TOPIC: Tomb Of Annihilation- discussion thread

Ragnar braced himself and stood before the assembled masses, it was a good crowd this night in the Hobbits Armpit, and Ragnar was in fine voice. He stood and the room quietened.

“I Ragnar Snowmantle – Truthsayer – will tell the tale of Tale of the Shattering of the Soul stone"

It is I Ragnar who tells it…

And so it came to pass that the Stirge vermin were vanquished, and the heroes ventured further into the rock tower. The heroes carefully negotiating the rickety ladder, were assailed by more of the Terra folk fliers, who were repulsed by the heroes acting in unison to defend each other as they climbed. Then disaster struck! The heroes met with seasoned Terra folk warriors and brutal hand to hand combat ensued.

It is I Ragnar who tells it…

All seemed lost as first the mighty Ding ‘ye be havin a dose of this’ Dong was laid low, then Bing the Merciless, then the hapless rogue Deathsave and finally the lizard Sz’lar Stirgehand. On the brink of death and an ignominious TPK, the heroes were NEARLY rescued by the evil cleric Seiko (his time had come) but he too fell before the might of the Terra. As blood pooled the heroes lives hung by a thread, and none could expect to survive.

It is I Ragnar who tells it…

Suddenly, salvation loomed. As the killing strokes descended a new hero stands forth. None other than the ranger Jayne, her bow flashing with magical power, as she invoked the power and fired her mighty arrows of slaying! But salvation had to wait a bit as the mighty arrows of slaying failed to slay immediately and it took ANOTHER hero to stand forth, he known as the Tashan the Purple, unleashed his magic to silence the Terra threat, and provide succour to the heroes.

It is I Ragnar who tells it…

The blood of battle stilled, the heroes took stock and healed of their wounds, when they noted a new hero enter the scene of there battle. He was… errr… Late.

It is I Ragnar who tells it…

Ragnar paused, called for more beer and waited for the words of the tale to reform in his mind as they always did after 15 pints of Blackflap.

The loss of our teammates is weighing on me.
It's taking forever to ascend the levels toward our goal. I wonder if a replacement will be sent for Elias? Is the dream I had before setting out for this quest coming true?

Fade to flashback dream sequence.
I stand at a grave with Tamarin's name on it. I look left and right and see 9 more graves, this time Elias' name is clear. The other names are out of focus.
I'm drawn to look closer to the grave at the end. As I lean forward to read the head stone, hands reach out and grab me from the grave and I fall backwards. Hearing a familiar voice saying
"Find Loish". I look up to see my own face.
I wake abruptly to find myself on the floor.

I snap back to the present and call the barbarian to follow me after the others as they need us.

I rush into the cave, to find most of the party on the floor. I stabilise the Cleric 1st and then Jayne. Unable to wake them, I join the fray and finish off our enemies.

The harsh black beer coursed down his parched throat. Ragnar, took another hefty swallow, and finished the flap to the cheers of his audience....

Aaaaahhhh!

Tis I Ragnar who tells it.

The blood suckers dead, the heroes climbed the shaft of smooth sorrows. The pipe soared into the tower of stone climbing ever higher. At last, a mile above the ground flickering sunlight could be seen. The heroes clambered out. The pijnacle of the spire an overgrown jungle, and facing them a sight to behold. The everlasting flame atop the ruined tower of despair.

It is I Ragnar who tells it

Swiftly the heroes sent their best scouts into the spire to seek out the lost artefact, Dong accompanied his comrade Deathsave the Red, as the others waited poised and ready for action they all knew must come. The two scouted the tower, an old and decayed structure smelling of decay and ancient death. The Larcenous Deathsave spotted the ancient chests immediately, and moved towards them, the completion of their quest at hand!

It is I Ragnar who tells it…

Twas then tyhat many things happened at once. The waiting heroes grew impatient for the return of their comrades and broke cover, Jayne running quickly fo for the tower, Dong the mighty spotted movement and braced for the inevitable impact of attackers and shouted a feeble warning to his comrades as Bitofaslap The King of the Terrafolk summoned his legions. The Terrafolks attacked the exposed heroes, piercing them with blade and claw, Jayne narrowly avoided death as she twisted away from the attack, but Bing the Mercilous was not so lucky and quickly succombed to the assault of the enemy King.

It is I Ragnar who tells it…

Dong was torn, protecting his roguish comrade or entering the fray to help his friends, then reinforcements arrived... The Stirgehand stood forth and carved a way through the Terrafolk, finally grappling the King and pitting strength against strength.

The heroes rallied and destroyed the remaining Terrafolk leaving the Stirgehand to finish his battle with the king. But the might lizard warrior was failing! Pierced by many wounds, he would have succombed were it not for the late arrival of the Tashan and Dong, both heroes stuck the King repeatedly and causing mighty wounds, until at last the heroes prevailed, and the King fell, thrown from the tower, by the listless Stirgehand.

It is I Ragnar who tells it…

But what I hear you ask of Deathsave? The tales will tell that the mighty rogue had persevered throughout the fight to open the chests, and secured the prize. His single minded devotion bordering on unnatural, as he used his devious tools to defeat each lock. But disaster struck him. A devilish trap triggered and the hapless rogue was struck down is a poison so profoound that only the intervention of the gods stayed its course.

The heroes were safe, their mission sucessful and one step closer to bring an end of the soul stone.

it is I Ragnar that tells it.

Ragnar paused again. The applause and whistles greeting his finale, he stepped down from the stage to sup and take his ease. No doubt he would be called again, after all the more amusing parts of the saga were to come...