Ch. 6: One More Time Around

[Stirling]

McCloud tries to concentrate upon Penfold and direct his steps. He has little HP left so will dodge and weave like some mad boxer from melee. McClouds (X4) tries to spot if the Acererarck skull is still in the room or is it animated with the dust apparition?"Bag HIM up too", McClouds will shout, pointing at any bones on the floor.

[Zhym]

Round 5

Odilo orders the hound to guard Urdak. The barking hound turns from the pile of treasure to Urdak, but otherwise just stands and barks.

Urdak, enraged by being enflamed, strikes out at the dust creature with the spear he took from the pile of treasure, just as the monster swipes ineffectively at Urdak. The spear pokes the monster in its side. Dust swirls around the wound. The creature staggers back.

Skarlos joins Urdak in attacking the thing, but his mace just misses.

The four McClouds, bobbing and weaving like a punch-drunk boxer, directs his Unseen Servant, which is gathering the last of the gems and items. McCloud points to the skull, which still rests at the far end of the crypt. "Bag HIM up too," he shouts, pointing at the skull. The bag starts floating toward the skull.

Initiative: Party [1d6] = 2 Monsters [1d6] = 2
Closest weapon: [1d4] = 4 (Sw1, Sw2, Sw3, Sp)
Damage: [1d6+3] = 2+3 = 5

-----
Status: Quinn (B13(F7/T8)): 33/78; Urdak (Dwarf F10): 19/75; McCloud (F6/MU6/T10): 13/40; Odilo (M11): 20/44; Skarlos (C10): 29/56
Effects: Protection from Evil 10' (Quinn): 12.7 turns; Protection from Evil (Odilo, on Skarlos): 19 rounds; Mirror Image (McCloud): 10 rounds; Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound (Odilo): 20 rounds; Unseen Servant (McCloud): 11.9 turns

[GreyWolfVT]

Odilo will try and get the staff that was in the treasure pile. Hoping the unseen servant is slow enough to catch up with.

[tkrexx]

Urdak again stabs at whatever it is he's fighting with fierce abandon!

To hit: [1d20] = 10 +1 STR = 11

And, if he gets his 2nd attack: [1d20] = 4

[Zhym]

We'll say the staff is big enough that one end sticks out of the bag. Odilo can grab the staff this round.

[saalaria]

Skarlos attacks with his mace once again:

mace + 3 attack: To Hit [1d20+3] = 10+3 = 13, Dam [1d6+4] = 2+4 = 6

Does it appear we are actually doing any damage to the dust fiend?

[Stirling]

"well dome my boy, just a few extras treasures' and we'll be off down the corridor...", McClouds shout in unison to Penfold.

[Zhym]

Round 6

Once again, you act quickly. Urdak presses the attack. He attacks the dust creature with his new spear—which curves backwards and stabs him in the back! (-5 HP) A surprised Urdak attacks again. Something as simple as a spear attacking its own wielder isn't going to keep him from attacking his enemy. The spear straightens out, but the dust creature easily avoids the attack.

Skarlos swings his mace at the dust fiend's head. More dust flies, and the fiend recoils.

Odilo grabs the staff from the bag that seems to be floating in the air toward the skull. It seems to be quite the staff—now if only Odilo knew how to use it.

The floating bag reaches the stone block on which the skull rests. Two large rubies fill the skull's eye sockets. Where teeth should be, there are instead six huge marquis-cut diamonds.

ToH 34.png (552.88 KiB) Viewed 700 times

As soon as Penfold touches the skull, it immediately rises into the air. It slowly looks around the vault, as if contemplating with icy malevolence each one of you.

Actions!

Initiative: Party [1d6] = 4 Monsters [1d6] = 2
Backbite? [1d20] = 2 - Yes, and hit.
Backbite? [1d20] = 6 - No

-----
Status: Quinn (B13(F7/T8)): 33/78; Urdak (Dwarf F10): 14/75; McCloud (F6/MU6/T10): 13/40; Odilo (M11): 20/44; Skarlos (C10): 29/56
Effects: Protection from Evil 10' (Quinn): 12.6 turns; Protection from Evil (Odilo, on Skarlos): 18 rounds; Mirror Image (McCloud): 9 rounds; Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound (Odilo): 19 rounds; Unseen Servant (McCloud): 11.8 turns

[tkrexx]

Zis sucks bee stings! Urdak seems to forget he is in close melee at the moment. He slams the cursed spear to the floor and launches himself at the second nearest weapon. Ya just wait zere, mildew-man, Ae'll kill ya yet!

[GreyWolfVT]

Odilo rushes back out of the tomb area with the staff so that he might better figure it out checking it over for any runes or writings on the staff.

[saalaria]

Skarlos swings again:

mace + 3 attack: To Hit [1d20+3] = 3+3 = 6, Dam [1d6+4] = 3+4 = 7

Doh!

[Mondego]

Completely ignoring the dust monster, Quinn moves forward and slashes at the floating skull.

To hit: [1d20+3] = 1+3 = 4 damage with sword: [1d8+5] = 5+5 = 10

[GreyWolfVT]

Odilo would try to identify the staff in his hands but instead quickly looks for anything that might be inscribed on the staff then decides eh well can't beat em join em and he swings the staff at the dust monster.

Magical Staff [1d20] = 3 To Hit [1d6] = 6 Dmg
but he can't even do that well.

[Zhym]

Round 7

The floating skull distracts everyone from their attacks. Skarlos makes a clumsy swing that the dust fiend easily avoids. Quinn and Odilo ignore the dust fiend and attack the floating skull. The skull simply bobs away from their blows. McCloud, with his three McCloud-shaped images, continues his defensive positioning. Urdak tries to throw the cursed spear to the ground, but he discovers that the spear is welded to his hand.

The skull's wandering gaze settles on Odilo. Its right eye gleams with a wickedly evil light, and Odilo's body collapses in a mouldering and withering mass of corruption. The skull sinks back down to rest on the stone block. The constant barking from Odilo's invisible magic guard dog abruptly goes silent.

Actions!

Initiative: Party [1d6] = 4 Monsters [1d6] = 1

-----
Status: Quinn (B13(F7/T8)): 33/78; Urdak (Dwarf F10): 14/75; McCloud (F6/MU6/T10): 13/40; Skarlos (C10): 29/56
Effects: Protection from Evil 10' (Quinn): 12.5 turns; Mirror Image (McCloud): 8 rounds; Unseen Servant (McCloud): 11.7 turns

[Stirling]

If it wasn't for tense buttock muscles, McClouds 1-4 may well have dropped a wee brownie. Faced with being turned into 'zombie soup', (first think that McCloud thought of as he watched Odilo melt away!), McCloud will shout to Penfold and anyone else still listening,"C'mon lads, lets' leave the ghostie and old bonehead where they rest, We have enough treasure. Think of the doors of mithril not the pearly gates!". McCloud will take the bag from Penfold and stay in the room only long enough to lift the rear of his kilt and say "kiss my ass cheeks Acererack I'm off". Out of spells and nearly out of HP, with no weapons to fight it makes no sense to die heroically.

[GreyWolfVT]

So ends the time of Odilo the strange. That is his fate for accidentally killing a team mate.

[tkrexx]

The Dwarf is having a very difficult time understanding why his weapon of choice has betrayed him, yet sticks to him like flypaper! It is an unfortunate day indeed, when even an Ironbeard sees no alternative but to flee. Waitn f'r meeee! He does give the Devil of the Dust one last sneer as he turns to make that strategic withdrawal.

[Mondego]

Seeing his comrades retreat, Quinn follows, only slowing momentarily to grab the swords from the treasure pile.

[Stirling]

"C'mon brother Skarlos, not time to meet yer god yet", McClouds' wave at the cleric.

[saalaria]

As everyone is leaving and seeing no obvious means to overcome either enemy Skarlos too legs it.

"Surely we have failed in our quest? We needed to get the skull back with us didn't we? I have no desire to end up like poor Odilo - why don't we regroup a few corridors away?"