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Ragnar He steps into the room cautiously. Apprehensive about getting attacked in the back again, he turns around and makes sure there are no hidden assailants. He prowls around the room looking for any signs that an attacker might be nearby. Looking at the floor, he tries to see if there's footprints and then he looks at the walls to see if any might be hiding passages. oocPer-12, Tracking (A) Per+3 [1]-15
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Dec 7, 2015 21:11
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| # ? Apr 23, 2024 21:02 |
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Caves of the Snake Lair Ragnar peers about the room, which is as quiet as the grave. Nearby the far door, he sees the same thing as Dawa. He and the ranger nod silently to each other, knowing without words that they have seen what evidence there is of recent passage. The walls show no hidden passages, but the door is thankfully free of traps and treachery. Though it is ornate, it's only a door and unlocked to boot. No hidden passages, but you see what Dawa sees in my previous post. The door is safe to open if you so choose.
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Dec 11, 2015 20:06
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Ragnar "Dawa, We should all regroup and go through this door." Ragnar looks around and tries to get the group together. oocNot sure if we're all in the same room or not.
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Dec 15, 2015 20:14
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Totach Redmane Both weapons drawn once more, Totach steps through the portal and into the room. "Is it common here to say that a room is....too quiet?"
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Dec 15, 2015 20:51
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Dawa Dawa nods solemnly. "I would also say that. Though the more people say it, the less true it is." He pauses to rub his face. "Gods strike me down, I'm talking like Rohan now. Should we storm the room? Seems to be our style." He pauses to inspect the bottles of oil, wondering what kind of perfumes snake-men preferred. What skill would I use to inspect the bottles? Naturalist (12)?
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Dec 16, 2015 01:55
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Caves of the Snake Lair Dawa notes that they are infused oils with various herbs and spices. One produces the pleasant aroma of lavender, while another reeks of something unwholesome yet strangely seductive. They are as mundane as one might find at an apothecary's, but to the right person the precious oils and rare herbs they are infused with could be worth a pretty penny. Best not tell them where you found them though... Naturalist works fine. You found... Rare Oils! Five little vials of the stuff. Everyone is close enough to be in the same room. Rohan's back on his feet, Alhert hasn't posted in a while but I presume he's still on board and for now I'll say he's probably helping Rohan limp along. Beardless, chime in! You still with us buddy?
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Dec 16, 2015 19:44
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Ragnar "No point in sitting here." Ragnar goes up to the door and swings his maul into it. ooc Taking out the door. He's going with an ALL-out attack (strong) and with Focused Fury, he's going to spend 1 FP to boost the damage he's doing from only a +2 per die to +3. ST 19; DX 14; IQ 10; HT 13; Per 12; Will 11 HP 20/24 ; FP 11/13; BS 6.25; BM 7; Dodge 9 High Pain Threshold, Outdoorsman 4, Signature gear 3, Striking ST 2, Weapon Master (Two-handed Axe/Mace), Focused Fury, Power Grappling, Weapon Bond, Gigantism (+1 SM) Two-Handed Axe/Mace-17 Maul "PAIN" DAM 6+1 Reach 1,2 Weight 18 ST 19
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Dec 16, 2015 20:58
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Alhert Lorimer As Ragnar smashes down the door, Alhert starts and shakes his head, coming out of the reverie he had sunken into. He hands Rohan his halberd to use as a staff, and draws his long knife. It was more suited to these close confines anyway. Looking around, he snatches up one of the small round shields the Settites had used, and readies himself for what lay beyond the door. Sorry for the absence, I've been kind of overwhelmed with IRL stuff of late.
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Dec 16, 2015 21:18
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Totach Redmane As Ragnar winds up yet again, Totach takes two big steps back. "Why did we even invent lockpicks?"
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Dec 16, 2015 22:52
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Dawa Dawa looks up from the bottles, about to say something, when he sees Ragnar's tree trunk swinging toward the door. He hurries to grab a recently-recovered arrow from his quiver and prepares for another fight.
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Dec 18, 2015 02:31
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Caves of the Snake Lair Ragnar once again proves himself the better of any door, and annihilates the wooden structure with two powerful strokes. Splinters of the carven snake figure litter the floor. The walls here are smoothed and crafted carefully, and the floor is no longer rough hewn stone but carefully laid stone flags. The party's torchlight shows a short hallway leading to what appears to be a carved archway blocked by a curtain. No sound is heard except for a distant ominous thrumming. Pulling aside the curtain reveals an underground ritual chamber to a dark and evil god. Rich tapestries hang over the walls depicting foul scenes of depravity to the snake god Set. Depictions of capering cultists feeding children into the gullets of serpents, and scaled fiends spilling blood into cauldrons. Several benches are arrayed in front of an altar. Sconces along the walls hold candles that have burnt low, and most of them have burnt out. The altar itself is blood-stained stone, and it sits in front of the most terrible feature of the room. Looming above the altar is a massive figure of a snake carved out of the living rock, its mouth agape in an angry hiss. Gold inlays trace around the figure giving it a strange glitter in the darkness and the eyes are inset stones that give them a piercing blue that peers down at the group. The thrumming is louder in this room, and it seems to be coming from somewhere above. One of the tapestries hanging on the wall next to the figure flutters slightly, as though a draft had disturbed it. Ragnar just needed an extra regular swing to clean up the door smashing.
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Dec 18, 2015 23:55
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Totach Redmane Totach stares up in awe at the snake figure. In particular, he's eyeing the eyes. He looks at Dawa sideways. "I'll bet you a mead that you can't shoot those eyes out."
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Dec 19, 2015 02:44
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Ragnar "Forget about shooting the eyes. Someone should go up there and take them. I would do it myself, but I don't think myself good enough climber to do it." Ragnar looked around the room. With no sight of enemies in the room, he wondered if they might be lurking nearby. He stalked around the room looking for traces of where they went. He then looked at the floor trying to find footprint traces of passage. ooc Per-12, Tracking -15
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Dec 19, 2015 23:23
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Ragnar combs the room for signs of passage, purely focused on the task. Not bothering to note any of the objects around him, he quickly finds and evaluates the latest marks left in the room. Traffic no sooner than the past hour or so in and out from behind the tapestry beside the snake. The tapestry conceals a passageway which consists of a short hall that becomes steps going upwards, quickly twisting away out of sight. With the edge of the tapestry pulled aside, the thrumming can be clearly heard now as a steady drumbeat and the sound of distant chanting joins it. Fail perception, pass Tracking.
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Dec 19, 2015 23:31
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Dawa Dawa grunts at Totach. "And damage those beauties? Think I'll take the scenic route, and then I'll buy you a mead anyway." He approaches the altar, eyes scanning its surface, as well as the rock face. Per 14, Climbing 14. Checking out the altar and judging whether I can scale the rock to get the stones. This all seems very familiar...
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Dec 21, 2015 01:51
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Rohan As Ragnar states his desire for the stones, Rohan immediately turns toward the statue. With the pain of his injuries dulled, he finds himself more able to focus, and he attempts to scale the statue, using a combination of climbing, and his finely-honed agility. He's not quite as graceful as he'd like, but he maintains control over his movement. With luck, he'll be able to just pull the stones from their settings, rather than needing to free them more forcefully. (Rohan's attempting to climb the statue with a combination of Acrobatics (of 15), Climbing (also 15), and Jumping (16). Should he make it up there, he will first attempt to just pry the eyes out with strength (of 11), but if that fails, then maybe he'll just kung-fu his way through the stone they're set into, we'll cross that bridge if we come to it.)
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Dec 21, 2015 04:07
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Totach Redmane Grinning widely, Totach simply stands with hands on hips and watches Rohan try to scale the statue.
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Dec 21, 2015 19:02
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Ragnar He takes note of where the foot prints lead. Best to follow the tracks to find the rest of the cultists. He then turned back to his companions. Seeing that they have decided to take the gems, he kept an eye out for trouble.
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Dec 21, 2015 20:51
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Caves of the Snake Lair Dawa and Rohan head to opposite sides of the snake figure and begin scaling the rock. Dawa slips and slides back to the floor while Rohan nimbly scampers up the carving to the eyes and begins prying at the gems. Slower, more deliberately, Dawa climbs up to join Rohan at the face of the snake. Rohan has a bit of trouble with the gem socketed into the eye of the snake. The brass fitting firmly holds the piece lapis lazuli and Rohan can't quite get it loosened from the stone carving. Dawa joins him and grabs the other gem and tugs. Fortune smiles on the tracker and with only a few quick yanks his gem comes free. He clambers back down the carving while Rohan continues to work at his gem. The group watches him struggle until suddenly it pulls free and throws Rohan off balance. He teeters and slips, and falls off of the carving catching the edge of the eye socket before he plummets any further. He dangles in the air a moment, then deftly drops to the ground unharmed and in possesion of the other gem. Back on the ground the two eye-gems can be compared. The brass setting holds a respectably-sized and quite valuable lapis gem surrounded by bluish glass and colorful stones of common origin. Rohan's gem is slightly bigger, and the brass fitting a bit more twisted by removal. The stone carving glares down at the group, with a blind and hateful stare. Off in the distance the thrumming, drumming takes on a different beat with pauses and syncopations changing the rhythm. It takes on a sense of tension. Something is happening somewhere, and it's soon coming to a climax. Dawa - Climbing success! Strength prizes the gem free. A 2.5 carat lapis gem is acquired! Rohan - Climbing success! Strength fails, so some few minutes are wasted. A 2.75 carat lapis gem is acquired!
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Dec 22, 2015 00:27
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Rohan His mission a success, Rohan hands the gem to Ragnar. "As ordered, the gems have been retrieved. Shall we continue onwards?"
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Dec 22, 2015 03:41
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Dawa "So modest! You're like a monkey traipsing up that carving." He pauses to give the angry snake a rude gesture, then nods to the others. "Let's go. Quite enough dallying."
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Dec 22, 2015 23:51
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Ragnar "Well done! Where these lowly cultists are going, they will have no need of those gems. Now on to finding the rest of those serpents." Ragnar goes over to the tapestry and rips it down. "This way. Footprints lead in this direction and I hear them this way as well." [b]Heading down the passageway.
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Dec 30, 2015 22:01
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Totach Redmane Totach unsheaths and twirls his dual weapons. "Lead on, door-knocker."
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Dec 30, 2015 22:10
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Dawa Dawa nods. "Ready," he says, an arrow spinning between the fingers of one hand while the other grips his bow.
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Jan 1, 2016 02:00
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Temple of the Snake The group ventures up the stairs, which wind and twist confusingly through stone. The drums grow louder and chanting can be heard even more clearly as they reach the top of the passageway. Blasphemous hymns to Set echo through the air. At the end of the passage is what appears to be a wooden back to a piece of furniture. Pushing on it gently shifts it, and a door that had been disguised as a bookcase swings open to reveal a small office filled with shelves of texts and scrolls. A round table lies in the middle of the room and a few small candles in pure silver candle-holders light the room. The door leading out of the room is ajar and a quick peer around it reveals an empty hallway beyond. The sound of the drums and chanting is almost deafening, disguising even the clank and rattle of Alhert's armor. Torches in sconces light the hallway all the way to the door at the far end, and with the cover of the ritual the group makes a quick reconnaisance foray into the passage. A dozen yards or so ahead, a large archway opens into a hall that has been converted from whatever prior purpose it had into a foul lair of Set. Nearly a score of cultists bow and chant, while a handful more pound on drums. Guards armed with snake-motif'd shields and serpentine spears stand around the hall as an honor guard and two of the snake-warriors stand on the stairs rising up to a stone dais. All have their attention focused raptly on the dais. A High Priest stands over large stone trough filled with smoking embers. Below it is a gutter that leads down to a bier upon which an unconcious man lies. He is unconcious and covered with paints and oils of a ritual nature. Two large swords encrusted with jewels and fine etchings lie on either side and large leather straps, too large for a human, lay across his chest. Above the stone trough are three bound prisoners, one of which you recognize as your friend Truan. As you watch, the high priest plunges his knife into the dangling prisoner on the right while chanting vile sacraments to Set. Guts spill out and on to the hot coals which hiss and sputter, then begin to glow with an ominous light. The chanting grows louder and the drums increase their tempo. No one has noticed the group, and with the ritual drowning out all sound in the hall it is safe to confer in the passageway or library. However, the ritual is one of blood sacrifice and if Truan is to be saved they will have to act quickly.  You have a chance to plan, but head's up: time is a factor. You are however currently perfectly safe and unnoticed and free to move and talk to each other between the library office and the first archway. There are lots of dudes, yes, but remember that most cultists are cowards.
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Jan 3, 2016 20:03
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Totach Redmane The expletives that come from Totach's mouth are unique to Tortage and last a good five seconds. "This....is bad." He drops low to the ground and peers around the corner. "I can clearly see 9 guards, and there's probably a tenth on the other side of this wall if they're keeping symmetry. Plus two snake-men. That may be more than we can handle by ourselves." He looks down the hall. "There's another entrance there. I'm going to move to scout that end of the room." Totach is moving down the hall to the left-hand archway and get a better view of that side of the room.
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Jan 3, 2016 20:38
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Caves of the Snake Lair Totach steals down the hallway, staying out of sight of any stray glances. He creeps around the far archway and peers into the room. Only one other guard was unaccounted for against the near wall. All are intensely focused on the priest on the dais. The priest has moved to the other prisoner and is tracing arcane sigils over his skin while chanting and shaking in religious fervor.  Totach is not spotted.
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Jan 3, 2016 21:57
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Totach Redmane Totach sneaks back to the group. "I was right, looks like ten guards and two snakes. The back of the room is the least guarded, though that's a relative term."
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Jan 3, 2016 22:04
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Dawa Dawa exhales slowly, feeling a growling little ball of bile twisting in his gut. This was their true enemy, beyond treasures and secret passages and reptilian swordsmen. He steadies himself against the wall and raises his bow. While Totach scouts, he pushes out distractions from his mind and breathes evenly. The priest was wearing little, though it was hard to tell whether any magic might protect him. Dawa whispered a little prayer to gods he barely knew that his arrow wouldn't care. "I can stop him before he kills your friend," he whispers to Ragnar. "What's the plan here, fellows?" Readying an aimed shot at the priest.
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Jan 3, 2016 22:17
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Dawa The sounds of the chanting fades. The murmurs of his companions fades. The flicker of the torches, the creak of pews, the rustle of chainmail. It all faded away, like the noise of a storm after it's passed. Dawa can hear his own breath, a well of calm, repeating again and again. The tip of his arrow tracks with the high priest, his target, his prey. He can recall a moment in a scrubby forest, hunting a doe, his stomach growling like an angry stoat. It had been days since he had eaten anything other than what few roots and acorns his gut could stand, and the doe seemed to never run out of energy. It was after his encounter with the druids, and when his hunger and anger threatened to overwhelm him, a voice in his mind, clear as a bell and totally unlike his own, reminded him that a hunter must always be patient. That need or desire cannot push out skill and clear thoughts - a hunter must always wait for a moment. As the priest raises his dagger, he steadies his feet, preparing for a blow. He had to be still to strike. And Dawa released his arrow only then.
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Jan 5, 2016 13:20
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Caves of the Snake Lair The high priest chants and waves the dagger about over the abdomen of the prisoner in arcane swirls. The crowd of cultists shiver in anticipation of the next blood sacrifice to be spilled for their dark god. The priest makes the first cuts into the flesh of the man causing tiny trickles of blood to spill down before he delivers the killing blow. Suddenly, he stops in mid-slice. The cultists continue to chant but the priest does not continue but instead is fascinated by something marring his robe. The white settite garment grows a red stain as blood pours out of the priest, mingling with the blood of the prisoner in the trough. The priest turns towards the crowd of cultists whos chants sputter to halt and are replaced by worried whispers. His face now pale and eyes wide, the priest inhales as though to speak. Instead of words only a bloody gurgle escapes his throat as he topples forwards on to the hot coals with an arrow buried to the feathers sticking out of his back. Pandemonium erupts in the hall. Some cultists rush towards the bier to assist the high priest. Others rush towards the exit in a panic looking to escape Set's wrath. The guards are equally confused trapped in a rush of panicking cultists and religious terror. The two snake warriors on the dais struggle to keep the mass of cultists back from the priest while looking to his well-being and trying to find the man in the crush that might actually be able to help their leader. While all of this happens, the high priest smokes and sizzles on the hot coals filling the room with the stink of burning flesh. Some of the cultists spot the group and cry out in alarm. "Intruders! Infidels! Get them!" This only adds to the panic as some flee while others wantonly throw themselves towards the threat. A handful of guards keep their heads and approach while the rest still grapple with the crowds. The group readies itself for combat, but in these few moments a strange wail cuts through the shouting and cries. All pause and look back at the bier where the unconcious man lies.  Something beneath his skin writhes and pulses causing his flesh to ripple strangely. His limbs bulge in odd places and his back arches and another unearthly wail escapes. Then, with a sudden ripping sound, his flesh bursts apart and catches fire scattering the ground with ashes. In his place is a massive raw-skinned serpent-creature, barely bound by the leathers. With a terrifying screech it strains against the straps which burst apart like rotten cloth. Massive arms reach out, grabbing the jeweled scimitars while another grabs a snake-warrior around the neck. Bone snaps like a dry twig and the monster shakes the corpse like a rag doll as it stretches to a height fully head and shoulders above a normal man. Growling with fury, it slides off the bier and begins to tear into anything that moves.  Thanks Dawa, chaos achieved.  I apologize for kinda railroading everyone into the setpiece here. Feel free to have positioned or prepared yourselves however you like.
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Jan 7, 2016 19:52
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Ragnar "Foul vermin approach me, so that I can send you down to the dark nether regions where you belong!" Ragnar steps up to the edge of the hall way he is in. He keeps a wall to left to prevent anyone from attacking him on that side. If any were to try to sneak around, they would have to do so on the right. That is assuming they weren't hit first. He then raised his maul and waited for the attack. OOCWaiting and swinging the maul at any cultists who wish to meet their doom. ST 19; DX 14; IQ 10; HT 13; Per 12; Will 11 HP 20/24 ; FP 11/13; BS 6.25; BM 7; Dodge 9 High Pain Threshold, Outdoorsman 4, Signature gear 3, Striking ST 2, Weapon Master (Two-handed Axe/Mace), Focused Fury, Power Grappling, Weapon Bond, Gigantism (+1 SM) Two-Handed Axe/Mace-17 Maul "PAIN" DAM 6+1 Reach 1,2 Weight 18 ST 19 
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Jan 7, 2016 20:38
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Totach Redmane Totach's eyes are the size of the jewels on the scimitars swinging in front of him. "Stay clear of the monster!" Defying expectations, he runs down the hall toward the other archway where he had spied on the proceedings from. He needs to flank around and try to hit someone, anyone, from the back.
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Jan 8, 2016 03:24
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Rohan While Rohan was unfamiliar with this Truan, as a friend of Ragnar, Rohan feels a sense of responsibility in ensuring his safety. However, the cultists must be dealt with before it would be safe to attack the monster rampaging in the center of the room. Rohan darts around the far side of the nearest pillar, away from the monster, striking at enemies as he passes. (This is going to be another double attack, the usual, at one cultist and, assuming he dies, then a second, down the left side of that pillar in front of us. The first attack is a success, but the Pressure Points roll fails. The second attack also hits, and the Pressure Point roll is a slim success, so if the enemy survives, he's gotta make an HT roll or have his Vitals paralyzed which doesn't sound good. First attack is six base damage, up to 18, assuming no armor. Second attack is the same.) quote:ST 11 (13 for damage); DX 16 ; IQ 10 ; HT 12; HP 11; Will 11; Per 12; FP 12; Damage 1d6+4/1d6+3 (Lethal Strike)
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Jan 8, 2016 07:20
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Dawa Dawa stares at the madness that has descended on the church service, and goggles at the rampaging monster, freshly born from human blood. He looks askance at his bow and his mouth twitches a nervous smile. He steps forward, behind Rohan and Ragnar, and waits for a target. They needed to thin the ranks, to start with. Backing up Rohan and Ragnar, softing up anyone whos' approaching within ~6 hexes, assuming I have a decent shot. pre:ST:13 DX:14 IQ:12 HT:12 Per:14 Will:11 HP:11/13 FP:9/12 BS:7 BM:7 Dodge:9 Combat Reflexes, Heroic Archer, Outdoorsman 2 Bow:18, Fast-draw (arrow):16 Fine Longbow: 1d+2 imp, Acc:3, Range:234/312, RoF:1 Arrows: 17-1 Leather jacket, DR:1 (torso and arms) Camo cloak
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Jan 10, 2016 15:34
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| # ? Apr 23, 2024 21:02 |
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Still with us Beardless?
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Jan 17, 2016 18:17
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