Dragon's Egg - Act II

[Nihal]

Okay, now they're starting to piss me off.

"Do you remember what I've asked last night? You're not doing your part." I speak coldly.

"Let me try." I snatch the rope from Algernon's hands before Rydh is able to take it, pushing the torch in the cleric's hands instead. Clutching the rope I spin the hammer in the air, one, two, three times and allow it to fly in Baldhart's direction.


((Not sure of what is this -2, but considering DEX is a prime... If she needs to try again she'll fail.))

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Wha...? A hammer?

Well, I climb aboard the boat and hang on tight. I imagine my fellow barbarian will pull us over. If he's more clever than he looks, perhaps he brought a towel, too!

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldy, what's with the knife?

The creature who stabbed me with this thing was from the water! Oh, Nissa... what amazing luck that I chose this weapon while swimming. Mauve can help me when there is time. I'll bet the wizard will be surprised that I know something she doesn't about this magic item... but I won't let it go to my head, Nissa. I need her to help me understand the meaning. Or maybe she'll want to experiment. I have an idea, but... if the knife is dangerous...

Aww... you would sacrifice it?

If it will make me corrupt, I definitely will. Corruption could destroy my hope of becoming a valkyrie. Then, what is the point of anything if, in my madness, I break a vow or disgrace myself?

Brynhild would distinguish your actions from those beyond your control, Baldy. You've come too far to lose it all over one mistake.

I appreciate it, Nissa. But...

((Assuming I am on the boat being pulled...))

I dip the knife into the water again. It tingles, but I am unharmed!

...Nissa! I can see why magic users are tempted to test their luck with Corruption! I really need to ask myself why I keep this thing!

The same reason that I kinda hope you will.

 

[Steerpike]

Baldhart and Nodrick manage to get the small boat into the water when the hammer Mauve throws clatters into the front of the canoe. Although there are no oars, the rope tied to the hammer allows the group to pull Baldhart and Nodrick across the forty feet or so of black water and back into the light of Mauve's torch. As they are being pulled across, something bumps the bottom of the boat once, causing it to tilt slightly before righting itself, but beyond that the short trip back is uneventful.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"Thanks for the help, there." I address the group, but especially Mauve for that unexpected display of athletic prowess. Specifically to Mauve, I say, "I need your help again. For starters, can you hold up a cloak to cover me. I need to get out of this wet clothing!"

((Assuming Mauve helps, I'll move this scene forward so we don't have a naked barbarian longer than necessary...))

As I am drying off as best I can with a cloak and wrung-out undergarments, I tell Mauve, "Nice throw, by the way. You're stronger than your... umm... fellow 'scholars.' I suppose you might think I'm smarter than the average barbarian. I learned something about this knife just now. I stumbled on it by accident, really! I can't wait to show you, but... this is not the time or place." Finally, I can look decent again! "Oh, this dress is so warm!"

 

[Ireth]

I keep my eyes on the boat as it is pulled back toward our group, tensing at the sight and sound of something bumping against the boat, nearly causing it to tip. I avert my eyes for decency's sake while Baldhart dries and dresses, then look up at her and speak. "There is something in the water, though I cannot tell what."

My hand tightens on the string of my bow. I look back toward the water, watching, waiting and wondering what lurks below. Is it a lizard? Some sort of fish? Or something else entirely?

 

[Steerpike]

((cue the theme from Jaws))

 

[Nihal]

((^LOL))

I help Baldhart, then listen carefully to her words. "I would love to hear more about it later." I smile.

"Now... how are we going to cross this? No oar, and I have this feeling that we shouldn't play with this water more than the necessary."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"Well, I didn't notice, but Nod saw a tunnel at the end of the lake, about 20 feet wide. That said, I'm not sure whether we should take the boat, but I figured it was better than standing here wondering if we could.

"Four of us can fit. Five if it's Nod and I. That's less than ideal, having to split up.

"But the boat is here." I haul it completely on land so it doesn't float away while we're talking, rather than have my fellow barbarian continue to anchor it with his hammer. "We can always explore the other path and come back if we find a dead end."

Not ignoring Cadell's warning, "I did see a trog leg float by, so whatever was in there with me is something I'd rather deal with before any of us take a boat ride. Maybe we should provoke it to see if we can fill it full of arrows. If someone could use my knife and a long handle--perhaps the staff?--to make a spear, I have a feeling it would make a powerful weapon against this thing.

"I felt an electrical charge from the knife... though it did not hurt me. Whatever magic is in this blade is fueled by water. If you would like, Mauve, you can dip it in the water and feel the charge--and see how quickly water is absorbed into the stone. And Mauve, you do have a handle on spear fighting. I'm not saying that the knife necessarily needs to be my weapon. Perhaps it could replace the existing spearhead on your existing weapon."

Ahh... I talk a lot.

"Well, Nod and I provided the boat and information. What do you think our next move should be?"





((I'm not sure whether Mauve has the kind of spear that such a thing is possible. Just playing off an earlier suggestion to make a spear.))

 

[Ireth]

I look down at my bow and sniff. "If someone is going to shoot whatever is down there, I doubt it should be me. My own attempt did nothing, and I have had foul luck overall in these tunnels." I look to the other archers in the group, wondering if any would volunteer.

 

[Nihal]

I did see a trog leg float by, so whatever was in there with me is something I'd rather deal with before any of us take a boat ride.

"A floating leg?! Okay, no more water touching!

"If you are willing to shot... whatever swims here do it from land, we are going to be under disadvantage when inside the boat. Aye, I could switch the blade, but it doesn't mean the blade will be well fixed in place. I don't want it dropping in the middle of a fight. This kind of thing should be made by... an blacksmith..."

I don't like the idea of losing the metal blade, stone wouldn't conduct the shock...

...oh! How come I never thought of this?! I'm wasting my spear! I could avoid physical contact, I would never again need to do what I did with the ranger! A wire? Chain, maybe? I need a blacksmith! Yes, yes, as soon as possible! I feel thrilled with my new idea, taking some time to notice I've trailed off.

"Uh, sorry. Like I was saying, we could attach it to the original blade. If you allow me, I would like to feel this energy you're speaking of," I wait with my palm up, "And we still need an oar."

 

[Ravana]

Baldhart and Nodrick manage to get the small boat into the water when the hammer Mauve throws clatters into the front of the canoe. Although there are no oars, the rope tied to the hammer allows the group to pull Baldhart and Nodrick across the forty feet or so of black water

((Which was the point. ))

I imagine my fellow barbarian will pull us over. If he's more clever than he looks, perhaps he brought a towel, too!

((Nope. He hadn't planned for a swim. Sorry.))

Perhaps this fellow is no simpleton after all.

((Actually, the thing about him is he is simple. He looks at things and sees direct, straightforward situations, problems and solutions. So, for instance, he knew we didn't need to worry about trogs in the water, because if they swam they wouldn't have been using a boat. Perfectly logical. Where that logic fails would be in that the trogs might swim anyway; they might have left the boat as bait; or, of course, there's something other than the trogs in the water—which might be why they aren't swimming it. He generally won't get that far in his thinking.))

 

[Ravana]

"I did see a trog leg float by, so whatever was in there with me is something I'd rather deal with before any of us take a boat ride.

Algernon removes his throwing hammer and returns it to the belt loop. He looks at Baldhart and grins.

"I got a rope."

He gestures down the tunnel the party came from.

"We got bait."

Huge grin.

"Wanna do some fishin'?"

 

[Ankari]

Two barbarians. Whichever land produces such giants seem to imbue an odd blend of simple gentleness and savage ruthlessness. His mention of Hiljikki grants him a measure of trust I wouldn't accord strangers. For now, he is not a threat.

His mention of fishing tugs at my lips. How fantastically odd of a notion. "Sounds great. Go grab one of the troglodytes. You seem naturally blessed with the prowess for such tasks."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

I give Mauve the knife, then go to grab a corpse… I take the one that Nod finished—less messy than my kill! I grab Aliron's kill as well. I can carry two, but I better drag them. I'd hate to soil my dress when the only enemies around are dead.

I tell the barbarian, "You look just as capable as I am for this sort of thing, so the choice is yours: do you want to toss him in or pull the rope?"

 

[Ravana]

I tell the barbarian, "You look just as capable as I am for this sort of thing, so the choice is yours: do you want to toss him in or pull the rope?"

"Uh… don't really matter much to me." He looks at his hands. "I already got the rope, so I guess I'll pull."

Well, that's certainly a practical way of looking at it.

"Or we could take turns." He grins sheepishly. You might almost imagine he's blushing, except that between the torchlight and his beard there's no way to tell.

"Oh: hope ev'rybody else's ready to shoot or whatever, since we got no hook. Though I got me some spikes; I could bend one around, if we don't get the thing some other way." Pause. "Though I'd have to hit it with a hammer, which would be kinda noisy."

He's shouldered his shield, tucked his hammer inside the crook of his left arm, put the end of the rope in his left hand, then circled it around his body and grasped it in front with both hands. One might almost imagine he's done this before. If one could imagine a situation in which he would have.

"I'm ready."

 

[SeverinR]

I move up silently, watching Algeron, the water, and glancing at the hall.

"I will shoot whatever it is, but someone needs to watch..."looking at Algeron, I glance towards the hallway."We still might have attracted some attention with the shouting."

I ready my bow.

 

[Nihal]

"One second." I crouch near the water, sinking the stone knife in it, attempting to feel whatever Baldhart felt. The thought of metal and water also gives me an idea...

"Stay alert. If something comes and I ask you to give me some space, please, do it. Unless you enjoy some runaway magic, of course. Oh, and don't step in the water at such time."

 

[Ireth]

I reluctantly pick up Rydh's shield again, secure it to my left arm and turn to keep watch over the hallway, simply because someone has to. I nock another arrow to my bowstring, holding it loosely, but ready to make the string taut at the first sign of movement.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

THROW…

*splink*

"Well… not my best throw, Algernon. Your handsome red hair must have distracted me. Would you give a lady one more shot?"

He doesn't have to pull it more than a couple feet. How embarrassing!


You can do it, Baldy!


THROW…

*SPLOOOOSH!*

"Ahh, that's more like it!"