Copperheads: Betrayal and Strange Runes and Burning Dead, oh my (short update 02/12)

[Lela]

I, too, am willing to help. And, though I can't come to Austrailia any time soon, a PBeM game would add a different perspective to the research. Should that be a road you choose to take, I hereby offer my humble services.

And, as a side note, this actually sounds like a Thesis I'd consider reading.

 

[Mantreus]

I too feel that I should offer my services in the pursuit of knowledge!

Can't let Capellan take all the "friend points"

ps - Arwink, I hate you...

 

[arwink]

Can't let Capellan take all the "friend points"

ps - Arwink, I hate you...

If it makes you feel better, I'll try and say this with a straight face:

"It's really not going to be as much fun as it sounds. I'll be spending more time researching contemporary lit theory than I will spend playing, or even reading, game books. If anything, I'll probably end up running fewer games than running more, due to the short time frame I've got to do the research and get the thesis drafted."

That being said, there is a destinct possibility that I'll be running an electronic game in some form once I've nailed down exactly what I'm going to look at. It's more likely that I'll spend some quality time down on the Play by Post boards and asking people to fill in questionaires about their gaming habits.

After my meeting on Thursday, I'll be putting a bunch of info regarding what I'm looking at up on my site. People interested in keeping track of proceedings can check up on the exact themes and topics then.

 

[arwink]

Saturday, August 26th, 508 AF, continued

Blarth stands at the base of the ramp, one of the children clinging to his legs. The other is hiding behind Yip, although she seems a little bewildered by all four of her rescuers.

"What wrong with them?" Blarth asks, gesturing down. Halgo just shakes his head and points at the still form of the third child, the bloodstained bandage still wrapped around its head.

"Goblin hit boy?" Blarth asks, confused.
"Geoffrey thought he might be possesed," Halgo explains. "He did a little exploring with his dagger."
"Geoffrey find crystal?" Blarth asks. Halgo shakes his head.

"Blarth think we need plan," the half-orc says. "Town going crazy."

Yip is left to calm the two children while the three taller adventurers trade information. Stories of goblin battles and glowing eyed priests are exchanged, and a brief exploration of the front portion of the goblins cave is made. There is little more to see, just a series of ledges that can be used to repel assult from below, and a splendid vista of the town and the surrounding mountains that is only mared by the blue flare of light from the town centre.

"I think," Geoffrey comments, "that everyone's going to die a few days earlier than Utrish predicted."

The decision is made to camp. Both Blarth and Yip are exhausted after fleeing the town, and both Geoffrey and Halgo are wounded after their fight. A crude campsite is set up at the foot of the ramp, and that food that looks edible is liberated from the goblin camp.

Throughout it all, the only topic of conversation remains what happens next. They have some new resources, gifts to Geoffrey and Halgo from their mentors including potions of strength, healing, and a wand that allows Halgo to cast shocking grasp when opponents close in for melee combat. They also have a new Yip, who proves adept at keeping children quiet if nothing else.

"I think we're going to have to get back to town" Geoffrey says eventually. "The child is going to need more medical attention than I can provide, and it's probably not all that long before the glowing blue goblin takes over the world or sucks Bellhold into a plane of hell. I think we're looking at a quick infiltration and elimination mission."

Halgo takes a moment to consider Geoffrey's armor and Blarth's oversized blade before restraining his guffaw of laughter.
"What?" Geoffrey demands.
"First we have to get down that ramp," he reminds Geoffrey. "With three children, one comatose, and a dead body."
"We leave Thrash here," Geoffrey says bluntly. "We're probably going to need the time, and we can come back for him later when the towns safe."
The others frown at this, but it's hard to argue with the clerics logic.

The morning is a grim affair, breifly punctuated by the sound of Geoffrey's prayers to St Cuthbert as he heals his wounds, Halgo's and the cut on the childs head. The boy wakes up, but still moves as though half asleep and week.

"He's still sick," Halgo comments sarcastically. Geoffrey glares at him.
"He shouldn't be," the cleric says as he inspects the result of his curing spell. "All the damage from the knife is gone. Whatever's affecting him, it isn't my fault."
"So what do we do?"
"Town. No other choice, really. It's beyond my ability to heal, and those townsfolk are still in a lot of trouble. I think it's time we moved out."

With a sigh, everyone gathers together their belongings and prepare for the climb down the slick spiral.

The trip down proves almost as difficult as the climb up, although the presence of the sure-footed Yip is calming to everyone. The small kobold slides easily over the slick stone, his tail and scaled feet giving him a better balance and purchase. He moves quickly, often serving as a steadying arm or encouraging presence when he's needed most. In the space of a few hours, they have everyone safely gathered at the base of the ramp to contemplate the waterfall.

"How are we getting children through that?" Halgo asks. Geoffrey doesn't answer, just looks at it in frustration.
"Blarth and I will have to carry them down," he says eventually. "The only other way is to jump through and hope they can swim, and they're probably too weak for that."

"I'll head down first," Halgo says eagerly. "I can make sure there's no-one waiting."
There's something eager in the dwarfs voice, and Geoffrey remembers the spell Valea had cast on him with her voice.
"No, Yip first," Geoffrey orders. "Then I'll go . We need someone who can swim if anyone falls of the rope, and Yip's the only person we've got who won't be hampered by dropping his equipment through."

Time is taken to remove Geoffrey's armor, placing it into a sack so it can be lowered down once both cleric and the child clinging to his neck are safe. Yip shimmy's down the rope, his small frame battered and beaten by the rushing water but otherwise fine. Geoffrey is close behind, and he emerges the rushing water just in time to hear Valea hissing at the small kobold.

"You attempt to leave. Leave without keeping your word. You seek to leave me trapped here, bound forever."

"The dragons dead," Geoffrey says calmly. He places the child on the ground and motions for her to back away. She does so without hesitation.

"If he's dead, why can't I leave?" Valea wails. "Why am I still trapped?"
"We don't know," Geoffrey says. He's keeping his voice even, trying to defuse the dangerously angry creature. Valea's sharp teeth are bared. "We'll find out. You have my word."

"No," Valea snarls. The sound is dangreous enough that Yip leans forward slightly, his tail balancing him as he drops into a defensive stance.

"If you cannot free me, my only use for you is as meat..."

Geoffrey swears, swinging his mace into position as Valea lurches forward with a dagger, two giant rats appearing on her heels.

 

[Lela]

It's as I've always said. Never make a woman mad. It's going to hurt if you do.

And

No matter what you do, a woman's always going to get mad.

 

[Capellan]

Halgo's oversized weapon

Should you really be talking about that in a family-friendly forum?

More seriously, I think you mean someone else ... Thrash or Blarth, probably ... since Halgo only carries a club.

 

[Khynal]

"It's really not going to be as much fun as it sounds.

No one believes you.

 

[arwink]

More seriously, I think you mean someone else ... Thrash or Blarth, probably ... since Halgo only carries a club.

My mistake. It was Blarth, who was the other person that exhibited problems with slick floors and downward slopes.

My brain wasn't working terribly well at 2 AM when I wrote that.

 

[Lela]

My mistake. It was Blarth, who was the other person that exhibited problems with slick floors and downward slopes.

My brain wasn't working terribly well at 2 AM when I wrote that.

Just out of curiosity, is it working well now, when you're obviously planning to write more?

 

[arwink]

Just out of curiosity, is it working well now, when you're obviously planning to write more?

No, not considerably. For some reason, SH's are always the writing I do when I'm at my most braindead, because I don't have to make decisions about what happens next

A short update, 'cause I've got an early start in the morning. Friday I'll try to do something longer though.

Saturday, August 26th, 508 AF, continued

Halgo hears the sounds of combat below, the screaming of Geoffrey and Yip as they're engaged by some form of enemy. He glances at Blarth, who'se quickly fumbling with his weapon and trying to push the children back from the ledge, then reaches for the rope.

The climb is more difficult going down than it was coming up. Halgo concentrates as best he can on keeping his hands on the rope, but his mind is already rushing forward to the combat going on below. His gut tells him that Valea is involved, and the cold feeling of dread he feels as this occurs to him makes him fumble at the rope. Within the space of a few breaths he's pushed down by the waterfall, tumbling through the rushing water until he hits the pool below. For a moment he gets a glimps of the fight, the image of Valea and Geoffrey locked in hand to hand while Yip holds off two giant rats holding firm in his mind as he plunges into the depths of the pool, air scorching in his lungs.

It's then that Halgo realises he can't swim, and panic more powerful than any other emotion fills his body. He tries to struggle towards the surface, but his limbs aren't strong enough to carry him against the thundering force of the waterfall. He struggle vainly under the water as the current pulls him further from the shore.

Yip is the first to notice the dwarf floating away, although he spares nothing more than a glance as he tries to kick one of the rats back into the water.
"Halgo drown," he yells out, then turns his attention back to the two creatures snapping at him with yellowed teeth and slick fur. The rats are almost as large as the kobold, over two feet long and thick as a small log. Certainly they are stronger, and the kobold has trouble keeping them at bay. He lands a few telling blow, but Yip is quickly covered in a dozen nips and bites for his trouble.

Geoffrey and Velea both look towards the water at the kobolds cry. Both have wounded the other, geoffrey baring a short cut on his chest while the fey's arm has been bloodied by his morning star. Geoffrey curses harshly when he spots the floating dwarf, then curses again when Valea neatly slips out of his reach and dives towards the water. There is a flash of sharp teeth in her smile, and Geoffrey knows he has little chance of reaching the dwarf before she does. With few other options available to him, he hammers his morning star into one of the rats fighting Yip. Able to focus his skills on one opponent, Yip quickly batters it into stillness.

They rush towards the edge of the pool, eyes scanning the depths of the water. Yip is the first to spot Halgo, struggling against Valeas embrace, and even towards towards the water with the intent of trying to aid his new companion. Geoffrey holds the kobold back - the water is Valea's domain and it gives her to many advantages over land-walking his companions. He loads his crossbow in case Halgo somehow manages to drag the water-fey to the surface, then offers a short prayer to St Cuthbert in the hopes of some form of salvation.

It comes in the form of Blarth, crashing through the waterfall and splashing into the pool at it's base with a breastplate still strapped to him and a longsword in hand. Like Halgo before him, Blarth is dragged along by the current. Unlike Halgo, he bobs to the surface as though he were a log of wood, flotsam gently rising and falling with the ripples of the water.

"What the?" Geoffrey says, confused.
"Rope," Blarth yells. "Blarth can't swim. Only float."
Geoffrey just nods mutely as Yip throws a line of rope towards the half-orc. Blarth catches it, then looks out accross the water. His eyes narrow when he sees Halgo and Valeas's struggle, and within seconds Halgo bobs to the surface with an angry fey still struggling with his body. Geoffrey grins in cold satisfaction, leveling his crossbow and firing. Valea gasps once as the metal tip of the crossbow digs into her flesh, then slowly sinks below the surface of the pool.

Halgo gasps at the air greedily as Halgo paddles over, rope still clenched in one fist. Within seconds, Yip is pulling them to the sure.

"What in hell happened there?" Geoffrey asks.
"Blarth make things float," Blarth says simply. "One of the things he taught to do with his mind. It nothing. Easy."
Geoffrey stares at Blarth, flabbergasted and trying not to think about his suit of armor sitting uselessly on the upper ledge of the waterfall.
"You can make things float," he says evenly. "It's easy. And you didn't think to mention this before now?"
"Sorry," Blarth says. "Blarth not think it important until now."