[LP] The Riddling Reaver!

[angelfromanotherpin]

I'm going to proceed without Manstaff, as he couldn't accomplish much before his attention was drawn elsewhere anyway.

von Facestabber

You see no sign that the struggle has stopped, and so you continue your climb to the top (roll) successfully. The roof of the tower is made of rough flint stones. A tall flagpole in the centre flies the Baron's emblem. As you your head rises above the rim of the roof, you catch a fleeting glimpse of Baron Bluestone teetering on the parapet of the tower, then toppling off altogether. His opponent turns slowly round, chuckling insanely to himself. When he sees you, he scampers over to the flagpole. He grips it firmly – and spins effortlessly up it, right to the top! His voluminous grey robe billows in the breeze and hides his features. He cackles at you as you pull yourself onto the roof.



'Looks like we're a bit late, aren't we?' he squeals. 'Your precious Baron's not much use now, is he? He had no sense of humour, anyway!'

You are pretty sure he hasn't noticed the Baron is drifting slowly downwards, instead of plummeting to the rocks below.

O'Killitwithfire and Bajinga

Both of you snatch up buckets, but only Bajinga pauses to dip a finger in hers and taste it. The creature lunges forward aggressively, and Dirk hurls the contents of his own bucket onto the creature and (Test your Luck; lucky!) hits square, banishing the DEVLIN back to the Magical Plane of Fire.

The creature's light extinguished, you can now clearly see the ladder with a trap door above it that must lead to the top of the tower.

Johnson

You dash up the stairs at speed, but not before a single TARANTULA manages to bite you. The bite is painful, but seems to cause no STAMINA loss, and you crush the offending creature as you climb.

This floor consists of impressive living-quarters, adorned with rich tapestries and furniture. The floor is littered with small scraps of paper. The room is gloomy, since the curtains are drawn and the only two candles shed a feeble light. On an opulent couch sits a man in the robes of a wizard. He sits quite still and is apparently deep in thought. He seems to be smiling broadly, and cradles a box in his hands.



A nearby tapestry is askew, revealing further stairs up.

Puppykicker

Johnson dashes heedless past the spiders and up the stairs, vanishing to the floor above. Two guardsmen join you in fighting the TARANTULAS, as the bound woman shrieks in terror and struggles against the ropes.

TARANTULAS: SKILL 7, STAMINA 15
GUARDSMAN: SKILL 8, STAMINA 7
GUARDSMAN: SKILL 7, STAMINA 8

You crush all the spiders, but all of you were bitten, even you once, on your right thigh. The bite was painful, but does not seem to have caused STAMINA loss. Only the woman was spared, but she has not calmed down at all.

Manstaff

Whatever your intention, you are distracted; finally, the Baron has fallen... from the other side of the tower as you. You can feel him your magic holding him aloft, and guide him to the ground as swiftly as you are certain is safe. With that distraction over, you are free to turn to other matters... or to round the tower and follow up with the Baron if you suspect he needs further assistance.

[Darth Rabbitt]

"That was easy," Dirk mumbles to himself as he starts to climb up the ladder.

[SGamerz]

Grimacing at the bite from the tarantula, Sir Puppykicker makes his way to the still-screaming lady, grumbling.

"Scorpions....spiders.....bah, what's this about adventuring and poisonous bugs that attract each other. Scorpions in Scorpion Swamp, fine, fair warning from the name, but I'd expect some noble's palace to be cleaner than this!.....Hey, knock it off will you? The danger is over! But you might find yourself in another kind of danger if you don't STOP. SCREAMING. IN. MY. EAR!"

With one swift stroke of his sword, Sir Puppykicker severes the bonds that hold the lady to her seat, before turning and heading for the stairway which Willie had disappeared up. At the foot of the stairs, he pauses and turns his head back briefly.

"Just you remember who cut you free from that chair, lady! I'm expecting proper rewards for this." he gestures at the welt on his thigh where the tarantula bit him, then turns and heads up the stairs without waiting for an answer.

[Silent Wayfarer]

Trusting in the others to deal with whoever's in the tower, Manstaff jogs over to the Baron, wary in case the man is injured.

"Are you harmed, Baron?" he asks, as he approaches the man.

[Dr_Noface]

von Facestabber

If the flagpole is made out of wood: Dirk retorts by attempting to fell the flagpole with powerful swings from his powerful axe.

If the flagpole is made of metal: Dirk attempts to climb the pole after the giggling villain, sneaking a peak up his voluminous robes.

[Sirocco]

"Man, your baron above is fighting for his life, and you sit here like this? If you're a wizard, come with me and lend some help!" All this while running towards (and up) the stairs.

[Starmaker]

Bajinga drops the bucket and climbs the ladder to the top of the tower. "I hope the spell still holds. We'd look stupid if the baron is already in splatters."

[SGamerz]

OOC: Angel, I have a question about the Creature Copy spell......it doesn't have to be cast on something that's attacking us, right? And whoever/whatever Manstaff cast it on, the copied creature will have to obey him, right?

So, can it be cast on one of us without being used to attack the one it copied? Say if we were to meet a SKILL 10 monster, instead of using the spell to create a SKILL 10 copy, wouldn't it be more useful for Manstaff to cast the spell on, say Dirk von Facestabber, and then ordering the SKILL 12 Dirk Clone to attack the SKILL 10 monster? Is that allowed, or is it against the rules?

[Dr_Noface]

one dirk, two dirks, three dirks, four dirks...

[angelfromanotherpin]

Dirk, Dirk, Bajinga

As Dirk von Facestabber makes for the flagpole, a gasp wafts up from the crowd below and a shadow falls across the flinty rooftop. Hovering ominously some twenty meters above is a vast marrow-shaped flying... vessel? Beneath it hangs a small, luridly coloured gondola, from which trails a rope, and that rope drifts straight into the waiting hand of the grey-robed figure.

'I do so hate goodbyes, so maybe we'll see each other again... or maybe not,' he says, patting the top of the flagpole before spinning up the rope. Dirk is partway up the flagpole by this time, and it shudders beneath his hands, writhing and twisting and shimmering as it becomes a GIANT SNAKE, tail still lodged in the tower roof.

Dirk O'Killitwithfire and Bajinga Ladyparts caught most of that as they were emerging from the access trap door from the floor below, but they are still getting their feet under them when the snake tries to throw a loop of coil around von Facestabber and to bite him.

GIANT SNAKE: SKILL 10, STAMINA 11

In the two rounds of combat before his allies could join him (or do much else), Dirk takes a hit, and lands one.

Johnson

The robed man makes no sign that he has heard you.

You reach the next floor, an eerie circular room with mirrored walls. Large windows let in the daylight to throw infinities of distorted reflections in all directions. In the center of the room is a large empty open cage with some sort of mechanism beneath it, and a few buckets of water are spaced around the floor. You see a ladder leading to a ceiling trapdoor, and a familiar boot (Bajinga's?) just leaving the top rung for the roof.

Your spider bite begins to itch.

Puppykicker

The woman doesn't exactly calm down, but she does change her shrieks to verbalizations, anger mixing with the fear. 'Traitor! I knew there was more to that little rat of a soothsayer! Where is my husband?' You leave her in the care of the guardsmen.

This floor consists of impressive living-quarters, adorned with rich tapestries and furniture. The floor is littered with small scraps of paper. The room is gloomy, since the curtains are drawn and the only two candles shed a feeble light. On an opulent couch sits a man in the robes of a wizard. He sits quite still and is apparently deep in thought. He seems to be smiling broadly, and cradles a box in his hands.



A nearby tapestry is askew, revealing further stairs up. Your spider bite is beginning to itch.

Manstaff

As you round the tower, you see that it is part of the town's sea wall, and the Baron has landed behind that wall on some large rocks sticking out of the surf. It would undoubtedly have been fatal but for your spell, but with it you doubt he's even bruised. You hoist yourself over the low wall and stride into the shallow seawater to the Baron's side, asking your question.

'...am I?' he seems to reply, clearly confused. Then, 'What...' he looks around as if in a daze. '... am I? What am I? WhAt aM I? WHAT AM I?' He grows frantic, thrashing his legs and pounding at his head with the heels of his hands. Behind you, others, mostly guardsmen, are also coming to the Baron's aid.

You hear the crowd gasp, and looking up, you see that a great marrow-shaped flying vessel of some sort has appeared above the tower. You see a small grey figure ascend, with unnatural speed, a rope trailing from that vessel, entering a garishly coloured gondola that hangs from the main body.

[angelfromanotherpin]

OOC: Angel, I have a question about the Creature Copy spell......it doesn't have to be cast on something that's attacking us, right?

Unfortunately, it does. The spell description specifies 'any creature that you or your comrades are fighting.' Even just being hostile isn't enough, it has to be actually trading attacks in a genuine attempt to harm. Insta-cloning things is extremely exploitable in an non-fixed-choices format, so that pretty harsh restriction is probably necessary.

[SGamerz]

Sir Puppykicker approaches the robed figure cautiously, but not out of any fear of the seated man. He knows that some of his companions have already passed through this room before heading up the stairs, and it doesn't look like any of them have been hampered in any way. Willie couldn't have been here for longer than a few seconds ago. If the man still hasn't reacted to all the chaos and commotion that have been going on.....Puppykicker is pretty sure that he must be dead.

The box that he's holding, though, is a different story. Having seen what has been done to the lady downstairs, Sir Puppykicker has no doubt that the quarry they're hunting has a peculiar sense of humour. The box is just as likely to be a trap as it is to contain something valuable. Still, Sir Puppykicker hasn't gotten to where he is today by not taking risks. Slowly and gingerly, he reaches out with his blade and tries to pry the box out of the man's hands.....

[Sirocco]

Apprehensive of the bite, Willie pauses to suck at the wound, then spit. He then climbs up the stairs after his companions.

[Dr_Noface]

von Facestabber

Dirk hacks with his acks. Fuck this snake.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Dirk O'Killitwithfire rushes in with his spear to help out his fellow Dirk. EDIT: in other words, I join in on attacking the snake.

[Starmaker]

Bajinga attacks the snake with her sword. "For once it's the monsters who face several opponents at a time. Is the baron still alive?"

edit: spoiler, not quote

[Dr_Noface]

for Starmaker

This crumbumb knocked him off the tower to his death! *gives you a wink*

for angel

Uh.. bluff check? Trying to trick the Reaver in case he/it is still within earshot.

[angelfromanotherpin]

Not sure what happened to Silent Wayfarer, but it's been well more than 24, so I guess he skips a turn.

Dirk, Dirk, Bajinga, Johnson

The giant snake squeezes von Facestabber's a little more and his ribs groan, but it can withstand the fury of three heroes only briefly. Severed from the roof, it's head split, it twists out its final death-spasms.

The strange flying vessel is well out over the sea by now, out of even bow-shot, let alone your reach.

Johnson climbed up in time to see the battle's end, but he seems to be in some difficulty. Thick, stiff, black hairs are sprouting from the back of his hand, around what seems to be some kind of tiny wound. With a clearly supernatural impetus, more hairs sprout, rippling up his arm... and soon his whole body is covered. The growth is not thick, but it is dreadfully itchy (the distraction involved costs you 2 SKILL until it is dealt with somehow).

Sir Puppykicker

On closer inspection, the robed man is indeed dead; his apparent smile is an illusion created by his thoroughly cut throat. The box in his hands comes free quite easily, no prying required. It is beautifully crafted of interlocking sections, and from what feels to be some immensely hard wood. There are no hinges or latch, no obvious way to open it.

Inscribed on the lid is the following:

If you would see what I contain
And maybe learn some news of gain,
Solve this riddle, drop me in it,
Wait for the click, then pull me from it.
I will be open, then you'll see
The reason for this riddle-me-ree:

'It trembles at each breath of air
And yet can heaviest burdens bear,
It shows no mark when it is hit
And more – you're mostly made of it!'

Your inspection of these words is interrupted by an unbearably itchy twinge at the site of your spider-bite. Looking down, you see thick, stiff, black hairs sprouting from around the bite. With a clearly supernatural impetus, more hairs sprout, rippling up your leg... and soon your whole body is covered. The growth is not thick, but it is dreadfully itchy (the distraction involved costs you 2 SKILL until it is dealt with somehow).

Current stats:

Bajinga Ladyparts [SKILL: 12, STAMINA: 23, LUCK: 11]
Sword, Backpack, 10 Provisions

Dirk O'Killitwithfire [SKILL: 12, STAMINA: 22, LUCK: 11/12]
Spear, Backpack, 10 Provisions

Dirk von Facestabber III [SKILL: 12 STAMINA: 20/24, LUCK: 12]
Axe, Backpack, 10 Provisions.

Manstaff Cockbeard [SKILL: 10, STAMINA: 14, LUCK: 8]
Staff, Backpack, 10 Provisions.
Skill, Luck x2, Stamina x4, Creature Copy x3, Illusion, Weakness

Sir Puppykicker [SKILL: 9/11, STAMINA: 16, LUCK: 11]
Sword, Backpack, 10 Provisions

Willie Johnson [SKILL: 9/11, STAMINA: 21, LUCK: 10]
Sword, Backpack, 10 Provisions

[Starmaker]

Bajinga sheathes her sword. "Yeah, that guy was bound to have some means of escape, what with him trolling the whole town in broad daylight. There was a corpse in the tower holding a box - let's check it out before the baron starts looking to vent his righteous indignation on someone... Uh, Willie, what happened to you?"

[Darth Rabbitt]

Dirk nods in response to Bajinga before turning to Willie. "You should really get that checked out, whatever it may be." He turns again so that he is facing both of them. "We should probably start heading back down now. So much to do and so little time." With that, Dirk heads over to the ladder, checking that nothing has been done to it before climbing back down.

EDIT: clarified and lengthened post.

[Sirocco]

Basically for everyone except Pups & Manstaff

Willie looks surprised. "So Manstaff's spell didn't run out? The Baron is alive? That sure is a relief!"

Only then does he notice the hair creeping up his body. "What in the name of the gods... The spider bite must have been poisonous! Or cursed?"

He turns to his companions. "I was bitten not a few moments ago, and this is the result. I should seek a healer. Sir Puppykicker is right behind me, I don't know if he's been bitten as well, there was a swarm of the critters on the ground floor." He follows his companions downstairs and resolves to find a healer as soon as possible.

[Dr_Noface]

Dirk attempts to rob the snake's head of a tooth, a respectable trophy from a deadly flagpole.

He'll then follow his compatriots.

[SGamerz]

Sir Puppykicker smirks at the riddle on the box as he reads it. "Child's play," he muumurs. If anyone thinks that's going to prevent anyone with half a brain from getting what's inside......

His thoughts are interrupted by the sudden twinge in the area where he was bitten.

"Bloody hell!" he shouts aloud as hair sprouts from the wound and spreads quickly to the rest of this body. Staring in aghast at himself for a moment, he tucks the box away in his pack and and storms up the stairs hurriedly.

"The reward," he growls, "better be worth all this!"

At least he shouldn't have much of a problem finding the solution to the riddle box inside this tower. Hopefully, whatever he finds in the box can help remove this bloody ailment, too. In any case, he should try washing the wound with the water anyway, in case any further and nastier side effects show up.

[angelfromanotherpin]

Still no sign of our caster's player, but I don't see any reason the rest of you can't at least compare notes without him.

Dirk: Tooth acquired.

Sir Puppykicker climbing up meets everyone else climbing down, in the room with the mirrored walls, the large open cage, and the buckets of water. It is plain that Sir Puppykicker and Willie Johnson are suffering from the same condition, with even their faces showing the itchy hairs.

Feel free to talk amongst yourselves, decide on a course of action, etc.

[SGamerz]

"Water!" Sir Puppykicker shouts, as makes his way up the stairs. As he enters the room, he eyes falls on the buckets water on the floor. With a shout of joy, he pulls the box from his pack and hurls it into the bucket eagerly. Only then does he seems to notice the rest of the companions on their way down from the opposite directions.

"I see you got the same problem," he says gruffly to Willie as he looks at the hair sprouting from the former Bounty Hunter's body, even as he scoops out some water from a second bucket to clean the wound in his thigh. "there was a riddle on that box in the dead man's hands that I presume you saw downstairs. The answer is water, and I think we're supposed to dunk this box in it, or my name ain't Puppykicker. Let's see if that's going to help. By the way, I take it that you 4 dealt with that joker upstairs? Is the baron alive? I don't think that lady of his is going to stop screaming until she sees him, and she screams like a vulture. And I hope he employs a good healer in this fancy tower." he adds, scratching irritably at the wound.