Chapter 26: Dominion of Ruin

[jemmus]

Torix slings the ancient spear and readies his bow. He's ready to get the monster's attention at the first sign of it.

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

Cruloc runs his hand along the long curve of his bow.

"You are a dastard's weapon, but I can deny neither your beauty nor purpose. If we must bring down the beast with sticks and string, so be it!"

Following Dahinna and Torix, he takes up an advantageous position behind a fallen column away from the Pict.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu keeps with Kiri circling around and readies his silence spell at the first sign of hydra trouble.

[ChubbyPixie]

While still out of eye and earshot of the site of the Hydra, Kiri summons Grandfather, then pulls out the large sack he's been carrying around uselessly since their pyramid adventure. He applies a section of rope to it to simulate a human torso and head, which his ghostly ancestor duly inserts himself into to creating a sort of floating dummy. This ruse while surely unconvincing to a thinking creature, might be enough to fool a serpentine monstrosity, he thinks. Time would tell.

He sets off under cover of Amethu's cone of silence, Grandfather following behind at a distance of 30', his goal being for them to remain undetected until all party members are in place. When all is ready, he'll ask grandfather to step out into the open to the west of the stacked blocks to see what the Hydra's reaction may be.

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

If there is a column which looks like it may topple with a mighty shove, Cruloc will hide behind it. Should the hydra move into its range, he will attempt to make it fall onto the beast.

[jemmus]

Torix sees the Cruloc casting his eyes about, assessing things that only a Cimmerian might be assessing. For his part, he looks around for a location with these criteria: at a distance close enough to draw the monster's attention; at a distance far away enough to be able to outrun the monster, and climb to above the reach of its heads; to be able to draw his bow to its most taut limit to try to drive shafts deep through its scales. And as importantly, that the place be a spot where he and Cruloc can see each other and communicate by cry, eye gaze or gesture of hand. He now wishes that he'd taught the northern Cimmerian the Pictish way of signaling information at a distance by specific ways of waving a spear or bow overhead.

But of course, the people of his village would have no choice but to roast him alive for teaching the secret language of silent signs to a Cimmerian. A raider, a burner, a sacker of villages.

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

If no such column exists, Cruloc will choose a spot with the same criteria as Torix.

[jemmus]

Torix warily goes back toward the place they ran from. From 20 yards out, he looks into the courtyard with the slain one-eyed monster and the snake monster's prison. Or lair.

[Inferno]

The Ruins of Thracia, Pictland, the World of Hyboria
Day Twenty-two. Late Morning. 1st day of the month of Ublex, 1280th year of the Age of Aquilonia







Within that ancient realm of mystery and terror, the explorers of Thracia stalk a horrific creature out of timeless myth and legend!

Kiri Khutan fashions a decoy aided by the invisible spirit of his ancestor! He and Amethu enter the shattered antechamber north of the sundered temple to peer over the rubble of its broken wall.

Cruloc, Dahinna and Torix creep southward on the silent thoroughfare, to spy into the first doorway in the crumbling stone wall!

Within the temple ruin, they all behold a ghastly scene!




The fearsome serpentine monstrosity is making a grisly feast of the dead cyclops' face!




Viciously intent on its hideous feeding, the gigantic blood-soaked predator doesn't notice them... yet!


Actions?!


Area Map:

One square = 10 feet. H = the Hydra. Cy = the Cyclops. Grey rubble slows movement, white rubble is impassable.

Behind the DM Screen:

Surprise? Party:[1d6]=6, Monsters: [1d6]=2 Monster is surprised. Party is not.

PC Status:

Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 4/3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 15/17, Spells: 6/8 1st lvl, 3/5 2nd lvl
Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 40/54
Dahinna: Zamoran Southwoman Thief 5: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 25/25
Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 3/3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 20/21, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl
Torix: Pict Savage Barbarian 4: Move: 12", AC: 2, HP: 31/38

PC Magic:

Unseen Servant (Kiri): Duration: 85 rounds.

Player Resources:

The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[hedgeknight]

Dahinna

With somewhat of a plan, the Zamoran rogue eases her way to the corner of the wall, about 20' away (I11). She glances back at Cruloc and Torix, waiting for them to draw the hydra out. Sweat runs down her face, mostly out of fear, she readies her shortsword to strike at the beast's flank when it appears.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu remains motionless as Kiri manipulates his own sorcery.

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

Cruloc waits, an arrow nocked and ready. His stern blue eyes flick toward Grandfather, but the ancient one remains still, his gaze far off, as if time itself weighed as heavy on him as on the crumbling ruins at their feet.

"Why do the old linger so?"

He moves to P8, barely out of the hydra's view, but able to see the dead cyclops and the temple courtyard in front of it.

[jemmus]

Torix nods to Dahinna as she moves to her chosen position and looks back. He raises a finger to his lips-- the universal sign for stealth and silence among both barbarians and the civilized. And then he crosses his arms across his chest, slightly bounces them twice, bows his head and looks at her with a serious and earnest look in his eye. It's hard to be completely sure, but it's pretty sure the sign means "be safe-- protect yourself first."

[ChubbyPixie]

From concealment behind the broken wall, Kiri will ask Grandfather to maneuver himself to I15 in an attempt to provoke the creature away from its feast and expose its flank to the rest of the party. He has instructed the old man that if the creature takes the bait, he should try to stay ahead of it, moving in a way to keep its back to the others as much as possible.

He specifically instructs him not to goof around and allow himself to get eaten "for fun."

[Inferno]

Lair of the Cyclops, The Ruins of Thracia, Pictland, the World of Hyboria
Day Twenty-two. Late Morning. 1st day of the month of Ublex, 1280th year of the Age of Aquilonia







The blood-curdling sound of cracking bones emanates from the ghastly repast of the hydra!

Against every instinct of self preservation, Dahinna moves closer to that terrifying sound, and shelters behind a crumbling wall!

Her companions quietly creep into place as Kiri softly orders his sorcerous decoy into position (at G), within the sight of the deadly, scaled leviathan!

Instantly, some dozen pairs of eyes glance up from their gruesome meal!



Suddenly, with shocking and unexpected speed, the impossible creature of undulating serpents lunges toward the decoy with a frightful ferocity!


Actions?! (Kiri, where does Grandfather flee to? And remember, he must keep within 30 feet of Kiri at all times, as per the spell description. Thanks!)


Map Detail:

One square = 10 feet. H = the Hydra. Cy = the Cyclops. Grey rubble slows movement, white rubble is impassable.

Map:





PC Status:

Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 4/3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 15/17, Spells: 6/8 1st lvl, 3/5 2nd lvl
Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 40/54
Dahinna: Zamoran Southwoman Thief 5: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 25/25
Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 3/3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 20/21, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl
Torix: Pict Savage Barbarian 4: Move: 12", AC: 2, HP: 31/38

PC Magic:

Unseen Servant (Kiri): Duration: 83 rounds.

Player Resources:

The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

"Flee, old man!" Cruloc growls. "By Crom, wipe that damned grin off your face and run!"

The Cimmerian shifts to R10 so that the hydra remains visible to him.

"Now, hydra. Show us what speed your legs can muster."

[ChubbyPixie]

Grandfather gleefully scampers slightly northwards then directly eastwards towards H17 or 18 in an attempt to get the beast to turn its back to the rest of party.

If there is a gap in the rubble that allows him to do so, Kiri will fire arrows into the hydra once it’s exposed its backside to him:

Attack with Short Bow (THAC0:18): To Hit: [1d20]=14 Damage vs. s/m: [1d6]=5, vs. Lg: [1d6]=1

Attack with Short Bow (THAC0:18): To Hit: [1d20]=13 Damage vs. s/m: [1d6]=1, vs. Lg: [1d6]=2

[jemmus]

Dahinna is in-line in between Torix and the hydra. He doesn't want to draw the thing's attention on him and get Dahinna caught in a lunge.
He quietly moves back and to his right, looking over his shoulder to keep an eye on the hydra.

To L6

[hedgeknight]

Dahinna

Despite the pounding of her heart, she winces when the hyrda goes after Kiri's "grandfather." Her knees are shaking and she clenches her teeth so hard she hears her jaw pop. Glancing back at Torix, she gives him a nod and dashes across the 20' opening to curl in behind the wall (moves to L11). She presses as flat as she can against the wall, trying to peer around it and get a fix on the beast.

[Inferno]

Sorry, Raven. That's three and a half days. Onward.