D&D II Act One Scene II(b) - The Dread City

Fourier

sKeith wrote: »

He pauses and looks to the others for words of encouragement or caution.

Goldomeer speaks up.

"The orcs on this level have been waging a war against the undead for quite some time now, I think should we need them, it may be best to speak to them, they'd be decent allies. You'll certainly need allies because...."

Thorginz interrupts.

"...because the third level is controlled mostly by a cabal of ancient Necromancers and their undead warriors."

sKeith

Sarric seems perplexed by the suggestions and in order to gain a greater understanding of what is being suggested he enquire of Goldomeer,
"How would an alliance with the orcs on the second level make our negotations with the cabal any easier or harder?
Our goal will be the same, safe passage through the 3rd level so we can reach the 4th level, and I just dont see how an alliance with the orcs on this level plays into that conversation, maybe you can help me understand."

Fourier

sKeith wrote: »

Sarric seems perplexed by the suggestions and in order to gain a greater understanding of what is being suggested he enquire of Goldomeer,
"How would an alliance with the orcs on the second level make our negotations with the cabal any easier or harder?
Our goal will be the same, safe passage through the 3rd level so we can reach the 4th level, and I just dont see how an alliance with the orcs on this level plays into that conversation, maybe you can help me understand."

"The cabal are unlikely to permit safe passage. More than likely they will see you as targets to kill and then raise as powerful servants bound to their will. Another set of servants in their centuries long struggle against the MegaHydra of the sixth level.

Even a small orkish platoon at your back will help greatly."

sKeith

Sarric turns to Karinth,
"What do you think of these sugestions that we should spend more time making alliances with orc folk and then go storming down to the third level with an orc platoon?
Me, i'm not convinved, why broadcast that we are even on the 3rd level, we are gaining entry at a spot that would not be know as an entry, would prefer to stealth our way through unnoticed, and if we get noticed, deal with the fallout then.

Thorginz ..." looks over to Thorginz, "What killed the rest of your party the last time, the time you were the only survivor from a group that made it to the third level."

Fourier

Thorginz turns.

"The Necromancers, we knew of the undead of course, with a cleric, especially a powerful one, they often prove no problem. The Necromancers themselves though...not so much lad."

Karinth shouts.

"Treasures are not won by care and forethought but by swift slaying and reckless attack."

sKeith

Fourier wrote: »

Karinth shouts.

"Treasures are not won by care and forethought but by swift slaying and reckless attack."

"Wise words Karinth, once the fire extingushes, down we go. Gonna have a quick meditation while we wait."

As long as nobody wants to chat more, Sarric meditates for 4 hours, then reassess the fire situation.

Fourier

Sarric finishes his meditation with Karinth standing over him.

"To the lower depths my friend?"

Twin blades, made of some red metal, are now holstered across his back. In the quiet Sarric can hear screams within one of them.

sKeith

"Yes, i'd like that very much, downwards is progress."
Sarric hops up and cautiously edges close to the hole in the kitchen and examines it.

Fourier

sKeith wrote: »

"Yes, i'd like that very much, downwards is progress."
Sarric hops up and cautiously edges close to the hole in the kitchen and examines it.

Peering through the gap in the floor, the kitchen hole opens up in the ceiling of a room with a small stream flowing through it.

A few zombified Ogres are visible stumbling around the edge of the water.

sKeith

Sarric calls over the elven man with the bow, "want to take a few shots down thru the hole and see if you can take out those undead from up here?"

Fourier

The elven archer has a clean enough shot through the gap and manages to pelt the ogres a few times. He straightens himself after firing.

"I don't think I've done them much damage, but they're leaving."

sKeith

"Okay, who wants to hop down first? Does anybody have a rope we can secure to come back this way, or for quick retreat if the ogres prove to become an issue?"

Fourier

Ser Boros steps forth.

"I have assembled rope for the Trebuchet, we can use that"

Thorginz speaks from the back.

"I'll go first, I know the place better, I can get a feel for the danger."

Ser Boros begins to tie the rope securely to a piece of debris, as Thorginz wraps the other end around himself.

sKeith

"okay, after thorginz,
archer, will you go down next? get ready for ranged combat,
Karinth, to follow next,
then this young woman in leather armour, whats your name by the way.
Goldameer, are you with us? if you are, you drop down next,
then me and
lastly ser boros."

Sarric feels good about his plan, and exclaims, "Thats the plan, you all know your places, see you down there."

Fourier

then this young woman in leather armour, whats your name by the way

"Faree" she says sharply.

As Sarric descends the rope into the room, he can see that on the opposite side of the stream, an aggressive mud elemental sits watching the party.

Karinth turns to look at him.

"It seems the elemental demands a price to let us cross the stream"

sKeith

Sarric, on reaching the bottom surveys the room, and looks for exits.



ooc: is sarric and companions in the stream or on oppiste side of stream to the elemental?

Fourier

sKeith wrote: »

Sarric, on reaching the bottom surveys the room, and looks for exits.

ooc: is sarric and companions in the stream or on oppiste side of stream to the elemental?

Looking around Sarric can see the room has two exits, to the West a set of stairs going up and to the East a set of stairs going down.

OOC: Opposite side.

sKeith

Sarric looks to Karinth, "Did the elemental talk to you? what sort of price does it want? Do we have to spare what it wants? Downwards is past it, so we need to proceed past that elemental."

Fourier

sKeith wrote: »

Sarric looks to Karinth, "Did the elemental talk to you? what sort of price does it want? Do we have to spare what it wants? Downwards is past it, so we need to proceed past that elemental."

"It spoke to me mentally, it demands the genie jam, should we find it later on this floor. We must enter into a geasa to bind us to this"

Thorginz looks ahead to the stairs.

"Those stairs lead down to the rest of the third floor, this is a tower we're in at the moment. A stronghold built as a staging point for exploration of the dungeon, it looks out over the rest of the third level"

He says this before lifting a section of a false brick wall, revealing a window looking out over a chamber four miles long with a massive factory at its center.

sKeith

"And, if we shouldn't find the genie jam on this floor, because we are too busy trying to get to the floor below, then the geasa has no hold on us, correct?"

Fourier

sKeith wrote: »

"And, if we shouldn't find the genie jam on this floor, because we are too busy trying to get to the floor below, then the geasa has no hold on us, correct?"

Karinth communicates with the creature.

"Yes, it tells me that should we not find it, we are not held by the geasa"

sKeith

"Then I see no problem with that geasa, if we find the genie jam, we give it to the elemental, if we dont, then no foul. The only place the geasa has a hold on us is the 3rd floor of this dungeon, if we were to ever come across this genie jam elsewhere on our travels years from now, this geasa would not have any hold as its not in the third floor of this dungeon. I'll accept that geasa for safe passage past, and if we or when we return, with or without the genie jam, safe passage past again."

Fourier

The elemental nods and a green glow passes over the party. The geasa comes into effect on Sarric's terms.

The elemental then liquefies and flows back into the river.

sKeith

Sarric wades into the stream, drinks his fill from his waterskin, refills it, then wades to the other side. He checks the stairs for traps.

Fourier

sKeith wrote: »

Sarric wades into the stream, drinks his fill from his waterskin, refills it, then wades to the other side. He checks the stairs for traps.

An arrow flies up from the stairs and stops an inch from Sarric's face, held in place by Karinth's telekinesis.

An army of undead, twenty strong, come racing up the stairs toward Sarric and the gang.

OOC: Init

Fourier

Sarric runs forward and flicks a small red pearl in the undead's direction, landing in the chest cavity of one. The other undead momentarily glance at it, before it explodes. The rest then rush forward trading blows with the party, Ser Boros swinging his huge sword shatters two of them, before Karinth telekinetically makes another three implode. Both Faree and Golameer land perfect dagger stabs to the temples of two more undead. The undead in return lash out at the party, hitting them heavily, but most decisively wounding Goldameer, who collapses to the ground, though still conscious. Karinth is wounded, but the bruises vanish by the time he swings at the undead with one of his blades, though he misses.

Having enough, Ser Boros swings his sword in an arc, decapitating four of the undead in one go. Seeing the poor odds, the rest flee.

sKeith

Sarric rushes over to goldameer, "Noooo, you were only with us a short time, Nooooo, dont let these undead bastards win, come back to us." Sarric checks over his wound and attempts some first aid on the humanoid, knowing little about the creature, he does not know how much help it will do.

"Oh, you're still here, well, that was a bit silly, maybe you can assist me in lending you first aid, and better my chance of helping as i believe your race is alien to my knowledge of the medics."

Fourier

sKeith wrote: »

Sarric rushes over to goldameer, "Noooo, you were only with us a short time, Nooooo, dont let these undead bastards win, come back to us." Sarric checks over his wound and attempts some first aid on the humanoid, knowing little about the creature, he does not know how much help it will do.

"Oh, you're still here, well, that was a bit silly, maybe you can assist me in lending you first aid, and better my chance of helping as i believe your race is alien to my knowledge of the medics."

"Get me some mushrooms, we're fungal biologically"

Karinth smiles slightly on hearing this.

"Really? That is unusual....biologically speaking, a tissue sample would interest me"

Goldameer regards him carefully.

"No, my flesh is my own"

sKeith

Sarric searches the room for mushrooms, especially any dark damp areas.

Fourier

He finds a good few growing in the corners of the room, all with the same rough bioluminescence.