View source for Holes/Session 42

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<screenplay>
INT. Dorgin guardhouse - day

Radek finally finishes building his thing at some point in the afternoon. It is a robot, big enough to be held in both hands, called the Navigator. Its purpose is to scout passage within Holes and map and plot a course through the space in-between, thus establishing a reliable means of travel for the party to potentially use.

'''''Ganelon''' (Radek): Basically, it exists to find destinations we actually want rather than leaving that up to the fickle whims of fate, and then give us a way to reach them. That's the theory behind it, anyways.

'''''Ganelon''' (Radek): And for posterity, it stalks the earth on steel talons.

Radek nods and adds the Navigator to his impossible collection of things.

The a squid adorning his cranium gibbers as he gathers up and leaves to find the others. A pair of midgets follow him closely.


EXT. Dorgin street - day

The party gathers around as Greibel, returned from his scouting, draws out a [[:File:Holes_dorgin_area_map.jpg|map of everything he saw]] in the dirt.

RADEK
So you found a wizard's tower? How did you know it belonged to a wizard?

GREIBEL
I've played D&D before. I know what a wizard's tower looks like. All pointy at the top and made out of stone. And it also has 'WIZA D' written in big letter over the door.

Radek shakes his head in disappointment at the very idea of a wizard branding his door so ostentatiously.

GREIBEL
The most effective marketing strategy is an accessible one.

Even so, they make up their minds to check it out and head out.

Rhu brings up the rear singing a happy song.

Amadi joins in Rhu's singing. She seems perfectly fine now, chipper and dandy. One would never know how she has a headache, or how very on fire Greible looks to her. And the things Dawn is remembering... well, she doesn't even care, now does she?


EXT. Wizard's tower - day

The tower is tall and white and old, crumbling a bit at the edges. Pointy as it is, it's unclear if it was supposed to be this pointy, or something broke off; the entire thing looks a bit run down, especially higher up.

Over the door, in big letters, is something that might say 'wizard'.

Aside from a narrow band of dead soil around the base of the tower, the forest is grown almost right up against it.

RADEK
...Knock on the door please, Gravy.

The Gravedigger knocks on the door. His knock booms inside the tower.

RHU
We don't have to knock. Greibel could fly in through the window or something.

THE GRAVEDIGGER
It's polite.
(yelling)
HELLLOOOOOOO?

Something seems to be rustling inside. The rustling gets louder after the hello. Nobody actually responds.

Amadi hums.

The Gravedigger whistles, not at all in tune with Amadi. He has no musical talent whatsoever. Small sponges have disdain for his musical ability.

Radek frowns and checks the place for security systems. ''(rolled 23, 22 arcana)'' He finds a trigger for a magical trap that seems to be slightly busted, and disables it. ''(rolled 26 arcana)''

RADEK
The security should be disabled, now. Shoddy piece of work - I doubt the owner's home.

Radek strokes his beard and grins.

RHU
I say we go in. We've announced our presence. We've knocked politely. If there's something in there, it's probably smaller than a dragon.

The Gravedigger tries the door, but it's either locked or jammed.

RADEK
Let's hope the failing defenses have kept whatever's inside undisturbed, hmm?

The Gravedigger walks back to Radek and turns smartly on his heel.

THE GRAVEDIGGER
GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAVES.

The Gravedigger charges the door. ''(rolled 26 strength)'' He sends the door flying off its hinges, winds up on top of it, and surfs about halfway into the tower atop the door.

THE GRAVEDIGGER
YEAAAAAAAAHHHHHH.


INT. Wizard's tower foyer - day


Apheori (GM): So the inside of the tower... there's some odd boxes and stuff, and it looks like a few of the walls are literally crumbling, and a spiral staircase around the wall.
Except for some reason, EVERYTHING is covered in butterflies.
Except where you and the door smashed a bunch of them. That's just smashed butterflies.

THE GRAVEDIGGER
AMAAAAAAAAADI
Apheori (GM): I'll draw it in a moment.

THE GRAVEDIGGER
BUGS!
Gaurav: Live butterflies?
Apheori (GM): Flapping.
Gaurav: Huh.
Apheori (GM): Those are stairs and boxes. >.>

AMADI
BUGS!
Frezak (GM): AAAAND dinner.
I'll be back..... eventually.
>.>
Gaurav: Do the stairs go up as well as down?
Amadi flaps her arms like a butterfly.
Apheori (GM): Lunchtime!
Radek leans in to peer through the destroyed entrance.
Radek grumbles.

RADEK
...Bugs.
Apheori (GM): Oh, stairs at this level only seem to go up.
Place your icons. Where all are you?
Gaurav looks around for any signs of tunnels or basements
Ganelon: Leering in like the Grinch.
Rhu:
rolling d20+15 perception check
(
9
)
+15
=
24
Apheori (GM): Rhu: There are too many butterflies. You can't tell.
So much bright and colour...
Ganelon: Specifically,
http://i.imgur.com/Ley4nOH.png
Like this.
Apheori (GM): Adorable.
Gaurav: Gan: heh.
Apheori (GM): Aiight, since Frezak's dunnering, I'ma lunch. Assuming we all come back alive, you can get attacked later.
Rhu tries to wave some butterflies away from him.
Gaurav: Then I shall shower. brb!
Bear Soup Guy: I shall also shower. Brb also!
Gaurav: Back!
Apheori (GM): So there's this attack I really want Dave to use, and just reading the description makes me want to fall over giggling.
Frezak (GM): What's the power?
Apheori (GM): You'll see if she uses it.
It'll be obvious because she'll fall over giggling in the process.
Ganelon: ...So long as she's not attacking /us/...
Apheori (GM): That will depend on how you react.
Gaurav: o.0
Apheori (GM): Is everyone back, or is this another one of Rob's three-hour showers?
Ganelon: Nice rhyme.
Gaurav: I think we can be relied on to react in the worst way possible.
Apheori (GM): Thanks. It was totally unintentional.
And yes, yes you can. >.<
Bear Soup Guy: I'm back!
Mostly
Gaurav: Yay!
Bear Soup Guy: I can't be blamed for my long showers. My hair has a mind of its own and it DEMANDS to be treated at its own pace.
Ganelon: Your hair makes demands of you?
Bah!
Bear Soup Guy: Sometimes I think it watches me
Ganelon: Take a knife to it!
Bear Soup Guy: :O
Frezak (GM): WHAT
Ganelon: I'm saying STAB YOUR HAIR.
Apheori (GM): ALRIGHT.
Well, the shower thing was mostly just a jab at how you leave yourself as RAHB|shower on IRC for hours sometimes. XD
Bear Soup Guy: =D
Apheori (GM): He has good hair! Don't say that.
Bear Soup Guy: I do do that
Apheori (GM): Okay, we're all here, and I've mostly gotten the image of Dawn and Coraline slappy-fighting each other yelling nonsense like BRING IT and JERKFACE and YOU'RE GOING DOWN out of my head...
WIZARD'S TOWER FULL OF BUTTERFLIES.
They're everywhere, rustling.
Rhu was trying to search through them, without much luck.
Greibel or Radek could probably try to see if there's more to them.
Gaurav: Greibel could commune with them.
Apheori (GM): But Radek is being the Grinch right now and doesn't want to head in.
What about Amadi?
Ganelon: Aaw, very well.
He'll skulk inside and inspect the butterflies.
Bear Soup Guy: Greibel will shout at the heavens with his arms outstretched as his figure dramatically turns into butterflies in a Greibel shape that slowly dissipate and float in over Radek's shoulder to mingle with the other butterflies
Mostly to annoy Radek
Apheori (GM): Gan: They look like butterflies. There's clearly something magical about them, but without doing more it's hard to tell what. They certainly don't seem to have much purpose.
Gaurav: 0.0
Apheori (GM): Heeee.
Gaurav: I'm not sure I've ever approved of anything this much in my entire life.
Radek:
rolling 1d20+3 Intimidate
(
9
)
+3
=
12
Radek scowls intensely.
Apheori (GM): If Ellemerr is gone, I'm just going to say Amadi will head in as well and dance in the butterflies and greibel.
With Dave following her around very, very closely.
Is the intimidate directed at anyone in particular?
Ganelon: Only so much as one can scowl at a swarm of butterflies.
Apheori (GM): Alas, it doesn't actually work, unless the butterflies decide on their own to suddenly be polite.

RADEK
Someone catch one of these for me.
A closer inspection is warranted.
Apheori (GM): Butterflies are landing on Amadi rather like mad, starting to outright cover her.
Frezak (GM): I GRAB BUTTERFLIES
Apheori (GM): Depending on what you mean by catch, that could qualify.
Frezak (GM): In fact.
I just take Amadi to radek.
Ganelon: Now that's using your noggin.
Frezak (GM): And plonk her down in front of him.
And beam.
Apheori (GM): Rhu: Perception.
Radek strokes his beard again and leans in close to have a look.
Radek:
rolling 1d20+16 Arcana
(
13
)
+16
=
29
Bear Soup Guy: Gravy catching butterflies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECAHDrKfxqs#t=14
Apheori (GM): The butterflies appear to have been charmed to live long on magic and swarm the place. It's not the same sort of magic at all as the door's defenses, however, so you think it was probably done by someone else entirely.

RADEK
...What a flamboyant waste of resources these must have been.
Their lifespans have been extended and they've been given a directive to linger here.
Apheori (GM): RHU.
Gaurav: Sorry!
rolling d20+15 perception
(
6
)
+15
=
21
Apheori (GM): You realise you can hear something coming from the box next to you.
Rhu waves others over and points to the box.
Radek raises an eyebrow and gestures Gravy to look behind him.
Frezak (GM): Gravy obeys!
And picks up a golf club.
Apheori (GM): What does he do, go and open it?
Gaurav: I've just gotten a phone call from work, so I'll be a little distracted for the next few minutes.
Frezak (GM): Pretty much.
I /suppose/ he could poke it a bit first.
Or use his GravyVision if you guys think he needs to.
Ellemerr: I'm sorry! I was busy with something and we were having a break and I didn't notice we stopped having a break and you should've poked me on skype, but I might be here now.
Gaurav: It's always time for GravyVision.
Bear Soup Guy: It's okay Merr, I'm butterflies now and we're all inside the tower. That's pretty much all you missed.
Apheori (GM): Ellemerr: Sorry.
You're dancing with butterflies.
Bear Soup Guy: And that
Apheori (GM): Gravy: vision.
Frezak (GM):
rolling 1D20+14+10
(
5
)
+14+10
=
29
Apheori (GM): Your rolls suck.
But there seems to be something reasonably Rhu-sized hiding in the box.
Seriously, though, roll better. I want to start having you see around corners.
Frezak (GM): I would love to roll better.
Apheori (GM): Aye. >.<
Open it?
Or smash it? Or something else?
Ganelon: Radek's, uh...
Decently capable of fiddling with locks.
Frezak (GM): I smack it and go HELLOOOOOOO?
Apheori (GM): A stone man bursts out and tries to punch you.
Initiative!
Ganelon:
rolling 1d20+3
(
5
)
+3
=
8
Gaurav: 0.0
Ganelon: Just roll with it, man!
Frezak (GM): 23
I WAS BORN FOR THIS
Apheori (GM): This cant be right. O_o
Yeah, I can't do math.
Frezak (GM): Can I help?
Apheori (GM): I mis-added.
It's fine.
Rhu:
rolling d20+6 initiative
(
16
)
+6
=
22
Bear Soup Guy: Oh, initiative, right
Ellemerr:
rolling 1d20 + 3
(
6
)
+3
=
9
Bear Soup Guy: RIGHT!
rolling 1d20+3
(
13
)
+3
=
16
Frezak (GM): by Midriin Dave has 28?
Apheori (GM): The stone thing unfortunately spent all its surprise round breaking out of the box.
I DON'T KNOW HOW.
Can she range at something through other characters' squares?
Ganelon: Yeah.
Enemies grant cover to other enemies, but we don't.
So you can't shoot past a hostile target without a -2 penalty, basically. Shooting past a friendly is fine.
And shooting into a melee in this edition is also fine.
Apheori (GM): She sets it on fire on yells something completely incoherent. It sounds like a tirade about graves.

THE GRAVEDIGGER
GRAVES?
Frezak (GM): I'll mark the thing first;
Then use Earthgrasp Strike.
rolling 1D20+10
(
19
)
+10
=
29
AC
Oh, cool.
Apheori (GM): Yeah.
Frezak (GM):
rolling 1D10+5
(
10
)
+5
=
15
ANd it is prone.
It can't stand up on it's next turn.
And when it stands it takes another D10+5
Apheori (GM): Blimey.
Frezak (GM): It's a really cool power.
And that's my turn complete.
Apheori (GM): Rhu!
Frezak (GM): Kiiiiil iiiiiit
Murrrrderrrrr
Gaurav: Can I skip? Still on call.
Skip -> delay. Thing.
Frezak (GM): That's totally a valid action.
Apheori (GM): Sure, whatever.
Butterflies!
Frezak (GM): Butterflies of FIERY DESTRUCTION
Apheori (GM): BSG!
Bear Soup Guy: SORRY I'M BACK
Am I still butterflies?
Apheori (GM): Yes.
But you can stop being. Or you can keep. Or whatever.
Bear Soup Guy: Well I think I will wild shape to stop being
mainly because I don't think I have any other minor actions anyway
And then I will immediately Fire Hawk that thing
rolling 1d20+8 vs reflex
(
3
)
+8
=
11
ouch
Apheori (GM): Yeah, too low.
Anything happen anyway?
Ganelon: Nah, this is a mere at-will.
Bear Soup Guy: Yeah what he said
Then I move there and end turn
Apheori (GM): Oh, the stone thing should have hammered Gravy when he knocked it prone.
Oops.
Well, it gets up.
Frezak (GM): it can't.
Not this turn.
It hit it SO HARD
Apheori (GM): It's not
Eh?
Frezak (GM): It can't get up this turn.
Apheori (GM): How is it not its turn?
Wait, what happened?
Frezak (GM): I used a power that means that it can't get up until it's NEXT turn.
Apheori (GM): Oh, okay.
I can't read.
Can things do anything when they're prone?
Frezak (GM): most things.
They can't do most move actions.
They have to crawl, which is half speed and provokes, and they can't shift.
They have a -2 to any attacks they make.
Apheori (GM): They can still attack?
Frezak (GM): yup
Gaurav: I'm done making money, so Rhu can go next (after the stone monster thing) if you like.
Apheori (GM): I'd ask how the hell that's possible, but none of this makes sense anyway, so okay.
rolling 1d20 + 11 - 2 vs gravy ac
(
7
)
+11-2
=
16
Frezak (GM): imagine that I just pounded him to his groin into the floor.
that's a miss.
Ganelon: It's not like his arms are pinned.
Apheori (GM): Yeah, but you need space to swing/use most weapons.
Ganelon: Well, sure, but too much realism means convoluted rules.
Apheori (GM): Especially when everyone's so primitive.
Gaurav: He might just be stomping down on Gravy's foot with his fist or something.
Or with his feet.
Apheori (GM): It also has a go at bashing at Gravy's feet with its shield.
rolling 1d20 + 9 -2
(
15
)
+9-2
=
22
vs fort
Frezak (GM): yeah, that'll hit.
Apheori (GM): It knocks Gravy down too.
rolling 2d6 + 3 damage
(
2
+
3
)
+3
=
8
Ganelon: Shall I interrupt that?
Frezak (GM): nah
Ganelon: Just to mitigate damage, you understand.
It's not like Freya's lovely attack-stopper.
But so be it.
Apheori (GM): Amadi turn, then.
Gaurav: Could Rhu take his turn here?
Apheori (GM): Go for it.
Gaurav: I can't delay all the way to my next action, only to the end of the round, and it seems like a good idea to sit right after the stone thing.
Thanks!
Minor: Oath of Enmity against the stone thing. I specifically refer to him as stalagtite-droppings.
Standard: Radiant Vengeance, whee.
Does Rhu have a Holy Symbol? Does his little icon of Hazz' count?
Apheori (GM): I dunno, does he?
Gaurav: The sheet you made for him says he does, so I'm going to use that.
Apheori (GM): Okay.
Rhu:
rolling d20+10 Bond of Retribution: Wisdom vs AC
(
7
)
+10
=
17
Gaurav: eeks
Frezak (GM): technically you have a +2 on that since he's prone.
Apheori (GM): No.
Gaurav: Also, I can re-roll
Apheori (GM): That one failed anyway.
Gaurav:
rolling d20+10
(
18
)
+10
=
28
better?
Frezak (GM): that might be just enough.
Apheori (GM): Much better.
Gaurav: Yay!
Apheori (GM): A hit.
Rhu:
rolling 2d6+5 damage
(
6
+
5
)
+5
=
16
Gaurav: Could somebody move Rhu to just before Amadi on the turn order?
Frezak (GM): done
Gaurav: Rhu's not going to move anywhere. End of turn.
Apheori (GM): Amadi is distracted by butterflies.
Ellemerr: So very distracted.
Apheori (GM): She sings something weird which is entirely unhelpful.
Gaurav: Will save!
Apheori (GM): Unless you want your turn, that's it.
Okay?
OKAY?
Ellemerr: Singing is good.
Apheori (GM): Seriously, though, if you need to do other stuff...
RADEK.
Ellemerr: Only sleep. >.> I'll... do that, then...
Bear Soup Guy: Sleep well!
Apheori (GM): Sweet nightmares, crazy person.
Ganelon: I should sleep /soon/ too, but I'm hardly passing out at the keyboard here, so let's see.
Gaurav: Take care, Ellemerr!
Ganelon: Ah, why not. Scouring Weapon.
This is the acid bullet.
(Rifle Weapon Attack 24)
-2 because he's shooting a prone target, against AC.
Apheori (GM): Yeah.
Whatsit do?
Ganelon:
rolling 2d10+6
(
10
+
2
)
+6
=
18
And the golem has... a -2 to its AC until the end of my next turn.
Put a little... broken shield thingy on it.
This thingy.
Apheori (GM): Naw, the thing's dead.
Ganelon: Oh.
Apheori (GM): Sorry, forgot the bloodied icon. >.<
I SUCK.
Gaurav: Do we want to kill it? We might want to ask it questions first.
Or Radek might be able to retrieve the answers from its corpse. Either-or.
Apheori (GM): Okay, it's very rapidly becoming dead, and is completely clonked.
Decide quickly.
Gaurav: How did the butterflies respond to the stone thing?
Apheori (GM): They flapped around it and tried to avoid it.
Ganelon: Uh...
Check for sentience?
If it's a golem we're not learning much that requires it to be functional.
Apheori (GM): It appears to at least have been sentient, though who knows what getting beat up by Gravy did to its higher brain functions.
Not a golem. You don't know what it is, though you could try to find out.
Radek rushes over to stop the thing from breaking down from damage that was almost definitely not his fault.
Gaurav: I wonder what living in a box for maybe years did to its mind.
Ganelon: Oh, don't worry.
Apheori (GM): Arcana or heal.
Ganelon: We have a translator for that.
Definitely Arcana, even if he is trained in Heal, too.

RADEK
Prepare yourselves. I'm going to attempt to restore functionality to the thing.

THE GRAVEDIGGER
So that it can hit us again?

RADEK
...It's intelligent. Well, capable of thought, at least.
And not much threat, besides.
rolling 1d20+16 Arcana
(
5
)
+16
=
21
Apheori (GM): It's like Dave and Amadi!
Ganelon: I dunno, Dave might be a threat.
Gaurav: Dave has a ridiculously dangerous rabbit in her pocket.
And Amadi ... can sing.
Apheori (GM): Aiight, you manage to put out the flames and stop the breakdown of the stone guy's parts. It's like it's some sort of converted creature, originally organic, but then turned to stone later.

RADEK
I thought this was a golem at first glance. It looks like it used to be organic.
...What a curious process.

RHU
What was it in a box for?

RADEK
Better to ask the thing itself.

Rhu tries to poke it with a finger. This has no effect whatsoever.
</screenplay>

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