Tyrant's Grasp: The Dead Roads [IC]

[lostsole31]

It takes Grum two tries to open the door, seemingly stuck from disuse. This upper hall has a few crude nests where the tooth fairy rippers slept. There is a door on the north wall to the west.

What now?

[DrK]

Helena lays Gwen down gently then looks at Grum, "She will be avenged. Grum nods, "Aye lass. These pixies are filthy scum and can all be killed." Shaking his head and with a momentary prayer as he kneels by Grum he makes sure on the gleaming hardlighgt axes is in hand as he moves to the door followed by Helena who unsheathes her blade. Reaching the door both will pause to listen for danger, and if they don't hear any will pus open the door

[lostsole31]

The door opened ... strips of loose wallpaper in this once-elegant salon are held into place by teeth jammed into the walls like makeshift staples. A folding dressing screen is patterned with lively scenes of a fat tooth fairy blessing subjects with a wooden scepter. A dressmaker’s dummy leans against it, wrapped in tulle and silk. A door leads south (the door you are at) and another leads east.

[DrK]

Grum and Helena pause looking about in confusion. ”Bleedin’ strange place. You check the chest and I’ll keep an eye on the door.” he suggests,

Helena, sword in hand nods ”Yes master Grum” she responds still subdued following Gwens death. “Have a care, these creatures are vile and deceitful.”

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Grum moves to the door and listens
Helena searches the dresser

[lostsole31]

Surprise Round ...

The dressmaker's dummy is uninteresting, but as soon as Helena comes to the dressing screen .... it bites at her with a large maw and tongue!

Begin Round One ...

R1T20: The monster snaps again at Helena, this time biting her in the neck for 9 + grappled, stuck to it with a powerful adhesive.

R1T17: Helena, before you knew it, the dressing screen grew a big mouth and bit you and stuck you fast. What do you do?

[DrK]

Helena squeaks with terror as the dresser comes alive, "Grum help me!" she screams loudly before flailing with her blade trying to hack her way free

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Swift: Enter silver crane waltz stance
Standard: risky strike (1d20+7)[22] dam (1d8+5)[11]
* not including the penalty for grappling

[lostsole31]

R1T17: Helena squeaks with terror as the dresser comes alive. "Grum help me!" she screams loudly before flailing with her blade trying to hack her way free. She tried to swing with both hands and realizes that doing that - and trying to get into stance - both flatly fail.

R1T9: Grum, what do you do?

[DrK]

Grum makes the creature that dares to attack his ward advancing to some 15ft from it before he spins the hardlight axe as its flickers across the ensuing distance before appearing back in his hand

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Free: mark the creature
Move: To within 15ft
Standard: Melee attack (from range with hardlight axe)
-- (1d20+6)[15] dam (1d8+9)[17] + (2d6)[8] incarnum
(not including + Wis to attack roll)

[lostsole31]

R1T9: Grum makes the creature that dares to attack his ward before he spins the hardlight axe as its flickers across the ensuing distance before appearing back in his hand.

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T20: The dressing-screen monster continues to crush Helena for 18.

R2T17: Helena, what do you do?

Grum on deck, Monster in the hole ...

[DrK]

Helena scream as the beast crushes her before she drops a hand from the weapon and slashes one handed at the creature seeking the solace of the silver Crane.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Enduring Crane strike (1d20+7)[27] dam (1d8-1)[4] and Heal self (1d6+3)[4]
- not included the -2 to attacking from a grapple. Attacking one handed.

[lostsole31]

R2T17: Helena screams as the beast crushes her before she drops a hand from the weapon and slashes one handed at the creature seeking the solace of the silver Crane. Her swordsmanship alone carries through to cut the monster for 4, but not with any support of the Silver Crane since her grappled position puts her well out of position. Worse, though she still has hold of her sword, it is stuck fast against the creature.

R2T9: Grum, what do you do?

Monster on deck, Helena in the hole ...

[DrK]

Grum, hefting the hardlight axe in one hand steps in, his essence bond with Helen gleaming as he lunges forwards swinging a crushing blow with regal precision.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Free: mar the mimic
5ft step NE adjacent
Swift: Regal blade (+2 to hit, +1d8 damage)
Standard: Crippling strike [risky attack] + essence bound duty (1d20+6)[22] dam (1d8+13)[15] + (1d8)[6] regal blade + (2d6)[7] essence bound duty + (2d6)[9] crippling strike (+ bleed)
-- Note: attack roll has not included +2 for Regal blade boost, or +4 for essence bound duty

[lostsole31]

R2T9: Grum, hefting the hardlight axe in one hand steps in, his essence bond with Helen gleaming as he lunges forwards swinging a crushing blow with regal precision that does 37. He is inspired with crushing blow.

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T20: The dressing-screen monster munches on Helena for 25, and she is now barely conscious.

R3T17: Helena, what do you do?

Grum on deck, enemy in the hole ...

[DrK]

Helena screams as its bites down upon her, barely clinging to conciousness she tries to heal the worst of the damage to stave of the bleeding

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Grappled spellcasting: Spend 1 arcane pool to cast Cure light wounds: Concentration Check (DC11+mimic CMB) = (1d20+9)[28] +4 if combat casting applies
- if successful (1d8+4)[11] healing

[DrK]

Grum gruffly listens to the screams and shouts a challenge "Let he be ye beast" as he swings hard onc with a crushing blow seeking to destroy the beast as fast as possible

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Free: Mark with essence bound duty
Standard: Crushing Blow [risky attack] + essence bound duty (1d20+6)[11] + 4 WIS from marking the target
damage (1d8+13)[17] + (1d6)[1] crushing blow + essence bound duty (2d6)[9]

[lostsole31]

R3T17: Helena screams as its bites down upon her, barely clinging to consciousness she tries to heal the worst of the damage to stave of the bleeding, gaining a strong 11 healing.

R3T9: Grum gruffly listens to the screams and shouts a challenge, "Let her be, ye beast!" as he swings hard once with a crushing blow seeking to destroy the beast as fast as possible. He hits really hard against its strangely pliant body, but it doesn't quite penetrate.

End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T20: The monster then continues to crush Helena, this time for 24, and she goes limp in its maw.

R4T17-9: Helena, roll a stabilization check (a CON check, not a Fort save!

Grum, what do you do? You gain scything strike for inspiration.

[DrK]

Spoiler: Helena Stabilisation

Show

Con check (1d20+1)[9]

Grum growls more seeing Helena go limp and swings with one last attempt to crush the mimic

Spoiler: Grum

Show

Risky attack (1d20+6)[20] dam (1d8+9)[10] + (2d6)[9]

[lostsole31]

R4T17-9: Grum growls more seeing Helena go limp and swings with one last attempt to crush the ...thing, whatever it is, that mimicked a dressing screen ... striking it for 20!

Spoiler: Inspiration

Show

Second round fallow. Also, your E invested in Helena becomes E-burn.

End Round 4, Begin Round 5 ...

R5T20: It chomps and chews and smushes on Helena, her head split in and her bones ajumble. The creature makes big slurping noises and a massive tongue licks its lips to further smush in the rest of Helena's body and gear. It then turns - without a face, mind you - to be in line with Grum. It gives a wide, lip-smacking smile.

R5T9: Grum, your essence-bound duty drops. What do you do?

[DrK]

Grum bellows in rage as Helena’s mangled body drops to the floor, the essence burning in his bones telling him of her fate! With a great scream and hefting the axe in both hands he chops hard trying to shatter the mimic praying to Gorum to grant him a particularly savage strike

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Risky attack (1d20+6)[14] dam (1d8+9)[12]

[lostsole31]

R5T9: Grum bellows in rage as parts of Helena’s mangled body drops to the floor, the essence burning in his bones telling him of her fate! With a great scream and hefting the axe in both hands he chops hard trying to shatter the monster, praying to Gorum to grant him a particularly savage strike. But this is the Boneyard, Pharasma's realm, and Gorum does not hear his servant's plea, or doesn't answer, as the axe bounces off of the hide of the strange monster. But, soft, maybe Gorum has heard for the battle, if not the strike, for Grum finds his mind completely refreshed, ready to invoke his most powerful attacks.

Spoiler: Inspiration

Show

Maneuvers reset.

End Round 5, Begin Round 6 ...

R6T20: The monster opens its maw wide to attack Grum, catching the dwarf for 10 and stuck fast with an adhesive, even as the jaws continue to crush him for another 7.

R6T9: Grum, what do you do?

[lostsole31]

R6T9: Knowing he can't bring both hands to bear, Grum grits his gums in fervor for Gorum, and is granted 7 healing. He then drops his axe right into the face of the monster biting him for 12. It releases Grum.

Grum rolls out of its mouth, and then proceeds to wildly and emotionally hack the thing to pieces, making sure it isn't mimicking death as well.

Combat Ends!

Once he is spent from completely ruining the monster, he drops to his knees over the pieces of Helena that were not inside its body. Realizing he is all alone, he weeps deeply and openly.

[DrK]

Grum sings a low song of lament as he assembles the mangled remains of Helena then almost reverentially wraps her in the tattered remains of her own cloak. Bundling her carefully up he moves her to corner furthest from the mimic pausing only to stamp a few times on the mimic's curse. Looking about he signs deeply, "This place do be cursed... Gwen, Helena ad the strange lad from the far planes..." With a prayer uttered to Gorum he checks himself for injuries releasing some of his inner power to heal some wounds.

Spoiler: Fervour

Show

Heal (1d6)[2]

Before he advances towards the door that had been on the east side of the room, an axe clutched in hand warily.

[lostsole31]

This takes him five minutes .... which is five THP recovered on Grum's Stone Giant's Girdle. Does he want to wait another five minutes for it to fill to maximum?

[DrK]

Still feeling the battered bruises Grum will wait another 5 minutes allowing the stone girdle to recuperate further before he opens the door.

[lostsole31]

Grum opens the door. This lofty hall has two alcoves to the east, each bearing a standing suit of spiky armor. Several teeth are affixed to the armors’ visors, forming a grin on one armor and a scowl on the other. A large throne stands between them, with mounds of tattered pillows heaped upon its seat. A door leads out to the west (where you are).

There are three figures in this room .... a female tooth fairy, larger than the others with a crown; an esobok at her side and feet, lounging like a pet bet getting up once you open the door; and a strange, beige-scaled, dragon-snake whatsit in the southeastern corner.

"I take it you are here to murder me on my son's command? You will find it a harder task than you reckoned."

[DrK]

Grum pauses looking at the cloak wrapped body behind him before responding wearily. ”Ye and yer children be killing my comrades and friends. I only need a stamp o’some kind to be on me way.”

He drops his axe to his side looking at them all. “I dinnae want tae fight but I need a stamp to leave this ghastly place that has killed everyone else.” He will then ask carefully, “Do ye have a better offer than blood?”

[lostsole31]

"I alone have the authority to provide you with a stamp. If you instead kill my usurping son, Prince Uspid, as well as the tooth fairies loyal to him, I will stamp you. What say you?"

[DrK]

Grum pauses at the statement eying the creature, the "queen" carefully. Then he sighs, "I hate this bleedin' place. I want tae be gone. Gwen be gone, the brother be gone and Helena be eaten by the bloody box." He nods an affirmative, "Aye fine. I do kill the Prince. Or at least I try, if I fall then gods be damned but I want my stamp!". That said he offers her a curt nod before stamping around and beginning to make his way back to the main keep...

He'll walk over the bridge, heading to the grand hall where they danced up the stairs and pause for thought