Thanks for understanding and the kind words y'all! I will definitely get in touch as soon as I am able to play/run any new games.
Search Posts
Hi guys. It is with a heavy heart that I must say that I will be unable to run this game after all. Graduate school is taking up way more time than I thought it would, and even though I thought things would settle down after being here for a while, there are still no signs of that happening yet. I'm so sorry for abandoning you like this, y'all have been such fun to play with! However, I must do what is best for everyone and step down before things get too much. :(
Virml takes a deep breath and walks back through the front doors of the Grand Lodge, ready to rejoin the Society now that his extended sabbatical finally over. In truth, he would have stayed away to concentrate on his music, only his parents have kicked him out the basement to make room for their wine. However, he's determined to make the best of things here. The halls are crowded with idle Pathfinders looking for work, and fellow initiates who have apparently been tasked with keeping the resulting cornucopia of exotic pets from destroying the place. Not knowing what's going on, Virml smiles at a passing initiate, showing off his new teeth and waggling his eyebrows to get her attention. Unfortunately, he couldn't afford the gold teeth that he was promised would be a hit with the ladies and the look of disgust he receives as the young woman rushes away at the sight of his gold-painted wooden teeth doesn't bode well. Despite the minor set back, as Virml signs back on for duty, he manages to find out that Pathfinder assets are still tied up with that recent worldwound business. Although, he is told, things have been looking up since the Society started working with third parties to help fund and organise expeditions a few months ago, and things are expected to return to normal in a couple of months. In the meantime, the libraries have been left in a state of disarray - thanks to an abundance of bored agents looking through old texts for something interesting to read - and Virml's first duty will be to tidy up. After considerable therapy, Virml has stopped having flashbacks of floods, rhyming foxes, and terrifying tooth fairies. However, just as he starts to replace a stack of scrolls on the top shelf of the archives, an inexplicable bump threatens to rattle him free of the ladder and it all comes flooding back. "Aaagggh, not again!"
Just thought y'all might like to know, I've just officially submitted our next scenario as being part of PbP Gameday VII. I set it to start at the start of the second session, but depending on how things go, I can always start before that. ;) Have fun with your session #1 games, y'all! :)
The two player boons I have won (both from last year's gameday) were actually quite neat, at least for my PCs. One inducted my knight wannabe in an actual order that he helped setup, and the other gave significant discounts for augmentations to my starfinder PC. I was very pleased. :) Although, as a GM for Outpost, I was able to read the player boons available then, and I don't think I missed out when I didn't win any.
Haha, that'll certainly keep you busy for a while, Brock! That sounds like a plan, Forrest! I can't set it up until next week when I'll have access to a computer again, but I'll definitely give it a go. Hopefully y'all can win some special gameday boons too. :)
Thanks for the offer, Rook! That session two game sounds mighty tempting! However, I think I'd better pass since I'll hopefully be running one of these long campaign games at the time. Baby steps until I'm sure of my bandwidth, and all that. Have fun y'all! :)
Noted, Yaiho, thanks. :) I'm curious, when did we show a monkey respect?That was totally me! Yep, that was when the macaques invaded the camp. Brock and Rook took a step back after deciding it was best not to shoot at or blow up the monkeys, Arin tried to find food to lure them away peacefully, Yaiho tried to drive them away with a natural deterrent and by marking his territory, and Danicka charmed them and used some expert, respectful, animal handling skills to get them to leave nicely. You may have antagonised them a little, Forrest, but you did not strike any of the monkeys, which would have caused them to swarm (resulting in two nasty monkey swarms within the tiny camp area) and attack back. It's because y'all dealt with them non-violently that they helped out in the temple and you got the boon. ;)
Righto everyone, your chronicles are now Here! As usual, let me know if I made any mistakes and I'll sort them out as soon as I can. :)
Howdy folks! The sheets are almost ready, but I forgot to ask for Day Job rolls again. So if those with jobs can please make their rolls now, I'll have your sheets ready as soon as they're in. :) @Arin: This was the 5th scenario we've played together, so once you get this chronicle sheet, Arin should already be on 5XP, meaning you're only 2XP behind. ;)
Thanks again, folks! That does sound like a good idea, and you'd definitely have time for a scenario or two. Just remember that to play all the remaining scenarios in this campaign with a PC, you can't have higher than XP 7 when we start the next scenario. ;) Speaking of XP, the day sort of got away from me, so I won't be able to post your chronicles until tomorrow. Sorry.
Thanks guys! I'm glad you got a bit of a sweat on with this scenario, gotta keep you on your toes. :) I'm going to miss y'all during the break! I wish you luck with the move and will be preparing for mine in the near future. Next month I start my visa process and scholarship applications. That's where I disappeared to last Wednesday. A long train journey to the embassy, and a whole lot of queueing for my interview. All the waiting was worth it though, and I can check 'get visa' off the todo list. I wish you the very best luck with your move too!
Wow, I keep forgetting how quickly we get through these scenarios! I hope you had fun with the slightly heightened difficulty... Although, I rolled really poorly in that last fight which made it a bit easier again. :) Unfortunately, I still don't think we'll be able to complete a whole other scenario before the move since I will have a week or two without my computer, and one or two other things I should be concentrating on in the coming month. It has been super fun playing with y'all thus far, and I'll let you know as soon as things settle down again if you are still up for continuing in a few months time.
"The honour was mine, son!" The Baron says as he gives Forrest a firm handshake. "I've never heard of anyone hunting leopards by offering themselves up as bait before. Ha, you've got the guts of a lion and the reflexes of a... well, something slightly faster than a leopard." He then limps over to Danicka and listens patiently to her greatly detailed report. "Sounds like I missed some fun, eh?" He says to the blushing wizard with a broad smile as he takes her small bony hand in his large callused grip and starts shaking it firmly. "If only we had more guides and scholars like you during the- Whoa, boy..." He quickly lets go of Prickles' pet's hand and raises his own in an unthreatening gesture at the dog. "Haha, protective little fella aren't you?" Once Prickles has calmed down, the Baron moves on to Rook. "That's more than true, son." He says with a thoughtful nod, "It was information and trade that won us the war all those years ago, not just my legendary leadership. Reconnaissance, guns, and- Good lord, what is that?" He's taken by surprise by the samples, but quickly regains his composure, and dismisses the idea of any more hunts. "Ha, don't worry about me... Now that the 'tiger' is dead, my hunting days are over. I'm just a boring businessman now." He laughs, patting Rook on the shoulder. Rudyham then turns to Yaiho, his jovial disposition not wavering one bit at the warning. "Ha! If the demon survived you lot, I'm certainly not going anywhere near it." He waves his stick at the big half-orc's weapon and muscles. "You're a powerful man, and it was a true pleasure to see you in action. If you ever consider joining the army, just let me know. We can do with good strong men like yourself." Finally, he ambles over to Arin and Brock. "You're a quiet one, but your actions speak far louder than words." He says, leaning down to shake gnome's hand. "The way you care for your friends is admirable! And for bringing me back from the brink, you will always have a friend in Alkenstar." To Brock, he gives a respectful nod. "Keep your gun oiled, son. If only I were a decade or two younger, and this damned leg worked, I think I would have enjoyed the competition of a hunt with you." He then turns to address all of you. "Thank you once again for your assistance with that devil tiger. If it wasn't for you I'd surely be dead right now, and that damned thing will still be out there somewhere, luring innocent people to their doom. I will never forget what you have done for me!" He says with an uncharacteristically solemn tone, before launching back into a hearty laugh. "Ha! In fact, I'm thinking of writing my memoirs now that I've retired from hunting. I hope you don't mind if it contains a chapter or two on you and your Society." The rest of the expedition passes uneventfully, and after a few more days in the jungle and a brief stop off in Niswan, the capital of Jalmeray, you part ways with the noble family and board a ship for home. It's not until you have arrived back in Absalom that you find out that Count Matsanda had arranged for the leopard and guar brought down by Forrest and Brock to be stuffed and mounted (there wasn't enough of Yaiho's jackal left to do the same for him.) The large taxidermies are brought off the boat along with the rest of your supplies and you are presented with a letter of thanks from the count, not only for your services to the Baron, but also for helping him to impress and bond with his father-in-law. The word 'overjoyed' is repeated several times, and he pledges his continued support for the Society. Back at the lodge, Venture-Captain Valsin listens to your adventures with great interest. He studiously inspects all the items you found in the lost temple, and he is especially thrilled with the journal recounting Khiben-Sald’s conquests and journeys. "Well done, Pathfinders! I'll pass this along to the Society's Vudran historians for analysis immediately. Hopefully, we can glean information about other lost sites the Maharaja may have built of visited during his travels!" He gets up, apparently signalling the end of the debriefing, and gets ready to head off, journal held lovingly in his hand.
While the majority of you slice, smash, eat, and experiment on the remains of the holy water doused asura, Arin gets to work healing everyone's wounds and Danicka sets of to explore and take some truly awesome notes. She heads south, towards a small shrine flanked by statues of threatening-looking human-sized monkeys. Both of them, however, are badly damaged. In the shrine, a large statue of a monkey-faced man sits on a pedestal facing south. The statue's arms and legs are missing, and deep scratches have been gouged into its face. Pieces of broken stone, rotting plant matter, and other assorted rubbish lie in heaps on the floor of this room. The smell of rot is particularly strong here. It seems that the adhukait has been wantonly desecrating this temple for decades, or centuries even. Closer examination of the statue reveals that it is wearing a ragged belt, crafted like the tail of a monkey. In addition, there's a small cabinet in the pedestal below the statue which contains a veritable treasure trove of ancient yet surprisingly well-preserved richly illuminated codexes. They're all written in Vudrani, but by the light of her broom, Danicka puts her impressive linguistic skills to good use and is soon able to recognise them as the Vigrahin Patitraka, the Azvadeva Pujila and the Mizravrtta Brahmodya, Vudrani holy texts. They're clearly valuable. However, there is also a handwritten journal that seems to have belonged to a priest who had accompanied Khiben-Saldin in his conquest and colonisation of the Jalmeray island more than four thousand years ago. This must be what Venture-Captain Valsin was talking about when he sent you here, an invaluable find for the Pathfinder Society.
No one knows how to keep the fiend down for good, and the monkeys don't come back to help out when Brock calls them. However, by the time Danicka returns with her finds, it's clear that the fiend will not be coming back any time soon. With the temple fully explored, you retrace your steps back to the entrance of the temple. When you reach the entrance hall, however, you notice something has changed with the monkey carvings. It takes you a moment to spot it, but two of the carved monkeys are now kneeling and holding the exquisitely made kukris stolen from the asura. They hold them out as if presenting them to you as gifts or trophies. The return journey to the hunting lodge where Baron Rudyahm and Count Matsanda are waiting is blissfully uneventful. "Haha! You've returned!" The baron booms as you walk into view of the lodge, "Did you find what you were looking for, my friends?" He asks as he ambles over to shake your hands. The count waves at you from across the yard, currently having an animated conversation with porters and staff at the lodge as he prepares for the journey home.
None of the Pathfinders were able to touch the dancing adhukait as it worked its way around the battlefield, slashing at Arin and clawing at Danicka. However, once they chase it down again, they make sure it pays for ignoring them as it tries to go after the less combat inclined of the group. Brock hits it with a powerful blow to the side, puncturing through the fiend's natural defences to leave another hole in one of its many sides, Yaiho almost flattens it with another sickeningly powerful blow, and Rook follows both attacks with another perfectly aimed bomb. The fiend screams in agony as the flames engulph both its bodies, and it's arms flail about wildly. "NOOO! I WILL NOT FALL TO MORTAL SCUM!" It yells angrily. As it starts to finally succumb to its wounds, the fiend desperately grabs out at something to stabilise itself, raking deep claw marks down Yaiho's arm as it falls to the ground with a thud. It lays there twitching as the flames die down until, finally, it stops moving, quite obviously dead.
The fiend's eyes suddenly open again, "WE'LL RIP YOUR HEAD FROM YOUR NECK, AND SHI-" Forrest rams his rapier through one of the adhukait's eyes, silencing it's angry ramblings once more. However, it's clear that this is only a temporary solution as wounds that would kill any other creature continue to heal at an astonishing rate.
While one of the heads is still hissing in pain, Danicka throws another vial of holy water right in its face. The aim couldn't be any better, and caustic water gets in its eyes and down its throat, causing significant damage to the unholy thing. The other head fixes its gaze on Danicka, its eyes burning with a murderous hatred heretofore reserved for Arin. The fiend takes a step towards the paling wizard, exquisitely made kukris held tight in its grip. However, before it is able to do anything, Prickles jumps to his pet's defence, getting between the two with a menacing snarl. The ferocious Thuvian Desert Dog clamps his jaws tight around the Adhukait's leg and gives it a firm tug in an attempt to knock it off its feet. Unfortunately, with three other legs to help keep the fiend stable, and astonishing powers of regeneration, Prickles is unable to do much more than annoy the creature. Meanwhile, the other head, severely scarred from holy water, is starting to regain its composure and spots Arin reaching into his bag. With lightning speed a kukri flashes at the glowing gnome's back, leaving a deep cut between his shoulder blades. However, the brutal attack does not stop Arin from retrieving the object he was searching for, and he wastes little time activating the wand, letting a strong charge of positive energy heal his beautiful face. Even though Arin tries to step away from danger, he is unable to get out of reach of the Adhukait's kukri and it lashes out again, leaving another deep cut in the gnome's tiny body. With a snort of glee at the pain caused, the fiend starts an incongruous dance of disaster, spinning around and lashing out with claw and blade. Prickles grabs hold of an arm just before a razor-sharp kukri slashes across Danicka's face, but the courageous dog can only do so much as multiple flailing limbs start to pummel and scratch at his pet. Before anyone knows it, the fiend is at the back of the battlefield, standing face to face with the unarmoured and isolated wizard, claw marks deep in her arm and back. The grins on both heads are wide as the vile creature raises its kukri one last time and brings it down with unerring accuracy and speed at Danicka's neck... GM Rolls:
Danicka feels a waft of air under her chin, but no pain, and opens her eyes to see the fiend looking at its empty hand with shock. A monkey climbs onto the wizard's shoulder, screeching in the adhukait's faces and waving the stolen kukri in its hands defiantly. Just then several other primates jump onto the fiends back, and pretty soon thousands of monkeys pour in through the temple's many openings and mob the asura. The wrathful screeching hits fever pitch as they crawl all over the flailing fiend, and even though the simians are unable to hurt the outsider, they do successfully disarm it. While the stolen weapons are passed between monkeys and carried off into the jungle, the primate on Danicka's shoulder ruffles her hair, screeches one last time at the adhukait, and hops away to disappear into the jungle with the rest of its gang.
Yet again, Rook's bomb flies true... At least that is how it looked, only, instead of smashing into the fiend's shoulder as it should have done, the vial passes right through. On the bright side, The copycat image is destroyed, but unfortunately, the real creature was ready for the fireball. With surprising agility for such an entanglement of limbs and bodies, it manages to dance away from the worst of the blast.
As clumsy as his swordplay is, Forrest's waves his rapier less pointlessly than he may have imagined, catching and destroying the last mirrored image and leaving the adhukait without protection. As for the laughing halfling's biting words... Well, it seems that outsiders are a little touchy about such things. Apparently, there's something about the boredom of being immortal that leads to experimental phases in an asura's life, but they don't like to be reminded of it. However, most of the resulting tirade of obscenities and foul language is drowned out as the screeching hits new heights of monkey wrathfulness. "...PAIN! You will feel such pain!"
With the images gone and the fiend driven to distraction, Yaiho has little trouble bringing the hammer down. The massive maul crashes into one of the fiend's horns with a sickening crack, breaking it free from the adhukait's head despite it's natural resistances. One of the heads screams in pain, but the other keeps its eyes on the raging half-orc, and manages to keep from being impaled by a razor-sharp tusk.
Frustrated with his musket, Brock throws it aside and steps forward with his war pick. Despite being surrounded, the Adhukait is able to split its attention, half of it keeping a hateful eye on Arin and the other half looking out for trouble. "Are you so eager to meet your end?" It retorts, unaffected by the cavalier's taunting, "You'll have your turn soon en- Aagh!" Brock takes note of which head spoke a fraction of a second before the others and sinks his pick into the connecting body. The wound isn't as deep as he would normally expect, but there is a rapidly healing puncture mark in the creature's torso.
Realising that the Adhukait would be able to deflect even a magic missile, Danicka changes tack and pulls out a flask of holy water. The flask sails right through the torso of one of the eight remaining bodies, destroying yet another copy before it clatters into the mountain sculpture. The fiend covers its face and hisses in pain as droplets of the caustic water spray over its body. Before it has time to yell a torrent of obscenities at Danicka, Rook strikes true with his special brew, and rather than a mirrored image, the real creature bursts into flames. Twelve arms flail about in the air as the creature screams in pain and spins around, the smell of burnt skin filling the air.
As the flames start to abate, Arin weaves a terrifying spell, bursting through the fiend's magical resistances. Four heads look shaken, but the other four focus on the glowing gnome with a burning hatred. "Our minds are too sharp for your tricks!" It hisses angrily, and with a slap of clawed hands, the shaken heads start to regain their composure. "Neither you or your friends can stop us from breaking off your repulsive tiny fingers and toes one by one..." The interlocked creatures then start spinning around in a sort of macabre dance of flailing limbs, blades, and dying flames as they close the distance on their hated enemy.
Somehow, even with the confusing mass of mirrored images, the stoic gnome manages to dodge the worst of the onslaught of blades and claws. However, this close to the creature, Arin notices that the severe burns all over the unholy creature are already starting to heal. The unfortunate discovery distracts the besieged gnome just long enough for a claw to catch the side of his face, raking five deep marks in his temple and cheek.
Its moment of triumph is interrupted, however, as a cacophonous wall of sound suddenly assaults your senses and the temple reverberates with the wrathful screeches of monkeys. You can't tell where the sound is coming from, but the Adhukait is visibly shaken by this latest development. GM Rolls:
___
Yeah, I thought your new poisonous bite was going to be a neat way to bypass the DR... then I read it was immune. That's just cruel!
Up close to the Adhukait, Danicka is reminded of some disturbing facts about this particular type of evil outsider: it is resistant to pretty much everything but good. She also recognises, despite the creatures natural hideousness, that one half of the creature is deformed. One of its claws is much smaller than it ought to be, another is missing some fingers, and one of the fiends four legs ends in a stump instead of a clawed foot. As she describes all the ways that the fiend can protect itself, Prickles moves up to protect her.
Yaiho doesn't really care about most of what Danicka has to say and just steps forward with his massive maul and connects solidly with one of its sternums. "BWwaaaagh Ha haha!" Eight heads start laughing in the half-orc's face as apparently tricks do work on him after all. The hammer passes harmlessly through the copy, and yet another image is destroyed.
Seven of the heads stay trained on Arin as the other seven follow Forrest as he weaves around the room. As soon as the serpentine halfling gets close enough, the Adhukait lashes out with one of its kukris, six others following suit in an instant. However, Forrest easily deflects the blade and strikes back, narrowly missing the target he is convinced is real, but his sword slices through one of the mirror images, obliterating it. The fiend is quicker than Forrest might have expected, and it lashes out again as he starts to hock up a poisonous loogie, slashing him hard on the hood before dodging narrowly out of the way. Although, the glob does pass right through another image, causing it to fizzle away. While half of the fiend is battling with Forrest, the other half turns its attention to Brock as he levels his musket. The following fizzle does little to impress the Adhukait, and it laughs disdainfully as it refocuses its hateful attention on Arin. GM Rolls:
___
Perception:
Initiative:
GM Rolls:
Just as Arin's blessing washes over his friends, you hear a hiss of rage erupt from somewhere behind Brock. You turn around to see four glowing red eyes hovering in the darkness in the corner some twenty feet above your Brock's head. A split second later, twenty-four further sets of eyes pop into view. "PREIST! We're going to flay you alive and suck the marrow from your bones!" A scratchy voice yells hatefully as a hideous amalgamation of interlocking limbs and spiked bodies scurries into view, crawling across the ceiling like some kind of arachnid. This is the Adhukait that Danicka described earlier, only its appearance has been made a thousand times worse by the six copies occupying the immediate area around the fiend, mimicking its every move. It yells a hateful barrage of abuse as it crawls along the ceiling and drops down right in front of Arin with surprising grace. "We're going to enjoy this..." Twenty-eight sets of glowing red eyes and fourteen razor sharp kukris loom menacingly over the small gnome.
I'm sorry to hear that. Take as much time as you need.
Congratulations Hmm!
A narrow path extends between the exterior wall and the thick web of vines and tree branches that cover the temple's walls. With Arin lighting the way, you enter the heart of the temple, and your eyes are immediately drawn to the 20-foot-tall, high-relief sculpture of a mountain that dominates the north end of this large chamber. A statue of a figure now missing its head sits in the lotus position at the mountain's peak, while smaller statues of monkey-faced pilgrims rest on ledges farther down the mountain. Shattered pieces of yet more monkey statues litter the floor. The southern half of the room is filled with rubble, obstructing an arched passageway to the south. In the centre of the room, a small enclosed shrine made of dark brown stone faces south toward the rubble. A hallway to the west leads to a balcony overrun by foliage.
Thanks for the awesome offer Forrest! However, as much as it pains me, I'm going to have to pass due to time constraints. I'd love to play in one of your games sometime though, perhaps when the craziness here dies down a little?
"No ambush, sir! I swear..." Says the man on the left as the man on the right nods vehemently. "Yeah, we don't want no trouble. We're just honest looters like you, please don't kill us!" They give Yaiho a wide birth as they run for the stairs, Aviska follows at a more measured pace, stopping briefly beside Forrest to say. The two men are almost gone by the time Needle has finished warning that their fearful behaviour isn't wholly due to Brock's threats. "Evil!" One of the men shout back at the many questions as he runs down the stairs. "Hideous evil!" The other confirms. Aviska sighs and stops next to Forrest, completely unaffected by Yaiho's threats, but she decides to share anyway. "So that you don't blame us..." She glances back the way she came, the shadows from her torch flickering dramatically off her face. "A terrible evil lurks at the heart of this temple. If it kills your friends, remember that I warned you before you start looking for revenge." She turns to Arin and adds. "It looked like a pair of spiked devils, interwoven through bodily cavities and impaling limbs..." She suppresses a shudder. "But you want the loot, so it's your problem now."
Know. Planes (DC 22):
It sounds like Aviska is describing an adhukait. A type of outsider known as an asura that appears to be two connected creatures, but is actually one entity with two minds. Most asuras share a cohesive philosophy that culminates in nothing less than the systematic destruction of everything the gods have had a hand in creating. Just before she leaves, Aviska turns to Brock with a look of disgust as he winks and makes kiss noises. "Is that right? Well, maybe I will one day... It'll be interesting to see how tough you are without all your friends around." She says, her eyes sparkling with arcane energy. Then she flees into the jungle, following in the footsteps of the others. You head into the room the looters had just been standing in, and get a good look around for the first time. A mosaic of a monkey-faced figure decorates the floor of this room, though the tiles that would form its eyes are missing. The north end of the room is filled with rubble blocking an arched passageway. To the west, vines and foliage intrude into the temple through an open-air balcony, while a similar balcony to the east remains relatively clear of plant life. Peering through the darkness with the aid of Danicka and Arin's magic you make out another sack that must have been dropped by the looters as they ran from the evil they spoke of. Several gold rings are scattered on the floor around it. Searching through the loot the others left for you, you find a coral pendant in the shape of monkey, six jewelled tiles that must be worth something, and what seems to be an apple made of solid gold. The abandoned sack contains twelve gold rings and a shining, jewel-like scale bindi. Know. Religion (DC 15):
You recognise the coral pendant to a holy symbol of the Vudrani monkey god Ragdya. Detect Magic & Spellcraft (DC 19):
You recognise the golden apple as an alluring golden apple. Detect Magic & Spellcraft (DC 26):
You recognise the bindi to be a powerful magic item known as a naga scale bindi (guardian naga). Appraise (DC 20): The tiles are worth 5gp each to the right buyer, and the rings are worth 10gp each by weight of gold.
Aviska pales slightly, but puts on a brave face. "Please, as if you could-" *clang* *clunk* She glances around at the sounds of metal hitting stone to see both of the men shaking with their hands in the air, having dropped their weapons. "Sorry, boss. It just ain't worth it." The one on the left says with a quivering voice. "I've got kids ta think about... I just wanna get out o' 'ere!" The other says apologetically. "FINE!" Aviska spits through gritted teeth, "We'll surrender... IF you let us leave quickly and without harm." She begrudgingly adds. "You don't need to take the loot from our corpses, just take it." Sense Motive (DC 15): She seems in quite a hurry to leave, and you notice the two men occasionally glance back the way they came.
"Aviska, maybe we-" One of the men starts to say, looking at their apparent leader, but she cuts him off with a look. "I have no patience for threats little girl. Step aside, and I'll graciously allow you to take what we left in temple." The other man grips his axe tighter, puffs out his chest, and scowls, making it very clear that if anyone were to step any closer than Danicka, there'll be trouble.
I hope you don't mind me saying you used the vermin repellent. I figured that since you made them based on information about the lowlands, you would use them as soon as mosquitoes showed up. It just saved a bit of time. ;)
You return to the scene of the 'tiger' hunt just as the sun begins to set, and from there Danicka takes the lead as you head towards the Urapangi Lowlands. As she informed the rest of the team at the briefing, A large freshwater swamp dominates this area, and travel quickly becomes difficult. As you traverse dense foliage and wade through still water that reaches Forrest's chest on a few occasions, the mosquitoes start to come out in force. The incessant buzzing is enough to annoy even the most patient of people. Fortunately, Rook was prepared for this and starts handing out homemade vials of vermin repellent to the whole team. It doesn't help with the noise, but it does keep you safe from their disease-ridden bites.
Despite Brock's misgivings, Danicka confidently leads you out of the swamp in impressive time, managing to find the least obtrusive paths and limiting your time in the dirty, stagnant water. It's now a few hours before midnight, and you are standing in a small clearing with what appears to be a set of stone steps leading up to some standing ruins. The site is almost entirely overgrown by vegetation, and only bits and pieces of its brown sandstone exterior are visible from the outside. The weight of the huge roof and the passage of centuries have caused the ceiling to collapse near the building’s centre. The interior is pitch black thanks to the encrusted vegetation. The jungle around the temple is exceptionally thick and would be next to impossible to move through at more than a snail's pace.
Now that you have finally found the real objective of your mission, you waste no time climbing up the steps and entering the main chamber from the south. Columns line the walls of this small room, each decorated with a high-relief carving of a monkey in a different pose. Some of the monkey sculptures sit serenely in meditation or reach out with their hands as if to deliver blessings to the viewer, while others adopt more naturalistic poses. The floor is littered with decaying plant matter and mud, and the stench of rotting muck pervades the area. An open archway leads south out into the jungle, while a second leads north deeper into the temple. Just as you enter, however, you see the flickering light of a torch and the woman holding it bursts from the northern archway followed by two men. They are slightly taken aback when they see you. The men are dressed in chain shirts and are carrying sacks over their shoulders, while the woman is lightly dressed and covered with exotic tattoos. The men waste little time in putting down the sacks and drawing their axes with vicious looking spikes on the back. The woman in the centre smirks at you, and exclaims haughtily, "What have we here, small-time looters? Bah, get out of the way unless you want to face the wrath of my magic!" She waves you off dismissively with the torch as her other hand slowly moves towards a pouch on her belt. Sense Motive (DC 15):
Despite her confident facade, you detect a faint quiver of fear in her voice.
The Baron pokes at the dwindling campfire with his ornate walking stick and nods. "Very well. I'm not going to second guess you after everything you have shown me of your skills. I'll go with you to the lodge, but leave the machans where they are, you can use them when you make your way back towards your temple." Once you have finished your breakfast and packed up camp, you start escorting the Baron towards the hunting lodge to rendezvous with Count Matsanda. The baron is in good spirits throughout the journey, sharing stories of his favourite hunts, and the trophies he and his lost friends had gathered over the years as he ambles along. It's late afternoon by the time you arrive at the lodge, and the count looks mightily relieved to finally see you. "It was a success then? Did you kill the- Oh?!" He's interrupted as Rudyahm grabs his hand, gives it a firm shake, and brings him in for a man hug. "That it was, son! That it was." After a few heavy slaps on the back, the baron lets go of his shocked son-in-law and limps into the lodge. "I'll tell you all about it, but first things first. Hey, you... WHISKY!" He commands a passerby; whether or not the man works here is unknown, but he certainly rushes off to get Rudyahm a drink anyway. Meanwhile Matsanda thanks you wholeheartedly for a job well done. Still looking a bit dazed, he offers to set you up for the night at the lodge, should you be so inclined.
The baron's wounds start to quickly heal, his broken bones resetting as Arin, consumed by flames, hovers over him in all his fiery glory. "Am I dead?" Rudyahm wonders as his eyes open to the sight of a small figure engulfed in golden-white fire. As the flames subside and the gnome returns to normal, the baron regains his senses. "The beast!? Did you get it, is it over?" He sits up, perhaps a bit too quickly for his poor bones, and looks over to see Prickles and Yaiho gnawing on the leucrotta's legs. "Bwahaha- aagh!" He holds his sore ribs, the toning down his laughter, releasing five years of angst and tension now that the 'tiger' is finally dead. "Thank you, Arin! I thought I was dead for sure when that... whatever it is, got me in it's jaws. I have no idea how you kept me alive, but I am in your debt." He then nods at Danicka and holds up his hand so that she can help him to his feet. "Ha! I'm more than alright!" Once back to his feet, he uses his musket as a makeshift walking stick and hobbles around the smoking creature towards the tiger-like haunches and tail, "Here! See? This is clearly the creature that murdered my friends." He points at a scar along the leucrotta's flank, "That's where I shot it." It looks like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders. "I wanted to be the one to do it, but all that really matters is that it's dead. Bengenn, Nadhil, Rimmes, and the rest of my friends can rest in peace now. You have my eternal thanks, Pathfinders." It's very late, and even with Arin's diligent work with everyone's wounds, you are still fatigued from the difficult trials the day brought. The baron insists that you should make camp in the machans, and spend the rest of the night recovering.
The next morning over a breakfast of jerky and leucrotta, the count confides in you that he has decided to retire from hunting now that his friends have been avenged. "You saved this old fool's life, perhaps more than once yesterday and I will never forget it. Now... Falroun said that you're hoping to find for some lost temple of somesuch in the lowlands? Well, I know from experience just how easy it is to get lost in those swamps, so if you would have a decrepit old soldier, I am more than happy to guide you to your quarry. It's the least I can do to repay you."
Thanks guys! LingoJam looks like it could be a lot of fun, Arin, thanks for the link. :)
Winded, Brock regains his feet and starts splashing his way through the stream and towards the action. Meanwhile, Rook revels in the opportunity to throw another of his bombs, and once again his aim is true. Through the heat haze, of another fireball, he can see the beast beginning to panic as it circles around looking for an escape route. Before it can get anywhere, Yaiho hits it once more with his maul, the crack of huge ribs echoes through the clearing. Now suitably tenderised and cooked to a succulent medium-rare, Yaiho bites another chunk out of the beast's shoulder, spraying blood everywhere. After spurring Yaiho on, Forrest spins around with a flourish and sinks his sword to the hilt into the beast's throat. It promptly acquiesces to the sprayed request, slumps to the ground with a gurgling groan, and dies, presumably on its way straight back to hell. Prickles is a bit late to the party, and after shaking his head clear, starts chewing on a leg as Danicka begins work on the baron with a tap of her wand. The leucrotta really did a number on him, and although a few of the more superficial wounds start to knit back together, his body remains mostly broken, and he has yet to regain consciousness.
That's a great choice for Abyssal, Arin! Would you mind sharing a link, just in case something starts talking back to you one of these days? :) In other news, I just wanted to let you know that I'll be unable to make any posts tomorrow or Wednesday. More mad preparations for the move. ;)
The leucrotta almost seems to smile at Forrest's hesitancy, but before it can double down on its Danicka impression, there's an explosion from the trees, and it howls in pain as a musket ball tears through its rump. The beast turns, with a snarl that quickly turns into a yipping laugh as Brock takes a tumble from the tree and lands in an undignified heap on the floor. "Yaiho think little, clumsy man smell of elderberry! Leave fight to me." It roars with laughter in Yaiho's voice.
However, with the aid of Brock's distracting acrobatics, Rook and Yaiho are able to unleash fire and fury with devastating results. Rook's bomb hits the beast squarely, engulfing it in a massive fireball. With the alchemical weapon working to maximum effect, there's a scream of pain that sounds like the amalgamation of all your voices as the smells of burnt hair and roast game fill the air. As soon as the flames subside, Yaiho lets loose with his massive hammer, striking the leucrotta between the shoulder blades. Its legs sprawl out in front of it, as the power of the blow forces the beast's chest to the ground. "NO! No! That damned tiger is mine. CEASE FI- AAggh!" The baron yells, but is cut short as the raging half-orc bites a huge chunk out of the back of the leucrotta's neck. With the onslaught in full flow, the beast somehow manages to shrug off the gnome's terrifying magic. Perhaps it already knows it's doomed?
The beast scrambles back to its feet and takes a panicked bite back at Yaiho's arm, digging its boney ridges into soft flesh and tearing away at the muscle. The wound is significant, but compared to the damage suddenly inflicted upon the leucrotta, it is nothing. Once again, it kicks out behind with two strong legs, one hitting Prickles painfully on the snout, giving the vicious dog a bloody nose. GM Rolls:
___
Distracted by its attempts to knock Prickles for six, Forrest's rapier just finds it's mark, piercing the leucrotta's tough hide. However, it only sinks a centimetre or two before the blade begins to bend and the beast turns its attention back to the confident halfling. It's hard to read, but in amongst the anger, is that a hint of panic in its eye? The wound is merely a pinprick to the hulking creature, but it seems that Forrest's bravado coupled with the fact that he dodged the creature's attack has left it a little shaken. Furthermore, that insult may have touched a nerve. Then, Prickles gets in on the act, snapping at the leucrotta's leg while it's distracted by Forrest and managing to draw blood. "Eeek! No don't eat him! Not for eating!" You hear Danicka scream frightfully at her guardian... Except, that wasn't Danicka. She's still running to catch up, and the voice definitely came from the middle of the ensuing fight. It's enough to give Prickles pause, but he isn't fooled by the beast's mimicry for long. "Eat Forrest! He tastes like beer batter." Meanwhile, Arin lets go of the ladder and falls the last ten feet to the floor. His shock of white hair billows out as he drops and, like some kind of a ghost, lightly touches down with barely a sound.
After getting tangled in the awkward rope ladder, Rook gives up and jumps the whole way down instead. His pain is masked by the yells of frustration as he chases off along the river for a better shot at the beast.
The leucrotta snarls and bites out at Forrest, and the powerful jaws rip the halfling's shirt as bony ridges scrape across the armour underneath. At the same time, it then kicks out behind it with two great hooves aimed right for Prickles' head. The ferocious dog yelps as he turns to the side, dodging one hoof, but letting the other hit squarely on his shoulder. The leucrotta spits out the fabric and howls in frustration. Meanwhile, the flow of blood from the baron's wounds seem to have eased a little, hopefully due to clotting and not a lack of vital fluids. His breathing is very shallow, but it appears that the immediate danger has passed, so long as he receives some care once the battle with the leucrotta is over. GM Rolls:
___
Forrest leaps to the baron's defence, ignoring the insanity of jumping out of a twenty-foot tree. His knees protest, but it's nothing the daring halfling can't run off, and that's just what he tries to do. The leucrotta keeps a wary eye on Forrest as the man draws his sword and starts running around, baiting it into attacking.
Arin follows after his more adventurous friend but takes a slightly more measured approach. Brock curses the missed opportunity and starts reloading, calling for more light. However, Danicka has already anticipated the need and before Brock can even finish the sentence, Prickles has charged half the length of the clearing, lighting up the beast with his fancy collar. Yaiho rushes across the clearing himself, and makes it into striking range of the non-tiger. The beast snarls as it looks away from the distraction of Forrest, suddenly finding itself surrounded.
Brock raises his musket and sets his sight on the Leucrotta. Unfortunately, his weak human eyes have trouble differentiating between shadow and beast. As soon as he believes he has a good shot, he squeezes the trigger and the newly restored gun works beautifully with a resounding *Boom*. However, although his aim was true, his target was merely a shadow, and the bullet lodges harmlessly into a root.
Meanwhile, in a rush and thinking about the mean things she just yelled, Danicka misses the first rung of the rope ladder and finds herself tumbling through the air. Yaiho hears a yelp followed by a thud, and turns to find Dancika laying in a heap at his feet, covered in cuts from stray branches and some significant bruises from the hard landing. Prickles immediately leaps after his pet and lands relatively softly. Only suffering from a slight sprain, he remains on his feet, waiting for Danicka to stop playing around in the dirt.
On the other side of the clearing, you hear a distinct crack as the beast wrenches Baron Rudyahm to the ground, snapping his arm. It proceeds to throw the ageing hunter around like a rag doll before finally halting the cries of agony with a vicious stomp to the head. Five feet tall at the shoulder, the 800-pound beast looms over the unconscious and bloodied form of the baron, it's wide salivating jaws ready to deal the fatal blow.
GM Rolls:
___
"A trap!?" The baron skids to a halt and starts to raise his musket just as the beast bursts from the canopy. "Son of a- Baaaagh!" The beast doesn't let him finish, bounding across the clearing with exceptional speed, it clamps it's exceptionally strong jaws around the barons gun arm. Sweat pours from Rudyahm's paling brow as he thumps ineffectually at the non-tiger's side, trying to wrench his other arm free. He's obviously in a lot of pain, and already looks close to the edge of consciousness. GM Rolls:
Know. Arcana (DC 16):
This beast looks like some sort of advanced Leucrotta. Reputed to be descended from hyenas and a demon lord, these creatures are intelligent and cruel, using their astounding vocal mimicry to lure foolish and unsuspecting creatures to their doom. ___
Perception:
Initiative:
"Help! Bomande, I'm hopelessly lost..." The count continues to cry out from the darkness, but Danicka notices something that seems a little off... If he's lost, why is he running so confidently, directly towards the clearing? Even the sound of him running seems odd, almost like he's running on all fours. Just as the words "It's a trap!" run through her mind, a freakish beast bursts into the clearing. It may have the stripey hindquarters of a tiger, but this is no ordinary jungle predator. It has a head that looks more badger-like than feline, it's wide mouth is filled with sharp ridges of bone instead of teeth, and rather than paws, it has the hooves of a stag. Worried for his son-in-law, and what his presence might mean for his precious hunt, Baron Rudyahm hasn't yet noticed that he's running straight into a trap. Danicka has only seconds to react. Know. Nature (DC 21):
This beast looks like some sort of advanced Leucrotta. Reputed to be descended from hyenas and a demon lord, these creatures are intelligent and cruel, using their astounding vocal mimicry to lure foolish and unsuspecting creatures to their doom. ___
Much to Arin's chagrin, Yaiho's protective instincts kick in and he starts climbing down from his tree, deliberately disobeying the barons orders. Even while the gnome magically whispers a warning in his ear, the half-orc continues, jumping half the distance to the floor before preparing himself to guard Rudyahm and Matsanda against a potential tiger ambush. As the whispered conversation continues, Brock raises his musket and scans the horizon from his high hide, on the other side of the stream, for potential threats. Unfortunately, he's not used to hunting in such dimly lit conditions, and he has trouble sighting the baron, let alone anything else.
The baron pays no heed to Danicka's squeak as he makes his way towards the sound of the count's voice. However, with nervous adrenalin running through her body, Danicka senses are heightened by the fight or flight response, and there is no way the tiger will slip past her. The poor light may prevent her from seeing it, but her ears a primed to hear even the smallest of twigs snapping.
Yaiho shimmies up his chosen tree like a honey bear as Brock takes the ladder, and start hauling Prickles up. The poor dog suffers the indignity of the rope harness as he is slowly pulled up the 20 to the machan, his legs dangling hopelessly in mid-air. Soon everyone is settled, Danicka with some bedtime reading held in each hand, Rook with his acid-filled spear, Brock and Forrest keep their ranged weapons trained of the clearing, Yaiho watches the horizon like a hawk as night falls, and Arin sits quietly, contemplating his divine mysteries and the tiger's doom. It's dark as pitch in the jungle, but here in the clearing, you can see the stars and the bright crescent moon for the first time since embarking on the hunting trip, bathing the clearing in a soft light. It's just as well, since Baron Rudyahm forbade the use of any other forms of light. Apart from the odd monkey howling far away, and the chirps of cicadas, everything is quiet. An hour after dark, however, the quiet is shattered by Count Matsanda's cries from under the canopy. "Bomande, where are you? I came to help, but the jungle... I got turned around and... And it got soo dark! Bomande, where are you?" The count's voice echoes from the dark, "Help, I am lost! Bomande, can you hear me?" The baron grates his teeth together. "Damned fool boy, he'll ruin everything!" He curses under his breath as he straps his musket to his back and starts down the ladder. "Stay here! I'll go get the lad before he gets himself killed. Cover me." With that, he climbs halfway down the ladder, and jumps the rest of the way. He lands on the ground in a crouching position, feet wide apart, one hand on the floor supporting his weight, and the other outstretched away from his body for balance. After a brief pause, he lifts his head to scan the horizon, then sets off, pulling out his musket as he limps as fast as he can towards his imbecile of a son-in-law. GM Screen, nothing to see here:
GM Rolls:
|