Zilean's Revenge (Part 2)

Oh yeah, forgot to mention: Before you do anything significant (talking and flailing arms on the spot is ok), announce where/what you're looking at (apart from Horizon, who can't do much else than roll to stare at the amulet) and roll on it.

I've got $5 on "Rolf shits his pants" as the most appropriate reaction.

Only on a crit fail of willpower/fear, followed by another for endurance.

Nodding at Rolf's command Zthulan takes his spear in his hands and with a twirl tries to thread it through the chain and brings it into tow.

and the roll today is.... Nat 20...

Also question: Zarhon do you prefer doing the rolls or is it okay if I do them when I do an action? When you decide for us to do perceptions however it's all you. Just wanting to know your preference is all.

Horizon stares at the Amulet- Nat1. Well, shucks, look at that. Looks like I drop it... So clumsy...

---

Horizon stares at the amulet, the urge to kill something steadily rising.

...On the one hand, rolling a dice would an option. I mean, I'd prefer not to leave things up to the dice, but it would be manipulative (and untrue) to simply say, "Rolf is such a badass that he could look Death in the face and not even blink." On the other hand, I think Zarhon left the choice up to me for a reason, a reason that I'm going to use to my advantage.

I'm gonna roleplay this sucker.

---

Rolf's face turned white. As he backed away from the cloaked figure, he tripped and fell over backwards. His heart started to race. His life seemed to flashed before his eyes, strange little snippets of memory. His first day at Tumberlane. The day he met Slick Tom. His meeting with the bloodsoaked Jakob. The first kiss he got from a girl. The magic dual he won against that bully Chester.

"You bumbling apprentice."

The memory was of Master Nester, after Rolf had failed one of his literal "trial-by-fire" training exercises. He was ranting that Rolf would never amount to anything, how he was a disappointment to the whole wizarding profession, how his job would leave him alone and dead on the streets, either by the city guards, a client who didn't want witnesses, or the Finder's Guild itself if they believed he was too much of a nuisance.

Rolf then remembered the rage that had filled him, his conviction that he would show Nester, the wiz kids, all of them. Then he remembered his words to Horizon when they first met.

"No, no I am not dead yet. Which means I can still do something."

---

He looked at the cloaked figure. "...I knew you were coming, and I've seen you at work before. You don't do things direct, though, do you?" he said, starting at a whisper, but slowly gaining in volume. "There are RULES, aren't there? Gotta have a reason for dying, don't I?"

He looked around the cavern. Scorch marks everywhere. A wooden pillar barely standing. And an amulet that could probably do at least one conjuration spell, mostly likely an explosive one.

"...And you do so like your accidents, don't you?"

Rolf scrambled away from the figure (a completely natural reaction) and back into the room. He picked up some of the pick-axes (well, their heads, anyway) and ran toward the crypt, fully bent over and holding the pickaxes in his arms. As he approached the middle of the room, he saw Zthulan put his staff so that it would catch the chain of the amulet. "Toss it in the coffin, TOSS IT IN THE COFFIN!" The plan was that he would arrange the pick-axe (heads or handles) so that they would generally cover the hole in the back of the coffin, then use Hold Portal to hold them in place.

---

Rolling for Hold Portal...18. The amulet is floating in midair, so Azarune roll is more to yank it away. Zarhon, let me know if I have to undo any of this.

With a smug grin of holding the amulet on the end of his spear. He hears Rolf yell, eyes widening with shock at the creature behind him the shaman does what he is told and tries to push it back into the coffin.

And We're rolling! 10. Could be worse.

...I was thinking more that Azarune's nat20 could be used to put the amulet in the coffin, but I'll leave that up to Zarhon.

Derp, sorry.

"Oh, crap," stated Jeraylia, who turned a light shade of grey. "It's Bill." She runs around in a circle, having no tangible targets, ominous cloaked visage of death dismissed for obvious reasons, and not quite knowing what to do. Finally, seeing Zthulan and Rolf's attempt to dump the amulet into the casket, she blurts out a quick ditty to see if she can garner a bit of lucks favor.

---

Can you roll (something?) for me Zarhon, to see if I can buff their rolls a bit or something with a limerick or something. Something.

Assuming i heard her say that, remind me to ask her later how she's on a first name basis with the Angel of Death.

Now that Rolf had actually started to flip out about the thing behind them, Skitter turned around to see (kinda annoyed Zarhon told us we weren't allowed to do something obvious like watch a flare that was fired as if your eyes don't naturally do things like that but whatever). "Gyah!" he said when he saw the cloaked figure. He backed away the same as Rolf but, calmed down quicker since he didn't have a death threat looming over his head, and asked "Guys, did any of you stop to think that he might be here for the freaking lich and not us?" and then proceeded to just get on the other side of the coffin from it.

Okay, pause for a bit!

I derped with the earlier post, you were supposed to also roll your perception, in addition with saying exactly where you're all looking at (the amulet, the tunnel, or something specific), right after Rolf does his thing.

So Skitter/Jeraylia/Zthulan, post where you're looking at, right after Rolf's flare action/subsequent panic and make a roll. Rolf doesn't need to.

You may have to retcon/alter some of your actions (you'll probably want to).

Horizon wasn't holding the amulet - it floated out of his hands and was floating above the coffin on its own accord. Zthulan's nat20 action would still work though, and I'll allow it to happen. The subsequent action (suggested by Rolf) I'll delay for now to get things in order.

To be clear, though, I'm still immobile, even though I'm not touching it.

Well, basically just what I posted before I guess.

...I believe what Zarhon is getting at is that it's not necessarily a given that the rest of you even SEE Death. Zthulan might get an advantage (what with his spirit sense), and Jeraylia claims a first name basis, but there was that time where Death was visible to Rolf but not to Horizon, back in the church right before the cultist entered Lizzie's room. You would have to actively look at the tunnel to even get a chance to know that Death is at the door.

Put it another way:

---

You see Rolf suddenly turn and fire a Flare into the tunnel behind him. He suddenly freezes and his eyes go wide. He backs away from the tunnels entrance, falls backwards, then sits frozen for a moment. Then he starts muttering something about rules and that he's got to have a good reason for dying. He looks around the room, focusing on the wooden pillar and the amulet.

"...And you do so like your accidents, don't you?" Rolf then scrambles, gets pickaxes, runs to coffin, etc.

Now, what do you do? (If you choose to look at the tunnel, roll a Perception check.)

Considering Skitter is a Dhamypr I just sorta figured I didn't need to roll but, whatever.
Perception: 9 + 8 = 17

Gotcha boss'man!
Rolling perception: a 5+3 = 8.

So presently I think Zthulan just pulled down the amulet, and notices Rolf stumbling and freaking out I reckon?

Jeraylia was standing next to Rolf when he cast the flare. She'd have turned around in surprise when she noticed a growing bright light next to her. And then possibly did a double take if she saw the shape.
The flare would have illuminated the room.
Perception 14(9+5)

And sorry, Lyntermas. I didn't notice you were talking to Zthulan AND her to grab the amulet/Horizon.

Will roll for panic? 14 (rolled 9 again +5)

"Oh. Some half-assed Kobold skeletons. Oh deary dear me." Skitter said in complete monotone and stepped forwards to lazily send a shadow slash at the one on the left.

---

Attack: 19

...There was something odd about Death itself saying "THIS IS VERY IRREGULAR". I mean, the whole situation was odd, but Death's use of the word "irregular" puzzled him. If Rolf had expected Death to say anything at all, he would have guessed something more along the lines of "YOUR SOUL IS MINE" or "THERE IS NO ESCAPE". "Irregular" implied that Death had an opinion of sorts, or at least was able to distinguish in his jobs rather than being an impersonal force of nature or something.

He looked over at the tunnel entrance. Skitter had mentioned something about kobold skeletons. Oh. The amulet had just summoned the undead, that was a relief. Well, a relief compared to it sending fireballs out, anyway. However, Rolf was now pretty certain that he was the only one who could see Death, otherwise he would have heard something from the others by now (or they were being VERY blase about the whole thing).

He set the pickaxes down near the hole of the coffin. "Zthulan, I'm just going to talk to the air for a moment, don't mind me," Rolf said. He then pointed at the floating amulet, then at the hole in the coffin, indicating that Zthulan should still try to put the amulet back into the coffin. He then turned back at Death.

"...Irregular, you say?" asked Rolf, in a tone that had attempted to be casual, but ended up a few octaves higher from fear. "Well, you'd have a better frame of reference than I do on that. This whole day has been just a bit irregular for me, could you be more specific? Oh, excuse me for a moment."

Rolf had noticed that Horizon was starting to move, but not fully naturally. He decided to try and examine Horizon to see what the amulet had done to him, and if he could help fix it.

The fact that this placed Horizon between him and Death was entirely coincidental.

---

Rolling for Arcana on Horizon...3+8=11. Well, we'll see what that does.

Rolf isn't exactly familiar with the Discworld interpretation of Death, but he might figure it out. Maybe the anthropomorphic personification of the end of all life is friendly. Or at least wanting Rolf and the others to die LESS than Zilean does.

In truth Skitter is just so used to that guy following him around and nobody noticing that he's just taken up ignoring him. =P

Edit: Also he doesn't want to pay too much attention and end up running into his granddaughter.

Noticing Rolf's tone of voice Zthulan nods and with a sharp whistle he makes Koras bathe the party in the spirit's embrace.

Healing Flood: 11

Retconned XD

---

Jeraylia moves to intercept the skeletons at the tunnel entrance. When the first one arrives, she'll wait for it to take a swing, intending to parry the blow with her blade and try to disarm it with a flourish. Following that, she will attempt a counterstroke at her adversary's skull.

---

I'm counting on the fact since skeletons have no skin, and therefore less grip, and also that skeletons usually have sluggish reflexes.
Afterwards she'll knock its block off. Like, literally. Right off its body.
Oh, I just realised I just rp'd a readied action.

Now taking votes for what is going on in Horizon's head:
Option 1
Option 2
Option 3

Zthulan's healing flood, due to everyone already being unhurt, doesn't do much for anyone other than Horizon, who regains motor function of his head, neck, face and mouth.

Skitter vs Skeletal Kobold 1 (SK1):

The skeletal kobold raises its wooden plank shield in defense, which parries Skitter's shadow assault completely. It then charges forward, shield raised, straight at Jeraylia. Unprepared for it charging, it knocks her down on her rear. The other skeletal kobold then moves in and uses the opportunity to attack her.

Skeletal Kobold 2 (SK2) vs Jeraylia:

It smashes the blade of its pick straight into Jeraylia's leg, cutting into her tendon and exposing bone.

The amulet continues floating where it was, colors swirling within, glowing slightly brighter.

Rolf is unable to tell exactly why Horizon is being pulled, but he's fairly certain that the cause is something within his satchel, as it is resisting gravity and pointing towards the tunnel.

???:

---

Horizon can move his head/talk, and can try gradually removing his paralysis through willpower (one limb at a time). Jeraylia's leg is currently bleeding badly and is likely to cause penalties/complications if she does something taxing with it. Both the kobolds are within range of Jeraylia. She can't block their passage in her current state, but she can still defend herself or crawl.