Jibrīl Al-Las’as
Jibrīl turns to Arron and gestures.
Any thoughts about this box before I try opening it?
@nimelennar @Daaksyde @Mitchell @William_George @daneel
GM POST
Aronn turns at Jibril’s question, and his eyes light up as he sees the box. Staggering forwards into the small chamber, he visibly stumbles and gasps as he crosses the threshold. He lifts the box and turns back towards you, a triumphant look on his face.
Thwip
The interactive (?) map is too much for the goblin to ignore. While Aronn grabs his box, Thwip attempts to find the Goblin village of Dulshaksotasonyuintakreemant where he grew up.
@nimelennar @Daaksyde @Mitchell @William_George @daneel
GM POST
The cloud of sparks over the table flows down towards the surface and forms an image of south-west Megalos, zooming in on Thwip’s home town. The birds-eye view is so detailed that individual figures can be faintly perceived.
Meanwhile, Aronn returns from the small chamber, box tucked under his arm. As he crosses the threshold into the map room, the image of the map shatters into a thousand points of light.
The sparks reform into a red flashing cloud that hovers above the table. The arabic voice returns: “Maximum security activated. Mortal danger imminent. Seek refuge immediately.”
From the direction of the large chamber, you hear the sound of rushing water.
Blue Hawk
Hawk watches Lord Arron as he picks up the chest, and walks up to the doorway to get a better look. He is slightly surprised to find that he doesn’t sense any sort of magic from the chest, as he’d think that something that was so valuable to a mage like Lord Arron would be something inherently magical.
When the shaman leans over the threshold of the room, he realizes why he doesn’t sense anything: like a blast of water to the face, he feels the power of the spirits desert him. In pure reflex, he pulls himself back out of the room, and sighs in relief as he feels the spirits return to him.
Why would they store something in a room completely without magic, without any spiritual energy? he thinks to himself, and then realizes that whatever magic this thing has would be rendered completely inert there, and it would be completely invisible to the eyes of the spirits and to the eyes of magic - whatever was in there was something that was either incredibly dangerous, or something that the builders of this place didn’t want anyone to find, or, most likely, both.
As the northman is thinking this through, and recovering from the shock of having his connection to the spiritual realm sundered (however briefly), time is still passing, and Lord Arron has brought the box past the threshold of the room he found it in. the sparks turn red, the voice delivers its warning, and the sound of rushing water comes forth.
Thinking fast, he calls out in Arabic, “Eabd, take Lord Arron to the front entrance of this place,” and then in Anglish, “Everyone, RUN!”
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Jibrīl Al-Las’as
Jibrīl hears Blue Hawk’s warning, and follows his advice, running for the entrance to the crypt.
Thwip
Alarm at the exploding map.
Alarm at the alarms.
Greater alarm at the sudden sound of falling water.
An alarmed look about the room one last time for another exit.
Mad panic as he joins the others making a run for it.
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Ranar Bolijyr
The sudden commotion distracts Ranar from his thoughts. Jumping up and turning to see what’s going on, but distracted by the sound of water behind him, he is nearly bowled over by the others, and instinctively turns and joins in the run.
Nicolas de Courcy
As the table blares its alarm de Courcy spins on his heel towards the door. The sharp movement blows out the naked flame in his shattered lantern.
He hurls it aside with a curse, and runs towards the entrance, careful to keep up with but not outpace the quickest moving remaining light source.
On his way past Eabd, he pauses to amend Blue Hawk’s quick-thinking order - in case the automaton doesn’t pick up on who the shaman was referring to, or the implicit haste required.
“Eabd, take the elf, Lord Arron, through the front entrance at maximum possible speed.”
Then he runs. He plans to scoop up a couple of the fancy weapons on his way out, if he can do so with out slowing much - if not maybe, assuming the jammed door holds, Eabd can be sent back in to retrieve them.
@nimelennar @Daaksyde @Mitchell @William_George @daneel
GM POST
As Hawk hands off Aronn to Eabd, de Courcy pauses to refine his instructions. Jibril and Thwip sprint for the exit, Ranar lumbering along behind them. Your only sources of light remaining are Aronn’s topknot and Jibril’s torch.
As he approaches the exit, Jibril notices two things:
Firstly, the water is pouring in a massive torrent from the “decorative” features on the roof of the entrance hall, and is already halfway up the stairs to the main chamber. The doors are still jammed open.
Secondly, half a dozen or more “things” have appeared in the chamber.
The things are cadaverous looking humanoids, each of which has what appears to be a glowing red gemstone in the middle of its forehead. They are unarmed and dressed in rags, but they nevertheless appear intent upon clawing and biting your brains out. They charge towards you in a ravening horde.
Thwip
“GYAAAAAAHH!”
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Blue Hawk
Hawk hears Thwip’s cry, and quickly gets himself to the top of the stairs. Seeing the scene unfolding below him, he runs down the stairs and places himself between Thwip and Jibrīl, so that whatever-these-things-are cannot surround them.
“de Courcy,” he yells, “Protect Lord Arron!”
Ranar Bolijyr
Huffing heavily and leaning forward to try to catch up with Thwip, Ranar notices the things and briefly skids before regaining forward momentum. Reaching for the first available thing to swing, he grabs one of the throwing axes and starts to draw. “Go around!” he yells to anyone following him.
Nicolas de Courcy
De Courcy’s new rapier and dagger spring to hand as a high-pitched screech tears the air. It takes him a moment to recognise it’s Thwipp - probably unleashing some sort of Goblinese battle-cry.
He reaches the door just as the dwarf yells to go around. In that moment de Courcy takes in the situation, and quickly pulls a seemingly appropriate skirmishing tactic from his experience
Most heavily armoured man pinning as many enemy as possible in place on one flank; the rest of the unit turning on that lynch-pin.
Pick and roll - defensively, but quickly withdrawing back from the rabid corpses. Waltzing the loose formation around the room - the cadaverous things, likely to keep charging the nearest living person, following.
Then as soon the things were bunched to one side beat a rapid retreat out the hopefully cleared exit.
It’d more than likely work with trained soldiers. This company are not trained soldiers.
Hopefully they are quick studies, de Courcy thinks
“Ranar! Far flank. All pivot on Ranar!”
Hawk was already moving to screen Thipp’s retreat, so de Courcy began to move screen Jibril’s as he yelled.
Jibrīl Al-Las’as
Choking back a cry of fear, Jibrīl draws his tulwar, aiming to fight a defensive battle against the things, targetting the gems on their foreheads and falling back towards the entrance as possible.
Thwip
“Nyarrggg!”
@nimelennar @Daaksyde @Mitchell @William_George @daneel
GM POST
As Nic, Aronn and Hawk advance, Jibril whips out his Tulwar and scrambles back towards the party. Thwip stumbles backwards, fumbling with his rifle, while Ranar steps forwards, snatching an axe from his belt.
Meanwhile, the things charge. The first lunges forwards, clawed hands snatching at Ranar. Although the dwarven warrior ducks back and raises his shield, the creature is quick, and darts through his defences to grapple. Another thing attempts the same move on Thwip, although the goblin manages to evade the grasping claws, more by luck than skill.
From further out in the chamber, one of the things launches itself into a full sprint shoulder charge at Jibril. There is no chance to dodge; the thing cannons into the Wazifi rogue, knocking him down, leaving him severely bruised as he bounces off the hard stone floor. Fortunately, he retains hold of his sword and the torch.
Back at the doorway, another Thing attempts to charge Thwip. Again, the goblin luckily evades the strike. His assailant continues past, narrowly missing Hawk as well.
From another angle, a fifth thing charges at Hawk. The shaman retreats and successfully deflects the slavering thing with his shield.
As another pair of things move to swarm Hawk and Jibril, two more appear from the shadows.
(Jibril is downed and minus 5 hit points, Ranar is grappled; -4 skill, -2 defence. Ranar is in the same hex as Thing 1, Jibril and another Thing are in the same hex as Thing 7. Thwip is also sharing a hex with a Thing. Feel free to come up with a better name than “Things”, BTW)
Thwip
“Eabd! Komm in here! Inkompacitate my opponents!”
(or)
“Eabgack!”
(Thwip has the best words. Great words. Many smart people said so.)
Jibrīl Al-Las’as
Jibrīl climbs back to his feet, swiping at the things as he does.
