Just sitting around hoping to Perceive I know not what: 1d20+4 = 23
The tranquil evening oasis suddenly explodes with a bomb of water. When the spray clears, a great green shark is floating in the center of the pool, just above the surface. It's elongated tail slaps angrily against the water, splashing water to and fro. It snaps downward with its jaws as though fighting to swim back downward.
Just sitting around hoping to Perceive I know not what: 1d20+4 = 23
The tranquil evening oasis suddenly explodes with a bomb of water. When the spray clears, a great green shark is floating in the center of the pool, just above the surface. It's elongated tail slaps angrily against the water, splashing water to and fro. It snaps downward with its jaws as though fighting to swim back downward.
Karek stabs out with the spear, overjoyed to finally have something to reasonably hit. You wouldn't know that from the expression on his face, though.
for if it hits.
Karek stabs out with the spear, overjoyed to finally have something to reasonably hit. You wouldn't know that from the expression on his face, though.d20+18 = 20 for 2d6+13 = 22 if it hits.
It does hit! AC 20 exactly on the hydra-head. "First blood" on Deca-Jaws and with a roll of 2.
The youngest dwarf skewers the hydra-head as it flies up to the surface. Despite his battle frenzy, Karek is careful to retrieve his gigantic spear before he loses it in the creature's stringy cartilage.
When Karek stabs the hydra-head, the other one appears to react at the same time as though struck with a phantom wound. He's injured the both of them.
Round Two:Gandel continues to offer words of encouragement for defending against Deca-Jaws.
Max, I've got Gandel's instructions, but they predate the ambush of the two additional hydra-heads on the Osirion-site of the Tumen Gate. Anything further you'd like?
Round Two (continued):
Gandel reaches into his magical pack and retrieves a wand. Whispering the magic words, he touches the wand to Hal to mend some of the dwarven priest's wounds.
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Sense Motive
The tranquil evening oasis suddenly explodes with a bomb of water. When the spray clears, a great green shark is floating in the center of the pool, just above the surface. It's elongated tail slaps angrily against the water, splashing water to and fro. It snaps downward with its jaws as though fighting to swim back downward.
"Baldo's Blazing Balls! Hurgah, what is that?!?"
Moonpate stands and readies Summon Monster IV to unleash an augmented medium water elemental into the water (with Summoner's Charm should last 10 rounds). I'm going to hold off on using the Genie Caller trait for now.
A good thought, but nope.
(Not that it wasn't already one of the heftier spear hits of all time - with damage like that you would think it was set to receive a charge.)
1d20+13 = 30
In this case, I'd say it was exactly the kind of thing Karek could take note of while still wailing away in a frenzy. Go ahead and look at the spoiler - I don't think it will surprise you though.
Deca-Jaws is up!
If Deca-Jaws' main body does anything this round, you don't observe it from this side of the rift. Maybe he's playing Monopoly.
Same goes for the three free hydra-heads back on the elemental plane of water.
The hydra-head catapulted to the surface continues to do its best imitation of a fish out of water. It's not actually suffocating, but it's effectively stuck in place.
That leaves one hydra-head. Its senses ignited by the blood in the water, the creature begins swimming back and forth in a tight shark-like figure-eight pattern, looking to dive at Donkor in vengeance for the attack on its brother. Just as it's about to strike, it seems to stop - almost as though it has received a message. It turns and immediately changes targets--
--attacking Belleson!
(miss!)
The beast hyper-extends its jaws like a snake, but the strike still misses, likely thanks to the protective ward woven by Halstadt. For a moment you wonder if the beast will continue its trajectory and vanish back into the rift, but it does not. Instead it continues to circle the Dune Squad looking for angles of vulnerability.
The synchronized swimming dwarves are up!
"Get out of the water now! he shouts to the others. "We have no idea how much longer the real monster 'ill be held, boys!"
"Get out of the water now!he shouts to the others. "We have no idea how much longer the real monster 'ill be held, boys!"
At Shattershield's speed, a double move will get Breach from the bottom of the oasis to the surface and get him standing on the edge of the shore, all in a single round - and he can do it while keeping wide of the two hydra-heads so he doesn't draw any attacks of opportunity.
Consider it done! The ogre-sized, dripping wet Breach is now positioned 15 feet away from an (even further) astonished Moonpate. Twenty feet away from Breach is a large red sack, loaded with adventuring gear - but probably of the wrong size.
With a forceful heave, Breach purges the last of the extra-planar water out of his lungs. It feels very strange breathing air again, not to mention standing on terra firma.
Thanks very much! Who wouldn't want to use a potion of water walking on a big fishy though, really?
I see my ride left without me though, so now I need to hope I can hitch onto the next express-dwarf passing through.
With a roar of relief the dwarf's eyes go wide as he scans his new environ. Seeing the mage and orc standig upon the shore, Breach hesitates for only a moment when the frantic splashing of the hydra head shocks him back into the present. "BY TORAG'S BUSHY BEARD! THE BOYS ARE BELOW FIGHTIN' ANOTHER LIKE THAT ONE,MAGE!" he shouts in a hoarse voice the air feeling like gravel in his throat. "We gotta get 'em out there. Them things is just the heads. Got a whole body full of the things likely comin' on soon."
Karek turns his focus on the one that he didn't stab, which is appropriate, because the one he did stab is no longer an issue. He breaks his silence, echoing across the Tumen Oasis. I herd'um bode! He offers no further explanation.
Watching Breach on his way out, Karek pauses for another half-second, waiting for Donkor to make his choice, and motioning for Hal to get himself and Gandel out of the line of fire.
Donkor will swim over to Karek and grab on with a nod of thanks, hoping that his extra wait won't slow the dwarf down too much. He will then do his utmost to turn the bag of dung entirely inside out, putting as much brown matter as possible into the water here.
Sense Motive
Hal follows Breach's lead and heads to the surface!
Sense Motive 1d20+8 = 25
Hal follows Breach's lead and heads to the surface!
Awesome roll, but while close, not close enough.
Hal (and Gandel) blast for the top of the surface and then quickly make their way to the surface.
I'll place them next to Breach at the edge of the oasis, keeping a wary eye on the surface of the water. Currently, Tiny Gandel is still on Hal's back.
Jason sees Donkor swimming over towards him and smiles. "Woah! Getting crowded over here - get your own dwarven steed!" He motions Donkor over with his hand so there is no mistake that he is joking. Then he turns his attention to the shark-like creature still swirling overhead in a figure-eight pattern.
"Blasterius Cruevellas!"
A quartet of miniature comets lance through the water and strike the hydra-head, causing it to roll over several times from the concussive force. For a fraction of a moment, the comet trails light up the oasis with a flash of gold. The beast though quickly recovers and spins around correcting its trajectory so that it's ready to attack once more.
"Hardy buggers, aren't they."
Moonpate and Hurgah can also go ahead and roll initiative for this round. I’ll add them in. Wow! It's like a re-unified party!
Moonpate and Hurgah can also go ahead and roll initiative for this round. I’ll add them in. Wow! It's like a re-unified party!
Yup still going with the dwarf-hopping dung flinging plan with Karek!
Moonpate and Hurgah can also go ahead and roll initiative for this round. I’ll add them in. Wow! It's like a re-unified party!
Moonpate Initiative
Karek can't resist taking a shot at the creature before backpedaling as fast as he can. Even in his rage-addled state, he knows when to run.
Karek can't resist taking another shot at the creature before backpedaling as fast as he can.
Owie. I'm having sympathetic shark pains.
Thanks guys - so that makes our order:
I've got actions for Donkor, Karek and Moon to resolve and I'll be posting on those tomorrow - hopefully. Just FYI, in terms of my own posting I anticipate 48 hours of crazy followed by 3 days of calm so if you don't hear from me, I'll be back soon.
"Draw the beast to shore or we can make our escape boys. I see no reason ta die in this god forsaken desert fer no reward other than pride." the massive dwarf says as he trudges ashore blood trickling from the bite marks on his torso and legs. Drawing his short sword he squeezes the mechanism in his guantlet releasing its, now massive, spike. "Rally on me, brothers!" he roars out across the oasis.
Round Three:
Tiny Gandel hops down from Hal and runs over to the large red sack next to Moonpate, ready to start fishing out weapons for his companions. All the while he continues to offer words of advice for battling Deca-Jaws.
Donkor will swim over to Karek and grab on with a nod of thanks, hoping that his extra wait won't slow the dwarf down too much. He will then do his utmost to turn the bag of dung entirely inside out, putting as much brown matter as possible into the water here.
This occurs as described above, but with a slight adjustment as Donkor's luck continues to hold:
When Donkor flies through the water over to Karek, he spots a hidden crevasse in the bottom of the oasis pool. More specifically, he notices a soft glow of light flash from the darkness of the cave. With no time to investigate further, he vaults over top the mighty dwarf and gets ready to make good his escape.
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Once mini-Donkor joins mini-Jason atop giant-Karek, the dwarf prepares to launch himself out of the pool and head topside to link up with the rest of the Dune Squad. He is cognizant though that the last of the hydra-heads is still encircling overhead, waiting for him to try to make a run for it.
But Karek isn't exactly running.
Quite the opposite, his plan of escape appears to be straight through the shark-beast's path. For a half-second, Karek touches bottom, bends low, and then pushes off with his powerful legs. He shoots upwards like an arrow, grasping his long spear with both arms as he points it above him.
The hydra-head spots Kogan's maneuver immediately and moves to intercept with an agile downward dive. The creature hyper-extends its jaw, separating its sharply angled teeth wide enough to engulf its rising prey.
Karek angles his spear for the creatures gaping maw. The two powerful forces of nature are traveling towards one another at incredible speeds. It is all or nothing.
Just as they hit Karek redirects his long spear slightly upwards, spearing it through the creature's open maw and into the monster's skull and brain cavity. The A'Viss crafted spear stabs into the hydra-head with a sickening crunch.
Still rising from his launch from the bottom, Karek flies past the beast. Once on the other side, all with the same movement, he re-grasps his spear just below the point and pulls it out the other side of the beast's head - quickly threading his entire long spear through the creature's now-liquified brain.
Dead on impact, the hydra-head goes still in the water, neither sinking nor rising as its juices pour out of the blow hole atop its head.
Moments later, Karek's head breaks free from the surface of the water. He is but 20 feet from the beach.
Tiny Gandel hops down from Hal and runs over to the large red sack next to Moonpate, ready to start fishing out weapons for his companions. All the while he continues to offer words of advice for battling Deca-Jaws.
We'll say this extends the benefits to Moonpate and Hurgah, the two beachcombers can now benefit from Professor Trapspringer's lecture as well.
Moonpate stands and readies Summon Monster IV to unleash an augmented medium water elemental into the water (with Summoner's Charm should last 10 rounds). I'm going to hold off on using the Genie Caller trait for now.
Does Moonpate want to start that doubly-enhanced casting now? The only target he sees is the one hydra=head that's slapping its tail ineffectually on the water. On the other hand, Gandel seems to be babbling about a killer hydra and Breach seems to be organizing for battle.
It will be a 1 round casting time.
Moonpate stands and readies Summon Monster IV to unleash an augmented medium water elemental into the water (with Summoner's Charm should last 10 rounds). I'm going to hold off on using the Genie Caller trait for now.Does Moonpate want to start that doubly-enhanced casting now? The only target he sees is the one hydra=head that's slapping its tail ineffectually on the water. On the other hand, Gandel seems to be babbling about a killer hydra and Breach seems to be organizing for battle.
It will be a 1 round casting time.
Gandel's description spurs the Pate to action. He does a quick Curly Shuffle and casts the summons, calling forth a water lord to intercept what is probably the scariest monster Moon will have faced to date.
Got it! Moon begins casting. Technically, Moon won't have to declare what he's summoning until next round, but it certainly seems like the most appropriate choice.
(And perhaps more importantly, thematically, Moonpate will have summoned 3 out of the four elements - he'll only need fire to make a complete set.)
Hurgah's up! Followed by Deca-Jaws.
"Surely Angradd is watching over us! He has sent us our friends in the middle of no-where!" Hal is emboldened by the sight of Moonpate and even the Half-Orc!
Hurgah regards the chaos around him with puzzlement - especially the giant dwarves. Determined not to be out-sized by a dwarf, he starts to mutter arcane words of power designed to make his impressive frame swell up even more.
The Hurgentate begin chanting in concert, each evoking one of their favorite slow-building spells.
* * * * *
You hear it, before you notice it. The slapping on the water has suddenly stopped. The hydra-head floating on the surface has gone still.
A strange gleam materializes in its eye. Then in an almost robotic-like trance the creature bends its long neck in a curl, forming a tight loop or perhaps the letter "P" with its body. Next, before you can avert your gaze, the creature affixes its own jaw on its own mid-section. Seconds later the shark-beast has begun to disembowel itself, spilling its entrails out upon the water.
The light quickly fades from the creature's eyes and it dies. Its eviscerated entrails, however, are still caught in the throes of Sooron's magic. They float inches above the water, spreading across the oasis in a macabre banquet of guts.
* * * * *
Next, before you can avert your gaze, the creature affixes its own jaw on its own mid-section. Seconds later the shark-beast has begun to disembowel itself, spilling its entrails out upon the water.
The light quickly fades from the creature's eyes and it dies. Its eviscerated entrails, however, are still caught in the throes of Sooron's magic. They float inches above the water, spreading across the oasis in a macabre banquet of guts.
Ew. Deliciously graphic! :)
Looking around the oasis, Breach begins looking for the best place to lauch an attack from. Moving back from the shoreline, the old vertern knows the ways of the ambush predator being one himself. "Where are ya?" he half mumbles to himself as he scans the water for any signs of the beast that surely lurks below. The gleam of steel and the exceptionally vivid colors of his coral shortsword are in stark contrast to the tan and brown of the surrounding desert. His hands tighten as he prepares for the attack that is sure to be sprung in short order. "They didn't happen to snag my shield did they, Gandel?" he calls to the tiny man in the Santa sack.
That, unfortunately, is quite unknown. None of the Dune Squad were the casters - it was a spell-like ability from the janni.