Southern Comfort IC

[stanleyindraven]

"Then I am your man," Horbin says as he pokes his head in.

[u-b]

Gregor is rather disappointed by this lack of caution - he personally would start with a finger (in/out), then maybe a leg... but anyway, no objections at all to putting there Horbin's head ahead of Gregor's.

[Marlowe]

To find your head protruding into a large spherical room at least 200 ft across. The center of which is made up of the same black brick you've seen such far, but intershot with other, bright purple bricks that glow brightly, and provide illumination.

In the center of the space is a 30 ft wide sphere made of the same combination of materials, apparently not supported by anything.

Also, at least two large skeletal, humanoid creatures are wandering the internal surface of the sphere. As though downwardness was a matter of where you're standing. They don't appear to have noticed you.

EDit:Also, they're wearing red cloaks. Duplex. As if you couldn't have guessed.

And that it doesn't take a major intelligence roll for you to realise that this chamber couldn't possibly co-exist with the rooms you've just been through if they actually existed in the same place.

[stanleyindraven]

Horbin will draw his head back. "So, I count at least two very large skeletons in red cloaks patrolling a spherical room. I suggest avoiding it altogether, or waiting until one gets close then pulling it through the wall."

[u-b]

"Spherical room?" - Gregor puts his head in, looks aroud, then gets back out - "Whoa! Impressive. I guess that depends on what their orders are. Like, we could try to lure them through here and repeatedly smack against the ceiling... I guess..."

[mattie_p]

"Grab skeletons and hurl them into green without looking?"

[Linguz]

"I'd rather not hurl them into the green. If it brings a creature out, we could get targeted as well." Dardiana passed the area and looked into the area before coming back out. "I can begin to pelt them with blasts of energy from this distance. And they didn't notice the rock from before either." She passes through again and tries to see what type of skeletons these were. She probed her mind and her fey, trying to find out anything that might be helpful to know about the undead, as she returned back to the group.

Spoiler

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Can they see like ordinary people, or do they only see in their darkvision? That's one of her questions.

Religion: 16 [b]1d20+6[/roll] (Link is to the OOC post.)
Spot: Taking 10, 13.
Spot2: (1d20+3)[19] (If it fails once)
Spot3: (1d20+3)[16] (If it fails twice)

[Marlowe]

Two skeletrolls ((ok, so I'm lazy, they're right in the SDR and I have no books currently)), both about 120 ft away in opposite directions roughly on the equator of the room (you're at the "south pole"). They're not looking at you, they both appear to be staring upward at the central sphere.

From where you are, you can't tell if the sphere is hanging in place or is suspended by something from the "north" pole, which it obscures.

Bethlen is leaning against the wall, her arms folded. Her voice is raspy. "I don't want to fight in here, not in this cramped space with the Green at our backs. Anyone who gets shoved in there is going to die alone and in darkness, screaming and insane, after the ADAs get tired of terrorising them.

And if the altar gets smashed, that might be it for us all".

((And the darkvision question is really interesting. But I'm going to say they have normal and darkvision))

[u-b]

"Not here is not a problem. We can... oh, wait..."

Gregor looks into the sphere again to confirm there are only two skeletons visible and see how they are armed. Assuming nothing ranged...

"I have a plan. Sit and watch."

Getting Abyss here (Grath's help?) and riding into the sphere. Since this is a sphere, Gregor is not going to be cornered by only two opponents. So, riding from these two all around the sphere, looking around, and maybe eventually shooting them to destruction (run/withdraw action, assuming equal or greater speed).

[Linguz]

Dardiana stops Gregor before he can carry out his plan. "Mind telling us what it is?"

[u-b]

"Nope. But it's gonna be fun... "

[Linguz]

"And possibly fatal. I'll ask in a different way: Please explain."

[u-b]

Gregor sighs as this kind of spoils some of the fun.

"You se, there are only two of them, on a sphere. They cannot catch me no matter how they try. And if we are going that way anyway..."

He pauses for a moment.

"Well, if you insdead want us to evacuate to the corridor and let you lure them to reversing-gravity room for some repeated-smacking, I would not object... much less fun though."

[Marlowe]

Bethlen stands up a little straighter against the wall. "That first idea is a good plan. Not perfect, and a little vanity-swollen. But it would work. The only objections are this; firstly, based on the description of the chamber, it seems we can't see the opposite pole of the sphere. So there may be opponents up there that would upset your calculations. Secondly, why do you want to make this a solo effort?

"I'd like to get those pole segments in here and try to reach the central sphere. But that's going to be awkward with the Green right behind us. I have no idea how those things are leashed. At all." She draws a hand through her black hair.

" I did one exercise involving rogue ADAs. WE were briefed, prepared, and warded, and it was still the second-most horrific experience in my life. In this condition, we'd all be toys to them. Our deaths would be miserable and without dignity. And I don't want to risk that happening because somebody sticks the back end of a pole the wrong way"

"As for the backup plan, what of the animals? Nuisance and your dogs? They won't know how to withdraw in time.

"I say we fight".

[u-b]

"Solo? Just because I can. No objections to Delphi riding Nuisance or some such, but others would be probably hard pressed to run and fight at the same time. As plan B, I thought we withdraw first and Dardiana deals with the skeletonl second, but if you all want to fight... get all ready in here and follow through the white after I make half a circle inside. I'll try to get them to you one by one, but no guarantees."

[mattie_p]

"Grath think plan getting overly complicated now. Got the drop on these things, let all go in and kick their butt. All this talking starting to hurt my head, want to punch skeleton now. Stack up and move in quickly to take them out before anything else finds us. Or more things come into room."

[u-b]

Gregor shrugs, readies one bow and two stones, then rides in.

Initiative: (1d20+4)[11]

[mattie_p]

Grath follows Gregor in.

Initiative: (1d20+1)[20]

[Linguz]

Dardiana follows and readies an eldritch spear. "I'm much more comfortable with Grath's plan. It's how we defeated the other two."

Initiative: (1d20+4)[7]

[Marlowe]

((Forum ate ALL my posts last night.))

The timing of the "bounce" the in skrolls step seems to coincide with them stepping on the bright purple tiles.

((More full post to come after work, but right now I'm just hoping this posts))

[AshesOfOld]

Thorwald nods in agreement. "Mmh, I like any plan that includes smashing." He follows the others inside, once his shield and morningstar are ready.

Spoiler

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Init: (1d20)[2]

[Marlowe]

((Tacmap, obviously screwed up, because it's not evenly proportioned. Also ALL the squares are a 10" x 10" area. Because doing this at twice the size would break me. I was never a maths whiz.))

--abcdefghifklmnopqrstuvwx
1-*********...T..*********
2-*******..........*******
3-*****..............*****
4-****................****
5-****................****
6-***..................***
7-***..................***
8-**....................**
9-**....................**
10**....................**
11*......................*
12*......................*
13........................
14...........~~...........
15...........~~...........
16........................
17........................
18........................
19*......................*
20*......................*
21**....................**
22**....................**
23***..................***
24***..................***
25****................****
26****................****
27*****..............*****
28*******..........*******
29*********..T...*********

((T=skeletrolls. ~= the white area from which you're emerging. *=nothing. Just a character to make things fall into the right place.

And this is just the southern hemisphere of the place. I'll give you another for the "northern" later, but currently it's mostly blocked from view by the central sphere I'm making feeble excuses for finding this actually complicated.))

Bethlen turns like a annoyed cat and throws herself through the white portal. "Frell it all. Silence is coming!"

Gretchen follows her through looking a little lost. Nuisance, looking a little annoyed, at her heels. "Shillelagh" she says, as her club grows thorns.

Initiative=Bethlen:(1d20+3)[17]
--------=Gretchen:(1d20+2)[3]

[stanleyindraven]

Horbin grips Glenda then leaps into the wall.

Initiative (1d20+2)[3]

[Linguz]

Spoiler

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The map in google documents: [Link to Document]
The image of the map:
[Map Redacted]

[RaggedAngel]

Delphi has been watching the group's back, staying mostly silent as the others inspect and discuss the trolls. She's a pretty decent trapfinder, but going so long without finding anything has made her revert to mostly watching the distance, and the green areas, for signs of life and movement.

Once the plan has been made, she checks her slings to make sure that they're loaded properly and placed on her bandolier in a useful manner. She then slips next to Gregor and his dogs, nodding to the others. "Just remember; don't let them close on you, and smash them instead of trying to cut or poke at them."

[Marlowe]

((Thank you Linguz))

Bethlen surfaces at W27. "Gregor, your plan is sound. Engage and distract the one at the "south" while the rest of us kill the one to the "north" Her rapier is drawn. And she uses it to point in the relevent directions. "and then fall back upon the rest of us. And for the sake of Starlight, Silence and Midnight watch out for things you can't see right now.."

[Linguz]

Dardiana surfaced besides her, at X27. "Shall I get it's attention? Or wait for everyone else to attack first?"

Spoiler

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I will include an update of the map every time I post, unless Marlowe tells me otherwise. At the same time, I'll see if I can remove an older map. I'll typically try to leave 2 up, the latest and the one before that. That way, you don't have to load every single map every single time.

[Marlowe]

"You have range, Legs. Get that doll moving."

[u-b]

Gregor rides slowly begins to ride straight line at full some speed to flank one of the Skrolls (X31 to M47 on big map, which corresponds to g23 on small map W32 to S36 so far), trying to avoid all oddly-colored bricks. He also throws two stones at that Skroll, to attract its attention.

Stone:(1d20-2)[1] for 3
Stone:(1d20-2)[3] for 3

Spoiler

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Passive sense:
Gregor: spot 10+8 = 18, listen (1d20+3)[23]
Abyss: spot (1d20+5)[22], listen (1d20+5)[25], scent

Since this is not a solo enterprise, Gregor does not unload packs off Abyss, who remains at medium load. This might complicate things, but probably not much.

[Marlowe]

((And I forgot to mention because of my vague-out yesterday))

Moving through the white creates an odd sense of dissassociation as you find yourself emerging standing upright, and by the side of the corressponding white area in the spheroid chamber.

((Assume you can emerge on any square next to the white you want. And hum. Linguz's map isn't showing today.))

Gretchen and Nuisance emerge next to Bethlen, Gretchen's eyes fixed on the northern Skroll.