Chapter 2: The Sinews of War

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coil23
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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War

#421 Post by coil23 »

Horton harbors doubts about such tender scruples for one in command but will do his best to facilitate the wave nonetheless. As soon as that officer wakes, all gains will be lost- that is almost certain. But until then...aye, sir, he consents but in a lessened tone. He curtly tells the soldiers to fashion a litter with which to safely transport the unconscious officer. Our commander and our princess never leave anyone behind. That's honor. He looks down so no one can see his eyes roll. This now demoted officer can answer to the king upon return. For now we have our orders from our commander and we have our future queen safe with us. With those two in charge, our success and our honor are already on the rise. Let us learn from that. The bile almost chokes the sour librarian but he plays his role as if his life depended on it...which it does.

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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War

#422 Post by Rowenn552 »

Basil Day

Basil's head swivels back and forth taking everything in, the resemblance between some of his companions of that of the quite aggressive soldiers has not been lost on him. It would seem these two groups have some history.

Unsure of his role in the current conflict he maintains silence but keeps close to the Princess. If anything he would at least do his best to protect private box VIP of the theatre such as herself and station would demand.

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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War

#423 Post by ChubbyPixie »

"Well, that takes care of that!" laughs Wikerus, a bit hysterically, shell shocked at the near death experience. "Sorry I almost knocked you in the spiked pit. I lost my head there for a moment. Nearly soiled my lacquered breeches, too." He'll go examine the ground on which the statues were recently resting, to see if their moving revealed any hidden extra hatches. Also, he'll take another look at the plaques, to see if they've again changed their wording. "How much do you suppose one of these weighs?" he asks, experimentally shoving at one of the remaining statues. "I like the idea of pushing them through and into the void, before proceeding with any more hatches..." he says.

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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War

#424 Post by Pulpatoon »

The Princess applies her wand to each hatch in turn, rendering them transparent as glass. All of the hatches lead to spiked pits except for Gluttony. There you see the familiar stairs leading down to Maximus' former station. The dust on the stairs has been widely disturbed by the tracks of both Wooden Soldiers and Rats, but you see no sign of anyone below. Everything looks dark and quiet.

Everyone takes a breather, and the flesh-and-blood members of the party refresh themselves with water and provisions. Shaggy BEaker pulls out some of the medicinal supplies he had swiped from the Sawbones. (All HP restored, but STR damage persists). Schroff recovers consciousness, but looks a little wobbly on his legs. Both Mouse and the Officer remain unconscious, but Mouse is stabilized (it's harder to tell if the Officer is stable, since he doesn't bleed).

The Soldiers, following Horton's lead, adopt Splinters as their temporary leader. They bristle at Flintlock's eagerness to toss their injured commander into the void, and reassured by Splinter's call to leave no one behind. They construct a sling-litter for the Officer from the old tarps.
ChubbyPixie wrote:"How much do you suppose one of these weighs?" he asks, experimentally shoving at one of the remaining statues. "I like the idea of pushing them through and into the void, before proceeding with any more hatches..." he says.
Deet, an endless font of random facts, knows that marble weighs about 160 lbs. per cubic foot. The statues are larger than a large man—Pride was 9' tall, and the multi-limbed Envy was 8' tall. The average human is between 3 and 4 cubic feet, so these statues are probably about 5. That would place them at about 800 pounds.

The average person can lift 150 lbs. Shaggy, Horton, and Jake are the strongest members of the party, and can probably handle a bit more. The portal is on the opposite side of the tower from the statues, so the statues would have to be carried 200 feet.

Given your numbers, you could possibly manage it. There would be a very real possibility of injury.

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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War

#425 Post by Rusty Tincanne »

Flintlock blows a raspberry behind​ the collective backs of the soldiers, then suggests they just topple the statue of Gluttony to the floor and try smashing it in place. Seems foolish to risk getting et up by a statue of we don't need to.

He whispers to Horton that it would be a good idea to scratch off any paint that distinguishes the officer as such. And then paint some extra stripes onto Splinter. I don't think they'll let me near him now.

We're Envy and Greed still animated in the pit? If not, we could retrieve the fancy tiarra.
Is Flintlock's maul lying around somewhere? Did the officer have a musket Flintlock could "borrow"?

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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War

#426 Post by Pulpatoon »

Envy and Greed are smashed to rubble. The tiara was not visible, and may take some digging to find.

Flintlock's maul is easily retrieved from the floor where he dropped it. The Soldiers, including the Officer, are armed with wooden swords.

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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War

#427 Post by mb. »

Deet and Schroff inspect the hatches, and stop at Gluttony. Deet looks up and around the room, "um, so we can only go back down, or through the cold black hole? That's no good. Nope nope nope."

Now I'm confused. :shock: If we solve the riddle, we get to go back down to lethal-heavenly putti ceiling and annoying-pointless rats and soldiers? Or does the riddle solving magically make a hatch open up somewhere we might want to go? And the opening & closing didn't make the room spin again? And wasn't the cold black hole white when we came up into the room? Ohdearohdearohdear...

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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War

#428 Post by kensanata »

Splinter glances at Deet as he passes him by muttering his "nope nope nope" and lowers his voice so that the other soldiers don't hear him. You're saying it's all pits or go down again? I'm confused. I think we need to go back down. The princess is here and the wizard is gone. But I was there, on the other side. The wizard isn't there and his boat and his diving suit is still here, so he also didn't cross the void to arrive at some other place. We're probably at the top of some tower and just need to go down instead of up? We're done with this mission: we rescued the princess. With the princess rescued, there's no point for the army to stay or to fight the rats. We can all just leave and return to Francenland! Or at the very least, explore some other options?
Last edited by kensanata on Fri May 19, 2017 8:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War

#429 Post by Rowenn552 »

Basil Day

"Well the writing on the hatches changed after the room had spun so mayhap the downstairs has become something else? Down below is should be the theatre where I performed for so many years. I am unfamiliar with the putti you speak of though."

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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War

#430 Post by Rusty Tincanne »

Purty putti. Purty putti...

Let's knock this thing over before opening the hatch.
Flintlock starts whacking Gluttony with his maul, hoping to push it onto one of the other statues next to it.Splinter, get those wooden boys to work!

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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War

#431 Post by mb. »

Deet shrugs at Splinters, and waves a hand at Gluttony's transparent hatch, also keeping his voice down, though he's not quite sure why, "you can see yerself now, just back down to the Big Dead Wood Man and rats and stupid soldiers who don't like us at all." He side-eyes the soldiers present. He lowers his voice even lower, "It's just I'da thought a wizard's tower would... y'know... have a wizard in it. Can't help but think he tricked us and is laughing at us right now. Don't make no sense. Towers go up. Yup."

He sits down disconsolately on the floor in font of the hatch, and, stroking Schroff's messy fur, studies the ceiling.

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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War

#432 Post by kensanata »

Splinter looks at the wooden swords and the stone statues and shakes his head. To Flintlock, he says: Let's not waste our time defacing statues. We know the correct hatch. We can either go back down, or investigate this room some more. Does anybody feel like looking at the great void? We could send somebody else through the black screen? What about the walls? Any secret doors? What about hidden trap doors leading elsewhere? Beneath the glass coffin? Beneath the boat?
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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War

#433 Post by Rusty Tincanne »

Or beneath the this statue! Flintlock whacks the statue again.When we open that hatch, this thing is going to eat us, I tell you.

If is seems as if the statue won't move (which is highly likely), Flintlock will start looking at the walls of the room with the others.

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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War

#434 Post by coil23 »

An evil grin spreads across his face at Flintlock's suggestion. Quietly, I like the way you think. Ruthless- just like a good librarian. But they'll be watching for tampering with that fool officer. Better to just paint Splinter to outrank him. Princess can promote him in the face of the officer's treason.


Is there anything we could use to surreptitiously paint some extra rank stripes on Splinter?

Quietly to Splinter, we need to paint stripes on you to be the ranking officer- and soon.

Horton will carefully check the room for any other hidden portals, uneasy with the idea of descending back to killer putti and rats. If nothing is found then he will reluctantly agree to go back down if that is what the group decides.

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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War

#435 Post by Rusty Tincanne »

Wait. Is Horton a soldier, too? Lets just paint him if Splinter declines the offer.

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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War

#436 Post by ChubbyPixie »

"Hmmm. The room did rotate. Perhaps it does lead somewhere new, now. At any rate, we do have the princess, so I agree, mission accomplished. Still..." says Wikerus eyeing the boat. "This thing has to serve some purpose. Perhaps it leads to hidden secret, written in the very stars. This suit must make it safe enough, right? I volunteer to check it out." He climbs up in the boat and begins donning the suit and helmet.

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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War

#437 Post by Pulpatoon »

As the party contemplates their next move, the Wooden Soldiers complete a sling for their Officer and set four of their number to guard his body. They glance suspiciously at the whispering going on around them and confer with each other. After a moment, one announces that they will be returning to the Bivouac at the Great Library. They had retreated from superior force, but they can see that the way is now clear, and must return to help the rest of the Army face the Enemy, and to report the news of the Princess' rescue and the Wizard's treachery.

Their spokesperson adds, "You should come with us—especially those of you who have taken the King's coin. There will have to be a hearing, but the men and I will testify to everything we have learned, here. You might end up with a noose, or a commendation. Either way, you will have comported yourself honorably."

Meanwhile, Flintlock is merrily whacking away at Gluttony with his maul:
[1d8] = 8 -1 = 7
Fortunately, this does not rouse the statue.

Several member of the party begin inspecting the Tower room for secret doors. The Princess's crystal coffin was leaning against the wall at an angle so it is quick to see that there are no boors beneath it. The boat is light enough to be scooted out of the way, as it had when Splinters was in it. No door under it. The party does not yet know if there is a door under the statue of Gluttony, but there are none on the now-empty pedestals for Pride, Greed, and Envy. A thorough inspection of the large room by torchlight will take a fair amount of time. The Soldiers make it clear that they will not wait that long. They begin making ready to depart.
ChubbyPixie wrote:Wikerus eyeing the boat. "This thing has to serve some purpose. Perhaps it leads to hidden secret, written in the very stars. This suit must make it safe enough, right? I volunteer to check it out." He climbs up in the boat and begins donning the suit and helmet.
The suit fits Wikerus better than it did Splinters, but it is made for someone even taller. Taller than any human. And with either a very large head, or a very large hairstyle.
Is there anything we could use to surreptitiously paint some extra rank stripes on Splinter?
There were painting supplies in the Army camp. The Officer is also decorated in chintz medals, gold braid, and a fancy, plumed hat (stolen by Envy).

Shaggy Beaker approaches the few remaining members of the original party and says, "I'll lay this at my own feet: I was a damned fool to bring a child into this Castle. Mouse'll live, but this is the third time he's nearly snuffed it, and he'll have plenty of scars to remind him of my piss-poor guardianship.

"You guys do what you want—I know some of you have good reasons to keep going. But I'm going to follow the Soldiers down the stairs, and then I'm headed down the beanstalk. I reckon we can give them the slip, easily enough. I'd like to take Vanis with me, too. You notice he hasn't said a word since he got brained on the stairs? I don't think he's fit for this sort of thing. Maybe he can still make a living boiling sweets."


Mouse, overhearing this, begins to protest, but a spasm of pain cuts it short. "Horseapples. Ar'right, ar'right. But we're looting everything we can git our hooks 'round, on the way back. We're gonna load that damn cart you made with books from the Li'berry. Them's as good as gold."

The Soldier who spoke earlier calls out, "We're ready to head out. Come with us now if you want a fair trial. Stay behind, and there is every chance you will be shot as deserters and traitors, when next we meet. Er... excepting her Highness, of course."

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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War

#438 Post by Starbeard »

The Princess chooses to remain, and says so. She then turns her attention to the statue of Gluttony and attempts to turn the statue invisible with a delicate touch of her wand, to see whether there is a secret door beneath.

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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War

#439 Post by Urson »

I'll take my chances here, with my friends.
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Re: Chapter 2: The Sinews of War

#440 Post by kensanata »

Splinter shakes his head vigorously and tries to make himself taller: I did take the king's coin, perhaps. But it was ages ago! I can hardly remember. Can you? Did you see the rags downstairs? Did you see how old everything is? The Wizard turned us from fleshmen into woodmen and this is how we survived all these eons. The services the king paid me for I have long since rendered. And now that I have rescued the princess, I will enter her services as I consider the deed the king has tasked me with done. We have rescued the princess. And with that, my service ends. Who knows whether Francenland still exists? If the king is not made of wood or sleeping in a glass coffin, he is surely dead. And I am a free man of wood, now! And you are, too.
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