All Hands
Log Info
- Title: All Hands
- GM: Aftershock
- Place: Near the estate of Deyben Ahu
- Summary: Search for missing cat gives young adventurers some definitely hands-on experience
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Deyben Ahu's manservant Nasir Vali, a pale man only five and a little over a half feet tall with short black hair and an immaculate disposition explained the situation clearly. Miso - the lord's cat - is missing and presumed somewhere not on the grounds of the lords estate itself which has been thoroughly searched by the lord's servants.
Given the time of year however and some of the rumors about some of the 'spirits' about the region, the serving staff are somewhat reluctant to search the surrounding area for the cat. So... The mission falls upon those who are more capable with weapons and less superstitious. Now you find yourselves out in an inch of snow looking for a black cat in the dim light of the near-winter. It's cold, and it's lightly snowing.
What manner of cat wouldn't be indoors during this kind of weather?!?
GAME: Ulthan rolls survival: (11)+6: 17
Ulthan shrugs his poncho around himself as he steps out of the mansio, his eyes already scanning the ground for any signs of the wayward feline.
Bryn isn't all that superstitious and has a big weapon. Hunting cats isn't exactly her forte', but ... a job's a job, right? One of her recent ones was pickin' flowers, afterall. "So..." she wonders aloud as her eye tracks about the snow. "Anybody know how ta herd a cat?"
Ulthan says, “I was a sheep herder back home in Dran before I got big enough to join the family trade of running messages..." The big lug of human, for once not towering over his adventuring companions, is reminiscing. "But remember, we'll need to find them first, before we can see what we need to handle to return them home.”
Tarsh exits the mansion with the others, adjusting her own clothes, trying to keep the heat in. "Cats are out of my wheelhouse, sorry," she says. "As is tracking."
GAME: Tarsh rolls perception: (3)+9: 12 GAME: Ulthan rolls perception: (18)+8: 26 GAME: Bryn rolls perception: (18)+9: 27
Ulthan's eyes keep scanning the ground. "Nothing... Nothing liek a cat's track..." Ulthan pauses in his stalk. "Now what's this... Some tracks... Not something I can recognize right away... And they are wandering around... but then they ehad, roughly, towards there..."
In the distance you can hear the crunch of snow being pressed down, and the gentle hiss of a startled feline...
Ulthan's head snaps up and tries to pinpoint the direction of the hiss, must not have been too far.
Bryn flashes Tarsh a tusky grin, recognizing her from a prior meeting. "Still glad ta have ye, li'l sis. I'm Brynhildragar, by the by. Friends call me Bryn. Enemies call me Ohfargahh!" Then she gives the big guy a shrug. "All I'm good at findin's trou-" Her head tilts then swivels. "Ye hear that? Sounds like hissin. Could be our prey."
Only one way to find out for sure, so she starts headin that way. "'Ere, kitty, kitty?"
Tarsh gives Bryn a smile in return. "Tarsh, good to meet you!" she says. SHe looks between the others, and frowns a little. "What's up?" she asks, before following Bryn.
GAME: Tarsh rolls perception: (4)+9: 13 GAME: Ulthan rolls perception: (2)+8: 10 GAME: Bryn rolls perception: (18)+9: 27
As you stumble over rocks in the snow, Bryn spots a black shape atop one of the larger trees and identifies it as the cat you are looking for. What she also notes is something unusual at the base of the tree. It looks like some sort of... insect activity? Ants perhaps. No. Not ants. Hands. Crawling, creeping, hands. Five of them. Moving along without bodies to command them trying to get up the tree at the cat.
Well. That's not unusual.
Bryn spots the cat, first (whose name isn't Spot), one big finger pointing up at the tree. "Found it! Pretty sure that's- what in Kor's mighty arse are those?!" Now she's seen the ... hands at the base of the tree. "'N what're they tryina do? Give pets?" She guesses probably not, since the cat looks to be trying to stay out of reach.
Even if she's not sure what they are, she's not exactly in the mood to get handled right now, and she draws her big curveblade. Just in case. "Any ideas?"
Ulthan raises an eyebrow as he sees the... hands... that Bryn spotted. "I'll try to draw their attention, you can try to thin them then..."
GAME: Ulthan casts Enlarge Person. Caster Level: 4 DC: 13
With a quick word and gesture, Ulthan's form begins to fill up and out, turning from merely big guy to actually quite definitely a large one as his height doubles before everyone.
Tarsh squints a little at the hands, trying to work them out. "They must be handy to have round the house," she says with a smirk, getting her greataxe ready. She watches Ulthan gesture and grow in size before suggesting, "We go over there and get krumping?"
GAME: Tarsh rolls k/religion: (7)+k/religion: 7 GAME: Bryn rolls knowledge/religion: (7)+3: 10 GAME: Tarsh rolls knowledge/religion: Trained Use Only: 0 GAME: Bryn refreshes special ability pools. GAME: Ulthan rolls weapon11: (15)+7: 22 GAME: Ulthan rolls damage11: aliased to 2d8+7: (7)+7: 14
Ulthan takes a huge step forward, reaching the approaching hands and takes a mighty swing at the first one in his reach. The hand takes the full hit straight on, and gets splattered by the large, fast flail going down.
GAME: Bryn spends ONE use of BARDIC PERFORMANCE. GAME: Tarsh rolls weapon1: (11)+4: 15
Bryn can't side-eye Ulthan as he gets big; she has to turn her whole head, which she does. An encouraging wolf-whistle is loosed, followed by a woot as he steps up and squashes a hand. The woot turns into a belt as she calls out, "Ye! Crack 'em knuckles! Snap 'em wrists! Crush the fingers! Break the fists!" As she does so, she strides on up to help with his flank against the handsy things.
GAME: Tarsh rolls damage1: aliased to 1d12+4: (8)+4: 12
Tarsh follows the others to the hands, ending up on the other side of Ulthan to Bryn. With a powerful swing of her greataxe, she turns one of the hands into two half-hands.
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+5: (14)+5: 19 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+5: (6)+5: 11 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+5: (4)+5: 9 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d8+5: (4)+5: 9
The hands skitter around, one of them managing to climb up and grab Bryn around the throat, and the other two don't fair as well in their endeavor to harm the adventurers, but they do try. What's worse though, is that there seem to be backup coming in from behind Tarsh and Ulthan...
GAME: Ulthan rolls weapon11+1: (20)+7+1: 28 (THREAT) GAME: Ulthan rolls weapon11+1: (10)+7+1: 18 GAME: Ulthan rolls damage11+1: aliased to 2d8+7+1: (11)+7+1: 19 GAME: Ulthan rolls 2d8: (10): 10 GAME: Bryn spends ONE use of BARDIC PERFORMANCE. GAME: Bryn rolls weapon1+1: (1)+7+1: 9 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Bryn rolls weapon1+1: (14)+7+1: 22 GAME: Bryn rolls damage1+1+1: aliased to 2d4+4+1+1: (6)+4+1+1: 12
Ulthan swings his flail back up, then in a graceful loop brings it down on the next hand near him. As the huge flail swings down, there's a glint of the wintry sunlight touching on the accents on the metallic head, before it smashes through the hand that was Ulthan's target this time.
"Ye! Save the cat! Hands go splat! We-hrrk-farg you!" Bryn recovers from the momentary hand on her throat by swatting it back and then swinging at it with her curveblade. She splits it between middle and pointer fingers. "Hands off! Least buy me an ale first!"
GAME: Tarsh rolls weapon1+1: (2)+4+1: 7
Tarsh, seeing the hand strangle Bryn, moves over to help out. She moves over and takes a swing at the hand between then, unfortunately swining too high and missing the hand entirely.
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+5: (2)+5: 7 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+5: (4)+5: 9 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+5: (8)+5: 13
Hands scurry about, and even more new ones enter the fray. Where are all of them coming from? There's so many! This is a whole lot of hands!
GAME: Ulthan RAGES!, gaining +2 to melee attack/damage/Will saves and 8 temporary HP GAME: Ulthan rolls weapon11+1: (8)+9+1: 18 GAME: Ulthan rolls damage11: aliased to 2d8+9: (11)+9: 20
Ulthan grunts after smushing the previous hand and noticing the new hands crawling up to him. He lets out an ululating warcry that seems to fill him up some more, and at the same time his appearance becomes hazier, blurrier. And the huge flail makes another high-arcing swing to smash down the next enemy.
GAME: Bryn casts Boiling Blood. Caster Level: 4 DC: 15 GAME: Tarsh rolls weapon1+1+1: (11)+4+1+1: 17 GAME: Tarsh rolls damage1+1: aliased to 1d12+4+1: (8)+4+1: 13
Bryn is popular for a moment, which wouldn't be a bad thing any other time. The big big boi seems able to take care of himself pretty well, and she spies Tarsh helping her out. So she returns the faver to help her 'lil sis' out, too.
Her contalto belting of encouragments continues, but more growl is added, and some of the words used are now Yrch. The added emphasis falls in a beat; pulsing with the heart and stoking the blood. Specifically, that of Tarsh.
Tarsh lets out a roar as she feels her blood start boiling. She swings her axe down onto one of the hands with the full force of her magic-boosted strength, overwhelming the hand's existence.
GAME: Bryn rolls knowledge/religion: (14)+3: 17 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+5: (16)+5: 21
One of the tiny hands finally manages to latch onto the giant Ulthan, clinging to him for all that it is worth. It's dirty nails digging into his flesh and gouging into him.
GAME: Ulthan rolls weapon11+1: (15)+9+1: 25 GAME: Ulthan rolls damage11+1: aliased to 2d8+9+1: (12)+9+1: 22
Ulthan ignores the hand clutching at his throat to thin the herd more with another heavy swing and spattered hand down on the ground. They can skitter and try to dodge, but they seem to mistake the size of the enlarged, enchanted flail smashing down on them and breaking them to ppaste.
Many fingers are broken, knuckles cracks, and hands slapped. Bryn's song speaks of this, though she doesn't immediately join back in doing so directly, herself. Between the boiling inspiration and the additional hands, her caterpillar brows are furrowed in thought and effort. Between refrain and verse she calls out, "Get the cat! Somethin's callin these things in. Ain' no sign o' stoppin n they showin up faster'n we can break 'em!"
She likes busting knuckles as much as the next oruch, but that doesn't mean she always sticks around when more and more of their friends show up. Well, most times. Like she said before, though, she hasn't had enough ale yet for all of that.
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+5: (19)+5: 24 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+5: (3)+5: 8
Tarsh considers moving to the hands, she stops to listen to Bryn. Hearing what she says, she makes a break for the cat's tree, stopping at the base and looking up.
The hand on Ulthan manages to silence the giant by clamping around his larynx. It's not a pretty sight, but the man can still breathe since the hand is so much smaller than his throat is. It does a bit more damage and blood trickles down his throat.
GAME: Ulthan rolls weapon11+1: (12)+9+1: 22 GAME: Ulthan rolls damage11+1: aliased to 2d8+9+1: (7)+9+1: 17
Ulthan's warcry has been silenced, but it doesn't stop the wide sweeps of his flail, like he was trashing cereals in the autumn harvest. Yet another mighty hit and another crushed hand on the ground.
GAME: Bryn spends ONE use of BARDIC PERFORMANCE. GAME: Bryn rolls weapon1+1: (1)+7+1: 9 (EPIC FAIL)
"We got ye!" Bryn assures Tarsh as she heads for the cat. At least one hand has Ulthan, too, unfortunately, so now he may need some help (not a hand, though; plenty of those). His large, muscular form is a bit in the way, though, and she doesn't want to hit it with her weapon. Her swing goes a little too wide, missing Ulthan and hand alike.
GAME: Tarsh rolls athletics+1: (4)+8+1: 13 GAME: Tarsh rolls diplomacy: (2)+8: 10 GAME: Tarsh rolls diplomacy: (8)+8: 16 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+5: (1)+5: 6 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+5: (1)+5: 6 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+5: (19)+5: 24 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+5: (9)+5: 14
Tarsh starts awkwardly making her way up the tree, not making much progress. She looks up at the cat saying, "Hey kitty, come on down! You can trust me!" As sh calls out, she sees the cat come down a little towards her, very slowly.
One of the clawing hands manages to grab ahold of Bryn in the ruckus of hands that are popping up left and right. One goes down, but another pops up to take it's place a second later. It's a never-ending parade of endless hands!
GAME: Ulthan rolls weapon11+1: (11)+9+1: 21 GAME: Ulthan rolls damage11+1: aliased to 2d8+9+1: (7)+9+1: 17
Ulthan notices one of the hands getting grabby with the girl next to him, and with a quick sweep, he launches the mangled remains of that one out amidst the rest of the oncoming swarm of hands.
GAME: Bryn rolls weapon1+1: (1)+7+1: 9 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Tarsh rolls athletics+1: (10)+8+1: 19 GAME: Tarsh rolls diplomacy: (8)+8: 16 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+5: (8)+5: 13 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+5: (11)+5: 16 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+5: (11)+5: 16
Bryn is not happy to have a hand grabbing her. Not one of those hands, and not like this. Thankfully, it rapidly goes away care of Ulthan. "Ha! Keep te yerself! Keep gettin slapped! Keep gettin cracked! Keep ...gettin the kitten!" More inspiration and direction for herself, Ulthan, and Tarsh is belted out.
Ulthan also gets a tusky grin for the assist. Nothin like a talented big guy at her side! Which maybe she is thinking of a bit too much as she swings down at one of the hands still near her only to slap her blade into the dirt.
Getting a better handle on climbing, thankfully before her fingers freeze, Tarsh makes better time up the tree. "See, such a good kitty! Look at you coming down to me!" she calls out to the cat who climbs onto her. She smiles as the cast nestles into her, giving it a quick pet once it;s settled in.
Another hand grabs Bryn, clinging to her armor and digging its nails into her vulnerable flesh.
GAME: Ulthan rolls weapon11+1: (2)+9+1: 12 GAME: Ulthan rolls weapon11+1: (17)+9+1: 27 GAME: Ulthan rolls damage11+1: aliased to 2d8+9+1: (9)+9+1: 19 GAME: Bryn spends ONE use of BARDIC PERFORMANCE. GAME: Bryn rolls weapon1+1: (17)+7+1: 25 GAME: Bryn rolls damage1+1+1: aliased to 2d4+4+1+1: (5)+4+1+1: 11
There's another hand grabbing at the girl next to Ulthan, and then there's yet another swing that leads to mangled remains of a hand being swung out of the park. If this was the Colosseum during a baseball game, the crowd would go wild with cheers. Now, it's just one fetching Oruchess who keeps cheering for losing her grabbers.
GAME: Tarsh rolls athletics+1: (5)+8+1: 14 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d4: (2): 2
"Ah-" Bryn starts out this verse a little worried as she oruchhandled a bit once again, though that changes when (once again) the grabby hand is splattered clear by Ulthan. "-HA! Snappin finger! Breakin bones! Grabbin cats! We got 'em now!" Her voice can be powerful, even if her lyrics are rather ... direct.
This time, she keeps her eye on the other hand scampering near her and manages to lop it into pieces. Only then does she hazard a glance back towards Tarsh-Cat-Tree. "How ye doin back there?"
With kitty safe in place, the half-oruch starts clmbing down the tree. Unfortunately the climb down is a bit more dramatic. The first couple of branches are alright, but the next has iced up a little and when Tarsh puts her weight on it, she slips off and slides down landing on the next a little hard. Safe brach, safe branch, then the next one breaks and she slides down a few feet of tree, digging her nails into the bark. Sadly Miso does't like the rugged ride and digs her claws into her green skin, making Tarsh call out loudly, just in time to answer Bryn's question. The last couple of fee of tree goes uneventfully, minus the bark and burn marks on her arms.
The remaining hands flop over, wither, and turn to dust. Whatever force of life that kept them alive is clearly dissipating. Soon enough there's no sign that there were ever any hands here at all save the disturbed snow showing the signs of combat. It's rather disturbing really.
Miso sits in Tarsh's arms purring contentedly now that everything is said and done, a fully black cat with golden eyes looking at you with too-wise eyes and a satisfied expression.
GAME: Ulthan ends his rage.
As the oncoming hands stop appearing and the ones present disssipate, Ulthan lets out a big breath, especially as the one at his throat lets go as well. His eyes cloud voer a little as he wills his Rage to dissipate, and his enchanted size is released as well, shrinking and leaning heavily on nearest thing capable of supporting him, which seems to be the Oruchess bard.
Bryn sees that Tarsh and Miso are on the ground and intact. That's excellent. She looks back ahead only to see the hands flop and disintegrate, leaving her blinking. "What the-oof." Now she suddenly has a not-quite-as-but-still large Ulthan leaning on her. The sound is more surprise than distaste, though, and she adjusts.
"Alright there, big guy? Thinkin we can take a breather if'n ye need one, 'fore we head back." Another look to Tarsh and company. "So long as the kitty stays happy, at least."
Tarsh slowly makes her way over to the others, with Miso in her arms. Stroking the cat a little, she asks, "Either of you mind if we get in the warm?"
Ulthan's breathing, heavy for a momeent, is easing rapidly, a testament of his physical stamine and conditioning. "Yeah, we should head indoors, but better be carfeful, and try to see if we can figure why they were after this little kitty..."
Which really is a great idea. So you guys start heading back to the house, since that's where the cat belongs. Thankfully, the cat comes back with you; and you all get paid for your work. Though the manservant is greatly troubled to hear about the undead on the property. He promises to have someone else look into the situation post haste. For now, you've all earned hot mugs of ale for your hard work. More than earned.