Episode 2

Bryn yells out again when he hears Iasu scream, but never takes his eyes from the chains "Kray, where is Iasu?! Is he over The Pit and how high is he? What is Elam doing?"

The wretch screams and rages, leaping with reckless abandon. It is as if he is trying to EAT Thorn!

The rumbling and scraping of heavy stone sounds out high in the room.

Maeriks falls forward to grab the chain barrier. "Thorn!" he yells out desperately. Turning to Kray, Maeriks asks with wild confusion, "What do we do?"

Bryn
(DM Control)

Bryn shouts out, "Everyone, listen! There is NO time to explain, but we have to work fast, no mistakes, or we are all FUCKED!"

He breathes heavy and steals one quick glance over his shoulder, getting a picture of all distance and positioning, then turns back to the chain barrier at the door.

"There will be enough room to pass through when I loose a few more Irons – be ready! Thorn get ready to move through! Somebody kill fat man and then GUARD THIS PATH! It’s probably going to be the only way out."

Bryn shouts a command and racks another chain loose. An opening is forming now, almost enough for someone to move through.

"And then" he shouts, breathes heavy, and again "…and then…we have to save Iasu."

An impossible task.

"We have to Kray. He and Elam are the key to this. All of this - the whole house. One or the other of them is going to be the last. One survivor."

He looks over, another quick glance back at the Pit, looking up to the chains above even as he looks back and snatches another chain free with an eldritch word.

"It has to be Iasu! We can’t let him die. If Elam makes it out… it’s over. No matter where we run."

Bryn looks Kray in the eye. "No treasure. Just Iasu. We have to do it. I can get up there."

Kray sees that Bryn doesn’t know if he believes that or not.

Bryn shakes his head, knowing that his doubt is apparent, but dismissing it to himself and to Kray. It has to work or nothing will work.

"But I need some fucking cover and someone to catch us, goddammit!" he yells out, as he turns back to the barrier chains to finish the breakaways. "So are we ready to GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE, or am I jumping off of the Edge of the World by myself?!"

Thorn, Maeriks, Kray, and Ryhim – the last ones standing together at the Gate to Hel – hear the question as what it is, a call to action.

Maybe the last.

Maeriks
(DM Control)

"Yeah!" Maeriks says with enthusiasm in Dannein. "Get Iasu. We'll carry him. He has medicine."

With one quick hand, Bryn passes Maeriks the White Cast Iron knife. Maeriks takes it and stands ready at the barrier. Looking through to the other side, he yells out loud.

"Get ready, Thorn! Come through, and then I'll stab that fat guy!"

Bryn
(DM Control)

"Fuck it all - I don’t know if we have to save him! Probably we don’t and we could still make it out! I definitely don’t know if I can get him down or not. But we shouldn’t leave him to this – it’s too much! We've come this far - WE brought him here as much as anyone." Bryn yells at Kray.

The man speaks with pain and guilt, like a confession - yelling over the noise of the rattling chains and Elam's augmented voice echoing through the room.

Bryn turns and shouts out the strange power words, tearing two more chains loose.

There is enough space – a breach in the barrier!

"Stay or go - every man's choice now!" Bryn shouts, to everyone.
"I'm going," he says rather quietly, looking at Kray. Then turning his head out, states it again louder, a decision. "I'm going for Iasu."

With one Iron Chain still in hand, Bryn turns to the side and strides away. On the move, he shouts out an eldritch command. The chain lifts off of the floor and sails towards the other clattering chains hanging over The Pit, lifting Bryn with it.

PC Choice (Thorn, Kray, Ryhim):

1) Press through the opening, to join Thorn in the ascending tunnel. Fight one human-sized devil psycho. Make a run up the tunnel. Leave the Pit Chamber, and Iasu, behind.

2) Stay and fight in the Chamber of the Pit, versus Monsters and Elam Ironnmaster, and try to save Iasu.

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Saving Iasu is not for necessity, it's a choice.

Success will be far from guaranteed, and survival is surely on the line.

Could be suicide to stay.

Walking away increases chances of survival dramatically - we all know that.

TPK shuts it all down. For all of us. Probably for good.

We all know the dichotomy between Character vs. Player.

The Character wants to try to save the poor guy. Can't stand this level of suffering. Iasu is a nice guy. It's the right thing to do. There is glory in being bold and risking it all and living to tell the tale. That could be realistic.

The Character walking away to fight another day. He doesn't really even know this guy that well. Terrible watching him suffer, but can't take the risk on sentiments. It's a cold world. It's not logical and not your battle. That could be realistic too. Makes perfect sense.

But maybe you can't walk away.

This might be for the whole game.

Post up.

What do you do?

Wild Wretch v. Thorn

The screaming biter lunges again at Thorn with sharp teeth and claws.


Attacks Disadvantage by Dodge

Thorn moves and evades, trying to stay alive while Bryn continues to release lines from the chain barrier.

Maeriks is on the other side, watching intently and calling out to him.

Finally there is an opening, probably large enough to slip through to the other side.

PLAYERS' CLUB ROLL FOR INITIATIVE!!!

Some Initiatives

Wild Wretch: Move, Attack

NPC Bryn: Move, Interact w Environment, Special (modifiers for RA, Alert not applied)

NPC Nude Maeriks: Move, Attack

Map Update

Required Action, Iasu: First Save v. Devotion of the Small Irons, DC 14 CON
Save = -1 CON
Fail = -2 CON

Required Action, Iasu: Second Save v. Devotion of the Small Irons, DC 14 CON
Save = -1 CON
Fail = -2 CON