kidzero2525
First Post
Love this story/account. I hope your DM gives you extra pts for such eggsalad note taking. Great meeting you at GenCon. 
Last edited:
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NOW LIVE! Into the Woods--new character species, eerie monsters, and haunting villains to populate the woodlands of your D&D games.
Welcome to the Halmae (updated 2/27/07)
- Thread starter spyscribe
- Start date
spyscribe
First Post
Part the Eighty-Third
In which: the best laid plans…
The first group heads up to the top of the cliff an hour before dawn. They move with all possible stealth, but do run into one goblin sentry. Anvil quickly casts silence before the goblin can sound the alarm, and Benedic takes him out.
Boss! I smell another one.
“Benedic—”
“I’ve got ‘im.”
An arrow through the throat takes out the second goblin sentry. The group drags the bodies back into the high grasses and waits.
###
It was dark when Reyu began her prayers, but when she opens her eyes, the first rays of dawn are just filtering down through the trees. Glistening on the dew. That hangs on the threads of the ettercap web six-inches in front of her face.
Reyu waves for Lord Agasha’s attention. She points out the web, and their group repositions themselves on the other side of it. There are no signs of ettercaps or giant spiders in evidence.
When everyone is ready, Reyu gives the signal.
The clerics positioned with each party cast bless on their allies and bane on the area surrounding Sheesak’s encampment.
And then, the attack is on.
The diversionary group runs forward first, hampered by two of the men getting stuck in ettercap webs strung between the trees. The others however, make it to the first hedge and put their torches to it.
The hedge refuses to catch, even when the torches are thrust directly into them; although, the one man armed with a flask of alchemist’s fire is successful in lighting a small section.
They are quickly distracted from their unsuccessful diversion however by an inhuman cry of “Flesh!” from the woods behind them. One fighter reflexively turns, and is greeted by an ettercap web in the face.
Meanwhile…
##
Reyu casts entangle on the hedges first thing, centering the effect where she hopes it will give the goblin defenders the most difficulty. The thick hedges are soon twisting against each other, and Reyu is pretty sure she sees a few goblin limbs flailing wildly amidst the surging vegetation. Kiara shoots and wounds one of the goblins who managed to avoid being caught in the effect of Reyu’s spell, and Annika readies web to cast as soon as Sheesak emerges.
Right on schedule, the group at the top of the cliff runs forward and drops their ropes down the cliff face for the ground team to begin their assault. Lord Agasha goes first, grabbing the rope and quickly climbing over the first hedge. The bear does not concern itself with such niceties and plunges directly into the hedge, ripping it, and the goblin behind it, to shreds as it goes.
Lira runs right up the edge of the cliff and drops to prone. She’s ready to hit Sheesak with a magic missile as soon as she can see her, but she wants to present as small a target as possible to anyone below who might have a missile weapon. She’s just gotten herself into perfect sniper position when a growling noise off to her right makes her blood run cold.
Lira turns to look.
There, running straight for the cliff-top group, are two ogres and five goblins. Neither one of the ogres is Sheesak.
Oh crap.
In which: the best laid plans…
The first group heads up to the top of the cliff an hour before dawn. They move with all possible stealth, but do run into one goblin sentry. Anvil quickly casts silence before the goblin can sound the alarm, and Benedic takes him out.
Boss! I smell another one.
“Benedic—”
“I’ve got ‘im.”
An arrow through the throat takes out the second goblin sentry. The group drags the bodies back into the high grasses and waits.
###
It was dark when Reyu began her prayers, but when she opens her eyes, the first rays of dawn are just filtering down through the trees. Glistening on the dew. That hangs on the threads of the ettercap web six-inches in front of her face.
Reyu waves for Lord Agasha’s attention. She points out the web, and their group repositions themselves on the other side of it. There are no signs of ettercaps or giant spiders in evidence.
When everyone is ready, Reyu gives the signal.
The clerics positioned with each party cast bless on their allies and bane on the area surrounding Sheesak’s encampment.
And then, the attack is on.
The diversionary group runs forward first, hampered by two of the men getting stuck in ettercap webs strung between the trees. The others however, make it to the first hedge and put their torches to it.
The hedge refuses to catch, even when the torches are thrust directly into them; although, the one man armed with a flask of alchemist’s fire is successful in lighting a small section.
They are quickly distracted from their unsuccessful diversion however by an inhuman cry of “Flesh!” from the woods behind them. One fighter reflexively turns, and is greeted by an ettercap web in the face.
Meanwhile…
##
Reyu casts entangle on the hedges first thing, centering the effect where she hopes it will give the goblin defenders the most difficulty. The thick hedges are soon twisting against each other, and Reyu is pretty sure she sees a few goblin limbs flailing wildly amidst the surging vegetation. Kiara shoots and wounds one of the goblins who managed to avoid being caught in the effect of Reyu’s spell, and Annika readies web to cast as soon as Sheesak emerges.
Right on schedule, the group at the top of the cliff runs forward and drops their ropes down the cliff face for the ground team to begin their assault. Lord Agasha goes first, grabbing the rope and quickly climbing over the first hedge. The bear does not concern itself with such niceties and plunges directly into the hedge, ripping it, and the goblin behind it, to shreds as it goes.
Lira runs right up the edge of the cliff and drops to prone. She’s ready to hit Sheesak with a magic missile as soon as she can see her, but she wants to present as small a target as possible to anyone below who might have a missile weapon. She’s just gotten herself into perfect sniper position when a growling noise off to her right makes her blood run cold.
Lira turns to look.
There, running straight for the cliff-top group, are two ogres and five goblins. Neither one of the ogres is Sheesak.
Oh crap.
spyscribe
First Post
Pyske said:
Ah, too bad, maybe next year.
As Len points out, don't worry too much about the bear. As he is a) HUGE, and b) very motivated where Sheesak is concerned.
And hey KidZero, glad you stopped by.
Thatch's player, ellinor (who sometimes posts here), and I really enjoyed that Delta Green module, even if it was 8am on Sunday morning.Mmmm... Zombies before breakfast. Yum.
Dr. NRG
First Post
What an excellent tale! My compliments to the editor as well as the writer, it's very smoothly told, error free, and maintains a very even tone even when switching writers.
Unfortunately I've caught up and now get to join the ranks of those who are left waiting for an update, although I would've been disappointed if it weren't a cliffhanger.
NRG
Unfortunately I've caught up and now get to join the ranks of those who are left waiting for an update, although I would've been disappointed if it weren't a cliffhanger.
NRG
spyscribe
First Post
Part the Eighty-Fourth
In which: vengeance is served… with a side order of Justice.
As the ogres advance on the cliff-top group, Lira quickly scrambles back to her feet and back up out of range of their swinging clubs. Lord Agasha’s scouts open fire, peppering the trailing ogre with several arrows. Benedic pulls out his sword and takes on the first one himself.
He lands a solid blow, but the ogre merely roars in anger, attempting to pulverize Benedic with his club. The ranger avoids the worst of the strike, but even the glancing blow leaves his head spinning. Okay, let’s not let that happen again, he decides, and grits his teeth with renewed determination.
Anvil also turns his attention to the ogres immediately at hand, and at that moment, Sheesak emerges from her cave.
The foot soldiers, led by Thatch are still making their way over the hedges to get to her, and the bear is hell-bent on destroying any goblin he can get his paws on, but Annika is unhampered by distance or minor distractions. The instant she sees the Druid ogre she casts, her web ensnaring Sheesak in a hundred thick, sticky strands.
Sheesak stops, snarles, and then… steps forward through the web, and up onto the alter, out of the area of effect.
“It didn’t work!” Annika calls. “She’s not caught!”
From behind Sheesak in the mouth of the cave there is a flash of fire, and the web nearest the cave entrance burns away.
“Burning hands!” Annika identifies.
Reyu nods in agreement. She had intended to cast immediately, but with Sheesak not necessarily out of the fight, she instead stays ready, waiting to attempt to counter-spell.
Kiara takes aim at Sheesak and fires, hitting her with an arrow just above the knee. From above, Eva sends another arrow singing down through the air and lodges a hit in the back of Sheesak’s left shoulder.
Up on the cliff-top, the goblins minions have tried to put themselves between the assailants and their ogre bosses, but for Benedic and Lord Agasha’s trained men, they are only a minor distraction. The scouts ignore the goblins completely and continue to fire at the rear ogre, who drops under the continued assault. Below, the bear is ripping through goblin defenders as though they were just another part of the hedge. In fact, the bear is nearly through and up to the plateau.
Sheesak sees this, snarls, and begins to cast. Reyu recognizes dominate animal. If Sheesak can put the bear back under her sway, the battle could turn ugly for the party very quickly. Unfortunately, although she is prepared to counter, that spell is beyond her ability to cast.
Annika however, has no such difficulty. She too had readied a spell. However, knowing that she would be unlikely to be able to counter-spell effectively against a druid, she elected for a more blunt-force approach. The instant Sheesak starts casting Annika does too, and an instant before the druid finishes, Annika nails her with a set of magic missiles.
Sheesak lets out the briefest yowl of pain, but it’s enough to disrupt her concentration, and ruin her spell.
Alright, thinks Annika, try that again. I’m ready for you.
An instant later, Thatch and Lord Agasha vault over the last of the four hedges and land on the plateau in front of the cave entrance. Thatch has lifted his sword and is just about to charge for the ogress when three horses come charging out of the cave—the web there having now been burned away—heading straight for him and Lord Agasha.
Thatch’s jaw drops. “Bob?!”
Bob charges straight for his former master and sends a hoof crashing into his chest. Although Thatch is not badly wounded, he has never been so hurt in his life.
Kiara, Eva, and Lira continue to pepper Sheesak with missile fire, both magical and mundane, but most of the cliff-top group has their hands full trying to deal with the ogre and three goblins in their laps.
Benedic thinks he might finally be getting the upper hand on the ogre though. Just a few more hits… Benedic’s line of thought is abruptly cut-off as one of the goblins reaches over and casts and healing spell on the ogre. Oh, for the love of Alirria…
“Anvil, can you do something about that little—” What probably would have been a very choice invective is cut off as Benedic takes another blow from the ogre’s club. He slashes back with his sword, opening a bleeding gash on his attacker’s arm. As the ogre catches its breath, Lord Agasha’s cleric is able to run forward and heal Benedic of some of the punishment he’s taken. The fight between ranger and ogre has quickly devolved into a slugfest, and it’s anyone’s guess which of them will be the last one standing.
Anvil attempts to help tip the tide by holding the goblin cleric, but does not have any noticeable effect.
Below, Lord Agasha’s men have started reaching the plateau and the bear has crawled over the final hedge—pausing briefly to rip apart a goblin who was unlucky enough to stumble into his swathe of destruction.
Lord Agasha, tries to come to Thatch’s aide by taking a swing at Bob, but at the last second, Thatch knocks the other man’s blow aside. “No! Don’t hurt him! He doesn’t know what he’s doing!”
“He might not, but he’s doing it really well!” Lord Agasha shouts back.
As Bob comes at him again, biting this time, Thatch is forced to recognize the wisdom of the old hunter’s words. Turning his sword so that he will strike with the flat of the blade, Thatch whacks his childhood companion on the side of the head, attempting to knock him unconscious.
Bob shows no sign of appreciating the consideration, and with an outraged whinny kicks him again.
Sheesak is no happier. Once again she casts, but this time along with triggering a set of magic missiles from Annika, Reyu is also ready with a flaming sphere. Needless to say, in the middle of the sudden inferno, Sheesak does not manage to get her spell off.
As the battle rages below, Kiara turns her attention to the group on the cliff-top. She tries to take out the goblin cleric with a well-placed arrow, but misses.
Lira pumps two magic missiles into the ogre attacking Benedic and does about as much damage as she is capable of doing. The ogre by turn does almost as much damage as he is capable of to Benedic, which—it must be admitted—is a considerably larger amount.
Benedic, battered and bloodied, barely able to keep his feet, raises his sword and unleashes two attacks on the ogre. Only one of them hits, but it strikes deep.
Anvil surveys the battle in a matter of seconds. Benedic is not the only member of the party who has taken heavy damage; however, Sheesak has as well. The ogress is pieced with multiple arrows, her hair is on fire, and he knows she must be hurting from Annika and Lira’s magic missiles. Anvil decides that the time has come to end this fight. Now. He intones a brief prayer to Kettenek, requesting the strength to carry out his will, and instantly feels the power of his god surging through him.
Anvil casts inflict moderate wounds. A dark aura, looking almost like a cloud of black, oily smoke forms around his right hand. He then runs for the edge of the cliff, shouting “Kettenek’s Justice!” as he hurls himself into the air.
For an instant, it is as though the entire battle has frozen, watching as Anvil plummets through the air, straight for Sheesak’s head.
The ogress looks up and sees him falling towards her. She brings up her club, and smashes him in the abdomen, knocking the wind out of his lungs. Anvil can feel his ribs cracking, but grits his teeth against the pain and reaches forward to grab her arm with his outstretched right hand.
Sheesak screams as the black energy leaves Anvi and courses down her arm, lodging in her chest. They both hang there for a moment. Then Anvil loses his grip on Sheesak’s arm, falling to the ground below. An instant later, Sheesak collapses on top of him.
Eva, who had been drawing a bead on Sheesak, shoots wildly yelling at Anvil, “You pig-headed bastard!”
Lira takes a move-equivalent action to pick her jaw up off the ground.
Reyu follows up on Anvil’s momentum by pushing her flaming sphere into the mouth of the cave where the goblin caster is still crouching. Horribly burned, the goblin shrieks and runs into the cave. The ones outside on the plateau and up on the cliff also immediately turn and flee as fast as their legs will take them.
However, the last ogre on the cliff-top has a score to settle first. Benedic stares at it, determined to stand his ground despite the clear knowledge that another blow will kill him.
The ogre is more than happy to oblige. He raises his club to pound the troublesome human into the ground once and for all—
And two magic missiles come streaking in, hitting the ogre right in the chest. The briefest expression of surprise has time to cross the ogre’s features before he collapses, stone dead.
“You okay?”
Benedic turns behind him where Lira is standing, finger still pointed accusingly at where the ogre used to stand. “Yeah… Thanks.”
“Anytime.”
Down below, Thatch brings the pommel of his sword crashing down, right between Bob’s ears. The faithful steed crumples to the ground, unconscious. Thatch immediately puts his head to the animal’s chest. The horse’s heaving ribs reassure him, and he soon locates the quick strong beat of Bob’s heart.
The soldiers left on their own to create a diversion at the beginning of the battle manage to untangle themselves from the ettercap webs they’ve spent most of the battle ensnared in. The ettercaps themselves fled when Sheesak fell.
To the party it scarcely seems credible. They’ve won.
In which: vengeance is served… with a side order of Justice.
As the ogres advance on the cliff-top group, Lira quickly scrambles back to her feet and back up out of range of their swinging clubs. Lord Agasha’s scouts open fire, peppering the trailing ogre with several arrows. Benedic pulls out his sword and takes on the first one himself.
He lands a solid blow, but the ogre merely roars in anger, attempting to pulverize Benedic with his club. The ranger avoids the worst of the strike, but even the glancing blow leaves his head spinning. Okay, let’s not let that happen again, he decides, and grits his teeth with renewed determination.
Anvil also turns his attention to the ogres immediately at hand, and at that moment, Sheesak emerges from her cave.
The foot soldiers, led by Thatch are still making their way over the hedges to get to her, and the bear is hell-bent on destroying any goblin he can get his paws on, but Annika is unhampered by distance or minor distractions. The instant she sees the Druid ogre she casts, her web ensnaring Sheesak in a hundred thick, sticky strands.
Sheesak stops, snarles, and then… steps forward through the web, and up onto the alter, out of the area of effect.
“It didn’t work!” Annika calls. “She’s not caught!”
From behind Sheesak in the mouth of the cave there is a flash of fire, and the web nearest the cave entrance burns away.
“Burning hands!” Annika identifies.
Reyu nods in agreement. She had intended to cast immediately, but with Sheesak not necessarily out of the fight, she instead stays ready, waiting to attempt to counter-spell.
Kiara takes aim at Sheesak and fires, hitting her with an arrow just above the knee. From above, Eva sends another arrow singing down through the air and lodges a hit in the back of Sheesak’s left shoulder.
Up on the cliff-top, the goblins minions have tried to put themselves between the assailants and their ogre bosses, but for Benedic and Lord Agasha’s trained men, they are only a minor distraction. The scouts ignore the goblins completely and continue to fire at the rear ogre, who drops under the continued assault. Below, the bear is ripping through goblin defenders as though they were just another part of the hedge. In fact, the bear is nearly through and up to the plateau.
Sheesak sees this, snarls, and begins to cast. Reyu recognizes dominate animal. If Sheesak can put the bear back under her sway, the battle could turn ugly for the party very quickly. Unfortunately, although she is prepared to counter, that spell is beyond her ability to cast.
Annika however, has no such difficulty. She too had readied a spell. However, knowing that she would be unlikely to be able to counter-spell effectively against a druid, she elected for a more blunt-force approach. The instant Sheesak starts casting Annika does too, and an instant before the druid finishes, Annika nails her with a set of magic missiles.
Sheesak lets out the briefest yowl of pain, but it’s enough to disrupt her concentration, and ruin her spell.
Alright, thinks Annika, try that again. I’m ready for you.
An instant later, Thatch and Lord Agasha vault over the last of the four hedges and land on the plateau in front of the cave entrance. Thatch has lifted his sword and is just about to charge for the ogress when three horses come charging out of the cave—the web there having now been burned away—heading straight for him and Lord Agasha.
Thatch’s jaw drops. “Bob?!”
Bob charges straight for his former master and sends a hoof crashing into his chest. Although Thatch is not badly wounded, he has never been so hurt in his life.
Kiara, Eva, and Lira continue to pepper Sheesak with missile fire, both magical and mundane, but most of the cliff-top group has their hands full trying to deal with the ogre and three goblins in their laps.
Benedic thinks he might finally be getting the upper hand on the ogre though. Just a few more hits… Benedic’s line of thought is abruptly cut-off as one of the goblins reaches over and casts and healing spell on the ogre. Oh, for the love of Alirria…
“Anvil, can you do something about that little—” What probably would have been a very choice invective is cut off as Benedic takes another blow from the ogre’s club. He slashes back with his sword, opening a bleeding gash on his attacker’s arm. As the ogre catches its breath, Lord Agasha’s cleric is able to run forward and heal Benedic of some of the punishment he’s taken. The fight between ranger and ogre has quickly devolved into a slugfest, and it’s anyone’s guess which of them will be the last one standing.
Anvil attempts to help tip the tide by holding the goblin cleric, but does not have any noticeable effect.
Below, Lord Agasha’s men have started reaching the plateau and the bear has crawled over the final hedge—pausing briefly to rip apart a goblin who was unlucky enough to stumble into his swathe of destruction.
Lord Agasha, tries to come to Thatch’s aide by taking a swing at Bob, but at the last second, Thatch knocks the other man’s blow aside. “No! Don’t hurt him! He doesn’t know what he’s doing!”
“He might not, but he’s doing it really well!” Lord Agasha shouts back.
As Bob comes at him again, biting this time, Thatch is forced to recognize the wisdom of the old hunter’s words. Turning his sword so that he will strike with the flat of the blade, Thatch whacks his childhood companion on the side of the head, attempting to knock him unconscious.
Bob shows no sign of appreciating the consideration, and with an outraged whinny kicks him again.
Sheesak is no happier. Once again she casts, but this time along with triggering a set of magic missiles from Annika, Reyu is also ready with a flaming sphere. Needless to say, in the middle of the sudden inferno, Sheesak does not manage to get her spell off.
As the battle rages below, Kiara turns her attention to the group on the cliff-top. She tries to take out the goblin cleric with a well-placed arrow, but misses.
Lira pumps two magic missiles into the ogre attacking Benedic and does about as much damage as she is capable of doing. The ogre by turn does almost as much damage as he is capable of to Benedic, which—it must be admitted—is a considerably larger amount.
Benedic, battered and bloodied, barely able to keep his feet, raises his sword and unleashes two attacks on the ogre. Only one of them hits, but it strikes deep.
Anvil surveys the battle in a matter of seconds. Benedic is not the only member of the party who has taken heavy damage; however, Sheesak has as well. The ogress is pieced with multiple arrows, her hair is on fire, and he knows she must be hurting from Annika and Lira’s magic missiles. Anvil decides that the time has come to end this fight. Now. He intones a brief prayer to Kettenek, requesting the strength to carry out his will, and instantly feels the power of his god surging through him.
Anvil casts inflict moderate wounds. A dark aura, looking almost like a cloud of black, oily smoke forms around his right hand. He then runs for the edge of the cliff, shouting “Kettenek’s Justice!” as he hurls himself into the air.
For an instant, it is as though the entire battle has frozen, watching as Anvil plummets through the air, straight for Sheesak’s head.
The ogress looks up and sees him falling towards her. She brings up her club, and smashes him in the abdomen, knocking the wind out of his lungs. Anvil can feel his ribs cracking, but grits his teeth against the pain and reaches forward to grab her arm with his outstretched right hand.
Sheesak screams as the black energy leaves Anvi and courses down her arm, lodging in her chest. They both hang there for a moment. Then Anvil loses his grip on Sheesak’s arm, falling to the ground below. An instant later, Sheesak collapses on top of him.
Eva, who had been drawing a bead on Sheesak, shoots wildly yelling at Anvil, “You pig-headed bastard!”
Lira takes a move-equivalent action to pick her jaw up off the ground.
Reyu follows up on Anvil’s momentum by pushing her flaming sphere into the mouth of the cave where the goblin caster is still crouching. Horribly burned, the goblin shrieks and runs into the cave. The ones outside on the plateau and up on the cliff also immediately turn and flee as fast as their legs will take them.
However, the last ogre on the cliff-top has a score to settle first. Benedic stares at it, determined to stand his ground despite the clear knowledge that another blow will kill him.
The ogre is more than happy to oblige. He raises his club to pound the troublesome human into the ground once and for all—
And two magic missiles come streaking in, hitting the ogre right in the chest. The briefest expression of surprise has time to cross the ogre’s features before he collapses, stone dead.
“You okay?”
Benedic turns behind him where Lira is standing, finger still pointed accusingly at where the ogre used to stand. “Yeah… Thanks.”
“Anytime.”
Down below, Thatch brings the pommel of his sword crashing down, right between Bob’s ears. The faithful steed crumples to the ground, unconscious. Thatch immediately puts his head to the animal’s chest. The horse’s heaving ribs reassure him, and he soon locates the quick strong beat of Bob’s heart.
The soldiers left on their own to create a diversion at the beginning of the battle manage to untangle themselves from the ettercap webs they’ve spent most of the battle ensnared in. The ettercaps themselves fled when Sheesak fell.
To the party it scarcely seems credible. They’ve won.
Thomas Hobbes
First Post
spyscribe said:
Dude. Dude.
A birthday post!
Allright! Who doesn't love a post to one of their favorite story hours on their birthday! I love they way you guys make the lower level adventures feel. I hope Bob recovers, then he and Thatch can talk things over and make nice and be a team again.
Keep up the good work guys you make the holidays even better!
Oh, and hats off to Anvil, it's rare when one of my players will pull something like that but i love it every time they do!
dolza
Allright! Who doesn't love a post to one of their favorite story hours on their birthday! I love they way you guys make the lower level adventures feel. I hope Bob recovers, then he and Thatch can talk things over and make nice and be a team again.
Keep up the good work guys you make the holidays even better!
Oh, and hats off to Anvil, it's rare when one of my players will pull something like that but i love it every time they do!
dolza
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