Riverveins

[hedgeknight]

Riverveins...'Neath Tumbledown Cemetary > shortly past 8:00 PM

(Moved a few posts from the Yarl in Charge thread and started a new thread )

At about 8:00 pm, shortly before dusk, the Rats of Rivington move out...half take the river to the harbor and put to shore there, while the others follow Yarl, Oak, Trueshot, and Cookie to the Riverveins and put ashore, heading into the tunnels.

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Yarl and the others put to shore and survey their surroundings. A tunnel leads off into darkness to their left...

Oak, aided by darkvision, can navigate the darkened tunnels without much difficulty, but his plan, unless instructed otherwise, is to remain pinned to Cookie's side. He fetches his hooded lantern from his pack and holds it, unlit, until illumination becomes necessary, or until Cookie requests it.

While his skills and abilities likely make him a valuable asset in this sort of situation, Oak doesn't volunteer for anything that would distance him from his ward. He will, however, consider specific requests made of him as long as he has time to make preparations for a suitable backup to keep a close watch over Cookie in his absence.

Which gets him thinking.

Yarl is geared up for war. His favorite club is tucked in his belt as his hands are holding his short sword and a torch. He thinks that the light might keep away some of the underground pests and he always has the dark vision to fall back on.

Normally he'd be more comfortable in the lead but Yarl is wary of having too many blades at his back. Then again he doesn't want to get cramped in the middle. Or taken unaware from something lurking behind. Goddamn fucking sticks.. he mutters as he heads out towards the front...

Tying their boats off on a stalagmite or two, the Rats venture into the tunnels known as the Riverveins. Yarl moves toward the front, although not happily, and with torch in hand, leads the rest into down a wide tunnel of knee deep water and muck. Oak sticks close to Cookie, with water nearly up to her chin, watching the other members of the Rats closely. Trueshot takes up the rear, bow ready, should anything try and sneak up from behind. There are a score in all, heading into the tunnels, nearly half of the Rats of Rivington.
Barely a few yards in, the group comes to an intersection with two tunnels branching off.

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Yarl calls a halt and the Rats converge on the openings. After a few minutes, Skipper asks, "Want us to split up, boss man?"

Oak:

Oak begins to closely observe and study the other Rats accompanying them on this venture. They're Rats, and generally not to be trusted, but Oak does his best to identify the most trustworthy of the lot.

In the thirty minutes or so it takes you to get from the Den to the Riverveins, you have gotten a good look at just about everyone. Three stand out as devious types, two of which you could have sworn stood with Judas and his crew.

Fucking Sticks Yarl mutters as he weighs the options. Nah Skipper, we stick together. Fuck Sticks and these fucking tunnels.. He looks at both choices. Lets move up the the right a bit and see what we see.

Oak, happy with his place in the order, keeps a close watch on Cookie, making sure the lass is able to keep her head above water at all times.

He holds her hand as they navigate the occasionally unsteady ground. The pair follow along with the progress and pace of those in front of them.

Taking the right tunnel, the Rats press on slowly and cautiously...or as cautious as one can be in knee-deep water. The tunnel turns to mud a few yards on and the going slows a bit more...until Yarl turns a bend and spies something lying on the ground a few feet ahead at the edge of torch light.
Calling for more light, a couple of Rats move forward and hold their lanterns and torches high. Revealed is body, bloodied and covered with some type of creatures. Creatures with flapping wings and slurping beaks. A few of the Rats up front gasp and gag when they spy the body...which sends the creatures airborne...and coming right at the group!

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Actions!!

[hedgeknight]

Oak, somewhat further back in the ranks, hears the commotion from up ahead, but is unaware of the exact happenings. "Here," he says to Cookie, passing her his unlit lantern. "Hold this -- above the water." He moves directly in front of her, shielding her, as he slides his rapier out from his belt and wraps his fingers around the hilt, quickly reaching a balance between the length of the blade and the quillon.

"Stay behind me," he cautions Cookie as he surveys the immediate area of threat in front of them and prepares a potential offensive thrust or jab, as needed.

Rolls:

Initiative: Initiative: [1d20+1]=7+1=8
Action: Ready
Trigger: Creature enters attack range.
Attack & Damage: Attack with Rapier: [1d20+3]=20+3=23, [1d8+1]=6+1=7 Piercing -- Boom!

[hedgeknight]

STIRGES!

This scream blares throughout the tunnel, shocking those in the back who cannot see the flurry of leathery wings, the screechings of the winged bloodsuckers as they smell fresh meat and dive upon it! Bursting forth out of overhead holes in the walls, they swoop down and attack. Plunging their long snout deep into flesh, the stirges fall upon the Rats of Rivington, trapped in the tunnel like...well...erm...rats!

In the front, Yarl cries out in pain and surprise as a stirge drives its beak deep into his chest! (Crit = Double Dmg 6) More Rats cry out, flailing at the creatures, falling into the water in an attempt to pull them off.
Oak has his rapier in hand and when a stirge dives at Cookie, he skewers it, and flings its lifeless body aside. And then grunts in surprise as one of the bloodsuckers lands on his neck and drinks deeply! (Crit = Double Dmg 6)

"Oak!" Cookie screams and Oak looks to see one of the creatures attached to the child's back! "It's eating me! Help me, Oak!"







Yarl - down 6 hp
Oak - down 6 hp
Cookie - down 2 hp

[dmw71]

Not wanting to risk possibly jabbing Cookie with his longer blade, Oak drops his rapier -- ideally onto dry land, but into water if he must -- and switches to his dagger. "I'm coming, Cook..." he calls out, disregarding the pest stuck on himself, and attempts to get up close with a dagger to carefully cat the stirge away from Cookie.

"Just hang in there, kid!" he calls out reassuringly, doing his best to hide his concern, after his overly cautious efforts to extract the bloodsucking beast clearly fail.


Rolls:
Attack with Dagger: [1d20+3]=3+3=6, [1d4+1]=4+1=5 Piercing

[Computer +1]

The pain bring Yarl to action as he hope to kill these gods damned creatures. Kill these fuckers!! he screams.
He punches the one stuck on his chest with the hand holding the torch to try to knock it off and kill it at the same time


Not wanting to to slice himself, he then launches a second attack with his short sword at the next nearest target.

[hedgeknight]

STIRGES!! Rd. 2

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Flailing wildly, Yarl Blacktongue dislodges the stirge attached to his chest and then chops another in half as it attempts to grab him. Looking around, he sees his gang succumbing to the flock of bloodsuckers! Kill these fuckers! he screams, and the Rats try to obey, even though he sees several Rats face down, unmoving, with one or more hungry stirges sucking them dry!

Oak tries to help Cookie, but he is unable to dislodge the stirge intent on draining her blood. In fact, he ignores the one affixed to him, and feels weaker for it.
He feels his legs give way and finds himself on his knees, barely able to hold his head up...there is a droning sound in his ears...is it Cookie screaming his name?

Yarl looks around and sees Cookie face down in the water, a stirge sucking greedily at the back of her neck.


Suddenly, Trueshot is beside him, driving a dagger into the stirge affixed to his chest and ripping it off. "We have to get out of here!" Trueshot shouts, grabbing Oak and hoisting the half-conscious rogue to his feet.

ACTIONS!!

Yarl - down 6 hp
Oak - down 13 hp > -1 and dying!
Cookie - down 9 hp > and dying!

[dmw71]

Having failed at the one responsibility he was tasked with, Oak prepares himself for a death filled with shame. He hopes Cookie's family can forgive him.

---

Editing post to link to this.

If Oak doesn't survive, he doesn't survive. As a player, I am fully on board with PC death and accept it as a natural and inevitable consequence of an adventurer's chosen path in life.

Then again, this is 5e, so I'm sure he'll be fine.

---

Rolls

Death Save (10): [1d20]=18

[Computer +1]

Things slow down in Yarl's head. He sees his gang members fighting and dying. He feels the blood pumping in his heart and he knows that its his fault. He led them here. He got them killed. He lets out a guttural scream of rage and leaps toward the closest living Rat in trouble and tries to save his comrade by killing their attacker.


He moves on to the next Rat still moving and tries again to save them while yelling Pull back! Grab those who are down!!!



I didn't specify who he helps because I am not sure who is where.

[hedgeknight]

STIRGES!! Rd. 3

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While Oak is fighting for his life, the other Rats are screaming, flailing, running, and dying. Trueshot props Oak up against the wall and grabs Cookie, ripping the feeding stirge from the child's back and flinging it against the wall. It is then his turn to scream as one of the bloodsuckers drives its beak into his back!




"Get it off me!" Trueshot hollers. "Get it off me!"

A guttural scream of rage echoes up and down the tunnel as Yarl leaps into action. He grabs the stirge on Trueshot's back and smashes the life out of it. Cradling Cookie, Trueshot grabs Oak and he and Skipper half-carry, half-drag the unconscious half-elf down the tunnel.

Pull back! Grab those who are down!!! Yarl yells, knocking another stirge off of a fellow Rat, before pushing and shoving down the tunnel, stepping on and around those who are already dead. Torches flicker, shouts continue, splashing and falling, and stumbling up and splashing some more...until the survivors arrive back at the intersection of the two tunnels.

Gasping for breath, soaked with water and blood, the Rats take stock. Yarl looks around and does a quick head count. They went into the tunnel with 20 and now there are only...
"Twelve," Trueshot says. "We lost nearly half our number in that infested hellhole!"
"I'd bet good money Ol' Sticks knew about it too!" Skipper groans, looking at the hole in his arm from a stirge's beak.

"So...what are we gonna do now, boss?" Trueshot asks Yarl, and the other Rats look to their kingpin for answers.


Yarl - down 6 hp
Oak - down 13 hp > 0 hp (1 positive death save; roll another Dave)
Cookie - down 9 hp > and still dying
Trueshot down 4 hp

[Computer +1]

With an out of character tenderness, Yarl cradles Cookie and tries his best to stabilize to poor girl with his personal med kit.Get the wounded patched up quick. Wash out the cuts before you wrap em. Yarl orders while working. As he works he does his best to take stock of who is left. Who looks like they can carry on? Who doesn't look likely to make it? Fuck that cunt Sticks' he mutter while looking after his wounded members.

[dmw71]

Oblivious to the actual happenings, Oak's strong sense of obligation to keep Cookie safe seems to be aiding him in staving off death's calling.



Rolls:

Death Save (10): [1d20]=14

[hedgeknight]

Crossroads...

Cursing Ol' Sticks, Yarl does his best to bind Cookie's wound and make sure she is still breathing...barely, but yes, she is. Trueshot and Skipper take care of Oak, stablizing the Half-Elf who is too stubborn to die.
The other Rats are breathing heavy and taking stock. Trueshot starts counting his arrows, having used several against the stirges.
One of the Rats named, Pax, looks really scared and can't help but voice it.

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Several of the other Rats tell his to shut up, but just keeps talking, shaking his head, looking around the cavern. "Game over, man. Game over!"


Actions?

Yarl - down 6 hp
Oak - stable at 0 hp
Cookie - stable at 0 hp
Trueshot down 4 hp

[Computer +1]

How many Rats are functional? How many are clearly not able to go on?

[hedgeknight]

Eight or so; four are really bad off, including Oak. If he had some healing...

[Computer +1]

Where would Yarl usually go for healing? A temple? A contact with potions? A local doctor/healer?

[Computer +1]

Yarl moves in close to Trueshot. True what ya think? Most of these can't move forward, right?

[hedgeknight]

Where would Yarl usually go for healing? A temple? A contact with potions? A local doctor/healer?

There's an old "wart witch" in Rivington who patches the Rats up from time to time; gives them poultices and tinctures that smell and taste vile and don't really do a lot of healing. There's a cleric or two in the outer city neighborhoods, but when they need true healing, the Rats go to Harborside Hospital in Brampton...which is where the tunnel is supposed to end.

Yarl moves in close to Trueshot. True what ya think? Most of these can't move forward, right?

Trueshot shrugs and winces from the effort; the blood on his shirt and vest is mostly his own.
"Most can move on ahead, boss, but three of 'em won't do us any good in a fight, including Oak. But what choice do we have, eh?"

[dmw71]

Oak really isn't in a position to do anything, but I wanted to quickly share that my availability is going to be extremely limited until early/mid next week.

[Computer +1]

Well we can't sit here so, fuck it, lets try the other tunnel. You stick to the back with the injured, keep Skipper and Pax with ya. Have Pax help move along the wounded. Give him small tasks to help get his fucking confidence back.. Yarl looks around before continuing. I'll take point. If the front looks fucked then get your ass outta here. I'll give you all the time I can.. He gives Trueshot a friendly nudge. You watch your ass True.

[hedgeknight]

Giving orders, Yarl leads the surviving Rats down the left hand corridor. The going is slow and cautious; the crew doesn't want to be ambushed a second time...they may not survive another encounter like the stirges. They travel on for several yards, not really sure of the direction they are headed. The tunnel winds back and forth, often steeped in ankle-deep mud and goop, with an occasional bone or pile of bones off to one side. The corridor opens a bit and the Rats see growing vegetation and a grate overhead...and...is that a door at the end?

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