Lureene stumbles back from the…woman…or thing and draws her rapier, more out of reflex than conscious thought. She retreats behind Mal and Priyya, next to Alis, almost behind her and she utters a protective spell.
As she glances behind her, looking for any additional creatures, she says in a shakey tone, ”’Lis, do you think Ieana summoned this…thing to delay us?”
Is she hiding behind me?
Alis shrugs her shoulders as the odd woman staggers forward not quite making it to where Mal and Tal are. "Dunno El, I'd break out the old Tarot deck and do a reading, but I really don't think our new friend is the patient sort."
; Priyya, Alis, Lureene, strange woman
Not trusting this creature's desire to reach out and touch someone or the belly that looks fit to burst... Mal orders Little Sister back, pulls his handaxe, and throws it at the creature as he falls back into a defensive stance in front of Alis. His accuracy doesn't impress, "That's what I get for playing it safe." He unsheathes his claws.
Standard:
To Hit:
Damage:
Little Sister snarls and moves back into a defensive position in front of Darkmane.
Mal fumbles his axe very nearly dropping it on Alis' toes as the still-slick handle escapes his grasp. "Oh... thanks?"
Stooping quickly, Alis retrieves Mal's weapon and throws it at the woman hitting her squarely in the belly. Instantly there is a *bang* and her abdomen splits open sending a plume of yellow dust up into the air and swirling around her as she continues to advance!
"What... the... hell?"
, strange woman, Mal
Priyya assesses and backs off another 20' feet. "OK... that's a new one. Let's stay out of that cloud. If this girl is anything like a plague zombie, we want to avoid that airborne stuff. She's like some sort of weird 'plant zombie'."
Priyya casts a spell and a shimmering scimitar comes into existence and engages the creature, slashing at it.
ATT:
DAM:
Lureene sees the cloud expanding from the plant zombie, and silently agrees with Priyya’s assessment of the situation. She intones another spell and a feiry orb appears in her hand, which she flings at the zombielike woman.
A glowing scimitar interposes itself between Mal and the plant zombie and in one fell stroke relieves her of its head. As the body staggers forward in confusion, leaking spores everywhere, a ball of fire from Lureene engulfs it and it goes down in a sizzling, steaming heap.
Although the immediate thread is ended, you can hear what sound to be more similar moans coming from some distance away inside the trees to your south-east (i.e. in hex 3).
As the rest of you figure out what to do, Mal concludes, "Looks like Ieana and Kovack decided to follow this trail, Alis, Darkmane."
Lureene nods at Mal, "I don't relish the thought of fighting more of those plant zombies. Let's see if we can follow their trail."
.
"While I wouldn't mind wiping these creatures out... we have more pressing business up that trail."
[ REAVER'S SHIV: Map | Position (013) | Overland Rules ]
"Agreed, let's move on then. Lead on, Mal."
As you move thru the campsite, you note bloodstains on tattered sheets of canvas, salvaged gear that has been smashed to bits, and other signs of violence. With a low growl in his throat, Mal picks up his handaxe and points to an over-sized, humanoid footprint left on the tattered remains of what must have been a dress at one point, now ground into the mud. His own foot looks like that of a 10-year old compared to that of a grown man.
Ignoring the sign, he motions for the rest of you to follow as he sets off at a brisk pace along the trail — Ieana and Captain Kovack's footprints still visible as tiny puddles in the mud.
After about half an hour of trekking, you come to a fork in the trail where another trail joins from the south-east. Alis gives a hiss and catches Mal's arm, motioning for him to give pause. Everyone stops and she gestures for everyone to get off the trail.
Skirting around a spot on the trail just a short distance ahead of you, she goes over to a downed tree and gives a tug on its branches. In the blink of an eyes, debris flies into the air as the tree snaps-to and flings a buried snare stretched across the trail into some cleverly hidden stakes embedded in the cliff-face around a bend.
With a nod, she indicates for him to continue.
Stealth Checks
Survival Checks
Lureene glances about her, wondering if whoever had set the trap was watching them, unobserved. She cannot detect any other sign or traces though. Remembering the map Ishirou had among his possessions, she takes it out, and traces her finger along the trail they have taken so far, and notes the southeast trail leading in the directions of the supposed treasure cache.
While Mal is attempting to rediscover the trail of Ieana and her thrall, she softly asks Alis, "I know we are getting close to where that treasure is buried. Should we try to find it while there is still daylight? I must admit, I am curious about this treasure, and I cannot help but be convinced that is why Ieana came here."
Mal's scowl deepens and he looks at the map Alis has entrusted to Lureene before verifying his bearings. "Well it's the damnedest thing, but the tracks follow the trail to the southwest. Alis, it looks like Ieana must have some other goal in mind. Not unless she planned on scaling this cliff and backtracking anyway."
He hands the map back to Lureene pointing out the locations as the three shorter women look it over. "So what do we do then? Follow their tracks, or check out the location of that treasure? We've probably got another 5 hours of sunlight, tops."
Alis frowns at the revelation and bites down on the tip of her index finger. As she thinks on the matter, she asks, "Lureene, still think we should be checking out that buried treasure just yet? What about you, Priyya, what's your counsel?"
Handing Priyya the map for a moment, she gazes long and hard at the cliffs overlooking the winding trail.
"We've been running this race to catch these two bastards. The treasure will still be there, if it's there at all, after we get them. I say - stay the course."
Lureene glances longingly to the southeast, then shrugs and turns back to the trail, "Well, time is wasting. Let's move out."
[ REAVER'S SHIV: Map | Position (014) | Overland Rules ]
"Looks like we're all in agreement then. Mal..."
With a grunt of acknowledgement, the tall ranger moves out following Ieana's trail, this time letting Alis stay a bit closer to help with the trap-spotting. As before, Priyya brings up the rear watching over everyone with her bow in hand.
Once again, not quite a mile later, Alis spots and foils another trap. This time it's a 30-foot deep pit trap concealed with a mud-covered trap laid out over a mesh of reeds. Air-bubbles escaping from the slowly leaking puddles in its surface hinting at the open space beneath.
For the next hour you encounter no more traps until Alis motions for everyone to slow down and points out yet another concealed just behind a slight rise in the trail too tall for her to see over easily. In fact she stops just short of tripping a line that would have peppered all of you with poisoned darts from a launcher concealed in the trees.
"Well that would have been a nasty one," she grumbles, although you could almost mistake it for the growling of your own stomach.
2:30-3
Perception Checks
Stealth Checks
3-3:30
Perception Checks
Stealth Checks
Survival Checks
3:30-4
Perception Checks
Stealth Checks
Survival Checks
4-4:30
Perception Checks
Stealth Checks
Survival Checks
Mal pulls up and looks back at the dart trap before continuing, "That doesn't seem like a hastily thrown together trap to me. Is there some spell that let's you throw together a poison dart in a tree trap in very little time? Cause that's the only way our prey set that for us. And if they didn't set it for us, then the traps are someone else's, and Iaena and the captain bypasses them very easily. Do you think they've laid a false trail for us somehow?" He shrugs his powerful shoulders, "It's what I'd do if I wanted to shed a tail and keep my destination hidden."
Pausing for a moment to down a piece of fruit and drink some water, Alis thinks for a moment and says. "I've seen Lara use spells like that to make snares before, so I'm guessing that you must have also. I guess there could be other versions of that spell too, but..."
Alis looks at Priyya and Lureene. El appears to have no clue and Priyya, brow furrowed shakes her head. "Well, if there is a version that wizards can make use of, none of us have heard of it anyway. The thing is, that would be an awful lot of spells to cast making traps along a path that someone might or might not take presuming they even know there's anyone left alive to give pursuit."
She points to some of the giant-sized footprints that are all over the trail. "Ieana and Kovack didn't make these trails, we know that much. My guess is whomever made the trail set the tra–"
Her blue-violet eyes go wide and she looks up at Mal in earnest, "If that witch charmed Kovack somehow, there's no reason she couldn't have done the same to an inhabitant of this island — someone who knows the trails."
Mal and Tal look down at the trail yet can find no sign of any giant tracks coinciding with that of their quarry.
"Right, no tracks but, have you or any of the other rangers ever had any luck tracking Larathiel thru a forest when she didn't want to be found? Hell, even Sasha just glides about this place like a ghost when she feels like it, and you don't leave a trail either, Mal."
She tears off a piece of tough, smoked jerky, working at it for a good minute or so, lost in thought.
If Ieana charmed herself a ranger, they could side-step every last obstacle on their way to wherever they're going.
Once again, she tears off a piece of jerky for herself, before tossing the rest of the tough chew to Talvyra who has been looking at her expectantly. "Well, regardless of who set them or whoever might be helping them, as long as you can track Ieana and Kovack then we can keep at it."
For a few more minutes, your group rests, downing provisions and water while you have the chance. As you finish up, Mal nods to Alis and points to the south. Having a look at the map, she wrinkles her nose and says, "Right between two tall cliffs, hmm? Well, at least we're not on a ship this time, right? Let's take it a bit slower and see if we can't be stealthy about this. I'm really not in the mood for an ambush..."
With that, you begin making your way south along the intersecting trail, the falling Sun soon blocked out by the tall cliffs standing to your east and west.
4:45-5:45
Perception Checks
Stealth Checks
Survival Checks
[ REAVER'S SHIV: Map | Position (015) | Overland Rules ]
The path narrows to a 10-foot wide gulch flanked on either side by steep, 80-foot-high slopes. Not quite vertical, they host numerous scraggly plants and a number of hanging vines.
Once again, Alis waves for everyone to come to a stop as she spots yet another snare. As the princess leans down to begin disarming it, Priyya gets the feeling that she is being watched and whips about suddenly, boots scraping the trail, as she does only to find an over-sized rat scurrying away at her sudden movement.
Gritting her teeth, Alis turns around and puts a finger to her lips. Yet the moment she returns to tending the snare, it goes off on its own flinging her up into the air towards the deeply shadowed western cliff!
"What the–"
She just manages kick off the cliff to swing around a set of sharpened spikes hidden on the cliff face, but still hits the rock fairly hard none-the-less. King Tut, shaken free by initial pull shrieks in dismay as his mistress is pulled upward, her wrists bound together by the snare.
Of all the dumb luck...
"Need a bit of help here, guys..."
As the rest of you scratch your heads, and/or snicker, you hear a grunt from the top of the cliff and see a bit of movement before Alis begins getting hauled up at a prodigious rate!
"Sh1t! "
, Alis & Tut, Priyya; Enemy
MAP: M-Cannibal Ambush, (Round 01)
Lureene glances upwards, quickly calculating whether her fly spell will last long enough to ascend the cliff face. Unfortunately, the cliffs are too high for her to simply fly up there. She instead decides on trying to free Alis from her predicament. She chants a quick summoning an incantation and her favorite celestial eagle appears! She then issues a quick command to sever the rope suspending Alis in midair, while uttering a quick prayer it understood the command.
"Get ready, 'Lis. Help is on the way!"
Mal curses as his 'charge' gets yanked up the cliff. "Tal, look out for an ambush!"
Talvyra turns her massive feline eyes from the flying princess, hisses, and sniffs around for threats.
Their flank protected, Mal whips his axe from his belt and hurls it, trying to cut the line above Alis without giving her a haircut in the process.
Standard:
HIT:
DAM:
Mal snaps off a shot with his shortbow nicking but failing to completely sever the thick vine.
Lureene starts to summon her eagle, but then realizes there simply wasn’t enough time to tell it to sever the rope. Once Mal’s bowshot has damaged but not severed the vine, she utters a magical word, and launches herself into the air! Wishing for the umpteenth time her wings were fully functional, she does just make it to grab onto Alis’ legs.
"I'm here, 'Lis, just hang on for a sec."
With a single pulse of her wings, Lureene leaps into the air, aided by magic and soars just high enough to wrap her arms around Alis' legs.
Oof! I always wanted to be taller, but this is getting ridiculous!
"El, is that you down there?"
Looking up, Lureene realizes that she can't actually see Alis' face from this angle and briefly wonders how her friend can tell when the laces on her boots become untied.
With the additional weight on the rope, the rate of ascent slows, but not by much. Whatever is hauling Alis up the cliff must be rather powerful inddeed. Sadly, the thick, vine cutting into Alis' wrists shows no signs of snapping.
"AAAAA-AAAAA-AAAAA!!!"
With a screech of protest, King Tut goes bounding up the cliff as easily as a... well... monkey.
With a flying leap he grabs hold of Lureene's foot and holds on tight.
; Enemies, Mal & Tal, Lureene, Tut
MAP: M-Cannibal Ambush, (Round 01b)
Priyya watches the chain of allies get pulled up the cliff...
"Well, that is certainly a quick way to get to the top."
Priyya gives a quirky little smile. Good distance... small moving target... friendlies to avoid... "Gods, I do love an archery challenge! I'm really falling in love with this island!"
Priyya takes careful aim... and puts two arrows through the vine. She lowers her bow, admiring the arrow placement and looking to see if Mal approves. "That was satisfying. Almost as good as..." She turns to inspect the bushes that Tal is watching, slightly embarrassed about how she was going to end that sentence.
Full Round Act -
HIT: <-- This One!
OR
HIT:
DAM:
HIT:
DAM:
Rng Inc: 70' | -1/Increment
"Oh hell, not agaaaiiin..."
With uncanny accuracy, Priyya bulleyes the same part of the vine that Mal hit just a moment ago and the thick tendril snaps!
"Feather– fuuuuuck!"
Before Alis can even shout out that simple phrase, she and Lureene strike the slope and bounce off, disrupting her spell. King Tut immediately jumps to safety, while Lureene loses her grip on Alis and falls off the side of the slope. Unable to catch hold of anything with her hands still bound together, Alis manages to perform a roll before vaulting herself out into the air where-up she is finally able to shout, "Featherfall," successfully.
The two blondes then drift to the ground landing on their feet. Up above, at the top of the cliff, you hear angry grunts between two different voices.
Breathing a sigh of relief, the scraped and bruised princess says, "Nice shooting, both of you."
She holds her hands up, wincing at the sight of her purple hands, the vine still painfully constricting her wrists. "Mal, I don't suppose you're as handy with a knife as you are a bow, are you?"
Reflex Saves (to see if they can willingly 'jump down')
yes
no
no
Climb Checks DC 20
Acrobatics Check, DC 15
Bluff Checks
Sense Motive Checks:
, Mal & Tal, Lureene, Tut, Priyya, Alis
MAP: M-Cannibal Ambush, (Round 01c)
From atop the western cliff, you hear the sound of people moving about... large people at that.
"I've got a bad feeling about this..."
"I think we ought to put a little distance between us and them. I don't like being downhill from anything large and heavy."
Suddenly from atop the cliff where Alis was being hauled up only a moment ago, a crazed, giant clad only in a tattered loincloth and some rudimentary foot protection comes bounding down the cliff face, shouting madly! He has a shield on his left arm, an old, battered gladius hung from a sling at his side, and a bundle of javelins big as a man on his back. The berserk giant's passage very nearly uproots the small tree that King Tut is sheltering in though he pays the small creature no heed.
Instead, in a fit of either insanity or bloodlust, he leaps down the last 30-feet, hands held before him as he tries to grab Alis. In no condition to try engaging a giant, the tiny elf girl tries to avoid getting scooped up by giant but is unable to get away. The giant's reckless momentum sends him crashing to the ground tackling Alis in his grip as he falls!
ok
A
Even as the mad giant cuts off Alis and Lureene's path, Priyya just barely manages to hear another sound directly above her position. Looking up, she sees another giant with a someone leaner build, drawing a bead on Mal with a crude yet powerful bow of prodigious size!
"Mal, sniper at west!"
Perhaps surprised that the tiny woman who was so noisy earlier could have heard him so well, the giant pulls his shot and an arrow long as a spear splinters on a boulder 10-feet up the cliff wall from where Mal is.
Perception Checks
M
, Tut, Priyya, Alis; Giants
MAP: M-Cannibal Ambush, (Round 02)
Barely able to breath for the huge hands holding her tight, and head swimming from just getting tackled, Alis gasps out, "Mal, heeelp!"
Noticing that Lureene is still standing nearby and didn't get knocked into next week, she hisses, "EL! Snap out of it and charm him or something!"
Sense Motive Checks:
Alexis shivers in spite of the warm breeze carrying The Nereid across The Boundless towards the coast of Wildethar just ahead.
"Ravarath," she says, "I just had the strangest sense that something just flew past us. An odd feeling, don't you think?"
Lureene is quite stunned to see the giant barrel almost literally on top of her. When was the last time someone fell for me like that? A mental image of Rath-hun flashes in her mind for some reason.
Seeing Alis' gasped plea for help, she steps back from the giant and casts a charming spell, hoping to whatever gods cared to listen the spell would affect giants.
Lureene waltzes backwards as she casts her spell with a flourish, and the mad giant focuses its gaze upon her, giving the tiny goddess a big, toothy smile.
"Did it work? Tell him, 'Osvobodit' yee , eto moi druz'ya !'"
Opposed Charisma Checks
Rath regards the small blonde, feeling markedly better on The Nereid than on any ship with a more floral name. He smiles, "Rajkumari, this I think, was inevitable."
With a quick nod, Lureene repeats the phrase that Alis spoke, stumbling over the words a bit but more or less getting it correct. The giant looks a bit crestfallen at her request but obliges and releases Alis. He then shouts something angrily up towards his companion on the cliffs, and the two get into what appears to be a rather heated argument.
MAP: M-Cannibal Ambush, (Round 02b)
Mal's wicked grin says it all, "Darkmane, maybe you could put those wicked shots of yours to good use from inside some cover!" And his language turns to the strange tongue he uses for creating his unique brand of magic. A thick fog springs from just behind Lureene, filling the passage and obstructing everyone's vision.
See how you like the tables turned, big guy. Mal thinks as he stalks into the fog, looking to make a big meal out of the giant. As he disappears into the fog, he calls out to Little Sister, "Come on, Little Sister, let's go find us some dinner."
Talvyra follows Big Brother into the fog, mouth salivating at the thought of such a deliciously large prey, her gait slowing to a stalk when she enters the fog.