Metropolis (The World in Waiting) - Chapter One

[Bront]

As the boat approaches the pier, the Yellow Cultist turns his head to watch the approaching boat. For a moment he seems to peer out at the boat before turning and running back into the darkness on the far side of the docks.

Taran and Ghost's boat drifts against the pier and docking is a simply matter, though an eager Twitchy almost tips the boat as the large rat bolts for dry ground. Both halfling and elf are soon upon the old wooden pier looking onto a ancient docks that looks well weathered and dangerously rotten at random areas along the walk.

The explorers hear the approaching people before they see them, cultists returning no doubt, eager to 'investigate' Taran and Ghost's appearance. Out of the darkness five humanoids in full yellow robes, hoods and slippers run onto the docks holding long, thin blades in one hand and a crackling ball of purple energy in the other.

[sblock]Twitchy initiative +16
Ghost initiative +15
Taran initiative +4
Yellow Cult initiative +3

OOC: Twitchy awaits Taran's command at his initiative.
[/sblock]

"Sick em" Taran yells as he then beings to mumble a spell. He jestures and vines reach out from around the water and the dock and grab at the yellow robes. He draws his good short spear and shield.

OOC: [sblock]Taran casts Entangle (DC 14) behind the yellow robes as to catch them near the edge of the spell.

He draws his shield and masterwork short spear.

Twitchy Bite +7 melee (1d6+2 plus disease (DC 13)) one on the edge of the entangle

Taran's AC 18, Twitchy's AC 18

attack/damage not including Inspire courage bonus[/sblock]

 

[Phoenix]

Ghost pulls his mace from beneath his robe, his hand is tight upon the grip. He lets it hang menacingly by his side all the time assaying the intentions of the cultists. As they pound down the dock Ghost starts to chant the story of the Fight of Eldren Dahl the great gladiator.

"Sick em" Taran yells as he then beings to mumble a spell. He jestures and vines reach out from around the water and the dock and grab at the yellow robes. He draws his good short spear and shield.

[sblock]Ghost Sense Motive check (DC 23) +16 - Failure
Twitchy attack roll (AC 14) +21 - Hit
Twitchy damage roll - 5pts
Cultist Concentration check (DC 15) +9 - Failure
Cultist Fort save (DC 13) +11 - Failure
Taran Knowledge (nature) check (DC 8) +9 - Success
Cultist attack roll (Twitchy AC 18) +15 - Miss
Cultist attack rolls (Ghost AC 14) +6 & +6 - Both Miss
Cultist attack rolls (Taran AC 18) +21 & +17 - Hit & Miss
Cultist critical hit attempt (Taran AC 18) +20 - Success!
Cultist damage roll (Taran - critical) - 9pts
[/sblock]

Amid the inspirational chanting of Ghost the five cultists pound down the docks only to meet the leaping form of an angry Twitchy who leaps forth to lay his teeth into the central figure, his teeth causing blood to spray across the yellow/ocre robes freely. The magic dies in his hand and he drops behind his fellows to bat madly at the rat with his blade.

As Taran completes his spell he awaits for the plants to reach up to snare the attackers, but it is in vein. He realizes too late that the corrupting influence of the lake's contents has long since killed the vegetation in the area.

With magic blazing in one hand and blade in the other, two cultists approach Twitchy and Ghost in an attempt to outflank them, but the peir is too narrow to allow it. Ghost's combatants lunge madly at the air around the elf with unpracticed skill, deftly slicing the air. Taran however is not so lucky...

As one of the blades slices into his armour, the halfling pulls his body to lessen the blow, allowing the armour to soak it and leave him unharmed. However pulling himself away led the halfling into the striking zone of the second yellow robe, whose blade neatly plunges straight through the druid's shoulder before being painfully drawn out once more.

 

[Phoenix]

Ba'aktar looked down at his hands, making sure they were still his, and checked his legs for the slices inflicted by the late Ulam. He must have been himself, he didn't feel like anything else, if that made sense. So if he was still himself, surely that could not have been him on the other side of the door...

...it wasn't worth thinking about right now anyway. There was no escape this way, just questions he couldn't hope to answer. He turned around, and went the other way.

[sblock]Intelligence check (DC 5) +9 - Success
[/sblock]

Ba'aktar turned his back on the scene and went to walk back down the corridor, but something about the scene rang important in his mind (apart from the bizarreness of it all). He looked back, just for a second to sate his curiosity, and saw it again.

The him...the other him...on the rack. He wore Ba'aktar's clothing! And his ring! That was his ring on his hand, the same finger that he wore it!

 

[Bront]

[sblock]Ghost Sense Motive check (DC 23) +16 - Failure
Twitchy attack roll (AC 14) +21 - Hit
Twitchy damage roll - 5pts
Cultist Concentration check (DC 15) +9 - Failure
Cultist Fort save (DC 13) +11 - Failure
Taran Knowledge (nature) check (DC 8) +9 - Success
Cultist attack roll (Twitchy AC 18) +15 - Miss
Cultist attack rolls (Ghost AC 14) +6 & +6 - Both Miss
Cultist attack rolls (Taran AC 18) +21 & +17 - Hit & Miss
Cultist critical hit attempt (Taran AC 18) +20 - Success!
Cultist damage roll (Taran - critical) - 9pts
[/sblock]

Amid the inspirational chanting of Ghost the five cultists pound down the docks only to meet the leaping form of an angry Twitchy who leaps forth to lay his teeth into the central figure, his teeth causing blood to spray across the yellow/ocre robes freely. The magic dies in his hand and he drops behind his fellows to bat madly at the rat with his blade.

As Taran completes his spell he awaits for the plants to reach up to snare the attackers, but it is in vein. He realizes too late that the corrupting influence of the lake's contents has long since killed the vegetation in the area.

With magic blazing in one hand and blade in the other, two cultists approach Twitchy and Ghost in an attempt to outflank them, but the peir is too narrow to allow it. Ghost's combatants lunge madly at the air around the elf with unpracticed skill, deftly slicing the air. Taran however is not so lucky...

As one of the blades slices into his armour, the halfling pulls his body to lessen the blow, allowing the armour to soak it and leave him unharmed. However pulling himself away led the halfling into the striking zone of the second yellow robe, whose blade neatly plunges straight through the druid's shoulder before being painfully drawn out once more.

Taran curses these corupting cultists as he attacks the one that struck him. Twitchy continues to attack as well.

OOC: [sblock]Twitchy Bite +8 melee (1d6+3 plus disease (DC 13))
Taran's Attack: MW Short Spear +7 1d4+2 20x2

Inspire courage included[/sblock]

 

[Festy_Dog]

Ba'aktar turned his back on the scene and went to walk back down the corridor, but something about the scene rang important in his mind (apart from the bizarreness of it all). He looked back, just for a second to sate his curiosity, and saw it again.

The him...the other him...on the rack. He wore Ba'aktar's clothing! And his ring! That was his ring on his hand, the same finger that he wore it!

[sblock]ooc: When Ba'aktar was captured, did he wake up with just 4 hp or with 4 hp recovered? I'm guessing he woke up with a total of 4 then gained another 4 and 5 subdual, effectively leaving him with 3.[/sblock]

Ba'aktar's eyes narrowed angrily, and he looked around for a makeshift weapon. Whether or not something solid was within reach, his next move was to check whether the robed men were armed and what with.

The question which burned in his mind was whether he was able to take on three of these robed people and survive. Even if he had his gear right now he wagered the odds being against him in his weakened state. Were he able to retrieve his ring and armour though, his chances of survival would be greatly improved. He just didn't know how long he had before the imposter would wake up... or whatever he'd do when whatever was happening finished.

 

[D20Dazza]

Ghost Hound Elf Bard

As one of the blades slices into his armour, the halfling pulls his body to lessen the blow, allowing the armour to soak it and leave him unharmed. However pulling himself away led the halfling into the striking zone of the second yellow robe, whose blade neatly plunges straight through the druid's shoulder before being painfully drawn out once more.

Seeing a rose of blood blossom on the back of his new freinds shirt Ghost stops his oration and brings his mace up into an attacking position "You're going to regret that" he spits at the Yellow Robes "you attacked first and have given me a license to play - have atcha" Ghost shouts as he lunges forward swinging his mace in a deadly arc.

[SBLOCK]Inspire Courage will now last 5 more rounds; +7 attack 1d6+1 (x2) damage[/SBLOCK]

 

[Phoenix]

Seeing a rose of blood blossom on the back of his new freinds shirt Ghost stops his oration and brings his mace up into an attacking position "You're going to regret that" he spits at the Yellow Robes "you attacked first and have given me a license to play - have atcha" Ghost shouts as he lunges forward swinging his mace in a deadly arc.

[sblock]Cultist's Concentration checks (DC 16) +23, +8, +6, & +11 - One Success
Twitchy attack roll (AC 14) +20 - Hit
Twitchy damage roll - 9pts (14 total)
Ghost attack roll (AC 14) +18* - Hit
Ghost damage roll - 3pts
Taran attack roll (AC 14) +12 - Miss
Cultist attack roll (Twitchy AC 18) +14 - Miss
Cultist spell damage (Taran) - 5pts
Cultist attack roll (Taran AC 18) +4 - Miss
Cultist attack roll (Ghost AC 14) +12 & +13 - Miss
[/sblock]

Taran's arm is heavy and burns with pain as the druid lunges helplessly with his spear towards the cultist, though forcing the yellow robe to lose footing and swing high over Taran's head with his blade.

Ghost's mace grazes lightly against his assailant's shoulder, and there is an audible grunt of pain as the elf's body twists and turns to avoid the thin blades that threaten to pierce his fragile body.

Behind the men, somewhere on the docks, there are sounds of ravaging and swearing as Twitchy's conflict continues out of sight of the two companions, though the sounds betray that te cultist is not faring well.

The conflict on the docks seem to effect the cultists in some way, for the magic that they hold in their hands crackle and fade for all of them, except one. Seeing his companion's lose grip on their enchantments, one of Taran's assailants steps back and hurls his globe of energy at the druid. There is a crackling noise and Taran feels pain, blood dribbling down from his chest, his legs weakening...it seems that these cultists may get the better of him...

[sblock]*d20Dazza, I don't understand how you have +7 attack with a Bab +3, Str -1, Mace +1 and Song +1 (+4?)
[/sblock]

 

[Phoenix]

[sblock]ooc: When Ba'aktar was captured, did he wake up with just 4 hp or with 4 hp recovered? I'm guessing he woke up with a total of 4 then gained another 4 and 5 subdual, effectively leaving him with 3.[/sblock]

Ba'aktar's eyes narrowed angrily, and he looked around for a makeshift weapon. Whether or not something solid was within reach, his next move was to check whether the robed men were armed and what with.

The question which burned in his mind was whether he was able to take on three of these robed people and survive. Even if he had his gear right now he wagered the odds being against him in his weakened state. Were he able to retrieve his ring and armour though, his chances of survival would be greatly improved. He just didn't know how long he had before the imposter would wake up... or whatever he'd do when whatever was happening finished.

OOC:[sblock]You are correct there.[/sblock]

Ba'aktar could see that the robed figures had large knives on a table nearby, but no other significant weapons seemed to be present. Looking around for a weapon for himself, he found none. But thinking back, the half-orc stumbles back up the corridor to retrieve the iron bar from his cell, a nice heavy makeshift club that felt good resting in his hands.

Now all he had to worry about was whether the Yellow Robes were suseptable to blunt force trauma...

 

[Bront]

[sblock]Cultist's Concentration checks (DC 16) +23, +8, +6, & +11 - One Success
Twitchy attack roll (AC 14) +20 - Hit
Twitchy damage roll - 9pts (14 total)
Ghost attack roll (AC 14) +18* - Hit
Ghost damage roll - 3pts
Taran attack roll (AC 14) +12 - Miss
Cultist attack roll (Twitchy AC 18) +14 - Miss
Cultist spell damage (Taran) - 5pts
Cultist attack roll (Taran AC 18) +4 - Miss
Cultist attack roll (Ghost AC 14) +12 & +13 - Miss
[/sblock]

Taran's arm is heavy and burns with pain as the druid lunges helplessly with his spear towards the cultist, though forcing the yellow robe to lose footing and swing high over Taran's head with his blade.

Ghost's mace grazes lightly against his assailant's shoulder, and there is an audible grunt of pain as the elf's body twists and turns to avoid the thin blades that threaten to pierce his fragile body.

Behind the men, somewhere on the docks, there are sounds of ravaging and swearing as Twitchy's conflict continues out of sight of the two companions, though the sounds betray that te cultist is not faring well.

The conflict on the docks seem to effect the cultists in some way, for the magic that they hold in their hands crackle and fade for all of them, except one. Seeing his companion's lose grip on their enchantments, one of Taran's assailants steps back and hurls his globe of energy at the druid. There is a crackling noise and Taran feels pain, blood dribbling down from his chest, his legs weakening...it seems that these cultists may get the better of him...

[sblock]*d20Dazza, I don't understand how you have +7 attack with a Bab +3, Str -1, Mace +1 and Song +1 (+4?)
[/sblock]

Taran ponders his situation for a second and deams that discression is nessessary, he takes a 5' step back and casts a quick spell. His skin quickly thickens and hardens almost like bark.

OOC: [sblock]Ghost has weapon Finesse, so gets +3 from dex, not -1 from Str.
Barkskin gives Taran +2 to his Natural AC, bringin his AC up to 20. He is down to 14 HP
Twitchy Bite +8 melee (1d6+3 plus disease (DC 13))
[/sblock]

 

[Festy_Dog]

Ba'aktar could see that the robed figures had large knives on a table nearby, but no other significant weapons seemed to be present. Looking around for a weapon for himself, he found none. But thinking back, the half-orc stumbles back up the corridor to retrieve the iron bar from his cell, a nice heavy makeshift club that felt good resting in his hands.

Now all he had to worry about was whether the Yellow Robes were suseptable to blunt force trauma...

[sblock]ooc: Raging, then charging or moving and attacking if conditions permit. If not, just getting between the Robes and the table will suffice.[/sblock]

A smile spread across Ba'aktar's tired face. Now he would make his move. He could forget such trivial things as thirst when he reached the height of his rage. He casually opened the door to the room, probably some kind of operating theatre, and roared. His footfalls pounded the ground and he launched himself at the Robe closest to the knife table.