DM themed play-by-post D&D game : STORY THREAD

[ian_scho]

OOC - It's a good job I wrote down the power of the VI on Haynuus's character sheet! 3d6 health (or death) (3d6=6)

It was a terrible thing to see. First the grak-grak had melted his own form into what appeared to be a grotesque monster. Fortunately for Haynuus he was never one for mirrors and so unbelievably for one that lived in a 'civilised' society he wasn't that familiar (or preoccupied) with his own form, his own face... In fact he's only just started washing washing himself to be perfectly honest. The other horrible sight was Deephold and his welded feet to the floor. Haynuus realised that if he had to cut his feet off Deephold was going to be the shortest dwarf amongst a race of already heavily disadvantaged people. Most unfortunate.

The problem at hand, however, was the now REALLY ugly grak-grak in front of him. Moments ago it was merely ugly (and thank you circlet for reminding the half-orc who it originally appeared like), now however it really needed a good sword to the head (1d20+13=29, 2d6+4=12, 1d20+8=14, 2d6+4=10).

[beowuuf]

The dwarf indeed wore sturdy boots. It was perhaps just as much a testiment to a working cleric's life of travel and evangelism as much as Deephold being a dwarf, but they were thick soled and heavy set. This may well have saved him from becoming part of his own footwear and being cursed to wear them forever.

"What...yes!" said Deephld. Clearly, he had been frozen fearing the worst. As Petal had started cutting in to the soles, enough to see his toes freely wiggling and allowing him to realise that.

However, the rock and greenery were alreay combining with the tough leather, binding the stitiching of the soles at inconvenient places to it stopped Petal from a quick cut.

"The laces! Cut the laces!" the dwarf replied, comign to life. His own dagger came out and he started hacking one boot, as Petal was diverted to cutting the ties on the other. Deephold practically leapt out of the things, staggering and falling backwards on to the ground.


Nice quick thinking there, it was indeed just his boots, and Petal could use some elbow grease rather than risk magic. PLus snapping Deephold out of it. He's now prone on the upper square, and will get back up next round. Of course, that leaves him vulnerable if the grak-grak goes mad on you all since he's on the lowest initiative action.


Haynuus had - dare it be said - a modicum of skill now, having been in the company of other fighters, having fought professional soldiers, and of course actually caring to use his weapons properly to defend his companions. He was able to navigate the whirling death of the grak-grak's claws to strike a grevious blow in its side, ripping open an area of flesh. He was denied further opportunities when the grak-grak turned its full fury on the Half-orc. However, Haynuus's surely blessed armour and sword parrying caught all the talons that would have otherwise impaled him.

The grak-grak seemed to get even more demented, it that was possible, being denied blood by steel skin and apparently nothing but the air infront of Haynuus!


Aww, what a sucky low roll. SOmetimes, the dice are unknind. Other times, they are kind enough to give you a decnt hit, and then ensure you don't get a nasty hit back. So it all works out in the wash The grak-grak will stay in your face, it's up to you if you want to engage in tactics or just trade blows. As a 7th level fighter, this isn't the suicidal proposition it once was, as you found out last time you killed one of these thigss!

[Ameena]

Although still fascinated by the strange creatures, Ameena decides that she can't just wait for her friends to finish off the grak-grak by themselves - after all, it seems these two strange reptiles are more preoccupied with each other than with the battling group of strangers nearby.
Turning around, she darts through the group, trying to get behind the raging grak-grak in an attempt to attack it without getting herself in the way of its savagely-flailing claws. She draws her knife and slashes at the back of one of its legs, hoping to tear something in order to make it fall over.

OOC - Ameena gets as far around the back of the grak-grak as she can in order to flank with Haynuus - if she can't get all that way this go, that's fine. I'll make a normal attack roll without the flanking bonus for now, and I know I don't get to backstab these undead bastards anyway . Attack roll = 17 (8+9), damage = 1. Wooo...

[beowuuf]

Ameena can either get the flank with a double move , or move and attack and stand infront ofthe grak-grak. Obviously, going for the flank risks an attack of opprtunity. Is the grak-grak too focused on Hyanuus and distracted by dancing lights to see the brown blur? WHO KNOWS?

[ian_scho]

OOC - More of the same, me thinks

As far as Haynuus was concerned the faster the undead died the faster they could move on and get away from this place. Not only was the magic area freaking him out but now the reptilian swan things seemed oblivious to the violence and dwarvern shouting - were they a work of chaos? Whatever, he kept moving on his feet as his goblin-skin-sandals were hard to come by in these parts.

"By the power of Lorethellian I smite thee back to hel... Death.... Whatever!" His armour had saved him and he felt obliged to repay the church for the favour... By a bit of religious fervour for the masses was in order. So he hit him (1d20+13=26, 2d6+4=12, 1d20+8=21, 2d6+4=14). And quite nicely apparently.

[beowuuf]

Ok, so waiting for confirmation of Ameena's potions to finish the previous round (I'm going to assume she is in front of the grak-grak and post the updated map.

New round: Need Ameena's and Petal's next actions. Deephold will remain on the ground until the end of this new round.

[beowuuf]

Map (font is a shout out to Lone Wolf gamebooks):

[raixel]

Petal looks at the tiny dagger in her hand. It doesnt seem much, and she realizes the grak-grak could easily swat her out of the sky with one blow. She is going to have to risk a spell, but a small one, just in case.

Barely touching the twisted mana of the area, she searches through the screaming pain in her mind for the energy hse is looking for. But it is hard to sense, all the mana seems twisted together like a knot of string. Closing her eyes, she visualizes what she is sensing, and deftly tries to pluch the 'thread' of mana out of the tangle. When she thinks she has it safely in her mental grasp she touches her fingers and thumbs to thier opposite partners in the shape of two cheverons and points it at the grak-grak.

"LO FUL IR" she shouts, at the same time giving the 'thread' of FUL mana a pull and toss in the direction of the grak-grak.

She winces as the mana takes visible shape, wondering what it will do.

[Ameena]

OOC - Umm...how close can I get in a single move? I looked at the map and I thought I could move straight down and get into the space to the right of the grak-grak on that move (because I counted it as being just five squares away if one "square" of movement is half the width of the big squares on the map), then take a one-step diagonally on my next move and achieve the flank with Haynuus. Ooh wait, no, crap I'm getting confused again because of that annoying diagonal-rule thing they have at club. Yeah so I wouldn't have been able to go straight south like that 'cause I'd've had to pass through the diagonally-adjacent square that Haynuus is in, lol. Bleh. Okay well, umm...hmmm...okay yeah, I'll risk the AoO to try and flank the bugger then, so Haynuus gets a bonus - he's looking to be the main DPS in this fight since I can't backstab undead, Petal can't risk biggy-magic 'cause she might implode the world (or whatever ), and Deephold is being rubbish and sitting on his arse after his silly dorf-feet decided they liked stone sooo much they'd like to get really close to it .
Anyway, umm...yeah...soooo...in that case, that would mean that I double-moved last go and (hopefully) ended up flanking the bugger, which meant, presumably, that I couldn't attack...so can that roll just carry over to the next move (assuming I survived and stuff ), in which case just use it now but with the extra +2 for flanking...so the attack roll be be upped to 19 (8+9+2). Not that a whole one point of damage is probably gonna be good for much but meh, I'm getting Haynuus a bonus by just standing there, aren't I?
Hopefully I'm not about to get squished .

[beowuuf]

Sorry, I forgot I was waiving the standing and going prone of Ameena's movement. You'd still incur and attack of opportunity in the flank, so it's still up to you, but you are right you could make an attach in the same round.

You can move through player squares ok as long as you don't finish in them. You can attack diagonally. However, if you move through a square the opponet threatenes (not just run away, but move around them more than one square) you will get thumped. Maybe. Depends on how distracted and focused the grak-grak is. But mechanically the grak-grak gets an AoO.

Anyway, ok, will try to get back to this at my proper lunch and figure it all out

You can make a new round's worth of actions from the flanked position then.

[beowuuf]

"Petal, no!" said Deephold. Having seen the effect of his own supposidly righteous magic be affected by this place, he was obviously in fear of Petal for drawing common wizard magic from the air.

To Petal, the invocation felt as if it were going wrong just as she released it. Sudden;y, it felt as if she were casting Vi into a flask fom her opwn life's blood, and yet drawing the playful ZO energy out form terrible and sad memories. The contrasting sensations made her feel queazy and lightheaded, and yet the ball of FUL energy flew from her hand at speed apparently unaffected. It was perhaps fortunate that the spell was of such low power, and she had kept control.

The ball of fire flew through the chais of battle, however from either instinct or random motions the creature twisted at the last second so the spell only blew a small chunk of shoulder matter off. The creature was clearly startled, but not overly affected.

Still, the explosion distracted the creature form focusing on Haynuus, as had the knife of Ameena. The creature had ignored the brown blur as Ameena had positoned herself tactically to aid her friend. It had moved at the last moment the firts time so her dagger had not dug deep. Ameena however was ready to attempt a greater attack, and her previous attack had registered, the grak-grak turning.

Haynuus used the chance to land twin blows on the creature. Oily chunks of flesh flew onto the ground, black ichor spraying. The grak-grak had been melting a little inside from the wounds Ameena had given it earlier, and Haynuus's blows torn open great wounds. The thing flung its hands around wildly, yet there was a lethargy to the attempt.

Perhaps the creature was not long for this world...


Ok, Raixel - spell successful! Good instinct to fire a low level spell. It hits, but being low level the grak-grak succeeded the reflex check for half damage (I beleive). Can you roll me damage, but half it (rounded down).

Ameena - you're right, you should have had more movement, so the move and attack happened last round. I'm afraid even a 19 doens't quite hit! Still, you get a fresh attack to finish this round.

I haven't said who the grak-grak attacks yet, because it will depend upon Ameena. If she lands a damaging blow so early in the round, the grak-grak would be aiming for her right away then turn away to the general direction of Haynuus/Petal. If not, then the grak-grak will takle a wild swing at Haynuus then move across to Petal.


Deephold stood up quickly, and then grunted in pain. His bare feet on the harsh ground was not going to allow him to be the most mobile of combatant. He retrieved his mace and stood beside Petal as if to protect her, shuffling his feet with concern.


So that's it, I'll post the map but need Raixel's damage roll and Ameena's attack/damage rolls to finish the round. I'll post the resolution of the round (grak-grak attack) before I go, hopefully. The grak-grak is in bad shape, so you seem to be about to win this fight. Well done all! Just a few swan-lizard-thingies to get passed afterwards, and a bit of a re-assessment on what you are doing. That can wait for next week, of course

[beowuuf]

Map:

[raixel]

K. Rolled LOFULIR (+ref save) (1d3+1=4) Woo! max dam all things considered

[Ameena]

OOC - Heh, well, since I can't get a Sneak Attack against grak-graks 'cause they're undead, I can't see there being any chance of me drawing more agro than Haynuus 'cause I can do a maximum of just three damage .

BIC - Having managed to successfully dart around the grak-grak and slash at it once, Ameena tries again - she knows she's not going to bring the creature down, but she might as well do all she can to try and trip it up so Haynuus can carry on chopping bits off it as quickly as possible. She's just glad these things are undead - corpses can feel no pain, so she doesn't have much of a problem with persuading them to lie down and carry on being properly dead. Again, she attacks the creature's leg, trying to slash through it far enough so that it can no longer support the creature's full weight.

OOC - Obviously the leg-hacking thing is just narrative rather than mechanical, as I don't know of any "Called Shot" mechanic in the DnD line. But just so you know, narratively Ameena is constantly hacking at the same leg (let's say the right leg), slashing through the back of the calf/ankle to try and obliterate what's left of the tendons or whatever. Attack roll = 26 (14+9+2), yaaay that's gotta be a hit...damage = bah...1 again lol.

[beowuuf]

Ameena acts quite high in the initative order (14 as opposed to 5) so the grak-grak will be reacting to Ameena a second before it reacts to Haynuus's ripping it apart. Plus Ameen was the one tormenting it with poison earlier... Don't underestimate your poig -sticker!


The grak-grak's memory, as disjointed and sporadic as it seemed to be, recalled the needle piercing of Ameena's knife before. Before Haynuus's blows could truly register, nor Petal's fireball strike true, the creature was alreayd twisting and flailing at the murafu at its leg.

The talons slashed wildly, however Ameena was far too close and the attack far too widesprad for the poor murafu not to be caught.

Luckily for Ameena, depite the mauling, the combined actions of her friends turned the creatures attention back towards them.


Sorry, the grak-grak rolled really well, plus even confused has a decent attack bonus. The brave murafu takes a whopping 12 damage. However, that's damage that neither the mage nor tank take. And the grak-grak is effectively still in a flank, instead of escaping it. Plus you did 1 damage! Every little helps, especailly if this comes down to the wire when trading blows.

You can decide if those cool thigns were worth it as you scratch off the hit points! :p

[beowuuf]

Ok guys, map is correct still, new round! Take it down!

@Raixel: Bugger, I forgot the second part of my thing to you. Petal can happily cast successively higher or same level spells in this area without ill effect. Well, without mechanical ill effect. She can also attempt to jump right to a high powered spell first, but I'll need an arcana check if she does! Luckily, the sorcerer bonus gets included with the check.

[raixel]

Petal closes her eyes again after the ball of fire flies free. Once the spell had left her fingers, she watches with her magic-sight how the spell reacts to the area. To her suprise as the fireball arcs towards the grak-grak, she can see twisted mana tendrils reaching up to the channel left by the streaking FUL energy and trying to wrap around it to bring it down into the 'knot' of mana beneath her.

With horror, she realizes that the strange discordant mana is reaching towards her as well, like a gross blind energy-worm made up of a thousand glowing motes of energy wildly spinning together. It strains her 'eyes' to look at it, but she grits her teeth and focuses through the pounding pain its screeching song brings to her head. She had to learn how it works if she wants to be of any help to her friends here.

Watching the energy blindly flail around looking for the new mana she notes it cant seem to find her.She has instinctively not touched the mana in a way she normally would, instead almost....flipping...for lack of a better world, the FUL mana into IR mana. She gains insight into how this chaotic energy works as she watches the blind questing 'mouth' of the mana search around the area. It didnt seem to notice the mana being shaped, just energy fluctuations. So, if she could shape the mana and release it quickly without giving herself away, she should be able to cast a slightly more powerful spell.

Moving very slowly and dileberatly, she quickly pulls free the elements hse is looking for and ties them together, only giving enough energy to the spell to make it take shape and fly free. She makes her hands into the runic symbol UM, and direct the mana towards the grak grak while calling "UM OH KATH RA". Then she quickly severs her connection with the energy, oping the malevolent mana wouldnt notice her.

UMOHKATHRA (2d3+2=6)

[ian_scho]

OOC - I was kind of hoping Petal didn't have to release that second spell.... Let's find out!

The grak-grak was on it's last legs, the dwarf it seemed still possessed his, and Haynuus was dancing around on his so as to not to get stuck on the floor. Upon witnessing the assault on Ameena, he thought that it just didn't seem fair. But then from his time spent with goblins the effects had atrophied the part of his mind that tried to understand the whys in the world and he just got on with his job (1d20+13=15, 2d6+4=8, 1d20+8=21, 2d6+4=11).

"Next... Let's try to avoid casting balls of magick at the snakey swanny things shall we Petal?" he hissed.

[raixel]

I fig since I am running on the lowest PC init count, if you guys dont manage to pulp the grak-grak, then I get a shot at it. If you guys hand him his ass, then my action never happened. Everyone wins, except the grak-grak, neh?

[Ameena]

OOC - Ouch, lol, that's nearly half my hp in one hit...literally - one more point of damage and it would have been exactly half, lol.

BIC - Ameena gives a loud squeak of pain as the grak-grak's claws make contact, ripping through her fur and flesh once more in numerous places and reminding her just what vast amounts of pain feel like. Desperately, not really noticing whether the creature's attention is still on her or not, she lashes out again with the knife, aiming for the same leg as before, as best she can.

OOC - And another attack = 16 (5+9+2)...since I rolled something like 17 before and that didn't hit, I know this one won't either so I won't bother rolling damage. D'oh .

[beowuuf]

Bah, if it's not half, you aren'#t bloodied then, are you? You've got no more than paper cuts and a bit of the wind knocked out of you. Except this isn't 4th ed, so yeah, you are probably ripped up a little. AS Monty Python would say - you'll get better.


Ameena's wilder blow in return was hampered by her wound. To a lesser attacker she might have scored a hit, but the grak-=grak was all tough muscle and leathery flesh, and all she got was anoily residue on her blade as it skimmed.

Haynuus swung wild, his concern for his companion leading him to rush his attack. However, he had unlocked the skill of a seasoned warrior within himself, and unconsciously he shifted his footing and delivered a second recovered swing that splashed sickly black liquid over all assembled.

The grak-grak swung around and made for Petal, and she was just abotu to unleash a deadly lightning bolt when she realised that only the top half of the grak-grak was making for her. A tiny movements or her wings and she evaded thecorpse as it struck the ground. Deephold fell over in shock, and slid backwards clutching his symbol to ward it off. Instead he had the pleasure of seeing - first hand - the creature disolve quickly and seep into the land. The blasted, twisted place blacked and dissolved too - rock and grass together - until all that was left was a patch of spicky obsidian rece4ssed in the ground. The smell was foul.

Where the creature's lower torse collapsed, a similar liquification occured and a second horrible patch was created. Between the scent of her own blood and the new patch, Ameena's nose was overwhelmed.

Still, for now the dangers seemed to be over.


"What now?" said Deephold eventually. It was a good question. The dwarf had no intact boots, and the way beyond still possessed two protective - if not immediately aggressive - creatures.

More importantly, without Soorec's direct proding, did the party need to follow this trail? Was the route to Soorec also the fastest route to Westian and Aurek? Was this the best route even if so? Time might be an issue, after all Helm should still alive - for right now - but how healthy would he remain after the group killed Soorec's grak-grak?

And that did not factor in the greratest concern - how could the group actually, eventually, take down the blackskjull soldiers infesting this place? A dark future had been fortold by Ameena if they could not. And while not seen again, there was surely a growing potential for original group's actions to actually harm the fabric of this place. Chaos's own mana-twisted land here could be a child's dream in comparison to the danger the Grey Lord had created sending the group back to this time.


Yeah! You kliled another poor inoocent grak-grak, this one just trying to lead you, and so scared of the place that it ended up following you, and took Haynuus's form like some form of lost puppy. And what did you do? You smacked it on the nose with a rolled up newspaper, if a rolled up newpaper was a powerful magical weapon and a fireball. For shame! Poor puppy.

Anyway, you guys are free of external pressures for the moment. Hence the little narrative reminder of where you guys are at. Rescuing Helm and meeting Soorec on more even terms probably involves going forward as you were, Ameena might have revealed enough to give you an idea of what to do here.

Obviously, if you don't want to fall into Soorec's hands, having killed tow of his critters, then you need to figure out how to track Westian and Aurek, and get your thinking hats on about the actual big mission. How to take down these horrible soldiers!

[Ameena]

OOC - Lol, well the puppy was being very naughty and threatening to try and nom the two innocent lizard-creatures, so I think we (well, Haynuus mainly) did good in relieveing the world of yet another nasty undead widget .

BIC - Ameena steps back as the grak-grak collapses in pieces, rubbing frantically at her nose to try and clear the stench from it - she sneezes several times and shakes her head, and this makes it somewhat better. Then she looks up at Haynuus and Petal, and over at Deephold - they all seem well enough. The two reptile-creatures don't seem to have done much, and Ameena decides she'd better point this out before anyone tries throwing things at them.
"Those creatures are...uff...I mean, I think they're trying to...join together." she says quickly, interrupting herself briefly with a half-gasp, half-squeak as her slightly-too-fast movements cause her injuries to remind her of their presence. "I mean, the way other creatures do when they want to...be together. I think I've heard it's called...being mates? But...I've heard that term used before to just refer to...well, just people. Or friends. Or something. I...I'm not sure. But...I think maybe we can get past them if we keep far enough away. Though I'm not really sure where we'll end up."
She pauses for a moment, thinking.
"Well, maybe the grak-grak was leading us back to Soorec. I suppose we do need to go back to the place he lives anyway, but...well, I wonder what's happened to Westian and Aurek. But...Helm must be with Soorec. I hope he's alright. I hope he's there...alive...when we get there. Because...well, I suppose we do still need to go there - he won't have moved it. But...will it be there? We found it already, but..."
Ameena shakes her head, confused.
"I still don't understand all this business." she says. "But the world hasn't been destroyed yet...um...has it? So...that means...we can still do...this...thing."
She trails off, then finally, wincing, reaches into a pouch and pulls out one of her health potions, hunching down to lap from the flask as she tips it up. She supposes that asking Deephold to create a new potion to replace this one might be a bad idea in this area of strange magic, so decides against doing so for now.

OOC - So, Ameena confuses herself, then gets distracted with healing herself...erm...it's 1d6 per spell level with Deephold's potions, isn't it? So an Um-level pot gives me...bahh, 3hp back, lol. That was a really crappy roll . Oh well, now back up to a grand 17hp, wooo!

[beowuuf]

Yeah yeah, side with the non-humans over the used-to-be-many-humans-human. You'll kick yourself when you find a nest made out of adventurer heads. BABY adventurer heads! The grak-grak was being a protective puppy and you old yellered him. With less shotgun and more ichor. And lol, wow, you guys really are rolling crappy for healing right now!

[beowuuf]

PS: Can everyone give me a d20 roll too please.

[Ameena]

OOC - 1d20 = 18...woo, hope that's enough to not get absorbed into the scenery, or whatever I'm rolling for .

[ian_scho]

OOC - One d20 for da boss (1d20=9)

"Keep moving. Get off the floor you fewl!" He didn't really want to insult anyone, but was definitely upset at the thought of scraping a once perfectly normal dwarvern friend up. He offered an arm to help Deephold off the floor.

To be honest though if you were looking at Haynuus critically you could almost imagine a small nervous child wanting to go to the toilet. Obviously upset (he had busted his nose once more and had survived the mental trauma of another scrap), and nervous about being welded to the floor by unnatural magicks, he was continually shifting his weight from foot to foot. He was getting really uncomfortable with the chaos magic in this environment.

"Look, I can try to shoo those things away if you like, or just try and communicate with them that we are of no threat.... But we really need to continue." The thought had occurred to him of turning back, but maybe they needed to help Helm first? Or just the opportunity to punch a gnowledgeable gnome's gnose appealed to him as well.

[raixel]

What is this d20 for? Who knows. Knowing Beo its SOMETHING BAD(1d20=6) Thanks, Ian, AGAIN you made my drink gnearly come out my gnose when i laughed.

Petal watches as the grak-grak disolves into a puddle of (nasty) goo. Then she turns to each of her companions, looking them over and making sure that they havent become part of the landscape. She is relieved to see that, so far, they each appear to be made of the materials that they are supposed to be.

However, she is a bit concerned to see Deephold laying down with Haynuus holding out his burly orcish arm to the prone dwarf, apparently trying to get the shoeless priest to his feet. The sorceress is concerned for her dwarven friend as he seems to have taken a shock and had his faith shaken a bit. Although he can be preachy at times, honestly what cleric wasnt? And although they didnt see eye to eye on matters of spirituality and Balance she has come to respect him for his stalwartness in the face of adversity.

But, there was always the al'khani'in

Spoiler

story-proverb

old Master Alorthin recited many times lurking in the back of her mind. The one about the two pixies who flew into the wind. The first pixie was an old warrior, proud and strong and the winner of many battles. He insisted on flying directly into the teeth of the gale, as he wasnt going to let a simple storm blow him from his course. The other was a young ni'yinha

Spoiler

ninja

, just past his Test of Harmony and not old enough to build up pride of his doings. He flew with the wind, sometimes going backwards, sometimes sideways but always working with the changing elements, accepting the changes and moving with them. In the end, the first pixie was dashed to the ground, for all his strength and pride he could not fight the elements. But the pixie who was willing to change his course flew safely to his destination, although it took him longer to reach it.

Petal can't help but think of that tale when she looks at the dwarf. She hopes he will be like the young ni'yinha and not the warrior. She runs her fingers through her hair and realizes there is more important things at hand then remniscing on old tales of her people.

"Move from here, quickly, we should." she states, concerned for her companions. "That the grak-grak is now gone, should we in the direction go it did want us?""

She looks at Deephold again, concerned for his lack of footwear. A thought occurs to her, that foot-coverings are very important to land-bounds. She had never realized this before. Or perhaps it was just something she never thought about. Sure, pixies wore foot-coverings. And even now, she wore a pair of calf-hide slippers with leather soles. But the soles were thin and wouldnt stand up to the kind of walking her friends did daily. Even though she had worn the same slippers since that fateful day in her village, they showed very little signs of wear. But Deephold spent much more time on his feet than she did. And judging by the contruction of his boots they were designed to take much punishment.

"Deephold, alright you will be, without covered your feet will be?" she asks the dwarf uncertainly, seemigly afraid to draw attention to that part of his body. She doesnt know if asking such a thing might be insulting, as land bounds always seen to have their feet covered, like the way most sentient races cover their genitals. Petal hopes that the dwarf wont feel ashamed and thinks maybe she should avert her eyes from his feet. Perhaps that might make him feel better.

[Ameena]

Ameena looks around.
"I think we should probably move from here, quickly." she says. "But should we go back the way we came, back up the pit, or onward? If this way leads back to Soorec's realm, maybe we'd better take it. I think if we try to just move past these creatures quickly, they might not try to harm us. I don't think we should stay right here, anyway, in case we all start getting stuck to the ground..."
So saying, and with an anxious look at Deephold, she starts shuffling and hopping about, edging first to one side, then to another, making sure she keeps her feet in motion and never allows one paw to remain on the ground for more than a moment or two.

[beowuuf]

Awww, why are people so paranoid when I ask then to roll numbers! Oh, wait, probably because I do evil things in secret with those numbers. Yeah, that might be it. As nasty things go, this one might not be too bad. Might actually be funny. Not as funny as Haynuus's gnome puny, of course


It was left to Ameena to spot it first, Haynuus and Petal were too bust fretting over Deephold. And, of course, Petal was not correctly positioned to appreciate it first anyway.

In the crackling torchlight, Petal's skin on her fingers and wings seemed to sparkle now. It was as if a million tiny flecks of something has settled on her. Or perhaps bonded to her skin? After all, even detatched from the ground, she had attempted magic too...


Hehe. Obviously, it's up to you Raixel if these bits of glittery minerals can come off with a wash, or if they are more ingrained and Petal has a sparkle now. As evil things go for Chaos-twisted lands, looking like an extra from Twilightisn't the worst!


Deephold gratefully took the offered hand, for the moment not noticing Petal's own affliction, still recovering from his brush with his own. Luckily, nothing seemed to have tried to bond with him during his brief fall. "I would vote for carrying on, and rescuing Helm," said Deephold, a little uncertainly. "The man came here because of Fex - now dead - and my own quest. I have lost one willing companion to this place," he continued sadly, "I have no wish to allow an innocent to fall aswell." Deephold considered it. "Soorec has no eyes and ears to spy upon us with. We can catch him by surprise. I wish to find Westian, but we were walking blindly into Trolin clutches to find him. PErhaps Soorec, with his monsters all around, has seen Westian and be tricked or forced to reveal information to us."

Deephold winced as he moved on the ground, though whether the lack of boots was an issue was not apparent. "As a young dwarf I would run barefoot in my homeland," said Deephold to Petal's question. "That has been too many years, and I have perhaps grown soft living in elven and human lands. Or perhaps just age has taken the calluses from my feet." Deephold paused a moment. "And, of course, this land seems harsh to naked skin. I feel defenseless without something covering me," he admitted.


Anywya, that's Deephold's weigh in, but I'll let you guys come to a consensus. If you are going to abandon Helm entirely, you may wish to roll some Diplomacy on Deephold and post an outline of the reasons if they won't be apparent in your RP. However, any reasonable arguments as to one way versus another should be fine.

[ian_scho]

"Yes, Helm may be in greater need than Westian... Who knows. The cleric could be sitting in some bar somewhere right now drinking a hot toddy by a nice warm log fire." he added wistfully. "I for one am happy to continue."