Book the Second, Chapter the Tenth: An Introduction to Soci

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Spoiler:

[dice]0[/dice]

From the places where the hermit has placed the seeds (or whatever they may be) it can be seen that the ground is rising. There are five such places, from which large mounds of dirt now protrude, and increase in height as one observes them.

[Mr. Handy]

"I've heard tell of goblins' teeth," says Henry, standing ready. "When planted in the ground, they are supposed to sprout into goblins. I've never seen such for myself, and I never gave such tales credence, but I've seen enough strange things to know that they are possible."

[SunlessNick]

Eliza maintains barely enough self control not to smash her way out through the window, but makes for the nearest door by which she can reach her enemy.

[jp1885]

Muttering darkly, Lepus follows Eliza.

“Let’s us put an end to this, yesno?”

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

From under the ground emerge five skeletons, each one carrying a short sword and a small round shield. They march toward the adventurers in military formation, ready to engage in battle. The hermit stands well behind them.

"Yield the wench, or be slain by the Spartoi!"

[SunlessNick]

"I am not your slave!" screams Eliza. If one of the skeletons approaches her, she'll grab at it and try to tear it apart.

[jp1885]

“Listen to yon girl!” Lepus hollers. “Thou shalt not enslave her again! Go back to thy solitary life Longbones and trouble us no more, lest I thrash thee!”

[Mr. Handy]

Henry takes aim with his pistol at one of the Spartoi and brandishes his cane with his other hand. "Would that William had not left yet," he says, "though swords will be less effective against them. We need to use blunt weapons. Ivan, use your sword cane as a club instead of drawing the blade. We shall smash them to pieces!"

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Spoiler:

The adventurers attack first. Each DEX reduced by 2 due to skeleton's armor class of 2. Eliza = 16, Lepus = 13, Doctor North = 7 (with effect of meteor), Ivan = 7[dice]0[/dice][dice]1[/dice][dice]2[/dice]I kept forgetting the correct number of dice, but the rolls are legitimate.

Perhaps it is her natural rage at the one who formerly held her in thrall, but it is Eliza who first strikes at the enemy. The others, perhaps startled by the appearance of walking skeletons, pause just long enough for the creatures to avoid their blows.

Spoiler:

damage; because of Eliza's extreme strength, I'll give a damage bonus of 2[dice]3[/dice]6

Smashing into the skeleton's skull with her fists, Eliza manages to completely destroy the bony sphere. The rest of the skeleton collapses to the ground.

Spoiler:

four skeleton attacks, random targets as above[dice]4[/dice]each has dex of 10[dice]5[/dice]

Ignore that. My mistake.[dice]7[/dice]

The quartet of monsters remaining attack with the precision of soldiers, each one pursuing a single target, but only one manages to strike its target; to wit, that aimed at Lepus.

Spoiler:

damage[dice]6[/dice]

Let me redo the damage since I messed up. I'll apply the lower one.[dice]8[/dice]

No change. Sorry, Lepus.

The bronze sword of the creature proven to be as dangerous as one of steel.

[jp1885]

Hissing with pain, Lepus staggers backwards, muttering the incantation to summon his unseen servant as he does so.

Commanding it to seize the sword off the skeleton who attacked him, he launches himself against the bony creature.

[SunlessNick]

Compelled by her rage, Eliza strikes at the next nearest of the skeletons, presumably the one that attacked her. Should she succeed in destroying it, her former captor himself will be the next target of her wrath.

[Mr. Handy]

His pistol discharged, Henry swings his cane at the skeleton attacking him.

OOC,You rolled 1d6 for the attack rolls against us instead of 1d20, so naturally all of the results were less than 10. Chances are some of those attacks will miss.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

His pistol discharged, Henry swings his cane at the skeleton attacking him.

OOC,You rolled 1d6 for the attack rolls against us instead of 1d20, so naturally all of the results were less than 10. Chances are some of those attacks will miss.

Spoiler:

Yikes! Let me go back and correct that. Thanks for catching that.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Hissing with pain, Lepus staggers backwards, muttering the incantation to summon his unseen servant as he does so.

Commanding it to seize the sword off the skeleton who attacked him, he launches himself against the bony creature.

Spoiler:

Attack above edited to correct my error, but you still got hit. Let's see if the invisible servant can grab the sword. dex 9[dice]0[/dice] Your attack, dex 13[dice]1[/dice]

The invisible servant fails to take hold of the weapon, but distracts the skeleton sufficiently to allow Lepus to successfully strike at it.

Spoiler:

damage[dice]2[/dice]

Smashing at its ribcage, exposed during the struggle with the unseen servant, Lepus reduces the creature to a pile of jumbled bones.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Compelled by her rage, Eliza strikes at the next nearest of the skeletons, presumably the one that attacked her. Should she succeed in destroying it, her former captor himself will be the next target of her wrath.

Spoiler:

DEX 16[dice]0[/dice]

Blinded by fury, Eliza thrashes at the monster without effect.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

His pistol discharged, Henry swings his cane at the skeleton attacking him.

Spoiler:

Attack above edited to correct my error. You and Ivan attack again with dex 7 -- I messed up the die roll during editing somehow, but you were successful[dice]0[/dice]damage

Doctor North smashes his cane into the creature's skull, causing it to roll across the ground as if this were no more than a game of paille-maille, and rendering the being no more than a pile of bones.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Spoiler:

one last skeleton attack. target[dice]0[/dice]dex 10[dice]1[/dice]damage[dice]2[/dice]

Perhaps because the only defender who has suffered any wounds is Lepus, the sole remaining skeleton warrior presses his attack upon him, landing another blow, although with no so great an effect as before.

Seeing that the tide of battle has turned against his arcane troops, the hermit makes haste to retreat, running off in the direction of the moors.

[jp1885]

Lepus again staggers under the blow, bidding his unseen servant to grab the skeleton’s legs (in the manner of, some decades hence, one might describe as a rugby tackle).

He glared at the retreating back of the ultimate cause of his injuries and mutters a dark curse.

OOC,If possible, Lepus will curse the hermit with the ‘fame’ spell.

[SunlessNick]

Eliza continues attacking the skeletons.

[Mr. Handy]

"I dub thee Napoleon Bones-apart," says Henry as he smashes the skeleton. Then he tries to outflank the skeleton fighting Eliza to likewise dispatch it - or at least distract it.

OOC,You're welcome. That was a much better outcome!