Vapourware RPGCodex plays Dungeon Crawl Classics

[Alchemist]

Ogin, Gylan and Arbin enter the room with the others, audibly pleased that they've finally found a treasure room of sorts.

To Nicomedes' suggestion, Ogin says "Eh.. I don't trust the sorcery of this place - but on the other hand I'm damn curious about what will happen. Maybe it will be the key to something even more rewarding, or a way out at least!"

The three of them ready their weapons and watch Nico's next move with nervous curiosity.

 

[nikolokolus]

Nicomedes looks down at the crystal in his palm, shrugs non-comittally, and carefully places it in the depression on the table. "Fuck it. You only live once ... I guess?"

 

[Monstrous Bat]

Barry decided that messing with the war-wizard's body without preparing for what may happen would be very unwise, so he went to check the wooden shelves with weapons and armor. He found a longsword, a long bow, 40 arrows with a quiver, a mace, a spear, a battleaxe, a dagger and a handaxe. There's also a suit of scale mail. The weapons and armor look usable enough. Some of Barry's comrades were less cautious, however. While Barry was examining the shelves, Nicomedes went ahead and placed the crystal orb right in the depression on the table.

Gradually, something appeared in the crystal ball. Gazing into the crystal ball, you see an endless field of bright stars on a faint gray background. A ghostly image of the war-wizard drifts in the star-strewn ether, perfectly still. Then a harsh goat-like face fills the full sphere, staring intently at you. "I have waited a long time for someone to take the warlord's place," says the strange goat-man in a deep, strange voice you have never heard before. "His astral voyage was cut short before he could rekindle the spark of his mortal coil. I am still in need of an ally on your world. Fill the copper brazier with wood from a dryad's tree. Ignite it with the spark of a living fire. The blaze will reveal the location of the other half of the rulership rod. Find that for me, and you shall be rewarded."

Then, before you could ask any further questions, the globe dims to mere crystal.

 

[nikolokolus]

Nicomedes stumbles backward, flailing his arms. The color has drained from his face, leaving him ashen and looking unwell. "By the gonads or Gondar! Did anybody else hear that? That voice ... that face ... oh gods, what have I done!?"

 

[Alchemist]

Ogin recoils at the image revealed in the sphere, gripping his pitchfork tightly and pointing it toward the globe as if it would protect him from the uncanny apparition within.. "It's some kind of demon! I knew we shouldn't be meddling with this!"

Gylan seemed a bit less disturbed and his slight grin revealed the wheels turning in his mind - "He said something about 'being rewarded' if we fulfill this task. Can you imagine what a being such as that could grant us!? Riches - or maybe even supernatural power!"

Arbin shakes his head - "But look what happened to the last guy who dealt with.. that thing. We don't want to end up like that!" he says pointing toward the shriveled form of the war-wizard.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Poul frowns before he nods in agreement in hearing the voice, too, then answers, "Treasure is all fine and dandy, but does anyone have any spare dryad wood?"

Hep retorts, "Not anywhere on me. I can't see anywhere out of here, either. Maybe we can just burn stuff until something good happens."

Poul is hesitant to mention the obvious. "We have to go back to the room with the rotating statue and try one of the other doors. Maybe find a way to stop the statue while we are at it."

OOC: I'd like the scale mail for Hep. Someone else should take the arrows.

 

[nikolokolus]

Hob meekly interjects, "I don't see much use in fighting over what's here, we've found a king's ransom this day. If we can get out of here we're rich! But for now I say we divvy up the loot ad hoc for now, and we try to appraise everything and do equal shares once we get out of here." That said, he strides over and takes up a spear from the pile.

Siegbert follows after and his eyes alight on the great battleaxe, "This'll dae."

Nicomedes collects himself after the shock of the otherwordly creature in the crystal ball, carefully picks up the crystal and slides it into a pouch, "If nobody objects I'll take the bronze rod. Somebody might want to grab that copper brazier, it'll fetch a pretty penny I'll wager ... unless it is somehow specifically linked to the ritual that goat-demon described, in which case maybe it's better if we leave it well enough alone for now ..."

Hob wheels around looking pensively at Nicomedes, "What do you mean 'leave it well enough alone for now?' Did you hit your head on something coming down the stairs? Don't bad things happen to people when they make deals with devils? That's what my pa ol' Derry Butcher used to tell me. He told me, 'son, bad things happen to people when they make deals with devils' ... now that I think about it he could have been talking about my ma? ..."

Nicomedes "What of it Hob? You want to go back to gutting chickens for the rest of your short, miserable life? Me? I'm getting out. I'm not dying on a sick bed of old age in ten or fifteen years, wracked with black pox, red fever, or green gout; pissing and shitting myself while a roomful of mourners gather around my bed like a pack of carrion crows. When I get back to the village I'm marching up to Master Wainwright, collecting my pay and telling him to get bent. I'm going to see the world."

 

[Alchemist]

Gylan says "I agree - I'm done with a life of menial labor and shoveling horse shit. We have a prime opportunity here guys - we should seize it! But it's a moot point until we find a dryad's tree. In the meantime lets grab some of this gear and see what else we find in this place." He takes 20 arrows and leaves the remaining 20 for someone else to go with the long bow. "I've got a bow already but someone ought to grab this one... and the rest of those arrows."

Arbin takes the brass-bound tome off of the shelf and opens it to take a look inside. "This sure is a pretty curiosity - it might sell well at the market. I wonder what it's all about." (he reads a few pages if he can)

Ogin places the copper brazier in his sack for safe-keeping. "I'm hoping we never use this - and just sell it for some coin."

 

[Monstrous Bat]

Only some of you have a clear idea what a dryad is, and of course none of you know where to find one. Probably not in this underground complex though.

As Nicomedes went to retrive the bronze rod he noticed something unsettling engraved on it. It seems to be... the lower half of a head? of a... demon? At any rate, it looked somewhat similiar to the goat-headed creature Nicomedes just saw, though the features aren't quite identical.

Arbin flipped through a few pages of the brass-bound tome and found out that it's filled with strange symbols and characters which none of you were able to decipher. The lack of imageries doesn't help either. Meanwhile, other adventuers pocketed their shares of treasure.

 

[Siveon]

Barry goes to take the longsword. "How about you two?" Barry looks towards his own companions. "This has been one...bumpy ride, losing Samuel and the others. We're probably digging a bigger grave for ourselves as we speak, inexperienced peasants that we are. Or, were. I wouldn't blame you if you want to part ways after we leave this hovel. As for me -- the opportunity is too ripe. I'll find my way out in this world or I'll die trying. What say you?" Barry puts his handaxe away and holds the sword.

Pobbin walks alongside Barry and takes the bow, the rest of the arrows, and the quiver. His club returns to his belt holster. He chuckles, "Lad lad lad, I've been with ye since day one. We've known each other for how long now? I'm not spending my days in a mud pit we call a home while you swindle with maidens. No, I'm stuck to you like rat guts on a bear trap!" Pobbin couldn't help to make a hearty laugh as he clutches his belly.

Wesker jogs towards the last item and takes the mace. "And I'm positively terrified. What could such a thing grant us? What if it double-crosses us? Is it evil in nature, we do not know! I'm still coming along, however. Perhaps we might discover something benevolent, who knows?"

Barry nods. "We may be getting a bit ahead of ourselves though. We have to get out of this place first. Shall we make way upstairs, everyone, or should we search this place awhile longer?" Barry looks over to the three other groups. If no-one decides to stay the three walks upstairs to the previous room.

 

[nikolokolus]

Nicomedes looks closely at the runic rod, vainly hoping that he can decipher any of its symbols.

Siegbert then intones, "Looks like we've reached a dead end, but maybe there's yet another secret passage ootae 'ere?" He then starts working his way around the room using his meager skills acquired as an apprentice miner, looking for oddly placed stones, protuberances and feeling for any drafts that might be leaking through un-mortared blocks. Hob follows closely behind him with his lit candle held closely to the wall to help provide light and looking for any guttering flame that might inidicate a hidden way out.

 

[Monstrous Bat]

The only symbol Nicomedes could see on the rod was the half head. It's clearly intended to represent the head of some otherworldly beings, other than that Nicomedes can't make any sense out of it.

Siegbert and Hob started to search the room, this time looking around as carefully as possible to not miss any details. Since the room is fairly small, this was easier than it was in the throne hall. After several minutes of fruitless searching, the two came to the conclusion that if this room had any more secrets, they would have to be extremely well hidden.

 

[nikolokolus]

Siegbert chews on his lower lip thoughtfully when he finishes inspecting the walls and floor of the treasure chamber, "Well lads, we're right an' proper fooked et looks like. I cannae find anyway ootae 'ere; looks tae be a dead-end after all. We'll 'ave tae go back the way we come in." If'n anybody brung a hammer and a spike, maybe we can dart intae the chamber where dat statue be an' somehow foul it up, so it cannae turn and fry our biscuits? I jus' doon ken 'ow were gintae be able to get passed it otherwise."

Hob's shoulders slump and his faces drains of its color, "Yer sure then Ziggy? Oh dear, this isn't good is it?"

Nicomedes looks down at the two and says, "Well, there's no use in crying about it now is there? Me. I say we get back to the statue room and we all make a mad dash for the exit. It can't zap all of us in one go now can it?"

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Hep agrees, "Well, if you reckon there's nothing in the side passages of the statue room, I suppose we can make that mad dash."

Poul answers, "Mad dash sounds about right. I figure there's nothing else for it though. Maybe speed will win it out for us."

 

[nikolokolus]

Nicomedes looks wryly at Hep, "Oh, I have no doubt there's something in those side passages and that's what has me worried. I came here for riches and I reckon we've found it in this trove. We're pretty banged up and I doubt we'll do better than this. Besides, I have a feeling we'll be back some day."

 

[nikolokolus]

Nicomedes turns around and spreads his hands plaintively, "So what's it going to be lads? We can't stay here."

 

[Siveon]

Pobbin raises his fist in the air, "I say we get the hell out of this place! I'm not sure how we could get past that statue unharmed though."

Barry scratches his head, "Perhaps we could disable the thing with a well-precise shot?" Wesker frowns. "And where would our two archers aim for?"

"No clue."

 

[Monstrous Bat]

You made your ways back to the room with pools and crystal-men (both now lie ruined) without any troubles. To your south you can see the dreaded flame-throwing monument standing still.

 

[Siveon]

Barry looks for a rock

Spoiler

the size of a baseball, preferably

on the ground. "Hold for a second, I want to see if the thing is still active." Barry tosses the rock to the next room, hoping to trigger the monument.

 

[Monstrous Bat]

There isn't a rock that big in this room. Maybe Barry could try the remains of a crystal-man?

 

[Siveon]

Barry sighs. "Damn, can't find a rock in this place." Pobbin immediately looks to the nearest crystal-man. He clubs it, hoping to see if crystal shards break from it's body. If it does, Pobbin hands the biggest shard he could hold and gives it to Barry. Barry proceeds to throw the crystal shard to the next room.

 

[nikolokolus]

Siegbert cautiously approaches the door to the statue room, "Hold fast Barry, we dinnae want to tae alert the thing. Besides I 'ave a plan. I'm thinking I'm gintae take me pick and see if I can charge intae dere and some'ow foul dea plinth it pivots upon - If all goes well 'opefully I can wedge it and it won't be able to turn on us."

Nicomedes scratches his chin thoughtfully, "Well, If you think it's best 'Stumpy' It's your arse."

Hob frets a bit, "Ziggy, be careful. I'll hold that battleaxe and your lantern, so you aren't weighed down."

 

[Deuce Traveler]

"Way to go Siegbert," Hep encourages.

Poul frowns, "I suppose if we see it turning we can yell for you to make a run back for it. Maybe if it pivots slowly enough in one direction, some of us can make a break for the door from the other direction."

 

[Monstrous Bat]

Spoiler

Guys, try making your intentions clearer in your post. Sometimes I have trouble telling if you're announcing your character's action or merely asking about the opinions of your peers.

Siegbert walked up to the doorway, seeming unusally calm for one about to undertake such a dangrous task. The dwarf took a deep breath, then suddenly rushed out toward the monument. Unsurprisingly, the monument immediately started rotating to face Siegbert, but it's placed close enough to the doorway that Siegbert could sprint to the base of the titanic monument before it could turn to face the dwarf. Once he's at the base of the statue, Siegbert saw that there's a small gap between its cylinderical base and the marble floor, barely wide enough to put a finger through.

 

[nikolokolus]

OOC

Sorry if I didn't make myself clear, mostly I was just in role play mode; stating my plan and then waiting to see if there were any objections and giving other players a chance to interject or tell me my plan is shite and needs to be scrapped or adjusted. When I take actions with my characters it usually takes the form of "Siegbert does," "Nicomedes takes," "Hob goes," etc. In any case, nobody really jumped in, so Siegbert was just about to go ahead and put his plan into action, so it all worked out.

Siegbert carefully slides his back against the pedestal until the statue starts to rotate again, he moves back behind it if/when the outstretched hand that shoots firebolts is pointed towards the western wall (its back at least partially to the door everybody is waiting inside). (Assuming all of this works) Siegbert takes his pick in both hands and aims carefully for the gap between the plinth and the pedestal and tries his best to sink the pick deep into the gap (mining check?) in hopes of fouling the statue's ability to rotate.