Group had a good plan for this but two things bollocksed it up. One - BX harpies are fucking bad asses. Maybe not in pound for pound fight, but just in the mass charm effect from their vicinity can wipe out half the fighting force that round or longer.
And that was because of Two: They lost initiative. At no point they ever expect that might be the case and their plan went up in smoke in almost no time.
Putting the Ring of Spell Resistance on Abraxas was a stroke of lucky genius in this situation.
Follows:
THREE HUNDRED NINETY NINE
(I/C)
“I wish I had thought about wax in the ears,” Lannis groused quietly.
“Wait!” Lyra said excitedly, pulling out a scroll. “I have this!” She waved it. “Silence.”
“Dat’s a good idea.”
“I have one every so often,” she said.
“You silence their song, and I’ll web them right afterwards,” Lannis offered, flipping to the page in Mirabellis’ spellbook.
“Let’s go then,” Kovid said. “I’ll go in first, clear the way, and hit them as soon as your spells go.”
“Right behind you, Senor,” Abraxas smiled.
Time’s wasting,” Brendon said, moving down the hall. The party followed, stepping swiftly and quietly behind the Scout. Once at the door he gave it the fastest check to make sure it wasn’t locked or trapped before stepping back, sword out. Wyn swapped to his bow and the rest of the party was all ready. Kovid grabbed the handle and the group all waited as he mouthed, “one…two…three”.
He yanked the door open and Lyra and Lannis were first in, already working their spells. Just on the other side of the room past the great circular stair was one of the harpies, situated near the floor to ceiling glasstone window. “Aine... she’s fucking disgusting.”
The harpy was a bit over 6 feet in height and had the body of a horrid looking woman and the lower half of some sort of vulture looking eagle. As the Cleric was working her spell, we saw movement just to the south as two goblin looking skeletons stepped forward just as the party entered.
“Ugh you crones are fowl, Haw haw haw,” Kovid laughed, smacking his hammer into his free hand, “Time to clip your wings!”
(Initiative: 3 vs 3 - tie, reroll. Party Steel 4 vs Enemy Red/Black 6)
Lannis was reading the spell from the book, commenting as he worked the magics, "I so do not have the time or patience. My master once told me "there's no such thing as too much overkill". He said he made it up, but I'm pretty sure he was lying, he lied to me a lot, but I still agree with the sentiment."
“Sister?” we heard from below, down the stairs, the other harpy calling up.
“Yes! I was wrong, Greisee! They’re UP here!”
“Coming!!”
But before the two spells could go off, the harpy launched into a crooning song that was so powerful, so awe inspiring, that everyone in the room rocked back as the first dulcet clear tones sang out as if borne on the wings of angels. (Save vs spells: Lannis >Pink 19, Lyra <White 7, Wyn < Orange 2, Abraxas – Nah!, Brednon >Red 19, Kovid <Yellow 5) Lyra and Kovid already in the chamber immediately stopped their assault and walked to the harpy who was beckoning them to come closer as she sang. Wyn was a bit behind, but the elf also entered the chamber, a beatific smile on his face.
“Kill the Mage,” the harpy said, still singing, and the two skeleton instantly changed their direction and charged the Magic User.
“Oh, come the fuck on!” Lannis said abandoning his web spell to try and get his staff into play.
Abraxas was staring down at his hand with the silver ring he was wearing from Mirabellis and said, “Amigos! The ring! It BIT me! I felt it. Like a zzzaapp!”
“Great, Zorro! I can use some help here….ahh!!!” Lannis shrank back as the two skeletons swung at him. “My nipples!” he cried out. (<+2 to hit, White 12 – would have normally hit…<+2 to hit, White 11 – also would have normally hit). But the strangest thing happened, as soon as the goblin undead began striking at him, the gloves he had taken from Mirabellis grew warm from the impacts and he could feel they were somehow helping to ward off the blows (Congrats! Bracers AC 13 – boosts your AC to 15 with your Dex). “Ha? Ha! HAAA!!! Fuck you, Bone brain! I am invincible!!”
Meanwhile the harpy had both Lyra and Kovid stop right in front of her, their heels just at the edge of the hole. Wyn was at the other side of the hole, all three of the party members were swaying softly. “Watch out below,” the Harpy called down and then asked sweetly, “Can you three all throw the nasty weapons and shields you are holding down the steps please?” And without hesitation, the Theystran Hammer, the Lolthian Flail, the Heartswood bow and prepared arrow, and the Cleric’s heavy shield all made clattering noises as they fell down into the lower Watchtower, the harpy down there giggling. “And can you all please stand right at the edge of the hole for me, face away from it, but DON’T fall in!”
“Suuuuurrrreeee,” the three of them said turning and adjusting themselves with goofy grins on their face.
“All ready for you, Griesee!” she called out and then continued humming her song while the other below cackled uproariously and we could hear something coming up the steps.
“This did not go to plan,” Abraxas commented, trying to clear the skeletons off the Magic User (>+8 to hit, Blue 11). His Scythe hit hard and fast, ripping the animated dead from stem to stern (1d8+4 damage, Blue 8+4=12 and killed!), shredding it and sending bones everywhere. “Uno!”
Brendon was next, his sword hacking and chopping, the enchanted blade (>+4 to hit, Red 17) tearing into the other skeleton (1d6+1 Damage, Red 4+1=5 Damage!) and splintering ribs from the attack. “Didn’t we just kill these guys?” he asked.
“Hang on, I am NOT going to risk a web spell now.” Lannis whipped his staff around, cracking the wounded goblin undead (<+1 to hit, Pink 9) but not hitting it hard enough to put it down for good. “Damn it Lyra! This is a bad time to find love! Don’t let your first experimental foray into girl love be with a Harpy! It’ll scar you for life!”
(Initiative, Party Steel 5, Enemy Red/Black 2)
Time now is Day 9, 1:57 PM
(OOC)
3 are charmed. 1 skel remaining wounded. Something coming up the stairs, we can also hear the other harpy below. Lyra, Wyn, and Kovid all threw their stuff down the hole and are standing there, back to the hole, heels on the edge, listening to the harpy’s song and smiling entranced. You guys go!
No comments:
Post a Comment