Sinking Ever Deeper [IC] (HM Judging)

[SelcSilverhand]

Sauvressa's blade slices into the creature dealing terrible damage to its body. She is surprised by a dwarven battlecry from behind her. She leaps aside as the dwarf charges.

Fulgrim leaps forward with his axe raised, his momentum adding extra power to his swing. The enlarged blade cleaves his enemy nearly in twain. The cut is so clean it looks like an anatomists drawing for a moment after the blade passes through the body. The eyes blink, the muscles twitch, and suddenly the two halves collapse and spill their contents in a horrid torrent.

Temeral holds tight to the rope watching the spectacle and is surprised when it is nearly yanked from his hand. The "All Clear" signal! Zoryk rushes over to grab hold of the rope thinking to haul Elenka in. They both quickly realize that the rope moves too easily, and that she can't be tied to the other end anymore.

 

[IronWolf]

"Y'all get started if Elenka gives da clear signal!" Fulgrim snarls as he waits for the next zombie to lurch through doorway.

Fulgrim is ready to send his axe through the next one through the door.

[sblock=OOC]

Fulgrim will try to maintain the reach advantage. Standard attack roll if another comes through and adding an AoO roll if one tries to reach him.

Standard Attack -- 1d20+6=17
Damage (Large Great Axe now) -- 3d6+9=21

AoO if applicable -- 1d20+6=10


[sblock=Raging, Enlarged Fulgrim]
AC 12 HP 17
STR 22, DEX 10, CON 19
(-1 to attack roll for Enlarged)

Great Axe (Large due to Enlarge): Attack: +06 = [BAB (01) + STR (06) + Misc (-01 (enlarged))]
Damage: 3d6+9, Crit: 20/x3,
[/sblock]

[/sblock]

 

[SelcSilverhand]

Fulgrim continues to hold the doorway, cutting down the next zombie just as it begins to force its way in. Not waiting any longer, Zoryk gathers his robes and dives into the hole after Elenka.

 

[Scott DeWar]

If all the others except fulgrim have gone, Vincenzo will go second to the last.

 

[GlassEye]

Drevezh'korol: Hearing a splash Drev glances back in hopes of seeing Elenka surface from the hole. He is disappointed in his hopes and turns back to battering zombies. "When the time comes you go," he snarls at Fulgrim. "I'll hold them off as long as I can." It'll be a painful and unpleasant way to return to the Other World but if it gives Elenka a fighting chance to escape he'll do it gladly.

Elenka: Having given the signal and taken a deep breath before her dive Elenka continues to swim and pull herself through the final leg of the passage.

[sblock=MiniStats][size=+1]Elenka[/size] Human Summoner 1
Initiative: +2 Perception: +3

AC: 15 (12 touch; 13 flat-footed)
HP: 11 Current: 4
CMB: +1 CMD: 13 Fort: +0 Ref: +2 Will: +4

In Hand: nothing
Spells:
1st level: 2/2 remaining.

[size=+1]Drevezh'Korol[/size] Eidolon
Initiative: +1 Perception: +0; Darkvision 60 ft.

AC: 13 (11 touch; 12 flat-footed)
HP: 11 Current: 10
CMB: +5 CMD: 16 Fort: +3 Ref: +1 Will: +2

In Hand: nothing
Conditions: -[/sblock][sblock=OOC][MENTION=30016]SelcSilverhand[/MENTION]

OOC: Do you think we could pick up the pace just a little bit? When we began we averaged a post a day; now we've slipped to about a post every five days. I'm finding it a little difficult to maintain interest at this pace. Thanks. Also, Vincenzo and Elenka (at least, maybe others) were half-way to 2nd level when we began this adventure. I would appreciate if you could provide a summary of earned experience so far in your initial post so that we can calculate current xp totals. With the time xp we've earned some of us may be close to leveling. Again, thanks.

[/sblock]

 

[IronWolf]

Fulgrim seems to barely hear Drevezh'korol only giving an audible grunt as he continues to buy the escaping companions a little bit more time before heading through the tunnel himself. He uses the large great axe to cut down any zombies that try to come through the doorway.

[sblock=OOC]

How many people are left in the room? Fulgrim will be one of the last to leave, holding the doorway to allow the others to safely start through the underwater tunnel.

Standard Attack -- 1d20+6=13
Damage -- 3d6+9=22

AoO if applicable -- 1d20+6=25
Damage -- 3d6+9=23

[sblock=Raging, Enlarged Fulgrim]
AC 12 HP 17
STR 22, DEX 10, CON 19
(-1 to attack roll for Enlarged)

Great Axe (Large due to Enlarge): Attack: +06 = [BAB (01) + STR (06) + Misc (-01 (enlarged))]
Damage: 3d6+9, Crit: 20/x3,
[/sblock]


[/sblock]

 

[SelcSilverhand]

The others quickly dive into the water following Zoryk, leaving just Fulgrim and Drev in the room holding back the swarm. Fulgrim swipes at the next zombie as it approaches, but misses! He is forced backwards by the horde but Drev steps in to hold them back to allow the dwarf time to drop his enlarging spell and squeeze into the tunnel.


The Underwater Tunnel
The tunnel is claustrophobically narrow throughout its length. Unlike the first passage which seemed more of a submerged hallway, this feels more like a snakes burrowed tunnel. You half swim, half crawl through its cramped quarters feeling desperately in all directions for another passage or signs of it widening. The passage feels as if it is always curving around, like a circle or a spiral. It is black and silty, making it impossible to see so you keep your eyes shut and continue to grope. As the rope reaches its full length you feel a slight widening and realize there is space above your head!
With lungs burning your burst upwards into a pocket of air. Treading water you feel around you to find that you are in a space slightly larger that a man. There is enough room here for one person to breath at a time. Your kicking legs feel another opening continuing onward beneath the water
There is a back log as each person entering the space gasps for air and quickly dives again so that the next person in line has a chance to get a breath. By the time Vincenzo makes it to the air pocket, the air stale and barely any good for breathing. He takes a fast breath and pulls himself along after the others.
The tunnel continues to twist and turn leading you farther from the air pocket. While the tunnel is too narrow to turn around, you trust in Elenka that there will be something farther along.
As your lungs begin to burn and ache horribly you feel the tunnel abruptly curve upward! With an effort of will you shove yourself upward and gasp as your head clears the water. You spend a moment gasping in stale air before the spots clear from your eyes enough to allow you to look around.

The Parlor
The room you are in looks like it was once an entertaining room. You can see a long bar table with empty shelves behind it. One part of the room is filled with a collapse pile of wood. After a few seconds you recognize it as a piano, likely too large to be carried out through narrow doorways without major renovations. The floor around the waterline is all mud with a few rotting timbers still jutting out around the walls.
There is an open doorway across from you and another closed door near it.


Earned XP 6/26
[SBLOCK]
4 Eels + 5 Zombies = 1,000xp/5
76 Days of adventuring * 7xp
-------------------------
200xp (Encounters) + 532xp (Time) = 732xp

I'll do my best to pick up the pace on this one, we don't have many rooms left.
[/SBLOCK]

 

[GlassEye]

Drevezh'korol: With his mortal companions all into the tunnel and swimming (hopefully) to safety Drevezh'korol stays behind to ensure they have enough time to make it. He fights: fists fly, bludgeon, slap; anything he can do to damage the zombies. But the swarm wears and finally he's knocked down. As rotting claws dig into his wooden flesh blackness comes and with it relief and home.

Elenka: Elenka tends the light and makes ready for her traveling companions. She feels a sense of loss and separation when Drevezh'korol is torn apart and sent back to the Outer World but then the first of her friends splashes out of the water gasping for breath. Quickly she grasps their arms and helps pull them out so the next can make it through. "You're safe. Just rest a moment."

[sblock=MiniStats][size=+1]Elenka[/size] Human Summoner 1
Initiative: +2 Perception: +3

AC: 15 (12 touch; 13 flat-footed)
HP: 11 Current: 4
CMB: +1 CMD: 13 Fort: +0 Ref: +2 Will: +4

In Hand: nothing
Spells:
1st level: 2/2 remaining.

[size=+1]Drevezh'Korol[/size] Eidolon
Initiative: +1 Perception: +0; Darkvision 60 ft.

AC: 13 (11 touch; 12 flat-footed)
HP: 11 Current: 10
CMB: +5 CMD: 16 Fort: +3 Ref: +1 Will: +2

In Hand: nothing
Conditions: -[/sblock][sblock=OOC]

OOC: Thanks, Selc. I'd be happy with twice a week which is a hair faster than our current pace; I understand people have other things to do. Also, thanks for posting the xp. Elenka has enough to put her to 2nd level! But I'm a bit busy myself and summoners are a little more complex than most other characters so she'll most likely finish out the adventure as first level before I get to it.

[/sblock]

 

[Scott DeWar]

Vincenzo is updated to level 2-awaiting approval.

 

[IronWolf]

Fulgrim nods to Drev as he turns and submerges himself in the water and begins following the underwater tunnel. He swims the best he can, quite uncomfortable in the water, his lungs burning when he reaches the small alcove partway through. Grabbing the trailing end of the rope he pulls it along with him as he continues his swim, emerging in the chamber with the rest of his companions.

Standing for several moments catching his breath as the water glistens off his shaved head he finally begins coiling up the water laden rope and stowing it in his backpack. He then strides directly to Elenka. "Drev wasa' hero back dere. I held 'em rottin' corpses off long as I could. She held 'em off fer me to swim through. Givin' the number of dem, I think she could only buy me time. I'm sorry. Fulgrim states solemnly.