The Band of Four (The Village of Oester)

[Hairy Minotaur]

After the party gets into the East corridor fully, the smell seems to lesson. Once they get ten feet into the corridor, the smell dissipates. Tharhack leads them up to a very small door, about half the size of all the other doors thus far. He asks Alriand to come up and listen at this door, specifically for sounds of conversation. Alriand places her ear against the door, and hears a faint crunching sound, maybe even a wet crunching sound. She turns to Tharhack, shrugs her shoulders, and tells him she has no idea what the sound could be, but it's not a conversation. Tharhack asks Bimbar and Rebrey if they think the kobold might have come this way. Bimbar says no, he thinks it didn't come this way. Rebrey tells Tharhack that the only way to find out is to open the door and deliver the bad news to whatever is in the room, that it's time to die.

Tharhack agrees and pushes open the door, to the biggest room they've seen thus far. About 25 x 25 circular, with the floor littered with small round rocks. Some of the rocks have been cracked open, and appear hollow inside. Tharhack has to get on his hands and knees to get into the room, crawling through the doorway he comes upon the first rock. It looks smooth, he reaches out and touches it, and something inside the rock shudders and shakes. He realizes what the rocks are just as a pair of small red eyes rise up over the edge of the rock and peer into Tharhack's eyes. Tharhack starts to say a word, but never gets it out as mouth attached to the face of the red eyes screams. That scream is followed by dozens of screams from all over the chamber. Tharhack pushes himself up onto his knees and prepares for the onslaught.

Alriand saw hundreds of small heat signatures, most of them not moving. Dozens were moving, however. This was an egg chamber. She then heard the first scream, followed by a cacophony of high pierced wailing that clawed at the inside of her skull. She too screamed out in fear as she saw dozens of small kobolds rise up from in-between eggs and make a mad dash for Tharhack who had pushed himself up onto his knees. Alriand tried to back away, thought about running out and back down the corridor. She felt the presence of Rebrey behind her, giving way to him, she bent down and pivoted behind him as they switched positions. Now she only had to make it past Bimbar, and she was sure he'd be moving up in no time.

Bimbar didn't need the screams to tell him they were in trouble, he could smell it. When the door was opened and a heavy sweet smell whiffed from the room, Bimbar remembered that smell, it smelled like snakes, newborn snakes, and when he saw the floor of the room covered with eggs he knew they were in the wrong place. The screams only solidified what his nose and eyes were telling him. He saw Rebrey move up and Alriand switch positions with him. With Tharhack and Rebrey already in the room, and the doorway so small, Bimbar knew he wasn't going to be getting into the room any time soon. He decides to watch the party's back in case of an ambush, so he backs down the corridor ten feet, just shy of the room with the terrible odor.

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

Tharhack doesn't see the mass of bodies rushing him, he feels dozens of little clawed hands scratching his face and shoulders, and even a couple of toothy mouths trying to take pieces of his flesh with them as they pour over him like a running river. Luckily their underdeveloped claws and teeth don't do any real damage to Tharhack. Just a couple of scratches, however the dozens of kobold toddlers crawling over him push him to the floor, pinning him in place. Tharhack finds it impossible to even say a prayer to Kord for strength, so he says a silent prayer that someone else will be able to staunch the flow of kobolds.

Rebrey stood ready for the oncoming horde, the first little kobold appeared and Rebrey's heavy flail shatters the kobold's reality, along with it's life. The death of the kobold only served to enable more kobolds to fill the space. The first one latched on to Rebrey's right leg, the next his left leg. Then two more on his right leg, the next couple of kobolds run past Rebrey and towards the door. A few more kobolds wrap their bodies around Rebrey, coupled with the passing kobolds running through and around his legs, Rebrey loses his balance and falls into the onrushing kobolds landing face first into an egg. Feeling the scampering of little feet along his back, Rebrey spits out pieces of egg and juices, and thinks this is a very indignant way to die, smothered to death by kobold toddlers.

Alriand watches in horror as both Tharhack and Rebrey disappear into the rushing mass of kobolds. Alriand backs up to the exit of the room and grabs hold of the door and begins to shut it, hoping there's a lock on the door somewhere. She gets the door half way shut, when she feels a hand on her shoulder and forearm forcing the door back open. Bimbar tells her to open the door back up and hold this torch. He forces a torch into her left hand, and begins pouring a liquid onto the dirt floor in front of Alriand. The torch illuminates the eyes of dozens of kobolds all heading straight for Alriand, feeling Bimbar behind her to the right, Alriand drops the torch and pivots to the left and starts to run. Bimbar shouts "NOT YET!" and drops the glass bottle in his hand. He has just enough time to cover his eyes before the area immediately ahead of him erupts in a blaze of light and heat.

The front row of kobolds come to a halt, as the next row bowls them over. Two more rows end up on the floor before the horde stops, and begins to reverse their direction. Hissing and screeching at the bright light that just blinded them, they retreat to the middle of the room. Tharhack and Rebrey don't wait for the last of the kobolds to retreat before lifting themselves off the ground and shaking off any remaining kobolds. Their faces bleeding from many small cuts and bites they crawl over to the flames. Bimbar rips off the cloak from Alriand's back and lays it down across the flames, creating a thin space where Tharhack and Rebrey can cross into the corridor beyond the room. Tharhack quickly escapes on all fours through the wall of fire. Rebrey however hesitates, he reaches back and feels for an unbroken egg. Finding one he then gets up to a hunched position before escaping the room. After Rebrey runs over the cloak, it catches fire and the wall is again unbroken.

Rebrey and Tharhack only have a second to rest as the oil doesn't burn clean, and the corridor quickly fills with a choking fog of smoke. The party retreats back to the smelly room save Bimbar, who pours another bottle out halfway down the corridor, and takes out his flint and starts another fire. He catches up with the party and herds them into the South exit to the room. Grabbing Alriand's arm as she passes him, Bimbar tells her.

"pull another stunt like that, and I'll throw you to the little dogs myself"

"I have no idea what you mean, I was trying to locate you" Alriand replies.

"The next time you place your personal safety over that of your comrades," Bimbar continues as he points to the body against the North wall of the room. "You'll join him"

Understanding his meaning Alriand acquiesces, and joins the rest of the party.

 

[BonesMcCoy]

Excellent story hour Hairy Minotaur. Looking forward to seeing you continue it.

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

The party starts to head down the South exit, when Rebrey notices a flickering light coming from up ahead. Tharhack steps up and takes a peek, shushing the rest of the party he hears a banging sound followed by a kobold's voice. Tharhack can't make out any distinct sounds. Alriand tells them she'll scout ahead and let them know what she finds. Blending in with the side of the passage, Alriand makes her way to just about the threshold of the next room. She sees about a dozen kobolds scurrying around what Alriand surmises is the kitchen. With the hearth against the West wall, and a dented pot sitting in the fire. One rather rotund kobold seems to be barking out orders to the rest of the kobolds. Wearing an apron backwards and wielding a large wooden spoon, she sends kobolds scampering in all directions looking for whatever she told them to find.

Alriand returns to the party and reports her findings. She tells them that the kobolds appeared extremely focused on whatever it is worthless scum do in kitchens, and that the party could easily take the kobolds by surprise. She also tells them that the passage continued on past the kitchen to the South. Bimbar suggests that they try to avoid combat here, as they all pretty beaten up except for the elf, and if they can make it past this group that would be great.

"the kobolds will know from which direction we came, they know what's behind us" Rebrey states.

"What's your point?" Bimbar asks

"Do you not think that they'll run and check on the hatchery?" Rebrey counters.

"good point" Tharhack chimes in "I say we wipe them out, life is for the strong, not the kobolds"

"There's no door to kick in Tharhack, you'll have to think of a new strategy, and we don't have a year to escape, " Alriand joins in.

"Go stand at the entrance to the room" Tharhack begins, "bend over just a tad, and be sure not to scream as I kick you in. I'll even put on my special boots of Elven behind"

Bimbar and Rebrey begin to laugh, as Alriand stands with her mouth agape and her eyes on Tharhack, as he begins making his way down the corridor. Alriand just stammers and stutters, and finally settles on just cursing Tharhack instead.

Bimbar follows Tharhack down the corridor, with Alriand next and then Rebrey. Tharhack stops and the edge of a shadow, and peers into the room. Spotting the large kobold with it's back turned to him, and only twenty feet away, he thinks about bull rushing it, but with at least four other kobolds in the way he waits for one to pass within ten feet of him. He doesn't have to wait long as a kobold carrying a dead bat runs past the corridor on it's way to the pot on the fire. Tharhack times he strike perfectly, taking a step he backhands the kobold to the floor in a bloody heap. The kobolds silence themselves as the dead kobold hits the dirt. The large kobold barks out some orders and eleven of the remaining fifteen kobolds turn to attack. Bimbar steps up and sidesteps a claw thrusting at his side. He then hammers that kobold into gruel.

The large kobold move to the pot on the fire. The kobold hefts it up off the fire, and throws the boiling contents at Bimbar. Bimbar, not expecting that attack, just watches as the scalding fluid makes a nice rainbow shape as it glides through the air, heading for his face. He admires the accuracy of the kobold's toss, as his face is immersed in hot water, and bits of flesh. Screaming in agony and holding his head, Bimbar crumples to the ground flailing around in tremendous pain. Alriand whips a dagger at the large kobold, but it knocks the blade away with the wooden spoon. Rebrey then steps up to Bimbar, and straddles his body in a protective stance. Tharhack then takes another step and impales a kobold onto his spiked gauntlets, shaking the beast off, Tharhack pumps his fist in the air and shouts at the rest of the kobolds. All the kobolds expect the large one run under a makeshift shelf on the East side of the room, and cower. Bimbar lays limp, blinded and burned, he whimpers in pain. With the rest of the kobolds moving away, Rebrey steps up to the large kobold and gets a spoon to the face for his efforts. With his eyes watering from the blow, Rebrey misses his swing at the kobold. Alriand takes out a length of rope from her backpack, and tells Tharhack she'll tie up the cowering group.

Tharhack tells Alriand to make the knot tight, and steps up to the large kobold, who swings but misses Tharhack's ribs. Bimbar tries to calm down, and slow his breathing down. The large kobold takes more tennis practice with Rebrey's face, this time breaking his nose. Rebrey however doesn't miss his next shot, he connects the head of his flail against the kobold's left arm, snapping it like a twig. Alriand arrives at the cowering kobolds and begins to draw out the rope. Tharhack gives the large kobold a body shot from his covered hands, knocking the wind out of the kobold, along with a couple ribs, the kobold drops to the floor with internal injuries that will take it's life soon.

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

Excellent story hour Hairy Minotaur. Looking forward to seeing you continue it.

Thanks

I'm enjoying writing it as well.

 

[pogre]

"Go stand at the entrance to the room" Tharhack begins, "bend over just a tad, and be sure not to scream as I kick you in. I'll even put on my special boots of Elven behind"

Lovably rude! Reminds me of someone else...

Keep up the fun!

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

Alriand finishes tying up the remaining kobolds, making sure all their hands and feet are bound. She then returns to the men, as Tharhack is leaning over Bimbar who is still covering his face with his hands. Tharhack forcibly removes Bimbar's hands from his face, and Alriand almost loses her lunch at the sight. Flaps of skin hang off Bimbar's face like someone took a cheese grater to it. His scalp is flayed and clumps of hair lay on the dirt behind his head. His nose is almost unrecognizable, his lips chapped and peeling. Rebrey looks at Tharhack knowingly, he knows it's bleak, maybe even terminal without some healing.

"Is he going to be OK?" Alriand asks

"No, not without some serious healing, why don't you scout that corridor to the South and see what's next?" Tharhack replies.

Alriand leaves down the South passage, after Rebrey is sure she's out of ear shot he turns to Tharhack.

"he's not going to make it is he?"

"Sure he is, he's one heck of a tough little gnome." Tharhack replies while shaking his head no.

Bimbar makes some gurgling noises, and passes out from the pain.

"What are we going to do? I'm not going to leave him, yet getting out of here alive while dragging Bimbar around seems remote." Rebrey states.

"I will carry him, you just make sure I have enough time to put him down before my foes come at me. Kord will take care of the rest." Tharhack replies.

Alriand returns to the chamber and informs Tharhack and Rebrey that the corridor goes about fifteen feet before ending at a door. She states she heard no sound coming from behind the door, nor were any lights visible around the door. Tharhack hefts Bimbar up into his arms, and carries him like a baby, as the ceiling is too low for Tharhack to effectively carry Bimbar over his shoulder. Bimbar gives out a low and weak moan, and then drifts back to unconsciousness. Lighting another torch with the flames from the hearth, Rebrey leads the way down the South exit to the room. Reaching the door Rebrey pushes it open, this time it is a square room facing them. The floor is littered with scraps of cloth and feces. A rank odor overtakes the party, Rebrey however smells nothing through his broken nose. Rebrey can tell there must be a sunken pit in the center of the room, as there is a soft orange glow, coming from an area just below his line of sight. The glow illuminates only a small fraction of the room, enough though to see a mound of cloth laying next to the fire. Rebrey's eyes start to move off to the right of the mound, when a weak cough refocuses his eyes back onto the mound. Rebrey watches as the mound begins to shift a little and resettle with another weak cough.

 

[Ed Cha]

Tharhack times he strike perfectly, taking a step he backhands the kobold to the floor in a bloody heap.

Bimbar steps up and sidesteps a claw thrusting at his side. He then hammers that kobold into gruel.

The kobold hefts it up off the fire, and throws the boiling contents at Bimbar. Bimbar, not expecting that attack, just watches as the scalding fluid makes a nice rainbow shape as it glides through the air, heading for his face.

Screaming in agony and holding his head, Bimbar crumples to the ground flailing around in tremendous pain.

Alriand whips a dagger at the large kobold, but it knocks the blade away with the wooden spoon.

Rebrey then steps up to Bimbar, and straddles his body in a protective stance.

Tharhack then takes another step and impales a kobold onto his spiked gauntlets, shaking the beast off, Tharhack pumps his fist in the air and shouts at the rest of the kobolds.

Can you explain how you handled the combat details on these actions? I was struggling with how to deal with some of these issues in the right way myself: hot water, knocking a weapon out of the hand, etc.

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

Can you explain how you handled the combat details on these actions? I was struggling with how to deal with some of these issues in the right way myself: hot water, knocking a weapon out of the hand, etc.

Most of the descriptions I come up with as a way to not have combat be such a numbers game "you hit, roll for damage, take 3 hp". Plus when you make injuries "happen" it makes the player take a very active roll in combat. Bimbar's player rolled a "1" for his reflex save to dodge the boiling water, his player came up with the "deer in headlights" explaination. As you know the kobolds aren't listed as armed in the room, I threw in the spoon and apron to make it obvious she was the cook, then when Alriand rolled a "3" to hit with the dagger I ad lib the kobold knocking the dagger away with the spoon.

Preparation is key, knowing the BAB of the party and what they need to roll to hit the AC of the enemy. I watch the roll of the players and once before it's done "rolling" I know if it's a hit and how I'm going to describe it. For the kobolds I rolled up about 25 rolls before the game started so I won;t have to wait for my roll to know if they hit or not, that way I plan the kobold's action out about 3 rounds so the combat seems more seemless than what it really is.

Another thing that helps, is the more the players ROLEplay their characters, the more I side with them, and grant little bonuses. The player with the best background for their character got bonus starting money, when a cleric turns undead they have to "act out" the turning, mages have to keep track of components and do the verbal and somatic parts of the spell (it's all of their choosing and doesn't require a degree in drama, just an effort) you can guess what bards have to do (which explains why no one has EVER played a bard in my game).

I learned the most about DMing this style of game was from Ed Greenwood, who DM'd a game at GenCon last year. Rolls meant nothing and the better you described your actions the better the chance you succeeded, by the end of the game the thief was describing how he was picking the lock on the door. It gets contagious and either the players get really involved, or they leave the game. Luckily I've had no one leave the game for this reason.

I hoped that explained it enough, let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

Rebrey throws the door open, and rushes toward the body lying by the fire. Tharhack and Alriand stand confused by Rebrey's actions, but step into the room nonetheless. Rebrey slides next to the mound of clothes and pulls off some moldy blankets to reveal an old decrepit kobold wheezing on the floor. Rebrey pulls back half in disgust, half in disappointment that it wasn't the halfling infant. The wretched kobold rolls over and raises it's face to Rebrey. With it's left eye clouded over, and it's right focusing to the right of Rebrey's face, Rebrey wonders how it can see at all.

It smacks it's lips and says "eat"

Tharhack and Alriand have made it to the other side of the fire pit, hearing the conversation, Tharhack asks Rebrey "what did you find?"

"it's an old kobold, starving and diseased" Rebrey responds

"eww, kill it" Alriand chimes in

"I think it'll die on it's own, and it's certainly not going anywhere, let's leave it and keep moving." Says Rebrey.

"eat" the kobold says.

"it speaks common?!?!" Tharhack moves around to get a good look at the kobold.

"pie" the kobold says as Tharhack, still holding Bimbar, bends down to the kobold.

"pie? I don't have any pie, I have some iron rations though" Rebrey replies, pulling out a ration.

"wait" Tharhack says to Rebrey, as he looks back to the kobold. "Where's the exit? Who's your leader? Where is your leader?" Tharhack fires off these questions in rapid fire.

The kobold reaches out to Rebrey's ration and pulls it to his nose. Taking a brief sniff, he spits at it, catching Rebrey downwind. "(insert expletive here)" Rebrey backs up and sits down to wipe the spit from his face.

"pie" the weak voice of the kobold says again.

"Pie huh?" Tharhack says to the kobold. "well we're fresh out of pies, I do however have a sandwich, would you like a sandwich?"

The kobold cocks his head to the left, and reaches out his hand toward Tharhack.

"Here ya go" Tharhack says as he reaches back behind him, "here's your sandwich." Tharhack swings his massive spiked fist into the kobold's face, breaking a nose and knocking a tooth out.

However even in it's poor state of health the kobold takes Tharhack's best blow, and begins to cry out in kobold. Alriand steps over behind the kobold and takes a jab at the back of the thing, apparently more concerned with getting dirty than with killing the kobold, all Alriand manages to do is make a little hole in the top blanket.

"what did you do that for?" Rebrey asks Tharhack. "he wasn't hurting anyone"

The kobold snaps at Tharhack, but Tharhack puts his metal covered hand in front of the kobold's snout.

"It is weak, and has no strength of soul" Tharhack says as he punches the kobold again, this time knocking it unconscious. "Bimbar doesn't have time for us to feed the wretched right now, I'm not the lunch lady, and this isn't a humanitarian effort"

Alriand leaves the boys to argue, making her way to the South wall, she finds an exit to the room. Heading off at a 45 degree angle to the room, it travels to the Southeast.

"Hey you guys. I found the next corridor."

Tharhack and Rebrey cease arguing and make their way to Alriand.