Post by David on Jun 15, 2009 20:38:43 GMT -5
Two hours after the previous party lost half their members, a third rescue mission enters the kuo-toan lair. Mikhail, after having searched for Marc, had teleported back home only to find his hometown in chaos. Meanwhile, word reached Mang in GnomeHome of the troubles and he and Saanau reached Klarr where they were joined by Erik, their former adventuring companion from years before. The four were the only heroes with sufficient strength to attack as everyone else was badly wounded and out of spells (note -- not and/or but AND!).
Exhausting the last of Stephanos, Todar, and even Esemerelda's spells, the four can breathe water and are protected from evil while all but Saanau gain free action. Mang quaffs a potion of speed[/i] while Mikhail invokes his mental power of strength and the group charges! Erik has conjured an unseen servant which carries a torch (to again combat the unnatural gloom) and a bag of holding carrying Saanau (since she can't fit through the passage above water and lacks free action).
With the distraction of the lead to fighters, Saanau flies out and unleashes three lightning bolts in rapid succession. The discharges flare into hemispherical kill-zones from the bolts point of impact with the water, but having thought ahead, the elven wizardess aims each to only target the foes in the rear ranks of the opposition, electrocuting MANY. Mang momentarily fights clear and Erik darts forward to cover the dwarf's back. It's only then that the kuo-toan forces begin to close in...
Mikhail faces only two fishmen, but they land a series of crippling hits, seriously damaging the young man's legs and ribs. Meanwhile, Saanau is also in trouble, with a half dozen kuo-toa attacking her as the cavern is too low for her to float above monsters' reach. The psi uses a psionic blast to take out all of his and her foes, but accidentally also catches the elven mage. Mang, meanwhile, has spent too much time with less foes and muchign about with the priest's man-catcher. In this time Erik has nearly been overwhelmed and only the dwarf is in any sort of shape to keep fighting.
A huge group swarms into the room, including two more monitors (ack!). Mikhail unleashes another psi blast while Mang cuts some of Erik's foes away. That's when an unlucky claw tears into the dwarf's face and stuns him. A large scar marks Mang's face and he is seriously concussed.
Mikhail reaches the fallen Saanau and the kuo-toa which is hacking at her stunned form. Shouting to his allies to run, the young psi teleports the two of them to the safety of his bedroom in Klarr. Erik's familiar, Faust, had been harrying Saanau's foe but is now seriously wounded for his efforts. Needing no more incentive, the witch of Hecate also bolts, calling for Mang to follow him.
Although hasted, this is when Fate turns against the cowardly dwarf. Although now he works to make ammends for his previous deeds, there seems to be some price to pay. Mang cannot land a single blow, despite being hasted and far more skilled than any of his foes. Another improbable thrust breaks several of the dwarf's ribs while several kuo-toan recover from Mikhail's mental assault and swarm him. Mang is now cut off from the exit with a monitor on him as well as a half dozen other foes! He can already barely see from his face wound and can barely move from his torso injury. It's as if each blow was aimed into the dark...
From the relative safety of the tunnel, Erik uses the last of his sleep spells to remove those of Mang's foes he can. He also sends a rather wounded Faust back to touch the dwarf, but the weasel can't manage it. A flurry of further blows drop the dwarf, but as the fishmen move in, Faust makes contact and Erik channels his curative spell through his familiar and into the hasted dwarf. With a final kick, Mang pushes himself back into the stream where Erik is waiting and a familiar looking seal is trying to help. For some reason, the kuo-toa do not pursue into the light this time and Mang, Erik, Faust, and Rhiannon-the-seal get to safety...!
But it's now been more than two hours since Daj, Marc, and Helga fell and more than eight since the five townsfolk were taken captive. With nearly every hero in town beaten, battered, and out of spells, what will become of the captives?!?
Exhausting the last of Stephanos, Todar, and even Esemerelda's spells, the four can breathe water and are protected from evil while all but Saanau gain free action. Mang quaffs a potion of speed[/i] while Mikhail invokes his mental power of strength and the group charges! Erik has conjured an unseen servant which carries a torch (to again combat the unnatural gloom) and a bag of holding carrying Saanau (since she can't fit through the passage above water and lacks free action).
With the distraction of the lead to fighters, Saanau flies out and unleashes three lightning bolts in rapid succession. The discharges flare into hemispherical kill-zones from the bolts point of impact with the water, but having thought ahead, the elven wizardess aims each to only target the foes in the rear ranks of the opposition, electrocuting MANY. Mang momentarily fights clear and Erik darts forward to cover the dwarf's back. It's only then that the kuo-toan forces begin to close in...
Mikhail faces only two fishmen, but they land a series of crippling hits, seriously damaging the young man's legs and ribs. Meanwhile, Saanau is also in trouble, with a half dozen kuo-toa attacking her as the cavern is too low for her to float above monsters' reach. The psi uses a psionic blast to take out all of his and her foes, but accidentally also catches the elven mage. Mang, meanwhile, has spent too much time with less foes and muchign about with the priest's man-catcher. In this time Erik has nearly been overwhelmed and only the dwarf is in any sort of shape to keep fighting.
A huge group swarms into the room, including two more monitors (ack!). Mikhail unleashes another psi blast while Mang cuts some of Erik's foes away. That's when an unlucky claw tears into the dwarf's face and stuns him. A large scar marks Mang's face and he is seriously concussed.
Mikhail reaches the fallen Saanau and the kuo-toa which is hacking at her stunned form. Shouting to his allies to run, the young psi teleports the two of them to the safety of his bedroom in Klarr. Erik's familiar, Faust, had been harrying Saanau's foe but is now seriously wounded for his efforts. Needing no more incentive, the witch of Hecate also bolts, calling for Mang to follow him.
Although hasted, this is when Fate turns against the cowardly dwarf. Although now he works to make ammends for his previous deeds, there seems to be some price to pay. Mang cannot land a single blow, despite being hasted and far more skilled than any of his foes. Another improbable thrust breaks several of the dwarf's ribs while several kuo-toan recover from Mikhail's mental assault and swarm him. Mang is now cut off from the exit with a monitor on him as well as a half dozen other foes! He can already barely see from his face wound and can barely move from his torso injury. It's as if each blow was aimed into the dark...
From the relative safety of the tunnel, Erik uses the last of his sleep spells to remove those of Mang's foes he can. He also sends a rather wounded Faust back to touch the dwarf, but the weasel can't manage it. A flurry of further blows drop the dwarf, but as the fishmen move in, Faust makes contact and Erik channels his curative spell through his familiar and into the hasted dwarf. With a final kick, Mang pushes himself back into the stream where Erik is waiting and a familiar looking seal is trying to help. For some reason, the kuo-toa do not pursue into the light this time and Mang, Erik, Faust, and Rhiannon-the-seal get to safety...!
But it's now been more than two hours since Daj, Marc, and Helga fell and more than eight since the five townsfolk were taken captive. With nearly every hero in town beaten, battered, and out of spells, what will become of the captives?!?
