Elisile Starbrow |
initiatives:
Elisile: initiative 23
Vethran: initiative 18+
Hudak: initiative 18
Camlo: initiative 17
Illes: initiative 16
Black Magga: initiative 11
Dravite: initiative 9
Alwyn: initiative 5
Cam and Illes are up.
Elisile Starbrow |
Move to rs 19-20.
Hudak'll try and push the buckling tower down on the beastly b&#%% of the slythly depths.
1d20+7
*gnnnnnng*Hudak strains, and fears he may strain his descending colon out through his buttcheeks in that most horrifying of herniations.
Sorry mate, didn’t mean to suggest you should change your action. Thinking out loud. I was going to suggest Veth cast a fireball behind and above the tower to topple it or something, though that probably wouldn’t work, as fireballs in D&D / Pathfinder don’t actually have any concussive force by the RAW.
Camlo Zenovia |
A double move action, using expeditious retreat, that would be 100Ft right? Please put Camlo at Y11 which uses most of that movement...
Camlo feels the vigour of the spell, putting speed into his little legs, and runs for all he's worth into the large square. Keeping a good distance from the menacing beast that he can't see a way to affect, he moves to be able to help anyone who needs it.
Illes Elandru |
Illes' junky second hand wand finally expends its charge and he pumps one fist in the air. Ahead he sees Alwyn begin to grow with every step, and the Varisian falls into a jog behind him. When he rounds the unexpectedly river front home and gets his first look at the lake beast he stops and his jaw drops open. The bard forces himself to get it together and calls out, "Rally to me! Desna will guide you!"
Alwyn enlarges.
MA: AE 16
2nd MA: Inspire Courage
+5 attack/damage (competence) / +5 vs charm/fear
Wow. I don't want to get close enough to fight that thing. I'll start greasing whoever is going in though to help vs grapple, but haste is coming up next if we are grouped enough to make it worthwhile.
Aubrey the Demented/Malformed |
The creature blasts out a spittle-streaked roar. Waves of the creatures maddening breath wash over the party.
60' cone of maddening breath, affecting everyone except Hudak and Elisile. Reflex DC 27: if you fail you take 1d6 WIS damage and are Confused as per the spell: 01-25, act normally; 26-50, take no action other than babble incoherently; 51-75, attack self dealing 1d8+STR damage; 76-00, attack the nearest creature. Save, you take half WIS damage and no Confusion.
Hey, Vatters, remember when you said how cool a spell Confusion was in Heathy's game? Weeeeeell....
Illes Elandru |
Reflex 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19
Wis damage 1d6 ⇒ 1
Confused 1d100 ⇒ 38
I'm wondering if this might fall under countersong? Could be a noninstantaneous sonic magical attack.
Camlo Zenovia |
Reflex: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (11) + 12 = 23
Wis Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 6
If Confused: 1d100 ⇒ 57
Damage: 1d8 + 0 ⇒ (3) + 0 = 3
Camlo looks at the beast, and thenat him self and jumps up and down, "ARGH, SPIDERS! AARRGGGHH!" while hitting himself all over.....
Oh, errmm, also, I would now be on 2 Wis, with a -4 Wis mod....
Vethran Tallomane |
Only a natural 20 will let me save this.
Reflex: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7
Wis dmg: 1d6 ⇒ 1
Confusion: 1d100 ⇒ 7
Nice... a natural 1. At least the WIS damage and effect are minimal. Of course, with a natural 1 on the save, does that mean that some of my equipment might go crazy? :D
Vethran shudders as the maddening vapors wash over him but, as the fog clears, he feels a little lightheaded but otherwise okay... for now.
Dravite Schorl |
Reflex 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (19) + 12 = 31
Wisdom 1d6 ⇒ 3
Cornfused 1d100 ⇒ 45
Cool. 1 wisdom, no confused.
Dravite fires off another volley of arrows.
1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 202d8 + 20 ⇒ (3, 2) + 20 = 25
1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 221d8 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12
Ac 20 on the first (25 damage), AC 22 on the second (12 damage).
Elisile Starbrow |
“Get every one you can away from the river, away from the town,” Elisile says softly to Father Sheed. “I do not know that we can defeat this monster, and hiding indoors offers little protection.”
Elisile then casts Cat’s Grace on herself, waits a beat, then opens the door and steps outside (5 foot step to S9. “What is happening?” she hisses to Camlo, seeing the halfling jumping around and yelling nearby, and hearing the roar of the monster from around the bulk of the church.
Veth.
Elisile Starbrow |
“Get every one you can away from the river, away from the town,” Elisile says softly to Father Sheed. “I do not know that we can defeat this monster, and hiding indoors offers little protection.”
Elisile then casts Cat’s Grace on herself, waits a beat, then opens the door and steps outside (5 foot step to S9. “What is happening?” she hisses to Camlo, seeing the halfling jumping around and yelling nearby, and hearing the roar of the monster from around the bulk of the church.
Veth.
Aubrey the Demented/Malformed |
Dravite fires twice at the beast but it shrugs off his attacks. Meanwhile Hudak hacks again at the wooden supports of the tower. His magical blade slices through them like butter, and with a crashing rumble the tower heels over on to the monstrosity below. Unfortunately, so does the end of the temple roof upon which Hudak is standing.
8d6 damage, Reflex save DC 15 for half, and you are buried in the wreckage.
As the dust clears, the collapsed end of the temple lies in a heap on top of the creature, which is mostly buried under the pile of broken masonry. A single tentacle twitches fitfully before flopping down with finality. And Hudak is nowhere to be seen.
End of combat. 6,400xp each.
Camlo Zenovia |
Compleatly oblivious to the crashing down of the building, and Elisile, Camlo keeps jumping around obsessed with something around his feet. After a while, he suddenly snaps out of it, and looks around to see if anyone noticed his strange behaviour.
As he surveys his surroundings, he sees the collapsed tower "Oh my, w-w-who or w-what, ah, did that then? Is anyone, t-trapped inside?"
Elisile Starbrow |
Wow. It worked. We should keep this tactic in mind next time we go up against something with really high AC and spell resistance – drop a building on it. Oh, and who killed the fearsome beast? The fighter … There is more than one way to skin a cat.
Elisile hears the resounding crash and rushes around the corner, rain running down her face. She sees the wreckage that buries Black Magga … and recalls seeing Hudak on the roof through the tower window.
“Hudak!”
Taking to the air, the elven woman flies over to the partly submerged pile of rubble, staring down in horror at the mess as she hovers above it. Then, whispering words of power as she hangs suspended amidst the falling rain, she suddenly grows to twice her size, and begins picking up and flinging aside pieces of broken timber and stone.
Move over thanks to fly, cast enlarge person on self, then start moving rubble, looking for Hudak.
Vethran Tallomane |
Vethran spends a few moments in airborne hystrionics as the insanity vapor racks his mind but eventually realizes what has happened and begins surveying the area from the sky to make sure there are no other impending threats before landing.
Presumably Hudak will have been found/recovered by the time Vethran regains his senses. Put my level 8 stat bump into CON and rolling for HP: 1d6 ⇒ 6. Also added stoneskin and resilient sphere to my book.
Elisile Starbrow |
While the advantage of increased size, strength and flight last, Elisile keeps trying to dig Hudak free of the rubble, being careful not to inadvertently cause him more damage as the wreckage shifts.
She keeps a wary eye on the tentacled remains of Black Magga, watching for movement.
Aubrey the Demented/Malformed |
Between them, the party dig Hudak out of the rubble. Somehow he avoided the worst of the collapse, managing to find himself wedged under a partially collapsed arch the protected him from serious injury. The townsfolk gather round as the party celebrate their victory, awestruck at both the massive damage caused to their temple and the collosal corpse lying under its remains. Then, cheering, they haul off the group on their shoulders, declaring them the saviours of Turtleback Ferry.
The rain has now stopped although the sky still looks threatening. The party hole up back in the inn for the next day or so, battered and bruised and slightly delerious from the after-effects of the beast's maddening breath. However, they are plied with free food and wine and the cot of their lodging is waived. A delegation then arrives from the town elders, led by Father Sheed.
"Well, it'll take a while to fix the temple now," he says ruefully, "But at least the beast is dead. But it leaves us with a bit of a problem. See, Black Magga is - was - a creature of the Storval Deep. The river runs from the Deep, but in the way there's Skull Crossing, which holds the waters back like a dam. It's an ancient thing - been here longer than anyone knows, certainly before Magnimar - but it has floodgates to let through storm waters and the like.
"Magga could never get through there unless the Crossing was damaged somehow. And that's bad - if Skull Crossing goes the Storval Deep will make the floods we just had look like a bit of drizzle. I know you have done so much for us, but can we ask you to check on the Crossing and make sure it is alright?"
Elisile Starbrow |
“I have been wondering how Black Magga could have gotten out of the lake,” Elisile says. “If the dam that holds back those waters go, it will not only be devastating to your town, but to everything bordering the river all the way down to Lake Syrantula or beyond.”
The elf looks to her companions before turning back to the priest. “We will investigate,” she says.
Hudak |
Hudak wants to talk to the head priest. He's all proud of hisself, like a puppy who just carried in his first squirrel,.... but when (if) they're alone,
"I'm...I'm so sorry! (generally bawling and crying) I....I didn't mean to destroy the church! I......BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!!! I.....how much is a new church? I'll get the gold!"
He's mewling and crying and it's embarassing.
Aubrey the Demented/Malformed |
Hudak:
"Your actions doubtless saved a good many lives in Turtleback Ferry. The temple is just a building, and not the first on this site. The temple here has been burnt down and washed away several times in the village's history, although this is the first time it's been used as an offensive weapon. And to slay such a beast as Black Magga, one of Lamashtu's chosen, is surely a noble thing. So feel no guilt or upset.
"Obviously, any donation you can provide to rebuilding would be welcome. Buy Gordic is busy preparing the head of Magga for mounting on the wall, and that will doubtless be an relic the faithful will flock to see. And we are planning a wall painting depicting your slaying of the beast. For Erastil guided your hand, using the weapons you had available. So all is well - rather than feeling badly, you should see that the All-Father is happy with you, and has blessed our temple."
Elisile Starbrow |
Anything you want to do before you set off?
Nothing much comes to mind. We’ll ask how far away the dam is – I assume the direction is clear enough (follow the river).
Dravite Schorl |
DM and Hudak....
Dravite hands the priest a small sack with 200 platinum pieces in it.
"Hopefully ye can see ta da needs o' de town wit' some of it too, ta be helpin' any what needs some help. I'll be back wit' more when I can Father."
Hudak |
DM/Dravite...
"I.....I wish I could've done it some other way, father...I'm so sorry.
Thankyou, Dravite. I'm so glad you're back."
Hudak's blubbering now.
One more thing.....Hudak looks for a place to buy his first tattoo.....a Black Magga on his chest, with tentacles winding down his arms like barber poles.
I'll level Hudak tonite; also figure out a church donation and I'm ready to ride to the next bit.
It's been a tough day irl and I'm punchy...
Aubrey the Demented/Malformed |
Hudak / Dravite:
You can get a tattoo here - though you might end up with hepatitis C. Up to you.
All leveled and ready to hit the road?
Aubrey the Demented/Malformed |
The party sets off the following morning, the instructions of Father Sheed ringing in their ears. Skull Crossing is back up the Skull River in the direction of Fort Rannick. However, where the track to the now-abandoned fortress turns off towards Hook Mountain, to reach Skull Crossing they simply have to follow the river perhaps another fifteen miles.
Aubrey the Demented/Malformed |
The party sets off the following morning, the instructions of Father Sheed ringing in their ears. Skull Crossing is back up the Skull River in the direction of Fort Rannick. However, where the track to the now-abandoned fortress turns off towards Hook Mountain, to reach Skull Crossing they simply have to follow the river perhaps another fifteen miles. On horseback (or muleback) they should reach the dam by mid-afternoon.
Aubrey the Demented/Malformed |
After several hours of hard riding, with only the briefest of stops to eat and rest, the party final reaches the dam. Here the Skull River flows through a deep rocky channel, with the track following in the western shore.
Spanning the great breadth of the gorge is Skull’s Crossing. The massive wall of stone holds back the waters of the Storval Deep — but only just. Thousands of skulls have been carved into the dam’s face, while five larger ones decorate the middle length. The easternmost of these immense skulls is all but hidden by a steady flow of cascading water pouring through what appears to be a recent break in the dam. For now, the ancient dam seems to be holding its own against the Storval Deep, but unless these rains end soon the recent flood looks to be but a minor precursor to a fantastic disaster. The eastern slopes of the gorge are sheer and slick with rain, but to the west, a narrow stone stairway, its edge decorated with hundreds of poles bearing the skulls of as many different creatures, winds up to a cave mouth near the western rim of the dam itself.