S3: The Scythe of Seto (Bront Judging)[Completed]

[Rae ArdGaoth]

Round 4:

Rasereit roars a celebratory "Hraagh!" as the hag falls to the ground. His beady black eyes meet Ogrin's for a moment, silently congratulating the halfling. Then he turns his attention to the dog.

OOC: Not sure if the dog is invisible or what... Assuming the dog is within a 5' step, and Rasereit can ascertain its current square by its attacks on Ogrin:

Rasereit, confused by the shadows moving around the creature, closes his eyes and listens for the sound of hot breath and dripping slaver. After a moment of hesitation, he leans forward, leading with his waraxe. It cuts deep. He follows up with an equally well-placed shield bash, and even manages to draw blood with his Roar a second time. (15, 14, and 8 damage)

OOC: Somehow, he managed to succeed on all three concealment miss chance rolls.

 

[Patlin]

If there is still a bad guy to target on his turn, Banion will continue the fight with another throw, immediately forming and recharging his mindblade.

Thrown Mindblade (1d20+13=28, 1d6+1d4+3+1d8=14)

 

[Manzanita]

The dynamic duo of Ogrin and Razh bring down the Nighthag and the shadow mastiff in seconds. Turning the battle into a slaughter. Once dead, the party can see the large dog lying on the cold stone. The hag, however disolves into a foul-smelling dark ooze. As the ooze spreads, it reveals a small heart-shaped crystal, which glints in the dim light.

Trimble and Beamer can be eventually rounded up. The party can gather the water they need, and can spend the night in the cramped abode of Trimble's cottage. Beamer is sick and may need more attention...

XP award #3
[sblock]Nighthag (CR9) & shadow Mastiff (CR5), and one month time spent (01/29 to 02/28), between 5 6th level PCs,

1620 XPs each.[/sblock]

 

[Rae ArdGaoth]

As the dog emerges from the shadows in death, Rasereit opens his eyes and breathes deeply, shaking as his rage leaves him and fatigue kicks in. He glances at his pal Ogrin and winks. "Pup was givin' the Dog a bad name. Had t'put 'im down. Nice work with the 'ag, mate. Almost got away! Oi, what's that?" He walks over to the glinting crystal and picks it up, completely oblivious to the disgusting goo surrounding it. With some spit he cleans it off and brings it to Ogrin. "Shiny. Want it?"

Rasereit picks up the dog's body and moves it outside, so it doesn't spoil the water source. He doesn't bury it. He does what he can to make sure the hag's remains don't drain into the water either, even going so far as to use his spare shirt (from his monk's outfit) to sop it up if necessary. He also explores the cave a bit, looking for a hideout with supplies or something.

When Trimble is found, Rasereit says, "Ah thought we were lookin' fer wolves and greenskins, eh?"

 

[rln]

"Aye, that's one wicked mutt. Did you see its eyes? It was as if they glowed within the shadows. That's how I knew where to strike, really. I doubt this one was sent as a guide from the Dog."

Ogrin picks the heart from Razh's hand. "I've 'eard of folks with hearts of stone, or hearts of gold," he says, "but I always thought they were speakin' figuratively. And I never nothin' about hearts of crystal either. Now, Let's find Trimble and the others." Ogrin looks around for the wayward wizard, then remembers seeing him head for the exit.

"...If they've stopped running, that is..."

---

Later, back in Trimbles hut, Ogrin feels bad for poor Beamer, who just seem to get worse and worse. "Hey buddy... Hang in there. You'll pull through. If we beat the hag, you can beat this. Here, hold on to this - if ya start feelin groggy, just think of Ol' Ogrin laying down the law on her hideousness' backside as she was re-treet-in'! That'll cheer you right up, 't'will!" He puts the crystal heart in Beamers clammy hands and close them around it. "I'll beat you'll just need the night to sweat it out!"

 

[SlagMortar]

Once the fear effect leaves off, Beamer sets about finding the rest of the group again. Fortunately, they are able to find him in spite of his wanderings. He says weakly, "Boy am I glad to see you guys. Are you all ok?" His eyes are downcast and he is clearly ashamed from his reaction to the enemies.

As the fever begins to take hold, his true worst fears come to life. He moans throughout the night, occasionally gaining enough coherency to yell, "It's back! It's back!". It is unclear to the untrained eye whether the disease itself or somehow Beamer's mental reaction to it is really the problem.

The warm, soft face of a female halfling speaks soothing words into Beamer's ears, just barely audible, so soft he is unable to make out the meanings. "Flesh so fine, so fine to tear, to gash the skin; skin to strip, to plait, so nice to plait the strips, so nice, so red the drops that fall; blood so red, so red, so sweet; sweet screams, pretty screams, singing screams, scream your song, sing your screams..." (ooc: thanks to Robert Jordan RIP for the creepy words) Comprehension twists Beamer's face into a knot of horror. He calls on the burning power inside him, arcane words formed by his twisted lips, and is about to release when ..."

...the face morphs into his friend Ogrin saying "Hey buddy... Hang in there. You'll pull through. If we beat the hag, you can beat this. Here, hold on to this - if ya start feelin groggy, just think of Ol' Ogrin laying down the law on her hideousness' backside as she was re-treet-in'! That'll cheer you right up, 't'will!". Beamer is just able to pull his magic back due to the extensive practice he has managed in the last year. "Stay- Stay back, friend. I-I don't want to hurt anyone ... can't control... It's back!" Beamer's eyes roll back in his head and he passes out in a fitful, sweat-drenched sleep.

OOC:Beamer's back story for adventuring is that he was thrown out of villiage for accidently striking out during a fever at his nursemaid. He believes the fever was the spawn of his powers. He is not sure whether the power was left to him by whatever power caused the disease or the power grew inside him allowing him to fight the disease off. In talking to Azaroth - another sorcerer who was obsessed with demons - in his first adventure, Beamer came to the theory that the original fever might have been a demon possession that left him with his sorcerer's powers.

 

[Manzanita]

Trimble makes a pot of tea when the group returns to his cottage. He's very interested in what transpired, as he pretty much missed the entire battle.

Beamer seems to be in bad shape and Eusebius can only shake his head. Curing diseases is beyond his ability. Amazingly, though, Beamer seems all better in the morning. He still suffers from the grievious wounds of the hag's teeth (unless Eusebius has cured him), but his fever is gone. He looks down at the small heart-shaped crystal Ogrin placed in his damp hands the night before. This crystal figures prominately in his dreams. It saved him, he is sure.

Trimble awakens early. "Well I'm sure glad you lot showed up. Reinert & I would have had our hands full with that demon if you hadn't been here." He face darkens, then, and he looks at you suspiciously. "But we didn't have any trouble with demons or giant spiders before you showed up either. This business you have...are you in some kind of trouble? Get on the wrong side of a demon lord or spider god or something?"

"In any case, you helped me, so I'll help you. We can set out whenever you like. I can show you this temple of Jared." He rubs his hands together. "Fascinating place. Dangerous. Not going back in there myself. But I'll be happy to show it to you."

 

[rln]

Ogrin thinks back on the past few years, on the unspeakable disembodied horror they unleashed on the island of Varras'zul and on the terrible black dragon they upset while fighting the viscount Causticus.

"Demon lord? Spider god? I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I'm sure you value your privacy highly, otherwise you wouldn't live the life of a recluse. But please, let us wait till next mornin'. Beamer's in a bad state, and I wanna make sure these bites don't get infected. Whatever that was, it had a taste for halflings."

 

[Boddynock]

OOC: Eusebius certainly heals Beamer as a priority, and then any of the others who have been wounded. He'll expend all his spells but won't use the wand, since they're not in immediate danger.

If it helps, E will tend to Beamer through the night. (Patently it's not needed, but that's what he'd do, anyway.) He'll agree with Ogrin's suggestion that they stay an extra day, adding that he's not happy to see the company set out while still wounded, or when he has no healing spells available.

 

[Manzanita]

The group waits another day at Trimble's cottage, until they're all fully healed & have a full spell selection. He's happy to have company and tries to make conversation. He seems mostly interested in arcana, but also in metalurgy and smithing.

Reinert packs up to leave the next morning. He and trimble lug several heavy, lumpy canvas bags into the back of his wagon as his payment. Reinert waves goodbye once, and leaves. Trimble spends each morning in his garden, and then the afternoon reading & cooking and cleaning. "Normally, I go out prospecting during the day, but I'll stay home with you since you're here. I'll tell you a little more about this temple of Jareth."

"I've done some research about this place. It's why I came out here in the first place. I figured it would have some pretty valuable treasures. It's turned out to be too dangerous for me, though. Originally, you see, Jared was not just the Lawful, strict diety he is seen as today. Hundreds of years ago, he was also worshiped as a chaotic, impulsive, diety of mirth and entertainment. This sect was considered heretical by the mainline church, and eventually destroyed. This temple was from the mirth sect, and was sealed off and abandoned after being attacked by the mainstream force. "

“I got in once, by answering a riddle. But then I was faced with some knight. He had a big sword and was invulnerable to my spells.” Trimble begins to shake at the recollection. "I managed to get back out the front door after losing the knight in a fog cloud. I tried a few more times. I got in again. It was just as bad. I went down some water slide & almost drowned. That place is CRAZY! I was in a hall of mirrors, and got completely lost. I was in there for days and almost starved.” Trimble shakes his head. “I haven’t tried since. I… I found another way to support myself.”