Hairy Minotaur
Explorer
Spider_Jerusalem said:
Absolutely nothing wrong with searing justice. Even sounds like a really good way to eliminate annoying insects from your house.
A Chronicle of Ice, Luck and Honour - updated 19th December
- Thread starter Spider_Jerusalem
- Start date
Absolutely nothing wrong with searing justice. Even sounds like a really good way to eliminate annoying insects from your house.
HalfOrc HalfBiscuit
Adventurer
Just caught up with the last couple of updates. A fine story and fine writing. Keep up the good work!
Spider_Jerusalem
Explorer
Damn right (I'm trying to tally up the number of dragon breath attacks left in this story and I'm rapidly losing count...
![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
). Hi Hairy Minotaur, great to have you on board. And yep, no better way to keep a stirge swarm at bay.Thanks very much. Next update incoming...
Spider J
Spider_Jerusalem
Explorer
"Unlock... Open"
Thalin, Milo, Dariel and Isplit all sat hunched in silence as the aqualish made its steady course across the bed of the lake. The four travellers could do nothing but stare at the shadowy bulk of Klauth sitting in the shallows, his tail slowly swaying from side to side.
A moment of chaos ensued as Klauth dipped his head into the lake to drink. Dariel screamed and began to fly in the enclosed space as the remaining occupants whirled into a frenzy of trying to press themselves as far away from the steaming snout of the dragon as possible. Klauth only watched the aqualish trundle past slowly, before rearing his head back out to resume his talk with Torious.
The rails took a sharp turn and descended into a shadowed rift. The aqualish flickered on a pair of dull beams that illuminated a great set of stone double doors. They opened slowly, letting a rush of water past the approaching aqualish. The submersible slowed and then shuddered to a halt in the centre of the airlock. An immense metal door dominated the opposite wall. Behind the submersible, the stone doors closed and the water began to drain away.
The aqualish doors hissed open. Thalin stepped out and slowly worked away a painful cramp in his leg as the cold water sluiced about his boots. Milo patted the contraption on the side, thanking it for safe passage. As he did, his fingers ran into a carved stone handprint just below the cockpit latch.
Torious pushed open the second door and exited the moss-floored airlock. As he stepped into the space, an inconsistent chime rang through the room repeatedly from an unknown source. Torious stood for a moment, then unslung Justicar. Pressing his fingers up against the invisible barrier, the familiar dwarven voice called out, but this time with different words.
“Drained. Locked. Arrived.”
Torious answered immediately, “Unlock… Open.”
The door immediately separated at head height and its two halves disappeared smoothly, one into the floor, the other into the ceiling. Torious eased his grip on his sword as Thalin, Milo and their familiars, all unhurt, stood in surprise on the other side.
The three adventurers quickly interrogated Torious on what was said by the dragon but the aasimar revealed only that Zalaznir was killed and he was freed. As they all settled and discussed the dragon, Torious became alert to a distant and faint pouring noise of water. Methodically searching this out, the aasimar calculated that there must be water ducts running in the walls of the mines.
As his companions swapped stories, Milo crept back over to the aqualish, which he looked over. With a grunt of exertion, Milo tried to push the contraption from the tracks so he could ride it through the mines, but to no avail. Looking around in desperation, he saw a small shelf on the wall, which strangely had no watermarks on the inside. Investigating further, the halfling saw a heavy brown glove neatly stored in the space.
Reaching through without even a thought of wardings or glyphs, the halfling snatched the glove and ran back to the aqualish, hoping his thinking on this was right.
Thalin looked up abruptly as a heavy slosh of water rumbled in the ducts then a muffled thunder from the sword spider room echoed through the corridors. The mage looked at Torious, but the Aasimar just shrugged as he laced his ragged chainmail together.
Lyle jarred his head up as a dull rumbling echoed from the large chamber. After a minute it stopped and all was silent again. Pressing his head against the door, Lyle held his breath to hear any further sound. But there was nothing.
Lyle stood up, cradling his weeping stump. He fished deep into the leather pouch, removing a handful of black onyx gems. With a stern look, and a plan forming in his mind, Lyle readjusted his goggles and headed towards a vacant wall in the corner of the room.
The ghosts that had congregated in the corner of the room stopped clawing at the stonewall and watched the man in black as he strode over. Sneering at the ghosts, he flexed his grip on his sword. Then stepping back once, Lyle drove his shortsword into the loose mortar of the wall, and began to hack towards the hidden burial room of the dwarven miners.
A plan was formed to re-enter the sword spider room. Torious crouched forward and listened at the thick wood door. Hearing nothing he shrugged and motioned to Milo who stood confused for a moment (he was absorbed with stuffing the brown glove into his bag). Remembering his part in this plan, he skipped back into the chamber behind them and scooped his hand into the cold water of the trough. Emerging back into the corridor, Milo held a wobbling fish in each hand. Grinning with enthusiasm, he nodded for Torious to open the door.
Thalin, Milo, Dariel and Isplit all sat hunched in silence as the aqualish made its steady course across the bed of the lake. The four travellers could do nothing but stare at the shadowy bulk of Klauth sitting in the shallows, his tail slowly swaying from side to side.
A moment of chaos ensued as Klauth dipped his head into the lake to drink. Dariel screamed and began to fly in the enclosed space as the remaining occupants whirled into a frenzy of trying to press themselves as far away from the steaming snout of the dragon as possible. Klauth only watched the aqualish trundle past slowly, before rearing his head back out to resume his talk with Torious.
The rails took a sharp turn and descended into a shadowed rift. The aqualish flickered on a pair of dull beams that illuminated a great set of stone double doors. They opened slowly, letting a rush of water past the approaching aqualish. The submersible slowed and then shuddered to a halt in the centre of the airlock. An immense metal door dominated the opposite wall. Behind the submersible, the stone doors closed and the water began to drain away.
The aqualish doors hissed open. Thalin stepped out and slowly worked away a painful cramp in his leg as the cold water sluiced about his boots. Milo patted the contraption on the side, thanking it for safe passage. As he did, his fingers ran into a carved stone handprint just below the cockpit latch.
- - - - - - - - - -
Torious pushed open the second door and exited the moss-floored airlock. As he stepped into the space, an inconsistent chime rang through the room repeatedly from an unknown source. Torious stood for a moment, then unslung Justicar. Pressing his fingers up against the invisible barrier, the familiar dwarven voice called out, but this time with different words.
“Drained. Locked. Arrived.”
Torious answered immediately, “Unlock… Open.”
The door immediately separated at head height and its two halves disappeared smoothly, one into the floor, the other into the ceiling. Torious eased his grip on his sword as Thalin, Milo and their familiars, all unhurt, stood in surprise on the other side.
The three adventurers quickly interrogated Torious on what was said by the dragon but the aasimar revealed only that Zalaznir was killed and he was freed. As they all settled and discussed the dragon, Torious became alert to a distant and faint pouring noise of water. Methodically searching this out, the aasimar calculated that there must be water ducts running in the walls of the mines.
As his companions swapped stories, Milo crept back over to the aqualish, which he looked over. With a grunt of exertion, Milo tried to push the contraption from the tracks so he could ride it through the mines, but to no avail. Looking around in desperation, he saw a small shelf on the wall, which strangely had no watermarks on the inside. Investigating further, the halfling saw a heavy brown glove neatly stored in the space.
Reaching through without even a thought of wardings or glyphs, the halfling snatched the glove and ran back to the aqualish, hoping his thinking on this was right.
Thalin looked up abruptly as a heavy slosh of water rumbled in the ducts then a muffled thunder from the sword spider room echoed through the corridors. The mage looked at Torious, but the Aasimar just shrugged as he laced his ragged chainmail together.
- - - - - - - - - -
Lyle jarred his head up as a dull rumbling echoed from the large chamber. After a minute it stopped and all was silent again. Pressing his head against the door, Lyle held his breath to hear any further sound. But there was nothing.
Lyle stood up, cradling his weeping stump. He fished deep into the leather pouch, removing a handful of black onyx gems. With a stern look, and a plan forming in his mind, Lyle readjusted his goggles and headed towards a vacant wall in the corner of the room.
The ghosts that had congregated in the corner of the room stopped clawing at the stonewall and watched the man in black as he strode over. Sneering at the ghosts, he flexed his grip on his sword. Then stepping back once, Lyle drove his shortsword into the loose mortar of the wall, and began to hack towards the hidden burial room of the dwarven miners.
- - - - - - - - - -
A plan was formed to re-enter the sword spider room. Torious crouched forward and listened at the thick wood door. Hearing nothing he shrugged and motioned to Milo who stood confused for a moment (he was absorbed with stuffing the brown glove into his bag). Remembering his part in this plan, he skipped back into the chamber behind them and scooped his hand into the cold water of the trough. Emerging back into the corridor, Milo held a wobbling fish in each hand. Grinning with enthusiasm, he nodded for Torious to open the door.
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Spider_Jerusalem
Explorer
Yeah, I know (cliffhangers are cheeky, but I love 'em)... so here is the conclusion, just because you asked
. And nice to have you on board! Enjoy.
Spider J
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Spider_Jerusalem
Explorer
"FOR TYR!!!"
The door scraped open. Milo darted forwards and hurled the fish into the dim chamber as far as he could. Torious stood ready, his hands flexing around the hilt of Justicar. Thalin let the final word of his arcane verse hang in the air. Milo rubbed his hands on his trousers before completing his part of the plan. He waved his hands and spoke a word to no obvious effect, then levelled his crossbow at the centre of the room.
Milo grinned in mischevious abandon as the spasming fish began to be dragged in erratic lines by his invisible helper, whom the halfling had kindly named Servant-For-Milo. Huddled in the entrance to the large chamber, the heroes waited.
A long minute passed. Milo caught his breath as glazed shadow hovered in the depths of the web. Without a sound the sword spider dropped from its silken home to skewer the two fish as they slid over the ground.
The three adventurers leapt to the attack. Torious pounced forwards, and hitting the ground running, screamed an almighty “FOR TYR!!!” as he charged at the spider.
Thalin spoke the final word and once again his cloak billowed forwards to release two crisp daggers of ice. They streaked with unerring accuracy into the glistening cluster of eyes. Milo fired, but his missile strayed from the target. It whistled into the gloom of a newly opened section in the main room. Milo noted this with interest but shook his curiosity aside. Thalin leapt towards the spider with Shard in his hand, his face a mask of concentration.
The spider lurched backwards as Torious bellowed "FOR TYR!!!" again. In a holy fury he cleaved Justicar through three of the spider’s seven legs. Torious had no time to think as to why the spider would be missing a leg because the spider began it's counter attack. Frost-burnt eyes swivelled to monitor threats. The spider turned fast and drove two raised legs at the Aasimar. Torious turned one aside with his sword, then rolled with the second as it punctured into his shoulder guard.
With a warbling shriek, Milo leapt onto to spider's back. He raised Vampire high, then plunged it down. The blade bit deep. Milo didn’t notice as tiny points of ivory slithered backwards from the blade hilt into his hand and the spider's blood began to be pumped into his own.
Thalin struck low, but his scimitar screeched off of the tough chitin legs. Torious stood ready to defend, but the spider stepped backwards, piercing Thalin through the thigh with a chitin blade.
Milo sheathed Vampire as his companion cried out in pain. He pulled a small wooden toy from his pocket and scrunched it into his newfound glove. Closing his eyes, Milo punched his hand into the sword wound. Milo squelched open his fist then tumbled backwards and landed perfectly on a rail track.
With a wet whooshing sound, the miniaturised aqualish expanded to full size inside of the spider and exploded out of the creature in a shower of blood, chitin and silk.
The debris of the spider scraped in desperation at the gut-strewn aqualish. It stopped abruptly and the remaining legs curled inwards.
Milo leapt into the air and whooped a victory cry, but was met with stupified glances from Torious and Thalin. Milo, happy to have trumped his companions for once, stepped triumphantly through the spider entrails and pressed his hand to the side of the aqualish. With an odd popping sound, the contraption shrunk to the size of a childs toy in Milo’s gloved hand. Grinning from ear to ear, Milo placed the submersible in his pocket and strutted across the rail tracks to investigate the newfound opening in the chamber.
The door scraped open. Milo darted forwards and hurled the fish into the dim chamber as far as he could. Torious stood ready, his hands flexing around the hilt of Justicar. Thalin let the final word of his arcane verse hang in the air. Milo rubbed his hands on his trousers before completing his part of the plan. He waved his hands and spoke a word to no obvious effect, then levelled his crossbow at the centre of the room.
Milo grinned in mischevious abandon as the spasming fish began to be dragged in erratic lines by his invisible helper, whom the halfling had kindly named Servant-For-Milo. Huddled in the entrance to the large chamber, the heroes waited.
A long minute passed. Milo caught his breath as glazed shadow hovered in the depths of the web. Without a sound the sword spider dropped from its silken home to skewer the two fish as they slid over the ground.
The three adventurers leapt to the attack. Torious pounced forwards, and hitting the ground running, screamed an almighty “FOR TYR!!!” as he charged at the spider.
Thalin spoke the final word and once again his cloak billowed forwards to release two crisp daggers of ice. They streaked with unerring accuracy into the glistening cluster of eyes. Milo fired, but his missile strayed from the target. It whistled into the gloom of a newly opened section in the main room. Milo noted this with interest but shook his curiosity aside. Thalin leapt towards the spider with Shard in his hand, his face a mask of concentration.
The spider lurched backwards as Torious bellowed "FOR TYR!!!" again. In a holy fury he cleaved Justicar through three of the spider’s seven legs. Torious had no time to think as to why the spider would be missing a leg because the spider began it's counter attack. Frost-burnt eyes swivelled to monitor threats. The spider turned fast and drove two raised legs at the Aasimar. Torious turned one aside with his sword, then rolled with the second as it punctured into his shoulder guard.
With a warbling shriek, Milo leapt onto to spider's back. He raised Vampire high, then plunged it down. The blade bit deep. Milo didn’t notice as tiny points of ivory slithered backwards from the blade hilt into his hand and the spider's blood began to be pumped into his own.
Thalin struck low, but his scimitar screeched off of the tough chitin legs. Torious stood ready to defend, but the spider stepped backwards, piercing Thalin through the thigh with a chitin blade.
Milo sheathed Vampire as his companion cried out in pain. He pulled a small wooden toy from his pocket and scrunched it into his newfound glove. Closing his eyes, Milo punched his hand into the sword wound. Milo squelched open his fist then tumbled backwards and landed perfectly on a rail track.
With a wet whooshing sound, the miniaturised aqualish expanded to full size inside of the spider and exploded out of the creature in a shower of blood, chitin and silk.
The debris of the spider scraped in desperation at the gut-strewn aqualish. It stopped abruptly and the remaining legs curled inwards.
Milo leapt into the air and whooped a victory cry, but was met with stupified glances from Torious and Thalin. Milo, happy to have trumped his companions for once, stepped triumphantly through the spider entrails and pressed his hand to the side of the aqualish. With an odd popping sound, the contraption shrunk to the size of a childs toy in Milo’s gloved hand. Grinning from ear to ear, Milo placed the submersible in his pocket and strutted across the rail tracks to investigate the newfound opening in the chamber.
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freedoms_edge
First Post
I think Spider underestimated Milo's players imagination with the aqualish, I think he pretty much tried to use it in any situation he could, especially the classic "expand inside a creature's body and see how far the gore go's trick"
Spider_Jerusalem
Explorer
Yep, Milo loved this one. He was the character with the duty of has-all-the-weird-magic-items. The Aqualish is pretty powerful, but its stats were modified and the explosive spider episode was a great plan combined with some lucky rolls on Milo's part and an unlucky save for my beautiful spider. Sigh. Next time gadget, next time.
Yep, he did (does?). Often as the players were trekking to a town Milo would be trundling along in the aqualish, getting some fairly odd looks from travellers as he went. Mikka was desperate to get his hands on it, but Milo remained steadfast in his love for his little submersible (who wouldn't?).
Anyway, next update is looming on the horizon... (Lyle gets a touch of the upper hand at long last... he he)
Spider J
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