What's new

Nightmare Lands (Dungeon World Game)


GargantuaBlarg

Lurker
RP Moderator
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
2,859
Reputation score
254
Re: Nightmare Lands (Dungeon World Game)

Nagan squeezed her shoulder as she got back to her feet, planting her soles firmly on the cavern floor - drawing strength and comfort from the simple act of standing straight and tall. The danger had passed, if only for the moment, and she and her companions were still standing... though, the 'straight and tall' part was complicated by the battered soreness in her body, that urged her to double over and hold on to her darkening, bruised flesh.

"The spirits demand we purify whatever evil lurks below that traps them here... but my flesh demands respite. Perhaps we should see the lurkers at our backs off, and gather ourselves before we proceed?"

At any rate, Nagan, sat, crosslegged, pulling the carving of an owl out from under her cloak. She held it up and out in front of her, her eyes closed as she called to Suu'ak, the bird of wisdom, and asked for his help, as she opened her eyes and ears again, trying to discern what dangers awaited them as she held up the idol.

Spirit Talking and using the Suu'ak totem, to give me +1 on discern reality or reroll if I fuck up. If I fuck up spirit talk, I'll just let the totem crumble.

Gonna then discern reality, asking (in order):

What should I be on the lookout for?
Who's behind us?
What is about to happen?
 

Tiffanian

Smut Slut
Joined
Jan 8, 2011
Messages
6,208
Reputation score
214
Re: Nightmare Lands (Dungeon World Game)

Despite her interest in withdrawing to a safer position, Wyndyl soon saw that the battle had turned in their favor, in this room at least. The spiders on the ground were all dead, only the one scuttling around on the ceiling left alive. She loosed a potshot at it when she first saw it, missing but causing it to flee the area, escaping with its life. That was fine, it was badly wounded anyway and would likely stay in its own dark little hole to heal and survive. That left only the men coming up behind them...

But the enemies were nowhere to be seen. Or heard, even. Wyndyl strained to hear, her left ear twitching slightly... but nothing. "I didst hear others approaching, I swear it" she said quietly, walking over to Sir Wolf and running a hand through his dark fur. "I do not believe these men to be of the sort that wouldst lay in wait quietly. And yet... No other explanation suits. We ought deal with them before venturing further into the dark though, no? Otherwise they may follow us, waiting for an advantageous moment to strike us from behind."
 

Tassadar

Panda King
RP Moderator
Joined
Nov 10, 2008
Messages
16,467
Reputation score
429
Re: Nightmare Lands (Dungeon World Game)

"I agree with Nagan and Wyndyl," Mireleth said after a moment's thought, eyeing Colette as she spoke. "What lies ahead this way is unknown, but whatever it is... There is a good chance that it doesn't often come up this way. At the very least those traps ought to slow anything, since I doubt they were for the spiders, and we can push the shelf back into place until we're ready to look further. If we are to explore further, I would rather do so without an armed party at our backs. Deal with the known problem before seeking the unknown one. Besides, our original purpose here was to clear the barbarians, was it not?"

With that, Mireleth sought to wrack her memory of their path, correlating her memory with the noises they'd heard as she tried to figure out where the occupants they'd been sent to clear from the tower might try to set up an ambush. It had been fairly hectic, but they hadn't come that far and there were only so many good places to clump up. Chokepoints at doorways, cover to hide behind... Anything she might think to use in a similar situation that one of similar tactical thinking might elect to use against them.

(Discern realities I guess? Whatever makes the most sense.)
 

BlueSlime

Tentacle God
RP Moderator
Joined
Aug 12, 2010
Messages
7,070
Reputation score
192
Re: Nightmare Lands (Dungeon World Game)

Colette shifted her gaze between Nagan, Wyndyl, and Mireleth, at last acquiescing with a shrug and a sheath of her dagger.

"Very well. We'll go back and handle the barbarians. I just prefer to be the one lying in wait. If they prepare for us, they could stick us full of arrows like a pin cushion as soon as we walk through that bookshelf."

She stood behind Mireleth. "So what's the plan then? Rush in and start to swing away?"
 

Tassadar

Panda King
RP Moderator
Joined
Nov 10, 2008
Messages
16,467
Reputation score
429
Re: Nightmare Lands (Dungeon World Game)

"Not at all. That would be my fear as well," Mireleth replied to Colette, "I'd rather get rid of them before they can entrench well enough to be so prepared for us... Or perhaps lure them into a prepared position of our own. I'm pretty sure they're not right behind the shelf just yet... But they may not be much farther. I'd like to try and spring their ambush only to bring them into a prepared position of our own, say in the room with the shelves. I'd be willing to play the bait in this case, leaving the rest of you to hide... I imagine most of you are better at it than I. Once they're after me, you can close in on them when I turn to... Have my desperate last stand. Unless anyone has something else in mind?"
 

BlueSlime

Tentacle God
RP Moderator
Joined
Aug 12, 2010
Messages
7,070
Reputation score
192
Re: Nightmare Lands (Dungeon World Game)

"That only works so long as they don't turn you into afore-mentioned pin cushion. I prefer you with your current number of holes." Colette smirked, though it was a mirthless one, for she didn't relish the idea of Mireleth playing the role of bait. Unfortunately she couldn't think of a better plan right at the moment.

"It's as good an idea as any, however. So we'll all go together and I'll take up position."

She drew her rapier.

"No time like the present."
 

Tiffanian

Smut Slut
Joined
Jan 8, 2011
Messages
6,208
Reputation score
214
Re: Nightmare Lands (Dungeon World Game)

"We ought to move quickly" Wyndyl said, somewhat anxiously. "The more time we give them to prepare the more dangerous our situation becomes. Baiting them into a place of our choosing is more prudent than simply rushing in, this is true... But that plan relies on Mireleth being able to escape without being injured terribly when they spring their trap. All of us ought to be ready to rush after her if necessary."
 

Knephi

Demon Girl Pro
Joined
Sep 3, 2014
Messages
145
Reputation score
18
Re: Nightmare Lands (Dungeon World Game)

"I agree. Springing their trap quickly sounds like the best plan." Sable added as she knelt down next to the dead spider, prying the spike she'd driven into its carapace free and examining it more closely. She wasn't certain if these spiders were venomous or not and they didn't have the time for her to try to extract the venom sacs even if it was, as useful as they might be. Perhaps a piece of its carapace then? It had proven unusually tough, perhaps she could find some use for it if she could quickly pry or cut a piece free. "Those spiders were lured out by the sound of the trap, but who knows what else could live down here? This seems to be a natural cave system, maybe an escape tunnel of some kind for the original owner. If it's connected to the outside somewhere, there's no telling what could be living in here, or how deep it goes. I wouldn't want to give them a chance to strike us from behind while we're busy with more of these creatures, or to seal the exit behind us."

Once she was done her quick work with the creature she stood, wiping her hands mostly clean before making her way slowly towards the doorway. "Mireleth, could you let me provide the distraction? I'm fairly confident in my ability to spring this trap safely. They can't have done much more than just hide themselves for an ambush in this time, so I just need to be quick. Then you can strike when I've drawn them out of hiding."

Using Grisly Trophy again to harvest something from the spider if she has time (Was looking at the carapace for something defensive, since it seemed abnormally tough, but anything else you could think of also works).

Then the plan is to spend 1 of the 2 Readiness she has stocked for Monster Hunter, on the third use: "Predict its movements - take the 10+ result when Defying Danger." when rushing out to spring the trap.
 

Tassadar

Panda King
RP Moderator
Joined
Nov 10, 2008
Messages
16,467
Reputation score
429
Re: Nightmare Lands (Dungeon World Game)

"Sure," Mireleth replied to Sable, letting her take the risk if she felt so inclined.
 
OP
Astarte

Astarte

Tentacle Monster
Joined
Dec 28, 2014
Messages
382
Reputation score
15
Re: Nightmare Lands (Dungeon World Game)

Rolls
Nagan rolls an 11 for Spirit Talk.
Status
Mireleth - HP 16/23, No Status
Nagan - HP 10/19, No Status
Sable - HP 15/21, No Status
Colette - HP 8/20, No Status
Wyndyl - HP 17/17, No Status


Enemies:
3 Warriors with Melee Weapons.
2 Warriors with a Net and Spears.

As the others made their preparations, Nagan once again attempted to commune with the spirits, to gain some insight into the ambush awaiting them. It was difficult, as soon as she opened her mind to the spirits she was once again assailed by the incoherent cries from below, but Suu'ak answered her call. For a moment her vision swam, replaced with a view of a familiar room but from above. She could count five men waiting in ambush, but there was something unusual about them. Most of these men had been unruly at best, if not seemingly mad with rage, only the beastmaster seeming to have been mostly stable, but these men seemed almost unnaturally calm.

There was little visually different about them compared to the ones they had already fought, but as she watched they barely even twitched, only the occasional minute movement telling her that she was watching them as they were now, and not simply a still image. All were staring almost unblinkingly towards the passage leading into the cave, hidden behind shelves or around corners. It wasn't a particularly complex ambush, they were simply watching and waiting for someone to enter the room, but their mannerisms were completely different than she had observed in the others.


Once everyone was prepared it was Sable who moved first, quickly dashing by the man situated near the doorway, ducking under a two-handed axe swing and passing him by before he could recover. Next was a net thrown from around the corner of the hallway the men had come from, the swordswoman only just managing to strike one of the weighted ends with her blade and send if harmlessly off course before it hit her.

Just as Nagan had seen, there were five men arrayed around the room. Once was waiting by the doorway, who she had evaded on her way in, and two more waited just around the bookshelves the beastmaster had been using as barriers for her sleeping area, one with a sword that looked to be of standard Imperial design and was likely looted, and the other with an axe of his own, both of whom looked ready to charge at the swordswoman who had sprung their trap. Farther back was one holding another net, spears clutched in his other hand as he prepared to throw it, and down the hall to her side was the man who'd thrown the first net, now preparing to throw a spear as well.

Drew up an MSPaint map to try to avoid confusion:


The one on the left has already thrown a net, the one to the right has not, and the other three just have melee weapons. The rest of the party is free to make their exit from the tunnel as they wish now.
 

Tassadar

Panda King
RP Moderator
Joined
Nov 10, 2008
Messages
16,467
Reputation score
429
Re: Nightmare Lands (Dungeon World Game)

Mireleth crept into position beside the doorway leading into the ambush room and gave Sable a nod. When the trap was sprung, she was to be the first into the room, and as Sable dashed in, weaving through and deflect more thrown nets, Mireleth waited as little time as possible for the barbarians to reveal themselves before rushing through the door after her. The man with the axe would find Mireleth rushing at his back as he moved to pursue Sable, and she barreled into him from behind without initially making to slow her momentum.

Her blade would come free of its sheath with an audible shriek and a flash, a slash going right for the barbarian's waist as she used him to play out her forward momentum. A successful hit would be followed up by a hand on the back of her curved blade, pushing it through all the way while Mireleth herself stepped past the dead barbarian and entered the fray.

(Hack and Slash on the nearest of the melee fighters.)
 

BlueSlime

Tentacle God
RP Moderator
Joined
Aug 12, 2010
Messages
7,070
Reputation score
192
Re: Nightmare Lands (Dungeon World Game)

Colette slid into the shadows around the other side of the bookshelf and waited first for Sable to rush in, springing the ambush, and then for Mireleth to follow her.

Once the eastern warrior had passed the threshold, Colette would duck low and rush towards Sable's position, as the slayer had turned to face the warriors with hand weapons behind her. Colette saw the way Sable's body pivoted to react to their presence and intuited the relative position of her foes. She rounded the shelves, leading with a stab of her rapier, hoping to give little to no time for a defensive reaction.

She trusted in Wyndyl and Nagan to provide ranged support while she and the other fighters got stuck into the melee.

Engaging in melee, and if possible trying to qualify for a flank/sneak attack. Would accept the ruling either way.
 

Tiffanian

Smut Slut
Joined
Jan 8, 2011
Messages
6,208
Reputation score
214
Re: Nightmare Lands (Dungeon World Game)

Wyndyl readied her bow, picking out an arrow as she patted Sir Wolf, saying "<alright Sir Wolf, we'll enter just behind the others, in front of Nagan. I'll shoot one of them, and you can tear into the nearest of them. Hopefully we can kill them quickly, before they manage to injure the others.>" When Sable ran in she held back for a moment, notching her arrow and crouching next to her direwolf friend. Mireleth ran in after her, attacking one of the barbarians, and Colette went in just behind. The elf rushed in right behind, checking first on Mireleth's target when he came into sight and shooting him if he was alive, if not aiming for the enemy with the net at the far end of the room.

Shootan some dudes. Hopefully Sir Wolf can nom on the nearest living enemy, if not and he has to attack what I shoot that's fine too.
 

GargantuaBlarg

Lurker
RP Moderator
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
2,859
Reputation score
254
Re: Nightmare Lands (Dungeon World Game)

"Five men!" Nagan shouted as she came out of her reverie with the screaming spirits. "Unnaturally still, and--"

She then noticed her companions were already running to purge these new foes. It was an impressive display of ferocity, and she grinned with approval. "Hhrruuaagh!" the Shaman shouted. She knew she was no fighter like her companions, so where the others slew them with their blades, she would have to slay them with cunning.

Nagan ran to join the fray. She knew where her foes were. The tribeswoman did her best to avoid the man at the cave's entrance, trusting Mireleth to occupy him as she skirted them. She threw herself into the bookshelf with two men hiding behind it, to topple it onto them. If it did not harm them, it would at least trap them for awhile and keep them out of the fight, and give her and her companions some time to strike down their fellows without the threat of their stolen swords.
 
Top