3: The PC's kick fishy butt

[burke]

Quinlan's "stealth" (7 EP) carries you within 30 yards of the two sentries before you are spotted. Poncho's quick thinking (7 EP), and the fact that many of you carry tridents, brings you even closer before the gill-men realize that they are in mortal danger. They raise their weapons and snarl viciously, but it is too late, a volley of arrows, knives and tridents rains on them as you attack.

The first gill-man is incapacitated by Varklud's arrow (damage: 3) and Charles' trident (damage: 7). Poncho's misercorde merely bounces off the gill-man's scaly hide.

The second gill-man takes a scratch from Drugan's misercorde (damage: 2), while Quinlan, who is still clasping one hand to his smarting eye, hurls his dirk into the rocks behind the gill-men.

The second gill-man becomes livid with rage as you bear down upon it (HPT: 15).

[Porkbelly]

Poncho charges in with a trident, giving Quinlan a wide berth

2d6 +1
4 + 4 + 1 = 9

"Don't you get snippy with me fish-face... I'll have your guts for bracers, d**n your eyes! Yaarghhh!"

Poncho goes berserk: (re-roll)
2d6
5 + 3 = 8

Edit: Re-reading the berserk rules I don't get personal adds, so HPT: 16

[Hogscape]

Quinlan: "Death to the fish-fiends!"

09-07-23 14:09:01 EEST
2d6 +5
4 + 4 + 5 = 13

[danhem]

Sensing victory, Charles lunges at the lone attacking gill man with his spear.

"Bad move ugly."

2d6
4 + 6 + 1 = 11

[burke]

(Drugan and Varklud contribute 14 points. The party's final HPT is: 54.)

Both the gill-men are beaten to a pulp. All is quiet again and the only sound that can be heard in the darkness is the gentle lapping of the surf.

(38 EP each and one serviceable trident as loot.)

Quinlan almost stumbles into the large crag that the gill-men had been hiding in during the day. It is filled with water and fed by a narrow, natural canal that winds its way to the sea.

[Hogscape]

Quinlan: Looks around for a way into the base of the tower...

[apeloverage]

Alwyn keeps an eye and ear out for anyone who might have heard the noise.

[burke]

(I forgot that Poncho had gone berserk, but both Alwyn and Quinlan have a high enough CHR to calm him down, so I guess it doesn't matter.)

You carefully make your way towards to the base of the cliff. During the day you could spot a dark entrance on the south side of the tower, but now it is much too dark to see any such detail. A winding stair has been hacked out of the black rock of the cliff, it ascends 60 feet or so to the base of the tower. The tower stands black against the dark sky, no light issues from any of its windows. The smell and taste of the salty seawater is pervasive.

Sounds and images of great underwater cities flood into Alwyn's mind and a strange sense of longing grips him for a second. Then, realizing the cities are just empty ruins of a bygone age, he is filled with sadness and anger. But just as quickly as they arose, the inexplicable emotions ebb.

Poncho feels a similar sad longing, but does not give it any further thought, simply putting it down to homesickness.

[Hogscape]

Quinlan: "Can we summon some gentle wizardly light so that we may descend?"

If the light is forthcoming, Quinlan will draw sword, ready shield and thingy hat before heading down the steps.

[burke]

The stairs are going up the cliff, the tower is at the top.

[Hogscape]

Quinlan: "Who said down? I'm looking UP those stairs... Up I go!"

[Porkbelly]

Poncho: "Yes, thank you, phew... rage subsiding... "

"Quinlan, over here the stairs go up.... that way leads over the edge. Anyone got a light? Quinlan and Charles why don't you go first, wizzo's in the center, I'll take the rear."

[Hogscape]

Quinlan: "Now that I have my bearings... Onwards and upwards!"

[burke]

Drugan produces a thin wisp of light at the end of his staff and you begin to climb up the stairs. You are forced to move in a single file as the steps are quite narrow. Only a few gusts of wind disturb your ascent.

The top of the cliff is barren and reasonably circular, measuring approximately 200 yards in diameter. In the middle stands the tower and from where you are standing, you can see the dark portal of the door at its base. The first floor holds no windows, but from the second floor upward, dark slits gape in the walls at intervals.

As you approach the tower you notice a few stacks of old slabs. Probably the foundations of some long ago toppled structures.

The door at the base of the tower is made of stout wood and is blackened with tar. It seems to be barred from the inside.

All is still, except for the whistling of the wind.

[Hogscape]

Quinlan (thinking out loud in the hope that someone's listening) "I wonder why there's tar on the door? Is that some kind of weather-proofing or was someone trying to burn it down?"

Quinlan walks around the base of the tower to see if there is another entrance...