Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 1222500" data-attributes="member: 8530">Game #6 - 11/09/03Chapter 18, “One Basilisk, Going Down,” September 13th, 1019, 3:00 P.M.Just as Alton had nearing the bridge of the nose the creature had beguns to shake vigorously.  Alton loses his grip and is flung into the air and away from the creature.   Inside of the building, the party all begin to fall back and forth from one side to the other as the building tips to 45-degree angles one direction and then the other.   A comment is made about it looking like an classic Star Trek episode, when the bridge shook from side to side as the ship was hit.   They are careful to avoid falling out of open windows.    Looking out the rear window they see that the Kadtanach is trying to shake the buildings off of its back, with the body moving similar to how a dog shakes when it comes in out of the rain.    They see at least six gnolls fall off of the creature during this activity.   Both wyverns have taken to the air, each with three riders on its back.  A player comments that “This is a scene that Irwin Allen would be proud of.” The creature eventually stops shaking, and the party discovers that aside from a few bruises they are relatively okay.   The wyverns also stop circling the creature.  Cassie sends her own Deanna out to check on Alton.   Mojo comments, “This perfect, maybe we’ll lose the owl as well as the dirtbag.”  The owl is unable to locate him.    Cassie tells the party that Alton is missing.  Mojo comments “We don’t have time for that now, we can celebrate later.”    She replies, “He was our best chance to communicate with the creature.”  Purge adds, “Yeah, and it’s only a matter of time before that fake god gains control of this thing again.”    Narg suggests that they all check out the other buildings to find the fake god.  Mojo says, “Hold on, are you suggesting that we undertake a house-to-house search while this creature is vibrating  like the beds at a cathouse?”  “Yes,” Narg replies.  Mojo replies, “Then I say we should put that idea to a vote by the full membership.”    Cassie suggests, “Maybe we should first try and figure out where this guy went to?”   “How?” Mark asks.  She answers “Let’s ask the druid.”   Narg reaches into the bag and yanks the gnoll Nahmi out of it.”  “Where are we?” he asks.   Narg answers “On the creatures head.  Does that gnoll deity have his own building on this structure.”   The druid replies , “Yes”, and then points out the window to the building above the Kadtanach’s left front leg.  The top of the building is the highest point above the whole structure, with the gargoyle leader standing atop its roof. Just then the Kadtanach begins moving again, changing its direction from west to southeast, and now going at a more leisurely pace.   Nahmi is shoved back into the Bag of Holding. Looking out the front window, they see that the large lake alongside the mountains is around dead ahead.    Cassie comments “It’s heading towards the water.”  “Must be thirsty,” Mark comments.   “Or it wants to take a bath,” Purge suggests.  “Wouldn’t you if you had gnolls crawling all over you?” Mojo quips.    Cassie comments, “Well of course it wants a bath.  This think is similar to a giant crocodile, which is at home in the water.”  Narg says, “They we’d better do something before it reaches there and turns this whole thing into a submersible.”    Cassie states “I think Alton had the right idea.”  Mojo comments, “Yeah, leaving.”  She answers, “No, I meant talking to this creature.  Cassie tries to figure out the best way to communicate with the creature.   She approaches the Dragonstalker Grelmak, and says “Do you have any useful magic or spells that could help.”   He is reluctant to answer, and says “I’ll have to think about it.”  She assertively states, “Look, I’m not kidding here.  if you want to get out of this alive we need to work together.  Tell me EVERY magic item you are carrying and all of your memorized spells NOW!”    He rattles of a list of magic, including a Ring of ESP and a Ring of Spell Storing containing both Speak with Animals and Speak with Monster spells.   Cassie determines that the items could be used in conjunction to communicate, but that will first involve getting the Kadtanach’s attention by getting in it’s face.  She states that I’d rather not try that while basilisks are looking on.”   “I’m on it,” Narg states, and heads down the ladder.   He attaches his rope of climbing to the Howdad door, and repels down to the side of the ear basket where Alton saw the basilisk, staying well clear of the window.  Grelmak casts an illusion over where Narg is to keep the gnolls on the rest of the structure from spotting him.  Narg discovers that the large wooden basket is secured to the ear via a large leather strap, approximately three-inches thick and nine-inches wide.   He begins to use his Sword of Sharpenss like a saw to cut through it with his exceptional strength.    After a half hour Purge comes out to check on his progress, finding that Narg has only managed to cut through three inches.    Narg decides to change his tactics, and starts using angled sword swipes down onto the strap where he had cut it, chopping out pieces of leather with each blow.  Purge returns to the upper room.  While this is going on the party notices over a dozen gnolls climb down from the catapult platform to the Yoke Howdad.   Almost an hour later the party notice that they are around five miles closer to the lake.   At several points during the creature’s trek through the forests it has disturbed the homes of  Elgart birds, with the creature then swallowing up the flocks of game birds.   Cassie says “Damn it.  I know we had been told it had eaten cows, but I was really hoping that was just a rumor and its wasn’t really a herbavore rather than a carnivore.”  Mojo says, “Given its size I say we should let it be whatever kind of vore it wants to be.”    Mojo’s player also attempts to annoy the DM, by placing bottlecaps on top of the DM’s sleeping cat as a visual depiction of the various Howdads atop the Kadtanach.  The Kadtanach then comes to a complete halt.   The creature turns its head around, as if looking at the countryside again for the first time.  The creature changes direction again, now heading northwest.   It’s head slumps down lower again and picks up its pace.   Cassie comments, “Damn, we waited too long.  That being has control of it again.”   Narg still has not returned.  Mojo says, “I’ll go see what is keeping him.”   Mojo climbs down to where Narg is, finding that Narg is down to the final inche-and-a-half on the strap.   “What’s taking you so long?” Mojo asks.  “Would you care to try this yourself?” Narg replies.  Mojo answers, “Not really, I’m feeling a little tired myself.”    Annoyed with his friend and with the renewed vigor of being almost done, Narg energetically takes the final swings that cause the strap to break.  The few remaining mountings holding the basket on are insufficient to support its weight, and the basket goes crashing to the forest floor below.    This is followed by the sound of bell alarms and it is assumed that the gnolls also saw the basket fall.</blockquote>

Verification