[Pathfinder] Hewligan's Rise of the Runelords: The Hook Mountain Massacre

[hewligan]

You set to work. The move deeper into the caverns is easy enough, and when the light fails your blades once again provide the required light.

These dank caves of dirt and stone wind and bend dizzyingly, narrowing to as small as three feet wide at points. In places claws of exposed tree roots hang from the ceiling.

At the far end of the large cavern are the ancient cells, now empty (and unused for a decade). Across this large space are over a dozen shocker lizards. How the heck are you going to smoke them out the way you came without first crossing past them?

Upstairs, the web has been cast in place to force them towards the fort, but you stand perplexed. Can you just walk past them all, lay the twigs behind them, set fire to them, and not get attacked?

So, how are you going to do it?

 

[frostrune]

"Seems like we need some kind of bait to draw them out. What do they eat or what attracts them?"

Jokad looks to Vale and Jakardos hoping they have an answer.

 

[hewligan]

Vale shrugs. "What do I look like a lizard expert, or something? It ain't mating season, and there are a dozen of them in the cavern. I have no idea!"

Jakardos snorts. " This was a bad idea!" Let's just go kill some ogres and stop playing with bloody lizards!"

Kibb, behind him, shifts uncomfortably in the cramped corridor.

You are at a bit of an impasse. To smoke these things out you need to get behind them, but you are all funnelled into the bottleneck that you want to drive them through, with a big bear and a dog as well to add to the scrum.

Either someone has to sort out a good idea of getting at least some of you over with the wood, or your plan needs to be rethought or abandoned.

OOC: The game is suffering .... nearly dying. Any issues?

 

[Rhun]

OOC: No issues. I was simply waiting for a response to Jokad's question, and then I rarely ever post on weekends anymore. I think this game is far from dead...you still have four interested players. We're just at a bit of a slow spot, I think.


"I could perhaps summon aid on the far side of the lizards, in hopes of driving them this way," says Danth. "Perhaps a fire elemental? Or perhaps a fireball blast behind them would create the desired effect?"

 

[frostrune]

Jokad shrugs. "We are wasting time. To hell with these lizards. Let's go."

"We sneak in best we can and fight when that doesn't work."


OOC: Let's just move on guys. This doesn't seem to be working out. Not exactly sure how we are going to sneak around with a bear though. Kael isn't going to have enough invisibilites for everyone. Could Kibb and maybe Vale remain at the cave mouth to guard our entrace/exit? That would keep our party to a more reasonable size and several of us have some measure of stealth. Jokad is +7 even with his armor penalties.

 

[Rhun]

"Very well, then. Let us do this your way, Jokad," says Danth. The cleric readies himself for the coming battle. "I'm not very stealthy, though, even when invisible."


[sblock=Spells Readied]
- Level 0: Detect Magic, Light, Guidance, Read Magic
- Level 1: Obscuring Mist, Bless, Shield of Faith, Divine Favor + (d) Cure Light Wounds
- Level 2: Deific Vengeance (CD), Hold Person, Bull's Strength, Silence + (d) Heat Metal
- Level 3: Summon Monster III, Magic Circle vrs Evil, Dispel Magic + (d)Searing Light
- Level 4: Holy Smite, Summon Monster IV + (d) Fire Shield[/sblock]

 

[frostrune]

"Very well, then. Let us do this your way, Jokad," says Danth. The cleric readies himself for the coming battle. "I'm not very stealthy, though, even when invisible."

"Right," he readily agrees through a cheshire cat smile, "that's why you're going to be the bait and distract them while the rest of us find Shalelu."

There is a brief pause as confusion wars with shock across Danth's face, then the big Shoanti can't hold back any longer. He thumps Danth on the back and howls in laughter.

The mercurial mood changes in your towering friend are inscrutable to a civilized man but they generally do lighten the mood, even at inappropriate times. His laughter however seems to irritate the lizards who hiss and spit threateningly. Sobering a bit he says, "Ooops! I guess it's time to go."

 

[hewligan]

GAME OVER

It has been 7 days since Fenris last posted, and 9 days for Friadoc. Half the party has gone AWOL. I cannot roleplay for half a party + 2 NPC members + the opposition. I may as well just read a book.

I do appreciate all the incredibly creative posts you have all invested into this game. For more than two and a half years now we have walked this path, but for the past month or so I have been finding my own free time limited to the point of almost being non-existant. Despite that, I have somehow made sure I find the time for this game, and it has always been worthwhile due to the feedback I receive through your own efforts in helping the adventure take its unique shape.

However, if I cannot prompt participation from my players, then it makes it incredibly difficult to validate the time it takes to keep the game running.

Thank you all for the fantastic times, and sorry I am not able to be a little more patient right now. These lulls have happened in the past, and we have survived them, but this time it coincides with an incredibly busy period in my own working life that shows no sign of tempering. In a way, I guess I just don't have sufficient energy to fight to keep this game alive.

Good luck with your other endeavours, and thank you for participating in our little adventure.

Hewligan

 

[Rhun]

Well, that's a complete bummer, but I understand. I've put a couple of my games on hold, a large portion of that having to do with lack of player input. Anyway, thanks for running the game, you do a great job Hewligan. This was probably my favorite game currently going! Thanks for all the time and effort.

 

[Friadoc]

I'm incredibly sorry, folks, for my part in all of this, as it was not my intent to have gone nine days without a post. I didn't realize that it had been that long, and I'm sorry for any unintended disrespect in that. It's like everytime I was ready to post, something would get in the way and I'd think I could do it tomorrow and that was a mistake.

This really is one of the most enjoyable games I've played in, all due to you folk here and I'd hate to see it end.

Anyhow, once again, I'm really sorry for my lack of accountability lately, or my ability to post on a regular basis. I should have been more responsible in handling my posts.