** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **
Perception
Isaac bows and responds in the same tongue.
Sylvan:
Isaac turns to the others.
"This is Phaumee Nutsack, defender of the Second Branch hutch, cutters. Killing these beetles was a boon act, cutters, since they prey on the World Ash. For the carcasses, he'll lann us the Chant, maybe act as tout if we see the need."
Phaumee nods and chitters again:
Sylvan:
Phaumee pauses and chitters again
Sylvan:
"I can teach it to you later if you like. But with less formal syntax. The dryad I learned it from spoke much more casually. Isaac's words are very...er, courtly?" she whispered so as not to interrupt Isaac's attempt at negotiation.
"That would be great, Thanks Nari!" Justin whispers as he flashes the shy elf girl a grin. Then jumps when he is startled by the appearance of the giant squirrel.
"And, sooner would be good,.... I'm thinking.' He whispers to her again with slightly wide eyes. Once over his surprise he examines the creature with curiosity as Isaac trades chitters with it.
Isaac turns to the others.
"This is Phaumee Nutsack, defender of the Second Branch hutch, cutters. Killing these beetles was a boon act, cutters, since they prey on the World Ash. For the carcasses, he'll lann us the Chant, maybe act as tout if we see the need."
"Sounds like a fair trade to me. I think we have all we need from the creatures." Justin says with a slight bow towards the oversized squirrel.
Isaac listens closely to the Ratatosk, his face growing grave.
Sylvan:
The godsman turns back to the party.
"Right, new terms cutters: he knows exactly where the khaasta call kip in a knothole by the berg Crux. He'll show us, but we need to aid his hutch. Things've been rotten on the World Ash of late and his people are being harrassed by some undead thing. Personally, I think we oughtta lend 'em aid. Tumble to that?"
"Okay I guess but what do we do if the Khaasta decide to move on whilst were helping with this?"
Justin tilts his head to the side as Isaac steps back into his heavily accented Sigil-speak. But it doesn't take him as long as before to catch up to Isaac's 'chant'.
"That sounds, acceptable. If everyone agrees?" Justin smiles.
"A single undead shouldn't be too difficult to send packing! Although I suppose I should be careful where I'm tossing my fireballs while we're here,..." He adds thoughtfully with a glance at the oversized, and armed, squirrel.
Justin nods at Merle's comment.
"Well, we'll just have to deal with this undead quickly then!" He grins.
"I haven't met a skeleton or zombie yet that didn't burn!" He adds cheerfully.
Nari nods and quickly transfers her arrows into the new quiver in case the undead was incorporeal.
"I suppose if the khaasta move on we'll have to follow them. We should move quickly. And hope that they meet lots of delays."
"Okay I guess but what do we do if the Khaasta decide to move on whilst were helping with this?"
The squirreloid starts and runs a few steps down the bark when Merle talks. He sidles back, fur ruffled, and chitters in broken Common.
"Khaasta not move, talking cat. Khaasta chitt-kitt-yuhu good place for hutch. Khaasta hide there, you no findee."
Justin bites his lip, trying VERY hard not to smile at the sight of the cat and rodent talking,...
The Ratatosk warrior Phaumee pauses and trills out a loud whistle. From the branch he originally descended comes a squad of ten squirrelfolk. He chitters at them.
Sylvan:
The squad all nod and begin carving up the large beetles
Sylvan:
Sylvan: ** spoiler omitted **
Phaumee nods and chitters rapidly
Sylvan:
Isaac listens closely to the Ratatosk, his face growing grave.
Sylvan: ** spoiler omitted **
The godsman turns back to the party.
"Right, new terms cutters: he knows exactly where the khaasta call kip in a knothole by the berg Crux. He'll show us, but we need to aid his hutch. Things've been rotten on the World Ash of late and his people are being harrassed by some undead thing. Personally, I think we oughtta lend 'em aid. Tumble to that?"
"The Sacred Flame cleanses many things, the dead being but one. If the team decides to help, then I agree."
Isaac slaps Ekuur on the back.
"From the Chant Phaumee gave us, I reckon the wrath o' the Sacred Flame could be a big help if yeh're ready to dish it out, cutter. He says it's a dead leaf/plant thing that chokes an' cuts what poor sods it catches."
Knowledge (Planes) for possible creature i.d.:
Sylvan:
"Dead leaf/plant thing?" Justin rubs his goatee, now badly in need of a trim after weeks of traveling, and ponders what this spirit could be.
Drazek snickers quietly atbthe mention of the squirrel's name.
"Dead leaf/plant thing?" Justin rubs his goatee, now badly in need of a trim after weeks of traveling, and ponders what this spirit could be.
1d20+12; 1d20+12; 1d20+12; 1d20+12; 1d20+12
Justin:
Isaac slaps Ekuur on the back.
"From the Chant Phaumee gave us, I reckon the wrath o' the Sacred Flame could be a big help if yeh're ready to dish it out, cutter. He says it's a dead leaf/plant thing that chokes an' cuts what poor sods it catches."
Knowledge (Planes) for possible creature i.d.: 1d20+8Sylvan: ** spoiler omitted **
Issac:
Bethany eyes the strange creatures with the look of somone who hasn't eaten a decent meal in a long time, although the fact that Isaac is conversing with them and that they apparently want some help, makes her pause.
"I don't see any problem with doing what they ask if it gets us closer to finishing this chase," she says as she hefts her new blade and tests it's precision with a few practice swings.
After Issac chitters some more at the Ratatosk warrior, Phaumee gestures with a furry clawed hand up the large branch he had come from.
Sylvan
The squirrel-man turns to the party and speaks in planar Common:
"I take you to .. Gritt-chittter-squee .. now. Place far-far where bad-bad dead thing live. You follow Phaumee, he show way."
He turns and heads for the massive side branch. Arriving at his base, he leaps on, crawling the first few feet then standing back up.
The party follows the enegmatic Phaumee up the side branch. They find that gravity on the World Ash is subjective. The gravity shifts after the first ten feet or so of arriving on a new branch. It is a bit disconcerting at first, but they rapidly get the handle of climbing until their ears tell them the gravity direction has changed.
They travel for the better part of a light cycle. Phaume leads them along one side branch, then another, then another. Each one gets smaller and smaller, as they seem to be getting closer to the shell of leaves that surrounds Yggdrasil. An occasional flash of deep blue sky can be seen between the leaf cover, but there seems to be no analog of the sun here.
As the light starts to deepen into a late afternoon feel, the side branch they come to is dead. Grey bark is peeling off in rotten patches, and the greyish wood underneath is punky and full of beetle holes. Drifts of dead leaves clog the branch's ragged bark. Although still massive by terrestrial measures, this side branch is small enough that when the party ascends onto it it feels like they are walking along a curved surface. Phaumee chitters nervously:
"This be Dead Branch. Leaf Ghost live here. Be wary. Bad portal at end."
The air feels hushed. The party gets the distinct feeling they are being watched. Smaller side branches off the Dead Branch stand stark and bare, some shrouded in spiderwebs.
she says as she hefts her new blade and tests it's precision with a few practice swings.
Arpeggio makes a pleasing sound when being swung, reminiscent of rubbing wine glasses full of liquid.
Bethany pulls out her Footbow and takes to the air, flying around the party to see if she can spot anything.
Perception Check:
Bethany pulls out her Footbow and takes to the air, flying around the party to see if she can spot anything.
Perception Check: 1d20
Isaac draws his frost-rimed greatsword and walks onto the branch, keeping an eye out for trouble himself.
Perception:
Bethany pulls out her Footbow and takes to the air, flying around the party to see if she can spot anything.
Bethany swoops over the dead expanse of tree, jinking between skeletal offshoots. Her keen eye picks up a quiver in a pile of dead leaves. She pulls up short as thousands of leaves fountain up into a swirling chaotic mass. Like a compact tornado, the leaves encircle her area. Bethany is lost to sight as the madly-whirling globe of leaves cascades around her position.
Group Initiative:
DM DICE (don't peek!):
Initiative:
Leaf Ghost: 26
Mr. Swire: 16
Issac: 15
Merle: 12
Karrin: 11
Justin: 11
Drazek: 11
Tiandra: 11
Naridre: 11
Bethany: 11
Ekuur: 8
The maelstrom of leaves whip in front of the party's face as Bethany shrieks in fury from somewhere inside
Bethany:
Merle will attempt to fire a pair of magic missile's at the thing
Damage
Justin stands and gawks at the sight of a whirlwind of leaves surrounding Bethany with obviously hostile intent. The sight (and sounds) of his companions leaping into action kick Justin out of his reverie.
"Torch it! Area attacks if you can! Burn the leaves! Save the force bolts for the controller! If it IS a ghost, force magics are our best bet!" Justin yells as his hands rapidly weave magic of their own. His new ring winks on his finger as the flames gather in his hand.
"Sorry Bethany,..." He says as he hurls his blue-hot ball of flame skyward towards the leaves,...
I am luvin' deh new maps! :)
EDIT:
Phaumee screeches and draws his spear back
EDIT:
will save
Will: (+2 vs. Enchantment)
Isaac tries to puzzle out what the thing could be, tossing a jar of alchemist's fire at the tornado of leaves.
Knowledge (The Planes):
Alchemist's fire:
Caster lvl check
Nari's eyes glow as she attempts to blow the leaves out of the way so that they can see Bethany.
It only allows her to change the wind speed by 10mph so it may not work, but she's trying anyway.[/ooc]
Nari entends her hand and concentrates. her eyes glow brightly as her fingers curl, as if struggling with a heavy weight. The party sees the curtain of leaves lifted for a moment. Bethany is in the sky 20 feet above and 30 feet away, looking striken. Floating near her is a tall skeletal form with burning blue eyes and huge demonic horns on its head. It turns to the party and unleashes an otherworldly screech.
Ekuur moves forward until he thinks the creature is within range, and holds forth his holy symbol. As he channels his faith through the orb, the usual blue healing flames instead become bright orange and race outward, searing and blackening some of the creature's form ...
energy channel
Karrin, wearing her fancy new boots, lunges forward and tries to attack it with her axe:
Will Save:
Bethany screeches in pain at the touch of the skeletal creature next to her. As she looks around for an escape, she sees the leaves part before her as the path Nari has cleared appears. She swoops through, flying behind the others to minister to her wounds.
Fly Check:
cure light wounds:
Initiative Round one:
Leaf Ghost: 26 [Hit Bethany]
Mr. Swire: 16 [Drawing xbow, G26] [W18]
Issac: 15 [Tossing bomb-miss] [W16]
Phaumee:14 [Spear toss-miss] [W23]
Merle: 12 [MM-hit] [W16]
Karrin: 11 [Axe attack-hit]
Justin: 11 [FIREBALL!-T18-need caster check]
Drazek: 11 [Pending]
Tiandra: 11 [Sword attack-miss][W10]
Naridre: 11 [Leafblowing] [W12]
Bethany: 11 [Retreat CLW] [W19]
Ekuur: 8 [Channel] [W14]
Bethany spots the gap in the leaves and darts past the party. She begins keening, and the claw-shaped frostbite wound on her face begins to heal somewhat.
DM Rollings:
Mr. Swire nimbly leaps over the ragged, peeling bark to a safer firing position north of the party. He takes out a wicked-looking hand crossbow and sights it.
Tiandra runs into the stilled leaf storm at Karrin's side. Karrin pounds in, swinging her axe overhand at the skeletal form. She has just enough reach to clip the floating horror. It screeches again as the axe chips at its feet bones. Tiandra's sword is not so lucky; it finds only dead leaves.
Karrin:
Phaumee bares his rodent teeth in a fearsome rictus and casts his short spear at the Leaf Ghost. The weapon flys over, embedding in the side branch that rears up behind the undead thing. Phaumee chitters loudly and rapidly as his tail turns into a bottle brush:
Sylvan:
Although many in the party don't understand the language, it sounds pretty awful, whatever it is.
Chee Chowk, who had been riding Issac's shoulder quietly since the beetle battle, jumps off and scurries for shelter under a peeling bit of bark.
Merle takes aim at the demonic skeleton and fires two arcane bolts at it. They connect, and the creature seems to be affected. Issac tosses a flaming glass bottle. It connects with some of the animate leaves, catching them on fire, but the skeleton seems unaffected.
Ekuur raises his obsidian holy symbol high. A pulse of hot dry energy washes over the scene. The creature screeches again, turning to stare at the flame priest with its horrible bright blue burning eyes. The leaves that Nari is stilling begin to regain their hurricane swirling.
1d6
EDIT:
Crit confirm
Phaumee's shortspear hits the floating demon skeleton's ribcage, knocking off a bone. It clatters to the ground below.
;P