59 - Cicatrix - Drow Ranger

Cicatrix blows her whistle to summon her Dire Wolf companion. It seems her luck has finally run out. Still, there's a chance she may be able to avoid trouble, especially as her sense are probably better in the dark room than anyone who might follow her.

Since the room is the only path forwards, Cicatrix moves into the dark, but instead of walking towards the light she hugs the left hand wall following it around. Hopefully she can get a better look at either the colourful object or whatever is casting the shadow from the side, but as always her main goal is finding a path out.

She'll leave the obvious traps to the "adventurers" who so love them.

...

And yes, Doc, real life always takes precedence, especially since you're doing two nice things here. This is a great forum game in and of itself even without your initial comment about "rewards".

Take all the time you need and please stay healthy. We can amuse ourselves.

Taking note of the finger pointing to where Dunward is already busy examining something, Og'rialt calls out to Kip, Beldarion and Aslain to head that way. He once more calls out to the other adventurers to see if anyone else wants to join the chase for Cicatrix.

With the lightning experience fresh in his mind, Og'rialt's priority is to be out of the room before Taz is revived, so he hurriedly joins Dunward at the back of the room. After stepping through the door, he asks Dunward to examine the necklace and pouch with eyeballs to get a better idea of their magical properties.

I propose we take up our familiar formation and swiftly head up the staircase which Dunward has found, with Aslain scanning for traps as always. If more people join us for heading up this turn, we swiftly give them instructions on the basics of effectively fighting as a team, and slot them into the formation in such a way that as many ranged attacks as possible have a clear field of view.

(Also: welcome back! Glad to read that there wasn't anything serious that caused your absence.)

(I was asked by a fellow Goglodyte a few days back what else everyone could do to help Doc out with the game. I've had some time to think about it and I think I have a few ideas. If everyone would put their actions in bold, it would really help out for both me and Doc in locating everyone's actions. I noticed a lot of you already do that but some include their actions within walls of other text making it hard to locate. Another idea is to make a new post if you edited your original actions. I keep up regularly with all 4 threads and record your actions to a notepad then paste it all into the Summary. Unfortunately, this also means that if you go back and edit your actions, I may not see it so the new post helps inform me (and Doc) that you changed or updated your actions.)

(In short, put your actions in bold and I'll include those in my Action Summaries. Also, make a new post if you edited your original actions and that will be added to the next time I update the Summary.)

Note: I'm going to be intermittently off-line over the next 8-10 days. Hopefully I manage to post an action at least once a turn, but my attention really won't be on the game due to IRL deadlines/travel/major life priorities. Vaguegoging.

From a roleplaying perspective, I don't think my character fully understands (and also, IRL me) why we would rush after the drow for stealing some random something from some random person who just stumbled out of the side passage, versus the comrades I have come to know over our initial 12 turns together.

Should the evil hag be dealt with and smoted (albeit she is my new g/f and deep down I loves her)? Certainly, but all things in their due time and through lawful order rather than chaos. Both tactically and as a general philosophy of faith. And unless I missed something, we have Lifthrasil's mage to deal with, albeit to this point he has been a greater threat to our company than to our enemies. ;)

Tentative Action:
Priorities are to determine if anyone is in desperate need of healing, assess what is to be done with the 2-headed boy-mage, and otherwise be prepared to intervene/support if the disembodied finger reveals some new threat.

22 - Kip - Halfling Brigand

Kip joins Dunward & Og'rialt, and heads up the stairs together with them.

(No worries man. Like I said, you don't owe us anything, and this has been a pleasure.)

Welcome back, Doc! :)

Beldarion happily joins Og'rialt and the rest of the party into the formation. He'll be ready to attack anything or anyone who comes from upstairs. If someone else wants to join his party, Beldarion will punch them in the face and politely order them to go back to the main room. (They can follow us at a distance if they like, but Beldarion doesn't want any more company)
Meanwhile, Beldarion hands his book to Dunward and asks him to identify it.

Dunward Human Mage:
Active spells:
-Magic Shield (cast during turn 12)
-Summon Monster: Ogre (cast during turn 13)

Dunward carefully examines items passed to him by fellow adventurers in order to identify magic properties and discover potential curses those items could have:
- Bone necklace and pouch with eyeballs from Og'rialt
- Book from Says Beldarion (identified, it is not cursed)
- Healing ring from Eranear (identified, it is not cursed)
Once items are examined, Dunward returns them informing about his findings.
If no other items are passed to him, Dunward enters the staircase behind Aslain, Og'rialt and Says Beldarion holding his wand of silver darts and looking for traps.
If summoned Ogre can fit the passage, he is ordered to follow the party at end. If he is to large he is ordered to stay near the entrance to the staircase.

Dunward looks with disgust on the contents of pouch, wondering about the horrors the eyes saw before hags removed them from their victims.
...
Side note:
Please take your time Doc. If this forum game takes you away from important things you can suspend it or stop it anytime you wish. I had a great time for those 14 turns, but you have no obligations to continue it.

Edit:
It looks like the hag heads have rolled. Hopefully it is enough to keep them dead.

Welcome back, Doc.

I looked at my spell list and realize that I left out resurrect when I updated on turn 10. I could use infestation of maggots on each of the witches bodies, which might be safer than lobbing another fireball.

"It's a classic cleanup spell my clan uses when we need to get rid of a body fast" says Roark. "Just say the word and they're as good as gone."

"I live again... !"

I'm wake up with a terrible headache and bloody scars everywhere on the body. What a weird experience ! Some people seem to avoid me or spit on the ground when I approach them. I think I lost their confidence when I lost my life. Bah, who cares ? Leaving those tunnels is my main goal now ! Treasures and gold can go to Hell ! All that blood on me... It's so exciting... I never felt that sensation before. There is a kind of within fire burning in me, a fierce, primitive instinct. If the stories about werewolfes are true, I'm now one of them !

I hope I won't lose my mind during battles...

"Curse you Roark ! If I wasn't so afraid to turn into a bersek dog again, you might taste my axe ! Stay away from me, you are warned !"

Babargh looks at me. He seems proud of himself, but also worry about my new condition. He knows that I will never be the same dwarf as before.

"Thank you for my resurrection, Cleric ! You are a true brother ! I will try to deserve what you did for me. Do you have a spell to wash me ? I really need a bath !"

First of all, I'm drinking a health potion to restore my life. Then, I pick up my throwing axes. Considering that everything has already been looted, I need to discuss with those still in the main room to decide which path we should follow !

*Babargh the Dwarven Cleric shrugs*
I cast Holy Water on the Thief of Fulvus, hopefully it will also dissipate any residual poison in the air.
I also express my approval of the plan to chase down the drow.

Wait, I'm joking ! I'm not (really) a living-dead ! You should keep your Holy Water for real foes. The poison is gone for good now !

I, Smartyfartyblartyparty was kinda busy being knocked up a hallway, as I recall. I don't think I observed much less absorbed everything that was happening in the chaos.

I am very wise and charismatic, but no one ever said I was smart or perceptive.

"I suggest Kip or Dunward close the door behind us, just in case. I think the foolish adventurers in the room will try to *resurrect* (spits on the ground) the two-headed dwarf. Taz had some kind of fixation targeting its lightning bolts on members of our group, and that's not the kind of thing we'd like if it catches us in that narrow staircase. Furthermore, he *might* have some personal grudge against me right now..."