(Adventure) The Haunted Halls of Stonepike

[Uriel]

OoC:Stupid Viruses...I was offline again for a day and a half...Argh!
Waiting to see if Rurik is running off as well...

IC

Sturm heads off, followed some ways behind by Ishmael. The sound of the Horn echoed, but Sturm had a pretty good idea that it had come from the area of the Halls where the Workshops were located.

 

[dpdx]

[Sorry, somehow it nuked my subscriptions.]

Rurik follows Ishmael, trying to keep up.

[full run until creature is spotted, then QkDr: Waraxe and shield, swing away.]

 

[Uriel]

In the Halls...

Sturm runs off down the causeway and tunnels, his near suernatural speed (for a Dwarf) outdistancing the halfling and his fellow Dwar by many yards.

Sturm comes upon a sight of carnage near the entryway to the Workshops.

Four dead Dwarfs lie upon the ground, with 3 more battling something dark shapes flying about in the air overhead. One of these dwarfs is ther Guard Captain. As Sturm prepares to enter the fray, his ears pick up an almost sunsonic moaning, his mind reeling from some mysterious effect. Barbarian resolve and dwarven tenacity prevail, however, and whateer power these Cloakers have, it fails to work of Sturm this day.



Ishmael and Rurik run behind, the halfling slower than the Dwarf if not by too much.

OoC:Sturm is 30 feet off, one Cloaker within striking distance. Sturm may act this round, Rurik on the following round, and Ishmael the round after that.

*******************************************************

Aranel and Thurgan discuss the nature of Cloakers and of their lives so recently abandoned for a moment and then become aware of a droning sound all around them. Aranel feels a compulsion in her head, as does her companion, but whatever it is, they shake off it's effects.

<Stupid PC-loving D20...>

Above, looking past Aranel, Thurgan's blood runs cold as two baleful green eyes suddenly appear, not 10 feet away from the unknowing Elf.

OoC:Thurgan has an action on the Suprise round, as will the Cloaker.

 

[Keia]

Thurgan - Init: +2; AC: 18; HP: 29/29; Atk: W-axe +6 (1d10+2), X-bow +5 (1d8+1)

“. . . . we save 'em from the beasties."

“Speakin’ o’ beasties,” Thurgan continued calmly, then fired his crossbow into the creature. "Watch it, there, Ar', ya got a beastie behind ya."


OOC: I assumed that we were talking as we made our way to the sounds the others had heard. Is that the case. Actions: Fire X-bow, move 5 foot.

 

[nimisgod]

[posting ahead to save time]

Sir Ishmael arrived at the scene aghast and slightly out of breath. But there were dwarves to be saved, and beasts to slay. Trusting to his race's innate accuracy with thrown weapons, he let loose with the cold iron dart he had in hand.

Afterward, he hustled toward the closest fallen dwarf in order to examine him for life. If any of the fallen warriors still had life in him, the Knight planned to revive them (or at least stabilize them) with the wand at his belt [next round]... unless something prevented him from doing so.

 

[Uriel]

OOC: I assumed that we were talking as we made our way to the sounds the others had heard. Is that the case. Actions: Fire X-bow, move 5 foot.

OoC:A little clarity here. Thurgan and Aranel are up in the cleft/fissure. They heard a noise further up (Aranel is a bit higher than Thurgan). There is a Cloaker skulking up just past Aranel, which Thurgan is firing upon. The others heard the sounds of battle somewhere off in the halls and have run off (leaving thurgan and Aranel...).

IC: Thurgan's bolt flies true, striking the Cloaker just off to one side of an eye <15 HP including Sneak, as the Cloaker hadn't gone yet...).

The Cloaker rushes forward (climbs down), biting into Aranel <6HP>, the thing catching her on the arm.

Round One in the Cleft


Aranel 19
Thurgan 16
Cloaker 14


********************************************************

Battle in the Crafthalls


Cloakers 21

One Cloaker swoops down, Engulfing a dwarf Guard, the hapless fellow's cries sounding through the monster's body. Just as quickly, the Cloaker lashes out, catching another guard with it's tail, dropping to the stone floor in an unmoving heap...

A pair of Cloakers swoop down, attempting to Engulf another Guardsman, though they fail. the Dwarf is hit by a tail-lash, but keeps his feet.

A fourth Cloaker flies nearby, emiting it's call.
The dwarf Guard faklls to his knees, retching and wheezing, overcome by nausea. Sturm, Rurik and the Captain are all unaffected (Ishmael is too far away at this point).

Sturm is up on 18
Rurik 14 (round 2)
Ishmael 13 (round 3)
Dwarf Guard 13
Guard Captain 9

 

[Keia]

Thurgan - Init: 16; AC: 18; HP: 29/29; Atk: W-axe +6 (1d10+2), X-bow +5 (1d8+1)

Thurgan attempted to move into position against the beastie, dropping his crossbow along the way (hopefully somewhere where it doesn't fall and break), drawing his war axe along the way.

"Canna leave ya fer a secon' 'fore ya got someone latchin' onto ya," Thurgan said. He took a meaty swing at the creature, hoping to connect and dislodge it from Aranel.

OOC: Move (to flanking if possible), drop x-bow (free action), draw weapon (free while moving), swing on cloaker. Did I get Point blank shot damage in that hit on the cloaker? Just thinking we may need every point.

 

[Guilt Puppy]

Somehow finding the lung capacity to yell yet louder, Sturm charges the one cloaker in striking distance (I assume that's not the one that's engulfed the other dwarf, or is it?), holding back his scythe until the last moment, and then snapping it out in one wide, quick slash at the beast.

(Charge, power attack for 2. I believe he's already used his rage today, sadly.)

 

[dpdx]

Rurik: AC 18, HP 21/21: MW Dw. Waraxe (Power): +4, 1d10+5 (x3)

[Rurik should have drawn axe and shield already, so...]

Seeing the cloakers come into view ahead of him, the keening unsettles Rurik for just a brief second, before Rurik spits the beginnings of nausea onto the floor ahead of him. Moving within the range of the nearest cloaker, he sizes up his nearest opponent, and bellowing the ancient family battlecry "Enemy of Clan Axebender, taste thy doom!" lays into him with a mighty blow...

[Move to flank nearest opponent with Sturm if possible, Power Attack for 2 - sorry, stats aren't handy just yet. Rurik has his armor and shield, and is at full HP. for the moment. Okay, just got eTools 3.5 up and running. ]

 

[Aranel]

((I'm back!! America was fun ^-^))

The elf had been about to ask 'How close?' before it got her.
Aranel let out a shriek of pain as it bit deep into her arm. Desperate to get it off of her she twisted furiously until her good arm and the crossbow in it were facing the creature. With a frenzied cry of near panic she pulled herself free and fired at the creature.

"Ow! Ow! Kill it!" Her fear over with all she felt was pain and anger. A stream of elvish profanities flowed from her lips, mingled with common ones as she dopped the empty crossbow and moved to take the rapier from her side.

((Five foot step back as she fires))