22.01 Many Coiling Arms
“Many Coiling Arms” Sometimes it isn’t the big, flashy actions but the little, unseen ones that save the day. This dimensional monstrosity has so many eyes and limbs that it was easy to track the gobos and snatch them up as they made their moves. What about the unseen? Did you forget about Pat? The creature never had the chance to forget.
Magic 101: There are no inherent safeguards with magic… at least in this world.
Some powerful translocation spells are like roller-coaster; keep your hands (or tentacles) in the car for the entirety of the ride. See? Puccini put up an invisible wall before casting that teleportation spell for a reason!
Be careful out there.
↓ Transcript
Panel 1
A back shot of Fip, now further in the room. The gobo archer takes aim and...
Panel 2
...the arrow strikes one of the bat-things as Bam instinctively ducks low as the gobo runs towards the viewer.
Panel 3
Bam raises Pōk's spear and leaps over a tentacle that Wak pushes aside, using both shoulder and ax-handle for leverage.
Panel 4
Bam turns the spear, teeth bare as the gobo's objective draws closer. The tentacle, no longer interested in Bam, wraps up Wak in its grasp.
Panel 5
A side shot of the approach show the objective: the pedestal, and the black stone upon it. Bam passes one tentacle and plants the spear's blunt end on the floor, jumping upward over another that is snaking across the floor.
Panel 6
A closer shot shows a smug Bam reaching forward in mid-air, a hand's length away from the black stone...
Panel 7
...but no further progress is made, much to Bam's confused frustration.
Panel 8
The view pans out once more showing that Bam had been caught by the passed tentacle. Realization and defeat are clearly seen on the gobo's face.
Panel 9
The scene shifts to a front view of the portal, as if viewed from the pedestal. Bam is being pulled away towards the grinning monstrosity. Among the other tentacles is Hob, still wrapped up tight in one of the creature's coiling limbs
Panel 10
Suddenly, the monster's expression changes to surprise as it seems to fade, the tentacles outside the gate the only parts not transparent. Hob looks towards the gate while Bam keeps an eye on the viewer, both wide-eyed.
Panel 11
Only the tentacles on this side of the gate remain in this world, as the many-limbed creature and the place behind the gate disappear with a small flash of light. Both gobos look back toward the viewer, Bam smiling and reaching forward with a free hand.
Panel 12
After hovering in place for a second, severed tentacles and gobos fall to the floor. Pōk enters view as all three gobos prepare for impact.
Panel 13
The scene shifts from wide-eyed, tentacle-covered Nak and Nik...
Panel 14
...to Tik and Tok (the latter in a tight tentacle roll)...
Panel 15
...and finally to Zip, Nob and Puccini, recovering from their brief encounters with the tentacles. All of them look up towards...
Panel 16
...what they see as the black stone hovering up and away from the top of the pedestal. What they don't see is that Pat is sitting there holding the black stone, still invisible from the potion the gobo cook drank.
Pat: "<Everyone alright?>"
A back shot of Fip, now further in the room. The gobo archer takes aim and...
Panel 2
...the arrow strikes one of the bat-things as Bam instinctively ducks low as the gobo runs towards the viewer.
Panel 3
Bam raises Pōk's spear and leaps over a tentacle that Wak pushes aside, using both shoulder and ax-handle for leverage.
Panel 4
Bam turns the spear, teeth bare as the gobo's objective draws closer. The tentacle, no longer interested in Bam, wraps up Wak in its grasp.
Panel 5
A side shot of the approach show the objective: the pedestal, and the black stone upon it. Bam passes one tentacle and plants the spear's blunt end on the floor, jumping upward over another that is snaking across the floor.
Panel 6
A closer shot shows a smug Bam reaching forward in mid-air, a hand's length away from the black stone...
Panel 7
...but no further progress is made, much to Bam's confused frustration.
Panel 8
The view pans out once more showing that Bam had been caught by the passed tentacle. Realization and defeat are clearly seen on the gobo's face.
Panel 9
The scene shifts to a front view of the portal, as if viewed from the pedestal. Bam is being pulled away towards the grinning monstrosity. Among the other tentacles is Hob, still wrapped up tight in one of the creature's coiling limbs
Panel 10
Suddenly, the monster's expression changes to surprise as it seems to fade, the tentacles outside the gate the only parts not transparent. Hob looks towards the gate while Bam keeps an eye on the viewer, both wide-eyed.
Panel 11
Only the tentacles on this side of the gate remain in this world, as the many-limbed creature and the place behind the gate disappear with a small flash of light. Both gobos look back toward the viewer, Bam smiling and reaching forward with a free hand.
Panel 12
After hovering in place for a second, severed tentacles and gobos fall to the floor. Pōk enters view as all three gobos prepare for impact.
Panel 13
The scene shifts from wide-eyed, tentacle-covered Nak and Nik...
Panel 14
...to Tik and Tok (the latter in a tight tentacle roll)...
Panel 15
...and finally to Zip, Nob and Puccini, recovering from their brief encounters with the tentacles. All of them look up towards...
Panel 16
...what they see as the black stone hovering up and away from the top of the pedestal. What they don't see is that Pat is sitting there holding the black stone, still invisible from the potion the gobo cook drank.
Pat: "<Everyone alright?>"
And the first quest is done!
Now for the XP!
So.. will Pat get all the XP, or double the amount or are they divided equally…
Also… can it really be considered dead…?
Ah, this brings me back to so many discussions…
While I wouldn’t necessarily say this is the first quest, it is definitely one of the bigger threats they’ve faced. From a gamer perspective, I’d say they all get a fair share of XP. It might not be dead, but it still was defeated; it won’t be wreaking havoc here anytime soon.