Hungry Voodoo's Mines of Zolurket
Game Master voodoo chili

If nothing has approached and Chitleen was able to apply the draught, he'd then draw his talwar and move towards the sound.
Perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (12) + 13 = 25

At the edge of your lightless vision, you see a strange sight: a massive gnoll dame nearly ten feet tall holds chains running to the necks of four male gnolls. She gives a barking command dropping the chains and the males armed only with spears and filthy leather armor charge.

Round 1
Shirish?
Surak
Gnolls
Tararr
Chitleen
Daeron

Surak mutters a prayer for the sake of his friends, and then tries to bring his crossbow to bear on the incoming gnolls.

Cast Bless, 2 mins of +1 morale bonus to accuracy and save vs. fear.

Shirish steps to the front to meet the gnoll's charge. She manages to knock one spear off target, but is grazed as the nextbounces off her shield slashing open her leg. Shirish-4 hp

Surak calls on the power of his patron as the other two skirt Shirish to reach Chitleen and Tararr. One stumbles just before reaching Chitleen and the other only grazes the mad dwarf. Tararr-4 hp

The raging dwarf responds with a whirling cascade of blows from both ends of his urgosh dropping the gnoll in an instant.

Round 1
Chitleen
Daeron
Round 2
Surak
Shirish
Gnolls
Tararr

Round 1: 13/15 HP, AC 16

Chitleen meets the approach of the gnoll with steel...
Talwar: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19 for 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

Chitleen strikes with authority before the gnoll raise his spear again cutting deeply into the hyena man's shoulder. Daeron quickly recites a minor spell illuminating the battle field.

Round 2
Surak
Shirish
Gnolls
Tararr
Chitleen
Daeron

It sounded like there's still a 4th gnoll slave not in melee yet. If so, I use the crossbow.

Surak fires at the slowest gnoll.
Crossbow: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 4 + 1 = 16, damage 1d8 ⇒ 1

If the slaves were all engaged in melee, I drop the crossbow and charge, drawing a bastard sword instead, which is an additional +3 (+1 accuracy for MW, +2 for charging), and 1d10 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3 damage.

Only the giant gnoll dame is out of combat. From the top-

Chitleen strikes with authority cutting deeply into the hyena man's shoulder before it recovers from it's stumble. Daeron quickly recites a minor spell illuminating the battle field.

Surak fires at the massive hyena woman as she begins moving forward, putting another notch in a tattered ear. Shirish continues her assault on the two gnolls attacking her. She lands a solid blow as one slips under her guard with a spear. Gnoll-8, Shirish-5 The gravely injured gnoll is sorely pained by his shattered shoulder and thrusts ineffectively at the southern elf.

With a cackle the ogre-sized gnoll leader charges at Tararr swinging an enormous falchion that hacks through his armor leaving a bloody gash. Tararr-18 hp The enraged dwarf pivots stabbing the great gnoll in the leg. GM-6 hp

Round 2
Chitleen
Daeron
Rnd 3
Surak
Shirish
Gnolls
Tararr

map.

Round 2: 13/15 HP, AC 16

Seeing the destruction wrought by the massive gnollish priestess Chitleen pales and tries to finish his current foe...
Talwar: 1d20 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 2 + 1 = 20 for 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Surak sees the monstrous gnoll attacking, and decides to distract it, even if only for a moment. He shouts, "Kill!", while trying to cloud the mind of the giant gnoll. Then he moves to try to get behind Tararr.

Cast Murderous Command, DC 14
Move to get behind Tararr.

Do the smaller gnolls seem to be willing accomplices or reluctant slaves? Sense motive: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

Chitleen ripostes striking the gravely wounded gnoll and leaving him unsteady on his feet until a bow shot from Daeron drops him. Shirish is hard pressed by the two gnolls on her and stays on the defensive. She knocks aside one spear, but is flanked by the other. Shirish-5 hp

The big gnoll matron is only too happy to comply to Surak's command, but not against her own kind. Fortunately her zeal leads her to over reach and miss the battered dwarf in front of her. Tararr continues to fight for his life. Unable to get a good swing of the axe end of his urgrosh, he thrusts with the short spear barely penetrating her thick hyena hide armor. GM-4 hp

Whatever the gnoll slaves feel about the massive matron, they seem only too happy to kill you.

Round 3
Chitleen
Daeron
Rnd 4
Surak
Shirish
Gnolls
Tararr

map

Round 3: 13/15 HP, AC 16

Having felled his first opponent, Chitleen steps over the gnoll's prostrate body and strikes from a flanking position against the next...
Talwar: 1d20 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 2 + 2 + 1 = 17 for 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Chitleen steps onto his first victim and hacks into a wounded gnoll's side leaving it coughing blood and staggered. Daeron completes a spell and the huge falchion slips from the giant gnoll's hand to clatter into the dust.

Rnd 4
Surak
Shirish
Gnolls
Tararr

In a flash, Surak picks up the falchion, trying to grab it and step back.

Move action to pick up the weapon.
I believe she gets an AoO if she wants it, but if she takes it unarmed, she will provoke an AoO from anybody next to her. I still have my sword wielded in my other hand, can I AoO if I'm the one provoking originally?

The huge gnoll growls in surprise as the dwarf priest darts in to grab the heavy falchion. She snaps at him with fang lined jaws, but misses. Shirish finishes Chitleen's vicitim with a shield bash. The remaining slave again tries to exploit an opening, but this time she is ready and knocks aside his spear.

The Spotted Hide matriarch draws a club from her side and goes after the thief biting and swinging. The club pounds into the ground, but this time her sharp teeth connect. Surak-8 hp Tararr continues his frenzied attack with another stab of his urgrosh. GM-5

Round 4
Chitleen
Daeron
Rnd 5
Surak
Shirish
Gnolls
Tararr

Surak steps behind Tararr, and heals the other Dwarf with a touch.

HP: 13/22
5' Step away from the gnoll
Spontaneous cure light wounds on Tararr, replacing weapons against evil. Healing: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

Round 4: 13/15 HP, AC 16

Chitleen drops his talwar to the ground, instead retrieving his shortbow from his shoulder as he walks to the North and West. Nocking an arrow he sends it lancing at the big one...
Shortbow: 1d20 + 4 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 4 + 1 + 1 = 8 for 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
...at least.. relatively speaking. The arrow flies over the beasts' head by more than a foot.

Move to D,0 and shoot

Chitleen and Daeron fire at the large gnoll female with Daeron's shot nearing the target, but neither hitting. Surak steps out of the giant gnoll's reach and with a touch relieves Tararr's worst injury.

Shirish finishes off the remaining gnoll hunter leaving only their mistress who falls upon the somewhat recovered dwarf berserker with club and jaw. Tararr-15 club, -9 bite

I think that knocks him out even with DR, Con bonus and healing.

Round 5
Chitleen
Daeron
Rnd 6
Surak
Shirish
Gnolls
Tararr

Round 5: 13/15 HP, AC 16

Chitleen sees Tararr fall, but cannot stop to think. Arms working through muscle memory more than conscious thought, he nocks another arrow and lets fly...
Shortbow: 1d20 + 4 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 1 + 1 = 10 for 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
...marginally closer, but his aim remains less than stellar.

Deciding to kill three birds with one stone, Surak moves far enough away from the giant gnoll to target everyone but her, and channels positive energy to heal.

Move to K2ish
Channel: 1d6 ⇒ 5 healing, heals all of us, stabilizes Tararr
HP: 18/22

Chitleen and Daeron continue firing, but the cannot seem to hit the large hyena-woman. Surak calls upon Ragathiel's power to revive and heal his companions and Shirish moves against the towering gnoll. Her blade is countered by the fanged club, but Shirish hears a gasp as she drives her heavy shield into the monster's knee. GM-7

The gnoll's club is still caught in the longsword, but with Shirish's shield down, the gnoll exploits the opening and lunges in to tear open the former slaves' throat. Shirish- 22

Round 6
Chitleen
Daeron
Rnd 7
Surak
Shirish
Gnolls
Tararr

Round 6: 15/15 HP, AC 16

A second of his companions falls to the overgrown gnoll and Chitleen's blood chills. His arms still work enough to send another arrow t'ward it...
Shortbow: 1d20 + 4 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 4 + 1 + 1 = 21 for 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
...at last his bow-sent missive meeting flesh. He then moves to stand astride his talwar.

That's one way to get Shirish out of the game....

I'm back. And it's gnolls we're against.

Daeron notes the half-orc blood seeping into the ground, before he considers enlarging his elf-kin with a jolt of transmutation magic. Without asking or informing, he slips his hand withing his pouch, uttering words heard and never remembered, intent on up-sizing Chitleen.

Casts Enlarge Person on Chitleen.

Surak again moves to target all but the gnoll, and channels once again.

Heal: 1d6 ⇒ 1

Chitleen finally gets off a telling shot and steps over his blade where Daeron casts a transmutation spell. Big momma gnoll down 21. Chitleen can accept or resist the spell. Also with a move of 20, it would have taken Surak a full movement to get out of range for healing the gnoll matriarch so only the first channel has gone off.

After Surak's channeling, Shirish gasps through a torn throat until her head is crushed by the big gnolless' club. ok, may need a new recruiting. The matriarch moves toward her next victim, the elf with the temerity to shoot her. She growls in gnoll,

map

yeah, not the optimal casting of the spell. i'll give Daeron the option to delay until after Chitleen picks up his sword, unfortunately he is now threatened by the ginormous gnoll so weapon recovery will be dangerous.

Did'nt notice Chitleen's dropped his talwar. How about jabbing the gnoll with arrows instead?

Daeron- seeing as you just dropped in and likely overlooked a couple things. sure, roll 'em

Hadn't seen the map yet. With Shirish on the far side, there's really no way I can heal her with a channel. Instead of backing away to try to position to channel uselessly, can I back away while drawing a javalin, and cast Doom (DC13)?

Surak- you had to take a full move on rnd 6 to not heal the gnoll leader so your action for round 7 was the 5 hp channel which went off before she repositioned. You still have a move and yes, you can draw a javelin while moving.

Cool. Daeron would be using his new composite masterwork +2 longbow, which sorry to say hasn't been updated in the profile yet since the last I'd tried had my lengthy update eaten by the system.

Reconsidering his impulse to upsize his foreign kin, Daeron instead draws a bead on the female canine matron before the twang of his newly acquired bow flies the arrow onward.

attack range into melee: 1d20 + 5 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (19) + 5 + 1 - 4 = 21 pbs, mstrwk, [/dice]
damage: 1d8 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 2 + 1 = 7 str, pbs feat

Ah, ok, thanks! Sounds good then.

The elves finally hit their stride as a pair of arrows strike the towering huntress. Surak channels life to his fallen companions, but it is too late for Shirish. The gnolless' eyes glower under her ragged mane as she makes her offer.

Round 7
Chitleen
Daeron
Rnd 8
Surak
Shirish
Gnolls
Tararr

Round 7: 15/15 HP, AC 16

Chitleen hears the words spoken in the bestial animal tongue and momentarily weighs them before dismissing them. A noticeably different accent as he mangles the words he snarls back in

Shortbow: 1d20 + 4 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 4 + 1 + 1 = 16 for 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

5ft to G,3 - then fire

Daeron hears his desert kin reply back in the same guttural barking sound as the matron huntress before copying his actions, sending an accompanying shaft to further hamper it.

ranged into melee: 1d20 + 5 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (18) + 5 + 1 - 4 = 20
damage: 1d8 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 1 + 2 = 7

takes a step to I4, shoots

Surak throws the cold iron javelin at the gnoll, and grabs another.

Javalin: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 4 + 1 = 12 (-4 if she is still engaged in melee)
Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

Chitleen's shot lodges in the thick layers of dire hyena hide protecting the large gnoll. However, Daeron's arrow flies into her face and she falls gurgling and shrieiking before Surak can release his javelin.

Chitleen quickly regathers his talwar and stands sentinel over the gnolless... until he is sure that the life has fled from it.

The monstrous gnoll stirs no more. Besides her skull capped club and enormous falchion, she wears a gold necklace decorated with a three-eyed ruby studded pendant.

Surak rushes to Shirish's side to see if she can be helped.

Heal: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10

He channels healing energy again. Heal: 1d6 ⇒ 4

HP: 22/22

"How are the rest of you doing?"

Chitleen sheathes his talwar and shakes his head to Surak "I am well, tend to the fallen" before he turns his eyes to where the gnoll came from attempting to pick up their trail...
Survival: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

Not following yet, just seeing if he can find it.

A canine foe wisely engaged from afar.
Daeron voices out loud as he stoops and gives his lodged arrow an extra twist before pulling it out. Closely watching if the dead gnoll twitched in response in any way, he places the arrow back within his quiver.

The battle was engaged from afar in my instance and I have not an injury. Your colleague took a blow that would bring a tear to my eye and he should receive what care you could administer. Replies Daeron to the cleric.

Before his desert kin could pilfer any of the spoils, Daeron casts a cantrip, hoping the mundane would reveal new properties.

Daeron casts Detect Magic.

Unfortunately, Surak detects no life left in the freed slave woman. Chitleen detects a couple kicked over cobbles from teh gnoll's passing, but it is hard to find a path. Daeron does not detect any magical auras.

Chitleen shakes his head "I cannot ken their path, but it should be safe enough to linger a while." sitting down on the ground unceremoniously with a thump turning to Surak "How fare the fallen?"

Her freedom was short lived. At least she died free, whether it is what she truly desired, the dead do not speak.

Daeron stands over the crushed cranium of the half-orc.

We would gather what items she previously owned. She does not need it now. But I would make sure her corpse is properly taken care of before we start to scavenge her belongings.

Let's not waste the adamantine stuff Shirish was carrying.

Surak moves to Tararr, and calls for Ragathiel's help.

Cure light: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

You find an earthy spot near the sycamores to bury the fallen half-orc and retire for the evening. Tararr has a few extra aches the next morning, but is ready to travel as you load your fallen companion's gear on to the mules.

Chitleen buried the dead with relative quiet, he had not know Shirish well - but they had shed blood together. He pondered for a moment the fact that their quest seemed littered with the bodies of broken and discarded companions... and wondered what ill fate was in store for him.

However these thoughts were banished by the time it was for resuming the journey... though he kept a steady watch to both the horizon and the sky.

How is everyone's HP? Before we go to bed I do still have some more healing I can burn.