D&D II Act One Scene II - The world beneath

Fourier

The rock instantly dissolves and reforms itself around Varkrash as an odd green substance with a strong smell.

Immediately one of the ants rounds the corner, coming toward Varkrash. However only a few feet from him, the ant becomes disoriented, swinging from side to side almost in a stupor or as if drunk.

Necro

Fourier wrote:

Immediately one of the ants rounds the corner, coming toward Varkrash. However only a few feet from him, the ant becomes disoriented, swinging from side to side almost in a stupor or as if drunk.

Vrakrash ignores the ant momentarily, turns and makes for the Hive. He draws deep within and unleashes his dragon fire directly at it.

Fourier

'Mother' roars psychically in pain, summoning her Praetorians to her. Immediately she directs her mental strength to crushing Varkrash.

OOC: Charisma check, Target 20

Fourier

The genie of the lamp sensing the great danger from the rage of 'Mother', whisks Rhiggy off to a demiplane for safety.

OOC: Rhiggy safely in the demiplane until Tigger returns.

Fourier

The gigantic queen's mind rushes in on Varkrash, though he is not able to keep her out entirely, strong focus in the heat of the moment keeps her from distorting his senses and controlling his muscles.

OOC: Only affect is -1 to Strength and Dexterity checks.

Necro

Vrakrash directly attacks the Hive, hoping the fire damage is spreading.

Fourier

Two of the Praetorians rush him in rage, tearing up the corridor as they approach.

OOC: Initiative

OldGoat

Fourier wrote: »

"Got it my boy, though wiz a bi' a pepper to balance the flavour."


The cook laughs. "And dey sayz you half-bloods haz lost yer Ork sense"


"Oh theyz iz down in the ol' nobles quarters, out a' this room, follow the red wall paint, then you'll see a set o' stairs. Down there"

He is poured a second helping of stew.

Mags mops up the remains of the stew with a lump of bread.
"I'll write an ode to your prowess, and hopefully I'll be back for thirds."
He heads out, along the red walled passage and down the stairs, humming softly and trying to find a suitable rhyme for 'Orc' with something other than 'pork'.
When he gets to the door he readies his longsword in case there are guards unwilling to let him free his companions and the dwarfs.

Fourier

Fourier wrote: »

Two of the Praetorians rush him in rage, tearing up the corridor as they approach.

OOC: Initiative

As the conflagration filling the hive begins to tear into the Queen's flesh, the two Praetorians smash and charge Varkrash. They swing, he parries, he swings, they block and back and forth it goes. Eventually Varkrash lands a serious of heavy blows on one of the Praetorians, impressive as he is but half their size. He takes a pincer to the stomach and returns it by severing the offending Preatorian's head. As he does so the other Praetorian tackles him and crushes him into the wall.

Varkrash feels the life being choked out of him and his vision blurs, but the Dragonsblood won't fall here, he struggles as hard as he can against the massive insect managing to take a breath at the last moment.

The beast, looking at the fire around it, rushes off to help the hive and save its own life, leaving Varkrash where he is, unconscious surrounded by flame.

Fourier

OldGoat wrote: »

Mags mops up the remains of the stew with a lump of bread.
"I'll write an ode to your prowess, and hopefully I'll be back for thirds."
He heads out, along the red walled passage and down the stairs, humming softly and trying to find a suitable rhyme for 'Orc' with something other than 'pork'.
When he gets to the door he readies his longsword in case there are guards unwilling to let him free his companions and the dwarfs.

The door, strangely enough, is unattended.

Beside the door is a passage leading to the West.

OldGoat

OOC: There is a door and then a passage beside it?

He heads through the door.

Fourier

OldGoat wrote: »

OOC: There is a door and then a passage beside it?

OOC: Yeah exactly, down the stairs directly is a door, then a passage leading West. Behind the doors is a set of stairs.

OldGoat wrote: »

He heads through the door.

The door opens onto another set of stairs, from the top he can see Therai coming out of a room and bolting it shut, saying something to the dwarves.

Fourier

Banjo wrote: »

"Well, you're totally free to go. How the hell did they get you in there in the first place though?

I'm Retula. I'd shake your hand but you look like you'd tear my arm off and like, beat me into street pizza with it. I'm delicate.

But these here dwarves, they're gonna tear this place down. They could probably use your help? You in?"

She stands aside to let it leave .

"I will rend those who have trapped me here. For this purpose alone I will accompany you."

Banjo

"oooooooooh-kaay. Well, if you don't have a name, I guess we'll keep calling you Dustdevil till it gets annoying? We're just gonna check there's nothing in here that might sneak up behind us then we'll go - what did you call it? - rend those trappers, huh?

Hey Therai - tell this dude what's in the bolted room! It might be one of his trappers, he might wanna go rend it while we're spring cleaning - he seems pretty stoked! About the rending!

So, soldiers of the RLF, leave the bolted door alone, start opening the other 4 doors 1 at a time, starting with the one that's not off it's hinges and not bolted, then move on to the other 3. Don't open a door till we check there's nothing too grody behind the last one, kay? Holler if you see anything interesting, murder if you see anything slaver-looking."

Retula checks out the the elemental's passage (fnaaaaar!) to see if he was locked in with anything interesting, then rejoins the others to see what's behind doors #1-4

Evade

Therai turns to Dusty "It's got eight eyes, speaks infernal, and eats Dwarves. Sound familiar?"

OldGoat

Fourier wrote: »

OOC: Yeah exactly, down the stairs directly is a door, then a passage leading West. Behind the doors is a set of stairs.


The door opens onto another set of stairs, from the top he can see Therai coming out of a room and bolting it shut, saying something to the dwarves.

Mags marches triumphantly down the stairs to the others.
"AHA! I have successfully rescued you. You can thank me later. Shall we go kill the slavers now or loot and pillage first?"

Fourier

Banjo wrote: »

Retula checks out the the elemental's passage (fnaaaaar!)

to see if he was locked in with anything interesting, then rejoins the others to see what's behind doors #1-4

The room itself has little, but another passage continues on from it, terminating in a similar secret door as the one she entered from. It seems the mechanism to open it isn't on this side.

The dwarves search the rooms and aside from the skeletons of previous slaves, they find 240GP.

Fourier

Evade wrote: »

Therai turns to Dusty "It's got eight eyes, speaks infernal, and eats Dwarves. Sound familiar?"

"Yes, but I have no quarrel with him. The dwarves should avoid him however, their meat is exquisite."

It licks its own lips as it says this. The dwarves glance nervously at on another, but keep calm.

Banjo

Retula returns
"Hey, Dusty - you ever leave your chamber by the other door? Do you know what's on the other side of it? And no eating the Dwarves! No matter how delicious they are!"

she pauses

"....how delicious are they? No, never mind.

Oh, hi Mags. There's nothing to pillage, nothing to rape unless you fancy your chances with an infernal so I guess we're gonna go.. maybe... kill the slavers? Yeah? Everyone on board? OK drummer boy, lead on."

OOC : By the way, any exotic skeletons from which we might want to collect bones or horns? I'm starting a dead zoo

Evade

As the others head out Therai falls in at the rear.

OldGoat

Banjo wrote: »

...
Oh, hi Mags. There's nothing to pillage, nothing to rape unless you fancy your chances with an infernal so I guess we're gonna go.. maybe... kill the slavers? Yeah? Everyone on board? OK drummer boy, lead on."

OOC : By the way, any exotic skeletons from which we might want to collect bones or horns? I'm starting a dead zoo

"OK, top of the stairs and to the right leads back to the kitchens and then back to the main meeting room with a HUGH big hole in it. That is where I last saw Varkrash.
There is a passage going the other way that I've not been down yet. It would be rude of us not to go explore the rest of the place before we kill everybody except the orc in the kitchen. I like him."

Banjo

"Passageway! Boom!"
Retula closes off Dusty's secret door from this side to make sneaking up behind them a little harder/noisier.

"Ok - ready. Lets go take that passageway less travelled."

Raven to go ahead as lookout.

OldGoat

The halforc beats a rhythm, a dyazz 7/4 beat, on his armored thighs with his hammers, set's his face to 'intimidation' mode and stomps back up the stairs to the unexplored passage following the bird.

Fourier

The Underdark:
Varkrash awakens, in a tunnel. Outside he can see smoke and flames. Columbo floats above him.

"I found you unconscious and dragged you to safety. How are you feeling?"

OOC: As mentioned 11HP

Necro

He staggers to his feet and looks around at his surroundings.

'Been better, old buddy. What has happened? How long have I been out?'

Fourier

Necrominus wrote: »

He staggers to his feet and looks around at his surroundings.

'Been better, old buddy. What has happened? How long have I been out?'

"Only an hour, the nest is coming apart with the fire you started. They've protection against fire, but dragon fire is magically....special, not as many wards against it."

Necro

Fourier wrote: »

"Only an hour, the nest is coming apart with the fire you started. They've protection against fire, but dragon fire is magically....special, not as many wards against it."

Vrakrash smiles.

'I hope that b1tch they call 'Mother' burns. I'd love to personally land the killing blow.... but..'

Vrakrash holds his throat.

'I barely survived last time. How do we get outta here?'

Fourier

"I was hoping you had something in mind for that!" Columbo says laughing.

Necro

Fourier wrote:

"I was hoping you had something in mind for that!" Columbo says laughing.

'Dammit Columbo, I'm a fighter - not a doctor... or a tracker, truth be told.'

He surveys the tunnel carefully.

Fourier

There is one obvious way out of the tunnel, upward into the nest. However an ancient looking drawing lies at the back of the tunnel, carved by the same civilization that made the complex above.