The Rerisen Tower(DM: Iron Sky, Judge: ScorpiusRisk)

Gurk shivers, but does not let on that he feels the cold. Still to anyone trained in first aid could see that Gurk is suffering from the effects of exposure.

[sblock=rolls]Endurance check;Nature check. (1d20+8=14, 1d20+1=8)[/sblock]

Yimayngurr dislikes the cold intensely, muttering maledictions upon it in his native tongue throughout the watch, "Yatj wahnga dhuwalanydja... Waltjanmirri ga bawamirri ga buku-yatj... Gomurr-djararrk ngarranydja..." But paradoxically, his acclimation to the extreme heat of his home island seems to have hardened his body against the rain and cold as well, and he is able to endure it stoutly if not happily.

Seeing that Eithal has the fire well, in hand Yimayngurr focuses all his energies in repeated attempts to spot the danger that is making Eithal's skin crawl, but is at a loss to do so. "I dunno, mate," he says to the giantess, "You sure? I can't see a bloomin' thing through all this rain."

He ultimately gives up the effort, deciding his energy is better spent helping Eithal keep the fire lit.

[sblock=rolls]Nature required roll (to preserve surges) = 18

Perception = 16
Insight = 10
Nature = 17[/sblock]

Third watch

Livia tends the fire carefully. Then, despite her previous unfriendliness, she approaches Gurk and tries to help keep him warm by getting very close and rubbing his limbs vigorously. Her demeanor, however, doesn't change. "This is no natural storm," she says shortly. "It's much too cold. It may not be a lot of use to stay out here; I doubt we'll see anything approach in this mess anyway."

[sblock=rolls]Check to keep the fire going succeeds passively.

Nature check for withstanding the cold: 1d20+10=22

Nature check, DC 25: 1d20+10=30 success.

Dungeoneering DC 20: 1d20+5=17 failure.[/sblock]

Everyone is just waking up when there is a sudden popping and cracking sound from the rocky cliff face. "The cliff is breaking apart!" Mason shouts as everyone scrambles to get out of the way.

Most of the group are able to leap out of the way, but Gurk is struck by a large rock and Livia is buried by the rocks along with several of the craftsmen. Everyone quickly digs them out and, while Livia is alive, three craftsmen are dead when it is all said and done.

Mason and the craftsmen are visibly shaken, but Mason quickly sets them to work digging out what supplies they can from under the debris. Fortunately the wagon was out of the way of the worst of it and takes only minor damage, though one of the horses is injured as well.

It's several hours later when the three fallen are buried, the injured bandaged, supplies salvaged, and the wagon repaired.

As the craftsmen somberly hitch the horses to the wagon, Mason steps aside with the group, letting her calm, leaderly guise fall. She looks tired and worried.

"I checked that cliff myself when we stopped there to make sure it would hold up ok in the rain. Either I'm not worthy of being a master mason or... Any of you notice anything last night? Any popping and cracking like we heard before it collapsed? Anyone up on the cliff doing something?"

She glances at the three graves. "I've had people injured or killed while working under me before; falling off of scaffolding, rocks dropped from high walls, accidents. It's always a shock..."

She shakes her head as though to clear it. "Regardless, we need to push on if we want to have any hope of getting to the tower before nightfall... Let's talk about this on the road."

The only good news is that the rain begins to abate and is only a light drizzle by the time you are underway.

[sblock=Cliff breaking]Cliff face collapse: 20 Reflex vs Livia, 7 Reflex vs Yimayngurr, 18 Reflex vs Gurk, 11 Reflex vs Corvus, 8 Reflex vs Fedrock, Automatic Miss vs Eithal, 8 Reflex vs Kaz. Livia and Gurk take 16 damage and a secondary attack: 17 Fort vs Livia, 5 Fort vs Gurk, Livia is buried by the collapsing cliff face and loses another healing surge as she's dug out from the rubble and mud. Three of the craftsmen are crushed by the cliff face.[/sblock]

[sblock=Corvus' healing]Corvus can heal at surge+1d6, so we'll assume that Livia and Gurk will be tended by him and gain the extra d6 for however many surges they want to spend. You can roll the d6 yourself when you're spending the surge or just take 3 on the d6 if you don't feel like going to IC.[/sblock]

[sblock=My dice rolls]I roll using my own dice(or an electronic dice roller if my dice aren't handy). This is partially for aesthetics, partly to keep some of the enemies' exact attacks more unknown, partially because running combat can already take an hour or more per turn to run without running back and forth to invisible castle. Just FYI.[/sblock]

[sblock=The night's Endurance/Nature DC]The fire went out during second watch, setting the DC at 17 for the Endurance/Nature check to see if a surge is lost.[/sblock]

When Kaz is finished helping free the people and recover the supplies he turns to the graves of the three dead masons. Taking out his holy symbol he mutters a prayer. May the Lady Mireva have much mercy on you and guide your souls to a beautiful afterlife.

He turns away, Come, let us leave this place, there is nothing else we can do here...

Fredrock solemnly helps with the rescue/burial/cleanup/repair work. Not much else that can be done at this point. Besides the heavy, cold rain, there wasn't anything unusual while I was on shift last night.

After the hard work of clearing the rubble, Eithal pounds the last of the grave markers into the earthen mound that covers the body of a dead craftsman. She leans on the grave marker and sighs, "Ah'm shoah thayat was heyim't Ah saw layast nayaht, Yimmy. Ah jus' know eyit."

[sblock=Translation]I'm sure that was him that saw last night, Yimmy. I just know it.[/sblock]

"The weather itself isn't right," says Livia, still looking very shaken after having been dug out of the rubble. "I don't think any amount of caution on our parts is going to prevent more occurrences like this; we're not dealing with natural forces. Just how important is this tower?"

[sblock=ooc]Spending one healing surge with Corvus's help. 8 +1d6=4 is 12 points. Lost a second surge for having been buried in the first place.[/sblock]
[sblock=ministats]Livia Female Human Seeker 3
Initiative: +8, Passive Perception: 20, Passive Insight: 15, Senses: Normal
AC:16, Fort:13, Reflex:16, Will:17
HP:31/35, Bloodied:17, Surge Value:8, Surges left:6/8
Action Points: 1
Powers:
Biting Swarm
Elemental Spirits
Grappling Spirits
Agile Recovery
Inevitable Shot
Encaging Spirits
Possessing Spirits
Escaping Shot
Second Wind
Rebounding Greatbow
Swarming Bats

Basic ranged attacks: Biting Swarm +9 vs AC, 1d12+7 damage, target and adjacent enemies take -2 penalty to attack until start of my next turn; Grappling Spirits +9 vs AC, 1d12+7 damage, target is slowed and can't shift until the end of its next turn.

Conditions:

Full sheet: Livia[/sblock]

Battered by debris, but ever defiant, Gurk yells to the sky "Rain and rock never defeat Gurk, you hear? You never beat me!"

Then turning to Livia he adds. "Now you believe me too Livia? There is something that the mason does not tell us, no?"

Turning back to the Master Mason, he continues. It is clear that he is now convinced that the Master Mason is hiding something. His words clearly smolder with anger. "So is there anything else you can tell us before someone else gets killed?"

[sblock=healing]Gurk loses a healing surge due to exposure.
Healing (Inspiring Word, includes surge value) (1d6+6=7)
Gurk spends a healing surge, regaining 7 hit points.
Gurk spends a healing surge, regaining 6 hit points.
Gurk is at 21/24 hit points and 6/9 surges.[/sblock]

"I'd just like to remind you all who's idea it was to stay in town last night? Would the cliff have fallen on us if we'd stayed there? Probably not. Hmmmm..." Corvus wonders aloud, he is more than a little miserable this morning after the last night's watch and the events of this morning.