Little Metal Men
"So," say's the farmer, looking irritated. Very, very irritated. He holds a pitchfork in one hand and you wonder if he's going to use it on something. Maybe not /you/ but /something/. "First my farm gets attacked by giant rats and my neighbor gets turned into one and /now/ I've got a weird spike stuck out in my back yard. Can't move the old thing even with my best draft horse. It makes this horrible ticking noise and worse yet these weird little... metal men keep coming out of it. They kill my cattle, they even attacked me when I tried to defend them!"
He shows off some nasty gashes on his legs for your perusal and then eyes you unhappily. As if you might be the source of his woes. Certainly he expects you to do something about them or he wouldn't have gone to the Adventurer's guild asking for aid. "That's why you're here. Now if you wouldn't mind getting to it before the blasted thing makes more little metal men I'd much appreciate it."
Gregor has arrived here from the Adventurers Guild on his horse, tall and proud, and he's here to ... what, save some farmer from a construct invasion? A miniature construct invasion? "Wererats, I can understand, though dealing with them may be problematic. I can certainly track them down." Hopefully he's not here alone? "Your miniature men, they should have called the Artificers. That sounds like a neat fit for those troublemakers."
A Cerenzan man clad in pristine armor takes a step closer. "Sir, if you would point the way to where this Spike is, I would be happy to offer what services I may. My name is Kumainpekpek and I am a Cleric." Kumainpekpek turns to Gregor, "I would gladly lend aid where I might." The Cerenzan man draws his sword from its sheath and prepares himself for battle.
Gregor looks over to the Cerenzan man, nods a greeting, and says, "I am Gregor Augustin. A scout. Hopefully things aren't too bad here, and if so, we can take care of things in short order." To the farmer, he says, "Lead on, and we will see what may be done." He'll remain mounted, both for the visual advantage and in case someone needs lancing.
"I can track the beasts." Kaydin offers as he strings his bow, readying it for his use. He then looks to the two people dressed in armor, well a breastplate and then full armor and looks to his mere chain shirt.
Kumainpekpek sees the bowman glance at his shirt and takes a step over to him to put a hand on his shoulder. "Worry not, I shall do what I can to keep you safe." He thumps the pommel of his sword against chest with a little *clang* and grins. "Just be sure to take them out faster than they take me out!" Kumainpekpek laughs heartily. Sword drawn, he waits for the farmer to lead the way to the upcoming confrontation.
"I would rather not lead you over there because..." He sighs and finally just waves a hand. "Fine." He sounds anything but /fine/. But he walks out into his field and soon enough you're making your way through a corn field. There's a path where the corn's all been flattened and as he sees it the farmer mutters bitterly to himself. After following a weaving path through the corn field you find yourself in a circular clearing in the center of which lies a big spike. It looks rather, like a piece of pizza stuck in the ground. The top is all rounded and the sides slant toward one another until they're buried in the dirt. If your projections are right, it's not very far into the ground. The sides of the spike are blackened and look to be melted in some way, and as you watch the spike a phalanx of little gray metal men rise up out of the ground around the spike and begin advancing toward you, their little eyes hollow and dark.
"I will do my best ser." Kaydin says as he nocks an arrow and he looks to the little grey men. He draws his bow and aims in the event he has to shoot them.
GAME: KumainPekPek casts Sanctuary. Caster Level: 2 DC: 14 GAME: Kaydin rolls weapon1: (4)+5: 9 GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+8: (3)+8: 11 GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+6: (8)+6: 14 GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+1: (14)+1: 15 GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+1: (1)+1: 2 (EPIC FAIL)
Gregor eyes the farmer's sigh, and says, "If you don't lead us there, do you expect us to wander your property until we stumble across..." and then there's little metal men, and he finishes, "Get clear. We've arrived just in time!" He'll lunge with his lance since the fight is joined quickly, and they're already swarmed, while his horse champs and stamps at the little creatures. But it was all too fast, and he can't get any of the little buggers.
"Good sir, please, you have protections about you for now. Leave before this gets ugly" the cleric stops short after a quick look at his adversaries, then amends his last word to add "...er..." Kumainpekpek attempts to interject himself between the farmer and the closest of the villains.
GAME: KumainPekPek rolls weapon2: (7)+3: 10 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+7: (5)+7: 12 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+7: (12)+7: 19 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+7: (6)+7: 13 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+7: (6)+7: 13
The metal men have viciously long clawed hands and use those to attack. KumainPekPek manages to keep himself free of the metal monsters while Gregor's horse faces the brunt of attacks as the little metal men can't reach the man so far above them.
GAME: Gregor rolls ride: (10)+10: 20 GAME: Kaydin rolls weapon1: (9)+5: 14 GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+9: (3)+9: 12 GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+6: (4)+6: 10 GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+1: (18)+1: 19 GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+1: (10)+1: 11 GAME: Gregor rolls 1d6+2: (1)+2: 3
Gregor tugs Traveller's reins to lead him away from the metal mens' attacks. "Easy boy," he says, "we can take them." Lance and hooves work in concert as they fight off the little automotons. The horse rears and stamps with it's hooves as Gregor thrusts with his lance. The adamantine steel-tipped lance penetrates the earth underneath the creatures feet. A poor tool for aerating soil, his officers would say, though Traveller, his horse, manages to catch one a glancing blow with a hoof.
GAME: KumainPekPek rolls weapon2: (8)+3: 11 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+7: (13)+7: 20 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+7: (18)+7: 25 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+7: (12)+7: 19 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+7: (4)+7: 11 GAME: Gregor rolls ride: (10)+10: 20 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d6: (6): 6 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d6: (6): 6 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d6: (1): 1 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20: (16): 16 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d4: (2): 2
The metal men attack more aggressively now, their claws digging huge furrows in Gregor's horse. It's legs are bleeding red into the corn covered ground. Kumain gains a scratch along one cheek and at his side the farmer has finally had /enough/ of just standing by and doing nothing. He attacks one of the gray men with his pitchfork, stabbing it in its chest and shoving it backwards briefly.
GAME: Kaydin rolls weapon1: (16)+5: 21 GAME: Kaydin rolls 1d8: (8): 8 GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+9: (7)+9: 16 GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+6: (7)+6: 13 GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+1: (15)+1: 16 GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+1: (3)+1: 4 GAME: Gregor rolls 1d8+4: (7)+4: 11 GAME: Gregor rolls 1d6+2: (5)+2: 7
Gregor calls back to Kumain, "Steady on, Sunguard, hold fast and we will win this day, yet." That's when the creatures attack and slash his horse from both sides at once, and there's nothing he can do to avoid the slashes to his horse. Blood stains his horse's hide as it whinnies, and Gregor snarls furiously. When Kaydin drops one of those attacking him with a bowshot, he calls, "Thanks, archer!" They're looking out for the new threat, and that leaves him an opening that he takes advantage of, thrusting with his lance and spearing one through the chest. Traveller's hoof stamps it free of the blade, and the creature falls motionless to the ground.
"Daeus be praised! Bless us and let your light shine upon us to aid in the vanquishing the remainder of these foul creatures!" The Cleric speaks the phrase to cast his spell while defensively holding his shield between himself and his foes, so as to not be interrupted in his spell casting. His sword hand does a motion in conjunction with his incantation. The moment he finishes speaking, you begin to notice weaknesses in their defense and feel more able bodied and fearless of the ensuing battle. "Finish them, and let us be done with this.!", Kumain calls out to Gregor, watching the 2 metal men fall down almost simultaneously.
GAME: KumainPekPek casts Bless. Caster Level: 2 DC: 14 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+7: (4)+7: 11 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+7: (19)+7: 26 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d6: (5): 5
After finishing his incantation, he drops his shield down just enough to see his foes swing right where the shield had been, and rake him across the face with their claws.
GAME: Kaydin rolls weapon1: (11)+5: 16 GAME: Kaydin rolls 1d8: (6): 6 GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+10: (17)+10: 27 GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+7: (19)+7: 26 GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+2: (1)+2: 3 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+2: (19)+2: 21 GAME: Gregor rolls 1d8+4: (2)+4: 6 GAME: Gregor rolls 1d4+4: (4)+4: 8 GAME: Gregor rolls 1d6+2: (5)+2: 7
Gregor has freed himself of the last of the menacing critters, and applies himself to freeing KumainPekPek, wheeling Traveller around so he can stomp at the creatures while Gregor's lance thrusts down from above. Traveller is quite upset at the creatures, and nails one with a hoof, biting it's little face off with big, yellow teeth. Gregor, meanwhile, runs the last one through on his lance with a thrust from above that pins it to the ground, where it twitches once, then lays bleeding. He looks around for more enemies.
Wiping blood from his face, Kumain looks around at the fallen and sees nobody of importance. "Let us be away from here before more of these show up! I am not ready for such another attack at this point." Eyeing Traveller, the cleric sees that he himself is not the only one hurt here. "Gregor, please, if you will give me a moment, I will be able to heal your companion."
Gregor congratulates the farmer with a, "Well fought!" He says to Kumain, "He is injured, but our work here is not done, I fear. These things will be back if we cannot stem the tide. And the wererats that seized the neighbors." He'll look around at the thing that's buried, but can only think to ask the farmer, "Have you tried digging it free with a shovel?"
Kumain looks over at the object and concentrates for a moment before casting a spell.
"The rats are long gone." The farmer waves his hand. "The problem is the spike. I tried digging it up, but more of those metal men keep pouring out!
GAME: KumainPekPek casts Detect Magic. Caster Level: 2 DC: 13
KumainPekPek says, "Let us see if we can figure anything out about this object, shall we?", Kumain says while intently staring at the object. The aura being given off by this object is that of summoning magic... Why would someone want to put a summoning object in a farmer's field..? After getting all that he can get from it, he turns to his comrades in arms. "This, as you may have guessed is enchanted with summoning magic."
Gregor ohs that the rats are gone. "Very well," he says. "But now, take up your shovel again, and we will defend you. We will dig this up, and I will drag it off, if we can." The news that it's been summoned makes little difference, there's nothing magical he can do about it. "If you can unsummon it, please do so," he says to Kumain. "I have some alchemists' fire, we can see if that will hurt it?"
The farmer eyes Gregor. "So... do you want me to dig it out, or are you setting it on fire?"
Kumain grins sheepishly, "Unfortunately, I was not prepared to dispel magic today. Only to see if it existed on something if need be." The cleric looks back and forth between Gregor and the farmer. "I say try to burn it first. If it doesn't work, we put it out and dig.?"
Gregor calls to the farmer and to his companions, "Well, I will try this first and see how it goes. Stand well clear," he orders, and if people do, he'll toss on some alchemists fire and see how that affects the metal thing.
GAME: Gregor used a Alchemist's Fire.
Kumain moves well back, knowing what disasters can be had when not respecting alchemy. "Let her rip!"
You watch as green fire comsumes the metal piece. When the fire finally ceases the metal spike is... melted somewhat. Not a lot, but definately withered around the edges. A few blue sparks fly forth from the wedge-shaped piece of metal stuck in the ground. But it is still stuck in the ground…
Gregor hrms. "Well," he says after a bit. "That didn't destroy it, but I imagine any little men are baked. Let us try digging it up again."
Gregor will loop a rope around it and tie the rope off to his saddle horn. If Traveller cannot pull harder than some old farm horse, he'll be put out to pasture.
Kumain helps with getting the rope around the object to help with Traveller's efforts.
The farmer gets out his shovel and digs a hole, with the help of him, the horse and all the efforts of the group combined you get the spike out of the ground and suddenly it falls apart into tiny bits of metal as if being in the ground was what was keeping it together. With that your work here is done, and you're able to head back to the adventurer's guild with the somewhat taciturn approval of the farmer.
-End