garmr
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King Henry XIV
Posts: 227 Likes: 31
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Post by garmr on Oct 30, 2020 4:52:49 GMT
I'm going to grab a plant leaf and pull it off. If it's a normal, non-carnivorous plant then it should have no problem with that, right?
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Post by Spwack on Oct 30, 2020 10:52:34 GMT
It's not, it's ain't, and it certainly isn't. The nearest flower quivers, and lets out a little yowl, then the roots nearest your feet, but buried under the loam, spring up around your ankles and squeeze. In addition, tiny little rootlets with surprisingly sharp edges join the thicker strands and worm their way into your boots. And feet: v3uZiXKL1d41d4
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garmr
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King Henry XIV
Posts: 227 Likes: 31
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Post by garmr on Oct 30, 2020 11:32:53 GMT
"Eeeeyaargh!" I reel back, trying to free my feet from the roots, waving my torch at the plants. If possible I'll retreat back to the corridor, out of the plants' reach.
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Post by Spwack on Oct 31, 2020 5:12:12 GMT
The plants flinch back from the fire, and you flinch back from the plants. What next? You can see the roots wriggling in the soil all around, like blind toothless snakes.
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bluewolf
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Post by bluewolf on Nov 1, 2020 19:29:47 GMT
"So uuuh... What are our options? Don't think there were any other ways until back to the life or death intersection?"
I've no clue how to defeat this many plants with our current resources. So I say we head back and try the other way. Even though it sounds rather worrying.
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garmr
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King Henry XIV
Posts: 227 Likes: 31
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Post by garmr on Nov 2, 2020 22:23:01 GMT
"Indeed. If we purchased some flasks of oil back in Cell Block Zero, we could likely make short work of these plants. But for now let us explore the DEATH path. It does sound ominous, but things are not always as they seem in this dungeon.
"I confess I grow tired of exploring these endless tunnels. I would prefer if we had some goal, something to strive towards, beyond mere wandering. What do you think? Perhaps we should try to defeat those cube-things so we can climb the beanstalk to higher layers. I would also like to return to Cell Block Zero and speak with Professor Spell-O-Matic. He trades in secrets, and I am sure he would be interested to hear about the hidden passage we found."
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garmr
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King Henry XIV
Posts: 227 Likes: 31
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Post by garmr on Nov 3, 2020 1:15:57 GMT
Actually, let's take a rest once we get back to the LIFE/DEATH room. I want to restore my 1 hit point before we go on.
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Post by Spwack on Nov 3, 2020 10:20:18 GMT
Encounter check while you sit at the crossroads: joTE0Qfz1d6
A glint! When you make it back to the crossroads, you feel a strange sensation - was someone just here a little while ago? Are all of these your tracks in the dust? What's that- what's that noise?
If you stay here, the glint is rolled again on the following list: 1. Ambush, 2. Encounter, 6. Advantage. Are you going to stick around, or find somewhere safer to chill for a bit? It doesn't take long to restore HP.1d6
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garmr
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King Henry XIV
Posts: 227 Likes: 31
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Post by garmr on Nov 4, 2020 1:30:13 GMT
"I do not like this. Let us retreat to the corridor with the secret passage and rest there. That way, if an enemy attacks us we can escape through the secret door."
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Post by Spwack on Nov 4, 2020 6:03:00 GMT
Done. You sit in the rough stone hallway for a moment, with the fiery breeze coming to you from the south, and unknown threats to the north. Are you checking out the DEATH path next?
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bluewolf
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Post by bluewolf on Nov 6, 2020 7:49:22 GMT
Yes. Let's head that way. If it proves to be another dead end we'll return all the way to the beanstalk and see if the cubes are still around.
"Seems the air is clear. Let's go check the death path and if that leads nowhere we can go punt some cubes."
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Post by Spwack on Nov 8, 2020 9:02:50 GMT
Heading past the DEATH sign, you walk down a short corridor, veering slightly right, then another veer right till you are walking due-east. You come to a smallish stone chamber, with an altar of sorts in the middle. Atop the altar is a greataxe unwieldily size. It looks more ornamental than anything.
Oh, and the greataxe is covered in dried blood.
Oh, and the altar is soaked in dried blood.
Oh, and the floor of the room is awash with dried blood.
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garmr
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King Henry XIV
Posts: 227 Likes: 31
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Post by garmr on Nov 8, 2020 20:59:03 GMT
I'll scan the walls and ceiling for signs of traps and toss a pebble into the room. If I see nothing suspicious, I'll go closer and examine the axe.
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Post by Spwack on Nov 9, 2020 1:57:53 GMT
Do you consider large amounts of blood to be suspicious? Honestly, there could be something hidden under the crusty layer of red-brown, but... how invested are you in checking underneath it?
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bluewolf
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Post by bluewolf on Nov 9, 2020 8:05:35 GMT
Unless the dried blood is arranged in geometric shapes or runes of some sort, I'll walk in and check out the room better. Are there any markings visible anywhere on either the walls, floor, altar or the axe?
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Post by Spwack on Nov 10, 2020 3:46:00 GMT
When you step into the room, there's a grinding sound. The axe starts sliding across the altar towards you. Now you are in the room, you can see the two other exits, one due east and the other north-east. There might be markings, but none are visible, and none are on the walls.
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bluewolf
Junior Member
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Post by bluewolf on Nov 10, 2020 11:03:32 GMT
If it's not sliding dangerously fast yet, I'll sprint at it and catch it by the shaft, trying to stop it.
If it does look like it's picking up too much speed I'll run for the closest exit to me currently (including the one I came through).
"What the heck?"
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Post by Spwack on Nov 11, 2020 6:51:41 GMT
It doesn’t look like it’s moving too fast, so you move towards it, and then it starts moving faster as you get a closer. Yikes! Let’s see a STR check as you try and wrestle this thing!
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bluewolf
Junior Member
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Post by bluewolf on Nov 11, 2020 9:08:09 GMT
"Come here, you little..."
STR: tPqaKFbz1-20 + 51-20
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Post by Spwack on Nov 12, 2020 4:03:26 GMT
You've got a grip on it! It's lashing back and forth and twisting around in your hands. The wicked edge flashes past, that could have gone very badly indeed.
((Not exactly sure where your companions have gone. Are you fine adventuring by yourself for a little bit?))
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garmr
Full Member
King Henry XIV
Posts: 227 Likes: 31
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Post by garmr on Nov 14, 2020 2:02:40 GMT
I am still here, just stunned into silence by Joffi's audacity. I will run over and try to help wrestle the axe to the ground.
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Post by Spwack on Nov 14, 2020 4:33:57 GMT
The axe is held flat to the altar by the two of you, but it's still thrashing violently, then pausing to throw you off-balance a little, before wriggling again with renewed vigour. If you take your hands off this for a moment, it'll definitely go you. What do you do?
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bluewolf
Junior Member
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Post by bluewolf on Nov 14, 2020 14:51:27 GMT
"Crap. Doesn't look like it wants to stop."
Is there any convenient crevice where we could get its blade stuck?
How hard is it to hold onto with the two of us? Could we hope to bring it to the plant room and just chuck it in there?
"Hey, you! Axe! Stop thrashing around, will you?"
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Post by Spwack on Nov 15, 2020 2:32:29 GMT
You can try slam it into the stone and crack it, but that would be very difficult, since it could easily twist and turn itself aside at the last moment.
It's hard, but you're managing to pin it down on the altar with your combined bodyweight and strength.
The axe doesn't respond.
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garmr
Full Member
King Henry XIV
Posts: 227 Likes: 31
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Post by garmr on Nov 15, 2020 2:58:40 GMT
"I don't think it wants to talk to us! Do you have any rope, something we can use to pin it down?"
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bluewolf
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Post by bluewolf on Nov 15, 2020 16:59:15 GMT
"Just some tattered clothes. I don't think that's going to hold it. Maybe it only works within this room? What if try to move it out?"
I'd like both of us to move back the way we came from and see if taking it outside the room/away from the altar won't deactivate it.
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garmr
Full Member
King Henry XIV
Posts: 227 Likes: 31
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Post by garmr on Nov 15, 2020 23:44:38 GMT
"Alright, let's try it."
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Post by Spwack on Nov 17, 2020 3:51:52 GMT
You back away, and the axe is about to break loose from your grip! However, when you step outside the room, the axe doesn't follow, just swishes at you menacingly a few times before settling back down on the altar.
(I presume you'd let it go back into the room rather than drag it with you. If you would prefer to drag it, one of you takes d8 damage)
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garmr
Full Member
King Henry XIV
Posts: 227 Likes: 31
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Post by garmr on Nov 18, 2020 2:15:37 GMT
"Bah. Wretched thing. I doubt it will listen to reason or allow itself to be tamed. Still, it might be useful if we ever wanted to lead an enemy into an ambush. Yes, imagine a foe trapped in the room while we lurked in the entrances, preventing their escape..."
Henry XIV's eyes become distant as he pictures this strategem (enacted, in his mind's eye, upon the traitors who robbed him of his crown and deposited him in this subterranean maze).
"Well, anyway. It looks like we have explored the limits of this area, unless we are willing to brave carnivorous plants, a wall of fire, or an animated axe. I say we return to Saint Seymour and see if we can climb down his branches. I would like to return to Cell Block Zero and purchase certain useful sundries... a length of rope and some iron spikes would have gone a long way with that axe just now..."
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Post by Spwack on Nov 19, 2020 2:23:45 GMT
All the way back? It'll be a bit of hike going up and across and down, but you do know the way. I'll go for two encounter checks:
U6Do4zkL1d6 1d6
Nothing but a whole torch sputtering and dying marks your passage - through the secret hallway door, up the endless narrow winding stairs to the throne room, south to the maze, following the chalk arrows back through the twisting halls, and back down again to the muddy frog room. Cell Block Zero welcomes you back, and you can hear voices talking nearby as well. Huzzah!
((I'll call this thread well and truly closed, unless of course anyone doesn't want to return the same way and wishes to keep dealing with the axe or flowers. Further discussion can continue in the CB0 thread, which may have the other group returning to it as well))1d6·1d6
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