TFRPG: The Bright and the Bastards

[TheDiceMustRoll]

Since the floor isn't moving too fast, you're able to get a bead on the floor and strike it with a tossed rock. It seems to "roll" and you hear a quiet voice say "nnngh fughogfff" followed by a loud belch.

 

[Andnjord]

Since the floor isn't moving too fast, you're able to get a bead on the floor and strike it with a tossed rock. It seems to "roll" and you hear a quiet voice say "nnngh fughogfff" followed by a loud belch.

I speak loudly at the the floor:

Hello there!

 

[TheDiceMustRoll]

You do not receive a reply. Whatever shape was there appears to roll "back" over.

 

[baud]

Since the floor isn't moving too fast, you're able to get a bead on the floor and strike it with a tossed rock. It seems to "roll" and you hear a quiet voice say "nnngh fughogfff" followed by a loud belch.

did the floor just told us to fuck of?

Ben readies his sling, just in case

 

[GrafvonMoltke]

Search in the back of my mind for some information that might help with our current predicament.

 

[TheDiceMustRoll]

You stand there thinking really hard about your predicament. You're undead, and have no experience with City Culture, so you ponder it somewhat. The movement slows down somewhat.

 

[xerosum]

The Cave is very small. You're able to circumnavigate around and be back at the other side of the cave mouth easily. Only the center, near where the midden heaps are is unexplored. Your lich friend is standing there while the ground appears to be moving.

Since the floor isn't moving too fast, you're able to get a bead on the floor and strike it with a tossed rock. It seems to "roll" and you hear a quiet voice say "nnngh fughogfff" followed by a loud belch.

(Molag will move toward the center with the torch and try to reveal the last bit of unexplored area)
"Hello Mr. F! Can I call you Mr. F? We mean you no harm! We just want to pass through! I'll even trade you some delicious brew for passage! If you can belch you can drink right!?!"
(Molag still has tumbler at the ready)

 

[TheDiceMustRoll]

As far as you can tell, there's a man in dishevelled clothing sleeping, facing away from both you and the Lich. His chest rises and falls slowly and he occasionally makes a small furtive twitch, muttering things in his sleep. The clothing seems worn down in a strange way. He does not respond to your queries.

 

[Andnjord]

As far as you can tell, there's a man in dishevelled clothing sleeping, facing away from both you and the Lich. His chest rises and falls slowly and he occasionally makes a small furtive twitch, muttering things in his sleep. The clothing seems worn down in a strange way. He does not respond to your queries.

I approach the sleeping man, and lightly touch his arm to try and detect his alignement. while Molag gets closer to the center of the cave.

 

[TheDiceMustRoll]

As far as you can tell, there's a man in dishevelled clothing sleeping, facing away from both you and the Lich. His chest rises and falls slowly and he occasionally makes a small furtive twitch, muttering things in his sleep. The clothing seems worn down in a strange way. He does not respond to your queries.

I approach the sleeping man, and lightly touch his arm to try and detect his alignement. while Molag gets closer to the center of the cave.

You detect this thing's alignment as Neutral. It's also not a human, as when you touch the man, he rolls over and reveals his front. It's not a man at all, but some kind of monstrosity. It's entire body is split open with long hook-like teeth around the "edges" of its "mouth". Inside there seem to hundreds of spiked villi.

A Long Ropey Tongue Wraps Around Your Ankle: Please make an Agility save.

 

[Andnjord]

A Long Ropey Tongue Wraps Around Your Ankle: Please make an Agility save.

 

[TheDiceMustRoll]

Andnjord rolled a 9, making the save.

You nimbly leap out of the way. The "man" rolls over and opens wider. More tongue-like appendages snake out of its "mouth" and begin to move towards you guys.

Roll for Initiative.

Current Initiative Order:
The Lich
Molag
Ben
Andnjord
Monster

 

[xerosum]

 

[baud]

so the monster acts last

 

[Andnjord]

Who wants to bet 5 iron spikes against a torch that the creature doesn't get to take its turn?

 

[baud]

Who wants to bet 5 iron spikes against a torch that the creature doesn't get to take its turn?

well, I have two torches and could use some more equipment... On the other hand, I'm not ready to test how lethal the combat is, so I'm not taking the bet.

 

[TheDiceMustRoll]

Combat Summary:
The Adventurers engaged the monster quickly. The Lich placed his rotting hand on the body of the creature before it could react and began to draw its life essence into itself. The creature suddenly felt cold, cold like the most northern wind, and a dark, horrific helplessness, becoming paralyzed from this. Molag wasted no time and fired a single shot from his trusty weapon, Tumbler, and blew a massive hole in its body. Black blood began to fill the floor of the chamber as the creature attempted to use its manipulator arms again, desperately willing life back into them. Andnjord kneeled next to the pitiful thing and gently placed his hand on the body, and drained some life essence. Normally, a process like this would have little effect on the dead and dying, the best metaphor would be taking a bucket of water from a river, but Andnjord steeled himself and rejected the gift, returning it to the creature with a steely heart. The creature was burnt by its own life essence, and let out a wet scream and its insides rotted and died.

What do you do?

 

[Andnjord]

I take time to examine the body thoroughly, trying to understand what kind of depraved creature this might have been.

Lich....just what did you do to it?

 

[GrafvonMoltke]

Nothing compared to what I will do to it.

Raise it from the dead and make it my bitch.

 

[Andnjord]

Raise it from the dead and make it my bitch.

Correction, I examine the walking body thoroughly, trying to repress my urge to melt its face again

 

[TheDiceMustRoll]

Nothing compared to what I will do to it.

Raise it from the dead and make it my bitch.

You remember something. It's instinctual, or is it? Are you remembering years of lessons, or something else? You place your hands onto the flesh of the creature and feel something pouring out of your body into this creature. It judders and twitches, and you feel this strange essence forcing the creature's body to contort and twist into automation. Bones crack and re-arrange themselves, and it slowly morphs into a human-esque shape, the mouth closes shut, still leaking blood, and the clothing (some kind of membrane that only looks like clothing from far away) tightens against the body. The tongues/manipulator tendrils pull inside the body and are used to ambulate the arms, giving them a disturbing, fleshy arm look. The magic seems to do its absolute best to make it look "alive" but the creature was not human, so its more like you crushed it into shape.

It stands there, motionless and you realize it's a construct for you to use. You can feel other powers calling...you remember the shades.

 

[xerosum]

Combat Summary:
What do you do?

(Molag reloads Tumbler and takes the measure of his companions.)

"Offer a man a drink and he tries to tentacle you?! That's no way to treat a guest where I'm from! We did kill it right? It looks like it's still moving.. You trying to make yourself a boyfriend there lad?"

 

[Andnjord]

Nothing compared to what I will do to it.
Raise it from the dead and make it my bitch.

As the creature lurches back up with macabre magic, memories start flooding Andnjord's mind. Visions of screaming dwarves running desperately in dark, cramped subterrenean corridors, chased by obscured shadows in the distance. A silver warhammer flashes in the distance, too soon snuffed out by the darkness. As the visions threaten to engulf him, Andnjord clutches something beneath his beard, and manages to regain his composure.

I will keep an eye on you...lich.

 

[baud]

Too slow to act, Ben stayed passive during the combat, letting the others deal with the creature. Then unnerved by the bloodshed and display of magic, including the necromancy, he pukes a little to the side. Wiping his mouth, he turns to the others

Sorry about this, I'm not used to monsters, violence and magic, especially in quick succession. But what was that monster doing here? Was it guarding the entrance or just laying in wait for something or someone to stumble into the cavern?

 

[TheDiceMustRoll]

Too slow to act, Ben stayed passive during the combat, letting the others deal with the creature. Then unnerved by the bloodshed and display of magic, including the necromancy, he pukes a little to the side. Wiping his mouth, he turns to the others

Sorry about this, I'm not used to monsters, violence and magic, especially in quick succession. But what was that monster doing here? Was it guarding the entrance or just laying in wait for something or someone to stumble into the cavern?

You ask this while looking at the floor. The zombie is currently standing on a trap door. It may have been a guardian of some kind.