The Arwich Grinder

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fireinthedust
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Re: The Arwich Grinder

Post by fireinthedust »

Bron holds his sword in place for a long moment as the blood sprays from the point where his weapon pierced the creature. His aim has struck it through the heart, it would seem, and the body falls to the ground with a thud.


The mercenary pulls his sword free as if the effort is all he can muster. Covered in blood, both his and that of his fallen companions, he breathes heavily and leans back against the wall.

"Damned fiends. Damn Curwens. Whatever this is, damn it too. No maid is worth all this, not if the rest of her family are freaks and warlocks: whoever she seemed to be, to be raised here, I don't see how she can be free of this taint. Let's get hence from this hell, and burn whatever we can on our way."

Arvandra, the old herbalist woman, hears this and clucks her teeth. "Best to grab what we can on the way. Those spellbooks will tell me which fiends own the Curwen's souls. It may help in putting up wards against them, whether we need fresh garlic or dried rose petals to stop them at our windows."

Bron huffs painfully, shaking his head. "I don't care what you grab, crone. Just let's get our dead and begone!"

Lady Aelfwyn and Trapper look about the attic for any goods before heading down, peeking around for trap doors or boxes, any kind of supplies or treasures.

OOC: Funnel or not, there's no way these normal humans would stick around this place in their weakened condition. I've got an old woman and a flighty elven princess at full. Nuff said!
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MrHemlocks
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Re: The Arwich Grinder

Post by MrHemlocks »

Pratel swings away at the man. He feels his club make contact.
(to hit 1D20+1 => 15); (damage 1D4+1 => 2) burn 2 luck and add to damage roll...damage 4.

Balin also takes
(1D20+1 => 15);(damage 1D4+1 => 3)
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Raven_Crowking
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Re: The Arwich Grinder

Post by Raven_Crowking »

OOC: Funnel or no funnel, you are absolutely entitled to decide to do whatever you may wish with your PCs. I then judge what occurs as a result.

Pratel swings at the man, his blow effective enough to remove one more of this foul clan from their earthly haunts. Likewise, random roll says Balin attacked the woman, slaying her.

Wilbur attempts to hit Balin with his torch, 12 to hit, 2 damage, Reflex save DC 10 or catch fire for 1d6 damage per round, and an immediate 5 points of damage.

I will be away from the Internet from tonight until some time Tuesday.
SoBH pbp:

Cathbad the Meek (herbalist Wizard 1): AC 9; 4 hp; S 7, A 7, St 10, P 17, I 13, L 8; Neutral; Club, herbs, 50' rope, 50 cp; -1 to melee attack rolls. Hideous scar.
fireinthedust
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Re: The Arwich Grinder

Post by fireinthedust »

OOC: Yep. My plan, as player, is to regroup back at the village, maybe heal up? If we're attacked by monsters, maybe we'll have to make a stand.


Is there more to this attic? Like, a passage going somewhere? Or just where they kept the freaky baby?
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GlassEye
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Re: The Arwich Grinder

Post by GlassEye »

BELOW: Abram Cove darts forward when he gets the chance attempting to help Balin out by chopping at the boy with the iron axe.


OOC: Abram attack: Abram vs. Wilbur (1d20+2=10)
If hit: Dmg vs. Wilbur (1d6+2=4)
fireinthedust
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Re: The Arwich Grinder

Post by fireinthedust »

OOC: I just thought of something: are my characters the only survivors of the ABOVE group?
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GlassEye
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Re: The Arwich Grinder

Post by GlassEye »

Yes, your characters are the only ones left in the above group. And you have all four of your characters remaining while drpete and I have only one. MrHemlocks has two remaining but needs to make a saving throw (if he fails it, he'll be down to one character as well). Pre-save we've lost exactly half of the original characters. We might have fared better if we hadn't split the party into two/three groups but then agaiin, maybe not.
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Raven_Crowking
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Re: The Arwich Grinder

Post by Raven_Crowking »

GlassEye wrote:Yes, your characters are the only ones left in the above group. And you have all four of your characters remaining while drpete and I have only one. MrHemlocks has two remaining but needs to make a saving throw (if he fails it, he'll be down to one character as well). Pre-save we've lost exactly half of the original characters. We might have fared better if we hadn't split the party into two/three groups but then agaiin, maybe not.
Splitting the party may be a contributing factor to attrition. In the attic, attacking singly certainly allowed the giant invisible baby to get more attacks than it otherwise would have.

As long as you each escape with a single level 1 character, I will be happy to lead them into something else when you are done here.....
SoBH pbp:

Cathbad the Meek (herbalist Wizard 1): AC 9; 4 hp; S 7, A 7, St 10, P 17, I 13, L 8; Neutral; Club, herbs, 50' rope, 50 cp; -1 to melee attack rolls. Hideous scar.
fireinthedust
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Re: The Arwich Grinder

Post by fireinthedust »

OOC: Okay, cool. In that case this is the plan (and yes, I realize I'm assuming it all goes this smoothly. Maybe it's a bit Shaun of the Dead: get mum, get Liz, hide at the Wincester, have a pint. Edit as needed!)


IC: Bron and Trapper go through the belongings of their fallen companions, taking any money, weapons or armor, to arm themselves on their way out of this place.

Then, as a group, they grab the lantern and carefully move down the ladder and into the rest of the house. As they go, Arvandra grabs the spellbooks they'd found, while Bron and Lady Aelfwyn use the lantern to light curtains or loose papers on fire. Then, a flame lit, the four of them bolt from the house (again, as a group), and run away from the farm and back to the village.

"Let's get back to the tavern, and let Arvandra look at those tomes.
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MrHemlocks
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Re: The Arwich Grinder

Post by MrHemlocks »

1d20 → [12] = (12) === Balin's save
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Raven_Crowking
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Re: The Arwich Grinder

Post by Raven_Crowking »

Then Balin is not lit on fire!

You are still faced by a very determined boy in the under-reaches, armed with a torch. Init 6, attack roll vs. Balin 7.

ABOVE: A lantern is shielded, and is not particularly good for lighting the house on fire (unless you smash it). Do you want to use a torch instead? Obviously, this will take more time than the combat below, so as soon as that is finished, I will narrate & bring you all together.
SoBH pbp:

Cathbad the Meek (herbalist Wizard 1): AC 9; 4 hp; S 7, A 7, St 10, P 17, I 13, L 8; Neutral; Club, herbs, 50' rope, 50 cp; -1 to melee attack rolls. Hideous scar.
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MrHemlocks
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Re: The Arwich Grinder

Post by MrHemlocks »

Feeling a bit uneasy about killing this boy, but realizing that he is driven by evil forces an must be dealt with, Balin and Pratel swing away.

Balin Attack 1d20+1 → [14,1] = (15), Damage 1d4+1 → [1,1] = (2) He will burn 2 luck and make it 4 damage
Pratel Attack 1d20+1 → [2,1] = (3)
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Raven_Crowking
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Re: The Arwich Grinder

Post by Raven_Crowking »

The boy drops.

Down below, the adventurers hurry to the iron rungs that will lead them out of this noisome hole.

Up above, the adventurers pause to gather The Booke of the Gates of Life and Death, Wonders of ye Darke, and The Book of Eibon Stars from Grandpa Ike's room. The old man tosses in his sleep and mutters, "Gotta keep them pigs fed," but does not otherwise awaken. The house is set on fire.

There are eight books in the sitting room as you pass - gather them or not as you like. One is upon a small table, the others mouldering upon a shelf. Just let me know.

Both splinters of the party meet outside the house as it begins to go up.

You could choose to go back down as a group - the way the "below" party came up is outside the house. Or not. Up to you.
SoBH pbp:

Cathbad the Meek (herbalist Wizard 1): AC 9; 4 hp; S 7, A 7, St 10, P 17, I 13, L 8; Neutral; Club, herbs, 50' rope, 50 cp; -1 to melee attack rolls. Hideous scar.
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GlassEye
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Re: The Arwich Grinder

Post by GlassEye »

Reunited: Abram Cove looks around at the faces around him and counts. Too soon he reaches the end. "Half our numbers gone to this madness." He stares at the flames licking around the windows of the house. "I'd do the same to the tunnels below if I thought they would burn. So what do we do next?"
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MrHemlocks
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Re: The Arwich Grinder

Post by MrHemlocks »

Pratel and Balin likewise are more than glad to be back. They all gather at the pub and tell their stories. Balin mentions that there remains the beast within the tunnels that rest on the bottom of a chasm.

Image
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Raven_Crowking
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Re: The Arwich Grinder

Post by Raven_Crowking »

You are together outside the now-burning house. You may certainly return to the village pub, though, if that is your wish.
SoBH pbp:

Cathbad the Meek (herbalist Wizard 1): AC 9; 4 hp; S 7, A 7, St 10, P 17, I 13, L 8; Neutral; Club, herbs, 50' rope, 50 cp; -1 to melee attack rolls. Hideous scar.
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MrHemlocks
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Re: The Arwich Grinder

Post by MrHemlocks »

Raven_Crowking wrote:You are together outside the now-burning house. You may certainly return to the village pub, though, if that is your wish.
Yes...return ASAP! :wink:
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GlassEye
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Re: The Arwich Grinder

Post by GlassEye »

"Wait a moment, Balin!" calls Abram Cove. "Did we get all those Curwens? I don't relish the idea of some crazed Curwen we missed going down in that hole to release all those unkillable hungry spirit things down there in revenge for what we've done here. I done for Bessie Curwen myself. What about the others? And then there's that shrine..."
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MrHemlocks
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Re: The Arwich Grinder

Post by MrHemlocks »

Balin yelled out, before returning to town, "yes Abram we did! I believe they are all dead. If not than they are way too weakened to cause harm now. We can always come back, with many more towns folk, and deal whatever is leftover after resting and telling our stories."
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Raven_Crowking
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Re: The Arwich Grinder

Post by Raven_Crowking »

MrHemlocks, does your crew return to the village? I take it that this is your intent?

GlassEye, what about your crew?
SoBH pbp:

Cathbad the Meek (herbalist Wizard 1): AC 9; 4 hp; S 7, A 7, St 10, P 17, I 13, L 8; Neutral; Club, herbs, 50' rope, 50 cp; -1 to melee attack rolls. Hideous scar.
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MrHemlocks
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Re: The Arwich Grinder

Post by MrHemlocks »

Yes, my crew returned. I posted what happened after they returned a couple threads up.
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GlassEye
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Re: The Arwich Grinder

Post by GlassEye »

Abram Cove waves after Balin and Pratel. "I'm gonna watch this thing burn to the ground." He hopes he'll be able to catch up with them later.

OOC: Abram Cove will stay until the house burns up. If nothing happens during that time he'll return to town.
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Raven_Crowking
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Re: The Arwich Grinder

Post by Raven_Crowking »

The house burns down, taking its own time to do so.

Meanwhile, Balin & crew head home, to find the tavern long ago closed against the night.

Tomorrow morning, folk are anxious to hear your story, for they have had a sleepless night worrying about the saviours of Arwich.
SoBH pbp:

Cathbad the Meek (herbalist Wizard 1): AC 9; 4 hp; S 7, A 7, St 10, P 17, I 13, L 8; Neutral; Club, herbs, 50' rope, 50 cp; -1 to melee attack rolls. Hideous scar.
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MrHemlocks
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Re: The Arwich Grinder

Post by MrHemlocks »

Meeting in the tavern the group of adventures share their stories. They made mention of the creatures sill alive within the dungeons far below the crumbling well and how, someday, the town should gather larger numbers of volunteers to finish the 'job'.
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GlassEye
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Re: The Arwich Grinder

Post by GlassEye »

I'm not sure if the adventure is over or not but I wanted to say now, while I had the chance, that I really appreciate you running this adventure for us, Raven Crowking. Thanks.
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