|
From humbug Fri Apr 30 16:18:06 1999
From: humbug
Subject: more longness.
Newsgroups: redbrick.rpg.board
Organization:
Summary:
Keywords:
User-Agent: tin/pre-1.4-980226 (UNIX) (SunOS/5.7 (i86pc))
Status: RO
Content-Length: 9043
Lines: 171
Friendly fire can be a bad thing.
The first day passes uneventfully, but early into the second days travel
a monstrous bellowing sounds out, over and above the background jungle
noise, emanating from somewhere up ahead. Deciding to press on regardless
the party realise that the noise is thankfully coming from the other
side of the river. Realising it's safe enough to have a look the party
approach the river bank opposite where the noise is coming from.
Two monsters, approximately 'Rancor' like in size and
appearance, are on the other side of the river, beating each other to
a pulp. Again glad that the monsters are on the other side of the river
the party press on.
As the group moves on, the next significant event occurs when a
large snake decides it wants to drop out of the jungle canopy and attack
Gandu. The party is caught unawares, and the snake entwines Gandu. The
group however, does get the chance to attack before the snake bites or
even begins to constrict Gandu.
Gandu attempts to cast 'magic missile' at the snake that coils
around him, but the difficulty of the situation makes him fail, and the
spell fizzles and dies. Eltric and Jonas then attack the snake with their
daggers. Eltric misses, but Jonas scores a critical hit, doing twice
as much damage as normal, but not killing it. Nickos, with his staff,
attacks next, and manages to hit the snake, scoring a good hit and
killing it.
Unfortunately, Slate (the robust dwarf) doesn't realise that the
snake is dead, and swings his battle axe at it. He misses the snake, and
bites deep into Gandu's chest with his mighty axe. Gandu falls to the
ground, praying that the cleric has some healing spells currently learned.
Eltric does, and sets about healing him. Using both natural and
magical means, Gandu is soon healed and back on his feet at near full
health. Surviving the resurrection process and shock to his system, Gandu
grumbles about another near death situation for him, and the party
presses on.
Two more days through the jungle, and the party are yet again surprised.
Two large humanoids, about 9ft tall, wielding tree trunks ( described as
"Ogres, but the wrong colour" by Thrombus ) come crashing out of the
trees.
The party readies itself for the onrushing Ogres. Telemacus
steps off to one side so as to get a clear shot with his bow. Jonas and
Slate ready their crossbows. Eltric begins to cast his communication
spell. Thrombus moves to the front, and finds himself in the patch of
'grease' on the ground that Nickos had just cast. He slips and falls,
while Gandu decides against casting magic missile this round. The first
Ogre moves to attack the supine Thrombus and the second heads for the
lone Telemacus, who just about manages to shoot off an arrow before he
is set upon. Crossbows are fired, and Eltrics communication spell comes
into effect, but all the Ogres have to say is "My one's on the ground"
and "Yeah, an' my one is small".
Combat continues, and Thrombus is dealt a jarring blow by the
Ogre attacking him, knocking him back to the ground. Nickos misses the
same Ogre with his staff, and Eltric casts 'Sanctuary' on himself. Gandu
casts 'magic missle' this round, and an unexpected effect from his
wild magic even allows the spell to be cast as though one level higher.
Both missiles hit the 2nd Ogre, causing good damage.
Jonas moves toward the 2nd Ogre, just as the Ogre strikes
Telemacus with his tree trunk, almost killing him.
The next round begins and Eltric moves to heal Thrombus (who is
now on his feet). Nickos moves (so as that the onrushing Slate can get to
the Ogre) and also casts 'grease' on the Ogres weapon, but fails to cause
him to drop it. Thrombus then attacks the first Ogre, dealing him the
equivalent of and uppercut under the chin, with a two handed sword. The
Ogre drops to the ground, dead.
In the fray with the 2nd Ogre, Gandu, Jonas and Telemacus
continue to attack over the next 2 rounds, Telemacus managing not to
get hit by the Ogre who is targeting him.
At the beginning of the next round, Eltric is in position to
heal Telemacus, and both Slate and Thrombus (along with Jonas already
attacking) are in position to attack the Ogre, Gandu having backed off.
In the meantime Gandu is cautiously looking around, and Nickos
making sure the other Ogre is dead by smashing his head with his staff.
As Eltric tries to heal Telemacus he stumbles, hampering the dexterous
Telemacus as he dodges the Ogre. Telemacus is hit, and goes down.
At this stage the Ogre decides it's time to flee, but tries
to stamp on Telemacus' head as he's going. He succeeds, but as he is
fleeing Jonas cuts him down. With both enemies dead, Eltric tends to
Telemacus. Natural methods restore him to some extent, but magical
healing is required, and Telemacus must see if he survives the
resurrection process, he doesn't, and that is that, he's dead.
Ogre bodies searched, Telemacus' soul sent on its way, the party,
once more, presses on. Days later, yet another pyramid is arrived at.
This one is about twice as big as any of the others we have seen, and
decidedly more ornate, so we decide to explore. Slate has a rope and
grapnel, and after a bit of messing around, Slate, Eltric and Nickos
are inside, ready to explore. Inside, and down a bit, a medium sized
room is found, containing a well, and various pieces of apparently
gold armour and weaponry.
A heavy chain runs from the ceiling down into the well, but
the well looks as though it's a bit small to climb down. Eltric checks
the chain, and it appears to be secured to something at the bottom.
Nickos suggests pulling the chain up, and Eltric succeeds. It is realised
that the chain was secured at the bottom to help people climing down, and
Nickos is berated for his silly idea.
Nickos volunteers to climb down, being the smallest person not
wearing plate-mail. He falls, and hurts himself pretty bad, but can walk.
Nickos' 'unseen servant' spell is used to bring down the lantern, but
finding only a dead end some few feet down a tunnel (and a big bag of
gold) Nickos calls to be helped up. Slate, not satisfied with Nickos'
evaluation of all things tunnel, takes off his armour and decides to climb
down. He too falls, but not as bad. Slate satisfies himself as to the
normal nature of the tunnel, but does find that the floor of the wellshaft
can be lifted up to reveal a small compartment. A small vial of green
stuff is inside and he gets it. Slate climbs up, and then Nickos begins.
He climbs halfway, and falls, climbs, and falls again.
Nickos calls out, saying that if his familiar gets any further
away, he'll probably pass out. At that point he passes out.
Eltric climbs down and heals him, and after a few more points of
damage from climbing all three are back in the weapon room. Despite
the fact that the weapons and armour strewn about the room seem to have
some sort of order to them Nickos takes a golden dirk, and Slate an axe,
with some grumblings about it being a bad idea from Eltric.
Soon enough the party are together again outside the pyramid,
and start to set off, when Surprise!, Eltric and Slate spot two
creatures coming out of the pyramid window.
Rippling muscles, large axes, witch-doctor type masks and
hovering black fire for legs, these guys dont look like they ought'a
be messed with. The general consensus is that we should return the
things we took from the weapon room, but Nickos hesitates, and Slate
doesn't want to start rummaging in his backpack in a fight.
Quick as hell, the two guys are upon us. The magic users act
first, but not very effectively. Gandu casts 'magic missile', again at
second level, but messes up, the first missile slams into Slate, the
second off into the jungle. Nickos attempts to cast 'grease' on one of
the bad guys weapons, but again messes up, and casts it on the ground
beneath Eltric and Slate. Slate takes more damage but avoids the patch of
grease, and Eltric slips and falls.
Just as it looks like the bad guys are about to attack, they
cross their axes in front of each other, and a loud humming noise
permeates the air. As the noise rises, a column of black fire falls
from the sky, and consumes Eltric, apparently rendering him immobile, or
unconscious.
Thrombus then attacks, and is very concerned when a blow that
should have sent one of them reeling, barely manages to scratch them.
In the next round, Nickos throws back the dirk he had taken, but they
don't seem to care. Jonas attacks, and again, does no appreciable damage.
Gandu backs off, and then the bad guys act again. As if they were always
facing that way, the bad guys have turned around to attack Thrombus. The
black fire that fell from the sky to consume Eltric now materialises
underneath Thrombus, this time the column of fire rises into the sky
carrying Thrombus with it. In a couple of seconds he is gone.
"Oh, dear" says everyone, and that's pretty much at that stage where we
finished.
Hope I didn't leave anything significant out.
humbug.
|