WM/Treks/Log 2-11

Narrator: The delvers are 8 days out from Polisberg, walking northwest from a grove of silvery yew trees. The oak and yew forest around them sways in the heavily gusting winds, and walking and hearing is difficult in the powerful airflow. Past the trees' swaying canopies, the sun beats down mercilessly.
GM: Currently, it's 9 am. You're in a forest. There's a faint small of water coming from the northeast.
GM: Doing anything?
GM: Oh, and high holy day of Fire, Disease, and Luck.
Shelley: I believe the plan is head back to civilization, resupply, and then argue about our priorities.
Marik: Right.
Shelley: It's important to schedule time for bickering :D
Wolfgang: we're not hitting the tower?
Marik: So northeast to backtrack will be fastest, I think. Northwest around the lake is swampy.
Ghazeb: Shouldn't we verify that we have found the correct tower first?
Shelley: And full of vine monsters I think?
Marik: I think the decision was that we don't really have enough supplies left to hit the tower.
Thasos: yeah, it took awhile to find, but now that we know where it is...
Wolfgang: we should at least see if his ghost is there
Marik: It *is* more or less on the way.
Beltarne: I'm along for the ride, I haven't read the chat logs.
Ghazeb: Well that's good...
Beltarne: Lead and I vill follow
Wolfgang: also, we need more loot or we can't stay in town
Marik: Right, to the tower it is.
GM: ... directions?
Wolfgang: towerward!
Marik: From what I can tell on the map, north is correct. We should hit Obsidian Lake by doing that, and then we can head for the tower.
Marik: However, if there's some kind of easier path that Marik isn't aware of that Marik is, that's definitely a better plan.
GM: Alright, you turn north.
Shelley: "... didn't those leprechauns say something about Sir Scydd being alive?"
Ghazeb: "Ghazeb thinks the leprechauns may have misunderstood us and our intentions."
Wolfgang: "Well, if we trust them and he just wasn't a squishy dead instead of a whooshy one"
Beltarne: "I wasn't really paying attention. Can never trust Leprechauns."
** Thasos nods. **
Shelley: "
Shelley: "We certainly seemed to be taking directions from them."
Beltarne: "Wasn't my idea."
** Thasos shrugs. **
Narrator: After forty minutes of difficult walking, the forest things out and opens onto a narrow plain. Immediately in front of them, a river descends from the west and flows into a small lake to the east, a few hundred feet away. The river flows out of a line of forested hills that cover the horizon from the SSW to the NNE. The pond is surrounded by the forest of white yew.
Narrator: To the northwest, amid the hills, the delvers can barely make out a tiny rectangle of gray stone.
whispering to Marik, Marik, being a telescope, can see a blank rectangular tower with 4 tall spires, one on each corner. 
Marik: "Tower. Four spires. Blank walls. I seem to remember hearing something about that; I don't think it's the one we're looking for."
Wolfgang: "What, how many towers are around here?"
Beltarne: "Hey, wasn't there supposed to be a forrest of wood that was really good for bows? Is that it?"
Marik: "Might be, though. It's on the lakeshore."
Wolfgang: ((was that the same tower I saw earlier?))
whispering to Ghazeb, Again, that sounds like 4-Points Tower, a notable feature on the trip from Shigrad. 
Marik: "We just left it. What, the nymph addled your brains, godbotherer?"
whispering to Wolfgang, You think so. 
Beltarne: "... maybe a bit."
Wolfgang: "Silver ones only, white are not worth as much"
Beltarne: "Tricksy creatures, nymphs."
Beltarne: "With their.... wiles... and such."
** Thasos smirks and nods. **
Marik: "In any case, onward to the tower."
Wolfgang: "lets go check it out, good chance of some loot at least"
Marik: "Unless it's that magical tower that can't be entered except by magic that we heard about. I don't know, I just make sure we don't get too lost."
Marik: "Let's get moving."
** Beltarne trudges after Marik **
Shelley: "I think if it's the magical tower of magic, someone may pay us for finding it."
Wolfgang: "We'll need proof"
Narrator: The delvers head north by northwest, trying to stay aligned on the tower, though it keeps being hidden by the trees on the hills. 
Wolfgang: "Plus it'd be more profitable if we can manage to figure a way in ourselves."
Beltarne: "Which is very important!"
Beltarne: "Very! Important!"
Shelley: "Having a good map and description of the exterior, along with a list of things to worry about along the route, would be just as valuable."
Narrator: As they cross the fields, they can see the hill line runs from the SW to the NE, leveling out due north of them and subsiding into more forest. A series of creeks feed together as the land plateaus, becoming a wide river that separates the white yew forest on the east from the oak forest on the west. The river runs to the northeast, and Marik reckons he can see where it feeds into the main lake to northwest on the horizon.
Wolfgang: "Oh, I can think of a few things we might find in a tower of magic more valuable than a map"
Narrator: As they start climbing into the hills, they notice a strange pattern in the ground: hundreds of hand-sized circular imprints, forming a rough trail running from west to east, or maybe east to west. The trail smells faintly of vanilla.
** Thasos looks curiously at Wolfgang. **
Shelley: "If you have plans for getting into the magic tower that can only be entered with magic, do share."
** Beltarne frowns at the tracks. **
** Shelley gives the tracks a funny look, shrugs, and looks at the resident tracker. **
Beltarne: "Marik. Are there any giant spiders that smell like vanilla?"
Wolfgang: "Well, you know magic"
** Shelley gives Beltarne a funny look. "Vanilla. Spiders. Do they come in chocolate too? **
Marik: "Looks like an ant trail. We've already seen giant wasps. Maybe giant ants, too?"
** Beltarne lets out a breath, "Oh well, that's fine then." **
Shelley: "Didn't someone mention giant ants? And wait, vanilla ants?"
Wolfgang: "Lets not find out, bug parts are not worth a lot"
Marik: "Ever dripped honey on someone staked out near an anthill?"
Beltarne: "No, because I'm not a savage."
Beltarne: "Your highness."
Marik: "Manhood rite. Anyway, the ants go nuts for anything sweet."
Marik: "But I agree, we don't want to meet 'em. Let's go."
Shelley: We go!
Narrator: As the delvers head northwest, the tower continues to be hidden by and reappear from behind the trees, until it finally looms over them. It is tall and square, much taller than any of the nearby trees, and made of a seamless grey stone. No windows, doors, or cracks break the flawless facade.
Shelley: "Magic tower."
Shelley: Hey, IS it magic?
Narrator: At each corner, a spire of stone soars into the air, at least half again as tall as the main body of the tower.
Marik: "This does in fact seem to be the magic tower what can't be entered except by magic."
Wolfgang: "Fancy! Must be some great loot in there!"
GM: It... Sometimes you look at it, and it is magic. Most times you look at it and it is not. It is vaguely head-ache inducing.
** Beltarne gazes at the tower and softly whimpers. **
Beltarne: "There's got to be a way in."
Beltarne: "Wolfgang, wanna take a look up top?"
** Wolfgang flys around it looking for a way in **
GM: It sits on what was once a cleared field, but is now overgrown with bushes, cacti, and fragrant ferns and reeds.
** Shelley pointedly turns her back on it and looks at everything except the tower. **
** Wolfgang spirals up to take a look at the roof of the tower and spires **
GM: There's a lot of chop around the tower - the roaring wind gusts die to nothing, or blow from the east, suddenly. Make an Aerobatics roll at -2.
Wolfgang: Aerobatics (12) [3d6.skill(12,-2)] => [3,5,3] = 11 vs (10) or less Failure! by 1 
Wolfgang: luck!
Wolfgang: Aerobatics (12) [3d6.skill(12,-2)] => [2,4,6] = 12 vs (10) or less Failure! by 2 
Wolfgang: Aerobatics (12) [3d6.skill(12,-2)] => [4,4,4] = 12 vs (10) or less Failure! by 2 
Shelley: eek
Wolfgang: luck fails me!
GM: Make another Aerobatics roll at -2.
Thasos: uh oh
Wolfgang: Aerobatics (12) [3d6.skill(12,-2)] => [3,5,2] = 10 vs (10) or less Success! by 0 
Wolfgang: at least I made the important one?
Narrator: The delvers watch with worry as Wolfgang dips and spins towards the tower. At the last moment, it looks like he is going to slip away, but then a gust of wind catches him and tosses him into the tower. He crunches against it, and then slides down a bit before his frantically beating wings give him enough lift to pull away.
GM: Wolfgang hits the tower for [2d6+2] => [2,2,2] = (6) damage, armor is halved.
GM: He can fly around a bit more, but he can't find any entrances.
GM: ... Make a Vision check, though.
Wolfgang: "Ow"
GM: Wolfgang.
Wolfgang: Vision (13) [3d6.skill(13,0)] => [3,6,4] = 13 vs (13) or less Success! by 0 
GM: There might be the overgrown remains of a path, approaching the tower from the east.
Wolfgang: "Well, there's a path from the east we missed..."
Wolfgang: what kind of roof does the tower have?
** Marik moves over to the east side of the tower, looking for this path. **
GM: Stone, flat, seamless.
Wolfgang: :(
Marik: ((Just to clarify - the entire tower is seamless, no signs of bricks or anything? Like it was just grown out of the living rock?))
GM: The path is overgrown with reeds and fat cacti. 
GM: Marik - yes.
GM: It stops about 10 yards short of the tower, ending in a couple of boulders. Smooth but angled facets have been cut into them at a few places.
** Marik calls out, "Hey, this might be important." **
** Shelley inspects the boulders, since they aren't the tower and aren't giving her a migraine. **
** Thasos looks. **
Shelley: I'm looking for a magic portal of some sort. Probably fuitilely.
** Wolfgang looks at the boulders, rubbing his arm **
** Beltarne approaches Marik and examines the stone. **
Thasos: are all the boulders cut evenly as if a circle was drawn around the tower that intersects them?
** Beltarne breaks out the first aid kit and takes a look at Wolfgang's arm while he's at it. **
Beltarne: First Aid/TL3 (Humanoid) (15) [3d6.skill(15,0)] => [5,2,3] = 10 vs (15) or less Success! by 5 Conditional: +1 from 'First Aid Kit'
Beltarne: [1d6] => [6] = (6)
GM: No - they're mostly irregular boulders, there's 3 of them, and someone has cut/carved/sanded/whatever some smooth facets onto them in their general roughness.
Wolfgang: "Thanks!"
Beltarne: "That should take some of the sting out of that."
Wolfgang: "Good as new!"
Thasos: so the facets are just random spots?
Marik: "So we've found the tower. I'll make sure my maps get updated and annotated tonight; are there any details I should make sure I include so that we get paid?"
Shelley: Do they align or point at some shared point?
GM: I don't do conclusions, Thasos.
GM: They don't align or point at any shared point.
Shelley: They all point in different directions then?
GM: Yes.
Shelley: "I'd say mark the old path, mark the boulders, and do what you can to record the characteristics of these tampered spots.
Thasos: i meant appearing random, though shelley phrased it better
GM: Oh!
whispering to Shelley, The spots remind you of a diagram you saw in the weird book you had translated. 
whispering to Thasos, The spots remind you of a diagram you saw in the weird book you had translated. 
Shelley: "I think they're for mounting that entry aparatus."
Wolfgang: do the boulders look moveable or are they freakn' huge?
Shelley: "But if nothing else, when we get time I'd like to sit down and do some calculations to see if that's the case."
** Thasos has a moment of understanding, at last. **
** Thasos nods at Shelley. **
Shelley: "And it'll be useful if either we build it, or we sell the lot to someone else who will build it, if they can cross check the diagram and the apparatus."
GM: Uhm... they're a couple of cubic feet each, so 400-1000 lbs. I dunno if that's "moveable."
** Beltarne kicks at the dirt, annoyed. **
Wolfgang: if they're not in the ground, yes
Wolfgang: rollable :)
** Wolfgang pokes at the bottom of the boulders **
GM: Dirt!
Beltarne: "Scydd is the single most elusive ghost I've never met."
Marik: "I think taking the boulders away would be bad."
Beltarne: "Aye."
Marik: "Hopefully the information about the tower will be worth something."
Beltarne: "And not "bad" in a "would get us into the tower" bad."
Wolfgang: "I was thinking of lining up the smooth spots"
Shelley: "I really think that entry apparatus is supposed to stand on them."
** Thasos nods. **
Shelley: Or be connected to them anyways. SO messing up the alignment as they currently sit may ruin anyones chances of getting in, ever."
Wolfgang: "Oh."
** Thasos holds his hands out, fingers spread, and intertwines his fingers. **
** Wolfgang looks sad **
GM: Everyone mopes under the harsh mien of Wolfgang's depression.
Wolfgang: "I dunno how many rich delvers we're gonna find to sell it to"
GM: Or something.
** Beltarne picks a rock up off the ground and throws it at the tower disgustedly." **
Wolfgang: "Still better to get it ourselves"
Beltarne: "Aye."
GM: It bounces off the walls, much as you would expect a rock to bounce off stone.
Beltarne: "need to find something that's not locked up tight to pay the bills first, though. And get that apparatus made."
Wolfgang: "There's still more stuff in the village with the mud things"
Kuroshima (enter): 18:00
Wolfgang: "We could try following the trail to find our ghost"
Shelley: Does it leave a mark, much as I'd expect a rock bouncing off stone to leave?
Wolfgang: "I didn't think he was AT the tower"
Shelley: "I honestly don't think Scydd is the reported ghost. I think someone got their paladins mixed up.
Shelley: "
Marik: "I'll tell you all what. I'll go find some food to get us through the next day or so, while you decide what to do. I'll be back in an hour."
Marik: ((How's food doing for Clyde?))
Marik: ((And I assume this is 'Hills', not 'Woodlands'.))
Narrator: The tower is sited at a panaromic point, on the edge of a bluff running from the southwest to the northeast. Below the bluffs, an open field runs a few miles until it reaches a large lake. The hills sink down into forest to the northeast.
** Thasos admires the view. **
Marik: ((Foraging roll?))
Beltarne: ((I haven't been tracking Clyde's food, even before I missed two weeks. Naughty Nate.))
Narrator: Far to the northwest, a peninsula juts out into the lake, and the bright sun reflects off miles of black sand. Near the tip of the peninsula, Marik can barely make out marshreed huts with diffuse smoke coming out of them.
GM: Clyde will have 2 days of food left at the end of today.
Marik: ((Is that 'across the lake' northwest, or 'northwest in the area marked 'more swamp' northwest?))
Beltarne: Naturalist roll to assist Marik!
Beltarne: Naturalist (12) [3d6.skill(12,0)] => [2,6,3] = 11 vs (12) or less Success! by 1 
Marik: Survival (Hills): [3d6.skill(16,0)] => [3,5,5] = 13 vs (16) or less Success! by 3 
Narrator: To the north, more swamp is visible beyond the trees, and the lake beyond that.
GM: Uhm. This is technically "forested hills", so forest survival works - Marik forages at +5 with Beltarne's help.
Shelley: Can more htan one person help?
GM: Yes.
Shelley: Or is this a one and only one helper tasks?
Marik: In that case, success by 13?
Shelley: Survival (Woodlands) (11) [3d6.skill(11,-3)] => [1,4,4] = 9 vs (8) or less Failure! by 1 
Shelley: uh, not -3
Marik: Or is that '+5 including the bonus for Beltarne and the bonus for woods'?
Shelley: -0
GM: And if Marik has the map right, the "more swamp" is NNW, while the peninsula is more WNW.
Shelley: so success by 1
GM: Total success is now 9.
Marik: ((My question was whether the peninsula was jutting from the north bank of the lake, or the south bank of the lake.))
GM: Oh, from the west bank of the lake on the southern side.
Marik: Ah, k.
GM: The shore turns south at the edge of the map.
GM: But yeah, you could totally walk there.
GM: Across the black sand.
** Marik returns with nine meails' worth of food. **
GM: For Clyde?
Marik: For people.
GM: okay!
Marik: I'll forage for Clyde at the end of the march.
GM: Everyone started with about 10 days rations, right?
Thasos: i did
Beltarne: Yup
Shelley: Aye
Shelley: I think more actually
Shelley: [27/3] => 9
Shelley: oh, 9 days here
Wolfgang: yes, 10 here
Marik: I started with 7 units of elven rations, which I think are still in 'days', not 'meals'.
GM: Alright, everyone has about 4 days less.
GM: Right.
Marik: But I forage virtually every night.
Shelley: ah, I've got it. 9 days trail rations, 1 day cheap, because leftovers are nicer for that first day while they're fresh.
Shelley: I ate them first :D
Beltarne: Smart
GM: Yes, you have 16 meals left, Marik.
GM: You spend an hour at the tower, scrounging food.
GM: It's quite tasty - there are all kinds of exotic things here, like swamp truffles and olives and some wild saffron, along with nuts and apples.
Marik: "So where are we going?"
Shelley: Cactus apples are pretty damn awesome.
Wolfgang: "Follow the trail?"
GM: The trail goes east for maybe 30 yards, and stops.
GM: Check, 1 2 3.
Marik: "I could go out to find more food if you haven't made up your minds yet."
Marik: "It's pretty good eating around here, really."
Wolfgang: "Well, we might want to stock up then"
Ghazeb: I thought once we found the tower...right or wrong we were heading back to Polisburg...
Marik: "Right, I'll be back in an hour. Enjoy the extended rest."
Wolfgang: "I think we should go east looking for the ghost"
Beltarne: "Won't last long, unless we take more time to preserve it."
Marik: Survival (Woodlands): [3d6.skill(20,-2)] => [6,4,4] = 14 vs (18) or less Success! by 4 
Marik: Luck.
Wolfgang: "Then maybe the mud thing village"
Marik: Survival (Woodlands): [3d6.skill(20,-2)] => [3,6,2] = 11 vs (18) or less Success! by 7 
Marik: Survival (Woodlands): [3d6.skill(20,-2)] => [6,1,4] = 11 vs (18) or less Success! by 7 
Beltarne: "Well, the mud village is an option, we should make sure that whatever we do we can loop by it on the way back."
Beltarne: "In case nothing else pans out."
Beltarne: "So, what's the final decision?"
Wolfgang: "We can also go talk to whoever lives in the huts Marik saw"
Ghazeb: "As long as Ghazeb has plenty of food he is good to go."
Wolfgang: "Might be the bug dudes that sold them the book"
Beltarne: "Sure, gather some more intel."
Wolfgang: "They'll attack on sight knowing our luck, but we can try"
Beltarne: "Everyone okay with that plan?"
** Ghazeb nods. **
** Shelley looks at her shambling zombie bog monster, and shrugs. "Sure, I guess." **
Wolfgang: "Sure, all it takes is time and food"
Beltarne: "Alright, lets pack it in and get moving, then."
Wolfgang: "Maybe they have boats!"
** Beltarne adjusts his shoulder straps, looks around for Marik, and follows him when he indicates he's ready to go." **
Marik: "There's some kind of symmetrical hill in the middle of that swamp - could be a barrow, or some kind of lost settlement."
Ghazeb: Or a beaver den....
Marik: "Too symmetrical for that."
Wolfgang: "Um, how much swamp we have to go through?"
Marik: "It's bloody round."
Beltarne: "Positive thoughts, my furry friend."
Wolfgang: "And is it closer than the huts"
Beltarne: "See! Round! I guess beavers hate circles!"
Marik: "About three miles? Could be there before midday tomorrow."
** Thasos holds his arms out to Ghazeb, as if offering to carry him through the swamp. There's a mocking glee in his eye. **
GM: If you skirted the forest and the swamp, it looks like there are fields that would take you MOST of the way there.
Beltarne: "Mound first, then huts if that's nothing special?"
Wolfgang: "Works for me"
Marik: "Sounds good to me. I agree we need /some/ treasure.
** Shelley signs. **
** Wolfgang is all for avoiding the swamp and forest when we can **
GM: Hiking rolls for Marik and Ghazeb, please.
** Marik sets out to skirt the forest and the swamp through the fields that will get us most of the way to the round hill. **
Marik: Hiking: [3d6.skill(14,0)] => [3,4,2] = 9 vs (14) or less Success! by 5 
Ghazeb: Hiking(12): [3d6.skill(12)] => [6,3,1] = 10 vs (12) or less Success! by 2 
Narrator: The sun beats down on the delvers, and the wind wips at them, but they still make good time on the open fields, out of the forest and hills.
Narrator: They skirt along the west side of the forest for an hour, heading north until the swamp is visible, then thread between the forest and the swamp, curling northeast and then north along a spur of fields that Wolfgang didn't see on his scouting earlier in the week.
Narrator: As they approach the swamp, they can begin to make a faint series of agonized screams. As they move around, they can tell that they seem to be coming from Marik's strange dome, still easily a mile away.
Shelley: "Uh."
Marik: "Well."
Beltarne: "Well, that's promising."
Wolfgang: "Must be the right way!"
Shelley: "You have a strange definition of promise."
** Thasos nods. **
** Ghazeb looks at Thasos. "Relations of yours?" **
Beltarne: "Come on, sounds like someone needs saving! Maybe they're rich!"
Marik: "I'm not sure I'd call it promising. Creepy, strange, worrying. Not promising."
** Thasos looks at Ghazeb, not getting his joke. **
Shelley: "I'm with Marik on this one. But rescuing sounds like a good plan."
Marik: "Let's go."
GM: brb
Ghazeb: "Ghazeb doubts the screams are coming from anyone we can rescue..."
Beltarne: Tease!
Shelley: "Lets go!" Gm goes. 
Beltarne: Curse Mark's literalism!
Wolfgang: "Oh, but the ones doing the tormenting might be killable"
GM: The delvers turn west, stepping into the marshy swamp. The ground squelches beneath their feet, thick with water, and in many places, the water actually rises a few inches above the ground. Grasses and reeds break the surface in a variety of stinking vegatations.
GM: In several places, the only way forward is through the puddles.
Ghazeb: "Gah. Gahzeb hates mud between his toes!"
Ghazeb: ((oops mispell there))_
Marik: "There's a reason we have boots, catboy."
** Thasos points to his boots and sticks his tongue out at Ghazeb. **
GM: As you cross a wide puddle, everyone can take this excellent opportunity to make Survival (Swamp) checks. At -2.
Thasos: default?
GM: Oh, and the screaming is getting louder as you approach.
Ghazeb: ((well ghazeb has boots...just assuming they are open a bit for his clawnails))
GM: Any other Survival at -3, or Perception at -5.
Marik: ((Per -5 or Survival (other) -3))
Marik: Survival (Swamp): [3d6.skill(16,-2)] => [1,4,5] = 10 vs (14) or less Success! by 4 
GM: And has been continuing without end for over an hour that you've heard.
Shelley: Survival (Woodlands) (11) [3d6.skill(11,-3)] => [5,6,3] = 14 vs (8) or less Failure! by 6 
Thasos: Per (11) [3d6.skill(11,-5)] => [1,2,1] = 4 vs (6) or less Critical Success! [B556]
Ghazeb: Perception: [3d6.skill(11,-5-2)] => [3,1,4] = 8 vs (4) or less Failure! by 4 
Thasos: ((woot!))
Wolfgang: Per (10) [3d6.skill(10,-5)] => [1,4,3] = 8 vs (5) or less Failure! by 3 
Marik: "I'll bet two copper ocins that the screaming is Scydd."
Wolfgang: success if vision counts
Beltarne: Per (14) [3d6.skill(14,-5)] => [4,4,2] = 10 vs (9) or less Failure! by 1 
Wolfgang: "Yah, mortal lungs would have given out"
Wolfgang: "Or at least be horse"
Narrator: The delvers are advancing in a loose line, splashing through the water, when suddenly Ghazeb, Wolfgang, and all of the skeletal automata pitch deep into the water. They have just stepped off the edge of an underwater ravine!
Shelley: Gah@
** Thasos reacts quickly, reaching in to grab whoever he can. **
GM: Swimming is HT-4! Entering the water with surprise is a -3 penalty! Additional penalty equal to twice your encumbrance penalty! Roll swiming to avoid drowning!
Shelley: Uh, does this include Adam? Because that means I"m going in too.
Beltarne: And Beltarne? I failed as well.
Ghazeb: HT: [3d6.skill(13,-4-3-2)] => [6,2,1] = 9 vs (4) or less Failure! by 5 
GM: No, just the line guys. Beltarne and Shelley are far enough back that they aren't in the water.
Beltarne: K
Shelley: What's a line guy?
GM: The goonsquad and the vine zombie.
Wolfgang: ((still superhighwinds? shouldn't I be flying?))
Marik: The people who usually take the front line in a fight.
Shelley: K.
Thasos: us up front
GM: Wolfgang can't fly north into a 25 mph headwind. Only south.
Marik: Also: do vine zombies float?
Skeleton: HT (12) [3d6.skill(12,-4-3)] => [5,6,5] = 16 vs (5) or less Critical Failure! by 11 [B556]
Wolfgang: HT (14) [3d6.skill(14,-4-3)] => [1,1,3] = 5 vs (7) or less Success! by 2 
Skeleton: Plus I think a further penalty for bieng boney.
GM: Uhm... there's really no need to roll for the skeletons. THEY DON'T BREATHE.
Marik: I'd think some kind of a bonus for not being surprised or panicked, though.
Wolfgang: oops, -2 more for enc, still made it tho
Marik: What with the not breathing thing.
Shelley: Oh, never mind then.
Shelley: They sink we dig them out again eventually.
** Beltarne gets the rope off his pack. **
GM: So Wolfgang spreads his wings as improvised floats.
Thasos: they can, i would think, still get stuck down there
GM: Ghazeb breathes water.
Ghazeb: However they should be sinking and might not be able to make it back out...
Shelley: That was sort of what I was thinking of, but no time limit, never mind.
GM: Roll against water phobia, Ghazeb, at -3.
** Shelley fetches her rope out of her saddle bags! **
Ghazeb: Phobia (Water): [3d6.skill(15,-3)] => [5,1,2] = 8 vs (12) or less Success! by 4 
** Wolfgang goes back to the shallow part **
GM: Alright, 5 seconds pass while people dig gear out of their packs, unless anyone dives in?
Shelley: I'm a terrible choice for lifeguard.
Thasos: thasos can't swim
Shelley: Nobody can swim, afaikt
** Wolfgang gets out the Bill once he has solid footing **
GM: Ghazeb can roll another swimming check, same penalties as above, but additional -1 for controlled phobia.
Beltarne: Not swimming in armor.
Marik: Marik doesn't dive in, and other people seem to have the whole rope and lifeguard brigade going, so he watches for threats.
** Ghazeb splutters and tries to claw his way through the water to the surface. **
Ghazeb: ((still -3 for surprise?))
GM: Yep.
Beltarne: ((Plus, no one drowns in five seconds.))
Ghazeb: HT: [3d6.skill(13,-4-3-2-1)] => [3,4,6] = 13 vs (3) or less Critical Failure! by 10 [B556]
GM: Want to use Luck or do I get to look up the critical failure rules?
Ghazeb: I will luck to only fail!!
Ghazeb: HT: [3d6.skill(13,-4-3-2-1)] => [1,1,5] = 7 vs (3) or less Failure! by 4 
Ghazeb: HT: [3d6.skill(13,-4-3-2-1)] => [4,4,6] = 14 vs (3) or less Critical Failure! by 11 [B556]
GM: okay, you've lost 2 HP and are drowning.
Ghazeb: 7 is good
Wolfgang: ((did I get out/not fall in?))
GM: Wolfgang is out.
GM: He did fall in, but swam out.
Wolfgang: Ok, get out Bill, and try to fish people out of they are within 2 yards
Beltarne: ((Why does he lose HP?))
GM: People with rope! Make Lariat (DX-5) rolls to get ropes near Ghazeb. We'll assume you aim to cancel the range penalty.
GM: FP, not HP.
Shelley: DX (12) [3d6.skill(12,-5)] => [2,1,4] = 7 vs (7) or less Success! by 0 
** Shelley flexes. **
Shelley: Actually, SHelley ties the rope to Adam's backbone.
** Beltarne looks dissapointed, then goes to help Shelley **
GM: Awww.
GM: Well, Shelley is tying the rope before throwing it, so Beltarne should throw.
Shelley: actually, I threw one end, and then tied off the other.
GM: okay!
Beltarne: DX (12) [3d6.skill(12,-5)] => [1,3,3] = 7 vs (7) or less Success! by 0 
Shelley: Being sensilbe enough to not let go of one end :D
** Ghazeb flails for the rope. **
Shelley: Lucky numba 7!
** Beltarne starts walking backwards cautiously as soon as he grabs hold. **
GM: Ghazeb - DX check at -3 to grab a rope (determined randomly) succeed by 3+ to get both!
Ghazeb: DX: [3d6.skill(15,-3)] => [5,5,6] = 16 vs (12) or less Failure! by 4 
Ghazeb: oh crap
Beltarne: You get to try again next turn. You're fine
GM: ... drown some more, cat boy.
Beltarne: Full of water, but fine.
Ghazeb: HT: [3d6.skill(13,-4-3-2-1)] => [2,6,1] = 9 vs (3) or less Failure! by 6 
GM: okay, roll DX-4 now.
Ghazeb: DX: [3d6.skill(15,-4)] => [3,4,5] = 12 vs (11) or less Failure! by 1 
Beltarne: ((Do I get to use Lifting ST to drag him out?))
Wolfgang: is he close?
Ghazeb: ((glub glub))
GM: Beltarne: yes. Wolfgang: to you? Hmmm.
Beltarne: ((and so our valiant companion drowned to death while we all yelled "Grab the damn rope!!!"))
GM: Make a DX-4 check to get close enough to him to get the Bill to him without re-entering the drink yourself.
Wolfgang: ((polearm = faster but shorter range))
Wolfgang: DX (14) [3d6.skill(14,-4)] => [2,6,6] = 14 vs (10) or less Failure! by 4 
Wolfgang: luck up? hmm
GM: Uhm... yes.
Shelley: See, this is why I want to pack a 10 foot pole.
Shelley: Loop rope on pole, hand rope to dude in muck.
Wolfgang: luck to not fall in and stuff!
GM: I gave you guys time to suggest if you were taking precautions.
Wolfgang: DX (14) [3d6.skill(14,-4)] => [3,4,5] = 12 vs (10) or less Failure! by 2 
Wolfgang: DX (14) [3d6.skill(14,-4)] => [5,1,1] = 7 vs (10) or less Success! by 3 
Marik: ((Marik: Watching a companion drown kind of impassively.))
GM: Alright.
GM: Ghazeb can make a DX check at -5 to grab the bill.
Ghazeb: DX: [3d6.skill(15,-5)] => [4,6,4] = 14 vs (10) or less Failure! by 4 
Ghazeb: Oh ffs!
GM: ... drowning check, please.
Ghazeb: Oh ffs!
Wolfgang: um, can I hook him?
Ghazeb: stupid scroll lock
Shelley: We can heal the cutting damage later :D
GM: uhm.
Ghazeb: HT: [3d6.skill(13,-4-3-2-1)] => [3,3,1] = 7 vs (3) or less Failure! by 4 
GM: you can try - he's hard to see, so roll at -6.
Marik: ((I'm tempted to tie a rope to a barbed arrow, SHOOT HIM, and haul him out.))
Wolfgang: and can I try to not damage?
GM: oh, no damage... that's -8, then.
Marik: ((If I were playing my harpoon-wielding Barbarian, I *would* harpoon him.))
Beltarne: ((Yeah, I could totally tie the rope to my axe and stick him with the backspike!!!))
Wolfgang: Dueling Bill * polearm hook [3d6.attack(16,-6)] => [2,4,3] = 9 vs (10) or less Success! by 1 
Wolfgang: he can take it!
Thasos: holy shit
GM: Roll a half-damage hit.
Wolfgang: Dueling Bill * polearm hook [1d6+1] => [2,1] = (3) cut
GM: And then Wolfgang can make a ST at -4 to pull him out.
Wolfgang: ST (17) [3d6.skill(17,-4)] => [3,4,1] = 8 vs (13) or less Success! by 5 
Shelley: We need to get WOlfgang a gaffers hook.
Wolfgang: ((That was full damage BTW))
Ghazeb: Ghazeb will try to hang onto the bill.
Shelley: Or shephards crook.
Wolfgang: bah, bet I didn't even get through the armor
Ghazeb: ((not at half damage...no))
Narrator: Wolfgang stumbles over to the area by the ropes, kneels into the water, and plunges his bill deep in the water. Then he grunts savagely and pulls Ghazeb out of the water and onto damp land.
** Ghazeb gasps and sputters. **
Shelley: "... do you fish like that too?"
GM: Ghazeb has lost 4 FP and is entirely bedraggled.
** Shelley will take much more time fishing out skeletons. **
Wolfgang: "Sometimes..."
Shelley: possibly tying the rope to a rock and dropping it down to their level.
** Beltarne spools his rope back up, watching Ghazeb flop around. **
** Ghazeb slowly sits up and tries in vain to clean the mud from various nooks and crannies. **
Marik: "You'll want to check for leeches when we camp tonight."
Marik: "I'll heat up an arrowhead so you can burn them off."
** Wolfgang dumps water out of his boots, cleans and oils the Bill **
** Ghazeb shudders. **
Marik: "...Though I don't think Wolfgang needs to worry."
Ghazeb: ((If ghazeb had any food its probably not much good anymore))
GM: Ah, you can totally get elven rations wet, everyone knows that.
Marik: "There was one time my uncle and I were meeting with a delegation of swamp elves. Their ambassador told me about this form of leech that crawls into your -- well, never mind. You probably don't want to hear it. Still, just make sure you check everywhere."
Thasos: ((i'm pretty sure he'll be willing to eat it anyway))
Thasos: ((he's eaten rotten food before))
GM: True that.
Ghazeb: ((Definitely saving them for last tho))
** Thasos grins at Ghazeb as he points to his nether region. **
Shelley: "You shouldn't point at it Thasos, you might scare it."
** Ghazeb stands up and shakes like a dog, flinging muddy water everywhere. **
Shelley: (( sorry, channeling my snarky gnomes. ))
** Shelley flinches, then goes stubbornly back to weighting her rope for undead removal. **
** Beltarne approaches Shelley. "Would you like a hand, lass?" **
GM: A few minutes work recovers the goon squad, several of whom wade out on the far side without realizing anything was wrong.
Shelley: "Great. Now I got to dig swamp muck out of your heads."
Marik: "Shall we be going?"
** Wolfgang keeps the Bill out to probe the ground ahead **
Shelley: (( cat on one arm hard to type ))
Narrator: As the delvers head west, they can see the black mound ahead. It looks like a reed covered dome of some volcanic rock.
Beltarne: "Lets. After you, wolfgang."
Narrator: They pass a small ring of black stones. The vegatation around is scorched, and the entire area smells of brimstones.
Shelley: (( ok, arranged things sort of better. She's trying to stick her toes up my nose but I can dodge that. ))
Narrator: The screaming continues endlessly, a symphony of screams and yelps.
** Shelley does not walk into the ring **
Shelley: Sounds like one person or many?
GM: One voice.
Thasos: (("talk to the paw" shelley?))
Shelley: (( no, definitely toes -> nose ))
Shelley: (( hind leg ))
Shelley: (( she's ... bored ))
Beltarne: ((Ninja!))
Thasos: (("you have a booger, hold still"))
GM: Shelley notices the mana level stabilizing. It's Twisted, but also aspected High for Mind Control and Necromancy.
Shelley: Yelps? Like, foxes? :D
Ghazeb: ((Ninja is my cat's name...lol))
** Shelley mentions this. "The mana here is really creepy. Like, really." **
GM: Uhm... more like someone getting a second to breathe and then having something extremely unpleasant done to them.
Shelley: "Mind warping, and necromantic. And not safe."
Wolfgang: "Heh, like anything we do is safe"
Ghazeb: "Ghazeb was not expecting kittens and sunshine."
GM: Beltarne notices the Sanctity level changing: become higher for Evil, Deception, Cunning, Fear, and Tyranny, and Low for their opposites.
Shelley: "Let me clarify. Not safe for spell casting."
Beltarne: "This is a very bad place."
Beltarne: "VERY. Bad.
Marik: "Because the screaming wasn't a clue."
Wolfgang: "Must be the right spot then..."
Beltarne: ((So low sanctity for moi, yes?))
** Marik nocks a silver arrow and takes point, doing his best to be totally invisible. **
Beltarne: "Well, lets go poke our noses in!"
Marik: Stealth: [3d6.skill(18,0)] => [1,6,1] = 8 vs (18) or less Success! by 10 
** Beltarne tries out sneaky **
GM: Yep.
Beltarne: Stealth (12) [3d6.skill(12,0)] => [1,2,4] = 7 vs (12) or less Success! by 5 
Marik: ((I love stealth success by 10. Not even MARIK has an easy time finding someone who succeeds stealth by 10.))
Wolfgang: Stealth (13) [3d6.skill(13,0)] => [2,6,4] = 12 vs (13) or less Success! by 1 
Thasos: Stealth (15) [3d6.skill(15,0)] => [2,1,6] = 9 vs (15) or less Success! by 6 
Ghazeb: Stealth: [3d6.skill(12)] => [4,6,6] = 16 vs (12) or less Failure! by 4 
Shelley: Um. I'm riding on an Adam here.
Shelley: And we have a Clyde.
** Thasos frows at noisy Ghazeb. **
Wolfgang: yah, nevers hurts to practice tho!
Marik: ((Yeah, I usually vanish in order to let you people be the distraction.))
** Ghazeb is too busy cleaning himself to be very silent. **
Beltarne: Note to self, buy rags to silence Clyde's hooves with.
Wolfgang: note to self, get ninja horse
Narrator: The delvers approach the mound. As they get closer and closer, it clearly becomes a dome of some volcanic black rock, redolent of brimstone, sulfur, and iron. It is covered with reeds, but pierced with strange openings and slots, and the screams clearly come from inside.
GM: New map. Arrange yourself how you want to be.
Marik: ((Hey look, foliage. That's cover, right?))
GM: Sure.
GM: There are more trees and crap out there, but I didn't put them on the map because not important.
Wolfgang: should we skip the stealthy approach and just move to the entrance?
Marik: You definitely should.
Marik: I'll be back here.
Marik: I'm fire support.
Wolfgang: heh
Wolfgang: I'm still doing it, just dunno if we need rolls before we move up
Beltarne: Roll once, usually, yeah?
Wolfgang: need a trap spotter or trap tripper before I go in :P
Marik: Hm. Heavily armored boatload of HP.
Marik: Looks like you just nominated yourself.
Beltarne: No sir, this is what minions are for
Wolfgang: we have skellies and a plant thing!
Beltarne: And generally the least combat effective minion
Beltarne: Ah, kobold zombies
Shelley: We have an ELF.
Marik: (("What do you mean, you're claiming disadvantage points for having an ally?" "It's a kobold zombie. It's more of a danger to me than to anyone." "Carry on."))
Thasos: ((ally and dependent are not contradictions))
Narrator: A ground level entrance opens into a round tunnel of black stone veined with angry red. Unsightly runes of grey, green, blue, and red are carved on the wall, floor, and ceiling.
Wolfgang: screaming coming from there?
Beltarne: I assume if we recognize them we'll get a PM?
Shelley has sent you a tree node...
Shelley: I would like to examine the probably evil runes to see if they're Evil runes.
** Wolfgang would hate to go in if he's on top **
GM: Screaming is coming from weird ventricles on the top of the dome.
GM: Actions?
GM: Oh, evil runes.
GM: Not visible right here.
Beltarne: Okay, moving up.
** Shelley shoos the zombies ahead and approaches the entrance, keeping an eye out for scream inducing horrors. **
** Beltarne eyes the runes, waiting for them to try to kill him. **
GM: No sign of scream inducing horrors.
GM: What's the marching order? Line up!
GM: Tell me when you're ready.
Marik: Marik's got the rear.
Ghazeb: ((Goon squad in front as PMDs.))
Wolfgang: hmm, 2 or 3 wide?
Beltarne: In front of Shelley, behind all the other combat monsters
Wolfgang: the three minions up front, then I come behind with some space?
Shelley: Looks good.
Wolfgang: "Why don't you two get behind me for once so you don't get clobbered right away?" (to the wonder twins)
GM: Ready?
** Thasos bumps elbows with Ghazeb as the two jostle to be just behind Wolfgang. **
Beltarne: Ready!
Thasos: ready
Shelley: Ready!
Wolfgang: ready!
Ghazeb: Bring it on.
Narrator: The undead in the lead, their eyes blazing as they turn to look back at the living delvers, their fangs highly visible in their pale white skulls.
Narrator: They step forward, entering the darkness of the tunnel.
GM: The zombie vineman can roll Per/Traps -2.
Marik: ((AFK a few, bot me please. Arguing with delivery.))
Shelley: Perception: [3d6.skill(10,-2)] => [3,2,6] = 11 vs (8) or less Failure! by 3 
GM: Everyone else can roll either Perception -6 or Traps-based Perception at -1, too.
Wolfgang: Per (10) [3d6.skill(10,-1)] => [1,4,6] = 11 vs (9) or less Failure! by 2 
Wolfgang: +3 vision if applicable
Thasos: Per (11) [3d6.skill(11,-6)] => [2,2,1] = 5 vs (5) or less Success! by 0 
Shelley: Per (12) [3d6.skill(12,-6)] => [4,3,3] = 10 vs (6) or less Failure! by 4 
Ghazeb: Perception: [3d6.skill(11,-6)] => [1,6,4] = 11 vs (5) or less Failure! by 6 
Beltarne: Per (14) [3d6.skill(14,-6)] => [4,6,5] = 15 vs (8) or less Failure! by 7 
Shelley: Magery/necromancy any bonus? She says, optimistically.
Narrator: The vineman zombie crosses the threshold. Thasos and Wolfgang notice it step on a barely visible plate that sinks slightly into the floor, then a massive axe scythes across the hall.
GM: Shelley: no.
Shelley: DR stupid + HP stupid, go!
GM: Damage is [2d6+6] => [1,5,6] = (12) cutting!
Shelley: To the locations!
GM: Straight in the torso!
Shelley: DR 9 reduces that to 3, not enough to penetrate so 3 crushing?
Shelley: 6 of that DR is flexible
Marik: ((Back.))
GM: Yep.
Shelley: 3! 3 Injury bwah ha ha!
Shelley: Um, I'm not sure it notices.
Shelley: It's a hulk with the zombie template.
GM: Yep.
Wolfgang: free axe!
Shelley: Does the axe retract?
GM: Actually, the axe swings smoothly back into the wall, hidden by more runes.
Shelley: Or is it stopped by Vineman Zombie shambling?
GM: Nah, bounced off, hardly got stuck in.
** Shelley stops the skeletons before they stumble into it. **
** Marik mumbles, "Only the penitent man shall pass." **
Wolfgang: oh fun
Shelley: I'll let shambly get through and then stop him before he triggers anything else.
** Wolfgang picks up some pebbles and tosses one on the plate once the zombies are clear **
Shelley: "Looks like a good time to duck."
** Thasos nods at Marik. **
Wolfgang: "Or time to not step on the plate"
Shelley: "Most of us can't fly."
Wolfgang: how big is the plate?
Wolfgang: "I can't fly in there, too small"
GM: It didn't cover the entire path - it's easy enough to jump over if you know its there.
Ghazeb: ((jump over the plate ...into a huidden pit))
Beltarne: Can we put a heavy rock on it to keep the plate depressed so it can't trigger again?
Beltarne: Not something I wanna forget about if I come running out or here quick.
GM: Uhm... you can put a heavy load on the plate, I guess.
Wolfgang: "I put a pebble on it so we can avoid it!"
Shelley: "You first."
** Wolfgang whomps the far side with the Bill a couples times, then jumps across **
Narrator: The delvers jump past the plate and continue down the tunnel.
Narrator: They notice it is very dark.
GM: Ambient light is -6 from creepy glowing runes.
** Wolfgang pokes the floor even after the zombies walk on it **
Beltarne: "Shall I try to call up some light?"
Marik: "I can see just fine."
** Beltarne sighs, and makes a gesture. **
Shelley: Light is always good.
Beltarne: Continual Light (Holy) (16) [3d6.skill(16,-5)] => [3,3,4] = 10 vs (11) or less Success! by 1 Includes: +4 from 'Power Investiture (Holy)'
GM: Who you casting it on, how powerful?
Shelley: ...
** Shelley pokes her inventory list. **
Shelley: (( I have 3 6' poles. ))
Beltarne: On one end of Thasos' meteor hammer.
Shelley: (( *facepalms* ))
GM: Power level?
Beltarne: And....... torchlight
** Shelley hands them to skeletons to hold in their shield hands to poke things. **
GM: 2 FP?
Wolfgang: "I have torches you know"
Beltarne: 4 I believe
GM: Great,
Beltarne: Yeah
Shelley: Light or Continual Light?
Beltarne: Continual
Wolfgang: "have one of the skellies carry a torch instead of an axe?"
Beltarne: No prereq chain
Thasos: ((will swinging the lit end offset the penalties for darkness?))
Shelley: "Makes him not very useful in a fight."
Shelley: (( It'll make me, the player, motion sick :D ))
GM: Thasos: not going to deal with it.
Wolfgang: "Ok, just asking"
GM: Any other light sources? No? Continue on.
Shelley: "He could hold it in his shield hand though. It'll still work there."
Shelley: "Instead of a stick."
Shelley: We're not done here yet Mark, no rushing us so we fall into the dark pit.
Wolfgang: "I think they'll need the shields before long too"
GM: Sorry.
Wolfgang: can I hold a torch in my shield hand along with the shield?
Shelley: Yes, you can.
** Wolfgang thinks you can with a big strap on one **
Shelley: Same as the skeletons
Shelley: which is what I was suggesting.
GM: I guess so.
Shelley: You're at -2 to shield skill (-1 to block) hwile doing it
Shelley: It's in Basic Set, under Shields.
GM: Thanks, I thought that was the deal.
Wolfgang: ah
Shelley: I'mma give a torch to the Vineman so he can see.
Wolfgang: I will do that then
Beltarne: ((I think I need to get a well shielded pouch with about 10 pieces of large gravel and do continual light at daylight intensity on them in the future.))
Shelley: (( Good choice ))
Beltarne: ((Just like road flares!!))
Wolfgang: the vinemen should be able to see from my light, right?
Shelley: He's way ahead.
Shelley: And in the -3 light area
Wolfgang: ok, ok
GM: Colored light bits are no penalty to vision, everything else is -3 if you can see at all. Night Vision helps as usual.
GM: As the delvers advance, Beltarne can make a Theology roll at -1.
Beltarne: Theology (Holy) (12) [3d6.skill(12,-1)] => [5,1,6] = 12 vs (11) or less Failure! by 1 
Beltarne: ((No he can't!))
Narrator: The delvers advance cautiously. Suddenly, a curtain of sludge drops from the ceiling.
GM: Wolfgang, Ghazeb, and Thasos can make Dodge roll at -4. No retreats, no Acrobatics.
Wolfgang: shield DB?
Ghazeb: Dodge: [3d6.skill(12,-4)] => [3,1,5] = 9 vs (8) or less Failure! by 1 
Thasos: Dodge (11) [3d6.skill(11,-4)] => [6,4,1] = 11 vs (7) or less Failure! by 4 
GM: Nope, it's coming from above.
Wolfgang: Dodge (10) [3d6.skill(10,-1)] => [6,2,6] = 14 vs (9) or less Failure! by 5 
Thasos: i hate failing by exactly the penalty
** Shelley raises her shield over her head **
Wolfgang: er, -4, doh
Wolfgang: still, no way in heck
GM: Oozing doom sprays on the lead delvers. Wolfgang has 5 seconds to do something clever; Thasos and Ghazeb have 2 seconds. Think fast!
** Beltarne grabs his waterskin to wash them off! **
Wolfgang: set it on fire!
Marik: ((Twisted mana, right?))
Shelley: Twisted mana!
GM: You set the oozing doom that's soaking through your armor on fire?
** Thasos starts taking off armor. **
** Ghazeb tries to take off his armor. **
GM: Right...
Shelley: Thats... going to take more than 2 seconds unless you know Power Word: Strip (aka the Undo spell)
GM: The ooze soaks through before you can get the first buckle undone. Roll HT.
Shelley: Power Word: Strip is awesome.
Wolfgang: is this ooze like the slim monsters or more like oil?
Ghazeb: HT: [3d6.skill(13)] => [4,6,2] = 12 vs (13) or less Success! by 1 
Wolfgang: slime
GM: Ghazeb takes [1d6] => [4] = (4) damage past DR as the ooze burns his skin.
GM: Thasos, roll HT.
Wolfgang: I touch the torch to it anyhow, does it light?
Thasos: HT (13) [3d6.skill(13,0)] => [6,6,4] = 16 vs (13) or less Failure! by 3 
Beltarne: ((I miss having a thief.))
GM: Yes, it starts to burn.
Marik: ((I'm sorry, I had actions in the two seconds.))
Marik: ((I just had to look stuff up.))
GM: Marik! Go for it!
GM: Marik splashes through the ooze on the floor. And does?
** Marik rushes forward and extends his hands towards Thasos, shouting words of magic and making gestures. (Second 1: Move. Second 2: Cast Create Water, spending 2 FP for twisted mana and 6 FP to create 3 gallons to wash the oozing doom off of the minotaur.)) **
GM: Cool. Roll it!
Wolfgang: so do I think buring it off is effective or not?
Marik: -3 for twisted mana, +3 for shouting and gestures?
GM: Sure!
GM: Sure, Marik, that is!
Marik: Create Water:</B> [3d6.skill(10,-3+3)] => [1,2,2] = 5 vs (10) or less Success! by 5 
GM: Wow...
Narrator: Water sluices off Thasos, washing away the ooze.
** Thasos looks at Marik with awe. **
** Marik slumps back, panting with the exertion. **
** Ghazeb looks at Thasos and thinks he got the worst deal... **
GM: The ooze ignites on Wolfgang, heating up rapidly in a decidely un-Oozing Doom sort of way.
** Thasos flicks some water at Ghazeb with his hands. **
GM: 2 seconds, Wolfgang.
Beltarne: Beltarne now has his waterskin out?
GM: Yes!
** Ghazeb hisses at Thasos. **
** Beltarne tosses the waterskin to wolfgang. **
** Wolfgang catches it and pours it on himself **
Beltarne: DX (12) [3d6.skill(12,0)] => [5,5,2] = 12 vs (12) or less Success! by 0 
Wolfgang: DX (14) [3d6.skill(14,0)] => [5,6,5] = 16 vs (14) or less Failure! by 2 
Wolfgang: luck
Wolfgang: DX (14) [3d6.skill(14,0)] => [2,5,6] = 13 vs (14) or less Success! by 1 
Wolfgang: DX (14) [3d6.skill(14,0)] => [2,3,5] = 10 vs (14) or less Success! by 4 
Beltarne: ((heh))
GM: Roll DX-2 to catch it, Wolfgang, and then DX-4 to put yourself out.
Ghazeb: ((Is the 'doom' still on Ghazeb or is it dealt with now that it has done damage? Ghazeb will still try to clean himself though))
Shelley: He caught it there
GM: Ghazeb is fine, now.
Wolfgang: DX (14) [3d6.skill(14,-4)] => [4,4,5] = 13 vs (10) or less Failure! by 3 
GM: Also, Marik and Beltarne need to roll HT to avoid the oozing doom eating at their boots.
Wolfgang: -4!
Shelley: Didn't Beltarne throw it?
Beltarne: Why, I tossed it to him?
GM: HE'S ON FIRE?
Marik: Can I get a bonus for the several gallons of water I splashed all over the floor?
Beltarne: Otherwise I would have just put it out myself
GM: Sure, Marik, +2, same for Beltarne.
Shelley: what?
Wolfgang: oh, didn't think it blazed up that much
Marik: I think the 'why, I tossed it to him' was 'why is Beltarne in the middle of the goop'.
Shelley: Sorry, Beltarne is on fire?
GM: Oh.
GM: Sorry.
GM: Misunderstood.
GM: Beltarne doesn't need to roll, then.
Beltarne: It's cool
Beltarne: Yay
Marik: HT: [3d6.skill(14,+1+2)] => [4,4,4] = 12 vs (17) or less Success! by 5 
GM: Wolfgang is trying to put himself out of fire while getting rid of the ooze using 1/12th the amout of water Marik used to get rid of the stuff.
GM: So mostly he puts it out and doesn't wash it away.
GM: Wolfgang can roll HT.
Wolfgang: 1/12???
Wolfgang: 1 gal vs. 3 isn't it?
Beltarne: A gallon, I thought
Beltarne: Or is it a liter?
GM: ... 1 quart versus 3 gallons... okay 1/6th.
Wolfgang: waterskin is 1 gal
Marik: ((Canteen is a quart, waterskin is a gallon.))
GM: Oh!
GM: Okay.
GM: Still didn't make it, but did better. Sorry for the confusion.
Wolfgang: HT (14) [3d6.skill(14,0)] => [1,5,3] = 9 vs (14) or less Success! by 5 
GM: Roll HT+2.
GM: Takes [1d6-2] => [5,-2] = (3) damage.
Wolfgang: so 1, ok
Beltarne: There's a reason that thing is so effing heavy.
GM: Sure.
Wolfgang: assuming armor is ineffective
Beltarne: ((I say this with long experience humping water. I hate it so much.))
GM: Yes, Oozing Doom penetrates armor, but takes DR seconds.
** Wolfgang steams **
Marik: ((Yeah, when I was taking scouts camping, they were always amazed at how much water we asked them to bring and how damn much it weighed.))
Beltarne: "Why did you set yourself on fire?"
Wolfgang: "Thought it was a slime and it'd leave"
Beltarne: ((Serious. Especially humping it from the stream to the campsite. Especially when the campsite is up a hill.))
Shelley: (( oh lord yes. and it's always uphil. ))
GM: ... ok.
GM: So. And now?
Beltarne: "Well, give me back my waterskin.))
** Shelley looks back and forth between our "vanguard", and then looks up to see if the trap seems to have reset. **
** Wolfgang hands beltarne the skin **
GM: There's no ...
GM: well then.
** Beltarne stows it. **
** Shelley holds her shield over her head when passing under it. **
GM: Roll Dodge -4 Wolfgang.
Wolfgang: "Anytime you keen eyed types want to go up, be my guest
Wolfgang: slime again?
Shelley: Shield, over head.
GM: Sorry, Dodge -2 Wolfgang, as slime drops on your head again when you walk towards Beltarne.
GM: Yes, yes, Shelley can totally make a Block roll at no penalty.
Beltarne: ((It's a little funny.))
Wolfgang: I thought he was here
Shelley: No, he stayed safely out of the blast radius and threw it at you :D
GM: No, I was specifically pointed out that he threw it to you to stay the heck away from the slime.
Wolfgang: ok, well, then I can't hand it
Beltarne: ((Nope. Still where I tossed the skin to you. To avoid wading through the stuff.))
GM: .... fine.
GM: Shelley, Block skill?
Shelley: Block - Shield (Shield) (10) [3d6.skill(10, +2 )] => [4,1,3] = 8 vs (12) or less Success! by 4 
Wolfgang: can *I* block since I have to move?
GM: Where are you moving?
Wolfgang: I'm not, thought you were saying I did
GM: No, I'm fine with you not moving.
Beltarne: Can I see what's triggering the trap when Shelley walks ahead?
GM: You can look.
Wolfgang: ok then, I say where I am and try to see where it came from, shield ready
GM: You can't see anything, slime just drops.
Beltarne: And also, is this like, magically appearing slime from thin air? Or from nozzles in the ceiling or something?
Marik: Is it a thin enough curtain that I could leap or run past before it hit me?
GM: It is appearing from the ceiling, in an unholy manner that is giving Beltarne a slight headache.
** Wolfgang thought is was a sheet to get more than one person **
GM: Marik could Dodge past, and even Acrobatics or Retreat since he knows its coming.
Marik: Acrobatics: [3d6.skill(14,0)] => [2,5,5] = 12 vs (14) or less Success! by 2 
Marik: Dodge: [3d6.skill(10,+3+2)] => [6,4,4] = 14 vs (15) or less Success! by 1 
Beltarne: AoD Block as I go under then, I guess.
** Wolfgang has no clue what is going on **
GM: Roll two blocks, Beltarne.
Shelley: "I note it doesn't detect zombies."
Ghazeb: ((I assume Ghazeb is safely past?))
Shelley: "It's magic, obviously designed to target life forms, rather than golems and other magical creations."
GM: Yes, Ghazeb and Thasos got past.
Wolfgang: ((am I past? is there a puddle I have to jump?))
Beltarne: [3d6.skill(12,0)] => [6,5,4] = 15 vs (12) or less Failure! by 3 
Beltarne: [3d6.skill(12,0)] => [1,1,4] = 6 vs (12) or less Success! by 6 
GM: Why two rolls, Beltarne.
GM: Wolfgang is also past.
Shelley: You told him to make two
Beltarne: You said two
GM: So I did!
GM: As you creep across, it pours across. Shouldn't you get +2 for DB and +2 for all-out?
Beltarne: Mmmm... yes.
Beltarne: Macro is not working, I'll fix it right quick.
GM: Alright, you keep the stuff off you.
GM: Now what?
Marik: Onward.
Shelley: We go boldly!
Marik: Marik will take point.
Shelley: Ehehe.
Marik: Because you people whine too much.
GM: You still down 8 FP?
Marik: Yes.
Marik: Wait.
GM: Cool.
Marik: "Shelley. Are you carrying Paut?"
Shelley: "Well of course, who doesn't?"
Marik: "I don't. Normally I don't use magic in emergencies."
Marik: "Can you spare a vial or two?"
** Shelley passes two over. "Oh sure, got a few." **
Beltarne: ((Mark, my block should be 12 with DB. That first one should have gotten me))
** Marik swigs, slips the empty bottles into his pouch, and is now ready to take point. **
GM: Really? Roll HT then, Beltarne.
Beltarne: ((My macro is now fixed.))
Shelley: Empty bottles are good for putting liquid treasure in :D
Beltarne: poison, yes?
GM: Sure!
Marik: ...The dwarf with huge HT is rolling vs. poison.
Beltarne: HT (13) [3d6.skill(13,3)] => [2,6,6] = 14 vs (16) or less Success! by 2 
Marik: This should be entertaining.
Shelley: Often. Some organic loot from monsters, like gorgons blood etc.
Marik: Lycanthrope blood...
GM: Takes [1d6] => [2] = (2) damage.
Shelley: Lycanthrope blood.
GM: Continuing on, Marik in the lead.
** Beltarne breaks out the first aid kit. **
GM: Speaking of! Marik, roll Perception + Magery.
Marik: Perception: [3d6.skill(16,0)] => [4,6,1] = 11 vs (16) or less Success! by 5 
Marik: ((I cheat at Per+Magery by having huge Per.))
Beltarne: First Aid/TL3 (Humanoid) (15) [3d6.skill(15,0)] => [1,4,2] = 7 vs (15) or less Success! by 8 Conditional: +1 from 'First Aid Kit'
Beltarne: For Ghazeb
Beltarne: [1d6] => [4] = (4)
Beltarne: First Aid/TL3 (Humanoid) (15) [3d6.skill(15,0)] => [4,2,6] = 12 vs (15) or less Success! by 3 Conditional: +1 from 'First Aid Kit'
Beltarne: for wolfgang
Beltarne: [1d6] => [6] = (6)
Ghazeb: ((Wouldn't think that could be healed by a first aid kit...))
Beltarne: And if someone else would like to patch me up.
GM: Marik, the runes on the tunnel ahead of you are magical.
Beltarne: THat is not gahzeb.
Marik: Moreso than the rest of the glowing runes in this tunnel?
Shelley: First Aid/TL3 (Human) (14) [3d6.skill(14,)] => [5,5,1] = 11 vs (14) or less Success! by 3 
GM: Yes.
** Shelley bandages Beltarne, while nattering about how this is just like stitching up zombies. **
Beltarne: [1d6] => [2] = (2)
Marik: "Shelley - magical trap ahead. How would you like to trigger it?"
Beltarne: Ointment saves the day!
Shelley: "I prefer dispelling them from a safe distance."
Marik: (("Unguent. Need unguent."))
** Ghazeb gestures for Thasos to go ahead. **
** Marik makes an 'after you' gesture. "Be my guest." **
** Thasos walks ahead with a confident swagger. **
** Marik facepalms. **
Shelley: "Do not step in my ceremony!"
** Marik puts a hand on Thasos' chest to stop him. **
GM: ...
** Beltarne mutters something under his breath. **
** Thasos shrugs. **
Shelley: Full gestures and the whole hokey pokey UNG, but no shouting, just Loud. Taking my time. Should be +5?
GM: Sure.
Shelley: -3 for twisted
Shelley: +2 FP
Shelley: How big is the area?
GM: half-dozen yards.
Shelley: Radius 3 then! 11 FP
Shelley: Split 5 ER 4 FP
GM: Roll it.
Shelley: Dispel Magic (Deathly) (16) [3d6.skill(16,+5-3)] => [4,3,3] = 10 vs (18) or less Success! by 8 for [11] => 11 FP
Shelley: Oh, is that halved for area?
Shelley: Or only for damaging?
GM: Sure!
Shelley: Nice. 3 ER, 2 FP
GM: The magesight glow on the runes fade.
Marik: "Well done."
Marik: "Onward!"
** Shelley looks smug. "Stupid demon magic." **
Beltarne: "You sure?
** Shelley looks cheery and smug. "Nope!" **
Narrator: The tunnel curves sharply, and then opens into a huge, domed chamber in the center of them mound.
Narrator: Grotesque statues, pillars engraved with horrific scenes, and strange magical stones and braziers decorate the room.
Narrator: A huge demonic altar is visible in the center of the room.
Shelley: "But I'm pretty confident."
Narrator: Near it, a man is crucified on a black iron frame. A red demon, tailed and spiked, does unspeakable cruel and sadistic things to him. The crucified man screams and screams, and it is his sounds you've been hearing.
** Thasos shrugs and readies his weapon. **
Narrator: A massive demon, easily 8' tall with broad wings, wearing heavy abysssal iron plate armor, stands on the altar, holding a massive mace and shield. He stares at you impassively.
Beltarne: ((You and your cliffhangers, Mark. I love it!))
Narrator: The final bit of decoration in the room are a pair of statues of six-armed snake women. Only they are not statues, but some kind of creature. Each of them reaches for her back and draws 6 long swords and turns toward you, hissing and rattling.