Chapter 17: The Thing in the Woods

[ChubbyPixie]

Blood streaming into his eyes, Telkis is momentarily stunned and then furious with himself. He whips Cranach around like a bat directly into the open jaws of W2. ”Eat this you curr!” he yells.

Morningstar +1 (THAC0 19): To Hit:[1d20+1] = 19+1 = 20, Damage: vs s/m [2d4+1] = 8+1 = 9, vs L [1d6+2] = 5+2 = 7

[Rusty Tincanne]

Did you get Hothhil's attack last round? Because ..
Sword: [1d20+1] = 1+1 = 2; sm [1d6+1] = 1+1 = 2/lg [1d8+1] = 6+1 = 7
[1d8] = 2

Hothhil decides the others must have some sort of strategy he has never heard of, so he also fumbles, ripping all the ligaments in both knees. He will spend the rest of the adventure in a wheelchair. If he lives that long.

Hothhil misses his next sword thrust and loses his balance. He is very thankful he didn't stab a companion. We've enough trouble already, he muses.

[AleBelly]

Mondegreen is dismayed at the ineptitude of the combatants around him. I must ask for references next time he thinks to himself.

He looks down to his beloved Umbra. "If I fall, scurry up a tree dear. These brutes cannot get you there!"

He turns his attention to the wolf he whacked with his staff. "AETHER SAGGITTUS!" he calls as he points at the thing.

Magic missile [1d4+1] = 1+1 = 2

[ravenn4544]

Mouser, barely able to hold on to his sword, stabs again into the maw of evil (W8).

Scalpel (THACO 20) To Hit [1d20] = 9, S/M/L Dam. [1d8] = 3

[Urson]

Pyotr

Now fully awake, and in furious pain, Pyotr grabs a knife from his gear and slashes at the wolf.

[1d20] = 20
[1d4] = 4 x2

svoloch' ! he snarls, enough fury in his voice to scorch paint.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur knows that Rudolph needs help, but he has to deal with this wolf somehow first. Hopefully the creature will leave them alone if it can't see them.

casts Blindness on W1.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo takes advantage of his friends appearing to lay down their arms by starting a spell as quickly as he possibly can, trying to calm the attacking wolves.

Casts: Speak With Animals

[Inferno]

The Haunted Woods of the Dread Mountains, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Two. Dawn. Sunday, November 13th, 576 CY
Cold, cloudy, damp







In the haunted woods of the dread mountains, in the aftermath of the blizzard, the frosty dawn air is filled with barks, howls, snarls, and the fearful shouting of men. The savage onslaught of the ferocious wolves wreaks havoc among the surprised heroes and Rudolf is the first to fall. His spilling blood turns virgin snow to crimson.

The large, fell wolves continue to press their advantage, not giving their staggered prey a chance to recover.

Urdur and Telkis narrowly evade bloodsoaked jaws that snap and bite with murderous furor! Mondegreen is not so lucky. Once more, feral teeth rip and gouge the human conjurer! (-3hp from W3) Somehow, he still stands. "Run, you fool!" howls his lucky black cat from deep within the snow shelter.

Nearby, pitiless carnivores pounce upon Ingrid, Brevos and Bo, savagely mauling them, trying to eat them alive! (-5hp, -7hp, -5hp respectively, from W5, W6 and W8) The grey druid's crow flutters into the sky to save its life! "CAW! CAW!"

And, as Pyotr reaches for a dagger to replace his lost harpoon, another cruel predator lunges on him and almost rips his throat out! (-10hp!) The half-orc mariner collapses into a foot of snow, which could well become his icy grave.



Newly injured, Long Bo and Mondegreen cannot bring their fearsome sorceries to bear! But Urdur Shimmerstone weaves a spell that strikes his ravening foe permanently blind! (W1) Bewildered and enraged, the lupine hunter bays pitifully and, to the mounting alarm of the heroes, wolves are heard in the distant mountains, howling in reply!

Telkis shatters the jaw of a wolf (W2) with his morningstar, killing the thing instantly and scattering red fangs across the snow!

Overrun and off balance in the deep, drifting snow, Brevos, Hothhil, Ingrid and Mouser cannot strike a clean blow in the frenzied crush of fur and muscle and death!


Actions?!



Map detail:

PCs are marked by their initials. W1-9 are wolves.


Non-required reading (rolls and rulings):

Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 2, Monsters: [1d6] = 3 Monsters win.
W1, W2 attack Urdur and Telkis: [1d20] = 7, [1d20] = 4, damage: [2d4] = 7, [2d4] = 5 Both miss.
W3, W4 attack Mondegreen and Bo: [1d20] = 13, [1d20] = 10, damage: [2d4] = 3, [2d4] = 5 Mondegreen is hit for -3hp. His spell is lost.
W5, W6 attacks Ingrid and Brevos: [1d20] = 18, [1d20] = 15, damage: [2d4] = 5, [2d4] = 7 Both are hit. Ingrid for -5hp, Brevos for -7hp.
W7, W8 attack Bo and Mouser: [1d20] = 12, [1d20] = 9, damage: [2d4] = 5, [2d4] = 3 Long Bo is hit for -5hp. His spell is lost.
W9 attacks Pyotr: [1d20] = 20, damage: [2d4] = 5 Critical hit. Pyotr is hit for -10hp.
W1 Saves vs Spells: [1d20] = 7 Fails.
Ingrid fumble: W5 gets a free attack: [1d20] = 1, damage: [2d4] = 4 Fumble!
W5 fumble result: [1d6] = 4 Slip: Make a Dex save on d20 or fall to the ground.
W5: Dex Save (11): [1d20] = 8 Makes save. Doesn't fall.

PC Status:

• Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 3: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 16/31
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 13/15, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl
  Hothhil Thornbush, Elven Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 12/20
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 15/22, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl and 4/4 2nd lvl
  Long Bo, Human Druid 4: Move: 9", AC: 4(3), HP: 23/30, Spells: 5/6 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl and 2/2 3rd lvl
  Mondegreen Cindereye, Human Magic-User 2: Move: 9", AC: 9, HP: 1/12, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl
  Pyotr Whitetip, Half-Orc Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 0/30
  Rudolf Rassendyll, Halfling Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: -4/12
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 14/32
  Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 9/9, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl and 0/1 2nd lvl

PC Magic:

• None currently.

Player Resources:

• Tale of Terror (the story so far)
  A Dark and Terrible World (maps)

[rredmond]

Rudolph
[continues to bleed]

[wolfpack]

with no other recourse brevos continues to strike at the wounded wolf.

[1d20+1] = 19+1 = 20

[1d8+1] = 8+1 = 9

[ravenn4544]

Mouser can barely hold his sabre from the cold - even fear does nothing to warm him. He lunges desperately with his blade...

Scalpel (THACO 20) To Hit [1d20] = 1, S/M/L Dam. [1d8] = 2

[Rusty Tincanne]

Hothhil regains his balance enough to take a swing at W3, barely catching the beast. His heart stinks at the distant howling.

Sword: [1d20+1] = 16+1 = 17; sm [1d8+1] = 1+1 = 2/lg [1d10+1] = 3+1 = 4

[Urson]

Pyotr

{gurgles through the blood, his eyes glazing}

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur wants to bind Rudolph's wounds, but the group is dropping like flies. Hoping to scare away the wolves, the little gnome "summons" a fire elemental.

Casts Dancing Lights

[AleBelly]

Mondegreen tries again.

Magic missile [1d4+1] = 1+1 = 2

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

Unable to fight effectively in the snow, the cleric instead calls upon her god, Tritherion, for aid in this moment of crisis. She beseeches her higher power for the ability to communicate with the beasts.

Casts Speak With Animals

[OGRE MAGE]

With this encounter going from bad to.......absolutely freekin brutal, Bo starts to wonder if these animals will even understand him once he tries to tell them that his group means them no harm. After seeing the devastation left behind by the last evil they fought, the druid decides on another course of action, thinking that these creatures might already have their minds tainted by the evil that seems to cover these lands.

Casts: Hold Animal on 3, 4, 7, and 9.

[Inferno]

The Haunted Woods of the Dread Mountains, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Two. Dawn. Sunday, November 13th, 576 CY
Cold, cloudy, damp







In the icy wilderness, things turn from bad to worse.

With slow, inexorable certainty, the heroes' inevitable fate becomes apparent to all; a ghastly death deep in the frozen wood, eaten alive by voracious predators. None would ever find their remains. Nor those of the missing child of the Ashblood Colony.

The wet crunch of a hammered skull (W2) and the whimpers of the blinded wolf (W1) draw the aid of their loyal black brethren (W7, W9). The ranger, the elf and the druid cannot help but grudgingly appreciate the cunning, fearlessness and organization of these magnificent pack hunters. Even as they are slowly killing them.

Unrelenting bloodthirsty fangs rip and tear more mortal flesh. (-4hp, -6hp and -5hp to Urdur, Bo and Mondegreen respectively.)

Queasy, Mouser swings wild and desperate, leaving himself wide open to brutal jaws that ruthlessly find his vitals. (-11hp!) Somehow, the little thief survives the attack.

The black cat's owner is not so lucky. Mondegreen is the next to fall.



More of Bo's and Urdur's desperate incantations are ruined. Telkis narrowly misses with Cranach. Hothhil gashes the hindquarters of Mondegreen's assailant (W3) and Brevos almost slaughters the wolf before him (W6). But the fierce killer still stands, coughing blood and barking at Brevos.

Ingrid Esthof prays a reverent orison to Trithereon, blessing her with the strange power to speak in the ancient language of wolves.

Her pitiless enemy (W5) looks up at her calmly.



"Well?" it snarls with slow deliberate malice in words that only Ingrid can hear. "What wouldst thou say, my lovely prey? What words hath the Hunted for the Hunter?"


Actions?!


Map detail:

PCs are marked by their initials. W1-9 are wolves.
X = Dead or dying. B = Blind.


Non-required reading (rolls and rulings):

Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 5, Monsters: [1d6] = 6 Monsters win again.
W7, W4 attack Urdur and Bo: [1d20] = 17, [1d20] = 15, damage: [2d4] = 4, [2d4] = 6 Urdur and Bo are hit for -4hp and -6hp respectively. Their spells are lost.
W8, W3 attack Mouser and Mondegreen: [1d20] = 17, [1d20] = 14, damage: [2d4] = 3, [2d4] = 5 Mouser and Mondegreen are hit for -3 and -5 respectively. Mondy is unconscious and his spell is lost.
W5, W9 attack Ingrid and Telkis: [1d20] = 5, [1d20] = 2, damage: [2d4] = 3, [2d4] = 6 Both miss.
W6 attacks Brevos: [1d20] = 7, damage: [2d4] = 8 Misses.
Telkis attacks W9: [1d20+1] = 10+1 = 11, damage: [2d4+1] = 7+1 = 8 Misses.
Mouser fumble: W8 free attack: [1d20] = 15, damage: [2d4] = 8 Hits for -8hp.

PC Status:

• Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 3: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 16/31
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 2/15, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl
  Hothhil Thornbush, Elven Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 12/20
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 15/22, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl and 3/4 2nd lvl
  Long Bo, Human Druid 4: Move: 9", AC: 4(3), HP: 17/30, Spells: 5/6 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl and 1/2 3rd lvl
  Mondegreen Cindereye, Human Magic-User 2: Move: 9", AC: 9, HP: -4/12, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl
  Pyotr Whitetip, Half-Orc Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 0/30
  Rudolf Rassendyll, Halfling Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: -5/12
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 14/32
  Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 5/9, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl and 0/1 2nd lvl

PC Magic:

• Speak With Animals (Ingrid): Target: W5. Duration: 7 rounds.

Player Resources:

• Tale of Terror (the story so far)
  A Dark and Terrible World (maps)

[rredmond]

Rudolph
[bleeds, and feels a disturbance in the negative HP force...]

[ravenn4544]

Mouser sees and feels razor teeth and claws and hears only rage. Rage from the cold blackness. Relentless. His beloved scapel comes up to attack or in futility?

Scalpel (THACO 20) To Hit [1d20] = 9, S/M/L Dam. [1d8] = 6