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<blockquote data-quote="Capellan" data-source="post: 408412" data-attributes="member: 6294"><p><strong>Amberdale 0 : "An Introduction to Amberdale" by PDabble Games - Part 5</strong></p><p></p><p>Approaching the tower, the party soon sees evidence of the rodent infestation: three huge rats are tearing at the plant growth near the front door of the tower, apparently unaware; or in any event unconcerned; about the group of adventurers crouched in the underbrush nearby.</p><p></p><p>Whatever the reason for the rats' disinterest in the party, it serves the group well, as they unleash a volley of missile fire that immediately slays two of the beasts. Mantreus' bolt is particularly well-aimed, pinning the unfortunate rodent to the stone wall of the tower.</p><p></p><p>It is left to Ulfgar, who has no truck with cowardly missile weapons, to gleefully charge and slay the third and final rat with a mighty sweep of his war axe.</p><p></p><p>With the first challenge easily surmounted, the group moves inside and checks out the lowest floor of the tower. It proves to be an empty space with a bare earth floor, and a winding flight of stairs that rises 40' around the inside wall of the tower, reaching further storeys above.</p><p></p><p>After an abortive search for the non-existent basement, the group heads in single file up the stairs, cautiously approaching the all but destroyed door to the second floor (the door had been chewed through by the rats). As they draw close, they are able to observe a number of rats moving around in the room beyond the door. The rats again seem more or less oblivious to the party's presence, though they are not bunched together in such an inviting target group, this time.</p><p></p><p>The group withdraws slightly and confers. A clever plan is constructed: Ulfgar will take the lead while Mantreus stands just behind him to shoot one of the rats: when the other rats charge out and attack, they will have to rush down the stairs to do so. At this point the rest of the party, who will wait further down the curve of the stairs, will have a clear line of fire.</p><p></p><p>The plan starts perfectly: Mantreus' shot is superb, skewering a rat straight through the body.</p><p></p><p>Unfortunately, the rats do not react by charging, but by running for cover. So the party finds themselves advancing cautiously into the room, with vermin extermination foremost in their minds. However, the rats are nowhere in sight. Instead, the group sees only a few beds, a rack of weapons, and further stairs leading up.</p><p></p><p>Reasoning that the rats are most likely hiding under the beds, Stormstrider, Gabrielle and Ulfgar move over to the closest and prepare to flip it over.</p><p></p><p>Which, of course, is exactly when the rats swarm out and attack.</p><p></p><p>However, swarm or not, they are only rats, and the armed and armoured adventurers make short and bloody work of the verminous little beasts. It is only because they are so numerous that any of the creatures survive to reach melee at all, as the party lays about itself with vigour, crushing and slicing the rats with a variety of weapons.</p><p></p><p>Within twenty seconds, the fight is over, and the group is free to explore the chamber. The beds do not reveal anything interesting, but the gleam of silvered weapons catches the covetous eyes of the party. Sure enough, both a silvered dagger and a silvered shortsword are propped against the weapons rack, and the group makes short work of justifying their "borrowing" of these items, particularly when the Padre remembers from his study of the arcane that he has read of creatures called lycanthropes, which are vulnerable only to silver and magic. Though none of the group thinks it likely that such a creature would leave these weapons in its lair, they take them "just in case".</p><p></p><p>Thus, Stormstrider claims the dagger, and Gabrielle the shortsword. Ulfgar seems content to stay with his war axe, evidently feeling that the silvered weapons were not appropriate arms for a Dwarf.</p><p></p><p>The Padre's knowledge proves very beneficial, as the creature that lurked at the top of the tower is indeed a repulsive and diseased lycanthrope: a wererat. The creature wasted no time in leaping out against the party, striking Ulfgar with a solid blow of his rapier, and following up with a vicious bite.</p><p></p><p>Caught in single file on the stairs, it suddenly occurs to the group that it was a tactical error not to put someone with a silvered weapon at the front of the party. There follows a short period of internal dissension, as Stormstrider (at the rear) first wants to push to the front (a dangerous proposition on such narrow stairs), and then seems reluctant to move back and let the others retreat to the room below, where they can more readily fight the wererat.</p><p></p><p>However, the confusion is sorted out in short order, and the party retreats hastily down the stairs, Ulfgar narrowly avoiding another strike from the wererat's rapier.</p><p></p><p>With the rage of combat fully upon him, and trusting in his resistance to normal weapons, the wererat leaps to the pursuit, striking Gabrielle a severe blow with his rapier. Both the injured fighter and Stormstrider strike back ineffectually, and the creature attacks again, this time biting Ulfgar, who refuses to retreat from melee, despite his lack of a silvered weapon.</p><p></p><p>And then suddenly Gabrielle strikes a mighty blow, and the creature falls instantly to the ground, its heart pierced with silver.</p><p></p><p>With the wererat slain, the party explores the rest of the tower, finding more treasure: a masterwork suit of chainmail, and a masterwork heavy mace. Ulfgar and the Padre claim these two items, respectively. There is some discussion on how the tower's owners will react to this, but they decide not to worry about that just now.</p><p></p><p>Finally, on the roof of the tower, the group discovers a strange and repulsive statuette, surrounded by small gems. In the best adventuring tradition, they steal the gems and head for the exit.</p><p></p><p>As they reach the door of the tower, however, they hear voices from the forest ...</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Capellan, post: 408412, member: 6294"] [b]Amberdale 0 : "An Introduction to Amberdale" by PDabble Games - Part 5[/b] Approaching the tower, the party soon sees evidence of the rodent infestation: three huge rats are tearing at the plant growth near the front door of the tower, apparently unaware; or in any event unconcerned; about the group of adventurers crouched in the underbrush nearby. Whatever the reason for the rats' disinterest in the party, it serves the group well, as they unleash a volley of missile fire that immediately slays two of the beasts. Mantreus' bolt is particularly well-aimed, pinning the unfortunate rodent to the stone wall of the tower. It is left to Ulfgar, who has no truck with cowardly missile weapons, to gleefully charge and slay the third and final rat with a mighty sweep of his war axe. With the first challenge easily surmounted, the group moves inside and checks out the lowest floor of the tower. It proves to be an empty space with a bare earth floor, and a winding flight of stairs that rises 40' around the inside wall of the tower, reaching further storeys above. After an abortive search for the non-existent basement, the group heads in single file up the stairs, cautiously approaching the all but destroyed door to the second floor (the door had been chewed through by the rats). As they draw close, they are able to observe a number of rats moving around in the room beyond the door. The rats again seem more or less oblivious to the party's presence, though they are not bunched together in such an inviting target group, this time. The group withdraws slightly and confers. A clever plan is constructed: Ulfgar will take the lead while Mantreus stands just behind him to shoot one of the rats: when the other rats charge out and attack, they will have to rush down the stairs to do so. At this point the rest of the party, who will wait further down the curve of the stairs, will have a clear line of fire. The plan starts perfectly: Mantreus' shot is superb, skewering a rat straight through the body. Unfortunately, the rats do not react by charging, but by running for cover. So the party finds themselves advancing cautiously into the room, with vermin extermination foremost in their minds. However, the rats are nowhere in sight. Instead, the group sees only a few beds, a rack of weapons, and further stairs leading up. Reasoning that the rats are most likely hiding under the beds, Stormstrider, Gabrielle and Ulfgar move over to the closest and prepare to flip it over. Which, of course, is exactly when the rats swarm out and attack. However, swarm or not, they are only rats, and the armed and armoured adventurers make short and bloody work of the verminous little beasts. It is only because they are so numerous that any of the creatures survive to reach melee at all, as the party lays about itself with vigour, crushing and slicing the rats with a variety of weapons. Within twenty seconds, the fight is over, and the group is free to explore the chamber. The beds do not reveal anything interesting, but the gleam of silvered weapons catches the covetous eyes of the party. Sure enough, both a silvered dagger and a silvered shortsword are propped against the weapons rack, and the group makes short work of justifying their "borrowing" of these items, particularly when the Padre remembers from his study of the arcane that he has read of creatures called lycanthropes, which are vulnerable only to silver and magic. Though none of the group thinks it likely that such a creature would leave these weapons in its lair, they take them "just in case". Thus, Stormstrider claims the dagger, and Gabrielle the shortsword. Ulfgar seems content to stay with his war axe, evidently feeling that the silvered weapons were not appropriate arms for a Dwarf. The Padre's knowledge proves very beneficial, as the creature that lurked at the top of the tower is indeed a repulsive and diseased lycanthrope: a wererat. The creature wasted no time in leaping out against the party, striking Ulfgar with a solid blow of his rapier, and following up with a vicious bite. Caught in single file on the stairs, it suddenly occurs to the group that it was a tactical error not to put someone with a silvered weapon at the front of the party. There follows a short period of internal dissension, as Stormstrider (at the rear) first wants to push to the front (a dangerous proposition on such narrow stairs), and then seems reluctant to move back and let the others retreat to the room below, where they can more readily fight the wererat. However, the confusion is sorted out in short order, and the party retreats hastily down the stairs, Ulfgar narrowly avoiding another strike from the wererat's rapier. With the rage of combat fully upon him, and trusting in his resistance to normal weapons, the wererat leaps to the pursuit, striking Gabrielle a severe blow with his rapier. Both the injured fighter and Stormstrider strike back ineffectually, and the creature attacks again, this time biting Ulfgar, who refuses to retreat from melee, despite his lack of a silvered weapon. And then suddenly Gabrielle strikes a mighty blow, and the creature falls instantly to the ground, its heart pierced with silver. With the wererat slain, the party explores the rest of the tower, finding more treasure: a masterwork suit of chainmail, and a masterwork heavy mace. Ulfgar and the Padre claim these two items, respectively. There is some discussion on how the tower's owners will react to this, but they decide not to worry about that just now. Finally, on the roof of the tower, the group discovers a strange and repulsive statuette, surrounded by small gems. In the best adventuring tradition, they steal the gems and head for the exit. As they reach the door of the tower, however, they hear voices from the forest ... [/QUOTE]
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