Dragon's Egg - Act II

[Nihal]

"Just don't set my hair on fire, girl." I offer one of my hands to her, holding the spear with the other. "Just to be safe. When I was a little girl I heard a tale about a thing lurking in the dark... Not a nice thing to recall right now."


((With Ankari running after them, probably having left before those 10min, Burnbright might really set her hair on fire, started by him. ._.))

 

[SeverinR]

I think I am still at the back, so I will switch to bow. Will continue to check for anyone coming from behind,
and secret or concealed doors.

[We heard no unusual sounds? Wait did anyone listen? oops posted Ankari could listen, but not with us. Meant Cadell.]

"Maybe we should stop and listen? Cadell your closer to the front...Maybe we might hear the occupants that filled the cess pool?"

 

[Sparkie]

Having organized into marching order, I say to Darin and Baldhart "Let's go." We begin moving further down the tunnel at a pace none too fast. In such close quarters, it is vital that we stay together.

Cadell looks distinctly on edge. Strange to see him this way. I wonder if he's nervous in small places? As we walk, I look to him and ask "Are you alright?"

 

[Ireth]

I look over at Aliron and nod, pausing for a moment to listen to our surroundings.

((So does that mean there's nothing to hear, or are people being too loud for him to listen?))

When Rydh catches my eye and asks whether I am alright, I can only shrug. "I could be better... but I could also be far worse." I force back the memories again. I cannot lose focus on the here and now.

 

[Steerpike]

As the party reorients itself and focuses on exploring the underground passages, Ankari heads below ground and starts making his way through the darkness to join the group.

Rydh suggests to Darin that the group continue onward, and also calls Baldhart to move to the front of the group. Darin pulls his gaze away from the refuse pit and again runs his fingers along the lines in the wall where finely-crafted stones join one another. "Aye, we go on. What is down here, this is an abomination. These tunnels are old, yet see how these stones join, still flush after all these centuries? That's dwarven craftsmanship, and whatever is living down here now defiles this place with its presence. I mean to see them kicked out of here if dwarvenly possibly."

Baldhart takes her place at the front of the group, passing her torch to Burnbright. Mauve admonishes Burnbright against lighting her hair on fire, to which Burnbright scowls and replies "I won't. I'm not stupid."

At the rear of the group, Aliron switches to his bow. In the middle, Nod is already envisioning the songs that will be forthcoming after this adventure. Matthew has a torch in hand and moves along purposefully behind the front lines. Cadell walks quietly, pausing to listen for any sounds (other than the group) in the passageway, but the movement of the group obscures any softer sounds that might be upon the air. The cold, damp air causes a slight ache in Cadell's stump, despite the healing.

The group continues forward carefully, moving for three or four minutes through a seemingly unchanging corridor. At one point, Darin stops cold. He looks to the ceiling, lips turned down in disgust. "We're under the Taint now," he says. "My sense of the land just changed, like it did up above."

With this knowledge, the group creeps forward once more, soon reaching a bend in the corridor, the passage twisting to the left. Even before reaching the corner, those in front can discern a faint light from around the bend. There is some light source other than your own up ahead.

 

[SeverinR]

"I could move up and see what that light is, leaving the light sources here, should be enough to get me close enough to that light source, so I don't trip. I am an elf, I move swiftly and silently.
I could find out what is there before deciding how to procede. I do ask that no one shoot until I am safe. If I feel I can not make it back before they over take me I could yell for you to fire, as I drop to the ground, hopefully killing a couple attackers or making them dodge the arrows giving me time to get back to the group.
I do not think they would place a trap on the path to their crapper. It would be nice to have a skilled bowman guarding my back but alas, Ankari dicided not to come with us."
As the group decides I turn to watch for any attack from the rear.
"If we procede as a group, we might want to leave the lights behind us so as not to alert them of our presence. Close enough for the blind to see but not close enough to draw attention to us."

 

[Sparkie]

Aliron seems like the type who could back up his claims.

"Alright, Aliron. If you're willing, scout ahead. But don't rush into a fight unless there's no time to do anything else. Stay safe."

 

[Nihal]

Mauve admonishes Burnbright against lighting her hair on fire, to which Burnbright scowls and replies "I won't. I'm not stupid."

I almost smile at the her response.

At one point, Darin stops cold. He looks to the ceiling, lips turned down in disgust. "We're under the Taint now," he says. "My sense of the land just changed, like it did up above.".

His words are foreboding. We're entering in a zone where I shouldn't cast anything at all. I attempt to sort out my situation, wishing I had punched the cleric when scolding him.

That idiot, why the hurry?! I hope he explodes and dies! Be damned, a thousand times!

I can't lie to myself, I know my body is weakened by my previous failures.

I can cast five spells or so, but I wouldn't be able to withstand the consequence of failing, maybe not even of a single spell if what the dwarf said about the Taint is true. I avoid to think about the effects of my own corruption. If I only had time to rest...

I nervously tuck some hair behind my ear, reflecting about the nature of the Taint. When we reach the turn I look over my shoulder, checking if the child and the elf are still behind me and nodding when Aliron speaks up.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

I say to Aliron, "Run back if you sense hostility. We'll run to you if we must."

To the others, "You've all seen me charge, but only a fool charges a crowd. Darin and I are vulnerable should someone or something rush us in the narrow hallway. If one of us gets charged, the enemy trusts his strength, so beat on him while he's vulnerable from the charge and make sure an enemy like that can't attack twice. My equal could strike down any one of us in a single blow.

"Sir Matthew, your javelins will come in handy if we're rushed. Same with your crossbow, Nod. If you want to sit on my shoulders… I mean, if that's not awkward for you, you could easily fire bolts over Aliron's head.

"I know there is no guarantee that we'll be attacked by what's around the corner, but if you prefer a defensive position, we can shoot enemies as they approach. I'm just as happy to rush our enemies. Not my call, though. I'm too close to the front. Rydh, you give commands. We can't act as one without a leader, and if you fall we all die, so it makes sense that you give orders. If anyone objects, speak now and get it over with.

"Oh, and Nodrick… if you do wish to use my shoulders to get a clear shot, I'll move to the left side of the hall so you don't have to worry about that hole if one of us falls down."

 

[Steerpike]

((I have a PM in to SeverinR about what Aliron sees)).

 

[SeverinR]

I return moving silently at quick pace.
"There is a reptile like creature, that has skin and scales with a blue tint, looking at a trip wire. I didn't wait long enough to see if he was setting the trip wire or disarming it, just ten paces from the corner. From what I could see there was only one."

[Sal-ici-taka! Sali-ci-taka! Yea yea Chaka go back to the land of the lost!]

 

[Sparkie]

Lizardfolk? Troglodyte? Hard to say. Either way...

"Assuming it's hostile, it would be best to avoid setting off the tripwire. Cad-"

I'm so stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Cadell can't use his bow anymore.

"Um, yes. How's this for an idea: Aliron and Nod sneak back over there and shoot at it from afar. Then they both retreat back to us if the creature attacks. If it follows them, we impale it upon our blades. If it runs off, we disarm the obvious trap and proceed. If otherwise, we charge. Minding the trap, of course. Satisfactory everyone?"

 

[Philip Overby]

I give a nervous smile to Baldhart. "On your shoulders? That's pretty high up." I shrug. "Oh well, hoist me up there. I'll shoot something, I reckon."

I clutch my crossbow in my hands, shaking like a leaf. "I'm not sure or not, but I may be afraid of heights..."

 

[Ravana]

Mauve admonishes Burnbright against lighting her hair on fire, to which Burnbright scowls and replies "I won't."

((Internal voice: "Not accidentally." Only a dreaming Hiljikki hears that, however—and she is unaware of the context, so won't remember it. ))

I clutch my crossbow in my hands, shaking like a leaf. "I'm not sure or not, but I may be afraid of heights..."

((Or at least low ceilings?))

 

[Nihal]

Fear threatens to overcome me. In an attempt to keep myself busy I reach inside my pouch and pull the necklace, fastening it around my wrist. Being ready to cast a Light Spell is reassuring. I avoid to even formulate the thought, yet deep inside I know it's reassuring because I'm admitting the possibility of running away, a situation where I would need my own source of light.

The other issue now.

I turn to the girl, leaning a little to be in her eye height and placing my hands on her shoulders.

"Burnbright, listen carefully." My voice is barely louder than a whisper.

"If you are told to run, you run. You're going to keep calm, find someone who seems to be in less danger and go to him. If the situation is really bad, you run back to the temple." My tone isn't condescending, it's dead serious.

"If I ask you to shoot, grab this crossbow of yours and shoot. You won't attempt to engage the foe at close range. To ask such thing, I'm probably trying to block some enemy with all my strength, unable to fight back and I'm going to need all help I can get to bring him down. Getting in the way won't help."

"If you get injured they are going to do the possible to save you. That will get them killed. So I won't speak kind and sweet words to you now, I need you to be strong and throw your pride and pretensions away. You are not stupid, as you said, so you know you're not prepared yet. There is no shame in this. For their sake you to must sensible and avoid the danger at all the costs. Can I count on you to do this?"

((Internal voice: "Not accidentally." Only a dreaming Hiljikki hears that, however—and she is unaware of the context, so won't remember it. ))

((And her name is Burnbright... Scary.))

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"Good plan, Rydh. A suggestion if the creature comes to us… two shields in the front. Sir Matthew, you could help form the wall—OR if you give Cadell a shield, he could help Darin form the wall and your spear could go between without risk of hitting the defenders."

((Game mechanics: Sir Matthew or Sir Cadell with shield in "evade stance" means an enemy needs to roll a 20 to hit them. Base AC [10] + armor [4] + shield [1] + evade bonus [4] + DEX mod [0 or 1?] = 20 or 21.))

 

[Nihal]

((Evade is an awesome thing, but I fear it may allow some attacks to pass since it's described as parry+dodge. Not a good thing if you're shielding someone. I hope we're allowed to use at least "dodge" as "parry" instance. (+2AC)))

 

[Sparkie]

"I have a shield. I can take the front. Whatever we do, we must do it quickly. We don't want to get detected."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

((I think "dodge" and "evade" are just names, and they could be taken as any defense stance. If we have a wall of shields in a narrow corridor, the rest of us might get a cover bonus, as opposed to getting hit by a stray projectile. If it's a melee attack, the shields will keep us out of range anyway. Steerpike would do all the defense math, but I think 2 shields in a 2-man-wide hall would work very well. I hope we do get attacked just to practice a formation.

Defenders would use evade vs. 1 opponent. With 3, use dodge. With 2 use dodge or risk evade if it's 2-vs.-2 shields and it's likely that each enemy will attack a different target. Well, that's easy for me to say, since my character—given her DEX penalty—is on offense.))

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

I step aside so Aliron and Nod can lure the enemy to us.

((Fitting that both play races with move silently bonuses… and Aliron has that as a class skill, too. Wow!))

While they move (or Aliron does if Nod prefers to stay in piggy-back mode)…


"No time to discuss, Rydh. Order two shields up-front. If you're one of them, I… won't argue. If Darin's up front…"

To Darin, "…keep a strong stance, Darin. Please trust me to be your sword while you are my shield. Stand like a mountain. Only you are strong enough to fight like the men from my mountain."




Are you really going to thrust a sword over his head?

No. If my sword gets deflected, I'll cut his head. I intend to vault over him. With a shield wall, only a spear between shields can fight effectively.



((I'm assuming that because of Primal Instinct (can scale climbable surfaces without a check among performing other physical feats as the GM's discretion—that skill does a lot!), this can be done. I don't know how Darin will feel about it. I better not miss or get my butt kicked after performing that stunt!))