Expedition - Markd/On A Mission From Baudh - 08 May 2021

[Zhym]

Oh, okay. Then Olaf joins Bremen.

[Stirling]

Much easier for everyone to call out in common, hey shit, there's a Medusa about, everyone come over here."

Kellstrom will follow the urgency of Bremen's call to check out the alcove instead of the statues.

[Rusty Tincanne]

but there isnt a medusa.

[Stirling]

Kellstrom

Inspecting the alcove, "so, what's up?"

[Marullus]

Markd looks to the northern horizon; with the relatively clear skies and temperate morning you can see quite far from up here. You can see the walls of a city in the distance, about seven miles away, a keep within.

Bandy arrives at the alcove first, examining it for a few minutes before the rest of the party crowds in to join him. The slots would fit his sword, coin, flat hand, or similar horizontally-flat item. They do not go the whole way through, but slope sharply downwards through the exterior stone to drop off into a dark chute leading downwards. You try to gauge the distance from the doorway; if it does align to something within the motte, it is further in than the rooms you've explored.

Bremen approaches the alcove, but gets nervous along his way, trying to communicate discretely to the others in the party to join him there. Kellstrom, Irving, and Olaf gather curiously around Bremen and Bandy in the alcove. The hilltop remains eerily silent, a wind blowing mournfully through the standing stones.

Time: 11 May 2021, 7:15 am
Light source: Sun
Weather: 46 F, wind 9-14 SSW
Injuries: None

[Zhym]

"Yah," sighs Olaf ruefully. "This be a thinky place." He continues to hold his pick ready in case one of the stones attacks.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Captain Bremen
The only thinking I'm doing is how to get out of here. The gargoyle statues have been watching us. The eyes move. I think they protect the place. The Captain offers to lead the group back to the ponies, crossbow at the ready. Each of us should try and watch one of these things to be sure we ain't surprised if they make a move. I'll watch that first one.

How many of these demon-looking things are there? Are they just gray or do they look to be made of living stone? Is there a path out of the henge that keeps us away from them entirely?

[Zhym]

Olaf intently watches as many of the statues as he can. "Don' blink!" he urges.

[Marullus]

There is one of them on top of each mausoleum - on East, south, and north sides of the henge. You are in the alcove, which is the west side of the henge. They look like grey stone statues, but with more lifelike detail and less erosion than the human statues at ground level.

[Keehnelf]

Irving frowns. "If they haven't attacked us yet, they must have a trigger of some kind. My bet is they guard those crypts against folks who might want to rob the dead."

[Alethan]

Bandy Sandybanks

"Let's get out of here. You spied a city north of here? With a keep? Does it look like the tower we want?" Bandy asks as he slowly backs away from alcove, watching the statue out of the corner of his eye.

He will make his way back towards the mounts cautiously.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Irving frowns. "If they haven't attacked us yet, they must have a trigger of some kind. My bet is they guard those crypts against folks who might want to rob the dead."

Captain Bremen pauses for a moment, considering, It can't be that they attack if you want to loot the dead, because I'd already be dead. Well maybe they'd be our friends if we put some flowers at each grave... But I'm with Bandy. Let's get out of here before they decide we're trespassing.


1. A wiser man than Bremen might try leaving flowers.
2. Hard to believe we haven't been attacked by vampires at this site... Could just be ghosts. Maybe we need an exorcism.
3. Marullus mentioned random stones that look like the dropped where thy are. Could well be that that is how these things fight is by throwing stones...

[Stirling]

Kellstrom

"Well we can find out if they are waiting to pounce or will fly off, or maybe just plain decorative statues..."

Kellstrom sling attack [1d20+1] = 11+1 = 12 slingshot damage [1d4] = 4

he fires at one of those that Bremen says is watching him.

[Keehnelf]

Irving bolts off down the hill.

[onlyme]

Markd exits as well. He heads toward the city.

[Marullus]

The scene unnerving, Bandy and Bremen begin backing away. Kellstrom braces his feet and spins his sling. He releases his stone at the demon-like winged statue on top of the mausoleum. It ducks, then screams incoherently. All three creatures spread their massive wings - stretching more than twenty feet side to side to carry their large bipedal forms, and launch at the group.

Markd, Bremen, Irving, and Bandy break into a run, heading different ways down the hillside. The one targeted at Kellstrom flies straight at him - Kellstrom tries to defend himself with the leather strap in his hands, but to no avail - the creature sinks its wicked fangs into his forearm. (-2hp)

The other two beasts target the runners - one chasing Irving and the other Bremen.

Bremen swerves, ducking through one of the standing henges. The beast behind him doesn't change divert in time, the loud crack of both stone and flesh is heard as the creature's wings impact the standing side-stones. The creature tumbles on the turf, momentarily grounded.

Irving is running full-speed but is no match for the swing wingbeats of the creature behind him, its wings blotting the sky. Irving finds his uncle's sword in his hands, it flares with a pulse of light as the creature dives. Irving brings the sword up and shears one wing of the creature clean off. The creature's dive still intersects Irving, though, as it grabs him with one wicked claw and sinks its teeth into his less-armored thigh (-5hp) before tumbling past him onto the grass of the hillside, snarling as it struggles to right itself.

(I rolled an attack for you to expedite the round. I chose the "minimum damage and special action" of cleaving the wing since your damage roll came up 1 anyway... if you want to do max-damage (10hp) instead, let me know.)

(Actions and initiative!)

Rolls:

[1d6] = 5 gargoyle initiative

Attack on... Kellstrom (1-3), Markd, Bandy, Bremen, Olaf, Irving [1d8] = 8 [1d8] = 6 [1d8] = 3
Attacks on Irving, Bremen, and Kellstrom

Attack on Kellstrom [1d20] = 6 [1d20] = 8 [1d20] = 17
Damage on Kellstrom [1d6] = 2

Attack on Bremen [1d20] = 3 [1d20] = 13 [1d20] = 1
Bremen escapes.

Attack on Irving [1d20] = 6 [1d20] = 19 [1d20] = 13
Damage on Irving [1d3] = 3 [1d6] = 2
Irving Attack [1d20+2] = 20+2 = 22 [1d8+2] = 1+2 = 3
Morale [2d6] = 10

[Zhym]

Olaf can't help but grin. They're being attacked by creatures of stone and he's carrying a big damn pick axe!

He charges the nearest stone demon. "Time fer some excavating!" he cries with a laugh. "C'mere, ye big gits! I'll turn ye into rubble!"

Pick Axe (THAC0 19): [1d20+1] = 16+1 = 17 [1d8+1] = 1+1 = 2

[Rusty Tincanne]

Seriously?

Captain Bremen
The Captain let his anger fuel his legs. He trusted his body to maneuver through the narrow henge, knowing his time in the military, leading his men through obstacle courses, gave him the advantage.

Hearing the gargoyle thud to the ground, he skidded to a halt and brought his crossbow to bear upon the prone creature.

Crossbow [1d20+2] = 18+2 = 20 damage [1d6] = 5

Captain Bremen smiled as he saw the arrow pierce the beast's stony flesh.

Somehow I think I should have taken the "keep running" option.

[onlyme]

What would MArkd have been able to see/ ascertain? He ran away, so not sure how far he got once he heard the sounds.

[Marullus]

Mark's running was not pre-emptive; the attack was concurrent. He was not attacked so is free to have escaped, but he was running in the midst of the fight and is fully aware of what is happening. At the end of round one, you're 120 feet away.