Todd v Bolgrim Part II (Jan 18, 2009)

Day two... three days to the wedding.

The party wakes up and does a series of activities this day:

1. They research Stone Giants and their weaknesses
2. Bolgrim begins research on Vampires... (how made, special abilities, weaknesses etc.)
3. Anna, having researched the cagewrights for the last three weeks gives quite a report on their goings on. although, they were really, really good at hiding their tracks. It took her to use her bardic knowledge skill often.
4. Looked to see if church of Pelor is still Hallowed. (it still is)

Some key members of the party took part in activities over the course of the day:

Churchkey:

Had a private meeting with Anna, Her parents (the Taskerhills), his parents (Matrius) and Bolgrim. They move up the "private wedding" to tomorrow (day 3).

They are going to have the wedding in the morning at the Taskerhills. There will be a small number of guests, some will be key noble families from Caulderon. This being agreed upon and details being worked out takes a few hours.

Barrette:

Barrette scouts around the city and digs around a few of his old haunts (the Bath house, Chisle, and of course his Bar) During his sortie into the city Barrette finds out the following:

• Vhelantrue hasn't been seen in 4 days. Just disapeared
• Skellerag has taken control of the city
• Noble families have begun to argue. Accusations of all kinds are being batted back and forth between certain families including theft, infidelity and stolen wages. guards have had to break up a few fights amongst family workers.
• Regorge getting ready to have as many militia members as possible by "Day 5"

After all this... Everyone moves to the Taskerhill estate. The Matrius' home is far too damaged and no longer secure.

That night, everyone is sleeping lightly. Churchkey is tossing and turning thinking of his eminent wedding. Bolgrim is awake worried about Todd the Vampire returning. Barrett is nervous about his profit margin and what is happening on Occipitus without his watchful eye. Pepper is wondering about Embril and his church... "What happened?" he thinks to himself. Connel is the only one who seems to be sleeping well.

all are awakened to the sounds of the city alarm. It takes all of about 10 seconds to blink the sleep out of your eyes and see the glow of a fire in the distance. On the recommendation of the Vanguard, the Taskerhills send out a runner to investigate. Once it is realized that the warehouses of Maavue are fire the Vanguard quickly realizes that they must act quickly.

The Stormblades are assembled as are the immediate family member of the Stormblades. They are to protect family members and the bodies of Kristoff and Alec. They also summon the Redshields. They are also helping to guard the family. However they don't show up until nearly 4:00 AM.

All the while, the spellcaster memorize their spells. Once memorized the group says their goodbyes and grimly sets out into the morning mist. It takes no more than a couple of minutes before they find themselves in front of the massive doors of WeeJas.

The group spends a minute or so chatting and coming up with a plan of action.

Donner and Barrette sneak up to the balcony. They quietly open the doors and survey the room. Standing under the balcony on either side of the Alter is a Stone Giant. They are literally standing statue still staring at the main doors. two pairs of low ranking members of the church are also spotted. They are hanging out on the balcony chatting with one another.

Barrett whispers down to the waiting party and says count to 30 or wait for the obvious signal. Then come in swinging. At this everyone springs into action:

Bolgrim summons the power of Pelor and everyones muscles tighten and grow. Churchkey blesses Barrett's weapon and Barretts caltrop is used as a focus for "silent" spell.

At this, Barrett and Donner sneak along the balcony. All the while, the rest of the Vanguard are casting buffs and readying for attack.

Barrett and Donner get to a corner and ready and on "three" charge the two unsuspecting victims. Barretts chain destroys the first guard so fast not even the look of surprise enters his eyes. Donner springs to Barrette's side and with a complicated set of finger strikes stuns the second guard.

Bolgrim and Pepper climb up to the Balcony.

Moments later Barrett's chain garrotes the guard and with a swift pull hundreds of lacerations accumulate to almost remove his head in a silent murder that paints the walls with blood. Donner, with Barrett on his back runs along the wall from Balcony to Balcony by using slippers of spider climbing. Again, the deadly lash causes mayhem. Unfortunately the blood and falling body parts causes one of the Stone Giants to yell. He then bends over a picks up a huge rock... perhaps 1' across. The Giant pulls his arm back when a chanting Bolgrim enters the room from the balcony. The air erupts with the buzz of a thousand blades wiping slashing. Sparks fly at the constant high pitched chink of the blades against the floor and the balcony forcing the Giant to step forward or be cut to ribbons. The blades also make a virtually impenetrable barrier from those approaching from the back side of the dais.

The mammoth front doors of the Cathedral of WeeJas push open as Churchkey moves into the room. One of the Giants glances briefly at Churchkey but chucks his cargo at Bolgrim. The stone shatters against the railing saving Bolgrim from certain bludgeoning. Pepper steps up from behind Bolgrim and with rage at the blaspheme of his church unleashes a bolt of raw electricity at the offending giant.

Donner, seeing what is happening easily flips over the railing and drops to the ground and activates the magic stored in his ring. Donner begins to grow into a giant himself. Meanwhile Barrett does a run around the balcony and does a face floor slide to stay out of rock throwing range/danger. Following behind Churchkey is the young muscular Connel... quickly seeing the danger in the room, he too calls upon the powers to cause him to match the stature of the the giants. The second giant, after seeing the damage done to his companion side arms a rock and it collides with Peppers head causing Pepper to stagger and blood to gush.

Trying to trap the stone giant against the blade barrier, Bolgrim summons the energy of the earth and quickly makes a 10' stone wall surrounding the giant on three sides.


Churchkey summons his mount while the second giant throws another rock at Donner. Donner deftly ducks around a support pillar. He then dashes out jumps into the air landing a number of blows and finishes by back handspringing back behind the pillar.

Pepper pulls forth a wand and 4 magical bolts streak through the air hitting the captured giant. Barrett unleashes his chain and in a crouch moves so he is above the giant in combat with Donner. Bolgrim casts a spell allowing him to see through any illusions or hidden items and begins scanning the room. The "captured giant" ducks into a protective position and yells in common, "We give up. Just let us go."

Not hearing the yell due to the silence spell, like a hovering gargoyle, Barrett springs death from above. The Giants head erupts in shredded flesh and blood. One of the hooks catches on a piece of skull and the giant collapses. Donner yells "Drop the Blade Barrier!" and looks ready to spring onto the dais. Pepper touches Bolgrim and in a blink of an eye they are on the main floor 100' from where they started standing behind Donner.

Connel and Churchkey charge up to the captured giant who is repeating his please for surrender. Unable to hear Barrett contiunes his movement along the balcony. Bolgrim complies with Donners request and with a wave of his hand the deadly barrier fades away. Donner quickly moves to the back of a dais and looks down a hall where a lone 1/2 orc is standing guard.

Churchkey takes command of the situation. Commanding Bolgrim and Pepper to move to the dais and removing the silence that isolates Barrett from communicating. As Bolgrim and Pepper move as commanded Bolgrim removes the silence... but not in time. The whip like speed and deadly accuracy of Barretts chain force the remaining giant to take his last breath. Connel move to the dais all the while keeping his eyes on the main doors and a side door. Donner yells to Churchkey that there are more guards located in the priest quarters and shuts the door enough to block sight and ranged weapons.

The group all consolidate at the door at the back of the dais. Churchkey closes the main doors to the church and rejoins the group.

Everyone readies and Donner squeezes himself down the corridor and enter the first room.  Dropping from the ceiling are three vampires.  They claw and scratch and Donner who amazingly doges and blocks the attacks.  Donner spins onto his back and with a flurry of fire imbued blows destroys two of the spawn.  

The last spawn tries to flee but finds a chain wrapped around its neck.  Churchkey has  made his way to the end of the corridor and cracks the armor of a 1/2 orc guard.  noting other 1/2 orcs further down the corridor he shrugs of the effects of a spell but takes a bit of a physical blow from a charging 1/2 orc.  

In an amazing show of courage, Pepper steps in front of Churchkey and an arc of lightening bounces down the corridor.  The 1/2 orcs jump and twitch but remain standing.  Seeing the limited use of being huge in this environment Donner shrinks and tumbles into the corridor evading swings by newly arrived spawn.

At this, they hear a figure at the back of the corridor yell, "everyone attack!".  Bolgrim gets swarmed.  Life force is sucked from his veins and blood stains the floor.  Barrett yells at Pepper, "Get the Fuck out of the way!"

Churchkey is belining for Bolgrim yelling "Keep a sharp eye out!"

Before Pepper can react to Barrett's command the 1/2 orc pounds on him draggin his blade deep into Pepper flesh.  Pepper flashes with anger with a quick spatter of magic, Peppers hand turns black and undead. The new appendage lashes out and the 1/2 orc squrms and dehydrades in seconds.  His skin wrinkles and eys buldge all the while Peppers wounds heal.  The 1/2 orc drops to the floor and pepper steps back half a dozen steps.

Barrett then leaps through the door previously occupied by Pepper and lashes at the Spawn on Donner.

Now with added help, Donner swiftly takes out the remainding two spawn.  Barrett and Donner notice that when they explode into dust they also become "gas clouds" and float away.

Bolgrim, being overwhelmed by spawn calls upon the power of Pelor and with a blinding flash two of the spawn expode into large piles of dust that scatter around the room.

Then....

the whole group is envelped in pitch black.  Connel, who has been keeping rear guard yells," whats going on in there?"

Pepper yells at the now envelped cleric of weejas, "Calamus Vel, you hav ebeen judged unworthy by WeeJas.  Prepare to meet her.  He then further heals and steps backwards and eventual out of the darkness next to Connel.

Bolgrim brings the power of daylight into the room and the darkness shatters like a mirror falling to the ground in small shards and then evaporating away.  Bolgrim looks around the room and sees the invisible form of Todd flying at him with immense speed.  Bolgrim points and Todd claws at Bolgrim.  The sound of his claws on the armor screech and ping. 

Churchkey smites another vamp but it doesn't drop.  Barrett winds up and the lash of the chain catches and tangles thunking into the floor. 

Donner, locked in combat with Calimus Vel flurries at the multiple images of him.  Calimus sends out a claw of magic that misses Donner by a hair.   

Bolgrim screams "Todd in here and tried to turn"  The power of the temple seems to block the powers of Pelor and although a mighty blow to most undead, Todd scoffs.  However, Connel, hearing Bolgrim call charges down the corridor into the room with Bolgrim. 

Churchkey also charges into the room leaving a 1/2 orc behind in the hall, and pushes all the positive energy into Todd.  Todd shakes and veins raise out of his skin.   Ignoring Churchkey, Todd puts up an aggressive assault on Bolgrim.  Bolgrim can feel the venomous touch of the vampire and his life force sags.  Todd’s wounds heal as Bolgrim’s drop. 

Donner is now surrounded.  He stuns Calamus and then in a flurry takes him down.  Donner then spins and his foot connects with a charging 1/2 orcs throat. 

Pepper steps next to Todd and with a quick spell fails to cast so steps out... Bolgrim tries to use positive healing on Todd, but with the chaos in the room he is unable to concentrate.  Churchkey summons powers of good and just cant seem to hit.  Todd blocks and dodges with deft ability.  Barret taking up a flanking position has a hard time hitting as well, but finally places the chain firmly upon Todds flesh and tears chuncks away.

Connel runs back to the dias (as there are too many people in the room).  He guards the enterence to this hall way when what he heard becomes wildly apparent.  Hundredes, perhaps thousands of bats swarm out of the main chamber and slam into Connel and flood the hallway.

Donner easily dispaches the 1/2 orc while Pepper slits Calamus Vess' throat.

Todd, again steps toward the retreating Bolgrim through the team of blinding bats and claws at Bolgrims face.  The flesh rips from Bolgrim and Todds teeth find a vein, if only for a few seconds.  Bolgrim is able to push him off, but is panting with exhaustion.  Bolgrim tries to cast but too much is happening for him to cast.

Churchkey again tries to hit, but Todd seems to dodge and block like a combat expert.  Barrett takes advantage of Todd's concetration on Churchkey and with two swift strikes tears cloathing from flesh and flesh from bone.

Donner tumbles in trying to protect Bolgrim and hits Todd.  Todd turns into a bat quickly disapearing into the swarm.  the thousand bats begin biting and scraching at the party.  

Bolgrim still able to see through illusions takes a feable swing at the newly transformed Todd and tries to point him out.  The group begins to follow the swarms of bats out of the hallway and to the side tower to up stairs.

what will happen next?

the party is wounded.  Todd is wounded but what is upstairs?  Will Bolgrim survive?  Will the Vangard of Caulderon vanquish the evil located in WeeJas?

Stay tuned!