@Merkaba @Roland Rutledge @Silent Mountain Post a link to your NEWLY CREATED inventory tracker titled ROCKBEAST EXTERMINATION and we can get started.
The ruined stronghold is perched on a seaside cliff overlooking the vast and unexplored ocean along the coast of Portmont. Originally designed as little more than a minor outpost, it is one of many that dot the coast, intended at some point as protection against pirates and seafaring invaders. As years past an evolving navy and military rendered them all but obsolete until the few that were still manned were little more than glorified warehouses. You and your makeshift group find yourselves standing at the ruined remains of one such structure. much of the building has collapsed, and nature is well on it's way to reclaiming this derelict structure. Wide swaths of the ruin are covered in moss, and even a sapling here and there can be seen sprouting from cracks in the walls of the structure. Your group is flanked by a pair of militia men who are clearly uncomfortable being as close to the ruin as they are. The one in less makeshift and laughable equipment speaks up as he gestures to the slabs of rotten planks hanging wide open that was once a formidable double-door leading to the heart of the structure; "Careful in there. No good reports on how many of those things are in there, and the whole thing is liable to come down on top of you if you're not careful. We're under orders to wait here and make sure nothing gets out once you go in.. uh... yeah. good luck, I suppose." He casts an especially concerned at Silent Mountain, who is probably the only person there more poorly equipt than himself, but chooses to say nothing. He nods toward the foreboding doorway and speaks over his shoulder as he returns to his post alongside his partner "Better get to it then." Your group cautiously enters, and you find yourself in the first room. sunlight readily streams in through holes in the decaying ceiling, and also a pair of narrow slots cut into the dull grey stone of the structure that flank either side of the archway through which you entered. The floor is made of the same stone as the rest of the building, but raised in some places, and sunken in other due to years of misuse and dotted with moss, mold, and sickly foliage struggling to thrive in the limited light. You are facing west, and see two doors on either end of the far north/south wall. The northernmost door looks to be fairly solid, and recently repaired. the southern door is badly damaged, and save for the inexplicable inky blackness of the room beyond, one could easily peer trough cracks and see what lies beyond. If the group remains silent for any period of time, they can hear an unnerving staccato of sporadic clacking noises, punctuated by the occasional sound of something large and heavy dragging across the stone floor in the distance. This continues for a long moment, followed by silence that hangs heavy in the air, somehow more ominous than the clatter that preceded it. @Merkaba @Aaron Marone @Silent Mountain @Roland Rutledge
Once again. Merkaba would find herself stuck with a bunch of saps. This time she had that Paladin to deal with again. As long as he did not cause her problems The two had a small understanding of how different they were before so hopefully the man keeps that mindset and does not try to change her strategies. She did not want any leader wannabes thinking they knew what was best. That included the dual swordsman who she kept encountering as well. The group was escorted by guards. How amusing, for a dark lady like herself to be protected by local militia when she was what they needed to be protected from. The offer was sweet though... she would enjoy the role of a dark ruler a great deal in the future. The guards would leave the party to enter the old ruin on their own. Merkaba would not be the first to enter. While she did not fear the place, any mishaps she would prefer befall on someone else. Upon entering the dusty and dank room. The witch generated her scythe and let it's shaft rest on the ground. It would prove ineffective against the stone creatures here for certain. However it was good to have something for anything that isn't of the Rockbeast breed. The witch recalled the spells that she most wanted to use in her head. This group lacked any other mages so she could manipulate them based around that. "Whichever path or paths we choose is up to you. Paladin you must guard this dark harbinger with your life...." The act of getting a holy warrior to be her meat shield was very enticing, and if they wanted to live in here they would need her magic. How fun to turn him into a little sheep for a while! @Roland Rutledge @Aaron Marone @Silent Mountain
Silent Mountain wore a face of determination as he stepped through the doors, noting the obvious concern of the guard but ready to accept his fate one way or another. In hindsight, perhaps it was unwise to accept such a quest so soon after character creation, but it was too late for regrets now. He had a solid-looking team with him, so things should be fine, right? As Silent Mountain looked around the room, his attention was drawn to the southern door and the darkness it so sloppily hid. He was curious, but not so much that he'd brave it alone. After all, he wasn't intended as the tank this time around. That duty would land on the shoulders of the paladin in their midst. Roland was obviously built for damage, but swords against a rock monster? Depending on the mechanics of the game, that could end up being a big issue. Then there was the girl. Something about her left an odd feeling in the pit of Silent Mountain's stomach. Whether it was the design of her outfit or her mannerisms, she gave off a slightly sinister vibe. Silent Mountain took a mental note to keep an eye on her.
((OOC: I got a little carried away, shorter posts after this one I promise)) Roland let out a miserable sigh when he caught sight of the ruined structure. “Just for once,” he said out loud to no one in particular, “I’d like the fight creatures out in the open, and not tucked away in some derelict dungeon that’s ready to tumble over if we look at it wrong.” Despite his complaints, he continued onwards with little hesitation, this wasn’t his first dungeon after all, and he had learned rarely did things work out the way he wanted anyway. Along the way to the structure he inspected his companion with open interest. First there was the man in heavy armor. It was the first player Roland had seen who wore the stuff, personally he had found it too hard to move in. The man seemed to wear the equipment quite well despite its lower quality compared to Roland’s gear. Next was the girl, or witch, rather that Roland had seen a few times. Her skill was undeniable, her dark magic practically causing a permanent penumbra around her. She however sorely lacked any kind of social skill that would allow them to work as a team. That weakness failed in comparison to their next cohort though, which was a practically naked man fresh from character creation. If Roland would have caught him earlier, he would have demanded the man stay behind, but it seemed a useless endeavor this far out. “I guess at the very least he can buy us some time if we need it….” Roland thought cruelly imagining sending the man to his death so the others could escape. As for himself, Roland’s blades would likely be a secondary source of damage in compliment to Merkaba’s magic. Given the beast they were hunting was likely resistant or even possibly immune to physical damage, this would be quite tricky. Roland had a couple tricks up his sleeves for the former, but he’d have to rely on the others for the latter. This weighed heavily on his mind as they finally neared the building in question. He wasn’t really sure what the structure had originally been, likely some sort of fort or castle judging by the large double door. The group was joined by two milita who seemed to be there purely to keep anything from escaping, giving warning of its instability, “You should keep an eye out,” Roland interrupted when the guard brought it up, “Our goal is to take this entire building down, make sure not to be near her when she fails”. With that Roland flashed them a confident smile as they walked passed the militia heading inwards into the depths of the building. Inside Roland’s eyes were drawn to the pair of narrow slots cut out of the stone, confirming Roland’s assumption. “It seems this old fort may have some defensive structures still intact.” He said pointing at the slots, “We should likely keep an eye out for more, they could be trapped, or different structures may be usable as a choke point for us.” Pulling his eyes from the slots, he focused on the two doors with a frown. One was sturdier, the other leading to darkness, both seemed to be risky picks as far as Roland was concerned. He pondered the risks for a while before Merkaba spoke up declaring she had no intention of leading the way, practically leaving the burden to do so on the paladin. “I guess that’s better than demanding something reckless.” Roland thought to himself before turning towards Aaron. He wanted to greet the man officially, regretting failing to do so much earlier, but pushed straight to the topic at hand, “I should let you know, my abilities are purely martial. Don’t worry about me in a fight, but don’t expect me to whip out anything to save every…one.” As Roland spoke to Aaron, he shifted a glance at Silent Mountain clearly leaving some words unsaid. With that he slunk backwards, holding the hilts of his blades with a grin, “Lead on~” @evilandlazy @Merkaba @Aaron Marone @Silent Mountain
Aaron shifted a bit as he walked with the guards and his fellow adventurers. He put a hand on the guard who told them it was his job to make sure nothing left when they entered. "Just be sure to let us back out, friend, once we are finished. Beyond that, if we do our job well, you won't have to." Aaron stood underneath a beam of light once he had entered the cavern. He drew his shield and sword, preferring to have them ready. "Merkaba and I have worked together before, so I understand a bit of what she can do. As for you two, friends, an understanding of your abilities will be most helpful when it comes to knowing how to efficiently lead this team when it comes to a fight." He turned to Silent. "Hammer friend, your weapon will no doubt serve the best against our foes as far as the type of damage it inflicts, but I worry for it's quality. Don't engage any opponent on your own, stick near either myself or the other warrior." Next he turned to Roland. "Friend, those swords of yours look quite fancy, perhaps the best of any of ours. My compliment to the craftsman, and I hope they will serve well in our fight." Finally he turned to Merkaba. "Merkaba. Friend, if you will allow that term. I will risk my life for any member of this party, protecting each of you as if you were my own kin. I have grown since we last worked together, do not expect to see me throw myself so recklessly when I need not to." With that said, Aaron examined the two pathways. "I believe it would be unwise to enter a passage so derelict in appearnece. Let us take the northern passage. Assume anything we find in here is hostile, unless they are human. Then we give them the chance that they are friendly." As he made his way toward the door, he had one final thing to say. "I don't want anyone sacrificing themselves. If your health gets too low, fall back and I will heal you."
As Aaron moves to open the door, it simply breaks free from badly corroded hinges and falls to the ground with an echoing slam, leaving Aaron standing before the threshold with most of the handle still in his dominant hand. The group enters the room cautiously with the vigilant paladin ready for anything. the group finds itself in the northeastern corner of a rectangular room. More light pours in from the same narrow slits as seen in the previous room, though this chamber is considerably darker, it is still easy to see enough to get by comfortably. Six evenly spaced wooden pillars stretch from floor to ceiling in a two by three pattern. At one point, it was obvious that these pillars had been meant to support the ceiling, but they are all in various states of decay. You can see where some of the worst ones have been hastily repaired, but the workmanship of these repairs can be described as amateur at best. It is obvious that the group should be careful around these, or risk bringing the entire ceiling down upon them. Opposite them, on the western wall is another wooden door, and another pair near the far corner on the southern wall that are boarded and partially buried with debris. The group will have time to figure all that out later, because something on the opposite end of the room is moving! The movement is hard to make out at first, but as a pair of shapes drag themselves into a pillar of light the group can see two huge green worms, each as big round as an average man, and about a meter long. they walk/drag themselves along with a set of six chitinous protrusions. Their most prominent feature are enormous mouths lined with jagged teeth and dripping some sort of green ichor, which dominate the front end of their bodies. [Carion Worm 1] HP[//////////] [Carion Worm 2] HP[//////////] Hidden: Pictures! Pillars - Black Carrion slugs - Green Party at beginning of round - Yellow @Merkaba @Aaron Marone @Silent Mountain @Roland Rutledge
The group had made the choice to take a door. Merkaba did not even bother to offer any advice. She was here, much like the Grass Gnolls quest and the Oakhearts encounter, simply to train her magic against various kinds of foes. The darkness had to be able to consume everything, no matter what it was. The Paladin was actually rather compliant. He did not allow himself to refuse her based on their alignments alone. A smart man. Perhaps she had underestimated him. Which made it all the more reason to be wary of the knight. If he was willing to put differences aside for greater goods. What did that mean if they were to clash? Of course it could also lead to her finding a way to damage the man's connection to his gods. Interesting.... The group entered a new hall with some pillars about. Being behind the rest of them, Merkaba would get to watch the others stumble into whatever lied ahead. In this room... that would be some hideous worm monstrosities. Merkaba had made the right choice in keeping her scythe ready. Although no more than two of her spells should be enough to slay the things. Choices, choices. In the end the dark lady decided to the wait and see how the others faired. Conserving her energy for the real foe she sought. Keeping still and placing her Scythe to her side with a hand gently massaging her chin in thought. She commented... "They may be poisonous. I'll let you play with them some. I am here for the Rockbeasts. These pests are but a waste of my energy. Make yourselves useful would you? Certainly these pests are not a problem?" The witch would assist and probably end this swiftly if she needed to but it was worth seeing how strong this group was. If they couldn't put down two carrion crawlers easily... she may as well be alone honestly. @Aaron Marone @Silent Mountain @Roland Rutledge
Roland held his tongue as the paladin chose the course forward. Watching the door collapse, he couldn't help but wonder what kind of disarray the other room was in after all this was clearly the better built of the two. Moving forward into the rectangular room, Roland was quick to spot movement directly across the hall from them. "Worms?" Roland asked out loud as their forms quickly came into focus. As if in reply, Merkaba spoke up declaring herself a bystander in the fight with the possibly venomous beast. Roland sighed at the comment, but replied, "Right, likely it's best you save your magic for them in case it's the only weapon we have that affects them." Frowning he took stock of the situation, with the girl out, and the silent man worthless at his current level, that left them with a two on two situation. Wasting no more time, he grabbed both his hilts and began to dash forward unsheathing each blade in a smooth motion midrun. He made his way across the room, staying near the side of the wall away from the pillars. As he got close to the worms, Roland's eye's focused on the beast furthest to his left activating his a skill causing his blades to glow a bright blue. With a skip, he launched himself flying forward brandishing both blades as he twirled in the air towards the creature, screaming "Whirling Dervish!". As he spun past the worm, he stretched both swords trying to connect with the monster's flabby body intending to land behind it. (OOC: Roland attacks Worm on the left twice)
Aaron frowned at Merkaba's words. "No one here is beneath any others, Merkaba. I don't know what is your motivation for being here with us, but you will achieve it much easier if we all work together, rather than passively against each other." He tossed a glance toward Silent Mountain. "Friend, if there is any magic within you, I would request at this stage you rely upon that, in order to keep distance between yourself and these beasts. Later, when we face more opponents, we may require your aid in keeping their attention away from our dedicated spell caster, but for now, let Roland and I handle this." Seeing Roland charge toward the worms, Aaron raised his sword and shield and charged as well, giving a wordless shout of piety as he ran. He would focus his attention upon the right worm, keeping it off of Roland and the others. Lacking the time needed to properly buff himself, Aaron figured he would simply attack the beast with his sword as it was. He knew that most of the damage against these creatures would be done by Roland, it was his job now to simply be sure the swordsman faced only one foe at a time. If Merkaba were assisting, this whole thing would be much easier, but Aaron knew there was no point in trying to force that woman to do anything she did not wish to.
((@Silent Mountain has been inactive for 24 hours since the last DM post, and has been skipped. continued absence will result in removal and a possible ban from DM Evilandlazy's future content)) Rolland and Arron waste no time in engaging the two smaller creatures at the far end of the room. As they hastily approach, Both worms act defensively in instinctive unison, quivering violently for an instant, then releasing a cloud of thick, noxious gas. This reaction is far too late to save them from their attackers onslaught however. Rolland lands his attack first, completing his acrobatics with deadly effect as two parallel gashes open up on the beasts back just moments after the creature begins spewing it's green gas attack from it's backside. This, unfortunately puts him in the worst possible position, and it is all he can do to land properly before the noxious cloud overtakes him. He doubles over with burning and watered eyes, struggling for breath. A pair of icons on his group overlay beings flashing, indicating that he has been poisoned, and dazed. Aaron fares a bit better, taking a more conservative approach to his offense and engages with a more conventional tactic. His caution is commendable, but does little to protect him from the gaseous attack, though the creatures inability to defend itself while focusing it's attention elsewhere does allow Aaron to do a bit more damage than he might against a creature that was actively attacking him or defending itself. Before he could react however, he too was enveloped in the gaseous cloud and he too was notified by way of flashing icon that he'd been poisoned. Further back, Merkaba and the silent one both chose to remain idle for the time being, both for their own reasons. Still standing near the doorway, they can both watch events unfold from the relative safety, away from the skirmish. There is nothing terribly interesting going on, and the smell of rot and the buzz of insects grows increasingly irritating. [Carion Worm 1] HP[////------] [Carion Worm 2] HP[//////----] AR:HP[/////////-]EN[/////////-] RO:HP[/////////-]EN[///////---] SI:HP[//////////]EN[//////////] ME:HP[//////////]EN[//////////] ((Roland is dazed from point-blank exposure to the Carion Worms gas attack, and cannot take a minor action next turn (only move, and/or major). Aaron and Roland have been poisoned, and will lose 1hp and 1en per round for 4 rounds. Continued exposure to this noxious cloud will refresh the effect. Merkaba is bored, and a mosquito bit her.)) @Aaron Marone @Roland Rutledge @Silent Mountain @Merkaba
