DM NomadSage's Jade Regent - The Hungry Storm (Inactive)
Game Master nomadicc

"It's dead. Somebody left the dead demon on my stuff. I'm not possessed, I'm just scared. What if they'd found my chili recipe?"

Then everybody would know!

"Is he possessed? Maeve, beat the demon out of him!"

Parity sighs.

Maeve just facepalms. "That only worked because the demon knew we were onto it and it wouldn't have taken much magic to get it out anyway. If we didn't have the magic available, Koya would have and he had no special way to get loose."

Qalvanaq's face reddens at the sight of the dead quasit. His hands visible tremble as he readies his spear against it. "How did it get here?" he asks, voice strained.

Heng inspects the dead quasit for signs of the cause of its demise and around the tent for how it arrived.

heal 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23
survival 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11

or take 20 perception =32

"It's dead. Somebody left the dead demon on my stuff. I'm not possessed, I'm just scared. What if they'd found my chili recipe?"

Then everybody would know!

"You write it down? Why would you do that?" Parity asks incredulously

Heng shakes his head as he finishes his inspection, "The demon appears to have been killed by an animal. It is bitten and mangled though I cannot think of a typical animal that could catch a demon. There are some faint tracks in the snow perhaps covered, but I cannot tell anything further."

"I don't write it down, it's in my head. They'd have found it in there. That alone is worth possessing me for. An animal? What kind of...I guess you asked that already. Should we follow the tracks?"

Heng frowns, "The tracks have either been obscured by the wind or perhaps purposely concealed. I may be able to find other traces, but it will take some time unless someone else wants to try."

"Malnival, you haven been tracking far longer than I perhaps you can find the trail though I wonder if this is perhaps a favor in return. Do you remember the strange wolf we released from the castle of ravens? Do you think it may have followed us north?"

"Maybe. That could explain how an animal could slay a demon. Show me what you found. We should bring Shalelu also, she is the best at this."

Survival Track: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (2) + 12 = 14

"Shalelu is a day away Mal, but I think you can do it without her. Q can help, can't you Q?"

Harlan turns hopefully to their guide.

Survival: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (5) + 14 = 19

Qalvanaq nods and moves over to check the tracks carefully. He follows the marks a few paces, but then shakes his head. "Hard ice and high wind, the tracks are too faded to follow," he explains. "It was an animal, though. Not human."

[ooc]"Do you think the creature was here the whole time tracking us invisibly biding it's time to possess someone with dimmer wit? That perhaps this animal "ally" was making that known to us or is it more like a cat dropping it's prey off for our approval?" Parity muses,"Either way it doesn't seem to be something we need to worry about."

"Well...I'm going to worry, but it doesn't seem like there's anything we can do about it. Let's keep going anyway."

To the Dragon's Lair, Day Two

Leaving behind the demon's corpse, you set out again across the glacier. Much like yesterday, you spend more time walking beneath a star-studded twilit sky than with actual sunlight. As the day progresses, the glacial "ground" becomes more broken, criss-crossed with deep striations and crevasses. These hazards Qalvanaq points out, letting you easily avoid them, but the detours slow your overall pace.

At mid-day, with the low-hanging sun at your back, your eyes catch a glint of reflected sunlight off of something in the distance to your right.

Qalvanaq Perception: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (10) + 14 = 24

Malnival stops and points with his right hand off into the distance. "Qalvanaq, what is that black monolith there?

Qalvanaq gives the distant object a sharp look and makes a sign with his hands, as if to ward off evil. "Hearthmistress Sonavut said she told you of them. They have been appearing across the High Ice, increasing in number for the last couple years. I do not know what they are, but I stay away for they draw foul weather and worse around them."

"Staying away sounds like good advice, Qalvanaq." Heng agrees.

To the Dragon's Lair, Day Two & Three

You continue past the obelisk and further north, struggling against the constant wind and ever-deepening cold. Shivering and numb extremities have become persistent, but you realize it still is not as cold as it could be.

The rest of the second day passes without event, and there are no 'gifts' waiting for you the following morning. The third day progresses much as the last two, with mile after mile of trackless glacier passing by. Finally, nearing the early sunset, you see ahead a forest of jagged ice spires, jutting sixty to a hundred feet up from the glacier. Qalvanaq leads you towards these, and once in their cover, calls for a stop.

"Vegsundvaag's lair is at the center of these spires, about a quarter-mile ahead in a deep crevasse. We did not make it much further than here before the ambush."

"So do we...we...stop here or k.k.k.keep going?"

Harlan shivers constantly in the cold, frequently struggling to keep up but not complaining.

"Time to put up those long-duration spells then ..."

Parity uses Suishen to cast resist cold, airwalk, and see invisibility

Spacing between the spires is between 5 and 30 feet, average. Let me know what spells you're using and how you want to proceed forward.

Harlan begins casting his protective spells on the party.

Resist Energy: Cold on everybody, 6 people total. 70 minutes, 20 resist.

Heng thanks Harlan and ponders the approach. "Is there a way to enter the crevasse without the power of flight? Maeve and myself should lead the way ready to circle around the dragon should it try to ambush us."

He presents the flame arrow wand to Malnival to use to enhance all his shuriken and passes half of them to Maeve.

Harlan, save a resist since I can cast on myself.

Heng peers at the spires and his hand passes over his scalp. "I am nearly certain these spires are meant to concentrate or divide us. Perhaps we should break into pairs. Maeve and I shall lead through the spires. Parity and Malnival could take to the air and Qalvanak could guard Harlan. That way the dragon cannot hit us all with its breath nor take anyone alone with its fang and claw."

Heng keeps his owl's wisdom potion in hand for the first sign of trouble.

Anything for Malnival? Note, fly potion will only last 5 minutes after you drink it.

yeah, i didn't know how much fly juice Mal had. Mal and Parity might wait until the foe is spotted before taking off. I was just suggesting we stay a bit spread so as not to offer an easy target to the dragon.

Still nothing for Mal, but I'll wait unitl Maeve can post again, as this can be a major encounter.

Hengs plan sounds good, I will wait until the dragon shaows before I use the fly potion.

And back. Maeve will use Mage Armor off her wand, and Feather Step herself beforehand.

UMD: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (6) + 12 = 18
UMD: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (13) + 12 = 25

Following Heng's plan, you move forward in three teams, spreading out between the spires but close enough to keep everyone in sight. Although the dark blue sky is overhead, the numerous ice columns and strange echoes remind you of a forest. Several minutes in, a deep, lengthy roar echoes through the spires from somewhere up ahead. The ground shakes and the vibrations bring a scintillating but harmless icy sleet from the columns above.

You pause, waiting for the impending attack, but none comes. The vibrations cease, and the air clears... and you spy a scaled monster perched on a spire a hundred feet above you. It curses at you in Draconic, then spreads its wings and claws, shattering the air with a mighty roar thrice as loud as the first, and again filling the air with ice pellets.

Frightful Presence: Will save DC 17 or become shaken.

Actions for R1?

Round 1 Init 20

Will Save DC 17: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

"Son of a..."

Shaken but unstirred by the dragon's strange words, Harlan limps forward 20' and casts a quick spell.

Spiritual Weapon

Spiritual Scimitar: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 251d8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
Crit Confirm: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 241d8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Round 1
AC:22, hp:59/59, Ki 9/9, Stun 9/9, Fire 9/9, dragon style

will 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19

Heng hardens himself to the dragon's roar and responds in kind as he assumes dragon stance and drinks Koya's wisdom draught.

Round 1
AC: 18, HP: 53/53, Perform: 16/17, Crane Style

Will: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

Maeve almost looks like she's going to break and run for a moment, before she steels herself in place. She does, however, take a defensive stance as she begins her battle-dance, seeming a little unsure of herself.

Inspire Courage, Crane Style, staying in cover for the moment.

Am traveling so this post will be truncated.

1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11 will save

Swift mirror image, use Vanguard tactics, move toward dragon.

Round 1
HP:52/52

Will Save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22
Malnival roars right back at the dragon as he readies his potion and tightens his grip on his scimitar.

Round One
Initiative Order: Vegsundvaag [22], Harlan [20], Malnival [16], Heng, Parity [10], Maeve [5]

Responding quickly, Harlan moves forward and summons a force scimitar beside the dragon, interrupting her roar with a solid slice through her scales.

Malnival taunts Vegsundvaag, but she only responds with a snarling laugh.

Meanwhile, Heng and Maeve prepare themselves with potions and spells, while Parity duplicates his image while beginning a long climb up to meet the dragon.

Vegsundvaag leaps from her perch, diving with wings tucked back to gain speed, before pulling up ten feet above the ground and swooping through the spires. Passing Malnival, she lashes out with her jaws and bloodies the elf, before climbing back up and landing on a shorter spire further on.

Actions for R2?

Round 2
AC: 18, HP: 53/53, Perform: 15/17, Crane Style

Well, if that's how she wants to play it.... Maeve carefully palms a vial of alchemist's fire, waiting for the proper moment....

Swift to Arcane Strike, move to draw the vial, then ready an action for if the dragon passes within 20 feet again.

GMNom- I'm having a hard time picturing the terrain with all the spires. Any way to put an elevation tag on them? Also, if you are using maptools, would you mind turning on the coordinate system?

Round 2
AC:22, hp:59/59, Ki 9/9, Stun 9/9, Fire 9/9, dragon style

Heng readies for the dragon's next pass.

Oww!

Round 2
Hp:29/52

Malnival drinks his potion and fires his Scorching Ray at the dragon.

Ranged Touch #1:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25
Damage #1: 4d6 ⇒ (4, 6, 5, 4) = 19

Ranged Touch #2:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24
Damage #2: 4d6 ⇒ (6, 6, 1, 5) = 18

Malnival drinks his potion and fires his Scorching Ray at the dragon

That's 2 standard actions... also (for everyone), include a caster level check with all spells that are affected by SR (or I'll do it).

Lastly, if you're readying an attack action, put the dice in your post so I can resolve it.

@ Heng: I'll put some tags on the next map. For quick reference, all the small spires are 30-40 ft high, the larger ones (with the wide, gray bases) are between 50-100 ft. Hope that helps.

Round 2
HP: 64/64
AC: 20
Vanguard Blast 6/6, Swift Spell 3/3, Spell Block 3/3
Spells: 1st: 5/5, 2nd: 3/4, 3rd: 2/2
Status: above + airwalk, resist cold (30), see invisibility, vanguard tactics +3 (2), mirror image 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6 remaining

Parity moves towards the dragon 40 feet and then readies for approach, swift for arcane strike.

Just waiting on Harlan's input.

Round 2

Sorry, was working on the yard and then ran Serpent's Skull for 9 hours.

Harlan commands the force weapon to follow the dragon then takes aim and fires with his crossbow.

Spiritual Weapon: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 201d8 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Crossbow: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 221d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

"Mal, to me!"

Round Two
Initiative Order: Vegsundvaag [22], Harlan [20], Malnival [16], Heng, Parity [10], Maeve [5]

Harlan's force scimitar continues to harass the dragon, and he fires his crossbow at her, but both attacks only deflect off of her scales.

Malnival drinks his flying potion, then plans his next attack. Parity moves back towards the dragon, floating above Heng and waiting with Suishen ready. Heng, Maeve and Qalvanaq do the same from their positions on the ground.

Vegsundvaag reverses her path, swooping through the spires again along her previous route, again snapping at Malnival with another grievous bite.

Happily, she flies right past Parity, who slams the dragon with a punishing attack of opportunity. The dragon roars in pain as she returns to her high perch.

Need rolls for readied (missile) attacks from Heng and Maeve...

Actions for R3?

Vegsundvaag bite vs Malnival: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (7) + 19 = 26; Damage: 4d6 + 10 ⇒ (1, 5, 2, 4) + 10 = 22

Round 2
AC:22, hp:59/59, Ki 8/9, Stun 9/9, Fire 8/9, dragon style

I'm assuming if it's at Parity level, I can jump up to hit? could I get a +2 to hit for a flying dragon style charge?

Drawing on his inner Ki, Heng bounds forward and launches himself upward toward the dragon with his flaming fist held over his head. SUPer MAN!

Ki jump 1d20 + 42 ⇒ (12) + 42 = 54
strike 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29
damage 1d10 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 6 + 2 = 17 plus 1d6 ⇒ 3 fire
crit? 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27
damage 1d10 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 6 + 2 = 16 plus 1d6 ⇒ 6 fire

nice. if allowed that's 13 feet jump up. possible crit.