Ajantis chuckles. "You two could make good coin with this act."
OOC: I love the idea of an Anomen and Alora double act. A classic odd couple like Abbot and Costello. I can see then being the bottom of the bill all over the Sword Coast.
"More hypocrisy," Jaheira grunted, for paladins were, she presumed, nothing but big phonies. Here was Ajantis, thinking of coin, while there was Anomen, thinking of... well, nothing.
OOC: Sorry, for the delay AGAIN. A tree fell on my porch (thanks to all this LOVELY rain we've been having!) and broke in half. I tried moving it and it's too unwieldy to heave over the side. Hurt my back trying to do it, too. :P Now, if only it would break in half again.... Anyhow, I am waiting on a friend to move it (not to mention for the ache in my back to "Hit the road, jack..."
The stairs are dusty and dark, but the door at the top has light coming in around the edges. The door is neither trapped nor locked.
It seems that the room at the top of the stairs was once a cozy haven, a warm refuge from the elements and wind. Now, however, it offers no refuge from either, as the top has either fallen or been ripped away, leaving the room open to the sky, and the windows are empty, with only the smallest bits of glass remaining in the panes.
The glass is dusty and dirty, and the window spaces are empty, reminding you of empty sockets that the wind is driven through, creating a loud moan that rises and falls with the gusts. All the remaining furniture, mostly chairs and a table, is ruined, and several large crows are perched on the collapsed remains of the roof, perched on the jagged remains of the roof ribs. They stare at you and caw menacingly.
The Crows launch themselves across the space at you.
Two of the crows are actually HUGE, as in, with a wingspan of 5+ feet, and there are six normal-sized crows as well.
The crows win initiative, which puts Alora (as she was in the lead), Anomen, Jaheira and Ajantis in their sights (I am assuming, since they posted most recently, they would be in the lead).
The crows win initiative. Both the huge crows hit, and two of the smaller crows as well. One of the HUGE crows hits Jaheira in the forehead for a point of damage, but rings her bell (so to speak) pretty badly. (only 1 damage, but dazed), The second hits Anomen in the face, but just misses his eyes. He takes 2 damage.
Alora takes a long scratch on her forearm for 2 points damage, and Ajantis a single point scratch on his knuckles.
If those birds attack us again, I am going to rip their filthy wings off their backs and force them to hobble along on their legs.
*readies his spear*
OOC: Now you're just trying too hard.
"Rip their filthy wings off their backs... Hobble along on their legs..."
Aerie would have followed Alora's lead and loaded her sling, but she couldn't move. Anomen's careless threat resounded in her mind, over and over again until she was back on the operation table. Paralysis potion froze her veins, turned her skin to almost stone, even as they cut and ripped, cut and ripped...
Can't move. Panic seized her as she took in sharp, quick breaths. I can't move!
*attacks the large one that attacked his face with his spear*
OOC: I know, I was trying too hard, but i have been sitting on that one since we entered the valley and started getting attacked by flying creatures. had to I tell you.
Jaheira shoulders Aerie out of the way with an exhortation to, "Make yourself useful," along the way. She had no patience for flighty people, who were unable (or unwilling) to take the fight to the enemy. Regardless, these birds were about to become familiar with her club.
OOC: I knew that was coming from Aerie as soon as I saw Anomen...
OOC: Well ya can't ever say I act out of character!
What anyone else might have taken as merely a rude shove aside, Jaheira's push jolted through Aerie as if she'd just been back-handed across the cheek. She stumbled, tried to use her quarterstaff for support, but fell to the ground. Dozens of tiny rocks and pebbles dug into her skin, biting into her just as sharply as the saw all those years ago.
At least she could move again, but staring down at her own palms--still trembling--made her angry. Her fingers curled around the tiny granules, nails clenching dirt.
Why? Aerie thought. Why must the slavers hold me hostage even now!?
She reached for that anger and grasped it tight. Slowly, she used her staff to push herself back on her feet. Once she was certain she wouldn't fall again, she picked up a stone and loaded her sling.
Alora misses. Anomen misses. Arkanis hits, killing the bird that attacked Anomen's face. Jaheira, still stunned, pushes Aerie aside and finds herself falling flat on her fundament (butt). Everyone else misses.
Party wins initiative. Once again, Alora misses. Anomen kills the second large crow. Arkanis misses. Jaheira misses again. Aerie misses. Minsc kills another crow, and a second on the backswing. Ajantis kills a third crow. Neera strikes out with her staff and smacks a crow down HARD.
There are two crows left, all large in size (i.e. not HUGE). They miss, cawing angrily.
Then the party wins initiative again. Again, Alora misses. Anomen kills one of the two remaining crows. Jaheira hits herself in the leg (rolled a 1 EPIC FAIL) for 2 damage. Everyone else misses, but Minsc pulls it out of the park with his last blow, turning the last crow into a splattering of feathers.
Breathing heavily, you find yourself finally unmolested by birds. The room also contains the remains of a table, four chairs. The hearth is empty, and an open, empty chest lies beneath a broken, ruined window. it's slightly off-true. On the surviving roof timbers, you see several nests. Muted noises come from two of them.
Two of the nests contain two recently-hatched baby crows. There are a pair of Gold earrings (one each in different nests) worth 10gp each, a tiger-eye gem (worth about 25gp), some gold and silver threads that appear to have been ripped from a tapestry (worth about 15gp), and a hematite stone on a silver chain (worth 10gp).
"Hold on their Arkanis. We haven't looked everywhere yet."
Alora will check up the chimney to see if anything has been hidden there. She will also check the window trying to work out why it is off-true. Was it built that way or has it shifted?
There is a leather pouch tucked under the chest. Inside is a bunch of very creased sheets of parchment, stained with age. The only thing legible on the paper is a drawing of a snake.
"We keep finding drawings of snakes. It feels like someone is trying to tell us something but I don't know what it is. You were right the first time Arkanis, there is nothing interesting here. Let's carry on down the hill."
Comments
OOC: I love the idea of an Anomen and Alora double act. A classic odd couple like Abbot and Costello. I can see then being the bottom of the bill all over the Sword Coast.
The stairs are dusty and dark, but the door at the top has light coming in around the edges. The door is neither trapped nor locked.
It seems that the room at the top of the stairs was once a cozy haven, a warm refuge from the elements and wind. Now, however, it offers no refuge from either, as the top has either fallen or been ripped away, leaving the room open to the sky, and the windows are empty, with only the smallest bits of glass remaining in the panes.
The glass is dusty and dirty, and the window spaces are empty, reminding you of empty sockets that the wind is driven through, creating a loud moan that rises and falls with the gusts. All the remaining furniture, mostly chairs and a table, is ruined, and several large crows are perched on the collapsed remains of the roof, perched on the jagged remains of the roof ribs. They stare at you and caw menacingly.
*readies his spear*
Two of the crows are actually HUGE, as in, with a wingspan of 5+ feet, and there are six normal-sized crows as well.
The crows win initiative, which puts Alora (as she was in the lead), Anomen, Jaheira and Ajantis in their sights (I am assuming, since they posted most recently, they would be in the lead).
The crows win initiative. Both the huge crows hit, and two of the smaller crows as well. One of the HUGE crows hits Jaheira in the forehead for a point of damage, but rings her bell (so to speak) pretty badly. (only 1 damage, but dazed), The second hits Anomen in the face, but just misses his eyes. He takes 2 damage.
Alora takes a long scratch on her forearm for 2 points damage, and Ajantis a single point scratch on his knuckles.
"Rip their filthy wings off their backs... Hobble along on their legs..."
Aerie would have followed Alora's lead and loaded her sling, but she couldn't move. Anomen's careless threat resounded in her mind, over and over again until she was back on the operation table. Paralysis potion froze her veins, turned her skin to almost stone, even as they cut and ripped, cut and ripped...
Can't move. Panic seized her as she took in sharp, quick breaths. I can't move!
OOC: Aerie takes no actions.
*attacks the large one that attacked his face with his spear*
OOC: I know, I was trying too hard, but i have been sitting on that one since we entered the valley and started getting attacked by flying creatures. had to I tell you.
OOC: You live an adventureous life @LadyRhian , good to hear, that you are still intact.
Arkanis joins beating the angry birds and he tries to avert the attention from the paralized Aerie.
"Taste steel, black featherballs!"
OOC: I knew that was coming from Aerie as soon as I saw Anomen...
What anyone else might have taken as merely a rude shove aside, Jaheira's push jolted through Aerie as if she'd just been back-handed across the cheek. She stumbled, tried to use her quarterstaff for support, but fell to the ground. Dozens of tiny rocks and pebbles dug into her skin, biting into her just as sharply as the saw all those years ago.
At least she could move again, but staring down at her own palms--still trembling--made her angry. Her fingers curled around the tiny granules, nails clenching dirt.
Why? Aerie thought. Why must the slavers hold me hostage even now!?
She reached for that anger and grasped it tight. Slowly, she used her staff to push herself back on her feet. Once she was certain she wouldn't fall again, she picked up a stone and loaded her sling.
Party wins initiative. Once again, Alora misses. Anomen kills the second large crow. Arkanis misses. Jaheira misses again. Aerie misses. Minsc kills another crow, and a second on the backswing. Ajantis kills a third crow. Neera strikes out with her staff and smacks a crow down HARD.
There are two crows left, all large in size (i.e. not HUGE). They miss, cawing angrily.
Then the party wins initiative again. Again, Alora misses. Anomen kills one of the two remaining crows. Jaheira hits herself in the leg (rolled a 1 EPIC FAIL) for 2 damage. Everyone else misses, but Minsc pulls it out of the park with his last blow, turning the last crow into a splattering of feathers.
Breathing heavily, you find yourself finally unmolested by birds. The room also contains the remains of a table, four chairs. The hearth is empty, and an open, empty chest lies beneath a broken, ruined window. it's slightly off-true. On the surviving roof timbers, you see several nests. Muted noises come from two of them.
Arkanis investigates the contents of the nests.
"Nothing truly interesting here, let's move on!"
Alora will check up the chimney to see if anything has been hidden there. She will also check the window trying to work out why it is off-true. Was it built that way or has it shifted?
"Are you alright, Miss Aerie?"
*pats blood away from over his left eye*