Return through the Swamp: Night of April 10th
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Rotipher of the FoS
- Thieving Crow
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Nathan of the FoS
- Fiendish Enforcer
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- Location: San Francisco CA
The punt looks like this. It has an extra bench in the middle, though, so no-one is actually sitting in the bilge.Rotipher of the FoS wrote:[OOC: Nice visual aids! And the seating arrangements?]
Gerard is standing at the back, Roland is seated at the front with a lantern.
_____XX________
R...GK..Da..RB....G
___C _DS_HH____
So it looks like this: Six of you seated in the center (shown by your initials, Da = Dadrag, DS =Draxton), Roland at the front, Gerard at the back (both in the center--the punt isn't unbalanced).
XX is the critter trying to grab hold of the side.
[b]FEAR JUSTICE.[/b] :elena:
OOC: I think my balance can handle that. I get 25. Going by the pictures I'm guessing I only need 5 feet or so horizontally so that should be ok.Nathan of the FoS wrote:OOC: Keep in mind the boat is not a stable platform to jump from--you're going to push it back as you take off. It's heavy enough that it's possible to jump, but you'll need to make a DC 15 Balance check to jump successfully. Also, it's going to reduce the distance you can jump by half (the other half goes into making the boat move).
[size=75]-Wake up... wake up and smell the ashes-[/size]
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Nathan of the FoS
- Fiendish Enforcer
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OOC: Summary of actions: Hiro is jumping from the boat to the base of a nearby tree, Dadrag is drawing his sword and slashing at the hands of the critter, Draxton is casting a spell, Crow is readying an action to teleport to a relatively stable spot with Gertrude and Roland. Sounds good, here goes:
IC: At the sight of the hands grasping for the boat, the group explodes into action; Hiro leaps from the boat in a single graceful motion, while Dadrag looses his weapon with impressive speed and slashes at the hands reaching for the gunwale, striking strongly--but the hands dart nimbly beneath the blows and grasp hold of the side of the boat. Draxton's spell slices downward into the water. Overbalanced by the swaying of the boat, Gerard plunges into the water, and the splash douses the lantern at his end of the boat. Roland reaches to his waist and draws his pistol, cocking and aiming in a well-practiced motion.
With a heave, the creature attacking you pulls downward heavily on its side of the boat, tipping it dangerously. With a muttered word Crow grasps Roland and Gertrude, and the three of them disappear like pricked bubbles; the boat overbalances and turns turtle, ejecting those who had not already exited into the water.
IC: At the sight of the hands grasping for the boat, the group explodes into action; Hiro leaps from the boat in a single graceful motion, while Dadrag looses his weapon with impressive speed and slashes at the hands reaching for the gunwale, striking strongly--but the hands dart nimbly beneath the blows and grasp hold of the side of the boat. Draxton's spell slices downward into the water. Overbalanced by the swaying of the boat, Gerard plunges into the water, and the splash douses the lantern at his end of the boat. Roland reaches to his waist and draws his pistol, cocking and aiming in a well-practiced motion.
With a heave, the creature attacking you pulls downward heavily on its side of the boat, tipping it dangerously. With a muttered word Crow grasps Roland and Gertrude, and the three of them disappear like pricked bubbles; the boat overbalances and turns turtle, ejecting those who had not already exited into the water.
[b]FEAR JUSTICE.[/b] :elena:
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Nathan of the FoS
- Fiendish Enforcer
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OOC: At this point you probably have many questions--if I fail to address any of them, please ask (preferably in the OOC thread, to avoiding cluttering this one too much). It's kinda obnoxious not to let you act again, but the creature rolled a 24 for initiative and a natural 20 on its grapple check...Nathan of the FoS wrote:With a heave, the creature attacking you pulls downward heavily on its side of the boat, tipping it dangerously. With a muttered word Crow grasps Roland and Gertrude, and the three of them disappear like pricked bubbles; the boat overbalances and turns turtle, ejecting those who had not already exited into the water.
BTW, I'm happy with "honor system" for rolls, but are there requests for online verification, as offered at invisiblecastle.com?
The water is about five feet deep, but the bottom is muddy; you'll sink into it. Roland had the other lantern, so he, Crow and Gertrude are well-lit. (Dimension door put you about thirty feet away; you're on the side of the channel opposite Hiro.)
Buchvold, Dadrag and Draxton are all more or less on top of the creature; Hiro is about ten feet away. The long lines are the channel banks (roughly); TT is for a tree trunk; PPPPP is the punt, and the rest are your initials.
...............R C GK....TT.................
__TT__________________TT____
....TT...............................TT..........
.................................................
..................Da.XX.RB.................
............PPPPPP.DS..........G........TT
...............................................TT
__TT_________HH_TT___________
[b]FEAR JUSTICE.[/b] :elena:
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Rotipher of the FoS
- Thieving Crow
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Feeling the boat lurch, the bard had clamped his knees around the guitar-case, seized the Professor by the arm and Roland by the back of his shirt, then voiced a hasty syllable the other Manoir-survivors might well recall from the last battle he'd joined them in. An instant's glance at the riverbank, a split second's rushing sensation of movement, and suddenly he's there, his companions and case still with him, but on reasonably solid ground.
Springing up from his crouch, he yanks on Kingsley's arm and Roland's shirt, to stop the abrupt transition from tilting boat to level shore from spilling them both into the marsh-grass. Not tarrying to explain -- if the Souragnien has any objection to this use of arcane magic, he can always point out the distinction between bards and wizards later -- he spins his companions around to face the river once more, shoves the instrument-case into Kingsley's hands and snatches the lantern from Roland, and quips, "Sorry, bit of a bumpy landing there!", before darting back to the river's edge, the lantern held at arm's length over the murky water.
"Over here!," he cries, to give those spilled from the boat something to fix upon.
[OOC: Not enough actions left in which to start up Bardic Music or a spell, VAN, but at least the lantern should be close enough so everyone can see what they're trying to hit! Crow jinked a bit on his dash to the river's edge, so he's standing in front of that tree on Kingsley's left.]
Springing up from his crouch, he yanks on Kingsley's arm and Roland's shirt, to stop the abrupt transition from tilting boat to level shore from spilling them both into the marsh-grass. Not tarrying to explain -- if the Souragnien has any objection to this use of arcane magic, he can always point out the distinction between bards and wizards later -- he spins his companions around to face the river once more, shoves the instrument-case into Kingsley's hands and snatches the lantern from Roland, and quips, "Sorry, bit of a bumpy landing there!", before darting back to the river's edge, the lantern held at arm's length over the murky water.
"Over here!," he cries, to give those spilled from the boat something to fix upon.
[OOC: Not enough actions left in which to start up Bardic Music or a spell, VAN, but at least the lantern should be close enough so everyone can see what they're trying to hit! Crow jinked a bit on his dash to the river's edge, so he's standing in front of that tree on Kingsley's left.]
"Who [u]cares[/u] what the Dark Powers are? They're [i]bastards![/i] That's all I need to know of them." -- Crow
Landing safetly onto the base of the tree, Hiro crouches against the bark with his feet and a free hand. It seems strange how he does not fall off, perhaps due to some magic or innate ability. With his parcel attached to his back he holds his large circular hat with his other hand aimed towards the creature.
"What an odd thing." he says before spinning the hat upwards and pulling out the dagger hidden within. Taking a second to get his aim right he throws the weapon at the creature.
"What an odd thing." he says before spinning the hat upwards and pulling out the dagger hidden within. Taking a second to get his aim right he throws the weapon at the creature.
[size=75]-Wake up... wake up and smell the ashes-[/size]
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Nathan of the FoS
- Fiendish Enforcer
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OOC: It's still underwater, unfortunately (also, Draxton is standing between you and it). You're going to have to close to melee range to make an effective attack, I think.Coan wrote:Landing safetly onto the base of the tree, Hiro crouches against the bark with his feet and a free hand. It seems strange how he does not fall off, perhaps due to some magic or innate ability. With his parcel attached to his back he holds his large circular hat with his other hand aimed towards the creature.
"What an odd thing." he says before spinning the hat upwards and pulling out the dagger hidden within. Taking a second to get his aim right he throws the weapon at the creature.
IC: As Dadrag stabs viciously at the beast hidden the murky water he feels the point of his rapier drive into something that feels solid as oak; stabbing again, the blade parts only water.
Only a moment later Gerard screams as something pulls him under the water.
Dadrag's attack rolls--the +13/+8 is a guess. Unless it's a really bad guess, the result won't change.
Dadrag's damage roll for the first attack.
[b]FEAR JUSTICE.[/b] :elena:
"Draxton, get out of the way!" Hiro yells while slapping his hat back on and holding his dagger ready as he dives in after Gerard, in what he hopes isn't a vain hope of rescue.
(OOC: Hiro does have blind fight so he was going to use that but if someone is in the way... he shall use it underwater!)
(OOC: Hiro does have blind fight so he was going to use that but if someone is in the way... he shall use it underwater!)
[size=75]-Wake up... wake up and smell the ashes-[/size]
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alhoon
- Invisible Menace
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Listening to Hiro's shout, Draxton moves away from the monster dedicating as much of his attention to escaping its claws as possible.
OOC> Draxton moves back a 5 foot step, taking total defence.
OOC> Draxton moves back a 5 foot step, taking total defence.
"You truly see what a person is made of, when you begin to slice into them" - Semirhage
"I am not mad, no matter what you're implying." - Litalia
My DMGuild work!
"I am not mad, no matter what you're implying." - Litalia
My DMGuild work!
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Nathan of the FoS
- Fiendish Enforcer
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Gerard pops to the surface, giving a strangled yell; a pale arm covered in scales pulls him back under. Hiro and Dadrag converge on the struggling pair, weapons drawn, as Draxton retreats and Buchvold lunges toward the side of the channel and better footing.
OOC: Drowning rules are now in effect for everyone in the water--that's Draxton, Dadrag, Buchvold, Hiro, and Gerard. Unless you say otherwise I'll assume you're holding your breath and taking full actions; breathing is a move action. (The water is deep enough that you can't breathe just by standing upright.)
Dadrag and Hiro may make one attack each this round; Gerard and the creature have total concealment, since they're underwater, and any melee attack has a 50/50 chance of hitting either. Grappling works, though; you can be pretty sure they don't feel the same!
OOC: Drowning rules are now in effect for everyone in the water--that's Draxton, Dadrag, Buchvold, Hiro, and Gerard. Unless you say otherwise I'll assume you're holding your breath and taking full actions; breathing is a move action. (The water is deep enough that you can't breathe just by standing upright.)
Dadrag and Hiro may make one attack each this round; Gerard and the creature have total concealment, since they're underwater, and any melee attack has a 50/50 chance of hitting either. Grappling works, though; you can be pretty sure they don't feel the same!
[b]FEAR JUSTICE.[/b] :elena:
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Nathan of the FoS
- Fiendish Enforcer
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Dadrag and Hiro disappear beneath the surface as Crow begins to sing*, and the water is still for a long moment; lightning flickers overhead as the rest of you stare for any sign of the battle taking place underwater.
Below the surface, Dadrag's darkvision reveals little; the water is so murky, and so disturbed by the struggle, that even now he can see only a little of Gerard's attacker, although what he can see shows it to be roughly humanoid. Pushing himself forward as quickly as he can, he strikes and feels the blade bite deeply; at roughly the same time Hiro comes into his view, dagger in hand, and attempts to grasp at the wrestling pair with his free hand to guide his blow, but the creature twists away as he cuts at it and the blow does not connect.
OOC: 20% miss chance for concealment, 10% chance of hitting Gerard. The dice roll for Dadrag.
Obviously you've been living right, VAN. That's a hit on the creature attacking Gerard for 12 damage.
The dice roll for Hiro.
That's a miss due to concealment.
*OOC: Care to describe this, Roti? I don't know what he'd sing in this situation.
Below the surface, Dadrag's darkvision reveals little; the water is so murky, and so disturbed by the struggle, that even now he can see only a little of Gerard's attacker, although what he can see shows it to be roughly humanoid. Pushing himself forward as quickly as he can, he strikes and feels the blade bite deeply; at roughly the same time Hiro comes into his view, dagger in hand, and attempts to grasp at the wrestling pair with his free hand to guide his blow, but the creature twists away as he cuts at it and the blow does not connect.
OOC: 20% miss chance for concealment, 10% chance of hitting Gerard. The dice roll for Dadrag.
Obviously you've been living right, VAN. That's a hit on the creature attacking Gerard for 12 damage.
The dice roll for Hiro.
That's a miss due to concealment.
*OOC: Care to describe this, Roti? I don't know what he'd sing in this situation.
[b]FEAR JUSTICE.[/b] :elena:
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Rotipher of the FoS
- Thieving Crow
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Peering out over the shadowed water, as he retrieves his second-best harmonica from its belt-sheath, the bard curses mentally to see most of the others still in their aquatic attacker's reach. Though gratified to see Buchvold find solid footing and scramble towards shore -- the Borcan beanpole's long legs might as well be good for something -- any relief at his secret ally's escape is dashed when Gerard is dragged under.
Silently damning the still-unidentified creature which has seized the boatman -- a calculated choice of prey, to strand them here, or simple opportunism? how shrewd a foe did they face? -- Crow steps as close to the murky water as the slippery footing will allow. He lifts the lantern higher to view his companions' heads, now bobbing round the monster, and singles out the first one that he recognizes. The first riverside battle-piece to spring to mind (the fourth rising stanza from the operatic version of Blood of Mazonn) is unthinkable under these conditions, and Von Straus never translates well from strings to wind-instruments in any case.
Hoping like hell the gruff Darkonian doesn't actually know its storyline, the VRS spy falls back on a perennial bardic standby, and begins to play, channeling the vibrant motion and life of the music to invigorate the swordsman, as Dadrag struggles against the swamp-beast.
Let's hope Quiret and Yarek don't find out I've rearranged the Ballad of Nunieve for the bloody mouth-organ...
[OOC: Just FYI, lyrics to the Ballad of Nunieve -- a very popular and respected Kartakan folk song -- are included in the Ravenloft novel Heart of Midnight; it really does concern a battle with a monster from the dark depths of a river. Crow very much hopes Dadrag won't recognize the reference, because in the song, the one doing the fighting just happens to be a fair damsel, trying to vanquish the shadow fey which raped her....
]
Silently damning the still-unidentified creature which has seized the boatman -- a calculated choice of prey, to strand them here, or simple opportunism? how shrewd a foe did they face? -- Crow steps as close to the murky water as the slippery footing will allow. He lifts the lantern higher to view his companions' heads, now bobbing round the monster, and singles out the first one that he recognizes. The first riverside battle-piece to spring to mind (the fourth rising stanza from the operatic version of Blood of Mazonn) is unthinkable under these conditions, and Von Straus never translates well from strings to wind-instruments in any case.
Hoping like hell the gruff Darkonian doesn't actually know its storyline, the VRS spy falls back on a perennial bardic standby, and begins to play, channeling the vibrant motion and life of the music to invigorate the swordsman, as Dadrag struggles against the swamp-beast.
Let's hope Quiret and Yarek don't find out I've rearranged the Ballad of Nunieve for the bloody mouth-organ...
[OOC: Just FYI, lyrics to the Ballad of Nunieve -- a very popular and respected Kartakan folk song -- are included in the Ravenloft novel Heart of Midnight; it really does concern a battle with a monster from the dark depths of a river. Crow very much hopes Dadrag won't recognize the reference, because in the song, the one doing the fighting just happens to be a fair damsel, trying to vanquish the shadow fey which raped her....
]"Who [u]cares[/u] what the Dark Powers are? They're [i]bastards![/i] That's all I need to know of them." -- Crow
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Moral Machivelli
- Rat Blinder
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Buchvold spluttered as he came up. All this had hit him totally unawares. With some dificulty, he managed to join the others on the bank.
As he tried to regain his breath, whirlst the others help him to his feat, he started to form the beginings of a plan. With a muttered thanks to the others, he turned to their guide.
"Ronald, get the boat. Without it, we'll be at the mercy of any creature within miles. We'll deal with this."
The young noble's face betrayed a hint of fear (This swamp was not known for being friendly) but he overcame that and with a look of resolution went after the boat.
And now that there are no observers... Buchvold turned to his companions.
"Kingsly, have you any offensive spells? if so, now they would be truly appreciated."
"and Crow, do you still have your bag of "supplies"? I have an idea."
As he tried to regain his breath, whirlst the others help him to his feat, he started to form the beginings of a plan. With a muttered thanks to the others, he turned to their guide.
"Ronald, get the boat. Without it, we'll be at the mercy of any creature within miles. We'll deal with this."
The young noble's face betrayed a hint of fear (This swamp was not known for being friendly) but he overcame that and with a look of resolution went after the boat.
And now that there are no observers... Buchvold turned to his companions.
"Kingsly, have you any offensive spells? if so, now they would be truly appreciated."
"and Crow, do you still have your bag of "supplies"? I have an idea."
"There is no great revelation, there is only you."