A Tunnels and Trolls® play-by-post adventure run by khara_khang
Note that if Taran had been wearing gloves when the portal opened up, he would've glowed, lost 3 DEX and been unable to wield his crossbow or broadsword.
Ocullos rushes into the captain's quarters and grabs the parrot.
"Get shorty! Get shorty!" squawks the parrot.
The captain is still seated in his chair as he takes in the unfolding drama. His eyes suddenly narrow, but he doesn't move from his chair. "You have to be either really dumb or really stupid. I'm guessing both, you little slug monkey! No more Captain Kirk chitchat. Ssu, come forth."
The cabin door slams shut. From a silver engraving in the door, a magical guardian steps forth. The guardian is a very strange looking four-armed creature dressed in armor and wielding three weapons, each weapon specifically designed for specialized combat. Its empty helmet holds no face, but it moves gracefully as any battle-tested Warrior. Ocullos can't help but suddenly feel that something is about to hit the fan. Looking into his hands, which still hold Polly tightly around the neck, Ocullos sees that the bird now appears lifeless.
"You're a thief and a nuisance... but now you're a parrot killer. Kill him, Ssu!"
"I'm evolving, as a... as an individual." <Gulp>
Quickly has little trouble finding the window and slips inside the captain's cabin, keeping out of sight by flying close to the ceiling while he makes his way over to the caged Fairy. The drama inside the cabin is more than enough to keep Captain Jelsee's attention. For the first time the Fairy looks up and makes eye contact with Quickly. She smiles sweetly, her face so soft and pretty behind those hardened bars.
"I'm Dandelion. Are you my hero?" she whispers in Fairy language, giving him a slight smile. "Don't touch the cage, love, it is magically trapped." Dandelion's voice seems soft and sweet to Quickly's ears.
Captain Jelsee may be oblivious to what is going on above him, but the guardian Warrior Ssu is not. It misses nothing and can mimic its targets' abilities. Drawing back, Ssu hurls its throwing weapon at Quickly with deadly accuracy.
GM Note: the weapon does 2d6+3 damage (I rolled a 3+3 = 6). Quickly takes 6 hits, but his armor absorbs 2; he has 1 CON left.
The thrown weapon strikes like a burst of lightning, catching Quickly unaware, cutting a deep groove across Quickly's chest, ripping his clothes and creating fresh flowing blood. Dandelion cries out in shock and surprise. The thrown weapon buries itself into the wood of the ceiling with a vibrating thud and then a second later reappears in Ssu's hand. Ssu advances on Ocullos.
What do you do?
GM Note: Ocullos and Quickly each get one action.
Jax turns invisible and charges through the glowing portal.
Not wasting any time or wishing to be left behind, Taran says in Orcish, "You would just have to be on this side of my life to understand just how <rhrhruging> insane this is!" He charges headlong into the portal after his brother, not knowing what to expect on the other side. He disappears in a flash.
"I'm headin' for that coffin! Anybody comin'?"
Unable to see anything in the darkness, Jack climbs back up the ladder as only a Skeleton can. Finding a lantern hanging on a hook in the hallway, he quickly climbs back down into the cargo hold. Running by the portal, Jack hurries through the cargo hold (about thirty feet away) until he reaches the coffin. Opening the coffin with a pull, Jack is surprised to see that it is filled with large black hard-shelled flesh-eating beetles swarming en masse inside the coffin. Dozens immediately leap out onto Jack and voraciously eat through anything they touch before Jack can slam the lid back shut. Without flesh, the black flesh beetles can do little more than be a bother to Jack. Brushing them off, Jack stomps on a few before the few released disperse.
Jack sighs, knocking the bugs off. "How come I'm always the last to know?" A beetle crawls out of his skull into his jaw. "As for you... do not make me tongue you!" Jack bites the beetle, crushing it between his teeth and spits it out.
Megol Wing-Wings into the cargo hold and is surprised to see a large glowing portal which begins shrinking and will be gone in a few minutes. Jay, Olvarin, and Ebony climb down the ladder into the cargo hold and see the portal, and Jack near a coffin about thirty feet away holding a lantern. Ebony hears the squawking of a parrot coming from the captain's cabin just before she climbs down.
What do you do?
I will not post what anyone who passed through the portal will see until after the portal closes, which will occur in my next post. This way, you will not know just how bad it could be on the other side without taking your own leap of faith.
"Aiiiiiiiiiii!" he screams to keep focus and fires off a sleepy-arrow... at the captain. At this range, and with the captain distracted by Ocullos and Ssu, it shouldn't be such a hard shot. Should the arrow hit, Quickly will cry, "Call off the guardian or I'll slit your miserable throat when you nod off!"
Megol, seeing something insane to be done, and being the disgruntled Leprechaun that he is, jumps through the portal.
"Nesser intterbrupt mine meals!! Winky says that you shall die by the power which is my sling!!!" in saying this, Ocullos draws his loaded sling and fires at the guardian.
I calculated that this is the way he can potentially achieve the highest damage: Sling of Hawk Sight = 2d6+2 + 68 (missile adds). If he makes the SR to hit by 4 or more, it does double damage.
Another thing: Khara, I sense that you wish to kill me a third time. Anybody else sense this?
Ebony feels instinctively that the captain knows something about this, and that this ship is not a safe place for them. The only place that they will get answers, in her estimation, is on the other side of the portal. She begins to walk toward the portal.
I calculated that this is the way he can potentially achieve the highest damage: Sling of Hawk Sight = 2d6+2 + 68 (missile adds).
You still have a 4/36 = 1/9 chance of missing. That's the probability of rolling a 3 or 4 on 2d6 with "doubles add and roll over."
Khara, I sense that you wish to kill me a third time. Anybody else sense this?
I am glad someone has some sense. I don't kill without reason. I teach lessons. The question is have you been paying attention?
Ocullos plays a very dangerous game in deciding on one-on-one combat against Ssu. The Ssu guardian Warrior was created to fight multiple opponents with a combat skill exceeding Ocullos'. One minor misstep will end Ocullos' life instantly in a most gruesome way. Doing his best to avoid the slashing blades, Ocullos fires his sling at the guardian, but the hit seems ineffectual at best, with very limited available room for maneuvering and given the guardian's quick advance.
GM Note: Ocullos wins the round, but the damage dealt to Ssu does not surpass its armor.
Quickly's shot is exactly on target. The tiny arrow coated with spider venom buries itself into the captain's neck.
"Call off the guardian or I'll slit your miserable throat when you nod off!"
Flinching in pain, Captain Jelsee removes the arrow, but the spider venom will still take effect in one round, leaving Captain Jelsee paralyzed for at least 5 rounds. Turning in his chair, Captain Jelsee looks up at Quickly with a stern gaze, hearing the Fairy's demand.
"It's not just a matter of skill, it's intent. You must want to do harm, cause pain, even kill. You simply aren't capable of cold-blooded murder, I believe. Nothing can frighten me if I do not wish it." A little blood trails down Captain Jelsee's neck as he looks at the tiny arrow pulled from his neck, then back up to Quickly.
"You can't wish your fear away. Face it, admit you made an terrible error in judgment. Are you afraid of dying, Fairy? You can't destroy the guardian! If you kill me, the Ssu guardian Warrior will never stop attacking either of you, and the crew will mutiny against you. I will call your bluff, little one. If I die, you die. Your only choice is to surrender to Ssu now! That is as sincere as I get, you little sonnuva--"
Captain Jelsee bites his lip as he feels the effects of the venom. His body begins to tingle slightly. There is nothing else he can do or say, so he chooses to wait, hoping Quickly's poison doesn't cause death.
"The Captain has the key to my cage on his belt," states Dandelion, pointing at it. "Free me and I will help with those wounds."
In one last desperate act, Captain Jelsee removes the key from his belt and tosses it across the room. The key bounces to a stop near the feet of the Ssu guardian.
Jay, Olvarin, Ebony and Jack have one last chance to go through the portal before it closes. The portal continues to shrink before their eyes. The chance to enter it is now or never.
What do you do?
"Free me and I will help with those wounds."
Winky glows. "Yes m'lady, but how to stop this monster!?"
Ocullos goes to retrieve the key.
I'd as soon be a live team player than a dead loose cannon.
With an agonized glance at Dandelion, Quickly cries, "Ocullos! Take her and flee! We are undone! Forgive me, lass!" He bolts for the window. If he makes it clear, he'll desperately try to find one of the party to help.
Ebony enters the portal, weapon in hand.
Hmmm, if everyone you knew jumped off a bridge, would you do it too? Of course you would! It's depressing when all your friends are dead. Well, considering that the captain upstairs seems to be a slavering sadist or something to that effect, Jack will allow himself to be swayed by the crass marketing of the majority and jump through the portal. Balls.
"And remember I consider this to be 'under duress'! Following orders! Compelled! 100% non-culpable for any war crimes, I might commit on the other side."
You just don't like the way Ocullos talks! Just wait, Megol will swat you with his stick and then I'll be the favorite Leprechaun! HAHA!!
Jay prefers Lucky (the Leprechaun, not the bartender) to either of you. On second thought, that goes for the bartender too.
I will not post what anyone who passed through the portal will see until after the portal closes, which will occur in my next post.
So noted.
"I love Shipy just as much as the next guy, though that's no reason not to try and help him out. But don't you all think that checking out the coffin might be a good plan? Asking the crew topside?"
"As much as I'd like to go help the Fairy, Jax, Taran, and Shippy [sic] are my current comrades, and Shippy [sic] seems to be in a lot more danger than the Fairy at this time. With the portal closing, there seems to be no time to question people, or make a search. Perhaps we can reopen the portal to return later to complete those tasks. But for now...." Jay steps through the portal.
"And remember I consider this to be 'under duress'! Following orders! Compelled! 100% non-culpable for any war crimes, I might commit on the other side."
"Following orders" doesn't get you very far at War Crime Tribunals.
"You have to be either really dumb or really stupid. I'm guessing both, you little slug monkey!"
Dang, that's good. I'm going to have to use this one.
For the first time the Fairy looks up and makes eye contact with Quickly. She smiles sweetly, her face so soft and pretty behind those hardened bars.
I'd be immediately suspicious.
The thrown weapon strikes like a burst of lightning, catching Quickly unaware, cutting a deep groove across Quickly's chest, ripping his clothes and creating fresh flowing blood.
Go hero, go.
You simply aren't capable of cold-blooded murder, I believe.
More famous last words.
I'd as soon be a live team player than a dead loose cannon.
Krandor is a live loose cannon. (Oops, I wasn't going to bring him up again.)
"Ocullos! Take her and flee! We are undone! Forgive me, lass!"
Go hero, go!
Khara, I sense that you wish to kill me a third time. Anybody else sense this?
I'm not sure if you're serious or not, but here are a few thoughts. In my opinion, the majority of character deaths are self-inflicted and avoidable with foresight and/or paying attention.
And obviously, someone who throws themselves into the thick of things is more likely to bite it than someone who shies back, but they're also looking at greater rewards for their daring as well. That kinda balances out: you need to figure how much risk you're willing to take on. I personally tend to take as little as possible until I deem it a critical point, at which point I'll take whatever happens.
I don't believe khara is particularly targeting you. Occulos was just in the wrong place at a bad time. Note that Ssu did direct an attack at Quickly. If it was only concentrating on your Leprechaun, you'd likely not have gotten a standoff with it: you'd have lost the battle. I know from running things myself that it might look like a targetting pattern when it's actually targetting placement.
That said, I also believe that bad things happen to good characters every so often. It's all part of the random nature of the game. Like getting run over by a wagon crossing the street, everyone's number comes up sometime, and it might suck when it happens, but that's all part of the game. You've had some guys die, but so has Taran: several times, if I read the Archives accurately.
('Course, I could be wrong. Khara could just be a fiend, but I'm not coming to that conclusion yet.)
From a silver engraving in the door, a magical guardian steps forth.
I often wondered if you came up with the adventure then looked for supporting pictures, or found the pictures and worked them into the adventure. I think this picture answers that question.
"With the portal closing, there seems to be no time to question people, or make a search. Perhaps we can reopen the portal to return later to complete those tasks. But for now...." Jay steps through the portal.
DOH!! But Jax can keep portals open... or so we are hoping....
"You have to be either really dumb or really stupid. I'm guessing both, you little slug monkey!"
Dang, that's good. I'm going to have to use this one.
<stage lights turn on and a Leprechaun steps forth> "But you must always remember that I was the original 'little slug monkey'!"
"Ocullos! Take her and flee! We are undone! Forgive me, lass!" He bolts for the window.
"Oh no! We had this planned! He's not leaving me...." Ocullos looks around. "We had this planned, right?"
Having followed Jay and Ebony into the bowels of the ship, and having been filled in by Jack de Crampon on what has happened, Olvarin stares at the shrinking portal with dismay. Caution struggles with his desire to be heroic. If the others have gone through already, they either didn't stop to think about popping back out for reinforcements, or they couldn't. Maybe it is a one way portal. If the Mummy needed Shipy for some task, isn't it likely that the Hobbit would be returned unharmed? The Mummy evidently doesn't have any use for Shipy's teammates, so how will they be treated on the other side?
Heck with it. Diving into the portal to save a comrade is a much more impressive tale to tell Chereva. With that thought in mind, Olvarin jumps through the portal.
But Jax can keep portals open... or so we are hoping....
Hopefully, or that he can reopen them later. But I wouldn't bet my life on the fact that he knows how to do so, and will be able to do so. I don't know if he can really do so at all, and whether the affected portals go through planes, distance, or both. Heck, if he did have total control over them, he could have opened a gate to the temple itself, opened another one, and toss the blade inside to some other dimension.
"Oh no! We had this planned! He's not leaving me.... We had this planned, right?"
Perhaps he figured you could Wink-Wing out.
If the others have gone through already, they either didn't stop to think about popping back out for reinforcements, or they couldn't. Maybe it is a one way portal.
Or they presumed the rest would follow anyway, or it's much too nice on the other side to want to return, or reinforcements aren't needed, or a host of other alternatives.
If the Mummy needed Shipy for some task, isn't it likely that the Hobbit would be returned unharmed?
Needing him now is no indication they'll need him later, and it would be folly to presume they'd return him unharmed when the task was complete. Given the Hobbbit's [sic] reputation and the unorthodox method of obtaining him, I'd suspect either the task they want him for is onerous or antisocial, or that they have a personal issue with him. If they just needed him for a bit and planned to let him go afterwards, why not simply ask? He wasn't doing much else during the sail towards the island.
The Mummy evidently doesn't have any use for Shipy's teammates, so how will they be treated on the other side?
Presumably as poorly as we were on this side. Or worse.
Heck with it. Diving into the portal to save a comrade is a much more impressive tale to tell Chereva.
The course of true love and all.
You've had some guys die, but so has Taran: several times, if I read the Archives accurately.
My one and only bona-fide honest-and-for-true Tunnels & Trolls® character, Taran "SniperOrc" Dracon, son of Oother Pe'ng Dracon, brother of Jax "BlurBlade" Dracon, keeper of the... <snaps out of self-delusion> died honest-and-for-true in his first adventure, run by the great Trollgod himself.
At first I felt quite upset. I mean, being my first adventure and all. But then I realized how fun it was, and what a great end he came to. And then off-camera, in discussions with Ken, it was revealed that Taran was resurrected. What joy and rapture overcame me! (Off-camera action still yet to be formally recorded in narrative form, heh!) Of course, khara_khang has been more than willing to get Taran into mortal trouble in his later adventures. Yikes!
('Course, I could be wrong. Khara could just be a fiend, but I'm not coming to that conclusion yet.)
You meant to write "friend," right? Fiend, friend, what's the difference?! :)
But Jax can keep portals open... or so we are hoping....
...I wouldn't bet my life on the fact that [Jax] knows how to do so, and will be able to do so.
Hmmm... so much for planning ahead.
I don't know if [Jax] can really do so at all, and whether the affected portals go through planes, distance, or both.
Then again, he has never tried, so we'll just have to see.
Maybe it was a one way portal.
Groveling proved that it is a two way portal.
Before Captain Jelsee throws the key to Dandelion's cage at Ssu's feet, the Fairy responds to Ocullos' query:
"Yes m'lady, but how to stop this monster!?"
"I don't know. No one ever has defeated it before," she says, fear showing in her face. Dandelion's bottom lip quivers as she looks at Quickly with large moist eyes.
"Ocullos! Take her and flee! We are undone! Forgive me, lass!"
"My hero?" she sobs, lowering her head. Her only hope of rescue seemingly gone with Quickly.
As Ocullos dives for the key, he is again toying with death in a desperate attempt to save Dandelion, but his luck is cut short as Ssu's spear strikes downward, timed almost perfectly to his dash for the key. The spear pierces Ocullos' shoulder and passes through it into the wood of the floor beneath him. Ocullos yelps out in pain as he is pinned to the floor by the spear. His shoulder suddenly feels as if it were on fire. Ssu puts one of its feet on Ocullos' back to hold the Leprechaun still. One of its four arms reaches down and takes Ocullos by the hair of the head to pull his head up a little.
Captain Jelsee tries to speak, but his body will not obey him as the spider venom takes full control of him. "Stop Ssu! Don't kill him!" says Captain Jelsee, but the only sound which comes from the captain's paralyzed mouth is an unrecognizable mumble. Captain Jelsee can do nothing but watch in horror at what he knows is about to happen.
The guardian Warrior lowers its wickedly designed cutting weapon to Ocullos' neck and easily removes the Leprechaun's head from his body and holds it up for the captain to see. Watching the gory scene of blood spraying from Ocullos' body, the captain can do nothing but stare in shock, as does Ocullos' lifeless head. The doomed Leprechaun's life ended as abruptly as the failed rescue attempt, even as his hand was tightening around the key. Dandelion covers her eyes and sobs.
Some time later, the spider venom wears off and he confronts his first mate.
"You came to see if I was dead so you could start going through my possessions?"
"Oh! I resent your unfounded accusations, Captain. Furthermore, you have no possessions worth taking." Dorsal picks up the lifeless bird and looks at it. "I won't miss you very much, Polly," he says, speaking to the dead bird, and then shaking Polly a little to make it appear to be answering him.
"I don't know the customs for these situations. So give the Leprechaun the Ceremony of Passage and dump his body overboard and be done with it."
Dorsal just stands there still in awe of the scene, more fascinated with Polly.
"What are you waiting for?"
"A second choice, like bringing Ocullos back to life, though I know there is only one choice." Dorsal takes a deep breath. "Ocullos, my valued friend... now wait a minute, 'valued friend' is a bit of a stretch. Ocullos, my unwelcome shipmate, may you have safe transport to the hallowed realm. Actually, not our hallowed realm. No, that's for Humans. Go find your own hallowed realm, hopefully a different one than Polly. With the Ceremony of Passage complete, I declare you officially dead, and claim all your possessions for the ship. And Polly, I give you your last flight." Dorsal releases the bird and it falls straight to the floor with a thud.
"Are you finished now?"
"Yep. I'll get someone to clean up this mess." <sigh>
The Captain stands and looks closely at Dandelion within her cage. His gaze almost resembles a scowl.
"Well you really did it this time. You gave people your vulnerable, sexy and dangerous look, all in one, and they fell for it. Yes! It worked! Your first day, that's impressive! You should be very proud of yourself.... Are you really called Dandelion?"
"No, I'm not, and I don't know who this... Damn-lion... is."
"You know, I heard that you destroyed the Trinity warship, murdered its entire crew, even laid waste to a passing ship who offered help. I heard you were a devil, you murdered and pillaged, even popped eyeballs---"
"Whoa, whoa big guy! Where, where do they get these stories? Let's set the facts straight. First off, there was no murdering, pillaging, or eyeball-popping." Dandelion smiles sweetly. "You must have me mistaken for someone else. Yes, and keeping me a slave is what makes you a great humanitarian, Buckwheat, but I am leavin' soon. It's almost Scooby Doo time."
Seeing none of his fellow delvers above deck, nor below deck or in the cargo hold, Quickly doesn't have much time to decide upon his course of action. The glowing portal offers only one real option. Taking a deep breath, the heavily wounded Fairy zips into the portal as it closes behind him. Quickly has no idea what awaits him on the other side or even if his friends entered the portal.
Jax rushed out of the other side of the portal into the oppressive heat of a thick, dark jungle teaming with sounds and movements. His senses are suddenly overwhelmed with choices. If the Mummy were still carrying Shipy, there would be no telltale heat signatures, but they could be thirty feet away and still be out of sight due to the density of the jungle. Jax's options include staying close to the portal or continuing in some random direction in the hope of encountering Shipy and the Mummy. Jax's cloak still conceals him with invisibility, and using it to his advantage, he backs away from the portal.
Less than a minute later, all but one of the Mummy's minions run out of the portal. They spread out and disappear into the jungle in haste. One minion sporting two arrows stops in the light of the portal and turns around to face the portal, as if expecting someone to step out. When Taran comes charging out, the two spin and fell backwards into the thick undergrowth. This time, the minion is on top, clawing and biting.
Taran takes 21 hits from the minion before armor is deducted. There is a time delay of 2 rounds before the others start appearing. Jax and Taran have two actions and they should include two in their posts. Two rounds later, the characters appear in this order: Megol, Ebony, Jack, Jay, Olvarin, and Quickly.
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