Guardians of the Citadel — Legacy Forums

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#441

Silveressa looked up at his arrival and sighed in relief, her private worry of his demise one she was glad she hadn't given voice to, the news about Willem's aunt unsurprising. "It's safer for Willem to remain with us regardless, the assassin that seek our lives will likely use him for leverage or mind probe him for information if we leave him in another's care."

She gestured over to Mystic her tone softening. "Mystic as well suffers from the stone curse, we are trying alternative remedies, with time being short for you perhaps it would be quicker if you took one of the horses and rode straight for the alchemist? You'll move much faster without the rest of us on foot to slow you down and can return with a cure for Mystic after your own injury has been treated."

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#442

Examining Mystic's wound, and fingering the spine and coccyx, Echo quickly determined that the bone had not yet been affected. The muscle however definitely was. The flesh around the warrior's nasty gray wound felt as though it was made of crumbly shale. Indeed tiny flakes of stone-like erstwhile skin actually cascaded down from tactile handling.

The basilisk milk had already calcified a decent chunk of the giant's lower back. Cutting out the stone-flesh from the yet-to-be infected meat could prove an interesting procedure. And soon the kidney would be affected as well...

Meanwhile, the leeches that Silveressa had used for her experiments yielded two results. A handful of leeches clustered about the wound did indeed seem slow the spread ever so slightly. And yet after minutes, the leeches would fall from the wound themselves now stiff and calcified, and stone-gray in color.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#443

Spiderheart eyes widened at the mention of Mystic's identical fate. "He is large...strong. He still has some time..." He said glumly, watching Echo examining the wound.

Turning to Sil he said, "I thank you for your offer, ranger, yet if the Alchemist is not in a proper mood, my time could be wasted there, much to my own peril. And his." He gestured toward Mystic..." The monastery, though further, may be prove wiser, and yet, her abode is on the way..." The monk paused to consider his options.

"Alas the horse, as well, would serve poorly once we pass the Viper Pools and enter into the Red Fens."

Again the monk wiggled his hairless eyebrows in thought, unsure of what to do or say next.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#444

Mystic remained stoically quiet throughout the examination, listening to the others as they made plans. Just my luck, he thought, I finally stop being insane and now I'm going to turn into a statue. The idea of being frozen place, unable to move, dying bit by bit... brought back some unpleasant memories and he began to feel the vice of anxiety close about his chest, feeling like he couldn't get enough air into his lungs...

"I... I need to take a walk, just a few minutes, clear my head. Let me know what you decide to do." Without conscious thought, he grabbed up his newest weapon and stalked off.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#445

Lucky shook his head at Mystics statement, placing a paw on the warriors leg, "Moving around will increase blood flow and spread the poison through your system faster, if it reaches your kidney we'll no longer be able to operate." He told him softly, his voice a gentle growl.

He glanced over at the most recent arrival and voiced a second suggestion, "We should put a tourniquet around Spiders arm, loosening it briefly every twenty to forty minutes, same way we'd treat a snake bite, it should slow the spread and buy us more time."

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#446

"I... I can't... can't breathe...," Mystic said, starting to lose out to the panic. "I don't want to be a statue, don't let me become a statue!"

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#447

"Then, we shall cut. Heat up an iron, Silver, a blade will do; and get him properly drunk, for I do not think we have any anesthetics. Or, if any of you herbalists can fetch a sedating plant, that would do. You also have the alternative of being hit over the head, Mystic, or simply biting down on wood. It will hurt."
Echo sighed.
"Boil water, too. Lucky, you will instruct Sil to cauterize any bleeding while I am cutting, so that we're done a.s.a.p. and Mystic does not lose too much blood. I will heal the wound shut as soon as the resection of the affected area is complete. It should restore any muscle I cut off, too."

Then, Echo turned to begin preparing for the emergency surgery, sterilizing tools and hands with schnapps, washing Mystic's back and the regions to be cut. If this was Earth, this procedure would kill him. How many lives could have a simple cure spell saved? Hesitating briefly, Echo checked whether the fount of healing power was still strong within.

"Let's do it, shall we?"

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#448

"Relax Mystic, just stay calm and breathe, your lungs haven't been affected yet but upping your heart rate will just spread this toxin quicker, close your eyes and take slow deep breaths while counting down from one thousand." She knew the number was arbitrary, but it helped focus the mind, and the calmer he stayed while they readied themselves the better.

She glanced over at Echo and nodded, "I learned the basics of field surgery when I was in the national guard and a few more things here and there afterwards, I should be able to assist without any difficulty, especially with Lucky on tap to talk me through anything I'm iffy on while you focus on your end of the procedure." She tilted her head in thought at the options for anesthetizing Mystic, shaking her head at the blow to the head option. "KOing him's a bad idea, too high a chance of a TBI that way, and anything severe enough to knock him out could cause serious complications that'll kill him before we can finish the procedure."

She glanced around the swamp for a moment considering, "I can possibly find some kind of sleeping weed or something to take him out, unless someone stocked up on booze, a man this beefy will need a lot of the hard stuff to put down. hmm." She paused in thought for a second before glancing a gyma, "Do you know any sleep or hold person spells?" She looked over the monks another idea springing to mind. "Either of you know how to knock him out without serious harm, some kind of neck pinch or sleeper hold?" She gave Valadaar a shrug, "Val, any chance you happen to have any knock out or numbing poisons in your bag of roguish tricks? Or maybe know how to fashion some from local flora and fauna?"

"If all else fails we could sever his spinal cord at the base of the neck, do the surgery, then have Echo heal the minor knife cut with her Cleric powers." She shrugged uncertainly, "Magic does open up new avenues of surgical approach."
(Perception roll please GM to know if the swamp has any sleeping weed or anything in the local area or known to grow in the environment?

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#449

“I should be able to block the nerves if no magic or plants are to be found. I am a licensed massage therapist for Washington. We were taught several techniques for this as short term solutions to deal with pain. I can release the Psoas Major on both sides of his abdomen, this will induce a nerve block in his abdomen and low lumbar and cause a slight nerve block to the rest of the lumbar region. Then we can turn him over and I can block the spinal cord before it splits into the Mare’s Tail at el three and four by blocking the twelfth thoracic region. If you want to go that route.” Stating his knowledge, Tusserk looked to the elven cleric for a yes or no.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#450

Gyma shrugged, "I am, unfortunately, unable to cast any sleep spells, nor do I know any spell to hold him in place while you do what ever it is you're planning on doing.

OOC - Sleep and Hold Person are both from a banned school for me. I'll roll to see if Gyma knows of any narcotics in the area as well.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#451

Mystic did as instructed, breathing slow and deep, counting down, until he felt his heart beating a little less crazily and the vice around his chest began to relax.

"You can really block the pain with pressure points? That would be kinda cool, actually." he asked the monk, trying to think about cool monk powers over the possible fate that might await him without the help of his friends.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#452

"I'll go keep a lookout. You folks seem to have this in hand. "

He moved away from the site of the impromptu operation, instead watching out for potential enemies, sling in hand.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#453

Gyma and Sil searched amidst the flora, while Dr. death-priestess prepared for surgery, with a talking dire-wolf acting as head nurse.

Lisiantha, amaranth, yellow flag iris, pigweed, choke-berry, a dozen types of sedge, spider lilies, saw grass, matted "floaties" of rotting vegetation, and endless thickets of reeds...No belladonna unfortunately, but they did find a patch of Wolfsbane and a toxic Nightshade plant.

Spiderheart glanced at his "student" Tusserk. The bald monk seemed impressed with Tusserk's knowledge of the body, though he only understood part of what was said.

Val kept lookout for enemies, elves with stone-poison blades among them. And undead lawmen...and Clodo's thugs...and basilisks for that matter.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#454

Silveressa gestured to the nightshade with a satisfied nod, "We can use this, roots and leaves, to produce a painkiller of sorts, if Tusserk's pressure point techniques don't prove sufficient." She knelt and quickly gathered the plant, taking care to unearth the roots intact and bring it back to the camp. "Echo, this is atropine based, but as a topical it should work as a localized anesthetic, although there may be some unpleasant sid effects due to it's acting as a delerient, such as hallucinogen."

She quickly used a near by flat rock to begin the preparations, clearing her mind and focusing on the task at hand.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#455

Mystic laughed, a loud, quick bark, before catching himself.

"Hallucinations, eh? Well, how would you know the difference?"

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#456

"Drug him up, then it's showtime."
The priestess watched dispassionately as Mystic went limp, watching his massive chest heave more regularly, slowly, until it settled to a steady rhythm.
Leaving a sufficiently wide margin around the petrified zone, she cut in, observing whether the giant moved. No twitch, just the limpness of intoxicated flesh. At least there was sufficient time.
"You know why Napoleon's field surgeon managed to perform a hundred surgeries per day? He didn't have to wait for the anesthesiologist."

"Coagulate. There. I can't see the operating field. Didn't anyone of you remember to pack sterile wipes?"
This was no scalpel, just a razor-sharp knife. The immediateness of the butchery in front of Echo, more than any of the combat or rain or passion, convinced Echo that the world around was real.
Concentrated to a point of mental singularity, taking special care not to let blood run across the poisoned area as not to spread the contagion, Echo cut, separating the cancerous rock from the body. Flesh that could be affected had to go too. Omelette. Eggs. That sort of thing.
"Burn. Burn. Burn there."

She lifted up the calcified tumor, and tossed away in disgust. "I am so not sending this for histology.
Her bloody hands then glowed, as she went on to restore what they had cut and burned. "He will be disappointed at not having scars to show to ladies." spending one or two CLW, as needed

Washing hands, the strain and concentration gone, Echo could feel his mind drift again. If everything around was real in fact, then the people were too, even the NPCs. Damn.
She sat down.
"Watch his breathing. Whenever it slows, slap him."

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#457

While sitting sentry - still a bit cold - the sounds were the disturbing part. The sound of flesh parting before the knife brought back that brief moment where he had stabbed the assassin. He? Valadaar or valadaar?

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#458

Seeing that Silveressa, Tusserk, and Echo had the situation well in hand he padded off to join Valadaar on look out, the scent of blood stirring other predatory desires within him. "Are you unwell?" He asked the rogue softly, sitting on his haunches and fixing the man with a turquoise eye. "You look unsettled, if it's the surgery I understand, I'm not entirely comfortable seeing my friends under the knife either, especially when I lack oppose able thumbs to help save their lives." He growled in dissatisfaction, scenting the wind uneasily, the stench of the swamp flooding his senses. "If it's something else I'm happy to lend an ear, they say dogs make the best listeners after all."

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#459

He looked over at the wolf, an immense canine nothing like anything that existed back .. home.

"I'll be fine. Someone needs to keep an eye out, and I'm a computer geek, not a doctor." Valadaar paused.

"Of all of us, you've had the biggest shock. Gender, form, and you're not really alone in there with Lucky's thoughts there too."

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#460

"You're forgetting a whole passel of Dire Wolf instinct too," He added with a toothy grin, scratching himself behind the ear with a hind leg. "It's hard sometimes, when the Lucky side of me pushes me to do one thing and the Dire Wolf part agrees with it, but I know better." He let out a distinctly canine whine of frustration. "Sil's been a help in that regard, her acceptance of me, us, in this new form helps, also there's been no shortage of things to keep me from dwelling on the present, especially our recent juvenile ball of energy, Willem."

He cast a watchful eye back towards camp, grateful to see the boy was still napping comfortably. "I'm not really the mother, or father sort, but looking after him helps keep me focused, gives me a reminder I'm more persona than beast, I'm just glad we were able to save him from that troll, even if his parents weren't so fortunate."

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#461

Pulling a strip off of the hem of his cloak, Tusserk wadded it up into a tight ball before handing it to Spiderheart. "Place it in your armpit and hold your arm against your side, not hard but just enough pressure to hold it in place. It will slow the blood flow in your arm, and hopefully slow the spread of the poison as well. At least until the Doc can regain her spells and then operate on your arm."

Watching the surgery and paying attention, Tusserk studied the warrior for any indication of action. "I think it is time we start listing our particular skills, more specifically the ones that will keep the group alive. We also need a plan, so far we have been reacting to threats. If we continue to run away then all we will end up with is a knife in the back. Granted, this can wait till after the surgery is complete."

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#462

Looking up from his notebook where he was frenziedly writing notes on the ongoing procedure with helpful illustrations, Gyma coughed politely. "Truthfully, I'm not too sure that would be in his best interest. While, it is true that there are accounts of limbs being reformed wholesale, most of those tales attribute such powers to demigods, godlings, and Avatars walking amongst us mere mortals. In theory, one might be able to use flesh from the intact arm in order to provide something to heal with those spells used simply to bind flesh and bone back together, much as was done for your friend's back, but I personally know nothing of any attempts to apply the power thusly. Likely, I would assume, it's because failure would leave the poor victim with no arms at all, as opposed to merely being a mere amputee."

Puffing on his pipe for a moment, Gyma returned to his notes before stopping once more. "I would think, though, that her spells should drive off necrosis of the flesh, yes? Thus, if you were to cut of circulation entire... But, no, it would likely spread past that."

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#463

"Well, the 'running away from threats' was the direct result of attempting to find a place to stay. None of the communities we have visited seemed welcoming in the least. or, as was the case with the boy's village, they were dead. So. My plan is to get to the monastery, gain secure shelter and then begin eliminating the sources of threats, find stable income, and forge alliances. We'll find the origin of these assassins. Last time I read the scriptures of law, the penalty for assassination, successful or not, was death, to be meted by the nearest representative of the law, such as I. To quote Malcolm Reynolds, 'someone tries to kill you, you kill him right back'. Once the external pressure of attempts at our life is eliminated, we can begin proactively applying our agenda in this world, whatever it may be."

Echo shrugged, cleaning tools meticulously.

"What, check Maslow's hierarchy of need, we have barely covered the physiological ones, and 'security of body' is on the very next level. You can't start building pyramids from the top now, can you? Thought so."

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#464

"We may wish to check with the monasteries inhabitants before we begin taking on threats, they may have issue with us drawing attention to their home by using it as a home base for our crusade of justice," She reminded Echo gently, "That aside, we should seek out the alchemist for Spiders arm, I'm not sure curing wounds will restore a missing limb or simply heal over the stump."

She gave the unconscious Mystic a gentle pat on the head, "A supply of the antidote could be helpful as well in case any more of us get poisoned we won't have to make this our default solution." She looked over at Tusserk and nodded at his suggestion, "Good thinking, now's as good a time as any before something takes an interest in eating us again, speaking of which we should bury the tissue and bloody rags, we don;t want the scent of blood drawing predators."

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#465

"I'll go first - its a short list. Computers, electronics and electrician, crappy homemade fireworks, survival and first aid. Problem solving and general science knowledge. Fast reading. Stealth and finding things. Tiny bit of mechanical and civil engineering that they give you on first year electrical engineering. I know what a moment of inertia is.."

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#466

"I might as well go next, a few years of Army National Guard infantry training, with some cross training as a field medic, lot of survivalist stuff from my my parents, and audited more than a few college courses in writing and various scientific interests over the years, oh and a few years of Aikido and Mo Du Pai Kungfu way back when I was in my late teens and early twenties, not much else that's really relevant in this world."

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#467

Echo sighed.
"A PhD in immunology, which I will not be able to exercise, a certain understanding of clinical research, applicable if we run experiments of any kind, knowledge of various regulations and guidelines, utterly useless. Basic chemistry, biology, med school with a smidgen of practical experience."
Certainly, besides common sense, the people of this world lacked advanced civilization, which would support much of his skill set.
"Then there's the extracurricular activities, some fencing, riding, woodworking, drawing, writing, you catch the drift."

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#468

Spiderheart once more listened to their words, and once more marveled at them. He nodded his head in thanks and comprehension at Tusserk's suggestion, and with some amazement at what the others were saying.

Mystic seemed better after a few hours. Whether all traces of basilisk milk poison had left his body was impossible to tell however. But he seemed better...though the wound still looked bad. Thanks to Echo's "double-major" in real surgery and curing light wounds however, the giant warrior survived and was recovering.

Spiderheat, the poison running up his arm more slowly now, led them quickly into the Vast.

------------

The next day they entered the slop proper.

The Soulmarsh Vast extended for sixty miles north to south and one hundred fifty miles east to west. Perhaps not a great expanse if it were a grassy plain, where horses could gallop freely, but with the Vast's treacherous terrain and notoriously slow travel times, it may as well have been twice larger.

Within this primordial land's confines stretched bogs and fens, mires, and marshes, sink holes, swamps, and quicksand. Insects, amphibians, and reptiles were dominant in these parts. Humans and and their kin, much less so.

But hardy folks adapted to hazards here as well, as hardy folk tend to do. Villages, thorps, and other, stranger communities, were sprinkled through out the Vast.

Elves were present here as well. The Soulmarsh Vast being one of the few remaining places left where elves were still only uncommon as opposed to rare.

---------------

The part of the Vast the companions found themselves in now was called Viper Pools. The going was not so rough. The ground was spongy but at last, free of treacherous rocks and rills. Occasionally, huge puddles of water, anywhere from six inches to three feet in depth, would appear along the semi-trails. The horses managed easily so far...

The Viper Pools happened to live up to their name unfortunately. Short and fat snakes, like gaboon vipers, the same color as the muddy water they slithered in, could occasionally be seen undulating about and plopping into the mud at their approach.

-------------

Honey Trap

After sloshing through the uninspiring terrain of the Viper Pools for the better part of the day, the companions noticed a change in the land. The ground was a bit drier here, and featured a reddish tint. Trees appeared, mostly of the skeletal variety, from copses bunched together at first, to eventually, an actual, albeit sparse, forest rearing around them.

The Red Fens this place was called. The cold sun cast cold shadows all about, and then the roiling mists arrived...

The most unsettling thing here was not the fat vipers, endless puddles, and swarms of biting insects (Sil's acquired Treant Sap helped a lot there), like in the Viper Pools earlier, but rather the thick, almost solid mist, rising and sinking about. At times it seemed they were walking through clouds, and breathing the sweat of the gods.

If the elves, who were apparently after them, wanted to stage a surprise assault, this would surely be a great place for it...

Lucky paused while scouting ahead. Something set the wolf's senses to tingling mode. Some sort of danger but not the identifiable kind. Just straight up animal sense. He sniffed at the carpet of decaying leaves on the ground and then the humid air. Nothing. Then something. He smelled human up ahead, and...chemicals?

"The Red Fens and the flooded forest up ahead. The Alchemist dwells here. Somewhere nearby is her hidden factory. Another day or so south lies the monastery." Spiderheart said quietly. The poison had spread, and he was in quite some discomfort by this time, his arm dead weight almost up to the shoulder, despite the previous aid received.

"If the Alchemist refuses an antidote, I will ask you to amputate my arm" he muttered to Tusserk calmly.

"Be wary friends", he advised the rest of the group louder now, "This part of the Vast has many hidden dangers."

Val heard a weird sound just then. Couldn't place it to save his life, but "weird" described it well. Like some deflating balloon...or air-sucking sigh...or something.

Gyma spotted a whole swarm of peculiar butterflies overhead. Lacrimosa Daucas Homitobi, the Stenchtear, an odious insect with powerful acidic secretions.

It was deathly quiet all around them, the trees silent sentinels, the swamp mist consuming all sounds in its soft embrace.

Tusserk felt something just then. A tiny splinter or something similar, as he ran his hand over his cheek. Didn't hurt a bit, it barely even registered, but was buried surprisingly deep. The monk pulled it out and examined it. Yep, splinter. Where the hell did it come from?

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#469

Val knew that sound. As a kid he had made blow darts with insect mounting pins - frightfully sharp they would stick into concrete, and you wouldn't feel them if you shot yourself..

"Ambush!" he yelled as he sought cover, pulling his sling out.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#470

With an uttered curse Silveressa pulled Wilem from the horse, kneeling down and shielding him with her body, reading her bow and searching the fog for any sign of attackers, whispering to the mage, "Have you a spell that will disperse this fog by chance?" She aimed into the fog, trusting her Elven infra vision to help her discern any hiding foes. loosing an arrow as soon as she had a clear target.

Initiative: (20:59:25) Minion: Silveressa rolls 1d10 and gets 8. +3 =11
Arrow shot assuming I can spot a target (20:47:01) Minion: Silveressa rolls 1d20 and gets 16. +4 =20
Damage for arrow assuming it hits: (21:00:48) Minion: Silveressa rolls 1d6 and gets 5+1=6
Chaosmark and Val in the room to witness rolls.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#471

Lucky flattened himself closer to the ground at the call of alarm from Valadaar, scanning his surroundings for enemies, ready to spring upon the closest foe that strayed within range.

Surprise: (23:00:54) Minion: Lady_Wolf rolls 1d6 and gets 6-2=4
Init: (23:00:54) Minion: Lady_Wolf rolls 1d10 and gets 5+?=?

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#472

:: Previously while waiting for Mystic to wake up ::

“I have nearly twenty two years of service in the Army. Five years in an armor regiment working maintenance, four in an air ambulance medevac doing the same, and thirteen in a chemical and biological recon and decon unit, specializing in biological recon. Five years as a combat lifesaver, and a life time of studying military history from the dark ages to modern warfare. Nearly thirteen years as a care provider followed with three years as a licensed massage practitioner. Eastern theory and energy work were the best subjects but we received a full year of anatomy and physiology from the cellular level on up, and kinesiology as well. Trigger point neuromuscular treatment, cranial sacral massage, deep tissue, and medical massage.” Smirking slightly to himself before turning to look over the group, Tusserk took a breath and continued.

“I have studied nearly every culture and age of mythology, useless in this world. Survival skills from a father that went through sere training in Vietnam, culminating in wonderfully dangerous camping trips as a child. And I have a severe dislike of flying and water that reaches over my knees. A phobia that will most likely preclude me from attempting to rescue any of you if you are drowning unfortunately, unless I feel that the water is safer than whatever is trying to kill me currently.”

:: Currently in the swamp ::

Brushing lightly against his cheek to better feel for the dart, He flips his hood up to cover his head before switching to English. “Hoods up, cover as much exposed skin as possible. Do we have a bright light source?”

Rolled a 1 on a 1d20… please please please tell me that there is not poison on this damn dart. Silver and Chaos were in chat when I rolled for my save vs poison.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#473

"Damned Fetishes" Echo mumbled. "They weren't fun the first time around."
Flipping up the hood, the priestess surveyed the surroundings.
Rolled an 8 to spot, well under my Wisdom. I should see them, right?
"Two can play this game" she added, firing the bow into the undergrowth where the ... whatever they were... were hiding.
My rolls (12:18:27) Minion: EchoMirage rolls 3d20 and gets 8,3,11. The 11 *could* hit something, up to AC 15 actually.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#474

Narration be d**ned, apparently val, small v, did recognize the sound, though it did not come from a blowgun per se...

"Ambush!"

yelled val...

"Have you a spell that will disperse this fog by chance?"

Silveressa shouted toward Gyma...

“Hoods up, cover as much exposed skin as possible. Do we have a bright light source?”

yelled Tusserk, hoping the splinter wasn't poisoned...

"Needlemen!" Announced Spiderheart who was in great discomfort with his stoney arm...

"They will attack the elves first! They fear magic and fire", he said to whoever could hear him. "Fire and magic!"

Silveressa and Echo hesitated for less than a half-second before firing shafts into the fog, having spied humanoid targets in the mists with their elven vision. They would not be rewarded with screams of pain however, from these weird plant-like beings, as the bolts struck true, and sank into the Needlemen.

Lucky coiled his body, awaiting a target, then finally spotted one...but hesitated for a moment. Leaping on one of these plant-men, would be akin to impaling oneself on a razor-sharp pine tree.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/85/Needleman.JPG/200px-Needleman.JPG

Val, Mystic, Gyma, and Tusserk were looking to attack as well, but first they were pelted by a swarm of tiny needles...so sharp and small the needles were, that the companions didn't even feel pain when the needles first struck. Val tried to visualize the needlemen page in the hoary, old fiend folio...

Worst of all, it was difficult to make out the adversaries in the ever-roiling mists...

Meanwhile, needles flew.

(ooc: So yeah, a surprise attack by Needlemen. Neither elf was surprised, neither was Lucky. The others were. I rolled some offline...Val gets needled for 6 points of dam, Tusserk for 4, Myst for 8. The other Needlemen missed. It is difficult to tell how many there are...5-6 at least? Echo and Sil hit, i'm keeping track of individual Needlemen hit points. Lucky can attack freely, and Gyma, Val, Tusserk, and Mystic can "act" now aka attack...or run :P)

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#475

"Retreat might be our best bet! They come in big numbers and are near as tough as Ogres!" Val said even as he sought out a target. "Range on the needles is pretty low though..."

btw, the needlemen do not have spikes like a porcupine unless you are house-ruling it - the needles are embedded in their flesh like missile silos...

and if the opportunity arises -

(10:35:15) Minion: valadaar rolls 1d20 and gets 20. !!!!
(10:35:33) Minion: valadaar rolls 1d6 and gets 6.
so, 14 points of damage if one is in sword range...

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#476

"Indeed, Val, we're meanwhile quite practiced at retreating. Let's do it once more - but preferably towards the monastery, the concentration of elves therein might deter the Needlers" Echo quipped cynically, and proceeded to withdraw, lighting arrows on fire and trying to place them into the vile creepers, covering the withdrawal like the nice archer she was.
(19:00:55) Minion: EchoMirage rolls 2d20 and gets 19,18.
Pew pew, eat fire arrows, you bastards. Two hits. Please roll for damage for me.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#477

Maybe being such a big and easy target wasn't so fun after all...

Mystic felt the bite and sting of so many needles puncturing his skin. He hesitated briefly, so torn between rushing in, feeling the fire of the bloodlust (not to mention giving in to the urge to lop off heads), and running. Aversion to pain won.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#478

Through the mists they went, not so much in retreat, but in a roundabout advance, trying to continue on their way, while avoiding the demonic-looking thornmen, and not getting disoriented in the fog.

An alien scream, like the sound of a mountain of dead leaves exploding, was suddenly heard as Val brought his sword up and through the back and torso of one creature he almost accidentally stumbled upon. The plantman collapsed. Val rushed through the mists...

Echo's flaming arrows found home as well, and now the creatures shrieked as their gaunt bodies caught fire like kindling...

But more appeared randomly in the mists, calling out in parched howls to their fallen comrades, their eyes burning yellow with hatred for the invaders. The gruesome needles on their bodies regrowing after every volley, like the teeth of some demented devil shark.

(ooc: 4 and 6 dam from Echo! You killed one that you hit earlier and the other arrow hits the one Sil hit earlier. Two needlemen down, three with val's mighty backstab. They attack after Gyma, Lucky, Sil and Tuss get a go....and this time they "seek" out the elves in the group, because they hatesss them, preciousss, hatesss them. See needlemen entry. Note: since announcing a "retreat", Myst, Echo, and Val will be a bit out of range of needlemen's volleys next round...which is coming up, after Tuss, Gyma, Sil, and Lucky get an action. Hope that makes sense. :))

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#479

Silveressa nodded, pulling her cloak tighter about herself, confident the thick leather would provide an adequate barrier against the thorns. "Lucky stay close!" She called, slinging her bow over her back and cradling Wilem, carrying him in a low weaving run in the direction the rest of her comrades were fleeing. She hoped his winter jacked woudl shielf him from any thorns her cloak did not, but doubted the young boys ability to hang onto Lucky as he barreled alongside her.

Consider it a full action of moving in a running bob trying to making a harder target for the needle men to hit and get the boy out of harms way as quickly as possible.

Re: Guardians of the Citadel

#480

Mystic fled with the others, polearm raised, almost hoping he would come upon a needleman in the maddening mists, as he heard the awful sounds of the one Val had stabbed moments ago...

Taller than the rest, Myst could make out bits of the forest in front of him, over the raging fog, which was about chest high on the giant warrior. Up ahead he spied something...

A smallish building of stone and wood, an actual building, that sort of resembled... a warehouse?? It looked positively incongruous, considering the surrounding terrain of swamp and skeletal trees. The house stood about one hundred yards away from him. About to shout out to the others, he was interrupted by more screaming Needlemen, these ones a'flame from Echo's shafts. Just then he spotted Sil, only a dozen yards away, Willem in tow, darting parallel to the warrior, covering Willem from needle volleys, as best as she could. Lucky was no where to be seen in the mists, but Myst could hear growling.

It was so hard to make anything out. And where was Tusserk and Spidey? What about that new mage? Confusion reigned.