The Great Gates (In-Character)

[beniliusbob]

Vamstar the Younger

In a panic, fearing death, the young warrior follows Divitiakus.


Briarthorn Brightwater

"Aggggh! Noooo! Ahhhh! No no no no no no-"

[4d6] = 14 vs. 7 STR


The Violet Chaplain

"Elves! Always making a mess of things!"

The Chaplain tosses aside her mace and shield and runs to Briarthorn to try to rescue her.

[4d6] = 9 vs. 13 STR

[Cougbeav]

Siegfried

Siegfried yells,Everyone to the frond corridor and start hacking at those fronds, Valkur and I will cover your retreat!!

Siegfried pushes any remaining party members in the direction of the fronds and backs up slowly watching Haukr carefully and interposing his shield and himself between Haukr and the remaining party members as it looks like he may have to cut down this wolf.

He takes a swing at the possessed wolf: [1d20+2] = 20+2 = 22,[1d6+2] = 5+2 = 7

[Karaunios]

Hey, does it look nice to you, killing Haukr? What if he got four 1s in his next saving throw and made it?

Yeah, sure he would've

[Paladin]

I'm going to give the others another day to post, since this is a holiday weekend for most of us. But I want to go ahead and drop our new player in, so I'll post that. Consider it as happening during the last turn.

Day 1, Morning - Enemies before and among us...

As the party becomes entangled in the grasping vines and scatters, some to help their comrades, others to guard their trail, and still others seeking blindy for a means of escape, the red-eyed apparitions begin their barking laughter once more. They cackle inanely at your predicament and draw their weapons. A solid dozen of them advance on the party, but a blur of motion distracts them.

They turn and come face to face with a grim, towering figure bearing a holy symbol thrust toward them. It glows with holy radiance and the beasts cower in fear. Ten of their number break and run. Only a pair of the hardiest remain, and they glare with murderous hatred at the heavily-armed newcomer. Swords upraised, they lunge toward her (Gessane gained surprise and will get an attack next round before the enemy reaches her).

The two wolves don't flee, but they back slowly away from the aura of the holy symbol, growling and snapping.

[beniliusbob]

Hot damn! I never would've expected these things to be turnable… that is some spicy intel! Welcome, Gessane - our saviour!

[ginnymack]

Gessane grunts as the two raise their swords and charge her. She lifts her shield up, her hard eyes glaring over the lip of her shield as she brings the spiked Morningstar to bear. She voices a prayer, starting soft yet growing louder and stronger with each word.

"Our Lady, I beseech thee, let my weapon strike true. Our Lady, make my arm swifter than those who would seek my death. Grant me victory over my foes and when my death comes, let my sisters cry out my name and let me die atop a mountain of enemy corpses...AMEN" The last she screams as she brings the Morningstar to bear against the closest.

: Attack: [1d20] = 16 Morningstar Dam: [1d6] = 5

OOC: Okay guys, I don't have color options using my phone so no blue dialogue this time.

[Modric]

Robern

Will run towards the beetle, hoping to either go underneath it, scare it off, or jump over it.

As far as the beetle is concerned, can we run or crouch underneath it?

[Cougbeav]

Siegfried

Siegfried charges the two remaining red eyed creeps that are focused on the cleric and swings his mace:

[1d20+2] = 8+2 = 10,[1d6+2] = 5+2 = 7

[Paladin]

Day 1, Morning - An undignified retreat...

Divitiakus has seen enough. Without pausing to aid his comrades, the shaman bolts directly toward the giant beetle in a desperate bid to escape.

You can try to go around the beast. It will take a hard (4d6) strength check to bull through the fronds.
You may attempt to vault over the beetle, also. It is nearly as tall as you. This will require a hard (4d6) Dexterity check to accomplish. Pick your poison and we'll roll the bones, my friend.

Vamstar loses his cool and races after the shaman, fleeing certain doom for probable doom.

Same for you, mate. Hard strength (4d6) to push through or hard dex (4d6) to jump over.

Poor Briarthorn is left to her doom and the fronds wrap tightly around her, choking the life from her flailing body. Just before the red oblivion of death clouds her elven eyes, a pair of strong hands tears her free of the ensnaring plants. The elf stumbles forward into the arms of her rescuer and gulps in a deep breath.

1 damage each to Briarthorn and The Violet Chaplain from the razor-sharp thorns and suckers on the fronds.

Haukr loses his battle with whatever unknown force seared his mind and as he turns, red-eyed and savage, upon his companions, Siegfried cleaves his maned neck with a mighty downward slash. The great shaggy wolf slumps, limp and unmoving, to the cold stone at Siegfried's feet. The faintest vestige of life remains to him, but it is fading fast.

7 damage to Haukr. He will bleed out at the end of the next round unless he is stabilized or healed by a companion.

From out of nowhere, Gessane is among them in a blur of steel and fury. Enemies scatter, and of those few who don't flee, one is smashed by the impact of her mace. Only one apparition remains standing. He snarls savagely and raises his sword for a return strike, but it slices down on a heavily-armored shoulder and glances harmlessly to the side.

Meanwhile, during the newcomer's heroics, another member of your expedition has made discretion the better part of valor and fled toward the giant beetle blocking his path. Robern races toward the opposite end of the corridor. Grasping fronds wave madly on either side and strain to reach him.

Same deal as Divitiakus and Vamstar. Hard strength or hard dex check to get past. It's too low to the ground to get beneath it.

I'll bump Siegfried's attack into the next round, since he already took a swipe at Haukr this turn. Gessane's appearance didn't advance the game a round--I just pasted her into the previous round so we could keep things flowing. But you'll hit, so he'll go down.

The two wolves turn away from the glare of the holy symbol and lunge for the heavily-armored Valkur. Their growls mingle with his war-song as they snap their mighty jaws at his muscled frame. One misses completely as Valkur dodges expertly, but the other connects and clamps down upon his thigh. A rivulet of bright crimson flows freely to the stone beneath Valkur's feet.

2 damage to Valkur

The beetle, faced with a horde of oncoming bodies, chitters wildly and waves his mandibles in front of him, making a rhythmic clacking sound as half the company dashes pell-mell toward him. It seems that he has finally noticed you.


Vamstar 5/7
Haukr -1/7 - Possessed(?), bleeding out, dead in 1 round
Divitiakus 2/6
The Violet Chaplain 3/6
Robern - 6/7
Briarthorn - 3/6
Valkur -5/7

[Karaunios]

Divitiakus will try anyway to jump over the beetle, maybe rolling on his back even.

Hard skill check [4d6] = 9 vs. DEX 14.

Once on the other side, he'll start running for it like mad.

[beniliusbob]

The Violet Chaplain

"Run, elf!"

The Chaplain takes back up her weapons and goes to fight the wolves with the newcomer and the other warriors.

To hit with mace: [1d20] = 8, damage: [1d6] = 3


Briarthorn Brightwater

The elf stumbles away from the fronds and pauses to catch her breath. She scans the canyon walls, looking for anything that may suggest a hidden way out.


Vamstar the Younger

"Yaaaah!"

Vamstar hurls himself at the giant beetle.

To hit with 2-hander: [1d20] = 9, damage (keep highest) [1d6] = 3, [1d6] = 4

[Modric]

Robern

Fleeing towards the beetle, Robern will try to bull his way through the gap and the fonds, having more strength than quickness.

Paladin, will you roll the strength check? Str 14.

[Paladin]

Yeah, sure. I'll put it in my summary once the others post.

[Paladin]

We still need posts from Valkur, Gessane, and Siegfried for this round before we move on.

[Odin One Eye]

Valkur Twigbeard

Gathering all the strength he can muster, he tries to get a head of steam going and run past the beetle.

[Cougbeav]

Siegfried

Siegfried will go to Gessane's aid and swing at any red eyed creature. If any are surprised or had their back to Sieg while fleeing from Gessane's radiance then he will try to gain some advantage while swinging his Axe.

"Feel the caress of KNOTCH!!"

[1d20+2] = 19+2 = 21,[1d6+2] = 4+2 = 6

[Paladin]

Day 1, Morning - An undignified retreat...

I'm sorry, Cougbeav. I had delayed Siegfried's last turn to post it this time...then told you we were waiting on a post from you! Lol. Your DM is tired and cross-eyed, my friend. Because I screwed up and both of your attacks hit, I'll say you kill both wolves this round. Just because Siegfried kicks butt.

I hate to proceed without Gessane chiming in, but you're welcome to retcon anything you'd like her to say or do in your next post.

Divitiakus leaps gracefully over the beast and lands on fleet feet before taking off in a dead run away from the conflict.

Valkur and Robern trust to brute strength and duck to either side of the beetle, plowing through the fronds and tearing them free of the rock wall. They skim past the massive beetle, narrowly missing his clacking mandibles as he swings his head left and right as if confused and trying to make sense of things. They dash after Divitiakus.

1 damage each as you tear through the thorns.

Briarthorn's desperate search yields nothing but the same route taken by her companions. But it seems that things are calming down on the her side of the corridor as Gessane, Siegfried, and the Violet Chaplain, in an awesome display of valor and martial prowess, wade through the red-eyed savages and the pair of wolves in a matter of seconds. A moment later and only they remain on the battlefield, panting heavily and looking at one another across the bodies of the fallen.

Unaware that the battle behind him is over, Vamstar hacks at the giant beetle. His sword bounces off the creature's thick shell and the impact rattle's Vamstar's bones. He's thrown back a few steps and faces the creature with wide eyes as the now-enraged insect launches its massive bulk in his direction and bites down on his forearm.

3 damage to Vamstar

Any of you familiar with the wildlife around the city will know that giant beetles are rarely encountered alone.

Poor Haukr bleeds out, unnoticed, on the cold stone as his heart pumps one final time and goes still. It would seem that Anaximander was wrong.

Vamstar 2/7
Haukr -2/7 - dead (again)
Divitiakus 2/6
The Violet Chaplain 3/6
Robern - 5/7
Briarthorn - 3/6
Valkur -4/7

[Karaunios]

Divitiakus will still run a good hundred feet until stopping short and look around.

[Modric]

Robern

Runs after Divikiatus.

[beniliusbob]

Vamstar the Younger

Vamstar grimaces. His hunter's instincts kick in and he goes on the defensive. He backs slowly away, keeping his sword out to deter the mandibles, trying to goad the beetle to follow him out of the narrow passage and into the wider area so he can run around it. He keeps a lookout behind him for death-fronds.

Briarthorn Brightwater

Briarthorn watches Vamstar carefully, then looks for an opening to run past the beetle.

The Violet Chaplain

"The fight's not over yet!" She hustles back to join Vamstar fighting the beetle.