In Defence of Chickens [IC]

[thirdkingdom]

Yolo Swaggins

"Very well!" exclaims the excitable halfling, "if you will not follow my eminently reasonable and obviously correct suggested course of action, what would you have us do! It is well and easy to say 'NO', like a child, but an entirely different matter to conceive of a plan and have others follow you!"

Spoiler

Nope, no chance of beating that roll

 

[jmucchiello]

"Sir, I have already said we can check this place out on the way out of this foul place. Perhaps you couldn't hear me while you were shouting You Only Live Once." Ranken says. "Now, let us go to the other door that isn't barred from this side and see what we can discover."

 

[JustinCase]

Billy and Granny
Granny Grain rolls her eyes at the exchange.

"Let's not argue amongst ourselves. We've got friends and family to find, and livestock."

She points at the door that is closed from this side. "That's probably where the cattle is kept, but I doubt they keep people in there, too."

"Or corpses," Billy Happy adds sourly.

"Indeed. So let's stay together as a group."

Jack and Calvin
Jack the dungfarmer nods, not one to take the lead. Calvin Littlebrook, still fussing over the mud on his shoes, eagerly starts for the other door Ranken indicated, hoping at least to find a cleaner place.

"This way, then?" the halfling haberdasher asks. waving everyone over.

 

[turnip_farmer]

Investigating the door to the south-east tower, there is no visible lock, but it appears to be held shut, probably by something from the other side.

Standing close, there are faint, muffled sounds coming from the other side. It sounds like there are animals held in there.

 

[thirdkingdom]

Yolo Swaggins

"By gum!" he exclaims, "if I can't open that door, I surely will open this one! Cover me, boys!" He proceed to carry out his intentions.

 

[JustinCase]

Both Billy and Jack offer to help with the door, under the watchful eyes of Granny and Calvin.

 

[jmucchiello]

"This door? Go for it." Ranken says.

 

[turnip_farmer]

The door is blocked fast from the other side, but as Calvin and Billy approach to help him, Yolo throws his full weight against the rusty door.

Spoiler: Yolo's Strength check

Yolo rolls a natural 20

With a dull thunking sound, it bursts open inwards, revealing a dark interior about 40 ft in diameter. Yolo is immediately hit by a rotten, foul stench; a mix of waste and putrid meat. Skins line the floor, some of sheep; some of cows and others that with a stomach-turning realisation you grasp are human skins.

There's a narrow staircase running up the back wall of the tower interior, underneath which you can just make out motionless figures in the shadows, dangling from chains spiked into the walls. But then you see other figures, moving. Strange, twisted mockeries of men. One has a huge, furred hump breaking through the back of its tunic, on which you can just make out a moving face. A second, closer to the door, has scales which reflect the light from outside and a forked tongue which dangles down as low as itschest. You can vaguely sense that there are more hiding in the darkness, all gripping spears and snarling bestially.

 

[thirdkingdom]

Yolo Swaggins

"I knew we should have opened that other door!" he mutters to himself as he throws his might against the door to shut it again.

OOC: Trying to shut the door before they get out.

 

[turnip_farmer]

Yolo Swaggins

"I knew we should have opened that other door!" he mutters to himself as he throws his might against the door to shut it again.

OOC: Trying to shut the door before they get out.

OOC: Yolo bashed the door inwards, closing it would mean running into the tower to grab it. Give me a DC 15 Agility check if you want to try that without them being able to stop you.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

"I think you broke it." said Wenzel, referring to the door, "I don't think it's gonna close again."

He held his club up and stepped to the side of the door in case something came through, ready to bash it.

"Close it if you can!" called Markus, while he tried to recall what sort of creatures these might be.

Edelgard backed away, but he pulled out a large throwing dart, and tried to find a place of cover away from the door.

"We should back off and stay clear," said Margrit to Alice, expecting trouble.

 

[jmucchiello]

"Not how I would have opened the door," Ranken says to no one in particular. He draws his weapon and approaches the doorway.

Vasha moves forward with Ranken. "We should form a ring to keep whatever's in there from getting past us."

Prinx stays with Alice

Garwen is near the open door with his dagger drawn. But makes no movement to enter the room beyond. And makes sure he doesn't make up any part of a ring.

 

[JustinCase]

It's not the usual stink for Jack the dungfarmer, but the young man finds himself less affected by the odors than the others. He raises his small trowel defensively as he spots the creatures in the dark, while Billy the halfling turns green and keeps himself upright with his hand against the wall. He quickly retracts the hand, looking down at the gorey stains on it.

"Get ready," Granny says in warning to the others as she, too, spots the advancing creatures. She moves forward and raises her pitchfork over Billy's head, attempting to harm anything that comes too close.

Calvin throws up a little in his mouth, and turns his face away from the grizzly scene.

 

[turnip_farmer]

As Wenzel moves over to join the group forming a ring, Edelgard crouches behind the blackened building, keeping his distance but still able to see.

Yolo scampers backwards, leaving Jack and Billy stood in front of the open door.

One of the figures in darkness strides forward to the open door, a hideous figure. It moves with an odd, awkward gait, and you soon realise that it's knees seem to be pointing the wrong way. Its face is basically human, but the lower part of it seems to be.. missing. Flaps of jaundiced skin hang loosely where there should be a jaw.

In one hand, the figure holds a crude spear; while his other hand is entwined in the hair of a figure dragging in the ground behind him. Dirty, clothes torn, and barely conscious, those of you near the door nonetheles recognise Dav, the butcher's son.

The creature yanks the limp form of Dav upright by his hair, and lets out a gargling cry which is echoed from the shadows behind it, but stays where it is, a few feet back from the entrance.

These creatures are like nothing any of you have seen before.

 

[JustinCase]

"Dav," Granny whispers, then loudly, "You monster!" One step to the side and she is no longer behind Billy, and another step forward means she is able to strike her pitchfork at the hideous creature.

With a startled cry, Billy takes a step back, before changing his mind and coming up next to the old cornfarmer matron. His dagger seems too small against this foe, and the strike is completely off.

Mimicking the move, Jack also moves forward. His trowel, never intended for this purpose, is held ready. The lad refrains from attacking, waiting for anything to come close before doing so.

Steeling his resolve, Calvin the haberdasher tries to breath shallowly, moving quietly forward. He tries in vain to avoid stepping into anything dirty, but the halfling does manage to produce a fine pair of scissors to defend himself, should he need to.

Spoiler

Granny attacks:
1D20 = [10] = 10
1D8 = [1] = 1

Billy attacks:
1D20-1 = [3]-1 = 2
1D4-1 = [1]-1 = 0

Jack and Calvin block the exit and will attack when provoked.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

While the others began to attack the horrible creature, Markus marched forward and attempted to grab hold of Dav's limp body.

Margrit waved to Markus, encouraging him to bring the boy to her if he could wrest him away from the monster.

Wenzel tried to thump the thing with his club as it came out the door, but he swung wildly.

The alchemist, Edelgard, fared not much better. From his position away from the scrum, he flung a dart, but it passed over all and went off into the room.

OOC: What do I roll for Markus? If he can drag Dav away, he will. The other two missed terribly.

Spoiler: Rolls

Wenzel Club Attack: 1D20-1 = [3]-1 = 2 for 1D4-1 = [3]-1 = 2
Edelgard Dart Attack: 1D20-1 = [6]-1 = 5 for 1D4-1 = [4]-1 = 3

 

[turnip_farmer]

The creature with the missing jaw scrambles backwards, Granny's pitchfork just scraping across its chest. It lets out a gurgling sound that might be a laugh, and drops Dav to the floor with a thump.

Spoiler: Initiative Order

JustinCase – 19
monsters - 19
TheCourier – 17
FitztheRuke – 9
jmuchiello - 8
thirdkingdom - 1

A louder thump sounds from behind Granny as a towering figure, at least 7 feet tall, plummets down from the darkness above where it was concealed, separating Granny and Billy from those outside. It has the body of an over-sized, musclar man, but it's legs are coated in shaggy hair and it's head is that of a bull, with great, curling horns. With a mighty bellow, it swings its great axe at Granny but, unbalanced by the leap, the blade passes an inch above her head.

Spoiler: Monster rolls a 7 to hit

1d20+2 = 7

Granny and Billy are now pinned, with monsters on either side. The humped figure and the one with the scales both spring forward, spears thrusting at each of them.

Spoiler: Monster attack rolls

On Granny: 1d20 = 20!
Damage = 3
On Billy: 1d20 = 17
Damage = 6

Billy is hit straight through the chest, blood spluttering out of his mouth briefly before he collapses to the floor. Granny is struck in the shoulder (3 HP damage) with such force that she's knocked off her feet, landing with her face just inches from Billy's lifeless gaze. Behind him, she can see another three monstrosities approaching from the darkness, but they cannot get close enough to strike past their fellows.

Granny now lies alone on the filth of the tower floor, surrounded by monsters.

Spoiler: Next!

@theCourier - you're up!
Koby is close enough that he could reach the big monster if he wants (assuming Jack & Calvin would be willing to let you past)
Mac & Talia are over by the other building - they could reach the monster at a sprint but would have an action left to attack this turn.
Alice is 'safe' over by the spooky well. She'd need a sprint + another move to get in the action

 

[turnip_farmer]

As the hulking brute in the doorway raises it's axe overhead to bring crashing down on Granny, it is momentarily distracted by a flicker of movement to its right, as Markus leans past him, reaching over Bill's inert form, and grabs Dav's collar. With a yank, he scrambles back away, bringing Dav with him just out of the reach of the huge monster. He's left, panting, holding onto Dav's limp body, with Jack and Calvin in front of the door.

 

[jmucchiello]

Vasha and Ranken attack the brute in the doorway and both miss. Garwen reluctantly lends a hand attacking with his dagger also missing.

Prinx calls out to anyone else nearby, "We have to help them." She heads for the doorway with her club held awkwardly in her hand.



The RNG doesn't like me today.
Vasha attacking brute: 1D20+1 = [7]+1 = 8
1D4+1 = [3]+1 = 4
Ranken attacking brute: 1D20+1 = [8]+1 = 9
1D4+1 = [1]+1 = 2
Garwen attacking brute: 1D20 = [3] = 3
1D4 = [1] = 1

 

[thirdkingdom]

Yolo Swaggins

Weaving through the legs of his taller companions, Yolo dashes forward and drives the awl into the leg of the brute standing in front of the doorway!

Spoiler

Yolo Swaggins attacks:: 1D20+1 = [18]+1 = 19
1D4+1 = [4]+1 = 5