"Out of the Frying Pan" - Book II: Catching the Spark (Part Two) - {complete}
- Thread starter el-remmen
- Start date
el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
Can you believe two updates in two days?
Yep! I am on page 8 of the next update and hope to finish by early evening and be able to post it. . .
After this next installment I will be starting a new thread. . . not because we are ready to move to the next book - but because session #40 thru #48 are all the same adventure - as the Fearless Manticore Killers return to a little bit of the old skool dungeon crawl action. . .
So, what do you guys think of the party's new name? I know what the players think of it. . .
Yep! I am on page 8 of the next update and hope to finish by early evening and be able to post it. . .
After this next installment I will be starting a new thread. . . not because we are ready to move to the next book - but because session #40 thru #48 are all the same adventure - as the Fearless Manticore Killers return to a little bit of the old skool dungeon crawl action. . .
So, what do you guys think of the party's new name? I know what the players think of it. . .
Last edited:
el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
A Sign of the Apocalypse
Session #39
Martin cast prestidigitation and snatched a torch from where he had one tucked into his belt. Jeremy seeing that Ratchis was in danger hustled towards his half-orc companion, but stopped just short to provide cover when the half-orc backed away from the obviously superior opponent. Ratchis fell back, and stood shoulder to shoulder with the Neergaardian.
“Come and take your brethren’s weapon from my hand, you fiend!” Ratchis goaded the half-fiend gnome, who cautiously stepped towards them, but not close enough to attack or be attacked. The smirk never left his face.
Blodnath pulled out his own coil of rope and ran towards the pit where Jolnar struggled against the Gothanian zombies alone. Belear called for Golnar and Tolnar to grab the rope he had lowered into the pit, while Kazrack called to Krauchaar to bless his weapon in dwarven.
“I will help you with the fiendish one!” Kirla cried, there was almost joy in her voice and she hurried to join Ratchis and Jeremy, her shield before her and her flail swinging wildly over her head.
“Give ‘em hell, Kirla!” Helrahd yelled encouragement to his sister.
Derek crept over to the area Helrahd was in, and tried to box the area in to see if they might flush out the true gnome, now that the first one was revealed as an illusion. However, the illusion continued to mock them and laugh.
“Eat! Eat! My little human savages!” the gnome called to the zombies in the pit.
Captain Adalar also moved up to the pits, and clutching the bag of runestones about his neck attempted to turn the zombies, but his faith was not strong enough, and Tolnar backed against the wall, stabing at the zombies futilely with his short sword. (203).
Beorth stood at the point of triangle created by him, Derek and Helrahd and closed his eyes. “Anubis, grant me the power to lift the veil over mine eyes! So I may find the evil creatures that oppose us.” And when he opened his eyes he concentrated his senses into the area and knew that great evil was located somewhere near Derek.
“Let the unholy fumes of hell comes forth,” the gnome facing Ratchis and Jeremy croaked, and with a burp he blew forward and a nasty sulfurous smell came forth. Jeremy could felt a wave of nauseous come over them as they unwillingly breathed in the invisible breath. They could feel their lungs spasm, and Ratchis’ stomach turned, weakening him. The gnome moved back and hefted his axe on his shoulder. “Come and get some,” now it was his turn to goad them into coming to him.
It was too much for Jeremy and he hustled away from the evil gnome, hoping Ratchis would follow and draw the thing to the others so that they all could fight it. He passed Kirla on the way. “What foul thing is this?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” Jeremy answered. “But I though undead smelled pretty bad on their own, but this guy’s breath is a killer.”
Ratchis moved back, but cautiously, calling to Nephthys to enchant his weapon.
Martin used his prestidigitation spell to light the torch he held and then cast mage hand to bring the lit torch down into the pits.
Tolnar began to climb the rope Belear held to escape the pit, but he cried out as one of the zombies ripped at his calf as he emerged. The young dwarf rolled away from the pit with a huff, dirt and blood staining his golden beard.
“Father,” Kazrack called to Belear. “I must help D’nar. He is near death!” And with that the dwarf hustled towards Ratchis.
Derek strained his ears listening in the area he and Beorth and Helrahd had scoped out. He knew the gnomish spell-caster must be nearby.
Belear continued to concentrate, moving closer to pinpoint the emanation of evil
Kirla finally arrived near Ratchis and stepped past him, calling out to the fiendish gnome, “What are you waiting for? Come on!”
“Come one, bitch!” the gnome called back, moving forward, but remaining cautious. It was a cat and mouse game, each side trying to draw the other towards him.
Martin had his arcane invisible disembodied hand move the lit torch onto one of the zombies awkwardly beating at Golnar with unnatural slowness. The dried cracked flesh caught and soon it was burning. The undead thing moaned, but made no move to put itself out. Golnar crushed its ribs with his warhammer and it collapsed into a burning twitchy pile of dead flesh.
Meanwhile, Jeremy deftly put his weapons away, and pulled his crossbow of his back, as he took cover behind some trees, near where Derek, Helrahd and Beorth were searching for their unseen foe.
“Get back!” Ratchis yelled to Kirla as he rushed past her to charge at the hulking half-fiend gnome. However, the gnome who never stopped grinning, was ready for him and Ratchis felt the blade of the great battleaxe turned by his own chain shirt as it struck him. Ratchis felt the groan of protest from his ribs as they strained not to crack, and as he swooned, weakly bringing his hammer down and missing, the gnome slammed him in the chin with the butt end of the axe. Ratchis spit blood and dropped, clutching his side instinctively even as he slipped into unconsciousness.
Kazrack ran to Ratchis. “D’nar!” he cried out as the half-orc dropped. “Kirla, drag him back to father Belear for healing! You must retreat.”
Kirla did not obey, getting between Ratchis’ body and the half-fiend gnome.
“Kazrack, we have to push him back, or else Ratchis will be vulnerable to attack,” Kirla said.
Derek’s listening paid off. He heard some low mumbling and turned to his right to see a portal of black light open in the air, and two zombies fell out of it, and ambled forward. Unlike the former Gothanian soldiers, there were naked, and their skin was a weathered gray color.
“More zombies over here!” Derek yelled.
However, Helrahd left the zombies to the other and ran to help his sister, who he spied taking on the gnome by herself.
Beorth sensed that the evil he had originally sensed had moved out of his range, so he slowly came forward, beseeching his god, “Anubis, the evil presence is coming into focus. Please aid me!”
Martin moved his torch to another zombie, but this one batted it away, and the mage could not cause it to catch fire.
Jeremy seeing the zombies that had just appeared, dropped his crossbow and drawing his long sword, charged into battle, hacking one open. It turned towards him moaning as if such a blow were nothing compared to its existence of constant agony.
“Where did these things pop out of?” the Neergaardian asked.
Kazrack moved to provide an unarmored target for the gnomish fiend (204), and the gnome took the bait, ignoring Kirla and landing two devastating blows to the dwarf. Blood poured down Kazrack’s right arm, and he could feel his old wounds ache.
“How’d ya like that?” the gnome asked.
Gritting his teeth, the dwarf thrust his halberd between the gnomes legs, catching on of his ankles and pulling him to the ground. Kazrack, followed up with a thrust caused a huge dent in the gnome’s breast plate.
“Drag him away!” Kazrack commanded Kirla again. She sighed and picked up Ratchis’ shoulders and began to drag him away, leaving a trail of blood in the grass. Helrahd ran past her and stepped up to aid Kazrack. “Got the little sucker on the ground, eh?” Helrahd spat.
Derek had dropped his bow by now and was fighting with a battle axe of his own, and chopped one of the zombies, sending it to the ground, but it struggled to get back to its feet. A third zombie attempted to slam the young woodsman, but Derek dodged the blow.
Captain Adalar moved towards the zombies, stopping beside Beorth who appeared to be doing nothing but watching.
“What are you waiting for, human?” the captain asked with disgust, hefting his great axe with glee.
“Anubis, do not let this foul creature escape our wrath,” Beorth intoned, and then he said in a commanding voice. “Let me find him!”
Jeremy lopped the head off of his zombie foe and it disappeared with an acrid smell. The Neergaardian kept the momentum of his movement up and hacked into one of zombies fighting Derek as well.
The gnome facing Kazrack and Helrahd, rolled away and to his feet avoid follow up blows from the two dwarves, and he brought his axe down on Kazrack, who stepped back, getting the slightest edge of the blade right down his chest on angle from left to right. It was like a line of fire in his body and the dwarf gasped and collapsed; his life’s blood pouring out quickly.
Derek sliced the zombie before him in half, and looked to Jeremy. “The one that summoned the zombies is still here. I heard him!”
“Huh?” Jeremy queried, and then he felt a deep cold in his body, starting from his hip and then passing through him as if his veins were slowly freezing. He felt weaker.
He spun around as he head Derek cry, “there he is!”
There stood a bald gnome, dressed in black robes and with black eyes with green sparkles.
Meanwhile, Kirla dropped the dying half-orc and charged the gnome that had just dropped Kazrack, slamming him in the head with her flail. The gnome cursed.
“Keep him busy!” Helrahd said, moving to flank the gnome, but their opponent was deft and easily avoided the blows.
“Aren’t you going to do anything?” Captain Adalar asked Beorth again, moving to join the fight versus the necro-gnome.
Beorth did do something. He called to his god, “Anubis, I call on you to smite this evil creature!” And he charged forward forcing his god’s divine will through his staff and bringing it down with all the strength and momentum he could muster. (205)
The gnome’s form seemed to waver as the staff came down, and Beorth noticed that his opponent was enchanted by a spell that Martin often used. But it did not matter, the blow struck the gnome in the head anyway, and soon the black robes were smeared with blood trickling off its bald head.
“Oh no!” Martin cried, as he had left the pits where the young dwarves were finally managing to get out and noticed that both Ratchis and Kazrack were down, and only Helrahd and Kirla stood between the other gnome and the rest of the group. “Help! Healers!” he cried, as he ran in that direction.
The gnome was easily fending off both dwarves, and now the siblings were suffering from deep wounds, but continued to fight.
Jeremy swung his long sword at the necromancer gnome, certain he had hit, but the blade went through the wavery image of the thing, and it snickered.
The snickering did not last very long as Derek brought his axe down on the gnome’s foot, and it cried out, hobbling back slowly. He now looked angry, pulling a black stick from his belt and tapping himself on the head saying, “Niraghas!”
In a flash the necro-gnome was covered in a translucent undulating gray-black aura. Adalar ran up and swung his gleaming rune-covered great axe, but he too was fooled by the blur spell.
Beorth swung his staff again, striking with one end, but the other end missed as he jerked in pain. Where the staff had struck the aura surrounding the gnome, it shot out and traveled up the weapon. Beorth felt part of his life drained from him.
Belear was now running to help Kazrack and the others.
The necro-gnome was surrounded by Beorth, Jeremy, Adalar and Beorth, and was looking around perplexed as to what to do. Jeremy struck the fiendish gnome with his long sword and suffered the same fate as Beorth, but his blow was still substantial and the gnome shuddered in pain.
“What does he have covering him?” Jeremy asked.
“Ya gotta let me in! Ya gotta let me in! Ya gotta let me in!” Golnar was chanting, just adjacent to the surrounded gnome with his warhammer in hand, looking for an opening.
Belear arrived to see Helrahd take a terrible blow to the head and fall down. Kirla also took another blow, not being able to get her shield in the way in time. The elder dwarf whispered to his gods and reached out and touched Kirla, helping her wounds to begin closing.
Helhrad made it to his feet and swung one of his axes, as Kirla swung his flail again, but though he was flanked the gnome continued to parry their blows easily.
Across the battle field the other gnome was getting desperate. “Bring me the winds of the foul plane from whence our ancestors came!” He cried, and a cloud of black oil blasted forth from his hands in all directions. Jolnar and Tolnar were now approaching to, but Jolnar fell as the cloud struck him, and Derek wretched. The others all cried out in horror, but gritted through the pain.
Roaring, Captain Adalar brought his great axe down on the gnome, and cleaved it twain. The aura disappated, and the gnome’s body began to hiss as its blood left it.
Beorth did not hesitate, but ran over towards the other melee.
Martin was panting from having run so far and so fast, and came up behind Kirla as she still despeartey fought the remaining half-fiend gnome. “Hold still,” he said and making his arcane gestures said, “Distortus!” and tapped Kirla’s shoulder.
Jeremy hustled to join the fight, and Derek followed.
“My brother!” the gnome said. “My brother, Frear was weak. But I, Mokad, am not and I will not fail! I will kill you all one by one.”
And with that the gnome, downed Helrahd, who collapsed in a bloody pile, but he missed Kirla due to Martin’s blur spell.
Kirla swung with viscous counter-attack, but she missed, and her momentum spun her around dropping her to the ground.
Blodnath who had been staying back to see where he was most needed, now drew a shining short sword and moved to take up Helrahd’s place in the melee.
Belear moved to Kazrack and chanted, “Rivkanal, heal this brave dwarf who leads these humans and other things in the righteous ways of the dwarven people.”
Kazrack’s eyelids fluttered, as his wounds began closing and the blood stopped flowing from him at a deadly rate.
Kazrack stood and shook his head back and forth, feeling the weakness of having been on death’s door and being brought back so quickly (206). Lifting his halberd, he rushed back into the fight.
Adalar continued roaring, and used his axe to decapitate the dying necro-gnome. The body hissed and spat and released a noxious odor. In a moment it looked like a normal dead gnome.
“We need help! We need help!” Tolnar cried clutching his brother Jolnar in his arms.
“Quit yer blubbering’. Go help the others, I’ll see to him,” Captain Adalar said, approaching them.
“Distortus!” Martin cast his spell again, this time on Belear.
“Don’t cast your foul magics on me!” the elder dwarf protested.
The gnome cackled, when he saw Kazrack and with one blow sent him tumbling to the ground bleeding out again. He then swung at Kirla who was desperately trying to get up, but the blow bounced off her chain shirt, and getting up swinging her flail wildly. She missed.
Blodnath, however, buried his blade into Mokad’s arm and there was spurt of blue blood. The gnome cried out, and for once his grin left him.
Derek dropped out of his run and deftly tumbled past the gnome to avoid his blows and join the fray in a flanking position.
“Rivkanal, stabilize this dwarf and come to him in his dreams, so that he might learn some wisdom,” Belear said, as he healed Kazrack a second time.
Martin began to bind Ratchis’ wounds the best he could, while Jeremy, finally making it to the fight against Mokad, found his martial skill lacking and all three of his good swings were easily blocked, by the ragged opponent.
However, Mokad must have been growing tired, for his blows did not seem to possess the same speed and strength, and Jeremy was able to avoid them. The evil gnome felt the sting of Blodnath’s sword again, and was alerted enough by that to duck to avoid Derek’s axe.
“Rivkanal! Guide my blow!” Kirla cried and with a crack her flail smashed Mokad in the skull. The gnome swung back and forth pathetically for a moment and then fell, blood pouring from his head wound.
“Uh. . . uh. .. mama,” the gnome whimpered before slipping into unconsciousness.
Another healing spell from Belear and Kazrack was conscious again, and he grudgingly healed himself some before going over to Ratchis, whom Beorth had stabilized with his divine gift.
“So that’s what those things are like,” Belear mused.
“Not changing your mind are you?” Jeremy jibed, and Belear threw him an irritated glance. “Ratchis and Kazrack alright?”
“I will live,” Kazrack said, not lifting his head. Ratchis moaned in assent.
“Can we expect to face more of those…gnomes?” Adalar asked, surveying the carnage. “Can they all control undead?”
“I think we destroyed the one that can control undead,” Beorth replied.
“One?’ Jeremy asked. “How do we know there is only one?”
“We don’t,” Kazrack croaked.
“We need to fall back,” Belear said. “Another attack like that and we are done for.”
“What about the zombies in the pits?” Jeremy asked.
“Martin and I will take care of them,” Beorth said, and so while the others gathered the injured and their things, and Derek and Jeremy searched the two gnomes, Martin and Beorth poured oil on the trapped zombies and set them all afire.
“Anubis, please release their souls from wherever they might be held and allow them into the peace of the their Duat,” Beorth prayed.
Among the things gathered from the gnomes, was Mokad’s breast plate and battle axe (which was of very fine quality), and Frear’s wand and a traveling spellbook, along with his pouch of components. These last things were given to Martin to hold.
Martin examined the wand’s dweomer. “There is dark magic here,” he announced. “Very weak, but present. I can determine no more.”
“If it helps, the gnome said something like ‘nironex’ when he used it,” Derek said.
“Nironax?”
“Something like that.”
------------------------------
There was some discussion as to what to do next. Kazrack wanted to set camp at the site of the battle, between the pits so that they could not be easily approached. Captain Adalar wanted to retreat back to the “safehouse” and camp there. Most others agreed.
Beorth wanted to go after the wight that got away, and Ratchis agreed, but they were voted down.
“We can track it tomorrow then,” Beorth said. “Perhaps it fled back to its gnomish masters and we will surprised them.”
It was agreed that they would rest for an hour and then march back. (207)
“I don’t like these gnomes,” Thomas said to Martin. “They aren’t nice like the other ones.”
“You’re absolutely right, Thomas. They’re bad,” Martin replied.
------------------------
It was late afternoon by the time they got back to the root house. Beorth and Jeremy carried the unconscious Gothanian soldier between them, hoping he’d have some answers as to what had happened.
Camp was made and watches were set. Beorth felt that once again they were being observed, but there was nothing they could do about it, and they just hoped it was Richard, rather than Mozek.
Martin apologized to Belear for using the blur spell on him.
“Dwarves may not use arcane magics,” Belear explained. “It is a great evil to our people and its use can twist one into a horrific parody of your former self. This is what happened to the derro – and now they are forever banished from our people and must suffer pain of death when encountered for their hearts, minds and bodies have been twisted by magic.” (208)
--------------------------
The first watch went by without event. Martin was awake for the whole thing, not needing the sleep due to his magic ring, and he took part in the second watch as well with Blodnath, Jeremy and Derek.
“This is the darkest part of the night,” Beorth warned them before bedding down. “Make sure you are as alert as possible.”
Martin nodded.
The four watchers took turns patrolling the camp in sets of two, while the other two sat watch by the fire to stay warm. Martin and Derek were the first to make the circle.
Blodnath pulled out a small metal box about eight inches on each side. It seemed to have many latches, keyhole hinges and buttons.
“You’re pretty good with those swords, kid,” the graying dwarf said to Jeremy.
“Thanks. My name is Jeremy.” The Neergardian replied. “What is that you’re playing with?”
“Oh, my trap-trainer? It’s my father’s invention.”
“Is it some sort of game?” Jeremy reached out a hand to touch it, but the dwarf pulled it away.
“It’s no game! It’s deadly serious.”
“Can I see it?”
“We can’t be watching and me showing you how it works at the same time,” Blodnath said, slipping the box back into his pack.
“Well, I’d like to learn some of that kind of stuff,” Jeremy said. “Trap-making and disarming, unlocking stuff, you know… We’ve run into some of that stuff in the past and it can kill ya!”
“Damn straight.”
“When those traps go off you never know what is gonna happen,” Jeremy continued. “Sometimes I think Ratchis has survived by pure luck.”
“Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good,” Blodnath said.
“So will you teach me?’ Jeremy asked eagerly.
“Heh. You’re gonna have to pay me,” Blodnath replied. “And it ain’t cheap.”
Hmm. Well I got a little bit of money, and I think Ratchis owes me some, too.”
“The pig? Heh. You’ll never see that money again,” Blodnath spat into the fire.
Derek decided that he had circled enough, and the glow of the fire looked more inviting than usual in the chill of the night. He moved towards Jeremy and Blodnath to have them relieve him, and Martin seeing the vague outline of Derek moving.
At that moment they saw movement at the entrance to the cleared area the root house was in. They had to look over the fallen tree, but the form was definitely small and humanoid. Jeremy jumped to his feet and leaped up on the tree trunk and Derek clambered up as well. Martin ran around the side of the tree, while Blodnath moved to come around the long way.
“Stop now,” Derek commanded the form, pulling an arrow in his bow, and pointing it at the approaching form.
“How about giving me some light?” the figure spoke in a high-pitched voice that crackled as if echoing the embers of the fire.
The figure’s eyes glowed green as it came closer to the aura of the fire behind the tree.
“Are you sure you need it?” Derek asked.
“I figured you’d want it,” the dark form chuckled.
“Mozek Steamwind,” Martin said, doing a horrible job of hiding his fear. He came around the tree and saw the stocky whitegreen-haired gnome come into view. Martin remembered the large hairy mole on his prodigious nose.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
(203) DM’s Note: Corporeal undead do not take as much damage from piercing weapons, as piercing their organs does not injure them much.
(204) Kazrack continued to follow his oath to Krauchaar. See Session #37
(205) DM’s Note: Beorth used his smite evil ability and his power attack feat at once.
(206) DM’s Note: Remember, according to Aquerra rules if a character goes below 0 hit points and is brought back by magic (as opposed to rest and being tended to) he/she is considered exhausted.
(207) DM’s Note: An hour’s rest will make those who are exhausted merely fatigued. Another eight hours of rest is required to remove the fatigue, or seven hours if contiguous with the first hour.
(208) DM’s Note: Technically, according the to the Aquerra Player’s Guide dwarves and halflings cannot cast arcane spells. However, while halflings are truly unmagical, dwarves could take levels of wizard or warlock but would have to risk the mind-bending body-twist circumstances that are bound to happen to those of their race that use the prohibited magics.
Session #39
Martin cast prestidigitation and snatched a torch from where he had one tucked into his belt. Jeremy seeing that Ratchis was in danger hustled towards his half-orc companion, but stopped just short to provide cover when the half-orc backed away from the obviously superior opponent. Ratchis fell back, and stood shoulder to shoulder with the Neergaardian.
“Come and take your brethren’s weapon from my hand, you fiend!” Ratchis goaded the half-fiend gnome, who cautiously stepped towards them, but not close enough to attack or be attacked. The smirk never left his face.
Blodnath pulled out his own coil of rope and ran towards the pit where Jolnar struggled against the Gothanian zombies alone. Belear called for Golnar and Tolnar to grab the rope he had lowered into the pit, while Kazrack called to Krauchaar to bless his weapon in dwarven.
“I will help you with the fiendish one!” Kirla cried, there was almost joy in her voice and she hurried to join Ratchis and Jeremy, her shield before her and her flail swinging wildly over her head.
“Give ‘em hell, Kirla!” Helrahd yelled encouragement to his sister.
Derek crept over to the area Helrahd was in, and tried to box the area in to see if they might flush out the true gnome, now that the first one was revealed as an illusion. However, the illusion continued to mock them and laugh.
“Eat! Eat! My little human savages!” the gnome called to the zombies in the pit.
Captain Adalar also moved up to the pits, and clutching the bag of runestones about his neck attempted to turn the zombies, but his faith was not strong enough, and Tolnar backed against the wall, stabing at the zombies futilely with his short sword. (203).
Beorth stood at the point of triangle created by him, Derek and Helrahd and closed his eyes. “Anubis, grant me the power to lift the veil over mine eyes! So I may find the evil creatures that oppose us.” And when he opened his eyes he concentrated his senses into the area and knew that great evil was located somewhere near Derek.
“Let the unholy fumes of hell comes forth,” the gnome facing Ratchis and Jeremy croaked, and with a burp he blew forward and a nasty sulfurous smell came forth. Jeremy could felt a wave of nauseous come over them as they unwillingly breathed in the invisible breath. They could feel their lungs spasm, and Ratchis’ stomach turned, weakening him. The gnome moved back and hefted his axe on his shoulder. “Come and get some,” now it was his turn to goad them into coming to him.
It was too much for Jeremy and he hustled away from the evil gnome, hoping Ratchis would follow and draw the thing to the others so that they all could fight it. He passed Kirla on the way. “What foul thing is this?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” Jeremy answered. “But I though undead smelled pretty bad on their own, but this guy’s breath is a killer.”
Ratchis moved back, but cautiously, calling to Nephthys to enchant his weapon.
Martin used his prestidigitation spell to light the torch he held and then cast mage hand to bring the lit torch down into the pits.
Tolnar began to climb the rope Belear held to escape the pit, but he cried out as one of the zombies ripped at his calf as he emerged. The young dwarf rolled away from the pit with a huff, dirt and blood staining his golden beard.
“Father,” Kazrack called to Belear. “I must help D’nar. He is near death!” And with that the dwarf hustled towards Ratchis.
Derek strained his ears listening in the area he and Beorth and Helrahd had scoped out. He knew the gnomish spell-caster must be nearby.
Belear continued to concentrate, moving closer to pinpoint the emanation of evil
Kirla finally arrived near Ratchis and stepped past him, calling out to the fiendish gnome, “What are you waiting for? Come on!”
“Come one, bitch!” the gnome called back, moving forward, but remaining cautious. It was a cat and mouse game, each side trying to draw the other towards him.
Martin had his arcane invisible disembodied hand move the lit torch onto one of the zombies awkwardly beating at Golnar with unnatural slowness. The dried cracked flesh caught and soon it was burning. The undead thing moaned, but made no move to put itself out. Golnar crushed its ribs with his warhammer and it collapsed into a burning twitchy pile of dead flesh.
Meanwhile, Jeremy deftly put his weapons away, and pulled his crossbow of his back, as he took cover behind some trees, near where Derek, Helrahd and Beorth were searching for their unseen foe.
“Get back!” Ratchis yelled to Kirla as he rushed past her to charge at the hulking half-fiend gnome. However, the gnome who never stopped grinning, was ready for him and Ratchis felt the blade of the great battleaxe turned by his own chain shirt as it struck him. Ratchis felt the groan of protest from his ribs as they strained not to crack, and as he swooned, weakly bringing his hammer down and missing, the gnome slammed him in the chin with the butt end of the axe. Ratchis spit blood and dropped, clutching his side instinctively even as he slipped into unconsciousness.
Kazrack ran to Ratchis. “D’nar!” he cried out as the half-orc dropped. “Kirla, drag him back to father Belear for healing! You must retreat.”
Kirla did not obey, getting between Ratchis’ body and the half-fiend gnome.
“Kazrack, we have to push him back, or else Ratchis will be vulnerable to attack,” Kirla said.
Derek’s listening paid off. He heard some low mumbling and turned to his right to see a portal of black light open in the air, and two zombies fell out of it, and ambled forward. Unlike the former Gothanian soldiers, there were naked, and their skin was a weathered gray color.
“More zombies over here!” Derek yelled.
However, Helrahd left the zombies to the other and ran to help his sister, who he spied taking on the gnome by herself.
Beorth sensed that the evil he had originally sensed had moved out of his range, so he slowly came forward, beseeching his god, “Anubis, the evil presence is coming into focus. Please aid me!”
Martin moved his torch to another zombie, but this one batted it away, and the mage could not cause it to catch fire.
Jeremy seeing the zombies that had just appeared, dropped his crossbow and drawing his long sword, charged into battle, hacking one open. It turned towards him moaning as if such a blow were nothing compared to its existence of constant agony.
“Where did these things pop out of?” the Neergaardian asked.
Kazrack moved to provide an unarmored target for the gnomish fiend (204), and the gnome took the bait, ignoring Kirla and landing two devastating blows to the dwarf. Blood poured down Kazrack’s right arm, and he could feel his old wounds ache.
“How’d ya like that?” the gnome asked.
Gritting his teeth, the dwarf thrust his halberd between the gnomes legs, catching on of his ankles and pulling him to the ground. Kazrack, followed up with a thrust caused a huge dent in the gnome’s breast plate.
“Drag him away!” Kazrack commanded Kirla again. She sighed and picked up Ratchis’ shoulders and began to drag him away, leaving a trail of blood in the grass. Helrahd ran past her and stepped up to aid Kazrack. “Got the little sucker on the ground, eh?” Helrahd spat.
Derek had dropped his bow by now and was fighting with a battle axe of his own, and chopped one of the zombies, sending it to the ground, but it struggled to get back to its feet. A third zombie attempted to slam the young woodsman, but Derek dodged the blow.
Captain Adalar moved towards the zombies, stopping beside Beorth who appeared to be doing nothing but watching.
“What are you waiting for, human?” the captain asked with disgust, hefting his great axe with glee.
“Anubis, do not let this foul creature escape our wrath,” Beorth intoned, and then he said in a commanding voice. “Let me find him!”
Jeremy lopped the head off of his zombie foe and it disappeared with an acrid smell. The Neergaardian kept the momentum of his movement up and hacked into one of zombies fighting Derek as well.
The gnome facing Kazrack and Helrahd, rolled away and to his feet avoid follow up blows from the two dwarves, and he brought his axe down on Kazrack, who stepped back, getting the slightest edge of the blade right down his chest on angle from left to right. It was like a line of fire in his body and the dwarf gasped and collapsed; his life’s blood pouring out quickly.
Derek sliced the zombie before him in half, and looked to Jeremy. “The one that summoned the zombies is still here. I heard him!”
“Huh?” Jeremy queried, and then he felt a deep cold in his body, starting from his hip and then passing through him as if his veins were slowly freezing. He felt weaker.
He spun around as he head Derek cry, “there he is!”
There stood a bald gnome, dressed in black robes and with black eyes with green sparkles.
Meanwhile, Kirla dropped the dying half-orc and charged the gnome that had just dropped Kazrack, slamming him in the head with her flail. The gnome cursed.
“Keep him busy!” Helrahd said, moving to flank the gnome, but their opponent was deft and easily avoided the blows.
“Aren’t you going to do anything?” Captain Adalar asked Beorth again, moving to join the fight versus the necro-gnome.
Beorth did do something. He called to his god, “Anubis, I call on you to smite this evil creature!” And he charged forward forcing his god’s divine will through his staff and bringing it down with all the strength and momentum he could muster. (205)
The gnome’s form seemed to waver as the staff came down, and Beorth noticed that his opponent was enchanted by a spell that Martin often used. But it did not matter, the blow struck the gnome in the head anyway, and soon the black robes were smeared with blood trickling off its bald head.
“Oh no!” Martin cried, as he had left the pits where the young dwarves were finally managing to get out and noticed that both Ratchis and Kazrack were down, and only Helrahd and Kirla stood between the other gnome and the rest of the group. “Help! Healers!” he cried, as he ran in that direction.
The gnome was easily fending off both dwarves, and now the siblings were suffering from deep wounds, but continued to fight.
Jeremy swung his long sword at the necromancer gnome, certain he had hit, but the blade went through the wavery image of the thing, and it snickered.
The snickering did not last very long as Derek brought his axe down on the gnome’s foot, and it cried out, hobbling back slowly. He now looked angry, pulling a black stick from his belt and tapping himself on the head saying, “Niraghas!”
In a flash the necro-gnome was covered in a translucent undulating gray-black aura. Adalar ran up and swung his gleaming rune-covered great axe, but he too was fooled by the blur spell.
Beorth swung his staff again, striking with one end, but the other end missed as he jerked in pain. Where the staff had struck the aura surrounding the gnome, it shot out and traveled up the weapon. Beorth felt part of his life drained from him.
Belear was now running to help Kazrack and the others.
The necro-gnome was surrounded by Beorth, Jeremy, Adalar and Beorth, and was looking around perplexed as to what to do. Jeremy struck the fiendish gnome with his long sword and suffered the same fate as Beorth, but his blow was still substantial and the gnome shuddered in pain.
“What does he have covering him?” Jeremy asked.
“Ya gotta let me in! Ya gotta let me in! Ya gotta let me in!” Golnar was chanting, just adjacent to the surrounded gnome with his warhammer in hand, looking for an opening.
Belear arrived to see Helrahd take a terrible blow to the head and fall down. Kirla also took another blow, not being able to get her shield in the way in time. The elder dwarf whispered to his gods and reached out and touched Kirla, helping her wounds to begin closing.
Helhrad made it to his feet and swung one of his axes, as Kirla swung his flail again, but though he was flanked the gnome continued to parry their blows easily.
Across the battle field the other gnome was getting desperate. “Bring me the winds of the foul plane from whence our ancestors came!” He cried, and a cloud of black oil blasted forth from his hands in all directions. Jolnar and Tolnar were now approaching to, but Jolnar fell as the cloud struck him, and Derek wretched. The others all cried out in horror, but gritted through the pain.
Roaring, Captain Adalar brought his great axe down on the gnome, and cleaved it twain. The aura disappated, and the gnome’s body began to hiss as its blood left it.
Beorth did not hesitate, but ran over towards the other melee.
Martin was panting from having run so far and so fast, and came up behind Kirla as she still despeartey fought the remaining half-fiend gnome. “Hold still,” he said and making his arcane gestures said, “Distortus!” and tapped Kirla’s shoulder.
Jeremy hustled to join the fight, and Derek followed.
“My brother!” the gnome said. “My brother, Frear was weak. But I, Mokad, am not and I will not fail! I will kill you all one by one.”
And with that the gnome, downed Helrahd, who collapsed in a bloody pile, but he missed Kirla due to Martin’s blur spell.
Kirla swung with viscous counter-attack, but she missed, and her momentum spun her around dropping her to the ground.
Blodnath who had been staying back to see where he was most needed, now drew a shining short sword and moved to take up Helrahd’s place in the melee.
Belear moved to Kazrack and chanted, “Rivkanal, heal this brave dwarf who leads these humans and other things in the righteous ways of the dwarven people.”
Kazrack’s eyelids fluttered, as his wounds began closing and the blood stopped flowing from him at a deadly rate.
Kazrack stood and shook his head back and forth, feeling the weakness of having been on death’s door and being brought back so quickly (206). Lifting his halberd, he rushed back into the fight.
Adalar continued roaring, and used his axe to decapitate the dying necro-gnome. The body hissed and spat and released a noxious odor. In a moment it looked like a normal dead gnome.
“We need help! We need help!” Tolnar cried clutching his brother Jolnar in his arms.
“Quit yer blubbering’. Go help the others, I’ll see to him,” Captain Adalar said, approaching them.
“Distortus!” Martin cast his spell again, this time on Belear.
“Don’t cast your foul magics on me!” the elder dwarf protested.
The gnome cackled, when he saw Kazrack and with one blow sent him tumbling to the ground bleeding out again. He then swung at Kirla who was desperately trying to get up, but the blow bounced off her chain shirt, and getting up swinging her flail wildly. She missed.
Blodnath, however, buried his blade into Mokad’s arm and there was spurt of blue blood. The gnome cried out, and for once his grin left him.
Derek dropped out of his run and deftly tumbled past the gnome to avoid his blows and join the fray in a flanking position.
“Rivkanal, stabilize this dwarf and come to him in his dreams, so that he might learn some wisdom,” Belear said, as he healed Kazrack a second time.
Martin began to bind Ratchis’ wounds the best he could, while Jeremy, finally making it to the fight against Mokad, found his martial skill lacking and all three of his good swings were easily blocked, by the ragged opponent.
However, Mokad must have been growing tired, for his blows did not seem to possess the same speed and strength, and Jeremy was able to avoid them. The evil gnome felt the sting of Blodnath’s sword again, and was alerted enough by that to duck to avoid Derek’s axe.
“Rivkanal! Guide my blow!” Kirla cried and with a crack her flail smashed Mokad in the skull. The gnome swung back and forth pathetically for a moment and then fell, blood pouring from his head wound.
“Uh. . . uh. .. mama,” the gnome whimpered before slipping into unconsciousness.
Another healing spell from Belear and Kazrack was conscious again, and he grudgingly healed himself some before going over to Ratchis, whom Beorth had stabilized with his divine gift.
“So that’s what those things are like,” Belear mused.
“Not changing your mind are you?” Jeremy jibed, and Belear threw him an irritated glance. “Ratchis and Kazrack alright?”
“I will live,” Kazrack said, not lifting his head. Ratchis moaned in assent.
“Can we expect to face more of those…gnomes?” Adalar asked, surveying the carnage. “Can they all control undead?”
“I think we destroyed the one that can control undead,” Beorth replied.
“One?’ Jeremy asked. “How do we know there is only one?”
“We don’t,” Kazrack croaked.
“We need to fall back,” Belear said. “Another attack like that and we are done for.”
“What about the zombies in the pits?” Jeremy asked.
“Martin and I will take care of them,” Beorth said, and so while the others gathered the injured and their things, and Derek and Jeremy searched the two gnomes, Martin and Beorth poured oil on the trapped zombies and set them all afire.
“Anubis, please release their souls from wherever they might be held and allow them into the peace of the their Duat,” Beorth prayed.
Among the things gathered from the gnomes, was Mokad’s breast plate and battle axe (which was of very fine quality), and Frear’s wand and a traveling spellbook, along with his pouch of components. These last things were given to Martin to hold.
Martin examined the wand’s dweomer. “There is dark magic here,” he announced. “Very weak, but present. I can determine no more.”
“If it helps, the gnome said something like ‘nironex’ when he used it,” Derek said.
“Nironax?”
“Something like that.”
------------------------------
There was some discussion as to what to do next. Kazrack wanted to set camp at the site of the battle, between the pits so that they could not be easily approached. Captain Adalar wanted to retreat back to the “safehouse” and camp there. Most others agreed.
Beorth wanted to go after the wight that got away, and Ratchis agreed, but they were voted down.
“We can track it tomorrow then,” Beorth said. “Perhaps it fled back to its gnomish masters and we will surprised them.”
It was agreed that they would rest for an hour and then march back. (207)
“I don’t like these gnomes,” Thomas said to Martin. “They aren’t nice like the other ones.”
“You’re absolutely right, Thomas. They’re bad,” Martin replied.
------------------------
It was late afternoon by the time they got back to the root house. Beorth and Jeremy carried the unconscious Gothanian soldier between them, hoping he’d have some answers as to what had happened.
Camp was made and watches were set. Beorth felt that once again they were being observed, but there was nothing they could do about it, and they just hoped it was Richard, rather than Mozek.
Martin apologized to Belear for using the blur spell on him.
“Dwarves may not use arcane magics,” Belear explained. “It is a great evil to our people and its use can twist one into a horrific parody of your former self. This is what happened to the derro – and now they are forever banished from our people and must suffer pain of death when encountered for their hearts, minds and bodies have been twisted by magic.” (208)
--------------------------
The first watch went by without event. Martin was awake for the whole thing, not needing the sleep due to his magic ring, and he took part in the second watch as well with Blodnath, Jeremy and Derek.
“This is the darkest part of the night,” Beorth warned them before bedding down. “Make sure you are as alert as possible.”
Martin nodded.
The four watchers took turns patrolling the camp in sets of two, while the other two sat watch by the fire to stay warm. Martin and Derek were the first to make the circle.
Blodnath pulled out a small metal box about eight inches on each side. It seemed to have many latches, keyhole hinges and buttons.
“You’re pretty good with those swords, kid,” the graying dwarf said to Jeremy.
“Thanks. My name is Jeremy.” The Neergardian replied. “What is that you’re playing with?”
“Oh, my trap-trainer? It’s my father’s invention.”
“Is it some sort of game?” Jeremy reached out a hand to touch it, but the dwarf pulled it away.
“It’s no game! It’s deadly serious.”
“Can I see it?”
“We can’t be watching and me showing you how it works at the same time,” Blodnath said, slipping the box back into his pack.
“Well, I’d like to learn some of that kind of stuff,” Jeremy said. “Trap-making and disarming, unlocking stuff, you know… We’ve run into some of that stuff in the past and it can kill ya!”
“Damn straight.”
“When those traps go off you never know what is gonna happen,” Jeremy continued. “Sometimes I think Ratchis has survived by pure luck.”
“Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good,” Blodnath said.
“So will you teach me?’ Jeremy asked eagerly.
“Heh. You’re gonna have to pay me,” Blodnath replied. “And it ain’t cheap.”
Hmm. Well I got a little bit of money, and I think Ratchis owes me some, too.”
“The pig? Heh. You’ll never see that money again,” Blodnath spat into the fire.
Derek decided that he had circled enough, and the glow of the fire looked more inviting than usual in the chill of the night. He moved towards Jeremy and Blodnath to have them relieve him, and Martin seeing the vague outline of Derek moving.
At that moment they saw movement at the entrance to the cleared area the root house was in. They had to look over the fallen tree, but the form was definitely small and humanoid. Jeremy jumped to his feet and leaped up on the tree trunk and Derek clambered up as well. Martin ran around the side of the tree, while Blodnath moved to come around the long way.
“Stop now,” Derek commanded the form, pulling an arrow in his bow, and pointing it at the approaching form.
“How about giving me some light?” the figure spoke in a high-pitched voice that crackled as if echoing the embers of the fire.
The figure’s eyes glowed green as it came closer to the aura of the fire behind the tree.
“Are you sure you need it?” Derek asked.
“I figured you’d want it,” the dark form chuckled.
“Mozek Steamwind,” Martin said, doing a horrible job of hiding his fear. He came around the tree and saw the stocky whitegreen-haired gnome come into view. Martin remembered the large hairy mole on his prodigious nose.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
(203) DM’s Note: Corporeal undead do not take as much damage from piercing weapons, as piercing their organs does not injure them much.
(204) Kazrack continued to follow his oath to Krauchaar. See Session #37
(205) DM’s Note: Beorth used his smite evil ability and his power attack feat at once.
(206) DM’s Note: Remember, according to Aquerra rules if a character goes below 0 hit points and is brought back by magic (as opposed to rest and being tended to) he/she is considered exhausted.
(207) DM’s Note: An hour’s rest will make those who are exhausted merely fatigued. Another eight hours of rest is required to remove the fatigue, or seven hours if contiguous with the first hour.
(208) DM’s Note: Technically, according the to the Aquerra Player’s Guide dwarves and halflings cannot cast arcane spells. However, while halflings are truly unmagical, dwarves could take levels of wizard or warlock but would have to risk the mind-bending body-twist circumstances that are bound to happen to those of their race that use the prohibited magics.
MavrickWeirdo
First Post
Re: A Sign of the Apocalypse
Would that be mind-bending, body-twist in a "bad" way?
Still might be worth it to play a Dwarf Wizard
nemmerle said:
Would that be mind-bending, body-twist in a "bad" way?
Still might be worth it to play a Dwarf Wizard
Martin Olarin
First Post
Too funny
"The man smiled and Ratchis smiled back, and then the man leaned over and puked up huge chunks of the spicy sausage covered in a greasy yellow sauce.
“Cheers!” Ratchis cried with a smile and raised his cup, going over to his spot away from the crowd, but feeling better about it."
I cried when I read this.
"The man smiled and Ratchis smiled back, and then the man leaned over and puked up huge chunks of the spicy sausage covered in a greasy yellow sauce.
“Cheers!” Ratchis cried with a smile and raised his cup, going over to his spot away from the crowd, but feeling better about it."
I cried when I read this.
el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
Manzanita said:
You got it right, Manzanita!
Ranger? Hmmmmm
Rogue? Hmmmmm
Rogue's Galllery? A pain in my butt. . . For some reason stat blocks scare me. . . I always start them - but have a hard time keeping them up to date - I really do need an apprentice
Similar Threads
AD6_gamerati_skyscraper
Recent & Upcoming Releases
-
April 16 2024 -
May 31 2024 -
June 3 2024 -
June 4 2024 -
June 18 2024 -
July 16 2024 -
September 17 2024 -
October 1 2024 -
November 12 2024 -
February 18 2025
