11/01/07 - A world of darkness and short sword-edness

In a world of darkness and short-sword-edness, one hobgoblin was going to show the Blue Hand Group, I mean, the Copper Tones, the meaning of terror. His name? Karkulan. His weapons? Two short swords. His target? The Copper Tones. His goals? Unsuccessful!

Our story begins with Sir Ector (the Magnificent) and Rincarvornon rowing madly through the lake to catch up with their friends at the tower. Three lizardmen fired darts at Rin, felling him instantly with a plot-paralysis that even his elven resistance could not block. Sir Ector scared them away with two kiai shouts. Once Sir Ector made it to the tower, he hurled Rincarvornon over his shoulder and proclaimed, “Never fear, my small-bottomed, elven companion! Dwarves make light of burdens.”

In the meantime, Django and Fraenir – with an invisibility spell’s cloak to hide them from their enemies piercing eyes – went to investigate the bell tower in the center of the lake. It was guarded by two ferocious ettins. Their armor was thick and their shields were broad. They have many javelins to hurl at our copper-hued heroes. While exploring, Dan rolled a 6 on a Spot check and – quite brazenly – claimed it as a cocked dice. When he re-rolled? A 1. I think we all learned an important lesson that day.

However, our two spellcasters – who usually make light work of massive numbers of foes – were in the fight for their lives against the vicious Karkulan, a two short sword-wielding hobgoblin under a flight spell. He hacked and slashed at Hordis, under a levitate spell, dropping him to -10 hit points. Hordis, a noble figure, hung there suspended in the air under the levitate spell’s influence, unable to drop, his blood floating like from those Klingons in “Star Trek VI” when the gravity goes out. A terrified Daresh ran down the tower stairs to avoid becoming Karkulan’s next victim.

But Sir Ector – who had contributed precious little to this portion of the campaign – moved into fully inspiring, marshal mode and uttered some words of encouragement that boosted Hordis’s endurance by 3 hit points. The warmage was spared a dusty death at a hobgoblin’s hands. “The blood of 1,000 hobgoblins is on my boots, Karkulan!” Ector said. “I aim to make it 1,001 today!”

Incensed, Karkulan flew into Sir Ector. After a might exchange of blows, Karkulan struck the dwarf with two critical hits in the same round. 45 points of damage! The two short swords penetrated up under Sir Ector’s armor and bit into his corpulent flesh. “Your blood will flow like a flountain, dwarf,” Karkulan sneered, and spat in Sir Ector’s face. Sir Ector, with only six hit points, responded with a mighty blow --- that utterly missed.

Rincarvornon lay there helplessly, paralyzed…playing dead his only defense. If Sir Ector fell, there would be none to save the elf.

But then(!) appearing as a flash of arcane might and stunning southern-continental Asiatic beauty, Daresh emerged from the first floor of the tower and blasted Karkulan with a scorching ray. With the extra +1 from her Point Blank Shot just barely enabling her to strike Karkulan’s touch AC, she destroyed him – saving Ector, Rin, and Hordis. Truly, Daresh was the hero of the day. (Of course, if Mark gave all of us magic items worth 180,000 GP, we’d probably be doing OK too. I’m just saying.)

However, our heroes’ respite was a brief one. Twenty lizard-folk emerged from the water and surrounded the weakened warriors. Even though Django appeared and administered some emergency healing, Ector, Hordis, and Daresh had about 15 hit points between the three of them.

The lizardfolk were led by a mighty, plate-mail garbed warrior – whom a cunning Hordis instantly deciphered as an illusion, indicating that some fell spellcaster gives aid to our enemies. It appeared that the hammer would strike hard at our heroes when Fraenir screamed through the air like a flash of invisible, copper-hued lightning to heal Ector back to max hit points just in time.

The lizards moved to attack! Hordis wiped out half of them with a fireball. Daresh brought the other half to within an inch of death with another. Some quick sword play (including two virtually wasted natural 20s in a row from Ector) dispatched them quickly.

But hark! In the distance, Fraenir sensed the approach of greenspawn razorfiends! And 40 more lizardfolk! And a black dragon!

The Copper Tones withdrew into the tower, hoping that this would not be their last stand and that they might yet escape and save the lands from the Red Hand of Doom. Luckily, they had earned enough exThe Copper Tones withdrew into the tower, hoping that this would not be their last stand and that they might yet escape and save the lands from the Red Hand of Doom. Luckily, they had earned enough experience to level up. Would that be enough power to withstand the coming assault?

Surely. Their enemies will crash upon them like water on rock.