Right after this I threw my back out and had to take 2 weeks off of playing either group. Welcome to your 50's!
While we bashed the last guy to submission, the party took stock of the chamber. Chambermaid and archivist crying on the way to the stairs going up. Pestle had snatched the candle from their hands with the mage hand spell and we were debating on going upstairs or down. We could hear voices coming from both. Albert had gone to the two and were yelling at them to let them know where Burne was when someone from up the stairs shot down – slamming an arrow into the wizard! The party ran to get away when another arrow slammed into the chambermaid, killing her.
Unable to see up there for sure, and knowing that some archers were up there waiting on us, we felt we were at a standstill. Pestle and Aredhel hatched a plan and the gnome used her mage hand to force the candle up the side of the steps until it made it to the top. And then Aredhel firebursted it, burning the archers up there.
We charged up the steps to the 2nd level. Furd was up there and tackled one of the archers with Elmo and Rowan and his animals followed next. Clubbing and hitting followed and the archers were hit and hit hard, with Furd kicking one of them over and down the stairs. The party followed up until everyone was on the 2nd floor. The stairs continued up but there were two doors on this floor. Aredhel and Ophelia thought the south of the 2 doors was Rufus’ chamber. The other door we didn’t know. We suspected and could hear voices on the 3rd floor up so we figured briefly to check out this floor.
The north door had something moving faintly behind it, the south door did not. We opened the door and it was indeed the fighter’s chamber. A look around showed a few things, some coin, but under the bed was a dead woman. Dead for a week. And in the armoire was a dozen or so fetishes that Rufus had taken from other women. OMG – he was indeed a monster. We had to take him down too.
Before going up, Aredhel fired a Flare up the stairs and we could see a barricade up there and a number of people well placed and waiting. As for the north door, there was a bang on the door – and we figured – let’s go. From up the stairs they lit a fuse and let a 3 gallon barrel with burning bounced down at us. Elmo caught it, and then hurled it up the stairs where it went over the barrier – and then it exploded. It set others up there on fire and burst another bomb – and we charged up. A few guys were dead and 2 were still there, one blown on the next stairs up.
Elmo’s invulnerability potion and Furd’s potion of Stoneskin kept both men at the forefront and alive. The group charged up and brought the combat to the 3 guys hurt but still alive. Rowan’s animals Hamburger and Snookums hit as well. Damage and hurt flowed around and when it was over, some healing was given. We could hear Burne and Rufus upstairs but something was coming out of the closed door downstairs and heading its way to us.
We looked down – and it was a 11’ tall stone golem. And it was heading up the stairs towards us. Crap. Plans were given and Pestle said that she’d stay here on this level and run around the center of the tower (were 2 small rooms were) – attracting the golem and keeping it from going up to the next level. Meanwhile we were going to hit the stairs hard and Furd, Elmo, and Rowan (riding Hamburger) would strike hard and first.
The group slammed the top where Burne, Rufus, as well as the captain of Burne’s mercenaries and another 2 as well. Combat ensued with Rufus holding the front line with the Captain off to the side. Screams and cried followed and Burne fired 4 magic missiles at Furd – hitting the fighter hard. We did note that the Captain was the guy yelling “Hooray” earlier and a few times. Rowan summoned a bear to the fight and Elmo got sliced and struck. Aredhel’s spells ripped into the enemy. Pestle was running ahead of the golem, coaxing it to stay on the 3rd level and chase her.
After dimensioning dooring the bear attacking him away, Burne made 4 mirror images appear around him. Furd then grappled the Captain, begging him to stop fighting and just stop. They wrestled about as the party hit and slashed. Rowan went down from a hit by Rufus and Elmo hit the fighter back. Ophelia healed Rowan, getting him up again. More acid splash was tossed about and Albert tried to get around the battlefield. Pestle was still running but she was getting tired and her pulse was pounding. She was still running for now, but it wasn’t going to last. Hurry up guys!
The battle continued on and Rowan had summoned 2 animals to join the fight – and the bear again! Speaking of the bear, Snookums got a triple critical on Rufus, ripping his throat open and killing the fighter instantly! Huzzah! Burne’s images were being popped away when Albert drank his potion of Keen eye and hurled it at the wizard – striking him dead on! We pushed on and Burne dispelled magic, banishing both of the summoned monsters. And Albert hurled another knife, and the Keen eye potion was still working, slicing the wizard open and killing him. The Captain and his 2nd both lowered their weapons and agreed to work with the party. The Captain (Charles), sent his 2nd down to help Pestle to lure the golem into the center room and then out the other door – once it was unable to see the gnome, it just stopped giving chase.
Finally done – we took stock of what was going on and where we were going to go next. Like Rannos Davi – and end the threat to Hommlet!
No comments:
Post a Comment