Grim Hyborian Tales: Children of Ctaroc

Arturio

The Poitainian stayed silent during, eyes narrowed on Arnvid behind his helm, waiting for the offensive move that would send them all to an icy grave.

He was a bit relieved when it didn't come, but only just.

'What in the name of Mitra's manhood am I doing out here? Have I sunk this low?' he though glumly.

He resolved to quit the icy waste for warmer climes, perhaps Koth or even Shem, once their commission was finished...or IF the commission was finished...assuming they didn't plummet to the bottom of crevice or become ice worm food!

He strode along mecanically after Arnvid and his riders disappeared into the mist until Ongwi called another halt. The Pict's pronoucement filled him with a mixture of hope and fear. Hope that his employer was no longer in a condition to enforce the terms of the contract and fear of what other misfortune might visit them as a result.

He glanced at his two companions and growled, "Let's see what doom awaits us."

He hefted his sword and pressed forward.

~ OO

The rough flat surface of the glacier suddenly begins to descend. In the hazy
distance, you can see that the Vale probably began as a rift, that caught on a
massive stone hill deep beneath the ice. The glacier stopped here, and in its
relentless war with the stone, split like a river and flowed around it. A gentle
slope down to the stone hill results, and the towering glacial cliffs glow a deep
oceanic blue in the dying light of the day. Littered along the slope are the bodies
of Aesir and Vanir warriors, many of them with their skulls smashed in bright fans
of blood on the ice. Farther down the slope, the remains of a hasty Aesir village
emerge. A few thatch and waddle huts stand empty among the smoking ruins of several
others. A pile of corpses, Aesir warriors, women and children, as well as Vanir
raiders, lie in the center of this rough half circle of structures. Men clad in
ragged and patched furs crouch over this pile, their backs turned to you. A gaunt
figure in a torn fur cloak rounds quickly, still hunched, to greet you; His mouth
and the tarnished breastplate below it are awash with fresh blood, his features
frozen in a rictus across the yellowed, dead flesh.

OOC: You are about 50 feet away from the pile. You have the surprise. You can count
eight of these creatures from where you are. About 20 yards beyond the huts, the
rest of the Vale is obsured by thick steam seeming to rise near the base of the
stone hill and the glacier surrounding it. No sign of Arnvid and his remaining
horsemen.

"We should have gotten the gold up front Arturio" say the pict with a macabre grin. He then draws an arrow and shoots twice at the creature that turned. The cold has taken it's toll on the pict's aim and his shivering forces the arrows wide of their mark.

1d20, 1d8=[7], [2], 1d20, 1d8=[4], [4]

OOC:#@*$#! Cold. Not that I'da hit anyway with rolls like that.

Arturio

"Mitra's beard! What in the hell are those?"

Before really thinking, the knight snatches a throwing axe and hurls it at the closest creature.

[OOC: Woot! Natural 20: http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?id=312466... damage is 8: http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?id=312468...take that, nasty critter!]

"Stand your ground...let them come to us!"

~ OO

[PS - I am assuming the Nat 20 hits. 50 ft put me 5 range increments away, for a -8 on the toss, but I am pretty sure the Nat 20 cancels out, yes?]

Mananga readied his shield and spear and moved in front of the Pict to provide cover.

His knuckles cracked as he gripped his spear and waited for an enemy to come close enough to engage.

Cannibals.

ragboy said:

OOC: My map and junk are at home...so I'll post tonight. I need to start using my website... Damn location specific data access. Oh, and Fenris: You only get one shot in the surprise round...

Click to expand...

Good, I only wasted one arrow then

As the dark eyes of the creature fall on Ongwi, he draws and loosens, though the arrow flies over the crouched form's head, sticking into one of the corpses. Arturio flings the Vanir handaxe in a long arcing throw. The axe buries itself into the creature's forehead, the keen edge slicing the thing's head near in two. As it stands, half its head falls away and it catches the falling axe in an offhanded gesture. Mananga's giant form steps in front of the ailing Pict, setting his shield and broad-bladed assegai.

OOC: The natural 20 hits, but with the bonuses/penalties, does not threaten a critical. You can spend an action point to defeat its damage reduction, though -- Roll damage...

- Everyone roll initiative give me your actions.
- Oh, and give me your Horror Check actions - Fight or Flight?? (please use spolier tags for your decision).
- or (for those that choose to stand and fight) a horror check: d20+will save.

Horror Checks...

- For this encounter, you're looking at an encounter EL of 11 and a party EL of 11... so no bonus penalty there.
- This is not particularly horrific for you guys (Mananga and Ongwi eat people all the time, and Arturio's seen plenty of battles...)
- Never encountered this foe before (+2 to the threshold)
- Undead +1d6
- Horror Threshold - 3d6+2 = 12 - http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?id=313069

Current sitrep map attached.

Initiative (1d20+2=4)

Fight or Flight:
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Cannibals, he could handle.

But the dead coming back to life?

Mananga turned and fled.

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