Prelude - The Pit: Ashes and Cinder

The Age of Magic is ended, Bhall, the Goddess of Fire, has succumbed to the whispers of Agares and fallen into Hell. Her worshipers and creations driven mad, and fire, which has been a powerful ally to man, has turned against him. Each good god was charged with the opposition of an evil god. Bhall was responsible for balancing Mulcarn, the God of Winter. Finding himself unopposed Mulcarn has broken The Compact and moved into Creation.

Creation was on the verge of another open war between the gods, that which they had outlawed with The Compact. To keep that from happening a deal was struck and the gods agreed that one god would enter Creation to challenge Mulcarn. That was Sucellus, the God of Nature. The two gods battled across the face of Creation, entire civilizations still recovering from the Burning Skies that marked the fall of Bhall were destroyed by their power. In the end Sucellus was killed and Mulcarn remained.

The Eternal Winter has begun...
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Re: Prelude - The Pit: Ashes and Cinder

Post by Vardaen » Tue Jan 05, 2010 1:36 am

Vren doesn't waste time, she gets the kids to move behind the large stone. Gunner and Nessa help move Griet behind the rock while Jak carries their meager possessions. The four kids kneel down, or lay down behind the rock, and go silent. They have done this before, they know the drill. Nessa draws her dagger, and the kids draw their various minor weapons and are at the ready.

Verne then jumps up on the fallen pillar, her bow in hand, she sets an arrow to the string and stands tall, ready for the first signs of the enemy. Unfortunately the various ruins and broken landscape makes it hard to see very far, but she should get one or possibly two shots off before the things close to close quarter combat.

A hot dry wind blows from the direction of the pit miles away, there is a hint of dispair on the air, and the howls of the hounds, some closer than others, fills your ears. Vren's clothing and hair ripples in the wind as she readies to defend the last of her family.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Re: Prelude - The Pit: Ashes and Cinder

Post by MadVlat » Tue Jan 05, 2010 2:47 am

The paladin quickly retrieves a small metal rod from her pack and wedges it into the ground before her. Ellsbeth then taking up a position near the others as she locks her mace into the gauntlet on her left hand. Then she takes to one knee as she brings her shield about and cinches the binding strap around her fore arm. With a final look over her shoulder to the children she returns her gaze to the darkness, offering a prayer to the heaven's and waits...
Have set my everburning torch in the ground but have not uttered the command word as of yet.

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Re: Prelude - The Pit: Ashes and Cinder

Post by Vardaen » Tue Jan 05, 2010 10:36 pm

Ellsbeth draws a metal rod and slams it into the ground at her feet. Then he draws her mace and locks it on her gauntlet, her shield is next and she cinches it to her forearm. On her knee she silent prays to Junil for guidance and then stands as the howls of the enemy hound comes louder.

Then rounding the corner of some rubble comes the beast into view. Thankfully you only spy one of the Pit Hounds. The beast is the size of a large dog, with a powerful jaw and rippling muscles. That is where its comparison to a true dog ends. The Pit Hound's skin is bright fire red, and its mouth actually beltches smoke and flames. Vren has seen these before, but Ellsbeth has not had the pleasure of coming face to face with a true Pit Hound as of yet. It pauses as it scans the area spotting the paladin standing before her unburning torch. The night sky is black, and the deep darkness helps to hide the children. The Pit Hound stands out in the stark darkness as the flickering flames lick out of it mouth lighting it up with a soft red glow.

*Twang*

Vren releases her readied arrow. The arrow grazes the hound's flank making it snarl and growl in anger but not in pain. The beast is ready to charge Ellsbeth, but the woman from Peptine acts faster than the hound...

Round 1 Initiative: Ellsbeth 21.4, Vren 20.5, Hound 14.5, Kids 2.0

Readied Arrow from Vren: 21 Hit for 3 Dmg. (Arrow marked off on sheet)

Pit Hound - Barely Wounded
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NOTE: The rubble prevents Charges as well as causing the -2 Acrobatic penalty.
Ellsbeth
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Re: Prelude - The Pit: Ashes and Cinder

Post by MadVlat » Wed Jan 06, 2010 1:02 am

Ellsbeth takes to her feet and stares into the darkness for others of the hounds pack mates. Her confidence is strong and her commitment to protect these children is stronger and she bangs her morningstar on her metal shield. The resulting clang, metallic and dull; serves to bring the beasts attention onto to the paladin and away from the children...
Bracing herself against a charge from the critter, just in case he has miracle footing somehow. Then she holds initiative...

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Re: Prelude - The Pit: Ashes and Cinder

Post by paradoxa » Wed Jan 06, 2010 1:21 am

Vren gets another arrow into the air, quick to react as the beast is not charging yet. Then she drops the shortbow to the ground, next to the fallen pillar on which she is standing, and draws her sword.
Standard action: Ranged attack
Free action: Drop bow
Move action: Draw sword

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Re: Prelude - The Pit: Ashes and Cinder

Post by Vardaen » Wed Jan 06, 2010 5:52 pm

Round 1 Initiative: Ellsbeth 21.4, Vren 20.5, Hound 14.5, Ellsbeth 14.4, Kids 2.0
Ellsbeth bangs her mace on her shield and draws the full attention of the Pit Hound. The beast appears to be alone, for now, and the howls of other beasts in the far distance can be heard. She waits for it to near.
Delay. Notice Initiative change.
Vren doesn't delay, she's grazed it once with an arrow, and she shoots again. This time the arrow flies on target and strikes the hound in the shoulder *plunking* right into its flesh. The dog shakes its head and knocks the arrow free. A moderate wound is opened up on the hound, but it doesn't care as it readies to charge. Vren then tosses her bow to the ground and draws her blade.
Vren: Shoot Hound: 18 Hit for 4 Points / Drop Bow / Draw Sword
The beast then charges across the broken ground. It leaps small rocks, and scampers this way and that among the rubble. It can't charge headlong for an attack, but it doesn't care about that anyhow. Coming to within ten feet of Ellsbeth the hound opens it mouth in a low high howl and out from its both beltches a cone of fire! No doubt had this hound caught the group in that small ruin it would have filled the chamber with its breath weapon and the kids would have had not place to go. As it is Ellsbeth is the only one that is struck by the fire. She ducks behind her shield, holding it out to guard against the fire, and only her feet, lower legs and one arm are heated up and burned. It could have been worse, and while the Paladin is lightly hurt from the attack, she's ready to fight.
Hound: Move, Breath Weapon Ellsbeth: Ref Save DC 14: 21 Success. Half Dmg 4 Dmg
Ellsbeth having delayed...
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"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Re: Prelude - The Pit: Ashes and Cinder

Post by MadVlat » Wed Jan 06, 2010 6:36 pm

The paladins shield drops, charred; enough for her to see that the enemy is within striking distance. She peers through the visor of her helmet with a cunning look and leaps forward. It looks as though Ellsbeth will strike at the right side of the animal, but as her foot touches the ground she spins. The morningstar arcs violently as she rolls adding the momentum for the strike. "BY JUNIL YOU WILL KNOW JUSTICE BEAST!". The weapon ready to administer that justice...
5' step(or leap if you will). Open can of whoop ass with the morningstar. "Death to the infidels!"...

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Re: Prelude - The Pit: Ashes and Cinder

Post by Vardaen » Wed Jan 06, 2010 7:23 pm

Round 1 Initiative: Vren 20.5, Hound 14.5, Kids 2.0
Ellsbeth shouts her battle cry and leaps south, her morning star pivots with her spinning strike and she glances a blow off the side of the hound's flank. The beast is more agile and cunning that she anticipated, and as a result it rolls with the blow causing the morning star to hit, but just barely. The snarling hound's attention is now squarely on the armored woman.
Ellsbeth: 5ft, Attack Hound: 21 Hit for 3 Dmg. That was Min Dmg, yuck. Bad dice!
Gunner and Nessa keep Greit and Jak silent behind the stone. "Just stay quite. The new lady is going to kill the hound." The group of kids huddles down and remains out of sight.
Round 2 Initiative: Vren 20.5, Hound 14.5, Kids 2.0
Vren, with her sword in hand...
Just move Ellsbeth S 1 square.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Re: Prelude - The Pit: Ashes and Cinder

Post by paradoxa » Wed Jan 06, 2010 7:37 pm

Vren smiles grimly - Ellsbeth sure is a good distraction - and jumps from the pillar. Running a curve that takes her behind the back of the Hound, she swiftly and silently stabs out at the beast, hoping to catch it unaware.
Move Action: Move... the goal of this is to flank the hound without getting any AoOs. I'm not sure how to count the squares for diagonal movement, so if Vren's movement is not enough to get into position for flanking, then I'd settle for a normal attack. Preferably so that flanking can be achieved with a 5ft-step next turn.

Standard Action: Attack... if possible Sneak Attack

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Re: Prelude - The Pit: Ashes and Cinder

Post by Vardaen » Tue Jan 12, 2010 1:29 am

Round 2Initiative: Vren 20.5, Hound 14.5, Ellsbeth 14.4, Kids 2.0
Vren smiles grimly as Ellsbeth makes for a great distraction, perhaps the woman is worth something after all. The young girl leaps off the pillar with a rolling tumble that takes he south toward the Pit Hound -- a totally new sensation this charging into battle. She can't roll past its defenses, and she can't circle around and have enough time to strike at it, so for now she settles for getting almost into position and then stabbing it in the side. Her short blade pierces the red flame hide of the hound, and a gout of hot scalding blood spurts onto Vren's hand. She's so shock at the event she nearly drops her blade, but collects herself and withdraws her blade with a twist leaving a moderate wound on the beast.
Vren: Move, Attack: 20 Hit for 6 Dmg

You can't make flanking no matter what you try and still attack this round.

Diagonals 1st square is 5ft, the second is 10ft. So 2 diagonal moves is a total of 15ft (even if not back to back)
The hound howls as its hit and stabbed a few time. It spins on Vren, the lightly armored woman actually hit harder than Ellsbeth, and she doesn't have a thick metal shell on. The beast spins on Vren and snaps a bite that *just* misses the woman's outstretched arm. It's teeth gnash the air, and smoke and heat wash over the Braduk refugee. Moving a few steps the hound tries to remove itself from being flanked with a quick shuffle of its four legs snarling and growling the whole time.
Attack Vren 13 Miss. 5ft Step
Ellsbeth...
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"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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