Heroes for Hire (Courage Wolf and GargantuaBlarg)

[Tiffanian]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

"Give me a minute!" Zahra shouted, to no one in particular as her eyes scanned the maze. She wanted to get a big picture on where they were, and where she was to be leading them. There seemed to be something of a larger than normal space between the machines somewhere between them, so she slowly shouted out "You two, to your left, first right after, and second left after that! Kor, forward and first left! You’ll run into each other that way!" She would keep watching them, to give them further directions if they needed them and also to make sure nothing snuck up on them. She didn’t like the gathering of all the bugs, not one little bit.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

"That's new," the knight idly commented as her zombie thrall spontaneously dissolved into beetles and fled her side. Aliens, who could figure them out? In truth, it was probably a very bad sign, but at least the tower was proving to be more than a boring graveyard filled with traps. If it came to it, she'd kill the things as many times as she had to and have fun doing so. It was the gemini's question reminded her that they were still in the maze, which meant more aimless searching for an exit to said maze. The reminder put a damper on her otherwise uplifted mood.

And then there was more yelling from the ceiling and another part of the maze. So much yelling. Surely there was a better way to communicate over such distances than shouting. Begrudgingly, Aurelia pulled her helmet off and stowed it under her sword arm in order to better hear. Her sourness quickly dissolved, however, as she realized that the archer was giving them directions. It was another upturn in an otherwise frustrating slog through the machines. "The cat knows the way, it seems," she suggested, before following Zahra's instructions in an effort to reconnect with the mage and her golem.

Spoiler

Aurelia follows Zahra's directions!

Stats (with +15 from blessing): 11 Speed, 74 Dodge, 18 Armor, 41 Resistance, 23 Perception (Does have Night Eyes), 52 Grapple

Cheat Sheet

When dealing HP damage: On a killing blow she makes a 21 + (Damage done/10)*Tier vs enemy resistance check against all opponents within 30 feet and in line of sight of her. If they fail they're unable to attack that round. If they fail twice they retreat or surrender.
When taking HP damage: 16 of her AV is due to Splint Mail, which has a DU of 6 and a TP of 50. She reduces damage dealt by /4 after armor due to her vampire mutation.

When dealing PP damage: She deals an additional +6 PP damage during penetrative sex due to Tight x3.
When taking PP Damage: She takes an additional +12 PP damage from Sensitive x3. She also has 5 fetishes but I'm not really sure how to list them here. >.>
Has Fertile (Pregnant on roll of 2 or more)

When taking EP damage: She takes an additional +4 EP damage from Open Soul.

She has foul aura, NPCs are more likely to distrust her.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Spoiler

Huldah: HP = 58, PP = 33, EP = 33, Status = Fine, Blessed X = 5

Kor'Ensiloth: HP = 42/68, PP = 78, EP = 6/89, Status = Injured, Lesser Strength (+22 Body), Lesser Strength (+22 Body), Blessed X = 5, Low on Energy

Zahra: HP = 54, PP = 40, EP = 38, Status = Fine, Blessed X = 5

Solidyn-Nolu: HP = 52/60, PP = 50, EP = 14/80, Status = Fine, Blessing X = 5, Has 3 Sorceresses

Aurelia Korort: HP = 104, PP = 43, EP = 47/105, Status = Fine, Paralyzed, Has 1 Zombie Minion, and a golem named Mason, Blessed X = 5

Up on the ceiling, Zahra and Solidyn were largely left alone, and thus got to watch their companions scurry around like rats from a position of relative safety and security. Under Zahra's careful direction, Kor and Mason moved to intercept Aurelia and Huldah, the two half vampires slamming bodily into one another as they both turned a corner at the same time, Kor at a full run and Aurelia moving quite quickly herself. Kor came away losing that particular contest, ending up sprawled out on his backside while the heavily armored death knight merely stumbled backwards slightly. Huldah and the sorceresses that Solidyn had summoned stopped before they could bowl the death knight over, and Mason paused midstep as he came around the opposite corner, carrying the other faerie on his shoulder.

From above, Zahra could see the mechanical wolf bounding easily over the machines up until he came to the stairs, which he leaped onto and then charged right up, vanishing into the hole at the top. The swarms of skittering machines all converged onto the machine that Aurelia and Huldah had entered earlier, vanishing from her sight. When the last swarm of them entered, some of them crawling down the walls from the holes that they had carved, the alarm stopped. The machines had all become substantially louder, particularly in that area, but nothing was coming out to attack any of them just yet. Zahra could easily lead the ones down below through the maze from where they were, as it was only a short journey to the stairs even if it was slightly winding, and that would allow them to proceed to the next floor.

Spoiler

Sorceress: Fine
Emi the Sorceress: Paralyzed, spent 6 EP, full health
Mason: 110 Body, 8 AV, taken 99 damage
Mechadog: Fine


Current number of allies: (all outside right now)

Ur-Wind Ramel
12 kobold gunners
9 satyr scouts
10 gruff thugs
Bob the Quartermaster. He also does stand up. And cooks.
3 Su-Ku-Ta snipers

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

A small grunt issued from the death knight as she collided with the other vampire. Heavy steel and years of training in shield combat won out, though, and she managed to keep her footing despite Kor's momentum. Quickly recovering, she shifted her helmet to rest beneath her other arm, returned her weapon to its scabbard, and offered her free gauntleted hand to Kor to assist him in standing up. "Fancy running into you," she quipped with a wry smile, born both of her ability to remain upright and her own little joke.

Whether the mage accepted that hand or not, her attention next turned to the golem carrying the faerie. "Come now, Mason, you can't pick up just anything you find lying in the maze. Who knows where it's been? Did I teach you no better?" She mock-scolded the animated being, though the paralyzed sorceress was probably feeling most of the mocking part of it. "If you want to keep a faerie then you're going to have to feed her, water her, train her, and give her walkies." Her small effort to match the quartermaster in his hobbies did much for her general mood, no matter how it was received by the others.

Beyond that, the knight made no comment regarding the sudden swell in their numbers, still too amused in her own little jokes to think too much of it. Barring any pressing comments or questions from the others, once her mirth had died down Aurelia simply waited for further directions from Zahra and prepared to act on them so that they might find their way out of the frustrating machine maze faster.

Spoiler

Aurelia follows Zahra's directions (when they come)...again!

Stats (with +15 from blessing): 11 Speed, 74 Dodge, 18 Armor, 41 Resistance, 23 Perception (Does have Night Eyes), 52 Grapple

Cheat Sheet

When dealing HP damage: On a killing blow she makes a 21 + (Damage done/10)*Tier vs enemy resistance check against all opponents within 30 feet and in line of sight of her. If they fail they're unable to attack that round. If they fail twice they retreat or surrender.
When taking HP damage: 16 of her AV is due to Splint Mail, which has a DU of 6 and a TP of 50. She reduces damage dealt by /2 after armor due to her damage reduction mutation.

When dealing PP damage: She deals an additional +6 PP damage during penetrative sex due to Tight x3.
When taking PP Damage: She takes an additional +12 PP damage from Sensitive x3. She also has 5 fetishes but I'm not really sure how to list them here. >.>
Has Fertile (Pregnant on roll of 2 or more)

When taking EP damage: She takes an additional +4 EP damage from Open Soul.

She has foul aura, NPCs are more likely to distrust her.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Kor let out a muffled "Ooof" As he hit what was basically the solid wall of Aurelia at a full sprint, bouncing off of her and flailing as he landed on his back. Taking the offered hand, he pulled himself to his feet and snickered as she teased the helpless sorceress her minion was carrying. "That's right! Very high maintenance pets." He said still chuckling.

"Seriously though, we need to hurry" He said quietly, following Aurelia now that he was back with at least someone to watch his back, and in his drained state, that was a blessing he wasn't about to overlook. "I'd rather not stay in this room if you don't mind!" He called up to the two on the ceiling, hoping for directions himself, the bugs were a bad sign...

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Huldah jumped and reached for her club when they came around the corner and the two vampires ran into each other, but she recognized the mage and calmed down again. "We should keep moving..." She said warily after the joking had died down some, looking around as if she expected the mass of tiny bugs to start coming out of the walls and swarm them. She glanced up at their companions on the ceiling and held her arms out in an exxagerated shrug, then pointed in a small circle. She didn't know if she could hear Zahra yelling over how much louder the room had gotten, but it was worth a shot, and pointing could work just as well.

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

"Guhh... look kiuuhZahra, I'm right about ready ta drop. Could you maybe usher them towards that door with the teensiest bit more urgency? I don't wanna let this enchantment go until we're all in one place again... but I'm gonna haveta if we don't hurry up," the giant spider woman blathered, emphasizing the last with a flourish at the machinery-covered floor below.

Solidyn started to make her way towards the stairs up, slowing if their ground team needed more instruction - but really, she wanted to get there soon. She was having a harder time keeping her footing, and if she slipped, she wanted to at least slip where she wouldn't break any important machinery.

She was pretty sure she wasn't going to be able to fit through that door, either... hopefully that Mason thing could do something about it, because standing around and waiting for Aurelia to shift a hole big enough through the ceiling for her or through the stairwell itself or whatever seemed quite inefficient. ...Actually, it seemed really inefficient for the rock-man to punch the stairs bigger, too. Confound her glorious massiveness, it was a pain sometimes.

Most of the time though it let her shoot cannonballs at stuff, though, so in the end it was a net gain.

Spoiler

Advance towards ye door! Worry about roaches, which no one set on fire like I asked, dread impending boss fight with no EP!

Upkeep: 3 EP/turn
(+15 bonus to attack rolls, dodge, and resistance)

Final stats (with +15 to dodge and res due to buff)
Dodge: 70
Armor: 28
Perception: 13
Speed: 8
Resistance: 48
A bonus of +9 VS Prone and +5 VS Stun or involuntary movement, also

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Spoiler

Huldah: HP = 58, PP = 33, EP = 33, Status = Fine, Blessed X = 5

Kor'Ensiloth: HP = 42/68, PP = 78, EP = 6/89, Status = Injured, Lesser Strength (+22 Body), Lesser Strength (+22 Body), Blessed X = 5, Low on Energy

Zahra: HP = 54, PP = 40, EP = 38, Status = Fine, Blessed X = 5

Solidyn-Nolu: HP = 52/60, PP = 50, EP = 11/80, Status = Fine, Blessing X = 5, Has 3 Sorceresses

Aurelia Korort: HP = 104, PP = 43, EP = 47/105, Status = Fine, Paralyzed, Has 1 Zombie Minion, and a golem named Mason, Blessed X = 5

The faerie on Mason's shoulder glared harshly down at the two half vampires as they shared their joke at her expense, but the other faerie who had been following Aurelia and Huldah through the maze joined in on their laughter. "Got turned into a pet by a rock~ That's a new low even for you Tilda!" she said between mocking titters, but the paralyzed fey woman couldn't muster the strength to do more than scowl at her. Once they had finished their petty insults and with Zahra's help, the rejoined group moved at a steady pace through the maze until they reached the bottom of the stairs.

Solidyn made it there first, the somewhat choppy footing on the ceiling not slowing her nearly as much as the circuitous route through which Zahra led the others. There was no barrier preventing them from ascending the stairs, though it was still impossible for Solidyn to get onto the winding metal steps or even through the hole at the top. Mason had the same problem, only without the benefit of being able to climb walls. As far as any of them could tell, including Zahra and Solidyn at the top, the stairs were perfectly safe and completely clear at the moment.

Spoiler

Sorceress: Fine
Emi the Sorceress: Paralyzed, spent 6 EP, full health
Mason: 110 Body, 8 AV, taken 99 damage
Mechadog: Fine


Current number of allies: (all outside right now)

Ur-Wind Ramel
12 kobold gunners
9 satyr scouts
10 gruff thugs
Bob the Quartermaster. He also does stand up. And cooks.
3 Su-Ku-Ta snipers

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Kor just kept moving, muttering under his breath about being tired and pissed off and starting to get hungry, none of these things really all that well. Talking to the others would probably have been good, but he was currently distracted by an internal dialogue with his other half that never seemed to end. "Follow Dog." Was all he really said out loud for the others to hear as he started heading upwards. Hopefully he'd either get a snack or a chance to rest, but just on the off chance that wasn't the case, he readied a spell and held it, preparing to recharge by force if he had to should another enemy make itself apparent.

{What are you doing wretch... I can feel your grip slipping by the day, and as much as I would prefer you dead, if you die, so do I... You've been hiding something from me since this imprisonment began...} Kor chuckled to himself, accidentally uttering the sound out loud as he grinned in a very grim way, wiping blood that had formed at the corner of his mouth away and thinking very hard. {It's alright Ensiloth, we've both been alive too long anyway, my body can't sustain our joining any more then my mind can, and both have been sliding further into disrepair. I thought a fey lord didn't cling to life so fervently, I find myself almost welcoming the peace that death may bring, to both of us. Don't worry, unless something manages to kill us, that day is still a way off. Look on the bright side, at least you know your imprisonment is finite in its very nature}

Ensiloth was blessedly silent after the end of the small exchange, thinking in his chains about what that could mean for both of them. Kor on the other hand had more pressing concerns to ponder on, such as the strange dog, the stairs, and the information in this tower. He had time to worry about Ensiloth later and from his own words, didn't really care about that problem anyway. Gods above he felt old these days...

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

During Kor's mental exchange, Aurelia scanned the ceiling. Initially, the death knight had been attempting to determine the best way to expand the staircase and allow their mammoth commander and her own golem access to the next floor without accidentally collapsing the ceiling or any other number of important bits atop them. That passed quickly, however, in favor of annoyance at the puzzle provided by that line of thinking. Perhaps it was time for a simpler solution.

First, the half-vampire traced the staircase with her eyes in order to determine the general area where following the metal steps would deposit them at. Then, she pointed her sword in that direction. Her eyes glowed a dark purple as, in a manner similar to how her golem had been formed, the architecture changed at the whim of her spiritual powers, opening up a hole in the floor that the arachne might crawl up and through that would leave her near the group when they climbed the steps. The excess materials pulled away from the ceiling, the floor above them, and everything between the two were used to create a column which might better support the ceiling after her little renovation, and which Solidyn might use to easier climb up. In theory, anyway, it all required that nothing collapsed and killed anybody on its way down.

"Alas, Mason, I fear your time in this little party is at an end. Relinquish precious little Tiddles to me. I promise I will keep her well cared for," Aurelia flashed a predatory smile that was entirely teeth. She sheathed her sword and took the faerie over her shoulder as her automaton obeyed its order. It was a feat much more difficult for her than it had been for the golem, but she only needed to bear with it until she was upstairs before she might pawn the weight off on the arachne--or get the other sorceress to heal the first, the only reason she hadn't pointed it out immediately was for the opportunity to call the fey woman 'Tiddles'. "As for you, go downstairs and find your way outside. Assist in any manual labor or anything else that the fae or Su-Ku-Ta might require you for," she ordered of the animated creature.

For her part, Aurelia would begin to ascend the stairs. Assuming nothing went terribly wrong or otherwise stopped her, at least.

Spoiler

Aurelia uses Animate, as per the Reshape function, as many times as is necessary to create a ceiling hole for yon spider to crawl through. Preferably at a spot that nobody is standing directly under. >.>

I'm assuming this is at least nine times as big as a human, so 12 EP per use. Use it as many times as is necessary or until too low on EP to use it anymore.

Then take Tiddles the sorceress from Mason, order Mason to go downstairs and help yon mercenaries with whatever they might require, and venture upstairs.

Stats (with +15 from blessing): 11 Speed, 74 Dodge, 18 Armor, 41 Resistance, 23 Perception (Does have Night Eyes), 52 Grapple

Cheat Sheet

When dealing HP damage: On a killing blow she makes a 21 + (Damage done/10)*Tier vs enemy resistance check against all opponents within 30 feet and in line of sight of her. If they fail they're unable to attack that round. If they fail twice they retreat or surrender.
When taking HP damage: 16 of her AV is due to Splint Mail, which has a DU of 6 and a TP of 50. She reduces damage dealt by /2 after armor due to her damage reduction mutation.

When dealing PP damage: She deals an additional +6 PP damage during penetrative sex due to Tight x3.
When taking PP Damage: She takes an additional +12 PP damage from Sensitive x3. She also has 5 fetishes but I'm not really sure how to list them here. >.>
Has Fertile (Pregnant on roll of 2 or more)

When taking EP damage: She takes an additional +4 EP damage from Open Soul.

She has foul aura, NPCs are more likely to distrust her.

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

When they started to climb down from the ceiling, Solidyn instructed Zahra to crawl over so she could reach her, and placed her in a more traditional riding position - straddling her Night Elf half's back as she descended. Still clinging to the side of the wall, The oversized Arachne was just about to suggest they sit and rest for a few minutes, when Aurelia started magicking a hole for her to climb up through.

"Awh," she sighed. "...Er, I mean, Good work, Aurelia," Solidyn said, trying to cover up the disappointment in her at not getting to loaf around for a little while more.

She took a few breaths before continuing. "Hoy, everyone get closer. I've gotta revise my magic - I just don't have the energy to keep it goin', so I'm gonna tone it down some." Once she'd gathered her companions together again - including her new sorceress - she dispelled her earlier blessing, willing onto them one that would be able to sustain itself on the ambient magics indefinitely.

If Zahra wished to rejoin the rest of the groundwalkers, Solidyn would snip the line and let her back onto solid ground again, before making her way towards the new entrance in the ceiling for her to scrabble through. Hopefully the new hole didn't mean something came tumbling through it...

Spoiler

Drop blessing and recast at X=2 - climb through the floor if possible. Attack rolls, Dodge and Resistance + 6

Upkeep: 0 EP/turn
(+15 bonus to attack rolls, dodge, and resistance)

Final stats (with +6 to dodge and res due to buff)
Dodge: 61
Armor: 28
Perception: 13
Speed: 8
Resistance: 39
A bonus of +9 VS Prone and +5 VS Stun or involuntary movement, also

 

[Tiffanian]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Zahra shouted out instructions to the mercenaries below once it seemed they were ready to get going again after the brief stop to collect themselves upon being brought together. They had to go by a long, circuitous route due to the machinery, but it wasn’t hard to lead them to the stairs, still laying on the spidertank’s belly. Even so, the Su-Ku-Ta was happy to be set on Solidyn’s back again once they started to crawl down the wall, to the base of the stairway, while Aurelia made a hole in the ceiling big enough for the large arachne to crawl through. It didn’t escape Zahra’s notice that it had been useful to have someone with sharp eyes up above everyone, and much as she had loathed being in the somewhat awkward shooting position, she could see it being useful. She silently assented to being put back on the spidertank’s back as she climbed up to the hole in the ceiling, readying her bow for whatever was up there.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Spoiler

Huldah: HP = 58, PP = 33, EP = 33, Status = Fine, Blessed X = 2

Kor'Ensiloth: HP = 42/68, PP = 78, EP = 6/89, Status = Injured, Lesser Strength (+22 Body), Lesser Strength (+22 Body), Blessed X = 2, Low on Energy

Zahra: HP = 54, PP = 40, EP = 38, Status = Fine, Blessed X = 2

Solidyn-Nolu: HP = 52/60, PP = 50, EP = 9/80, Status = Fine, Blessing X = 2, Has 3 Sorceresses, Low on Energy

Aurelia Korort: HP = 104, PP = 43, EP = 35/105, Status = Fine, Paralyzed, Has 1 Zombie Minion, and a golem named Mason, Blessed X = 2

It only took one use of her magic for Aurelia to open up a hole large enough for Solidyn to crawl through up on the ceiling, which thankfully did not cause the tower to collapse or any unfortunate creature to plummet to its death, and once the arachne had joined them and lowered her aura to a more sustainable level they were ready to be off. After releasing the paralyzed faerie to her, Mason did as Aurelia commanded and started moving back towards the stairs on the opposite side of the room. After that, Solidyn once more lifted Zahra and the group of mercenaries started upwards, Solidyn and Zahra along the wall while Aurelia, Kor, Huldah, and the two faerie mages trouped up the stairs (or were carried in the case of Tiddles.)

The armored spider reached the hole just as the rest of the party was climbing up to the top, and they emerged at about the same time to a smaller chamber that was apparently some sort of research laboratory. Tables covered in a dazzling variety of different devices ranging from the recognizable to the fantastic were present, and racks of materials and books, many of which looked more like manuals than tomes, covered most of the walls. There was another spiral staircase made of metal on the opposite side of the room, but they quickly found that they were not alone. As they came up the stairs, prepared for battle as they were, they found a lone Su-Ku-Ta standing in front of one of the nearby benches casually turning his head towards them. The half-mechanical hound that had aided Kor in combat earlier was sitting beside him, its tongue lolling out of its mouth as the male cat-man scratched it behind the ears. There were no signs of corruption about him, at least not by the aliens, and he erred on the more feline side of his race given his reverse jointed legs and the layer of dark brown fur coating him.

"Ahhh, you're here!" he said, his ears twitching, and the motion would cause each of them to notice the gray starting to come in around them. "That's good! I think...."

Spoiler

Sorceress: Fine
Emi the Sorceress (Tiddles) : Paralyzed, spent 6 EP, full health
Mason: 110 Body, 8 AV, taken 99 damage
Mechadog: Fine


Current number of allies: (all outside right now)

Ur-Wind Ramel
12 kobold gunners
9 satyr scouts
10 gruff thugs
Bob the Quartermaster. He also does stand up. And cooks.
3 Su-Ku-Ta snipers

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Kor rounded the stairs a little ahead of everyone else as he had simply ignored any attempts to rise or get the spider through the ceiling, or deal with any summoned constructs, and as he rose, he saw the Su-Ku-Ta that greeted them, but what caught his eyes was the dog. "I suppose I owe you thanks for your friends timely support" He said to the graying man. "Am I correct in presuming you are the Master of this tower." He asked rather matter of factly, his voice polite but clipped.

"I do apologise that manners currently escape me, but I am drained, this place and those seeking to take it requiring far more effort to push back then originally anticipated. If that barrier was yours, then I do have to praise such beautiful work, that Aether weave was a thing of beauty, and it was a shame to break it. Especially in such a brutish manner." Bowing his head slightly as he spoke, he slowly walked forward, making a show of releasing the spell he had prepared into nothingness and making his unhostile intentions perfectly clear.

"It is an honour to meet you. I am Kor"


Kor would wait for the others to introduce themselves, studying the dog and it's master more then anything else at the moment, the dog itself a true work of art and extremely intriguing to him.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Huldah climbed the stairs quietly, moving forward quickly to make sure she wouldn't be the last one up them. She seemed very twitchy after the near-death experience and swarms of bugs. Point of fact, she had been too busy looking at the walls and ceiling of the room they came across, and hadn't noticed the Su-Ku-Ta until he spoke, which made her jump. Kor answered the denizen quickly, leaving the gemini to sidle from foot to foot uncomfortably. Generally, people weren't interested in meeting her, and given that the invaders had been assaulting this city for a while now, she thought it best to just keep quiet and stand near the back, not introducing herself.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

"I am Lady Aurelia Korort, current head of House Korort," the death knight conveniently forgot to mention that she was currently the only living member of her family. "Moonlighting as a mercenary." She shrugged her occupied shoulder, bouncing the sorceress slightly and bringing attention to the fey woman. "This is Tiddles, my loyal pet dog of several minutes. Worry not, I'm confident that she's housebroken and will not chew on your furniture." The half-vampire looked toward the faerie with a mocking smile.

Her expression quickly faded into one of concern as she continued. "What? What's that Tiddles?" Speaking to the woman despite her having said nothing. "This gentleman's tower is infested with beasts who wanted nothing more than to rip out our intestines so that they could revolutionize interior decoration? Why, yes, I think I should inform him of that, and, while I'm at it, I should mention their nasty habit of turning into bugs after being beheaded. You're right, maybe I should posit that whole subject as a topic of future discussion. Preferably soon in the future." She looked toward the Su-Ku-Ta with a raised eyebrow. Aurelia did at least have the courtesy to go silent afterward, but her eyes remained on the cat-man, wary of him. Doubly so upon noticing the strangeness of their surroundings after he had twitched his ears.

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Solidyn helped the comparatively itsy-bitsy catgirl re-mount her and made her way up the hole Aurelia had so graciously melted in the ceiling for her. She had the strangest urge to cover it up and hide underneath it until something came by for her to pop out, snatch up and disappear into the floor again... but, since it was a pretty safe bet she wasn't going to hear them coming or feel the vibrations of their footsteps in her armor, it was a fairly easy urge to ignore.

She momentarily froze when she saw the Su-Ku-Ta just standing them, turning to face them. She wasn't sure if she was going to have to skitter back down through the hole or something... but luckily, he didn't seem to want to murder them just yet, so she emerged from her impromptu entrance, let Zahra back on her feet, and started standing on the floor again like the rest of the groundwalkers. If she could fit over it easily, she would stand over the hole she'd just come through and lower herself to essentially sit over it - besides preventing anyone from accidentally falling through it, it would hopefully prevent those freakish little bugs from climbing up after them. Her belly armor should be strong enough to take that, right?

After pausing to catch her breath, the giant spider nodded and gasped out "Yep, it's good! Definitely good, yep," to the strange, aging man. "Uuhhm... so yeah, lotta weird monsters downstairs. We sorta killed them - sorry 'bout that if they were important - but they turned inta tiny little things after they died, and skittered off to the big machine in the middle, I think."

"Ehh... so, anyway, I'm Solidyn, we came here to check out tower, and uh... well... are you alright, guy? You've probably been in 'ere a while, yeah? What've you been eatin'?"

 

[Tiffanian]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Zahra mounted Solidyn with a little bit of help from the giant arachne, waiting intently as she made her way up the wall and towards the hole Aurelia had made in the ceiling. Her bow was at the ready, and she half expected to enter into a room filled with those alien creatures… When they poked up out of the hole the Su-Ku-Ta noted no threats right off the bat though, her ears flicking as she listened intently. It looked like some sort of place where research was done, or something like that, anyway. There were racks of books and things all over the walls, tables strewn with bizarre devices that she couldn’t hope to comprehend. Her eyes focused, however, on the older Su-Ku-Ta male who was currently petting the mechanically enhanced dog she had seen earlier.

Zahra got up off of Solidyn with a little bit of help and quickly padded to the rear of the group, still holding her bow. She wasn’t eager to be seen by one of her own kind, though he seemed from his reaction to be alright. Perhaps the master of this tower, the one who had made the barrier that held the aliens at bay. The Su-Ku-Ta listened to the others speak as she took her place beside Huldah, ears still perked up as she listened for anything that might be approaching them from beyond their sight. She didn’t have anything to add to what they were saying anyway.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Spoiler

Huldah: HP = 58, PP = 33, EP = 33, Status = Fine, Blessed X = 2

Kor'Ensiloth: HP = 42/68, PP = 78, EP = 6/89, Status = Injured, Lesser Strength (+22 Body), Lesser Strength (+22 Body), Blessed X = 2, Low on Energy

Zahra: HP = 54, PP = 40, EP = 38, Status = Fine, Blessed X = 2

Solidyn-Nolu: HP = 52/60, PP = 50, EP = 9/80, Status = Fine, Blessing X = 2, Has 3 Sorceresses, Low on Energy

Aurelia Korort: HP = 104, PP = 43, EP = 35/105, Status = Fine, Paralyzed, Has 1 Zombie Minion, and a golem named Mason, Blessed X = 2

"That would be a completely safe and reasonable assumption," he replied to Kor, the first to speak and thus the first to be replied to, "But it is also completely and utterly false! Or is it.... I think I might forget sometimes.... Am I the master of this tower?" He mumbled wordlessly to himself while continuing to pet the head of the mechanical dog seated at his side, who panted in appreciation for the attention like any normal dog would. The old Su-Ku-Ta's eyes remained unfocused until the rest of the party had risen to the top of the stairs, all but ignoring Kor's compliments and his introduction, but when Solidyn crawled up through the floor he blinked in surprise and seemingly started paying attention again.

"Yes.... Kor, was it? Thank you my boy... Twas nothing, really, I do that sort of work all the time.... Or I did, twelve years ago when I designed that shield. Meant to stop anything you know! The aliens tried what you did, I'll tell you, and they didn't like it very much at all.... Meant to go through steel like butter, and it works too! Never tried it on vampire, but when I saw it disintegrate those slimes a couple months ago I figured it would work pretty well. Don't worry about breaking it, it comes back online within about ten minutes anyway, and it usually clears anything in the courtyard... My servants deal with anything that survives! Usually.... Anyway."

He paused and scratched his head when Aurelia spoke, and the fairy sorceress that the armored half vampire was carrying scowled darkly at her and made to reply, only for the death knight to speak over her. Still just barely able to move, she remained silent, something that the strange man was seemingly not content to do; "Oh those? Yes, they'll have reconstituted by now... Very dangerous, usually more than a match for the aliens... Still, you seem to have come through them well enough intact! I'll have to ask you how... Need to upgrade their design, after all! Hrm.... They must have attacked you because of her!" He pointed towards Huldah, adopting a scowl, before suddenly rounding on Solidyn and widening his eyes.

"You.... Are a giant armored spider with a giant gun. And tits. Peculiar. Where are you from? Me? I'm quite alright, thank you, don't need any prayer books of Doraleous or Whisp or the Star God or any other such nonsense.... Oh? How long have I been here and what do I eat? Uhhh..... Well, I was here for about six years before the invasion.... And then the two and a half years since.... And uhh.... There's a hydroponics lab at the top floor, and I have a secret passage that takes me outside of the shield to buy food when I need it. So.... Who are you lot exactly? Not that it's not impressive that you got this far, but... I'm sure you have a purpose in doing so, right?"

Spoiler

Sorceress: Fine
Emi the Sorceress (Tiddles) : Paralyzed, spent 6 EP, full health
Mason: 110 Body, 8 AV, taken 99 damage
Mechadog: Fine


Current number of allies: (all outside right now)

Ur-Wind Ramel
12 kobold gunners
9 satyr scouts
10 gruff thugs
Bob the Quartermaster. He also does stand up. And cooks.
3 Su-Ku-Ta snipers

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Kor listened quietly to every word spoken, watching the old man's eyes carefully, trying to discern if he had simply gone mad, or if something else was the cause for his addled mind. He seemed to survive alright and there was a way out of here it seemed when he didn't use his own lab for sustenance. It could very well be that he had been cooped up for too long and cracked, it happened to the best of them, them being mages and was almost half expected.

Sitting crosslegged on the floor, Kor looked up and relaxed, taking the moment to rest and recover his depleted energies before something else went wrong and the explosions began anew. "We have reasons that vary from following orders to personal gain, although my current interest in the realm of personal gain is the acquisition of Emi, It's lonely without an assistant or a pet. I promise to treat you better then the crazy woman in all the armour~!" He teased, standing and deciding that she had been paralyzed for perhaps a little too long, realising that he was probably the only person here that could fix that problem easily. Standing and muttering an apology as he made his way towards the afflicted woman and taking her from Aurelia if the death knight permitted. "Give her here, I forgot to fix her, I can be as addle minded as our new friend here" He said gesturing at the old cat.

If she allowed Kor to take the affectionately dubbed Tiddles, Kor would mutter the words of the spell quietly and set his palm on her spine, a soft, warm pulse of green light running through her body to cure her of the affliction, leaving her free, and Kor panting heavily on the floor, now near to dropping.

"Guys. I need a snack, or a nap, or just a damned breather, and I can't be the only one" The mage admitted from his spot on the ground as he ran over Emi's vitals quickly, behaving himself before asking if she was alright, not bothering to stand at this point anymore and answering any questions directed at him from his place on the floor, which he had decided was quite comfortable.

Spoiler

Restoration for 4 EP. Tiddles may move on her own once more