This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Errrgh...." Huddle cries out at the spear punctures his lung and he is driven to his knees, blood starts to bubble from his lips and a wet wheezing sound comes from him. He props himself up with his longsword, his other hand trying to staunch his life force from draining out on the floor. Slowly he limps toward the Warlord leaving a trail of crimson in his wake.
"My name is..... *gasp* Huddle the Lion.. And by the *cough* most sacred and *stumble* holy Order of the Rusty Buckets *wheeze* you shall know my wrath...." and with a mighty roar the Lion lunges at the Warlord with his longsword
[Longsword: 24 Damage: 3]
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Tabaxi with a penchant for shenans. He will....shenan again...
The Warlord dies! The statues crumble to dust! The crystal globe shatters.
AREA 9 - THE TREASURE VAULT
At the end of the long hallway is a spartanly appointed room containing simple wooden shelves, a camp chair, and a sleeping pallet. The wooden shelves hold a bronze rod, a copper brazier, fine weapons and armor, and a brass-bound tome. There is a stone tablet that rests a wrinkled ancient body whose countenance matches the war-wizards.
There is a bronze rod worth 150g, a copper brazier worth 10gp, a longsword, a long bow, 40 arrows with quiver, a mace, a spear, a battle axe, a dagger, and a hand axe. There is a suit of scale mail.
MERLIN: Red the Dyer(AC11/HP2) NOPE: Oliver the Ostler(AC10/HP1) ARGENT: Three Fingered Dwayne the Parsnip Farmer(AC9/HP4), Huddle the Squire(AC11/HP1) DAVE: Spencer the Squire(AC9/HP2), Wurzel the Turnip Farmer(AC10/HP1)
Red immediately starts to interior design the vault, selecting curtain colors for his new lair. “I could retire here....it’s nice!” he announces to his friends.
But adventuring seemed to give him an adrenaline rush that he hasn’t experience before. Perhaps he’ll quit his dying job and go on another adventure with his new found friends? Perhaps?
“Duck and goose, what would you do?” he deadpans, as he shoves the shattered clay warlord statue out of the way, and sits down on the throne.
It has been years since the last virgin was sacrificed: and now the pit beast awakens once more. EVery generation it stumbles forth on undulating tentacles from its resting place deep below the great ravine, its towering blubbery mass ravaging the land before returning to slumber for decades. But this time is different. The Great Beast strikes with intelligence: bands of faceless gray-robed men emerge from the tenebrous depths, herding the beast's roaming tentacles before them. The enigmatic people of the pit live despite the passage of ages. The earth shakes each night as they herd the primordial tentacles ever further, while the villagers ask: is any man brave enough to put the sword to this menace?
A great ravine splits the earth here, diving the fertile northlands from the wastes of the south. A great blubbery tentacled beast lives at the bottom of the ravine, and in eons past it would ravage the land once every generation, rising hundreds of feet above the ravine's edges before it shambled forth on slithering appendages to devour all living things in it's path. When a powerful warrior-priest organized the neighboring villages to offer periodic sacrifices of a dozen virgins every decade, the pit beast's attacks were controlled - but at a cost civilized man could not stomach. The warrior-priest was dishonored and his order chased away. The pit-beast retreated to safety within the ravine itself.
A decade has past since the last sacrifice, and the rumbles of the pit beast can once more be heard deep in the pit. This time, though, there is another factor. People have emerged from the pit, herding great slithering tentacles before them. These people of the pit wear gray robes and have no faces. The local peasants have chased the robed men away on numerous occasions, and now the humble folk around the ravine fear for their safety. It was enough to fear the beast of the pit, now must they fear the people of the pit as well? You have set out to explore the great ravine in search of mystery, adventure, riches, and fame - and perhaps aid your neighbors along the way.
You stand atop a rocky bluff rising high above a hundred-foot-wide pit. A stinking gray mist rises from the pit, which sinks into the earth about a quarter-mile from the great ravine. It is from this pit, the legends say, that the pit beast would emerge to feast upon maidens chained to the bluff. Beside you is a stout iron pole, driven deep into the rock, with a dozen large rings welded to it's length. The rock below is stained rusty red, and the ground is littered with broken links of chain. Hundreds of maidens have died here, and they may die again unless you face down the people of the pit.
It is clear that creatures were dragged to an unwilling death here - there are hundreds of scrap marks leading from the iron chains to the edge of the bluff, some made by metal links dragging against the rock and some obviously made by fingernails. The many broken chain links look as if they were snapped by an enormous pulling force. Many short lengths of chain hang from the rings on the pole, clearly broken by something of prodigious size and strength.
The pit itself is about 100 feet wide. An ancient stone staircase is carved into it's edge and spirals down around its rim, eventually disappearing into the stinking mist. Local legends say the staircase has existed for centuries, it's original masons long forgotten, and the disgraced priestly order retreated down this staircase when forced out of civilization. There is a clear "vanishing point" where the stairs disappears into the thickening mist, and at that place you can see dark shapes moving.
This would be a great place to converse with your fellow colleagues.
“Pleasant enough place, although their choice in sacrificial maidens is rather odd. Not much meat on ‘em, if you catch my drift?” Red grimly observes to his fellow adventures as they look over the grisly scene. “Surprised they didn’t sacrifice the big, strapping, handsome dwarves like me!” he continues, with a chuckle, as he slaps his wide belly.
Red is obviously scared, and trying to over compensate by using humor.
Loki is leaning up against a somewhat large stone, wiping down his blade with a spare rag as he listens to Red's boast. The human man didn't much care for the dwarves humor, but threw him a smile anyway, better to keep up appearances, never know when they might need a sacrificial lamb of their own. "I don't know, perhaps the pit monster knew it wouldn't be able to handle you~ It must be shivering in fear now."
Loki pushed himself off the stone and patted Red on the back, as he brought his blade to rest against his hide armor.
Oliver slaps Red on the back of the shoulder, "Good to see you again, old friend," he says with a broad smile. "Hopefully, we fare better this time than last we met." The former ostler turned adventurer has lost that innocent look of youth he bore last time the two met. The horrors of their last adventure spurred him to train and prepare better for this quest. He still carries the longsword of his fallen comrade, Ja the Elf. In addition, his simple stable boy clothes have been replaced by leather armor. Over his shoulder is slung a quiver and long bow, which were among the spoils of his last adventure.
Turning, Oliver motions to the mammoth of a man trailing behind him. "I brought reinforcements. Everyone, meet Dirk the Downtrodden."
Dirk, standing nearly 7 feet in height, is a tree-trunk of a man with wide shoulders and well-toned arms. The tanned skin and black smut around his fingernails betray his past as a blacksmith. With a mop of dark hair and ruddy complexion, the warrior rests a massive battle axe upon one of his shoulders. He is dressed in well-used studded leather and carries an iron shield in his other hand. He simply nods at the introduction...obviously a man of few words.
Red nervously chuckles upon the introduction of Dirk. “Dirk....wow! I’ve heard of living trees before...think this is the first time I’ve seen one b’fore!”. He then reaches up and tries to slap Dirk on the shoulder, but really only reaches up to Dirk’s knees. Fist bumping his knee instead, Red turns to Oliver and gives him a hearty hug. “Well met indeed!”
A hulking warrior with a longsword walks up to the pit and glances iinto it. He shrugs. “Seem slike bad business down there...” He glances to the others. “Name’s Hank. I was hired to look into this with you lot...” He wears hide armor and has a longsword at his hip.
A slender woman walks up just hten, glancing to those aorund her. She has ink-stained fingers and some papers tucked under her arm. She moves over to stand near Hank, smiling up at him. “Well, I’m Wilma, a scribe who was sent to help you lot by taking notes as we go.” She waves the papers int he air. “I am ready when you are...”
Striding towards the rest of the party with a sense of purpose and clad in beautiful scale mail with what appears to be a Rusty Bucket? now emblazoned upon the chest is a man, looking perhaps not as healthy as one would expect from a Knight. A near death experience tends to have that effect, at his side is a familiar gleaming longsword. He is the newly minted Sir Huddle the Lion of the Order of the Rusty Buckets, upon seeing his friends ahead he greets them.
"Ahoy there Red and Oliver! Well met and good to see you again!" and he will shake their hands eagerly.
The closer you get, the worse the pit smells. It stinks of rot and disease, and the very mist itself seems cloying and dangerous. At the pit's edge you see the wide stone steps carved into it's side, their edges slippery and worn by time and the elements. About a quarter-turn around the pit's edge, the steps disappear into the dark mist where murky shapes move about.
The steps are very narrow, and you must traverse them in single file. Describe what you are doing now. You must indicate whether you are WALKING OR RUNNING. Then, read below.
AREA 1-2A - CULTISTS IN THE MIST
At about area 1-2A, the mists swirl as motion appears within. Five grey robed men emerge, holding wicked sickle shaped blades in their hands. The heads beneath their hoods are blank flesh, with no faces, and the robes around their waits ripple strangely. They raise their hands and begin to make a strange noise, swaying side to side. They are 40 feet away down the steps. They appear to be summoning something!! You must act!
The steps are very narrow, and you must traverse them in single file. Describe what you are doing now, AGAIN.You must indicate whether you are WALKING OR RUNNING.
Your MOVE is how far you move on your turn, walking or running.
Finally, roll for initiative. DO NOT ATTACK YET UNTIL THE LINEUP IS POSTED.
You post should have three parts, in other words. 1. What you're doing in AREA 1-2 - are you walking or running? 2. What you're doing in AREA 1-2A when you see the cultists, and are you're walking or running towards them. 3. Rolling for initiative. That's it.
Oliver eyes the steps warily, nocking an arrow in his bow before motioning Dirk to proceed in front of him. The hulking blacksmith simply grunts, adjusting the battle axe lying on his shoulder and gripping his shield as the pair walk cautiously down the stairs. When the robed men appear and start chanting, Oliver mutters, "Great! Danger already." He readies to loose an arrow at one while offering Dirk cautious support. "Be wary, big man. In my last adventure, our warrior was vaporized at the entrance to the tomb," he says. "I'd rather that not happen to you as well."
For his part, Dirk looks back over his shoulder with a semi-smile on his face, uttering a simply, "Yes, boss," before raising his shield and readying his battle axe for anything that comes near.
Initiative for Oliver and Dirk (using Dirk's modifier): 9
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Corrin Kettlewhistle: Halfling Life Cleric (Curse of Strahd) Kip Dalton: Human Lore Bard (Waterdeep Dragon Heist) Debauchery Dalliance: Half-Drow Oath of Conquest Paladin (White Plume Mountain)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Hank, seeing the strange figures, draws his sword and walks forward, not wishing to run down the narrow stairs.
Initiative for hank: 17
Wilma stuffs her papers back into a pocket as she too sees the strange figures below. “Probably shouldn’t allow them to finish that...” She says, and lifts her own hands, considering if she should chance magic of her own. She stays back from the figures, and would walk closer if need be, but not closer than 40 or 50 feet to them.
Sir Huddle strides (walks) confidently down the stairs through both sections - the heathens shall be met when he is ready. Huddle will make the sign of the Bucket as he walks down the steps drawing forth his longsword
[Initiative: 5]
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Tabaxi with a penchant for shenans. He will....shenan again...
Wurzel flees back to the previous room, where he starts breaking all the little figures to see if that helps.
Spenser makes a stand.
15
"Errrgh...." Huddle cries out at the spear punctures his lung and he is driven to his knees, blood starts to bubble from his lips and a wet wheezing sound comes from him. He props himself up with his longsword, his other hand trying to staunch his life force from draining out on the floor. Slowly he limps toward the Warlord leaving a trail of crimson in his wake.
"My name is..... *gasp* Huddle the Lion.. And by the *cough* most sacred and *stumble* holy Order of the Rusty Buckets *wheeze* you shall know my wrath...." and with a mighty roar the Lion lunges at the Warlord with his longsword
[Longsword: 24 Damage: 3]
Tabaxi with a penchant for shenans. He will....shenan again...
The Warlord dies! The statues crumble to dust! The crystal globe shatters.
AREA 9 - THE TREASURE VAULT
At the end of the long hallway is a spartanly appointed room containing simple wooden shelves, a camp chair, and a sleeping pallet. The wooden shelves hold a bronze rod, a copper brazier, fine weapons and armor, and a brass-bound tome. There is a stone tablet that rests a wrinkled ancient body whose countenance matches the war-wizards.
There is a bronze rod worth 150g, a copper brazier worth 10gp, a longsword, a long bow, 40 arrows with quiver, a mace, a spear, a battle axe, a dagger, and a hand axe. There is a suit of scale mail.
YOU HAVE WON!
CAST OF SURVIVORS
MERLIN: Red the Dyer(AC11/HP2)
NOPE: Oliver the Ostler(AC10/HP1)
ARGENT: Three Fingered Dwayne the Parsnip Farmer(AC9/HP4), Huddle the Squire(AC11/HP1)
DAVE: Spencer the Squire(AC9/HP2), Wurzel the Turnip Farmer(AC10/HP1)
Red immediately starts to interior design the vault, selecting curtain colors for his new lair. “I could retire here....it’s nice!” he announces to his friends.
But adventuring seemed to give him an adrenaline rush that he hasn’t experience before. Perhaps he’ll quit his dying job and go on another adventure with his new found friends? Perhaps?
“Duck and goose, what would you do?” he deadpans, as he shoves the shattered clay warlord statue out of the way, and sits down on the throne.
Last to know and first to be blamed...
As a free action, can I regret my life choices?
"Honk!"
"Quack!"
Tabaxi with a penchant for shenans. He will....shenan again...
THE PEOPLE OF THE PIT
A level one adventure
It has been years since the last virgin was sacrificed: and now the pit beast awakens once more. EVery generation it stumbles forth on undulating tentacles from its resting place deep below the great ravine, its towering blubbery mass ravaging the land before returning to slumber for decades. But this time is different. The Great Beast strikes with intelligence: bands of faceless gray-robed men emerge from the tenebrous depths, herding the beast's roaming tentacles before them. The enigmatic people of the pit live despite the passage of ages. The earth shakes each night as they herd the primordial tentacles ever further, while the villagers ask: is any man brave enough to put the sword to this menace?
A great ravine splits the earth here, diving the fertile northlands from the wastes of the south. A great blubbery tentacled beast lives at the bottom of the ravine, and in eons past it would ravage the land once every generation, rising hundreds of feet above the ravine's edges before it shambled forth on slithering appendages to devour all living things in it's path. When a powerful warrior-priest organized the neighboring villages to offer periodic sacrifices of a dozen virgins every decade, the pit beast's attacks were controlled - but at a cost civilized man could not stomach. The warrior-priest was dishonored and his order chased away. The pit-beast retreated to safety within the ravine itself.
A decade has past since the last sacrifice, and the rumbles of the pit beast can once more be heard deep in the pit. This time, though, there is another factor. People have emerged from the pit, herding great slithering tentacles before them. These people of the pit wear gray robes and have no faces. The local peasants have chased the robed men away on numerous occasions, and now the humble folk around the ravine fear for their safety. It was enough to fear the beast of the pit, now must they fear the people of the pit as well? You have set out to explore the great ravine in search of mystery, adventure, riches, and fame - and perhaps aid your neighbors along the way.
LEVEL ONE - INTO THE PIT
AREA 1 - THE SACRIFICIAL BLUFF
You stand atop a rocky bluff rising high above a hundred-foot-wide pit. A stinking gray mist rises from the pit, which sinks into the earth about a quarter-mile from the great ravine. It is from this pit, the legends say, that the pit beast would emerge to feast upon maidens chained to the bluff. Beside you is a stout iron pole, driven deep into the rock, with a dozen large rings welded to it's length. The rock below is stained rusty red, and the ground is littered with broken links of chain. Hundreds of maidens have died here, and they may die again unless you face down the people of the pit.
It is clear that creatures were dragged to an unwilling death here - there are hundreds of scrap marks leading from the iron chains to the edge of the bluff, some made by metal links dragging against the rock and some obviously made by fingernails. The many broken chain links look as if they were snapped by an enormous pulling force. Many short lengths of chain hang from the rings on the pole, clearly broken by something of prodigious size and strength.
The pit itself is about 100 feet wide. An ancient stone staircase is carved into it's edge and spirals down around its rim, eventually disappearing into the stinking mist. Local legends say the staircase has existed for centuries, it's original masons long forgotten, and the disgraced priestly order retreated down this staircase when forced out of civilization. There is a clear "vanishing point" where the stairs disappears into the thickening mist, and at that place you can see dark shapes moving.
This would be a great place to converse with your fellow colleagues.
“Pleasant enough place, although their choice in sacrificial maidens is rather odd. Not much meat on ‘em, if you catch my drift?” Red grimly observes to his fellow adventures as they look over the grisly scene. “Surprised they didn’t sacrifice the big, strapping, handsome dwarves like me!” he continues, with a chuckle, as he slaps his wide belly.
Red is obviously scared, and trying to over compensate by using humor.
Last to know and first to be blamed...
As a free action, can I regret my life choices?
Loki is leaning up against a somewhat large stone, wiping down his blade with a spare rag as he listens to Red's boast. The human man didn't much care for the dwarves humor, but threw him a smile anyway, better to keep up appearances, never know when they might need a sacrificial lamb of their own. "I don't know, perhaps the pit monster knew it wouldn't be able to handle you~ It must be shivering in fear now."
Loki pushed himself off the stone and patted Red on the back, as he brought his blade to rest against his hide armor.
Oliver slaps Red on the back of the shoulder, "Good to see you again, old friend," he says with a broad smile. "Hopefully, we fare better this time than last we met." The former ostler turned adventurer has lost that innocent look of youth he bore last time the two met. The horrors of their last adventure spurred him to train and prepare better for this quest. He still carries the longsword of his fallen comrade, Ja the Elf. In addition, his simple stable boy clothes have been replaced by leather armor. Over his shoulder is slung a quiver and long bow, which were among the spoils of his last adventure.
Turning, Oliver motions to the mammoth of a man trailing behind him. "I brought reinforcements. Everyone, meet Dirk the Downtrodden."
Dirk, standing nearly 7 feet in height, is a tree-trunk of a man with wide shoulders and well-toned arms. The tanned skin and black smut around his fingernails betray his past as a blacksmith. With a mop of dark hair and ruddy complexion, the warrior rests a massive battle axe upon one of his shoulders. He is dressed in well-used studded leather and carries an iron shield in his other hand. He simply nods at the introduction...obviously a man of few words.
Corrin Kettlewhistle: Halfling Life Cleric (Curse of Strahd)
Kip Dalton: Human Lore Bard (Waterdeep Dragon Heist)
Debauchery Dalliance: Half-Drow Oath of Conquest Paladin (White Plume Mountain)
Red nervously chuckles upon the introduction of Dirk. “Dirk....wow! I’ve heard of living trees before...think this is the first time I’ve seen one b’fore!”. He then reaches up and tries to slap Dirk on the shoulder, but really only reaches up to Dirk’s knees. Fist bumping his knee instead, Red turns to Oliver and gives him a hearty hug. “Well met indeed!”
Last to know and first to be blamed...
As a free action, can I regret my life choices?
A hulking warrior with a longsword walks up to the pit and glances iinto it. He shrugs. “Seem slike bad business down there...” He glances to the others. “Name’s Hank. I was hired to look into this with you lot...” He wears hide armor and has a longsword at his hip.
A slender woman walks up just hten, glancing to those aorund her. She has ink-stained fingers and some papers tucked under her arm. She moves over to stand near Hank, smiling up at him. “Well, I’m Wilma, a scribe who was sent to help you lot by taking notes as we go.” She waves the papers int he air. “I am ready when you are...”
CAST OF THE PIT DELVERS
NOPE: Oliver - Warrior(AC12/HP11), Dirk - Warrior(AC17/HP12)
MERLIN: Red - Dwarven Thief(AC11/HP6)
DRAGONDENN: Hank - Warrior(AC13/HP14), Wilma - Wizard(AC11/HP8)
ARGENT: Sir Huddle - Warrior(AC15/HP6)
RASEC: Loki - Warrior(AC13/HP15)
Striding towards the rest of the party with a sense of purpose and clad in beautiful scale mail with what appears to be a Rusty Bucket? now emblazoned upon the chest is a man, looking perhaps not as healthy as one would expect from a Knight. A near death experience tends to have that effect, at his side is a familiar gleaming longsword. He is the newly minted Sir Huddle the Lion of the Order of the Rusty Buckets, upon seeing his friends ahead he greets them.
"Ahoy there Red and Oliver! Well met and good to see you again!" and he will shake their hands eagerly.
Tabaxi with a penchant for shenans. He will....shenan again...
AREA 1-2 THE PIT'S EDGE
The closer you get, the worse the pit smells. It stinks of rot and disease, and the very mist itself seems cloying and dangerous. At the pit's edge you see the wide stone steps carved into it's side, their edges slippery and worn by time and the elements. About a quarter-turn around the pit's edge, the steps disappear into the dark mist where murky shapes move about.
The steps are very narrow, and you must traverse them in single file. Describe what you are doing now. You must indicate whether you are WALKING OR RUNNING. Then, read below.
AREA 1-2A - CULTISTS IN THE MIST
At about area 1-2A, the mists swirl as motion appears within. Five grey robed men emerge, holding wicked sickle shaped blades in their hands. The heads beneath their hoods are blank flesh, with no faces, and the robes around their waits ripple strangely. They raise their hands and begin to make a strange noise, swaying side to side. They are 40 feet away down the steps. They appear to be summoning something!! You must act!
The steps are very narrow, and you must traverse them in single file. Describe what you are doing now, AGAIN. You must indicate whether you are WALKING OR RUNNING.
Your MOVE is how far you move on your turn, walking or running.
Finally, roll for initiative. DO NOT ATTACK YET UNTIL THE LINEUP IS POSTED.
You post should have three parts, in other words.
1. What you're doing in AREA 1-2 - are you walking or running?
2. What you're doing in AREA 1-2A when you see the cultists, and are you're walking or running towards them.
3. Rolling for initiative. That's it.
Oliver eyes the steps warily, nocking an arrow in his bow before motioning Dirk to proceed in front of him. The hulking blacksmith simply grunts, adjusting the battle axe lying on his shoulder and gripping his shield as the pair walk cautiously down the stairs. When the robed men appear and start chanting, Oliver mutters, "Great! Danger already." He readies to loose an arrow at one while offering Dirk cautious support. "Be wary, big man. In my last adventure, our warrior was vaporized at the entrance to the tomb," he says. "I'd rather that not happen to you as well."
For his part, Dirk looks back over his shoulder with a semi-smile on his face, uttering a simply, "Yes, boss," before raising his shield and readying his battle axe for anything that comes near.
Initiative for Oliver and Dirk (using Dirk's modifier): 9
Corrin Kettlewhistle: Halfling Life Cleric (Curse of Strahd)
Kip Dalton: Human Lore Bard (Waterdeep Dragon Heist)
Debauchery Dalliance: Half-Drow Oath of Conquest Paladin (White Plume Mountain)
Hank, seeing the strange figures, draws his sword and walks forward, not wishing to run down the narrow stairs.
Initiative for hank: 17
Wilma stuffs her papers back into a pocket as she too sees the strange figures below. “Probably shouldn’t allow them to finish that...” She says, and lifts her own hands, considering if she should chance magic of her own. She stays back from the figures, and would walk closer if need be, but not closer than 40 or 50 feet to them.
Wilma initiative: 17
Sir Huddle strides (walks) confidently down the stairs through both sections - the heathens shall be met when he is ready. Huddle will make the sign of the Bucket as he walks down the steps drawing forth his longsword
[Initiative: 5]
Tabaxi with a penchant for shenans. He will....shenan again...
PIT FIGHTERS
Hank16, Huddle5, Oliver9, Dirk9, Wilma8
Cultist1: 10
Cultist2: 12
Cultist3: 19
Cultist4: 2
Cultist5: 3