Chapter 4: Shadows and Piercing Light

[MonkeyWrench]

Rand looks Whitsell over, thinking for a moment. He glances back to Deceidon and Flynn, as well as the other party members, investigating each one. He then takes another step back, getting closer to the wall and shadows before saying cautiously, "I will hand it over to Elethil, what he does with it does not matter to me as much, as long as I know I am not handing it over to any of you."

[Grognardsw]

Deceidon nods at Whitsell's words.

Flynn says, hand on hilt: "You are the newcomers here, of an unusual race. If you need to have Elethil give it to us, okay."

[MonkeyWrench]

Deceidon nods at Whitsell's words.

Flynn says, hand on hilt: "You are the newcomers here, of an unusual race. If you need to have Elethil give it to us, okay."

Rand is human.

[Zhym]

"None of us would seem to have more of a need for the orb than the others," says Elethil in his usual slow, measured tones as he lifts himself off of the unconscious mage's body. "We are all stuck in this place. We all want out. And we all suspect that the orb is the way to do that. None of us, I hope, wants to see the orb returned to Fenrin. Rand is as fit to hold the orb for the moment as anyone—perhaps more so. He alone has expressed a willingness to give it up instead of demanding its possession."

"There is another factor we should consider. We do not know what the evil mage did just before we knocked him out. He might have manged a spell of possession, mind control, or suggestion. Any of us, no matter how trustworthy in other circumstances, could be acting under that mage's spell. I say this not to sow dissension and suspicion, for that is the last thing we need, but to offer a reason why we should be exceedingly careful."

"I suggest that before we do anything else, we discuss our intentions. What do we do with this thing? Destroy it, if we can? Use it, if we can determine how? Find someone who might be able to help us understand it?"

"This is only a hunch," he adds, "but I would suggest keeping it wrapped in cloth until we decide what we plan to do with it. Perhaps it is so carefully swaddled because merely touching it or gazing upon it would activate it. If it sent us back to our own world, would we return in Fenrin's study? I for one am not eager for a second meeting with that wizard until I am prepared for it."

[MonkeyWrench]

Rand remains quiet as Elethil speaks, As he listens his eyes never leave each member of the group for too long, having no trust for anyone after their last encounter. Once Elethil is finished speaking Rand will cautiously speak up, "I want an explanation as well..." Rand then keeps his posture in a readied state before continuing on, "I have no intentions with anything. I have no mission here nor am I obligated to do anything. My only concern is staying alive long enough to stop whatever is happening here and to getting out in one piece. I stayed with you to stop these... cultists, because it is the right thing to do, I have no agenda... Something I know cannot be said for the rest of you..."

[Rukellian]

As the group discusses intentions, agendas and trust, the room's torches flicker violently once more, a gust of wind blasting against the group. Captain Hal braces himself and stands in front of Amberlynn and his archer guard, half expecting some demon to show itself. No such thing appears. "The elf speaks some truth... that mage definitely did something before being knocked out. The air in here is unnatural, dangerously so. It might be a spell, or dare I say a different kind of summoning?"

Monkeywrench, please provide a strength check to hold onto your clothed item.

Actions!

[Zhym]

Strength check? Maybe Elethil should have taken the orb!

[MonkeyWrench]

Rand Strength(9) Check: [1d20] = 19

[Rukellian]

The gusts of wind are too much for the thief to handle and he looses his grip on the clothed item. It is wrenched from his grasp and thrown up into the air. To everyone's surprise, the cloth is just that, a cloth. No orb is found bouncing to the floor or in the air. It is at this moment that a howl echoes through the dimly lit room, the sort of wail in the wind that foretells the cry of a wild animal. All four torches in the center of the room are blown out and all that remains is the group's torch.

Rand is slammed against the wall and feels as if his pack is being searched.

Actions!

[Grognardsw]

Flynn's takes a two-handed grip on his sword, looking for an enemy to hew. "Back to back!" he yells a battle formation to prevent rear-attacks.

Deceidon looks and listens about the floor where the theoretical orb would land, hoping noise may give its location. He wonders if it is invisible like he thought Rand was invisible in the ziggurat. He notes Rand's wrestling about like something is pulling his backpack.

[onlyme]

Whitsell is still fuming over not being given the orb for safety. He backs up to assist the others.

[Zhym]

Elethil sees Rand wrestling with his backpack and tries to help. He'll attempt to attack whatever is pulling at the pack.

Long sword vs. invis. (THAC0 16): [1d20+3] = 8+3 = 11, Dmg: [1d8+9] = 3+9 = 12 (S/M) [1d12+9] = 1+9 = 10 (L)

Roll already reflects -4 for attacking an invisible opponent.

[MonkeyWrench]

Rand takes his dagger and stabs at the air behind and around him, hoping to get whatever is grappling him away or injure it somehow.

Dagger: [1d20] = 17, Damage: [1d4] = 3

[Rukellian]

Sorry for waiting so long on this action sequence, I was hoping that Dizlexus would come back some time soon. Doesn't look like it though.

Rand's dagger arcs in the air, but fails to hit anything. Elithil tries to take advantage of the invisible commotion but fails to strike the creature as well. Elithil is suddenly raked by what feels like a claw, taking a large cut to the chest (12 hit points lost).

Sunshine, acts quickly and fires off two arrows at where he thinks is the invisible target, using Elithil's injury as a guide post. Success! Both arrows hits his target. Though they continue to fly through, the creature howls in pain with each arrow penetrating it, dealing a combined damage of 9.

The archer guard is not as confident as the elf and refrains from firing into melee in such a dimly lit area. Captain Hal rushes towards where everyone else is, his longsword drawn and charging at the spot right between Rand (the human thief) and the elf Elithil.

Whitsell and Flynn keeps an eye out for any other attackers, their backs against each other forming a barrier of sort. Meanwhile Deceidon searches the ground for an orb that may have clattered onto the ground. He spots nothing of the sort. He takes notice of the backpack struggle between Rand and the invisible foe.

Actions!

Note: when fighting invisible foes in OSRIC, you take a -2 to hit penalty not a -4.

[Zhym]

Elethil fights through the injury. He keeps trying to battle the invisible opponent.

Long sword v. Invis (THAC0 16): [1d20+5] = 9+5 = 14, Dmg: [1d8+9] = 4+9 = 13 (S/M) [1d12+9] = 3+9 = 12 (L)
Long sword v. Invis (THAC0 16): [1d20+5] = 19+5 = 24, Dmg: [1d8+9] = 3+9 = 12 (S/M) [1d12+9] = 11+9 = 20 (L)

Rolls already include -2 for attacking an invisible opponent.

[onlyme]

Can others join in the melee without risking hurting each other? I would assume in reality (lol) fighting an invisible person would cause misses to be harder to control, hitting friendlies.

[MonkeyWrench]

Rand attempts to twist around, still battling the invisible creature over his backpack. He once again attempts to use his dagger and cut where the creatures arms or appendages would be.

Dagger: [1d20] = 17, Damage: [1d4] = 1

Rand also attempts to break the creatures hold on his backpack, grunting out, "Get off of me!"
Rand Strength(9) Check: [1d20] = 8

[Rukellian]

Can others join in the melee without risking hurting each other? I would assume in reality (lol) fighting an invisible person would cause misses to be harder to control, hitting friendlies.

Well, the way I see it is that your character is essentially swinging at air here, hoping to hit a creature that they think is there. So long as no one stumbles into your cutting range, you should be fine. It's not tight quarters fighting, its more poor visual conditions. The torch is nearby, providing some sense of where everyone is currently at, but if the fight drags into the shadows, then we will have to worry about rolling for hitting friendlies.

[onlyme]

Whitsell clumbsily swings at the air, missing even the air itself...
long sword attack [1d20+4] = 1+4 = 5 thac017; damage [1d8+4] = 3+4 = 7

[Rukellian]

I will just need some actions from Flynn and Deceidon, will ghost Sunshine for now.