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Post by K Man on Apr 6, 2005 12:00:11 GMT -5
Kysta, Girud, Mordrock, Galdren, Caelith, Callian and Garor - You go about collecting the scattered remnants of your party. Pulling dripping party members into boats, shaking armor and weaponry free of the water, eyes still drifting to the bloodied spot on the water.
Hero...what a fitting name...
Though her last moments were brief, they were ideal. A paladin's final gift is her life, and if used to defeat unholy evil, that is all she can ever ask.
Still, the words rang through the snake-tube. It is alright to go above decks now. The DemonWing has entered Stygia, the coldest of the Nine Hells.
You look to the tunnel ahead, the one that swallowed your dear friend, and to the tunnel behind - the passage of safety.
Which will you take?
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Romar and Yuri - Moving towards the Ziggurat, you are immediately taken by its size. It seems that the closer you get to it, the farther it seems to be - but it's only the distance illusion.
After an hour of walking down motionless streets, past thousands of clerics frozen in time, you finally find yourself on the steps leading to its interior. It is well over a hundred feet tall and nearly four times as long. It reminds you a coliseum, open interior with massive pillars supporting the exterior.
There is but one door, a double set of steel doors that you prey is counterweighted - or else you'll never get them open.
Across the entirety of the doors are the same scratch marks as before...and the smell of sulfur lingers in the air...
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Post by Wizard on Apr 6, 2005 15:56:00 GMT -5
Caelith thinks. Hero is dead, but mourning her must come later. The now requires a decision.
"We're here for a reason: rescuing Karn. A point in favor of returning.
"However. Hero bought us passage through this place with her life. We might as well see exactly what that's worth. We've already lost one life too many here, but I think it will be worth our while to explore this ship just a little further before we consider it safe and leave it. We will be cautious, and we will be careful. But let's continue."
If only he were as sure as he sounded.
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Post by VemuKhaham on Apr 7, 2005 4:27:18 GMT -5
"Obviously this creature has been here. Let me see if it has left any other evidence of it's passing: it might just give us a clue..."
Romar will start investigating the surroundings near the door very closely, seeing if there are any signs of the path that this creature must have wandered. He's trying to find out if there's a trail leading from, or towards the door, or perhaps both. This might reveal if the creature is still inside the ziggurat, or if it has merely visited it briefly. And maybe he'll stumble upon some other clues by tracking.
Anyway, Romar will enter if it can't be excluded that the creature has made it's lair inside, and if Yuri agrees. And if the doors make way...
Survival +11 to track. Also, if it proves too difficult to search on the stairs cause of the underground, he'll also tries to search for tracks at the base of the stairs, if the underground is softer there.
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GeneralMHB
Veteran of the War
Fight and you may die, run and you'll live.... at least awhile.
Posts: 427
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Post by GeneralMHB on Apr 7, 2005 5:41:36 GMT -5
Yuri gives a warning to Romar before entering. My psionic energy has nearly drained from me. I cannot provide you much aid in this fight. But I will do what I can.With this, Yuri waits for Romar to open the door. (OOC: 7 power points left  ) |
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Post by Japic on Apr 7, 2005 9:12:10 GMT -5
Girud agrees that they should head further into this place. No point in Hero dying for nothing.
Let's show these bastards what we're made of.... and should we run across another huge big nasty, we can think of retreat before losing another life.
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Post by Fangor the Fierce on Apr 7, 2005 9:27:08 GMT -5
Krysta is quiet for once. She simply has not been able to close her eyes without seeing the monstrosity tearing into Hero's body. The scene replays itself in her mind over and over. She knew that lives would be lost in this war. It was inevitable. But it wasn't supposed to be like this. She had hoped that together, with their collective efforts, this group would haven been able to stand to most threats and live.
She follows the others, bow at the ready, and not wasting a second thought to loose the arrow on the first enemy sighted.
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Post by VemuKhaham on Apr 7, 2005 10:47:14 GMT -5
Romar looks up while he sat on his knee looking for traces when Yuri notes his concern.
"If you need it, this might be our last chance to recover a little from the long night that is now nearly behind us. Once these doors close behind us, god knows how much it might regret us that we entered this place without proper preparation.
Then again, this place, as it is, gives me the creeps. The sooner it is restored to its proper state, the sooner we actually might expect a true resting place. If you say you're up to it, I will not doubt your words, but neither will I when you ask for a pause."
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Post by Jevva on Apr 7, 2005 15:05:45 GMT -5
I think we should keep going
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Post by TheUdjat on Apr 7, 2005 21:15:28 GMT -5
((Personnel addendum.))
Caelith will assist with raising the boats however he can, positioned above the waves as he is.
They will, indeed, carry on. Hero's death will not be in vain. And then they will continue to Karn, and the crystal, and prevent the falling of another paladin in hell.
Caelith's eyes sadly shift to Callian. He must surely be devastated. He makes a mental note to speak to the paladin - for the three of them had somewhat bonded in their travels together. They will share their grief, and when safely on the surface, give Hero a ceremony fitting to her sacrifice.
But first, they will SMITE!
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GeneralMHB
Veteran of the War
Fight and you may die, run and you'll live.... at least awhile.
Posts: 427
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Post by GeneralMHB on Apr 7, 2005 23:51:01 GMT -5
Yuri refocuses his gaze back on Romar.
We cannot delay any further. Already these people stand in fear of something that could easily kill us while we rest. Being caught unprepared is far worse than facing it now. I will lay siege upon it with my fists if need be. But I degress, we will need aid in this. And aid I shall summon.
With that, he makes a howl to call forth any wolves available to answer his call.
The children of the night will arrive soon. Let us continue onward now.
(OOC: I just did a vampire ability, one I haven't ever used before: Children of the Night. Summon 3d6 wolves in 2d6 rounds.)
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Post by VemuKhaham on Apr 8, 2005 4:14:52 GMT -5
Romar stands both shaken and somewhat delighted, seeing Yuri call for greatly needed aid to the wolves, predators of the night. Surely, they are animals, or appear as such, but when summoned with magic inherently vampiric, he feels unsure of how natural these beasts are.
However, when he thinks again of the true nature of his closest ally and friend, not just the cover that has taken a hold of his appearance, he knows it is alright. Even more so, Romar might be able to ask for their help in a way Yuri probably didn't realise.
He approaches one of the pack that is hopefully to flock to them, and tries to get its attention with his great feel for animals he has grown in his youth. He tries to make them help him in finding a track, but for them it will be much easier since their ability to scent isn't hampered by darkness or underground.
"My father always taught me to flee from wolves, and shoot them when they get too close, but now they come to our aid, loyal as tame dogs and with an instant readiness, as if the last many months their howling to the moon has been a wailing over her failure to shed some light on this now dark place."
He looks into the dark air, and the silhouettes of the tall mountains all around them, and frowns.
"And that would certainly not surprise me, for the hills and mountains that surround this holy place are now deep within enemy territory. They must feel the same unnatural taint on the lands as I do."
What's the time of the night? I've lost track, and Yuri should be inside before dawn.
The wolves can track by scent, but they probably don't know the trick so I'll have to push them into doing it I guess: handle animal +10. If there's no clear trace of anything he himself finds or the wolves, or if the only tracks lead inside, he'll go in. If not, he'll probably do so too, just to make sure, but at least they'll have a trail if the creature turns out to not be in here.
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Post by BluSpecs on Apr 8, 2005 8:18:26 GMT -5
Yes lets move on a bit farther, this creature was obviously guarding something important.
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