D&D Beginner's Game: Act 1, Scene 2(e): Ill Effects

The Dungeon Master

Echtrae, Stu Pendous and 9Lives all exit the portal in a large, downward sloping room.

It is decorated with murals from various different cultures, in many different languages. Several banners hang from the columns to the east and west.

The room is dimly lit, and none of the three can see much beyond where the slope appears to become much steeper.

Before that though, they can make out a figure approaching the party.



9Lives cannot sense anything from the figure, but Echtrae and Stu Pendous get the feeling they have seen this type of being before... he has the appearance of a mind flayer.

OOC: A mind flayer is basically an evil being who attempts to control your minds with psychic abilities: better description, here:
Mind flayer

Beyond the figure to the west of the room lie three scrolls on ornate pedestals.

He speaks.

"They appear, these heroes three,
How can I make time for thee?

Perhaps, I should take a note,
2 mages... a thief.. and... a goat?"

Guffy

Echtrae recognises the mind flayer for the danger he is.

Before adressing the mindflayer, he nudges the thief whispering, "watch out for any traps, these are a cunning breed and are rarely alone".

"Good morning sir", Echtrae calls. "Forgive us but we are lost and trying to find another of our party. You have not seen him per chance? Bernard the githzerai he is called, we know he is near."

Echtrae casts an eye in an attempt to spy any writings within view.

The Dungeon Master

The creature waves a stick threateningly.
"So many people pass this way,
So many heads with minds to flay!
Your gizajob I've not seen saunter
But your juicy heads make my mouth water!

Your clothes I'll take, your backpacks too
Or I'll crack your skulls and feast on goo!"

He raises his arms threateningly and wiggles the fingers on his free hand.

Looking around in the gloom all you can see are the faded banners, their original messages and symbols covered in very personal expletives directed at Rochurst, written in what looks like dried blood, or worse.

Guffy

Seeing the writings, Echtrae figures that the only one who could have written these is the beast himself. He tries to win him over to buy his party some time.

"Again, great sir, forgive my obstinance, for we have little in our possession and what we do have we need for our quest. We have been sent by a great and powerful king to deal with then menace that is Rochurst. Do you know of this foul creature? Can you aid us in our task?"

The Dungeon Master

Guffy wrote: »

Seeing the writings, Echtrae figures that the only one who could have written these is the beast himself. He tries to win him over to buy his party some time.

"Again, great sir, forgive my obstinance, for we have little in our possession and what we do have we need for our quest. We have been sent by a great and powerful king to deal with then menace that is Rochurst. Do you know of this foul creature? Can you aid us in our task?"

The creature hops from one foot to another, getting agitated.

'Orders I give,
In order for you to live.

Your clothes, gear and sticks,
Lest you play any tricks.

Rochurst lies dead,
His brains sucked from his head.

Know that if you lie,
You will surely die!'

He shakes his fists at the trio angrily.

conor222

9lives looks for anything that could trigger a response (trap etc), the floor sloping downwards is a confusing piece of design.
He contemplates how hard it would be to sneak around the creature but senses that even when its eyes are not on him, it is keenly aware of what he is doing
He is particularly interested in the scroll room beyond the monster
OOC: A quick assessment of layout and positioning please

The Dungeon Master

conor222 wrote: »

9lives looks for anything that could trigger a response (trap etc), the floor sloping downwards is a confusing piece of design.
He contemplates how hard it would be to sneak around the creature but senses that even when its eyes are not on him, it is keenly aware of what he is doing
He is particularly interested in the scroll room beyond the monster
OOC: A quick assessment of layout and positioning please

OOC: It's a large room, that slopes downwards north of your position at the furthest point that you can see.

The scrolls lie to the west of your position on 3 pedestals.

The Dungeon Master

conor222 wrote: »

9lives looks for anything that could trigger a response (trap etc), the floor sloping downwards is a confusing piece of design.
He contemplates how hard it would be to sneak around the creature but senses that even when its eyes are not on him, it is keenly aware of what he is doing
He is particularly interested in the scroll room beyond the monster

The creature is slightly distracted by Echtrae speaking to him. 9Lives could attempt to move quietly around him.

He notices nothing distinct about the room.

OOC: You can attempt to move past the creature by rolling a d100 for your thief skills on rolz. Command is #d100

conor222

could i get a link to the roll room please
Sneaky pete

sKeith

https://rolz.org/dr?room=The%20Meatgrinder%20Boards.ieD%26D

The Dungeon Master

9Lives slips past the creature unnoticed as he continues to rant in Echtrae's direction.

"You serve the king? And Rochurst spite?
Yet you're down here - you're talking sh1te!

His world this is, his caves his halls,
His pit trapped floors, his blood stained walls

No, not hero you to suffer such grief.
But murderer, vagabond, rapist, thief.

So hand me your gear or present your bonce
my skull-scoop I will fetch at once!"

The scrolls on pedestals lie to the west of his position, and the sloping floor to the north.

Guffy

Echtrae feels the thief's move and edges, carefully, in the opposite direction. Picking up his pack and motioning it to the mind flayer.

"A murderer nay! You have us mistaken with an other.

I hear you, great flayer, but as I said, we have little of value in our possession. But if you are correct, that Rochurst is done, than the same can be said for our quest they are of little importance to us before we depart"

Echtrae raises his open pack towards the mind flayer who is still some distance away.

The Dungeon Master

The creature inches forward, looking into the pack. He ignores both Stu and 9Lives.

'Ah! So you see sense,
You robed fools are sometimes dense.

I see you have your book,
And a quill to help you look.

Your items now are mine,
And thus I shall not dine.

Away with you, my friend
Today is not your end.'

He attempts to take the pack from Echtrae.

Guffy

Ooc: not really sure whats going on here. Is there a timeframe involved before the mf makes another move or does he wait on us to make one first? Are we all waiting for another person to do something or are people just busy?

The Dungeon Master

OOC: Basically, the creature is distracted so Stu or 9Lives can move freely at the moment

The Dungeon Master

There is a sudden crack as a tenebrous gash opens in the floor. Rising from it is a sinister cloaked figure, his swollen head pulsating sickly, his mouth a mass of writhing tentacles. He points with a webbed claw and screams "IMPOSTER!"



He leaps clear as the gash closes below him, pacing back and forth, gesticulating wildly.


"At last I've found you - you're in my clutches
I'm not a new romantic but I know this much is
TRUE!
Now I'm risen from the underdark
Grab a hold o' your attention like a thief in a park
I'm sick o' you frontin' , you a bad wordsmith, kid
But check out my flow 'cause I am the ill-lithid
Imma steal yo' octopus, gonna suck out yo' brain
Then I'll make it my familiar like I'm pact o' tha chain
Then for dessert gonna eat these 3 bitches.
So you got somethin' to say or did you just sh1t your britches?"

He throws his arms wide, swaggers towards the other creature, then retreating, hugging himself in a vaguely threatening way.

Said man has no reaction, but the octopus on his head raises and detaches itself with a sickening sluuuuuuurp, hovering in the air in front of his former host.
In a rich and cultured voice - soft yet commanding - it says :
"Derek, I think it might be best if I handled things from here."



It splays it's tentacles and bellows at the Illithid



"Bitch, please! Don't come swaggerin' round, causin' me friction
This aint the underdark, son, you can suck my jurisdiction
What you gonna do? You gonna try to eat my brain?
You having trouble following? Allow me to explain
My rhymes will fry your tiny mind, my beats will block your ventricles
And my brain is distributed amongst all of my tentacles
So bring it mother****er, bring your melee, bring your magic
But bring a box of tissues too, cause your end will be tragic
'cause octopi, we play for keeps, n' every combat's mortal
Hey humans, you should leave right now through these convenient portals"

He spins, light emanating from this beak, spreading down each one of his tentacles and erupting out across the room.

A portal opens under Derek, who falls in, dropping his quarterstaff in surprise, then closes behind him.

3 other portals open behind Echtrae, 9 Lives and Stu Pendous. The scrolls fall off their pedastals and roll towards Echtrae's feet.


The mind-flayer roars in rage, his mouth-feelers flailing. He begins to chant, waving his arms in intricate, forceful motions, summoning dark shadows that begin to take an ominously solid form - this he flings outwards at the Octopus who meets it with an equally forceful beam of green energy emanating from it's beak. It's clear that their battle is going to be short, explosive and end very badly for most concerned.

Guffy

Echtrae was momentarily mesmorised by the sick rhymes being spat before his very eyes. He even started to drop the required beat for the verses.

It didn't take him long to come to his senses, however, and he scooped the 3 scrolls and quarterstaff off the floor and leaped through the portal, without passing a second glance at his compatriots.


Ooc: wtf is a derek .... ah "it has the appearance of a mind flayer" but wasn't. Silly me. Don't believe my eyes and use my brain. Lesson learned .



Ooc: not sure there is a portal behind each of us or we have to choose. If the latter i select the right one.

The Dungeon Master

Echtrae's portal closes with a thunderclap, as the true mind flayer summons further energy.

9Lives and Stu Pendous still have a portal open behind each of them, but time is running out.

OOC: Echtrae/Guffy, you'll be moving to The Hammer and Tongs Thread.

The Hammer and Tongs

conor222

9lives jumps backwards into the portal with his dagger drawn

The Dungeon Master

The portal behind 9Lives slams shut as well.

He appears behind some familiar faces.

OOC: Off to Hammer and Tongs with you as well, 9Lives!

Kolido

Stu Pendous skips nonchalantly through the portal.

ooc: my portal was still opened, right?

The Dungeon Master

Stu feels the power of the portal draw him into it's vortex before a deafening explosion fills the room behind him.

He turns briefly to see the room he had previously been in stooped in darkness and the Octopus and the Mind Flayer engaged in an epic battle.

OOC: Stu, you'll be crash landing somewhere shortly... In the Times of Prayer thread