Chapter 3: The Glittering Tower

[Starbeard]

The Princess closes the door and steps aside for Flintlock to create an unbreakable seal. "Oh, dear," she says aloud.

[Pulpatoon]

Deet rushes towards the autophagic portal and stomps down, realizing mid-stomp that the portal side is facing up. He is unable to catch himself in time, and his foot plunges into the void.
[1d6] = 5 HP 0, STR 6
Crit Damage Save: [1d20] = 1
He loses his balance and his leg plunges deeply into the burning cold, but he is able to catch himself from falling in completely, and pulls himself away from the brink. His leg is covered in frost, and his cracked skin bleeds heavily as it thaws.

Horton grabs the portal from underneath.
DEX 6: [1d20] = 3
He snatches up the nearest corner of the portal and lifts it up as a barrier between himself and the pirates.

Wikerus uses the void-proof garment as an oven mitt.
DEX 12: [1d20] = 8
The portal is now secure, held by two corners.

Flintlock and the Princess shut the door.
I will count Flintlock (STR 3) as providing assistance to the Princess (STR 7) in the form of a +1 bonus. I'll roll two opposed d20s.
Whichever side gets the highest result, without going over their STR, wins.
Flintlock and Princess (STR 8) [1d20] = 13
Pirates (STR 12)[1d20] = 17

The door slams into the shoulder of a pirate, throwing him off-balance for a moment and fouling his attempt to menace the rest of the party, but he easily stops the door and swings it back open.

His two companions attack those nearest to them with their spears.
1. Deet; 2. Horton; 3. Wikerus; 4. Flintlock; 5. Princess; 6. Schroff
[1d6] = 5 Princess. [1d8] = 1 HP 1.
[1d6] = 3 Wikerus. [1d8] = 2 HP 1.

Neither spear finds its way home—the Princess is at an awkward angle by the door, and Wikerus is able to shield himself with the void portal.

Scroff harries the pirate with the scarred face.

Actions!
More on Monday!

[coil23]

Horton gestures to Wickerus to help him maneuver so that the void is between the pirates and anyone in our party, trying to angle so that someone else can now slam the door shut.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Looking at Deet's leg, Flintlock whistles. Look at what you did to your skin. Them pirates are in for trouble.
I don't think they'll survive it. He talks through the back side of the door. Why don't you just surrender.
We're better looking, anyhow. And you don't want to die, do you? he swing hi maul at the nearest pirate foot he can see.

[Starbeard]

"How dare you?!" the Princess demands of the pirate who struck her, smacking him overhead with her sceptre (but not hard enough to break it; I don't know how sturdy that thing is). She then runs to take shelter behind the portal, helping to lift it up.

[ChubbyPixie]

Gasping from the sting of a real injury, but feeling he has no choice but to man his corner of the portal, Wikerus takes up his hatchet awkwardly in his free hand and chops at the nearest pirate around the edge of the tapestry.

Hatchet Attack: [1d6] = 1

[Pulpatoon]

The pirates are stumped by the wall of void. One tries to reach out and close the door on the party, but snatches his hand back to avoid Wikerus' hatchet.

In the end, they retreat, backing down the hall outside the room for a considerable distance, before breaking into a purposeful run. They run towards the right (facing out of the room) and you hear a door open and slam shut.

Actions!
More Wednesday!

[Rusty Tincanne]

We win!!! Flintlock blows a raspberry after the pirates as he jumps up and down in a victory dance.Did you all see how I convinced them to run away?

Flintlock peers into the hallway, looking left and right before stepping out. His metallic how are to mimic the surrounding walls

[coil23]

Horton blinks, standing stupidly in surprise that they actually succeeded. Well....

Let's get somewhere else before they come back with reinforcements. We can walk with the void in front to ward off any other marauders, no?

Before they set off to explore, Horton will place something unnoticeable on top of the door so that if they come back and want to use this room to set the void up again they will know if anyone has come through since they left.

[Rusty Tincanne]

The camouflaged Flintlock tells the others, With my gavel, I can seal that door and keep the boat and tarp safe so we don't need to walk around with it if we don't want. Then I want to go lock those pirates into whatever room they went to. Let them starve in there! He giggles in a not-so-nice-manner, showing his crooked teeth.

[mb.]

Deet hops around on one foot, "owowowowowowowie!" eventually falling to the floor. He begins gingerly stripping his pantaloons off as Schroff circles him, whining.

[Starbeard]

The Princess adjusts her garments fastidiously. "Pirates will do as pirates are. They are base creatures, ignoble caricatures of the licensed privateers they envy and defame. It is a pity we must endure their presence in this world."

She makes ready to follow the others out of the room.

[Urson]

It's going to be hard to see what we're getting into if we've got that tarp in front of us. I mean, there's a lot of trouble we could run into that isn't alive and running at us...

[ChubbyPixie]

Wikerus fishes out the corner of the tarp that fell in, pulling it out little by little until the sheet is flat again. He then helps hang it on the original wall so they can seal it and the boat and the shiny silver suit in the room using the frankly amazing magical gavel and proceed. "I do get a pang of unease thinking of those fellows tumbling through the icy void, as disagreeable as they may have been," he says. "Shall we?"

[Pulpatoon]

While Wikerus rehangs the portarpaulin, Deet tends to his leg, applying some salve and bandages. HP restored, but not STR.
Flintlock seals the room behind them, preserving the portal, boat, and void-garment.

You are standing in a dark hallway. It is not lit by the faint glow of the room you just left. You can feel a slope to the floor, descending towards the left.

Assuming someone lights a torch or two. Please let me know who.

The Crooked Theodolite: the hall is 10' wide, and 35' long. To the right, in ends at a door. To the left, it open into a room without a door.

Actions!
More Friday!

[Rusty Tincanne]

Flintlock pats his coat and pants, then shrugs with an embarrassed smile. I seem to be outta torches, but I could hold one if any of you's got one. He suggests using the gavel on the door to the right, assuming that is where the pirates went, so they can't sneak up from behind.

[coil23]

That's brilliant, remarks Horton on the gavel idea for the pirates' door, nodding as that issue is resolved. He pauses a moment to consider the horrible death of those plunged into the void, but says nothing aloud. He didn't wish it upon anyone but it seemed the only way to survive in the moment. He pulls out his find from the trash heap back near the soldiers' bivouac. Displaying a round-bodied glass bottle of greasy, grayish liquid, he asks the group: any ideas on what this may be? I'm hoping it will be something of use to us.

Horton will offer to carry a torch since he does not have a missile weapon.

DM: How high is the ceiling in the hall? Trying to gauge how tall the giant was who made the heavy foot falls heard through the door earlier.

[Pulpatoon]

The ceiling is 20' high.

The party is assumed to have basic exploration gear, so, until logic absolutely insists that you've run out, anyone who wants a torch can have one.

Right now, I have Horton and Flintlock as the torchbearers of the party.

[Urson]

Jake

Jake pulls out one of his torches and makes a sloppy job of getting it lit with his tinderbox. He'll pass it to Horton and get his maul ready.

[Starbeard]

The Princess, out of playful curiosity, takes a moment to touch her wand to the torch to see whether doing so hides the torch's light as well.