Monday, November 19, 2012
Giant City Ruins
After Avegnum, Vel, Halvdan, Lev, and the skeletal horse adjust themselves and get ready to adventure they wait and wait for Kaellanna to return. Ten munites pass and nothing, no Druid, no cat. Nothing but the odd sounds, eerie lighting, and uncomfortable feelings of dread that most experience. What do they do next?
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Looking around in concern, Avegnum stares back across the lava along the shattered bridge, eyes straining despite their new found strengths, to pick up any sign of the druid's winged form. Glancing over at Vel, "Hey, do you think you can go take a look for Kaellanna? Maybe she's just taking a break... I don't like it, she should've regrouped with us already."
ReplyDeleteIt takes a minute for the request to sink into Vel's mind, his psyche having been strangely soothed and drawn towards the darkened city ahead. With a slight smile on his face, "Oh don't be silly Lev, this place almost reminds me of Sharn. Though I guess these buildings are both too big and too small. And I guess they're ruined. And who knows what might lurk in the darkness. And..."
The young man seems like he'll continue pointing out random oddities until stopped when his mouth clamps shut. "Hey, where's that druid? Oh wait, you asked me to look for her. Ok. Whee!"
He flies off to look along the flight path for the wayward party member and feline. Back on the molten shore Avegnum shakes his head and says to Lev, "I know I just met you but what's really going on with him? This is more than the usual shock at our past catastrophes making him act oddly. Where did you come from, really?"
"Me?" Lev asks, looking around as if to deflect the question to someone else before settling in and answering the mongrelfolk straightforward. "I was created when Vel died and came back spontaneously. My purpose is to fix him, heal him, set him back on the path of goodness that he used to walk before these lands reanimated and tainted him in the image of the evil thing below. Don't be fooled by his similar looks, Vel came back as something else, as someone else, when these lands reanimated him it made him part of them, part of the slinking evil, oozing corruption, and prehistoric ancient fiendish forces. Anything else you want to know?" He smiles at Avegnum looking as relieved as his mostly expressionless face can.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of the devil, or devil-infused; Vel makes his way through the darkness by following the broken bridge. When he reaches the other side he finds the same as before except for an area on the fringe of the jungled area where the leaves and branches have been torn up and the ground vigorously disturbed. Vel is no crime scene investigator, but it is obvious that a physical conflict took place recently. He can make out the occasional paw print as well as many shoed foot prints, and a number of other prints who origins he is unable to determine. Aside from that he sees nothing different, and only hears the deep subtle moans of the flowing lava and squishy wetness of insectile masses moving through the jungle.
Ad Hoc XP: 600 each
ReplyDeleteVel flies back to the others and describes what he sees in a petulant voice, "I think Kaellanna went to play with someone without us! There are all these tracks just like on the scrumball pitch but nobody to be seen."
ReplyDeleteAvegnum swears under his breath at the news, mind starting to race as his mind starts generating all of the terrible things that could've happened to the elf. With a conviction that surprises even him, he comes to the conclusion that he has to go back and look for the woman he had begun to care for. The only difficulty was seeing if the others would share his desire to search for their lost companion after having come all of the way to the edge of the ruined city. "Sorry Vel, but it sounds like Kaellanna and Tara might have been ambushed, and probably weren't having too much fun. I don't know about you guys but I wouldn't feel right abandoning them to whatever they encountered. I think we have to go back, any thoughts?"
"NO! WE STAY HERE AND FIND- ," Vel cuts off abruptly, seemingly when the light from Lev's eyes falls upon him. Blinking twice he continues in a quieter voice, "Well we did just get here, it's a shame is all. Though I guess since we haven't seen anything we aren't missing out on anything yet, and that Kaellanna has been pretty good to me even if she's been mean recently. Ha ha! It'd serve her right if we saved her. Those tracks looked fresh so if we're going to do this we should hurry up, follow their trail, find whoever took her and the cat, and then eviscerate the fools, drenching the forest floor with the blood of our foes so that their corpses might descend into eternal decay and sustain the jungle."
ReplyDeleteKeeping in mind what Lev said earlier, Avegnum manages a halting nod to what Vel said, concerned by what the man said but glad he's okay with searching for the elf.
(I suppose they fly back across the same way they came barring anything that would alter that.)
The group makes it back across the lava by stuffing everyone into Vel's sack. By the time Vel opens the sack both Avegnum and Halvdan are practically gasping for breath as the air supply in the bag has virtually run dry. Stumbling into the hot night air, the group looks around and searches the immediate area. They find the signs of a scuffle on the edge of the jungle. They find the jungle already beginning to overgrow the disturbed area. They find nothing else of note.
ReplyDelete"So," Lev asks with a happy tone to his voice, "Who can do some tracking? Anyone? No one has any wilderness skills? How are we supposed to find Kaellanna without some wilderness skills? Anyone think she will come back on her own? Maybe we can camp on the bridge and keep a vigilant watch looking out for her and anything else?"
Avegnum and Vel, with encouragement, scour the trampled area and a little ways into the jungle to see if they can pick up on tracks left by whatever group left the scuffle sight. (Survival) They also try to see if Kaellanna might have left some sort of trail for them to follow if she was conscious. (Search/Spot)
ReplyDeleteVel also tries to see if he can pick up the remnants of a magical aura trail generated by the magical items that Kaellanna was wearing (Assuming he would recognize it as they have been adventuring for a while) in another attempt to see where she might have gone.
While looking for something to help them Avegnum calls over to Lev and Halvdan, "I don't suppose you guys have any skill with this stuff? Maybe your glowing eyes can see something we can't?"
"Well, I guess I can try, Vel," Lev replies and then looks around the stompings before declaring, "There have been two medium sized bipeds tromping around here in the past few minutes. Other than that I'm not really seeing anything to tell me what happened or where Kaellanna and Tara went."
ReplyDeleteIt having been at least 15 minutes, Vel does not find any trail of magicality except for the overall magical nature of everything he see around him. As he is looking he notices that the now-visible lava flow is not magical. While pondering the nature of the lava and why it isn't magical Vel, and only Vel, sees a huge hand reach up out of the lava follwed by a huge arm, and then a huge head and shoulders. All are made of lava, and all have vaguely humanoid features except for being much, much larger than any humanoid Vel has encountered. This lava creature makes no noise expect for the running of excess lava from it's surface and sploshing into the lava river. No one notices it except for Vel and the creature begins approaching the edge of the lava flow nearest the group.
Vel giggles and without informing the rest of the group as to what he is witnessing, faces the oozing form and waves gleefully while shouting, "HALLLOOO!!"
ReplyDeleteWithout reply the arm and head and shoulders rises up from the lava river and closer to the group. Fully emerging the creature is a humanoid shape of lava, rock, fire, and brimstone. Smoke and steam rise from the creature as it stands straight to it's full height of over 30' on the lava river bank, and lets out a mighty deep yop from it's maw reminescent of the lava river moans, though much louder and spitting fire and molten rock. Now, everyone hears the creature, and can easilly see it in the darkness of the night, as it is self-illuminated. Though it looks slow because of it's extreme size, it is no slower than the party in it's approach. With the expression of intent on it's face the party is safe to believe they are about to engage in combat with the beast.
ReplyDeleteInitiatives and vital stats please.
Vel Ini: 14, Avegnum Ini: 9
ReplyDeleteSorry for the delay guys. I will get the map and combat ready as soon as I get an initiative from Halvdan and his ride (since the ride is a semi-intelligent independent creature Halvdan can have it do stuff seperate from himself if he walts to).
DeleteHalfdan gets a 12 and his boney ride gets a 15.
DeleteHalvdan get up off his lazy ass and wonders if the cask of beer he is carrying on the back of his boney ride will do any damage to this creature.
ReplyDelete