The Harbinger of Ferocity

Post a random fact about yourself.

The film Falling Down is familiar to me in a somber way as it reminds me of some of those I will not see again.

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

I am all for us continuing forward and managing to do something. I would like to continue Brannor's portion of the story and character at the very least. While I have other games, namely for other editions, I much prefer not to leave something unfinished or a character and plot not still going forward. My presence is never truly far.

D&D 3.5e - The Marches of the Savage Realm

With the potential of reward or further danger behind them, the investigating trio continued onward back to the other two who had remained on watch. There would be future time for the chest and whatever its contents were, if any at all, once they were done destroying the vermin that had indeed constructed such an elaborate domicile. In a way, one could almost feel sympathy for the creatures as Tracan did, that their lives and home were being destroyed as foul and odd little beasts as they were. They had done nothing but seemingly what nature commanded of them and the people of the Marches launched out in destruction of them and this land again. A vicious, terrible cycle of its own variety - surely having lived on this stead even might well have come with dealing with such alarmingly dangerous intrusions from time to time.

The lantern and oil set, still safely burning inside its cage, the push into the next tunnel which the rats had came and attempted to flee pulled them at a sharp angle down further. The earth here was lighter, harder, far more dense and much more gnawed by the teeth of the creatures, and soon fed into another chamber with many awaiting mouths - both literal and figurative. Many young rats, with their beady, ferocious eyes gleamed at them, as did their wardens. Two very large dire rats attended the nest and immediately went to its defense, followed by the even smaller though equally aggressive ones.

Like a surging horde of fur and flesh propelled upon skittering, pale feet, they charged with wild abandon at them, plunging in a charge. Beaumont only had a moment of hesitation before he dared pull up his shield to feel the first rat slam into him and almost knock him down, the frenzied clawing scraping at its steely face. Shunting the beast down with a slap of the shield once it slid off, he raised his sword to retaliate only to feel the biting pain of the other rat hunched around his balancing leg and its head latched on to his arm. Its sharp teeth digging at him, de Brey had the wherewithal to interpose himself as best he could and take on the tide of smaller deadly vermin as they hurried behind the warren's keepers.

Swiping them back at first, the other man in armor was accosted by the horde of six, who slipped in and around him, gnawing at a leg or two only to be kicked and thrown off, batted with the butt of the mace or the lip of a shield. Despite this, they had drawn blood from him but de Brey's heroics had spared the paladin from perhaps disappearing under the surge of gnawing, gashing fangs. While younger, it was clear they were as monstrous as their elders, and the way in which they besieged the soldier made it clear dispatching the larger threats sooner rather than later would be essential...

Effects

InItiative Table
Creatures - 13
Gorosk - 12
Renault - 12
Tracan - 7
Vah'lux - 2
Quentin - 1

Two of the larger, more mature dire rats charge Renault Beaumont, one of whom misses its attack. The other hits and deals 2 piercing damage on a bite, wounding him further. Quentin de Brey is attacked by six younger dire rats and is critically threatened, but not confirmed against, so only struck by one. Another by almost equally sheer chance beats his Armor Class. He takes 1 then 2 more points of piercing damage from their bites as well.

@BangoSkank@Hellion@Lord Wyron@TyrannosaursRex

7th Heaven - A Tavern Roleplay

As I said previously elsewhere, I am absolutely interested given the liberties involved.

Post a random fact about yourself.

Through the past few months I have spent more time legitimately carrying out my duties than I had in the year prior. The loss of most of the manpower meant that among us who remained - while the others were in limbo - every little instance and incident was demanding, having assumed the roles beneath us again.

Post a random fact about yourself.

The last of the nobility in my bloodline ended when one of my ancestors willingly surrendered their station and allegiance to the crown to become a colonel of the Continental Army.

D&D 3.5e - The Marches of the Savage Realm

The charred chest almost seemed to peer back at the half orc as he came close to its fireworn surface. Its hard, aged steel, its body buried in the dirt and debris of the rat's lair. It did indeed stand out, what with its rusted edges and being the only thing of any apparent value beyond the odds and ends the overgrown vermin had collected here. Yet as he seemed to investigate it, a hand reaching out to touch it, he paused instinctively at the call of the man behind him, a firm warning of "I don't trust it....stay on your guard."

Vah'lux had the scent of blood on her mind, the call of the hunt plucking at the back of her thoughts. It drove her to keep fighting, to find something to put her axe through in her fury in this cramped, foul place. It all too much reminded her of the pit the orcs sentenced her to at her youngest, fending off emaciated beasts, wounded prisoners, anything and everything to toughen her up for the real events. It was, rightfully, the type of thing that tried her spirit, her heart. This place of shadows in flickering lantern light and its wicked air, it called back to her place of traumatizing events past.

Her focus was briefly shifted as the man-orc stepped around the apparent mystery. It kept her grounded again while only serving the remind her that this was trivial work for her, let alone being trapped in literal burrows underground, scurrying like the animals she was tasked with slaying unlike the proud warrior she should be. Gorosk, however, was pleased to discover that so far as his eyes could pierce the darkness and the faint lantern light, no obvious signs of anything wrong made themselves evident with the chest. This was ignoring the refuse of old armor, weapons, grass, food, bone and rot that the rats had collected, of course. Regardless, it appeared the chest sunk in the mud was moved here with purpose and likely had its original resting place in the farmhouse, perhaps even hidden in the wall that led to this chamber now.

Calling out for the others to join him, only Tracan stood apart, idly holding her bow again and seemingly listening for the rats like a viper poised to strike.

Effects

Gorosk notices nothing out of the ordinary in his Search (Int) check toward the chest.

@BangoSkank@Hellion@Lord Wyron@TyrannosaursRex

Post a random fact about yourself.

The date of my birth coincides with a waning crescent moon.

D&D 3.5e - The Marches of the Savage Realm

The crack of the quarterstaff on the ground as it fell was accompanied by the dull thud of the monster's head under the half-blood's fist. It's body gravely wounded by the chop of the goliath's handaxe, a weapon that appeared small only when wielded by her hands, it fell for good this time and did not stir even slightly. If the monk had finished the beast off or if it were merely in the process of dying when he struck none would ever be any the wiser - there would be no answer. As it slumped, one of the rats flung its filthy, snarling body past the dulled paladin whose blade missed, its menacing bite however small failing to strike the orcish man as he shouldered it back. Another failed attack, as was the one that led the fighter to swinging his axe again in a fell chop, only for an arrow to do the work for him, fired by the elf.

This left one lone dire rat that reared up, its beady eyes as wide as they could be, and in a moment it bolted to flee. It may well have been an animal but it was not stupid. It had seen and experienced the slaughter for itself and as it went to run, the wounded man and the giant of a woman found themselves at moment's notice prepared to swing. If it escaped, it might be gone for good, never to trouble them again, or many more rats might suddenly be upon them...

Yet there was no chance for it to, for as the holy warrior surging with need for redemption struck with lunging slash of his steely blade, his hit slowed the rat and hacked at its back. It fell, limp from the middle down, only to instantly be decapitated by the brutal hack of Vah'lux's axe. No more, it failed in its efforts.

Effects

Vah'lux will hit and near outright kill the last large rat, only for Gorosk to finish it off. The fighting man that is de Brey misses his attack, only to have Tracan fire an arrow to kill the second to last and smaller dire rat while the other one flees. It provokes an attack of opportunity from the characters of @Lord Wyron and @Hellion. If they do not hit and kill the rat, it will escape.

Beaumont and Vah'lux's attacks of opportunity will kill the fleeing rat outright. The party has defeated the encounter and all characters have earned 150 Experience Points. They may now explore the area before moving on.

@BangoSkank@Hellion@Lord Wyron@TyrannosaursRex

Post a random fact about yourself.

The tallest mountain I have summited was over fourteen-thousand feet.