"Out of the Frying Pan" - Book II: Catching the Spark (Part Two) - {complete}
- Thread starter el-remmen
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Poto Knezer
First Post
Open questions
I have to say that I love this campaign. It's really changed the way I look at the game. I've never participated in a campaign this rich. Makes me wish I lived in NY City, too (almost). I've tried reading other story hours, but none have held my interest like this one. (although I do follow one other online campaign @ http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/greyhawkcampaign. The writing isn't as detailed nor is the storyline as compelling, but I love the website layout & the character sheets.)
I do find it interesting just how intricate & involved this plot is. It is a bit frusterating, but only in a good way. I think it might be fun to review all the things we don't know. Here's a little list I can pull out off the top of my head:
1. Who was that woman digging up graves & eating the bodies back in the beginning?
2. Who were those three guys in the caravan who tried to rob the King's treasury? They weren't human. Are we going to run into them again?
3. Is there really a dragon? Is the king really going to offer up his daughters?
4. What happened to the drow witch who possessed that elf?
5. Which cult of Annubis is legitimate?
6. What happened to the gnome leader?
7. What's the sickle for, & why did the forrest creatures try to stop them from making it?
8. Who was that guy Ratchis met in the forrest?
9. Who sent the manticore after the party & why?
10. What's the deal with Richard the Red.
I'm sure there's tons more I'm missing. Also, why do you suppose they use quarter staffs so much?
Thanks for the updates Nemm. I love this story.
I have to say that I love this campaign. It's really changed the way I look at the game. I've never participated in a campaign this rich. Makes me wish I lived in NY City, too (almost). I've tried reading other story hours, but none have held my interest like this one. (although I do follow one other online campaign @ http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/greyhawkcampaign. The writing isn't as detailed nor is the storyline as compelling, but I love the website layout & the character sheets.)
I do find it interesting just how intricate & involved this plot is. It is a bit frusterating, but only in a good way. I think it might be fun to review all the things we don't know. Here's a little list I can pull out off the top of my head:
1. Who was that woman digging up graves & eating the bodies back in the beginning?
2. Who were those three guys in the caravan who tried to rob the King's treasury? They weren't human. Are we going to run into them again?
3. Is there really a dragon? Is the king really going to offer up his daughters?
4. What happened to the drow witch who possessed that elf?
5. Which cult of Annubis is legitimate?
6. What happened to the gnome leader?
7. What's the sickle for, & why did the forrest creatures try to stop them from making it?
8. Who was that guy Ratchis met in the forrest?
9. Who sent the manticore after the party & why?
10. What's the deal with Richard the Red.
I'm sure there's tons more I'm missing. Also, why do you suppose they use quarter staffs so much?
Thanks for the updates Nemm. I love this story.
el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
Re: Open questions
Who, indeed? The better question is, "Will we ever find out?"
Unlikely, some plot threads are left to dangle forever - that is someone else's story now.
Why, they were Markle Devon and "the Square"! Weren't you paying attention?
They were human, and in the current game Ratchis has access to the spell they were the recepients of Regenerative Light Wounds.
Will they run into them again? They are in prison. In the dungeon of Gothanius Castle. A dark and dismal place, how could they ever HOPE to escape?
for #1, That'd be telling.
And, for #2, uh, yeah, I think so - last I checked.
Which witch? Two witches, one and a half elves. All very confusing. Could you repeat the question?
Oh, whichever one Beorth chooses is very likely to be the one that might be it. Maybe.
I wonder that myself.
The sickle was for harvesting mistletoe and killing human and animal sacrifices.
Cause that is what forest creatures do. . .
Someone in the party knows - but not all stories have been shared between "friends" yet.
Funny, I thought he was after the watch-mage.
He's almost as fun to role-play as Mozek.
Thanks for dropping in. I love answering questions!
Poto Knezer said:
Who, indeed? The better question is, "Will we ever find out?"
Unlikely, some plot threads are left to dangle forever - that is someone else's story now.
Why, they were Markle Devon and "the Square"! Weren't you paying attention?
They were human, and in the current game Ratchis has access to the spell they were the recepients of Regenerative Light Wounds.
Will they run into them again? They are in prison. In the dungeon of Gothanius Castle. A dark and dismal place, how could they ever HOPE to escape?
for #1, That'd be telling.
And, for #2, uh, yeah, I think so - last I checked.
Which witch? Two witches, one and a half elves. All very confusing. Could you repeat the question?
Oh, whichever one Beorth chooses is very likely to be the one that might be it. Maybe.
I wonder that myself.
The sickle was for harvesting mistletoe and killing human and animal sacrifices.
Cause that is what forest creatures do. . .
Someone in the party knows - but not all stories have been shared between "friends" yet.
Funny, I thought he was after the watch-mage.
He's almost as fun to role-play as Mozek.
Thanks for dropping in. I love answering questions!
Last edited:
el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
loxmyth said:
Well, have you ever met a manticore? How do you know what they can do?
That is my standard answer to my belief in non-standard monsters and 3E makes it all the easier.
Anyway, another fan from the beginning delurking to heap on the praise.
Thanks Loxie! Glad to see ya around.
New installment coming right up!
el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
Session #34 (part III)
Jeremy winced as his long sword cut deep into the gnoll-thing again. And again it was a blow that would have sent any other foe crashing to the ground bleeding out their life, but instead the thing seemed split open unnaturally, and then collapsed in on itself, as if decaying gelatin.
In the knoll, Ratchis sent a arrow hurtling into a gnoll’s neck and it tumbled into the chasm, screeching. It appeared to be a normal gnoll, and clutching at the wound pathetically, suddenly stopped moving. The half-orc dropped the bow and ran towards the trees when he heard Jeremy’s cry. “Jeremy!” he cried back. “It might be an illusion!”
The gnolls atop the ridge fired back a volley of arrows. As Ratchis had made the cover of the trees, most aimed at Kazrack, who hopped around like mad to avoid, them, but nevertheless was bleeding as two nicked him in the face and neck. He hustled for cover under the trees.
Beorth also made for the cover of the trees, meeting up with one of the gnolls who had advanced unseen past Jeremy and the strange pseudo-gnoll. The paladin swung his sword and immediately stopped the leading gnoll. Battleaxe and sword met in a clang as they furiously parried each other.
Martin pulled along side Beorth, as another gnoll moved to join the fray. The mage cast his colored sand at the pair and spoke and arcane word and a flurry of colored light washed over the gnolls. In less than a moment they were unconscious on the ground. Moved to the edge of the trees, but turning back spoke a word and blinded a gnoll, causing it to drop its bow and cry out in fear.
Now more gnolls poured out of the woods, cackling in their disturbing tongue. One charged at Kazrack, but misjudged due to the spell Martin had placed on him, and ran past, having to swing back awkwardly, and staring at his axe with confusion.
Jeremy was jarred from his horror, by the approach of another gnoll, it looked at him and opened it mouth, but despite its ferocity, no voice emerged from where there should be screaming. Before he knew what was happening, the approaching gnoll whipped his arm at the fallen amorphous thing, and its arm stretched out. The muscles and sinews cracked and wheezed disgustingly as it whipped out and connected with the other psuedo-gnoll. Jeremy could see lumps of flesh inundating down the tendril of alien flesh from the gnolls to the oozing lump of flesh that once appeared to be a gnoll.
“Aarrrgh!” Jeremy cried out, horrified. He thrust his short sword into the new “gnoll” and swung his long sword through the tendril, disconnecting it. The short sword cut a slash into the thing, but it immediately began to close up. “They are not all gnolls! Some are some kind of magical creature!”
Ratchis slammed his hammer into an approaching gnoll as he moved through the trees towards Beorth, and it fell dead. Its skull cracked open.
Another pair of gnolls came through the trees and swung at Beorth, who blocked one blade and ducked the other, he told Martin to flee.
Martin left the melee to the paladin and took off back towards the tent. He had forgotten about the gnolls on the ridge, and he felt the bite of three arrows. The watch-mage cried out and dove into the tent. He cast his shield spell.
Beorth buried his sword into the head of one of his opponents and flicked it back from where it had stuck into the bone with a grunt. He turned to face the other gnoll, and grunted again.
Kazrack moved to cut off a gnolls coming around from the right, and slammed his flail across its chin. However, instead of the satisfying crunch of bone, he felt the sensation that Jeremy had felt. As if his weapon slapped against thick mud or a hardened jelly. It turned to face him with a silent scream.
“D’naar! Did you see that?!” he cried to Ratchis.
Jana tried her spell of fear on the thing facing Kazrack, but it had no effect.
The new psuedo-gnoll brought its axe down on Kazrack, who only barely was able to divert the sharp side of the axe head with his flail at the last second. He took the blow to the neck and shoulder, and worried that his right arm would go dead soon. He was still trying to ‘shake it off’ as he hit the ground.
Suddenly, Jeremy became aware of a buzzing sound. He hazarded a peek at the pile of goo, and saw that it was re-shaping itself, cracking and buzzing, squeezing itself into a cone of flesh that spurted out a ball of insect-like hairs that melted into a segmented body, spindly legs and membranous wings, The “gnoll” had turned into a giant hornet, nearly two feet long. It buzzed angrily.
“It’s changed into something flying!” Jeremy announced, as he was the only one who could see this astonishing sight. He was barely able to block the blow of gnoll, which was re-absorbing the tendril up into its arm, making a sickening slurping sound. It swung its axe with its right, Jeremy blocked with his long sword and stabbed with his short sword. The wound closed itself up nearly as quickly as it was made.
Ratchis hustled across the fractured melee towards Kazrack. “Jeremy’s right! The thing the druids sent us for has infiltrated the gnolls!”
The gnoll facing Beorth broke into a run, going back deeper into the trees. Beorth let it go, and turned to see what he could of the others. What he saw was a gnoll swinging its battle axe down on the tent that held Martin, as another was climbing down the natural staircase formed at the point of the wedge in the stone.
“Ratchis, you go help Kazrack,” the paladin called, turning back for a second. He meant to go on to say that he would take care of the rear approach, but has he stepped to begin his run, the giant hornet came into view. “Anubis, give me strength.” He ran towards the gnoll at the tent, and those still up on the ridge fired down on him. He felt the painful stings of the arrows slamming into the scales of his armor. He swung at the gnoll destroying the tent, but it left it mischief and blocked the blow with a cackle.
Martin stood through the hole in the tent, and seeing Beorth had the tent-destroyer well in hand reached into the red leather bag at his belt and pulled out a ball of fur, which he tossed into the direction of the trees.
“Go kill those gnolls I stunned,” the watch-mage, commanded the magical ball of fur that spun and grew into a ferocious wolverine. It landed on one and immediately commenced to tear the flesh from it.
Jana moved to join Ratchis, and two more gnolls came around a thick tree. She had to rely on his speed alone to avoid the their deadly blows, but felt the hard slam of the shaft of the axe smash her across the cheek as the gnoll raised it back into position, even as she jerked her hand away when she felt the blade of the other scrape it. Her robes grew dark with her blood. Trying to keep in mind the tactics she had learned in the many battles she had been part of in recent months, Jana turned to be back to back with Ratchis, should the gnolls try to surround them. She took a tentative swing at one of her foes with her goblin club and missed. It looked at her and, and its skin began to crack and peel, and roll backward and from its chest shot forth a tendril of red-orange undulating flesh that seemed to meld with Kazrack’s unconscious form. The dwarf shuddered.
The gnoll with the tendril arm tried to move past Jeremy, and whipped its tendril out again towards the hornet, and again it connected with a sound like loud chewing. However, it left itself open for a blow from the Neergaardian, who cut a sizeable piece of the strange flesh from the “gnoll”. Even on the ground, separate from the rest of what-it-was, the flesh squirmed and turned and peeled, and sprouted tendrils to rejoin with the rest of the thing.
Jeremy looked to finish this thing and cut the tendril, but swinging, he slipped on an icy stone half buried in the frozen ground and fell, face first on the ground. Jeremy rolled, and tried to get to his knees without dropping his swords. He felt a blow like a fist against his side. He turned and felt a strange pulling at his flesh. A second tentacle now waved back and forth from the gnoll-thing and it flailed ass if it was trying to connect itself to Jeremy. At the same time, the hornet had extruded a tendril of its own and it was connected to the second of the two gnolls that had succumbed to Martin’s spell. The yellow and black insect shell of the hornet, grew as it slid down the tendril towards the fallen gnoll.
“Yeargh!” Jeremy cried.
Ratchis slammed his hammer against another gnoll skull, without slowing his pace, helping Jana with one of her foes. As he felt contact, he let go of the hammer and drew his long sword and his long hunting knife. With skill born of raw determination, the half-orc bellowed, and ducked axe blow, as he blocked one from the “gnoll” that was attached to Kazrack.
“Jana! Cut that thing!” Ratchis cried.
Beorth cut the gnoll he face at the hamstring and it crumbled.
“Martin, finish that one,” the paladin said, as the gnoll staggered to get back up, its blood pooling in cold mud of the knoll. Beorth ran to help Ratchis and Jana.
The wolverine made a strange sound as it clawed at the second downed gnoll. It seemed to make a moaning sound, as if something was wrong with it. Its claws seemed to be having little effect on the thing. It scratched at the tendril ineffectively.
“Imago,” Martin muttered and his form once again became that of a shadow.
Jana dropped her club and pulled her dagger, cutting at the tentacle attacked to Kazrack’s ankle. The tendril pulsed. Her blows seemed to have little effect, and the gnoll turned to address her, again making no sound from its mouth that anyone could hear, while making all the gestures and grimaces associated with an attacking gnoll.
Blood pooled about Kazrack, melting the snow, and he grew paler as the tendril squirmed and creaked and cracked, and began to take the look of his flesh, even as the covering gnoll flesh slid down the tendril to meet it.
Jeremy dodged the tendril that flailed at him and hack through the one attacked from his opponent to the “hornet”.
“Can these things even die?” Beorth cried in despair, for a moment forgetting even his faith.
“Martin! Start a fire! Try fire!” Ratchis called, as he slashed the gnoll that had been attacking Jana with his hunting knife. The ranger’s sword blow was parried.
“I have oil in my pack!” Beorth offered.
The gnoll with the torn hamstring, swung out at Martin in his shadowy form, crying out in pain and fear. Martin was able to avoid the force of the blow, and mentally commanded his magical invisible shield into a position where it could protect him from the archers. The shield glowed translucent green as three arrows bounced off of it. Meanwhile, the other gnolls had finished climbing down and charger at Martin screaming gnollish curses. Martin ducked back into the tent and avoided the blow, and crawling out the back grabbed Beorth pack and began to rummage it for the oil.
Beorth moved to flank the gnoll Ratchis was attacking, but it spun around and knocked the paladin’s blow away.
Jana was still trying o cut at the tendril when out of the corner of her eye she noticed the gnoll-thing it was attached to take notice of her and swing its axe. She felt the weight of the weapon on her head, and a piece of her scalp was shaved off. She fell to the ground.
Beorth allowed this to distract him, and suffered a deep arm cut from the gnoll he and Ratchis faced.
Jeremy hacked at the “gnoll” before him again, and it melted into a puddle of red-orange and black flesh. He noticed that the unconscious gnoll had become a blob of twisting flesh, and it crawled up the tendril, absorbing it as it ascended and then absorbed into the hornet itself emerging from the other side with a sound like stepping through wet mulch, as a second hornet. It buzzed angrily as well.
Ratchis left the gnoll to Beorth and bullrushed the “gnoll” connected to Kazrack. It did not budge, and the hulking half-orc stumbled backward surprised. He had rarely met up with things or people that could resist his raw strength.
One of the hornets stung the wolverine and it yelped.
Beorth backed away from his opponent and took a swing at the “gnoll” connected to Kazrack, and it the thing bulged and gelled and then cracked like chicken bone, and then began to ooze back together slowly.
“Jana, Kazrack is dying! Heal him!” Ratchis commanded, getting his weapons back into position to deal with the gnolls. (159)
Martin was now pouring oil on a rolled up blanket as he weaved back and forth barely avoiding the blows of a gnoll’s battle axe. In a moment, it caught fire.
Jana continued to be ineffectual against the tendril on Kazrack. She cried out again, as she just barely dodged a blow from false gnoll.
Jeremy came charging into the fray, holding his swords above his head to ward off the dive-bombing hornets. He chopped down on the tendril with his long sword and it snapped like leather strap, cracking and oozing as it flailed around on the snowy ground.
Ratchis let the thing feel his own sword, and it again made that silent scream. The rent, where its kidneys should have been, opened and closed like a bloody toothless mouth. There was no sign of bone, just layers of fluid cartilage. It fell over in two pieces.
Out of their sight, the wolverine squealed as arrows from the ridge pelted it. It shivered and died and then disappeared.
Martin took no notice. He ran over to the squirming bisected psuedo-gnoll and dropped the flaming blanket on the thing. It seemed to immediately react, shooting out tendrils, and churning more violently, trying to grow and change, discarding layers of dried flesh that turned to dust as they rolled off, and yet there seemed to be no end to them.
“Jeremy, don’t let that thing get away,” Beorth said, pointing back to the puddle of flesh the Neergaardian had left behind. The paladin knelt beside Kazrack’s pale form, and lay his hands upon the dwarf’s chest. “Anubis, heal this dwarf. I implore you.”
Beorth felt the warmth beneath his hand, but it was not as warm as had hoped, for he had already used much of his healing power on this day. Jana knelt beside him, and placed her rolled cloak beneath Kazrack’s head. She immediately began to inspect him for the worst wounds.
“Somebody, please bring me my healing kit, and hurry!” She called out with worry in her voice.
Martin poured another container of oil on the burning thing and the flames leaped up high. Jeremy leapt back in surprise, “Hey! Warn someone next time!”
“Sorry,” Martin said hurriedly, dropping the empty container. “Gotta get the healing kit.”
Jeremy finally turned to look at Beorth had pointed at, if only to turn his eyes from the glare of the fire. The two hornets had extruded a tendril each, and were connected into the “melted” pseudo-gnoll. The tendrils ungulated, with swellings of flesh pumping into the downed thing.
“Ratchis!” Jeremy cried, but he could not get to the hornets, for there was still another normal gnolls amid the trees that party had lost track of. It swung down at Jeremy, who returned with a belly-bursting short sword thrust. Ratchis did not hesitate. He charged and sliced right through one of the tendrils. Jeremy turned to join Ratachis, wiping blood and ichor from his eyes. “Beorth, kill the gnolls. Kill all the gnolls. We’ll try to finish these things.”
Martin ran back into the camp, and an arrow got past his shield, clipping his foot. As he leapt into the tattered tent to find the healing kit, the gnoll that had chased him before sprung out and roared, its battle axe above its head.
“Stupore!” Martin cried, but his spell failed. He ducked instead.
Beorth came running to the watch-mage’s aid, and drew the gnoll away, allowing Martin to seek for the needed kit. The undulating tendril suddenly seemed to change direction, and in a moment all of the puddle of flesh was gone, absorbed up into the tendril. Ratchis dropped his knife and chopped the thickened end off. It oozed and crackled as it slid up towards the fleeing hornet (the other hornet had already left), while the fallen piece began to do the same.
Beorth saw two more gnolls picking their way down the “stairway”, and sighed. Martin looked at the gnolls and then at the paladin, holding the newly found healing kit in his hand.
“Go, help Kazrack,” Beorth said. “I’ll finish this.” He parried a blow from the “tent-crushing” gnoll.
Martin hustled to Jana and handed her the kit.
“Stay here and assist me,” she said abruptly, snatching the kit. “And when I say bring me the healing kit, don’t tarry next time.”
“Okay,” Martin replied meekly.
Both Beorth and his opponent were surprised as a gnoll fell off the ridge dropping his bow. He had two arrows in his back. The gnolls above began to yell, and those climbing down wavered.
Jeremy fired his crossbow at the retreating hornet and missed.
Ratchis hurried over and sliced the length of his long sword across the stomach of “tent-crusher”. (160) The gnoll doubled-over, as if her were laughing, but puked up black-blood instead. He was dead.
The gnoll that was halfway down the staircase at the point of the wedge that made this knoll, changed his direction. The one at the bottom looked up his fleeing companion and then at the gore covered half-orc gritting his teeth and clutching his sword in both hands and looking back at him, and cursed.
The gnoll immediately began to climb back up as well. As he saw his companion’s feet disappear over the top he heard the half-orc roar. There was a moment’s whistling sound and then a burning pain through his mid-section. He convulsed and fell backward, fifteen feet to the ground.
Ratchis pulled another javelin from the quiver on his side and hefted it.
The gnoll scrambled pathetically to climb again, and Ratchis took aim. He waited for it to be nearly halfway up again and again he let loose with the javelin. Again, the gnoll tumbled backward, the crunching of his bones echoing in the cleft in the stone. It did not get back up again.
The gnolls upon the ridge were gone.
Jeremy walked over to wear Jana frantically barked orders to Martin and wrapped bandages and sewed cuts.
Beorth stood by and watched, grim-faced.
“Beorth, can Anubis help him?” Jeremy asked the paladin.
“Anubis will guide him if Jana fails.”
“Is everyone okay down here?” a man’s voice suddenly called. Where the gnolls had been moments before there was now a man dressed like a frontiersman, in a thick bearskin coat and a raccoon hat, but Ratchis could see that the man wore a studded leather jerkin beneath the coat, and though he held his bow in his hand, he wore a battleaxe at his side.
“No!” Jeremy and Martin replied at once.
“The gnolls are all dead, except the one that got away,’ Ratchis called up to the man.
The man looked down and was taken aback. “Half-orc,” he lifted and arrow to his bow.
Ratchis made ready to run for cover, but Jeremy ran between them.
“No! Wait! He’s okay,” Jeremy gestured with a thumb to Ratchis. “He’s, uh… He’s with us.”
The man lowered his bow. “What are you doing with this pig-f*cker?” the man asked scornfully of Jeremy.
Ratchis scowled.
“It’s all right. He kind of just follows us around,” Jeremy replied in an off-hand way. “It’s okay. He does what we say. Right, Ratchis?” The Neergaardian chuckled.
“Shut up, Jeremy,” Ratchis replied, flatly.
Martin looked plaintively at Jana, and she nodded. The watch-mage left her to tend to Kazrack (who now looked like he would live) and walked into the clearing. “Sir? I am Martin the Green, a watch-mage of Thricia. Have you heard of our order?”
“Uh, I guess so,” the man replied. “Look, I just wanted to tell ya that there are gonna be more gnolls crawling all over this area in come about two hours when they get back to their main camp. There summin like two-hunned of them running around west and north of here.”
“It appears that a strange creature, a creature that can subsume other organisms and then take their forms, and apparently from another dimension, has infiltrated the gnolls,” Martin explained.
“Huh?” The man looked puzzled.
“No one will listen,” Jana said, walking over. “Don’t bother. There is nothing more I can do for Kazrack at this point, all he needs is rest and warmth.”
“I know a place you can hide, and the gnolls won’t find ya,” the man offered.
The party took him up on his offered. He was Patrick, and from the area of Archet, and knew these lands very well, including a hunting blind that could hold five uncomfortable out of the wind and wet. He was accompanied by his son Preston, a boy of about ten years of age. He wore a long hunting knife and had his own bow and quivers.
Preston hurried at his father’s command to prepare the ponies, clearing one of a pack to allow the party to lay Kazrack across its back.
Ratchis checked the two tame ponies as they seemed very docile and he was worried they had become subsumed by the creature and were no unable to neigh or make a sound, just as the false gnolls had not been able to cry out. They were real ponies. Two other wild ponies kicked and neighed.
“Time for breakin’ em is spring,” Patrick said, pulling the ponies. Preston pulled the tame ones.
They marched for two hours along a narrow trail. Preston led, and Patrick took up the rear. After some time, Ratchis noticed that the boy never spoke a word. The half-orc walked beside him and tussled his hair. “Gonna grow up to be a hunter like your father?”
“I already am a hunter,” the boy said annoyedly, and brushed the big hand away.
-------------------------------------------------------------
The hunting blind was well hidden, and after he had shown it to them, Patrick made to leave. Martin asked if he would bring a message regarding the shape-changing creature to Siram in Archet (161). Pat agreed. He also warned them about an owlbear in the area, that had been feeding on ponies. He had seen its tracks.
"Don't worry," Jeremy replied, with a chuckle. "We'll take care of that too while we're at it."
They could not all fit in the blind at once, and with Kazrack requiring special care there was even less room.
Ratchis and Jeremy took the first watch, but first the half-orc placed the blessing of his goddess on Jeremy and Kazrack, so that they may withstand the cold.
Beorth and Martin took the second watch, but Martin passed out from the cold, so weakened by his many wounds. Beorth awoke the others, who hefted Martin back into blind, and Jana came out to join Beorth. They huddled for warmth in one of the tents, trying to listen over the wind. It was pointless to actually watch, as the dark of night was impenetrable.
In the morning, Ratchis called upon the power of Nephthys to heal Kazrack three times, repairing his arm, and closing his many smaller wounds more securely than Jana’s hasty sutures.
Kazrack left the blind to pray. He did not speak a word, except to tell Ratchis not to waste his healing on him anymore.
“I have been found wanting,” the dwarf mumbled.
End of Session #34
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Notes
(159) Not only was Kazrack at negative hit points, but the thing was draining his Constitution, so the negative hit point total he would die kept approaching zero as his point less every round approached it. In Aquerra, characters do not die until reach a negative hit point total of 10 + one-half their maximum hit point (rounded down). Applying first aid to someone at negative hit points takes 1d10+10 rounds.
(160) DM’s Note: Sometimes an unnamed monster among a hoard will make himself known to the players by a nick-name if he does something noteworthy, like smash tents, or take too many hits to kill than normal because of unlucky damage rolls.
(161) Siram is the unofficial leader of Archet (See Session #29)
Jeremy winced as his long sword cut deep into the gnoll-thing again. And again it was a blow that would have sent any other foe crashing to the ground bleeding out their life, but instead the thing seemed split open unnaturally, and then collapsed in on itself, as if decaying gelatin.
In the knoll, Ratchis sent a arrow hurtling into a gnoll’s neck and it tumbled into the chasm, screeching. It appeared to be a normal gnoll, and clutching at the wound pathetically, suddenly stopped moving. The half-orc dropped the bow and ran towards the trees when he heard Jeremy’s cry. “Jeremy!” he cried back. “It might be an illusion!”
The gnolls atop the ridge fired back a volley of arrows. As Ratchis had made the cover of the trees, most aimed at Kazrack, who hopped around like mad to avoid, them, but nevertheless was bleeding as two nicked him in the face and neck. He hustled for cover under the trees.
Beorth also made for the cover of the trees, meeting up with one of the gnolls who had advanced unseen past Jeremy and the strange pseudo-gnoll. The paladin swung his sword and immediately stopped the leading gnoll. Battleaxe and sword met in a clang as they furiously parried each other.
Martin pulled along side Beorth, as another gnoll moved to join the fray. The mage cast his colored sand at the pair and spoke and arcane word and a flurry of colored light washed over the gnolls. In less than a moment they were unconscious on the ground. Moved to the edge of the trees, but turning back spoke a word and blinded a gnoll, causing it to drop its bow and cry out in fear.
Now more gnolls poured out of the woods, cackling in their disturbing tongue. One charged at Kazrack, but misjudged due to the spell Martin had placed on him, and ran past, having to swing back awkwardly, and staring at his axe with confusion.
Jeremy was jarred from his horror, by the approach of another gnoll, it looked at him and opened it mouth, but despite its ferocity, no voice emerged from where there should be screaming. Before he knew what was happening, the approaching gnoll whipped his arm at the fallen amorphous thing, and its arm stretched out. The muscles and sinews cracked and wheezed disgustingly as it whipped out and connected with the other psuedo-gnoll. Jeremy could see lumps of flesh inundating down the tendril of alien flesh from the gnolls to the oozing lump of flesh that once appeared to be a gnoll.
“Aarrrgh!” Jeremy cried out, horrified. He thrust his short sword into the new “gnoll” and swung his long sword through the tendril, disconnecting it. The short sword cut a slash into the thing, but it immediately began to close up. “They are not all gnolls! Some are some kind of magical creature!”
Ratchis slammed his hammer into an approaching gnoll as he moved through the trees towards Beorth, and it fell dead. Its skull cracked open.
Another pair of gnolls came through the trees and swung at Beorth, who blocked one blade and ducked the other, he told Martin to flee.
Martin left the melee to the paladin and took off back towards the tent. He had forgotten about the gnolls on the ridge, and he felt the bite of three arrows. The watch-mage cried out and dove into the tent. He cast his shield spell.
Beorth buried his sword into the head of one of his opponents and flicked it back from where it had stuck into the bone with a grunt. He turned to face the other gnoll, and grunted again.
Kazrack moved to cut off a gnolls coming around from the right, and slammed his flail across its chin. However, instead of the satisfying crunch of bone, he felt the sensation that Jeremy had felt. As if his weapon slapped against thick mud or a hardened jelly. It turned to face him with a silent scream.
“D’naar! Did you see that?!” he cried to Ratchis.
Jana tried her spell of fear on the thing facing Kazrack, but it had no effect.
The new psuedo-gnoll brought its axe down on Kazrack, who only barely was able to divert the sharp side of the axe head with his flail at the last second. He took the blow to the neck and shoulder, and worried that his right arm would go dead soon. He was still trying to ‘shake it off’ as he hit the ground.
Suddenly, Jeremy became aware of a buzzing sound. He hazarded a peek at the pile of goo, and saw that it was re-shaping itself, cracking and buzzing, squeezing itself into a cone of flesh that spurted out a ball of insect-like hairs that melted into a segmented body, spindly legs and membranous wings, The “gnoll” had turned into a giant hornet, nearly two feet long. It buzzed angrily.
“It’s changed into something flying!” Jeremy announced, as he was the only one who could see this astonishing sight. He was barely able to block the blow of gnoll, which was re-absorbing the tendril up into its arm, making a sickening slurping sound. It swung its axe with its right, Jeremy blocked with his long sword and stabbed with his short sword. The wound closed itself up nearly as quickly as it was made.
Ratchis hustled across the fractured melee towards Kazrack. “Jeremy’s right! The thing the druids sent us for has infiltrated the gnolls!”
The gnoll facing Beorth broke into a run, going back deeper into the trees. Beorth let it go, and turned to see what he could of the others. What he saw was a gnoll swinging its battle axe down on the tent that held Martin, as another was climbing down the natural staircase formed at the point of the wedge in the stone.
“Ratchis, you go help Kazrack,” the paladin called, turning back for a second. He meant to go on to say that he would take care of the rear approach, but has he stepped to begin his run, the giant hornet came into view. “Anubis, give me strength.” He ran towards the gnoll at the tent, and those still up on the ridge fired down on him. He felt the painful stings of the arrows slamming into the scales of his armor. He swung at the gnoll destroying the tent, but it left it mischief and blocked the blow with a cackle.
Martin stood through the hole in the tent, and seeing Beorth had the tent-destroyer well in hand reached into the red leather bag at his belt and pulled out a ball of fur, which he tossed into the direction of the trees.
“Go kill those gnolls I stunned,” the watch-mage, commanded the magical ball of fur that spun and grew into a ferocious wolverine. It landed on one and immediately commenced to tear the flesh from it.
Jana moved to join Ratchis, and two more gnolls came around a thick tree. She had to rely on his speed alone to avoid the their deadly blows, but felt the hard slam of the shaft of the axe smash her across the cheek as the gnoll raised it back into position, even as she jerked her hand away when she felt the blade of the other scrape it. Her robes grew dark with her blood. Trying to keep in mind the tactics she had learned in the many battles she had been part of in recent months, Jana turned to be back to back with Ratchis, should the gnolls try to surround them. She took a tentative swing at one of her foes with her goblin club and missed. It looked at her and, and its skin began to crack and peel, and roll backward and from its chest shot forth a tendril of red-orange undulating flesh that seemed to meld with Kazrack’s unconscious form. The dwarf shuddered.
The gnoll with the tendril arm tried to move past Jeremy, and whipped its tendril out again towards the hornet, and again it connected with a sound like loud chewing. However, it left itself open for a blow from the Neergaardian, who cut a sizeable piece of the strange flesh from the “gnoll”. Even on the ground, separate from the rest of what-it-was, the flesh squirmed and turned and peeled, and sprouted tendrils to rejoin with the rest of the thing.
Jeremy looked to finish this thing and cut the tendril, but swinging, he slipped on an icy stone half buried in the frozen ground and fell, face first on the ground. Jeremy rolled, and tried to get to his knees without dropping his swords. He felt a blow like a fist against his side. He turned and felt a strange pulling at his flesh. A second tentacle now waved back and forth from the gnoll-thing and it flailed ass if it was trying to connect itself to Jeremy. At the same time, the hornet had extruded a tendril of its own and it was connected to the second of the two gnolls that had succumbed to Martin’s spell. The yellow and black insect shell of the hornet, grew as it slid down the tendril towards the fallen gnoll.
“Yeargh!” Jeremy cried.
Ratchis slammed his hammer against another gnoll skull, without slowing his pace, helping Jana with one of her foes. As he felt contact, he let go of the hammer and drew his long sword and his long hunting knife. With skill born of raw determination, the half-orc bellowed, and ducked axe blow, as he blocked one from the “gnoll” that was attached to Kazrack.
“Jana! Cut that thing!” Ratchis cried.
Beorth cut the gnoll he face at the hamstring and it crumbled.
“Martin, finish that one,” the paladin said, as the gnoll staggered to get back up, its blood pooling in cold mud of the knoll. Beorth ran to help Ratchis and Jana.
The wolverine made a strange sound as it clawed at the second downed gnoll. It seemed to make a moaning sound, as if something was wrong with it. Its claws seemed to be having little effect on the thing. It scratched at the tendril ineffectively.
“Imago,” Martin muttered and his form once again became that of a shadow.
Jana dropped her club and pulled her dagger, cutting at the tentacle attacked to Kazrack’s ankle. The tendril pulsed. Her blows seemed to have little effect, and the gnoll turned to address her, again making no sound from its mouth that anyone could hear, while making all the gestures and grimaces associated with an attacking gnoll.
Blood pooled about Kazrack, melting the snow, and he grew paler as the tendril squirmed and creaked and cracked, and began to take the look of his flesh, even as the covering gnoll flesh slid down the tendril to meet it.
Jeremy dodged the tendril that flailed at him and hack through the one attacked from his opponent to the “hornet”.
“Can these things even die?” Beorth cried in despair, for a moment forgetting even his faith.
“Martin! Start a fire! Try fire!” Ratchis called, as he slashed the gnoll that had been attacking Jana with his hunting knife. The ranger’s sword blow was parried.
“I have oil in my pack!” Beorth offered.
The gnoll with the torn hamstring, swung out at Martin in his shadowy form, crying out in pain and fear. Martin was able to avoid the force of the blow, and mentally commanded his magical invisible shield into a position where it could protect him from the archers. The shield glowed translucent green as three arrows bounced off of it. Meanwhile, the other gnolls had finished climbing down and charger at Martin screaming gnollish curses. Martin ducked back into the tent and avoided the blow, and crawling out the back grabbed Beorth pack and began to rummage it for the oil.
Beorth moved to flank the gnoll Ratchis was attacking, but it spun around and knocked the paladin’s blow away.
Jana was still trying o cut at the tendril when out of the corner of her eye she noticed the gnoll-thing it was attached to take notice of her and swing its axe. She felt the weight of the weapon on her head, and a piece of her scalp was shaved off. She fell to the ground.
Beorth allowed this to distract him, and suffered a deep arm cut from the gnoll he and Ratchis faced.
Jeremy hacked at the “gnoll” before him again, and it melted into a puddle of red-orange and black flesh. He noticed that the unconscious gnoll had become a blob of twisting flesh, and it crawled up the tendril, absorbing it as it ascended and then absorbed into the hornet itself emerging from the other side with a sound like stepping through wet mulch, as a second hornet. It buzzed angrily as well.
Ratchis left the gnoll to Beorth and bullrushed the “gnoll” connected to Kazrack. It did not budge, and the hulking half-orc stumbled backward surprised. He had rarely met up with things or people that could resist his raw strength.
One of the hornets stung the wolverine and it yelped.
Beorth backed away from his opponent and took a swing at the “gnoll” connected to Kazrack, and it the thing bulged and gelled and then cracked like chicken bone, and then began to ooze back together slowly.
“Jana, Kazrack is dying! Heal him!” Ratchis commanded, getting his weapons back into position to deal with the gnolls. (159)
Martin was now pouring oil on a rolled up blanket as he weaved back and forth barely avoiding the blows of a gnoll’s battle axe. In a moment, it caught fire.
Jana continued to be ineffectual against the tendril on Kazrack. She cried out again, as she just barely dodged a blow from false gnoll.
Jeremy came charging into the fray, holding his swords above his head to ward off the dive-bombing hornets. He chopped down on the tendril with his long sword and it snapped like leather strap, cracking and oozing as it flailed around on the snowy ground.
Ratchis let the thing feel his own sword, and it again made that silent scream. The rent, where its kidneys should have been, opened and closed like a bloody toothless mouth. There was no sign of bone, just layers of fluid cartilage. It fell over in two pieces.
Out of their sight, the wolverine squealed as arrows from the ridge pelted it. It shivered and died and then disappeared.
Martin took no notice. He ran over to the squirming bisected psuedo-gnoll and dropped the flaming blanket on the thing. It seemed to immediately react, shooting out tendrils, and churning more violently, trying to grow and change, discarding layers of dried flesh that turned to dust as they rolled off, and yet there seemed to be no end to them.
“Jeremy, don’t let that thing get away,” Beorth said, pointing back to the puddle of flesh the Neergaardian had left behind. The paladin knelt beside Kazrack’s pale form, and lay his hands upon the dwarf’s chest. “Anubis, heal this dwarf. I implore you.”
Beorth felt the warmth beneath his hand, but it was not as warm as had hoped, for he had already used much of his healing power on this day. Jana knelt beside him, and placed her rolled cloak beneath Kazrack’s head. She immediately began to inspect him for the worst wounds.
“Somebody, please bring me my healing kit, and hurry!” She called out with worry in her voice.
Martin poured another container of oil on the burning thing and the flames leaped up high. Jeremy leapt back in surprise, “Hey! Warn someone next time!”
“Sorry,” Martin said hurriedly, dropping the empty container. “Gotta get the healing kit.”
Jeremy finally turned to look at Beorth had pointed at, if only to turn his eyes from the glare of the fire. The two hornets had extruded a tendril each, and were connected into the “melted” pseudo-gnoll. The tendrils ungulated, with swellings of flesh pumping into the downed thing.
“Ratchis!” Jeremy cried, but he could not get to the hornets, for there was still another normal gnolls amid the trees that party had lost track of. It swung down at Jeremy, who returned with a belly-bursting short sword thrust. Ratchis did not hesitate. He charged and sliced right through one of the tendrils. Jeremy turned to join Ratachis, wiping blood and ichor from his eyes. “Beorth, kill the gnolls. Kill all the gnolls. We’ll try to finish these things.”
Martin ran back into the camp, and an arrow got past his shield, clipping his foot. As he leapt into the tattered tent to find the healing kit, the gnoll that had chased him before sprung out and roared, its battle axe above its head.
“Stupore!” Martin cried, but his spell failed. He ducked instead.
Beorth came running to the watch-mage’s aid, and drew the gnoll away, allowing Martin to seek for the needed kit. The undulating tendril suddenly seemed to change direction, and in a moment all of the puddle of flesh was gone, absorbed up into the tendril. Ratchis dropped his knife and chopped the thickened end off. It oozed and crackled as it slid up towards the fleeing hornet (the other hornet had already left), while the fallen piece began to do the same.
Beorth saw two more gnolls picking their way down the “stairway”, and sighed. Martin looked at the gnolls and then at the paladin, holding the newly found healing kit in his hand.
“Go, help Kazrack,” Beorth said. “I’ll finish this.” He parried a blow from the “tent-crushing” gnoll.
Martin hustled to Jana and handed her the kit.
“Stay here and assist me,” she said abruptly, snatching the kit. “And when I say bring me the healing kit, don’t tarry next time.”
“Okay,” Martin replied meekly.
Both Beorth and his opponent were surprised as a gnoll fell off the ridge dropping his bow. He had two arrows in his back. The gnolls above began to yell, and those climbing down wavered.
Jeremy fired his crossbow at the retreating hornet and missed.
Ratchis hurried over and sliced the length of his long sword across the stomach of “tent-crusher”. (160) The gnoll doubled-over, as if her were laughing, but puked up black-blood instead. He was dead.
The gnoll that was halfway down the staircase at the point of the wedge that made this knoll, changed his direction. The one at the bottom looked up his fleeing companion and then at the gore covered half-orc gritting his teeth and clutching his sword in both hands and looking back at him, and cursed.
The gnoll immediately began to climb back up as well. As he saw his companion’s feet disappear over the top he heard the half-orc roar. There was a moment’s whistling sound and then a burning pain through his mid-section. He convulsed and fell backward, fifteen feet to the ground.
Ratchis pulled another javelin from the quiver on his side and hefted it.
The gnoll scrambled pathetically to climb again, and Ratchis took aim. He waited for it to be nearly halfway up again and again he let loose with the javelin. Again, the gnoll tumbled backward, the crunching of his bones echoing in the cleft in the stone. It did not get back up again.
The gnolls upon the ridge were gone.
Jeremy walked over to wear Jana frantically barked orders to Martin and wrapped bandages and sewed cuts.
Beorth stood by and watched, grim-faced.
“Beorth, can Anubis help him?” Jeremy asked the paladin.
“Anubis will guide him if Jana fails.”
“Is everyone okay down here?” a man’s voice suddenly called. Where the gnolls had been moments before there was now a man dressed like a frontiersman, in a thick bearskin coat and a raccoon hat, but Ratchis could see that the man wore a studded leather jerkin beneath the coat, and though he held his bow in his hand, he wore a battleaxe at his side.
“No!” Jeremy and Martin replied at once.
“The gnolls are all dead, except the one that got away,’ Ratchis called up to the man.
The man looked down and was taken aback. “Half-orc,” he lifted and arrow to his bow.
Ratchis made ready to run for cover, but Jeremy ran between them.
“No! Wait! He’s okay,” Jeremy gestured with a thumb to Ratchis. “He’s, uh… He’s with us.”
The man lowered his bow. “What are you doing with this pig-f*cker?” the man asked scornfully of Jeremy.
Ratchis scowled.
“It’s all right. He kind of just follows us around,” Jeremy replied in an off-hand way. “It’s okay. He does what we say. Right, Ratchis?” The Neergaardian chuckled.
“Shut up, Jeremy,” Ratchis replied, flatly.
Martin looked plaintively at Jana, and she nodded. The watch-mage left her to tend to Kazrack (who now looked like he would live) and walked into the clearing. “Sir? I am Martin the Green, a watch-mage of Thricia. Have you heard of our order?”
“Uh, I guess so,” the man replied. “Look, I just wanted to tell ya that there are gonna be more gnolls crawling all over this area in come about two hours when they get back to their main camp. There summin like two-hunned of them running around west and north of here.”
“It appears that a strange creature, a creature that can subsume other organisms and then take their forms, and apparently from another dimension, has infiltrated the gnolls,” Martin explained.
“Huh?” The man looked puzzled.
“No one will listen,” Jana said, walking over. “Don’t bother. There is nothing more I can do for Kazrack at this point, all he needs is rest and warmth.”
“I know a place you can hide, and the gnolls won’t find ya,” the man offered.
The party took him up on his offered. He was Patrick, and from the area of Archet, and knew these lands very well, including a hunting blind that could hold five uncomfortable out of the wind and wet. He was accompanied by his son Preston, a boy of about ten years of age. He wore a long hunting knife and had his own bow and quivers.
Preston hurried at his father’s command to prepare the ponies, clearing one of a pack to allow the party to lay Kazrack across its back.
Ratchis checked the two tame ponies as they seemed very docile and he was worried they had become subsumed by the creature and were no unable to neigh or make a sound, just as the false gnolls had not been able to cry out. They were real ponies. Two other wild ponies kicked and neighed.
“Time for breakin’ em is spring,” Patrick said, pulling the ponies. Preston pulled the tame ones.
They marched for two hours along a narrow trail. Preston led, and Patrick took up the rear. After some time, Ratchis noticed that the boy never spoke a word. The half-orc walked beside him and tussled his hair. “Gonna grow up to be a hunter like your father?”
“I already am a hunter,” the boy said annoyedly, and brushed the big hand away.
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The hunting blind was well hidden, and after he had shown it to them, Patrick made to leave. Martin asked if he would bring a message regarding the shape-changing creature to Siram in Archet (161). Pat agreed. He also warned them about an owlbear in the area, that had been feeding on ponies. He had seen its tracks.
"Don't worry," Jeremy replied, with a chuckle. "We'll take care of that too while we're at it."
They could not all fit in the blind at once, and with Kazrack requiring special care there was even less room.
Ratchis and Jeremy took the first watch, but first the half-orc placed the blessing of his goddess on Jeremy and Kazrack, so that they may withstand the cold.
Beorth and Martin took the second watch, but Martin passed out from the cold, so weakened by his many wounds. Beorth awoke the others, who hefted Martin back into blind, and Jana came out to join Beorth. They huddled for warmth in one of the tents, trying to listen over the wind. It was pointless to actually watch, as the dark of night was impenetrable.
In the morning, Ratchis called upon the power of Nephthys to heal Kazrack three times, repairing his arm, and closing his many smaller wounds more securely than Jana’s hasty sutures.
Kazrack left the blind to pray. He did not speak a word, except to tell Ratchis not to waste his healing on him anymore.
“I have been found wanting,” the dwarf mumbled.
End of Session #34
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Notes
(159) Not only was Kazrack at negative hit points, but the thing was draining his Constitution, so the negative hit point total he would die kept approaching zero as his point less every round approached it. In Aquerra, characters do not die until reach a negative hit point total of 10 + one-half their maximum hit point (rounded down). Applying first aid to someone at negative hit points takes 1d10+10 rounds.
(160) DM’s Note: Sometimes an unnamed monster among a hoard will make himself known to the players by a nick-name if he does something noteworthy, like smash tents, or take too many hits to kill than normal because of unlucky damage rolls.
(161) Siram is the unofficial leader of Archet (See Session #29)
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el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
It seems that the "Out of the Frying Pan" Rogue's Gallery thred was pruned during my hiatus. . . 
But I have begun a replacement here
I promise I will do more updates to it than I did in the past - including the PCs at various levels (never going past where I am up to in the story hour itself).
In Other News:
There will be a second Aquerra game run in the New York City area run by my old co-DM, and sometime DM of Aquerra games I got to play in, and the player of Rastfar Buhrad-Puhn, leader of the Oath (the longest Aquerra campaign so far (at 3+ years)).
Be alert for updates on how this unfolds - and there will be an ad posted to Gamers Seeking Gamers in coming weeks - with a description of the game, called "Promised Land".
But I have begun a replacement here
I promise I will do more updates to it than I did in the past - including the PCs at various levels (never going past where I am up to in the story hour itself).
In Other News:
There will be a second Aquerra game run in the New York City area run by my old co-DM, and sometime DM of Aquerra games I got to play in, and the player of Rastfar Buhrad-Puhn, leader of the Oath (the longest Aquerra campaign so far (at 3+ years)).
Be alert for updates on how this unfolds - and there will be an ad posted to Gamers Seeking Gamers in coming weeks - with a description of the game, called "Promised Land".
Martin Olarin
First Post
Hey, I think this is my favorite installment for describing death (or supposed to be deaths in the case of the psuedo-gnolls). I think my favorite was, "bent over double as if laughing but instead spitting up black blood".
Cyronax
Explorer
Great update nemm! Its good to be getting more Aquerra updates again 
BTW, in response to a post I saw of yours in a different SH thread, I just want to say that yours in the first story that I read and really got into. Out of the Frying Pan is still one of the only two story hours I normally keep up with.
Thanks,
C.I.D.
BTW, in response to a post I saw of yours in a different SH thread, I just want to say that yours in the first story that I read and really got into. Out of the Frying Pan is still one of the only two story hours I normally keep up with.
Thanks,
C.I.D.
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