Our Mysterious Benefactor |
Now that Gaius has presumably told you of the gnolls' presence, everyone can see them.
As Quinton draws his sword, there is a howling war cry and the gnolls spring from their hiding places!
No surprise round since everyone knows everyone else is here!
Quinton: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
Hagrym: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Rekgar: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16
Karos: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
Gaius: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
Gnolls: 1d20 ⇒ 11
ROUND ONE:
21 Gaius
16 Rekgar
11 Gnolls
7 Hagrym
6 Quinton
5 Karos
Gaius and Rekgar are up!
Rekgar Boulderstep |
Rekgar strikes a defensive stance once more!!! For two rounds.
Gaius Wolcott |
Round 1, Initiative 21
hp 18/18; AC 18/14T/14FF; +3F/+7R/+2W
FRA: Rapid Shot
Longbow vs. Gnoll #1 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17
> Damage 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
Longbow vs. Gnoll #1 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13
> Damage 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
Gaius launches two arrows at the gnolls from his longbow as they close the distance. "So much for introducing ourselves."
Our Mysterious Benefactor |
Gaius' first arrow hits the lead gnoll, spinning him slightly. His second barely misses, grazing the gnoll, but not injuring him.
Rekgar assumes a defensive position, fulfilling his vows.
The gnolls move up and throw their spears, readying another one in their off hand as they move!
Gnoll 1 vs Gaius: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9 for 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
Gnoll 1 vs Rekgar: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5 for 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
Gnoll 1 vs Quinton: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5 for 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Their throws are without much accuracy, flying in front and beyond the intended targets!
Hagrym, Quinton and Karos are up!
Sir Quinton Eirador |
"Good fun for us, but you'd best flee while you can, curs!" Sir Quinton hollers as he lopes forward in his heavy harmor.
He slams his blade into the nearest gnoll, nearly beheading the creature.
"Run, doggies!"
Greatsword (power attack/furious focus): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22
damage: 2d6 + 9 ⇒ (6, 4) + 9 = 19
Our Mysterious Benefactor |
Quinton charges the nearest gnoll, indeed nearly beheading it! A splash of blood and a thud follow!
Hagrym moves toward the other gnolls!
Round Two! We'll put Karos in here when he posts! Gaius and Rekgar are up!
Rekgar Boulderstep |
Rekgar tries his best to ignore the blood splatters as he maintains his defensive stance.
"Would you not stop to halt this bloodshed, you silly gnolls?"
Rekgar Boulderstep |
Rekgar shrugs. An impressive feat as it involves only his shoulders even as he keeps his arms up to block any blows, speaking of years of training.
Gaius Wolcott |
Rapid Shot vs. Gnoll #1 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
> Damage 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
Rapid Shot vs. Gnoll #1 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
> Damage 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
Gaius takes quick aim at the spear-flinging marauders and launches another pair of arrows at the same one. One flies true and strikes the gnoll, but the other is too far to the left and bounces off the sand.
Our Mysterious Benefactor |
The first arrow strikes the same gnoll from before, who falls with a spray of arterial blood.
The last gnoll flings his spear at Hagrym! 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5 for 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8 damage! The spear goes wide, for the dice gods hate the gnoll-kind. The gnoll lets out a yelp and turns tail!
The final gnoll is 60' from Hagrym and 65' from Quinton!
Hagrym, Quinton and Karos x2 are up!
Sir Quinton Eirador |
Dropping his sword, Sir Quinton snatches his bow, quickly fits an arrow to the string and lets loose, cursing -- "Bloody Gozreh's wind!" -- as his speed causes the shaft to go awry.
Composite longbow (+2 Str): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
Hagrym PFS |
"Pick it off brother! I'll shield you from its attacks," Hagrym yells at Quenton, as he moves forward 10', continuing to make the gnoll come to them, and giving Quinton a couple more shots as that happened.
Our Mysterious Benefactor |
Quinton fires, but the wind takes the arrow wide. Hagrym and Karos advance, but the gnoll is still far away.
Gaius and Rekgar are up!
Gaius Wolcott |
Round 3, Initiative 21
hp 18/18; AC 18/14T/14FF; +3F/+7R/+2W
FRA: Rapid Shot
Longbow vs. Gnoll #1 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
> Damage 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
Longbow vs. Gnoll #1 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21
> Damage 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
Gaius sends a few more arrows flying at the fleeing gnoll. One goes high and wide, and he corrects immediately. The second arrow is far more accurate. He mutters to himself, "It will just attack the next traveler. Gnolls..."
Rekgar Boulderstep |
Round 3
He tried.
All will attest that he tried but there are times when fists will prevail when cooler heads have failed.
Keeping his defence up, Rekgar moves.
Total Defence
Our Mysterious Benefactor |
As Rekgar moves, Gaius fires! His arrow strikes the gnoll between the shoulder blades, dropping it face first in the sand!
Combat is over!
A quick search of the area reveals a small stash of items: a silver cup, a few coins, an alchemy crafting kit marked with the Thuvian Sun Orchid, a vial of antitoxin and two vials of alchemist's fire. Other than that, the oasis is deserted.
You can spend the night here or press on to Seeker's Folly; it's up to you!
Gaius Wolcott |
Gaius retrieves as many arrows as he can, knowing that he will have limited ability to restock once they arrive at "Seeker's Folly." As he refills his waterskin and leads his steed to water, he checks out the stash that the gnolls must have stolen from other travelers. "Some useful items here. You can never have enough alchemist's fire."
Voting for moving on.
Hagrym PFS |
"If the beasts are ready to move on, so am I. Let's fill the water skins and keep trudging along. We can't let the other group beat us to our goal!"
Sir Quinton Eirador |
"Indeed. If we're racing, it does us no good to be second. We have no need to tarry here," the Taldan knight nods in agreement, picking up his sword and cleaning the blood and gore from the blade.
Our Mysterious Benefactor |
Following the final portion of the map, you resume your journey with fresh waterskins. The remainder of the journey through the desert proceeds uneventfully, with only the rise and fall of the dunes to break the monotony. A low, uneven hill of granite appears on the horizon to the northwest, presenting the only shelter for miles around. Although the crag appears solid from a distance, on closer examination there is a wide fissure in the rock sealed by a heavily weathered stone wall fitted with a large iron door. A dry desert wind blows sand around, which causes you to pull your cloaks and scarves up against the grit.
Rekgar Boulderstep |
Perception 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14
Rekgar looks around as well.
"Only one way to find out. We go in and look for ourselves."
Our Mysterious Benefactor |
The wind is scouring much of the sands out here, but inside may be different. Still, the iron door is heavy and is jammed with sand; you will need a Strength check to open it. Feel free to assist!
Our Mysterious Benefactor |
As Hagrym and Gaius wrench the gate open, they also notice faded writing in the stone wall above the gate. Ancient Osiriani or a Linguistics check, please!
Beyond the door, the wind gusts about this small courtyard, filling the air with fine grit. Corpses litter the area, little more than bone and desiccated, leathery skin. A dry well occupies the center, surrounded by the remnants of an outdoor market, though even the best tent is tattered and leans precariously. To the east, a set of low steps rise to a set of stone doors surrounded by symmetrical wall carvings of pharaohs. Stairs to the south ascend to the outer wall.
Hagrym PFS |
"I don't speak the tongue. And I can't make out those damn pictograms! I guess we just need to be careful and prepare for anything!"
Rekgar Boulderstep |
Strength Check,aid another. 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Perception 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17
Linguistics 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16
Rekgar's failure to assist in opening the door feels his with some regret but upon noticing what the others have said attempts to read the inscription.
Sir Quinton Eirador |
"Bother, I think I knew Ancient Osirion -- or was that just a really old man from Osirion? -- but my memory isn't what it used to be.
"Just as importantly, what killed these people is indeed a good question?"
Sadly, no Heal or Linguistics skills here.
"While you fine folks see if you can figure that out, I'll see how we're doing in our race."
Ascend the stairs to the outer wall and see if I can see dust trails or any other sign of anyone coming. Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
As he arrives at the top, however, Sir Quinton's eyes start tearing up.
"Blast! I think I've got sand in my eyes."
Our Mysterious Benefactor |
Rekgar can't quite decipher the whole message, but he gets "safety" and "winds" and "traveler" from it.
The corpses appear to be of differing age, but most look dessicated and sunken, except for four of them, which look bloated and fly-covered.
Karos Valdian |
Hearing Sir Quinton, Karos mounts the stairs as well and looks out for pursuers.
Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14
"Yeah, me too," he mumbles.
Rekgar Boulderstep |
"Can't get much other than the words for 'winds', 'safety' and 'traveller'." Rekgar is regretful that he can't do more.
He walks in to scout the place.
Our Mysterious Benefactor |
The whirling sand in this courtyard is making it hard to see beyond 10 feet, so you move over to the bodies to check them out. Unfortunately, as you get closer, four of the juicier corpses suddenly moan and lurch to their feet!
Initiatives:
Rekgar: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19
Hagrym: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12
Karos: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
Quinton: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 18
Gaius: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
Zombies: 1d20 ⇒ 4
Round One:
19 Rekgar
18 Quinton
12 Hagrym
8 Gaius
6 Karos
4 Zombies
The party is up! Please update any moves on the map. Also, have fun!
Hagrym PFS |
Hagrym moves twice to the right, then one space north, drawing his sword. "I'll try to hold this one off. You all take the others."
Rekgar Boulderstep |
"Torag's Beard!!! What now??" Rekgar is taken slightly aback as this rather rude greeting
"My sincere apologies but we are pressed for time. I'd be grateful if you'd lie back down once more." once more adopting a defensive stance.
Total Defence for AC 19
Gaius Wolcott |
Round 1, Initiative 8
hp 18/18; AC 18/14T/14FF; +3F/+7R/+2W
FRA: Rapid Shot
Longbow vs. Zombie #1 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18
> Damage 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
Longbow vs. Zombie #1 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17
> Damage 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
Gaius pulls out a pair of arrows and fires one, then the other. Both hit the nearest zombie squarely in the chest. He grunts in displeasure, knowing that a longbow is not a very effective weapon against a shambling corpse with no functional organs.
I can't open the map at the moment to see if I have a clear shot.
Sir Quinton Eirador |
"By the gods, mummies! Be careful, all, they're touch is cursed."
Knowledge (religion): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12
What are they actually?
His breath catching in his throat, a sudden cold sweat covers the Taldan knight at the sight of the undead.
No, not again! Relax, Sir Quinton, it won't happen again...
"Die again, you foul beasts. You won't steal any more of my life this day!"
Pulling his sword as he steps out of the way of the rubble, Sir Quinton swipes at the living dead, nearly cutting it in two.
Greatsword (power attack/furious focus): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18
damage: 2d6 + 9 ⇒ (3, 5) + 9 = 17
Our Mysterious Benefactor |
Plague zombies! Not nearly as well groomed as mummies!
Rekgar assumes a defensive position! Quinton steps forward and slices the nearest shambling corpse! It explodes as he does, giving him a face full of rotting corpse juice! Make a fortitude save, please!
Hagrym moves and draws his sword, readying for the battle ahead! Gaius fires two arrows, hitting the next zombie, which also explodes! However no one is close enough to get juiced this time!
Insert Karos here!
One zombie charges Rekgar, attempting to slam into him! Charge!: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14 for 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10 damage!
The other charges Hagrym! Charge!: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19 for 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10 damage!
Round Two:
Heroes are up!
Hagrym PFS |
Current HP 17/27
Hagrym responds in kind, swinging at the zombie.
Attack 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14
Damage 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (6, 1) + 4 = 11
Rekgar Boulderstep |
"Why of all the impolite thing to do."
Rekgar has had enough, switching to a slightly more offensive stance, he punches out before moving 5 foot away from his assailant.
Flurry of Blows, fight defensively 1d20 + 4 - 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 - 4 = 121d6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
Flurry, fight defensively 1d20 + 4 - 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 - 4 = 61d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
AC is now 18 with the fight defensively action.
Our Mysterious Benefactor |
Hagrym's slice nearly cuts the zombie in half, but it still moans and lurches toward him. Gaius steps back, prudently, while Rekgar defensively lashes out, his first blow caving in the zombies' chest. Both zombies still move, but both are grievously damaged!
Quinton and Karos x2!