Dragon's Egg - Act II

[Sparkie]

I move over towards Burnbright, taking a protective stance between her and the door. "I don't have all the answers to your questions, child. This much know: I'll die before I let those things lay a hand on you. If we fall, run. Run like you've never run before."

 

[Nihal]

((Mauve was facing the darkness. If she got time to do something else - and if she's going to move or to cast - depends upon her new corruption-or-not point.))

 

[Ankari]

A man has only so many options. Forces in this world work to grind away the ideal paths, leaving the undesirable and obstructed. There is a tension behind me, mostly caused by my inability to accept clumsy choices and the choices themselves. In nature, the destructive force of fire can leave a lush forest in ashes. Those who pass by the charred and powdered remains would mourn the passing of the verdant wilderness, not knowing the fires quelled the advance of a rotting plague that threatened to kill beast and vegetation alike.

Fires can also clear obstacles from the unaccommodating path.

I replace my bow over my shoulder and pull the axes from their leather loops. The girl is afraid. She is surrounded by people who will see her alive. But ignorance of our enemy has placed them in a precarious position. They need answers. They need the path cleared.

I nod at the impenetrable darkness. The druids have sent me here to hunt down an evil that threatens all of mankind. Fires care not for what comes before them. They do as befit their nature. And I must do as befits mine.

Without a look back, I plunge into the darkness, an axe raised in preparation.

 

[SeverinR]

[[what is the sound of the arrow? Not doing anything with the darkness until I hear the arrow make contact, and not sizzle or disintergrate.)

.If the darkness continues to move forward, I will move back Quietly I offer
"Can we lay the table on its side as a barrier? Keep the archers behind the table covering the hallway, the shield wall moves there(down side hall) awaiting the attack. Kneeling archers can still shoot and have good cover, they charge the archers, the warriors can slam them against the wall, and beat them down. The darkness, unless an illusion should obscure their vision too.
Not sure where Burnbright should be though. We won't attack them in darkness, if they don't attack us, we just let the magic fade, and see what they do then."
If agreeable, I will move to the room(knowing I am trapped if this fails), tip the table and if we have time push it up to block the door.(anyone wanting to be in the room, should enter before I get the table moved.) Ok, if its a heavy table, I might need muslce assistance.
With any noise from the reptiles I will stop and be ready with an arrow.

With our back to the walls, everyone knows its do or die time, we win or we die. There is no surrender.
"Anyone with a clean blade, be it arrow tip, sword or spear, buys first round and last round when we get back to a tavern. Make sure you hit! Make sure you kill! Wizard, Healer, they are the reason you're spells fail, they are the reason you get burned with magic you have learned. KILL THEM!"
[In the end, I have the arrow I blessed ready to use. (Wouldn't it be funny if this arrow crit, with all my prep and care with this arrow.) If the warriors can block the reptile charge, and they come out of the darkness I will aim a shot at the queen, the one that looks to be in charge, or the biggest reptile that emerges.]
[[ok, I think it was a great setup, now, is the reptiles coming from the lower hall or side hallway. if side, then we can't have an ambush. We split and have the reptiles attack the room and have others come up from south as a suprise. (Aliron would do well coming from behind, and save that arrow) We would have to have every person able to fire hit the reptiles to get their attention, and get them to commit to the room, then Aliron sneak in backstab and have the warriors charge in with all intimidation after my blade sinks.]]
"OK, the ranger charges into darkness,maybe impales himself, whats everyone else doin?"

 

[Ravana]

ashes ashes all fall

Hiljikki looks around with a start. I thought I was awake.

I was awake. Am.

Something's gone wrong.

Hiljikki contemplates the entrance to the cellar. Note to self: next companion should be a bat. I hate working indoors.

She sighs. Not that it matters. Duty is duty. Guess it's time to find out if I'm ready.…

((If Darin did not leave a written note with Hiljikki, she pulls a piece of bone from one pouch, a knife and an awl from another. She slices the bone down to a size that could be easily carried bound to a hawk's leg, puts a hole in it so a cord can be looped through rather than having to rely on a wrap holding, then begins etching the message to Drimmen-delve in fine, practiced strokes. When finished, she grinds some soot into the strokes to bring them out, brushes the excess clear, makes any necessary emendations where something doesn't seem clear enough, puts her tools away. It doesn't take long; she's been doing this most of her life.))

((If Darin did leave a written note, this gets skipped and she proceeds directly to phase two. I'm guessing that since Animal Friendship isn't a Life magic spell, Animal Messenger probably isn't either?))



((The -2 is a self-imposed penalty for having only rested part of what she (believes she) ought to have. Whew. Didn't matter. And once again—dangit—I forgot to add my level and the spell's, so the actual roll should be a 23. Still didn't matter.))

The hawk swoops from the sky and perches on her well-protected arm, accepting the tidbit she offers—another mouse, collected by Täplä for the purpose. Hide armor may not be pretty (and, to her experience, it's deceptively named: hasn't helped her hide even once…), but it's definitely useful against talons. She loops the leather thong about one of the hawk's shanks, draws it tight, checks the slipknot: secure. She gazes into the hawk's eyes, conveying the needed instructions. She's amazed how easy it all is.

Thank you, Gangleri. Guide her well, please. May your wisdom benefit those who receive this. She sends the messenger skyward, watches it wheel and fade into the distance, skirting the Taint as it catches favorable winds, speeding it toward its destination.

She heads back inside, and begins rifling those possessions the others left behind, hoping there's a torch among them. If not… she's relied on other senses than sight before. She collects Taevataat, and heads to the cellar.

•

((Note: not sure exactly how long all that will take. If she didn't need to write the message herself, only a couple minutes. If she did need to write it, probably more like ten or so. Either way, the odds of her arriving in time to affect the present combat are zilch. She may be in time to pick up some of the pieces.))

 

[Steerpike]

((I'll check when I have time to go through the thread tonight, but I 'think' Darin told Hiljikki the specific message he wanted to send, but did not write it down.))

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Aliron makes a good plan. It fits perfectly with my sense of tac—

—but Ankari! Yeah, that's the ranger I knew we could count on! If we live, he'll thank me for killing that prisoner.



No, he won't.

I don't need his thanks. I just need teammates who won't hold back.



"Don't let Ankari die of hesitation!" I shout. "Let's move!"

Will they listen or won't they? Either way, I'm going in!

 

[Phietadix]

Murderers! Idiots! What are they doing? They're out for blood, and I want no part of it.

"Burnbright! Stay back where it's safe."

As they fight to 'protect' Burnbright. I intend to stay back with Burnbright. Fight only if they come to me, if they show they are here to harm us.

 

[Ravana]

((I'll check when I have time to go through the thread tonight, but I 'think' Darin told Hiljikki the specific message he wanted to send, but did not write it down.))

((I asked at the time everybody dove down the rabbit hole; you didn't answer. I'm assuming he didn't; just giving you the chance to retroactively amend that if you meant to but forgot.))

 

[SeverinR]

As I am moving the table, I stop to watch Ankari charge into the darkness.

"Sad to say, I believe the reptiles are smarter then the ranger. They successfully divided our group. Once in the darkness, who can tell friend or foe? Maybe the elf will get a blade in the back, it won't be mine, I won't enter that darkness.
I am not a leader, but I suggest the room be our final stand. If our beserker warriors fail, we have a better chance in a room, then being shot at running down a hallway."

[I never heard if my arrow survived to land, incendiary cloud, acid cloud, or the black hole thing from D&D, and our warriors are dead having charged in.]
The table (if moveable is now blocking the door and I am kneeling behind watching for the darkness to clear or a reptile to emerge from the battle.]
"Personally, I think they should let the elf charge in alone. They don't accept him as a leader, but follow him when he does irrational actions. Let them gnaw on his bones until the darkness fades, then we attack them."

I look around, I believe there is a couple spears from the reptiles we killed, one that has the mages blood on it. I tie a rope to the upper section, wedge the end under the table and lay it in front of the table. Pulling on the rope raises the spear tip, I tie a knot to mark where the spear is at the right height to impale a charging opponent, and lay it back on the floor. I don't want to cut my rope, so I only tie one spear.
Then I pick up the bow and the blessed arrow.
[not sure if I am alone in the room or not.]

 

[Steerpike]

((I will update the thread at lunch today; sorry for the delay. One thing I will point out now, since it will be immediately obvious to anyone even sticking their head in the darkness - it is pitch dark on the inside as well. You can't see anything from within it, though you can feel the wall next to you if you want to use that for guidance.

Darin's message: http://mythicscribes.com/forums/dragons-egg-rpg/7263-dragons-egg-act-ii-57.html#post97050)).

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

((You'll know that in-game soon enough. I PM'd Baldhart's next move to Steerpike, as her intent was to back Ankari up but not commit suicide. She'll be back, possibly riddled with pointy sticks.))

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

My foot falls awkwardly onto empty space! The darkness is not a veil as I had hoped. Or if it is, it is one only the lizards can see through!



Baldy, how soon do you want to be a valkyrie?

No rush on that, Nissa.

Then get out of here!



"Hang on, Nod!"

I dash back from the nothingness.

Thankfully, the others did not go in with me. I will tell them what I saw as soon as I catch a breath... and suggest a tactic, if they have not thought of one first. One that works. I pray one of us can think of one.



What about Ankari? I went in to save him!

You can't! If you stay in swinging your axes and swords blindly, you'll kill each other. Ankari knows the layout of the corridor as you do. Perhaps he can save himself. He's a survivor, as you and the others must be now. I wish I could get into everyone's head so they would unite.

Would a valkyrie be enough? I wonder if Brynhild herself could appear before the group and truly unite us.

All part of the battle, Baldy. Your battle, not Brynhild's. Remember that humility is more persuasive than arrogance.



((Per Steeerpike's PM to me, the party has time to react to my charge-in/double-back. That was a 15 foot in / 15 foot back to origin movement turn. Baldhart and Nodrick are back at the shield wall and there are no arrows lodged in their butts.))

 

[SeverinR]

[Ankari went in alone?]
"Little has changed, I have a defendable position, ready with arrows. If I attract the reptiles attention, the warriors can flank them from the hall." I lift and lower the spear meant to impale anything that charged the door. "I say let their magic end or let them charge blindly through the darkness. Might be nice if we had a few spears they could run into in the blind charge."

[if the table is wood, I could chip out a small section to set the butt of the spear into, to prevent slipping off to the sides if I don't pull it up straight.]

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"I hoped the darkness was a veil and that we could see from inside. Maybe the lizards can... or maybe they'll fire blindly at us.

"I only pretended to be the leader for the queen, but... we need everyone's weapon and everyone's brain. The lizards know we will not give them Burnbright, so a fight cannot be avoided.

"The darkness may move with the enemy. We need a way to defeat the darkness. Mauve - a light spell. Can it be cast on Sir Cadell's shield? If so, we can move the wall in and defeat the enemy.

"Know that if the light spell does not cancel the darkness, we must fire arrows blindly and if that fails... let me see how heavy that table is."

 

[SeverinR]

"If we fire blindly, we might hit the ranger. Once the battle noises stop, I would assume arrows would no longer matter to him. I don't believe the ranger will survive, but I don't want to be the one to end his annoying life either. Although I have considered the positives and negitives of planting my blade on more then one occasion."
(if it isn't too heavy, I think I might have it in place already with a spear to pull up into a charging enemy. Maybe you could chip a piece out of the table so I can better seat the spear?)

 

[Nihal]

For some seconds I stay frozen, staring wide-eyed at the darkness spell without seeing it. It feels like a cold slap. I stumble backwards, trying to refrain from shivering. It's hard to make sense of my sorry plight, but I know I'm physically fine, I'm just shocked.

I retreat until my back hit something. Shield. I pass by them, finally turning my back to the darkness. I'm aware that someone called my name but I pay no heed to them, trying to sort out what I've just seen and still moving away from the danger by pure instinct.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Mauve is back. The poor half-naked thing looks so disoriented.

"Mauve," I say gently as I put my hand on her shoulder, "I know little about magic, but... do you think your light spell cast on Cadell's shield would help us see? I fear that the darkness is like a light spell in the sense that the enemy can carry the source. If it is possible to cancel the darkness with light, we will be in a much stronger position and able to aid Ankari."




((Note: If Mauve casts, those who can move away, such as Baldhart and Aliron, will. I assume Darin will remain by Cadell's side if Cadell and Mauve are willing to try this.))

 

[SeverinR]

{{Where is Burnbright? No one mentioned her since the darkness.}}
"Is this magic tied to the corruption of traditional magic? It disorients the mage?"

[will make sure she is no where near me when she casts.]

 

[Phietadix]

{{Where is Burnbright? No one mentioned her since the darkness.}}
"Is this magic tied to the corruption of traditional magic? It disorients the mage?"

[will make sure she is no where near me when she casts.]

((My character told her to get back where it's safe, and went back with her. I assume the safest place would be the room))