shitlords!

[onefellswoop]

placeholder title above! hmmmm


1) Prelude: Ill-Natured Shrubbery.
2) The Party Gathers: If a Tree Burns in the Forest...
3) Death House Pt. 1: Family, If You Wish It.
4) Death House Pt. 2: Onward and Downward.

Comments

[onefellswoop]

The hand in his is becoming familiar, and that's the worst part of all of this. When that hand's gone, he'll feel its absence.

(But what if. What if it never goes far?)

He doesn't look at Dmitri, but his hand tightens, grips for dear life. He nods slowly - accepting the compromise.

(Compromising himself. Again and again.)

Accepting the words for whatever they mean right now. (They won't always mean the same thing.)

And with that, he climbs down first, then - if Dmitri is indeed coming, too - helps the other man down.

[note: dima IS coming down!]

Everyone roll initiative.

[INITIATIVE
r: 22
d: 10
s: 9
f: 20
???: 17]

As the two men return to the water, the chant changes from "One Must Die!" to “Lorghoth the Decayer, we awaken thee!”

The ground begins to tremble and from the alcove, there comes a groaning, rumbling noise.

The cultist chant, "Lorghoth the Decayer, we awaken thee!", and from the alcove, two tentacles appear, reaching ahead to grasp the walls and heave a mount of decaying matter, vegetation, and mud out, lurching towards Dima and Faolan.

<.>

Rin is going to use their bonus action to Dash. They move 30ft toward the stinky stinky creature, and they're going to make a ranged attack using their hand crossbow. They hit for 6 points damage.

[note: The crossbow bolt hits Lorghoth in the bulk of its mass and does 6 points of damage. The creature doesn't seem to react, however.]

Rin. Doesn't love this. And is going to use the rest of the dash movement to get *away* from this thing.

<.>

And that brings us to Faolan, who's going to step in front of Dima and cast Ice Knife. Hits for 1 point piercing damage, then 9 for the explosion— Of which the creature takes 5, and it becomes clear the thing has resistance to cold damage.

Fae is going to move away and beckon Dima to back up, as well (on his turn.)

Fae is using his bonus action to command the wolf to use its Flame Seed attack. It hits for 5+2 fire damage...which seems to only deal3 points of damage to the mound.

Onto Lorghoth, which submerges itself and begins to swim toward Dima. It rises from the water and rears back one of its tentacles to hit Dima - Crits, rolls a 1, deals 5 points damage. And it gets multiattack, so it's going to attempt to grasp and engulf Dima, but crit fails on this so that’s a no go.

<.>

[q: Is there anything Dima can discern about this creature from his studies?

NAT, d: 14

a: It looks to him like a shambling mound. He knows they're difficult to kill and absorb lightning spells, which heal them. It's blind beyond 60 ft, and it's resistant to cold and fire. It can't be blinded, deafened, or exhausted. He knows it's a very good idea to stay OUT of range. Out of its range, anyway, which is 20ft. And he should share this information with other parties who might have lightning spells.]

Dima is going to begin moving; as he does, he Messages Sen to say [ Shambling mound; no lightning damage! ] To Sen he adds, [ Tell Rin. ] As he continues moving, he'll tell everyone out loud to keep 20 feet away and don't try to effect its sight or hearing.

He's going to use his movement to dart by the fucker of a mound. Lorghoth takes its opportunity attack to swing at Dima with one of its tentacles, hitting for 2 points bludgeoning damage.

Dima is going to cast Mind Spike on the fuck, for 15 points damage.

<.>

Sen is just going to move the fuck away first. He casts Dissonant Whispers, humming the same jarring melody he used earlier, dealing 12 damage.

The creature is going to try to move as far away from Sen as possible.

[note: Rin shouts YEAH RUN U LITTLE SHIT.]

Faolan is watching Dima with worried eyes right now.

<.>

Rin moves 20 ft to where they can seE the thing, and they're going to take another crossbow shot. They hit for 9 points damage.

[dm: The creature, cowering from Sen, takes the bolt into its...mound. Rin might be able to detect a flinch this time.]

Rin is going to use their bonus action to Dodge, and otherwise stay right where they are.

<.>

Fae’s going to use his action to climb up onto the dais again.

The wildfire spirit is up, and it'll again make a ranged attack. Hits for 4 points fire damage, halved from 8.

Fae's going to command it to stay close to Dima, so a hovering wolf is floating beside Dima.

Also; the party may notice now the chant has changed. The cultists are chanting "The end comes! Death be praised!"

Lorghoth is up! Going for Rin with its multiattack. Both miss.

<.>

Dima's going to move to a position where he won't be hitting Rin or very good wolf! And Dima’s using Mind Spike again, this time for 6 damage.

He's also going to give the wolf a look of thanks and he is holding himself there and ending his turn.

<.>

The wolf watches him with the same seeming patience it displayed earlier.

For Sen— Don't fix what isn't broken: he's casting Dissonant Whispers again. The mound makes the saving throw, but still takes 6 points of psychic damage.

So we're back up to Rin, with Sen shouting to get away from it. And he is using that shouting to give Rin a little inspiration.

<.>

Rin is in fact going to use their bonus action to Disengage and gtfaway from the weird smelly tentacles.

And! They're taking a crossbow attack, and hit for 6 damage.

[dm: The mound is turning into a rincushion]

<.>

And that brings us to Fae, who moves to the edge of the dais and casts 2nd level Thunderwave. That’s 15 damage and the mound is pushed 10 feet back away from Fae.

The wildfire spirit is going to continue to stay on Dima. And aside from you know not being on the edge of the dais, that'll be Fae's turn.

And we're at Lorghoth, which is going to submerge itself in the murky water again and head straight for the dais. Which puts it riiight in reach of Faolan. So it’ll multiattack. Hits and deals 11 points of bludgeoning damage to Fae, knocking him to the ground. And it'll attempt to engulf him. And iiit does. So at the moment he takes no damage, but he is currently blinded, restrained, and unable to breathe.

<.>

[q: From Dima's earlier check, would he have a sense of whether harming the heap would also harm Fae?
a: Doing physical damage to it might harm Faolan. Psychic damage, no.
q: What about a targeted poison-dealing spell or necrotic-dealing spell?
a: Nope, those wouldn't affect Fae.]

Dima is going to move and, while moving, shout a warning to the others not to use physical damage until Faolan's been freed.

<.>

Sen's going to lean over and Message Rin to go for the tentacles.

<.>

Rin nods!

And Dima is going to cast Ray of Sickness on the creature. Hits for 8 damage total.

<.>

Sen's up, and he's going to cast Dissonant Whispers again - just really hasn't stopped humming that tune except to talk to Rin. Hits for 6 points of damage.

<.>

Rin is going to carefully, carefully take aim at a tentacle. Going to trY to hit the creature without hitting Faolan.

...And if they dO happen to hit Faolan. They will profusely apologize with a potion.

They, in fact, do not hit anything. And will be engaging Dodge.

<.>

That brings us to Faolan, who is going to use his action to attempt to escape the grapple. And! Fae manages to break free, coughing and spluttering, and falling to the water beside it.

He's going to stay where he is, and command the wildfire spirit to come towards him. It's going to use Fiery Teleportation. It teleports Faolan 30 feet away from the mound, and the mound itself has to succeed a dex saving throw against Fae's Spell save DC. Mound fails the save and takes 3 points fire damage.

And that'll be Faolan's and the spirit's turn, bringing us to a very angry compost heap.

Rin is nearest, so it'll go for Rin. First swing misses. Engulf also misses.

Sen is going to use a bonus action to give his last inspiration to Dima. Just throwing Rin's kiss at Dima. For luck and inspiration.

<.>

Dima messages Sen: [ Fuck's sake. ]

If he could roll his eyes via Message he would.

But he's not noT grateful, and he's going to give Ray of Sickness another go. Hits for 4 points damage.

[dm: How do you want to do this?]

Dima's going to move toward the heap as he sends a lashing ray of green light - its colors surging deep emerald mixed with the almost-painful vibrance of neon; its beam at once sharp and seeming to seethe - toward the heap that calls itself Lorghoth. He stares daggers at the heap as he moves, then shifts his gaze to Faolan, and to Faolan's wolf, where Dima's cold sneer turns to the edge of a smile, of relief—

Then, attention snapping back to the heap, he throws his shoulders into the attack. The green seethe swarms the heap, almost eating away at its refuse-ridden self with focused poison.

He has nothing to say to this creature. He only snarls, and thinks of Faolan, of the children, of the raven-not-raven... And, yes, of the thieves, as well.

He finishes the beast.

In doing so, Dima also seems to lose some of the pained pallor the creature struck upon him; he regains 2 hit points through Grim Harvest, a shock of deep blue light flowing back toward him from the beast.

...Actually Dima is. Also going to kiCK the fucking tentacle.

Then end.

<.>

Faolan, propped up against the far wall, lets himself sink down in relief. (Nevermind the water. Nevermind anything.) He lets his head fall back. The wolf paces protectively beside him.

Sen sags a little, tired but pleased to see the trash take out the trash, as it were.

This relief is short-lived.

As the shambling mound collapses in on itself, seeming to deflate and sink into the murky water, the chanting stops. The cultists vanish.

The house above them and the ground below all begin to shudder violently.

<.>

Dima's first move is to run to Faolan, to grab his arm and tug upward. If Faolan allows, Dima is going to give his potion to the man. Telling himself to keep focused; there's no good panicking.

<.>

Faolan isn't going to be told twice. He wants to get the fuck out of here.

He just happens to be resting against a wheel that raises the porticulis between this space and the reliquary.

<.>

Rin's looking for any signs of daylight; a crack in the wall or another secret door (like with the earthworms!) (don't... think about the earthworms just now). They're ready to run, but they figure—

Oh! Look at that!

If Faolan hasn't begun to move the wheel, Rin's going to because this shittt is no good.

And while they think about looting the trash mound, they're pretty sure that they'd only find... well. Actual, literal trash.

Rin works that wheel! "Sen! C'mon!"

<.>

Sen's already on the move, hurrying down to help however he can - and run.

<.>

Dima's working Faolan's arm around his shoulders; if Fae doesn't protest, Dima means to help keep him moving. They need to get out of this. And since Sen's showed up, and since Dima isn't as strong as he might like—

"Lend a hand?"

Rin, once the portcullis is opened and the others have moved through, intends to lead the way upward. Years of pillaging homes have left them with a decent memory for house layout— Even when there are a million stairs.

<.>

Faolan takes a few steps out of the water with their assistance, and once on solid ground again, shakes them both off. He's fine; he'll be fine. He does look at the wolf and breathes, "Go"; it vanishes, winking out of existence.

In the reliquary room, as sounds above tell the party the house is beginning to collapse in on it self, they find the raven-like creature waiting.

The creature moves toward Dima, serpentine undulations mingling with flight, and will settle on his arm if he allows.

<.>

Dima absolutely allows. And looks awe-stricken, looks honored; looks as if something's settle into place.

Softly, scarcely aware of his own voice, he speaks: "Liviana."

<.>

The creature seems to pause, cocking its elongated head at him, then utters a sound not unlike a tok.

Acceptance, maybe.

It turns its head to look at Dima with one eye, its claws digging into his arm without puncture. While this ought to be a moment of importance, it - she - conveys in a burst of imagery (the house collapsing poisonous smoke filling rooms swinging blades swarms of rats) that the party is in danger.

Another image follows (blue open sky, Dima's plane of existence). (Freedom.) (Escape.)

And an image of joined hands. Joined hands. Joined hands.

Dima can (and should) interpret from this that the party should join hands and hold on tight.

<.>

He sees; he hears. And though he'd like to hold within this moment, there's much more to find beyond, and he understands her urgency. (Perfect; she's perfect, the catch of light on darkest feathers, motions avian and serpentine alike.) He thinks, [ Thank you. ] And speaks immediately, voice firm, commanding, cutting through the sounds of the building's shift:

"Join hands; form a ring. Now.”

Rin, not certain about what's going on but not liking their chances on fleeing by climbing, gives Dima a sideways glance, then grabs Sen's hand and moves to take whoever's nearest.

Dima has, of course, reached one hand out to Faolan, beckoning, entreating.

<.>

Faolan takes his hand without hesitation, his grip firm and certain now. With the other hand, he takes hold of Rin, and Sen settles for grabbing Dima's elbow.

The moment the circle completes, the party is engulfed by a whirl of feathers and smoke - dizzying, compressing, and then expanding release. When the feathers and smoke fall to the ground, vanishing before contact is made, the party is on the road to Awich, with the town just in sight on the horizon.