Franti's Strange Aeons

Game Master Goldstool Shroomshine

The creatures words spasmed his brain. He cocked his head to the side and stepped into the corner of the room staring at the creature. Why do I know what you are? How do I know what you are? Who...

He twitched an eye as he instinctively shouted back at to the creature. "Rul hun su th'agt!" as he pointed at the rat near Ember.

Move and Cast Murderous Command DC15

And as quickly as the zoog’s luminous gaze was cast upon Ember, it’s light was extinguished as Gladiola’s spear pierced right through the small monster. As she pulled back her weapon, the zoog laid still upon the blade, and with a quick flick, she cast the creature off her spear and into the corner of the room.

Rivas echoes the now-fell zoog in a language unknown to all else. As he did, he felt a strange stirring as his voice was joined by another - an unsettling harmony of malice formed as another scream joined his own. Eyes wide, teeth grit, face scowling, he cast a spell upon the dire rat closest to Ember (Dire Rat 2).

Will: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15

While the rat paused in its assault, it seemed the foreign mind of the vermin allowed it to resist the spiritualist's command. Though Rivas ceased to speak, an angry scream pierced his mind, incoherent cursing that was furious that the dire rat did not obey the spiritualist's command.

First Round of Combat (Bolded are up, whatever order you like!)

• Rivas
  
• Gladiola
  
• Ember
  
• Zoog (11 lethal, slain)
  
• Eponine
  
• Pasiune
  
• Dire Rat 1
  
• Dire Rat 2
  
• Campre

Rhade focuses and picks up an unattended bucket in the corner of the room with her mind. Straining, she flings it at the closest dire rat that wasn't involved in melee.

Cast telekinetic projectile.

RTA 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 18
Damage 1d6 ⇒ 5

Eponine struggles to remember the creatures, but only one word comes to mind. Diseased. She lets the words tumble from her mouth as she touched Gladiola, imbuing her with some small defense should she be bitten.

Casting Resistance on Gladiola.

Ember watched the outsized rodents wriggle out to attack, swished his cutlass back and forth to limber up and then took a swing at the nearest one.

Cutlass: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15
Slashing: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

"Well stabbed, m'lady!" he calls out as Gladiola dispatched the leader with a fearsome thrust.

He gives a nervous glance at Rivas, however. "You okay, bro?" he called out to him.

Going to choose the eastern dire rat as your target, Pasiune. Also, I think Telekenetic Projectile specifies range attack rather than ranged touch attack, not that it matters with that roll.

Rhade's telekinetic attack sent a tin bucket barrelling towards the rat closest to her, crashing into it's skull, warping the metal around it. The dire rat fell to the floor, head encompassed and crushed, dripping blood from rips in the bucket.

Ember's quick cuts tore into the flesh of the remaining dire rat. Though it bled over the boiler room floor, it's wounds did little to stop its attack.

Bite: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12 for Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 3

Despite it's furiosity, Ember managed to bat off the creature with the side of his blade, repelling it back to the boiler it crawled from beneath. Cornered, damaged, and doomed, the rat let out a hiss.

Campre remained within the corridor, not daring to join the fight. He didn't seem to comprehend the magic that some of the amnesiacs cast, though cheered at Gladiola and Ember's successful attacks.

• Rivas
  
• Gladiola (Resistance'd)
  
• Ember
  
• Eponine
  
• Pasiune
  
• Dire Rat 2 (3 lethal)
  
• Campre

Dire Rat - AC 14, 2 HP remaining. Finish it off and I'll get a wrap-up post tomorrow most likely.
Edit: Cue All-out attack special finisher animation.

Gladiola jerked towards Ember, glaring at him with daggers. She calmed as she came to the slow realization that he was not being sarcastic. She even found herself smiling. She liked the sound of "m'lady."

"Thanks. Least I could do."

She stepped over to Ember and stabbed his rat in the spine.

Attack with Shortspear: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

"Hope you don't mind."

She flicked the rat over towards his master in the corner.

I think you are right about the Projectile spell, DM. I am used to the Mage styled cantrips, and forgot this one. I'll remember that in the future.

Rhade pauses, waiting to see if the rats were finished.

Rivas clutched his head as the angry voice screamed in it. His teeth clenched and eyes wild, he scanned the room for more threats to unleash murderous energy upon.

Eponine's murmurs change from "protect her protect her" to "guide her guide her" as she continues to channel aid to Gladiola.

Casting guidance on Gladiola. It is a competence bonus, so it would stack with resistance should she decide to expend it on a saving throw.

Ember raises his cutlass but realizes he would not need it, as Gladiola and a bucket with a vendetta against these vermin made it unnecessary. He looks at the bucket and then at Eponine who had been busy casting and Rivas who has been busy screaming and back at the bucket, scratching his head with the blade guard of his cutlass.

Is that little icon in the SE corner of the room something we all can see?

Little icon is the fallen zoog, sorry for the confusion.

And almost as quickly as it started, it had ended. As their pulses calmed, the five amnesiacs were able to search the room, free now of frights that lurked in the shadows. Beneath one of the boilers, Ember spotted a two gold-tipped iron rods, etched with the gnawing of the zoog.

Though too far back to reach with arm alone, Gladiola's spear proved long enough to roll them out towards the party. They appeared to be Sun Rods. Campre seemed to recognize what they were, and told the party their purpose. "Might be handy if we run outta oil." He gave a look to Rivas' glowing dagger. "Maybe not though."

The orderly peered over to those watching from behind the barricade. "Huge damned vermin, if you're wonderin'!" he shouted, though neither Vaustin nor the other guards respond.

Encounter over!

Campre sized up the two large, deceased dire rats. He paused, then looked away. "Kitchen's too far. Any of ya remember how to cook rat meat?" The orderly smiled wryly, though there was truth in his question. And with his mention of food, hunger dawned on the five amnesiacs. Though earlier the feeling was quelled by fear and nausea, it was only when in a room free of horrors that a painful appetite revealed itself.

How many days had it been since they've last eaten? Though the memories of their last meal had disappeared, their famine lead them to believe it'd been several days. Between them, they had rations, two days of comfortably eating between the six of them. In front of them, however, another opputunity: they had rats, and a furnace beneath their feet to cook the slain creatures.

As a group, I believe you have 15 units of rations, enough to feed you all for 2.5 days. I figure now is a good time to track this as any. I'd say between both rats, you'd be able to scrounge enough meat for today and tomorrow for all six of you. I'd say the rat corpses will expire if not prepared in a timely fashion, however.

Gladiola yearned to eat, enough she would even put up with the rat meat. Still, she walked for the door.

"As hungry as I am, I'd still rather wait until we have cleared more of the area and scrounged up more supplies."

She adjusted her makeshift mask, the movement of her cheeks betraying a scowl underneath. She couldn't eat in front of these people. Not yet, anyways.

"Maybe find a place to wash up."

"Rats carry disease. I'd be scared to death of trying to properly harvest those things. We've got a bit of food, so maybe we can make it to the kitchen before the pangs get too bad for us," Rhade explained, determined to not have to eat a dire rat. The situation wasn't that and. Yet.

Eponine hugged herself as she shivered a little. "And I am hoping we will be far from here, long before the little food we have runs out."

"Kiddin' 'bout the rats, " he lied. Campre scratched his chin. "Wash'd be nice, Glad, might even be able to rig up some hot water now. Showers ain't too far off, bit before the kitchen."

After witnessing the amnesiacs slay the creatures within the boiler room, Campre appeared more comfortable among them, confident and hopeful now. He gave the zoog a quick kick across the floor, having no qualms joining a finished fight.

I'll calculate rations as the party rests. You can choose to forgo to eat, but that will bring Starvation into play. Dehydration will be less of an element here, especially as you gain access to the survivor's camp.

I'm extending some of the map. It is all dark still, but no reason it inch forward every five feet with a "what do I see?" scenario. Locations behind closed doors will remain completely blocked out until accessed.

In his seemingly psychotic state, Rivas came forward and kicked the zoog repeatedly.

"I an ftassa'! I an ftassa'! I an ftassa'!",

Blech. Thought I posted but it got eaten

Gladiola reared back at Rivas's outburst, weapon and shield at the ready. She kept an eye on him. When finally satisfied the episode has passed, she relaxed and lowered her guard.

"Right...you do that."

She moved for the door and the hallway, motioning for the others to follow.

"Let's check that storeroom. The sooner we clear the area the sooner we can eat and clean up."

Moved her up to the storeroom door
Perception to check the door and listen for anything inside: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (15) + 0 = 15

Rhade nodded. "I agree. Push forward. I'm not eating rats, and I'm not going to starve while we are trying to find those shape shifters. Let's clear this place out...there might be some hardtack hidden somewhere along the way.". She followed the others as they moved to the next room.

Feeling the well of warm power within her only slightly diminished, Eponine agreed. "Lead the way. Let's finish this before we stop if we can."

Ember kicked a rat and considered what it might taste like with some spicy breading, deep fried, with some coffee spiked with whiskey and cream.

Rivas' outburst took Ember out of his reverie and he stared at the man and then cast a glance at the others. Not wanting to diminish morale, he gave Rivas a thumbs up and a weak smile, like he understood how he felt.

On his way out to check out the next room, he noticed the bucket again, with the rat shaped caved in side. "Time to wake up," he whispered to himself, hoping he'd wake up with a woman at his side and the smell of sausage and eggs wafting up from some well-stocked kitchen. He paused, expectantly, but when the asylum remained stubbornly real, he padded out and took up a position at the next door, staring intently at the door, looking for locks, traps, and other clues as to what might be behind it.

perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12

With no objections, moving on to the Storage Rooms

Pressing her ear against the wooden door, Gladiola heard little from within the southern storage room. An old lock may have presented Ember a challenge were it in use.

Swinging open the door, it was clear that someone had ransacked the closets before the party. Though part of the ceiling collapsed, someone had pushed the larger pieces of debris aside. Peeking from the rubble on the floor were several broken metal racks, alongside the shattered containers and cloth that once sat upon them.

Chemicals burned the party's noses as they searched what remained in the storage room. Careful with the glass, they managed to find some goods either unfound by those before. A functioning lantern, full of oil no less, was perhaps the most valuable item. In addition, there were three winter blankets, and a small iron hammer.

Listening to the northern door, Gladiola heard rapid, ticking from within. It sounded almost insectoid, and hushing the others, all could hear it now. As they listened, the sounds slowed and the room and it's inhabitant became still once more.

Loot Sheet has been updated.

"How do we lure whatever is in there out here? We all heard it, and I'm not sure we want to be the ones that walk into whatever lair it has established?"

"Weapons drawn," Ember says calmly. Then he shifts Pasiune, Rivas, and Campre back away from the door, positions Gladiola in front of the door across the hall, so there is five feet of space between her and the door. He has Epinone stand to the north and he stands to the south. "I will open the door and step back. If it's aggressive and comes out to play, we have it surrounded. If not, then we repeat the approach in the boiler room. Does that sound like a plan or what?"

Rivas followed the group constantly looking over his shoulder as he tried to make sense of the memory and the other voice that screamed in his head.

He weakly acknowledged Ember's plan and chewed at his fingernails as he continued to glance about, trying to take in everything at the same time and failing miserably.

Gladiola stepped back. The door opening procedue was simple and sounded effective, and she wanted to clear this area without needless delays.

"Fine with me."

She held up her shield and pointed her spear forward, at the ready.

Eponine bites her lip, concerned about the sound coming from behind the door. But she moved quickly to the position Ember pointed out with her starknife at the ready.

Ember pushed open the door, though knocked against the room's inhabitants. Together in a pile among the debris, a squirming ball of legs and segments slithered, writhing and separating into three lengthy centipedes as thick as Gladiola's bicep and perhaps longer than the warrior herself.

The door pushed them back, and the creatures rose above the rubble and curled inon themselves, dancing madly as they scrambled. With the bugs caught off guard, the patients had the first opportunity to strike.

First Round of Combat (All are up, any order you like!)

• Pasiune
  
• Rivas
  
• Eponine
  
• Gladiola
  
• Ember
  
• Giant Centipede 1
  
• Giant Centipede 2
  
• Giant Centipede 3
  
• Campre

"Watch their damned fangs! Those things are highly poisonous," she calls out as she tries to find a suitable piece of rubble to fling at the farthest one from the group.

Ranged attack 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
Damage 1d6 ⇒ 6

Gladiola was ready and itching for a fight. Relief from her dysphoria was within her grasp, and she saw these creatures as an obstacle within her path. She stabbed at the one in the doorway with a measured strike.

Attack with Shortspear: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Rivas recoiled from the monstrous vermin. He was feeble at the kind of melee combat the others seemed to excel at and even while the other voice screamed he knew these things were probably as mindless as the rats so he wasn't likely to compel anything from them. I... I am useless. Why am I even here?

No Action. Delay

Ember tries to stab one of the creepy crawlies around the corner of the door.
Cutlass, soft cover: 1d20 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (14) + 2 - 4 = 12
damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Eponine watches the creatures reacting to them. When Gladiola rears back to strike, Eponine clangs here starblade against the wall, trying to divide the vermin's attention.

Aid Another to give Gladiola a to hit bonus. 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (19) + 0 = 19

A small slab of concrete rose and slammed into the ground as Rhade called out the centipede's poison. The creatures danced among the rubble, crawling out from the pile as the hunk of concrete crumbled.

The first centipede to crawl out shrieked at the sounds Eponine generated, though was silenced when pierced by Gladiola's shortspear, severing it a few segments below it's head. The warrior pulled her spear back to her side, and propped her wooden shield in front of herself.

Ember swung his sword, and perhaps if unobstructed by allies and obstacles, may have found his target. The centipede proved too quick, and scuttled between broken glass and containers to attack the forgetful-fighter.

Attack Roll: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Crawling up the wall, the python-sized centipede lunged at Gladiola, though a well placed shield deflected the attack, and bumped the creature back within the storage closet.

Attack Roll: 1d20 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (5) + 2 - 4 = 3

The second centipede slithered along the floor. Though the monster tried to gnaw at the fighter's feet, Gladiola brought her heavy wooden shield down to the floor, and knocked the creature back as it tried to push past her. Though it hit into her with force, Gladiola held her ground.

A pale green bile dripped from the jaws of the creature as it hissed at the intruders. Campre returned a shout, yelling a curse from the hallway.

• Pasiune
  
• Rivas
  
• Eponine
  
• Gladiola
  
• Ember
  
• Giant Centipede 2
  
• Giant Centipede 3
  
• Campre

Gladiola fell into a groove, noticeably relaxing after she saw the weak attacks of the centipedes. She stabs with her spear again, but just as she is aiming, she heard Campre's outburst and threw herself off target.

Attack with Shortspear vs Giant Centipede 3: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

Rhade againuses her mind to pick up a sturdy looking piece of rubble and fling it at the centipede threatening Gladiola.

Ranged attack 1d20 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (11) + 2 - 4 = 9
Damage [dice]1d6 [/damage]

Rivas was fixed in horror as the others battled the giant vermin.

Useless! Useless! Useless! the thoughts pounded in his head while feebly holding his dagger in the centipedes direction.

holding action, also no worries I'm still having fun!

Ember remained by the door slashing at vermin as he reached around the edge of the door.

cutlass, target has cover: 1d20 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (16) + 2 - 4 = 14
Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Confident in Gladiola's ability to exterminate the vermin, she continued watching the battle, and she clangs here starblade against the wall, trying to divide the vermin's attention at an opportune time.

Aid Another to give Gladiola a to hit bonus. 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (11) + 0 = 11