The Strangling Sea: Chapter 1

Nyil's sword pierced the dartthrower as his back was turned from her. The shock barely registered as he was so intently focused on Blackstar and the horrific stench that emanated from his mouth. As Blackstar began floating into the air, the dartthrower thrust his dagger at the man, sinking the blade to its hilt before withdrawing it sharply. The lunge pulled him off Nyil's sword and he finally recognized the pain. He spun around and slashed her with his dagger.

The abominable smell overpowered the senses of Gorta and his eyes rolled up into the back of his head in agony. Clawing at his throat, he let out a choked scream. Jeremiah's shield bashed him to the ground, where he lay, twitching a few times before breathing his last.

The sellsword hacked and coughed at the putrid odor and completely forgot he was in a duel. He bent double, trying to blink away the bloody tears that were filling his eyes. He never saw the hammer that swung down at his skull, but he immediately collapsed under its fell blow.


OOC:
Dartthrower takes 7 damage and is staggered
Gorta takes 16 damage and is dead
Sellsword takes 26 damage and is dead

Nyil takes 4 damage
Blackstar takes 4 damage

Blackstar, your next spell type is Iconic and is associated with the Crusader.

Escalation Die is at 4. Be sure to add that to your attack rolls!

The dartthrower's body collapsed on the Nyil's blade and he coughed up blood. Inidrill's hammer smashed into his back, shattering vertebrae. The limp body slid from the blade and lay still.

Blackstar's question was answered by a small peephole appearing in the door and a muffled voice calling out, "Who are you and what do you want?.......and why, in heaven's sake, is that little gnome scalping Gorta? He was a good man!"


OOC:
Inidrill, give me a Wisdom check. It's a d20+Wis+Lvl+(background appropriate to finding things)

Just as Inidrill was delivering the final blow, she noticed the dartthrower reaching into his jacket and grab at something that glinted in the bright light.

The jacket flaps open and a small vial filled with a purple fluid rolls free. Stooping to pick it up for a closer look, Inidrill finds an Orcish word printed across the glass. She instantly recognizes the script and knows it to mean, "Heals."

OOC:
This is an Adventurer Tier Healing potion (+1d8 to your recovery roll)

The muffled voice answered Inidrill, "Ah yes, he did try to kill me didn't he? But that was no fault of his own - no, he and I got along swell! It was that woman's doing! Nadda, whom that odd man transformed into a pile of bones. Curious work that. Consider me impressed!"

He paused to hear Jeremiah's answer and replied, "Curiouser and curiouser! Keeping a person's memories fresh by removing their scalp? That would be a fascinating research project....problematic though, for who would volunteer to be a test subject? Hmm, perhaps the Lich King would sponsor such an endeavor..."

The door suddenly swung open and a lanky man stepped out into the sunlight. He blinked once at each of you then his face split into a wide grin. The sunlight reflected off his teeth in much the same way as the dome, making it hard to stare too long at his face. "Urgent business is it? You all have absolutely piqued my curiosity, and I must sate it. Besides, you took care of a pesky problem for me...namely how to convince these four to leave. Haha - you forced them to leave....just not in the way they might have imagined! Please, please, come inside!"



As you enter the dome, it was surprisingly well light considering how much light was being reflected away from it. A long work bench was mounted to the circular wall, and another bench encircled a spiral staircase leading to an upper room. Strewn across the benches were a wide variety of odds and ends, tools, projects in various stages of completion and parchments covered in sketches. He waved you toward a number of stools placed at the workbenches and hopped on one himself. He flashed another incredibly bright grin at you before asking, "What urgent business brings you to my door? And what perfect timing I might say!"