The Planewalkers' Other Journies

For all RPs taking place in other settings.
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Spleen
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Unread postby Spleen » Fri Aug 15, 2008 7:35 pm

A smile played slightly on Theller's lips again as he nodded to his companions. As surreal as the experience of being here was, he would at the least have story to tell, he reasoned. "Shall we, then? Do we know which way we're going?"
"Tell you what, Leto, I won't fight with you. Zeus' wives are pretty tough customers. You have my permission to boast openly that you have beaten the daylights out of me."
-Hermes, the Iliad (Stanley Lombardo, translator) Book 21

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Unread postby Jak Snide » Sat Aug 16, 2008 7:54 pm

Zant nodded to Theller. "Indeed. The dwarf in there was most helpful. He said that we should travel through the brick gate and descend into some tunnels. Once there we should follow the left wall for a handful of branches before we stumble upon it. He also stressed that we should not climb the walls lest we loose our way."

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Unread postby Christian » Sun Aug 17, 2008 2:25 pm

Alvar, who had mostly not noticed the commotion until it had dissipated, felt a churn in his stomach as he realized another moment to prove his worth to his comrades in arms had passed him by.

The ale was finished, and it would appear that they had all the information they would need, so Alvar looked over to the elves that had entertained his interest and quite certainly added a bit of caution to his approach to this plane.

"My friends..." he began, looking from face to face, "I apologize profusely, but it would seem my party are entertaining ideas of our departure, and I am bound by my word to aide in this partaking. I bid you all farewell, and thank you for your kind and helpful words. I shall certainly take them to heart."

he sighed, "perhaps we shall meet again once we are finished with our task."

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Unread postby Idran1701 » Sun Aug 17, 2008 7:48 pm

Madhouse

"Oh, of course you will. Round and round and round the planes go, things come around and go, but always end where they begin. Unity of Rings, one of the three laws! Always constant, even where nothing is! We'll see you again, even if we don't. Off, then!"

The three elves stare at Alvar as he leaves them, rejoining his group as the four head off. Leaving the tavern, they step out onto the street of the city proper. Circling the half-mile-wide tunnel like a miniature Sigil, it extends up and around, stretching above them, sparkling lights cutting through the oppressive darkness almost like a starry night sky. The wind howls as it whips around them, almost moaning with the terror that fills all the Lower Planes. Though not quite loud enough to be harmful to their hearing just yet, it reminds them that as they travel here, they will never be alone, not even within their own heads.

Though the tavern itself is made of wood, most buildings in this ramshackle city seem to be made of sturdier material, brick or stone, things that more easily repel the wind and the chill. Torches shine along every street, though they somehow seem less bright than they might otherwise. As the group wanders the city, following the haphazard roads that meander between buildings, they see few other residents joining them; those that they do see seem eager to get out of the open air, barely even acknowledging the presence of the group as they walk. Some twitch, some stammer to themselves, but Pandemonium seems to have given each of them some sort of tic. With luck, the four travelers will leave the plane before it does the same to them.

But for now, their journey is just beginning. Eventually, the street heads out through the foot-thick wall, under a gateway lined with red brick. The path is well-worn but unpaved just outside the gate, but the light from the city is quickly quenched, almost appearing as a wall of blackness that stretches over the entire tunnel not 50 feet from the exit. The breeze seems to pick up a little as they step out through the gateway; though it still hasn't reached painful levels, it seems to drop the temperature by at least 10 degrees through just its very presence.
<EMBED SRC="http://www.mysidia.org/Planescape/pandemonium1.mp3" autostart="true" hidden="true" height="0" width="0">

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Jak Snide
 
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Unread postby Jak Snide » Mon Aug 18, 2008 5:58 am

Zant paused as the darkness loomed before him, blinking his eyes. He'd expected his heritage to allow his gaze to pierce the inky blackness as it had always done and due to this the resistance of the darkened areas to his darkvision caught him off guard. He glanced to the others while he could still see them.

"This is no ordinary darkness. Do any of you possess a device capable of illuminating the path ahead?"

He back at the path ahead, futilely hoping that the way would be revealed to him this time.

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Unread postby Nakibe » Mon Aug 18, 2008 5:29 pm

Trivale blinked. The darkness steadily closed in as they left the city. He'd honestly not noticed much until now, still unsettled at what just happened in the city. "... no... I.. honestly didn't know I'd need it..." Not being able to see the hand in front of his face... not even a star to guide his way by... it was... disconcerting. WRONG. "Kind of wishing I had now..."

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Spleen
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Unread postby Spleen » Tue Aug 19, 2008 8:23 pm

Wordlessly, as he had been more or less since they began to hear the wind's howl, Theller withdrew Rosalyn's borrowed everburning torch from his pack, the heatless flame looking odd for a moment as it curled out of the lip of the container. He held it up to test the effect the magical flame had on the black velvet darkness ahead of them. "Any of you wishing you'd chosen the excursion to Limbo now?" he said, his words sounding more hollow and forlorn than he'd intended them when set against the background of Pandemonium's winds.
"Tell you what, Leto, I won't fight with you. Zeus' wives are pretty tough customers. You have my permission to boast openly that you have beaten the daylights out of me."
-Hermes, the Iliad (Stanley Lombardo, translator) Book 21

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Unread postby Idran1701 » Tue Aug 19, 2008 8:30 pm

Pandemonium

Presenting the torch against the curtain of black, it drives it away, banishing the darkness at its presence and giving them at least a few dozen feet of vision around them. The rock seems smooth, well-worn over the eons that it must have existed, with naught but a few insects scurrying from the light back into the darkness. Though they can only see so far ahead, they can almost sense the shaft stretching ahead of them. And on a plane like this, who knows what creatures might lurk in the unseeable chasms they must traverse.

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Spleen
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Unread postby Spleen » Tue Aug 19, 2008 8:56 pm

"Can someone else hold the torch?" Theller asked. "I have a crossbow to load."
"Tell you what, Leto, I won't fight with you. Zeus' wives are pretty tough customers. You have my permission to boast openly that you have beaten the daylights out of me."
-Hermes, the Iliad (Stanley Lombardo, translator) Book 21

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Unread postby Jak Snide » Wed Aug 20, 2008 5:02 am

Zant held his tongue. He had no wish to bear the magical flame, even if it was only mimicking the element.

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Unread postby Nakibe » Wed Aug 20, 2008 3:41 pm

"Um... Sure. I can do that" replied Trivale.

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Unread postby Idran1701 » Thu Aug 21, 2008 2:32 am

Pandemonium

Handing the torch over, Theller readies his crossbow as the group begins their walk through the tunnels. The city stands as a lone beacon, its few external lights glittering behind them even as the actual walls leave the reach of their torchlight, a twinkling wall of stars at their back as they move forward. Though it's hard to hear through the gusts, they could swear hearing the occasional footstep or scratch of claws against the rock, or seeing a faint sparkle of red eyes in the distance before it's gone.

Following the tunnel wall, they pass a number of branches to the right, gaping holes leading deeper and further into Pandemonium, away from the Styx by the dwarf's reckoning. One, two, three...eventually, they see the first branch to their left, angling downward some. The air about them flows into the tunnel like water down a popped drain, brushing by skin, hair, and feathers alike a bit more rapidly than before. It still may be a bit strange for some, stepping onto what appears to be a grade and feeling no change in gravity. Especially for those that look back, seeing what from the current perspective looks to be a sloped pitfall, opening onto a chasm that for as much as they can see may as well be bottomless.

This new tunnel is much more cramped than the last, and the light from the torch is just barely bright enough for them to see both walls simultaneously. Unfortunately, they no longer have the distant site of the city to hearten them, instead seemingly surrounded by a bubble of pure black held at bay only by the flickering boon of Rosalyn's loaned torch. They continue on, the wind at their backs for good or for ill.

The new tunnel winds on, curving about rather than carving the straight path of their last route. 200 feet, 500 feet, they've almost lost count by the time something happens to break the building tension. Just on the edge of the torchlight, clinging to the ceiling, three deformed humanoid creatures wearing little more than bits of leather and with bony, not-quite-horn-like protrusions jutting from their skulls stare at the four travelers, seemingly laying in wait for them to approach. Bearing fang-studded mouths dripping with viscous spittle, they stretch their gangling, double-jointed arms, leather membranes spanning from limbs to bodies. With gore-caked claws beared, they leap from their perch, not merely gliding but flying towards the travelers as they flip in mid-air. As two of the creatures spread out to pincer the party, the third merely presses forward slightly. Quickly, the three have surrounded the travelers, waiting at the edge of the brightest part of their torchlight with talons and teeth ready to tear at their flesh.


The creatures get a surprise round, but do nothing with it but move into position, thankfully for you all. They started in squares C3, C4, and B4 respectively, if this is relevant for anyone.

Battlemap (Values next to the creatures are current heights. The tunnel itself is 35 feet tall.)

Initiative:

Monster1: 18
Theller: 17
Monster3: 16
Trivale: 12
Zant: 8
Alvar: 7
Monster2: 4

Reminder: In combat, we move to daily posts. If you don't get an action in by 24 hours, I'll NPC your action as best as I'm able. You're certainly free to describe actions over multiple rounds if you like, and I'll play that accordingly as we move through combat. Also, I skipped over possible exploration in side tunnels for now since none of you saw anything interesting down them. But if anyone feels like that's too railroady and you want to check out the area than following the dwarf's instructions to the letter, let me know and I'll hold up at the next time you hit a crossroads.

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Unread postby Jak Snide » Thu Aug 21, 2008 5:25 am

The impenetrable darkness and keening winds had done little to set Zant at ease and the appearance of these things tested his resolve. He stood his ground, though, both unwilling to abandon the others and knowing that the darkness itself was a greater foe than whatever these things were. Muttering a benediction he drew his shield and spear, the latter still untested in battle.

(Fighting Defensively, will attack whatever attacks him or, if none do, the closest enemy. If he can 5-foot step to flank one of them he will.)

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Unread postby Christian » Thu Aug 21, 2008 12:54 pm

((OOC - Apologies for the lack of posting, no excuse))

Pandemonium.

Was there truly no name more fitting this horrible landscape? Ever since they stepped out of the tavern, Alvar had felt a ball the size of his fist in his guts, squeezing every time the howling of the wind sweeped through him, biting into the very core of his soul.

Truly the planes held wonders, but this was a place he would never wish to see again. The people walking together with them unnerved him, as a drunk or deranged man would with acting that, while harmless now, could at any time turned crazed and violent.

Having neglected to bring any light with him, Alvar tried to move close enough to the newly lit torch borrowed from Rosalyn. He laughed jerkily at Thellers' remark about Limbo, but as they encroached further into the pitch black darkness, it trailed into a hiss, and then nothing. His nerves were on edge, his swords in their sheath and his shield on his back. But as they proceeded he felt more and more like they would be better in his hands...

And then they were upon them.

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Spleen
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Unread postby Spleen » Fri Aug 22, 2008 12:45 am

The illusion of an incline was nothing new to Theller - after all, that was just like home. But he was used to an "in is down" sort of gravity orientation and he wasn't quite getting that in Pandemonium, so he was disoriented, probably far more than his companions (being, as they were, races used to thinking in two dimensions). This added to his sense of foreboding and made him rather glad to be walking with a hefty spear in one hand and the larger and far more unwieldy of his two crossbows in the other, freshly loaded with a bolt.

Still, for all his alertness, the first of their foes managed to get the jump on him.

(When it's Theller's turn after Monster 1, he shoots his heavy crossbow at it (taking a five-foot step away first if it moves to threaten him). If it's within 15 feet of him after his attack, he drops his heavy crossbow and readies his spear. If it's further away, he drops his heavy crossbow and readies and Rapid Reloads his light crossbow.)
"Tell you what, Leto, I won't fight with you. Zeus' wives are pretty tough customers. You have my permission to boast openly that you have beaten the daylights out of me."
-Hermes, the Iliad (Stanley Lombardo, translator) Book 21

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Unread postby Nakibe » Fri Aug 22, 2008 5:57 am

Trivale was beginning to wonder if, perhaps, he should start asking the others about why they came along when the encroaching darkness suddenly echoed with the sounds of flapping wings. DAMN. I should've seen this coming. JUST wonderful. screams one part of his brain. For a moment, he wonders if he remembers how to fight, and the next moment such thoughts are forgotten as his fingers move with practiced ease towards the bow slung at his back.

(Trivale will be dropping the torch, drawing his bow, and likely attempting to fire a shot off at monster #1, unless I find something better to do.)

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Unread postby Idran1701 » Fri Aug 22, 2008 8:41 am

Pandemonium - Round 2

As the four prepare for the strike, the first of the creatures makes a dive at Trivale, who just manages to duck under the claws of the creature. Theller shoots at it as it slows to a stop once more outside the brightest of the light, and manages to impale its side with a bolt, as the thing begins bleeding a steaming yellowish ichor.

Another of the creatures, howling in an unearthly language, makes for another dive, this time making for Theller himself. Again, the strikes from its talons barely miss their mark, leaving the barest of scores in his shoulder's armor as he drops below the swipe. Meanwhile, Trivale drops the torch on the ground, still blazing its glow, and draws his own bow. Aiming for the creature that struck at him, he lets loose an arrow that just barely goes wide, where he can barely see it hit the tunnel wall with a crack of thin wood shattering.

Zant and Alvar draw their weapons, watching the third of the three malformed things; sure enough, it follows the tactics of its siblings, again striking at Theller. This one manages to strike true, its talons digging through his leather and drawing a bit of blood from his back. His comrades are ready, though; Zant stabs forth with his spear as Alvar swings his longsword, and together, the two of them bring down this creature, its body lifelessly plummeting to the stone beside Theller with the to-him-familiar snap of hollow bones.


Monster 1 dives at Trivale, misses.
Theller shoots at Monster 1, hits for 2 damage.
Monster 3 dives at Theller, misses.
Trivale shoots at Monster 3, misses.
Zant draws and readies his shortspear for a creature to come in range, fighting defensively.
Alvar draws and readies his longsword for the same situation.
Monster 2 dives at Theller, hits for 4 damage.
Zant and Alvar both hit Monster 2, for 6 and 8 damage respectively and changing their initiative to 4.

Battlemap (red squares represent corpses)

Initiative:

Monster1: 18
Theller: 17
Monster3: 16
Trivale: 12
Zant: 4
Alvar: 4

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Unread postby Jak Snide » Fri Aug 22, 2008 8:50 am

Zant watched the thing hit the ground, feeling lingually uncomfortable with ending another creature's life. That said, the spear had proven itself as a worthy weapon of his god and secured it's place in his hands. He shifted his facing, keeping his eyes on the flying things and readying himself for another pass.

(Same as before, though not fighting defensively this time. Will 5-foot step if he has to.)

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Unread postby Christian » Fri Aug 22, 2008 12:03 pm

Alvar watched in horror as the thing struck against Theller, but his sword was ready and with a look of grim determination he struck out. His attack, albeit a bit slow, struck true and the creature fell with the aid of Zant.

A wave of silent relief rolled over him as he realized these things were killable, and with this a measure of confidence wormed its way. His eyes turned to one of the monsters (M1) and he raises his shield, slamming against it with his sword in defiance to the creature.

"Come then, foul beast, and meet the same fate as your comrade!" he bellows as he tries to taunt the creature into focusing its attacks on him.


((Alvar attempts to use Fighting Challenge against M1))

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Unread postby Idran1701 » Fri Aug 22, 2008 10:10 pm

Pandemonium - Round 3

The four party members can feel the eyes of the surviving creatures boring into them with hate. As the fiend's body falls to the ground, the one wounded by Theller charges towards him, shouting something in a raspy voice above the blowing breeze. Swooping down to the feathered bowman, he swipes his claws towards Theller's face, as Theller just manages to pull away in time to avoid a nasty wound.


Monster 1 moves next to Theller, misses an attack.

Theller:
Spoiler:
He was shouting in heavily-accented Auran. "We will flay the flesh from your bones, bird-thing! You and your companions! We will feast over your entrails this day!"


Battlemap

Initiative:

Monster1: 18
Theller: 17
Monster3: 16
Trivale: 12
Zant: 4
Alvar: 4

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Spleen
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Unread postby Spleen » Fri Aug 22, 2008 10:32 pm

After Theller shot the first attacker, he dropped the heavier crossbow at his feet and withdrew his lighter one. Thanks to his strong raptoran talons, he could load it with minimal effort, and so when the wide gash was dug into the middle of his back and slightly into the base of his left wing, he already had a bolt loaded. He turned to fire point-blank at the one that had struck him just in time to see it go down under Zant and Alvar's strikes. Nodding to them in thanks, he spun back to the one that he had attacked before, just in time to avoid the charging slash to the face. He leapt nimbly back, now standing at Alvar's left shoulder, and fired again, shouting something in a fluid, lilting language.
Spoiler:
"I take offense to being called 'bird-thing'. Besides, I don't know what to call you back except 'ugly'!"
He reloaded his crossbow with a flick of his strong talons again.

Spoiler:
Still, though, he wracked his mind trying to think of what these things could be, reasoning that if they spoke Auran they could be from his plane.


(Five foot step to the space to the right of Alvar, shoot, reload.)[/spoiler]
"Tell you what, Leto, I won't fight with you. Zeus' wives are pretty tough customers. You have my permission to boast openly that you have beaten the daylights out of me."
-Hermes, the Iliad (Stanley Lombardo, translator) Book 21

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Unread postby Nakibe » Sat Aug 23, 2008 1:40 am

I hate being exposed like this, thought Trivale as he started to reach for another arrow. But these damn things can probably see just fine without the torch. Images of himself leaping at one sword held high came to mind, but that seemed to be a fool's game at the moment. Besides, he still wasn't sure he could DO that...

Suddenly, one of their opponents swooped down towards Theller, and Trivale made his move, shouldering his bow and drawing his sword. Idly he noted that his footfalls seemed almost quiet in the gloom as he followed his instincts...

(Trivale heads to K-10, and makes with Ye Olde Stabbering Action.)

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Unread postby Idran1701 » Sat Aug 23, 2008 3:24 am

Pandemonium - Round 3

Stepping aside and keeping his distance from the creature, Theller levels his crossbow, sending another bold into the thing; this one almost dead-center into its chest. With the barest of winces, it hisses out at Theller, screaming again in language similar to Theller's speech, but screechy far more than lilting. "Erythnul
Spoiler:
will enjoy having a new canary to play with when he takes your soul!
" Baring fangs once more, it presents as imposing a sight as a half-dead thing half Theller's height might be expected to manage.

As it gasps for air, its partner, still living and untouched, flies in and once more claws at Trivale. Its attack is deflected by his armor, as sparks shoot from the contact. Glaring at the tiefling, it makes its own call towards Theller, its voice somewhat more high-pitched. "
Spoiler:
And the fiend-blood will make for delicious prey for our hunters!
" Floating back, he whips off into the dark too fast for Trivale to strike, just barely visible on the edge of the torchlight now. He thus turns his attention to the closer of the two, adding to its wounds with a stab of its sword and sending this one to join his companion on the cavern floor.


Theller steps and shoots at Monster 1, hitting for 5 damage.
Monster 3 moves in and slashes at Trivale, missing, before moving off again.
Trivale moves and stabs Monster 1, hitting for 6 damage and killing it.

Battlemap

Initiative:

Theller: 17
Monster3: 16
Trivale: 12
Zant: 4
Alvar: 4

Stopping here to give Zant and Alvar a chance to re-evaluate their actions, since the situation's changed pretty heavily. Since it's easy to miss, Monster 3 is still on the map in square C2. It's still in range of attacking, and you can just barely see him, but for purposes of concealment he's in the darkness area and thus has a 50% miss chance.

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Unread postby Jak Snide » Sat Aug 23, 2008 6:52 am

Zant didn't know what the words coming from the things' mouths meant, but he caught their meaning. They meant to kill them, having attacked without warning or provocation, and their words were nothing but barbs and taunts in his mind. He almost rushed after the last one as it retreated into the darkness, the odds encouraging him to give chase, but he calmed himself and stood his ground. The currents would bring his foe to him and there was no sense in struggling upstream against them.

(Standing ground and readying to strike as it comes close.)

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Unread postby Idran1701 » Sun Aug 24, 2008 5:05 am

Pandemonium - Round 3/4

Zant and Alvar stand their ground, waiting for the creature to fly back and strike against the group once more. However, Theller hopes not to give it the chance, aiming his crossbow and sending a bolt off after it into the darkness. Unfortunately, his bolt seems to go wide, as once more the crack of wood against stone echoes through the tunnel before eaten by the endless winds.

Though the party still can't see the creature, they can hear the sound of flapping wings growing fainter. It seems to be retreating from the party; perhaps it's realized that they're too strong for it alone?

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Unread postby Christian » Mon Aug 25, 2008 2:56 am

Alvars tense shoulders relax somewhat as the monsters leave, his sword swinging slowly down until the tip hovers just over the ground and his shield sinking so that his arm rests at his side.

It was over, for now. The screaming of Pandemonium had not ceased with the battle, but for a blessed moment he had not heard it as clearly. Now it was back again.

"Shall we press on?" he asked the others, brushing some strands of errant hair from his forehead, "that thing is most certainly fetching more of its' kind, it must not share much love for travellers of our kind..."

He didn't say what truly was on his mind, but his eyes glanced to Theller, the one that had seemed the primary target of the attack...

Demon's blood?



((I've had an extremely busy weekend, which is why my posting has been sporadic. Studying in preparation of the new term that officially started today, apologies))

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Unread postby Spleen » Mon Aug 25, 2008 8:20 pm

"I am with that idea," Theller said, turning the winch on his heavy crossbow to reload it. "Let's press on, hopefully we'll find a path that leads away from where they are. And if not, well, they're not immune to our weapons."
"Tell you what, Leto, I won't fight with you. Zeus' wives are pretty tough customers. You have my permission to boast openly that you have beaten the daylights out of me."
-Hermes, the Iliad (Stanley Lombardo, translator) Book 21

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Unread postby Jak Snide » Tue Aug 26, 2008 5:24 am

Zant watched the darkness for a few seconds, wary of another attack, before letting his guard drop and turning to Theller. "Turn about and hold a moment." he requested, reaching out with his left hand to tend to the man's wounds.

(Casting Cure Light Wounds on Theller)

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Unread postby Idran1701 » Tue Aug 26, 2008 7:32 am

Pandemonium

Zant reaches out, laying his hand on Theller and channeling his patron's power into the raptoran. He feels his wounds heal, though his armor is still scored; it'll likely need some sort of healing of its own when he gets the chance. Meanwhile, a cursory check of the two dead things results in a trio of bluish-green gems each about the size of a copper and a half, though likely worth much more.

With Theller's wounds taken care of, the torch is retrieved and the group continues on, picking up the pace a bit and keeping a close eye out for the next tunnel branch. Only a few hundred feet further down, they find it - a thinner tunnel, only about 20 feet across this time and about as wide. They hear no sound of approaching creatures from either in front or behind, so things seem to be relatively safe for now.

And the journey continues on. A good distance down the tunnel, another branch appears on the left. This one's even smaller; just about 15 feet wide, maybe even 12. But they turn in, and continue their walk. Much time seems to pass without any change, though it's hard to measure time in an environment like this. On top of that, the wind seems to surge whenever someone might try keeping track of it in his mind, shattering his concentration and blowing the numbers right out of his head. Some might try conversation to cover the everlasting breeze, and it does seem to work a little. And of course, small talk isn't for everyone. Thankfully for them, there are occasional other distractions from the plane.

Few other signs of life appear in the tunnel, but that's not to say none at all. First, a spider - of the normal size, not the monstrous - walks on by. A strange sort, completely eyeless. Other crawling creatures, similarly lacking in sight, follow soon after, passing by without any notice of the party or the torch.

Not all they find is alive, though. Some time later - whether it's 2 hours, 12, or 20, none could say with certainty, though it feels somewhere around the second - the wind seems to pick up suddenly as the corpse of a foot-long rat is found. Also without eyes, of course, and naturally so despite the visible bite-marks in the carcass showing it to be half-eaten. The rancid scent of it hits them in full force as it comes into sight, once they no longer stand upwind of the thing, and a few dozen maggots writhe in the remains, feasting on whatever it was that left a part of its meal behind. A few bones are scattered about, suggesting this wasn't the only victim of the feast.

Zant casts a CLW and heals Theller for 7 hp, fully recovering his health.

As for experience, now that the encounter is officially over: you killed two, and chased off the third for which you'll still receive experience. 300 apiece to each of the four of you.

As for the gems, no one said if they were looting the bodies or not, but I wasn't sure if that's because you thought it was implied or if you explicitly weren't, so I just described what they had for anyone that was. If you could clarify that part of things for future reference for me in your posts, I'd appreciate it.

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Unread postby Jak Snide » Tue Aug 26, 2008 7:43 am

Zant had been contemplating dogma, using the familiar words and parables to keep him sane in the presence of the howling wind. Despite this, however, he was glad to have a new distraction, regardless of how grisly it was.

"What do you suppose is responsible for this array of remains?" he asked aloud, looking around as he did.

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Spleen
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Unread postby Spleen » Tue Aug 26, 2008 9:23 am

(Actually, I just completely forgot about treasure because they weren't using equipment against us.)

In the rush of adrenaline, Theller had completely forgotten about his wound, and looked rather embarrassed about that when he was healed. "My thanks," he said over the wind.

Later, as they found the bodies: "Gods and the Lords of Air!" he exclaimed, taking a step further away from the corpses and holding his nose. "Whatever caused this, it was a long time ago, judging by the maggots; unless flies reproduce faster on this plane, that is. I don't think we have much to worry about."
"Tell you what, Leto, I won't fight with you. Zeus' wives are pretty tough customers. You have my permission to boast openly that you have beaten the daylights out of me."
-Hermes, the Iliad (Stanley Lombardo, translator) Book 21

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Christian
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Unread postby Christian » Tue Aug 26, 2008 10:08 am

(similarly, I had no thoughts about treasure, but I will certainly try to remember it for the future)

Alvar had taken the sudden assault as a sign to be cautious, and for much of the continued trek he said little, only nodding in response to a comment, or muttering a small prayer or other words of assurance to himself when the wind took a particularly nasty turn. The sight of the eyeless creatures sent thrills of disgust down his spine, but he stomached it as they proved to only mind their own business; he was glad to do the same.

The sight and smell of the decaying rat sent him back to the reality of senses and impressions, and he walked slowly up to the corpse while breathing through his mouth. It was hard not to retch, but he wasn't completely inexperienced in these matters.

"It's certainly been dead for a while, and as far as I can tell this doesn't seem to be a nest of any kind, so I doubt there's much danger waiting for us..." he shifted the grip of his sword, which was still drawn, "still, it wouldn't hurt to keep our eyes and ears on alert... don't let the wind get to you, of course..." he muttered the last words slowly, "...and be careful if you see any snails..."

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Unread postby Nakibe » Wed Aug 27, 2008 12:04 am

"I'm starting to wonder what ELSE we might encounter here." says Trivale timidly. Knowing that he could wield both sword and bow effectively only worried him more, especially with this circumstance. It was looking too much like he'd NEED these skills. In fact, a small part of him berated him, for he could surely do better than THAT.

"I mean, this trip is already unsettling enough, right?"

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Unread postby Idran1701 » Wed Aug 27, 2008 2:41 am

Pandemonium

Indeed, it seems much time has passed since whatever occurred here. The blood on the rock floor is long-since dried, barely a slight discoloration now, and the bones are utterly dry. The attack that resulted in this must have been some time ago, days at least.

As the party talks about matters, a strange sight occurs. The writhing of the maggots slows, eventually stopping. The white worms stop their feasting, almost seeming to turn towards the party, watching with their sickening, featureless stubs of heads.

Featureless on first glance, that is. But as they look closer, they can see these maggots don't have the rounded nubs above their mandibles that most possess. These seem shaped, with a pair of divots above the center line, a single below, and a peak in the center. A vaguely familiar shape, that...

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Unread postby Jak Snide » Wed Aug 27, 2008 5:33 am

Zant took a step away from the corpse, reaching for his spear. He didn't know if it would do him much good but the presence of a weapon in his hand reassured him slightly.

"I believe that we should be moving onwards." he muttered.

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Unread postby Spleen » Wed Aug 27, 2008 10:04 am

Sweat broke out on Theller's brow as the maggots turned at once. "Onwards," he confirmed. "And quickly."
"Tell you what, Leto, I won't fight with you. Zeus' wives are pretty tough customers. You have my permission to boast openly that you have beaten the daylights out of me."
-Hermes, the Iliad (Stanley Lombardo, translator) Book 21

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Christian
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Unread postby Christian » Wed Aug 27, 2008 10:23 am

Alvar gave a very brief nod, a look of some disgust and horror on his face as he saw the maggots.

"Truly, a place like this can only spawn the worst horrors of the planes..." he muttered as he gave the corpse a wide berth.

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Unread postby Idran1701 » Thu Aug 28, 2008 4:44 am

Pandemonium

Leaving a wide buffer between themselves and the rat, the party continues down the tunnel. The maggots continue "watching" them until left in the darkness, when once more they are alone. And so they resume their trek.

More hours pass, as the group passes on through two more branches, into wider and wider tunnels this time. Almost 50 feet across, their current one, the walls can't even be seen in the light of their torch. The wind seems to be increasing with strength, and their legs are getting increasingly heavier as they press on. They've been walking for what must have been 20 hours by now, perhaps even more, and besides the occasional strange insect, they've had no further encounters. Their minds start to cloud a bit too, and it's becoming harder and harder to keep the wind from touching upon their thoughts. They're faced with a choice: continue onwards and grow ever more exhausted and ever more open to the maddening gusts, or set up camp and risk sleeping in a place such as this. Neither option is especially desirable - as with many situations in the Lower Planes, they must choose the lesser of these two Evils.

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Unread postby Jak Snide » Sat Aug 30, 2008 9:09 am

Zant's pace had begun to slow. He was tired and his legs ached from the repeated impact of his feet against the ground beneath him. He didn't fancy his chances catching a full night's sleep down here, however, and so he kept his silence and plodded onwards.

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Unread postby Spleen » Sun Aug 31, 2008 1:10 am

"We should at least try and get some sleep," Theller reasoned, over the sound of the wind. "Four hours' worth, if nothing else; each of us sits a mere hour's watch and each of us comes away with three hours of sleep."
"Tell you what, Leto, I won't fight with you. Zeus' wives are pretty tough customers. You have my permission to boast openly that you have beaten the daylights out of me."
-Hermes, the Iliad (Stanley Lombardo, translator) Book 21

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