Chapter 2: The Sinews of War
Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War
As Horton eyes the options, which hatch would allow the party to go down that is furthest from the pack of soldiers? How much time would be needed for everyone to leap into the hatch? Fast enough before soldiers could intervene? Horton withdraws the glass container of grey, viscous liquid, wondering if it is flammable. A bluff begins to coalesce as he ponders the few options left to the group.
Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War
At a nod from their Officer, the Soldiers move to disarm the members of the party.
The Soldiers bring their wooden swords down hard on the wrists of the party, trying to make them release their weapons. Mouse's rapier, Vanis' musket, Horton's sword, and Wikerus' hatchet all clatter to the ground.
During the scuffle, Flintlock sneaks out from his cover and flings open the hatch before Envy. The hatch opens on a pit, about 15 feet deep, with rusty-looking spikes at the bottom.
As soon as this happens, the many-limbed statue of Envy springs high into the air, leaping twenty feet above the heads of adventurers and soldier alike, landing in a cartwheel, and then continuing to spin around the room. It is a blur of careening motion, and the tower is filled with the buzzsaw sound of its passage. Within a second, it crosses the width of the floor, goes up the wall, curves back, and heads towards the assembled. A high-picthed voice, doppler-distorted, cries out "MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!"
In Envy's whirlwind wake, the Soldiers are scattered, several are relieved of their wooden swords, and and their Officer lies unconscious on the floor. "I like it! It's MINE!" cries the voice as it snatches away the Officer's battered hat.
Also on the floor is Mouse, having been flung a considerable distance. Jake nurses a sore hand where his maul was ripped away from him. Flintlock has also been relieved of his maul.
Envy spins to the other side of the room, screams out, "GIVE THEM TO ME! I SHOULD HAVE THEM!" and heads back towards the party.
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Next post: Monday morning, around 10am EDT, 2pm GMT (or when I've heard from everyone—whichever comes first)
During the scuffle, Flintlock sneaks out from his cover and flings open the hatch before Envy. The hatch opens on a pit, about 15 feet deep, with rusty-looking spikes at the bottom.
As soon as this happens, the many-limbed statue of Envy springs high into the air, leaping twenty feet above the heads of adventurers and soldier alike, landing in a cartwheel, and then continuing to spin around the room. It is a blur of careening motion, and the tower is filled with the buzzsaw sound of its passage. Within a second, it crosses the width of the floor, goes up the wall, curves back, and heads towards the assembled. A high-picthed voice, doppler-distorted, cries out "MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!"
In Envy's whirlwind wake, the Soldiers are scattered, several are relieved of their wooden swords, and and their Officer lies unconscious on the floor. "I like it! It's MINE!" cries the voice as it snatches away the Officer's battered hat.
Also on the floor is Mouse, having been flung a considerable distance. Jake nurses a sore hand where his maul was ripped away from him. Flintlock has also been relieved of his maul.
Envy spins to the other side of the room, screams out, "GIVE THEM TO ME! I SHOULD HAVE THEM!" and heads back towards the party.
The groups options suddenly feel even more constrained. Although the party could reach the hatches very quickly, the revelation of what was under Envy's hatch discourages the notion of blindly jumping down any of the others.coil23 wrote:As Horton eyes the options, which hatch would allow the party to go down that is furthest from the pack of soldiers? How much time would be needed for everyone to leap into the hatch? Fast enough before soldiers could intervene? Horton withdraws the glass container of grey, viscous liquid, wondering if it is flammable. A bluff begins to coalesce as he ponders the few options left to the group.
Actions!
Next post: Monday morning, around 10am EDT, 2pm GMT (or when I've heard from everyone—whichever comes first)
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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War
Are there any muskets or other weapons lying on the floor near the characters knocked to the ground?
Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War
The weapons knocked from the player character's hands are near their feet and can be retrieved, except for Mouse, who has been knocked far from his rapier.
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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War
Flintlock glares at Envy a moment before bolting past Vanis' feet (snatching up the musket if possible), straight to the feet of Greed. He throws open the hatch and jumps through. Lust said trust Avarice. C'mon!
Gullibility isn't one of the sins, so I'm hoping a low WIL plays out in Flintlock's favor.
Gullibility isn't one of the sins, so I'm hoping a low WIL plays out in Flintlock's favor.
Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War
See what you started by taking all the good things?! Not to mention how your lies and stupidity keep getting people killed. Horton points accusingly at the soldiers with an idle attempt to add more chaos to the travesty of the moment. Horton will grab the unconscious Mouse and drag him toward the hatch Flintlock just went through. Knowing that envy would likely try to disarm him again, the sly librarian tries to pick up the rapier by dragging Mouse over it for it to catch on him and be dragged along unseen underneath the unconscious body. Same with his own wooden sword if possible but not if there is no time. Horton wants to take himself and Mouse through Flintlock's Hatch.
Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War
The Princess hides her wand beneath her stole, and tries to get Envy's attention by holding up her tiara and waving it about. "You there! Would you like this? I have it and you don't! Watch me hide it away here, where you'll never be able to take it from me!"
She tries to lure Envy down the open hatch before Lust by throwing her tiara down there, then slamming the hatch shut once the statue has taken the bait.
She tries to lure Envy down the open hatch before Lust by throwing her tiara down there, then slamming the hatch shut once the statue has taken the bait.
Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War
Jake sidesteps, looking for his maul. If it's easily gotten, he'll grab it and try to stay out of Envy's path to the tiara.
Expect Nothing, Appreciate Everything.
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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War
Splinter shouts at the soldiers, The captain is unconscious! Who is next in command? For the princess! For Francenland! We need to solve the riddle and find the right hatch! Do not pick up anything the statue would want. Hold the hatch until we have determined the safest exit!
He drops his own musket and mallet in front of him so that he could pick them up again in a pinch but also so that he won't get hurt if Envy does not fall for the tiara bait-and-switch maneuver.
He drops his own musket and mallet in front of him so that he could pick them up again in a pinch but also so that he won't get hurt if Envy does not fall for the tiara bait-and-switch maneuver.
I run a blog. I also run a site for campaign wikis. I wrote a face generator, a character generator, a dungeon mapper, a Traveller subsector generator, and a hex map generator (editable as text).
Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War
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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War
Wikerus panics a bit at the frenzied, confusing tumult - his instinct is to run. He attempts to snatch up his dropped hatchet, then bolts for the newly opened Greed hatch, hesitating just before it to see what's down there. If it seems safer than their current situation, he'll throw himself in...
Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War
The Wooden Soldiers are scattered and confused by the sudden attack, and are having trouble re-establishing order among themselves without their Officer.
Flintlock throws open the hatch before the statue of Greed and leaps before he looks.
[1d20] = 5
As he springs forward, he sees that the hatch opens to another spiked pit. He is able to catch himself, but spends a long moment teetering on the edge, his disproportionately long arms pinwheeling as he tries to regain his balance. He steps back from the edge just in time for Wikerus to run into him and very nearly toss them both into the pit.
The statue of Greed straightens itself and bellows ferociously.
When the tiara is tossed, Envy follows it, carving a perfect arc towards the open hatch. Deet aims along the statue's path and fires his musket.
Schroff is unconscious.
Envy meets the tiara at the height of its arc, snatching it out of mid-air just as it begins to descend into the pit, only to collide with the statue of Greed who has also leapt after it.
Twin roars of "MINE!" shake the tower as both statues fall, madly pummeling one another, into the spiked pit.
The Princess slams the hatch down on the two statues. Through the hatch you hear muffled bellows of "Give it to me!" "You can't have it!" "It must be mine!" "Why can't I ever have nice things?" and the crunching thuds of stone on stone. Then, there is silence.
Horton gathers Mouse and his belongings.
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The scrambled Soldiers look inclined to follow the familiar face of their former message-boy, Splinters, at least for the short-term. "What riddle? Should we open the hatches?"Splinter shouts at the soldiers, The captain is unconscious! Who is next in command? For the princess! For Francenland! We need to solve the riddle and find the right hatch! Do not pick up anything the statue would want. Hold the hatch until we have determined the safest exit!
Flintlock throws open the hatch before the statue of Greed and leaps before he looks.
[1d20] = 5
As he springs forward, he sees that the hatch opens to another spiked pit. He is able to catch himself, but spends a long moment teetering on the edge, his disproportionately long arms pinwheeling as he tries to regain his balance. He steps back from the edge just in time for Wikerus to run into him and very nearly toss them both into the pit.
The statue of Greed straightens itself and bellows ferociously.
Envy takes immediate note of the tiara, and spins straight towards the Princess with a whining cry of "Why do you have that and I don't?"Starbeard wrote:The Princess hides her wand beneath her stole, and tries to get Envy's attention by holding up her tiara and waving it about. "You there! Would you like this? I have it and you don't! Watch me hide it away here, where you'll never be able to take it from me!"
She tries to lure Envy down the open hatch before Lust by throwing her tiara down there, then slamming the hatch shut once the statue has taken the bait.
When the tiara is tossed, Envy follows it, carving a perfect arc towards the open hatch. Deet aims along the statue's path and fires his musket.
Schroff attempts to bite Envy, but is flung away by the centrifugal force of the cartwheeling statue. The small dog lands hard against the stone floor, some distance away.BOOM! [1d8] = 3
Envy meets the tiara at the height of its arc, snatching it out of mid-air just as it begins to descend into the pit, only to collide with the statue of Greed who has also leapt after it.
Twin roars of "MINE!" shake the tower as both statues fall, madly pummeling one another, into the spiked pit.
Horton gathers Mouse and his belongings.
Actions!
New action-post: Wednesday morning-ish (EDT), afternoon-ish (GMT) Dialog and clarification questions may advance between now and then!
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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War
Splinter holds up his hand and says, No, soldiers! Opening these hatches will animate more of these statues so we need to be careful! Let the brainy brains think this through.
In the mean time, we'll hold the line against the rats! Protect the princess! And with that, he picks up his musket again, makes sure it is loaded, and looks at the hatches, unsure of where to expect the rats to emerge.
In the mean time, we'll hold the line against the rats! Protect the princess! And with that, he picks up his musket again, makes sure it is loaded, and looks at the hatches, unsure of where to expect the rats to emerge.
I run a blog. I also run a site for campaign wikis. I wrote a face generator, a character generator, a dungeon mapper, a Traveller subsector generator, and a hex map generator (editable as text).
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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War
Standing at the edge of the pit, looking down on the spikes, Flintlock's cheeks turn a deeper shade of lead. Whoops! He looks around the cavernous space again and counts. That's three false now, so any of the others should be true. But let's not take chances. Hey wooden soldiers, be a good lot and push the statues out the black window before we open anything up! Flintlock scours the area for his maul and any other weapons that might be around.
Whew! Lucky roll!
Nice idea with the tiara, Starbeard. Good thing Greed was a sucker for it too.
Splinters might-could take command of the soldiers by pushing the officer through the opening. Flintlock would do the deed.
Whew! Lucky roll!
Nice idea with the tiara, Starbeard. Good thing Greed was a sucker for it too.
Splinters might-could take command of the soldiers by pushing the officer through the opening. Flintlock would do the deed.
Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War
Phew, glad that worked! My character doesn't even have a weapon, so I have to get creative.
The Princess, having smartly smoothed out her gown and mink stole, takes her magic wand and turns the closed hatches invisible, one by one. "This should do the trick."
(Obviously I still need to work on the creativity. Should've thought of that one a lot sooner!)
The Princess, having smartly smoothed out her gown and mink stole, takes her magic wand and turns the closed hatches invisible, one by one. "This should do the trick."
(Obviously I still need to work on the creativity. Should've thought of that one a lot sooner!)
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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War
Seeing the Princess neatly sort things out, Flintlock throws a tantrum.No! No! No! Push them out the window!!! It's more fun!
Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War
Eager to reinforce the soldiers' inclination to follow Splinters' orders, Horton salutes the boy smartly with an Aye, sir! With the soldiers occupied with the statues, Horton gives Flintlock a significant look and then gestures a question of asking him to help Horton push the unconscious officer into the pit of the destroyed statue.
Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War
Horrified by Schroff's fate, Deet rushes to him and crouches on the floor beside him, stroking his little doggie head and checking for serious injuries. Only after he's reassured himself does he reload his musket and take stock of the state of the chaos.
Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War
Jake laughs aloud as the two statues drop into the pit. Bravo!
He readies himself for whatever chaos turns up next.
He readies himself for whatever chaos turns up next.
Expect Nothing, Appreciate Everything.
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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War
Splinter tries to ride the wave and raises his voice slightly. OK soldiers, here's what we're going to do. First, we're going to defend against rats and rescue any other soldiers that make it up here. Second, we're going to protect the princess and her entourage while they find a way out. Third, no one is left behind! You, and you! he points at two of the soldiers still standing, will bring the unconscious Major Lieutenant Extraordinary Platinum Bonus Class Grandifolia when we go.
We can't dump an unconscious character into space, or down spiked pits!
We can't dump an unconscious character into space, or down spiked pits!
I run a blog. I also run a site for campaign wikis. I wrote a face generator, a character generator, a dungeon mapper, a Traveller subsector generator, and a hex map generator (editable as text).