bloody well think twice about coming at us again here, I think. Once we've rested a bit, I think we should explore these ruins." He paused, leaning on one of the ancient stones. "But let's be careful while we're here. Dan and I have had some....interesting experiences in these bloody places."

[mountainbound]

"The ruins on this mountain are said to run the deepest -- a lot of stories were once told of this place. It's why Olaf won't enter. It should be safe enough to sleep inside. I've slept on my fair share of Ichvaali grounds," Rip nods at Slias when he mentions his own interesting experiences. "It can be unsettling to linger in places of power like this, but I've never heard of the Ichvaal doing more than giving a scare. What did you encounter?"

In moments Fahd has a torch lit, and he and Rip quickly scout out the inside of the stone dolman. A set of steps lead down to a wide landing about 20' below ground. It's covered in dusty runes and the leaves of a hundred autumns that have blown in over the years, but it's dry and safe -- so it seems -- from Olaf. Dan doesn't seem pleased with the description, nor of having to re-enter the ruins of They Who Came Before, but he gives in relatively easily. "At least there's no snow," he says, shouldering his bag and following Karla into the darkness of the cave.

DM's Note This is a good time to ask questions of Rip, make some skill checks to see what you can guess, and lick your wounds. Most importantly, it's a good time to determine if you want to keep to the ruins for travel, or pick a route overland. The wolf stays next to Silas.

[HenryLockwood]

OOC Back again! Fortitude save Successful.

"Don't know what you're complaining about" Karla grumbles. "Haven't you learned that a roof is better than no roof?"

She shifts, uncomfortably, favouring her wounded side; the fight seems to have gone out of her entirely, and her swords hang in her hands. The two blades, matched and balanced, drip slowly with dark ichor from the shadow-wolves. It never quite puddles on the floor, dissipating into foul oily smoke before it lands. Karla seems neither to notice or care, simply staring into the middle distance as she faces the darkness. The sword still at her side, the new one she carried from the sled, seems as sullen as its bearer.

Karla offers nothing further to the debate. She simply chooses a likely pile of leaves, stirs through it with her sword, then curls up in a drift and fades off to sleep.

OOC Karla might do something more useful in the "morning".

[Krimchee]

Silas looked at Rip, considering. He sat cross-legged on a stone wiped clear of stone, his bow rested across his lap. It felt good to sit down in (relative) safety for a moment. Absently, he rubbed his fingers through the wolf's white and grey fur as it leaned against his leg, the warm weight was comforting in a way that made him feel content despite the throbbing ache of his bruises and wounds. "Well, let's just say that we've had more than just....scares whenever the Ichvaali are involved, though I don't think they actively meant us harm. Dan nearly split his skull in two inside one ruin, and in the other....we lost almost a season of time in a sudden flash. We came out wearing flaming beards."

Silas shuddered as he shook his head to dispel the memory. He stood up with a grunt. His wounds were stiffening. He stretched, arching his back, one hand massaging his lower back, and the other reaching to the sky as Silas yawned. The bow, dangling loosely in Silas's hand caught the light, and he wondered again what kind of wood had been used to make the strange and powerful bow.

"What is it about this place that makes Olaf so fecking scared that he won't come in after the horn? What do you know about this place, Rip? Why aren't you as scared of the flaming place as Olaf is?"

[mountainbound]

Rip laughs at Silas's question, even as the wind moans through the cave entrance leading down into the Ichvaali tunnels. "I'm not scared of the dead -- the Ichvaal are long gone and won't be bothering me. But people like Olaf," he looks at Fahd as well, "they see more than what's good, and they get antsy when there's no need. Some things we weren't meant to know about, and it's just as well. There's no bugaboos down below. Just the dark, and what you bring with you. That's enough to drive anyone mad."

He takes a swig of the bottle of brandy that Dan was nursing, and whets his sword to stone. "Olaf used to be a treasure hunter, working for the Wizard of the Swamps, way down south. He's no stranger to the ruins, that's why he knew to bring the horn here. He knows the places of power, and how to use the relics. Me? I don't care much about Ichvaali toys. Put some gold in my hand, and give me peace and quiet. That's all I need." His eyes glint in Fahd's firelight as continues sharpening his blade.

"Still, something scared Olaf down below. It wasn't Ichvaal, I know that for sure. Whatever it was, it can't be any worse than that fecking sloth this afternoon." He laughs again, motioning Dan to hand the bottle to Silas. "You should drink up boy. When that sloth trampled over you, I thought for sure you were going to be a bloody pancake. Cheers to you." The old ranger's compliment, if that's what it is, actually seems genuine.

Nearby Silas, the white wolf growls low and rolls over, slowly edging its way closer to the warmth of the fire.