2. Into the dark

[mb.]

Boggs, you dash towards Grezz and realise you can either stop dead to dodge a group of four of the imps, or press forward and accept their attacks. Which'll it be?

[Spartakos]

[2d6+2] = 3+2 = 5 Defy Danger to dodge flyers
FUUUUU...

Bedwyr tries to dodge the swarm of whatever-they-ares, but they are thick as a cloud of gnats. He swings his sword in a flashing pattern around him to try to keep them at bay.

What are my options?

[mb.]

When you roll a 6 or less, I'm the one who has options...

Bedwyr, you charge into the storm of creatures, dodging gracefully from side to side. Spinning away from a knot of wings and claws, you twirl directly into another. The vicious imps latch one after another onto your sword arm, hampering your movement and wrenching your sword free, which falls to the ground with a clatter and spins across the floor towards the column beneath the demonic looking woman.

No damage for now as they were aiming to disarm you. The sword's not far away, so you can try to recover it with your next move, though it might be hard with your arm covered in imps. XP marked in my sig - the good news is you'll definitely level if you survive!

[KingOfCowards]

Onde's screams still fresh in his mind, Boggs lowers his head and charges through the cloud of imps.

Can I still get an attack on Grezz or is that an action for next round?

[Pulpatoon]

Oelle, paralyzed with fear, is unable to stir himself from his crouched position at the top of the stairs into the room. Since his arms and legs won't respond, he tries to at least wrest control of his eyes, and scan the place for any sign of dragon eggs.

[Spartakos]

A surge of something almost like pain crosses Bedwyr's face for a few seconds, as he sees his beloved sword swept from his grasp. His first instinct is to lunge for it, but instead he tries to wrench free of the imps and charges at Grezz, seeking to get his hands on the gnoll sorcerer.

How can I go about wrestling Grezz? I want to grab him and basically thrust/throw him into that red whatever-it-is he's working on. What kind of roll is called for, and what would be the possible results?

[mb.]

Boggs, you barrel through, tiny bodies bouncing off of you as go, but four of them find purchase and tear and bite painfully at your neck, arms and legs. Take [1d4+3] = 1+3 = 4 -1 for your armour, so 3, marked in my sig.

Bedwyr, you turn away from your sword with a grimace, and try to shake and beat the imps off of your arm. Roll Defy Danger + STR to free yourself.

Oelle, looking around the chamber, you notice that the open, small chambers left and right of you have heavy red curtains pulled aside beside their openings, suggesting that another chamber is hidden behind the curtain straight across the chamber from you. Considering there aren't any eggs visible anywhere, you can only assume they're there.

Let's wait to see what Aziza's doing.

[mb.]

Bedwyr, DW doesn't have specific grappling rules, but grabbing and lifting a frail old gnoll won't be a problem for an athletic elf like yourself. However, he'll be resisting and is wielding a very nasty looking knife. When you get to him, roll a Defy Danger + DEX, and another roll for lifting and throwing. For both rolls, on a 10+ you'll avoid the knife. On lower rolls, we'll see what happens.

[mb.]

Oelle, as you notice the curtain, you also notice a trio of imps flying around the walls in your direction, their beady little eyes clearly on you...

[Pulpatoon]

Although his every sinew seems intent on reacting to the flying imps by retreating back down the stairs, Oelle is surprised to find himself instead darting fully into the chamber and running pell-mell towards the curtained chamber.

Assuming this is Defy Danger + DEX: [2d6] = 7

[mb.]

Oelle, as you work up to a sprint across the chamber, you're buffeted by tiny bodies and wings, and although claws snag in your clothes and hair, none get a solid hold on you. You pass beneath the throbbing, buzzing beam of energy linking the red gem and the demonic woman, and have almost reached the heavy curtain when a bundle of imps dive at your feet. You can either stop your sprint and deal with them, or keep running which will almost certainly lead to a fall...

[Pulpatoon]

Oelle tries to barrel his way through/over the bundle of imps!

[Kanye Westeros]

Aziza
Eagle: Hold 3

I crouch beside Oelle, taking in the scene. Oh we are bunked.
I haven't quite my spear, Bedwyr's dagger isn't gonna help too much, damn.
Suddenly I have an idea, a stupid, suicidal, potentially world ending idea.
I'm gonna take that red magicky-looking gem, and I'm gonna fly out of the tower with it. It looks like that's being used to power the demon, or control it. So maybe I can weaken it by doing this.
Shapeshift (Eagle)
[2d6+1] = 9+1 = 10

As the mage sprints into the room (ha!, didn't think the old boy had it in him) I take wing into the space, streaking towards that gem like a feathered missile. and plowing through or avoiding imps, what do I roll?

[mb.]

A summary of where we're at right now:

Boggs, you take some bites and claws on the way, but you've now closed on Grezz. What do you do?

Bedwyr, you're smacking imps off your sword arm on the way to Grezz. Please roll Defy Danger + STR to free your arm.

Oelle...

As you cross the floor, you notice that the drops of blood that've fallen from Boggs are rolling across the floor like quicksilver towards the column above which the flaming gem hovers.

You almost charge through the imps at your feet, leaving them behind but your feet tangle on each other. You fall flat on your chest and slide across the floor until your face is buried in the thick curtain. As you hit the floor your satchel's strap breaks and it slides out of reach against the wall.

Aziza, as all of this happens you're in the process of shifting. When the actions above have been resolved, you can start moving towards Grezz. To fly through the imp storm without hindrance or damage, roll Defy Danger + DEX.

[KingOfCowards]

Boggs snarls at the ancient gnoll, as he stabs with his shortsword. "This is for Onde"
Hack and Slash: [2d6+1] = 7+1 = 8
Shortsword Damage: [1d8] = 7

[Spartakos]

[2d6+1] = 8+1 = 9 Defy Danger with Str

Cursing the imps in elvish, Bedwyr struggles to follow Boggs and rid himself of the troublesome mites. With his free hand, he pokes, pinches, and punches them to get them to let go.

[Pulpatoon]

Oelle leopard crawls under the curtain, desperate to find the eggs.

[Kanye Westeros]

Aziza

Here's my roll to fly through the cloud of imps. [2d6] = 11

[mb.]

Boggs, your shortsword slides easily into Grezz's belly. Your satisfaction turns to surprise as his hand locks around your forearm, holding your sword in him, "turn around little man. It doesn't seem that your lady friend is in any state to appreciate your gift." His smile stretches from ear to ear as he slashes his ugly dagger across your throat... Take [1d10+2] = 9+2 = 11 damage and join me in this thread (just Boggs please).

As Boggs collapses to the floor, a sickening gush of blood flows out of his neck across the floor. Those of you with the presence of mind to notice it see the blood separate into countless small drops and roll across the floor like mercury, obviously moving towards the two columns.

Bedwyr, you rip and slap the imps off, leaving a cross-hatch of scratches around your arm. Take [1d6+3] = 1+3 = 4 damage With a few steps you're behind Boggs, just in time to see him collapse to the floor, blood spraying from his neck. Grezz is laughing, calmly pulling Boggs' shortsword out of his belly and stepping away from you, behind the column.

Aziza, you shift and fly through the room with uncommon grace, dodging between, over and under clumsily flying imps. You arrive near Grezz at about the same time as Bedwyr, and just in time to witness Boggs' collapse.

Oelle, crawling under the heavy curtain you get a stinging bite on the ass (take [1d6] = 1 damage) which speeds you up! Behind the curtain you see...

Behind the curtain is a small circular chamber, like those where the burning gem and the Chain Demon are. The first thing you notice is how quiet it suddenly is; the buzzing throb of the red energy is a low background noise, muffled by the curtain, and the flapping and hissing imps are inaudible.

Around the wall of the room are seven identical, stout chests of dark wood banded in bronze, and a few large barrels. In the center of the chamber is what you seek: a circular stone pedestal, about waist high and wide enough for you to lie down on. On top of it are eight eggs, each about as tall as your abdomen, snow white tinged with hints of blue, and sparkling with ice crystals. They're all standing upright, held close together by a thick chain, similar to that which holds Nessilka below, which encircles them all.

The air is full of wildly careening imps, screeching and flapping. The streams of red energy make a loud buzzing throb between the gem, Onde and the wall behind her. On that wall, the diagram seems to be settling on a form, and across the floor roll beads of blood, converging on the columns where the gem and Onde are.

What do you do?

[Pulpatoon]

Behind the curtain:

Oelle swears to himself. Why did that dragon have to be so blasted fertile? Eight? Eight eggs! That's ridiculous!

Taking in the scene, Oelle decides that maybe he doesn't need to transport the eggs. The Master's chain around the eggs is the threat, since the Master could constrict the chain and crush the eggs. If Oelle can free them, perhaps that will be enough to rouse Nessilka and she can collect them herself.

Oelle gives the chain a careful visual inspection, taking pains not to touch it. He then sits and wracks his brains for any details regarding the chains behavior from previous observation. Lastly, he sits in a meditative stance, and begins a magical inspection of the chain and eggs, opening his mind up to the rhythms and flow of the aetheric environment.