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Martika sighs. "Lady Almah, my brother and I will remain with you for now, to help guard the camp and aid with moving. The others can finish exploring the monastery."

"Ikethru, perhaps you could take charge of Kara?"

Lady Almah nods as you arrive.

"I have considered your suggestion, and agree that it is probably best for us to move the camp."

"I would like you to head out to the monastery and see how much more you can accomplish in securing the location while we begin preparations. It will probably take us a few hours to pack the tents, gather the livestock, ready the camels, and move closer to our goal. I would also like one or two of you to stay and assist with guarding against the return of the vulture, preferably at least one of you with some ranged capability."

In the morning, Father Zastoran meets with Kara and returns her to full strength.

"Please, be more cautious. You are of great value to the Lady Almah, and Nethys will sometimes withhold his mysteries from those who grow too reliant upon them."

Sorry folks, due to the delay, we all forgot. Anything being done about Kara's blood loss?

A new day arrives, bestowing The Dawnflower's blessings upon her followers.

The adventurers are informed that Almah awaits them after they have broken their fast.

Almah says, "I would like more time to think about this. It is too late in the day now to relocate in any case. Perhaps we can sleep on this decision."

"It may not seem like much to you to move this group a mile, but leaving water to go to a place of unknown safety... We wil speak more of this in the morning."

"Is there anything else that needs discussing? If not, we should call it an evening, and you can all go and get acquainted."

Almah considers the party's suggestion.

"Are you telling me that you have removed all of the threats from the monastery? Or that you have scouted it enough to ensure that the dangers there are less than they are here? Is the building clear of traps or harmful magic? Do we have a water source?"

"It certainly sounds like a more defensible position, if there are no threats within."

"I am not dismissing your counsel. My original idea was to keep a few of you here to help drive off the vulture if it returns, but if you have dealt with the threats at the monastery we can relocate there."

Almah raises an eyebrow at Kara's response.

"We are less concerned about recovering the goats, and more concerned that the camp was attacked by a carrion bird that could carry away one goat in each talon."

"The guards estimated its wing span at 25 feet."

Almah answers Ikethru, "No one was seriously injured, but the vulture carried off two goats, and panicked the rest of the livestock."

Almah looks up as you are shown in to her tent.

It appears that the party has interrupted her giving an audience to two men whom you have not seen before.

Almah addresses you, "Good. You're back. That will save some trouble."

"These are Thadeous and Azten, here to help us with the reclamation of Keldarane."

"Unfortunately, none of you were here to help us ward off that vulture. A situation which we will need to prevent occurring again."

Dashki is his usual exuberant, cheerful self.

He shrugs and answers, "Safe? Yes. Happy? No."

He gestures towards Almah's tent and turns to limp away.

Ikethru's prayers are answered, as the return journey passes without incident.

However, when the party arrives at the Sultan's Claw, they find the oasis has been stirred up like a termite's nest. The livestock seem near panic, as their handlers try to calm them. The guard are out retrieving spent ammunition, evidence of recent exertion showing on their faces.

Dashki approaches the group, hawks and spits. "Almah's tent."

As the rest of the party is trying to decide what to do next, Javeed recovers the silver bowl, a silvery chime, and an assortment of coins from the rubbish.

Ikethru hears nothing beyond the motions of the party.

Beyond the archway lies a small antechamber.

It is difficult to make out too much in that room with only the light coming in through the windows behind you.

Ikethru determines that Kara's blood loss is beyond her limited power to heal.

A silver bowl lies half buried where Kara indicated.

oops.. missed that while I was editing.

Kara manages to strike down the ungainly, bloated beast as it attempts to fly away.

out of combat

Mirama pries at the stirge, but its pincers have locked in place.

She draws her hand back as Ikethru and Javeed slash at the beast, with Javeed's falchion ending the menace.

Javeed attack vs attached stirge (1d20+6=25, 2d4+8=12) I didn't bother rolling to confirm the crit.

Khalit scrambles through the window.

Acrobatics (1d20+2=6, 1d20+2=16)

map

Kara has her opportunity attack vs the retreating stirge. If it misses the stirge is 10' up, and it is Kara's turn.

Javeed slashes at the retreating stirge to no avail.

Javeed's AO on stirge (1d20+6=11, 2d4+8=13)

Martika steps next to Kara, and slashes at the attached stirge, and comes closer to harming the halfling than the parasite.

Martika scimitar vs stirge (1d20+2=3, 1d6+1=7)

Kara still has Attack of Opportunity on the retreating stirge, which is bloated with her blood.

Mirama wounds one stirge with a dart, and Kara slices another open.

Unfortunately, two remain attached to Kara, and their hollow probosci jab into her. One bloats and detaches, rising back towards the rafters, leaving only the wounded one attached.

Blood Drain (1d4=2, 1d4=4) Kara takes 6 pts of Con damage. Ouch.

Kara and Javeed may take AoO against the departing stirge.
Then Martika, Ikethru, Javeed.

map

Javeed scrambles through the window, and although he stumbles, he still has time to move next to Kara with his falchion ready.

Acrobatics +0: 3, 18

Khalit moves to the window, and aims an elemental bolt past Javeed. In his care to avoid hitting his allies, his blast goes awry.

d20+2=5

Up next: Mirama, Kara, Baddies
Javeed is north of Kara, Khalit is outside the north window.

The three stirges drift in towards Kara while she slashes in futility at them. All three land on her, their tiny pincers latching on firmly. Martika scrambles through a nearby window. Ikethru also enters the room and launches a fire bolt at a stirge, to no avail.

Touch attacks vs Kara: d20+8=23, 28, 18

new map

Javeed, Khalit, Mirama. I'll wait a bit to see if Larcifer is available before proceeding with Javeed and Khalit.

The mosquito-bats follow Kara as she moves towards the offal, and attempt to land on her.

Kara gets an Attack of Opportunity as the creatures close. Kara and monsters 10' south of where they were on old map.

Ikethru, yes it is an Acrobatics check - 20' movement (incl squeezing) to get thru window. She uses 25' total move to be S of window, 5' move left and has another action.

Kara

Martika: Perception 12, Initiative 15
Mirama: Perception 13, Initiative 3
Javeed: Perception 9, Initiative 12
Baddies: Stealth 23, Initiative 16

Looking around, Kara notices the gleam of metal in the refuse pile.

Unfortunately, she doesn't notice the 3 flying creatures which were hidden in the rafters until they are almost upon her. They each have a long proboscis and four wings.

Will update map later today. The 3 monsters have moved into Kara's square, slightly above her (ie: higher ground) on their surprise round.

Round 1
Initiative: Kara
Monsters
Martika
Ikethru
Javeed
Khalit
Mirama

Don't forget, one of the missing players is the DM.

At some point soon, I will be attempting to recruit a replacement for Khalit. Even if Khalit sticks around, it would be best to have a PC arcane caster.

I have alternate methods to contact a couple of our quiet players, and will find out if this is just a lull.

Also, when we are in combat, I will be acting for characters if it is their turn and we don't get a post within 24 hours. Hope that's ok with people. If you know that you're going to be away for a bit, you can pre-post your actions in a spoiler, or let me know likely possibilities.

Fair?

I know it's going to take a bit to get back into the swing of things, but I am trying to get things flowing again.

Prompted by Kara's sudden action, the rest of the group starts forward.

map

Kara's eyes quickly adjust to the dim light, allowing her to see the mound of refuse and animal bodies, as well as a small room beyond. The stench is overwhelming.

Could everyone please give me a Perception check? Initiative may eventually come in handy, so I'll ask for that now as well. d20's please.

Javeed draws back from the window, holding his nose, his face a mask of disgust. He aims a questioning look at the rest of the party.

Hope that's ok, Larcifer.

Sorry for the delay. Kara may change her action or not, as desired.

Beyond the window is an austere octagonal chamber with a tall roof. An aerie of leering gargoyles perches atop each point where a wall meets another wall. An unholy stench of rotting meat, dried blood, and excrement hangs heavy in the air, no doubt from the fine crust of gore, animal carcasses, matted leaves, and guano covering the floor.

map

Javeed Stealth=13, Martika Stealth=5

Stealthily circling the large round wing, the party approaches the three windows that Kara informed them of.

The silence of the day is broken by the buzzing of several flies beyond the windows, and the occasional breeze brings forth the odour of rotting meat.

Map

I hope that you can make out the 3 windows. There is a 4th, more narrow, just off the west edge of the map.

Could I please get Stealth checks from Martika, Javeed and Ikethru?

Khalit Stealth:1d20+2=4 - oh dear

Kara slips out of sight, while Khalit grows more and more nervous.

Kara

Kara and Javeed see nothing stirring outside of the building.

Nothing is seen moving in the area beyond the large openings, and the deep, narrow windows would only allow sight of what lies beyond if the someone wished to stand in front of them until their eyes adjusted to the shadows beyond.

Is Kara sneaking around to the far side of the building (east) by herself?

Beautiful picture of the Monastery by French Wolf

Javeed sees streaking on the walls indicative of birds using them as a roosting point. He hears the wind sighing as it passes through the windows and holes in the walls and roof, and the intermittent hissing of sand being flung against the walls.

Kara sees no doors to knock on.

Although the distance from the Sultan's Claw to the monastery is only a mile, the journey seems to have taken an age.

Almah has asked you to secure this building as a base, by eliminating or driving off any creatures that may have taken up residence.

The monastery sits atop a small rise. Holes in the roof, windswept soil and encroaching vegetation speak of years of neglect. Patches of red-orange are still visible where some artwork displaying the glory of Sarenrae must have once existed, but the majority of the intact walls are now a dark brown. The structure is primarily rectangular, with a large ovoid wing at one end - possibly the chapel.

Access to the interior can be gained through one of the many narrow windows piercing the walls, or through one of two large openings where part of the wall has collapsed on the western side.

Poor first attempt at a monastery diagram. Hopefully, future maps will improve

Javeed's scimitar opens up a huge rent in the scorpion's carapace, and the creature falls.

No flank. Last time I doubled the damage due to your successful crit.

Mirama's rapier seems to be a particularly effective weapon for finding the gaps in the scorpions' chitin.

Kara's thrown daggers, however, are not.

Martika, Khalit, Ikethru..

Initiative
17 Mirama (re-rolled with d20)
13 Kara
10 Martika, Khalit (ladies first)
8 Ikethru (not surprised)
4 Javeed
1 Scorpions (not surprised)

Ikethru reacts to the intruders quickly, but not accurately.

The scorpions charge! One attacks Ikethru, and the other Martika, but neither manages to catch either of the handmaids of Sarenrae in their pincers.

Mirama stabs deep with her rapier, and a gout of ichor erupts from the scorpion attacking Ikethru.

Kara surreptitiously readies her dart.

Martika counter-attacks against her scorpion, but her blow is turned aside by its sun-baked chitin.

Khalit attempts to aid his twin, and slightly damages her scorpion.

Ikethru back-pedals away from her attacker, and nearly singes her companions with another sun-bolt.

Javeed sees that he cannot protect Mirama, as he originally intended, and instead fills in the gap vacated by Ikethru. He chops into the scorpion facing Mirama and it falls under his assault.

The remaining scorpion mindlessly continues its attack on Martika, but she withstands its claws and stinger.

I can't edit Mal's map, but the remaining scorpion is west of Martika. Javeed is where Ikethru was, and she is east of him. Khalit is 10' sse of Martika.

Next up: Mirama, Kara, Martika

Javeed surges towards the creature, and hews it down with his falchion! The strange thing lies bleeding into the sand.

Out of Initiative. The Unluck Aura dissipates.

The goat continues to thrash about, its hide bristling with cactus spines.

Those spells almost always help. But I'm not sure if the goat is evil ;)

Just to clarify, feel free to post if it is not quite your turn yet. We'll work it into a coherent round.

Apologies. You were clear, I just missed it.

Mirama, Dashki, Javeed, Martika

Round 1

The creature moves away, shrieking and giggling, and fires an arrow at Martika.

Shortbow (1d20+3=20, 1d3=1)

Kara subtly readies her dagger.

Mirama joins the others on the ledge, after blundering through the cacti. 1 hp cactus damage.

Dashki calls out, "Have you found the pugwampi yet?"

Javeed disentangles himself from the huge cactus, and climbs out of the ravine. Climb is still separate from Acrobatics. Your rolls were high enough with your Strength mod.

Martika moves towards the creature and slashes at it with her scimitar, but it's hard to hit such a tiny target.

Khalit casts a spell, which has no apparent effect on the fight.

Ikethru shoots a bolt of fire from her outstretched hand, which flies past the creature and Martika.

The goat continues to bleat piteously.

OK, that's the Initiative Order
Round 2

The creature giggles some more, as it moves out of range of Martika's scimitar and fires at her again.Shortbow (1d20+3=15, 1d3=1)

Next up: Kara, Mirama, Dashki, Javeed

Mirama

Before Martika can react, her javelin vibrates, and then shatters into flinders! How unlucky!

Martika might need to modify her actions based on the surprise round.

Sorry, error on my part. Roll d6 for initiative, once, and post your 1st round actions, please.

Any d20 rolls (attacks, saves, skills, etc) must still be rolled twice.

Oh!! How unlucky!!!!

As the tether wraps itself around Javeed's legs, he loses his balance and falls over the side of the ravine, landing in the outstretched arms of the massive cactus.

Falling on Cactus damage (1d6+2=3)

When Javeed falls, a tiny creature appears from behind a rock 5 feet from the goat, shrieking something in Gnoll.

It looks like the world's most revolting lapdog given humanoid form.

The creature points at Martika's javelin, and there is a high-pitched noise.

Martika must make a Will save (twice), and everyone should roll for Initiative (twice)

Current locations: Javeed is over the edge. Rombard is on the edge of the cliff, with the creature 5' away. Martika, Kara, and Ikethru are in the open space, 10' from the creature. Khalit and Mirama are in the middle of the cactus thicket, 15' from the clearing, 25' from the creature. Dashki is still outside the cacti.

Oh, how unlucky! As Javeed approaches the goat with sack in hand to try to calm it down, the goat appears to get even more afraid. It runs around Javeed, wrapping the rope around his legs, right when he is near the edge of the ravine!

Javeed, please roll an Acrobatics check. Actually, two.

Rombard continues to dance madly about at the end of his rope, bleating in terror. One moment his gyrations take him close to falling into the ravine that he is secured next to, the next he charges to the end of his tether, tongue protruding as he nearly strangles himself.

1 hp damage to Rombard.

The party members all feel the warmth of Sarenrae's sun soothing all of the scratches they received from the cacti. Even Rombard the goat stills for a moment, before resuming his frantic motion.

You did say everyone in range :)

As with the balance checks, please roll any d20 check twice, with the lower value applying. For simplicity's sake, I rolled your second Perception check, an 18.

Martika sees that the small ravine is not actually all that deep, only about 10 feet or so, with a large, many-armed cactus growing beneath the ledge which holds the frantic goat.

She sees no other creatures moving, but there are several possible sites where something could hide: the cacti, large rocks, depressions in the ground, the ravine edge...