Anklebiter sneezes twice more, directing his outbursts into the sky, then noisily blows his nose on an honest-to-goodness handkerchief -- and had a coughing fit to finish.
"I'm thinking from the lighthouse," he offers up once his voice is back under control. "Best proceed with caution -- I'm starting to run a bit low on magic..."
Kel places her hands on Calla as she prays to Desna for her healing.
"Lets keep moving to the lighthouse, there's far too many creatures of the undead variety on this island and I fear that whatever is creating them is looking for us."
"Thanks, pretty girl," Calla says perfunctorily as Kelendra causes her wounds to disappear more quickly than one of her good moods.
"We know what made them," Bruendor said, cleaning the blood from his rapier. "Notlions. We figured they were all over the place - now we've got confirmation. Keep the seawater handy. I do wonder if salt by itself would cause the same reaction as seawater. At least it's keeping them from spreading further than this island. Thank the gods for small miracles."
"Seawater's easier to aim than salt," Anklebiter says. "A gust of wind could ruin any shot we try to make..."
"Unless you're all preparing for some dinner I don't know about, we don't have any more salt than seawater, so it's not like it's really important. Let's just get to the lighthouse and see what we find out there."
"Agreed," Lefrik begins to move that way. The notlions make him nervous, though he tries not to let it show.
Nearly an hour after the zombie encounter, you are nearing the western lighthouse when two figures burst from the foliage about a hundred feet down the path. The run straight up the path, not looking forward, but behind, and with terrified looks on their faces. One of them looked up and saw you, his arm reaching out to grasp his companion's shirt. The other man turned to look, and you can see that his face has been laid completely open, a flap of skin on his cheek flopping with his movement. Both men skidded to a halt, looking at you with a mixture of fear and hope on their faces.
"Hello and well-a-day to you," Anklebiter says, cocking his head at the look of the two men. "Ran into not-lions while doing the fat fink's dirty work for him, did you? He's not nice. Need some help, do you?"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Lefrik leaves the diplomacy to Anklebiter, for Goblins are known and respected through out the known world as negotiators and facemen.
Then he blinks, Gods, I've been on this island too long.
Lefrik leaves the diplomacy to Anklebiter, for Goblins are known and respected through out the known world as negotiators and facemen.
Then he blinks, Gods, I've been on this island too long.
"What's chasing you?", Bruendor added, his eyes flicking to the patch of jungle from which the men came. "And, more importantly, how long do we have before it arrives?" He grips his rapier hilt tightly, ready to strike at whatever frightened these men to bolt deeper into the wilderness.
"It's the thugs from the Gold Goblin!" one man cried to the other.
"They can't be worse than those...things. Franz, Hienrik, they's all gone. Help us, please!"
Both men turned to look over their shoulders as the jungle behind them thrashed and quivered.
"What in the HELLS is it?" Calla snarls, fitting an arrow to her bow as she take a step back from whatever's approaching.
Kel activates her Coat of Stars.
"Draw in close!" Anklebiter snaps at the two men, and then releases another burst of protective energy.
anklebiter
kelendra
bruendor
calla
lefrik
The vegetation shook and thrashed down where the men had entered the trail. Then, as you prepared for combat, it stopped. You were still peering down the trail when the attack came - not from the front, as you expected, but from the sides.
Moving in silent grace, three of the purple monsters with tentacled manes leaped from the trees to your right. Another three came in from the left, one of them completely bowling over the oriental-looking man with the hideous face wound.
Two of the monsters ended up attacking Lefrik, the barbarian avoiding one, but taking a nasty bite on the left leg from the other. Bruendor also was bitten, the things tentacles thrashing around the dwarf's head as he prised the thing's jaws from his right arm.
Any actions submitted before this post are considered to have happened before combat started. Use Round 0 as the starting point for any effect that lasts a certain # of rounds.
I need Fort saves from both Lefrik and Bruendor.
Initiatives:
enemies 16 (gone)
bruendor 16
anklebiter 11
lefrik 11
kelendra 9
calla 4
Anklebiter shrieks with terror -- and whips out his waterskin, fumbling off the stopper and squeezing its bulk. A jet of by now luke-warm sea water squirts at the nearest not-lion and the Goblin scampers away from the monsters.
AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14
Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +9
CMD 14
HP 29/29
Divine retribution (DC 13) 1/6; Judgments 1/2
Arrows: 0/21; cold iron arrows 0/20; bolts 0/17
Spells: 1/4 (first-level); 0/2 (second level)
Effects:
Damn it," Calla curses, quickly calling out to Calistria for help. "The stupid things are smart."
Round 1
Kel thwacks at the thing with her morningstar even as she moves away from it.
"Gods, this island is riddled with these things! Get off of me!" Bruendor slashed at the notlion before him, hoping to kill it quickly. He tried to put the images of the men he and his friends had put down earlier in the day out of his mind, their jaws missing, their tongues long and grotesque, dangling from their ruined mouths.
He tried to put it out of his mind. He failed.
Attacking the one on me.
Lefrik grunts as his left leg is torn into, and retaliates with a blow of his own.
Anklebiter's jet of saltwater burned across the nearest notlion's body, leaving a sizzling stroke of lighter purple flesh behind. The creature writhed in agony as the saltwater burned its flesh. Bruendor had the perfect opportunity for a strike, but the thoughts in his mind of the zombies they had fought earlier kept welling up. As the thing attacked him, he did everything he could to avoid its jaws, though one of the lashing tentacles managed to catch him on the left cheek. The end was knobby with some sort of hard protrusions, and the strike laid his cheek open.
Lefrik was not able to coordinate with the newcomer on their attacks against the notlions, mostly because the man was out of his mind with fear. He screamed and flailed about with a shortsword, and though none of his blows landed on the creatures, they did keep the notlions off of him. Lefrik considered some wild abandon himself, when none of his own blows struck home. Especially when another notlion leaped forward and fastened its jaws on his right leg. When the thing pulled away, Lefrik's leg looked like a slab of torn meat, with the skin stripped off and ragged tears in the muscle. It was all he could do to remain standing.
Between them, Calla and Kelendra hold off their foe, with Calla trying to stun the thing with an Ear-piercing Scream. But, the creature didn't seem affected at all. It lunged for Kelendra, who only barely managed to stay away from the snapping jaws and flying tentacles.
Lefrik takes another 6 damage and owes me another Fort save.
Bruendor takes 1 damage, but does not need to make a saving throw.
Initiatives:
enemies 16 (gone)
bruendor 16
anklebiter 11
lefrik 11
kelendra 9
calla 4
"Get off my friend!" Anklebiter yells, as he directs another jet of salt water at the not-lion trying to turn Bruendor into not cat-kibble.
Lefrik snarls at the pain and continues to fight, though indeed, his legs look shredded. If I turn into one of those THINGS I... no, I won't dwell on that. Not in the middle of a fight.
It seemed all that Bruendor was doing was distracting his notlion so that Anklebiter could melt it with seawater. He couldn't argue results, but this wasn't the time to fight defensively. These things needed to die, and quickly. He stabbed at one of them, trying to keep its attention on him rather than the wizard.
Attacking the same one as last round.
Round 2
Kel swings again at the creature, keeping it occupied and buying precious time for her and Calla. "Kill it, Calla, the men are busy and can't help us now!"
"What did you think I was trying to do?" Calla snaps, "play kissy-face with the thing?"
She fires another arrow, smiling as the shaft sinks into the beast.
"Use the salt water!" Anklebiter screams at the two women. "Use it! It works!"
Anklebiter's splash of water sent a sizzling wound right across the creature's eyes. It's maw opened in a silent roar of pain, and made the perfect target for Bruendor's rapier. The blade drove into the roof of the thing's mouth and pierced its brain. The tentacles continued to writhe as the creature hit the ground, then one by one fell still. Anklebiter looked on triumphantly until he realized he only had enough water in teh skin for another splash or two.
Lefrik choked back his horror at getting bit and slammed his axe into the offending creature. It bit deeply this time, and several of the writhing tentacles were cut away. The creature continued to press, however, and he was only just able to fend it and its companion off.
The remaining newcomer stabbed out with his shortsword and plunged it into the chest of one of the notlions attacking him, but the blade stuck in the creature's rib cage. he was still trying to remove it when another notlion casually leaped in and tore out his throat.
The ladies managed to fend off their beast, Calla glowing with satisfaction as her arrow sank in nearly to its fletching.
One down!
Initiatives:
enemies 16 (gone)
bruendor 16
anklebiter 11
lefrik 11
kelendra 9
calla 4
Despite being on the verge of gibbering with terror, Anklebiter moves closer to Lefrik, and directs his salt water at the not-lions that might attack him now that the newcomers are both dead.
"Bruendor, back me up!" he yells. "We have four of the monsters here!"
Not wanting to use all their saltwater in case they run into more of the beasts, Calla ignores Anklebiter, firing another arrow toward the already injured notlion.
Seeing one of their comrades in battle go down, Lefrik snarls and presses his attack on the one they already wounded.
Alas, his outrage at the loss of even a stranger under his watch makes him over reach.
Round 3
Kel smacks again at the one in front of her.
Anklebiter didn't even need to order Bruendor, as the dwarf was already moving to take the place of the fallen strangers as the four notlions continued to swarm Lefrik. "Come on, eat me, you tentacled horrors from beyond the stars! Or do you not like the taste of dwarf-flesh?" He moved up to support Lefrik, plugging the hole and preventing the creatures from swarming wherever they wished.
Move to BU-29, go total defense. This makes my AC 22 until next round. Hopefully, they'll try to chomp on me for a bit and miss, buying us a few rounds!
Anklebiter ran up behind Lefrik and doused both barbarian and notlion with saltwater. The jet of water caused Lefrik to miss his attack, but it scored the notlion's face and shoulders with bubbling wounds. Kelendra smashed her opponent to the ground with a well-aimed blow of her morningstar, freeing up Calla. The inquisitor spun and sent an arrow straight into the burned notlion's forehead. The beast dropped to the ground, its tentacles waving madly for a few moments before going still.
Bruendor ran forward, arms spread wide in a menacing posture, trying to take some of the heat off of Lefrik. It worked. Two of the creatures spun to the dwarf, making his gulp audibly. His defense was superb as the two closed in on him, deflecting teeth and tentacles easily.
Suddenly, one of the things froze in place, a look of confusion on its eyes as it's tentacles drooped. Bruendor chanced a look backwards to see Samaritha finally joining the battle, a smug look on her face. "Don't just gawp, dwarf, it'll only be dazed for a moment!"
Two more down and one dazed!
Initiatives:
enemies 16 (gone)
bruendor 16
anklebiter 11
lefrik 11
kelendra 9
calla 4
"Yaaah!" Anklebiter shouts, and he directs the final spray of salt water at the not-lions.
"Nice of you to join us," Calla snarks at Samaritha as she sends another arrow toward the notlions. She grins as it streaks toward the target, cursing when the thing moves at the very last moment so she just grazes it.
"My thanks," Lefrik says to his friends as they support him. He strikes at the next notlion hoping Desna has not completely deserted him this battle.
"Thanks, Sam! Lefrik, get over here, I need some support!" The dwarf gestures with his head where he needs the barbarian, and tumbles away to get into a much more advantageous position against the dazed notlion.
While it's still your turn, Lefrik, can you take a 5' move to BU-28? That will let me flank if I tumble to BS-30. Which, by the way, I'm doing.
Once I'm there, I attack the one in BT-29, with sneak!
The dice, they hate us...
Round 4
Encouraged by her success, Kel moves forward swinging and holds the line as Bruendor tumbles past the beasts.
Lefrik shifted left as Bruendor rolled behind the dazed notlion. The thing may have looked stunned, but it still managed to avoid both of their blows. As did the monster that Kelendra charged. One moment, her strike was true, and the next the thing just wasn't there any more. It's tentacles waved and lashed out at her, but she managed to avoid them.
Anklebiter squeezed the last of the saltwater into a stream that poured into the open maw of the creature before him. The thing thrashed and gagged silently, but then barreled in at the little goblin. Samaritha's thrown knife and Calla's arrow buried themselves in dark purple flesh, but the thing bowled into Anklebiter. The goblin rolled with the blow, avoiding teeth and tentacles both as he scrambled back to his feet and looked around for a place of safety.
Initiatives:
enemies 16 (gone)
bruendor 16
anklebiter 11
lefrik 11
kelendra 9
calla 4
Anklebiter scrambles back and directs a spell at the not-lion while he fumbles at his belt for a weapon. "Simul clamo, simul moris!" A scream sets up inside the not-lion's skull.
"Why do these things refuse to die?", Bruendor growled as he lined up another strike at the one Lefrik and he were fighting. He had to take care of this, too many things were going wrong. AB and Kel were still menaced by notlions, and Lefrik had been wounded. That needed to be dealt with. He plunged his rapier deep into the creature's back, and leapt to Kel's aid. "Go deal with the one on AB, Lef! I've got this one!"
Attack on the one I've got flanked in BU-28 again. This time, with more hitting, please!
Hey, things are looking up! After this, I'll move to BT-31 to flank the one Kel's fighting. Hang on, healer girl!