Scene IIIA: Above the Battlefield

[Stix]

The nauseating reversal of gravity and the dread sensation of falling into nothing are disorienting, to say the least, but the nycaloth, with experience negotiating strange environments and what could easily be centuries of experience in these tactics, considers it a distinct turn to its advantage... especially as it keeps its bearings while John and Hadrian (and the multiple illusory Hadrians) turn and pitch helplessly with no ground to gain leverage.

"You berks shouldn't have gotten involved," it says through a telepathic menacing hiss. "The deva will die at the hands of the mezzoloths, and your friends with it, because you couldn't bear to see me leave. For entertaining me, though, I'll offer you the chance to buy your lives. What are they worth to you?"

[john]

"A life is worth a life. All bargains must be equal. Now when converted to coin that is something else. I am a man of the hives. My life is worth little. Some coin, I should think. Mmmgh. A few silver for a life such as mine." John answers, not dissembling but rather honestly, understanding full well he is in the nycaloth's power here, and decides to simply bargain as best he can, either with coin or a killing.

[Stix]

"You don't understand... you're falling up. When I leave, you'll be falling down again. When you hit the ground, your viscera are going to leap out of your body like a basket full of snakes, your bones will snap like dry twigs. I think it's hysterical, and the mezzoloths will think you're delicious. But profiting from your situation is far more important to me. If I profit, you live, so start making offers."

[john]

"You heard my offer. A life taken with my hands, that doesn't break any of my previous contracts I have undertaken, or the amount of silver my body is worth. You seem to have mistaken me for a coward, or a fool."

[exile]

The aasimar twirled end over end through the unbounded void of the Elysian sky, a mocking, derisive laugh his answer to the Nycaloth's entreaty. "You barter for the life of a Bleaker, fiend? Truly you are more barmy than I! The whole of the planes isn't worth so much as a lump of coal. What is one life weighed against that? Perhaps this one will cut you a deal, but not I."

[Stix]

"Then enjoy the fall, berks."

With a surprisingly-graceful wingover and barrel roll, the nycaloth regains its bearings outside the area of inverted gravity, and is quickly out of sight.

Contrary to what the fiend implied, John and Hadrian continue falling up, even after it's gone.

(You'll have nine more rounds of falling up. You can both go ahead and make three sets of three Dex-8 checks; with ten successful checks between them both, Hadrian will be close enough to save their lives with some quick spellwork. If you're not close enough by the time you're done falling up, there's still the time to be spent falling back down.)

[john]

(I have to make a one or two if I understand this correctly. Will start rolling now. Unless it's roll a d20 and subtract 8, which i don't think it is.)
John's dex unadjusted is 10

[dice=20]
[dice=20]
[dice=20][rand=79568840415917818174883511436762583051630448146510203238493118405]

[exile]

Hadrian watched the Nycoloth depart impassively - or at least he would have if he could stop tumbling long enough to fix his gaze upon its retreating bulk. "I accept, Taker," he announced rather unexpectedly. "A handful of silver to save your life. Now see if you can't angle yourself a little closer basher."

(OOC: If I understand this correctly, John has a 10% chance of success per round and Hadrian has a 25% chance of success. Over 20 rounds we could expect to move 7 steps closer to one another on average. Roll well John. That being said, and as I'm out of town at the moment and still removed from my books, could I get a ruling as to whether a conjured dust devil could fly a length of rope over to the falling Taker if need be?)

Dex 13 - 8 = 5

[dice=20]
[dice=20]
[dice=20][rand=85932914912700658099401229992509720381076447665728458036482334137]

[TheGratefulNed]

Nov 17, 2009 12:52:25 GMT -5 exile said:

(OOC: If I understand this correctly, John has a 10% chance of success per round and Hadrian has a 25% chance of success. Over 20 rounds we could expect to move 7 steps closer to one another on average. Roll well John. That being said, and as I'm out of town at the moment and still removed from my books, could I get a ruling as to whether a conjured dust devil could fly a length of rope over to the falling Taker if need be?)

((Since dust devils can affect and be affected by normal, physical creatures/objects and move as directed by the priest, I wouldn't see why one couldn't carry a rope. But clearly this would be a DM ruling.))

[exile]

(Some more rolls)

[dice=20]
[dice=20]
[dice=20]

(More food for thought - does spiritual hammer produce something physical that can be grabbed onto? I'm trying to find creative uses for old spells, in case these rolls don't pan out.)[rand=7858175421133637709099774248898143006435595452797296718759462237]

[exile]

(A few more... Only 1 success so far, not very encouraging.)

[dice=20]
[dice=20]
[dice=20]

[Edit: make that two successes. I don't suppose we could set our hearts on something soft and owing to our continued good deeds the mystical properties of Elysium will 'lead' us to it? }[rand=321131709031760718346759770065546689272014424204829092412535101175]

[john]

John removes his splint mail jack with a sigh of frustration, ripping the straps and letting it drop independent of him, since that is where the majority of his weight lies. He growls as he removes his helmet, his face now scourged by the wind, exposing the skull-face to the world, no longer half-concealed by his armor. He'll attempt to climb into his own bag of holding at this point (His backpack full of stuff would have been left behind in sigil, due to the way events went down with him going to the other place he would never have brought his pack with him, nor did he have time to retrieve it. By my calculations with his bastard sword, morning star, money pouch and knife, he can easily fit, even clothed. The Splint mail and the bascinet might have been a tipping factor)

[dice=20]
[dice=20]

(the strength and dex check to open the bag)


[rand=76905691470391837950631992306305760010265619141212238712903119042]

[john]

(Well john's luck continues. Did john just drop the bag?)

[exile]

(Not much for Hadrian to do but fall still... 2 successes in 9 tries. The way back down doesn't look promising. I'll throw out another 3 rolls right now, unless I roll snake eyes [appropriate to a Baatorian three eye'd snake] I'm going to post my spell list here and you guys can help me come up with creative uses for traditional spells. Wish me luck.)

[dice=20]
[dice=20]
[dice=20]

[edit: make that 3 successes in 12 rolls. Statistically the 25% I should have rolled so far. We're 7 'paces' away still.][rand=14883678662112831470730050635907457772963261665596008376504475046453]

[Stix]

Nov 25, 2009 19:24:29 GMT -5 john said:

(Well john's luck continues. Did john just drop the bag?)

John pulls the bag from his belt, managing to keep a firm grip on it even at the speed at which he's falling, but he can't find a way to hold onto it securely without risking letting it slip from his hands.

(The Str check succeeded, so he's holding onto it very surely. Each time you fail the Dex check, you can try again the following round at a cumulative -1 penalty.)

[john]

John growls, and will try to fumble the bag open this time, his grip tight, driven by adrenaline more than anything else.

[dice=20]

[rand=349525274579680977846864145690747688525315297173124340854842706816]

[john]

John will now try to wriggle into the bag, nodding to hadrian for a moment as he does so, and shouting, "If this works, grab me once I hit the ground!"

[dice=20]
[dice=20]
[dice=20]

[rand=86817383849072867604087556704305969144590414218215035517127624398]

[Stix]

John's checks (to catch up with Hadrian so we're in the same time frame)
[dice=20][dice=20][dice=20][dice=20][rand=750225490950679844728034046797416297313255579658408555888329959283]

[Stix]

A disconcerting nausea sets in as gravity reorients itself yet again, slinging John and Hadrian back toward the ground.

John manages to enter the bag safely, the view from the inside one of extradimensional Astral space: a dull gray as far as the eye can see.

(From here, eight more rounds of falling back down.)

[exile]

(So just so I'm clear - I no longer have to cast anything on John, but I may as well keep rolling to try to catch this bag. Would casting reduce on Hadrian have any impact on his falling damage?)

In the mean time, a couple more rolls:
[dice=20]
[dice=20]
[dice=20][rand=592007640618428324536957185344088792431377856417415268111128189443]