Expedition: Markd/On a Mission from Baudh II - 02 June 2021

[Marullus]

Bremen dances with the Cention, shouting insults at the creature now that he knows it speaks the common tongue, tying to keep its tail out of striking distance even as he misses with his own warhammer. Bandy scoots clear of the melee, searching for his sword in the tall grasses as Bremen dodges alone.

Markd, having held Neachdainn in his last, dying moments, takes up his longsword and runs back to Bremen's aid. His sword plunges deep through the Cention's carapace, (-7) black ichor running off the front of the blade where it emerges from the creature's chest.

Bremen pauses for a half-moment as the sword emerges from the creature's chest, just the brief opening that the Cention needed. Its stinger comes down in a fast, flashing arc and embeds its needle-like appendage in Bremen's flesh. (Save vs Poison)

Date: Time 11:52am, 06 June 2021
Light: Sunlight
Spell Effects: (Tower has Magical Darkness until 1:04pm), Cause Fear on Guiare
Injuries: Neachdainn (dead), Bremen (moderately wounded), Bandy (minorly wounded), Florian (minorly wounded), Irving (minorly wounded)

Cention tail strike [1d20] = 15

[Alethan]

OOC: Is the Cention still up? If so...

Bandy, sword recovered, tries to finish the Cention off...

Longsword [1d20+1] = 3+1 = 4 Damage [1d8+1] = 4+1 = 5
Initiative [1d6] = 5

[Marullus]

OOC: Is the Cention still up?

Yes.

[onlyme]

Markd attempts to finish it off, but the armor seems a bit too strong.

Rolled a 14.

[Rusty Tincanne]

With the stinger jabbed through his chest, Captain Bremen stops short. He glares at Markd, the bastard who ran away. Stick around for the fight next time, you son of a...

Save vs poison 14 [1d20-2] = 9-2 = 7
I'll take it, but why was Bremen the target on all attacks rather than a random attack, out of curiosity? Is it the mustache?

Unless that dagger has some juice in it, Bremen is dead, right?

[Marullus]

It was random when he charged (Bremen is "2" in the targeting rolls). The next round, Markd ran off and Bandy fumbled and was unarmed, so Bremen was the obvious choice. The next round, Bandy ran off for his sword and Markd charged up from behind, so Bremen was still the only choice.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Bremen drops the warhammer and staggers back toward the tower, knowing Florian is his only hope.

CON 13 vs [1d20] = 13
Don't know if you'll allow this. Don't know if he can make it in time, even. This character has somehow defied the odds several times so far, so I thought I'd try.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Frankly, I liked my chances to run back to the tower better.

Oh. He's definitely dying.
Death 14 vs [1d20-2] = 13-2 = 11

[Marullus]

Markd attempts to finish it off, but the armor seems a bit too strong.
Rolled a 14.

Always post your rolls - Markd hits with a 14.
long sword [1d20+2] = 12+2 = 14; damage [1d8+2] = 5+2 = 7

Cention initiaitive [1d6] = 1

With the stinger jabbed through his chest, Captain Bremen stops short. He glares at Markd, the bastard who ran away. "Stick around for the fight next time, you son of a..." he mutters as his warhammer slips from his fingers and he falls to his knees.

Markd and Bandy hurried back, but it is too late. Markd yanks his sword, already through the Cention's chest, and slashes out one side of his ribs. (-7) The Cention lurches and then collapses before it can bring its tail around to claim another victim.

Bremen's body stiffens as the neurotoxin wracks his body. He convulses and falls face-down into the grass next to the slain Cention.

Date: Time 11:53am, 06 June 2021
Light: Sunlight
Spell Effects: (Tower has Magical Darkness until 1:04pm), Cause Fear on Guiare
Injuries: Neachdainn (dead), Bremen (mortally wounded), Bandy (minorly wounded), Florian (minorly wounded), Irving (minorly wounded)

[onlyme]

First, sorry. I cannot get copy/paste from my phone to save my life. It is beyond comical how inept I am at attempting it. I forgot to go back and add later.

2nd to Alethan, Do either of us know of any options we may have to save him?
1) rush back to Florian
2) use any remaining holy water
3) a forgotten vial of something we may have packed
4 ?)

[Alethan]

First, sorry. I cannot get copy/paste from my phone to save my life. It is beyond comical how inept I am at attempting it. I forgot to go back and add later.

2nd to Alethan, Do either of us know of any options we may have to save him?
1) rush back to Florian
2) use any remaining holy water
3) a forgotten vial of something we may have packed
4 ?)

OOC: Will the knife work? Try stabbing Bremen right in the stinger hole!!!

Bandy has nothing to protect against poison. It's why he used mostly arrows against them during his ventures in this tower. There is always the option of raising him if someone is willing to sacrifice a PC! I don't have any that are so willing, but maybe Rusty does. Still, we could haul him back to town. Maybe if we return triumphantly with... oh, never mind. we don't have that yet. We could check with Florian. Let's pack everything up and head back to the tower to regroup.

What sort of phone do you have? Should be press-hold to select and then drag the select image to include what you want to copy. Even if you get more than you intended, you can delete the excess. I have to do that occasionally.

[onlyme]

my suggestion... Bandy pack and hopefully find the coward to help versus being in woods by himself. Markd will use knife and then carry Bremen back to tower?

[Alethan]

Bandy retrieves his second quiver of arrows from his pony and heads off in the direction of the ridgeline, hoping to track down the stable boy before he goes too far...

[onlyme]

Markd pours any remaining holy water over Bremen if any was left, and takes his knife and presses against Bremen's flesh where the stinger entered.
After a second or two, he will lift the body and rush to the tower, hoping Florian has skills or medicine to counteract the poison.

[Marullus]

Bandy heads out after Guaire, finding the stableboy hiding not far beyond the ridgeline. He looks embarrassed and begins apologizing profusely, saying "I just couldn't help it... I don't know what came over me..." They return to camp, where Mitch the pony and Piety the mule are hobbled.

Markd empties his wineskin on Bremen's wound then pressed the flat of his knife blade against the wound for several minutes. Bremen's shirt is soaked, but otherwise he is unaffected, his face still contorted into an uncontrollable rictus of pain as the poison wracks his body. Markd realizes he can't carry Bremen and reach the tower, especially not safely and in Bremen's current state. He can use a two-man stretcher or use a mount-drawn conveyance.

Neachdainn's body also lays on the ground near the campsite, a grim reminder of what is to come as well as a responsibility they bear for the boy's life and earthly remains.

Date: Time 12:15pm, 06 June 2021
Light: Sunlight
Spell Effects: (Tower has Magical Darkness until 1:04pm)
Injuries: Neachdainn (dead), Bremen (mortally wounded), Bandy (minorly wounded), Florian (minorly wounded), Irving (minorly wounded)

[onlyme]

Markd will place Bremen (and Neachdainn's) body on the mounts and lead them back to the tower.

He refrains from scolding the boy. Just remember that feeling next time. You gotta decide if you want to be a man or a coward. There aint much in between.

[Alethan]

Bandy defends the youth, "Go easy on him, Markd. Didn't you see the Cention? It cast a spell on him, made him run away. It wasn't 'cause he wanted to run away. You boys did good. I'm just sorry we couldn't get here in time to save Neachdainn. But we can tell his family that he died fighting these evil creatures and that the bringer of his death was vanquished."

He helps Markd tie the bodies to the pony and mule to lead them back to the tower.

Before they leave, he searches the Centions for anything of value - weapons and anything they may have had strapped to their bodies or worn on their hands or head. He loads anything they find onto Piety the mule.

[Marullus]

Bandy and Markd tie the slumped bodies to the mule and pony; the small pack animals struggling under their burdens but make the slow trudge back to the tower.

Irving and Florian rush out to meet them when they arrive at the tower, helping to haul in the bodies. Florian inspects them to see what he can do, but prefaces with extensive hand-wringing that there is little he can do for most poisons.

He lays hands on Bremen, who sputters awake, though weakened and numb.
Clw [1d6+1] = 4+1 = 5

Neach, however, has passed on to Baudh's halls. Florian insists that the group find and sanctify a proper burial site for him.

Date: Time 2:00pm, 06 June 2021
Light: Sunlight
Spell Effects: None
Injuries: Neachdainn (dead), Bremen (severely wounded), Bandy (minorly wounded), Florian (minorly wounded), Irving (minorly wounded)
(Both rolls were a natural 13, which is a pass for Bremen. As a note, I would've used the first one, not the reroll... Be cautious in throwing dice before they're called for. )

[Alethan]

Bandy Sandybanks

"Well I'll be buggered! The rat bastard made it after all! Mustabeen the holy water and the dagger, Markd."

Showing his wounds to Irvine, he asks, "Got any more of that healing mojo? And please tell me you haven't encountered any more of those damned Centions while we were gone! I'd like to think we killed the lot of the evil bastards."

[Rusty Tincanne]

Captain Bremen smiles weakly at Bandy's comment. Seeing he is back at the tower, he offers his version of an apology to Markd.Yeah. Those were some foul words I uttered back there. Unfair of me. You saved my skin again, holy soldier. I owe you. He thanks Florian for the healing amd then asks Bandy for his story about dead centions, treasure and the gaping hole in the tower wall.