Random Plots and Places 9: What a crazy, random happenstance!

[happyturtle]

This is a thread for plots not large enough to need a separate thread, or locations that don't fit anywhere else. If you'd like a location permanently indexed in the first post, PM me.

Longer lasting or more serious plots might fit better in the Srs Plots thread. This thread is events that aren't as structured as srs and not as long lasting. If you aren't sure which thread fits your plot best, then just pick whichever one is less busy at the time.

Rules:
1. Use [Location Tags] or [Plot Tags] on your posts.
2. Each Location or Plot is under the control of its creator.
3. Play nice.

Archives:
Random Places and Plots 1
Random Places and Plots 2
Random Places and Plots 3
Random Places and Plots 4
Random Places and Plots 5
Random Places and Plots 6
Random Places and Plots 7
Random Places and Plots 8
Random Plots and Places 9

- - - Updated - - -

House in the Countryside

Spoiler: Previously...

Show

House in the Countryside

Rather unlike Wesley, who biked up the way to the house, the figure who approaches next is as silent as a ghost. Covered entirely in a cloak that has been patched and quilted and layered many times over and looks more like a pile of shredded blankets than a garment, there is nothing to be seen of the person underneath, not even a slit for eyes to peer out of.

Though her limbs shake under her covering, rustling it faintly, her feet do not touch the ground as she hovers over the driveway. A muscle spasm as she tries to knock causes her to use more force than she intended, possibly putting a dent in the door the size of her index knuckle.

Despite the jarring force, she waits nervously outside until her single knock is answered or until the morning sun is too much for her to bear. The ad, ripped roughly from a wall somewhere and streaked with distressed tears, flutters down to the ground from her hand.

She must do this, for a lost child is the heaviest burden to bear.

House in the Countryside

"I'm Wesley Warwick. Wes. Biscuits and gravy, please, and, um, do you have somewhere I can wash my hands?" Wes stammers. He's prone to stammering, but his player really hates trying to read or type affectations like that. So I'll just say know that he stammers and leave it at that.

House in the Countryside

"The fried meat of a pig, please."

Needs the Cat is here, on the kitchen table. In fact, Needs Food Badly has been here, for hours in fact, sitting on that kitchen table, he was just doing so in a reality approximately three cosmic inches to the left of this one. Others may get the sensation that he has been here all along; they just never bothered to notice him there until now. It's okay, Needs understands. He hasn't been moving from this spot at all; he hasn't blinked, nor has his chest expanded or shrunk for breath. It's perfectly understandable that you might've completely overlooked him.

Spoiler

Show

House in the Countryside

"Door's open!" Vigil shouts from the kitchen, possibly startling Wesley. The front door eases open at the words, avoiding the harsh blow. Once that's done he steps to the side and sets a bottle of liquid handsoap down next to the right half of the double sink. "Help yourself." He says as he puts maple flavored pork sausage in one skillet and a large slab of bacon in another. "Want ham with it or just bacon?" He asks Needs before giving a small smile to Wesley. "If you're not sure about this, why are you here? To impress someone perhaps?" He asks before giving a look back to Needs. "And how about you? Why would you be here?"

"No!" Wesley denies vehemently while washing his hands. Then, "I just... um. Well, I might be able to help?" Wesley's more started by 'suddenly cat' than the door knocking or the shouting, but he tries not to show it, and instead takes a seat. Not the farthest seat from Needs, but not the closest either.

[Shadowcaller]

[Pyramid of Painful Demise]

Wenomir curses and turns towards the other creature with a knife in each hand. But he sees that Dena seems to have the situation in hand, so he instead focuses on freeing his weapon.

Pyramid of Painful Demise

Blinking awkwardly, the surviving child-headed ogre has a crossbow bolt embedded in its right hand, causing the creature to squeal in pain and drop its whip. It turns towards Dena, scowling childishly before screaming as it charges towards the drow woman, trying to use its bulk and momentum to plough Dena into the ground.

[Pyramid of Painful Demise]

Monster charging the ranged adventurers was always a sign that the melee weren't doing their job properly!
With no time to turn run and not enough room to dodge Dena uses her cloak's ability to instantly change weapons to change her crossbow into a spear which she grabs with her both hands, trying to make the ogre impale itself as it charges towards her.

[Morty]

[Pyramid of Painful Demise]

Wenomir, on his part, sends a knife at each of the monsters' knees, from behind, then makes a sudden, spinning leap that should end with him landing on its back with both legs and tremendous force.

[Slii Arhem]

House in the Countryside

"Door's open!" Vigil shouts from the kitchen, possibly startling Wesley. The front door eases open at the words, avoiding the harsh blow. Once that's done he steps to the side and sets a bottle of liquid handsoap down next to the right half of the double sink. "Help yourself." He says as he puts maple flavored pork sausage in one skillet and a large slab of bacon in another. "Want ham with it or just bacon?" He asks Needs before giving a small smile to Wesley. "If you're not sure about this, why are you here? To impress someone perhaps?" He asks before giving a look back to Needs. "And how about you? Why would you be here?"

House in the Countryside

"Is that an invitation to come inside? Please, I need to know for certain." The Mother cringes at the obvious hint as to her nature, though it would be hard not to guess based on her unusual garb. She is here to help, and hopes that will be enough for them to accept her aid and not drive her away.

Or worse.

Or perhaps that would be better? It remains uncertain, but for the time being she hovers, literally and figuratively, outside the door.

[Earl of Purple]

Pyramid of Painful Demise

The child-headed ogre had slowed down when it saw the spear, though Wenomir's knives and jump meant that it didn't stop soon enough and soon comes crashing down atop the spear, turning to stone when the weapon impales its heart and kills the mutated abomination, though its weight- and that of Wenomir on its back- is still headed towards Dena, and stone weighs more than ogre-like creatures with the head of a child. The spear might serve to prop it up, but may also break.

A shimmering portal opens near the stocks; through the portal a tomb is visible, with a stone sarcophagus with an iron chest at its foot.

[Lord Magtok]

House in the Countryside

"Door's open!" Vigil shouts from the kitchen, possibly startling Wesley. The front door eases open at the words, avoiding the harsh blow. Once that's done he steps to the side and sets a bottle of liquid handsoap down next to the right half of the double sink. "Help yourself." He says as he puts maple flavored pork sausage in one skillet and a large slab of bacon in another. "Want ham with it or just bacon?" He asks Needs before giving a small smile to Wesley. "If you're not sure about this, why are you here? To impress someone perhaps?" He asks before giving a look back to Needs. "And how about you? Why would you be here?"

Needs opens his mouth to speak, and then thinks better of it. He points a paw at the bacon. Twice, to answer the second question as well. Heroics in exchange for bacon. What worthier cause, what nobler motive could there be?

[Shadowcaller]

Pyramid of Painful Demise

The spear breaks, but not before giving Dena just enough time to retreat before she'd end up underneath the ogre as well. Once it's over she takes a deep breath, sweat running down her forehead. "Looks like something opened up." The drow states, pointing at the portal. She doesn't bother mentioning the prisoners the ogres were torturing, Wenomir would get to that in a second.

[Morty]

[Pyramid of Painful Demise]

"Quite. Whoever created those freakshows is probably behind it," Wenomir says, as he finally pulls his axe out of the stone. "Let's go explain to them the error of their ways," he adds, although he first goes to examine the slaves. He probably can't do more for them than he did for the previous ones.

[Earl of Purple]

Pyramid of Painful Demise

The statues will crumble to dust in a few minutes, anyway; it's merely to temporarily trap enemy weapons, not to make the weapons irretrievable. Their aprons won't turn to stone, or crumble to dust; anything inside is likewise safe, should either wish to try looting them.

These slaves are, like the first, undead creatures that have been tortured to death and not allowed to die. They all are heavily scarred, with marks from fire, ice, whips and knives. The dangling woman's mouth has been sewn shut, as have her eyes. The stocks man has been nailed in place. The man on the table is still shrouded by the illusion that he is somebody dear to the viewer, and has been so severely burnt he's missing large swathes of skin and flesh.

[Shadowcaller]

Pyramid of Painful Demise

Dena simply freezes as she fully enters the room once she see the enchanted table, it takes a moment for common sense and Violet to make her realize it was just an illusion. She's just grateful she hadn't seen that in the fight, getting that distracted had been very dangerous.

"...e'trit." She spits on the floor. "Let's just go and rob and kill whoever set this up. These guys are long gone." She observes.

[Morty]

[Pyramid of Painful Demise]

"Yes," Wenomir says as he delivers mercy-kills to the slaves. "They deserve an axe in the skull. If they have a skull. Let's move."

[Shadowcaller]

[Pyramid of Painful Demise]

"Not sure I trust this portal though, could be some kind of trap. I'll send in Violet first and see what she finds." The rogue states as the drone flies into the portal to scout ahead.

[Earl of Purple]

Pyramid of Painful Demise

The chamber through the portal has a sarcophagus with an iron-bound chest at its foot, and no other decorations. There also seems to be no other way out; at the moment, nothing moves besides Wenomir and Dena.

[Morty]

[Pyramid of Painful Demise]

"I have this nasty feeling the portal may close once we go through," Wenomir says. "And unlike the exit, we can't really keep it open if it does."

[Shadowcaller]

[Pyramid of Painful Demise]

"Looks like a mummy feeding ground in there. Let's see if Violet can see what's up with it." The drone will then attempt to scan the sarcophagus to see what sort of enchantments it carries and possibly what it could contain (if it's magical in nature).

[Earl of Purple]

Pyramid of Painful Demise

The sarcophagus is heavily warded against intrusion and tampering, with heavy enchantments wrapped around it to keep whatever is inside trapped there. The enchantments do have a weakness, however- they're powered by pain, and now that Wenomir and Dena have killed the torture victims and the torturers, they are beginning to weaken- especially as whatever is inside has sensed it, and is also using its own energy to try and exhaust the spells further.

Trapped within is a tiefling lich, sealed by ambitious apprentices centuries ago.

[Shadowcaller]

Pyramid of Painful Demise

"Looks like we got ourselves a lich and it's getting loose too." Dena comments, no need to mention to the warrior they were sort of responsible for it. Guilt just made things more difficult.
She thinks for a moment. "I happen to have a belt of giant strength, do you think you could carry that sarcophagus? Assuming of course that the portal doesn't close when you get in."

[Morty]

[Pyramid of Painful Demise]

"Where do you want to carry it?" Wenomir asks, rubbing his chin.

[Shadowcaller]

[Pyramid of Painful Demise]

"Was considering chucking it into the corridor of doom and see what happens. If we're really lucky the traps and the lich might cancel each other out, or at least damage each other a bit." The rogue suggests.

[Morty]

[Pyramid of Painful Demise]

"That's not a bad idea," Wenomir says with a nod. "Provided those gauntlets let me lift the sarcophagus. This thing looks heavy. But it's worth a try."

[Shadowcaller]

[Pyramid of Painful Demise]

"Glad you think so since you're the one heading into the portal of doom." Dena says as she hands the warrior the gauntlets of giant strength. "We could always have Violet attempt to tie a rope around the sarcophagus but that might take too long time. Those wards won't last forever. Besides, if Violet can be there, I think you can too." But just to be safe, Violet scans the portal itself to see if it closes under any specific conditions. Why did it open now anyway? Since the wards weakened?

[Earl of Purple]

Pyramid of Painful Demise

The portal opened because the portal's guardians had been killed; the designer thought that anyone able to take out the child-headed ogres would be able to take out the lich or at least bind it more permanently and didn't want it free to seek revenge for being trapped in its coffin in the first place.

The portal is keyed to a specific artefact that can close or open it at any time, even if the guardians are alive. The artefact is not present, however, and has also been enchanted to let whomever holds it know if the portal opens or closes for any other reason.

[Morty]

[Pyramid of Painful Demise]

Wenomir will attempt to tie a rope around the sarcophagus, with Violet's help. Then he'll put on Dena's gloves and try to drag it out, towards the trapped corridor. His natural strength is considerable, but within human limits; the magic gloves might enhance it enough for it to work, but even if they do, it's bound to be arduous work. He'd take off his armour to make it easier for himself, but it'd put him at too much of a disadvantage if he suddenly needed it.

[Shadowcaller]

[Pyramid of Painful Demise]

Dena will help along with pulling the rope once Wenomir is done tying it around the casket. Of course, she opes that's some really strong rope considering it will easily break. The original plan was for him to actually try to push it into the corridor after all. Violet will turn her attention to the sarcophagus once again, trying to determine how long it will take for the lich to break through it.

[Earl of Purple]

Pyramid of Painful Demise

The rope can be tied about the casket easily, though it is quite heavy. They have quite a long time to move it; the wards aren't just sealing the casket and keeping the lich inside, they're also dampening its intelligence, so it isn't using the most effective or efficient methods in removing them.

[Morty]

[Pyramid of Painful Demise]

In that case, bit by bit, the casket will be dragged to the horribly trapped corridor. Upon being told that they have some time, Wenomir does actually remove his mail shirt, and the thick padded jacket he wears underneath it; otherwise he'd exhaust himself. It's not like there's a lot of air circulation down in the dungeon. He'll put it back on once the sarcophagus is near the trapped area, provided nothing unexpected happens.

[Shadowcaller]

[Pyramid of Painful Demise]

Violet will scan for unexpectedness as Wenomir and Dena drags the sarcophagus to the corridor and then push it inside.

[Earl of Purple]

Pyramid of Painful Demise

Nothing unexpected happens during the journey to the very trapped corridor, though after the sarcophagus is mostly through the doorway, the enchantment upon the corridor causing the vast stone coffin to fall towards the steel spikes at the corridor's far end. It falls for a minute or so down the corridor, before landing with a tremendous clangour, smashing the spikes and shattering the lid.

The destruction of the sarcophagus means the spells keeping the lich contained are broken, and the undead tiefling is now free, though first it will disentangle itself from the destroyed sarcophagus and shattered steel spikes so Dena and Wenomir have another round of posts, should they wish it.

[Morty]

[Pyramid of Painful Demise]

"If you have anything that might slow it down, now's a good time," Wenomir says, as he himself tosses an adamantine knife into the corridor. Hopefully it does something.

[Shadowcaller]

Pyramid of Painful Demise

Dena figured that was one of the potential scenarios of breaking the coffin. "Isn't now the time to run?" She questions yet still throws down a cement grenade into the corridor. That should hopefully slow the lich down... for them to run!