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Comment
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doggius
Kezib Ahitub
Posts: 269
(3/14/03 9:57 am)
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Re: Big Honkin' Stairs
Kezib, seemingly torn says "While I agree with Sangraal, that if such a large army came forth, and has disappeared, the villagers might be in danger, yet, I also feel that we are so close to our destination that I dont want to leave."
As if he has made up his mind, "Im going forth, with Yimris" He says as a matter of factly
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yucatanyeti
Sangraal
Posts: 351
(3/14/03 10:57 am)
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Re: Big Honkin' Stairs
[OOC: Then if everybody wants to go in the mountain lets go.]
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Halle Dunn
Atan Finith Ring
Posts: 335
(3/14/03 12:37 pm)
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Re: Big Honkin' Stairs
Atan is clearly amazed at the built ramp upon initial discovery, but due to the rust and oak wood he surmises that it was not built by Broo for seige. But who built it and why is still a question he would like answered.
Atan begins cautiously moving up the ramp, hugging closely to the inside wall, bow in hand, arrow knocked but not drawn.
[OOC - I know we have devised our party plan for travelling in frontal assualt mode, but I think we may want to modify it should we want some form of stealth. All the elves and Draxim I know are stealthy enough to fill an advanced scout position. Any one will do. I will volunteer Atan, as will surely Yimris, Draxim and Meneloss. Suggestions please, and maybe this would be better posted on the OOC thread. Gotta go. Flying home.]
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mikedobbs
Yimris
Posts: 144
(3/14/03 2:50 pm)
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Re: Big Honkin' Stairs
[ OOC - is there even a possibility of being sneaky about this? I would think even the blindest broo in the world could keep an eye on a gigantic staircase. ]
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Tarondor
Madragar
Posts: 324
(3/14/03 2:54 pm)
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Re: Big Honkin' Stairs
[Call me crazy, but I think Halle might have been planning for -after- the stairs. Say, once we got inside the giant's castle.]
Madragar shrugs and proceeds up the stairs.
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mikedobbs
Yimris
Posts: 145
(3/14/03 8:27 pm)
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Re: Big Honkin' Stairs
[ OOC - Crazy bastard. Well, you asked. ]
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Halle Dunn
Atan Finith Ring
Posts: 336
(3/14/03 9:06 pm)
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Craziness
[Yes, after the stairs. We stand out like a sore thumb on the ramp. I think it would be useful to have a guy on point.]
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Meneloss
Meneloss Erednim
Posts: 424
(3/14/03 9:44 pm)
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Re: Craziness
Meneloss falls in at the rear of the group. He is scanning back every so often to check for signs of life. His sword is drawn at the ready.
"This ramp is clearly more than a week old. Yet the others who have been here before never mentioned anything about it. This is strange indeed." Meneloss mutters aloud.
[OOC: Atan, why don't you make an alternate sneaky marching order. I don't like the idea of a lone scout. Too easy for that one to get whacked and nobody hears or knows about it. Pairs are best. What about you and Yimris? Meneloss and Draxim can be the alternates...]
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yucatanyeti
Sangraal
Posts: 352
(3/17/03 9:07 am)
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Re: Craziness
Staring up at the maw of Old Kurlew for what seems like eternity Sangraal glances around to see everyone else doing the same.
"By Yelms grace, let us go" he says as he hefts his flail upon his shoulder and starts up the ramp.
[OOC: Sangraal is scanning, listening, expecting broo to pop out at any minute.]
[ Lets go guys! standard formation then we'll move in to Halles scouting formation when we have cleared the first room! Go! Go! Go!.....Upham..Wheres Upham?]
Edited by: yucatanyeti at: 3/17/03 6:17:40 am
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Jubilex
The Faceless Lord of Chaos
Posts: 1196
(3/17/03 9:49 am)
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Upward..
Using the rusted iron slats for traction, the group begins to scale the massive ramp. The upper edges of each slat are well worn, the thick mahagony rust chipped off to reveal gleaming iron beneath... further indication that though the ramps are old they have been used, heavily and recently. The stairway/ramp is thirty feet wide for most of its ascent. The rough rock wall to the east is around twenty feet high, and to the west the mountain rises high above.
The first broo body the group comes upon is bloated and mangled by carrion eating birds. Its eyes and tongue have been pulled from its head and what's left of its slick, purple organs spill from the open cavity of its abdomen. The beast's legs have been crushed flat, and are nothing but empty bags of rot.
Keeping to the cliff wall, the group ascends. They come upon several broo bodies, each showing signs of being crushed or otherwise mangled by a massive blunt object. There are also signs of arrow-fire coming from the top of the ramp and Atan quickly recognizes the arrows as Merek Lek manufacture.
"See the fletching," he says. "That's old Gyrvan's work or I'm a dwarven mop-squeezer."
Several hundred feet later, with the long expanse of the ramp behind them, the group reaches the top. Atan pokes his head around a corner of the rock ledge and quickly recoils, his face pale and his breathing quick. The elf resists the urge to vomit and puts his head in his hands to recover.
Yimris then takes a look for himself, but instead of recoiling he simply stands and walks onto the ledge. The group follows.
The oblong ledge is hundreds of feet long and, like the stairs, is hidden from the lower slopes of the mountain by a rough wall of stone. There are many dead broo, perhaps a hundred or more, piled against the back wall of the ledge along with stacks of their crude weapons. There are many human and elven corpses as well, still clad in the greys and greens of the Merek Lek. Some of them, however, clearly did not die in battle.
Not far from the top of the ramp stands a cluster of boulders on which are tied a dozen of the doomed woodsmen. Their bodies are mutilated and green with corruption, victims of the malevolent attentions of victorious broo. Some appear to have been bitten to death, others pulled apart by the merciless ropes, others have had their intestines pulled out with iron hooks. The boulders are slick with blood, urine and excrement.
Other corpses lay scattered here and there along with shattered bows and quivers of arrows. None of the dead elves and humans are unmolested, and each is bloated and discolored with some kind of unnatural corruption.
The expansive ledge extends along the mountain to the south, ending at an enormous, open stone door.
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yucatanyeti
Sangraal
Posts: 353
(3/17/03 10:00 am)
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Re: Craziness
"Merciful Yelm." Sangraal mutters in horror as he crests the ramp. Warding himself, he makes the sign Lumina before murmuring a short plea to Yelm to guide these fallen to Humakts arm.
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doggius
Kezib Ahitub
Posts: 273
(3/17/03 10:14 am)
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Re: Upward..
"By the gods" Kezib whispers, seeing the horrific scenery before him. Kezib, looks to the sky and prays to Yelm, for safety for him and his friends. Kezib also says a little prayer for the fallen of this obvious great battle.
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Meneloss
Meneloss Erednim
Posts: 426
(3/17/03 10:30 am)
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Re: Upward..
Meneloss immediately pulls his dagger and works at the ropes holding the mutilated corpses. Despite his emotions he manages to hiss "Lets cut them down at least!" His pale skin is flushed red from anger. His left ear is red from the lobe to its pointed tip. He looks at his dumbfounded and shocked companions "Come on then, we cannot leave them tied up like this. Help me cut them down."
Edited by: Jubilex at: 3/17/03 7:36:59 am
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Jubilex
The Faceless Lord of Chaos
Posts: 1197
(3/17/03 10:39 am)
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Re: Upward..
Meneloss rushes forward into the macabre scene and is hit in the face by a wave of foul, noxious air. The combination of rotting flesh, urine, excrement, and blood is overwhelming and he has barely one rope cut before Meneloss comes tumbling back to the ramp. The elf steadies himself against the rock wall as he vomits his breakfast onto the cold earth.
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Meneloss
Meneloss Erednim
Posts: 427
(3/17/03 11:25 am)
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Re: Upward..
Doubled over, Meneloss retches untill every last bit of food and water is gone followed by dry heaving for nearly a minute. He wipes the dribbles of vomit from his chin on his cloak. Catching his breath he drinks some water from his goatskin. Finally he pants "Sangraal, is there no boon from the Gods you can call upon to remove the stench? I fear I cannot stomach another go at those ropes."
Edited by: Meneloss at: 3/17/03 8:35:18 am
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Halle Dunn
Atan Finith Ring
Posts: 338
(3/17/03 11:26 am)
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Re: Upward..
Atan pauses at the top of the ramp, his body convulses slightly as he holds down the rising bile. Eyes tearing from the stench of rot, he whistles a low note.
Catching Yimirs's attention he motions with one hand towards the southern entrance. Bow up, arrow knocked and quarter drawn Atan advances. Sliding left towards the entrance, he peers into the dark opening.
[The gigantic stone doors are actually several hundred feet away across a field strewn with bloated, rotting corpses. It will take time and a strong stomach to traverse that distance. - GM]
Edited by: Jubilex at: 3/17/03 8:34:49 am
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Kenner
Draxim
Posts: 388
(3/17/03 12:03 pm)
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Sniff, sniff. Did someone step in something?
Draxim's eyes tear up. "It's the stench" he insists when someone gives him a sympathetic look. Nobody buys it.
After a time he gets hold of himself, and goes to each of the elves in turn. "This shall not go unavenged." he vows.
He takes out a handkerchief and ties it tightly around his nose and mouth.
"Learned this crawling around in the sewers as a lad..." he let's the thought trail off. He begins a mental inventory of the foodstuffs they have brought to see if there is anything to soak the face mask in to obfuscate the smell such as vinegar, wine, or lemon...[GM?]
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Halle Dunn
Atan Finith Ring
Posts: 339
(3/17/03 1:13 pm)
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Gag
Gagging, Atan is forced to stop well short of his goal. Turning towards the party, "This is worst then that infernal porkbread."
"Draxim is right. Something to mask the smell or maybe a breeze to blow it aside."
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Meneloss
Meneloss Erednim
Posts: 428
(3/17/03 1:40 pm)
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Re: Gag
Meneloss rinses his mouth out again and spits out the odd chunks of undigested food still lingering in his mouth. "Lets go one way or another! Either we turn back to find something to cover the stench or lets run across this field into yon door. Standing here is only going to make us all sick. Lets go now!" He fights back the urge to vomit again.
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Jubilex
The Faceless Lord of Chaos
Posts: 1198
(3/17/03 1:48 pm)
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Re: Gag
No one seems able to produce anything that can mask the hideous stench. Luckily the cold weather clothing includes a thick wool scarf that, when held against the mouth, blocks the worst of it. All anyone can smell is sheep.
"This is as far as we go friends," Harek declares. "I wish you well beneath the mountain. We will await your return in the pine forest."
Kildeer steps up to Ruig and exchanges a few words in dwarvish. Then both Harek and Kildeer head back down the ramp.
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